That morning, I-Island's airport was especially busy.
Aircraft from different airlines landed and took off non-stop, bringing heroes, researchers, investors, and guests for I-Expo. The boarding gates were spread across wide terminals, while ground crews coordinated everything with near-choreographed precision.
Then, a sleek and discreet mid-sized private jet touched down smoothly on the runway.
As soon as it came to a stop, a small reception team was already waiting outside. The aircraft door was opened with external assistance, and Anan was the first to descend, wearing her hero costume without the helmet, looking around in surprise.
"Wow…" slipped out of her, softly.
Right behind, Ryo also descended, observing the overly organized reception, the people lined up and smiling.
"Isn't this a bit much?"
Anan gave a half-smile.
"Maybe. But let's not waste the effort of those who wanted to welcome us well."
One of the receptionists approached. She had the appearance of an anthropomorphic black cat, with attentive golden eyes, upright feline ears, and an elegant uniform with the I-Island emblem on the chest.
"A very warm welcome to I-Island," she said, giving a polite bow. "My name is Kuroha Yomizuki, but you may just call me Kuroha. I have been assigned to accompany you."
"O-Okay... Thank you," Anan replied, returning the bow, feeling a bit awkward.
Kuroha continued:
"Mr. Shield regrets he cannot personally greet you at the moment. He is extremely busy with the final preparations for the event, but he hopes you can forgive him."
The entire team bowed apologetically in unison.
"I-It's not a problem at all!" Anan quickly replied. "It's already a great honor to be received in this way."
Kuroha smiled, pleased.
"We're happy to hear that. Now, if you'll allow me, we'll take you to where Mr. Shield is located."
Some team members approached and collected the minimal luggage Anan and Ryo had brought, guiding them across the tarmac to a side area of the airport.
"Normally, people entering the island need to go through a full security inspection," Kuroha explained as they walked. "But, as you are high-trust guests of Mr. Shield, that step has been waived."
Anan stopped for half a second, surprised.
"Are you sure that's okay?"
"Absolutely," Kuroha replied calmly. "It was a direct authorization from Mr. Shield. Besides… he is very eager to see you."
Ryo raised an eyebrow.
"Eager... Keep an eye on this guy."
They arrived at a compact aircraft with four propellers and an oval body.
"It looks like a drone… just giant-sized," Ryo commented.
Anan quickly nudged his side with her elbow.
"Hey."
"Ah— my bad," he corrected himself, looking at Kuroha. "Sorry."
Kuroha chuckled lightly.
"It's quite alright. In fact, you're not wrong. This aircraft, the Aquila-VT4, was based on the design of autonomous transport drones."
Minutes later, they boarded along with Kuroha.
The cabin was enveloped in reinforced translucent material, something between glass and advanced polymer, allowing for a wide view not just from the sides, but also beneath their feet. As the aircraft smoothly took off, rising in near-absolute silence, the view opened up completely.
I-Island revealed itself in all its grandeur, visible from every angle. Moving structures, entire sectors reorganizing themselves, artificial green areas nestled among futuristic buildings, the ocean reflecting light around the island.
Anan observed everything in silence, clearly impressed.
After a few minutes of flight, the aircraft slowed down and landed smoothly on the landing pad installed on top of the tallest building on I-Island. The landing was almost undetectable, and as soon as the rotors ceased their movement, the side door opened automatically.
Kuroha was the first to step out, gesturing for Anan and Ryo to follow.
"This way, please."
The rooftop was clean, organized, and far too quiet for such an important place. From there, they could see a good portion of the island, with the smaller buildings scattered below like pieces on a board. Kuroha led them to a side entrance, where doors slid open without a sound upon recognizing them.
Shortly after, they were inside a spacious, discreet elevator with metallic walls and soft lighting. As soon as the doors closed, the elevator began it's decent almost immediately.
"This is I-Island's central building," explained Kuroha. "Besides being Mr. Shield's main laboratory, this is where the entire island's defense system is controlled from."
Anan raised her eyebrows, surprised.
"Really? I heard the defense system here rivals Tartarus's."
Kuroha smiled with a hint of contained pride.
"Yes. It's every bit as good. Maximum security is essential when you have so many scientists and families living here."
The elevator slowed after a few seconds and the doors opened silently. Kuroha led the two down a long, metallic corridor with smooth panels on the walls and lines of light embedded in the ceiling, until they stopped before a retractable door.
She tapped the side panel, and the door opened.
The office that was revealed was spacious and well-lit, with panoramic windows offering an impressive view of the city below. In the center was an organized desk, and behind it, David Shield, still seated, was talking on the phone.
"...yes, I understand. We'll talk about that later," he said, before noticing the visitors.
His eyes widened slightly, and he promptly ended the call.
"Excuse me for a moment," he said to the person on the other end before hanging up.
David stood up energetically, a wide smile spreading across his face.
"It's an honor to finally meet you both in person!"
He approached Anan first.
"Thirteen... Or rather, Anan Kurose," he said respectfully. "The pleasure is all mine."
"The pleasure is mine," Anan replied with a polite smile.
"I've heard a lot about your agency through friends and partners," David continued. "One of the agencies in Japan that uses the most support gear. I'm genuinely glad Black Hole values the work of scientists."
Anan scratched her cheek, a bit awkwardly.
"No need to exaggerate so much..."
David chuckled softly before turning to Ryo.
His smile didn't diminish—on the contrary. There was something genuinely admiring in his gaze.
"So you must be Rito Takeda, right?" he said. "It's a great pleasure to finally meet you."
David extended his hand.
Ryo looked at the man... then at the outstretched hand. He stayed like that for a few seconds before accepting it.
"Nice to meet you."
"I hope the journey was smooth," said David. "I was truly very eager to welcome you to my island."
Ryo's wariness grew.
David noticed it almost immediately. He cleared his throat, bringing a hand to his chest lightly.
"Ah— my apologies. If my enthusiasm made you uncomfortable," he said, awkwardly. "I just... get excited when I can help someone I owe so much to. Especially someone like you."
Before Ryo could respond, Anan took a step forward.
"Rito," she called, her tone calm. "Mr. Shield has been a great help in the studies of your quirk, remember? Even from a distance. He is a trustworthy person."
Ryo averted his gaze for a moment, took a deep breath... and nodded slightly.
At that moment, Anan's phone rang. She looked at the screen and made a slight grimace.
"It seems my sponsor must be calling me already..."
She turned to David.
"My apologies. It looks like I'll have to step out for a while." Then she looked at Ryo. "Behave, okay?"
"Okay," he replied.
"Take good care of him," Anan said to David, her tone firm yet polite.
"Leave it to me," David replied seriously.
Anan left accompanied by Kuroha, the door closing behind them.
The office fell silent.
For a few seconds, only the distant sounds of the city filled the space.
David was the first to break the silence.
"Well..." he said, pointing with his thumb over his shoulder. "Would you like to see the analysis lab I prepared?"
Ryo hesitated.
Then he remembered Anan's words.
He sighed.
"...Sure."
David smiled again.
"I'm glad to hear that."
----------------------------------------
David led Ryo down a few more corridors until they reached the analysis lab. The space was large, clean, and quiet, with reinforced walls, thick cables running across the ceiling, and several active monitors displaying real-time graphs. In the center of the room, a tall, oval-shaped capsule, made of thick, translucent material with metallic rings encircling its structure, immediately drew attention.
"This is the analysis lab I built for you," said David, spreading his arms with a visibly proud smile. "Everything here was specifically designed to handle extreme energy levels… including radiation."
Ryo merely looked around.
He didn't seem impressed. Nor particularly curious.
That made David's smile falter a bit.
*He doesn't seem very hopeful…* he thought.
"Well…" David cleared his throat. "How about we run a quick test? Nothing too invasive. Just to get a baseline."
"Fine," replied Ryo, without enthusiasm.
That was enough to perk David up again.
"Great!"
He walked over to the capsule and input a few commands. The structure opened with a soft hiss.
"You'll need to remove most of your clothes," he explained. "We need direct contact for the sensors."
Ryo raised an eyebrow.
"...Seriously?"
"Afraid so."
A few minutes later, Ryo was inside the capsule, wearing only a snug pair of shorts provided by the lab. Small sensors were attached to his chest, arms, and legs, and an oxygen mask covered part of his face.
David was adjusting the final parameters on the main computer.
"Ready?" he asked.
Ryo just gave a thumbs-up.
"Okay… starting analysis."
The capsule closed, and the system activated.
A bright arc of energy appeared, moving swiftly around Ryo's body as if performing a full scan. Then, the arc stopped above his head and began to descend slowly, inch by inch, all the way down to his feet.
Ryo followed the movement for a few seconds.
Then he looked away.
"This is all going to be the same as always…"
Since childhood, he had been in rooms like this. Different machines, different scientists, the same look on their faces in the end.
In the end, he was never a talent.
Never a promising case.
He would always be a risk.
A walking hazard.
It seemed that no matter how much he trained, how much stronger he became, or how much he learned to control his power—when it truly mattered, he failed. People got hurt. People died.
It was like carrying an unstable reactor in his chest, something that only needed one mistake to drag everything around him down.
As this thought deepened, the world around him began to fade.
Ryo's consciousness sank into a dark void.
Shadowy figures emerged all around, undefined shapes, hands reaching from all sides, grasping his arms, legs, back.
"You're still going to keep trying?"
"In the end, you won't be able to protect anyone."
"You won't prove anything…"
"You'll just cause more destruction."
The hands pulled him down, deeper into that silent abyss.
In the real world, David stared at the monitors… and froze.
"What…?"
The values were rising too fast.
Too fast to make sense.
"No… this can't be right…"
He adjusted the filters, recalibrated the sensors, ran the reading again.
The numbers weren't just increasing.
They had doubled compared to the data from a month ago.
"Energy output… has doubled…?"
David began scrolling through the side data, reading aloud in a low, almost disbelieving voice.
"Radio waves… microwaves… infrared… visible light… ultraviolet… X-rays…"
He swallowed dryly.
"Positrons… protons… heavy ions… muons… neutrinos… antineutrinos…"
The list went on.
"This is…" he took a deep breath, "this is far beyond alpha, beta, gamma, and neutrons."
David ran a hand over his face, dazed.
"It seems like he's emitting… the entire known spectrum of radiation."
He furrowed his brow.
"But that doesn't make sense. Quirks are specific. They do one thing. Even when they seem versatile, there's a fixed core."
He stared at the graphs again.
"Unless…"
He brought his hand to his chin, thoughtful.
"…his quirk isn't literally radiation."
David's heart began to beat faster.
"Especially because he's shown he doesn't just emanate the energy itself… he also interacts with it and other types of energy at a fundamental level."
His eyes widened.
"The entire nuclear spectrum."
David slowly turned toward the capsule.
"The entire nuclear spectrum…" he murmured, a chill running down his spine.
He looked back at the screen, nervous.
"No… this is insane. A quirk like this… tampering with a fundamental concept that underpins one of the forces of the universe…"
He took a deep breath.
"I need more tests. This might just be a statistical fluke… just an extreme reading."
Before he could continue, the capsule beeped.
The system shut down and the structure opened automatically.
Ryo stumbled out slightly, bringing a hand to his head.
"I feel… a bit dizzy," he said. "And my head hurts."
He looked at David.
"So? What were the results?"
David stared at the boy in silence for several seconds.
"Should I tell him?"
Giving that kind of knowledge to a child was dangerous. Like putting a sharp knife in the hands of someone still learning how to live—it could be used for chores… or to harm.
But David knew Ryo was no ordinary child.
Everything David had heard about him pointed to someone who didn't want to destroy. He was someone who carried the guilt of being able to do it.
David took a deep breath.
"He's someone who wants to change. That's clear."
And that makes all the difference.
David smiled, adjusting his glasses as he observed the data on the monitor.
"We got results… far more surprising than I expected," he said, turning his gaze to Ryo. "And it reinforces the possibility that your Quirk isn't as simple as you believe."
Ryo lightly furrowed his brow as he put part of his hero costume back on, clearly not expecting to hear that.
"If my hypothesis is correct," David continued, "you might be capable of interacting with the entire nuclear spectrum."
"…Nuclear spectrum?" Ryo murmured, confused. This was completely new to him.
Before David could elaborate, the lab's automatic door slid open with a soft hiss.
"Papa!"
Ryo turned his head, surprised, to see a blonde girl entering with lively steps. She had a light and energetic presence, her wavy hair falling over her shoulders as she approached David with an open smile.
"Melissa?" David blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Shouldn't you be at the academy right now, working on your independent research?"
She averted her eyes for a moment, clasping her hands behind her back.
"Well… let's just say that was a little white lie."
"A… what?" David began, confused, but was interrupted when the lab door opened again.
"I wanted to surprise papa by bringing someone you really like!"
David followed his daughter's gaze… and froze.
"I'm here… to see an old friend!" said All Might, cheerfully, nearly filling the entire lab entrance.
"Toshi…"
"The one and only!" All Might laughed, stepping forward and enveloping his friend in a strong hug. "I came all this way just to see you, Dave!"
David let out an emotional laugh as he was practically lifted off the ground.
"I… I really didn't expect this…"
"So…" Melissa said, appearing from behind All Might. "Are you surprised?"
"Very. Extremely surprised," he replied, still flustered.
"We have Melissa to thank for this," said All Might, smiling. "How long has it been since last time, huh?"
"Hey, don't remind me how many years have passed," David replied, laughing. "Neither of us wants to think about how old we are."
The two laughed together while Melissa watched the scene with a satisfied smile… until she noticed Ryo's silent presence to the side.
"Hm?" She tilted her head. "Who is he?"
David's eyes widened for a moment.
"Ah! Of course, forgive me," he said quickly. "Melissa, this is Rito Takeda. The important person I was telling you about yesterday."
Melissa blinked, surprised.
"He's… much younger than I imagined."
"Young Takeda?" All Might's voice sounded surprised. "You're here?"
Melissa turned to All Might curiously.
"Is he another acquaintance of yours, uncle?"
Before All Might could answer, Midoriya's voice echoed from the entrance.
"T-Takeda?!"
He immediately clapped his hands over his mouth.
"S-sorry!" he said, bowing repeatedly.
All Might laughed.
"He's a student in the U.A. Hero Course and a classmate of young Midoriya."
Melissa's eyes widened slightly… and then she smiled.
"Ah! I see." She turned to Ryo, animatedly. "Sorry for my rudeness earlier. I'm Melissa Shield. Nice to meet you!"
She extended her hand, and Ryo shook it after a brief second.
"No problem."
David and All Might exchanged a satisfied look, until All Might coughed discreetly.
David understood the signal.
"Well… it's been a while since I've caught up with Toshi," he said. "Would you mind if we had some time alone?"
"Sure," Ryo replied.
"Y-yes!" Midoriya agreed, still a bit awkward.
"Melissa," David continued, "could you show them around I-Island?"
"With pleasure!" she replied enthusiastically.
"Are you sure?" Ryo asked, a bit uncertain.
"Of course!" she said, smiling. "It's an honor to help future heroes."
Ryo hesitated for a moment… but eventually relaxed as he remembered Anan telling him to enjoy himself on the island while he could.
"Alright, then..."
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Stone Goals:
500 PS – Not Complete
1500 PS – Not Complete
3000 PS – Not Complete