CHAPTER 159(Would-Be Challengers)

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CHAPTER START---

---7 PM, UA Campus, Principal Nezu's Office...

Sitting on Nezu's couch Horizon had his feet up on the coffee table while he was talking on the phone.

He was currently wearing some of his own merch, a pair of sweatpants, and a jacket with his logo on the back of it.

"Are you sure?" Gang Orca asks through the phone.

"Yeah, they should be moving lab equipment through your part of Japan by freight trains tomorrow," Horizon says. "And I can't go running to the far side of Japan every time I get a lead so I'm passing it onto you, that's your area after all."

"Right," Gang Orca says. "I'll send some of my sidekicks to the trainyard, they'll alert me if they see any suspicious activity. And this equipment is what they use to make Trigger?"

"Mhm, the rest of the world is still trying to catch up to the quality of Quirk Enhancing Drugs in America, but we should crush these people before they get any closer to a pure formula."

"Yes that would be problematic," Gang Orca says. "I'll be sure to review the file you sent me tonight, and I won't forget to mention you when we make the arrests tomorrow."

"Thanks, I appreciate it, anyway that's all, so---"

"Wait," Orca interrupts before Horizon rudely hangs up as he usually does. "Have you reconsidered my offer?"

"Don't need to," Horizon says. "You can't pay as much as Enji, you aren't as popular. Plus, even if I wanted to, the government won't allow me to just pack up and work in a city like yours. They need all the big guns in Tokyo to keep the crime rate down, your area is more about catching illegal contraband."

"I see, that makes sense. You have much more effect in a densely populated area like central Tokyo, very well then. If you change your mind, the option is always available..."

"I won't," Horizon rudely hangs up on the Hero.

Setting down his phone Horizon leans back and relaxes on the couch.

"That's the last of my cases to delegate to other Pro Heroes...such a pain in the ass when villains try to move their businesses out of Tokyo, but I guess that's the natural response when you've got me in your city..."

A few minutes later Horizon hears the door open, and in walks Nezu, "enjoying your quiet time?" Nezu asks.

"Just keeping the other Pros informed of my leads, in case they find anything."

"Mhm," Nezu casually walks up to him and sits on the couch beside him. "Have you noticed you're already talking like a fully licensed Pro Hero?"

"They're already treating me like one, and I'm already working like one, what's talking like one compared to that?" he shrugs.

"The burden of incomprehensible power, people simply expect you to do the heavy lifting."

"Mhm, it's all part of the deal."

"Yes, but onto the more pressing matter. Someone tried to hack into your phone today?"

"Yeah, but I dealt with it," Horizon says.

"Well explain that to me while we walk to the dorms, I need to go speak to All Might, and taking a stroll through campus is always fun. Atleast when my adorable little legs aren't doing the walking..."

"Mmmm," Horizon grumbles as he gets up, then puts Nezu onto his right shoulder. "As I said, I dealt with the hacker..." he says as they exit the office and begin walking through the empty halls.

"Well you couldn't have dealt with it as Horizon, so, do I want to know what you did?"

"For plausible deniability, you don't want all the details..."

"I see. And why did they try to interfere with you?"

"For leverage," Horizon says as they enter the elevator. "They wanted to know about my finances and businesses, but even if they go in there isn't anything illegal in my books."

"Aside from the overprice healthcare you offer."

"Miracles aren't cheap," Horizon says. "What's the cost of a life anyway. It's not like I judge, it's open bidding...they just want it more than other people, and have more money for it."

"I suppose that's true," Nezu says. "But why did they want leverage?"

"Apparently to borrow my goodwill with the citizens to promote their politics, they aren't anything dangerous. Just a group of politicians wanting to rally their supporters, boring garbage."

"So a conspiracy, and what are the names?" Nezu asks.

"None of your business," Horizon says. "I'll deal with it myself. I already have a plan in motion."

"And what might that be?"

"I did some lasting damage, the kind that only a certain miracle doctor can fix. And one of the people who I suspect is in that group, happens to be an associate of mine. If he contacts me to come to help them out then I'll know he's part of it."

"Right, still relying on excessive cruelty, when will you drop this habit?"

"Horizon didn't do it, not this time," he says.

"I suppose, but you get what I mean," Nezu says. "And your plan after figuring out who is in their group?"

"Nothing," Horizon says as they approach the front exit of UA. "I just want to know exactly who I may have pissed off, what markets they control, and how they can make my life difficult, but I doubt they'd have the balls to do that. Not after the little chat I had with them..."

"I hope Horizon treats villains better than 'he' does," Nezu says.

"Horizon is a hero, there are limits to what he can do... unfortunately. I can't even use Injection Shot as much as I want because the damage is 'excessive and inhumane', a bunch of pussies. "

"What else would you call pulverizing bone and tissue to dust with invisible bullets that bypass defenses?"

"Effective."

"Those shots are almost beyond recovery without a healing Quirk and surgery being used before the bone begins to try growing back. We were lucky that we have Recovery Girl, otherwise, after the first day of practical training with you, Todoroki would have been spending the rest of his life in a wheelchair..."

"Yeah but they're villains."

"Just because someone is on the other side, doesn't mean you have to cripple them for life... as I recall you did with Himiko Toga before she broke out."

"Would you believe that was an accident?" Horizon asks.

"No, but your contempt for the people in your way is astounding, as is your lack of sympathy for those beside you."

"Thanks."

"Not a compliment."

"That's your opinion..." Horizon stops as they exit the main building and approach the dorms, seeing Yagi, Deku, and Bakugo on the front lawn. Both the boys were sparring with the former hero watching them. "And what's this?"

Nezu explains as he continues walking, "they got into a fight after the License Exams...and apparently Midoriya explain One For All to him, but he and All Might trust him."

"More than David Shield apparently," Horizon mutters. "But who won the fight?"

"Bakugo."

"As expected," Horizon says as they arrive beside Yagi, watching the duo spar on the grass. "How are you feeling?"

"Huh!" Yagi is startled to see them beside him. "Oh, you surprised me, and I'm feeling fine."

"That's good to hear," Nezu says. "And how is their training coming along? They've been sparring all week."

"Young Bakugo has been improving steadily, and young Midoriya is becoming familiar with his new fighting style more and more. I'd say they can compete with some of the combat-inclined Pro Heroes by now."

"So the D-Listers, and C-Listers," Horizon says.

"Hey, that's rude, you can't call them that," Yagi says.

"They are what they are, and what new combat style?"

"My Shoot Style!" Deku says as they finish a round of sparring, both he and Bakugo were covered in sweat.

"Shoot? So you can weaponize air pressure already?"

"Uh, no," Deku bashfully rubs the back of his neck. "It's more like Full Cowling, but with my legs too, so I can kick!"

"....." Horizon glances to his right shoulder where Nezu was seated, then back at Deku. "I told you he's retarded."

"He's not retarded," Nezu says. "But it did turn out exactly as you said. You could have gotten him to this level before summer even began if you were willing to help h---"

"He's gotten enough handouts," Horizon glances at Yagi.

"Excuse me," Deku looks at Principal Nezu. "Sir, what did he predict exactly?"

"Oh, you must have forgotten," Nezu says. "When he first taught you Full Cowling, during the Quirk explanation class he gave."

"Yeah, I remember that."

"Well, he said that you idolizing All Might would hold you back, what he meant by that is you constantly try to fight like a boxer and a brawler, when you're not 7ft tall like All Might, but should be more focused on speed."

"Oh," Deku facepalms. "I guess I really was trying to be like All Might so much that it became a hindrance..."

"And if you're that much of a fanboy, you've gotta be a retard on some level," Horizon says.

"Well that's not very nice," Yagi says. "But knowing you, there must be a lot more you've already figured out right? In terms of improving his use of One For All and accelerating his training, especially considering how much Sero's Quirk usage and power improved in just a few weeks of training with you."

"Naturally I've considered the optimal way for all my classmates to train and use their Quirks," Horizon says. "Understanding the opponent is fundamental to crushing them thoroughly after all. How much power can you use right now anyway?"

"5% with my arms, but 8% with my legs!" Deku says, and Bakugo grumbles under his breath.

"Still a lot weaker than me, but you're thinking about it all wrong again," Horizon says.

'Ideally, he'd think of it like gears in increments of 5% each. If he can handle continuous use of his arms in first gear, then shift into second before impact then shift back down into first afterward.

One split second of 10% won't hurt him that badly and will accelerate how fast his body improves so he can raise his base power, but Yagi will probably explain that to him eventually. I doubt All Might was walking around at 100% all the time, the collateral damage from that wouldn't have been heroic after all...'

This is the same system Horizon uses with ROOM. Having set increments of ROOM size so he doesn't have to think as much. Some for more range, some for a more in-depth awareness of the battlefield. The smaller the room the more precise he can be.

"What do you mean?" Deku asks.

"You'll probably have Yagi teach you that eventually," Horizon says, then sighs. "I don't even have the damn Quirk but I'm better at it than you, no wonder I was the first choice for it..."

Bakugo freezes at that, he hadn't known that little fact. And Deku just feels smaller and smaller each time he's reminded. The official reason and to Yagi's knowledge is that Horizon simply doesn't need it, which is true.

But Nezu was also terrified at the idea of such a tool falling into the hands of a person he hardly knew at the time.

And now that he does know him, he's sure he made the correct choice.

"Anyway, have fun sparring..." Horizon hands Nezu to Yagi as they had some things to discuss about tomorrow.

"Wait!" Bakugo yells out as Horizon is about to leave

"What's your problem Silver Medal?" Horizon asks.

"Don't think I'm this idiot's rival!" Bakugo screams out, pointing at Deku. "He's just a stepping stone, and when I crush him, then you're next!"

"That's some dream you have there, but very ill-advised, because if Useless can compete with you," he nods toward Deku. "Imagine what Perfect will do to you..."

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