บท 320: CHAPTER 312(Classic American Lunch)
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CHAPTER START---
"This really isn't what I expected," Star' says as she scrolls through her phone.
She was sitting in a small New York diner, and across the table from her, sitting on the other side of the booth, was Horizon.
They were the only people in this diner, aside from the staff, all three of which were anxiously preparing their meals.
"What else could be the outcome," Horizon looks out the window to see swarms of people with their cameras aiming at them.
Some even had banners, posters, and of course some merchandise for bother Heros to sign.
"I've just never seen the projected crime rate get this low before," Star' says. "People knowing you'll be setting up your temporary base in New York was enough to change everything...I wish I could cause a change like this."
"It's nothing to feel bad about," Horizon says. "My Quirk gives me the ability to constantly monitor everything and everyone within the city, which makes people a lot more scared, since unlike everyone else, I can be everywhere at once."
Star' sighs, "It's too bad your range doesn't cover the entire country, then maybe I could take a vacation."
"If you had the chance, would you ever take a vacation?"
"How can I possibly do that, every day I don't do my duty, people can be getting hurt."
"You can't save everyone," Horizon says.
"Doesn't mean I shouldn't try, no matter the cost."
"Tch," Horizon looks away from her, toward the penthouse the government reserved for him across the city, "you really are just like All Might."
"Thank you."
"Wasn't a compliment," Horizon says, which confuses her. "Yagi, of all my patients, is the most insufferable."
Seeing this Star' raises a brow, sets her phone aside, and leans forward slightly.
"What?" Horizon asks as she stares at him.
"I was just wondering, why is someone like you a Pro Hero, you don't have the disposition for it."
"With great power comes the responsibility to help others," Horizon says. "That's all."
Star' groans and relaxes back into the booth, "I'm giving us some privacy, the least you could do is not lie to my face like that."
Horizon looks at the rowdy crowd outside, and considers all the noise they were making, all the noise that he couldn't hear because New Order was giving them a privacy barrier within the diner.
"What? You don't believe in that line?"
"I do," She says. "But I don't believe that you believe it, I used to, but then I watched you in court."
"Was it entertaining at least?"
"Annoying," Star' rolls her eyes at his amused tone.
"Let me guess, the United Nations constantly calling in case they needed you to come handle me."
"My life was so much more peaceful before you, now every time you make a government nervous they start reaching out, and because of my position I have to respond," she says in an annoyed tone. "I miss when I just had to save people and punch villains."
"You make it sound like you're my babysitter," Horizon says. "I'm not that unstable, people just need to do what I say and leave me alone, mostly the second one honestly."
"The problem is that you have the power to make most of the people do exactly that, which is why every time you're on camera threatening a judge in court, they get ready to send me to arrest you."
"Oh, and who would they send after you?"
Star' narrows her eyes at him, "You think I'd die?"
"I think the cost would be too high."
Star' frowns, but nods in agreement, "Yeah, a fight between us would get so many people crushed as collateral that it might just be better to count Japan as a loss and hand it over to you."
"Especially since if I win, then I'd know there isn't anyone to stop me."
"Remind me again how you aren't a villain?" Star' asks.
"Because my government says I get a pass from bending the law, and at the end of the day, they decide who is a villain."
"Yes, but it's a bit different in America," Star' says. "Over in Japan 'Criminal' and 'Villain' are intertwined, that's partly because of how low the crime rate was during the era of All Might, Pro Heroes were so numerous that they could respond to even basic criminals who didn't use Quirks to commit crimes.
But over here things are a bit different. Publicly they're viewed the same, but Pro Heroes and law enforcement view it differently.
We view people who don't use Quirks -outside of some obvious exceptions like those trying to bomb a mall or something-, as just 'Criminals'.
'Villains' is a label more synonymous with 'terrorist', those people we can be a lot rougher with since, while it is frowned upon, 'Necessary Lethal Force' isn't that big a deal over here."
"Well I've read the self-defense laws, so that's not surprising," Horizon says. "All the shit I got for killing Overhaul wouldn't have even made the news if it happened over here."
"Oh no, everything you do will make the news, because you're Horizon."
"Which is the most annoying thing about being a public hero, not having a 'Secret Identity' is such a pain."
"Really, you don't have one?" Star asks, dumbfounded.
"I assumed you read my file your government collected."
"Yes, and it was concerning, all your documents, and even your medical certificate just have 'Horizon', we just assumed it was part of the deal you made with Japan."
"No, the deal was actually to heal All Might," Horizon says.
"Really? I read about that but, why are you trying to be a Pro Hero if that was the extent of it?"
"Because I agreed to do this in exchange for them leaving me alone, I like having absolute freedom to explore my Quirk and its mysteries, can't do that unless you're a Pro Hero. But I had to promise to graduate UA, which is becoming a serious drag."
"Luckily they don't require you to spend much time there anymore," Star' says. "You barely spend more than one or two days a week there, at least before coming to America."
"Perks of being as smart as I am, High School is easy."
"I'd at least hope so, you are a doctor after all."
"Best in the world," Horizon says.
"Here you are," the waitress says as she walks up holding a large tray. "It's on the house as always, I hope you both enjoy it."
"Thanks, Cindy, I'm sure he'll like it," Star' says as the woman places a large burger and a milkshake in front of her, and an identical meal in front of Horizon.
"Thank you very much," Horizon says before the woman scurries away to behind the counter, anxiously cleaning while constantly stealing glances at the pair.
"I've never seen her this nervous," Star' says as she starts eating her fries. "Atleast not since the first time I came here with Agpar."
"That guy you want me to meet?" Horizon says as he looks down at the massive burger. "He's your handler right?"
"Technically yes, who is yours?" Star' asks as she sees him just staring at the food. "Not going to eat?"
"I will, just, my visor doesn't open large enough for me to bite into this. They really should make burgers wider instead of taller," Horizon says. "Oh, and my handler would technically be Nezu, although since he's a 'National Asset' he should have one too, but I guess he's not that kind of person."
"I see, and they tried the wider burger strategy a while back, but it didn't sell. People think food is bigger when it's taller because they can see more of it."
"Kind of like how the 1/3rd pounder they tried to sell in America didn't work because people thought '1/4' was bigger, because it had a '4' in it," Horizon says as his visor retracts slightly at his mouth for him to take a sip of his drink. "Heart disease either way."
"The most dangerous thing in America," Star' chuckles. "Burger and fries are the most American thing I can think of."
"I would have said a hotdog and beer at a baseball game."
"I'm not that big a fan of baseball, plus I'm a regular here, the food is good, and us showing up will be good for their business."
Horizon exaggerates a fake gasp, "The woman with an American flag for a Hero Costume doesn't like baseball, how absurd."
"Yeah yeah, I know. But at least I like burgers and fries like the next person."
"That's the spirit, take French and German food and say it's 'True American Food'," Horizon laughs.
"You can do that when you've never lost a war, how did the last one go for Japan again?"
"Ouch, that's a low blow, besides, I'm only half Japanese."
"Did the other half do any better?"
"...I'd rather not talk about it," Horizon says as he reaches for his burger, then he stops himself. "Well, taking this off for a few minutes shouldn't kill me," he says before reaching to the back of his visor.
To the amazement of Star and Stripe, the diner staff, and the public taking pictures outside, his visor collapses into a small metal plate the size of his palm toward the back of his neck, and he casually places it onto the table.
"Wow," Star' says as she sees his entire head glowing blue, almost blinding, releasing a geyser of energy mist that floats up to the ceiling, blocking his identity and facial features entirely. "You aren't going to die on me are you?"
"Well, hopefully, the burger is worth it, but I should be fine," Horizon says as he lifts the burger into the blue energy geyser to take a bite. "Well, what do you think, am I pretty?"
"You look similar to Kurogiri, with all the fog and mist, but this is a lot more dense."
"It's pure energy, it heals anyone that touches it," he gestures to the waitress. "In a few seconds, even from this far away, her feet will stop hurting."
Star' looks over to the woman as Horizon continues eating.
"Wow, they really do feel better," the woman says.
Star' looks back to Horizon, "risking your entire life to eat a burger, you really are ridiculous," she says before also eating her food.
But even now, her mind was breaking down his power.
'Constantly releasing that much energy and he seems fine for a few minutes, he must have a lot more energy than I realized. But this matches our descriptions about his visor being a vital container for him, which I'm sure killed any chance of him having a secret identity.'
Giving into her curiosity Star and Stipe reaches out toward the edge of the energy mist.
NEW ORDER: Horizon's energy mist will become a liquid sphere in my hand.
As she touches the mist a small piece of it rushes into her hand, condensing into a liquid the size of a tennis ball and maintaining its structure.
"How much of your energy did that take?" Horizon asks, still eating his food.
"More than I'd care to admit, even for this small amount," Star' says.
"Well considering that has enough energy to power a few city blocks, you didn't do that bad, especially since you first had to wrestle with Hand Of God for the energy to do what you wanted it to."
"Your Quirk is very, controlling, but you allowed me to take this for a reason, what does it do?" Star' asks as she plays with the sphere of liquid energy in her hand.
"Booster Shot."
"Your healing and physical enhancement skill?" Star' asks. "Is this it?"
"An unstable form, I don't recommend directly using that on a person. When separated from me, it will heal them. But could cause mutations, they may grow a second head or extra arms, maybe a second pair of lungs which would then cause everything in there to get crushed," Horizon says.
"This is what you've been working on, right?" Star' asks. "The President said we'd get the first bid if you perfected it while you were here."
"Yeah, but what's in your hand is better to use on plants, it's pretty unpredictable, honestly, even touching it could cause problems for you."
Star' immediately drops it onto the table, where it falls apart into harmless mist and disappears.
"You're just full of surprises," Star' says.
"Oh, you have no idea..."
END CHAPTER---
AUTHOR NOTE:
'Some chapters recently have been taking a bit longer than usual to get right, this is mostly because I have to get these new characters and their interactions, such as Star and Stripe, perfect, since we're completely out of Canon now.
Along with having to world-build...the entire world that isn't japan. Sorry for the delays, please be a bit patient with me.
Thank you for reading, and a review will always be appreciated.'
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