84 Chapter 83
[July 20th, 2149]
With the closing ceremony wrapping up and Summer Break officially beginning, Izuku found himself on a private jet with All Might, watching a movie as they made their way to I-Island.
Though it was called an island, I-Island was actually a floating, fortress-like city that constantly moved around to make it difficult for villains and foreign nations who desired their advanced technology to invade. Access to the island was heavily controlled, so much so that if you didn't have an invitation, attempting to get near it could be seen as a violation of several international treaties.
Upon reaching the island, Izuku and Toshinori were required to pass numerous security checkpoints. Even someone as famous as 'All Might,' who was personal friends with one of I-Island's most influential figures, needed to have his body scanned, biometric data recorded, and even his blood drawn before they were given temporary passes to enter the city.
Fortunately, Toshinori's status wasn't without its benefits, allowing him and Izuku to pass through the various security checkpoints much faster than ordinary guests. They were even issued Level 5 identification cards, permitting access to even the most restricted areas within the city so long as they had an escort.
Unfortunately, while they were able to pass through security a lot faster than normal, one of I-Island's concierges immediately recognized 'All Might,' her reaction drawing a large crowd that delayed them for nearly a full hour before they managed to free themselves...
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Striking a pose with lipstick covering his face and various parts of his body, Toshinori gave a barrel-chested laugh before saying, "Sorry about that, Izuku, my boy! I didn't anticipate such an enthusiastic welcome from the island's staff! Things were a bit more 'serious' when I came here a few years back!"
Adopting a wry smile, Izuku pointed out, "Well, you are one of the most famous Heroes in the world. But I have to ask...is your Crises Awareness not triggering? My Intuition has been going off ever since we started our approach..."
"Hmmm..."
Though he maintained his smile, Toshinori's expression and tone became serious as he crossed his arms and asked, "Didn't you previously mention that your Intuition triggers in anticipation of both good and bad events? Are you sure you aren't just nervous about our forthcoming meeting with Dave and his daughter, Melissa?"
Feeling more at ease, Izuku's smile relaxed as he replied, "You're probably right. Just don't go overboard trying to set up Melissa and me, okay? Even if the girls are strangely okay with it, I 'am' engaged..."
Though he exhaled another barrel-chested, hands-on-his-hips laugh, a bead of sweat ran down the left side of Toshinori's face. Melissa was the one to invite him to the I-Island Expo, so he had been in correspondence with her for the past month and a half. During that time, he had talked up Izuku quite a bit...perhaps a little too much...
*boing* *boing* *boing*
Hearing the almost cartoonish sound of spring being compressed and released, Izuku and Toshinori shifted their gazes to the top of a nearby set of stairs. What they saw was a beautiful, bespectacled girl with long blonde hair making her way toward them, her sizeable breasts bouncing up and down as she approached them on what appeared to be a pogo stick...
"There you are, Uncle! It's so good to see you~!" exclaimed the girl, beaming from ear to ear as she executed one final bounce, covering nearly twenty meters as she leaped at Toshinori. The latter caught her without issue, spinning around several times as he returned the notably 'thiccc' girl's embrace.
Though he couldn't help taking notice of Melissa's body, the thing that caught Izuku's eye was her pogo stick. The moment she leaped through the air, the crimson apparatus turned into light particles, transforming into a bracelet around the girl's wrist in the blink of an eye.
("How the hell does that even work...?") wondered Izuku, unable to keep a look of intrigue from his face. It was said that the technology of I-Island was at least fifty, possibly even a hundred years more advanced than the rest of the world, but he couldn't wrap his head around a mechanism that could turn what appeared to be a 5-10kg pogo stick into a bracelet that could be worn on a fairly ordinary girl's wrist...
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Name: [Melissa Shield]
Title: Party Invitation Required
Quirk: N/A
Bond Level: 88
Current Level: 13
Effective Level: 53
[Attributes]
Strength: 13
Agility: 10
Vitality: 41
Intelligence: 238
Dexterity: 38
Luck: 199
Free Attributes: 65
[Perks]
Party Invitation Required
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Seeing Melissa's status, Izuku couldn't help thinking ("Jesus Christ...talk about min-maxing. And that Bond Level...just what did Broshinori tell her about me...?")
When Toshinori eventually set her down, Melissa finally acknowledged Izuku's presence, a hint of intrigue visible within her pure blue eyes as she said, "You must be Izuku Midoriya. Though, seeing how you're in your Hero Costume, I suppose I should call you Paragon? Uncle Might has told me all about you."
Returning a smile of his own, Izuku retorted, "Hopefully not 'everything' while directing a sidelong glance at Toshinori..."
While Toshinori covered his mouth to stifle a cough, Melissa exhaled a soft chuckle before extending her hand to say, "Mostly good things, that much I can assure you. Either way, it's really nice to meet you, Midoriya-kun. I'm Melissa Shield."
Reciprocating Melissa's handshake, Izuku replied, "Likewise. I've been following your father's research since middle school, so it's an honor to meet his daughter. From what I hear, you're even more talented than he was at the same age."
Adopting a slightly awkward smile, Melissa replied, "Well, I did have the benefit of having David Shield as my father. I've worked hard to attain my current status as the top student in I-Island Academy, but I still have a ways to go before I can distinguish myself as more than just my father's daughter."
"Nonsense," said Toshinori. "You've already become a fine young lady, Melissa. I'm sure–no, I know your father is proud of you. It doesn't matter what others think. So long as you continue pushing forward and following your dreams, you are already walking your own path."
"Thanks, Uncle Might," replied Melissa, beaming radiantly as she combed a few stray hairs behind her ear. Then, as she was essentially their liaison, she began providing them a tour-guide-like overview of I-Island's various features while leading the way to her father's lab...
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As neither his daughter nor Toshinori had informed him of the latter's impending visit, David Shield, a bespectacled, middle-aged man with an average build, notable wrinkles on his forehead, messy brown hair, a short goatee, deep tear troughs, and distinct nose, had a look of disbelief on his face as he muttered, "Toshi...?"
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Name: [David Alexander Shield]
Title: Party Invitation Required
Quirk: Squirmy Fingers
Bond Level: 49
Current Level: 20
Effective Level: 62
[Attributes]
Strength: 17
Agility: 14
Vitality: 58
Intelligence: 313
Dexterity: 82
Luck: 143
Free Attributes: 100
[Perks]
Party Invitation Required
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Spreading his arms wide, Toshinori responded by striking one of his more iconic poses and shouting, "Yes, it is I, trembling with emotion due to our heartfelt reunion!"
"No way..." muttered David, his glasses nearly slipping from his face as a fat, balding man behind him began to sweat nervously.
"Yes, way!" shouted Toshinori, rushing forward to pick up and spin David just as he had Melissa. "I came all this way to see you, old friend! Tell me, how have you been these past few years!?"
With Toshinori setting him on the ground, David continued to stare at him with a look of disbelief, barely managing to utter, "I'm good..." in a wistful, notably dazed tone.
"Is that so?" asked Toshinori, hands on his hips as he teased, "You look like you've aged twenty years in the past ten. Have you not been eating well and exercising properly?"
Regaining a bit of his faculties, David adopted a wry smile, extending his hand so that Toshinori could help him rise as he replied, "You know how it is, Toshi. I get so caught up in my research that I forget everything else. If I didn't have Melissa and Sam here to look after me, I would spend half my time in the hospital from overworking."
Dabbing the sweat from his forehead, the aforementioned Sam nervously appended, "You exaggerate, Professor...also, it's a pleasure to finally meet you, All Might. Professor Shield is constantly going on about how amazing you were in your glory days..."
Holding up and waggling the index finger of his right hand, Toshinori's smile broadened as he replied, "I think you'll find I'm no less capable now than I was in my prime. In fact, I can almost guarantee it."
As Toshinori looked directly at him as he spoke, realization hit David like a gentle downpour after a protracted drought. His previous, somewhat forced smile became a lot more sincere, nearly rivaling the vibrancy of his daughter's as he exclaimed, "Could it be...!?" without making known what 'it' was.
Though he nodded in affirmation, Toshinori's verbal response was, "Can we speak in private?"
Without hesitation, David replied, "Yes, yes, of course!" before turning to his assistant, adding, "Sam, why don't you take the rest of the day off? I'll see you this afternoon at the Expo."
While continuously dabbing the sweat from his face and forehead, Sam replied, "Of course, Professor..." before politely excusing himself. As he did so, David turned to Melissa and the as-of-yet-to-be-introduced Izuku, intending to ask them to leave the room before Toshinori held up his hand and said, "The kids can stay. This concerns them as well."
Though he was a little confused by Toshinori's words, David trusted the former implicitly, regaining a smile as he replied, "Okay, then. Let's head to my private lab. If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to scan your body before we talk."
Nodding in affirmation, Toshinori replied, "That's one of the reasons I came here." Then, half-turning to Izuku, he gestured for the latter to step forward, adding, "Before that, allow me to introduce you to my successor, Izuku Midoriya."
Hearing Toshinori refer to Izuku as his successor, David's eyes widened, a hint of panic appearing in his gaze as he questioned, "But...didn't you just say...?"
Nodding a third time, Toshinori clarified, "Worry not. I'm still as strong as ever, but no man lives eternally. I've decided to use my second chance to cultivate the future generation of Heroes. I'm sure you feel the same way about your daughter, Melissa, no?"
Regaining his smile, David replied, "You're right..." before shifting his gaze to Izuku and Melissa, focusing on the former as he asked, "So, you're the boy Toshi has chosen to succeed him as the Symbol of Peace? You must be quite the extraordinary young man."
Returning a slightly awkward smile, Izuku replied, "Your words honor me, Sir. I still have quite a ways to go before I can confidently refer to myself as extraordinary."
Smacking Izuku's back, Toshinori said, "Ever the humble one, aren't you? If you aren't extraordinary, I dare say there isn't a single special person in this world!"
Feeling a sudden and intense desire to remove himself from the situation, Izuku suggested, "I believe we should relocate before we continue this conversation any further..."
"Right you are," replied Toshinori, looking to David before adding, "Please, lead the way, my friend! I'm curious to see how your lab has transformed since my last visit!"
Though he had many questions about the situation, specifically intrigued to learn what made Izuku so 'special,' David suppressed his curiosity long enough to lead the way to his laboratory. His top priority was confirming Toshinori's condition, but as that process required placing him in a special capsule and analyzing his body to the very structure of its DNA, he would have ample time and opportunity to question Izuku directly...
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(A/N: Sam be like, "This is not according to cake...")
