We're about to get into some juicy stuff, folks! After Endeavor finally defeated that Nomu, now Dabi's arrived on the scene! And he won't be the only surprise here…
You'll see what I mean, soon! For now, let's get right into it!
THROUGH THE ROUGH
Blue flames suddenly erupted around the trio of Endeavor, Hawks, and Feather. They all grimaced as they saw Dabi standing before them, ready to fight. And they were all but spent after their battle with the Nomu.
"Feather—"
"I don't have a plan," the I.U.A. Hero said before the Fierce Wings Quirk user could ask, "I'm almost at my limit with my Quirk," she mentioned, reaching down to pull her stun baton back into her grasp, "At the very least, I can buy time for backup to arrive," she affirmed.
"Is that right, hero?" Dabi inquired, "You're not exactly one to fight on the frontlines…" he pointed out, "Then again, I'm only here to retrieve that fallen Nomu…" he mentioned.
"You're… with the League…" Endeavor grunted out, trying to get to his feet, "You… murdered Snatch…" he remembered, gasping as he collapsed again.
"Endeavor, take it easy!" Hawks insisted.
"Snatch, huh?" Dabi said, shrugging his shoulders, "Why don't we forget about all that?" he suggested. Feather lunged out at him. "Besides, there's no way I can beat you three…" he continued, jumping forward as well as blue flames built up around his arms, "UNLESS YOU WERE BEATEN UP ALREADY!" he roared.
"FEATHER!" Hawks screamed. However, the I.U.A. Hero wasn't remotely deterred.
"You took longer than expected," she noted aloud, much to the confusion of her foe. All of a sudden, a figure approached from above.
"RRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Mirko roared, slamming her right foot down on the pavement to blow the villain back before he could attack her colleague.
"Mirko…!" Endeavor gasped.
"Saw the news and hopped over," the Rabbit Hero pointed out, "You're with the League, right patchwork?" she inquired of Dabi, getting his attention, "I'm kickin' your ass right here…" she declared with a fierce glare.
"Mirko, huh?" the villain noted, letting off a grimace.
"Seven stars, leave your mark!" a voice from afar chanted, causing him to widen his eyes in surprise. He turned around to spot none other than Justice nearby with his hands readied on top of each other, spreading seven of his fingers out. "GRAND CHARIOT!" he roared, unleashing an array of seven beams of blue light that erupted from the ground beneath Dabi, seemingly engulfing him. From U.A., those in the common room widened their eyes.
"Both Mirko and Justice from the Interstellar Union Agency have arrived on the scene to take on who appears to be Dabi from the League of Villains!" the reporter explained quickly on the TV, "Between the heroes stopping that monster and this new development, today will truly mark a new era in history!" she proclaimed. As the lights emitting from the ground faded, the heroes on the scene blinked in surprise.
"Agh…" Dabi groaned out.
"You really had to go and force my hand on this matter, Dabi…" a voice coming from the earpiece in his right ear muttered. Looking out, the fire-type Quirk user blinked in surprise.
"Thanks for the backup," he grumbled out gratefully, "But what are these guys?" he inquired, "They don't look like Nomu…" he noted curiously. The voice from his earpiece chuckled.
"That's because they aren't," he confirmed to his surprise, "They're creations from one the country's greatest heroes, with my modifications!" he proclaimed proudly. Back at U.A., Witch was trembling.
"It… can't be…" she said, enticing Shota to look over at her. Next to Dabi on the screen were two figures. One was a hulking figure, appearing as a dark heavily armored knight with a head resembling that of a large rhinoceros beetle horn and carried a double-bitted axe at his back. The other was seemingly a slim young man with long, green hair and his eyes are always shut. His attire consisted of a typical wizard's cloak with a green-colored coat draped over his shoulders. He carried a spear upon his back.
"Shall we retrieve the Nomu, Doctor?" the latter of the two inquired.
"Do what you can for the next two minutes," the voice responded, "If push comes to shove, I'll pull you out then," he decided.
"Understood," the hulking figure responded, "I'll take on Mirko, Wizard," he decided, clenching his fists.
"Then I shall deal with Justice, Brigandine," his partner declared, opening his eyes slightly.
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
"Who the heck are those guys?" Hanta wondered upon viewing the screen.
"They're no foes I remember…" Fumikage noted in response, "Perhaps the League has new members?" he presumed.
"If so, that's bad…" Weisz said with a grimace.
"Are the heroes gonna be okay?" Shiki inquired out of worry. As everyone murmured nervously, Witch found herself staring at the visage of Wizard upon the screen. Even with the long green hair and lines along his skin, there was no mistaking it.
'Yari…' she uttered inwardly. Her breathing started to grow frantic. Overhearing, Rebecca looked over.
"W-Witch?" she stuttered, "Are… you okay?" she inquired in concern. Her voice was being tuned out in the Shining Star Hero's ears. She was panicking. Seeing that, Shota put a hand onto her shoulder.
"Let's go outside," he insisted of her, "Pino, stay with Todoroki and the others," he advised.
"Understood, Mister Aizawa!" the little android responded, while the others watched on worriedly, seeing the Sorcery Quirk user be led outside. Back in Kyushu, Wizard and Brigandine stood off against Justice and Mirko.
"Feather, Holy and Eraser are on their way," the Interstellar Hero pointed out, "How long do you have left of your Quirk?" he inquired of her.
"Less than a minute," she responded.
"Then we'll use what we can of it," Justice decided, reaching his left hand back to her.
"Tch," Mirko scoffed, "Fine, whatever," she grumbled, reaching her right hand out to her colleague. The Eye of Venus Quirk user nodded, grabbing their hands. A whitish energy washed over her colleagues, with white lines of light appearing on their bodies.
"What is that?" Brigandine inquired.
"I see…" Wizard uttered in realization, "This is why Feather is mainly a support hero," he noted aloud, "Her ability can be shared amongst those she trusts," he told his comrades.
"That's annoying…" Dabi grumbled.
"Dabi, retrieve the Nomu," the green-haired man advised, causing the fire-type Quirk user to perk up in surprise, "We'll fight off Justice and Mirko for you," he affirmed.
"You're talking rather confidently for someone who's about to lose!" the Interstellar Hero shouted, lunging out at his foes in a burst of blue light. Brigandine moved in front of him, blocking him off as he sturdily stayed in place. "What?!" his opponent exclaimed in shock.
"Brigandine…" Wizard uttered.
"Sorry," the hulking, armored man apologized, "I should trust that your Quirk is more than capable of handling him," he pointed out, blowing Justice back with a swipe of his arm.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Mirko roared as she lunged in, landing a kick to Brigandine's head. However, he barely budged again. "The hell?!" she exclaimed, growling with frustration. Her foe knocked her back, causing her to slide to a stop as she gnashed her teeth.
'This is strange…' Justice noted inwardly, 'Even with Feather's Quirk, I can't see the general movements of both these men…' he mentioned to himself, 'Were they sent here because of that?' he inquired through his thoughts. Wizard then draw his spear.
"Your Grand Chariot was quite powerful, Justice," he pointed out, getting his foe's attention, "If we hadn't gotten here in time, you would've likely bested Dabi…" he affirmed, "and I wouldn't have absorbed such a powerful attack," he added.
"Absorbed?!" the Interstellar Hero repeated in disbelief. A black fire engulfed the tip of his foe's weapon.
"Black Blaze!" he exclaimed, causing a pillar of black fire to erupt underneath his opponent. Grimacing, he managed to quickly zip away from it. However, Wizard re-aimed his weapon as it crackled with electricity. "Cosmic Lightning!" he bellowed, unleashing dark streaks of electricity towards the Interstellar Hero. In the meantime, Brigandine lunged out at Mirko, enticing her to jump back. His fist shattered the pavement, creating a massive crater. The Rabbit Hero snarled, lunging forward.
"LUNA RUSH!" she roared, lunging out and landing a series of powerful kicks to the hulking man, who defended himself with his arms. He didn't even budge from the assault as his foe hopped back. "You gotta be shitting me…!" she grumbled with frustration. Watching from after, Endeavor, Hawks and Feather were astonished.
"A foe that can absorb attacks like Justice's Grand Chariot… and another that can block off kicks from Mirko…" the Wing Hero noted aloud, narrowing his eyes. As the battles continued, Dabi had gone over to the fallen Nomu, letting off a smirk of victory. However, it was short-lived as gold energy chains wrapped around the beast's body.
"Ether Lock!" a familiar voice exclaimed. All of a sudden, the Nomu was shrunk and entrapped in a small cage. The villain growled.
"Damn IUA…" he muttered.
"TITAN'S ARM!" the voice of an enlarged Victory bellowed as he came down in an attempt to crush Dabi with his right fist, only for him to jump away in the nick of time as a flurry of dirt and dust erupted upon impact, "Creed, you got the Nomu?!" the Titan's Arm Quirk user inquired loudly of his fellow sidekick.
"Yes!" he responded, hurrying off down the alley, "I'll get it to Central as quickly as I can!" he vowed.
"Hey, don't think you're getting away that easy!" Dabi yelled, having blue fire engulf his arms before unleashing streams of it toward Victory. All of a sudden though, the flames were erased in an instant. Both the villain and his opponent widened their eyes. The latter then smirked.
"Great timing, Eraser," he remarked as the Erase Quirk user was lurking atop a building with his cape waving about with the wind.
"The League's gotten much bolder since Camino…" he commented, looking over to the battle between Justice and Wizard, along with Mirko still fighting Brigandine, "Any idea who those two might be, Justice?" he inquired of the Star Drain Quirk user through their communication line.
"Not a clue!" he responded with a grimace as he narrowly evaded getting struck by a bolt of black lightning, "Whoever they are, they were specifically sent with our limitations in mind…" he pointed out, "Is Holy close?" he inquired.
"About a minute away," Eraser replied from his earpiece, "Though I doubt it'll matter at this rate," he admitted to his team leader's surprise. Dabi then arrived on the scene, getting Wizard's attention.
"So they retrieved the Nomu, hm?" he assumed, causing the fire-type Quirk user to scoff with frustration, "Very well," his comrade said, "Doctor, we're withdrawing," he announced.
"Such a shame, really…" the gruff voice on the other end of the villains' comms said, "However, I'm glad we gave these heroes a demonstration of what's to come…" he confessed, chuckling a little, "Alright, I'm pulling you out," he confirmed.
"RRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Mirko roared as she landed a kick that tore away Brigandine's right arm completely, much to everyone's surprise, "Sorry, but you were really forcing me on that one!" she noted apologetically, only to blink in astonishment. Rather than blood, she saw bits of metal flying off of her foe's severed arm, which landed upon the shattered pavement.
"Ergh…!" he grunted in agony.
"Brigandine!" Wizard cried out. At that moment, a black sludge erupted around him, the hulking man, and Dabi. All the heroes blinked in surprise.
'That's the same sludge that All For One used in Camino!' Justice realized as he sped toward his foes.
'They must be warping!' Hawks concluded inwardly.
"Damn…" Dabi cursed, "And here I thought I'd get more fun out of today…" he admitted, looking out at his foes, "But hey, that was quite a show you put on, number one…" he commented to Endeavor, letting off a smirk, "So don't you dare go dying on me… Enji Todoroki!" he yelled. Mirko lunged in to try and kick him, only for him to disappear with the sludge, as did Wizard and Brigandine.
"Ah, dammit!" the Rabbit Hero cursed in frustration, "Ugh, that stinks!" she proclaimed with disgust, shaking the sludge off of her plated left foot.
"They retreated the same way they did in Camino…" Justice noted, putting his right hand up to his earpiece, "Eraser—"
"If it was All For One, Tartarus would've contacted us immediately," his colleague responded over the communication line.
"How's everyone doing?" Holy's voice inquired, getting their attentions. She was driving a black sports car with a lavender frame and a spoiler that read her hero name in cursive.
"Endeavor needs medical treatment as soon as possible," Justice confirmed in reply.
"I'll take him to the nearest hospital," the dual-type Quirk user decided, "The rest of you should go and look for any civilians caught in the crossfire," she insisted of her colleagues.
"Affirmative," the Interstellar Hero responded, "Hawks, Feather," he called out.
"I'll help with search and rescue however I can," the Fierce Wings Quirk user affirmed in reply.
"I won't be of much use with my Quirk's energy depleted," the I.U.A. Hero beside him pointed out, helping to lift Endeavor back onto his feet, "I'll go with Holy to the hospital," she decided.
"Alright…" Justice said, "Mirko, lead the way," he advised of the Rabbit Hero, who scoffed.
"Don't go telling me what to do…" she muttered, hopping off before her colleague hurried after her. Hawks walked off, not before glancing back at Feather as she led Endeavor to the sidewalk. An image flashed through his mind of a little, white-haired girl in a dress standing amidst a chaotic scene of a highway pileup, staring at him with awe. The I.U.A. Hero looked back, blinking in surprise to find that he was gone. She narrowed her eyes.
'Keigo…' she uttered inwardly.
"Huh… huh…" Witch breathed frantically, standing on the walkway outside the dormitory with Shota's hands upon her shoulders.
"Witch!" a voice cried out, getting their attentions as they saw Sister and Hermit hurrying over.
"You saw the battle?" the Erasure Quirk user implied of his fellow faculty members.
"Yeah…" the white-haired Shining Star Hero confirmed in response as she nodded, "They got away," she mentioned.
"Witch…" Hermit uttered worriedly, seeing her colleague sweat with anxiety as she slowed her breathing. Ultimately, she managed to finally calm down with a deep exhale. Sister tensed up.
"Of all the guys aside from Crow to be turned into a villain, why him of all people…?" she wondered in frustration.
"We don't know that it's him for sure!" Hermit argued, "It could just be a trick by the villains to mess with our heads and—!"
"No…" Witch interjected to her surprise, removing her helmet for a moment, "There's no mistaking that face…" she noted, "That was Yari Majo… my deceased husband…" she confirmed. Her colleagues all gathered around her as she whimpered, offering a form of comfort during this trying ordeal.
X
Sitting in the waiting room with a few bandages upon her face, Feather drank a juice box through a straw. The Nomu was a difficult foe to deal with, even with the top two heroes as his opponents. She lowered her head with shame, wondering why she hadn't provided Endeavor or Hawks with her Quirk's linking power. If she did, the fight would've ended sooner, and they would be more equipped to handle what followed.
"The sidekicks got the Nomu to Central," Holy confirmed, getting her attention as she saw her fellow I.U.A. Hero approach with Eraser and Justice in tow.
"Where is Mirko?" Feather asked.
"Out hunting for the League on her own…" the Erase Quirk user responded with a shrug, "Honestly, she's still the same, but with less of a battle-ready smile…" he mentioned as he chuckled.
"Don't go joking about that, Ichiro," Holy advised seriously, folding her arms over her chest, "Anyway…" she continued, "what about the arm of the villain she fought?" she inquired.
"Also taken to Central for analysis," Justice confirmed, "Both him and that other one were unlike any villains we've fought before," he pointed out.
"They remind me of those robots they use at both Tartarus and UA…" Eraser admitted.
"I see…" Feather said, getting her colleagues' attentions, "That must be why my Eye of Venus failed to assist you against those two," she concluded, "My power only works to detect living beings," she told them.
"And up to now, we never had to concern ourselves with fighting machines…" Holy mentioned.
"Which is why you never felt the need to bring up that limit to your Quirk," Eraser realized. A silence fell amongst the group.
"How is Endeavor?" Justice asked after a moment.
"Stable," Holy replied, "Recovery Girl's going to make the trip down here to treat his injuries in the morning," she told the group, "By some miracle, his left eye's still intact…" she added, glancing off to the side.
"He'll have a nasty scar, though," Eraser commented.
"What about Hawks?" Feather chimed in curiously, much to her colleagues' surprise, "I believe most of his feathers were burned up from the battle," she recalled.
"He left," the Erase Quirk user responded to her surprise.
"He must have felt he would only be getting in the way with how few feathers he had," Justice noted.
"That doesn't sound like him at all…" Holy admitted with narrowed eyes, "Then again, maybe he needed medical attention himself…" she presumed.
"No need for that, Holy," the Wing Hero's voice chimed in, getting the group's attention as they looked over to see him walk over, waving to them, "Just had to take care of some unfinished business after that whole thing," he pointed out.
"Hawks!" the dual-type Quirk user exclaimed in surprise.
"Heyo," he greeted, "Sorry for cutting and running after that," he apologized, "I had to send a report out to the Safety Commission about the incident," he told the group, "Not to mention, get teams down to Kyushu for damage control," he added.
"Well, you certainly move fast," Eraser commented.
"I do what I do," Hawks replied with a shrug, "How's Endeavor?" he asked.
"Stable," Holy replied, "Things turned out alright in the end," she affirmed on with a little smile.
"Yeah, that's a relief," Hawks agreed, chuckling, "I'm gonna go give him a warm reception if he's up," he decided, walking off. Feather stared at him intently as he passed by. Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. Something told her there was more to the story.
"To think that almost all of us would get together again for a mission…" Holy noted, folding her arms over her chest.
"Key word being almost, right?" Eraser assumed, making her sigh with frustration.
"Cure informed us that he's deep into his investigation on Nero," Justice chimed in, "As much as he probably would've wanted to assist, we can't jeopardize his position at the moment," he told his colleagues seriously. At that moment, Feather stood up from her seat, walking over and dropping her empty juice box into a trash can.
"Justice," she said, getting the Interstellar Hero's attention, "I will be taking a leave of absence for a few days, if that is alright," she confirmed to him. Eraser and Holy blinked in surprise. Their team leader sighed.
"After today, I'd say that's more than warranted," he stated, "Besides, we'll need time to get your Angel Pack remade," he mentioned.
"Thank you, Justice," his colleague responded, heading off. Her suspicions about Hawks' whereabouts weren't unfounded. As a matter of fact, he had met with Dabi after the events of today.
They had talked about the circumstances of the attack, including the strength of the Nomu and the two androids on the scene. While there was a distrust between the two, it was still a test of how loyal the Wing Hero was in allying himself with the League of Villains. In reality though, he was trying to win their favor as part of his mission assigned by the Hero Public Safety Commission. And as such, he had known about the attack happening, just not where and who would be involved.
In spite of that, there were no casualties. And as such, life could go on without so much as a worry. But there was an underlying concern as to how far he'd have to go to gain the League's favor completely.
X
"Thanks for coming," Shoto said as Homura sat next to him in the car being driven by Shota, with Witch sitting in the passenger's seat.
"It's no problem at all, Shoto," the Soul Blade Quirk user affirmed in response, "I wanted to make sure I was giving your father my full support for his recovery, along with the fact that he will be mentoring both of us when the work study program returns," she explained.
"Which won't be happening for a while, I'm afraid, Lady Homura," Witch chimed in, "That said, I find it quite nice that you wish to support your classmate's family," she mentioned with a smile. The Soul Blade Quirk blinked in surprise before blushing a little.
"Wh-Why would I not?" she stammered out as a question. Moments later, the car was parked outside just before the gated household, which had a very Japanese style. Everyone disembarked, though Shota remained leaning against his vehicle.
"You're not coming, Mister Aizawa?" Shoto asked of his teacher.
"I get the feeling that it would be awkward if I were to come in…" he admitted in reply, glancing off to the side. Witch blinked in surprise underneath her helmet.
"In that case, I will remain here as well," she decided, walking back over to the car, "Please be courteous to Shoto's family, Homura," she requested of the Soul Blade Quirk user.
"I will," she promised in reply, bowing to her. She and Shoto then walked to the door, with the latter sliding it open for him and his classmate to enter.
"Hey!" a voice called out in greeting, getting their attentions. Approaching was a young man of above average height with a rather well-built figure. He sported white spiky hair with two short strands hanging down the middle of his forehead. He also had gray eyes with fairly long eyelashes. "Shoto, how are you?" he inquired.
"Natsu, hi," the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user greeted back, "Is Fuyumi still making dinner?" he inquired.
"Just finished!" another voice chimed in, getting the group's attention as another figure made their way to the front hall. It was a young woman of average height with turquoise eyes. She had white hair, flecked with a few noticeable traces of a crimson-like color, which was mostly shoulder-length aside from the ear-length side bangs she sported and the short clump she left hanging down her forehead. "Shoto, how are you?" she asked of her little brother.
"Fine," he answered simply, "I'm glad he's okay," he mentioned. His siblings looked towards him for a moment before Natsuo faked a cough into his right fist.
"Uh, you gonna introduce us to your friend here?" he inquired, glancing over to Homura, who blinked in surprise.
"I-I do apologize!" she stammered, bowing her head, "My name is Homura Kogetsu, a classmate of Shoto's in the Hero Course…" she introduced.
"Kogetsu…" Fuyumi repeated, "Oh, you're the girl that Shoto fought in the Sports Festival!" she remembered.
"Y-Yes…" the Soul Blade Quirk user stammered in reply.
'What's wrong with me?' she wondered inwardly, 'Why am I so nervous all of a sudden…?' she inquired of herself.
"Well, hope you're hungry!" Fuyumi remarked, "I made sure to get a lot of food together!" she affirmed with a clap of her hands as she smiled. Moments later, Homura sat amongst her classmate and his siblings as they started eating. Both Shoto and Natsuo were slurping on soba noodles, while their older sister had some fried chicken. Not wanting to be rude, the Soul Blade Quirk user took the opportunity to take hold of a piece of gyoza on a platter with her chopsticks. She ate it, her eyes widening.
"Oh my…" she uttered with amazement. Fuyumi giggled.
"Glad you like it!" she said happily, "It's too bad your teachers didn't wanna come in," she pointed out, "Got plenty of food ready for everyone!" she mentioned.
"It's fine, sis," Shoto affirmed, slurping his noodles. Homura looked over to him in concern. He obviously wasn't looking forward to getting to see his father again, relieved as he was about his recovery. At that moment, the door to the dining room slid open. She almost choked on her gyoza as she saw the Hellflame Quirk user himself enter. He now had a large, jagged scar reaching from his hairline all the way down to his chin.
"Welcome home, Dad!" Fuyumi greeted.
"Yeah, it's been a while," he noted as he entered, only to blink in surprise upon spotting Homura, "I didn't realize you were here, Kogetsu," he mentioned to the Soul Blade Quirk user, who swallowed her food nervously.
"H-Hello, sir…" she stammered out, "I'm… glad to see you've recovered…" she said.
'Why am I so nervous?!' she asked herself.
"Thank you," the Flame Hero responded.
"Anyways, I bet you're super excited to celebrate your victory over that monster, right?" Fuyumi assumed of her father. He didn't respond, looking over at his two sons. All they did was stare at him and slurp their soba noodles.
"That's a nasty scar," Shoto commented rather bluntly.
"Shoto…" Homura uttered out. A gloomy atmosphere was filling the room.
"Hey you two, you promised you'd both be in good moods!" Fuyumi complained to her brothers, "Dad's finally trying to think about our family after all these years!" she pointed out, "Don't go blowing it!" she insisted, "At least pretend you don't hate him…" she advised.
"Uh…" Homura uttered, quite shocked that she would admit that so blatantly in front of Enji.
"I'm standing right here…" he noted aloud. Natsuo then slammed his hand down onto the table.
"Sorry, sis, but I'm out," he declared, standing up from his seat, "I can't do this…" he grumbled on, heading for the door.
"W-Wait!" Fuyumi stammered, trying to get him to stay as was about to pass his father. But just as the door slid open, Endeavor put his hand onto his eldest son's shoulder.
"Natsuo, if you have something to say, then say it," he insisted of him.
"Oh, give me a break…" he muttered, "That's rich coming from you…" he remarked coldly, glaring at him before shoving his hand away, "Okay then!" he yelled, "I just found out tonight that Shoto likes soba!" he noted, "I know nothing about my kid brother because you didn't want him to have anything to do with us failures!" he pointed out angrily. Homura felt like she needed to leave the room at this point. Yet she couldn't bring herself to do so. "For some reason, Mom and Fuyumi are both ready to forgive you for the way you treated us…" Natsuo continued, tightening his fist against the side of the door, "but to me, you're still the maniac bastard who ruined our family!" he shouted, "You might look different, but that doesn't change a damn thing!" he affirmed on, "Even if you're the number one hero, that doesn't erase the past!" he added vehemently, "Mom's screams, Shoto's crying…" he listed off, "what happened to our big brother, Toya…!" he mentioned, slamming his fist against the door, "You might've had a change of heart, but don't think for a second you can just waltz in here and expect to be accepted by us!" he finished firmly. There was a tense silence for a moment. Homura wondered just how Enji would respond.
"I plan to be your father now, and atone for what I've done," he told his eldest son.
"It's too late!" he roared back, "Sorry, sis!" he apologized, "Thanks for the food," he added, marching off.
"Natsu!" Fuyumi shouted, trying to go after him, only to stop upon spotting Homura staring on with utter shock upon her face, "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" she immediately apologized.
"Oh, um, i-it's fine…" the Soul Blade Quirk user stuttered, shifting in her seat a little, "I… understand there's some… history for this family…" she noted, twiddling her thumbs.
"Huh…" Fuyumi sighed, putting her hands onto her face, "Well, that went terribly…" she grumbled. She was hopeful about this ordeal going well. With all that had happened lately for the family, it seemed like things would be normal again. But the past still lingered. "I was so looking forward to it!" the spectacled woman sighed as she went over to her little brother, shaking him as he slurped the last of his noodles, "Weren't you, Shoto?!" she inquired of him.
"…You know…" he began after a moment, "I've never seen Natsu act like that before…" he admitted to Fuyumi's surprise. At that moment, they overheard a news broadcast coming from the TV, talking about how opinions around Endeavor had changed in the wake of his victory over the Nomu. Some were still wary, but many had grown to see the Flame Hero's compassion in battle, especially when his fan had reached out for his sake, yelling for everyone to not lose faith.
"It's incredible how actions can spark such change…" Homura commented, getting everyone's attention, "You were quite amazing, Endeavor," she complimented.
"Yeah, he was…" Shoto agreed, much to his father's surprise, "But he's not standing here," he mentioned, causing a confused expression to come across the Soul Blade Quirk user's face as she turned to him, "I have to agree with what Natsuo said," he admitted, "I still can't forgive you for what you did to Mom," he affirmed, "And that's my choice to make," he added firmly.
"Shoto…" Homura uttered out.
"As for being my father…" the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user continued, "I'll have to watch your actions to see if you earn that," he confirmed, "Because I know how one or two small acts can change a person…" he mentioned in admittance. Fuyumi smiled hopefully at him, while Enji took a moment to think. Looking back to his conversation with All Might, he wondered why he was fighting to become the strongest, and what he was fighting for. In the end, one thought remained: to provide the next generation a future they could protect like him. And yet, he failed with his own family. He couldn't just demand forgiveness. He then walked off.
"Dad, hey!" Fuyumi yelled upon noticing.
"I want you to know… I'm sorry for everything…" he apologized to her surprise, "I'm going to go and talk with Natsuo how I should've now," he decided, heading off. Even if it was too late for him to do anything, he was going to try. It was his only path forward now.
X
"I can't say I'm surprised your debut didn't pan out so well, Brigandine…" a plump figure admitted while hooking up several electrical wires to the hulking android, who groaned with pain as more bits of metal were coming off of his severed arm, "I'm glad I had just finished your Mark Two body," he mentioned, "Assimilation shouldn't take more than a couple of hours," he affirmed.
"Doctor," another voice chimed in, belonging to Wizard as he approached, "Are you certain it was wise for us to unveil ourselves?" he inquired of the plump man.
"Not particularly," he replied honestly, "Put simply, I wanted to give you a test run against top heroes," he told him, "You did well against Justice," he complimented, "Brigandine obviously needs work, but so long as he has a sturdy body, he'll be fine," he assured confidently.
"That's why you spent so much time with the others, yes?" Wizard inquired.
"Oh, but of course…" another voice said, getting his attention as he turned to see two more figures lurking nearby, "You were assimilated rather quickly since your body was mostly intact," one of them pointed out. He was an effeminate android with long curly brown hair, yellow eyes, and had a red clown nose and lipstick. Covering his face was a mask with blue curved diamonds where his eyes, a blue upside triangle on the forehead, and lines that lined up with his mouth, giving the impression of a wider smile. He had several seams running across his neck and arms, his hands were segmented around each finger and were connected to a ball-joint by the wrist. He wore an elegant blue coat with a gold center, puffy sleeves that had red stripes. Underneath was a cravet and a flowy white collar. His pants matched his sleeves, being puffy and had red and blue stripes. Below them were white socks and a pair of dark pointed-tip shoes.
Next to him was seemingly a young man of short height with two-toned, striped hair, dark markings around his eyes with stitches around his right eye, which each had four dots in a diamond formation instead of pupils. He wore a dark cloak with intricate, flower-shaped symbols on either side and a hood with an asymmetrical zig-zag pattern. Seeing both figures made the doctor chuckle.
"The Brain and Death of Edens, as proclaimed by Ziggy himself!" he remarked, laughing excitedly, "Aside from the High-End Nomu, you four are the perfect specimens to help further All For One's ambitions!" he proclaimed with delight.
"Hmph," the shortest of the androids scoffed, "Don't forget that we have our own ambitions as well…" he advised of the plump man.
Killer, the Brain of Edens, formerly known as Kira Kodo. Member of the Demon King Ziggy's Four Dark Stars.
"Aside from us wanting to exact our vengeance upon the world of heroes like yourselves, we also want to eviscerate the Four Shining Star Heroes!" the clown-like android proclaimed, laughing maniacally.
Clown, the Death of Edens, formerly known as Shi Piero. Member of the Demon King Ziggy's Four Dark Stars.
"One's been eliminated long before we were able to awaken…" Brigandine weakly pointed out, "That being Valkyrie, of course…" he recalled.
Brigandine, the Armor of Edens, formerly known as Kapa Yoroi. Member of the Demon King Ziggy's Four Dark Stars.
"She may be gone, but her Quirk's been inherited by another," Wizard noted, "Unfortunate as it may be, we'll have to eliminate her as well," he affirmed.
Wizard, the Spear of Edens, formerly known as Yari Majo. Member of the Demon King Ziggy's Four Dark Stars.
"Hahahahaha!" the doctor laughed, "Don't worry!" he reassured, "Once Brigandine's assimilated into his body, I'll let you go on your way to cause some chaos!" he promised, "That being said, I hope you'll do me one last favor…" he mentioned with a grin under his bushy moustache.
"Oh?" Clown uttered curiously, "And what may that be?" he asked. Moments later, the group gathered in another area without Brigandine, with the doctor leading them to a large vat.
"Hm?" Wizard hummed, noticing something different, "This isn't a Nomu…" he noted. Inside the vat was a man of reasonable height with fair skin and thin, rectangular gray eyes and white pupils. He also had white hair that reached just past his shoulders, worn swept back away from his face.
"Who is this?" Killer asked curiously.
"A test subject," the doctor answered as he stepped forward, "You see, after All For One's capture, it was much more difficult to create Nomu without his assistance…" he told the trio of androids, "However, one of his aims was for someone to inherit his Quirk," he mentioned, looking up at the vat.
"Are you talking about Shigaraki?" Wizard assumed.
"Quite right," the plump man confirmed, "If All For One was an Ether-type, the process wouldn't be so strenuous," he pointed out, "However, I've had to take great care in transferring such a powerful ability to another person," he added, narrowing his eyes under his goggles, "And that's where this fellow comes in," he said, "He happily volunteered because he wanted more power," he recalled.
"Ohohoho…" Clown chuckled.
"So in the end, you'd like for us to make sure his testing goes well," Wizard concluded.
"Precisely," the doctor replied, "He's going to be taken to his associates in a few weeks' time," he mentioned, walking off, "Oh, and I'd like for you four to accompany them," he requested to the androids' surprise, "You see, this fellow here's got a bit of a detriment to his body," he pointed out, "It wouldn't prudent to have just a few more watchful eyes, would it?" he presumed.
"If it means we get the chance to finally do what we want, then I'm down for it," Killer affirmed.
"Hohohoho!" Clown laughed, "It'll be a glorious day once we get the opportunity to lay waste to this society that's covered with filth!" he pointed out excitedly, "It's ironic how no one can see the sad truth…!" he added with another chuckle.
"I'm sure Brigandine shares similar sentiments," the doctor affirmed, "What say you, Wizard?" he inquired of the green-haired android, who looked up at the vat containing the test subject.
"The world that Ziggy strived for will now come back to haunt him," he declared, "We Dark Stars will bring a reckoning of his failure," he proclaimed on, "For now…" he continued, turning and walking off alongside his fellow androids, "an era of machines is about to begin," he stated. Left behind, the doctor chuckled. The wheels of fate were starting to turn…
X
"Huh…" Rebecca exhaled, sitting in Gym Gamma with Tsuyu and Mina in their P.E. clothes, while the other girls were training with their Quirks. Ochaco and Momo were sparring with each other, desperately trying to attain victory for themselves. Meanwhile, Homura was swinging a wooden sword around, practicing her movements.
"Everyone's been going all out lately…" the Acid Quirk user commented before downing a water bottle in her right hand.
"It's no surprise to me," Tsuyu chimed in, "After that fight Endeavor had, we're all raring to get ourselves stronger," she pointed out.
"And we've got a lot to work on!" an invisible Toru mentioned, getting the group's attention as she was practicing with pushups nearby with her shirt off, "Who knows if they're gonna be offering those work study things again any time soon…" she mentioned with a grunt.
"Definitely…" Kyoka agreed, plugging her jacks into a slab of concrete before blasting it apart with sonic vibrations, "A new era's already here…" she pointed out, "so we gotta be ready for it," she insisted.
"Yeah," Rebecca agreed, lowering her head in thought.
"Something wrong?" Tsuyu asked with a finger upon her cheek.
"It's just…" she began with a sigh, "I'm worried about Witch…" she confessed, "It hasn't just been since that fight Endeavor had," she pointed out, "She's been acting different for a while after the school festival," she recalled.
"It looked like she was having a panic attack…" Mina remembered, grimacing a little.
"Maybe it had something to do with those other two villains that showed up," Tsuyu suggested.
"Are they new members of the League or something?" Toru wondered as she approached, putting on her shirt and zipping it up.
"Probably," Kyoka responded with her hands at her hips, "What freaks me out is how they were able to hold off Justice and Mirko," she recalled, narrowing her eyes.
"And then there was that warping sludge Quirk that pulled them out of there…" Rebecca mentioned, "That was one of All For One's powers…" she remembered, putting a hand onto her chin.
"Rest assured, All For One is still imprisoned," a voice chimed in, getting the group's attention as they saw Witch herself entering the gym.
"Oh, hey Miss Witch!" Mina greeted with a wave.
"Everything okay with you?" Toru inquired with a tilt of her head.
"Yes, I'm perfectly fine," the Shining Star Hero affirmed in reply, "It's getting late, though," she pointed out, "I humbly request that you all head back to the dorms soon," she insisted.
"We will!" most of the girls responded. At that moment, they heard grunting behind them, enticing them to turn and gasp in surprise.
"OWOWOWOWOW!" Momo yelped as she was being pinned to the ground by Ochaco, who was hyper-focused as she held her opponent's arm behind her back.
"Yaomomo!" Mina and Toru exclaimed in shock.
"Lady Ochaco, please let go of your classmate!" Witch insisted as she jogged over. Rebecca let off a little smile. She and her classmates were continuing to do their best, even with the new era unfolding around them. A few minutes later, they were heading back to the dorms with the Shining Star Hero. They all headed inside, save for her and the Cat Leaper Quirk user.
"How's Happy been doing?" she inquired of her former caretaker, causing her to perk up.
"Quite well," she replied, "If you'd like, I could always return him to you," she pointed out, "You're allowed to have pets on campus like Sir Koji," she mentioned.
"No, it's fine," Rebecca assured in reply, "With how busy things get, especially with trying to figure out my Overdrive," she began to explain, "I wouldn't have enough time to spend with him," she noted.
"You have been training quite thoroughly lately," Witch said.
"Yeah…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user responded, lowering her head for a moment, "Are you sure you're doing okay, Witch?" she inquired of the Shining Star Hero, who widened her eyes slightly under her helmet, "I mean…" she continued, remembering how panicked her teacher was, "I've never seen you like that before…" she admitted. The Sorcery Quirk user exhaled a sigh, removing her helmet.
"…I still keep thinking back to that moment," she confessed, "There's a lot of things that I want to tell you, truly…" she added, turning away for a moment, "But for your safety, I can't," she said.
"Huh?" Rebecca uttered in confusion. The Shining Star Hero put her helmet back on.
"Get yourself some rest, Rebecca," she advised, heading off down the walkway with her bare feet, "You have a busy day tomorrow," she pointed out.
"Okay…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user responded, giving off a worried look. However, she shook her head, heading back into the dorm for the night. A long yawn left her lips as she went up to her room, deciding to wait to bathe until tomorrow as she fell right asleep. And when her eyes opened, she could see flames smoldering around her.
'What…?' she uttered inwardly, trying to push herself up, only to feel a surge of intense pain. She looked to see that her body was razed with cuts, while she was bleeding from the head. 'Where… am I…?' she asked herself, only to widen her eyes. Struggling to stand up beside her were Izuku and Katsuki, also injured while having their costumes in tatters. The three of them were facing a massive, fiery tornado. And atop it was a man with glowing purple cracks along his body. 'Who…Who is that…?' Rebecca wondered through her thoughts. At that moment, she noticed a bright glow coming from her legs, being her markings. It was so bright that she reflexively shut her eyes. And then she woke up in a cold sweat.
"Huh… huh…" she breathed out, sitting up.
'Was that… another premonition?' she wondered, clutching her bedsheets. Seeing her boyfriend and Katsuki barely able to stand against whomever that was in her dream scared her. But unlike before, she wasn't going to let that fear control her. Whatever lied ahead, she'd face it head on alongside those who were also vying to be heroes.
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
Well, it's nice to have a longer chapter after how short the ones prior. But that isn't the end of it, folks. We've still got one more chapter to go to close out this season. And I'm hoping it'll be a nice way to finish things off.
Thanks for reading, everyone! See you next time!