Izuku woke to the wind rushing past his face and Dave yelling in his ear, his head pounding from the hypoxia, his body slightly iced over from the immense cold without his inherent thermal regulation. He shook his head to shake off the exhaustion, and the ice crystals clinging to his suit, barely on time. He opened his eyes to see the ocean surface rapidly approaching, the waves just a dozen meters below him, capped in white from the blistering winter wind.
"Oh, shit…!" Izuku muttered, before righting himself and reactivating his thrusters, swooping low and rocketing off parallel to the waves.
"I'm okay! Uh, speed test next!" Izuku called out over the wind. There was a moment of silence over the comm link.
"I have half a mind to tell you to come back after that little stunt, but I know you won't listen. Continue for the velocity test. And pay attention this time, your mother will have both our heads if something happens to you," Dave replied.
Izuku grinned at his uncle's retort and focused on flying, leveling out a couple dozen meters above the water. He glanced at the speedometer and accelerometer on the Interface, noting he was gently cruising at 130 kilometers an hour.
"World record top speed for fixed wing aircraft was the US SR-71 at three thousand, five hundred and twenty-nine point six kilometers per hour." Dave stated, "Think you can do better?"
"Time to go Plus Ultra!" Izuku called out, a smirk replacing his grin as he increased power to the thrusters in his palms and under his feet. The rings grew brighter as he dumped more and more power into them, accelerating the combustion. He watched the speedometer flick through four, five, six, and seven hundred kilometers an hour in seconds, the accelerometer flickering between twenty-four and twenty-five meters per second squared.
"Sound barrier upcoming, Izuku, get ready for some buffeting. Remember, the air is wet and heavier down here. It might be rough," Dave explained, right as the speedometer crossed the first thousand kilometer mark. A split second later, Izuku felt a shuddering motion throughout him and enormous pressure built behind his ears, making his head feel like it was splitting open, his eyes crossing from the pain.
Across Izuku's body, the wind blasting past him increasingly faster started to condense, the cool wet air compressing from the pressure wave, a vapor cone forming as Izuku pushed through the sound barrier, a tremendous sonic burst echoing out behind him. The vapor cloud vanished and the shuddering stopped, the pressure finally equalizing. Izuku blinked and yawned, popping his ears.
"Izuku, everything okay?" Dave asked.
"All good!" Izuku called out, "Pushing the envelope!"
The waves rushed past below him as he blasted through two and a half thousand kilometers per hour, watching the projected longitude markers flick past as he progressed further south. At three thousand kilometers per hour, he noticed a small island on the horizon, but before he could even pull up the satellite map to find out which one it was, he had passed over it and was beyond the horizon. It was only after he reached four thousand kilometers per hour that he noticed the skin on his cheeks start to get warmer, rather than the chill the winter air had provided.
"Starting to get hot!" Izuku thought to the Interface, the software automatically transcribing his words and forwarding the message to Dave. At such high speeds, opening his mouth was probably a bad idea.
"Time to throttle down, Izuku. Air resistance and friction is reaching its maximum for your profile. We'll have to reduce your profile to reduce friction," Dave explained. "Good work today, head on back, and we'll go over the data and start working on prototypes."
Izuku nodded, mostly to himself. He had to agree with his uncle. No point in pushing it further, when he was at physic's limits. But, almost hitting hypersonic was nothing to turn your nose up at, especially with only his quirk powering the flight. And the GPS was showing that he had traveled over a thousand kilometers in the short amount of time he had been testing. Smiling proudly to himself, he pulled back on the power, slowing down to a much more comfortable supersonic speed, and performed a simple loop in the air, turning around to head back to I-Island.
Shoko neatly dodged Katsuki's right hook, swinging underneath it before following up with one of her own, aimed right for his side rib, but had to dodge again as he countered with his left knee to block. She cursed to herself and fell back, bouncing back a couple of steps.
"Giving up already, Ice Queen?" Katsuki taunted with a malevolent sneer, his bright red eyes popping out against his dark eyeliner as he watched her.
Shoko glared back in anger, but otherwise had the look of cool calmness. She adjusted her stance again, tightening her fists, and took a second to steady her breath, wishing the pain in her stomach away. They had already gone a couple of rounds, with Katsuki easily blocking or countering most of her moves, to her great frustration as he had been focusing on hitting her core, going for the easiest hits. His annoyingly smug smirk was just making it worse, as if he knew everything she was going to do before she did it.
She huffed and shook her head. "Didn't want to break you so quickly, Dandelion, " she spat back, the corners of her mouth turning up in a smug grin.
Ochako looked up from her phone in surprise, her mouth open. Shoko actually retorting to Katsuki? Something was definitely up. She closed her mouth and giggled softly as Katsuki did a small sputter before launching into a flurry of blows, Shoko following suit. She watched them go at it for a bit longer and turned back to her phone. A sudden longing feeling hit her and she opened a call to Izuku, just wanting to hear his voice for a bit. The call connected a second later with an odd rustling sound in the background.
"Hi Ochako!" Izuku called out after he slowed down enough to talk safely just before the call connected, the wind whipping past his face as he hurtled through the air towards I-Island, the GPS on the Interface directing him on the proper flight path. "Been missing you!"
"Zuku? What's that noise?"
"Oh, yeah, I'm driving with the top down," he said with a smirk. If only she really knew what he was doing…
"Drivi—what?" Ochako asked, her eyebrows raised in confusion.
"Eh, just a joke. So, what's up, Buttercup?" Izuku's voice was slightly muffled, but she caught that last bit just fine, giggling in response, her blush intensifying slightly.
"I just wanted to call and say hi. Been missing you too," she said, a longing in her voice.
"It's tough, I won't lie. Halfway tempted to just come back on my own for a bit."
"Izuku, you know your mother would throw an absolute fit if you even tried it," Ochako said sternly, smiling at the thought of him going against his dear sweet mother's orders. Izuku chuckled in response.
She glanced up as Shoko let out a particularly pained grunt after taking another one of Katsuki's kicks. She grimaced at the thought of taking one without any padding. He hadn't been holding back lately, and it was wearing on all of them.
"We are all missing you, actually," Ochako said, pointedly, "'Tsuki isn't holding back, now that you aren't here for him to wail on. He's getting worse by the day."
Izuku chuckled again, "Yeah, I figured something like that would happen. I'm sorry. Maybe I should have him come out here for Christmas too, just so he can work off some steam."
Ochako glanced at the explosive blonde, "He might enjoy that, perhaps a bit too much," she said in an undertone. She winced and hissed in fear as Katsuki threw a brutal uppercut that Shoko just barely missed, not wanting Shoko to get hit by that wild attack.
"Hey! 'Tsuki! That's un—" she started, yelling out at him.
A loud pinging sounded out from Katsuki's bag on the bench next to her. She glanced down at the bag curiously, before glancing up as Shoko started a series of hits.
"'Chako, what's going on?"
"Hold on a sec, 'Zuku," she said shortly. Curiosity overwhelming her, Ochako opened the pocket where the noise was buzzing like mad, extracting Katsuki's phone. Taking a quick look at the screen, there were hundreds of unread messages from someone named Camie, the latest message just a huge mess of emojis, mostly smiley faces, bubbles, and hearts. Ochako could not believe what she was seeing, and blinked a couple of times.
"Well! I never thought I would see the day!" she called out, looking up from the phone to stare at Katsuki in glee.
"What's that?" Izuku asked, still on the line.
"'Tsuki's got a girlfriend!" she said, squealing slightly. "Her name's Camie!"
There was a moment of silence on both ends of the phone; Izuku stunned, and Katsuki glaring at Ochako with rage as he threw another punch at Shoko. Ochako grinned malevolently as she unlocked his phone and started to read a couple of messages.
"GODDAMNIT, CHEEKS!" Katsuki roared, spinning around and firing a huge kick right into Shoko's stomach before storming over to Ochako and snatching the phone from her fingers. Ochako grinned mischievously as she watched him throw the phone back into the bag, before looking back towards Shoko.
"Don't fucking touch my stuff!" Katsuki said, rounding on her, before noticing that she wasn't there anymore, her phone sitting on the bench, the call with Izuku still connected. He turned to a rough coughing and groaning sound, and noticed Ochako kneeling besides a heaving Shoko, on her back, her hands cradling her stomach.
"Ochako?" Izuku called out, "Everything alright?"
There was only muffled sounds from the other end. He adjusted his angle a bit so the wind would blow over the top of his head more, instead of his ears.
"Ochako!" Izuku called out louder.
"Aw, shit," Katsuki muttered before joining Ochako, "sorry, 'Ko, I didn't me—"
"I'm fine," Shoko snapped hotly, sitting up quickly, taking a deep breath.
"Are you sure? You've been off today," Ochako said softly, reaching out to rub her friend's back.
"I said I'm fine."
"Like hell you are, 'Ko. You've been out of it for the entire match. You've never been that defensive," Katsuki countered, watching as Shoko stood up.
"I said, I'm fine! " she snapped, glaring back at him.
"Just tell us what's wrong," Ochako offered, standing up with her.
"For the last—!"
"Sorry, Izuku. Everyone's okay. Shoko's on her period and Katsuki just kicked her in the stomach."
All three of them looked over at Shoto, who had just walked in from the shower, drying off his hair as he held Ochako's phone to his ear.
"Mhm, you too. Bye," he said, hanging up, looking at Ochako. "Izuku says he loves you and misses us."
The call disconnected, and Izuku shook his head, chuckling at what must be happening on the other end.
"Sorry, Dave. Call from Ochako. I'm about 3 minutes out," Izuku called out, adjusting his angle and speeding back up to meet the ETA, the top edge of I-Island poking out above the horizon.
"Hope she's doing well. Take your time. No rush," Dave instructed.
Izuku grinned, knowing just how 'well' she would be right now.
"SHOTO!" both girls screamed at the same time, making Katsuki jump.
"You can't say that, you idiot!"
"How the fuck do you know that, jerk?!"
"Well, she keeps a calendar…" Shoto explained, looking nonplussed at being called out. "It's a monthly thing, right?"
Shoko was turning a shade of red that even Katsuki would be proud of, while Ochako stormed over to the male twin, snatching her phone out of his hand.
"Yes, but you don't fucking tell people," Ochako hissed at him, jamming a finger into his chest.
A sudden bark of laughter from Katsuki made them all look over as he laughed.
"Oh man, I'm glad I didn't fuck up. Here I thought something was actually wrong. I can't believe you let something as dumb as a period make you that weak," he jeered derisively, looking at Shoko with almost contempt.
Ochako noticed a sudden chill in the air and glanced at Shoko before the girl launched herself at Katsuki. There was a slight second when Ochako swore she saw actual fire in Shoko's eyes, before a huge blast echoed out, and Shoko was alone on the mat, her fist outstretched, wreathed in fire and frost.
"Get fucked, Katsuki," Shoko growled.
Ochako followed the line of sight and her mouth dropped in awe. A hole in the wall of the dojo had appeared, with Katsuki nowhere to be seen.
Ochako turned and looked back at Shoko, who was already stomping back to the showers, unwrapping her fists, nursing the bruise that was forming. Ochako glanced back to the wall, and then up at Shoto who was staring at the hole.
"Well," he said, "Dad's gonna be pissed."
Katsuki couldn't remember the last time he had woken up outside. The sunshine was pleasantly warm, which felt great against the massive chill he felt in his chest. How did he end up out here anyway?
A shadow crossed the sun. "'Tsuki, you dead?" a familiar voice echoed through his head, which immediately felt like it was splitting in two, the onset headache hitting hard. He groaned as he tried to move, his muscles protesting every millimeter of movement. He opened his eyes slowly, blinking in the bright light.
"Cheeks?" he asked groggily as he slowly shifted, "What the hell hit me?"
"Um, well…" Ochako's voice sounded far off. "Shoko hit you. Hard."
"The hell?" Katsuki asked, opening his eyes fully and looking around. He had landed out in the zen garden outside the dojo, right into the sand pit. "How did she… What did… How the fuck did she hit me so hard?" he asked incredulously, picking himself up and dusting off his clothes, making note of the burn mark and ice ring on his chest, a perfect imprint of Shoko's fist.
He looked over at Ochako, who handed him an ice pack. She shrugged, "Not really sure. Never seen her do anything like that before."
Katsuki pressed the ice pack to his chest, hissing from the chill, but glad the bruise wouldn't set it. He did not need that reminder in the morning.
"I do find it funny though," Ochako said, a slight jeer to her voice. "She beat you, even when on her period. So much for weak, huh?" She teased, before turning and strutting off back to the dojo.
Katsuki stared after her. Was it really possible...?
Two weeks later, Izuku strolled through the crowds of people coming from the airport, the air full of energy for the End of Year Festival, a month-long party and celebration held on the Island. Thousands of people coming from all over the world meant that the Island was rapidly filling up, restaurants and stores filling with patrons, and the showcases were busier than ever.
As he passed through the main entry doors for the Arrivals, the cacophony of the huge room hit him, hundreds of families greeting each other, couples meeting up, or chauffeurs calling out for their charges. Izuku smiled brightly as he looked around the massive crowd, marveling at the diversity of quirks he could see. He pushed on, treading carefully as he wove through the crowd up to the security checkpoint, getting in line behind several others. It was moving at a decent pace, so he didn't have to wait long before he was able to present his work ID and visa for approval through the checkpoint.
Sure, he had to pull some strings, some of them literally, to be able to get beyond the secure point, but the meeting with the Security Chief had been pleasant enough. Of course, having David Shield, Director of Research and Development, in your corner didn't hurt either. He smiled broadly and nodded to the security guards as he was granted access, and proceeded through to the terminal. After a decent walk, Izuku arrived at Gate 7, the gate Ochako's flight was supposed to taxi to.
Looking around, he noticed a couple of different characters waiting as well, some with tickets in hand, a cleaning crew, and some with no baggage at all. He decided to lean against one of the thick support columns, signalling the Interface with a thought, and proceeded to browse the internet while he waited, having time to spare before she arrived. He ignored the stares from others he got as he watched a video, but the small woman with light green hair who was constantly looking over her shoulder towards the exit made him curious. She seemed… nervous, or at least jittery. He watched her from behind the Interface for a minute or two, and made up his mind to at least ask if he could help. He waited until she had turned back around again, facing the stewardess station, and gently strolled over to the line of seats she was sitting on, doing his best to look calm and confident.
As he got closer, she looked up at him, and he could see that she was definitely unsure of him, even a little scared. He smiled gently, as non-threatening as he could, nodding slightly to her, before giving a slight small wave. With his enormous catcher's mitt of a hand, it was rather comical, but he tried.
"Hi there, would you mind if I sat here?" Izuku gestured to a seat two to the woman's left, using his entire palm open instead of pointing.
At first, the woman said nothing, her emerald eyes dancing across his body as she studied Izuku. He allowed his smile to soften when their eyes met, remembering a few tips his father had given him regarding terrified victims. She broke eye contact first, apparently favoring looking behind Izuku for a moment. Her posture did not relax when she looked back up at him, but at least she finally spoke. "...go ahead." Her voice was soft like snow, barely loud enough to be heard over the din surrounding the both of them.
Izuku's smile perked up for a brief second and he gently and slowly lowered himself into the designated seat, stretching his legs out as he relaxed. He glanced up at the TV screens on the ceiling and studied it, verifying that Ochako's flight was still on time. Everything seemed in order, so he glanced at the other screens with multitudes of news channels playing, not really paying attention to any of them in particular.
His eyes unfocused as he reached out with his quirk sense and was rather surprised to see that the woman had no quirk; the only energy he was seeing in her was her human life signs. He mentally noted that he shouldn't bring up quirks if they talk, instead choosing to look over his shoulder at the noisy crowds and wrinkling his nose at the overwhelming volume.
"Never was much a fan of airports," Izuku said aloud, glancing over at the woman, "Always seemed like too many people in too little of a space. Especially with how loud people can get."
He didn't expect her to jump at his words, but he didn't react when she did, keeping a neutral smile as he turned away from her, as if signalling there was no expectation of a response.
"I remember when my father took me on my first plane ride, probably about ten years ago? I think," Izuku said, squinting to remember the timeline, glancing over at the woman again, "Well, it's a long story, but I think the worst part was all of the traffic in the airport."
He shifted slightly in his seat, adjusting his legs. "But the best part was definitely all of the candy the nice flight attendants gave me." He gave a soft chuckle, a deep resonating sound.
Izuku felt pride bubble up in his chest when he noticed a faint smile flicker on the woman's lips. She hummed in response, again the sound almost lost to the noises surrounding the two of them. Just as Izuku accepted their conversation to be more one-sided than he hoped, she spoke again.
"I've always enjoyed the white noise of the engine," she said softly. Her eyes scanned the crowd once more before snapping back onto Izuku. "My sister always made sure I had a window seat so I could feel it rumble through the walls."
Izuku smiled brightly, "Sounds like an amazing person, your sister."
The woman huffed out a laugh, hardly more than a 'Ha.' "She's the worst trouble magnet I've ever seen. And if it wasn't trouble, it was bad luck." Despite the negative connotation of her words, she smiled gently, not a hint of sadness in her voice.
Izuku gave a short laugh, nodding and smiling. "But she never gives up, does she? Tenacity is practically her middle name, right?" he asked, giving the woman a knowing look.
The petite woman leaned back slightly, shifting into a more comfortable position. "She tried to change her name to that, actually."
Izuku's smile faltered for a split second, his eyes widening in incredulity, "Wait, seriously?" he asked in awe.
She nodded and allowed an almost inaudible giggle to slip past her lips. "Seriously. I had to curse at her to make her realize how stupid it was to have her middle name actually become Tenacity."
Izuku gave a good chuckle at that, his chest and shoulders bouncing as he laughed, "Oh, I bet that went over great," he said, laying on the sarcasm, a heavy smirk on his face.
"I'm very proud of that night," she responded, sitting up a little straighter. She leaned towards Izuku slightly as she added, "One of the only times she had nothing witty to retort with."
Izuku smiled and chuckled again, "She wasn't ready for her sister to stand up to her, but I bet she really appreciated it too. I have a feeling that you and her have a bond that is far deeper than any argument could dig."
He paused for a second or two before continuing, "If it's okay with you, I'm enjoying our conversation," he gently and slowly extended his right hand towards her, "I'm Izuku Midoriya, and I'm happy to meet you."
When Izuku noticed the smaller woman eye his hand for a moment with suspicion, he mentally kicked himself, careful not to show any of his own discomfort. To his relief, the look was quickly hidden by a much softer emotion, relief perhaps, and she extended her own hand to complete the shake. "Chikamishi. I'm Hana Chikamishi. And… thank you for speaking to me." Hana pulled her hand away from his, preferring not to prolong the contact. "Admittedly, I've never been good with crowds, so a friendly face is always appreciated."
Izuku nodded, his smile growing just a bit, "My pleasure, Chikamishi, I'm glad I could help."
There was a soft subtle tone from the overhead speakers and a smooth announcer's voice echoed out, signalling the arrival of the very flight that Ochako was on. Izuku looked over at Hana and noticed that she was sitting up again, and paying attention to the announcer and looking over at the stewardesses as they started working behind the counter to prepare for the next flight.
"Expecting someone on the incoming flight?" Izuku asked, as Hana settled back down again.
She nodded. Izuku glanced up at her hair as it shifted, marvelling at the bright green sparkles mixed in her hair. She responded, "My sister. She insisted that we spend some time together during the Festival, to celebrate another year of having each other."
Izuku smiled broadly again, "Oh, that's awesome! What a great way to celebrate the new year! I wish I could spend time with my family like that," he said, wistfully, turning to look at the door as the stewardesses moved to clear the path.
Hana tilted her head slightly in an adorable show of confusion. "Do you live apart from them?"
Izuku nodded slowly, almost sadly, "Mom and Dad live on the mainland, near Tokyo. I'm out here for an internship for the next couple of years." He glanced up at her, "Don't get me wrong, it's a great opportunity, and it'll help my family out a lot, but I really miss them."
A sigh escaped Hana as her eyes drifted down to the floor, something sad hidden within them. "I'm sorry. I know what it's like, being away from those you love. They say it's for the best, that they're working hard to reunite with you. But…" Her voice grew even quieter, forcing Izuku to strain his hearing to catch her last line. "Sometimes, it feels like they're just trying to keep you out of the way."
Izuku blinked, surprised at the similarity in their situation. "Yeah," he said, nodding, a thoughtful frown on his face. "That's exactly what it feels like." He was silent for a moment, then pasted a huge smile on his face, "Well, at least we have each other," he said facetiously, nodding his head sagely, "Just the two of us against the whole world."
There was a split second of Hana staring at him incredulously before he burst out in full belly laughing, the mountain of a man chortling at his joke like it was the funniest thing in the world. Several others stared at him before looking back to their own business. She watched for another couple of seconds before his contagious laughter took root and she had to cover her mouth as the laughter welled up within her, coming out a soft chuckling sound. Izuku's smile didn't fade as he wiped a tear from his eye, and looked over at the smiling and laughing Hana, another surge of pride rising up inside of him, having made her laugh audibly.
"Oh, thank you," she said quietly, wiping her own eyes, a faint blush on her cheeks. She glanced around, thanking anything that would listen that no one else was really paying attention to the both of them. "I haven't laughed like that in a long time."
Izuku nodded, "Any time!"
There was another announcement from the overhead speaker, the plane had docked and was now unloading. Izuku glanced over at Hana, and while she had still reacted stiffly, she still had her smile.
"Well, I guess it's time!" Izuku said, grunting as he stood up, his back popping slightly, and stretched his arms up to the ceiling, his shirt riding up just an inch or two. He glanced down at her as he finished his stretch, her eyes snapping up to his before looking away again. She had definitely gotten a bit of a show, and the significant blush on her face was proof enough.
"You know, I bet you get this a lot, but your hair is awesome. The sparkles really are eye-catching," Izuku said, now that he had a much better view of the top of her head.
Hana ran a hand through her hair, the brilliant sparkles almost swimming around her fingers, and smiled softly, "Not as much as you might think." She looked up at him, "My sister's hair is even more vibrant."
Izuku smiled and nodded, turning to the gangway door as it opened, the first of the passengers disembarking. "Well, I'm gonna wait over there. It was great meeting you, Chikamishi. I hope you and your sister have a great time!" he said, giving her a small wave as he turned to leave and walked back over the pillar to wait.
"Um!"
Hana's raised voice prompted Izuku to stop and look back at his new friend. She had stood up the moment he started walking away, and he could see her doubts about her outburst pile up.
"I…"
Again she hesitated, her cheeks gaining a new tint of red.
"You are much taller than me, and perhaps you can… help me spot my sister?" she asked tentatively, taking a few small steps towards Izuku.
Izuku smiled and nodded, "Absolutely!" he said energetically. "Same hair, right? Shouldn't be too hard to find," he said, looking over to the door as Hana moved a little closer to his side. Izuku smiled broadly as he watched her out of the corner of his eye, noting the much smaller woman was trusting him a lot already. They didn't have to wait long, as the line of business men and small families exited quickly and Izuku spotted another head of bright green sparkly hair.
"Well, I see what you mean about your sister's hair. Can't miss that sparkle shine from miles away," he said, chuckling softly, gesturing to Hana where her sister was. The smaller woman looked up at him excitedly and looked in the direction he was pointing.
"JUNKO!" she called out, surprising Izuku with the sudden increase in volume, before she rushed over to her sister, almost sprinting with arms open wide, much to Izuku's amusement. He took a good look at the two sisters, noting the subtle differences between them. Junko's hair was much brighter and more sparkly, but Hana had more of it, the length going down to her shoulders, while Junko's was practically a pixie cut. Junko was taller than Hana as well, almost a full three inches taller, as she kissed Hana on the forehead as they hugged, Junko twirling the both of them around.
They were far enough away that Izuku couldn't hear anything they were saying, but Hana seemed happy. Junko picked up her dropped bag, and with Hana under her arm, they began walking out towards the concourse. As they passed the row of chairs Izuku was in, Hana caught Izuku's eye and leaned forward, giving Izuku a small, shy wave, her face blushing deeper. Izuku smiled and waved back, watching until the two sisters had entered the concourse and Hana was out of sight.
He turned back to the gangway door, and felt a most wonderful presence enter his sensory range, his smile lighting up as Ochako stepped out, her neck craning as she tried to see him above the crowd. She didn't have to look for long, as Izuku stuck out in any crowd; his mop of green hair on top of his huge frame was a beacon for her, her smile splitting just as wide as his. She hurried over, squealing slightly as Izuku scooped her up, hugging her tightly as they kissed. They pulled back and laughed, before Izuku set her down and picked up her bags.
"Well, I gotta say, I missed you a lot, but if that's the response I'm gonna get every time you come to visit, I might stay a little longer," Izuku said lightly, giving Ochako a sideways smirk.
She slapped him on the arm, "Don't you dare, 'Zuku, I won't stand for it," she said, her smile replaced by a fake angry frown. "It sucks not having you home."
The frown vanished, her smile back in full force, "But it is so good to see you!" she exclaimed, grabbing onto his free arm and squeezing it, prompting Izuku to laugh.
"So what's first," she asked, looking around at all of the people queuing up for the security check.
"First security, then some food, then the apartment," Izuku counted off, mentally checking his list. "We have a lot to do on the Island, but most of it will be packed, so I found other things we can do!"
Ochako smiled brightly and snuggled up against her boyfriend's warm arm, feeling happiness, true happiness, for the first time in months.
All for One was barely listening to the person on the other end of the line, his attention focused on the screen in front of him. Read outs for prototypes and designs and schematics, all of them potentially useful.
"No, I don't care how much it costs, just find one. If I have to take it by force, I will," he said sternly into the receiver. "You have your orders, find the parts, or I will find someone who will."
He slammed the receiver down on the table next to his chair, and rubbed his temple.
"Good help is hard to find nowadays," he muttered. Turning to the doctor behind him, he asked, "Progress, doctor?"
The doctor looked up from his tablet, and shook his head, "Still unstable, I'm afraid. This latest version is powerful, yes, but the molecular structure starts breaking down as soon as it reaches critical mass. We need something that will help it stay together longer."
All for One turned back to the screen and wiped away the schematics, frustration coursing through him.
"I'll keep searching then. Someone, somewhere, must have the quirk we need," he murmured.