Chapter 7
"Mom, I did something really dumb," Izuku said as soon as he trudged in the door. Seeing his dour and defeated expression, Inko was immediately worried.
"Oh, honey, what is it?" she asked gently.
"I told Melissa that I love her," Izuku said.
"What?" Inko said carefully. Her worry evaporated in an instant, and she struggled not to let her amusement show.
"I thought she was going back to I Island," Izuku said quickly, "And that I'd never see her again. And so I blurted out that I love her. And then worse, I started babbling about why!"
Izuku let out a mortified shriek, and dropped heavily into the couch.
"And what did she say?" Inko settled on the other end of the couch.
"She told me she is going to be back in two weeks, and she is staying here to attend UA," Izuku said, "And she would use that time to think about what I said. But then, she kissed me. On the cheek, but still."
Inko's eyes widened slightly, and she couldn't help but smile.
"What do I do?" Izuku asked, "I mean, I shouldn't do anything, right? I don't want to pressure her or try to influence her. Any more than I already did."
"You should think about what you want," Inko told him, "and what you will do depending on Melissa's response, when she gets back. If she tells you she isn't interested, will you be okay with that? Will you still want and be able to be friends with her?"
Inko doubted that would happen, based on the interaction she had seen between her son and the American girl. But if Melissa did reject Izuku, Inko would have words with the blonde for leading her son on.
"Or if Melissa says she feels the same," Inko continued, "how will that change your relationship? What are you looking for, and what will you do for her, if Melissa wants to be your girlfriend?"
Izuku frowned.
"You are right that you shouldn't pressure her," Inko said, "But that doesn't mean you have to just have to stay silent and do nothing. She certainly deserves time, and the right to make her own decision. But that doesn't mean she can leave you hanging forever, or that you can't change your mind. And in the meantime, you should still act like normal. Just like you two were before this."
Izuku nodded.
"But I won't change my mind," the boy said softly.
"I wouldn't expect you too," Inko said knowingly.
After his morning workout at Dagobah, Izuku took a shower in the Command Center's locker room and changed into his street clothes. Toshinori returned from his morning patrol (two muggings and a Great Dane up a tree, somehow), and the two of them drove to the airport.
Melissa came out to meet them. This time she didn't just have her backpack, which Izuku suddenly realized had been less heavily packed when he had brought her here on the sixth. Now the backpack was full to bursting again, and she was pulling two, large, heavy, wheeled suitcases behind her.
She gave her uncle a quick hug. Then she turned to Izuku. At first she looked like she was going to hug the younger man, too. Then she twitched to a stop. She hesitated for a moment. Finally, she extended her hand, and Izuku shook it.
Both teens blushed, and Yagi frowned.
They hefted her luggage into the trunk, then she set her backpack on top. In the time she had spent with Izuku before, she tuned her sensors not to react to Izuku or the Echo Morpher.
They piled into the car, and All Might pulled out into traffic.
"So, how is David?" Toshinori asked. He felt that was the safest topic at the moment.
"He's... well, he's like you might expect," Melissa chuckled, "He helped me pack, even while he tried to convince me to stay. And he asked how you are doing, Uncle Toshi. Why haven't you told him that your wound was healed?"
"Because I'm not sure what to tell him," Yagi shrugged, "David doesn't believe in magic, less than you did before you met the Dai clan."
Melissa nodded.
"He believes the Rangers were real, but not as strongly or thoroughly as we did, before we had proof. He believes, but isn't a True Believer. So how am I supposed to explain that Space Witch Rita removed a curse that prevented my injury from being healed, and then healed it? That would be hard for him to swallow. If I tell him, David will demand to know how I recovered. And am I supposed to lie? If I say it was a new Quirk or machine, David would definitely want to test it."
"He would," Melissa nodded.
"I have told him I am doing better," Toshinori said, "Which he can see in the video calls, and is probably why he asked you. But I'm not going to tell him I'm healed until I think he will believe the truth, or I can figure out a version of events that is honest but misleading, and that David will accept. If you become a Ranger and choose to share that with him, that might be a possible inroad."
Melissa shook her head. And so did Izuku. Their eyes met, and then they looked away.
"Did David say something to you and or Izuku?" All Might asked when he and Melissa were alone, after Izuku left for the evening. The young man had helped with some carrying and basic unpacking.
"Dad didn't talk to Izuku," Melissa mused, "At least not that either of them have said to me. And like I said, he tried to talk me out of coming here a couple of times. Why?"
The Hero snorted derisively and shook his head.
"The two of you were so awkward around each other today it was painful. Funny, but painful. I thought David might have 'asked' Izuku to stay away from you. It is either that, or the two of you had some sort of encounter."
He noticed that the girl flinched at his final statement.
"Melissa?" he queried pointedly.
"I..." she started and then hesitated, not wanting to embarrass Izuku.
"Uncle Toshi, Izuku likes me," she said softly.
"And the sun is warm and the ocean is wet," Toshinori said. There was no sarcasm in his tone, just a simple statement of fact.
"And I like him too," she said, "But he's liked me longer and maybe more. And I'm not sure if we should be together, since we are friends and we kind of work togethers, and Izuku is going to be a Hero and I might be one too. And I'll be supporting him either way. And...
"Melissa," All Might held up his hand and dropped into his Hero tone, "Do any of those things really matter? How many people get together in school or at the office? Or are those arguments just an excuse because you are nervous?"
"I... I don't know," she said.
"I am not one to give advice about romance," Toshinori added, "I haven't had a long term relationship since I returned to Japan. But from my experience, from what I have seen and heard, it is rare to find someone you like. And more rare for that person to like you back. Take that for what you will. After all, not every 'like' blossoms to love, and not every love lasts. But when it blossoms and that blossom lasts... It is amazing."
There was a hint of regret in his voice.
"So you think I should tell Izuku yes?" Melissa said.
"No," All Might said, "My advice is that you should look at that people around you. See what makes them happy. Think about what would make you happy. Decide what you want."
He paused and then added, "And maybe talk to Izuku. I'm not sure exactly what you two have said to each other, so it might help to talk it out again, or more, and in person."
Melissa considered that.
The last full week of August seemed to move too quickly, what with the teens' return to school looming over them. But the Hero, the Ranger (in training), and the genius in training fell back into their previous pattern. Izuku and Melissa relaxed, but they were still hesitant to touch or look at each other too much.
Until Friday, the 25th. Classes would resume on Monday. And while the kids did their cleaning work out and practiced karate (judo being off the table at the moment), All Might spent the majority of the day fighting a pair of twin villains with complimentary Quirks. He won, but he was drooping when he returned to the Command Center.
"Hey Izuku," Melissa said without hesitation, "Should we go out and get dinner ourselves? Let Uncle Toshi have some time alone?"
"I would appreciate that," the Hero groaned.
"Sure," Izuku agreed.
Izuku downloaded Tommy, and the teens left the Yagi Building. The green-haired boy tucked his hands into his pockets, so that he wouldn't be tempted.
Melissa noticed his action. She stopped and turned to look at him.
"Is this a date?" she asked, a slight quiver in her voice.
"If you want it to be," Izuku said softly, "Otherwise, it is just two friends hanging out, like we did before."
"Okay," she seemed relieved, "Then it's not a date."
"Okay," Izuku agreed, also relaxing.
Melissa settled in beside him, and they started walking again.
"Maybe next time," she whispered so quietly that even the Ranger's enhanced hearing couldn't pick it up.
"What is this?" Melissa stared darkly at the screen.
After dinner, Izuku had taken them to a private theater café. An outgrowth of the old manga cafes, only instead of borrowing books or video discs, the small rooms had large TVs, motion mice, and streaming services for both books and video. That wasn't the source of Melissa's confusion and not well hidden revulsion. Rather it was what was on the screen.
"I know that you don't really like these shows," Izuku said, "And if we were on a date, I wouldn't do this. But if you are hanging out with your friends, and they all want to play baseball, and you want to play basketball, you play baseball. And then maybe they'll want to play basketball next time, or will choose to play basketball because they are your friends."
Then he scratched the back of his head sheepishly and said, "Or so I've heard."
"You don't like the Ranger shows," he continued, repeating his initial point, "But I don't think you given them a chance. The first one you watched was 'that' series, and almost no-one likes it, me included. You don't like that Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger used the Dino Thunder news footage, but even Dr. O says the results aren't too bad. And you think that the shows were mocking and taking advantage of the Rangers. But you are looking at something made 200 plus years ago through modern laws and views. Which isn't entirely fair. After all, I wouldn't think the show makers would want to risk making the Rangers angry. You would want to alienate, pun intended, the only group that can stop a giant monster from destroying your house or studio. Plus, the shows were targeting younger kids of that era. So they are going to seem silly and corny by our standards, right?"
Izuku's mumble paused as he took a breath, and he noticed she was nodding slightly.
"I think the shows are interesting as an insight into people thought about the Rangers while they were active. Even if they are fictionalized version, they are a reflection of reality. Also this series in particular is notable. It was set in the near future year of 2025..."
Both teens grinned at the idea that a time, before their grandparents were born, was somehow the 'future'.
"It has what had been effectively a vigilante group shifting into a government sanctioned defenders. It has all kinds of people, with super powers and varied appearances. If you replace the idea of 'aliens' with Quirks, it seems a lot like the world we live in, doesn't it?"
"Okay," Melissa relented, "You rented the room, and my dad always taught me to be logical. So we'll watch the first three episodes, and I'll try to keep an open mind. And then I'll get to pick something we watch. Deal?"
"Deal," Izuku held out his hand, and they shook. Then he directed his hand at the screen again and 'hit' the play button.
"SPD Emergency!"
They ended up watching the first five episodes. Melissa grudgingly admitted it was pretty good.
Then she made Izuku watch the 2073 live-action, American Hello Kitty movie for revenge.
"Alright, everyone settle down and take your seats," Maijima Higari called out to his students, "I know you are still wound up from break and are excited to see your classmates again. But I have a special announcement."
The burgeoning mad scientists focused their attention on the Hero.
"Starting today, we will have a new student joining us," he told them, "Please come in, Shield-san."
The door opened, and a beautiful, fit, and bright-eyed girl walked in. She walked over and stood next to Power Loader, drawing looks of surprise, suspicion, and doubt from her new classmates.
"Please introduce yourself," Loader inclined his head to her.
"Hello," she said in perfect Japanese, almost without an accent, "I am Shield Melissa. Please just call me Melissa. I'm an American as you might have guessed, and I am not comfortable being called by my family name. I transferred to UA because it has the best Hero Support program in the world, and I am particularly looking forward to learning from Majima-sensei. It is good to know you, please take care of me."
She ended her introduction with the traditional Japanese greeting and a very slight bow.
"Does anyone have any questions for Melissa-san?" Loader asked, hoping to control the bubbling chaos, at least a little.
"Where did you go to school before here?" a taunting voice called from the back of the class. That sent a series of murmurs through the class.
"I transferred from I Institute on I Island," Melissa smirked slightly, "If I hadn't to transferred, I would have been starting as a second year next week. But talking to Nezu-sensei, we agreed that it would be better if I came in as a first year, to make sure I hadn't missed any part of UA's curriculum and to be with students my own age."
That shut them up. Most of them would have given their pinky toes to go to I Institute. The fact that she had skipped a year somewhere, and had completed a year at I Institute stifled any doubts they might have had. Instead, many of them shrunk back, intimidated. Though a few seemed to take that as a challenge.
Melissa was just thankful no-one seemed to connect her to her famous father.
"Hmm," Izuku grunted loudly.
September was starting to get cooler, but Melissa and Izuku were still cleaning up Dagobah for ninety minutes every morning before their respective schools started. They also continued to meet up in the Command Center in the afternoon for martial arts training.
All Might was just happy that, whatever the resolution to Melissa's inquiry, the tension was gone and the teens were back to behaving like normal.
"What is it?" Melissa asked, taking the chance to set down the heavy, motorized recliner she was hauling to the curb.
"I think it's a laser," Izuku answered a bit more literally than Melissa had intended, "But I wouldn't have thought you would miss something like this when you were treasure hunting."
Melissa shrugged, "I've found a few more minor treasures. And if this was behind something that could block my scanners..."
She looked it over.
"It's not a laser," she said, "It's a Colt 970 Mass Driver. A third gen if I'm remembering right."
"A mass driver?" Izuku asked, "So a rail gun?"
"Effectively," she nodded, "If this is really a third gen, it was manufactured in the early twenty second century, right as the Troubles started ramping up. But if that's true, it's in really good shape. At least on the outside."
"Should we take it?" Izuku asked, "For your... projects?"
"Can we?" she countered.
Izuku leaned on it. It was a weapon meant to be mounted on a tank, fighter, or ship. So it was about twice as long as the boy was tall. The barrel was as big around as him, and the main body, that he could see above the sand, was the size of a small sedan. And it took his weight without moving. He put some muscle into it, and the gun shifted. Slightly.
"I could carry it in Mode White," Izuku mused, "I think. But it might be tough to make it all the way to the Command Center. And it would probably attract attention."
"Which is what I mean," she countered, "Not, 'can we move it?' but 'Are we allowed to have it?' I know it is trash, but with Japan's gun laws, I'm not sure taking a giant mass driver would be allowed."
Izuku studied the gun, thinking about it. He had been too busy daydreaming how it would look mounted on a Zord, to consider the legality.
"When in doubt..." Izuku said, "Dr. O? Can you please text Toshinori?"
Then he looked at Melissa and grinned, "We'll keep working and let the adult with legal contacts figure it out."
Melissa laughed, and returned to her overstuffed chair. Izuku stepped around the gun and picked up a dryer.
"Okay, this is definitely cool," Melissa said, "But how did you get it in here?"
The rail gun was taking up the back wall of the Command Center when the students arrived after their classes. It was bigger than Izuku had thought, and was blocking the door to the reactor room at the moment.
All Might just smirked at her question.
"Umm, what are we going to do with it?" Izuku asked.
"First I have to see if it is working," Melissa said, "With Dr. O's help. You can run diagnostics on the 970, right?"
"The Command Center computer can definitely interface with it," Tommy looked at the gun, frowning, "But without software, or at least some manuals... There isn't a lot about this thing online. It's military hardware and it's at least a century old."
"We'll figure something out," the blonde told the men confidently, "If it works, we'll make some upgrades, and use it on one of the Zords. Or we could mount it on the roof here."
"No," All Might said flatly.
"And if it is beyond repair, we'll strip it for parts," she said, "If nothing else, the high capacity wiring and the armor should come in handy..."
It hadn't even been a month, but the days were blurring together a bit. Monday through Friday; exercise, school, martial arts, dinner. Occasionally Inko came over for dinner, some nights Izuku went home instead of eating with them. Saturday they didn't meet up, they rested after the half-day of school and did their weekly homework. And Sunday they did more intensive cleaning and martial arts.
So Melissa wasn't even thinking of the date when she met up with Izuku that Sunday. But she did notice that when they left the beach, he was guiding them to his apartment, not the Command Center.
"Happy Birthday, Melissa," Inko, Toshinori, and Izuku cheered after she stepped into the apartment. She blinked.
"Wait, it's October?" she tilted her head and blinked. Then her eyes widened and she scowled.
"Uncle Toshi, I've made a terrible mistake," she said quickly, "I have to transfer back to the institute, back to I Island."
"What's going on, Melissa?" he said nervously.
"I'm sixteen and I moved to Japan," she whined, "Which means now I'll have to wait two more years before I can drive."
She let out a forced, exaggerated scream. They all laughed at her.
Despite her complaint, Melissa enjoyed the little party. Inko apologized for not inviting Melissa's classmates, but the blonde said that she wasn't close enough to any of them yet.
Izuku gave her a special screwdriver and pliers set, that came with an electronic bracelet that could ground or magnetize the tools.
Toshinori's gift for his niece was a portable oscilloscope. And Inko gave the girl a UA branded hoody.
Izuku was in trouble, and he knew it. Outnumbered. Surrounded. And they were getting antsy. He wasn't sure how much longer he could control the situation.
Thankfully, an alert rang out. He hopped out of the circle and rushed over to the door. The horde following close behind. Thankfully, it was reinforcements.
Her longish blonde hair was pulled tight into a precise braid, and then wrapped into a spiral bun on the back of her head. This left her extended and pointed ears blatantly visible to the world. She was wearing a unitard and boots. The boots were black artificial leather, and the unitard as a medium weight cotton. So even though it was tight across her body, it didn't look tawdry or deliberately sexy. The uniform was mostly black, except the sleeves and most the torso were red, except the black shoulders. It also had a stiff collar with red piping. On the right side of the collar there were four golden pips. An elaborate pin rested on her left breast, like on inverted gold Nike swoosh over a silver oval. She also had a black belt, with a high-tech grey tool resting on each hip.
Izuku felt he should have known what she was dressed as, but at the moment it was escaping him.
"Melissa, thank gods you are here," he said, speaking Japanese this time.
She raised an eyebrow at him, and said, "You should address me as Captain Shield when we are on duty, Zeo Ranger IV."
Even as she struggled to keep her emotionless expression, Melissa couldn't help but admire how Izuku's costume clung to his muscles. Normally he wore loose clothing, so while she had seen the definition on his arms and legs, she was less familiar with his abs, chest, shoulders, and butt. If Izuku hadn't told her his costume was hand made by Inko, except the store bought mask, she would have thought the perfect reproduction of the Zeo Ranger costume was professional work. Unfortunately, Inko had also told him this was the costume's last year, unless he stopped growing. She had made it two years ago for Aldera's Halloween party, and let it out this year and the previous year, but the spandex was at its limit.
"Who are our cadets?" Melissa said, looking at the children around and behind Izuku.
"This is Soji..." Izuku started to speak, but was cut off.
"Am not," the boy protested, pointing at his chest. Most of the other kids nodded.
"Right," Izuku nodded, "This is Bronze Age All Might, this is Gold Age All Might, this is the Joker, this is Imhotep, this is Gojira..."
The little girl in the kaiju costume growled and pointed at the pink bow tied around one of her back spikes.
"Sorry, Lady Gojira," Izuku corrected and the girl hissed happily, "This is Queen Titania, and finally we have Samara."
He pointed out and named each child by their costume.
"Excellent," Melissa said, "Are you ready to go, cadets?"
Most of them nodded. But the girl in the stringy-haired ghost girl garb raised her hand.
"Yes, Cadet Samara?" Melissa stayed in character.
"Are you an elf, captain?"
Melissa raised her eyebrow again. Then she said kindly, "No. I am the daughter of a Vulcan and a Human."
"okay," the girl said softly, obviously not clear what that meant.
"Is everyone ready?" Melissa asked again, "Shall we commence the mission?"
"Yeah!"
After the Troubles, trick or treating had taken off in Japan. Costume and candy makers took advantage of the societal shakeup to push the American version of the custom.
The last two years, Izuku had gone the Aldera's party. It was to keep the students safe and out of trouble. But really, it was mainly to keep them from going around begging for treats after society judged them too old. Izuku hated it. Being trapped in school on Halloween night, surrounded by his classmate and teachers; tormentors and enablers.
So this year he had offered to take the younger kids from the apartment building out trick or treating. To give their parents a rest. Izuku asked Melissa if she wanted to come, too. The young woman jumped at the chance. The parents had offered to pay them for babysitting, but the teens negotiated for a share of the candy instead. An offer the parents readily accepted.
The first chunk of the early evening was spent going through the four buildings of the apartment complex. Not all of the the homes were handing out candy, but enough were to make it a good starting haul. Then they moved up the street to the single and duplex homes.
They passed other groups, exchanging nods with the parents or older siblings.
Then Izuku and Melissa both grimaced. They shared a look, and a desire to lead the children in a different direction. Except it was too late.
Three young men were walking towards them. The trio were wearing Aldera uniforms, because unlike Izuku they considered dressing up for Halloween 'lame', but also could not get their guardians' permission to not attend the party. So they attended. But with their primary victim missing, they got bored. They skipped out early, counting on the chaperones being too busy to notice. And only their leader, in his more calm and self-aware moments, had noticed that Izuku had changed in the last six months to the point that trying to bully the nerd was a waste of time. Of course, most of the time he was neither calm nor self-aware, so their futile attempts had continued.
Bakugou glared at Izuku and Melissa. His cronies caught his expression, and started to advance on Izuku. But they missed their boss looking over the younger kids and hesitating.
"Still wearing that stupid bodysuit, Deku?" long-fingers asked. Only he wasn't really looking at Izuku. Instead he was licking Melissa with his eyes. She wanted to give him a disgusted look, but stayed in character. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of responding. And, more importantly, she didn't want the kids to get upset.
"And who is this?" the bully simpered, "You look too fine for a crappy nerd like Deku. We can show you a much better time."
He reached up for her shoulder. But at the last moment his hand started to divert a bit lower.
Then the world spun. A dull pain all down his back. A sharper pain in his right wrist and shoulder. Long-fingers realized he was on the ground looking up at the blonde. Her booted foot on his shoulder and his arm locked at full extension by her tight grip on his wrist and the back of his hand.
Melissa squeezed, and his fingers opened. Her other hand caught her com-badge as it fell free, and then replaced the magnetic pin on her left breast.
"Theft and harassment will not be tolerated," she said in a flat Vulcan tone, "And your statement is illogical. Commander Midoriya is a better man and a better person than you could hope to be. And I am here with him by my choice, so it is improbable you could offer me anything of greater interest."
Long-fingers tried to move. Melissa push his hand further down. She increased the percent of her weight focused on his shoulder. The two actions further sharpened the pain in the bully's limb. He realized she could dislocate his shoulder at will. Or if he moved wrong, he might do so unintentionally.
"Ha," Bakugou barked a laugh, slightly diffusing the tension, "Not bad, Blondie. You could learn something from her, Deku."
Then he glared at long-fingers, and his second minion, who had frozen after Melissa's throw. Bakugou growled at them, far less amused, "We're leaving."
Then he inclined his head at Melissa, who released her prisoner. Long-fingers scrambled back to the protection of his boss, before standing. He shot Melissa a weak look of defiance. And then the three bullies sauntered away.
"What the hell was that, Bakugou?" Long-fingers complained once they were down the street and around a corner. Katsuki gave him a murderous gaze, and he quickly and much more respectfully added, "-san."
"I could say the same thing to you, moron," the explosive teen shot back, "What was your plan back there? Knock out Deku and hope his girl went with you? And what about all the little kids they are dragging around? Were you going to dump them? Try to find out where the live and take them home? And what if the little shits started crying and attracted the cops' attention? What were you going to do then?"
Long-fingers looked suitably penitent. Then a small explosion next to his head rocked him.
"And I FUCKING told you to stop stealing SHIT," Bakugou roared, "I'm gonna be a Hero, so I can't get in trouble for your petty shit. Do it again, and I'm cutting you loose. Got it?"
Long-fingers nodded quickly.
"Good," Katsuki growled, "Now let's go."
He was especially annoyed that neither crony had noticed the real reason for Blondie's attack.
Melissa gently touched Izuku's bicep and met his eyes.
Not quite four months of moderately intense martial arts training with All Might and the Echo Ranger had improved her ability to read body language. She recognized that long-fingers tried to grope her mostly to cover and distract from his attempt to steal her com-badge. But the pervert was also more than happy to cop a feel. But she didn't throw him just to stop him. She also did it to protect him.
Because Izuku's posture had changed. His stance lowered, and his fingers curls into tight fists. If Melissa hadn't used Judo to put him on the sidewalk, Izuku was prepared to use Muay Thai to put long-fingers on the adjacent lawn. And likely, in the hospital. The girl didn't care at all about the bully, especially given the things Izuku had alluded to, and Inko had told her outright. But Melissa didn't want Izuku to get in trouble over this. So she had acted.
"Emotional reactions are dangerous and counterproductive," she kept her Vulcan tone, and looked down at his fist, pulling his gaze with her. Izuku met her eyes again. Give her a thankful look. And opened his fingers.
"That was cool," Queen Titania cooed, hopping next to Melissa. The kids didn't seem to have noticed the meaning of their guardians' exchange.
"Are you really better than the Green Ranger, Captain?" Gold Age All Might asked.
"No," Melissa said, still toneless, "That statement was also incorrect. Almost all of the self-defense I know, I learned from Commander Midoriya. He is still possesses far more advanced skills in most unarmed fighting styles."
The kids all turned to look at Izuku was awe and pride. Thankfully, his mask concealed his blush.
October done, November sent an unusual cold front into Japan. The trio were forced to wear heavier outfits to Dagobah. The beach was mostly clear. Melissa was using a heavy rake to pull trash out of the sand. And Toshinori and Izuku were double teaming an industrial rake, the kind that would normally be attached to a backhoe. They were using it to dredge the ocean around the beach.
But their afternoons remained the same. Martial arts or sometimes yoga. And then they work on other projects. So in the middle of the eleventh month, Izuku was meditating, trying to focus his Ranger powers, his Grid energy. He was starting to get ready for Zord practice. All Might had obtained access to an abandoned rock quarry for them. Though not until after the new year. According to the Hero it was something about tax purposes.
The boy's concentration was broken by an enraged shriek. He jumped up. Melissa was glaring at her notebook, and started erasing the page furiously.
He walked over. Looked down. The page Melissa wasn't working on had the outlines of four of the sets of Coin fragments. The two pterodactyl coins, the gyrocopter, and the sprite. The outlines were in pen, and Melissa had draw pencil lines between them. And on the bottom of the page was a stellar sketch of a robot pterosaur, with helicopter rotors built into what would have been the wing membranes.
He looked over at the other page. The other six coins were sketched there, but Melissa had erased the pencil lines connecting them. And now she was furiously scrubbing away a sketch of a mechanical dolphin with a turtle shell... backpack? Or maybe helmet?
"What's wrong?" he asked carefully.
"Nothing is working," she growled, "It's not coming together. I have to line up the coin fragments in the right positions, so that they form a whole coin. I also have to figure out how the various sources come together into a single new source and Zord."
She waved her hand at the artbook and shouted, "Meh! What am I even supposed to do here? All the flying ones worked out easy. The coins fit together, and incorporating the Lightning Gyro into the two Pterodactyls was easy. Even the Sprite slotted in. But over here, it seems like no matter how I rotate and line up the coin fragments, there is still some gap. And in terms of the new Zord... I have a race car, a medical train carriage, a submarine, a dolphin, a turtle, and the god Genbu, who is also a turtle. Sort of. Four of them obviously fit into a water theme, but that leaves out the Wind Chaser and Med Rescue. Or, the Mind... Wind Chaser, Med Rescue, and Sub Driver are all machines, while the turtle and dolphin are animals and Genbu is a divine spirit that takes to form of an animal..."
"Hmm," Izuku mused, "Well, Genbu is a warrior god, but a protecting type of warrior. Dolphins rescue people, and Med Rescue has that literally in the title. So maybe some sort of rescue vehicle?"
"That's... that has potential," Melissa looked at the tracings of the coin fragments again. Then she shook her head.
"And while this is important," she said darkly, "I'm also distracting myself from the fact that I can't get the Pink/Yellow Coin to come together. The devices I've built, based the the Echo Team's notes, don't seem to be working. It is like I'm missing something. It's a lot closer, since I figured out I have to line them up, and came up with the Ptero-gryo Zord idea. The resonance is much higher, and the Grid matrices seem to be starting to come together. But then at the last second it falls apart. And I can tell if I try to force it with more energy, I'll at best get a failure and have to find a way to separate the partially merged coins. And at worst, I'll destroy the Coins entirely. Be left with a lump of powerless metal."
"I'm missing something," she said again, "I know it. But I can't see what. I was hoping working on the Pink/Blue Coin would help me spot the issue. But so far..."
She trailed off and stabbed her pencil violently into the page.
"Perhaps," Toshinori joined their conversation, having finished filling out the paperwork for All Might's latest case, "You need another point of view. If you are at your limit, and my and Izuku's random suggestions are not helping, you should find someone else."
"Like Ali?" she asked, "But she said the Dai clan doesn't know much about the Coins or the Echo Project, and the others did want her or Telos to help me."
"Actually, I was thinking of David," Yagi said softly but firmly, "Or possibly Nezu."
"No," Melissa said immediately. And Izuku shook his head, agreeing with her and rejecting the Hero's suggestion.
"I know you want to keep the circle small," Toshinori told them, "But David has been working on this with you from the beginning. Maybe even longer, if I remember some of his odd statements when were in college. And Nezu is your teacher and arguably the smartest person alive."
"And what do I tell them?" she asked, "I can't exactly tell them about the Echo Ranger or where I got all these notes and ideas. Because they would definitely ask. And this isn't just my project or secret anymore. Izuku is the one most at risk the more this spreads around."
"I won't force you," Toshinori said, "It isn't my place. But it might be worth it to consider it."
Melissa sighed, "Yeah, maybe. After I tackle Izuku's suggestion."
"Melissa-san," Sanji, her classmate with no eyebrows, waved to her. He claim his brows burned off in a failed experiment. But the rumor mill said he shaved them off to avoid any possible connection to a certain manga character. He was with a small group of her classmates, waiting by the door.
"Hey," he said eloquently when she slowed down, "Um, a bunch of us are going to hang out tomorrow. You know, do a group activity so we won't be alone on Christmas Eve. Do you want to come?"
Melissa knew that in Japan, Christmas Eve was arguably the biggest date night of the year. And the singles would hold parties to commiserate not being in relationships.
She also knew that Sanji had a crush on her, but hadn't worked up the courage to act on it.
"Sorry," the blonde held up her hand and gave her best apologetic face, "But I'm going out with my boyfriend tomorrow."
"Wait, you have a boyfriend?" Shera protested, trying not to sound too jealous or too suspicious, "But you never told us that."
"You never asked," Melissa shrugged at the other girl, "And he's still in his last year of middle school, so I was worried people might talk. I mean, he's only nine months younger than me. Fingers crossed, he'll be at UA next year, but even if he ends up at another high school, no-one would complain about a first and a second year dating... But if you are in different levels of school, everyone makes a fuss. So yeah, I'm busy tomorrow."
Now most of the group looked jealous, either for the affection Melissa's words conveyed, or for the unnamed boyfriend who snagged her.
"But, see you all after break?" she said with a kind smile. Then she hurried out, before they could ask any more questions.
December 24th was a Sunday. Despite being Christmas Eve, Izuku, Toshinori, and Melissa still met up at Dagobah in the morning. In particular, the two boys had snagged something heavy under the water on Friday, and were determined to get it up to the shore.
After her birthday, Melissa had purchased and modified a top of the line, heavy duty sand shovel. Inspired by the tools Izuku gave her, she made it to switch between being a metal detector and an electromagnet. Currently she was doing a using it to do a grid search of the beach for anything they had missed. Which, on Thursday, had turned up a completely buried and mostly intact passenger side door from a semi-truck. Which in turn only increased her determination for the systematic search.
After making sure no-one was around to watch, All Might and Echo Ranger, Mode White managed to finally dredge up a 'small', four seater airplane. The right wing was mostly missing and the fuselage was pitted from its time in the water, but otherwise it was complete, down to the engine. They switched back to their civilian forms. And with Melissa's help, they broke it down into small parts to put in the dumpster.
"Well, that was quite the process," Toshinori cracked his neck once they finished, "And it may only be eleven, but I think we should call it a day. I have plans for the afternoon, so I should take a good shower and get ready."
Melissa and Izuku exchanged glances. They thought Toshinori was dating someone, but hadn't gotten him to spill and were trying to respect his privacy.
"Do you two have any plans?" he asked the teens.
"Actually," Melissa turned her attention to Izuku, even as the younger man shook his head, "I was wondering if you would like to grab a bite and hang out?"
Izuku blinked at the invitation, but then happily agreed, "Sure."
"I'd also like to get cleaned up," she said, "So meet at Ichiraku at noon?"
"Sounds good to me," Izuku confirmed. Then he remembered something. He decided to bring his special Christmas gift for her, just in case.
They separated, got cleaned up. Each teen changed into nicer than normal clothing. Though they had not discussed it, each teen independently had special expectations for the 'meet up'. Plus it just felt safer, in case they ran into anyone they knew.
They had their lunch, mostly in silence. Savoring the noodles as they shook off the exhaustion of the morning.
Then, at Melissa's request, they returned to the theater café.
"Soooo..." she said slowly and tentatively, once they were alone in the room, "I know we are getting together tomorrow to do a friends and family Christmas. But I have another gift I want to give you first. Give you today, because it's Christmas Eve."
Izuku nodded, his hand brushing over the small box in his coat pocket.
"That said... this is for you," she took out a large envelope and held it out to him. Izuku took it from her. He looked to her for confirmation. She nodded, blushing slightly. He gently opened it, taking care not to rip the paper. He pulled out the card.
It was a card. Handmade. The outside had a hand drawn Christmas tree. With lights, ornaments (some of which where his three Ranger forms' helmets and crests), gifts underneath, and a star of top. Since the first sketches she had done of Morphed Izuku, he had been impressed with her talent. The tree might seem simpler, but it was expertly done, and Izuku intended to treasure it. He opened the card and read it. And his face twisted in confusion and worry. Inside the card were four simple words, written in English.
I'm sorry, Izuku. Melissa.
He could only assign one meaning to the words. She was rejecting him. What else could she have to apologize for?
"I'm sorry, Izuku," she said aloud, while he was still looking down at the card, "I'm sorry for being indecisive. I'm sorry for being insecure. I'm sorry for being inconsiderate. I'm sorry if I made you feel insecure, or other negative emotions. I'm sorry for making you wait. I'm sorry for wasting the time we could have been together. And most of all, I am very, very sorry for not doing this much sooner."
He started to look up as she was speaking, her words breaking through his funk. But before he met her eyes, she placed her hands on his face. Her thumbs on his cheeks, her fingers wrapped under his ears and around the back of his neck. She could hold his face in place, but her grasp was more for contact and aim.
Melissa kissed Izuku. Not on the cheek or forehead. It was a quick and careful kiss, and she withdrew before he could react. But it was an affectionate kiss on the lips.
"I love you Izuku," she said crying softly, "I love you, too. I want to go on dates, not just hang out. Be with you, as your girlfriend. I want to build a relationship with you. Learn what that means, together..."
Then she noticed he wasn't reacting. And her insecurity flared.
"Unless... unless I took too long. Maybe you aren't interested anymore. Maybe you have moved on.."
Izuku had told her about some of his classmates. Bakugou. The boy with the extendable eyes who everyone assumed was a pervert, but was actually as straight-laced as could be. And the blue-haired girl from the neighboring class, who was at the top of their year. Based on what Izuku said, Melissa was pretty sure the girl had a crush on him, but he hadn't noticed. But what if the girl had worked up the courage, and...
Izuku broke her out of her introspection when his right hand snaked around her waist. Carefully clutched the small of her back. Pulled her tight to him. His left arm wrapped around her shoulders and pulled their faces together.
This kiss was neither quick or careful. It was long and passionate. Melissa had more than enough time to react and reciprocate. She hugged Izuku back, pressing herself against him.
It was also awkward. Sloppy. They almost fell over at one point, but Izuku enhanced strength and balance saved them. Their noses smacked against each other in the save. Finally they ran out of breath, and broke apart.
Izuku and Melissa looked each other for a moment. Then they both started laughing. Izuku wiped the drool out of the corner of his mouth, not sure if it was his, hers, or both.
"That was... not great," he admitted.
"No," she agreed, "But it was good, because it was with you."
"Yeah," he smiled.
"And I am invested in getting as much practice as we need, to get it right," Melissa said, giving him a more sultry look.
"Definitely," Izuku started to lean in. Then he stopped and released her, careful that she didn't fall. She blinked in surprise at him.
"No," he said, "I just remembered, I have a special gift for you, too."
He took a box out of his pocket, wrapped in silver and gold paper.
"There's a bit of a story behind this," he handed it her, "It came from Zedd's shop. I saw it, and I immediately thought of you. Well, thought of ForeverPink, because this was before we met in real life. But I just had to get it for you. I knew it was crazy. We might never meet in real life, and it would have been weird if I sent ForeverPink a gift like this. Even now, I hope it isn't too weird..."
She tore off the paper, much less delicately than Izuku had. She opened the cardboard box. Inside there was a silver locket, a perfect circle five centimeters in diameter. The face of the locket was dominated by a six-sided pink spinel, four centimeters across. It had a silver chain, with two pink titanium wires winding through the chain. The wires both enhanced appearance and the strength.
She took it out, and looked at the back. The back was a pentagram, but the gaps between the outer circle and the sides of the star were inscribed with little lines and symbols that look like a circuit board. The circuits were filled with bronze. She looked inside, but the locket was empty.
"I saw the pink gem, and the circuits on the back," Izuku said, "and thought of ForeverPink, who likes the Pink Rangers and technology. And I asked Miss Rita, even though it has the star on the back, it isn't magical."
"If that isn't too weird," he repeated, "And I hope you like it."
"No, I love it," Melissa smiled happily, "I think it's very thoughtful. Would you put it on me?"
She handed the locket to Izuku. He stepped behind her. She swept hair over one shoulder. He ran his finger down her neck, and she shivered at the contact. Then the boy opened clasp. Put the chain around her throat, positioning the medallion just above her cleavage. Clipped it. Watched it slide a bit lower.
"I really want to kiss your neck," he said softly.
"I wouldn't say no," she whispered back.
"But I really shouldn't," he said, "It's too soon."
"Probably," she agreed, "We haven't had a real date yet."
"Isn't this a date?" he pondered.
"I guess it is," she agreed, "But still."
"Yeah..."
Something brushed lightly against her neck. Melissa couldn't tell if it was his finger again, or his lips. But then Izuku stepped away. He walked back around to face her. For a moment his face was like stone, as if trying to control an impossible urge. Then he relaxed and gave her a normal, light smile.
"So, what are we going to watch?" he asked in his usual tone, "A Christmas movie?"
"Oh, Die Hard," Melissa exclaimed. Izuku gave her a questioning look. She nodded vigorously, with a sincere expression. So he brought up the menu with a gesture, and scrolled through the films.
The next day, just after noon, the Midoriyas arrived at the Yagi Building, which was closed for business for the holiday. Unlike most of Japan. Toshinori let them in. They exchanged thoughtful but cheap gifts. Then they played a dancing game on Yagi's Nintendo Destiny. After the first few rounds, Inko begged off, so she could start making dinner. Toshinori offered to help her, both because it was his home, and to let the kids be alone. After a few more rounds, the couple collapsed on the couch, dozing.
Inko couldn't help but notice. Melissa snuggling up to Izuku. The pair holding hands. And the new bling around Melissa's neck, which Inko had seen in a certain antique store.
"It's about time," she said fondly, whispering so she wouldn't disturb or embarrass them. Toshinori chuckled softly in agreement.
When they returned to the Command Center on the 26th, there was a small Christmas tree with three gifts under it, none of which had been there before. Also, on the wall next to Tommy's holo-chamber, there were now four photos attached to the wall. One of the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, one of the Zero Rangers, one of the Dino Thunder Rangers, and the last picture of a white haired Tommy and Kat with their children and grandchildren.
All Might claimed to know nothing, and seemed upset that the Command Center had been breached. But Tommy convinced them not to worry, it was just a jolly old friend of his paying a visit and having a little fun.
Five people stood at the entrance to a cold beach. A cold, yet decidedly clean beach. Well lit, despite the rapidly dimming afternoon.
Naturally the first three were Izuku, Toshinori, and Melissa. They had also invited Inko to join them for the small celebration.
The fifth individual was Tsukauchi Naomasa, a friend of Toshinori, and a member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. He was there in an formal, police capacity.
"It's hard to believe you did all this in a year, Toshinori," the detective said, looking over the clear and uncluttered sands, "Not even a year."
"I can't take the credit," the taller man shook his head, "It was a team effort. And frankly Izuku and Melissa put in more work than I did. And I wouldn't have even been here if Izuku hadn't started the project and inspired me to help."
"That's true," Tsukauchi said with a hint of humor. His Quirk let him tell if someone was lying. It was somewhat useful for a police officer, but also problematic due to the Quirk's limits and other people's expectations.
He watched, officially, as Izuku and Toshinori set into place the polished granite and bronze monument authorized by the mayor and prefecture governor.
January 15th, 2238. The city and prefecture of Tokyo acknowledge the civilian volunteer efforts of Yagi Toshinori, Shield Melissa, and Midoriya Izuku in cleaning up the aftermath of the wreck of the HTV Shang Tzi, and the public abuse of the wreck. We thank them for making Dagobah Municipal Beach clean and usable once more.
The dedication was inscribed in both Japanese and English. Izuku and Toshinori had dug a half meter hole at the spot Tsukauchi indicated. They used Melissa's magnetic shovel. Then they set the monument into the dirt. Melissa reclaimed her device, and shoveled the dirt into the space around the stone, tamping it down.
A pickup truck rolled to a stop next to the beach. The driver looked at them in annoyance and doubt. Then he concealed that, and rolled down the window.
"What's going on?" he asked cautiously.
"We are placing a commemoration," Tsukauchi said, turning to deliberately flash the badge on the outside of his coat, "To celebrate the beach being clean."
Everyone except Inko had noticed the broken TV and old mattress in the bed of the truck. Then Tsukauchi pointed. But not to the stone. He pointed to the other new addition to the beach.
It was an aluminum post. Ten meters tall, with an arc of lights at the top. One meter down from that, there was a fixed camera. One meter further down, a second camera. Only this one swept back and forth. At seven meters up there was a third camera, also oscillating. And at six and five meters, there were nesting mounts for birds or squirrels.
Finally, at one and a half meters above the ground, there was a plaque on the camera post.
Dagobah Municipal Beach is a public park. It is not a garbage dump. Violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Security cameras provided with a grant from All Might and Ryukyu and monitored by the Hero Association and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. Have a nice day.
The driver glanced around, and saw that there were eleven of the camera posts. Ten around the border of the park and one next to the pier in the middle of the beach.
"Huh, that's nice," the driver almost sounded sincere, "Well, thanks. And have a good day."
He put his vehicle back into gear and drove off.
"Well then," Toshinori chuckled, "Shall we?"
Izuku opened a sparking apple juice, and handed it to Melissa. Then opened another for himself. Toshinori popped a bottle of champagne, but caught the cork before it flew away. He had copper mugs instead of champagne flutes. He poured a drink for each adult, and passed them out.
"To a job well done, on multiple levels," he said, holding his cup out. They all toasted and drank.
Melissa shivered, and leaned into Izuku. He put his arm around her and pulled her close.
Inko looked at her son, his girlfriend, and the mysterious insurance adjuster and investigator. And compared them to how they had looked when she first met Toshinori and Melissa. They were all in better shape. Melissa and Izuku were both taller, Izuku having gained more height than Melissa. Toshinori's eyes were no longer as dark and sunken as they had been. And while none of them had All Might's build and mass, they were all fit and well muscled.
She did not look down, but started to regret not asking to join them. What would she look like now, if she had?
Still, she felt proud of Izuku for his efforts and for the permanent recognition he had attained. She still doubted he could make it into the Hero class at UA. But she was now uncertain of her uncertainty.
The rest of January and all February flew by quickly. With the beach cleaned, they focused more heavily on martial arts. They added training weights to their regimen. They started small, to be safe. But they found the starting weights too light, compared to what they lifted cleaning the beach. So they steadily increased their load. Thankfully, All Might had hundreds of kilograms of training weights, though the teens only loaded up into the tens of kilograms.
The new lovebirds had a pleasant Valentine's Day, mixing Japanese and American cultures. And mostly just enjoying each others' company. And their increasingly skilled and talented osculation.
Echo Ranger 1, Mode White, stood at bottom of a carved out cliff. He couldn't help but feel this looked familiar, like some of the records of Ranger fights he had seen. Though the mix of quartz and feldspar was lighter then the granite in most of those videos.
The quarry was closed, and was scheduled to be demolished; to have the holes in the ground removed and the sharp cliffs softened. But All Might suggested he and an apprentice might be able to flatten some of it in training. After some discussions about damage and liability, the company jumped at the chance to save some money and also be able to say they helped the Symbol of Peace.
The Humans had left Tommy in the Command Center, but the AI was on a video call. He watched through All Might's tablet. Melissa had improved the speakers, so that they could hear Tommy at a reasonable distance or over a certain level of noise.
And Toshinori and Melissa were a reasonable distance from Izuku.
"Deep breath," Tommy said, "Feel the Grid energy, flowing from the Morpher, through your body. Recall the face of the Tiger Coin. Focus on the tiger, on your connection to the beast. The mighty fangs. The sharp claws. The powerful legs. Remember, this is your Tigerzord. Not mine. Not Casey's. Not the Folding Tiger or the Gosei Tiger. We assembled a set of components, and they will come together by your will and the primal tiger spirit. So picture the tiger in your mind, as you want it. As you see it. Bring it together."
They had chosen to start with the Echo Tigerzord. There were only two past brachiosaurus Zords, so the connection would be more tentative and the Brachiozord's massive size and power would make it harder for Izuku to summon. And while there had been many tiger and dragon type Zords, at the end of the day dragons came in many different forms, while a tiger was a tiger. Outside of the Gosei Tiger, which was more of a tank with a tiger face. But Izuku tried not to think of that.
Izuku controlled his breathing. He placed his hands together, trying to circle the Grid energy through his arms. Like he had heard chi masters did with their power.
In his mind, he saw a giant, mechanical Bengal tiger. White with black stripes. But the eyes and claws were bright green.
Izuku took a harsh breath. The power felt like it was being pulled out of him.
The Echo Tigerzord's body was sleeker than Tommy's White Tigerzord; in Izuku's mind it was closer to the shape of a living tiger. Or the Jungle Pride Red Tigerzord.
Izuku coughed. It was hard to breath. To stay standing. It was like his first days at Dagobah.
Then he unwittingly pictured it with tank treads instead of rear legs. It would go faster, but it didn't look or feel right.
Izuku barely heard Melissa gasp behind him. Because it was mostly drowned out by a disappointed, almost chiding roar, dozens of meters above his head. He pulled his hands apart, and looked over to them.
"We partly saw it," his girlfriend told him, "The head, front legs, and most of the body. It wasn't complete and was partly intangible. But it was there."
She turned the tablet around, and showed him the video she had taken.
"What happened?" Tommy asked.
Izuku pulled off his helmet, revealing the sweat pouring from his brow.
"It was draining," the green-haired boy panted, "Worse than the first time I morphed. And that made it hard to focus. First I was thinking of your Tigerzord, Dr. O. Then I thought about what you told me, and started to think more like a real tiger. Then I went completely sideways, and I was imagining something half-tiger and half-tank."
Izuku shook his head, both to throw off the sweat and to steady himself. Then he lifted his helmet back over his head.
"Let's go again," he said.
"I don't think so," All Might countered. He looked over at the tablet for confirmation. And was mildly embarrassed when he remembered he couldn't see Tommy and Tommy couldn't see him.
"All Might is right," the AI agreed, "You don't want to push and hurt yourself. Potentially set the rest of your training back. And we have time."
Izuku looked ready to argue, but Melissa said, "Just getting this far on your first real try was amazing. And... maybe we can work on it a different way? I can help you sketch out your ideas, so you'll have a firm vision of each Zord?"
Izuku suddenly had a different vision. Sitting, shoulder to shoulder with her, pressed close, hunched over a page. Stealing glances at her face, while also working together. And he remembered how amazing her design for the Ptero-gyro was.
He let out a breath and the exhaustion he had been trying to ignore settled into his muscles.
"Power down."
Sunday, March 4th. Eight days before Izuku was scheduled to take the UA entrance exam. After the morning of training, during lunch. Tommy called for Izuku's attention.
"Izuku, I think it's time," the AI said, "Your basic training is done. You don't need the dream training anymore. And you will want the Morpher's full power. So starting today, I'll stay here, in the Command Center."
Izuku looked down.
"You'll still be able to see me here," Tommy told him, "We can text and talk on the phone."
Tommy gave him a mild smirk, "And you still don't know everything I do. But the masters' techniques you'll need to learn in person. In real life. So I will still be training you, just not as much. Because, from what I have heard online and from Toshinori, you'll be very busy once you start at UA."
"I understand, Dr. O," he said. Melissa touched his hand.
"Now, then," Tommy said, "I think it is time to start teaching you the Gojushiho Sho."
Izuku's eye widened in delight.
Author's note: Originally, I was going to do a longer author's note here, spoiling some potential future elements and asking for feedback. But I changed my mind (mostly because I'm tired and wanted to get the chapter out). But I do want to say that I commissioned pictures of Izuku in his three Ranger forms. You can find them on deviantArt, either search for me or for Echo Ranger. Fair warning, there is a slight spoiler in the pictures. One of them is the new 'cover' for this story.