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The party was a complete flop.
It was supposed to be a simple night with friends and heroes hanging out and chatting. However, it appears that danger is associated with the 1-A class.
Midoriya didn't have much time to think after realizing what he needed to do at this hour. He sighed as he approached the door of his mentor's hotel room. He took a deep breath before finally knocking on All Might's room door.
“ Come in. ”
All Might said in hushed tones. Midoriya paused for a moment before entering the room. Only to collide with something as hard as Kirishima's skin.
All Might was startled when he heard a loud thud outside his room. He slowly got up and as he called out to Midoriya.
" Are you okay, my boy ?" All Might asked in a concerned voice. Before anyone spoke up, he heard a grunt. "I-I'm all right, All Might."
All Might was about to inquire with concern when Midoriya spoke up again, "Uh, h-how do I open this?" Midoriya inquired while grunting in pain.
All Might's eyes widened with surprise, but he quickly suppressed his laughter. He grabbed a device and pressed a button. The door to All Might's hotel room split open, revealing a cluttered room with clothes strewn across the king-sized bed in the center. Midoriya was peering through the open space with his green messy hair, rubbing the sore spot on his head when he hit the metal door.
Midoriya frowned as he saw the rest of his mentor's clothes from earlier, All Might's once vibrant hero suit now tattered and splattered with blood and grime. Midoriya averted his gaze, not wanting to recall such an event.
" I'm sorry Young Midoriya, I completely forgot how doors worked ," All Might said quietly. Midoriya looked around the room, but there was no one there. "Where are you, A-All Might?"
"Oh, I'm in the bathroom right now, Young Midoriya," replied All Might. "It's fine to come in; I'm just taking an ice bath for the time being, and don't worry, I'm dressed in my underwear if you're wondering."
‘ Why the hell would I want to wonder about that? ’ The thought made Midoriya shudder.
“ Come in, come in. ”
Midoriya shut the door behind him and hopped over to the bathroom door, which was just open enough for All Might's voice to be heard clearly. From around the corner, he could see the water's surface completely covered with crushed up ice cubes, with nothing beneath. ‘ Thankfully… ’
He took a deep breath in, bracing himself for what was to come, and pushed the bathroom door open. All Might greeted with a smile and a small wave of his hand, but quickly lowered it back into the water after a painful wincing on his left side of his body. And, thankfully for Midoriya, the hero was indeed wearing a pair of solid black spandex briefs on his bottom, as he had stated.
“Hey All Might.”
“Hello my boy.” The hero said before coughing three times and spitting blood out of his mouth. With his unsubmerged hand, he wiped the blood from his mouth. “How are you feeling?”
"I'm feeling better," Midoriya said, handing All Might a box of tissues he found on the bathroom floor. "And what about you?"
"Ugh, I feel old. Much older than I usually feel, might be a sign to hang it up hehe," All Might groaned as he stretched his back.
"You're not old, All Might; you're just uh...eh...e-experienced, or skilled, I believe is a better term."
Might was amused by his student's...antics. "Thank you, Young Midoriya, for not calling me wise; otherwise, I'd feel like some nasty little gremlin in outer space who lives in a swamp."
"A little gremlin?"
"Don't worry about it, Young Midoriya."
"O-okay, I just came to check in on you before I went to bed, and the officers and police have already come to ask me a few questions," Midoriya explained. "How are you, particularly after, you know, M-Mr. Shield?"
All Might sighed deeply as he sank deeper beneath the icy surface. Looking into his eyes, the student realized that the events of tonight, centered on David Shield's web of a plan, had pierced a very sensitive spot within the hero's soul.
"I'm still shocked that David would even consider doing something like this; jeopardizing the safety of an entire island just to retrieve an item that was taken from him? That's reckless, and I thought he was smarter than that." All Might stated solemnly.
"Actually, from what I heard when Shield and I found him in the control room, he didn't realize the hired villains were actual villains; he thought he had just hired people posing as villains who wouldn't hurt anyone." All Might nodded thoughtfully.
The hero squinted at Midoriya. "I'm sorry, Shield? Are you referring to Melissa?"
"W-well yeah," shrugged Midoriya. "Sorry, I'm still not used to addressing her by her first name."
The hero responded to the student's antics with a small chuckle and a humorous smile. "Young Midoriya, you don't have to refer to Melissa as Shield; just call her by her first name, as is customary in America. She calls you by your first name, so you're free to do the same to her."
"She actually calls me Deku after hearing Uraraka-san call me that. I-I don't mind, might as well get used to it since people will be calling me Deku once I become an official pro," Midoriya explained as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Deku huh? Hmm that's odd, I would've thought she called you Izuku but eh. To each their own preferences. Have you tried speaking to her?" All Might asked.
“What?”
"Speaking to Melissa," All Might said again, "the whole thing was because of her own father, I doubt she's in a good mood after all this. My phone got busted up after the fight, and all the mainlines are temporarily cut off once the cops and heroes finish their business, so I can't call her myself to check."
"I can't call her either," Midoriya said, "I-I mean, I wouldn't be able to anyway, because I don't have her phone number or anything like that."
"Could you please go check on her?"
"I..." Midoriya paused before continuing. Even with their few conversations, he considered how he could possibly assist her. "Wait, why me?"
All Might smiled at his successor's thoughtful expression. Midoriya has a tendency to help people in need regardless of the circumstances, but Midoriya's lack of self-esteem is holding him back slightly, causing him to hesitate in situations.
"Because you're both young, it's easier for people your age to speak with each other. I would go myself, but my body is just worn out after all of that, I was barely able to get myself in here without stumbling all over the place like a drunk idiot. Besides, Melissa is a really nice person, and honestly, I think it will be good for you both if you speak to each other just this one last time.”
All Might waited for a response before shifting to a more relaxed position in the icy bath. Midoriya had a thoughtful expression on his face as he looked down at his hands. All Might is correct in every case; even though he's a socially awkward teenager, he understands what All Might is saying. Children enjoy playing with other children, and teenagers tend to band together. He returned his gaze to All Might but said nothing.
"So, my boy, would you please do me a solid, as the kids say these days, and go check on her? It doesn't have to be long, just pop in and pop out."
Midoriya sighed as he considered the offer. He'd already spoken with Melissa earlier today, so he knew All Might was telling the truth about her personality. She was even willing to listen to him mumble words that his peers couldn't understand. She was thoughtful enough to hand over a prototype that she had most likely worked on for months to someone she had only known for a day, and she was smart enough to know what she wanted to do with her life.
The majority of people her age have many ideas and dreams, but they are unsure of what they want to be or how they want to turn out. He had a feeling that, despite the limitations of being stuck on I-Island, Melissa's amazing support items would reach all corners of the globe. Maybe even being the island's head owner, or whatever it's called.
The socially awkward part of his mind told him not to go, but the heroic and kind part of him urged him to go anyway. He didn't want to end up in a socially awkward situation with a really pretty girl, but he also wanted to make sure she was okay. Or, at the very least, not crying alone in a corner. He slapped his cheeks and gave a determined nod with another short sigh to push away his nervous demeanor.
"Now that's more like it!" All Might buffed out and gave his successor a proud grin, but he quickly deflated.
"P-please don't push yourself All Might," Midoriya said, concerned that pushing past his limits would cost him time. All Might responded with a nod.
"OK, I'll go check on her, just to make sure she's okay, but how will I do that? Isn't the island under total lockdown, and we're not allowed to leave the buildings?"
"True, BUT some people have special access that allows them to bypass the security protocols as long as they have these access keys." All Might Informed.
"In the top right drawer of my dresser is a red and black keycard with the words 'Top Priority Access' on the back; take it and go to Melissa's lab; the card should allow you to get past any security you encounter, but just in case, keep your phone on you so that you can video call me and I'll clear up any issues. Got it?”
“Yes sir!” Midoriya gave a salute, All Might just chuckled in amusement as he ruffled the student's hair.
"Good, now go. Your future supporter is waiting for you, hehe." All Might laughed at Midoriya's abrupt shift from confident to shy.
Melissa sighed, her heart filled with overwhelming sadness and drowning confusion as she gazed out the window of her personal laboratory. Her face was seared from all the tears she'd shed today, all of them seemingly without end until just five minutes ago. Her entire world appeared to be crumbling at the seams after what appeared to be the biggest betrayal she had ever experienced.
David Shield, her own father, risked the entire island's safety to recover an item that had been 'stolen' from him. She's learned through personal interrogation that the item was intended to be used in support of All Might, for whatever reason she doesn't know because he won't tell her. Nonetheless. Melissa had no idea her father would stoop so low to get what he wanted.
Swiveling in her stool, she examined the various support items she had created with the assistance of her father. A pair of amateur foot boosters that crashed landed less than a minute after takeoff. A cloaking device that was supposed to refract light around the wearer, but the wiring had malfunctioned and instead reflected the light, blinding everyone in the vicinity, something she's not particularly proud of but that was still fun to make.
Along with an ion cannon that ejected green globs of energy capable of decimating anything in its path. Originally titled 'MAW,' which stands for 'Massive Atom Weapon,' it was later renamed BFG, which isn't exactly kid-friendly. But who said it was meant for kids?
She was slightly startled when a pair of knocks vibrated off the door's metal surface. She wiped her tears away and didn't bother changing out of the dance clothes she'd worn earlier, most likely going to sleep in them. So what is the point?
“ Come in .” She spoke with a slightly hoarse voice.
Behind her metal door, a loud thud can be heard.
" Ow, not again...uh...eh-ehe, Melissa? Are you in there? Uh, the door won't open ."
"Oh- pbbbt ," the girl sputtered, her hand covering her giggles, realizing that whoever had just tried to enter her lab had hit their head on the door, thinking it would open on its own. "I'm so sorry; that was my mistake; I'll get the door."
Melissa hopped off her stool and headed for the door, activating the sliding mechanism by pressing a button on the console. The student she met earlier was rubbing the top left corner of his forehead with a gentle palm as the metal surfaces slid up and down. Because he just walked straight into the door that he thought would open on its own.
He was dressed in a solid black hoodie with dark blue jeans and his usual red shoes, which wasn't exactly the most appropriate attire given the island's state of lockdown. Just throw on a balaclava to make him look like a robber.
"Oh, Deku-kun," Melissa said, turning around quickly to wipe her left eye before returning to him. "You appear to be better."
"H-Hey Melissa," Midoriya responded. "I-I'm not bothering you, am I? If I am, please let me know so I can leave you alone."
"No, it's fine, you're not bothering anyone; come in."
"Thank you," Midoriya said as she entered Melissa's lab and tapped the button once more to close it. He immediately felt the awkward air in the room, which he didn't want to feel because it was the main reason he didn't want to come.
But if he wanted to be a hero in the future, he should be prepared for situations like this. All Might has most likely been in this situation before. He turned to Melissa, who was just staring at him, tears clearly in her eyes, as he tried to swallow the nervous feeling. ' Oh boy .'
"Are you all right?" Melissa inquired. "I know tonight was a rough night, and your class had to deal with a lot, aside from being amazing."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Midoriya replied with a nod. "How about you?"
"I've been better...I've been better...Yeah, I've been better—"
' Oh, no. Please don’t cry. Please don’t cry. Please don’t cry .'
"I'm sorry," she said, raising her finger to wipe away at her right eye. "I'm still a little shaken; I never thought papa would even consider doing something like this—"
' Aw sh— ,'
Melissa burst into an uncontrollable rage of sad waterworks, covering her face with both hands as the tears flowed in unending torrents. Midoriya panicked and looked around for anything that could help, such as tissues, paper towels, or a rag to wipe her face.
He quickly grabbed a lime green rag from the pile of other support items on the table and aimed to give it to her until it split into two smaller rags. He held the rags with a shaky grip until they broke into smaller and smaller pieces every time he touched them. He eventually gave up and tossed the pile of rags, which were essentially scraps at this point, onto the table, where the scraps began to mesh back together into a single large one.
' WHAT?!?! Oh, forget about it! 'Stepping over to Melissa quickly, he hesitated for a moment before shaking his head side to side and going for it. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly, surprised when she returned the hug with her own strength, crying into his left shoulder.
Midoriya immediately froze with the action, but pushed it aside for the time being, returning his focus to the current goal of comforting the girl, as All Might had requested. He gently patted her back and let her let it all out, not even admitting out loud that the hug felt somewhat nice to have. Even if it wasn't him who was the recipient.
"I-I'm sorry about all of this, Melissa," he said softly into her ear as she began to calm down. He honestly didn't know what to say after this, so he just shut up and let her cry.
Melissa backed down and wiped both of her eyes away with a final sniffle against his shoulder. Midoriya was certain that any makeup she had previously worn had been completely washed away by her tears by this point. Not that she needed it; at the time of their first meeting, he thought she was beautiful enough as she is. "S-Sorry for crying into your shoulder, I just needed it."
"No, it's okay, Melissa, I-I don't mind; I mean, I did come to check on you because All Might asked me to, and I also want to check on you."
"Oh, Uncle Might sent you, huh? Thank you, and that's very nice of him. I haven't been able to contact him since we all returned to our rooms, so I guess his phone died or something," Melissa stated.
"His phone was broken in the fight, and he said the mainlines were temporarily disabled because of the lockdown, but he let me take his access key to get past all the security," Midroiya explained.
"That's good; we don't want any cops out there thinking you're trying to steal something," Melissa explained. "I'm sorry this night had to be ruined for you guys; coming all the way over here from Japan only to have it ruined by a gang of villains; I was looking forward to that planned dance, but oh well."
She sighed and gave him a sad smile. He frowned at her expression, not wanting to see her like this. But his frown morphed into a puzzled expression.
"The dance?" Midoriya pondered for a moment before recalling that there was a planned event. "Oh right, the dance! I forgot about it."
"I wouldn't be surprised if you and Uncle Might forgot about a silly little dance after fighting a massive villain who was able to control the metal of the building."
"Um...I-I mean, d-do you still want to do the dance?"
“Huh?”
"The dance," Midoriya said hesitantly, his face flushed with embarrassment. "D-Do you still want to dance? I-I MEAN, I'M NOT SAYING YOU SHOULD DANCE WITH ME! But, um, maybe we could find someone else who wanted to dance?"
Melissa looked at the boy with interest because his words contradicted his body posture. It was clear that he wanted to help her in any way he could, but there were some things that made him feel a little embarrassed to even think about. Something that she thought to be really cute of him aside from his good looks. She smiled and stepped out of the embrace. "No, I think a dance with you would be fun."
"Y-you sure?" Midoriya asked nervously, hoping she'd reconsider her dance partner. "I mean, I have a few friends who might like to dance as well."
Melissa shook her head. "No, that's fine. I’d like to have this dance with you, if you don’t mind."
"All right, s-sure...should I change?"
"Your clothes are fine, nobody's going to judge you for it," Melissa said as she opened a web browser on her personal laptop. As the boy was left to his own resources for dancing, she typed a few requests into the search bar and opened a video streaming application to search for a specific song choice. She found the perfect, slow beat of a classical tune that lyrically is about discord in a long relationship, but the beat, along with the R&B groove, just felt perfect.
The Isley Brothers - Pt. 1 & 2
"There we go," Melissa said, turning up the volume just enough to create an underlying mood in the room without completely drowning it out. She turned around to see a completely nervous and completely freaked out Midoriya barely holding it together and whose knees were more wobbly than a plate of jello in the world. "Are you all right?"
‘ NO! ’
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," he said, clearing his throat. Melissa walked over to him, and the boy steadied his hands as they both nodded approval.
Melissa was the first to move, placing her hands gently atop his shoulders, followed by Midoriya, who placed his hands against her ribs. It took several awkward moments for the two high school students to begin swaying and moving to the gentle beat of the music.
Neither of them said it aloud, but they both agreed that the other looked beautiful/handsome even after the events of the evening. Midoriya's emerald orbs matched her soft color preferences, while her own aqua blue pupils drew every ounce of his attention. It reminded him of Midnight, another beautiful woman he sees on a weekly basis, except that both of the girls were stunning in their own right.
“Midoriya-kun?” Melissa inquired. "Does this happen to be your first time dancing?"
"Y-Yeah," he stuttered, blushing from embarrassment. "Yes, it is, and I apologize if I am not particularly good at it."
"Oh, it's okay, I wouldn't hold it against you; I'm sorry for taking your first dance."
"I-It's fine, if my first dance helps someone get better, I'm all for it," Midoriya said shyly.
"You're quite interesting, you know?" Melissa observed. "You try to do great things, but it's as if your own mind is limiting how you show it."
"Eh, it's a long story, and I wouldn't want to bother you with it, especially on the one and only night I'm going to stay here," Midoriya said. "Perhaps when I return here, if that ever happens, which I doubt."
"Or you can text me about it. You seem like a nice person to be friends with, and I wouldn't mind having someone to text or talk to outside of this island; I mean, I'm not allowed to leave anyway, so it's not like I can visit Japan whenever I want."
"T-Texting, you? It's not that bad, I think I can live with it." Midoriya replied with a smile.
Melissa smiled, reinforcing his belief that she was stunning even without makeup. "Then I'm looking forward to it."