Meltdown: The Inferno Reborn

  Origins: A Child Born in Fire

  Mira Solace was born into a world of burning brilliance, a prodigy whose intellect outshone those around her. As a child, she was captivated by the warmth of her home and the steady glow of her father's ambition. Dr. Cyrus Solace, a renowned scientist researching energy-based Catalysts, was her hero. To Mira, his intelligence was the beacon that guided her, and she mirrored his passion for understanding the secrets of energy. His presence was intoxicating, a force that consumed her, and she adored him, even as she was unknowingly consumed by him.

  But beneath the surface of his genius lay something far darker. Dr. Solace wasn’t just a brilliant scientist—he was a deranged manipulator, a man with a sickness that twisted his perception of love and family. The warmth Mira felt was not only the glow of his affection—it was the heat of control, the suffocating burn of sexual abuse. Over the years, he slowly broke her, convincing her that she owed him everything. He played her like a puppet, and every cruel action, every whispered lie, only deepened her dependence. Mira’s life became a twisted dance, a Stockholm syndrome that bonded her to the very man who slowly destroyed her mind and spirit.

  Her father’s research was deadly, and his obsession with unlocking the potential of energy-based Catalysts led him down paths of madness. The experiments were too dangerous, the stakes too high, but he pushed on—blind to the cost. Mira was forced to endure the pain of his twisted experiments, designed not just to test her intellect but her very body. Each time his research caused her suffering, he would call it "progress," praising her for being a part of something greater. It twisted her mind, and she believed in him, in his vision, and in her place at his side.

  But brilliance—when unchecked—has its price. One fateful night, that price was paid.

  The laboratory, hidden deep underground, became the epicenter of a disaster. A surge of uncontrolled energy flooded the facility as Dr. Solace’s reckless experiments reached a deadly crescendo. Mira was there, caught in the middle of it all. The explosion was catastrophic. The force of it should have killed her, but instead, it changed her. The energy she absorbed fused with her very being, altering her on a cellular level. Her body became an amplifier of that power—an unbearable furnace of heat and destruction.

  When Mira awoke, she was alone. The lab was in ruins, scorched and torn apart, but not a single burn marked her skin. Instead, she radiated an unearthly heat, and her body hummed with a raw power she could not understand. The air around her crackled with the intensity of her new form. But the worst realization came when she searched for her father.

  Dr. Solace—her hero—was gone. And the flames that consumed him? They had come from her.

  Adolescence: Power, Pain, and Destruction

  Her life as Mira Solace was over. She was reborn as Meltdown, a living weapon whose very presence threatened everything around her. In the days that followed the accident, she found herself abandoned by the only family she had ever known. The world saw her as a monster, a ticking time bomb waiting to explode, and they treated her as such. Her emotions, once her guide, were now the very thing that threatened to destroy her and anyone near her.

  Every time Mira’s emotions flared, so did her power. The heat rose within her, unchecked, uncontrolled. Fear, anger, or even the simplest surge of excitement would set off a chain reaction. Objects melted in her path, and people burned with even the smallest touch. She couldn’t control it. She couldn’t control herself.

  She was captured by authorities and sent to a high-security facility designed to house the most dangerous of Catalyst users. It wasn’t a place of rehabilitation—it was a prison. They didn’t try to understand her, to help her tame the fire within; they feared it, feared her. Scientists experimented on her, injecting her with suppressant drugs to contain her power. They shackled her in restraints, placed a muzzle on her, and kept her locked away like a monster. She was treated like an animal, a weapon they could tame, but not a person. She spent days in a cold, sterile cell, the only warmth her own body radiated.

  The facility’s doctors and guards had their own way of dealing with her. They feared her, and she could see it in their eyes—the way their hands trembled as they entered her cell, the nervous glances exchanged behind her back. They never spoke to her like a person, always with distance, always with contempt.

  One particular doctor, Dr. Mallory, would visit her frequently. He was a man in his late forties, his face worn from years of dealing with the most dangerous Catalysts. His calm, clinical demeanor masked the disgust he had for her. Every time he came into the room, he would talk to her as though she were nothing more than a subject on a lab table, his words cold and indifferent.

  “Today we’re going to run some tests, Mira,” he would say, his eyes scanning her, not as a human, but as an object. “We need to know exactly how much damage you can cause before you burn yourself out. It’ll help us understand how to contain you.”

  Mira hated the way he said her name. "Mira," like she was the girl she used to be. But she wasn’t that girl anymore. She was Meltdown. And she felt every inch of that name.

  The guards, too, were no better. They stood just outside her cell, eyes always watching, their weapons at the ready. Some were kind, offering her food or speaking softly in an attempt to ease her, but she could always tell they were terrified. One young guard, in particular, named Jackson, would come to her door with a trembling hand, passing through her meals. He would speak to her with a strange mixture of fear and pity.

  “Just... try to stay calm, okay? You don’t have to hurt anyone. We’re just doing our jobs, Mira. We don’t want this for you.”

  But Mira could see the truth in his eyes—he wasn’t speaking to her. He was speaking to the monster he believed her to be.

  The cruelty was always there, though. She could hear the whispers, the cruel words that followed her wherever she went. Late at night, as she lay in her cold cell, the voices would seep into the walls, filling her with rage.

  “You should’ve died with your father,” they would say. “You don’t belong here. You belong dead, like him.”

  Those words, they cut deeper than any weapon. She didn’t remember much about her father. He had been distant, cruel, a man who used her for his own gain. But those words, they made her feel like she was the worst thing to ever walk the earth. A mistake. A failure. A monster.

  One fateful night, it all broke. When a guard, sneering, spat the cruel words that had haunted her for so long—“You should’ve died with him”—something inside Mira snapped. All the pain, all the grief, all the years of suffering, built up in that single moment. Her power erupted like a volcano.

  The guard, a man named Daniels, had always taunted her, relishing in his ability to push her buttons. He had mocked her time and time again, getting off on the power he had over her. This time, though, he took it too far.

  “You should’ve died with your father, just like everyone else you’ve ever loved,” Daniels sneered as he entered her cell, the usual venom in his voice.

  That was the moment she lost control. She lunged at him, her power surging through her like a storm. In an instant, she ripped his spine from his body, his blood splattering against the cold walls. His scream echoed through the room as his lifeless body collapsed in a heap, the blood pooling around her feet.

  Another guard rushed to stop her, but she was too fast, too enraged. She kicked him so hard that his body split in two, the force of the blow sending shockwaves through the facility. The walls shuddered with the impact, and the sound of crunching bones filled the air.

  And then, she heard the alarm.

  The explosion that followed was beyond anything the facility’s designers had anticipated. It was as if the very air itself had ignited. The walls cracked, the ceiling collapsed, and the building was engulfed in a fiery inferno. Mira—no, Meltdown—had become the disaster she had always feared.

  When the dust settled, there was nothing left. The facility, the experiments, the guards—all of it was gone by morning. The world would never know what had truly happened, but Mira knew. She had destroyed everything she had ever known, all because of the rage and the pain that had been forced upon her.

  The world now viewed her as the embodiment of catastrophe, a living nightmare. She had been cast aside, her past erased, and she was forced to confront the truth: the fire within her was no longer something she could control. It was her curse, her identity, and she was its master. Or was she?

  In the days that followed, the memories of that night tormented her. She could feel the heat of the flames in her veins, taste the bitterness of what she had become. But she couldn’t stop. The rage, the pain, the hurt—it all fused with the power within her, and she was left standing in the ruins of everything she'd ever known.

  Meltdown was born that night, not just as a name, but as a symbol. A symbol of a broken girl who had lost everything—her family, her innocence, her hope—and replaced it with nothing but fire.

  And so, the journey of Meltdown began.

  Aftermath: The Inferno Reborn

  As the smoke cleared and the rubble settled, Mira stood alone. She was a force of nature now—an uncontainable power, a living disaster. But inside, she was more broken than ever. She wasn’t just a weapon; she was the very embodiment of her father’s legacy—a legacy of destruction, manipulation, and pain. She had become what he always wanted her to be, even if she had never asked for it.

  But in that moment, she found something new. Freedom.

  Freedom from her father. Freedom from the chains that had held her for so long. And with it, a new mission began to take shape. The world would see her not just as a monster, but as a force of nature. And she would make them fear her—not for the power she wielded, but for the soul that had been forged in the fire.

  Her power was her curse. And yet, in its heat, she would forge her own destiny.

  Meltdown had risen from the ashes. And now, she would burn the world down to see what remained.

  The Road to Heroism: A Path of Ashes

  With nowhere to go, she wandered. A broken soul in a shattered world, forced to learn how to control the inferno that burned within her—not for heroism, but for survival. She lived on the outskirts of society, a ghost among the ashes, leaving behind trails of scorched earth wherever she went. She convinced herself that she wasn’t meant for the world, and the world wasn’t meant for her. She was a weapon, a tool of destruction, unworthy of the title "hero."

  But fate had other plans.

  One day, she met Lifeblood.

  Lifeblood had been tracking her for months, but not with the intent to subdue her. Unlike the others who sought to contain or destroy her, Lifeblood understood the nature of suffering—of loss and trauma. When he finally confronted her, she expected a fight. Expected him to chain her up, to look at her with the same fear, the same hatred that everyone else had. But Lifeblood didn’t attack.

  Instead, he just stood there, unshaken by her violent power.

  "Are you done running?" he asked, his voice calm, almost indifferent—but it carried a weight that pressed against her.

  For the first time in years, someone didn’t look at her like a walking disaster. For the first time in years, someone wasn’t afraid of what she could do.

  Lifeblood wasn’t like the others. He wasn’t scared of her power. In fact, he didn’t seem to care at all about what she was—he saw what was left of who she was. Lifeblood, a man as broken as she was, recognized the pain that had shaped her. His own past was marked by loss and endless grief, and in her, he saw a reflection of his own trauma. He knew what it was like to be consumed by darkness, and he offered her something she hadn’t had in years: a choice.

  "You have two paths ahead of you," he said, his voice unwavering. "You can let the world define you as a monster, or you can choose to be something else. You decide."

  Meltdown didn’t want to believe it. She didn’t want to be a hero. How could someone like her, a living bomb of destruction, ever become anything other than a force of annihilation? She couldn’t fathom it. She had killed, destroyed, burned everything around her—there was no redemption in her heart. She didn’t deserve redemption.

  But Lifeblood didn’t force her. He didn’t pressure her. He just stood there, his stillness a silent invitation. He waited.

  For months, they crossed paths again and again. Mira—no, Meltdown—watched him fight. She saw him endure unimaginable pain, see his own anguish reflected in the faces of those he protected. She witnessed him use his unimaginable powers, not as a weapon of vengeance, but as a force of healing. His strength wasn’t just measured in the bodies he destroyed, but in the lives he saved—even when it meant sacrificing his own well-being.

  And then came the moment that truly defined him.

  Lifeblood, the strongest hero, faced a monstrous villain—a being of unimaginable destruction threatening to wipe out an entire city. The villain's power seemed unstoppable. And in a show of pure force, Lifeblood stepped up, towering over the scene like an indestructible force.

  Then, in a shocking display of strength, he punched Meltdown—not holding back one bit. She was sent flying, bouncing off the concrete road, disoriented from the impact. But Lifeblood wasn’t done. With just 0.1% of his power, he punched her again—this time not to harm, but to prove a point. Though she was half dead on the pavement.

  It wasn’t about overpowering her. It was about showing her that endurance, and the sheer will to never give up, was where true strength lay. Lifeblood had survived it all, and his resolve—unshakable, unyielding—was the key to becoming the greatest hero.

  He didn’t need to be invincible. He just needed to rise again, no matter how much the world tried to break him. That was heroism.

  And in that moment, Meltdown finally understood.

  He showed her that heroism wasn’t about being perfect, or unscathed. It was about rising, again and again, no matter how much the world tried to break you.

  He showed her that her past didn’t define her future.

  And that was when Meltdown made her decision.

  Present Day: The #4 Hero, A Walking Catastrophe

  Now, as the #4 ranked hero, Meltdown continues to walk the fine line between control and chaos. Her power is a ticking time bomb—one mistake, one lapse in concentration, and entire cities could be reduced to molten craters in the blink of an eye. She doesn’t have the luxury of hesitation, of second-guessing herself. She has learned to fight with cold, ruthless precision. Her emotions still burn hot within her, but she holds them in check with the strength of will that Lifeblood had shown her.

  She is relentless on the battlefield—because she has to be.

  But it’s not about being the hero anymore. It's about proving something to herself.

  She fights not because she believes she’s the answer to the world’s problems, but because she refuses to be the monster everyone feared she would become. She fights because every step forward is a rebellion against the flames of her past, a refusal to become the walking destruction that her power is capable of.

  She fights for those who are too dangerous to be understood. For those who have been abandoned by the world. She fights to show them that they, too, can rise above their pasts, that they too can wield their pain to protect instead of destroy.

  Even as the fire within her burns, she holds the ashes of her past close—because it is through the ashes that she has found her true strength.

  The battle within her never truly ends. It is a war that she will carry with her for the rest of her life.

  But she will not give in to the flames.

  She will burn the world if it means proving that she’s more than the destruction she can bring.

  Meltdown vs Chained Hero Dave: The Stadium of Pain – Brutal Edition

  The Stadium of Pain trembled as Meltdown and Dave faced each other, the air thick with the stench of ozone and blood. The crowd’s screams were primal, hungry for carnage. Meltdown’s skin glowed molten red, veins pulsing with radioactive fire, while Dave’s chains slithered around him like steel vipers, their edges serrated and dripping with the remnants of past battles.

  The bell rang.

  Meltdown moved first, her fist erupting in a geyser of plasma that vaporized the air as it rocketed toward Dave’s chest. He twisted, but not fast enough—the blast sheared off his left shoulder, muscle and bone sizzling to ash. Dave roared, his chains lashing out in retaliation, hooking into Meltdown’s ribs with a wet crunch. He yanked, tearing her sideways, her fiery blood spraying across the arena floor where it boiled the concrete into slag.

  “BURN, YOU COCKROACH!” Meltdown shrieked, her voice a nuclear detonation. She grabbed the chains embedded in her torso and pulled, dragging Dave toward her. His boots carved trenches in the ground as she slammed a knee into his face, shattering his nose into a pulp. He retaliated by whipping a chain around her throat, the links glowing white-hot as he crushed her windpipe. Meltdown gagged, her flames flickering—until she vomited a torrent of liquid fire into his eyes.

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  Dave staggered back, his face melting, eyelids fused shut. But he didn’t scream. Instead, he laughed, raw and guttural, as his chains spiraled into a frenzy. One wrapped around Meltdown’s wrist and yanked, dislocating her arm with a sickening pop. Another chain stabbed into her thigh, barbed hooks shredding muscle. She collapsed to one knee, but her grin was feral.

  “You wanna play with pain?” she hissed. Her molten hand gripped the chain in her leg and squeezed, melting it into dripping metal. The heat traveled up the links, searing Dave’s hands to the bone. He refused to let go, even as his fingers blackened and curled into claws.

  Meltdown surged upward, her dislocated arm swinging wildly. She grabbed Dave’s jaw, her fingers burning through his cheeks, and slammed his skull into the arena wall. The impact cratered the steel-reinforced concrete, but Dave’s chains retaliated, spearing through her stomach and out her back in a spray of viscera. Meltdown coughed blood, which ignited midair, raining fire as she headbutted him, cracking his forehead open.

  Dave reeled, his vision swimming, but he channeled his agony into momentum. His chains coiled around Meltdown’s neck and limbs, hauling her into the air. With a guttural roar, he slammed her body into the ground again and again, each impact fracturing the stadium’s foundation. Meltdown’s flames dimmed, her body a mangled heap—until she erupted in a supernova of radiation, blasting Dave across the arena.

  His body skidded through rubble, skin peeling off in charred strips. Meltdown stood, her intestines smoldering as she stitch-cauterized them with a searing palm. Dave rose too, his chains now brittle and glowing, fused to his skeletal hands. They charged, no strategy left, only savagery.

  Meltdown’s fist met Dave’s chain-wrapped knuckles in a cataclysmic collision. The shockwave vaporized the first ten rows of seats, spectators fleeing as the arena’s roof buckled. Meltdown’s arm shattered, bones jutting through flesh, while Dave’s remaining chains exploded into shrapnel, embedding in both their bodies.

  They fell to their knees, inches apart, breathing in ragged, bloody gasps. Meltdown headbutted Dave, her skull fracturing his teeth. He headbutted back, splintering her orbital bone. They collapsed into the crater, limbs tangled, flames and chains sputtering.

  The crowd was silent.

  Then, a twitch. Meltdown’s hand, glowing faintly, closed around Dave’s throat. His chain-stump jabbed into her gut, probing for organs. But neither moved further.

  The bell rang.

  No one knew who struck it.

  The Stadium of Pain was a smoldering ruin, the heroes reduced to broken, bleeding carcasses. Yet their eyes still burned—Meltdown’s with radioactive fury, Dave’s with icy defiance.

  Brutality wasn’t the goal.

  It was the language they spoke best.

  And as the dust settled, Meltdown’s mangled form twitched, her smoldering fist rising one final time to slam into Dave’s ruined chest—a silent, searing exclamation point to the carnage.

  Meltdown had shown Dave why she was ranked #4 in the Hero League.

  Two Years Later – Buddy Buddy Despite The Insanity

  Fast forward two years, and somehow, Meltdown and Dave are now... best buds. Yeah, you heard that right. These two titans, who once tried to absolutely obliterate each other in the Stadium of Pain, are now chillin' together like nothing ever happened. Like, nearly putting each other in the grave was just a Tuesday for them.

  Now, I know what you're thinking: How is this possible? Well, somehow, the bloodied battlegrounds of that brutal arena forged a bond stronger than any punch they could throw at each other. The dynamic between them is... weirdly wholesome. It's like an odd couple sitcom, where one’s a nuclear-powered walking disaster and the other’s a human chain weapon with no time for basic human connections. Picture it: Meltdown’s hot-headed, nuclear-flame-filled chaos mixed with Dave’s stoic, grizzled loner vibe. It's the most bizarre—and somehow comforting—pairing you could imagine.

  But, of course, Meltdown isn’t about to let Dave forget about his glaring, single-for-life status. #5 Hero? Yeah, that doesn't impress her when she’s got jokes to make.

  Meltdown: “Sooo, Dave, still no girlfriend? No wife? Nothing? You’ve been #5 for 6 years since you joined at 24 years old and you can’t even manage a date? Bro, I’m surprised you even know what human affection is. Do your chains give you cuddles at night, or what?”

  Dave: “I’m just focused on my work, Mel. Relationships are... complicated.”

  Meltdown: “Complicated? Complicated? Bro, you’re 30 and still living like you’re 18. You’ve fought literal wars, survived worse than anyone in this damn arena, and you still don’t have someone to share your cold, lonely nights with? I mean, I know my flames are hot, but I’m not trying to take you in like a charity case. Find someone else to heat up your nights.”

  Dave: “It’s not that simple. You wouldn’t understand. You don’t exactly give off... ‘wife material’ vibes.”

  Meltdown: “Ohhhh, so now I’m too much for you, huh? All this heat and passion—too much to handle, huh? Guess you don’t know how to deal with a girl who can burn you and still keep things hot old man.”

  Dave: “Old man? Don’t start with me. I’m not that old, alright? You’re just jealous of my immaculate chain game.”

  Meltdown: “Bro, you’ve literally been in this game longer than anyone else at USCT. expect for 2000 fucking year old lifeblood Your bones are creaking just looking at a staircase. It’s okay, though! You can always rely on your chains to get you a date. Maybe you’ll wrap one of those bad boys around a willing partner, huh?”

  Dave: “Hey, my chains are very reliable... unlike some people’s egos.”

  Meltdown: “You mean like yours? With your whole ‘I’m #5, I have to be the best’ act? Get real, Dave. You’re not fooling anyone. Maybe that’s why you can’t keep anyone around. You’re so focused on your rank and fighting that you forget to live.”

  Dave: “I don’t need anyone to ‘keep around.’”

  Meltdown: “Right, and that’s why you have a freaking shrine to your chains in your closet. Totally not lonely behavior, man. I bet you talk to them when you're bored too, huh?”

  Dave: “Shut it, Mel.”

  Meltdown: “What, you don’t wanna talk about it? Yeah, okay. Maybe someday I’ll help you out, but you really need to stop pretending like you’re too busy for life outside of killing things with chains. You need to start talking to someone. It’s not healthy.”

  Despite the relentless teasing, there’s a strange bond forming. Dave, despite his gruff exterior, is starting to realize that maybe he’s been so focused on being the best that he’s let the important things slip by—like human connection. He’s used to Meltdown’s sarcastic jabs by now—toughened up from years of battle—but even he can’t ignore the way her teasing is starting to hit a little closer to home.

  Could he really be the lonely guy she makes him out to be?

  Meltdown, for her part, is just having too much fun. It’s not that she’s cruel—okay, maybe a little—but there’s a part of her that’s genuinely rooting for Dave. She wants to see him stop pretending like he doesn’t need someone. She knows he’s got more to offer than just brutal chain fights, but she’s not about to let him off the hook easily.

  Her teasing is almost... affectionate? Maybe she’s playing it cool, but even Meltdown can see that there’s more to Dave than the hardened hero everyone else sees. She just likes to make him squirm a little before he gets there.

  And let’s be real—Meltdown is secretly hoping that someday, some lucky person (maybe even her, if she’s being honest) will be there to remind Dave that he doesn’t always have to fight alone. But she’s gonna make him suffer for it first. It's funny, after all.

  The two of them may have nearly killed each other in that arena, but now? Now, they’re more like a weird, fiery, chains-wrapped, emotionally unavailable family. They may not admit it yet, but the bond’s there—and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

  The Chained Hero and Marshall Hunter – The Unexpected Buddy System

  It’s been two years since that fateful match where Marshall Hunter had to go 100% for the first time in his life to defeat Dave, the undefeated warrior himself. You would think someone like Marshall, with his insane strength and the ability to dominate anyone in his path, would be untouchable. But nope—Dave pushed him to the absolute brink. So much so that Marshall had to tap into his 2500X human strength speed and durabilty just to survive.

  But despite all that, the two of them are now friends... in a weird, unspoken “you were the only guy who could make me sweat” kind of way.

  Marshall was sitting at a bar, sipping a drink, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone. There was this feeling in the pit of his stomach he just couldn’t shake. Dave... the man who had made him feel something that wasn’t victory. Marshall had fought heroes before, true, but Dave? The raw determination? The resilience? It made him rethink everything.

  It didn’t help that he was now sitting at the same table as Dave’s bestie, Meltdown.

  Meltdown: grinning like a cat who just caught the canary “So, Marshall, how’s it feel? Being the #3 hero and all, yet STILL having to break a sweat for the first time in your life?”

  Marshall’s eyes narrowed. "You know, Mel, it was one match—one. I barely had to go all-out."

  Meltdown: mock surprise “Barely? Bro, I watched you use your full power for the first time... and you still needed a whole 100% to beat Dave? Isn’t that cute? I thought you were untouchable. You broke him, but you broke yourself too, huh?”

  Marshall shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "It wasn’t just about beating him. It was about surviving." He cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. "He’s no joke. That fight... changed everything."

  Meltdown: snickers “Yeah, yeah. You know, you did a little more than just survive. You practically screamed ‘uncle’ by the end of it. I heard you, Marshall! You were begging for mercy on that last round. I thought you were gonna tap out. You sure you’re not still scared of Dave?”

  Marshall let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "I wasn’t begging for mercy. I just... had to give it everything I had. I didn't think someone like him could... break me."

  Meltdown: tilts her head, grin widening “Uh-huh. So, you were scared of him. Kinda like the first time a kitten sees a dog, huh? Big and tough... but had to go 2500X to take out the ‘little guy.’ Adorable.”

  Marshall’s face flushed. "It wasn’t like that, Mel." He was starting to realize he was losing this argument hard. She knows. She always knows how to poke at his ego.

  Meltdown: laughing “Okay, okay, Mr. 2500X human . Let’s just call it what it is. Dave made you feel something for once, huh? Made you go to places you didn’t know you could go? It’s cute, honestly. I thought you were all about control. But now I know the truth—you’re just as much of a scared little kitten as everyone else.”

  Marshall, flustered, tried to change the subject, but Meltdown wasn’t about to let him off the hook.

  Meltdown: “I can’t believe it though. The Marshall Hunter, the living legend, nearly got flattened by a guy who doesn’t even really want to fight half the time. I mean, come on, dude. You should be thankful you even survived the fight! Maybe you should go back to the basics—training with Dave again, y’know, so you don’t end up looking like an amateur next time. Maybe next time, just don’t get beat by a guy who’s already a walking disaster.”

  Marshall shot her a side-eye, trying his best to stay calm. "I’m not some amateur... It was a tough fight. I wasn’t expecting to go all-out like that."

  Meltdown: mockingly “It was so tough that you had to go 100% like your life depended on it. What’s next, Marshall? Are you gonna start bringing a teddy bear to sleep at night because you’re scared of your own shadow after fighting Dave?”

  Marshall, now fully caught in Meltdown’s teasing, shot her a look of frustration but also... something more. “Alright, alright. Fine. I’m still dealing with it. But don’t think I’m scared. You can laugh all you want, Mel. But I’m still the #3 hero. You can’t take that from me.”

  Meltdown: smirking “Oh, I’m not trying to take anything from you. You did win... but only just barely. I’m just saying, maybe next time you’ll remember to pack a little more backup in case Dave decides to throw hands again. You know, like some… backup chains?”

  Marshall’s eye twitched, but he chuckled despite himself. "Yeah, yeah. Keep laughing, Mel.”

  And even though Meltdown was relentless in her teasing, there was an unspoken respect in her voice when she added:

  Meltdown: “But for real, Marshall. You earned it. You did what you had to do. I still think you’re a little scared deep down, but I can’t hate you for it. You’re good. Just don’t make me watch you nearly lose again. I don’t want to see that meltdown... on either side.”

  Marshall, his pride still a little bruised but appreciating her words, gave a reluctant nod. “Fair enough. You just wait, Mel. Next time, I’ll make sure I don’t have to go 2500X just to stay on top.”

  And with that, despite the teasing and the insane amount of respect hidden under the banter, the two of them sat back, sharing a drink.

  For now, the battle between Marshall and Dave would be a distant memory... but the teasing? That would never end.

  Meltdown’s Prank: Hugging the Unhuggable

  It was a regular day, well, as regular as it could be in the chaotic world of the top 10 heroes. Dave was in the middle of some intense training, his chains swinging effortlessly around him as he worked through a series of defensive maneuvers. Kuruya was on the sidelines, smirking like a troublemaker as usual, and Meltdown was just, well, being Meltdown.

  Now, if you know anything about Dave, you know he’s the last person who wants to be hugged. The guy’s got chains instead of emotional attachments and is absolutely not the cuddly type. But Meltdown? Oh, she loved to push those buttons, especially with Dave.

  And today, she had the perfect prank in mind.

  She casually walked over to Dave, who was laser-focused on his training and fighting—classic Dave, never sees things coming—and, without warning, suddenly wrapped her arms around him in the tightest hug ever.

  Meltdown, with a wicked grin: “Awwww, Dave! You’ve been so stressed out lately! I thought you could use a little love, huh?”

  Dave, frozen in shock, his eyes wide like a deer in headlights, immediately tensed up. His chains jerked like they were about to spring into action, but… they didn’t. His brain short-circuited for a moment. This was not the kind of contact he was used to. Not by a long shot.

  Dave, his voice cracking just a little: “M-Mel... What the hell are you—?”

  Meltdown, completely unfazed, squeezed him tighter: “Aww, come on, don’t be like that! You’ve been so serious lately. I’m just showing you a little affection! I’m practically a hugging expert!”

  Dave’s body language was like he was getting attacked by a bear—tensed, awkward, and utterly horrified. He stood there, unsure what to do, before letting out an almost panicked grunt.

  Dave, his voice strained: “I… I don’t need a hug, Meltdown. Get off me.”

  Meltdown, teasing: “Ohhhh, come on! Can’t handle a little human touch? Poor Dave, too tough for love.”

  Meanwhile, Kuruya was cracking up from the sidelines, his deep laughter echoing around them.

  Kuruya, barely able to contain himself: “Look at you, Dave! You’re dying out there! Who knew the mighty #5 hero would melt under the pressure of a hug?”

  Dave, still standing stiff as a board, shot Kuruya an icy glare, but the wild grin on Kuruya’s face made it clear he was loving every second of this.

  Dave, teeth gritted: “This… is not funny, Mel.”

  Meltdown, not letting go even for a second, laughed loudly. “Oh, it’s hilarious. Look at you! The #5 hero, so strong with your chains and all, but you can’t even handle a little affection from your teammate?” She leaned in close, whispering, “You’re a real softie under all that steel, huh?”

  At that, Dave’s chains rattled like they were about to react on their own, but he controlled them, barely keeping his composure. Meltdown was really playing with fire now.

  Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Meltdown released him, pulling back just enough to let him breathe.

  Meltdown, with a victorious smirk: “See? That wasn’t so bad, right? Maybe next time, you won’t be so rigid.”

  Dave, rubbing his temples in sheer frustration, turned toward Kuruya. “Do you see what I have to put up with?”

  Kuruya, still chuckling: “Oh, I see it. And I love it. Meltdown’s never gonna let you live this one down, Dave. You’ve been hugged, and there’s no going back.”

  Dave shot Kuruya a glare, and Meltdown just kept laughing, her fiery eyes sparkling with amusement.

  Dave, muttering: “This is why I avoid you both. Why do I even try?”

  And just like that, Meltdown had successfully pranked the unprankable, and Dave was left standing there, trying to recover from what might be his most awkward moment yet. Kuruya was definitely going to tease him about this for weeks, and as for Meltdown? She was already planning her next move.

  Meltdown, with a cheeky wink: “You’re welcome, Dave. Consider it a bonding experience.”

  

  Dave's Realization: Meltdown's Not-So-Secret Crush

  Five minutes later, Dave was still in a bit of a daze. He was walking through the training facility, replaying the hug incident in his head over and over like a broken record. It wasn’t just the hug, though—it was the way she looked at him afterward, the teasing, the way she had held on a little too long. His mind couldn’t help but loop back to the way she had grinned at him afterward like she had won some kind of prize.

  But there was something else now. Something in the way she kept getting too close to him. The constant jabs were becoming... too personal. Too familiar. And when Meltdown had called him “old man”, that wasn’t just teasing. That had been... soft.

  And then it hit him like a ton of bricks.

  Dave, to himself, blinking: Wait... no, it can’t be...

  He slowed down, a chill running down his spine. His head whipped back, and he looked around the hallway like the walls were closing in on him.

  Oh no. Oh no, no, no. Please tell me I’m wrong...

  But he wasn’t wrong. He had been giving her redemption for months now—he had taken her under his wing, helped her rise up to #4, made sure she got the recognition she deserved—and now, he was beginning to realize… there was something more.

  As if on cue, he heard that familiar, fiery voice coming from down the hall.

  Meltdown, laughing with Kuruya: “Yo, Kuruya, when Dave nearly exploded today? I swear I saw sweat dripping down his forehead. Like, how can someone so tough be such a softie? Might be cute though…”

  Wait. Did she just say—

  Dave froze in place. He swore he felt his heart skip a beat. Meltdown? The girl he’d literally dragged out of the fire and made a hero? She had a crush on him?

  No, no way. No way that’s true. He tried to shake it off, but as he listened to her laugh and banter with Kuruya, he couldn’t ignore the strange warmth in her voice. That softness when she looked at him—or teased him—wasn’t just playful anymore. She wasn’t just messing with him for the sake of fun. There was something deeper there.

  He groaned inwardly, rubbing his face. This is a disaster.

  Dave, muttering to himself: “I am too old for this. This is the last thing I need...”

  Meltdown had always been unpredictable, always fiery, but this? This was new. She wasn’t just joking around now. She was acting different, too close, like she was walking a fine line between friendship and something else.

  Kuruya, catching Dave’s expression as he walked by, raised an eyebrow: “You just realized, didn’t you?”

  Dave, deadpan, glaring at Kuruya: “Don’t start.”

  Kuruya, smirking, leaning against the wall: “Oh, I totally am. You’re finally getting it. Meltdown’s got a thing for you. And honestly, you’re not fooling anyone, Dave. We all see it.”

  Dave, rubbing his temples: “I’m not hearing this right now. I don’t need this in my life. She’s a teammate, not—”

  Kuruya, cutting him off with a grin: “Sure, sure. Keep telling yourself that. But every time you two are near each other, there’s this… thing. You know what I mean?”

  Dave, rolling his eyes: “I don’t have time for this.”

  But Kuruya’s grin only grew wider, and before Dave could escape, Kuruya tossed in one final nugget of wisdom.

  Kuruya: “If I were you, Dave, I’d start paying a little more attention. You might be the one blinded by the chains this time.”

  Dave’s face burned, but his mind was already racing. Was Kuruya right? Was Meltdown—Meltdown—actually developing feelings for him?

  He turned his back quickly, muttering under his breath.

  Dave, quietly: “This is gonna be a nightmare…”

  And just when he thought he could escape from this revelation, a voice right behind him caught him off guard.

  Meltdown, standing there with her signature fiery grin: “Heyyy, Dave. What’s going on? Looking a little flushed. You okay?”

  Her eyes were too bright, her teasing too playful, but there was a layer of something softer underneath. Something that made Dave’s stomach do a weird little flip.

  He shot her a quick, flustered look, but she was already getting too close again, that spark in her gaze making it hard for him to breathe.

  Meltdown, smirking: “What’s up, big guy? You’re usually pretty tough, but you look like you’re about to collapse right here.”

  Dave, forcing a deep breath: “I’m fine. Just… thinking.”

  Meltdown, leaning in closer, her voice low: “Thinking about me, huh? Or are you just worried about that hug still?”

  Dave couldn’t help it. He instantly turned beet red.

  Dave, shaking his head, grumbling: “Mel, I swear…”

  But the way she looked at him, the way she leaned in just a little bit closer, made Dave’s chest tighten.

  This is gonna be way harder than I thought.

  Meltdown, laughing softly, stepping back with a wink: “It’s okay, Dave. I won’t bite… unless you want me to.”

  As she walked off, leaving him standing there stunned, Dave could only stare after her.

  Dave, muttering to himself: “I am so screwed.”

  This was no longer just about redemption and mentorship. This was something else entirely.