BNHA: Singularity

*ding-*
Hearing the sound of the doorbell, Izuku immediately opened his eyes, gently laying Melissa on the sofa before heading to the nearby intercom display to see who was outside. It was currently 5:23 AM, so he wasn't exactly expecting guests.
"Ah..."
Recognizing the familiar figure of Melissa's father, David Shield, a wry smile developed across Izuku's face as he called out to the sleeping beauty, his voice gentle as he said, "Melissa, your father is here. I can send him away, but I don't think he'd appreciate it..."
"Mnn...?"
Rising to a seated position, Melissa asked, "Papa's here...?" while rubbing her eyes. Then, as if a switch had been flipped inside her, she bounced to her feet, exclaiming, "Papa~!" as she ran to the front entrance to answer it directly. This wasn't particularly wise, considering there were people with Quirks that could mimic other peoples' voices and appearances, but Izuku followed behind her with a relaxed smile as he fixed his shirt.
As Melissa opened the door and bounded into her father's arms, Izuku remained in the background, confirming the Professor's identity before crossing his arms and leaning against the adjoining wall. He didn't want to interrupt the duo's reunion, so he waited for them to separate of their own accord, David looking at him with a slight frown as he said, "Izuku..." in a curt, almost threatening tone.
Raising his right hand, Izuku maintained a relaxed smile as he replied, "It's good to see you, Professor. How has your research been going?"
Shaking his head, David said, "Let's not talk about that right now..." before looking to Melissa, adopting a fatherly smile and adding, "I came here to see and spend time with my daughter before the summit."
Causing the smile on David's face to cramp, Melissa looked to Izuku as she asked, "Is that okay, Izuku? I'm certain I won't be gone for too long."
"Of course," replied Izuku, smiling wryly in response to the threatening glimmer in David's eyes. The latter wasn't genuinely angry with him, but no father appreciated having their daughters defer to their boyfriends for 'permission' while they were around. The only thing more maddening was seeing their little girl call someone else daddy...
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After seeing the father-daughter duo off, Izuku returned to the sofa, lying down before pulling out his cell phone. 5:30 AM in New York was around 7:30 PM in Japan, so he wasn't surprised to find both the class and group chats were active, discussing Work Studies and 'club' activities.
Though clubs were typically associated with the General and Support Departments, nothing prevented students from the Hero Course from partaking in after-school activities. Rather, now that UA had become a boarding school, mandating that all students live on campus, joining a club was pretty much expected.
Opening an album the girls had sent him, Izuku smiled as he thumbed through images of them wearing idol-like outfits. Shino, Ryuko, Tomoko, and Yawara had agreed to become advisors for a Heroes-only club that specialized in self-promotion and marketing. Their group was one of the four hero teams that had founded the Union Affairs Office, so they had a lot to teach aspiring Heroes that wanted to establish and maintain a Hero organization...
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After idling about for several hours, bringing the time to 8:41 AM, Izuku got up from the sofa to grab something to eat. Unfortunately, while the suite had a kitchen, pantry, and fridge, the latter was filled with drinks, and most of the cupboards were empty.
"How sloppy..." remarked Izuku, closing the pantry door and heading to the front entrance. The moment he opened it, one of the agents outside, an inordinately tall man with a square jaw and notably 'angular' features, asked, "Is there something we can do for you, sir?"
Meeting the gaze of the shades-wearing man, Izuku replied, "I'm hungry. Tell me where I can grab a bite to eat."
"There are dining facilities on the first and second floors," replied the man. "However, we would appreciate it if you remained in your room. If there is a particular type of food you'd like to try, we will bring it to you."
As he had already messaged Melissa, Toshinori, and Nezu to inform them he was going out, Izuku shook his head, stating, "I'm not going to spend my entire stay in New York trapped inside my room."
Furrowing his brows, the angular man expressed, "You're free to go, but we can't guarantee your safety if you venture off alone."
Though his Intuition triggered in response to the man's warning, Izuku maintained a relaxed smile as he replied, "I appreciate your concern, but I'll be fine. If your people can prevent strangers from entering my room while I'm away, that's more than enough."
Instead of trying to convince Izuku to stay, the angular man returned a curt nod, saying, "Understood." before stepping away, pressing his finger to his ear, and saying something to superiors. As for Izuku, he raised his hand as a casual greeting to the other agents before making his way past them, riding an antiquated-looking elevator with gold ornamentation and red carpets down to the second floor. Then, following the directions of the elevator operator, he soon found himself in a well-lit dining room with predominately white furniture accented by bronze frames.
Before Izuku could get a good look around, a sharply dressed woman with angular eyes, blue and white fur, and the literal head of a wolf approached him to ask, "Will you be dining alone, sir, or are you awaiting your companions?"
Recovering from his momentary stupor, Izuku replied, "I'll be eating alone but have reason to believe others will be joining me."
"Then I'll seat you at a table for four," responded the wolf-like woman, taking the initiative to lead the way. Izuku's eyes nearly lowered to her bushy tail as she turned around, but while he was certainly interested in heteromorphs, he wasn't a furry. He just had a healthy curiosity...
"Here we are," said the woman, gesturing toward a booth near the back corner of the dining area. Then, once Izuku had taken his seat, she adopted a practiced smile and said, "My name is Luna De Luca, and it is my privilege to be your server today, Mr...?"
"Paragon," replied Izuku. He wasn't in costume at the moment, but Nezu and Toshinori had both advised him to get used to utilizing his Hero Name while he was abroad. After all, while he didn't hold an official position, he was, technically, a representative of Japan.
"Okay, Mr. Paragon," replied Luna, briefly sounding like a Bostonian as she pulled out a palm pad and asked, "What can I get you to drink?"
"A cup of ice water and some saffron tea, please," replied Izuku. He didn't know if they had saffron tea, but considering the Waldorf Astoria was one of the most prestigious hotels in New York, catering to dignitaries from all over the world, they should be able to manage just about any request.
Nodding her head, Luna offered a curt "Understood." before asking, "And can I get you any appetizers? I recommend the Scallop Mouse and the Steak Tartare. We import scallops from Novigrad and Wagyu directly from Japan, so their flavor is guaranteed."
"I'll take both," replied Izuku, adopting an innately playful smile as he added, "I have a big appetite."
"I'll be sure to inform the Chefs," mused Luna, narrowing her distinctly golden eyes slightly before abruptly turning away to convey his order to the kitchen. Her reaction caused Izuku's brows to rise, but he didn't think much of it as he habitually checked the wolf girl's status...
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Name: [Luna De Luca]
Title: Party Invitation Required
Quirk: Grey Wolf
Bond Level: 71
Current Level: 18
Effective Level: 35
[Attributes]
Strength: 19
Agility: 38
Vitality: 81
Intelligence: 63
Dexterity: 45
Luck: 107
Free Attributes: 90
[Perks]
Party Invitation Required
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("It seems I made a good impression...") thought Izuku, subsequently adopting a wry smile and shaking his head. He wasn't in the world of Ishuzoku Reviewers and already had more than his fair share of beautiful and amazing women. He also had reason to believe this wasn't his final life, so rather than trying to sample every interesting or exotic woman he encountered, he should focus on overcoming his Trials and becoming an actual Paragon...
With such thoughts in mind, Izuku surveyed the dining room, inspecting the statuses of everyone he could see. Most had Levels between 10-15, but there were a few outliers in the 20s and 30s, presumably serving as bodyguards or private security.
Upon finishing with his sweep, Izuku thought, ("Doesn't look like any of my future enemies or classmates are present. Yet another false positive, courtesy of Intuition...")
Though his Intuition triggered as if to spite him, Izuku ignored it, pulling out his phone and placing it on the table. Then, picking up the tablet that was present, he looked through the surprisingly diverse menu, taking note of the fact that he could send orders directly to the kitchen. Not everyone enjoyed having a waiter or waitress continually intruding upon their meal, so there were options to keep them away, change servers, or have dishes delivered to the table via a trolley-like robot.
Interrupting Izuku's perusal of the menus, Luna returned with a long-necked pitcher, an ornate crystal glass, a tiny jade teapot, and several styles of serving cups, setting them on the table as she mused, "You're in luck. We just had some fresh saffron shipped in from Tyler, Texas. I'm not particularly fond of the South, but God knows they produce some world-class spices."
Having looked into the States after his reincarnation, Izuku understood why Luna might not be fond of the South. Southern hospitality was still a thing, but, like a disheartening number of countries and communities, they weren't very welcome of heteromorphs. There were even a few extremist groups that believed heteromorphs should be subservient to humans, so most stuck to the East and West coast, choosing to live in heteromorphic communes and more 'progressive' cities.
Instead of latching onto the conversation bait Luna had dangled for him, Izuku took a moment to sample the tea she had provided. He hadn't put in any sugar or honey, so it had a subtle, sweet, and tart flavor, common among flower-based teas. Still, while it left a distinctly bitter aftertaste in his mouth, Izuku enjoyed it quite a bit.
Seeing as Luna was patiently awaiting his response, her long and bushy tail wagging ever so slightly as she loomed over his table, Izuku adopted a wry smile and said, "It's delicious."
Adopting a smile that reminded Izuku of the husky he had kept for a few years in his previous life, Luna replied, "Glad to hear it!" before pulling out her pad and asking, "Now, are you ready to order or would you like to wait until your appetizers have arrived?"
"I'll take whatever you recommend," replied Izuku, the corners of his smile naturally curling upward as he added, "This is my first time in the States, and I enjoy trying new things."
Catching Izuku more than a little off guard, Luna promptly took a seat next to him, grabbing the menu tablet and perking up quite a bit as she said, "Well, if you're not in a hurry, we have a twelve-course tasting meal that includes three types of oysters, ebony lobster, caviar with smoked sabayon, marinated duck breast, a vegetable platter, and a truffle-based puree."
Instead of responding to Luna's meal suggestion, Izuku adopted a wry smile and remarked, "I can't imagine it's customary for members of the service staff to sit at the table of guests..."
Leaving Izuku at another loss for words, Luna responded to him with a playful wink, musing, "Consider it a special service. Besides, didn't you say this was your first time in the States? Feel free to ask me anything you're curious about. New York was practically my playground growing up."
With Luna leaning a little closer to him, her nose twitching ever so slightly, Izuku realized what was happening. Nezu had informed him about the peculiarities of his blood, and Nerumi had confirmed that his pheromones were a lot more 'potent' than the average person's. Luna's Quirk gave her a sense of smell that was hundreds of times more powerful than a typical human, so even if he acted casually, she could perceive his 'interest.'
("The things some people do for tips...") thought Izuku. However, instead of outright refusing Luna's company, he suppressed his better judgment and decided to ask her a few questions, initially about New York and then about the other guests staying at the hotel. With her exceptional hearing, she was bound to have overheard a few interesting tidbits of information...
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(A/N: Comment's section be like, "Do it...")

Staring at the slip of paper containing a phone number and the time when Luna finished her shift, Izuku shook his head and exhaled a faint sigh. He had similar thoughts in the past, but the ease at which he was able to get the apparently Italian girl's number left him once again thinking he was in an eroge or a doujinshi.
"It's a real shame..." muttered Izuku, crumpling up the slip of paper and slipping it into his pocket to dispose of later. He wouldn't have minded having a one-night stand with Luna, but there was a time and a place for everything, and he wasn't in a position to act without inhibitions. He did, however, leave her a 300% service tip since he felt responsible for giving her the wrong impression.
With the elevator reaching the floor he was staying on, Izuku's eyes opened in surprise when the doors parted to reveal Toshinori in a yellow tuxedo and Cathleen, the latte resembling a female bodybuilder that had squeezed themselves into a black dress.
While Toshinori's eyes widened like Izuku's, Cathleen smiled broadly and said, "Oh, if it isn't your Sidekick. What was his Hero Name again? I think it was something cute like Kyokan?"
"It's Paragon," replied Toshinori, waggling the index finger of his right hand as he added, "Also, he's not my Sidekick! Paragon here might be young, but he's already a fine Hero!"
"Oh? If it's you saying it, it must be true," mused Cathleen, extending her left fist to Izuku as she added, "Nice to meet ya, kiddo!"
Though he was somewhat reluctant, Izuku returned Cathleen's fist bump, replying, "It's nice to meet you as well. Are the two of you heading down to get something to eat?"
Adopting a massive, toothy grin, Cathleen elbowed Toshinori in the side, stating, "It's my job to keep this big lug in check if he goes out of control, so yeah, we're grabbing a bite to eat together. I'd invite you to join us, but I'm sure you have your own thing going on."
Understanding that Cathleen was effectively telling him to stay out of the way, Izuku returned a curt nod and said, "Some other time, then." before making way for the golden-haired duo. Cathleen fawning over Toshinori risked throwing a wrench into his plans, but the latter's private life wasn't exactly his business...
Before the elevator doors could close, Toshinori said, "Sir was looking for you. He's staying in room 4203."
"Noted," replied Izuku, raising his hand in a casual farewell gesture and waiting for the doors to close before turning around, waltzing down a corridor filled with suit and sunglasses-wearing agents as he made his way to Nezu's suite. Several followed him with their gazes, but none tried to bar his passage as he approached the reinforced door numbered 4203 and pressed the doorbell.
"Are you Izuku Midoriya," asked the voice of a woman over the intercom.
"Last I checked," replied Izuku, raising his brows slightly as he pondered who the voice belonged to. He knew Nezu was planning to introduce him to the Pendragons, but he figured it would occur at a private dinner party or something similar.
"You are permitted entry," said the woman, followed by the door unlocking with a heavy thud. When it opened, a petite woman in a Maid outfit came into view, her inky-black hair styled in two distinct buns and her pupilless golden eyes exhibiting little emotion as she stared up at Izuku with a gaze that caused his Intuition to trigger...
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Name: [Ferrus Lindsey Harington]
Title: Arachnoid Assassin(Agility+30, Vitality+20, Dexterity+50)
Quirk: Death Leg
Bond Level: 50
Current Level: 63
Effective Level: 106
[Attributes]
Strength: 88
Agility: 132
Vitality: 309
Intelligence: 124
Dexterity: 289
Luck: 119
Free Attributes: 315
[Perks]
[Cold-blooded]
[Skills]
[Stealth], [Homing], [Armor Piercing], [Explosive Ordinance]
[Cold-blooded]: Invisible to thermal detection.
[Stealth]: Able to blend into your environment, becoming harder to detect.
[Homing]: Fires bullets that can curve around an object to hit a specified target.
[Armor Piercing]: Fires a high-velocity bullet that can penetrate most defenses.
[Explosive Ordinance]: Fire an incendiary projectile that can bounce off surfaces and be detonated remotely.
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Seeing the petite woman's Title, Level, Perk, and Skills, Izuku's eyes widened quite a bit. Ferrus's resembled an ordinary Maid at a glance, but everything about her status made it clear she took out more than simple garbage...
Sensing that Izuku had seen through her, Ferrus narrowed her eyes almost imperceptibly as she stood to the side, gesturing toward the room's interior as she said, "Sir Nezu and my Mistress are awaiting you within..."
Though it caused the hair on the back of his neck to stand up, Izuku made his way past Ferrus, making his way deeper into the suite to find Nezu and a remarkably beautiful woman with pale golden hair sitting at opposite ends of a dining table. Her Level wasn't particularly impressive, but the status of two lasses beside her caused Izuku's pupils to contract to the size of pinholes...
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Name: [Julianna Soliel Pendragon]
Title: Frost Queen(Vitality+100)
Quirk: Incitement
Bond Level: 57
Current Level: 34
Effective Level: 35
[Attributes]
Strength: 14
Agility: 25
Vitality: 332
Intelligence: 118
Dexterity: 51
Luck: 77
Free Attributes: 170
[Perks]
[Ice Affinity]
[Skills]
[Lesser Mana Detection], [Second Circle Ice Magic]
[Ice Affinity]: Increases affinity for and resistance against ice.
[Lesser Mana Detection]: Able to sense and manipulate Mana to an extent.
[Second Circle Ice Magic]: Able to manipulate Ice Elemental Energy to freeze or reduce the mobility of targets.
Known Spells: Ice Bolt, Frost Touch, Snow Field
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Name: [Historia Kunegunda Pendragon]
Title: Chosen Knight of the Foundry(Strength+100, Agility+100, Vitality+200, Luck+100)
Quirk: Lord of Camelot, Armory, Displacement, Tempest, Discernment
Bond Level: 57
Current Level: 81
Effective Level: 188
[Attributes]
Strength: 144
Agility: 163
Vitality: 959
Intelligence: 89
Dexterity: 142
Luck: 407
Free Attributes: 90
[Perks]
[Authority(Artorias)], [Mana Detection], [Dragon's Heart], [Dragon Scales], [Wind Manipulation]
[Skills]
[Omni-Weapon Specialist], [Fifth Circle Wind Magic], [Elementalization], [Great Divide], [Decapitating Strike], [Spatial Pierce]
[Authority]: The one who bears the Authority of Artorias possesses great charisma and can only be slain by a member of their own family.
Restriction: British Isles
[Dragon's Heart]: Vitality and Mana Capacity increase exponentially with age.
[Dragon Scales]: The user is impervious to most forms of blunt, piercing, and magical damage but weak against weapons with the Anti-Divine and Anti-Dragon traits.
[Wind Manipulation]: The user can feel the flow of air around them and manipulate it freely.
[Omni-Weapon Specialist]: The user has innate familiarity with most types of weapons.
[Fifth Circle Wind Magic]: Able to manipulate Wind Elemental Energy to hasten movements and slice through opponents.
Known Spells: Haste, Aero Bolt, Tempest Armor, Garuda's Wing, Wind of Fortune, Hurricane Crash
[Elementalization]: Able to transform the body into Wind Elemental Energy for a short period.
[Great Divide]: Condense Mana to create a blade capable of splitting the Earth and foes alike.
[Decapitating Strike]: Drastically increases cutting power when aiming for the neck of an opponent.
[Spatial Pierce]: An attack that ignores distance and defense to pierce a target in a straight line.
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Name: [Rebecca Wahldorf]
Title: Tiny Tinkerer(Intelligence+50, Luck+50)
Quirk: Metallurgy
Bond Level: 64
Current Level: 59
Effective Level: 108
[Attributes]
Strength: 63
Agility: 27
Vitality: 353
Intelligence: 215
Dexterity: 165
Luck: 257
Free Attributes: 295
[Perks]
[Genius], [Mana Detection], [Dexterous Fingers]
[Skills]
[Cartography], [Auto-Mapping], [Sense Trap], [Trap Activation], [Sense Treasure], [Resource Detection], [Monster Magnet]
[Genius]: Doubles Experience gains. Half as effective when sharing Experience.
[Mana Detection]: Able to sense and manipulate Mana to a reasonable degree.
[Dexterous Fingers]: Your fingers are quick, incredibly flexible, and allow you to discern things through touch, even with your eyes closed.
[Cartography]: Allows the user to produce maps so long as they are supplied with Mana and ink.
[Auto-Mapping]: When actively utilizing a map, an area of 5x5 meters is automatically inscribed.
[Sense Trap]: Diffiuse Mana through a terrain or dungeon to detect traps within twenty meters. Additional Mana can be used to increase the range up to 100m.
[Trap Activation]: Remotely activate traps detected by the Sense Trap Skill.
[Sense Treasure]: Diffuse Mana through a terrain or dungeon to detect treasure within twenty meters. Additional Mana can be used to increase the range up to 100m.
[Resource Detection]: Automatically detect water, rare minerals, and other natural resources within ten meters.
[Monster Magnet]: You are the natural enemy of Mimics, Changelings, and Doppelgangers. Monsters will instinctually prioritize attacking you.
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Before Izuku could thoroughly peruse their statuses, Julianna remarked, "You must be Izuku Midoriya, the young man that will soon attend the Royal Academy of Heroics alongside my daughter, Historia. Sir Nezu has told us much about you."
Bowing his head respectfully but maintaining a dignified countenance, Izuku courteously replied, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Pendragon."
"Likewise," replied Julianna, shifting her gaze to Historia and Rebecca, stating, "Introduce yourselves."
Rising to her feet, Historia, wearing a sleeveless white blouse with a blue ribbon, a blue skirt, and black stockings, crossed a hand over her chest and bowed at a concise, fifteen-degree angle as she said, "Well met, Sir Midoriya. My name is Historia Kunegunda Pendragon, but my friends call me Histy. In public and at school, please refer to me as Arthur."
Frowning slightly, Julianna looked like she wanted to correct Historia but ultimately remained silent. At the same time, Rebecca, her pigtailed head barely above the table's surface when standing, performed an awkward bow and nervously muttered, "It's nice to meet you...my name is Rebecca Wahldorf. At school, please refer to me as Bedivere..."
Nodding his head, Izuku emulated Historia's act of placing her hand over her chest, bowing his head slightly as he replied, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintances, Historia, Rebecca. I generally do my own thing, but I look forward to fighting alongside you within the breaches."
"It's convenient that you would bring that up," said Nezu. "It appears that Ms. Historia and Ms. Rebecca have been clearing C and B-Rank breaches for quite some time. Their most recent venture placed them against a vast horde of Goblins, led by a Hobgoblin Chieftain."
Though it earned her a disproving look from her mother, Historia's eyes glistened as she added, "It was a heart-poundingly thrilling experience! When the Hobgoblin Chieftain summoned a series of tiny meteors, why, I thought my heart might burst out of my chest!"
Matching Julianna's expression, Rebecca frowned as she cast a sidelong glance at her lifelong friend and softly lamented, "You're making a scene, Histy..."
"Indeed," added Julianna. However, instead of chastising her daughter, she redirected her gaze to Izuku, asking, "If you don't mind my asking, what Level are you, Sir Midoriya? Sir Nezu informs me you have at least some familiarity with the breaches."
Though he tensed slightly, Izuku showed no obvious signs of hesitation as he replied, "I recently attained Level 50. However, in terms of stats, I am closer to Level 110 and can enhance my body to approximate the stats of a Level 900."
Hearing Izuku's response, Julianna's usually cold, borderline apathetic countenance gave way to an expression of dignified yet open-mouthed stupefaction. Rebecca exhibited a markedly more comical version of the same emotion, but &nbsp;Historia's reaction stood out the most.
Like the battle junkie Izuku suspected her to be, a broad smile blossomed across Historia's face, her green eyes glistening as she linked her hands behind her back and said, "Once you become a student at the academy, it would be my honor to face you in a duel."
"Absolutely not!" interjected Julianna, staring at her daughter as if Historia had lost her mind. Unfortunately, the latter didn't seem to hear her as her gaze was firmly fixed on Izuku, awaiting his response like a child that had just asked Santa if they could have a pony for Christmas.
With Julianna ultimately shifting her gaze toward him, her stare even more intense than her daughter's, carrying with it an unspoken threat, the smile on Izuku's face visibly cramped as he awkwardly replied, "Allies shouldn't fight amongst themselves..."
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(A/N: Beware the battle junkie...)

After changing into a suit at the behest of Nezu, Izuku waited for the jet to land and taxi into a hangar before disembarking alongside the former, Toshinori, and Melissa.
Waiting for them outside was a middle-aged, borderline elderly man in an Air Force dress uniform, four stars adorning each of his epaulets. Cathleen was also present alongside a group of men wearing green flight suits, but she remained in the background as the elderly man made his way forward to shake Nezu's paw, saying, "Welcome to the United States, Mr. Nezu," in broken Japanese.
Exhaling a soft chuckle, Nezu replied, "Please, General, feel free to speak your native tongue," in comparably flawless English.
Nodding his head, the General, also known as Adam Nimitz, responded with a curt, "Then that's what I'll do." before shifting his attention to Toshinori, his steely grey eyes glistening slightly as he said, "It's been a long time, All Might."
"It truly has!" bellowed Toshinori. "Last I saw you, you only had two stars on your shoulders! Congratulations!"
Adopting a smile that would have earned a double-take from most of the people that knew him, Nimitz extended a hand towards Toshinori as he joked, "I have Stars and Stripes to thank for that. Being the Commanding Officer of America's #1 Hero has its perks."
Though he accepted the General's handshake, Toshinori's gaze shifted to Cathleen, finding her staring at him with crossed arms and a broad smile on her face.
Raising her right hand, Cathleen discarded propriety as she said, "Yo, long time no see, All Might! Have you enjoyed playing around in the kiddie pool that is Japan?"
Instead of taking offense at Cathleen's words, Toshinori exhaled a barrel-chested laugh before answering, "Indeed! After all, protecting one's home and country is why most people become Heroes!"
Before Cathleen could respond to Toshinori's words, General Nimitz frowned deeply and asked, "Major Bates, why are you idling around here? Dismiss your men and prepare for our departure." in a stern, authoritative tone.
Offering a military salute, Cathleen responded with a loud, "Yes, General Nimitz!" before awaiting his return salute. Once he had, she turned to her men, ordering them outside before following after them.
("That's one thing I don't miss about being in the military...") thought Izuku, following Cathleen's departure with his eyes. General Nimitz didn't seem too incompetent, but the number of Officers that gained their Ranks through nepotism and ass-kissing drastically exceeded those who earned their position. As such, they had a penchant for hammering down anyone that dared to stand out or express their individuality...
Interrupting Izuku's thoughts, General Nimitz greeted Melissa before staring directly at him, asking, "And who is this sharply-dressed young man?"
Extending his hand, Izuku answered, "Izuku Midoriya, also known by my Hero Name, Paragon. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, General Nimitz."
Raising his distinctly bushy brows, General Nimitz reciprocated Izuku's handshake as he remarked, "Your English is exceptional. Certainly better than my Japanese."
("That isn't saying much...") thought Izuku, even as he outwardly replied, "Thank you, Sir. I've always dreamed of visiting the States and traveling through Europe, so I'm fluent in English, Spanish, and French."
Seemingly ignoring Izuku's response, General Nimitz retracted his hand, returning his attention to Nezu as he said, "We have a helicopter prepped and ready to transport you to your hotel, Mr. Nezu. The President and His Majesty's Representative are anticipating your arrival."
Exhaling a faint sigh through his nose, Nezu replied, "Then it wouldn't do to keep them waiting. Please, lead the way, General."
With General Nimitz doing precisely that, Izuku followed behind Toshinori and Nezu with Melissa, the latter nervously remarking, "I didn't think we would be meeting with the President..."
Furrowing his brows slightly, Izuku replied, "Then let's hope we're simply going along for the ride..." before grasping Melissa's hand for support. In truth, he was also uneasy, but after his discussion with Nezu, he decided to go with the tried and tested 'fake it till you make it' mentality. He didn't feel like a super-elite, but swinging his metaphorical dick around shouldn't be too difficult...
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Though he expected to accompany Nezu, given that he had been asked to put on a suit, Izuku was fortunately incorrect in his assessment. Once they reached their destination, an ancient-looking but grand hotel called the Waldorf Astoria, he and Melissa were ferried away by members of the Secret Service, taken to their rooms, and instructed to remain inside.
Fortunately, though they had been assigned separate rooms, the Secret Service Agents didn't protest when Izuku informed them he wouldn't be letting Melissa out of his sight. Instead, their leader, a man with a literal lion's head, told them that if there was anything they required, including room service, they needed only to inform the Agents standing outside.
"How exhausting..." remarked Melissa, removing her shoes and taking a seat atop a fairly modern-looking couch. There were windows behind her that provided a view of the New York cityscape, but while the images displayed were genuine, the windows themselves were actually display screens.
"It's really strange," replied Izuku, removing his blouse and tie as he added, "It hasn't even seven hours since I woke up, but I also feel like taking a nap. Care to join me?"
Adopting a wry smile, Melissa responded, "That depends...are you going to behave? I'd rather not do anything 'intimate' when so many people are around..."
Nodding his head, Izuku took a seat next to Melissa, grasping her hand as he jokingly replied, "Yeah, I wouldn't put it beyond the Secret Service to have this entire building tapped and monitored."
Returning a nod of her own, Melissa leaned against Izuku, placing her head against his shoulder as she remarked, "They're probably scanning my father's jet as we speak..."
"Probably..." admitted Izuku, imagining General Nimitz frothing at the mouth as he ordered his mechanics to inspect and analyze the borderline sci-fi stealth jet. Its hull was impervious to most conventional scanning technologies, but with the power of Quirks, anything was possible.
"Well, not like it matters," said Melissa, closing her eyes and adding, "If countries shared their technology and worked together, overcoming the MWT phenomenon might not be an issue..."
Furrowing his brows, albeit only a little, Izuku resisted the urge to argue against Melissa's claim. He would never claim to understand the 'essence' of people, but he could never be as hopelessly idealistic as someone like Toshinori. He 'wanted' to believe in the innate goodness of humanity, but so long as there were disparities in power and status, there would always be a handful of individuals that fought tooth and nail to secure their place above others. The worst part was that he agreed with this sentiment, as, without competition, healthy or otherwise, humanity would stagnate, and the world would become a remarkably boring place...
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While Izuku and Melissa were taking it easy in the former's room, Nezu found himself seated in the conference room of the Presidential Suite, nursing a cup of coffee as he sat across from a constipated-looking man with slicked back brown hair and an inordinately beautiful woman with pale-blonde hair and dignified features, looking more like a Queen than a politician.
"It's good to see the two of you again," said Nezu, adopting a somewhat mischievous smile as he added, "Though, I suppose this is our first official meeting, isn't it?"
"Indeed," replied the queenly woman, narrowing her icy-blue eyes as she expressed, "Japan usually acts as though it is disassociated from the rest of the world. It's pleasing to see you're taking this matter seriously...unlike some..."
With the queenly woman directing her gaze to him, the brown-haired man furrowed his brows and retorted, "My country offered to put boots on the ground, but your Prime Minister rejected our proposal. You can't seriously expect the United States to support the United Kingdom financially while your country monopolizes the resources found within the breaches."
"Monopoly?" parroted the woman, a glimmer of fury manifesting within the depths of her eyes as she stated, "The United States has deployed more than 165,000 troops across Sudan, Ethiopia, Iraq, Iran, and Saudi Arabia using the excuse of 'protecting investments.' Even avarice has its limits, Mr. President..."
Undaunted by the woman's accusations, the President, James McKinney, remarked, "People in your country have been calling this event the end of the world. Your Prime Minister was the one that requested this emergency summit, arguing that the MWT phenomenon is a global threat. Yet, here you are, speaking of personal and national interests. None of us here were born yesterday, Madame Representative. We're all here because we have something to gain."
Turning his attention to Nezu, President McKinney asked, "Isn't that right, my fur-covered friend?"
Maintaining an unreadable smile, Nezu replied, "While my views are more in line with Mrs. Pendragon's, I can't deny there is a considerable amount of truth to your words, Mr. President. The world would be much simpler if everyone worked together to forward global aims, but I fear the situation will need to become far direr before that happens."
Exhaling a scoffing chuckle, President McKinney sat back in his chair and remarked, "I'm still not convinced this is a serious threat. If anything, it's a tremendous opportunity. Our people have already made progress toward stabilizing the breaches. If they succeed, we can forget about populating other planets via space. We'll be able to teleport to other worlds directly!"
"You mean you'll be able to harvest the resources of other worlds freely," asserted the blonde-haired woman, Julianne Soliel Pendragon.
Casting a side-long glare at Julianne, President McKinney retorted, "As if Britain and the United Kingdom won't claim territory. You people invented colonization..."
"..."
Closing her eyes, Julianne calmly asserted, "The history of every country is written in blood, inscribed upon the parchment of conquest. However, that does not mean things must remain as such. A truly modern society is one that moves beyond the limitations and prejudices of its predecessors, creating better conditions for all..."
Opening her eyes, Julianne turned to meet President McKinney's gaze as she added, "There is a reason people with Mutagenic and Heteromorphic Quirks can walk our streets freely while your country can't go more than a week without a school shooting or a high-profile hate crime..."
Clenching his teeth, President McKinney practically growled, "The United States permits people with all manner of views to live within its borders. If we ousted everyone that caused problems, as your country does, it would incite a civil war..."
Inserting himself into the conversation, Nezu mused, "It appears the two of you have much to discuss between yourselves. Perhaps we should reconvene and have our chat later? My flight wasn't particularly long, but I'd like to rest before the summit's opening ceremony."
"No, it's better we speak before the summit," said President McKinney, crossing his arms as he expressed, "I wanted to hear your opinion before you gave it to the general assembly. You're regarded as the world's best economic advisor and data analyst. Tell me, what impact do you think this event will have on the global economy? I'm up for re-election this year, so any information you can provide would be beneficial."
Though she frowned upon hearing President McKinney's words, Julianne focused on Nezu, clearly interested in what he had to say. What neither of them expected was for the diminutive chimera to adopt a broad smile and state, "Put simply, if we don't get our collective acts together, there might not be a global economy in the next few years. I have sufficient reason to believe that the phenomenon we're observing right now is just the tip of a very large iceberg, and our countries are the proverbial ships sailing in the dark, tethered by unbreakable chains. If we stay our course and continue pressing forward without a beacon to guide us, we're going to sink. And I, for one, would like to avoid that particular outcome..."
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(A/N: World leaders quibbling like school children o_o...)

Chapter 120: Chapter 120