The calm before the storm

A FEW DAYS EARLIER

After the meeting with the commissioner, Imahaya was on edge. He wanted to catch the assailants just as much as his officers, perhaps more.

"you're telling me yet again that none of the cameras in here or anywhere around picked up any footage of the attackers?" He asked.

"No sir" one of the uniformed officers said "At approximately 12:53 on the day of the attack. There was a large electrical surge, originating from the entrance of the station and covering a mile radius around the precinct."

Imahaya put his head in his hands. Fuhira walked out of the station to clear his head. Yagita joined him a few seconds later. She was still worried about Kaneda.

"There is some good news" the uniformed officer pointed to a monitor and brought up some footage from the day of the attack. "Traffic cameras from the day of the incident picked up the black car with the license plate detective Fuhira gave to us" He paused for about two seconds, zooming into the video and isolating 4 faces. "This was taken 5 miles from here and we lost their trail after this."

Imahaya looked at the four faces on the screen with pure anger. "I want their faces sent to every police station and I want a thorough search of the databases. Surely one of them must have been arrested before. "

"Sir" the officer said in a slightly more quiet voice. "Kaneda already did an extensive search of criminal databases going back the past 20 years. These guys haven't come up once. It's like they do not exist."

Imahaya looked into Kaneda's workshop and sighed. Kaneda was usually cheerful and humerous. Lighting up the police station with semi-bad jokes and his cheerful nature and although he tried to hide it, his silence made it clear he was angry. He sat with his fists covering half of his face, his eyes glued to the computer screen in front of him, trying to figure out why they weren't on any of the databases.

Imahaya said nothing else and returned to his office, as builders and other workers "fixed" the police station.

PRESENT DAY

A few of the kids had noticed that there were a lot more unfamiliar men and women walking around the academy but they were unsure why. None of them knew that they were there because the academy was potentially the target of another robbery.

The head of the undercover security team, Asaka Yorihisa scheduled a meeting with the principal of the Academy.

"Principal Fujimoto, I scheduled this meeting to propose something" Asaka said, crossing his legs as he sat on the other side of the desk.

Asaka was a fairly large man, with an even larger beard. He apprared to be in his mid 30's with tattoos on all his fingers spelling out the phrase "Death to all"

Fujimoto leaned back in his chair, "What are you proposing?"

"I suggest a small team with the help of some of your teachers look for the artefact, and hand it to the authorities"

Fujimoto thought about it for a few seconds, "I don't think that's a good idea Mr Yorihisa. Firstly, we have no idea where to even start looking, and secondly, the whole point of you all being undercover is so the kids wouldn't be alarmed and snooping around the entire institution will definitely raise alarms."

Asaka smiled, "understood sir, thank you for your time"

As he left, Fujimoto thought about the conversation he just had, he felt slightly uncomfortable because of all the undercover officers around but shrugged it off.

It was Thursday again, the students were all in the cafeteria for their lunch break.

Rando, Yashiro and Rani sat together as usual discussing the minor progress they had made and what they had to do to progress even further.

Yashiro had already discussed with Rando why he had been reclusive, and his intervention with Ichisuda.

"How's the meditation coming?" Rando asked, as the trio ate.

"I'm not too sure. I don't feel anything but it's probably working. What about you?"

"Progress has been slow. It's not that easy reaching a new tensile strength but slow progress is still progress"

Rani nodded in agreement before speaking, "Progress has been slow for me too. Making new toxins isn't that easy and by the end I'm usually exhausted."

"it'll all be worth it in the end " Yashiro said, just as everyone's attention was turned to Mika, who appeared to be having an altercation with Chino.

Mika was already in a bad mood from a message she had received earlier that day and Chino attempting to go her friends bumped into Mika, causing her tray of food to fall from her hands, her food then spilling all over the cafeteria floor.

Before Chino could apologise, Mika had already knocked her back into one of the tables.

Chino angrily got up and that's when the students all turned their attention to the both of them.

"You need to calm down" Chino said, as she slowly got to her feet. "Let's not do this danc-"

She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence before Mika took a step forward, the hair on her head rising as she did so.

The whole room went silent and Chino stepped back in shock at what hit her. It was a familiar feeling for Rando as he had already felt this bloodlust during the entrance examination but to everyone one else in the room, this was a new and frightening sensation. Especially to Chino who it was directed at.

"I see she hasn't changed" Yashiro said, shaking his head.

Rando said nothing in response, while thinking [don't do it Mika]

Chino noticed something that momentarily put her mind at rest. Her hands were still defensively up. She knew any form of agression would result in a pretty nasty fight.

After a few more seconds, right before Hirowa walked in, Mika let her hair drop and turned to walk out of the cafeteria. Chino breathed a sigh of relief, put her hands down and watched Mika.

As she's went passed Hirowa, he said to her, "when you've calmed down a little bit, come to the staff room" after that, he called Chino and spoke to her about what happened. As that was happening Rando listened to the comments about Mika around him and shook his head. They were all negative.

"She's not as bad as you think, Shiro"

Yashiro looked at him with confusion written all over his face. "Are you forgetting what happened at the tournament?"

"I haven't forgotten Yashiro, but I think there's more to her than meets the eye"

Yashiro shook his head and continued eating. He wasn't interested in the conversation.

"What makes you say that Rando?" Rani asked

"the only reason she didn't help Sando during the Minako incident was because you and Mr Ichisuda acted first."

"How do you know this?"

"I saw her activate her powers when Minako used that destructive ice move but when she saw you and Mr Ichisuda move, she stayed put"

"interesting"

*

The students were out in the field again attempting to improve the use of their powers. This time Yashiro sat out in the open, with his legs crossed, and the sun beating on his back.

Everyone else pretty much did the same thing they did every week.

Chino on the other hand, sensing an opportunity, attempted to mend things with Mika.

She spotted Mika sitting underneath a tree as she usually did and slowly walked up to her.

"What do you want, Chino?" She asked, in a not so welcoming tone.

Still standing, she responded, "I just wanted to apologise for earlier"

She didn't respond so Chino slowly sat down next to, but not too close to Mika. There was silence for a few seconds before Chino spoke.

"You okay? I know it's probably not my place but you looked kinda upset about something back in the lunch hall"

Mika still didn't say anything. As Chino got up to leave, she said, "if you ever want to talk, I'm all ears. It's better than going through shit alone. I'll see you later, Mika"

She sighed, as Chino went back to her training.

*

It was a peaceful evening. The teachers were in their own building mostly drinking and talking about the progress the kids had been making. Most of the students were in their designated common room watching TV. The common room was full of life and noisy, but at the back sat Mika by herself again.

She appeared to be reading a message on her phone and shortly went to her room after that. Rando noticed this but decided to leave her alone.

Chino also decided to not be too pushy and left her alone.

Meanwhile, in the Academy compound Asaka and some of the officers who believed there was a better use of their time were searching the academy grounds for the last piece of the staff, despite Fujimoto's decision.

Asaka and another officer searched the main building, while the others lurked around the students dorm.

As Asaka and the other officer split up, he put on a pair of glasses that came equipped with x-ray like vision and walked about scanning the walls and floors.

After about 30 minutes, he was getting ready to give up, there were only 2 rooms left to check in the main building and the other officers in the student dorm hadn't reported anything. He leaned against a wall thinking, [where could it be?]

He sighed and walked into the principals office, which was surprisingly left open in front of him. It didn't take him long to find what appeared to be the artefact behind the wall where a portrait of Fujimoto was hung.

[Oh, you naughty Principal. That explains why he didn't want me searching for it] Asaka thought, with a smirk on his face.

Before he could do anything else, Takari interrupted him.

"Want to tell me what you're doing here?"

Asaka smiled and turned around slowly, "Just trying to help. I figured if I found the artefact, the Academy wouldn't have to come under attack but I had no luck " He said, with a soft laugh.

"The teachers could help you with that" Takari said, "we can search our building if you want"

"that would be helpful, Mr?"

"Matsuda. Takari Matsuda"

"Well, thank you for your co-operation Mr Takari. I'll be on my way now" The men shook hands and Asaka left the building.

Takari looked into the principals office and thought, [Hmm. The old man did say to watch out for him but he didn't seem like he was lying. I mean he was obviously searching for the artefact-] Takari shook his head and returned to the teachers building.

As Asaka left the main building, he picked up his radio(walkie-talkie), and said, "Yeah, I found it. It's in the principals office"