The Nova-1 common room was quiet, the hum of the ventilation system the only sound as the squad gathered around the whiteboard.
Crowe's dark eyes scanned the notes: sticky notes, knife locations, rooftop paths, files on potential suspects. The board looked like a map of a puzzle waiting to be solved.
"Tonight's sweep gave us something," Crowe said, voice calm but commanding. "No contact. No confrontation. But observation reveals patterns."
I leaned over my notebook, still jittery from the subtle hum in my chest — the Sovereign Pulse. Even from this room, I felt faint tugs, whispers of someone nearby, someone observing. Not fire, not physical. Mental.
Taiyashè leaned against the wall, smirking. "So… we're analyzing the mystery girl from afar. Got it. Sounds like fun."
Mina bounced slightly. "I like patterns! Like… codes or puzzles!"
Kirishima flexed casually. "We need to predict her next move. Where she'll strike, when she'll leave a note, maybe even why."
Bakugou crossed his arms, sparks flickering faintly. "Predicting is fine. Acting stupid is not. Don't screw it up."
Denki grinned, finger twitching as he sparked lightly. "I can help with scanning rooftops or places she might hide. Quick alerts."
Midoriya adjusted his glasses, notebook open. "We should list all possible access points — windows, roof entrances, ventilation, hidden paths. And note times of previous activity."
I tapped my pencil nervously. The Sovereign Pulse pulsed stronger — almost insistent — when I thought about the rooftops. Faint images flashed in my mind: a shadow moving, a playful tilt of someone's head, the glint of hair in moonlight.
Crowe's voice cut through my thoughts. "Renny-Penny, focus. Observe, don't engage. Your pulse is detecting her presence. Use it to track patterns, not react impulsively."
I nodded, forcing myself to calm the strange hum in my mind. On my notebook, I drew rooftops, staircases, and likely paths. Lines connected each sticky-note location to possible entries and exits.
"I… I think I can tell roughly when she'll appear," I said quietly. "The pulse gets stronger near certain locations and times. It's subtle… but it's consistent."
Crowe glanced at the board, then at me. "Good. Document it carefully. Everyone else, cross-reference with previous activity, files, quirks, and probable behavior."
Mina clapped. "Ooh! I love it! Detective games!"
Bakugou scowled. "It's not a game. Keep it professional."
Taiyashè nudged me. "Renny-Penny, your powers are like… giving us clues from her head without even touching her. That's insane."
I bit my lip. "It's… dangerous. She could sense it if I overextend."
Crowe's gaze softened slightly, though still serious. "Which is why you are to remain discreet. Think like her, predict her patterns, but do not alert her. This is a subtle chess game. Every observation matters."
The group bent over the whiteboard, scribbling paths, marking times, hypothesizing motives. The knife, the sticky notes, the rooftop sightings — each clue was a thread, slowly weaving a picture.
I leaned back, hand on my chest. The pulse hummed faintly, a whisper from somewhere on the campus. A reminder: she was close. Observing. Testing.
But we were ready. For the first time, we weren't just reacting. We were planning, predicting, and anticipating.
And somewhere out there, Toga would make her next move — and we would be waiting.