Ch. 7 A Hair's Breadth
Ochaco grumbled at the sound her phone blared at her. She was half tempted to get up and break the damned thing out of annoyance but decided against it. Having to replace a mint condition device when she just got it seemed like a waste. Cursing under breath as she peeled her blanket off, Uraraka stomped over to her bathroom where she charged the phone. It was the only available outlet left in her place which worked out in her favor. With where she kept it, her alarm forced her to get out of bed rather than blissfully ignoring it like she might have been tempted to. She changed her gait to a shuffle the moment her exposed toes touched the cold tile of her bathroom floor. Ochaco muted the blasted phone and fought back the instinct to slam it back down. Unfortunately, it lit up once again and started shouting at her.
"What the hell?" she half growled as she picked it up again. I just turned th- oh. It's only Hatsume calling me. Ochaco declined the call and hobbled back over to her futon. She hit her head against the pillow with a disgruntled sigh and wrapped herself back in a cocoon of blankets.
A second later she was thrashing out of her blankets and screaming as she fumbled back to the bathroom.
"Shit, shit, shit!" she hissed as she fought through her drowsy haze to unlock her phone. With bumbling hands, Ochaco got to the voice message waiting for her. Mei Hatusme's bright, chipper voice burst through the speaker enthusiastically with the timid sound of Melissa Shield in the background.
"Uravity! We've got news! Come on by the lab when you get a chance so we can do some maintenance and let you know what we found!"
"Ha-hatsume! Could you maybe call Uravity after we put out the fire?" mewled Melissa in a shaken timbre.
"Oh, just throw some coffee on it. It'll be fine, it's fine!" Click. Ochaco looked at her phone with a mixed expression of concern and disbelief. Several weeks had passed since the warehouse raid. Her own team couldn't make heads or tails of the small dart she found at the scene so she turned to the only people with enough technology to crack the lead: Hastume and Melissa.
She had gotten to know both innovators as she underwent her education at U.A. Hatsume had always been fervently inventing things that might blow up on hero class students. It got to the point where support items had to be classified under a special insurance category for the school. Their principal was still sore about that little issue even to this day; though, some healthy donations from Mei helped to calm the waters a bit.
Meeting Melissa, on the other hand, was a special case. All Might had chaperoned her class to a visit to I-Island in their first year of school. They were greeted by the American when they landed and quickly became friends with the majority of the class. The only exceptions were Shoto, who had still been cold to his peers back then, Bakugo, and Mineta - both for obvious reasons. For her own part, Ochaco had been polite and cordial but never really got close to Melissa. It wasn't a lack of trying. Things just never quite clicked for them. That is until Melissa moved to Japan to open a Support Gear development company with Mei. The news shook the economy and changed the game for heroes. For six years, they lead the industry in developing the best support gear, weapons, and software a hero could look for. Only the best and brightest technicians could work at Shield-Hatusme Industries. With Mei being Ochaco's exclusive support gear provider, the anti-gravity hero got closer with Melissa. She was even there to give some advice when the inventors' romance blossomed.
Of course, the best and brightest still took almost six weeks to figure out the dart she lent them. Ochaco had taken to working longer hours at the agency as a means to distract herself. She told everyone that she was just making up for the time she was off. Mina had insisted that she had more than surpassed her obligation, but of course Uraraka had to push herself even harder. Their investigation into Deku had gone nowhere, and Hosori was absolutely dodging them now. No matter how many calls, emails, or visits either made, it ended with them leaving empty handed. Meanwhile, the media started talking about the lack of criminal activity and were pinning the cause on Deku himself. There had been a noticeable dip since the raid - if you didn't include the off hand street brawl like a couple weeks ago . The streets were quiet and people were more visibly at ease. To think that this was the work of a villain! It was absurd. To make matters worse, according to some reporters, his nickname in the underground was "the New Symbol of Peace." The very idea that a crook was being called that made her see red. Ochaco had tracked down the gonzo newscasters to clear up the air. After facing her fury, it turned out that they were just trying to up their ratings with a made up story. Now, her only lead left was that single dart she had found. Sure, Ochaco had that case file, but that was likely from Deku himself. She would make sure to use everything at her disposal to catch this bastard.
Despite her complete exhaustion and soreness from overworking the last week, Ochaco got ready to meet the two inventors. She dressed up in some discreet street clothes and was out the door after filling up her favorite travel thermos with some questionable coffee that she had brewed. The morning air was filled with stifling light. She enjoyed the crisp air that nipped about her and walked quickly while trying to look inconspicuous.
It was quiet out. The usual traffic seemed muted but the faces she could see looked relaxed or happy. That was enough for her. Content people meant that her hard work was paying off. Uraraka staved off the last remaining dredges of her tiredness by sipping at a thermos filled with some home brewed coffee. She pulled a face every time the hot, bitter liquid touched her tongue. While being frugal had its advantages, Ochaco lamented her inability to splurge on a decent coffee for herself. She approached Edison Tower - as Hatsume had named it - Uraraka discreetly poured out her barely drunk beverage into a nearby flower bed. She hated waste but sometimes she just couldn't stomach the muddy stuff she forced herself to drink.
Being a pair of the best support gear innovators came with some perks. Namely money. Edison Tower filled her vision and she soaked in its bold form. It's peak soared straight into the sky and brushed the passing clouds. The body was made of windows which twisted and curved. A fold near the top peeked out from behind the building's front. Ochaco shook her head at the gaudy, modern miracle of architecture. She tucked her empty thermos away in her bag and mentally prepared herself to meet with the inventors.
Stepping inside Edison Tower's lobby was more of a treat than Ochaco liked to admit. Cool gray tiles gleamed in the light that poured in from the unobstructed windows. Support pillars and exposed metal beams were coated in a dull, muted shade of blue so that the sun's rays bounding into the building wouldn't completely blind its occupants. Dimly illuminated by hanging light fixtures were rows upon rows of dark, glossy tiles that were placed meticulously on the walls. The furnishings were a mix of rustic tables and sleek chairs. Sprinkled along the floor space were a few beige couches that looked very inviting. Uraraka wasn't sure exactly what about Edison Tower made her feel relaxed and focused, but she knew that she liked it. After speaking with someone at the welcome desk, Ochaco clipped the mandatory visitor's badge and took the short ride up to Mei and Melissa's personal lab.
Whereas the lobby (and the rest of the building, she imagined) was neat and orderly, the eighteenth floor was a terrible mix of "organized chaos" with "I give up." Piles of over stuffed files sat above random stacks of unopened boxes in the hallway. Many of the open doors revealed offices that were similarly arranged. Random sized boxes spilled out through the doorways and left very little space to actually enter the rooms. Carpeted floors and dull, unadorned walls made up the hall's parameters. Last time she had been here, Mei had nonchalantly promised to clean the place up. Ochaco shook her head as she walked towards the laboratory entrance.
Juxtaposed to the randomness behind Uraraka were the laboratory doors. Encased in a heavy steel frame, the doors had no windows and were coated with caution lines down the middle. A hand sized screen built into the frame hung on the left at eye level.
There was nothing signifying what lab room it was but Ochaco had visited enough times to know this was where Mei and Melissa hid most of their days. Uraraka tapped the screen, watching as life bled into the black surface. The back of Mei's head popped up and filled Ochaco's view, the long pink dreadlocks hanging heavily on her head. There was no sound and Mei looked as if she was standing rather stiffly. Ochaco pressed a green button on the screen and cleared her throat.
"Hey Hatsume, it's Uravity. I'm here about that update?" Ochaco watched with some concern as Mei skittishly turned around and fumbled with the screen on her side of the door. Hatsume seemed to be shooing and shushing Melissa. At long last, her boisterous voice came through.
"Uraraka! You're early. We didn't wake you up earlier, did we?" Ochaco only responded with an unamused stare. A cold hiss burst from the doors as they split apart quickly. She half expected smoke to seep out and billow around her considering how often she walked in on a failed Hatsume experiment. Uraraka stepped into the wide, well lit room. The left wall was lined with enormous computers that whirred and blinked with lights as they worked away at whatever programs were set to them.
On the opposite wall stood a row of clear door refrigerators, their contents just visible through the frost on the glass. Numerous tables with bits of equipment, wires, and tools filled out the majority of the spacious area. The morning light cascaded inside, bringing some warmth into the otherwise sterile room. Hatsume stood off to the left with a cheeky grin. She leaned against a table, waiting patiently in her signature tank top and overalls. A bead of sweat dripped down her face. Something in the air caught Ochaco off.
"Hatstume, is everything alright?"
"Yeah! Yeah, everything's fine. Melissa and I were just, uh..." Hatsume trailed off for a moment as she looked to the supply closet towards the back of the room. Melissa gingerly closed the door and had a surprised look on her face when she turned to Ochaco. Normally, Melissa looked put together. Now, though, her red framed glasses and long, flowing blonde hair were askew.
"O-oh, hey Uraraka," Melissa greeted with a tremor in her throat, "You're early, aren't you?"
"What's going on?" Ochaco asked pointedly. She placed her bag on a table and crossed her arms as she waited for a response. Uraraka took in the nervous glances that the two scientists kept shooting at each other. She relaxed for a moment as she took stock of the situation.
"Have... have things been ok between you two? Work isn't straining y'all is it?" Ochaco offered with a earnest look. Mei and Melissa blinked at each other before jumping in with enthusiastic cries.
"It's been terrible!"
"N-No, we're fi- MEI!"
The two began to bicker, finger pointed at the other while they shouted incoherently for a few minutes. Ochaco breathed in deeply and snapped her fingers. Silence blanketed the room quickly and the inventors stepped back for a moment. Ochaco scrutinized them with her eyes, scanning for anything out of the ordinary, and spoke.
"Look, I get it. This job is tough. It takes its toll. But you gotta stick together ya know? Melissa, your dad's retired out in the US and Mei, your parents don't visit as often right? You gotta figure this out. I couldn't stand the idea that you two couldn't put your brilliant minds to work to get through this."
She waved them over and held out her arms wide. They gave her a tentative look but obliged the pro hero in a group hug. With a squeeze, Ochaco let them go and watched their hands intertwine. They muttered their thanks and stood in an awkward pause before Melissa broke the ice.
"Oh! Ochaco, here: we got you some coffee!"
"Wait, really? Like seriously? Oh thank you both! I'm dying over here." Uraraka darted for the large cup of liquid gold and drank greedily. It was just the right temperature and tasted glorious. The rich aroma of well roasted coffee overtook her senses. She sighed as she looked at Melissa. "How'd you know?"
"Oh! W-well, you know us: always thinking ahead. A-anyway, thanks. For looking out for us," Melissa answered. The blonde turned heel and strode away to a less cluttered desk where her personal computer was located. Mei walked over to where Melissa was typing away. The crazed inventor wrapped an arm around Melissa's shoulders and gave her a loving squeeze. Ochaco felt her heart melt a little at the sight. To avert her gaze at the couple's intimate moment, Uraraka began inspecting the various gadgets and inventions that were in progress.
"So, what'd y'all find out?" Ochaco called out as she looked at a plain looking cane that hung suspended on a two pronged stand. It was strange that such an innocuous item was something that Mei or Melissa would be working on when there were more interesting equipment scattered about. Her inspection was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Hatsume's eyes.
"First! We do upgrades! Now, hold still," Mei said with a wicked smile on her face.
They spent the better part of the next hour outfitting Uraraka with various upgrades. Melissa hovered around Ochaco as Mei bombarded the pro hero with at least fifty pieces of new gear - all which were unnecessary. Undeterred by Uraraka's lackluster response, Hatume brought a wheel barrel full of equipment. Thankfully, Melissa stepped in and ended the charade. She pulled Uraraka away from Mei before she could dive into another frenzied episode of showing off her latest inventions. The two walked over to Melissa's computer where various windows of code were displayed. Ochaco couldn't make heads or tails of the programs running and chose to focus on Shield as she explained the software updates she was giving to Ochaco.
"So, I know you were concerned about network connectivity lag the last time you had an upgrade. It shouldn't be a problem now, but it works better when you are connected to the JARVES network we got set up. You do use it right?"
"Yes..." Ochaco rolled her eyes, lying through her teeth as she did so, "I also love how easy it is to log in to your fancy schmancy networks, Shield. Seriously, do you want people to use it or not?"
"Hmph. If it was easy, then any old villain could use it, and you should already know how much sensitive information is entrusted to us. It has to be hard to deter anyone unauthorized from getting in. Now, pay attention, because this is crucial."
Another twenty minutes passed as Melissa droned on and on about this or that security measure. If she didn't have to rely on the JARVES network every time she went out into the field, she could have ignored the whole thing. At long last, they arrived at the main course. Hatsume brought out a small black case from a drawer under one of the desks and handed it over to the pro hero. Ochaco opened it and felt a chill as she took in the contents.
A small dart casing made of green coated metal gleamed in the bright lights of the lab. The tiny sliver of a needle blinked out as it reflected what light it could. Ochaco closed it solemnly and looked at the inventors, waiting in a tense quiet for an explanation. Melissa swallowed hard as Mei started to talk.
"This was a fascinating find, Uravity! Can't believe someone gave this guy gear like this. If you take a look at the casings, you'll notice some very light striations ingrained on the metal. Normally, bullets have much deeper blemishes after being shot out so this would indicate a couple of things."
"Lemme guess: was it an air gun? There's no singing on the backend of the dart and it's not shaped like a regular bullet. So, Deku had something like an air pressured dart gun. What was the cocktail he pumped into the needle?" Ochaco allowed herself a smirk as Hatsume fell quiet, stunned at the hero's boldness. Melissa stepped in to save her girlfriend.
"That's... accurate. Nicely done, Ochaco. How do you know it was Deku, though? I thought you hadn't seen who shot these out?"
Uraraka shrugged. "I read Mina's report from the big street fight. You know, the one that knocked me out? According to some witnesses, Deku was spotted. There were some green crooks taking advantage of the chaos above the subway who apparently got taken out by him. Mina recovered their bodies after I passed out and found several crushed darts. They were identical to this one."
"Ah," was all Melissa gave. Ochaco took their silent moment as thoughtful reflection and continued.
"The autopsies said there was a weird substance in the villains' blood stream. Some kind of narcotic mixed with a strong doxylamine. Worked fast to knock them out which is how they got caught up in the avalanche of rocks. What'd you find?"
"That, along with fentanyl," Melissa answered. Ochaco ogled at her. "Yeah, I know. It's a dangerous mix but effective. The levels are just balanced that it won't kill you. Of course some people will react worse than others - or not at all - but that just depends on physiology."
"Yes, yes, yes - chemistry is interesting and all but the dart itself!" Hatusme inserted, "This thing is a work of art! It's made up of a delicate polymer of stainless steel and fiberglass. It has just enough give that it won't break upon ejection or impact and is simultaneously rigid enough that you can almost snipe people with it. I looked into a few of our rivals who might be producing something like this but came up empty. I think this Deku has his own supplier or lab."
Ochaco shook her head in disbelief. Even with the best minds set to task, this was still a dead end. Uraraka mentally kicked herself for expecting anything more than the worst case scenario.
"No, Deku's a broker amongst the gangsters and thugs out there. I can't see him exchanging information for gear. Money, yes. I wonder if he doesn't make his own stuff or outsource it to someone that's a neutral party. That could likely be the case. Were there any prints or other substances that you could find?"
"As a matter of fact, we did!" Melissa offered cheerily. She clicked a few times on her computer's mouse and turned her monitor towards Uraraka.
"So this is the composition that Mei found. As you can see, it's mostly metals. But there were trace amounts of resin and sodium on the casing."
"Sodium? Like, salt?" Ochaco asked with a confused expression. Mei and Melissa nodded in affirmation.
"Yup. And I broke it down even further. There's all sorts of carbon based materials clinging to this little bit of salt. Not to mention the algae. I'd venture to say that his HQ is on the shore. We took the liberty of getting you a couple of factories that use resin and are near the waterfront. There's about five - three in Oda, one in Nagasaki, and the last in Saikai. Given that resin is used for a lot of manufacturing, I'd probably start in Oda."
The inventors broke out into proud smiles that Ochaco returned, even if her's was slightly contorted with a frown. Those locations are on the opposite sides of the country... Still. A lead is a lead. Can't complain 'bout that.
Ochaco downloaded their findings on a drive while Hatsume chatted her away. Melissa sat quietly and smiled. The data was sizable so they had to wait a few minutes. With her arms full of wires, Mei chirped up with an innocent question.
"So, Uravity! Heard you were going to the charity ball in a couple of weeks?"
Ochaco groaned. She had forgotten that Mina was forcing her to go to that damn thing. Endeavor's agency ran an annual charity dance and silent auction. The money all went to a relief fund for victims of villain attacks. It was a big deal, especially considering that it was a very exclusive shindig. Thankfully, the owners of Rainy Day Agency had been invited by Shoto long before the limited tickets went out for sale. Ochaco hadn't been to one before but knew immediately that she'd be uncomfortable. Between the Todorokis bickering and her ex being present, it was going to be a real shit show. She rubbed her temples in aggravation. Ochaco nodded in defeat. Melissa gave her a sympathetic look.
"It's ok. We'll be there if you need someone to hang out with while Mina dances with Red Riot."
Ochaco gave her a bemused smile. Her download finished up and she gave her farewells to the inventors. She walked out of the laboratory with a strong feeling of direction. Things were looking up. Nothing could stop her now.
As the doors quickly slid shut, Melissa and Mei sighed deeply in relief. Their momentary reprieve was cut short by the supply closet opening. Dressed in his meeting mask and a sleek, pinstripe suit, Deku emerged from his hiding spot as brooms and mops tried to pull him back in. After fighting off the last strands of a mop that clung to his ankle, Izuku took a moment to compose himself before smiling at the two women standing in defensive positions.
"Huh," he said thoughtfully, "Wonder if there are any more tickets to that charity thing?"
Deku stepped around, carefree as he inspected some of the half built items on the tables. The room remained quiet and, despite how nonchalant he appeared, there was an immense tension between the three occupants. Izuku sighed. He rubbed his neck to ease the stiffness growing from the terse silence.
"Um, did she like the coffee at least?" His question was met with cold disregard. He sighed and tried to breach the ice once more.
"Thanks for covering for me," he offered. Melissa began to shake, her hands balled up into fists. Mei, similarly, looked at Deku with a venomous glare.
"Covering for you? Is that what you think? Let me tell you something, you crook! I have-"
"Let me just stop you right there," Izuku interrupted. He held a gloved hand up to emphasize the pause in thought and ignored the deepening rage of the inventors. Midoriya's eyes were fixed on the cane that Ochaco had seen earlier. Slowly, with reverence, Deku approached the sleek black cane. He ran his hands over the smooth surface and gently picked it up, as if it were the most precious thing in the world.
"Is this the goober?" He asked with awe, "Is it.. is it ready?"
Melissa had to hold Mei back. The American scientist put her entire weight into pushing her girlfriend away from Deku. Mei was doing her best to reach him and claw his eyes out.
"G-goober? Goober?! That damn thing is some of Melissa's finest work! Don't you dare insult her!"
"You know what I mean," Deku gave with an unamused look leveled at Hatsume. He was inspecting it and stopped at the metal plated tip. Melissa spoke up though she was still struggling to contain Hatsume.
"It's - er, Mei, please! - It's not ready yet. That hair sample you gave us proved to be very complex so it's going to take a little more time. Maybe even some more resources."
Deku only hummed thoughtfully as a response. He turned the cane over, twirling it between his fingers. After several more tests that Mei and Melissa could not make sense of, Izuku replaced the item on its stand. He pulled out a pad of paper and a tiny pen. Midoriya scribbled on the top sheet quickly, tearing it out when he was finished. He slapped it on the table next to where the cane sat and made for the exit.
"Money isn't a problem. Please take my suggestions into account. But overall? Fine work, ladies. Oh, and thanks for the refill on darts."
The doors hissed open and closed as Deku left. The scientist abandoned in his wake collapsed into each other's arms. Mei rocked Melissa who bit back sobs. They breathed quietly, taking solace in the calm that filled the air now that the tension had passed.
