MCU: No Limits

On the morning of February 14th, in Harlem, a figure walked with his characteristic briefcase and fruit bags, nodding slightly towards the elderly men playing chess in a small square.

Continuing and entering the slightly narrower alleys, Keiji, in his disguise as Michael, passed by the men standing close to the wall or sitting on wooden crates, and handed a large paper bag to one of the men with a conspiratorial smile, looking him in the eye before leaving.

Then, smiling in the same way, the man opened the paper bag and took out a whole sandwich inside a sealed transparent plastic bag before handing the paper bag to the man standing next to him, who took another sandwich before passing the bag to the next, and so on.

Keiji, now further away, stopped walking when he felt something approaching. A puppy - which by its appearance was of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed - escaped from its owner and ran down the street, heading towards Keiji.

Keiji, on the other hand, remained motionless, neither shouting nor making eye contact with the dog, let alone making sudden and abrupt movements when the dog finally approached him.

Even though the dog was just a puppy, Keiji didn't want to take unnecessary risks.

Subsequently, Keiji moved his left foot slightly and slowly in a horizontal motion, distracting the dog with his shoe before walking diagonally around it.

Slowly, Keiji raised his arm and turned his wrist, with the palm of his closed hand facing up. He gradually opened his hand while the puppy circled around him and sniffed his private parts - probably trying to determine if Keiji was uncomfortable or scared, or just trying to identify him, since Keiji is a stranger and dogs usually do this with unknown people - and showed a chewable plastic bone.

The puppy sniffed the toy before picking it up with its teeth and barking, rubbing against Michael's legs momentarily before returning to its worried owner.

Going to a park bench, Keiji picked up his suitcase and his bags of fruit before continuing on his way.

During the journey, he thought about why he decided to dress this way and, moreover, about something crucial regarding the first Hatsu he developed.

He didn't buy those clothes, actually. Keiji isn't that foolish; he would never spend the money he worked so hard for on expensive clothes.

These are the clothes his father wore during part of his adolescence, which he stumbled upon while rummaging through several cardboard boxes.

Apparently, his father made a rather amusing attempt to dress like the vision he probably had of mobsters from some movies he watched during his high school years, a few decades ago.

And even though his father looked really ridiculous in those clothes that were much bigger than him, Keiji was impressed that the clothes were so well preserved.

However, he quickly discovered why. These clothes did not wear out over the decades because they were not worn frequently, received few washes, and had little exposure to the sun. They were just there, inside a lonely cardboard box that was sealed with tape, unused. 

The two bracelets he wears on his left wrist, the chains around his neck, and the rings on the fingers of his left hand are not just simple aesthetics.

The bracelets and the chains belong to his mother, who apparently had a fascination with shiny jewelry.

When Keiji rummaged through the cardboard boxes, he saw three jewelry cases in one of the boxes, under some chemistry books.

In the first case, there were the bracelets, the second case contained chains, and in the third case, he found his parents' wedding rings.

Keiji found it impressive that the jewels were made of gold, as is the case with the bracelets, one of the chains, and the wedding rings, and silver, as is the case with the second chain that now rests around his neck.

When he found these jewels, his first action was to take a thin, small coin and lightly scrape a very small corner of each jewel using that coin. None of the jewels changed color, so they were indeed gold and silver.

18 karats, very possibly.

Internally, Keiji wondered if his parents were really spies. These jewels have a very high price, even during the time they were acquired. And since they are well preserved, this price has not decreased much.

However, Keiji would not sell these jewels. For him, these shiny jewels have sentimental value, rather than a momentary monetary value.

The fact that he wears these rings on the thumb and little finger of his left hand has a meaning that, probably, few know.

A ring on the thumb represents strength of character, independence, willpower, and freedom of thought. In some ancient cultures, such as the Roman, wearing a ring on the thumb was a demonstration of hierarchical power and the person's social status.

And a ring on the pinky finger represents intellect, communication skills, and expression.

However, since this ring is on his left pinky finger, he is indirectly and discreetly telling people that he is a widower or divorced.

Keiji dressing so extravagantly is also a way to differentiate his real body from his persona, making sure that these two supposedly different people have no connection, no matter how identical they may be.

There are several cases of people who have no blood relation and have similar physical appearances to each other, no matter how distant these coincidences may be.

Keiji, in his enhanced form, is described by many rumors as someone who was once an intimidating member of a gang whose name no one knows.

Even though all these rumors were unfounded, Keiji never confirmed or denied their truth in words when some people approached him with such questions. He just smiled, and that seemed enough for those people to have some rough ideas about his past.

If the police or any governmental or secret organization somehow end up with something that has his DNA, they will probably search for him in the genetic database using that sample or object, trying to find out if he is convicted of any crime.

However, Keiji Wakui, the child, did not leave the house, or only stayed in hospitals. Apparently, to strangers, this boy named Keiji is just a child with fragile health who is trying to improve his physical condition, and who is not related to any kind of crime.

Even if the hospitals he has been to have samples of his blood, it wouldn't change much. 

That's why these people won't be able to find any situation or occurrence in which this guy supposedly named Michael was present in the past or recently, either directly or indirectly, because he was never in such a situation.

Basically, Keiji is prepared to make them look for things that never happened.

Moreover, Keiji is buying time. As long as no one discovers the relationship between Keiji and Michael, he can rest a little.

He recognizes that it's quite foolish to act this way and that he is probably thinking about baseless things, but he is not complaining. A part of his mind says that all of this is just a bad excuse for him to leave the house and socialize during his work, and he thinks that this is not entirely incorrect.

He wants to earn money to help Keiko with the expenses, and he will continue doing this daily work for an indefinite period, it seems.

And about his Hatsu, "Growth," there is something very crucial, something very important that should not be mentioned lightly.

It is a limitation that may or may not be strict, depending on various factors.

Basically, your body will grow until it becomes what it would be at a certain age, which it decided would be 18 years.

His transformation prioritizes various things. For example, his daily routine, what he eats, what he drinks, and whether he exercises regularly, among other things.

If he continues with this exercise routine regularly, his body will remain as it is now. However, if Keiji ends up developing laziness, a sedentary lifestyle, and gaining weight, his transformed body will reflect how he treated his body.

Basically, this Hatsu determines that he followed the same routine for several years, without interruptions.

Therefore, if he ends up drastically and unfavorably changing his routine or doing basically nothing, his body will become what it would be if he led a sedentary life.

Furthermore, this transformation also takes into account what passes through his throat or what smells his nose ends up sensing.

If he drinks beverages that contain alcohol, his transformed body will reflect this, as if he had been an alcoholic for many years. If he smokes any type of cigarette, his lungs will completely darken while in his enhanced form, and many other effects will also occur.

Moreover, all the health hazards from these things are amplified in his transformation.

And even if some people knew that Keiji has an extinguished cigarette inside the blazer he is wearing, none of those people know that it is not a real cigarette.

It's just a replica made with pieces of paper and cotton, painted with school paints to resemble the appearance of a cheap, crooked, and extinguished cigarette.

Keiji isn't that stupid, he knows that things like cigarettes have no benefit. He made this paper replica purely for aesthetics.

Moreover, his transformation also prioritizes other different things, but that are still important.

Since his previous life, Keiji has developed the habit of taking good care of his hair.

He washes his hair regularly, but without hot water, as it would damage the strands. He uses shampoo, conditioner, and maintains a healthy diet. Keiji also avoids tight hairstyles and does not use chemical products like dyes or hair straightening products, which can weaken and damage the hair.

All this meticulous care was reflected during his transformation. His hair was longer, shinier, stronger.

And always, before leaving the house in his transformed form, Keiji applies a layer of gel to his hair to slick it back as smoothly as he can.

Moreover, he uses a small amount of gel, and it is a neutral, alcohol-free gel. He always uses small amounts, as excessive use of hair gel harms hair growth, leaving it brittle and dry. 

So, internally, Keiji began to think about other things.

He started making sandwiches using some foods that have not yet passed their expiration dates or that have not spoiled, as there is an excess of food in his house.

Processed foods like bread, cheese, and ham are still far from the time when they will finally spoil. Fruits like tomatoes and vegetables like lettuce and onions are also far from that time.

In the morning, when he passes through those alleys and some other streets, Keiji distributes this breakfast that has as many calories as a full lunch, but it is still healthy.

However, he doesn't use food that is already going bad or starting to smell unpleasant to make these sandwiches. Keiji doesn't want to see anyone writhing in public from diarrhea due to food poisoning.

He keeps all his money in a hidden place, but only he knows where it is.

So, Keiji, now in his apron, gloves, surgical mask, and hairnet, cut some chocolate bars into several small pieces with a serrated knife, his hands moving at absurd speeds but with smooth movements.

He looked at the children on the opposite side of the table before his eyes focused on the red apples on the left side of the table, which were inside a grocery bag.

"Soon, each of you will understand the magnificence of a chocolate apple."