Chapter 7

January 5, 2163

1209 Hours

"I was led to believe that the SPI armor would be acceptable for the Spartans," Director Kenzo said. "What changed?"

"It's exactly as you said. Acceptable, when they should be extraordinary. Beyond anything that the world has ever seen: just like those that'll wear them," Halsey reasoned.

Semi-Powered Infiltration Armor - or 'SPI' - was by no means worthless. It was actually quite exceptional. Halsey knew this because she'd had a hand in designing it all those years ago. It was one of the numerous projects that ONI had asked for her aid in. When she'd accepted the task, it was little more than basic body armor. By the time she was done, there wasn't even a resemblance of the initial concept.

A full under armor bodysuit that contained a liquid nanocrystal layer for ballistic protection that was stronger, lighter, and far more flexible than Kevlar. Overlapping titanium alloy plates that could withstand a barrage of small arms fire. Then there was one of Halsey's most remarkable achievements: photoreactive panels. It was more than just camouflage, as the panels could augment their own texture to better emulate the environment. The entire suit could blend in with its surroundings, effectively rendering the wearer invisible. All of which was supported by a combat exoskeleton that could grant a significant increase to all of the user's physical attributes.

But in comparison to what she proposed now, it could only be described as… lacking.

"I think there's been an error, Doctor. This can't possibly be right," Okino said in disbelief. He shook his head from side to side, trying to grasp the magnitude of such a cost. "You could probably buy an aircraft carrier for the cost of outfitting a single team."

Halsey let out a frustrated sigh. Although completely justified, their reaction was an obstacle that she couldn't allow. Time was already of the essence and her newest idea would only further constrict it. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that they'd need every single day to finish the Mjolnir armor by graduation. "I understand your reluctance, but in a situation as dire as this, we can't afford to hold back now. Our heroes will need every advantage they can get."

"For that kind of price, they better be able to knock All Might himself off his feet," Yokumiru muttered.

Halsey allowed herself a small, smug smile. "Well…"

All eyes were immediately on her. Some of the board members actually paled at what she'd just implied. As they should. "The armor was originally one of David Shield's designs that he planned to use for All Might's later outfits. However, it never left the drawing board on account of numerous issues, one of the most prevalent being the inability to attach a suitable power supply."

"I didn't think the man could wear armor. Weren't they always too restricting?" Asked Kenzo.

"Or they just flat out broke," said Okino.

"Mjolnir is unlike any exoskeleton ever created. Instead of servos and complex machinery, the user would wear a form-fitting bodysuit that had a layer of liquid metal crystal that can react to their movements and amplify them five-fold."

"You mean it would've made him stronger?" Okino blurted out incredulously.

"In theory? Yes. As well as being faster and more agile. Though like I said, it never did make it past the planning phase."

"And how," Yokumiru asked, "did you come across these specifications?"

"I've known Doctor Shield for a long time. I remember years ago when he consulted me on the application of combat exoskeletons in heroics, and so I decided to get back in touch. He was distraught over the news of All Might and - after explaining to him our goals - he agreed to help us construct all the armor we need for our new heroes."

"You told him about the Spartans?" Kenzo asked critically. She was the calmest of the group, but there was still a good amount of venom in her words.

"Are you out of your mind!"

"What if he tells the INTERPOL!"

"Shit! What do we d-"

Halsey raised her voice to be heard over the chaos. "I assure you all I didn't tell him everything, only the parts I needed to convince him to give us his aid."

"Doctor Halsey," Yokumiru said in a low tone, "this is a serious breach of confidentiality. Did you even stop to consider what would've happened had he declined your offer?"

"I did consider the risks, and I'm telling you now that the benefits far exceed them."

"How so?" Director Kenzo asked. Halsey could tell from her tone that she was curious, but she wasn't completely off the hook.

"As I've said, Mjolnir will be unlike anything the world's seen. Doctor Shield and I have talked extensively and we've made some incredible modifications. In addition to the reactive liquid crystal, there'll be multiple other layers that will aid them. The titanium alloy weave, for instance, that'll serve as ballistic protection and work to disperse heat from energy-based attacks. A hydrostatic gel layer that both regulates the wearer's temperature and can pressurize itself to save them from high g-forces that can come from a villain's strength enhancing Quirk. The outer shell will be composed of numerous pieces made from Grade A Titanium battle plate."

"Isn't that the stuff they use in tanks and warships?"

"It is. This makes the armor impervious to small arms fire or any other equivalent. I've run the calculations myself. They'll easily outmatch just about any Pro Hero with a strength Quirk, like Death Arms or Cow Lady. And that's assuming anyone will be able to land a hit in the first place."

More confused looks. Good, got to keep them on their toes. "While the armor can react to their smallest movements, we decided to take it one step further. A neural interface implanted at the base of the skull will allow the suit to read the biochemical signals sent from the brain and translate it directly into the suit itself. This means that the armor can move with the wearer at a speed that's indistinguishable from their own actions. No delays. In fact, in some cases the armor will move before they do."

"Is that… safe?" Yokumiru asked hesitantly.

"For a standard human's body? Almost certainly not. Doctor Shield actually theorized that the suit would kill the average person who would try to wear it. But the Spartan's augmentations will allow them to use it with ease."

"And what exactly is the payoff?"

"A reaction time so fast that anyone who doesn't have a speed quirk won't even see them moving. They'll have assessed the situation, formulated a plan, and executed it before some people can even blink. Just imagine it. A hero who not only hits like a train, but can think and move faster than the average eye can perceive."

Director Kenzo was silent for a moment. Halsey didn't need a mind reading quirk to know what was going through her head. The very idea of making their already impressive heroes nearly unstoppable was a tantalizing thought. Eventually, she let out a heavy sigh then motioned to the rest of the Board. "Any thoughts?"

"Ma'am," the Treasurer began. "We can certainly divert funds for several suits. But I must warn you, such a cost will undoubtedly attract attention. Especially from those with a keen eye."

"You mean the rat?" Snorted Yokumiru.

"Hm, indeed," agreed the Director. Principal Nezu's intrinsic paranoia of large organizations and staggering intelligence would certainly be a nuisance in the coming future.

Okino grunted from the side. "Doctor Halsey, what you're asking for is quite frankly insane. That being said… I wholeheartedly believe this is something we should invest in. I have little doubt that these suits will give them exactly the edge they need."

Yokumiru decided to chime in. "I… second that. We've already taken so much from them. The least we can do is make sure they have the best tools available. We can't put a price tag on saving the world."

Nods and hums of agreement resonated. Kenzo appeared pleased.

"Very well, Doctor, it seems we've reached a consensus. If there's anything else you need, you know where to send your requests."

"Thank you, Director," Halsey said. She hadn't even finished the sentence before she was running through all the materials and personnel she'd need. It would be a race against time, no other way to put it. But she was confident that if they started now, they could finish the first batch of suits by-

"And Doctor?" An icy voice called out to Halsey.

Ah, shit.

"Yes, Director?"

"I ask that you consult the rest of us before you do something so… irresponsible, again. Your work is invaluable to us, but that doesn't mean we'll allow you to get away with doing whatever you want." Her words were sharp, but they were honest. "Am I understood?"

Halsey chose to answer with a nod and a simple, "Understood."

It looked like she'd pushed her boundaries a little too far on this one. She'd have to reign it in for a while to prevent anything severe. Oh well. She'd played this game a hundred times over with ONI. It wouldn't be any different here. Mark her words, her Spartans would only receive the absolute best. Nothing less.

March 13, 2163

1110 Hours

Izuku would admit that he was a bit taken aback by the topic in heroics class today. He knows he shouldn't be, as this was something they were informed back on their very first day. Still though, it's an uneasy concept for him.

"Sakamata Kugo," Tsutsumi-sensei said. "Does anyone know who this is?"

Izuku waited patiently to see if one of the other candidates would answer. Things were different here. In his old school, Aldera, he always kept his head down. Too afraid that the act of speaking would garner him more attention, and thus more bullying.

After a few seconds, he raised his hand.

"Yes, Izuku?"

"The Pro Hero: Gang Orca."

"Correct, and his Quirk?"

"Orcinus, ma'am. It grants him all the powers of an orca whale."

"Indeed," Tsutsumi-sensei confirmed. "Super strength and super speed, both of which are amplified when in water. He's been known to shrug off bullets, survive collapsing buildings, and move fast enough to catch a car going forty five kilometers an hour. But what's most important is his projection of hypersonic frequencies which is strong enough to shatter concrete and can paralyze his opponents. Knowing all of this, does anyone have any suggestions on how to fight him?"

At this, Izuku again waited to let someone else speak up. He would, if no one else did, but a small piece of him wished that he wouldn't have to. It felt so disorienting thinking about how to not only subdue a Pro, but to kill them if the need arose. He understood why they were talking about such matters; he even agreed with it. It's just that there was still a part of him that looked to heroes with awe and hope. To consider killing one seemed… disturbing. And because they didn't know who was a turncoat or not, they had to regard everyone with a high level of paranoia until proven otherwise.

So far, the list of known loyal heroes was underwhelmingly small.

"Maintain a healthy distance and engage with energy-based attacks," someone finally said. Izuku recognized it as Serin's voice. He let loose a small sigh of equal parts relief and apprehension. While many of the other candidates shared his discomfort in planning ways to defeat the heroes they'd looked up to for their lives, there was a significant portion that had no qualms with it. Those like Serin, Jai, and Mei took a far more pragmatic approach to the whole thing. If a hero turned out to be loyal, then there was nothing to worry about. It was simply insurance. But if they were a traitor, then they needed to be put down immediately, before they could hurt anyone.

Nevertheless, all heads turned to hear her out. "Gang Orca is known to be sensitive to extreme heat as his Quirk causes him to dehydrate faster than normal. If we could surround him with multiple directed energy weapons like microwave emitters, then we could potentially subdue him in seconds without having to engage in physical combat."

Izuku is somewhat startled. Serin's recommendation was far tamer than some of the other plans she'd put forth. The stunned expressions of his team and the other candidates around him could only confirm this. Even Tsutsumi-sensei seemed pleasantly surprised by this change. From what he and the candidates could gather, she used to be some sort of enforcer for the Commission: taking out high risk targets and keeping to the shadows. It must've been irksome to hear such explosive and overkill strategies. Serin usually didn't like to take any chances and would recommend something crazy like preemptively placed machine gun nests and close air sup-

"If all that fails, then several snipers with SRS99 Anti-Material Rifles and a few SPNKr rocket launchers will surely punch through his tough exterior. After all, those weapons are designed to pierce tank armor, so a fish certainly won't stand a chance."

Goddammit, Serin.

Author's Note: Next update, next Wednesday.