Chapter 31
"Sonic! He can really move! Sonic! He's got an attitude! Sonic! He's the fastest thing alive! He's the FASTEST THING ALIVE!" The music blared as Izuku, Pony, Itsuka, and Melissa drew closer to the off-site lab. As the garage door began to slide open, Deku looked down at the horned girl in his arms. Her large blue eyes were gone, replaced by spirals due to overusing her quirk. Something that Izuku had never seen before.
Pony had been using her Horn Cannon nonstop since they first encountered the robots. Launching a continuous stream of horns from her head, swaying side to side just to make sure she hit as many as possible. But, a little over the halfway mark, they began to notice things with her. She had been talking less and was instead gritting her teeth. It was soon made clear that she had reached her limit, but she pushed forward to make sure that the road was clear so that they could do their part of the plan.
"Everyone is giving this their all," was the last thing she had said through the pain after they noticed she was having trouble flying on her horns. "I could never forgive myself if I didn't do the same!"
A few minutes later, Pony passed out. With nothing left to keep her quirk activated, she would have collided with the ground headfirst had Izuku not been there to catch her. Holding her in a bridal position, the green-haired teen would not let all of her hard work go to waste! He charged forward, feet first, to collide with the few dozen or so robots that remained in front of them.
How he wished that that was the end of their troubles. Izuku already knew that there were still more robots coming down side streets behind them, though not as much as there had been at the beginning. That was bad enough, but there was more. As Izuku flew back to Itsuka and Melissa, he spotted something new far down the road. Several vehicles were driving down the same road they were on, heading towards them. Judging by how fast they were going and the fact that the robots were moving out of their way, it was pretty safe to say that they were not heroes.
So, when Izuku saw the opening door, he didn't hesitate. Instead, the teen sped up, shooting towards the door as quickly as he could, leaving a trail of light in his wake. Because of this. He had to hold onto Pony more tightly as he turned on his side or else he would destroy his wings. As for Istuka, she didn't slow down either as they arrived maybe twenty seconds later. By that point, the door had slid open just enough for them to get through…for the most part. Melissa screamed as the sidecar scraped against the wall, sending dozens of sparks flying through the air while making an ear-piercing noise. But, thankfully, that only lasted a moment.
"Emergency close. NOW!" she shouted once they were inside. As the motorcycle came to a screeching halt, the sliding door shifted gears. The slow-paced opening that it had been on changed to a swift and forceful close that echoed throughout the lab. This was then followed by hydraulic hissing, no doubt further locking it in place.
"How long do you think we have?" asked Itsuka after turning off the motorcycle. Her eyes were focused on the door as she got off, Izuku landing beside her with Pony still in his arms.
"Long enough," replied Melissa as she jumped out of the sidecar. "At least, I hope so. This is a state-of-the-art facility with its own security system in place that is not connected to the rest of the island's network. It was designed so that a scientist like myself would be able to work on highly destructive projects that would not spill out to other labs or disrupt their operations. My suit's cannon at full power was the first time I have ever seen the walls here being breached."
"But that doesn't account for quirks," added Izuku in nervous understanding. To that, Melissa nodded before she hurriedly moved to where she had gone when she first showed them this building. As he followed her, Izuku's mind couldn't help but go over what she had said. This place was meant to keep whatever was going on inside it from disrupting others. Meaning that the walls were no doubt very sturdy while also keeping noise from escaping. Or entering. For all they knew right now, those villains had surrounded this lab and were firing rocket launchers at them, and they would never know. Somehow, it was the not knowing that was making him nervous.
Then there was the matter of quirks. He was certain that whoever had made this place had done everything in their power to make sure it was secure. However, that was what everyone thought of U.A.'s security and the USJ. All it took was the right quirk, and the villains could easily bypass everything. In fact, it could have been a quirk that no one had ever seen before that allowed them to slip past all of I-Island's security!
The only good news, at the moment, was that whoever had taken over the island's security system couldn't just open the doors here. But, if a hacking quick was involved then…
Izuku shook his head. No was not the time to dwell on the unknown. They needed to hurry and get control of the island back. Once the heroes were freed, then everything would be ok.
In mere moments, the group found themselves in another hangar. Though this one was a bit more crowded. Part of the reason was that Melissa's mech suit was sitting there in the middle of the room in its travel form. The machine looked to be the same length and height as a pickup truck. The front of it had a black nose similar to many jets, but the rest of it was made out of red-painted metal with hints of white and gold. As Izuku passed it by, he could see two sets of red, almost oval-shaped objects on the jet. The first set was smaller, with golden claws coming out of their fronts along with laser cannons on top. The back set was thicker, a jet engine coming out from between two slabs of black metal that created a V-shape. At the top were two white wings right behind the spot where Melissa had been when she last rode it like a massive hoverboard, and on the very back was another jet engine.
Along one side of the room were several other machines, those these were very different. Each of them were the same size as a golf cart, a flat bed in the back, while two metallic arms were positioned in the front. Seeing them made Izuku wonder briefly if they were specialized repair bots.
On the other side was something more akin to an office space. Several computers were set up, situated on three desks to form a cubicle work space. A number of papers and blueprints were scattered all about, and the trash can underneath the desks was full of to-go boxes and disposable cups.
Then, Izuku's focus zeroed in on something right behind the computer area: a couch. It was a simple red one with cushions that looked extra plump and soft as well as a blanket. No doubt used when Melissa lost track of time and needed to take a break. Without asking, he moved towards the couch where he gently laid Pony
As he did this, he noticed Melissa slipping out of her dress while standing next to a mannequin wearing her hero costume. Before he could see anything, he turned to look away.
"Sorry about this," said Melissa quickly as Izuku could swear he heard the sound of fabric falling to the floor. "But I need to get into my hero suit if I want to help. Just bear with it for a moment."
"O-Okay," stammered Izuku, before peaking to the side to see if Melissa was changing. She was not. All he saw was her standing there in her underwear before whispering something softly to the suit. Izuku would have then quickly looked away, had what he saw next drew his attention. The suit seemed to unravel, turning into streams that shot towards the suit's right wrist, where it compressed into a band that went from the mannequin's wrist to its elbow. Once that was done, Melissa wasted no time in deactivating the hard light mannequin and placing the device on herself.
And, a moment later, the suit formed around her body. Now she stood there, wearing a skin-tight body suit that showed off every single curve. The main color was a metallic red with white running along her sides, starting from the armpits and going down to the soles of her feet. Izuku blushed when he noticed that she had a V-shaped boob window in her suit that was no thicker than a small coin. More of the red material ran up her neck, covering her ears, while a yellow visor protected her eyes.
"Alright, just one more thing," she said before heading over to the computers. Once there, she began to type something real quick. "I'm so glad I didn't delete the A.I. system. Just need to do a few more finishing touches and the villains won't know what hit them."
As she typed, both Izuku and Itsuka noticed something. Melissa was trembling. So much so that it seemed to affect her work, forcing her to delete some things that she had just finished typing.
"Ah, Melissa, are you ok?" asked Itsuka tentatively.
"Hm?" came the blonde's reply, her head shooting up to look at the two. She must have seen the worry on their faces because she gave the two a shaky smile before lowering her head back to the screen, though her fingers remained motionless. "Yeah, I'm just…God, this is so embarrassing to say. I'm a little nervous. I can't believe it. I've been waiting for a moment like this my entire life, and here I am feeling like I'm about to lose my nerve."
"Hey, it's ok," said Itsuka as she and Izuku moved towards Melissa. Once she was close enough, the Big Fist user placed a comforting hand on Melissa's shoulder. "I think everyone feels this way when they have their first real battle."
For a moment, Melissa looked like she wanted to say something, only for her to pause before shaking her head. "Listen, I appreciate that you're trying to cheer me up, but-"
"When our school was attacked, I ran and hid," interrupted Itsuka. Upon hearing that, Melissa turned to look at the orange-haired girl, unable to hide her shock. "Everything was happening so fast. One moment, we're about to have a class, only for our teacher to receive an emergency text and then run off without telling us anything. The next, while we're picking up, there's this strange portal that just appears in the road. So we hid. Then, well, we saw real villains coming out of it. And, well, I was scared."
"Same," agreed Izuku with a nod. "I was hiding down an alleyway, peaking over and watching everything. I could hear everything as well. Like how the villain was complaining about 'being on a side quest' and 'hoping that the loot and reputation' he gained would be worth it. It was so unnerving. He was planning on killing everyone at U.A. but talking about it like a game."
As he spoke, Izuku could see Melissa's posture relax a bit. "So…this is normal?" she asked. "Sorry, but all the stories I've heard from Uncle Might and other heroes never mentioned how scary it is before, well, going in to save the day. I guess I always assumed they were made of stronger stuff."
"They are," said Itsuka with a grin. "And so are all of us. But it's not because we're not afraid. We're made of stronger stuff because we are afraid or nervous, and despite that, we're still going to go out there to fight villains and save people! We've done it before, like when those villains attacked our school. All we needed to do was push past our fears."
"It also helps when you're not alone," added Izuku as he chuckled at the memory of that day. "We'll be there, right by your side. And, if you need some additional courage, just remember what you're doing this for. What you're trying to prevent and who you're trying to save."
"Like my papa and Sam," whispered Melissa softly. Then, before their very eyes, Melissa's expression hardened with determination before she turned around. She then took a deep breath before returning her focus to the keyboard. She was still a little shaky, but there was an air of determination around her now.
Then, once she was done, the roof began to open, surprising Izuku. But, really, he should have seen this coming because the only other way out would have been to open the main gate to plow through robots and villains alike. As the teen activated his wings, Melissa led Itsuka towards her machine. Together, they climbed up the side before getting into place with Kendo wrapping her arms around Shield's waist.
"Alright," said Melissa while taking a deep breath. "Are systems ready, Papa?"
"All systems are operating at 100% efficiency," came the AI voice in her ear, its voice identical to that of her father's. "Power supply is at 100%. Structural integrity is at 100%. All programs are performing at optimal speeds. You are ready to launch."
"Then let's go!" yelled Melissa. "Dracotech launching NOW!" With that, Melissa's machine lifted upwards into the sky with Izuku following. Once they were above the lab, the doors began to shut tightly as the young heroes took to the sky. As they did, Izuku looked back towards the ground. The villains were just standing there in slack-jawed shock, guns in their hands and hanging limply by their sides.
Ever more so when they began to shoot through the sky at amazing speeds. As the lab quickly grew further away, Izuku could hear Melissa laughing and hollering with excitement. No doubt she was having a better time flying out in the open like this than when he had his first experience with the flight aspect of Divine Dividing. As for Itsuka, well, she just clung on to Melissa tighter while closing her eyes.
As they rapidly approached the tower, drones began to appear in the air around it. Maybe a dozen or so from each level, their shapes reminding Izuku of black darts as they each had long, narrow noses with small wings on the sides. They swarmed around the tower, circling it like a swarm of angry bees preparing to defend their hive while making a sound that was more akin to mosquitoes.
Rather than wait for the drones to start the attack, Melissa made the first move. Her machine fired twin beams from the laser cannons on its sides, allowing two crimson streaks to soar toward the swarm. With so many drones, the beams easily made contact. From there, Izuku could see not just the primary explosions but also many secondary explosions as well.
As the explosions died down, the rest of the drones shot towards them. While they still clustered close together, they left enough space between them so that when they fired the missiles from their underbellies, they did not hit any friendly units. Each missile flew through the air, leaving a trail of white smoke.
Both Izuku and Melissa reacted instantly to this. The Shield girl leaned back so that she and Itsuka were going straight up. Kendo then screamed, dangling in the air and kicking her feet as she tightened her hold onto Melissa as they moved upwards. Then she screamed even more as they began to spin while the missiles changed course to follow the pair. All of them began to curve upwards, never once losing a moment of speed as they did so.
"Separate!" commanded Melissa, loud enough so that Izuku could hear it from where he flew. At once a part of the underbelly of the jet detached from the main body, hovering behind for a moment as its folded wings extended. This second jet was much slimmer, its front looking very much like a dragon's head with glowing blue eyes and a mouth filled with jagged fangs. On its head were also three golden frills. And, along its underbelly, was a Gatling gun.
At once this second jet flew towards the missiles, firing from the Gatling gun. Only, it wasn't bullets it was firing but thin, red laser beams! The missiles either didn't have any systems that would detect danger, only a tracking system, or couldn't get out of the way in time before the first volley struck them. Explosions rained, spreading downward like a weird firework display while the second jet just continued to fire. Soon, all the missiles had been taken care of and Melissa was descending from on high.
At the same time, Izuku was dealing with the drones themselves. "Shooting Dragon Fang!" he yelled while shifting his position sot that he was flying feet first before spinning around rapidly. Becoming something like a claw or fang in the sky, Izuku's feet collided with many of the drones, which exploded upon impact. And those explosions caused additional, secondary explosions which rippled through the sky.
Then, once the explosions had stopped, Izuku paused in mid-air before turning around. There were still a good number of drones left. Drones that they would need to take care of before heading into the tower. So, with that in mind, he shot towards them as nothing more than a blur streak ready to get this over with.
-x-
"Wait, you're saying that David is behind all this?" asked/demanded All Might as he stared at Hisashi Midoriya in utter disbelief. Not that Hisashi could really blame the man, though he was surprised that the Number One Hero was so shocked that steam was rising from his body. An odd aspect of his quirk, perhaps?
When Hisashi had heard that there was a good chance that his son was trying to stop the villains, he thought it would be best to inform All Might of his theories. After all, if he was right, he didn't want the pro hero pulling his punches or wasting time due to shock. The fire-breathing man spoke softly, going over everything he was aware of the villains who were in charge, as well as all the reasons he had to think that Dr. Shield was working with them. And as he spoke, the grimace on All Might's face fell and morphed into a look of utter disbelief. Perhaps, maybe even horror.
As All Might processed this, the others around Hisashi seemed to have their own opinions on the matter. Both Natsuo and Fuyumi were looking at Midoriya with clear confusion on their faces. If he had to guess, they didn't understand why Dr. Shield was taking such drastic steps just to steal from his own lab or what he hoped to accomplish. Which was a good question, as Hisashi was wondering that as well. Meanwhile, Ms. Pan looked ready to pull out her hair in a fit of rage while sucking on her lower lip.
Then there was the newest member of their group: Endeavor. With the lead villain gone and the goons left behind more focused on the doors, the man had made his way closer to Hisashi once he began talking. It was a sight to behold seeing the fire hero inch his way over to them like a caterpillar. So much so that, when this was over, Hisashi hoped he could get the footage of the scene just to rewatch it whenever he felt depressed. However, despite that, Enji had remained stone-faced and silent as he listened to every word that Hisashi said. Almost like he was taking mental notes.
"No," said All Might. "No, there's simply no way that's true."
"Well, it's only a theory right now," sighed Hisashi. "All I can tell you is what I saw and what I know. Dr. Shield was a little too calm when all the heroes here were captured. Also, think about the large production Wolfram put on when he stormed the ballroom. Given that fact and his history, he'd be more likely to turn around and point his gun at whoever stood up. Maybe even firing a bullet in their direction just to make a point."
"That…That makes sense," said Natsuo. As All Might's horrified expression grew, Natsuo turned to look at Hisashi. "I mean, that villain Wolfram seemed to only know Dr. Shield. He didn't go for any of the other scientists. He didn't even ask if they could. Like, I don't know, putting a gun to their head and demanding to know if they could open the Vault or tell him who could."
"You're right," whispered Fuyumi, her eyes widening. She then turned to look at All Might. "If he wanted to get into the I-Island Vault, then wouldn't it be smarter to get some of the most powerful people on the island? Like the council or something? Pretty sure they have higher access."
"You're wrong," said All Might, shaking his head as he spoke. "I know David. I've known him for years. He's incapable of doing anything like this. Besides, what possible reason would he have for doing all this?"
For a moment, Hisashi was silent. He recalled the conversation he had with Gremory and the other scientists. That one of David Shields' projects was confiscated, and that he took it pretty hard. In fact, since then, he had become distant and began working on a new top-secret project. However, that's all he had. And, according to the other members of the council, its something that has happened to all of them at one point. So, without knowing what that project was or how important, Hisashi couldn't say it was worth putting all these people at risk and ruining his career just to get it back.
Then again, there have been people who have done far more for far less.
"That's enough, All Might," came a voice that caused Hisashi's eyes to widen. Looking up, he saw that Endeavor was looking right at the Number One Hero with a frown. "You're letting your personal feelings interfere with your judgement. Maybe Dr. Shield is helping them and maybe he's not. I don't know the answer. But right now, all I know is that he isn't here with us and that the first person they took just so happened to be that man's assistant." All Might opened his mouth to say something, probably to state that didn't prove anything, but Endeavor cut him off. "All Might, use that head of yours. This is clearly a well-thought-out heist, getting in and capturing all of us before we even knew what happened. So tell me, with villains that were prepared, shouldn't they have thought of a backup plan beforehand in case they came into trouble achieving their main goal? Like looking up the council whose identities are on the I-Island Expo webpage instead of grabbing some random scientist?"
"I," began All Might before he silenced himself with a grimace. Judging by his expression, a little bit of doubt had wormed its way into his mind. And it was there, even as the pro hero shook his head. "I'm going to believe in David until I see it with my own eyes. But, if it is as you all seem to believe, then I will be the one to stop him."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever!" yelled Ms. Pan, earning a groan from everyone. "Who cares! What we should be focusing on is getting the two of you useless heroes free! So, just drop all that bull crap about not wanting to endanger innocent lives or whatever your deal is, break free, and stop the villains. It doesn't matter, ok? These people's lives don't matter to my company…unless they're insured by them. Still, their lives are chump change in comparison and I'm sure we can figure out a way to deny their claims!"
"Ms. Pan, would you kindly shut up?" snapped Hisashi, his hands covering his face as black lightning danced around the vile woman's hair. While this didn't go unnoticed by either pro hero, Hisashi continued to let out his mountain of frustrations on his co-worker. "Look, it's over. Abysswell is going to have to shill out the full insurance claim for this. We already submitted our initial findings and overview of their security. And we're here as witnesses."
"B-But my promotion? My r-raise?" questioned Ms. Pan, her eye twitching as the black lighting seemed to grow more powerful. More potent.
"Unless a miracle happens, they're never going to happen," said Hisashi. "Even if I'm right about Dr. Shield, he's not a member of the council of the island or in a position where his actions could be used to deny the claim. Hell, the fact that two of the top heroes in Japan, along with several others from around the world, have been captured, is more than enough to show that there wasn't anything anyone could do! This is all outside their control. A check will be written, and Abysswell is going to blame us. So, just let it go you greedy, miserable-"
Hisashi was then cut off as, suddenly, Ms. Pan let out a powerful scream before flying across the room towards one of the villains. With her eyes going completely white, she began punching the villain repeatedly before grabbing him by an arm, swinging him around like a rag doll, and then throwing him through the door with so much force that the door was knocked down.
"D-Did you know she could do that?" asked Natsuo as villains who were assigned to watch the door entered with their guns raised…only to get knocked down by Ms. Pan, who lunged at them while screaming like a psychotic beast from hell.
"No," whispered Hisashi as he watched the woman as she began to slam the head of the buttstock into the stomach of one of the villains over and over again while continuing to scream incoherently.
"Is she single?" asked someone in the room, causing everyone to turn and look at that person.
-x-
While that was going on, Izuku and company had finished dealing with the last of the drones. As debris fell from the sky to the empty streets below, the pair shot towards the tower side by side.
"Deku, prepare to catch Battle Fist," shouted Melissa.
"Wait, what?" shouted Kendo in shock and alarm.
"Armor mode!" commanded Melissa as she jumped, disengaging whatever lock that kept her to her machine as she lifted into the air. Kendo, taken aback by this, lost her grip on Melissa as she was flung back. Thankfully, she landed in the arms of her green-haired friend, who caught her without much difficulty. During this brief moment, Melissa had gotten ready for war. Parts of the main jet began to detach from each other to become a variety of various pieces. The first set of oval blocks that Izuku had taken notice of slit into a total of four pieces, the ones containing the golden claws becoming her shoulder pads while the other parts containing the lasers became red metal gauntlets that covered her arm from just below the elbow down. As for the larger ovals that had contained the jet engines, they were hollowed out allowing Melissa's feet to slide into them. Somehow, they then shrank or compressed enough so that they only went up to her knees while being slender enough not to impede her movement. The rest of the platform seemed to liquidate, wrapping around her body so that the front was now covered in a golden metallic covering while the white wings were attached to her back.
As for the second jet, it transformed as well, though it was not as dramatic. Its wings moved so that they were on top and bent forward while its mouth opened to reveal the barrel of a cannon. In the end, it became a giant blaster weapon which Melissa took hold of, carrying it like it weighed nothing at all.
Then, before Izuku and Itsuka's eyes, Melissa charged forward towards to crash through the glass windows of the top of the tower. Inside, a lone figure was sitting behind the computer system while unable to hide the fear in his features. In fact, he seemed to be frozen by his fear as Melissa shot towards him before a metal-coated fist collided with his head. As Izuku entered the hole created by Shield, he was in time to hear a loud crack sound followed by the villain flying across the room, along with blood gushing from his nose and mouth, plus a couple of teeth.
"Ah," said Melissa, horror in her voice as she looked at her fist while Izuku set Kendo back onto the ground. "D-Did I overdo it?"
"Negative," came Papa's voice, loud enough for all of them to hear. "This unit was able to adjust the power output accordingly, reducing damage to the target to prevent death. Current scans indicate that the villain is alive and has lost consciousness due to immense pain. Odds that you will be reprimanded by local law enforcement due to his action are calculated at fifteen percent."
"Oh," replied Melissa, sounding better as she turned to look in the direction of Izuku. At first, she had a reassured smile on her face, which became more shaky as she looked in his direction. The reason? Most likely, it was because Izuku felt like he was about to explode with excitement at what he was seeing. Sure, he had seen Melissa's suit in limited action when she first introduced it to them. But now, seeing it take down a villain like that while giving her that level of assistance was truly remarkable! It was taking everything he had not to pull out his notebook and begin recording everything he saw!
Hmph, you never got this excited when I assist you in battle, commented Albion.
'Well, that's because you can't,' began Izuku, only to then pause when understanding filled him. 'Wait, are you jealous?'
Jealous? Me? Laughed Albion in complete indignation. Parish the thought. I am the White Dragon of Supremacy. The Vanishing Dragon. The White Dragon Emperor. One of the Two Heavenly Dragons! Why should I be jealous of some artificial soul living in some man-made hunk of junk? If anything, I find it insulting for my partner to express such wonder over such simple abilities like examining an enemy's health from afar or being able to access local laws.
A small whine escaped Izuku's throat as he stood there as he realized that, despite what he said, Albion was jealous. That as well as pissed. Though he couldn't image why as this was not the first time Izuku had been in awe of the abilities of another person before. Ok, most of the time it was their quirks…which was why this was all the more impressive! Melissa was wearing a power armor that could talk to her! That was cool! Still, maybe it would be best to remind Albion every now and again that he appreciated the Sacred Gear.
'Come on, Albion, we both know that I know how amazing you are,' thought Izuku.
You're just saying that, replied Albion.
'No, I mean it,' insisted Izuku. 'You've been with me this entire time. Not only have you given me one-of-a-kind powers, but you're always there to give me your wisdom. That's something that no machine could ever duplicate. But, just because I know how amazing you are doesn't mean I can't appreciate other people's abilities.'
…I suppose you are correct, admitted Albion slowly. Though while he spoke, Izuku felt like the dragon was beginning to grin slightly. My wisdom and insight are far more valuable than any artificial soul out there. And I should be impressed that it can look out for its master's well-being the way it does. Oh, by the way, why is Lady Itsuka hugging the ground?
Izuku blinked at that, turning his head to look over where he had set Kendo down. When he had, he had set her on her feet. But now, she was lying down with her face pressed against the floor and her arms outstretched like she was hugging it.
"Alright, I've connected with the security system," said Melissa, her voice causing Izuku's attention to shift back to her. She was still standing right where she had been, only now there was a frown on her face.
"Really? How?" asked Izuku as Itsuka slowly got back to her feet.
"My suit hacked into the system," she exclaimed. "I built in a function into my suit that would allow me to hack into any nearby computer networks, even if they are off the grid. The only issue was that I needed to be close and get past the other security measures surrounding the tower. But now that I'm inside the building, it shouldn't be a problem. Papa has already gotten past the firewall and is now going through the system."
"Does that mean you can free all the heroes?" asked Itsuka.
"Freeing the designated people of interest, while a top priority with my creator's current mission as well as a vital component for its success, has been deemed insufficient at this time," said Papa. "This unit predicts that should the people of interest be freed, their numbers will be diminished due to the need to protect civilians from additional threats. These threats include, but are not limited to, the following: security drones still under the control of hostile forces, a lack of escape routes where civilians will be safe from conflict, and the hostile forces themselves. It would be a more sufficient use of this units time to return all altered programs and corruptions of data within the I-Island network to its original state at the same time. This will allow friendlies to reach my creator and her allies with greater ease, as well as creating less of a burden with other friendlies as they work to secure civilians to safety."
For a moment, both Izuku and Itsuka just stood there as they processed what 'Papa' had said.
"Sorry about how Papa talks," said Melissa quickly, seeming more than a little embarrassed. "He's still a young A.I. unit, and they tend to be a bit, er, robotic when they first activate. I haven't really had the time to help reprogram him to have more of a personality."
"That's fine," breathed Itsuka, no doubt feeling as sheepish as Izuku felt in that moment. "So, how long until 'Papa' can do all that?"
"This unit cannot give any approximation at this time," answered the A.I. "Clarification. This unit admits that it is still processing the damages done to the security system and wishes to identify all corruption before initiating repairs. Given the extent of the damage and alteration, it will take several minutes to completely assess everything. In addition, this unit can only divert a limited amount of its processing power to aid in this endeavor."
Upon hearing that, Melissa frowned as she headed towards a door with Izuku and Itsuka following her. "Ok, well, I order you to divert all your focus into repairing the security systems," she ordered.
"This unit is unable to comply with that request as it would go against this unit's two primary missions: to assist its creator, Melissa Shield, in her heroic endeavors and to ensure her safety when doing so," replied Papa. "Currently, there is an unknown number of hostiles still at large. As such, this unit must divert processing power to various key components of the armor to ensure they remain working at peak efficiency as well as assisting you should the need for combat arise suddenly."
All three teens frowned at that as they continued, following Melissa. For Izuku, what he was hearing was frustrating. He knew, deep down, that the only reason things had gotten this bad was because the villains had managed to capture All Might with the most advanced technology in the world. But once he was free, he'd be able to end all this in seconds with a hearty laugh. So it only made sense to him that freeing the heroes should be where all of the A.I.'s focus should be. However, that could be his own bias on All Might talking. Furthermore, no matter what, it was going to take time to fix the system so having it take a little longer to ensure that Melissa could help out more should something happen seemed like a fair trade.
It didn't take them long to reach their destination: the Vault. Light was pouring out the open, circular door illuminating the darker hallway while loud noises emanated from it. Remembering their lessons, as well as applying common sense, the teens moved as silently as they could towards the door before peaking inside.
What Izuku saw a vast, round room that seemed to span all the way up to the top of the tower. Blue light glowed from the walls, forming a gid like pattern that separated various steel, square plating that was embedded into the walls. But, what really drew Izuku's attention was what was in the middle. A massive, multi-screen computer system could be seen where two men worked: David Shield and Sam. The lead villain was there as wall, but something seemed off about him.
"What's taking you two so long?" complained Wolfram, tapping a foot in annoyance while his arms remained crossed over his chest. "You both told me you could hack into the system without an issue."
"There is no problem," replied Dr. Shield, his tone far too cool for Izuku's liking. And, when he looked over at Melissa, she also seemed shocked by his tone. "Both of us practiced this on simulators numerous times to make sure we were ready for this night. Though we also factored in making sure that we took enough time to make things appear as though we struggled."
"That's right," added Sam as he continued to type. "There's no need to hurry just because a few-" The man stopped before turning to look at Dr. Shield. "Sir, we did it. We're in!"
Izuku then watched as all of the compartments opened at once. However, it wasn't impressive as most of them looked like they were filled with notes. Paper notes of all things, with old-fashioned methods to preserve what was written. Others were blueprints and, from time to time, he spotted what looked like actual devices. However, despite how all this appeared, Izuku felt a pit of dread growing rapidly in his stomach as these villains now had access to all the greatest secrets of I-Island.
"About time," said Wolfram as Sam rushed over to a specific compartment. "My business partner in Detroit will be going over all of these before we can begin mass production."
"Dr. Shield, I found it!" exclaimed Sam, holding up a case. Inside, Izuku could just barely make out what looked like some sort of wiry headset with a large red light in the middle. "It's here. The quirk amplifier device! The Friend is going to love this! Just by putting it on, anyone's quirk will be increased in power by a hundredfold with no negative side effects! Pretty soon, every villain in the States will be wearing one. Then it will spread to the rest of the world. Can you imagine how everyone will react when they hear that the Council could have given these to heroes, but instead decided to lock them away?"
"I'm sure egg on their face will be an understatement," mused Dr. Shield with a chuckle, with Wolfram even joining in. Melissa's father then turned his attention to Sam, looking a little crestfallen. "Are you sure you're willing to do this? What happens next will be an adjustment."
Sam nodded, holding the device as if it were a precious treasure. "I am," he said with confidence. "Someone has to be there to oversee their production and to ensure everything is working. And besides, they're promising to pay me well for my services."
As Sam spoke, Izuku became aware that Melissa was beginning to tremble. Looking over at her, he could see that her eyes had hardened as they locked onto the scene before her, while her teeth were grit tightly together. There was a clear war going on inside her to keep herself under control. But it was a war she lost as she got up and rushed to stand in the middle of the doorway.
"PAPA!" she screamed, pointing her cannon at her father. Upon hearing this, the three men spun around as they were clearly taken aback by both her voice and then at the massive dragon-shaped cannon pointed in their direction. None more so than David Shield, who nearly stumbled backwards into the controls.
"Melissa, what are you-"
"What am I doing?!" Melissa finished for her father, her voice radiating hurt and anger. "I think that should be my line to you! What are you doing here, helping a villain? By the way you were talking you…you planned all of this. Why?" As she spoke, both Izuku and Itsuka made their way out into the open to stand on either side of her. All three of them stared down the two scientists and one villain.
"Well," sighed Wolfram as he held up his hands. "This sucks. Right as we were at the finish line. Oh well. Let me guess, you want me to lie on the floor with-" The man was cut off as Melissa pointed her free hand in his direction. After balling it into a fist, the laser cannon attached to it flipped over so it too was pointing at him. Wolfram's eyes widened at that, even more so when a thin beam of red energy shot from the cannon and struck the gun attached to his side. Half-melted and useless, the gun skidded to the side while the cannon on Melissa's arm returned to its original position.
"Stay right where you are and keep your hands in the air where I can see them," growled the armor-clad hero. Briefly, Izuku looked over to her, finding words appearing on her visor. "I already pulled up the data on your quirk, thanks to police records. Your quirk, Metal Manipulation, allows you to manipulate any existing metal that you touch with your hands. Essentially, you can make this entire room into your weapon." Her eyes then narrowed. "But I'm not going to give you that chance. Make one wrong move and the next shot won't be a warning."
As she said all this, Wolfram's expressions shifted several times. At first, he seemed to be still reeling from the surprise. Shock then took over his features when Melissa revealed she now knew about his quirk as well as how powerful it could be in this setting. But all that changed in the end with her threat, causing the criminal to grit his teeth in frustration. He was eyeing her, all the metal on her body that he could no doubt manipulate into killing her in an instant. But with the cannon she held in her hands as well as her long range capabilities, well, that added a layer of difficulties to the situation.
Then, much to Izuku's surprise, the man shifted his gaze over to Melissa's father.
"What's the deal here, Sheild?" he demanded. "You never mentioned anything about there being high-tech suits like this. Holding out on us or something?"
"No, I never," began Dr. Shield as Melissa turned her attention to him. Then, for a moment, his eyes widened as if in sudden realization before becoming relaxed once more. "Oh, I see now. This was what you wanted to show me. The experiment that would allow you to become a hero despite not having a quirk." Hearing that, Wolfram let out an impressed whistle.
"Dr. Shield," said Izuku as he took a step forward, his hands held in a manner to implore the scientist. "I don't understand. You were All Might's sidekick back when he first started out. You've dedicated your life to helping heroes. So why would you suddenly start working with villains? Why did you help bind All Might?"
David Shield stood there for a moment, a pained look on his face as he looked at the three teens. First at Izuku, then Itsuka, and then finally his gaze feel onto his daughter. In that moment, Izuku thought that the man was realizing that he had made a mistake. That he was under some sort of quirk that warped the way he thought, or something similar to Shinso's brainwashing. That he was beginning to question what he was doing or realizing that his daughter had been put in danger was enough to help him break free.
"You're right," said Dr. Shield, his words causing hope to appear in Izuku's eyes. "Nearly my entire life has been dedicated to science, specifically towards helping heroes. None more so than All Might. And everything I am doing right now is for his sake."
"Dr. Sheild!" yelled Sam as Izuku's hopes shattered. "You don't owe them an explanation! If we work together using everything that's in this room, we should be able to-" Same was then cut off as Dr. Sheild held up a hand.
"No, they need to understand," said Dr. Shield, his voice so calm, almost to an unnerving level. He then turned to look at them, with something in his expression showing that he was about to unveil great wisdom. "Then, once they hear the full story, I am sure they will let us go peacefully to continue our great work. Will you give me that time, Wolfram?"
The villain shrugged. "Not like I got much of a choice right now," he stated. "But, if story time fails, then I'm dealing with them my way."
"Thank you," replied Dr. Shield, who was now beginning to pace back and forth in front of the computer council despite his daughter still pointing her cannon in his direction. "Yes, yes. I can see why my actions are confusing to all of you. But that is because you don't know what I do. A simple truth that is being kept from the world. One that, when it finally comes out, will destroy society as a whole and will revert us back to darker times. That truth: All Might is growing weaker. Soon, he will no longer be able to be a hero. Let alone the Symbol of Peace."
"What?!" screamed all three teens, with Melissa lowering her weapon. What they heard it was insane. All Might was getting weaker?
"There's no way that's possible," stated Itsuka.
"Uncle Might would never…he isn't," stammered Melissa.
"Believe me, I was once in a similar state of disbelief as all of you," said Dr. Sheild sadly, his head lowering slightly as he continued to pace. "I was there at the beginning of his rise in America. I watched as he leapt through the air, destroying many of the costumes I made for him in those early days as he took on every challenge without getting so much as a scratch. No matter how great the foe, he would laugh in their faces before yelling SMASH. I yelled it too, though that was more in my heart as I lent my scientific skills to aid him. At least, until he outgrew even the need for those. Whenever I look back, no matter how many years have gone by, the image of him flying through the air with a smile on his face has always remained.
"At least until five, no, six years at this point, when I found out All Might had been injured." When Izuku heard this, he felt like the world was beginning to spin. That the ground itself had been pulled under his feet. He could feel himself breathing hard as his mind tried to put the pieces together. A fight All Might had six years ago that could have caused him serious damage. The only thing that came to mind was Toxic Chainsaw. But even that felt doubtful.
"I wasn't there, and All Might has kept the details of the fight under wraps," continued Dr. Sheild, sounding emotional himself. "B-But he sent me his medical records. The damage…his quirk factor had diminished. Not to the point where he had to retire right away, but enough so that he needed to stop. Needed to limit the amount of time he could be a hero. And, looking at the data, I knew that it would be only a matter of time before his time as a hero dwindled to nothing." He then turned to look at Izuku and then Itsuka. "Tell me, have you never noticed this. That he is unable to attend certain classes or is he unavailable after long lessons? Anything at all?"
"The USJ," came Izuku's answer almost immediately, his words shocking all the teens including himself. While he had been preoccupied with the attack on the school, he had wondered from time to time about the USJ. Everyone in 1-B knew that All Might was going to be one of the teachers who was supposed to be there. However, for some reason, he hadn't shown up. Izuku, being the All Might fan that he was, remembered reading the new that day that before school started All Might had stopped three crimes on his way to school.
Dr. Sheild pointed at Midoriya. "Yes, young man," the man said before lowering his hand. "I suspect that All Might got himself a teaching job so that the people of the world wouldn't question his lack of appearances. But, sadly, old habits die hard, and he more than likely rushed off to help others without thinking. And the cost? Two teachers were almost killed and an entire class of students who were put in danger. Now, imagine what would have happened if the rest of the world believed that All Might had a limited time? Crime would soar all over the world and attacks like the ones at your school would become common, everyday news. It's already on the rise in America! Soon, we will be returning to the days before All Might. Before there was a Symbol of Peace.
"Which was why I worked tirelessly to prevent that. My first attempt was the quirk amplifier, a device that would work the same way as Trigger but with none of the downsides. With that, I could have made All Might as strong as he had been back in the day. Extended his time. But when I showed it to the Council, they were worried. Had their own concerns, worried about the dangers this device would create if it ever fell into the wrong hands. So they took it away from me as well as all my notes."
Dr. Shield then paused and, when he lifted his head, there was something in his eyes that seemed wrong. Like he was reliving the best moment of his life mixed with a touch of…obsession? Mania? And he wasn't the only one who seemed to notice this. Itsuka's fists tightened and her muscles tensed. Melissa tightened her hold on her weapon. Even Wolfram, who had been watching the doctor from the corner of his eye, showed signs that he wanted to inch away from the doctor.
"For a moment, I felt so lost," continued Dr. Shield. "I didn't know what to do. I became desperate, looking for anything that could help me save All Might. I even began going to underworld auctions, hoping that something I saw there would spark an idea. But what I found instead changed the course of my life. It was a rare disk that had been unearthed in Greece. At first, I dismissed it as a mere artifact of only historical worth. Not really my thing." There was another pause, and Izuku was beginning to have a bad feeling about this. Something that Albion shared.
"This artifact, once I saw what it could do and was able to prove that what I was seeing wasn't a scam, I knew I had found the answer," exclaimed Dr. Shield. "This disk, once it was placed in a body of water, all a person had to do was become submerged to begin a process of age regression. Their bodies growing younger while wounds and diseases they held vanished."
He speaks of a Sacred Gear, came Albion's voice in Izuku's mind. And I am familiar with the one he speaks of. The Flood of Youth, a rare healing Sacred Gear that was responsible for creating the legend of the 'River of Paradise'. Alexander the Great himself sought it out,
"Buying it cost me almost everything," admitted Dr. Shield. "But I didn't care because I could finally help All Might. There was only one problem: control. There was no way of telling if the subject would be de-aged. Most of the time, they came back as a mere child. And attempts to use it on a single individual multiple times in a row were met with failure. So, finding myself with this problem, I set to work at once. I gathered test subjects. It wasn't that hard. I have contacted in many countries who were willing to supply me. Some, like in the States, donated to me their homeless. Others, like in Japan, gave me criminals from Tartarus. With each test and the assistance of Sam, I drew one step closer to solving the control issue."
"Papa," began Melissa, her body shaking. Not that Izuku could blame her, as he felt his body shaking too. Both of them were suspecting something horrible but neither of them could bring their voices to say it. For Melissa, it was because this was her father. As for Izuku, the man before them was the first sidekick All Might ever had. The man who had created all of All Might's costumes and had helped heroes all over the world. They couldn't even ask what was on their mind. But Itsuka, well, she was a different matter.
"You," began the Class Rep of 1-B, pausing for a moment to gulp. "You said that you could only use this thing you found on people once. What did you do with all the test subjects?"
"What did I do with them?" echoed Dr. Shield, tilting his head as he spoke. Like he had just heard a very foolish question. "I disposed of them, of course. They were of no further use to me."
"Papa! How could you?!" screamed Melissa, tears running down her eyes.
"What? It's not like they were doing anything important with their lives," replied Dr. Shield, his voice having the audacity to sound offended. "All of the prisoners from places like Japan would have stayed there for the rest of their lives, tax dollars going to pay for basic necessities spanning decades. Homeless? The only thing they would ever amount to was being a casualty statistic from a villain. At least with me, I gave their lives a purpose. To help return the greatest hero the world has ever seen back to his full might! After that, what? Was I supposed to feed them, clothe them, and so forth, draining more of my resources? I think not."
"There's no way All Might would ever use that!" spat Izuku, anger flaring up inside him. "Not after he realizes the cost of making him younger again!" The green-eyed teen was shaking with rage. He couldn't believe it! How could someone who admired All Might, what All Might stood for, talk about others' lives like they were trivial? Like they didn't matter?!
"Yes, you are right. You are absolutely correct," agreed Dr. Shield, sounding very pleasant again. Like the two of them were thinking on the same wavelength. And that just caused Izuku's rage to boil all the more. "All Might, well, he might not be the brightest, but even he will at least suspect there was some cost to all of this. I could lie of course, but sooner or later the truth will come out. And, once it does, that moral code of his, that sense of righteousness, would never allow him to use the miracle that I created for him. But what if there were a greater danger? What if the world needed All Might like never before? What if there was a crisis so dire that, for the sake of justice, he would have to put aside his moral outrage?"
Izuku stared at the man. Then, he looked around. At all safety boxes containing the wonders of I-Island, many of which had been deemed too dangerous to be released to the world at large. Then, he looked over at Wolfram, who was giving him a toothy grin. Then, he looked over at Sam, who was still clutching the device.
"You're giving away all of I-Island's secrets to the villains," whispered Izuku as the weight of the situation fully fell on him.
"Haha!" laughed Wolfram. "We've got a smart one here!"
As he heard the villain's confirmation, Izuku felt all the rage leave him for a moment as a cold emptiness consumed him. While All Might's presence was enough to keep crime low, there were other factors to consider. Namely, the large number of heroes with proper training and better gear that common villains couldn't get their hands on. Those other heroes filled in the gaps where All Might wasn't currently present. But, with this plan, that was going to end. The technology on I-Island was far more advanced than what even the best support companies out there were offering. Even the most basic technology, handing it out to one or villains for each item they managed to recreate, could drastically tip the scales in favor of the villains. But if they could mass-produce the technology here before the rest of the world realized what was happening? It would be like returning to the age of chaos, back when quirks first appeared! The complete destruction of the world as they knew it!
What was worse was that Izuku knew what would happen. After Dr. Shield and these villains set the world on fire, All Might would try to save everyone. However, if what the mad scientist was saying was the truth, then there would be even limits to what the greatest hero alive could do. With billions or more lives being put in danger every day, with the chaos growing more and more, and the guilt All Might will feel knowing that he could have stopped this, he would have no choice but to use the machine to regain his youth. Heck, the situation might be so bad that it would take decades to repair so even if All Might wasn't losing his quirk and just getting older, he might need to use the machine just to make sure everything was taken care of.
As these thoughts ran through his head, Izuku looked over to see that both Melissa and Itsuka were thinking the same thing.
"Papa," gasped Melissa, looking ready to cry. "How could you ever…People are going to die!"
The uncaring shrug that Dr. Shield gave reignited the rage within Izuku. "A sad, but necessary sacrifice for the greater good," he answered. Hearing him talk like the lives he was going to destroy were nothing more than spilled milk on the counter caused Izuku's fists to clench tighter while his legs tensed up. How the hell was this man ever All Might's sidekick?
"And what about you?" demanded Itsuka as she turned her attention towards the villain. Well, the villain known as Wolfram. "Are you ok with this, knowing that he's just going to be bringing All Might back to full power?"
"Hey, it's business," said Wolfram with a grin. "Supply and demand. Right now, there's a huge demand from villains to get the tech they need so things can go back to the good old days before All Might showed up. Once the world hears how we managed to break into the Vault, then the underground will be shilling out the big dough for what we can offer. Of course, once the shock wears off on the heroes and they get their act together, then maybe they punch back a little harder. So we offer the villains a little something more. On and on that goes, even when a younger All Might shows up on the scene. Of course, we'll be keeping a few things to keep me and my boys safe once things reach a head. It could be when All Might does turn the tide or when villains have taken down all the heroes. Whatever happens, we'll be ready to disappear to some corner of the world that is not covered in flames to live out the rest of our insanely rich lives."
"And there you have it," said Sam, speaking for the first time in a while.
"No," whispered Melissa, shaking her head as she did so. When she spoke next, she did so much louder with tears in her eyes. "No! Papa, this is wrong. Even if you are right, there has to be a better way! If All Might really is getting weaker, then you could make better support gear for other heroes and-"
"Melissa!" interrupted Dr. Shield, his voice coming out more stern than anything he had used before. "I have been a scientist working on support gear for longer than you've been alive! I have helped countless heroes, hoping that with my help, they might rise up to the same level as All Might. And do you know how many succeeded? Zero! None of them, with all the gear I provided, could even come close to making the same level of impact as All Might could naturally. Don't you understand? The world doesn't need more useless heroes. The world doesn't need people like your friends. It doesn't need people like me. The world doesn't need you. The only person this world needs, the only person who really matters, is All Might!"
Izuku's, Itsuka's, and Melissa's eyes widened as Dr. Sheild bellowed the name of the Symbol of Peace. The man had all but thrown back his head as the name seemed to echo all around them. And, when he finished, the mad scientist was panting. But there was something else to him. The man looked at the three of them like, well, he was happy. Like he had shared something profound and believed from the bottom of his heart that they felt the same way.
Only, they didn't. At least, Izuku didn't. Because what this man was saying went against Izuku's personal beliefs and dreams. He had spent years of his life hearing people say that his dreams didn't matter. That he didn't matter or would ever amount to anything. So hearing this man say this, brought back those old memories. Only, instead of cowering, he stood ready to deny this man.
"Now," breathed Dr. Shield as he held out his hand towards Melissa. "Now that you know the truth, all three of you know what you must do." The man didn't explain himself further because he was right. They all knew what he wanted them to do. Just step aside and let them continue.
And as he held out his hand, Melissa gritted her teeth while closing her eyes. Izuku watched her as she shook her head, tears landing on her visor for a moment as she was no doubt confronted with the most difficult choice of her life. Then, when she opened her eyes, Izuku could see that she was steeling herself for what was to come next.
She adjusted her blaster so it was now facing her father. "Dr. Shield," she said in a tone that made the man take a step back. "As the hero Dracotech, I promise to stop you." Then, she fired.