Bats skitter as they return to their roosts in the upper reaches of the cave, carefully segregated from the more delicate electronics of their master's headquarters. Izuku Midoriya, as nocturnal as the creatures he shares company with in the underground lair, is stationed at the biggest of assorted machines. A massive screen displays more media outlets than the naked eye could skim. Surrounding the articles are various street cams, the live footage watching dark crevices and corners closely.
The sole survivor of the Midoriya bloodline monitors the massive computer display intently. Even when he's not prowling the streets or patrolling from the rooftops, he remains a watchful guardian. The dark knight works as endlessly as he does tirelessly to prevent another night like the one that took his parents from him from ever happening again. His matte-black suit, cape, and cowl blend with the cave's atmosphere. The winged sigil emblazoned on his chest is the same as the winged creatures also dwelling in the dark. He is the legendary Batman.
Behind him is a girl who had also been orphaned. She was held in captivity by the Yakuza until he had rescued her, and now, he has taken her under his wing. Her silver flow of hair hangs over a German Shepherd and Great Dane mix, another stray that he had taken in. She runs her hands over the dog's coat of black fur, petting it gently. A silver tag hangs from the hound's dark blue collar, the name Ace engraved in the metal. Midoriya had never imagined he would have a pet, let alone an adoptive daughter. He never thought his crusade as Batman would allow him to have such attachments. Yet, Eri is the best ward he could have asked for. And Ace drooling while he sleeps isn't so bad either.
Though Kurogiri would beg to differ, considering he's the one who mops the floor every time. Surrogate father, butler, caretaker, and accomplice to Midoriya, he too dwells in the cave at this time. The man made of purple mist is dressed in his own suit, albeit his much more fashionable than kevlar armor. "It's nearly dawn, sir. Your winged namesakes are retiring for the day.", Kurogiri glances about the cavernous space to watch bats swoop from stalactites despite directly addressing Midoriya, "Perhaps you should consider doing the same?"
Midoriya mimics Kurogiri, pointing the direction of his gaze elsewhere while addressing him. "Later. There's still some work to be done.", the vigilante taps at the keyboard in front of him to pull up additional news reports. As comical as it may be on Batman, he should really get a pair of reading glasses considering how much time he puts into researching documents.
Kurogiri pauses, wanting to push the matter further, but yields in the end. He settles for a hum of disapproval to let Midoriya know his feelings. Then he directs his attention to Eri, "And what about you, little lady?"
The young girl casts a look towards Midoriya, hair whipping with the sudden motion. When all she gets is his back instead of the support she was hoping for, she returns her gaze to Kurogiri. Knowing all too well what he meant, she whines indignantly, "Come on! Can't I stay up just a little bit longer?!"
Kurogiri's yellow slants peer into Eri's bright red orbs. Her puppy eyes are stronger than the actual dog's or even Midoriya's when he was her age. He sighs, unable to say no to such a face. He does, however, know how to guilt Midoriya into doing his dirty work for him. "Of all the bad habits she could have picked up from you, I suppose insomnia isn't the worst.", Kurogiri talks to the man's back but knows he hears every word.
Finally, Midoriya swivels in his chair to face them. The faint glow from the computer screen casts a shadow over his face that just barely hides the bags under his eyes. There's stubble growing around his jaw, his chin in desperate need of a shave. He looks like a tired dad and he hasn't even done any of the parenting yet. There's a brief moment where both Kurogiri and Eri think he's going to defend her as well as himself, "Aren't you forgetting that tomorrow is a big day for you? You're going to need all the rest that you can get.", but then he reminds the girl that she'll be taking the Entrance Exam for U.A in the morning.
Eri pouts, more frustrated that he backed Kurogiri up instead of her over having to go to bed, but surrenders to the logic. "Fine..", Ace whines when she stops petting him to head for the elevator lift. Kurogiri takes over, scratching the mutt behind the ears. The dog's complaints cease. As Eri walks away, she shouts over her shoulder, "Don't forget to feed the bats!"
To which Midoriya raises a brow, "You feed the bats?"
"The bats prefer free range corn fed chicken goujons gently fried in extra virgin olive oil.", Kurogiri recalls the dinner he has been cooking upstairs before adding as an afterthought, "With chives."
Midoriya rolls his eyes at the man's antics before returning his attention to the supercomputer. Now that Eri is gone, he freely shares what it is that he's been invested in. "The Shie Hassaikai have been killed.", the blunt announcement causes Kurogiri's usually slanted eyes to broaden a bit in surprise.
"The men who were holding Mistress Eri in captivity?", he pats Ace on the head one last time before joining the vigilante at the computer station. Now that he's able to get a closer look at what's on the screen, he finds himself skimming through police reports and website articles. The entire Yakuza was brutally massacred. The present seems like the worst time to be making light hearted jokes about the murder, but the butler can't help himself, "It seems someone has saved you the trouble of having to do it yourself."
Knowing all too well what was under the bandages around Eri's arms and legs, and how long those scars took to heal, Midoriya doesn't disagree with that sentiment. Yet, he took a vow, and he has a mission that he must stay committed to. The mask hanging behind him with his cape is what he became to uphold that promise. "I'm going to investigate and find out who did it.", the vigilante pulls it over his face while slowly rising from his seat.
"I was afraid you were going to say that.", Kurogiri ducks his head down in dismay. The dedication that Midoriya puts into his crusade far surpasses the amount of effort he puts into running his company. Numerous times has the caretaker received calls complaining that the young philanthropist fell asleep during business meetings; that's when Midoriya doesn't show up late or miss them entirely.
Now donning his cowl as Batman, the caped crusader marches past Kurogiri with a vengeful aura. The white lenses where his eyes should be are narrowed more than Kurogri's yellow slits. The horns atop the dark knight's head create a demonic visage that horrifies criminals, but the butler himself can't help but also feel something at the sight of the boy he raised becoming such a monstrosity.
But in a city of monsters, that boy had no choice but to become one himself. Midoriya is convinced that it was a monster which took his parents from him. And it takes a monster to scare another monster. That's what Batman is meant to be. The night itself has become something to be feared by villains and criminals rather than something to revel in.
It can't be helped that there was a ripple effect. Batman became feared by forces of good as well. Batman became something they didn't understand, and people always fear what they don't understand. Pro heroes and police couldn't define the legend as merely a vigilante, nor a myth or an urban legend, because Batman is a very much real creature of nightmare.
So when Batman arrives at the familiar stronghold that had once been the base of operations for the Yakuza, he has to sneak into the crime scene rather than strutting in. His nose picks up the scent of rust before he ducks under tape meant to close off the area. He recognizes the sickeningly dry yet sweet metallic waft of air as the smell of blood. As it dries and ages, blood takes on a vile pungence that smothers your senses and suffocates your breath. He almost reaches for the rebreather stored in one of the various compartments of his utility belt, but forces himself to endure it.
As he steps over bodies covered with preservation tarps, he wishes he could have been the first to analyze the scene, before forensics could contaminate the area. It'll be harder to uncover evidence since nothing went untouched and they likely already confiscated some of their findings. The yellow markers littering the floor tell him there are things missing.
Eventually, he finds an occupied room. Not all police and pro heroes are afraid of him. Two that he formed an alliance with are currently talking with a few other law enforcement members. The commissioner himself, Naomasa Tsukauchi, and the number one hero Lemillion had agreed to work with him. Batman stands between the doorway and where the hallway bends, out of sight from everyone except for the commissioner if he looks at the tiny sliver where the door is cracked.
When Tsukauchi notices the vigilante shrouded in shadows, his rectangular eyes widen behind the frames of his glasses. The graying mustache on the commissioner's upper lip curls before he waves for the other officers in the room to clear out, "Can you give me and Lemillion a moment of privacy?"
Mirio Togata, the symbol of hope as All Might's successor, gives Tsukauchi a questioning glance. He hasn't been made aware of Batman's presence yet. Not until the room is cleared out by the cops that were also oblivious does the vigilante step into the light. Togata's face twists behind his visor, shocked to see the fellow caped crusader.
"Hey, bats!", Lemillion suddenly understands why Tsukauchi had the room cleared out. Togata holds out a hand for Batman to shake, beaming a smile that All Might would have been proud of. The number one hero had become a lot friendlier since the night he and the commissioner contacted Batman by a signal in the sky. Midoriya believes the reason why is that he's trying to mend their initial introduction in order to move forward with a better relationship.
Though he can't be certain. He's not the trusting type. Batman brushes by Togata, cape closed around his body, ignoring the outstretched hand. To Lemillion, it seems cold; the pro hero might think the vigilante holds a grudge. For Batman, it's just a precaution in the presence of such a powerful being.
The bat themed vigilante steps into the zone a little further, inspecting the blood spillage with a thoughtful stare. The Yakuza was full of formidable members. For them all to be eliminated and dispatched in such a grotesque way.. It poses a lot of questions. The first that comes to mind is, "Who could have done this?"
Tsukauchi huffs, like he's holding back a laugh. His expression looks anything other than amused. "That's what I was going to ask YOU.", the commissioner pushes up the glasses that are sliding down his nose before asking, "What do you make of this mess?"
Not having investigated the murder scene for himself yet, Batman doesn't answer. The dark detective instead kneels down to inspect the blood soaked carpet. It squelches under the pressure of his gloved finger poking the still dampened fabric.
Lemillion opens his mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. Nervously, he rubs the nape of his neck with his own gloved hand. After watching the vigilante search the scene a while longer, he works up the courage to try again. He worriedly glances about while asking Tsukauchi, "Uh.. Should we be letting him touch stuff?"
The commissioner shrugs, not sharing the pro hero's concern. Batman seems competent enough that he won't contaminate anything. Which is more than can be said about official heroes, "He'll do no more harm than if you were to touch anything."
Taking mild offense, Togata pivots to shoot Tsukauchi a look of exasperation. "I didn't!", Lemillion holds his hands up to show that they're clean as though that's all the proof he needs.
Batman suddenly interjects, "Himiko Toga."
They each whirl back around to face the vigilante, sharing similar expressions of confusion. "Huh?", Togata tilts his head. Tsukauchi raises his eyebrows, "What?"
The vigilante is still knelt down, his back facing the two members of law enforcement. Blood isn't the only liquid that the dark detective has discovered. Beneath the carpet is something much thicker; it's what had a squelching reaction when he had touched it. Batman swabs a sample of gray goop that he distinctly remembers analyzing before. "She recently went missing from her cell, did she not?", he also recalls capturing the crazed blonde when apprehending Anarky. As he scoops the hoary liquid into a vial to take back to his personal crime lab, he thinks about her escape from prison shortly after.
"Yeah. She did.", Tsukauchi on the other hand would rather not have any recollection of the deranged woman. Against his better wishes, he dares to ask, "Why? You got something?"
Batman finishes collecting the evidence he discovered, sliding the miniature test tube into one of his various belt pouches. It was just a drop, but it's a lead. He ponders over her potential involvement, wracking his brain to figure out the mystery of her presence, "Maybe."
Lemillion folds his arms over one another across his chest, covering the golden number there. His wide forearms are pure muscle. His presence is powerful as he too mulls things over. "You can't possibly think a villain of her caliber could have done all this, do you?", but his confidence in his own abilities can be his own downfall if it blinds him of the potential in others he perceives as below him.
Batman ignores Togata, glancing over his shoulder to address Tsukauchi instead. "Have forensics check for traces of solvent, resin, and mastix in the DNA of the victims.", the vigilante has a hunch that involves Toga's quirk residue. The way the bodies are dismembered and the amount of blood stains splattering the walls like paint has him looking for a pattern.
Tsukauchi turns around, facing away from the vigilante. He understands that Batman is asking for permission without doing so verbally, and he also knows full well what for. "Do what you have to. I didn't see anything.", he talks to the wall instead of the man behind him.
Appreciating the gesture, "I'll let you know if there's any other substances you should be looking out for.", Batman cooperates by agreeing to share his findings later. But in order to do that, he first needs to take a blood sample from one of the bodies.
Head whipping from left to right, between the commissioner and the vigilante finger pricking a corpse, Togata tries not to whine too loudly. He throws his hands up in the air, uncrossing his arms to shout, "Hey, guys, I'm still here! Don't leave me out of the loop!"
The childish display should have put a smile on the commissioner's face, but his expression becomes something much grimmer than before instead. "I'm not. I was just saving the best for last.", his tone says otherwise by the sheer sense of dread that lingers on every one of his words. Even Batman redirects his attention to Tsukauchi when he hears the sound of the man's voice. Turning to address the vigilante, "If you're all done here..", he starts to venture outside the room, "Follow me."
Batman casts one last glance at the body he's taken a sample from. He notes that out of all the severed corpses, this one is only missing a foot. Then he follows Lemillion and Tsukuachi through a hole in the wall. The sheet rock is shredded and debris is littered everywhere. It was broken by some sort of blunt impact, he judges. But what really catches his eye is what's written in blood on the wall that's still intact.
A riddle.
'I'm something with five digits but I am not a hand! When you walk along the beach, I leave prints in the sand! What could I be?'
Batman's eyes narrow behind his whitened lenses as he reads the message. He had been given a riddle before, a secret case given to him by Tsukauchi and Togata, and this could very well be the same perpetrator.
The answer is a foot. The missing limb of the corpse he had examined is still fresh in his mind, and he doesn't think that's a coincidence. He turns around, glancing back at the lifeless body. He hadn't bothered checking it for ID, but the tech in his mask lens ought to do that for him. He soon identifies the older man as the former boss of the Yakuza, before Chisaki came into power. The original head of crime, before crime was outclassed by villainy. Crime is afoot.
Watching Batman closely from the corner of his eye, Commissioner Tsukauchi asks the caped crusader, "Still think this thing was orchestrated by Toga?"