"So... you intend to gather those espers in one place and open a superhuman zoo?"
"It is a training institution. Whether we funnel them into the military or elsewhere, the goal is to focus the public's scrutiny into a single point."
Zod.05 was currently engaged in lobbying, having brought together the Chairman of the NYC Council and the Mayor of New York. He had even resorted to bribery, all to secure permission for an organization that would consolidate espers into a single collective.
"...This won't be an easy sell. The establishment of an organization on this scale will certainly draw the attention of the federal government. It is, after all, a congregation of superhumans."
"If handled poorly, it could look as though you are preparing a coup d'état using these espers. It’s dangerous."
As expected, the Chairman and the Mayor remained skeptical. No matter how much grease was applied to their palms, they remained wary of the federal government. Even for high-ranking officials in New York—the very heart of America—their heads could roll with a single word from the President. In this matter, they felt their hands were tied.
".................."
Zod lapsed into a heavy silence, his fingers idly tracing the rim of a glass of grape juice.
"Master!"
Suddenly, Emiya Alter burst into the reception room. Zod had given strict orders not to be disturbed during the meeting. Irritation began to flare at Emiya Alter’s unannounced intrusion, but knowing his subordinate wouldn't act without grave cause, Zod held his tongue and listened.
"It’s a terrorist attack!"
For a moment, Zod doubted his own ears and questioned Emiya again.
"What?"
"Al-Qaera, an Islamic extremist terrorist organization, has carried out hijackings and suicide attacks. They have flown planes into the World Trade Center in Manhattan—the Twin Towers!"
"What?!"
Even Zod could not mask his shock. A mere Islamic terrorist cell had committed a suicide strike in the heart of the world's sole superpower, New York... effectively Zod's own home turf.
Emiya quickly turned on the television in the reception room. Breaking news flashed across the screen, providing real-time coverage of the suicide attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Looking at the screen, Zod, the Mayor, and the Chairman were all frozen in disbelief.
"They dare..."
Zod's eyes began to glow with a crimson heat, a burning radiance simmering within. His anger did not stem from some noble patriotism for his 'homeland,' the United States. No, he was enraged because someone had dared to stage a declaration of war in broad daylight within the very domain he ruled—his own front yard. No... it was more than anger. It was pure, unadulterated fury.
"Emiya... escort these two gentlemen safely to their residences."
"And you, Master? What do you intend to do?"
"They didn't just trample my domain (New York) with their filthy feet... they dared to set off fireworks. I'm going to tear them limb from limb..."
The veins on his forehead pulsed as his red glare smoldered. Those who witnessed him growling in that low, gutteral tone would later recall the moment with a shiver.
It was as if a demon had descended upon the world.
.
.
.
"So... this is your solution to dealing with the terrorists and Bin Denra? Mr. Secretary."
The President of the United States sat in the Oval Office, glancing over the report handed to him by the Secretary of Defense with skeptical eyes. The Secretary nodded and presented another document.
"Are you aware of the secret superhuman enhancement project the government executed years ago?"
"The one that was aborted because the laboratory was destroyed in an unexplained accident?"
The Secretary shook his head at the President's query.
"The truth is different. Through repeated experimentation, the fifth culture batch produced a single 'Masterpiece.' Ten years after that success, he murdered every researcher and staff member in the facility and vanished. After you took office, the records were scrubbed; the only thing remaining is his personal file."
The Secretary slid a file containing Zod's background across the desk. The President frowned as he read the report, his eyes narrowing.
"A military unit composed of espers... It certainly would be useful."
The proposal Zod had submitted through the Mayor of New York suggested drafting superhumans, with himself as the leader, to act as a military unit specialized in dismantling terrorist threats.
Included in the proposal was the request to establish a dedicated agency for superhumans. The President fell into deep thought.
Espers were already a nuisance—violent and difficult to control even with the full force of public authority. If he could deploy them in a war zone, he could control them. If they died in the fray, it would conveniently thin out their troublesome numbers. Conversely, if they emerged victorious and survived, they would be easier to monitor and manage once gathered in a single location.
If they died, the nation's risk decreased; if they lived, the nation could regulate them. Either outcome was a win.
And so, the President granted his approval for the establishment of the unified superhuman agency.
He did so without realizing the butterfly effect this choice would eventually have on his country and his own seat of power.
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