MHA: Horizon(Ope-Ope No Mi)

Chapter 8: (Negotiations Pt.1)

Read auxiliary chapter World Info before starting the story.

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CHAPTER START---

"Nearly 10 PM and you've got me here still, this had better be good Nezu..." Pantu says sharply, narrowing her eyes at the bear-mouse seating across from her desk.

In the sleek minimalist office of the Hero Public Safety Commission president, she leans back into her chair. Her short ash blonde hair slicked back neatly, pearls around her neck. Black dress and suit jacket combination neat as ever. Slight wrinkles on her face showed her age but she still held a vibrant sort of vigor in her turquoise eyes.

"I'll make this quick so you can get to the airport," Nezu says. "I need full negotiating power on the Arsenal case."

"Denied. Get out."

"I can't do that," Nezu says. "Something happened and now the situation has changed."

Pantu raises a brow at him, understanding that he wouldn't ask for such a thing without a very good and well-thought-out reason, "what on earth could make you want to potentially give that monster a pardon? She's killed thousands of people, and dozens of heroes, she should be in the ground already, that's why I gave you Hawks and Chrome, they're not opposed to more...definitive, measures."

"It's not for her," Nezu says.

Pantu leans back into her chair and raises a hand to her chin, "I'll delay my jet, start from the top."

Nezu looks around the office for a moment before clearing his throat.

This made Pantu even more interested, she sits up and taps a button below her desk, shutting off all the recording devices in the room. "Alright, off the record, now from the top."

"The plan worked perfectly," Nezu says. "Any of the jobs she took for the next few months would have set off our trap, but we encountered an unexpected complication."

"How unexpected?"

"Apparently The Heart Thief and Arsenal had a baby," Nezu sighs.

This gets Pantu leaning forward, "wait, did he?" Nezu nods. "For her?" He nods again. "My god, to think those two monsters were connected all along."

"Like I said, most unexpected."

She gestures for him to continue and relaxes back into her chair.

"We lost Shifter," Nezu says.

"How? His skin is supposed to be as hard as tungsten when he transforms."

"True," Nezu says. "We chose him and Chrome for that express purpose, they can block anything Arsenal's quirk has while Hawks is fast enough to subdue her, but we didn't prepare for her son. He did...something, to Shifter, same as Chrome. It's as if a bullet tore through them, didn't even touch the skin, only internal components."

"An indefensible attack?" Pantu asks.

"And he can warp, with undefined limitations."

Pantu groans, warping quirks were near impossible to deal with short of a shock implant, but getting approval for those were an entirely different humanitarian issue, yet it always seems like only villains ever get warping quirks, currently, no hero in the world has one, that's simply how rare they were. "What do you mean undefined limitation?"

"It's the first and only instant warping Quirk to my knowledge," Nezu says. "He can swap the place of objects or people at will or seemingly move freely without needing to swap with anything. We've seen conflicting evidence, there are clearly factors we aren't aware of."

"Alright, go on."

"He used this substitution-based warping to kill Mind-Bender by swapping him with Arsenal before swapping them back, he was able to resist the telepathic connection when Arsenal couldn't, and he somehow located Mind-Bender with no information."

"Three dead pros, all from the top twenty," Pantu frowns. "Is Hawks alright?"

"He barely survived their first encounter, after Hawks destroyed Arsenals organs her son almost cut him in half, but Hawks was fast enough to escape before bleeding out, he got stapled up before we made the arrest."

"Hawks, the number three pro-hero, had to run?"

"The boy is very well trained as you can imagine, certainly not the first time he's crossed swords with someone."

"How'd you arrest him if he can warp?" she asks.

"We tracked them with a feather Hawks left in Arsenal, he was performing surgery on his mom when we got there, if he left she would have died so I made him a deal, he can finish the operation if he surrenders quietly."

"She survived?" Pantu asked.

"Somehow," Nezu says. "His operating skills and healing ability are a miraculous combination, certainly his father's son."

Pantu raises a brow at this, "healing?"

Nezu nods, "another ability he has. Hawks confirmed the kind of damage she sustained, she should have been dead ten times over, but she's stable and in custody as we speak."

"And the boy?"

"I heard over the phone on the way here that he kept his word."

"And The Heart Thief?"

"He shot at Hawks but was easily subdued without hurting anyone, including himself, he did manage to destroy all their records before we got there sadly."

"Damn," Pantu rubs her face and sighs. "So two monsters made an even worse monster with however many abilities and some strange quirk, and you want what exactly?"

"I have someone I need him to heal, I already have his psychosis solved, I know how to handle him, and if I don't, it'll only take one conversation to figure him out."

Pantu shakes her head, "sorry Nezu but I'm not letting that hero-killing kid back into the public, starting thinking of a way to put cuffs on him that he can't warp out of."

"Pantu, it's in the best interest of Japan that he accepts this offer, and you're the person with the authority to grant it."

Pantu sighs, "who could be so important that you need this kid to heal, just have recovery girl do it."

"We tried," Nezu says. "We've been trying for years with some of the best healers around the world, everyone says it's impossible to even extend his time, Japan isn't ready to stand without its symbol Pantu."

Pantu nearly feels her heart stop at those words, "y-you can't mean?"

"Yes," Nezu nods solemnly, "this is our best hope, for All Might."

"Damn it," Pantu sighs. "You understand all the things those two monsters have done, right?"

Nezu nods.

"So you know how much international pressure will be on me to sentence them to execution in Tartarus?"

He nods again.

"Sigh, I'll agree with whatever deal you make so long as it doesn't mean they all walk, at least not immediately, when things are more quiet in a few years I can get them out. You can give the kid a full pardon if you really think he's worth the risk."

"It's hard to imagine a risk not worth taking for the potential to save All Might."

"Why'd you keep this information from me anyway?" Pantu asks. "Can you tell me any more?"

"I'm afraid not, I've already told you far more than I was ever allowed to, but I'm sure he'll understand."

"Mhm," Pantu nods. "Well, your connections are better than mine so if you couldn't find a solution I certainly couldn't have. What about the kid, what's your endgame with him, after he potentially fixes All Might?"

"All Might is already forty-eight years old, even if he was in perfect health, how much longer could we rely on him?"

Pantu scowls, "you know the constitution and international hero law states we can't give a license to anyone that doesn't complete a hero course," she reminds him.

"I'm well aware of that, and I'm also aware that every country breaks that regulation, just as you've done for Hawks and a few others."

"They were raised to protect Japan and her interests at all costs, I'm not giving your pet monster the same benefits as them."

"That would likely be for the best, he already has the skills to deal with most heroes and villains, but he lacks that heroic spirit, and I know the perfect place to instill that into him," Nezu smiles victoriously.

Pantu shakes her head, "you plan to put that thing in a classroom and tell it to play nice with the other children?"

"I plan to show him the virtuous and heroic path, and all the good he can do, but yes, placing him in a hero-centric environment for a few years is sure to help."

Pantu shakes her head, "just don't come crying to me when he puts a knife in your back, it's inevitable when someone is as hopeful as you are, which really doesn't make sense considering you're the smartest person on the planet by such a large margin."

Nezu can't help but laugh at that, "maybe the people arguing with the smartest creature to ever live are wrong, I find that much more likely, he'll be a great hero, you'll see..."

END CHAPTER---

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