Over the Top

by papireaz

When I died, I expected a few manga volumes. Maybe to learn what the One Piece is. Instead, I found myself in a world that I recognised, a story I had read and what's worse was that it was a story I had no interest in wanting to involve myself in! Then and again, the offer to become a Hero is far too tempting...

76. Issue 74

There isn't a song for this chapter or the next few chapters because of reasons.

---

"Anger and love are two sides on the same coin,

For how can someone who loves not feel anger?

And how can an angry person not feel love?"

---

"And… you found nothing in the apartment?"

Commissioner Suwabe inspected both Nanao and I with a stern gaze as he sat behind his desk, his arms resting on it as his hands covered a large majority of his face leaving only his piercing eyes visible. I called it the Gendoh Ikari pose, but for Suwabe it seemed to make the boss of my bosses' boss even more threatening as this was only the second time I had the pleasure of meeting him.

"Yeah," I lied to him, ignoring Daguchi's phone that was resting in my pocket. "We found nothing. Then we got news that someone leaked pictures of Daguchi on the internet and saw them on the TV. Are they…?"

"It's none of your concern," Swuabe told me. "Although, I do commend you for your deductive skills in trying to locate the ex-mayor's phone. What I cannot however commend is how stupid you were for hacking into his account to triangulate the location."

"But that-,"

"It was my idea, sir," Nanao interjected, stepping forward to take the responsibility of what was my plan. "If anyone should be punished, it should be me. I forced Sora to 'break the law' so to speak for the investigation. I apologise and understand that this is not how we are supposed to conduct an investigation."

"Hm. You're damn right," Suwabe snapped back. "If it wasn't for you brute forcing your way into Daguchi's account, those pictures would have never been leaked. Oh yes, don't act so surprised. Those pictures originated from the account, once you had accessed it something must have been put into place to release those photos from his account's storage online. So I'm blaming you for this, detective Nanao Iori. Two weeks. That's how long you'll suspended for."

"..."

I watched as Nanao emotionlessly tore her badge off from her jacket and tossed it at Suwabe who sneered at her. I wanted to speak up, to say that it wasn't Nanao's fault, but all I could do was keep my mouth shut as Nanao turned around and nodded at me in silence, leaving Suwabe's office.

"...You should be more grateful that she took the bullet for you considering you brute forced your way into Daguchi's account. That's not how we do things here," Suwabe told me. "I'm shutting your investigation down. Now, I know that you and your little group have special circumstances - You can legally investigate into Daguchi's death and I can't stop you. Ultimately, outside of putting you on temporary leave like I've done with Nanao, there's nothing I can really do to stop you. And even then, I need permission from the Prime Minister herself for that. But I refuse to help you either. If I catch you snooping around again, I won't hesitate to throw you in a cell, so do you understand? Drop it."

"Why?"

"This isn't your case, rookie," Suwabe told me. "You started this investigation on your own, independent of the currently ongoing investigation from the police. At any point you could have worked together with your fellow officers, but you went your own way and decided to act like a Hero. So I'll treat you exactly how you treated me and everyone else. Justice is pursued for everyone, not just for yourself and your own pride like you've done thus far. Every case you've solved so far has either had one of your friends or family involved."

"So what?!"

"...What do you think a cop is?"

"Ugh, a public servant I guess?"

Suwabe hummed at my answer.

"In a sense, that is the truth. To be frank with you, there isn't much difference between the police and Heroes," Suwabe told me. "Outside of the silly costumes, we all serve the public and protect the systems put in place that empower us. But I suppose a key difference between us now is that Heroes deal with crimes that were performed by the use of Quirks while we solve cases of non-Quirked crime. That means this city-, No, this entire country is looking at us to solve this, because no one else is going to step in and help."

Tsk.

"Yeah, well getting rid of Nanao, one of your best detectives sure is going to help."

"...You disobey direct orders and have the gall to ask for leniency? You think I'm going to pat you on your back and congratulate you? You know, I've been with the force for a long time, kid. Thirty years. I've seen generations of coppers come and go, and you know something I don't think any of them have what it really takes to wear that badge," Suwabe told me. "They're all self-serving snivelling cowards that take the easy path in life, none of them can truly see the bigger picture, but it's not like they have the ambition to do so anyways. And none more so fits that archetype than you."

I blinked at him in surprise.

Me?!

"You, in your ivory tower who looks down on the rest of us because you're special. Because being buddy-buddy with important people has given you your position on the force, because your circumstances allow you to be such an important kid, but that's exactly what you are - An unremarkable kid with the power to do some real good," Suwabe sneered at me. "And you squander that life by focusing on and only solving cases that pertain to important people in your life, you investigate things that pique your interest out of pride. You won't get any help from me or anyone else, so take my advice and just give up."

For a second, I nearly did it.

My grip on the handle of my sword tightened as it took all of my self control to keep it sheathed, my jaw having been clenched so hard that it began to ache. I couldn't calm myself down, and Suwabe knew this as he smirked at me, taunting me to even entertain the idea of it.

To attack him.

To take my anger out on him.

"...Why is Daguchi's phone so important?" I eventually asked. "Is it really that important to the investigation?

"Why? We believe it has information containing important documents regarding the running of this city," Suwabe answered. "We also believe that it may be those documents that led to Daguchi's untimely death. I'd rather they not get into anyone else's hands, after all the murderer proved they're willing to kill one person to get to them. Would you rather more blood be shed? It's imperative that the phone is found to end this case."

I frowned at that.

"And forcing Nanao to temporarily leave? Telling me you won't help my investigation? How is any of that helping you?!" I asked him, raising my voice slightly. "I'm not going to stop just because you feel threatened by how effective I can be. That's all this is. You'd rather protect your own pride than solve a case, but you're the one claiming that I'm being too prideful here."

Suwabe laughed at that.

"Pride? Mighty ironic that you're talking about pride, the only motivating factor for you to solve this case is your pride, detective," Swuabe returned with a smug look on his face. "Hm. And here I thought you could look at the bigger picture. Think, child. The mayoral election is coming up and now the winner is clear, despite that we have new information coming out about Daguchi and the murderer and their motives are still unclear. This is a case where we barely understand what happened the night Daguchi was killed."

"That-,"

"I understand if you wanted to help, I understand if you wanted nothing to do with the case, but what you did is undermine the authority of the police - Keep in mind that you aren't one of us, and you aren't a Hero either," Suwabe returned venomously. "You're a hybrid of the two. But that doesn't mean that you represent us. I admit, you've closed some impressive cases for a rookie, all on your own too. But for this? For something as important as this, don't be conceited and think you'll solve it so easily."

"..."

I shut my mouth, gripping Daguchi's phone in my pocket.

This bastard had no idea.

"...Daguchi's funeral is in a few days. It'll be a week after his death, the funeral will be at city hall, and I want you to be there, detective," Suwabe told me. "I want you to be there, as well as your little friends at U.A. Show me you can be the bridge you were supposed to be, and I'll let you back in. I don't want to have to punish you or Iori, I'm not being unreasonable. You're being more of a Hero right now, however, and as you know Heroes can't do what you can do. We can't afford you to be gung-ho and mess up the investigation, again."

Tch.

"Yeah, got it. I'll be there."

I turned away from Suwabe, leaving his office with a scowl on my face.

Why couldn't he just understand it?!

There was no way I was just going to stop here, even if I had to do it on my own.

---

Chapter

Seventy

Four

'Shadows over Me'

---

"Well, what happened?"

I shut the door angrily, my lighter flickering as I kept on rolling my thumb over the spark wheel. Damn lighter didn't even fucking work!!

I sighed, dashing the broken lighter against the wall, leaving a mark as I put my unlit cigarette back in its box. I'd have to borrow the kitchen lighter if I wanted to smoke, and carrying around a tacky long kitchen lighter would only worsen my mood-,

"Woah, woah," Tokage's voice snapped me out of my thoughts as she raised her brow at me, or rather the lighter I had just broken. "...I guess things didn't go so well for you, did they? Judging by that reaction. You should see the news, by the way, they've been talking about the ex-mayor's affair all afternoon. I can't lie, that girl he was getting with was pretty cute, I could see you trying to date them."

"Setsuna-,"

"Cheer up, grumpy head," She cut me off with a smile. "It's not a good look on you. Well, are you going to stand there admiring my beauty, or are you going to explain why you're so angry you tried to set fire to your dorm?"

"...Who even let you in?"

"Yaoyorozu," Tokage answered, sitting down opposite me on the couch. "She seems to think we're 'close' if you catch my drift. I had to explain to her that you're far too suicidal for me to consider letting hit that. Even if I know you secretly do."

"..."

"What? Are you so stunned by my attractiveness that you can't even think right?"

"No, no. I am stunned. Stunned by how stupid you are," I replied, stroking my chin. "I know this is a recurring joke, but seriously, you need to stop teasing me. People are actually starting to think we're together when we both know that we'd rather kill each other than actually get together. You're too crazy for me, and I'm simply too injury-prone for you."

Tokage laughed at that.

"Well, they don't need to know that-,"

"Setsuna."

"Fine, fine," Tokage rolled her eyes at my tone. "I know you're angry, but that doesn't mean you have to ruin my fun. Teasing you is the only levity I can get from my stressful life. Again, what happened to put you in such a prissy mode?"

…

I sighed.

"Nanao got suspended," I told her. "Commissioner Suwabe got annoyed at us investigating the mayor's death on our own without sharing information with the main investigation. So he suspended her and said I'm on my own with the investigation, that if I get in the police's way I'd be punished too. Tsk. That fucking idiot doesn't know shit, he's probably just covering his ass because he doesn't have a lead in this case!!"

"And you do?"

Pausing, I reached deep into my pockets and pulled out the phone I had found earlier. The mayor's phone I had taken from the apartment opposite his home where he was found murdered.

The same phone Suwabe was looking for.

"Is that-,"

"Yeah. It's mayor Daguchi's phone."

"You stole it from the crime scene?!"

"...Well, when you put it like that, it makes me sound like a bad guy," I said with a smirk. "But no, I didn't steal it from the crime scene. I found it and 'forgot' to turn it in after my talk with Suwabe. A shame. Either way, this phone is now the biggest lead we have, and I'm not going to let it go."

"We?"

"With Nanao suspended, I'm going to need some help. I could ask Sero or Yaoyorozu, but firstly Sero doesn't really like me and Yaoyorozu would probably snitch on me. And I don't trust Midoriya considering he works with the HPSC," I explained to her. "But I was always going to trust in you. It's just that this time, you're the only help I have. With Nejire away on business in Italy too-,"

Crash.

I turned around in confusion and saw that the small door that covered the cupboard just off the stairs suddenly collapsed, and two people fell outside. A familiar tuff of fair hair and chocolatey brown eyes as well as light-blue hair stared up at me, one with a sheepish look on his face because he was caught and the other stared blankly at me much like a robot.

Sai Yafuso, my mentee, and Katsumi.

My sister.

"Er, hi?" Sai began. "...Sorry."

"..."

"Did you allow them to get in here?" I asked Tokage. "Please don't tell me you're on their side."

"Me? I didn't even know they were here!!"

"Oh, fuck."

Both Sai and Katsumi were staring at the phone I was holding.

"...You see, Sora-sensei, we were just-,"

"We snuck in to see how your investigation was going and how we could help you out," Katsumi bluntly told me. "We tricked your dorm mate Sero into thinking that he forgot to take out the bins and snuck in while he was out of the dorm and hid in the cupboard for approximately an hour before you came back here. And yes, we overheard everything you just told Tokage."

"...Shirakumo! You don't have to tell him-,"

Katsumi shook her head at Sai.

"There is no point in lying, plus your poor performance already outed us and ruined whatever chance we had of lying. Yafuso, I recommend you take lessons in learning how to maintain composure or else your Hero career shall be short lived-,"

"Says the girl that freakin' talks like a robot-,"

"Alright, alright," I cut them both off with a sigh. "Just shut up. I have half a mind to throw you two out of my dorm because I'm annoyed enough already. Fucking meddlesome first years. What's it to you even if I'm investigating the mayor's death?"

"We want to help you!" Sai told me. "I-, I don't want to sit back helpless and watch things go to shit when a real Hero would stand up and stop the chaos brewing! How could I ever call myself a Hero if I do that?"

"Because you're not a Hero, you're a dumbass kid," I replied with a huff. "You are helpless. There is nothing you can do to help me. And that goes for you too, Katsumi. It might be harsh, but you two literally just joined U.A. not even a month ago. You're not ready for this."

"Why do you get to decide that?!"

"I agree with Yafuso's statement," Katsumi nodded alongside Sai's refusal. "You may be two years older than us, but that does not mean you are far more experienced than us in this field. Could this not be seen as a training exercise to prepare us for the-,"

"What are you fucking stupid?!" I yelled at them in anger. "Someone just died. And you both think you can help out in the investigation? First of all, I don't even know why you thought I'd even allow the two of you to help me in the first place. You're my mentee and my younger sister. Secondly, you're way too young for this, I'd know all about that. And thirdly, it's none of your business."

"But-"

Tokage stepped forward, glaring at the two of them.

"You heard the skipper. Get out, and don't mention anything about what you just overheard to anyone," Tokage threatened them. "If you really want to prove yourself to Sora then just shut up and pretend like you don't know anything. Like a mushroom. Kept in the dark and fed shit."

I watched as Sai blinked at her in confusion.

Thankfully, Katsumi had more than enough common sense than to argue my decision as she dragged Sai out of our dorm. I mean, at least one positive thing was that she made a friend here.

I think.

Shrugging my shoulders, I turned to look at Tokage who was staring at Daguchi's phone that I had 'burrowed' from the scene of the crime with an inquisitive look in her eyes.

"...You know, they could help."

"We're not having this conversation-,"

"Hear me out," Tokage interrupted, turning to face me directly. "You said it yourself, you need more helpers. We both know that your younger sister isn't suited to be a Hero, just like me or you. I mean whatever All For One did to her has made her… unique. And that other boy for some reason looks up at you. With the two of them as firsties in the Hero course, they could end up like you did. Without any help from the adults around them, thrust into situations they weren't prepared for-,"

"That's exactly why I'm not letting them join the investigation," I told Tokage. "I don't want to be like Nezu was towards us in our first year. Likely knowing it was a trap but going ahead with it because it was 'Heroic'. They're just kids. I'd rather not create another 'Class A' or 'me' because of my actions."

"Do you honestly think that saying they can't help you is going to deter them?"

…

"I know you saw the looks in their eyes," Tokage said to me. "You told them no and they didn't look undeterred one bit. No matter what, they're going to do what they want, and I know it annoys you. Would you rather they do something stupid and pay the price for it, or make sure that they don't do something stupid by trusting in them? Because back then, the adults had to trust us too."

I scowled at that, reaching for the kitchen lighter.

I needed a smoke.

"Listen, I know that we were basically forced to fight for our lives and the adults for better or for worse had to accept that fact," I eventually replied. "But there are some adults that want to make the same mistake again. That's why I'm pissed. Because a cycle could be broken-,"

"There is no cycle, you're just an angry idiot."

I huffed out at that, opening a nearby window as I lit up my cigarette.

"Whatever, whatever."

"Who are you angry at, Sora-,"

"Them. People like Nezu and Suwabe," I snapped at her. "...People who use the fact they're in a position of power to their advantage. What, you don't think Nezu doesn't have a plan in action? Hell, the way Suwabe was speaking felt more like a speech a mayoral candidate would give. How many more people are they going to play around with? These are people's lives, and they are treating them like they're just chess pieces on a fucking board."

Tokage's eyes softened at that as she hummed in response.

"...I see. You just don't want to feel like you're under anyone's control. That you can't decide what happens in your life," Tokage summed up. "Is it because of the fact that you're sick and you don't have much time left? That you're searching for your brother? That there are all these-,"

"Drop it-,"

"Talk to me then!!" Tokage yelled angrily at me. "Ugh. I'm sorry. But you're being an idiot keeping all of this to yourself. How can anyone ever understand you if you keep your emotions bottled up and don't explain how you feel? And then you get angry when we try to understand you because you won't take the first step in understanding yourself."

I sighed at that.

"...It's more complicated than that."

"Is it? Whatever, let's just move on. What's your plan with the phone?"

"Something on it must be important," I replied, taking a long drag from my cigarette. "So I just have to find out whatever is on the phone and chase that lead no matter what. Nezu asked for it, so he knows what's on the phone. He was leading me to it. Even if the police will be scrutinising my every move now, and with Midoriya around everything I do will probably be relayed back to the HPSC. So what, I just got a manoeuvre around some big pieces, big deal."

"Big pieces? We are talking about institutions of the government here."

I shrugged my shoulders at that, offering her a bright smile.

"C'mon, we are all agents of the government in one way or another. I mean for one, you're definitely a federal agent with that shitty hair colour," I mocked her. "Personally, I like your natural hair colour more, Setsuna. It suits you. You're like a forest, very easy to get lost in but a temple filled with treasure buried somewhere. Although, it was probably ransacked by some rich asshole."

Tokage scoffed at that.

"Are you trying to call me a loose woman?!"

"Did you only just pick up on it?"

---

I watched as Mei Hatsume stroked her chin deep in thought.

"You want me to…?"

"Break into this phone," I replied with a charming smile. "And keep it on the down low too. Preferably, if you could access it on one of your computers or laptops that can't be traced, you know. It's… a potential crime. But, and I do mean but, if the case is solved no one should complain, so technically you're just helping a mate out. Get it? No? Uhm, well that's awkward-,"

"Shut up. You're silly movie humour is a distraction," Mei shot at me coldly as she inspected the silver phone closer. "Hmph. Some good specs for a phone. Hell, I don't even think this is a phone that's currently released on the market. Seems either custom made or a prototype. What phone do you have again?"

"Er… I think I have the IOrange fifteen."

"Hm. This might be the iteration of phones that's the generation after the upcoming generation. So, I guess, considering you have the most recently released phone, this phone the mayor had would be classified as the IOrange seventeen."

My eyes widened at that.

"For real?!"

"It's worth pennies," Mei told me, increasing the focus on her goggles. "As the phone currently is, I'm leaning towards a very rough and unfinished prototype. Considering it was the mayor who owned it, and judging by the recent scandal he's been pulled into, I bet he might have been gifted it."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You're the detective here and you haven't figured it out?"

I shrugged my shoulders at Mei, leaning over her shoulder as she sat down at her desk to stare at the tiny and compact silver phone I found just yesterday. Hm. Now how did a nice phone like this that shouldn't exist even get in the hands of a dead mayor? That was an interesting question.

"I think I have a lead, if what you're suggesting is more than a theory," I told her while clicking my fingers. "The mistress he was sleeping with. Wherever she is, I'm sure she can tell me who gave him this phone or maybe even why he was killed. The only issue is everyone in this damn city is looking for her. From the police to the fucking underworld too, judging by a message I got from a friend."

"A friend?"

"Eh, he's sorta the leader of the biggest Yakuza clan in Musutafu," I told her honestly. "He's also sorta like my cousin or some shit. Not by blood. I guess the man who adopted him raised my parents, whatever that makes him."

"Your Grandfather?"

Pssht.

That's not-,

Oh.

Fuck.

"Cat got your tongue?"

"...Can you or can you not open that phone for me?" I asked her. "It's okay if you can't, I don't want to bring you into a massive case or something that'll impact your future. I'm sure I can ask Yaoyorozu or something for help, provided she doesn't snitch on me right away."

Mei hummed at that, waving my concerns away.

"No, I'll do it. It's just going to take time. Firstly, it doesn't have a battery so it'll have to charge. Second of all, I doubt this thing is running any normal OS, so I'll have to crack that and guess the password before the phone shuts itself down completely and will wipe itself clean. My work is cut out for me, but it's doable," Mei told me with a smirk. "It'll take me a week. Maybe two. If I work tirelessly at it, I can get it done in a few days, so I'll fastrack it and-,"

"Nah," I cut her off, shaking my head. "Take your own time with it. I do have another lead after all. This is just… an extra lead I guess? Don't stress over it, and take your time. If you rush it you could overlook something important. I want to do this right, well, I want to solve the case properly."

Mei shrugged her shoulders at that.

"Alright, then what are you going to do in the meantime? Outside of searching for Daguchi's mistress as seen in the photos. It's not like there's much to do, I mean basically everyone in Class A and B are out of the city on their trips, and they don't come back in like two weeks."

I shrugged my shoulders at that.

"I… don't know," I replied honestly. "Guess I'll just keep my eyes and ears open and wait for the right time to strike. Not much else I can do, you know. Just gotta keep on walking forward even if the world around me is going to shit. Message me if you have a breakthrough on Daguchi's phone. I'll speak to you later."

"Bye! Make sure you get some rest!"

"The irony of that statement is unreal."

Waving goodbye to Mei, I walked out her workshop as I wandered the near-empty school with my hands tucked into my pockets. Staring outside at the cold and grey skyline of the city didn't make me feel like it was Spring at all, even the sakura petals were starting to wither away unexpectedly.

Hm.

I guess even nature couldn't help but be impacted by the sheer malice humans had.

"A hundred Yen for your thoughts?"

I turned around to see Nezu leaning against the wall behind me, a smug smirk plastered across his face. I frowned at the sight of the headteacher of U.A., but I only shrugged my shoulders in response.

"You're going to need more than that to make me talk."

"You know, that's technically a bribe-,"

"I'm not talking about money," I cut him off, opening the window so I could lean over and smoke a cigarette. "You know, a bunch of people my age smoke and drink. From both of the Hero classes. I don't understand why U.A. has such strict rules on it despite never enforcing it properly?"

"Because society cares," Nezu answered. "You throw three teens into an adult party and no one bats an eye. You throw a teenaged Hero and suddenly everyone loses their minds. It's the difference in expectations, a normal teenager might grow up and work in a business or become a teacher. People in the Hero course are meant to be protecting people, how could they be smoking, drinking or experimenting with drugs?"

"It's not fair."

"It's the pressure mounted on you all by society, it just makes you want to act out even more," Nezu agreed with me. "And that goes for many other aspects of Hero life. Relationships, families, friends and even finances. A lot of Heroes divorce early and die alone, or have children that despise them because they spent all their time saving others rather than spending time with their own children. Then you get to the extreme's like Shoto Todoroki and Endeavour, and well, I think my point has been made clear."

I grunted in response, taking a long drag from my cigarette.

"Hm. Almost like being a Hero guarantees you an unhappy life."

"It's a good life," Nezu corrected me. "A job with high satisfaction rates, not to mention being a Hero means you have a direct hand in how this country is headed. You can make things better with your own actions. Many Heroes are willing to sacrifice a life with happiness from relationships and families because they find that their job provides them with so much fulfilment that they can't just go back to living like a normal human."

"You make it sound like it's a good thing."

"It is a good thing," Nezu told me. "What's the purpose of your life? To procreate? To be forgotten? Heroes will never be forgotten, even after hundreds of years people will remember All Might. That's a legacy. You can't talk about not sacrificing your life for your job, how many corpses of friends and foes alike did you step over to make it here? To be closer to achieving your goals - What's the difference between someone like Endeavour and you?"

I-,

"I don't abuse my own children-,"

"No, but you abused your friends' trust repeatedly, did you not? And even now, I don't know what secret you and Aizawa are keeping from the rest of us, but it's important and I intend to get to the bottom of it," Nezu told me, aggravating me as I flicked my half-lit cigarette down below. "For the pursuit of your own goals you've set aside everything you know. Even now, you'll still do it. And then you wonder why I purposefully moved you to be a detective-,"

Snap.

It happened in an instant, and I couldn't even begin to control myself. I had gripped the windowsill so hard it snapped in half. Even Nezu looked at me in surprise as I walked up to him, yet even as I towered over him it still felt like he was bigger than me.

"What are you going to do? Hit me? Kill me?"

"..."

"Indecisive. That's what you are," Nezu told me. "Much like your father. That's how he died, you know. Instead of running away with Aizawa, he saw someone needed help and he became conflicted. He became so conflicted in fact that a group of villains ganged up on him and stabbed him to death. Make your decisions and stick to it, Sora. Or, like you always do, get angry and blow up at the wrong people. It's your choice."

"Tch. Just fuck off, Nezu."

"I could expel you for that-,"

Pressing Nezu up against the wall, I saw his beady eyes widen with glee.

"...Is that a knife you're holding?" Nezu asked me, pointing at the Nimbus construction that appeared in my hand. I blinked in confusion. When did I-, "...You're confused? You still don't get it, do you? Your Quirk reacts to how you're feeling. Just like every other Quirk, heightened emotions act as its trigger and sometimes surprise even the user of the Quirk by how far their powers can go. It reacted to your anger and a knife was made, so go ahead and do it. Stab me."

…

I let go of Nezu reluctantly, making the knife dissipate.

Tsk.

"Oh and Sora, I won't stop your investigation. Even though I know you have Daguchi's phone. After all, I am excited to see how you'll solve the case," Nezu mocked me. "After all, you're the detective here. This is your city, won't you protect it and everyone in it? Or will you falter right at the end. I wonder what you will decide, Sora."

I-,

"Do you know what's on his phone that got him killed?"

Nezu smiled at me.

"I think you're looking at things the wrong way here," Nezu told me. "Whatever is or isn't on the phone doesn't matter. Personally, I wouldn't bank on it being anything important. Just another piece of the puzzle. But you're going to go after the girl in the photo's, right? That's your main lead. It's a good lead, something the entire city-, No, this entire country will be looking into. So go ahead, Sora. Prove your worth."

With those words, I watched as Nezu walked away from me.

I snarled in response, punching the wall in front of me in anger.

Damnit!!

…

---

The atmosphere in the dimly lit room crackled with tension as we gathered around the table, each of us grappling with the weighty enigma of Mayor Daguchi's murder. Shadows danced across the walls, casting an eerie ambiance over our impromptu meeting. Sero, Yaoyorozu, Midoriya, Tokage, and I formed a circle, our minds buzzing with uncertainty and suspicion.

Or, that's what I would like to say as we surrounded the Class A dorm living room with a tray of biscuits and other snacks carefully laid out in front of us, thanks to Yaoyorozu and her hosting skills.

"Maa, maa, you really don't need to go all out for us."

"Sora. This is an important discussion for us all, and I think it would be rude if we didn't go above and beyond for it," Yaoyorozu replied. "So please everyone, eat to your heart's content!"

Sero didn't need to be told twice as he dug into the snacks right away.

"Sero!"

"Wha'? Oh, pass da' cwisps!"

Midoriya sighed as Yaoyorozu chided him for his manners while Tokage laughed at the situation. I sat beside her and was fiddling around with my brand new lighter, even if it was hot pink at least it got the job done.

"Alright, here are the facts of what happened that night. Daguchi received a call to his private apartment while he was out with his family, so he dropped them off at their normal home as he went to the apartment to meet with whoever called him," I began, my voice cutting through the heavy silence. "And shortly thereafter, he met his demise. That's all we know. He was brutally tortured and died of that instead of the blunt object he took to the back of his head."

The weight of my words hung in the air, stifling and oppressive.

"And if that weren't enough," I continued, gesturing towards the laptop screen where scandalous images of Daguchi's infidelities flickered, "A day after his death, his secrets were exposed to the world. He was seen multiple times with this specific girl that the police are now actively searching for. We do not know if Daguchi's murder and the release of these pictures are linked or not, but in my opinion I think they are."

"Do we know why he was murdered?"

"...I've been told by my 'boss' that he was likely murdered because he had an important file on his phone," I told them. "It's also important to note that his phone is missing. No, I don't know what the file on his phone is about, before you ask."

I ignored the sharp look Tokage gave me.

Yaoyorozu's brow furrowed in confusion, her voice barely above a whisper. "But why go to such lengths? Why not simply end his life and be done with it? Why all of this for a file? What's so important about it that someone would be willing to commit murder than ruin the dead man's reputation over it?"

"It's possible that the affair was a motive for the murder," Midoriya suggested, his tone solemn. "Or perhaps it's a diversion tactic to shift our focus away from the true perpetrator. Away from the true reason. Maybe, Sora, the pictures were published independent from the murderer and their aims."

"That's precisely what I aim to uncover," I replied, frustration seeping into my words. "There are too many unknowns for me just to handle by myself. I'm not a God, I'm not all powerful or all seeing. I cannot do it alone. I need your help. And that's precisely why Nezu placed all of us in the same team and made it so we have to work together, so we can solve this case and have all of our friends come back instead of being scattered across the country."

Midoriya's gaze softened, a hint of sympathy in his eyes.

As did they all.

"The Hero Public Safety Commission and Endeavour's task force are at your disposal, Sora. We should consider utilising their resources," Midoriya told me. "I trust them wholeheartedly to do what is right here. To pursue justice no matter the cost, and I know that you subscribe to that line of thinking too, Sora-,"

I shook my head vehemently, bitterness coating my tongue.

"No. I'm not going to trust the HPSC, Hawks or Endeavour and his task force," I replied. "No way in hell am I letting them get in on this investigation. They'll just claim the outcome for themselves so they can further their own agendas."

Midoriya's patience wore thin, his frustration evident as he snapped at me.

"You cannot let personal bias cloud your judgement, Sora. We need all the help we can get," He told me yet again. "Agendas? We're talking about the safety of the populus here, and you clamour on about agendas-,"

"I want no part in the shadowy war the HPSC, Nezu and the government are fighting over!"

"You don't understand-,"

Before the tension could escalate further, Sero interjected, his voice cutting through the fray. We all stared at him in confusion as he scoffed down another cupcake before standing up and walking over to the whiteboard where all the pictures regarding the investigation had been printed out and stuck to.

"Er, guys, I think I know where that club is," Sero told us, pointing at a picture with Daguchi and his mistress where a club could briefly be seen in the background. "I think that's a club near the South West of the city. Club Escapade."

All eyes turned to him, a sense of anticipation hanging in the air as he spoke.

"How?

"I recognize the establishment associated with the woman and Daguchi in that picture over there. It's a Korean-run mafia club," Sero replied, not meeting our eyes. "I've, er, I tried chatting up a girl that frequented the place. She said some shady things about it. Not that I went with her or anything, just-, Yeah. I'm pretty sure that's Club Escapade."

Club Escapade… The Korean mafia…

"Huh? Why would mayor Daguchi go there of all places?" Yaoyorozu naively asked. "He was the mayor. I'm sure he had bigger and better things to do with his time than frequent a club in the poorest part of the city."

I shrugged my shoulders at that.

"You'd think he'd be a devoted family man considering his wife and son, and look at what happened. Bastard cheated on them both. Just because he was the mayor doesn't mean he's not human, Yaoyorozu."

Yaoyorozu's confusion turned to concern as she spoke up.

"But I thought Daguchi was a benevolent leader. How could he be involved with such nefarious entities? The Korean mafia? The South West of the city? Something must be wrong here!"

Sero's expression hardened, a hint of disdain creeping into his voice.

"Daguchi's policies were not as altruistic as they seemed. Maybe you won't get it, cuz' you're a rich princess who lives in an ivory tower. He took donations from the wealthy elite and used them to fund projects that sought to hide the poverty in Musutafu's underprivileged areas by literally building on top of them. It's ironic how that is how he got into power in the first place."

I hummed at that.

"...You mean the Aozora project? Or whatever it's called."

"Yeah. After you and Overhaul fucked up the city, along with the PM position being open, a mayoral election was held," Sero explained with a sneer. "Daguchi took that position to establish himself as the man who would make this city great again. The Musutafu Redevelopment Plan, something that had been talked about for years came into effect as one of his first policies, literally buying up land in the poorer areas of this city and kicking the tenants out so they could 'remove crime.' Fucking bastard, he was just taking out his frustration on the poor."

Yaoyorozu's eyes widened in disbelief, her voice trembling with indignation.

"So what? Statistically, the poor are far more likely to commit crimes-,"

"Excuse me?!"

"I'm just saying Sero, you're making him out to be a bad guy. He was voted by the majority, and even my mother endorsed his campaign," Yaoyorozu replied with a frown. "I think you're looking at his policies the wrong way. How much more peaceful has this city been since the Overhaul incident? The few incidents we have had have been due to outside force instead of coming from this city itself, and that's thanks to Daguchi and his policies-,"

"That's not-, He used his power to abuse those in the poorest class-,"

"You're getting far too emotional over this-,"

"How am I getting emotional-,"

"But perhaps we are jumping to conclusions too quickly," Yaoyorozu interjected, her voice soft but firm. "We must consider that this evidence may be taken out of context. Daguchi's intentions may have been misunderstood, and so maybe he was forced to go to the club and never actually cheated on his wife. These pictures could be fake or edited and we will never know, it could be a fake lead to throw the heat off the murderer."

Sero's jaw clenched, his temper flaring.

"How can you defend him, Yaoyorozu? His actions speak for themselves."

Before their argument could escalate further, Tokage stepped in, her calm voice serving as a beacon of reason in the midst of turmoil as she snapped her fingers at the two of them, drawing their attention away from each other.

"Let's not lose sight of our goal here. We need to work together to uncover the truth behind Daguchi's murder," Tokage said to them. "If you want to argue about politics, do it another time. Preferably not one with me in the room else I really will stab you both to death. Got it?!"

Her words acted as a salve to the growing tension, diffusing the anger in the room and refocusing our collective efforts on the task at hand. It wasn't perfect, but it was better than nothing.

"So… We'll just go to this Club Escapade and find out if the pictures are real or not," I told them. "If they are, we look for the woman in the photos. If not, well, I don't know. We'll re-evaluate our leads and try a different approach. Something I've learned about cases is that if things aren't going well, just spin the chessboard and pretend you're the other player. That way the moves you've taken and the ones you will take become much easier to discern."

Tokage sighed at that.

"Jeez, you and your detective quotes. Thank you for your kind words of wisdom."

I rolled my eyes at her.

"Stop being sarcastic. I was just trying to help."

---

Club Escapade.

There was no other way I could describe the place other than run down and grimey in the sense that just looking at it made me want to have a shower, let alone go inside and mingle there. It looked like the sort of place that serves the shots you order at the bar in unwashed cups and a dash of 'spit' for extra flavour.

Neon lights were plastered all across the building to give it some 'decor' but all it did was make the place look tacky and more of a lights show than a club you'd want to visit, which made sense considering the line outside the club had been empty for at least and hour now.

"You ready?" Tokage asked me, opposite Nejire's car she had left in my care. Tamaki had gone with her to Italy, although as more of a 'personal trip.' "I can't believe you snuck out with me! Doesn't it feel naughty? Especially in this run down car, imagine the freaky things we could do in here?"

"Yaoyorozu wouldn't dare dream of doing something like this, and I trust Midoriya to not tell the HPSC about this as much as I trust a villain. And Sero would just make this excursion a lot more riskier," I replied. "Sneaking out and doing this with you tonight is just easier and will speed up the investigation. I know it'll annoy them, but oh well. It's better this way, even if they'll be pissed at me."

"How'd you even get the drop on this place?"

"You mean outside of google maps?"

Tokage rolled her eyes at me.

"You know what I mean."

"I asked Yuuya," I replied honestly. "Since the Tatsuya Clan and the Korean mafia get along well enough, Yuuya called ahead already. A favour for the Boss he called it. He set up a meeting for us and the owner of this place, and also probably the leader of the Korean mafia. Kim Ji-Sung."

Tokage nodded at that.

"So, when do we go in?"

"I was waiting for you," I replied with a smile. "Too afraid to go into a nightclub when you're still seventeen?"

"You have a few days before your eighteenth birthday. Relax."

We both got out of the parked car, approaching the front entrance. It was empty, and there was no bouncer waiting for us outside. Despite that, when we approached the front door I noticed that there was a small sliding mechanism put in place on the door. As I knocked on the door, the sliding mechanism was put into use as a small part of the door 'slid away', revealing the eyes of the bouncer from the other side of the door.

"...What do you want?"

"I have a meeting with Kim Ji-Sung," I replied with a friendly smile. "Yuuya from the Tatsuya Clan sent me. Or called ahead. I'm not really sure about the deets. Gonna open up or what?"

The bouncer blinked at me in response.

"You're the detective?"

I flashed my badge at him.

Click.

Yet, as soon as the door opened, I deftly dodged to the side as the bouncer came barreling after me. His Quirk had allowed him to curl up into a ball and roll forwards, and I watched as he turned around and tried to crash into Tokage and I with finality. Before Tokage could react, I pulled out my sword from its sheath and lunged forward, catching the bouncer off guard as he fell unconscious rather quickly.

Neither Tokage or I had any time to rest however as more bouncers came out of the club, and I had to shield Tokage as one of the bouncers that was big, easily above ten foot, swung a hammer around hitting me in the back as both Tokage and I found ourselves on the floor at the foot of the stairs leading into the club.

"Ow."

"I don't think they're going to let us in," Tokage replied. "So, are we going to fight our way in?"

I sighed, getting up from the ground.

"They're not giving us any other choice."

There were five bouncers standing in our way, and I shook my head at them. I rested my sword on my shoulder as I analysed each opponent - The tall one holding the hammer clearly had a strength Quirk, the other two were like Shoji in the sense that their bodies were mutated giving them extra appendages, one of the bouncers was holding a gun and the final bouncer had a visor over his eyes.

"Should I take the two on the left?" Tokage asked me.

"Sure," I replied, walking forwards to face my opponents. "Meet in the middle to take the big guy on?"

"We'll see!!"

As Tokage went to fight the two mutants, I rushed forward and swung my sword down on the man holding the gun, watching in glee as I sliced it in half. Angrily, the man still tried pulling the trigger as bullets flew everywhere, and I had to summon my Nimbus to put up a shield around me to avoid getting hit.

Zap.

I blinked in surprise as my Nimbus broke down completely.

The man with the visor over his eyes grinned at me cockily as he sent another wave of lasers from his eyes at me, with the lasers tracking me for a few seconds before they fizzled out.

Hm.

I didn't have enough time to think however as my other opponent pulled out a life and lunged for me, forcing me to pivot on my foot and raise my sword to deflect his strike, using his momentum against him as I swept his legs from under him, watching as his head bounced against the stairs.

He was knocked out.

The man with the visor stared at me in confusion as I ran towards him, parrying each laser he sent towards me as I summoned my Nimbus when he was in my range, pulling him towards me. I watched as the man looked at my elbow in shock before I pulled all the Nimbus towards me and let it all out in spikes.

Inferno.

Tokage had quickly dispatched her opponents too, and the only one left was the big and burly man holding the hammer who looked terrified of us. I smirked at Tokage who was bleeding slightly.

"You got hit."

"Sorry I'm not a battle crazed maniac like you."

"It's fine. Just proves I'm stronger."

"Was that ever in doubt?"

"I seem to recall you trying to prove you could kill more Twice clones during the event at Camp."

Tokage rolled her eyes at me.

"That was nearly two years ago. Grow up."

I sniggered at her as we attacked the final bouncer in unison, her detached arms going for his head while I went for the man's legs, slicing away at them as he toppled easily, the back of his head smacking against the concrete with a heavy thud.

We didn't was any time as we ran inside the club only to-,

Find that it was…

Busy?

I looked around in confusion at the dimly lit club that was completely full in confusion. When did everyone even get here?! I turned around to face Tokage who started laughing as she pointed at the other side of the club.

Oh.

There was a side entrance.

"Dude. I think this is the door that's opened when the club ends, not when it starts," She told me with a giggle. "Technically, we just broke into a club. I don't think the bouncers back there were trying to stop us at all."

"..."

"That's right-," A voice came from behind us. I turned around, raising my sword up in defence as I saw a man in his thirties, a thin cross shaped scar on his cheek raise his hands in defence at me. "Hey! Take it easy, I don't mean no harm. I just saw that my bouncers situated near the back of the club have been taken out cold from my office and I'm confused, that's all."

"...Are you Kim Ji-Sung?"

The man smirked at that.

"You must be the detective. Well, come on in," Kim replied, pointing at his office up a small set of stairs. "We can discuss whatever it is you want to discuss in there. I don't want to ruin the customer's night out. Park, wake the bouncers up and tell em' they should speak to their customers first before resorting to violence."

"Yes, Boss!" One of the grunts called out.

I sighed in response, putting my sword back in its sheath as Tokage and I followed the man upstairs. As we entered his office, I immediately noticed how gaudy it was, but not in the traditional sense. A golden South Korean Flag was mounted on the wall behind his desk, and there were tons of pictures of the man with various people - Including one of him in military garb.

His desk was curved and expensive looking as we sat down opposite him.

"Hm," Kim started, tapping his fingers against his desk with a grin on his face. "So, you're detective Yamazaki I hear? Hinode-san did call before you arrived. He told me to treat you with the utmost care, otherwise he'll use the Tatsuya Clan to crush us… Please don't tell him we welcomed you with violence. It was not my intention."

"Nah, it's fine," I replied. "To be honest, he only said that because I was the previous chairman of the Tatsuya Clan. And cause' he's practically family. Just ignore Yuuya and his words."

I watched as Kim blanked out at those words.

"Ex-chairman? Family? That's very interesting, but that's a story for another day," Kim told us, opening up a bottle of expensive vodka. "So, what's the reason for the social call? If it's to make sure all my workers aren't immigrants, I have the paperwork all ready for you-,"

"I'm not here for that. I never will be," I cut him off. "But even if you did have immigrants, it's not like I'd give a shit. Let them come in and work. If anything this country should loosen up a bit regarding their strict laws on immigration. Pisses me off more than anything."

Kim blinked at me in surprise.

"Even if they are… criminals?"

"No normal person wants to be a criminal out of choice. Sure, you have the psycho's and the people who do it for the thrill of it. But the normal people that just want a better life? They don't have another option, and that's the failing of the state," I told him. "Still, I'm not here to discuss politics with you. Like I said, neither my friend here nor I are here for that. You can keep your workers, and keep their noses out of anything illegal. Else I'll be gunning for you."

I watched as the man boisterously laughed at that, pouring the three of us a glass of vodka.

"Haha! That's an interesting viewpoint, detective. Many of your contemporaries would disagree. They seek only to punish the criminal element and not understand where it comes from," Kim replied. "And I suppose your friend beside you agrees with you too?"

"I just do and say what he does but slower," Tokage replied with a grin. "So, I'm sure a man of stature like you keeps up with the news. Let's not make things difficult. The mayor of this city was seen with a girl in this club."

Kim nodded at that.

"…Okay, but, considering you two are what exactly? A detective and a Hero? People from your side of things have already come and seen me about this, so I'll tell you what I told them: Just because someone comes to this club doesn't mean I know who they are," Kim replied. "And secondly, the picture was taken outside of the club. There's no proof or evidence the mayor or the girl stepped foot in this establishment. So, there's nothing I can do to help you-,"

I sighed at that.

"Dude. That's an iffy technicality."

"Nonetheless one that'll hold up in a court of law. Unless you can prove they were both here, I can't help you-,"

"Well, say I did have evidence," I cut him off with a grin. "I mean, what if I had access to Daguchi's phone? So I'm not going to waste any time here, spill the beans or I'll go public. We both know that whatever is on his phone will cause a big outcry, leading all the way back to this establishment."

I watched as Kim's face turned a rather weird shade of purple at my words.

"Sorry? I-I-I have no idea what that even means-,"

"...He means," Tokage interrupted, shooting me a sly look. "That we know. We're in on the secret. So tell us what you know and we'll protect you. And if you don't, well, who can you blame other than yourself?"

Kim shook his head at us.

"No, trust me, I don't know anything-,"

Snap.

I leaned over, grabbing him by his tie.

"Listen here, shithead. I'm not in the mood for games, alright? Tell us what you know and maybe I won't send you to the hospital. Maybe I won't tell Yuuya that you've been playing games with us all night so break it down to us simply, who's the girl and why was she with Daguchi often? And where is this girl now?"

But before Kim could reply, the door to his office was slammed open.

I relaxed my grip as three girls only a little older than Tokage and I walked in, all wearing expensive dresses and jewellery as they took a look at us and blinked in confusion. Tsk. I let go of Kim, sitting back down in my chair as I took a gulp from the vodka the man had poured out for us.

"Kim-san?"

"Ah. Mayu, Nanae and Unagi. How's business going?"

"Everything is going fine on the main floor, Kim-san," One of the girls with blonde hair replied with a smile. "Who are these two? Are they new customers? Do you want us to show them to the main floor?"

"...They were just leaving," Kim replied. "In fact, maybe you can tell them yourselves. After all, didn't the nasty police and Heroes interrogate you so roughly too? It's a shame honestly that this fine country is run by people who abuse their power."

I watched as two of the girls turned to glare at us.

"Boo! Leave Kim-san alone. We haven't done anything wrong here!"

"Yeah, exactly! You guys are just bullies!"

I cracked a smile at that.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm the biggest bully of them all. So just shut up and go back downstairs, I haven't finished discussing business with your boss," I replied, placing a hand on my sword. "Isn't that right, Kim?"

"..."

On my right, I saw that Tokage tensed up as she looked at me in confusion.

But I didn't care.

I was so tired of this shit. In every case I worked on having a 'mystery', having someone hiding key information because they thought that they knew better. I just wanted this case to be over so all my friends could come back home instead of spending the next month scattered across the country. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that people like Suwabe, Nezu and even this guy in front of me all knew something that I didn't.

That they all had their own agendas.

I just wanted it to stop, the burning feeling inside my chest.

"Sorry man, I really don't know anything about the mayor or the girl in that photo," Kim told me. "I wish I could help you, but I can't. There's no business to be discussed here. Mayu, please escort them. I trust you the most to make sure our guests are taken out of the right exit."

The third girl, one with long flowing red hair and red eyes who had stayed quiet the entire time bowed in response. I sighed, getting up from the chair as I barged passed the two other girls who were glaring at me and Tokage, and I resisted the urge to glare back as we followed the red-haired girl around the club until we eventually went back to the exit Tokage and I had stormed past earlier.

Amusingly, I watched as all the injured bouncers with bandages wrapped around their faces turned to stare at Tokage and I in fear as we walked past them. Hm. Despite that, the girl leading the way didn't say anything to us as she opened the door and led us outside.

Immediately, Tokage rushed over to the car we had parked outside as I lit up a cigarette, watching as the girl who led us outside did the same. Hm. I scooted a little closer to her as we both took long drags from our cigarettes, staring at the night sky.

"...So," I began, trying to get the girl's attention. "How long have you been working here?"

"A year or so," Mayu replied. "I was a med school student before I dropped out. The entire business with Overhaul ruined my parents' business, so I work here part time to help support my family. Wish I didn't, but this was the only place that would hire me consistently. Plus the boss took a liking to me."

I nodded at that.

"And he treats you nice, yeah?"

"Well, I don't spread my legs out for him so maybe he appreciates that. Or maybe he thinks I'm playing hard to get. At the very least he's very generous with the bonuses he gives me," Mayu replied. "So, you're investigating the picture that was taken outside of the club? With the mayor, I mean. We had a few officers and even a Hero come yesterday about the photo, but Kim said he didn't know anything."

"And?"

I watched as the girl turned to look away from me.

"...And what?"

"We both know he's lying," I replied. "And I intend to get to the bottom of it. If you do know anything, any help would be nice. You know, you mentioned Overhaul. This whole situation is starting to ramp up to that level."

I watched as Mayu smirked at that.

"Oh yeah? I guess you would know, Detective Dragon."

"Huh?"

"Do you really think no one would recognise you? I mean, I recognise your friend. Lizardy. You're all Class A and B members," Mayu replied. "My younger brother is a big fan of you all. Along with that Aozora fellow that died a while back. But I recognise you from that press conference after the disaster that was All Might's funeral, the one where you tried to stand up for Deku."

…

"You know, I really don't want this city to be hurt anymore," I told her honestly. "From gang wars to villain attacks, this city never gets a break. Just when things are finally going well, the mayor gets murdered brutally. Is it so wrong that I just want to solve a case and make sure no one else gets hurt? Everyone has their own agenda in this world, but I just want to find the truth. Not for my pride, not to increase my status, I just want to help as many people as I can. But no one is letting me."

Mayu nodded at that, taking a drag from her cigarette.

"You know, I think people are too detached these days. From reality. If you only focus on yourself, the other people around you are less humans and more things. We all talk about Heroes and Villains, we draw sides making it seem so black and white in a world that's nothing but grey," Mayu told me. "Everyone just wants to protect their own skin and are afraid of reaching out to help others, after all if they do that then they put themselves in danger. It's funny, I guess having Quirks just makes us worse as people."

I laughed at that.

"Maybe it's not just a Quirk thing. But, I guess it doesn't help. Sure you weren't an art major?"

"I wish. I… You know, this club is really interesting," Mayu told me. "I wish I didn't work here, but even if I get hit on none of the sleazeballs that hang around here do anything. But there are some pretty sleazeballs that come in here every now and then. Lawyers, businessmen, even someone like the mayor. Politicians. It's interesting how a lot of them are always attracted to us who work there. Sort of like a cabaret club, they hire us, lining us up to try and find whoever is most desperate for an extra 'job' outside the club, if you catch my drift."

I laughed at that.

"You know, your boss would really hate what you've just said."

"If you think I want to work here, you're wrong," Mayu replied with a smile. "Even if this country is starting to hate Heroes, I don't think I ever will. You guys put in serious work to keep us safe, and I respect that. That's why I wanted to be a nurse. To help people. I don't know if what I said will be of any help but-,"

"You didn't say anything," I cut her off. "You just… had small talk with a potential customer. Trying to lure me in to get me to buy a drink or two so you can help your family who's going through some tough times. Sorry to say, but I'm on the clock. I can't join you today, but maybe another time? Perhaps under a more private setting."

I watched as the girl sniggered at that.

"...You're a dork. There aren't any cameras around here. No one is listening to our conversation."

"Oh."

I watched as Mayu leaned closer, kissing me on the lips as I felt her hand reach for my breast pocket where she took my phone and opened it by pressing my thumb on the screen. She quickly navigated over to the 'call' section where she inputted my number, before pulling apart from me.

"Call me any time, baby. I'll be open to meet you whenever you want."

And with that, I watched as Mayu walked back inside, swaying her hips for added effort. I could only admire her as she walked off, the door shutting as the guards glared at me, before I took the final drag of my cigarette, stamping the butt of it out on the floor.

Damn.

Making my way back to the car, I watched as Tokage rolled her eyes at me.

"Do you have to be so dramatic?"

"What can I say, I'm a dork?" I replied with a grin, getting in the car. "Hehe. Haha."

"You get kissed by one girl, and suddenly you act like this?"

"Haha, Setsuna, she's so freakin' hot!"

Tokage sighed at that.

"Man, you're such a loser. So, was it worth it?"

"She smells like bubblegum."

"Sora!"

I grinned at Tokage's annoyed face.

"Don't be salty over the fact that I got a kiss and you didn't," I teased, starting the engine of the car. "Now I can finally get you back after everything you've ever said to embarrass me. All because little Setsuna Tokage is jealous that a girl at a club leaned over and kissed me. Hehe. And yeah, it was worth it. At the very least, I got a small piece of the puzzle. Daguchi and the girl met at the club, but he's not the only one who's been there."

Tokage hummed.

"So? What now?"

I grinned, shifting the gear to first as I slowly brought up the clutch.

"Now? Now we're going to solve this mystery."

But before I could do that, I noticed another car parked opposite us.

And in the driver's seat was him.

I didn't even notice it before as Hawks stared at me, a smirk on his face as our eyes met, and I immediately frowned. Just how long had he been here, watching the two of us? I felt Tokage tense up next to me.

"...Is he…?"

"Yeah," I replied darkly. "He is."

Hawks was wearing a normal black shirt as I watched him raise his index and middle finger to point at his eyes, before his hand turned around for his fingers to be pointed at me and the message was clear as he started his car's engine, driving away while we remained still parked.

The HPSC was investigating Daguchi's murder.

He had his eyes on me.

…

Tsk.

---

OoO.

This was a nice connective chapter in the arc, mostly setting things up. I mean you do need these chapters, along with a nice small action scene and a tense meeting. Again, this arc is practically halfway through already, or near abouts, but I do have everything planned.

Somewhat.

Planned enough that I know where it's going, but loose enough where I can substitute a few elements every now and then. And that's a great segway into the discord you can join where I talk about these things along with many other great readers which you can join using this code:

So, see you next chapter!!