Welcome back, everyone! I was really happy to get back to the UA students last chapter, and I'm really looking forward to how this arc is set to play out, especially with the original content I have in mind for later on. Homura and Shoto especially are going to get a lot of focus.
So let's not delay things anymore! Here's more of "Through the Rough"!
THROUGH THE ROUGH
Sparks flew about inside a giant warehouse, raining down onto the floor as a multitude of welders were piecing together metal plates upon a towering figure. Watching its construction from below were the likes of Baku, Garrot, and Nino. One of the workers approached the trio.
"How goes progress?" the whip wielder inquired of the man, who removed his mask.
"We should have it done within the week," he confirmed in reply, "Obviously, IT's got the software ready to go once this thing's set to be used," he mentioned.
"To think that this was what Madame Kurenai wanted us to obtain from I-Island…" Baku said.
"I know, right?" Garrot chimed in with a chuckle, "When she gets to let this thing loose, we're gonna be on top of the world…" he proclaimed. Nino grimaced beside him.
"Still, Madame Kurenai won't be happy," Baku noted, "Thanks to that Tomura Shigaraki claiming the spot of Oracion Seis that should've been hers, she has an uphill battle to climb," he pointed out.
"That's what the Punishers are gonna be for," Garrot added with a smirk, not noticing a pair of figures entering the building, "We cause enough havoc in her name, she'll have to get that sort of rep," he affirmed confidently.
"That's only if you idiots can actually do some damage…" a familiar, raspy voice muttered as a retort.
"Huh?" the whip wielder said as he turned his head, only to widen his eyes and gasp. So did Baku and Nino. Standing there was Dabi.
"So this is what you were after…" he noted, looking up at the towering mass of metal being built.
"Yes," a female voice confirmed in reply, belonging to none other than Kurenai, "The Knight Gear project is quite time consuming," she admitted, "but once it's complete, it'll be worth it," she proclaimed.
"What are you planning to even do with such a weapon?" Nino asked curiously, getting her attention. She chuckled.
"For starters, I'm going to do what that Nomu couldn't and eliminate Endeavor," she declared, "After that, I'll aim to take out the rest of the Oracion Seis, save for Tomura Shigaraki, of course," she continued, looking over to Dabi, "I'd like to make our alliance official by showing that my forces can handle doing that for you," she told him.
"Hmph," he scoffed, "You can do whatever you want," he said, walking off, "So long as you're goin' after Endeavor, that's all that matters to me," he affirmed. Kurenai chuckled again.
"What a cheeky man…" she remarked.
"We're going after Endeavor with this thing?!" Garrot inquired out of shock.
"Not immediately," Kurenai assured in reply, "I do want to make certain the Kurenai Dragoon works to its fullest potential first," she noted to her colleagues.
"And an alliance with the League of Villains…?" Baku started to question.
"We can't just rely on the Punishers, Baku," the dainty woman responded, looking up at the giant mech being built, "An army's only strong as the Quirks they wield," she pointed out, glancing back at the trio, "Isn't that right?" she presumed.
"Y-Yes, ma'am!" Garrot and Baku stammered in reply, while Nino glanced away for a moment. Kurenai narrowed her eyes onto him.
"Nino?" she said.
"Yes, of course…" her ponytailed colleague replied, looking back up at the mech under construction. Such a weapon being unleashed on Japan would be catastrophic. And he knew that if nothing was done about it, Kurenai would have her wishes fulfilled…
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
As the new year rolled around, students of UA were allowed to be escorted back home for a few days to spend time with their families. In Rebecca's case, she was more than happy to have that time alongside her boyfriend as his mother at their apartment. Inko was awing the new necklace that her son's girlfriend had been given.
"This is incredible!" she exclaimed, "Izuku, how did you even pay for something like this?!" she inquired of the One For All inheritor, who sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.
"I saved up my allowance and the money I made from our work study…" he answered, "But really, I have to thank Witch for helping me get something like that," he mentioned aloud to Rebecca's surprise as she reclaimed her necklace.
"Wait, Witch helped you out?" she inquired curiously.
"Uh, yeah," her boyfriend replied.
"Well, that's a coincidence!" she remarked with a laugh, "She's the one who helped me get your gift, too!" she pointed out. The couple giggled together as Inko looked on happily. She had been worried about her son managing in a relationship with someone who was his best friend. But seeing them like this now… her worries were fading away.
"Oh, uh, by the way!" Izuku chimed in, getting her attention, "Remember that girl I told you about? Eri, the one we rescued?" he inquired of her.
"I do," she responded with a simple nod.
"Well, look at this!" her son insisted, pulling out a piece of paper with writing scribbled upon it, "She wrote us the nicest letter!" he pointed out, "Isn't that great?" he questioned, looking at the note alongside his girlfriend, "She wrote it while practicing her spelling and stuff," he mentioned, "Honestly, I couldn't help her as much as I would've liked to…" he admitted on, "but she did her best writing this for us," he affirmed.
"Yeah," Rebecca agreed, "And it was great to know how she felt," she added happily. Tears of joy started welling up in Inko's eyes before she started bawling, much to the shock of the couple as her tears were pouring out of her eyes onto the floor.
"Mom, calm down!" Izuku insisted in panic, "The Koike Family downstairs is gonna think there's another leak!" he pointed out.
'Another…?' his girlfriend repeated inwardly with a drop of sweat rolling down the side of her head. Inko sniffled, calming down.
"Ever since you were little, you were trying to copy All Might…" she pointed out in remembrance, "Saying you'd save people even though you weren't that strong…" she recalled on, "Even if you got hurt… if there's one thought I've had more than any other," she continued, "it's that as a mother, I have to protect my son," she affirmed as Izuku and Rebecca listened intently, "That's gone through my head so often…" she confessed, "But talking to you like this…" she kept going as she wiped her teary eyes, "Seeing that look on your face…" she added with a little laugh of relief, "I don't worry as much anymore," she said.
"Missus Midoriya…" Rebecca uttered, giving off a small smile. She looked over to her boyfriend, who was getting teary-eyed himself.
"I'm glad…" he whimpered out… right before bawling with his mother as their tears poured out from their apartment like a waterfall. The Cat Leaper Quirk user laughed nervously at the sight. A while later, she was being walked home by the One For All inheritor, exhaling a cold breath.
"Starting tomorrow, we're gonna be getting to work with Endeavor…" she noted aloud, looking up at the starry sky above, "It's almost surreal how things are shaping up…" she admitted.
"Yeah…" Izuku agreed, "I'm a little nervous, especially with Todoroki, Kogetsu, and Kacchan involved…" he confessed on. His girlfriend giggled.
"It'll be okay," she assured, "Just gotta be Plus Ultra as always, right?" she guessed with a wink. Her boyfriend cracked a grin.
"Right," he confirmed in reply. The couple made it to the door of the Cat Leaper Quirk user's apartment.
"Oh, almost forgot…" she said, turning around, "Happy—" Before she could say another word, it was caught as Izuku's lips pressed against hers, making her let out a surprised squeak. But she melted into the kiss, which lasted for a few more seconds before they let go of each other.
"Happy New Year, Rebecca," the One For All inheritor said, giving off a sheepish grin. She giggled, blushing all the while.
"Oh, you…" she muttered with a roll of her eyes, kissing him again under the moonlight.
X
"You two have everything?" Inko asked of Izuku and Rebecca as they were dressed in their school uniforms, both wearing scarves as they were out at a bus stop the very next morning.
"Yep," the former of the two confirmed, picking up his suitcase.
"Promise me you'll take of yourselves," Inko insisted.
"We will, Missus Midoriya," Rebecca assured with a smile.
"Inko, Rebecca," the short woman corrected to her surprise, "You're already close enough to Izuku and me to not be so formal," she affirmed. The Cat Leaper Quirk user grinned.
"Thank you," she said gratefully before she and boyfriend boarded the bus that was there to pick them up.
"Give it your all at the work study, you two!" Inko cheered.
"Promise!" her son responded, waving goodbye. After another moment, the bus departed from the stop. Inko watched on, proud of her son… and was excited for his future.
"Huh…" Rebecca exhaled aboard the bus, seated next to her boyfriend. They both were nervous about the upcoming work study. But they also knew it would be a valuable experience. It wasn't long before Katsuki, Shoto and Homura were picked up as well. The Cat Leaper Quirk user couldn't help but notice how tense the latter of the trio seemed. She almost looked terrified.
'Guess she must be worried about meeting Endeavor after the whole 'Shomura' thing…' Rebecca noted through her thoughts, 'Still, I'm sure he knows it's just rumors and hearsay…' she mentioned inwardly, 'Although… Shoto did ask her out, so…' she recalled, wondering just what the Soul Blade Quirk user was thinking about. It was a smooth ride up to the city where the agency was, though the group of U.A. students was to be dropped off to meet with the Flame Hero beforehand. They disembarked from the bus… and turned to see the smiling figure of Enji there.
"Welcome to the Endeavor Agency!" he greeted. Rebecca blinked twice.
'Huh… I guess he's being friendly since we're Shoto's—'
"As if I'd actually say that…" the Flame Hero muttered with a frustrated expression, interjecting the Cat Leaper Quirk user's thoughts.
'There it is…' she noted inwardly as a drop of sweat rolled down the side of her head. Wind breezed by the group.
"I gave my permission reluctantly as a favor to Shoto," Endeavor pointed out to the students, "but I wish he would've just come with Kogetsu," he admitted as the Soul Blade Quirk user nervously glanced away to avoid the Flame Hero's gaze.
"It's already done, so get over it," the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user insisted.
"Wh—?! Shoto!" his father exclaimed.
"Come on, let's not make a scene…" Rebecca grumbled pleadingly.
"You know, I've been thinking since those supplementary lessons…" Katsuki chimed in, "you're a jerk," he said bluntly to Endeavor.
"Hey, come on!" Rebecca yelled, "We're all trying to start a work study here!" she pointed out vehemently. Izuku grimaced as he could notice passing people eyeing them curiously, wondering what was going on.
"Son… are you really friends with these delinquents?!" the Flame Hero inquired of Shoto.
"If I can see how the top hero works, then I guess I don't really care…" Katsuki mumbled out.
"Couldn't you have just said that from the start…?" Rebecca questioned with a sigh.
"I told you to choose your friends wisely, Shoto!" Endeavor shouted to his son, who grimaced.
"E-Endeavor, sir?" Homura chimed in, getting his attention as she bowed her head, "We are all looking forward to you teaching us!" she affirmed.
"Uh, yeah," Izuku said as he stepped forward, "We appreciate that you're letting us do our work studies under you," he mentioned. Endeavor looked over at him curiously. Something about the aura he emanated wasn't as intense as the One For All inheritor remembered from back at the Sports Festival. Maybe it was because of the recent incident with the Nomu or something else. Either way, he was a little different now.
Rebecca remembered how when she and her boyfriend brought up the news of their new work study to All Might, he was excited for them, saying that it was a good opportunity. She also recalled him telling her it'd be a good way to really understand what working from the top was like. She and the others walked along the sidewalk behind the Flame Hero as they were heading for the agency.
"We'll do our best to learn from you, sir," Izuku affirmed to him, "It's an honor to be working with you," he mentioned. Enji glanced back at him curiously, remembering one of their last encounters at the Sports Festival.
"Shoto is not me, is that right?" he inquired of the One For All inheritor, making him blink in surprise. Rebecca gave off a surprised look herself, recalling what her boyfriend had told the Flame Hero back then. Whether it was in his effort to save Shoto from being shackled by his own grudges or not, it was something that apparently stuck with the Hellflame Quirk user set to teach them. At that moment, he came to a stop.
"Um… sir?" Rebecca uttered in confusion. All of a sudden, the Flame Hero hopped over the railing and started running off, tossing his suitcase aside.
"Sorry, but I'm only planning on looking after my son and Kogetsu," he told the group, making flames ignite along his face and arms as his clothes over his costume burned away, flying off, "If you wanna learn, then stand back and watch!" he insisted of the students. However, he glanced back to find the five hero hopefuls hurrying after him as they pulled out some of their equipment from their suitcases.
"Give us your orders!" Izuku requested of him. Endeavor scoffed.
"Like I said, just stand back!" he demanded in response. Further out in the city, there was a commotion going on with many glass windows from cars and buildings being sucked away by an elderly man, with wrinkles on his face, a slim body, a large white beard, and seemed to have a constant nosebleed. His eyes lacked pupils, being completely blank, accentuating his prophet appearance. He wore clothes that resembled a mix between a magician and a monk. He had a dark and disheveled cloak with light clothes underneath, bracelets on his wrists, and on his head, he donned a tall, cylindrical cap with a piece of cloth on the back.
"I have received a divine revelation from the universe!" he yelled out to the frightened citizens below him, "Run! Flee this place, citizens!" he advised while forming the stolen glass into orbs around and beneath himself, "The corners of Pluto's mouth twist with loneliness…" he pointed out, "The hour of your demise is nigh at hand!" he proclaimed on. Watching on from afar atop a nearby building was Hawks.
"Well, dang…" he muttered out, putting down a book he was looking at, "Talk about crappy timing…" he grumbled.
"The universe has whispered into my brain!" the elderly villain declared as he floated onward past more buildings, "The wicked stars are polluted! They must be stopped at once!" he proclaimed further, taking in more glass from the windows, "This land… will soon be devoured by darkness!" he yelled. The glass he sucked away was forming into a massive sphere overhead. "But fear not! I will destroy the source of this rottenness!" he decided proudly, throwing the glass sphere down toward the street below. All of a sudden though, a beam of fire smashed through it.
"FLASHFIRE FIST!" Endeavor roared, melting the glass sphere as its bits poured down harmlessly onto the ground, "You control glass, old man?" he inquired of the elderly villain, whose eyes were widened with shock, "With such power, why use it to create chaos?" he questioned on, "Either way, I'm afraid I can't let you get away with this," he declared as his flames burned brightly.
"AHHHH!" Starservant screamed, "My throat is burning!" he yelled out, quickly flying away into an alley. The Flame Hero pursued him, evading and incinerating any glass sent his way in the process. "Do it!" he yelled upon reaching the end of the alleyway. There, five men were prepared to trip up the Hellflame Quirk user and give the villain an easy escape. However, they found themselves about to be thwarted by Izuku, Rebecca, Katsuki, Shoto, and Homura, who had arrived on the scene and were ready to take down the subordinates. But instead, each of hoodlums were caught by the bright red feathers of Hawks, who had flown down.
"Well, looks like you've got some followers of your own…" he remarked to Endeavor.
"H-Hawks?!" Izuku and Rebecca stammered in surprise.
"Sorry 'bout that," the Wing Hero apologized, "But I was just a little bit faster than you," he pointed out. The Cat Leaper Quirk user was amazed, but suddenly wound up tripping and falling down flat on her face.
"Ow…!" she groaned out.
"Ah, Rebecca!" her boyfriend gasped, quickly going over to check on her. Meanwhile, Hawks floated down.
"Figured Endeavor could use a hand out here," he noted as he landed.
"Does it look like I needed help?" the Flame Hero questioned back as he was restraining Starservant.
"I mean, kinda," Hawks replied, "What do you think, Shoto?" he inquired of the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user.
"Oh… um…" he stuttered out.
"We appreciate the help regardless…" Homura assured with a polite bow to the Wing Hero, getting his attention.
"Well, Homura Kogetsu…" he uttered out, putting his gloved hands onto his hips, "Got both halves of Shomura here, huh?" he noted aloud, causing the Soul Blade Quirk user to squeak in surprise as she blushed a bright red.
"Shomura?" Endeavor repeated upon overhearing out of confusion. Homura trembled with embarrassment and fright. Rebecca overheard as well as she stood back up, rubbing her hurting nose.
'Sounds like Endeavor didn't even know about the hashtag…' she noted inwardly, 'Well, until now…' she corrected as a drop of sweat rolled down the side of her head.
"Hmph," the Flame Hero huffed, "I told you to warn me before showing up out of nowhere, Hawks," he noted in annoyance to the Fierce Wings Quirk user.
"Didn't have time," he retorted, "And I was already in the area," he mentioned. Homura sighed with relief. The police arrived soon after, detaining Starservant and his followers.
"Let go!" the elderly villain yelled out, "If you don't release me to my duties, then all is lost!" he proclaimed.
"What a troubled old man…" Homura noted aloud.
"Bastard's just tryin' to play victim…" Katsuki grumbled.
"Him!" Starservant yelled, "He's the source!" he shouted on as everyone looked over, "The fire he gives off blinds you!" he pointed out, referring to Endeavor, "He will be the demise of our world!" he proclaimed before getting dragged off.
"Yeesh…" Rebecca muttered out. As the police took him and his followers away, Hawks approached the group. Izuku took notice, immediately turning around to face him.
"N-Nice to meet you, sir!" he stuttered out, "I'm in UA's Hero Course! Class 1-A!" he told him, "My name's Izuku Midoriya!" he introduced.
"Oh yeah, the finger-destroyer kid," the Fierce Wings Quirk user recalled, causing the One For All inheritor to blink in surprise, "I heard about you all from Tsukuyomi and Magimech King," he pointed out, "Man, I was hopin' to work with them again soon, but not today," he noted.
"Then… where are Shiki and Fumikage?" Rebecca asked, chiming into the conversation.
"Aren't they continuing their work studies at your agency?" Izuku inquired on.
"I pawned them off on my sidekicks for them to train for the time being," Hawks answered, "I feel bad, but with so much on my plate, I can't really shave off time for 'em," he told the couple. He glanced over to spot a glare coming from Katsuki.
"You might be quick, but I was still faster than you…" he grumbled.
"Oh, really?" the Wing Hero questioned.
"All evidence points to the contrary…" Rebecca muttered.
"HUH?!" Katsuki shouted angrily, causing her to let out an exasperated breath.
"So, what is it that you want, Hawks?" Endeavor asked upon approaching, "I know you wouldn't come here without a good reason," he pointed out.
"Oh, nothin' much," the Fierce Wings Quirk user responded, "Actually, I've got something to ask you," he noted, reaching into his large back pocket to pull out the book he had been reading, "You happen to have read this?" he inquired curiously. On the cover was the title 'Meta Liberation War'.
"Meta Liberation War…?" Rebecca read off, arching an eyebrow.
"What is this about?" Endeavor asked.
"Well, it's gotten really popular recently," Hawks responded, "It was written a while back, but it has predictions about the future that seem pretty relevant today," he pointed out to the Flame Hero, "Oh, like this passage," he mentioned as he opened the book, flipping through its many pages, "'If you grant freedom to a limited number of people, then the burdens of the world will go to the others'," he read, closing the book, "I highlighted that and some other parts if you don't have time to go through the whole thing," he told his fellow hero, handing him the hardcover, "I suggest you read those," he advised, "The leader of the Meta Liberation Army was named Destro," he said, "What he wanted was a society upheld by personal responsibility," he noted, "Trendy idea, really," he added with a grin.
"And your point is…?" Endeavor inquired.
"We'll have a world where there's too much time on our hands," Hawks proclaimed in response. He didn't want to beat around the bush when it came to this. He wanted to tell the Flame Hero everything, but he was being watched. With sensors and cameras attached to his wings, there was no way he could inform the Hellflame Quirk user or any other fellow heroes about this ordeal.
And Enji could tell something was off. Between his tone and mannerisms, the Wing Hero wasn't as laid back as he usually seemed. He accepted the book.
"Make sure you read through it, okay?" Hawks requested, "I'd recommend reading the highlighted sections from the second part first…" he added.
"A book that Hawks is pushing?" Izuku whispered curiously, "Maybe I should try reading it, too…" he suggested. Overhearing, the Wing Hero perked up.
"Here you go! I got extras!" he pointed out, pulling out a quintet of books from his jacket as he turned to the students.
"Whoa, so prepared!" the One For All inheritor exclaimed.
"But where'd they come from…?" Rebecca inquired.
"Train hard!" Hawks insisted, handing a book to each of the students rather quickly, "That's how you'll reach the age of the number two pro!" he proclaimed to them.
"Thank you very much," Homura said gratefully with a bow of her head.
"You must really enjoy this book if you've got so many copies on hand…" Shoto pointed out.
"I guess he's trying to spread the word to everyone he can," Izuku assumed in response.
"Yep, that's right," Hawks responded, unfolding his wings, "I've been recommending it to heroes across the country," he mentioned, "Just watch," he insisted, "By the time I'm through, there'll be a groundwork for liberation all across the country," he proclaimed, "Do your best out there," he remarked in farewell, "Good luck to you too, Shomura," he added cheekily, causing Homura to blush a bright red again before covering her face with her hands. As he flew off, Endeavor looked back at the book he had accepted, opening it and flipping through a few of the pages to find some of the highlighted sections.
'The second part…' he uttered inwardly.
"Well, he's definitely the most sociable hero I've known…" Rebecca pointed out.
"And he's only twenty-two…" her boyfriend added, "He's as fast as they say…" he remarked.
"That guy's annoying…" Katsuki muttered.
"Yes… he is…" Endeavor agreed, though he did understand that the Wing Hero was trying to tell him something. And the book in his hands was key to figuring that out.
X
"Welcome to the Endeavor Agency!" Burnin greeted to the U.A. students who had arrived at the building.
"Call us the Flamin' Sidekickers!" a group of men alongside her yelled out.
"Wow, I can't believe we get to meet again like this!" Izuku admitted excitedly upon seeing the Blazing Hair Quirk user.
"Same!" she responded, "So it's the first work study for three of you, huh?" she noted to Shoto, Homura, and Katsuki, "We already got some experience working with you all back during that whole mess in Shibuya," she recalled, "You're gonna learn a whole lot!" she affirmed, "This agency's way different from the classroom you're used to!" she mentioned, gesturing to her surroundings. It was indeed a large office space with several workstations. "We've got thirty sidekicks employed here," Burnin pointed out, "In other words, you're gonna hafta work hard to shine here…" she noted with a wide grin to Katsuki, "Sorry…" she mock-apologized.
"You don't say?" he questioned back, "Then we'll just have to beat the pros at their own game…" he decided.
"You can try…" the Blazing Hair Quirk user challenged.
"Hey, can we not do this on the first day here…?" Rebecca grumbled in request.
"Shoto, don't think you're getting special treatment just 'cause you're the boss' kid," Kido chimed in.
"Just try to keep up with us if you can," Onima insisted, "Same goes for you too, Valkyrie," he mentioned to Homura, who perked up as she blushed a little.
"Y-Yes, sir!" she stuttered out in response. She was still really nervous, especially after the group's encounter with Hawks. Although it was likely just playful banter on his part, him knowing about the hashtag with her and Shoto made her all the more worried that they'd be on the receiving end of some teasing. As Katsuki shouted about wanting to get sent out on missions, she looked down in thought.
'What will Endeavor think if the two of us are in a relationship…?' she wondered inwardly. In his own personal office, the Flame Hero was contemplating over Hawks' demeanor from earlier. It made no sense.
What he said didn't resonate with his true feelings, and his face told that story, too. He usually had a vapid smile, saying whatever came to his mind. But today… the Hellflame Quirk user saw something different. And he knew something was wrong. He looked at the book he was given much closer.
The highlighted sections were small, but frequent. And from Hawks' advice, he started reading the second word of each section. Suddenly, he started to realize what his fellow hero was doing for him. In the book was a coded message, a warning to him about a new villain force that was building up in the shadows: the liberation army. And their numbers were over a hundred thousand. In four months, they would make their move. And that's when the heroes would need to be prepared…
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
Quick chapter this time around, but I'm happy to get things going with the Endeavor Agency Arc. Next time around, we'll have some intriguing things to get through when it comes to both our heroes and the ones training them. Stay tuned, everyone! See you later!