Throughout this last week, I've been talking to Melissa quite often. I discussed with her some problems and questions I had during the design and creation of my equipment. I had quite a few questions about her father, but I thought she wouldn't be very pleased to answer them. She's probably often asked about him. It's a pity she and her father had to fly out of Carolina a week after we met. It was quite pleasant to talk to her in person.
This time was enough for me to finish creating the necessary gear in a rented workshop (a rather common practice among local students, as their time in educational workshops is limited), study the city and local heroes with their patrol schedules. And find my father's new family. Alice Neel, formerly Austin, and four-year-old Agnes. And my father—now Akio Neel. Questions about his actions and the reasons for changing his last name, the sudden move to the USA, and current actions as a hero constantly arose in my head. I couldn't get closer than a hundred meters to their house when my father was there. And it wasn't just the difficulty of containing my desire to meet and talk to my father. From childhood memories, I recall his training in the hero agency, how at least a dozen rubber balls flew at him from different sides at great speed, and he dodged them with his eyes closed. To my enthusiastic and questioning look, he replied.
"I just feel my surroundings."
Then I thought he was able to achieve this through his body training. But later I noticed something strange. In rare witness videos of his battles with villains, he could move to villains in buildings. In buildings where he had never been, next to a villain he hadn't seen. This cannot be explained by simple luck or calculating the situation. And then I hypothesized that he could feel the surrounding space thanks to his Quirk over a quite large distance. But what distance? I didn't know.
His new wife was nothing special; she works as a manager, and her Quirk is a small-sized pocket space. Their daughter recently awakened a Quirk similar to her father's and attends kindergarten. Having memorized their daily schedule, I began to look for the building where my father works. An unremarkable two-story building with a decent alarm system, which my father entered several times, caught my attention. With my abilities, sneaking in there unnoticed was not a problem when he wasn't there. Looping the video surveillance while hacking the computer was helped by some acquired skills and a flash drive with a couple of programs obtained from mercenary acquaintances. Reports on work with police against one of the drug cartels, detention of several villains, a couple of videos and photos for reporting, receipts for large transfers to what seemed to be an anonymous account... Wait, now this is more interesting. Further, documents were found on the ownership of a share of stocks in several large US firms and investment deposits in some projects. It seems he decided to become a businessman.
Monitoring my father himself was quite difficult. How else? He leaves with a couple of teleports to the side and that's it. But thanks to access to his computer, I roughly knew what places he would be in for his work. And I was able to see his fights. It remained to prepare a plan for our future conversation.
Akio Neel "Omnipresent" POV
Akio was pleased with the work done. Several years of effort were not in vain. New connections, money obtained both legally and not so much. And an heir—his daughter, who inherited his Quirk completely and even more—her mother's Quirk. The Quirk legacy appearing in their family will not be interrupted, and in the future, perhaps his daughter will fully reveal its potential. All that remained was to properly train and support her.
A phone call distracted him from his bright dreams. Alice's number. Did she forget to buy something again and is asking me to buy it myself? Sighed, I answered the call.
"Hello, Omnipresent. Your wife and daughter are visiting me now. Don't you want to join us? Without your help, they won't be able to return home. I'm waiting for you at the address I'll send you. And I advise you to arrive in 10 minutes, without inviting outsiders. It would be impolite toward such a hospitable host as me. I'm waiting."
The kidnapper, who spoke with a strange metallic voice, hung up. Hands squeezed the phone until it cracked. The stone-cold and calm face of the black-haired man stared at the smartphone screen. A few seconds later, he vanished.
End Akio Neel "Omnipresent" POV
I was looking forward to him. And I wanted to get answers to my questions. After so many years, son and father will meet again. Hahaha. How I want to squeeze his... neck. But maybe he can change my opinion of him? I just have to wait a few minutes, just a little bit. And everything will become clear. Or not everything. Why is he taking so long? I want to see him and absorb him so much.
A man with spiky hair entered the warehouse through the entrance with a casual air. Dressed in a dark jacket, a burgundy shirt with a v-neck, leather pants, and shoes, he addressed me with a smiling face.
"Here I am. Honestly, your hospitality is so-so. Dust and dirt everywhere, and I don't see the other guests. You're quite the poor host."
With his appearance, an unexpected calmness flooded my consciousness. With a cold smile, I took off my mask and said.
"And you're quite the poor father. Long time no see, Daddy."
From surprise, he opened his previously narrowed eyes. Black sclera with red irises stared at me in wonder.
"I—Iori. Hahaha. And you decided to hold a family reunion in such a peculiar way? And where is Aika then? I don't see her here."
"She's dead."
I stop smiling. From awkwardness, my father scratched the back of his hair with his hand.
"Well, our conversation isn't going very successfully. Now tell me where my wife and daughter are."
He finished in a more serious tone, looking into my eyes. I calmly examine his face, which is rarely seen serious.
"They're not here. But their integrity depends on your answers to my questions. And the first question: why did you abandon us?"
A buffoonish expression returned to his face.
"And you could harm your charming half-sister?"
I look with the same calm gaze. His shoulders slumped.
"Alright. I left you because of you. You didn't awaken my Quirk."
Inner peace cracked.
"Is that all? Just because of that? 20% of the Earth's population lives without Quirks. Maybe not as well as people with Quirks, but they live somehow."
"Exactly. They live 'somehow'."
He pointed a finger at me.
"And I want my children to inherit my Quirk and live well. You know yourself how the Quirkless live nowadays. They can't find a good job because someone has a more suitable Quirk for it. In just 200 years, ordinary people have become abnormal. Isn't that ironic? And even those Quirkless people who have achieved their place through purely titanic efforts, like David Shield, have their limit."
Looking at me, he smirked with a slightly mad smile.
"Yes, a limit. Who do you think holds power in our world right now? The government? Heroes? A flock of sheep that scatters when a villain appears and then watches with interest as a hero beats him?"
An inkling began to appear in my mind.
"Quirk marriages."
At my mumbling, Omnipresent only smiled wider.
"I see you've already guessed. The High Families. Imagine that several generations of Quirks that complement each other converge in one person. Excellent examples of the results of arranged marriages are the Rockefeller families, the Queen of England, the Emperor of China, even the recently risen Yaoyorozu family. It's quite hard to live in Japan and not hear even a whisper of their conglomerate. Finding owners of strong Quirks and entering into arranged marriages with them is a common trend in the modern world. They are often called immoral, but when has morality ever stopped absolutely all people from achieving greater power? More questions?"
"Why did you change your last name?"
"Well, to tell the truth, it's my original last name. Since my father was American. And having come to Japan for one person, he decided to change his last name so his enemies wouldn't find him. And you've awakened a Quirk too? And it's related to space?"
I took out Alice's phone and tossed it aside.
"Yes. But I'm not coming back to you."
"A pity. So what about my family?"
Indifferent toward them, I answered.
"They are visiting Alice's friend. I just stole her phone. But you do realize I can still threaten them?"
"Of course, Iori. And after our talk, you'll go to prison for several years. Cool your heels a bit."
"I doubt it."
My hand presses a button on a signal transmitter. The entire room begins to be sprayed by the fire extinguishing system. Omnipresent frowned.
"Thanks to an acquaintance, I was able to understand that the principle of your teleportation lies in replacing the space you feel with your body. And the more objects and the higher their density in that space, the more energy you spend."
Looking at me with wide-open black eyes with red embers burning where the irises should be, he said.
"Under this little rain, I have quite enough strength to kick the ass of one overconfident brat."
And vanished. I quickly strike with a knife behind my back. He is quite predictable in his first attack. And the appearing scratch on his cheek confirmed it. Not losing his head, he moved again. A kick to the back threw me several meters away. Blows from his limbs began to rain down on me from all sides. But he himself does not leave without wounds. A few bleeding wounds were added to his arms and a rather nasty head bruise. Our parity in battle continued until he twisted the knife out of my hand and tried to put me in a submission hold. However, my free hand touched his stomach with my palm. Due to exhaustion, he didn't pay attention to it. "Rejection." Almost breaking my arm, he flies into the warehouse wall. I use all possible acceleration with "Choice" and, using the recoil from "Rejection," send myself in a dash toward him. He tried to get to his feet, spitting blood. With sadistic pleasure, I kick his teeth out with a spin, using the momentum of the dash.
I sit on the groaning body of the hero, and my hands, already covered in Dark Matter, squeeze his throat. And looking at the beaten and bloody face, I say.
"Maybe my reason for killing you is a petty childhood grudge. Но мне плевать на это. But I don't give a damn about that. You're quite the jerk, and I'm glad to squeeze your neck. Don't worry, I won't kill your half-sister, if you must know."
Shimmering streams of life force illuminated the warehouse.