The Emperor's Dragon II

Waiting For Winter

"Are you sure?" Commissioner Motoo Sugawara asked on her phone. It was her personal phone, not her work one.

"Positive," Watanabe, one of the Principal Lawyers of Hawein, Mori and Nishimura, replied firmly.

"All right," she agreed. "I just don't want to fail Hisashi. He's such a good friend," she said.

"You won't be failing him," Watanabe reassured her. "He would not want the Commission brought into disrepute."

Motoo sighed. She didn't want the Commission brought into disrepute either but she also knew that without the Taxation Department standing with them, it was unlikely that Hawein, Mori and Nishimura could stand against the might of the Hero Public Safety Commission alone. They were not a large law firm. They were good at what they did, but they were not a large firm. "I do not wish you to be in trouble," she said, hoping that Watanabe understood her unspoken worry.

The lawyer was silent for a few moments before he replied. "Do not concern yourself Commissioner. Hawein, Mori and Nishimura have no intention of going against any legal orders from the HPSC," Watanabe told her.

"But-" She couldn't say the rest of the sentence. Even though the Taxation Department had declared Hisashi Riji to be alive and well, not missing, not dead in absentia the HPSC had somehow brought the other Departments and Commissions on board, and the government. While she knew Hisashi was alive, and knew that others knew she couldn't be the sole hold out. Not if she wanted to keep her position.

"Hawein, Mori and Nishimura will comply with every legal order," Watanabe repeated.

Of course they would. They had to. "Even if it leaves Hisashi penniless?" Motoo forced herself to ask.

"Even if it leaves Hisashi penniless. He is no longer a client of ours."

At that Motoo almost gasped before her mind joined the dots. She blinked and then shook her head. "Won't they just connect him to the villain All Might brought in?"

Watanabe actually chuckled. "They can, but it will hardly matter. I think they will have a very hard time proving who that villain is," he informed her.

That was somewhat comforting but the HPSC could link that villain's DNA to the sample that would have been provided when Hisashi was declared missing. "What about his missing person case?" Motoo asked. That is what had led to this.

"I believe they will find there has been a mix up with the samples. And that no sample will test as the same identity," Watanabe said firmly.

"What do you mean?" she demanded.

"Ah, a man with so many quirks, such as that villain, must have so many genetic signatures."

Motoo blinked and thought about that. It kind of made sense. But... Tartarus now had that villain's genetic profile and was no doubt sending that out to Hero and Police Department's around the world to find out everything he was guilty of. But if what Watanabe was suggesting was true, then they could potentially link him to so many events that it would not have been possible for him to have committed all those crimes.

"It is that variable?"

"I am led to believe it is," Watanabe confirmed. "And if they make unfortunate connections, there are answers. Besides, Shunin has already told me that he can have a case together in less than a day."

It took Motoo a moment to remember who Shunin was. Then she recalled he was the Principal Lawyer of Reikokuna and they just loved taking cases against heroes and especially the Commission. It wasn't charity. Shunin didn't work cheap and he was very much a driven man. No one was entirely sure why he had such a grudge against the HPSC and Heroes in general but Motoo had heard that it was because his family had been caught in a hero attack. Except there was not even a whisper of truth in that rumour and Shunin simply said that he enjoyed making sure people, all people were held to account.