"MOVE!"
The desperate voice blasted into her mind, her whole body was shaking. Opening her eyes, she blinked at the man bent over her. "Who - who are you?" Her mind stumbled through images as she pushed herself up on her elbows, she finally found his face. "Boots?"
"They're back Candy, we gotta move." Crawling backwards out of the makeshift shelter, he glanced around worriedly as he stood in the rain, he was soaked. "No time, no time," he chanted, waving for her to follow. He felt her hand grab him as she managed to wiggle out. She frowned deep as the rain hit her face.
"Boots! I'm gonna get all wet!"
"They're here Candy!" He whispered urgently. Her eyes grew wide as she looked around in the darkness of the alley.
"W - Where are they?" Fear edged her voice.
"Heard them, moving around two alleys over." He clenched her sleeve and pulled her to the street. Peeking around the corner, he saw two shadowy figures walking slowly, they stopped for a moment. "Shit!" He backed up quickly, darting a look the other way, he knew it was blocked by rubble at the end. "Fucked up, Boots, you fucked up." He felt Candy tug at him, she was pointing to a door.
"We could go that way."
"It doesn't go nowhere, Candy."
"It doesn't?"
Poor Candy never could remember anything, "never has honey." His voice tender, he patted her arm. "Look, we're gonna just walk as fast as possible to the camp entrance, we're outta here tonight. They're on the prowl earlier than usual, who knows how many they'll grab tonight." Peeking around the edge of the broken building, the figures were gone. He squinted through the rain, most likely down the alley on the other side. Gripping her hand firmly, he moved as fast as possible trying not to trip navigating the torn-up sidewalk. As they neared the alleyway, he kept his head down, nearly leaping across the gap, jerking Candy behind him. Suddenly a jagged crackling erupted in the quiet as a pulsing white light lit up the inky darkness. The hissing of the taser was sharp as it poured its electrical energy into some poor soul. Their scream of agony echoing harshly at first then, turned into a gurgling moan. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," they'd found someone. Dragging her now, Boots raced as fast as his swollen ankles would allow.
"I can't Boots, slow down!" Candy grabbed him with both hands. Her shoes, too big for her feet, caught on every pothole on the ground.
"Gotta go! Gotta go!" He felt bad but they had to get out and fast. Heart racing, he kept up the pace until he saw the main part of the camp. The mass of homeless huddling together for warmth and protection. The rain had pushed everyone inside their shelters, no inviting fires burning tonight.
"Where are we going?" Candy whispered looking down the long row of darkened tents.
"Leaving tonight, they've been taking more people every week, we're next Candy, feel it in my boots." Walking hand and hand with her, they came to the main entrance. He'd heard they never came in the front way, only from the sides. If he timed the patrols right, they could sneak past the police and get away. Standing to one side he peered out into the wet darkness, there was no one at the main gate. Pushing back against the wall he waited. Her cold hand started shivering, pulling her close he hugged her to share their body heat. After what felt like forever, Boots stepped out, peering into the blackness. "Where's the police?"
"Why would they be here?"
"They're always patrolling the front gate, shoulda seen someone by now." Boots stood dripping wet, rain drenching the only good coat he had left. "Fuck it, let's go." Squeezing her hand, he dashed awkwardly past the main gate, limping out into the street, he turned left. No patrol.
"What's this way?"
"Gotta friend at a junkyard, see if we can hole up with him until," he bit his lip, until when? They'd been dragging his friends from the camp over the past couple of months, it seemed like every week they were back.
"Until when Boots?"
"I dunno Candy, I just dunno." Cutting back behind the business section, they worked their way across the city.
Kaneko finished up the last of his client's trust and turned off his computer. Looking at the time, he sagged deeply in his chair, it was 6:30 pm. He was tired and hungry. All this stress was wiping him out and now Akio had called wanting to see him at the usual spot. He sighed wearily, since 'no' was not in Akio's vocabulary, he'd go, even in the rain. Pulling open the drawer to his desk, he stared at the gun, his heart crawled into his throat. He'd bought it after Akio had entered his life. He wasn't sure if he'd actually use it, but he always felt better when it was with him. Picking up his briefcase, he slipped it into the side pocket, his mind worrying over the sudden meeting. Akio had been surprisingly quiet these past few weeks. So why now? Was it because of the investigation? Shaking his head Kaneko put his kit for inspecting equipment into the pocket of his case. He probably needed some more stuff appraised or maybe he'd tracked down more counterfeit items. Turning off his light, he pulled his rain slicker off the peg. Hopefully it would be quick, food and bed were all he could think about. Stepping out onto his dimly lit porch, he locked his front door and burrowed inside the hood of his raincoat, he began to walk down the wet street.
Trying to keep himself awake, Katsuki tapped his fingers and wiggled his toes while humming songs, anything to keep from drifting off and missing something. This was always the hardest part of a stake out on your own. He preferred when Shouto or Deku was with him. They could take turns watching. He looked at his phone again, his text had come over right after he'd found his hiding place, simple, typical Icy Hot.
Shouto - Don't do anything stupid.
He laughed, he really did get him, maybe even more than Deku. It was hard to say who understood him better. He wished that he'd ask him to come, to watch with him. They may not agree on everything, but working together always felt right. The light in the house went out, Katsuki sucked in his breath watching as the door opened and a thin figure stepped out and locked the door. "Bingo," Katsuki breathed, waiting until he'd moved about a half a block up the street before emerging from his hiding place to follow him.
The rain made everything miserable, Kaneko decided. He could barely see anything. Focusing on each step he crossed the slippery street carefully, walking into the bar that was sandwiched between a restaurant and a pawn shop. Shaking out his slicker, he hung it up in the entrance and looked into the bar. The place was pretty busy, the air was thick with smoke, a blue haze settling on everything. Kaneko scrunched up his face distastefully, he'd have to get his suit cleaned, he always reeked after leaving here. Walking up to the bar he sat at the far end and waited for the bartender.
"Hey, what can I get you?" The young woman approached him, all smiles.
He let out an aggravated sigh, she was new. "I'd like a bitter lover please," he set his briefcase on the floor by his stool. She leaned forward with a confused look on her face.
"A what?"
"Shit," Kaneko whispered under his breath. "Is Yasu in tonight? She knows how to make my drink." He tried not to sound snotty, but he didn't want this to take forever, his stomach growled.
"Oh, sure, my first night sorry, hang on," she rapped her knuckles on the bar and ran off into the back. Huffing slightly, Kaneko eyed the peanut dish, digging in he began popping them into his mouth.
Watching from a safe distance across the street, Katsuki snapped a picture as Kaneko went into a bar. He texted Shouto.
Katsuki - went into this bar, might be nothing but can you check on it?
Holding his breath for a moment as he hit send, Katsuki wasn't even sure if he'd help him out. Nothing had been really said but he felt like they'd made up in some unspoken way.
Shouto - Just home, let me see what I can find out.
Letting out a long sigh, he smiled. That's what he loved about him, always dependable. He was like a rock in a crazy storm, someone he could hold onto without worrying. He paused looking up at the neon sign above the bar, had he really just used the word love for Icy Hot? His phone vibrated.
Shouto - Owned by a company called Base One. My dad's on their board, I think. I'll ask him about it. What are you doing now?
Katsuki - Going in to check it out.
Shouto - That's stupid
Katsuki - Someone's gotta be stupid between the two of us.
Shouto - just keep that fine ass safe, I'm not done with it. Can I buy you dinner?
Laughing, Katsuki cocked a smile.
Katsuki - Oi, my turn you two toned brat, or are you already forgetting how I fucked the fire and ice out of you?
The icon spun, Katsuki glanced up, shit he needed to get into the bar.
Shouto - Then buy us some to-go for dinner on your way home. By the way, if you didn't already figure it out, I'm sorry.
The feeling of happiness that flooded his body was overwhelming, he laughed self-consciously. "Yeah, brat, I figured it out."
Katsuki - Me too.
Sliding his phone into his pocket, he focused back on the job. Walking across the street, he pushed open the door to the bar. The air was hazy with cigarette smoke, a juke box chugging out some fast-paced song that was at least ten years old. He looked at the coats on the rack, Kaneko's blue slicker hung dripping rain water on the floor. Standing at the rack, Katsuki slowly pulled off his own raincoat, glancing behind him several times. He recognized him sitting at the bar, his back to the front entrance. There were three other people sitting further down, they were laughing and smoking. Half of the tables and booths were filled with people drinking. He saw one booth open in the back. Wadding up his raincoat, he tucked it under his arm and beelined for it, sliding in quickly. He maneuvered himself behind the people in the booth ahead of him, making sure their heads were blocking him. Digging into his coat pocket, he felt his beanie, he tugged it over his blonde spikes. A server came up and wiped the table.
"What do you want?"
"Beer, whatever is on tap." The server barely made eye contact as she went to the bar and ordered his drink. Leaning back on the wall, he pulled out his phone pretending to be preoccupied while he kept his gaze on Kaneko.
Boots could feel the pain searing up through his ankles. "Damn feet," he groaned. He hadn't walked this far in a long time.
"You got it," Candy's feet were killing her, but she kept her mouth shut. She knew Boots wouldn't have done this without reason. He was always so protective of everything, especially her. "Where are we going?"
"Only a couple of blocks now," the rain had finally slowed but the misty wetness was just as bad. Shuffling slowly down the sidewalk he finally saw the junkyard looming ahead. "There it is," he closed his eyes in relief. "My friend has a hidden entrance that he uses on the side." They walked around the fence until the sidewalk ended at a muddy field. "Be careful," he stepped out cautiously, taking exaggerated steps, he didn't need to fall.
"Looks scary in there," she whispered. A bright light shone through the mass of junk, it made the piled up machinery look alive. The mud slurped and sucked at their shoes as they edged along in the misty darkness.
"Here!" Boots recognized the slit in the fence. Darting forward, he grabbed the chain-link and pulled back until there was a big enough opening. Candy glanced at him worriedly. "It's okay, go on in." Timidly she squeezed through into the junkyard. Maneuvering carefully, he managed to get in behind her without catching his jacket on the sharp edges. The distant light barely illuminated the well-worn path now slick with mud. "This way," he took her hand and moved along the fence to a faded white shack in the back, paint peeling off the walls in large chucks. Stopping at the door, he knocked lightly. The mist clung to their wet clothes soaking through to their skin, there was no sound, he knocked again, louder this time. "Mac?" silence. Stepping back, he tried to look into the dark window, could Mac be gone? He hadn't seen him for almost six months. Trying the handle, it was unlocked, he pushed the door open slightly, "Mac? It's Boots."
"Boots!? No way! Is that you?" A wiry man came out of the darkness, eyes wide with fright. Laughing with relief, he dropped his baseball bat with a loud thud on the ground as he hugged his friend. "What the hell man? Scared the shit out of me! Squeezing him hard, he shook him by his shoulders, "I'm glad you finally showed up!" Seeing Candy, he jerked backwards, pulling his hat off his head and bowed. "Sorry ma'am, I didn't see he had a lady with him." Gesturing to the two of them, he smiled, "come on in, please, welcome to my home."
Shouto leaned back on his couch and stared at his computer. Base One. He'd pulled up their general profile, nothing out of the ordinary. Tapping his pen on his notebook, he was positive that was the company his dad had talked about at dinner. Dialing his number, he picked up on the first ring.
"Shouto," Enji took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.
"Hey dad, okay to talk now?"
"Sure," he took a welcome break from staring at his computer. "Working, so any interruption is appreciated."
"Those are some kind of banker's hours," Shouto teased.
"As if!" He let out a bark of laughter. "What do you need? Advice on your finances?" Enji grinned.
"Not even, I don't have any money," he groaned. "But I do have a question."
"Yeah? Shoot."
"That company you mentioned at dinner. They're doing the construction on the ward, I think you're on the board?"
"Base One?" Enji tilted back in his chair, "what about them?"
"Yeah, that was the name. I just ran into their name on a case. They own some real estate on the edge of the northern ward?"
"They own real estate everywhere, Shouto. Commercial, residential and vacant land. They've got their fingers in a lot of pies around our prefecture."
"Okay, that makes sense. They own a bar that Bakugou was investigating and I thought I recognized the name."
"Actually," Enji reached across his desk and opened a large package his assistant had dropped on his desk. "I ordered all of the public information possible on them, I figured since I'm on the board I should know everything." He ripped open the large envelope. "I was going to go through this later but I'm at a stopping point. I'll scan this tonight and see if there is anything that jumps out at me." Pulling out the huge stack of papers, he grabbed a pen to take notes. "What are you looking for specifically?"
"We're looking to see if there's any connection between them and an estate lawyer named Shingo Kaneko, that would be great, or even the Pro Hero Museum."
Pausing, Enji looked up from writing, "the museum? What does that have to do with Base One?"
"I'm guessing nothing, but one of our persons of interest went into a bar that's owned by them. Like I said, probably a coincidence, but I know how thoroughness is the key to every case." Shouto could hear his dad snort laughter on the other end, he smiled. That had been drilled into his head for so many years at the agency, it was burned into his brain.
"You're making me jealous," Enji flicked the pen in his hand with his thumb. "Talking about cases and investigations." Looking at the computer screen with the lists of accounts, he felt a deep sadness. "I miss it."
"I know dad," Shouto stared out at the damp night, the apartments were lit up across the way. "Maybe you understand now why I decided on the detective job?"
"I've always understood, son," Enji admitted. The line went quiet. Taking a deep breath he smiled wistfully, "I'll read through this and get back to you. You're making me feel like I'm on a case again, I appreciate that you called me."
"If you find something, then the next dinner is on me."
"Where? At the fish shack?" Enji chuckled thinking of the cheap cart that sat outside their old agency building.
"Not sure I can even afford that anymore! I may have to cook the meal myself."
"Actually that sounds good, I hope I find something."
"Me too, thanks dad, call me."
"Bye." Hitting the end button, Enji set down his phone and laid his head back on his chair staring at the ceiling. He was jealous but in a good way. Crap, he really needed to push the defense minister on reinstating licenses before he lost his mind on financial jargon that meant next to nothing to him. Standing up he turned off his computer, shoving the paper back in the envelope, he grabbed his jacket and headed out of the office. For the first time in a while, he was actually excited, he really did hope he could find something for him.
The server set the glass of beer down in front of Katsuki, "anything else?"
"No, this is good," he kept his gaze down and handed her some money. Snatching the money, the server turned and walked back up to the bar. Taking a small sip, he continued watching Kaneko. It was clear he was waiting for someone. He'd been sitting at the bar for a while and appeared annoyed, eating through two bowls of snacks, his feet dancing on the footrest of the bar. He suddenly turned and began looking around the bar, Katsuki leaned further into the wall behind the group between them. A good-looking woman with a long braid pulled over her shoulder stepped out of the kitchen, stopping in front of Kaneko, they began talking. She gestured towards the back and nodded. Grabbing his briefcase, he disappeared where she had pointed. The group at the end of the bar yelled at the woman, waving her to them. Grabbing a bottle, the woman sauntered over pouring herself a drink and began talking to them.
Making his way up the narrow staircase that led off of the hall, Kaneko opened up the office door at the top. Akio was sitting on the couch with a gloved hand resting on Uchiyama Sawa, who was on the floor in front of him. Gripping his briefcase tightly, he nodded to both men. "How can I help you, Watanabe?"
"Don't be so formal with me," Akio stood yanking Sawa to his feet, the boy stumbled forward clutching the desk for balance. Grabbing a black bag, Akio threw it at Kaneko. Dropping his briefcase, he grabbed it clumsily and looked inside. Akio sat back down as Kaneko started digging around in the bag. "I asked our counterfeiter here if he'd been dumping more shit on the street and he swears he hasn't. Need you to confirm that for me."
"I wouldn't Akio, not anymore, I promised," Sawa was trembling.
"He'll decide that for us." Akio flopped his arms along the back of the couch.
Pulling out what appeared to be several pieces of Pro Hero equipment, Kaneko could see Sawa trying to make eye contact with him, a desperate gleam in his eye.
"These are the last of the pieces I've been trading, swear they're all legit!" Sawa backed up, not tearing his gaze off Kaneko.
Picking his briefcase off the floor, Kaneko opened up the tool kit. Fuck. What did the kid do? Glancing at the equipment he doubted it was real, especially based on the look in Sawa's eyes. If he identified anything as fake, he knew he'd be killed. "Let's see what you have here." He sat down at the desk, picking up two silver metal rings, he let out a gasp.
"What are those?" Akio lit a cigarette watching him closely. "Looks like broken handcuffs or some other piece of junk."
"These would be Nemuri's handcuffs," he stared openly at Sawa. "Where the hell did you get these? There's no way! She's been dead for years." He turned them over, "if these are real, they're worth a fortune."
"They better be fucking real," Akio stood up and grabbed the back of the kid's neck, crushing the muscles with his strong hand. "We had a deal you ass wipe. Mommy does what she's told, you keep your nose clean and everyone lives." Leaning over he puffed his cigarette letting the smoke curl around Sawa's face. "Or did you forget?"
"I - I stole them!" Sawa yelled out, coughing from the smoke.
"You what!?" Akio snarled at him, continuing to crush the back of his neck. Sawa screamed, dropping to his knees.
"I stole them." He sobbed under the fierce hold the thick hand had on his neck. Kaneko looked up, his face stark white.
"You stole these?" Dropping them back on the desk, he instinctively wiped his hands. "There - there's only one person that has Midnight's gear." He bit his lip, eyes wide.
"Who?"
"The Minister of Defense, Kezu Kioku," Kaneko breathed out.
"WHAT!?" Akio growled, he smashed his knee into Sawa's face. He flew backwards hitting the wall with a sickening thud, blood spurting from his nose. Sawa grabbed his face, blood poured from between his fingers. "I'm gonna fucking KILL you!" Akio seethed, grinding out his cigarette, he pulled his gun from his pocket.
"Wait!" Jumping up, Kaneko held his hands out, he didn't want to be an accomplice to murder. "Stop, hold on!" He looked at the bloody kid on the ground, "did you really steal these from him?" He remembered seeing the minister's collection a few years ago. "Security, it's so tight there, how could you've stolen them? There's no way!"
Stepping in front of the slumped boy, Akio pulled him to his feet. "Okay fucker, talk, where'd you get these?" Tears streamed down Sawa's cheeks mixing with the blood from his broken nose.
"Party," he gurgled, "my - my mom was invited to a party." He sobbed harder, "he pulled out pieces to show everyone." Sucking in a ragged breath, he coughed as blood drained down his throat.
"Oh shit," Kaneko fell back into the chair watching as Akio slid his gun back into his pants. Relief washed over him, he wasn't going to kill him at least.
"You ain't worth the fucking bullet." Grabbing the boy's hair, Akio wrapped his arms around Sawa's neck and twisted his head quickly.
"Why?" Kaneko's voice escaped his lips in a horrified gasp at the crunching pop as sinew and bone tore. Sawa's head moved at an unnatural angle, his hands dropped heavily to his sides, urine coating his dark pants. "Why?" He let out another strangled whisper as he blinked back hot tears.
Dragging his body to the rug in front of the desk, Akio laid him out. "Grab some gloves from that desk and help me with this shit."
"Me?"
Looking up at him, Akio's black eyes were sharp as steel. "Yeah, you, who the fuck else?" He pushed Sawa's body to the end of the carpet. "Grab the edge, we're gonna roll him up like a fucking fruit roll." He laughed at one of the few memories of his youth, "I used to help my mom make those."
The thought of him having a mom seemed completely unreasonable to Kaneko at that moment in time. The person that had ripped life so quickly from this young man shouldn't have been born. Finding the pair of gloves in the drawer, he struggled to pull them on. Kneeling down and grabbing the edge of the carpet with trembling hands, he waited as Akio adjusted the body, he turned his head away from the lifeless boy's face.
"Aw!" Akio chuckled at the sickened look on the lawyer's face, "too scared to look at him?" Turning the body with the carpet, they rolled him up tightly into the rug.
"Now what?" Kaneko's voice was hollow, he knew he was stuck in this mess now. He wanted to get it over with fast.
"We'll carry him down to the back, my car isn't far. We can load him up and find a place to dump him."
"What about his mom? Uchiyama?"
"What about her?" Akio spat out. "Fucking bitch, I warned her if her son fucked up he would die." Looking down at the rolled-up body, he tipped his head, "looks like he fucked up."
Standing up, Kaneko brushed off his suit pants, seeing a blood smear on his wrist, he froze. Breathing heavily, he motioned to the items on his desk. "What about all of that?"
Wiping his face with his shirt, Akio thinned his lips. "I'm not sure."
"What if you left them with the body?"
"Are you fucking stupid?" He growled fiercely. "I don't need anyone connecting Uchiyama to anything, we need her and that facility."
"Facility?" Stepping back, Kaneko shook his head, he didn't want to know. "N - Never mind." Staring at the scuffed metal handcuffs on the desk, he chewed his lip, "do you think these are really stolen, he could have been lying."
"Fuck," Akio sat back on his heels, "if they're counterfeits then we need to dump them but if they're real and belong to Kezu." Patting his pockets, he pulled out his cigarettes. "If they're real, I'll deal with getting them back." Flicking his lighter, he puffed deep.
"Unless they've already been reported stolen, you should be careful."
"Worried about me lawyer?" Akio chuckled, "didn't expect that from you." He laid his hand on the lumpy rug. "Figured you'd want me as dead as the kid." Kaneko winced as he pushed the stuff back in the bag. He took another long drag from his cigarette. "It's okay, most people that get to know me want me dead at some point."
"What are you going to do with, um, him?" Kaneko changed the subject, he was treading on thin ice already, no need to push his buttons and risk being killed.
Standing up Akio crushed out the newly lit cigarette. "Let's get him outta here before something leaks out and Yusa rips us new assholes." Motioning for Kaneko to grab his feet, he picked up the end with the head. Maneuvering out the door, they managed to get the body down the stairs. Going out into the dark alleyway they moved as fast as they could, the misty fog had turned into rain again, soaking into their clothes.
Working on his second beer, Katsuki waited for Kaneko to return, he'd been gone for almost an hour. Suddenly the door to the back swung open and he stepped through. Practically running, he darted past the group at the bar that was now completely drunk. Wiping down his suit, he put on his slicker and headed out into the night. Downing the rest of his beer, Katsuki walked to the door and slowly put on his own jacket. His gaze fell on the floor, there were two pools of water. One against the wall where Kaneko's slicker had been dripping from earlier and a new one, right in the middle of the entryway where he had stood just a moment ago. Pulling out his phone, Katsuki snapped a picture.
"Hey!"
His head snapped up startled as the woman from earlier came around the bar yelling. She caught him by surprise, he hadn't even realized anyone had seen him. "Yeah?"
"What the fuck are you doing?" Yusa had been watching the guy all night, sitting doing nothing, drinking his beer too slow to be out for a good time. Paying his bill with cash after each one, just like a cop but he didn't have that look. Then suddenly he got up right after Kaneko walked out and snapped that picture. She stalked towards him, this guy was probably some kind of private investigator.
Plastering a smile on his face, Katsuki lifted his phone showing her the washed-out picture of the floor. "I took a picture by mistake," he laughed. "I was trying to text my date. He was supposed to meet me here but never showed up." Giving her a sad look, he tucked his phone back in his pocket.
"Hmm," she peered at him, now that she saw him up close, something about him seemed familiar. "You've been here before, haven't you? I think I've seen your face."
"I have, a couple times, I live over a few blocks." He turned to the door, "thanks, if someone comes in looking for me, tell him I'll see him later." Pulling up his jacket hood, he began walking down the street in the opposite direction of Kaneko. He knew she was watching him and had to be careful.
Looking out the door, Yusa waited as he ran down the street. He was the good-looking, rugged type. She wondered what the date looked like, most likely if he'd been in before, she'd seen them both. Wandering back up to the bar, she decided to check on Akio. Taking the stairs two at a time, she walked into her office, it was empty. Her eyes landed on the bare floor. "Fuck! Akio!" Since Kaneko had walked out alive it meant that Sawa was dead. "Fucking killing everyone." She pulled out her phone.
"What?" Akio snapped.
"Why'd you kill him?"
"Idiot stole stuff from the minister."
"Oh shit, does Uchiyama know?"
"Fuck no and I'm not telling her anything. She'll just think her son ran off cause of all this shit."
She sat down at her desk, chewing her fingernail, "okay, but what if they find the body though?"
"No way, I gotta special spot, he's in with the rest of the rejects of the world."
"So, what now?"
"Keep tabs on Kaneko, and see the names on your desk?"
Seeing a small scribbled note, she picked it up and burst out laughing. "Is this a joke?"
"No, no fucking joke, find out what you can on those two."
"You do know who Shouto Todoroki is? Don't you?"
"Yeah, he's the one with fire and water, right?"
"Ice, Akio, didn't you ever watch the news?" She tossed the note back on the desk. "He's Enji's son, asshole."
"Oh yeah?" Akio pulled into his shop, a rusty sign reading Watanabe Auto Restoration hung tilted on the main gate, he killed the motor. "Enji is Endeavor, right?" He laughed. "See I know my Heroes."
"Maybe talk to Sensei first before you have me digging around the Todoroki family, get the all clear and then I'll do what you ask." She could hear him mutter under his breath. "Don't argue with me jerk, you got me in hot water last time, remember?"
"Fuck you, Yusa, all right, I'll get the all clear." The line went dead.
Setting down her phone, she picked up the note again. "Fucking Pro Heros," she continued nibbling on her nail. "Better watch out, you idiot," glancing down at her bare floor again, she huffed. "Crap," now she'd have to buy a new rug. Crumpling up the note she started to toss it into the trash, her hand stopping in mid-air. "Fuck!" slowly opening the paper, she flattened it on the desk. "Son of a bitch!" Grabbing her phone, she dialed.
"What?"
"He was here! Dynamite, I mean Bakugou. I thought he looked familiar."
"Where?"
"In the damn bar! He must've been following Kaneko." She heard Akio growl.
"All right, get information on just him then for now, where he fucking lives, everything. This guy's too much trouble, he needs to be eliminated." He heard Yusa giggle. "What's so fucking funny?"
"If you manage to kill Dynamite, you'll get a gold star. Shit, every damn villain has been trying to off him for years."
"Well, I'm not fucking just anyone!" Akio shouted. Hanging up on her, he jumped out of his car and ran up the metal staircase that led to the apartment over his shop. Unlocking the door, he turned on the light. Removing his shoes, he put them by the door and rushed to the back bedroom. Shoving his key into the large lock , he opened the door and flipped on the light. Throwing his keys on the huge desk that swallowed up most of the space, he sat down scanning all of the monitors. Ignoring the video feeds of the homeless camp, he focused on the bank of monitors that showed rooms with hospital style beds. Some of the rooms showed people banging on the doors and yelling, they had to be the new ones. His eyes fell on one room with two people sleeping. He hit the direct line. It rang with no answer. "Shit," pulling out his phone he punched in the number.
"Akio?" The deep voice crackled over the phone
"Where are you?"
"Checking some of the equipment."
"It looks like you tested a new group?"
"I did, they're asleep."
"That's progress," Akio studied the two people laying limply on the bed. "Up until now they've been dying right away." He heard the doctor chuckle.
"It is, it is. I've been experimenting and I think it depends on the controller."
"Controller?"
"Yes, whoever has control over the energy. I've discovered if we try to transfer the quirk while All For One is in control, they die immediately."
"Wait! What?" Akio snatched a pack of cigarettes from the desk. Holy Shit! He stared at the screen. A nervous tension filled him with a sense of dread. They're in control? That's all he needed was for them to escape, Sensei would kill him. "What if the other guy is in control, One For All?"
"They live, for a while at least, an interesting concept, isn't it?" Garaki mewled, smacking his lips. "It's extraordinary, somehow their consciousnesses are still manifesting."
Flicking his lighter nervously, he looked at the last monitor. The video feed was terrible, thick black lines and white noise flickered across the screen. There was nothing wrong with the video, he'd had it checked a hundred times, they'd realized it was the ball of black energy that screwed with the equipment. "What the fuck?" He breathed out softly, "they're still alive in there?"
"I doubt they're alive, as much as I'd like them to be," Garaki murmured, "the intensity of power that radiates off this is immeasurable. I doubt anyone could survive that level of power, even All For One."
"They're dead?" He sat back, his mind reeling. "Then what you're saying doesn't make any sense about one of them in control."
Garaki sighed heavily. "The fact that their quirks have transferred, while only briefly, proves their powers have been absorbed and maintained by this energy." He sat at the control panel watching as the black orb swirled nonstop in the inner chamber. "I've tried several subjects at different time periods and only one quirk is transferred each time, depending on what energy is manifesting depends on the quirk that is transferred. Do you understand?"
"Okay, so whoever is in control, it's their quirk that transfers?"
"Yes, correct, but what is even more interesting is that while all the subjects die eventually, when the quirk is from One For All, the patient lives longer. These two sleeping are from him, so they've managed to live a few hours."
"When do you think a full transfer will be able to happen without the person dying?" Akio didn't trust Garaki much, but he was fucking brilliant. Sensei had made a deal with him to get him out of prison since he was the only person in the world that could do what they needed. But he couldn't help but wonder what the doctor could possibly do for his own personal benefit, he wanted this finished.
"I'd say based on progress made, maybe another two months."
"Fuck! Really? That long?" The doctor let out a funny squawking noise.
"This is an almost impossible task, Akio! Never have we seen such power, a combination of the greatest quirk holders in the universe!" Garaki sputtered, "and I'm trying to siphon it off with equipment that's essentially no more than rubber hoses!" His voice drifted off in a laugh, "it's the work of gods, Akio, the work of gods."
"Yeah, yeah, okay," Akio squirmed, the doctor always ended up getting fucking weird. "Let me know what happens, I got some work to do here." He hung up. Damn, at least two more months he had to keep everything set up. Rubbing his face with his hands, he buried his fingers in his hair, now Sawa was dead and he still needed that bitch. He shouldn't have killed him. Sighing, he began tapping on the computer keyboard, reading through the notes for the day. Exactly what the doctor had told him, nothing different. Leaning back, he spun his chair in a slow circle. He spied the box in the corner. Standing, he opened the top and stared at the eight items inside for a few moments. Grabbing a large trash bag, he carefully tipped the contents of the box into the bag. Tying it up, he left the room, locking everything back up, and ran through the rain to his car.
Starting the engine and flipping on the windshield wipers, he drove back to the junkyard. Passing by the property, he parked a few streets over and sat in his car, watching for any movement. Thankfully, the steady rain had chased everyone inside. Looping the bag around his hand, he jumped out and ran through the wet darkness. Scooting around any lamplight, he sloshed through the muddy field until he reached the fence. Stepping back, he eyed the height, it couldn't be more than three or four meters. Swinging his arm back, he threw the bag upwards as hard as he could. It flew straight up and over the fence and landed in the middle of a pile of pipes, which exploded with a cacophony of loud clanging noises as they scattered across the ground. Jumping back startled, he turned and ran as fast as possible out of the field and back to his car, unlocking the door and clambering inside drenched in sweat and rain. Water dripped down his jacket and into his face as he sat in his car catching his breath. Looking around once again, there was no one on the street.
Taking a deep breath, he pulled out into the empty street heading back to his place. If they ever found the body, which he doubted, they'd find those eight fucking items too. Grabbing an old shirt from his glove box, he wiped the rain off his face and started laughing, those stupid counterfeit pieces of shit were finally out of his life. "Dammit," he threw the shirt back on the seat, squeezing the steering wheel with his hand, he'd forgotten to ask Kaneko about the list. Pulling into the large courtyard in front of his shop, he grumbled under his breath, "too much to fucking remember." It was easier remodeling cars than keeping track of all the losers working for him. He'd go over early in the morning and wake his ass up to make sure he destroyed anything linking them together. His phone vibrated as he headed back up the stairs to his apartment, it was the doctor again. "Hello?"
Kaneko let himself into his house, leaning against the door, he let the tears that had been threatening finally fall, hot against his cold, wet cheeks. He sobbed, slowly sliding to the floor, leaving a damp trail along the wood door. Sitting slumped over, his hands laid limp at his sides, his briefcase toppled over with a thud. "Noooo," he wailed, "I - I just want it back, I want my life back. I don't want this." He hiccupped, saliva slowly dripped from his open mouth as he sucked in air around his choking sobs. Tipping over, he curled into a ball, his wet suit now warm and clammy, clinging to his skin. He didn't care, something that would have driven him insane just a few months ago was of little concern. Sawa's eyes, hollow and dead, popped into his mind. "Noooo," he wailed hoarsely again, squeezing his eyes shut against the unwanted image. Pushing his cheek on the tile, the cool floor felt good against his skin. He took a deep, shuddering breath. It was time.
Climbing to his feet, he picked up his briefcase and walked unsteadily down the hall, bouncing off the walls as he pushed his way into his office. Ripping off his slicker, he left it in a pile on the floor. Sniffling, he tried to calm himself as he fell into his chair. Pulling out the key, he unlocked the drawer and stared at the cash he'd hidden away with his new identification. Picking up the large envelope, he dumped everything on the desk. He was next, there was no doubt anymore. Akio had killed Sawa, the only two left were himself and Uchiyama. Kaneko's use had been dwindling and now with Sawa gone, he knew too much to be left alive. He picked up his new id, would he get away? The precariousness of his position had been evident from the beginning and he was no dummy. He'd begun wiring cash to an off-shore account once Akio had begun pressing him into dirtier jobs and now, it was time to go, time to escape. Emptying his briefcase out on the desk, he threw the stacks of money and new identification inside. Pulling out a folder, he laid a single piece of paper on his desk.
Picking up the briefcase he headed through his living room to a door at the end of the room that had four huge locks running down the length. Unlocking each one, he punched in the alarm code as soon as the light began flashing. Leaning on the doorframe tears sprang to his eyes. His prized possessions, all beautifully and meticulously displayed on shelves. Approaching the one case that sat in the center, he gently removed the thick glass cover and tenderly lifted the gold frayed utility belt from the holder. As careful as possible he rolled it into a tight circle and took one last look around the room. Locking the door back up, he ran to his room, moving quickly now. He tugged down his suitcase and packed. The basics, nothing more, slipping in a picture of his mother and father, he decided against any other personal items. Stripping his soggy suit from his body, he wadded it up and threw it into the trash. Warming himself in the shower, he took his time, he didn't know when he would enjoy such a luxury again. After shaving, he packed up the rest of his stuff.
Turning off the lights to the house, he went into the garage where his mother's remodeled car was parked. Removing the cover, he sighed, it was beautiful. A gleaming new paint job and reconditioned seats, all courtesy of the man that snuffed out the life of another human being tonight. It was how they'd met, Kaneko laughed bitterly, that was before the museum had contacted him and before he discovered the darkside of Akio's life. Unlocking the trunk, he stashed the suitcase neatly inside, he closed up the trunk and opened the door to the garage. The pools of water reflecting the street lights rippled with small circles, letting him know it was still raining. Sliding in behind the wheel he fired up the engine, it coughed to life, running rough at first but finally smoothing out. He was thankful he'd driven it once every week regularly, advice from none other than Watanabe Akio. Gliding out of the garage, he stepped back out into the rain, closing his garage door. No use leaving it wide open for vandals, even if he'd never see it again.
Jumping back into the car, he began to drive to the northern ship port almost three days away. The wipers scraped soothingly over the big windshield, he squeezed the wheel and peered out at the dark road, almost no traffic, he'd be at his first stop in just a few hours. Hunger and weariness settled on him almost immediately as his adrenaline rush subsided, reaching down he flipped on the radio and found a station playing old American songs. The Marcels were crooning over the airwaves. The tune was one of his favorites, picking up the chorus, he began singing with them.
"Blue Moon, You saw me standing alone, Without a dream in my heart, Without a love of my own …"
