AN: Thanks for reading and leaving reviews everyone!
"What do we need to talk about?" Mirai asked.
"Well," Toshinori let out a resigned sigh, "you made it clear about how I should have looked into the previous Holders. And you were right."
"I see," Nighteye said, pausing for a long moment before he finally spoke again. "I think you're right, we do need to talk. Shall I arrange a visit to UA?"
"I would appreciate that," Toshinori said.
"Very well, I'll see you in a few days."
"Goodbye, Mirai."
"Goodbye, Toshinori," Nighteye said curtly, before hanging up his phone.
Toshinori let out a sigh of relief. Well, that went better than he could have hoped for. Now for the other phone call. He could already feel himself wincing as he dialed the number.
"If you're calling for pizza delivery, this is the wrong number," an old voice grumbled through.
"Sorahiko," Toshinori began, "it's Toshinori."
"Toshiwho now?"
"Can you please drop the act?" Toshinori begged his old mentor. "This is important."
"It must be if you're willing to call me. What kind of trouble are you in this time? And I'm still not helping you bury any bodies."
"That-" Toshinori sighed, "it's my niece, Melissa. She- she wants to learn how to fly."
"Wants to fly?"
"Yes. She's improved the control over her quirk enough to begin adding additional features to her armored costume… the first thing she's adding is thrusters so that she can fly."
"I see," Sorahiko mused from the other line. "You want me to train her, don't you?"
"Yes."
"And when were you going to tell me you were partially retiring from heroics?" Sorahiko snapped back.
Toshinori stiffened. "I- assumed you watched the press conference."
"Of course I did! But I'm still your mentor! Didn't it cross your mind to call me?"
"I was busy planning for the confer-"
"That was weeks ago!"
"You're right," Toshinori winced, his eyes darting around as he searched to ensure Torino wasn't already on his way to kick him, "but since you're retired, I didn't want to disturb you."
"Well you certainly did disturb me. I'm coming out of retirement, and it's your fault."
"W-what?!"
"You heard me! I've already talked to Nezu and everything. I'm gonna be teaching third year heroics starting next semester."
"You're coming back to UA?!"
"Of course! Someone needs to whip these kids into shape. And judging by that- thing!"
"Nomu."
"That Nomu, someone needs to teach those kids how to not die."
"I'm glad." Toshinori smiled. "After all this time, you still care."
"Hmph. You keep telling yourself that," Sorahiko grumbled. "Melissa's attending UA, right?"
"Yes," Toshinori confirmed.
"I need to get my paperwork in order anyway, maybe I'll look for her when I'm there."
"Thank you, Torino."
Torino gave him a half-hearted complaint as he hung up the phone. Slowly lowering his phone, Toshinori felt a wave of guilt wash over him.
"Please forgive me, Melissa."
Toshinori was filled with an uncomfortable tension as he waited in the Administration Office of UA. His last encounter with Mirai didn't exactly mend their relationship, after all. And now he-
He was broken out of his brooding by the door opening, revealing the tall lanky form of his former friend and sidekick.
"Toshinori," Mirai said, announcing his presence.
"Mirai," Toshinori replied as he stood up and gave the man a tight smile. "It is good to see you."
"We shall see," Mirai said as his eyes darted around the office. "Shall we go somewhere to talk?"
"Of course." Toshinori gestured toward the door. "Nezu has reserved a Teacher's Lounge for us."
The two walked in tense silence through the empty halls of UA, neither man willing to speak first until they had reached the lounge. Once inside, Mirai set his slim briefcase down on the table as Toshinori engaged the room's security features. Finally out of excuses, Toshinori sat down across from his companion.
"I need your help with my successor."
"I see." Mirai rested his elbows on his knees as he steepled his fingers. "And how does this concern the past holders of One For All?"
Toshinori let out a resigned sigh as he composed his thoughts. While he was a skilled liar, he knew Mirai would see through his deception. Since he still wasn't comfortable revealing Melissa's situation to the man, he would have to be careful. "It's about my successor. About a week ago, something unexpected happened."
Mirai raised a single eyebrow. "Unexpected how?"
"Nana visited them in a dream."
Mirai fixed Toshinori with a hard stare. "Your mentor?"
"Yes," Toshinori replied curtly.
"I see. Have you told him about her?"
"No." Toshinori let out a loud sigh. "You know she is a sore subject for me. Even after all these years."
"Has he been researching past holders on his own?"
"I asked him the same question, and he denied it. He is smart and interested in heroes, but between school and training, he has barely been able to keep up with the news, let alone research those who have been dead for decades."
"I see," Mirai said cryptically. "And when did this happen?"
"The night after the Nomu attacked."
Mirai let a heavy silence fall over the room as he analyzed the facts on hand. "You don't think it's a coincidence, do you?"
"No," Toshinori admitted. "I believe Nana's vision was a warning of things to come. That even though we stopped Him almost five years ago, some part of His organization survived."
"That is concerning," Mirai admitted. "What did Nana say to your successor?"
"Just what she always told me. No matter how hard things were, to always keep smiling."
"It sounds like she is in agreement with me," Mirai said. "That Japan needs a symbol to replace-"
"I disagree," Toshinori said firmly. "Look at the situation, Mirai. I haven't even formally retired and villains are already emboldened by their actions."
"That's because you didn't take my advice five years ago," Mirai insisted. "Had you passed on One For All then, you would not be in this situation now."
"And what would have happened if I passed it on to someone with a quirk?" Toshinori asked. His words appeared to strike true as he saw Mirai temporarily falter. It was only a moment, but to Toshinori it was clear as day. "Your research found something, didn't it."
"It did," Mirai said grimly. "I had begun to trace the holders back from Nana and I found evidence that agrees with your theory."
"Oh?"
Opening his briefcase, Mirai pulled out a file and offered it to Toshinori. "The autopsy report for Hikage Shinomori, whom I believe was the fourth user of One For All."
Toshinori took the file and began examining it. "Multiple organ failures, heart conditions, atrophied muscles-" Toshinori's head shot up. "The doctor didn't believe his age, saying the corpse he autopsied was at least double the stated age."
"Yes," Mirai said grimly. "By my calculations he held One For All for eighteen years and that was the result. Compared to your forty - and your condition has nothing to do with One For All."
"Were there any others who displayed such symptoms?"
"No," Mirai stated firmly. "Everyone else died long before they could reach that state."
"So I was right. Young Midoriya really was the only option."
"I still don't understand how you came into that information to begin with," Mirai's eyes narrowed, "and why you refuse to tell me."
"Would you believe me if I said I learned it from One For All itself?" Toshinori asked.
A gamble, but one he was willing to make to protect Melissa… and her future self.
Mirai's eyes seemed to bore through Toshinori as he examined him, searching for the truth before finally relenting. "So you have had a similar vision as this Midoriya, then? Why didn't you tell me when I asked the first time?"
"Because you would not listen to reason," Toshinori explained before placing the folder down pointedly. "And now we both know why giving it to someone with a quirk is a bad idea."
"But Japan needs it's Symbol-"
"Mirai. You are going to simply delay the problem. I can barely support the Era of Peace alone. My successor - I do not want to see them crushed by the weight of responsibility. Izuku Midoriya deserves better than that."
Mirai went silent, deep in thought as his forehead rested against his steepled fingers. "What do you propose then?"
"I believe we need to transition away from a single Symbol. There should be dozens of symbols - as many as there are heroes, if necessary. It's why I am focusing on training the next generation of heroes."
"And what will happen in the meantime?" Mirai asked darkly.
"Even if I named Young Midoriya as my successor tomorrow, Japan would still have to deal with the turmoil. In the end, wouldn't we just be delaying the problem?"
"That's-" Mirai stopped himself. Toshinori was being logical, even if he was letting his idealism get in the way. Perhaps it was best to concede this fight for now. He would plan for a contingency. While Toshinori was right, Japan still needed someone to rally behind, to look up to. It certainly wasn't going to be Endeavor or Jeanist.
No, he'd find someone else. Ideally someone from UA itself. Someone worthy of becoming a Symbol in their own right. And then, if Toshinori is right, someday they could be joined by others.
Mirai nodded to himself. Yes, Toshinori's dream was idyllic, and something to strive for.
And it was Mirai's job to ensure that it would happen.
"Very well," Mirai finally conceded. "I will table this discussion for now. In exchange, I would like to know if Midoriya has any more of these 'visions.'"
"I can do that," Toshinori agreed, before mentally appending if it doesn't compromise Young Midoriya or Melissa to his statement.
"Thank you. If these are tied to important events… it would be best if the information was shared so that we can assist you in handling them."
"I agree," Toshinori gave his old friend a tight grin, "and that is why I wished to know what you found out about them - so that we can better prepare Young Midoriya if he encounters another vision."
"Well, you've already seen the file for Shinomori, the fourth holder. I have similar files prepared for everyone from Nana back to the third holder. Unfortunately, the first and second holders lived during the Dawn of Quirks, and the trail went cold with the third."
"So we don't know anything about the first two then."
"No," Mirai confirmed.
Toshinori let out a sigh. "Well, at least this will give us a starting point. May I see the files?"
Opening his briefcase a second time, Mirai pulled out four more folders and passed them over to Toshinori. While Toshinori was specifically interested in their quirks, the brief glimpses into their lives may also prove invaluable when Izuku and Melissa finally meet them. As time passed, the tension between the men faded, and it almost felt like old times when they used to work on investigations together.
It almost made Toshinori long for those days again.
Once they were done, Mirai closed up his briefcase and stood up. "I believe that is all I have for today."
"I'd say it was quite productive," Toshinori replied as he gathered the five folders and stood up as well. "Thank you."
Mirai seemed taken aback momentarily by the sheer earnestness in Toshinori's words - a feeling he thought he'd never experience again. "Toshi, you may not like my methods, but I am trying to do what's right for Japan-"
"I know," Toshinori said.
"-and I do not wish to see your legacy thrown away so easily."
"You may not believe me," Toshinori replied, "but I believe it is in the best hands possible."
"Let's hope we both survive then, and have the luxury of debating philosophy in retirement," Mirai said. "Goodbye Toshi. Until we speak again."
Toshinori watched as his old friend disabled the security and opened the door. "Goodbye Mirai."
Melissa hunched over the bench, her fingers carefully soldering the capacitor in place. Once the component was secured, she lowered the component down into her suit's boot and began making the final connections.
"Aaand done!" Melissa announced proudly as she snapped the maintenance plate back into place.
"Oh, is that the flight system you've been working on?" a nearby student asked.
"Yep!" Melissa smiled brightly.
Although truthfully, it wasn't a complete flight system. Sure, it may look impressive, but the truth was it was mostly a maneuvering system. The thrusters on the bottom and back of the boot were her primary propulsion while a small ring of maneuvering thrusters allowed her to adjust herself in midair. But the ability to stay airborne and fly? It was her quirk doing most of the work.
"Why don't you show us?" another student asked.
"Okay," Melissa eagerly agreed. Placing the boots on the ground, she removed her sneakers and slipped them on, feeling the metallic plates lock into place around her leggings as the boots sealed themselves around her feet and ankles. Grabbing her armor's control device, she placed it on her left arm and felt the plates slide out of their housing as it sealed itself around her lower arm.
A small holographic keyboard appeared above the arm piece, and Melissa rapidly typed commands into it, watching as the gauntlet synched with the new systems in her boots. She watched with a satisfied smile as one by one the lights turned green, informing her that her program was running properly.
"Alright, time to try this out!" Melissa announced as she stomped over to the empty test area. Calling upon One For All, she felt its power as it raced down her legs. The systems in the armor did their job and began siphoning off the excess energy, her armor's energy lines glowing blue to indicate that everything was functioning properly.
Now for the real test.
Closing her eyes, she remembered Nana's words and imagined the brief feeling of elation whenever she launched herself skyward with her pogo stick. The sense of upward momentum, the brief moment of freedom from gravity where she felt like she could touch the sky before gravity reasserted itself. She felt her quirk respond and make that feeling a reality. Pushing the switch with her foot, she ignited the primary thrusters and felt them come to life under her.
Opening her eyes, she looked down to confirm she was several feet in the air. "I- yes! I did it!" Melissa pumped her hand into the air.
"Can you actually move though?" another student asked curiously.
"Let's find out!"
Bringing up her control panel, she activated the maneuvering thrusters and felt their quiet rumble as they ignited all around her boots. They were tied to a complex network of sensors, and in theory, were supposed to respond to her motions to control her flight.
Time to test it out.
Tilting her feet downward, she felt herself rocket forward - with far more force than intended.
"W-woah!" Melissa threw her hands out in front of her as she almost ran into a wall, stopping just shy before flying backward. She tried to steady herself but kept careening back and forth until her luck finally ran out and she twisted into a spin and slammed sideways into a wall.
Crash!
"Oww," Melissa said as she slowly dropped to the Earth, her right shoulder sore from the impact. Fortunately the thrusters were enough to break her descent once she stopped using Float and saved her from suffering further as she touched the ground.
"Shield, are you okay?" the first student asked.
"Y-yeah," Melissa said as she rubbed the back of her head. "I've had worse in training." She forced out a laugh that sounded far too nervous.
"You did it though! You managed to build yourself a flight system!"
"I did." Melissa smiled as she brought up the control panel and killed the engines. Looking at their status, she saw that several thrusters were already blinking yellow - she must have gotten the calculations wrong, and they were fed too much power. "Looks like I have to fine tune the system, though; it's not ready for practical use yet."
Solving the thruster problem was easy. That was simply a matter of calculations and adjustments. Once she had confirmed that the systems were stable and working as intended, she needed to resolve her second major issue.
"Hado," Melissa approached her friend before class, "how's your flying?"
"Hm?" Nejire turned toward her friend. "I can't spend too long in the air, but I've got the basics down. Why?"
"Do you remember what happened in heroics yesterday?" Melissa asked, feeling her cheeks turning pink.
"Oh." Nejire smiled. "Of course! You got tangled up in all of those cables and wires!"
"Yeah…" Melissa said awkwardly, "I'm not really good at flying yet. I was wondering if you could help me work on the basics?"
"Sure! I'm not sure how I can help, but I'll do what I can!"
"Thanks," Melissa smiled warmly at her friend. "I think just having a partner to train with will help."
"Of course! What are friends for?"
They talked a bit longer, coming up with a basic plan that would be mutually beneficial just as Nezu walked into the homeroom. Promising to continue the conversation at lunch, Melissa walked over to her desk and sat down, ready to start the day.
"Ready, Nejire?" Melissa asked as she pulled her gauntlets on.
"Yep!" Nejire chirped. "Why don't we start with just a few simple laps around the gym?"
"Sounds great," Melissa agreed as she engaged her suit's thrusters. While she had the rather unique problem of trying to use two quirks at once, she was slowly figuring out a workaround. By combining the sensation she used to activate Float with the rush she felt from using One For All itself, she discovered it was easier to use both at once.
She doubted it would work for all of the quirks she would eventually have, but she'd worry about those hurdles when she finally met the remaining holders of OFA.
Feeling Float activate, she used her thrusters to push herself off the ground.
Moments later Nejire was floating next to her, spiral waves pushing her upward to be level with her friend. "Ready to start?"
"Yeah!" Melissa nodded. "Lead the way!"
Nejire took off, launching spiral waves from her hands to push herself forward at a steady pace. Melissa rocketed forward, passing her friend. Breaking in midair, she slowly fell back until she was next to Nejire. Trying again, she was able to regulate her power to match the other girl's speed, and they began slowly circling around the gym.
They were on their third lap when they heard a commotion from the students below. Both girls paused in the air, looking at each other as they wondered what was going on.
And then Melissa felt the wind knocked out of her as she took a flying kick to the chest. Flailing, she was launched backward, and barely stopped herself from running into the wall.
"So you managed to avoid becoming a crater. Good," an elderly male voice said.
Blinking away her surprise, Melissa adjusted her glasses and examined her assailant. He was a short, old man dressed in a bright yellow hero costume with a black eye mask. He hovered in front of her with his arms crossed as he seemed to examine her back.
"Who are you?" Nejire asked defensively, looking ready to attack the hero.
"Name's Gran Torino. I'm UA's third year heroics teacher."
"Third year heroics?" Melissa asked as she floated forward. "I thought that was Snipe?"
"You're right. It was Snipe. Next year he's moving to second year, and I'm taking over third year. Hmph. Judging by your training, you're gonna need all the help you can get before you graduate."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Melissa exclaimed.
"You saw the news," Torino explained. "With Toshi focusing on teaching, Japan's gonna be more dangerous than ever."
"Toshi… you're friends with Uncle- with my uncle?"
"Took you long enough," Torino said, grinning. "He told me about your fancy new toys and asked me to show you the ropes."
"My uncle did that?" Melissa asked in awe.
Torino scoffed. "You might think he's doing you a favor now, but we'll see how you're feeling in a couple hours. You've only known what Japan's like in the Era of Peace. You don't know what it was like before All Might. I do. When he retires, who knows what's gonna come crawling out of the woodwork." He punched his open palm. "That's why I came out of retirement, to make sure you kids are ready."
Melissa saw the threat for what it was - a test and a warning. But she's come too far to back down now!
"I'll do it," Melissa said. "I can barely control my flight right now, and I need to get better. If my uncle thinks you can help, then I'll trust him!"
"Good answer." Torino gave her a wicked grin before turning to Nejire. "How about you kid?"
Nejire's gaze darted between the mysterious hero and her friend. While he was saying some pretty ominous things, it was no different than what they had already dug up in their research. Besides, if he was going to be their third year teacher anyway, it's not like she could avoid him forever. Giving him a bright smile, she bobbed her head.
"Wave Motion's very hard to control and takes a lot out of me. I've been getting better, but if you can help me, I'll do it!"
"Alright then." Both girls shuddered when they saw Torino's expression shift. "Let's see what you know so far."
AN: Sorry for the short chapter - my project at school has been taking up all my time! That said, I hope you like the surprise new character! I'll be surprised and delighted if anyone gets the reference :) ~SupportGrrl47