AN: Thanks for reading and leaving reviews everyone!
"What's going on?" Melissa practically yelled. She knew she didn't have to raise her voice for the vestiges to hear her, but it was of small comfort when she had no idea what was going on!
"I'd say you're doing well," Nana appeared at the doorway to her bedroom. She let out a small chuckle as she watched the girl's predicament. "You tried to catch yourself from falling and activated Float. Although nowadays it's more like Flight."
"Float?"
"It's my quirk," Nana explained. "Before I was given One For All, it wasn't that strong. I could float in the air, but I couldn't really move - it just let me hover in place. While it was useful, it wasn't exactly what you would call hero material. But then En passed his quirk onto me during a desperate fight. A few months later and I could actually start moving and well… by the time I gave Toshi my quirk I could technically have had my quirk reclassified if I wanted to."
"That's great!" Melissa said a little too quickly as she looked down at her bed. "B-but how do I turn it off?"
"You're a smart one, I've seen it myself. I'm sure you can figure it out," Nana said with a sly grin on her face.
"That's not funny." Melissa crossed her arms and pouted at the vestige. She was so distracted that she felt herself falling. She let out a startled shriek as her descent once again halted.
"W-wait…" Melissa said, thinking about what just happened. "You pushed me so I thought I was falling, and that caused me to float. And when I was distracted I started descending…"
"See, you're getting it." Nana smiled encouragingly.
Looking down at her bed… soft and safe… she closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. Once again she felt herself falling, until she landed with a small bounce on top of the furniture. Pushing herself upright again, she looked at the vestige with a smile on her face. "I did it!"
"You sure did," Nana replied.
"If I add some maneuvering thrusters to my suit…" Melissa said as she grabbed a notebook off the table. "I could combine that with your quirk to fly!"
"What about the part that I said you can already do that?" Nana asked with a hint of exasperation.
"I know!" Melissa said. "But you said it took you a while to learn how to fly, right?"
"It shouldn't take you nearly as long. After all the power's already there within One For All. You just have to learn to control it."
"Hmm." Melissa pressed an index finger to her lips. "That's true, but I still need a way to explain why I can suddenly fly! We've been telling everyone my quirk is energy manipulation! But if I tell them I've built flight into my suit, that gives me the perfect excuse! They just - they don't need to know that I'm using a quirk to fly!"
Nana seemed to think about this, before giving her an approving nod. "You're right, that sounds smart. The less people know about OFA, the better. But aren't you forgetting something important?"
Looking up, Melissa saw Nana pointing at a clock. She let out a startled yelp when she saw the time. "The meeting with my classmates! I need to go!"
Nana smiled as Melissa grabbed her uniform and ran right through her and out of her bedroom. "I see some things never change," she mumbled to herself. "I'll see you tonight."
With one last smile to nobody in particular, she vanished back into the vestige realm.
As Melissa raced through the gates of UA, she saw her friends had already assembled, standing just off the main thoroughfare in a loose circle. As she looked around, she saw they weren't the only ones - there were a lot more students than usual for how early it was, standing in small groups all across the school grounds. The news of the Nomu attack must have spread, because she could feel the tension thick in the air as she walked over to her friends.
Or maybe it was her imagination, she tried to reassure herself.
Slowing down her pace, she joined all of her friends. "Sorry I'm late, I had a rough morning."
"Is everything okay?" Nejire asked as she turned toward her friend.
"I- yeah," Melissa said quickly. "Just… really weird dreams that I had a hard time waking up from."
"I've had those, they're terrible!" Yuyu empathized.
"It makes sense," Tamaki added. "Dreams are based on our own feelings and emotions. Heightened stress is a known source of bad dreams."
"You would know," Nejire teased lightly.
"So mean," Tamaki whined.
"She's just trying to lighten the mood," Mirio reassured his boyfriend as he threw an arm around him. Tamaki seemed to relax slightly at the move, but otherwise gave no indication of acknowledgement.
"Yeah," Melissa said softly before perking up. "So how is everyone else doing?"
"I'm a little worried," Yuyu admitted, her eyes darting to Nejire. "If this thing was attacking a hero, do you think it would come after us?"
"UA's one of the safest places to be!" Nejire insisted as she gestured to the walls. "They've got barriers and so many heroes here, and who knows what other hidden defenses they have in place!"
"But what about outside of school?" Yuyu asked, clearly concerned.
"Outside of school there's no real way of telling us apart from anyone else," Melissa pointed out. "Sure there's our uniform, but if you're that worried you can always change before you leave at the end of the day."
"True," Yuyu said as she relaxed slightly. "I just - I hope that this gets resolved before we graduate!"
"I don't see why it wouldn't," Mirio responded. "It was like Shield said yesterday - people want to see what they can get away with now that All Might's stepping back! As much as we don't like it. It'll probably get worse before it gets better, but the night's always darkest before dawn!"
"I like that saying." Nejire smiled. "Where'd you hear it?"
"Tamaki and I were watching old pre-quirk movies," Mirio explained. "Some ancient films Shield has recommended."
Melissa laughed nervously. "I'm glad it helped." She then forced a smile to her face. "But you're right! We've gotta believe in All Might - believe in the heroes of Japan! All Might ushered in the era of peace, but he shouldn't have to maintain it forever! It's up to us to preserve what he's given to us."
"She's right," Mirio agreed. "If this is a sign of things to come, we'll just have to train twice as hard! All Might's already decided to place his faith in us, we need to show him he's made the right decision!"
Melissa watched as the mood began to lighten, feeling a genuine smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah! Japan'll get through this, and you'll be stronger for it!"
"You'll stay and help too, right?" Tamaki asked.
"Mhm." Melissa closed her eyes. "If things aren't better by the time I graduate, I'll stay in Japan for a while longer. After all," she opened her eyes and looked at her friends, "I promised I'd help where it's needed most!"
Feeling better, the group broke apart as they walked toward UA. As she glanced around, Melissa saw the same scenario repeating elsewhere - especially among the hero students. Everyone was reaching the same conclusion that she and her friends did - without the help of future knowledge. As she felt the tension lifting from campus she looked behind her, and she swore she saw Uncle Toshi leaning against the entrance to UA with a smile on his face.
I guess this is what you meant, huh?
It wasn't enough to quell her inner turmoil, but it was certainly a start.
Now she just had to survive until after school…
Izuku and Ochako sat on the floor in his living room side-by-side. Both were deep in concentration working on homework and trying their hardest to have a normal afternoon waiting for their friend when they heard the doorbell ring.
"I've got it!" Izuku said as he jumped to his feet and took off. He was curious who was there - if it was Melissa she would have just walked in, after all! Slowing down at the entryway, he opened the door curiously.
"Hey Izu," Melissa said sheepishly as she waved. "I, um, brought company today!"
"She said it was urgent," Toshinori said, standing behind his niece. "And it was related to the attack on Death Arms yesterday."
"I- okay," Izuku said softly as he opened the door, allowing his guests in.
"Is everything alright?" Ochako called from the living room.
"All Might is here," Izuku called back as he returned to the living room. "Melissa brought him."
Ochako paled a little bit. "Oh no, did something happen?"
"Yes," Melissa said cautiously. "Hold on - lemme video call my dad. It'll be easier to explain this all at once."
"I'll go get Mom," Izuku said solemnly as he walked over to the closed door to his mother's office.
While Izuku retrieved his mom, Melissa pulled out her phone and called her dad. She was worried for a brief moment as she heard the phone ring, only to be filled with relief as he finally picked up. "Hey Mel!"
"Hi Dad!" Melissa said cheerfully. "Can you take a video call right now?"
"Of course! I'm just relaxing at home right now."
"Are you really relaxing?" Melissa asked suspiciously.
"Yes!" Her father insisted. "I'm actually reading a book!"
"Good," Melissa replied. She knew how much of a workaholic her dad was, and it was part of their ritual every time she called. Pressing a button, she turned on the camera, only to see her dad's face a moment later. "Hi again. I'm actually at the Midoriyas with um… everyone."
Her father's face immediately shifted from joy to concern. "Is this about the attack yesterday?"
"Partially," Melissa admitted. Looking over she verified Izuku and Inko had joined them. "First I have a demonstration for everyone."
Setting her phone down so it would have a clear view of her, Melissa stepped back and looked at Ochako. "I need you to use your quirk on me."
"Why?" Ochako asked.
"It'll be easier this way," Melissa said. "Well, unless you'd rather push me off the couch."
"What?!" Ochako exclaimed.
Melissa laughed nervously. "It'll make sense in a minute, I promise!"
"Okay…" Ochako said suspiciously as she stood up. Taking off her glove, she took Melissa's outstretched hand. Everyone watched as a pink glow surrounded Melissa before she began floating. Using Ochako as leverage, Melissa pushed off, floating up to the ceiling.
"Now release your quirk," Melissa instructed.
"But won't you fall?" Ochako asked.
"It'll be okay!" Melissa assured her.
Giving her a wary look, Ochako pressed her hands together. "Release."
Ochako felt the slight pressure in her stomach dissipate, letting her know that her friend wasn't under the effects of her quirk anymore. But when she looked up, Melissa was still pressed against the ceiling.
"W-what's going on?" Ochako gasped. "Why aren't you falling?"
"Surprise?" Melissa said with a smile on her face. "I've unlocked a new quirk that's been hiding in One For All."
"Nana…" Toshinori exclaimed. "This is Nana's quirk! But how-"
It was jerky and inelegant, but Melissa lowered herself down through repeated use of Nana's quirk, before finally reorienting herself to land on her feet. "It turns out that One For All has been storing the quirks of all their previous users. It just wasn't strong enough to let its current holder actually use those quirks until…" she turned toward Izuku "...it's ninth holder."
"M-me?!" Izuku squeaked out.
"Yep!" Melissa smiled at him. "It surprised Uncle Toshi, too." She felt her cheeks heating up as she turned to Toshinori. "S-sorry, I didn't mean-"
"I understand," Toshinori assured her. "I can assure you I am just as surprised as he was. It- I still can't believe you have Nana's quirk!"
"Last night after the Nomu attack Uncle Toshi visited me and said it was time," Melissa said quietly.
"Nomu attack?" David asked.
"Oh. Right." Melissa felt her cheeks turn pink. "The thing that attacked Death Arms… Uncle Toshi called a Nomu."
"What else did he say about it?" Toshinori asked quickly. "I can assure you I won't let anyone trace the source of my information back to you."
"I- he didn't tell me anything else," Melissa complained. "You know how tight-lipped he is! I was lucky to get a name!"
"I remember how frustrated you were," David reassured his daughter. "This is all we're going to get, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Melissa bit her lip as she nodded. "He - we're supposed to figure it out on our own."
As Inko watched the exchange, she saw that Toshinori wanted to say more. Deciding it was time to intervene, she glared at him. "Can't you tell she's just as frustrated as you are? The poor girl has enough to worry about already."
"You're right," Toshinori bowed his head. "My apologies. It's just… there's something unsettlingly familiar about this case."
"Well, hopefully that makes things easier," David said as he looked at Toshinori. "It's our responsibility as adults to handle this. They're just kids." He then turned to look at his daughter. "I know about Nana Shimura, but Toshi hasn't told me about any of the other wielders. Do you know what else you are expected to get?"
"No." Melissa shook her head. "Just that they'll unlock over time."
"Well, how did you unlock Float?" David continued. "Couldn't you just repeat the process for the rest?"
"It's actually not that easy," Melissa replied. "I um, Nana visited me in a dream last night. And when I woke up in the morning I was floating above my bed."
"So you have to wait for the other vestiges residing within One For All to visit?" Toshinori asked.
"Yeah," Melissa confirmed. "And it'll be the same for Izuku. It'll be a while though - Uncle Toshi said it took months for Izuku's body to adjust to the point where the vestiges began to visit him."
Inko looked back and forth between everyone. "This is a good thing, right? This- this isn't bad, is it?"
"No!" Melissa assured the woman. "This- the biggest worry right now is modifying Izuku's cover story!"
"That's a good point, actually," David agreed. "Mel's quirk is registered as energy manipulation, how can we justify a misdiagnosis that leads to flying? Let alone what other quirks there are in there…"
"I've already figured that part out, Dad!" Melissa said proudly. "We just need to add some thrusters to the boots of my suit. As for the rest - we'll figure it out once we know what they are!"
"How many quirks are there?" Ochako asked, trying to keep the fear out of her voice. She should be excited for Izuku and Risa! Really! But she felt the same unease in her stomach that she felt when she first learned about One For All… that feeling that she'd be falling behind them.
Sure, they assured her she wouldn't, but that was before this! Now they wouldn't just have All Might's strength and durability, but they'd have more quirks on top of that!
How could her one quirk hope to compare?
"There should be seven total," Toshinori said. "I was quirkless, but I think it's safe to assume none of the other wielders were. Which means there were six quirks beyond One For All itself, of course."
"And everyone after you was quirkless," Melissa confirmed about her copy. "So our quirks should be the same once they all unlock."
"You had One For All for forty years," Inki said as she turned to look at Toshinori. "Do you know who the previous holders were, beyond Nana, that is?"
Toshinori looked like he swallowed a lemon. "No I do not. However-" He swallowed the lump in his throat. "I know exactly who would."
"Well," Inko gave Toshinori a hard stare, "I'm sure Japan's Number One hero can handle talking to whomever it is. I think our children deserve that."
Toshinori looked between Inko and David and felt himself wither inside. "You're right! This is important enough to set aside a difference of opinion." He paled further as he continued. "And… I believe there is someone else who will also want to know that these two now possess Nana's quirk."
Deciding they needed to continue their discussion in private. David transferred his call to Toshinori's phone before Toshinori followed Inko into her office. As they closed the door, the three teenagers finally found themselves alone.
"Sorry about all of that," Melissa apologized. "I know we were supposed to get together to discuss the Nomu but then well…" She gestured wildly.
"I understand," Izuku called from the kitchen as he poured three cups of tea for them. Picking up the serving tray, he returned to his friends.
"I get it, I really do," Ochako said as she took one of the offered cups before sitting down on the couch. She cradled it in her hands as she took a deep breath of the steam, hoping it would ease her nerves. "Everything has been… it's a lot."
"Mhm." Melissa took her own cup and sat down next to Ochako, taking a small sip. "Everyone at school's been taking it surprisingly well, but it still feels…"
"Overwhelming?" Izuku asked as he sat the tray down before joining his friends on the couch.
"Yeah." Melissa nodded before looking up at her friends. "To tell you the truth, I'm not sure I could handle it on my own…" Her gaze drifted to the closed doorway where the adults were talking. "I don't know how Uncle Might did it…"
"Didn't he have your dad, though?" Ochako asked.
"Not… exactly," Melissa frowned. "While he and Dad were close friends, my dad didn't know about One For All until, well…" Melissa held out her hand and wrapped it in a golden glow.
"Oh," Ochako said.
"He really has been all alone," Izuku said sadly as swirled the contents of his cup.
Ochako took a sip as her eyes darted between the two One For All users. It was then that she realized she wasn't the only one who felt the distance between them. One For All - the quirk itself was inherently isolating. The sheer weight of its power - and the consequences if the wrong person found out about it. Sure, they may have had each other, but even that wasn't going to last forever. Melissa was going to leave Japan after she graduated, and then they'd be alone again.
No wonder they were so quick to swear there wouldn't be any secrets between them.
But it wasn't just them - they both reached out to Ochako. They trusted her with their biggest secrets, and have continued to reach out to her. They didn't want to leave her behind.
Remembering Izuku's words, Ochako felt her permanent blush spread as she was once again filled with their warmth.
Now it was her turn to help them.
Her decision made, Ochako placed her teacup down and stood up. She walked over to where the console was stored and grabbed a pair of controllers before she threw them at her friends.
"We've had enough serious talk for today," Ochako declared as she pulled out their favorite party game. "There's no harm in talking about this Nomu tomorrow - let's just have some fun tonight instead."
Melissa seemed to perk up at that. "I've got to defend my record! You two are getting too close, and I don't like it!"
"Don't think I'm going to give up that easily," Ochako challenged back. "And you," she pointed an accusatory finger at Izuku, "I can't believe you've caught up with me! I've gotta fix that."
Izuku laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his head. He couldn't let her know he had been learning the mechanics in an attempt to keep up with the girl's competitive nature. "I thought this was supposed to be relaxing?"
"This is relaxing!" both girls said simultaneously.
Izuku gave them a shaky grin, but he had to admit he wouldn't have it any other way.
Pushing the power button, Ochako grabbed a controller for herself before she returned to the couch, plopping down between the pair of OFA holders.
After a far too tense discussion with David and Inko, Toshinori finally hung up his phone and left the woman's office. He had forgotten how protective they both were of their children, and they were quick to remind him. Honestly, he'd rather face All For One all over again rather than face their combined wrath.
When he left the office, he was greeted with an unexpected sight.
The three teenagers sat on the couch, all hunched forward with controllers in their hands. They were focused on the screen, locked in what appeared to be an intense battle as brightly colored characters bounced back and forth across the television.
While Toshinori had intended to say goodbye, something told him that it would be a terrible idea to interrupt them. He gave the three a silent wave before he walked to the entrance of the apartment and let himself out.
Once he was out in the evening's air, he finally let out a sigh of relief as he looked up at the night sky.
Maybe everything will turn out alright after all.
But that didn't mean he didn't have hard work ahead of him. Taking out his cell phone, he opened it, feeling dread as he scrolled through his list of contacts until he found the one he wanted.
Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and pressed dial before he brought the phone to his ear.
"I was wondering if you'd call," the voice of Mirai Sasaki answered on the second ring.
"Mirai. I know the last two times we've talked haven't been on the best of terms, but we need to talk."
AN: Ummm… surprise? I hope you all liked that plot twist~ ~SupportGrrl47