The doctor isn't talking.
She and Sorahiko had worked him over for a time as the cops gathered everyone in that underground lab.
Luckily, most of the perps were still firmly in the land of broken bones and concussions, so not much fighting was to be had.
Not that she particularly needed to punch any particular person in the face really damn hard, while imagining a certain flying rodent… because that wouldn't be the heroic thing.
But even a tiny bit of fight wouldn't have been a bad thing… Honest.
Anyway, back to the point, the doctor wasn't talking.
Oh he said a lot.
Blubbered and cried and swore he didn't know what they were talking about, but he didn't actually give them anything useful.
Even so, it was clear that they found something criminal under his pediatrics office. Even if it was just for construction violations, they could still hold him. Once Forensics got to the place, she had no doubt they'd find something.
Then they could come at him with evidence, concrete charges and numbers on prison time.
He was young, barely out of med school. Probably someone who didn't want to rot away in prison for All For One,
He inspired fear. She saw that a lot.
Sometimes he even inspired fanatical loyalty.
She'd seen that too. That one scared her more than anything else.
But that didn't apply to everyone.
Maybe, just maybe. This guy just might be one of the ones that fell in between. And he'd give them something. Something that could help.
Just needed a bit of patience.
Sorahiko followed the armored truck, no way, were they gonna risk a high value target like this doctor getting sprung by a stray quirk or something that they'd missed.
Nana would have volunteered to follow, but there was something else taking her attention right now.
"You okay kid?"
The kid, Toshinori, didn't particularly look ok, what with half his face was covered in padding and looked a little swollen even with that padding.
The Bat really hit him hard
The kid tried to smile, key word being tried. He got halfway to a smile before instantly turning it to a grimace.
The side of his face no doubt hadn't liked what he was trying to do and had protested vehemently with pain.
"Yes Ma'am. How about you? Are you okay? I saw that villain trying to choke you."
She waved him off. "I'm ok, kid."
She actually considered specifying that the Bat had tried to put her in a sleeper hold rather than choke her. She didn't get the impression he wanted her dead.
After all, that Flashbang could have been a knife… or a grenade.
Maybe she should specify that? No need for people to think he was a crazy murder vigilantee like some others.
Then she remembered-
He threw me into a water cooler.
She smiled down at him then turned her eyes to the paramedic. "Any complications?"
"It looks worse than it is ma'am." The Paramedic said. "Lots of bruising, ruptured blood vessel on the eye, but nothing some ice and rest won't cure. No concussions or fractures."
She nodded. "That's good to hear."
The medic held up a little baggie with two pills. "Here son. Take these. One tomorrow when you wake up, and then another eight hours later if you're still up or in pain, if not, set it aside or use the last one the following morning, should be past the worst of it by then."
"Yes sir, thank you."
Nana nodded and watched as Yagi gingerly stood up from where he sat at the back of the ambulance.
She reached down, grip latching onto the strap of the kid's recently weaponized backpack.
"Come on kid." She said, smiling at his surprised face. "I'll walk ya home."
(X)(X)(X)
As Nana made her way home later that day she couldn't help the little smile that tugged at the corner of her lip.
The boy was an odd one. And their conversation had been odd too. Mostly about her heroics. Honestly she thought he had a bit of fanboy in him.
But something he said was sticking with her.
People need a symbol
It was a little thing. Almost naive. But it'd been a while since she'd seen naive.
She liked it. A little bit at least.
She'd check on him again, see about that bruise. Make sure it healed up okay.
Gloom was setting in by the time she got home, the bright orange of sunset giving way to that strange bluish purple of not quite daylight but not quite night time either.
Her apartment lights were on and Nana felt her smile fade a little.
A part of her didn't want to have this conversation.
It'd be easy to put off.
What was one more day after all…
Then another part of her, the bigger part of her with its big girl pants told her to suck it up and stop being a coward.
She had a right to know.
She descended quietly, her bedroom window was big, she slid it open floating through and letting her feet thump solidly on the carpet when she landed.
She moved to take off her boots. "Bruce, I'm back." She called.
"Welcome back," Came his voice through the walls.
Nana sighed, taking a breath. "Okay… Okay…. Ummm… shower first."
She wasn't stalling. And anyone who claimed otherwise was a lying liar who lies.
She plucked clothes from her drawer, stepping into her master bedroom's private bathroom and proceeding to shower and change out of her wet, sweat soaked clothes.
The hot water felt nice, especially after needing to walk all damn day feeling clammy and sticky with a suit that was clinging way too damn much, because the bat had just so happened to find the only water cooler within a thousand fucking feet to throw her into.
The dick…
Next time she found him, no more Ms. nice Nana.
She took a while in the shower, just enjoying the scalding hot water before finally stepping out.
Dressing in pajamas and breezy clothes, she stepped out of her room into the living room.
There was something cooking, and it smelled great.
"You've usually got things done by this hour." She said, then smirked. "Long day?"
He smiled back where he sat on a stool at her kitchen island. "Something like that. Ran into a somewhat difficult person at work today. Arguing over the water cooler of all things."
Her eye twitched.
Bruce seemed oblivious to her spiking anger as he gestured to a steaming kettle beside him on a tiny electric heater. "Tea?"
… "I don't have a heater." She said. "Or tea cups… or a kettle for the tea. I just use a pot."
"Bought them." He said.
She took a deep breath, held it for a moment, then let it out slowly. "Bruce… I need you to be honest with me… At this point you're making more money than me. How?"
He opened his mouth-
"Is it drugs? Guns? Are you trafficking organs or something? I mean, I've tried to think of everything but the math just doesn't make sense without crime but I don't think you're a criminal, I hope not. It'd be really bad if you're a criminal because I'd really have to hurt you and burn the couch. I like that couch. Don't make me burn the couch, Bruce!"
He blinked. "Why the couch?"
"Guilt by association!"
He smiled gently. "What about the oven?"
"It made Alfred's lasagna, no one can touch it with ill intent." She smiled back, some of her fraying nerves put at ease.
Bruce's smile widened, chuckling to himself, then he looked back to her. "I was going to tell you, tonight actually."
"You're some kind of crime lord!" She snapped her mouth shut. "Nope. Nope. I'm just gonna shut up now… its ok. Shoot, tell me."
"Not as such." He stood, marching over to a suitcase he'd bought during his first week here, where he kept the majority of his clothes even after she cleared out a drawer for him.
He pulled free a… something. Looked like some kinda stubby glue gun.
Placing it on the table Bruce gestured her to come closer.
"The last few weeks I've secured patents, and have been in negotiations with quite a few pharmaceuticals."
"Pharmaceuticals?"
He nodded. Grasping her wrist he pulled her arm forward.
Then he started to scan.
"It detects all internal damage. No advanced heavy duty equipment needed in the field. A paramedic can detect broken bones, internal damage, contusions, where bullets might be alongside internal organs, that kinda thing.
The scanner flipped through various settings, showing different 'parts' from the inner muscles, the bones, even the nervous system.
Bruce held out something.
She blinked, and it took her a second to recognize it was a card.
"The first official patent of Wayne Tech."
She held it.
The card was fancy, at least as far as she knew. It certainly looked fancy with the black background and the golden print proclaiming Wayne Tech Enterprises.
She looked at him. He smiled down at her.
"Of course, my organ harvesting is done on the side. Just to keep up with your sweet tooth."
She snorted, then punched him in the arm. "Idiot. So… this is it? This is where you're getting the money from?"
He nodded "Quite a few businesses are interested in the tech. They've sent incentives. Especially since I've promised this is the first of many items I'll be designing."
"What else are you planning?"
"There's an increasing demand for Hero support items. With heroes becoming more and more prolific as a profession, and even schools and universities beginning to crop up in support of them, the market will expand rapidly. I have quite a few useful utility ideas that can work for anyone with any quirk in your line of work." He said.
She smirked. "Not bad, Mr. Wayne."
Then she looked to her couch and grew sad. "Guess that means you'll be leaving soon then, huh? How soon?"
His own smile grew a little sad then too.
"I'm already looking through some options. Two weeks… three at the most, I hope to find a home of my-"
He stopped.
She wasn't crying, anyone who said otherwise…
"Nana…"
"I'm sorry." She sniffed, "I told myself I wouldn't get all weepy with goodbyes this time! This always happens!"
"It's not goodbye yet," He reminded her with a laugh.
She sniffed, wiping at her eyes as she turned away, taking deep slow breaths. "It's ok. It's ok. I'm ok."
She would be fine and… Ow!
Opening her eyes Nana found herself bumping her forehead solidly against the ceiling of her apartment.
There was a snicker behind her, and she turned to glare at the chuckling Bruce.
He smiled. "There's still some time, besides… I still have to help you in your case."
She floated back down with all the dignity she could muster, nodding to herself. "Yeah. Yeah you're right"
He sat himself back down on the stool.
Then, gestured to the tea.
"One more try." He said. "Tea?"
She smiled, taking a seat beside him. "I'd love some."
(X)(X)(X)
The next morning, Nana stepped out of her apartment with a yawn.
Bruce was gone, left really early in the morning with a note. He had to meet with some investors and take care of some other business.
Strange to consider that just four months ago he was "Mr. Beard" shambling out of an alley looking angry enough to chip paint off a wall.
…
She was happy for him.
Even though, it was kinda irritating that he was now richer than her after just four months....
Don't be a hero if you wanna make money.
Didn't even have dental. The injustices never ceased.
Stepping out into the street Nana let herself stretch a bit, arm craning over her head as she tensed and slowly relaxed before floating up to the sky, on her way back to Gifu.
She fished her phone out of her pocket, texting Sorahiko.
"On my way to station'
She waited a moment.
Right on time her phone chimed back.
"You done sleeping in?"
She frowned,
I need my beauty sleep.
The answer was suspiciously fast.
'Not sure how much good it'll do ya.'
What was with men these last few days just asking to get punched?
'And here I was gonna get you a coffee, see if I do.'
The phone buzzed.
'Two sugars, hold the cream."
She got him one sugar, with cream.
Hmpf.
(X)(X)(X)
They met up in the skies above Gifu. Sorahiko complained and moped and complained some more about his coffee but he drank it all the same.
Making their way to the police station the two heroes soon found themselves entering the station's holding cells.
"We'll be moving him to county tonight." One officer said opening up the main block doorway to escort them in. "Forensics found plenty in that lab, at least six profiles of missing children over the last year. Hasn't said much though.
"Yeah well we'll get him to talk. Just need a bit of time." Gran said marching through the door after the cop.
Nana followed, taking a deep breath.
She looked to the cells, plenty of low level criminals she didn't recognize, some she did from glimpses to Bruce's newspapers. A wolf quirk guy that looked almost rabid was snarling and hissing in a cell by himself, two twins with long ungainly limbs that let them stand over nine feet tall were sitting in a cell next to a rather big headed guy, the gangsters and crooks from the lab that weren't still in the medbay were also scattered around here and there, kept in seperate cells likely so they couldn't communicate and get their stories straight.
"We kept him in a private cell, didn't want him in danger to himself or any of the other guys caught with him." The cop went on to explain as they marched to the end of the cell block.
"Good thinking. Wouldn't put it past them to take him out if he knows too much." Gran acknowledged.
"Alright doc you've got- What the hell!"
The cop's startled shout made both her and Sorahiko rush forward, the last few steps closed in an eyeblink.
The cell was empty.
The only thing within was a small folded card resting on the bed.
Gran shouted "Open it up!"
The cop scrambled for his keys, fumbling, once, twice and a third time, to the point that Nana was just about ready to rip the damn cell doors off with her bare hands before he finally found the key and cranked open the heavy duty lock.
Gran rushed in, her hot on his heels.
He looked around.
She didn't bother.
Her heart thumped solidly under her ribs, fear and adrenaline pumping through her body as she swallowed thickly, reaching for the small card.
Unfolding it, the message was clear.
"All tHIs, For One dOcToR."
"NoT niCe misS ShimUra."