Chương 4: Hero Public Safety Commission

In the depths of the Hero Public Safety Commission Headquarters was an unknown and classified floor hidden from the public eye.

It was a false myth veiled under the pretense of stability.

Basement Level 6.

"Let us begin the 121st Administrative Meeting."

The higher echelons of the Hero Public Safety Commission, or the branch executives, were having an administrative meeting. It was a discussion that decided the future of the hero society.

With the declaration of the administrative meeting, the branch executives lightly bowed toward an old lady and sat on their respective seats.

"Ehem, I shall state our troubles in this conference."

"We shall start with the recent spike of villainy throughout Japan."

"I am confident that each of your branches has felt the spike through numerous reports of villains appearing in coastal cities."

"I propose to prepare against the tide of villains that will soon devour Japan."

One of the branch executives brought up the rising number of villains in the country. But to his dismay, the branch executives, while paying heed to his words, didn't care and underestimated the situation.

"Japan is amongst the safest countries in the world. We have a large force of heroes under our banner, and we don't have any large villain groups operating in our land."

"He's right. Besides, we have All Might taking the helm of hero society. With him, there's no need to worry about the rising cases of villainy."

"All Might, huh... Just by being in the country, the hero agencies are already working overtime."

"And we're too understaffed to handle more endeavors."

"Do you want to start another war?"

"All right... I already hear your opinions."

Madam President, who was keeping her silence, decided to speak up.

The branch executives turned their gaze at her and calmed down. This was an administrative meeting, not a discourse. So, as bureaucrats, they controlled their raging emotions with ease.

"I understand your worries about the rise of villainy throughout our country. But there have been recent spikes these past few decades, so there is no need to prepare for war."

"The Hero Public Safety Commission maintains stability and balance. We will not break our covenants because of our fears towards villains."

With the calm words of Madam President, the branch executives entirely calmed down. The executive who proposed the preparation didn't mention the subject anymore as if it wasn't brought up and continued.

This was an important skill to become a successful bureaucrat.

"Well, then. Let us continue to the next topic."

"My branch in Shizuoka prefecture has attained some signs of a villain group lurking in the underworld."

"Does any of my fellow branch executives have perceived signs of a villain group in their areas?"

The Shizuoka executive glances at his colleagues. None of them answered his question, making him somewhat disappointed.

Maintaining a clean area without too much trouble can result in promotion. So, no executive who intends to rise would ever mention such problems in their respective territories.

But unexpectedly, the executive beside him responded.

"Hero agencies in my area have discovered evidence of a villain group."

"At first, I didn't notice it since I heard it was a tiny group."

"But upon further investigation, a problem arose."

"The villain group was operating under the banner of the Meta Liberation Army."

When the branch executive mentioned the Meta Liberation Army. The others froze as if they couldn't believe what their ears had heard.

Even the darkness enveloping them couldn't hide the shock plastered on the branch executives' faces.

Madam President, who was listening, slowly frowned.

The Meta Liberation Army was the nemesis of the Hero Public Safety Commission. The villain group operates in a dangerous idealogy that could destroy the hero society.

They were snuffed out during the early days of the Commission. Their idealogy, the Quirk Liberation, burned out in the process.

Destro, the leader of the villain group, was thrown into the abyss of Tartarus. He took his own life after a couple of years, and he became history.

With no leader guiding them, the remnants of the Meta Liberation Army were incarcerated and forgotten in the decades standing of the hero society.

"Are you sure about it?"

Madam President coldly gazed at the branch executive who brought up the subject of MLA. The executive nodded in confirmation, which made her sigh in disappointment.

"Since the hiding remnants of the Meta Liberation Army have emerged from the sewers they came from, I'll grant you the consent to investigate their whereabouts with our agents."

"You must cleanse your respective territories from those rats."

"We haven't even captured the symbol of evil himself, All for One. And a foolish group forgotten by society seeks to debut? What a joke!"

Madam President couldn't help but lightly chuckle at the stunt these rats were trying to do.

"We'll do as you say, Madam President."

The branch executives weren't reluctant to handle the remnants of the Meta Liberation Army. Such a dangerous group must be stomped before it could grow stronger.

Sadly for the Hero Public Safety Commission, their nemesis had grown enough to erupt chaos throughout the hero society.

Its only waiting for the right moment.

"I've heard that problematic phenomena have been causing trouble in Tokyo, Madam President."

"Yes, it is all throughout the news this afternoon."

"Quite a troublesome situation."

The branch executives brought up the troublesome phenomena that have been tormenting Tokyo these past few days.

Madam President, whose jurisdiction covered the entirety of Tokyo, just smiled at the branch executives as if there were no problems in the Tokyo Hero Public Safety Commission.

"My agents have already discovered the cause of the phenomena, so I'll have to decline your worries."

The culprit had been found through a vast network investigation. It took time and money, but the effort was worth it.

If the phenomena kept terrorizing Tokyo, the reputation of the headquarters would take the brunt, which wouldn't do good for her authority.

Since the suspect has been rooted out, Madam President only needed to lock the culprit up in Tartarus. Afterward, the headquarters would breathe a sign of relief.

"Oh, was it a villain, Madam President?"

"Yes, I'm also curious about who this problem is."

The branch executives were curious about the one that brought problems to the headquarters. After all, only supervillains such as AFO could cause widespread terror throughout a city.

"Hmm... The culprit of the phenomena wasn't a branded villain from anywhere in the world. After digging for information about her in the public record. I couldn't find any."

Madam President finally gave her thoughts about the latest subject and problem of the headquarters.

The branch executives were given a folder containing a file where the most detailed information about the suspect was written.

They opened the file and read through the information only to find the name, gender, and picture of the culprit.

"Makima?"

"A lady, huh?"

"Ain't she quite a beauty?"

"To think there would be almost nothing about her."

"It's as if she popped out of nowhere."

The branch executives had various opinions about the troublemaker.

"She has a dangerous quirk. We didn't know how she used it, but those near her will immediately freeze upon command."

"Our investigation brought three conclusions about her."

"One, her quirk affects the minds of people."

"Two, she can affect mass quantities of people with ease."

"Three, she doesn't seem to be interested in villainy."

Hearing Madam President's explanation, the executives were a bit surprised. She understood their thoughts and feelings about the matter.

Madam President was also surprised when she first heard of it. The first two weren't hard to believe, but the third one was astonishing.

Her actions suggested she doesn't mind using her quirk on ordinary people. How can she not be interested in the ways of villainy?

Nonetheless, mind control quirks were rare in the world. And when discovered, they would be heavily monitored because of the danger they could bring.

Usually, they would be single-targeted and always needed a unique trigger to start affecting the target.

But a mind control quirk that could affect people in masse?

Not only was it dangerous, it must be immediately kept under control.

"Even if she isn't interested in villainy, she must register her quirk to the Hero Public Safety Commission."

"Someone like her must not be walking around the streets of Japan."

"Agreed!"

"We must prosecute her!"

The branch executives had the same thought process when dealing with the troublemaker. This made Madam President smile since no one would bother her for the action she had already taken.

"There's no need to worry."

"I have already sent my best agents to secure her. She's currently staying in the interiors of the Azabu Tower. My team will soon pick her up."

Madam President was confident regarding her team. They were the perfect agents against a mind control quirk, so they were picked.

"Then, there's no need for us to worry."

"It's good for her to be caught."

"What should we do to her?"

"We can bring her to Tartarus under the court of justice for being a terrorist."

"Wouldn't it be better for her to be sent to Level 6A?"

"That's also good."

The administrative meeting was moving forward without any issues, which made Madam President sigh in relief.

Having a problematic meeting wasn't good for her or her reputation as the president of the Hero Public Safety Commission.

However, before she could ravel in her solace, the telephone in front of her rang. It reverberated throughout the room, making the branch executives notice it.

Madam President frowned since she had already expressed to not distract her from the important meeting. But unless... It was an important news.

She took the telephone and placed it beside her ears.

"Madam President, your agents have called upon you regarding the recent mission you have given to them. They said it's an emergency."

When she heard the words mission and agent, she immediately remembered the recent task she had given to her subordinates.

"Let them in."

After consenting to the other side, the metallic doors of the room opened, unveiling a lustrous light outside.

The branch executives squinted their eyes before noticing a group of black-suited men entering the premises.

They seemed to be the agents of Madam President.

"Madam President, we have returned from our task."

The leader of the men deeply bowed, which his subordinates naturally followed.

"What are the results of the mission? Did you manage to secure the suspect?"

Such questioning tone riddled with authority was heard throughout the round table.

"We have failed to secure the suspect, Madam President."

"Lady Makima declined our invitation after our discussion, but we did learn some information about her quirk."

The report of the leading agent made Madam President disappointed. But it was to be expected. Besides, at least they didn't leave without getting anything.

"What information did you gain?"

The leading agent's eyes radiated a lustrous golden glow before responding to Madam President.

"Lady Makima's quirk is called Halt."

"It's a mind control ability that stops everyone in her vision as long as she wills them to."

"Her quirk appeared to have no limits regarding the numbers it could control and its power over its victims, but nevertheless, we have learned some of her limitations."

The information given by the leading agent intrigued Madam President and the branch executives. Her quirk was more straightforward than they thought, but it was better.

"We must acquire her no matter what!"

"She belongs to the HPSC!"

"But it will be hard without intruding on her rights!"

"We have our ways!"

While the branch executives were conversing with each other, the leading agent was smirking for some reason. Why does he seem delighted? As if he had learned something.

Meanwhile...

On the highest residential floor of Azabu Tower, a gorgeous lady was drinking champagne on the balcony.

The cold breeze of wind ruffled strands of her scarlet crimson hair. Her lustrous golden irises bore a hypnotic gaze pointed at the night sky, observing the heavens above.

But in reality, she was looking down below, watching the foolish and greedy ones of a corrupted organization make a fool of themselves.

"How cute..."