The streets are alive with the usual Tokyo energy. Students in uniforms, salarymen rushing past, vendors calling out specials. The autumn sun filters through the gaps between buildings.
Andrew walks through the crowd, hands in his hoodie pockets, analyzing the latest prototype web-shooter he'd built. He's absorbed in his work, barely paying attention to his surroundings.
He doesn't notice when someone bumps into him—hard enough to send him stumbling forward.
VOICE (exasperated):
"Watch it, you—oh my god, I'm so sorry!"
Andrew looks up, ready to brush it off, but stops.
Standing before him is a girl with shoulder-length blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and an apologetic expression. She's wearing casual clothes—jeans and a tech company hoodie (Shield Corp logo visible on the sleeve). She's holding a stack of design catalogs that have scattered across the ground.
ANDREW:
"It's fine, I wasn't—"
He stops mid-sentence. Something about her is familiar.
MELISSA (crouching down):
"No, seriously, I wasn't paying attention. I was looking at these stupid catalogs and—"
She glances up at him, freezing for a moment. Her eyes widen slightly.
MELISSA (cont'd):
"Wait… have we met before?"
ANDREW (careful):
"I don't think so. I'd probably remember."
MELISSA (tilting her head):
"Huh. You just have one of those faces, I guess."
They both crouch down to pick up the scattered catalogs. Their hands reach for the same one at the same time, and there's that awkward moment where they both laugh nervously.
ANDREW:
"So, what are all these?"
MELISSA:
"Oh, these? Support gear designs. I'm kind of obsessed with engineering and tech. My uncle designs a lot of support items for heroes, so I grew up around this stuff."
She hands him one of the catalogs. It's incredibly detailed—schematics for web-shooters, grappling hooks, armor plating.
ANDREW (genuinely interested):
"These are… really well designed. The tensile strength calculations on these web-launcher designs are solid."
Melissa's eyes light up.
MELISSA:
"Right?! Most people don't even look at the technical specs. They just see 'cool gear' and move on. But the engineering behind it? That's the interesting part."
ANDREW (smiling slightly):
"Yeah. Most people don't get it."
MELISSA:
"Are you into engineering too?"
ANDREW:
"Something like that. I build things. Nothing as impressive as this, but…"
He trails off, realizing he's saying too much.
MELISSA:
"Well, you clearly know your way around design. What's your name?"
ANDREW:
"Andrew. Andrew Midoriya."
MELISSA (extending her hand):
"Melissa Shield. Nice to meet you, Andrew Midoriya."
Andrew shakes her hand. There's a moment of recognition in her eyes, but it passes quickly.
MELISSA (cont'd):
"Wait, Midoriya? That's a Japanese name. Are you from here?"
ANDREW:
"Born and raised. You're American?"
MELISSA:
"Yeah, from New York. But I'm spending this year in Japan. My uncle wanted me to experience the hero culture here, study the support systems they use, that kind of thing."
ANDREW:
"Your uncle being…?"
MELISSA:
"David Shield. He owns Shield Corporation. Maybe you've heard of it?"
Andrew processes this carefully. He definitely knows who David Shield is. That's the man whose daughter he saved from kidnapping a few months ago. The man who publicly thanked Spider-Man on live television.
But Melissa doesn't know that Andrew is Spider-Man.
ANDREW (casually):
"Yeah, I've heard the name. Support tech, right?"
MELISSA:
"Exactly! And honestly, the Japanese approach to hero support is fascinating. They're doing things in Tokyo that we haven't even thought of in the States."
She gestures to a nearby café.
MELISSA (cont'd):
"Hey, are you in a rush? I was about to grab some tea. These catalogs are making my brain hurt, and I could use someone who actually understands what they're looking at."
Andrew checks his phone. No urgent patrols scheduled. School's done for the day. Izuku's at home doing his hero analysis thing.
ANDREW:
"Yeah. I could use a break too."
☕ Scene: Small Café – 30 Minutes Later
They sit at a corner table, surrounded by catalogs and half-empty tea cups. Melissa is animated, gesturing as she explains different support gear concepts.
MELISSA:
"…and the problem with most web-based gear is that it relies too heavily on the user's own strength. But what if you could design web-shooters that had mechanical tension adjustment? So even someone without superhuman strength could use them effectively?"
ANDREW (leaning forward):
"That's actually genius. You'd need a micro-motor and pressure valve system, but if you calibrated the release mechanism right…"
He pulls out a small notebook and starts sketching. Melissa watches, impressed.
ANDREW (cont'd):
"…you could make it self-adjusting based on the user's weight and movement pattern. Machine learning integration?"
MELISSA:
"Yes! Exactly! Most people don't think about accessibility when it comes to support gear. They assume it's all for top-tier heroes."
ANDREW:
"But the best gear helps everyone. Helps people without Quirks keep up with those who have them."
There's a subtle weight to that statement. Melissa doesn't catch it, but she nods enthusiastically.
MELISSA:
"Right! Like, there's this vigilante—Spider-Man? Have you heard about him?"
Andrew stills, his pen pausing mid-sketch.
ANDREW (carefully):
"Yeah. He's been in the news."
MELISSA:
"Well, I actually saw him once. He saved me from a kidnapping situation a few months ago. And what struck me wasn't just his strength or speed—it was his gear. His web-shooters looked completely custom-built. Like, someone designed those specifically for him, or he designed them himself."
ANDREW:
"You think he built them?"
MELISSA:
"I'd bet money on it. The craftsmanship is too deliberate. Too personal. It's not mass-produced support gear. It's someone who understood exactly what they needed and engineered a solution."
She takes a sip of tea.
MELISSA (cont'd):
"Whoever Spider-Man is, they're not just strong. They're smart. And that's rare."
Andrew feels something warm in his chest. Someone finally recognizing that intelligence matters.
ANDREW (quietly):
"I think you're right."
MELISSA:
"I want to design gear like that someday. Gear that actually helps people be their best, you know? Not just for famous heroes, but for anyone who wants to make a difference."
She looks at Andrew directly.
MELISSA (cont'd):
"That's why I'm staying the year. To learn. To see how it's done here."
ANDREW:
"Yeah?"
MELISSA:
"Yeah. Plus, I met this really cool guy who actually understands what I'm talking about. That's worth staying for."
She smiles, and Andrew finds himself smiling back—genuinely this time.
ANDREW:
"Well, I'm glad the universe threw us into each other then."
MELISSA (laughing):
"Literally. That collision was perfect."
🌆 Scene: Shibuya Crossing – Later That Evening
They walk together through the bustling intersection, the massive screens overhead casting everything in colorful light.
MELISSA:
"So, Andrew Midoriya—besides engineering, what else should I know about you?"
ANDREW (thinking):
"I have a twin brother. He wants to be a hero. I spend most nights…"
He catches himself.
ANDREW (cont'd):
"…studying. And I help people when I can."
MELISSA:
"That's vague."
ANDREW:
"I'm a vague guy sometimes."
MELISSA:
"Fair. Well, for the record, I like you. And I don't usually like people I meet by ramming into them in the middle of Tokyo."
ANDREW:
"Noted. And I like you too. Even if you ruined my afternoon of peace and quiet."
MELISSA:
"Your afternoon was better for it, and you know it."
They reach the edge of the crossing. Melissa turns to face him.
MELISSA (cont'd):
"Same time next week? There's a support tech exhibition at a local convention center. I was going to go solo, but it'd be way more fun with someone who actually gets it."
ANDREW:
"Yeah. I'll be there."
MELISSA:
"Great! And Andrew? Thanks for the conversation. I needed that."
She waves and heads off into the crowd, disappearing among the masses of people.
Andrew stands there for a moment, watching her go. He pulls out his phone and checks his messages. Nothing urgent.
He looks down at his notebook, at the web-shooter designs they sketched together, and smiles.
ANDREW (thinking):
Normal. A normal friendship. Someone who doesn't know about Spider-Man, who just likes me for… me.
Maybe I can actually have that.
He tucks the notebook away and heads home, not noticing the security camera that caught their entire conversation on video feed.
Somewhere in an underground facility, that footage is being reviewed.
🏠 Scene: Midoriya Household – Night
Andrew slips through the front door quietly. Inko is in the kitchen, and Izuku is in the living room, nose buried in his hero analysis notebook as usual.
IZUKU (glancing up):
"Hey! Where were you all day?"
ANDREW:
"Out. Met someone interesting."
IZUKU:
"Oh? Tell me about them."
ANDREW:
"Maybe later. I'm gonna grab some food and head to bed. Exhausted."
He heads to his room, closing the door softly behind him.
Izuku watches his brother go, noting the slight smile on his face—something that's been rare lately.
IZUKU (thinking):
He seems happier. That's… actually good to see.