Ch. 6 Catching A Scent

"The bitch is back!"

Ochaco hung her head and heaved a laborious sigh at Mina's voice. Uraraka hadn't made it two feet past the wide, frosted glass doors of their agency when her partner decided to announce her presence. Their office was modest with only four cubicles, two offices, and three changing rooms. It was usually empty, save for a couple of sidekicks or interns who were stationed at a desk to take calls. Today, however, it seemed like everyone had brought their mother with them. A small crowd stood before her, pausing their milling about to stare at the returning hero. She gave them an embarrassed smile and fought back the blush that crept up on her round face. Not satisfied with a mere blush, Mina began to dance around her with a pair of pom-poms in hand. Uraraka watched on in paralyzed horror as Mina pranced about, waving her arms wildly about. It took a moment of pushing past her mortification to recognize that Mina was wearing a U.A. cheerleading uniform.

"I-is that our old cheerleading uniform?" Ochaco asked knowing full well that it was. Mina gave her wink and stuck out her tongue.

"Still fits! All that patrolling I had to do while you were at home did the trick." She gave Ochaco another wink and hugged her tightly, careful not to get the pom-poms in her face. "Anyway, you were missed, obviously, but this bitch is going away for several days. Your office is a mess, you have some calls from Captain Hosori, and one of our sidekicks may want to quit. Ok, byyyyyyyeee!"

"M-Mina! Wait!" Too late. The last thing she saw of Mina was the pink skin of her arm gleaming in the bright Spring morning light as she waved goodbye. Grumbling and dejected, Ochaco turned back to the crowd looking expectantly at her. She rubbed the back of her neck and gave a nervous chuckle.

"Okay. Who's first?"

It was a hellish morning. Ochaco spent a few hours parked in her office, listening to calls, complaints, and comments. She started with her sidekick, Hikari "Stoplight" Nomura. The young gun marched through her door, hero suitcase in hand along with a pout on her face. Hikari had been with the agency long before it opened. She had been an intern at Mina's previous job, and it was Ashido's idea to poach her for their own. Ochaco was grateful for the rookie. She was hard working and full of the youthful energy that Uraraka herself seemed to lack nowadays. The pro hero watched with wary eyes as the spitfire youth roughly dropped her metal suitcase and huffed. They were still and silent for a moment, the air becoming stifling with the tension being emanated from Hikari. Ochaco opened her mouth to start, but was quickly cut off by her.

"Look, I'm just gonna cut straight to it: I want out!" Hikari fumed, heaving her breath through gritted teeth. Ochaco did her best to remain neutral and only blinked silently as a response. Hikari stewed in her own rage for a few more seconds before slamming her palm on the chair sitting in front of Uraraka's desk.

"I'm sick of being unappreciated around here! I'm running myself ragged with all the night shifts, and I haven't seen my girlfriend in over two weeks. I thought things would change when you and Ashido opened this place, but it's all the same."

Ochaco winced. Hero work took its toll on the pros and their loved ones. The worried voices of her parents echoed in the back of her mind and mingled with the last, smoldering look from a pair of narrowed red eyes. It was a hard life. Not being able to see your significant other or your family and friends exacerbated the problems. She breathed in deeply, looking serenely at her ward with as much sympathy that she could muster.

"Hikari, please take a seat. I can look at the schedule again; you're way overdue for a few days off." Ochaco cleared off her work space, waiting for her computer to blink life into the dusty monitor. "Your work hasn't been overlooked. I mean, just last week you wrapped two really big cases that got us in the news. A serial thief and that racketeer? Phew! Color me impressed. It's just that, with what happened the other day, everyone had to pick up my slack. I'm sorry for that."

"O-oh, n-n-no, Uravity!" Hikari stammered with her face flush, "Th-this has been going on since I started here. I keep getting the crap shifts, and I've got nothing to show for it."

Ochaco hummed thoughtfully as she hammered the keys on the keyboard quickly. With a few clicks of her mouse and some more typing, she had pulled up the spreadsheet the office used for everyone's work schedule. Uraraka pulled a face as she scrolled through it. Mina had made a mess of the document and it was going to take some time to fix, but for now she had to zero in on Hikari's problem. Ochaco felt the rookie cautiously watch her while she clicked and typed away. Eventually, she finished and cleared her throat before turning her attention back to Hikari.

"Ok, so here's what I've got for you," Uraraka said with a curt finality in her voice, "You'll finish out this week's schedule. But, you'll only work three days for the next month while the rest of us take on some extra time. Myself especially. Any questions?"

Hikari blinked. Her expression was pensive and hard to discern. Ochaco felt a beat of worry as her ward continued to stay silent. Fortunately, the rookie jumped out of her chair with a face full of excitement. She almost began hopping in place out of pure joy.

"You really mean it boss? Three days a week for a whole month! Th-that's incredible! How can I ever thank you?"

"You can start by helping me with my desk," Ochaco joked, "Mina really let this place go. I gotta take care of this mess before anything else." She gestured to the mountain of overstuffed folders, unopened letters, and stray sheets of paper to her left. It was almost piled up as high as her monitors. Hikari started to move some of the mound, but was cut off by Ochaco.

"I was kidding. Just get out there, and keep people safe ok?" The rookie gave her a firm nod, turned heel, and marched right to the door. She came back in a few seconds later with a sheepish look on her face. Hikari pointed towards her left behind suitcase and quietly took it up.

"T-thanks again, Uraraka. Mina tried her best, but I guess she was overwhelmed."

"It's really no problem," Ochaco mumbled as she waved her off. She spent several minutes sorting through the pile into type and urgency. Once she had six neat piles splayed out on her desk, Uraraka flopped into her chair and turned her attention to the phone that impatiently blinked at her. This was the task she had been dreading since she dragged herself through the doors.

Picking up the receiver delicately, as if it might go off in an explosion with any jarring movement, she began to cycle through the messages left for her. To Ochaco's surprise, the majority of her messages were from Captain Hosori. As she listened on, Uraraka noticed the captain's voice grow more agitated. It was almost amusing had it not been for the increasing urgency on Hosori's end.

"Uravity. This is Captain Hosori. Calling to see if you have returned to your office yet. Clearly you are still recovering. No matter. Please feel better soon and call me back when you receive this message."

"Uravity, this is Hosori. I take it you're still out. Call me back as soon as possible."

"Uravity, it's Hosori. Your partner has been no help whatsoever. Call me back. I'll try you at a personal number if I have to."

"Uraraka, it's Hosori. I really need that report. ASAP. Call me."

"Uraraka, it's Am- er, Hosori of precin- never mind. You know who it is. Just call me, dammit."

Ochaco jotted some minor notes for the remaining two messages to deal with later and listened through Hosori's calls once more. Afterward, she pulled the receiver away from her ear and stared at it incredulously.

I'm going to have to pay the captain a visit. Something tells me she wants to talk about more than my report...

A soft knock at her door pulled her out of her thoughts and she tore her eyes away from her phone's display. For a brief moment Ochaco thought it was Hikari back for round two. Standing in her doorway was a scrawny man in a garish tan uniform. His shirt was made of pockets and his shorts cut off at mid thigh, the folded hem straining against his muscles. He wore a matching hat that sat low and shapeless on his mass of dark hair. The delivery man was reading a clipboard in his left hand intently while his right gripped a shabby parcel close to him.

"Ah, Miss... Uravaka? That can't be right. Anyway, Miss Uravity, yes?" he said, never looking up from his paperwork. Uraraka quirked up an eyebrow at the initial name and nodded at him before realizing that he hadn't seen her acknowledgement.

"Yes, that's me."

"Right, this is for you," he said unceremoniously, placing the package down on her desk and handing the clipboard to her, "Please sign."

His voice was dull, almost bored, but there was a warmth there that resonated within herself. She signed quickly and tried to get a look at him. Unfortunately, he snapped up the clipboard, turning heel quickly. The only features she could see were freckles and his hair - unruly forest green curls that spilled out comically from under his hat.

"Thank you, Miss Uravity," he said as he stepped away, "Hope you're feeling better."

"Yeah, I am; thanks," she said with a halfhearted wave to him as he vanished behind her door frame. Ochaco bit her lip and sat back down. There was something familiar about that courier but she couldn't place him. Try as she might,, Ochaco just could not remember how she knew him. She pulled the parcel up to her with a sigh and inspected the packaging for a moment.

It was a large, beaten, padded envelope. Ochaco thought it would have fallen apart if not for the gobs of packaging tape that enrobed it. Dead center on the face of the package was the addressee information: Rainy Day Hero Agency. Underneath were several attempts at naming Uraraka herself. It seemed the sender couldn't decide on her name or her alias. Ultimately, it was sent to a "Ms. Uravaka," which gave her a good laugh. There was no information about who sent it posted anywhere. Ochaco opened up the package and pulled out a thick manilla folder. She gaped at the pristine, neat contents. It looked one of her own case files, filled with clipped photos and pages upon pages of notes. After a few quick flip throughs, Ochaco opened the file up to the first page and frowned.

Four pictures were stapled to the sheet of paper with names underneath them. She recognized Captain Hosori immediately, standing erect and regal in an official Hosu PD photograph. Then there was the young lady she had helped save at the warehouse raid. Her picture was a mug shot, the yellow jumpsuit and gray concrete background serving only to frame her disheveled looking hair and sad face. Above her name was neatly written, "Yuang."

The other two pictures took a moment to recall. Framed in a victorious pose with his arms up above his head was the pale visage of Egin Naosoma, a.k.a. Halogin. His snow white bodysuit clung to his wispy body, platinum blonde hair hanging over a pair of yellow visors. She didn't know much about Egin other than he had recently graduated from her alma mater and was rumored to be very ambitious. Next to Naosoma was Shinjirou Mori. He was a balding man whose dark hair clung to his exposed scalp. His face was squashed over a few folds on his neck, giving him the appearance of having permanent indigestion. Ochaco stared at his photo and tried her best to recall who he was. It was on the tip of her tongue but she just couldn't make out who he was. Maybe he's a TV personality? I swear I've seen him somewhere.

None of this made sense. Questions ran through her mind, trying to make everything clearer about this file but only making it all more tangled up in the process. Ochaco turned the page and noticed a sticky note attached the back of the flyleaf. The kanji was shakily written but still legible.

"'I need a second pair of eyes on this. Thought you were the best to help me out,'" she read out loud, "But who is it from?" She started reading more through the pages, running her hand over the scrawled out notes. The snippets that she casually glanced at in the first half were pretty chaotic and accusatory. The author clearly felt that Hosori, Egin, and this Mori were all connected to Yuang somehow. There were paragraphs of theories but nothing substantial that would hold up to any scrutiny. Especially with no evidence. The rest was a jumble of numbers that made her a little dizzy at first glance. It was curious that one part of the file was merely speculative nonsense and what followed appeared to be an accountant's ledger

Who had sent this? Why had they sent it? The sudden thought that the pages might be infused with poison crossed her mind and she dropped it on her desk. Ochaco marched over to the washroom adjacent to her office, cleaned up, and picked up her visor on the way back. A few minutes of running scan diagnostics revealed that it was just ordinary paper and ink. Her database's closest match to the handwriting was none other than Shoto Todoroki. Uraraka breathed in relief.

"Todoroki..." she growled to herself, "Don't scare me like that." The pro put the file aside and got to work on the remaining paperwork stacked on her desk. It took her the better part of five hours to sort through what needed filing, shredding, or recycling and another hour or two to finish Hosori's much desired report. Ochaco would have finished sooner, but she kept being drawn to the mailed case file. She perused it at her leisure, not reading it in depth, and taking frequent breaks from it to get back to her work or stretch. Ochaco wasn't sure why she kept coming back to the file but something about the handwriting bugged her. She hadn't spoken to Todoroki in sometime, much less read something he had scrawled out. Uraraka shook off the nagging suspicion, and gathered her work up into a satchel. It was time to turn in her report and pay a visit to a classmate.


Uravity vaulted over another duct, landing square on the concrete ledge and kicked off to soar through the air. With her quirk activated, the pro hero was propelled forward with some speed. She streamlined her body, arms at her sides, as she activated the rocket boosters in her boots. With the extra acceleration that her support gear allowed her, Uravity began to cut through the skyline like a bird.

There was a freedom up here that Ochaco was rarely afforded. Often her flights were short, interrupted by crimes or emergencies that she came across while traversing the sky. Her hectic work life consumed much of her time, and she made it a point to enjoy these quiet moments whenever she got the chance. It was early evening now. The sun hung low in the sky, painting the clouds miles above her in hues of bruised pink and embered orange. Uravity flipped her body so that she could look up and admire the atmosphere that encased the world around her. The temptation to cut her boosters and just float for a few more minutes crossed her mind but her earpiece began to beep quietly in warning of the building she was about to collide with. Uravity sighed before folding her body at the hips so that her feet went above her head. Using the momentum from the movement, she straightened herself out. She angled her feet several times so that she got back on course towards Hosori's precinct. Her stomach tightened a little from the pressure of her Quirk use and all the jostling. Thankfully, her destination was within sight. She pressed on and soothed her tumultuous guts as best as she could with the thought that she could relax soon.

Precinct 491's building was not the tallest building in the Hosu but it could easily have been in the top ten. It took up half a city block on its own and towered over the area. A sentinel of justice watching the movement of everyone that passed it's way. Made of seamless slabs of concrete which were broken up by the harsh, framed plexiglass windows, the Four-Nine-One tried very hard to disrupt its intimidating presence with the two golden statues that flanked the entrance stairway. With their fists raised in perpetual victory, Lemillion and All Might stood tall and proud in gleaming, polished bronze. Uravity smiled at the statue's carved grins, landing gracefully on the sidewalk. She took a moment to steady herself and fiddled with the satchel strap that was slung across her body.

Uravity was greeted with a raucous scene the moment she stepped through the heavy wooden doors. Uniformed officers were scrambling about the lobby with papers clutched too closely to themselves. Others were rushing to answer phones while some were huddled together checking their equipment before heading out on patrol. She shook her head at the pandemonium unfolding before her. Most of the precinct buildings she had visited were a little more organized but that was often because the beat cops were swept away so as to hide all the chaos from guests. Hosori, it seemed, wanted to put her officers on notice.

Maybe she's trying to shame them into doing better? Uravity thought to herself. She stepped through the crowded hall gently, avoiding those zipping by her carefully so as not to make them drop anything. The floor opened up on both sides the closer she got to the elevators. Rows and rows of cubicle walls spread out to the far corners of the building. Masses of officers milled in and out of sight, disappearing or seemingly apparating from behind the beige dividers. Uravity piled into the elevator with a few cops and waited patiently as one of them politely addressed her.

"What floor, Miss?"

"Um, do you happen to know what floor Captain Hosori is on?" Uravity asked. She watched curiously as the officers exchanged a subtle look amongst themselves. The one closest to the elevator console kept an even look but she noticed the briefest swipe of their eyes to the side as if catching someone's signal. They cleared their throat and answered.

"Captain Hosori isn't in today, ma'am. We can escort you to her office if you'd like, or you can try again tomorrow." Uravity blinked at the mechanical tone the cop spoke to her in but tried to mask her surprise at the news.

"Oh, if you wouldn't mind taking me, I'd really appreciate it."

Two minutes later, the elevator dinged and the door slid open to a very quiet, pristine landing. Ten empty desks were lined up square and neat with a large office facing her from the very back. Adjacent to the closed office door was a desk with a single occupant typing away quickly, a bored expression on their face. The officers in the elevator cab nodded towards the hall and gave her a polite farewell, fading away from sight as the door closed again. Uravity stared out at the elevator, stunned by the strange reception she had been given so far. A shrill voice called to her from behind.

"Ah, Miss Uravity! Thanks for coming in, but the captain isn't in today." The pro hero made her way to the only occupied desk and shook hands with the woman sitting in front of the office. "I'm Keike, Hosori's assistant." With black hair cut into a bob, red lipstick that stained her slightly yellowed teeth, and make-up that failed to hide her wrinkles, Keike looked bemused at the pro hero's appearance. She gave Uravity a once-over and leaned back in her chair.

"So Captain Hosori's out? That doesn't sound like her," Uravity pried, trying to make small talk. Keike gave her a smirk and turned back to typing.

"Yeah, she had to take care of her grandkids all of sudden. I dunno, maybe she'll be back tomorrow." That was news. She hadn't pegged Hosori as the family type. Keike held out her hand in expectation. Uravity took a moment to understand the gesture before digging into her satchel for the report. Her fingers brushed against the file she received. She contemplated leaving it for Hosori, but the words on that sticky note flared against her brain.

"Uh, Miss Uravity?" Keike asked. The assistant had an inquisitive look on her face that pulled the pro out of her thoughts. Quickly handing out the small stack of stapled papers, Uravtiy stiffened up and thanked Keike for her help.

"Oh, one more thing," she asked before leaving, "Do y'all have roof access here?"

Minutes later, the pro found herself leaping off the roof of the precinct in the descending evening. The air was thick with the day's warmth and she relished how it kissed her skin as she raced towards her next destination. It was a welcome distraction from the thoughts warring inside her mind. Why didn't I give Hosori this file? I mean, I'm sure if it did come from Todoroki, he'd be happy to give me another copy. Was it because she was in it?

The majority of what she had read earlier seemed more like an accountant's ledger than a case file. Time stamped transactions and recieved deliveries were notated in Shoto's scratchy handwriting. She mulled it over and over in her mind but couldn't place what about the whole thing was bothering her. Maybe she had to read the entire book more closely. Hopefully Todoroki would clear up what he was investigating.

The Endeavour Agency building was as tall as the Four-Nine-One's home base. In the darkening sky though, it had a more ominous gloom about it. The flood lights interspersed on the building's face cast deep shadows that engulfed any cheer or warmth from the red bricks that built it. Endeavor had moved his office several times over the last few years. His agency continued to grow in size and there were rumors that he was mulling over branching out into other cities. Apparently, there wasn't enough crime for him to solve in Hosu. There was also the addition of some of the more prominent Sidekicks. His own son, Shoto, being the biggest amongst them. Droves of upcoming heroes swarmed the agency every Spring in hopes to join but within the last three years the acceptance rate had dropped significantly. Now it was full to capacity with busy heroes, even now in their new location. It had been almost a year since she last visited Endeavor's agency and it would have stayed that way had it not been for that vexing file.

Apprehension bubbled up inside of her the moment she landed on the front steps. Uravity looked up, attempting to calm the storm brewing in her mind and gulped down her fear. She walked and tried to ignore the heaviness that pooled in the bottom of her feet.

It's ok; you're a pro. Pro's visit here all the time. You're here to see Todoroki. Just ignore him if he's even here…

Uravity stepped through the entrance and breathed out with a sharp gasp. She was greeted by a single hallway that stretched the length of the building. Just past the greeter's desk were two walls filled with elevators. After speaking with the eldery attendant, Uravity walked up to an elevator on the right, entered the cab, and rode for what felt like a few solid minutes. Every floor she passed was announced with a sharp ding! The sound was harsh enough to cause fresh waves of anxiety to pass through her. Her knees buckled a little as she stepped out onto the top floor of the agency. It was uncommonly quiet up here, with the majority of the space made up of offices and meeting rooms. A few desks were splayed out to the right but there was only one occupant sitting there. Burnin' looked up from her work, the determined look on her face melting into a bright smile as she waved at the newcomer.

"Well as I live and breathe. Uravity! How the hell are ya? Been a while, eh?"

"Yeah, almost too long right?" Uravity joked, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. When she had been a frequent visitor to the office, Burnin' was a face that she had become quite familiar with. The two had grown close and teamed up several times every time Uravity was in town. When she moved into Hosu, they had made plans to get together for lunch or movie outings. Empty plans that never came to fruition. The anti-gravity hero had missed Burnin' and her unique vibe but with everything that had happened shortly after moving into town, it wasn't a surprise that the two couldn't reconnect.

"So, ya here to see the boss guy? I mean you ain't here to see...?"

"No! Noooo, not him. And not Endeavor either. I'm actually here for Shoto. I think he sent me this file today," Uravity explained as she pulled out the folder from her satchel, "He said he needed a second pair of eyes on it. Know anything about it? Seems like it's an ongoing thing."

Burnin' declined to take the file and shook her head. The fire hero leaned back, relaxing a little more into her chair. Muffled shouts reached them from out of the hallway. Uravity craned her neck with a cautious expression. Burnin' didn't even bother looking back.

"Shoto, huh? Well he's in a meetin' right now. Should wrap up in a few seconds if you wanna just walk over there." Burnin' returned to work on her monitor, which turned out to be a game of solitaire. Uravity blew out a raspberry in jest and squeezed her friend's shoulder.

"Thank's a bunch, Burnin'. I'll see you soon ok?"

She walked over to the right hallway where the muted voices were coming from. The heels of her boots clicked against the tiled floor but were soon drowned out by the increasing volume of shouting as she approached the end of the hallway. She recognized the gruff, commanding voice of Endeavor next to Shoto's monotonous tone. Unfortunately, there was someone else who began shouting and soon burst through the door in a haze of smoke and fire.

"You've gotta be shittin' me! We can't find this fucker because we've got jack on 'im. But now you tell me that everythin' you found is 'confidential'? Fuck that! I'll go find the bastard, and wring him by his goddamn neck!"

Katsuki Bakugo looked as hateful as he'd ever been. His eyes were bloodshot with rage, mouth stretched in a disgusted grimace, and business suit haphazardly clinging to his lean body. He hadn't changed one bit over the last six and half months (not that she was keeping count of course). From his awkward, bow legged gait to his unruly blonde hair, Bakugo was timeless in his own way. He had been looking over his shoulder to yell behind him and only became aware of Uravity standing there when he turned to face frontward. Bakugo stopped mid stomp, his hands digging into his pockets as he took in her presence. He usually wore a scowl, but his face smoothed out the longer he looked at her. Katsuki slowly, with intention, put his raised foot down to the floor and stood up. His eyes narrowed as he took her in but made no other expression.

"The fuck are you doin' here?" he asked in his graveled voice. Uravity did her best not to squirm under his red glare. She clutched the case file in her hands, as if it were a talisman that might ward off his ire.

"I'm here to see Shoto," she answered curtly and began to step towards the office he had just evacuated. Bakugo made to get in her way but she cut him short with a hiss. "I still have your crap at my apartment. Want me to mail it to you, or just toss it?"

"Tch! What the fuck ever." Katsuki stomped off and turned the corner of the hall towards his own office, flipping Uravity off before he vanished. Heavy footsteps came from behind and shook the ground beneath her. She turned to see Enji Todoroki marching past her. His broad, muscular body took up more space than she had anticipated in the wide hall. He gave her a brief nod before chasing after Bakugo, his own permanent scowl deepening.

"Bakugo! Get back here! We are not finished talking!"

Uravity watched him march off and sighed. The Endeavor agency truly never had a dull moment. She felt a very warm hand clap her shoulder followed by a slightly humored voice.

"Well this is a surprise, Uraraka." Shoto Todoroki gave her a small smile that looked a little out of place on his scarred visage. He had only grown more handsome the older they got but that was offset by his cold disposition. It had only been in their third year at U.A. that he opened up a bit to Momo, Iida, Tsu and herself. The five of them became extremely close friends until their jobs split them up. Like Burnin', Ochaco had thought this new opportunity in Hosu would allow her to connect with Shoto.

"Heh, hey Todorki. Exciting meeting in there?" Shoto's eyes narrowed in slight distaste but he gave a small chuckle before long.

"Between my dad and your ex, I don't know how I'm still here. What's going on? You're usually too busy for a social visit." Ochaco gave the half-and-half Quirk user a sympathetic pat on his arm before shaking her head. She handed over the file to him and he began to flip through it, a frown forming the further he got through it.

"I just got this today. I wanted to see what help you needed with this."

Shoto shook his head and looked her square in the eye, his jaw clenched anxiously.

"What do you mean? Why me?"

"Well, you sent it right?" Ochaco asked with confusion in her words, "That's your handwriting, isn't it? You should also talk to whichever intern sent this to me. They couldn't figure out what to call me."

"I didn't send this, Uraraka."

She blanched and snapped the case out of his hands. Shoto looked impassive as she began to sputter out in a panic. She was flipping through it to examine the script once more. As she turned the pages, she came across an empty sheet with a single business card on it. It was black with an embossed, green outlined rabbit on it. She plucked it out and inspected the business card before turning back to Todoroki.

"Y-you sure, you didn't send this to me?" she asked with desperation. He nodded in confirmation and pointed at the card in her hand.

"I didn't send that, but I think I've got an idea who did. I was just talking to my father and Bakugo about this rogue villain out there. We caught wind that there was a guy running around breaking up smuggling rings and some other operations. Thing is, he's also been building up some gang activity here in Hosu. Dad connected with a few people, and it turns out that this guy's been all over Japan. That," Todoroki shook his finger at the paper in her hand, "is his calling card. Be careful, Uraraka. This guy is bad news and very dangerous."

Ochaco closed the file, running a hand over the folder's face. She was half tempted to crush the card in her hand but stopped short. The brunette looked up at her friend and nodded in agreement.

"I will, promise. Mina and I are gonna take him down! I'm not gonna let some creep try and scare me off." Shoto gave her a smirk and leaned back, appraising her gusto.

"That so? Well, if you want help on the case I'd offer it. Thing is, as your ex pointed out, we don't have much to start with. It's weird. The info the police gave us suddenly became classified. I didn't get a chance to look at it before the decision came in."

Ochaco hummed thoughtfully at that. It was odd but luckily she had an appointment with a certain police captain coming up. She could try leveraging the file for some information. Ochaco gave him one more firm nod and took off. She tucked the file away as her mind raced to formulate a plan. This had to be Deku. The rabbit on the card, the mask at the warehouse raid, everything Hosori told her... There could be no question. And now he was mysteriously reaching out to her. That would be his last mistake.