This was super late last week, and it was made worse by the fact that I was unexpectedly away from my computer for a few hours, cutting into my editing time for this and the final parts of my other chapter.
Chapter 55: Hostiles in the Tower
"Sorry I'm late…where is everyone else?" Having gotten ready in record time, Kendo rushed over to the meeting spot only to find Todoroki, Iida, Kaminari, and Mineta. The outfit she had chosen for the evening was a vibrant cerulean strapless gown with a sleek, form-fitting bodice. A delicate pale-blue sash crisscrossed her chest before falling down the center of her chest to her around her thighs. Her muscular frame filled the dress nicely, and she also showed off a little more of her chest, but neither Mineta nor Kaminari mentioned it.
They learned a long time ago that she didn't appreciate their commentary. As they hadn't planned for anything like this, both had worn the best thing they had, which happened to be one of their spare work uniforms.
"What took you so long? Does a proper meeting time mean nothing to you people!" Iida, who was in a blue suit with a white shirt underneath, yellow tie, and black shoes, demanded of them. Todoroki seemed to have little issue with her tardiness. Still, Kendo knew that Todoroki wasn't the most expressive with his emotions and tended to be adaptable and blasé about most things. She could admit that he looked quite dapper in his white suit with black lapel and red striped tie.
The group as a whole heard a ding going off behind them, meaning that someone else had just arrived via elevator. Todoroki, who had been looking that way when it happened, saw that the names that appeared on the scanner above the doorway were Izuku Midoriya, Setsuna Tokage, and Takasame Kyūfune.
"Apologies, we got a call from the master and couldn't refuse it; we lost track of time." Kyūfune apologized as she entered. First, the large woman wore a sleeveless, navy-blue dress that ended just above the knees, with a delicate white lace cravat-like accessory with a chunky gold bangle on her right wrist with a pair of sturdy calf-high red boots.
"Oh my—who's the hottie?" Mineta whispered so loud that Todoroki wondered why he didn't speak. The shortest member of the group took in the tall, like insanely tall glass of feminine charm that had graced their presence.
"This is Kyūfune. She's my master's daughter. Do I need to remind the two of you to behave?" Midoriya asked, all smiles as he wore a vibrant red suit paired with a black shirt and green tie, finished with polished brown shoes.
"No, sir!" Both boys saluted, recalling how Midoriya had tricked them into hours of training to be a super soldier and a granny, all while everyone else got to enjoy their time at the lake.
"Oh, what's the issue, boys? Don't we look pretty? We spent a long time picking them out." Tokage flaunted her dress for the evening. She had gone with a form-fitting crimson turtleneck sweater dress with long ribbed cuffs and a matching hem falling just above the knees. A wide white belt surrounded her waist, bringing attention to her figure. At the same time, she rocked a pair of slouchy brown ankle boots with a modest block heel and a softly folded cuff.
Before they could make a bigger fool of themselves, the elevator made another dig, opening up to reveal Yaoyorozu, Jiro, and Uraraka. The latter was the first out, while Jiro hid behind Yaoyorozu.
"Apologies for the tardiness; Jiro's a little shy," Yaoyorozu noted, the young woman having done up her hair differently than normal, with her spike ponytail being smaller and more spread out. She wore a fashionable lime green dress ped around her waist, which reae her bust stick out more. She didn't wear any kind of stockings or leggings, opting instead to just wear a pair of white pump heels
"This is fancier than anything I've ever worn before," Jiro noted that despite having seen herself in the mirror a couple of times and having the two other girls confirm it, she felt like she was wearing a costume. Her outfit for the night was a dark pink and dark purple dress that ended mid-thigh via a frilled skirt, a belt that was fastened via a dark purple bow, and along with this, she wore a small, black jacket and dark red fingerless gloves. On her lower half, she finished the look with grey leggings and dark pink Mary Janes.
"I'm just glad you're not in a t-shirt." Kaminari gave her a thumbs-up, as he and everyone in class knew her fashion sense.
"Even the jacket can't ruin it," Mineta added, which got both of them an earphone jack to the ear, causing them to spasm out before Jiro retracted them.
"Shut up." She told them both.
"Why would you do that? That was a compliment!" Kaminari whined as Jiro turned away from them, still miffed.
"No, it wasn't."
"They…seem lively," Kyūfune commented.
"No more than some of the stuff we've seen at the estate." Midoriya shrugged and sighed as she couldn't fault him there. They had some unique and wild characters back home.
"I was afraid of that." Still, while she cherished all of them, she needed a break from that and hoped this trip would be it.
"This is my first time in formal wear, Jiro, and I kind of had to borrow something from Yaomomo for it." Uraraka approached Kendo, the girl a little nervous about what she had picked out from the heiress's frankly massive luggage.
That was a very pretty white and pink mid-thigh-length dress with black stockings and red shoes. Uraraka didn't do much with her hair, but she did wear a black bow with a white rose added.
"I wouldn't know; you both look amazing in it." Kendo flashed her a smile, which Uraraka blushed a little but smiled at the compliment.
"So do you. Since when did you have such a dress?" She turned things on Kendo, who let out a nervous laugh.
"Since right before the flight? I was reminded that I had the ticket pretty late, and my mom took me out for last-minute shopping." Her father had been more annoyed than anything that she had forgotten about the trip. She had no interest in fashion and would wear the same four shirts and five pants for years if not for her mother changing them out and getting him new ones.
"Oh good, I thought I would miss you guys." Mellissa came running out of the elevator, everyone looking at a tin with some level of awe, and for good reason, and for good reason, as she had nearly transformed herself.
Her hair had been done up into a high ponytail with a large black bow. The bangs were swept back underneath a red headband, while those on her face were left loose. Golden earrings hung from her earlobes. She wasn't wearing her glasses, leading them to assume she opted for contacts.
She was wearing a strapless dress when it came to her choice of clothing. The upper half of the dress is a deep blue, while the skirt is a pale powder blue. Separating the two segments was a black cloth belt with a large white rose that sat slightly to her left, covering where the material was tied. The belt matched the black ruffles underneath her knee-length skirt. For footwear, she donned open-toed heels with straps.
"Let's get downstairs to the party." Mellissa finished as she joined them.
"The headliner has arrived," Mineta said as he bowed down, crying tears of joy at the sight he had been allowed to see this fine night.
"Mineta, I can't take things much beauty. I think I might die from being in her presence." Kaminari was close behind, their antics proving confusing and concerning to the rest of the group.
"Something tells me those are going to make a fool of themselves tonight," Kendo said, as this was already turning out to be a weird night, and they hadn't even gotten to the actual reception yet.
Maybe bringing them was a mistake." Jiro agreed with her. As Kaminari was, at times, a massive goofball, she wasn't too sure this such a high-class event was his speed…or his lane.
With the party in full swing, it was easy for All Might to enter along with his old friend, David. Sure, they were spotted, but with a reception hall as large as this, filled with people that understood restraint, none that saw him blurted out that All Might was present. Besides, he wasn't the only hero present as All Might spotted many pros from across the world, some in formal wear but most having decided, like him, to attend in their costumes.
Some were faces he recognized, having met or had the chance to work with them over his many years as a hero. Others were mainly figures who, like himself, were famous, so he knew of them.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to I-expo's opening night's reception. We at I-island hope you enjoy yourselves, but we could make the night much livelier if we got All Might up here to say a few words." His plans were stopped when one of the hosts of their evening revealed his presence for all to hear. Now, the entire room was looking his way.
"Of, I didn't misspeak; the number one hero is visiting us tonight, so let's give him a hand of applause." The man continued, and part of All Might wanted to try and dash out just to see how he'd play off his apparent mistake, but he wasn't young anymore. "Please, join us on the stage."
Outside, the villains waited to make their move while their people who had access to the security watched the reception hall via the 8 cameras inside. "Swordkill?" the apparent leader tapped his earpiece.
"The system should be ours in 20 seconds." Was the response to which he smiled.
Inside the hall, All Might took to the stage to deliver a view: "Thank you for inviting me; it's truly a pleasure to be here. Now, I hadn't planned on giving any speeches, but a hero is nothing if not flexible." All Might's speech was interrupted when their newly installed security system went into effect, followed by an automated voice clearing the board.
"This is an announcement from the I-island security system. We have received reports that an unknown explosive agent has been detected on the island. For security reasons, I-island will enter high alert mode as the island is thoroughly inspected to track down and dispose of any unknown chemical agent sources. Residents and tourists are asked to return to their lounging until further instructions are given."
Every screen on the island, from the jumbo screen to TVs in shops, restaurants, and homes, was forced to the emergency broadcast network. For those not near any of them, the hundreds of speakers built into buildings or polls in public spaces served as the source for the announcement.
At the same time, seconds after the alarm sounded, security drones were deployed in the dozens across the island, with people seeing them zipping by in groups of 10. As the number of robots on the streets kept increasing, stores open late were given strict instructions to clear before they were automatically sealed. Meanwhile, businesses and buildings closed for the event went into lockdown mode, and steel shutters started falling all over the place. People were quick to obey the instructions.
"I-island will now be in high alert mode. Your safety is our top priority; residents and tourists should return to their lodgings as soon as possible." As the system announced directions to the people, while this went on white, three-legged security drones zoomed around the streets in small units.
"Oh man," Hagakure said as she and two others listened to the TV announcement that had interrupted their previous viewing.
"I hope nobody is hurt," Mina spoke up, as she was was concerned about things. Bombs were meant to hurt people, and they didn't even know where it was.
"We'll be safe so long as we follow directions, " said Tsu, the calm voice of reason. The three girls were in Mina's room in the hotel room they were staying in, so at least they were off the streets.
"Yeah, you're right about that." Mina, seeing her logic, agreed with her that they were in a relative safe area right now. Chances are, it was nothing more than a false alarm. They saw how hard it was to get through security. What were the odds of a bomb getting past?
"Anyone remaining on the street after ten minutes will be in violation of the law, " the island announced as store windows shuttered shut. People were asked to leave restaurants and other establishments and make their way to their lodging.
"We should hurry, " Shoji said as Tokoyami and Komori from 1-B hurriedly walked along the sidewalk back to their lodgings. They had run into Komori just before the announcements started, and as she was separated from her group, they offered for her to join them where they were staying until this was sorted out.
"Of course, this isn't a matter for us to get involved in. It would be best to leave it to their security," Tokoyami replied as he sparred the shorter girl a glance and saw that she was starting to freak out but was able to keep herself in check; he couldn't blame her; he didn't expect anything like this when he decided to attend I-Expo.
Meanwhile, back in the reception hall, many of the island's scientists and higher-ranking workers had similar thoughts, but before any could voice them and perhaps contact their security office to demand an explanation for this gross interruption of the night, the doors leading into the hall opened up, and masked men with guns poured in.
Walking in after them like he owned the place, the head villain made himself known: "In case you haven't caught on, the security system is under our control now. I know we've got a whole lot of heroes in here, but if one of you decides to try and step up," the red alert screens switched to show several live camera feeds of dozens of civilians surrounded by security bots.
"Well, it won't take much for the security sentries to recognize the innocent people under their care as dangerous villains." Wolfram smiled as she saw people start sweating, fear clear in their eyes. Most of the heroes glared at him for his brazen, evil acts, but none dared challenge them.
"So, let's play nice for their sakes, alright?" He made sure that they focused not on the men with him who had guns but on the feeds of the people that these heroes swore to protect. "Of course, when the lives of everyone on the island are in the balance, do you heroes really have any choice?" He saw many growling, glaring, or cursing under their breath.
It was an effective strategy to keep the heroes in line. Still, he couldn't take chances that one didn't sneak past that or was just an idiot, as while he didn't care about the collateral, it would be much easier to make it out of here with the goods if the entire world was merely after the greatest robber in history, rather than the man who killed hundreds of innocents from around the world.
To achieve that, he made the call on the com. "Do it."
From the floor, disk-like holes appeared, and glowing blue tape shot out before them, targeting the pros in the room and restraining them. "The emergency restraining devices? But who did they know about them?" one of the people asked as All Might tried to break free, and considering his strength, he very well could have.
This was why Wolfram reminded him of what would be a foolish idea by shooting his pistol into the air, causing several people to scream in shock. Walking up the stage, he trained his gun on All Might. "I wouldn't move if I were you. Everyone in this room will be slaughtered one step out of line."
"Villain-!" He didn't let the Symbol of Peace finish talking; rather, he kicked him onto his side.
"There, was that so hard?" Wolfram mocked him before turning to the room. "Go on, follow All Might's lead, and follow whatever I say. Do that, and you'll get to walk out of here no worse for wear. A pretty good bargain."
"Repeat, Residents and tourists are asked to return to their lounging until further instructions are given. Anyone remaining on the street after 10 minutes without proper authorization will violate the law. Most I-island buildings will not be sealed off as a precautionary measure." The group on the first floor of the central tower had been about to head on towards the reception hall when the announcement came on, catching all of them off guard.
That feeling of being on the back foot shifted rapidly into concern when the steel shutters came down, and the way they came in was sealed, with a red warning alerting them that they had been remotely sealed.
"What the?" Mineta asked.
"An explosive agent? You mean like a bomb?" Kaminari added to that, worried as he wasn't the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but he sure as hell knew the biggest target for a bombing would be the very tower they were in, the same tower that had just sealed them in!
"How'd one even get through? It took us forever to get through baggage since they insisted on scanning everything like three times," Jiro asked. Yaoyorozu and Ashido were just as clueless. The odds of someone bringing in outside gum were low, so how the hell would someone smuggle in something that dangerous?
"Midoriya?" Tokage asked as Midoriya's car ears seemed restless, twitching back and forth.
"My senses aren't that good; even so, something does feel…off about this," Midoriya added, as he was with Jiro on the rarity of an explosive going this long without being detected. Was it just some item malfunctioning, and was it the culprit? U.A.'s support studio was famous for how many explosions occurred there…No, they would announce that; it would be embarrassing, but it wouldn't cause as much of an alarm as an attempt at a mass chemical weapons attack.
"I feel it, too." Midoriya frowned harder at Kyūfune's words, as it meant that his gut feeling wasn't just nerves but something deeper, but what?
"You're not wrong." Mellissa thought the same thing, but as she lived on the island and was the daughter of its top researcher, she was privy to security details most weren't. "This isn't the protocol for a suspected chemical leak."
"I'm not getting any signal either," Todoroki noted.
"You serious?" Mineta asked as Tokage had been checking the elevators individually. Still, even the ones carrying them around the building weren't working. "What the heck is going on here?" Mineta asked as Mellissa thought about the situation; she didn't respond and instead marched up to a terminal, tapping the screen and inputting her password to access the system. "Let me see if I can't…"
"What are you doing?" Kaminari asked.
"If phones since the cell service on the island is being temporarily blocked, but I should be able to contact the security room and see what's going on, it's probably a…bug." She stopped, her eyes wide as she looked at the screen.
"Mellissa, you good?" Jiro asked her as Mellissa backed away from the terminal.
"I can't contract them; I'm being blocked. That's not supposed to happen in any protocol." She uttered, unable to understand what happened as her password and authorization were bounced-bounced! That was impossible! This was supposed to be something even low-level maintenance teams could do, so why couldn't she? The system didn't even finish scanning it; it just said it was denied and blocked her from trying again.
Seeing her freak out didn't help the mood in the room, but Tokage wanted to believe it wasn't that bad. "Man, it must be a serious bug for all this to go down. How long would it take for IT to fix it?"
Mineta slapped his forehead. "With an island this complex and filled to the limit with tech, we could be stuck here for hours."
"Guys, let's go to the party." They looked towards Kendo, who seemed much calmer than most. Her eyes conveyed a sense of gravity that reminded Todoroki of when he fought her at the Sports Festival.
"The party? I doubt this would be the time for it, Uraraka." Yaoyorozu wished to believe it was merely a serious fault in the system that they'd seek out, but the atmosphere didn't leave much room for merriment.
"All Might should be there. I don't think this is just a glitch or something, but we might need him to figure things out," Uraraka told them.
"Wait, All Might's there?" Mineta asked.
"That makes things easier, though he's not a computer Wizz." Tokage took a breath of relief.
"No, but what are the chances that therethere are other island personnel? If Mellissa can't access the system, one of them can." Midoriya noted that the blonde American nodded as she knew her father was present. If anyone could fix this, it was him.
Kendo turned towards their new friend. "Mellissa, is there any way we can get there with the building's elevators on lockdown?"
"We can use the emergency stairs; that'll at least get us close." Mellissa's face lost the confusion from before, and she got into a better headspace as she gestured toward a door near the back.
"Then let's go," Kendo stated.
"We don't want to waste bullets; you all don't want to get hurt. So, if we play by the rules, we get what we want." The villain introduced himself as Wolfram, and callous words got under the heroes' skin. They could see how it affected the civilians as one yelled at him.
"What are you criminals after?" For his troubles, Wolfram kicked him onto his back.
"Is listening not a skill you've mastered, hero?" He asked the man, who glared back at him but kept his tongue. Wolfram could have put one between his eyes, but one should expect pros wouldn't be so easily cowed, so it wasn't something worth it.
"What's up?" With the operation's boss, he got word of something on his com.
"Yeah, got it." He replied as he turned his attention to a certain assistant. "Hey, tubby, you a researcher here?" He walked over.
"Y-yes, I am," Sam replied, nervous and scared.
"Take this one up." He turned to one of his men, who approached. Sam started to back away, though he didn't have anywhere to go, as he was kneeling next to a table.
"No, please, I didn't do anything like you asked." He begged, scaring others who could only imagine what awaited him.
"Stop it!" That was, till David marched up to the group, he was some sweat on his brow. "That man is my assistant; what will you do with him?" The scientist asked, standing up for his assistant.
"Oh, I can't believe I didn't see it earlier, but we're in the presence of the famous David Shield." Wolfram turned his head to him before smirking at the situation. Well, since you're worried, why don't you come along?"
"And if I don't," David asked, to which Wolfram smiled wider.
"When someone on this island, a pretty little blonde is going to scream." The scientist's eyes narrowed harder, and anger and fear showed on his face.
"Fine." No one could tell him he had a choice here, not with those options, so he just went along with it.
'Dave,' All Might, back in the reception hall, watched the group leaving under threat. Straining at his restraints, he found that they were tougher than he thought, enough that he wished that I-island, for once, made cheaper stuff. More than that, it was taking an effort to maintain his muscle form as these bands were squeezing on him. 'I have to subdue these villains and get the system back online, but how much time do I have left?'
'I have to find a way because I am here! The Symbol of Peace!' Still, he struggled as he tried to figure out a way out of this. If he could just break the restraints and take out the villains present, maybe he could make it to the outside of the building. He knew that the security was on the upper levels, and he could get up there in seconds.
Whatever plans he had came to a pause as he noticed a patch of light in front of him, one that blinked in and out of existence. Was one of the lights flickering? Looking up, he saw that it wasn't a mere light but his successor flashing her phone's flashlight at him. 'Wait, young Kendo?'
The next chapter will be out May 2th
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