A03 is under a DDOS attack? Yikes.
…
Eh, fuck it. I want this arc to be over.
Again, it is sort of a bummer to have an arc that sort of halts the traction of the main series plotline- the movie isn't that important in the long run. Aside from introducing Melissa, there's not much this contributes to the story. But I think this is the only filler arc…at least the only one that'll be this long.
The schedule for the next three weeks:
7/18 and 7/20: Good Loser Kumagawa Chapter 3
7/25 and 7/27: Good Loser Kumagawa Chapter 4
8/2: Summer Camp Arc Chapter 1
Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5
The two heroes followed him up at least two more flights of stairs; there clearly wasn't much more tower left. Indeed, as Wolfram slammed the door to the stairwell open, he found himself on the roof of the massive I-Island tower.
Ochako had shifted back into Big Chill, and quickly began to freeze the helicopter to ground the villains and make sure they couldn't escape. "Sorry, boys. Looks like your flight is grounded due to cold weather."
"You just don't know when to quit, do you..." Wolfram growled. Anonymous leaned out of the pilot-side window and held his arm out, leveling it at the frozen parts of the helicopter. His entire palm unfolded into individual segments of armor, revealing a barrel that held a small spark. Sure enough, the cybernetic villain let loose a controlled stream of fire from the concealed flamethrower, working on melting them free.
"Is that guy's Quirk tech-based or is he just part machine?!" Izuku wondered aloud.
"Part machine?" Ochako said aloud. "Ooooh, I know what that means…"
"Go for it, I'll keep the other one busy. Maybe I can save the professor as well," Izuku said, getting into a combat ready stance. Wolfram just rolled his eyes and drew a pistol, aiming it at the two. It wasn't a special pistol or anything, but it'd keep them at bay so Anon could finish his work.
He aimed his gun at Izuku and began firing. Izuku dodged the bullets, but just barely. Despite his speed, a bullet was a bullet. Izuku didn't have any means to stop a bullet from traveling through his body...right?
Ochako raced towards Anonymous as Big Chill, an act that didn't go unnoticed by Wolfram. He turned and fired off a few shots at the successor to the Omnitrix with little success. He simply watched the bullets pass right through her. Once she was close enough, a flash of pink light blinded both Anon and Wolfram, causing the latter to shield his eyes. Grey Matter leapt onto Anon's arm to enact her part of the plan, while Izuku used the distraction to get in close to Metal Industry's mastermind.
Anonymous looked around, confused about what just happened. "Where did that giant moth alien go!?" He cursed, itching his arm.
Wait, itching?
The cybernetic villain then heard the roaring of flames stop and his palm revert back into its normal configuration. He never decided to shut that off! What the hell was happening?! He looked to his arm to see if maybe his arm had been damaged and his eyes digitally blinked in surprise when the villain actually saw the problem.
A diminutive alien genius had clung to his arm, removed some of his arm paneling, and was currently messing with his wiring. Anon pulled back into the cockpit and brought his arm up so that Ochako would be at eye-level with him.
"...hi." Ochako nervously waved.
Meanwhile, Wolfram felt a punch land in his gut, causing him to double over. A few more hits followed, one of them even threatening to knock his mask clean off.
"Give. Him. BACK!" Izuku yelled.
"Snowball's chance in hell of that. This genius is gonna make me a fortune when he mass-produces that little gadget of his!" Wolfram proclaimed, tossing a few of his own punches at the U.A student.
Izuku threw a nasty right hook, colliding with Wolfram's own fist. The shockwave was strong enough to nearly blow everyone away. Ochako swore she was watching the Nomu fight at the USJ again. She watched Izuku and Wolfram trade blows repeatedly, over and over again. Wolfram gained a quick upperhand, by using his feet to bend the metal around him. Metal shot around of the ground and bashed into Izuku at full force. Izuku was sent flying, smashing into the entrance to the roof.
"I suggest you focus," Anon threatened, looking right at the small Ochako.
"Oh right, you're still he-!" the student began, quickly dodging a smack from the would-be pilot of the escape helicopter.
Ochako dodged a few more slaps, before she decided to even the odds by switching forms. Ochako quickly morphed into Upgrade, and wrapped around Anonymous in a tight bind.
"Hiya." Ochako said, her face morphing into a smug emoticon.
The cybernetic villain beeped in surprise, struggling against Upgrade's bind. One of the ports in his hand opened up a cable slithered out. Sparks flew at the tip before the cable jabbed into Ochako to try and electrocute her.
Ochako dodged the cable, and detached herself from the villain. Ochako flipped out the door, and merged to the underside of the helicopter.
"Damn it! Where'd she go!?" The villain cursed, looking out the door.
Still unseen, Ochako moved over to line up the next move. Before Anon could pull back in, Upgrade threw a punch to his lower jaw, landing with a clang and slamming him into the ceiling of the cockpit.
"Gotcha!" Ochako grinned.
Anon was knocked out. Ochako quickly melded with the helicopter. "Don't worry, Mr. Shield. I got you." Ochako said, as Izuku watched. The helicopter started to fly away.
"Looks like...your escape plan's done for." Izuku smiled weakly.
"Escape plan..." Wolfram scoffs, "Think of a new one later. For now," the villain pulled back on the hammer on his pistol and took aim at Izuku. The successor to the Omnitrix froze for a moment as the leader of Metal Industry was about to pull the trigger.
But then something dashed through the entrance to the stairway and slammed into Wolfram hard, sending the metal-themed villain flying with the briefcase.
"Never fear Young Midoriya!" the characteristic booming voice of All Might announced, "Why? Because I am here!"
Izuku looked over to see All Might, now freed. He still had his big, happy grin on his face- that look of worry had completely vanished.
"A-all Might!" Izuku gasped.
The impact knocked Wolfram's mask free, clinking and bouncing away from its wearer before it fell from the side of the tower. Metal Industry's leader growled and took aim once again, still holding tight to the briefcase, before he fired off another barrage of bullets in desperation. A single aquamarine crystal rose up and blocked all the shots, leaving not even a crack in the crystal.
"Well that's just rude, isn't it?" Ben commented, now Diamondhead.
"Ben!" Ochako beamed from above.
"So I was right. There are two of you..." Wolfram growled as he got to his feet. In anger, he quickly opened the suitcase, flicking open the locks and throwing the top open. He stared at the device for a few short seconds before he pulled it out and tossed the case aside.
Ben's eyes widened. "The hell is that!?"
"Don't know, but it doesn't look good!" All Might said, readying for a fight.
"Oh you don't..." Wolfram looked at the device in his hand, before he burst out laughing, "Oh you're bigger idiots than I thought! Either that or Doctor Shield kept secrets from even you! Pity you won't get to ask about it!"
With that, Wolfram slammed the device onto his head, throwing caution to the wind.
Ben and All Might were blown back by a massive burst of power. Whatever this device was, Wolfram was clearly benefiting from it. The device was digging into his skull, causing it to bleed.
"S-so, this..." Wolfram said, shaking violently. "This is the cost of power..." His sclera started to turn red, and his eyes started to bleed. "What...a fair trade."
Ben grit his teeth. "Looks like this fight's gonna be dragging on a bit longer, Toshi."
"As long as its not another hour, I think we're good," All Might nodded.
"So two brats and two of the biggest pros in the whole damn world against yours truly. Seems a little...anticlimactic," Wolfram chuckled. He looked up to the group in front, still knowing full-well that his hijacked helicopter was still in the air. His eyes suddenly shifted and began glowing an unsettling purple color that gave Ben some serious flashbacks, even if it was too light of a hue to match.
"Let's make this something to remember, eh?!" Metal Industry's leader yelled. He then slammed both hands down on the floor, the impact on its own releasing a harmless shockwave. It may not have physically pushed anyone back, but in truth it felt like the entire tower shook. Ben was about to switch over to his own ferrokinetic form when the floor around him seemed to tear itself open from the inside.
"Look out!" All Might said, quickly pulling his friend out of the way of a clump of wires, all twisted together into one singular strand that lashed out like a viper. More and more tears appeared around the trio and even Wolfram himself. Wolfram snapped his fingers and let the lashing cables distract the heroes as he started to pull pieces of metal and cable towards him, shielding him. One would be forgiven if they thought he'd just make a giant mech suit out of the pieces, Wolfram was more of a "function over form" type of guy. It didn't matter what his trump card looked like, only the results it got did. The components came together, twisting around each other and bending into place, forming up into less of a mech and more of a living mound of scrap metal.
"Now THIS is more like it!" Wolfram grinned madly, his voice now had a bit of a metallic echo to it, possibly a side effect of the device.
Ben transformed into Humongousaur, rushing towards the villain like a juggernaut with a thunderous roar of power. Wolfram grinned as the alien hero prepared to whip his enormous tail around. The attack was stopped in an instant by a massive metal pillar that sprang out of the tower. The move took Ben off guard, allowing Wolfram to launch an attack.
Wolfram breathed in, then released a blast of iron shrapnel in the form of a tornado. The attack was weakened by Humungousaur's scales, but some cut deep enough to cause some minor bleeding. Ben growled, as Wolfram continued his attacks. Spikes shooting out of the ground, blades curving at impossible angles to try and cut Ben's back, every nasty trick in the book. Wolfram was going all out.
"And don't think I forgot about your friends!" Wolfram growled, moving his arm in front of him as iron pillars emerged from the side and slammed into All Might and Izuku, knocking them both flying. The two heroes got back up and readied themselves as more pillars and wires lashed out at the two.
"And how could I forget our little hijacker!" Metal Industry's leader bellowed. He didn't even turn to face the helicopter, simply sending a massive amalgam of cables and wires to grab hold of the vehicle's tail and begin reeling it back in. Ochako tried to her hardest to fight against the pull, adding in some morphing to try and slice through the line to no avail. So many cables had woven together it'd take something of industrial scale to slice through them all at once.
The cables easily ripped off the backside of the helicopter, and Ochako screamed. No one had ever managed to rip Upgrade apart like that. It felt like a limb of hers had been ripped off, or like she was a doll in the hands of a very violent child.
Ochako's flight path started to veer off, as she crash landed on the ground. No explosion, thankfully.
But also no David.
"Where'd-?!" Ochako looked around in a panic before she saw the cables pull back with the good doctor tangled up in them. He was then pulled into the mountain of scrap, not even as a shield, more like so Wolfram could keep him under lock and key until this was over.
"Wouldn't want the merchandise getting damaged in the crossfire, now would we?" Wolfram taunted, "After all, now that I get to see what this little marvel can do, hell, I'm tempted to keep it all to myself! But, I'm a generous sort. Plenty of people out there who would love to get their hands on it! Twins with the sword Quirk, that idiot with the mummy Quirk, hell, the list's endless!"
"If you want to make this new 'empire' of yours, you'll have to," All Might began, interrupted by an iron pillar that was able to smash apart, "you'll have to get through us first! And I promise you that will be no easy task!"
"Challenge accepted then, 'Symbol of Peace!' Come and BLOODY GET ME!" Wolfram laughed.
Ochako unmerged with the helicopter. Her legs started to slowly regrow, giving her time to take in everything. "He's crazy powerful now…" Ochako said. "And with his quirk powered up tenfold, he's probably near invincible."
Ochako stood back up. Near being the keyword. Ochako looked over at Ben, who was still winded by Wolfram's onslaught of attacks. Ochako looked down at her Omnitrix symbol, and back at Ben. She clenched her fist. "Time to bring out the big guns." Ochako said, tapping the symbol. Rocks formed out of the ground, covering her entire body. A pink energy started to glow from inside the petrified form, before it burst out.
Ochako, now Shock Rock (Shock Raka, if you wanna be funny), cracked her knuckles. "Okay, Ochako- give him hell!"
Wolfram looked over to the now rock-armored alien and rolled his eyes. He simply directed more attacks at her. If she wanted to play the hero, well, far be it for him to stop her. Several of his trademark iron pillars raced towards Ochako and, in preparation, the successor to the Omnitrix morphed her hands into giant axes. Right before the first pillar made contact, she swung and cleaved the pillar in half. The second raced in and tried to slam into her from the side, but she ducked under it. Two smaller pillars branched off to try and get in some cheap shots, but Ochako morphed her hand into a shield just in time. The pillars collided with the stone shield, practically bouncing off due to their momentum.
Ochako's electricity started to spark around her body, as she roared. Her right arm started to increase in size, growing to size of one of the pillars. Ochako ripped it out of the ground, reared back the enlarged fist, and whipped it towards Wolfram at full force.
Metal Industry's head villain smirked and simply brought up a wall of iron to block the attack.
"Nice try," Wolfram said. He flicked his wrist and two massive pillars slammed into Ochako from both sides. The strength of the Fulmni was formidable, but even she had some difficulties holding the pillars back. The pillars had been stopped, literally single-handedly but Ochako's grip was not as iron as she had had hoped. Some of the rock armor on her arms actually seemed to crack from the pressure.
No, no, no, no...just hold on a little longer! Ochako thought. A third pillar rushed in from above, hoping to crush her then and there. Ochako's eyes went wide in shock as she saw the metal rushing her way. She braced for the impact, only for a...guitar riff to echo out in the air. The iron pillar exploded into pieces, confusing Wolfram. He looked over to the source of the sonic attack. Before he actually saw the cause, the two pillars that were crushing Ochako from the sides were broken apart in the middle.
"Sorry we're late!" a familiar voice said, Kirishima gave a thumbs up to Ochako as he stood in the rubble of the first pillar. The second was destroyed by class 1A's resident speedster.
Momo launched some sticky bombs, destroying even more of the pillars that endangered Ochako. Todoroki's heavenly ice wall stopped further assaults, while Bakugou's blasts stopped them from ever developing. "DIE!"
Jirou walked forward, with Kirishima lugging a giant speaker behind her. "Sorry it took so long! Those robots were relentless."
"But then they all shut off for some reason," Sero added, "Guessing you guys had something to do with that?"
"Guys! Yeah, Melissa turned off the security system!" Ochako answered.
"Oh great. Whole damned class is here!" Wolfram cursed.
"Yeah, and we're on a field trip to kick your ass!" Bakugou yelled, causing mini explosions in his hands for emphasis. Wolfram felt annoyed with this brat.
"Okay, kid...consider me the bus ride to the great sky above." Wolfram frowned, as he made a giant sword of iron from underneath the UA student's feet. Bakugou nearly was skewered by it, but blasted himself backwards.
"HEY! ROUND FACE!" Bakugou yelled at Shock Rock. "MAKE YOURSELF USEFUL AND HELP ME LAUNCH MYSELF AT THIS ASSHOLE!"
"Round Face!?" Ochako yelled.
"And the award for least creative Bakugou nickname goes to-!" Sero quipped, dodging a metal pillar that raced towards him.
Ochako groaned as she acquiesced and brought her hands together. She morphed the lightning energy together, forming it up into a catapult. Bakugou hopped into it and readied himself, priming his hands to blast Wolfram to pieces. With a quick motion, the catapult launched Bakugou into the air, his explosions boosting his own momentum. He was gonna rip that smug metal bastard right out of his self-made mountain. Some metal walls sprang up to try and stop him, but he plowed right through them, blasting perfectly sized holes into them, one after the other. Bakugou was actually able to reach Wolfram at the center and, with his hand held together, he let loose a full power Howitzer Impact. The blast was strong enough to send the loudmouth student flying back, smirking as he thought he'd won.
Everyone thought the same, or at least they did until the entire tower literally shook and blue, almost vein-like lines of energy began to slither down the tower entirely. Pieces of metal were torn off from the outside of the tower before they began to fly up to where Wolfram was. From inside the smoke of Bakugou's blast, the glowing eyes of the villain shone through, still apparently unharmed. Cables erupted from the ground and lashed out at everyone, forcing them to all evade them or suffer some very nasty slashes.
"If you thought it'd be that easy, kid, you might as well reconsider hero work. Every hero worth their garish costume knows that the villain ALWAYS has one last ace that can and WILL kill them!" Wolfram boasted. The metal mountain that Wolfram was using was expanding, growing taller and taller, looming over the assembled heroes.
"I can feel it. My Quirk's constantly expanding. Y'know, maybe I should up the price for this little gadget of his. I could ask for anything I wanted if I'm offering the thing that offed the Symbol of Peace!" the lead villain grinned.
Ochako struggled within Wolfram's grasp. She tried to shake free, but to avail. She grit her teeth. "What the hell do you GET from this!? Power isn't everything!"
"Are you kidding me!? People don't wanna listen to the skillful! They only want to worship the strong like a bunch of blind cattle!" Wolfram yelled. "All Might isn't beloved because he has a tactful mind, everyone loves him because he's got power! No one's favorite alien is Brainstorm or Grey Matter! It's always Four Arms or Humungousaur! POWER IS EVERYTHING! POWER IS THE ONLY WORD!"
With that, Wolfram continued his surge of power.
"How...how do we take him down?" Jirou asked, looking up at the massive amalgam of scrap. Wolfram grinned and swiped his arm in front of him and the still intact parts of the roof began to erupt and tear apart. People were sent flying even though many of them were able to nail the landing or help others make it back to the ground safely. A massive iron pillar raced towards All Might and slammed into him with such force that he was actually pushed back a bit. Cables shot out and tried to down who he perceived to be the biggest threats outside of the Number 1 Pro himself. He tried to tie down 10K, Bakugou, Ochako, and even Todoroki.
Some of the cables, in their attempt to attack Ochako, knocked Melissa into the air. Izuku didn't waste a second, launching into the air and grabbing hold of the doctor's daughter before she could truly fall. He looked over to see how All Might was doing and silently gasped in shock. Small bits of steam were rising off of his mentor's body and, unseen by the others, he was coughing rather violently, sometimes even coughing up blood.
"All Might!" Izuku yelled out in concern.
"D-don't worry!" All Might said, struggling to hold back the pillar. "I am...still here!"
"And that's the issue. You're still here, you old oaf. You've overstayed your welcome." Wolfram said. "The power vaccum- the distance between all of US heroes and you was too insane!"
"Power vacuum?" All Might repeated.
"The hell are you talking about?!" Ben yelled, now in the form of Heatblast as he melted the wires that came at him and Ochako.
"Do you remember...the hero by the name of Steel Justice?" Wolfram asked.
"That's...I have no idea who that is!" Ben admitted.
"Yeah, not gonna lie," Kirishima added, punching down more pillars, "No idea who you're on about it either!"
"I wasn't asking you kid!" Wolfram growled.
"But I have a feeling you're going to let us know...aren't you?" All Might coughed.
"And that's the problem. No one remembers his efforts. No one remembers MY hero! The one who died fighting alongside you two idiots!" Wolfram yelled.
Ben's face fell.
"…he was…at Midnight." Ben realized.
"Midnight?" Sero asked, dodging another barrage of cables.
"Toshi...did...did Aizawa never tell them?!" Ben asked.
"I don't think he got to that part of Hero History yet!" All Might said.
"Well, for the uninformed, the gist of it is that your shining symbols here led an army against a monster of a woman named Salem. If her plans had gone through, this world would be nothing but dust! I don't hold it against you for killing her, she deserved to be put down!" Wolfram began.
"You don't even know half of her story!" Ben growled. He sounded pissed at that.
"Oh shut up! You're the one who put her down after all! But, back to the story, these two led an army into her domain like some storybook heroes, but even they suffered casualties. Steel Justice was just one among COUNTLESS who died FORGOTTEN that day!"
"So, what, you're his son or something?" Ben yelled.
"NO! Just a passing fan, taking upon myself to carry on his torch. And the best way to do that..." Wolfram said. "Is to eliminate the problems. And their lousy successors."
All Might flinched when he heard that.
"I got a tip from Abraham, but I was backed up by a VERY important benefactor." Wolfram said. "I'm sure All Might can figure that out..." Wolfram grinned.
All Might and Ben froze at that one. An important benefactor, gaining the loyalty of someone like this, with such an impressive Quirk.
"No...you're bluffing," All Might grimaced, as he was starting to get pushed back.
"Then come and test it if ya can!" Wolfram invited.
Ben grit his teeth, and began to reach for the Omnitrix. He twisted the dial, and slapped it down. "With pleasure."
"Oh, Tennyson's up first? Fine then!" Wolfram cracked his neck and readied himself for whatever Ben was about to throw at him.
Ben's body started to become coated in armor and hardlight. Izuku's eyebrows went up as he watched the phenomenon.
"Armor?" Momo asked. "I've never seen him use that before…"
"He hasn't done this in a long while…" Izuku muttered. This was Ben's main strategy before Master Control…the Omni Drive!
One would think that giving Heatblast armor might seem a bit needless, especially when gauntlets and a chest-plate appeared over the volcanic rock skin. A holographic half hardlight and nanotech cannon even appeared on Heatblast's right arm. The most impressive addition was what seemed to be a jetpack, with rotating thrusters that seemed far too large for just flight.
"Let's test how much heat all that metal can take," Ben said as the thrusters swerved around and began charging up.
Wolfram laughed, as Ben boosted himself to the ground. "Are you stupid!? You gave yourself metal armor! You want me to turn your armor into a makeshift Iron Maiden?"
Ben ignored his taunts, and began blasting the wires with beams of heat. They melted the metal with ease. That did catch Wolfram by surprise, watching some of his material melt away with ease like that, but he quickly regained his composure.
He simply focused on the fuel tanks that were no doubt present in Ben's armor and visualized them being crushed like any other tin can. Not the flashiest of moves he could do, but it worked. To his shock, the metal on Ben's armor didn't respond to his gruesome command. "W-what!?"
"Sorry, Wolfy." Ben said. "My armor isn't exactly...there."
"What!?" Wolfram yelled.
"Omnitrix projection tech. There's no real metal to it, just a bunch of fancy holograms working to form some armor." Ben said. "I USED to use armor, but..."
His eyes went dark. "I learned."
"Fine then," Wolfram growled, "Old fashioned way!" Two more iron pillars emerged from beside Ben to try and crush him, but before he could even think about melting them, Ochako intervened, smashing apart one of them.
Ben grinned. "Nice work, kid. Handle the defense!"
"I didn't know you could do that!" Ochako said, as she broke apart another pillar.
"You ain't see nothing yet." Ben said, as he flew forward.
Fire entirely engulfed Ben's form as he shot forward like a comet, aimed right at the pillar that was keeping All Might occupied. With the flames around his body, Ben literally cut through the pillar like a knife through butter, melting the metal an giving Toshi a reprieve.
"Thanks!" All Might saluted, regaining a bit of his composure.
"Not a problem. Now, where's David?" Ben said, looking around.
"Somewhere in the wires. I'll distract him." All Might saluted, before propelling himself off the ground. More and more metal pillars chased after All Might, smashing the ground around him. All Might found it nearly impossible to avoid these attacks, especially with his tired state- but he had to push himself.
One pillar got incredibly close and, just like before, his protege came to his aid. Izuku punched right through the pillar, shattering it before it could connect with its intended target. All Might grinned when he saw that.
"Well then, young Midoriya. Shall we take him together?" All Might asked.
"All for it!" Izuku nodded.
Izuku and All Might began breaking all pillars with ease. Wolfram found himself annoyed- despite all his power, his pillars were still breaking like they were glass.
"Damn IT!" Wolfram roared, his rage shaking the tower.
"You believe yourself untouchable now, don't you?" All Might asked, "Safe in that tower you've constructed for yourself."
Another pair of pillars were destroyed by the two users of One For All. Izuku's attack actually provided an opening for All Might as well, letting the Number One pro jump off the remains of the construct and race towards Wolfram. Pillars after pillar, wire after wire tried to get in the Symbol of Peace's way, only to be tossed aside. He reared his fist back as he got closer, air practically swirling around his hand.
"SMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!" All Might yelled and threw his punch.
Any normal person would have dodged it. Some could dodge it easily, but even then, there was still the compressed air around the fist that could do some damage.
But not many could catch the fist.
With their bare hand.
Wolfram looked unamused, but still proud. All Might, on the other hand, looked flabbergasted. Wolfram flashed an evil grin at the hero.
"My benefactor...gave me a gift." Wolfram said.
"So...it really is him..." All Might said grimly.
"He took an interest in this gig and in my 'little ambitions,' he called 'em. He knew you'd be here...so why waste the chance, right?" Wolfram chuckled. His arm seemed to bulk up and rip through his sleeve. His muscles had become more defined, followed by a red glow working its way up his arm and to his face. He grinned, letting puffs of steam escape his mouth, possibly a side effect of using a Quirk that wasn't really his.
Wolfram. Extra Quirk: Alpha. The added quirk gives him an insane boost in power, and factor in that quirk enhancing equipment-
Wolfram reared his fist back, and punched All Might in the chest. All Might coughed up blood, and was sent to the ground. Wolfram laughed. "IDIOT!"
"All Might!" Ben yelled.
"GOD that felt good! Being able to sock one of you sanctimonious bastards," Wolfram chuckled."
Ben began firing balls of fire at the villain, but Wolfram just let them rain on his skin. "I don't feel a thing, kid. Take a number!"
With a swipe of his hand, another construct of iron, this one a pillar ending in a giant fist, slammed into Ben from the side and sent him flying. He managed to use the jetpack's thrusters to steady himself, but that still hurt like hell. The fist was still singed and partially melted from the impact, so at least it got damaged as well.
"Ok...that...complicates things..." Ben admitted.
"That...that shouldn't be possible," Momo said, looking up at Wolfram from his spot in the mountain of iron, "He has two Quirks?"
Ochako couldn't believe it either. She hadn't put it together before, but- this man was working for All for One. The cryptic talk and that mention towards "successors" hadn't hit her radar...until just now.
He knew.
"Imagine the look on his face if he finds out I end up offing you two before he ever got the chance," Wolfram smirked.
"You're not gonna get that chance, actually." Ben said, reaching for the Omnitrix symbol.
"What? You're gonna use another alien with that stupid armor?" Wolfram laughed. "Send any of your alien at me! I can take it."
"Something like that." Ben smirked. Wolfram suddenly felt a chill go down his back. Wait, what? He shouldn't be scared here. He should be reveling in his power.
So why was he scared?
The armor that Ben was wearing started to shift, taking on more, almost organic-looking characteristics. The industrial and professionally made armor began to shift and started to resemble scales. The thrusters of the jetpack folded into the now scaled back of the new set of armor, replaced by a series of large fins protruding outwards. A new reptilian tail was added, slamming into the ground and surprising everyone around. More scale-like plating covered Heatblast's body, letting the flames slip out from between them. The new tail he sported had a streak of flames ignite from the tip all the way up to the armor's mid-back.
"Think of this as Omni Drive 3.0," Ben said, as a new helmet was added, taking on similar reptilian features.
"So you got dinosaur armor?" Wolfram scoffed.
"Close. Humungousaur armor."
Armor of an alien? Izuku thought. Ben must've tweaked the armor since the last time he used it...wonder why.
Ben's tail whipped around, and smashed into Wolfram's head. Wolfram yelled, catching it in his bare hands. It burnt- but it was nothing.
"Looks like you don't have a regen factor. Good." Ben said.
Only two Quirks...either he thinks you're expendable or he considers it enough, All Might thought to himself. That was something of a trademark for the Symbol of Peace's long running nemesis. He didn't see people as, well, people. To All for One, people were just assets, tools, their lives measured in their usefulness to him.
Wolfram growled before releasing Ben's new tail, sending in the largest iron pillar he'd formed up to now at him. Ben didn't even flinch as the mass of metal came towards him. He smirked as some of the armor's scales seemed to open up on his side, releasing small flames. Using these smaller thrusters, Ben spun himself around and, after forming a spiked ball at the tip of the Vaxasaurian-themed armor's tail, he demolished the pillar and sent debris flying.
"...well, shit," Wolfram muttered to himself.
Ochako watched in awe. She never even knew Ben could "fuse" his aliens together. That would be an awesome power to have.
Ben thrashed his way through a few more attacks. Wolfram threw an enlargened metal haymaker, and Ben unleashed a powerful blow that caused fire and sparks to rain all across the battlefield.
"So, is it just me, or does he seem a little desperate to anyone else?" Ben smirked as the debris clattered to the ground.
"Indeed he does. So I believe it's time to finish this!" All Might nodded.
Ochako knew she had to support Ben and All Might somehow. What was the craziest thing she could force Shock Rock to build?!
Ochako paused.
"Let's hope this pays off." She said, as she began charging up energy.
The rocky armor and electric energy of Shock Rock began to morph into a much larger construct, bigger than most things Ben's tried in the past. Of course, he always had Way Big and Humungosaur to fill the role of "giant powerhouse." The construct Ochako was making appeared humanoid, almost like a knight in terms of design. But Sero was able to pick out what exactly Ochako had made almost immediately. He was actually a bit surprised this is what she went with.
"Is...is that the Lancelot?" Sero asked.
"Well...ok, yeah, it is," Ochako admitted, "I mean it just seemed to fit the situation!"
"I...didn't think you watched Code Geass."
"I don't. I...kinda just saw it in a top 10 video and thought it was cool," Ochako rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.
"Can't blame you." Sero said, as Ochako began to power up. Ochako leapt up, landing near Ben and All Might.
"…well, I was worried about you joining, but you do have a mech suit." Ben said.
"Two Pro Heroes and their students teaming against a threat as large as this, it's a perfect way to end it," All Might said, "Are you ready, young Midoriya?"
"Always," Izuku nodded, readying the Full Gauntlet.
"Then let's make this count." Ben said. "Strike hard, strike fast…and aim for the face. I'm tired of looking at it."
"I think we all are," Ochako quipped.
Wolfram roared, as he began sending every single piece of metal on the building flying towards the group. Ochako created a barrier around them, and the metal bounced off.
"One last run," All Might nodded, "One last hit and he'll be down. Drop the barrier on my mark!"
"Got it!" Ochako said, preparing herself for when the order was given.
"3," All Might began counting down, "2...1...Now!" Ochako nodded and dropped the barrier. At first, Wolfram smirked, thinking that this would be the end of the fight. With all the debris coming their way, they'd be crushed or torn to shreds as a result. Imagine the look on his face when all that debris was tossed aside by two punches.
Ben unleashed a torrent of flames, and melted the scrap metal in a second. The four of them rushed through the clearing, and up the villain's metal body.
"Why don't you just DIE ALREADY?!" Wolfram shouted angrily. Iron pillars and cables launched out from the metal mountain, hoping to impale, crush, or ensnare the heroes as they climbed but none of them hit. Ben used a mix of his flames and brute strength to charge right through the attacks, while Ochako was mostly maneuvering around the attacks with surprising agility. As for Izuku and All Might, it was almost like the two were in perfect sync, rushing up the scrap mountain, dodging or smashing through Wolfram's attacks with ease.
Ochako fired off beams of energy to create more openings for the two heroes. The beams cut through pillars before they could fully form, and easily hold back whatever else Wolfram was trying. The battle was slowly turning one sided.
Wolfram's overconfident demeanor began to waver. All Might and his brat were getting closer and closer by the second. Every move he tried to stop them was countered by the two shapeshifters. If they managed to land a hit, would that actually be enough to take him down? He could take a strike from All Might or 10K no problem, but even then, there was only ever one person taking the swing.
And his benefactor ever so conveniently left out that specific limitation when describing the Quirk. Probably some kind of damned test, given the way he carried himself in that meeting. So what could he do? More and more pillars were being destroyed courtesy of Ochako's beams and Ben's strength-boosted flaming strikes.
Wolfram knew he had to push himself even harder. This helmet had to had enough juice to destroy a whole continent, if the user was skilled enough. And here he was, being pushed back by two teens and the best of the best. His crew didn't throw themselves in the line of fire for this!
Wolfram yelled, causing his eyes to bleed and his fingers to suddenly break- the surge of power was consuming him. The glowing lines on his body started to grow and crawl up his neck and face. The metal around him started to twist and contort, becoming dangerously razor sharp.
Ochako and Ben took notice of the sudden sharpness, sharing a look before they nodded to each other. With the speed of the thrusters and Heatblast's own flames, the two were able to race ahead of All Might an Izuku. Wolfram was planning on them getting closer so he could impale them without any chance for them to dodge. The Omnitrix-wearing duo decided to foil that plan and melt away the sharpened metal protrusions, clearing the way for the two current users of One for All.
Wolfram roared, before he upped the power once more- he could feel his insides screaming as the power increased. The lines were covering him head to toe, but he couldn't go down like this-!
With one last yell, the ground beneath the island began to shake.
"The hell was that!?" Bakugou yelled, as he started darting his head around.
"I don't think that was just the tower shaking." Momo muttered. And she was right. Metal was being ripped out from all across the city, flying towards Wolfram and causing a 'metal hurricane' to form around the building.
"If he keeps this up, the whole island might rip itself apart..." Jirou gasped, seeong all the metal swirl around the tower, taken from who knows where. For all they knew, he wanted the island to sink from all the damage.
"GUYS, YOU MIGHT WANNA HURRY!" Kirishima yelled, "THERE MIGHT NOT BE MUCH ISLAND LEFT TO SAVE SOON!"
"Midoriya, finish him!" Todoroki cheered on.
"They're right! One final hit!" Izuku agreed.
"Then let's make it memorable!" All Might grinned as the two dodged a barrage of metal projectiles launched at them from the winds of the metal hurricane.
Wolfram sent every piece of flying metal towards the two, but once again, Ben and Ochako burnt them away.
"Kid- got a crazy idea." Ben said. "We need to stun the big guy."
"Agreed. All this metal could slice All Might and Deku up!" Ochako yelled. "What's your crazy idea?"
"Okay, trust me on this- you're going to need to let me supercharge your energy blast with one of my heavier hitters." Ben said, reaching for the Omnitrix.
"Uh, which one?" Ochako asked, slightly concerned. That concern did not vanish when, after he slammed down on the dial, the form of Humungosaur-enhanced Heatblast was replaced with a much bulkier form. It almost resembled a mech in its own way, but with several pieces that showcased glowing green energy inside, mainly on his head, shoulders and wrists.
"I...have never seen that one before!" the Omnitrix's successor noted.
"And you're not going to for a LONG while." Ben said, charging up an attack. "Now, get ready! This might sting a little-!"
"Uh, okay..." Ochako said, bracing herself.
"Well, been quite awhile since he broke out Atomix! Remind me to tell you two the story some time!" All Might chuckled as he grabbed a piece of metal before it could reach him and threw it back at Wolfram' barely missing one of the helmet's connectors.
The beam of energy hit Ochako's back, and the burst of energy she felt was unlike any power she'd felt. Her body started to change appearance- the horns on her helmet grew longer, and her pink energy suddenly turned purple. Ochako didn't like this overwhelming feeling. It was too much-!
Ochako knew this attack had to have everything put into it. She slammed her hands together, and began forming a ball of energy.
"Almost...!" Ochako muttered, funneling as much power from Ben into the attack as she could. By the time it was ready, her energy sphere was easily the size of a yoga ball. She narrowed her eyes and locked onto Wolfram. She moved her arms back, readying to throw the giant sphere and then she let it fly. The metal-manipulating villain brought up more metal pillars to try and block the massive attack, but the sheer heat coming off of the attack let it burn right through every defense he had. Wolfram's eyes went wide before the attack went off in his face like the world's biggest flashbang. He roared in pain, his hands racing to his eyes as they felt like they were on fire.
"NOW!" Ochako and Ben called out to Toshi and Izuku.
"The perfect chance, young Midoriya! I hope you're ready!" All Might grinned.
"I've been ready this whole time!" Izuku nodded.
"That's the spirit!"
All Might and Deku ran their way up one of the pillars that hadn't been completely destroyed, and dashed towards the dazed Wolfram.
Why...can't my body move? He wondered, as he saw the two rapidly approaching. I'm supposed to be strong...is this what strength feels like truly? Overbearing pain?
His eyes focused on All Might. That man before me. He's strong. But yet, he shows no pain...how is that fair?
Izuku and All Might leapt up, and clenched their fists.
"To overcome the crisis in front of you!" All Might said. "And save people!"
"-With everything you've got!" Izuku added. "That is what makes a hero!"
Wolfram grit his teeth, feeling that one last breath of life before he would surely expire. "I'll...CRUSH YOU AND THE ENTIRE ISLAND!" Wolfram put his everything into his last attack, and compacted all the metal in the area into the largest thing he could muster.
"IS THAT A GIANT CUBE!?" Kirishima yelled, pointing up at the sky.
"GO. TO. HELL. ALL OF YOU!" Wolfram roared as he threw the cube down with all his might.
Izuku and All Might propelled themselves into the air- how it happened, no idea. Their power just willed it to happen. The two reared back their fists, and launched it forward, smashing into the cube.
"DOUBLE...DETROIT...SMASH!"
The two fists slammed into the cube and first dented the massive construct, before the densely packed metal buckled and tore. The two heroes sped through the cube and left a giant hole that cut right through the middle of it. But that roadblock didn't stop their momentum. Wolfram could only watch in horror as Izuku and All Might raced towards the metal villain.
The battle torn duo raced towards Wolfram, who tried to save himself by throwing up barriers of metal. Ineffective- the two tore through them like tissue paper.
"GO BEYOND!" All Might yelled.
"PLUS...ULTRA!" Midoryia added.
With one last barricade destroyed, the two made impact with Wolfram, punching him right in the face. The impact sent a small shockwave echoing out and the Quirk-enhancing helmet he wore began to crack.
And just like that...the battle was over. The helmet shattered upon impact. Wolfram felt all the pain he'd suppressed wash over his body and suffocate him. What he was feeling earlier was maybe less than 1% of what he was feeling now.
The giant scrap mountain that Wolfram had constructed began to come undone. Pieces fell apart and clattered to the ground, even from the hurricane that Metal Industry's leader had set up in desperation. As the junk fell away, All Might managed to catch sight of David, still tangled in the wires even as they fell away. He jumped away from Wolfram, letting Ben grab the metal villain. The Number One Pro quickly grabbed a hold of his old friend and leapt away, pulling David free of what remained of the wires surrounding him.
"Was this worth it?" Ben asked the villain.
"...yes." Wolfram muttered. "Everything was."
"Before you lose consciousness...the guy who gave you the second Quirk...how'd-?"
"I meet him?" Wolfram chuckled, "Through a series of proxies that probably already changed their names and faces, maybe even countries. He didn't even let me see his damn face until he gave me the Quirk. Good luck finding him...asshole."
Ben sighed. "Okay, your lips are sealed...but your mind isn't." Wolfram's face fell as Ben transformed into a very, very familiar fairy.
"N-no. Not that one..." Wolfram said.
"Good night, Wolfram." Ben said, as he blew some dust in his face.
"No, no, no-!" Wolfram panicked...before sleep overcame him.
The battle of I-Island was over.
The aftermath of a battle is a grim affair, where the scars of war are etched deep into the souls of those who survived. Ben Tennyson had seen it all before, the carnage, the devastation, and the lasting reminders that came with it. All Might knew the feeling all too well, having spent many a day in the hospital, his body bearing the marks of a hero's duty. But for David, it was a new experience, one that he found frustrating beyond measure.
As he lay in his hospital bed, David's mind raced with thoughts of betrayal and disappointment. He couldn't believe that his partner, Sam, would sell him out like that. The two of them had worked together for years, building their business from the ground up, and now it seemed like it had all been for nothing.
"Was he just...using me?" David muttered.
"From the beginning?" Ben asked, "No...no, I don't think so. There are only a few rare people in this world who start out evil. He probably started out with good intentions...but something must've changed inside him to where he'd consider this."
David stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. He had always believed in the good in people, but Sam's betrayal had shattered that idealism. He couldn't understand how someone he trusted so completely could turn on him like clenched his jaw, feeling the anger bubbling up once more. How could Sam do this to him? Was it all for money? Power? Fame? David couldn't fathom the reasons behind it, and it only made him feel more helpless.
"Were you...ever betrayed like this?" David asked Ben.
Ben stared off into space.
"Yeah."
"...by who?" David asked. He had to admit, he wasn't actually expecting Ben to answer "yes" to that question.
"...Someone I thought I could look up to." Ben said. "He was a leader to me and the other Outcasts, in a time of darkness...and then he had to throw it all away."
Ben closed his eyes. "That masked guy mentioned the events of Evernight- he was trying to reopen closed wounds. Why are...all of these memories coming back now of all times?"
"You know why," All Might said, "Its how he operates. He's not satisfied with just winning physically, but he likes to toy with people. Prey on their fears, their insecurities. You heard what Wolfram said, saw the power he had. Two Quirks, ferrokinesis and muscle enhancement. Two Quirks that aren't anywhere close to eachother on the spectrum of powers..."
"...you really think he's back?" Ben asked.
"He tried to pull something similar during the early days, on other Pros. And some just...broke."
David looked up. "Toshi- you shouldn't be out of bed right now." David lightly scolded him. "You got it the worst out of any of us."
David was right- All Might was bandaged up, head to toe like Snare-Oh. "I've had worse." All Might shrugged.
"I'm scared to see 'worse'."
"Unfortunately...the one who can do worse is who I'm talking about," All Might sighed.
"...you said he had two Quirks? Wolfram?"
"Yeah...but...Toshi, if this was him-" Ben began.
"I know the implications...and I'm just as worried," All Might finished.
"I thought you killed him." David said, suddenly sweating.
"Never found a body." All Might frowned. "All I know is that I hit him with a Detroit-Grand Rapids Smash, slammed into the ground, and he stopped moving."
"After Swampfire sort of...set him ablaze." Ben added.
"And he didn't just...turn to ash?" David asked.
"Oh trust me...would sleep easier if he did. But if it were that easy to be rid of him..." All Might began, but didn't dare finish that sentence. If it were that easy to be rid of him, Toshinori's mentor would still be alive.
David closed his eyes. "...your kids were amazing, you know. I didn't expect them to leap headfirst into danger."
"Yeah, well, they learned from the best," Ben quipped.
"I had my doubts, but...I'm sure they'll carry on your legacy with pride. All of those kids." David said. "What are they feeding those UA kids-?"
"You'd have to ask Lunch Rush that," All Might chuckled, before the laughter turned to a cough, "Ah...damn."
"You should rest," David implored. "You're probably tired from everything that happened tonight and-"
Suddenly, the hospital door opened. "Papa? Are you in here-?" Melissa asked.
"Melissa? Melissa, I-" David's eyes went wide in shock when he saw his daughter. She had some bandages wrapped around her head and one of her arms was in a sling, all as a result of her fight with Sam. She had a few other scrapes and bruises, as well, but she was in better shape than he was. But that didn't matter. A little bit of the confusion David had to Sam died then and there, because God help Sam if he actually hurt Melissa.
"Papa!" Melissa said, running over and quickly hugging her father.
"Melissa...I-i...what happened to you? Are you ok?" David asked, hugging his daughter back.
"I...I tried out my project, a little before the expo- Sam had me cornered, and I just needed to defend myself- I'm fine, really!" Melissa insisted.
"You fought a villain?" All Might asked, shocked.
"In...power armor, yeah," Melissa said sheepishly.
"The Iron Might?" David asked.
"You...named an armor after me?" All Might asked, clearly touched.
Melissa turned around, and stared at the thinned out Toshinori. "...Uncle Might?"
"Oh! Right, you...haven't seen me like this yet," All Might realized, "Sorry for keeping this under wraps for a while."
"Toshi," Ben deadpanned.
"What? All I said was-...you've been talking with Yang too much again, haven't you?"
"What...happened?" Melissa asked, carefully approaching. "Who did this to-"
"I got in a nasty fight, few years back. It's not as bad as it looks- I'm lucky Ari was able to save a majority of my organs with some alien medical techniques." All Might explained.
"It...it was that bad?" Melissa asked, shocked.
"Could've been worse," All Might said somberly, "But it'd take more than this to stop your Uncle Might."
Melissa looked at All Might with concern in her eyes. "I can't help but worry about you," she said softly. "You're not invincible, even though you always seem to be."
All Might gave her a small smile. "I appreciate your concern, Melissa," he said, "but I assure you, I'm still here, and I'm still fighting. Even if I were to fall, there are others who would take up the mantle and continue the fight."
"But what would happen to the world if you were gone?" Melissa asked, her worry deepening. "You're the symbol of peace, the one who gives people hope. Without you, what would happen?"
All Might's expression grew serious. "The world would continue on, of course," he said. "But it would be a darker place...but thankfully, I have my successor."
"Successor?" Melissa asked.
"You saw him in action...what do you think of him?"
"You mean...Izuku?" Melissa asked.
All Might nodded. "He's progressing fast, isn't he? I didn't expect him to be such a big help in that final attack."
"Remember, there were two successors in that final fight," Ben said.
"I was wondering how Ochako got an Omnitrix." Melissa said. "She...willingly revealed it to a few of her classmates to help in saving dad."
"Huh...secret's out then sounds like," Ben said.
"Only to them," All Might said. "Didn't Ochako reveal it to...I dunno, a few already?"
"Yeah, but...that electric kid's onboard now." Ben said. "I dunno, he doesn't look like the type to keep a secret. Wasn't his way to pass the exam to throw himself across the map?"
Melissa looked at All Might with concern etched on her face. "I just can't stop worrying about you," she said, her voice trembling. "You're not as strong as you used to be. What if something happens to you...? What if...you die in battle?"
Ben looked away when Melissa said that. All Might's eyes got sad. All Might looked down at the ground, his face somber. "I understand your concerns, Melissa," he said. "But I'm not the same person I was in my glory days. My power is fading, and there's nothing I can do about it."
Melissa's eyes filled with tears as she took a step closer to him. "But you're still Uncle Might," she said, her voice choking with emotion. "You're still my hero..."
All Might's gaze softened as he peered at Melissa. A swell of pride and joy overtook him at her words. It was in these fleeting moments that he comprehended the profound impact his heroic vocation had wrought upon those in his orbit.
He drew in a long, ragged breath, his thoughts drifting back to the nascent days of his vocation. The days when he had first donned the mantle of All Might and set out to make a difference in the world were fraught with uncertainty and fear. He knew that the road ahead would be treacherous, but he was determined to face it head-on. With every step he took, he could feel the weight of his responsibility bearing down on him like a heavy cloak. But he refused to be deterred. For he knew that the fate of the world rested on his shoulders, and he would do whatever it took to protect it.
As he brooded over his bygone days, he couldn't help but be seized by a wave of wistfulness. The recollections of every skirmish he had waged, the souls he had rescued, and the individuals he had motivated flooded his mind. His gaze fell upon Melissa; his legacy was not confined to his prior triumphs. It endured beyond the mortal coil, carried forth by those whose lives he had touched and kindled with inspiration.
He smiled at Melissa and put a hand on her shoulder. "I know." All Might said, closing his eyes. "But someday, I'll have to hang up my cowl. And when that day comes, I want you to remember that the symbol of peace isn't just me. It's everyone who stands up against evil and fights for what's right. Including you, Melissa."
Melissa perked up.
"I'm proud that you stood up against a villain- you did the one thing I could never do. Become a hero without a quirk." All Might said. "That's...one of the most incredible thing I've ever seen someone do in this day and age..."
Melissa's eyes widened in surprise and her tears started to dry up. "You...you really mean that?" she asked, her voice quivering.
All Might nodded, a small smile forming on his lips. "Of course, Melissa. You're a true hero in your own right. You inspire me, and I know you'll inspire many others as well."
Melissa couldn't help but smile, feeling a warmth in her chest. "Thank you, Uncle Might," she said, her voice filled with gratitude. "...Can I ask one more question?"
"Yes?"
"...was Deku...like me too?"
All Might nodded.
"Just like me too, kiddo."
Melissa could feel a bit of pride in that answer.
Despite everything, the villain attack hadn't really hampered the schedule on the island. None of the facilities, save for the main tower, had been really damaged. Even then, only the higher floors needed serious repair, like the Aquatic Quirk Testing Facility, so the lower floors could still be used to show off the inventions and breakthroughs made on the island. Plus, all of the other attractions, like the villain takedown course, were still up and open.
Now, usually, since the villains had been stopped, the top question for the students of 1-A would be "how did they want to spend the rest of their time on the island?" Well, something more pressing came up, so that was now the second question on their minds.
The more pressing matter before they got to relax? A certain watch that Ochako had been keeping secret from them the whole time. Well, Ochako and a select few others.
"So. 11 aliens." Kaminari said.
"Yes." Ochako nodded, as Ship wriggled around in her grasp. "And one small alien dog."
"Ben 10k spoiled you, y'know. I mean, XLR8 is pretty much faster than any of us." Sero said. "You pretty much outspeed all of us-"
"Which is why I only use it when necessary." Ochako explained. "And also during when I'm out patrolling-"
"Patrolling? What, are you a vigilante too?" Jirou asked.
"Kiiiiiiinda?" Ochako shrugged.
"This...wouldn't happen to have anything to do with that recent arrest where 'Ben 10K' teamed up with other Pros like Cementoss to capture the villain dubbed 'Potential,' would it?" Momo asked.
"Ehehehe, welllllll," Ochako rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, which was basically an outright yes in this conversation.
"And you have an alien...that can basically use your Quirk...but boosted by like a thousand," Kaminari said.
"And you three have known for how long?" Sero asked, looking to Izuku, Iida and Kirishima.
"I'm included also." Todoroki said, raising his hand.
"I figured it out when I watched some footage of a fight...I recognized some of Ochako's moves." Izuku explained.
"They told me soon after. I helped train Ochako with an obstacle course." Iida added.
Kirishima grinned. "Me? I found out when an alien tried to snag her watch. Kicked his tin can to the curb."
"And...I found out when she saved me from a villain." Momo added.
"...ok, we need the full stories on some of these," Jirou said, "Especially those last two."
"Didn't Bakugou convince you to take the work study with Ben 10k?" Tokoyami asked. "This is all thanks to him, in a weird way."
"Yeah," Ochako nodded. "Where IS Bakugou, anyways?"
"Eh, he slept in. Guess fighting villains after his 'bedtime' makes him cranky." Kirishima joked.
"Yeah, that tracks," Ochako smirked, "Now...Iiii guess you all wanna just which aliens I hav-"
"DoyouhaveEchoEcho?!" Jirou blurted out, before covering her mouth, hiding the blush on her face, "U-uh...what I meant to say...was...uh..." her voice was muffled behind her hands, but still.
"Yes. Yes I do." Ochako grinned. "Somehow I knew you'd ask that."
"What about Spidermonkey? Love that blue furball." Sero grinned.
"I...don't think so, actually," Ochako said, looking down at the Omnitrix, "I mean, the alien's bound to be in here but I don't have him unlocked. I've got Gravattack, Chromastone, Big Chill, Four Arms, Grey Matter, XLR8, Water Hazard, Upgrade, Heatblast, Echo Echo aaaaaand Shock Rock."
"You have a fire alien and an ice alien?" Kaminari asked, "So, which one does Todoroki like better? Fire or ice?"
"That's...actually a question I haven't thought about. Both are incredibly useful forms, given the powers I've seen demonstrated..."
"Can we see some of 'em?" Sero asked.
"...you literally saw them in action not too long ago, dude." Kaminari said.
"Yeah, but just for a bit." Sero frowned.
"It's still charging." Ochako said. "Longest it's ever done that, to be honest. Guessed I overclocked the battery?"
"Plus, I don't think we saw all of them, right? I don't remember you turning into a plushie-sized sound system," Jirou pointed out, "So, when its charged, maybe you can show us the ones we didn't see?"
"I can try," Ochako chuckled. "...now, who wants to hold Ship?"
Every hand went up.
"Shiiiiiiip!" the little Mechamorph exclaimed, happy that everyone seemed to accept him. Honestly, the question was never if but rather, "Who would get to hold him first?"
Kaminari took him first, and Ship nuzzled up in his arms. The boy's eyes went wide with tears. "Awwww... He likes me..." Kaminari said.
Actually, he probably went to him first because of his quirk... Ochako thought.
But she'd never say it outloud.
"What does he feel like?" Jirou asked, "Is he...slick or something?"
"It's not like he's made of oil or something, more like clay, I guess," Ochako said.
"Which is funny because Mechamorphs are technically made up of nanobots that were given life by Azmuth by accident-"
"Huh. Izuku's just as much an alien buff as he is a hero buff. Who woulda thought?" Sero quipped.
"I read a lot of stuff online." Izuku grinned sheepishly.
"Careful, he's been 'teething'," Iida remembered.
"Come on! He doesn't have teeth. How can he-?" Kaminari's sentence was cut off by Ship overtaking his hand. Kaminari stared down at it. "Oh."
"Did...Kaminari just lose a hand?" Sero asked.
"Nah, he's fine. If his hand mechanical then he could've," Ochako said, "I'm not entirely sure if he's strong enough for that."
"What do you mean strong enough?" Kaminari asked.
"Oh! Well, that's kinda how I met. See, there were these alien arms dealers-"
Kaminari shivered. "Ah! Ah! Ah! Oh my god, he's sucking on my hand! HE'S SUCKING ON MY HAND!"
"Ship, c'mon now," Ochako said, going over and lightly baping the little guy on the head, "Give Kaminari his hand back."
"Shiiiiiip," the Mechamorph dog whined as if he was saying "Do I have toooooooo?"
Ochako gave him a nice smile. Ship sighed, and slid off Kaminari's hand. Kaminari wiggled his hand.
"Oh, grow up. You still have all your fingers." Jirou said.
"Did you wanna hold him next?" Ochako asked.
Jirou nodded. "Yes please." Ship hopped into her arms, and snuggled up. "So...so cute..." Jirou muttered.
Sero's stomach growled. "...anyone else feeling kinda hungry?"
"I could go for something to eat," Iida said.
"Oh! Hold on then! Ship, phone!" Ochako said.
"Ship!" her little buddy called out before he jumped into the air and tuned into a perfect replica of a cellphone, just with the usual green and black circuit board pattern of the Mechamorph.
"...that is the coolest thing I've ever seen." Kaminari muttered.
"You should get out more, then." Tokoyami said.
"Aw, that's the coolest? Ok. No Mecha-Ship for you then," Ochako said.
"Awwwwww." Kaminari sighed.
"I mean...unless you take that back and ask Ship to turn into a cool fighting robot," Ochako beamed.
"Can he do that?" Kaminari asked.
Ochako smiled. "Not yet."
Yet was a funny word, but we'll address that later.
After getting some lunch and wandering around the attractions for a bit, waiting for the expo to properly start(which SHOULD be in about twenty minutes or so), most of the students of Class 1-A had finished going through a show-case of technology based off of something that they'd only really heard about from a few of their internships and mentors. A familiar snowflake-like logo was plastered on more than few showcased items.
"So this is Dust tech..." Kaminari said, "Huh. Wouldn't know it was special without being told."
"Mrs. Snowfall showed me some dust. She said I needed an aura to use it." Momo hummed. "She couldn't unlock mine, but...I think I'm fine without it."
Kaminari blinked.
"...so. Crazy fun fact about me..." Kaminari coughed. "I kinda have one."
Everyone stared.
Izuku rushed forward. "HOW!?"
"Nora unlocked it for me! It's kinda handy!" Kaminari grinned. "Why do you think I recover from headaches faster now?"
"...oh my god that actually makes sense," Jirou said.
"Right?"
"Have you ever thought about incorporating it into your costume? Dust can be woven into clothes, after all," Momo said.
"Wait it can? Hmmm...stay on brand and get more volts...or do I mix it up and get ice? Oooh or gravity?" Kaminari wondered aloud, his eyes drifting over to an older bit of tech dubbed "Amity Tower Mark I Thruster."
"That also explains why he was so fine with me throwing his body across the battlefield during our exams." Tokoyami hummed.
"How'd you even survive being thrown across the way?" Iida asked.
"Experience." Kaminari said, before walking off.
The group stared.
"...what did Nora DO with him during his internship?" Sero shuddered.
"Well, considering her Semblance is a strength booster powered by electricity-" Izuku said.
"...oh," Sero blinked, "Ok...how did he survive Nora then?"
"Nora's not as bad as she seems," A voice said, as they approached. "Just feed her some pancakes, and she'll be placid for the rest of the day."
Izuku and Ochako's faces lit up as Melissa approached them. She still had some bandages on her body, but she was still smiling.
"Melissa!" Izuku beamed.
"You're alright!" Ochako added.
"Nothing's broken, anyway," Melissa chuckled.
"What about your dad? And All Might?" Iida asked.
"They're both resting." Melissa said. "But everything else is fine."
"Oh good," Izuku said, sighing in relief.
"Taking a look at the Dust tech, huh?" Melissa said.
"Thought it would be interesting. Weird way to learn that Kaminari has an Aura now," Ochako said.
"And I'm using that to my advantage!" Kaminari smirked.
"Impressive though, isn't it? The Amity Tower's still up to this day, updated to the Mark IV. It helped unite the world against a terrible evil during the younger days of some of the world's best Pros," Melissa explained, "It's just part of one man's legacy, a legacy that his daughter carried with her to the stars. I think he'd be proud of her. Just like how Uncle Might and Ben are proud of both of you."
"W-wait...you know?" Izuku whispered.
"Mhm. About both. They told me themselves before I came here," Melissa nodded with a grin, "And if you ever need, say, an upgrade to the watch or a bit of tech support, I'm just a phone call away."
"Well, I trust you more than Mei with the watch." Ochako said.
"Who?"
"Don't ask." Izuku shuddered.
"Ok. I'll take it then," Melissa smirked. "Consider me part of the team."
"Part of the team, part of the class, either works," Ochako smirked. "If only we had a 1-A badge to give out..."
"Shiiiiip?" Ship buzzed, still in phone form.
"I think just exchanging numbers will do." Melissa joked.
"Ship! Ship!" Ship said excitedly.
"Sounds like you have Ship's approval too," Izuku said.
"The highest honor among our peers," Ochako added, trying to sound all regal and dramatic.
"Awwww~ Well, if that's what it takes..." Melissa saluted the two. "I promise- I'll be of any assistance that I can!"
Izuku and Ochako gave a little chuckle at the salute at first, but they quickly returned it. A nice promise between the three of them.
And thus, the I-Island troubles were over. The group had an uneventful rest of the stay, and parted with Melissa a few days later…a bit hurried, though. Ben sounded like he needed to be somewhere fast.
But, aside from that, nothing else happened.
…
That would be saved for the next few weeks.