"Why'd you call us here so early?" Robinn asked as she sank into one of the beanbags, tilting her head back to glance up at Bluejay and Tokoyami. Both of them looked down at her, one smiling, the other more disapproving.

  Bluejay’s grin broadened. "Good morning to you too, Robinn." He pivoted toward his desk, rummaging briefly before pulling out a thick file. Crossing the room with unhurried steps, he placed it in front of them.

  "You remember those ATM robbers you stopped?"

  Both students nodded, curiosity flickering across their faces.

  "Well, once they were in custody, one of them sold out their boss." Bluejay flipped the file open. A photo of a hard-faced man with a buzz cut stared back at them, the page crowded with records of prior offenses. "This is Tetsuo Hirata, otherwise known as 'Buzzsaw.' Been in and out of jail a few times. Got out recently on good behavior, apparently."

  Robinn raised a brow, scanning the sheet. "So what? He’s just been arrested for counterfeiting. Not very worthy of that name."

  Bluejay nodded once. "Yeah, he wouldn’t be, would he? But counterfeiting’s only what the police could prove. Off the record? He’s suspected of multiple gruesome murders and drug dealing."

  Tokoyami’s shoulders stiffened, his eyes narrowing at the mention of murder. Robinn, meanwhile, leaned forward, intrigued rather than unsettled.

  "Drug dealing? What’s he selling... Trigger?"

  Bluejay’s brows lifted at her knowledge. "No, not Trigger. That’s been dead for years. Just your run-of-the-mill recreational drugs. But we’re a bit more worried about the murders."

  Satisfied, Robinn leaned back, crossing her arms with a quiet nod.

  Tokoyami cleared his throat and spoke next. "So what information did the men from yesterday give the police?"

  Bluejay’s lips quirked, pleased at the question. He retrieved another file and set it down. Written confessions, a schedule of dealings.

  Robinn raised her hand. He gave her a small nod.

  "But why’re you telling us this? Sounds more like a police detective’s job."

  Bluejay’s gaze warmed with approval. "That’s another good question. It *is* a detective’s job. We’re going to help investigate, ensure the police’s safety. Remember the gruesome murders part?"

  She unfolded her arms, linking her hands behind her back. "So it’s like a sting operation?"

  "Something like that."

  ---

  Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

  Later, at a small café, Robinn and Tokoyami sat across from one another. The morning crowd trickled around them, the clink of cups and low hum of conversation setting a deceptively peaceful scene. Tokoyami shifted in his seat, restless. Robinn, chin propped against her fist, stared lazily out at the street, calm as ever.

  It doesn’t seem like she wants to be friends. Or has any interest in friends at all, Tokoyami thought, studying her while the sun struck silver off passing cars. We haven’t gotten close. But at least I’d like us to get along.

  A sharp kick to his shin jolted him out of thought. He turned toward her, irritation flashing across his face, until he noticed her eyes flicking toward the far sidewalk.

  Buzzsaw. Buzz cut sharp as his name, leather jacket heavy on his shoulders, a broad stance that made him look larger than life. He was... buying ice cream.

  "That’s our guy, isn’t it?" she whispered.

  Tokoyami nodded, though hesitation tugged at him. The image of a serial murderer didn’t quite line up with the man licking ice cream in the sun.

  Robinn slapped a bill onto the table, already on her feet. "Pay for your coffee. I’ll tail him." She took a few steps, then doubled back, quickly grabbing a few coins and then pressing her phone and wallet into his hands. "Message Bluejay that I’m going."

  It was routine by now, Robinn always passed her things off in case she needed to transform into air, but watching her cross the street so casually still sent a chill down his spine. She blended in with the crowd, pausing at a food stand as though she were just another customer.

  Buzzsaw tossed his cup away and walked off. Robinn lingered, buying something small before slipping into step a few meters behind him, eating casually as though she had nowhere in particular to be.

  Tokoyami sighed, signaling the waitress and paying quickly before pocketing both sets of belongings. He took the opposite street, nerves crawling under his skin.

  A few hours earlier

  Bluejay stood at the head of a map, tapping his finger against the outline of a street on the outskirts of Fukuoka. "Buzzsaw’s quirk is generating five-centimeter saw blades from his body. Close combat isn’t your best option. That’s why I requested a team-up with a neighboring agency."

  Robinn leaned over to glance at Tokoyami. "X-Less’ agency? Isn’t that where those two Class B kids went?"

  He nodded curtly, still brooding from yesterday.

  "And all three of them are long-range fighters," Robinn went on, unfazed. "Makes sense. So what’s our job?"

  Bluejay leaned back, folding his arms briefly before pointing up at the agency logo on the wall. "At this agency we stay vigilant. You two will act as outdoor scouts. Normal clothes. Normal behavior."

  He pointed at Robinn. "And you. Trail him. Watch his routines. If anything goes wrong, if he notices you or corners you, disappear. I know your air transformation is sharp enough to get you out."

  Robinn stared back blankly for a long beat before giving a small nod.

  "You’ll be stationed at a café along his usual route," Bluejay added. "Report from there. Act like civilians. Better yet, act like you’re on a date. Nobody likes looking at that, it makes you blend in."

  Robinn nodded quickly, expression unchanged. Tokoyami, meanwhile, nearly choked. He stared at Bluejay, waiting for some sign it was a joke. There wasn’t one. When he finally looked at Robinn again, she remained calm, as though nothing unusual had been said.

  Bluejay sat at a different café a block away, joined by X-Less’ interns. The table was cluttered with a laptop and half-empty mugs.

  "Mines, is Twin Impact still active on Robinn?" Bluejay asked, turning toward Shoda.

  Shoda checked the glowing dot on his wrist device. "Yes. As long as I don’t activate it, we can track her with my support item." He had tagged her earlier with a light tap on the wrist.

  Pony leaned forward, enthusiasm spilling into her voice. "It was an amazing idea to do that, Shoda! That way we can keep track of her even inside buildings." Only one of her horns sat on her head

  Bluejay shot her a look. "Rocketti, please concentrate on keeping your horn stable. Best not to lose sight of her."

  The plan was simple. Two systems of tracking: the live feed from a camera strapped to Pony’s horn, and Shoda’s beacon.

  Tokoyami rejoined them soon after, slipping into the tense huddle of bodies around the screen. The sight wasn’t heroic at all, just four figures hunched over a glowing laptop screen.

  "She can't go inside his property without a warrant. Since this is only scouting, she isn’t allowed to fight with her quirk either," Bluejay reminded, his tone firm but mostly for reassurance.

  Tokoyami leaned closer, eyes fixed on the screen. "When will the warrant be ready?"

  "The police are still working on it. An hour or two, maybe. Until then, unless we catch him committing a crime in the open, we wait."

  The minutes dragged. Buzzsaw walked street after street, Robinn trailing at a distance. Nothing happened.

  Until he turned into an alley. Pony’s horn camera couldn’t see. Shoda’s map showed her following him through it, using it Pony guided her horn to the other side and caught him reemerging at the far end, strolling toward a warehouse.

  Robinn lingered at the edge of the alley, watching.

  Buzzsaw slipped into the warehouse and closed the metal door behind him.

  After a tense moment of waiting rough-looking men began filing toward the same warehouse. Their movements were sharp, their faces drawn tight.

  And then, suddenly, Robinn was gone. Shoes left standing at the alley’s edge.

  Had she turned into air and slipped into the building with them?

  Bluejay’s eyes flicked to Shoda’s tracker, jaw locking. His suspicion confirmed.

  Robinn was no longer outside, no longer safe.

  It was go time.