Tower-I shone at the heart of the island like a beacon in the middle of the night.
Lights traced the lines of its colossal two-hundred-story structure, holographic panels displayed I-Expo logos and sponsor names, while beams of light shot up into the sky, visible even from the farthest corners of the island.
The building was buzzing with activity, drones patrolling the perimeter and lines of well-dressed guests streaming through the main entrances.
In the middle of it all, Midoriya was running in a hurry.
"S-sorry! Sorry!" he muttered to himself, dodging guests while hastily adjusting his red suit with thin black vertical stripes. His tie was a bit crooked, his hair more unruly than usual, and his expression was pure panic.
He rushed through the main doors almost breathless and headed straight for the central elevators… only to stop abruptly.
"Ah… that's right…" he panted.
A verification panel descended from the ceiling. A camera and scanner swept his body from head to toe, analyzing his identity, authorization, and access level. Midoriya stood perfectly still, trying not to look any more nervous than he already was.
[ID: V11586879]
[IZUKU MIDORIYA]
[ACCESS GRANTED]
The retractable door opened with a soft shhhk.
"Whew…" he sighed, quickly stepping inside.
The elevator ascended in absolute silence, the background music barely registering with Izuku. When it stopped on the first floor, the doors opened… and he walked right into the part of the group already gathered.
"E-everyone!" he said, bowing slightly. "Sorry I'm late!"
Iida, impeccable in a perfectly tailored dark blue suit, adjusted his glasses with a stiff gesture.
"Midoriya! Punctuality is a fundamental virtue at formal events!"
"Sorry…" he repeated, on autopilot, before looking around. "Wait… where's everyone else?"
"They haven't arrived yet," replied Iida, clearly disappointed. "Frankly, what do they think it means to attend an official event as a group?!"
Todoroki, in a white suit over a light blue shirt, shrugged.
"They're probably stuck choosing clothes."
Kaminari laughed.
"Maybe they're lost in this maze."
Sero agreed with a nod.
Before Iida could retort, one of the other four elevator doors opened.
Uraraka stepped out slowly, clearly feeling awkward, wearing a pink dress with a full, rounded skirt that resembled a ballerina's costume. Her black tights contrasted with the light color of the dress, and she scratched the back of her neck, nervous.
"S-sorry I'm late…"
Midoriya froze.
"U-Uraraka…?"
She looked up.
"Hm? What is it?"
"N-Nothing, nothing! It's just that…" he gulped, his face turning red. "You look… really beautiful in that dress."
Uraraka blinked… and instantly blushed.
"T-thanks…" she murmured, smiling shyly. "I ended up borrowing it from Momo…"
Before the atmosphere could get any more awkward, another elevator opened.
Momo stepped out first, elegant as always, wearing a sophisticated green dress that looked tailor-made. Right behind her, almost hiding, came Jiro.
"Jiro… you don't need to hide," Momo said softly, smiling.
Jiro gulped and stepped forward, revealing her hot pink dress with a little black jacket over it, reminiscent of a bold, almost "lollipop" style that was way too cute for her usual taste.
"S-sorry…" she said, scratching her cheek. "I'm not used to this kind of outfit…"
"You look super cute in it!" Kaminari blurted out without thinking.
Jiro froze.
"D-Do you really think so...?"
Her face turned bright red immediately.
But before she could answer, Kaminari had already walked right past her, stopping in front of Momo.
"You too Momo, you're on another level today— like, this should be illegal—"
Crack
Two of her headphone jacks shot out in a quick motion and connected to Kaminari's back.
"Huh—?!"
A sonic vibration ran through his body, making him fall stiffly to the floor.
"Argh!? W-WHAT?! What was that for?!"
Jiro turned her back, crossing her arms.
"Idiot…"
The group fell silent for a second, until Sero burst out laughing.
"Dude, you totally had that coming."
Iida cleared his throat, trying to restore the group's composure.
"Ahem! Regardless, pull yourselves together! Important guests are still missing, and this event demands proper behavior!"
Todoroki looked around, indifferent.
"So… we're still missing 6 more..."
The door of another elevator opened soon after.
Dash stepped out first… and immediately seemed to want to go back in.
He was wearing a neatly fitted slate-blue suit, a white shirt underneath, and a red tie he couldn't stop adjusting. The boy was visibly awkward, his face slightly flushed, his shoulders stiff as if he didn't know where to put his hands.
"S-sorry we're late…" he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Before he could finish, Pony appeared right behind him, still gently holding onto his arm.
"He got lost on the way," she added cheerfully, her accent thick. "But he was lucky I found him along the way!"
Pony wore a beautiful light beige dress that fell softly, highlighting her delicate demeanor, and a tiara of colorful flowers adorned her hair. The whole look gave her an almost ethereal air.
Sero whistled loudly.
"Ooh la la~ look at that! We've got a couple over here!"
Part of the group laughed.
Dash immediately covered his face with his hands.
"S-s-stop it…!"
"Hey, don't be like that," said Pony, giving his arm a slight squeeze. "They're just teasing."
When Dash had calmed down a bit, Pony let go and walked over to the group of girls. Uraraka, Momo, and Jiro immediately started complimenting her.
"You look so cute in that dress!"
"It suits you so much, Pony!"
"You look just like one of those princesses from storybooks."
Pony smiled happily, swaying a little from side to side.
Meanwhile, Dash was left behind… stuck between Sero and Kaminari.
"Man, not only did you invite her, but you show up all cuddly too," teased Sero, giving him a light nudge with his elbow.
"Yeah…" said Kaminari, crossing his arms. "Dude shows up with a pretty date and everything… How shameless."
"You're just jealous, Kaminari," retorted Sero with a mischievous grin.
"Jealous? Me?" Kaminari pointed at himself. "No, no... Well, maybe a little…"
"G-guys, take it easy…" Dash pleaded nervously. "If you talk Japanese this fast I won't understand anything…"
Midoriya chuckled softly beside Iida, who let slip a small, restrained smile.
But then, Izuku noticed movement from another elevator.
"Hm…?"
The doors opened.
Ryo stepped out first.
He wore an impeccable dark green suit — blazer, pants, and vest all in the same deep tone. The white shirt contrasted with his neatly tied black tie, and his plain black shoes reflected the light. His hair, which was usually looser, was now combed and neat, making his face look even more handsome… and elegant.
Beside him was Melissa.
For a second, the entire floor seemed to fall silent.
Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, tied with a large black bow. Her bangs were swept back, held in place by a red headband, while the rest of her hair softly framed her face. She wasn't wearing glasses because she had switched to contact lenses.
Golden oval earrings swayed slightly as she walked.
The off-the-shoulder dress had a sweetheart neckline. The top was dark blue; the skirt was a fluid, elegant light blue. A black fabric belt marked the transition between the colors, with a large white rose positioned slightly to the left, hiding the fabric's tie. Black ruffles peeked out from under the skirt at knee height.
On her feet were white high-heeled sandals with crisscross straps. Her nails — both fingers and toes — were painted a coral shade, matching the soft lipstick on her lips.
Melissa walked slightly shyly, her cheeks flushed, talking quietly with Ryo.
"You look very beautiful in your dress, Melissa," he said sincerely, not realizing the others could hear… or perhaps not caring.
"R-Rito-kun…" she murmured, her face turning even redder. "Thank you…"
The group fell silent for a moment.
Then Kaminari broke the spell.
"Okay, this is just unfair now."
Sero nodded in agreement.
"Definitely unfair."
Uraraka blinked in surprise.
"Melissa… you look gorgeous!"
Momo smiled elegantly.
"Truly… that dress is perfect on you."
Melissa brought a hand to her chest, feeling bashful.
"T-thank you…!"
Ryo walked up to Dash and gave him a light punch on the shoulder, smiling.
"You look pretty cool in that suit," he commented. "It just seems... a little too big for you."
Dash scratched his head awkwardly.
"It's my dad's," he replied. "I got lucky he still had it in the closet... he ended up lending it to me."
Ryo's eyes widened slightly in surprise before breaking into a smile.
"I see. The important thing is that it looks good on you."
Dash blinked, taken aback by the response. Around them, the rest of the group also noticed the change.
"His mood seems to have improved a lot..." Midoriya murmured to Iida.
Iida agreed, adjusting his glasses.
"He's not forcing those smiles anymore..." he observed. "It seems natural now."
Uraraka approached the two, curious.
"You guys noticed it too, right?"
Both nodded, and Iida added:
"I think the whole group noticed. He wasn't being very discreet during the tour after all."
Momo was also watching Ryo from a distance, noticing his smile as he chatted with Dash.
"I wonder what happened to put him in such a good mood?" she asked.
Melissa followed Momo's gaze to Ryo, right as Midoriya and Iida were approaching the two. Beside her, Jiro tilted her head slightly.
"Did something happen between you two?" she asked. "You guys went out together after the tour, didn't you?"
Pony chuckled softly.
"Yeah! She mentioned they were going to her gym or something."
Melissa turned to Jiro too quickly, blushing.
"N-nothing major happened!" she said. "I just... helped him with something he asked for."
Jiro raised a skeptical eyebrow.
"Helped him with what, exactly?"
Melissa opened her mouth but froze. In her mind, memories came without warning: Ryo hugging her, spinning her in the air, his light laugh, the warm, cozy feeling she felt...
Her face turned even redder. She fidgeted with her fingers.
"I... helped him test something," she replied, looking away.
Momo and Jiro looked even more confused, while Pony just laughed, clearly enjoying the situation. Melissa mumbled something inaudible before raising her voice:
"B-But we don't have time for this now."
She turned, getting everyone's attention.
"The party is probably starting soon, so we should better go—"
Before she could finish, a loud alarm echoed through the building.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
[This is an announcement from the I-Island Security System]
An artificial voice resonated through the speakers.
[A report has been submitted indicating the presence of an explosive device in the I-Expo zone. I-Island is now entering a state of maximum alert.]
"A-a bomb?!" exclaimed Sero, looking around tensely.
"How did a bomb get in here?" murmured Todoroki, frowning.
The metallic sound of moving mechanisms filled the surroundings. Security hatches began to descend, sealing off elevators and windows.
[Main buildings will be sealed as a preventive measure.]
Dash looked around nervously.
"W-What's happening?"
Ryo clenched his fists as he looked around.
"I'm not sure... but it's definitely not good."
Melissa took a deep breath and raised her voice, trying to stay calm.
"Everyone, stay where you are!" she said. "This is part of the island's containment system. It activates as soon as it detects any anomaly in the security system or receives an external report. And it seems a bomb has been detected in the tower..."
The lighthearted atmosphere from minutes ago vanished completely, replaced by a heavy tension spreading through the air.
----------------------------------------
The Reception Hall descended into chaos in seconds. The party was interrupted by a piercing alarm, and immediately after, containment devices rose from the floor, ensnaring the heroes with brilliant blue energy bands, ultra-resistant. Before anyone could react, armed men stormed the venue, pointing their guns in every direction.
Near the buffet table, Edna was next to Lucien when it all happened.
"What's going on here?" he asked, clearly confused.
A scream sounded behind them.
"Eeek! N-no! No, please…" A girl quickly crouched and hid under the table. Trembling, she pulled her oversized white lab coat around herself, her glasses sliding down her nose. "I'm scared… I don't want to die…"
Edna slowly turned her head, looking at the young woman hiding.
"Stop trembling," she said in a dry tone. "If you're going to hide, do it properly. And breathe. Panic doesn't help anyone."
Despite the harsh tone, Edna remained close to the table, steady, while Mira seemed strangely calm.
In the center of the hall, not even All Might was spared. The bindings tightened around him, pinning his arms. He tried to fight against the containment.
"Dammit…!" he grunted, straining his body.
A gunshot echoed through the hall.
Wolfram stepped onto the podium, gun raised.
"Don't move, All Might," he said coldly. "If you try anything, I'll kill everyone here in seconds."
He pointed the gun at the guests and sponsors below. The group recoiled in panic.
All Might gritted his teeth, but before he could respond, Wolfram kicked him, sending him crashing back against his bindings.
"There. Very good," the villain smiled. "Stay right there. Be a good boy."
Wolfram then turned to everyone in the hall.
"Pay attention. I didn't come here to kill anyone," he said, slightly raising his gun. "As long as you do exactly as I say, everyone will walk out alive."
Wolfram raised a hand to his ear upon receiving a call on the intercom.
"Hm? …Understood."
He disconnected and swept his gaze across the hall until his eyes stopped on a man near the podium.
"You," he pointed. "Are you a researcher here?"
Sam gulped, feeling his heart race.
"Y-Yes, I am…"
"Excellent." Wolfram made a casual gesture with his hand. "Take him."
Two henchmen immediately approached, but before they could touch him, David stepped forward.
"Wait!" he said firmly. "He is my assistant. What do you intend to do with him?"
Wolfram slowly turned, sizing David up and down.
"David Shield…" he smiled. "You're coming with us as well."
"And if I refuse?" David asked, tense.
Wolfram's smile widened. He raised his gun and, without hesitation, pointed it at Helena in the back.
"There are many answers to your question in this room, if you're curious…" he said, a malicious grin on his face. "If you still have doubts… we'll have to take an example with us too."
The henchmen grabbed Helena by the arms. She tried to resist, but it was futile, casting a tense look back at David.
David clenched his teeth.
"…Fine. I'll go."
Wolfram nodded, satisfied.
"Smart choice."
With that, Sam, David, and Helena were escorted out of the hall, surrounded by the armed men.
On the podium, All Might growled in frustration, straining against the restraints pinning him to the floor.
"Damn it…" he murmured. "Could I take them all on and reactivate the security system? In my current state…?"
He stopped moving as he noticed a discreet, almost imperceptible flash coming from the lobby above.
All Might looked up.
Up there, among beams and walkways, two silhouettes were moving carefully.
"…Y-Young Midoriya?" he murmured. "Young Takeda too…"
A determined, faint smile appeared on his face.
"Right… I am not alone in this…"
He gave a slight nod to the boys above.
"There is a person on this island who can rival me… and that person will be the key to us handling this crisis."