Robinn crouched down beside the villains pinned under Dark Shadow, studying them closely. From what she could see, they looked like nothing more than bottom-rung thugs, their quirks weak and unimpressive. No trace of the earlier explosion clung to them, and the stack of bills scattered nearby was too little for something as bold as an ATM robbery.

  She rose to her full height, brushing her hands against her thighs as her gaze drifted toward Tokoyami, who was speaking with the police. Her eyes flicked instead to the alley the villains had supposedly come from.

  "Something isn't right..." she whispered to herself as she began walking toward the darkness.

  Tokoyami caught the flash of orange hair slipping out of sight just as the officers finished securing the criminals. With a sharp gesture he recalled Dark Shadow, then sprinted after her. The alley swallowed him up in a few long strides, and there she was, already rifling through piles of trash with fervent determination.

  "Robinn, what are you looking for?" he called out, his voice bouncing faintly off the close walls.

  She didn't flinch or look back. Her hands dug through trash without hesitation. "I think they hid the rest of the money somewhere. Or there was another robber."

  With a grunt she lifted the lid of a trashcan, plunging her hands inside and rooting through without a second thought. "So help me look, and don't let your guard down."

  Tokoyami lingered at the edge of the gloom before stepping further in. The air was damp, heavy, and far too dark for comfort. "Robinn, it isn't a good idea for me to let Dark Shadow out here. He could get out of control."

  She straightened, pulling her filthy hands from the bin. "What?"

  He grimaced at the sight, nose wrinkling. "The darker it is, the harder it is to control Dark Shadow."

  Robinn nodded absently and moved to flip over a piece of damp cardboard. "So it's easier under light? Does light make it weaker?"

  "That's correct," he answered with a nod, though she wasn't looking at him.

  One by one she overturned more trashcans, the clattering echo loud in the enclosed space, until finally she stepped back with a sigh. "I don't really know why I'm doing this. Ain't this the police's job?"

  She wandered over to him, while Tokoyami stood stiff, clearly reluctant to plunge his hands into anything here.

  "You said there might be another robber, right?" he muttered, edging away from her and the liquid dripping from her hands. "Also... could you... clean up a bit."

  She glanced down at her palms and let out a quick laugh. "Oh, right. Sorry about that." Her arms blurred, dissolving into air and letting the muck fall away before she reformed them again.

  Tokoyami exhaled, relieved but still unsettled.

  "Anyways, we should go back to the police and tell them our theory."

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  They started back toward the street, but before they reached the light, a massive silhouette stepped into view, cutting off their path. The figure was featureless against the glare of the sun, broad-shouldered and looming. Both of them tensed instantly, Robinn dropping low into a fighting stance.

  "You really thought it was just three, huh?" the figure said, voice steady and mocking.

  Tokoyami mirrored her stance, trying to look as menacing as she did, though he noticed her posture shift a second later. Robinn stood upright again, calm.

  "Robinn wha-"

  She pulled out her phone, thumbing on the flashlight and shining it forward. The beam spilled over the man's face.

  "Well, at least you had your guard up," said Bluejay with a smile. Another villain squirmed on his back, restrained tightly by the rings usually circling his arms.

  Tokoyami sagged, tension sliding out of his shoulders. "Sorry, sir, you... surprised us."

  Robinn put on a petty tone. "Well I did think there were more than three villains. That's why we're in this alley looking for them."

  "In the trash?" Bluejay asked with a tilt of his head.

  Robinn rolled her eyes, already walking back toward the main street. "I was looking around in case they dropped extra money somewhere."

  Bluejay chuckled and followed, gesturing for Tokoyami to do the same. "Not bad. You've got some semblance of instincts."

  The rest of the day passed without much to write home about. By the time their evening shift rolled in, the most they had done was break up a bar fight and tell off some loitering teenagers.

  "Y’know, when you said today was going to be chaos, I expected a bit more of that," Robinn sulked as the three of them walked back to the agency. The sun had already dipped below the skyline half an hour ago, leaving the streets to neon signs and the dim pools of light from streetlamps.

  Bluejay laughed, he sounded relaxed and amused. "Well, today isn’t over. The nights are usually more chaotic anyway, though that ATM thing was surprising."

  Robinn perked up at that, her orange hair catching the glow of a passing sign. She turned to him eagerly. "Then why aren’t we on the evening patrols too?"

  Her eyes slid to Tokoyami, and her eagerness faltered. His words from earlier still stuck in her head, losing control of your own Quirk, and it not even being your fault. That sucked. She pulled back, her posture dimming, not quite sulking but not at ease either.

  Bluejay caught the glance between them, recognizing the weight behind it. He couldn’t pin the whole thing on Tokoyami though, so he offered something else. "Because you’re students. Super new to this. Don’t get a big head just because you took down a few thugs." His tone was firm but not unkind as he strode ahead, Tokoyami following silently behind. "So leave the nights to the actual pros for now."

  Robinn nodded and turned her attention forward again.

  The city pressed in as they walked. Fukuoka at night felt louder and closer than it had during the day, neon lights buzzing, music spilling out of bars, laughter and shouts from drunk crowds mixing with the hum of traffic. Robinn’s pace quickened unconsciously, discomfort gnawing at her as the streets swelled with life.

  She caught sight of a couple pressed against a wall, making out right in front of her. It sparked a strange reaction in her chest. Not disgust, not fascination... just something she couldn’t label, a feeling that lingered without words. She turned away, letting her eyes land on Tokoyami instead. He looked exhausted, his feathers drooping slightly. It amused her in a way she couldn’t explain.

  They finally reached the agency. Bluejay dismissed them with a wave, telling them to take an early night and skip the stack of paperwork waiting upstairs.

  Robinn went straight to her room, slipping inside without bothering to shut the door completely or flick the lights on. She threw her phone on the desk and collapsed onto her bed, staring at the ceiling. The habit had become a sort of pastime in this new space. She’d forgotten to bring her notes and books, which normally filled her downtime, and now the empty room only made her thoughts louder.

  A knock sounded against the doorframe.

  "Come in," she called.

  Tokoyami stepped in, pushing the already ajar door wider and flicking on the lights.

  "What’s up?" she asked, still flat on her back, not bothering to look at him.

  He crossed the room and leaned against her desk, arms crossed, eyes dark but contemplative. "I wanted to talk about today."

  "’Bout what?" she asked, her voice flat.

  He exhaled heavily. "I just… how did you know that would work? The thing with Dark Shadow."

  A grin tugged at her mouth as she stared up at the ceiling. "I didn’t. It was a shot in the dark. I just thought of how Dark Shadow doesn’t seem to be affected by gravity, and winged it from there."

  Tokoyami stared, wondering if she had made the puns on purpose. "I didn’t think of it that way. But still, I remember when you told me you aren’t good with teamwork. So what was that?"

  "I’m not. It was just a fluke. You did most of it, to be honest."

  He sighed again, the weight of frustration clinging to him. "You’re as complicated as ever."

  Robinn rolled onto her side to face him. "Complicated? How am I complicated?"

  He almost chuckled at her reply. "Because you never really talk. I’ve been trying to get to know you for the past four days, and all I’ve gotten is that you work out."

  "Well, I don’t really know anything about you either." She pushed herself off the bed and stretched, her joints popping. "And besides, why do we have to get to know each other anyway?"

  He looked at her, eyes sharp, frustration bubbling. "Because that’s what normal people do."

  She froze, thoughtful, then placed her hand under her chin as if seriously considering it. "Normal people, huh? Sure, I’ll bite.*

  She grabbed her wallet and phone from the desk. "C’mon, let’s go eat somewhere and talk. Like normal people."

  Tokoyami stiffened, caught off guard by what was basically an invitation to dinner. His

  composure wavered for only a moment before he nodded, reluctantly but sincerely, and followed her out of the room.