It had taken three days for the MSF to take Musutafu back. Once All Might and other heroes had cut off the Ninth Circle's access to the strategic reserve, it had only gone downhill for them. By day two all their ground vehicles had run out of gas. By day three, most of their ammunition had been spent up, and what little fighting remained was done by quirks. They took the other way out for most of the Ninth Circle.
Looking over the casualty reports, Snake couldn't help but grumble. Over eighty-five thousand civilians were dead, and another one hundred and twenty thousand were crippled or critically injured. For the Ninth Circle, they'd lost over thirty thousand men, the majority taking their lives instead of risking capture. The MSF meanwhile, was looking at around five thousand dead, and fifteen thousand wounded. That left just Japan's Emergency services and heroes.
Thirty-nine thousand cops from across the country were dead. Around twenty-five percent of the country's law enforcement. Another ten thousand firefighters were also dead, followed by a staggering twenty thousand paramedics. The most staggering number of all was the roughly forty-eight thousand heroes dead and wounded.
"Three hundred and eighty-two thousand casualties," Snake muttered aloud, glaring at the sheet of paper in his hand. Not all of the deaths were of those living in Musutafu, as thousands of officers, firefighters, paramedics, and heroes had been called in from out of the city. But in a sense, it didn't matter. The city's emergency services were crippled, as all their first responders were either dead or in the hospital.
Sitting across the holo-table from Snake, Miller quietly nodded angrily. The commander sat busy, looking over more requisition orders for supplies. Even after monumental preparations, the MSF was struggling to take care of all the civilians they rescued.
"Guarantee that won't be all of them," Miller commented, annoyed. Snake wanted to disagree but it was true. The MSF was still digging through the city's rubble, still trying to tend the wounded, and still trying to bring in enough food and water to keep everyone supplied. Thousands more could die, even days after the attack. It made Snake angry the longer he thought about it.
The US had sent the Secretary of State to discuss letting in international aid, and as much as Snake distrusted the US government, he hesitantly agreed to collaborate with the US. This had spared talks with other first-world nations trying to send over resources, but even with all of this, it was unlikely some civilians would survive. The knowledge angered Snake, and the man continued to glare at the paper.
"How do we still have nothing?" Snake muttered to himself, tired of everything that had occurred. All of this destruction and they still had no lead on Night Owl. No accurate info on his or the Ninth Circle's next move.
"Intel Team's searching as best they can Snake," Miller told him, causing Snake to shake his head.
"And yet that isn't good enough," Snake told him, setting the paper on the holo-table, "We've been after Night Owl for years, and he's always been one step ahead."
He stepped away from the table, remembering all the deaths in just the last week. An entire city had been torn apart, for what Snake hadn't got a clue.
"He's had nothing but victory after victory, for a decade now. We need to settle the damn score now, or at least figure out what the hell he's up to," Snake stated. Night Owl had escaped them in the Middle East, he escaped them in South America, he escaped them in Africa, and he escaped them in Japan. Over and over again, Snake found the MSF on the backfoot. It had to end, now.
"There has to be something we're missing," Snake muttered tiredly, bringing a hand to his brow. Removing the hand from his brow, Snake quietly brought up all the information they had on Night Owl. Everything from his first encounter, to a week ago. With a deep breath, Snake began looking it over. He met Night Owl in that old power plant, where he was experimenting with portals.
At which time Snake broke Midoriya free and escaped. Night Owl then went to the Middle East, to watch over the transfer of natural gas shipments. The MSF would try to intercept a shipment only to be too late. He would then appear in South America, buying drugs from the Brothers. Trigger, if Snake remembered correctly, and lots of it. He'd then gone to Africa, where he'd bought guns and a nuke from the Tyrant. After that Night Owl went underground, and rose through the HPSC's ranks, becoming the Vice President.
As VP Night Owl would give a few speeches to the press, appear outside a military history museum, and show up to support small-time heroes. This brought Snake to today, where Night Owl had armed and supported the Ninth Circle, and left Musutafu in ruins.
"Maybe we're looking at it wrong," Miller commented, the commander tapping on the holo-table for a moment, "What if we focused on one thing, rather than his entire plan?"
"Focus on what though?" Snake asked, removing his hand from his brow.
"Well… let's keep it simple. Where is he hiding all of his guns?" Miller replied, with Snake thinking it over. Why not, Snake quietly rationalized.
"If I were to hide an army's worth of weapons, where would I hide them?" Snake rhetorically asked, the concept floating through his mind. Where would he hide thousands of rifles, tanks, aircraft, and whatever else Night Owl had? It was an overly large amount of equipment at Night Owl's disposal, a fact that stuck out to Snake.
"The amount of weapons he's got would attract attention," Snake commented, "All it would take is one person stumbling across them."
Sure there were quirks to hide some of the equipment, but in most cases that was during transportation. Otherwise, Night Owl was leaving a bunch of tanks and howitzers sitting out in the open. Except, that would be stupid. Thousands had been slaughtered in mere days. All it took was one curious group of teens breaking into some old warehouse, seeing all the guns present, and making a few calls.
"So somewhere inconspicuous," Miller commented, with Snake hesitantly nodding. It seemed likely, possibly some secret mountain base in the middle of nowhere. But something about the assumption seemed off.
"Or somewhere no one would question…" Snake muttered to himself, before quietly looking over the files again. If he were to hide an army's worth of weapons, where would he hide them… the thought bothered Snake the more time went on. Instinct said some secluded base, but that was the soldier part of him speaking. Night Owl wasn't a soldier, he was a scientist. A damn crazy one.
More importantly, he was now VP of the HPSC. He was a largely public figure, constantly out and about whenever he wasn't doing his experiments. He had management roles he had to fill in the HPSC. Interviews he had to give out, heroes he had to meet, company reps to make deals with. There was never time to travel out to the middle of nowhere for hours on end, to check up on his equipment.
So… it was somewhere he could easily reach. Somewhere he could visit publicly, without anyone questioning why. Somewhere no one would question seeing a tank. But where? Slowly Snake began to piece the puzzle together, as he remembered something. A single fact that he'd viewed as unrelated.
"That son of a bitch, he's hiding all his weapons out in the open," Snake grumbled, earning a look of confusion from Miller. Quickly Snake swiped his hand over the holo-table, bringing up a picture. One shows Night Owl standing in front of a recently opened military history museum.
"A museum?" Miller inquired, surprised, "He's hiding all his weapons in a museum?"
"Not a museum. Several. He's got dozens of these places set up under his fake name," Snake replied, swiping over the holo-table and bringing up other files. All displayed Night Owl at the grand opening of a museum.
"Think about it. No one's going to question the legion of tanks stored in the back, because they are historical items. Or replacements if an exhibit is ever damaged," Snake continued confidently.
"...And if he ever moves equipment out, he can say it's to transfer it to a different museum," Miller added, the commander slowly connecting the dots. Night Owl would open up a museum, transfer in all his weapons, and just let them sit there, with no one the wiser. It was all in plain sight for everyone to see, yet no one spared it a second glance. Until now that was.
"I'll have Intel look into it," Miller told him, with Snake nodding. At the moment this was merely a suspicion. Snake had no doubt these museums were where Night Owl was hiding his weapons, but it paid to be sure. Of course, that thought made Snake pause for a moment. If he was right, then what? They'd know where Night Owl had his weapons, but what would he do about it?
Any raid was likely to be met with nuclear retribution, the second Night Owl learned it was happening. As Snake thought this over though, he heard Miller mutter to himself.
"Hmm, believe it's time." Miller pointed out, the commander looking at his watch. Snake quietly did the same, before sighing.
"It is," Snake replied, standing up from his chair.
"You sure you want to tell them?" Miller asked, standing up as well.
"I am," Snake replied, slowly walking out of the command room with Miller behind him.
All Might was beginning to tire of the news. Even after the Ninth Circle's attack, there was always something new. In just the last week, the Japanese Government had sent out officers to investigate the JSDF. Once that happened, reports started coming out from everywhere. Entire JSDF military bases were bare of equipment. It was as Ocelot had told them all those weeks ago.
Yet somehow, worse than All Might imagined. Thirty percent of the JSDF's equipment was gone, and another thirty percent was broken beyond repair. The US meanwhile stated thirty percent of their equipment was gone or broken. Russia simply denied everything. At first, it seemed like this was going to be an isolated issue. That it was just these three nations. Then France stepped forward and opened the floodgates.
After a massive audit, the French President announced that forty percent of France's equipment was broken or gone. Spurred on by France's investigation, Germany began searching and found they had fifty percent of their equipment missing or broken. Belgium and the Netherlands had twenty percent of their equipment left. Austria had forty percent still in hand, the same with Italy, Spain, the UK, Portugal, Denmark, Ireland, and across the seas Australia and Canada. All across the First World armories were found empty, or their contents broken.
The only nations in Europe doing decently, were Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Turkey, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. All of them were sitting at around seventy to ninety percent, or in Poland's case had everything accounted for. For Europe though it was a complete disaster. Now the European Council has been assembled, with representatives of the EU coming forward. The meeting was broadcast globally, though All Might had missed it due to time zones.
Instead, he was watching it now in UA's conference room with the rest of UA's staff.
"With the Musutafu Massacre, it has become clear that Europe's heroes are no longer enough to guarantee the continent's safety. If even the Symbol of Peace could not handle these villains alone, then our heroes would be no match. Yet in this dire time of need, where we after all these decades turn to our armed forces, we find all our nations' militaries in complete disarray!" one representative, Matteo Costa exclaimed annoyed, other representatives nodding in agreement, "In just this last week alone, the FrenchArmée de terre fired three different generals, and arrested four others!"
The representative shuffled some documents before him for a moment, quietly grumbling away from his mic.
"Most of Europe now has to rebuild their militaries from scratch!" Costa continued, while visibly taking a deep breath, "If we want a safe, prosperous Europe, then it is clear we must rearm. Of course, this task will be a difficult one. A task our nations cannot complete alone. It is why today, I propose the European Union pools its resources together, in partnership with NATO, for the creation of a unified European Army."
The statement left All Might in shock, as more representatives began to speak up. Some argued against the proposal, others for it, yet that wasn't what stuck out to All Might. The idea of a European army hadn't been considered in decades, damn near a century. For the sole reason that no one believed it was needed in an age of peace and heroics. How to see the world change, All Might thought coldly.
"Sports Festival's the gift that keeps on giving," Present Mic muttered, drawing All Might's attention.
"Should have focused on those arms from the beginning," Tsukauchi muttered to himself, regret lacing his tone. The detective rubbed his brow tiredly at the same time. Vlad King looked equally regretful, the hero grumbling quietly.
"No point dwelling in the past now," All Might stated, looking over at Tsukauchi calmly, "How's everything down at the station?"
"Hectic. Chief threw in his resignation yesterday, and now they're scrambling to find a replacement," Tsukauchi replied, "Considering how many officers are gone, it might be weeks until the position's filled."
The detective slumped back into his chair then, slowly scratching his chin. Bits of stubble lined his face, due to not being able to shave for some time. All Might didn't know exactly what had happened at the police station, but he knew reports were bad.
"Don't even have enough guys to patrol the city," Tsukauchi added tiredly, earning a worried look from All Might.
"Crime's going to skyrocket," All Might muttered, the idea terrifying him. It was to be expected in the end. This much destruction was bound to bring about looting. But it also made Musutafu a playground for villains. With some parts of the city impossible to get to, the MSF still picking up discarded weapons, and the sheer loss of manpower, it would be bad. Instantly All Might remembered the LOV.
Security camera footage across Musutafu had caught odd portals showing up and disappearing during the attack. Some of the footage also showed well-known villains jumping in. It hadn't been confirmed, but All Might knew the league had been recruiting during the attack. That, and the sheer amount of dead made for plenty of nomus. Things were only going to get worse.
"It'd be illogical to expect otherwise," Aizawa muttered, "Makes me wonder why we're having this meeting in the first place."
"You and the rest of the staff wanted answers," a voice replied, as All Might turned to face the conference room's door. There entered Snake and Miller, both men looking equally tired.
"...couldn't you have put the info in an email?" Aizawa asked, annoyed, with Snake shaking his head.
"No, we can't," Snake replied, before stopping at the middle of the conference room's oddly shaped table. Seriously, while All Might loved his alma mater, did it really need everything to be shaped like a letter? The table was a U, the building was several Hs, and even the students' gym uniforms had massive UA plastered top down in white. Of course, as All Might thought this, Snake looked over at Tsukauchi suspiciously.
"Who's he?" Snake asked, with All Might quickly speaking up.
"Detective friend of mine," All Might replied, right as someone else spoke up.
"Can vouch for him, boss," Ocelot added, catching All Might by surprise. The cowboy entered the room spinning his revolvers as usual, before walking to the side of the room.
"Boss?" All Might quietly mouthed, eyeing the HPSC rep suspiciously.
"Your question will be answered in due time," Ocelot simply stated, noticing All Might's suspicion. Finally, Nezu entered the room, the rodent quietly sipping a cup of tea in one hand and smoking a cigarette in the other. A damn weird combination but All Might made no move to say anything. The moment the rodent sat down, the conference room entered lockdown. The windows behind them were covered in thick steel shutters. Slabs of steel emerged from the wall, with soundproof panels covering them.
An almost vault-like door then covered the entrance, leaving All Might shocked.
"What exactly is going on?" Snipe asked cautiously, the rest of the staff suddenly becoming very worried about what was happening.
"Well, what you're about to hear is classified information. Secrets we don't want anyone else hearing," Nezu replied calmly, though the rodent seemed more keen to sit off to the side. After a moment of awkward silence, Tsukauchi decided to step out of his chair, clearing his throat.
"I… believe we should get started then," Tsukauchi commented, while turning toward Snake, "Let's start simple, Snake what is your quirk?"
"I don't have one," Snake replied, it earned a small look of surprise to spread throughout the teachers. However, that surprise was short-lived. Akatani was quirkless, it would make sense that Snake was too. Though All Might soon found Midnight looking at him, and slowly shaking her head.
"Truth manipulation," she mouthed sarcastically, with All Might slowly slumping back into his chair. Yeah, he somewhat deserved that.
"...No quirk at all?" Tsukauchi asked again just to double-check.
"None," Snake replied, with Tsukauchi nodding.
"And Miller?" Tsukauchi asked, the commander slowly crossing his arms together.
"Same as Snake," Miller replied.
"Alright, next subject then," Tsukauchi told them, before searching through his pockets. After a moment the detective pulled out a photograph and passed it to Snake.
"What can you tell us about this powerplant?" Tsukauchi asked, the location flashing into All Might's memory. He could still remember how burnt everything looked. And that body… it wouldn't leave his mind. The sight of all those wires and cables plugged into the head was horrifying to remember.
"One of our officers spotted an MSF helicopter flying away from the place years ago. We went to investigate and found the place burnt down," Tsukauchi explained, as All Might looked Snake over. It took a moment but Snake's eye soon widened, before the man began to glare at the photo.
"Of course, it's this damn place," Snake muttered to himself, Tsukauchi looking at him inquisitorially.
"You know about it?" Tsukauchi asked cautiously.
"Far too well," Snake replied, "Before I answer I've got a question of my own."
The mercenary then carefully reached into his own pockets and slowly pulled out his Idroid. He pressed a few buttons on the device, before sliding it forward on the ground. The Idroid came to a stop in the middle of the U-shaped table and lit up the room in a bright hologram. Displayed was the image of a young boy, possibly no older than six. He had freckles on his cheeks with messy green hair, and an All Might onesie on.
"What do you know of this boy?" Snake asked calmly, though there was an odd tone of fury hidden. Carefully All Might looked the hologram over, trying to see if he could piece anything together… wait, All Might thought. The boy looked familiar. He couldn't place how, but the teen seemed familiar.
"I… don't recognize him," Vlad King conceded, with Powerloader nodding in agreement.
"Neither do I," Ectoplasm added, sharing the rest of the staff's general consensus.
"His name is Midoriya Izuku," Snake told them, his fury a bit more noticeable now. Instantly the name clicked with All Might, recognition striking his face. Snake had said the name before… This was Akatani.
"That's…" All Might began to say before Snake turned and glared at him. Quietly telling All Might to stay quiet. Curious All Might complied, wondering where this was going.
"Wait… I think I remember the name," Aizawa spoke up, the man rubbing his chin, "Missing person case. The kid's mother committed suicide, and no one was able to find the kid. What does this have to do with a power plant?"
All Might began to wonder that too as he quietly registered the information. To say he was shocked would be an understatement. Of course, then Snake dropped a bomb on him.
"Because it wasn't a suicide, it was a murder," Snake revealed, "One authorized by the Japanese Hero Commission."
All Might nearly hacked up a lung, as the room entered pandemonium.
"What!?" Midnight yelled in shock, her eyes wide.
"Bullshit it was!" Vlad King exclaimed, furious at the notion that it was true.
"That's a bold-faced lie!" Snipe added, as more teachers added on. Aizawa thought it was illogical to believe, Present Mic didn't believe a hero organization would ever hurt a child, and Power Loader, Ectoplasm, Cementoss, Thirteen, and Hound Dog were too stunned to speak. But then All Might noticed Nezu and Tsukauchi. The principal hadn't reacted to the information at all. No surprise, no shock, nothing. Instead, he continued sipping his tea as if nothing had happened.
Tsukauchi, though, was deathly pale. That meant… no.
"Quiet! Quiet!" All Might called out, the staff slowly going quiet, "Tsukauchi?"
The detective stayed quiet for a second before the man gulped. He wiped away a bit of sweat from his brow and turned to face All Might.
"It… rang true," Tsukauchi told him. All Might's mouth was left agape in shock, with the rest of the staff staying quiet. It… it was true.
"What I tell you, will destroy everything you've ever believed in," Snake's previous words ran through his mind. It had to be an exaggeration. But seeing the staff's shock, Snake decided to continue.
"To the public, and you, the HPSC acts as a kind loving organization dedicated to justice. Behind the scenes, the HPSC is a corrupt institution that has its claws in governments all over the globe," Snake explained to them, "Ten years ago they used that power to sign off on an illegal project. In a matter of days they had the Midoriya family assassinated, and Midoriya Izuku, my son, taken to that powerplant."
All Might looked at Tsukauchi warily, hoping the detective would say Snake was lying. Instead, Tsukauchi nodded his head, confirming Snake was telling the truth.
"Surely, you're exaggerating," Present Mic commented, with Ocelot chuckling.
"Oh, he's not," Ocelot told him, "If anything he's being kind to the HPSC."
"For decades the commission has been funding terrorists and villains all over the globe," Snake continued, "They've interfered with government elections, assassinated anti-hero politicians or groups, embezzled billions from companies and taxpayers, endorsed illegal human experimentation, covered up the crimes of corrupt heroes, and have committed enough war crimes to be tried at the Hague."
"In a sense, the HPSC is one of the most corrupt institutions on the planet," Ocelot added, still spinning his revolvers in his seat. The proclamation left All Might worried, as he heard another gulp from Tsukauchi.
"What… what was the project going on in that powerplant?" Tsukauchi asked cautiously.
"It was an attempt to open portals into other dimensions," Ocelot replied, "Midoriya as it were, was… well, I don't know what exactly. Some kind of interdimensional beacon if I'm right. But what matters is this. The kid was strapped to a chair and effectively electrocuted for days on end. Or pumped full of chemicals and then electrocuted."
"The entire project was headed by a man codenamed Night Owl. However, the rest of you would know him as Nagai Okitatsu, the current Vice President of the Hero Commission. Back then he was just a scientist though," Snake explained, ignoring the horrified looks all of the staff had.
"Where do you fit into this?" Tsukauchi asked, trying to ignore the mental image Snake had given him. As well as the fact that it was the Vice President responsible for it.
"Well… as cruel as Night Owl's experiments were, they did have results," Snake replied, "Roughly ten years ago, Miller, the MSF, and me, were brought into this dimension."
The information, as it always did, left the room quiet. All Might almost thought he misheard for a moment and looked at Tsukauchi again to confirm. The detective's eyes widened in realization quickly though.
"...That's why we couldn't find anything on you," Tsukauchi muttered, "You never existed in this dimension. You literally came out of nowhere."
Snake simply nodded before continuing. And somehow every word shocked All Might. Not only was Snake from another dimension, he was from the 1970s. Before the Dawn of Quirks had even occurred. From there Snake continued, explaining his and Night Owl's first meeting, his rescue of Midoriya. The MSF's contracts in the Middle East and Night Owl transporting tons of fossil fuels.
Chasing the scientist to South America, where All Might learned of the continent's disdain for heroes. Of the drug cartel that had run rampant across Venezuela, and of the civil war. Then of the Tyrant in Africa and the knowledge that no country south of the Sahara existed. That the Nigerian incident was caused not by a gang, but by the Tyrant detonating a nuke. Followed by Snake defeating the Tyrant, and the MSF's battle against the heroes.
Snake told them everything, and it only ever got worse. The seemingly immortal Showmaster, the refugees in Africa rebelling against heroes, the rising tensions between Poland and Russia, the MSF creating a nation, the near assassination of Ex-President Sainz, Ocelot being a spy, meeting Nezu, their naval battle with the Gold Coast Mercs, Snake's escape from Tartarus, to now. The information left the room quiet.
Tsukauchi confirmed every piece of info as true, and again Snake's words echoed through All Might's mind.
"What I tell you, will destroy everything you've ever believed in," the words said mocking him. Slowly All Might could feel himself get angry, his hands clenching up. All this time, he thought himself the Symbol of Peace. He dedicated everything toward that goal. Dedicated his life to bringing the world hope. And all of it was a lie. The commission was using his reputation to line their own pockets.
To keep their world order in power. They ignored… no, they caused the suffering and deaths of millions. They took control of governments, corporations, and people. The empty armories around the globe flooded his mind. No institution had been safe from the HPSC. The idea haunted All Might, all of these heroes, and millions were dying. Not one hero was doing a damn thing about it. Snake had made that clear enough, going on about the third and second world's disdain for heroes. It's why so many of his men despised him, All Might realized.
He… he was a Symbol of lies, just like those cultists said. Around All Might, the staff shared a similar expression. Of anger, of shock, of sadness, of… emptiness. Nothing they had done, in all of their careers, mattered. The villains they arrested were let go. The merch they sold and charity money they raised lined a corrupt official's pockets or was sent to fund criminals. They stood in front of cameras talking about right and wrong, while unaware of the millions suffering.
All Might couldn't help but laugh at it. He started at a low chuckle, but quickly began cackling. The others turned to look at him worried as All Might began slamming his fist onto the desk. The wood beneath cracked and splintered, as All Might unintentionally brought One for All to bear. The desk soon broke in half, as All Might felt blood trickle down his hand. His laughing died down as he slumped back into his chair.
"All of this time, I spent trying to bring hope to the world, and it all meant nothing," All Might muttered, realizing his precarious position. He'd made the first world dependent on him, and the rest of the world viewed him as a hollow symbol.
"They used my reputation… my symbol, for their damn benefit!" All Might angrily exclaimed, the horror flooding over him. So many people have died thanks to his symbol! Used to blind the public into believing all was fine! Children like Midoriya had been tortured for a corrupt organization he had unknowingly supported. He… he failed Nana, All Might thought coldly. He failed her.
One for All was the power she gave him. A power he vowed to do good with. And instead it… it allowed millions to come to harm, without All for One's doing. Snake was right, he'd destroyed everything All Might ever believed in.
"Nana… Nana, I'm sorry," All Might quietly muttered, the hero feeling a few tears form. He wiped them away quietly, as he again noticed Nezu sipping on his tea. All Might couldn't help but feel his anger come back, as All Might realized something.
"You knew," All Might stated coldly, "You knew all of this from the beginning. Before the MSF ever arrived."
"I did," Nezu confirmed, noticing All Might standing up from his chair.
"Why… why didn't you tell any of us!?" All Might yelled angrily, "We could have done something about this! We could have stopped all of this years ago! We could have-"
"Could have what?" Nezu interrupted, finding the Symbol of Peace standing less than a foot away from him, "What would you have done?"
Nezu stood up in his chair as All Might glared down at him. Finding they were now closer to eye level Nezu set his tea down and stamped out his cigarette.
"I know how you think Yagi. Before you started losing your powers, I knew the moment I told you any of this you would have rushed down to Africa to fight every villain you could find," Nezu told him, the words just like before quietly went unsaid, "You would have run yourself ragged, trying to fix every issue around the globe. Trying to complete an impossible task. And while powerful, you are not invincible."
Nezu sighed then, bringing a paw to his brow.
"It's a whole different breed of villain down there. A cunning, cruel, vicious breed of villains, one only they," Nezu said, pointing his other paw at Snake, "Have ever fought."
"In this situation, you couldn't fix everything, but I know you would try to," Nezu stated tiredly, before turning to face the rest of his staff, his paw falling from his face.
"Same goes for the rest of you," Nezu told them, knowing his staff well, "And before I forget, don't any of you dare to go to the press. Another reason I've been so tight-lipped about this is that this knowledge has the potential to collapse hero society."
The words made All Might freeze for a moment, as he realized Nezu was right. About damn near everything. If any of this information got onto the street, it would be the end of everything. Of society as they knew it. Death would follow, death not seen since the Dawn of Quirks… well, that's what All Might used to think. Now it might just be slightly more than usual, All Might thought grimly.
Slowly the hero stepped back, before walking back to his seat. He slumped into it quietly, running his hands over through his hair. All Might didn't see it, but his bleeding hand left a small trail of red in his blonde hair.
"What… what now?" Present Mic hesitantly asked.
"Now? Right now we've got to worry about Night Owl, and the Ninth Circle," Snake replied, "For whatever reason he's preparing to start a war."
"You mean the massacre wasn't the war?" Vlad King asked, surprised.
"From what the madman said, no," Snake confirmed, causing the hero to grumble.
"Do you have any leads?" Aizawa asked, with Snake nodding.
"Just one, but we're still verifying it," Snake replied.
"And it is?" Aizawa inquired.
"We believe we've found where Night Owl is hiding his weapons," Snake explained, earning a small sigh from some of the staff.
"That's… good," Midnight said, sighing in relief, "Find his weapons, move in, and confiscate them before he can act."
"It's… not that simple," Snake hesitantly told her, "He has a nuke."
All Might almost wanted to be surprised by the revelation like some of his coworkers were. But he truthfully couldn't be by this point. So many truth bombshells had been dropped on him, that he was expecting aliens to show up. Anything seemed possible, and All Might hated it.
"It's hidden somewhere in Japan, and we've got no leads to its location. If we try something Night Owl doesn't like, he'll detonate it," Snake explained, earning a hmm from Aizawa.
"Then grab the guns, before he realizes it," Aizawa told him, with Snake slowly turning to look at him. The man's eye said it all, wondering if Aizawa was mad. Present Mic and Midnight looked at their friend with a similar look. Of course, Aizawa looked back calmly, before sitting up in his chair.
"Think about it," Aizawa began, "You steal his weapons before he realizes it, and destroy them. By the time he realizes what you've done, Night Owl has two options. One is to throw away his only bargaining chip and detonate that nuke. Which would be illogical to do."
"The other is to do nothing," Snake finished, everyone slowly seeing the man's logic.
"It'd be a difficult operation. We're talking about moving thousands of tons of gear in… a night at best," Snake pointed out, the math running through his head.
"Not like there is much else we can do," Aizawa pointed out tiredly. All Might agreed quietly. He hoped it could be done though.
"Two more orders of beef spatlo! One with cheese, one without!" Nadine called out, as Arno tended to the stoves quickly.
"Got it, honey!" Arno replied, while quickly rushing to grab the ingredients. It had been an eventful five years, but for once Arno was happy. After his family got through Outer Heaven's border, both he and his wife went on to serve their single year of military service. Thankfully they'd been allowed to choose what they did, which they ended up doing some basic construction work.
It was actually pretty convenient, as their year of service was spent rebuilding the very house his family now lived in. After their service was done though, Arno opened up a small diner serving South African dishes in Gboko. To his shock, the place actually became rather successful, with Arno now planning to open up a second location. Should really hire more staff first though, Arno thought with a chuckle, watching as his wife tended the register, and both Neville and Kaya carried the food.
Getting back to work, Arno quickly began grilling up some beef patties. Out of the kitchen, he could hear the TV playing the news. Curious, Arno poked his head out over the counter blocking the kitchen and the registers to face his wife.
"Mind turning up the TV?" Arno asked, Nadine seeping away from the register.
"Sure," Nadine replied, quietly grabbing the remote. She turned the volume up a little, enough where Arno could hear it in the kitchen, but not to the point it was overly loud.
"-with Jupiter Support dropping another fifty points today, followed closely by General Equipment dropping forty, Syntax dropping thirty-five-" a news anchor said, still listing off support gear companies. The list went on for a while, with Arno not recognizing half of the companies listed.
"And with allegations of widespread fraud plaguing the Hearts and Stars Foundation, analysts expect the entire industry to continue declining," the anchor continued, earning a worried grumble from Arno.
"In other news, rumors are circulating of a border skirmish between Ukrainian and Russian heroes. Neither side has confirmed these rumors as of yet, however footage has arrived displaying the Moscow Wolves fighting the Karmelyuks. With the growing rise of global rearmament, one can only wonder if this will be a one-off event in the age of heroes or the beginning of something more-"
"Enough of the doom and gloom crap," a customer suddenly called out, "Can ya change the channel?"
"What to?" Nadine asked as Arno turned to face the customer in question.
"Futbols on, heard our boys are going up against Colombia again," the customer replied before Arno quickly passed the cooked spatlos over the counter.
"Nah, put on the debate," a different customer countered, while Kaya ran up and grabbed the spatlos, "Supposed to start up in a few minutes."
"Oh right, I almost forgot about that. Crazy to think the election is coming up again," the first customer replied, with Arno a little shocked by the information. How the time had gone by.
"Second one in the country's history," Nadine commented, a hint of surprise in her tone. Some of the customers nodded solemnly, with Arno in agreement. Not many people expected Outer Heaven to survive this long. Before the MSF arrived, the idea of… well any of this. A safe life, property not controlled by warlords, ample food on the table, available medical care, and a free and fair democracy, it was all a dream.
Other people had made attempts over the centuries, but few had survived more than a year. The warlords didn't want the populace under their control to get any ideas and dedicated everything to having these small free breakaway nations crushed. Part of Arno had expected Outer Heaven to face the same fate, yet here it stood instead. Surrounded on all sides by enemies, yet standing strong.
"Think Molefe will win again?" one of the customers commented, as Nadine quietly switched the TV's channel.
"Maybe," a second customer replied, "Think Senator Klazen could give him a run for his money though."
Looking away for a brief moment Arno could see the candidates standing on a large stage. Five in total stood up front, two white foreigners, one from Slovenia and the other from Belarus. Next to them stood two black men and one black woman. One of the men was President Molefe, who had come from Botswana. Next to him was Senator Klazen, who was from Namibia.
The debate itself was a rather last-minute event, as the true election was only a week away. A last-ditch effort by candidates to gather up support before the big day. Truthfully, Arno didn't know who he was going to vote for. President Molefe had been decent for the country, though most of the system had been put into place before he reached office. For the last four years, his policy had been to dedicate Outer Heaven's resources to the MSF, determined to keep the warlords back and the country safe.
The slogan "Never Again Shall We Be Slaves" effectively dominated his campaign. Arno couldn't entirely remember the other candidates' policies, so he quietly paid attention to the TV. From what he could see, he'd actually missed a bit of the debate, as President Molefe spoke up.
"Our nation is in a time of unheard-of prosperity," Molefe proclaimed, "Our borders are safe, the people have jobs, the land is being rebuilt and our enemies are being held back. Our children are being fed, taught, and live free. Our nation stands as a shining safe beacon across the continent."
Molefe then took a second to fix his tie, before looking over at Senator Klazen.
"Which is why it boggles me that Senator Klazen believes we must defund the MSF. Now that we have a fighting chance against the warlords, he wishes to divert funding to other endeavors. The idea risks the very future of this nation," Molefe stated, watching as Klazen shook his head slowly.
"Risking the nation is absurd. The MSF stands as one of the world's most powerful militaries. And while yes, we are in a time of prosperity, that does not mean it will last forever," Klazen pointed out, "Our economy's single largest export is in military arms. A full eighty percent of our exports are weapons, the majority of our population is employed in war factories. This is not a recipe for success, because while we have avoided it for now, Outer Heaven is at risk of falling to a military-industrial complex."
"The dangers of that happening are still years away. Besides, we've all seen the news of our brave men and women fighting in Japan. We've heard the stories of first-world armories being looted of everything. The world as we know it is changing. We and our military must be ready for that change," Molefe countered, which Arno thought was a good point. A changing world was a chaotic one. And in a chaotic world, one needed to be strong to survive. Life under the totalitarianism of the warlords taught him that far too well.
But then Klazen spoke up again, pointing out something Arno hadn't considered.
"It won't be ready, not if we continue down this path. A changing world risks our nation being cut off. It's like I was saying before, eighty percent of our exports are weapons," Klazen retorted, "The rest of our economy is dependent on vast amounts of imports. For example farming equipment. We do not make farming equipment, instead, we buy it from overseas and ship it here through our allies. In this changing world what would happen if we were cut off from our allies? How about a much more important item we import: semiconductors. Semiconductors for our missiles, for communications, for radar, for computers, and for a hundred other militarily important items."
Klazen took a deep breath for a second, as Arno considered the politician's words. It also made sense. Looking around his kitchen Arno could spot all the appliances imported from overseas. The stove, dishwasher, the blender, the freezer, the fridge, even the knives and forks were imported from overseas. His TV was imported from overseas, and so were his car and his phone.
"I agree with you that our military must remain strong, to keep the warlord's forces at bay. However, where we stand now is at a precipice. Our enemies have been on the back foot for months, our economy is strong, and the world is changing. This is the time for action. Not later, now. It is why if elected I plan to divert spending away from the military, and instead invest it into local businesses. To boost our economy further, and to create new industries for the country," Klazen proclaimed, unknowingly earning a few nods from Arno's customers.
He earned one from Arno as well, the man looking at the TV. President Molefe even seemed to consider the senator's words. The man didn't want to lose support, so he said nothing but quietly seemed to agree with the senator. Slowly Arno had an idea of who he was voting for. With the ranked voting system Outer Heaven held, Klazen would be his top pick, with Molefe a close second.
The ramifications of the Musutafu Massacre had been clear as day for the world. Heroes had been slaughtered on an unheard-of scale, not seen, since the Nigeria incident. The heroic institution had been shaken to its core, just like it had all those years ago. Thousands still clung to the belief that heroes could protect them. That heroes alone were the definitive tool for peace and safety.
Yet for much of the world, they could see the truth. Heroes, while useful, were not the sole answer. For a select few though, there were far grander ramifications, unknown to the world. Something beyond the debate of safety and security. Because this debate was far more important for the world's future. Something President Ivan Volkov knew far too well as Madam President called him.
"You traitorous rat bastard! We had a deal!" Madam President" screeched over the phone, the Volkov staying quiet for a second before speaking. The man was in his late sixties, with a patch of graying brown hair on his head, and his chin had a small scar stretching up to his lip. His build was average, if a tad bit portly, though the cameras would never show this.
"A deal you've yet to uphold. For five years I've held my end of the bargain," Volkov retorted, "Trusting that you would bring Poland and the MSF to heel. And for five years you've accomplished nothing."
"We've had complications, yes. But that does not mean-" Madam President tried to counter before Volkov cut her off.
"Now, Japan suffers the largest terrorist attack in decades, and your government turns to the MSF for support. Your own heroes were humiliated on an international scale, and stock in support companies has been falling for a week," Volkov continued, looking around his office quietly. An assistant entered the room with a large set of documents. The assistant carefully placed them on Volkov's desk, before the president motioned for the assistant to leave.
"...What are you getting at?" Madam President hesitantly asked.
"Is it not obvious?" Volkov inquired, turning to face the first of the documents given to him, "I've seen the writing on the wall as it were. Hero society is crumbling around us."
"No, it isn't," Madam President quickly protested, "It's in a rocky period, but things will soon be back on track."
"Face the facts, Madam. My oligarchs are already complaining about a loss of profits. Heroics as an industry is slowly becoming less profitable," Volkov told her while reading the document he was given. Everything he said was true though. Heroics was slowly bringing in less and less money by the day. For years Russia had gone along with hero society, solely due to that money.
It made the country's oligarchs unimaginably wealthy, Volkov included. Not to mention the propaganda tool heroes were. Volkov couldn't count the number of times he'd used the Moscow Wolves for some enlistment ad. But now that the money was drying up, so was Russia's compliance.
"With the fall of hero society, falls the old world order," Volkov told her, "And with the fall of the old order, comes the rise of a new one."
The document itself detailed the latest armament campaign the military wanted to take. It was one of many, because as "mighty" as Russia was, Volkov knew current forces could always be better. It's why he quickly signed the document, before reading over the next one.
"You may not be willing to admit it Madam, but a new world order is upon us," Volkov announced, "And I intend for Russia to take its place in that order."
Before Madam President could protest any further Volkov hung up. The world as he knew it was changing, and it was idiotic for Madam President to resist it. She could join him, if she wanted, though Volkov knew it wouldn't happen. So instead he continued looking over the vast amount of military expenditure programs in front of him. Yes, Volkov thought, soon the old world order would fall.
And to announce this fall, Volkov looked over his largest project. A document he'd been waiting to read for weeks. A highly classified program codenamed Project Zhukov. Yes, this would be the Russian Military's pride and joy. Though it was nowhere near completion, and only had an overly large model constructed, Volkov had nothing but giddiness looking at the project.
For while not complete, this project's public announcement would bring on a new age, and cement Russia's place as the dominant power.