Chapter 45: Visitors

Abandoned Sionas Warehouse. Gotham Bay. 1:00 AM

A heavy storm had raged on for hours, giant waves crashing against the walls of the warehouse. A man sat alone at a small desk, the only source of illumination was a small laptop in front of him. Next to the laptop sat a red helmet, which the man had just removed before sitting down to his work.

He had been in Gotham for only a few weeks now, having been gone for three years. His time away felt like little more than a dream, wandering in a haze of pain and confusion. In the short amount of time that he had returned, news of his handiwork with Black Mask had spread throughout the criminal underworld and the local media. A newspaper was sprawled out on the table next to him, the headline reading "Red Hood kills Black Mask."

How fitting, he thought bitterly to himself.

Normally, the death of a major player like Black Mask would leave a power vacuum that other criminals would be killing themselves over. However, no one dare step forward to claim Sionas' territory. The Red Hood had sent a wave of fear among the various criminal empires, one that Batman could never duplicate: a fear of death.

Batman had failed to rid this city of its monsters. Especially its biggest one. But the Red Hood would not fail.

The Red Hood continued his investigation through Black Mask's files. They were his only lead to the whereabouts of the Joker. He coupled these findings with others that he had discovered in different cities across the US. The Joker had completely disappeared from Gotham, and many had assumed that he was dead. But from what he could gather, the Joker was alive and well, and was using the weapons he purchased from Sionas to rob banks across the eastern United States. He was also purchasing technology that Sionas had stolen from various illicit sources. The technology in question was all considered by the criminal database to be highly illegal in nature, mostly used in dangerous experiments on quirks. But instead of sending it directly to the Joker, Sionas was sending them to a third party, one "David Shield" from I-Island.

The name immediately struck a chord with the Red Hood. David Shield was one of the most well-known names in Hero Support technology in the world, contracting with several Support Companies across the world, Including WayneTech and Queen Consolidated, to produce many of the technologies and support items used by heroes everywhere, including the Justice League. He even personally designed each era of hero costume for the Symbol of Peace, All Might.

This provoked so many questions in the Red Hood's mind. Why would Shield be working with the Joker? And why would the Joker be supplying him with stolen technology?

Perhaps he would be able to ask him personally. According to the local news, he and his daughter were coming to Gotham for a Gala in his honor. This was his chance to get some answers, and perhaps finally find out where the Joker was hiding.

Izuku sat his empty suitcase on a large four-poster bed. He had just finished unpacking, having arrived at Wayne Manor with Bruce and All Might. Izuku thought it was strange that Bruce had invited him along. Apparently, so did All Might, who tried to decline, but Bruce was insistent. Alfred was already waiting for them upon arriving and had prepared rooms for each of them. The room around him was sparsely decorated and looked as if it hadn't been used in a number of years, but was still tidy and well-kept (no doubt thanks to Alfred).

Izuku sat on the bed, lost in thought. The events at the Watchtower had filled him with a new lease on life, but also had left him with a plethora of questions. Most of all, how Kacchan had come to his rescue at his moment of need. As J'onn described it to him, exobytes operate very much like living cells, but they also have an internal memory system that collects and stores information, biological and otherwise. This is how the exobytes were able to assimilate the various quirks and powers that were associated with thim. This was also why, through intermingling of DNA, new information from different hosts is assimilated into the exobytes, causing new generations to inherit one or more quirks from their parents. A side-effect of this data retention is it has the ability to capture and retain brainwaves from their hosts, including memories and even personality traits. Though All For One's presence was eradicated, when the quirk was passed down to him, an imprint of who Kacchan was passed to him as well. To Izuku, this was both humbling and mystifying.

Izuku was shaken out of his thoughts by a knock at the door. "Come in," He said. The door opened and Alfred stepped through, carrying a tray of food.

"I thought perhaps you might be hungry, after such an ordeal," Said Alfred.

"Thank you, Alfred," said Izuku. "I'll eat it later."

"I have to say, it is quite exciting to finally have you here," Said Alfred, setting the tray down. "I have prepared the Batcave with some of your favorite training simulations. They will be waiting for you should you wish to use them."

"Thank you, Alfred," Said Izuku. They both turned at the sound of another knock on Izuku's door. Alfred immediately stood to answer it, revealing All Might standing in the doorway, shuffling awkwardly, as if he didn't quite know what to do with himself.

"Master Yagi," Said Alfred.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," Said All Might. "I can come back later."

"Not at all," Said Alfred, gesturing for All Might to enter. "I have other matters to attend to." He bowed and left, closing the door behind him. All Might and Izuku sat in awkward silence for about a minute before All Might spoke.

"I'm glad to see that you're doing better," Said All Might.

"Thank you," Said Izuku.

"I have to say, you gave us a real scare," All Might continued. "They say that one of the most important parts of being a hero is conquering your inner demons, but I didn't think it would be so literal." He chuckled awkwardly at his own joke. He coughed awkwardly when Izuku didn't laugh.

"What will happen, All Might?" Said Izuku.

"What do you mean?" All Might replied.

"With your quirk," Said Izuku. "One For All. Is it gone?"

"No," Said All Might. "It's not gone. But my body can no longer keep up with it." In a flash, he grew into his muscular form again, only to deflate a second later in a puff of smoke. He gasped and coughed, wiping blood from his mouth. "Until it passes to my successor, it will remain inside me, but in a dormant state." Izuku nodded, but said nothing. He raised his hand and began to produce sparks.

"You have a powerful quirk of your own," Said All Might. He suddenly looked very sad, dropping into a bow. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Said Izuku, taken aback.

"I never actually apologize to you," Said All Might. "For what happened to your friend, or for what I said on that rooftop."

"It's okay, All Might," Said Izuku. "I don't blame you anymore."

"You don't understand," Said All Might, sitting down next to Izuku. "I once asked my master the same question, years ago. The exact same question. She believed in me, gave me her quirk and taught me to be a hero. And then fate, in its infinite wisdom, had placed me in a reverse role in the same scenario, and I failed to see in you what she saw in me." He let out a deep sigh.

"I had become jaded, Midoriya," He continued. "Since my injury, I had lost sight of what was really important. I'd become. . ." he paused. "What did you call it? 'A one-trick pony living on borrowed time?'"

"Ah," Said Izuku, embarrassed. "Sorry about that."

"You weren't wrong," Said All Might. They sat in silence for a moment, Izuku pondering what All Might had told him.

"I think I was more angry at myself than you," Said Izuku, breaking the silence. "I knew that it was my fault that Kacchan was dead. If I hadn't grabbed onto you like I did, you wouldn't have dropped the sludge villain."

"You couldn't have anticipated that," Said All Might.

"But I knew nonetheless that I was the reason Kacchan was dead," said Izuku. "But it felt better to blame you for it, to blame you for being told all my life that I couldn't be a hero, because I was quirkless. But in the end, I guess you were right all along."

"What do you mean?" Said All Might.

"I was captured by All For One," Said Izuku. "If I had been stronger, or if I had a quirk, then I wouldn't have been captured, and you wouldn't have lost your powers"

"Young Midoriya," Said All Might, horrified. The reality of what Izuku was saying pierced his heart like a javelin. Izuku blamed himself for the loss of his powers.

"I admired you for so long, All Might," Said Izuku, tears welling in his eyes. "For years I dreamed of being just like you. But in the end, I'm the reason you lost your power. If I had been stronger, like Kacchan, then the world would still have its Symbol of Peace."

All Might placed his arm around Izuku's shoulder. "Don't talk like that, Young Midoriya," Said All Might. "This isn't your fault. I was always going to lose my powers, and it had nothing to do with you. All For One simply used you, like he uses everyone." Izuku said nothing, turning away to hide his tears.

"In all honesty," continued All Might. "I think you're much stronger than I ever was."

Izuku turned back to All Might, confused. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"I had to inherit a quirk to get strong," Said All Might. "But you were already strong, even without a quirk. All it took was Bruce's training to bring it out. He's good at that. Where others see weakness, he sees potential, and can help you bring it to the surface. It's a talent that I've always been rather envious."

Izuku wiped his tears from his eyes, his heart full. All Might and Izuku turned as they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. Bruce was standing in the doorway.

"Hate to interrupt your moment," He said. "But we have visitors."

Izuku followed Bruce and All Might down the stairs and towards the Parlor, where their guests were waiting. Izuku half expected it to be Dick or Barbara, come to see him now that he was finally visiting Gotham. But when they reached their location, they were greeted by two people Izuku didn't recognize: an american man with brown hair and glasses, wearing a simple button-down shirt and jeans, and a young woman, probably only a little older than Izuku. She wore glasses as well, with bright blue eyes shining underneath them, and full head of wavy blond hair. All Might stopped dead when he saw them.

"David?!" He said, laughing and embracing the man. "It's so good to see you!"

"It's good to see you too, All Might," He said, looking him up and down. "You look . . . great!"

"Oh, you big liar," Said All Might, laughing. He turned his attention to the young girl and embraced her. "Melissa, you've grown so much since I last saw you."

"It's great to see you, Uncle Might," Said the girl, beaming at him.

Uncle Might? Izuku thought. It made sense now why Bruce insisted All Might come to Gotham. They were obviously friends of his. But just who were these people?

"What are you doing here in Gotham?" Said All Might.

"I invited them," Said Bruce, stepping forward. "David is being presented with a Humanitarian Award, and Wayne Enterprises volunteered to host it."

"It's just another award," Said David. "The real reason I came was when he told me you were coming."

Bruce, All Might and David continued to chat among themselves. Izuku stood there awkwardly, feeling slightly out of place. As he looked away from the adults, his eyes crossed paths with the young girl, Melissa, who was staring right at him. He looked away, embarrassed for a second, but dared another glance in her direction. She still continued to stare at him, as if he was some exotic creature in a zoo.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat, approaching her awkwardly. "Hello. My name is --"

"I know exactly who you are," She said.

Izuku was taken aback. "You . . . you do?" He said.

"Papa, look who it is!" She said to the man excitedly. He turned and focused on Izuku, his own look of excitement breaking onto his face. He walked over and began wringing Izuku's hand.

"It's you!" He said enthusiastically. "It's so great to meet you! You didn't tell me he was going to be here!" He added, turning to Bruce.

"Call it a surprise," said Bruce.

"Hold on, how do you know me?" Said Izuku. "Who are you?"

"Oh, right," Said the man. "My name is David Shield. This is my daughter, Melissa Shield." He gestured to his daughter, who smiled happily at Izuku. "And everyone knows who you are. You're the kid who took down the Hero Killer! Not to mention the first quirkless student ever to attend UA High!"

"Oh, I see," said Izuku. It appeared that his reputation preceded him all the way in America as well.

"Professor Shield is a scientist who makes support items for heroes," Said Bruce. "He lives on I-Island and produces some of the greatest hero technology the world has ever seen."

"You're from I-Island?" Said Izuku, amazed. I-Island was an artificial, moving island. It housed over ten thousand scientists that produced some of the most advanced research on quirks and development of hero support items the world has ever seen.

"I saw you at the Sports Festival as well," Said Melissa. She approached Izuku and eyed him closely, and he felt himself blush under her inspection. She suddenly reached out and grabbed his hand, looking at the scars that lined them. "Those gauntlets you used were amazing, but they really wrecked your hands. Did you make them yourself?"

"Kinda," Said Izuku. "I designed them, but had help building them. The ones I used in the Sports Festival were prototypes, and they didn't survive. But I made new ones."

"Can I see them?" She said excitedly. Izuku looked worriedly at Bruce, who simply nodded.

"It's okay, Izuku," Said Bruce. "David and Melissa have known my secret for some time now. They can be trusted. Take her down to the Batcave. But touch the Batmobile and you're fired." He added warningly. Izuku cleared his throat awkwardly. He couldn't tell if Bruce was being facetious or not, but he didn't dare push his luck, not after the last time he had taken the Batmobile out for a joyride.

Bruce, All Might and David sat in the comfy overstuffed armchairs in the parlor, as Alfred served them coffee and cake. All Might and David were laughing about their exploits during his time in America, while Bruce listened and sipped his coffee.

"...and you should have seen the look on that villain's face," laughed David. "I swear, it cracks me up to this day! What did you say to him, All Might?"

"'Clench your buttcheeks, punk, you're heading downtown,'" Said All Might, chuckling as David roared with laughter. "Not one of my best one-liners, I'll admit."

David took off his glasses and wiped his eyes, still laughing. "Those were good days," He said. "Boy, I remember when you two first met." He gestured between All Might and Bruce. "We were responding to a call and All Might had gotten away from me, and by the time I caught up, there he was, unconscious on the ground with the Batman standing over him. I almost had a heart attack."

"He caught me off guard," Said All Might, embarrassed.

"What did you use on him, anyway?" Asked David.

"Anesthetic gas," Said Bruce, sipping his coffee.

"I was afraid you had killed him," Said David.

"I already knew who he was and what he could do," Said Bruce. "The dose I gave him was enough to incapacitate Superman. It was a calculated risk, but it paid off."

David took a sip from his coffee. "I really miss those days," He said somberly. "The world has been taking your retirement hard, All Might."

"It was a long time coming," Said All Might. "I've had a good run."

"But the world needs the Symbol of Peace," Said David. "There has to be a way to fix this."

"We've been over this, David," Said All Might. "There's no fixing this injury. They've tried."

"I know there's a way we can do it," Said David.

"David," said All Might firmly, but kindly. "It's okay, really. New heroes will take my place, heroes like Midoriya. My time has come to an end."

"I refuse to accept that," Said David.

"It is what it is," said All Might. "There's no changing it."

All Might and David continued their conversation while Bruce sat in silence. David was one of All Might's biggest supporters, having been his former sidekick, and having designed all his costumes for him. He supposed that his reluctance to accept All Might's retirement was unsurprising. But there was something he couldn't shake. Something about the way he was talking gave him a bad feeling.

Izuku and Melissa made their way to the library, where Izuku made his way to the old grandfather clock. Alfred had shown him that it was a hidden entrance that led to the Batcave. After it opened, he and Melissa stared in amazement as the lights flickered on, illuminating the cave and everything in it. It was the first time that Izuku had been in the cave, and had expected it to be like the Warehouse back home, but it was so much more than that.

The Cave went on for miles. There was a natural waterfall that drained into a lake down below, which could be seen when looking over the side of the platform they were on. There were several floors to the Batcave. Where they were standing, Izuku could see the giant supercomputer that Batman used in his investigation, as well as a large workbench. To the right of the computer was the armory, where Batman stored his costumes, tools and weapons. On the next platform, he could make out what looked to be a giant dinosaur, standing next to a giant penny, as well as various other items that were encased in glass. Izuku knew this is where Bruce kept the evidence from his cases, and Alfred had set it up as a museum of sorts. Izuku could make out other platforms that housed the Batmobile and various other vehicles, as well as what looked to be a makeshift medical station and laboratory. Alfred had told him that there were several other areas that continued deeper into the cave, such as the training area and simulation rooms.

"This place is amazing!" Said Melissa. Her voice echoed on the cave walls, causing a few bats that hung from the roof of the cave to fly off into the distance. Izuku couldn't help but share in her excitement as they looked around (being careful not to touch anything). Soon, they made their way to the workbench. Alfred had already brought many of Izuku's items down to the Batcave when he had arrived. As soon as he had produced his explosive gauntlets, Melissa immediately seized them and inspected them enthusiastically.

"It looks like you used a feeding system to pump a nitroglycerin-like substance into the palms and fingers," She said, looking them over. "Pretty clever, but how do you control the payload?"

"The dials on the wrists are used to control the dosage," Said Izuku, showing her. "There are pressure-sensitive indicators on the fingers that allow me to control the explosions." He put one of the gloves on, demonstrating for her. "When my fist is clenched, the explosions will come from the knuckles and fingers upon impact. When my hand is open," he demonstrated, opening his hand. "I tap my fore-finger and thumb to initiate a blast from the palms."

"That's spectacular," Said Melissa.

Izuku took the glove off and handed it back to her. "You can keep them," He said.

"You mean it?!" She said excitedly.

"Of course," Said Izuku. "I don't need them anymore."

Melissa paused, placing the gauntlets on the table and eyeing Izuku curiously. "Is it true then?" She asked.

"Is what true?" Said Izuku.

"It was all over the news," Said Melissa. "Is it true that you have a quirk now?"

Izuku didn't answer right away, instead turning away from Melissa and walking over towards the edge of the platform that led to the outer expanse of the Batcave. Izuku raised his hand, which erupted in an explosion that echoed loudly throughout the Batcave. Izuku turned back to Melissa, smoke emanating from his palm. She rushed over and grabbed onto his hand, examining it.

"It's just like your gauntlets," she said. "A nitroglycerin-like substance that can be detonated at will. How did this happen?"

"It's complicated," Said Izuku. She waited for more explanation, but Izuku didn't offer it, instead walking over and resting on the guard railing. Melissa walked over and joined him, leaning against the railing and looking towards the roof of the cave.

"I'm quirkless too," She said.

Izuku was taken aback. "You are?"

Melissa nodded. "I wanted to be a hero too, just like Uncle Might," She said. "But I was told that I couldn't because I didn't have a quirk."

"I can relate," Said Izuku.

"But that's one of the reasons why I decided to make support items," Melissa continued. "It was a way I could be a hero to others, by helping them be heroes. But you," She turned back to Izuku. "You actually did it. Even though you were quirkless, you still defied the odds and went to UA to become a hero."

"I've had a lot of help," Said Izuku, embarrassed.

"But you still did it," She said. "And I think that's amazing."

Izuku blushed. "But I'm not quirkless anymore," He said.

"That doesn't matter," Said Melissa. "It just means that you've got more to help you become a great hero. And who knows, maybe I'll design your support items. I'd really like that."

"So would I," Said Izuku. "What's it like to live on I-Island?"

"You'll just have to come and see for yourself," said Melissa.

"I'd like that, too," Said Izuku, chuckling. As they continued their discussion, Izuku couldn't help but feel that Melissa was more than just a friend to him. She was more like a kindred spirit, someone cut from the same cloth. It was nice to see that he wasn't as alone in the world as he thought he was.