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CHAPTER START---
Standing atop his building in Minato Tokyo -a white and blue skyscraper overlooking the city around it, with his logo brightly lit up on the side of it-, Law was currently on the phone.
While the rain was pouring it seemed to collect a few feet above him, leaving the cold water forming a wide floating pool above him, almost glowing under the moonlight.
"Mr. Matani are you sure you'd like to donate that much?"
"Well I'm the host so yes," Law says. His voice was free as his visor was off. "And I don't see why you had to call me about this non-issue."
"Well, I simply assumed it must have been a mistake. Such a large donation from the Matani Estate will surely draw many eyes to you," the man says. "I assumed you wanted to remain, under the radar, as you say it."
"Yeah well, I mostly will be, but still. It's my money, I built the Matani Estate, and I hired you to do the paperwork so I don't have to."
"And to advise you, as is part of my duty as your family Estate Manager..."
"Yeah, but this isn't one of those moments. I promise if you make a good point I'll concede my plan to you, but for now, I'm spending a lot of money to buy my way into the hearts of the people. I need you to be on board with that."
"Yes, but the cashflow from the acquisitions you made won't be enough to---"
"I have the money to cushion my losses," Law says, knowing one or two surgeries at full price would easily have his accounts overflowing. Not that all his money was ever in the Matani Estate, he didn't want Japan to have full knowledge of his assets after all. "Can you just make the donations before tomorrow night, I want a lot of eyes on me at the event..."
The man sighs, "as you wish sir."
"Good, now have a good night," Law hangs up and puts his phone away.
Looking down at Tokyo he shakes his head, "all the money in the world, and now if I give away too much away people have a problem with that, just great."
Raising his hand to the back of his neck he warps the compressed visor into his palm, placing it for it to warp around his head.
"Right, no more work tonight."
SHAMBLES!
Horizon warps away, and the layer of rainwater floating above the building falls onto the roof.
Appearing in the kitchen he sees Ryuko slicing up some pork, with her back turned toward him. She was wearing a set of 'Pixie-bob' themed pajamas, with her hair down, and some matching blue fluffy slippers.
"Wha---"
"Ah!" she immediately spins around, pointing the knife at him, luckily he wasn't standing directly behind her. Leaving the island counter between them. Seeing him she takes a deep breath and just frowns, "maybe you should wear a bell."
"It wouldn't move when I warp," he shrugs. "What are you making?"
"Katsudon, that's your favorite, right?" she turns back to the food, continuing the preparations.
"Yeah...but I can't eat that."
"Huh, why not?"
"It's a family tradition, doesn't feel proper without the right people."
Her knife stops cutting, not sure how to respond to that, then she just continues cutting. "Then I'll make us some Pork Bowls."
"Sounds good, Sero won't be back for a few more hours, so we've got this place all to ourselves for now."
"Ohh, so whatever shall we do?" she spins around to give him a sultry smile. "After you clean up, still got some blood on you," she points to his shoulder.
"Not mine."
"Obviously I know that, but I thought you always made it a point to stay clean."
"There was a subway station collapse, I had to operate on-site," he sees Ryuko grimace at that image, "right, not the best dinner conversation. I'll go get cleaned up."
---25 Minutes Later...
Standing in his living room, Horizon stares through the wall of glass separating him from the rain. A thin barrier dividing worlds.
He's only wearing his body glove and visor, leaving all the blue grooves bare, his muscular figure free for anyone to see.
And while his visor was still on, he looks at his reflection in the glass, and only sees Law Matani staring back at him.
Angry, but silent.
The building, simmering rage just below the surface. The rage that could spill out and break this nation apart.
The rage kept in line by a few drops of ink on a piece of paper.
Then he feels a slender hand gripping his forearm, only to look down at Ryuko who stands beside him, resting her head against his arm.
"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were a robot."
"Luckily you know exactly how flesh and blood I am..."
The woman just shakes her head, moving her hand down to lock their fingers together. "Well, you don't have to say it like that."
"Mhm," they fall into a peaceful silence, watching the rain fall outside.
"What were you thinking about, before I snuck up on you?" Ryuko asks.
"Nothing too particular, just. I never thought I'd be here."
"Spending the evening with a bombshell blonde like me?"
"No that part was obvious," she pats him on the arm, pouting cutely. "But standing in a building I bought to act as an unofficial Hero Office, it's a far cry from what I imagined for myself."
"Hmm, I've actually been meaning to ask about that, why this building?"
"You mean why'd I buy it?"
"Mhm, it must have cost a fortune, but you wasted no time buying it and putting your logo on the side."
"Because of the location."
"What do you mean?"
"Horizon Tower is in the exact center of Minato Tokyo, the central city of Tokyo. 50km to the North, West, or South, and you'd still be in Tokyo."
"And the docks are to the East."
"Mhm, and tell me, what are the traits of God."
"God, what does that have to do with anything?"
"Humor me..."
Ryuko thinks about if for a moment. "Well, he's all-knowing, he can exist everywhere at once, and he can do anything he wants, right?"
"Mhm," Horizon raises a hand, and places it on the glass. And for a dozen meters ahead of them, the rain stops in mid-air. And a few seconds later it continues falling. "I'm powerful, and very smart, but I can't be everywhere at once."
"Warping---"
"Has a limited range, as most people have figured out," he says. "But standing here. In the middle of the city. I can be equally close to everyone, at once. A faux omnipresence."
"You aren't satisfied with just being a great hero?"
"No, I never was," he admits. "This was just a chore...but honestly. The power is growing on me. Four hundred million lives, depending on me, and listening to my every word. That's intoxicating, don't you think."
"Yes, but God is kind, and forgiving. He's a loving being..." Ryuko says, not liking the exact direction of this conversation. "Like you will be, right?"
"Of course," Horizon chuckles, "I'm a hero after all, the greatest Pro Hero this world will ever know. But I do find it funny that when I say god everyone assumes I mean the biblical kind."
He lets go of her and begins walking to the couches, where two Pork Bowls were waiting on them.
Ryuko looks a bit confused, "so what kind of god do you mean then?"
"Less bible, more Zeus..." And those words sent a chill down her spine.
But they also excited something inside her, something she didn't think she had. An attraction she never imagined she could feel.
As a Hero, villains with God Complexes and delusions of grandeur are commonplace. But the way Horizon spoke.
The confidence, the conviction.
The fact that he could very well become a being of such power, if he wasn't already.
It made part of her want to run away, as far away as possible. But the other side of her, the part that wasn't a Pro Her, just wanted to sit beside him...and that's the side she listened to.
---45 Minutes Later...
The TV was on, playing the news far too quietly for anyone to hear.
While Horizon was laying on the couch with Ryuko on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. They were both still fully dressed, just relaxing.
"Is me being here bothering you?" she asks.
"Hmm, why would that bother me?"
In response, she just reaches up and taps his visor, "because you can't take off the fish bowl with me here."
"It's not a fish bowl."
"You know what I mean, I'm probably the only person who knows it can come off without you dying, so I'd imagine you don't like having it one when you're at home."
"I'm used to it...sadly."
"Oh..."
"And for the record, Nezu knows too, and what I look like."
"Oh, right, your uncle."
Horizon pauses for a moment, trying and failing to make sense of that, "what?"
"The way you two talk, it's kind of cute watching you not be a jerk to someone...someone that you aren't sleeping with."
"Well, he earned it."
"By bringing you into UA?" Ryuko asks. "No, this had to be before that right, when he hired you to save All Might."
"Before that," Horizon says. "My parents were in real danger, and he saved their lives from certain death. That's how we met."
"So he's your Hero..."
"Ugh," Horizon groans. "You just had to ruin it."
"I didn't ruin it!" she whines.
"Whatever, atleast you didn't ask me to take off the visor, atleast not with the light on."
"Well, I am curious. But I know what we agreed to...just a summer fling, right?"
"Right," he doesn't even hesitate to agree, which definitely annoyed her.
"Four more days then I'll have to start over, no more of this," she feels Horizon wrap another arm around her waist, and she instinctively tries to press herself against him even more.
"Then I guess we should make good use of this time together..."
SHAMBLES!
END CHAPTER---