Hey folks! We're back with more of "Through the Rough"! The World Heroes' Mission Arc is in full swing, with Izuku and Rebecca being branded as mass murderers, now fugitives on the run with Rody and Connor. After some hijinks along the way to the bordering country of Klayd, they find themselves a little exhausted after a long day.

So where will their journey take them now? Let's find out!

THROUGH THE ROUGH

"Ugh…" Rebecca groaned as she fell down onto a bale of hay, "What a day…" she grumbled out.

"You said it…" her boyfriend agreed, plopping himself down beside her. It was late in the evening as the quartet of fugitives had finally found a place to lay low for the time being. They discovered an abandoned barn out in the fields near the town, deciding to spend the night there. Inside, Izuku was seated upon the hay, looking through a map of Otheon in a magazine as a lamp was lit next to him, allowing him to see where they were. His girlfriend lied beside him, going in and out of sleep every few moments.

"For such a beautiful young woman, she's got quite the fire in her," Connor commented as he approached, taking off his jacket and putting it over Rebecca for warmth, "Reminds me of my wife," he admitted on.

"Oh yeah, you mentioned that back on the bus…" Izuku recalled, "What's she like?" he asked curiously.

"Oh-ho, my dear Rachel was quite the firecracker," the portly man replied, putting his hands onto his hips as he looked up in thought, "She'd always take on whatever challenge came her way, even if things got tough," he pointed out, "Eventually, things did get a bit too challenging for her, though…" he noted on as he saw that Rebecca was fast asleep.

"What happened?" the One For All inheritor asked worriedly.

"Well, we had a daughter," Connor responded as he sat down, "By now, she would've been the same age as this lovely lass," he mentioned.

"Would've…?" Izuku repeated.

"Both Rachel and our daughter left me soon after her birth…" the portly man confirmed, exhaling a sigh.

"Mister Connor…" the One For All inheritor uttered out of shock.

"Ugh, don't be so vague, old man…" Rody complained from nearby as he was lying nearby on a blanket of his own, with the case sitting next to him, "For all you know, your wife and kid just ditched you, they're not dead…" he pointed out.

"Aye, good point…" Connor responded sheepishly, while Izuku blinked in surprise.

"I can't imagine not being able to see your wife or your daughter for that long…" he noted to the portly man, "Do you even know your daughter's name?" he wondered aloud.

"Sadly, no," Connor answered with a shake of his head, "But I was never good with coming up with names," he mentioned as he smiled underneath his moustache, "I'm sure my Rachel came up with a good one…" he affirmed. Izuku smiled. As crickets chirped outside, Connor was already fast asleep, snoring loudly. Meanwhile, the One For All inheritor was still looking through the map upon the magazine he was reading. He reached over to his girlfriend to brush away a few locks of hair falling over her face.

"That's not great…" he said quietly after a moment, looking back at the map, "It doesn't look like there's anything crossing the border from here…" he pointed out, "We'll have to borrow a vehicle of some sort tomorrow," he concluded for the group, "Otherwise, we'll be stuck walking…" he mentioned grimly. Hearing that, Rody perked up in surprise.

"Walking?" he repeated, "You're crazy!" he exclaimed, sitting up from the hay, "Did you forget how heavy this thing is?" he questioned, referring to the case that was lying between them, with Pino sitting atop it.

"If you get tired, I can just carry you on my back," Izuku noted, causing the brunette-haired teen to blink in surprise, "After all, that's what strength is for, right?" he assumed, holding up his scarred right fist, "Helpin' people out whenever they're in trouble!" he proclaimed. Rody gave off a blank, almost annoyed expression.

"Heh…" he laughed, lying back down on the hay and turning away, "Maybe fix our current situation rather than treating me like a backpack…" he remarked to the One For All inheritor.

"Oh, we will, I promise," he affirmed in response, looking back at the map. As he did, Rody frowned, while Pino glanced over at the freckled teen curiously. She then took notice of Rebecca, who was still asleep as she was lying nearby.

The pink bird then flew off of the case over to her, perching herself upon the Cat Leaper Quirk user's head. She cooed contently as she nestled down, closing her eyes. Taking notice, Izuku let out a small laugh.

"I guess your bird really likes her," he noted, causing Rody to perk up. He glanced back and grimaced in embarrassment to see Pino perched atop Rebecca, snoozing soundly. A blush streaked across his cheeks.

"Uh… yeah…" he said, turning his head away. The light from the crescent moon above beamed into the barn later as everyone inside slept. The brunette-haired young man was still worried about his siblings. Them being on their own wasn't something he was comfortable with, especially considering how they ended up orphaned in the first place…

FLASHBACK

"Time for takeoff!" a young Rody exclaimed, holding up a toy plane while carrying an infant Lala on his back thanks to a child carrier. He was running about the front yard of their house with Roro and a few other boys, playing along as he made noises mimicking the sounds of an aircraft.

"Let me, big brother!" his little brother insisted, hopping up and down as he reached for the toy plane.

"Here you go," Rody said, handing Roro his toy. He then went ahead and tucked his hands under his brother's armpits, puffing his cheeks before managing to lift him up off of the ground, much to everyone's amazement.

"You're so lucky!" one boy nearby exclaimed.

"Lift me up next!" another insisted.

"Then me!" one more added excitedly. All the while, Rody's face was burning red as he was struggling to keep Roro up. His giggling baby sister wasn't helping, smacking his cheek with her little hand.

"Wow, Rody!" a voice exclaimed, causing him to slowly turn his reddening head. He gasped happily upon seeing who it was coming through the front gate. It was a middle-aged man with scruffy brown hair like his, though much darker and shorter.

"Dad! Welcome back!" Rody greeted, seeing him approach.

"Hey there, kiddos!" he greeted back with a warm smile. Later that evening, he cooked a very large seafood dish, enjoying it with his children while also feeding Lala with her baby bottle. Rody was telling him and Roro a story, laughing along with them happily.

A little while later, the eldest of the household was playing with a small puzzle game he had been given upon the couch. However, he was struggling with figuring out what to change and what not to. His little brother watched nearby as he growled in frustration.

"What's the deal? Why is the puzzle you brought home so hard?" he asked of his father, who was cradling a sleeping Lala in his arms, "How am I supposed to solve this thing?" he questioned on, holding the contraption in his right hand. His father chuckled.

"I'll help, but I'm only giving you one hint," he affirmed, standing up from his seat. With his assistance, he managed to twist, turn, and set certain pieces of the puzzle in place. He then handed back to his eldest son. "You should be able to figure it out from here if you keep trying," he affirmed. Rody fiddled with the contraption as he stuck his tongue out to the side. He finally managed to get it open, smiling with pride. But then he noticed what was inside. He let it plop into his right hand, being a gold locket.

"Dad… this is yours…" he pointed out, seeing the engraving upon it.

"It's a present," his father said, causing him to perk up in surprise, "Thanks for always taking care of Roro and Lala," he noted gratefully, "You're a good brother, Rody," he added. His eldest son beamed at the praise, as his eyes sparkled while a blush dusted his cheeks, making him chuckle. Life couldn't be any better with such a great family. At least… until it wasn't…

"I heard the father abandoned them…"

"It's worse… He became a member of Humarise…"

"That group that thinks Quirks are a sickness? Ugh… they're wackjobs…"

"They were behind that incident the other day…"

"Wasn't the dad a famous engineer though? I never would've seen this coming…"

"Kids, I don't want you to play with them anymore. Who knows what they might've picked up from him…"

"Okay…"

"Let's go to the park!"

"Yeah!"

That was all Rody heard. Without even an explanation, his father left the family one day. The reason why was even more jarring, as he was supposedly enlisted as a member of the terrorist organization that wanted to eliminate Quirks.

None of his three children could understand why, after so many years, he'd abandon them to become part of something so heinous. To make it even worse, they wound up on the receiving end of a torrent of abuse. Their home was ransacked and vandalized to the point where they couldn't live there anymore. Their friends were instructed were to no longer play with them, for fear that they could be brought into some sort of scheme. Their lives were changed forever…

Rody stared solemnly at the trailer home that would be where he and his siblings would live for the time being. All this time… with all the respect and admiration he had for his father, he didn't know what to think of his decision. He held up the locket he had been gifted with… and slammed it against the ground, breaking the chain upon it. Roro and Lala whimpered and sniffled, unable to comprehend what was happening to them. Their elder brother crouched down and wrapped his arms around them for an embrace.

"Brother…" they whimpered out.

"We'll be fine," he assured to them, "I'll always stay with you, okay?" he promised, "You'll never have to worry about me…" he vowed firmly.

END FLASHBACK

Since then, Rody had always made his siblings his top priority. It was why he did whatever dirty work he had to do in order to get money for them. He opened his eyes, seeing the moonlight beam down through the holes in the roof of the barn. He glanced over to see Izuku still sleeping beside him, with his right hand upon the briefcase. Connor was snoring nearby, and Rebecca was still lying off to the side and snoozing soundly.

The brunette-haired young man sat up and took hold of the case. He saw the One For inheritor stir momentarily, but he stayed asleep as he pulled the case out gently, letting his hand plop down. Rody stared at it for a moment in thought, remembering what he had been told by his companion.

'If this case is related to some sort of crime, we can't give it to the bad guys,' Izuku's voice echoed in his head, 'We might accidentally be helping out real villains…' he had pointed out. As much as he hated having to essentially betray the trust of his companions, the brunette-haired young man knew what he needed to do. And that was to be there for his family.

He slowly stood up and backed away cautiously, not wanting to wake either any of the others. But before he could even do anything, Pino started chirping angrily behind him as she flapped her wings to stay airborne. He whipped around in alarm, realizing that she could wake the others up.

"Shh!" he shushed with a finger to his lips. He knew his bird was trying to plead with him not to give up the case. But he wasn't willing to listen, ducking around her and running off outside into the fields. As he left, Connor felt himself stir as he opened his eyes. A little while later, Rody was in a telephone booth on the side of a dirt road, hearing the ring of the receiver before someone picked up. "Hello?" he said.

Back in the barn, Rebecca stirred as she could hear the panicked chirping of Pino, who was flying out right in front of her. She slowly opened her eyes to see her there.

"Hey…" she uttered in greeting, letting out a yawn, "Is something the matter…?" she guessed, rubbing her tired eyes. She then looked over and saw that not only Rody was gone, but so was the case. "Oh no…!" she gasped out, quickly getting to her feet and going over to Izuku, "Izu, wake up!" she insisted, shaking him by his shoulder while Pino chirped in his face. He opened his own eyes after a moment.

"What's happening…?" he asked, only to find that the case that was beside him was gone.

"He must've taken off with it…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user assumed, gritting her teeth in frustration.

"But he left his bird behind…" the One For All inheritor pointed out, while Pino kept chirping with panic, "What could he be trying do?" he wondered aloud. At that moment, Rebecca blinked in realization.

"He wouldn't…" she grumbled out, quickly going over to grab her Happy Blasters from her bag before hurrying off out of the barn with them, as Izuku and Pino went after her. The bird flew out ahead of the student heroes, guiding them through the fields.

"Wait a minute, where'd Mister Connor go?" the One For All inheritor inquired, having not seen the portly man prior to leaving. Elsewhere, Rody was looking at the picture in his locket while waiting. After getting in touch with someone to inform them about the briefcase, he had been told to sit tight and wait.

"I should've known…" a familiar voice chimed in, getting his attention as he whipped around to see Connor approaching, "You called the police, didn't you?" he presumed, putting his hands onto his hips. The brunette-haired young man grimaced.

"You don't get it, old man…" he grumbled, "I've got family back home waiting for me…" he pointed out.

"I know," the portly man responded, "That's why I'll wait with you," he decided, seating himself down beside Rody, much to surprise, "To me, you're family," he affirmed, "I've known you since me and your father first met all that time ago, back when you were still a tyke," he told him, "And when Selina was still alive," he mentioned, causing the brunette-haired young man to grimace, "I'm sure your father would've wanted you to do what's best for the family, even under all those circumstances," he pointed out, "And I know that he's a good man," he added firmly, "I'm sure he had his reasons…" he finished.

"Reasons for leaving us?!" Rody shouted suddenly as he got onto his feet, surprising Connor, "Reasons for joining some goddamn terrorist group?!" he yelled on in question, clenching his trembling fists, "Every time I think about him now, I can't help but wonder why he even bothered raising us…" he muttered in admittance, "If he was gonna end up being a no-good guy in the end, why even try…?" he wondered through what sounded like a sob. Tears were pricking his eyes. Connor turned away, exhaling a sigh.

"When Rachel and my daughter left without warning, your father helped me back on my feet," he told the brunette-haired teen, "For a time, I wasn't sure if I'd have the stomach to move on," he admitted further, "Whatever your father got himself involved in, I'm sure it wasn't his choice," he mentioned firmly to Rody, who blinked in surprise, "You can't keep putting everything on his feet," he added. They then heard a helicopter approaching from above, enticing them to look up and see its spotlights beaming down.

"Old man… if I have to choose what to do," Rody began to the portly man, "I'm gonna put my family first," he affirmed. He stood up and waved his arms to signal to the helicopter, while Connor sighed. A moment after the aircraft landed, a figure hopped out. Rody couldn't tell who he was because of the lights beaming on him.

"Are you with the police?" he inquired, holding his arms up to brace himself from the luminosity.

"Hand over the package," the approaching man requested. Rather than try to talk things over, Rody picked up the briefcase and tossed it over, allowing him to catch it.

"So yeah…" he said as sweat beads formed upon his forehead, "This means I'm free to bounce, right?" he assumed, seeing the man check the case's contents before closing it. He set it aside, continuing his approach.

"Where're your other friends?" he asked, stepping forward. Rody could finally see him in full. He was a somewhat slim man with long hair, red skin, sunken eyes and a thin moustache. He also had several traits that resemble a Japanese Oni, including an underbite with two sharp teeth poking out from his lower jaw, and a pointed horn protruding from the middle of his forehead that curves upwards and sharp fingernails. By all accounts, he didn't look like he was with the police. "You all know, don't you?" he assumed, suddenly transforming his left arm into a spiked club as the brunette-haired young man gasped in shock, "You must've figured out by now the reason we're after the briefcase!" he proclaimed with his voice getting deeper.

His entire body transformed, ripping off the upper half of his outfit. He had gained a large amount of muscle mass, as well as a significant amount of belly fat. His skin turned a darker red and sprouted two larger horns from the sides of his head, while his teeth and jaws had grown as well. A panicked Rody stepped back in fright.

"No, we…" he tried to say, "we haven't got a clue!" he yelled as the transformed man continued his approach. The brunette-haired young man fell onto his bottom in a yelp, grimacing all the while.

"Stay back!" Connor yelled as he got out defensively in front of him, outstretching his arms, "Neither of us know a thing about whatever that case holds!" he affirmed. However, he wound up getting smacked aside by the Oni-like man, tumbling across the ground.

"Old man!" Rody cried out. The imposing figure then turned to him, making him grimace with fright. "Please, my brother and sister need me back!" he pleaded desperately to the Oni-like man, "They're only kids!" he pointed out, "Just let me go home!" he begged, bracing himself as the villain raised his right arm up, about to strike him. All of a sudden though, blue bursts of light rained down and pelted him, forcing him to stumble back.

"Wh…What the?!" the monstrous man yelped, glancing over to see Rebecca land down with her Happy Blasters in hand, aiming them both toward him. He growled, ready to crush her with his club-like arms. But without warning, a rush of pressurized air slammed against him from the side, making him yelp in pain. It was courtesy of Izuku, who was in midair with his left arm extended out as sparks of green electricity crackled around him.

"Air Force first…!" he noted aloud, "And then…" he continued, rearing his right leg back as he shot down toward the villain, "SMASH!" he yelled, landing a powerful swing kick to his target, who managed to block with the spiked club of his left arm. However, he failed to withstand the blow as he was knocked back, crashing against the front of the helicopter.

"We need to move, now!" Rebecca called out as she holstered her Happy Blasters, running over to check on Connor. The One For All inheritor nodded in agreement upon landing, but then took notice of something. Quickly, he ran towards Rody, who had picked up the case.

"Hey…" he uttered in fright, thinking that the freckled teen was about to tackle him for trying to give up the case, "I'm so sorry!" he apologized as he turned away. However, Izuku had actually lunged out to protect him from an incoming arrow, taking it to his chest as he winced in pain. His brunette-haired companion gasped.

"IZU!" Rebecca screamed. She then looked over to see that Beros was there, drawing another trio of arrows from her quiver onto her bow-like hand. She launched them out at the Cat Leaper Quirk user. Reacting quickly, she assumed her Overdrive form and sped away to evade them as plumes of dirt and dust erupted from their impacts with the ground. Meanwhile, the One For All inheritor gritted his teeth, rearing his right leg back.

'SMMAAAAAASSSSSSSSHHHHHHH!' he roared inwardly, swinging his leg forward and unleashing another pressurized blast of air. The archer villain took notice too late, being caught up in the plume of dust that erupted from the attack. Inside, she growled in frustration, readying another arrow. But before she could even set it, Rebecca charged up to her, causing her to gasp in surprise. She attempted to stab her with the arrow itself, but the Cat Leaper Quirk user kicked it out of her grasp. She then aimed her Happy Blasters and fired point-blank into the archer villain's stomach, making her let out a pained gasp before tumbling back along the ground. She came to a stop, breathing heavily as she started to push herself back up.

"You damn…!" she cursed out. The dust had yet to settle as beyond it, a meek Rody approached Izuku, who was still clutching his chest in pain.

"Why did you do that…?" he questioned, still somewhat stunned from all that occurred.

"Rody!" Connor called out as he ran over, while Rebecca emerged from the dust cloud.

"Hey!" she yelled, running over and picking up the portly man as he yelped, "We really need to go!" she yelled to them.

"Right!" Izuku responded through a wince, picking up Rody in his right arm, "I need you to hold onto me tightly," he advised, having green sparks crackle around him again before he leapt off into the distance. The Cat Leaper Quirk user jumped after them, glancing back at the dissipating dust cloud. As it cleared, Beros finally stood up with her hood falling off in the process. She immediately looked around for a sign of her foes, only to see none of them in sight.

"Dammit…" she cursed, realizing that she had failed her objective once more. Elsewhere in the nearby town, Rebecca and Connor had regrouped with the two teenage boys as she saw Izuku slowly removing the arrow from his chest.

"Agh!" he groaned out as the arrow fell onto the ground, with only a little blood at the tip. Drops dripped onto the dirt as he steadied his breathing, calming down.

"Wait here, okay?" Rody insisted, being crouched next to him, "I'll find a doctor or somebody quick!" he assured, about to take off.

"No…" Izuku refused to his surprise, "It's not that deep…" he pointed out, reaching into his overalls, "I'll be fine, don't worry…" he assured. He then pulled out his phone, which had been shattered in the process as its pieces fell onto the ground, "It destroyed my phone though…" he noted upon seeing it. The brunette-haired young man sighed with relief, realizing that it shielded him from taking a fatal blow.

"Here, I've got some bandages we can use," Rebecca offered, taking off her bag and unzipping it.

"Thanks, Rebecca," the One For All inheritor said with gratitude, "I think there's a first aid kit floating around in my bag in case we run out," he mentioned over to Rody, "You mind?" he inquired of him.

"Oh… yeah…" he responded, going over to undo the knot tying his companion's bag shut.

"That archer is a tough one for sure…" Izuku pointed out, "Once I'm patched up, we're gonna need to find another place to hide," he mentioned seriously. As he talked, all Rody could think about was why he and Rebecca came to his aid. They could've just taken the case and hurried off, leaving him behind. Heck, they could've run off during the whole fiasco on the bus. So why didn't they?

"Let me help," Connor insisted as he approached, carefully, unfastening Izuku's overalls before slowly removing his shirt, allowing him to see the wound, "Rody, the first aid kit?" he requested of the brunette-haired young man.

"Uh, yeah, got it," he stammered, pulling a small box out from the bag and handing it off to him.

"It might not look bad now, but it's better to get that closed up and disinfected before you find yourself in trouble," he noted to Izuku, dabbing a ball of cotton with rubbing alcohol before applying it to the wound. The One For All inheritor let out a wince. In the meantime, his girlfriend looked back at where they had come from.

"Let's finish patching Izu up once we're all in a safer place," she advised.

"Right," Connor agreed before they all hurried off.

X

The quartet found themselves a cave to reside in, with the Cat Leaper Quirk user starting a small fire before Connor went ahead and restarted tending to the One For All inheritor's wound, wrapping bandages around him. As he did, he was reading through the map he had, trying to determine the next best course of action. What happened earlier wasn't as much of a setback, but he knew that they still needed some form of transportation. Otherwise, they'd be left walking, which would likely take almost a month.

Meanwhile, Rody looked over at him curiously. He was still baffled by why the freckled teen shielded him and why Rebecca fought for him and the portly man back on the bus. It wasn't like he deserved their trust. He had treated them harshly in spite of what they were trying to do to make things right. Topping it off, he had tried to get rid of the case against their wishes.

"There," Connor said, having finished bandaging Izuku, "You should be all set for a while," he assured.

"Thank you, Mister Connor," he said with gratitude, giving him a small smile, which he returned.

"Huh…" Rebecca sighed with relief. Rody glanced away. The questions about the two student heroes continued ringing in his head. It was practically to the point where he couldn't stand it anymore.

"…Why did you take the arrow back there?" he questioned, causing Izuku to perk up.

"Huh?" he uttered in confusion, "What are you asking?" he inquired, setting down his magazine. Rody stood up and walked toward the cave entrance.

"I betrayed you. You know that…" he pointed out, "I stole the case while you both slept," he mentioned, "Instead of worrying about me…" he continued as Izuku and Rebecca looked on at him, "you could've grabbed it and run away," he said.

"Uh, why would either of us do something like that?" the One For All inheritor asked back with a tilt of his head.

"Hmph," Rody scoffed, coming to a stop, "I was carrying the jewelry the villains stole this afternoon," he noted in reply, "I'm one of those bad guys who heroes hate and wanna throw in jail," he added as an admission, shaking his head and shrugging all the while.

"So you admit you were working with them…" Rebecca said, narrowing her eyes onto him. Inwardly, he grimaced.

"Well… I can't ignore when someone's in trouble," Izuku pointed out to his surprise as he looked back at him, "It's… kind of my life's dream to help people," he mentioned. Rody slightly turned.

"Why would a criminal like me be worth getting hurt over?" he asked, confused by the fact that the One For All inheritor was so insistent on saving him. He blinked in surprise, but then smiled innocently.

"It's always worth it if I'm able to help someone, no matter who it is!" he affirmed in response. Rody was surprised. That sounded… so childish… yet earnest. It did confuse him even more as he rubbed the back of his head.

"I do not get you…" he grumbled, seating himself down on a nearby rock, "Heck, I don't get you either…" he mentioned as he looked over to Rebecca, causing her to perk up, "Why'd you stay on the bus when those guys attacked?" he inquired of her. She gave off a little smile after a moment.

"I guess we could've taken off once things got dicey back there," she admitted, "But…" she continued, "heroes are supposed to protect people," she pointed out, "It wouldn't be right if I just took off and left those passengers to maybe get killed because of our mistakes…" she told him.

"Mmm…" Rody hummed out, seemingly unconvinced.

"That's why I admire heroes," Izuku chimed in, getting his attention, "I want to be someone who can save people…" he declared, "with a smile on my face the whole time," he added, "I want to be like All Might," he said, thinking back to his teacher in his prime.

"You're talkin' about the blonde one, yeah?" Rody guessed, "He's pretty famous," he pointed out.

"Uh-huh," Izuku responded in confirmation, "He's my teacher," he told him.

"Seriously?" he questioned, quite surprised, "So you wanted to become just like All Might…" he realized as he glanced down at the ground, "You chased that dream until it became a reality for you…" he pointed out, "Heh," he chuckled out, looking up at the starry sky outside, "You and me couldn't be any more different…" he muttered in conclusion. Connor gave off a worried look

"Huh?" Izuku uttered out, sounding confused.

"What do you mean?" Rebecca asked curiously.

"My future's pretty set in stone already," Rody told them, "I don't have the luxury of saying nonsense like 'I wanna be a pilot'…" he explained, "It's all I can do to provide for my younger siblings," he mentioned, causing both the One For All inheritor and the Cat Leaper Quirk user to give off worried looks.

"Well, maybe—!"

"Don't say a word! I don't want your pity!" Rody venomously shouted, interjecting Izuku as he stood up, enticing him to sit back down, "Stupid heroes…" he muttered out after a moment, "I've always thought they were people looking for attention…" he recalled, remembering a time where he had to defend Roro and Lala from some hoodlums in his younger years, "Wanted to make money under the guise of helping others…" he grumbled on, "You see, pros never come to the place where I live," he told his companions, "Wouldn't make any cash there…" he mentioned, pausing for a few moments, "…But… I guess there are heroes like you around, too," he realized, causing the freckled teen to blink in surprise, "The more you help me and I get to know you two," he continued as Rebecca perked up, "the more I wonder about what I'm doing with my own life," he confessed, "Truth is, I'm pretty lame…" he concluded in admittance.

Izuku took a moment to look at his scarred right hand. It was one of the many reminders of what he needed to do in order to overcome his limitations without literally breaking himself. And he had done that time and time again.

"I would say the same about myself," he admitted back, much to Rody's surprise, "I've wanted to be a pro hero forever since I was just a little kid…" he pointed out in remembrance, "But I was too weak…" he noted, "People kept telling me my goals were impossible…" he mentioned on, thinking back to all that he had learned throughout his time training under All Might, studying at U.A., and battling all kinds of villains, "I couldn't use my Quirk properly at first," he said, recalling his many injuries that left him with devastating scars, "And I was at the bottom of my class," he added, "Even now, I'm always being helped out by my classmates…" he recalled, "I'm still weak…" he admitted sadly, "That's why I wanted so badly to improve," he stated as the brunette-haired young man looked to him with a surprised expression, seeing him close his scarred hand into a fist, "To become a hero who saves people… and always with a smile," he finally declared. Rody could tell how determined and honest Izuku was. He was willing to face his goals in spite of the challenges he came across. He let off a small grin. They weren't that different after all. Rebecca smiled at her boyfriend, taking his scarred hand into her own.

"As for me, I wanna be a hero that can give people a second chance," she told Rody.

"A second chance?" he repeated in confusion, earning a nod in reply from the Cat Leaper Quirk user.

"It's not just about giving people the chance to change, but also helping change their futures in a better direction," she explained, "Doing that, I can help so many," she proclaimed proudly, "I know it sounds weird, but…" she continued.

"No, it's not at all," Connor chimed in, getting her attention, "Your dreams are admirable," he affirmed, "All of them," he mentioned, specifically towards Rody as he blinked in surprise, "Take it from an old fossil like me," he remarked, "My dreams of piloting went away long ago…" he noted.

"Wait, you used to be a pilot?" Rody asked in surprise.

"Aye, a fine one at that," Connor replied, "But sadly, those times came to pass after I grew old…" he pointed out, looking up in thought, "You're still young, though," he mentioned, "Your dreams can become reality," he stated.

"Mister Connor…" Rebecca uttered out. Izuku was surprised by the conversation. Before he could think more about it, he heard chirping above him. Pino descended down onto his unkempt hair, nestling herself in it.

"Oh, yeah," Rody said upon noticing, "That's Pino," he introduced for her.

"Hi Pino," Izuku greeted as he looked up at her, while the brunette-haired young man walked over. She chirped happily flying up and down. She then flew over and nestled onto Rebecca's head, causing her to blink in surprise.

"Uh… guess she really likes you…" Rody noted, sheepishly scratching at his cheek.

"Guess so," the Cat Leaper Quirk user concluded with a giggle, standing up from her seat.

"Oh and by the way, the name's Rody Soul," the brunette-haired teen introduced to his companions, "We sorta skipped intros…" he remarked with a shrug. Izuku smiled, getting onto his feet.

"And my name's Izuku Midoriya," he introduced in response, "But call me my hero name, Deku," he requested politely.

"Deku," Rody repeated, putting his hands onto his hips, "That's easy to remember," he pointed out.

"Yeah, it's grown on me…" Izuku admitted in response. The brunette-haired young man then turned to the Cat Leaper Quirk user, who let out a chuckle.

"Rebecca Bluegarden," she introduced, causing Connor to blink in surprise, "You can just call me Rebecca," she assured with a small smile. Rody smiled, but grimaced upon noticing how contently comfortable Pino seemed upon her head. "Is… something wrong?" the student hero asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Uh, n-no!" he stammered in response, "We should probably get some sleep," he advised of his companions, "It's been a long day for all of us…" he pointed out.

"Good idea, Rody," Izuku agreed. Moments later, the three of them all went ahead and lied down on their bags, starting to fall asleep. Pino nestled herself upon Rebecca, only for Rody to pull her off.

"Come on, you…" he insisted, causing her to coo sadly. However, she was contented with a small blanket as she lied down next to her owner. He let out a long yawn, falling asleep with a smile. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all. Meanwhile, Connor stayed awake for a moment, trembling a little. He stared over at the now-sleeping Rebecca.

'Could it be…?' he wondered inwardly. He then shook his head, lying down and falling asleep.

X

"I deeply apologize," the Otheon Police commissioner general said upon the holographic screen floating in front of Flect inside the latter's base, "They escaped before we could neutralize them," he told the luminescent man, "The entirety of the police force has been mobilized to seek out their location," he mentioned assuredly.

"Can't you get the army involved?" Flect asked.

"I'm sorry, sir," the commissioner general apologized, "I'm afraid that's beyond my jurisdiction," he confessed.

"Then continue with the search," the Humarise leader instructed firmly.

"Of course," his subordinate responded, "For the salvation of humanity," he remarked before his screen disappeared. Flect then glanced over to one that was beside it, which showed an image of Rody holding the briefcase when his colleagues had tracked him down. He narrowed his eyes.

'With a power like yours, you could be a great hero one day!' a voice echoed in his head. He exhaled a sigh.

"No…" he said, closing his hands into fists underneath his robe, "Power like mine… only leads to more suffering…" he noted aloud to the empty room he was in. It was early morning as back in the cave, Izuku and Rebecca were still asleep, as the fire beside them had gone out. They stirred and woke up upon overhearing something outside.

"Ah!" Izuku gasped, quickly getting to his feet, "A villain!" he yelped out, "Ergh…!" he winced, clenching his teeth in pain from his wound he received last night. Just then, Rebecca noticed that Rody and Connor gone… but the case was still there. Cautiously, the two of them wandered out as they heard the revving engine of a truck, having gathered their belongings. They perked up once they noticed who was there.

"Rody?" the Cat Leaper Quirk said, noticing the brunette-haired young man closing the door to a rusty-looking truck parked next to him, with Connor coming out as well.

"Sorry, did I wake ya?" the former of the two assumed apologetically.

"Where'd you get a truck?" Izuku asked as he and Rebecca approached.

"I kinda borrowed it," Rody replied, looking back at the vehicle, "Just figured we were done walking," he pointed out, "Even wrote an IOU in the name of the World Heroes' Association," he mentioned, recalling the note he left on the barn where he found the truck in.

"So you basically stole it…" Rebecca concluded with an annoyed frown. The brunette-haired young man grimaced.

"Th-They'll understand…" he affirmed as he stuttered a little, causing her to roll her eyes, "Wish they had a Cessna…" he admitted, turning back to the truck, "We could've flown straight into Klayd that way no problem," he pointed out, opening the driver door.

"Like an airplane?" Izuku inferred, getting his attention, "You can really fly something like that?" he questioned on, quite surprised.

"Only in my dreams, friend," Rody replied, taking his seat and closing the door, "Get in," he advised of his companions. After a moment, both Rebecca and Izuku took their seats inside the truck, with the former seated by the passenger window, while the latter was in the middle. Connor sat in the back of the flatbed, looking up at the dawning sky. The truck drove along the dirt road as the brunette-haired young man was at the wheel. "Question," he said, getting the attentions of his two companions inside.

"Yeah?" the One For All inheritor said.

"Once we figure out the case's secret," Rody began, seeing that the briefcase was between him and the freckled teen, "I can go home, right?" he inquired.

"That should be fine," Rebecca answered for her boyfriend with a small smile.

"Oh, I bet your younger brother's waiting for you at home, right?" the One For All inheritor assumed.

"Yeah, with my sister," Rody mentioned in reply.

"What about your parents?" the Cat Leaper Quirk user asked.

"My mom died right after she had my sister, so it was up to my dad to take care of the kids," the brunette-haired young man told his companions as a response, "He did a pretty good job there for a while, raising us while juggling work," he mentioned while looking at the road ahead, "Then he suddenly up and disappeared one day," he finished.

"Disappeared?" Izuku repeated in confusion, somewhat surprised and concerned.

"You know about that group called Humarise?" Rody inquired of him.

"We do," he replied, "They're a terrorist organization that we've actually been trying to bring down with the other heroes around the world," he explained on.

"That so, huh?" the brunette-haired teen said, "Yeah, well…" he continued with a sigh, "after people in town found out that Dad left to become a member, things got bad for my family," he told his companions, causing them to blink in surprise, "Our friends started ignoring us, we were kicked out of our school and out of our house, and I couldn't find anyone who would hire me for honest work," he listed off in explanation.

"I'm sorry, that's awful…" Rebecca apologized solemnly.

"…I obviously resented my dad at first," Rody admitted as he glanced over to his passengers, "But not so much anymore," he noted, "I don't have time to think twice about him," he added with a small grin, "Now, my little brother and sister are the most important things to me," he pointed out, "I just wanna create a decent future for those kiddos," he declared, pulling out his locket and opening it up before showing the picture inside of him and his siblings to Izuku and Rebecca.

"Aw… they're so cute!" the One For All inheritor gushed, while the Cat Leaper Quirk smiled.

"My little brother's stupid smart," Rody noted, "And my sister's totally adorable," he boasted. Both student heroes looked over to him and gasped, seeing that his eyes were actually fixated on the picture and not the road he was driving along. "First person to break her heart gets KO'd!" he vowed.

"Whoa!" Izuku yelped as the truck swerved around for a moment, "Keep your eyes up, Rody!" he insisted as they started driving down a hill. Connor glanced inside the truck to see Rebecca laughing with the pair of teenage boys. For a moment, his eyes widened before he turned away, remaining silent. And like that, the journey to Klayd really began for them. As the sun dawned on the countryside, they continued along the roads ahead.

Izuku and Rebecca were making sure they followed the map leading to the border, all while Rody drove. They admired the scenery of Otheon, consisting of colorful flower fields, expansive bodies of water, and massive canyons. At one point, the One For All inheritor had to get out of the truck to make sure he properly guided the truck across a river. Things were going smoothly… until he tripped and fell into the water. The driver immediately brought the truck to a stop, sighing with exasperation as he put his left hand onto his head.

Once the river was officially crossed, Izuku had to remove his clothes to let them dry as they hung from the back of the vehicle. He blushed with embarrassment as he had been provided with Connor's large coat to wear for the time being. Rebecca gave him a reassuring smile, helping dry him off.

Later, the quartet of fugitives had arrived at a gas station to refuel the truck. The attendant inside stared suspiciously, seeing the crouched figure of Izuku helping pump the truck full, while Rebecca was seated in the car, as both of them had their hats on. Before the attendant could determine if they were the criminals he had seen from the news, Rody and Connor popped in with a basket of supplies they were looking to buy, much to his surprise. Upon noticing the news broadcast playing on the TV, the brunette-haired teen quickly distracted the attendant, all while his companions made sure that the truck was all fueled up.

As they drove on from there, thunderstorms were starting to spread. They had to find a way to get through due to a mudslide creating a roadblock. So with Izuku using his Blackwhip with his girlfriend holding onto him, they worked together to tug the truck up a rocky hill, all while Rody instructed them from the driver's seat.

Once they cleared that hurdle, the rest of the journey grew a little easier. They ate their meals on the road, enjoyed the vast scenery, and occasionally stopped to stretch their legs. At one point, it seemed like they weren't sure as to where they were going, needing to consult the map in order to double-check their route. One night, they were camped out in a small shed with the truck parked outside.

"Dang…" Rody uttered as Connor was fixing up Izuku's bandages, "I can't get over how useful your Quirk is…" he complimented to the One For All inheritor, causing him to perk up.

"What about you?" he questioned, making the brunette-haired teen blink in surprise, "I mean, do you have a Quirk?" he asked with an innocent smile, "I've been wondering…" he admitted.

"I don't wanna talk about it…" Rody bluntly responded as there was a tint of pink on his cheeks. Connor chuckled.

"Guess you're still a little sensitive after all this time, huh?" he presumed of the brunette-haired teen.

"Uh… sorry…" Izuku apologized, lowering his gaze.

"Huh…" the brunette-haired teen sighed after a moment, "You won't laugh, will you?" he inquired of the student heroes.

"I promise!" the One For All inheritor vowed as he gave off a firm, serious expression.

"Really?" his new friend questioned.

"No, we swear it!" Rebecca promised as she approached, while her boyfriend nodded furiously. Rody's blush grew slightly redder. No one had ever asked him about his Quirk. Then again, he didn't really want anyone to know… But when it came to the two people he knew he could now trust, the situation was different.

"Okay…" he responded, "It's kinda weird…" he admitted, while the stars shined brightly and beautifully in the night sky above.

END

And there's another chapter of "Through the Rough" completed! We're almost halfway through the World Heroes' Mission Arc! Before I conclude, I think I do need to bring up the fourth My Hero Academia movie that's bound to come out as of the time I've written this chapter.

By then, I'll have determined whether or not I'll be doing an adaptation of it. It's not that I don't want to, but I'm sure people have gotten pretty sick of me doing My Hero Academia content. But hey, if you want me to do it, I will.

That's all for now! Thanks for reading!