Misfits of Yokohama

A dangerous phone call

Pony awoke to the sound of two very familiar voices whispering. "Mineta?" She asked. "Ida? What are you doing here?" Neither one of them wanted to be the first one to speak. Pony sat up and looked around. They'd managed to drag her mattress out into the hallway, which mustn't have been easy. Nobody else in the dorm was awake, which was even more impressive. "We need your help." Ida said. "Well, Todoroki does." Pony frowned. If they needed help with something, there were many stronger people than her. "Believe me," Ida said, like he could read her mind. "It's something only you can do."

Intrigued, Pony started paying attention. "What do you need?" She asked. "We need you to take us to Yokohama, and meet up with your friend." Pony blinked in surprise. "Really?" She asked. "How does that help?" Mineta spoke up. "Todoroki has a brother, and he's lost in Yokohama." He paused. "No, not quite lost, more like he's there, but he shouldn't be there, because soon there might be an assassin there. So, we need to be there first." Pony tried and failed to make sense of that.

"So, what you're saying, is that in order to find Todoroki's brother, you need me to get in contact with Teruko?" Pony asked. Mineta and Ida nodded simultaneously. "We usually meet up for karaoke on Wednesdays, though." Pony said. "She might think something's up." Ida gave his best serious face. "I know this might be difficult for you, Pomy, but I have to believe that it's worth the risk." He said. "Todoroki's brother's life is on the line." With stakes like that, how was Pony supposed to refuse?

Pony reached into the pocket of her pajamas. "I'll call her, but none of your usual behavior, Mineta." Pony said. "She's killed five thousand people." A sharp, young sounding laugh sounded on the other side of the phone. "Pony, you're always getting your Japanese numbers wrong. It was five hundred thousand." She then laughed, and Pony joined in. A look of horror was etched into Minet's face. "The women of Yokohama are unnatural!" He muttered, while Ida frowned. "Why are you laughing that she killed five hundred thousand people?" He asked. Pony frowned. "Because I got the number wrong. It is a joke, no?" Ida...wasn't at all convinced that Teruko had been joking, but she was a useful ally, and also Pony's friend, so he remained quiet.

"So, what are you calling me about, handles?" Teruko asked. For a minute, Ida was puzzled as to what she meant. Handles? Then he got it. If someone was to get a piggyback ride on Pony, they could hold onto her horns. Like handles. "There's a situation with one of my friends." Pony said, trying to make sense of it in her own head before she tried to explain it to Teruko.

"One of my friends has a brother, but he didn't know he had a brother until someone threatened to kill said brother, as well as the rest of his family." Silence on the other end. "Okay." Teruko said questioningly. "I get that we're buddies, but don't quirk people not like it when people with abilities try to help solve quirk problems?" Pony shook her head, even though Teruko couldn't see her on the other end of the phone.

"It's not like that, Teruko." Pony said. "You see, Todoroki's brother has an ability. So his dad abandoned him in Yokohama. That falls under your jurisdiction, right?" Pony asked. Teruko nodded. "Yeah, thanks for the tip. I owe you one. An info on who the assassin's targeting?" Pony shook her head. "Just that he looks like Todoroki, and his name is Jouno."

Everyone could practically feel the temperature in the room drop. "I'm sorry, did you say Jouno?" Teruko asked, her voice the calm before the storm. "Yes?" Pony said. "Did I not say it right?" Another pause. "Jouno with red and white hair?" She asked. Pony clapped her hands together excitedly. "Yes!" She exclaimed. So, Teruko knew Jouno. This was perfect. Everything could be resolved now.

"WHAT?!?" Teruko bellowed through the other end of the phone, loud enough that Ida and Mineta flinched back away from the device. "Who dares threaten my little baby Jouno!" Teruko roared. "That kid is the very combination between a baby duck and a squishmallow!" Teruko paused. "And, he has the white and red hair, so he totally looks like the commander and I had a kid." She said slyly, and said this part more quietly, like it was only meant for Pony's ears. "If anybody goes near my Jouno, I'm going to disembowel them, then hang them by their innards, then start cracking their ribs while they're still alive."

It was on that day that Ida and Mineta learned that momma bears were scary individuals. "It's okay. We're sneaking out to help find Jouno." Pony said. "No, you're not." Teruko said decisively, in a voice that suggested she was used to giving orders. "You're going to stay on the quirk side of things and investigate. That's something I can't do. I'm going to sit Jouno down in my living room, and not let him leave until I've dealt with this assassin myself."

Ida had never met Jouno, but he already felt a bit bad for the guy. "Rest assured nothing will happen to Jouno on my watch." Teruko said, with a voice that would have put fear in God. "Is Jouno's brother in Yokohama?" Teruko asked, as a sort of afterthought. "Todoroki? Yes, he's there now, but we think he's run into a bit of trouble with the local mafia." Not anything Pony ever thought she'd ever have to say. "I'll take care of that." Teruko said. "You take care of finding the assassin." With that, Teruko hung up emphatically. "That was my friend, Teruko." Pony said, turning back to face Ida and Mineta. "Doesn't she sound nice?" The boys were at a loss for words.