Hey folks! I'm really happy to report that chapters are coming out a lot quicker thanks to the required review count being reduced to at least four per update. I'm hoping that we'll catch up to where I'm at with the story by maybe late March or April. We've got the rest of Season 1, plus 50 chapters of Season 2 and 10 more chapters around the first movie.
I'm looking forward to getting into Season 3, but I really want to see what everyone thinks of these chapters first and foremost. I should mention that people that review chapters leading up to short requests should know that I will accept a request so long as I know that you reviewed an update this week or the latest chapter. But that's enough of the details.
Let's get back into "Through the Rough"!
Becca: can u come over to my place b4 school?
"Huh?" Izuku uttered upon reading the message on his phone. He was never invited over to Rebecca's apartment. Granted, he was a boy, and his mother likely didn't want him to be alone with a girl unless they were in school.
And the Leaper Quirk user probably understood just how nervous he'd be about such a prospect. So this unusual text first thing in the morning... was a little concerning. Izuku quickly ate his breakfast, having the ability to only use his left hand for the given moment as his right was still casted.
"Why are you in such a rush, Izuku?" his mother asked, seeing him quickly grab his bag and put on his shoes.
"I, uh... need to meet up with the teacher about something from yesterday..." he answered vaguely, "See you tonight!" he called out in farewell, hurrying off before Inko could say a word. Rebecca's apartment wasn't that far from where he lived. He hurried up the stairs to the third floor, quickly checking the numbers on the rooms. "Twenty-seven, twenty-eight..." he counted before arriving in front of the door with '29' on it. He gulped before knocking twice. A few moments went by before the door opened.
"Hey Izuku..." Rebecca greeted rather despondently, dressed for the day but with a very tired look on her face.
"R-Rebecca?" Izuku stuttered out worriedly, "Is... everything okay?" he asked her. She didn't responded, looking down sadly. "Do you... need a hug?" her best friend guessed. At that moment, the Leaper Quirk user blinked in surprise before looking up at him shimmering eyes. Tears flowed out from her eyes as she embraced the One For All inheritor, trembling all the while. Quite stunned, Izuku stood still for a moment before wrapping his left arm around her waist. Clearly, there was a lot for them to talk about.
"Your arm feel okay?" she asked later while sitting on the train beside him, having calmed down from earlier.
"I guess so..." he answered, "It'll be as good as new after Recovery Girl and Sister get a look at it," he assured, "Though I'm probably gonna need a cup of coffee afterwards..." he joked, causing her to giggle.
"I'm sorry for bawling like a baby..." she apologized, closing her hands into fists over her knees, "The truth is... I had a nightmare..." she admitted.
"Oh..." Izuku uttered out, "What... was it?" he asked out of concern.
"I saw... you, Tsuyu, and that grape pervert... all get turned to dust..." Rebecca answered, lowering her head, "I tried to save you, but..." she continued, "the bad guy got to you first..." she remembered, "And I was held back by this freaky monster guy..." she mentioned.
"Rebecca..." Izuku uttered out. Without really thinking about it, he grabbed her right hand with his left, holding it gently. "You don't have to worry," he assured to her as she looked to him with a surprised expression on her face, "I'm here," he said. The Leaper Quirk user's eyes shimmered before she smiled brightly.
"You really are cool, Izuku," she pointed out, causing him to blush a little before he gave off an awkward smile.
The day went ahead a little more smoothly than most. In reviewing the battle training footage, Shota did reprimand Izuku and Katsuki for their behaviors during battle. He also singled out Minoru for being overly perverse during his match. Rebecca felt herself smirk at his dismay. She was starting to feel a little better. But images of her dream flashed in her head for a few brief moments.
It had been so real that she thought her classmates and her best friend had perished into dust. But it wasn't real. So she had nothing to worry about. What she did need to worry about...
"We need to pick a class rep," Shota stated.
"Just like a normal school!" every student exclaimed in response. Everyone wanted to take on the class representative role, each putting out ideas for new school rules. In the end, it was decided that it'd be a democratic process, courtesy of Tenya. And after tallying the votes...
"I GOT FIVE?!" Izuku exclaimed in shock.
"All right..." Katsuki growled out as he shot up from his seat, "who the hell voted for him?!" he questioned angrily.
"What, did you honestly think anyone was gonna vote for you?" Hanta guessed.
"I'm more than happy with who I voted for..." Rebecca remarked, giving Izuku a wink. He blushed, smiling awkwardly. He was the class rep, while Momo was the deputy with three votes. Already, things were looking up for him.
"Huh..." Rebecca sighed, seating herself down at her table for lunch after gathering her food. She decided to sit away from Izuku today, wanting to have some space to think. Her nightmare was still lingering in her head. She needed something to get her mind off of it...
"Hey Bluegarden, are you dating Midoriya?!" Mina suddenly asked, setting her tray down next to the Leaper Quirk user. She immediately spat out the water she had been drinking and broke into a heavy blush. Okay, maybe that wasn't what she needed to get her mind off of her nightmare.
"Wh-Wh-Wh-What?!" she stammered out in question, "Wh-Where'd you get that idea from?!" she inquired with another stutter.
"From me," Kyoka answered, getting her attention, "Sorry, Bluegarden..." she apologized, "I only told them you two went to the same school together..." she recalled, scratching her right cheek sheepishly.
"Th-Them?" Rebecca stammered.
"We were curious, too, ribbit," Tsuyu croaked as she also approached.
"Yeah!" Toru agreed, also amongst the group. Momo and Homura were there as well.
"I must admit, I assumed Midoriya and you were a couple based on how supportive of him you were..." the Soul Blade Quirk user confessed, causing Rebecca to look over at her in surprise, "Ah, forgive me..." she apologized, putting her left hand sheepishly over her mouth, "I speak my mind quite often..." she pointed out.
"I thought the same thing," Momo admitted. Rebecca's blush grew heavier.
"So...?" Mina inquired, leaning closer to her with a big grin, nudging her shoulder against hers.
"I-I'm not dating Izuku!" she stuttered in response emphatically, "Sure, he's been my best friend since we were little kids, but-"
"Ooh, you were friends from when you were little?!" Mina interjected excitedly, "I smell a romance blossoming~!" she noted in a singsong voice.
"Th-There wasn't any romance!" Rebecca stammered, really embarrassed at this point.
"Knock it off, Ashido," Kyoka advised, poking the Acid Quirk user with her jacks.
"Huh..." Rebecca exhaled to calm herself after a moment, "If I'm being honest, the only I wouldn't want that kind of relationship with Izuku is because of how it could ruin our friendship if it goes south..." she told her female classmates, "And I mean..." she continued, "we'd be less focused on our schoolwork, probably..." she pointed out.
"That's true," Tsuyu agreed with a nod.
"But hey, if it could work out in the future, would you take your shot with him?" Toru asked curiously. Rebecca's blush returned, though it was less severe than before.
"I... don't know..." she admitted, glancing down in thought as she clutched her skirt, "But..." she kept going, letting off a small smile, "I wouldn't mind finding out with him..." she confessed. Mina and Toru squealed with delight, prompting Kyoka to jab them by using her jacks to get them to calm down. The Leaper Quirk user did have a lot to think about. But at least any worries over her nightmare were completely gone...
The rest of the day was quite crazy. After an alarm had sent the students into a frenzy, and Tenya working to calm them down, he was named the new Class 1-A representative by Izuku's choice. Rebecca was a bit upset that he was deciding to step down from the leadership role, but did realize that he probably wasn't ready for such a responsibility yet.
And with that, the next day came. The Leaper Quirk user had a much more pleasant dream as she and Izuku made their way to U.A. for another day of studies. Classes went along smoothly up to the hero training, which involved rescuing.
"Hey Deku, what happened to your costume?" Ochaco asked later as they were gathered outside, approaching the One For All inheritor as he donned his gym uniform with his elbow and knee guards, his belt, and gloves. Taking notice, Rebecca trembled a little before grabbing onto her left arm.
'Calm down...' she advised of herself, taking a deep breath, 'It was just a bad dream...' she noted inwardly, letting off a small smile. After getting onto the bus and beginning the journey to the training facility, many conversations were started, including Tsuyu asking about Izuku's Quirk... and how it was a lot like All Might's.
"Hold on, Tsu," Eijiro chimed in, "You're forgetting that All Might doesn't hurt himself when he uses his Quirk," he pointed out, much to the freckled teen's relief as he sighed with gratitude. As the conversation continued, leading to Katsuki getting teased by Tsuyu and Denki, Izuku looked over to see Rebecca sitting across from him. He gave her a soft smile, which she returned.
'Are you dating?' Mina's voice echoed in her head suddenly, causing her to blink in surprise. She glanced over to see the teasing grin on the Acid Quirk user's face as she wiggled her eyebrows up and down. The Leaper Quirk user felt her cheeks go red as she sighed deeply.
"If we're gonna talk more about flashy Quirks and all..." Denki chimed in, "then what about Kogetsu?" he questioned, causing Homura to perk up, "She's got the same Quirk as Valkyrie!" he noted.
"Wait, what?!" Izuku yelped in surprise, having not learned of such details until just now.
"How did you get that kind of Quirk anyway?" Mashirao asked curiously.
"Ether-Type Quirks can be fully inherited by another person, even if they aren't related by blood," Homura pointed out to her classmates, "You must believe I stole Valkyrie's Quirk, do you not?" she inquired of them.
"N-No, nothing like that!" Mashirao quickly assured in response with a stutter, waving his hands in a placating manner, "It's just that you're really good with it," he noted in a complimentary tone. A light smile crossed the Soul Blade Quirk user's face.
"I had a good teacher," she said. Hearing that, Katsuki glanced back at her curiously, narrowing his eyes.
"I got my Quirk inherited from my grandpa!" Shiki chimed in, raising his right hand.
"Honestly, I think mine was just from birth..." Rebecca admitted as she scratched at her right cheek, "What about yours, Weisz?" she inquired curiously to the Machina Maker Quirk user.
"It's not important..." he responded vaguely, making her groan in annoyance.
"Eyes sharp, Class One-A!" Tenya suddenly called out, getting everyone's attention, "We've arrived at our destination!" he noted seriously as the bus came to a stop.
The USJ was huge and had several facilities in which the students would be able to conduct rescue training in. No doubt was Izuku excited the most out of everyone to get a chance to partake in this experience. However... there was something strange going on. All Might was absent. Only Shota and 13 were there. By all accounts, the number one hero should've been amongst the teachers.
"Wonder what could've happened..." Rebecca whispered over to Izuku, who narrowed his eyes.
"Anyways... we should get started," Shota insisted. All of a sudden though, the lights flickered. And then at the center pavilion of the building, which the Leaper Quirk user recognized as the setting of her nightmare, a purple void opened up. And walking out from it was none other than the villain she had seen. She trembled in fright. Her nightmare... was coming true?!
And that's it for this chapter! Up next, it's the first time heroes and villains meet! Hope you're excited to see it!