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55% MHA: Horizon (Ope-Ope No Mi) / Chapter 208: CHAPTER 204(Small Talk)

Chapter 208: CHAPTER 204(Small Talk)

Discord: https://discord.gg/t7bHrdRY7Y

pat.reon: Keanu_Eugene (Unlimited chapters ahead)

CHAPTER START---

---Monday, 9AM...

"You know, the rest of your class is taking today to relax after a weekend of training, maybe you should join them..." Nezu suggests.

He was currently sitting on the couch in Horizon's room eating an entire wheel of cheese with a knife and fork.

While Law is standing off to the side working on the hologram interface for Nezu's personal supercomputer. His mask and visor were off but his usual more casual Horizon outfit was otherwise in place.

"I appreciate that you gave everyone a day off, for some stupid reason."

"It's a public holiday."

"Whatever," Law says. "That doesn't mean I'll stop working, plus the sooner I get these simulations set the easier it will be to study Eri. You innovated these virtual models so people wouldn't be stuck in labs like you, might as well use them, right?"

"Right," Nezu frowns and just continues eating his cheese. "Where did you get this, I've never tasted anything like it?"

"I have a guy..."

"A guy...for cheese?" Nezu raises a brow at him.

"I'm half Italian, of course I have a cheese guy. Plus I figured if anyone would have a cheese guy it's you," Law shrugs.

"I didn't know that was a thing."

"It's not, I'm just messing with you, but I did do a surgery from some big wine family yesterday morning, they're from Italy and since they make wine a cheese, I asked for some samples. They've been making the stuff since Rome was a new place."

"I thought you were busy getting your tattoos redone onto the new arm yesterday?"

"Did that after, had a guy come to my house and I relaxed there all day, figured I earned it after that whole Overhaul nonsense."

"You mean after you killed a man?"

"Things break all the time Nezu, especially when you're as strong as me, don't dwell on every ant you step on, otherwise you'll have to stop walking forward." Law says this without even looking at him as he continues his work. "Plus it's not like I had many options."

"Is that the truth, or is it that old habits die hard?"

Law stops typing for a moment, the room gets tense, then he gets back to work.

"Are you insinuating that the training my mom gave me overpowered my ability to operate as a Pro Hero due to the stressful circumstances?"

"Or your biases after what he did to Eri, you do have a soft spot for kids after all."

"She's seven, at that point she should have her shit together."

"Did you at seven?"

"That's when I started doing solo surgeries and going on jobs with mom, so yeah."

"That's very concerning, and have you spoken to the girl?" Nezu asks.

"Why would I do that, I just needed this," Law gestures to the horn on his coffee table. Small and detached from Eri so he could operate on it. "I have no use for the babbling of some useless little thing..."

"And yet you want 'little things' of your own, honestly your bedside manner needs serious work."

"I get the job done, and if it's mine then I expect the children to be competent and useful."

"They're children."

"My children, held to the same standards as myself, and look how I turned out, perfect."

"And does Ryuko agree with these views on family and life?" Nezu asks, and sees Law freeze up. "Well?"

Law just rolls his eyes and continues working, "and I assume you knew from the start, spying on Horizon tower as usual?"

"Well I did upgrade your security system for free, you knew why."

"Mhm, and what do you think?"

"I think the world, most notably the women, would be safer if you didn't find it such fun to charm so many of them."

"Well I tried video games, but you know, after having real-life fights to the death...they just don't feel as fun as they used to."

Nezu sighs and continues eating, "Can you please just stay away from the Top Pros."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that, Mirko is too annoying, Uwabami hates me, Mt. Lady is committed to her secret boyfriend."

"Most of the other pros know about her and Kamui Woods," Nezu says. "They aren't good at being subtle."

"Midnight really really hates me---"

"That's a bit of an understatement," Nezu says. "And she filed an interesting report with me, suspicions of you leaving campus without permission."

"I do that all the time, which one?"

"About two weeks ago, Tuesday. Your pizza night."

"Ahh, yeah I think that day I ate on the roof, guess she saw me. But in my defense, if you only need one hour of sleep, you see all of UA pretty quickly, and even I can only train so much."

"Oh I know you've been stepping out often, but I assume you never get UA out of your 'range' so it's fine. But she wasn't pleased when I told her that."

"She'll get over it, and that's true. UA is always in my range. Now what was I saying, oh right, Ryukyu blocked me on the Hero Network," Law shrugs. "I guess me killing someone then Pantu threatening the throw her in Tartarus if she talks was a bit much...that's too bad because---"

"---Stop it."

Law chuckles, "Hey I'm just saying, she's got big tits for a dragon lady."

"Half the world already thinks you two were a thing, she's had to deny those rumors so much already she now avoids interviews," Nezu says.

"Well what can I say, she looks good on me."

"Have you ever considered going celibate, just for a little while?" Nezu asks. "It might be good for you, and less stressful for me."

"You don't have to worry about me getting your students pregnant, I have full control of my body and its functions."

Nezu releases a relaxing sigh, "that's a relief."

"Yup, you don't have to give me the sex talk."

"Well I know that, and assume Ryuko beat me to the baby talk," Nezu says. "Her recent online shopping history is very...well."

"Baby-feverish, yeah, we had a talk about what she wanted a few weeks ago."

"And---"

"---That bit of info is only for us to know," Law cuts him off. "But you don't have to worry about me fucking my way through the top pro heroes, most of them are annoying or hate me."

"That's a relief."

"Well," Law thinks about it for a moment. "I'm cool with 13, is she---"

"---You're not seducing a teacher...again. I can't believe I have to say that. I can't believe this is a real conversation."

Law chuckles and shuts off the hologram, "Trust me I'm not interested in someone that might literally rip my dick off with her Black Hole Quirk, only thing between her being a hero and her being a mass murdered are those gloves."

"Says the man in a full-body glove," Nezu says as Horizon sits across from him. "Most people think if it breaks you explode like a bomb."

"Yet the villains still keep trying to hit me, morons," Law leans back and relaxes on the couch.

SHAMBLES!

Law warps away for a moment, then warps back with a bottle of whiskey and a glass, pouring himself a drink.

"I feel like as your principal I should say something," Nezu says. "Wh---"

SHAMBLES!

Law warps away again, and this time returns with a can of apple juice, giving it to Nezu.

"Thank you, but I would have preferred tea," Nezu says.

"Well, I have apple juice, unless you can suddenly drink alcohol."

Nezu opens his drink and takes a sip, "so, how are things with you, the more personal side?"

"Do you mean aside from my sex life?"

"If you don't get any students pregnant I really don't care what you do, I just had to make sure of that," Nezu says. "What about the Shields?"

Law shrugs, "I have a lead, sent someone to check it out, was a dead end. Wolfram is in southern Japan, on the main island, but he keeps moving. He's notably avoiding Minato Tokyo and Musutafu."

"Both places where you're most active."

"He knows the shields are bait, and that I'm hunting him."

"Yet he still continues his task, foolish and commendable," Nezu says. "Reconstruction on I-Island is still far from complete, securing new funding from the united nations has been a bit, slower. They're worried about rebuilding it before Wolfram is captured."

"Well sorry but I can't move any faster, all I can do is wait for a mistake. Nobody wants to go one-on-one with Horizon so everyone is just hiding."

"It seems your reputation is making this more difficult than I expected."

"Well you're not very good at understanding people," Law down his drink and pours another glass. "This was obviously going to be a problem from the start, I'm the next #1 Pro Hero after all."

"Is that working for you, or---"

"I'm allowing it to work," Law says. "But I'm taking it easy tonight. Sero and Momo are still doing hero work, and won't be coming back until tomorrow morning, Jiro is at a sleepover in the 1B dorm with the other girls, and I need to catch up on some Matani business."

"Matani business?" Nezu asks. "That wouldn't happen to have anything to do with a certain shipping company suddenly selling 49% of their company shares to a currently anonymous buyer now would it?"

Law takes a sip of his drink, "Well with how much trigger has been moving through their ships, shareholders are worried, and if someone expected them to frantically try and sell shares to gain capital and stabilize the business, that person would be in a position to make a good deal."

"But 49%, seems like a suspicious amount," Nezu says.

Law shrugs, "apparently Horizon found out that the head of the family is in on the whole Trigger operation, the arrest happens tomorrow, but the Matani dynasty got wind of it early and offered to buy up some business before the raid."

"You gave a criminal a head start because it benefits you?" Nezu was not pleased by this.

"Trust me, he'll wish he didn't run from the cops, because this way Horizon has to track him down...with the tracker I already put on him. And when I get my hands on him, I will get the answers I want before I hand him over for some pathetic excuse of an interrogation that they'll give him."

"So this is a play to, get the Matani Dynasty another business, take down a part of the Trigger operation, and get more information than the police would have about the operation itself."

"Oh yeah, chances are high some crooked cop is already being paid to kill him during the raid, better dead than arrested is what the other villains are probably thinking. So I'm also saving his life."

"And making yourself look like an even bigger hero in the process," Nezu narrows his eyes at him.

"Nope," Law says. "The police get all the credit for this. I won't gain enough on this to make it worth having the police look incompetent, and since I always express my support of our brave officers...and I'm friends with the Tokyo police chief since we met at All Might's tribute, I'm sure he'll appreciate me being quiet about them losing the target."

"Wow," Nezu takes a sip of his drink. "Well, we're lucky you aren't a villain."

"Never planned to be---"

"---Most people never do, unless it's All For One."

"What I meant was, having the entire world hunting you just seems exhausting. Being a Pro hero and having all the fortune and fame and women and money and women is so much better. I'm actually starting to like it."

"Really?" Nezu's eyes lite up.

"Just a little bit, it has its benefits. Having the entire world groveling at my feet and praising me, it just feels like this is how my life was always meant to be."

"That's concerning," Nezu swallows nervously. "Well, I'm glad you're enjoying it."

"Only sometimes, I still hate having to save so many useless fucks. Every day its 'oh no a villain is here and I'm a useless piece of shit that can't fight back or run away, please save me...' dumb fucks. Honestly, humanity would be better off without them. But I'm the moron with the job of protecting people who don't deserve to live...how fun."

Nezu sighs, "Just when I thought I was making progress..."

END CHAPTER---


Chapter 209: CHAPTER 205(The Darker Side)

Discord: https://discord.gg/t7bHrdRY7Y

pat.reon: Keanu_Eugene (Unlimited chapters ahead)

CHAPTER START---

---October 19th, 2315, HPSC HQ...

Sitting in President Pantu's office, Ryukyu anxiously taps the arm of her chair while staring at the deserted desk in front of her.

Behind the desk was a small row of windows with a view of Tokyo that was cluttered with skyscrapers.

It's only been days since the Raid Debrief at Central Hospital. They've all sent in their report and done other hero work since then.

But President Pantu suddenly requesting her presence at the headquarters can't simply be a coincidence.

'Maybe she's not pleased with how I spoke to her. If I'm lucky this is just a simple apology then everything will be fine...yeah, that's it, just an apology.'

"Thank you for coming," Pantu says.

Ryukyu's eyes shoot open as she jumps out of her seat, so in her own mind that she didn't hear the door open. "President Pantu, how are you doing today?"

"That depends on how this meeting goes," Pantu says as she takes her seat. "Please take your set."

"Right," Ryukyu stiffly sits down. "If this is about how I spoke to yo---"

"As if I'd take time out of both our busy schedules to quarrel about a trivial thing like that. This is regarding a promotion of sorts for you."

"Promotion?" Ryukyu asks.

"I know you intend to step down soon..."

Ryukyu's eye open wide, "how---"

"All the Top 10 Pro Heroes have their devices monitored, national security demands it."

Ryukyu narrows her eyes for a moment, then relaxes, understanding Pantu's responsibilities. " I don't like it, but I can understand why someone in your position would do that."

"The farewell letter you've been drafting could use some work, but it seems quite heartfelt. Too bad I can't allow you to quit and most likely head oversees to work."

"What do you mean 'can't'? How can you expect me to be a Hero while covering up what happened during the raid, and who knows how many other things you've swept under the rug to protect him."

"Japan is still in a very delicate state at the moment. Without Horizon it would be much more chaotic. And I trust I don't have to warn you against exposing his recent mistakes to the world, yes?"

"We have a deal and I intend to honor it, even if I quit."

"Good, because in a month we'll have the annual Pro Hero rankings, and you moved up two spots."

"I'm number 8?" Ryukyu was more confused than excited, still not feeling like she deserves to be in the top 10 at all.

"Yes well, the public has been more aware of you lately since you've worked with Horizon more than anyone else, with the obvious exception of Endeavor. But your popularity also got a nice boost since half the internet thinks you're having a scandalous romance with him."

Ryukyu scoffs, "there are a million reasons why I'd never get involved with him...and his age isn't even the start of it."

"Glad to hear it," Pantu said, detecting no lies. "But I had to be sure, you wouldn't be the first Pro Hero he's seduced."

"What?"

"I keep eyes on who enters Horizon tower, and you've never been there," Pantu says. "Now, care to learn about that promotion I mentioned?"

"How do you promote a Top 10 Pro Hero? And if you're going to offer me a spot higher in the rankings, I won't accept it. I already feel like enough of a fraud as is."

"Even to be #5?"

"No deal," Ryukyu says sternly. "Now can you please tell me what this is all about?"

"Horizon," Pantu gets up and makes to exit the room. "Walk with me."

Ryukyu follows along into the hallway as they begin making their way through the building.

"What keeps Pro Heroes honest?" Pantu asks as they walk to the elevators.

"Excuse me?"

"What keeps you honest? Think about it, you are one of the most powerful people in Japan, what keeps you honest?"

"Doing the right thing," Ryukyu says. "The laws."

"Yes, and if that is not enough someday?"

"Well, I suppose the other Pro Heroes," Ryukyu says as they enter the elevator, heading to the basement.

"Yes, and what is the job of the Hero Public Safety Commission?"

"To protect the peace and stability of Japan by governing any demographic of people who legally or illegally use their Quirks. Everyone knows this."

"And everyone believes it, but that's not the only reason."

Ryukyu looks confused, "what do you mean?"

"Our job isn't just to make laws, because laws are broken all the time. In fact they're broken so often that the existence of Pro Heroes is a necessity.

After the first few generations of heroes we were founded to police the Pro Heroes. Because some of the people trusted to protect us weren't honest enough to be trusted, and it caused the public to get hurt.

Now 300 years later, and our job is to treat battles between Quirks like a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors. Constantly mixing and matching Quirks to find the best combination to handle any potentially rogue Pro Heroes."

"Government contingency plans?"

"Well ofcourse, powerful people like All Might and Endeavor exist. Plans had to be made incase either they went rogue, or in the future individuals as powerful as them posed a threat to us. That is our responsibility to the citizens."

"That makes sense, but how do I come into this?"

"Because our role is to run simulations and find the best team of Pro Heroes to deal with the rogue assets, hypothetically of course."

"And who did you come up with for me?"

"Honestly, it wasn't that hard, your dragon form is surprisingly easy to detain once we avoid trying to brawl, and even if we didn't, you aren't that tough."

"But you have some job for me, which is why I'm here, right?"

"Right," Pantu says as the elevator stops and opens, to an underground observation room.

Stepping into the room, white walls and floors, everything clearly sterile, Ryukyu looks to her right to see a large glass wall overlooking a lab of some sort below.

And in the middle of the lab is a deformed hulking mass, burnt and mutated beyond recognition. Beside it is a man in a white radiation suit, short and portly but poking and prodding the subject.

As he turns to look at his guests Ryukyu gets a look at his face and instantly recognizes him.

"Dr. Shodai Garaki," she says. "I've read about him..."

"Well I didn't think you'd ever recognize him, this is unexpected."

"His research into Transformation Type Quirks like mine sort of forced me to learn about him, I was worried it would affect my personality, luckily it doesn't."

"True, I don't think dragons from fairy tales are as heroic as you."

"No, they're not. So what's Japan's second-best Quirk Specialist doing here?"

"Because we're here to study the actual best Quirk Specialist..."

"Horizon?" Ryukyu looks at Pantu. "How?"

"Do you recognize that irradiated lump of meat on the floor of his lab?"

"Irradiated?" Ryukyu looks disgusted as she glances back at the subject. "That's Kai Chisaki?"

"After fusing with two Nomu and standing against Horizon, that's what's left. His corpse is still radioactive, not enough to cause concern but Dr. Garaki has to wear that suit because of how many hours a day he's been spending in there."

"Where are you going with this?"

"Look at what he did to a villain, hit him with so much radiation that it forever deformed him and stripped away his flesh. Destroyed him on a level so intimate that not even DNA can be recovered. And when we asked him about it, do you recall what he said?"

"Yeah, 'sometimes when you're as powerful as I am, things break, no need to dwell on it...' right?"

"Close enough, and judging from how you reacted, those words have been bothering you almost as much as they bother me."

"He killed a man and didn't ever register that a life is gone because of him, so yes, it did. But you said that issue is buried..."

"It is, but as President of the Hero Public Safety Commission, I have to prepare precautions. Just as I did for All Might and Endeavor, but even they didn't require half the effort as this."

"How so?"

"Water diminishes Endeavor and he has issues in prolonged fights, which is why he isn't in the S Class ranking. All Might is...was, extraordinarily powerful, but at the end of the day he was only a brawler. But Horizon is much more, and he understands what my role is, which is why he's so secretive about the limitations of his Quirk."

"And you want me to get more information from him... because we both know that head-to-head, I'm helpless against him."

"Exactly, because look at this," Pantu gestures at Overhaul. "Every time he has a big fight, the power displayed is almost exponentially greater than the previous showings. All Might made me nervous, but never anywhere near this level. Becuase you've seen it, right?"

"Seen what?"

"What he's really like, the side of him the public will never witness. He's the most powerful combatant in Japan, bar none, but so was All Might. The only difference is where All Might had that truly heroic spirit we love and celebrate. Horizon has a petty, vindictive and cruel side to him.

A violent and arrogant other half that is only matched by the immense power and capabilities he possesses. And it does scare me, the things I know he's capable of, and the things I know he will do if he doesn't get his way."

"I, may have had a glimpse or two," Ryukyu sighs. "I saw him throw a man off a bridge, then I saw him throw that same but now crippled man into the cold ocean, all so 'he'll drown for a little bit then we won't have to ask a third time', and I don't want to imagine the things I haven't seen."

"Kai Chisaki is far from the first person he's killed Ryukyu," Pantu says, but Ryukyu doesn't react.

Deep down she already knew, anyone with such a disregard for human life must be used to it.

"Even if my some miracle you could find a way to beat him, do you really think he'll even go rogue?" Ryukyu asks.

"No, we have a deal in place, and I expect he'll want to leave Japan entirely afterward so we'll be fine until then. But when he gets what he wants, that's when we'll know. First, he was reluctant to be a Pro Hero, but now, he's enjoying the perks of it more and more.

He's only 16 after all, it's a luxurious life that lets him enjoy everything he wants and freely improve himself. His desire to break past his own limits was confined by having to hide his Quirk use, now his improvements are celebrated by the world. My concern is what comes after..."

They stand in silence for a while as Ryukyu thinks it over, before she gives a defeated sigh, "What do you want me to do?"

"The same thing that you've been doing. Horizon trusts you to carry your own weight which is why he works with you, anything you can do to get more information on Hand Of God would be a boon, anything, you can do..."

"I'm not seducing a minor," Ryukyu growls.

"And I would never force you to. Just keep me informed of anything new you learn, and obviously don't let him learn of this, for everyone's sake."

"Right, now I just have to unblock him on the Hero Network."

"He won't think anything of it, his ego is too big to imagine you were anything more than a woman being emotional but still unable to resist him."

"I can't believe I actually agreed to this...well, not like I had much of a choice."

"This will benefit you as well, I'll make sure of it," Pantu says. "Now, shall we head back to my office and discuss everything you know about Hand Of God, and Horizon..."

As Ryukyu is following Pantu back to the elevator she can't help but ask. "You said you made a deal with Horizon, what was it?"

"I can't say, but he wanted something quite trivial and inconsequential in exchange for healing All Might, Nezu just happened to take a liking to the boy and has gotten quite close to him."

"My Work Studies students Froppy and Uravity are his classmates, they say Nezu isn't very good at hiding how much he favors Horizon."

"Nezu has a good eye for character, and I do trust him in his goal to make Horizon into the next All Might, but my responsibilities demand I prepare for every possibility."

"I see...well, I hope you never have to implement whatever you come up with, because helping to plan is the extent of what I'll be doing. I've seen firsthand how Horizon fights, and the day he switches sides is the day I retire..."

END CHAPTER---


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