This chapter came out short…again, though—when I had to deal with a 36-hour blackout over the week; I just couldn't find the time as I had to finish my commission as well, and sadly, the commission takes priority when time is of the essence.

Oh, and there was a mistake in the last chapter. I used Teitora Kenmikoto's name in place of Takasame Kyūfune. I have no idea how I made that mix-up, but just to ensure that things are clear, their master, Kenmikoto, isn't in attendance. She sent her best student, Izuku, and her daughter, Kyūfune, in her place.

And yes, I know this chapter came out SUPER late, I am sorry about that but damn was my schedule screwed these last few weeks.

Chapter 54: Island Players

As the many thousands of tourists enjoyed the pre-show for the I-expo, and many more remained in their restricted zones to wait for the I-expo's opening day, not all was well on the island. At port 66, one of the 80 such facilities that existed to allow for large freight shipping out of sight of the more tourist-centric areas of the island, the security had been taken out alive but restrained by a group of plainclothes villains. One of which was on the phone in the port/warehouses' control room.

"I've picked up the goods at the assigned spot." He spoke with someone on the phone, though what was being said in response was unheard by all but the caller, who seemed surprised by what he heard. "What? All Might's here?"

This would be a problem. They had planned this entire thing out, but they never imagined that the Symbol of Peace would leave his precious Japan, not when the last time he attended was 10 years ago. Still, the man's surprise faded. "It doesn't matter; we'll handle him, same as everyone else."

"Of course, he had to show up; it's just like that smiling bastard to appear when you least expect it, but…" Looking over his boys opening up one of the freight containers, he smiled when they went to the second one, which held a little something that they might get some use out of. "It's not like we don't have a surprise of our own."

Around that same time, David and All Might had retreated to the professor's private lab, where, among things and tools, he had a specialized bed. A unique invention that, once sealed, allowed someone to scan someone's entire body and not just get vitals like heart rate, blood pressure, and brain activity, but more importantly, could measure one's quirk factor levels.

Such a reading was once thought useless for anything other than paediatrics and senior care, as it was a far more accurate judge of a child's potential quirk factor than the old pinkie-toe test and in tracking how much an elderly person's quirk decayed over time. However, such cases were few and far between, with even the most extreme only showing mild decay, and those patients had all been in their 80s at the youngest.

However, research done by David and other academics showed that quirk factors could also drop when the user suffered terrible injuries or fell victim to serious illnesses. But all of that didn't matter to David, as he had just gotten the read-out on All Might and paled.

"I don't get it, Toshi. How could your quirk factor levels be so low?" David asked as All Might's pod opened, allowing the pro, wearing nothing but his boxers, to step out.

All Might looked at the readings, and while his typical vitals weren't great, his quirk factors levels, which he and David had been tracking, had dropped considerably. If he wasn't wrong, guess why they were so low. "I know you were gravely injured in your battle with All for One, but this goes far beyond even my worst-case calculations."

All Might frowned, keeping his peace before he coughed into his first. "If you're a hero long enough, your body starts falling apart." All Might said before adding. "Can't be helped by all those all-nighters I pulled back in the day."

Dave hardly looked satisfied with that answer, though he couldn't immediately dispute it: Like it or not, he and Toshinori were old. His friend had turned 55this year. Most heroes would have bowed out by now, and those who didn't were much slower and weaker than they once were.

Of course, All Might knew the reason why his levels had dropped. The data was plain as day. They had first started to go the way of the Titanic roughly when he handed One for All to Kendo. 'I wish I could tell you the truth, but…'

If things were different, then maybe…but All for One could still be alive, and as long as he lived, he would target everyone he could to get at One for All. Not even living on I-island could be an assurance of safety when that master wanted something bad enough. 'As long as All for One's still a threat, I can…I won't put you or Mellissa in danger.'

David took his silence for what it was, sinking into his seat as he rubbed at his face. "At this rate, the Symbol of Peace will fizzle out in two years at best. The only reason Japan's able to keep its crime rate at 6% is because of you, Toshi. Other countries are lucky if they hover around 20%; the same are even worse off."

It was the truth that many didn't like to think about. Still, there were plenty of countries in the world where crime was out of control, where people lived in fear of villains, mobsters, and all manner of vile players, both small and big. Even those who were good police and heroes lacked a symbol like All Might, someone with the power and charisma that when they declared 'I am here!' it meant something; it could soothe even the most fearful and shake the vilest of villains.

It was why he took the job on I-island, as after his wife passed…he just couldn't sleep at night without worrying about what would happen to his baby girl each time she left the house.

"Honestly, part of me wishes you never left. America could use a man like you…" David uttered as All Might, well aware of the fears and worries of his friend, tried to cheer him up.

"Hey now, Dave, why the pessimism? Sure, things will be rough when I finally decide to hang up the cape and boots, but the world's full of capacity heroes and things that you and I could barely imagine. Not to mention the good people like you whose hard work supports them every step of the way, from training to fieldwork." He reminded him before adding with a chuckle, "Besides, I'm not retired yet, you know, I can still be All Might for a few hours a day-"

David cut him off. "Do you really believe that? What if a monstrous villain appears or some natural disaster? If you're not there, then who can we rely on? How many would get hurt and worse before other lesser heroes finally resolve the crisis? What if those League villains I read about manage to make more of those…things they unleashed on Hosu?"

All Might's smile shrunk, but it didn't vanish as he spoke more sincerely. "Listen, just in case, know that if such a day comes, I won't just sit by. I'll fight as I've always had and be supported by this new generation." He told him. "You have to admit, they have potential; young Kendo did win the Sports festival despite how stiff the competition was."

'Yes, young Kendo. You're the hope for the future of One for All. If I can't finish what my predecessors and I started, I have full faith that you'll rise to do what I couldn't and become an even brighter star than I was.' Thinking of his successor, he recalled how she seemed to always find a way to impress him and drive home how right he was to pick her.

Not just here but those around her. Her class was filled with talented students, even if they needed work; the same was true with class B, as it seemed that young Midoriya would be the best person to act as her rival, someone who could push her to improve. He didn't have such a figure in his life- only the goal of defeating All for One, but maybe…maybe it would be better for Kendo if she didn't have that. If nothing else, it meant she would have a rival who would stand with her when the chips were done.

"The I-Expo preview will close at 6 pm. Thank you for coming; enjoy your night." Later, in the late afternoon, the automated system announced that the island events were closing for the night. Everyone heard this announcement, including two overworked students.

"Dammit," Kaminari whined as he and Mineta lay on the floor with their backs against the closed doors of the café they had spent their entire day working at.

"The expo isn't even open to the public yet; if we're this slammed now, will we ever get to rest?" Mineta asked.

"Shit-up, I don't want to think about it." Kaminari was close to tears as he denied it. Dammit, how were they supposed to have a fun time if they were stuck waiting tables and cleaning after brats who somehow always managed to spill their food on the floor?

"Hey, Mineta, Kaminari!" They heard someone calling out to them. Looking up, they saw that it was the familiar group of friends and classmates they had waited on earlier, along with Midoriya, Tokage, and a crazy hot but crazy tall fox woman.

"Shift entailed more work than you thought?" Kendo asked.

"You wouldn't know the half of it," Kaminari replied, slumping from exhaustion.

"You should be proud of the work you've done; it's a great showing of your character," Iida told them, trying to uplift their spirits as he handed them two pieces of paper.

"What are these things?" Mineta asked as he looked at the ticket he had been given.

"Invitations to the big expo reception later tonight," Yaoyorozu replied for Iida.

"There is a party?" Mineta asked them as he shook with excitement and hope.

"These are for us?" And Kaminari wasn't that far behind as he held his invite like it was his child.

"For some reason, Mellissa took pity on you," Jiro told them quite bluntly.

"She figured you guys could use a break," Uraraka added with a little more cheer, to which their American hostess nodded with a smile.

"I had a few extras, please. I'd love for you to have them." Mellissa replied, and just like that, she went from a hottie to a Goddess in Kaminari and Mineta's eyes.

"Kaminari." Mineta started to tear up.

"Mineta," Kaminari said as he started wiping away tears from his eyes. Then he and Mineta jumped forward and started to hug the very surprised Mellissa's waist as if she were a lifeline.

"A beautiful angel has rewarded us for all our hard work!" They cheered through tears as they hugged their new favorite person.

Mellissa was understandably surprised by this. Jiro was quick to break the two away from the girl before one of them did something perverted, but for one, no such thing had even crossed their minds as they continued to sing her praises until Mellissa was able to get them to stop. But with that done, Kendo took charge.

"This event's gonna have a lot of big names from all over the place, so we need to be on our best behavior for our and U.A.'s sake. We'll change into our formal clothes and attend as a group." She stated.

Kyūfune raised her hand. "What about me? I'm not exactly a U.A. student."

"We're here in the master's stead; it wouldn't hurt if we arrived with some friendly faces," Midoriya suggested, as what they had been asked to do would require that they spend the night be themselves. It would only be a few minutes at best.

"Yes, these sorts of things can be a little intimidating the first time around," Yaoyorozu added, though she recalled the tall fox woman at that commission's ball and how much of an…impact Midoriya's apparent master had.

"First time around?" Uraraka asked as it sounded like Yaomomo always went to fancy pancy stuff like this!

"Forget it," Jiro whispered back to her. There was no sense getting lost in how much wealth Yaomomo probably had as an allowance, much less what she was raised in.

"Yes, so we'll meet at the Central Tower's lobby 7 at 6:30 pm sharp. I'll contact Todoroki and share this information. Don't be late, now farewell!" Iida finished things, and with a nod from Kendo, he took off.

"That's Iida, always rushing off," Jiro noted.

"He does do that, but he's one of the most focused members of the class. It makes my job as class rep easier to have someone like him around." Kendo replied as the group broke up to go get ready. Kendo was about to do the same when Mellissa stopped her, wanting to show her something before the party.

In another part of the island, those same villains, now kitted out in tactical garb with white 'X' insignia on their chests and face masks, had surprised another group of guards. "We found five guards, but they're restrained now. The plan's a go, " one of them reported.

"Keep them bound, but don't kill them. Start working on the security system, " their boss on the line ordered him.

"Yes, sir, we'll begin infiltration now," one of the masked men replied as they started working to gain access to the island's security. The task was proving to be easy…far too easy, as he didn't so much break fireballs as use access codes to get through them. As far as the system was concerned, he was just a high-ranking individual wishing to gain access.

The masked man said as he found himself getting past security protocols pretty easily, but that was more because they came prepared. "No issues so far; it looks like those security codes we were given are

"Good. Report back to me when you succeed in taking over, " the red-haired man said as he cut the call and smirked as he fixed his own, unique mask onto his face. Now the fun can finally begin."

"Get ready to move; you all know your roles. Don't screw up." He ordered the several men with him as the shutter doors in front of them started to open up as they moved towards their target.

Mellissa had led Kendo to the island's main campus. Classes weren't in session, with summer break and I-Expo right around the corner, but students were allowed to come and go as they pleased, so it was hardly worth mentioning when she arrived with a guest she wanted to show around.

"And to the left, here is my own personal research laboratory; sorry it's such a mess," Mellissa stated as she led Kendo through the halls to a door, opening it to reveal the workspace that she used, one filled with all sorts of equipment and tools that the Big Fist could hardly name, but seemed like the kind of stuff you'll see in a full-fledged lab or support studio.

"I wouldn't call this messy; it feels much more organised than you'll expect." Kendo noted that aside from some tools lying about, the space still looked pretty clean and professional. But it wasn't without personal touches, as Kendo spotted pictures around the place—not the stock ones you could buy or print off the internet, but intimate ones that showed precious moments from Mellissa's life and family.

There was one of her parents' weddings, with All Might attending as the best man, one which showed her birth, the baby Mellissa held in her mother's arms as her father cried tears of joy. There was one of her a few years older, probably stateside in the fall, the now…3-year-old, if she wasn't wrong, being held in her father's arms. There were others as well, but Kendo's eye went towards something else as a collection of rewards and trophies was on a shelf.

"Are those trophies? You must be at the top of your class," Kendo noted, as the trophies she saw ranged from 4th to 1st place in several contests.

"I wouldn't consider myself that bright; not too long ago, I was getting terrible grades. That's because I really got into the books. I gotta be a good student if I want to be a hero." Mellissa responded as she went into the storage area to look for whatever she was there for.

Kendo looked slightly perplexed by that as she got different signals throughout the day. "You mean like a pro? I thought you were studying to be a support engineer like your father."

Mellissa laughed that off, not turning to her as she continued to search through her cabinets. "Oh no, I have been a hero like you a long time ago. I'm quirkless, after all."

"You don't have a quirk?" Kendo asked, surprised by the very of it when being quirkless was so rare.

"Nope, after I turned 5 and still didn't have one, I was taken to the doctor. They said I was one of the minority who just don't have one." Mellissa replied, speaking as if it were as benign as the weather, though Kendo thought otherwise.

'So…she's like Midoriya then?' She recalled what All Might had told her, about the truth of One for All and All for One, and about what he learned from his meeting with Kenmikoto and, by connection, her student Midoriya.

The master was old, much older than All Might, so she could imagine her childhood and upbringing being no different from her own. The same could be said for All Might, who didn't have much to say about his past, only how back then, being quirkless was the least of your worries. But after she learned about this, she looked into how quirkless people in the modern day are treated.

Safe to say, along with the change in rules that saw U.A. expel its quirkless staff and, for a time, even disallowing quirkless students to the modern day, there were plenty of terrible things that she read about. She trusted her mentor when he said that Kenmikoto was no threat despite having a reason. She didn't like the idea of Midoriya being an issue either, as their match had been eye-opening to what was at his core.

Still, she wished to learn, and now had a good chance to.

"Sorry if this sounds a little intrusive, but…what was it like? Growing up quirkless, I mean?" Kendo asked her, which got Mellissa to pause as she turned to her, a confused but also hesitant glint in her eye.

When she turned back, the light obscured her eyes. "Hmm, well, it wasn't sun shrine and rainbows. Kids can be pretty mean, but they're kids; they don't know any better." "Still, when you're a kid also, being excluded from games, or called out as the one quirkless one, or called names…it hurts." She stated, her hands twitching as she recalled all the insults, all the mistreatment, and how, at times, even adults seemed to believe it.

She had gone from lil Mellissa, to Granny because as far as kids were concerned, only their grandparents could be counted among those without quirks.

"I'm pretty sure that was part of why Dad took the job here on I-island. I might still be the only quirkless person under 50, but people are more open-minded, and kids have more supervision, so I didn't feel as…I guess you could say I didn't feel as much of an outcast." She sighed, sometimes wondering if her father could have remained in California and made strides there while still being close to home.

But she had to accept that it wasn't something she should think about, as all it would do was upset her. Besides, her father would be the first to deny such and do all he could to make sure she knew she was worth it. It could be funny at times how easy it was for her to make him give in and do what she wanted. It meant that, for a time, she was a little spoilt. She was happy she grew out of that phase.

"Was that why you gave up on being a hero?" Kendo asked.

"Yeah, it sucks, but I had to face facts that I just couldn't dream of being a hero like other kids did. They all had some amazing power and the potential to do much in the field, but me? Well, I would need some insane support items, and not even Dad could cook that up." Mellissa joked; though her father had been worried sick when she had once drawn what would be her support uniform, it was here, in a blocky metal suit that just had gibberish and random stuff like rockets, lasers, and a sandwich press.

Kendo didn't see the joke there, as she felt a little weird about asking her to begin with. "Sorry about that; it sounds like it wasn't pleasant to remember."

"No issues here, Kendo. I could have refused if I wanted to. Besides, I had another dream which I'm chasing with all I have: To be like my father." Mellissa turned her gaze to her picture of herself and her father, her hero, and Uncle Might. "He doesn't have a quirk that would have been good for hero work, but through the power of science, he's able to create tools that help pros worldwide save millions of lives."

"It's pretty amazing to have that sort of impact on the world, and while it's indirect, it's there. So, I'm hoping to have a similar impact one day." Mellisa finished as she presented the small box she had been looking for to Kendo. Opening it, she showed off what looked to be a fancy but basic-looking red bracelet.

"Speaking of, this is what I wanted to show you." She stated as she removed it from the box and, with Kendo's permission, placed it on the girl's wrist. The material quickly reacted to her measurements and shrunk so it was snug but not tight. "It's a support item I made a while ago after observing Uncle Might."

"Try pressing the button on the back." Kendo looked slightly confused, but considering what she saw the girl riding when they met, she didn't question it as she followed the instructions. What came from that was the bracelet glowing before transforming into ribbons like the powers did for magical girl transformations, moving up her arm and hand settling. When the light faded, her entire forearm, the back of her hand, and her knuckles were all encased, but she could hardly feel it.

"Wow," Kendo uttered as she touched it with her other hand and found that it was smooth to the touch.

Mellissa agreed, looking notedly proud of her work. "I call it 'Full Gauntlet'. It's meant to be part of a full set, but it's just a prototype. I designed it to keep up with some insane power and should be able to handle three of Uncle Might's full-powered punches."

Kendo looked at her in shock, as she knew better than anyone just how much power there was in One for All. For something this small to hold up to such power like that, no wonder Mellissa was proud of it.

Mellissa, however, seemed a little more concerned as she continued. "When I watched you today, I noticed that despite how fast you were moving, you were still holding back, and I figured that you couldn't go all out without hurting yourself, " she stated, which kept Kendo on the backfoot as Mellisa got it right on the head. "With this, you shouldn't need to worry about that, at least with your right arm."

"You…you picked that up like that?" Kendo asked. She didn't advertise that because it could lead to people asking questions, and she was sure none of her friends could have told her, which meant that Mellissa was genuine about figuring this out on her own.

"Well, I'm studying to be a support engineer, so I need to have a keen eye for detail. Oh, and don't worry—the glove expands and shrinks on its own, so you don't need to worry about your quirk getting in the way," Mellissa told her, laughing off her shock, which only got Kendo to chuckle in turn.

"Thank you. I promise to use this to live up to my dream as well and become a hero as good as All Might." Kendo looked at her new full gauntlet and wondered what she could do when she got the second one. Heck, it was a prototype, so who knows what the finished product could do.

Before she could make that suggestion, her phone rang. Pulling it out, she saw that it was…Midoriya of all people. "Hello?" She answered it.

"Kendo, where are you? It's 20 to 7, and you and Mellissa aren't here yet. Iida's looking like he's about to race off looking for you." Midoriya asked, to which Kendo looked up towards the clock and saw that he was right. She mouthed the time to Mellissa, and both were now scrambling to get back to their rooms to dress and race back to the meeting.

It was a good thing quirks were allowed on the island, as Kendo would need them to drop off Mellissa at her place before racing off to the hotel All Might was staying at.

The next chapter will be out April 25th

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