Hey folks, welcome back to more of "Through the Rough"! When we last left off, our heroes had encountered Elsie and her cohorts at the Port of Kobe, as they're working under Madame Kurenai! And Elsie knows Izuku's secret of carrying All Might's power…
Now the battle's devolved into a mad rush to try and stop the villains from getting away, while also fighting back. Can they stop them? Let's find out!
THROUGH THE ROUGH
When the scarlet lights converged onto Izuku, he realized he had no way to escape. Even if Elsie was holding back against him, taking such an attack head on would surely render him unconscious. At the very least, he needed to defend himself somehow.
'Wait…' he uttered inwardly, looking at the small wisps of Blackwhip coming from the sights upon his gloves. Given the amazing tensile strength of the energy tendrils, especially with how they managed to capture the Oracion Seis member earlier, he knew what he had to do. Whether or not it would work wouldn't matter if he didn't try. He let out multiple Blackwhips, surrounding himself just as the lights converged onto him.
"I see you've finished your preparations, Hyoga!" a voice remarked, belonging to none other than Elsie as she was flying over to the Frost Quirk user, who was still in battle with Endeavor.
"Of course, Princess!" her colleague responded, "Once you deal with him, we'll escape!" he declared. Endeavor grimaced.
'So that's their plan?!' he inquired inwardly, seeing the Oracion Seis member veer toward him, 'Damn it, I can't use my full firepower thanks to Samui…' he noted to himself as he clenched his teeth, 'I should've gone after Deku instead of worrying about Shoto…' he concluded in frustration, shutting his eyes. However, a figure leapt over in a rush of wind that Elsie felt.
"Huh?" she uttered, looking back in surprise to see Izuku there, rearing his left fist back. Samui and Endeavor widened their eyes themselves.
"TEXAS… SMMMAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the One For All inheritor roared as he slammed his extremity into the Oracion Seis member's jaw, much to everyone's shock.
'I don't care who you are, or how you're stronger than me!' he exclaimed inwardly as determination was in his eyes, 'I'll stop you… because I'm a hero!' he roared through his thoughts. He blew his foe back in an instant, sending her flying toward the ground below.
"Princess!" Hyoga yelled, quickly forming an ice wave at his feet to lift himself up and catch her. Izuku grimaced, followed by noticing a shadow come over him. He blinked in surprise and gasped to see Gowen right over him.
"Pretty ballsy to punch a woman, you brat!" he remarked, igniting his right fist in flames, "Flame Bolt!" he roared, about to strike. However, another figure sped out in front of him, being Katsuki.
"Kacchan!" Izuku yelped out.
"Stay the hell out of my way, Deku!" the Explosion Quirk user roared, firing a blast from his right palm to blow Gowen back. He came down and landed atop one of the shipping containers, with his foe landing across from him. "Heh," he chuckled, "Maybe you'll be better than that stupid muscle-head…" he grumbled excitedly, letting small explosions crackle off of his palms. In the meantime, Hyoga came down with Elsie, who was grimacing.
"Princess, are you…?" he started to ask, only for her to put her left hand up. She glanced over to Izuku, who came down and went over to check on Endeavor, who still had steam coming off of his body. She narrowed her lone eye.
'He not only managed to withstand the Grand Chariot, but also caught me off guard and landed a direct blow to my chin…' she noted to herself, 'I know I'll only be disoriented for a bit, but if this was a real battle…' she continued inwardly. At that moment, Hyoga perked up in surprise.
"Princess!" he yelped, quickly forming an ice wall to block off the flurry of blue laser blasts shot their way. They originated from Rebecca's blasters, as she was atop one of the shipping containers.
"Darn!" she exclaimed in frustration.
"Rebecca!" her boyfriend cried out, getting her attention.
"Izu, are you alright?" she immediately asked, "Kacchan and I saw that light earlier and—"
"I'm good!" the One For All inheritor interjected reassuringly, "But right now, we need to stop the villains from getting away with the software!" he insisted.
"You two go," Endeavor advised suddenly, causing him to blink in surprise as he looked back at the Flame Hero, "Bakugo and I will handle the rest here," he affirmed with wisps of steam coming off of his heating body.
"But… sir…" Izuku uttered.
"Go!" the Hellflame Quirk user commanded.
"Right!" both student heroes responded, hurrying off into the distance.
"Now then…" Endeavor began, turning his attention to Hyoga as he grimaced.
'Since he's figured out my Frost, he'll be outputting a stronger heat…' he noted to himself. Just then, he felt a hand come upon his shoulder. He looked back to see Elsie stand up fully, exhaling a breath.
"Well, that was quite the punch!" she remarked with a smile, "Izuku Midoriya, huh?" she said as she glanced back, "Seems he's really gotten stronger since the last time…" she noted.
"You're not getting near him!" Endeavor roared as he shot forward, readying his right fist. It collided with a thick ice wall that Hyoga conjured, protecting him and the Oracion Seis member.
"Princess?" he uttered, wondering what she was thinking.
"I'm going to finish this job now," she decided, "I'll leave Endeavor to you," she added to her colleague.
"Right," he responded, seeing her rocket off in a burst of scarlet light. The Flame Hero grimaced. With Elsie being such a wild card in this whole ordeal, whatever she did next would likely determine who would win and who would lose…
OPENING
Insert "Kaibutsu" by Tani Yuuki
Opens with Rebecca getting into her winter costume, donning her cat ears and blue jacket before stepping out of the locker room. She smiles as she spots Izuku, Katsuki, Shoto, and Homura, as they're all gathered at the Endeavor Agency together. They walk into the main office, finding themselves greeted by Endeavor, Burnin, and the other sidekicks, ready to start another day of work.
We see the five interns struggling to keep up with Endeavor as he speeds ahead, saving lives and stopping villains. For a moment, he hesitates upon thinking of his family laughing at the dinner table without him. Meanwhile, Gowen is hanging out in an abandoned warehouse with Elsie and the rest of the crew, glancing out a window to see the Flame Hero he once worked under acting like more of a hero than he remembers. He turns away to gather with his colleagues, whom all don't notice the smirk on Jesse's face.
Elsewhere, Madame Kurenai marvels at the sight of the red mech suit being built for her, with her cohorts standing behind her. Nino grimaces worriedly before looking away. We get shots of the Paranormal Liberation Front, including Tomura as he enters a vat and closes his eyes, being sent into a deep slumber. Dabi is out in the city, overlooking how Endeavor and his interns are faring in fending off villains.
Katsuki blasts himself away from Baku, who swings blades of energy his way from his axe. Izuku protrudes his Blackwhip from his right arm, imitating Spider-Man as he swings about while evading the many Punishers heading his way. They're shot down by Rebecca, who winks with a grin before taking care of more foes.
Next, we find a scene of Homura coming face-to-face with Kurenai for the first time, as she opens her arms to welcome her. However, Shoto suddenly steps in between them, igniting the flames on his left side threateningly. Kurenai smirks, hopping into her mech as it towers over the two U.A. students. They take ready stances before starting a battle.
There are shots of Deadend Crow, Poseidon Shura, Tomura Shigaraki, God Acnoella, Elsie Crimson, and Saintfire Nox, as they all give off ominous auras. We also see the likes of Justice, Mirko, Holy, Eraser, Feather, and Cure, though the latter looks away. There's also shots of the other students on their internships, with Kleene and Ochaco flying alongside Nejire and Ryukyu, with Tsuyu riding aboard the Dragoon Hero's back. Weisz, Eijiro and Tetsutetsu gorge on takoyaki with Fat Gum, while Tamaki sulks in the corner, unable to keep up with their energy.
Kyoka and Mezo are interning under Gang Orca with Laguna and Hitoshi. The Tears Lover Quirk user notices that Kyoka's home screen on her phone is a picture of her and Rebecca from the school concert, which she blushes at. She yelps in embarrassment upon realizing that Laguna saw, while Mezo and Hitoshi blink in confusion. Shiki flies alongside Fumikage as they soar after Hawks, who's lost in thought over whatever the Paranormal Liberation Front is up to.
The song winds down with the interns at Endeavor's agency taking a much-needed break, having snacks and drinks atop the building's roof together. Rebecca lovingly leans against Izuku's shoulder, while Homura winds up holding hands with Shoto as they stare at the sunset together. Katsuki scoffs and trudges away, but not before taking one last glance at Rebecca and letting off the tiniest of smiles.
END OPENING
"Leopard Claw Frenzy!" Homura yelled, clashing her twin blades against the whip of Garrot, who was smirking all the while. In the meantime, Shoto narrowly evaded getting slashed in half by Baku's battle axe, as he swung it around furiously and quickly. The Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user attempted to have him trapped in a mound of ice, but his foe easily bashed through it thanks to his weapon.
"So you're the son of Endeavor, hm?" he presumed of Shoto, who grimaced.
"Shoto!" Homura cried out as she tried to rush over to his aid, only to wind up being forced to parry the lashes of Garrot's whip as he swung it in a frenzy.
"Hahahahahaha!" he cackled, "Looks like Valkyrie's successor isn't all she's cracked up to be!" he remarked callously, causing the Soul Blade Quirk user to growl. Meanwhile, Baku raised his battle axe, having its blades glow a bright gold. His opponent blinked in confusion before seeing him swing it out, releasing crescent-shaped blades of energy. Reacting quickly, Shoto rode a wave of ice to evade them, moving himself behind his foe.
"Got you now!" he exclaimed, aiming his left hand out at his target. However, he suddenly dashed away to his shock.
"So you think," he said, causing Shoto to grimace as he turned to see the lion-like man right behind him, readying his battle axe again to strike.
"Aoneko Axe!" Rebecca suddenly yelled as she zipped in, striking Baku upside the head with her right leg, causing him to stumble back before he could strike the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user.
"Bluegarden!" he yelped, seeing his classmate land down next to him.
"Sorry we're late," she apologized. Garrot was about to lash his whip onto Homura once again, but suddenly found it get pulled away. He looked back and widened his eyes to see that his weapon had been restrained by Izuku's Blackwhip, as he yanked back on it.
"Ergh!" the Whip Master Quirk user grunted, "You damn brat…!" he growled out. At that moment though, Homura dashed up to him. "Ah!" he gasped as she slashed past him. It didn't take long for him to topple over in a heap.
"Garrot!" Baku cried out, only to find himself surrounded by Izuku, Rebecca, and Shoto.
"You're outnumbered now," the latter of the three pointed out, igniting his left arm in flames, "Give up," he advised. The lion-like man looked around, seeing the blasters aimed his way from the Cat Leaper Quirk user, while the One For All inheritor had his left arm trained upon him, curling his fingers in and holding them back with his thumb. He tightened the grip on his axe, ready to face all three of them if necessary. In the meantime, Homura turned, dragging her blade across the ground as she approached Garrot, who was trying to push himself. He suddenly found one of the blades of his foe piercing into the ground right in front of his face, making him grimace. He glanced up to see the enraged look upon Homura's face, making him tremble.
"Now tell me…" she began, narrowing her glaring eyes, "what did Madame Kurenai do to Valkyrie?" she inquired darkly, aiming her other blade at his face. All of a sudden, she felt a hand come onto her shoulder.
"Homura," Shoto said, causing her to turn to see him there, "We'll question them later," he affirmed, "Right now, we need to at least make sure we keep the software out of their hands," he advised seriously. The Soul Blade Quirk user tensed up.
"You guys do have the software, right?" Rebecca presumed of Baku, keeping her weapons trained on him.
"Hand it over right now!" Izuku insisted firmly. Baku grimaced. All of a sudden, a scarlet flash of light caught his attention, along with those of the others.
"What's that…?" Shoto inquired, widening his eyes slightly. Izuku clenched his teeth.
'Not good!' he exclaimed inwardly, seeing none other than Elsie coming down towards him and the others. She landed down hard, resulting in a shockwave that blew everyone back several feet. Rebecca managed to skid to a stop, firing off a flurry of shots with her Happy Blasters. However, the Oracion Seis member sped past them in an instant, heading up to her. She gasped in shock before ending up taking a chop to the back of her neck, rendering her unconscious as she fell over.
"Rebecca!" Izuku screamed as he lunged over to catch her. However, that left him wide open to take a kick from Elsie, making his eyes bulge open before tumbling back along the ground, holding his girlfriend close to keep her safe.
"Midoriya! Bluegar—!" Shoto's shout was interrupted as the Oracion Seis member suddenly sped over to him. He tried to catch her with a wave of ice, but she zipped right around it, knocking him up against the side of a shipping container as he yelped with pain.
"Shoto!" Homura cried out. Baku was astonished as his eyes shook. He watched as the Oracion Seis sped over to his side.
"Do you have the software?" she asked of him.
"Y-Yes," he stuttered in response.
"Then the job is basically done," Elsie concluded with a grin. She blinked in surprise upon spotting Homura there, as she was still shell-shocked from seeing her three classmates all get knocked down instantly by their new foe. "Homura Kogetsu," the Oracion Seis member uttered out, getting her attention, "So you're Valkyrie's successor, hm?" she presumed, "It's an honor to meet you," she pointed out, not noticing the Soul Blade Quirk user drawing a new energy blade as her red markings glowed brightly and expanded, "I didn't get a chance to catch the Sports Festival last year, so this is—"
She stopped herself as Homura dashed up to her, now assuming her Overdrive form with a fierce expression upon her face. Quickly drawing her katana as its blade shined red, Elsie blocked her attempted slash as a flurry of sparks rained about between them. She gave off a little grin.
"I get the feeling this'll be quite the spar," she remarked.
X
"Agh…" Izuku groaned as he pushed himself up onto his feet, while Rebecca was slowly starting to stir awake in his arms. He looked over to see Baku picking up Garrot, while Homura and Elsie were clashing blades. Shoto staggered forward, unleashing an ice wave that appeared to entrap the lion-like man's feet. However, he broke free from it with ease, speeding off.
"Dammit!" the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user cursed.
"Ergh…" Garrot grunted out, "Hey…" he uttered, getting his partner's attention, "Weren't we supposed to get her, too?" he inquired of him. He glanced back at Homura, who ferociously swung her blade out at Elsie as she yelled.
"Madame Kurenai is assured that she'll arrive with Endeavor when they come to our location," Baku told him, "She'll have all of her eggs in one basket, as one might say," he affirmed.
"Heh," the Whip Master Quirk user chuckled, "That's only if Crimson doesn't kill her first…" he remarked.
"HHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Homura roared as she swung her blade from above onto Elsie, who blocked with her katana, though was forced down to her right knee.
"My, how impressive…!" she remarked in a grunt as she grinned, "You definitely have Valkyrie's strength…!" she pointed out. Growling, the Soul Blade Quirk user kicked her foe back before rushing at her again. Meanwhile, Shoto went over to check on Izuku and Rebecca.
"Ugh…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user groaned, rubbing her neck, "What happened…?" she asked weakly.
"It was Elsie…" her boyfriend answered, helping her back onto her feet, "I thought I left her disoriented for longer, but I guess not…" he noted on, "What about the other villains?" he asked of Shoto.
"They took off," he responded, "I'd go after them, but…" he tried to say, looking over to see Homura still clashing blades with Elsie, as the Oracion Seis member was grinning all the while.
"H-Homura…?" Rebecca stuttered in fright.
"Even in Overdrive, she's still not overpowering Elsie…" Izuku pointed out, "We need to help her!" he insisted.
"No, we need to stop them," Shoto corrected to his surprise, "At this rate, Homura's only going to get herself hurt…" he said with a grimace. Sparks flew wildly between the blades of both women as they blew each other back. A few shipping containers had noticeably wide gashes in them as a result of the slash.
The Oracion Seis member held her katana in her right hand, still prepared to fight. Meanwhile, her opponent breathed heavily as she gripped her energy sword tightly in both of her hands. Sweat trickled down her face. All she could she was red.
'Homura, we've talked about this…' Valkyrie's voice echoed in her head.
FLASHBACK
"It wasn't my fault…" the little girl proclaimed as she fidgeted in her seat. Her surrogate parent sighed.
"Um, Homura…" a voice chimed in, belonging to an aged man sitting across the desk she and the Shining Star Hero were seated in front, "you should wait outside," he advised, "I need to talk with Valkyrie about something private," he pointed out. The little girl blinked in surprise, looking to her mentor. She merely nodded, enticing Homura to get up from her seat and leave the room. As she shut the door behind her though, she leaned up against it, trying to listen in.
"Principal Shimada, I'm really sorry about Homura's behavior…" the Soul Blade Quirk user apologized.
"She did the right thing," the head of the school assured, much to her surprise, "But that's not why I wanted to talk with you," he pointed out, "That girl… she's been here for over three hours since what happened," he told her, "And walking by herself back home is all kinds of dangerous these days…" he mentioned, "Do you even have a nanny or someone else for her?" he inquired curiously.
"Sorry, no…" Valkyrie apologized in response, "It's just that there're things I'd prefer to not make others do that I should do myself…" she noted.
"Huh…" the principal sighed, "What about her family?" he asked, causing Homura to perk up from outside, "Any parents? Relatives?" he inquired.
"I know she has a mother…" the Shining Star Hero replied, "But according to Homura, the reason she was put into an orphanage in the first place was because she couldn't afford to care for a child on her own…" she explained, "Homura said she'd come back…" she mentioned, "but that was years ago," she pointed out, "By now, I'm sure she might be gone…" she presumed grimly.
"Well…" the head of the school continued, "it's either you find someone to help her… or she gets removed from the school," he declared to her, much to her shock, "We want to make sure all of our students have the utmost care and protection in this age," he told her before she could make an argument, "And I'm sure every student would want to have a proud parent that'd be there no matter what," he affirmed. Moments later, Valkyrie left the room, exhaling a sigh. She looked to her right to find Homura there, sniffling as she held onto a bear-shaped stuffed animal.
"Huh…" the Soul Blade Quirk user sighed, extending her hand out to the little girl, "Come on," she beckoned, allowing her to take her hand, "Let's go home," she insisted. Homura simply nodded. She clutched her stuffed animal as she wondered what kind of burden she was being on her caretaker.
END FLASHBACK
Gritting her teeth, Homura made her energy markings brighten. Several oriental longswords appeared in the air around, all aimed for Elsie, who blinked in shock. She watched as her foe took a lunging stance.
"Warrior Maiden Ultimate Attack…" she began, tightening her grip on her blade.
"Homura, wait!" Shoto cried out from nearby.
"KITSUNE… DANCING BLADES!" the Soul Blade Quirk user bellowed as she rushed forward, slashing with all of her might. The other blades all shot out at Elsie as well in the process. She stood her ground, swinging her katana out.
Several explosions erupted, causing many in and out of the shipyard to take notice, widening their eyes in surprise. An ice wall had been raised by Shoto, protecting himself, Izuku, and Rebecca. He let it crumble down as they looked out to see what had happened as a result of their classmate's attack. And then, their eyes widened.
"No way…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user uttered. In spite of the destruction that lied in the wake of her ultimate move, Homura's blades had not only failed to connect with Elsie, but the one she gripped was actually caught by the Oracion Seis member's right hand. Her eyes shook with disbelief. All of that training… amounted to seemingly nothing when faced with the Star Drain Quirk user.
"That was quite a show," she remarked to her, "If I hadn't reacted as quickly as I did, you could've very well left me with a serious wound…" she admitted, "Your efforts are admirable," she complimented, "Valkyrie would be proud," she added. Gritting her teeth angrily, Homura tried desperately to yank her sword out of her foe's grasp, but it wouldn't budge. All of a sudden, she found herself getting flung aside by Elsie, crashing up against another shipping container.
"Homura!" Shoto cried out. He gnashed his teeth, igniting flames around his left arm as he lunged for Elsie. However, she shot upward in a burst of scarlet light, evading his attack. Izuku and Rebecca both attempted to jump after her, but she sped away instantaneously to their shock.
"You're kidding me…!" the Cat Leaper Quirk user exclaimed as they landed back down.
"Yeah, I know…" her boyfriend agreed, gritting his teeth, "Her Quirk's the same as Justice's…" he noted with a grimace.
"Homura, are you alright?!" Shoto asked as he went over to check on the Soul Blade Quirk user. He blinked in surprise upon hearing her whimper, seeing her tremble as tears dripped out of her eyes.
"I'm sorry…" she apologized sadly, wiping her eyes as she sniffled. Her colleagues all looked on sympathetically. Elsewhere in the shipyard, both Katsuki and Endeavor grimaced in frustration. Gowen and Hyoga had gotten away from them once Elsie had flown by. Meanwhile, Hermit was examining one of the downed Punishers at the port's entrance.
"I see…" Witch said as she had her right hand placed upon the communicator in her ear, "This is troubling indeed…" she admitted.
"They got away?" Sister presumed based upon her grim tone.
"Except for these androids and two villains," the Sorcery Quirk user confirmed in response, "Fortunately, there aren't any serious injuries," she mentioned reassuringly.
"Still can't believe that one of the Oracion Seis got the drop on us…" Kido muttered out.
"And to think it was Elsie, too…" Onima mentioned, "Wonder what kind of money Madame Kurenai offered her…" he grumbled with his arms crossed.
"Whatever she's packing, it's a lot," Sister noted in reply, "Especially with those bots…" she added grimly, seeing Hermit tense up a little before standing up.
"Yeah… there's no mistaking it…" she said, "All of these androids have been built with battle specs based upon Valkyrie…" she told the group, "Which means that Kurenai knows about her…" she concluded.
"And likely knows about us as well…" Witch mentioned grimly.
"Tch…" Sister scoffed out. Back in the shipyard, Homura looked off into the distance as the wind breezed by. She thought about what Elsie had said, how Valkyrie would've been proud of how strong she had become today. However, it made her feel even more inadequate, especially in the face of wanting to avenge her late master.
"Homura, we should go," Shoto advised of her, putting a hand onto her shoulder. He took notice of her distraught expression, watching as she turned away and walked off without saying a word, passing by Izuku and Rebecca. Her anger hadn't disappeared, but was merely quelled by the feeling of inadequacy. And only time would tell when she would have to act upon it…
ENDING
Insert "Believe" by Soushi Sakiyama
Opens with Homura waking up and preparing for the day, getting dressed in her school uniform before lying on her knees in front of her memorial to Valkyrie, offering a prayer before she heads off. As she gathers in the dorm common room with her classmates, she sees Shoto and smiles, walking off with him. She breathes out a puff of cold air, looking up at the partly cloudy winter sky.
Later, we see her at the Endeavor Agency, practicing with her energy blades against the fiery ones Burnin creates with her Quirk, all while the Flame Hero watches. As Homura's exhaustion catches up with her, Endeavor offers her a cup of tea to ease her. She accepts it, sipping it gratefully. We transition to her as a child, sitting on the porch of her old home with Valkyrie, as they smile at each other.
Being taught for years how to fight with Soul Blade, Homura never knew her teacher was actually an android. But that didn't matter to her either way, as she appreciated what Valkyrie had done for her. We cut to when the police showed up at her home one evening, with Naomasa telling her the unfortunate news of Valkyrie's death. We see the lifeless body of the Shining Star Hero, having many scarlet burns along her body, with a missing right arm and half of her face gone, revealing her robotic appearance underneath.
Back in the present, we see Homura still mourning over her teacher to this day. Things have only been harder after discovering that she was a machine all this time. She starts to tear up a little, but then suddenly has a hand come onto her back. She looks to her right to see a smiling Rebecca there, followed by turning to her left to find Izuku and Katsuki there, with the former flashing a kind grin.
A hand then extends for the Soul Blade Quirk user as she looks to see Shoto standing in front of her. She gratefully accepts it as tears prick her eyes. They walk off together, with Homura starting to lean against Shoto in the process…
END ENDING
That does it for this one! I know it's a short chapter this time around, but I think I've gotten through everything I needed to. The next three chapters are going to be really heavy, so I'm conserving my energy in a way.
Thanks for reading, everyone!