My Highschool Boyfriend Is Japan's Most Wanted

Chapter Eight: Student Body

Chapter Eight
...

Mina and Melissa sat next to each other in UA's cafeteria, normally they would sit with Shoto, but ever since his disappearance, it was just the two of them. The two got along well, so it wasn't an issue, but the void left by Shoto's disappearance was felt, and it weighed on the girls heavily.

After her father's death, Melissa didn't attend school, causing her to fail her classes. That fact, combined with her father's death, led to her expulsion from I-Island. UA took her in as a favor from All Might and the completion of a secret technology her father was working on for All Might. Before the number one hero regained the ability to use a quirk her father had designed a metalic suit that would replicate the abilities of past One For All users.

Unfortunately, while the suit was finished, the replication technology was unfinished, leaving Melissa with a highly durable shell. While it would be enough to deal with the common thug it wasn't nearly enough to face a super villain like Tomura Shigaraki or Reo Yuki. She understood that if she wanted her life to mean something, she would need to turn her Iron Melissa suit into the ultimate hero support tool.

In-between helping Shoto find dirt on the Prime Minister and looking for ways to prove Izuku innocent she had enhanced the suit. Upgrades that allowed her to mimic the abilities of heroes. She had some assistance from Mei Hatusme in order to refit it from All Might's theme to something more "Melissa." The chrome and blue paired perfectly with her blonde hair, which she tied in a braid that tucked itself inside of the suit.

The suit allowed her to be a member of UA's hero course and put her on track for graduation along with Class 3-A. While it had taken an additional year she was happy that she was going to finally graduate. However All Might and Aka's announcement had soured her happiness. The enlistment to defeat Reo Yuki was the start of an unofficial war. Aka had ordered Oguro to train the students to grow stronger than Nezu ever could imagine.

Melissa thought back to her father, a man who had been murdered by Himiko Toga. Perhaps her father was married to science and something greater than her mother and his death was just karma. That didn't change how his death was something inconsolable. Melissa wished she could bring him back and now all of the friends, the new family she had made after her father's death would be caught in a meaningless war.

People like Himiko Toga shouldn't be allowed to be free but to militarize the students in the way Aka was doing was evil. She knew Aka had pulled the strings behind Tartarus and that the estate held some secret, a secret Shoto had died for. She realized in that moment she considered him dead. That was Aka's power, to take and he could take away the lives of everyone she cared about and loved in an instant just like Himiko Toga had back on I-Island.

Mina noticed her friends facial expressions as the realization played across Melissa's face. Putting a pink arm around Melissa, Mina pulled her out of the thoughts that grounded her. That friendly smile as her eyes seemed to melt into her own just like Mina's quirk. "We'll be fine Melissa, they'll probably just have us provide support, and by the time the raid actually occurs, we will have found Shoto." Mina said hopefully.

Melissa was aware that Mina and Shoto had a complicated friendship, and while it never interfered with the friendship the two girls shared, it was still a tangible awkwardness. "I don't trust Aka, Mina it's possible that even with all of our gains it might not be enough to defeat Reo Yuki." Melissa explained, feeling a wave of defeat swell across her body.

Mina put a finger to her chin as she again smiled. "Melissa, the second Era Of Peace can't be kept by just All Might or Aka it needs to be maintained by us, eventually they'll be gone and we'll have to protect Japan from people like Reo Yuki and Tomura Shigaraki." She stretched out her hands as if to emphasize the scope of what she was talking about. "It's up to us to keep everyone safe."

The television blared as Aka gave one of his daily speechs, creating a void in the room. Melissa's mood soured as she watched him move around across the screen, promising answers to questions. Melissa had questions, but they wouldn't get answered because Aka was not the man he pretended to be.

...

In what used to be his office All Might watched the broadcast as his fists tightened. He hated dragging the children into this fight, yet something inside of him was telling him to use them as a resource. He had been feeling thoughts that weren't his for some time now, but this was stronger than before. It was an urge, a great itch to let the students die before he himself comes to harm.

"Why does it matter so much, I'm the symobol of peace. I deserve to control that power." He muttered before coveting his mouth, the words tasting like filth as they left his lips. This wasn't how a hero acted, and yet after dealing with Oguro, telling the students that they would be the front line in a war, he started he felt the changes pile on to his psyche.

He held the burden of all the souls of Japan, and Reo Yuki threatened that burden. His existence was a threat on life itself and he needed to die, the students were strong they could handle it with All Might, leading them to victory. They were lucky to have his help at least that's what he felt was right. He felt his head split with pain, perhaps this was All For One tormenting him from beyond the grave.

For a second, he considered removing his quirk and handing off the mantel to Ryukyu or another top hero that he could trust. Mirio was in the Prime Minister's hands, and Class 3-A just wasn't ready for the responsibilities that came with being the symobol of peace. The more he thought about it, Izuku couldn't handle its burden either, if he couldn't, then he couldn't put his faith in another.

This was his mission and burden of the only person who could be the Symbol Of Peace, All Might. Even if the vestiges had grown silent, he knew that he alone had the power, the experience, and what it takes to be a true hero. Perhaps he was alone, perhaps he wasn't, but no matter what the case was, he would prevail by putting an end to Japan's winter once and for all. He would be the light that brought dawn to the world.