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CHAPTER START---
---Horizon Tower, 1 PM...
"I really need to get one of these," Ryukyu says as she lowers herself into the hot tub, her fruit drink carefully resting at the edge of the tub.
She wore a simple red one-piece swimsuit, hastily bough nearby by Ryuko when they decided to relax in the hot tub.
Beside her Ryuko was already in the hot tub with a glass of wine in her hand, the bottle carefully placed nearby.
She was wearing a much more revealing bikini, in a familiar white and blue.
"Every big name hero should have one of these," Ryuko says. "Can't tell you how many nights I've spent in the hot springs after a day of searching through the mud to find people."
"That's at the hot springs resort your team owns?" Ryukyu asks."Mhm," Ryuko takes a sip of her wine. "When we got popular we wanted to start a second income stream like everyone else by using our brand, but being a mountain rescue based team stuck out and away from major cities made that tough. So we settled on buying some land and setting up our hot springs."
"Good call," Ryukyu says. "Personally I've been designing my own clothes since I was a child. Needing clothes made from my own cell samples for it to grow incase I activated my Quirk means there was never anything pre made and ready---"
"So you figured it should be exactly how you want it, lucky..."
Ryukyu chuckles, "well, the alternative was becoming a giant naked dragon, then shifting back into a naked girl afterwards, so am I really lucky?"
"Well when you put it like that, not really. But at least you got to launch your Dragnoir fashion brand, that's pretty cool."
"Sometimes it is, but most of the time it really does feel like just a hobby. Certainly would pay like one if I wasn't so popular," Ryukyu says. "Say, what's it like working in a team for your entire career?"
"Hmm, where do I even begin..." Ryuko thinks about it for a moment. "Well, we all met at UA orientation, and were in the same class. We hit it off right away and have been together ever since. None of us really have combat Quirks aside from me, and we rather not hurt anyone, so rescue was the obvious choice."
"But being in a hero team is a big commitment, not to mention a big risk."
"Yeah, but when it feels right everything just seems to work. Plus I've got good instincts with people, you know?"
"Mhm," Ryukyu takes a sip of her drink. "And how are they now since you've retired?"
"Mmm, they've been better," Ryuko says, sounding guilty and ashamed. "I mean the team was somewhat built with my Quirk in mind. Earthflow lets me manipulate the terrain after all, clearing out landslides and stuff like that was most of our job. We rarely ever had to find actual people."
"Ouch," Ryukyu winces, just imagining how much of their income and capabilities that team lost. "But I'm sure they understand, the hero thing just wasn't for you after All For One, right?"
"It wasn't really All For One," Ryuko says.
"Seriously? Even I thought about retiring after what he did to us at Kamino, and that was after Horizon weakened him a lot...scary."
"Well I'm not a top 10 Pro Hero," Ryuko says. "I was never under the impression that my Quirk was anything particularly strong. So I went to work every day knowing I'm one encounter with a powerful villain away from dying..."
"Oh, I guess I don't really think about it that much."
"Yeah well we can't all become a dragon when its time to fight," Ryuko chuckles sadly. "Eventually the fear of dying without ever having a family of my own got to me. I was already on the fence about retiring after this year, but that settled it. Not to mention the public backlash."
"Yeah that was rough, for us especially," Ryukyu says. "Failing as a Top Pro makes the public show their vicious side."
"At least kids didn't die because of you," Ryuko says. "We aren't... weren't, even a combat team but people still spoke like we should have beaten All For One."
Ryukyu sinks up to her neck into the water and sighs, "well I am a top combat hero and lost, we lost after he barely waved his hand. If All For One wasn't so chatty during the fight the public would have never forgiven us."
"Plus All Might took a lot of the spotlight off you guys," Ryuko says.
"Mhm..."
They sit in silence just recalling those events for a moment, before Ryuko speaks up, "hey, what's it like being a woman in the top 10?"
"Honestly, not worth it."
Ryuko's eyes went wide at that response, "really?"
"It destroyed any semblance of a social life I had. I can't go on the internet because I'm constantly bombarded with very graphic and creepy things about me---"
"Ugh that's so annoying," Ryuko remember the creepy things she's seen about herself over the years.
"Plus a lot of other Pro Heroes I just can't work with because they always try to make it flirty or just try to team up and treat it like a date, which honestly just wastes both our time because its not like they even needed me."
"Sounds familiar, recent too," Ryuko says.
Ryukyu shakes her head, "if I didn't go to the charity event the plan never would have worked, he got swarmed the moment the auction was over and couldn't move freely."
"Hey I didn't say anything about that," Ryuko raises her hands innocently.
"It's fine, I know you were wondering, nothing to worry about here," Ryukyu takes a sip of her drink. "The Pro Hero thing also ruined beating down villains sometimes."
"How so?"
"Well you know how they'd always try to get more handsy with us?"
"Ugh, don't remind me."
"Yeah well imagine that but with villains strong enough to willingly fight me," Ryukyu says. "And since you're a female Pro Hero you know the horror stories about what could happen if we get captured...so that was always at the back of my mind too."
"Well when you say it like that, I'm going to enjoy retirement even more."
Ryukyu laughs, "I'm happy for you, but I think President Pantu would pop a vein if any of us Top 10 Pro Heroes retired right now. Japan is still too reliant on Horizon for stability after all."
"That's true. So I guess I'll try to enjoy my wine and hot tub time for both of us, sounds good?"
Ryukyu rolls her eyes, then laughs, "thanks, I appreciate it..."
---Horizon's Office...
Sitting at his desk with this feet up, Law has his visor and mask off as he watches both his screens.
The massive and opulent office was separated from the outside world by a pane of one way glass protecting his identity, allowing him to relax.
Which is exactly what he's doing.
Eating a bowl of ice cream while watching the cameras of his indoor basketball court on one screen.
Seeing Sero slowly losing a game of 2-on-1 against Shinso and Juzo.
And on the other screen he was waiting for Nezu to pick up and join the call.
"Hello?" Nezu's voice rings out as he finally answers. "Is your camera working?"
"Don't have a camera," Law says as Nezu's face appears on the screen. He sees the mouse put down the phone and go back to typing on the computer. "You told me to call you at this time, what took you so long to answer?"
"I got a bit caught up with David and Power Loader with designing a new training area, and the stadium for the next Sports Festival, among other things."
"Other things?" Law asks.
"The finishing touches for our new security measures, can't take any chances with the UA Culture Festival after all."
"The UA Culture Festival being open to the public is already the biggest risk, which is why I still think you should cancel it."
Nezu sighs and shakes his head, "yes, that would be the logical thing. But the students already feel as if UA has become a prison. It's not enough to survive, they need to also live a little. Plus lots of them want their parents, family, or friends to come visit during the Culture Festival."
"Just more security risks."
"Luckily you're there to watch over everyone then, right?"
"Whatever."
"And how is the concert coming along? I assume you'll be on...let me guess, keyboards?"
"Momo is playing those," Law says. "And I won't on stage since I'm working security."
"I'm sure you could manage both," Nezu says.
"I can, but I don't want to give any more time than I already do to nonsense like that, using the fact that you have me working security as an excuse is just convenient."
"That's not very Plus Ultra of you," Nezu shakes his head. "The entire world adores you yet you insist on not being a part of it."
"Life is easier when I'm held apart. I'll have to make hard choices, it'll keep my head clear," Law says as he eats his ice cream. "Isn't that why you're always in your office instead of having classes of your own. So its easier to deal with the loss of the people you train?"
Nezu stops typing and thinks about it for a moment, then continues, "yes, I suppose that does help. I tried to have a class of my own once, but sometimes heroes die, and all I could think is what I could have done better to prepare her..."
"And yet you want me to do that?"
"The good overshadows the bad, seeing them graduate and go on to be top Pro Heroes is quite the feeling."
"I'll take your word for it, now can we get to business?"
"Business regarding that charity event from last night, right?" Nezu asks. "How was your date?"
"Wasn't a date, you know that. And the investigation went well, I've already followed up on a lead."
"Would you like me to ask how that went?"
"I'd rather you didn't," Law says. "But did you hear about the donation I made."
"Ahh yes, the billion dollar donation, record breaking for a single instant donation in recent years...but I still hold the record you know."
"I don't have that much money," Law says.
"Well either way, for a man who doesn't trust those 'charity scams' you were certainly generous. Did Ryukyu have such an effect on you?"
"As if I'd let any woman control my money," Law scoffs. "I donated so you can easily track it, I already sent you the account info I used to donate it."
"You do realize Hero Insurance doesn't cover this, right, the money is gone," Nezu says.
"Its just money."
"And tracking such things without a warrant is illegal," Nezu informs him. "I'm sure you could speed the process along and have one within six months if you ask Pantu."
"This stays between us Nezu," Law says. "I just need you to track where my donation went to, then from there you can mark the accounts receiving the money and give me names for the other sources. If one person there was working with villain groups then there were likely others too.
I got a list of contacts from my lead, I'll cross reference it with the names you give me and start questioning them from there."
"This is still immoral, if not illegal," Nezu says.
"Tracking my own donation is within my legal rights since I donated over 50% of last nights money," Law says. "Think of this as just being extra sure that nothing bad is happening with my money."
"And wallet watching one of the most respected doctors and philanthropists in the world, how do you hope to explain this if Dr. Garaki realizes you've been keeping an eye on his organization and sponsors."
"I'll simply explain what I've already found and give him the proof, its not like we haven't spoken before...even if it was over the phone."
"You asking for help filling out a Quirk DNA database from his logs and you trying to explain this aren't the same, not to mention the public image crisis and---"
"Nezu," Law cuts him off. "Can you do it?"
Nezu sighs, "I'll be tracking too many names, I won't have time to keep up with them myself...but I can make a program to do it and compare it to the list of names you'll send me later. Then it will alert you whenever we get a match."
"Thank you, see, quite simple."
"Or you could learn to code so I won't have to act as tech support," Nezu suggests. "I can teach you..."
"I prefer working with people than machines. Why learn something when I can outsource it to people I trust," Law shrugs.
"Fair enough, but did you really donate a billion dollars just for this?"
"Well, the publicity it gives me isn't bad."
"You're Horizon, when are you ever not in the media?"
"And I like giving to the less fortunate, well, children who never had a chance to be children, adults can figure their own problems out."
"That sounds more like it. You know it wouldn't kill you to show the public the softer side of you."
"It actually might, so I shouldn't chance it," Law chuckles. "Oh, but watching Kyukyu's reaction was certainly worth it, I mean it's just money after all. And now that Japan is more stable and sanctions are being lifted my businesses are actually being profitable, I'll make that money back in a few months."
"And that's not counting the Miracle's you sell, if you still do those."
"I do, but only one a week," Law says. "My schedule is getting a bit hectic."
"Like planning the single biggest anti smuggling operation in the history of Japan?" Nezu asks. "I mean the fact that you'll be simultaneously attacking just over a dozen bases in one night, that's quite something."
"Yeah well, the perks of being a former 'villain' or whatever, is that you actually know who you have to go take down to collapse the black market, makes life a lot easier."
"Its a miracle they've existed this long without any Hero or undercover agent finding out about them, or someone betraying them," Nezu says.
"Its honestly not that hard," Law shrugs. "They have people in the Commission and Police force, high and low ranking people, plus some Pro Heroes. When mom and I would go on hits across the world we'd usually have an informant within the police force or government giving us intel."
"Too bad there aren't enough people who can detect lies, and unlike Tsukauchi and Pantu, we can't simply trust them all."
"Plus the easiest solution would be to have the lie detector be the inside man," Law says. "Can't get any better than that right, they can just throw someone else under the bus to save themselves."
"I suppose you're right, and how are things at Horizon Tower with your new guest?"
"Ryukyu?" Law asks. "She's great, enjoying the pool area right now with Ryuko. I swear I've got the best or worst luck ever with this, my girls always get along."
"I thought you said you and Ryukyu aren't---"
"We're not, but I'm a dreamer. My team is playing some basketball right now, they got in pretty early this morning and slept all day, and we aren't doing any patrols later. Saving all our strength for the raid tomorrow."
"And are they ready for that?"
"Alone, no. But I'll be there, along with some coast guard boats eventually. So worst case scenario I rip it out of the ocean and throw it into the sun, its a small island after all."
"..."
"I'm kidding," Law rolls his eyes. "I can't throw it into the sun..."
END CHAPTER---