Interlude - Epilogue to I-island.

Due to my injuries, I missed out on the expo proper.

And so, at it's end, I was left a little disappointed as I prepared to return home.

Seeing things with psychic sense just isn't the same as experiencing them first hand. It's a bit better even, but that human feeling of curiosity and excitement is something to be cherished, especially given the decay of such features with age.

Man, that made me feel like an old man!

I shook my head. Can't be getting all Socratic on my ass hours before an important flight out of here.

As we made our way to the airport, the Shields met us in the lobby to see us off.

"Hello!" David greeted.

"Hey!" Melissa said.

"Professor! And Melissa. What brings you here?" I asked, knowing full well their exact reasons for coming here, having read their minds beforehand.

"Just wanted to see you off. And here." David said, handing me a box of almond and hazelnut chocolates.

"A token of our gratitude. I heard you like chocolates." He said.

"Yeah. Just a thanks." Melissa said, blushing a little, as David looked at her smiling.

'If only he didn't have a girlfriend, I'd have asked him to marry Melissa! Can't let such a good suitor get away!'

David thought, a bit too loudly.

I could feel it off his emotions.

"Well, thanks for the chocolates. How did you know about it?" I asked.

"Deku told me." Melissa replied.

"Makes sense. Goodbye then." I said, making to leave as David called out.

"Hold on a minute!"

"What?" I asked.

"I have something to talk to you about." He said.

"Sure. But can we do it fast? Himiko's waiting for me inside." I answered.

"Thanks. It's just, I was a bit lost about what to do about the ... you know?" He said.

"The amplifier?" I hinted.

"Yes." He replied.

"What about it?"

"How do you think I should proceed with the amplifier situation? Now that the sponsors are aware of the vulnerabilities in the system, and the investigation has cleared me, and I'm still not sure how you managed to convince them of that, I wanted to correct my mistake, an atonement of sorts. What do you think I should do?"

"Look, uh...I am not one to tell others how to do their jobs unless they fuck up phenomenally, which you have of course, and even then, I'm no scientist or anything.

But if I was the one dealing with a technology of such power, the first thing I'd do was install a deadman switch and a remote shutoff backdoor to it's program, to make sure that no one could ever misuse this tech to cause harm.

Then, I'd improve on it, with a smaller, more compact, battery operated model to facilitate the earlier shutoff program as well as control the scale of potential disaster caused by it.

Besides that, I'd probably play the stock algorithm to short the bogus trades of the sponsors and use that as funding for further independent research.

As for atonement, you could begin by using underground hackers to delete the data about this tech from all possible government sites in a simultaneous worldwide virus strike.

And to that end, here." I said pulling out my notepad, handing him, Aiba's number.

He hesitated to take the chit from me, not wanting to jump back into illegal dealings again this soon after his catastrophic failure in the previous attempt. Ultimately though his guilt won out and he took it.

"Call them. They can help. Unless you know some underground hackers yourself?" I teased.

"No. You're right. Thanks. I'll see that it's done. It's the least I can do." David muttered, defeatedly.

"Hey! Prof! Don't worry. They're good people. And as for your symbol of peace, well, I can do it. No, I am going to do it. Just you watch.

I may not be an unstoppable force like All Might but the symbol of peace doesn't have to fit a mold does he?

I'm the immovable object that even All Might can't contest.

No evil will pass by me. Prof, consider me be your new light.

Let me show you, how to make the impossible possible." I said, flashing a confident smile.

He gave me a faint smile as he raised his head, right in time to see a beam of light relect behind me like a halo, painting me in a warm bath of sunshine.

Meanwhile, nearby a trance manipulated stranger began softly playing inspirational music on his phone. Far enough to not be spotted, but close enough to subtly affect their perception.

Not naturally of course. But nothing a little creative use of telekinesis can't solve.

And the good old sunshine halo trick never fails to deliver.

I watched as a familiar shine returned to his eyes and he breathed out a glad sigh.

Melissa almost looked starstruck, and with that blush, maybe even lovestruck.

Man, people are so easy to fool!

I wonder why more people don't use these tricks?

Regardless, with the plans in motion and my hooks sunken deep in their skulls, I waved them farewell, and joined the rest of the class in the plane, leaving the island, having fulfilled both of my missions in coming here.