Three more chapters to go, and the season's all wrapped up! We'll be getting into some original content to close out the season, so I hope you're looking forward to that. In the meantime, we've got a big fight ahead!
No beating around the bush this time, let's just get right into it!
THROUGH THE ROUGH
"Hey Endeavor, I didn't know you could fly!" Hawks remarked to the Flame Hero, who hovered outside the building while facing down the strange Nomu that had appeared.
"I'm just not falling!" he retorted, "Look alive!" he advised of his fellow heroes, "This thing's still moving…" he pointed out, noticing how the creature was keeping himself in midair thanks to the ports in his back providing him propulsion.
"C-Can't kill me… with… weak… f-flames… HERO!" he stammered out as his arm regenerated almost instantaneously. Enji could tell that this Nomu was strong based on his immediate powers. But even more surprising than that…
'It can talk…' he noted to himself.
"Show me… strength…" his foe insisted underneath the layer of skin that acted as a hood. Endeavor knew that he couldn't hold back against this foe, and taking him in alive would help shed light onto whatever the League of Villains was up to. His body burned brightly with heat.
"Flashfire Fist…" he began, "HELL SPIDER!" he roared, unleashing thin beams of fire from white-hot points at the tips of his fingers. However, the Nomu dodged them with relative ease, followed by augmenting his right arm to grab his opponent. He slammed him against the building, followed by sending him through it to the other side. The Hellflame Quirk user was quick to incinerate his foe's arm, but almost instantaneously, he found himself entrapped in the creature's grasp again. It roared, tearing him through the building as people inside were screaming with fright.
"This is not good…" Feather noted as she could hear the rumblings in the building, with her white energy lines apparent upon her face, "Hawks…" she said.
"Yeah, I know," he responded as some of his feathers had detached from his wings, "Give him support," he advised, "I'll handle evac," he decided. Nodding, the I.U.A. Hero unfolded her metal wings from her pack, flying off through the shattered window. Meanwhile, the Nomu tore Endeavor entirely through the building. He burned himself out of the creature's grasp, managing to catch himself in midair with his fire. Blood poured down his head as he grimaced.
'It overcame my reverse thrust!' he noted to himself, 'How is this thing faster and stronger than me?' he wondered inwardly as the top half of the building started to give way. He then noticed Feather flying towards them.
"Feather, the building—!"
"Hawks is evacuating those in the most danger at the moment!" the Eye of Venus Quirk user affirmed in reply, "In the meantime, I will help you subdue this foe for the time being!" she declared, unleashing a volley of mini-missiles towards the beastly creature. He weaved away from them, flying upward. However, they were honing in on him, forcing him to move about wildly to make them crash into each other and explode.
While that was happening, Hawks was quick to have his feathers fly out towards anyone in the damaged section of the building. His Quirk allowed for him to control each and every one of his feathers, grabbing everyone they could sense and bringing to safety. They returned to him just as he jumped out of the damaged half, ready to join the fray.
"Seventy-six people have been evacuated!" he confirmed, flying toward the Nomu just as a mini-missile wound up striking it in an explosion. He then ended up barraged by the Fierce Wings Quirk user's feathers, followed by a thin beam of fire racing across his chest. Endeavor readied his fingers again, heating them up at white-hot points again.
"HELL SPIDER!" he roared, unleashing thin beams of fire that sliced through more of the monster's body. However, he managed to weave his head out of the way in time, grinning deviously. Noticing, Feather blinked in surprise. However, she saw the top half of the cleaved building starting to list.
"Endeavor!" she called out.
"I know!" he responded, "Time to slice and burn!" he bellowed, moving his beams to slash through the top half of the building entirely, slashing it into hundreds of pieces. As they fell, the regenerating creature flew away.
"Whoa!" Hawks yelped, having to tumble down onto a nearby rooftop as most of his feathers were shot out, catching the pieces one after another, "Guess you don't spend a lot of time in the kitchen, Endeavor!" he grunted out, "It's bad form to cut things like that!" he noted, "You need to make 'em smaller and uniform!" he mentioned on, stumbling back along the roof he was upon.
"Stop yapping and get back in the air!" the Hellflame Quirk user insisted.
"Love to!" the Wing Hero yelled back, "But when I lose feathers, it's way tougher for me to fly!" he pointed out, "Feather, how much time left with your Quirk?!" he cried out in question to the I.U.A. Hero.
"About three minutes!" she responded, "Other heroes are on the scene, but they'll be dealing with other Nomu shortly!" she pointed out.
"What?!" both Hawks and Endeavor exclaimed in shock. As the black Nomu was being attacked by heroes below while regenerating, its body suddenly released more creatures, though they were grey.
'So of the Quirks it has, it can also store and release other Nomu?!' Endeavor inquired inwardly as he grimaced. The sweat trickling down his body was instantly evaporating. Noticing, Feather went ahead and flew over to the Nomu. She grasped what looked to be a baton attached to her belt pulling it into her hold as electricity sparked off of its end. She closed in on her foe, evading a swipe before managing to thrust the baton directly against his chest. It zapped him, causing him to seize movement for a moment. Even its regeneration appeared to halt.
"Now!" she called out. Endeavor hurried over as quickly as he could.
"JET BURRRRNNNN!" he roared, unleashing a beam of fire from a white-hot point upon his right fist. However, the Nomu narrowly managed to avoid it, flying away and regenerating again. "Damn…" the Flame Hero cursed in frustration.
'It seems even stunning the creature doesn't last long…' Feather noted to herself, putting her baton back onto her belt, 'If I were to attempt again, I'd probably end up ripped in half…' she added inwardly with a grimace, 'Then again, we can't waste time with this creature…' she affirmed on.
"Endeavor, I'll go and support Hawks," she told the Flame Hero, "Defeat this creature as soon as possible!" she advised on.
"Of course!" he responded, seeing her fly off, "Who do you take me for?!" he shouted in question. He narrowed his eyes upon noticing something.
'She isn't using her Quirk at the moment…' he realized, 'She can't have hit her limit already, can she?' he wondered through his thoughts, 'No, she's probably wanting to save it just in case we need to have foresight on what this beast is planning…' he concluded to himself.
"Where… are those… heat rays…?" the Nomu asked, getting his attention as he blinked in surprise, "You… stopped firing…" he pointed out, "Do you… not have… enough power left?" he inquired.
'I see now…' Endeavor noted inwardly, 'Feather knows that this creature is becoming increasingly perceptive and can study an opponent…' he told himself, 'Neither her nor Hawks could fight it…' he added through his thoughts, 'And not only is it faster and stronger than me…' he continued as his sweat was evaporating off of his face, 'it's forcing me to not hold back since I have no idea what other Quirks it may have…' he finished. Overheating had always been a problem for him. It was a reason why he was so set on having children with a Quirk that could make that issue moot. And yet… it was starting to dawn on him just how awful that sounded.
His flames burned brighter. Those below watched as he was like the sun with how he shined. Feather and Hawks took notice as well.
"Let me… test… my strength… ON YOU!" the Nomu roared, extending out multiple arms toward his foe as he rocketed toward him.
"I'll incinerate you with hellfire so hot, you won't even be able to regenerate fast enough!" Endeavor proclaimed, crossing his arms and unfolding them, "PROMINENCE BURN!" he bellowed, unleashing a massive beam of flames that engulfed the creature below. Below, Feather let her markings return to her face. Her eyes widened as she gasped.
"Endeavor, to your right!" she exclaimed just as the fire subsided. But it was too late. The Nomu had acted quickly, tearing off its own head and throwing it away before the fire could reach it. His body quickly started regenerating just as the Flame Hero turned to spot it. And as he did… he wound up taking a slashing strike to the left side of his face and his torso. Blood sprayed from his new wounds as he grimaced.
"ENDEAVOR!" Hawks and Feather screamed. Before too long, they were left to watch as the Flame Hero had fallen to the ground, with the Nomu looming over him.
"Is he… the strongest… here?" he wondered, while his foe lied upon the shattered ground… unmoving.
OPENING
Insert "Fleeting Lullaby" by Ado
A spotlight shines upon a stage, where Kyoka, Rebecca, Momo and Homura are. Kyoka wields her bass, Rebecca's sitting at the drums, Momo readies her hands to play the keyboard, and Homura grips her electric guitar tightly. As Kyoka starts signing, more lights flash on, revealing the rest of Class 1-A as they're about to perform.
We cut to Shoto and Katsuki struggling with the provisional license course as Homura watches on alongside All Might and Endeavor. She glances toward the Flame Hero curiously, while a memory of Valkyrie crosses her mind. In the meantime, we get images of Madame Kurenai with her cronies, Garrot, Baku, and Nino; the latter of which appearing reluctant. There's also a shot of the current Shining Star Heroes, who're standing in front of the safe door found at the Hassaikai headquarters.
There's another scene of the League of Villains lurking in the shadows, with Dabi taking note of a particular news broadcast on a TV. Elsewhere, Shura finds himself being confronted by the Oceans 6. He sneers as he readies his Quirk, but is suddenly stopped when Nero appears behind him and slams his head into the ground. He goes through a flashback of his own where as a young boy, he was crying in the corner.
Next up, we see Izuku and Rebecca hopping around in pursuit of Gentle Criminal and La Brava as they bounce about on the way to U.A. Already there is Eri, who's with Mirio and the others who were a part of the raid mission. They and the rest of Class 1-A are about to perform as they head off to the stage inside Gym Gamma.
We go through several scenes of the class in separate groups, with Katsuki and Eijiro arguing over the special effects as the others sigh, Mina practicing the dancing with the class, especially Shiki as Ochaco watches on with a blank jealous stare, and Kyoka, Momo and Homura tuning their respective instruments. The Earphone Jack Quirk user worriedly looks at the clock, hoping that Izuku and Rebecca can make it in time.
As the opening winds down, we see shots of Deadend Crow, God Acnoella, Poseidon Nero, Saintfire Nox, Elsie Crimson, and finally, Tomura Shigaraki. We also get to see the lineup of the top ten pro heroes of Japan: Eraser, Kamui Woods, Crust, Wash, Holy, Mirko, Justice, Edgeshot, Hawks, and Endeavor. As the ceremony goes on, an ominous figure watches on curiously.
The song concludes with Izuku and Rebecca holding hands as they run ahead with smiles on their faces, heading for what they hope is a bright future.
END OPENING
"Are you kidding me…?" Sister uttered in disbelief as she, Hermit, Witch, Shota, Thirteen and All Might had just witnessed the broadcast of what had happened. Pino was watching as well, playing along with Eri on the carpeted floor. She looked over to the others around her, wondering what they would do in this situation.
"Thirteen, can you get Eri back to her room?" the Erasure Hero insisted of the Black Hole Quirk user.
"Of course," she replied.
"Pino, I need you and Witch to come with me," Shota insisted.
"Understood," the Sorcery Quirk user replied, going over to pick up the little android before hurrying off with her fellow teacher outside.
"Bye, Pino!" Eri cried out in farewell. Her friend waved back, but was troubled.
"I hope that Mister Shoto is not too troubled by this news…" she said.
"For all we may know, he's likely caught wind of the broadcast," Witch presumed.
"Let's just hurry," Shota advised. At the Heights Alliance dormitory, the Half-Cold/Half-Hot Quirk user was staring at his father's almost lifeless body lying upon the ground in defeat as the Nomu lurked over him.
"This is… insane…" Rebecca uttered in shock, trembling next to her boyfriend, who grimaced.
"Just after he gets named the number one, a Nomu shows up outta nowhere…?" Weisz pointed out, clenching his fists, "Those damn villains must've been waiting to make their move when it really counted…" he realized.
"It's sheer chaos…" Fumikage noted. Meanwhile, Homura looked back at Shoto. He was worried. Not just because the number one hero had seemingly fallen, but because his father was looking as if he was on death's door.
"Shoto…" the Soul Blade Quirk user uttered. Back in Kyushu, the broadcast was getting worse. Though the other Nomu were being subdued quickly thanks to Hawks and Feather, the strongest of them all was still standing, trying to search for whomever he could deem a worthy opponent after Endeavor. Reporters were already drawing comparisons to Camino as to how badly things were going.
And then, Endeavor rose up again. He attempted to rocket out at the creature, unleashing a fiery beam toward him. But he dodged it, catching the Flame Hero in his grasp before he could fire again.
"Too slow…" he remarked, flinging him through several other buildings in the vicinity, "YOU… ARE NOT… GOOD ENOUGH!" he bellowed angrily into the sky. The Hellflame Quirk user was practically beaten. But in that same vein, he wasn't going to give up. He had stubbornly gone on and on, trying to overtake All Might as the number one hero. And now that he had that title…
'You aren't going to just give up, are you?' a voice in his head inquired, causing him to blink in surprise for a moment as he sat up. For a moment, he thought he felt a hand come onto his shoulder. His flames reignited.
"Hu…mans…" the Nomu echoed, noticing crowds running in panic and screaming, especially when they noticed the bio-engineered creature.
"There's no symbol…" one reporter said amidst the frightened people, "This is what it looks like when people have no hope!" she added in panic. Watching the TV, Shoto clenched his fists.
"You've gotta be kidding…" he muttered out.
"It's unreal…" Fumikage noted. At that moment, Shota ran in alongside Witch and Pino.
"Todoroki," he said, only to spot the live broadcast, "So you already know?" he presumed.
"Yeah, it's bad…" Hanta added.
"Endeavor…" Rebecca uttered with fright.
"Don't just say whatever you want!" a voice on the TV yelled, getting their attentions as they looked back at the screen, "What, you think scaring people makes for good TV?!" he inquired angrily, being the boy who was the Flame Hero's fan. Even as his friends were begging for him to run with them, he wasn't going to back down. "Look over there! His flames are still burning, see?!" he pointed out. Wisps of fire were coming up from behind some buildings in the distance. "You know what that means! Endeavor's still alive and fighting for us!" he shouted on, "Don't say there's no symbol just 'cause All Might's not here!" he insisted, "Endeavor's risking his life for our sakes! Look at him!" he exclaimed.
It was true. The Flame Hero had launched himself after the bio-engineered beast, using his fire to propel himself after him in midair. He glanced back with surprise.
"C-Can you… regenerate… too…?" he wondered aloud.
'I'm nothing like you…' Endeavor growled inwardly, 'I can barely move my body at this point…' he admitted to himself. His foe turned and unleashed several tendrils his way, trying to wound him again. 'I'm just propelling myself forward… with the heat of my Quirk!' he noted through his thoughts, unleashing more flames to go even faster. One tendril managed to pierce into his left shoulder. 'I'm thankful for the pain…' he added inwardly, 'It's keeping me conscious!' he affirmed, clenching his fists tightly.
He had to stay focused on the slim chance of victory. He'd burn brighter, even if it meant overheating, in order to win. And after seeing the multiple instances of what the Nomu had done to protect its head, he knew that's what he needed to destroy in order to end the fight.
'I won't stop until I turn this ugly bastard into ash!' he inwardly declared with a fierce expression, closing in on the beast. At that moment, Hawks and Feather arrived.
"That's it, Endeavor!" the former called out, readying a bladed feather in his right hand as he reared it back, "You got this!" he affirmed. The Nomu shot its tendril-like arms out at him to retaliate, only for them to be thwarted by the mini-missiles shot from the I.U.A. Hero's pack. In return, he launched his tendrils out at her, piercing through her metal wings.
She grimaced, uncoupling herself from them as she fell downward. In that very instant, her metal wings exploded in the creature's grasp. With a small parachute she had deploy from her back, Feather was able to land herself atop a nearby building.
"Feather!" Hawks cried out.
"I'm alright!" she affirmed, unbuckling herself from her parachute, "Provide support to Endeavor, quickly!" she insisted, causing him to blink in surprise. However, he understood what she was thinking. There was no way he could take on the Nomu, but he could at least match it in speed. The Flame Hero had the power necessary to defeat the creature, but his speed was lacking.
Hawks had seen him struggle on to take the place of All Might, even though other heroes didn't seriously try to fight for that number one spot, except for Valkyrie. Awkward as it was, it was also inspiring to see heroes fight to try and be better. As the Nomu managed to land a blow on his face that shattered half of his visor, a good amount of his feathers were shot away.
"Hawks!" Feather screamed. The Wing Hero wasn't worried. His feathers were attaching to Endeavor, adding speed to his firepower as he closed in on the Nomu.
'THIS IS IT!' the Fierce Wings Quirk user proclaimed inwardly. With his left fist clenched tightly, the Flame Hero closed in.
'I wanted to become stronger than anyone…!' he noted to himself, about to slam his extremity into the jaws of the bio-engineered beast. It could only be him at this rate. No one else could fight such a monster.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he roared, thrusting his fist into the Nomu's mouth. He bit down though, even as flames were burning him from the inside. His foe grimaced.
'It's acting like a wild animal now!' he realized, hearing it growl before it carried him away.
"Seriously?!" Hawks yelped before trying to swipe at the beast, only for him to fly off into the distance with Endeavor in tow.
"Endeavor…!" Feather gasped, while her white energy lines returned upon her face. After a moment, she blinked in surprise. Even as the Nomu was burning up from the inside, his regeneration was still keeping pace with his opponent's firepower. Hawks landed upon the building with the I.U.A. Hero.
"Whatcha' see?" he asked as he approached her.
"HAWKS, NOW!" Endeavor roared out, getting his attention as he blinked in surprise. Steeling himself, the Flame Hero glared the bio-engineered beast dead in his eyes. "Listen to me…" he began in a growl, "Nomu…" he continued, wrapping his right leg around his neck to get a better grip onto him, "You, who was created to have multiple Quirks…" he kept going, "The bio-engineered freak… obsessed with strength…" he added inwardly. A memory flashed through his head.
FLASHBACK
"You're not going to give up, are you?" Valkyrie asked, getting the Flame Hero's attention as he was about to leave the celebration of another victory for All Might over a villain.
"What are you talking about?" he inquired back, narrowing his eyes. The Soul Blade Quirk user smirked.
"Year after year, he's always taking the top spot," she pointed out, "And obviously, we can't even hope to match him," she added to Endeavor's chagrin, "But we can still be heroes that he can count on," she affirmed, causing the Flame Hero to blink in surprise.
"You really think I'd act as support for someone like that?" he questioned harshly.
"What'll you do when he retires then?" she asked back to his shock, "Just give up altogether since you could never hope to beat him?" she assumed, "I already have my answer," she affirmed, walking off, "So I hope someday, you'll have yours," she told him. He watched the woman who was also vying to be the number one hero of country leave, his eyes softening in thought. If he wasn't able to surpass All Might up to retirement, would he give up? Or would he persevere and create his own legacy?
END FLASHBACK
With what remained of Hawks' feathers, Endeavor rose higher and higher into the sky with the Nomu in tow. He wasn't going to let go. And he wasn't about to let anyone else get hurt. Below, Feather watched on.
"I see…" she uttered in realization, "There's no need for him to hold back at that height," she confirmed. Rising higher into the dusking sky, the Flame Hero looked back at his foe again.
"Villain… I see it…" he said, "You… are me…" he noted, "From the past… or another future…" he concluded, taking a deep breath, "Burn up… and be at rest…" he finished. His flames then intensified. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" he roared out.
'I've always hated that damn school motto…' he admitted to himself, 'but it seems appropriate…!' he noted inwardly. The fire engulfed him and the creature completely.
"PLUS ULTRA!" he bellowed, "PROMINENCE… BURRRRRRRNNNNNNNNNN!" he exclaimed, unleashing a massive beam of fire from his body onto the beast. Onlookers were left astonished. Whether they were watching from afar or seeing events unfold on TV, they were amazed by the bright sight of the Hellflame Quirk user going all out against his foe. Ultimately, the flames subsided as he and the creature descended to the ground. Some of the other heroes hurried over to try and catch him as he fell, and a plume of smoke erupted upon impact.
Shoto and his classmates watched the broadcast intently, wondering what the result of the battle was. And then, they saw Endeavor standing, with his right fist held high in victory. Everyone cheered, amazed that he pulled through.
"He did it…" Homura realized with a smile. She looked over to see Shoto crouch down suddenly. "Sh-Shoto!" she stammered, going over to him with the others. He was practically praying with relief, thankful that his father hadn't lost in the end. This was his era now. This was his start.
"Ergh…" he grunted, about to fall over. Luckily, Feather and Hawks caught him.
"Heh," the Fierce Wings Quirk user chuckled out, "Can't believe you stole All Might's victory pose…" he noted.
"No… mine's different…" Endeavor grunted out, "He used his left arm… you fool…" he grumbled.
"Oh yeah?" Hawks inquired back, "Hey, Feather?" he said.
"Medical's on their way," the I.U.A. Hero confirmed, "That was nicely done, Endeavor," she complimented, handing the Flame Hero a plain handkerchief that he placed over his head wound.
"Is that… supposed to be a joke…?" he inquired in between breaths, "He almost beat me before I got started…" he pointed out.
"It was rough…" Hawks admitted, "Still, you pulled off a win," he mentioned with a smile, "Nobody's gonna forget that," he added.
"We're not finished yet," Feather confirmed, getting the attentions of her colleagues. Her white energy lines were still present upon her face. "Now he's here," she noted.
"Wait, who?" the Wing Hero asked.
"Well, isn't this precious?" a raspy voice chimed in, causing the trio of heroes to perk up, "I wasn't sure what to expect from that fight…" he confessed as he approached through the smoke, being none other than Dabi, "Let me introduce myself…" he continued, "This is our first meeting, right Endeavor?" he inquired, giving off a devious grin.
ENDING
Insert "Shikisai" by Yama
Opens with Rebecca waking up for the day in her dorm room, tiredly crawling out of her bed. She makes it to the bathroom, only to widen her eyes with terror at the sight of how messy her hair is. Luckily, a comb is passed to her from Tsuyu, who she thanks.
Later that morning, Rebecca enjoys her breakfast before being given a cup of tea made by Momo. What follows is her going over to play a video game with Mina and Toru on the Switch before they have to go class. It rains on the way, though Rebecca forgot her umbrella. Thankfully, Mezo comes over, using his patagia to shield her from raindrops.
In the classroom, she talks with both Tenya and Shoto about studying, asking them for pointers. As Shota walks in to start class, she scurries back to her seat, only to find a note there. She opens it up and smiles to see that it's from Izuku, who she shoots a smile toward.
In the afternoon during lunch, Kyoka saves her a seat in the cafeteria. She's also kind enough to shoo away a pesky Minoru, though he was only making sure Rebecca didn't touch a piece of gum left under the table. As the class returns from lunch, the Cat Leaper Quirk user trips by accident, only to end up caught by Mashirao's tail. The two of them share a smile and then a laugh.
During hero training, Rebecca gets the chance to spar against Ochaco, Hanta, and Homura. She weaves past the Zero Gravity Quirk user, evades the tape of Hanta, and then closes in to land a kick on the crossed blades of Homura, who cracks a grin. The four of them continue as All Might, Witch and Shota watch on.
Yuga later offers Rebecca some cheese as a snack, which she happily accepts. She also goes the development studio with Weisz and Denki, as the three of them are met with an explosion as a dirtied Mei laughs sheepishly. With a long day nearly done, Rebecca returns to the dorms to find Koji there with his bunny in hand, allowing her to pet it warmly. She then goes over to Rikido, asking him about a favor.
Once dinner's over, Rebecca puts on an apron and starts baking, whisking eggs and mixing flour with water. Fumikage and Eijiro watch on curiously with intrigue, followed by Katsuki approaching. He takes a taste of the batter to Rebecca's shock and anger, only for her to realize that she almost missed adding some vanilla. After a little while, she pulls out a baking sheet from the oven with several cookies upon it, decorating them for Halloween.
As the class goes ahead and partakes in her baked goods, the Cat Leaper Quirk goes over and offers Izuku a treat in the shape of a heart. He smiles and blushes, eagerly eating it. Afterwards, the whole class gets themselves ready for a movie night. Shiki floats over with a bowl of popcorn and other snacks, landing on the couch between Ochaco and Momo. With the remote in her hand, Rebecca presses the play button… and the screen goes black.
END ENDING
Quite a short chapter, more so than I imagined, but I got everything I wanted to squared away. But the Pro Hero Arc is definitely one of my favorites. I promise, the next two chapters are gonna wrap this season up nicely before we get to the next big story thread. And it's gonna be fun to work with…
Thanks for reading, everybody!