[77: A Country Losing Faith]
"Nezu, are you sure we should do this? It's not exactly the most friendly environment out there right now for heroes. I think All Might is the only one close to immune to what's going on out there."
"Yes, Aizawa. The students need to get as much experience as they can. I know you've picked up on things that are happening with villains during your hero work, Aizawa. Something is happening out there, but we don't know who or what is behind it. Have you discovered anything?"
Nezu and Aizawa were meeting in Nezu's office. A few days had passed. The hostility and negativity towards the HPSC only increased. And the fallout was starting to affect other institutions as well.
"No, but…we're being spread across so many issues. Take a look at this." Aizawa turned on the TV, showing a news broadcast.
"National News: HPSC Under Investigation as New Documents Raise Questions About Hero Oversight. We're receiving reports that the government has promised an independent inquiry. However, critics question whether the investigators can be trusted to investigate the institution that helped create all of this."
Aizawa changed the channel. This one was a talk show. There was a panel arguing over the leaks and the HPSC. The banner on the bottom read "If the Commission Lied, Who Is Watching the Heroes?"
"We all know these leaks are probably just motivated by politics! There's no other reason! This is only people seeking to tarnish the HPSC!"
"What‽ What are you talking about?! This is clearly an anonymous whistleblower who is risking their life! The only reason they haven't identified themselves is that they are worried the commission will kill them! We can safely assume from these leaks that the commission wouldn't have a problem with that!"
"The commission wouldn't assassinate someone! That is only speculation! There is no hard evidence or proof that assassination or sanctioned murder was approved by the commission!"
The panel kept arguing over and over again. Aizawa changed the channel again. "This is live footage outside of hero agencies and some police departments." A news reporter started talking over footage of protestors in front of hero agencies and police departments. Multiple signs and shouts could be heard in the footage. "We demand accountability!" "You are complicit!" "You let this happen!" Words like these were common on multiple signs.
At the hero agencies, heroes and their sidekicks were holding a line, stopping things from getting out of hand. In front of police departments, SAT squads cordoned off areas and stopped people from advancing too much.
Aizawa changed the channel again. This one was an independent investigator and journalist. "What we see from these files is too coincidental. Even if we only focus on the dates of these files, we can see that the commission has been doing mysterious operations for decades, even back during the time in All Might's younger days here in Japan after returning from America. The question is: does All Might know about what the commission was doing in his younger days? Could he shed further light on what the commission has been hiding? He hasn't said anything yet, which can be taken in various ways."
Aizawa switched the channel one more time. "You've previously supported the HPSC. Where does your support land in the face of these leaks?" It was an interview with a politician. The interviewee sat across from the politician.
The politician shifted slightly in their seat at the question. "As far as I'm concerned, they did that, not me or anyone else who supported the commission. This has nothing to do with me."
"But you've been involved with the commission in the past." The interviewer pressed further.
The politician got tense. "I was involved, but I never chose any of the things that the leaks suggest. The commission only acted on its own while hiding things from me and anyone else supporting them."
The interviewer pounced at the opportunity. "Are you suggesting that you and other politicians who are supposed to oversee the commission aren't able to do it effectively? What does this say about the ability of the government to oversee its own institutions to prevent things like this from happening? How much has the commission done behind the government's back? Can we still trust you and other supporters of the commission regarding the leaks?"
Aizawa turned off the TV. "As you can see, Nezu. The people are losing faith in these institutions, and probably the country as well. The government hasn't really given any satisfying answers, and anything they do say only fuels the fire on all sides. The upcoming HPSC press conference will be a make-or-break moment in this entire thing."
Nezu rubbed his paws on his head. He was getting nervous. Really nervous. A sense of impending doom filled him. "Aizawa, this kind of discontent is perfect ground for someone, or something, to intervene."
"Are you talking about Eleanor?"
"Partially. But I don't think she could do it. She's only one person. It would take a large organization to take advantage of this effectively."
"The League of Villains perhaps?"
"Possibly. But…you've noticed they've been a bit quiet, haven't you? They've been quiet for some time now."
"That's true. And I still haven't found any hard evidence that points to who, or what, is responsible."
"There's too much to think about, and we have no leads. Have you talked to Sir Nighteye recently? What does his vision have to say about this?"
"It's not good news. According to him, he considers his visions too unreliable at this point, since we're too far from where he started with Eleanor initially."
"Even our best card is gone." Nezu was trying to go through all his options. "The students still need to get another round of studying under heroes. It looks bad, but I think this will only get worse. It usually does before it gets any better. If they can get more experience, it'll help them."
"Let's hope it doesn't get too bad, Nezu."
⁂
(Rural outskirts somewhere in Japan)
A strange mannequin, more like a robot, was standing in place. The head and arms were moving, as if it were a person talking. The torso would occasionally turn and twist as well. It was standing on a podium, a fake microphone in front of it. Behind it was a makeshift wall.
A few moments later, a distant but loud and sudden crack could be heard. Seconds later, the robot mannequin's entire torso, from the waist up, was completely destroyed. The makeshift wall had a large hole in it.
4,500 meters away, inside an aircraft, Eleanor and Lady Nagant looked at the results. Lady Nagant looked through the scope, while Eleanor looked through her visor, zoomed in on the robot mannequin.
"So, how was it, Kaina?" Eleanor asked after seeing the results.
"That was…very intense. But also kind of easy. This scope is very advanced."
"Yeah. It's a smart scope. Well, it's a specialized one, since a normal one would have the electronics inside of it completely destroyed by the force of firing an Anzio 20mm. It's pretty cool though, right? It does a bunch of math, distance measuring, and calculates a bunch of other factors to make your shot easier. There's even a little indicator to show you where the bullet will hit, and you can even use the guided trigger system that allows you to tag a target with a laser, which will stop the trigger from firing until the weapon and ballistics perfectly align to hit the target."
"Do I even need a DOPE book at this point?" Lady Nagant asked.
"Yes. Keep using it. The technology is good, but it's electronic, which makes it vulnerable. It's always a good idea to keep some paper on hand."
"Well, I feel good about taking the shot."
"Not yet." The aircraft started to move further away from the target. "We're going even further now. We'll increase the distance to 5,000 meters. This is pushing the limits of the Anzio, but it can be done as long as environmental factors are taken into account and if the circumstances are right."
"Is this really necessary? I think four kilometers is a good enough distance. We'll be cloaked anyway, won't we? They won't even see us."
"True, but it's better to prepare for the hard stuff than assume things. After all, with the press conference taking place soon, it'll be the easiest chance we get. You'll be using the smart bullet for a shot at this distance. It'll help to 'increase' your range, but it's more like increasing the hit probability of the bullet at long range."
The aircraft finally stopped. "Alright, Kaina, let's keep practicing." Eleanor loaded up the magazine of the Anzio.