168 CHAPTER 164(Insufficient Clearance)

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CHAPTER START---

"I'm fine," Horizon says, looking Momo up and down, seeing her glance between him and the heavybag across the floor.

"Are you sure, you don't have to be perfect all the time you know," Momo says.

"I'm fine, just got a bit distracted," Horizon says, walking over to the bag.

He takes a look at the chain at the top of it and sighs.

"Did you break it?"

"Not permanently, Power Loader will just attach a new chain, it'll be fine before this evening," he shrugs.

"You've been hitting it since I got here, I've never seen you down here before," Momo says as he walks back over to her.

Her eyes trailed over his body for a bit longer than intended, which he noticed but did not react to.

"I must have been more distracted than I thought, didn't even notice anyone else was here."

"Is something that important on your mind?" Momo had genuine concern in her voice, but was also a bit worried for everyone.

It's an open secret in Japan and especially 1A, that Horizon is privy to the top villain information in the country. He's on call as support if a top villain shows up. So if he has reason to be worried, it's possible everyone should be very, very worried.

"I don't like waiting," Horizon says. "You don't have to be worried, I just have some people collecting information for me, and I'm here, waiting."

"Oh I see, you'd rather be out there helping people. But instead, you're stuck here just waiting for other people."

"Pretty much, and this," he gestures to the heavy bag, and some of the others hanging from the ceiling in this area. "Helps me clear my head, usually I'd workout at home or in Tokyo, then train my Quirk at UA...but something about striking practice clears the mind."

Momo gives him a curious look, and he could almost hear the gears turning in her head, "how does it work since you're always wearing th---" she cuts herself off. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry that's quite rude of me!"

"It's fine," he says. "I don't sweat, get tired, or get worn down. It takes a lot atleast. Working out for a few hours like this won't really do much."

"Oh, I see. Wait, a few hours?" she looks at the clock on the wall. "But it's only 6 AM, and the movie finished at almost midnight---"

"Don't worry about it," Horizon says. "But what about you, do you always work out in the mornings?"

"Oh, no, but this morning I just felt like I needed it."

"Oh, adding in a bit more to the workout. Smart move."

"Actually, I came down here this morning because I've been feeling anxious about---"

'FFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK! Really not in the mood for any of this emotional crap...'

"---the second semester starting today," Momo says, completely oblivious to how little Horizon cared. "I doubt you'd understand, but over the summer...I failed to save someone."

"Was it someone important to you?"

"Uh, no, not particularly."

"Then no, can't relate at all."

"Well, it was at a party, and they tried to take him as a hostage. I tried to help but then he got shot, and they had guns, and I just...there were too many people there, and I just had to let them take him..."

Momo already had small tears streaming down her face, and beneath his visor Horizon had a look of genuine disgust and disinterest on his face.

'These people are the fucking worst,' Horizon thinks as he rolls his eyes.

"Well, all you can do is train harder, so next time, you'll be ready," Horizon says. "I held back once when I shouldn't have, and it cost me, that's the mistake I'll never repeat. So I guess this is yours."

Momo sniffles for a moment, then makes a tissue to wipe her tears, "I suppose you're right, I just have to get stronger, then I can protect everyone."

"Mhm," Horizon nods along. "Look, comparing yourself to people isn't healthy, just focus on yourself. And definitely never compare yourself to me, I've trained all my life for this kind of work, and you've just started out."

"Right," Momo nods and gives him soft smile. "So, care to help me see how far the distance between us is?" she gestures to the ring in this underground gym.

"Oh, right, you lean toward close combat, right?"

"Mhm, I've been training a lot with Uraraka and Ojiro."

"Right, but you can make guns...I mean swords, since you've got those laws about what you can and can't make."

"Yes but those are a bit too--- I mean, swords are cool. I mean yours is cool! You're cool! I mean, ugh! But it's just...blood."

"They're villains, but fine if you rather the gentle approach. Just don't get too comfortable with close-range fighting, you can make anything you want, use that. Play your game, don't play theirs. Because if you're fighting someone like me."

He places his hand atop her head, ignoring the light blush, then raises it 7 inches to the top of his.

"You're still about half my weight, you'll probably need more than a staff if some psycho who doesn't care about his own health rushes you. So use something ranged or just stab him."

"I still don't feel comfortable with those kinds of weapons, but I suppose that's what training is for, I'll mention it to Mr. Aizawa when we get to class."

"Or you can get permission for guns," Horizon shrugs. "I'm sure he can figure something out."

"Well perhaps, maybe I can use rubber b---"

"MOMO!" Mina screams out as she enters the gym, wearing some yoga shorts and a sports bra matching her pink skin. She does a small jog up to them as Toru separates from her to start warming up.

"Oh, good morning Mina," Momo says.

"How come you're here this morning?" Mina asks as she approaches them, then her eyes land on Horizon, and a mischievous grin forms on her lips.

Momo's breath hitches, already having endured some teasing alongside Jiro for simply sitting beside Horizon last night, but now Horizon was here to hear it himself.

"Sorry for interrupting the workout date cuties," Mina says.

"I was actually just leaving," Horizon says, catching both girls off guard as he doesn't bother correcting them. "I sense Bakugo, Kirishima, Tetsutetsu, and Deku on the way down...can't imagine I'd get a quiet gym with them here."

"I'm sure you'll have lot of mornings with your darlin---"

SHAMBLES!

Horizon warps away before Mina can even finish, and a moment before Momo roughly slaps a hand over her mouth.

"CRAP!" Eraser yells as his car swivels on the mostly empty road, leaving UA. But heading out of Musutafu, toward the south.

A moment later he steadies the vehicle and pulls over.

"What are you doing?" he turns around, facing Horizon who was now sitting in the back seat.

Horizon was still only wearing the body glove and visor.

"How did you warp here?" Yagi asks from the front seat, "there wasn't anything in the back seat."

"I'm familiar with most of Musutafu, don't need to swap with anything," Horizon says.

"And why are you here?"

"Good question, but my question is, if I've been charged with guarding this cripple," he gestures to Yagi. "Then why the fuck is he leaving UA without telling me?"

"That matter is confidential," Eraser says. "And we'll be back this afternoon, hopefully before classes are out."

Horizon turns to look at Yagi.

"All For One finally agreed to speak with me," Yagi says. "We're on the way to Tartarus, you haven't been cleared to come with us by the Commission."

"Ugh," Eraser facepalms and faces forward, leaning back in the driver's seat. "What part of this being classified didn't you understand?"

"What? It's not like Nezu wasn't gonna tell him. He'd know by the end of the day I'm sure," Yagi says.

"True, if something happens with potato face and he breaks out, I'm the guy they'll send to put him in the ground."

"Honestly I don't know why he hasn't been executed yet," Eraser says.

"I'll add it to the list of things to ask him," Yagi says.

"It's classified," Horizon says. "But they've been studying him, trying to figure out any weaknesses all the Nomu share, or maybe to solve a method of reversing them."

"But aren't the Nomu just corpses?" Eraser asks.

"Mostly, but during the last raid Endeavor encountered one that was talking, well, trying to. All it had was a 'Turtle' Quirk, and it wasn't anything special, but its an early test run for something, most likely."

"It had a semblance of consciousness," Yagi says.

"Yeah, so the person wasn't entirely dead in there. Central Hospital is tasked with the Nomu reversal project, alongside Dr.Shodai Garaki of Jaku General and their research board."

"And you?"

"I don't have clearance...but I've seen some of the documents, that's how I know this much," Horizon says. "It's not impossible to reverse the Nomu, if it has a consciousness. But at best it'll have a half-life, if so much, depending on its intelligence of course. And that's not a life worth living, or saving."

"I don't believe their families would disagree," Yagi says.

"Not my problem, I've got enough crap to deal with, picking up the slack for all the Paper Heroes in this country, call me if anything goes wrong, and don't let this one die," he gestures to Yagi.

And with that Horizon warps into his dorm room, to get prepared for the day.

Eraser just shakes his head as he gets ready to drive off, "I know I'm not supposed to say this, especially about students. But for the future Symbol of Peace, he's---"

"A jerk," Yagi says. "But he's got all the time he needs at UA to soften up. Nezu did say he's here to learn to play with others, not for the actual education or training."

"That's a lot more polite than what I was going to say, and is he usually this mean to you?"

"In the wake of my failures, the pieces have been left for him to clean up," Yagi says. "With how much pressure I've added to his life I'm surprised he doesn't outright hate me," he chuckles sadly.

"And less stress on Midoriya, right?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Yagi says.

"You're a bad liar, and more people than you realized think you're trying to make that kid into the next you in some way. And you've got Bakugo right there next to him."

"Oh, well I hope you don't have a problem with that, since they are your students."

Eraser continues driving forward, "honestly, think you can take Ashido and Toru too? That'll be all the usual troublemakers off my hands. I'd ask you to take Horizon too, but, Nezu has that under control, hopefully..."

"Uh, sorry, I won't really be that good at training those Quirks, maybe give them to Midnight..."

END CHAPTER---