C-Team: From Here To The Multiverse

"We finally made it, kid!"

Haru and Leonidas had left early that morning, stepping once again into the surreal glow of the Mivtzar — caught in a state of sunrise despite having no visible sun. Haru still couldn't grasp the logic of this place… but honestly, who cared to?

Azrael, unsurprisingly, had no interest in joining. "Serves me no purpose," he'd said flatly before curling back into sleep mode.

They had flown out to the outer banks of the central Mivtzar of Einaim — still marvellous and extraordinary, though a little more rugged in colour and mood. Less gold and gleam. More grey. More grit.

They'd arrived at a workshop — an odd mix between a grungy alien garage and an unpolished lab, buzzing with green and red holograms and pulsing data grids. The place had a chaotic charm to it, alive in all the wrong but exciting ways.

Outside, a neon sign blinked:

KANEMOTO MECHANICS

Haru stared at it. Probably the name of whoever ran the place.

He'd expected something more… pristine. Like some futuristic boutique designer brand. Not this scrapyard science cave.

He leaned toward Leonidas. "So uh… why here?"

Leonidas gave a knowing smirk. "The madman behind this place is called Akari. New joint in town. Might not look like much, but in my opinion? Greatest inventor in the Mivtzar. Total underrated gem."

"Yeah, man, listen to him. Of course I am."

A voice cut in from somewhere — sharp, cocky.

Haru blinked and looked up.

"Down here, kid."

He looked down.

And there he was.

If chaos had a mascot, it'd be this guy.

A red panda — or something close — with fiery orange fur and thick black markings around his eyes. Small and animated, his left eye glowed with a sharp cybernetic blue, while the other burned a natural red. His half-zipped tech-suit was covered in armor plates, exposed wires, and belts that served no actual purpose. One arm was fully mechanical — sleek metal with glowing joints and exposed servos.

In the other?

A half-empty bottle of something alcoholic.

"Name's Akari. Akari Kanemoto. Nice to meet ya."

He stuck out his mechanical hand.

Haru, at this point, wasn't even surprised. After everything he'd seen recently, a drunk cyber-panda inventor was almost… expected.

He took the handshake.

Firm. Erratic. Definitely a little buzzed.

And in Akari's eyes — that glint.

The unmistakable shine of madness.

"So, Leonidas, you finally dropped by and gave me a new customer," Akari said with a grin, taking a sip from his bottle. "All that talk — took you long enough."

Leonidas rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Look, kid—this is my nephew. Ha—"

"Haru Tadashima, yeah yeah, I know already. Had his number scanned."

Haru blinked, looking down at his hand. He hadn't even realized that was possible here.

"You know that's illegal, right? Akari, I could get you kicked out of here for that," Leonidas said sharply, his tone suddenly firmer.

"No offense, Captain," Akari replied with a smirk, "but I wasn't brought to this place to follow the law. I was brought here for my exceptional skills… some might say."

He gave a mocking bow and a dramatic wink.

"Buuuuut fiiiiiine. No more scanning."

He threw up his hands in faux surrender.

Leonidas nodded, satisfied — though Haru clearly heard the muttered follow-up.

"At least while you're around…"

Haru sighed. He didn't care enough to argue.

He just wanted his suit already.

"So, what are you lot here for? Bombs? Bombs? Bombs again?" Akari practically begged, his eyes lighting up. "Honestly, I just want to make bombs. I've got so many explosives—pleaaassseee just ask me for bombs."

"We're not here for that, Akari," Leonidas replied with a smug look.

Akari sighed, deflating.

"So what then? Surely not women," he added with an exaggerated eye roll.

"A suit," Haru said simply.

Akari looked him up and down.

"For you?"

"Who else?" Haru shot back, raising an eyebrow.

Akari glanced over at Leonidas for a quick beat, then shrugged.

"Never mind, lil' man."

"Who you calling lil' man when you're like half my height?" Haru fired back with a smirk.

"Just messing with you, buddy. You're a decently sized man, huh?" Akari said, grinning.

Haru felt a bit patronized but let it slide.

"So, what color scheme you thinking? Any special requests? Any bombs…?" Akari asked, winking.

"Cut it with the bombs, Akari," Leonidas said with a sigh.

"We need a practical design. His mission's a stealth takedown, so something dark and sleek—preferably."

"I'd like some gold. Maybe a bit of green," Haru added.

"Not now, kid. You're not some superhero yet."

Haru exhaled, visibly disappointed.

"Fine, I'll get to it. Gimme about an hour. Come on, Tadashima."

Haru followed Akari into the back while Leonidas headed off to his ship to do some stuff.

Akari began scanning Haru's body, running a full set of measurements through a high-speed digital scanner. As the data came up in glowing grids and projections, he yanked Haru out of the booth with a clank.

"So now that the killjoy's not around," Akari said with a sly grin, "is there anything else you want? First-timer bonus — I'll throw in a little something for free. Just say the word."

It was obvious he was hoping Haru would ask for some kind of explosive. But Haru had other plans.

Akari raised an eyebrow.

"Huh. Didn't expect that… but alright, I can work with it."

He took a long swig from his bottle, already grinning with excitement.

"Gonna need another thirty minutes or so to make it right."

Haru nodded and left to rejoin Leonidas. What Akari was putting together, it was going to change the game for him in combat.

Haru and Leonidas had been resting in the ship for less than an hour when—

"Ayyyyy! You lot come in — gear's done!" Akari shouted.

Haru glanced at Leonidas.

"That was quick."

"He's always quick."

They stepped inside — and saw it.

The suit.

Black and shaded greys. A sleek tactical bodysuit layered with smooth, minimalist armor across the chest, shoulders, and arms.

Matching padding ran down both limbs in perfect symmetry — designed more for fluid movement than raw bulk.

A fitted combat vest hugged the torso, lined with slim pouches and reinforced seams. Every piece of gear felt intentional. Silent. Sharp.

Wrapped subtly around the neck was a scarf-like collar — dark, snug, unassuming — softening the silhouette just enough to keep him from looking like a full-blown soldier.

Military-grade boots accompanied the suit, paired with fitted trousers reinforced with shin and knee pads that mirrored the upper armor.

And then there was the mask — a low-cut piece covering the jawline and nose in a sleek, metallic black. No higher. Clean. Deadly.

"I used a range of carbon fabrics for this one," Akari explained, arms folded proudly. "Kept it basic like you asked — durable as hell. The suit absorbs your Manna and uses it to enhance defense and reactivity. The mask silences your breath and filters the air — any air. You could breathe in space if you needed to. Practical. Comfortable. Stylish."

Haru reached out and touched the fabric — and felt it glide under his fingers.

"Woah... that's nice."

"Told you, kid," Leonidas said. "He's the best when he's focused."

Akari gave a cheeky wink — then pulled out a metal case from beneath the counter. Leonidas raised a brow as Akari handed it to Haru.

"This is what you asked for, right?"

Haru opened the box. And fell in love.

"Woah. Look at these bad boys…"

Sitting inside were twin blasters — sleek, compact, slightly circular pistols. Matte black with gold highlights. Smooth contours. Elegant design. Leonidas wouldn't like the unnecessary extra colours but…

Haru honestly didn't care.

"Yeah, I know right?" Akari grinned. "You should be able to channel your Manna into them and fire it out. There's a dial on each — lets you switch between Lethal Bullet Shots, Non-Lethal Blast Shots, and… Explosive Shots."

He gave a dramatic pause. "Boom," he added with a wink and finger guns.

Haru hadn't actually asked for explosive mode — but he wasn't about to complain.

He turned to Leonidas, who was already giving Akari a suspicious look.

"Did Haru ask for these?" he asked, mock sighing.

Akari nodded shamelessly.

Leonidas shook his head with a chuckle before looking at his nephew.

"Consider it a belated birthday gift, kiddo."

"How much do I owe you?" he asked.

"195 Mezu for the armor," Akari said, "and 562 Mezu for the blasters."

His grin widened, unmistakably predatory.

Haru side-eyed him.

The blasters were supposed to be on the house.