Chapter 3
Search For the Phantom Thief
Tatsumi Kurate was living the best time of his life. He was at his internship with his idolizing Pro Hero, Droid Cop. They chased a villain, which failed, but fortunately, he got a chance to stay and sleep at his mansion. His mansion! He couldn't believe all of this happened in just one day.
He was sleeping peacefully in the bedroom for his stay until….
"Burrrrr! Burrrr!" An alarm turned on very loudly through the mansion, causing Tatsumi to wake up suddenly.
"Woah! What's going?!" Tatsumi gasped.
Suddenly, Droid Cop burst into the room. "Hello, Tatsumi, my boy!"
"Droid Cop?!" He exclaimed.
"Get dress now! We have a job to do!" Droid Cop stated epically.
"Yes, sir!" Tatsumi agreed as he put on his Mix Driver and transformed. Fortunately, unlike his classmates and perhaps all the UA students from the other hero classes, Tatsumi didn't need to have a costume when his Mix Driver can help him to change into it immediately.
"Quirkless! Superpower! Best Mix!" He inserted two Quirk Bottles, one plain one and another green one. The belt mixed it as his costume appeared around him.
His body turned into a suit with mostly colorless white with some green lines around his arms, legs, and chest that went across it. The green lines intersected on his back to make an X shape. His helmet had the same bug-like eyes, a staple for Kamen Rider.
This form was his primary form.
"Let's go!" Droid-Cop stated as they took an elevator downstairs to the garage floor. Once the door opened again, they ran to his vehicle. It looked like a police car, but it had a more expansive blue and red siren on the top and an exposed engine on the front.
"We're taking the Droid-Cop Mobile?" Tatsumi asked.
"Of course, my boy! Now, hop in!" He stated as Tatsumi followed what he said. He had seen this vehicle in some episodes from his TV show and wished he would ride on it, but now that dream was coming true.
"Let's roll!" He started the engine as the garage door opened. Just outside the mansion, a gate opened and connected to the garage, which they came out through. They drove quickly to their destination.
"So where are we going, Droid Cop? Is it that villain duo, Weather Twins again?" He asked.
"Not quite, my boy, Mix. Not too long ago, there was a robbery at the department store. Some jewels were stolen!" He explained.
After less than 3 minutes, they arrived at the department store, where police cars and officers were guarding around the store's perimeter. They helped to prevent anyone from coming close to the entrance of the store. There were also the people from the media, too.
"And it seems like Droid Cop has arrived at the scene!" One of the reporters stated as she looked at Droid Cop. "And it appears to be he has a new sidekick who looks very young."
"Not a sidekick, my dear citizens!" Droid Cop approached the camera. "This is Kamen Rider Mix, an intern from UA High School!"
"What?!" Cameras flashed, and most of the media's attention was now at him. He felt blushed, but nobody saw that due to him wearing a mask helmet.
"Mix and I are here to find out what happened at this store so that I will talk with you all later!" Droid Cop stated as he and Tatsumi went inside the store.
One of the officers escorted Droid Cop and Tatsumi to the third floor, where the crime happened.
"Sir! I bought Droid Cop over here, sir!" The officer exclaimed.
"Good. Thank you. You can go back to your post." The escorted guard saluted and left the scene to go back to his post before the man who called the heroes greeted them. "Droid Cop, who is the kid?"
"This is Kamen Rider Mix. Though, his real name is Tatsumi Kurate. He is a first-year student from UA High, and he will be working with me for the whole week as part of his school's internship program," Droid Cop explained.
"I see," the man replied.
"Mix, this is Detective Saito from Kyoto Municipal Police," he introduced.
Detective Saito was a middle-aged-looking man with short black hair with some gray stands behind his head. He wore an opened buttoned light brown trench coat, black shoes, black pants, and black tie. He also had a badge pin attached on the right side of his jacket near the chest.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Detective Saito," Tatsumi greeted politely.
"The pleasure is mine," Detective Saito said.
"So what's the crime, Detective Saito?" Droid Cop asked.
"Already on the case even at this late hour, huh?" Detective Saito smirked but turned back to his serious mode. "Anyway, yeah, a robbery happened, as you can see."
Detective Saito showed the duo the broken glass cases where the jewels should be. "I see. So the villains must have gotten in, and stole the jewels, and did it well, not even to activate the security alarm system. They must be no ordinary thief."
"That's because they aren't, Droid Cop," Detective Saito said as he showed him something. "Check this out. The two officers found this here and told us about it. You already know by now what it is."
Droid Cop and Tatsumi looked at the said evidence. It was a plastic bag and inside the bag was the card that had the strange three-legged crow for an image on it.
"Is that a crow?" Tatsumi asked.
"Not just any crow, my boy Mix," Droid Cop said. "This is the mark by the Phantom Thief, Yatagarashu!"
The name shocked Tatsumi. He remembered the girl who saved him yesterday, not so long time ago. He couldn't believe it.
'No way! That girl, she broke into here and robbed the jewels!' He thought.
"Mix… Mix!" Droid Cop's words snapped him out of his thought. "What's the matter, Tatsumi, my boy?"
"Oh! Um, sorry, Droid Cop. I was sort of doze off! I am very sorry," he apologized hesitantly.
"Well, it is still early for the time," Droid Cop said as he looked over at the clock. "You can sit at the bench if you want to."
"No, thank you, Droid Cop. I will be fine!" Tatsumi insisted.
Droid Cop chuckled. "Ha, ha! I loved the spirit of youth! Alrighty then." He turned his attention back to the detective as they talked about the case while giving Tatsumi some time to think.
'I can't believe she is a thief, and by using a calling card to tell that she's the one who did all this… It sounds like to me she's no ordinary thief!' Tatsumi thought.
After talking with the Kyoto Police, Droid Cop and Mix began their work right after it. They looked around for clues around the department store. After their initial investigations for several hours, they went back to the mansion for a break.
"Uuuh, so tired…." Tatsumi moaned as he sat down on the couch in the office area. The time was now 7:00 am, about 6 hours, they searched for clues.
As Tatsumi looked out of energy, he noticed something was put on the table in front of him. It was a double-stacked pancake with butter and maple syrup and a cup of coffee (decaf).
"What's this?" He said as he woke up by the delicious pancake in front of him.
"I prepared breakfast. I expect a boy your age would be exhausted from a 6-hour investigation since early this morning," Miss Kobayashi said as she pushed her glasses upward.
"Thank you, Miss Kobayashi!" Tatsumi said as he began eating it. "Mmm, this is delicious!"
"She may not look like it, but she is a good cook," Droid Cop said as he took off his helmet and then drank a coffee from his mug. "She used to be a chef."
"Really?" Tatsumi asked.
"That was a long time ago. It's all in the past. I am no longer in that profession, but the skill I learned is quite helpful," she stated strictly. "Anyway, sir, I have gathered and researched based on the clues and evidence given from the Kyoto Municipal Police. Would you like to take a look?"
"Certainly," he nodded.
"Oh, I want to see this too!" Tatsumi declared.
"No worries," Miss Kobayashi said. "You can watch and listen while you eat."
She pressed a button on a remote control, which caused a monitor screen to come down from the ceiling, and a display showed up.
"According to the Kyoto Municipal Police, the crime sometimes happened around midnight," Miss Kobayashi started as she showed some footage of the security camera.
Tatsumi almost dropped his pancake when he saw the same girls with the long ponytail, except that her face didn't show and one of them showed it, but it was covered with a mask of some kind.
Miss Kobayashi glanced at Tatsumi but ignored it as she continued. "According to all the research I gathered on the Phantom Thief, Yatagarashu, whoever he or she is, have been committing robbery across multiple cities in Japan. Kyoto is just one of the locations she's targeted, but lately, she seemed to be very busy here."
"What do you mean, Miss Kobayashi?" Droid Cop asked.
"Well, it seems like Yatagarashu follows a pattern. Usually, she stays in one city to rob for about a month, then disappeared for a month, then reappeared in another city, and the cycle began," she explained.
"I see. It seems like they have a rather strange pattern. Possibly to get away from the attention of the police," Droid Cop suggested. "What do you think so far, Tatsumi, my boy?"
"Well, it is strange, but I don't see how that makes her busy," Tatsumi commented.
"I will explain," the secretary stated. "According to reports for the past few months, Yatagarashu had robbed several places here in Kyoto, but what's strange about it is that she's been robbing places in Kyoto for two months, which is what I meant how busy they are."
"That is a bit odd," Tatsumi said. "If she's been following a pattern, then she should've left Kyoto by now."
"Ah-ha! I get it!" Droid Cop exclaimed. "She must be targeting something in Kyoto!"
"Precisely, and I believe I know where Yatagarashu will rob next." Miss Kobayashi changed the display to now show a news article. It showed an upcoming auction show that will present all kinds of priceless antiques, including jewels.
"Ah! The Glory Hero Corporation's annual auction show, and it will be hosted here in Kyoto," Droid Cop pointed.
"That's right," his secretary nodded. "This auction show is most likely Yatagarashu's next target."
"If that is true, then we have to be there and stop the thief, once and for all!" Droid Cop declared.
"I am already in the process of getting the invitation for both of you, which isn't too difficult due to your heroic reputation, sir," Miss Kobayashi said.
"Good job, Kobayashi!" Droid Cop praised before he turned to Tatsumi. "Well, my boy, it is going to be very busy. The auction show will be held tomorrow, so you better be prepared. For now, relax a bit, and then we will go on a patrol."
"Yes, sir!" Tatsumi nodded as Droid Cop went somewhere, leaving him and his secretary.
"Excuse me, Mr. Young Kurate." Tatsumi almost gasped and turned to Miss Kobayashi.
"Yes, Miss Kobayashi?" He replied.
"I just have a question," she said.
"Oh, what would that be?" He asked, feeling a bit nervous.
"Why did you think Yatagarashu is she?" The question made Tatsumi tensed up a bit. "I didn't mention anything about the thief's gender, and yet you referred to the thief as she."
"Ah, oh! Well, you see… Just looking at the footage you showed, Yatagarashu looked like a girl to me! That's why!" Tatsumi explained hesitantly.
Miss Kobayashi stared at him as he sweated nervously. "Miss Kobayashi!" Droid Cop called her.
"Fine then. I guess from seeing the footage, and the thief does look feminine. Thank you for answering my question and excuse me." She left immediately after questioning Tatsumi.
Tatsumi released the air he was holding in his breath. "Phew, that was close."
The following two days were regular times for Tatsumi. He went on a patrol with Droid Cop and his sidekicks. They taught him the basics and importance of patrol, making the citizens feel safe that a hero was around. He also joined them and Droid Cop for some exercise training for physical and mental. The training also included yoga.
Two days have passed like a stream, but the night of the big job had finally arrived. Droid Cop and Tatsumi were in their hero costumes as they worked along with the sidekicks from Droid Cop's agency and the standard security guards.
The security was tight, but it became tighter after Droid Cop explained to the host of the action show about their show is a most likely target for the Phantom Thief.
Kamen Rider Mix was guarding the outside area, where the guests were coming by cars and limousines. He was working with one of Droid Cop's sidekicks. Other sidekicks were protecting other places around the building, both outside and inside. Droid Cop was in the ballroom, greeting guests while keeping an eye on anything out of the ordinary.
"So far, so good," Kamen Rider Mix said.
"It seems like so," Droid Cop's sidekick said, then he noticed something of a commotion. "What's going over there?"
Tatsumi turned in the direction where the sidekick was looking.
"Sorry, sir, but this auction show follows a strict dressing code, and your outfit is… unacceptable!" A guard stated.
"Sorry, but my suit is getting fixed at the cleaner." The man in question arguing with the guard wore a black trench coat, black fedora ha, and white mask with a big, red Question Mark over his face.
"Is there a problem?" Droid Cop's sidekick and Tatsumi walked over to the commotion.
"Sorry to bother you, sir, but this man here is persisting in entering the building. I am trying to explain to him that we follow a strict dress code," the guard explained.
"I see," the sidekick nodded as he turned to the man in question. "And may I ask who you are?"
Tatsumi was interested to know who this man was. By looking at what he was wearing, he seemed to be a Pro Hero, but he didn't know who he was exactly.
"The name's Unknown, Detective Unknown. I am a Pro Hero myself, but I came here with an invitation, but this guard prevents me from coming in," Detective Unknown said as he showed Droid Cop's sidekick his ID.
He checked over the ID before giving it back to him. "I see that you are a Pro Hero, but I don't have the authority to allow you inside, though."
"Excuse me." They turned to the door as a man with black and white hair came out. He was wearing a nice black suit with a black tie and shoes, but unlike other gentlemen, there was also a tiny badge that looked like an attorney's badge, but it had a logo that says "GH" on it.
"Ah, Mr. President!" The guard stood still.
"What are you think you are doing?" He whispered to the guard with scowled expression. "Don't act like this, or you will scare other guests."
"Sorry, sir, but this man is not wearing a proper dress code," the guard pointed to the said man, who is Detective Unknown.
"I will handle it here," the man stated before he turned and smiled. "Ah, Mr. Detective Unknown, you have arrived in time!"
"It's a pleasure to make your acquittance, Mr. President Yamaguchi," Detective Unknown greeted with a bow and his hat off before he put it back on.
"It is an honor to meet you, and sorry for the tight security," President Yamaguchi apologized.
"No, not at all! It's quite alright. I understand we live in an unpredictable time, so having tight security like yours here is justifiable," Detective Unknown assured.
President Yamaguchi laughed. "Yes, yes. You are quite right! Now, come in. The show is about to begin. I don't want to make you stand here and miss it!"
The gentlemen went inside as the guard went back to his post.
"Come on, Rider Mix," Droid Cop's sidekick spoke up. "Let's get back to our job."
"Right!" Tatsumi agreed as they did just that.
'Detective Unknown… I've never seen a Pro Hero like him before, though why does his name sound familiar….' Tatsumi thought.
The auction show began. It started normally. The auction host, Mr. Present Yamaguchi of Glorious Hero Corporation, started the show with an introduction speech. Then, the main show began. The auctioneer called out each different item with a starting price. Attendees called out a higher price than the announced price so that they can bet on the thing. If one called out the highest price they can afford and nobody else can't beat the price, the item was sold to that highest better.
Kamen Rider Mix, aka Tatsumi, was guarding inside the building's main hall. The auction show was happening behind the closed doors, which two security guards in black suits guarded. He wondered if that girl who saved him, Yatagarashu will show up and steal one of the auction show's items.
"How's thing going, Mix?" Droid Cop's voice spoke through his comm.
"Nothing is happening here, Droid Cop, sir. Over," he replied.
"Good! Keep up the good work, my boy! But remember, in a situation like this, anything can happen, so keep an eye on things," Droid Cop stated.
"Yes, sir!" Tatsumi stated.
Suddenly, the light flashed three times until it went completely blackout.
The crowds gasped, causing them to feel alarmed by the sudden blackout. However, the auctioneer assured them that they would get the electricity back soon and asked everyone to stay put.
"What's going on, Droid Cop?" Tatsumi asked, but he noticed the comm was not working as he could only hear static noises. "What the?! The comm is not working!"
CRACK!
Then, he heard a loud crack noise. It sounded like a glass just broke, then some people screamed. The noise was coming inside.
"What's going in there?" The two security guards opened up the doors. When they did, they were greeted or ambushed by a flock of crows.
"Woah! Where did all these crows come from?!" Tatsumi gasped as he covered himself.
As the flock of crows swarmed him, he noticed that couple of them were holding something shiny in their mouth. He also saw that the herd was flying in the same direction as the upstairs.
"Something's not right! I got to follow these crows!" Tatsumi chased after the flock of crow while trying to communicate with Droid Cop or any of his sidekicks.
"Hello! Anyone?! Some flock of crows attacked the auction show! Right now, I am pursuing them! They headed upstairs!" Tatsumi shouted through the comm as he chased after the flock.
The flock of crows flew across the hallway while Tatsumi followed behind them. They turned left and then right. Tatsumi was beginning to have a feeling that these crows were no ordinary crows. It was as if they were following a specific direction, or perhaps they weren't any ordinary crows at all.
"Could this be some of her Quirk?" Tatsumi asked himself.
The flock of crow flew out an opened window. Tatsumi checked and saw an emergency ladder. He quickly climbed up to reach the rooftop. Once he arrived at the rooftop, he saw something shocking.
The flock of crows merged into one point on the rooftop, forming into a humanoid body. Soon, the herd turned entirely into a single human being who looked very familiar to Tatsumi.
"Hey! You! Yatagarashu!" He shouted.
Yatagarashu turned around and gasped.
"Hey, you are here?!" She gasped.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
"What do you think? I am doing my job," Yatagarashu answered as she smirked.
"You are not going get away with this!" He declared.
"Sorry, but I don't think you can stop me. See you!" Yatagarashu turned her body into a flock of crows.
Name Yatagarashu. Quirk: Crows. She can transform her whole body or part of her body into a flock of crows or one crow. This power can allow her to travel from place to place very quickly without causing any suspicion. When she transforms one part of her body into a single crow, she can use that crow to check her surroundings. Very useful during surveillance and preparation for robbery! It is no wonder why she is called the Phantom Thief! (Said by Present Mic)
"I have to stop you!" He ran towards her to catch her.
Yatagarashu looked disappointed but grinned before she transformed into a flock of crows. Tatsumi stopped and looked around as the crows flew around her.
"You can never catch me. As I said, see you, and this is our final goodbye, so bye!" She stated as she flew away.
"Come back!" Tatsumi yelled. "Come back!"
"Mix!" Droid Cop joined him. "What happened?"
"Yatagarashu…. I pursued her, but she got away! She turned into a flock of crows and flew off!"
"… Very good," Droid Cop said.
Tatsumi felt a bit silent as he tried to understand what Droid Cop just said. "Huh? Wh-What do you mean that's good, Droid Cop? That's bad, right?!"
"Do not worry, Mix! Fortunately, the jewels that she stole from the auction shown are fakes, and they contained a tracking device. And here." He showed Tatsumi a tracker. "I have the tracker for the tracking device."
"Oh! So, that means…."
"That's right. This was all part of the plan. Now, we just turn this on and track the thief down," Droid Cop explained as the tracker showed the moving dot on the screen. "Come on, my boy! To the Droid Cop Mobile!'
"Yes, sir!" Tatsumi said. This internship was getting more exciting, but he couldn't help feel a bit betrayed and upset. While he can't forgive for what Yatagarashu does for a living, he also couldn't help to feel conflicted. Nonetheless, he was training to be a hero, and a hero must do what's right.
-My Hero Academia –
A little bit later, the flock of crows stopped flying and merged back into her original form. Yatagarashu stopped an empty warehouse.
"This got to be the place, right?" She said, looking around to make sure she was not followed. She opened the door and went inside.
It was dark inside as this warehouse was not in use for years. Only the moon provided the light. When the moonlight shined through the broken windows, two figures appeared out of the shadows.
"Hey, look, sis! Our little birdie has arrived!" A woman snickered, who revealed to be Raijin.
"Yes, I can see that sister," Fujin said.
"Let's cut to the chase. Do you have the money?" Yatagarashu asked.
"Hmm, straight to the point," Fujin emphasized. "Very well. Here it is."
Fujin and his sister, Raijin, handed her two bags of money. They were the same money that they stole two days ago.
"And our jewels?" Raijin asked.
"Here you go," Yatagarashu said, handing the jewels in question. The jewels were stolen from the department store and the auction show.
"Very good," Fujin nodded as she checked the jewels. "You can take the money and go. Our business ends here, and we got to get going."
"Fine by me," Yatagarashu agreed as she carried the two heavy bags of money.
Suddenly, a door banged and then exploded. "Hold it right there, villains! It's because…" A man shouted, catching their attention. It was revealed to be Droid Cop, with Kamen Rider Mix standing next to him. "We are here!"
I AM HERE with another new update!
How is everyone doing? I am doing well, and I was motivated to get another chapter done, so here it is! I hope you enjoy it and leave any criticism (as long as it isn't rude and if so, I will remove it).
Things are heating up. Also, does anyone remember my OC, Detective Unknown from the main Line of Good and Evil story. Well, he is here, too, but with a reason. You will have to continue reading in the next chapter or so to find out.
I don't have anything else to say, but I am hoping to get the next chapter soon around the same time in next week or week after. At least another chapter will be presented by the end of this month.
Until next time, stay safe and as always, PLUS ULTRA!