Chapter 25

Chapter 25

"You looked good out there today," Jin said. He settled himself comfortably into a recliner he had pulled out of nowhere. It took up half the apartment's floor space. He smiled as he accepted a juice. "People are talking. And you picked up a puppy."

"What do you mean – a puppy?" I asked as I took a seat floating three feet above the floor.

"The lizard boy – Iguchi. He's going to be a problem if you don't do something about him."

"Oh?" I didn't need more problems.

"Take a look at the lottery store on the corner." Jin gestured vaguely towards a window. I sent some shadows to check the perimeter, paying particular attention to that corner. Spinner was standing in the rain, water beading on his scales, huddled against the wall, looking up at my door.

"Oh wonderful, a stalker." I moaned. "I hate that our names are public. There is a reason people wear masks. Secret identities should be a thing. They serve a useful purpose."

"Want me to talk to him?" Jin offered in one of his rare serious moments.

I considered it. Something about Spinner reminded me of Greg Veder – a geek with little connection to reality. If he was anything like my old classmate, my talking with him – even to tell him to stop stalking me – would ultimately encourage him. Just ignoring him wasn't going to be enough either. "Yeah, that might be best. Don't hurt him though. If he needs smacking down, I'll do it."

"I'll be the soul of gentility. Who knows, maybe he'll turn out to be a friend you just haven't met yet."

"Who have you been talking to?" I scoffed. "Have you been seeing Emily behind my back?"

Please, my internal companion groaned. He does have a point though. Do not allow the superficial resemblance to an old acquaintance determine your relationship with a new person. Let each stand on his own merits.

"Busted!" Jin pointed at me and danced a little jig. "You shouldn't take Emily's name in vain. She's a saint!"

I knew there was a reason I liked him, Emily added.

I laid back on the air. Spiritual circulation kept it comfortably cool, where the air outside was getting hotter and wetter. It had been a long day.

Jeeta had released me once we returned to the office after making our statement at the police station. That had been an odd experience.

Since arriving in this world, I'd had to make several police reports. Always before the officers were polite and professional. The police at the Mosuiazuri station were an odd combination of surly and apathetic. They didn't appreciate my making work for them but they didn't care enough to actually give me trouble. I seldom dealt with the BBPD, but that was how I'd always imagined them to behave. Can't make a difference. Not worth trying. The natural follow on would be – Maybe get something for myself. Corruption was easy when people didn't care about their jobs.

"You know," I said "I wouldn't be surprised if the Face Border Clan somehow 'escaped on the way to the station' or are 'released on a technicality.'"

"You don't trust our fine law enforcement professionals?" Jin held his hand to his chest to still his beating heart. "It is a sad commentary on the state of Japan's youth …"

Somehow, my costume scarf found its way around his mouth.

That night I wrote out my notes and observations about the Bounty Hero Agency. I appended the video shot by the new pinhole camera mounted on the collar of my costume and the shots Jin had provided. I had arranged for him to follow me when possible, shooting video of anything interesting – particularly any fights. He had expanded on the idea by providing a small stealth camera drone that was programmed to follow me unobtrusively when he was not around.

I still wonder if you should not share your suspicions and intentions regarding the agency with someone other than Jin. Emily said. Perhaps someone in a position to offer assistance if needed and to protect you from legal consequences should things go amiss, as you fully expect that they will.

Or someone to tell me this whole thing is a bad idea and I should let the professionals handle it?

I suggested.

While that may be my opinion, I am not trying to prevent you from a course of action you feel is appropriate and important. I just wonder if there is not someone you trust enough to inform of your plans.

That's the problem. I'm not sure I trust anyone else. I trust you. I mostly trust Jin because I've seen him put himself at risk to save our family. Even with that said, I'm keeping an eye on him. I like some of the people at school – but that's different than trusting them. Tokuda knows I'm up to something, and I'm setting it up so that all my notes go to him if something happens to me. But I wouldn't put it past him to report me to the teachers or even the police if he knew all the details. For my own good of course.

What about the teachers? Kan-sensei or even All Might?

I hesitated. It was the logical thing to do. I knew that. The teachers and school administrators were responsible for my welfare while I was at school, far more than they were back in the States. I laughed when I thought of Mr. Gladly or Principal Blackwell actually taking responsibility for all the shit the students got up to at Winslow. But, here they took that a lot more seriously.

The problem I had talking to a teacher was that this society valued the strict enforcement of the laws and rules over the welfare of the individual. With the reliance on rules, any teacher I told of my suspicions or intentions would feel obligated to try to stop me from investigating. I didn't want that. Not yet.

Mosuaizuri was proof the system had flaws. All Might could have come in and taken out the Ravagers, the Clan, and the Nine Head Dragon – the Chinese Tong that was the main drug supplier in the area – all in one afternoon. If he could get them to show up for the fight, that is. All Might wasn't here though, and the 'heroes' that were – Slidin' Go and the Greedo's crew – weren't doing the job.

The situation in Mosuaizuri has been bad for a long time. I finally replied. The police and the heroes haven't stopped it yet. Maybe there's so much going on elsewhere they've forgotten the problem exists or it's just not that high a priority. Or, maybe someone is working to stop them helping. I can at least draw some attention to what's happening – starting with the Bounty Hero Agency. I'm not planning on beating up all the villains myself. It's like the issues in the Valley. It just needs some light shined on it.

Perhaps just sending copies of your observations to Kan-sensei, saying they are part of the Internship Journal assignment might prove efficacious. I very much imagine that he would much rather hear from you than from the media that you defeated four villains, under strict supervision of course.

Yeah. You're not wrong there. I'll do that and then keep him copied each evening. If he has questions, he can ask Greedo or Jeeta. That might be the start of the external attention I want to draw.

Emily didn't reply directly, but I could feel her satisfaction like a cat's purr.

I took a few minutes to edit my notes into a report that told just enough and no more – including a clip of Jeeta saying how they didn't save people that weren't paying them. I asked if that was standard hero agency policy. I also linked to some of the public sourced videos of the fight with the Face Border Clan, making sure Jeeta could be seen observing in the distance.

It turned out that the defensive position my supervisor was preparing to which I was to draw the villains proved unnecessary. I noted before adding the Police report number and emailing it. After a minute of consideration, I blind copied Tokuda and the Yanagis. It was an easy way to keep the reporter apprised and the parents from getting concerned if they should see something on the Net.

Thank you, Emily offered.

That night I had some trouble sleeping. There different times I was awoken by the sound of laughter – the high-pitched giggling of a child. It must have been coming from one of the surrounding units, drifting in through my open window, because it sounded like it was in the room with me. Each time I searched with my senses and spirits, only to find nothing. I avoided sending spirits into my neighbors' apartments, though I was tempted. The invasion of privacy would be too great for that little justification. When I was Skitter, I couldn't help knowing what my neighbors were doing all the time. I didn't want to return to that.

The final time it happened I decided to call it a night, made some tea, and started a translating job.

That was the start of the second day of my internship. Jeeta was even more skittish around me than she had been the day before. I couldn't quite figure out what she had against me. I also couldn't decide if she disliked me or was afraid of me.

It was odd. I had noticed that there were some people I met in this new world that seemed to have an immediate problem with me – almost like hate at first sight. Inoue the Elder, Kamakiri, and now Jeeta all had irrationally negative reactions upon meeting me. From Emily's memories Inoue's interactions with her on the few occasions they had met in the past were nothing like the over the top reaction he demonstrated when we met at the cutlet house. I wondered if it was some effect of my otherworldly nature.

"It's good you got here," Jeeta said. "We're having a staff meeting to discuss the ongoing contracts and potential new clients." Two people I had not met before were seated at a table with my supervisor.

"This is Greedo, the principal for the agency," Jeeta continued. The boss waved limply. He looked like the character in the movie.

"And this is Bosuku, our other sidekick." Bosuku was a six-foot lizard man with a tyrannosaurus head, wearing the same Star Wars padded outfit and utility belt that Jeeta and Greedo were. His was in dark blues and greys. "Guys, this is Tatari, a first year hero student from UA High School – our first intern."

"Yeah, welcome," Greedo said. "Anyway, we have a mission tomorrow evening. I'm keeping the details quiet. Tatari – I want you to come and observe. We're gonna leave here at 1830. So get here early and get geared up. I'll have fresh stuff for everyone. Make sure to change out. We'll take the bus so some extra gear can go in the back. This takes top priority. I'll brief you on the bus."

"What about …" Jeeta started.

"Later," Greedo cut her off. "I have a client meeting I have to run to. Today is just patrols. So get out there and make some money. And this time – make sure the bounties get to the police station so we actually get paid." He got up and stormed off.

"What did he mean?" I asked.

"Word is that Hotspur and some Clan regulars managed to stop the police transport and free the other Clan fighters before they got to the station." Jeeta sounded unhappy. "As they weren't there to process, we don't get the head money."

"So what are we going to do today?" I asked.

"Bosuku's got patrol duty. I want you here with me – off the street and out of the Clan's sights. There's another important part of pro hero work I want to introduce you to – billing and accounts payable."

We spent the next four hours doing paperwork. While Jeeta worked on the newest accounts, she had me checking old paper bills and invoices against the computer system, making sure nothing hadn't been missed. It was dull – I think she meant it as some sort of punishment. But, I started to get an idea of who their largest clients were. I was surprised to see it wasn't the Police Force. Instead, a company called Landmark Enterprises was their number one client. I couldn't find any detail on what was being paid for by Landmark, but they poured more than twice the Yen into the business that the government did, from the records I was seeing.

After I finished all the files, Jeeta told me, "You might as well spend some time in the training room. The droids are due for replacement tomorrow so go crazy if you want. Since tomorrow is going to be a long day, you are free to leave this afternoon at 1400. Make sure you are back tomorrow no later than noon." She thought for a moment then corrected herself, "Make it 1330. Greedo needs some privacy to prep for the mission. Got it?"

"Got it." I was curious about Greedo's preparations and replacing the 'gear'. I was wondering what that had to do with the need for a movie theater. I also wondered where he was at the moment. He had left the office and wandered deeper into the neighborhood, but my spirits lost him pretty quickly when he left their range. If I'd been able to patrol, I might have found him as we wandered the streets.

I practiced using my new collapsible batons against the droids. Mirko had sent me a pair after the video of my takedown of Inoue at the mines hit the net. If we're going to fight the same foes, you need better weapons. Her note said. I wasn't quite sure of her reasoning, but no one looks a gift baton in the mouth.

The droids were fast and tough, but they had a defensive pattern which only took me a few seconds to figure out. After that, I stopped using them. I would either unconsciously adjust to accommodate the pattern which would be bad training, or I would break them by taking advantage of it. I didn't trust Greedo not to have a different opinion of my breaking office equipment than his sidekick. She could easily be setting me up for trouble.

I left at 2pm, changed out of my costume, and wandered the neighborhood using my spirits to probe into offices, shops, and bars looking for Greedo. Eventually I saw him coming out of the Golden Dragon, the fancy Chinese restaurant I had noticed the other night. The same hostess, this time wearing a electric blue dress of a similar cut, was bowing him out. I was a block away, so neither could see me.

Was that where his meeting was, or had he just finished a late lunch? Or both? I noted the time and place, sending the drone to get a picture. I decided to follow him for the rest of the afternoon, but he just went back to the Agency. I got close enough to send a shadow in after him. He called Jeeta into his office and closed the door.

"What's got your funnels all aquiver," she said.

"I can't tell you, yet. But it's a big deal. Huge! It's gonna change everything!"

"Can't you tell me, Rizky?" Jeeta pleaded.

Greedo answered in a language neither Emily nor I understood. Jeeta replied just as unintelligibly. Their conversation was short. Jeeta left the room, and Greedo started working on a tablet. The shadow spirits could not sense what was on a screen. They did not use visible light for their version of sight.

I was tempted to move some wisps into the room. They saw light, better than the human eye, but they also gave off a visible glow. I could have the spirits dim the glow and shift it to one end or other of the visible spectrum so most people would not notice them. But, as Jin had reminded me, they were visible if you knew where to look, or just got lucky. And I didn't know the visual range or sensitivity of the big eyes Greedo and Jeeta had. I couldn't risk it just to see what the pro was looking at on his screen.

That night I filed another report with Kan-sensei. He had said that I didn't need to turn in the journal entries until the end of the week, but had no objection to getting them more regularly. Texting with Kodai and Shoda, I heard about their first couple of days – mostly office work and fetching tea. I was a little surprised that I was not the only first year to have seen a little action in the internship according to my friends. Kibara has used his drill hands to free some hostages shackled to a bomb while working with Fat Gum. Ibara, in the company of her mentor Springer, had actually apprehended two of the Three Sturm und Drang Brothers while they were raiding an open-air clothing market. Kendo, on the other hand, had some concerns about her internship with Uwabami. I think I dodged a bullet there.

Jin must have been busy elsewhere, as I had no visitors that night. No giggling children either, so I was able to get a good night's sleep – which was fortunate, because it would be almost twenty-nine hours before I would see my bed again.