Headquarters,
The Apostles of Mr. Fool
Melissa Shield, the newest member of the Apostles, code-named Shield, and a Sequence 9 Beyonder of the Seer Pathway, was hitting the large touchpad, the screen in front of her flashing red warnings repeatedly.
"Failed again…" Mushroom, standing behind her, commented. "Perhaps, a cup of coffee will give you a hint, Ms. Shield."
"…?" Melissa threw a look at the cyborg over her shoulder.
Mushroom was carrying a tray, a thin stream of steam leaving the kettle's mouth.
Seeing the innocent, child-like look on Mushroom's face, which was nothing but two blobs of glowing eyes on the large mushroom stem beneath the enormous cap, Melissa sighed.
She nodded, making tiny mushrooms on the cyborg's body squirm in joy.
The moment she sipped the coffee, her brows shot up. "… That's… so good!" she praised. "You are getting better, Mushroom-nimi…"
The cyborg's chest swelled in pride.
Melissa then looked at the screen, which displayed a large amount of code.
"… I traced the GPS device to a firm in Tokyo," she contemplated. "But the information regarding the exact serial number, which could tell us to whom it was sold, is inaccessible. Did Lu… Dr. Blessed tell you who we are searching for?"
Even though she had changed her words at the last moment, her heart still began pounding heavier in her chest.
Dr. Blessed was none other than one of All Might's most prized students — Luke!
Last time, she had barely connected the dots when Dr. Blessed had appeared. He had left her conclusions on a vague ending, but she was a Seer now.
With so much information on her hands, even if she had failed to divine it directly, she had all but confirmed the truth.
So many days had gone by, and yet, Melissa somehow couldn't figure out what to think of it.
The entire truth should have unraveled the mysteries surrounding Dr. Blessed. However, in a complete paradoxical turn, the Leader became even more of a mystery.
Melissa had searched all the publicly available information on him before joining the Apostles. There was so much misinformation regarding Dr. Blessed online that it was hard to tell the truth from the lies, though.
The only thing she knew for a fact was that Dr. Blessed had appeared on I-Island's tower and saved everyone's lives.
"Ms. Shield…"
Melissa looked at the cyborg.
The over-12-ft-tall biomechanical machine pointed at her empty cup. "… more?"
Melissa took a deep breath, trying not to think about Lu… Dr. Blessed.
It was as he had said. The answer didn't matter. Not now.
For some reason, Melissa… felt closer to the organization after finding out Dr. Blessed's real identity.
It was like she hadn't given up on everything to become an Apostle.
This revelation of identity might have been deliberate, Melissa contemplated. Perhaps… he knew how I was feeling and…
"I have an idea."
"Huh?" Melissa looked up.
Mushroom stared at the screen. "How about we go to the firm, and We hack it on-site…" They suggested. "No matter what security measures they have, We can bypass them."
Melissa gaped at the cyborg.
Was it really suggesting — a covert operation — looking like that?!
She hurriedly shook her head. "The leader said that there's a guy from the USA in Japan who might be after you," she pointed out. "We need to stay here holed up…"
And Melissa didn't mind that at all.
She had spent days and weeks locked up in labs while working on her devices.
Spending a few months at the Apostles' HQ was nothing, especially when she had all the equipment and research at her hands to work upon.
Sadly, fate had something else in mind for her.
A message beeped on her mobile.
Melissa read the content and, for some time, kept looking at it in disbelief.
She hurriedly took out her Topaz Pendulum and divined if it was indeed Lu… Dr. Blessed, who had sent the text.
Getting positive feedback, her face finally lost color.
"Get ready. I am bringing you two to the forest," Mushroom read the message, looming over Melissa, making her jump. "Act like Dr. Blessed. There's a Nomu here. Kidnap it."
"There are…" Melissa mumbled, shocked, "… Villains at the campsite?!"
The leader had mentioned that he wouldn't be available for some time. And, he had also mentioned, as a completely separate piece of news, that Class 1-A students would be going for a training camp soon.
Melissa remembered all the students who had put their lives on the line while saving her father, her fingers curling into fists.
Mushroom was going through their own troubles as well. "… How are We supposed to act like Master?" they asked. "Did he forget the size difference?"
"…?"
…
Luke entered the classroom and found Erasure Head standing next to Vlad King, with a scared Kota pressed between them.
Aizawa narrowed his eyes at Luke, but said nothing.
It was clear that Vlad King must have told him that the boy was in the bathroom.
"Vlad, I am counting on you here," Erasure Head said, turning around. "I just gave the order, allowing the students to fight their way to here as well. Still…"
"Everyone!" Mandalay's voice echoed in all minds suddenly, carrying an even graver tone. "There's a Nomu among the Villains! It's… It's after Momo Yaoyorozu!"
Erasure Head's eyes widened.
Todoroki's face snapped toward Luke, but the latter was casually standing, leaning against the door, with his eyes closed. "…?"
"Sir!" Kirishima shouted. "Take us with you…"
"No!" Erasure Head rebuked. "It's obvious that they are after the students. Momo might be the only one of their targets. A win here doesn't mean Villains' defeat, but students' safety. Stay here!"
Aizawa nodded and began walking out when Luke finally opened his eyes.
"Spot Heal wouldn't work if the wound has settled in," he said casually, looking at no one in particular. "Damage Transfer only works if the person hasn't succumbed to it already. A win like this would only be pyrrhic… Sir."
Erasure Head stared at Luke. "I will not let you fight a Villain," he said. "Also… you alone cannot be everywhere…"
Luke smiled. "Nor can you… Unless…"
And as the Sequence 7 Beyonder began speaking, manipulating thoughts, jaws dropped… the students and the Heroes stared at him in disbelief.
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