Majestic lead us into an area of his hero agency that was crowded with photographs, open files on desks, paperwork and technology. It was every inch the investigator hero's lab, a full-blown police force's worth of crime scene investigation. In fact, a few police officers were among the scattered sidekicks. One gave me and Tokage a suspicious look as we came in.
"Sir?" she asked Majestic, adjusting her belt.
"These are two young licensed pro heroes from UA," he explained. "Creaty and Lizardy. My friend on the force, Detective Hayashi."
Detective Hayashi was in her late forties; she looked tough, strict, the kind of cop that wasn't likely to trust a few young amateurs in a serious case.
"Well," she said after a moment, "Don't expect me to babysit."
Tokage seemed ready to say something, but I gave her a firm look, and bowed.
"You appear to be looking into a case," I said by way of changing the subject.
"Brilliant deduction," she deadpanned at me.
"Thank you! May I inquire the nature?" I asked with a smile that only seemed to make her more annoyed with me.
"Murder. A bunch of murders, actually."
Majestic pointed to a few photographs which I had yet to take a good look at. "These are probably a little graphic for children so young. If you like, I can -"
I drew in breath. "We'll have to face them sooner or later as young pro-heroes. Best to know all the details if we're to assist you."
Majestic nodded, while Detective Hayashi still looked skeptical. He passed the photographs and as files to me and Tokage.
Hayashi explained, "There's been a string of murders recently around the city. All were dissected as if being autopsied. They all had quirks based on some form of water manipulation. Ice, weather, even this one -"
"Oxygen," I cried. "Hydrogen-2-Oxygen, the chemical makeup of water."
"Yeah. Obviously." Hayashi seemed mostly annoyed at being interrupted, and I resolved not to speak again unless I had something useful to say. "We're looking for a killer with training in anatomy, some level of doctor, and who's interested in controlling water. I hopefully don't have to tell you kids that water quirks have the potential to be extremely dangerous. It's a potent weapon in the wrong hands. We're calling this one the Sakusei killer."
"But if it's just a string of murders," asked Tokage, "why involve pro-heroes?"
"Getting there. The incisions weren't made with any physical weapon. No knives or implements, no traces left behind in the body. It has to be someone's quirk, of course. We've done profiles on everyone in the area who has a quirk that could remotely do what this villain has been doing, and narrowed it down to five suspects. We're breaking into teams and investigating the various potential suspects in the case."
"That's your puzzle, young heroes," explained Majestic. "How does a villain dissect without tools?"
It sounded like something out of a nightmare, but I did my best to appear stoic and unafraid.
"I'm taking one of Majestic's sidekicks with me to patrol and investigate the house of one of the five. We're monitoring activities. The police may just bring all five in for questioning, but we want to see if we can narrow it down any further first. Having a few extra pairs of eyes won't hurt, I suppose."
I looked over the case file and examined the five profiles. "Where are we going?"
"I'll," said Majestic, "be escorting you two gals to suspect #4. Miru Uchigawa."
"Of the Uchigawa family?" I asked, looking over the file.
"Yes. That's the one. The big -"
"Technology conglomerate," I finished his sentence. "The Uchigawas are personal friends of my parents. We hosted them last year at one of our fundraisers."
There was a moment of silence. Hayashia said, "Well, that's a hell of a coincidence."
"My family - we're in touch with most of the fortune 500 of Japan," I tried to explain, hoping I wasn't coming off like a suspect. "We know all of the big names!"
"Oh, that's right! Yaoyorozu!" said Majestic. "You're of the Aichi Yaoyorozus?"
"Yes, sir." And I blushed, embarrassed as always that my family was well-known and rich.
"Your folks are famous?" asked Tokage.
"Only moderately so, nothing like pro-heroes," I babbled. "Only among the wealthy, stockbrokers and such."
"Well, maybe you can give us an in with Uchigawa," said Hayashi. "A pretense for why we want to talk to her. You met before?"
"No…I only saw the Uchigawas from a distance at the event. Still, I recall a good deal about them. Their family is responsible for incredible scientific breakthroughs! Half of the key quirk supporting technologies we have today only exist because the Uchigawa family invested in or funded programs designed to investigate their potential."
"That's partly why Uchigawa is a suspect. Like the others on the list, she's had doctoral training - MD at the age of twenty-two, graduated top of her class from Kyoto university. Knows her anatomy, works as a doctor and scientific researcher in investigative biology. Given her busy schedule, of course, it's hard to imagine her finding the free time to go around murdering people, but I guess everyone needs a hobby."
We were silent. Hayashi plowed right on. "Well, you two go with Majestic and take a look at Uchigawa. We'll tackle the rest." With an annoyed huff. "Seems you folks get the nicer side of town."
Tokage and I suited up. We were rather quiet. I was trying my best to push aside the sordid nature of our first case as pro-heroes and simply focus on the task at hand - saving others, catching criminals, keeping the world safe.
"Hey," said Tokage. "Were you expecting something like this on the first day?"
"No," I admitted. "But now that we've got it, we'd probably be best off investigating it head on."
"Yeah. I guess. It's just…pro heroes, you know? We're supposed to be - punching bad guys, saving people from burning buildings? This murder stuff…it's more cop stuff, isn't it?"
"I suppose it's all a part of the job. We assist in whatever way we can."
Majestic escorted us through the streets, asking us polite questions about our life at UA. He got me talking a great deal too much about how enjoyable our classes were and I felt rather embarrassed as we pulled up to our stop.
The Uchigawa manor was very modern, hardly a trace of traditional architecture in sight. An upscale apartment building, gleaming and towering in the midst of the city, with modern alert systems and security guards in suit jackets.
"We were planning on just patrolling," said Majestic. "But seeing as how young Miss Yaoyorozu knows the Uchigawas, we might be able to affect an introduction."
"I can try," I said slowly. "But if I approach as a pro-hero, that might arouse her suspicions. Perhaps we'd best simply patrol today and form a more concrete plan of approach for the future?"
"Good thinking!" said Majestic, who seemed impressed. "Have you by chance taken any leadership positions in your hero course, Yaoyorozu?"
"I'm the Deputy Representative for Class 1A," I said proudly.
"Sounds like you're their Kendo," said Tokage.
CRASH! BOOM!
From a distance we heard it - the sounds of a catastrophe happening not far away from us. The unmistakable signal for heroes to jump into action.
"Now, girls! Citizens are in danger! Hurry to the battle stations!" announced Majestic. We ran after him as he waved his hands and created beneath him a glowing yellow ring. To my shock, another ring opened beneath my feet - and a third beneath Tokage's.
"No need to waste one on me, sir!" she called, and before me her body split into various smaller parts, all of which hovered easily off the ground.
I felt rather jealous. Majestic nodded. "Thanks ever so, Lizardy. Let us go!"
And we were off, flying through the sky towards the catastrophe. A construction site, as it turned out, the ghostly skeleton of a building. Workers were falling off of the equipment as beams and devices bounced to the ground from an upset rail lift, and a crane was going out of control. In fact, all of the vehicles in the area seemed to be careening out of control in opposite directions.
"A villain's quirk, no doubt," said Majestic.
"Yes - "I began -
And then felt all the balance go out of my legs. Suddenly it as as if I was balancing on fellow or a tightrope instead of the rather solid ring Majestic had floated me on. Before I could cry out for help, they gave out - and I was falling towards the ground.