Attack
Chapter 25
“Is something wrong with uncle Dave?” asked Yumi as she put on the earrings her father had gifted her for the occasion.
“What do you mean?” asked Melissa, pausing where she was doing her hair in front of a mirror.
They were in Melissa’s room, getting ready for the party.
“I don’t know, he seemed somehow… sad?”
“He’s been working really hard lately.” Said Melissa with a small frown before it cleared to allow for a mischievous smile. “So, tell me, about that Hawks hero and your classmate, Todoroki?”
Yumi felt herself blush and looked away.
“What is there to say?”
Melissa only seemed even more spurred on by her reaction.
“Come on, I’m your cousin, you’re supposed to share these things with me.”
The red-headed girl sighed, not even knowing what the other girl really wanted but also knowing she wouldn’t give up.
“Well, Shoto is a very good friend. His quirk allows him to control both fire and ice, you know? It’s really useful. He has a… complicated family.”
And so she told her cousin about her friends and the things that happened back in Japan with the villains. It took almost a whole hour just to explain the barest basics of it all.
Their chat was interrupted by her phone ringing. The screen read Keigo Takami and Yumi hurried to pick up before Melissa could ask her any questions about him too.
“Hi, Keigo-kun.”
“Yumi-chan, I’m glad you picked up. Are you busy?”
“Depends.” She replied.
“I was thinking of taking you flying.”
She felt a bit sad that she had to turn the offer down.
“I’m sorry, Keigo, right now I’m at I-Island.”
“Oh.” He sounded a bit disappointed, but soon he was back to his usual carefree ways. “I’m a bit envious, actually; I’ve never been out of Japan.”
“Really? Why not?”
“Never had the time, I guess.” He replied a little evasively. “Are you going to the gala dinner?”
“Aha, I was getting ready for that, in fact.”
“Well, then, you absolutely have to send me a photo of how you’re dressed.” He said, and she could almost see the charming grin on his face right now. “I’ll leave you to it, then. Call me when you’re back and I’ll see if I can make some time for one flight.”
With that, she said her own goodbye and hung up.
Only to find Melissa looking at her and tapping her foot.
“You didn’t mention a Keigo in all your explanations…” she asked leadingly.
“Well, Keigo is, ah… Keigo-kun is Hawks-san.”
Melissa smiled triumphantly.
“What?”
“Nothing, nothing.” Muttered the blonde girl with a grin she couldn’t quiet hide. “Now let me help you with your hair. You know, I wish you lived closer so we could do this more often.”
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Just before leaving the room, Yumi asked her cousin to take a photo of her and sent it to Keigo. She wasn’t sure why he was interested in seeing what she looked like, but it wasn’t something that bothered her so she’d do it.
With no time to spare, she didn’t wait for an answer and stuffed her phone in a hidden pocket of her dress.
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When they arrived at the entrance to the gala, she noticed absentmindedly that Melissa and she were the last ones to arrive.
Though going by the looks they were receiving, it would’ve been better not to arrive at all.
“What’s wrong? Did we forget something?” she asked looking nervously at Melissa first and then at herself.
Melissa was dressed in a short blue and white dress with a black belt and a white flower, leaving her shoulders free. She wore golden earrings and a black and golden necklace, a bit of make-up and a red string on her hair.
Seeing as no one gave her an answer and Shoto was actually blinking repeatedly at her, she looked down at her own outfit.
She wore a short dress too, something she wasn’t used to, it being purely black and reaching the top of her knees. It had a small red belt that accentuated her waist and complimented her hair.
Apart from that, she wore plain black dancing shoes, the diamond earrings her father had gifted her and a golden chain around her neck with an elaborate ‘Y’ that he’d gifted her for her seventeenth birthday. Her red hair cascaded freely down her back and the green of her eyes stood out because of the khol her cousin had insisted on applying ―the only actual make-up she wore.
It was Mineta and Kaminari that managed to react first.
“Straight to my heart.” Muttered Mineta holding his chest and almost crying as he looked at them.
“You look like goddesses.” Added Kaminari with the same antics.
Yumi felt herself blush ―she was doing that too much lately― and looked away from Shoto’s piercing grey and blue eyes.
She couldn’t help thinking he look good too in his white three piece suit.
“Wait, Katsuki and Eijiro are not here yet? Nor Fumikage and Mezo?”
But just then the security of the tower closed up and they had other things to worry about.
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When things started to go wrong, All Might looked around the room for his daughter instinctively. He wasn’t sure whether he should be more or less worried that he couldn’t see her.
And then the villains came and revealed that the whole island was their hostage before tying up all the heroes.
All Might remembered few times when he’d been as ashamed of his weakness as he did then, especially when David motioned for him to lie low.
But then he noticed Izuku up there, the boy signaling they could hear him, and he trusted in him and relied what was happening.
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They gathered in an empty room to speak about what was going on and debate what their next steps should be.
“Getting out of here would be difficult because this building has the same level of security as Tartarus, the prison for the most dangerous villains.” Explained her cousin.
“Then we have to wait to be rescued.” Muttered Kaminari.
Yumi frowned. That didn’t sit well with her.
Nor with Jiro, apparently.
“There must be a way to help.” Intervened Yumi before turning to Melissa. “You know this building better than any of us. Any ideas?”
“Well… the security system of the island is on the top of this building. If we could reach the top without being caught, I’m sure I could get into the system and manipulate it to our advantage.”
“That’s what we’ll do, then.”
“Wait, wait, if we do this…” started Tenya.
“I’m with the vice-president.” Stated Jiro looking back at Melissa. “But how do we manage not to get caught?”
“They must not know we’re here.” Pointed out the blonde. “The villains probably don’t know all the ins-and-outs of the security system.”
“We’d be restoring the system avoiding confrontation.” Resumed Shoto.
“It’s a good plan!” cheered Kaminari much to Mineta’s horror.
“But when we get to the top, we’ll definitely encounter the villains.” Said Yaoyorozu, still doubtful.
“But we won’t need to fight. As soon as we restore the system, they’ll lose the hostages and All Might and all the other heroes will be freed. The odds and numbers will be against the villains.” Reasoned Izuku.
“Do we all agree?” asked Yumi.
They all nodded.
Yumi was pleased at their decisiveness, but then Izuku asked Melissa to stay and, although she wished for nothing else but that, she had to step in.
“Melissa is the only one of us that knows how to navigate the security system. We need her.”
Melissa nodded, agreeing.
“But you don’t have a quirk…”
“You should know that is the least important thing.” Threw Yumi at him, the boy looking properly chastised.
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Everything was going well until they reached the 80th floor, when Mineta slipped up and activated a detector.
Once they were found, they had to continue through one of the experimental labs, one that simulated a garden. Luckily for them, it was full of places to hide.
And just when they thought they’d been caught…
Eijiro and Katsuki appeared.
Todoroki acted just in time to save Eijiro from one of the villains’ quirk.
“Go on, I’ll catch up later!” shouted Shoto.
As the others hurried away, Yumi hesitated and looked back. Shoto nodded once at her.
He would catch up.