章 73: [72] The Other Side of Night
"Oracle," I whisper into the comm, testing the new codename. "Top floor access?"
"Working on it." Keys clack rapidly. "Their network security is... interesting. Lots of medical data being moved around. Give me thirty seconds."
I press against the wall as footsteps echo below. Two guards, walking their patrol route. Their conversation drifts up:
"...third shift this week. Boss is paranoid about something."
"You see the gear they brought in yesterday? Never seen anything like it..."
They pass without looking up. Sloppy. I make a mental note to exploit that weakness if things go wrong.
"Got it," Oracle says. "Security's looped on the top floor. You've got maybe ten minutes before their redundancy checks kick in."
"Plenty of time."
The penthouse door has biometric security - fingerprint, retinal scan, voice recognition. Overkill for an apartment, even a luxury one. Oracle's bypass gives me access to the electronic locks, but the mechanical backups need physical manipulation.
I pull out my picks, working quickly. The tumblers are high-end, but locks are locks. Three seconds later, I'm in.
The penthouse is dark except for the city lights streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows. Modern furniture, minimalist art, nothing personal visible. But the air smells wrong - antiseptic and chemical, like a hospital trying to hide under expensive air fresheners.
"Clear path to the office?" I ask Oracle.
"Second door on your right. But... wait. I'm picking up movement on thermal. Someone's already in there."
I freeze, listening. Nothing obvious, but... there. The faintest whisper of fabric on fabric.
"Can you get eyes inside?"
"Negative. No cameras in that room. But the heat signature is human-sized, moving around the desk area."
Another thief? Or someone who belongs here? Either way, I need those files.
I move toward the office, keeping to shadows. The door is slightly ajar, spilling a thin line of blue light into the hallway. Computer screen, probably.
I peek through the gap. A figure in black crouches by the desk, fingers flying over a keyboard. Female, athletic build, wearing what looks like tactical gear. A long tail - mutation quirk maybe - swishes behind her as she works.
"Files are being copied," Oracle reports in my ear. "Whoever that is, they're good. Breaking encryption I didn't even spot yet."
The woman's head tilts slightly. Enhanced hearing? I should assume yes.
"You can come in," she says softly, not looking up. "Unless you prefer lurking in doorways."
Her voice is playful, almost teasing. I push the door open slowly, staying ready to move.
"I don't usually share my workspace," I say.
"First time for everything." She finally turns, revealing a face hidden behind a sleek mask. "Though I should warn you - I don't play well with others."
"Neither do I."
Her head tilts, studying me. "Interesting outfit. Very... mysterious. Let me guess - you're after Madame Hydra's files too?"
"Among other things."
"Hmm." She turns back to the computer. "Well, I'm almost done copying what I need. Then I'm going to destroy everything. That work for you?"
"I need those files intact."
"Sorry handsome. My clients were very specific - no traces left behind."
I step closer. "That's not acceptable."
"Life often isn't." Her fingers keep moving, but her tail coils slightly. Ready to strike? "We could fight about it, but that would just attract attention neither of us wants."
"Oracle," I subvocalize. "Can you save anything?"
"Working on it. But she's good - some kind of targeted virus eating through everything she doesn't copy first."
The woman's head tilts again. "Telling your friend to grab what they can? Smart. But futile."
She spins suddenly, leg sweeping toward my head. I block, barely, as she flows into a series of strikes. Her style is... unique. Acrobatic but efficient, using her tail for balance and occasional attacks.
"Not bad," she purrs, backflipping away from my counter. "Most people don't block that first kick."
"Most people aren't me."
"Clearly." She launches forward again, moving like liquid shadow. "Want to dance properly?"
We exchange blows across the office, neither gaining clear advantage. She's fast - maybe faster than me without One For All - but I have reach and raw strength. The fight feels almost playful, like she's testing me rather than trying to hurt me.
"You're holding back," she says, dodging a strike that would have caught most opponents.
"So are you."
She laughs, the sound surprisingly genuine. "True. But I'm on a schedule, and-"
The elevator chimes in the distance. We both freeze.
"That's not good," Oracle says. "Multiple heat signatures incoming. One matches Mankind's profile."
The woman cocks her head. "Your friend has good intel. But they missed the private security team with him. Quirk users, all of them."
"How do you know that?"
"A girl has her sources." She glances at the computer. "Files are gone, by the way. Sorry about that."
Footsteps approach - heavy, military precision. At least six sets.
"We could help each other," I offer quickly.
"Sweet of you to offer." She moves to the window. "But I work alone. Thanks for the dance though - we should do it again sometime."
The window opens silently. She gives me a mock salute.
"Wait-"
But she's already gone, diving into the night like she was born to it. The footsteps are almost at the door now.
"Oracle, cut comms. I'll contact when clear."
"Be careful."
The door bursts open as I finish speaking. Six private security, quirks already active - one's glowing, another's skin looks metallic. And behind them...
"Well," Mankind says, his voice exactly like his public appearances. "This is unexpected."
I say nothing, evaluating options. The security team spreads out, blocking obvious escape routes. They're professionals - no wasted movement, no obvious gaps.
"Not going to introduce yourself?" Mankind steps forward. His hero costume looks different up close - darker, more tactical than the media photos show. "That's fine. We can do this the hard way."
The glowing guard moves first, firing what looks like energy bolts. I dodge, using the desk for cover. The metal-skin guard tries to flank me, but I've already moved, staying mobile.
"Careful," Mankind says. "We need him alive for questioning."
That confirms some suspicions about this place. Legal operations don't need living intruders for "questioning."
I throw a flash-bang. The guards react professionally, shielding their eyes. But they're expecting standard equipment. The bang never comes. Instead, the device releases a targeted EMP pulse.
The glowing guard's quirk flickers. The lights die. In the sudden darkness, I move.
Three guards down before they can adjust. The metal-skin one is tougher - my strikes barely dent him. But physics still work. I use his weight against him, sending him through drywall.
"Enough games." Mankind's voice cuts through the chaos. His quirk activates - I feel the pressure immediately, trying to force me to my knees.
Mankind's official quirk is listed as "Gravity Control." But that's not quite right. It's more specific - he can increase the weight of anything in his line of sight. Simple. Direct. Devastatingly effective against most opponents.
Most opponents don't have my adaptations.
I push through the increased weight, staying upright. Mankind's surprise is visible even in the dark.
"Interesting," he says. "But can you move?"
The pressure doubles. Triples. The floor creaks under my feet. But I take a step forward. Then another.
"Impossible," one of the conscious guards whispers.
Mankind's expression hardens. He raises his hand, probably to increase the pressure further.
I don't give him the chance. The flash-bang had a secondary function - the EMP weakened structural supports Oracle identified earlier. I trigger the detonator.
The floor collapses.
I roll clear as guards and furniture fall to the level below. Mankind catches himself on stable flooring, but the distraction is enough. I'm through the window before he can reestablish line of sight.
"Oracle," I activate comms while falling. "Need an exit route."
"Working on it. You okay?"
"Fine. But we need to talk about our mysterious friend."
"Already running facial recognition on the security footage I grabbed. Not much to go on though."
I fire a grappling line, swinging away from the building. Behind me, Mankind is shouting orders. They'll lock down the area soon.
"She knew things she shouldn't have," I say. "About the security team, about Mankind..."
"Think she's connected to Madame Hydra?"
"No. This was corporate espionage, not inside work. But she's professional. Trained."
"And she caught your interest."
I don't dignify that with a response. "Did you save anything from the files?"
"Some fragments. Mostly medical data. Chemical formulas I don't recognize."
"We'll need-"
Movement catches my eye. A shadow, moving across rooftops parallel to my path. I catch a glimpse of a tail disappearing around a corner.
"I need to go."
"Don't do anything stupid!"
I cut comms, changing direction to follow the shadow. She's fast, but I can match her pace. She leads me on a winding path through the city, staying just visible enough to be interesting.
Finally, she stops on a high-rise under construction. I land nearby, keeping space between us.
"Stalking isn't polite," she says, that playful tone back in her voice.
"Neither is destroying evidence."
"True. But I had my reasons." She stretches, the movement deliberately graceful. "Just like you had yours for breaking in."
"You know who I am."
"I have theories." She steps closer. "You're not the only one who does research."
"What do you want?"
"Right now? To satisfy my curiosity." Another step closer. "You're not what I expected."
"Neither are you."
She laughs again, the sound oddly musical. "Fair enough. Tell you what - a trade. One question each. Completely honest answers."
I consider it. "You first."
"Why were you really there tonight? The files were a bonus, not your primary goal."
"They hurt people I care about. I wanted information for payback."
She nods slowly. "Revenge with a purpose. I can respect that." Her head tilts. "Your turn."
"Who hired you?"
"That would violate client confidentiality. Ask something else."
"What's your name then?"
She tilts her head, tail swaying lazily behind her. "You can call me Jane."
"Jane? Sounds fake."
"Everything about me is fake, darling. That's rather the point." She steps closer, moonlight catching on her mask. "Would you prefer something more exotic?"
"I'd prefer the truth."
"Mm, wouldn't we all." She perches on a steel beam, perfectly balanced. "But truth is such a heavy thing. Jane is lighter. Easier to carry."
I stay where I am, analyzing her posture, her movements. Professional training, but not military. Something more... specialized.
"The files you took," I say. "What were they about?"
"Ah ah." She wags a finger. "We had our one question each."
I study her body language, looking for any tells. Her tail maintains that same lazy sway, but there's tension in her shoulders now. She's ready to move.
"One more trade then," I offer. "Information for information."
"Tempting." She stretches, deliberately casual. "But I really should be going. Places to be, people to rob..."
"The Golden Dragon syndicate. What do you know about them?"
Her tail stops mid-sway. Just for a moment, but it's enough.
"Now that's interesting," she says. "Where did you hear that name?"
"Another trade?"
She laughs. "You're persistent, I'll give you that." Her head tilts, considering. "Tell you what - since you made tonight so entertaining, I'll give you a freebie. Check the shipping manifests for container TD-2187 arriving next week. Might find something useful."
"Why tell me this?"
"Maybe I like your style. Maybe I'm playing my own game." She stands, balancing effortlessly on the beam. "Or maybe I just enjoy chaos. Pick whichever answer you prefer."
I take a step forward. "Wait-"
But she's already moving, diving off the beam with perfect form. I rush to the edge, but she's vanished into the maze of construction equipment below.
"Dammit."
I tap my comm twice. "Oracle, you there?"
"Never left. Your girlfriend get away?"
"She's not- nevermind. Need you to check something. Container TD-2187, arriving next week. Find out everything you can."
"On it. Also, got a hit on those chemical formulas I salvaged. They're components for some kind of quirk-enhancing drug. Really nasty stuff."
I process this while scanning the area. No sign of Jane. "Send me the details. And check if there's any connection to the Golden Dragon syndicate."
"That name came up in the interrogation?"
"Yeah. Along with Hosu and something about 'preparation phase.' Not much else useful."
"Hosu's a long way to check tonight. Want me to put out feelers?"
I check the time. Nejire and Momo will notice if I'm not back by morning.
I shake my head, though Oracle can't see it. "No, that's good for now. Get some rest."
"You too. Night, boss."
The comm goes silent, leaving me alone with the city noise and my thoughts. The encounter with Jane replays in my mind - her movements, her words, the deliberate way she led me here. Everything about her was calculated, even the seemingly playful moments.
The trip back is quiet. I stick to shadows out of habit, though this route is practically muscle memory now. The city feels different at this hour - not asleep exactly, but slower. More honest about its darker parts.
I land on my building's roof, checking surroundings one last time. Clear.
The window slides open silently. Inside, Nejire and Momo are still asleep, curled together where I left them. Nejire's mumbling something about jellyfish. Momo's hand reaches for where I was lying earlier.
I strip off the costume quickly, hiding each piece in its designated spot. The wig and contacts go last, transforming me back into Izuku Midoriya, hero student.
"Mm... Izuku?" Momo stirs slightly as I slide back into bed.
"Shh. Go back to sleep."
"Where'd you go?"
"Just took a walk. Everything's fine."
She makes a soft sound, already drifting off again. Nejire shifts closer, seeking warmth.
I hold them both, letting their steady breathing ground me. Tomorrow I'll start unraveling the threads - the container, the clinic, the Golden Dragons. But right now...
Right now I'm exactly where I need to be.
"Love you," I whisper to both of them.
Nejire mumbles something that might be "love you too." Momo just sighs contentedly.
I close my eyes, not really expecting sleep. Too many pieces still moving, too many unknowns. But their presence helps, reminds me why all this matters.
Someone hurt them. Someone thought they could target what's mine and walk away.
They'll learn differently soon enough.
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