Ch. 2: Just Outside of Routine
Despite the sun's promise of warmer days ahead, Uravity couldn't help the shiver that ran up her spine as she watched from her perch. She was kneeling in the left hand corner of the roof of a small building, watching the large warehouse directly across from her. The street below was devoid of traffic and people. The quiet absence of activity struck her as odd but considering who she was watching it shouldn't have surprised her. Across the way was her target. They were a group of up-and-coming gangsters who were trying to make a name for themselves. Too small to capture the notice of bigger agencies, but too big not to ignore; these would-be villains had started dabbling into bigger ventures. Gunrunning, drugs, larceny- the works. Mina had been working closely with a local precinct to take these fools down, but they'd proven hard to pin down. A couple of months of stakeouts along with a few interrogations had resulted in Ashido and Uraraka acquiring sufficient evidence to convict these goons.
Now all they had to do was actually capture the bastards. Ochaco sighed nibbling away at the protein bar in her hand, peering through her collapsible telescope in the other. She hadn't been there long but it had been uneventful thus far. There were two lackeys sitting outside in the delivery area; several armed men walked around inside the warehouse with their stiff jaws set in their best grimace; there wasn't anyone on the roof above. Uraraka hurriedly whispered a few notes into her headset's microphone and resumed her sluggish observation.
The warehouse had long been abandoned, large chunks of glass missing from the windows and their frames covered in rust. Streaks of grime were smattered along its concrete face, the stone bleached from years of abandonment in the sun. It was dark inside and Ochaco could barely see the thugs walking by the windows if it weren't for the daylight breaking in through the jagged, cobwebbed glass. According to Ashido's research there were a dozen warehouses around that they were on the lookout for. It was only by accident, when Ochaco was chasing down a villain over the rooftops a few days prior, that she discovered the newly founded hideout. After some planning and coordination with their police contacts, they were ready to take these crooks out. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like they were going to get their chance today.
"I gotta talk to Mina about her damn informant. 'Arms delivery today,' my country ass," she grumbled. Nothing was happening. The truck Mina's inside person had promised still hadn't shown, and Ochaco felt as bored as the lookouts appeared. She decided to give it another hour before calling the raid off and rescheduling it for another time. Without any criminal activity, she couldn't exactly barge in with full might of the Hosu Police for loitering or trespassing. The hero stifled a yawn and idly returned to watching the warehouse, knowing full well that nothing was going to happen.
A minute or two passed when a large white van with tinted windows pulled into the delivery area. Ochaco halfheartedly perked up. It might not have been the largest weapons swap, but it was still enough for her to make a move. She watched as the driver got out and greeted the two guards who stirred from their seats. She could hear their indistinct voices rising up to her hiding spot, though it felt congenial in tone. The driver slid open the door and, to Uraraka's surprise, began ushering out a small group of people. Many had visible Quirk mutations, but the one thing that caught her eye was the long, silky black hair of a young woman. She, like the others brought out, was dressed in shabby clothes and her skin was littered with dirt marks. They shuffled forward while the guards waved at them to hurry through the door. What on Earth was going on? Ochaco bit her lip as she watched the driver follow in last and closed the door. Wasn't this supposed to be a weapons drop? She continued waiting, her eyes darting to every movement that caught her attention. Something was wrong. She could feel it.
Shouting howled out of the warehouse, startling her. The explosive flashes and crackle of gunfire from within the walls followed shortly. Ochaco was on her feet in an instant. She put away her spyglass and leapt down to the alley just below her left. Glass krinkled out of sight; a man's guttural screaming was cut short with a sickening thunk; more gunshots flared out. Uraraka stepped out of the shadows into the street. She turned her gaze to the a man hanging upside down, the snare around his ankle dangling him from a story up. Shards of the broken window sprinkled the ground directly below him. Was it another hero? Or worse: a rival gang making a move? The thought spurred her on faster, shouting into her headset as she pressed the comms button on the left.
"Pinky, this is Uravity! Get a move on, we've got shots fired and a possible hostage situation!"
"Shit! You're kidding me?" Ashido's normally bubbly voice buzzed in her ears, "Arrg! This is crap. When's something going to go right?"
"Mina! Focus!" Ochaco retorted as she ducked behind the empty van. She peeked over the hood to the closed door. It was wooden, rotted, old and barely clung to the hinges. Ochaco figured that the best way in without getting killed immediately would have been through the roof but there was that group of people to think about. She growled and darted out towards the entrance. To her left were lines of docking bays with closed up gates that should have been able to roll up had it not been for the rust accummulated on the outside rails. Ochaco sidled up to the door, her back against the adjacent wall as she called Mina once more.
"What's your ETA, Pinky?"
"Sorry, Uravity," came her partner's answer, worry dripping with every syllable, "We ran into some delays and we're about twenty minutes out. Stupid traffic! Do people not know how to drive in this town?! Hang tight. We'll be there soon!"
Ochaco rolled her eyes. She loved Mina to death. The pink skinned, acid hero was one of her dearest friends and they worked well together when Ashido could actually get herself to the fight. Uraraka shook her head, steeling her nerves as she kicked down the door. Her headset's lights reacted to the dark instantly. The dim light flickered to life and expanded to a few meters away.
She found herself in a dark, empty hallway. Heavy shadows coated the walls and her light barely gleamed around the broken tiled floor. Large chunks of plaster were missing, exposing the wires and beams that made up the sides. A few frosted windows with mesh wiring failed to reflect her headset light, the thick layer of grime and dust absorbing most of the illumination. Ochaco moved quickly and quietly as her boots would allow. She took the corners with every precaution, looking for any sudden movements or shifts in the shadows. Her background music was a violent symphony of screaming and gunshots which started to become more sparse as she ventured further down the hallways.
Eventually she made her way to an area filled with a rotting conveyor belt that spilled out of a wall. Next to the belt's entry were two heavy double doors with heavy gun damage, their circular windows looking out at her like a giant, bullet ridden owl. It wasn't a good idea to jump into the open but, as Ochaco checked, the conveyor was blocked by some collapsed equipment on the other side. She swore and weighed her options. It had grown quiet, the smell of gunpowder the only thing keeping her company. An image of blood flashed in her mind and she leapt through the doors without a second thought.
Beyond the doors was a wide, open space filled with broken cranes and left over barrels from when the warehouse was still operating. Above her rose the decaying bones of catwalks, landings, and stairs that were only suspended by what she assumed was magic. Directly in front of her was a slope of broken concrete flanked by hand rails. Large shafts of light managed to filter through the jagged windows to give some luminance to the gloom.
Ochaco vaulted over the rail to the right, hiding behind a stack of barrels for cover. She took a few beats before dashing out into the open. Uraraka popped right and took a readied stance as her eyes scanned the area. Her arms dropped in shock at the sight in front of her. Sitting smack in the middle of the floor in a heap, wrapped up neatly with thick cords of rope, was a pile of men. They were unresponsive, almost sleeping peacefully. There were scrapes and bruises sprinkled across their rugged faces as they all slumped against one another. Strands of drool hung low on the lips of one particularly rough looking fellow. Ochaco would have laughed if she hadn't been so scared. How did this many armed thugs get taken out? She knelt near them, careful not to make too much noise to wake any, and began inspecting them gingerly. A glint of light on the closest sleeve caught her eye. She tenderly touched the spot she had been looking at and felt a small, metal cylinder stuck just into the squishy flesh underneath the cloth. Ochaco tugged quickly and looked at the object closer. It was a dart that had been built like a bullet, the casing a sleek green, a tiny metal needle poking out at the end. She pocketed the dart for further scrutiny and walked away from the heap of men that continued snoozing in front of her.
Someone had beaten the authorities to the punch and was working efficiently. It had to be a professional team; no other way around it. Ochaco gritted her teeth and balled her hands into fists. She was surrounded and she didn't know how outnumbered she was.
In some ways it made her job easier. For now, she could focus on search-and-rescue for the people that had been dragged in. Let the leftover thugs fight whoever was picking them off. It would also make extraction really simple for the cops whenever they got there. Especially if whoever was responsible for the take downs kept up this business of gift wrapping their targets. She just hoped that she wasn't on the list.
Despite the chill in the damp, dark storage area, Ochaco felt a bead of sweat roll down her neck. She took in a few deep breaths to quell the rising panic in her chest. When she was back in control, the hero took off with pace to continue searching the building. As she navigated the maze of hallways, her legs burning in protest the faster she ran, her headset began to crackle with life. Mina's chipper voice came through to her welcoming ear drums.
"Uravity! We're on site and about to head in. Where are you?"
"Hey, Pinky. I'm inside looking for hostages. Be careful, I think there might -"
"You're what? Cripes, 'Chaco! You and I are gonna have a loooong talk when this is finished," Mina interjected, her voice soundly annoyed at her partner's rashness. Ochaco could only roll her eyes and stifle the ugly feeling inside her stomach that threatened to boiled up to her throat. She continued running through the halls as new, muffled sounds began to bounce around the dead hallways behind her. Gruff shouts, stomping boots, and shrill orders reached her ears when Mina called her again.
"Daaammmn, 'Chaco! Look at you, going all out on these guys."
"Mina, that's what I was tryin' to tell ya earlier. That wasn't -"
"Oh, don't give me that! If anyone coulda taken these fools out, it's you," Mina spat out. Ochaco was about to argue with her when she passed by a set of stairs that led to a lower landing, a flickering halogen light trying its damnedest to illuminate the hall that followed the steps. Voices floated past the stairs up to her. Two distinct people were speaking in a rushed, choppy language; a man with a kind voice and a woman who sounded distressed. Ochaco swore she heard the words, "Pro Hero: Uravity," in the exchange. She rushed down the flight. She was met with a narrow hallway that stretched out to a musty, dark area. Two shadowy figures knelt at the dim end, their voices echoing off the concrete walls towards her. Her presence was noticed and one of them stood up. Ochaco thought they looked odd. Atop the head protruded the silhouette of two large ears. She had the strongest impression of the rabbit hero Mirko, which was strange because this person appeared to be wearing a large coat or dress.
The standing figure looked down at the other still kneeling to their side. A few more words were said before they sped off, leaving their companion alone with Uraraka. She cursed under her breath and lamented about the bulb strength of her lights. It took seconds to catch up to the person waiting for her down the hall. Her breath hitched as she recognized the long, silky black hair and round face of the young woman from the van. Ochaco began some basic first aid and ran some diagnostic scans with her headset, kneeling down to speak with the woman.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt? Can you walk or stand?"
They stared at each other for a moment and it clicked. She didn't speak Japanese. Ochaco kept her face even as she cursed again. Her friend Iida's harsh scolding resounded in her mind, lamenting the fact that she passed up a translation upgrade in her gear. Uraraka refocused and listened passively to the diagnostic scan's readings while she continued inspecting the young woman for any harm. She was thin, dangerously thin. Her skin was pallid and ashen. This woman looked like she had been locked up and hidden away from any sun or food. Ochaco's blood boiled and she called Mina.
"Pinky, I've got a woman down here. Unarmed, but really hurting. Do we have EMT's on the way?"
"Yeah! Where are you? I'll head down and help out."
Ochaco opened her mouth but a burst of gunshots exploded off to her left. She grabbed the woman as gently as possible and dragged her away from the gun fire. A scream came out from the darkness, the gruff voice cracking with panic.
"Just die already, you long eared bastard!" More shots followed with additional shouts from the gunman only for both to be cut off with a strangled sound. Ochaco soon recognized the sound of fist striking flesh that were accompanied by yelps of pain. She did her best to assure her ward that she'd return, motioning wildly with her arms. Thankfully, Mina appeared on the scene a second later which Ochaco took full advantage of.
"Take care of her!" Uravity commanded, "We've got one more perp to take out."
Ochaco sprinted into the hallway, her boots clicking as she pumped her legs as fast as possible. Her breath and rushing blood over took her ears, no longer hearing the squelch of knuckles driving into soft tissue. She turned a corner, the space opening up to a strange area. What should have been more docking space appeared to be a ruined entrance to some tunnels below. Rubble and downed columns of concrete surrounded the area. Large blocks were missing the wall, allowing light to pour in to illuminate the dust that fell from the unseen ceiling. Standing amidst the smoke was a masked individual holding up a man by a fistful of bunched up shirt cloth.
The one standing was lanky, their limbs long, their frame lean. They wore what appeared to be business clothes underneath a ragged long coat that fell to their shins. Wild, curly hair poked out underneath one of the most frightening masks Ochaco had ever seen. It was a piece ensemble. On the bottom half covering their mouth was a metal guard that locked in the ears as well as the top half. Dark grooves separated the mouth piece to resemble a grin. Covering the other portion of their face was a smooth covering with white eye pieces outlined in black sitting underneath two pointed ears that jutted out of the forehead. The overall effect chilled Ochaco and she set her jaw tighter for nerves.
Whoever was behind the mask dropped their would-be attacker and turned heel. Ochaco began to give chase but a burst of smoke suddenly engulfed her. She hacked and coughed, uselessly wafting through the thick clouds while she stumbled foward. Mina's voice called out from beyond the fog with worry replacing her usual vigor.
"Uravity! 'Chaco! Are you there?"
"I'm - ack! - I'm over here. We've - koff, koff! - we've got a hurt person here," Uraraka replied, her breath coming in gulps. The formless gas around here didn't smell or feel particularly toxic but she'd still have to get checked out by an EMT. She felt annoyed. Not only had she fallen for a trap, but she had also let the bad guy get away. They weren't someone she easily recognized but she felt she had seen something like their mask in a police report a few months back. She chewed on the thought, the familiarity, while Mina and a few officers whisked her back to the outside.
It took a half hour for the backup crew to complete their sweep of the premises. In total they had arrested six gang members, one driver, and rescued three people, including the young woman Ochaco had found. She watched from inside the cab of an ambulance, perched just in the doorway with a breathing apparatus strapped around her face, as the EMT's cleared the crooks for arrest. Officers loaded everyone but the driver into their patrol cars, their emergency lights blaring loudly as they sped off to process the criminals. The driver was awake and being treated with basic first aid in the neighboring ambulance.
Ochaco had been left alone for a moment as was the driver while the EMT's henpecked the people he had brought here. She wasn't satisfied with him just being turned into the authorities and not having spoken to him. If he was arrested, it would have been at least a month before she heard anything about what he was doing there today.
When her breathing was stable, Uraraka got up and removed the medical equipment anchoring her down. She stepped lightly to the ambulance to her left and watched the driver.
His left cheek was bloated and bruised. A few gashes ran across his brow, freeling bleeding despite the care he had been given. His left eye was half flooded with red, the vessels broken when he had been attacked. He flinched as she approached him but he didn't flee. She gave him an even look before hissing out her proposal.
"Here's what's gonna happen: You're gonna tell me why you got involved in this mess and you're gonna tell me who the hell that masked person was. Why'd they give you such a beat down?"
"Look, Miss Hero," he started, "You're don't want nothin' with that monster. He warned us what he'd do if we started intereferin' with his business. Didn't think he was in the body game..."
"Who was he?" she asked pointedly. They stared at each other for seconds. He stayed silent and she was losing her patience. Ochaco grabbed the man's elbow with a vice-like grip, forcing a yelp out of him.
"Okay, okay! Leggo, ya crazy bitch! Damn that hurts," he complained as he massaged his arm. Ochaco reached out again and he pulled away, fear in his eyes.
"Deku!" the driver cried out, "His... his name is Deku. Least, that's what he prefers we call him."
"And just what the hell were you and this Deku doing here with those people?" she pressed. She cut off her questions before she gave any more away. If this guy got away or out somehow, word would spread that she and her agency were working blindly. Unfortunately, Mina came up behind and pulled her into a tight hug. Ochaco struggled to hold onto the air she fought so hard to take in after her exposure to the smoke.
"Uwahhh! Uravity! Don't ever scare me like that again," Pinky cried as she buried Ochaco's face in her embrace. The two pulled apart to watch an EMT escort the drive, delivering him into a pair of officers' arms. Uraraka looked at where he had been sitting and noticed a crumpled business card in his vacant spot. Where the thick cardstock had not been bent, it was black and glossy. The visage of a smiling rabbit was embellished in a green outline. Her breath caught in her throat as she flashed back to the creeping image of Deku as he stood look at her through his horrible mask. She shuddered and tucked the business card into a compartment in her belt.
Ashido had been chattering the whole time, and started pulling Ochaco towards the street, where they were greeted with more patrol cars blazing their roof lights. Though many of the officers were in their street uniform, complete with bulletproof vests, one stood out amongst the small platoon. She was a bit short with a severe, weathered face crinkled through age. Her gray hair was pulled into a tight bun that lightly stretched the skin around her eyes. Her uniform was immaculate and crisply pressed. The brass insignia on her shoulders were polished so well that Ochaco could see her reflection in them up close. Mina continued blabbing until she felt the officers cold stare drilling holes into her hair.
"Oh 'Chaco! We gotta go get a drink to celebrate. You kicked so much ass in there! How'd you... do it... Uh, hi, Cap! Didn't see you there."
The typically unflappable Pinky drew herself inward and looked bashfully at the police captain. Ochaco felt caution blare out in the back of her mind but she stamped it down as she watched the exchange carefully.
"Hmm. Good to see you too, Pinky. I'm Captain Ami Hosori, Four-Nine-One. You must be Uravity?" Captain Hosori held out her hand and craned her neck up slightly. Though Ochaco was a smidge taller than the captain, she had the distinct feeling that Hosori was looking down at her. Uraraka begrudgingly shook Hosori's hand with a firm grip and let go as quickly as she could.
Captain Hosori quickly took charge of the situation, directing the remaining police officers with the unpressured calm that only experience could demonstrate. Her orders were short. The response was immediate. Instead of scrambling directionless, the officers moved about efficiently; not a single movement was wasted. Ochaco was impressed, if not a little jealous. Her own sidekicks and interns could barely react without looking for approval from either herself or Mina. She observed for a few minutes while the EMT's began packing up their workstations to drive out as they had been dismissed by the captain.
"Um, excuse me, Captain Hosori? Shouldn't we keep the ambulances on hand for the civilians?" she questioned, concern tumbling in her stomach. Something about the EMT's dismissal struck her as out of the ordinary. Hosori gave her an appraising once over before pointedly rolling her eyes.
"These civilians were brought here for an illegal arms deal, Uravity. They will be detained at my precinct and questioned about their involvement."
"You're kidding me. That one lady I saved could barely walk!" Ochaco argued, "What do the others look like? Are you going to get anywhere with people who can barely talk? What if they don't want to talk?"
A few heads snapped toward her as she rounded on the captain. She had unwittingly brought herself up to her full height, a desperate attempt of intimidating Hosori. A few officers whispered to each other while Mina looked unsure of what to say. Ochaco kept an even gaze at Hosori. The captain turned her view slightly to the sides, taking stock in the reactions surrounding them.
"No, you're right, Uravity," she relented with a droop in her shoulders, "They were brought here and are more than worse-for-wear. We will send them to the hospital for observation and have them give statements there. We'll determine what to do with them after they have recovered in a few days."
"O-okay," Ochaco sputtered, a little dazed at the captain's sudden vulnerability. Hosori asked that the heroes head out so that they police could wrap up. The only additional request she made was that they have their reports on her desk within two days. Ochaco was happy to get away from Hosori and it appeared that Mina was too. The two pros watched as she disappeared into the warehouse with a small escort of officers at her flank, chills sliding up their backs.
"Right, we should go get that drink!" Mina chirped. It seemed she had found her spunk again, much to Uraraka's dismay. She half-heartedly pushed back but couldn't persuade her partner who was hellbent on celebrating a false victory.
"Mina, really, you've got it all wrong," Ochaco whined as Ashido pulled her by her limp arms.
"Well then tell me about it at the bar. We've got the rest of the day to work, if that makes you happy."
Ochaco smiled at her friend's pout. They started to walk away when Uraraka felt eyes on her back. She turned and saw the young woman staring out at her. Her soft, dark eyes were wide with panic as an EMT gently led her into the ambulance. Ochaco gave her a reassuring smile with a thumbs up. It'll be okay. You're going to be fine. Trust me.
The young woman relaxed and stepped away from Ochaco's view. Satisfied that she had done all she could to help, Uraraka raced to catch up to Mina who kept walking and talking without noticing that she'd left her partner behind.
