Ch. 16 Diggin'
The Tokyo Federal building soared into the sky, slicing the clouds that were passing leisurely in the atmosphere. It was an unseasonably warm day; a brilliant blue sky hung above, holding up a distant sun. Uraraka walked into the entrance with the throng of people. She wore a grey business suit and black flats, her hair tied up in a tidy ponytail. Flanking her as she passed through a pair of double doors were Lemillion and Ingenium. Her male colleagues were dressed in business suits as well, though theirs were more akin to their hero costumes. Mirio's coat and pants were white, his shirt a pale yellow; Iida was wearing a navy blue two piece with a matching tie. Ochaco pulled out her Hero License for the security detail welcoming the incoming horde and moved past them after she was waved through. The three of them piled into an elevator and waited patiently as they slowly made their way through each floor. With every stop, a small portion of their fellow passengers were exchanged for others. Ochaco now appreciated how sardines must have felt when they were packaged in their tins. Eventually, she and her companions were the only ones left in the cab as they continued to rise through the building.
"Phew! I've never been so compressed in my whole life!" Mirio chirped. His cerulean eyes twinkled with a bit of mischief as he looked at them. Iida adjusted his glasses, his face set in a stern expression.
"I must admit, it is nice to have some breathing room," he sighed, "Now we just have to focus on the task at hand."
"Uhh, yeah… about that? I might have some other stuff to look into after we get there. Is that OK?" Mirio rubbed his neck bashfully, a half smile playing at his lips. Ochaco fought to keep her breathing even. She loved Iida and Mirio dearly, but they were far from her first choice for help. Mirio was a loveable goof and Iida was a stickler for the rules, which was not what she wanted today. Still, having some very highly ranked heroes at her side would likely shut down any questions she might get.
In the week after she last saw Izuku, Ochaco had gone into a frenzy of research. Every waking hour she wasn't on patrol or following up on leads to Yuang were spent looking into Gentle Criminal's death. Normally, she would be able to find any criminal findings or records through the Hero Info Network. That was a deadend. Everything she came across was redacted or non-existent. It wasn't minor items missing, either. Gentle's death certificate and record weren't anywhere to be found. Any accounts from first responders were also noticeably altered. Ochaco ground her teeth the more she thought about it. There was no way this was Izuku's doing. He wasn't that powerful to be able to alter or hide official records.
"It's fine, Mirio. Iida and I can handle doing the leg work. We just need you to get us through." She tried to give him a smile in return, but just couldn't move her muscles correctly. Her friends gave her compassionate looks and they fell silent. Two seconds later, the cab stopped with a ding, the doors sliding open to allow them out.
A blank wall with a single tinted door greeted. Slate gray carpet matched the drab concrete wall paint that was caked on the plaster around. Standing in the corner were some plastic fauna in cheap vases. Ochaco led the way through with Iida holding the door to allow Mirio to follow closely. Beyond the tinted glass sat a single woman behind a plain white table with a monitor and keyboard. She didn't look up at first as she was typing away. Adorned on her head was a headset that had no wire.
"Good morning," she said, still not looking at them, "I'm sorry about the brief wait. If you have an appointment you are free to take a sea-"
"We don't have an appointment," Uraraka interrupted, "We need access to the records department."
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but that's just no- OH MY GOSH! LEMILLION?!"
Mirio gave his best smile as the receptionist gushed over him. Soon enough, though, it was Iida and Ochaco's turn for her to fawn over. While her tall friend usually handled eager fans with grace, Uraraka was less versed in being considered popular. Her rank of 13 was beyond what she had ever dreamed of. Still, she wasn't used to being recognized in anything outside of her costume.
"Right, right, I'm so sorry about all of that," the receptionist apologized with flushed cheeks, "How can I help again?" Ochaco gave her a genuine smile and reiterated what they needed. The receptionist nodded, typing away as she listened. "I can do that, for sure!"
The three were led out of the office and back into the elevator entrance. Ochaco was surprised to see a narrow door on the left. She hadn't noticed it when they arrived, figuring that the landing was just a small foyer to a larger office. The receptionist swiped a keycard against a reader and began chatting happily with Mirio.
"So why're the records kept separate from the rest of the office?" Lemillion asked.
"Oh, we actually have two departments for records: digital and analog. The Hero Commission first established them when it was first formed. It's better to be safe than sorry according to the big wigs back in the day. So we have everything written out and then scanned into the cloud. If you can't find something in the database, it's usually still waiting to be scanned or is just so old that it was never put in to begin with."
Can't help but wonder how much the Commission tinkers with the records… Uraraka's eyes darted about as they walked through a maze of offices and storage rooms, listening intently for any information that the receptionist might drop.
They stopped in front of the records entrance and piled in after the receptionist invited them in. Fluorescent lights flickered to life, buzzing angrily from the electricity flowing through their filaments. Rows upon rows of metal shelves greeted them in the dingy light. Housed inside the units collecting dust were plastic binders. Ochaco assumed they had been white at one point, judging from the yellowed tint coming through their porous surface. A musty, aged smell hung in the air with dust particles that gently floated around.
"Here we have our hardcopy records! They're sorted in chronological order. The most recent ones are about two rooms down."
"When you say most recent," Ochaco asked in a slow drawl, "Do you mean like in the last ten years?" The receptionist nodded happily and stood by as they milled about. Uraraka asked to be shown the last room and followed quickly. The other rooms were filled with the same ancient smell of aging paper and dusky light. Ochaco got to work reading the shelf labels for months and years.
"Hey, I got a meeting I'm supposed to be at right now. I'll catch up with you two in a bit, 'kay?" Mirio smiled and turned around, not giving Iida or Ochaco a chance to respond. The receptionist left with Lemillion, guiding him away from the records. Ochaco got back to her search. She was darting between shelves as she carefully pawed at the binder spines, pulling a few from a shelf above her head. Tenya cleared his throat as he walked nearby.
"Uraraka, can I ask what exactly you're looking for? It might help to narrow our search if I knew where to start."
"I'm uh… I'm looking into Stain and a no-name villain called 'Gentle Criminal'. The stuff I'm looking for regarding Stain span about six years. Gentle's records are only about half that, maybe." She ignored Iida's raised eyebrows as she flipped through the papers in hand. After mowing through three binders, Iida coughed to get her attention again. "What is it, Iida?"
"Ashido and I spoke after you called on Friday. She's worried about you. Frankly, I'm downright concerned too. You're involved with a villain?"
Ochaco closed the last binder with a snap. She didn't look at him for a second as she tried to control her breathing. "I'm not involved with anyone, Iida. Not that it's anyone's business, but I've been neck deep in an investigation."
"Yes," Iida said cooly, "Ashido mentioned that this was part of some missing person's case. I believe it's evolved into a human trafficking issue, correct? Hmm. Still… when we spoke, your partner was vehement that I intervene regarding this De-"
"You don't have to intervene on anything, Iida," Ochaco snapped. She glowered at him as he looked at her in surprise. Uraraka replaced the binders she was finished with and pulled out more. There was silence as she pressed on with her research. Occasionally, she took a photo of a page with her phone. Her thought was that if she could find something useful here, it should show up in the HNI database. So far, she had uncovered several reports with evidence codes attached that weren't found in the initial search. Ochaco bit the inside of her cheek as she mulled over that fact. She was incessed at the idea that even the Hero Commission had been compromised. Who would have tampered with these records? Why? What was their angle? Ochaco pulled out a little notebook from her coat pocket to jot a few ideas as they came to mind. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Iida was idly reading through a binder. He was frowning as his eyes lazily scanned the pages before him.
"What is going on, Iida? This isn't like you. You're usually so gung-ho to go through some police records."
"It's as I said: I'm concerned. You're acting erratically, Uraraka. I'd venture to say that you're chasing after ghosts. What is it that you hope to find here?"
"Well, if you must know," Ochaco hissed, "I was on the HNI all last week and couldn't find a damn thing about Gentle Criminal. Not one report. As for Stain, there's been nothing on him from before we went to U.A. How is that possible? Stain, the hero killer. The big bad that our teachers warned us about. I'm not chasing ghosts, Iida - I'm hunting leads."
"Uraraka. Have you… considered that you need a vacation? How long have you gone without a few weeks off?"
Ochaco blinked. She pursed and twisted her lips as she looked to her friend. He merely kept an even gaze on her. "I'm sorry, but why aren't you concerned about this? There's literally vital information missing from our database, and it could be missing here! Don't you think that's worthwhile looking into?!"
"Of course I do! I'm just… Uraraka… I'm so worried about you. Ashido told me about the villain you've become entangled with and how he hurt you. I don't want to see you go through all of that heart break again."
"This is… this is different, Iida," Uraraka lied, though she didn't sound as convincing as she'd hoped, "Bakugo and I were actually a thing. This isn't like that at all."
"I'm not sure I believe that. Today alone, I've only mentioned him a few times and your eyes keep lighting up. You can't tell me that there isn't something there."
Ochaco didn't answer him, ignoring Iida to peruse the bind in her lap. He huffed and started to massage the bridge of his nose. "Uraraka, I am trying to help you. Please. This isn't healthy."
"Iida, I love you, but this isn't your problem. It's mine. If you aren't going to help me look for these records, then you need to leave."
He sputtered out an indecipherable response, his face turning red. His hands chopped wildly through the air while Ochaco ignored his protests. She continued scanning through binders, taking photos but beginning to feel disheartened. The further she went on, the less she was finding about Gentle or Stain. From what she could garner, Gentle was more of an internet troll who sought out infamy through pranks or antics. He was relatively harmless according to the reports. There was a picture she came across, attached to one record. He looked a little on the older side, with gray hair and darkened eyes. Gentle was dressed as if he were going to a high end gala, a large overcoat with pinstripe pants and a long cane in hand. Standing next to him, smiling from ear to ear, was a younger Aiba.
Profile: Danjuro Tobita
Alias: Gentle Criminal
Prepared by: Hosori Ami
Ochaco did a double take. It was written about five years ago. Uraraka read through the report. Hosori hadn't addressed her rank, but from it was clear she wasn't a captain at the time when the document had been written. If anything, Hosori was likely not even a sergeant. It read clinically and dry as expected. What was interesting, however, were the other people named in it.
Tobita was reported, by pro hero Halogin, to have been performing a dangerous stunt in honor of Representative Mori. Gentle Criminal attempted to hijack a delivery truck that was headed towards Mori's campaign headquarters. While Gentle was not apprehended, the contents were secured and delivered with no further disruption. When asked about the items inside the truck, a spokesperson declined to give Halogin further details. I will be following up with Halogin and will contact the Mori campaign to finish my report.
She chewed her lip as she flipped through her notebook. This was it; this was the key to everything. It had to be. Hosori, Halogin, Mori, and Deku. They were all entangled together, that much she knew. This must have been the start of that. As she jotted her notes down, Ochaco started filling Iida in on what she found.
"That's odd," he mused, "How did a hero student stumble upon this kind of incident? And why were Mori and his people acting rather skittishly? My advice? Speak to this Hosori and see if she remembers anything from that day."
"She won't. Just trust me on that one, Iida. I think she's in deeper than she lets on. I gotta find Gentle's death."
It took another twenty minutes before Tenya found it. He flipped through the binder quickly, frowning as he read the report out loud. "This is it. It was written up by Hosori again. What are the odds? Anyway, it says here that there was an altercation between two gangs: The Runners and the Chasers. I've never heard of them, have you?"
"Not the Runners but those others? Yeah. They're the ones who are moving victims around, pimpin' them out."
"Horrible. Well, it looks like Gentle tried to intervene. Why would he involve himself?" Iida blinked in disbelief as he continued reading through. Ochaco only listened intently. She didn't want to give up any more information than she had to. According to Hosori's report, the Runners were intercepting a shipment coming in from Hong Kong. The distributor was Shinori Shipments. Ochaco could take a small guess as to who owned it, though she made a note to confirm it later on. It wasn't explicitly stated what was being intercepted. Unlike the previous report, Hosori seemed to have skimped out on some of the details. At least she had written out where the shipment was being received at. Iida was shaking his head, disgust clear on his face.
"This Hosori is a captain? How did that happen in five years?"
"How do you think? I bet we could find more reports from her that read out just like this. It's not typical for a high ranking officer to respond to a crime scene. Why oh why would she have been there that day?"
Iida grimaced, shaking his head as he grumbled under his breath. Ochaco took the binder from him, snapping a quick photo and adding to her small pile of things to copy. The two only spent a few more minutes in the room, cleaning up as they moved out to find a copy machine. With her paperwork freshly printed, Ochaco went back to replace the binders she had taken. She hesitated for a moment. The dingy binder hung in the air as she gripped it lightly with a pinkie out. She swapped it for another that was sitting on the shelf below. Ochaco did the same for the remainder of the binders she had borrowed. After snapping some pictures of where she had placed them, Uraraka hurried out, clutching the copies she had made.
They walked out of the narrow corridor and into the foyer. Iida took a moment to thank the receptionist while Ochaco called for the elevator. Her phone buzzed in her pocket as the cab arrived with a ding. She was digging for the phone when the cab doors opened, revealing a pair of men talking animatedly. A pale, reedy young man with slicked back hair was hunched over slightly as he spoke to a rotund, balding man in a suit. Ochaco froze when they had arrived. She recognized the young man, his nasally voice coming through in a rushed whisper.
"-osing in on her. I'm just saying, Mo', we gotta be careful."
"You're being paranoid. Ami guaranteed that the next few deadends were going to wrap this whole mess up."
She stepped to the side as they looked up. Halogin paled even more, if that was possible. Mori looked mildly embarrassed but walked past Ochaco without any fuss. Halogin stood in the cab entrance, his eyes visibly shaking as he stared at her. She felt her muscles tighten in anticipation but was spared when Iida's booming voice sounded out from behind.
"Ah! Representative Mori! It's good to see you once again."
"Yes… Ingeninum, correct? That highway chase last week was something! Shame about all the property damage though."
Iida was standing in the foyer, holding the office door open for Mori. Uraraka almost reached out to him without looking as she turned back to face off Halogin. The rookie's face was now smooth, his eyes half lidded as he regarded her. He took a step towards her and leaned in close.
"Hi, Uravity. You ready to help the good guys get a win?" He gave her the coldest she had ever seen, his teeth bared in an unfriendly manner. Ochaco had the impression of a wolf primed and ready to go for the kill. Her phone rang again and she pawed at her pocket to fish it out.
"I gotta take this, 'scuse me." She didn't look at who was calling as she answered and walked past Halogin. A frantic shout greeted her, obliterating her ear drum. Ochaco held the phone away from herself and waited for whoever it was to quit screaming.
"Hello?"
"Ochaco, baby! How are you, sweetheart?" Oh good. Her parents.
Oh god. Her parents.
Halogin kept his eyes on her while Iida stepped in and clicked the lobby button. Uraraka's mother kept asking for her as she waited for the doors to close. "I'm so sorry, Mama, I'm kinda busy right now. Can I call y'all in a bit?"
"That's fine, honey. We're just checkin' in. Love ya!"
"Love ya, too…" She hung up and sighed, slumping against the cab wall. Iida raised an eyebrow and cleared his throat.
"That was rather close."
"You're telling me. Thanks for coming with me Iida. I didn't think I'd need backup but I'm sure glad you were here."
Tenya waved her off as they rode their way down. Like before, it was interrupted often as more folks piled in and left when they arrived at their floor. Neither of them said anything until they were clear out of the building. Iida confirmed that Mirio had said to move on without him. They headed out to a small diner for a quick bite, avoiding talking about the situation Uraraka found herself in. It wasn't until their food was brought to them that Iida spoke.
"Uraraka, are you certain that you want to continue with this case? That was a close call with Halogin back there." Ochaco nodded as she slurped away at the bowl of miso soup in front of her.
"Yeah," she answered after wiping her mouth, "I've got to now. Can't let a coupla goons scare me off, right? I've got a woman to find, a broker to book, and a trafficking ring to break up."
Iida chuckled, a mirthless smile on his lips. They ate in companionable silence. Uraraka patted her cheeks happily when she finished with her dish. To her surprise, she saw her friend lightly moving the food on his plate around. He wasn't eating and had a distant look in his eyes. "Iida?"
"I must apologize, Uraraka. I'm a little preoccupied. Regarding this case… I'm here if you need me. Just say the word, and I'll be right by your side." He gave her a fuller smile, his eyes a little more focused and brighter. Uraraka held out her fist to him which he bumped with his own happily.
"Thank you, Iida. Don't worry about me though. Just wait till I'm finished with those jerks."
It was hours after departing from Iida's company. The sun was starting to sink behind the horizon, though the city skyline blocked out the majority of its light. In its place was a fast approaching gloom poisoned with the permeating rays of electricity coming from every corner of the city. The train ride home had been pleasant. She had scrolled through her parents' social media accounts, smiling at their antics in the photos.
As she walked from the station to her apartment, Ochaco spoke to her parents. They talked her ear off as they gushed about the lovely weather and amazing food. Her heart felt full as she felt their joy radiate from her phone. Years of grueling work, of heartache, of denial had led up to this. She decided that it had all been worth it. Though her parents still found ways to embarrass her.
"So, 'Chaco, we were catching up on some news the other day aaaaaand we saw a very interesting news article from a few months back." Ochaco didn't like the teasing inflection her mother used.
"Yeah, sweetie, we didn't know you were back out there again," her father chimed in, "Good for you, baby girl!"
Uraraka stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, her face burning like a torch.
"W-what?!"
"Who was that mystery man, Ochaco? I haven't seen you smile in any of your pictures for a while." She could imagine her mother waggling her eyebrows over the phone. Her father laughed as Ochaco sputtered and tried to figure out what they were talking about.
"Baby, please. There's nothing to be embarrassed about. So you had a good time with someone you met at a party. No big deal. Did he treat you well? Any more dates?"
Her mind froze on the memory of Izuku with his mask off. His soft eyes and smile as they twirled around each other. The quiet tempo he whispered. Ochaco's heart clenched painfully. She almost clutched at her chest from the contraction. Her mother's voice helped bring her out of her thoughts.
"Honey, you ok?"
"What's his name? Imma kill 'im!" her father declared. Ochaco actually laughed, the image of her dad strangling a comically stringy Izuku with his large hands popping into her mind.
"N-no, Daddy. It ain't like that," she explained, "He's real nice. A big ole sweetheart but you might not get him to admit it. Bit of an idiot, too. Good thing he's a great dancer." Despite how her chest tightened up as she spoke, Ochaco smiled.
"Ah, so it's… complicated, huh? I'm sorry, honey," her mother cooed.
"It always is, ain't it? Don't be sorry, Mama. I think… he just needs a bit of time to figure out what he wants. I don't mind waitin'."
Her parents hummed knowingly and moved on from the subject. She picked up her pace as they continued telling her all about the rest of their plans to wrap up their vacation. Ochaco's chest loosened up a bit as she listened, feeling a little lighter than she had in weeks. They said their goodbyes and hung up when she entered her apartment building. She gave a happy sigh when she pocketed her phone.
Ochaco turned the corner towards her home and noticed an enormous package sitting at the foot of her door. A frown creased her brow. She wasn't in the habit of ordering anything that would need to be delivered - especially something so large. Ochaco unlocked her door and pushed the package inside with both hands. After entering her small apartment, Ochaco squinted at the packaging label as she kicked off her flats. It was addressed from Mei and Melissa - though it came from their private home rather than the lab. She only shrugged and got to work making herself comfortable.
A quick, meager meal later and Ochaco was tearing into the box. She huffed a little as foam peanuts spilled out on her futon. When she pawed through enough layers of packing materials, Ochaco found a letter taped to a hardshell case which barely fit inside. She unfurled the paper and read it.
Uraraka:
A little birdie told us you might need an upgrade for your costume. This design is built with a Kevlar exterior and interchangeable interior padding for when it's worn out. It's bullet resistant but not impenetrable to everything. We know how you like your fist fights, so hopefully this helps. Additionally, there are some accessory updates for you. Less clunky and definitely hard hitting. Be sure to read the instruction manuals attached!
Keep safe out there, Ochaco. We believe in you!
-Mei and Melissa
PS: the same birdie was acting a little weird when we were asked to make this. Our guess is that someone messed up majorly. ;)
PPS: We forgot to mention! That little birdie paid for this, so it's free! Enjoy and kick some ass!
Ochaco could only guess as to who the "little bird" her friends had referred too. With a sigh, she set the letter aside and pulled out the case. Tucked away neatly into laser cut placings in the foam was a brand new hero suit. She pried the body suit and found that it was heavier than normal. With a darker color scheme to her regular costume, the suit was made of a hard fiber that was cross hatched all over with a rubber encasing. Ochaco turned it over a few times, getting a feel for it. There was heavy padding along the stomach and back. She took a few minutes to admire the craftsmanship. Leave it to Mei and Melissa to make something so elegant and formidable. Alongside the new costume were a pair of telescopic batons; a pale rose headband with a thin visor to sit across her eyes; and a pair of matching gauntlet with three raised barrels that receded into the plastoid armor.
She was left in awe. This was more than she could have hoped for and she had no words for the two inventors. There was also a small voice that nagged at her from back of her mind, reminding her that Izuku had paid for this. Ochaco hugged the body suit with a minute smile on her lips. She gave a silent thanks to the green haired idiot and replaced the everything back in their place inside the case.
Her phone began to ring, buzzing angrily on the kitchen counter. Part of her hoped it would be Deku to see how she liked the new suit. Instead, she was met with Mina's face smiling brightly on the screen. Ochaco hurriedly answered her partner.
"Mina, what's going on?"
"Did you order us new suits?" Ochaco almost slapped her forehead. Of course he'd get us both upgrades. Ugh. Unbelievable.
"No I didn't."
"Hmm," Mina hummed noncommittally, "This is nice. A little heavy but apparently it can stand up to a gun in most cases. I like it. Remind me to thank your boyfriend later on."
Ochaco rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore the jab. They chatted a bit about the quality of their upgrades. Mina had gotten a similar body suit as Ochaco - heavy with kevlar material. Her boots had been upgraded to allow for more acid secretion and resistance. She also received a pair of tasers and a belt with holsters.
"The whole bandito thing isn't normally my style, but I'll roll with it," she said, "So, 'Chaco. We got a lead from that little bird. We found her. We found Yuang, Ocha."
Uraraka stopped breathing. It took a moment to process everything that Mina had - and hadn't - said. She shook her head and responded a little more curtly than she intended. "How'd he let you know?"
"Through Hikari and Yonezu. Those two have gotten real close lately. Anyway, Yonezu is meeting us at the docks. This is our chance to wrap this damn case up! Get suited up. I'll text you the deets, ok?"
Ochaco confirmed and hung up. She wanted to call back and ask the pathetic question that hung over her, but decided that she needed to focus on Yuang. Changing into her new suit took a little longer than expected. The fabric was taut and compressed tightly against her body. She took a few minutes to get used to the feel of them before donning her new gauntlets. Ocahco rummaged through some cabinets to find a spare costume she had in her apartment. She pulled out the boots and belt, putting them on with haste. When she was ready, she locked her apartment and walked to the service elevator. Her mind rewound back to the night Deku paid her a visit and how they made a deal to find Yuang. Part of her hated that they were so close. She wanted more time with him. It wasn't fair to ask that of anyone - especially Yuang who had suffered so much already. Still, she prayed for a little more time to spend with Izuku if only to see if she could save him.
The gravelled roof crunched under her heel as she stepped out. A wonderful breeze chilled her as it swept through her bones. Ochaco took a moment to look up to where he had been waiting for her last time. "I'm sorry, Izuku. I've got to save her now. I hope I never see you again. Hate to think what prison would do to you."
She took away her gravity and leapt off the building, her boots rocketing her towards the docks.
