Welcome back to another chapter of "Through the Rough", everyone! With the Meta Liberation Army Arc complete, we're back with our heroes as things shift over to the Endeavor Agency Arc. I'd argue that I found this arc pretty compelling compared to fair few people, mainly because it gave Endeavor his goal of atonement. And now adapting it will be very interesting. I'm looking forward to what you all will think of it!
No point in delaying this any longer! Hope you enjoy!
THROUGH THE ROUGH
"Flashfreeze Heatwave!" Shoto's voice exclaimed from the laptop set upon the table in the Heights Alliance common space. In the wake of him and his classmates stopping the villain group recently, news outlets were eager to interview them. And so, the school accepted in some of the media, allowing them to speak with the hero hopefuls.
"Wow, pro hero work from minutes after obtaining their provisional licenses!" the female reporter sitting on the couch across from Shoto, Katsuki and Homura complimented, "This morning, we welcome the two students from UA who got those licenses, along with their classmate, who all recently took down some rampaging villains," she introduced while looking at her notes, "Shoto Todoroki, Katsuki Bakugo, and Homura Kogetsu!" she listed off.
"Th-Thank you for having us today," the Soul Blade Quirk user stuttered in greeting, bowing her head politely.
"The pleasure's all mine!" the reporter assured as a response. Katsuki scoffed, causing her to blink in surprise and then tense up. "Um… you must've bonded given how well you worked together, huh?" she presumed.
"It look like that to you?" the Explosion Quirk user growled in question, "You better get your eyes and head checked!" he remarked. Homura sighed.
"That's right, we're friends," Shoto confirmed.
"HUH?!" Katsuki exclaimed angrily, "Where the hell do you get off making up random crap like that, you icy-hot idiot?!" he inquired in frustration.
"Bakugo, please calm down…" Homura insisted in a pleading manner.
"We spent a lot of time together in our supplementary classes," Shoto pointed out.
"Only because the school forced us to!" Katsuki roared back, "Training beside each other doesn't mean we're friends!" he yelled on.
"How do you define friendship then?" the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user questioned curiously.
"I don't know!" his angry classmate shouted, "Maybe you oughta' get your head checked, too!" he suggested. All the while, Izuku, Rebecca, Ochaco, Tenya, Weisz and Shiki watched on in disbelief.
"Oh, brother…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user grumbled, putting her right hand onto her face out of exasperation.
"Anyways…" the reporter continued nervously, "Kogetsu, you and Todoroki fought each other during the UA Sports Festival this past spring," she pointed out, getting the Soul Blade Quirk user's attention, "It seems that since then, you've bonded with him quite a bit," she mentioned.
"Yes, that's correct," Homura replied, glancing over to the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user beside her, "Though Shoto and I both have legacies to live up based upon our mentors, we've grown to support each other through our first year," she explained, letting off a smile.
"Yeah," Shoto agreed with his own smile, while Katsuki just scoffed.
OPENING
Insert "Kaibutsu" by Tani Yuuki
Opens with Rebecca getting into her winter costume, donning her cat ears and blue jacket before stepping out of the locker room. She smiles as she spots Izuku, Katsuki, Shoto, and Homura, as they're all gathered at the Endeavor Agency together. They walk into the main office, finding themselves greeted by Endeavor, Burnin, and the other sidekicks, ready to start another day of work.
We see the five interns struggling to keep up with Endeavor as he speeds ahead, saving lives and stopping villains. For a moment, he hesitates upon thinking of his family laughing at the dinner table without him. Meanwhile, Gowen is hanging out in an abandoned warehouse with Elsie and the rest of the crew, glancing out a window to see the Flame Hero he once worked under acting like more of a hero than he remembers. He turns away to gather with his colleagues, whom all don't notice the smirk on Jesse's face.
Elsewhere, Madame Kurenai marvels at the sight of the red mech suit being built for her, with her cohorts standing behind her. Nino grimaces worriedly before looking away. We get shots of the Paranormal Liberation Front, including Tomura as he enters a vat and closes his eyes, being sent into a deep slumber. Dabi is out in the city, overlooking how Endeavor and his interns are faring in fending off villains.
Katsuki blasts himself away from Baku, who swings blades of energy his way from his axe. Izuku protrudes his Blackwhip from his right arm, imitating Spider-Man as he swings about while evading the many Punishers heading his way. They're shot down by Rebecca, who winks with a grin before taking care of more foes.
Next, we find a scene of Homura coming face-to-face with Kurenai for the first time, as she opens her arms to welcome her. However, Shoto suddenly steps in between them, igniting the flames on his left side threateningly. Kurenai smirks, hopping into her mech as it towers over the two U.A. students. They take ready stances before starting a battle.
There are shots of Deadend Crow, Poseidon Shura, Tomura Shigaraki, God Acnoella, Elsie Crimson, and Saintfire Nox, as they all give off ominous auras. We also see the likes of Justice, Mirko, Holy, Eraser, Feather, and Cure, though the latter looks away. There's also shots of the other students on their internships, with Kleene and Ochaco flying alongside Nejire and Ryukyu, with Tsuyu riding aboard the Dragoon Hero's back. Weisz, Eijiro and Tetsutetsu gorge on takoyaki with Fat Gum, while Tamaki sulks in the corner, unable to keep up with their energy.
Kyoka and Mezo are interning under Gang Orca with Laguna and Hitoshi. The Tears Lover Quirk user notices that Kyoka's home screen on her phone is a picture of her and Rebecca from the school concert, which she blushes at. She yelps in embarrassment upon realizing that Laguna saw, while Mezo and Hitoshi blink in confusion. Shiki flies alongside Fumikage as they soar after Hawks, who's lost in thought over whatever the Paranormal Liberation Front is up to.
The song winds down with the interns at Endeavor's agency taking a much-needed break, having snacks and drinks atop the building's roof together. Rebecca lovingly leans against Izuku's shoulder, while Homura winds up holding hands with Shoto as they stare at the sunset together. Katsuki scoffs and trudges away, but not before taking one last glance at Rebecca and letting off the tiniest of smiles.
END OPENING
It was near the end of December, with a few short days left before winter break. With the second term coming to a close, everyone was preparing themselves for the next phase of the first year. Rebecca was looking at the notes she had taken from the past few lectures, wondering what would be on the next test. As she opened the door to enter the classroom…
"Rebecca, oh my gosh!" Mina exclaimed, causing her to yelp in surprise to see the Acid Quirk user right in front of her.
"M-Mina!" she stuttered out, "What's up?" she asked.
"You see the hashtag that came out from the interview?!" the Acid Quirk user inquired excitedly, showing off her phone, "Check it out!" she insisted, showing it into her classmate's face. She blinked in surprise upon reading the top trending topic.
"'Shomura'?" she read aloud, only to slightly widen her eyes in realization. Mina squeaked excitedly.
"Everyone's totally shipping Homura and Todoroki!" she exclaimed, bouncing around with glee.
"I don't know if that's a good thing…" Rebecca pointed out with a nervous grin. She pulled up the news on her phone, noticing some articles pertaining to the recent attack on Deika City.
"You just saw the article?" Tenya inquired, getting her attention as she saw her and Izuku approach.
"Yeah, been looking at it since earlier…" she confirmed in reply, "It's even worse than what happened in Camino…" she mentioned grimly, giving off an ashamed expression. Her boyfriend put a hand onto her shoulder, offering her a kind smile of comfort.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Hanta and Denki howled with laughter. The entire hour of the interview had been pieced up for time, but what was shown was only Shoto and Homura's questions and answers, while Katsuki had been reduced to just an angry blip in the corner of the video.
"Why'd they cut me out…?!" he growled in question.
"Honestly, I think they did him a favor…" Ochaco pointed out quietly.
"And he had already done two other interviews before…" Momo mentioned.
"So much for Mister High-and-Mighty getting any good press…" Weisz remarked with a chuckle.
"But as to the two that did wind up on the news…" Kyoka continued, glancing over to Shoto and Homura. The latter of the two was staring at her phone, having seen the new hashtag buzzing around social media. At first, she thought it was a play on how she and the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user were the only ones who weren't cut from the interview, with people calling it 'Shomura' as a combination of sorts. But when she started reading the replies to the hashtag, she started to realize it was far more than that.
A blush grew upon her face as she thought back to the kiss she granted Shoto as a reward to him for obtaining his provisional license. She liked him, certainly. But was that level of liking him becoming something more? She buried her head in her arms to hide her blush.
"The news is really railing on what happened in Deika, huh?" Mezo noted curiously as he approached Rebecca, Izuku, and Tenya, watching the report on the One For All inheritor's phone.
"It's all over the airwaves…" he pointed out.
"Since Deika was less populated, there were fewer casualties, though," Tenya mentioned. People interviewed for the report weren't against the heroes, but they did want to see change based upon how things were looking. The critic on the broadcast pointed out that it was more so encouragement than disproval.
"Ever since that 'look boy' was on TV, people have started seeing things differently!" Ochaco pointed as she came over, holding her hands up to her eyes like they were glasses.
"Oh yeah!" Shiki exclaimed in recollection, "When it looked like everyone lost hope, he rallied them together to root for Endeavor!" he remembered excitedly.
"The new number one's been really something!" Mina chimed in. Shoto tensed up, if only briefly. Homura noticed.
'I suppose he's nervous about the upcoming internship himself…' she presumed inwardly. Just then, the door slid open.
"It might look like there's a renewed love of heroes…" a familiar voice began, causing Minoru to yelp in surprise, "but think about why," she advised. Everyone looked over to see that it was none other than Mt. Lady with Midnight who had entered the classroom. "The world's on fire and everyone's scared," she pointed out, "People are cheering for pros they put ample faith in? Or are they praying desperately we don't get our butts kicked?" she inquired as she posed for the class.
"Mount Lady…" Rebecca uttered in surprise.
"Jackpot~!" Weisz sang excitedly, earning himself a kick to the shin from Kyoka, "AH!" he yelped in pain, grabbing his foot.
"Our job's been more about celebrity in past years," the Mineyama Hero noted, "Now the world wants to see real heroes again!" she affirmed.
"What is Mount Lady doing here?" Momo inquired curiously as both Shota and Witch entered.
"It was based upon the recent interview conducted with Sir Shoto, Sir Katsuki, and Lady Homura," the Shining Star Hero responded.
"Mount Lady's here as a guest instructor to help teach you all about publicity," the Erasure Quirk user mentioned, dressed in his sleeping bag as he lied against the doorframe, "And Midnight and Witch will be here to assist," he added.
"Sir Shota, you really shouldn't be sleeping there…" the Sorcery Quirk user insisted as a drop of sweat rolled down the side of her head.
"What publicity?! I keep getting cut!" Katsuki shouted out.
"Maybe you'll do better after training!" Eijiro suggested.
"Yeah, let's do it!" Shiki yelled excitedly.
"I got no idea how this is gonna go, but let's do our best and be Plus Ultra, you guys!" the Hardening Quirk user insisted of his classmates.
"Yeah!" they yelled in agreement. Moments later…
"For today's class…" Mt. Lady began, standing upon a stage with a checkered backdrop and her sidekicks acting as paparazzi, as they held flashing cameras, "you'll be practicing interviews onstage!" she confirmed.
"Yay~!" Eijiro sang out, though he had expected something more in line with action. Shoto went first, being somewhat oblivious to the exercise's purpose while managing to hold a conversation. Though he did take a couple things too literally…
One of the things that Mt. Lady smartly pointed out was how heroes not only had ultimate moves to separate themselves from other heroes, but also helped define who they were, frightening villains and making civilians feel safe. All pros were being challenged to do better thanks in part to the changing of the guard with Endeavor taking the number one spot. And it surprised a lot of people to see how it was affecting someone like the Mineyama Hero.
"Now let's keep the interviews coming, shall we?" she requested as she held out the microphone she had.
"I chose my hero name because it belonged to my brother, and I hope to live up to the expectations of being Ingenium!" Tenya declared in introduction.
"My name is Creati, and your safety is guaranteed with my encyclopedic knowledge," Momo introduced during her turn.
"The name's Arsenal, and there's nothing that I can't do to stop bad guys and save lives," Weisz proclaimed as he was equipped in his armor.
"My name's Uravity, and when I'm around, your problems are gonna float away!" Ochaco declared.
"Call me Miss Aoneko!" Rebecca introduced during her turn, "When I'm on the scene, no villain's gonna mess with this cat's claws!" she remarked with a confident wink. Izuku smiled at her. Everyone was doing surprisingly well… until Katsuki got on stage.
"I'm not gonna say stupid crap like all that!" he roared out, "Just shut up and trust me!" he yelled.
"Really…?" Rebecca groaned out.
"Guy really didn't get the purpose of this, did he…" Hanta assumed with an exasperated sigh.
"You're just as bad in an interview by yourself, huh?" Mt. Lady realized, "I think I get it now…" she concluded, "You just have a problem with… humanity," she said, much to the Explosion Quirk user's confusion.
"Bakugo, I'm sorry," Shoto apologized as he approached, "You were completely cut because I was there," he noted.
"That's… not entirely true…" Homura chimed in while coming over, "But we are sorry you were left out," she affirmed with a polite bow.
"You're not so great!" Katsuki shouted back to their surprise, "I don't give a damn what you think and I definitely don't want your apologies!" he roared on.
"Okay," Shoto responded simply, while the Soul Blade Quirk user beside him sighed.
"Sir Katsuki needs extra guidance," Witch concluded.
"If that isn't an understatement…" Midnight remarked, "Where are Sister and Hermit, by the way?" she inquired curiously, "Wouldn't they want to watch this wonderfully unfold?" she presumed.
"Sister's been kept to the infirmary after how she shirked on her duties during the joint training session," Witch replied, "And Hermit is conducting a bit of research into an investigation," she mentioned.
"And what would that be for?" Shota questioned, glancing over.
"She's trying to find Valkyrie's killer, the one known as Madame Kurenai," the Shining Star Hero replied to her fellow faculty's surprise, "So far, the only leads she's gotten have led her astray," she confirmed, "but she's still looking," she said.
"Deku, was it?" Mt. Lady asked of the One For All inheritor as he was up on stage, tensing up very nervously, "I heard you did a great job recently," she complimented.
"Uh… really?" the freckled teen responded with a crooked smile as he was starting to freeze up, "I'm… glad…" he said.
"Uh oh…" Rebecca uttered from afar as a drop of sweat rolled down the side of her head.
"Midoriya's definitely not one for the public eye…" Tenya commented.
"Looks like he's even using my Quirk!" Eijiro mentioned, seeing how stiff Izuku was. Between being far too meek to yelling in an instant, the One For All inheritor was definitely having trouble in the interview setting. And he talked way too much about his special moves.
"Uh… speaking of which," Mt. Lady began, "I hear you had a frightful experience with your Quirk recently," she pointed out, causing Izuku to blink in surprise, "Have you managed to recover in some way? Or perhaps you learned something new to harness that strange power?" she questioned on.
"I had heard nothing's happened since the joint training, but…" Midnight quietly noted, while Izuku took on a ready stance. Everyone was watching, having grim memories of the black energy tendrils that went out of control. Clenching her fists, Rebecca gulped. She had faith in her boyfriend, but she worried that he would overthink something like this…
FLASHBACK
"Isn't it weird how he's not swinging around to where he needs to go?" Denki inquired as he and the others were in the common space, watching yet another movie, "I mean… he was doing it earlier…" he pointed out.
"It's probably because this old-school suit of his can't replenish his web fluid, so he wants to conserve it," Momo presumed in reply. The class was watching Spider-Man: Homecoming, enjoying the sparks of comedy, emotion and action rolled together. The action especially had Izuku focused. Ever since Rebecca's advice to him about how he could visualize his Blackwhip, he was intent on learning as much as he could about how the main character fought.
But beyond that, he could relate to Peter in some ways. Obsessed with being a top hero, having a skilled mentor, and dealing with problems suitable for a teenage boy, such as the homecoming dance. Izuku kept watching as Peter faced his challenges, intent on emulating the heroic qualities of the web-slinger. He clenched his fists determinedly.
END FLASHBACK
Though he might've put a lock on Blackwhip, it was still there. He closed his eyes in concentration, moving his fingers into the position he remembered. Some of those watching blinked in confusion.
And then, a black tendril of energy shot out of what appeared to be his wrist, latching onto the ground. Izuku looked out and smiled brightly. Those watching gasped with surprise. Rebecca grinned.
"ALRIGHT!" she exclaimed.
"Well, would you look at that…" Midnight said, folding her arms underneath her chest, "Seems like someone found a way to get things done," she pointed out.
"I'm actually impressed," Shota admitted, while Witch giggled.
"Nice going, Midoriya!" Eijiro complimented.
"Yeah, I bet that's gonna come in really handy someday!" Shiki mentioned excitedly.
"Uh, it's still a little early for me to use this on the fly…" the One For All inheritor admitted sheepishly, not noticing the tendril starting to tense up.
"And what's with the weird hand sign?" Mt. Lady inquired curiously, getting his attention.
"Well, I was trying to find a way to visualize how to use this power, and—" Before he could finish his answer, Izuku found himself pulled away thanks to the Blackwhip, crashing into the ground to everyone's shock.
"Deku!" Ochaco exclaimed.
"Are you okay?!" Rebecca cried out in question as she hurried over. The One For All inheritor groaned with his face lying down upon the ground.
"Ha!" Katsuki laughed, "Damn nerd might've figured out how to use that crap, but he's still a total noob at controlling it…" he pointed out. That comment earned him a kick to his right shin from Kyoka. "AH!" he yelped in pain as he hopped up for a second, "The hell was that for, Earjacks?!" he yelled as a question.
"Why don't you stop being such a prick?!" she shouted back, exchanging a glare and a growl with him.
"Oh dear…" Midnight muttered as she went over to them, while Shota sighed.
"Alright, I think we've got one more to take the stage today!" Mt. Lady affirmed, pointing toward Homura, "Valkyrie, can you please come up here?" she requested.
"Oh, of course," the Soul Blade Quirk user responded, taking the stage.
"So your hero name is based upon your mentor, Valkyrie Yuna, yes?" the Mineyama Hero asked of the student.
"Correct," she replied, "She was the one who taught me how to use Soul Blade from when I was a little girl," she mentioned, forming an energy blade in her hand as markings appeared around her arms, "I chose to take her namesake as not only a sign of respect, but also to honor her memory," she added further.
"I see, that's quite noble of you!" Mt. Lady complimented.
'Now for the real test…' she decided inwardly as she smirked, 'I noticed that new hashtag that had come out with you and Todoroki recently, and this is the perfect time for media gossip to spread,' she noted through her thoughts, 'Plus, it gets those stupid rumors about me and Kamui off my mind…' she mentioned to herself.
"I heard that you were trending with Shoto thanks to that interview you had with him," she told Homura, who tensed up slightly.
"Oh, um… I was quite flattered," she stuttered in response.
"People seem to think there's something more between the two of you," Mt. Lady noted curiously, "Tell me, are you and he a thing?" she inquired.
"A… thing…?" Homura repeated slowly, starting to tremble.
"Uh oh," Tsuyu said.
"I suppose this is a good teaching lesson for heroes that end up in relationships…" Mezo pointed out.
"Still seems a little heavy-handed, though…" Toru pointed out.
"From what I've heard, you and Shoto really do work well together as a team," Mt. Lady pointed out to Homura, who was starting to blush a bright red, "But there has to be something more, right?" she presumed.
"I… uh…" the Soul Blade Quirk user stammered, sweating a little.
"Did she really have to go and do this…?" Shota muttered in question.
"I understand the reasoning, but it's still too much…" Midnight muttered, while Witch sighed. Meanwhile, Homura was completely frozen. She didn't know how to respond at all, even though it seemed simple. Where she would normally speak her mind, now she couldn't. And watching on worriedly, Shoto could see that.
"If you're not dating, you can just say so," Mt. Lady affirmed to the Soul Blade Quirk user, who continued to tremble in place.
"We're not dating," the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user chimed in, getting their attentions as they saw him come over, "But I was going to ask her out later," he mentioned. Everyone blinked in shock.
"A-Ah…" Homura stuttered out, her face turning completely red as a tomato.
"WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTT?!" many of Class A students exclaimed out of disbelief. Shota smacked himself in the face.
"Great, I've got another couple to deal with…" he muttered.
"Well, I suppose that was Sir Shoto's way of 'saving' Lady Homura…" Witch inferred, letting out a giggle. Bowing politely to the flabbergasted Mt. Lady before leaving the stage, the Soul Blade Quirk user couldn't even look anyone in the eye as her face burned red. But she was thankful that her classmate had stepped in. Yet at the same time, she couldn't help but wonder when he would fulfill his promise…
X
"Thanks for letting me get in touch with you," Hermit said as she had a holographic monitor beside her while typing on her laptop in the Development Studio, "I know things at I-Island have been tense since the incident over the summer…" she pointed out, speaking with none other than Melissa.
"It's no trouble at all!" she affirmed in response, "Anything to help with one of the great Shining Star Heroes," she mentioned, making the Master Code Quirk user smile, "So what did you need help with?" she inquired curiously.
"The villains that were brought to I-Island…" Hermit began to her surprise, "A few of them got released on bail and have been off the grid since," she told her, "However, I looked deeper into their backgrounds and discovered they all had one thing in common…" she continued with narrowed eyes, "They were all under the association of Madame Kurenai," she confirmed.
"Kurenai?" Melissa repeated, "Isn't she an underground villain from Japan?" she questioned further.
"That's the story," the Shining Star Hero replied, "Apparently, she started off as a gambler with incredible amounts of debt, but wound up taking advantage of the loaners that trusted her and had them killed," she explained, "It wasn't until Valkyrie started investigating her that she disappeared," she added on, "Especially after…" she tried to continue, only to tense up for a moment, "Anyway, the reason I contacted you guys was to find out if anything else was stolen from I-Island the night of the attack," she told the young inventor, who looked down in thought for a moment.
"Actually, there was a file that was taken…" she confirmed to Hermit's surprise, "Or rather, copied," she corrected.
"What was it?" the Master Code Quirk user asked.
"A file containing blueprints for a specialized battle mech called the Knight Gear," Melissa answered, "I don't know much about it, but apparently the project to build it got cancelled due to both time and resources that would need to be spent on it," she explained, "And scientists on the island already had their hands full with making other support items for heroes…" she mentioned further.
"Hmmm…" Hermit hummed in thought, "A battle mech, huh?" she repeated aloud, "Is there a way you can send me those blueprints?" she requested, "I wanna know exactly what these guys were trying to get out of doing that…" she pointed out, "Plus, I'm getting some ideas of my own," she added with a grin.
"I'll see what I can do," Melissa promised in response, "I actually have to go now," she pointed out, getting up from her desk, "Tell Deku and Rebecca I said hi!" she requested with a smile. Hermit grinned.
"I will," she assured in response as the video call ended, "Huh…" she exhaled, leaning back in her seat, "Knight Gear, huh?" she said, looking up at the ceiling in deep thought. Just then, Sister came into her view, much to her annoyance.
"Still workin' hard, huh?" she presumed, causing her to groan.
"And you're hardly working…" she retorted, causing the Heal Atomizer Quirk user to laugh.
"It's fine given what today is," she pointed out in response.
"Today?" Hermit repeated out of confusion, arching an eyebrow. Sister sputtered another laugh.
"Oh man, you got so caught up in everything, didn't you?" she realized. For a moment, the Master Code Quirk user didn't understand what she was saying. But then it struck her, and she blushed a mad red with embarrassment.
"Ugh, I totally forgot!" she groaned into her hands. At Class 1-A's Heights Alliance dorm, the common room was littered with decorations and a Christmas tree. All of the class, save for Katsuki, were dressed in festive garb for the evening. Because today…
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" most of the student heroes yelled out cheerfully.
"I can't believe the year's actually almost over…" Toru admitted aloud.
"I know, right?" Rebecca agreed while chowing away on some chicken wings amongst the other food set upon the table, "Seems like only yesterday we got started with the second semester…" she pointed out.
"A lot has happened since then…" Tenya pointed out, wearing a fake white beard to complete his Santa-like look, "We all have our provisional licenses, some of us took part in the work studies, and we still have a lot of opportunities ahead of us," he listed off.
"Yeah, and work studies are back in action after the break!" Eijiro pointed out, "We're probably the busiest first-years in UA history!" he mentioned excitedly.
"How do you not get burned out about that, dude?" Weisz inquired.
"Speaking of, are you two going back to join up with Ryukyu?" Kyoka inquired of Ochaco and Tsuyu, getting their attentions.
"Yep, and Kleene's gonna be there, too," the Zero Gravity Quirk user confirmed in reply.
"And what about the two of you, Midoriya and Bluegarden?" Tenya inquired of the lone couple of the class, "Are you planning on heading back to Nighteye's agency?" he presumed.
"Unfortunately, we really can't…" Rebecca responded.
"Yeah, even though Centipeder took over, they're really busy with the paperwork that Sir always did…" her boyfriend explained, "And even though Gran Torino was who I interned under, he's busy, too," he mentioned.
"And of course, the IUA isn't doing any work studies because they're so focused on catching other members of the Oracion Seis…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user added in frustration, sitting down on the couch next to Izuku, "Guess we're both stuck in limbo…" she realized.
"Yeah, but we'll figure something out," the One For All inheritor assured with a smile, enticing her to do the same.
"What about you, Bakugo?" Eijiro inquired of Katsuki, who was trying to evade Denki and Mina as they attempted to put festive garb on him, "You going back to Best Jeanist?" he presumed.
"Huh?!" the Explosion Quirk user yelled out before getting a hat thrown on his head by Denki. Looking into the Fiber Hero's whereabouts, he apparently had gone missing. Though his internship hadn't proven to be the best experience at first, perhaps a second chance would work in his favor. "I haven't decided yet…" he muttered out, "But I'm not gonna go learning from some second-tier wannabe," he affirmed, trudging away as he threw off his hat, only for Mina to try and lunge in to get the fluffy red coat she had on him, "Touch me and you die!" he threatened.
"Come on, give into peer pressure!" the Acid Quirk user insisted, "It's Christmas! Where's your festive spirit?" she asked, causing Katsuki to scoff. Meanwhile, Homura was standing off in the corner, sipping her tea. After the events of the media training just days ago, she had calmed down… but hadn't spoken much to anyone. Whenever Shoto was brought up in a conversation, she'd change the subject immediately.
"Homura?" his voice suddenly chimed in, causing her to almost choke on her drink as she saw him approaching.
"Sh-Shoto!" she stammered, quickly coughing into her right hand to catch her breath, "Sorry…" she apologized, "Are you… excited for our work study this winter?" she inquired nervously.
"I wouldn't say excited…" he admitted in response, standing next to her, "but it'll be a good experience for both of us," he affirmed, "At least… I hope so," he corrected.
"I see…" Homura said, sipping her tea again.
"I wanted to apologize for what happened the other day," Shoto said to her surprise, "I just saw how anxious you were getting and thought you needed help," he told her.
"Oh…" she uttered out, "No, I appreciated it," she affirmed in spite of the slight blush that dusted her cheeks, "I wish I could've responded myself…" she admitted, glancing away for a moment, "Shoto…" she continued, causing the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user to look over at her curiously, "Were you… really going to ask me out?" she inquired.
"…Yeah," he answered simply to her shock, "At least, I was planning on asking you to come with me to get lunch together or something along those lines," he told her, "Something like udon or ramen," he mentioned. The Soul Blade Quirk user blinked twice before smiling.
"I know you prefer soba, so we can always do that as well," she affirmed to him. He blinked in surprise, but then smiled himself. Watching from afar, Rebecca smiled.
"Hey guys, the main course is here!" Rikido called out, carrying a large plate with a cooked turkey upon it.
"Whoa, Sugar Man can cook, too?!" many of his classmates exclaimed in shock.
"Wow, it looks so good!" Rebecca pointed out as she sped over, drooling a little.
"Yeah!" Ochaco agreed, drooling herself.
"Okay, calm down…" Denki insisted to them, "Everyone's gonna want a bite," he pointed out. Just then, the doors were opened.
"Sorry we're late," Shota apologized, standing at the doorway alongside a dressed-up Witch, who held Pino in her arms as they both had festive caps on.
"Looks like you've all started the party," the Shining Star Hero noted. Looking over, everyone smiled excitedly. Standing there in her own festive garb was Eri.
"I'm supposed to say… Trick-or-Treat?" she guessed, turning to Shota.
"Nope, wrong holiday…" he confirmed to her.
"Eri Claus!" some of the student heroes exclaimed as they jogged over to greet the little girl.
"Oh, she's adorable~!" Ochaco sang out cutely.
"Your costume's so cute!" Izuku mentioned. The horned girl then started throwing bits of confetti.
"In sickness and in health!" she exclaimed in the process.
"That's not quite right either…" Witch pointed out with a giggle.
"Is Togata coming over, too?" Eijiro presumed, "That'd be tons of fun!" he proclaimed excitedly.
"He'll be busy celebrating with his own class for the night," Shota answered as he was crouched beside Eri, "Go on, enjoy yourself," he insisted of her. Smiling, she jogged over and suddenly leapt into Rebecca's arms as she yelped in surprise, being hugged warmly by her.
"Y-You must've missed me the most, huh?" she stuttered in assumption, embracing her warmly and holding her up.
"Mm-hmm!" she responded with a nod, reaching into her pocket for something, "Here, have these," she offered, holding out a pair of painted eggs. The Cat Leaper Quirk user giggled.
"That's normally for Easter, but thanks!" she said gratefully upon accepting the eggs. From afar, Izuku watched on as his girlfriend carried the little girl around, accepting drinks and food for her.
"Looks like her horn's gotten a little bigger…" he pointed out.
"Yeah…" Shota replied in confirmation, "But her attitude's remained positive," he affirmed on, "She's taking what you and Bluegarden said to heart," he mentioned on. As the evening's festivities continued, with Kyoka playing her bass and singing, everyone enjoying the food and drinks, and the overall atmosphere, the students all brought down gifts that they had wrapped for a random gift exchange. Strands of ribbon were attached to each present, from which each of the students would pull. Eri also wound up joining the fun, taking a strand like everyone else.
They pulled, and wound up with their gifts. To everyone's surprise, the little girl wound up with the massive broadsword that Fumikage had brought for some reason. Rebecca wound up with an old iPod, which she smiled at. From afar, Kyoka noticed and blushed a bright red, realizing that the Cat Leaper Quirk user had wound up with her gift. Izuku and Ochaco wound up with each other's gifts, Weisz found himself receiving a book that was from Momo, much to his surprise, and Shiki ended up getting a basketball from Denki.
"Whose gift did you get, Homura?" Mina asked curiously as she peeked over the Soul Blade Quirk user's shoulder to see her unwrapping her gift. She opened the tiny box, finding that what was inside was a small charm shaped like an autumn leaf. She smiled.
'I suppose I wound up lucky,' she concluded inwardly, looking over to Shoto.
"Hey, Izu?" Rebecca said as she walked up to her boyfriend, getting his attention, "I know that the gift exchange was supposed to just be random, but…" she began, holding out a wrapped present for him, "Merry Christmas," she remarked with a big smile.
"Rebecca…" the One For All inheritor uttered, accepting the gift as he took it into his hands, unwrapping it. He blinked. "HUH?!" he exclaimed, causing everyone to perk up in surprise, "A Nintendo Switch Lite?!" he yelled out, "When'd you have the time to buy this?!" he inquired of his girlfriend, who giggled.
"I… had a little help," she admitted in reply.
"I almost feel bad…" Izuku confessed, reaching into his pocket for something, "Compared to this, I think you beat me on the better gift…" he admitted, holding out a little box to the Cat Leaper Quirk user. She took it into her hands and opened it, revealing a silver necklace inside with her name in cursive upon it.
"Izu…" she uttered with tears pricking her eyes, "This is perfect," she affirmed happily, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend's neck, "I love you," she said.
"I love you, too," he responded with a smile before they shared a sweet kiss, with others watching on with smiles. This Christmas had been one to remember for all of them. And the couple of the class hoped that they could have another fun celebration next year…
X
As everyone worked to clean up the common space after the party, Rebecca donned her new necklace with a happy smile. She passed by Katsuki, who huffed disdainfully. Now that winter break was upon the class and work studies were bound to start up again, everyone had to start thinking about where to go.
"Midoriya, Bakugo, Bluegarden," Shoto addressed as he approached the trio alongside Homura as they were carrying plates, getting their attentions.
"What's up, Shoto?" the Cat Leaper Quirk user asked.
"If you still don't have choices for your work studies, I was thinking…" the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user began to them, "why don't you come join us?" he offered.
"Wait… what?!" Izuku exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes," Homura said, "We'd all be doing our work studies under Endeavor, the number one hero," she confirmed to the group, who all had varying reactions of surprise upon their faces. But this opportunity wasn't going to be one that they would pass up.
ENDING
Insert "Believe" by Soushi Sakiyama
Opens with Homura waking up and preparing for the day, getting dressed in her school uniform before lying on her knees in front of her memorial to Valkyrie, offering a prayer before she heads off. As she gathers in the dorm common room with her classmates, she sees Shoto and smiles, walking off with him. She breathes out a puff of cold air, looking up at the partly cloudy winter sky.
Later, we see her at the Endeavor Agency, practicing with her energy blades against the fiery ones Burnin creates with her Quirk, all while the Flame Hero watches. As Homura's exhaustion catches up with her, Endeavor offers her a cup of tea to ease her. She accepts it, sipping it gratefully. We transition to her as a child, sitting on the porch of her old home with Valkyrie, as they smile at each other.
Being taught for years how to fight with Soul Blade, Homura never knew her teacher was actually an android. But that didn't matter to her either way, as she appreciated what Valkyrie had done for her. We cut to when the police showed up at her home one evening, with Naomasa telling her the unfortunate news of Valkyrie's death. We see the lifeless body of the Shining Star Hero, having many scarlet burns along her body, with a missing right arm and half of her face gone, revealing her robotic appearance underneath.
Back in the present, we see Homura still mourning over her teacher to this day. Things have only been harder after discovering that she was a machine all this time. She starts to tear up a little, but then suddenly has a hand come onto her back. She looks to her right to see a smiling Rebecca there, followed by turning to her left to find Izuku and Katsuki there, with the former flashing a kind grin.
A hand then extends for the Soul Blade Quirk user as she looks to see Shoto standing in front of her. She gratefully accepts it as tears prick her eyes. They walk off together, with Homura starting to lean against Shoto in the process…
END ENDING
And off we go! Great to have another chapter of "Through the Rough" done as we make our way into the rest of the winter. It's great timing, too. Anyways, next time the Endeavor Agency Arc kicks off!
See you all later!