3rd POV

Let’s turn back the time again.

Mischa and Hotaru were crouched behind the boxes in the port, right in front of a warehouse which was informed by Mugetsu as the hiding place of the culprit behind the explosion.

They held a gun in their hand, ready to enter the warehouse. But, right before they entered the warehouse, Mischa remembered something. She looked at Hotaru with a pale face as she said.

“Hotaru, I… messed up. I leave a subordinate of Mugetsu on that bridge. Along with some injured people and the thugs who had attacked Naomi. I was too focused on the explosion and Mugetsu at that time, I’m sorry.” She apologized to Hotaru.

Hotaru looked at Mischa and consoled her.

“Let’s contact someone to check on that bridge and Naomi. I am afraid if Mugetsu will come to Naomi after she left us.”

Mischa nodded at Hotaru and pulled out her communication device.

“HQ, enter. This is Officer Mischa Belyaeva reporting! We have an emergency here!”

This time, the HQ didn’t take their time to answer Mischa.

“HQ here. Officer Mischa Belyaeva, do tell your report!”

“Only now they answered me in time.” Mumbled Mischa. She took a deep breath then reporting the situation.

“Maybe there is someone already reported about the explosions on Avos Island. Right now, I and Officer Nobi Hotaru were chasing a suspect of the explosions. We need reinforcement in the port near a bridge that connected Avos Island with Chiba and please sends someone to guard Akasa Naomi in Starlight Hotel. Her room is the 3rd room on the top floor after you turned right in the elevator! We believed that Akasa Naomi is their real target.”

Starlight Hotel was the name where Naomi stayed. Well, Naomi as her usual self never cared about that and just called it 5-star hotel.

“Is this information accurate?” Asked the HQ’s operator.

“It is, even Mugetsu was here a moment ago to chase them.” To make the HQ believe them, Mischa decided to use Mugetsu.

From what she knew, Esper Association’s HQ often doubted a report without any concrete evidence. But, with the appearance of the most sought criminal, Mugetsu. Even a false report will be handled immediately.

“Mugetsu?! We will send the reinforcement immediately.” Mischa could hear the surprised voice of the operator from her communication device.

“Don’t forget to send a team of 2 people to guard Akasa Naomi. Mugetsu had mentioned her when she faced us.”

“We will send someone near that Starlight Hotel to guard her immediately. Please wait around 10 minutes until the reinforcement arrived.”

“Roger that.”

Mischa ended the communication and put her communication device back in her back pocket. She smiled at Hotaru to see that their plan has succeeded. Their first plan was to secure Naomi because they thought that both of them will need all night to secure the suspect.

The second plan is for Hotaru and Mischa to sneak inside the warehouse and collecting information by eavesdropping on anyone in that warehouse.

“Are you ready, Hotaru? We will sneak out from the roof. I bet there is some ventilation in that warehouse that we could use to sneak inside. Even if there isn’t any, we could see inside of the warehouse through the gap of the roof and you could teleport us inside safely.”

Hotaru put her hand on Mischa’s shoulder and give her a thumb up. “Of course, let’s end this as soon as possible. I am worried about Naomi.”

They disappeared from their place and appeared on the roof of the warehouse which according to Mugetsu’s information was the place where the bomber’s suspect was hiding.

Mischa adjusted her body to reinforce it to the limit in order to hear the conversation of anyone inside. The warehouse has no light on, so it was dark and Mischa couldn’t see well inside the warehouse even with her enhanced sight, that’s why she depended on her hearing.

She looked at Hotaru and gestured her to find a way to enter the warehouse with her hand. Hotaru acknowledged the gesture and slowly searching for an opening to enter the warehouse while tiptoeing.

Mischa was laying on her chest and pushed her ear until it stuck on the roof and concentrated as she tried to pick up even the tiniest sound.

Mischa could hear Hotaru’s walking sound clearly, and the sound of someone talking from inside the warehouse. She concentrated even further on that sound.

“hahaha, and it goes boom! That was satisfying.” A sound that Mischa heard was rough. She guessed that the one who talked was a man around 30.

“It was thanks to me who get information about that crash! If I don’t get that information, we will need more time to finish that mission!” This time the sound was clearer, and the voice was smoother than the previous one.

‘They are talked about the crash? Is it when my car and the prisoner’s trucks crashed with Stephen? And the mission, they must be part of an organization.’ Mischa analyzed the conversation and managed to get valuable information. She decided to hear more and wait for Hotaru to come back after checking the possible entrance.

“Yeah yeah, it’s thanks to you. But, those bombs were created by Muhan, so he was the one who get the credits the most. Isn’t that so, Muhan?”

“I don’t care. I just do this for the mission.”

‘That’s 3, and one of them could make a bomb, they are too dangerous to be left alone. It’s thanks to Mugetsu I could find them this fast. Although it left a bitter taste in my mouth to get help from that criminal.’

Creak

Mischa could hear the sound of a door being opened in the roof. She immediately stood up and looking around to see the situation. Finally, her gaze landed on Hotaru who opened a hatch to enter the warehouse.

Hotaru looked back at Mischa and waved her hand gestured Mischa to come over. Mischa slowly make her way to Hotaru and they both looked down and saw a ladder. Simultaneously, they looked at each other and asked.

“Are you ready Mischa?” Whispered Hotaru.

“Wait Hotaru, from what I get from listening to their conversation, they indeed are the ones who set the explosions in the guard's post. They talked about a mission, but I don’t know anything about it. Their numbers were at least 3 people, maybe more.”

Mischa told Hotaru about the information that she found from eavesdropping on their conversation. They have no problem securing three people, but they are still careful to prepare for any unexpected situation.

“Shall we go in now? Or should we wait for reinforcement?” Asked Hotaru. Although she’s older than Mischa, she still respected and trusts her. That’s why Hotaru asked Mischa to decide their next move.

Mischa lowered her gaze as she touched her chin with her right hand and think. After a few seconds, she raised her head and said. “I think we should wait for the reinforcement. We will enter, but we won’t make any move until the reinforcement arrived.”

Hotaru nodded at Mischa and looked at the hatch again. “Then, let’s go.”

“Yeah.” Both of them going down using the ladder, Hotaru went down first and followed by Mischa after she closed the hatch.