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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---