Team STIK (Strike)

by Aragon365

One born without the power to make a difference. Another gifted with an incredibly powerful dual semblance. One who wishes to live up to his elder brother. And a faunus whose anger makes him almost as brutal as the Grimm. At Beacon Academy, these four unlikely souls would meet, and forever change the face of Remnant. These are their exploits. (Discontinued)

42. What Comes After

A/N: I underestimated how long Dragon Quest XI is. Man, I've got a long way to go. Well, enough of me rambling about video games. Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or My Hero Academia. They belong to Monty Oum, Kohei Horikoshi, and their respective publishing companies. Please support the official releases.

I do not own the cover image.

Chapter 42: What Comes After

"It's okay, Izuku. I gotcha..."

"He'll be fine. He has to be fine..."

"Remember kid, the keyword is 'Shatter.'"

"...ssstttTOOOOOP!"

Izuku jolted forward with a start, sweat dripping off his brow as the blanket that had covered him fell forwards onto his lap, panting as he tried to calm himself from what he'd just heard through the haze of sleep. There were bandaged wrapped tightly around his body, especially across his torso, and he could even feel a few wrapped on his face. How had he gotten-

"Izuku!" he heard his mother slide open a wooden door with a loud click as she rushed to his side and hugged him tightly, saying, "You're awake! Oh, thank Oum. You're alright!"

"... mom..." he whispered out as he returned the hug, asking, "What... happened? The last thing I remember is-"

And the memories hit him like a freight train, flashing through his mind one after the other. The battle against Adam, healing Yang's arm, battling his way through hordes of Grimm, finding Jaune mid-battle, their brief skirmish against Cinder, and...

No. No, no no no no no no no no-

"Izuku! Shh... it's okay... you're here... you're safe..." his mother said as she tried to comfort him, causing him to realize that he'd begun to hyperventilate and tried to get his lungs under control.

"Pyrrha... I couldn't... no... damnit..." Izuku said as tears began to fall from his eyes, shaking and trembling as he did so. He couldn't hold it in. And he didn't want to. "Damnit..."

"Hey, is everything... holy shit, you're awake."

With reddened eyes, Izuku glanced at the open doorway to see Shoto with a relieved look on his face, wearing a casual gray shirt and black shorts as he raced across the room and kneeled next to his mother, saying with blunt honesty, "You're a wreck. C'mon. Some fresh air will do you some good."

With Inko assisting, Shoto managed to get Izuku to the front of the house, taking the time to say hello to Makoto on the way out. She brought the two teammates tea, which the half and half leader graciously accepted. Inko offered to stay with the two of them, but Shoto then pointed out that she'd hardly slept since Izuku arrived, and that she deserved some rest after everything she'd done.

And so, the two were left alone at the front of Ryuji and Makoto's house, with yellowing Oak trees waving in the slight breeze. And with that, the first question came.

"... is everyone okay?"

Shoto sighed at that, placing the tea he'd been drinking next to him while Izuku simply stared at his own. He hadn't even sipped it. "It's... pretty complicated. You sure you want to know?"

Izuku nodded, though it seemed to be halfhearted. Shoto sighed as he looked up at the autumn colors around them, saying, "I'll be blunt. My dad's gone back to Atlas. He looked pretty spooked by something. Qrow came and got us away from the fighting, and explained that Ozpin is... well, not really around, anymore. Jaune's been in shock for the past week, hardly talks to anyone except Ren and Nora. And they're not doing so hot either. They've been over at Taiyang's place for the past week, but Ruby and Yang are still out cold. At least, as far as I know. Maybe whatever gods exist will be kind enough to give us three surprises today.

"... how the hell did you heal Yang's arm anyway? I thought healing other people with your own Aura was supposed to be impossible outside of healing semblances."

"... I have no idea. I just... I wanted to help her. I didn't want to fail her again."

Shoto slumped back a bit as he responded, "I won't say I'm not surprised, but it's also a bit underwhelming. Just a bit. Well other than that, Weiss got taken back to Atlas by her dad because of everything that happened, and Blake... she ran away. That's really all I know about where those two are right now. I hope they're doing alright, but I don't think Yang will take too kindly to the news about Blake."

"What about Bakugo? And Tenya? Where are they?"

"Bakugo... disappeared."

"... what?" Izuku said, looking up from his tea for the first time since they'd begun talking.

"I mean it. He just... disappeared. He left his scroll behind, no clue to his whereabouts, nothing. Dust on the wind. We don't know where he is. I don't know if we'll ever see him again."

"... no. No, I think we will. Bakugo does what he does for a reason. No way he would just up and vanish unless it was important."

"Well, let's hope," Shoto said as he took another sip from his teacup. Then silence came between the two. It was uncomfortable, and damn near unbreakable in the moment that another breeze, stronger than the last, shook the branches and knocked a few leaves from their places and scattering them across the open air.

"... Tenya... his legs are shot to hell. Whoever the hell he and Bakugo fought against really did a number on them, but... he's got permanent damage. His legs were spared from getting severed completely, but his nerves were practically shredded to bits. He got sent off to Mistral about five days ago. He's still unconscious, as far as I know. I haven't heard anything about him since then. He's... he'll probably never walk again, not unless they do some major surgery and have access state of the art Atlas cybernetics. And I doubt they want to risk either of those."

Izuku looked out at the trees, wiping tears from his eyes before they could fall again. "Damnit. I feel useless."

"I know."

"I couldn't help any of them. I couldn't be there for Tenya, I don't know if I'll ever be able to face Jaune again, and... damnit. Why the hell did she have to die? Why did anyone have to die?"

"I can't answer that. I wanted to help her too, but Cinder got the drop on us. I'm pretty sure she broke my Aura with the blast. Point is, we couldn't do anything.

"But if we ever see her again... I'm not going to let her take anyone else. We won't let her."

Shoto placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder, turning his head to meet his partner's eyes as he continued, "I know that it's gonna be tough. But we'll come back from this. It might just be the two of us, but we're still Team STIK. Though, I suppose it's more like Team SI at this point."

Izuku took a long sip from his teacup, placing it down on the wooden floor with an audible clack as he stood up. "I'm gonna go check on the others. You wanna come with?"

"I probably should. One of us needs to be ready just in case, and I don't think you're quite ready to be fighting Grimm right out of bed."

"True, true," Izuku said good-naturedly, though on the inside he was far from smiling. He'd failed. They hadn't spoken much on it, but Pyrrha was dead. One of their friends was dead. One of the strongest people they knew had been killed by a woman with powers they hardly knew anything about. And while the silence between them had somewhat lessened in discomfort, they both knew that everything had changed. Things would never be 'normal' again.

It was a terrifying thought. How Izuku wished it wasn't true.

(a few minutes later, Xiao Long household, Izuku's POV)

The knock on the door to the humble Xiao Long household was a short one. The log cabin carried the noise well, and within seconds the door creaked open. In front of him stood the same blonde man that he'd seen on his last visit to the island; Taiyang Xiao Long.

"You're... you're awake! Come in, come in!" the blonde man said as he smiled widely, ushering the two inside and sitting them at the couch in the back of the living room. "Do you need anything? Water? Something to eat?"

"We're fine, Mr. Xiao Long. Thank you," Shoto answered.

"Ah. Okay..." Taiyang said as he sat in one of the chairs saying to them, "Jaune went for a walk with his teammates, so they'll probably be back in about ten minutes or so. I guess you're here to check on how the girls are doing?"

"Are they okay? Are they awake yet? Is-"

"Whoa, whoa, don't wear yourself out, kid. You only just woke up," Taiyang said. "Ruby woke up a little earlier. She and Qrow are talking some stuff out. Stuff I... can't really explain to her."

"What about Yang? Is she okay?"

Taiyang's excitement seemed to ebb at that. "She's... she's taking things really hard. Especially since her partner ran away. Her arm's still recovering, but she should be able to move it again in about two weeks or so.

"Thank you for that," Taiyang said with a grateful smile on his face. "I heard that she was able to keep her arm because of you, whatever it was you did. So, thank you.

"Now, go on up and see her. I think it would do her some good to see a friend."

With a quick flurry of nods and a brief thank you, Izuku stood from the couch and went towards the staircase as quickly as his legs would let him. And yet, for some reason, he stopped just before he could even go beyond the first step. How was he supposed to face her? What would he say? What could he say? What-

"Hey. Kid. Quit staring off into space. You'll clog up the stairs."

Izuku suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, looking up to see Qrow walking down the stairs, his arm crossed as he looked at Izuku with a concerned gaze. "You here to see 'em?"

"Yes."

"... well, I think we need to talk for a quick minute. Those two are probably chatting right about now, anyway," Qrow said as he leaned against the wall, taking a brief look at his flask before stowing it back inside of his shirt. "So... you told anyone?"

Izuku shook his head in response.

"Good. As much as I'd like to tell them more, I think Ruby already knows too much about this."

"Wait, she knows? How much does she know?" Izuku asked, concern lining his words.

"Not much, but even that's more than she should know about. You've gotta keep your promise. There's a time and place to tell people about things that're this big, and this definitely isn't one of them. I only told Ruby about her eyes because of what happened to her, but everything else stays off limits. Got it?"

"... okay."

Qrow sighed as he came off of the wall and placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder. "There's also the fact that you're undertrained. Yeah, you're a damn good fighter, but you've really only been active for just a little under a year. That, and you need extra help with that weapon of yours. I'll only be around for about three weeks, maybe a month if you're lucky, but I'll be taking you under my wing in the meantime. Alright?"

"Yessir!" Izuku said with a determination relit in his eyes.

"Well, I think I've held you up long enough. Go," Qrow said as he opened up the way to the upper floor, Izuku shaking his head clear of doubts as his feet softly echoed against the wood.

A click was heard before he ever made it all the way up the stairs. By the time he'd gotten there, on either side of the front hall was a door, the one to the left wide open. With inaudible steps, he wandered over to it. And then, he saw her.

She was looking out the window at a yellowing oak tree, seemingly lost in a sea of her own thoughts, with a plain, faded yellow shirt and her right arm in a sing across her body. Yang was here. She was... she was alright.

Izuku almost rushed into the room, wanting to see what he could do, if there was anything he could do at all. But something stopped him. This was a different Yang. She seemed down. Defeated. Demoralized. Everything she usually wasn't.

And so, as quietly as he could, he entered, grabbing a chair from the far side of the room and placing it down in front of himself, barely a foot away from her bed. She was so engrossed with the thing occupying her sight that she didn't even notice. Just as quietly, he sat down, his mind racing and his stomach flip-flopping with nervousness. Not the nervousness that one would associate with excitement: he was afraid. Afraid that he would say the wrong thing. Make things worse.

But he had to take the dive eventually. And so, he spoke up.

"Hey."

A twitch, ever so slight. Blonde hair slowly tussled about as Yang slowly turned her head, blinking mid-turn as she seemed to form tears in her eyes. Their gazes met. And trails of tears began to run down her cheeks.

"I'm-"

But before Izuku got the chance to say anything, the blonde brawler reached over and pulled him into a tight hug with her good arm. He could feel her shaking as she buried her face into his shoulder, like she was scared that this was a dream she didn't want to end.

"Y-you're here. You're r-really here," Yang said as she continued to sob.

And without a word, Izuku returned the hug, letting Yang have her time to let her feelings out. The same she'd done for him in that small closet just a few days ago. And so, with a tight grip around each other and a slight rock to relax her, they stayed close, neither knowing, nor caring, how much time passed.

(a few days later, Midoriya Household, Toshinori's POV)

The gangly man was tempted to whistle in awe at the size of the house he was in front of. The style and architecture were unashamedly eastern Mistralian, and yet despite the size, it seemed welcoming all the same. It probably had to do with the fact that there was a mix of both Mistralian Cherry Blossom trees and Vale's signature Oaks spread throughout it, but either way, it certainly looked rather... comforting.

I wish you could've stayed for a bit longer, Torino. You'd have liked it here.

But he shook the thoughts of his mentor from his head. He couldn't get distracted. Remember why you're here in the first place, he told himself.

He gave the sliding door three loud raps. He could hear the sound echoing throughout the house, hoping that he didn't startle them too much. A few seconds later, the door slid open to reveal a giant of a man with short and spiky gray hair and a green robe over his shoulders.

"I'm guessing you're Ryuji Midoriya?" Toshinori asked.

"Yes. And you Toshinori Yagi. Were great huntsman," Ryuji replied. "Why you here?"

"It's about Izuku. Actually, I was hoping to talk to all four of you about it. If you're okay with that."

Ryuji simply nodded, and allowed Toshinori to enter the house as he went to inform the others of their guest while the gangly man removed his shoes before he entered the house proper. Despite the size of the place, the interior was rather humble, only having minor decorations across the place to spice things up a bit. None of his apartments had been nearly this nice.

Eventually, Toshinori was guided by Makoto to their dining room, where everyone was served tea and the conversation began. Inko, despite her initial fluster at the Symbol of Hope being in her house, had been rather quiet throughout most of the conversation. It was a scary type of silence, one that reminded him of when Torino was really pissed off. And, as he finished his explanation, he knew why.

"And... well, I'm asking that I be allowed to assist Qrow with his training while I'm still available."

He'd been sure to not include anything about One for All or All for One, or the Maidens and the other outliers. He simply stated that Izuu had caught his eye at the beginning of the year and that he was rather inspired by his determination.

"I'm sorry, but I have to decline."

Inko's statement left no room for argument. She was dead set on this. She didn't want to lose her son, that much was obvious, and if Toshinori was in her situation, he'd probably be doing the exact same thing.

"But mom-"

"Izuku, I can't do this anymore. I saw you getting injured during the tournament. I know you fought at Beacon. And look at what happened to you," Inko said gesturing to the scar across Izuku's face and the markings on his arms and legs. "You could've died! One of your friends did die! I don't know if that'll be you or not! I don't want to lose you too.

"I'm sorry, All Might, but I won't risk my son like this. I know he still wants to be a huntsman, but we can get him to another academy. It doesn't need to be Beacon."

Izuku didn't try to argue any further, instead slumping down into his chair, defeated, his eyes glazing over as he began to stare at the table. Toshinori kept his head up, but he was feeling pretty guilty as well. He'd offered, and Inko had given every possible explanation as to decline.

"If I may speak up," Makoto said as she placed down her own cup of tea, saying, "Inko, I know you're worried about Izuku. I am as well. I was also worried about Hisashi when he first began training to become a huntsman. Every day, I wanted to march up to that school and pull him out because of his injuries. I coddled him, he said as much himself. It took some time, and a lot of arguments, but we came to an agreement that he stop getting so recklessly injured all the time. And, in time, the injuries became less and less. And when his semblance was unlocked? Nary a scratch on the boy. Izuku has a long way to go before he's anything close to where Hisashi was in terms of combat ability, I'm not foolish enough to think otherwise. But if you don't let him fail now, if you don't let him fail here, where he can learn from his mistakes, then he will fail out there, where he might be around to learn from them."

Inko was stunned into silence. There was no retort, no explanation, only a face of contemplation. What was she supposed to do? Truth be told, Toshinori didn't have much to offer beyond what he'd already explained.

Then, Ryuji spoke up. "Daughter-in-law. You are right to worry. But this is grandson's choice. My apologies, but he is adult. We will always worry for him. Is partial job. But we cannot hold him back any longer than necessary. I learned when Hisashi left. It is painful, no lie. Will not be easy. But, in end, is best choice. For both of you."

It was Toshinori's turn to be stunned. Ryuji was a lot smarter than he let on, and the two had given every reason why Izuku should train under him. But still, it didn't feel quite right. He couldn't just up and start training the kid without more of an explanation. He couldn't tell them much, but... maybe...

"Mrs. Midoriya," Toshinori said, preparing himself for what he was about to say. "There is another reason why I've asked to train your son. And, truth be told, it might be the most important. He's shown great promise, yes, but he's also shown that he has both the mindset and determination of a hunter. I believe, full-heartedly, that he has the potential to become the next Symbol of Hope."

And now everyone was staring at him with shock and awe. While Makoto managed to maintain most of her composure, the other three were practically dropping their jaws to the floor. Not that he could really blame them, especially Izuku, but it was the only way to say as much as he could without putting them in any more danger than he already was.

"... okay. On one condition," Inko said.

"Name it."

"Wherever he's going, once your training is done... promise me he'll come back. Okay?"

"I... I can't give you anything concrete. But I'll do the best I can."

"That's all I'm asking. And Toshinori? Don't you die either. That boy needs you. Alright?"

"... okay. I'll do what I can."

(three weeks later, Xiao Long Household, Yang's POV)

Yang gingerly tested the tendons of her arm, opening and closing her fist as much as she could before placing it down again. She almost had full control of her hand back. Okay. Now-

CRASH!

And glowing red markings and crimson hair filled her vision, and the sound of a blade cutting air was all she heard as she felt her right arm being severed-

No. No, it's not real, it's not real, it's not real-

"Yang!"

She felt her father's hand on her shoulder as she suddenly found herself back in the same living room she'd been sitting in before. She let herself breath a relieved sigh. It was okay. She was okay. But...

Dammit.

She brushed her dad's hand off her shoulder as she stood, saying that she was fine before she moved to the window, briefly stopping to clean up the glass that had been shattered by accident. She could see a few of the others outside the house, doing whatever they did to train. Jaune and Ren were currently meditating while Nora scribbled down some notes in her journal, and Shoto was currently somewhere isolated, working on some kind of project to help his progress, and Izuku and Ruby were probably training with Qrow, wherever they went to do that.

"Dad?"

"Hm? What's up?" Taiyang asked.

"Once my arm's better. I... I want to start training again."

…

"I can't do that, Yang."

"But-" Yang tried to argue as she whipped around, only to be stopped by her father's serious expression. She was in for it.

"I mean it. You almost lost your arm, you jump at almost any sudden noises, and your episodes are so random that I don't know if it would even be safe! Not to mention the fact that you almost died! I don't want to lose you. Hell, I don't even want you to train until I know you're okay-

"Well guess what, dad?! I'm! Not! Okay! Alright?! There! I said it! I'm not okay! I haven't been okay for the last thirteen years of my fucking life, and I've had to deal with it by myself because you were going through a lot too, and I didn't want to add to your problems. I'm not okay, dad. I don't know if I'll ever be okay.

"But I can't just sit around, doing nothing, while my friends are working their asses off getting prepared to go out there and fight anyway. I... I need to do something."

Taiyang's expression didn't take long to soften. And after what seemed like an eternity, her father's concerned voice broke the silence. "You... that long?"

Yang nodded in confirmation. She hadn't told anyone just how much she was hurting, and the only other person who even had a clue to how badly she'd been damaged was Izuku. She hadn't really even meant to tell anyone. It kinda just... spilled out.

And her father suddenly pulled her into a tight hug, saying to her, "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry you had to go through all of this on your own. If... if you think it'll help, I'll train you. But please be careful, alright?

"And please, try to talk to someone about this. I mean, I'm a good listener, but I don't know if I'd be able to really get what you're going through. I'm no psychologist."

Yang chuckled at that. "At this point, I think someone just listening would be enough. Besides, I know you're gonna get busy here in a few weeks. I'll... I'll try." And she started hugging back. "Thanks, dad. For everything."

(a week later, an old work shed, Shoto's POV)

Okay... just wire this here, connect this, and... alright. They're done.

Shoto leaned back as he admired what had taken up much of his time over the past few weeks. It had taken many tires and missteps, and a few explosions, but he'd done it. They were done. Sitting on the table across from him were his new weapons, Veorfolnir and Niohoggr, and set of twin Dao blades that were practically identical with the exception of their blades, the former being a crystalline blue and the latter being a deep, fiery red.

With a bit of a flourish to test its balance, Shoto quickly sheathed Veorfolnir into the scabbard, tightening the straps of the blade belt and letting it hang from his left hip. And yet, as he reached for Niohoggr to do the same, he hesitated. Why had he made another blade to concentrate his left side in the first place? He still didn't want to use it. It was too painful. He couldn't-

And you'd be willing to let someone else die, again, because you're too scared to use the other half of your own power? I thought you were better than that.

Shoto flinched at that thought. His outstretched hand began to shake and quiver, and though he tried to stop the movement his limb would not obey him. He'd kept it under wraps from the others, but he'd been affected by Pyrrha's death too. They were dealing with their own grief. This was just how he chose to deal with his. But...

His fist clenched as he remembered what had happened to her. They weren't close, they'd hardly even talked to each other, but... he could remember being blasted to the ground, quite literally stunned, and helpless to do anything but use his left side. And he hesitated. For only the smallest of moments, he had hesitated. And it had cost Pyrrha everything. If he had just acted; if he had just decided to grit his teeth and bare the pain and attack, then maybe... maybe she'd still be here.

But she wasn't. And they had to live with that.

With a clenched jaw and determination lining his gaze, he grabbed Niohoggr by the hilt and gave it a similar flourish that he gave Veorfolnir, albeit a bit sloppily, as he wasn't used to using that hand very often, and sheathed it into the same scabbard as Veofolnir, the duel Dao blades now resting together at his left hip.

Never again. I am not gonna let anyone else die on my watch. No matter how painful or difficult the path might be, I won't let it happen again. If... if I have to face my parents for that to be true...

So be it.

(a few days later, Patch Docks, Qrow's POV)

Qrow honestly didn't expect his many people to say goodbye to him. Tai, Ruby, Yang, and Izuku? That he expected. However, he did not expect Toshinori Yagi, the remnants of Team JNPR, and Shoto Todoroki to see him off as well. What was this, his birthday?

"Stay safe out there, okay Feather-Hair?" Tai jokingly called his teammate with a hand to his shoulder.

"I told you to quit calling me that, Blondie," Qrow joked back, then saying, "I'll try. Thanks."

A red blur suddenly impacted into his side with a death grip around his torso, saying, "I'm gonna miss you, uncle Qrow!"

"I'll miss you too, Speedy," Qrow said with a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. He looked up to Yang, the scar on her right arm now covered in an orange bandana with Ember Celica's new designs now dangling from her wrists, and gave her a firm nod, which the blonde returned in kind. They didn't have to speak to know what was technically unspoken. Yang was getting better, albeit slowly, but she was getting better. It was a small comfort, but it was something nonetheless. He really had to thank Izuku and Ruby for helping her through this.

Speaking of which, as Ruby let go of his torso and wiped some tears from her eyes, the green haired inheritor stepped up to him. They stayed that way for a few seconds before Izuku simply offered him a hand, saying, "Thanks for all your help. Good luck out there!"

Qrow nearly chuckled at that. But instead, he reached out and shook the offered hand, saying, "Thanks for the gesture, kid, but something tells me that you're gonna need it more than I will."

And then, without another word and the waves of everyone gathered at the docks behind him, Qrow turned to the business at hand. It was time to find Ozpin's key. No way could he let Salem or her flunkies get their hands on it.

Though I doubt they'd know he disguised it as a cane.

(meanwhile, somewhere in the forests of Vale, Bakugo's POV)

This had been going on for way too fucking long. It had been a month since he'd left the hospital, and here he sat, in the middle of a forest, tending to a half-dead campfire while his partner was likely going through mental hell and his other teammates were probably trying to do something about everything that had happened. Hell, even with Mint's warning he hadn't really been able to do anything, and now he had no idea where she even was or what was going to happen to her next, or any of the other people he'd met at Beacon for that matter.

"Hey, old bag," he said to the currently stretching figure known to the world as Mitsuki Bakugo, in her signature jacket and slacks with hiking boots and fingerless gloves adorning her hands with a red shirt beneath her jacket.

"Yeah? What is it?" She asked, not taking her attention away from her stretches as she moved from one into the other.

"Why the hell are we even out here? And don't say that it's 'because you need training,' because that's the same goddamn answer you've given me for the past few weeks. Why are we really out here? Because I up and left without any kind of an explanation and I don't want that to be for just some stupid training camp you could've done at any other time."

His mother visibly sighed at this, shifting out of her stretches as if she knew she couldn't avoid the topic any longer. "I know about what happened to you on that ship, Bakugo."

…

Taking his silence as permission to continue, Mitsuki did just that, turning to face her son as she said, "We come from a clan of Berserkers. We were pretty big participants during the faunus war. Hell, I'm pretty sure that people like us are part of the reason that faunus get such a bad rep in places like Atlas and Mistral. We actually originated from Menagerie. We kinda carved it out back when the kingdoms were starting up. I mean, there were faunus appearing all over the world, so some Berserkers did pop up here and there, but Menagerie is really where it all started for us. Most of us up and left the place about a century ago, and we started dying off from there. The whole reason that humanity even offered up Menagerie as an official country is because we were there for a long time, and they assumed they were just making things official. Things haven't really panned out that well since then. I'd say within fifty years, Berserkers are gonna go extinct, or become so rare we may as well be extinct, if we're lucky.

"The reason we're out here is so that you can learn about it. Where we came from, why we exist, that sorta thing. We aren't something the world should forget about, even if not many know we even exist. I know that you wanted an explanation sooner, and I'm sorry that it's coming this late. But I had to know whether or not you were really ready before I did this.

"The first step to getting a handle on being a Berserker is getting a handle on your emotions. For Red types like us, it's primal stuff. Anger specifically. It won't be easy, especially for someone of your temperament, but it's really the only way to use it reliably."

"So what? What if I don't want it?" Bakugo asked, never taking his eyes off of the dying fire in front of him, poking the embers with a stick to make them briefly reignite before dying down again.

Mitsuki sighed as she walked over to her son, sitting down next to him before she lightly hit him upside his head, "This isn't something you can just refuse. It's a part of you, whether you like it or not. And if you don't learn to control it, then the next time it pops up, it will overwhelm you. I've seen what happens to some people who try to use this recklessly, or just ignore it altogether. Every damn time, they're too far gone. And I have to put 'em down.

"I'm not asking you to do this because I want you to become some kind of monster. That's the last thing I want for you. I'm asking you to do this so you don't."

And for several moments after that, there was silence between the two, the only noises coming from the slight crackle of their near-dead campfire and a few chirps and squeaks from the surrounding wildlife. Bakugo's grip on the branch he was holding tightened ever so slightly. She was serious. She didn't want him to die. And... he didn't want what happened to his partner to happen to anyone else. Not again. Never again.

"... I'll do it. When do we start?"

(meanwhile, somewhere in Mistral, Tenya's POV)

"In conclusion, Mr. Iida, your nerves have been... almost destroyed beyond repair. You will likely never walk again."

Tenya was hardly paying attention to the man anymore. He knew what they were going to say before they even walked into the room; since he'd first woken up that afternoon. He couldn't move his legs a single inch. There was no pain. No numbness. Nothing. And it was terrifying.

Now it was simply infuriating.

The door shut behind him as his mother was ushered out as well, leaving him alone in a sterile white room, his fists clenched and his jaw tightly shut. Damnit. If only he'd been faster. If only... if only he hadn't been so useless!

"I imagine that they'll be talking about ways to get you your legs back."

A voice, so odd that he nearly jumped at the sound, slowly relaxing as he realized just who it belonged to. Thoth stood across from him against the wall, his face and figure entirely shrouded, giving away nothing as to his intentions.

"They don't have the resources for it. Nor even the technology. At least-"

"Get to the point, Thoth. Why are you even here? We haven't spoken in months, and I imagine that you haven't exactly been skirting around in the meantime."

Thoth sighed as he stood up from the wall, looking over Tenya for a few seconds as he said, "Do you want to walk again?"

"Of course I do. Why wouldn't I? But it's as you said, they simply don't have what they need here in Mistral. It's unfortunate, but it's true."

"Maybe I should've phrased that differently. Tenya Iida. Do you wish to become a huntsman once again? Because if your answer is yes, then I can provide you with what you need to do just that. You have my favor in the palm of your hand. All you'd have to do is enact it."

The silence returned to the room, and an air of opportunity hung over Tenya's head. Thoth wasn't lying. The man certainly had the resources to do what he promised. But it felt... wrong. Why should he be helped when there were so many others who might need it more; who might deserve it. Why him?

Because you can help more people. You can stop what happened to your brother, to you, to Vale, from happening to as many as you can reach.

That thought settled the inner argument Tenya was having with himself. This was a second chance to do some sort of good in a world with so much wrong with it. Why the hell was he even hesitating? It was his duty to protect. And if what Thoth was offering could assist him with that, then so be it.

"Thoth. I enact your favor. Please, give me the means to save as many as I can."

Thoth nodded, suddenly snapping his fingers and summoning the FAVOR card off of the dresser next to the spectacled boy, saying, "With all the power in my possession, I shall do whatever I can to grant your request.

"I promise on my true name, you will not regret this."

(one month later, island of Patch, Izuku's POV)

Izuku was silent as he finished packing the bag that he hoped would at least last him until they got to Anima's western half. It was mostly an assortment of clothes for different seasons. The trek all the way Mistral was a long one, and they were already asking a lot of Coco to even get them to the furthest edge of the Emerald Forest. Seeing as they weren't official hunters on any vital business, they had to take the long way to the east: on foot and by... ship...

Urgh! I'm getting nauseous just thinking about it.

Shaking the thought from his mind, he hoisted the bag over his shoulders as he silently stepped out of his room and made his way through the hall, eventually making his way to the living... room...

… crap, they already knew.

Sitting at the table where they'd always eaten, at the crack of 6:15 in the morning, were Ryuji, Makoto, and his mother, all almost immediately noticing his entrance despite his silence. And Izuku already knew, before any of them said a single word, that he was in for a bit of a talk.

"Izuku. Please, sit down," his mother asked him, and the green haired inheritor obeyed almost robotically to the request.

"... you and your friends. You're leaving, today, aren't you?"

"... yeah."

Inko sighed. "You were trying to make things easier by not telling us. I've never tried to pry into your personal life, but I'm not a fool. I know you meant well, but that is the worst way to leave.

"But... I'm not going to stop you."

Izuku's eyes widened in surprise. What? He expected his mom to be against this in every possible way; hell, he expected that if he told her the day they were supposed to leave she'd lock him in. And then, she continued. "I do want you to stay. I really do. You and your grandparents are all I have left, and I don't want to lose any of you. But I also know that you'd go even without my permission. So, I thought that it would be best to support you in any way I could.

"And... this is my way of doing that," Inko said as she reached for the box that had been sitting on the table since the conversation had started, and slid it over to her son. "I don't know when I'll see you again, but it's likely that we'll miss your birthday. I was going to save this for then, but I think now's as good a time as any."

Izuku looked at the box for a long moment, not sure if he was entirely ready for just what he thought was in there. But he opened it anyway, and was further surprised by what was inside.

It was his dad's hood. The same dark green fabric, what holes there had been there now sewn up and repaired, and the same symbol emblazoned onto the back in grey: a single, symmetrically designed leaf.

"Izuku." Ryuji began as his grandson slowly looked up at him. "I know you feel unworthy. I assure, you are more than worthy. Have been for years. I tried to help you realize. Was not very helpful at all. I am sorry for that. But I know my son. And he would be proud. Likely give this to you himself. So please..."

Izuku looked down at the hood once more. It was a big step for him. He'd be carrying his father's legacy. A father who he still didn't know much about. But...

This is better than not knowing at all.

He took the hood out of the box and looked at the leaf for a moment before he turned back to those present at the dinner table, saying as his eyes watered ever so slightly, "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"It's the least we could do for you," Makoto said. "Now, I do believe that you have somewhere to be."

Izuku nodded, and with his father's hood in hand, stood from the table and walked towards the door. Before leaving, however, he took one last look at the three who'd supported him through so much. And with the courage that they, and so many others, had given him, he promised them, "I'll come back. I promise I'll stay alive."

And they smiled through the tears as Izuku left the household, the silence permeating the room as the click of the door rang throughout. This was it. He was really doing this.

And so, he walked to his father's grave, to pay his respects. Now, there was no turning back.

(five minutes later)

Izuku finished his respects to the grave of his father, the snow beginning to litter the cloak he wore ever so slightly. For the first time, he didn't cry. It was odd. The first time he really felt like he had to was the only time he couldn't.

He looked at Tempest, the weapon sitting comfortably in his hand, wondering about the words that rang through his mind night after night. The keyword is 'Shatter?' What did she mean? He thought it had something to do with Tempest, but every time he'd said the word with Tempest it didn't work. Maybe there was some sort of a prerequisite to saying it or something? It had been bothering Izuku for weeks on end, and now Toshinori was so busy with helping Goodwitch and the other teachers and hunters that he never got a chance to ask.

He hadn't seen Nana since that odd vision during his near-death experience with Adam. He knew she was an inheritor of One for All, but every time he tried to contact her he was met with the same submerged forest with a raging inferno in the center of it. Yet another thing he wanted to ask Toshinori about, but it never really came up. Too many questions, too many mysteries, and not a single proper answer.

"You ready?" Shoto asked from behind him, his hand on the hilts of his newly constructed weapons as he stood on freshly fallen snow in waiting. Izuku rose from his place on the ground, slinging Tempest onto his back and under his cloak as he turned to his partner with a small smile on his face and nodded.

The two then made their way to the Xiao Long household in silence, finding Jaune, Ren, and Nora waiting just outside the doorway, the leader looking rather stoic in contrast to how he was a few months ago, while the latter two simply waited with solemn lines on their lips. Nora, however, perked up as she saw the two walking up to them, greeting with, "Hey you two. Ready to head out?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Izuku answered honestly.

"It would appear as though your wardrobe has changed somewhat," Ren stated as he gestured to the cloak now hanging from the green haired inheritor's shoulders. "It suits you well."

"O-oh. Thanks," Izuku said.

Jaune then looked up at his friend and smiled ever so slightly. It was a small moment, hardly something to notice, but it felt... comfortable.

Then the door opened with a slight creaking of the hinges, a slow wave of warm air emerging as Ruby and Yang did with Taiyang behind them, and the entire group suddenly felt and sinking sense of dread. The two had talked about how protective their father was of them, and they were suddenly worried that those stories weren't exaggerations.

"Hey guys! Ready to go?" Ruby said as she walked out of the house with her bag secure on her back and a hopeful smile on her face.

"Yes. Although I believe your father has something to discuss with you two," Ren said as he recovered.

"Well, I'll try to be quick about it," Tai said as his daughters turned around to face their father as the others looked away to give them some semblance of privacy, despite the fact that they could still hear everything.

"I won't pretend that I don't like what you're doing. It's irresponsible, and I don't want you two to get hurt. But... well, the world's getting harsher. More dangerous. And I know that you've both gone through so much in such a short time. I guess... I've realized that I can't protect you two forever. And that's alright. Because I know that you'll protect each other. I can't put into words just how proud I am of you two. Now go on out there and do some good."

There was silence from the three for the next few seconds, the only exception being the ruffling of clothes as they all hugged. And as they separated, Yang said, in a shaking voice, "W-we'll be fine, dad. I love you."

"I love you too, Little Dragon. Stay safe," Taiyang said as the door slowly closed behind them, the soft click making the small moment ever poignant.

"Mistral's a long way to go," Ren said as the group regathered to welcome their friends back into the fold.

"That's true, but it's really the only way to get there," Shoto said. "I was going to go there anyway, once the tournament was over. I suppose this is just taking the scenic route."

"Yeah. I hear it's really pretty up there. Especially in the spring," Yang said as her eyes drifted over to Izuku, their gazes meeting as they simply stared at each other for a few, short moments. No words were exchanged, no concerns voiced, just a silent point of understanding.

When they broke from this, Izuku turned to see Ruby approaching Jaune, neither speaking even though it seemed as though Ruby wanted to say something. Instead, she put her hand on Jaune's shoulder and simply gave him a firm nod. And Jaune nodded back. It wasn't much, but for some strange reason, Izuku had a feeling that the blonde knight would be okay. Eventually.

After a few minutes of walking, and some brief talking to break up the silence, they made their way to the docks, where they found Coco waiting with Cream & Sugar in one of her hands while the other was placed at her hip. Across her face, minorly hidden by her glasses, was a large scar that trailed down her face, much like the one on Izuku's. She and her team hadn't made it out unscathed, and the fact that they were still helping keep Vale under control was amazing in itself.

"Well, you all look nervous," Coco said with a sly smirk on her face, Izuku finding himself smiling back fondly. "Okay. I'll go over this again so there isn't any confusion. I can get you guys to Vale's border without any questions. But after that, you're gonna on your own. You sure you're up to it? We could use the help keeping Vale secure, and there isn't really a guarantee that you'll make it there in less than a month or two. Hell, the trek will probably be longer than that."

"We're sure," Ruby said, causing Yang, Izuku, and Ren to all nod with her.

"We wouldn't try if we weren't up to it. Besides, we're gonna take a detour to the south, and... visit Pyrrha's mom. Hopefully, once we're there we can take an airship to Mistral. Besides, I think she'll need this more than we will," Jaune said as he tugged at the straps on his backpack, Izuku then noticing that Jaune was also carrying a duffel bag in his left hand. Maybe that's what held his clothes?

The thought drifted harmlessly through his mind as they boarded Coco's ship, which was similar in design to the standard issue Bullhead, though the exterior was twice the size of the normal model and the interior was far more comfortable and far more advanced than that of a mere Class 1, like it had been designed with longer trips in mind. She had yet to repaint it at all, but she'd taken to naming it 'Cloud Jumper' for what was apparently an inside joke with Team CFVY. She'd even had the name painted across one of the doors in white.

"Hey, speedy," Coco said, gaining Izuku's attention as she continued to smile wryly. "Nice cloak. Suits you."

"Thanks," Izuku responded as Coco turned and jumped inside the ship, quickly making her way to the cockpit and preparing for takeoff.

Before he could follow the rest of them inside, however, he saw Toshinori making his way up the docks with his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face. Everyone looked to the man, wanting to say goodbye to him personally. But he raised a hand, stopping them from emerging any further, giving them a simple, silent smile, and raising a fist towards them. It was his own, odd way of saying goodbye.

And one by one, each of them reciprocated this action, raising their own fists towards him in the same gesture of farewell. And as quickly as they'd seen him come, Toshinori left, only letting his eyes linger on his apprentice for a while longer before he fully turned and walked back down the dock.

They all then quickly settled back into the ship, the green hired inheritor finally boarding. He then found a seat on the ship with Shoto finding a spot at his left while Yang was seated to his right. Ren and Nora were across from them, their leader sitting next to the two with his eyes closed, likely talking to Lancelot about something.

Izuku heard a sharp intake of breath. It wasn't very audible, in fact he could barely hear it, but it was there all the same. He turned to his right to see Yang gripping the left arm of her seat tightly, the sound of a tightening grip starting to echo from her palm. He couldn't see her eyes, but her teeth were grit together in a forming frown.

As quickly as he'd noticed, he placed his hand over her clenched fist, and her breathing began to even out ever so slowly. Her jaw unclenched and her hand relaxed from its death grip on the arm of the seat. She took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to calm herself as best she could with Izuku's help. It wasn't the first time that either he or Ruby had helped her get through her episodes, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. But he wanted to help her, however he could.

Yang's left hand then turned over and softly intertwined her fingers with his, squeezing his hand lightly as she fully calmed down. The two looked at each other again, neither smiling, neither speaking. Just another moment of understanding. The blonde brawler slowly put her head on Izuku's shoulder with her eyes closed, the hum of the ship's engines long since turned to white noise as they began to take off, and Izuku put her head on hers, anxiously awaiting the long journey ahead of them.

(meanwhile, White Fang Outpost, Adam's POV)

This damn scar was so infuriating. He could hardly look himself in the mirror any longer without thinking back to that night. And that damned look in that human's eye... what had become of him? What was his name? Was he still alive?

Because if he was, he was going to find the green-haired bastard and kill him properly. No sudden revivals to interfere with the battle. They would fight, one on one. He would fight the human that had forced him to use Wilt's true power in years. He wasn't interested in what had become of the human after that. Whatever had possessed him before wouldn't happen again.

"Adam Taurus, I presume?"

A quick flash of Wilt and the clashing of metal against metal rang throughout the sparring room, and a man with white hair wearing a dark trench coat and covered with hands was suddenly in front of him, and blocking his own blade with a black scimitar. And he was human. What the hell was a human doing here?

"I'm not here to fight you. I'm only here to make a proposition," the white-haired man said as he slowly moved his blade away from the clash, sheathing it with a light click at his left hip. In tandem, Adam slowly lowered his own blade to his side, within striking distance. Just in case.

"How did you get in here, human?" he asked with an animalistic growl lining his tone.

"Oh, we have our ways. But that's not why I'm here. We want to make a deal with you."

"We? You're alone. And the last human who tried to make a deal with me-"

"Got what she wanted because she used cheat codes and took the easy way to level up instead of doing it herself. We know her well, and we also know that she didn't make it out of the Fall unscathed. Lost both her legs and an arm, if I'm not mistaken. And let's not forget, while she might've suffered the pain of her injuries, she hasn't suffered true pain. True sorrow. She hasn't had to live on the streets, fighting to survive every day of her life. She hasn't felt hunger gnaw at her every being, driving her mad in the dead of night. She hasn't simply sat by in the streets while people pass, begging for somebody to help.

"I know this because I have suffered it. Were it not for my master, I would've died on the streets cold and alone. And I know that countless faunus have suffered this treatment as well. I don't come to you as a human. I come to you as a fellow survivor. And I believe that our goals might benefit one another."

"... you have my attention."

And another soft click followed as Adam Taurus sheathed his blade.

A/N: And that's the end of Volume 3! Oh man, this took a while. Thank you all for staying with me all this time. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Review Responses:

Enku: A fan? I practically grew up on the series! (Harry Potter, not Slayers) And yeah, Izuku got pretty lucky during his fight with Adam, and that one slip up will come back to bit them in the ass. Might be a bit, though.

Kaiser Dragon: I'll be sure to do just that!

ZWarrior4life: In a way, it has, and they're all taking their own paths to dealing with it.

Midgardsormr Jr: They are. Oh boy, they are.

KongKing94: Yep, Toshinori's certainly got his hands full. Heck, he's one of the reasons that the city is still in relative order. And you might want to take the tiniest raincheck on that hookup request. We'll get there.

Dreamweaver543: And that storm is known as the Anima Arc. *cracks neck* I'm gonna have some work to do.

Uruk-Hai: You're welcome! And yes, yes it will. In due time.

Thunder Dragon: They are, and I hope that I managed to demonstrate that in this chapter. And oh ho yes they f*cking are! And yeah, I don't think Izuku will want to do something like that again anytime soon.

Odin's Eye: Thank you for the good news. And who knows, maybe she did.

ReaderMan: … *sigh* I knew the moment I wrote the last chapter that someone would criticize what happened towards the end. I know that you guys didn't want to see Pyrrha die again. Heck, I was pretty on the fence about whether or not to let her die. But, no matter how long I tried to write and rewrite ideas, no matter how much I wanted her to finally get with Jaune, and no matter how much I really, really wanted to let her live, I just couldn't do something that felt satisfactory for her as a character. So, I settled for doing the best I could and let her go out with a bang, not a whimper.

And letting her come back? No, that's out of the question. Dead people stay dead, and we're here to remember them as they were. And I know you're going to point this out, but no, Izuku didn't die in his fight with Adam, even though he came really damn close. I think I made that as crystal clear as I could. Also, their Auras broke when Cinder made that massive blast that knocked everyone down, which wasn't quite as explicit. That's on me.

Now, on to some announcements.

First, I want to get this out of the way. I won't be accepting requests from this chapter onwards. Not because I don't want to. It's more like I don't think I can handle keeping track of more requests than I already have on hand. There are just so many of them, and all of them are really freaking good! But, heck, I'm only one guy, and I might not even be able to get to some of them, and I've still got this story to do besides all that. But, I do believe that all the ideas and requests that I've seen thus far have been amazing, and I hope I can do them justice in the future, if I ever get to them.

Also, I want to reiterate something I've mentioned in a previous chapter, though not as explicitly. I've got my own ideas piled up in my brain, and I want to be able to get to those in addition to the requests. Whether or not the story I do after this one finished up is a request fic or one of my own design is still up in the air. We'll see how things pan out. Also, if the next fic I do is one of mine, then the one I do after will most likely be a request fic, and vice versa.

And now, something that will likely annoy the hell out of a lot of you guys: I'm gonna be going on a bit of a hiatus for at least a month or two.

.

..

...

*covers ears*

*WAR AND CARNAGE ENSUE ONCE MORE*

I know, I know, there are some authors out there who go on a hiatus and never return to their stories, but I promise this isn't a perma-hiatus in disguise. Originally, I was just going to keep going with this story until it was done, but I'm starting to feel the burnout, and I need a bit of a break.

The other reason I'm going on a hiatus is to do some editing on various chapters. I've had a few read-throughs of this story since about the halfway point of Volume 2, to make sure I kept in continuity, and... well, I have to admit, I probably could've done better with some of those chapters. A few of you have pointed out that my writing back at the start could be basic to the point of being cringy. And you're right. And I'm not even going to mention to mid-chapter A/Ns. I want to hit my past self over the head with a frying pan for even thinking about doing that. With the exception of song choices, all of those are going to the deepest pits of hell where they belong.

Otherwise, shorter chapters will get extended to make more sense, I'll add a few more character interactions, and do whatever else I have to and overall make this story better.

Other than that, thank you all for reading, and I hope to see you all in the next one! I'm hoping to get the editing done and have another chapter out by about mid to late December, but what with college and everything else that's been happening lately we'll just have to wait and see.

Either way, thank you all for reading, and I hope to see you in the next one. I'll be back!