We're back! I know that it's probably felt like a long couple of weeks, but "Through the Rough" has finally returned! And boy, do we have a lot of stuff to get through…

For starters, we're going into Season 3 of My Hero Academia in this adaptation, probably one of the stronger seasons of the anime. Maybe the second strongest. It's going to be quite the ride, especially as we head into the Forest Training Camp Arc and the Hideout Raid Arc.

But here's the thing. With chapters being longer than they were before, this story isn't updating as frequently. Not to mention that there'll be original story threads scattered about to give development for some characters and to get certain arcs underway. That's how we're going to kick off Season 3!

So without further delay, welcome back to "Through the Rough"!

THROUGH THE ROUGH

The summer heat was quick to arrive in Japan. People were outside, bustling about and enjoying the nice weather. On the sidewalk, one man walked with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his pants. He was a slim yet well-toned young man with amber eyes, dark eyeliners, studded ears, and spiky green hair with a crew cut. He had a set of distinct, dark-colored tattoos covering half of his upper body, most of which were hidden by an open jacket with a fur collar. He also wore a pair of dark-colored pants with a belt, along with a metal chain with a cyclopean skull-shaped pendant around his neck. He had several intricate rings on his fingers and a metal armband on his right wrist. A pair of sunglasses was over his eyes as he looked up in thought for a moment, stopping next an alleyway.

"Hey!" a voice called out, belonging to a burly man standing ahead of him amongst a small group, "What's with the jacket in this weather, moron?!" he yelled in question, cackling amongst his buddies. The young man ignored them, turning and heading down the alley. "What the?!" the thug yelped, growling as he and his friends ran into the alley after the young man.

"Hey, we're talkin' to you, punk!" another one shouted, "What, you think you can walk away?!" he inquired loudly, reaching down behind his back to try and pull out a gun. But suddenly, he felt his movements completely cease. In fact, everyone around him ceased movement.

"Wh-What the…?!" one stammered out before they found themselves floating off of the ground up to the rooftops of the buildings they were between. The young man below removed his sunglasses.

"Idiots really need to learn to look before they leap…" he grumbled out.

"What'd you say, you—?!" The man stopped shouting once he noticed something upon the back of the young man's jacket, widening his eyes in shock and horror. It was a skull symbol with ten tentacles protruding from it. "Y…You're with… Poseidon Nero…?!" he inquired, trembling all the while. The young man glanced back at him and the others in midair.

"I'm his damn son," he said, flicking his wrist down. In an instant, the men in the air plummeted to the ground in an instant. They didn't even have the chance to scream before their bodies crunched against the surface sickeningly. The young man let the energy lines upon his arm fade away, putting his glasses back on as a puddle of blood spread through the alley from those he killed.

He was annoyed. He was irritated. He felt vexed. And it was all because his father had put him into a position where he needed a way out. So he was about to get it.

FLASHBACK

"I must say, it's quite rare to see someone of your stature coming to me for help…" a gruff voice admitted, belonging to a man with features of aquatic animals, having a mass of tentacles for hair, a matching 'beard', and fins in place of his ears. Additionally, he had sharp eyes and spotted skin. He wore a high-collared coat with a chain holding the cuffs together, ocean-themed flowing robes, and a long cape that included a symbol of a skull with ten tentacles protruding from it. "You must be in serious financial trouble… Drakken," he noted to the man seated across the table from him. They were in what appeared to be an office, with the bar owner sitting on a sofa, downing a glass of whiskey. Lurking in the corner of the room was the green-haired young man, who listened with disinterest.

"Money's not the problem here," Drakken corrected as he set his glass down onto the coaster, "It's the muscle," he pointed out, "Guys like Stain, Jamilov, and now that bastard Müller are proving just how weak newer villains are," he mentioned, "Even the Nomu are becoming useless!" he complained, folding his arms over his chest.

"Does he share your sentiments?" the heteromorphic man inquired.

"Hell if I know," Drakken grumbled, "He's not part of the Seis like you and me, Nero," he pointed out.

"I see…" the heteromorphic man responded, narrowing his sharp eyes, "I understand that Crimson was involved in the Shibuya incident," he recalled, "Could she not provide more assistance to you?" he questioned.

"That was Müller who called her ass in, not us," the bar owner replied in a grumble, "And for the record, I don't think she'd want anything to do with Tomura and those other brats," he mentioned honestly.

"…Then what is it you need, my fellow Seis?" Nero inquired.

"Like I said, muscle," Drakken responded, "What we're about to pull off, we need all the help we can get," he noted, "It's not just some kids aiming to be bigshots," he added, "They're the real deal…" he admitted, "Especially the guy that's supposed to be Ziggy's grandkid," he mentioned, causing the young man in the corner of the room to perk up.

"Ziggy, hm?" the heteromorphic man repeated as he looked down in thought for a moment, "I'm afraid I can't help you, Drakken," he stated to the bar owner's surprise, "Ziggy was a friend of mine, even as a hero," he pointed out, "Why would I support something where his grandson could be attacked?" he questioned.

"Hey, you slimy piece of—!" Before the bar owner could finish his remark, Nero rolled a trio of dice along the table between them. They came to a stop, with one showing a four, another showing a five, and the last showing a two.

"I will not lend you the aid of either Oceans or Beasts," he confirmed to his fellow Oracion Seis member, "That said, I will not stop you," he added.

"Tch," Drakken scoffed, standing up from his seat and walking away, "You've got some nerve, old man…" he muttered out, about to open the door, "Guess I'll ask someone else if they can—"

"Hold it," the young man in the room chimed in, getting his attention as he turned to see him there, "You said neither Oceans nor Beasts, right old man?" he inquired of his father, who narrowed his eyes.

"Shura…" he uttered.

"Didn't say anything about me, did he?" his son questioned as he approached Drakken.

"Hold on, you're—"

"Don't get me wrong, it's not that I give a shit about your little plans," Shura admitted, interrupting the bar owner, "It's just that I wanna do something instead of being cooped up in here like a damn pet…" he grumbled, shooting a glare toward his adoptive father.

"…Huh…" he sighed, "The dice haven't told me to hold you back…" he noted, "You're free to do as you wish…" he confirmed, causing the tattooed young man to chuckle.

"Like I'd give a damn what your stupid dice think, old man!" he remarked before exiting with a dismissive wave. A moment of silence passed. Drakken let out his own laugh.

"Thanks for your time, Nero," he said, leaving as well. The heteromorphic man lowered his head in contemplation. He didn't know why his adopted son would be so willing to break away like this…

END FLASHBACK

Shura made his way up the steps to the bar before knocking on the door with his right fist. He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he waited. He wasn't sure what to make of this operation that Drakken had talked about. It sounded silly, reckless even to go after U.A. With all that he heard had happened in the past few months, he wasn't sure about this group trying to take on kids aspiring to be heroes.

But then he heard about the boy known as Ziggy's grandson. And his blood boiled. A memory flashed through his head of him first managing to manifest his Ether-type Quirk, courtesy of the former number one hero, who was good friends with his father.

"Ah, Poseidon Shura," a voice chimed in, getting his attention as he saw the door slightly open, revealing Kurogiri there, "Welcome," he greeted.

"Tch," the tattooed young man scoffed, "Just call me Shura," he grumbled as a request, "I don't want anything to do with that damn fossil…" he muttered.

"I see…" the Warp Gate Quirk user responded, narrowing his glowing yellow eyes. He then pulled the door open for Shura to enter. Immediately, he saw the crew of villains that he would be allied with. Dabi, Himiko, Maria, Fie, Daichi were in the room, while Tomura and Drakken were sitting at the back. The latter two perked up as they took notice of the new arrival.

"So…" the League of Villains' leader uttered as he stood up from the barstool he was sitting upon, "this was the big catch you were talking about, huh?" he assumed, looking back at the bar owner.

"Uh-huh," he responded with a nod, finishing his whiskey as he set his glass down onto the counter, "Now we've got ourselves a real crew and then some," he confirmed, smirking wickedly. Shura looked around. He could Himiko creepily smiling his way, while Maria was licking a lollipop rather seductively. He didn't care, not as long as they wouldn't get in the way of what he wanted.

"So where do we start?" he asked of Drakken.

OPENING

Insert "ODD FUTURE" by UVERworld

Opens with Izuku and Rebecca getting into lunging stances before taking off into the distance as a bright blue sky looms overhead. We see a scene of Nana Shimura holding out her gloved hand to a skinny All Might, who accepts it as a light shines between their palms. A bright light flashes across the screen.

We cut to the rest of Class 1-A running together at the campground in their P.E. clothes, with Shiki leading the way as he leaps ahead. Ochaco and Momo are staring at him from behind somewhat longingly. But once they notice each other staring at him, they blush and look away.

Elsewhere around the camp, we see Homura using her energy blades to slash down mounds of earth formed by Pixie Bob, Shoto practicing with shooting his flames from his left arm, followed by unleashing a wave of ice from his right foot, Weisz remodeling multiple machines to practice more with his Quirk, and Katsuki unleashing large explosions up into the sky. As Izuku takes a moment to catch his breath, he looks over to see Rebecca running alongside Tenya. She spots her boyfriend and shoots him a warm smile, which he returns as he blushes.

However, that happiness is shattered as the forest is engulfed in blue flames that evening, courtesy of Dabi. He's joined by Himiko, Twice, Compress, Mustard, Muscular, Moonfish, Laguna, Fie, Daichi, Maria, and Shura. The latter of the group floats up and has Ether Gear markings expand along his right arm as he aims it down at the ground, which suddenly caves in. He grins wickedly as he dives toward Shiki, who retaliates with a Gravity Fist.

We see Laguna turning to face off with Weisz, who equips into his Arsenal armor before dashing out at him. Meanwhile, Daichi emerges from the ground, joining Maria in confronting Rebecca and Kyoka, who stand back-to-back and grimace. Izuku is in battle against Muscular, lunging forward and rearing his right fist back for a full-powered punch.

The scene changes to Drakken Joe atop a roof as the wind rushes around him. He's approached by Jaguar, who stares at him indignantly. A leaf blows by, revealing a flashback of the two confronting on the same rooftop. Drakken doesn't look like he's aged a day since then.

We cut to Tomura being approached by All For One, who rests his hand onto his head gently. Several Nomu emerge behind him, ready to act on command. We get a shot of Poseidon Nero, who opens his eyes as his dice rattle in his hands. We also see Noah Glenfield, who closes a book as he approaches the desk of Nezu at U.A.

All Might arrives, landing down mightily to confront All For One, roaring as his eyes glare onto his foe. There are several shots of Mirko, Endeavor, Justice, Holy, Eraser, Feather, Cure, Jaguar, Edgeshot, Kamui Woods, Gang Orca, and Eraser Head, with all of them battling against enemy forces.

We end on Izuku and Rebecca standing up alongside All Might, staring out determinedly towards the horizon, ready to go and save the world.

END OPENING

"Ah…" Rebecca yawned tiredly as her eyes fluttered open. She smacked her lips and stretched her right arm up, shaking a little. She took notice of the window right beside her, realizing that she was on a plane.

It had been two whole days since the attack on I-Island. And during that time, some very strange things had happened. She felt a weight upon her left shoulder, looking over to find Izuku there, snoozing soundly as his head rested upon her. She blinked in surprise before smiling warmly.

The craziest thing that had happened wasn't the fact that they fought against villains to save the island. It was the fact that she finally acted on her feelings and kissed the freckled teen. And they both admitted that they really liked each other. It was a huge step in their relationship, likely taken due to all of the adrenaline from the chaos they went through.

She looked down at the chipped B-Cube that Izuku had planned to give her that night. It was still broken, as even Melissa had no way to fix it. But that didn't matter to Rebecca. It was now a keepsake that cemented her relationship with her best friend. Rather, her boyfriend now.

'Oh gosh…' she uttered inwardly in realization, 'I wonder how everyone else is gonna react…' she said to herself, remembering how giddy both Mina and Toru were about her and the One For All inheritor potentially getting together.

"Have a good sleep?" a familiar voice chimed in, getting her attention as she saw the disheveled form of All Might approach, sitting down in the seat across from them.

"Oh, uh, yeah…" the Leaper Quirk user responded with a blush across her cheeks, "Honestly… I'm still kinda processing everything that happened on I-Island…" she admitted, looking back toward the sky the plane flew across, "And of course… this…" she mentioned, tilting her head at the snoozing Izuku. Their teacher silently chuckled.

"You and Young Midoriya make for a lovely couple," he complimented, much to Rebecca's embarrassment as her cheeks burned red, "I'm very happy for you both," he said, "And I'm sure your relationship will only further strengthen your resolves to become heroes," he added confidently.

"Thanks, All Might," the Leaper Quirk user replied quietly.

"Still… that whole debacle may have set me back a bit further…" the number one hero admitted solemnly.

"You mean your time limit?" Rebecca guessed, "How long can you stay musclebound?" she inquired on out of concern.

"Likely just half an hour at most," he answered to her shock, "Maybe forty-five minutes if I'm pushing it…" he inferred on. Hearing that, the Leaper Quirk user frowned sadly. "Please don't concern yourself with me right now," he requested of her, much to her surprise, "I think your focus should be geared toward the upcoming summer camp," he advised.

"Right," Rebecca agreed as she nodded, "I should probably practice more with my Reverse technique to lengthen the timeframe more and—"

"Young Bluegarden," All Might interjected to her surprise as she blinked, "I think it would be best for you to not worry about that Reverse technique of yours," he insisted of her, "At least, not with Aizawa," he added.

"Wh-Why not?" she stuttered in question. The number one hero lowered his gaze for a moment.

"Like I said before we arrived on I-Island, your power is one that could be dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands," he explained to her, "It's fine for you to try and better understand it before letting Aizawa know about how it works," he assured on, "But for now, I'd keep it a secret just for safety," he advised. The Leaper Quirk user glanced off to the side in thought, wondering how best to go about all this. She wanted to get better, especially after going through what she did on I-Island, wanting to also be more than just a hero like Izuku.

"Okay, I'll be sure to keep it on the down-low for now," she promised with a smile to All Might, who grinned back.

"Oh, that reminds me…" he said, reaching to grab his phone. He fiddled with it for a few moments before Rebecca felt a buzz in her pocket. She reached down to grab her phone and pulled it out to see that she received a message from the number one hero. And when she opened it, she widened her eyes and blushed a bright red. On her screen was a picture of her and Izuku sleeping against each other. She looked up at All Might. "You two are very cute," he complimented with a big grin. The Leaper Quirk user giggled, smiling softly at the photo on her phone. She quickly made it her screensaver before relaxing in her seat, enjoying the rest of the calm flight home.

X

"A-Ah…" Izuku stuttered as he held his phone in his shaking hands, having just seen the picture of him and Rebecca snoozing against each other, "I… can't believe All Might took this…" he confessed, blushing a bright red.

"Guess he couldn't help himself…" the Leaper Quirk user noted, getting his attention as he saw her giggle. The two of them were walking along the street, having been dropped off near Rebecca's apartment by a taxi. All Might had gone ahead to meet with Naomasa to discuss the events of what happened on I-Island.

"Well… that was quite a couple days…" Izuku pointed out as he glanced off to the side, holding onto the straps of his large yellow backpack.

"Yeah…" Rebecca agreed, looking away herself. Things had never been this awkward before between them. With all the adrenaline gone, now they were nervous to even talk about what had happened. It was a long silence by the time they arrived at the One For All inheritor's apartment.

"Um… Rebecca?" he uttered out, getting her attention, "I know you feel like you don't have a goal set for you…" he noted, "but I'm sure you'll find it soon," he assured confidently, causing her eyes to shimmer a little. She smiled.

"Thanks, Izuku," she said in gratitude. At that moment, the door opened.

"Oh, Izuku!" Inko exclaimed happily, quickly hugging her son with her left arm, as Happy was being carried in her right.

"Hey Happy!" Rebecca greeted, taking hold of her cat and letting him lick at her fingers affectionately, "Thank you for taking care of him, Missus Midoriya," she said gratefully, "I hope he wasn't too much trouble…" she mentioned.

"Oh, not at all!" the plump woman affirmed in response, "He was such a sweetheart over the past few days!" she assured, "Anywho, how was the trip with All Might?" she asked curiously.

"It was great, Mom," her son answered, "But we're definitely a bit worn out…" he admitted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Yeah…" Rebecca agreed, "Matter of fact, I think I'm gonna rush back home…" she decided to her best friend and his mother's surprise, "Don't worry, I've got food and I'll be shopping over the weekend, too," she added reassuringly.

"Well, I suppose that's fine," Inko replied, "Izuku, I'll let you go ahead and say goodbye," she noted, heading back inside and closing the door. As she left, both the freckled teen and his best friend stared to each other. A semblance of the awkwardness from before was coming back. But there was also another feeling.

"I… really wish we could give you dinner tonight…" Izuku admitted, rubbing the back of his head.

"It's fine," Rebecca assured, "I eat with you guys almost all the time," she pointed out, "Figure I might as well not be a freeloader…" she remarked sheepishly.

"N-No!" her best friend stuttered, "You'd never be a freeloader to us!" he proclaimed. The Leaper Quirk user giggled.

"Thanks, Izuku," she said with gratitude, "Thanks… for everything," she added as she stepped closer. She leaned her head in and kissed his left cheek gently, just under a cluster of freckles. He blushed, though not as heavily as he saw her soft and warm smile. She then turned around and headed off, walking down the stairs. He remained frozen in place for what felt like a solid minute. But then… he acted.

"R-Rebecca!" he called out with a stutter, causing her to stop and turn around, "Before you go out shopping tomorrow…" he began, gulping a little, "would you like to go on a date with me?!" he asked, clenching his eyes shut and blushing. The Leaper Quirk user's own eyes shimmered again.

"…Yeah, I'd love to!" she responded to his surprise, "Meet me at my place around ten?" she offered to him.

"Y-Yeah, that sounds great!" he stammered in reply. With an excited giggle, Rebecca hurried off. Her best friend sighed with relief. He had no idea why he just did that, but he didn't care.

He asked the girl he liked out. And it felt really good. He went ahead and opened the door into his apartment… and was shocked to find his mother tearing up heavily.

"Izuku…!" she sobbed happily, causing him to grimace upon realizing that she must've overheard him asking Rebecca out. But he didn't really mind. Now was a new step forward for him. And with the time he and his new girlfriend had before the summer camp, there would be a lot of new things on the horizon.

ENDING

Insert "Update" by miwa

Opens with all of Class 1-A standing in front of U.A. together. Izuku and Rebecca stand at the front, with the former balling his left hand into a fist as he looks to the sky. His girlfriend glances over and smiles, happy to see him determined.

We go through a few scenes of Homura shaking as she struggles to withstand the heat of the hot spring, while her fellow female classmates are just fine. Weisz and Minoru attempt to peep on them, only to get struck by wash tops flung at them by Rebecca. They crash down on the other side of the while, with the rest of the boys there shaking their heads.

We see Izuku and Rebecca sleeping against each other on the subway ride back home. Ochaco smiles at them from nearby, but then notices Shiki sleeping on her shoulder and drooling. She screams in surprise, waking him up while also startling everyone in the train car. She blushes in embarrassment, burying her reddening face into her hands.

The scene changes to Homura joining Shoto on an excursion along the beach, where they're joined by their friends. Shoto finds a seashell and offers it to Homura, who accepts with a smile. Mina looks at them excitedly, while Kyoka rolls her eyes and sighs behind her.

We then shift to the class training, with Katsuki racing against Tenya and Weisz with his explosions. Shiki passes them all by to their shock, making him the winner. In the meantime, Rebecca practices kicking with Tsuyu, sharing a smile with her as they work together.

Everyone is doing their best around school, whether in the classroom or in the field. Izuku shares a moment with All Might on the beach before they shake hands firmly. We close out on a scene of some of the class standing on a tower together. Izuku smiles brightly, and Rebecca plants a kiss onto his left cheek under his freckles. She giggles as he blushes, happy to be with him and their friends.

END ENDING

And that ends the first of what'll probably be four to five chapters of the IzuBecca Summer Arc, which'll include the first date in the next chapter! Part of me really hopes that someday, there'll be fanart that comes out between Izuku and Rebecca. I don't know why, but they're such a cute couple to me. And it seems a lot of you agree, based upon the recent poll that came out about what pairing with Izuku is more favored.

That I should really talk about. I did say I wasn't going to do anything in my Omni Force series between those two, but with the way the poll has gone with an overwhelming majority of the votes going to IzuBecca, I have to ask you guys: should I make IzuBecca the canon pairing instead of him with Natalie?

It doesn't really matter for now, because we'll still be continuing with this story regardless. So next up is the first date coming next week! Hope you're all looking forward to it!