Welcome to the penultimate chapter of "Through the Rough" Season 3, everyone! There's a lot that'll be happening next season, and a preview will be coming next chapter! Until then, we're getting close to wrapping things up.
So we're up to the final section of the season. I'm really looking forward to how you all react to these last two chapters, especially with the introduction of the Big 3 to wrap things up! So let's get started!
THROUGH THE ROUGH
"Welcome back, Izu!" Rebecca greeted the moment her boyfriend stepped through the doorway into the classroom. She embraced him in a loving hug, making him chuckle.
"Rebecca, it hasn't been that long…" he pointed out, feeling her nuzzle herself into the crook of his neck and giggle.
"Yeah, but still…" she retorted, humming contently.
"By tomorrow, we will have everyone back in this classroom," Homura noted aloud.
"Bet Bakugo's all pissed that he's gotta do the whole cleaning shebang today…" Hanta mentioned with a nervous grin.
"Knowing him, it's probably best not to make him any angrier when we get back," Tsuyu advised.
"Agreed," the Soul Blade Quirk user responded.
"So, you ready to catch up with everybody?" Rebecca asked of her boyfriend as she let go of him.
"Yeah," he answered firmly with a determined look in his eyes, "I'm gonna make up for missing the past three days!" he declared as puffs of steam left his nostrils.
"That's the spirit!" Eijiro exclaimed.
"Yeah!" Shiki agreed excitedly.
"Everyone, take your seats," Shota requested, getting their attentions as they saw him enter the classroom. After roll call, the teacher stood up at the podium. "I think it's time we properly discussed the work studies," he decided.
"Huh?" Denki uttered in confusion.
"Hold on, wouldn't it be better to wait until Bakugo's back in class?" Rikido inquired with a raised hand.
"He wouldn't even be able to participate since he doesn't have a license…" Weisz responded for Shota, causing the Sugar Rush Quirk user to grimace in realization.
"And aside from that, I wanted you all to hear this from people who've had experience in the field firsthand," their teacher pointed out, turning to the door, "Alright, you can come in," he requested. The door slid open, with three figures entering. Rebecca blinked in surprise to find the young man she had met during lunch yesterday, along with two others dressed in student uniforms.
One was a tall young man with rather pale skin. His ears were longer than most, their tips pointy and somewhat elf-like. He had messy, indigo hair, which sticks out behind his head, and thin, tired-looking eyes, partially covered by his bangs. His shoulders were hunched, and he was avoiding making eye-contact with anyone.
The other was a fair-skinned girl of average height with wide, curious eyes. Her upper eyelashes were long and thick, and her irises were a royal blue. Her hair was periwinkle, and it reached all the way down to her knees, twisting around itself at her waist and curving inwards around her legs. She had side-swept bangs, tucked behind her ears on the right and hanging just over her eyes on the left, and two short clumps of hair on either side of her face, curved towards her face on the right and behind it, under her ear, on the left.
"These are the top seniors of UA High," Shota told the class, "Also known as the Big Three," he mentioned.
"The Big Three…" Rebecca repeated.
"I've never heard of them…" Ochaco admitted.
"Me either…" Weisz added, staring at the periwinkle-haired girl with intrigue as he smirked. Izuku remembered an instant where he had met the blonde-haired young man of the trio, having encountered him while taking out trash one of the nights during his house arrest. From his previous recollections of the Sports Festival, he recognized the three seniors, though none of them placed in the top marks in the event.
'So these are UA's top students…' he noted through his thoughts. The trio did introduce themselves, showing off their differing and surprising personalities. Tamaki Amajiki was essentially a shy recluse who didn't even have the courage to face his underclassmen, muttering about wanting to go home as he had his head up against the wall. Nejire Hado was the complete opposite. In fact, she was very bubbly and talkative, asking question after question of Class 1-A without even giving anyone a chance to answer.
"This is becoming completely irrational…" Shota growled, getting the blonde-haired young man's attention as he saw how vexed the teacher was.
"Ah, don't worry, Eraser!" he assured as he shot him a thumbs up, "I'm still here to help as the star performer today!" he declared.
'Star performer, huh?' Rebecca repeated inwardly, 'So does that mean he's the best of the three?' she wondered through her thoughts.
"Now…" he began, "The future's gonna be…!" he continued, holding his left hand to his ear, expecting one of the underclassmen to finish his sentence.
"…Gonna be what?" Shiki inquired, arching an eyebrow.
"Awful!" his senior answered, laughing without a care, "Man, I totally flubbed that one!" he realized, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.
"Um… what did you say your name was again?" Rebecca asked as she raised her right hand.
"Mirio Togata, third-year!" the senior responded, putting his hands onto his hips, "And it looks to me that trying to tell you guys about our experiences really isn't doing so good…" he mentioned, placing his right hand onto his chin in order to think, "Let's see…" he said, "You all got your provisional licenses and are super energetic from that, right?" he assumed, "So in that case, wouldn't it better to show rather than tell?" he questioned on.
"Whatever do you mean?" Homura asked, arching an eyebrow.
"I'm saying…" Mirio began, "that all of you should team up and fight me!" he declared, causing everyone to widen their eyes in surprise, "That sounds like a good way to get the lesson home, right Eraser?" he inquired of the teacher, who seemed less irritated than before.
"Do whatever works," he responded.
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
It wasn't long before the class was gathered in Gym Gamma with the seniors and their teacher. They were dressed in their P.E. clothes, with Rebecca tying her hair up into a ponytail. She didn't know what Mirio was thinking by challenging the whole class to a battle. Even with Katsuki absent and Shoto standing off with Shota as he was the only other person without a license, the fight already seemed to be in the freshmen's favor.
"Are you seriously for real?" Hanta inquired of the senior, who was stretching his legs to prepare himself.
"Oh yeah, totally!" he responded, "What better way to show you how it's done than with a good spar, right?" he assumed of the class.
"Mirio… you're impossible…" Tamaki grumbled out from afar, facing the wall.
"Uh…" Minoru uttered out worriedly.
"Whatever you do, don't get too carried away," the shy senior insisted, "We don't want you to discourage everyone with the gap they've still gotta cross…" he noted, much to the surprise of some.
"I'm sure he's just trying to psyche us out…" Eijiro told his classmates, cracking his knuckles, "We're not just a bunch of wannabes after all," he added determinedly with a grin.
"Sure, but you're gonna have to show me that's the truth," Mirio retorted, "So, who's up first?" he inquired.
"That'll be me!" the Hardening Quirk user declared.
"No, I'm going," Izuku decided, causing him to gasp in surprise.
"Considering Midoriya's been out for a few days, he's probably pretty antsy to get at it…" Kyoka noted.
"Yeah…" Rebecca agreed with a nod. She watched as her boyfriend took on a ready stance, activating his Full Cowling as green sparks of bio-electricity crackled around him.
'Whatever distance there is between us and the top students of UA, we'll find out here!' she noted inwardly, activating her Quirk as her markings appeared at her ankles. Everyone prepared themselves for battle. Homura looked over to Shoto, who wasn't joining them. He gave her a reassuring nod, making her smile.
"Thanks for the opportunity to kick your butt!" Eijiro yelled out. At that moment, Izuku lunged forward, rearing his right leg back. And then… Mirio's clothes fell off.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Kyoka screamed with a reddening face, trying to cover her eyes.
"Why'd your clothes just fall off?!" Weisz asked loudly in panic.
"Oopsie!" the senior yelped, attempting to reclaim his pants, "Sorry, my Quirk's a little tricky…" he pointed out. That didn't stop Izuku from closing in. He swung his leg out for a roundhouse kick… and it phased right through his head.
"Whoa!" Shiki exclaimed upon noticing. The One For All inheritor landed past his foe. He wasn't as surprised as many others, as he had seen Mirio's Quirk in action once before.
"Went for the face, huh?" he noted before a plethora of attacks, including Hanta's tape, Mina's acid, and Yuga's laser phased right through him. They forced Izuku to lunge out of the way before they could accidentally strike him.
"Sorry, Midoriya!" the Acid Quirk user apologized afterwards. The smoke then settled, revealing that Mirio was gone.
"Wh-Where'd he go?!" Minoru stammered in question. Weisz quickly equipped his Arsenal armor over himself.
"He can't have gotten far…" he noted aloud.
"Hold on, I'll try to find him!" Kyoka decided, calming down from her earlier embarrassment. But just as she was about to plug her earphone jacks into the ground…
"I think I'll take care of the long distance fighters first!" a naked Mirio declared as he had popped up right behind her. She whipped around and…
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" she shrieked out again. What followed was almost too fast for anyone to keep up with. The Earphone Jack Quirk user took a punch to her stomach, followed by Denki meeting the same fate. Fumikage, Minoru and Hanta fell victim to blows as well.
"Guys!" Rebecca cried out.
"Ergh…" Weisz growled as he rushed in, creating small machine guns along his arms, "Vise Cannon!" he exclaimed, firing off rounds of rubber bullets towards his foe, who sunk underneath the ground. The Machina Maker Quirk user looked around for a sign of his foe, only to wind up taking a punch right to his stomach as he grunted.
"Weisz?!" Shiki yelled out, seeing him fall over and wrap his arms around his hurting torso, while Mirio loomed beside him.
"So he's like a ghost?!" Mina exclaimed in question.
"Stay calm!" Momo advised as she created a shield over her left arm, "I can't imagine there isn't a backlash to him using this power!" she pointed out. Unfortunately, she was next to fall victim to the senior's punches, with Mezo, Tsuyu, and Mina to follow. Homura tried to slash at Mirio with her red energy blade, only for it to phase through him as he struck her stomach with his left fist.
"Homura!" Shoto exclaimed in shock, seeing her fall over. Never did he expect her of all people to lose so quickly.
"Kogetsu got taken down…?" Ochaco questioned out of disbelief. Growling angrily, Shiki had the green markings at his arms appear before lunging forward.
"Granbell, wait!" Tenya cried out. Unfortunately, the Satan Gravity Quirk user reared his right fist back, only to wind up phasing through Mirio's body. Before he fully went through him though, he ended up taking a punch to his stomach, causing him to fall onto the ground.
"SHIKI!" Ochaco screamed in fright.
"Oh man…" Eijiro uttered out of disbelief, "Even our best guy got knocked down…" he noted, quite shocked.
"Mirio Togata…" Shota said, getting Shoto's attention, "As far as I can tell, he's probably the closest person to taking the number one spot," he admitted, "And that includes the pros," he added.
"POWWWWWWWWWEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!" the senior bellowed proudly, having reclaimed his pants.
"You've gotta be kidding me!" Toru exclaimed, "I knew it'd be an uphill climb since we're up against the top student of UA, but I didn't think he'd be knocking us all down!" she pointed out emphatically.
"Yeah…" Mashirao agreed, "It's like he's invincible…" he noted.
"Don't get freaked out!" Rebecca insisted, getting the attentions of her classmates, "There's a probably a trick to his Quirk that we're not seeing just yet!" she pointed out.
"She's right!" Izuku agreed, "Whether it's him passing through things or teleporting," he continued, "at the moment he attacks, he becomes tangible," he noted to the others, "We just have to nail that timing in order to land a counterattack!" he affirmed.
"Sounds like a plan, Midoriya!" Eijiro responded, smacking his hardened fists together to make sparks fly. Mirio cracked a smirk.
"Well, let's see how it turns out!" he declared, charging towards the remaining students.
"Get ready!" Tenya called out, enticing everyone to take on ready stances. At that moment, the senior submerged into the ground, with his pants flying off.
"He went under!" Mashirao exclaimed. Quickly analyzing the situation, Izuku predicted that Mirio would pop up behind the group. And sure enough, he did. He was surprised to see the One For All inheritor lunge at him with his right foot at the ready. But unfortunately, that wasn't enough to stop him.
"How about an ultimate move?!" he yelled, phasing his left arm through the freckled freshman's leg, "Blinder Touch: Eyeball Crush!" he exclaimed, seemingly about to poke Izuku right in his eyes. Reflexively, he wound up shutting them. And that proved to be a fatal mistake as Mirio not only phased through him, but also landed a critical blow to his stomach.
"IZU!" Rebecca cried out, while everyone else gasped.
"Over time, I've learned that opponents can predict my movements, too," Mirio noted, "So I decided to think a step ahead, predicting their predictions!" he pointed out, phasing into the ground.
"Oh crap!" Toru yelped, only for her and Ochaco to be the next two to fall victim to the senior's gut punches.
"Hagakure!" Mashirao exclaimed.
"Uraraka!" Tenya yelled. Both of them wound up struck next, falling to the ground.
"What do we do now?!" Eijiro asked of Koji and Rebecca, being the remaining three students still standing. The Cat Leaper Quirk user grimaced. No matter what kind of strategy she and her classmates would develop at this point, it wouldn't help against Mirio. He was just too clever. He sunk into the ground again, re-emerging to land another punch onto the Anivoice Quirk user's stomach to knock him down.
"Koji!" Rebecca screamed.
"Just two left, huh?" the senior noted, submerging again. Gritting his teeth, Eijiro hardened his skin as much as he could.
"Bluegarden, let me know when he comes up!" he advised of her, "I can take whatever punch he throws!" he affirmed confidently.
"Okay!" she responded, standing back-to-back with him. Watching from afar, Shota sighed.
'It's not that they're not trying their hardest…' he noted inwardly, 'it's just that Togata has much more adaptability than them,' he pointed out through his thoughts. At that moment, the senior emerged from the ground, coming up in front of Rebecca.
"Eijiro!" she cried out, enticing the Hardening Quirk user to trade places with her, crossing his arms over his stomach for good measure. Unfortunately, Mirio's fist phased right through them and struck his stomach. He let out a pained gasp before falling onto his hands and knees, groaning in agony.
"Amazing…" Shoto uttered from afar, wondering if even he stood a good enough chance against the top senior.
"And now that leaves the second of the problem children, right?" he assumed, reclaiming his pants as he faced off with Rebecca, who trembled a little. She knew that there was a wide gap of experience between her and the top upperclassman of U.A. "Just so you know, there isn't any shame in calling it quits," he noted, causing her to blink in surprise, "Some heroes know when they need to throw in the towel," he mentioned. Hearing that, the Cat Leaper Quirk user grimaced, remembering all the heroes who fought to save her and Katsuki back in Camino, with some sacrifices being made in the process. She clenched her fists tightly, taking on a ready stance.
"That'd be disrespectful to my classmates, who already fought so hard to try and stop you!" she proclaimed in response.
"Rebecca…" Izuku uttered weakly upon overhearing, while the rest of the downed class watched on curiously.
"Alright then…" Mirio said, getting a lunging position. His opponent had sweat trickling down her face. She sped off to the side, only for the senior to submerge into the ground again as his pants flew off. Before she could even think about where he'd potentially pop up, he suddenly emerged from the ground and struck her stomach with his right fist, making her eyes bulge open.
"GAH…!" she gasped out.
"Hm," her foe chuckled, "Sorry, but running's not gonna get you anywhere," he noted to her. Steeling herself, the Cat Leaper Quirk user gritted her teeth, making the markings at her ankles glow brightly as they tore off part of her pants. Mirio was surprised to see her glaring at him.
"I'm not done yet!" she declared. In that instant, she found herself facing off against the senior. She looked around to find that her other classmates were still downed.
'Shoot…' she grumbled inwardly, 'I thought Reversing would've at least let me get Eijiro and some of the others back up…' she noted to herself, 'but I guess I took too long…' she concluded inwardly.
"Alright then…" Mirio said, getting into a lunging position. Rebecca didn't hesitate as she ran off to the side like she had done previously. Her foe had submerged into the ground again.
'He's gonna come up… right here!' she noted, leaning back in the nick of time as the senior emerged, his fist barely missing her stomach. His eyes slightly widened in surprise.
"Gotcha'!" the Cat Leaper Quirk user exclaimed, swinging her left leg out at him in midair. Unfortunately, it phased through his torso as he landed past her, letting off a small grin.
"So, you're goin' for my willy, huh?" he assumed, making her blush a little before she regained her composure. He charged at her again, only for her to speed away.
"Rebecca…!" Izuku grunted out, trying to push himself back up.
"If she can buy us enough time… maybe we can get ourselves together…!" Minoru proclaimed through a grimace.
"What could we even do though…?" Hanta inquired as he winced. Shota watched on with curious narrowed eyes, watching as the Cat Leaper Quirk user continued to evade Mirio's attacks. Eventually, she took another punch to her stomach, but managed to steel herself and reverse time again. The very moment that the attack would've struck her in that same moment, she managed to dodge it.
"She can't fight him from the look of it," Shoto noted aloud.
"So she's doing what she can," his teacher pointed out, getting his attention, "She's treating this as if this were a battle against an actual villain, in which case she understands that she's not suited to fight Togata," he explained.
"That means her only option is to buy time for another hero to arrive," the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user realized.
"Correct," Shota answered, "But I don't think that's all…" he mentioned, causing his student to give off a confused look. After avoiding another punch, Rebecca witnessed Mirio submerge into the ground again. She expected him to pop up right behind her, so she whipped around. However, he was actually coming up right in front of her just as she turned, letting off a smirk.
"Gotcha'!" he exclaimed, landing a blow to her stomach just as she turned around to face him. She keeled over, but gritted her teeth as she made her markings glow a bright blue again. The moment she opened her eyes, she winced as a crack appeared upon her face, much like breaking glass. Some of the others took notice, including Mirio as he blinked in surprise.
'That was my third Reverse…' the Cat Leaper Quirk user noted to herself, breathing heavily as she clenched her fists.
"Still wanna keep going?" Mirio assumed, taking on a ready stance.
"Yeah!" Rebecca answered, determined to make the most of this experience. She repeated her earlier movements, using her knowledge of how the senior attacked the last time to dodge his attempted punches. After she avoided the one she remembered striking the last time, she leapt back and slid to a stop, her fingers razing through the ground at her feet. She looked up in time to see that Mirio had sunk into the ground again, enticing her to speed forward.
As her foe came up from the earth, she screeched to a halt and pivoted aside, avoiding his punch. He seemed rather surprised, followed by watching her speed away. The others watched on with amazed expressions.
"Hey, she's really good, isn't she?" Nejire noted over to Tamaki, who glanced over at the battle.
"She's not losing as quickly as the others…" he pointed out in correction, seeing Rebecca dodge yet another punch from Mirio.
'Bluegarden's time-reversing abilities allow her to go back just under a minute, allowing her to get a second chance,' Shota recalled, 'But that ability has its limits, and she's likely already reached them based on what she told us…' he mentioned through his thoughts.
'Rebecca…' Izuku uttered inwardly, frustrated that he couldn't do anything to help his girlfriend. But she was continuing to do her best, weaving her way around more of Mirio's punches. However, she suddenly found herself tripped up by his left leg.
"Ah!" she yelped, quickly catching herself with her right hand. As she pushed herself up though, the senior landed a punch to her stomach. Her eyes bulged again as she grimaced. She knew that she was already at her limit in terms of using Reverse. And the pain from reaching that limit was already a lot to bear. But then, she looked over at her boyfriend, who was crying out to her.
'I can't… let it end here…!' she proclaimed inwardly, making her markings shine a bright blue yet again. In that instant, she found herself back in the moment before Mirio had tripped her, with her cracks along her face growing. She saw that the senior was prepared to trip her, only for her to counter with her foot and make him tumble over.
He quickly got back up with a surprised look upon his face, finding that Rebecca was standing off to the side, breathing heavily as sweat trickled down her face. She was in a lot of pain from using Reverse a fourth time. But for some reason, she found herself smiling.
"I guess you're feeling pretty proud for landing a hit on me no matter how small, huh?" Mirio assumed.
"No, it's not that…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user answered, stretching her legs, "I'm just ready to really go Plus Ultra!" she proclaimed. The senior grinned. For the next few minutes, the battle continued with Rebecca dodging Mirio's attacks, though her cracks weren't expanding. The fight had gone on for so long, she had been able to see her opponent's movements. But at the same time, he was taking note of hers. His only problem that he wasn't fast enough to catch her whenever he had the chance.
By the time the rest of the class had recovered from their gut punches, they stood up to witness the rest of the fight. The Cat Leaper Quirk user stepped back, still breathing heavily. At that point, the markings at her ankles disappeared.
'Oh, crap!' she yelped inwardly, realizing that she had just hit her limit with her Quirk itself. And it was even worse with Mirio closing in on her.
"Alright, that's enough!" Shota declared, clapping his hands. The senior brought himself to a stop, quickly reclaiming his pants and jacket. Rebecca dropped to her hands and knees out of both exhaustion and relief, grateful that the battle was over.
"Rebecca!" Izuku cried out, jogging over to her alongside Eijiro and Kyoka.
"Are you okay?!" the Earphone Jack Quirk user asked immediately in concern.
"What's with all those cracks on your face?!" the Hardening Quirk user questioned, sounding panicked.
"Heh…" their ash blonde-haired classmate laughed out to their surprise, "Long story…" she remarked as Izuku helped her back onto her feet.
"Bluegarden, you should go to the nurse's office," Shota advised, "I'll have someone fill you in on whatever else you miss, alright?" he assured, making her respond with a grateful nod. As she was walked out of the gym, Mirio looked over at her curiously. The way she was able to predict his counters so effectively really impressed him.
'I bet Sir would like her…' he noted inwardly.
X
"There we go," Recovery Girl said after pressing her lips against Rebecca's right cheek, healing her as the cracks on her body disappeared. Also in the nurse's office with them were Sister and Witch, who watched on curiously.
"So that's what happens when she uses her Quirk to mess with time, huh?" the Heal Atomizer Quirk user assumed, folding her arms over her chest.
"In the case of overuse, yes," her fellow Shining Star Hero answered, "Lady Rebecca's technique was discovered as early as the first villain attack on the USJ," she mentioned.
"No kidding…?" Sister uttered in surprise, "Well, looks like it's got a few drawbacks…" she pointed out.
"Indeed…" Witch agreed, "Chiyo, could you and Ivry give us the room?" she requested, getting the elderly nurse's attention along with the Cat Leaper Quirk user's.
"Oh, certainly!" the former responded, walking off. The Heal Atomizer Quirk user gave off a worried look to her colleague, but rescinded from saying anything, joining her fellow nurse as they exited the office.
"Huh…" Rebecca exhaled, "I know, I got kinda carried away back there…" she admitted as her caretaker approached, seating herself at the foot of the bed, "It's just that everyone was trying so hard to prove their mettle and…" she continued, stopping herself as she sighed again. Witch smiled.
"I'm proud of you, Rebecca," she confessed, reaching her right hand over to take hold of hers, "In spite of everything that's happened, I'm glad that you're continuing to strive toward your goal of becoming a hero," she told her, causing her to tear up a little.
"Th…Thanks, Witch…" she stuttered out gratefully. The Shining Star Hero smiled, but then turned away as she lowered her head in contemplation.
"You remember the story I told about how I found you, yes?" she inquired of the Cat Leaper Quirk user, who blinked in surprise, "That story isn't entirely true…" she confessed.
"What do you mean?" Rebecca asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You were not found by me, but were rather given to me," her caretaker answered, causing the Cat Leaper Quirk user to widen her eyes, "It was your own mother," she mentioned, much to the student's shock as her body started trembling. She clutched the bedsheets in her hands.
"I don't get it…" she said, "I don't have any memory of my mom throughout my whole life…" she pointed out.
"That's likely because she gave you to me shortly after you were born," Witch told her, "At the time, I assumed she didn't have the necessary resources to care for you…" she added in remembrance.
"Wait…" Rebecca uttered, "then why didn't you help her along with me?!" she inquired emphatically, quite distressed over this sudden revelation. Her caretaker grimaced, lowering her gaze again.
"She asked me to," she answered.
FLASHBACK
The rain poured as the helmetless Witch held the sleeping Rebecca in her arms, her eyes shaking from what she had just heard. She looked toward the figure who had just given her the newborn girl. She was cloaked, with only strands of her ash blonde hair managing to peek out, along with half of her face. The thunder boomed overhead.
"If you need help, I assure you that we can provide it!" the Shining Star Hero affirmed, "Our resources—!"
"That won't help," the figure argued to her surprise, "My daughter is considered a byproduct of Quirk Marriages and desire for power, at least by those that wanted me to have her," she explained, "I myself am a victim of that blight, and I need to rectify it," she declared, putting a hand onto her daughter's little head, "She doesn't need to be part of that…" she mentioned, planting a small kiss onto her forehead.
"But…" Witch uttered out worriedly, seeing the mother turn and walk out into the rain.
"If her Quirk manifests the way the prophets and those in power have described, they will come for her," she told the Shining Star Hero, "If I am unable to stop them all, then I trust you'll protect her from all threats that come her way," she advised, removing her hood to reveal her face to Witch, whose eyes widened slightly, "Time will run short someday," she pointed out grimly, "I only hope by that time… she will be able to bring time into her favor…" she finished, departing from the orphanage as she wandered out into the pouring rain.
END FLASHBACK
Rebecca didn't know why she was suddenly crying. Hearing that her own mother abandoned her because of some looming threat made her wonder why that was ever the case. She wiped her eyes and sniffled, calming herself down.
"Do… you know what happened to her…?" she asked of Witch.
"No…" she answered, "But from what she told me, when your Quirk would fully manifest…" she continued, "there would be people looking to come for you…" she pointed out, causing the Cat Leaper Quirk user to widen her eyes.
"Like Drakken…" she recalled, grimacing a little.
"Yes, but much worse," Witch mentioned, "There are many in the world who would find your abilities to alter time beneficial to their needs," she noted on, "And with Drakken Joe and All For One gone, along with All Might's retirement…" she kept going.
"There'll be a lot more villains coming, some who can't even be stopped…" Rebecca finished for her, "At least, not without manpower or strength reaching All Might's…" she mentioned on.
"…You are correct, Rebecca," the Shining Star Hero responded, taking off her helmet to reveal the tears welling up in her eyes, "I'm so sorry…" she apologized, "With everything you've been through, the last I wanted to do to you was lie about your past…" she told her, "But all I'm doing is putting you in more danger…" she concluded, letting her tears streak down her face. The Cat Leaper Quirk user widened her eyes, followed by reaching over to hug her caretaker warmly.
"I know it's a lot…" she admitted, "But as scared as I am, I'll be ready to face it," she proclaimed confidently to Witch's surprise, "I'm still a hero after all," she remarked, earning a chuckle out of the Shining Star Hero.
"That you are, Rebecca…" she agreed, hugging her back. The Cat Leaper Quirk user felt assured of herself, especially with today's progress. And she would be getting stronger in the coming days.
Elsewhere in a secluded forest of Japan lied a church in which dozens of people donning hoods and masks bowed to the archbishop standing before them. She slammed her staff against the floor, opening her eyes. She then took a step forward.
"My loyal subjects…" she began, "as we have discovered, there is a new Leaper that has risen," she noted, "We must see to it that she is properly prepared for her duties to bring this world back to its rightful place," she told her followers, "A place in which Quirks are no more, where heroes and villains cease to exist," she added on, "Be warned that she will be defended to the teeth by the fools called heroes," she mentioned, "For they have no idea what she can possibly do…" she proclaimed, raising her staff, "We shall take her in for the Church of Saintfire!" she declared.
"All hail Nox! All hail Nox! All hail Nox!" her followers chanted. The archbishop remained composed. But inwardly, she grimaced.
'Forgive me, Rebecca…' she apologized through her thoughts, 'Your time is running short…' she noted to herself.
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
And with that, we're close to closing this season out with a bang! Gotta say, I'm really happy with all of the setup I'm getting together. Once we're finished with Season 3, I'll take a break to get some more story ideas together for Season 4 and beyond. Don't worry, you can expect a trailer next week with the Season 3 finale.
With that said, thanks for reading! See you later!