Well, it's time for a more serious chapter of this series. I'm still aiming to wrap up Season 3 at 100 chapters, but we'll see how it pans out after this one. This is a big one, going into one of the key moments for the series: Katsuki discovering the truth about One For All.
I remember being asked to make a short around that situation involving Izuku's love interest some time ago. And while I couldn't really do it without breaking my canon, I'm going to be able to do it here. So to the person who once made that request, I hope I can live up to those expectations here.
Welcome back to "Through the Rough".
THROUGH THE ROUGH
'Where the heck are they going so late?' Rebecca wondered, peeking around the corner to see her boyfriend and Katsuki wandering down the pathway leading to the battle sites that Class A had used on their first full day of battle training with All Might. She could overhear her boyfriend asking the Explosion Quirk user again and again where they were going and why. But he never answered. They finally arrived at Ground Beta.
"This is it," Katsuki said, "This is the very place where I lost to you… for the very first time," he muttered out with his hands stuffed into his pockets. The One For All inheritor looked around cautiously. There was no one in sight.
"Why did you bring me here?" he asked.
"To get some damn answers," the Explosion Quirk user responded, "You were always lagging behind me, ever since we were kids," he pointed out, "Hell, you barely stood against me until your girlfriend got involved," he mentioned, making Izuku tense up a little as he balled his fists. He was half-expecting Katsuki to mock Rebecca yet again. "Then all of a sudden, you get a miracle Quirk out of nowhere, get accepted into UA, and somehow get a damn license where I failed…" he listed off chronologically.
"I got my license by performing the best I could today in the exam!" the One For All inheritor argued in response, "And you could've too if you just—!"
"I'm not done!" his rival shouted, silencing him, "You know…" he continued, "you could've easily pulled some strings and gotten me expelled from UA…" he pointed out as from afar, Rebecca listened on with an astonished expression, "Heck, you told them what I said to you back in junior high…" he added, "So why didn't you?" he questioned.
"…Because I still think you can be a great hero," Izuku responded, "Whatever you did in the past, you can make up for it by being the best you can be," he told Katsuki, who narrowed his eyes with contempt, "I know you're better than who you are now, Kacchan," he affirmed on, "It's why I used to look up to you," he admitted.
"…Tch," the Explosion Quirk user scoffed, "That's what's so annoying about you…" he grumbled. Izuku grimaced, wondering if his rival was actually even listening to him. "But I guess…" he continued, causing the freckled teen to perk up, "that's why All Might picked you for his Quirk," he said. A light gasp let Rebecca's lips as she covered her mouth with her right hand. Her boyfriend tensed up.
'He knows about One For All?! How?!' she questioned inwardly. From the way Izuku was reacting, it seemed like he was ashamed. It was his fault that Katsuki even gathered the information about his Quirk in the first place. He had told him that the power wasn't his own yet and disclosed that fact rather rashly.
"I've been thinking about it since what happened in Camino," his rival pointed out, "That guy All Might fought could steal Quirks and use multiple," he noted, "Hell, he was gonna take your girlfriend's Quirk and give it to that alchemy bastard…" he recalled to the surprise of the freckled teen, "Seeing as how he and All Might seemed to know each other pretty well, I realized that he's gotten weaker since coming to UA as a teacher, just when you did…" he explained on, narrowing his eyes, "So he transferred his Quirk to you, the Quirkless failure…" he concluded. Izuku cursed himself for being so foolish. He looked at Katsuki dead in the eyes.
"Okay…" he uttered, "And how will knowing that help you?" he inquired, much to girlfriend's shock as her eyes widened.
"You're not denying it…" the Explosion Quirk user noted, exhaling a deep breath, "You and I both looked up to All Might as kids," he remembered, "but you were still just a tiny pebble on the side of the road, while I was practically set for life with my power," he pointed out, "Yet somehow… he picked you," he said, "So I wanna know why," he affirmed, holding his left hand out in a challenging gesture, "We're settling this right here," he declared firmly.
OPENING
Insert "New Genesis" by Ado
Opens with Rebecca dressed in her hero costume, with her hair now in pigtails as she looks toward the dawning sky. The wind waves through her hair before she looks back and smiles to see the rest of Class 1-A, with her boyfriend standing at the front as he smiles. The title logo comes on screen.
As the music picks up, we get shots of each member of Class 1-A in training, thinking about their battles in the U.S.J., the Sports Festival, the hero killer attack in Hosu, the Müller raid in Shibuya, the final exams of the first semester, the forest training camp attack, and the incident in Camino. Everyone's motivating each other as they prepare to enter the next phase in order to become heroes. They all stand outside an exam center together, having determined looks on their faces.
There are several scenes of Homura drawing her energy blades to block off rubber balls being sent towards her, Denki, and Momo, Minoru unleashing a barrage of his sticky balls to trap opponents, and Fumikage releasing Dark Shadow as it covers him like armor. We see Weisz equip his Arsenal armor as he speeds past everyone alongside Tenya and Izuku. However, they're brought to a halt as the wind picks up around them.
They look to see that it's courtesy of Inasa Yoarashi, whose grin is wide until he spots Shoto through the crowd, making him glare with contempt. Other Shiketsu students are on the scene, including the likes of Milani Lucra, Nasseh Saimin, Lyra Dekki, and Callum Steelford. There's also students from Ketsubutsu Academy, which also includes the likes of Orc, Mora, and Britney.
We watch as Rebecca finds herself forced into battle against Britney, running around from her smoky form while using her new pulse blasters to try and throw her off. Orc confronts Izuku, while Mora locates Katsuki. The three U.A. students fight on with all their effort.
Meanwhile, Shiki has his green markings expand as he flies across a ruined battlefield to confront Gang Orca, who blows him back with a sonic blast. Ochaco catches him in midair, followed by Kyoka plugging her earphone jacks into her amps to unleash a soundwave that tears through the ground. Mashirao and Tsuyu join in the fray, taking care of Orca's minions in the exercise.
During his ordeals, Katsuki starts thinking about what had happened with All Might back in Camino. He looks toward Izuku, who is running beside him, and then at Rebecca. He brushes his thoughts off for the moment, continuing onward.
We get a shot of Nero in his office with Ijuna, the League of Villains hiding out in a warehouse, Overhaul and the Shie Hassaikai looking over a car fire, Kris finding the likes of Rogue Out, and Laguna meeting with the imposing figure of Goodwin. The song winds down as Rebecca brushes her back and smiles toward the horizon with her boyfriend. Their classmates all stand behind them, ready to become heroes.
END OPENING
"W-Wait!" Izuku stammered out after a moment to register his rival's challenge, "We're gonna fight?!" he inquired, seeing the Explosion Quirk user roll his shoulders in preparation, "Why can't we just wait until tomorrow to spar somewhere?!" he questioned on frantically as he held his hands out.
"Because if we didn't hold back, then the teachers would make us stop," Katsuki answered, "Now put up your damn fists," he insisted, "Or get your legs ready or whatever…" he grumbled on.
"Kacchan, seriously!" the One For All inheritor yelled.
"I wanna know exactly All Might would go so far for you…" his rival noted, causing him to blink in surprise, "Because if he chose you for your aspirations…" he continued, "then we're mine wrong the whole time?" he wondered aloud. Hearing that, Rebecca's eyes shook. All of a sudden, Katsuki launched out at her boyfriend in an instant. He quickly activated his Full Cowling, evading his blasts while trying to still plead with him.
This was something that could be sorted out through talking. But that wouldn't work when it came to the Explosion Quirk user. He was set on fighting to understand why Izuku was chosen.
"Stop! Please!" he pleaded, jumping away from more of the blasts. His rival wouldn't listen. The questions kept ringing in his head. He managed to close in on the freckled teen, letting explosion crackle off of his palms as he was about to strike him with a powerful blast, ready to prove his point once and for all. But without warning, Rebecca sped in with the markings at her legs appearing, kicking him upside the head to knock him back.
"Stop it!" she yelled as he fell to the ground on his rear end, grimacing from the hit he just took.
"Rebecca!" Izuku exclaimed in surprise.
"Are you okay, Izu?!" his girlfriend immediately asked, noticing the blood dripping from his lips. She whipped around to glare at Katsuki. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" she snarled in question, "Are you that insecure enough to just go around tormenting him?!" she inquired angrily to the Explosion Quirk user, "Are you just jealous that he got his license when you didn't?!" she asked on, "Or is it the fact that he's got me as a girlfriend now, and you have nothing?!" she assumed, much to his and her boyfriend's surprise. After a moment, Katsuki clenched his teeth and stood back up.
"This has nothing to do with you…" he proclaimed, "Now get out of the way," he insisted, attempting to shove her aside to get to his rival, "We need to settle this…" he stated firmly. However, the Cat Leaper Quirk user smacked him in the face with her left hand.
"What is there to settle, you idiot?!" she screamed in question, "If you're just stupidly trying to prove how strong you really are, you've already done that!" she pointed out in frustration, "That's why Izu admired you for all those years, even after you started bullying him…" she mentioned. Hearing that, Katsuki trembled, clenching his fists.
"How could you say that…?" he asked, causing Rebecca to blink in confusion, "How can you say I'm strong… even though I got captured?" he inquired on, much to the surprise of the couple as the Cat Leaper Quirk user stepped back, "You both got stronger and proved you could beat villains…" he noted, "But I… I…" he tried to say, clenching his teeth as tears were pricking his eyes, "I was the reason All Might lost his power!" he emphatically exclaimed.
Both Izuku and Rebecca lightly gasped. As the Explosion Quirk user spilled out his troubling thoughts over the days following the Camino incident and All Might's retirement, they realized that he was carrying a heavy burden. The guilt of not being able to do anything, the weakness of being captured by the villains, and the disappointment of just watching things unfold.
The One For All inheritor knew that All Might's remaining power had been on the clock ever since it was passed to him. It was likely he'd still have at least a semblance of it for probably a few more months, or maybe even half a year prior to the attack. Izuku knew it wasn't Katsuki's fault. But telling him wouldn't be enough to reassure him.
"Rebecca…" he uttered, getting his girlfriend's attention, "Please stand back," he requested, "I think this… needs to happen," he affirmed, causing her eyes to widen. She about to yell at him for agreeing to continue what she thought was a pointless scuffle, but then she noticed the Explosion Quirk wiping his eyes free of tears. He was torn and overwhelmed by the burden he carried. And he needed a way to let out his anger.
"Just be careful…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user advised of her boyfriend, who nodded. As Katsuki charged in, he reactivated his Full Cowling, knocking him away with a roundhouse kick. Rebecca stood off upon the street with shaking eyes. She didn't want the fight to go on. But if it meant that both boys could have some form of closure with each other, then it would probably be worth it…
X
"Sir Izuku and Sir Katsuki, hm?" Witch listed off with her helmet removed, letting out a frustrated sigh, "First, the events of Camino, and now this…" she grumbled out, "I'm starting to see why they trouble you so much, Shota…" she admitted, leaving the security room with the Erasure Quirk user, who set his scarf around his neck.
"Bluegarden's there, too…" he pointed out as they ventured through the common area, heading outside, "Not sure what she has to do with those two, but it doesn't seem like she's stopping whatever they're up to…" he mentioned.
"In which case, she'll need to be disciplined as well…" the Sorcery Quirk user realized, exhaling yet another sigh. As the two teachers ventured onto the walkway, they stopped upon spotting a familiar figure. Back at Ground Beta, Rebecca flinched every few seconds whenever Katsuki or Izuku landed blows upon each other.
It wasn't just a fight with punches, kicks and explosions, but also a battle of words. The Explosion Quirk user hated his rival for how he always clung to him, even as he had been bullied almost relentlessly. He was annoyed at how the One For All inheritor thought he could win against him in a real fight, to which Izuku was surprised.
He never really understood how Katsuki truly felt. He would simply brush it off, continuing to chase after him. That was because in his mind, the Explosion Quirk user was the image of victory, the image of a hero aside from All Might. And unlike his idol, Katsuki was actually a part of most of his life.
His speed suddenly increased. Up to this point, the percentage of One For All that he could control without injuring himself had increased from five percent up to at least twelve percent. It didn't seem like much, but with the power he had, it was a huge improvement. And now, it had ticked up to at least fifteen percent.
He closed in on his rival, landing a fierce roundhouse kick to his arms, instantly marking them red as he was sent sliding back from the blow. Rebecca's eyes widened. During their first hero exercises, Izuku could barely land a punch on Katsuki. Now he was not only caught up to him, he passed him.
"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" they both roared as they zipped towards each other, exchanging another barrage of blows. The Cat Leaper Quirk user couldn't tell who had the upper hand. She watched as Katsuki leaned back from taking an axe kick, managing to fire off an explosion to blow his rival away while also tumbling back along the road.
'He kicked into a higher gear all of a sudden…' he noted to himself as he pushed himself back up onto his feet, 'But that's not gonna be enough to—!' All of a sudden, he saw his rival dash forward.
"IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT?!" he roared in question. He wasn't about to let the Explosion Quirk user pummel him just to relieve a little stress. He leapt into the air, enticing Katsuki to blast himself after him.
"Izu!" Rebecca cried out. Her boyfriend didn't leap into the air without a plan. He had assumed his rival thought he knew about his Shoot Style. But little did he realize that even though his opponent's arms had been through so much, he could still use them. He struck Katsuki with one last powerful punch to his face. To him, he was the best. That's why he wanted to defeat him. And as blood spurted out from the Explosion Quirk user's nose, it seemed like he was about to be beaten. But he steeled himself.
"I… WON'T LOSE TO YOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" he bellowed, kneeing Izuku in the stomach before flipping over to be above him. Launching an explosion upwards, he propelled both himself and his rival down to the ground in a massive blast.
"IZU!" Rebecca screamed, hurrying over. The smoke was slow to settle. But as it did, it revealed Katsuki lying atop the One For All inheritor, having him pinned to the ground while holding onto his right arm and face.
"That's it…" he breathed out, "We're done here," he affirmed, "I win," he declared on as Izuku gasped out for breath. Charging over, Rebecca shoved him off of her boyfriend. "Hey!" the Explosion Quirk user shouted, only to see her lips quivering as her eyes shimmered with tears.
"Why didn't you blame me for what happened to All Might…?" she asked, causing him to blink in surprise. Izuku sat up and saw his girlfriend tremble as she clenched her fists, "I was there too, you know…" she pointed out, "I'm just as much of a reason as you that All Might lost his power…" she mentioned, "I even got Mister Jaguar killed…!" she sobbed out as her tears dripped onto the pavement.
"Rebecca…" her boyfriend uttered out, standing up.
"So why aren't you blaming me?!" she shouted in question to the Explosion Quirk user, who lowered his head.
"…Because you don't deserve that," he responded simply.
"And neither do you!" Rebecca emphatically exclaimed as tears streaked down her face, "You said it yourself, you knew that Izuku got his power from All Might…" she pointed out, "It was only gonna be a matter of time before he couldn't be a hero anymore…" she mentioned, "Meanwhile, Jaguar got killed because he saved me from Drakken…" she recalled sadly, "I wish I could've done something, but…" she continued, sniffling a little, "I don't think they would regret anything," she admitted, much to Katsuki's surprise, as well as Izuku's. They watched as she approached the Explosion Quirk user, crouching down in front of him. She then slowly wrapped her arms around him, bringing him into a warm hug.
"Rebecca…" the One For All inheritor uttered in surprise. To think that she would be brave enough to touch Katsuki, let alone embrace him was astonishing. He, on the other hand, clenched his teeth together.
"Let me go…" he insisted in a low growl.
"I understand you're feeling guilty, Kacchan…" she pointed out, ignoring his request as her tears kept flowing down her cheeks, "But it's not your fault," she affirmed, "You need to know that, despite what you already think," she mentioned, holding him close. Katsuki wasn't resisting in the slightest. He seemed calm.
"And what about you?" he questioned, "How are you handling all this okay?" he wondered. The Cat Leaper Quirk user smiled, pulling herself back. The spiky-haired boy was shocked to find the tears flowing down her cheeks still.
"I'm not okay…" she confessed, "I still think about that night, and how things could've been so much different…" she mentioned in admittance, "Maybe All Might would still have his power, maybe Mister Jaguar would still be alive…" she listed off as suggestions, "But I know I can't just change things in the blink of an eye…" she noted, "No one can…" she finished, "But regardless of what happened, they'd want us to keep on smiling," she affirmed finally, letting go of the Explosion Quirk user as he was processing her words. Izuku then stepped forward, reaching his right hand out to him. After a moment, Katsuki scoffed, reluctantly accepting his rival's hand as he pulled him up.
"Well, it seems like the three of you came to a truce on your own…" a familiar voice chimed in, getting their attentions as they saw All Might approaching.
"All Might…" the trio uttered. After some time to explain things about how Izuku was given One For All, Katsuki promised that the secret would be kept between him and any others involved. With that, they all started to head back for the dorms.
"Why didn't you keep your damn mouth shut, Deku?" the Explosion Quirk user asked of his rival, who grimaced.
"It was… a spur of the moment kind of thing…" he admitted, "But… I'm going to do what I can to make that power my own like I promised," he declared.
"Hmph," Katsuki scoffed, "It won't matter," he proclaimed, "Because I'm gonna aim higher than you, chosen one," he declared firmly.
"In that case, I'll aim even higher," Izuku decided.
"HUH?!" Katsuki shouted, causing his rival to flinch, "I'm gonna be the better one, Deku!" he roared out.
"I know!" the freckled teen yelled back, "And that's why I said I'm gonna aim even higher than that!" he proclaimed on. All Might grinned as he looked back at the pair. They had finally become proper rivals. He then glanced over to Rebecca, who seemed rather solemn.
"Are you alright, Young Bluegarden?" he inquired out of concern, getting her attention.
"It's just… a lot's happened today…" she admitted in response, "Aside from this and the exam…" she continued, only for the former pro hero to place his hand onto her shoulder.
"I know," he said to her surprise, "Aizawa was kind enough to tell me about Glenfield's conversation with you," he recalled. The Cat Leaper Quirk user tensed up a little, looking back at her boyfriend.
"How… am I supposed to tell him…?" she asked quietly.
"You don't need to force yourself," All Might assured, "For now, you all need to get some rest," he advised of the three students, "At least… after we visit Aizawa and Regret…" he corrected, causing the trio to grimace. They most certainly were in trouble at this point.
X
Rebecca counted herself lucky that she wasn't trapped in Shota's scarf by the time she and the boys returned to the dorms with the former pro hero. Then again, with Witch looming beside her as she wore a disappointed scowl upon her face, she wasn't exactly feeling great about the situation herself. She watched as the Erasure Quirk user tightened his restraints around the two boys, who both grimaced.
"Cool it with the restraints, Aizawa! Please!" All Might pleaded, "This whole thing started because of me!" he pointed out emphatically.
"And how's that, All Might…?" Shota inquired, shooting a glare over to the former pro hero.
"Young Bakugo's been overwhelmed with guilt of what happened in Camino," he started to explain in response, "And with all that pent-up stress, along with the fact he failed his exam today, his inferiority complex exploded," he told the teachers.
"That does indeed sound like Sir Katsuki," Witch chimed in, "Perhaps we may need to provide him extra counseling," she suggested, causing the Explosion Quirk user to silently growl.
"And what about Midoriya and Bluegarden?" Shota inquired, "How come they got involved in all this?" he questioned on.
"My guess is that because they were both alerted to how Young Bakugo was feeling and wanted to help somehow," All Might answered, "Obviously, it escalated far too much," he admitted, "but in the end, they just wanted to do the right thing for their classmate," he told the two teachers.
"Well, I suppose that makes enough sense…" Witch responded with a nod, "But still, this whole ordeal cannot go unpunished," she insisted firmly as she placed a hand onto Rebecca's shoulder, making her flinch.
"Agreed," Shota concurred as he nodded himself, "So…" he continued, "who threw the first punch?" he inquired.
"Tch," Katsuki scoffed, "I did…" he confessed as he looked away.
"I also went in pretty hard…" Izuku admitted, lowering his head with shame. Witch then glanced expectantly over to Rebecca, who shivered.
"I… did kick Kacchan…" she confessed, letting out a sigh. With that, their homeroom teacher issued out house arrests for each of them. Two days for Rebecca, three for Izuku, and four for Katsuki. During their respective periods, they would clean up the dorms and take out any trash, along with treating their own injuries instead of going to visit Recovery Girl. On top of that, they were each expected to write up a written apology.
"Alright, you're dismissed…" Shota said after exhaling a sigh of frustration. The trio of students returned to the dorms, heading through the common area.
"I guess we'll start by vacuuming in the morning…" Izuku decided.
"Yeah…" his girlfriend agreed, while Katsuki huffed. She then stopped for a moment, looking down in thought. "Hey, Izu?" she said, getting her boyfriend's attention as he stopped, while the Explosion Quirk user headed over to the elevator.
"What's up, Rebecca?" he asked. The Cat Leaper Quirk user took a deep breath. Even though All Might told her not to force herself, she felt that she needed to at least let her boyfriend know everything that had happened, especially considering that he was the catalyst to an alteration of the timeline she briefly remembered…
ENDING
Insert "Backlight" by Ado
Opens with Class 1-A's girls hanging out in the common room of their Heights Alliance building. Rebecca finds herself totally bored until she realizes something, running off. She returns a moment later with her Switch in hand, along with four controllers. She, Homura, Tsuyu and Ochaco are the first ones to start playing, though the Soul Blade Quirk user is initially holding her controller upside down.
They play a racing game to start things off, with the scene changing to show chibi forms of the girls driving in their karts. Homura slips on a banana peel and spins out, while Tsuyu gets hit by a green shell. Ochaco and Rebecca are neck-and-neck as they approach the finish line, and the Zero Gravity Quirk user wins by a hair.
After a brief celebration, the girls switch to a dancing game, where Mina, Toru, Kyoka and Momo compete. We again shift to a fantasy where the girls are dressed like dancers on a stage. Everyone's surprised by how good of a dancer the Acid Quirk user is, cheering her on excitedly. As the games continue, the boys enter the common area to find them playing.
Next up is a multiplayer first-person shooter that Rebecca, Weisz, Izuku, and Shoto start playing. We see that in the fantasy sequence, the Cat Leaper Quirk user has the best shot amongst her peers, even beating out Weisz. Afterwards, Hanta brings down four more controllers so that more people can play.
And so, it comes down to a fighter game, in which Izuku, Katsuki, Eijiro, Tenya, Homura, Momo, Shoto and Shiki play. Not knowing the controls, Tenya's character can only move like a robot before getting knocked off by Katsuki. Eijiro withstands Homura's blows until she's tired out, landing a finishing punch. Momo is hesitant to battle against Shiki, so she just falls off the edge of the stage as everyone looks to her in confusion in reality.
Katsuki's character bests Shiki, while Izuku manages to defeat Eijiro. The two face off against each other, exchanging blows before ultimately, Izuku wins. The class cheers excitedly, while Katsuki scoffs, though isn't as annoyed over losing.
The rest of the day continues with Denki and Hanta playing a golfing game, Minoru and Tsuyu facing off in a MOBA to everyone's surprise, Mezo and Koji enjoying a relaxing simulation game, and Yuga trying to sing in a karaoke game, only to make everyone flinch from the sound of his falsetto. As Shota and All Might wander in to check on the class, they smile to see Rebecca and Kyoka playing together as a team in a two-person fighter. They imagine themselves in their hero costumes, fighting against a villain as they charge in…
END ENDING
This turned out to be a shorter chapter than I expected, but I got through everything I wanted to with it, so I'm happy. Anyways, we're getting close to the end of Season 3's adaptation! There's gonna be a few original content-based chapters, especially the next one, just to pad things out so that we can wrap up on 100 chapters before getting started with Season 4.
But until then, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to leave a comment if you can! Thanks for reading!