POV: Mirio
The gym session was intense, and now we were gathered in one of UA's classrooms, reviewing the case. I stretched my arms as I leaned back in my chair, letting out a deep breath. Despite the seriousness of the situation, I couldn't help but feel excited. This was our chance to tackle something real. Sure, sparring was great and all, but solving an actual robbery? That was the kind of challenge I lived for.
I glanced around the room. Shinsou, Momo, Ojiro, Sato, Toru, Setsuna, Itsuka, Mawata, and Yuyu—everyone looked serious, focused. Shiro-senpai was standing near the window, arms crossed, watching us quietly. He wasn't going to interfere unless we really needed him, but knowing he had our backs was reassuring.
"Alright, so here's what we know," I started, stepping toward the front of the room and projecting an image from the CCTV footage onto the wall. "The robbery happened two days ago. No forced entry, no signs of tampering with the cash register. But every time, the money disappears. Clean."
I tapped the screen, zooming in on the footage. The figure in the video moved around the store, never touching anything but the floor. It was almost like he was floating above everything.
"Look here," Shinsou said, pointing out the scene where the cash register opened on its own. "He didn't touch it. Not even once. But somehow, the cash still vanished."
I nodded, rubbing the back of my neck. "It's weird. Could be a phasing quirk of some kind, but... it's hard to say exactly how it works."
"That's what makes it exciting," I grinned, hoping to lift the mood. "We get to figure it out!"
Yuyu shook her head with a sigh. "Fun for you maybe, but this is serious. We need to make sure we handle this professionally, or we'll just cause more problems."
"Of course, of course," I said, waving her off. "But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the challenge!"
I turned to Shinsou, who was still studying the footage. "What's your take? Any ideas on how he's pulling this off?"
Shinsou frowned. "It's gotta be a quirk that lets him manipulate objects without direct contact. He's clearly avoiding touching anything except for the floor. But the money still disappears, so maybe he can phase objects?"
"That's a possibility," Momo chimed in from the back of the room. "It's almost like the money is being phased into another dimension, or... teleported somewhere?"
I clapped my hands together. "Exactly! So, our job is to catch him in the act and figure out how his quirk works."
"But how do we track someone who doesn't leave any evidence behind?" Ojiro asked, arms crossed thoughtfully.
"That's where surveillance comes in," Momo replied. "I've been analyzing the robbery locations, and I've found a pattern. They're all within a two-mile radius, and they're targeting smaller convenience stores with less security. We could set up a stakeout at one of these stores and see if we can catch him in the act."
"Nice work, Momo!" I said, giving her a thumbs-up. "We could split into teams and cover multiple stores."
Toru, who had been quiet until now, raised her hand. "I can help with that. I'm invisible, so I can move around without being seen. I'll be perfect for a stakeout."
"Good thinking, Toru," I replied. "And Ojiro, you could pair up with her for backup. Your martial arts skills could come in handy if things get physical."
Ojiro nodded. "Sounds like a plan. We'll take one of the stores."
"Momo, you and I can check out another one," I said, turning to her. "You'll be able to analyze any clues we find on the spot, and I'll handle anything that comes our way."
She nodded, tapping her tablet. "I'll also create some tools we can use to track the suspect. If we manage to spot him, I can use a tracking device to follow his movements."
"Perfect!" I turned back to the group, my smile growing wider. "Alright, team, let's hit the streets and start our investigation!"
POV: Momo
As the group dispersed, I found myself walking alongside Mirio-Senpai. He was always so full of energy, so optimistic, even though the situation required caution and planning. I admired his confidence, but I knew we had to approach this case with care. We didn't know exactly what we were dealing with yet.
We arrived at the convenience store I'd marked on the map earlier. It was small, with dim lighting and a lone clerk standing behind the counter. I scanned the area, already thinking of where to place surveillance equipment.
"This place doesn't exactly scream 'high security,'" Senpai said with a chuckle, looking around. "But I guess that's why it's a target."
"Precisely," I replied, setting down my bag. I began to pull out a small drone, along with some tracking devices. "We'll need to cover all angles. The suspect is skilled at avoiding detection, so we have to make sure we don't miss anything."
Senpai watched me work, he grinned and said. "You're really good at this, you know?"
I felt a small blush rise to my cheeks, but I kept my composure. "Thank you. I just like to be thorough."
We spent the next few minutes setting up the equipment. I placed the drone near the back exit, its tiny camera covering the area where the suspect might try to flee. Senpai, meanwhile, scouted the front of the store, making sure we had all potential entry points covered.
As I finished setting up the last of the tracking devices, I turned to Senpai. "Do you think we'll catch him tonight?"
He shrugged, his smile returning. "If not tonight, then soon. We just have to be patient."
I nodded, but I couldn't shake the feeling that we were missing something. "His quirk… it's still unclear how exactly it works. If he can only phase objects he's touched, then maybe there's a limit to what he can do. We need to figure out that limit."
Senpai leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "Good point. Maybe there's a time limit, or a range he has to stay within."
"Or maybe he can't phase anything too large," I added. "We'll need to keep that in mind when we spot him."
Just then, my tablet beeped. I glanced down and saw that the drone had detected movement near the back of the store.
"Senpai," I whispered, "someone's here."
He immediately straightened up, his expression serious. "Let's move."
We quietly made our way to the back of the store, staying out of sight. The camera feed on my tablet showed a figure moving cautiously toward the rear exit.
"It's him," I whispered. "He's going for the cash register."
Senpai nodded. "Let's wait and see what he does. We need to watch how he uses his quirk."
I held my breath as we watched the suspect reach out toward the register. But instead of touching it, his hand hovered above it for a moment, and then… the cash vanished. Just like before.
"He didn't touch it," I whispered, my heart racing. "He phased it somehow."
Senpai's eyes narrowed. "We need to catch him before he gets away."