Syndicate

by InuKagomeLuver4Eva

The powerful Yakuza clan, Uraraka, has ruled Musutafu with an iron fist for hundreds of years. Now, when the first female heir is born, Ochaco Uraraka must take a stand as rightful ruler of the clan. A fateful encounter with a stranger who saved her life seemed nothing more than a one time event...until he shows up at her door looking for an in. Ochaco x Deku.

6. It Begins

Shota Aizawa stared hard at Izuku Midoriya. Izuku Midoriya stared back with a steeled resolve. Ojiro Mashirao nervously stared at Aizawa. Then he looked over at his friend. Back at Aizawa. Tension in the room shot up nearly a hundred-fold. No one dared to move, speak first; choosing to just sit in the uncomfortably suffocating room. The only sound was the soft ticking of the clock hanging on the wall. Ojiro began to sweat profusely. The pressure was becoming too much for him to handle; he didn't handle dangerously tense situations well and it was beginning to show. Just as his foot shifted forward someone finally spoke.

"That's a brazen statement to make, Midoriya; you better have sufficient evidence to back that up or else we're going to have a lengthy chat about throwing around those types of accusations." Shota responded icily, arms crossing tightly over his chest. He had a hunch Midoriya would figure out Ochaco's identity since Ojiro became wrapped up in their business, but he was pretty bold to outright question him. Ojiro looked on the verge of fainting from fear alone. "There will be severe punishments if you're sitting here wasting my time when there are more important things to handle."

"I…" Izuku started unsurely, already regretting his choice. Fear radiated from Ojiro and began seeping into his skin, the surface turning clammy. He could barely look his downright murderous superior in the eyes for more than a few seconds. "W-well…I've had a hunch that Ojiro was theoretically working under the Uraraka clan during that rainy day outing. Those kinds of vehicles are only used for higher ranking officials, politicians, or…Yakuza. When he responded to Kirishima, the suspicions grew. Then it turned into planning out the connections. I honestly did stop after you warned Kirishima and I; it was left alone in the office, covered up. But I believe Miss H—Ochaco, discovered it when taking a call and that's why she took off. Some of the lines were smudged, like a finger was ran across it between Ojiro's name and the Uraraka clan. That's what caused the panic attack; because I was looking into the Yakuza connections with the Uraraka. But the biggest clue was…"

"I-in the h-hospital, after you were injured." Ojiro filled in shakily, both sets of eyes turning to him. He kept his gaze averted, bouncing his legs nervously against the floor. "O-Ochaco came flying in once she received the news. I was already t-there with Chief Yagi, Midoriya, and Kirishima due to the investigation. She…became defensive when denied by Chief Yagi to stay and that's when I had to pull her away, to avoid having something overheard. I've never seen her that frantic before…like she thought you were going to die. Once I returned to the waiting room, I knew Midoriya had his suspicions so when he made the excuse for the bathroom…I followed him. I knew he was going to try and find Ochaco. He then confronted me and asked if I was working for the Uraraka, kept pushing and pushing for an answer."

"Then Ochaco showed up," Izuku finished quietly. "Ojiro was taken away by a guard leaving just the two of us. We talked. I confronted her about the contract, how what she'd done was cruel against my friends. I…said some nasty things…accused her of faking friendships. Haniko wasn't her real last name; it didn't take much digging to figure it out. Ochaco then, willingly, told me her full name and status as heiress to the Uraraka clan."

Shota scrutinized both of their expressions. They weren't lying. But Ochaco never mentioned spilling her identity to his detective. "Neither of you are lying?"

"No, sir!" They spontaneously answered, stiff as boards.

"There is something else I wanted to mention…" Izuku started meekly, hand barely raising. Sharp eyes locked on. "After revealing who she was Ochaco pointed a gun at me. At first I assumed it was real; l-loose ends and all, right? But after getting her pinned to the ground and disarmed, she yelled at me to fight, to prove I could survive what was coming. That's when I…I gave back the watch and told her bribery wasn't wanted for me or my friends. She tossed the gun at me and disappeared after that. It was only a training gun; she never intended to shoot me. But the biggest correlation I figured out was you; how you were defensive and over-protective when she first showed up, how you're always there and have instant access to someone who was supposedly only in town for a month. Ojiro mentioned you two were like family. I think—no, I know you're family…you've been with Ochaco since the beginning, haven't you?"

"Do you both realize that you've now blown my cover?" Shota spoke lowly, threateningly as his bangs covered his eyes. If his fist clenched any tighter it would explode. All his meticulous plans just went to shit. Now he had two massive liabilities with one already having a cover story. Midoriya? No fucking way he could justify the knowledge he possessed unless he had an accident. Maybe some of the bay sharks were still hungry after their midnight snack. "Twenty years of hard work you've exposed. Do you know how hard it was to get into the Uraraka clan as a novice officer? What I had to do to earn their trust? How much I've sacrificed for the greater good?"

"W-wait, your cover?" Izuku blinked, too stunned to say more. Cover? As in double-agent scenario? Was Aizawa a spy for the U.A. Special Police force?

"You've been undercover this entire time…" Ojiro breathed with wide eyes, the fear and tension slipping into overall numbness. "Then that means—"

"Of course I would know everything about the Uraraka clan. I'm the inside intelligence for the U.A. Special Police force. Correction; was. Since you two couldn't keep your voices to yourselves, I'll have to announce my undercover status to Chief Yagi and the entire station. Meaning I'll be out of a job. Right before a pending war between clans." Lying to these two was easy. Midoriya would make the connection and Ojiro would be too surprised to process it further. While not technically a lie, he just swapped the sides to make it more believable. After today neither would question him on anything. "Without my information pertaining to these groups you're bound to fail. You should've listened to me the first time, Midoriya, because now I can't protect your mother. I can't protect your friends. I can't protect the citizens of Musutafu from becoming brutally murdered by blood-thirsty opposing Yakuza. Your actions have consequences. If you still want to be a detective and work for the greater good in this city, you're going to have to bust your ass and risk it all. That also comes with terms of silence."

"Y-you want us to keep this all a secret?"

"Yes. If you were to reveal my undercover mission then the station would fall into array, and we'd be tossed aside by the Uraraka clan. Things need to proceed as they are. If word of this gets out…I can't guarantee your safety; either of you. Are we understood?" Shota asked harshly, really driving home the reality of their fuck-up. As long as they could remain silent, things may still work out in the end.

Both quickly nodded.

"Ojiro. My office. Midoriya. Go take a break somewhere away from the station for an hour. Clear your head before you come back. Not a minute sooner, understood?"

"Sir!" Izuku stood at attention, sharply saluting then quickly slipping from the room like flames were licking at his heels.

Ojiro felt a little relief as his friend left the room, though it didn't last long when Aizawa crouched down in front of him with barely constrained anger. He let out a little eep at the sudden appearance. "Y-yes?"

"You're going to tell me what happened that day at the hospital. Don't you dare skip anything."

"S-sir!"

Izuku didn't stop speed walking until a good four blocks away. And only then did he take a minute to catch his breath, leaning against a stone wall with a pounding heart. It felt near bursting from his chest like that one alien movie he saw once. Information overload practically had his head steaming like a fresh loaf of bread. Aizawa was working for the Uraraka…yet not in the expected way. Acting as an undercover made complete sense though. Infiltrating the Yakuza would give a direct line of intelligence to the U.A. Special Police Force. The U.A. Special Police Force had Uraraka members relaying and controlling information pertaining to members. The files were hidden away from view to maintain secrecy. It was an organized chain that kept both the Uraraka and Musutafu police force working in unison.

It also explained how close Ochaco was to Sergeant Aizawa; she'd literally grown up with him there. She became frantic after hearing about the attack, rushing in without thinking. What Ojiro mentioned earlier came rushing back to the detective. 'She doesn't have a support system to stand behind her.' Wasn't Aizawa her support system? Didn't Ochaco have parents? Her father was still alive, what about her mother? Was she still in the picture? They were still unknowns that could help piece together the puzzle.

Yet…

Izuku couldn't forgive the Yakuza that easily, even if it was soon to be run by a kind-hearted woman. What they did to him…what they took from both him and his mother was irreparable. His father was brutally beaten to death because of a Yakuza thug; an Uraraka Yakuza. The article didn't take any time to pull up as it'd made local news back then. A skirmish that led to a man, his father, getting wrapped up in which ultimately took his life. The police report mentioned it being a suspected Uraraka Yakuza due to the particular tattoos adorning his arms. Always a dragon tattoo with a sakura clasped either in its mouth or claws. The symbol of the most powerful Yakuza clan in Japan.

A fist slammed against the brick wall out of frustration. Damnit! Despite what Ojiro mentioned…despite failing to protect someone who was hurting and alone…despite everything that's happened over the past few months…

"I can't forgive her. I can't forgive what that family has done to me and Musutafu. I'm going to do what needs to be done and that's take down the Uraraka clan." Izuku proclaimed angrily, expression contorted. A few more hits of the wall and some of the steam released, easing off the tension. A throbbing in his hand grew but he ignored it. He needed to release some of the stress and frustration. "Three days. That's all I have to stop this…"

Needing a break from the real world for a while, Izuku pulled out his phone and dialed a familiar number.

"Hi, Izuku! Are you on your lunch break?"

"Hi, mom. Yeah, just taking a quick break before I get back to it. What're you up to?" Izuku's mother was always a reassuring person to turn to in time of need. "It almost sounds like you're outside. You know you shouldn't be out here in the cold, mom."

"Oh, don't worry so much! I'm all bundled up and had some tea at the shrine. I just need to go get a few things from the store is all."

"That old one you found years ago? I didn't think you still went up there. It's probably pretty dilapidated by now. That's also a lot of steps…you should be more conscious of your health. The doctor wants you to move more but that might be too much for you." Izuku fretted over his mother despite her waving it off every time. She was getting up there in age and hiking all the way up those stairs could result in injury.

"I can still handle those stairs just fine, Izuku. I appreciate your concerns, but you should focus more on work. Besides, I met a new friend up there today! She said her family has owned the shrine for nearly three-hundred years. Such a sweet thing, but she looked oh-so worn out for her young age."

"A three-hundred year old shrine? That's impressive. Does it have a family name on it?"

"No, it's remained blank. My friend mentioned she always knew where to go due to its location atop the mountainside. It's such a beautiful view, Izuku."

"Mom, I'm glad to hear you've got a new friend. It's probably nice to have someone other than me to talk to, right?" Izuku smiled tiredly against the phone. Since his father passed his mother rarely left the house, solely focused on raising him. Going out with barely any friends was rare for her.

"You should meet her, Izuku! I'm sure you two would get along swimmingly! When are you going to come over for dinner? You're not too busy this weekend, right? I'll make some Katsudon. Now that it's getting colder, it'll be the perf—oh!" Inko suddenly let out a surprised sound followed by the loud rustling of bags.

"Mom? What's wrong?" Izuku asked urgently. Was someone trying to go after her already? "Hold on, I'm only a few minutes away—"

"Someone left a gorgeous bouquet of flowers on my doorstep! Oh, Izuku, they're the loveliest things I've ever seen!"

"Flowers?" The detective questioned quizzically. He certainly hasn't left any flowers and there weren't any neighbors that would do it out of the blue. No one died…at least to his knowledge. "That's a bit odd. And they're addressed to you specifically?"

"Yes! Such pretty flowers though awfully cold this time of year. There's a little note too. Hold on, let me get the groceries inside and then I'll bring these beautiful flowers in," Inko shuffled around for another minute on the line, getting the groceries inside before returning to the door. "I can't get over how vibrant these are, Izuku! Here, let me send you a picture!"

A few seconds later and the bouquet came through in a message. Eyebrows raised at the sheer size and complexity of the arrangement. Yellows, pinks, lavender, whites. At least eight different types of flowers normally only available in spring and summer. Now that it was transitioning into winter, those flowers were extremely hard to come by. "Wow, mom…that's quite large."

"I love it! Wait, there's an envelope tucked on the side here. Let me open it real…got it. It reads; 'Dear Inko Midoriya, I had a lovely time chatting with you and truly appreciate your hard work, diligence, and care to my family shrine. I'm forever grateful for your compassion. I hope to see you at the shrine again soon. Best Regards, Miss Haniko.' Isn't that such a sweet letter, Izuku? You've got to meet Ochaco soon! You would love her—"

Izuku felt the phone slip from his hand, the device clattering loudly against the sidewalk. The screen cracked from the height, yet all surrounding noise soon became silenced as a heavy ringing filled his ears. Virescent stared blankly at the fallen device, hand still beside his head. That name…there was no way. She wouldn't have. Was it because he found out? Interfered with Ojiro? His mother had been compromised. He needed to…what could he do? If his apartment had been already monitored, it wasn't safe there either. With both places now known to the Uraraka Yakuza, he couldn't hide out anywhere in the city. Dragging Kirishima and the others into his mess was too much to risk seeing as they'd already become intertwined. They could leave the city, couldn't they? He didn't know what to do.

But there was someone who would know what to do…

During his internal crisis, someone reached down to grab the discarded phone. The screen was shattered beyond repair, pieces flaking off with each move. A fast dusting of the screen then it was held out to the oblivious owner. After more than a few seconds passed without a response so three taps on the shoulder finally snapped him from the daze. Izuku sharply looked over to see Melissa Shield standing there with her usual cheerful demeanor, holding out his damaged phone with both hands.

"Sorry to startle you, Izuku. I called out your name a few times, but you didn't seem to hear me. Everything alright? You look pretty shell-shocked. Also, I'm not sure if you're phone is salvageable since it's pretty damaged…"

"M-Melissa..." Izuku eloquently sputtered out.

"That's my name," The American blonde giggled with a tilt of her head. "You okay? You really seem shaken up."

"F-fine, I'm fine. Just…still a bit rattled by the meeting from today is all. Thanks for the, uh, my phone back. I'll have to get that fixed…" Damnit. There was no way to salvage the screen, and it didn't even seem to have power left. A total loss. An unexpected cost that would take time to salvage the data on. His mom would panic once she couldn't get ahold of him.

"I can always take a look at it for you. I'm nothing like my dad despite the environment I grew up in; he's always been more of the mechanical side of things. If it's just the screen it's an easy fix. Past that, I'm afraid it may need full replacement." Melissa explained while staring at the phone intently. Izuku felt his face tint at the closeness.

"That's alright! It should still be under warranty so I can have it replaced within a day or so. What're you doing out? Running some errands?"

"Actually, I was on my way to pick up some lunch for Uncle Toshi. He's been swamped with work, and I figured he'd appreciate a warm meal. Why don't you join? Surely you haven't eaten yet, right? That meeting ran a little bit long earlier. I think your friends are still out of the office. Katsudon was on the agenda for today, though I'm not too sure where to get some since I only come here a few times a year." Melissa clasped her hands at her lower back once they began moving, casually strolling through the streets of Musutafu.

"There's a great place not too far from here actually. It might be a bit of a wait; they're the best in town. Everyone always tries for some." Izuku pointed further down the street at an old-style building at the end of the next block. "Ah. I can see the line stretching from here…"

"That's alright. If there's a line there must be good food, right?" Melissa asked optimistically, bright smile aiming at the detective. He nodded in response, shooting back a not-quite-full grin.

Once they managed to reach the building, and it's extensively long line, the two began the wait and caught up. Melissa had been shadowing her father more over the past few months, even going across the globe to conventions with other inventors. She explained how technology was constantly evolving and changing with the times, meaning new branches of research sprouted off into their own categories. Everything from software to firmware, hardware and electrical schematics. Nearly every single component of the technology had to change to keep up with modern society. Even Shield Industries was advancing leaps and bounds to a brighter future.

"Dad said he's diving deeper into the security division of the company in order to provide top-notch security for clients. Standard cameras and alert systems are a thing of the past; now it's all about facial recognition, background checks, and even real-time motion tracking. Technology keeps advancing and we're spending most of our time just catching up. But enough of my job; how's the detective work going?" Melissa directed the conversation back at Izuku as they stepped just inside the threshold of the restaurant. Enticing smells had the detective's stomach rumbling readily. Breakfast had been skipped due to the abrupt visit of Kaachan and Shoto.

"Things have been getting rough lately. I'm sure you've heard about what's going on in the city," The blonde nodded at that, fully aware of the Yakuza skirmishes. "Crimes have increased practically overnight and we're now on mandatory overtime for the foreseeable future. We've been hitting nearly ten hour patrols with countless more hours of paperwork that just keeps piling up. On top of that, people are becoming more afraid of a looming Yakuza war. They're calling us day and night to report suspicious activity even if it's not gang related. We were deployed one night only to find out it was a drunken businessman stumbling down an alleyway; the caller said it was a Yakuza skirmish."

"Man, people are really freaked out, huh? Uncle Toshi has been stressed and exhausted as of late. I can see it in his eyes. The rest of your team is looking a little sleep-deprived as well. What about you? Are you worried the Yakuza skirmishes are going to escalate into a full war?" Melissa asked.

"More than likely. The Shigaraki gang already attacked Sergeant Aizawa at the police station, so there's no telling what they'll do next. I believe they're striking at night when our resources are thinner just to cause unrest in the city. Musutafu isn't such a peaceful city anymore…" Izuku trailed off uneasily. Melissa didn't need to know the reasoning behind his conflictions. Maybe she could leave Japan before things got too intense. "Anyway. We're doing everything we can to protect the citizens and ensure no war breaks out."

"Wow, that sounds like a lot to deal with, Izuku. No wonder everyone looks stressed out! I'm curious about something though; there's heavy rumors of a new Uraraka heir emerging at the beginning of the year. Does that mean the city is going into lockdown or does the ascension affect normal life?"

"A new Yakuza heir? Bah! Don't say such things, girl," An old man in front of them turned around at the statement, wrinkled and shaking finger pointed at her. "There hasn't been an heir in at least forty years, not on the Uraraka lineage anyways. Kenji took over after his father and rumor has it he's childless. My guess is he'll stay in power to deal with this new gang and send them packing. Things are better under him! No point in changing the way life works around here."

"You really think so? How have things been better under Kenji Uraraka?" Izuku interjected, interest now highly piqued. Maybe a civilians point of view would clarify a few things. "Crimes have decreased under his reign though that alone doesn't make him a great leader."

"You kids don't understand how things work around here. Back in my day, Ishikawa led the Uraraka clan with an iron fist and balls of steel. No other clan dared to enter Musutafu without his strict permission; even those who followed the proper channel were denied if he deemed them a threat. The city had low crime because he also kept his men in line. Since Kenji took over a few decades ago, businesses have begun to flourish thanks to his help. Don't get me wrong; people still go missing if they don't pay their dues, if you catch my drift. That's standard with any Yakuza gang. Struggling businesses now have the option of Uraraka protection instead of being forced to choose it. They saved my ass about fifteen years ago when a rivalling grocer stole all my business and had me hanging on the verge of bankruptcy."

"You're saying they came in, offered you assistance and saved your business, then just left you alone? Nothing else like having to serve under them?" Izuku's brows furrowed. If someone aligned themselves to the Uraraka, surely they had to sign a binding agreement to serve the family just like Ojiro. The old man flapped a hand at the remark.

"Nah, he couldn't give two shits about recruiting an old codger like me. Offered site security as well. Got this one guy, Itagaki, who patrols nightly. Bit of an oddball but keeps the ruffians out. Doesn't speak much either. Never causes a ruckus, never asks for anything. If someone comes in looking for a fight, he knocks them down even before they can throw an insult. Haven't lost stock since he showed up and Hayashi Groceries is stronger than ever."

"Interesting…" Izuku muttered to himself behind a hand. Normally businesses were forced to align themselves with the offering Yakuza in order to prevent another gang from swooping in on their turf. But why leave the grocer alone? Why not force him to provide for the Uraraka clan? "Can I ask one more thing? Do the Uraraka ever ask you to do anything for them; like providing provisions or responding to requests?"

"Eh? Why would they need to do that? They check in every few months to verify no other gangs try to overrun me, but that's it. There's no need to reach out to a small business owner when they have other ventures." The old man replied gruffly, turning to make his order at the register.

Izuku contemplated. Assisting local businesses while not enforcing allegiance to the Uraraka. Why would Kenji do that? Why not force them into servitude like Ojiro? The old man had to have taken money from them to survive, right? A contract like that would surely have a clause stating bodily, monetary, or supplemental servitude. Why was his friend forced into a binding agreement?

Was Ochaco the reasoning behind the secretive contract?

Melissa eyed Midoriya with interest. He'd gone into another one of his rambles, muttering beneath his breath a thousand miles a minute. While she couldn't understand practically all of it, the words Yakuza, Ojiro, and Uraraka were audible. She chalked it up to his personality and ordered for the three of them as he muttered about. He followed instinctively yet never broke from his ramblings. Melissa let out an amused giggle. Izuku Midoriya was such an oddball at times. Shifting to the side to wait for the food, both adults stood in silence apart from the muttering emitting from Izuku. It wasn't until a phone call on Melissa's side that he finally snapped from his deepening thoughts, jerking at the loud ringtone.

"Sorry, it's dad. I'm just going to step outside real fast, okay? The food's been ordered and here's the ticket for it. Few minutes." Melissa quickly apologized before scurrying outside of the packed restaurant to talk to her father. "Hi, dad! Can you hear me?"

"I can hear you just fine, Melissa. How's Japan?" David Shield responded warmly. A bit of machinery noise could be heard in the background of the call.

"It's great so far! The weather is slipping into fall and it's perfect for all those sweaters I brought. I met up with Uncle Toshi already; he's super busy with a big case right now so I'm out with Izuku getting lunch." Melissa replied happily as she took a few steps away from the entrance to block out civilians and a chilly wind that picked up. What her father didn't need to know was she was researching two of the largest gang organizations in Japan and offering her help. "I haven't really explored the area yet, been busy with settling in and visiting uncle Toshi. How's work going for you?"

"Busy as usual. The new prototypes haven't quite kicked all the bugs out yet, so they're running havoc when doing certain tasks. We'll get it all fixed eventually. Enough about work. How's Izuku doing? I haven't heard you talking about him much since the last time. Lovers quarrel?"

"Dad! It's not like that," Melissa instantly rebutted, head shaking at his ridiculousness. Anytime she talked to a boy, her father was there asking if she was dating them; even if it was a guy at a restaurant. "We're just friends, sometimes coworkers. It's nothing more than that. Promise. Work keeps me too busy and he's no different. Right now the U.A. Special Police Force station has increased shift times, seen a higher fluctuation of crimes, more citizens calling in—"

"You're not getting involved in that Yakuza war business, are you?" David suddenly interrupted. He could practically feel the defeated sigh slipping from his daughter. "Melissa. You know I don't want you getting involved in that sort of stuff. Leave it to the trained professionals. Toshi already knows to keep you out of it."

"I'm not directly involved, per se, merely doing research and aiding in their missions. I don't want to get wrapped up in this Yakuza business as much as the next person. Seriously, I'm not doing anything to put myself in—"

Tires screeching loudly drowned out the peaceful fall air, the sound of engines roaring intermingled. Two blacked out SUV's came shooting around the corner just a few blocks down, weaving erratically through the lunchtime traffic as an ice blue sports car followed close behind. Out of the passenger side window emerged a cloaked figure, bottle in one hand and lighter in the other. Melissa felt the blood drain from her face as she took a few steps back. Well…shit. Not the excitement she wanted nor needed today.

"I'm going to have to call you back, dad."

Izuku had just grabbed the food when he heard the screeching tires through the open doors. Setting aside the bag back onto the counter, he ran outside just in time to see two familiar vehicles heading his way with an unknown on their tail. His eyes darted to a man sticking out from the passenger side window. "That's…Shigaraki!"

"Are you sure, Izuku?" Melissa warily asked as the vehicles drew nearer, their erratic movements pushing them closer to the opposite side of the street. "Are they brazen enough to attack in broad daylight with so many civilians around?"

"Can I see your phone?" Izuku urged, promptly taking the offered device and dialing a familiar number. It rang three times before finally being picked up.

"Sergeant Aizawa, U.A. Special Police Force—"

"Sergeant Aizawa! It's Midoriya. I'm borrowing Melissa's phone. We've got a situation down at the Musutafu Katsudon restaurant. Two blacked out SUV's being chased by a light blue sports car. There's a passenger hanging out of the window with a Molotov cocktail. It's one of the Shigaraki men, I'm sure of it!"

"I'm on my way. Keep track of them and where they're going! Get any civilians to safety and don't be reckless; this isn't a situation others can get involved in." Aizawa swore loudly as chaotic sounds of the busy office filtered through.

Izuku swallowed the lump growing in his throat. The last sentence was a clear warning; this is Uraraka business. If that's what his superior was getting at, then that meant Ochaco was likely in one of the vehicles. No doubt the one in the lead to have a buffer between the heiress and attackers. A quick glance at Melissa. She was afraid, clutching both hands against her chest. The color had left her face and even a slight tremble had picked up. This wasn't a safe place for her. "Understood, sir. I'm going to get people of the way due to the erratic driving. I'll keep you updated when I—"

"You're going to stay on this line and give me minute-by-minute updates, Midoriya. This isn't a call you back later situation. What direction are they headed? What landmarks?" Aizawa sharply cut him off as the sound of an engine roared to life, sirens soon wailing above him. Shigaraki had some fucking balls to go directly after Ochaco. They wouldn't be getting away this time. Back-up wouldn't reach him fast enough, and he needed more than one set of hands. As much as he really didn't want to, Midoriya would have to get involved.

"West towards National Route One. I think they're planning to use the bridge over the Abe River. It's too dangerous to keep weaving through the city like this. They might be going towards a more isolated area, maybe up into the mountains to lose them on the winding roads. I don't have a vehicle right now to follow."

"I'll be there in a minute. I'm not going to stop so you better jump in fast. We're going after them once you get the civilians to safety. Get moving!"

"Sir!"

Izuku quickly explained to Melissa that she needed to escort the civilians further into the buildings and away from the streets. After a few reassurances that everything would be fine, she got to work. Directing the people inside was an easy feat once they saw the chaos headed straight for them. While not new for them, the severity of recent attacks had skyrocketed. Turning to track the cars now less than two blocks away, he made note of the license plates and a better description of the attackers. Crazy black hair, dark fluttering cloak that looked stitched together, eerie smile with eyes that matched the car. Charred and stapled dying skin. Definitely one of Shigaraki's men. Unholstering his gun, Izuku kept it at the ready as they neared.

He could shoot out one of their tires or try to incapacitate the driver, but the amount of people would make it nearly impossible not to strike one on accident. Even shooting out a tire could cause the vehicle to lose control and slam into a building or group of people. Too risky. He needed to wait for Aizawa…

"Confirmed Shigaraki; the one that plays with fire." Izuku relayed as he began to jog in the direction they were headed.

"The burnt piece of charcoal. He's a nasty one. Who's driving?"

"It's a little hard to tell…all I can see is an eye mask? Bandana maybe?"

"Ninja turtle freak. Don't know what he can do yet. ETA fifteen seconds. Coming in Westbound. Lose the phone and get ready to jump; they won't hesitate to try and knock me out of the way." Aizawa veered his patrol car around a corner so fast it blew over a flower stand. Petals littered the street, swirling in a small cyclone against the pavement. He'd slow down enough not to cause injury, but his subordinate better get his aim right. The passenger window rolled down and he reached over to yank the handle, shoving the door open.

Shota spotted the two cars, Ochaco's in front and decoy in the back, as well as the noticeable sports car closing the gap between them. Brandishing his pistol the Yakuza took aim then fired. The first rounds hit the hood without much effect, though their path shifted upwards into the windshield. It exploded in cracks, disrupting the view and the car swerved wildly before regaining control. Not enough to deter them, huh? A small window where they lined up would be his only shot to take them down quickly. He could see Midoriya sprinting towards the car, calculating the speed and distance in order to jump in.

"Now!" Aizawa shouted as he slammed on the brakes which caused the door to swing wide open. Izuku jumped in without hesitation just as the first SUV shot past, narrowly avoiding the sideview mirror. The police car held fast until the second SUV passed and the blue car became lined up in his sight. "You fuckers may have gotten me once before, but not again; not today!"

Shota began firing the moment the hood of the car reached his barrel, the Yakuza unloading an entire magazine into the car. Windows blew out, doors became Swiss cheese, the interior more than likely got a fresh coat of coloring. Dabi merely widened his grin before launching the ignited Molotov at the closest SUV unfazed by the intimidation tactic. It shattered against the back window blowing it out and quickly engulfing the car in flames. As it veered right to get away from bystanders, the sports car shot forward at the opening. Gritting his teeth and slamming his foot down on the gas, the pursuit began.

"Sir, is…" Izuku started off uneasily as he held on for dear life, bracing his legs against the door. A hand tightened uncomfortably against the door handle when the vehicle did a full one-eighty to pursue the Shigaraki members. "Does that car have…"

"Radio in to have the bridge shut down from the West and call back-up reinforcements from the East. We're going to trap them on the bridge and make them surrender or take them down where they stand. Shigaraki is a threat to the entire city; it's either eliminate them or they get the upper hand and crumble our defenses." Aizawa avoided the probing question, instead focusing on the road before them. One car down. Hers was the most heavily armored out of their fleet but that didn't mean it was impervious to relentless attacks on one area. That Molotov could be only the beginning. "Have Bakugo tag along in case their vehicle is rigged to blow. Send out the alert black."

"Black? That pulls every available resource we have, including air support. Is this the right way to go about it, sir?" Izuku asked nervously. A code black meant it was a high-stakes event including dangerous weapons such as grenades, bombs, or even nuclear threat. Only once before in the history of the police station had that code been used, back when Chief Yagi was at his prime in crime fighting. Falsely claiming a code black could result in a lifetime of jail, hefty fines, and even banishment from the city.

"You of all people should understand the severity of the situation, Midoriya. What do you thinks going to happen if Kenji Uraraka comes back to find his daughter killed by Shigaraki? There won't be a city left until that entire gang is eliminated. Call in the fucking code." Shota snarled as he avoided a near collision with another car entranced by the chase. After regaining stability, Izuku reached for the radio. He took a breath and pressed the button.

"Car seventeen to station; this is Detective Izuku Midoriya, badge number M-H-A-050518, currently Westbound on National Route One, headed towards the Abe River bridge. Initiating code BLACK. I repeat; initiating code BLACK. Shigaraki members identified in a high pursuit chase through the city. They are armed and dangerous with one vehicle already taken out, currently on fire outside of the Musutafu Katsudon restaurant though away from civilians and buildings. Requesting to evacuate the bridge with Eastbound reinforcements to seal off their exit and Westbound squads needed to block off the other side of the bridge. Blacked out SUV is their target. Unknown persons inside, unknown if armed and dangerous. Requesting explosives detective Katsuki Bakugo for standby, Shigaraki vehicle may be triggered to blow."

"Confirming initiation of code BLACK with respective authorizer, standby." Came the dispatchers reply.

Aizawa yanked the microphone away from Midoriya, pressing on the button until his fingertips turned white. "This is Shota Aizawa, badge number M-H-A-070714, calling for override of prior authorization. We've got a pyromaniac and another Shigaraki accomplice rampaging through the city with Molotov cocktails being launched at other vehicles. Bypass all protocol and get some men down here! We can't let Shigaraki continue their crime spree through the city! I want news stations to have zero access to the crime scene, ground and air."

"Confirming badge identification…standby…authorized. Code BLACK initiated successfully, all available units will be deployed, and other local resources engaged. ETA less than ten. Air support within seven minutes."

The radio then began constant chatter of units deploying, each calling out their team, squad number, and current location. It got to the point that Shota twisted the volume knob all the way down to lessen the stress. Izuku tried to focus on the task ahead, yet the unease kept gnawing at him. If they blocked off both sides of the bridge then Ochaco would be trapped on the bridge with Shigaraki. There's no way she could fend of the fire freak, let alone a second unknown in the car. It's possible more than one other person was hiding out in the back seat. While he trusted his superior with every decision made, was this truly the right way to go about it? Was it due to his undercover status with the U.A. Special Police Force that he was risking life and limb to stop the attack?

Aizawa was right about one thing; if Ochaco got injured or killed, Kenji would level Musutafu into the sea trying to kill Shigaraki. While full intentions for the opposing gang remained unknown, they were becoming bolder in their attacks before the ascension in January. "Sir, this may be completely out of line…but do you intend to force Ochaco to confront Shigaraki? Is that why you're closing both sides of the bridge?"

"Are you suggesting I'm throwing the heiress of Uraraka directly at a homicidal pyromaniac who has a vendetta against her entire lineage just to test her?" Shota asked darkly without even taking his eyes from the road. Just a little closer to the sports car and he could clip the bumper and send it crashing into a nearby road barrier. Yet the moment slipped away when they noticed and altered course, shifting directly in front of his cruiser. Both hands tightened painfully against the wheel. "Because you would be correct."

"I'm sorry, I think I just misheard you. I'm correct?" Izuku balked at the unexpected answer, mouth dropping open. "Sergeant Aizawa, you can't be serious! I understand Ochaco can fight but not against people like this!"

"Midoriya, you've seen how she responds and fights back. She's been trained ever since childhood to protect herself to the best of her abilities, including martial arts and weapons experience. Ojiro told me about the hospital incident. How she forced you to fight back as a test. And what you said to her. If she'd been serious, you'd be talking through a wired-shut jaw. Ochaco has to learn to confront her enemies head-on instead of always running or hiding."

"…I know she can fight, sir. It's not her abilities I'm worried about; how is she going to respond when she finds out these people were behind your attack? She's aware it was Shigaraki, I'm positive, just not which ones. And…I never should've said what I did back then. I was trying to protect myself and my friends. I didn't—don't want to get involved with Yakuza considering what happened to my dad," Izuku felt the hardened stare of his superior though virescent remained locked onto the ice blue car just ahead. The pyro remained sticking out of the passenger side window, shouting orders at the driver. "That's not something I can forgive since it was an Uraraka thug that beat him up over a money deal. He died from his injuries on scene. I lost a part of me that day never knowing what really happened."

"Your father was in the wrong place and time, Midoriya. Tensions back then were high since Kenji Uraraka was in the process of squashing other gangs, keeping them out of Musutafu for the safety of the city. It's unfortunate, yes, but life happens, and you don't get to hit the pause button while hoping it gets better. Time heals. Memories don't disappear but they fade. I'm sorry you went through such loss. It's never easy losing someone close to you. Right now, in front of you, the same thing is going to happen again if it's not put to an end. This could result in a father, mother, losing their only child." Shota released a heavy breath. A headache was forming from the stress of attempting to keep up with the sports car. Both the Uraraka SUV and the blue car had stronger performances than his standard cruiser. He could keep up but just barely since they were all dodging lunchtime traffic. "I promise one day all of this will make sense. Let's focus on what needs to be done first then we'll talk."

"Understood."

Ochaco braced against the door with white knuckles clasped over her mouth, the other hand death-gripping the door handle. Not even fifteen minutes into the drive back to the mansion had they appeared, screeching tires and thundering engine. Her team immediately tried to intervene though they were faster; someone in the car was throwing Molotov's to keep security back, successfully splitting them up. The decoy car behind tried their best to keep the attackers at bay until a firebomb caught them on fire. Auburn glanced back at the car tailing closer to them and the maniac sticking out of the passenger side window.

She'd never seen him before. Nor the driver. They were unknowns to her but an inkling in the back of her mind was leaning towards Shigaraki. Since the police department attack, Aizawa had been relaying all bits of information on the gang though photos weren't captured due to damaged cameras and scrambled signals. With how eager they were to catch up, it seemed her identity had been realized. Though a glimmer of hope came in the form of an aggressively driving cop car just behind the sore thumb of a car, attempting multiple times to pit the attackers out of the way. But with all the traffic causing constant maneuvering to avoid crashes, it was hard for it to catch up.

"Miss Uraraka, please keep your head down! If they were to attack the windows enough they can shatter and cause injury." One of her guards, Morimoto Surai expressed in a strained voice, constantly glancing between the driver and raging maniacs behind. "Akagi, can't you get us out of this cluster any faster?!"

"I'm doing my best! It's lunchtime and there's too many people to just gun it! If we can get across the bridge then we'll be fine. Police radio is going nuts right now; I'm talking full police force enroute to cut them off and seal the bridge. Helicopters have also been deployed. This is going to turn into a massive event unless we can slip away." Akagi replied tersely, yanking the wheel to the left to avoid an illegally parked delivery truck. The passenger side mirror whacked the door just as it opened and slammed against the window, undamaged. "Fuck! Now I can't see on that side! Reach up here and push it back so I can track them!"

"Hold on! Steady out for a minute so I can climb back up there!" Morimoto snapped, shoving himself forward as the windowed lowered just enough to stick a hand out. Once haphazardly kneeling on the front seat the Yakuza shoved his hand out there to correct the mirror. A single gunshot rang out and he yanked his hand back right as the mirror shattered. A splash of red covered the window on the inside, smearing as it closed. "Bastards! Only a graze, I'll be fine. Apparently they really don't want us tracking their movements now."

"Call Aizawa," Ochaco ordered through trembling fingers. If they kept swerving around she was going to lose what little breakfast she had. "Divert to off-road until the bridge and traffic can be…cleared. I don't want any civilian casualties today."

"Dialing now," Akagi announced as he scrolled through the contact list. Within seconds it began to rang. "We can divert through the Heritage area if reinforcements can clear it fast enough. Route 208 should still be shut down for construction since its opening day isn't for another two weeks. It's not ideal, but it's a sparse area without a lot of civilians and can circle back to the National Route One bridge via the riverside access road."

"Aizawa." Came the voice through the entertainment system speakers. Ochaco swallowed hard and lowered the fingers digging into her face.

"Aizawa…we're diverting to the 208 bridge…send units to clear it out and block both sides due to traffic. Unless we can get to an isolated area, we're not going to lose the tail."

"The 208 bridge is still under construction; there's an entire section of the bridge that had to be redone. It's delayed the re-opening another month. Even if you manage to get over the bridge you can't get back without turning around."

Ochaco momentarily forgot the roiling nausea as an all-too familiar voice echoed in the car. Both guards shared a concerned glance as the brunette glowered at the console. He didn't... "Aizawa—"

"I've got it handled. Shit happened. Deal with it later," Shota interrupted the warning tone with an irritated one. He was going to get an earful later, that's for sure. Kenji would have some words for him too…"You've got one of the more dangerous Shigaraki on your tail right now, the one that looks like a chewed up piece of charcoal. Don't know what else he's armed with, but his driver survived an entire magazine of rounds. Could be others in the vehicle, can't confirm right now. Units are converging on our location and shutting down the National Route One as precaution. They're not going to shake easily."

"Aizawa, what about that old route?" Morimoto piped in suddenly while settling back into the middle with Ochaco. She grimaced at his hand, reaching for a first aid kit beneath the seat. He shook his head, refusing treatment, but one stern look from her had the Yakuza giving in. "You know which one I'm talking about."

"That hasn't been in use for decades. Probably even blocked off by now. You're thinking of losing them in the tunnels."

"Bingo. Akagi, head towards the river and turn two kilometers from the base of the bridge. Take the—"

"Oi." Shota warned, vaguely aware Midoriya was intently listening in while keeping an eye on the Shigaraki gang. Secret information didn't need to leak to the already partially integrated detective.

Silence filled the line for a few minutes as instructions were given to the driver. In the meantime, Shota cranked the police scanner back up. Sounds of sirens and radio calls filled the frequency, drawing Izuku's attention from the target. His hand moved like he was taking invisible notes, jotting line by line of their call codes. While impressive during normal circumstances, right now he needed to focus on the task ahead.

"Midoriya,"

"Sir?" Izuku looked up from his note-taking, briefly glancing back at the Shigaraki members.

"I shouldn't have to remind you that not a word of this gets out." Shota accelerated once the road widened up enough for three lanes of cars. Exiting the city center meant less traffic and straight stretches of highway. Except it also gave both vehicles ahead of him ample space to break away from his speed-limited patrol vehicle. "Everything that's going to happen within the next hour will be strictly confidential. No one else can get involved in this situation. Bakugo is the only exception due to his field specialty and the circumstances. Not Todoroki, Kirishima, Ojiro, your friends from out of town. Especially Melissa Shield."

"Why specifically her?" Izuku questioned.

"Due to her ties with Chief Yagi and the security business her father excels in. Allowing this information to slip out would cause catastrophic backlash from the public and government." Shota explained as he pressed the pedal all the way to the floor, pushing the vehicle beyond its limit. Should've brought his own fucking car. They'd be approaching the bridge soon and only had one shot at making it through the tunnels. "I'm only telling you this because you've not only discovered who Ochaco really is, but also exposed my undercover status. You don't want to get involved in the Yakuza, that's fine. The problem is you invited yourself in by snooping around for information. Their eyes are now watching what you do, who you speak to, where you live and how your daily life plays out. There's a reason I forbade you from looking into this family; you've walked right into their grasp with no way out."

"Like with Ojiro then…" Izuku muttered into his hand. True, his inquisitive nature got him wrapped up into the whole Yakuza situation, but it also meant he learned new things about the clan. The fact that Kenji was handing down the reins to his daughter, and only heir. Meeting her exposed the intricately weaved web of the Uraraka influence upon Musutafu and the rest of Japan. This whole debacle he was currently in highlighted the dangerous aspects of the Shigaraki gang. But at the same time it put his mother and friends at risk for being targeted. "I need to ask you something. Why did Ochaco let Ojiro go?"

"That's a question you need to ask her."

"I don't think she wants anything to do with me after the hospital incident…"

"You were both under high emotions. Both of you made poor decisions and have to live with those choices. That doesn't mean the ending you got is irreparable." Shota turned the radio down, focusing on the call that was still going on in the background. They could hear everything yet remained muted. Ochaco was directly hearing everything Midoriya said. "Look, I can't force either of you to fix your mistakes; that's not my department. Right now I'm looking out for the best interests of the Uraraka clan and the police department, not to mention Musutafu. My plate's overflowing. You kids need to either fix this shit yourselves or move on with life."

"Sorry for the late response, Aizawa. Had to pull out the maps," Morimoto suddenly 'returned' to the call. The police scanner clicked off. "We're going to enter the tunnels in a minute. Their vehicle doesn't seem to be offroad capable while ours can clear the steep curves and dips. Should pop out on the other side within fifteen. Send reinforcements if it goes past that point."

"Understood. I'm pulling back and will meet you on the other side. Ochaco," Aizawa called out the heiress who was more than likely trying not to barf all over the seats.

"…yeah." She answered quietly. Then the line disconnected.

Shota cranked the police radio back up as the lead car veered off, Shigaraki right behind them, and he continued forward across the National Route One bridge. Izuku remained quiet as they drove. It seemed a bit funny; Aizawa only had to say her name and it was like she completely understood what he was getting at. Was it a hidden meaning that only Yakuza understood? Or was it the twenty years of undercover work and being by her side constantly? They had a bond that others couldn't see on the surface level. Virescent watched as the ice blue car veered after them, the man hanging out of the window watching them intently. Maybe he figured something was up if the cops were trailing away, moving to better positions.

The radio chatter continued and Aizawa even chimed in a few times to relay information, positioning, and check on support. Helicopter whirling could be heard above so the detective looked out the window. Two police choppers began surveying the area. One took notice of the vehicles and began to track them, following at full speed. Countless units converged on both bridges, clearing traffic and blocking both sides. It was total chaos with sirens and lights filling the normally serene area. As soon as they cleared the first bridge and police barricades, Aizawa sharply turned down a dirt service road that connected to both bridges. He steered left, towards the Heritage bridge, and backed up against a large storm drain entrance.

"Set a timer for fifteen minutes. If they don't come out after that then we're going in guns out." Shota ordered while stepping out of the car, cigarette box already tapping against his palm harshly. Izuku did as he asked then followed suit, taking the time to stretch and ease some of the tension coiled in his muscles.

"You should know my phone got damaged earlier and is no longer in service until a replacement is found. I thought only the screen had cracked, but it must've damaged the battery as well. I've got the timer set on my watch." The detective mentioned casually, watching as his superior inhaled deeply on the nicotine roll. A few seconds later then the cloud of smoke filtered into the chilly air. Sergeant Aizawa didn't respond and Izuku could feel the tension radiating from his tense posture. Instead of pushing the matter further he decided to give the man some space.

The riverbed was rough with worn down natural rocks that cracked beneath his boots. Unlike coastal sands which were eroded to tiny particles, most of the rocks surrounding the bridges were rough and jagged, often maintaining baseball size. Shapes also depended on how the weather eroded it; direct wind, rain, sun, and waves crashing against the natural material meant they shrank faster than rocks hidden in dark corners and away from nature. Izuku crouched down a foot away from the slowly lapping river water to mess with an odd, shaped rock. It almost looked like a flower with how nature had carved it. Vaguely curved edges with wear in between the mounds. He palmed it for a few seconds then placed it in his pocket.

The nerd in him wanted to study the erosion patterns better.

Plus it kept him distracted from the unknown happening in the depths of the tunnels.

Ochaco ended up losing her breakfast as soon as the first wave of dips and curves hit, heaving with expert aim into the sick bag Morimoto held up. Not often she got sick from such erratic driving, normally nausea being the only symptom, but today had been too much of a roller coaster. At least the small amount of leftover breakfast and tea coated her throat instead of stomach acid. Gotta pick your battles sometimes, Ochaco thought bitterly with a dry heave.

"Sorry, Miss Uraraka. I know the road is poorly maintained though we'll be out in just a few minutes. I'm surprised their car can make it through this hellish swamp of a tunnel. All the sludge coating what's left of the concrete should've had them sliding right into a ditch." Akagi apologized for the hundredth time as he sped through the tunnels with tires occasionally slipping due to the slick earth.

"Stop apologizing and get us out of here! These fuckers aren't going to stop! What the hell is their plan anyways? Run us around ragged? Find us a tight curve, I'm going to throw a sticky at them. Open the sunroof just enough to fit it through; those assholes are going to shoot anything that sticks up." Morimoto ordered while rummaging through a bag at his feet. A moment later and a tightly wrapped sticky bomb emerged, the warning labels glowing neon under the dim tunnel lights. "Let's see how they like the Uraraka clan now. Ochaco, I'm sorry to do this, but I need your sick bag."

"You…can have it…" Ochaco grimaced while leaning back against the seat, eyes closing. She had a hunch he was going to use it for a decoy. Despite being the heiress of the most powerful Yakuza clan in Japan, she didn't wish that surprise on anyone.

Morimoto quickly sealed the bag up with twine, tying it off tightly before sticking the bomb to one side. It was slim enough to remain concealed until they either shot at the bag or it detonated via remote. Akagi opened the sunroof, and the senior Yakuza readied his aim.

"Ten seconds to a sharp curve! It's your only chance, Morimoto! Kill those bastards!" The driver shouted over the echoing sound of the vehicles in the narrow passage, wind whipping at his tied back locks viciously. Morimoto rested his hand against the frame of the roof, silently counting down to attack. "Five…four…three…two…one…"

"Do it." Ochaco demanded with a fiery auburn gaze at Morimoto.

"Taste this, assholes!"

Akagi drifted around the corner with expertise, the view between them and the sportscar vanishing. The bomb released into the air, barely skating above the roof and directly into the windshield of their aggressors with a wet slap. A few seconds passed tensely until a deafening explosion filled the tunnel, flames rapidly catching up to them. The shockwave rattled the vehicle as it sped up to escape the flames. Daylight flared to life at the end of the winding curve and Akagi gunned for the exit with a cheer.

"And we are free! Thank you for riding the Uraraka Express, Miss Uraraka and other. Your departure zone will be on your right side. Please watch your step," Akagi cackled gleefully as the tires finally hit dirt, a massive cloud filling the air and temporarily concealing the vehicle when the brakes clamped down hard. As soon as he stopped Ochaco was bailing for fresh air and a solid ground beneath shaking feet. Morimoto slapped Akagi upside the head with a small smirk, shaking his head in disapproval.

"Maybe leave the theatrics when the Uraraka heiress has suffered enough from your horrendous driving. Good work."

Aizawa flicked the now dirt covered cigarette to the ground, stomping it with a heel, then walked over to the dust and soot covered vehicle. It'd need repairs judging by the peeling paint and scorch marks trailing up the back. He'd heard the explosion loud and clear as it forced its way through the concrete structure. No way Shigaraki bastards escaped a massive explosion like that. A gut instinct told him it wouldn't be enough to keep them down for long, meaning they needed to leave the area and soon.

"Under fifteen, impressive. I guess driving like a maniac can achieve great progress. Remember who your cargo is next time, Akagi." Shota threatened lowly as the driver got out. The man immediately bowed his apologies, ripping the chauffeur hat from a sweaty crown. Ignoring the gesture, the officer made his way to the other side of the vehicle where he knew Ochaco would be sitting on the ground. Yup. There she was. Splayed out like a dead fish in the dirt. "A little uncouth there, aren't you?"

"Shut up…at least I contributed to stopping them…" Ochaco moaned with both hands over her face. It was embarrassing enough having her barf bag thrown at the enemy and now Aizawa was here rubbing salt in the wound. "You better have an explanation for why a certain someone is with you right now."

"He called in the pursuit before anyone else did. You're lucky he was right there to assist. I was going to let you fend for yourself on the Heritage bridge to teach you a lesson." Shota replied casually, crouching down beside the heiress. If he was being honest, she looked like absolute shit right now. Clammy, slight tremors, raspy voice. Motion sickness was a bitch. "Are you going to get up or lay down in the dirt all day? We need to move."

"I'm going to lay in this nice, cool dirt until I can see straight once more. Why don't you go smoke a cigarette or something,"

"Tried. Some asshole came flying out of the tunnel and filled it with dirt. Dirt tastes like shit." Ochaco peered at him with an unamused expression. He lightly put both hands up in defeat. "You're a chipper one today. I'll drive you back, just don't barf on the leather; it's imported."

"Fuck you, Aizawa," Ochaco groaned loudly in defeat, arms flopping into the dirt heavily. A hand reached out and begrudgingly she took it. Slowly she sat up, curling her legs under to sit for a moment longer. The world still swam a bit. "What's the deal with you and Izuku? How the hell did that happen?"

"Him and Ojiro got into it at the police station, drew too much attention. When confronted Midoriya outright confessed and figured out what my alliance was. Had to spin it to I'm a spy for the station. It's what he believes right now and it's going to stay that way until otherwise noted. He shouldn't be a problem anymore now that he knows everything."

Ochaco sighed heavily, rubbing at the back of her neck. The tension was wearing her down at this point. Too much stress, too many things going wrong at once. Izuku was probably standing over there by Aizawa's car anxiously awaiting the next order. Her guards would keep him back though. Aizawa tugged her all the way up once she was ready, waiting patiently as she patted off all the dirt. At least Mina created durable clothes seeing as everything fell right off. Her jacket swayed heavily on one side and the heiress stuck a hand in there. Cool metal touched her fingers. Izuku's watch.

"You're still carrying it," Shota stated.

"I haven't had the time to figure out what to do with it," Ochaco replied softly, pulling the watch out and resting it against a dirty palm. "Despite what you two talked about over the radio, there's still hatred for the Uraraka lineage and me. That won't ever go away, Aizawa. He'll always hate the clan. This was nothing more than a bribery gift."

"Did you believe it was a bribery gift at the time of purchase?"

"Of course not! You know how much time I spent picking through countless watches. It's not like I picked it out of the bargain bin of a thrift store," Ochaco argued wearily, brows furrowing at the pristine watch. Every day she cleaned it until it shone like a gem. A useless, heavy gem that mimicked what her heart felt. "You told him it was the wrong place and time for his father's death. That alone has fueled him for vengeance against our family. There's no fixing this, Aizawa. It's done. It doesn't matter what he's told; he won't be swayed."

"It's your call at the end of the day, Ochaco. I can't tell you what to do with your personal decisions. My job is to ensure you're prepared for the throne in a few weeks…and that you don't get killed by a burnt-ass piece of stapled meat." Shota plopped a hand on her head, a reassuring smile cracking on his worn features. She looked at him for a few moments then lunged forward, latching onto him fiercely. Taken aback by the gesture, the officer stared down at the mop of tousled with an expression of surprise. A silent sigh slipped out as he replaced a hand against her crown. "I'm sorry…that was a situation I shouldn't have forced you into. Shigaraki is willing to do whatever it takes to hurt us. I want to make sure you're prepared to fight them head-on."

"Sergeant Aizawa, you're being called over the radio. It's Chief Yagi…" Izuku called out worriedly from near the police car.

"In a minute." Shota replied curtly. Right now he had other concerns.

"Sir…there's been another Shigaraki attack in the city…with casualties…"

Shota pinched the bridge of his nose tightly. Of course those fuckers used the pyro as a decoy; he was easily noticeable and would tie up all of the resources Musutafu had. Rookie mistake. Ochaco stiffly pulled back, swiping at her eyes with both hands. "I need to take this. Wait here a minute, compose yourself."

Izuku nervously held out the chattering radio as his Sergeant unhappily approached. "Sir…the number is still rising…it was a bomb attack. Downtown. The Musutafu Square. At least two dozen confirmed with more waiting to be unburied after an office complex collapsed."

"This is Sergeant Aizawa,"

"Shota," Chief Yagi's grave voice filtered through the channel, the signal cracking slightly. "Shigaraki played us. While you were attempting to end the high-speed pursuit, more members planned an attack in the square. A small office building collapsed from the force of the explosion. I'm rescinding the code BLACK and initiating a city-wide lockdown after nine until five in the morning."

"Take whatever deployed resources you need; Shigaraki slipped away on this end. I'm sending Midoriya in my squad car to assist while I wrap things up here. Reroute Katsuki Bakugo to clear the perimeter of any remaining explosives." Shota relayed quickly. He needed to get Ochaco out of here in case Shigaraki decided to emerge from the burning tunnel.

"Good luck." Toshinori replied as he cleared the channel. Izuku tucked the radio back onto the console as his superior dug out the keys, tossing them just as he turned back around.

"Get going." Shota motioned his head at the car and headed towards the SUV without another word, glancing at the fumigated tunnel. Akagi quickly handed over the keys and scurried around to sit in the passenger seat. Only Morimoto and Ochaco remained outside of the car on the other side.

Izuku watched intently while readjusting the seat and mirrors to his liking. The sound of a door closing and soon the other guard came walking around, directly locking eyes with the detective. Realization hit. It was one of the guards with Miss Haniko the first day of their escort mission. If he was remembering correctly as well, the guy also worked in the police station. Ironic, huh? Morimoto sharpened his gaze while grasping the handle to open the door. A slow shake of his head. He was warning Izuku to mind his business. The detective nodded with pursed lips, averting his gaze to the illuminating dashboard. He wasn't about to fuck around with that guy.

Aizawa took off first at a decent speed to climb back up the hill. Unlike the other driver, he didn't try to parkour the SUV like a skateboard and eased up onto the road before taking off. Izuku shifted into gear and followed suit at a slower pace. The patrol cars weren't meant for hill climbing and the detective patiently shifted the vehicle back to solid ground. How his superior pushed this thing past its limit he'll never know. By the time he'd hit the NR One bridge, the SUV was long gone. Most likely away from the city to lay low for a bit. Izuku hesitated at the light prior to turning onto the bridge, glancing back the way he'd came.

Were they truly incapacitated by that explosion? While powerful enough to create a shockwave felt from the outside, it didn't mean they couldn't have escaped further into the tunnels prior to detonation. Izuku cast one last hard glance in the mirror as the light turned. Fingers deftly flicked on the lights and sirens. He'd have to worry about Shigaraki later; there was a growing number of casualties waiting.

---

Dabi patted off the soot from his cloak with a scowl. Now he was going to forever smell like a burning bag of puke thanks to that explosive. Spinner was too busy gagging and wheezing about barf bombs to pay any attention to their current situation. His retching and heaving echoed loudly in the cavernous portion of the underground drainage system. It'd been redesigned years ago to handle overflow from the river when the levels swelled. He'd have to hand it to the Uraraka clan; every move they made was tactical. At first, it seemed like they were going to trap them both on the bridge between squadrons of cops. Then when they suddenly diverted right as that bastard of a cop continued on, his suspicions grew.

The heiress' watchdog suddenly abandoning ship? Not likely. He was always by her side. Except today when they just so happened to come across two very expensive blacked out SUV's making their way through town. Only wealthy, powerful people drove those kinds of vehicles. Yet somehow it didn't take long for him to catch up and open fire on his custom painted Mazda. Now it was burning up in the only easily accessible exit. Oh well. The meticulously designed plan only created a chase, a large distraction so other members could plant explosives downtown to create chaos. Their failure meant nothing. They'd meet again.

Sooner rather than later.

"Quit your gagging, it's getting annoying at this point," Dabi griped, approaching the dramatic theatrics. When Spinner didn't stop he grabbed him by the back of the shirt and tossed him towards a puddle of slurry.

"What the fuck's your problem?!" The young man screamed as he flailed around in the slick mixture only to fall back down face-first. "I'm a sympathetic puker! I can't handle vomit in any way shape or form! So, excuse me when I get caked in someone else's bowel smoothie and can't stop gagging!"

"Why the hell did I bring you with again?"

"Because Shigaraki asked me to go with! What, were you planning to take down the Uraraka heiress by yourself? Ha! You'd be Swiss cheese before you even got close! Don't act so arrogant and full of yourself, Dabi. You're lowlife scum just like the rest of us."

"You're lucky that freaky doc handed out Kevlar weaved clothing otherwise you'd be a fucking piece of cheese. That officer won't hesitate to blow our brains out if the chance arises. At least now we know she was in there," Dabi shoved his hands deep into the pant pockets as he strolled towards the original entrance.

"W-wait, we're just going to walk all the way back out? That'll take hours! Don't you know these tunnels go for at least five kilometers? It'll be dark by the time we reach the surface," Spinner protested, scrambling after the tall, lanky man without much choice. He didn't even bother to wait for him, just kept strolling along.

"Unless our phones magically survived the thousand degree flames, yeah, we're walking. The whole point of this was to distract them and use all of the police resources so Compress and Twice could blow up a building. Mission accomplished." The pyro drawled sarcastically with a hand waving lazily in the air. Spinner grumbled under his breath but followed along. What the hell else could he do? Staying in a creepy concrete coffin wasn't really his style.

"Hey, where did Toga go? I haven't seen her around lately," Dabi clicked his tongue thoughtfully, tilting his head side to side. A grin pulled at the thick medical staples in his cheeks, blood trickling at the seams.

"She's out making some new friends…"

Himiko Toga watched from a distance as the remains of the downtown building smoldered high into the skies, tainting them a dark black. Blaring sirens filled the air, civilians gathered round to whisper and gossip about the tragedy. All the while she became incognito in the growing crowd. No one batted an eye at the young blonde woman dressed in a school uniform, scarf and hat donned in the chilly weather. She was a nobody. An insignificant speck amongst society. Golden eyes narrowed as they scanned through the crowd. No sign of them yet. Shigaraki instructed her to wait by the scene of the crime in order to spot them easier. Pink and blonde, attached at the hip.

The pinkette was renowned in these parts of town; fashionista that just released a new line of clothing. Ashido Aesthetics or something along those lines. Himiko wouldn't know. She could never afford anything new unless it came with a five-finger discount. Maybe she'd take a peek at her clothing store…

"This is crazy…I've never seen such a violent attack in Japan before…" A feminine voice filtered past Himiko's head, causing the blonde to turn. Blonde, blue eyed, curvy body, weird accent. Definitely not Japanese by any standard. The woman stopped just a few feet over with hands worriedly clutching a phone against her chest. The red glasses on her face definitely stood out in a crowd of standard black frames. Maybe… "I hope Izuku's alright…"

Izuku? Wasn't that the name of the police officer or something she was supposed to keep an eye on? Bah, he was probably some old codger on his last leg for retirement. Why waste time on someone like him when there were better targets?

Pink and blonde, pink and blonde…

Pink, pink, blonde, blonde…

Blonde, pink, pink, blonde…

Pink, blonde, blonde, pi—

"This is insane! What do you think happened, Ojiro?" A wavering, terrified voice came from behind.

"Don't know…an attack of sorts. Hey, isn't that Melissa? Melissa!" A male voice called out over the blaring sirens and cries of despair. Himiko tilted her head towards the noise, irritated her concentration was becoming broken. Didn't these people know she had a mission to complete?

"Ah, it's you guys! Crazy running into each other. It's terrible what happened…seems like there was some sort of explosion that brought down a small office building. They just keep carting the bodies out by the few." Melissa responded with a worried face. What was she so worried about? That Izuku guy? The dead bodies?

"Oh no, is that what they're doing? How could this have happened?" A second girl piped in, stepping from beside the blonde man. Golden eyes glistened hopefully. Blonde?

"No one knows yet and Uncle Toshi is busy trying to get the scene under control. Hey, have you heard from Izuku? Last thing I knew, he was jumping into a police car with Sergeant Aizawa then they took off after that crazy police chase earlier. I heard a good amount of gunfire then all of them were gone except one SUV that caught fire. Thankfully they got out fast enough with minor injuries."

"What?! No, I haven't heard from him. As soon as I saw the TV announcing a dangerous police chase, I tried to call him to no avail. Sergeant Aizawa didn't answer either. Those too should be fine, right?" Nervous. The man was nervous about speaking those two names. Why was he acting paranoid?

"What's going on lately? It seems to be one thing after another," A third feminine voice piped up and Himiko glanced over after pulling her hat down and scarf up. Pink. Pink and blonde. Blonde and pink. But which of the blonde women was it? What the hell. There can't be that many light haired people in Japan.

"It may have to do with that situation," The man spoke once more. Himiko barely paid him any attention; he wasn't part of the plan unless his name was Izuku Midoriya. "With crime increasing by the daily, it's no wonder things have escalated."

"Sheesh! I just hope Ochaco is alright…wherever she's at. This is so scary," The pinkette spoke nervously while glancing at the scene but diverting attention away. It wasn't a pretty sight for most. "Maybe things will settle down before the holidays. Melissa, are you staying through the end of the year?"

"Most likely. Dad's trip keeps getting extended due to technical difficulties and he won't have much time for a break. I think the plan is for him to surprise Uncle Toshi with a visit when he has time. But that's a secret between us," Melissa teased with a wink. The group fell into a titter of chatter and Himiko grumbled unhappily against her scarf.

It was too cold to be standing outside looking for some nobody friends of Izuku Midoriya. Shigaraki forbade her from killing them solely because they were needed as bait to draw out the Uraraka heiress. Classic hostage situation. Lure out the target and then smush them into the ground. Problem solved. Then she could hibernate until spring when the weather was nice and toasty. Prime stabbing time, too. A vibration in the chest pocket of her coat drew the hemomaniac from her thoughts.

"Why am I still standing out here in the cold? I should be back in front of a fireplace until my fingers melt off! And what's the deal with these targets? There's more than one blonde person here!" Himiko hissed into the flip-phone angrily. A ragged sigh was the first response followed by a what sounded like a hand running over flesh.

"We've been over this, Toga. You need to identify those closest to Izuku Midoriya so we can use them to lure the heiress out. We know they've hung out in the past so we're using it to our advantage. There should be a girl that dresses eccentrically and has pink hair; major fashion designer Mina Ashido. The other is her best friend; wild blonde hair, bubbly, likes to wear shiny clothing. Hagakure Toru. Describe the other blonde person there for me."

"Foreigner. Blonde. Blue eyes. Red glasses. Curvy. Name's Melissa and her father is working overseas or something. Friends with 'Uncle Toshi', whoever that is." Himiko rattled off, sticking her tongue out in annoyance. Blech. They were all happy and shit.

"Toshi…Toshi…ahh, it's coming back to me. Master mentioned a foreigner that would be a prime target to kidnap. Melissa Shield, yes. Her beloved uncle is the Chief of Police and her father, David Shield, creates high-tech security systems that even the smartest of hackers can't breach. Consider them all targets, Toga. We only need the foreigner and the pink-haired one alive. Do whatever you want with the spare."

"Really? Thanks, Shiggy! You're the best!" Himiko danced in place until a few people gave disgusted stares. A piercing one was what they got in return, quickly pushing their attention elsewhere. Sneers were nothing new. "Wait, what about this Izuku guy? What am I supposed to do with him?"

"Keep an eye on him from a distance. Try not to get too close, he'll recognize you from the rooftop and take you down. If Dabi's plan went correctly then the detective should be coming back soon. Police scanners are pulling all reinforcements to the downtown area. Seems our prize got away after all,"

"Whatever, whatever, I'll keep an eye out for this Izuku dude then I'm going inside!" Himiko snapped her phone shut with a huff. Everything was annoying! Do this, Toga, do that, Toga. Why can't she just live the life she wants to? All her life people told her what to do; stop trying to bite yourself, stop trying to bite birds, stop talking about blood…stop smiling, it's creepy!

No one understood. They never would. Why bother to help a young girl obsessed with drinking blood, a girl who had exceptionally sharp fangs that punctured flesh with ease? She was a freak. A nobody. Even classmates shied away from the toothy smile she gave. Her crush, Saito, was loved from afar as the blonde feared his rejection due to her physical quirk. Further and further she reclused until school became a forgotten task. All that remained was the school uniform donned daily. Cold fingers shoved back into the jacket pockets as Himiko surveyed the crowd once more. The gaggle of friends had grown by a few with the group now quietly talking amongst one another. How nice to have friends.

"You're in the way! Move!" A brash voice yelled from directly behind Himiko, and she nearly shot right out of her skin. Blonde, spiked hair, narrowed red eyes that screamed with malice, and a uniform unlike anything she'd seen. For a moment her mind could only process it was a rival gang member or even a Shigaraki pawn, so she reached for the blade hidden within the coat. But a badge on the back of his jacket read Musutafu Bomb Squad so she calmed, remaining wary and on edge. Where the hell had he come from?

"Kaachan, don't be so hasty! Sorry, I'm so sorry for his behavior! We need to get through for official police work. Excuse us," A tall, dark green haired officer followed close behind, offering apologies to anyone suffering the bomb experts wrath. As soon as he entered Himiko's vision, it was like the breath evaporated from her lungs. He looked just like Saito, her crush! The same kind face, similar voice, friendly demeanor. They could be twins.

Just like that her heart blossomed with a throbbing sensation of love. Himiko bit down on her lip to contain the excited grin, eyes gleaming with tears. He was the one! No doubt about it. This was her second chance at exploring the love overflowing her heart—

"Midoriya! What happened? You didn't answer your phone and neither did Sergeant Aizawa," Ojiro grasped Midoriya's sleeve tightly, eyes fearfully searching for an answer.

"She's fine. Sergeant Aizawa took care of it. We lost Shigaraki in the drainage tunnels beneath the Heritage bridge. I need to focus on what's going on right now, we'll talk later." Izuku spoke lowly, aware of the eyes watching. "I hate to ask this of you guys, but can you help with pushing the crowds back? We need space to set up an investigation perimeter and we're short-handed right now."

"Of course! Whatever you need, Midoriya. We're more than willing to help out. Tsu, let's start on the left and push everyone back a good fifty feet. Mina, Toru, if you ladies start on the right then we can converge in the center. Melissa, if you're willing to assist we'll be more than happy to accept." Yaoyorozu took charge of organizing the group with natural precision. "Ojiro, if you could please support Melissa in the center I would much appreciate it."

"Sure," Ojiro agreed easily, sharing a look with Izuku before shifting through the crowd with the blonde in tow.

"Midoriya…Izuku Midoriya…" Himiko rolled the name across her tongue, eagerly licking sharp canines. Izuku began assisting with the crowd control, directing civilians loud and clear to move away for their own safety. How considerate. "How tragic…a love that can only exist the further apart we remain. Sweet, dear Izuku…I'll be watching you. Always."

A tingling raced up Izuku's neck causing the hairs to stand straight up. Instinct screamed at him to see who was watching from behind. Whipping his head back the detective scanned the crowd for the source, yet nothing popped out at him. Only concerned citizens crying and fearful of the attack. No one seemed out of the ordinary, so he shook off the paranoia. Sensation of being watched died down though not completely. The attack probably still had him rattled.

Despite the teeny, tiny voice nagging at the back of his mind, Izuku Midoriya turned away to confront the bloody scene before him.