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CHAPTER START---
Just below the clouds, Horizon stands in the air, casually scrolling through his social media feed on his phone as Sunder hovers beside him.
The Pentagon is below him, basking in the morning sun, the seat of The United States Of America Defense Council.
The council which was reformed after the advent of Quirks to regulate Quirk use and integrate them into the military complex.
Unlike many smaller countries, America does not separate between its military systems and Pro Hero system, they simply used the military they'd spent all their time as a nation perfecting to fold Pro Heroes into the operating system.
This allowed them to get ahead of the rest of the world in organizing the Pro Hero system, making them the capital for Pro Heroes the world over.
In fact, until Principal Nezu reorganized UA, the United States was head and shoulders ahead of any nation in regards to training Pro Heroes, and even now it's argued that they are simply better at it.
However, the difference in national culture causes the world to lean more toward Japan's UA because of its softer approach.
America is much more aligned with Horizon's methods since they classify 'villains' differently.
"Enjoying the view?" a voice asks behind Horizon, a confident and playful feminine voice.
"I was wondering how long I'd have to wait to meet you," Horizon says as he puts his phone away and turns around to see her, Star and Stripe.
The #1 Overall Pro Hero, the only other Mystery Class Quirk user in history.
Wearing her full Hero Costume as always with her hair blowing in the wind, looking at him with an amused smile.
"Sorry if I've kept you waiting," Star' says as she hovers closer, staying just out of arms reach while eyeing him curiously, and the sword beside him. "And here I thought I'd be late for the meeting, but when I saw you hovering out here I decided to come say hello."
"We've got some time, the president is still on the way to The Pentagon," Horizon says. "It's a pleasure to meet you, but...its a bit---"
"Unsettling?" Star' chuckles. "Atleast that's how I feel, finally having to share the sky with someone who can really challenge me. But it is also a bit exciting."
"I couldn't have said it better myself," Horizon admits. "It's also rare for me to be able to observe a fellow Mystery Class Quirk."
"I figured as much," Star' sighs. "You are the top Quirk Researcher, after all, follow me."
After saying that, she slowly flies through the clouds above, disappearing in them.
Below his visor Horizon raises a brow, sensing her reach out from above the cloud and touch it, then she suddenly drops to stand on it.
'That's...new,' he thinks before warping just above her, seeing her standing on the cloud which was now acting as if it were a giant pillow under her weight.
"It's one of the first tricks I learned, to get away from all the cameras and eyes," Star' says.
"Quite incredible," Horizon drops onto the cloud, and feels as if he were walking on a trampoline. The cloud sinks slightly under his weight, but he never falls through.
"Your English is perfect, which is a real relief, because I can't speak Japanese at all," Star' admits.
"Thank you, it comes with the job, I have patients fly from all around the world to see me after all," Horizon says while looking at her, making it quite obvious that he was checking her out.
"See something you like?" she barely suppresses her laugh.
"It's just, you remind me of All Might."
"Thank you!" Star smiles brighter at that. "He was a big inspiration for me, I'm hoping that I can meet him someday, but the damn council doesn't want me leaving our borders to visit."
"Well, maybe I can convince him to come to see you, not that I can recommend he travels, speaking as his doctor of course."
That causes Star' to frown, "Right, he's not well right now. If things ever start looking bad, just let me know, and I'll fly over there with or without council approval, I have to thank him personally for saving me."
"He saved you?"
"When I was a child, and he was still here studying, but that was ages ago."
"Well, I believe he'd be happy to know he inspired someone like you to rise up, that was his goal after all," Horizon says.
"Hearing that means a lot to me," Star' says. "So, mind if I ask how exactly this deal between you and President Skyline came about?"
"It wasn't even between us originally," Horizon says. "Before President Harrison died we had were acquainted with each other, he'd already convinced me to come to America after my time in Japan was over."
"So those rumors were true?"
"Yeah, but when he died so suddenly a few weeks ago, your government was concerned that I changed my mind, so they reached out. President Skyline had just been sworn into office at the time, so he made the call personally. Then we got to talking about what I could do to help find the people that killed the former president, and he came up with this plan, simple really."
"I see, that's about as much as I expected," Star' says.
"Are you concerned about having to share your country with me?"
"I'm not the one I'm concerned for," she says, getting a more serious look on her face. "My concern is for the people of Japan. You and I are capable of suppressing entire nations by simply being present within them, granted due to the surface area of my nation I'm not as all-encompassing as you are for Japan, but now that you're public abroad, what happens to Japan?"
"A massive crime wave, obviously," Horizon says.
"And you're so casual about such a thing happening."
"I wasn't allowed to do any Pro Hero work either way, and the government wouldn't undo that sentence to look weak on the world stage. The crime wave was inevitable, and while this way it will be a bit more...intense, the villains won't do anything large enough to have the government call me back to Japan."
"So you believe they will put a cap on how evil they can act, lest the Japanese government call you back."
"Essentially, yes," Horizon says. "And honestly, I needed the vacation. I've been working non-stop since before entering UA, this suspension they gave me is such a relief."
"That I can understand," Star' admits. "Back when I first became the #1 Overall Pro Hero and the concept of Mystery Class Quirks was introduced, nobody believed it, which meant I constantly had to be taking down villains that wanted to see how powerful I was, I could barely get any sleep back then."
"And now?"
"Well, now they know Star and Stripe is too much for them to handle, so there are only a few incidents that demand my attention each year."
"I figured as much, well I hope we can work together while I'm here, it'll be nice to study your Quirk."
"Oh, being so open about your intentions," Star' smiles. "Shouldn't you at least try to be sneaky when studying my super secret Quirk?"
"Why bother, your people are viewing this as a chance for them to learn about Hand of God, obviously I'd do the same," Horizon sighs. "They really don't get us, do they?"
Star' shakes her head, "No, they still don't, and they never will, but that's the burden of being us, which is why I'm glad you're here, now hopefully we will each have someone who can understand us," she extends her hand for him to shake.
He shakes her hand, and Star's eyes widen in surprise, feeling a powerful tingling sensation flow through her body.
As if ants were crawling under her skin.
"That's very rude," she says as they finish the handshake.
"Well I like to get an early start on my projects," Horizon says as he turns away from her. "Besides, it's not like anyone would believe me if I told them what I just learned, but I am curious, what does the real you look like?"
Star' scoffs, "painfully ordinary, but remember this goes both ways, they wouldn't believe what you just learned about me, just like they wouldn't believe that Shambles, isn't actually 'warping' at all."
"Warping is the easiest way for them to understand it," Horizon shrugs. "Atleast I didn't lie about Takt."
"True, and you never tried to hide the limits of it either, granted I doubt the public put that much thought into what you can and can't manipulate."
"Yeah, but you and I share that weakness, at least in regards to Takt."
"So much for trying to hide all traces of my Quirk activation from the media," Star' says. "How did you figure it out."
"The only person you ever manipulate is yourself, it's pretty obvious, at least to someone with Hand Of God to compare."
"Our Quirks are all about will, sentient beings have a will of their own that can instinctively resist us, although we've both found ways around that."
"That's why Injection Shot exists," Horizon says.
"I'm honestly surprised you're so open about this, figured you'd want to keep all your secrets to yourself," Star' admits.
"Why bother, these things aren't worth hiding, what's the point of hiding a hydrogen bomb from an ant, nothing they do can change what's going to happen."
"And we would have figured it out eventually, so now you get a bit more freedom earlier on," Star' says.
"That's certainly a factor, plus both sides know the risk of revealing too much to the public, pissing off the woman who can touch the air and make the atmosphere cease to exist, or the guy who can swing his sword and cut a city into shreds, isn't a good idea."
Star' slightly narrows her eyes at him, "At this point, only we can defeat each other, at least in a fair fight, but that does make me curious," she clenches her fist, which he notices.
Horizon reaches out, still facing away from her, and warps Sunder into his hand, casually swinging it down at the cloud, leaving a large slash in it without making contact.
Seeing this Star and Stripe flies a bit higher, farther away from the city below, and Horizon follows her.
And when they got to a high enough altitude, above the clouds, they both stopped and looked out over the river.
From here, they could see the Pentagon, the Whitehouse, and the Washington Mall where the main battle was.
"Where will you be based while staying here?" Star' asks.
"New York, I figured with how my Quirk works it can be most efficient there, since I'm basically one giant security camera."
"I see, then they'll want me on the West Coast," she frowns at that, which he notices.
"Don't like Cali'?"
"I grew up there, and, some memories are painful," Star' says. "But this is for the best, the past is dead, and it's time I move on with the future."
"Yes, well..." Horizon raises Sunder, holding it with both hands, and the blade glows bright blue, releasing a think blue mist before he focuses his energy even more, and the mist clings to the blade like a liquid.
'Still needs a bit of work,' he thinks, feeling his control slipping by the second.
Seeing this Star' smiles, and readies a strong right.
She punches with everything she has, aiming for the blade, otherwise he wouldn't be able to react to her.
And even then, he flickers in place, reappearing with his blade on a collision course with her fist.
'His physical reactions are really that slow, well, he is more of a 'mage' I suppose,' she thinks.
As her fist slams into his sword, all the clouds around them are obliterated as a shockwave blasts outward.
INCISION+BOOSTER SHOT+DIVIDE+ANTIBACTERIAL CURTAIN+TAKT!
His entire being is coated in the blue vapor to protect and empower him.
And yet, when they stop their attacks, Star' looks at her fist, not even noticing a scratch, yet feeling her stamina noticeably diminished, more so than any time in the last decade.
And Horizon, who couldn't feel his arms and was almost sweating below his visor, quickly and quietly healed his arms while sheathing Sunder.
"Well, I guess that settles it, at alteast for now," Horizon says, as they both now understood the truth. "You've taught me a lot today, about myself, about how our Quirks collide and interact, so much to learn and improve upon."
Star and Stripe laughs excitedly, "You really are incredible, to think someone so young could be this powerful, I'll be forty soon you know, competing with a high schooler is a bad look for me, but it seems like that's what I'll have to do."
"And you really are just like All Might, so impossibly polite," Horizon says. "What's the name of your Quirk anyway?"
"Oh, right, it's called New Order," she says. "Not as flashy as yours, but it fits."
"Hmm, New Order," Horizon looks down at his sword. "I wonder how long it'll take before I reach your level..."
"You grow faster than me, and your ceiling is beyond even my comprehension," Star' admits. "If we had a serious fight right now, you wouldn't stand much of a chance, but at the rate you grow, it won't be like that for long."
"Yeah that's true, but we can spar some other time, right now we have a meeting to get to," Horizon says as he disappears, leaving her alone in the sky, as she's always been.
Star takes a moment to collect her thoughts, combing over everything that just happened, and comes to one conclusion.
'I moved us away from the clouds so he wouldn't notice that I removed the Order holding that cloud we were standing on together, then I placed an order on my body to make it impossible for his Quirk, Hand Of God, to manipulate my body....but even then I could feel our Quirks clashing with each other for control.
If I hadn't applied that order, he would have cut me in half, even if I'm as durable as All Might was back in the day, such a scary power. If he knew the truth of my Quirk, that I can only have two Oders active at a time, I'd definitely lose...'
Star takes a deep breath to steady her mind, then looks down at the Pentagon, ready to fly to the meeting, but stops herself.
She looks around at the empty sky around her, but even now, a much lighter tingling sensation floods her body.
'Hmm, that must mean I'm within his range, how troublesome...'
END CHAPTER---