"I should take a picture with mom later... Better not forget," Izuku muttered to himself after taking a selfie against a metal railing of the bridge looking down the main events. I-Expo was much crazier than he remembered, though he had previously spent most of his time away from the big attractions. There were so many unique things to see - many being the latest tech innovations that continued pushing human ingenuity and the boundaries of what was thought possible.
The science fair back at his home town paled in comparison. I-Expo was an event far wider and grand than anything average people could put together. It was the culmination of the world's leading scientists and their investors unveiling the fruits of their efforts.
Gadgets that shoot lasers. Composite metals that absorb and redirect thermal energy. Dense materials combined together that tank forces of an exploding bomb. Gear Heroes could use for support. Objects civilians could use for commercial convenience. Everything and between was here, all captured by the countless drones flying around above recording the whole thing.
Then there were the people. Various races and ethnicities from all over the globe had come to take part to both participate and experience the event. From the ordinary people in casual street clothes, to businessmen doing their job making sure everything proceeded as planned and operated accordingly, to giant mutants several meters tall who were there to see the fun just like anyone else. Americans, Japanese, Russians, Germans - nearly all walks of life gathered around.
It was practically a circus or an amusement park with how the venues had been decorated. Bright colors painted buildings in a sea of wonder, contrasting the plentiful greenery delicately planted around and conscientiously maintained. Several digital screens lit up each building, with windows being brought to life to play a whimsical, inviting animation or to advertise certain upcoming events at a specific time.
Izuku kept feeling himself get distracted as he walked across the overpass. Everywhere he looked there was something new to see. It was oddly refreshing to navigate himself around aimlessly without knowing where to go or at to expect. He would have felt overwhelmed being left to his own devices just like his mother would back before becoming more independent. He could now freely embrace the solitude of being a single attendee left to fend against the hungry crowds threatening to swallow him whole.
Speaking of his mother, they agreed to meet back up within a couple hours. It had taken him much more than he would've liked to convince her to allow him to run off without supervision. She had been taken far out of her element here than she had been at the science fair back home, and she could only walk around for a handful of minutes at a time before being spent. At her pace, he would never get to see everything he wanted to, which is why she had reluctantly agreed to let him go.
She still had some conniptions about letting him run off on his own after the incidents in his youth. It had taken years for her to allow him on his own again. After she learned about the gauntlet he invented during his time away from home - a dangerous weapon she did not approve of - those feelings threatened to reemerge. Despite what she felt, she still allowed him to run off on his own.
It was a test of sorts. If he could be responsible to return on time like she asked, then she could still trust him to be on his own.
Recording another short video of an electric bicycle with ultra thin wheels riding up a wall, Izuku made his way down the overpass where he got to take a photo with an American Hero. It was his third picture he got to take with a Hero, and he matched their vigor by smiling brilliantly each time.
Because of the blend of multiple cultures, Izuku was having his English skills put to the test. It was good practice, and he'd been complimented a couple times by other English speakers at how fluent he was for such a young, foreign kid. He even got to learn a bit of Mandarin from some genial Chinese folk.
Grabbing a dessert crepe at a vendor with some of his personal spending money his mother was still unaware he had, Izuku became a little wary of his phone's battery life. He had taken over a dozen videos and still desired to take plenty more.
Some of what he captured was for his personal fulfillment, while others he thought about uploading to his video channel. He figured since he was here, why not record something for his audience?
There would be loads of footage from other sources after I-Expo ended, making his own footage less special. Still, it was enjoyable to document this small little bit of his life. If no one else appreciated the video, then it would just have to stay as a little compilation for himself.
Taking another bite of his crepe, Izuku glanced at a humungous monitor screen displaying the afternoon events for today, highlighting the upcoming Hero Rescue Course being opened up to the public soon. That name reminded him of the Villain Attack Course he'd participated against in his previous timeline, causing him to wonder if the people who had made it were the same as these.
A flashing yellow symbol blinked underneath the message, alerting urgently that there was supposed to be a special guest for the unveiling of it and warning those interested not to miss out.
He no longer had a Quirk, so he wouldn't be able to partake in the festivities. But seeing how he still had enough time to spare before meeting back up with his mom, he figured he should go check it out.
Discarding his crepe wrapper in a nearby bin, Izuku wormed his way through the ocean of other travelers and arrived at the location. Going off into the stands, he looked down near the center of the arena and took in the scene. There were a few buildings that looked as if they could be safely lit on fire and not burn down - reminding him of the conflagration zone in the USJ - and some busted up cars pushed onto their sides. Observing those moving down below, he proceeded to snap his fingers in frustration.
He totally forgot to bring his Hero Notebook. Now he couldn't jot down any cool Quirks from any of the participants.
Oh well. He'd just have to remember them.
Sitting on one of the bleachers next to many others stepping into the arena, the young boy felt a surge of nostalgia run through him as he spotted several young people wearing costumes walk out. They were teenagers conversing with each other, some bantering with friendly expressions, while others wore challenging ones as they incited their peers. They all appeared to be American like many of the expo attendees.
Young, aspiring Heroes who some way or another got an invitation to attend. Izuku was reminded of his own experiences with his old friends, a somber air around him as he reminisced on those times.
An announcer girl had walked out from below as she began speaking to them. He hadn't paid too much attention, intuitively understanding that she was there to welcome them and introduce the attraction. His focus was still locked away in his thoughts until she'd spoken something that garnered his interest.
"To help us show off our Hero Rescue Course, we have a very special guest waiting to give us an amazing demonstration!"
Recalling the digital billboard advertising that a special guest would appear, Izuku was curious who exactly it could be.
"I'm proud to welcome to you all the number one Hero!"
Izuku felt his heartrate shoot up.
No way.
All Might.
All Might!
ALL MIGHT!
ALLLLLLLLL MIGHTTTTTTTTT!
"Please put your hands together for Star and Stripe!"
His heart immediately fell.
Everyone around the green-haired boy had stood up and cheered as the American Hero Star and Stripe revealed herself, teleporting into the venue in an exotic display of her Quirk. Meanwhile, the eleven year old had nearly crumbled to the ground in defeated torment.
She meant the number one Hero in America...
He got his hopes up for nothing...
All Might wasn't here. He already knew that, being a major All Might fanatic and having such acute knowledge about his tenure as a professional Hero. He still did research on the man to this day, and knew he should still be somewhere over in Japan right now.
That announcement really turned him into a mess. His ass had clenched harder than it would for a Detroit Smash.
Nothing against the female Hero. Izuku was honestly a major fan of hers and in another instance, he too might've jumped out of his seat cheering. Right now, it was too important for him to meet All Might.
You just can't play these types of games in his situation.
He sighed, his voice tremoring as he reigned in his pounding heart. Add another checkmark to his growing list of disappointments, not that this one was anyone's fault.
Disappointed or not, he was still gonna get her autograph... hopefully.