"Good morning, Todoroki!"
Todoroki awoke, only to notice that not only had the women awoken before him, but they were all surrounding the bed, looking at him.
"Oh…good morning, ladies."
"Did you sleep well?" asked Deko.
"Very."
"Come on, I'm making breakfast!" said Yaoyorozu.
Todoroki followed the rest of the women to the dining room. Yaoyorozu cooked quite the breakfast: bacon, waffles, eggs and ham.
"Thank you for cooking this," said Todoroki. "I usually don't eat this much for breakfast, but I appreciate it, nevertheless."
"You're welcome! You're my special guest, so you deserve it!" Yaoyorozu had a slice of bacon.
"Yeah, we had so much fun with you last night!" said Ashido.
Hagakure swallowed a piece of her waffle. "Totally! You should hang out with us more often!"
"Say, is there anything special on the agenda for today?" asked Uraraka.
"No, I have no special assignments for today." Todoroki took another bite of ham.
"Too bad," said Jiro. "I was looking forward to making some extra money today,"
"I like those opportunities, but I also like when things are quiet," said Tsu.
"I assure you, there may be another opportunity eventually," said Todoroki.
Jiro and Tsu nodded. Meanwhile, Yaoyorozu set a can of Mountain Dew Pitch Black before Todoroki, who gasped and blushed when he saw it.
"H-how did you know my favorite flavor of Mountain Dew!?" said Todoroki.
Yaoyorozu smiled. "Lucky guess."
Todoroki smiled, too. "Oh, you ladies make me love you more every day!"
The other women giggled.
On the way out, Todoroki noticed something about Ashido…
"Ashido, I see you're wearing your hero costume. Does that mean you intend to return to work today?"
Ashido smiled. "Why not? I miss all of you!"
"Are you sure? I just want to make sure that you're feeling well enough for it."
Ashido put a hand on Todoroki's shoulder. "Relax! I'll be fine! Really, finishing my day off with a girly slumber party and seeing a cutie like you made things that much better!"
"All right, I'll allow it, but the moment I hear anything about you having a PTSD-induced breakdown on the job, I'm forcing you to take more time off. Is that clear?"
Ashido kept smiling. "Whatever you say, Cuteoroki!"
Todoroki blushed, but maintained his stone face.
This morning, when Todoroki came into the office, he had a smile on his face:
"Good morning, everyone!"
Kodai raised her hand. "Um…since when are you this happy to see us?"
"Kodai's right," said Kendo. "I know you enjoy our company, but you never usually show it like this."
"Why shouldn't I?" said Todoroki. "All of you are performing admirably in your duties, and the agency's reputation is benefitting because of it. As a matter of fact, ABC7 presented our organization in a positive light on the news yesterday. Speaking of news, CompStat only showed a 1% drop in crime yesterday, but the LAFD credited us with 40 lives saved. As for special assignments, I don't have any for today, so just get out there and make me proud."
Later on, Todoroki was kicking back in his chair, legs crossed on his desk when he got a phone call:
"Shoto Agency, Shoto Todoroki speaking."
"Shoto, your father is here to see you," said Jane.
"Send him up."
In contrast to other times when his father was around, this didn't break Todoroki's stride one bit. Having had his mood boosted not only by being around his women, but actually getting to know them, he felt as though he could take on any challenge that was thrust his way. Soon enough, he heard knocking on his door.
"Come in."
The door opened, and Deko entered.
"Todoroki, your father's here! What do we do?"
Todoroki maintained his relaxed posture. "Let him in."
"Right!"
Deko exited the office, and shortly thereafter, Endeavor entered.
"Hello, Father." Todoroki maintained the smile on his face. "What brings you here today?"
"I was curious about how your Hero Agency was doing, and judging by what I'm seeing so far, you have an odd way of running things," said Endeavor.
"Oh? And just what do you find odd about it?"
Endeavor narrowed his eyes at Todoroki. "For one, I question why all of your sidekicks are women."
"And just what's so odd about that? First of all, women have made great strides not only in attaining greater personal liberties for themselves, but have also made numerous scientific, literary, artistic, political and cultural contributions around the world. Second of all, it was but mere coincidence that all of my applicants were women, and I wasn't gonna turn them down on the basis of biological sex or gender identity."
Endeavor extended a hand palm-up towards Todoroki. "That being said, I also question the need for your sidekicks to wield firearms."
"Father, you forget that America is gun country. The right to bear arms is inextricably linked with the history and culture of this great Nation, and I for one not only believe that guns can act as useful supplements to Quirks, but in certain cases can actually be extensions to Quirks."
Endeavor crossed his arms. "You've changed ever since you left my agency. You've become happier and more confident…too confident, even."
"Why shouldn't I? I have some of the best heroes I've ever had the fortune to meet working for me, and we've made a difference in the lives of everyone in Los Angeles. Is there really anything wrong with that?"
Endeavor stared at Todoroki. On one hand, the elder hero was so insistent that his youngest son – his pride and joy, no less – belonged to him, and he would do anything to get him working for his agency again. On the other hand, the young man was doing quite well for himself, and deep down inside, Endeavor secretly feared the consequences of trying to pry him away from his dream, so the answer was obvious…
"All right…you win. As much as I disapprove of you breaking away from me, you have done quite well for yourself, so I'm staying my hand."
"Thank you, Father. I knew you'd see things my way."
"Right. Have a nice day…Shoto."
"You too…Father."
Endeavor exited the office, while Todoroki kept that smug little smile about him.
When it came time for lunch, Todoroki got delivery from Five Guys, getting a bacon cheeseburger with BBQ sauce, grilled onions, jalapeno peppers, extra cheese and extra bacon, plus a large Cajun fry and a large Barq's root beer. He joined some of his women in the break room.
"How's everybody doing today?" asked Todoroki.
"Not bad." Jiro took a bite from her boneless spareribs.
"Yeah, it's been pretty quiet today," said Utsushimi.
"Not for us, it hasn't, ribbit," said Tsu.
"Oh?" Todoroki raised his eyebrows. "How so?"
"We were handing a guy over to the police for armed robbery when a stolen car sped past us," said Yaoyorozu. "Honestly, I think that's the first time something like that's happened to us."
"Still, I have faith in your ability to keep calm under that sort of duress." Todoroki took another bite from his burger.
"Whoa, look at this!"
Deko held up her smartphone, prompting everyone to put their food down. The phone was showing an article from the online edition of the Los Angeles Times:
LOCAL HERO AGENCY IMPLICATED IN CONCERT MASSACRE
"For many people from Los Angeles – even around the world – the chance to see mega pop star Sailor Wift live at the Hollywood Bowl was an opportunity that was too good to pass up. However, the chance of a lifetime turned into a nightmare as concertgoers were brutally slain by a group of heroes turned villains. The attackers claimed to be members of the Mt. Wilshire Hero Agency.
Led by renowned hero Boltblaster, the Mt. Wilshire Hero Agency immediately became the subject of an investigation by the LAPD and the CHP. Boltblaster has denied any connection to the attack, but has otherwise made no comments regarding the incident, which has proven rather divisive in the hero community, with some stepping forward to defend Boltblaster and his sidekicks, and others denouncing him for such a heinous action.
'I personally believe that Boltblaster is innocent of any involvement in this horrible massacre,' said Sir Nighteye. 'I've known the man for years, and it's not like him to order such a thing. I will do whatever it takes to get to the bottom of this.'
'It's shameful that such a popular hero would sink this low,' said Endeavor, father of Shoto. 'Heroes are supposed to defend the citizens of the world, and when one of them commits such a grave crime, then they deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law.'
Whether Boltblaster and his sidekicks are innocent, one thing is clear: Los Angeles will never be the same after this carnage."
Todoroki narrowed his eyes at the story.
"Is something wrong, Todoroki?" asked Deko.
"Something is wrong. Don't ask me how, but I know that Boltblaster and the members of the Mt. Wilshire Agency are innocent."
"How do you figure?" asked Ashido.
"I don't personally know Boltblaster, but I've studied his file thoroughly, and it doesn't seem like him or his sidekicks to do something like this."
"What do we do now?" asked Uraraka.
Todoroki turned to Deko. "Deko, as of this moment, I'd like to place you in charge of the investigation into this attack."
Deko's eyes widened. "Wha…? Why me? Wouldn't you be better suited to investigating this?"
"Deko, I've read your file thoroughly. You have a very analytical mind, and in your time at this agency, you've shown me just how capable you are of handling a task like this. If you accept the offer, not only will I boost your pay for the duration of this investigation, but there may very well be other benefits for you. Do you accept?"
With sweat running down her face, Deko stared at Todoroki. While this wasn't the first time she'd been involved in an investigation as part of a Hero Agency, this was the first time she'd ever been asked to lead an investigation, and it was making her heart flutter quite a bit with the anxiety that it was giving her. On the other hand, Todoroki did have great faith in her, and it not only made her feel good knowing that, but also that he entrusted her with such a powerful responsibility and was compensating her well for it. How could she possibly turn that down?
"All right, I accept!" Deko snapped to attention.
"Very good, Deko. As leader of the investigation, you have full discretion to choose whichever heroes will work with you on this matter."
Deko smiled. "Thank you! Uraraka, you're second in command."
"Awww, thank you, Deko! I'm honored!"
While everyone else was out on patrol, Deko and Uraraka's team – which also included Yaoyorozu, Tsu, Ashido and Hagakure – discussed what they were going to do first:
"Anyone got any ideas?" asked Ashido.
"I had at least one thought about that," replied Deko. "The villains behind this attack claim to be with the Mt. Wilshire Agency, but the police haven't released any official reports on the matter, so if we can be the first in line to uncover the official truth behind this by analyzing what evidence is already available to us, then maybe we can set about trying to prove mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter…"
"Um…Deko…could you please slow down?" asked Uraraka.
"Yeah, if you have an idea, then why not just get to the point?" said Tsu.
Deko snapped to attention and rubbed the back of her head as she smiled awkwardly. "Oh…sorry! I guess I was getting too excited about leading this investigation!" She cleared her throat and gained a more serious look. "So, here's what we'll do: we'll review all available video footage of the attack and try to determine if any of the perpetrators were members of the Mt. Wilshire Agency by analyzing what Quirks they used."
Uraraka smiled. "Deko, that's brilliant!"
"Do we have to watch that stuff, though?" asked Hagakure. "I'm not sure I can stomach seeing helpless people get hurt like that!"
"Not to mention that watching all those videos could take a while," said Yaoyorozu.
Deko nodded. "I realize that this will be a long, daunting task, but if we apply ourselves, then we should get it done. I'll help out, too. Remember, somebody's life and liberty are on the line."
"Right!" said everyone else.
And so, Deko and the rest of her team sat around watching as many videos of the attack as they possibly could. While the psychological effect was comparable to seeing videos of the Station nightclub fire or George Floyd's unlawful killing, the women persisted, and once they had enough notes, they compared what they had.
"Well?" said Tsu.
Deko arranged her notes. "Judging by the results of our analysis in addition to the notes I've made on the heroes working for the Mt. Wilshire Agency, it appears that they're innocent in this massacre. There is, however, one thing that's bothering me…"
"What?" said the rest of the women.
"One of the attackers seems to be a hero by the name of Cheeselord, whose Quirk allows him to turn non-living objects into cheese. All available data suggests that he works for the Mt. Wilshire Agency, so Uraraka and I are going over there to ask Boltblaster a few questions. Everyone else is free to go back to patrol, but if you find anything else regarding this case, please get back to us as soon as possible, OK?"
"Right!" said Yaoyorozu, Tsu, Ashido and Hagakure.
Deko and Uraraka hopped in their Nova and headed to the Mt. Wilshire Agency, which occupied a floor of an office building on the Miracle Mile, even grander than the one that the Shoto Agency called home. A couple of LAPD and CHP cruisers – marked and unmarked – were present here, and as soon as Deko and Uraraka got out, two LAPD cops approached them.
"Excuse me, but would you mind telling me what you two are doing here?" asked one officer.
"We're heroes from the Shoto Agency," said Deko. "We're here to investigate Boltblaster."
"May we see some ID?" asked the second officer.
Deko and Uraraka flashed their driver's licenses and agency cards, and the two officers looked them over briefly before handing them back.
"OK, sorry to trouble you," said the first officer. "Carry on."
"Thank you!" said Deko and Uraraka.
Deko and Uraraka headed into the building, where a redheaded receptionist awaited them.
"May I help you?"
"We're with the Shoto Agency," said Deko. "We want to speak to Boltblaster."
"Just a moment…" The receptionist picked up her phone and dialed. "Mr. Boltblaster, there are two heroes from the Shoto Agency to see you."
"…"
"I'll let them know." The receptionist hung up. "OK, you can head on up."
Deko and Uraraka took an elevator up to the floor where the Mt. Wilshire Agency was located. This agency was decorated similarly to the Shoto Agency's office, but had a less militaristic air about it. As they were heading for Boltblaster's office, a hero approached Deko and Uraraka.
"Excuse me, can I help you two?" asked the hero, a tall bald man wearing a dark green costume with a yellow letter J superimposed over an orange cross.
"Hi, we're with the Shoto Agency," said Deko. "We came here to talk to Boltblaster."
"I'll lead ya to him, but be careful, he might be in a bad mood."
The hero led Deko and Uraraka to Boltblaster's office, which was marked accordingly. He knocked on the door.
"Yeah?" said a voice from within.
"Sir, there are two heroes from the Shoto Agency here to see ya," said the hero.
"Let them in."
The hero looked over at Uraraka and Deko and did a throat-slicing motion with his index finger as he opened the door. Deko and Uraraka walked in.
LEWIS "BOLTBLASTER" SYKES:
QUIRK: Bolt-throwing. He can shoot bolts from his fingers at varying velocities, but suffers an iron deficiency if he shoots too many.
Boltblaster was a muscular, brown-haired guy with a short beard. His costume was gray with a red cape and a yellow hexagonal bolt logo on the chest. Immediately, he bolted – no pun intended – to his feet.
"State your business or leave me alone," said Boltblaster.
Deko sweated a bit. "Boltblaster, w-we just wanted to ask you a few questions…"
"You and every other hero and law enforcement agency in this town! I'll give you the same answer: I had NOTHING to do with the massacre!"
Deko made a pushing motion with her hands. "Hold on! We know you're innocent, and we're working to prove it! We just wanted to ask some questions!"
Boltblaster took a deep breath and sighed. "All right, what can I help you with?"
"Do you have a hero by the name of Cheeselord working for you?" asked Uraraka.
"Used to. He left us about a month ago. Even check my personnel file."
Boltblaster made a few clicks and types on his computer and turned the monitor to face Deko and Uraraka. Sure enough, it showed that Cheeselord was no longer a member of the Mt. Wilshire Agency.
"Mind if I photograph this?" asked Deko.
Boltblaster nodded. "Go ahead."
Deko took a picture using her phone.
"Why did Cheeselord leave, anyways?" asked Deko.
"He had a bit of an argument with Captain Root Beer," replied Boltblaster. "I don't usually like to talk about it, but since I'm a big fan of your boss, and since you're trying to prove my innocence, I felt OK about telling you."
"Right!" Deko smiled. "Sorry if we bothered you! We're just trying to help out a fellow hero, you know?"
"It's quite all right." Boltblaster smiled. "I'm just glad there's an agency like yours out there. I've heard a lot about you ladies, and while I'm still not sure why you're armed to the teeth, I couldn't have asked for better heroes!"
"Thank you!" said Deko and Uraraka.
"Listen, we have to get going," said Deko. "We'll let you know if we find out who's behind the attack on the concert, too."
"Please do," said Boltblaster. "I'd hate for the perpetrators to go unpunished."
"Have a nice day!" Uraraka waved at Boltblaster.
"You too."
As Deko and Uraraka left the Mt. Wilshire Agency, they discussed Boltblaster:
"So, what did you think of Boltblaster?" asked Uraraka.
"He seemed nice, but he also seemed very protective of his agency. Then again, if I were being investigated like that, I'd be on edge."
"Do you think he's innocent?"
"No doubt he is. Based on his personnel file, the nonverbal cues he was giving me and the tone in his voice, I think he's telling the truth."
Uraraka smiled. "You know, I've known you for a long time and you still amaze me with how smart you are!"
Deko smiled back. "And you amaze me with how nice you are!"
"Awww!"
Deko and Uraraka hopped in their Nova and drove back to the Shoto Agency. Even if they didn't get the real suspect, Deko felt that she could rest more easily knowing that she absolved a fellow hero of a terrible crime.
Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.