BEN 10 DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. MY HERO ACADEMIA DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. I WISH I COULD GO TO SCHOOL FOR SUPERHEROES. SADLY, I'D PROBABLY ONLY QUALIFY TO BE THE JANITOR, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO WEAR TIGHTS.
*pokes head out of foxhole*
Okay, nobody in my family died between chapters this time. I think we're good.
All right, we're starting the movie, people!
My Alien Academia
Chapter 25
Stars, Part 1
"Hey, All Might!" Togata gently shook the older man by the shoulder to wake him up. "They just announced that we're going to land soon."
All Might blinked away the vestiges of sleep as he registered what his successor said. "Ah, thank you, young Mirio." He noticed that the young man was already in his costume. "Looks like I'd better follow your example."
"Eh, maybe you should wait a little longer." Togata chuckled. "Nejire is still getting changed."
Amajiki, who was reading a book on the other side of the cabin, rolled his eyes. "She's been in there for almost an hour, doing her hair. She'll probably give you about five minutes."
"Oh. Right. Thank you again." All Might was still getting used to Hado and Amajiki knowing about his true form, but Togata had argued long and hard that they were trustworthy, and All Might had finally given in.
Surprisingly, the other two parts of the Big Three were less shocked than he'd expected. They'd stared, blinked like they couldn't believe it, and asked questions, but there was none of the brain-halting shock that Midoriya had shown when they'd spoken on that rooftop over a year ago. When he'd asked why they weren't completely freaking out, they'd just shrugged and said they'd heard stranger things. Even Togata explaining One For All—and if convincing All Might to tell them about his true form had been a challenge, getting him to tell the truth about his Quirk had been even worse—hadn't surprised them too much.
All Might didn't press; after all, the internet was a thing.
Finally, Hado emerged from the bathroom, though she was still brushing her hair as she sat down next to Amajiki; like Togata, they were both in costume. "All yours, All Might!"
"Thank you, young Hado." One of the benefits of being the top Hero in Japan was his own private plane, which came stocked with everything he could ever need for a trip—including a bathroom fit for a five-star hotel. It took him only a minute to get into his costume, though he refrained from transforming just yet.
As he emerged from the bathroom, Hado tried not to laugh. All Might didn't blame her; even he could admit that he looked silly wearing a costume that, for the moment, was about ten sizes too big.
"Just so you three know, I'm going to have to maintain my muscle form constantly," he said, and rubbed a hand over his eyes. "Oh, this is going to be exhausting."
"Don't worry," Togata said cheerfully. "If you need a break, we'll cover for you."
"Thank you, young Mirio, but this trip is supposed to be about you." Although All Might did have a personal reason for visiting I-Island. "As the next Symbol of Peace, you'll need connections, and the I-Island Expo is the best place to find them in the international community." He shrugged. "If it means ensuring your future success, I can bear it."
An obnoxiously upbeat ringtone started playing from inside one of Hado's gauntlets; she opened up a compartment and pulled out her phone.
"Hey, hey! Guess who just landed at I-Island!"
…
Izuku nervously tugged at his sleeve as he and his mother stepped off the plane. It felt weird wearing his costume in public without a license; the last time had been during his internship with Hawks, but he didn't have a Hero with him today.
"I've seen pictures of you in your costume before, Izuku, but it looks even better in person!"
It hadn't taken long for Izuku and his friends to get Nezu's permission to bring their costumes to I-Island. While they were going there to have fun, there was also a good chance that they would make connections that would bear fruit in their careers as Heroes. Nezu only asked them to make good decisions before letting them take their costumes.
"Th-thanks, Mom." He waited until they passed through a security station before speaking again. "Dad is supposed to be just past the entrance, right?"
"That's what he said." Inko smiled; she missed her husband every day, and was looking forward to seeing him again, but Izuku was unable to hide his excitement. He looked ready to charge ahead at any moment.
She didn't blame him; the last time Izuku had seen his father in person, his prospects had been bleak, to say the least. With no Quirk, and no realistic way of achieving his dream, Hisashi had left his son while he was slowly sinking into depression. Now, Izuku was well on his way to being a Hero, with a boost in confidence, friends, and even a girlfriend.
As they passed through the entrance to I-Island proper, Inko nearly made herself dizzy trying to look at the technological wonders that stood, walked, or flew around her, while also looking for her husband.
"Mom! There he is!"
Inko followed her son's pointing finger, and her heart skipped a beat. Hisashi looked the same as he did the last time—he was tall, nearly a foot taller than his son, and a bit on the skinny side, with hair just as messy as Izuku's, but black with streaks of early grey. His eyes were narrower than his son's—he had gotten those, along with the tear ducts, from his mother—but those eyes widened at the sight of his family.
"Inko! Izuku!" Hisashi sprinted over to them; he reached Inko first, picking her up and spinning her around. Once again, Inko was happy she'd lost all that weight; two years ago, Hisashi wouldn't have been able to do this. "I'm so glad to see you!"
Inko's laughter was cut off when Hisashi leaned down to kiss her; thanks to his Quirk, his breath was almost uncomfortably warm, but she didn't mind. After a few seconds, the kiss ended, and Hisashi stepped back, but only so that he could look at his son.
For his part, Izuku was a little embarrassed by his parents' public display of affection, but he was also fascinated by it. He knew his parents loved each other, but since his father was away for so long, he hardly ever got to see it.
"Hey, kiddo," Hisashi said, and enveloped Izuku in a hug. "It's so good to see you again."
"Y-yeah." Izuku returned the hug, though tears quickly spilled from his eyes and onto his visor. "I m-missed you, Dad."
Hisashi chuckled. "You and your mom with those tears."
Izuku pulled off his visor and wiped his eyes. "S-sorry."
"Don't apologize!" Hisashi ruffled his son's hair. "Also, that costume is awesome! I love the ears on the hood."
"They're not—" Izuku's protest died when he saw his parents' teasing smiles. "Oh. Mom told you already, didn't she?"
"Of course she did." Hisashi grinned wider and put one arm around Inko's shoulders, and the other around Izuku's. "Come on, let's go explore a bit! There's plenty of time before the preview; I hope you brought some formal wear."
They had, as a matter of fact; the preview was a more formal event, and while Izuku could have worn his costume to it, people who weren't Pro Heroes were encouraged to come in civilian attire. He could wear his costume for the rest of the expo, though.
I-Island was filled with things that blew Izuku's mind; he saw flying cars, solid holograms, and what he swore was an actual lightsaber being used to simultaneously cut and cook a steak. Some things just looked like they went beyond science, and into the realm of magic.
There were also so many different Quirks on display—everything from simple mutations, to elemental powers, to a man who created portals to other locations whenever he sneezed. Back in Japan, people used their Quirks for little things, but it was always on the down-low, in case someone went after them for 'improper Quirk use'. Here, there was no scrutiny, just freedom.
Even his parents were getting in on the fun when they stopped to buy some food. Inko summoned the food to her hands when it was ready, and when Hisashi's wasn't as cooked as he would have liked, he breathed fire on it until it was charred on the edges.
"This is place is great," Hisashi said. "Enjoying yourselves, boys?"
For a moment, Izuku was confused at the plural, but then Ben spoke from inside the Ultimatrix. "I'm so glad I can observe everything at once, because this is so cool!"
It was a little strange hearing Ben act like a teenager and not the wise AI he was, but it also felt natural, like he was a part of the family.
"Hey, Izuku, you just got a message," Ben added. "And I'm only saying so because you probably can't hear your phone over all the noise. I'm not your secretary."
Izuku pulled out his phone, and saw that his friends had started messaging him.
Comet: Deku-kun, did you land? How was your flight?
Tape: Yeah, most of us got here an hour ago. Can't find Shoto or Mina, though.
Book: They probably found a quiet corner to kiss in.
Crayon: ajkaghis NOWERENOT!
Book: Vengeance is mine.
Frog: Looks like Mina can dish it out, but can't take it, ribbit.
Snowflake: We're by the big arena. It's about three blocks away from the entrance.
All Might: Hi, everyone. The flight was fine. I'll try to meet up with you soon, but I'm with my parents
Izuku's phone was suddenly ripped from his hand and flew into Inko's. She glanced at the screen, shared a nod with Hisashi, and then handed it back.
"We can meet up with your friends, honey; we have all weekend to spend with each other, and we'd love to meet the friends you talk about so much."
"And I'd love to meet your girlfriend," Hisashi chimed in.
Izuku blinked, and then slowly turned back to his phone.
All Might: Never mind, we'll be there in a few minutes.
…
"Deku-kun!"
Izuku barely opened his arms in time to catch Uraraka as she flew—literally, with the aid of her Quirk—into his arms. She hugged him tightly, and then gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"H-hi, Ochako," he said nervously, expecting his father to react any second now.
Sure enough, he did.
"Boo! Throw a 'chan' in there, make it sound like you care!"
Izuku's hood was down, but he dearly wished it was up, so that he could hide his blush. Uraraka was in costume as well, but had attached her helmet to her belt; she was as red-faced as her boyfriend. Behind her, Sero and Ashido were cackling, and everyone else—also in costume—was trying to stifle their own laughter, and failing miserably.
"Everyone, these are my parents," Izuku said wearily as he gestured to said parents. "Mom, Dad, these are my friends."
"And girlfriend," Hisashi said with a grin at Uraraka. "Please tell me you all have been teasing him."
Ashido smiled back. "Even before they started dating!"
Hisashi patted his son on the back. "You have good friends, Izuku."
Uraraka glared at the other Rising Stars. "We're about to have a few less friends, because I'm about to send them into the sun."
Asui tilted her head. "That'll be hard, since you're still holding onto Izuku, ribbit."
Everyone laughed, even Izuku, as Uraraka chased Asui around the table they'd been sitting at, until Asui hopped onto a nearby tree, out of Uraraka's reach. She didn't come down until Uraraka promised not to chase her anymore, but only because Sero promised to restrain Asui with his tape if she teased further.
Ashido waggled her eyebrows at him. "Kinky."
At that point, everyone just fell apart laughing; even Todoroki couldn't stop smiling, though he flicked Ashido's ear for her comment.
Yaoyorozu wiped away a tear, and then looked up at the arena. "What is this place, anyway?"
"It's for showing off combat-related Quirks," Todoroki answered. "We can go in and fight robots; the goal is to destroy them as quickly as possible."
Iida looked intrigued. "That could be interesting. Does anyone want to give it a try?"
Seven hands rose in answer.
Hisashi put an arm around his wife's shoulders. "Looks like we'll be able to see what Izuku can do with our own eyes."
…
Like their juniors, the Big Three were just as impressed with I-Island; Togata in particular looked like he wanted to examine everything, and probably would have, if not for All Might keeping a firm grip on his shoulder. He could have used Permeation to easily escape, but it was the principle of the matter.
"This place is amazing!" Hado squealed as she floated overhead. "I've never been to a place where I can fly as much as I want! Hey, Tamaki, you should join me up here!"
Amajiki hesitated, but after an encouraging nod from Togata, he reached into one of his pouches and ate some chicken. His arms turned into wings a moment later, and he joined Hado in the air; she giggled and poked him, and he couldn't retaliate, since he didn't have arms.
All Might gave his signature booming laugh, made all the more impressive in his muscle form. It did his heart good to see people, especially students he genuinely liked, enjoying themselves so much.
The joy died in the face of one of his enduring fears. "Students, I hope you don't mind if I zip ahead for a bit. I love my fans, but I'd rather avoid getting mobbed this early in the day. I'll meet you in the courtyard up ahead."
Togata eyed the distance between him and where All Might was pointing. "Race you there, guys!"
He sank into the ground and vanished; All Might moved at his typical blinding speed, leaving only a strong gust of wind to mark his passing.
"That's so not fair!" Hado whined. "They've got super-speed!"
"We never said we'd race them back," Amajiki pointed out.
"I guess you're right," Hado said, and then flew higher. "Come on, let's go flying!"
Amajiki followed, but he kept an eye on All Might—and Togata, when he popped out of the ground. He watched as the two shared words, but he was too far away to hear what they were saying; then he saw someone, a blonde-haired girl, hop over to them on what looked like a pogo-stick. At first, he thought it was another All Might fan, but then he saw the man give her a big hug.
"Nejire, who is that?"
Amajiki didn't have hands to point with, but Hado followed his gaze. "I don't know, but All Might does. Come on, let's go!"
Amajiki sighed to himself as he followed after her. "And I was hoping… forget it."
The girl turned out to be very pretty, with long, wavy hair and glasses. She wore white pants and a white shirt, over which she had a red vest and a plaid bowtie. She had just finished giving All Might a hug, and was now talking to Togata.
"I love that cape," she said in English. "Does it ever get in the way when it's windy?"
"Sometimes," Togata admitted, also in English, and then saw Amajiki and Hado land. "Oh, these are my friends from school—Amajiki Tamaki, and Hado Nejire. Oh, wait, I guess you'd say their names the other way around, right?"
The girl smiled and waved him off. "It's fine; actually, I can speak fluent Japanese, if that makes you more comfortable."
"That's not a problem," Hado said in English. "I never get to talk to anyone in a different language outside of classes, so this is cool!"
Amajiki mumbled something that might have been a greeting; there were no walls to face, so he hid behind All Might.
"Sorry, I should introduce myself." The girl smiled at them. "My name is Melissa Shield; Uncle Might didn't say he was bringing guests, but it's nice to meet you."
Even Togata was stumped for a second. "Uncle Might?"
All Might laughed again. "Melissa is the daughter of one of my dearest friends; she's called me her uncle since as long as I can remember." He paused. "Say, Melissa, I was hoping to surprise your father. Does he still spend this time of day in his lab?"
Melissa laughed right back. "You know him too well, Uncle Might. If you want to surprise him, I could show these three around."
All Might's smile somehow became even brighter. "Your kindness knows no bounds! Thank you very much!" He headed off towards several official-looking buildings. "I'll catch up with you this evening for the preview!"
The Big Three knew he would probably rest, in order to conserve his time limit, but they didn't say anything; All Might had told them that no one on I-Island knew his secret, so they assumed that also meant Melissa.
"He seems as energetic as ever," Melissa commented. "It's like he can never stay still."
Togata chuckled. "Probably a side-effect of always running around saving people."
"You're probably right. Still, I hope he enjoys the weekend with Papa; those two haven't seen each other in years." She gestured for them to follow her, and then continued talking. "So, you three are in your third year of Hero training, right? That's so cool! What are your Quirks, and what kind of Support Items do you use?"
The Big Three idly wondered if they should introduce Melissa to Midoriya, or keep them from ever meeting; they were too alike in their enthusiasm for Heroes.
They answered her questions as best they could, and then the topics drifted from Hero-related things, to regular school life, to the mundane.
"How do you get your hair so straight?" Melissa asked Hado. "Mine is always wavy, no matter what I do!"
"Brushing for hours on end, for one thing," Amajiki muttered.
Hado heard him and stuck her tongue out, but before she could say anything, they felt a sharp tremor in the ground. Ahead of them, in what looked like an arena, a massive glacier rose up, freezing half the structure.
"That reminds me," Togata said to Melissa. "Some of our juniors from UA came here for the expo, and I think we just found them."
They hurried over to the arena and arrived in time to see Todoroki melting off the thin layer of frost that covered his right side. Most of the audience was cheering for his performance, but his friends made the most noise.
"That was great, Shoto!" Ashido called out and waved as he walked closer. Todoroki waved halfheartedly back with a little smile for her.
"Aw, that's so cute," Uraraka teased, and Ashido's pink face went purple.
"How long are you gonna do that?" she whined.
"How long did you tease me and Deku?" Uraraka asked back.
"You all look like you're having fun," Togata cut in, his head poking out through the bleachers. His sudden arrival made all of them—younger students and several nearby adults—jump in surprise.
"Hello, Mirio!" Iida recovered first and bowed. "It is good to see that you arrived safely. Where are Tamaki and Nejire?"
Togata's arm passed through the seat, and then curved to point down. "Right here. Are you guys fighting robots? Cool!"
Asui nodded. "Izuku, you're up next, ribbit."
"Oh, right!" Midoriya smiled at two of the adults—who, now that Togata paid attention, looked too similar to him to not be related—and then waved at the Big Three. "I'll be back in a minute!"
Sero laughed. "Yeah, Shoto finished his round in seven seconds. Anyone think Izuku will do better?"
Uraraka grinned and held up her hand. Togata smiled back and gave her a high-five—while taking care not to touch all of her fingers—as he pulled himself all the way into a seat. Amajiki and Nejire flew up to join them, the latter carrying Melissa.
Yaoyorozu immediately looked embarrassed. "Oh, I'm sorry! We didn't know you had someone else with you."
Melissa just smiled. "It's fine; you all looked like you were having fun, and I didn't want to cut in."
Ashido put an arm around the older girl's shoulders. "Hey, the more the merrier! Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone while we wait for Midori."
Quick introductions were made, including Midoriya's parents—and apparently, this had been the first time Izuku had seen his father in over two years, which was news to Togata—before there was a sharp note of feedback on the speakers.
"Up next, another first-year student from UA High, it's Izuku Midoriya!"
Togata had to remember that I-Island did most things in English, which was why they introduced Midoriya's name differently, but he set that aside to watch with interest as the younger boy walked into the arena.
"I like the ears on his hood," Melissa commented, which immediately set off laughter from almost everyone else. "What?"
Before anyone could explain, a buzzer sounded, and robots began to climb out of hatches scattered across the arena, which had several different types of terrain packed together. The robots themselves were of several designs, ranging from thin and gangly to squat and armored.
In a flash of green light, Midoriya transformed into Lodestar, and held up his pincer-like hands. There was a ripple in the air as he unleashed his magnetic powers, and then the robots all started to rise; a moment later, all the screws and bolts holding them together popped out, and they fell to the ground in pieces.
"Amazing!" the announcer said. "That was four seconds! A new record!"
Midoriya turned back to normal and waved shyly at the roaring crowd. More than a few probably recognized him from watching the Sports Festival, but he hadn't used Lodestar then, so it was a treat for everyone.
"Nice job, Deku-kun!" Uraraka said as he rejoined them, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Th-thanks," Midoriya said through his blush.
Melissa gently poked Togata to get his attention. "That is so cute. Are those two an item?"
Togata grinned like a proud older brother. "Oh, yeah, they just didn't know it until a little while ago."
"That's adorable."
"Welcome to the club," Ashido said. "Its members include ninety-nine percent of the planet."
Melissa laughed, and then waved at Midoriya. "Hi, there! I'm Melissa Shield. How are you liking the island so far? And that watch of yours is so cool! It's a Support Item to help you use your Quirk, right? Who built it?"
"It's great!" As his young friend gave Melissa his cover story for the Ultimatrix, Togata noticed that Midoriya had no problem switching to English, whereas everyone else took a second; he then remembered that the Ultimatrix also acted as a real-time translator. "Wait, your name is Shield?"
Melissa's smile turned patient, as if she waiting for something. "Uh-huh."
"Would you happen to be related to a David Shield?"
"He's my father."
Midoriya's jaw dropped, but everyone else looked confused. "No way!" He saw the looks everyone was giving him. "David Shield was practically All Might's unofficial Sidekick during his stay in America! He also revolutionized Support Items, and basically rebuilt the entire industry from the ground up!"
No one was surprised that Midoriya knew that, but they were surprised that they were sitting next to someone whose father was not only a big deal, but he was a Big Deal.
Melissa's good cheer remained, but she sighed; clearly, she was used to people fawning over her father's achievements. "Yeah, he invented half the technology on the island, including what helps it move around; we basically own about a third of everything here."
Asui blinked, and then turned to Yaoyorozu. "Ribbit, I think we finally met someone richer than you, Yaomomo."
Yaoyorozu sniffed and pretended to be offended. "I don't know about that. Who do you think owns one of the other thirds?"
Everyone shared a brief laugh, and then Melissa turned back to the arena. "Hey, I think they're replacing the robots. After any of you go next, why don't I show you around before the preview?"
Midoriya shared a look with his friends and family, and then answered for all of them. "Sure!"
…
Between All Might and David Shield, it was impossible to tell who was more surprised when the former burst in on the latter. For All Might, he was shocked at just how tired his friend looked; even in his skinny form, at least he still looked like he slept. For David, it was because the person he wanted to see the most and least had suddenly showed up on his doorstep.
"Dave!" All Might rushed in and grabbed his friend in a bear hug—though not hard enough to break him. "It's been too long, old buddy!"
David broke out of his shock and laughed. "Toshi, it's good to see you!" As befitting a man of his intelligence, it only took him a moment to figure out what was going on. "Melissa asked you to come, didn't she?"
All Might put him down and laughed. Other than the tiredness, David hadn't changed at all since the last time he'd seen him; he was tall and thin, with short brown hair and a trim beard. His grey pants and blue shirt looked like they could use a good ironing, and his glasses only made the bags under his eyes worse.
"That she did," All Might said. "She mentioned that you were working too hard, and I believe her."
David grimaced. "Yeah, I've been caught up in a new project for the last few weeks, and I, uh… forgot to sleep for a while."
"I wish I could scold you for working too hard, but I'd be a hypocrite." All Might coughed into his hand, and David's eyes went wide when he saw blood.
"Toshi, what—"
"Darn it, I was hoping that wouldn't happen for a while." All Might shrugged, and then reverted to his skinny form in a puff of steam. "Uh… surprise?"
David stared at him for a long moment. "I think we need to have a talk."
…
After about an hour of walking, Izuku's parents decided to go off on their own; they wanted their son to spend time with his friends, and he didn't need to see them kissing for hours on end. Not long after they left, Izuku decided to ask their guide a few questions.
"So, Melissa, are you a student here?"
"Yeah, I'm in my third year of high school," she said. "Families of active high-level employees can't actually travel, so they built a school here. I'm working to become a designer for Support Items, like my dad."
"With all the enthusiasm you've shown for Heroes, I'm surprised you didn't try to become one yourself," Togata said.
"Well, I still couldn't leave the island, even if I was a Hero," Melissa replied. "Besides, I'm actually Quirkless."
Midoriya was behind Melissa, so she didn't see him trip when he heard that. He hadn't met many other Quirkless people before, and none of them had ever sounded so happy. Had she never been picked on or discriminated against because she didn't have any powers? Or maybe she had, but was too strong to let it bother her. Either way, he couldn't help but feel a little jealous; he would have given much just to have people stop harassing him as a child.
Uraraka must have seen some of what he was feeling, because she leaned into him and gave him a one-armed hug. He returned it, and reminded himself that he might have had a miserable past, but his present was full of light.
"Hey, can I ask something?" Melissa stopped to let a man with a gigantification Quirk cross the street in front of her. "Do any of you have classes as UA with Uncle Might?"
"He's one of the teachers for Heroics," Sero said.
"But only for first-years, ribbit," Asui added. "I don't know if he actually has a teaching license."
"Huh." Melissa turned to the Big Three. "How come you arrived with him, then? Aren't you third-years?"
That was something the Rising Stars had been wondering, but never had the chance to ask.
"Well, actually…" Togata shrugged. "All Might kind of took me under his wing. The strength and speed parts of my Quirk are like his, so he decided to make me his protégé. He wanted to take me to I-Island, and I convinced him to take Tamaki and Nejire."
That was believable enough for Melissa; Togata had gone a round in the arena, and everyone had gotten a good look at his power. He had almost matched Midoriya's time, but was slower by just half a second.
"Speaking of All Might, I think he's still scared of you, Ochako," Ashido teased.
Melissa frowned in confusion as she turned to Uraraka. "Why is—"
Uraraka's smile was a little scary as she pulled Midoriya closer to her. "He broke my boyfriend's jaw last week."
"I-it was during a t-test, and it w-was an accident!" Midoriya protested.
"They're protective of each other," Todoroki said blandly. "It's cute."
The couple sputtered and went red-faced, and everyone else laughed.
…
There was no laughter in David's lab. In fact, the man was as far from laughing as he could get.
"Toshi, how did this happen?" he demanded as he looked over All Might's chart. "How are your Quirk levels going down?"
All Might stepped out of the medical pod David had used to check him and put his costume back on. "I picked a fight with a Villain that was a little too much for me. You can probably tell that my organs are pretty messed up; transplants wouldn't take, and no one could help me."
"That doesn't explain why your Quirk is weaker, just why you can't maintain it for as long." David sank in his chair and rubbed a hand over his face. "How many people know about this?"
"Not many." All Might sat in another chair. "I've already made… arrangements. There will be another Symbol of Peace, once I'm forced to retire."
David shook his head. "Who could replace you, Toshinori? You're the reason crime is down to six percent in Japan; most other countries are lucky if their crime levels are down to twenty percent. Heroes in other countries just can't do what you do."
That wasn't fair to other nations, or their Heroes, All Might knew. Those percentages were also a little misleading; technically, they only represented Villain activity, not crime in general. If Japan released the real numbers, its people would find that crime was about the same worldwide. As the Symbol of Peace in Japan, All Might had just driven the criminals into the shadows. It gave people hope, and a sense of security, but the danger was still there.
"Don't worry, Dave," he said. "The Hero who will replace me will not only be stronger, but he'll be an even brighter symbol than I ever was."
"I'll… take your word for it, Toshi."
All Might stood up and switched to his muscle form. "Like I said, don't worry about it, at least for tonight. Let's enjoy the preview, and have a little fun! You can meet some of my students from UA! I know some of them who would love to pick your brain."
David managed a weak smile. "Sure thing, Toshi. I'll see you tonight; I just want to go over some numbers before I get a little rest."
"You do that, old pal." All Might gave him a dazzling smile. "I think I'll do the same in my hotel room. Later!"
After his friend was gone, David pulled out his phone and stared at it. At first, when All Might had arrived, he had begun to reconsider his course of action; after all, Toshinori had seemed as vibrant and powerful as ever. Maybe his analysis of All Might's statistics over the last few years had been for nothing—until he had transformed into that skinny husk of a man. Things were worse than he thought; if anything, his resolve to see this through was strengthened.
He could have called things off with a single text message. Instead, he put the phone back in his pocket. Toshinori would never approve of this, and neither would Melissa, but that was why it had to go perfectly; that way, no one would ever know the truth.
"I just have to get through tonight," he whispered. "Then, I can finally rest."
…
That evening, the girls of the Rising Stars were all in Yaoyorozu's room, getting ready for the preview. Three of them were obviously excited, but Uraraka's reluctance took them by surprise; while the others were putting on their dresses, she had been standing awkwardly in the corner.
"Ochako, what's the matter?" Ashido asked. "I thought you were looking forward to this! Melissa even said there would be dancing later on; you told Midori to save a dance for you!"
"Yeah, it's just…" Uraraka grimaced and held up her 'formal' wear. "This is… all I could afford."
Asui studied it. "Did you use parts of your school uniform, ribbit?"
Uraraka nodded, shamefaced. "Everything I own is casual, or practical. I never went to anything fancy, so…"
Yaoyorozu walked up to her and gave her a quick hug. "How about I make something for you?"
"R-really?" Uraraka's eyes glistened with unshed tears, and it broke her friends' hearts.
"Absolutely, and we won't say anything if you don't want us to." Yaoyorozu created a measuring tape and held it up to Uraraka. "Just let me get your measurements, and I'll make you something amazing!"
…
The preview was held in the central tower of the island; it was a massive structure, which could be seen from any other location. Not only did it hold the main attractions for the expo, it also housed everything necessary for administration over the island itself, and as the location for the preview, it was decorated with colorful lights and banners.
Izuku swallowed nervously as he and his parents entered the building. He was wearing green suit pants and a jacket, with a pale-yellow shirt and a red tie. His father wore something similar, but he had forgone the tie; he wore one almost every day for work, so he took every opportunity to not have one if he could help it. Inko had a beautiful sky-blue dress, with a white sash around her waist, which fluttered in the night breeze.
"Hey, kiddo, I think I see one of your friends," Hisashi said, gesturing with his chin towards the stairs leading to the second story. "We'll save you guys a good spot, okay?"
"Are you sure, Dad?"
Inko smiled at her son. "Don't worry, sweetie; go have fun with your friends."
Izuku nodded, and then headed off, leaving his parents alone. Hisashi leaned in and stole a quick kiss from Inko.
"I hope you'll save a dance for me," he said.
Inko smiled up at him. "Who else would I dance with?"
…
"Ah, Izuku!" Iida jogged over to meet Midoriya halfway. "You were almost late! You should know to be punctual to events such as this!"
Iida's dark-blue suit was immaculate, as expected; Midoriya wouldn't have been surprised if he had ironed it only a few minutes before arriving here.
"S-sorry," Midoriya said. "My parents wanted to take the scenic route."
Iida continued to chop at the air, but before he could lecture further, Sero walked up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. Sero's own suit was a dark-grey, with a blue shirt and white tie. "Dude, chill; it's a party."
Midoriya was thankful for the distraction; nobody liked it when Iida made a scene, especially when it was about them. "Hey, Shoto!"
The other boy nodded as he adjusted his tie; his suit was a lighter grey than Sero's, with a silver shirt. He also looked slightly uncomfortable, which Midoriya understood; he could count the times he'd needed formal wear on one hand.
"Where are the girls?" Todoroki asked. "We might get stuck behind the crowds."
Sero chuckled. "I don't think they'll take that long to get ready. Besides, the preview doesn't start for another half an hour."
"And my parents said they'd find a good spot for us," Midoriya added.
"Hey, guys!" Ashido's voice made them turn. "Were you waiting for us? How sweet!"
The boys didn't immediately respond; they were teenagers, and four pretty girls in pretty outfits had just showed up, so they were a little distracted.
Ashido wore a formfitting bright-green dress that hung from one shoulder, and had a long slit up the opposite side. Yaoyorozu wore a more modest champagne-colored dress, but it was still elegant; she also had a beautiful necklace. Asui's yellow dress wasn't extravagant, but it was still pretty; her only sign of nerves was that she kept smoothing it out.
The pattern of Uraraka's outfit reminded Midoriya of her costume; it was a mix of pink, and white instead of black, with exposed shoulders and black stockings. She also had a pink choker and a flower in her hair, which she kept playing with as she walked up to her boyfriend.
"H-hi, Deku-kun," she said shyly. "You look really handsome."
Midoriya just stared at her; his mouth moved, but no words came out.
"I think you broke him, ribbit." Asui glanced at the other boys. "Actually, I think they're all broken."
Ashido grinned and walked up to Todoroki; she put her hands on his shoulders and leaned in close. "Like what you see, Shoto?"
For possibly the first time in his life, Todoroki actually looked flustered. "I, uh—"
Ashido outright cackled. "I told you I'd get my revenge!"
Iida regained his composure first and bowed, though he remained red-faced. "You all look amazing!"
"Y-yeah." Midoriya nodded. "You look b-beautiful."
The words might have been for all of them, but his eyes remained locked on Uraraka, who blushed and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"Now all we need to do is figure out how to get Ben a suit, and we'll be ready for a party," Ashido said.
"Don't worry about me," Ben said as he appeared in front of them. "I'm my own tailor."
Sero blinked at him. "Seriously? A freaking tux?"
Ben pretended to adjust his cuffs. "The name's Ben—Holo-Ben."
"Too bad you have to stay hidden, ribbit," Asui said. "You kind of make it work."
A martini appeared in Ben's hand, and he slowly swirled it in the glass. "Yeah, I know." His eyes went wide, and then he vanished. "Incoming."
"There you all are!" Melissa, wearing a white skirt and low-cut blue top, hurried over to them. Her glasses were gone, and she'd tied back her hair. "Mirio asked me to find you guys before the preview started."
"Where is he, anyway?" Sero asked.
"He's down there, with Uncle Might," she said, waving towards a large window, which they looked through. Sure enough, they saw him next to All Might; unlike the younger students, he was in costume. "I'm not sure about Tamaki and Nejire, though. They kind of wandered off."
"Will they be in trouble?" Yaoyorozu asked, slightly worried.
Melissa smiled. "It'll be fine. If they go somewhere they shouldn't, one of the security robots will point them in the right direction."
"How come Mirio gets to be in costume?" Sero looked a little disgruntled. "It'll be so easy for him to make connections that way; people will have to ask what we're even doing here."
Ashido grinned. "Hey, how often will we get a chance to look this good? Enjoy the moment."
…
"I have to say, young Mirio, you're handling this better than I did at your age," All Might said under his breath as he smiled at the small crowd waiting for the preview to start.
His successor grinned at him. "Honestly, this is all pretty intimidating. A lot of these people have such high expectations just because I'm standing next to you. It's gonna get a lot worse when you make the big announcement."
"Sadly, that's the price of being the Symbol of Peace." All Might paused to snag an appetizer that looked ridiculously small in his big hands. "Everyone expects you to be Atlas—to hold the world on your shoulders, and never shrug."
Togata looked thoughtful at that. "No offense, All Might, but that sounds almost impossible… and kind of lonely, since Atlas hardly ever even spoke to anyone while he held up the world."
All Might blinked, surprised at Togata's interpretation of his metaphor. He wasn't wrong, though; All Might could count the number of people he completely trusted, to get to know the real him, on his hands, and still have fingers left over. For all that his fans would swarm him if he so much as stepped outside in his muscle form, he never really gave himself time for a social life.
Togata was right; it was lonely as the pillar that held up society, but All Might didn't see any other option. Then again, maybe Togata would find a path that better suited him as the future top Hero of Japan.
Then he saw David, wearing a neatly-pressed suit, waving him towards the stage, and he pushed those thoughts aside for later. Now, he had to give a brief speech to the guests, but he nearly froze when he caught sight of a particular couple; he wouldn't have given them a second thought, but the man looked like a much taller version of Midoriya, and the woman had the boy's eyes. Thanks to Togata, he'd known that Midoriya was coming to I-Island, but he'd apparently brought his parents along.
Years of maintaining a façade allowed him to keep walking without breaking out in a cold sweat, but All Might sincerely hoped that Midoriya's parents didn't know that he'd broken their son's jaw recently.
…
"Dang it, the speech is starting!" Sero pointed to the crowd below. "We're gonna miss it!"
"Um, guys?" Ashido pointed at the doorway behind them, now blocked by a thick sheet of metal. "I think the door's locked."
Melissa frowned. "That… shouldn't happen. The only reason the doors would lock is in preparation for a lockdown or at closing hours—but there's supposed to be an announcement before that."
Ashido tried pulling at the thin seam in the middle of the door, but it didn't budge. "Well, maybe there's a glitch?"
"No, there are too many backups for that to happen." Melissa bit her lip as she thought. "There's something else going on."
…
"Hello, everyone!" All Might said as he reached the microphone. "It's great to be here! Maybe it's my imagination, but I-Island is even more incredible than the last time I was here! Then again, the steam engine was a new invention back then."
A few people laughed at his joke about his age—which was better than normal, since his jokes tended to be among the dad-variety.
"And since I'm so old, I thought I'd ask a younger, up-and-coming Hero to help me get around," All Might continued, and waved up Togata. "He may still be a student at my alma mater, but I promise, the whole world will know how amazing he is soon enough. Give it up for Lemillion!"
The crowd applauded as Togata made his way to the stage. Some of the applause was just polite, but All Might's enthusiasm had a few people clapping their hands with more vigor. To All Might's disappointment, David was among the former; then again, he probably just needed time to accept that All Might even needed a successor. He knew for a fact that most people in Japan would be the same.
Togata smiled, as confident as ever, though All Might was positive the boy was nervous. He was just good at hiding it behind a smile.
"Hi, everyone! It's such an honor to be here!" Togata would have said more, but he noticed that the many television screens in the room had changed. Instead of showing generic images of the island, the screens had turned red, with 'WARNING' flashing across.
Everyone, Hero and civilian alike, had less than two seconds to wonder what was going on, and then the island's security system turned against them. Nozzles appeared under the feet of every Hero, and spat out what looked like strands of glowing blue tape. The material, created by David Shield himself as a capture tool, was normally as soft as silk, but when electrically charged, it became a hundred times stronger than steel. Of the Heroes, only All Might and Togata remained free; the former was able to dodge it with his superhuman reflexes and speed, while the other simply let the tape pass harmlessly through him.
The only two free Heroes readied themselves for battle as the doors opened, and armed gunmen charged in. They wore stylized military uniforms, and their faces were concealed by black ski masks, decorated with a white X across the front.
"I'd settle down, if I were you," another man said as he followed behind his men. He wore a similar uniform to the others, but with a long white coat, and a mask that looked like it was made of twisted strips of metal, and his mouth had a semitransparent cloth over it. In one hand, he carried a pistol, which he casually aimed at a frightened civilian.
A civilian, All Might realized, who was also Midoriya's mother.
"Just so you know," the man said conversationally, "we've already taken over the island's security systems, and have deployed its robots everywhere. Right now, innocent people all over are being 'escorted' to a safe location, but if you try anything, those robots are going to suddenly see those people as enemy combatants. I imagine that thousands of people will die before you manage to get the situation under control."
Sure enough, the television screens showed shots of the stubby I-Island robots herding groups of frightened civilians. The unknowing hostages numbered in the hundreds, probably even more.
"What do you want, Villain?" All Might growled, unable to maintain his smile in the face of such cowardly tactics.
"You can call me Wolfram. As for what I want? Nothing from you, other than to stay still and let yourself be tied up for a while." The two men locked eyes for what seemed like an eternity, until All Might finally nodded and stood down. Togata reluctantly followed suit, and they were soon captured. "Now, who here has high enough clearance to get to the vault?"
So that's what this is about, All Might thought. This is a robbery! They're after the security vault, where the scientists keep all their most advanced inventions!
Wolfram strode through the crowd, looking each civilian in the eyes, as if searching for something. Finally, a portly, middle-aged man in an expensive suit flinched, and Wolfram grinned.
"I'm guessing you have that kind of clearance?"
"Leave him alone!" David stepped in front of the other man. "Sam is my assistant; I'm the one you want."
Wolfram sneered. "Even better. We'll take you both."
…
It was hard to tell who struggled harder—Midoriya, or Melissa. The latter was held back by Yaoyorozu and Ashido, and Sero was forced to put tape over her mouth to keep her from screaming. Midoriya had to practically be wrestled to the floor by Todoroki and Iida, and Uraraka kept a close eye on the Ultimatrix, in case he tried to go for it.
Their reactions were understandable; after all, the same man who had just kidnapped Melissa's father had also pointed a gun at Midoriya's mother.
"Let me go!" Midoriya snapped. "I have to help them!"
"Izuku, calm down!" Uraraka forced him to look at her. "There are guys with guns down there! If someone tries something, someone could get shot; that's why All Might and Mirio didn't fight."
Her words got through to both Midoriya and Melissa, and they stopped struggling. Midoriya leaned against the far wall, arms hugging his legs to his chest; after Melissa peeled the tape off her mouth, she did the same next to him.
"We should call the authorities," Iida said. "I'm sure there are more Heroes on the island who could help."
Todoroki pulled out his phone, but shook his head. "No service. I bet the Villains thought someone might do this, and took precautions."
Melissa wiped her eyes with a trembling hand. "If… if they have control over the security systems, then they could shut off all internal communications. Actually, they could basically control the entire island!"
Yaoyorozu bit her lip. "Is there anything that could be done?"
"Maybe?" Melissa shrugged helplessly. "Everything is controlled from the security center at the top floor, but it could be switched back."
Midoriya froze, and then slowly turned to her. "Could you fix this?"
"I mean, yes? I'd have to get into the security center, though."
"And the Villains have someone there already, and probably more between here and there," Midoriya finished, and then looked at his friends. "We have to do something."
"Izuku, are you suggesting that we fight these Villains ourselves?" Iida crossed his arms, as serious as anyone had ever seen him. "We don't have licenses, and this is extremely dangerous!"
"And we have no idea what these guys will do if we don't act," Midoriya argued. "Instead of letting the hostages go after they get what they want, they could…" his voice shook, and he glanced in the direction of his parents. "They could kill the hostages, so there aren't witnesses."
"He's right," Todoroki said. "Right now, we're the only ones in the building who can do anything."
"But all we have to do is free the Heroes," Midoriya went on. "Once that's done, they can do the rest. We can try to get this done with as little fighting as possible."
"See, Midori has a plan!" Ashido tried to look as upbeat as possible. "I'm in!"
"So am I," Uraraka said.
"Me too," Sero added.
"Ribbit."
Sero chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes."
"We can do this, Tenya," Yaoyorozu said. "Like Izuku said, we just need to restore the security, and the Heroes can do the rest."
Iida frowned, but eventually nodded. "Very well, I will go along with this, on the condition that we retreat if things become too dangerous."
Everyone agreed; if they drew too much attention to themselves, it could endanger the hostages.
Midoriya turned to Melissa. "Are you in?"
The girl nodded, expression fierce. "This will help save my father! Of course I'm in!"
"We still have one problem, ribbit," Asui said. "The Heroes could be just as surprised if they're suddenly free. They need to know if it's safe to fight."
"I could turn into Ghostfreak," Midoriya offered, already activating the Ultimatrix. "I can whisper to Mirio and All Might."
"Wait!" Yaoyorozu grabbed his hand before he touched the dial. "The Villains could see the light when you transform. Maybe you should move away from the window."
"Oh. Right." Midoriya was a little embarrassed; he had never considered that someone could be alerted before he even did anything.
After moving down the hallway, he turned into Ghostfreak, and phased through the floor. "I'll be right back!"
…
Look for a new angle. Never stop searching for the most optimal solution to a problem. Always try to gain every advantage over an opponent. Those were three of Sir Nighteye's lessons that stuck with Togata more than others. Even though he didn't dare use his Quirk to escape his bonds, he still looked around as much as possible; he took mental notes of each guard, estimating how fast he could incapacitate them before they could endanger a life. Unfortunately, they were spread too far—he was positive he could defeat six of them in time, but after that, shots would get fired, and someone could die.
What we need is for both All Might and I to get free, he thought. Even in his weakened state, and even though I can only safely use thirty percent of my power right now, we'd be more than fast enough to stop all of these guys.
All of the ones in that room, of course; there was nothing any of them could do about the thousands of people across the island, unless the entire security system was fixed. That was another problem—Togata was smart, but he wouldn't know the first thing about reprogramming a state-of-the-art security system.
"Psst! Mirio!" an unfamiliar voice whispered in his ear. "It's me, Izuku! I turned into Ghostfreak, so I'm invisible." Togata was about to speak, but an invisible hand covered his mouth. "No, just listen. The rest of us are upstairs, with Melissa; she says she can fix the security to save everyone, so we're going to get her to the top floor."
All Might was close enough to hear him, but had enough self-control to stay quiet; he did, however, shake his head, trying to get Midoriya to abandon the plan. Unfortunately, Togata didn't see any other solution.
"You guys need to be ready to move to save the people here as soon as we fix things," Midoriya went on. "Just… keep my parents safe, please?"
Togata glanced back at Midoriya's parents; Inko was trembling in Hisashi's arms, and both of them were frantically looking about for their son. Togata nodded, and he felt the hand on his mouth relax.
"Thanks," he said, already fading away. "We'll get you free as soon as possible."
Togata took a deep breath to center himself. "Good luck," he whispered.
Okay, this is the third freaking time something has happened between chapters. My grandfather is in the hospital (not from COVID), and his condition seems to change by the hour, and we're not sure he'll make it. The last thirty days or so have royally sucked. I may need a break from everything for a while.
Anyway, about the chapter.
I'm pretty sure this will be a three-parter, FYI.
Now, some of you may be wondering why the entire class isn't here. First of all, most of them didn't even do anything in canon, so it was kind of pointless for them to even be there. At least everyone contributed in the second movie. Second of all, it's pretty clear at this point that this story focuses on the Rising Stars. They're my favorite characters in Class 1-A, so they're the ones to get the spotlight.
I hope you liked my version of Izuku's dad. I wanted him to be just a regular guy (albeit one who can breathe fire), one who loves his family, but can't be around because of his job.
Oh, something you might have noticed, and I had to go back and edit through the entire story: I've been addressing everyone by their last names, except Mirio. Not really sure why I did that, so I've edited that to fit with everything else. It won't stop his friends from calling him by his first name, I'm just making sure everything lines up.
Anyway, please consider buying my book, Alpha Sanction, by Josh Gottlieb. You can find it on my website (link in my profile), or on Amazon. I'm really trying to get the sequel done, but I've hit a wall, which is something most of you here can sympathize with. Also, I'm trying to find a job, with no success, and I really need the paycheck, since I'm considering going back to college for a Master's degree.
You can also support me through P-atreon (link in my profile). Every donation makes my life just a little less stressful. Less stress equals more drive to write, so please consider helping out!
Thanks to the following Patrons, who work so hard to manage my stress levels:
Serious Muffins: SpaceEmperorSpar, Nimrod009, Anders Lyngbye, Matthias Matanovic, ChaosSpartan575, John Collins, Red Bard, Aaron Meek, Shaolin Khalil, killroy225
Incredible Muffins: RaptorusMaximus, michaelb958, Crazyman844
Ultra Muffins: Adam Costello, Matthew Bunting, RangersRoll
Next Chapter: Chaos on I-Island! Stars will rise, the shyest member of the Big Three learns to shine, and Midoriya goes beyond Ultra!
Stay safe out there!
Plus Muffin!
