Chapter 16
"Good morning, Yanagi-san," Tokuda said, "It is good to see you again. May I introduce the investigative team?"
It was Sunday morning, just after breakfast.
The previous morning, after Emily explained her thoughts about Jin – and I mentioned my concern that he was either considering becoming a villain or possibly had been one in the past – Mr. Yanagi and I spent an hour talking about fortifying the Temple. It was a walled compound with a single quarter-mile long driveway leading up the steep hill from the mountain road that led from the town to the nearby village. The road continued through a small pass to the next valley. The area was heavily wooded and there were cliffs making up one edge of the property.
If anyone was going to attack, they would have to come up the driveway or come through the woods on the other side. The driveway was much easier. Powers could change that – flight, teleportation, some sort of plant control, or movement through the earth. So, we concentrated our discussion on fighting within the walls.
"These grounds are sacred. Protected by the gods themselves," he claimed. "Any who come to do us harm will face their wrath."
"Can you share any more details than that?" I asked.
"You do not need to know. Pray you never find that wrath pointed towards you." His smile was a mix of anticipation and gloating.
I never said our discussions were friendly. I doubted we would ever really get along, but I thought we could work together for the good of the others.
After our talk, I wandered the compound caching piles of stones, sticks, and broken ceramic tiles. I discovered the garage, which held the tools, gardening instruments, and other implements of destruction. I included a few of them in my various caches.
I decided to spend the rest of the day practicing controlling the new spirits that now surrounded me. My larger limit on the poltergeists allowed me to fly more freely, boosted my strength and speed to near peak human, and increased the damage I could do with accelerated missiles. The wisps made for potential distractions. The shadows were great spies – extending my awareness beyond sight and sound. The fire spirits were dangerous, so I left them alone for now. I found I had a lot of other ideas I wanted to practice with them when I had time.
My range was still the same. I could control spirits within around ten yards and maintain control out to around a hundred yards. With the shadows, this gave me a sphere of awareness that covered the Temple. This awareness extended into the spiritual realm, allowing me to sense more and different spirits, but I couldn't control them unless they were within my initial range and mostly in the human world.
I spent several hours after the Twins got back from school talking with them about what I was sensing. Apparently, they could see further in the spirit realm than I could, even with the boost.
"Do you see that crying woman near those trees?" Miyoko asked. I nodded. The spirit was at the limit of my senses – almost completely removed from the human world. "You need to be careful with her, or really any spirit that is still mostly human in form."
"They retain strong connections to their past life and can still reach into the world," Mieko added. "They can harbor strong feelings – anger, sadness, grief, want. And they can be driven by those feelings to cause harm to the living. We are training with Father to learn to exorcise them. I don't think that would be easy for you. Your connection was always different than ours. And now – with the two spirits in you – you should probably avoid exorcisms completely."
She gave me a flat look while her twin slapped her shoulder in protest.
I think you still need to have a heart-to-heart with them, especially Mieko. I chided Emily. I think she's still angry at you for tricking them into helping you commit suicide.
Perhaps this evening we might ask them for some time alone. I have much for which to make amends. Emily agreed.
That discussion wasn't pleasant – but I was able to use Emily's trick and retreat into automatic translation to give them privacy. In the end, with Miyoko playing mediator, I think they came to a detente. I got the feeling that the divisions between Mieko and her eldest sister went deeper than the ritual that brought me to the world.
Sunday morning Tokuda came to the Temple with four strangers.
The standout was a short, wide older man with shaggy black hair, a generous moustache, and wild goatee dressed in a traditional looking outfit that included dark blue pajamas under a chest armor of woven grey metal bands, covered with a padded red jacket. On his legs, he wore dark blue leg wraps that ended just above his small hooves. On his head were two goat horns sticking up though slots on his grey metal samurai helmet. He wore a utility belt and had a bandoleer of pitons and a coiled rope with a grappling hook crossed on his chest. This was Alpine, the Mountain Hero who made his home in the Japan Alps.
"I already know Sir Nighteye and Alpine," I said, bowing to the two pros. "But please introduce your other colleagues."
"This is Kanjiya Yūko, an Investigator for the National Tax Agency." A short, somewhat overweight woman in her early thirties, with shoulder length purple hair, and stylish glasses returned my bow. She was dressed in a blue suit with a sharp knee-length skirt, red blouse, and sensible shoes.
"And this is Nagase Genji, a Detective from the National Police's Civil Rights Bureau."
I bowed to the man. He was dressed in khakis and an oxford shirt with a National Police windbreaker. He wore hiking boots and a baseball hat. There was nothing particularly noteworthy about him. He was middle-aged – anywhere from thirty-five to fifty-five – with short cut lightly greying black hair. Medium height and weight. He had a face and presence you would forget as soon as he left the room.
Then he spoke.
"You're at U.A.? A first year." His voice was normal too, but the intelligence in his eyes only shone when he was speaking to you.
"I am," I answered.
"I graduated from U.A. in '05. General Studies of course." He held up his hand and showed his class ring. Such rings were not a common custom in Japan. I'd read that it had been adopted from the 'ancient' military academy West Point. U.A. graduates were said to knock their rings on tables in meetings to remind people they had attended the prestigious school. "I'd be happy to offer any advice – though at this point it is probably out of date."
"Senpai," I nodded, acknowledging him as my senior. I was slowly learning the sorts of social customs that were important to the Japanese, though I had a long way to go. I almost laughed when I tried to imagine any Winslow graduate making the same sort of offer – I'd attribute it to survivor's guilt.
"Nagase-san and I would like to speak with you about your interactions with the Inoue, if you don't mind." Sir Nighteye's voice was smooth, cool, and cultured. For some reason it, combined with his impeccable dress and better-than-you expression, reminded me of Kaiser. This – as you can imagine – put me off. I knew it was unreasonable. He was All Might's former partner. I seriously doubted he was a villain hiding as a pillar of the community. But, it rubbed me the wrong way. I was reluctant to trust him.
Surely you …
Not now.
Well! I …
Please. They'll suspect. Just translate. We'll talk later.
Alright.
"That's fine," I said. "Shall we talk outside? It is a pretty day."
The two adults shared a look between them behind my back. I wouldn't have seen it without the help of my shadows. I saw the tax woman had gone to talk with Mr. Yanagi and Alpine was prowling around the compound. Tokuda had decided to talk with Mrs. Yanagi.
I led them to my favorite bench, taking a seat in the air as I often did. I had read the laws carefully and asked for clarification in class. Non-violent use of quirks on private property was allowed. It's how people trained and prepared for hero exams, as well as how people who used their quirks for non-hero business could do so on company property.
I was subtly stating this was my place of power.
"As you may guess from my credentials, I am here primarily to investigate violations of the various anti-discrimination acts," Nagase began. He was keeping it friendly and easygoing. "What you don't know is that I'm quirkless, so I've had my own experiences with discrimination."
Interesting tactic. He was trying to build a common bond. I imagine it worked pretty well in his job.
"I'm interested in hearing about your experiences as a Burakumin and as a follower of the Shugendō religion here in the Kesuru valley. Let's start with a few stories, then we can get more specific. Ok?"
"Alright …" I paused as if thinking.
Emily, this is on you. Give him some examples. Your choice if you want to concentrate on the Inoue or get the whole valley involved. I can see benefits either way.
Very well. Repeat after me please.
"When I was young, first or second year in elementary school," she began. She talked for more than an hour. Nagase was good at listening, only asking questions to draw Emily to the next story or to get specific details. Occasionally Sir Nighteye would pass him a note. The detective was good enough that I never knew which comment or question originated with the pro hero.
When they started asking about the attacks I was involved in, Emily asked me to take over. She either didn't remember them or didn't want to.
Are you ok? I asked. I could feel she was upset.
Remembering all that unjust abuse and irrational hatred just makes me so … angry. But I know that is wrong.
No, it's not. There is nothing wrong with righteous anger. This isn't the time to talk about it, but we will talk later.
Very well …
I told them pretty much the same thing I'd told the Principal, press, and police about the parking lot attack by Goro and the restaurant attack by the elder Inoue. No need to change it and it's likely they'd already seen the earlier reports.
Sir Nighteye and the detective shared another look. I wondered if they'd noticed the sudden difference between my speaking style and Emily's. Nothing I could do about it if they had.
Before I could say anything else the three other visitors joined us.
"What a beautiful view," the tax lady said. I just couldn't remember her name.
"Yeah, this temple's very nicely situated. You're on one of the highest subpeaks. Defensible and offers a great view." Alpine's voice was gruff – perhaps from the unlit cigar he was chewing on. "Whichever ancestor chose this – he did good."
"We were just finishing up here. Are you ready to move on?" Sir Nighteye said, giving me a penetrating look. I'd read he had to touch you to read your future, and we had not touched. I'd made sure. So I didn't know what the look meant. And I wasn't sure I cared.
"Yup. Ready to roll," Alpine confirmed. The others nodded in agreement.
"If you'd like, I can play local guide – show you around, take you to specific places." I'm not sure why I made the offer. I expected it to be refused. And I really didn't know my way around, though Emily did. I just hated the idea that these people, who I neither knew nor trusted, were conducting an investigation that had such importance for the future of this family. I'd feel happier if I were directly involved.
"I really don't think …" Sir Nighteye began.
"Sure," Alpine interrupted. "If you're that anxious to be out and about, you can tag along with me. Haven't had an intern in a long time. Might be fun." He addressed the last part to his fellow pro hero. "Kids don't seem to find the lonely mountains as exciting a posting as your big city agencies."
With an expression of distaste, the snooty man agreed.
The investigators had arrived in three different vehicles. Alpine's was a rather beat up, if still tricked out, 4x4 with a Goat's Head logo on the hood. Tokuda and I joined him. I had stopped in my room and grabbed my bag. It still had some of the arsenal I had loaded it with before the bus attack.
"Where to?" Tokuda asked.
"Wanna get a look at them mines," Alpine barked. "All sorts of things can be hid underground. Always worth taking a peek."
He turned to look at me. Asking the nominal guide, I supposed. Tokuda had taken the back seat so I was in front with the driver.
"There are several shafts all around the valley," I said, after consulting my passenger. "Any particular one that interests you?"
"The deepest."
"Alright …"
Which one is that? I asked.
Shaft number four. It is part of the smaller mine complex to the southwest.
I got my bearings and pointed. "That way."
Alpine grinned and gunned the SUV down the narrow mountain road.
When we got to the mine, security was reluctant to let us in. But Alpine had a warrant. This brought out a middle manager and a lawyer. It said something that they were both there, in suits, on a Sunday morning. Though not a Christian country, Japan still took Sundays off. The only day many salarymen got to see their families. The mines seemed to be pretty busy, or at least there were a lot of men, and a few women, moving around the complex. There were several above ground silos, rail cars, utility buildings, garages, warehouses, obvious mine entrances, and a few two- and three-story office buildings.
The not-so-dynamic duo dragged us to the tallest of these buildings. Inside was air conditioned and decorated in corporate non-descript style #5. I was getting a lot of nasty looks from the people we passed.
"Alright," the manager finally agreed after twenty minutes of Alpine just shoving the warrant in his face. "We may not be able to stop you. But nothing in this says anything about them going into the mine." He pointed at Tokuda and me.
"She's a student-hero, working under my supervision," Alpine barked.
"She's a known troublemaker that has been officially banned from all Inoue property," the lawyer interjected, sounding calm and professional. Though his look at me was anything but. "If it were not for this warrant and your vouching for her, she would not be allowed past the gate. As for Tokuda-san, the Red Mountain Mining Company is always anxious to cooperate with the press, it's just that safety concerns prohibit his descent into Shaft Four."
"Fine!" Alpine growled, almost biting through his cheroot. He pinned the manager with a stubby finger. "She better be here, and in the same damn condition, when I get back."
The manager nodded rapidly.
Alpine turned to me, "You gonna be ok?"
"Should be," I said. "As long as they don't try anything."
"If they do, you got my permission to kick their asses." He looked at the office pukes then back to me. "Got it?"
"Hai, sensei. I understand."
"Do your best!"
The manager left to lead Alpine to the shaft. The lawyer called in two security guards then left with one last nasty look my way.
Tokuda and I sat quietly. I assumed we were being watched, maybe even recorded so didn't want to say anything. The reporter was working on his tablet. I was experimenting with using shadows spirits to spy throughout the building. Walls, doors, and most importantly locks were meaningless to the intangible beings. And a hundred-yard radius covered all of the building and most of the underground complex beneath it.
That was somewhat unexpected. This was an armored bunker with several vaults and secured storehouses. No one was inside. The external doors were sealed with a safe-like combination lock. Not relying on electronics. I sent my poltergeists into the lock. While I could feel the tumblers, I didn't know anything about that sort of lock so I wasn't able to open it. If tumbler-based locks were common, I might have to study up.
"Excuse me, Yanagi-san," Tokuda interrupted my viewing.
"Yes?" I looked up at him. He was standing. The guards were watching us.
"I have to go to the toilet. I'll be back soon." He looked to a guard and lifted an eyebrow questioningly. The guard pointed down the hall and to the left.
I tracked him to the man's room, and then shifted my attention to the exterior of the building as a new SUV drove up. Mr. Inoue and his son Goro got out. They went to the back of the truck and unloaded two boxes. Goro was forced to carry both, while Inoue grabbed a heavy briefcase. They started towards the building.
I had seconds to decide what to do. I could see the lawyer heading towards the elevator – I assumed to talk with the boss man. He'd tell Inoue I was here. The madman would then either rush to confront me, hurry to hide whatever he was carrying down into the vault, and/or send his security to either detain me or kick me off the property.
Did I want him to find me here? Did I want to hide? Or did I want to control the confrontation? I couldn't start anything, but Alpine's orders made it clear I was free to defend myself. I decided that if there was trouble – whether just words or actual combat – I'd rather be out in the open. I had mobility and range – both of which were useless in a conference room. I got up and started towards the door.
"Where do you think you're going?" one guard snarled.
"Toilet," I said. One thing I'd noticed – the Japanese didn't use euphemisms for restroom matters. It was one of the hardest adjustments I'd had to make. Especially since the Japanese word for toilet was toireto – taken directly from English. I think my difficulties said more about American hang-ups than the Japanese.
He grunted and pointed down the hall and to the right.
I quickly made my way to the exit, making sure I wouldn't run into either the Inoue or the lawyer. Once outside I stood next to the big man's vehicle. I started my phone streaming video and audio to the cloud and floated it into a good position to see the likely confrontation. I was watching the video through an invisible wisp so I could get the best shots. I needed to get more phones for real quality videos. Glancing inside the truck I saw several more boxes filled with files. I couldn't read them without taking my attention off of the boss man.
He was meeting with the lawyer in a hall.
"What do you mean the Yanagi bitch is here!" Inoue shouted.
"She came with Alpine. He's down in Shaft Four." The lawyer supplied.
"Damn … Damn! … DAMN!" Inoue backhanded the much smaller man, sending him crashing into the corridor wall, which collapsed under the impact leaving the lawyer laying in an office. Two women in the office screamed.
Inoue whirled on Goro and grabbed his arm, almost making him drop the boxes. "Back to the car." He started dragging him towards the door. "You're going to guard these boxes with your life while I go in there and take care of that troublemaker once and for all."
"But Father, I want to watch. She's my rival."
"Don't be any more of an idiot than you already are, boy." He propelled his son through the exterior doors. "She's already proven she's a better man than you."
"Not that that was difficult," I quipped loudly. "He really must be a disappointment."
"YOU!" Inoue snapped. "Do you have ANY idea the trouble you've caused? You are going to tear down everything my family has been building for CENTURIES!"
"All I did was tell the truth." I kept my voice calm, while projecting for the camera.
"I had it all under control! A few more months, maybe even weeks and I would have been set. Now it's all ruined! Because of YOU!"
He was melting down in front of my eyes. I had no idea what he was talking about. It had to have something to do with the files. He must be having financial troubles. That's why he was blackmailing Mr. Yanagi. From the sound of it, he was probably in debt to someone who was calling the loan due – or he had all his money tied up in schemes that were supposed to pay off soon. That would explain the tax lady. The government must have suspected some sort of financial shenanigans.
"You made your choices. Take the consequences like a man." I stood straight and looked him in the eye. I also had a dozen rail spikes I'd found in a shed moving along the ground behind me, going to the edge of my range. If I needed my railgun, I had to give my ammo room to accelerate.
He stared at me for a second, his mouth hanging open. Slowly his fists clenched. I don't think he was even aware. Then I noticed the dim glow surrounding his hands.
Tension coiled in my belly. This man could be dangerous. And we were on his home ground. Fighting an earth controller at a mine in the mountain was not the smartest thing I'd ever done. Wasn't the dumbest either, not by far.
"RRRAAAGHHH!" He threw both hands up. The ground stated heaving under my feet.
I sprang into the air, aided by more than half my poltergeists. Massive hands each larger than the SUV grew from the ground and grabbed for me. Higher and higher, they reached into the air. If they got hold of me, I was dead.
I bounced to the roof of the nearby building. If he wanted me, he'd have to tear his own office down. Once I was standing, I sent most of the poltergeists to accelerate two spikes to mach five. The spikes slammed into each of the gravel arms, followed by another pair, and another. After three shots they crumbled. The sonic booms echoed off the mountain.
I was tempted to take Inoue down hard. He had attacked me twice with no thought, like swatting a fly. He was powerful and seemed to be crazy. But I didn't need to kill him. At the moment, he couldn't really hurt me.
He sent a half dozen stones shooting towards me. I deflected them and dodged. No reason to test my strength directly against his. I did notice the rocks didn't seem to be under direct control, just thrown and released.
"Stop this and surrender. You're under arrest for illegal use of a quirk." I raised my voice so he could hear.
"Fuck you!" He sent a dozen stones at me from all sides.
I stepped off the roof, dropping below the rocks' trajectories to land on the hood of the SUV, cushioning my fall with my spirits. "One last chance. Give up."
"I'll destroy you and your family!" he punched into the ground and pulled up two rocky fists, each the size of my torso.
As he charged, I sent four small groups of poltergeists and a pair of wisps to intercept him. I had the wisps flare to their maximum brightness, right in front of his eyes. This caused him to flinch, batting at the intangible lights with his massive fists. The four mini-swarms of poltergeists then pressed into specific spots on his throat.
"I find your lack of wisdom … disturbing." I said as I raised my hand in a pinching gesture. The spiritual fingers pinched both main blood vessels closed and pressed on his windpipe, causing him to strangle and choke.
He quickly forgot the lights in his eyes and tried to dislodge whatever was on his neck. He managed to smack himself in the face and head with his hammer-like fists but couldn't disturb or evade my spirits. He tried to speak, but couldn't get any air.
Twelve seconds later, he passed out, crashing to the dirt. I was tempted to keep pinching. I could cause brain damage in another few seconds, death in under a minute. But I didn't. I let go.
Gathering my poltergeist close to me, with several rail spikes at the ready, I stepped from the hood. As I approached, I pulled some zip ties from my bag. He was still out when I turned him over and started to secure his hands behind his back.
"Noooo!" Goro charged me, fists flailing. He had dropped the boxes, which had spilled their contents all over the torn-up driveway. "Not my father! You bitch!"
He wasn't even using his quirk. He was a big kid, almost six foot and stocky. He'd probably play football back home – or given Brockton Bay, be a serious recruit for the Azn Bad Boys.
"Stupid boy," I said as I stepped behind his grapple and redirected his momentum into the ground. He hit pretty hard. I let him get up and throw a punch. I grabbed his arm and spun him with his own momentum, turning him so my arm was brushing his neck. I locked my arm across his throat, pressing my bone into his carotid artery.
"No…" he said weakly as he batted at my arm. Seconds later, he was out. I hadn't used my quirk to take him down, which was a bit of a change.
I let him go and quickly zip tied both father and son. I wasn't comfortable leaving them lying on the crumbled pavement. Inoue was a serious earthmover. He might be able to tunnel for all I knew. I manhandled both bodies onto the hood of the SUV, hoping that would stop them. I started looking for my fishing line or duct tape. Someone had raided my stores and a lot of things were missing. I'd have to go shopping again soon.
"Yanagi-san!" Tokuda called. He'd been recoding the whole fight, having come out right behind the Inoue and gotten it all from his angle. I recalled my phone and turned off the recording.
"Are you ok?" he asked.
"Not a scratch," I reassured him. Then realized we were both speaking Japanese.
Hey! Emily! You didn't flake out. What happened?
I cannot say with certainty. I think that conflict with the Inoue here in the confines of the valley was so familiar to me, in tenor if not in actual violence, that I did not find it harrowing. I found it infuriating. The feeling of satisfaction I experienced while watching you bring them low was … sinful. I will need to meditate and find an appropriate penance.
Forget penance. You really helped me here. You did good.
"Yanagi-san. I think …" Tokuda was pointing to a group of five armed guards running around the corner of the building. Running towards us. This was a little less clear legally, I thought.
"What in the EXPLETIVE is going on here!" yelled Alpine. He was rapidly transforming to his Man-Goat form. He stood almost eight feet tall with massive thick-furred arms, a long goat-like face, and powerful bent legs. His voice grew shrill but was still understandable. His costume, which had been comfortably loose, was now almost skintight. "If someone doesn't explain why you are drawing on my intern, I'm gonna tear this place to pieces and stomp holes in all of your expletives!"
Why are you censoring again? You didn't during the fight.
I forgot. If spirits could blush, she was glowing.
"She assaulted our boss," one of the guards said nervously.
"Yanagi-san?" Alpine looked at the two bound bodies on the SUV and winked at me.
"They attacked me. I arrested them."
"And I got it all on video," Tokuda added, holding up his tablet.
"You …" he pointed to the lead guard. "Let's watch this together. If she did good, I'm calling in the Police and we'll find out what else is going on here. If she expletived up … well, you can shoot her."
I almost reacted but recalled the wink. I also knew I could disable their guns faster than they could fire them.
The guards gathered around the tablet. Alpine was already calling in the police. I was gathering the papers from the spilled boxes. I was very curious what he was so anxious to hide.
The spirits I had touching Inoue detected a slight tremor. I whirled to face him, sending the poltergeists to hold him in place. "Danger!" I yelled in Japanese – a word I had trained myself in. Alpine turned, his hand whipping towards his grapple line.
The ground dropped beneath the SUV. The truck tumbled forward, spilling the captives into the sudden opening. The rising rear of the vehicle blocked Alpine's line.
I tried to slow Inoue with my spirits. I didn't care about Goro. The ground actually reached out and pulled him from my grasp. He was too heavy and the pull from below was too strong I could't stop them.
The ground slammed closed, almost trapping Alpine's hand as he reached for the SUV's bumper. It had swallowed the SUV and the Inoue whole.
I did manage to tag them with a shadow that was able to travel with them underground.
"Come on! They went this way." I started flying after them, but they were out of my range before I had moved twenty yards. I was still too slow off the starting block.
When I returned Alpine was just starting dig out the sunken truck.
"I was too slow. They got away."
"It happens. Don't let it get you down. He'll turn up again. The idiots always do. But he left all this." The pro hero gestured to Inoue's mostly buried SUV and the spilled boxes. "This is enough to put him away for years. Good work."