Darkness fell, and the only light in the area came from a few street lights. There were no businesses nearby, and no flashy lights, except for an old laundromat down the street. Itsuka was in a small, old, derelict building, watching carefully from the second story, making sure not to fall through the floor.
Time passed slowly as Ace watched. Nothing happened, and it felt like things were moving at a snail's pace. He wondered and worried for a bit that they were not going to find anything at all. It seemed like this night was going to be a bust. Yet he didn't voice that over the walkie-talkie, as he felt he should at least see how things played out first.
Ace remained still, struggling to keep his focus. He wanted to get up, move around, anything to escape the discomfort of his position. Just as he was about to shift locations, he saw shadows moving into the graveyard. "Itsuka, I have movement. Going to check it out," he whispered into the walkie-talkie before he quickly moved towards the silhouette ahead.
Ace moved quietly but swiftly, conjuring a flame in his right hand to illuminate his path. He saw the figure—a massive man, easily over seven feet tall and four hundred pounds of solid muscle. He wielded a large shovel, his hunched back and square face adorned with scars that looked unnatural. As he locked eyes with Ace, he lifted the shovel and swung it towards him with frightening speed and strength.
"Ace, be careful!" Itsuka's voice crackled through the walkie-talkie, her tone filled with worry.
Ace didn't have time to reply as the shovel came arcing at him from an overhead blow. Ace just barely dodged the strike to the right and then he dodged another stroke the the left as he was put on the defensive really quickly. A moment later the man went for a sweeping attack aimed at Ace's legs as he jumped back away dodging again without much room for error at all.
"Looks like we've got a real problem here, Itsuka. This guy isn't normal!" Ace said with a loud tone into the walkie-talkie, his voice tense with urgency.
As Ace stared down the man, he knew this was a real fight and not an ideal one either. The man attacked swiftly, forcing Ace to dodge the shovel to the right. Despite his size, the man was incredibly quick. Ace pointed his fingers and fired his Higan, shooting bullets of fire. The man remained silent, using the shovel to knock away the bullets with perfect timing. Ace moved forward and attacked, hitting the man with a knee to the gut, but it barely phased him. Ace backed up, realizing he would need to use his more powerful attacks.
Ace prepared a Hiken, or fire fist, but the figure's eyes lit up, and he threw the shovel. Ace dodged it just in time as it embedded itself into a tree behind him. The man attacked again, and Ace's body turned to flames as he was hit, avoiding what would have been broken ribs for a normal person. The man then dashed to the left, heading towards a small mausoleum.
Ace followed quickly, but when he opened the door and looked inside, the figure had vanished. There was no sign of him.
"Ace, what's going on?" Itsuka's voice came through the walkie-talkie, filled with concern.
"He's gone, just disappeared into thin air," Ace replied, frustration in his voice. He looked around the mausoleum, searching for any clues or hidden passages, but found nothing. "This guy is more than just a grave robber. We need to figure out what's really going on here."
"We'll figure it out together," Itsuka assured him. "Let's regroup and come up with a new plan."
Ace nodded, despite knowing she couldn't see him. "Yeah, let's meet up and go over what we know. This isn't over yet."
The two met at the laundromat down the street. Ace took out some paper and a pen and wrote down everything he had seen, including details about the person and the situation. He also examined the shovel, which had letters, numbers, and markings on it.
"So, here's all the data, and this is the shovel," Ace said, showing it to Itsuka. "I think we should take this with us and look up the numbers and letters, and the other information. Either that or take it to the police to see what they think. Though, I'm sure we can find someone who's an aspiring detective, maybe in the second or third years."
Itsuka nodded, looking at the time. "It's almost 2 a.m. We won't find anyone right now. Let's head back to the dorms and regroup in the morning. We can talk to someone then and figure out our next steps."
"Yeah, you're right," Ace agreed. "Let's get some rest and tackle this with fresh eyes tomorrow."
Ace walked with Itsuka back to the dorms, knowing they could figure something out the next morning. It was so late, and they were out past curfew already. As they got to the dorms, Ace stopped and looked at the orange-haired heroine in training. "It was fun, thanks for having my back tonight. We will figure this out, Itsuka," Ace said with a smile. "Now, see you in the morning."
The following Morning Ace woke up extra early. He went and found that Itsuka's door was closed and he guessed that she was asleep after a long night the night before. He went for a bit of a walk to think about things. He gathered up the notes and took a photo of the shovel before he went to the police station. He hoped to get help, but it would seem that they were way too busy that morning to give him much help, and he was turned away pretty quickly.
Ace wandered around for a bit as he found a place to sit. As he sat he luckily overheard some students talking about a second-year student named Ryuichi Sato, who was known for his skill in solving mysteries. Determined, Ace found Ryuichi in the library, engrossed in his research.
"Hello, are you Ryuichi Sato?" Ace asked as he approached. "I have a mystery that I need to figure out, and I heard you're good at solving them."
Ryuichi looked up, his expression calm and measured. "Yes, I'm Ryuichi Sato. How can I assist you?"
Ace quickly explained everything that had happened, from the conversation he and Itsuka had overheard about grave robberies to the discovery that the stolen bodies were those of old heroes. He handed over the notes he had tried to give to the police, along with a picture of the shovel.
Ryuichi examined the shovel, noting the letters, numbers, and markings. "This is quite an unusual case. The theft of hero bodies is a serious matter," he murmured, his mind already working to piece together the clues.
He looked back at Ace, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You did well to gather this information. Let's see what we can deduce."
Ryuichi spread the notes out on the table, his eyes scanning the details. "The markings on this shovel are significant. They could be tied to a specific organization or individual, or perhaps they are markers for where the target graves are. The fact that these bodies are all former heroes suggests a motive beyond simple grave robbery."
He picked up his laptop and began typing, searching through various databases and records. "We need to identify the connection between these stolen bodies and the markings on the shovel. If we can find a common thread, we might be able to predict the next target or even identify the perpetrator."
Ace watched in awe as Ryuichi worked, his fingers flying over the keyboard. "I tried going to the police, but they were too busy to help," Ace admitted. "I'm hoping you can figure something out that they missed."
Ryuichi nodded, not taking his eyes off the screen. "The police have their hands full, but we can operate more quickly and efficiently. This is our chance to get ahead of the situation."
After a few minutes, Ryuichi looked up, his eyes sharp with newfound knowledge. "I've found something. These markings in the list of graves, they mark where the heroes are, which means they are the targets. Someone is using the bodies of heroes for experiments, possibly something like a zombie experiment."
Ace's eyes widened. "So, they're using the bodies of heroes for experiments?"
"That's a likely hypothesis," Ryuichi confirmed. "We need to find out where they're operating from and what their next move might be. We should inform the authorities with this new information, but first, we need more concrete evidence."
Ryuichi stood, gathering his notes and laptop. "I think it would be best if we steak out the graveyards again tonight. I think we should make sure we are as prepared as we can be and don't unprepared. This could be a serious danger, and it is best to use today to get ready for whatever dangers await us there tonight."
"Itsuka Kendo has been helping me, and I'm sure she'll be willing to come along if she can as well," Ace informed Ryuichi. "I think having one more person would be good for a bit more backup, don't you think?"
Ryuichi nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, having another set of eyes and hands would be beneficial. Let's plan our stakeout and coordinate our efforts. I think having a group of four would work really well. So any help you can find would be good."
Ace went out to find someone who could help, and luckily he spotted Mirio not too far away. Approaching the third-year student, Ace called out, "Um, Mirio, I need some help."
Mirio turned and gave Ace a warm, encouraging smile. "Hey there, Ace! What's up?"
Ace quickly explained the situation, detailing the problem with the hero graves being robbed and the plan he, Ryuichi, and Itsuka had devised to stake out the graveyards that night. He emphasized their need for more hard evidence to give to the cops so they could take action.
Mirio listened intently, his expression growing serious. "That sounds like a pretty intense situation, Ace. I'm impressed you guys are taking the initiative to look into this."
Ace nodded, feeling a bit more confident with Mirio's approval. "Yeah, we just want to stop whoever's behind this. We're hoping you might have some advice or even join us for the stakeout. We could use your experience and abilities."
Mirio considered this for a moment, then nodded. "I'd be happy to help. You guys are doing the right thing by getting involved and trying to find evidence. Let's make sure we're fully prepared for tonight."
Ace felt a surge of relief and gratitude. "Thanks, Mirio. Your help will make a big difference."
Mirio smiled warmly. "No problem. Let's meet up with Ryuichi and Itsuka to go over the plan and make sure we have everything we need for tonight."
The two headed back to the library, where Ryuichi and Itsuka were waiting. Mirio's presence instantly uplifted the group's spirits, and they all gathered around a table to discuss the stakeout in detail.
Ryuichi spread out the notes and maps of the graveyards. "We'll need to cover both cemeteries and maintain communication at all times. Mirio, your quirk will be especially useful for getting into places without being seen."
Mirio nodded. "Got it. I'll patrol the perimeter and move between the two locations as needed. We'll need to stay hidden and alert for any suspicious activity."
Itsuka looked determined. "We should also have a signal in case anyone finds something. We don't want to miss anything important or put anyone at risk."
Ace agreed. "I'll bring some extra walkie-talkies and flashlights. We need to be ready for anything."
