Chapter 03: Brace Yourself
For those two weeks, Class 1-A focused their energy on training for the festival. Many of the students opted to work together, especially those with similar abilities, like say Nora and Kaminari and Tenya and Ruby.
While some feel confident in their abilities, Ruby on the other hand struggled for a fair bit on the first couple of days of training.
Xiao Long-Rose House: Backyard
Very much like when Yang trained Ruby in preparation for the UA entrance exam, the sisters do the same for the Sports Festival, though Ruby is more attentive with it. It was also a getting-back-into-form for Yang so she could stay in shape for when she returns to class personally.
The two placate each other's weaknesses: Yang working with her vulnerability against leg-based moves and Ruby learning to move past hard punches and even how to take them.
Ruby delivers a rough kick to Yang, while blocking it with her new arm and is able to keep herself grounded, skidded back. Sure, it was just a few inches, but hey. It's proof of Ruby's progress in the past two days.
Yang smirked. "You're doing good, little sis."
Ruby plops down on the ground. "Hah…yeah…" Yang picked up the apprehension in her sister's tone and joins her, sitting beside her.
"What's wrong?"
Ruby pulls her knees up to her chest. "…What I can do now is not good enough for the Sports Festival. I need to get better, but how?"
"You know, Rubes, you don't have to stand out," Yang said. The rest didn't need to be said as both sisters know what Yang meant.
"I know, but…"
"But what?"
"…there's this guy who basically 'declared war' on our class and he said that if a student from the other courses does exceptionally well during the festival, they could get transferred to the hero course and someone else would get transferred out!" Ruby rambled. She falls, spreads eagle, and groans in frustration. "It's like the Quirk Apprehension Test all over again!"
"Who is the guy?" asked Yang.
"I don't know. He didn't give a name."
"He declared war and didn't even give his name? Tch. Cheeky bastard. What about class?"
Ruby thinks back, trying to recall the number and position of the yellow buttons on the shoulders of the purple guy's blazer, an indicator of what course the student is in.
"…General course, I think."
"I see…and considering the fact that he still didn't get into the hero course despite the increased acceptance rate probably means his Quirk is ineffective for direct combat," Yang surmised.
Ruby felt that it didn't help much because the guy seemed confident, meaning that whatever his Quirk is, it could give the others a disadvantage. There had to be a way to prepare for that.
"Hey, do we still have previous Sports Festivals recorded?" Ruby asked as she got on her feet. She holds a hand to her sister.
"Yeah. Why?" Yang took it and got up. "The events are randomized every year for each grade."
"I wanna see if I can get some inspiration. Maybe I could think of something to help give me an edge. Maybe something from you guys: You, Mirio, Nejire, Tamaki…Blake…"
Yang shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat, Sis." There was a bit of stiffness there. But, it was changed to a smirk. "Just don't follow Mirio's lead and lose your clothes."
Ruby snorted. "Yeah, I don't think you'd have to worry about that."
That night, Ruby watches the recorded Sports Festival videos, observing the different obstacle courses and taking notes of each.
Ruby does this well into the night. She didn't even know she fell asleep until she was woken at her desk by Yang knocking loudly to wake her up.
UA High School
Her lack of sleep was evident as she passed by other students who are perturbed by Ruby's tired state. It made some think that she might have been hit by someone with a zombie Quirk seeing how she ambled around moaning tiredly.
In her daze, she bumps into Penny.
"Gah! Polendina, I'm so sorry!" Ruby apologized.
"Oh, it's fine, Rose, I—Oh, my, you don't look so good," Penny said, taking in Ruby's pallid face and lines under her eyes.
"What? Pfft, no! I'm fine! Totally fine!" Ruby said.
Penny seemed unsure, tilting her head, looking puzzled. "Are you sure? You look tired. Did you get enough sleep last night?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Absolutely."
Ruby was sleeping on her desk, snoring.
Izuku leans over his friend. "Um…Rose?" He shakes her back gently. "Rose? Wake up."
Ruby shoos him. "Five more minutes, Yang…"
Jaune walks up to Izuku's side. "Let me take care of this." The blonde leaned near Ruby's ear and whispered, "Hey, Ruby, my mom made her famous chocolate chip skillet with extra strawberries and whipped cream."
Ruby snorts awake. "I would like one with extra chocolate sprinkles!" Everyone stared at her outburst and Ruby turned as red as her cape. "Ah…Did I say that out loud?"
"Ruby, did you get enough sleep last night?" Jaune asked.
"I…" Ruby was about to lie, but after looking at Jaune and Izuku, two people she cared for dearly, something inside of her told her not to do so. Heck, Izuku's puppy dog eyes didn't help in the matter. Ruby sighs in defeat. "…No. I've been so worried about what that purple-haired guy said a few days back, I spent all night watching past Sports Festivals to take notes because I don't know what to do!"
"What about your equipment?" Izuku brings up. "You could make a support gear to help you." Jaune nods in agreement.
"I don't know if that's even allowed in the Sports Festival."
Weiss shook her head. "Not necessarily. As long as you have a support gear permit and have been approved by the school."
Ruby sits up straight. "Wait, I do have one!"
"Then, there you have it."
Ruby's expression dampens. "Wait, I don't think I had it approved yet."
"Well, if that's the case, I'm sure someone here could do it for you."
"Like who?"
"Perhaps Power Loader," Pyrrha said. "He's a teacher for the support courses."
"Power Loader? Oh! Uncle Toshi had Rozuiro fixed by him last Wednesday!" Ruby recalled.
"The day of the USJ Incident?" Weiss gave a silent gasp and looked down, crestfallen. "…Oh…"
It took Ruby a moment to realize she's referring to her poor attitude at the time. "Hey." Weiss looks at her. "You're okay now." The words were so simple, yet they mean so much to Weiss, so much so that the heiress smiled in gratitude.
The tender moment gets interrupted when Pyrrha gives Ruby a slip of paper.
"What's this?" Ruby asked as she took it.
"It's currently free period, why not pay Power Loader a visit?" Pyrrha proposed. "He should be at the Development Studio in the Support Course building."
"Thank you, Achillea. Thanks, Weiss!" Ruby heads out of the classroom…Then she comes back with a bashful grin. "Um…which one's the Support Course building annnnd where's the Development Studio at, exactly?"
Development Studio
Ruby stood before the large door that led into the studio. With it wide open, she peered inside to see the support course students at work. She was enamored by all the machines and the like. Ruby was so enraptured by it all that it took her a moment to realize that a large chest covered by a dark, dusty pink jumper blocked her view.
"Whatcha doing standing there for?"
Ruby jumps back. "Ah! S-Sorry!" Now she has a full view, the person before Ruby is a young woman around her age with pink hair in dreads and yellowish eyes that look like crosshairs. Adorn on her head are a pair of steampunk-esque goggles. "Um, I'm looking for Power Loader. Is he here?"
"Over here," the man himself said. "Oh. Well, if it isn't Ruby Rose."
"You know who I am?" Ruby asked.
"Of course. I fixed your goggles."
There was a twinkle in the pink-haired girl's eye.
"Hmmm?"
"Oh. Right," Ruby said. "I never got the chance to thank you for—GAH!" Pink Hair snags the goggles, indirectly choking Ruby in the process.
"No way! These were your goggles? I was here when Power Loader was fixing them for that tall, scrawny, zombie guy. Is it true that you made these from scrapyard junk?" the unknown girl asked.
"…Yes…" Ruby choked out, holding onto the strap of her goggles.
"Do you have other equipment? Can I see them? Can I see your babies?"
"…Wha…"
"Hatsume! If you want to keep talking to her, then let her breathe," Power Loader scolded.
Hatsume blinks owlishly at the man. "Hm?" She looks at Ruby. "Oh!" She let's go. "Okay!"
Ruby gasps for air. "Uh…thanks." She clears her throat. "Um, yeah, I do. I have made other equipment, but they're not exactly ready for field testing…or any testing. I tend to change my focus from one thing to the next, particularly after something goes wrong and I lose interest…"
"Oh?" Hatsume said.
"And since we're on the topic of goggles, I like yours."
"Aw, thanks." Hatsume puts on her goggles and leans close to Ruby. "I made this baby to help me look into every nook and cranny. Ooooh, your eyes are pretty."
"Oh, uh, thank you," Ruby said, somewhat flattered by the unexpected compliment. "I got them from my mom."
"So, you came to see me, Rose?" asked Power Loader.
"Oh. Yessir. I wanted to ask you something."
"Then, ask away."
"Is it…possible for someone from the hero course to use support gear for the Sports Festival?" Ruby asked.
"It is possible, but there are a couple of criteria for a hero course student to do so. One being that they have a birth defect and needed a support gear to use their Quirk properly. The other is that they've received a learner's permit from a support company and gained approval from the school," Power Loader explained. "Do you have a permit?"
Ruby nodded. "Yes, I do." She takes it out and hands it over. "Here."
Power Loader takes it and examines it. "Kuo Kuana Enterprise…that's a reliable source." He turns to a computer nearby. "First, let me register it in and you'll be good to go." He inserts the card in a slot and punches in some numbers. "Hero course students don't usually wish to use support gear, as they mostly rely on their own strength. But, as you have seen, not every student has a powerful Quirk. While I'm not one of your teachers, I would like to impart some advice for you, Rose."
Ruby blinks. "Huh?"
"Take a good look around the studio. Look at all the support equipment here." Ruby does so. "Each equipment is made for heroes in mind depending on physique and Quirk. Support course students have to be creative around the clock in order to impress a wide scope of potential patrons. You, on the other hand, aren't tethered to such a task. A hero can develop equipment with the right skill, but they usually create the equipment to suit their own needs because, some of the time, they know what they need because no one knows them better than themselves." When Ruby looked back at the pro, he handed her back her card. She takes it. "You said that you would go from one gear to the next because you get a new idea and lose interest. So, for now, try setting a goal in mind by thinking about what works for you and your abilities. Think about how the gear would benefit you."
"What works for me…" Ruby said slowly.
Xiao Long-Rose Household: Ruby's Room
'How would it benefit me…'
Power Loader's words stuck to Ruby, even at home while watching more of past Sports Festival.
"What type of support would benefit me?" she pondered. She looks around her. Taking space in either corners or vacant shelves are Ruby's passed inventions, each clearly barely started. Visual proof of Ruby's tendency of dropping one project to another.
Ruby watched the Sports Festival recordings again, this time, just watching the last two, containing the Big Five and there wasn't much. None of them used support gear during the Sports Festival…
…except for Blake.
For the different events and the tournament for the one round she was in, she used her Capture Ribbons.
This sparked a memory in Ruby's mind.
She grabbed her notebooks from inside one of her desk drawers and looked through her blueprints before finding a sketch of a gauntlet with a rope dart, inspired by a game Yang used to play.
She takes out her 10th blueprint and then makes a revamped version of it, this time as a harness.
UA High School: Hallway
The next day, Ruby headed on over to the Support Course building with her notebook in her arms. On her way there, she nearly ran into Hizashi and Aizawa.
"Whoa! Easy there, listener!" Hizashi smiled.
Ruby bows at the men. "Sorry! I'll try to be careful next time!" Aizawa held an expressionless gaze at her through the slits of the bandages.
"Okay! Now, go on your way. Just be sure to watch yourself," Hizashi advised.
"Okay!"
Ruby pivots around to resume her trek to the studio.
Hizashi whistles. "That's one feisty kid." He turns to his friend. "Reminds you of a certain someone, huh?" Aizawa wordlessly turns in the opposite direction and walks away. "Sho?"
UA High School: Development Studio
"Mr Power Loader! I think I got something!" exclaimed Ruby as she came in. She shows him her blueprint and he looks over it.
"…Impressive," Power Loader said.
"Thank you, sir!" Ruby beamed. "It was originally a gauntlet because of a game my sister used to play, and I thought it was neat, so I made one of my own. Okay, by that I meant I drew it, I didn't actually make it yet. I guess it's a good thing I didn't, huh? Oh! I learned that static rope is the best rope in terms of climbing and rescuing, but I figured it's the same for rope darts. Although, I wonder if it's possible to get material similar to Mr Aizawa's scarf for durability and strength…" It took a moment for Ruby to realize that she was rambling and blushed. She laughs bashfully. "…sorry…"
Power Loader chuckled. "You're okay." He puts the notebook on a table next to him. "Now that you are officially in the system, how about you make your creation here in the studio?"
"Really?" asked Ruby excitedly. The first-year support course students present though weren't as thrilled.
"What? No! Don't let her in, sir!"
"She could steal our ideas!"
Ruby flinched back from their words, her eyes wide and brows furrowed before she lowered her head. That's not what she's trying to do…She's not trying to steal anything…she just wants to make her gear…
Power Loader clearly didn't like the accusations. "Hey, now. That's no—"
"No way she would," Hatsume said as she skimmed through Ruby's notebook.
"Huh? Ah! My notebook!" Ruby exclaimed.
"These are pretty good. It's a shame that you decided to be a hero instead," Hatsume said as she handed back the notebook. "I have yet to meet anyone to be at my level. All of these guys are so lackluster compared to my babies."
All of the first-year support students sweatdropped. "Thanks, Hatsume…"
Ruby blinked a few times. "Um…really?" She flinches when Hatsume points at her.
"From this point on, we are rivals!" the pink haired girl declared.
Ruby blinks again. "Rivals?"
"We may be in different courses, but that shouldn't stop us from seeing whose equipment reigns supreme at the Sports Festival!"
"Uhhh…okay?"
And so, for the next three days, Ruby gets to work on her new support gear, putting most of her focus on that while she trained on the side, so as to not get rusty.
Meanwhile, Izuku continues to struggle with One for All.
Midori Rōzu Park
Izuku and Ruby return to the park for some more training. Ozpin accompanied them, as to make sure no villain would try anything. Sure, the park is now under his property, but a sign wouldn't be enough to deter degenerates.
So, he is currently stationed under the gazebo, doing some work on a laptop he brought over. Ruby sat near him at the rounded table, working on her harness. It's main color was black with red accents. Attached to the back is a red, round container about 9 inches in diameter and 5 inches in length.
"Is that your latest creation?" Ozpin asked.
Ruby grinned. "Yep! Rosibara is gonna help me get far in the Sports Festival!"
"Really? Even in the one-on-one tournament?"
The question has Ruby think about the possibility of fighting her classmates. "I…don't know about that."
"Not fond of the idea of facing your classmates?" Ozpin smiled.
"Yeah. I did it once and I don't want to do it again…no matter how much the guy deserves it," Ruby replied.
"How about looking at it from a different perspective. You'd be assisting each other for the off chance of facing an adversary with similar abilities," Ozpin said wisely.
"Did you and Uncle Toshi have to face each other in the Sports Festival?" Ruby asked. Ozpin smiled cryptically but didn't answer and returned to his work. Ruby leaves it at that, figuring that she probably won't get an answer out of him, and looks over at Izuku.
The young man stood at an empty space meant for sparing. He was holding his right wrist, getting ready to use Delaware Smash. He eases the power of One for All into his fingers, concentrating intensely to lower the percentage. He aims to the sky, getting ready to release the energy. But then…just like before, a sudden surge occurred that made Izuku cancel his Quirk before it could break his fingers again. He sighs and lies down on his back, laying his arm across his eyes.
Ruby walks over to him, carrying her harness. "Midoriya?"
"…What am I doing wrong?" The boy sounded lost. "I've been trying to control One for All's output, but each time I do, it's like the energy just wants to spill out and I could feel it threatening to break my bones again. I can just use my fingers, but still…" He removes his arm to look up at the sky. "All Might's Quirk…is amazing, but…he's had it for over 30 years…it's so powerful. Sometimes, I wonder if I'm still worthy of it…"
Ruby blocks his view as she looks down at him. "Do you always think lowly of yourself?"
"Hmmm…"
Ruby sits down next to him, her legs criss-crossing. "What have you been doing with One for All?"
Izuku turns his head to her. "What do you mean?"
"Like, how have you been using it?" Ruby asked. "If I remember right, you've used it to perform high scaled attacks, like what happened during the apprehension test and the battle trial. Both times, you broke something, but in different places. So, it's less of the matter of where you're using One for All, but more of how much power you're using. Like, how much percentage have you been using?"
"How much?" Izuku sits up. "…I think I've been using 100%."
"…really? All of it? How the heck did you manage to not lose your arms and legs?" Ruby questioned, eyeing his limbs.
"To be honest, I question that myself. That's why All Might had me to train my body consistently for ten months, so that way I don't lose my extremities," Izuku said. "I have been trying to wan the gauge off to maybe like 90%. So, less damage." Ruby has an incredulous look. "What?"
"Midoriya, using 100% of One for All breaks every bone in the part you're using," Ruby said. "By that logic, 90% could break a lot of bones. And while I'm doing the math here, percent 80 to 70 would probably still leave significant damage. Damage is still damage. Believe me! Do you want to know how many times I'd run face first into a wall? More often than I care to admit, and it still hurts each time. Heck, by the time I was six, I was a regular at the hospital. Thankfully, I've grown a resistance, but by that point, I learned to be careful."
"But this is One for All, All Might's Quirk. The power of the Symbol of Peace," Izuku insisted. "And you've heard what he said…All Might…his time as the Symbol of Peace is growing shorter and shorter. I need to get a better grasp with One for All before that. It's just…difficult."
"That's because you've only got One for All for, like, a month or so? Most people who had their Quirk for a month were around four years old and you've heard my story. I had to learn how to handle my Quirk before I could do anything else with it and – I can't believe that I'm about to ask this – was Bakugo able to do the stunts he does now the moment his Quirk first manifested?"
"No."
Ruby clapped her hands once. "There you have it. Start out small and work your way up. Like what Ozpin said before, you shouldn't rush it. Actually, I think he said to not stress over it, but you get the idea. You've hadn't had a Quirk for over a decade, so, it's gonna take some time for your body to get used to it, I think. I'm not saying it's going to take you ten years to master One for All, but…take it easy. Start small, okay? We've got more than a week left of training for the Sports Festival. Plenty of time. Maybe, by that point, you're able to contend with the rest of the go getters."
Izuku seemed unsure. "I hope so…"
"Da-uh-uh! None of that!" Ruby rises to her feet. "You'll be great, Midoriya." She holds out a hand to him. "I know it."
Izuku takes it and gets up. "Thanks, Rose." Then, Ruby's assuring smile morphed into a worry frown when she looked at Izuku's arm, again thinking about Yang.
"Just, promise me that you'll take it easy, okay? No breaking bones?" Ruby asked, almost pleading. Her grip on Izuku's hand grew more firm.
Izuku in turn did the same. "…Promise." The two let go and Izuku sees the harness in Ruby's other hand. "So, is that…?"
Ruby holds up her harness. "Meet Rosibara. He's a Retractable Rope Capture Harness, or RRCH. Its purpose is similar to Mr Aizawa's Capture Scarf." She puts it on, clicking in the buckles, one below her chest and the other across her clavicle.
"What's that on the back?" asked Izuku, noticing the red container.
"That's the reel container for the rope." Ruby moved to show her left side. "There's a tubing right here that helps against any sort of interference so the rope can extend and retract smoothly without hindrance." She pulls the rope by the metal dart at the end before letting it retract. She does it a few more times. "See?" The rope then snags. "Huh?" She tugs the rope, but it doesn't budge nor retract. Ruby starts laughing nervously. "G-Give me a minute." Izuku grins sympathetically as Ruby struggles to get it to work. "Come on…you were working just fine a minute ago…"
Ozpin watches from the gazebo. Beside his laptop was his phone. There was a text from Toshinori.
I'm on my way to Tai's place to speak with Yang.
{~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* - Our Hero Academia - *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~}
Ozwald Pine 'Ozpin' Doyle (Ozpin)
Quirk: Force Field
"Control and manipulate green force fields."
— Affiliation: UA High School Vice Principal
— Birthday: 05/04 (Taurus)
— Height: 198 cm
— Blood Type: AB
— Likes: Hot Cocoa, Black Coffee
— Color: Parsley (1F4C19)
{~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* - Our Hero Academia - *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~}
Yang Xiao Long (Sun Burst)
Quirk: Burn
"Tanks physical damage and converts it to personal physical strength."
— Affiliation: UA High School Hero Class 3-B Student
— Birthday: 07/28 (Leo)
— Height: 173 cm
— Blood Type: B
— Likes: Ruby, Jokes and Puns
— Color: Bitter Lemon (DCD02E)
{~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* - Our Hero Academia - *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~}
Xiao Long-Rose House
As Toshinori exited his truck, Zwei ran up to him, barking as though he was greeting the man. Toshinori smiled at the dog and bent down to pet him. Yang appeared from the corner of the house.
"I was wondering who was pulling up. Dad's still working, and Madame Xahn left some time ago. It's been a while, huh, Uncle Toshi?" Yang stretches out an arm, her prosthetic arm, to give the man a half hug. Toshinori complied.
"Yes…it has."
The two pull apart. "Why don't we head out back? I'm still preparing to help Ruby train for the festival."
As they walk to the backyard, Toshinori looks at Yang's new arm again. "How's the arm?"
"Working pretty good. I'm still working on my motor skills, but training with Ruby helped," Yang replied.
"That's good." Toshinori recalled the call he made to Sir Nighteye to help with the creation of Yang's arm. While the man was happy to help, there was still tension in Sir Nighteye's voice. Clearly, the man was still upset with Toshinori's choice at appointing Izuku as his successor. Toshinori was brought back by Zwei's barking. He was about an inch away from walking into a chair.
"You okay?" Yang asked. "You were spacing out and I tried calling your name, but you didn't answer. If it wasn't for Zwei, you could've tripped."
"O-Oh. Thank you, Zwei." Zwei barks. Toshinori looks around the area. "Yang, there's…something important that I need to tell you."
"Okay," Yang said. She sits down on a lawn chair. "Shoot."
Toshinori looks back at the Arc house. "Are the Arc's home?"
Confusion laced Yang's lilac eyes. "…I don't know. Ruby could give you a better answer."
"Then, maybe we should head over to your mother's memorial." Toshinori heads on over to the edge of the woods behind the house.
"Oookay…?" Yang said, getting up. "Hold down the fort, Zwei."
Zwei barked.
The stairway path to the memorial was still as beautiful as ever. The white roses are now in the process of blooming for the time being, but the tiny white buds and green vines that tangled around the white garden archway can never stop being breathtaking.
Once in front of Summer's memorial slab, Toshinori starts feeling sentimental, silently apologizing to Summer for haven't to have visited in a long time again.
After giving Toshinori his moment, Yang couldn't wait anymore. "Okay, Uncle Toshi, what's going on? What is it that you want to tell me that requires us to be in Mom's memorial?"
Toshinori turns to her. "It's…complicated. You might want to sit down for this."
Which Yang does, taking a spot on the stone bench. A gentle breeze picks up, the trees around them rustled gently. Toshinori takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. In a matter of seconds, Yang's skepticism changed to shock and awe as she watched the thin man before her seemingly grow larger, but it was the large muscles morphing and straining against the man's clothing. His blonde straightened and slicked back, and his long bangs rise upwards in the familiar 'V' shape.
"Hello, Young Yang," All Might greeted, his voice deep compared to Toshinori's tired tone. Yang sat speechless, her wide eyes nearly pinpricks and her mouth slightly ajar. She had leaned back at the sudden sight of All Might, putting her hands behind her, holding on to the back edge of the bench for support. "What you see is no illusion nor trickery. I am both All Might and Toshinori Yagi."
Yang was somehow able to shake herself out of the shock. "I…I knew it."
All Might makes a surprised sound. "Knew? How…"
Yang let out a breath, leaned back forward and rested her arms on her legs. "…I've…known for a while. About five years…It was when we visited you at the hospital, when…your wound reopened."
All Might what she was talking about.
He was going through a lot of anguish after the fight with All for One, which resulted in his body and mind deteriorating. He never gave himself time to rest and worked constantly without stopping. He recalled times where he was so close to losing consciousness while in battle. Close confidants had pestered, pleaded to him – to slow down. Ozpin, Nezu, Chiyo, Gran Torino, Glynda, Ironwood, Qrow, and Tai…
…They all tried desperately to get him to rest, and he didn't listen. The world still needs their symbol regardless of his well being. Regardless of Sir Nighteye's vision…
And his wound reopened as a result.
To say that Gran Torino was angry at his reckless actions would be an understatement. Ozpin called Tai and Qrow over, who brought Yang and Ruby on the off chance that he…
"I was able to sneak a peek of you on the hospital bed…and I overheard some short old guy yelling at you," Yang recounted. "…he called you 'All Might'…You can only imagine what went through my head at the time…I was confused, but…I was also reinspired."
"Re…" All Might poofed back into Toshinori. "…inspired?"
"I've never told Dad, Uncle Qrow, or Ruby, but I was about to drop my dream to become a hero," Yang revealed. Toshinori's brows went up in surprise. "It happened about a year after we moved here. It was on Mother's Day and Ruby had a breakdown at school. I think she fully realized that she doesn't have Mom anymore and it upset her." Toshinori takes a seat beside her as she continues. "After that, I started thinking what if something happened to Dad or Uncle Qrow or…you." Yang looks up at him briefly before looking at Summer's memorial slab. "I didn't want Ruby to be alone, so I thought the safer option was to not follow the hero path. But then, your 'accident' happened and after that visit, I realized…" She looks at her prosthetic arm. "…things can happen out of our control."
"Yang…" Toshinori muttered softly. Yang was always so…bright and optimistic. Ready to face adversity head on with a playful smile and a gung ho attitude. It was…It was almost like looking into a mirror… "I'm sorry."
Yang looks at her blonde uncle, puzzled. "For what?"
"For not coming to you sooner after what happened with Taurus and…" Toshinori remembered the night Blake Belladonna ran off after speaking to Ruby. "…I should've talked to you. One…hurt individual to another."
"You don't have to apologize, Uncle Toshi. I should though. I didn't really say good morning back, did I? I was so mad with myself for what I did to Ruby and…that was a horrible excuse…"
"What happened?" Toshinori asked. "With the Taurus Incident, I mean." He could see Yang's forehead crinkle and felt that he may be crossing a line. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
Yang shakes her head. "There was a disturbance at a warehouse and Doc got called in to investigate. Blake and I were doing our work studies with him, so we tagged along. When we got there, it was dark. We originally stuck together, but there was some commotion going on all over the place, so we had to split up."
"A force dispersal tactic?" Toshinori questioned.
Yang nodded. "That's what I thought they did…or rather he did."
"Adam Taurus?" Yang nods again.
"And only him. He was trying to single Blake out."
"Why her specifically?" Toshinori asked.
"…They were dating, and Taurus wasn't exactly boyfriend material." Toshinori feels there is more to it but doesn't pry. Yang was already putting some trust into him, but he didn't want to push too far. Besides, according to what Tsukauchi found out about Adam and his connection with the White Fang, it made him wonder… "Anyways, when I realized what was going on, I went looking for them. When I did, Taurus had stabbed Blake. I was…so angry…everything turned red and all I could think about was getting that creep away from Blake and…you know the rest. I was so pissed at that guy, I wanted to kill him for everything he did to Blake…some hero I am, huh?"
"I don't think it's my place to judge your actions when I did something similar," Toshinori admitted, solemnly.
"Huh?"
"It was how I got hurt." Toshinori puts a hand where his wound is. "I was fueled with rage and didn't think clearly." His grip tightened on the fabric of his shirt. "And look what it cost me."
"What happened to him? The villain you fought."
For a brief moment, Toshinori's onibiri-like eyes turn cold. "He's gone. I…killed him."
"Did he have it coming?"
Have it coming? Toshinori nearly laughed. That man had a century's worth of bloodshed on his hands. "The man was a manipulator. He only saw others as pawns to further his needs before disposing of them when he had all he could have and will go to the darkest brinks to achieve a task. He…needed to be put down. Even so…as much as I loathed him, I still have a small hint of regret for taking a man's life." Really small. Like microbes small.
Yang gave a mirthless smirk. "Seriously, are you sure you aren't part Chinese or English? I swear, you've got to be related to us somehow."
Toshinori chuckled. "Nope. Born and bred in Japan. Although, I am curious about my facial features."
"Yeah, I can see that…" Yang gives the man her signature grin. "I guess we are alike, despite no blood ties."
"Not necessarily."
"What?"
Toshinori fully turned in his seat to face Yang. "This wound of mine will soon bring the end of All Might. Yours on the other hand…" He takes Yang's prosthetic by the wrist. "…is only the beginning of Sun Burst." He gave her a smile that reached his eyes. "Don't ever lose that spark again." Pride swelled in his chest when he saw Yang's eyes glisten, moved by his words.
"…Thanks, Uncle Toshi. I gotta say," She winks. "…you're all might!"
Toshinori starts laughing. "That was so bad."
"Then why are you laughing?" laughed Yang.
The Next Day: UA Ground Beta
The Sports Festival is just around the corner and the students are still working hard with their training. Ruby, by way of Rosibara, maneuvers around, using the rope to swing one spot to the next.
Ochako marveled at her. "Look at Ruby go!"
"She kinda reminds me of Mr. Aizawa," Tsuyu said, tilting her head.
"She's not the only one improving," Ojiro said, looking at Izuku, running laps. To anyone else, he was just running, but the ones who had been there during the Quirk Apprehension test could tell that his running speed was faster.
"Is it me, or have Midoriya gotten better?" Mina wondered.
"He seems faster than usual," Tokoyami observed.
Tsuyu turns to Jaune. "Do you have anything to do with it?"
Jaune shook his head. "Nope. Not this time. I guess he's starting to work with his Quirk."
"I guess, but it's so lame looking compared to what he did before," Kaminari said, remembering what Kirishima and Mineta had told him after the USJ.
"Hey, progress is still progress," Jiro said, a water bottle in hand. "You should be taking pointers on that, Kaminari."
"Aw, come on!"
Bakugo silently seethes from everyone's praising Izuku, gritting his teeth from rage. He opted to take out his hearing aides just so he wouldn't hear it.
All the while, Izuku was none the wiser of his classmates congratulating towards him as he continued running, the wind softly whistling at his ear and drops of sweat flying off from the velocity. "Right now, I'm using 2% of One for All. With such a low percentage, it's a light improvement compared to my scores from the Quirk Apprehension Test. I was close to clear the sandbox for the standing long jump, just by an inch. The 50 Meter Dash: 6.30 seconds. Grip Strength: 61 kg. Softball Throw: 55 meters. That last one doesn't seem much compared to the score I got when I used One for All at 100%, but it's still better than my regular throw." He skids a bit to make a turn. "I still have more to improve. All Might is counting on me. I can do this!"
He runs past as Weiss walks up to Ruby. Seeing the heiress, Ruby slides off from her perch on a streetlamp and lands on her feet in front of Weiss.
"I must say, you've improved quite well," Weiss smiled. It sounded like she was being snooty, but the neutral parting of her brows told Ruby that it was a genuine compliment.
"Thanks, Schnee. Rosibara sure was a great help. Especially since I'm still having trouble making quick turns," Ruby said. She gave a snort. "Pssh. And Uncle Toshi said that it's unwise to rely on support gear."
"There is some truth to that. Don't forget that support gear is that. Support. Sometimes, you might have to rely on your own strength," Weiss said.
Ruby pouts at her words but understands the truth behind them. Still… the purple haired student's words kept repeating in her head.
"I feel that I'm missing something."
"Like what?" asked Weiss.
Just down the street from then, Satou was breaking some debris from above and the falling pieces of the building went toward Nora, accompanied by her hammer.
"Heads up, Valkyrie!" Satou declared.
Nora readied herself and used her hammer to smash the debris with little effort. She gives a peace sign. "Score one for the girls back home!"
"That was awesome, Valkyrie!" Kirishima cheered.
"Yes, that was impressive, but why are you training with your hammer?" asked Tenya. "You won't be using it for the Sports Festival."
"Awww. Party-pooper," Nora pouted.
Ruby gasps. "I have an idea!" She runs off with a turn of her foot.
"Rose! Where are you going?" Weiss asked.
"I'm gonna make a phone call!"
"Found it, sis?" Ruby asked into her smartphone as she ran through the halls of UA.
/ Yeah…it was underneath some tarps…Which was supposed to be for Bumblebee. /
"Sorry! Getting the picture?"
/ …Yep! Sending that now. /
Ruby twirled around to dodge a student. "Thanks, Yang."
/ No problem, Ruby. So, mind if I ask why you wanted me to look for one of your old creations and it's schematics? Specifically, that. /
Ruby grinned. "You'll see."
/ I'm not sure if it'll get approved. /
"Well, I'm about to find out."
Once at the Development Studio, Ruby shows the photos sent by Yang to Power Loader. After viewing, Power Loader directs her to Snipe, who would later speak with Tai and Qrow.
After some consideration, they gave Ruby the green light…
Several Days Later: Ground Beta
Izuku was still running around, leaping over any obstacles in his way, his body sparking tiny, green electricity. "5% seems to be my safe spot for the time being. It's still nothing compared to 100%, but it's a significant change! Hopefully, it's enough for the Sports Festival."
He skids to halt and the green glow around him fades. Ochako clapped.
"Wow, Deku! You're doing amazing!"
Izuku blushed. "O-Oh! Th-Thanks, Uraraka!"
"Shouldn't you be breaking bones, though?" Kaminari wondered.
"Ah! Well…um…m-my Quirk came late, so my body isn't used to it yet. But if I take it slowly, I might be able to reach that point without harming myself one day," Izuku explained, keeping mind of what Ruby told him a few days ago. Off to the side, Bakugo tsked. "I know that I don't stand out much, but I'll do everything that I can to push forward!"
Ochako smiled brightly. "Sounds like a plan. I'm definitely gonna give it my all too!" She pumps her fist in the air.
The red around Izuku's cheeks darkened before he fidgety mimicked the girl. "A-Ah…Yeah!"
Bakugo snarled before turning the other way and stumped off.
"Bakugo?" Kirishima spoke.
"Can it, Shitty hair."
Weiss walks up to Jaune. "Hey, have you seen Rose, Arc?"
"No, not as of late."
"Huh? That's right," Izuku said. He looked around for any signs of Ruby, but there was none. Not even a single rose petal. "Rose has been very scarce. I wonder what she's been doing."
"Me too," Weiss said, curious to where Ruby is. She was in such a hurry the last time Weiss saw her. Just what did Ruby come up with…
Aoyama destroys some falling debris with his Navel Laser and strikes a pose. "Hmph. With such dazzling talent, it would be hard for anyone to keep their eyes off moi!" A pipe above comes loose and falls towards Aoyama.
Izuku gasps. "Aoyama!" The blonde looked up and froze. Izuku surged One for All to dash for Aoyama before—
*BANG*
*PONG*
A gunshot was heard before the pipe hit Aoyama and it was hit by something else and pushed away, landing next to Aoyama.
Aoyama vaguely noticed his rapidly beating heart as he stared at the fallen pipe. "E-Eh?"
The green glow around Izuku slowly dims away, confused to what happened and it was Kirishima who gave words to his confusion. "Whoa. What just happened?"
"Did anybody else hear a gunshot?" Mina asked.
Ochako looks to see debris falling towards Jaune. "Arc, look out!" The tall young man looks up in time and before he could move out of the way, a red blur zips in and slashes the rock in two, dust bellowed out of the landing.
"What…?" Jaune questioned. He saw the familiar small stature, black to red hair, and the fluttering red rose petals. "Ah! Ruby?"
"Hiya!" Ruby beamed, grinning at her childhood friend. She looks over at Aoyama, who still looked pallid from his close encounter. "You okay over there, Aoyama?"
"O-Oui…" He was lucky that he didn't wet himself…yet.
"Rose, what…is that?" Izuku asked, looking at what Ruby was holding.
Ruby smiled. "Guys, meet Crescent Rose!" With dramatic flair, she twirled the weapon around before striking it into the ground and gave everyone a full view. It was a scythe, mostly red with silver/gray and black accents.
"Whoa…is that a scythe?" awed Kaminari.
"It's also a collapsible, high impact sniper-rifle," Ruby said. Kaminari blinked and his mouth slightly ajar with a marveled expression. Ruby collapses the scythe into its gun form. "It's also a gun."
"Oooooh. Cool!"
"You made that?" Kirishima asked.
Ruby nodded. "Yep."
"Wasn't that the prototype thing you made when we started middle school?" Jaune asked. "I don't remember you adding a gun to it."
"She made that in middle school?!" Kaminari exclaimed, his eyes nearly bulging out.
"Yeah. I didn't add the gun until recently and after I got approval from Power Loader, Snipe, and Principal Nezu," Ruby explained.
From there Izuku was able to connect the dots. "I see. You've been gone because you were taking firearms lessons from Snipe, right?"
"Uh-huh."
Momo looked uneasy. "Rose, are you going to use this in the Sports Festival?"
"I know what you are thinking, and you have nothing to worry about. I don't plan on using Crescent Rose to shoot anybody," Ruby said.
"Then…why add a sniper-rifle?" asked Momo.
Ruby shrugged. "I don't know. I thought it would be useful. You guys saw what happened with Aoyama."
"…And I thank you for that," Aoyama said, still a little shaken.
"Still…it seems rather…impractical," Tenya said, unsure of such a weapon.
"But awesome!" Kaminari exclaimed.
Toshinori breathes a sigh of relief. He had seen the whole thing and was about to go All Might mode before Ruby jumped in. "That was a close one…" He watches as Izuku gushes over Crescent Rose with Ruby. "Kids these days are so imaginative…"
Toshinori knows a certain Nobel Prize winner who would be proud of Ruby's creativeness.
Next Chapter: Food Fight Royale
"I'm bored!"
"I'm queen of the castle~!"
"Wow! You look amazing, Deku!"
"You're…only one person."
"And the first acting victims will be…you four!"
So, Crescent Rose makes an appearance. Someone (SeanHicks4) spoke how odd it was for Ruby to not have her signature weapon, especially since Nora and Weiss still have theirs. I decided to brainstorm a little and one thing that was pointed out to me was the use of non-lethal bullets, perhaps something akin to bean-bag rounds. I've actually learned that rubber bullets aren't actually all that (relatively) safe compared to other non-lethal bullets and it's best to use it at a distance to subdue suspects.
If anyone has any suggestions on this, I'm all ears.
IRL Japan does have a strict policy on baring firearms (or any weapons, really). Though, in the world of MHA where you have characters like Snipe and Lady Nagant (a future manga character and riddled with spoilers for any anime watchers), I'd wager it depends. I am also inclined to the headcanon that All Might will later carry a gun for his safety after Kamino.
One last thing, the next two chapters are probably my favorite for planning out at this point in the story.