Vigilante Hunt
Chapter I - An October Night
Sally stood in the doorway of the church, watching the evening worshippers filter out into the cool Kyoto night. She had grown accustomed to greeting them in Japanese. She smiled as one of the regulars, an elderly woman, bid her goodbye, bowing respectfully. Life in Kyoto was becoming more comfortable, she had to admit. The initial culture shock had faded, replaced by a sense of belonging in Noah's church community.
A commotion behind the church broke her contemplation. Raised voices, shuffling of feet, panicked murmurs rippled through the crowd near the church's food bank. Sally hurried towards the panic, hands retrieving her provisional license.
"Hey! Stop!"
A ragged man with thinning hair stood in the food line. He was screaming, body twitching and twisting like a scarecrow caught in a storm to the horror of the crowd.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" The ragged man roared, pointing at a middle-aged business man, one of the church's pastors. "There's no need for this!" The man, who she recognized as Mr. Ootonagi yelled.
A few of the workers distributing food fell and convulsed on the ground before them, their faces contorting grostiquely. Without a second thought, Sally felt the familiar weight of rubber bullets materializing in her arm. "I said stop!" She fired a warning shot which wobbled drunkenly through the air as it neared the man.
A psychic quirk?! Try this!
With a flex of her quirk and a wave, Sally corrected its trajectory, the bullet slamming into his leg with a meaty thunk. He crumpled to the ground with a howl of pain.
Sally sighed in relief. The commotion was over, the danger passed. Then the gasping started - a pitiful, ragged repeating inhalation. With an inhuman screech, the man plunged a syringe filled with crimson liquid into his arm. His body began to bloat, contorting grotesquely. Red tendrils burst forth from his back. Snaking appendages lashed out, seeking victims among the fleeing congregants. Gritting her teeth, Sally opened fire, bullets shearing through the grasping tentacles to allow the people an avenue of escape. People ran past her and she held her ground.
Then something struck her from behind, the brutal impact sent her sprawling. The world faded to blackness.
"Yo, she's awake."
Sally's eyes flickered open to find herself staring up at a skull-like mask. A second figure loomed behind the first, this one adorned in a gleaming gray visor that dimmed as he spoke. Their voices were half-robotic and vaguely familiar.
"Good morning, sleeping beauty. You were brave helping those people escape," Despite the robotic tone, the gray ones' voice held a hint of admiration.
Sally felt the bump behind her head and cringed. She forced herself to a sitting position.
"Easy now. Medicals on the way. The guy had a friend and he got you from behind. Don't worry, we tied up the guy and his partner for you."
True to his word, two twitching men lay unconscious nearby, bound by some form of inky dark matter.
"See, this is why I work with a partner." Gray-visor pointed a thumb at Skull-mask. "Never leave home without one. Someone to watch your back."
Skull-mask loomed over her. "Next time, watch your surroundings before shooting up the place, 'hero'," he snarled.
"That's him saying he was worried about you, princess," Gray-visor quipped with a thumbs-up.
"Will you stop babbling already... She's fine. Let's fucking go." Skull-mask growled before he hefted the first man over one shoulder with seemingly no effort.
"Right! Hey, we'll be taking these guys. We'll drop them off at the precinct when we're done." Gray-visor dipped in a curt nod.
Before Sally could protest, the two shot skyward with a faint hiss and the sound of winding rope. She could only gape as they dwindled to mere specks against the night sky.
"Who were those guys?" Mr. Otonagi asked.
"Heroes?" A nearby worshipper suggested.
Sally's eyes narrowed. "No. Vigilantes."
Gigan's black zipline faded and the two boys landed on a roof. They started walking down the fire escape and into the maze of shadowy alleyways below.
They could hear sirens off in the distance.
"That was your classmate, wasn't it?"
"Sally? She's cute, right? Sorry, bro. She's taken."
"That's not what I meant."
"I forgot you're into gaijins."
"Fuck you. What if she recognized you?"
"Nah, we're fine. Besides, she does vigilante things too. She's always sneaking around with Chris - shooting trash cans and lightbulbs. They have a thing against Sam."
"What the hell... and who's Chris?"
"You know him.. but you two keep missing each other."
The two vigilante boys slipped into a rundown shack along the edge of Kyoto's canals. Inigo glanced around the dimly lit room with a nostalgic smile. "You know before we got here, this used to be old man Jenkins' place," he said wistfully.
Junichi grunted as he unceremoniously dropped the two unconscious criminals onto the dusty floor. "The Redhats informant?"
"Yeah, this was his safehouse." Inigo's eyes roamed over the cluttered maps and documents tacked haphazardly to the walls, detailing the Daiichi clan's violent takeover of the Redhats and the Sahuagin clan. Only minor gangs remained in Kyoto now. "Dude was pretty thorough with his note-taking on my family's dealings. Especially my Uncle's."
He brushed a hand over one of the dried bloodstains that marred the wooden slats. "I found this place untouched after he..." Inigo's voice trailed off. He shook his head. "Well, we've made it our little vigilante clubhouse now. Since my place is too risky."
Junichi popped the tab on a soda from the battered cooler, tossing one to Inigo before slouching down on the ratty couch to watch the muddy TV. Inigo snatched the soda out of the air with his free hand, using the other to check his phone.
The old TV flickered to life, filling the dank room with garbled static before settling on a news broadcast. Junichi frowned as the anchors reported on a bizarre phenomenon plaguing Kyoto.
--reports of viscous, gelatinous slime raining down across various districts of the city," the sharply dressed newscaster stated, shuffling papers. "This appears to be the fourth such incident in the last two weeks."
The screen cut to shaky amateur footage of people fleeing in terror as thick globs of ooze splattered down from the heavens. Inigo leaned forward, brow furrowing.
"Authorities remain baffled as to the cause or origin of these 'slime rain'," the anchor continued. "However, analysis of the substance shows it to be highly corrosive, capable of rapidly degrading steel and concrete. Eyewitness reports indicate the slime seems to be specifically targeting chemical labs and research facilities around Kyoto," her co-anchor added grimly. "Damages are already estimated to be in the millions..."
Inigo's lips twisted in distaste. "It's some sort of Tor Maju experiment."
Junichi watched the chaos on the screen impassively.
"Clearly. But I'm not going back to that place just to find out."
"What, you don't wanna wear the dress this time?"
"I hate that place. Reminds me too much of Tokyo."
Inigo's smile faded at the hard edge in his friend's tone.
"You really were deep in the underground scene back then, huh?"
Staring at the grainy footage of panicked citizens, Junichi nodded slowly.
"That place is rotten. And once you've seen the rot eating away at hero society..." His fist clenched. "You can never look at it the same way again. Not without changing yourself. I stared into the void and saw the ugliness of a world that revolves around child soldiers. With those in power pitting us against each other because they're afraid of what we can do...."
Inigo watched him carefully before reaching over to clap a comforting hand on Junichi's shoulder.
"I almost died in there.."
"How did you survive?"
"By any means necessary... I swore that I'd get out and change things with this damn quirk. That's why we're here now.."
Junichi lit a ciggarette.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that.."
Inigo took out a cigarette of his own and leaned in. Pressing the tip against Junichi's. The television closed and for a moment, only light was the moonlight on their faces.
"When I was ten, the Daiichi was attacked. And I had to live in Fukuoka with my brothers. The clan was desperate.. I got to see first-hand what we really did... All the people we hurt.. It made me sick.. Without Gigan, I don't think I would've made it."
A long quiet passed until Junichi spoke.
"You're okay now."
"Huh?"
"You got a good head on your shoulder.... Don't make me fucking explain it, asshole!" Junichi growled.
Inigo chuckled. "Yeah.. In that case, look in the bright side, it's a good thing the Legion sent you back to Kyoto then."
Junichi just shook his head, mouth twisting bitterly. "So I can sit on my ass and attend a meaningless meeting every two months?"
"Nah man. So I could meet you."
"Yeah.... Whatever." Junichi looked away. "So what're we doing with these two?"
Inigo drank the last of his soda. "Do they match the info Hoge gave us?"
"Yeah. Zhan Li.. and Durong Canh. Migrant workers. Both went missing about three months ago."
"Nice! Isn't she great?"
"I'm not gonna ask how she got these classified papers."
"She uh- just finds things."
"You mean, she's been lurking around. Stalking people, like how she stalked me...."
"Hey, she's doing her part! We'll take these two to Curie for a check-up later. They've obviously been using Trigger. Look at the injection marks."
Junichi followed his gaze, eyes narrowing at the raw crimson lines that mapped across the exposed skin of their captives. "That's not an excuse to attack innocent people."
"They need help getting clean. Whatever happened, they didn't deserve to get messed up."
"For now. But we need answers on who gave that shit to them" His violet eyes cut towards Inigo. "Good cop, bad cop?"
"Ooh, hell yeah! But you've gotta be the good cop this time."
Junichi snorted. "Why me?"
"Because it's scary when you're nice, bro."
Chapter 2 - A Shiketsu Vigilante
Sally sighed heavily as Inigo caught up to her and Chris on their way to school. The events of the previous night were still fresh in her mind.
"Ugh, I wanted a peaceful morning," she grumbled, eyeing the energetic blonde boy warily.
"Hey now! I'll be peaceful," Inigo replied with a grin, his quirk Gigan materializing on his shoulder. He walked backwards in front of them. "I heard Chris' date went perfectly! So when's the next one? Second base is waiting just outside the horizon."
Sally's eyes narrowed and the metallic clicking of her quirk echoed. Chris shook his head.
"Neither one of us are ready for that kind of thing," he mumbled.
Inigo was undeterred. "Real talk, buddy. I know you're taking things seriously. But if you never practice using it, you won't be able to when the time comes!"
Chris furrowed his brow. "A dick joke, really?"
"No, dumbass!" Inigo practically shouted. "I'm talking about your heart! Boys from other schools will be coming to our culture festival. It's an army of rivals, we can't be certain they won't go after our girls or Noah. And we got internships, you'll be separated! A lot can happen in a month. You gotta strike while the iron is hot! Give her a promise ring, tonight!"
He punctuated his outburst by thrusting a finger skyward dramatically. Sally could only roll her eyes.
"I told you we should've hurried so he wouldn't catch up to us," she muttered to Chris.
"You're right. My bad," Chris agreed, and the two picked up their pace, walking passed the blonde boy.
"HEY! DON'T IGNORE ME!" Inigo yelled, scrambling to catch back up.
Falling in step beside them once more, he tilted his head towards Sally.
"Sally-chan! You're lookin' like a 9 out of 10. The one missing is me."
"I'm not in the mood, Myoga."
"Huh? Did something happen?" Inigo asked innocently.
Chris glanced at Sally, letting her explain. She exhaled slowly, the memories from the previous night flooding back.
"People attacked my church last night," Sally began, her brow furrowing. "They're holding off masses until they can get more security. Mr. Ootanagi's closed the food bank."
She recounted the terrifying scene - the ragged man's frightening transformation, the crimson tentacles lashing out, the people fleeing in a panic. Inigo listened intently, nodding along.
"Which villains?" he asked, feigning ignorance.
Sally shook her head. "I don't know. Two vigilantes showed up to stop them."
Her voice took on a harder edge as she described the skull-masked figure and his gray-visored companion. How they had apprehended the villains and taken off into the night.
"Oh? Meeting guys after hours? Our beautiful Sally's got two knights in shining armor after her," Inigo ribbed her with a sly wink.
Sally's cheeks flushed. "God, you're insufferable," she spat. "This is serious!"
She stormed off ahead, fuming at Inigo's flippant attitude. Chris lingered back, giving the blonde boy a weary look. "The skull-masked figure.. It's the same guy from the rooftop. He was with the Five."
Inigo nodded his head, falling into step next to Chris. "Sounds like it to me. But he's helping people, right? He can't be all that bad."
"Why do you sound so certain?"
"Eh.." Inigo loosed his tie. "Just a guess. What do you think?"
Chris shrugged and turned his attention to his phone. Inigo's smile faded as he replayed Sally's description of the attack in his mind. This was getting out of hand..
They spent the rest of the walk to school in quiet.
Mitsurugi Dojo
The next day, in attempt to clear her mind, Sally found herself at the Mitsurigi dojo, along with Chihiro, Hoge, and Orochi. The American grunted as Chihiro's bokken tapped her nose, stumbling back a step. The distracted brunette's footwork had faltered, leaving her defense wide open.
"Your stance is wide open." Chihiro observed with a tilt of her head. "Where is your mind wandering, McCathy-san. What's troubling you?"
Lowering her practice sword, Sally exhaled slowly. "Those masked guys from the other night. I can't stop thinking about them."
She fished her phone from her pocket, tapping through the notes app with a furrowed brow.
"I've been documenting sightings around Kyoto for the past few weeks. That skull-masked guy and his gray-visored partner are attracting a lot of attention. Their sightings are clustering closer and closer to Shiketsu."
Hoge paused mid practice swing at Sally's words. In the corner, Orochi glanced up from her phone with an arched brow.
"You think they're students?" the lamia probed curiously.
Sally shrugged, tucking her phone away. "It would explain why they're always around these parts. Not to mention their heights match the boys in our class."
She leveled the other girls with an imploring look. "Doesn't it bother you? Just a couple of randos running around acting like vigilantes?"
Chihiro considered this for a moment before shaking her head slightly. "I cannot judge the reason of their actions. Only the results."
"I'm with Chihiro on this one," Orochi chimed in with a lazy grin. "Hell, maybe we should all be out there too."
"Unacceptable," Hoge blurted out, panic flashing across her blurry features. "We can't go around doing that. Not with exams and internships around the corner."
"But aren't you curious?" Sally pressed, brandishing her phone once more. Sketches of the infamous skull-mask and gray-visor glared back at them from the screen. "They're breaking all kinds of laws right under our noses!"
A heavy silence fell over the group. Chihiro merely watched them placidly. Orochi shrugged one shoulder, seemingly ambivalent. But Hoge felt a chill slide down her neck as Orochi's narrowed eyes settled upon her.
'You look awfully nervous, Nyoro-chan,' Orochi mused silently.
Inside, Hoge was indeed sweating bullets. After getting into a close call, she had been laying low for weeks now. She had focused on their studies, but Inigo and Junichi had pressed on with their investigations. If Sally connected the dots...
"Well, I for one plan to find out who they are," Sally stated firmly, resolve hardening her features. "Maybe put a stop to their little vigilante games before someone gets seriously hurt."
She whirled on Hoge suddenly. "I thought you'd be more mad that they're breaking school rules."
The blurry girl flinched, averting her gaze. After a tense pause, Hoge stifled a tiny laugh, one hand rising to cover her grinning lips. In her mind's eye, she could picture Inigo's smug smirk when he inevitably found out about Sally's investigation. "Well, if you want help investigating... You could always ask Inigo. He's really into those kinds of things."
There was a muffled snort from the corner as Orochi stifled her laughter. Sally, meanwhile, could only sigh and shake her head slowly.
"I'm desperate enough to ask that moron," she muttered. "I could use all the eyes I can get on this."
As Sally stalked off to retrieve a towel, Hoge allowed herself a tiny victorious smile. With one stroke she had sabotaged the American's investigation and saved them both some trouble.
Shiketsu Academy
The classroom was alive with chatter as Shiketsu's 1-D class prepared for the upcoming school festival. Colorful banners and designs decorated the walls, adding to the festive atmosphere. Sally sat observing from her desk as Inigo and Hoge, the class representative, stood at the front. On the chalkboard behind them, a list of festival activities was steadily growing, students' names scrawled underneath as volunteers.
"Please remember that Thursday is the last day for preparations," Hoge announced, raising her voice to be heard over the din. "This week you'll be allowed to work at school until 6 PM. Anyone wishing to stay later must submit a request. In any and all cases, the maximum extension is set to 10 PM."
"Really, only until 6?" Edith protested from her seat. "We still have so much left to do!"
"We can just meet at the cafe too," Ashleigh suggested.
"Good idea!" Yui agreed readily.
Most of the class wasn't paying much attention, too engrossed in their own conversations, but Hoge straightened, looking pleased with herself, and gestured to the board.
"We still need volunteers for some of the events," she reminded them.
When no one immediately spoke up, Inigo cheerfully took over. "Alright guys! Who wants to rep 1-D in the relay race?" He grinned at Bobby. "You got this one in the bag, right bro?"
Bobby tore his eyes away from where he'd been chatting with Minnie. "Uh, yeah man! Put me in, coach!"
Scribbling Bobby's name down, Inigo continued, "And how about the three-legged race? It'll be girl and boy pairs!"
He threw a wink at Hifumi and Chris. "My men! You're naturals for that one."
Faith and Hailey exchanged uncertain looks with their boyfriends. Hifumi simply laughed it off with a cocky grin. "Yeah, Hay and I got this easy!"
"I guess so," Chris mumbled with a shrug. "I'm not in anything else."
As more names filled the list, Sally decided to make her move. Rising from her desk, she called out, "Inigo, can I talk to you for a sec?"
The blonde whirled towards her with a roguish grin. "Why, you finally ready to sign up for the beauty pageant, Sally?"
Hoge fixed him with a disapproving frown, elbowing him.
"Hey! Just joking plus we have Noah and Kaylee for that," he said with an exaggerated wince. "Lead the way, McCathy."
Sally rolled her eyes but stepped out into the hallway, Inigo following behind her. The corridor was equally festooned with construction paper banners, paper lanterns, and colorful signs.
Once they were relatively alone, Sally turned to face him. "You know those vigilantes that showed up at my church the other night?"
For the briefest moment, a guarded look flickered across Inigo's face before his jovial expression returned. "The skull guy and his partner? What about 'em?"
"I want to find out who they really are, and if they go to Shiketsu," Sally stated firmly. "You're always chasing dumb things - I could use your help looking into this one. Nyoro said you know about them."
At that, Inigo grinned widely, shooting her with a fingergun. "The Mysterious Masked Vigilantes of Shiketsu? Sign me up!"
"So who do we start with?" Sally said, holding a notepad and tucking a pen behind her ear.
Inigo pondered. There's no way he actually leads Sally into figuring out the truth, but something in her drive inspired him. It was a shame he was gonna have to put out that flame. He decided to mess around until she grows tired of chasing after them. Gigan shot him a sharp look.
What? It's for her own safety! Some vigilantes are dangerous... She can't be chasing after them.
"Let's start with 1-D."
1-D
As the lunch bell rang, Sally peeked her head around the corner, surveying the hallway. Their classmates filtered past them. Inigo leaned against the wall next to her, arms crossed casually.
"The vigilante sightings started around the beginning of this school year," Sally murmured. "So there's a high chance it could be someone from the freshman classes."
"If you're sure about the timeline, then I'm with you."
Kaylee strode by, giving them an odd look. Inigo straightened up, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"What about Kaylee?" Sally wondered. "She did take on Bogey without a license last year.."
"She's way too tall. Aren't they around our height?"
As if on cue, Christopher ambled down the hall, head down, tapping away on his phone. Inigo's smirked.
"How bout our boy Cain. We know he's sneaky. You don't think..."
"Not unless he's chasing after you-know-who," Sally countered with a roll of her eyes. "And he'd tell us if it was him. We're all investigating that together."
Inigo opened his mouth but she cut him off with a wave of her hand as Imai and Ashleigh strolled past, deep in conversation.
"Don't even say it," he warned. "Those two are way too cute and bubbly to be running around fighting crime."
Sally scoffed. "I was going to suggest just Imai.. He does fit the height and build for the skull guy..."
"Nah, can't be them. Imai's mom and Ashleigh's dad would never let them stay out late. They're on strict curfews. Bro, can't even stay up late for band practice."
As a blurry figure walked by, Sally's eyes narrowed.
"What about Nyoro? She fits the boyish description. And she's tall enough."
"Oh come on! She's way too strict to be a vigilante! Can you imagine our perfect class rep breaking the rules?"
"Yes, I can...."
"Nah. I'm marking her off!"
Sally arched an eyebrow at him. "You can't just count out your weird girlfriend.."
"Why not?" Inigo countered with a grin. "You counted Noah out already!"
"That's different!"
"Nu uh."
Their argument came to a close when Bobby, Sandy and Hifumi walked by.
"I got this one, McCathy!"
Inigo straightened up, calling out to them.
"Yo bros! Tell me you three aren't the secret vigilantes we've been looking for."
Hifumi let out a hearty laugh. "What? Us? Nah man, I'm gonna be the number one hero someday. Gotta set a good example to my fans!"
Bobby shrugged, grinning. "Even if I wanted to, Minnie would never let me. I got into one bar fight and she still hasn't let me live it down."
"I'm too busy at night," Sandy added.
"Oh yeah! I'd say! Busy at night AND the morning," Inigo winked, giving him a fingergun.
"Bro, we're making lunch. You coming? I'm grilling briskets. It's STEAK DAY!" Bobby flexed.
"STEAK DAY! STEAK DAY!" the other three boys yelled in response, flexing in the same way. Sally facepalmed.
"God.. you know I love your steaks, bro. But nah, I gotta help Sally with her thing."
"Alright, good luck!" Hifumi said, leading the others away.
Inigo pondered as he watched them leave. If he was really looking for vigilantes, the Boys would be prime candicates. Hifumi with his strong fiery sense of justice. Bobby with his rough background and legacy. Would he seek out Sunman's enemies? And then there's Sandy... Inigo has been watching him for a while. He assumed that Sandy didn't have a choice but to go on his 'missions'. The same way, he didn't have a choice but do what Satoru wants on Sundays. Anything to preserve the power of the Dai-ichi. Maybe one day they'll both be free. But there wasn't much Inigo could do for him now, except be his friend. And if ever Sandy does ask for help. To break free. He'll be there for him.
"Hello? Earth to Myoga!" Sally's words cut through his train of thought. "You're just standing there.. Staring off into space."
"Sorry! Sorry! I was just -- thinking that it tracks it's not them. If the Boys were vigilantes, they wouldn't leave me out!"
Sally nodded slowly. "Uhuh. And I don't think any of them could effectively hide their quirks, even with masks and disguises."
Inigo began ticking off names on his fingers. "Jugo and Shinkan are too loud and blatant to pull off the stealth thing. Sora's too short. And Hiro isn't a freshman. I guess that's everyone then?
Sally: "Everyone in 1-D at least.."
"Well that's all the seniors and sophomores. Shockingly, we don't have a lot of those in Shiketsu, huh? Where to next?" Inigo asked as they strolled down the hallway. "I was thinking we could check out the judo club, see if any of those guys fit the bill."
Sally opened her mouth to respond when a soft voice cut across her thoughts.
"Tsk. There you are."
They turned to find Hoge approaching, her features obscured in her usual indistinct blur. The taller girl clasped her hands behind her back, head tilting inquisitively.
"Coru-chan! Here to help us?" Inigo lit up.
"That depends. Any good leads?" she asked lightly.
Sally shook her head with a weary sigh. "Not really. We haven't found anyone who matches the physical descriptions so far."
Beside her, Inigo grinned roguishly, shooting Hoge a conspiratorial wink that Sally missed.
"We're looking for guys who are: tall, handsome, strong, have an incredible jawline and amazing charisma. And a sharp wit too! These guys are great at keeping their identities secret," he proclaimed with an air of faux wisdom. "True masters of their craft. No doubt, It'll take us months to uncover them. I hope you're ready for the long haul, Sally." Inigo threw her a grin.
"Yeah I know," Sally sighed defeatedly.
Hoge's softly glowing features brightened with amusement at the theatrics. "Is that so?" she mused, tapping a finger to her lips. "Well then... Isn't it obvious?"
Inigo tensed slightly, eyes narrowing. Hoge met his gaze evenly.
"What do you mean?" Sally asked, oblivious to the tension.
"I mean, what if these so-called 'vigilantes' aren't actually impressive physical specimens at all?" Hoge suggested innocently. "For all you know, they could just be a couple of really unfortunate-looking guys hiding their ugliness behind masks. Too shy and horrid to be real heroes."
Sally's brow furrowed as she mulled this over. Inigo, meanwhile, gripped the strap of his dragonstone bracelet to keep from retorting.
"I...guess that's possible," Sally said slowly. "An ugly sidekick pair does sound less intimidating too."
"Or!" Hoge wasn't done yet, shooting Inigo a sly look. "You haven't found your culprits because you're only looking for men, McCathy" she explained simply. "For all you know, those vigilantes could be girls masquerading as boys."
Sally blinked slowly, seemingly unfazed by the implication. Inigo, however, felt his eye twitch rapidly.
"You think...they're girls?" The words came out strangled.
"Or perhaps just the one with the gray-visor," Hoge said matter-of-factly. "Fufufu. It would explain why they're so close, working in sync like that. They are lovers. Maybe when the crime-fighting is done, they cuddle up together over candlelight and--"
"Okay!" Inigo finally cracked, letting out a nervous laugh that bordered on hysterical. "I think that's enough speculation for one day, yeah?"
Sally's eyes widened as she processed this, one fist tapping into her open palm. "You know... you might be right! The gray-visored one did seem kind of... girly. And the bone-masked vigilante was pretty short too..."
"You can't actually believe that nonsense, can you?" Inigo demanded, rounding on Hoge with a desperate look. The girl only giggled impishly.
"Who's to say? I'm simply exploring all the possibilities here," she replied evenly. "Unless you have some special insight you'd like to share..?"
Grinding his teeth. "YES!" He yelled, causing students in the hallway to turn. "WE'VE SEEN IMAGES OF THE GUY! AND HE DOESN'T HAVE -- BOOBS!" He pointed dramatically at the front of Hoge's uniform vest. The flat-chested girl shot him a look. "eer- BOOBS!" Inigo swung to poke rudely at Sally's instead. "SEE?? MELONS. TATAS. TITS."
Inigo found himself in pain and on the ground looking up at Sally and Hoge who had struck him with an oddly efficient combo. Hoge had leg swept him, as Sally's fist connected with his face. Chihiro's martial arts training was really paying off... Maybe he should get the dojo mistress to ease up.
"You two are scary when you work together," Inigo moaned on the floor, rubbing his back.
Hoge shook her head. "Baka.. If they were really so skilled at keeping their identities secret, don't you think they'd alter their looks when going out in costume?" she pointed out reasonably. "Think about it - if you were going to masquerade as a vigilante, you wouldn't choose an appearance too close to your original form."
Sally mulled this over silently for a long moment before nodding in agreement. "You make a good point... I think we need to start looking at some of the more... plain or underwhelming girly types. I know just the one! C'mon, Myoga!"
Inigo visibly winced at her assessment as he got to his feet. Sally was already moving on, tapping away at her phone.
He leaned close to Hoge.
"Coru-chan. Are ya punishing me for going out at night with Joon without ya..?" Inigo whispered back. He found his arm going around her waist to pull her close. "Why don't you join us in investigating?"
"I can't, Ini. I'm not done with club activities for the festival." She slipped away from his grasp easily.
"Why don't I join you then-"
"You coming, Myoga! We're wasting daylight," Sally yelled, heading for the general course classrooms.
"Yeah yeah, lead the way..."
"Fufufu." Hoge stifled a giggle with her palm. Pinning Inigo with a sly look, she leaned in and whispered into his ear. "Let me know if you need any more... insights."
Satoru
"This is our guy," Sally announced as they approached the general course wing. From the corner, they spotted a scrawny short boy with disheveled hair hunched over a notebook at one of the lockers.
Inigo squinted at the skinny teen. "Tani-kun? Hey, at least it's not a girl.."
"Satoru Tani," Sally confirmed with a nod. "Freshman in the general studies course. He's vigilante enthusiast. He kept talking about Redhats and whatever during detention."
Inigo raised a brow.
"If he's hiding his true strength.." Sally noted. "..he could be our vigilante,"
As if to prove her point, Satoru began pantomiming fight moves as he pored over the pages, throwing a few mock punches and kicks in his animated study.
"I thought he was just some dude who was making sexbots to save Japan. He's even more of a hero then," Inigo grinned, giving Sally an approving nudge with his elbow. "Let's go grill him!"
They made their way around the corner purposefully. However, before they could approach, a rowdy group of jocks swaggered over to Satoru's locker, cutting them off. The apparent leader was a tall brute with eyebrows piercings and a red bandana. He carried a shinai propped on one shoulder.
"Well well, if it ain't the freak again," the ringleader - who Inigo identified as Sareem, a business course freshman on the kendo team - jeered. "Didn't I tell you to stop creepin' on OUR Chihiro?!"
He shoved the smaller boy. Satoru flinched, shrinking back as the group crowded around menacingly.
"I-I wasn't! I swear! I can't even see her dumb face!" he stammered, eyes swirling as he looked for a way out. "I just bumped into her!"
Sareem glared. "DUMB!? YOU DON'T THINK SHE'S PRETTY??"
"NO! I mean- yes?"
"You're... dead!" He cracked his knuckles. One of Sareem's lackeys snatched the notebook from Satoru's hands, sneering down at him as he flipped through the pages.
"The hell is this garbage anyway? Trying to be a vigilante?" He tossed it over his shoulder to the other lackeys. "No wonder you're so messed up in the head, loser!"
Satoru licked his lips nervously, leaning back against his locker. "Y-you assholes, done? I have to get to class..."
"We're not done with you yet... You'll make a good offering to the lady of death. Let's take him to the Kendo Club." At Sareem's orders, Satoru found arms grabbing and tugging him, dragging him down the hallway.
"L-let go of me!" He looked down to see his notebook getting trampled.
As the bullies moved, Sally made a move to intervene. But Inigo caught her arm, shaking his head slowly. She opened her mouth to protest, but the look in his eyes gave her pause. "No..."
"H-Hey, you're in the hero course, right?" Spotting them, Satoru called out to Sally. "Aren't you two gonna do something? You're heroes!"
Sareem's crew shot the two hero course students a daring glare.
Inigo's hand tightened on Sally's arm as he simply shook his head again. Inigo could see the flicker of desperation flickering behind Satoru's eyes, the fight or flight instinct warring within. "This is something he needs to do on his own... To become a true hero, McCathy..."
"NO. I DON'T! I'M NOT ABOUT TO HAVE AN INSPIRING CHARACTER MOMENT RIGHT NOW. IM LATE FOR CLASS. JUST FUCKING HELP ME!"
"Oh, in that case, yeah let's go help him!" Inigo shrugged. Sally could only facepalm as the reckless blonde interjected himself directly between Satoru and the furious jocks.
"Hey! Get out of our way!" one of Sareem's underlings stammered.
Inigo shot him a cocky grin, bracing his stance. "Oraa, isn't it obvious? I'm saving the day!" Sally stood next to him defiantly.
"We're not afraid of you, hero course!!" Sareem yelled holding out his kendo stick. "Boys! Let's show them our devotion to CHIHIRO! FIGHT TO THE DEATH!"
"HURRAH!"
"AHEM."
A familiar voice froze everyone in their tracks. Principal Karaburan stood at one side of the hall, her one hand on her hip as she surveyed the unfolding scene sternly. "Just what seems to be the problem here?" she demanded, steel in her tone.
There was a long pause as the combatants all shrank back, murmuring stuttered denials and excuses under the principal's withering glare. "Unbelievable. Fighting during school hours?" Karaburan yelled. "You boys are all coming with me. Satoru, Sareem, the rest of you - you're all getting detention! McCathy.. Myoga.. Stay right there!"
"But I didn't do anything!!"
"Move along, Tani! I just knew you were behind this!"
"FUCK!"
"Language, young man! That's another day of detention!"
As the chastised students began filing out, the principal's eyes fell on Inigo and Sally. She arched one sculpted eyebrow at the pair.
"And... what were you two doing, hmm?" She didn't wait for an answer, snapping her fingers dismissively. "Never mind, I'll let it slide this time since your internships are coming up. Be sure to do your best for Shiketsu, okay?"
Sally frowned in confusion but Inigo merely shrugged innocently, giving the principal a playful salute. "Yes, mam! Thanks, Principal K! We're gonna go back to investigating vigilantes in Shiketsu now."
"Yes yes, of course. Run along now, you crazy kids," Karaburan waved them off. "Oh, and there are fresh-baked cookies in the faculty lounge if you get hungry!"
As they headed off down the hall, Inigo and Sally exchanged a bewildered look over the bizarre turn of events.
"She... really does just play favorites with the Hero Course students, huh?" Sally muttered in disbelief.
"Yeah the principal loves us. It's great!" Inigo grinned. "I'm not complaining! Cookies and no detention? Works for me!"
Sally rolled her eyes. "Whatever.. I guess it's not Satoru. Let's move to the next suspects."
1-E
Inigo and Sally stood in front of the 1-E classroom.
"They said they'll answer your vigilante questions..." the blonde boy stage-whispered.
Sally eyed him skeptically. "What's the catch?"
"Well, they want you to test their RPG dungeon maze first," Inigo admitted with an impish grin. "It's for the culture festival. But be careful - they seem really pumped about it.."
"Why do I have to do it?"
"Hey, I'm just the messenger! That was their offer."
"Fine. Let's get this over with."
They entered the now tavern-themed classroom to find Victor waiting for them amidst a cluster of 1-E students dressed in hooded robes.
"Welcome, adventurer!" Victor boomed, all bravado. "Face the trials of our DUNGEON masterpiece if you dare! For I AM THE DUNGEON MASTER - BEHOLD MY MASTERY OF DUNGEON INERTIA!"
Before Sally could respond, he was ushering her towards an entrance fashioned from cardboard pylons and spray-painted signs. A sprawling makeshift maze sprawled before them, spanning at least three interconnected classrooms. The 1-E students had outdone themselves - the makeshift dungeon crawl looked alarmingly realistic, with physics-defying obstacles, elaborate decorations, and probably more than a few quirk-based hazards.
Shooting Inigo one last glare, Sally squared her shoulders and ventured into the maze's yawning entrance.
Ten minutes later, she came stumbling back out - clothes disheveled, hair mussed, and splattered head-to-toe with vibrant streaks of slime, glitter and confetti.
Inigo watched her approach with a grin. "So?" he prodded. "Did you find any secret vigilantes in the dungeon?"
Sally could only glower at him wordlessly, a drip of lurid green goop sliding down the bridge of her nose. Her ire only deepened as Inigo fought to smother his snickering laughter.
"Nope," she grumbled at last. "No vigilantes. Just a lot of... garbage."
"Well in that case, I guess it's on to the next place!" he chirped brightly. "I've got a few more spots in mind we can stake out."
1-F
Their next stop was what seemed to be... a bathroom? At least, the plaque on the door labeled it as occupied by the elusive Class 1-F.
"Ugh, do we really want to check in here?" Sally grimaced, nose wrinkling.
But Inigo was already knocking rapidly on the closed door "Are you kidding? This is going to be amazing!" he cackled. "I heard these guys are the real wildcards of Shiketsu!"
The door cracked open a sliver, one beady eye peering out scrutinizingly, dust falling around it. "Who dares intrude upon the sacred realm of 1-F?" an oddly nasal voice demanded.
"It is I, Inigo Myoga of the 1-D Hero Course!" Inigo announced grandly, throwing out his chest dramatically. "I seek audience with the esteemed students of this... hallowed hall."
There was a long, pregnant pause. Sally resisted the urge to bury her face in her hands.
"... You may enter," the voice finally intoned solemnly.
With a triumphant grin, Inigo seized Sally's wrist and led her bodily through the door before she could protest further. Beyond lay what did indeed appear to be a rather standard bathroom - if said bathroom had been ransacked by what looked like a rabid pack of raccoons. Toilet paper hung from the cracked mirrors in thick streamers while piles of discarded cleaning supplies lay strewn haphazardly about. Peeking up at them from the stalls were the students.
"Yo Myoga. Are you here to inspect our festival project?" Rob called out from the first stall.
"Eh? What is it supposed to be?" Inigo scratched his head.
"Heyyy, welcome to our maid cafe," Umeko said with a wave.
"It's a haunted house. We're doing a haunted house," Richard stated. A cactus popping out of his forehead.
"No! It'ssss a live production of Wessst Ssside Ssstory," A smaller girl stated.
"(bzz) Why'd I bring fresh garbage if we're not doing a 1-F fine dining restaurant?"
Multiple heads popped out of the stalls as the class exploded into an argument about what exactly they're doing for the Shiketsu culture festival.
"HOLD ON!" Sally shouted. Inigo followed up with a sharp whistle from Gigan. "We're not inspectors," Inigo said. "We want to know if any of you are vigilantes."
They all turned at once and stared. The toilets all flushed at the same time.
"To arrest us? Fine! I'll sacrifice myself. I'm a vigilante!" Rob stated, spraying a rope of goop at Sally.
"No! What the hell!!"
"Don't take him. I'm the vigilante...sssss..." A sharp-eyed girl said.
Sally pinched the bridge of her nose. "No, you're not in trouble! No one's getting arrested!"
BEEP BEEP BOOP BEEP
<"Oh, I'm a vigilante!">
<"Okay. I'm a vigilante too.>
Inigo grinned at Sally. "They're doing the thing!"
Sally sighs. "I know what they're doing. Let's.. just get out of here."
"Aww. C'mon.."
<"I'm THE VIGILANTE! I'M HIM.">
<"Bzzz.. I could be your vigilante for the right price. Bzz.">
<"I'm a vigilante, if only to survive the winter...>
Sally stormed down the hallway, fuming as she tried unsuccessfully to wipe some of the goop from her clothes and hair. Inigo hurried after her, wincing.
"Sally, c'mon, wait up! Those guys were fun!" he chuckled. "No need to get so worked up!"
Sally whirled on him, eyes flashing with anger. "Fun? You think this is fun for me, Inigo?" she snapped. "My church was attacked, So many innocent people were put in danger, and you're just treating this whole thing like one big joke!"
Inigo opened his mouth, but she barreled on, voice rising. "I've been trying so damn hard to get to the bottom of who those masked freaks are, even asking for your ridiculous help! And what do I have to show for it? Getting yelled at, covered in garbage, smelling like a dumpster..."
She trailed off, shoulders slumping as the fight seemed to go out of her for a moment. Inigo shifted uncomfortably.
"You don't get it," she said, more quietly now. "I'm scared for Noah, for Mr. Otonagi, for everyone at my church. But nope, it's all just a silly game to you, isn't it?"
Her eyes hardened again. "You know what? Forget it. I don't need your 'help' anymore. I'll figure this out myself, like I should have from the start!"
With that, she turned on her heel and stormed off down the hallway, leaving Inigo gaping after her. The blonde boy grimaced, running a hand through his hair as he watched her retreating back.
"Sally, wait! I...I'm sorry, okay?" he called out, but she didn't even break stride. Letting out a frustrated groan, Inigo slumped back against the wall. Had he really taken things too far this time? With a weary sigh, Inigo pushed off from the wall, shoving his hands into his pockets as he trudged in the opposite direction from Sally. Part of him wanted to chase after her, try to explain or at least apologize again. But seeing the bitter disappointment and anger in her eyes...maybe it was better to let her cool off for now.
Gigan peeked out from his perch on Inigo's shoulder, staring with concern.
"I know, buddy. I really screwed up this time..."
Chapter 3 - A Night Time Caper
The night time dock was full of crates and shipping containers, the air thick with the briny scent of the sea. Sally wandered through the shadowy loading bay, a thick hoodie obscuring her face as she crept between towering stacks of cargo. A face mask concealed the lower half of her features as she snuck behind a cluster of battered crates.
If Inigo couldn't help find the vigilantes at Shiketsu, she was gonna find them herself.
She wove silently through the usual haunts, scanning the maze of containers and catwalks for any sign of the infamous skull-masked duo. Her heart pounded in her chest as a flicker of movement caught her eye. Slipping into the shadows, she followed after the two cloaked figures.
They led her on a winding path, climbing up rickety stairs until they reached the roof of a warehouse. Sally inched her way up the final steps, only to find Gray-Visor and Bone-Mask standing there, as if waiting for her.
"Told ya she was there," Gray-Visor muttered, a hint of amusement in his garbled voice.
Bone-Mask shook his head slowly. "Why are you following us?"
Sally steeled herself, refusing to be cowed as she stood her ground. She felt her throat catch for just a moment before forcing the words out in a hard rasp.
"I want to know who you are! Do you go to my school?"
"Really...?" Bone-Mask growled. "We don't have time for this. You need to leave now."
"What are you even doing here?" Sally shot back defiantly.
Gray-Visor sighed. "C'mon Sally. This place isn't safe."
Her eyes narrowed at the use of her name. "You know my name..."
She took a step closer, fists clenched. "Who are you?"
"Shit...they're here!" Bone-Mask hissed suddenly.
"Sally, this way!" Gray-Visor barked.
Before she could protest, Sally found herself crouched beside the two vigilantes, peeking over the roof's edge with them. Down below, two sleek black cars rolled into the warehouse lot. A familiar face emerged from the first vehicle, accompanied by two hulking men with cruel eyes - Mr. Ootanagi and his bodyguards.
Four more thugs piled out, automatic weapons in hand. They hauled six ragged individuals from the second car, the prisoners looking dazed and malnourished in their tattered clothing.
"Mr. Ootanagi?" Sally breathed in disbelief.
"The less you know the better," Bone-Mask muttered darkly.
But Sally was having none of it, planting her feet stubbornly. "I'm not leaving until you let me know what's going on... I'm already involved!"
"Like hell you are..."
Gray-Visor held up a placating hand. "Look...just know Mr. Ootanagi isn't what he appears to be."
"But he's always been so kind..." Sally protested weakly.
The vigilante snorted derisively. "It's the kind ones that get ya. He's been using churches in Kyoto to look for vulnerable people. He's been trafficking workers all over Japan, mainly migrants. They have a warehouse where they import fish and relabel them as domestic goods."
"But recently the bastard got greedy and started importing drugs too," Bone-Mask spat.
A third car rolled into the lot, disgorging yet more armed men. Gray-Visor tensed beside her.
"That's all of them, bro..."
"Now's our chance!" Bone-Mask growled. "Stay out of our way!"
With that, the two vigilantes leapt from the rooftop in a dizzying blur of motion. Bone-Mask hit the ground first, pulling a pair of wicked bone swords from his forearms as he charged. He spun through the air, blades flashing as two thugs crumpled with agonized cries.
Gray-Visor tackled one of the bodyguards, rolling with the impact as the man's fists transformed into warhammers. A shroud of inky darkness enveloped them both, deflecting a hail of gunfire from the remaining goons before they were swallowed up.
"Mr. Ootanagi..." Gray-Visor's voice echoed through the chaos. "We need to talk to you."
The unassuming churchgoer's face twisted into an ugly snarl of hatred. "It's those brats! Get them!"
The two bodyguards charged - one swinging mercilessly at Bone-Mask with his hammer-hands. Junichi deflected the blows deftly, his bone blades shattering again and again before the man's brute force. The second man whipped out a hand, fingers sharpening into foot-long nails as he swiped at Gray-Visor. A thick carapace of shifting obsidian armor formed around the vigilante just in time to deflect the attack.
Villain Duo:「The Steel Brothers]
Quirk:「Hammer and Nail」
Type: Transformation
Description: The older brother can turn his arms, legs, and head into solid steel hammers. The younger transforms his fingernails and tongue into iron nails.
Nail-Villain cackled as loops of razor nails burst forth, whipping and coiling around Gray-Visor. "I'll strangle you to death!"
The darkness surged around Inigo as he struggled, compacting into a massive spinning drill. "DRILL LANCELOT!"
With a bestial roar, Gray-Visor charged through the deadly tendrils, shearing through them as they sliced deep into his impromptu armor. He slammed into the villain with bone-shattering force, sending the man ragdolling through the air.
Something about his style of fighting tugged at Sally's mind. As the two continued their battle, she stood up from her hiding spot to move closer. Bone-mask and the Hammer villain had fallen through a wall and into the warehouse. She could hear their battle as she got close.
Bone-Mask twirled the wicked bone swords in his grip, settling into a kendo stance as the hulking hammer-villain lumbered towards him. The man's entire body seemed to distort and convulse, limbs writhing grotesquely until they had elongated into dense, spiked sledgehammers that dragged against the pavement.
"Your little toys are useless," the brute sneered, shattering Bone-Mask's sword.
Junichi's eyes narrowed. "I can always make more."
The next hammer fell like a meteor, cratering the ground where he'd been standing. He nimbly leapt back, the shockwave ruffling his coat as he landed in a crouch. Fresh bone blades erupted from his elbows in a spray of crimson, wicked points glinting under the sickly glow of the streetlamps.
He surged forward, weapons whirling in a blur as the hammer descended again with crushing force. Bone and steel met with an ear-splitting screech. With a burst of energy, he kicked off the villain's bulky frame, flipping overhead to avoid the second hammer's sweeping arc. His bone swords shattered like glass upon impact, their deadly remains clattering to the ground in a shower of blunted shards. Even when his weapons broke... they turned into a shower of razors for his mark.
"You want something to break?!" he roared, "Try THIS!" New ossified blades erupted from his shoulders, his back, his knees - a veritable forest of slashing, stabbing fury spawned. The villain backpedaled. A hailstorm of snapping tendrils assailed him, slashing and piercing his dense flesh wherever they could find purchase.
"RAAAH!!" Junichi bellowed through the maelstrom.
The villain howled, swinging his hammers in desperation. Blows glanced off Junichi's thrashing cyclone. But one arcing swing found its mark, the weighted hammer-head crashing against Junichi's ribs with a sickening crunch. He staggered, the breath driven from his lungs in a wheezing gasp.
The villain struck again. And then a third time, sending the boy reeling. Bone tendrils faltered, giving the battered villain a momentary reprieve.
Junichi slumped to one knee.
"You're nothing but a loose nail that needs hammering!" the brute bellowed, rearing back for the killing strike.
Junichi glared defiantly. The hammer fell, only to be deflected by a horrifying cage of rising bloody bones erupting from the boy's flesh.
"I'm not done yet! I'll free the people you took," Junichi snarled, surging upright with bone lances extended.
The villain coughed out a wheezing laugh, crimson flecking his leering grin. "Ugh...fucking hero..."
To Junichi's surprise, a rare smile tugged at the corners of his own mouth beneath the mask. "You'd be lucky if I was a hero. But I'm a vigilante."
The man's sneer widened as he eyed Junichi with sudden recognition.
"Heh. Now I remember you. You're that bone kid we moved to Tokyo...aren't you? Hahaha. You're the crybaby. Waaah. I lost my parents. Waaah. They wont let me into the hero school," He mocked. "How the hell did Legion let you leave? They let you off your leash, boy?"
Junichi felt something primal and cold uncurl in the pit of his stomach.
"I'm not a pet... Everything I do... I do for me. So I can rid the world of scum like you." His voice was little more than a guttural rasp as he stalked forward. "I'm going to make you suffer for all the lives you've ruined."
The villain bared his fangs in a savage grin. "C'mon kid...you're just as bad as me."
Something inside Junichi snapped. With an incoherent roar of purest rage, he exploded into motion, bone lacerating and slashing in a whirling dervish.
"FUCK YOU!"
He battered aside the villain's feeble defenses with blow after punishing blow. Razor-edged tendrils whipsawed across the man's torso, scoring deep runnels of crimson agony. Junichi showed no mercy, no hesitation - only an implacable need to destroy, to rend the evil before him asunder.
"WHAT!? H-how are you getting stronger??!!"
Blows rained down in a torrent, shattering bone and tearing flesh alike until the villain could only cower helplessly. Junichi pressed the attack, unmindful of the wounds he inflicted upon himself.
Finally, with a piercing shriek, he reared back and unleashed an arcing flurry of sweeping slashes that severed one of the villain's leg. The brute toppled with a gargling bellow, body jerking spasmodically as Junichi stalked towards the ruined remains. In that moment, some small rational part of his psyche recoiled at the carnage. But the rest of him - the part that had been warped by years of hate and rage - could only feel an animalistic sense of vicious satisfaction. Junichi stood over the wheezing villain, chest heaving, blood spilling from the cuts made by his own damn quirk.
Sally could only gape in stunned silence, utterly unsure of what to do. She didn't have time to see Junichi take down the Hammer villain. Her attention snapped as she spied the craven form of Mr. Ootanagi slinking away towards the exits. Gritting her teeth, she moved to cut him off, blocking the turncoat's escape with a raised fist.
"Hold it," she barked, leveling her quirk at his chest.
The church benefactor feigned confusion, raising his hands placatingly. "Sally...is that you?"
"Is it true?" she pressed, voice hardening. "Are you using the church...to commit evil?"
For a breathless second, Mr. Ootanagi's facade cracked - the grandfatherly pastor replaced by a snarling smile.
"Listen McCathy," he spat through gritted teeth, "You know the government is against us honest folks. The church needs money to save others. I provide that."
Sally shook her head furiously, anger giving way to betrayal. All his years of kindness...their community...how could it all be a lie?
"I'm calling the cops," she said, lowering her weapon a fraction. "You're going to jail."
With a contemptuous snort, Mr. Ootanagi aimed his sidearm straight at her face. "I'm not going anywhere, you gaijin BITCH!"
Fire blossomed from the revolver's barrel. Sally's instincts took over - with a sweep of her arm, each bullet was deflected midflight, sparks scattering across the pavement. The metallic pings of her rubber rounds hitting flesh joined the cacophony as Sally advanced, eyes narrowed to slits.
"I don't want to hurt you," she growled, swatting aside another desperate barrage.
At last she closed to melee range, slamming the butt of her gun into his temple. Mr. Ootanagi crumpled like a rag doll.
"Your stance is wide open," Sally muttered, glaring down at his prone form. She shook and hugged herself.
Moments later, a hand fell upon her shoulders. Sally whirled, revolver coming up to find Gray-Visor and Bone-Mask staring back at her through impassive masks.
"Nice job," he called out. "But we gotta go. This place is gonna be full of cops any second."
Sirens began to wail in the distance, growing steadily louder. Bone-Mask fell in beside his partner, limping slightly.
"We sent everything to the police. They'll take over from here." Gray-Visor tipped his head thoughtfully. "We still need to find out who they were working for...but finally catching Ootanagi is a start."
Sally nodded and followed them into an alley. But she wasn't done. Steeling herself, she ran ahead and planted her feet, glaring defiantly at the retreating pair, barring their path.
"I need to know who you two are!"
Gray-Visor seemed to hesitate for a moment before sighing. Bone-Mask shook his head in obvious refusal.
"Are you stupid? We don't have time for this..."
"Then make time!"
"Sorry Sally...one tip about being a vigilante." Gray-Visor raised a remorseful hand. "You gotta make your escape when you can."
"Huh?" Sally managed to utter, confused.
Before she could react further, inky tendrils snaked around the boys' waists, yanking them skyward in a dizzying blur. Sally could only gape in mute amazement as a thick cable of shadow material retracted, carrying the vigilante duo up and over the rooftops to safety.
A hand fell heavily upon her shoulder, making her jump. She turned to find the unmistakable crimson costume of her teacher, Rosethorn, glaring down sternly, hands on her hip.
"What are you doing here? First Christopher, and now you. You have some explaining to do, young lady..."
Sally sighed heavily, knowing there was no escape. "Yes ma'am..."
Chapter 4: The Meeting
Sally trudged up the stairs to her apartment, utterly drained. It had been a horrific day - no, a horrific week. After being caught with the vigilantes, she was forced to endure a six-hour lecture from Principal Karaburan about the dangers of illegal heroics. Sandwiched between her boisterous classmate Jugo and that anti-hero weirdo Satoru, she had to listen to Karaburan drone on and on while several students from 1-F snickered behind her back.
As if that humiliation wasn't enough, her beloved church community was in shambles after Mr. Ootanagi's shocking betrayal. The kind pastor she had looked up to for so long was actually a vile human trafficker. Sally's gut twisted as she remembered his sneer, the venom in his voice as he called her a "gaijin bitch." And her poor Noah was busy dealing with the aftermath.
And to top it all off, her efforts to unmask the vigilantes had been for naught. All that time and energy wasted, when she should have been studying for exams. Bitter tears stung her eyes as she fumbled with her keys. What was that Bible passage about enduring hardship? The one she always turned to in times of struggle?
'Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.' Isaiah 41:10
Yes, that was it. Clinging to those words, Sally managed to open her apartment door and stumble inside. She barely had the energy to kick off her shoes before collapsing face-first onto the couch, body wracked with exhausted sobs.
A rapping at the balcony door broke through her misery. Sally shot upright, heart pounding, to find a familiar blonde head poking around the curtain.
"Yo Sally! Let me in!"
With a groan, she rose and slid the door open, fixing Inigo with a bloodshot glare. "What do you want, moron? I'm done looking for vigilantes. You can go away!"
Sally sniffed hard, trying and failing to disguise her disheveled appearance. To her surprise, Inigo didn't respond with his usual banter. Instead, he stepped forward and pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Hey! Let me go you perverted weirdo!" she protested weakly, struggling against his iron grip. "I mean it...I..."
The dam broke. Sally collapsed against Inigo's chest as harsh sobs racked her body. For long moments he just held her, letting her vent her anguish and frustration.
"You did your best..." Inigo murmured at last. "I'm sorry about your church. I know how hard it is to be away from home. How much effort you put into keeping up with us..."
He paused, squeezing her gently.
"And I guess...I'm sorry for messing with you so much. I only do it 'cause you take things so seriously."
Sally managed a watery chuckle, wiping at her eyes. "I hate you..."
"But you hate me less, right?" Inigo shot back with a grin.
"For now..." she muttered darkly.
Footsteps sounded on the balcony as a slim figure stepped through the open door. Sally flinched back as the purple-eyed boy with black hair approached, placing his hands firmly on her shoulders. "You're hugging him for too long," the stranger growled seperating Sally and Inigo.
Inigo flashed a conspiratorial wink at Sally. "Sally...this is Junichi. Junichi, this is Sally. You two haven't met, but he's actually one of Chihiro's dojo students. Student number two. You'll be seeing him around."
Sally's brow furrowed in confusion as she stepped back, looking between the two boys in bewilderment. "Why did you bring a random person to my place? Are you crazy?"
Inigo's grin widened.
"She's not getting it," Junichi muttered.
"Not yet!" Inigo agreed with a laugh.
Before Sally could protest further, Junichi reached into his jacket and pulled forth his bone-mask. Sliding it over his features, he turned to face her once more as Gigan materialized, wreathing Inigo's head in a shimmering gray visor.
"Nice to meet you, sleeping beauty," Inigo winked.
The metallic clicking of Sally's quirk echoed through the room as her eyes flew wide with shock and outrage. Inigo was already backing towards the balcony, hands raised placatingly.
"Gotta go!"
"Later," Junichi added with a two-fingered salute.
A green whirl of rope coalesced around them both. With a hiss of compression, they were yanked skyward by Gigan's emerald zipline, swinging away.
Sally could only gape after them, the realization crashing over her like a tidal wave.
"IIIIINNNNIIIIGGGOOOOOOOO!!" Sally screamed, cheeks flushing crimson with rage. "YOU IDIOT! I KNEW YOU WERE UP TO NO GOOD!!! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, YOU'RE DEAD MEAT! DO YOU HEAR ME?! DEAD! MEAT!!" Sally continued to bellow furiously, firing rubber bullets into their direction.
Bonus Scene:
Inigo and Junichi stumbled down the deserted street, leaning on each other for support. Their costumes were tattered, streaks of crimson staining the fabric. Junichi grunted in pain as his wounded leg dragged slightly. A sleek black van rolled to a stop beside them, its side door sliding open with a pneumatic hiss. Inside, a computer rig filled with surveillance monitors blinked with readouts while Curie, the silver-haired support student, sat behind the wheel. "Need a lift, boys?" she asked with a smirk. Hoge poked her head out from the back, dressed in her full cicada-themed ninja garb, behind her sat Chihiro wearing her fox mask.
Junichi: "It's done."
Hoge: "What took you so long?"
Junichi: "We ran into someone."
Hoge: "Sally?"
Inigo: "Yeah, but she's gone. Rosethorn took her."
Hoge: "Fufufu. Good."
Inigo: "What happened at the factory?"
Hoge: "No incidents. They never saw us coming."
Chihiro: "The workers are safe."
Inigo: "Good job, you two!"
Curie: "Hey I'm here too, y'know!"
Inigo: "Haha, thanks for the support! We all did great."
Junichi: "So what's next?"
Hoge: "I got this from their factory.."
With a few taps of the keyboard, security footage began playing across the monitors. It showed Mr. Ootanagi meeting with a shadowy figure in the factory's loading bay, both men carrying briefcases. After a tense few moments, they exchanged the cases and went their separate ways.
Inigo: "That's..."
Curie: "Omura-sensei? MY homeroom teacher."
Hoge: "Yes. The support course professor is true to his hero-name. He has Shiketsu fooled."
Junichi: "So that's how they always knew when heroes were coming..."
Inigo: "Good. Now's our chance to get him! ...but first, who's up for victory ramen?"