Chapter 23

The agency of Sir Nighteye was working tirelessly, if not on new cases or actions; It was dealing with this damn necktie! With Inko's permission as the Red Queen Sir Nighteye brought on Juzo Moashi better known as Centipeder as a Bishop. The search for this necktie started in the cities of Kyoto and Tokyo, moving up to their own Prefectures. These large areas had many businesses and tailors. Yet their results came up with nothing.

Sir Nighteye then sought out those in the Prefecture of Shizuoka. Kyoka Jiro was going to U.A. which was located in that district, perhaps this therapist was around there...No. The search continued on.

Yamanashi? No.

Nagano? No.

Aichi? No. No. NO!

After three more attempts the saving grace came with Centipeder and a large file from the Kanto Region.. He rushed in, sliding and nearly falling on his back on the mopped floor of the office of Sir Nighteye, which became the home of the Red Rook and a prison to Mirai Sasaki.

"Sir! I-I found something!" Whatever in depth comatose state Mirai was in was broken. He rose to his feet taking the papers from Centipeder. An overview of the Saitama Prefecture, Saitama city was marked.

The store's name. Nabe's Robes and Silks .

Inko's phone rang as she was sitting at a park bench. She answered it quickly with haste. "Speak fast, I have an appointment." "Queen we have a locale on the necktie. Heading to a storefront now in Saitama City." Sir Nighteye said as he and Centipeder got into a car. Inko smiled. "Good. proceed cautiously though, I fear our new adversary has made waves. I am meeting a contact currently." She spoke. Sir Nighteye was shocked, she was the will and spirit of this foundation, if she was kidnapped or worse killed! "I will send a pawn or two to -" Inko interrupted him immediately. "NO."

"My contact is a crucial and a potential piece. Let me talk and I will get back to you. If there is no message given within two hours, bring in the pawns and a knight. Red Queen out." Inko said hanging up.

"Wait!" Sir Nighteye yelled but the line was already cut.

Inko waited ten more minutes, then a young adult in her twenties wearing a sun hat and a dress came by and sat next to her.

She appeared to be of mixed race, the only distinguishing feature being her short black hair and silver eyes. Wearing these pink sunglasses she sat idle looking forward as Inko did.

"Lady Scarlet, I presume?" She spoke. "One and only." Inko spoke as she touched her crimson scarf, the tell for her contact to know which person was her. "You are different then expected…" The Sun hat lady said. "What did you expect? A woman looking like a judge?" Inko said, causing her contact to laugh. "More like a mob boss's wife. You however just seem to be blue collar. Either way do you have the location?" Inko nodded slowly passing a long yellow envelope. The contact took it, opening to see traffic images of a little girl being led by the hand of a man in a black business coat and red dress shirt. "She is in Honfleur, Normandy region of France. They will be taking a flight to Lithuania and from there I am not certain."

The lady in her sunhat did her best not to tear up. "If I do this, you guarantee her safety?" She spoke, a quiver to her voice. Inko placed her hand on the young adult's trembling one, holding it. "I promise, Mother to Mother. You will not know where she will be but she will be out of the hands of your late husband's associates." The contact placed the photo back in the envelope. "Then. Yes."

Inko pressed the record button on an audio device in her purse. "We are recording. Remember this is a public area. State your name quietly." "My name is Tamara Manzoni, formally known as Tamara Ashitomi. I was married to the now late husband Sachihiro Ashitomi, a member of the Yakuza who was involved in the bombing at Fujinomiya. It was a ploy to rob a truck carrying gold and gain connection to a Russian mob leader named Khabko through killing an ennemy of theirs. Something about Silencing the Whisperer"

Inko listened intently while watching every corner of green in the park. "My husband thought something was fishy. The person who orchestrated the bank robbery and bombing said he was of some group. He called himself The Advocate, claiming he worked for an Organization named Misogi. He talked to the Yakuza, the Russian, and a league. Some League where the money was being wired to. Bombing happens but money goes to no league but to offshore accounts. Sachihiro planned to call Yakuza boss. He was named a target, evidence found he spoke to the National Police Agency. Sachihiro never spoke to the police. He was loyal for years and they had believed The Advocate over him. They killed him they took my daughter. I couldn't go anywhere I had to hide. If not for you in helping my daughter, she would have been sold into slavery..."

Inko nodded, "Human Sex Trafficking..."

Inko suddenly saw a man go by, the gust of wind revealed a part of a holster. They were here.

"Listen to me…" Inko said. "Get up and start walking with me to the bathroom. You have a quirk, yes? Then get ready to use it." Tamara and they walked together towards the women's public restroom. It was easy to see two more men follow along with the first. Inko whispered, smiling and walking. "We got three." Tamara nodded and took off her sun hat as they entered the restroom.

Inko and Tamara walked in and turned around. As the men entered, pulling their guns out, Inko used her quirk to pull their silenced pistols from her hands as Tamara's hair rose. Her delicate hands then became engulfed with a wind-like vortex of a tornado and she blasted air like a cannon into the Yakuza assassins. All of them hit the marble, breaking bones, bleeding and most certainly knocked out. "I can offer your little girl protection but not you unless you work with me. What do you say Tamara?" Inko held out her hand. Tamara shook it. Inko Gave a smile and then used her quirk to pick up one of the guns, firing three bullets. One for each head.

The Queen had just recruited the Knight Tamara The Typhoon.

Sir Nighteye hated being hung up on but the Queen made her choice. The ride was long from the agency to Saitama city, almost four hours. At least halfway there she got the message from the Queen showing she was alive and recruited a new knight, a user of the Whirlwind quirk.

Mirai would never say this but he did care deeply for Inko in his own way. He would never go this far unless he did. And in some way, through the pain and stress, the heartache...Inko would say the same.

Arriving at Saitama city, though long, was easy. Finding Nabe's Robes and Silks , it was a challenge indeed. The address only led them on a wild goose chase as Nabe's was given new property deeper in the city and the bureaucrats had yet to change the mailing lists. They went deeper in, eventually parking on the side of the road as following street ways were made for foot traffic only. In time, Mirai and Centipeder found themselves entering a small shanty town. Just for a group to come rob them. Centipeder used his long limbs to restrain and slam his enemies in the rusted metal or old bamboo, putting two to sleep. Sir Nighteye however, saw these lowlifes only worthy of his shoes. So after a roundhouse kick knocked out two others, the Foresight hero proceeded to go against the leader. He swung a mighty club but was no match for a swift kick from a Bates Men's High Gloss Uniform Work Shoe to the jaw. The steel toe and heel was custom made but it was worth it.

Finally they saw an old sign, chipped and chiseled from a slab of wood. Nabe's Robes and Silks. As they walked in the smell of dust and mold was irritating. Children played hide and seek in the clothing racks. Teens and adults seemed to do the heavy lifting and cashiering. The smell of leather and the whirring of a grinder in the back and the smell of hide told Nighteye and Centipeder there was a cobbler station in the back.By the look of the house at least three generations were living here in these cramped conditions. Suddenly an old woman about 70 years old had gotten up and walked over to them. "You from the city?" She asked. Nighteye and Centipeder shook their heads no. Mirai pulled out his badge. "Ma'am, I'm the pro-hero known as-" "Manwell! Did you write to heroes again!"

Sir Nighteye couldn't take the bloody noise! "OKAY STOP! EVERYONE STOP!" All eyes turned to him, even the cobbler stopped making shoes. "MY NAME IS SIR NIGHTEYE AND I AM A HERO. THIS IS MY SIDEKICK, CENTIPEDER. A NECKTIE WAS CUSTOM MADE HERE! ONE THAT HANGS AROUND THE NECK OF A VILLAIN WHO KILLED A HERO AND BOMBED A TOWN! IF YOU CANNOT HELP US THEN PLEASE GET OUT OF OUR WAY!...Now ma'am, garish necktie, it was vivid, had multiple styles around five. It was ordered five weeks ago by your records in the old location. The buyer was young, in his late teens, possibly a young adult? Do you remember anything like this?"

The old woman shook her head. "No...None of us remember anything that day. It was like someone snipped out all the memories and taped the past and future together. I have the receipts if you like. A credit number." Sir Nighteye was happy to at least have that, after writing it down he asked one more time. "Please i don't care if it's the smallest detail, can anyone tell me anything?" Mirai frowned. "I-I can..." came a young voice, a little girl came from under a clothes line. The old lady walked up to her. "Xi Xi! Don't sour them with your imaginary stories!" Centipeder stopped her. "No. Let her speak." Mirai went up to Xi Xi and asked "What do you remember? "He was as tall as papa and he wore a suit! I heard the wheels! A limo! It had a symbol on it!" Sir Nighteye smiled, "Can you draw it for me sweetie?"

She got some paper and crayons. She drew a big yellow circle with yellow lines through it and then a big purple M. Sir Nighteye knew this sign immediately in fact if he walked a mile north he could possibly see it. This was the emblem of the Miko Corporation, an international near-trillion dollar conglomerate who had a skyscraper right here in the city! Hundreds of jobs but only a handful of executives. With the child's drawing in one hand and a credit card number in the other, this was just what was needed to locate this son of a bitch.

He walked back in and opened his checkbook. After swiftly writing he folded the check and handed the paper slip to the old woman. He smiled saying"Thank you for your time." As Sir Nighteye and Centipeder left the shanty town the old woman opened the paper. Her family had to catch her from the dizzy spell as a check for 2.5 Million Yen was made out to Nabe's Robes and Silks , almost fell from her fingertips.