AN: Thanks for the interest and reviews everyone!
Maximum Rhapsody - Izuku and Ochako are currently in their 2nd year of middle school while Melissa's in her first year. When they enter UA as 1st year students she will be starting her 3rd year.
Melissa looked around as she left the terminal of I-Island airport. Her face lit up as she spotted her dad standing up on the hill and raced off to greet him. Dropping her bags, she leaped into his arms.
"Hi Dad!"
"Hey Mel," David staggered back as he caught his daughter. "You're gonna have to stop doing this; I'm getting too old for this!"
"Oh! Sorry," Melissa felt her cheeks heat up as she lowered herself to the ground.
"It just shows how much you've grown this last year," David assured his daughter. "You're growing up too fast for me to keep up."
"You can thank Uncle Might for that," Melissa said as she walked over to retrieve her bags. "He's still making me do some pretty intense strength training."
"The beach cleaning?"
"Mhm!" Melissa bobbed her head as she offered her dad her costume case.
"I thought that was more for Izuku's benefit than yours?" Her dad said as he took the case.
"It is. Ochako's too. But the training's helping me with my quirk, too!"
"I'm glad," Her father smiled at her.
Descending into casual conversation, the pair departed the terminal area and walked back to their apartment. When they arrived, David took the case to his office while Melissa went to her old bedroom.
"You must be tired after your flight. Once you unpack we can go get dinner," Her dad called from the doorway.
"Sounds great!" Melissa turned around and smiled. "I shouldn't be long!"
When Melissa turned around to attend to her bags, she couldn't help but look around her room. There were a few picture frames scattered on the dresser, along with some posters on the wall. The bookshelf was filled with little gadgets and parts from her projects with her dad. But something felt missing - the room had a sense of emptiness about it.
Her apartment in Mustafu was even sparser, its walls barren and only a few pictures sitting on her dresser. Despite that, there was a certain air about the place. Something about it that made it feel like home.
"Is everything alright, Melissa?" The vestige form of Toshinori asked from the doorway behind her.
"Why would you think something's wrong?" Melissa asked a little too quickly as she spun around to look at him.
Toshinori chuckled and pointed to her face. "You looked lonely, so I thought you could use some company."
"Thanks," Melissa offered the ghost a tight smile, before she turned back around to attend to her bags. "I just-" she paused, hovering over her bags to find the right words. "-I know I was happy when it was just dad and I, but it feels different now."
"I think I know what you mean," Toshinori admitted as he sat down on her bed. "Even though I was always surrounded by people, only a few people knew the real me. Most people never saw past All Might."
"That sounds sad," Melissa admitted, a tightness growing in her chest. "Am- am I supposed to live like that?"
"I hope not!" Melissa gasped and whipped around to face the vestige, who continued. "You deserve better than that."
Melissa opened and closed her mouth, trying to verbalize one of the many questions that were racing through her mind. Finally, she decided on one. "Did your successor have friends? Or was he lonely like you?"
"Young Midoriya had lots of friends," Toshinori gave Melissa a warm smile. "Including you."
"That's a little hard to believe," Melissa admitted as she turned her attention back to her suitcase, opening it up. "It's been about four months and he's only now getting comfortable around me and Ochako. I think he might have a few people at school that he talks to about quirks as well?"
Toshinori let out a roaring laugh. Or at least an approximation of one, given his condition. "It's good to know that some things never change. Young Midoriya may have had a rough start in life, but he eventually grew out of it to become the hero he had always aspired to be."
Melissa felt herself smiling as she unpacked her clothes. "I'm glad." Setting down her shirts, she looked at her hands, a golden glow surrounding them as she willed One For All into them. "I just hope I can live up to my own promise."
She felt the ghost of a hand on her shoulder as the vestige tried to comfort her. "I'm confident you will."
Melissa wanted to argue with him. To point out that she had given up her dream as a child, while Izuku never did. Instead she stood there in silence, silently trying to draw strength from her uncle's belief in her.
She hoped that one day, she'd be the person everyone thought she was.
Once she was done unpacking, she and her dad went out for dinner. Having spent so long in Japan, Melissa found herself craving American food, and so they went to a small burger joint tucked away on the Island. The normally busy shop was quiet in the off hours of the late afternoon, and Melissa felt better as she spent time catching up with her dad, the pair laughing and joking like she had been gone for a day, not for a third of a year.
After they finished and returned home, David retired to his office to get some last minute work done ahead of the upcoming Expo. Finding herself alone again, Melissa decided to go to the park. Checking the time, she grabbed one of her pogo sticks and raced out of her apartment, hoping to make it in time.
She flew across the city, only slowing down when she finally reached the entrance of the park, before dismounting her pogo stick. Collapsing it, she slipped it into her pocket and walked inside. The park was exactly as she remembered it, a patch of greens and browns and life against the backdrop of the artificial island, and it was one of her favorite places to visit. Its beauty was further enhanced by the setting sun, the sky filled with pinks and purples as the sun made its way over the horizon.
Melissa found her favorite bench, tucked off in the far corner of the park. Kneeling behind it, she rubbed her hand on the rough wood and smiled when she felt the initials MS carved into the wood. Something she did when she was younger to claim the bench as her own. After she confirmed the mark was still there she sat down and relaxed, leaning back to look at the evening sky.
I wish my friends were here to see this.
With a longing sigh, she pulled out her phone as an idea began to formulate. It wouldn't be the same, but she took pictures of the surrounding view. Even though she didn't expect anyone to respond - it was still early in Japan, and people would be either busy or enjoying their own breaks, after all - she sent the pictures to her two group chats.
Me: Hey guys! Made it to I-Island safety. Just sitting at a park recovering from the flight. It's so pretty here!
Placing her phone down, Melissa closed her eyes and took in the atmosphere when her phone let out a beep informing her that she had a new message. Surprised, she saw Ochako had already responded. The other girl was apparently at home alone waiting for her parents to get off of work and was bored out of her mind.
Smiling, Melissa began texting back, the two girls talking back and forth until Izuku joined in. He complained that they typed too fast, but despite that he quickly caught up and Melissa lost track of the time as the three talked until Izuku and Ochako had to go. Looking up, she hadn't even realized the sun had fully set, her bench illuminated by the quiet glow of a nearby lamp.
Standing up, she stretched and began walking out of the park, a smile on her face.
"Thank you, Uncle Toshi. I don't think I could do this without my friends."
"Are you all ready to go Mel?" David asked his daughter from the living room. "We need to get to the expo early!"
"I'm almost ready!" Melissa assured him as she put the backpack on. She had asked her dad to borrow one of the backpack harnesses and video cameras that they use for field testing. It took some creative reprogramming, but she managed to repurpose the camera for streaming. Tapping the controls on her phone, she saw the stream open up, and was happy to see the camera working, currently showing everyone the image of her room.
With a smile, she sent the link to her class group chat as well as her friends, before she ran out to the living room. "Say hi, Dad!"
David smiled and waved at the camera. "H-hey there. I'm David Shield, Melissa's father. I hope everyone enjoys the expo today!"
"Perfect!" Melissa smiled before she looked down at her phone. To her surprise, Izuku was already watching, even though it was still 4:30 AM in Japan.
Well, he does get up that early for training…
Melissa and her dad made their way to the main expo hall, where they entered through a staff entrance. While her dad went over his company's display to ensure everything was correct, Melissa stood off to the side and watched as more and more of her classmates and friends joined in. By the time the expo properly began, she had ten people watching!
When the clock struck ten, Melissa turned to face the entrance of the hall, watching as the doors opened and the heroes and guests began filing in. Tapping her earpiece to turn it on, she looked down at the chat room on her phone with a smile on her face.
"Good morning everyone! Welcome to the first day of the I-Island expo!"
Time flew by and before she knew it, Melissa's trip to I-Island was over and she was back in Japan. The rest of summer break passed just as quickly and, far too soon for her liking, Melissa once again found herself back at UA.
"Good Morning!" Nejire called out to Melissa as she entered the classroom.
Pausing her conversation with Rika, Melissa turned toward the door to see her friend, who was much more energetic than usual. "Morning, Hado! Have a good break?"
"I did!" Nejire walked over, and the two girls noticed the immediate difference in her stride. "After camp I finally saw that specialist!"
"What'd they say?" Rika asked.
"The reason I'm so tired is because of my quirk! The more I practiced with it and strengthened it, the stronger it got. Which is good! But–" Nejire pouted. "That's also the problem!"
"How's that a problem?" Melissa asked curiously.
"It turns out that my quirk doesn't just take stamina to use! It also passively saps my strength when I'm resting!" Nejire balled her hand into a fist and shook it impotently.
"Oh no!"
"Does that mean you have to give up on being a hero?"
"Nope!" Nejire gave the pair a wide smile. "The doctor figured out how to offset it!"
"It must be working," Rika said as she folded her arms. "You're bouncier than I've ever seen you."
"Yep! I have some energy supplements to take in the morning, and I have to supplement my diet with lots of sugar and sweets!"
"Must be nice," Melissa said, a hint of jealousy in her voice. One For All required her to eat a lot as well, but she had to focus on proteins to help with her energy and muscle mass. Eating sweets sounded much more fun.
"S-so no more tired Nejire?" Tamaki asked as he came up behind them, looking away from the group.
"No more tired Nejire!" the girl echoed, throwing her hand in the air.
"I'm glad," Melissa said, smiling at her friend before turning back to Rika. "We were just talking about the summer break, Want to join us?"
"Sure!" Nejire practically leapt forward. "How were your breaks?"
"Fun!" Rika said. "After summer camp I got together with some friends from middle school and we climbed Mt. Fuji!"
"That sounds so cool!" Nejire exclaimed. "And with your middle school friends, too?"
"Yeah!" Rika gave them a thumb's up. "Most of them went to Ketsubutsu, so they're still together except for me. We promised we wouldn't forget about each other though!"
"Sorta like Togata and Amajiki!" Nejire turned only to see Tamaki had already retreated, and shot a pout in his direction.
"What about you, Shield? Did you meet up with friends back on I-Island?"
"N-no," Melissa said quickly. "I was really busy! Between adjusting my costume and the expo I didn't get a chance to meet with anyone."
"That's a shame," Rika said. "I bet they'd all be jealous of you becoming a hero!"
"Probably not," Melissa admitted as she rubbed the back of her head, a habit she's been picking up from Izuku. "There's a small heroics department at the Academy, but most of the students on the island go into different fields."
"That's a little sad," Nejire said.
"Yeah! Their loss though!" Rika hooked an arm around Melissa's shoulder and pulled her close. "That means you're stuck with us instead!"
"I- Thank you," Melissa said, sincerity in her voice as she smiled at her friend and rival.
"That's what friends are for! Now then, how about you Hado?"
The three continued talking until the door opened to reveal Nezu. Quickly rushing to her seat, Melissa sat down and watched as their principal walked up to the podium, but her mind was elsewhere. Returning to Japan, returning to UA, felt different. She loved her dad, but there was a camaraderie with her friends that she didn't realize she was missing until she went home.
Even when she graduated and went international, she vowed to return to Japan regularly, and spend time with her friends. She didn't want to give them up for anything.
It was an unusually chilly evening in October, and Melissa was sitting on the couch texting her classmates while Ochako was locked in deep concentration, fighting a life or death battle against Izuku in Alleyway Brawler 7.
"Got you!" Ochako shouted in victory as her character performed his super move and the victory screen came up.
"Again?" Izuku whined. "You're unstoppable."
"I'm sure you'll figure something out," Melissa said as she gave Izuku a sympathetic smile.
"He can try!" Ochako said, a glint in her eye causing the others to shudder.
"What's so interesting that you haven't jumped in yet?" Izuku asked Melissa, trying to quickly change the subject.
"The Culture Festival's coming up!" Melissa exclaimed. "We finally figured out what we're doing!"
"That's so cool," Ochako said.
"What'd you decide on?" Izuku asked.
"I can't tell you!" Melissa giggled. "You'll have to come to find out!"
"Wait, you want us to go with you?" Ochako asked, her eyes going wide.
"Of course!" Melissa smiled at her friends. "Everyone else will already be there, and it's open to the public! Besides, you two are both trying to get into UA, so that's the perfect excuse to come! Even if you have another whole year of school before the entrance exams."
Izuku's face lit up. "Do you think I could interview any of the heroes?"
"Nope!" Melissa gave him an apologetic look. "At least, I don't think so? Most of the teachers and staff will be busy."
"I don't think the ones off duty will want to get interviewed either," Ochako said, an amused look on her face.
"Oh," Izuku looked down, saddened by the news.
"Even if you can't do that, there's still plenty of quirks to see though!" Melissa added. "I've only really told you about 1-As quirks and part of 1-B. I don't really know any of the second and third years, and then there's the other departments, too!"
"You're right!" Izuku suddenly brightened. "UA students are allowed to use their quirks on campus grounds!"
"That's right!" Ochako said, feeling Izuku's infectious enthusiasm. "If I had an excuse to use my quirk for class I'd do it."
"Exactly," Melissa smiled at the two. "Although at this rate, I might just be walking around with you while Izuku's busy paying attention to everyone else."
"I guess so," Ochako said, feigning disappointment. "That's ok though! Just means more food and fun for us!"
"I'm not that bad… am I?" Izuku asked nervously.
"Yes!" Both girls replied before descending into a fit of laughter.
Izuku felt his face heating up as he looked at the two. "Sorry, I guess I'm just used to doing stuff by myself."
Hearing that, it was like a switch was flipped in Ochako, her face turning deadly serious. Scooting toward Izuku, she placed a hand on his arm, careful to keep her pinky raised. "I don't want to hear any of that! We're your friends! Real friends, not like that fucking asshole from Aldera."
"She's right," Melissa slid off the couch and knelt next to the pair. "I wouldn't be asking you to come if I didn't want to spend the day with you!"
"But what about your friends from UA?"
"It'll be the perfect time for you to meet them!" Melissa smiled. "Worst case you and Amajiki can be anxious together."
Izuku gave the pair a shaky smile, tears threatening to spill. Sure, he spent a lot of time with the two girls, but that time was mostly spent at one of their apartments, instead of actually going out. Visiting a culture festival would be a whole new experience. "Thank you!"
"That's what friends are for," Ochako said gently, before turning to Melissa. "Now then, I believe it's your turn to face me!"
Melissa let out an exaggerated groan. "Fine, let's get this over with!"
After making sure Izuku was ok, the three reshuffled on the floor so that Ochako and Melissa were sitting in front of the arcade sticks. As Izuku watched, the girls started their match and focused with an intensity he had only seen matched when Melissa was facing down a villain.
He felt a warmth growing in his chest as he watched the girls facing off against each other. His friendship with them felt… different. Better than what he felt when he called Kacchan his friend.
He liked it.
"Good Afternoon, Naomasa!" Toshinori greeted his friend in the lobby of Might Tower.
"Toshinori," Naomasa curtly greeted. "You've been keeping busy."
"I have," Toshinori's smile melted away. "But this isn't the place to discuss that. Let's head upstairs."
The two men turned and silently walked to the elevator, which they took to the top floor - All Might's private floor. Exiting the elevator, they fell into step with each other until they reached a conference room, sitting down at one end of the table.
"So what do you have for me?" Toshinori asked.
"Not much, but what I do have isn't good," Naomasa frowned as he set his briefcase down and opened it. "So I conducted my initial investigation of the school. It was only a cursory investigation, mostly interviewing the administration and a random selection of teachers. If you gave me more to go on I could have done more…"
"I'm sorry," Toshinori bowed his head. "But if we went any further than a hero registering his suspicions, someone might make the connection between Toshinori Yagi and All Might."
"I understand," Naomasa assured him. "Fortunately, what I got may be enough to proceed with a more formal, if targeted investigation."
The detective pulled a notebook out of his briefcase and flipped it open before he slid it across the table. Toshinori picked it up and began reading, his frown deepening the further he went. "And this information is accurate?"
"It is," Naomasa nodded. "It's that teacher's first year at Aldera, so they were taking a big risk by telling me that."
"Well then," Toshinori set the notebook down and placed a hand on his chin. "If senior members of the staff are openly quirkist in private, that would certainly explain their attitude towards Young Midoriya and Young Bakugo."
"Fortunately, such a serious accusation is enough to warrant further investigation," Naomasa gave his friend a sly smile as he retrieved his notebook. "It may simply be a couple people with misplaced views…"
"Or it could be something more," Toshinori finished. "And by shaking the tree here, you may cause others to panic."
"Now you're sounding like you did when we went after him."
"From what Young Midoriya told me, his treatment was shameful," Toshinori frowned. "Successor or not, it is for the best if we can root out the source of the problem."
"Agreed. We already have enough villains to deal with. We don't need to create new ones."
"Thank you–" Toshinori smiled at his friend. "-for doing this."
"Anything for a friend," Naomasa smiled back. "Besides, it gives me something to do. I've been bored ever since our last big adventure."
Toshinori chuckled. "Indeed, let's hope this one is less eventful than the last."
I hope you all had wonderful summer vacations! I had a great time, and even managed to build up some backlog! So even if school gets busy, you won't have to worry, Risa's adventures will continue uninterrupted! ~SupportGrrl47