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CHAPTER START---
---June 30th, Horizon's Penthouse, New York City...
"Are you sure we aren't missing anything?" Nezu asks as he's typing away on the other side of the screen as Horizon paces through the living room of his penthouse.
"I combed over everything that fits their usual style and this is it," Horizon says.
"So they stole that device from David Shield, which we recovered before it could leave Japan."
"And they sacrificed a android that's beyond anything even you've built until now to do it, which means they don't value that tech as much as the rest of the world."
"An android that I couldn't hack into before the computers inside melted," Nezu reminds him. "Then what else, they created the Faux Nuclear Football for Sentinel, which luckily didn't get used."
"But again, nobody could hack into it before it self-destructed, so another dead end.""Until recently, right, a few weeks ago."
"Yeah, the same day we dealt with Kelvin an energy efficiency research lab in Argentina was hit, along with a data uplink center in India, hacked like it was nothing and the manpower was handled by local villains given advanced tech in response."
"All of these things point to a big antenna of some kind."
"Yes but, if they broke Kelvin out for the reason I'm guessing, to get access to their own Thermodynamic Reactors, they're probably trying to build more than just an antenna," Horizon says. "Especially since Russia's DED system was compromised a few months ago."
"Well, the Direct Energy Defense system powered by one of Kelvin's reactors could create a weapon of immense power, but that power signature would be impossible to hide."
"Which means either they figured out how to hide it or they haven't built it yet," Horizon says. "What would they even need the antenna for, it feels like they're already in damn near every computer in the world."
"True, and an antenna of all things would make the signals flowing through the air easier to track via certain systems or Quirks," Nezu says. "If they want to reach the entire world like we believe there wouldn't be anything else projecting and absorbing that much data at once."
"Not to mention the device they build, even with modern tech, would be massive, that won't be easy to hide," Horizon says.
"They also need a fast uplink point, that's mandatory if we're right about them wanting to control the entire global web."
"Yes but people have swept every data nexus around the world, and we've got people stationed there more than usual, they didn't find anything."
"Which Nexu has the most security?"
"Technically the one here in America, just outside Houston," Horizon says. "I've reviewed the security on all of them, and not only is that one deep under a massive Airforce base, it's also the headquarters for Star and Stripe, attacking it would be suicide."
"True, especially while you're in America," Nezu says. "And the weakest?"
"India, the city is too close and has too many people, attacking it would be easiest," Horizon says. "What about UA?"
"The UA Nexus is secure and safe, I've been keeping a careful eye on this access point since David left last year, having him around made maintaining the UA systems so much easier."
"Right, well this still leaves us in a position where all we can do is wait and respond to whatever they do," Horizon sighs. "They're either building a massive cannon, a computer of some kind, or both."
"Or a giant robot," Nezu says.
"Nah, that's not their style, they never do direct confrontations like that. Whatever Tech wants, it's probably something like threatening to take down every global network if we don't pay a few billion or something."
"That would be in line with what previous hacker groups were aiming for," Nezu says. "The only difference is this one may be capable of pulling it off."
"Yeah, but we need more data."
"Any ideas?"
"Yeah, I think I have one that will work, I'll call you back if I get any leads."
"Alright, good luck," Nezu ends the call.
Horizon quickly finds another number and begins calling, "it's just past midnight in Japan but, he's probably up still," he says as the call connects to his TV.
"HIYA!!!" Mina Ashido appears on the screen.
"What the hell," Horizon looks down at his phone, seeing Juzo's number on the call. "Why do you have Juzo's phone, I thought you were dating the Brick."
"Ew, gross," Mina scrunched her face. "Kirishima is like a brother to me."
"Yikes," Horizon says as he takes in the background behind her. "Are you in my kitchen, in Horizon Tower?"
"Yeah everyone is here, Juzo's phone is charging in the kitchen, I came to get more snacks before heading back to the pool," Mina says as she leans the phone against something so he can see her searching the cabinets.
"Right, whatever, take the phone to Juzo."
"Gotcha, just giving me one second," Mina says as she bends over, giving him a view of her bikini-clad body.
"This is important Mina," Horizon says.
"So are my snacks...I could have sworn I saw chips down here somewhere," Mina says.
"Well, at least you're giving me a nice view to pass the time," Horizon chuckles. "Is everyone in the tower?"
"Just all the Hero Course students from our year," Mina says as she finds the chips. "And I hope you appreciated the view, you're the only one that's gotten to see me from that angle," she winks playfully before grabbing the phone.
"Awe, someone has a crush on me."
"Ew."
"Ouch."
"I just figured you've already seen all of us naked," Mina says as she moves about the kitchen. "Sero says you keep a stash of foreign snacks here, where?"
"Top cabinet, near the fridge," Horizon says.
"Thanks."
"And why the hell do you think I've seen all of you naked?"
"Your Quirk, can't you see everything all the time?"
"Well you'd just appear as outlines in black and white, and I chose how specific I want to be, people's anatomy is usually a blur unless I'm studying them."
"Well, you studied me."
"Your DNA, not your assets."
"Awe, and here I thought I was getting some sexy, rich, superhero, doctor, boyfriend," she feigns sadness before gathering all the snacks and the phone, and marching through the hallway.
"I'm not your type."
"And that'd be totally not cool since I'm friends with Jiro and Momo," Mina says. "But mostly, you're kind of a jerk."
"Says the girl in my house raiding my kitchen."
"You're supposed to be polite to guests."
"Oh please, you've met me," Horizon says as she enters the elevator.
"How has America been treating you? You don't respond to us in the group chat when we ask, but we look out for you in the news, even if you don't show up much in it."
"Most of the criminals and villains know better than to do anything in New York, or this side of America, so it's more like a vacation if anything, what about you?"
"Personally, I'm actually kind of scared," Mina admits. "We're having this party because after this week we have to spend summer at our different mentor's agencies, well, your team will be staying here. But now with villains getting extra excited since you and All Might are gone, at least until September, things are a lot more dangerous for us..."
"You're scared that more classmates will die."
"Scared that...maybe I won't be good enough to save someone."
"Being a Hero isn't about saving everyone, you just have to save one person," Horizon says. "Get one more person out alive than there would have been if you didn't become a hero, and that's enough, everything else is just extra."
"Easy for you to say, you always save everyone," Mina says.
"Not everyone," Horizon says. "The day I lost my parents, I panicked, I lost focus, I'd never seen anyone I care about hurt before. If I kept my focus, they'd be here with me right now."
"But then you never would have become a Pro Hero, right?" Mina asks as she exits the elevator. "You said you only chose this life because you have nothing for villains to take from you, but, you've saved so many people already, if you could have them back, but all those people you saved would die---"
"I'd make that trade in a heartbeat," Horizon says, and sees his words hit her like a punch to the face.
"What? Really?" she looks at him through the screen with wide eyes.
"Mina, I've always said I'm good at this Pro Hero game, I have skills that allow me to help millions of people, but I've never claimed to be a good person."
"Yeah, well we knew that from the first day of UA," Mina chuckles as she continues walking through the building.
"When you're Horizon, you can make whatever kind of first impression you want."
"Yeah we saw that, you did get away with mass murder after all," Mina says as she enters the pool area, and Horizon hears the music.
"The world needs me, that's all."
"Hey, Horizon," Mina sets down the snacks and looks at Horizon through the phone. "Thanks, for what you said earlier...about saving one person. It means a lot you know, since you're all the way at the other end of the scoreboard in our class."
"Don't worry about it Mina, just do your best, you'll be enough..."
"Awe, be careful, or I might just fall for you," she teases him.
"And I'd watch you hit the floor."
"Tch, jerk," she hands the phone to Juzo, who takes one look at it and begins getting out of the pool, entirely tuning out whatever Tokage was talking to him about.
Horizon waits until Juzo walks away from the other students, to where he can't hear the music anymore.
"Ok, we can talk now," Juzo says. "What's up?"
"I'll send you some data in a few minutes, I need you to go handle something for me tomorrow night."
"What kind of situation is this."
"You won't be going as Pro Heroes, just, wear some masks and pretend to be generic criminals, if you get caught."
"So full stealth, and the target?"
"Take one of the black data drives from my office in the tower, you need to get to the mainframe at the address I'm sending and plug it in. The drive will do the rest."
"Alright, so I'm guessing you're copying all their files and making a virtual clone on Nezu's system to track future transfers, what are they moving?"
"Data, a lot of it," Horizon says. "The guy you're targeting is a data broker, he runs everything between Japan, China, Russia, India, and Australia, I'll go collect data from his counterparts stateside."
"That's a lot of data, what kind?"
"Black market technology, if somebody managed to steal even one of the UA robots they'd have to go through him to sell it, so the tech I'm looking for must have used him as the middleman to sell it."
"Right, this guy sounds dangerous, how the hell hasn't he been caught yet?"
"Every time someone sells things like weapons-grade plutonium to build some nuclear bomb, he tags it then gives the tracking data to Interpol."
"So governments look the other way because he gives them what they need," Juzo says. "Makes sense, so why not just ask him nicely?"
"The less people know I'm connecting the pieces, the fewer computers this will be in, so don't log any of this outside of UA servers."
"Computers, so this is about Tech?"
"Yeah, we got a few more concerning puzzle pieces since I've been stateside, it'll all be included in the files I send you."
"Got it, anything else?"
"Hmm, yeah," Horizon nods. "Take Mina with you."
"Mina? Mina Ashido?" Juzo. "Look you know I don't question you unless I have a good reason, but she's not exactly stealth trained, or trained to work with our team, plus if we have to do some...less than ideal things, like some creative questioning, she could get squeamish."
"If you do your job well it won't come to that," Horizon says. "In fact, you shouldn't encounter anyone at the site at all, just a simple infiltration."
"Then why Mina?"
"She needs a win," Horizon says. "Plus, it'll be nice when the press questions the girls about me, at least one of them won't hate me and want me to rot in prison."
"I have a feeling after this summer that won't be a problem," Juzo says. "Gang Orca has been getting some troubling updates from the HPSC lately, we think the League Of Villains may be vetting new ways to smuggle Nomu in and out of Japan."
"I see, well I can't help from over here so it makes sense they wouldn't bother me with this," Horizon says. "Just keep yourself alive, when I get back we'll go hunt them all down."
"Can't wait."
Horizon immediately hangs up and begins compiling files to send Juzo.
A few minutes later Juzo is sitting at the opposite side of the pool area on a lounge chair, enjoying a soda and some chips.
In his lap is Setsuna Tokage, who was scrolling through social media on her phone.
"You alright?" Setsuna asks, noticing he hasn't spoken in the past few minutes, and is still intensely watching his phone.
"Yeah, Horizon just made a strange suggestion in this briefing," Juzo says as his gaze passes over the pool area.
He sees most of the students still enjoying the heated pool, most of the other girls are in the hot tub, while at the swim-up bar, Bakugo, was manning the grill while playing cards with some of the other students.
"Well, I guess on paper it makes sense, and if the security is as good as Horizon thinks it is, we could use them," Juzo set his phone down and wrapped his arms around Setsuna. "I'll tell them in the morning, no need to ruin the fun mood."
Juzo's gaze falls onto Deku, who is playing cards with Bakugo and a few others at the bar, then to Mina, who is in the hot tub eating some snacks, and lastly, Yanagi, asleep on a large pool float drifting between everyone.
END CHAPTER---