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)

43. Move Onward, Not There Yet

A/N: Hey guys! Long time no chapter. Well, it took a while, but I think I've improved the earlier chapters as much as I can in terms of quality. That and getting rid of all the mid-chapter A/Ns I could. I'm not quite done with it yet, so there'll still be some updates for edits until I get to around the late 20s in terms of Chapter count. But, before we move on:

HOLY SHIT, WE HAVE REACHED OVER 150,000 VIEWS TOTAL! I HAVE BEEN BLESS-ED! BLESS-ED I SAY!

But seriously, I know I've been saying it over and over again in increasingly silly and over the top ways, but a special thanks to each and every one of who's taken an interest in this story. I honestly wouldn't be here without it. Segway to:

By all that is right in the universe, Volume 6 has been awesome so far! And did you see episode 3? All hail episode 3! Here's to many more amazing episodes! I'm definitely going to give a Volume review once the season wraps up!

This chapter is going to be a bit of an interlude for various characters and showing what's been happening with everybody in between Volumes 3 and 4. I don't think I'll be able to give everyone an equal amount of attention, but I hope that what's here can satisfy you in the meantime. Either way, I'm back, and I hope you all 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 43: Move Onward, Not There Yet

Izuku slowly woke to the sound of waves crashing against the shoreline and reseeding back into the deep blue expanse from whence they emerged. It might've been a rather beautiful sight were he not currently in a room that was without windows and felt a bit too stuffy for his liking. Then again, it was better than being back on that deathtrap of a ship, so he'd take what he could get.

The green haired inheritor stretched his tired arms for a good five seconds before he let them fall limp to his sides once more, blood pleasingly returning to its normal flow as he shook himself further awake. He still couldn't believe it had actually been two months since they'd all left Vale. Granted, he'd been seasick for the two weeks it had taken them to get from eastern Vale to western Anima, but time had still passed surprisingly fast for them.

Before they'd actually gotten to the eastern coast, their time in crossing Vale's terrain was a blur of many cold and sleepless nights, fighting off sickness and Grimm alike before they reached the next town to get some form of rest and keep marching on. They weren't pleasant by any means, and they probably made up some of the worst days of their lives. But now, it was something they could all look back and laugh at. One day.

It proved rather odd and a bit sad that the only ones out of their entire group who'd laughed in a really long time had been Ruby and Nora, as well as the occasional chuckle from him and Jaune. The most things like that had gotten out of the rest of them were the slightest of sly smirks and small but warm smiles. But that was on the better days. However, slowly but surely, as they got ever closer to their destination, the gap between those better days seemed to be getting shorter. But back to the topic at hand.

The previous evening, the one that had finally delivered them to Anima's western shores, was the first that many of them had gotten a full night's sleep in a long time. But, as Izuku scanned the room, finding the beds of both Jaune and Shoto empty, the green haired inheritor sighed as he realized that the rest wasn't welcomed by everyone. Honestly, he couldn't really blame them for staying awake or getting up early to train, to find something to do to keep themselves occupied. He'd been doing it for a while now, to get his thoughts away from-

Izuku quickly snapped himself out of that train of thought, knowing what would happen if he were to go down it again. He had to stay focused. They needed to get to Mistral in one piece. He could deal with his problems later.

Finding himself itching for something to do to distract himself, he put on some basic clothes: a simple, dark, long-sleeved shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants with the additions of Cyrus, Stratus, and Tempest, just in case any Grim happened to be around while he was out. You could never be too careful, especially these days, what with the Grimm becoming even more prevalent than they'd been before. Hunters weren't as scarce as they could've been, but they were spread very, very thin, certainly not nearly large enough in numbers to cover the entirety of Anima.

A lot could change in two months. A lot had changed, even within their little group. Some things were still doing just that: changing. The only thing that was anywhere close to normal anymore had become the not so simple fact that they were a bunch of broken people who were forging on anyway, in spite of the damage they'd sustained and the people they'd lost.

Izuku made as little noise as possible as he made his way outside, telling the innkeeper that he was going out for a walk before exiting the establishment and jogging towards the coastline, with a torrent of thoughts getting jumbled, unjumbled, and sorted into his attention so that they could make sense in some capacity.

Ruby didn't often show it, but he knew that she hadn't been unscathed by what she'd seen at Beacon. There were a few times he could remember her having nightmares; nightmares that he and Jaune had to deal with whenever they got to be too much for her. She'd asked them not to tell any of the others, not even Yang, saying that she didn't want her sister to have to worry about her more than she already did. And they had obliged this request, kept quiet and helped her when she needed comfort, reassurance.

But Ruby wasn't the only one who had nightmares. Yang had them too. A lot more frequently than her sister did, and far more noticeable. At first, everyone had tried to pitch in, to help out and keep everything safe and calm for her. But at one point, just a few weeks ago, in fact, it had gotten so bad that she wouldn't let anyone get close to her for fear of her own life, seeing a flash of Adam that had seemed far too real for her mental state to handle and scaring her half to death. That was just how much of an effect these dreams were having on her. It had taken both him and Ruby together to calm her down, but even after it was all over all she could do was cry herself back to sleep. That was definitely one of their lowest points, and if Izuku never had to think about it again it would still be too soon.

But she was getting better. The nightmares were less frequent than they had ever been, and she seemed to be happier than when they had first begun their journey to Mistral. She'd even smile every once in a while.

What they were all going through wasn't something that could simply be 'fixed.' It was a hard lesson, but it was one that Izuku knew he needed to accept. These scars, both metaphorical and literal, would haunt them all for the rest of their lives. They had to learn to live with them.

And bit by bit, day by day, inch by inch, somehow, at the speed of molasses, it was getting easier. It would be a long time before things were anywhere close to normal again. But they would get there. One day. They just had to keep moving forward.

Izuku's run came to a gradual halt as he looked out at the sunrise that bathed the coast and the ocean alike in a coat of golden light. It was beautiful enough that he just stopped, stared, and smiled for a quick minute. It was a reminder of better times. Of happier times.

And for some reason, the golden sheen from the sun made him think back to Yang once more, this time in a different sense. A more intimate one. Things between the two had been... well, to say it simply: put on hold. There were more important things to worry about than the state of their relationship. He knew it, she knew it, and they'd both opted to avoid the topic of their feelings for each other whenever their conversations drew anywhere close to the topic. They were closer than they had been before, that much was obvious, but they'd never gotten any closer than 'really good, oddly comfortable friends.'

They would have to talk about it eventually, like Yang had said all those months back, when things were simple and easy. When the only things that held their immediate concern were tournaments and schoolwork. He had more to worry about than the others did, sure, but they were simpler times nonetheless. Maybe they'd talk when they got to Mistral? After they figured out what to do after they got there? He wasn't sure. But they would have to. Even if there were more important things to worry about, they couldn't avoid it forever.

And so, with his head clear, his thoughts sorted, and determination filling his chest, he turned his back on the golden sunrise and made his way back to the inn, with the rest of their journey stretched out ahead of them.

(meanwhile, the inn, Ren's POV)

Ren was rather proud of the breakfast he'd managed to pull together that morning. After a few minutes of bartering with the keeper over the use of the kitchen, he'd managed to find everything he needed to make something that everyone would surely enjoy. Nora most of all. He'd made a separate plate just for her, after all.

Pancakes. A literal mountain of pancakes. Oh, they were going to love this. It had been a while since they'd had any food other than rations and animals that they'd been forced to hunt out of circumstance. He hadn't even been sure if some of them were safe to eat. Of course, none of them fell deathly ill, evidenced by the fact that they were all still alive, but one could never be too careful. Well, he knew a few people who would disagree with that stance, but such was life.

He then heard the telltale sound of Nora bounding down the stairs and silently prepared for what normally ensued when he cooked pancakes. As per normal, she zipped through the main room of the inn, paying the fact that she was still in her night clothes no heed, and put as many pancakes onto her plate as she reasonably could, in addition to the ones already stacked on there, and started to eat them as though they might have been made of ambrosia. Which she constantly claimed they tasted like.

Ren wasn't one to brag about these kinds of things, but he did take pride in the fact that she compared his cooking to something as renowned as the food of the gods themselves.

The door to the inn then opened with an almost inaudible creak and quickly closed soon after, leaving Izuku standing in the doorway with Cyrus and Stratus strapped to his feet with Tempest slung over his back, as per usual. Though he would've expected that he'd at least leave Tempest behind. He wasn't even in his proper hunter's outfit.

Well, neither were he and Nora, so he didn't really have a lot of room to talk.

"Morning," he said as he eased Tempest off of his back and rested it next to him at the table, a small smile crossing his face as he looked towards the hill of pancakes the bubbly redhead was eating through and knowingly asked, "I'm guessing that's Nora under there?"

"The one and only," Ren replied with a small smile of his own. "Ruby and Yang are still sleeping, and it seems Nora was polite enough to leave them alone. I assume that Jaune and Shoto are likely out training?"

"Probably. They'll be back within the next half hour or so. They wouldn't want to miss the chance to eat your pancakes before Nora inhales them all."

Ren actually chuckled at that remark. "Then you haven't seen how fast Nora can eat. I recommend you get some pancakes while you can. She'll be wanting seconds pretty soon."

(meanwhile, a nearby clearing, Shoto's POV)

Shoto lightly stepped out of the way of a hit made by Lancelot's left fist, then narrowly sidestepping a lunge made by Jaune as Corcea Mors crackled with the hum of fire Dust. When that lunge missed, he made to strike Shoto with his shield, an attack that he had no choice but to block with crossed blades, sending him skidding away at least ten feet.

He silently smirked to himself as he noted that Jaune was being far less hesitant about his attacks. That was good. They both needed the practice, for him to get used to wielding two blades in tandem and for the blonde knight in front of him to fully realize his potential as a tank. Shoto then shot across the distance Jaune had created, slamming Veofolnir into the shield and using the rebound force to get in a quick jab to the blonde knight's chest plate with Niohoggr, who skid back only slightly before giving a counter attack of his own, spinning with the force of the blow and almost catching Shoto across the face, the half and half boy only barely able to dodge what had been sent his way before backpedaling further when he had to dodge yet another blow from Lancelot, this time with his blade. Damn. Jaune could certainly take a hit like the best of them.

But, of course, that was where their practice spar ended. Shoto quickly sheathed his blades, breathing a relieved sigh before he said, "C'mon. We're probably missing breakfast by now."

Jaune looked as though he wanted to argue the point, but he quickly conceded when he saw how high the sun was. Ren promised to cook pancakes today, pancakes that he'd nary had a taste of in a long time. And if Nora was awake by now... well, her appetite knew no current boundaries.

Lancelot's torso was quickly replaced by his floating helmet, bobbing up and down and about as he said, "Excellent work, Master Jaune. And you as well, Shoto. I can see that you're both improving rather rapidly. Remember that-"

"Practice makes perfect, and further study shall be made permanent," Shoto and Jaune synched, having heard Lancelot's mantra more than enough times to recite it from heart. It was a good piece of advice, he wouldn't deny that, but the ghostly knight repeated it so often that it was starting to get a bit old.

"Well, it's nice to see that you've taken my advice to heart. Now, off with you. You two will need breakfast just as much as Nora does, no?" The helmet of the ghostly knight then disappeared from the air and into Jaune's subconscious once again.

"Well, you heard him. Let's get going," Shoto said as he began his walk back to the inn, hopeful that breakfast still awaited them. Jaune hesitated for only a few seconds before quickly trotting up to the half and half boy with a forced smile on his lips. Shoto knew that he was saving face so that the others didn't worry about him. He hadn't brought it up, but he kept an eye on him nonetheless.

He wasn't much suited to emotional talks, or even cheering people up, but he'd be there if Jaune or any of the others needed him to be. It was all he could do at the moment. He hoped it would be enough.

(ten minutes later, the inn, Yang's POV)

When Yang woke up in the room that she'd shared with her sister and Nora the previous night, she could tell almost instantly that she was alone. That was fine, though. It didn't bother her nearly as much as it used to, almost hyperventilating more than once because she was simply that scared of being alone. Now? It was only a minor discomfort at the worst of times. One that, while she would much rather be without, was something she could handle much better than being scared of isolation.

Granted, she didn't exactly blame Ruby or Nora for wanting to get some food; her sister had insisted she wasn't hungry for most of the late boat ride to Anima because of their shorter supplies and Ren had promised to make pancakes that day; but she wanted to get up with them in order to get some breakfast for herself, before Nora ate a majority of the pancakes.

The extra sleep was nice though, especially since she didn't have to worry about dreams as often as she once did.

The door creaked only the slightest bit as she made her way downstairs to the ground level, where her friends were likely discussing travel plans over breakfast, the mid-sized yet still humble inn brightly lit as she found something that she'd certainly expected in a not so expected manner.

Everyone else, with the exceptions of Jaune and Shoto, had forgone the donning of regular clothes, staying in their pajamas as a map was spread out onto the table in front of them: a map of Mistral, judging from the shape of the land mass on said map, with various red and black lines all across it, places circled and crossed all across the face of it.

When she'd entered the space, a few heads turned to greet her. Two of them were who she'd expected it to be: Ruby and Izuku, both of whom looked happy to see that she was up and about, and the other being Nora, who reached to the far side of the table to grab what looked to be-

"For me, Nora? You shouldn't have," Yang said with a slight smile, though the joy she tried to put behind the words wasn't as boisterous as it used to be. She'd recently been trying to get back into joking around with everyone, telling a couple random jokes here and there, even getting a laugh out of her sister and Nora back when they were on the ship. And she could've sworn that even Shoto had snorted at the last one that she'd made, which gave her all the more reason to try and do it more. It was just part of the way she coped, she supposed.

But Nora simply shook her head and put the plate in front of an empty seat, saying with a slight smile, "Well, I figured you'd be hungry after yesterday and everything. It's the least I could do."

Nora Valkyrie, one woman badass and consumer of almost all things sweet, had saved her a plate of her most favored of favorite foods. Nora was often very gluttonous when it came to these things, so the fact that she cared enough to save her some was more than enough for Yang to say, "Thanks for that. I know you usually hoard your pancakes, but this means a lot coming from you."

"Less talking, more eating. Before I change my mind," Nora jokingly threatened as her slight smile suddenly turned into a wide grin, giving Yang her fork before the blonde brawler sat down and listened to the others plan out their route as she ate and piped in every once in a while with either a tip or a clarifying question.

It took a few minutes for her to finish her portion of breakfast, but by the time she had they'd managed to work out a few routes just in case things didn't go quite according to plan. Two to be specific. They were going to go further south for the first portion of the journey, in order to get to southern Anima and get Pyrrha's belongings to her mother.

The second portion was where things got complicated. There was a chance that the city they were heading to had working airships, and that those could take them the rest of the way to Mistral. But there was a problem with that plan. The airships there could still be under use for urgent hunter business only, or there could simply be no airships in the area. In either case, they'd have to make the rest of the way on foot.

The real problem was which route to take. Their first option was the Frost Mountains, which, as the name suggested, were notoriously cold even during some of the warmest times of the year. But despite that, the Grimm seemed to avoid this mountain like a plague, and if they prepared properly, they could be at Mistral within a week and a half.

And there came the second problem with choosing this path. It would be faster, no doubt, but it would be crazy expensive to prepare for. And they couldn't exactly stockpile Lien on the road. Every spare Lien they'd made so far was going into what they needed: camping supplies, food for the road, inn expenses, ammunition, stuff for weapon and armor maintenance, etc. If they could get enough Lien to prepare, however, there was no question that they'd at least consider taking the mountains.

But there was an alternative. They could simply take an obscure but still well-trodden path through what most people called the 'Yuri Trail.' They didn't know why it was called that, but the mention of it was enough to have Ren's eyes widen in recognition, at least for a moment. It'd take them through a few abandoned towns, but they'd probably be in Mistral in about two and a half to three weeks, depending on the conditions of the trails they trekked.

While most of the group was more than okay with hightailing it through the Yuri Trail, there was also the matter of time. The Yuri Trial was safer, yes, and as hunters, even hunters in training, they wouldn't really have to factor the Grimm into their plans unless they came across one that was particularly strong. But the Yuri Trail was longer. A week and a half was a short time on the road, but in a city? It was more than enough time for a thousand different thing to go wrong, even though the hunter count hadn't been reduced to nearly as low as it could've been. Then there came the conundrum.

Could they afford to keep themselves away from Mistral for a week and a half longer? Maybe. There wasn't really a right answer here. It was unlikely, but there was a chance that something could go wrong while they were still on the road.

Eventually, they realized that debating that particular point wasn't really going to get them anywhere at the moment, so everyone agreed that they would deal with that problem when it arose again, even though the majority were in favor of the Yuri Trail. So, they started packing up their maps and making their way upstairs to change into their proper travel attire. Yang lifted her now dirtied plate to give it back to the chef in the back of the inn-

A sudden spasm through her right arm caused her fingers to slip and drop the plate, shattering into shards as a flash of red swam into her vision in the pattern of Adam's Grimm mask. For just a moment, it was all she could see.

It was enough to send her tumbling to the floor, her lilac eyes wide with fear as her chest rose and fell in synch with her heavy breathing. What little strength she had in her legs was used to pull them closer to her chest, a small comfort against what was terrifying her, but a comfort nonetheless. He breath stayed the same, quickened pace as she heard the others crowd around her, making room for both Izuku and Ruby to ensure that she was okay. Slowly, with all the speed of melting ice, she uncurled from her ball, her hands grasping at both her sister and her best friend as she tried to stop the tears from falling. She couldn't afford to be weak right now. They couldn't afford to be weak right now.

And still, someone held her close, held her tight. Someone told her, "Shhhhhh. It's alright, Yang. I'm here. We're all right here. You're gonna be okay."

It was Izuku who said that as he held her, her face buried into his shoulder once more as she let out silent tears for but a few moments before she got her bearings. Adam's face still haunted her, even after all these months without a word of either the Fang or her old partner. It wasn't so simple as putting herself back together and getting on with her life. She knew it wasn't, and it never would be that simple, as much as that might've made things easier.

But hearing someone say those words to her, that she would be okay... it gave her hope. So, she dried her eyes and pulled away from Izuku's rather comfortable shoulder to look him in the eye and, with the warmest smile she could give him at that moment, said, "Yeah. Thank you."

And so, their journey to Mistral began once more.

(meanwhile, advanced Atlas hospital, Tenya's POV)

Tenya's breath came shakily but steadily as he reached further onwards, gripping the rail as his legs burnt with effort beneath him, still not used to their newfound cybernetic nerves and enhancements. But he'd been expecting something this. He wasn't just going to be able to fully walk again overnight, much as it pained him to admit it. He was going to have to work for this. He was going to have to earn his legs back.

The spectacled boy suddenly felt one of his knees jerk forwards with a sudden reaction of the new nerves, almost sending him careening to the floor before his own legs, with the assistance from his therapist, caught him.

"You alright?" the therapist asked, used to seeing Tenya's nerves acting up. In the month and a half, they'd been going through exercises that would ensure his legs were healed up properly. Sometimes Tenya would need a break, catch his breath before they resumed the exercise. Other times, however...

"I can keep going." And he meant it. Though it was said through grit teeth and strained muscles, he knew that he was nowhere near done. Keep going. Keep getting better. Be stronger than you were before. Be worthy of standing alongside your friends once again. These thoughts, in combination with his own determination and stubbornness, kept him going.

(meanwhile, a port in Vale, Bakugo's POV)

The explosive blonde direwolf faunus shifted about uncomfortably in the hoodie he was wearing over his ears and the top half of his clothes. It'd been a while since his mom had taught him the basics of being a Berserker, including the mood swings, which he'd been experiencing in bits and pieces throughout his teenage years and now had even more reason to hate.

After going through the motions of teaching him a few more advanced fighting techniques, and more than a few failed attempts at meditation, his mom had essentially tried her hardest to not lose her patience with him and failed more than once. It was then that she decided that maybe a Red Berserker teaching another Red Berserker wasn't the best plan, seeing as their temperaments and attitudes were so similar that they argued and butted heads with each other constantly. It was fine when they were back home and it was simply how they bantered; rampant and playful insults yelled to each other in jest even though they really cared about each other. But it wasn't even close to ideal for a student/teacher relationship. Even back when she'd taught him the basics of hand to hand, it was a constant struggle just to stay on the same wavelength and not try to strangle each other.

And this was why she was sending him to Menagerie, in order to find someone she used to train with in Vale's old forests under her old master. Somebody she constantly referred to as 'Pull Punch,' an old nickname that she constantly snickered to herself about. Apparently, he used to hate the idea of violence so much that he only learned how to use his Berserker side so that it wouldn't take him over. If his mother back then was anything like she was now, she probably teased him about it more than once.

Anyway, though they weren't of the same color of Berserker that he and his mother were, this Pull Puch person sounded as though they were considerably more patient than his mother was, and a better teacher, if her old stories were to be believed. So, putting two and two together, she figured that getting him to Menagerie as fast as possible to meet him and start learning would be the best option.

This was why he was currently getting onto a boat with other faunus and trying to ignore all the chatter flying about the place. He just wanted to get to his room and start on those meditation exercises that his mom had given to him. It wasn't like he was really the meditative type, but it was something to do to stave off the endless boredom that was sure to come on a voyage this long.

Despite the other people on the ship, his boots made a distinct enough click against the floorboards that he could hear his footsteps over the other passengers as he made his way across the deck and to one of the hold entrances. For just a brief moment, his senses flared up, finding an old scent of frosted sugar and mixed flavors.

… Minty? Is she here?

For a few moments, Bakugo looked about the deck to potentially spot his friend from back in Vale, only for that same scent to fade as quickly as it had appeared. Was he just imagining it? Was he homesick? Or maybe... maybe he just missed one of the only real friends he'd ever-

Damnit, I can't be getting soft now. Just... fucking hell, I need to clear my head.

And, as Bakugo stomped his way down to his cabin, slamming the door behind him as he found an empty space on the floor to sit cross-legged as his eyes quickly fluttered closed, that was exactly what he did. Little did he know that this would make up most of the time on the boat. Clearing his head, and thinking of nothing.

Nothing but his failure to protect his partner, always finding him when he least expected it.

(meanwhile, back in Vale, Toshinori's POV)

The once smiling giant, now turned a gaunt, boney, and frail man, rubbed his face with the ball of his palm as he leaned back in his chair, finally done organizing the potential new safe zone and coordinating the Grimm Hunt that would secure it. Glynda, Aizawa, and Ned had been true assets in these trying times, in addition to all the assistance already provided by the jovial duo of Oobleck and Port. If it hadn't been for them, he didn't think even half of what they'd done over the last few months would've even been possible. And with the addition of Peach to heal most of their wounds, they'd probably have Vale back in their hands within the next few months.

While they and some of the older students had remained behind to secure what they could of Vale, most of the students had, understandably, gone to their respective homes in order to be with their families; in addition to the civilians that had been evacuated for the first few weeks following the Fall of Beacon; and get them away from the hordes of Grimm that now prowled the continent. A side effect of the Ichor Dragon that was currently frozen stone solid atop Beacon Tower, which had now become a literal beacon of negativity, and by extension, Grimm.

School wouldn't be in session this year, not until they could reclaim Beacon itself. As far as they could reasonably tell, there had been a few sightings of figures going in and out of the school, but they definitely hadn't found the relic yet. A good thing too. Out of all the relics, the Crown of Choice was probably one of, if not the, most powerful of the four; partial only to the Blade of Destruction, if it was wielded by the right person.

The door to his makeshift office opened with a loud groan as the figure of Ned Stark walked into the office with Ice on his back and his hooded cloak matted down from all the rain outside. "It's gone well. All the stragglers have been dealt with, and we've only had a couple injuries overall. No losses on our side of the equation."

Toshinori sighed in relief at that. "Good. Team CFVY's still out for supplies?"

"They called in two minutes ago to report in their haul. We've got enough food, water, and spare clothes to last us for the next few months. They should be back within the hour," Ned said with a smile crossing his normally stoic face. Despite them still being in rather desperate straits, these past two weeks in particular had shown good progress for a recovering City of Vale. Hopefully, they'd have it all back within the next three months or so before setting their sights on reclaiming the Academy itself.

But that wasn't quite on the horizon yet. There was also one matter with which he knew Aizawa could be critical. Hell, the person who'd managed to get their message through to him had been a council member requesting the disheveled man specifically. The problem was that this matter was all the way over in Mistral. The other side of the world. Where he wouldn't be able to contact him for months on end.

Still, the messenger had been very clear when he said that, despite there being a lot of hunters still in Anima, they were spread very, very thin, and problem after problem was popping up in Mistral. Maybe... argh! What to do, what to do...

"Thinking about the request?" the Stark asked, likely reading the conflict painted onto Toshinori's sunken face.

"... tell me something. Would you send someone to stop a potential threat from ever happening, or keep them where you know they can do some good?"

Ned sighed before he answered. "There are too many variables to give that question a simple answer, Toshinori. But, if you really want my opinion for this specific situation, tell Aizawa about it and let him decide what to do from there. That'd probably be best for both parties."

"... that sounds like a plan. Thanks for the advice, Ned. Honestly, I don't know where we'd be without you and Glynda around to keep things in line."

"Save that talk for when we get Beacon back. There'll be plenty of time to give thanks later. And don't try to downplay how much of a part you've had in keeping what we still have of the city stable. You're a lot more helpful than you give yourself credit for," Ned reassured the once Symbol of Hope as he exited the office to fetch Aizawa.

Now alone, Toshinori silently rubbed the injury that he'd been given all those years ago by the same man who'd destroyed a good portion of Vale, who now sat in a faraway Atlas facility, where, if any gods were out there and believed in actual justice, he would remain until the end of his days. Even now, all these months after the Battle of Beacon, and all the years after he'd been effectively crippled, his chest still felt oddly sore. A permanent reminder of what he'd failed to do all those years ago.

But there was hope for the future. Izuku still had room to grow into the Symbol of Hope that he both wanted and needed to be. He just hoped that he'd be able to do it in time.

For now, however... there was work to be done.

(meanwhile, somewhere in Anima, Adam's POV)

The bull faunus rubbed his temples in frustration as his friend still laid bedridden from his fight above the clouds with only what he could briefly describe as 'a Red one' before passing out from exhaustion via the toll of the multiple surgeries in addition to his still healing wounds. He hated having to wait for answers, but what he hated even less was having them kept from him.

Sienna was not happy in the slightest with him going along with this plan to decimate Beacon, to send a message that the Fang and the faunus could no longer be ignored. Hell, she actually clocked him in the face when he first saw her again. Not enough to knock him out, but inflicting enough pain to send the message. Said message being: 'I'm angry and disappointed.'

It likely would've been a lot worse than that if she hadn't had the time to cool off. She'd decided that a punishment was needed to suit his actions, seeing as she knew that he'd gotten so used to being injured that it was little more than a tap on the shoulder most of the time. She demoted him three full ranks and only given charge of a small squad. He assumed that the only reason she didn't cut him loose altogether was the fact that he was popular with the more hotheaded and brash members of the Fang, who would've retaliated against her if there was even a hint of something like that being planned. There had been more and more of them lately as well...

Of course, these wounds she'd written off as little more than love taps for him, and the instance in which he'd received them, had been on his mind since the first time he'd woken up. That human, the one with the green hair and eyes... Izuku Midoriya, if he remembered the profiles correctly. He hadn't bothered to watch the tournament, but he now knew most of what this boy was capable of. But he steered away from that particular trail of thought before he began obsessing over it again. He could get his vengeance on the boy later.

Shortly before he'd been officially been demoted, Sienna being too busy with the fallout of their attack to do it on the spot, he'd been approached by that... odd human. He seemed a bit insane, but there was a certain simplicity that he found appealing in his speech. He liked games and other childish distractions, though he definitely knew where to draw the line between work time and personal time, even if that line seemed to be rather heavily skewed. He was apparently a survivor of poverty at a young age, something that he'd unfortunately had to deal with more than once before he'd joined the Fang.

In short: this Tomura Shigaraki, odd though he was, was a kind of kindred spirit to Adam. He hated admitting that, as he despised most, if not all, of humanity, but he honestly couldn't help it. Saw would probably kill him if he ever found out about the deal he made with the man and the person he was lending his services to at the moment. Rightfully so, as what humans had done to him... well, there was a reason that they'd left him in that prison until recently. If All Might himself was what it took to take the man down, there was no way they'd realistically be able to keep some kind of leash on his brutality.

But now the green haired boy was popping back into his mind again, only for him to quickly shove it back down, deeper this time, so that he hopefully wouldn't have to worry about it until later that night. Damn. It was actually getting hard to focus now.

But Adam elected to then pull the green haired boy into the forefront of his mind once more as he put on his new mask and made his way towards their practice ring. He needed to relieve some stress. And the boy made a very encouraging target when he wasn't haunting his nightmares.

(meanwhile, undisclosed location in Atlas, Kimblee's POV)

It had only been a few weeks since this other prisoner had been brought in here, and Kimblee already liked him to no end. He could certainly respect the one that'd been brought in about a week before the festival actually started; hell he'd heard whispers of his exploits, but he'd never gotten the chance to actually talk to him as the man had been gagged when he was brought in, and the only conversation he'd ever had with the infamous 'Stain' didn't exactly go well for either of them.

But this other one? Even bound and nearly powerless, he had a certain... presence. One that simply screamed ideals and the strength to back them up. This man, this 'All for One,' was someone worth following, someone who he could work with. Judging from his previous display at Beacon, he might even have need of his particular set of skills. Oh, what he would give to make another symphony of such magnitude...

"Kimblee," the man suddenly addressed him. "You seem like a decent enough fellow. I know full well that what you did back then was of your own volition, but I don't believe that you were entirely unassisted. Was I correct in assuming that?"

The black-haired man chuckled at that. "You're not wrong. I did have some help. But what help I had has already been used up. I wouldn't count on it in a pinch."

This was a straight up lie, and Kimblee knew it. His 'help' was right here, just above his larynx, ready to be spat out and used at any time. If only his hands could actually touch. Getting out of here would be a cinch. Of course, that would only be if he was actually that impatient in the first place, which he was not. At least, not most of the time. He had his moments of weakness, but otherwise he was unnaturally patient. Something he took only the slightest hint of pride in.

Of course, judging by the man's seemingly involuntary laugh, he likely knew that what he'd just said was total bullshit as well. Kimblee smirked at the notion. Where had this guy been all his life?

"Just as well. We'll likely be here for a while."

No specification. But Kimblee learned to read between the lines. They'd probably be out within the next year or so, if the man meant what he said. And he did seem to mean what he'd said to him, and about his apprentice as well.

Oh, how he couldn't wait for that day.

A/N: And that's a wrap for Chapter 43! Woo! It's good to be back!

Like I said up at the top, I haven't quite finished editing the chapters as I promised. I'll probably have more time to do that now that finals have fully wrapped up and I'm on winter break, but in addition to the fact that I'm back to writing this again and the fact that my particular winter holiday is fast approaching, it might take a bit longer than I'd originally anticipated. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the new chapter! Be sure to review if you have any questions or criticisms! Every bit helps!

Next Chapter: Jan 11th

Seeya in the next one!