**
The vast hall of the Tokyo manga convention was a sea of noise and color. Elaborate cosplayers navigated through stalls overflowing with merchandise and original art. At the heart of this creative chaos, Marcus Kane, seated at a signing table, smiled and exchanged brief words with his fans. The success of My Hero Academia had made him a star in this particular world.
A few meters away, a young woman observed the scene with an air of detachment. She was dressed in simple jeans and a blazer, but her feline posture and the piercing gaze of her green eyes hinted at a deadly grace. This was Jade Nguyen, known as Cheshire. For the moment, she wasn't here on a mission, but out of curiosity. The man Queen Bee was so desperate to reclaim... this famous mangaka.
A journalist, microphone in hand, approached Marcus.
"Mr. Kane! A quick interview for Anime Today?"
Marcus looked up from his drawing and smiled, tired but sincere. "Of course."
"Your manga, My Hero Academia, is about a world full of superpowers and heroes. Has the recent emergence of real-life heroes, like Utopian, influenced your work?"
Marcus stopped drawing. He felt Cheshire's gaze upon him, heavy and inquisitive.
"I think heroes have always existed, in one form or another," he replied cautiously. "My manga explores the idea that true courage is about standing up for others, even when you feel weak. I find it... inspiring, to see that ideal come to life in our world."
"And Utopian in particular?" the journalist pressed. "Many see him as a new symbol of hope, especially in Superman's absence."
A slight pang in his heart. He briefly met Jade's eyes. She had a faint smirk, as if she knew something he didn't.
"Utopian... is doing what he can," Marcus said, weighing each word. "It's easy to idealize figures of power. But I think what matters are the actions, not the person. Protecting people. That's the heart of it all."
The journalist smiled, satisfied. "A beautiful philosophy. Thank you, Mr. Kane!"
As the journalist left, Marcus felt a presence at his side. He turned his head. Jade Nguyen was standing there, holding a volume of My Hero Academia.
"An autograph?" she asked, her voice soft but laced with underlying irony.
"Of course," Marcus replied, taking the manga. "To whom?"
"To Jade," she said simply. As he signed, she leaned in slightly. "You handled that question about Utopian well. Very... diplomatic. Almost as if you know him personally."
Marcus didn't flinch, but his pen stopped for a fraction of a second. "I just draw stories, Miss."
"Of course," she repeated, mimicking his tone. She took back the signed manga, her fingers brushing against his. A cold, deliberate contact. "It's fascinating how fiction and reality always seem to find each other, don't you think? Enjoy the convention, Marcus Kane."
She turned and melted into the crowd as silently as she had appeared, leaving Marcus with a disquieting feeling. She wasn't a fan. She was a warning. Queen Bee hadn't forgotten. And now, she was sending him a message through one of her most dangerous assassins. The convention had just taken a much darker turn.