Season Four, Episode XXXIX

Season Finale Part One

Unraveling

. . .

Kirai Amari

. . .

We were here in that place, sitting across from one another.

Separated by a thin sheet of glass.

A debate we'd argued over many times before in the last month, finally coming to a close.

"Well... Are you going to do something about it?"

"I don't know... Should I?"

"Personally, I think you should go for it."

"R... Really?"

"I mean... What's the worst that could happen?"

"He could say no..."

"But at least then, you don't have to keep waiting."

"..."

"Alright, if you don't go ask him, I WILL!"

"Okay okay, I'll... I'll do it."

. . .

Kaiji Adachi

. . .

The days since the festival rolled by quickly. Already, November had come and gone. Today was the second day of December. The temperature hadn't changed much, since the island was located so far south. Though the air did get dry, and it did drop a little bit. Less people were spending time at the beaches, some were preparing for the holidays and the new year. And I was happy to say, that Nabu Island had completely recovered from the events of the storm. Supposedly we'd be getting a new hero out here too in the coming weeks, likely after the new year.

For now, I was just going through the motions. Training when I could, and doing my best to ignore the events occurring on the mainland. As the League of Villains seemed to go quiet after a recent attack on a small city. Word was going around that they'd been driven underground and defeated thanks to the citizens and heroes of that city who worked together. I didn't realize, how that was about to change everything...

"Mom," I called out, slipping on my shoes near the door. "I'm heading out to train, be back in a few..." I trailed off, noticing that not only was she not responding, but I could hear hushed muttering through the wall. Narrowing my eyes, I snuck around to the next door, leaning against it to try and listen in.

"And you're sure... It's... It's safe, now?" Who was she talking to? "No, no I'd prefer to stay here... But, I'll have to talk with Kaiji... Right, thank you detective." Before she hung up, and released a heavy sigh.

My heart clenched a little, as I reached for the frame and knocked a few times, "Mom? Are you in there?"

"Oh don't give me that," She groaned, "I know you were listening..."

Guess I'm not as sneaky as I thought, "Who was that?" I asked, as I pulled open the door.

"That, was Detective Tsukauchi." She explained, setting the phone aside, "Apparently, the League's Operations have gone underground, and they aren't targeting anyone right now... He says we're safe to come out of hiding."

My eyes widened, "R-Really?" After just over three months, "You mean we can..."

"No, not we." She shook her head, looking up at me. "I... I want to stay here, Kaiji... I've thought about it a lot and-"

"Hey," I cut her off, holding up a hand. "You don't need to explain, I know... This place has been really good for you."

She released a small, sad chuckle and lowered her head. "Thank you... But, what are you going to do?"

"Well, preferably go back to UA." I shrugged.

"I mean, about your friends here." Right, of course. "You've left quite an impression, if you just disappear... What are you going to tell them?"

"..." I had to think about this, if I didn't do this carefully... "I don't want them to know about... Well, you," I shrugged, "I won't let them start treating you differently... I'll come up with something, I'll lie if I have to, to make it work and protect you."

She smiled softly, releasing a somewhat relieved sigh. "Thank you... Tsukauchi is just waiting for a call to send someone to pick you up, so we don't have to rush."

I nodded, "Right, I'm gonna head out and keep doing business as usual until I think of something."

"Good idea, see you later tonight."

I left home, making my way to the northern beach. Hoping I could figure out how to go about this. I did want to return, see my friends again, continue working to be a hero but... I had a feeling it wasn't going to be easy, leaving this place behind. And telling everyone, I was never very good at giving out bad news.

I didn't get the chance to think about it though, as I arrived on the beach a short while later to see a familiar face waiting for me. "Oh, hey." I waved as I spotted Amari, "What are you doing here?" Before adding, "Please don't tell me Red wants another rematch."

Amari laughed lightly, "No, nothing like that I just... I wanted to talk to you about something."

Uh oh, she sounded nervous. "What's up? Did something happen?"

"No no it's just-" Before she stopped herself, sighing lightly. "There you go again, always worrying about everyone else... You really are something, Adachi." Okay now I'm really worried. "You know, I have to thank you... Things have changed so much since you showed up, not just for the school, and the island... But for me."

I swallowed nervously, "What uh... What do you mean?" I was starting to get a bad feeling where this was going.

"I was so complacent, I put myself at the top of a system I created... Telling myself that I was helping them," Before she shook her head, "I was just a control freak... But you saw right through me, you challenged my stupid game and beat me every time, you burst the bubble I'd built and made me want to be a better person."

I tried to play it off, "I mean, I'm flattered but all I really did was act like a smartass and not play along." Shrugging casually.

She laughed lightly, leaning in a bit closer. "You helped me get over myself... And then the festival, how you lead the class... Honestly, Adachi I... I think I might have-" Those eyes, the way her cheeks were lightly flushing. Oh no, this is bad, very very bad.

"Hey!" I panicked, interrupting her before she could get any further. "D-Do you uh... Want to go for a walk?" I needed to buy some time, this was the worst possible time for what I think she was about to say.

Amari blinked in surprise, "Oh uh... Sure," Smiling lightly, as I started moving. She followed beside me, hands behind her back and fidgeting nervously. "So where are we going?"

"Oh ya know... Just walking." I shrugged, laughing nervously. Putting us on route towards the southern part of the island. I kept silent for a few minutes, biting my tongue. And she just kept watching me, like she knew I had something to say. "I-I uh... I actually had something I needed to talk to you about too..." Maybe... Maybe the truth was the best way to go about it.

Her eyes lit up for a brief moment, "R-Really? About what?"

We were still pretty far from anywhere people might hear us, the only thing nearby was the harbor. "Okay so..." I came to a stop, taking in a deep breath. "This, this isn't gonna be easy for me to explain... You might want to sit down." Motioning to the nearby benches along the trail.

Amari was starting to look worried, and took a seat while I remained standing. "Okay... You're starting to freak me out."

"The thing is, I wasn't completely honest when I explained how we ended up on Nabu Island." If there was anyone I could tell to help me figure out how to get this information out there safely, it was probably the well respected class president. "Our apartment was destroyed in the Kamino Ward incident, but that isn't why we moved out here."

She frowned as she looked up at me, "What are you talking about? Then why did you move here?"

I braced myself, looking her in the eyes. "Before I say this... I need you to understand, my mother is a good person, who's tried her best to take care of me ever since I was born." That was the most important thing right now, I don't care what anyone thought of me but... My mom, she deserved to be happy. "She acted as bodyguard for the League of Villains, because they threatened to kill me... I didn't even know about it for a long time, but when I found out and confronted her she turned everything over that she knew about them to the Police." I watched Amari's eyes widen in horror, "The information she provided is what lead to the raid on their hideout, to recover the missing UA student." Just one piece at a time, "Afterwards, we were put into the witness protection program, in case they tried to come after her for revenge..."

Amari slumped back in her seat, eyes drifting downward. "So that's it... That's why you appeared here so suddenly, and were always so secretive."

"Would you believe me if I told you it gets worse?" I asked, nervously chuckling. "You asked me before, who am I, how did I learn to do the things I do, well... Before this mess all blew up, I was a student at UA High School, undergoing hero training." I rolled up my long sleeves, exposing more of my scars. "I got these during the League of Villains attack on our summer training camp, I'm sure you heard about that in the news..." I could see her connecting the dots in her mind, as if everything was falling into place. "Afterwards, to come here I had to give up on being a hero... To protect my fellow students from being targeted, and keep my mom safe."

She looked back up at me, "I guess that explains why you were always so... Dismissive, so unfazed by the games I tried to play... Compared to what you've probably seen," She released a short, self-mocking laugh. "I must have seemed so petty..." Well, she wasn't wrong. "But, why are you telling me this now?"

And now came the worst part, "Because we got a call earlier today," I explained grimly, "They said, that the League's activity has gone down significantly, and they're likely focused on rebuilding rather than going after someone... They said it would be safe for me to return to UA."

I could see her awe turn to fear as the final piece fell into place. "So... You're going to leave, aren't you?" It wasn't a question, it was an accusation.

"... That was always the plan..."

She rose from her seat, "But can't plans change?!" Amari demanded, "You... You've made so many friends here, you've helped us out so much... You helped me," She pleaded, "You... You don't have to leave, you could just stay here right?"

Yeah, this was about as hard as I imagined it would be. "Amari, I-"

"Why would you even want to be a hero anyways!?" She asked, grabbing both my arms. "Look at this! These scars, you've been brutalized and you're not even a pro hero yet!" Amari was desperate, "Aren't you... Afraid, of getting hurt again?"

I released a heavy sigh, pulling my arms away. "I know it's hard to understand, but... Being a hero, it's always been my dream." I smiled faintly, as her own expression began to sour. "I want to protect others, fight for those that can't... I know it's going to be hard saying goodbye, but-"

"Screw you!" Amari shouted at me, voice cracking as tears formed at the corners of her eyes. "Y-You can't just... Come into somebody's life, make them care about you and... Just leave at your own convenience!"

I held up my hands defensively, "Hey come on, it's not goodbye forever, my mom is going to stay here, this place has been good for her... I promise I'll be back someday."

She clenched her fists, eyes shut tight. "I-I..." Before they opened, and I saw that one eye was blue, the other red. "We don't WANT you to come back!" Her voice was distorted, I could tell something was wrong, very wrong. "Just, LEAVE! GO back to the mainland and follow your stupid dream!" Her body flashing briefly with light that dispersed almost immediately, "We... We don't want to see you, or your criminal mother ever again!"

I was worried about her, but I knew pushing might just make things worse. I backed off, "I'm sorry, to both of you..." Before I turned my back to them, and started walking away.

I could hear her breaking down, collapsing on the bench and starting to sob. She just needed time, to process all of this I think. And I needed to think about how I'd explain it to everyone else too. But mostly, right now I just wanted to walk and clear my head. My heart heavy knowing I'd crushed the feelings of a friend...

. . .

The Overmind

. . .

A pathetic, average body belonging to the captain of this ship we had commandeered for our voyage. That's what I was currently restricting myself too at the moment, as we sailed to our destination. The prize ahead of us so clear in view...

"Ah, here we are." I smirked, golden eyes hidden behind sunglasses. Tipping the captains hat on my head back a bit, "Nabu Island."

"Peaceful little place," Sounded the rough voice of the mission leader. Standing almost seven feet tall, with a wolfs head, bluish fur and black dreads sticking out the back behind his ears. Wearing a trench coat over a grey dress shirt and blue jeans. He was broad shouldered, with a powerful reptilian tail resting on the floor behind us. "Not for long though."

Chojuro Kon was his name, a mercenary with exceptional stamina, strength, and raw combat ability. "Indeed, once we hit the port you'll need to destroy the other ships... And send someone to destroy their communication hub to prevent a distress call from getting out." He went by the underworld name, Chimera, thanks to his monstrous quirk. I'd recruited him for this mission, as to limit how far I stretched my power.

"Not a problem for my team," He grunted, pulling a cigar from his inner coat pocket. He stuck the end in his mouth, a small plume of flame erupting from between his lips to light it. "Do you have a specific location on the targets?"

"No, but it's evening so they'll likely be home in the residential district." I explained, "Kento Shimano, or his son Katsuma, both have the Cell Activation Quirk I need, once you've made landfall I'll head to the island over there and await your team."

"Sounds good to me." He smirked wickedly, showing his fangs. "Too bad the hero here just retired, smash and grabs are no fun without a decent fight." We were nearly into port now, a few ships still moving in for the evening as they finished out their day. "Hey! Ubadachi!" He shouted suddenly, "Why don't you get to work disabling those ships."

A fit man, dark skin with crop cut black hair, approached the front of the ship. He wore jeans, combat boots, and a vest with nothing else beneath it to cover his muscular chest. "Whatever you say boss." He clenched his fists, assuming a power stance. Before two large barreled cannons emerged from his shoulders, like heavy artillery pieces. "I might even be able to take out the communication tower from here."

"No, leave it to Onikiri," Chimera shook his head, "Your salvo will have them running scared, we don't want to destroy the tower just disable it, so it'll show up as a power failure when the mainland can't make contact." He took a long drag from his cigar, releasing the smoke with a heavy breath. "I'll hit the market area and stir up trouble to keep them distracted and send some running back home, we'll send Ratel to the residential district to find our target."

I smirked in amusement, they certainly performed well enough. I'd be sure to keep this bunch as one of my contacts once we finished up here, maybe even connect them to the network. "Well since you've got it all figured out, I leave the rest to you."

Ubadachi smirked, his heavy cannons starting to steam. "Let the fun begin."