"What is this place?"
Shinsou crouches next to the door, rubbing his head with his hands. The corners of his mouth are split and he can taste blood, but at least the gag is gone now. His head aches and everything feels blurry around the edges, but the copper tang in his mouth is helping to clear it.
He can hear hard combat boots stomping down the hallway, leaving them behind.
The gag lays on the ground, where Ururaka left it when she pulled it off of him. She's working his bindings off of his hands, too. Suzume and Melissa are already free.
His shoulder hurts too, and he's bleeding through his nice suit, but the projectile only just grazed his arm. It's not bad.
Melissa, her blond hair tussled and her dress ripped around her knees, looks around them in the dark. Moonlight shines through the window, glowing across her pale skin and slighting on the hard metal walls and floor. The door was too solid for any of them to break through, and Suzume doesn't seem to have her lock picks on her, or she would have already used them.
In stead of her typical scrunchie, she has a series of thin bangles around her wrist.
They're in a closet of some kind, that much he can see. There's a marble counter top and the walls have boxes along them. There aren't any vents.
There's what looks like a giant spice rack along one corner, and a big pack of water bottles along a wall that have All Mights face plastered all over them.
At least they won't starve to death.
Ururaka kneels beside him, trying to get a good look at his arm, and Suzume…
Suzume is already pulling things off the shelves and moving on the counter, her skirt swishing around her ankles and her black boots clicking on the hard metal tile.
She grabs a rolling pin and starts smacking the counter with it.
"It's a… kitchen storage, I think? For the catering company," Melissa says at last. Her mouth is trembling, and Shinsou realizes that his own hands are shaking too.
Fuck.
Bakugou, Kirishima, and Midoriya are all out there… somewhere.
And so are the others.
They'd be able to get free if it wasn't for the four of them, the four hostages who-
"Here we go," Suzume folds something into aluminum foil and grabs a bottle of water. She pours it into a martini shaker of all things.
"What are you doing?" Ururaka asks, looking at her. She seems calmer than Shinsou and Melissa are.
Is this is? Is this the difference between the Hero and Support Courses? She and Suzume aren't even worried. And in that fight, they didn't hesitate.
As if to prove his point, Suzume says, casually, "Building a bomb."
10 Hours Earlier
Suzume's seen a lot of crazy things in her lifetimes, most notably the absolute batshit things that tend to happen in her second one.
But none of that compares to the massive floating island that the plane touches down on a few hours later.
It's easily big enough to accommodate the four cityscapes that rest on top of it, with the high roofs just barely rising above the huge circular walls that encompass it. Each city floats on a huge lake inside those same circular walls, with a big one in the center.
The plane sets down on a tarmac on one of the islands on the western most side, landing with a jolt and shuddering under the sudden impact. Once they finally come to a stop Suzume stands and grabs her suitcases. Her hero suit and her backpack and the fancy bag that holds her two parted dress.
Suzume grips her luggage and they all troop out of the plan and down to the tarmac. Waiting next to a gold cart looking thing is a tall woman with four arms with fluffy black hair cropped short to her square jaw.
Cloudine Elle, her name tag reads. The I island liaison that Suzume had been in contact with while setting this whole thing up.
She's in her late twenties, at least, and her dark eyes slide over the four of them in turn.
"Welcome to I Island," she says in a rehearsed customer service voice and thickly accented japanese. Her smile is firmly planted on her face, like someone had carved it out of stone.
She's pretty, Suzume thinks. Very pretty.
"I'm Cloudine Elle, and I'll be your liason for the trip. How was your flight?"
"Fine," Shinsou says.
"It's a really nice plane," Kirishima adds.
Bakugou snorts. "The whole thing smelled like celery."
"I see," Cloudine's smile looks tense. Suzume feels like she should have warned her about Bakugou or. Something. But here they are, on an incredible island and it's a bit too late. There's no warning anyone about his temperament now.
Or hers, if we're being honest here, but as long as no one says anything shitty her own temper isn't going to be an issue, so it doesn't matter anyways.
"Well," Cloudine says, "shall we go get you interrupted young heroes settled in your room?"
"I think you mean 'intrepid'," Suzume offers, "And we can all speak english, miss."
Cloudine can't hide her relief behind her straining smile.
"That's wonderful," she says, switching to her (and Suzume's) first language. "I heard you might but I didn't want to assume."
The others might not notice, but Suzume can place her southern accent. It's mild, but there's a touch of Appalachia in her. If Suzume had to guess she would place her as southern illinois or western kentucky in origin.
"It was pretty cool of you to learn some Japanese for us," Kirishima gives her a broad grin.
Cloudine ushers them to the golf cart and they load their bags in the back and climb on. The cart moves much faster than she was expecting, and Suzume ends up grabbing Kirishima's arm to keep herself from tumbling off.
Kirishima turns the same red as his hair, but doesn't shrug her off. He grips one of the bars and off they go, to the security terminal.
"We were so glad that all four of you could make it," Cloudine tells them as she drives them into the building. "I'll take you to your rooms, and you can have some time to get settled in. There's plenty to do in the area we've got you set up, and you're free to explore. You don't have to worry about your safety here, either," she says with a glance at Suzume.
"We have the lowest crime rate of any city in the world. It's mostly due to the fact that I island was built so the world's brightest minds could have a place to gather together and research quirks, and make more support gear to accommodate them. The island was also made mobile, to protect the scientists who live here from villains or other threats. It's completely self sufficient as well."
Cloudine gestures and outside the windows Suzume can see trees and what could be corn fields pressed against the wall of the island, out of the way of the massive lake and the cities. It's gone a second later, and the cart comes to a stop in front of a moving side walk.
"We have everything, our own agriculture and water treatment plants, and schools for the children of our scientists or even younger scientists themselves. There's plenty of genius' out there who come to study with us. If they're talented enough they can even get their own grants and laboratories. Our security system is on par with Tartarus prison, and was actually designed by the same man. There's not a safer place in the world."
She said that, but Suzume still thinks that her class is cursed. Maybe she should have warned her in the email, but it was too late for that. They stand in a line on the side walk while cloudine talks on, telling them about the airport and the function of their visitor passes and what status that grants them.
While they walk, holograms pop up to tell them their names, their IDs and show pictures of each them. They're being scanned, and their bags as well.
Suzume waits for anything in her bag, from the kevlar dress to the hidden weapon of a hair pin, to trigger the security system. But whatever security they have the metal detectors don't seem to care about anything and they slide through double doors marking them as cleared for the city.
"The immegration inspection is complete!" A robot voice announces above them. "The island is currently holding the pre-open of I-expo, where we show off what our hard working workers have been working on. Only those with invitations may attend the preview.. Welcome to the Island, guests."
They step out into sunlight and Suzume almost falls flat on her face at the sight that greets them.
It's like something out of a carnival in a science fiction movie.
Brightly colored buildings spread around them in a cacophony of red, yellow, green, blue, purple and orange. She can see a huge water fountain spelling words in the water, and a ferris wheel made of floating pods that glow. Someone is holding a concert and huge music notes float through the air in neon away from them and a massive building shaped like a harp. There's another building that looks like it has to be a space ship and giant candles and tower of terror.
And the people.
There are people everywhere.
Families and couples and random single folks wandering around gawking at the attractions and talking. There's food vendors and lines for water everywhere. Each inch of space not made to walk on is home to gardens of flowers and trees that look heavy with budding fruits.
Suzume can hear at least a dozen languages being spoken. People are here from around the planet and it shows.
There's quirks of all kinds too being used freely. Bright lights and games that involve floating balls. She watches a couple of little kids teleport, evidently playing tag.
It's a little bit beautiful, in its own way.
"Oh woah!" Kirishima gawks at everything around them. Bakugou is trying to play cool, but Suzume can see the spark in his red eyes.
Shinsou's attention seems fixed on the music notes and the concert going on. Someone else with a voice quirk, maybe?
"It''s a very nice place, don't you think?" Cloudine says with a smile at her home. "This way, the hotel isn't far and then you can explore to your hearts content."
Suzume and the boys trail after still, their footsteps slowed by the sheer volume of things to look at along the way. Regardless of Cloudine's words its all too easy to get side tracked by something else incredible, something they've never, ever seen before.
"Before we get there, I'm afraid I'll have to apologize," Cloudine says as they approach a massive building. There's a shopping center at the bottom, and the front of the building looks like a tiered cake where it rises up towards the sky. On either side are blocks of glass and stone and steel.
"For what?' Shinsou asks, his brows furrowing.
Cloudine looks a bit awkward. Embarrassed.
"Initially, we were only going to be inviting the finalist of the UA Sport Festival's first years and a guest of her choice. But Miss Yusada sent us a very persuasive letter arguing that all three of you should be allowed to come along with your guest. Because of how popular an attraction the I expo is invitations are drafted and sent out very early, and we don't have a lot of returns."
"So?" Bakugou presses.
"So… By the time it was decided to extend the UA invitation all the other slots were taken up. So we have only the one suit available."
"So we're sharing," Suzume surmisses.
The boys look much more startled.
"I can share with these losers!"
"I seem to recall beating you."
"Fuck off, wasp girl."
"Is it really okay for us to share a room with a girl?"
"Why wouldn't it be, you're not going to do anything to me."
"Of course not! But still, isn't it awkward?"
"I have six brothers so, no."
"Well I don't have any sisters."
"How is that my fault? You're so high strung…"
"Are you listening to me!"
Poor Cloudine doesn't seem to know who to look at. Suzume and Bakugou in their argument, Suzume and Kirishima debating why it shouldn't be awkward to sleep over with your friend, or Shinsou, who doesn't look like he cares that much.
He catches her gaze and shrugs.
"I've shared a room with girls before. I don't really care."
"It doesn't matter anyways" Suzume insists, "Since it's already done. If you feel that weird about it, Kirishima, just sleep on the floor or something."
"There's a pull out couch, and two beds in the bedroom are queens." Cloudine offers helpfully. "We know its not ideal…"
"It'll be fine," Suzume insists. "Honestly, it's just like sleeping over at a friend's house."
The boys can't really argue with that.
Cloudine looks relieved. It's obvious she doesn't have a back up plan for what to do if everyone kicked up a fuss over three boys and one girl sharing a room.
But it's like Suzume said. They're not going to do anything weird. They're good boys, and whether Bakugou wants to admit it or not they're also super innocent and harmless. There's a reason she calls him a puppy. He's all bark and no bite. The other two aren't even bark! Kirishima is a goddamn cinnamon roll and Shinsou is a genuinely good person under his weird brooding persona.
They walk into a lobby that looks like it should be in a magazine.
A huge glass waterfall takes up the entirety of one wall, and a glass elevator rises into the high ceiling above. The vaulted ceiling is painted with a constellation of nebulas and a chandelier glitters amongst the stars.
There's a little sitting area next to what must be a cafe in the earlier mornings, and a pool table set up in a corner. A sign on the wall points to where the pool is, and Suzume can smell the chlorine from there.
Cloudine takes them to the receptionist, who is a robot of all things. A cheery looking being of metal and wires, he takes their IDs, checks them in, and gives them the keys to their room along with instructions on where vending machines and laundries are, what time breakfast opens, and how to get in touch with him if anything happens to go wrong. There's another restaurant at the top of the hotel as well.
The robots waves at them cheerfully and Cloudine walks them up to their room.
The room, too, it very nice.
There's a little kitchenette, and a sofa and a flat screen. A bathroom that's fully stocked with shampoos and soaps that suzume is absolutely going to steal, and the bedroom is… cute.
The beds looks like their frames were modeled after candy canes and roses both, and the sheets are purple and pink with little bird patterns on them. The walls are mint green with candy cane stripes along them and the window opens up to a balcony that shows them a view of a big pool and lazy river.
Its one of the nicest hotels that Suzume has ever seen.
"Goddamn," she murmurs, picking up a room service menu.
The prices are horrifying.
But the letter has said that their meals would be paid for too. Did that include loli pop chicken and muscles?
She knows she's underage, but the cocktails offer mud slides and she's suddenly reminded that they're in international waters and most laws don't apply.
Suzume sets the menu down and wanders into the living room.
"This is seriously nice," she says aloud.
"Tell me about it," Shinsou has opened the mini fridge, and found it full of little juices, waters, and chocolate milks.
"I'll leave you kids to it," Cloudine announces. "You all have my phone number if you need anything. I'll see you tonight!"
They wave at her, and Suzume goes to sit on the couch and catch her breath. The AC is frigid and welcome on her back.
It feels like it's been a week all crammed into one day, and it's not even over yet.
I island is nice, but it's a little overwhelming and for someone who's always on the lookout for what everyone around her is doing all the time? That's not necessarily a good thing.
But it's been fun, traveling with the boys. Even when she's arguing with Bakugou.
Maybe especially when she's arguing with Bakugou. He's just so much fun to rile up!
"I think I saw an obstacle course out there on the way in," Kirishima announces. "We're aloud to wear our hero costumes on the island, so I'm gonna change into mine and go check it out. You wanna come guys?"
"I think I'm gonna wash the airport off of me first, and I'll come find you later," Suzume offers.
"If you're going to some stupid obsticle course I guess I'll come too. I'll obliterate you at it," Bakugou warns, his grin sharp and cocky. His palms spark a little with excitement.
Suzume doesn't know if he does that in particular on purpose, but its a little endearing. Now that he's less of an asshole, Bakugou is almost fun to be around sometimes.
"There's a couple of things I want to check out too," Shinsou admits. "So I'll follow you two for a while before I peel off."
The boys all tromp into the bathroom to change, although Shinsou just comes back out in a tracksuit and a familiar gray scarf.
Kirishima, of course, thinks it's the tits that Shinsou has the same kind of scarf as Aizawa does. Bakugou doesn't give a shit, and practically kicks the two of them out the door.
Suzume goes to shower off.
She spends a long time standing under the hot water, letting its burn the grime off her skin and soak through her dark hair. It soothes her aching muscles and her hard scars and it gives her a while to just breathe the misty air.
Once she's pruned herself she gets out and dries off, and changes into a nice striped jumpsuit. She lets her hair hang around her shoulders instead of tying it back like usual.
She does put on her vambraces though, and she makes her way out to join the boys at the obstacle course and everyone else that meets them there.
It's a lovely day, the I Expo preview will last until six thirty, and then they have the party afterwards.
Suzume links her arms with Shinsou and Kirishima when they all join up and they wander into a hologram fun house.
Yes, a lovely day.
And the night will be so, so different.