Chapter 90: A Massacre's End
It had been hell trying to keep the kids safe, but somehow Ryukyu knew it was almost over. Hiding out in the abandoned hotel's top floor, Ryukyu could see the jets flying by outside. She could hear the constant explosions that now rocked the city. Ryukyu could even see the mass of villains scrambling on the ground. Full fleets of trucks were in retreat, as every villain tried running.
But Ryukyu knew her job wasn't done. Turning to look at the rest of the room she'd holed up in, her eyes fell on the kids quietly huddled around. Each one looked hungry, having eaten little in the past few days. What food had been found in the room had been devoured. The only reason they had food now, was because Ryukyu left the room to scavenge. When she did this, she'd occasionally she'd run into the corpses of guests who couldn't escape.
Whether anyone else was alive in the hotel, Ryukyu didn't know. Hearing one of the kid's stomachs grumble, Ryukyu knew it was time to leave. With a deep breath, the hero walked up to the room's door, which had been barricaded with a large red couch, before turning to face the kids.
"Ito," she quietly called out, watching as the oldest of the kids, a young girl, quickly stood up and rushed over.
"I'll be back in a few minutes, you know the drill," Ryukyu told her, while slowly pushing the couch out of the way. Once it was done she turned to a nearby table and grabbed an empty pillowcase.
"Keep the door covered and don't open it unless it's you," Ito replied, earning a smile from Ryukyu.
"Good," Ryukyu replied, before peeking out the room's door. Seeing nothing on the other side, she stepped through and closed the door behind her. Seconds later the sound of Ito pushing the couch, the girl having a slight strength-enhancing quirk, followed after. With the door barricaded up again, Ryukyu quickly took off down the hall, heading towards the hotel's service stairs.
Reaching them, Ryukyu peered down the dozens of floors she had to climb. For an annoying reason, the hotel's only restaurant was on the bottom floor. Not wasting time Ryukyu quickly rushed down the stairs at a fast but ultimately calm pace. She didn't know if any villains had entered the hotel, so she remained careful. After a while of climbing Ryukyu found herself on the bottom floor.
Looking around she walked through a small hallway, before reaching the main lobby. Quietly Ryukyu peeked around the corner, spotting the large windows showing the outside. In front of the hotel was a large fountain, surrounded by abandoned vehicles. For a moment, the coast seemed clear, but then Ryukyu saw a villain run by the door. Then another, then a third darted by. Soon dozens were running quickly, followed by an unseen fool.
It confused Ryukyu for a moment before her eyes widened, and some of the villains ran toward the hotel. Three crashed through the hotel's glass door, running into the lobby. Ryukyu prepared herself for a fight, only for the villains to turn around and look outside. Other villains ran in after the first three, and none of them noticed Ryukyu.
"How could this have happened!?" one of the villains yelled in a panic, as more villains entered the lobby.
"It doesn't matter how it's happened! We can't let the nonbelievers stop us!" a second one shouted.
"They already have! I don't have enough ammo for another firefight, and the truck ran out of gas an hour ago!" a third villain countered loudly, as Ryukyu slowly backed up into the hallway.
"Then we'll hide out here, let these mercenaries come to us," the second villain ordered while passing the third an extra magazine, "Tell the others, we'll make them fight for every square meter of this building."
Ryukyu mentally swore at the notion, continuing to back into the hallway. When she thought she was far enough she began booking it back to the stairs. Her quirk was strong, but in this condensed area, she was trapped. If she went outside she'd be overwhelmed by the villains' numbers. Sprinting back up the stairs now Ryukyu turned to see some of the villains following.
They were a step behind unable to see her, but coming in fast.
"Got a mortar team arriving in a few minutes, the prophet says they'll set up on the top one of the top floor's balconies," one of the villains behind her muttered, causing Ryukyu to again mentally swear.
"Think the mortar will be enough?" a second villain asked, while Ryukyu continued running up the stairs.
"Hell if I know," the first villain replied, "You saw the gear the nonbelievers brought."
That comment confused Ryukyu for a moment, the hero thinking it over. Who were the villains afraid of? Someone had them in retreat, and it was someone well-armed apparently. Ryukyu wanted to believe it was other heroes coming in quickly, but her mind flashed back to the previous few days. Who could have… they said mercenaries… only one band of mercenaries came to Ryukyu's mind.
And she didn't know how to feel about it. The MSF was in Musutafu, and by the sound of it advancing fast. But why? Ryukyu didn't know if she should be glad, or worried. Finally reaching the top floor Ryukyu darted toward the room the kids hid in. Looking over her shoulder she could hear the villains getting closer by the second. Quickly Ryukyu knocked on the door a few times, giving Ito a code.
Seconds later the girl began moving the couch, narrowly removing it from the door in time. The second the door opened Ryukyu charged in, and closed the door. Looking at the kids her eyes darted to a nearby bedroom separated from the rest of the room.
"All of you, in the bedroom, now," Ryukyu calmly ordered, before locking the door and moving the couch back into place.
"W-whats going on?" Ito asked, only for Ryukyu to motion for her to go.
"No time, go and keep quiet," Ryukyu replied quickly. At the same time, footsteps arrived from outside the room. The crack of wood followed as the villains began breaking into rooms. They cleared them out one by one, as Ryukyu found them getting closer to their door. Pushing Ryukyu forward for a moment, the hero then turned and grabbed the nearest object she could find. Which turned out to be a lamp, which she held up carefully.
Seconds later the villains began pounding on the door, attempting to break it open like the others. However, the couch kept it in place, causing the villains to grumble annoyed outside.
"The hell?" one of them muttered, again trying to force the door open.
"Barricaded… Kobayashi!" a different villain loudly ordered.
"Yeah yeah," Kobayashi replied annoyed, as Ryukyu stared at the door again. Lamp held up she waited for the inevitable. The door was launched back, the villain on the other side sending the slab of wood and couch flying. The furniture crashed into a nearby wall, covering the area in dust for a second. Using this to her advantage Ryukyu rushed forward, just as the first villain walked in.
Before the villain could see Ryukyu she smashed the lamp against his face. The villain slumped to the ground, as Ryukyu chucked the broken lamp at the next villain who walked through the door. Not letting up Ryukyu darted to the side as a third villain fired into the room. She charged forward then, getting in close as the third villain tried to enter the room. Just as he peeked through the doorway Ryukyu punched him in the gut.
Knocking the wind out of him, she wasted little time spotting the villain who broke down the door. He stood taller than the rest, and while Ryukyu knew she could take him in her dragon form, she was out of her league here. So she switched tactics. Spotting a grenade on the third villain's waist, Ryukyu reached out and pulled its pin. Once it was done she darted back into the room and dropped to the floor.
"Damn bitch!" the third villain wheezed out before the grenade on his waist exploded. Shrapnel peppered the villains outside, as Ryukyu heard more scrambling outside. This couldn't go on for long, she thought coldly. Standing up Ryukyu ran and grabbed one of the villain's guns off the floor. She detested the idea of using the weapon, but she was getting more desperate by the second.
Just as she picked the assault rifle up a fifth villain ran up to the door. Sloppily Ryukyu raised the rifle and pulled the trigger. She held it down for a few seconds, firing six rounds at the villain. But unfortunately missed the majority of them. The bullets that did hit, grazed the villain's right arm.
"Fuck!" the villain called out, ducking behind the doorway again. It gave Ryukyu enough time to fall back, now running toward the kids' bedroom. The door closed Ryukyu knocked the usual code she gave Ito. In seconds the door swung open and Ryukyu charged in. Once inside she grabbed whatever furniture she could find and shoved it against the door with Ito's help.
Once done Ryukyu stood off to the door's side, waiting. After a few seconds, she heard the villains run up to the door outside. They slammed against the door, trying to break it down like the first. But the barricade held this time, and it didn't seem like they had anyone strong enough to break it down this time. Soon the banging stopped, and Ryukyu heard loud grumbling on the other side.
"We know you're in there heretic! Come out quietly, and we promise you a merciful demise!" a villain suddenly ordered, the words making Ryukyu's blood boil. She got the "merciful" death, but what did these kids get, she thought coldly. Like hell, she was gonna accept that offer. Instead, Ryukyu said nothing, causing the villain to grumble again.
"You're choice, blow it open!" the villain outside yelled, causing Ryukyu to pale slightly. The villains stepped forward, most likely setting up explosives. That was until one of them spoke up.
"Wait! Wait!" a villain called out, "She's Ryukyu!"
"The Dragon hero? So what!?" the first villain asked, voicing Ryukyu's confusion.
"She intercepted one of the trucks carrying kids remember! She's got them in there with her!" the second villain replied, leaving Ryukyu quiet for a moment.
"...Fuck!" the first villain called out, leaving Ryukyu surprised. Seconds later the villains began stepping back, loudly. Ryukyu sighed in relief at the action but was also left confused. Outside the villains began murmuring, as Ryukyu thought up her next move. Just as she began to do this though, she heard a new sound arrive. An odd chopping sound getting slowly closer. The villains outside seemed to have noticed it too, as they all went silent for a moment.
The chopping got very close then like it was right outside the building, but above them a floor. A villain cried out in shock though, just as gunfire started up again. Windows shattered as the buzz of a minigun rang out. Bullets struck the walls outside as Ryukyu flinched, half expecting one zip by her. The villains tried to fire back outside but were overwhelmed quickly. Soon the gunfire stopped, and the chopping noise remained.
"[Go! Go!]" someone called out in English, as something hit the floor outside. Footsteps came back again as people entered the hotel room from somewhere. After a few minutes, Ryukyu walked toward the bedroom's door. She didn't move to shift the barricade, but she stopped to listen for a second.
"Hello? It's safe to come out now," a voice from outside called out, before knocking on the door lightly. Ryukyu took a deep breath while holding her rifle ready.
"Who are you?" Ryukyu asked, the man on the other side taking a second to reply.
"Sergeant Narwhal ma'am," the man replied, leaving Ryukyu in thought.
"You're MSF, aren't you?" Ryukyu asked cautiously.
"We are," the man on the other side replied. The answer didn't provide her much comfort, but Ryukyu slowly lowered her rifle. If they wanted her dead, they would have shot her like the villains, Ryukyu tried to rationalize. Though she didn't believe it fully. Quietly Ryukyu motioned for Ito to come help her. There the two moved the barricade slightly, and Ryukyu opened the door. Peeking out, she saw a squad of soldiers standing around.
Two kept guard of the exit, while two others looked over the dead. Sergeant Narwhal meanwhile stood near Ryukyu's door, before Ryukyu noticed someone else. Standing a bit far off was a teen girl in a dark blue and cyan costume. The teen's hair was a pale blue, and her eyes quickly fell on Ryukyu.
"Ryukyu?" Hado asked shocked, before quickly rushing over.
"Hado?" Ryukyu called out surprised, the girl coming to a stop in front of her. Hado smiled widely, a few tears forming in her eyes.
"You're alive! Oh, I got so worried when nobody could reach you! But I just kept telling myself you'd be fine! Are you fine though? Have you had any food? How long have you been here? Do you need a medic?" Hado asked, mumbling off a few more questions. Ryukyu lightly chuckled at the action, slowly setting the rifle she held to the side.
"I'm fine, not yet, a few days, and no," Ryukyu replied calmly, before stepping to the side. There Hado was able to look into the room and saw the kids inside.
"They, however, might need one," Ryukyu told her, watching as Hado turned away.
"Doc!" Hado called out, Ryukyu now spotting a soldier with a large bag run over.
"Coming!" doc replied, shuffling past Ryukyu for a second, before yelling, "Oh shi- crap! Got kids here sergeant!"
"Take 'em to the roof, chopper will evac them," Narwhal replied, watching as Ryukyu leaned into the room and motioned the kids forward. Slowly they filed out of the bedroom hesitantly. They eyed the soldiers fearfully. However, that fear didn't last as Doc pulled out a box of candy he'd had on him. It was a heartwarming sight, as a few soldiers led the kids away.
Oguro ducked as the nonbelievers shot at him, their bullets striking the brick wall he hid behind. Taking a moment he fired back, managing to strike one of Reaper's enemies in the chest. Yet the moment he did his rifle clicked empty.
"Fuck!" Oguro swore, tossing the thing aside as he unholstered his pistol. How had it come to this? They were on the cusp of victory! The world's suffering was supposed to end! But… they… he… failed Reaper. His will was to be ensured, and instead, he'd failed him. Angrily Oguro fired out into the street, not hitting anything, but simply trying to take his rage out on something.
"Save your ammunition brother! This day is not yet lost!" one of the other acolytes told him, though Oguro didn't care to listen.
"Fool! Can't you see the heretics overwhelm us!? We have failed Reaper," a different acolyte counted angrily, only to be shot by the enemy seconds later. Oguro didn't like it, but he began to agree with the second acolyte. Ever since these mercenaries got involved they'd been on the backfoot. The skies were taken from them, their artillery was destroyed. Now what remained of their ammo and fuel was drying up.
Hiding behind cover again, Oguro looked around quietly. There had to be an answer. Some kind of solution to get everything back on track. He found it in the Prophet, the man stepping forward and ruffling through a bag.
"Prophet, what are we to do?" Oguro asked, flinching as a bullet struck the wall behind him. The Prophet looked over Oguro quietly for a moment, before sitting down on the floor.
"There is nothing more we can do," the Prophet replied, leaving the first acolyte dumbstruck.
"But… we are to ensure Reaper's will!" the acolyte yelled confused, the Prophet nodding.
"We are," the Prophet replied, "And we have. Our part to play in his will is over. Our role is done."
"We… we failed him though?" Oguro pointed out confused. The heretics were pushing back by the hour. The mad scientist's goals hadn't been reached. The Symbol of Lies was still alive for crying out loud!
"Have we? Thousands have been freed from suffering. We may not have achieved all of the heretic's goals, but we've achieved Reaper's," the Prophet replied calmly, before ruffling through his bag again. To Oguro's shock, the Prophet pulled out a Minebea P9.
"It is time we join them," the Prophet told them, "Only in death…"
"Do we find peace," Oguro finished, realizing what the Prophet was saying.
"It is his will," the first acolyte stated before they all collectively raised their guns and placed them on their temples. For just a second, Oguro felt the cold steel of his gun, right as he pulled the trigger.
"I assure you Capitan Dupont, this is all completely unnecessary," the base's commander stated, trying to keep pace with the captain as they walked through the base's halls. Behind them a dozen other military policemen followed quietly.
"Command disagrees," Dupont replied, the man going over the base's manifest in front of him. He was a captain of the French military police, sent to inspect some of the country's military bases. His position had always been a thankless job since the rise of heroes. Not holding much glory or prestige. But with current events, it quickly became a necessary one.
"Command is overreacting, everything is here and accounted for," the commander told him, a slightly nervous tone in his voice.
"The JSDF said the same thing for decades, and now their tanks are gunning down civilians," Dupont countered, "The Russians said the same, and yet we find villains in Japan armed with DHsKs. The Americans said the same, now we find one of their aircraft carriers in the hands of mercenaries."
For all Dupont and his superiors knew, it didn't end there. Three separate nations had their weapons in foreign hands they never sold to. Reports of armories plundered with weapons came flying in from overseas by the day. Even with that knowledge, some nations in Europe had already written off the possibility that the same thing could or had happened to them. France was not one of them.
When the French government saw the MSF's Ford Class carrier, it sent everyone into a panic. For a ship to be so easily stolen from the USA of all countries was worrying. It quickly became a dreaded possibility that something similar could have happened to them. And while Dupont didn't have access to the investigation into the French Navy, from rumors he could gather things were bad.
While they thankfully still had their sole aircraft carrier, the Charles De Gaulle, they were missing thirty other ships. Support ships, frigates, submarines, helicopter carriers, and even patrol boats were gone.
"I don't doubt that share the same fate," Dupont continued, barely looking up from the manifest.
"We don't know that," the commander retorted, "Just because it happened to the US and Japan, does not mean it happened to us as well."
"Perhaps, but better to be safe than sorry, no?" Dupont inquired, annoyed by the commander's words. Looking up from the manifest, Dupont found himself right next to the base's storage area. Standing guard was a pair of bored-looking soldiers, one of which had his uniform poorly dressed with wrinkles, and the other was slowly trying to hide a bottle of wine. How was this what the French army had come to, Dupont wondered.
"Now then, your manifest says this base holds ten thousand FAMAS rifles. I'd like to start the inspection there," Dupont stated, snapping his fingers and motioning toward the door. The military policemen behind him stepped forward, quickly opening the door. The base commander gulped as he looked into the room.
"R-right, follow me," the commander muttered, leading the way quietly. After a minute of walking Dupont found himself standing next to a large set of shelves filled with crates. Looking up at the crates, Dupont couldn't help but hear one of the military policemen behind him mutter.
"Are we really going to count ten thousand rifles, sir?" the military policeman asked, looking over each crate annoyed.
"France's livelihood could very well be at stake. Possibly Europe's as well. If stopping a massive attack from happening here means counting each rifle one by one, then that's what we'll do," Dupont replied, before motioning for him to bring up the first crate. They complied quietly and dragged the first crate off the shelf.
"Open it," Dupont ordered, looking over the manifest one last time. Ten thousand rifles, all stacked into crates, with at least one hundred rifles in a crate. With a loud crack the military police opened the crate, and Dupont looked inside. Quietly he began counting up rifles, while other policemen did the same.
"All accounted for," Dupont commented, counting the hundredth rifle in the crate.
"See?" the commander replied confidently, watching as the policemen moved the crate away.
"That was just the first crate commander, there are still ninety-nine to go," Dupont told him, motioning for his men to grab the next crate.
"I'm sure we can handle it from here then," the commander replied quickly, "Don't want to waste all your time."
Dupont simply said nothing, instead waiting for the next crate to be brought forward. He didn't notice the commander slowly pale, as he realized Dupont would count everything. Time be damned.
"Open the next crate," Dupont ordered, another loud crack signifying the crate had been opened. Looking in Dupont could see a difference between this crate and the first. The first had rifles stacked up to the top, practically next to the crate's lid. This crate barely had enough rifles to reach the halfway point.
"Fifty-five… fifty-six… only fifty-six rifles here, sir," one of the policemen told him, with Dupont grumbling to himself.
"Oh?" Dupont inquired, slowly glancing toward the base commander.
"I-I'm sure there's a logical explanation. Equipment does tend to break down after a while, we might have just thrown it out years ago," the commander rationalized, while Dupont raised his brow.
"Then I'm sure there's documentation to back up your claim?" Dupont asked, with the commander replying a bit too quickly.
"There should be," the commander answered, a bead of sweat trickling down his face.
"Hmm… next crate gentlemen," Dupont ordered, knowing he'd have to pay a visit to the base's records room. Assuming it even had records still, he thought coldly. They moved on to the next crate though, counting each weapon one by one. Some crates were full to the top, others were missing some weapons, and many were entirely empty. It took hours, but soon Dupont looked at the last crate, staring at it worriedly.
"Six thousand, four hundred, and fifty-two rifles," Dupont muttered, mentally swearing at the number they counted. Three thousand, five hundred and forty-eight rifles were missing. Almost a third of the entire base's stockpile.
"Still saying they all broke down?" a military policeman commented, noticing the base commander sweating up a storm.
"They were very old rifles," the commander replied, as Dupont looked over the manifest again. Tiredly he moved onto the next piece of equipment listed, and the next. They went through machine guns, sniper rifles, pistols, grenade launchers, shotguns, and whatever else they could find. It took twelve full hours to document everything that was missing, and they had barely scratched the surface.
This became ever clear to Dupont as he counted the number of Leclerc MBTs being stored, and noticed the frequent gaps between tanks. Small sections where a tank should have been parked, and instead had nothing.
"Forty Leclercs… it says you should have a hundred," Dupont grumbled aloud, running the calculations through his mind. In total, the base was missing forty percent of its equipment. The number staggered Dupont, while the officers next to him looked back at the commander.
"Same as the rifles?" a military policeman asked sarcastically.
"Y-yes," the base commander replied nervously. At the same time, Dupont glared at the commander quietly.
"Reports say the tanks were transferred to you a week ago," Dupont pointed out, "Sixty of these tanks broke down in a week?"
"They did," the commander replied, electing to ignore Dupont's glare. The captain remained quiet for a moment, before sighing to himself.
"I've already seen enough. Pierre, if you would?" Dupont ordered, the officer nodding as he pulled out a pair of handcuffs. Quickly Pierre walked toward the base commander, while other officers moved to block the commander from escaping.
"Sir put your hands behind your back," Pierre ordered, the commander looking around panicked for a moment.
"W-wait! I'm sure this is all a big misunderstanding! L-lets just talk this out," the commander protested, stepping back as he saw Pierre get closer. Of course, the other officers kept him from fleeing, as Pierre quickly cuffed the commander. Dupont grumbled at the sight, while the base commander continued to protest his arrest. Even attempted to bribe Pierre, claiming he could give everyone there whatever they wanted.
Dupont knew it wouldn't work though. No amount of money could convince any of them to let him go free. Not when the entire country… no, the entire continent, was at risk because of him.
Chapter 91: Another Explanation Given
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.