Second chapter for today.

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Astolfo's sudden appearance startled Midoriya, Uraraka, and Melissa.

"Astolfo! If you're here then-!?" Midoriya asked but was cut off as Astolfo summoned Hippogriff to him.

"Chiron arrived as we were overwhelmed, he told me to go on ahead and help you guys," he said softly, shivering a bit. "I've seen Chiron angry before, but I don't think he's been that angry in a while. He's always been a patient person, I think the stress of needing to keep everyone safe is starting to wear on him."

"What do you mean?" Uraraka asked softly as Astolfo pet his familiar.

"A lot of stuff is happening behind the scenes I can't tell you about, but between the USJ, Stain, and now this? I think if something else happened to you students he might actually kill a person," he told her softly before he shook his head. "Enough of that, though! What is this place, Melissa?" he asked and she gazed up a bit at the towering fans above them.

"The wind-power generator," Melissa answered, "There are more robots in the tower, probably just waiting for a chance to encounter us, but if we climb to the top from the outside, we'll completely avoid them. There's an emergency exit we can enter." She pointed up and Astolfo frowned, eyes narrowing as he gazed at the small door several stories above them.

Hippogriff could carry two people at max, so he could take Melissa and go. Only, by doing that he would be leaving Uraraka and Midoriya on the ground. He could take Melissa and then return for Midoriya, then Uraraka or vice versa, but that would leave Melissa alone up there too.

"We have Ochaco," the blonde said softly, "Your quirk makes anything you touch weightless, right? So this should be easy... and Astolfo, you have Hippogriff, right?"

"Yeah," he said, nodding before he gazed at the girl. She was trembling, eyes showing that she wasn't thrilled with the plan, but there was nothing else that could work.

"Hippogriff," he said after a moment, patting the beast's neck. The beast clicked its beak, already seeming to catch onto what he was thinking.

"Take Midoriya and Melissa up first," he continued, "Uraraka can ride on my back and she can at least get us up partway, I think. Then Hippogriff can come to pick us up."

The three gazed at him before they nodded and Midoriya and Melissa climbed onto Hippogriff. The beast clicked its beak before taking off into the sky. Uraraka moved over to Astolfo, but the two were stopped as a door opened to the side and both of them whirled around.

"Yikes," he said before he materialized his lance, seeing the robots start to swarm out from the inside. "We won't make it up in time, even with your Quirk and my speed. Are you up for a fight, Uraraka?" he asked and the girl nodded, a determined look in her eyes.

"Of course!" she said and he grinned.

"Right! Let's go!" he cried before he rushed towards the robots with his lance, swinging it and slamming into the first wave. Fragments and parts of metal flew off and towards Uraraka and she instantly took advantage of the parts. Using her Quirk, she levitated the bits of metal and rained them down on the robots approaching.

He grinned before he slammed his lance into more of them, careful to avoid the cables that they shot at him. A scream from the brown-haired girl made him whirl back around, eyes wide. A number of robots managed to get past him and overcome Uraraka's attacks, rushing at her. He turned, moving to leap towards her before an explosion blocked his sight of her.

Wait...

An explosion?

He let out a breath of relief as Bakugou arrived on the scene with the others. A wave of ice and arrows of blue light made him beam as Todoroki, Kirishima, and Gray ran up to the two of them.

"Sorry we're late! Are you two alright?" Gray asked and they both nodded.

"Chiron staid back, our group got split up and he's with the others! I don't know how safe he is but he should be fine, for now, let's deal with these robots!" he told Gray and she nodded, transforming Add back into a scythe.

"Right!" she nodded as Todoroki slammed his foot down. Astolfo and Gray both took off towards the robots, cutting them down left and right.

"They got into the tower!" he heard Uraraka call and Gray nodded.

"Astolfo! Let's go!"

"Yeah!"

(x)

A gunshot rang through the room at the top of the first floor.

To Melissa, the past few moments had been a whirlwind of revelations between learning that her father had set everything up to steal his invention back to learning that his assistant— Sam— had hired, not actors, but real villains to deal with the 'performance'...

It was just too much.

She screamed, watching as her father fell to the floor holding his shoulder. "Papa!" she sobbed, dashing forwards.

"Stay back!" David ordered, but he was too late as the redheaded villain whipped his gun across her face, sending her sprawling. Her head rang from the impact as she trembled on the floor.

The villain smashed his boot against her father's bullet wound, adding pressure as he taunted him.

"Trying to play the hero after all this? Too late for that! No matter what your reasons were, you dirtied your hands now. Whether we're real villains or actors is irrelevant. You planned and committed an actual crime here. You're exactly the same as we are. You can no longer remain a respected scientist, or continue your research without shame. Your life is forever tainted by the darkness of villainy."

He picked David up by the collar of his jacket. "And if you even want a future, you'll be a good scientist, and mass-produce this so I can sell it." He knocked him over the head with the gun, rendering him unconscious. "Take him to the roof." he ordered, handing him off to another villain.

"Don't..." Melissa gasped, tears streaking down her face as she forced herself up, "Please, no...give him back..."

The villain turned to her, drawing his gun. "That reminds me," he said with a vicious grin, "This will be a lot easier if I get rid of the professor's attachments!"

Melissa screwed her eyes shut as the gun went off again. A loud clang made her open one eye and standing in front of her was a woman with blonde hair, gold-colored flecks of light were settling on her skin. She seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. The woman was dressed similar to a samurai, holding two swords in her hand and a thunderous look was on her face.

"And who are you?" the villain, Wolfram, asked as he readied his gun again.

"I'm the Flower of Tengen," the woman said, eyes narrowed. "I'm not sure what exactly is going on, but I recognize someone who's trying to kill children when I see 'em! You're just as bad as that creepy magician! I'm not normally one to be a hero, but I'm going to stop you, you hear?"

"Tch." the redhead pulled the trigger again and a scream died in Melissa's throat as she watched the villain fire at them again. The woman slashed one of her swords downwards and the bullet shattered. She glanced behind her at Melissa.

"You said that professor looking guy was your father right? That means that you can work the security system, right?" She asked and Melissa nodded.

"Good, then go!" she ordered and Melissa scrambled to her feet, turning and running.

"Don't let her escape!" the redheaded villain barked and Melissa tensed. Deku lunged forwards, intercepting one villain before the blonde lept to his aid. Metal clashed with metal as 'Saber' was blocked by a wall of metal, Deku smashing through it.

Melissa turned back around and ran, all but leaping into the control room chair and turning the system back online.

She pulled her phone out, hands trembling as she quickly dialed Uncle Might's number.

Mister Chiron was still gone, and she knew that Uncle Might would be on his way.

He had to know the full situation.

He had to get her father back.

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It's the surprise!

Yes, the Flower of Tengen is a real nickname for her. I know some of you have realized who this is already, but her true name will be revealed next chapter