Bonds of Note

"…I've seen some pretty messed up things while in the force before, but this is definitely top ten material. Wanna take a quick breather outside, Tsukauchi?"

"Ah…no, I'll be fine, thanks. But I'm seriously considering a drink after this."

"Call me when you do, I'll pay."

The detective nodded, his nose wrinkled in disgust. 'I should've gotten a mask from the glove box if only to make the stink slightly more bearable.'

He looked down at the forensic worker who was stuffing a corpse in a body bag. "How many more are left?"

"We've still got one in the office room," he replied. "But we still have to clean up the rest of this place. Would've done it yesterday if there wasn't a risk to evidence." He shook his head, hidden by the white bodysuit. "It's just…how did no one see this before?"

Unfortunately, Tsukauchi didn't have an answer. His eyes drifted over to an open door, where without a doubt was the most shocking find on this site. When he saw it himself for the first time, he nearly did puke. Some of the other personnel weren't as hardy, however. Not that he could blame them.

The sight of a child's beaten corpse is one that no one should ever see.

The detective sighed and shook his head. A trafficking ring was not what anyone in the station was expecting from a child calling for help, saying he and his friends were hurt. It took a bit of tracing, but they found the building. Once the initial discovery had been made though, a full forensic team with multiple squad vehicles came running. Even a Special Forces squad was somewhere in the area, on radio standby.

"Can we go to the office? I want to do a little scouring of my own."

"Sure. Watch your step though."

Tsukauchi nodded and headed down the hallway, his fellow detective trailing him. They passed by a few more doors, all of them open, and soon reached the office. Just ahead of them though was another door that led to a spiraling staircase going down. At the bottom was an iron door with several locks, and in that depressing basement there were six children, all huddled up in ragged blankets.

They of course were immediately removed from the building and taken away. The child therapists and whatever orphanages they would be sent to would take care of them. He would've made sure of it himself if it wasn't for the urgency of this case. Hopefully, the police chief would ensure they were well cared for. He always had a soft spot for children.

But one of them mentioned something in regards to how they were able to contact the police that left Tsukauchi with a shiver.

'We d-didn't see him. His voice was deep and creepy. He gave us a ph-phone with a number and told us to say where we are and someone will help us. Then he was gone.'

He had no doubts as to who was this 'voice'.

They entered the office for another disturbing sight. The 'victim' – as much as a human trafficker could be a victim - was sprawled on the cheap carpet, dyed crimson. Dried blood was leaking from his mouth and his wrists, which were sporting deep cuts. The feet were also open, the Achilles tendon severed. On top of that, there was a knife jammed into his back, right on his spine. Not that he would ever need a wheelchair.

"Wow. Talk about brutal."

He nodded grimly. The other bodies had at most four cuts but this…this was intentional. "He dragged this out. He wanted him to suffer before dying."

The other officer hummed and walked around the body. "Well…can't say I blame him. I got pissed I saw what was going on here."

Tsukauchi shot him a glare. "That's still no excuse for this massacre. Killing people is a crime, regardless of the intention. He should've called the police or alerted a Hero."

He raised his hands. "I know, I know. Just trying to imagine what went on his head."

"Whose head?"

"…yes."

A ping from his coat pocket made the detective pull out his phone. "I've gotta go, It's the chief. He's outside and wants to talk."

The policeman waved him off. "Go ahead, I'll take a further look and see if we missed anything."

Tsukauchi headed back out the door and out of the building. The flashing of police sirens and a crowd of onlookers greeted him. Nonetheless, he pushed forward until he saw a black police van parked to the side. He approached it and out of the vehicle stepped a tall man wearing a suit and tie. An air command exuded from him, something the detective was familiar with after years on the force. The fact that his head was that of a dog did nothing to reduce it.

He greeted him with a short bow. "Chief Tsuragamae."

The Chief nodded. "Detective Tsukauchi. I apologize for pulling you away from this, but I have news regarding this case, woof. If you would…" he gestured to the van.

The two officers entered the vehicle, with the Chief at the wheel and the detective at shotgun. Once the doors were locked, Tsuragamae began to talk.

"We received another call from Northwest Tokyo. It was another trafficking site, woof."

Tsukauchi bit back a curse. Another one!?

"I of course sent a force similar to the one here, and they will take care of the rest, woof."

The Chief tightened his grip on the wheel. "I have no doubt we will be getting further calls of this kind soon enough. The fact that this happened under my nose is infuriating enough." He turned to look him in the eye. "I admit I was skeptical when you first told me about your suspicions regarding this…Vigilante. But considering the evidence before us, do you truly think that he's the one who's doing this…mass slaughter?"

"Undoubtedly," replied the detective grimly. "The signs of death are like the ones I saw on the yakuza. Professional, precise, and lethal. Even the tortured one was cut in deliberately crippling points."

A low growl came from the Chief as he looked down. "Shinigami…how fitting."

Tsukauchi fully agreed.

After looking up some of the murders, the trenchcoat-wearing detective had determined a few things regarding the new Vigilante; first, all of his victims were criminals, mainly yakuza but also some street thugs, who had committed severe crimes like murder, drug dealing, possible rape, and even blackmail. Second, most of the killings took place in areas with little to no people, so the murder wouldn't be known until a complaint came regarding a stench or a stray passerby spotting the bodies. He wouldn't be surprised if there were more, lying in some forgotten alley. Third, most importantly, all of the victims were found dead, mainly through knife wounds. Not one was left alive.

He absentmindedly tapped the door handle. "Was there anything like him once?"

"No. At least, not with his rising body count. Even the early Vigilantes, the precursors to our Heroes, had shown a level of restraint when dealing with criminals. There might have been a few abroad but I don't exactly recall the specifics." The Chief shook his head. "It doesn't matter. And you are sure this isn't the Hero Killer?"

"I'm positive. Stain likes to show off his killings, but Shinigami seems to prefer to hide them. What happened here – and what will happen with other calls - with the kids must be an exception because of the circumstances." He rubbed his chin in thought. "Though why would he move from yakuza to trafficking? Maybe of the gangs is involved?"

Tsuragamae hummed, a light snort puffing from his dog nose. When he spoke again, his voice grew resolute. "We cannot let this grow further. I am putting you in charge of this case and your mission is twofold: dismantle this trafficking ring and arrest the ones behind this atrocity. Second, your analysis will show that the Vigilante will be near these sites. Should you encounter him, you are to bring this Shinigami to justice. Regardless of his intent, he still murdered people and acted outside the law. I will probably even classify him as a Villain if he's using his Quirk."

"To kill this many people? I wouldn't doubt it."

The dog-headed officer grunted and stared Tsukauchi in the eye once more. "And this is very important; do not alert the Heroes about this."

The detective blinked in shock. "Chief?"

"This is a very delicate situation. As well-intentioned as our Heroes are, you cannot deny that they have an air of showmanship to them. Not to mention fan clubs and social media are a risk. Can you imagine the panic that will arise if this leaks out? The uprising in crime and Villains trying to abuse this window of opportunity?" He shook his head. "No, it is best we limit this to inside the Police Force plus a few of the Special Forces and reveal the details once the job is done. If the situation goes south – well, more than it already is – you have permission to contact any Hero you deem best fit for this job. But until then, try and keep this discreet."

Tsukauchi tugged on his coat. While he very much understood the reasoning behind this decision, a part of him still wanted to protest. "With Heroes, we can get this done quicker, not to mention the additional firepower. I can even contact All Might."

"I still stand by my decision. Involving more people in this increases the chance of a leak, possibly even alerting the traffickers themselves," replied the chief firmly. He turned the ignition key and the van rumbled to life. "The evidence and results of the new raid are headed towards headquarters as we speak, woof. I will take you there so you can create a plan of action immediately."

"Yes, chief." The detective's mind began whirring in thought as the van drove towards the station.

'I need to act quickly. The Chief is right; we cannot allow an uncontrolled leak, and dragging this out will increase that chance. If there are any phones on them like in Turasku, I'll ask Cryptology to start extracting anything we can use.' He pulled out his phone and began making calls. 'Shinigami…he's probably getting information on his targets by interrogating the criminals. Maybe he even has an accomplice who's helping him with the information. I need to beat him at this race; track this wretched organization first, and when he comes looking, lay an ambush for him.

If only it was as easy as I'm thinking it to be.'

-x-

"You fucking-" The scumbag stills as my dagger pierces his throat. He tries to say something, but a gurgle of blood spurts from his mouth. He falls down, just like the rest.

I turn my gaze to whimpering trash lying on the floor. I grab him by the shirt and slam his body on the wall. "Now, you are going to tell me whatever I want to know, or you'll end up like the rest of your friends."

"Y-you're bluffing. There's n-no way you killed them all!" His tears were that of fear and rage. Time to see I can steer him towards the former.

"Oh? Want to take a look out the door? I have to warn you, you'll lose the rest of your lunch."

The man freezes up for a moment but then he snarls. "Fuck you! Do you have any idea who you're messing with!?"

"No, and that's precisely what I want to find out." I press my dagger to his throat and lean in closer, ignoring the stench of bad aftershave. "I have already taken care of the rest of your little friends. I'm sure you'll see it any day on the news. All that's left for me is to find out who's in charge." The rage gives way to more fear. Good. "Tell you what, tell me who it is and I'll consider letting you go. You can leave the city and never come back. I promise I won't come looking for you. It's a far better alternative than dying or sitting in a cell; I heard that Tartarus is lovely this time of year. You're not a Villain by definition, but I think they can squeeze you in."

The mention of the most infamous prison in Japan makes him shiver. Even better. "I-If I tell you, you won't take me to Tartarus?"

I fight back the smirk and slowly lean away from him. "I am a man of my word."

He bites his lip in frustration for a moment before speaking up. "I-I don't know exactly who he is. We just call him 'the boss'." I snort. "Yeah, not really creative, but he's the one managing all of this. He gives all of his orders by phone and from other people."

I frown. "So, you know nothing?" I press the dagger to his neck again and he waves his hands. "I-I-my phone! I have a number on my phone! He calls me whenever there's a potential target!" He quickly removes the device from his pocket hands it to me.

"Open it."

He does so and I memorize the pattern lock. "Show me the number."

He shows the call history and points a trembling finger at an unnamed contact number. "H-here."

"And is this really the right number? Because I hate it when people lie to me" I growl a little at the end.

"I-It's the number, I swear!"

"Good." I drop him and pocket his phone. He pants heavily as he tries to get up. Oh, he thinks he can get away?

"One last thing." He turns to me and his eyes widen.

"N-no, you swore you wouldn't take me to Tartarus!" You gave your word!"

I shake my head. "I did. I'm not taking you to Tartarus. At least, not the one you're thinking of."

I slam him down on the ground and aim the dagger at his neck. He tries hitting me but my headlock prevents him from moving too much. "Y-you can't do this!" He screams. "What kind of a Hero are you!?"

I lower myself down and whisper in his ear:

"What makes you think I'm a Hero?"

A slice later, and he falls dead.

I wipe the blood on his clothes and get up. Once my Quirk confirms that there aren't any imprisoned kids in the building and a quick cash swipe, I leave Concealed.

I arrive back at the hideout with no further fuss, apart from the usual outfit change. This time the hoodie only got a few scuffs! For a trafficking ring, the goons don't seem to be very skilled. And I think at least one of them had a good combat Quirk.

…or maybe the Concealment is just that good. It is far easier to ambush them before they react.

I look at my latest acquisition and rub my chin in thought. I have to admit, I didn't expect my idea of using targets' cellphones would work in this scenario. While it worked fine on drunkards at the bar, I thought that scum running an operation like this would be more discreet. But no, every time I went after a head goon, there was always something on his phone that would give me a clue. Always a cellphone, not even a computer or a landline. But maybe those are easier to trace? If my little jaunt through the dark web means anything, then maybe. Ah, modern technology, thy usefulness knows no bounds.

A swig of water later and I open the phone. I trace the pattern lock - whoops, wrong one. Up, left, down…bingo.

'I trust thou hast found thy next clue?' inquires the wraith. I swear that I can feel him peeking over my shoulder.

"Sure have. Just trying to see if…hmm."

Nope. Not a clue. There're no notes, nothing in the messages to the number that could give away a new location. The context of the messages was deliberately vague, but knowing the context, it felt a little chilling.

To talk about selling humans, children like they were some imported meat…

I take a deep breath and loosen my grip on the phone. Patience is a virtue, Ritsu. Patience is a virtue. I keep looking through the messages, but an hour passes and I reach the beginning of the chat. Nope, nothing at all.

'A problem hath arisen, I presume?'

"Yeah, looks like this guy's a little smarter than the rest of the lowlifes. There's nothing here to indicate any specific location, just a mention of 'the usual place', wherever that is."

'And thou cannot divine this location based on these messages?'

"No." I set the phone down on the desk and stare at it. Come on brain, work! There's gotta be something here that you're missing!

Okay Ritsu, backtrack. How did you find the other sites? The first through a coincidence. The second one was from a post-it note. The third and current one was left as a location on a Maps app. None of those will help for the next move. Time to go back further. You found the first site next to a Villain market, and you found out where it is thanks to an address MsKr8D gave you. You went there to get a costume. You had the idea of getting a costume from a dark web site because you saw an article on your-

Oh.

Wait up.

You just said that modern technology's usefulness is limitless. Use it.

An idea was starting to worm its way into my mind. Phone. Map. Internet.

I open the Maps app and check the search bar. No recent searches – shame – but maybe there's something else. Something like that phone tracking app people use when they lose their phones.

I press the man's profile icon and a menu opens up. I look through it until I see something very interesting. 'Timeline'.

Could it be? I slide down the settings bar, and sure enough…

"Yes!" I fist the air in triumph. Ritsu Ogawa, you are a genius!

The hum in my ears is yelling the unspoken question.

"You see Mawla, in this day and age, technology revolves around convenience, and why shouldn't it? It's meant to make our lives easier. Helps us when we need it. Want to look up a recipe? Here's a million of them! Want to chat with fifty people all at once? Got you covered! Want to remember where that delicious restaurant was?" My smile turns predatory. "Here you go."

A calendar pops up. Each day leading up to today was marked in blue.

"There's this setting called 'location'. It's the thing that any Maps or GPS app uses to help a person navigate with their phone. Even social media requires it to some extent. And because people use it so much, they never bother turning it off. Do you know what this means?"

I can hear his eyebrows rise from behind that mask. 'Ah, so thou can…'

"Yup!" I nod. "This means I can find out exactly where this trash was any given day of the past few months. All I have to do is find the message that told the man to go to the next location, see the date and time, and bam! Easy as pie!"

He lets out a chuckle. 'Thy enthusiasm is commendable, contractor. Thou shalt commence a patrol of the next target then?'

I want to answer yes when I notice the day. Friday. I feel a bit ashamed as I deflate a bit.

"Well…maybe not now. After the weekend. I don't want to exhaust myself."

'…thou'st desire to spend time with thy matriarch. Don't hide it, thy feelings are transparent to me.'

I blush and rub the back of my neck. "Yeah, I know. It's just that she barely comes home and now she has a whole weekend to herself. I want to spend some time with her."

When Hassan speaks again, his tone is stern.

'I believe I told thee to learn what to prioritize, contractor. Thou art risking a chance to slip away between thy fingers because of thy sentimentality.'

"I know, I know!" I reply and my voice rises. "I'm not stupid. I want these parasites gone from the face of the earth as soon as possible, it's just…" I sigh and look down, letting my arms hang. How do I say this?

"I don't know if you've noticed Mawla, but I don't have that many people in my life. Most of the time before I met you I was in three places: school, the World Collection – I should go visit soon – and my house. Other kids thought I was weird because I like ancient history and 'think like a Villain', so I never made any friends. You've done a lot for me and I will eternally thank you; but this is my mom, the one other person alive who I actually like. She does so much for me and we barely see each other."

I let out a low, shuddering breath. "Besides, there's a chance that I might…die doing this, right?" Ugh, that was not a thought I wanted to entertain. Stupid of me, right? I'd be surprised if people weren't gunning for my head. "I'll always do my best to avoid such a fate, but if something does happen to me, I want her to have as many memories of us together as possible." I look back up and clench my fists. "So in terms of priority? This is a priority."

He remains silent for a few moments, and I brace myself for whatever comes next. I can take the mind jolts and any admonishments, even if they'll give headaches for days, but still I-

'Very well.'

What?

He lets out a sigh of his own. 'If thou art insistent on this matter, then I shan't stop thee. This is not a decision made in the midst of battle or training. As such, I shan't interfere. All I can do is keep what I hast been doing all this time as thy teacher; offering mine advice. I still say that this is foolish, but if thou believe this is the best course of action, then so be it.'

…I feel like a douche. "Thank you, Mawla. I swear I'll back to it as soon as possible. Besides, I want to save the final boss for when I have my new suit. It'll help me stand a better chance."

'As thou wish, contractor.' And with that, he goes silent.

I bite my lip as the regret starts to build up. No, I shake my head, I can't feel regret about this. Not about Mom. I'm already betraying her trust in me by doing all of this. The very least I can do is be there when she wants to spend time with me.

A whole weekend without any assassin-related activities. That's fine. I don't tell this to Mawla, but I need this. Seeing all those cages and the sheer callousness of those thugs…I guess I overestimated my mental fortitude.

Having no intention of taking the phone with me, I do a little search and open the calendar on a day last week that the scum's superior wanted to have a face-to-face meeting. It showed a path leading to several spots, one of them being the hideout I just thrashed. I cross-reference it with other days he asked for a meeting and sure enough, they all met at the same spot: a small park north of Hosu. I snap a photo with my phone of the map and close the devices. Hm, I should erase that when I'm done with this mess. My other photos too, don't wanna leave any potentially incriminating evidence.

With that little task done, I head off back home, wondering how I'll be spending time with Mom. I'm sorry Mawla, but like I said, when it comes to Mom, she is a priority.

-x-

To be honest, when I asked Mom what she wanted to do during the weekend, this wasn't high on my list of expectations.

"Kiyashi Ward Mall?" I ask. "Remind me again why here?"

She smirks at me. "Oh, and I thought you wanted to spend some family time with your dear mother."

"I do! It's just…" I gesture to the sprawling complex before me. "Why a mall?"

My dear mother just crossed her arms as I give her a deadpan stare. In a rare sight outside the house, she isn't wearing a suit. Instead, it was a long-sleeved striped green shirt and jeans hidden under a fur coat, with a shopping bag over her shoulder. As for me, I just decided to wear a simple black shirt with a blue logo and a coat of my own. While it was cold, the forecast told that there was little chance of rain today. Naturally, I still carried an umbrella in my coat pocket.

I couldn't help the feeling of discomfort as I stared at the masses - mainly teenagers like myself - moving up and down the multi-storied shopping center. Damn, how long has it been since I was in a crowd like this, and this place is so open…I hold off the urge to map escape roots. Focus Ritsu, no assassin business.

"I need to give my office suit to the special cleaners and I want to get you some new clothes." I feel my eye twitch and so does she. "Like it or not, you need new clothes. Just because you don't go out except for that gym doesn't mean that your wardrobe can be so dull. Maybe a little bit of color can improve your dull attitude in school?"

"Yeah? Maybe if you wore a clown suit to your firm you and your colleagues would laugh out the sticks up your asses."

I get a light slap on the head for that joke. "Cheeky brat. Don't worry, after this, we'll go to that nice yakitori place on the top floor."

"Really?" I ask, perking up. They make some of the best yakitori in the city and their spices are simply…mwah!

She shoots me a smile. "Sure, as long as you behave during the clothes shopping."

I quickly nod. "Okay!" she says. "Let's do this!"

And so began our little trek through the mall. We just walk together, looking at the ongoers moving to and fro from shop to shop, up and down the escalators or elevators. Teenagers sat on benches and tables either eating, drinking or chatting. Occasionally we stopped to look at some interesting product or weird ad on a display window and give a classic Ogawa criticism, like how the model in the ad looks like he had diarrhea or how that robot looked like it would break apart at the slightest touch. I think we may have gotten the odd look or two for that, but I didn't care. It helped me get my mind off the teeming crowd. When we reached the clothing store Mom had in mind she shoved five different shirts and two pairs of pants onto me and made me try them out. It was a little annoying and made me grumble about women and trying out clothes, but thankfully my Mom wasn't one of those people that made her kid try nearly half the catalog. I even got her to throw in two hoodies since my work one was old and starting to get worn out because of my 'workouts'.

Finally, I stand behind Mom as she talks to an old man and hands him her folded suits. She then begins to strike up a conversation with him and I resign myself to a half-hour of standing with the bags.

I look around absentmindedly and try to see if there's anything interesting about the suits on display when I see something curious outside the window.

If the various band posters, CDs on display, and notes on the sign are any indication, then it looks to be like a music shop. Mosaizuri Music Shop…catchy.

"Hey, Mom! Mind If I go check out that store over there?" She waves me off. I'll take that as a yes. I drop the bags near her feet, saunter out the tailor's doors, and right into the store.

It looked fine. Rows and rows of albums, both CDs and LPs – who still uses those? – line the walls and stands. More posters were lined up and a few autographed pictures were hanging. If there's something more impressive about it, I wouldn't know. I was used to just listening to whatever songs I wanted online. Mom had a few discs from her younger days and I listened to some of them, but that was the limit of my disc experience.

A stray thought wiggles into my head as I look through the records. Eventually, I decide to voice it.

'Mawla, are you there?'

A faint rumble sounds in my ear and he responds.

'Yes I am, contractor. Dost thou require something of me?'

That was a relief. I thought he was sulking after that talk yesterday.

'I'm a little curious. What music was there during your time?'

'A curious question indeed. What brought this on?'

'Well, I'm in a music shop, so the thought came to mind.' I shrug. 'I remember seeing an exhibit in the World Collection once, but hearing it from someone who was present back then is better, no?'

I hear him hum for a moment or two.

'In my youth and throughout my life, the main source of music were the prayers at the mosque or the call of the muezzin. The priests could turn any prayer into a delightful melody. Even in the shadows of Alamut, we heard the muezzin's song. During my time in Kahir in al-Mustansir's court, he had a great many musicians who played on the local instruments. While they could not compare to the prayers of Allah, I must admit that they were somewhat pleasant.'

Now I'm interested. How often does one hear about the ancient past from a direct source? 'What kind of instruments?'

'Let's see…there were wind instruments, namely some pipes and flutes. Some of the more prominent ones in court were the oud, a plucking string instrument, and the qanun, a type of Arab harp.'

'Ah, like a shamisen and a koto?'

I picture the old instruments in my head. 'Yes. Very much like those, but the sound was rougher, like the sands that inspired the songs played on them.'

I nod and look around the store. It looks like it has a pretty big selection, so what if…

I go to the 'Instrumental' section and begin rifling through the discs. I soon reach the 'World' folder and there it was: a yellow CD with a picture of a belly dancer and Arabic writing. Translated below was 'Music for Oud, Qanun and Nai.'

"Hey, can you play this?" I ask the cashier, a man in his thirties with black-and-white stripes on his hair. He looks up from his phone and flashes me a grin, revealing his checkered teeth. Heh, like piano keys.

"Sure thing, kid. I gotta say, I don't think anyone's bought something like this here for some time." He takes out the disc, places it in the tray of a large stereo system behind him, and presses 'Play'.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAeuxMiwz3U)

It was very much like what Hassan described. A fast pace, lots of plucking and strumming, but it didn't feel chaotic. It had a…mystical air to it if that's what one can call this type of thing. Reminds of that Disney movie, Aladdin with its opening song.

'Yes, this is very similar. I cannot expect it to sound the same after centuries, but this is what music was to me.'

I calmly listen to the music when suddenly a voice speaks up.

"That's some really nice playing. I don't think I've ever heard something like it before."

I turn around and I see a girl standing there. Dark purple hair that reached her chin and lazy-looking eyes on a head tilted in curiosity. She wore a spiked choker on her neck, a purple shirt with a Metallica logo, a short skirt that reached just above her knees, and a pair of boots over fishnet stockings. A small bag was slung over her shoulder. Her most curious feature, however, was undoubtedly the earphone jacks dangling from her earlobes.

"It's an older style. I don't think most people have heard of it."

"Really? I'd like to think I know a thing or two about music. What genre is it?"

"Umm…medieval Middle Eastern, I think?" I say whilst I scratch my white hair.

She lets out a whistle. "Wow, that's old. You're right, I don't think I have. Why do you like it?"

I shrug, surprised at how easy the conversation is. "I like instrumentals and I love history, so it's nice to hear what kind of music people played back then. Besides, oldies are goldies, right?"

"Ha! That's definitely an oldie!" She smiles. "Now I'm a little interested. I might just buy one for myself. From where did you pull it?" I point to the 'Instrumental' section.

"Over there by the side. I didn't see anything similar, but I might've missed one, uh…what did you say your name was?"

"I didn't. Kyoka Jiro," She sticks out her hand. "What's yours?"

"Ritsu Ogawa." I shake it. Strong for such a short girl. "You here for some music too?"

"Sure am." She leans to the side and greets the cashier. "Checkers! How's it going? Is the new album here yet?"

"Doin' just fine, rocker girl." He pulls a wrapped CD case from under the counter. "Just as promised, fresh from the box."

I lean on the counter while she pays for the disc. "I take it you're a regular here?"

"Yup! This place has some of the best rock albums old and new in the region. It's a bit of a pain to get here from Shizuoka, but it's worth it."

"Shizuoka, huh?" I mutter. A bit far from my usual hunting grounds. "Do you train?"

She shoots me a puzzled look. "Huh?"

Oh, crap. I just said something weird, didn't I? "Uh…your grip. It's very strong. Not what I expected to be honest."

Her lips twitch. "Yeah, I train. With where I'm going, I'd be stupid not to."

"And where are you going?"

"I'm going to apply for U.A."

Now it's my turn to let out a whistle. She's ambitious. "U.A? Hero Course, I presume?"

She rolls her eyes. "No, the Gen Ed. Course" The sarcasm is strong with this one. "What about you?"

I shake my head. "Just an ordinary first-year high-schooler. Never thought I could make it into a Hero School in the first place, much less be a Hero."

"High-schooler, huh?" She then grins. "Missing the chances of youth, old man?"

I physically recoil at that. God, I hated that joke in middle school. "W-W-Bu-Old man!? I'm 16!"

"And I'm 15, still an old man."

I sputter for a bit and then just slump. "Is it the hair? It's gotta be the hair, right? It's natural, not stress."

"Whatever you say, old man." Can we add sass to that order? "Don't worry, I think it looks cool. Seriously though, you never once thought about trying?"

"Nope."

"First time I'm hearing something like that." She's now leaning on the counter as well. "Everyone I know wanted to be a Hero at some point. You say never did?"

"Maybe once, but it was so long ago that I can't remember it." She smiles again and moves to speak but I cut her off with a finger. "No old man jokes. Please."

"Is it because of your Quirk?"

"A little, and that was my first reasoning but…" I sigh. "Let's just say I gained a difference of opinion on what a Hero should be allowed to do. People gave me a headache about it, so I decided it wasn't worth it."

Jiro leans forward. "And what would that be?"

I look her in the eyes. She's very curious, I can tell. She seems a bit smarter than my classmates, so maybe she would listen and not blow me off. Yet…

I shake my head. "Sorry Jiro-san, but that's a little too personal. Perhaps another time."

She leans back with a small frown but still nods. "That's fine." She picks up the CD and starts to head out. "Bye Checkers! Give me a call if there's another album!"

The cashier gives her a finger salute and then she turns to me. I give her a wave of my own. "Good luck with the Hero Course. From what I've heard, you'll need it!"

She smiles and gives me a strong nod. "Thanks! Good luck to you too! And make sure not to forget your cane next time!"

"Oi! What did I say about the old man jokes!?" I cry, but she just laughs and disappears in the throngs of people.

I shake my head in bemusement and hear Checkers from behind me. "She's a spunky one, that girl." I turn and look at him. "Don't take it too seriously, she's just teasing."

"I knew that." I tap the counter. "Do you think she'll make it? Those Entrance Exams are no joke."

He walks up along the counter and smiles. "I've known that girl for three years. If there's anything that's on the same volume as her love for rock, it's her guts. It's a stage everyone wants to play on, and she's got spirit like only a few others I've seen, and I've sold music to a lot of folks. She'll definitely make it." He then stops and looks me in the eye. "You've got that spirit too kiddo, even if it ain't for Heroics. Whatever it is you'll do, I've got a feeling you'll go far."

I blink. That's…new. When was the last time anyone actually said something like that to me outside of my Mom?

Checkers then goes up to the stereo and takes out the disc before placing it back in the case. But in a shocking gesture, he hands it to me. "Take it, it's on me."

I blink again in surprise. "W-what? Are you sure?"

"Positive. I don't think this one would've sold anytime soon anyways. Go on, it's fine." I slowly reach out and take the CD. I look back up at him and see him flash his piano teeth. "If you come back here again, I might even find another one of those."

I wet my lips, trying to find the right words before just settling on a "thanks". I turn and leave, waving goodbye to him.

'That was a rather enlightening conversation, contractor' says Hassan.

'You can say that again' I reply as I return to the tailor's, where Mom is still talking. 'I remember a few kids from middle school who went to Hero Schools. Didn't I'd ever meet one though. She was certainly enthusiastic about it.'

'Indeed.' He pauses for a moment.

'Do not think so little of thyself, contractor mine. I would not hast given thee the offer of apprenticeship if I did not believe thou could not handle the position. I have had'st a great many students over the years, and none of them were as unique as thee. Take pride in that.'

I feel something swelling in my chest as I fight down the blush blooming on my face. What is it with these emotions lately? '…thanks.'

'Thou art welcome. I look forward to seeing thee in action soon.'

I slightly nod as I hear Mom calling for me. I pick up the bags and we head right to the delicious yakitori joint. All the while Mawla's words ring in my head. Somewhere along the way, I clench my fist.

'Watch me Mawla. I swear I won't let you down.'

-x-

Ritsu Ogawa (Assassin - Hassan-i Sabbah)

Stats: Too human to be measured.

Skills:

Presence Concealment D+: The ability to hide from others. A poor level for any Assassin, but against ordinary criminals and some intelligent ones it works well.

Throwing (Dagger) B and Throwing (Retrieval) B: The expertise for throwing projectile weapons; in this case, daggers. His daggers have the same destructive power as firearms when thrown, typically spelling certain death for human targets. He can retrieve them to his hand with but a mere gesture

Information Erasure D: Erases all traces of the user's identity, physical or digital, after leaving a scene of assassination. It does not hide the user's identity in any other situation, and clues can be pieced together to deduce identity. If the user's identity is discovered, then the effects of the skill vanish.

Quirk - Super-Hearing C: A power gained as a result of evolution. Allows the user to hear precise details within a certain range. Can extend the range in exchange for loss of detail. Also alerts the user of incoming danger provided they can react to it.

Noble Phantasm: ?