Izuku Midoriya had to admit that his time in New York was educational.

U.A had closed down for a week due to the need for repairs after the latest Villain attack, he told Melissa that he was at a loss about what to do. She had instantly invited him and the classmates she had met at I-Island to New York for a few days. She was planning on hosting a small party in her newly repaired penthouse and there was plenty of room so they wouldn't have to pay for hotel rooms.

"Wish the flight could have been better, though." He had to sit next to Mineta who was watching hentai on his phone and a... big-boned guy who took up most of his seat and a quarter of Izuku's. In front of him was Kirishima who was snoring and behind him was a toddler who cried while kicking the back of his seat and didn't stop until the last twenty minutes of the flight.

And the flight was seven hours long.

They had managed to make it out of the airport alive and take a train to New York before having to navigate though New York's subway stations. They went downtown when they should have gone uptown and ran into the N train instead of the Q train. Eventually they had to admit defeat and call Melissa for help.

"And then she had to become a Hero for us." Izuku took a look around the penthouse. All the equipment for the lab has been put away and a table had been set up with a cloth over it and a bunch of burnt burgers and steak laid at the center. Jirou and Yaoyorozu were sifting through them with a fork to find some morsels that were barely edible. Mineta, Uraraka, Liz Allen, Randy Robertson, and Kaminari were munching on popcorn in the living room while watching old movies like Captain America while the security guard Aleksei snored on the couch.

Kirishima was talking with Harry Osborn about his Fender Telecaster guitar while Iida listened intently. Meanwhile outside, Bakugou was arguing with Asuga Shinji as the two worked the grill while Martin Li, the former 'grillmaster', sulked in a chair nearby.

Melissa was away at the moment grabbing a shaved ice treat for everyone called 'piragua' from a street vendor. Apparently, it was similar to kakigori and Melissa always got one whenever the vendor passed by. "There's so many different kinds of food here... but did I really expect them to serve just burgers and soda here?"

That was another thing a couple of his classmates, and even Izuku to a certain extent, had to adjust to when finally arriving in New York. For years, anime and other forms of media in Japan liked to depict all Americans as being either buff, bodacious, or fat but all of of them blond haired and blue eyed. Instead of that, Izuku and his friends got to see America was a bit more varied than that. The city was full of people with different skin tones, the foods on the street ranging from dim sum to hot dogs, and a whole sea of languages were spoken openly in the street.

Kaminari and Mineta even got into a discussion about how anime was just a bunch of bullshit when it came to foreign countries, but the surprise of the different kinds of ladies available made it worth it.

"Hey, how's it going, mumbles?"

Izuku broke from his thoughts to see the familiar form of Mary Jane Watson, her long red hair swaying as she walked up to him. He had to divert his gaze a bit when he took in her sleeveless black top and the cream pants that only accentuated her beauty.

"O-Oh..." Izuku looked away and said, "I-I'm fine. Just soaking it all in, waiting for Melissa."

His numerous discussions with Melissa did wonders to improve his English. Besides Yaoyorozu and Bakugou, he was now the best English-speaking person in their class.

"Yeah, but you could be soaking it up in with the rest of them, you know." Mary Jane motioned to the rest of the partygoers. "We're all having a great time and it would be kinda a bummer if you didn't join in."

"S-Sorry if I'm spoiling the mood."

"Hey, hey it's fine." She gave him a small smile. "Not used to parties, huh? Don't worry, I sometimes meet people like that."

"Damn it. It really is obvious." Izuku never was able to get the hang of conversing in parties with people other than the ones he knew. He ended up just remaining silent of just privately talking with one of his friends. "I hope I didn't insult them."

"Still, I figured you would've been with your little girlfriend instead of standing here all by your lonesome." Mary Jane pointed to Uraraka who was entranced by the young Americans driving fast from the Mind Flayer on the screen.

"G-Girlfriend?" Izuku shook his head furiously, "N-No! Me and Uraraka-san aren't dating or anything! We're just really good friends is all!"

"Oh? So I guess those rumors about you being Melissa's long-distance boyfriend are true then. A little young... but not by much, and I've gotta say you do have some pretty sweet muscles."

Izuku's cheeks reddened in embarrassment. They really thought that over here?

Mary Jane then broke out into a small fit of giggles. "I'm kidding! God, you really are easy just like she said!" She gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Whoever you chose I can already tell you'll make a great catch... but you better stick to one." She threw an angry glare at Harry Osborn. "Unlike some people here!"

He gave them a wave. Mary Jane responded by flipping him the bird.

"Guys! I'm back!" Mary Jane and Izuku turned to see Melissa crouching on the balcony railing, the Leopordon System shifting her costume to her casual clothes while she carries a milk carton full of the shaved ice drinks. "Sorry it took so long, but I rushed up as soon as he was done!"

"It's about fucking time!" Bakugou shouted as he took his strawberry-flavored one. "It's hot as balls!"

"Melissa!" Martin whined as she gave him his grape-flavored treat. "Tell them that they are wrong about barbecuing! The black bits make the whole thing taste better, you know! I know 'cause I'm the one who made em!"

"Sorry, but it seems that only you are able to handle the awesome taste of your cooking." Shiki began to suck up the cream flavoring from the bottom of her piragua with a straw.

One by one, Melissa passed around the treats to the various party-goers before, at last, she handed Izuku his coconut-flavored piragua. "Again, sorry it took so long, Deku. It's just that it's pretty crazy down there. Everyone's partying or heading to get a look at the bridges."

"It's no big deal. I'm just glad you were able to get these, Melissa-san." Izuku sook a sip of the syrup. It was incredibly sweet but he could taste the coconut, and the ice helped to make it a chilly and refreshing experience. "I know I am."

Melissa giggled. "I bet. You guys looked so beat when I found you... thankfully, Sonny's coffee helped you all out."

"Could have done without the Villain though."

"Ah, the Bodega Bandit?" Melissa waved her hand. "Don't worry about him. He's harmless and all he takes is corn dogs."

"Wait... so she's caught him before? How? Why?" Did the police just let him go with a warning? It... kind of made sense. He didn't have any weapons on him and from the way he was dressed as well as the smell, Izuku could guess that he was homeless and looking for food and a place to sleep for a couple of nights.

But even if the Bodega Bandit wasn't a serious Villain, the way Melissa handled him with ease was a sight to behold. He had burst in, declaring his entrance with his pug on his right shoulder demanding all the corn dogs that Sonny had. The bodega man groaned and before Izuku or the others could think of doing anything Melissa began to web him up. He whined about his 'greatest nemesis' foiling him again and Melissa kindly reminded him that FEAST could give him shelter, food, and job training.

Everyone marveled as she professionally handed the Bodega Bandit over a Pro-Hero on duty, Black Terror, before returning to them with a smile on her face.

He knew that he was just as experienced as her and even had a Hero license, but Melissa was able to handle the entire situation with little trouble and the grace of a true Pro. It reminded him so much with how she acted during the I-Island incident, helping to coordinate their efforts to release the guests from Wolfram and his cronies. Of how she easily joined him and All Might in quickly defeating the mercenary before he could even reach his goal.

But a lot had changed since then.

"Are you okay, Melissa-san?" Izuku asked the American, who stopped eating her shaved ice. "I mean, with what happened to your technician..." He noticed that Melissa's eyes drifted to the ground and her lips pursed. "I-If you don't want to talk about it..."

"No, it's fine..." Melissa sighed. "Honestly... I'm still trying to deal with it. I was careless, Izuku. Stupid and careless, concerned only about my own stuff and someone paid for my incompetence... I-I think he hates me for it, and I don't blame him for that." She smiled at him, her eyes closed and tears forming at the corners. "But I gotta keep going, you know? I have to try and make up for it, become a better Hero and keep trying to help people..."

"Y-You did make a mistake..." Izuku couldn't lie about that. She probably would have hated him if he did try to tell her it wasn't her fault. "But... what matters is that you know what you did and you're trying to help him. To make up for it."

She looked away. "But I don't think it's enough, Izuku. I don't think it will ever be enough..."

Suddenly, the sound of popping and flashes of light came through the windows. Everyone rushed to the balcony and began to marvel at the large fireworks, the explosions forming bigger flashes of light, color, and shape.

It was magical, and Melissa's penthouse provided some of the best seats in the house.

Izuku saw Melissa smiling and felt grateful for that.

Melissa was going through so much, juggling responsibilities and shouldering the guilt of her mistakes.

But for now, for this moment, she was amongst friends and basking in the splendor of this day that helped shape her nation.

Let tomorrow come with its anxieties and responsibilities.

Tonight, the Heroes would celebrate.