Lost in the Fog

Lost and Found

In the hours after Reiko left Kendo's house, the class representative was having fun with the rest of her female classmates when her cell phone received a phone call. It was a number she didn't recognize. Answering, she left the rather loud room. After all, Setsuna was getting them all riled up, and that would be... awkward to hear on the other end of the phone.

In her most diplomatic tone, the ginger girl asked, "Yes?"

"Is this Itsuka Kendo?" It was a woman's voice. It sounded familiar, but Kendo couldn't place it.

Confirming the woman's query, she then asked again, "Yes this is... Who is this?"

The woman was quick to provide that information... which only added more questions. "This is Reiko's mother. Is she there?"
Worry started to tug at her mind. This was unusual, especially when the ginger glanced at the closest clock. "Isn't she with you? Rei left..." She checked the clock. "An hour ago. At least. She didn't want to stay over, even when I offered."
"No..." Worry was clearly in the woman's voice as well. Speaking faster, she replied, "She hasn't come home."

"She hasn't...?" That almost made her drop her phone. She should have asked more insistently.

"Thank you... for helping..." The woman hung up, and tears of worry started to line Kendo's eyes, please be safe, Reiko...

Detective Tsukauchi hated this kind of job. He was a brilliant detective, but the uncertainty, the tense nature of disappearance cases always made stressed him out. As shameful as it is to admit, he preferred homicides. There was no ticking clock, or, better yet, the clock was on the perpetrator's side. After all, most murders aren't committed by serial killers.

Now it was on his side, and they had to find a missing child.

As he helped canvas the area, he entered a park. It was quiet, closed off for investigation, as it was one of the last places she had been seen... although it was unlikely that she'd be found, as late as they realized the kid was missing. It was tragic that this would happen to a hero student... however, there was loud barking nearby. It was one of the tracking dogs used by the police to find a target, whether that be a perpetrator, or the girl in question. The fact they were barking means they found something. A lead, a body, anything. Anything would be preferable to nothing.

Rushing over, he pushed branches aside as he located the hounds responsible for the racket. They were standing over the form of a monochromal girl. It was Reiko, the one they were to find!

Running to the dog, it looked up at him, happy to have found its quarry. It's tongue wagged just like its tail, and was clearly pleased. It should be, in fairness. One glance at the beast's tag on its collar read: "Hi, I'm Jameson."

Someone had to be pulling a joke with that one. No way in hell did they name that dog seriously.

"Good boy" He smiled as he patted the dog, his handler arriving soon after. Talking into his radio, he announced, proud as the coming dawn. "Good news, we found her at the park. Requesting Medical to my position, over."

Another spoke into the radio. "Rodger, be there in 5."

"Thank you, over and out."

Reiko awoke in UA's hospital wing, with her family sitting to her right, and Kendo sitting to her left. Shifting slightly, everyone turned to look at her. The monochromatic girl's mother acted the fastest, pulling her up, into a hug. "You're alright!"

"Where... am I?" She was confused, unable to remember what happened the previous night. It was as if she stopped remembering everything after...

"You were found in the middle of the park." Kendo explained, while, her father remained silent. It was unlikely he would talk at all, given how his quirk limits all social interaction, like her own. Reiko looked to her friend for more information, but her mother continued for her.

Her voice was gentle, but still laced with worry. "After the police found you, you were brought to the closest medical facility, which happened to be UA. Recovery girl had been looking after you since then, and... then you woke up, a whole day before you were expected to. You don't know how worried I was."

Her mind working overtime, her voice was only able to communicate a single syllable. "Oh."

Recovery Girl entered the room, and started to complete a checkup. After finding nothing out of the ordinary, the elderly woman stated. "If you're up for it, you can still participate in the Sports Festival tomorrow."
She nodded, focusing on that. It was the most important event in her student career, at least for hero students. She sat up, rising carefully, and asking, "where is the restroom?"

"Down the hall." Her mother quickly gave her a hug and let go, allowing Reiko was able to get out of bed with no problems. It felt as if she was just getting up from a deep sleep, and so she was alright, which relieved everyone. However, she noticed a guest in the next bed over. It was Midoriya, unconscious. What happened to him?

His mother sat next to him, too, in another bed. They must have both been attacked, but she was less injured, talking to Yamamura. They hadn't really talked, so she didn't know much about the girl. Just that she had a similar look, and quirk, to herself. They were extremely worried.

Shanking her head, she continued to the restroom, and after she was done, she washed her hands, and felt the urge to see her whole face. Her left eye was still covered by hair, so she carefully reached and pulled it aside...

And found a mark left by her stalker. Her eye was surrounded by a black O, with an X intercepting it, meeting where her eye was. It horrified her to the core, and she tried to use soap to scrub it off, but it wouldn't go away. It was a curse.

A stranger to emotion, she was surprised by the tear that ran down from her right eye. What am I going to do now? I can't hide this forever... For a split second she saw the man behind her, in the dark corner of the room. Whipping around, she found nothing in the room with her. Her heart was pounding as she panicked for the first time ever in her life.

After a few moments, she turned back, swallowing this sensation of fear, and wiping away the tear, and placing her hair back. I'll just win the sports festival, no matter the cost. Show that man he has no power over me.