Justice Across Space and Time
Chapter 49
I don't have much to say other than this will be where we'll see more of what the newest true metas are capable of. As well as seeing how it will relate to future incidents and battles. One with the show.
(No POV)
After the successful first day of the Mirko agency, the building was now being swarmed by variety of people. First were reporters and fans looking to know more about the heroes that were employed by the agency.
Second were a handful of people who wanted to apply for jobs. Be it reception or as janitors and maintenance crew. And finally were a few people who had a problem with true metas and the fact that a pro hero was employing so many of them.
"Ha….. this is part of why I never had an agency before." Mirko says while scratching her head and glaring down at the crowd gathered in front of her building. Gomtai though sees this as a good thing. "It means they're more willing to accept us. And I will say that maybe we could stand to do some interviews for staff."
The rabbit hero gives the reformed villain a looks before sighing. "Fine. Let a few of them in to apply. But I'm not doing the interviews. That takes too long. And I'd rather be out on the streets."
Jotaro steps up and suggests that he, Hanabi, and Gomtai handle the interviews. "I can listen for lies, while Rubberhose here can ask the questions. And if they agree to it, we could have Hanabi do a….. through check." Jotaro says with a look to the woman.
"Wait? Me?" Hanabi says with wide eyes. And then quickly tries to hide. Mirko though agrees with Jotaro's suggestion. "Especially at your point of making sure it's voluntary. Though I'm guessing this is also practice for her."
Jotaro nodded. Noting that she had control of her telekinetic abilities, but she hadn't practiced her telepathic ones. "And I'm not volunteering to let her get any practice." Jotaro says with a sideways glare.
The telepath flinches slightly but she at least agrees to listening on the interviews. Mirko nods before saying she and Markus would be going out on patrol. "That is one of the main purposes of our agencies after all. Besides, I want to see what else he can do with his gravity manipulation."
"Sounds like fun Aunt Rumi!" Markus says before Mirko yells at him to call her big sis. "You actually do see her more as a sister but you call her your aunt just to rile her up right?" Jotaro says while Mirko storms off to change.
Markus just gives him a grin to confirm the powerhouse's suspicions. Jotaro just sighs before joining Gomtai and Hanabi on the ground floor. "All right, could you all please calm down!" Gomtai starts while holding up his hands and stretching out his arms.
He first asks for all those who were looking to apply to come forward. "While Mirko herself won't be interviewing you, we will review your applications. As for those looking to meet or get a statement."
Right as Gomtai was saying this, Mirko and Markus left. By leaping or gravity floating from the roof of the building. "Uh yeah… you're better off following them." Jotaro quips with a chuckle. After recovering from the shock, all of the reporters and half of the fans sprint off.
But a few who were supporting them stayed. "You guys are so cool! I didn't know you could fly! Hey mister cartoon? Can you still play with us? Hey isn't that, Tsuru Hanabi? So, she's a true meta? So, she could hear our thoughts…. Wait she could hear our thoughts!"
There were about seven applicants to work in the office. The first few interviewed were a few people looking to work as reception/dispatch for the agency as well as an older man who was just looking to do janitor and maintenance work. "I may have been forced to retire, but I can't just sit around. I need something to do."
Most of these applicants didn't require much digging from Hanabi. They had all agreed to the mind check since most assumed she was just checking their intentions to be safe. Not realizing she was actually going deeper.
After a few tries to 'dive in' to the minds of people, Hanabi was finally getting into a groove. Her initial forays let her peek into the minds of the applicants.
With her seeing the reason the older man was forced to retire. The company he'd worked with for 20 years had basically let him go just because he was old. While others were looking for jobs with the hero agency of the number five hero. Given it could boost their resumes and a bit to show off.
Hanabi relays a bit of this to the others on the interview side and points to two applicants to be rejected. The last one though, both Hanabi and Jotaro are suspicious of this one. He claimed to be a recent hero graduate and had the credentials to back it up.
When he went through the psychic screening though, Jotaro decided to come along. Placing a hand on Hanabi's shoulder as she projected into the applicant's mind. "Wait! How did you do this?!"
"Little problem with some telepaths I've found is that they don't realize when they've pulled in other minds when they're projecting. Or that they can when projecting their minds into people." Jotaro vaguely explains while looking around the mind of the hero applicant.
Hanabi sighs before asking how he can see in this space. "I'm physically blind, but I still use my mind to build a perception of the world. So in this space I can see." Jotaro says while looking at the license that was shown in the mind of the applicant.
"Does this thing seem off to you or is it just me?" Jotaro questions while looking at it and the relevant experience and schooling associated shown around it. Hanabi hums slightly before noting that it did seem too obvious. "Its too up front. Like he wants to be sure this is what we….. know about him."
Hanabi trails off before concentrating and breaking through the license. Only to find it was not a fake, but it wasn't his. Instead, they were dealing with a shapeshifting quirk user who killed a potential hero to get what he felt he deserved. Given he had been expelled from the hero program for various reasons.
"Holy…. How do we deal with this?" Hanabi says with a gulp. Jotaro hums before suggesting that they tell the man that they need to confirm with the school and Mirko on if he was right for the agency. "Right….. I'm going to check a bit deeper. And find where he dumped the body of the hero." Hanabi says before asking Jotaro to go back out.
Jotaro nods before doing just that. "Hey everything okay?" "Yeah, things are fine. Hanabi is just checking things like your memories of training." Jotaro bluffs with a smile while noting he had checked the man's heart rate to make sure if he was lying. And claiming that he confirmed that he wasn't.
When Hanabi had found the location, she quickly pulled out of the criminal's mind. "Okay things look mostly in order…. But I do think we need to check in with Rumi-chan herself on if she's okay with you being here. Just give me a minute." The telepath said with a nervous smile.
The man was fine with this as he felt that would be normal for this situation. Hanabi then quietly called the police and gave them the location to check for the dead body. As well as asking for a few officers to come here.
She then calls Mirko who quickly makes her way back with Markus. "When we meet this guy, make a subtle gravity field over him." Mirko orders Markus. Who quickly agrees as the police are pulling up.
"Hey there! So you're the new hero applicant huh?" Mirko says with her usual combative smile. The criminal shakes her hand before saying he'd love to work with her. Mirko's smile turns slightly sour but she plays along until Markus is ready.
As are the police as they bust in. "Don't move!" they all shout as the file in and aim their weapons at the criminal. When he tries to ask what this was about, the officers give his real name rather than the one he had stolen. And say that they found the body he dumped.
When he tries to jump away, he quickly finds his face pressed into the floorboards. "Perfect timing Markus. I don't even have to kick him." Hanabi says with a thumbs up to the teen. He returns it and lets up slightly so the officers can cuff the shapeshifter.
But he escapes by turning into a mass of goo to slip away and down a drain. Until he stops right at the sink. "Thought he might try that, so I left a little trap in his mind." Hanabi says while glaring at the villain. She mentions that she dug deep enough to try and place a cycle or hypno trap in his mind.
"It won't last long because this is my first time doing this. Hurry!" Hanabi shouts and one of the officers quickly grabs a jug to trap the villain. Luckily in time as Hanabi's trap just let up and he liquified into the jug. "Well done ma'am. Who knows how many others he might have killed. We'll take him to Tartarus."
With that done, a few of the other applicants are uneasy about what just happened. "So did you dive into all of our minds?" one dog eared girl asks while trembling slightly. Hanabi realizes how this looks and quickly tries to hide or slip away.
Jotaro steps up though and points out that most of them only needed cursory reads. "She only dove into that guy's mind because something felt off about him. And we were right as we found he wasn't who he appeared to be. He's actually a person who was expelled from a hero school and killed one of his former classmates."
Hearing that made all eyes wide and were freaking out about the fact they were under the same roof as a killer. "Well I don't mind the fact you checked inside our heads to make sure we were trust worthy. It's not only sensible but it's a good way to check if we're lying or not." The old man, who introduce himself to the rest as Saruma Obito, said to the rest.
Claiming that he wished they had ways to extra background check applicants back in his day. "While it's true quirks have blurred the line between what could be right or wrong, I think these folks showed a good perspective on both ways of handling powers." Saruma said with a nod to Hanabi.
The dog-eared girl gulped before looking over to Hanabi. She asked what it was that Hanabi saw in her mind. "Nothing much. Just double checking your experience and basic history. As well as why you wanted to apply." The girl still looks nervous so Hanabi tries a more unusual way to reassure her.
She projects again and talks to the girl mind to mind. "Look we're the only ones who can hear things here. I thought this would be better to talk. Port-san, I know that you mostly are here because you are… interested in Rumi-chan."
The girl, Port Koni, blushed before asking how she knew that. Hanabi just coughs before pointing behind the girl. Koni turns and sees all the mental pedestal to Mirko that was in her mind. "Oh….. I guess I wasn't that subtle… I thought I covered it up well enough."
"You did publicly, but it was obvious when I peeked inside. But I checked everything else and saw that you do have relevant experience and capabilities to work her. So I suggested that you be hired." Hanabi explains. Though Koni still seems like a puppy that had been kicked.
So Hanabi shares her own secret. Opening her own mind to the dog girl, and she sees that Hanabi has a similar pedestal to Mirko in her own mind. "I…. she protected and was nice to me. When everyone was looking down on me because I was quirkless. And grew enamored with her. Even after she started hero school."
Koni smiles at Hanabi and can see what she meant. She then explains that it was awkward for her as a teen with all of her fur. Let alone when some of her female classmates found out that she had extra nipples along her torso. And the jokes and teasing that came from that.
But seeing Mirko made her feel a bit more confident. "She was kind of an inspiration for me because…. Well she's the highest rank female pro and she has a mutant type quirk like me. And I know there have been plenty who've made jokes about her being a rabbit and what that implies."
Within their shared mindspace, Hanabi comes forward and wraps Koni in a hug. Before petting the back of her head. Making the dog girl's tail wag. Koni thanks the telepath for listening to her and for keeping it quiet to reassure her.
They come out of the mind space and barely ten seconds had passed. 'I can see the perk to having her around.' Koni thinks with a subtle smile. A few others are uneasy, but less so than Koni was. So they talk out a few other things before Mirko and Gomtai note that two had already been passed.
"Saruma. Port. You two can start today if what Hanabi, Gomtai, and Jotaro said is true. The rest of you we'll get back to you within a day. Thanks for coming to apply." Mirko says with a minor smile.
One that drops once they had left. "AHHH! I don't like having to put on this whole boss like air! It feels so weird." Mirko says while flopping down onto a couch. Gomtai just sighs before telling her good job. "At least you're trying."
This gets a few laughs around the room, while the two new employees look on in slight bewilderment. "So, can we really start?" Saruma says with a raised eyebrow. Gomtai takes the lead and says they can. "If you don't mind, I'd like some help upstairs. Trying to fix some of the plumbing."
The two men head up while the others aren't sure on what to do. Hanabi suggests for now that Koni could help with answering phone calls. Mirko claps her hands before agreeing with her old friend and suggesting the rest of them go out on patrol again. "And this time maybe I'll get to fight something."
Mirko's luck or fate seem to be against her because about an hour into the patrol, warning sirens were sounding through town. "A typhoon is headed for the area. We are advising all citizens to stay inside."
"Are you freaking kidding me!?" Mirko shouts as even the pickpocket she was chasing quickly gave up and let her take him without a fight. For the next half hour there is no crime happening. But she and a few other local heroes do help some stores with closing up and some storm proofing. Though Jotaro seems a bit distracted. Constantly looking back to the mountains and rivers.
When they get back to the agency, the new members were getting ready to head home. But the storm moved in quickly and no one was going anywhere. "You might as well bunk down here. Not like there's much choice." Gomtai says before moving away from the door.
The two look at each other before shrugging and agreeing. Saruma just calls his home quick to tell his wife that he wouldn't make it home. "Don't worry Sana. I'm somewhere safe. I'm just at Mirko's agency. Yeah I got the job…. Yeah. Hopefully the storm passes quick and I can get home. Be careful."
"Dad, relax I'm fine. And don't worry I'll be able to move out soon. I'm just glad I finally got a full-time job. Yeah, its with Mirko. They're just letting us stay here until the storm passes….. yeah I'll see you soon. Tell dad hi and I got the job." Koni calls her parents to make sure they also know she's fine. Before they all relax while waiting out the storm.
With one exception. Jotaro still has a discontent look on his face and he seems to be searching for something. Or listening for something. To the point he almost burns the burgers he was cooking.
He only snaps back when all of the people in the office yell at him. "What the Hell is wrong with you?" Mirko says before picking up her own pair of burgers. One veggie with extra carrots mixed in, and one normal beef.
"Something's wrong…. I can hear it. It's like… Oh no!" Jotaro starts to explain before dropping his plate. He signals for everyone to stay quiet, and he focuses on his ears. The rushing of water. Trees snapping and breaking from the water, stone, and soil being moved. And that it is more than the flood channels can handle.
"We need to move now! There's a massive flood headed this way!" Jotaro reports. While everyone is wide eyed, and a few are questioning if he was right, most of the hero associated people agree.
Mirko puts in a call to the Disaster Management Bureau. Warning about what Jotaro had heard. While the initial woman on the line dismisses her report, the second person she talks to checks and confirms what Jotaro had sensed. "But there's not enough time to evacuate everyone. Even with a group of flying heroes we couldn't get enough people out."
"Then we'll buy ourselves some time. I think I know how to do it." Jotaro says after overhearing the person on the phone. He grabs Hanabi's arm and tells her to get ready. "Wait what?!" Hanabi says as Jotaro drags her to the roof.
Along the way Jotaro makes his shirt for his uniform and then quickly picks Hanabi up in a bridal carry. Which just makes the taller woman freak out more. Especially when he starts flying. "Normally I'd prefer leaping. But we don't have time to waste." Jotaro says as they fly towards the Hiroshima expressway.
Hanabi was freaking out during the flight but she did put up a hydrokinetic barrier around her face and body. To keep from getting more wet than she already was. "So why are we stopping here!?" Hanabi questions while looking down at the river. She can see that it does seem to be flowing harder, but not enough to be worried.
Jotaro though was looking toward the west. "Because the Uga dam is breaking. And all that water from the Koyama River is going to mix with the Ota. Not to mention all of the water from the other tributaries and the storm. It's being flooded to right here."
Hanabi was wide eyed and freaking out again. Before asking, "then what the Hell are we doing here?!" Jotaro just looks at her and gives a simple statement. "You're going to stop that water. While I try to slow it down a few other ways." Hanabi is shocked that he said that. So he face falls flat and she calls him insane.
"Maybe. But I gotta try. Before I go though, one last piece of advice for you. Don't just think or say you can do it. You have to believe you can do this. Forget everything others have said. Forget the idiots with their garbage powers called quirks. You are the one with the power here, and you can stop this. And you will." Jotaro says with a smile before flying off.
Hanabi is just left staring at the trail that Jotaro left before pacing back and forth while muttering how crazy this all was. Jotaro meanwhile was just sensing all along and could hear Uga dam breaking and the water rushing down. "I'll only be able to hold this for a few minutes or so. And it won't stop the water from accumulating. But it should give Hanabi her opportunity."
Jotaro flies down where he can hear the mass of water flowing. Especially with the water flowing from the Koyama River. He takes one breath before tapping into the spatial and temporal energies flowing through him. Floating just above the river, he can smell and hear the huge wave of water coming at him.
Right as it is striking him, Jotaro smirks. With the wave washing over his body, as he floats in the same place, he opens his eyes and causes a time stop of the area all around the wave. It also sends some of the water back. But it will only last a few minutes at best.
Back in the city, after getting the report and details from the DMB, HSC, and police, all of the hero agencies were working to evacuate as many people as they could by the river and the delta. Though they were having to fight the storm as well. "This is insane! Are we sure this is going to be a big disaster?!" one hero shouted while getting people to some higher ground shelters.
"We've gotten satellite confirmation on the flood. And it's apparently been mixed with a few other rivers. Namely the Koyama since the dam broke." Gomtai explains while lifting some kids onto some evac trucks. Mirko meanwhile was with Markus and a few other that dealing with a handful of looters across the city.
Hanabi meanwhile is still freaking out about the crazy new challenge that Jotaro had dumped at her feet. 'He's crazy! He's CRAZY! I know I've got a bit of skill at moving plants and water, but if what he's talking about is right then this is huge amount I've never moved!' Hanabi thinks while still pacing.
She freaks out a bit longer before reaching out and trying to find Jotaro. And what her psychic senses are telling her is that Jotaro did stop the wave. But he couldn't move and it was only growing in size.
Sensing how far the younger true meta was willing to go just to save people he doesn't know or who may not even like him. It strikes something in her own heart and speaks to some of what she was doubting about herself.
"Don't think. Don't rationalize, don't try to put logic in it. Just feel, believe… and trust in what you can do. It's nuts, but I guess we all are a bit crazy." Hanabi thinks aloud before swallowing her nerves. And starts to hold back some of the water.
Starting with some that had already been flowing. It takes a lot of her concentration, but she eventually lifts up most of the water flowing in the river at the time. Shocking everyone downstream as suddenly the water disappeared.
"What the heck? I thought there was a flood coming! But the river is running dry! Was it a mistake?" Mirko just smirked before saying, "Hell no. That's two of the members of my agency at work. Stopping or slowing the disaster before it can hit." Shocking all of the heroes and others gathered along the river. 'Good luck Hanabi. Keep her safe Jotaro.'
Speaking of the latter, his temporal bubble had let up and the water was quickly flowing downstream. "I slowed it as long as I could. Hopefully between me and Hanabi we bought enough time. I should check on her."
With Hanabi though she's started to pick up more of the water as it was flowing and was growing slightly more confident in what she was doing. At least until she heard the wave of water headed for her. She started to freak out again and reach out to slow as much of the water as she could sense.
But was only intimidated by the size of the wave heading her way. She tried to hold the water back as best she could, but she could feel her control slipping. Right as she was thinking on letting go, a different part of her mind spoke up. 'I live every day of my life like there's no tomorrow so that when my number's up, I can check out with no regrets!'
It was something Rumi had said when Hanabi asked why was so quick to jump into fights. So quick to rush into danger. "If she was here, she'd face this down and hold the wave back with no fear. I'm not her, but I can try to be as brave as she is!" Hanabi shouts while trying to regain control of the flash flood.
And she succeeds just as the wave was reaching the expressway bridge. "Okay I was about to leap in and get you out of here, but I guess you've got it." Jotaro says after landing. Which Hanabi scolds him for given it made the bridge shake.
"Right sorry. Anyway, think you can just let a bit flow down at a time? That way there isn't a flashflood?" Hanabi shakes her head and says, "there's no way I can just let a little at a time flow down! I've got a different idea. And I'll need your help." Jotaro raises an eyebrow, but both eyebrows shoot to the top of his forehead when Hanabi enacts her plan.
Back in the city, the emergency crews and heroes were still waiting and ready for the massive flood that was supposed to be on it's way. With a few younger heroes getting antsy that nothing was happening.
"Are we sure there's a disaster on the way? Think it's just a false alarm? Where the heck are those other two true metas? Probably ran off to let as many quirk people die." This last statement gets Mirko especially incised. And she kicks the two heroes in the face for it. "First of all, like you guys know anything about them. I've known Hanabi for years and Jotaro is one of the best hero students from UA. So unless you want another kick I'd shut up with that."
"And I'm guessing the second is to point out that Jotaro was the one who warned of this possible disaster. Right, Rumi-nee?" Markus said before gravity pressuring the rude pair of heroes. Mirko agrees and is cracking her knuckles when something shocking catches her eye.
Up from the tops of the mountains appears to be a massive spout of water. It holds position as an almost funnel. Then it starts to flow and surge towards the town and bay. The sheer mass of water amazes all those on looking. Including the civilians in shelters who had taken out their phones to record the incident.
More are shocked when they see Jotaro flying under the water with Hanabi sitting on his back. "You sure you can hold this?" Jotaro asks while flying slow and steady to keep Hanabi from falling. Hanabi meanwhile has both hands on her head and an intense look of concentration. She barely strains out, "thought you said it was all about belief? So, what you don't believe I can do this?"
This gets a chuckle out of Jotaro and he reports that they were almost to the bay. "You can probably funnel that water down now." Hanabi lets out a groan before saying, "good because this is seriously giving me a headache!" She then directs the water into the sea, while the river starts to flow normally again.
With the crisis averted, Hanabi collapses onto Jotaro's back. "Good job. I think you deserve a nap. Mirko and I can handle the press for the time being." Jotaro says before floating down to relief forces gathered.
While most of the heroes and emergency personal are questioning how it was possible that someone could move all of that water, Mirko was happily congratulating the pair. "So was this the whole plan? Have her pick up all of that water and dump it here to avoid a disaster."
"Yeaaaahhh, no. The original plan was to slow the water to keep it from destroying everything. I didn't expect her to pull something like that out of nowhere. But I am glad to be wrong." Jotaro says while nodding to the sleeping Hanabi.
Mirko laughs and then notices something odd. "Hey did you get shorter?" Jotaro grunts before sighing and saying, "kind of. I used some temporal energy to stop the flood for a time. Its got a weird effect of turning back my own time. In this case I went back a couple of months. It should right itself before long."
The way Jotaro is nonchalantly describing things and how relaxed Mirko and Markus are at his explanation has everyone around them looking at them like they are all insane. "So this is our new normal…. Great." One hero says with his eyes glazed over and his face shaded.
When he next day starts, more people are amazed at the heroes of the Mirko agency. While Jotaro and Markus had taken the original spotlight, now it was focused on Hanabi herself. And how powerful her mind was. From catching a murderer with her telepathy to stopping a massive flashflood and potential disaster with Jotaro.
"Okay I totally expected Jotaro to take the spotlight, but he basically went with a supporting role this time." Setsuna commented while watching the videos taken during the incident. Itsuka though was slightly annoyed that Jotaro had taken someone else on a flight before her. Which just got a chuckle from Saphentite.
Ochaco and Tsuyu though were more impressed by the true metas at Mirko's agency. "That one has way better powers involved with gravity. Especially compared to mine. I can only remove the gravity of things I touch. And too many things will make me sick."
"And that other girl had so much power she could hold back that massive wave, and she could get inside someone's mind. It let her find the crime that most with a quirk couldn't. Wonder what else she could find?" Tsuyu says while snaking on some sweets.
Ryukyu herself hums at that and what other possibilities could be lying in wait. Harlequin then reports something a few other sidekicks found regarding the bust a few days back. "We didn't get everything, but there area few locations listed with the data. One is Sapporo. Miyazaki is a different shipping location. And the last is a point between Fukuyama and Kasaoka."
"I see….. then maybe a trip to Hiroshima or Okayama is in order. But not everyone." Ryukyu says before bringing all of her sidekicks together. She explains that she wants her older sidekicks to stay and coordinate with the Miyazaki heroes.
"In the meantime, I'm going to go to Hiroshima and talk with Mirko. And I'm taking our work study students along as well." This surprises most of them and the teens are shocked that she'd bring them along before her experienced members. "I want you to get more experience beyond just being observed by heroes. And hopefully this is nothing more than a place to investigate."
She then has a few others send details on the Sapporo deals to the heroes there. As well as to Nighteye. Noting, "he's exceptional when it comes to analysis. And I hear he has a student who is quite good at analyzing things as well. Let alone having Shield-san as a resource for what the metals and some of the items could be used for."
With her orders given, she asks her students to pack up and get ready for the trip to Hiroshima. 'Hopefully this yields some results. And we can find out who wanted all those strange materials.' Ryukyu thinks before leaving to pack for herself.
Done. Like I said this was to demonstrate Hanabi's potential as well as readying for the replacement of the Yakuza arc. There'll be a few fights eventually, but the target right now is investigation and understanding of who could be behind the moving of materials and possible weapons. Please review.