Cubicity

Chapter 31: A Thin Line

The officer behind the glass asked, "You lost, kid?"

Izuku turned his head and approached the man at his desk before answering, "No, sir. I was asked to meet someone here. A detective to be exact."

"Really? Well, let's confirm that shall we?" The man in uniform checked his computer, and after a few moments of clicks from both his keyboard and mouse, he asked, "Your name?"

"Izuku Midoriya."

The officer then nodded and pointed to his right using his thumb as he said, "Luckily for you, there happens to be someone waiting for you in his office. Head down this hallway until you get to the elevator and then take it up to the tenth floor. From there take an immediate left and the room you're looking for will be the last one on the left."

Midoriya thanked the officer and began to make his way as directed once the security door beside the man opened. As he walked, the boy was feeling a mix of thrill and suspense. All Might had contacted him yesterday and stated they had been permitted to talk to the individual who specialized in dealing with vigilantes. Once Izuku was done with his weekly video chat, he had some lunch and left for downtown Tokyo. The train ride wasn't too bad since Musutafu was close to the capital and it was Sunday, so the crowds weren't too thick. The walk to Midoriya's destination from Kasumigaseki station only took a few minutes as well.

Izuku had only been to this part of Tokyo a couple of times, though each with his mother. It had been a few years since his last visit, and this was his first going alone. Midoriya, however, had never been this far into the capital. The Imperial Palace was just across the street from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, with only a moat separating it from the busy street. He was almost tempted to visit the garden beside the palace that was open to the public but knew he should get back to study. There was a written test tomorrow.

The boy arrived at the elevator, and as he did it opened, and a female officer carrying some papers was inside. She made no reaction to his presence and quickly left. Izuku stepped inside and pressed the number ten on the keypad, and the elevator began to rise.

Midoriya knew little about this person he was about to meet. It wasn't until yesterday that he learned the individual was a detective and just now was it revealed it was a man. He thought if this person worked with the police, wouldn't that mean he pursued vigilantes for arrest? If so, wouldn't the detective have a biased view upon them? However, All Might trusted this person's opinions over his own, so perhaps it wasn't as cut and dry at first glance.

The elevator came to a halt, and Izuku made leave by going left once he exited. His anticipation quickly built as he walked down the hallway. The last door on the left was not labeled, which was odd, considering the rest he passed were. They all had a person's name and then their title as well as a small window on the door. This one was completely different as it was a regular plain door.

Midoriya gave a knock and heard some movement from within. Suddenly, two beats were made from inside. Izuku formed a soft smile on his face as he responded with three knocks and a jiggle of the doorknob.

The door then unlocked and opened. All Might was there and said, "I'm glad you still remember the secret greeting. I didn't expect to have to use it until I arrived."

A gruff voice from behind the former hero then stated, "That's on me All Might. I should have had security outside to keep this more private."

Midoriya paused for a moment. He recognized the voice, one that he hadn't heard since July.

Toshinori stepped aside, revealing Mashirao's father sitting behind a desk. Izuku quickly looked around the room. It was well organized and smelled of some sort of sweet tea. There were no windows, and the one light on the ceiling wasn't very bright, which made the room dimly lit. There was a hum that Midoriya recognized, and he turned to his right to see an air purifier, the same brand as the one back at Ojiro's house.