**Musutafu, Hero Public Safety Commission Briefing Room – February 2, 2026, 08:45 AM**
The briefing room smelled of fresh coffee and old paper. Yamcha, Nemuri, and Missori sat side by side at the long table. Ms. Arai stood at the head, holographic map glowing between them.
"Low-to-mid-level assignment," she said crisply. "A quirk-theft ring operating out of an abandoned warehouse in the eastern industrial zone. Six confirmed members, one leader with a redistribution quirk. They've hit three civilian convoys in the last week. Your task: infiltrate, neutralize, recover stolen quirk samples. No casualties. This is your first Pack mission. Prove you're more than individuals."
Yamcha nodded, eyes on the map.
"We've got this."
Back at the loft, they gathered around the low table. Yamcha spread out printed blueprints and a tablet Missori had upgraded with real-time scanning overlays.
"Plan's simple," he said, voice steady. "Missori, you open a short-range Keikai Gate for entry—quiet insertion. Nemuri, fragrance cloud on the outer guards to put them down before they raise alarm. I take point on the leader. Missori, tech support—jam their comms, scan for traps. We move fast, hit hard, get out clean."
Missori's antennae twitched. "I can create a small disruption field from scrap. Their radios will think they're hearing cicadas."
Nemuri smirked, leaning against Yamcha's shoulder. "And I'll make sure they dream sweetly. You two handle the rough stuff. I'll be the pretty distraction."
Missori tilted her head. "Your emotional signature is… very affectionate right now, Midnight."
Nemuri laughed. "Perceptive little star."
**Eastern Industrial Zone – Abandoned Warehouse – 14:20**
The Gate opened silently behind a stack of crates—green rim flickering for only a second. They slipped inside.
Missori's antennae glowed faintly. "Six heartbeats. Leader is in the back room. Fear levels elevated. They know someone's coming."
Yamcha gave the signal. Nemuri exhaled a controlled cloud of fragrance—thin, almost invisible. The two outer guards slumped against the wall, snoring.
They moved like shadows.
The leader—a wiry man with glowing veins—turned just as Yamcha burst through the door. "Wolf Fang Fist!"
A rapid combo sent him staggering. Missori jammed the comms with a handheld device she'd built that morning. Nemuri's whip cracked, wrapping around a henchman's wrist and yanking him into a sleep cloud.
The fight was over in under four minutes. Quirk samples secured. No casualties.
Yamcha exhaled, grinning at his team. "Clean. Good work, Pack."
Missori's antennae perked. "Their fear tasted like sour citrus. Most satisfying."
Nemuri laughed. "We're just getting started."
**Musutafu Central District – Downtown Rooftops – 17:55**
They were heading back when the emergency alert hit their communicators.
"Muscular sighted in Central Square. Multiple civilians down. Pro Heroes Water Hose requesting immediate backup."
Yamcha's eyes narrowed. "That's not our jurisdiction, but—"
Nemuri was already moving. "Water Hose is Shinichi and Hisato. Kota's parents. We're close. We go."
They arrived to chaos.
Muscular—massive, muscle-quirk-enhanced, grinning like a maniac—had Shinichi pinned against a shattered fountain. Hisato was bleeding from a head wound, trying to blast water jets to keep him back.
Muscular laughed. "You two are done! Time to crush—"
Nemuri acted first. She leaped from a rooftop, releasing a concentrated burst of Somnambulist fragrance straight into Muscular's face. His eyes watered; his movements slowed.
"Sweet dreams, big guy," she purred.
Muscular roared, swinging wildly, but the gas was already working. Yamcha and Missori dropped in.
Yamcha caught Shinichi as Muscular's fist came down—barely dodging the killing blow. Missori opened a micro-Gate, teleporting Hisato out of the way just in time.
"Nice timing, Star," Yamcha said.
Missori's antennae hardened. "His emotional signature is pure rage. No fear. Dangerous."
The three of them moved in sync.
Nemuri kept the fragrance flowing, weakening Muscular's coordination. Missori used her Golden Threshold in short bursts—golden aura pulses that made him dizzy and nauseous. Yamcha darted in, landing precise Wolf Fang combos to joints and pressure points.
Muscular staggered, muscles bulging but control slipping.
"Now!" Yamcha shouted.
Nemuri whipped his legs out from under him. Missori focused a beam from her antennae, stunning his arms. Yamcha formed a Spirit Ball in his palm—small, bright, perfectly controlled.
He curved it through the air like a comet, striking Muscular square in the chest. The explosion of energy sent the villain crashing through a storefront window, unconscious before he hit the ground.
Silence fell over the square.
Shinichi and Hisato staggered to their feet, battered but alive.
Shinichi gripped Yamcha's shoulder. "You… saved us. Thank you."
Hisato wiped blood from her brow, eyes wet. "We owe you our lives. And Kota's future."
Yamcha shook his head. "Just doing what heroes do."
Shinichi pulled a small wrapped package from his coat. "We don't have much, but… this is for your Pack. A token. Custom water-resistant communicators. Hisato made them."
Missori took the box gently. "They are beautifully crafted. Thank you."
Nemuri smiled softly. "Tell Kota his parents are heroes. And they're coming home."
**The Loft – Evening**
The three of them collapsed onto the couch and floor cushions, exhausted but buzzing with adrenaline.
Missori held up the new communicators. "I will improve these. Add portal-sync and emotion alerts."
Nemuri laughed, leaning against Yamcha. "Our little star is already planning upgrades."
Yamcha looked at them both—his midnight queen and his alien explorer.
"I'm proud of you two. We moved like a real pack today. No hesitation. No second-guessing."
Missori's antennae glowed warmly. "I have never felt such… unity. My people value knowledge, but this—trust, shared purpose—it is rarer than any crystal."
Nemuri reached over, squeezing Yamcha's hand. "And you led us perfectly, alpha."
Yamcha smiled, pulling them both closer.
"This is just the beginning. The Wolf Fang Pack isn't just a team. It's family."
They sat there as the city lights glittered through the windows—three very different souls, bound by something stronger than quirks or planets.
The hunt was over.
But the journey was only starting.