Chapter 68
A bit further up in the tower, in the control room where most of the processes that allowed to man-made moving nation to function were run and monitored, the single occupant was getting this sinking feeling that something had gone well and truly wrong. He still had full control of the system, and still had the entire island firmly on lockdown, but while he could still control the security robots spread all over to keep the people busy, just as planned, for some reason, some way, somehow, the damn things had left the tower and just flat out refused his attempts to get them back, no matter which commands or inputs he tried to use. Unexpected and confusing yes, but it wouldn't have been a problem if it weren't for the fact that he was supposed to have a few guarding the door for him while the rest of the crew did its thing. A crew that was also supposed to be dealing with the complications that had arisen in the plan, but which had just a brief while ago gone silent, not responding to any hails over the comms. Needless to say, the hacker was feeling far too exposed for his liking right now, and even if he could have called in some of the men that had been downstairs keeping the hostages secured, which wasn't feasible lest the reduced guard make the heroes bold enough to try something, that'd still imply remaining exposed until they could go up the entire damn tower to get to him. So yeah, he wasn't liking how the situation was looking nor his own position in the greater picture of it at all, but at least he wasn't completely defenseless, as the control room, with all the security measures activated, was practically a bunker in its own right, shielding him from the outside world behind walls and a door so heavy and thick nothing short of All Might himself was going to get through, and the big guy was indisposed as it was.
And then there was the other silver lining, that he had just gotten the word that their ticket out of this mess, the helicopter the crew's pilots had stayed in the airport to commandeer for just that purpose, was inbound, nearly making him sigh in relief. Sure, it always sucked when people didn't walk out of the assignment for whatever reason, and he had the feeling that was going to happen to a lot of the guys this time around, and the boss was going to be unhappy at how much rebuilding they'd need to do for the next job that came, but hey, better them than him, as far as the hacker was concerned…
/
Unbeknownst to the villain, as he was having these musings, the "complications" his peers had failed to take care of had reached the control room floor, and were just outside the door he believed himself safe behind, looking up at the massive, massive wall of who even knew how many of the toughest materials available to man, that stood between them and one of their primary goals.
"…I don't suppose you'd be able to open one of those panels and mess with the circuitry to get this thing open?" Momo asked blandly, in the tone of someone who was already knew the answer, but felt that the question should still be asked all the same.
And sure enough, Melissa shook her head, explaining that the system was made to resist that kind of tampering, her expression much the same as the pony-tailed girl's, as the two of them had reached a similar conclusion and, despite the urgency of the situation, couldn't help but make one last token attempt at delaying what they knew was about to happen by having this interaction.
Thus, when Midoriya sharply turned towards her, the lenses of his armor flashing with almost puppy-like eagerness, the class president sighed, but didn't even let him ask the question.
"Yes, Midoriya." She said wearily, not for the first time wondering just how in the world had they gotten to this… "Kaboom."
Jirou was already moving as far away from the door as she could while putting the earmuffs back on. That Bakugou was the first to follow moments after, without a single word of protest or complaint that his quirk would be far better at the job didn't go unnoticed, but at this point everyone else knew better than to do anything but keep up…
/
And so pushing those thoughts aside, the man made to open the comms to give the boss the good news-
KA-BOOOOOM!
-Which was precisely when a deafening rumble shook the entire floor, nearly knocking the surprised villain off his seat as he cried out in surprise and alarm that were drowned out by the obvious blast and the sounds of groaning metal that immediately followed.
As his mind registered the later, he turned towards the control room's entrance, taking a moment longer to realize what he was seeing.
The normal, everyday doors to the place had been all but ripped off their emplacements, because whatever the fuck had just happened had made the security layers buckle inwards and force them off.
And then the metallic sounds turned from groaning to rending as something started forcing its way in through the tiny gap that had presented itself in the deformed metal, steel claws reaching, grasping, pulling and ripping through, belonging, if the villain had to guess, was the likely responsible of the explosion.
A small part of the man's mind couldn't help but note that, as the loud fire alarms blared and the smell of smoke started wafting into the room, there were no sprinklers showering water everywhere. Whether that was because that wasn't part of the system's measures against fires or because such measures were blocked alongside the other parts of the system he was tasked with keeping in check was anyone's guess…
And then the time for such musing was over, as the intruder finally breached into the room, and the bulky figure's glowing eye lenses fell on villain.
"…I give up." He immediately said, getting down on his knees, hands at the back of his head. As it turned out, swift risk assessment was one of the most vital yet often underrated skills for anyone in his line of work, and no amount of hazard pay was ever gonna be enough to make dealing with something like this worth it.
The figure stood there looking at him for a moment before seemingly coming of a conclusion (and he couldn't for the life of him tell if it seemed satisfied or disappointed with said conclusion…) before calling out. "Coast'z clear. In ya go."
With that, after a few hesitant moments, a bunch of kids in fancy gala get ups started approaching (only one or two of them gave the destroyed wreckage at the entrance more than a passing glance), and two of them, one so short he barely reached the others' waist level and the other with a noticeable scar on his face, moved to restrain him.
"Ok, Melissa, we're here." One of the girls, one with a fancy spiked ponytail hairdo, said to the other, the one the man recognized as Shield's daughter. "Please tell me you really can undo whatever this villain did to the system."
The blonde was already moving to take the seat the villain had been occupying minutes earlier, her eyes running through the various arrayed screens, some displaying the various processes that kept the island running, others showing the lines of code that had been tampered with, trying to determine what was the damage as she began typing furiously.
The hacker almost wanted to scoff. Sure, the girl was the daughter of one of the so called "brightest minds" of the modern age, but even if the apple didn't fall far from the tree, he was a professional, one of had been given direct access into the system by their benefactor. At the absolute least, it'd take her hours to undo everything he had set up and-
"Done!" The blonde said, in a tone of triumph and relief as, with a few final clicks, the whole console, and the entire room for that matter, went dark for a few moments, before the lights started booting back up, one by one. "The system's resetting. Everything should be getting back to normal."
-I'm sorry, what?!
As if to confirm the girl's words, various of the screens started showing live camera feed from the rebooted security systems, showing that all over the island, as the security drones returned to their normal functions and the beleaguered defenders of the hotspots of resistance where given room to breathe (unknown to the hacker, the teens around him recognized some of their classmates in that footage), the chaos was subsiding.
"Great work, Melissa." The other girl said with genuine smile, as all around her the other teens were fist pumping or high fiving each other or otherwise making clear their satisfaction at this success. "Now we only have to head up and to prevent the quirk enhancer from being taken long enough for the heroes to arrive. Although some of us should stay here to keep watch, make sure to keep this guy from causing any more surprises for us. And speaking of…" She said, turning her attention towards the man, who was still working on picking his jaw off the floor from the sheer shock of seeing his efforts undone so easily. "…Maybe a little nap would also go a long way with helping with that. Midoriya, if you would."
It was only when those words finally registered that the hacker's mind rebooted properly and he realized the armored thing had stepped closer to him, and by that point before he could do or say anything, his face was met with a large metallic boot that knocked him out cold.
/
Something had gone wrong. At this point, David knew that for a fact. He had been ready to accept that not everything was going to go according to the plan, that there were a lot of ways in which this ruse of his could backfire, and he had been ready to accept the consequences if such came to pass, but something about this whole thing felt off…
And as if the warnings by Wolfram that not everyone in the tower had been restrained and the odd echoes of whatever the fuck was going on down in the lowers levels weren't already good enough indicators that something had gone pear-shaped, someway, somehow, there had just been a system reset, likely to undo the forced lockdown. Things hadn't just gone wrong; someone was on to them and actively trying to thwart the plan.
But there was still a chance. If they could make it to the extraction point on the roof, and the helicopter had arrived as expected, then they might just make it. And then after waiting some time for the heat to die down, he'd find a way to get in touch with Toshi, explain everything, and at last, at last, he could fix everything.
Just little more, just a little more effort…
So thinking, hugging the briefcase holding his greatest creation closer to his chest, David Shield made ready to leave the Vault and make his escape.
Unfortunately for him, he was too late, as the exit was suddenly blocked by people coming up, cutting off the escape for him and his associates, and the doctor's eyes went wide in recognition.
"Children…?" He questioned, disbelievingly, staring at the group of hero students that was spreading out with stern and serious expressions, his mind racing and failing to understand what was going on. "What are you doing here?"
And then his eyes caught the ones of the most familiar girl in the group, none other than his own beloved daughter, looking at him with an expression he had never before seen in her, one of shock, anger, and utter betrayal.
"Dad." Melissa said, in a tone that kinda reminded the man of the one she took whenever he got too focused on his work to remember basic things like sleep and hygiene, except a few orders of magnitude more intense in its sheer disapproval than anything he'd ever heard before. "What the actual fuck!?"
Chapter 69
Despite the tenseness of the situation, despite the profound understanding that their already narrow window of escape was only getting narrower, despite everything, David Shield couldn't help but just stand there, his mind struggling to reboot after what he had just heard. His beloved daughter, Melissa, had always had a very strong sense of justice, a very firm moral compass, and a very deep understanding of what was right and what was wrong, going all the way back to when she was but a toddler, even. It was one of the many reasons why he had always been so proud of the kind young woman she had become, and why he had kept her as far away from his plans as possible and been prepared to make sure that if this little heist of his went wrong, none of the fallout would affect her. He was also deeply, painfully aware of how much she took after her mother when it came to acting on her beliefs, how little she'd hesitate to call out injustice or poor judgement when she saw it. She'd directed that trademark disapproving stare at him more times than he cared to count, whenever he got too focused on the work ahead in exclusion of other things that should also matter as just as much, if not more so, and it was more effective a deterrent to him than any weapon or threat.
But never before, in all the 17 years he had spent raising his little girl, had she ever, ever, raised her voice at him like this, much less speak such profanities as she did so. It made the man feel very, very small underneath that blue-eye glare, as if the roles had completely shifted and he was the misbehaving child caught in the act, and it gave him a sinking feeling that things had gone much, much, much more wrong than even he had realized…
"N-now, Melissa," He finally found himself able to stammer out in reply, after his brain finally rebooted from the shock. "I know this looks bad-"
"Looks bad? Looks bad!?" The girl once again surprised her father by cutting him off in anger, an anger that started off accompanied by shocked disbelief and shifted further towards bitter sarcasm as she spoke. "Oh, gosh, whatever could have possibly given that impression? Was it the Island's security going haywire and the security bots trying to crowd control the entire population? The mercenary villains that hijacked the system to cause that while also keeping the majority of the heroes that could intervene trapped alongside many innocent hostages? Or the blatant theft of technology that was obviously contained in the Vault because of the countless ways people all over the world could use it for evil purposes? Because newsflash, Dad, none of that looks bad. All of it IS very FUCKING bad!"
Whatever reply David had thought to give had died in his lips in the middle of that scathing retort, each accusing sentence feeling like knives stabbing at his conscience, making him wince every time. Yeah, when she put it like that, it was indeed quite bad, but it was for a good cause, if could only explain…
His lack of response prompted Wolfram to take a step forward, opening his mouth to speak.
"And you stay out of this!" Melissa immediately demanded, pointing an accusing finger at the man along with her fierce glare. "This is a Father-Daughter talk. No strangers allowed! Specially not after the mess your cronies put this whole island through and the bullshit WE went through just to get here and fix it!"
…
…
…
…Looking somewhat intimidated, and honestly surprised at that fact, the masked man's mouth clamped shut, and he stood there, awkwardly still. Sam, already well acquainted with his boss' daughter, knew better than to speak up. Satisfied that her rebuke was understood, the blonde girl turned back to her father, crossing her arms.
"Well, Dad. Care to explain what the fuck were you thinkingwhen you decided to ruin your life, and risk everyone else's, just for that gadget?"
Even worse than the words themselves was the tone they were spoken in, as anger and frustration gave way to hurt, tearing at the doctor's heart in ways he had not felt since his wife's passing. Still, having his daughter's wrath drawn away from him, however momentarily, finally allowed David to fully take in the scene before him and properly consider what to say.
He had quickly noted his daughter had been accompanied by some of Toshi's students, but only now did he fully inspect them. Two boys, one with a scar on his face and one in catering uniform, and two girls, one in a ponytail holding a riffle and a brunette with rosy cheeks, none of whom he immediately remembered any names for but had remembered seeing here and there in footage of the U.A. festival. And to complete the ensemble, looking oddly out of place amidst the teens in fancy suits and dresses, was the bulky metal construct of ramshackle make, clearly designed for battle. That could only be the work on Midoriya, he realized, some sort of armored suit. The inventor in him was intrigued, but the decidedly unfriendly demeanour in the air quickly reminded him this wasn't the time nor place. He had to salvage this…
"…You are right." He eventually breathed out warily. "I know that what I am doing is reckless in the extreme, criminal by any definition, and that no matter how good my intentions, it is going to have consequences. But Melissa, please believe me when I say this, my intentions are good. I only resorted to these measures because I had no choice. I know the board was right about the potential consequences my creation could have on society, but I didn't make it with profit or power in mind. I made it because it was the only solution I could think of."
"Solution to what, Dad? What is so bad that you went through all of this?!" Melissa demanded, not quite so openly angry now, but still quite strongly giving that 'you're on thin ice' impression. The stares of all the others conveyed similar feelings.
"What else? The problem of All Might, of course." The researcher replied, conscious enough despite the tenseness of the situation that there were far too many ears present for him to spill a secret that wasn't his to share, carefully considering his next words even as his previous ones left the children clearly confused. "Please understand, I know that to you kids, he's the Symbol of Peace, the undefeatable pillar holding the world in place. And while that is true, beneath all that he is still just a man like any other. What will happen when that man's strength begins to falter, like it always happens in time? Surely you've noticed the signs, how he's been working on the field less and less since he started teaching?" He asked, and he could see the stern displeasure in their expressions fade into uncertainty. "Sooner or later, All Might will have to step away, and until people can rise up to fill the gap, there'll be chaos, villains crawling out of the woodwork, feeling safe in his absence. That's where my enhancer comes in. I created it to let All Might stay active for as long as possible, to keep him going until others can step up to fill the gap, while keeping things as stable as possible. A one use thing, if a hopefully long one, after which I myself would destroy it. That was the plan all along."
The reactions to his words could be split into three different groups. Most of the teens glanced hesitantly between each other, as if trying to silently confer about what to make of what they'd just heard. Midoriya just stood there, in such stillness if almost gave the impression his armor was just some weird abstract art statue. And then there was his daughter, a thousand conflicted emotions flitting across her face as she stared at him. She knew him all her life, and as shocked as she'd been to learn of his involvement, she still knew him well enough to know with certainty that he was telling the truth as he understood it.
But knowing isn't the same as accepting.
"So, let me get this straight, you decided that the way to do good for Uncle Might and the world was to do evil first?" She pointedly stated, as if not quite able to understand how one thing could possibly lead to the other. "By colluding with villains to do the work for you? Equipping them with guns fresh off the island's weapon research center? Did you even stop to think just how much worse things could've gotten if we hadn't managed to restore the system? How many people could've died throughout all this?"
…Now, it seemed, it was David's turn to be confused, as he listened to his daughter's words, and finally realized something did not quite add up.
"Wait, what are you talking about?" He replied, and his sudden confusion seemed to only enhance their own, as if it kept going around in some odd feedback loop. "It's true that we hijacked the systems, and engineered what seemed like a villain attack as a distraction while we got the enhancer, but it was all an act. Actors paid to act like villains, props for weapons. None of that was actually real. Nobody was ever at actual risk."
Once again, they all looked at him in shock and disbelief, but the man's confusion only increased as he noted that it felt different from the previous stare down. Less 'How could you do this?' and more 'Are you fucking serious?'…
"Well, dat'z funny." Came the heavily modulated voice from Midoriya's frame, positively dripping with sarcasm. "Cuz dem baddies we'z stomped on dah way here sure didn't seem like dey'z wuz actin'. And dat dere shoota dah Boss Lady's holdin' I took from one of them sure don't feel like a prop. Roigt, Boss Lady?"
Normally, Momo would've likely just ignored the second half of that statement, but going through everything she had gone through this evening, only to hear such inanity from the Doctor just now, instead made her wordlessly aim the weapon up, finger on the trigger, letting out a swift, short, but loud burst. The man's expression became open shock, gawking wide mouthed as he was so thoroughly proven wrong on at least one count.
For his part, after the momentary shock, David's eyes fell on the gun, inspecting it carefully, deconstructing it piece by piece in his mind, and concluding that yes, it was, indeed, the real deal.
"But that makes no sense…" He muttered, uncomprehendingly. "Sam, you were in charge of preparations, what-?"
Click.
…Suddenly the tension in the room returned and redoubled, the teens tensing and the man going stiffly still, feeling the unmistakable sensation of a round metal touching his skin, right at the back of the neck.
"Dad!" Melissa cried out in clear alarm at the sudden turn.
"Welp, I guess the jig is up. Damn shame, almost believed for a bit, you'd actually manage to talk our way out of this, Doc." Sam, the one holding him at gunpoint, stated with all the usual casual cheeriness the inventor was familiar with in his assistant, but none of the warmth. "But then failing to deliver is nothing new with you, right?"
"Sam, what are you doing?" David replied, completely blind-sided by the sudden but evident betrayal.
"Just doing what I can to claim what I'm owed, Doc. Ain't nothing personal." The other man replied simply, the poise of a friend reminiscing about old times bellying a cold apathy. "Like when I took the liberty of going behind your back to arrange for actual villains to make this gig into an actual heist, and equipped them with gear, that I used the credentials you gave me, to get."
"Actual villains-You usurped our plan to actually make it a true villain attack?!" David replied, absolute horror in his entire demeanour at the dawning realization. "Why?!"
"I told you already, to get what I'm owed." Sam said, shaking his head condescendingly. "See, that's always been your flaw, Doc. Always so eager to help, always so eager to do anything for others, like a lost puppy desperate to please, while barely paying attention, never stopping to realize others might prefer compensation for their efforts. For years I worked under you, labored alongside you, learned from your genius, and do you know what I realized? I have nothing to show for it. Years spent for nothing, our creation made to be little more than a fancy decoration, locked away without benefiting anyone, least of all me. It became obvious that I wasn't getting my due under you, so when you assumed I'd just immediately follow your insane idea, I took the liberty of reaching out to people that'd actually provide it, people who actually understand the real world instead of the one in your head, Doc."
"For money? You betrayed me and used me just for money?!" The genius replied, shock, anger, horror and disgust warring in his tone and expression.
"I hardly think you're in a position to judge me, Doc, you're complicit in all of this, remember?" His former assistant replied with a disapproving tut, removing the pistol from his former boss' neck but keeping it aimed at him, before turning his head towards the kids. "Now then, if you brats could stop being a pain in the ass and-"
Blam!
-And then he fell to the side and lay there, unmoving, a spray of blood and grey matter and bone shard exploding from the side of his head where the bullet had exited, causing a few cries of surprise and horror among those present.
"He was right in most of the things he said," The final man, the masked mercenary, stated cooly, a gun of his own, barrel still smoking, in one hand, while the other touched the surface of a nearby console. "But his biggest mistake was thinking he was the one in charge, instead of just another convenient patsy who happened to give us the in we needed." The words were calm, almost tutoring. "That's an easy mistake a lot of so called normal people make when first seeking the kind of service I provide. They're too quick to believe their money gives them power over us."
Before anyone else could react, the case containing the enhance slipped the dead man's hand, and moved towards the villain, as if carried aloft by a ripple in the metal floor.
"Now, then Doctor, it may have taken you longer than even I expected to figure things out," Wolfram continued, gun aiming at the man who had turned to behold what happened behind him. "But needless to say, your "plan" went through quite some changes."
Chapter 70
"…Maybe I'z just missin' somethin' here." Midoriya eventually said, breaking the shocked silence that followed the sudden execution. "But isn't shootin' yer clients bad fer business? Mercs ain't heroes, but I'z kinda figured a gud rep was necessary fer yer lot too."
Wolfram couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, as he gave the speaker a considering glance. Granted, the weirdly cobbled together armor make it hard to tell for certain, but whereas everyone else present had looks of horror and/or shock at what he had just done, the kid's tone seemed entirely unbothered, if slightly confused.
"Hhm, smart kid, to figure that out." The mercenary replied with a nod that was equal parts conceding and respecting. "True, reputation is just as if not even more important in my line of work, and killing employers is counterproductive. But then, I never did say he was my employer, did I?"
"What? But I…" David babbled out as the words finished jolting his mind out of the shock of his traitorous' aid's demise. "I planned for actors and, and Sam said he knew where to look and-"
"-He wasn't nearly as smart as he thought he was, and his search drew my client's attention. I'd be glad to explain in detail, but we've already lost enough time in chit chat. Clock's ticking." Came the reply that cut off the doctor's ramble, before calmly turning towards the hero students, seemingly unbothered by the numbers and the weapons arrayed against him. "So if it's all the same to you, I'd rather we just skip to the part where you kids let me and the good Doctor here leave."
Credit where credit was due, the villain had to concede, the kids didn't show any inclination to obey his demand, tensing, but not moving from their positions barring the exit.
"What do you even want my father for? You've already got what you came for!" Melissa demanded, remarkably composed, but the cracks in her voice revealing the frantic concern consuming her as her eyes darted between the two of them.
"Equal parts insurance and mission objective." Wolfram replied, in a tone that clearly indicated that was as much explanation as she was going to get as he seemed to adjust his aim. "And while I need to get him out of here alive to get my full pay, nothing says I need to get him out unharmed, so you have 5 seconds to stand down or I will shoot. 5-"
The moment the villain started the countdown, several things happened at once.
First, a pillar of ice suddenly sprung up between the two men, blocking the line of fire. Immediately realizing the sudden lack of ability to make good on the threat that was his only leverage, the villain reacted almost on instinct, his hand still on the console, his quirk forcing the metal panels of the floor to raise into a barrier of his own. Which was fortunate for him, because a mere moment later, bullets started raining against the metal curtain, some of them pinging harmlessly, but a great many others actually poking holes, forcing the man to leap and over the console for further cover.
From his newfound position, Wolfram risked a glance around the corner to assess the situation. The armored brat and the girl with the rifle had been the ones opening fire (the former a lot more enthusiastically than the latter, who seemed oddly contrite as she took aim), and were still going at it, keeping him pinned. Meanwhile, the brunette had taken the Shields by the arms and was taking them both away, down the exit, while the other two boys, one of them likely responsible for the ice, seemed to be slowly moving towards each side of the villain's cover, like predators waiting for a wildfire to flush prey out towards them.
Needless to say, even with the intel he had been given telling him that he shouldn't take these kids lightly, they still had reacted far faster than Wolfram would've expected. It hadn't been the first tense hostage stand-off the villain had been in, but in prior occasions he had seen actual, renowned heroes hesitate and falter far more than this bunch did. The lack of communication needed for them to capitalize on each other's moves spoke of people who had been through messes like this together before. No wonder his men had been taken down if they were hit this suddenly and this hard. Part of him was honestly impressed, thinking it was a shame the lot before him was headed for heroics, otherwise they'd be the kind of talent he'd look out for…
That said, while Wolfram wasn't too proud to admit he was being inconvenienced by children, that didn't change the fact that his situation was swiftly becoming untenable. The kind of untenable that, normally, would've had the veteran merc decide to cut his losses and bail, loss of rep and pay be damned. But alas, that wasn't an option this time, because his client just wasn't the kind of man you bailed out on…
…And thus as things stood, it was swiftly becoming apparent that there was only one option left, one he'd been aware of the whole time but had kind of hoped wouldn't have been necessary. Alas, the life of a mercenary was seldom that easy.
"Time to really earn my keep, I suppose…" He muttered, unheard over the gunfire, as he used his quirk to bypass the locks and force the suitcase open…
/
Momo had to admit that she felt honestly relieved when her gun ran out of ammo, even letting out a relieved exhale as she dropped the thing. Sure, she had theoretical knowledge of firearms and had been trained in their use, but that had been the first time she had ever actually opened fire upon another human being, and needless to say, it was a harrowing experience, one that she hoped she'd never have to go through again, even as part of her pointedly acknowledged that was likely wishful thinking, considering the company she kept.
A company that was currently more than making up for her sudden lack of ability to contribute to keeping the villain in place via sheer ammunition volume, even as Todoroki and Bakugou waited on the sides (and at a respectful distance) to jump in the moment the bullets stopped flying and the man showed himself. All in all, it had been a surprising amount of unspoken coordination from all of them, but she wasn't complaining, the villain clearly had some sort of touch-based, metal control quirk, and they were surrounded by the stuff, they couldn't give any openings to use that advantage. Figuring that she might was well try to reduce the odds of unpleasant surprises as much as possible, the pony-tailed girl promptly decided to try to create a canister of her not-quite perfected sleep gas to guarantee a take down without incident. Alas, the thought came a little too late.
There wasn't any visible change to the situation, but from one moment to another, all of them could feel an odd pressure in the room, a low hum somehow making itself heard even through the din of flying bullets.
And then all hell broke loose.
Suddenly the floor around them seemed to warp and spasm as if alive, nearly throwing her off her feet in surprise. What the-
"WOTCH' OUT!"
Momo's surprise only grew when Midoriya was suddenly upon her, thick metal limbs wrapping around her body with surprising gentleness and dexterity and pulling her back, fully shielding her behind his own armored bulk. The question of what he was doing died on her throat as multiple spikes of steel suddenly burst from the grown before them, wickedly sharp points snapping and breaking harmlessly against the invisible barrier of Midoriya's force shield.
Todoroki and Bakugou were similarly assaulted, the former blocking a storm of metal shards with another ice barrier while the latter narrowly dodged out of the way of a large projectile all but shot at him, a projectile that Momo realized a moment later was the console the villain had been hiding behind…
And sure enough, looking back, there the man was, standing up, arms wide, bolts of what appeared to be purple electricity crackling through his body, originating from the oddly insectoid-looking prongs of metal and plastic that surrounded the villain's now exposed, heavily painted and/or scarred face, and eyes that shared in the eerily colored glow.
The girl felt her stomach sink as dreadful realization hit. The villain had put on the enhancer.
"Damn, now that is a kick." Wolfram said, a grunt that was equal parts effort and pleasant surprise, as he flexed his hand, looking almost like he was testing out a limb he hadn't truly used before. "Seems like I was being overly cautious in not wanting to test the goods, shoulda put this thing on the moment I got it."
Without another word, he gave a wave of his hand, something that in any other situation would've looked like casual dismissal.
The entire wall closest to him buckled, bent, and shot out into the night's sky, as if ripped out by the hand of some unseen Titan.
Then he reached the other towards them, and Momo braced, mind racing to figure out what he might be trying… only for nothing to immediately happen. At least not until the distant scream of alarm and surprise, and moments later something big came speeding back into the room, something that quickly turned out to be Doctor Shield, wrapped up to the neck in a cocoon of metal, struggling futilely to escape. The sound of approaching steps probably meant Ochaco and Melissa were running back too.
"Gotta say, Doc, when it comes to gadgets, you're the real deal." The villain commented genially towards his swiftly approached, re-captured hostage. "No wonder you're part of the mission package. I'm sure my client will be able to put that head of yours to good use."
Shield made to say something, glaring defiantly at his captor, only for a small, thin piece of metal to cover his mouth. Satisfied that the goods were secured, the villain turned, clearly intent getting out the tower through the hole he blew in it.
"WAAAAAGGGHHH!"
Another hail of bullets made him pause, but the villain didn't even move as another barrier of steel rose up between him and Midoriya, this one more than thick enough to withstand the deluge of bullets. The man looked in the boy's direction with open annoyance, for even with the massive increase in his quirk's power and reach, he still couldn't take care of the brat from this range, as he technically was not in contact with the armor directly.
As he was having this musing, the other two brats made to attack him from different sides, the ashen blond one going high with an explosive jump, the scarred on going low, hand ablaze.
Again, the villain did not even move, but the floor around him bucked and shifted as if it was water and someone had thrown a boulder into it, a rippling wave of steel surging out from the villain's feet and pushing them both away. Well owned instincts then had the man feel more than sense the next attack, and with a swing of a had a metal panel smacked a projectile out of the air mid-toss, a projectile that broke with the sound of glass and left a visible gas cloud in its wake. The man followed the trajectory to see the pony-tailed girl, another canister in hand, glaring back sternly.
"You kids sure aren't making this easy." He grunted, raising a hand, clearly intent on targeting her next.
"WAAAAAAAAAGHHH!"
But at that exact moment, the armored brat had taken the opportunity to close the distance and was upon him, swinging ominously green-glowing talons straight for the villain's head…
…They stopped short when the man calmly grabbed the blocky contraption, right around where the wrist would be.
"If you want to surprise an opponent, it'd probably be better not to go in with a war cry."
And then, before there could be any sort of reaction, the Mega Armour crumpled and folded into a misshapen ball, like a soda can ready to be tossed in the trash.
The silence that followed was broken only by the slow thump as the ruined gear hit the ground and bounced once, twice, a noise that felt positively defeaning as everyone present, from the restrained Doctor to the three other students, to the two girls that had returned to the vault's entrance just in time to witness the scene, stared in undisguised horror.
Momo froze, for once not out of panicked overthinking in the face of danger, but because her mind simply failed to comprehend the scene before her, couldn't conceive of a scenario where what had just happened could have occurred.
"It can't be…" She whispered wide-eyed, memories of the USJ springing to mind, of Midoriya taking a blow meant for her and laughing it off in an insane haze. He couldn't possibly be…
Before anyone could do or say anything else, though, the floor suddenly burst once again, but going by the sudden surprise in the villain's face, this time it hadn't been his doing. No, this had been the result of a new arrival.
"It is alright now." A voice said as something heavy landed, a familiar voice, a voice that would normally have filled most of those present with relief, because of what it meant. "For I am here!"
And indeed, the best kind of reinforcements they were ever going to get, All Might had finally arrived, the number 1 hero quickly looking around and assessing the situation, years of experience making him swiftly notice the heaviness in the air that his arrival did little to curb…
…And even his presence faltered when he saw the ruined metal sphere, quickly putting two and two together.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the big man himself. Guess I was too late." Wolfram commented, with all the care of someone running into an unexpected acquaintance, as if he hadn't just committed the second murder of the day. "Just as well, I suppose. You being here means I can complete my tertiary goal and get the full pay for-"
Chnk!
…
…
…
"…Uh?" Was all that the villain managed to say, his expression going slack and uncomprehending, eyes crossing to try to understand the big, metallic surface that had suddenly appeared square in the middle of his field of vision. A moment later, the silence in the room was once again broken, this time by the slight tinkle as the two halves of what had just moments ago been the quirk enhancer dropped to the floor.
Wolfram's body soon followed, his head all but split straight down the middle, from scalp to chin, by what turned out to be an axe that, upon closer inspection, had its bladed bits strapped to the rectangular unit of a laptop charger and half a wooden broom handle, all held together by copious amounts of duct-tape.
And behind the fallen villain stood Midoriya, his gala suit shredded and in tatters, leaving a clear view of the canvas of scars over his surprisingly muscled form, glaring down at the corpse.
"How'z dat fer surprisin', ya play-dirty git?"
Chapter 71
"…Well, that's a few more sessions with Hound Dog-sensei in our immediate future." Was the deadpan comment from Ochaco that broke the silence in the vault room, before the brunette covered her mouth in mortification upon realizing her brain-to-mouth filter hadn't rebooted quite yet when that stray thought went through her rattled mind. Not that any of those present aware of the significance of those words could fault her for them, it had been a hell of an evening…
All the same, her speaking did have the effect of snapping everyone present back into action.
"Midoriya!" Momo called loudly as she moved towards the green-haired teen as swiftly as her dress would allow (verypointedly not acknowledging the corpse he was standing over other than by giving it a wide berth), reaching to grab his shoulders as soon as she was within range, fretfully looking him over for any signs of serious injury. "You're alright! How are you alright? We all saw it. The villain and, your armor…"
"Oh, hey, Boss." The boy replied upon noticing her approach, completely at ease, like his apparent death hadn't just happened not even a minute ago. "Yeah, dirty git nearly had me dere, but it wuz exactly fer dese sorta' situations dat I installed emergency tellyportahs in all me mega-armours soon as I culd get dah tech workin' proppah."
Momo blinked as she processed the words, torn between feeling embarrassed at failing to consider such an obvious possibility, or shocked that Midoriya had apparently thought to take such sensible measures entirely of his own volition. Then the position she had put herself in finally caught up to her mind. A mind that was for some reason noticing the muscle tone of the shoulders it was touching quite keenly, muscle that was clearly noticeable in the boy's current state of…
"R-right!" The pony-tailed girl pulled away, doing her level best to look like she wasn't recoiling in embarrassment and desperately trying to force down the sudden heat in her cheeks. She didn't understand what was wrong with her, but she was pretty sure this wasn't the sort of reaction to be had in the general context of their current situation… "But then why are you so, well…" She awkwardly gestured at him, clearly indicating the ruined attire that made him look like some jungle-dwelling main character of a novel from centuries past.
At that, Midoriya blinked and looked down. Going by the sudden annoyed frown and the muttered 'Ah, zog…', only now had he realized his own state.
"Dah emergency tellyportah shuld work by sendin' me briefly tah subspace so I'z can get me some new gear before portin' me back to dah fight." He explained, in the kind of grumbling tone someone might have upon realizing they stepped in dog poo. "Guess in dah moment before it fired, dis fancy suit got caught in dah edges'n cornahs of dah armour as it wuz crumpling." As he spoke, the boy casually put a foot on the back of the villain's body. Grabbing the axe's handle, he gave a slight tug, wrenching the weapon free with a sickening sound Momo pretended she hadn't heard, and after a small flick of the wrist to jerk free the excess gore, resting it over his shoulder as he once again glared at the corpse like it had done him a personal slight. "Zoggin' dirty git, Mah got me dis suit…"
Despite everything, Momo couldn't help but shake her head, not out of disbelief, but out of sheer, unsurprised exasperation. Trust the maniac before her to be more affronted at the loss of the outfit he didn't even like than at, you know, the fact someone tried to kill him and damn near succeeded…
"At some point, Midoriya, you'll really need to stop saving my life only to threaten it immediately after by causing me a heart attack…" She breathed out in a sigh, for lack of anything else to say that sounded like a moderately sane response.
While this was going on, Melissa had similarly rushed towards her father to check his condition. Fortunately, other than the cocoon of metal keeping him trapped, the man was completely fine, if still understandably rattled by everything.
For his part, after having taken a moment to glance around and make sure there was no one else in need of immediate assistance (to his immense relief), All Might approached them.
"Here, allow me." He said softly, as he gently guided his honorary niece back, picked his old friend off the floor, and tore the sheets of metal off him as easily as one might tear the wraps off a present. "This year's Gala really did not go as planned, uh?"
"You don't know the half of it," David replied with a tired smile, as he got up with some effort and assistance from his daughter, before a look of concern crossed his face. "The hostages downstairs-"
"All taken care of, don't worry." The number one hero was quick to reassure with his trademark grin. "Me and the other heroes all fell on the villains keeping watch as soon as our restraints came off, which they really didn't see coming and thus didn't have the time to threaten anyone before we took them down. Nobody got seriously hurt." He glanced to the side for a second. "Down there, at least."
"Well, that's a relief to know," Melissa said, speaking for both Shields, before giving All Might a look. "Not that I am complaining though, but did you just bust your up through ceilings of every floor in the tower, Uncle Might? I'd really rather not have deal with damage to the server rooms on top of everything else…"
All Might coughed at that, more out of surprise than anything, and fortunately for his muscled guise, without any blood.
"Rest assured, Melissa, I am familiar enough with I-Tower to know what to avoid. I ran up the stairs to get past those floors. The rest though, well… I'll cover the expenses?" He offered awkwardly, earning him an amused snort from the girl.
At that point, Ochaco and Todoroki had approached them. All Might knew his students well enough at this point to recognize the individual tells that they were both beginning to come down from the adrenaline rush that had kept them moving all evening.
"Did you find the others on the way up, All Might-sensei? We left them at the control room to keep it secure." The brunette inquired with a hint of concern.
"Indeed I did, young Uraraka!" He confirmed with a nod. "Part of the reason it took me so long to get here, besides the size of the tower itself, was that I spent a few seconds getting a quick rundown of the situation from them. I instructed them to bring the prisoner down to the gala level and help the other heroes settle things down there." He grinned at the two of them, and at Bakugou a bit further aside, trying his hardest to look uninterested as he listened in. "You kids keep going above and beyond even when faced with situations that shouldn't have been on you to deal with. It does my heart good to know that the world can look forward to such capable heroes a few years down the line. I am proud!"
Ochaco blushed (more than the usual ever present spots on her cheeks, at any rate), Todoroki's blank expression seemed a bit more openly pleased, and even Bakugou was standing a little straighter, a ghost of a smirk briefly passing over his grumpy face. Toshinori couldn't help but be amused. As a teacher, he could hardly be considered stingy with the compliments whenever the kids performed well in class, but it seemed like praise from All Might as a hero, in a real situation that had required one, was still something else entirely.
At that point, a faint, roaring sound could be heard in the distance, and everyone in the room looked towards the massive hole in the tower's wall, where the first, faint signs of the approaching dawn could be noticed through the clouded sky, alongside a set of lights that was far too low and far too mobile to be stars.
"Well, I guess the cavalry is finally here." Melissa commented, recognizing the incoming air fleet for what it was. "I guess Japan and other nations were already scrambling to send someone even before the system rebooted and the alerts were sent out. If nothing else, more help with the clean-up will always be welcome."
"Yeah. Yeah…" Her father replied, barely above a whisper, a look of anguished remorse settling into his face as he beheld the scene, and his mind inevitably traced back to why it had happened in the first place. "All Might, Melissa, everyone… I am so, so sorry. I was an idiot. I thought I was doing the right thing and failed to see how I was being used, even by someone I thought was my fried, I… This whole mess was my fault and-"
His words were interrupted by a hand firmly but gently grasping his shoulder, and the man looked up, to see his oldest friend giving him the same grin he had when they had first met so long ago.
"I got the gist of it from the kids, and I've figured from the scene I arrived to that there was more to it. The time for apportioning blame and figuring out where to go from there will come soon enough, David, no doubt the entire world will want to know what befell I-Island this night." All Might said, not unkindly. "But that'll be for later. Right now, I am happy to see my friend is safe, and we should all just go back down, get checked out by the paramedics, and get some rest before we have to deal with everything else."
David tried to reply, but words seemed to fail him at the moment, and so he just nodded in acceptance. Despite the guilt, he couldn't help but feel lighter at the words. That was All Might for you, he guessed…
At that, young Midoriya and Yaoyorozu approached, and All Might turned to his kinda sorta protégé.
"Well, you're looking a bit worse for wear, young Midoriya." He commented lightly, even though the worst the boy had besides the shredded outfit where some slight nicks and scratches.
"You'z can see dah othah git roigt dere." The boy replied promptly, flicking a thumb at the dead villain. "In mah defense, I wuz aimin' at dah gizmo. Not me fault it wuz on his head."
"I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't have preferred to see it done another way." All Might replied, after a moment of thinking how best to put it. "But things like this will always come up sooner or later, in this line of work. All things considered, you did what was needed to prevent worse things, and handled it better than many others would have in the same situation. You did well, young Midoriya."
The boy smiled at that. Not one of his usual, psychotic grins, but a genuine, soft smile. It might not seem so to an outside observer, but All Might knew the green-haired teen had taken more from his words than anyone would think him capable of.
With that, the group gathered, and together they all made for the exit, ready to put a close to an evening that turned out to be far more memorable than any of them bargained for…
…
…
"Midoriya," All Might and Momo both said in perfect synchronicity, without even looking. "Put the parts of the enhancer back where they were."
"Aaaaawwww…"
Chapter 72
A couple of days later saw Toshinori sitting on one of the couches arranged throughout what was clearly a waiting room, looking out the window at the few clouds drifting by, appreciating the view alongside the first chance to be left alone with his own thoughts he'd had in a while. To say that this trip had been far busier than he'd ever expected would do the whole thing justice.
Immediately after the attack, there had naturally been the clean-up. Fortunately, besides a few cases of mild injuries caused in the panic and commotion of the forced lockdown, the entirety of the damages had been on structures and materials that could be easily replaced or fixed, in no small part due to the swift reaction and coordination of the heroes that still been about outside the tower that evening. The number one hero couldn't help the proud smirk, as he recalled a fair few of them coming up to him in the last two days to praise the performance of the U.A students who had been out there enjoying what they could of the already accessible parts of the expo, who immediately stepped in to join the efforts at aiding the populace. Needless to say, the rest of the Academy's teachers had already been informed, and in turn so were the families of the students. While nobody was happy to see the children stumble into danger again, everyone was relieved and proud that they had made it out safe and sound.
By comparison, the perpetrators of the attack had been far worse off. The entire mercenary band had been captured, including the ones manning the helicopter that had been their escape plan, caught by the relief fleet as they had tried to slink away upon realizing things hadn't gone to plan. All of them, it turned out, had criminal records, and whether it'd be in the Island's prison, or wherever they'd end up extradited to in the case of those with truly serious offenses in their record, they'd be serving jail time for quite a while. The world took quite seriously the attack on a place that was kept strictly neutral by every nation's mutual agreement, it turns out.
And in the middle of all of that had been David. His oldest friend had immediately surrendered himself to the authorities at the first opportunity, confessing his own part in the whole plot. That had probably been the greatest shock of the evening to the authorities of the Island, if Toshinori was being honest, to learn their most renowned and respected researcher had been part of the conspiracy behind the attack. By all counts, such a thing should have resulted on at the very least exile for him according to the Island's laws… But fortunately, unlike the villains, David had a few factors in his favor.
For one, the reset of the I-Island network pulled by Melissa had allowed the surveillance systems to start working in full once more, so there had been footage of Sam and Wolfram admitting to having usurped the initial smoke and mirrors ploy for their own ends, as well as the testimonies of the students that had been there, which technically made David's intended heist attempt the lesser infraction compared to the villains.
For another, despite the gravity of the situation, the Shield name still carried weight, and all the good David and his creations had done before were not completely forgotten in the face of his first ever infraction more serious than a parking ticket. His daughter's part in fixing the mess had certainly helped too on that front.
And on a more cynical, pragmatic, and political level, the higher ups had recognized that throwing the one man with the knowledge of how to build such a thing as the quirk enhancer out into the world (Even David had recognized the risks associated with the device enough to not have left any blueprints lying around, all the required knowledge was in his head), where villains and less scrupulous nations would be waiting like vultures, would be a supremely stupid idea.
With all of that, alongside the weight of All Might's own word, a compromise had been reached. There'd be no exile for David, and his part in the night's events would be left under wraps. However, there would still be consequences. Under the guise of his own protection, as one of the targets of the attack, the doctor would spend a while under house arrest, and under the guise of wanting to rest and wind down after such a harrowing experience, the Doctor would step down from his position as one of the head researchers in the island's Research Center. What would not be made known to the public was that Shield was not to leave the Island ever again save in the direst of circumstances, and while he would still be allowed to conduct his research, this would be much more heavily monitored.
For all intents and purposes, the entire Island would become David's prison, but other than lamenting the inevitable cuts to his research budget, All Might's oldest friend took the verdict without complaint. It wasn't like, other than the heist, he had been planning any big trips, the man himself had said in good humor, and at least now he'd have more free time to spend with Melissa.
That was just like his oldest friend, All Might couldn't help but muse, to always try to look at the bright side of things, to see the best in everyone. Truth be told, the hero could not help but feel guilt of his own at everything that had happened. David had acted rashly, yes, but it had been entirely for All Might's sake, to do everything in his power to help fix what he saw as the sudden ailment of the hero. Because All Might had not shared the whole truth of One for All and the legacy it carried. How much trouble could've been avoided if he had…?
All Might knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that before leaving the Island, that was a mistake that he would be fixing. The whole truth of his situation was the least that he owed David after everything…
His musings were interrupted by the opening of a door, and into the room walked Midoriya, carrying the distinct look of someone who was glad that something was over, and behind him walked someone that, for once cut, a more bizarre figure than the eccentric teen.
Fortunately, the debacle of the Gala had not prevented All Might to carry out one of the other objectives of the trip, U.A's attempt at figuring out more about the boy's unusual Quirk. I-Island was the leading nation in scientific research on a multitude of fields, Quirks naturally being among them. And that was where the rotund, portly man accompanying Midoriya came in. It was extremely obvious with just a glance that he had a mutant type Quirk, considering that he looked pretty much like a humanoid elephant, trunk and ears and tusks and all, but then said mutation had gone even further, adding some distinctly un-elephant-like traits. His thick, leathery skin was a deep green, and a crest of spines went from the top of his head to the nape of the neck, three pairs of tusks sprouting from his mouth instead of the usual one. But perhaps more striking of all were the eyes, bigger than anything a normal elephant or human would normally have, round and soulful, facing forward unlike an actual elephant's. But nothing about this admittedly somewhat bizarre appearance kept Dr. Surin from being a brilliant geneticist, and one of the foremost experts on quirks in the world.
"So, what's the news, Doctor?" All Might inquired with his trademark smile, as Midoriya took place at his side.
"I am afraid, All Might," Came the even reply, in an utterly flat, emotionless tone (a biproduct of his unusual anatomy, he had explained, not actual disinterest), accompanied by a slow blink. "That the results are… inconclusive."
…Well, needless to say, that was not what he had been hoping to hear.
"How so?" The hero prompted, hoping to get at least something out of this conversation.
"I have carefully looked through the annotations provided by U.A." The doctor explained, going over some of the notes in his hand. "Taking this information into account, we've devised a battery of tests. Quirk demonstration, sample analysis, we avoided any mental probes, of course. But the results are inconclusive at best, downright contradictory at worst. Some of our equipment failed to pick up on any quirk at all. Others have quirk factor readings that are off the charts. Others just give the equivalent of static." The doctor gave a snort, and even the inhuman features didn't keep All Might from seeing the man's honest confusion. "The only consistent thing we've been able to surmise, is that Midoriya-san here seems to be constantly exuding some kind of… energy, for lack of a better term, into his immediate surroundings. This is not unusual in emitter type quirks, and as far as we can tell there's no adverse effects on others. It doesn't take a genius to surmise that said emission is likely connected to his unusual ability to cobble machinery out of scrap, but the exact mechanics, well, that we can't just make heads or tails of. Simply put, we're as stumped as you are."
All Might heard all of this, his eyes going from the Doctor towards young Midoriya, who looked so supremely bored he wasn't even registering the conversation, and couldn't help but sigh. He supposed a simple answer here had been too much to ask for. "Well, that's at least a little bit more than we knew before, and every little bit helps. Thank you, Dr. Surin."
"No thanks are necessary," The doctor said, with a shake of his head. "A free checkup is the least I could do for the heroes that stopped the attack on I-Island." He raised a hand then, preemptively silencing the number 1 hero's reply. "No, I will not hear of it, nor shall I accept any payment. You have saved my home, and presented me two unique cases I had never before seen. That is more than enough payment already."
All Might didn't exactly feel comfortable with that, but he had been in this position enough times already to recognize it'd be impossible to change the doctor's mind, and thus he graciously accepted the offer. It didn't help that the man's statement made him think of the other dreadful confirmation that came from this mess.
Dr. Surin had been the one to check the body of Wolfram to confirm the first findings of a confused coroner. The villain had somehow had two quirks in his body, his own documented control over metal, and some kind of strength enhancement on the side. Immediately that piece of information had made All Might just who the real mastermind behind this whole thing was.
The monster he had thought he killed truly was still out there, plotting and scheming…
Needless to say, All Might would be quite busy in the days to come.
/
"So, the attack on the tower was foiled?" An amused voice drawled from the darkness.
"Yes, Sensei. That's what all the news keep saying." Came the deferent reply. "Our source wasn't there, but as far as we know, all the mooks you hired got arrested, except the leader, who got dead instead."
"Truly? A shame. Competent mercenaries are so hard to find nowadays. But no bother, it was worth it to give my old friend All Might some trouble. Speaking of, how are your plans coming along, Tomura?"
/
Elsewhere, in the privacy of her own laboratory, a certain blonde teen sat, enjoying a little peace and quiet, alone with her own thoughts. Thoughts that led her to look towards her latest project, the red gauntlet at the table. Almost as if a record on rewind, the events of the last few days flashed through her mind on reverse, until they stopped at the moment she had heard some unexpected words.
"…So, uh?"
A lot more thinking ensued after that.
Chapter 73
All in all, this truly had been a unique experience, if not quite in the way her parents had intended.
Such was the thought that crossed Momo's mind as she looked out the window of her family's private plane, watching I-Island getting smaller and smaller in the horizon. They had just departed the place, having been seen off by Melissa (the older Shield hadn't been present for obvious reasons), the blonde promising to keep in touch and to send over the upgrades to hero gear she had promised, and happily telling them that they would always been welcome back on I-Island. Personally, considering how the Island's robot security still refused to go anywhere near a certain green-haired menace's vicinity even days after the incident (and Momo was fairly certain she had overheard two confused scientists discussing about the machines having started to use their systems to browse the internet without any outside input, something about them googling worker unions…), the Pony-tailed girl wasn't nearly so certain, but she thought it best not to say anything to the contrary.
Amazingly enough, there actually had been a rather unexpected silver lining to that whole mess, pertaining to Momo specifically at least, and probably to Todoroki and Iida as well, truth be told. It turned out, that having taken part in stopping the first assault on I-Island in recent history had left many of the representatives of the businesses and companies that the Yaoyoruzu estate had sent her to network with that much more agreeable and open to negotiation. Father would be happy with all the new partnerships and business proposals she was bringing home, she was certain, even if that satisfaction would be secondary to the relief of seeing her return home safe and sound…
"Chair goez up, chair goez down. Chair goez up, chair goes down…"
And speaking of sound, Momo thought bemusedly at the interruption of her thoughts, bringing her back to the far livelier than usual ambiance of her surroundings.
Because she wasn't going back home alone. Since there was more than enough room on the Yaoyorozu's private Jumbo jet, Momo had offered all of her classmates the rider back home, completely missing the odd and surprised looks from the ones that weren't Ochaco, Jirou or Midoriya and thus hadn't come with her on the trip to the Island (in the case of the two girls) or just plain didn't see the oddity of owning a private Jumbo jet (take a wild guess).
Despite everything, Momo couldn't help but smile as she watched her fellow students, spread throughout the rows of first class seats, cheerfully chatting with each other and happily enjoying the various amenities that were on offer for the flight, from the best food the onboard chef could provide to the wide selection of entertainment available for the flight. It made the Pony-tailed girl all warm and fuzzy inside, to see the place so lively, and her friends so happy. She'd never had much opportunity to do things like this before after all, and she hoped there'd be many more such opportunities in the future. Hopefully with all the class present next time… Then again, considering the Bakugou had adamantly refused to be anywhere near the same airspace as the boy on the seat next to hers (despite his grand posturing as to the contrary), perhaps that might be expecting too much…
Because yes, Midoriya too had tagged along for the ride. All Might-sensei would need to stay in the Island a few days still to sort out official affairs, and everyone had unanimously agreed that letting the boy go back alone was a terrible idea. Thus, so here he was, currently playing with his seat's position settings like a fascinated toddler.
"Chair goez up, chair goez down. Chair goez up, chair goes down."
It made for such a silly picture that it honestly made Momo hesitate. Even to this day, months after having first met the boy, for the life of her she still didn't quite know what to make of him. One moment he was an eccentric goofball with only the barest understanding of the concept of "social graces", the next he could become a downright psychotic menace deriving entirely too much enjoyment from the idea of inflicting violence. He never hesitated to throw himself into the thick of danger, he delighted in it even, the thought of the risks involved never even seeming to cross his mind, like self-preservation wasn't even something his mind could process. Memories of the Gala debacle came unbidden to her mind, of the gleeful rampage that had opened up the path for them, the genuine shock and horror she felt at witnessing the almost downright callous ease with each he crossed a line no hero was ever supposed to…
Momo was not naïve and sheltered enough to not know that All Might's assessment of the situation was correct, that much as it should always be the absolute last resort, such things could and did happen in a hero's line of work. Heck, it hadn't even been the first time, but from everything that had come to be learned after the USJ, that Noumu creature could only really be considered "alive", much less "human", in the most charitable interpretation possible. Twisted as Wolfram had been, such was still not the case for the very much human villain. And yet, Midoriya hadn't even hesitated…
Never mind that these were just some of the many ways in which the boy seemed to completely fail at living up to what a hero was supposed to be. What a decent person was supposed to be…
…And yet, for all of that, she also remembered when he interposed himself between her and the villain to protect her from an attack with the intent to kill. More than once, in fact, again with a complete lack of regard for his own safety. Looking back, the bulk of his ruthless streak was only ever directed at people that were actively being a threat, and for how much enjoyment he derived from battle and other situations normal people would find horrific, seldom had he been the instigator, the frequent confrontations with his "old friend" Bakugou notwithstanding. And then there were all the times where despite his boisterousness and his almost certain insanity, he had surprised her with keen and insightful observations, from a surprising knack for strategies of simple yet effective design, to a much deeper understanding of what went on around him that one might first assume.
Case in point, he listened to her. How or why, she had absolutely no clue, but for whatever reason, he always seemed to seek and consider her input, abiding by it even when it clearly was not to his liking. He never doubted her, not even when she had vented all her doubts and insecurities at him during the exam, only offering advice and encouragement, free from judgement…
Midoriya was, quite simply put, a walking contradiction of clashing concepts, one that try as she might she just couldn't make heads or tails of…
"Sumthin' on yer mind, Boss?"
The mildly asked question made Momo blink, realizing that she had been staring at the red-eyed teen long enough for him stare back, somewhat confused.
"Oh, uh," She cleared her throat, trying to contain the brief flash of embarrassment at her own behavior as she tried to pass it off. "I am simply making sure you don't start trying to open up the seat's panels to get at the machinery inside. I saw how you've been looking at it."
He shot her an annoyed look at that, with the usual grumbling, downright pouty expression and everything.
"C'mon, you'ze too?" He grunted, looking affronted even as his hand moved away from said panel like it was its own independent entity. "How else am I'z gun pass dah time during dah trip? Shulda borrowed sum' a All Moigt's movies…"
Despite her various conflicting thoughts on the boy, Momo could help a small, amused smile at that.
"Well, the seats do each have their own tv system with a wide array of entertainment choices to pick from. Movies, series, anime, video games, the works." She pointed out, showing him how to take the remote control from one of the seat's compartments. "I'm sure you can find something there that matches your tastes."
"…Uh." The boy replied, suddenly looking a lot more attentive as he copied her and pulled out his own remote, booting up the system. "Well, that's sumthin'. Thankz, Boss!"
"Enough with the "Boss" thing already. You can just call me Momo. We've certainly been through enough craziness by now that titles feel weird."
…
…
…
Momo blinked, her eyes slowly widening in surprise as she realized it had been her who said that. It wasn't like her to let random stray thoughts pass her lips so easily…
Even the boy seemed surprised, blinking owlishly as he looked at her with confusion and, dare she say, a certain amount of uncertainty.
"Well, if you'ze sure, Bo-Momo…" He said, oddly hesitant, almost as if he was trying out words from a foreign language.
Momo didn't know why, but she suddenly had the feeling that it was fortunate that Mina and Tooru where on the other end of the aisle enjoying an animated game of Uno, oblivious to this odd interaction between the class president and the class maniac.