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pat.reon: Keanu_Eugene (30+ chapters ahead)
CHAPTER START---
"Wow everyone is already training, pretty good," Horizon says as their car arrives at the main building.
A small two-story spa building surrounded by a massive forest walled off on all sides by mountains.
"You can sense them?" Eraser asks as he shuts off the car.
They both get out and Horizon takes a moment to stretch his limbs, finally free from the cramped seat.
"Mmm, yeah. Everyone is training in a rocky field a few hundred meters that way," he points in the direction of the training area. "Some are in the forest with some big dude...guessing that's Tiger, doing muscle training. And Momo and Sato are...eating cake?"
"Fuel for their Quirks," Eraser says as Horizon retrieves his bag and sword. "Can you warp these into the training area for me?" he gestures to the boxes on the back seat.
"Yeah, Shambles," Horizon snaps his fingers and they disappear, swapped with a lone leaf."Well that really is convenient, anyway I'll get back to your classmates, I'm sure Pixi---"
"HORIZON!" Pixie-Bob steps out of the main building with a broad smile on her face.
Wearing the Wild Wild Pussycats uniform, a miniskirt, boots with metal soles, and a crop top designers like a frilly vest. A spin on the 'french maid' outfit people enjoy. Her signature color is blue to make her stand out from her allies.
All wrapped around a 166cm -5ft5- fit and toned stacked blonde with long hair. Wearing a long blue and white striped tail and oversized cat paws in the same colors to match her outfit.
And a large metal headgear shaped similar to cat ears with a transparent glass visor across her eyes.
Seeing her marching toward them Eraser wisely decides to leave and go find Mandalay, "she'll show you around..." he says to Horizon, not in the mood to deal with this blonde ball of energy.
As she gets up to Horizon, seeing him standing there with his bag in one hand and sword in the other, suddenly Pixie-Bob is staring up at him. Almost a foot taller than her with a physique like All Might.
"Wow, you're a lot bigger than I expected, you look smaller on TV..."
"Well hello to you too, and that's probably because you've seen me standing beside All Might...he isn't normal."
"Ohh, that makes sense! Follow me I'll show you to your room," she gestures to the main building.
"Lead the way." As he's walking beside her Horizon can't help but notice a small child in the training area with one of the Pros, but doesn't think much of it. "So Eraser says you're a fan, what caused that?"
"Tch, I told them not to mention that," she leads them into the reception area of the spa and begins walking toward the stairs. "It's not like I'm a fangirl or anything. It's just that my life would be a lot easier if more capable men who thought like you existed."
Horizon chuckles at that idea, "another me...don't think the world can handle that. But what do you mean exactly?"
They begin going up the stairs.
"It's just that when we were all watching the UA Sports Festival, the things you said, the conviction in your voice, it was incredible," she takes a deep breath before continuing.
"I've been trying to find a nice guy to have a family with for the past year, but all the strong capable guys just want younger girls and don't want anything serious...and I'm running out of time. Hearing you talk about how you'd fight and fight no matter what for the family you'll have one day. It just gave me real hope, it was everything I needed to hear."
Horizon looks over to her as they reach the second floor, seeing her smiling happily at him, with teary eyes and all.
"I'm sure the right guy will come along, you're young and hot, he won't be able to resist."
Pixie-Bob wipes her eyes as they begin walking down the hallway passing a few rooms." thanks, it's just nice to know I'm not the only hero that wants this future for themself.
It feels like everyone around me just wants to work until they die and keep focusing on Hero Rankings, then that makes me feel like I'm some kind of a fake hero that's being selfish for wanting to have a family and quit."
"That's the same plan I have," Horizon says, catching her off guard.
"What?"
"I don't plan to go full throttle on being a hero forever. When I have a family of my own I'll focus more on the Miracle Doctor side of Horizon again. I'll leave the fighting villains for people that rather save strangers than go home to their families.
It may not be what people think is heroic, and maybe it is selfish, but I just don't care. My people always come first, nobody else matters." They stop in front of the last door and Horizon sees her staring up at him. "Don't ever feel guilty for putting the people you love first, and wanting to be in their lives to take care of them and watch them grow, I think that's the most beautiful thing a person can do in this life, and its the least you deserve for all you've done..."
Looking into her bright blue eyes Horizon sees her pupils dilate as her brain short circuits, staring up at him with pleading eyes, 'wow...strong reaction and I haven't even started trying yet...'
"I wish I thought as far ahead as you," Pixie-Bob admits quietly.
"You've still got time, just trust the process."
She gives him a toothy smile and nods happily. "Alright, we can chat after you get all settled in," she slides open the door to reveal a simple but comfortable room, with a connected bathroom and shower.
"Wow," he says as they both enter.
"Yeah, we all bought the land in this valley and set up this resort a few years ago. Usually, we're never here so we rent out the place year-round. The Hot Springs are pretty popular actually."
"Smart move."
"Yup, you got one of the rooms, the Pros are in the other rooms but the other students are down on the first floor. Nezu said your special circumstances need privacy so this is your place for the week.
The boys from each class are in one of the big open rooms downstairs. All the girls got put into one big room since its not many of them. But you're up here."
Setting down his bags and sword Horizon turns to Pixie-Bob who was standing at the window in the room looking out at the forest, "so, what other fun things are there for us to do this week?"
---10 Minutes Later...
Walking up the stairs toward Horizon's room, Mandalay, the leader of the Wild Wild Pussycats.
A woman built much like Pixie-Bob, only a hair thinner and slightly less curvy, with dark red hair and a light red version of their team's uniform.
As she arrives at the second floor she keeps her casual pace toward Horizon's room, until she stops dead in her tracks.
Her ears just barely pick up Pixie-Bob's giddy voice, hearing her speaking between giggles.
"Wow, it's so big---" Mandalay blinks a few times, not sure of what she just heard, she takes up a more brisk pace.
"Are you sure---ok let me, just...like this?" she hears Pixie-Bob's voice even clearer now.
"Yeah, just like that," Horizon says. "Don't let the size bother you it's just like any other one..."
Mandalay breaks into a full power walk and arrives at the closed sliding door.
BAM!
The slams the door to the side, looking at them with pissed-off and manic eyes, gritting her teeth.
"WHAT THE HELL IS---" she freezes, seeing Pixie-Bob waving around Horizon's sword with a wide smile on her face.
Looking between Pixie-Bob's confused expression, Horizon sitting on the bed casually instructing her, and the 145cm -4ft9- white Katana with a blue edge...it all came together.
And Mandalay decides to pretend she didn't just barge in here expecting something else.
"I mean, what's been taking you two so long?" Mandalay asks.
"Oh, Horizon was showing me how to use a Katana, but this one is really heavy."
Horizon shrugs and gets up, "the alternative was a collapsable one, but that's less durable, I rather have this. Also, I asked Pixie-Bob to show me her Quirk."
"Yeah look," Pixie-Bob gestures to the dresser, where a small dirt statue of Horizon, just three inches tall was standing. "I made him this with Earth Flow."
Mandalay just sighs and rolls her eyes, "you'll have time to chat later, right now you've got students to deal with. They need more earth walls to practice on, let's go..."
"Want me to warp us there?" Horizon asks as they all file out of the room.
"Actually I wanted to ask you a favor," Mandalay says, and Pixie-Bob immediately falls back a bit so they were both walking in front of her, something Horizon didn't fail to notice.
"Ok, what do you need?"
"It's about my nephew, Koda."
"So that's the kid with..." Horizon pauses and opens a room, finding his target. "With Ragdoll."
"Wow Eraser really wasn't kidding," Mandalay says. "That's both impressive and really creepy, and it works on people you've never seen before, it's like a better version of Ragdoll's Quirk."
"I'm the better version of a lot of Quirks, so what do you need?"
"Koda's parents, my cousin and his wife, they were a hero team, Water Hose. They died recently and well, he hasn't been the same ever since."
"How'd they die?"
"There was a villain that wanted to go on a rampage, and they died protecting the civilians, but he got away..."
"Ok, so what the kid needs me a sign a shirt or something? Hoverboard ride?"
"It's a bit more complicated than that," Mandalay sighs. "You see Koda's staying with me now. But ever since his parents died, he's really grown a hatred of heroes. He blames people wanting to be a hero for why his parents didn't come back home, and when he saw that clip of your speech from the Sports Festival, it only made him hate heroes even more."
"Oh, the whole 'heroes sacrifice themselves and their families to save strangers thing,' ok, so?"
"Well, I was hoping you could talk to him about that, maybe tell him that what they did was right. I mean they saved dozens of people from that monster. They're heroes. So if you, the only hero he doesn't hate, and the person everyone is calling the 'true hero' says they made the right call, maybe he'd listen."
Horizon stops, causing Pixie-Bob to bump into him and stumble back a bit.
"Sorry," she says.
He ignores her and turns to Mandalay, "so let me get this straight. You want me to say that they made the right call. When not one, but both parents decided to die and orphan their kid, to save people they don't even know.
Did you not listen to anything I've been saying? About how people with families waiting at home shouldn't be heroes exactly because of things like this. And now what? You want me to go back on everything I said just because it's someone important to you?
The people close to you should always come first, and I'm sorry for what happened to him and his parents, but they knew exactly what they were doing, I just wish their kid didn't have to live with the consequences of it.
But the way I see it, I tell him they did the right thing and he becomes just like you, another person brainwashed by the hero-centric media propaganda to throw your life away and destroy your family for some losers on the street...absolutely disgusting.
Your people are supposed to come first, anyone else is an afterthought, parents should know that better than anyone. So no, I won't be talking to him, because at least now he won't grow up to throw his life away like them. He'll actually be there to see his kids grow up."
"How can you be so cruel!" Mandalay yells. "His parents, my cousin, they were good people, good heroes, real heroes! Don't you think every child should grow up knowing their parents were good and just people, that every child should look up to their parents as heroes! That's what I'm asking you to help me with!"
Horizon's voice becomes a low growl, causing a shiver to travel down Pixie-Bob's spine and Mandalay to take a careful step back, "I'm not lying about my beliefs just because it's convenient for you. Just be glad I was polite about it this time..."
He immediately begins walking away, leaving both women in the main building.
Mandalay was fuming, "how can that be a hero, he's such an...an...an ass."
Pixie-Bob looks at her friend, nodding along but the voice in her head couldn't disagree any more.
She agreed entirely but just didn't have the heart to start that catfight.
Then came Horizon.
The conviction and intensity in Horizon's words as he spoke the things she's wanted to say for so long, it cemented the idea in her mind even more.
'I need to find a guy like him...'
END CHAPTER---