Discord: .gg/t7bHrdRY7Y
pat.reon: Keanu_Eugene
You.tube: @KeanuEugene
CHAPTER START---
---September 7th, 8 PM…
"Welcome back everyone," Chitose Kizuki says as hundreds of millions of screens tune into her show.
They see her seated on one of the two small couches, and the massive screen behind her shows a picture of the globe.
"Now I know this is what many of you have been waiting for, the special exclusive interview we'll be hosting live, with a certain young Hero…"
The live audience in her studio cheers before falling silent again.
"That's right, after spending all summer overseas in America, he's back home after saving the world. Bringing with him a record low crime rate, down to 0.02% as of this morning, an almost 17% decrease since he announced his return two days ago."Another round of cheers sounds out before Chitose gestures to the seat opposite her.
"The Miracle, Horizon!"
SHAMBLES!
Horizon appears in front of the seat and Chitose stands to greet him as the audience cheers.
"Thank you so much for agreeing to this," she says.
"I'm always happy to be on your show, because you always get right to the point."
"Well, I understand how invaluable your time is," Chitose says as they both take their seats. "Now, in the spirit of being efficient, how about we dive right in?"
"That's what I was hoping for."
"In that case," she takes out a few flashcards. "The people want to know…how was your vacation?"
Horizon chuckles, "Well, it started as a vacation, but Tech had other plans. Everything before and after him was great. They took great care of me. I had everything I needed and wanted, and training with Star and Stripe was…new. I'm not used to having someone who could somewhat keep up with me."
"Are you saying that you're stronger than her?"
"At the start, I wasn't, but now," He thinks about it. "Yeah. I'm the strongest."
"Well, let's hope she doesn't take that as a challenge," Chitose chuckles.
"Oh no, we're great friends. She made my stay abroad much more enjoyable and even taught me some things."
"We're all happy to know you both get along so well. We saw your teamwork and trust on full display against Tech. Mystery Class individuals are on another level."
"Well, I wouldn't say that," he says. "Mystery Class isn't an indication of power, but of complexity. We just happen to be complex and powerful."
"Luckily you're both Heroes, each willing to sacrifice yourself to protect us. And for that, we are eternally grateful."
"It's the job," Horizon says, earning another round of applause.
"Yes, but if I am being honest. The people of Japan hope you didn't enjoy your trip to the States too much. Is there any chance of you moving abroad after graduating from UA?"
"At the moment, no," he lies. "I quite like it here, and without me, the villains would resurface. And I'm sure they'd try to make up for lost time."
Chitose frowns. "I don't even want to think about this. This summer alone was so chaotic, so many incidents and attacks."
"Luckily, you don't have to worry about that anymore. Because I am here."
"Yes, your guardian, our Hero," Chitose smiles. "Which leads me to the next question the people want to know about your personal life."
"I think I know where this is going," Horizon sounds amused at her words. "Do we have to go over this every time?"
Chitose raises her hands in surrender. "You are the most eligible bachelor in the world, so the women want to know."
"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint, but I don't have the time for any kind of romance, not to mention," Horizon taps the side of his visor.
Horizon reminds everyone that his body is becoming living energy, making intimacy with him impossible.
"Well, then you have quite a bit of explaining to do, mister," Chitose says. "Because we got some interesting pictures from a baseball game you were at yesterday."
"Wait, what?" Horizon sits up. "Pictures?"
"These pictures," Chitose gestures to the massive screen behind them as it switches to a picture of Horizon sitting in a private booth.
Someone took the picture from outside the glass wall of the booth, able to peer inside with a high-quality camera to see the people in question.
One of which was Horizon, and the other was the woman in his lap.
"Provisional Hero, Pinky," Chitose says as the audience gasps. "And your hand is in a more than 'just friends' place, mister…"
"Uh, well, we," Chitose smiles as Horizon is speechless. "We're trying something new, but my situation makes things difficult. Not to mention how busy I am, and the two projects I'll be starting soon. I'll announce one of those projects before leaving here, by the way."
"Well done trying to redirect the conversation onto your secret project, but we're all still curious about this one," Chitose says with a smug smile. "How long has this been going on, and how heartbroken should the women of the world be?"
"Uh, it's very new, and as for how heartbroken…I don't know how to quantify that."
Chitose turns to the camera. "You heard him, ladies. It's new, not permanent, so don't give up! You still have a chance!"
The audience cheers wildly as it is mostly young women, and Horizon groans.
"I finally got people to stop sending love letters to Horizon Tower."
"Well, I don't think that's stopping any time soon," Chitose says. "Now, how about I rescue you from this and ask the next question?"
"Yes, please save me."
"Some people are nervous about the power you so casually use. Is there any justification for their concerns?"
The room goes silent as the audience remembers that the Hero sitting before them, joking with them, is a weapon of mass destruction the likes of which the world couldn't imagine.
"Well, their feelings are valid, reasonable, and wise," Horizon says. "Given my record, it is wise to be cautious regarding me. For this reason, I'm sure our government and many others are planning ways to take me down should I ever turn.
That is their responsibility, after all, to protect the people, even from me. As for how necessary this is.
Well, I quite like being a Pro Hero now. I enjoy changing the world around me. And if I ever decide to stop, it would be because I'm tired of all the responsibility and constant pressure.
In that case, I wouldn't become a Villain. I'd retire and enjoy a quiet life somewhere."
"Maybe with someone special."
"I'd like to imagine so, yes."
"Like Pinky?"
"I never said that."
The woman smiles, "Well, for what it's worth. I hope you never get sick of protecting us. God knows there are great evils out in the world, but they don't come here, not while you're protecting us."
"True, but they are out there, somewhere."
"Shigaraki," Chitose frowns. "Shigaraki," Chitose frowns, "Do you plan to hunt him down now that you've captured one of them?"
"Himiko Toga is still being questioned in Tartarus," he lies. "Once they pass the information she gives them over to me, only then can I formulate some plans."
"I see, well we're all waiting anxiously for that announcement," she says. "Shigaraki hurt countless people, declaring war on Hero Society by attacking every Hero Course school in Japan, taking the corpses, and making his army of Nomu…he's a monster."
"I will put my hands on him eventually," Horizon says. "But the only question is what I'll do with him when that time comes."
"I assumed that part was obvious, considering your last display of intolerance toward Villains."
"All For One is alive in Tartarus because we're studying him to reverse the Nomu process. Shigaraki likely has extra Quirks in him by now. Studying him could also be useful."
"I see, so scientifically keeping him alive is the better choice," she says. "And what do you want?"
Horizon shrugs. "He's just another name on my list, prisoner or trophy. It's all the same to me."
"Well, regardless of what happens to him. People are already calling you our Guardian Deity, and I don't see that changing anytime soon."
"Hmm, 'Guardian Deity', that seems a bit too…dramatic."
"Then what would you call yourself?"
"Well, I'm already so used to people calling me 'The Miracle', that feels most familiar."
"Speaking of miracles, you said you have a big announcement for us. Would you like to share about that?"
"Well, I'd rather start by simply showing you," Horizon raises his hand and warps a vial of The Panacea above his palm, keeping it floating with Takt.
"What is that?" Chitose asks while leaning toward the glass vial of glowing blue liquid. "It looks like your healing energy."
"That's because it is," Horizon says.
She gets to the edge of her seat, at which point he floats it over for her to hold.
"It's The Panacea, The Miracle Elixir, the cure for everything."
Chitose feels a pit in her stomach, realizing how priceless the vial in her hands is, clutching it more carefully as she holds it up for the cameras.
"The version you're holding is incomplete," Horizon says. "It can cure most things. Anything that's not obtrusive to the body."
"Not obtrusive?" she asks.
"Well, if you have dementia, drinking or infusing that into your body will adjust your DNA. Giving you the gaps in the human genome that are operating incorrectly. It's programmed energy, just like my Awakening."
"I see," Chitose snaps out of her musing for a moment. "Wait, you had your Quirk Awakening?"
"That's a surprise for some other time, but hopefully I never have to use it," Horizon says. "But back to The Panacea."
"Right, so it can cure genetic and terminal sickness, and I assume common things as well."
"Exactly. The only thing it can't do is perform surgery. If you have a tumor in your brain, a doctor still has to take it out. If your arm is broken, a doctor has to set it unless you want it to grow improperly.
It's a healing quirk, but it doesn't give full active regeneration. Granted, with enough of it, you could regrow a limb, at least with the completed version."
"The completed version?" Chitose asks. "Would that give temporary regeneration?"
"A very minor version, allowing bones and limbs to set themselves."
"Incredible, this will change the world, save countless lives," Chitose says. "And put the healthcare industry out of business…"
"If it could be mass-produced, yes," he says. "But there is only one of me, and my Quirk is needed to create it, not to mention how much energy it takes."
"And the cost? What would that be?"
"Well, I was planning to put this up for bidding. Just as I do for my pain medical treatments, but some things got in the way of me completing it."
"Such as what?"
Horizon sits up, taking a more serious tone. "Some nations don't trust me with the medical data of their population, even after I explain I was using it for this. They fear I would use their data and only make this available to Japan and the USA, a reasonable fear.
But wrong.
What I do now, I do for the good of all mankind. So, instead of putting orders up for bidding, I will make The Panacea free."
The audience gasps and then cheers in response.
"But, there is a catch," the room falls silent. "I will provide a certain amount, depending on the population of the requesting country, annually of course. But this is only if the remaining countries give me the information I need.
I have listed those countries and politicians that blocked the completion of this project on my social media. Have a look.
Let your politicians know what you want. I'm sure they're reasonable people who will adhere to the wills of the people."
Chitose's eyes widen as she realizes what he's just done. "You just caused riots and sent millions of people to attack them."
Horizon laughs. "I did no such thing. I made their objections known to the people, and if the people opposed their rule, then they should step down.
After all, politicians are servants of their people, just as I am a servant of the people in my capacity as a Hero.
If the people willed it, I would gracefully step aside. I only hope these men and women have the honor and integrity to do the same…"
As the interview continued, two of the viewers had wildly different reactions to the news.
In a small fishing boat at the edge of Japan's nautical territory, Spinner sits sharpening his daggers while staring at his laptop.
The interview was still rolling, but he paused the screen on his goal.
Pinky, the Provisional Hero sitting on Horizon's lap, his target.
'If I get Horizon's woman, I can trade her to get Himiko back,' he thought.
Completely ignoring all the warnings Shigaraki had given him.
'I'll show them all,' He thought. 'I'll get her back and show them how wrong they are, that they should have believed in me. That even Horizon has a weakness…'
He stares hatefully at Pinky on the screen, seething at the thought of Horizon enjoying what he and Toga could have had, being rewarded after doing such heinous things.
Receiving cheers for executing someone on live TV, all while he's sitting alone in a cold boat trying to save the girl he loves.
While Spinner was seething in hate and rage, President Pantu wanted to pull her hair out.
While the last bits of the interview were playing through her computer, she read the requested impact report on Law Matani.
Detailing how hurt Japan would be by his sudden withdrawal from their country and economy.
'His leaving now would cripple us. One USD is currently worth 120 Yen, all because of Law Matani and Horizon giving other countries and companies the confidence to invest in us.
If Law Matani dies or leaves, that will probably go to 160 Yen to 1 USD. But Horizon's presence would keep us below 200, manageable.
If…when, they both disappear. We'll be at 400, maybe 500. This will be the worst economic event in the history of Japan.
Record unemployment, and the treasury doesn't have enough to bail us out after having to do exactly that after All Might's retirement, Shigaraki declaring war on Hero Society, and The Gigantomachy.
Millions will starve, tens of millions if I have to use Plan B.
Many more so if Horizon doesn't capture the League Of Villains before I remove him.'
President Pantu looks at the screen, seeing Horizon laughing and joking with Chitose as she asks a few last questions.
'He has me in checkmate. That's why he didn't care about me figuring out his identity. He's more clever than I thought. But then again, that shouldn't surprise me.
After all, he is Horizon.
But for the sake of hundreds of millions, we must remove him, even if that means tens of millions will suffer…'
END CHAPTER---