Hey folks! Welcome back to another chapter of "Through the Rough"! We had wrapped up our Season 5 adaptation with the last chapter, but now we've got an original arc to get ourselves through! This is one that's been on my mind for a while now, especially with what we'll be focusing on.
I hope you all enjoy it!
THROUGH THE ROUGH
"Huh…" Rebecca exhaled, dressed in her costume as she plopped herself down on the couch in the lobby of the Endeavor Agency, "That whole Mister Smiley thing was so exhausting…" she grumbled out, managing to roll over.
"No kidding…" her boyfriend agreed, seating himself down beside her. As the second semester finals had come and gone, the couple was back to doing their work studies at Endeavor's agency along with Katsuki, Shoto, and Homura. Between joining the Flame Hero in the field to him assigning them separate missions, the U.A. students were gaining all kinds of experience. And it was only just the start of February.
"Winter blows…" the Explosion Quirk user muttered, sitting down on a nearby ottoman, "If I could've killed that Smiley bastard, I'd be in much better mood…" he mentioned with a glare toward Izuku, making him grimace.
"No need to go overboard, Bakugo…" Rebecca said bluntly.
"Huh?" Katsuki uttered in confusion, "What are you calling me that for?" he inquired.
"That's your temp hero name until you tell us what your real one is, isn't it?" the Cat Leaper Quirk user questioned back, "Besides, I've only called you Kacchan because that's what Izu calls you…" she added, causing him to growl before letting off a scoff.
"Whatever…" he grumbled, while Izuku let off a nervous chuckle.
"It seems we've all improved quite a bit during this winter," Homura noted upon approaching. Her hero costume was now a kimono similar to her initial attire, but had red cloud-based designs with a red rose on her hip, a navy-blue hakama with white trimming on the bottoms, and a pair of knee-length black boots. "I'm thankful to Endeavor for all his help," she affirmed.
"Yeah, same," Rebecca agreed with a giggle, while Izuku smiled. He then looked over to Shoto, whose hero costume had been changed as well. His wrist guards now featured armor-like bracing and were accompanied by plating from his wrist to his knuckles. His jacket now featured a large gray-blue T-shaped stripe going from his waist to his armpits, and his utility belt now held two large canisters along with his medical supplies. His costume was also a darker shade of blue than his earlier ones. By all appearances, it was similar to that of his father's, much to the One For All inheritor's surprise. He recalled his conversation with the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user during the dinner at his household a while back. It seemed like he was starting to move forward.
"Well, looks like you kids are on the up and up!" a voice chimed in, getting their attentions as they saw Burnin approach.
"Oh, Burnin!" Rebecca greeted.
"Do you have another assignment for us?" Homura inquired of the sidekick.
"Yeah, Endeavor wants you to head back to UA for the night," she answered, much to the group's surprise, "Thanks to the five of you, we've gotten a lot more requests taken care of pretty quick," she pointed out, "It's given him a lot of time to focus on other stuff," she mentioned.
"What kind of other stuff?" Rebecca inquired curiously.
"Whatever it is, I'm sure we don't need to worry about it," Izuku assured, replying for Burnin, "Please tell Endeavor we said thank you," he requested with a bow to the sidekick.
"Ha!" she laughed, "Love that polite attitude of yours, Deku!" she remarked. Moments later, the five students were dressed in their school uniforms, boarding the bus that would take them back to their school. Burnin waved goodbye, seeing the transport head off down the road. As she made her way back over to the agency building, she looked over at the orange dusk sky, letting out a sigh.
'It's almost Valentine's Day…' she realized inwardly, frowning as she looked down, 'Hito…' she uttered through her thoughts. Just then, she heard a groan nearby. She looked over to see a figure coming out from the nearby shrubbery. It was Nino, who was bloodied and battered as he limped forward.
"The hell…?" Burnin said as her eyes shook.
"Are you… with… Endeavor…?" the bearded man asked, toppling over onto his hands and knees as he grimaced.
"Whoa, hey!" the Blazing Hair Quirk user yelped as she approached, "You should get to a hospital!" she advised, "Hold on, I'll call for—!"
"No!" Nino exclaimed, interjecting her, "Please…" he begged, reaching out to her, "I need to tell Endeavor…" he continued, "that he's in danger…" he said before completely collapsing into unconsciousness. Burnin blinked in confusion, wondering just what was going on.
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
"WHAT?!" Mina and a visible Toru exclaimed in complete shock in the classroom.
"You're not doing anything with Midoriya for Valentine's Day?" Kyoka inquired of Rebecca, who was seated at her desk as classes had come to an end for the afternoon.
"Well, we'll be working at Endeavor's Agency since it's on a Sunday," the Cat Leaper Quirk user pointed out, "Besides, he doesn't need to get me chocolate or anything," she affirmed.
"Aw… that's not romantic at all…!" Mina complained.
"I would've figured you'd try to convince Endeavor to let you two have that day off…" Kyoka presumed, putting her hands onto her hips, "Midoriya must really wanna get stronger, huh?" she guessed.
"It's not just him," Rebecca said to her surprise, "I wanna get stronger, too," she affirmed, clenching her fists, "After everything we've been through this first year, I know I won't get by sitting back and letting everyone else fight," she pointed out, "That's what being a hero's supposed to be, right?" she presumed, letting off a giggle. The Earphone Jack Quirk blushed a little.
"Y-Yeah, I guess you're right…" she stuttered in admittance, scratching her right cheek.
"Aw…" Toru groaned, "Well, at least you and Midoriya'll get to spend time together," she pointed out.
"What about Homura and Todoroki?" Mina wondered aloud, "Have they even gone on a date yet?" she inquired further.
"To be honest, I don't think so…" Rebecca answered, while the Soul Blade Quirk user was gathering her things at her desk.
"Ugh, you guys are all such workaholics!" the Acid Quirk user complained. Homura let off a little smile. She didn't mind waiting to have time to spare with Shoto, so long as he was ready and willing.
"Well, we better get goin'!" Shiki declared as he hung his backpack's straps over his shoulders, "Falcon and I are gonna get way too fast for anyone to stop!" he proclaimed with an excited pump of his fist.
"Hm," Fumikage huffed with a grin, "If Hawks was able to teach us himself, I'm certain we'd get much faster," he presumed, walking off with the Satan Gravity Quirk user. As they opened the door though, they blinked in surprise to find Sister standing there.
"Oh, Sister," Shiki greeted, seeing her walk in, "What's up?" he asked. The Heal Atomizer Quirk user took notice of Izuku, Rebecca, Katsuki, Shoto, and Homura.
"Hey, brats working with Endeavor," she called out, getting their attentions as they perked up, "We're coming with you to his agency today," she confirmed to them.
"What? Why?" the One For All inheritor asked as he blinked.
"A certain situation's come up that involves the Shining Star Heroes, too," Sister answered, walking over to the window, looking outside for a moment, "And it involves that whole mess on I-Island…" she mentioned to the group's surprise. A little while later, the five students were joined by the nurse, along with Witch and Hermit in two separate cars driving off to the agency of the number one hero. They arrived, dressed in their hero costumes as they walked down the halls, going up the elevator to the conference hall. As the group disembarked, Rebecca saw that a couple of police officers were present, along with Kido and Onima.
'What's going on?' she wondered inwardly. The tension in the air appeared to be thick. The double-doors to the conference room were opened. Immediately, the Cat Leaper Quirk user gasped.
"What the…?!" Izuku exclaimed, aghast upon seeing the cuffed and bandaged Nino seated upon the couch at the side of the room, with a pair of officers beside him. He took notice of the couple, blinking in surprise.
"You two…" he uttered out.
"So you remember them from I-Island, yes?" Endeavor assumed as he approached the bearded man.
"Y-Yes…" he stuttered in response.
"Wait, what's going on here?" Rebecca asked as she approached, only to be stopped as Witch put a hand onto her shoulder.
"We should all sit down," she advised seriously of her colleagues and the students. Everyone did so after a few moments, with those of Class 1-A still wondering what was going on.
"I will start again from the beginning," Nino decided, lifting his head up, "My name is Nino," he introduced, "I was a hired agent sent to I-Island in order to retrieve a Quirk amplification device that would be sold on the black market," he told those in the room, "At least… that was the story for the whole group," he corrected, causing Izuku and Rebecca to blink in surprise.
"It has to do with the Knight Gear project, right?" Hermit assumed.
"Knight Gear?" Homura repeated in confusion.
"Yes…" Nino replied, "Me and two others had a separate assignment to collect the data around the discontinued project and provide it to our boss," he explained, "No one realized that we had gotten away with that information until the recovery process started," he mentioned on.
"I see…" Hermit uttered, putting her left hand onto her chin, "So that's why Melissa was saying that they didn't know the data was copied yet…" she pointed out.
"Wait, Melissa?" Izuku repeated in surprise.
"Hold on," Katsuki chimed in, getting everyone's attention, "Why's this ponytail bastard here anyway?" he asked, pointing at Nino, "Shouldn't he be getting questioned at a police station or something?" he inquired on.
"Just after you kids left yesterday, he showed up at our doorstep a complete mess," Burnin told the group, "He wanted to see Endeavor and warn him…" she mentioned.
"Warn him?" Homura repeated as she blinked.
"About what?" Shoto asked.
"A villain who's looking to kill him…" Nino responded, "Madame Kurenai…" he said. The name caused the U.A. students to blink in surprise.
"Who's… Madame Kurenai?" Rebecca asked, looking over to Endeavor.
"An underground villain who's notorious for taking advantage of the black market, making millions off of illegal support items she's had sold to criminals," he explained in response, "There aren't any records of arrests or pictures to identify her," he mentioned further, "However…" he continued, looking over grimly to Homura, "it's been said that she's the one who killed Valkyrie Yuna," he stated. The whole world around the Soul Blade Quirk user stopped as her eyes slowly widened.
"Wh…What?" Rebecca stuttered.
"At first, it had been assumed that she was attacked by a random group of villains, managing to corner her," Witch told the others, "But after things came into light, we began seeing a bit of a clearer picture," she confirmed.
"Fact is that Kurenai's the one who got the final blow on Valkyrie," Sister added, "That tell of hers are the scarlet burns she leaves on her victims…" she recalled, gritting her teeth angrily.
"That's the reason we got ourselves involved with you, Endeavor," Hermit chimed in, "Knowing that you're Kurenai's target, we can help you capture her," she pointed out.
"W-Wait just a sec!" Izuku stammered out, getting their attentions, "Why's this Madame Kurenai after Endeavor?" he questioned.
"Of what she does have, she wants recognition," Nino responded, causing him to blink in confusion, "She's been vying for a spot in the Oracion Seis to prove her worth as a villain to the masses, to let the country know that she should be feared…" he explained on.
"And she's planning to use the Knight Gear project to help accomplish that?" Witch assumed.
"Yes," the bearded man answered with a nod, "With it, she's planning on first killing Endeavor before amassing a new army of villains," he told the group.
"Wait, then that means you defected from her, right?" Rebecca assumed of him.
"Correct," he replied, "As you can likely tell, she found out and tried to have me killed…" he noted to those around him, "You should know that the Knight Gear she's been building isn't yet complete," he mentioned, "She still needs to have its operating system fine-tuned with enhanced software," he explained, "And she's planning to get that software tonight at the Port of Kobe…" he added to the group's surprise.
"So we have an opportunity to capture her…" Endeavor concluded.
"But why'd you suddenly switch sides?" Burnin asked. Nino tensed up.
"Because this woman's ambitions… will lead to untold turmoil for this country…" he answered grimly, "I know her actions have torn holes for a few people in particular…" he mentioned, looking over to Homura, who let a growl escape her lips before she started marching off.
"Ah, Homura!" Rebecca yelped out, seeing her leave the room. Witch and Shoto jogged after her. Nino looked on, lowering his head sadly.
"So Madame Kurenai's going to be showing up at the Port of Kobe tonight, huh?" Burnin noted, folding her arms over her chest.
"I doubt she'd show herself so flagrantly," her boss admitted, glancing off to the side in thought, "However, we should intercept any of her cohorts and have them captured," he affirmed.
"Along with keeping that software out of her hands, right?" Izuku assumed, earning a nod in response from the Flame Hero.
"Do you know from where Kurenai's operating?" he inquired of Nino. As the conversation continued, Homura was still marching down the halls, her fists trembling with anger. She had never known the identity of her former teacher's killer for all this time up to now. And suddenly, she was discovering not only that, but that the villain responsible was still alive and building up her power in the shadows.
"Lady Homura…" Witch's voice addressed, getting her attention as she glanced back to see the Shining Star Hero approach, with Shoto not too far behind. Her expression darkened as she kept herself turned away.
"Did you know all along…?" she questioned, causing the Sorcery Quirk user to blink in surprise before she lowered her gaze with shame.
"Yes…" she admitted as a reply, "From when we were told about Valkyrie's demise and the wounds she suffered, we determined that it was Madame Kurenai's handiwork," she explained as the Soul Blade Quirk user trembled, "We hadn't known that she had taken on you as an apprentice," she mentioned, "We would've given you more details if—"
"You knew!" Homura bellowed as she whipped around with a fierce expression upon her face while having tears prick her eyes, "My teacher's death… you all knew who was responsible…" she pointed out, lowering her head as Witch looked on remorsefully.
"Huh…" she sighed, "We will bring her to justice, Lady Homura," she vowed, "I can assure you of that," she affirmed.
"No…" the Soul Blade Quirk user refused to her surprise, along with Shoto's, "I don't want justice for such a fiend…" she concluded, clenching her fists tightly, "I'll avenge Valkyrie by killing Madame Kurenai," she declared. Her classmate's eyes widened. He didn't know what to say now. Neither did the Shining Star Hero as they watched her head off.
X
"It's like what happened with Iida, huh?" Izuku assumed of Shoto later after he told him, Katsuki, and Rebecca about what had happened.
"Yeah, but this is worse," the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user noted in reply, "Unlike Iida's brother, Valkyrie was actually killed," he pointed out, "To Homura, it's like an eye for an eye…" he mentioned grimly.
"Hmph," Katsuki scoffed, "Let loose lips go ahead and kill the bitch for all we care…" he muttered out.
"Hey!" Rebecca yelled, "Think about how that goes against everything we stand for as heroes!" she insisted of him.
"Who cares if some random villain who's just been hiding dies?!" the Explosion Quirk user retorted in question, all while Izuku looked over to Shoto worriedly.
"We don't kill villains!" his girlfriend argued. At that moment, the door opened, getting their attentions as they saw Endeavor enter alongside the Shining Star Heroes. The Hellflame Quirk user opened his eyes.
"We're about to head out," he confirmed to them. Rebecca took notice of Homura amongst the group as well, seeing her determined expression. Though she could admire that resolve, it also worried her. It wasn't long before the team headed off toward the port, with the Flame Hero flying ahead as two cars were driving after them. In one were his sidekicks, with Izuku, Katsuki, and Rebecca amongst them. The other had Witch, Sister, Hermit, Shoto, and Homura.
"So Nino's saying it's not a trade or anything?" the Heal Atomizer Quirk user inquired over the communication line established between the group, sitting in the passenger's seat beside the driving Witch, "They're just stealing the software?" she guessed on.
"That's what he told us," Endeavor responded, still soaring high in the sky with the flames from his feet propelling him forward, "He also mentioned how he has fellow subordinates, ones that you kids faced during that fiasco on I-Island," he added.
"Oh yeah, I remember Eijiro telling us about how some of them got bailed out from jail!" Rebecca noted over the line.
"Was Nino one of them?" Izuku assumed.
"Yes," Witch replied from her car, "The other two who were bailed out with him are known by villain names, Baku and Garrot," she told the group, "We don't have too many details on them, but Nino warned us of their Quirks," she mentioned.
"Their Quirks?" Shoto repeated.
"Their powers aren't so much as focused on their bodies, but the weapons they wield," Hermit explained beside him, "You fought one of them yourself, right?" she presumed.
"Yeah…" the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user responded with a nod, "He had a whip for a weapon, and I remember it moving in ways that didn't seem right…" he recalled.
"That one you fought was likely Garrot," Witch confirmed, "His Quirk is Whip Master, enabling him to utilize such a weapon as if it were an extension of his own body," she explained.
"And Baku must be that lion guy Weiss went up against, right?" Rebecca presumed over the line.
"Correct, Rebecca," the Sorcery Quirk user confirmed in reply, "His Quirk is called Axe Master, with a similar use as Garrot's, though with a battle axe instead," she told the group, "Those two, along with Nino, were a part of Madame Kurenai's Zaiten Three, her strongest cohorts," she explained further.
"Zaiten Three…" Izuku repeated from the other car.
"Hmph," Katsuki scoffed, "They don't sound all that tough if we could beat 'em…" he muttered in admittance.
"Even so, you should be prepared just in case," Witch advised, "Remember, these are the people not only responsible for Valkyrie's death, but also ones who have a potential weapon of mass destruction," she pointed out thoroughly, while Homura tensed up, clenching her fists over her knees, "Do not take anything lightly," she insisted. The Soul Blade Quirk user's eyes stared down in deep thought. She was finally going to face her master's killer. And with it, she hoped that she would bring an end to her. Shoto saw her expression, showing concern upon his own face.
By the time the group had finally arrived at the port, the sun had set. As the heroes, sidekicks and work study students got out from the cars, Endeavor came down, landing before them. He narrowed his eyes onto the massive arrays of shipping containers.
"Work's supposed to light around here tonight," Burnin pointed out as she walked up to her boss' side, "So it'll be easy to sniff out any troublemakers," she affirmed confidently.
"Right," the Flame Hero agreed, turning to the others, "We'll be splitting up here," he decided, "Witch, you and the Shining Stars stay here with Kido and Onima," he advised of the Sorcery Quirk user, who nodded, "If the enemy plans to escape, we can have them cut off here," he noted.
"Right," Kido agreed.
"The rest of us will move in and split ourselves," Endeavor confirmed on, "Burnin, you go with Deku to check the northwest sector," he instructed of his sidekick.
"Understood, sir!" she responded, while Izuku nodded.
"Bakugo and Aoneko, you'll take the northwest," the Flame Hero mentioned further to the pair.
"Tch," Katsuki scoffed, while Rebecca sighed.
"Shoto and Valkyrie, I want you both to observe the perimeter," Endeavor advised of his son and the Soul Blade Quirk user, "If something does happen, you'll be able to provide support," he pointed out.
"And cut off any escape attempts, right?" the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user assumed.
"Exactly," his father responded, "I'll be going on ahead towards the freighters to see if there's any commotion there," he told the group, "Let's move out!" he exclaimed, flying off. Immediately, everyone took off in the directions they were advised to, while the sidekick aside from Burnin and the Shining Star Heroes stayed behind. Hermit glanced down in thought for a moment.
"What do you think's going to happen when we find Madame Kurenai?" she asked of her fellow androids.
"Well, we're gonna have to make sure Homura doesn't go ape-shit on her ass…" Sister remarked in reply.
"I'm serious!" the Master Code Quirk user shouted to her surprise, "She probably knows about us from killing Valkyrie, and that could lead to a whole rabbit hole of trouble if that information gets out to the public…" she mentioned in concern.
"You make a sound point, Hermit," Witch responded, "We'll do whatever we feel is best when the time comes," she affirmed. Out in the shipment yard, Rebecca ran around the shipping containers as Katsuki blasted on ahead of her.
"Hey, slow down!" she yelled, "I'd rather not waste using my Quirk unless the bad guys are here!" she pointed out.
"Oh, shut up!" the Explosion Quirk user shouted back, "You're just mad you can't keep up with me without your damn Quirk!" he argued, causing her to growl with frustration for a moment. Her expression returned to a serious one seconds later.
'Whatever happens tonight, I really hope Homura doesn't get too wound up over things…' she said inwardly, 'That look in her eyes reminds me of when she fought against Shoto in the Sports Festival…' she recalled, 'She's serious about all this…' she concluded inwardly. Elsewhere in the shipment yard, Izuku and Burnin landed atop a container, looking around.
"Doesn't seem like anything abnormal's happening right now…" the One For All inheritor noted, while the Blazing Hair Quirk user beside him nodded. She looked down in thought for a moment.
"Say, Deku…" she began, getting the freckled teen's attention, "you planning on doing anything for Valentine's Day with your girlfriend?" she inquired curiously. He blinked in surprise, blushing a little.
"Ah… well…" he stuttered, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, "Since it's the weekend and… we'll be here, uh…" he tried to say.
"Don't worry, I gotcha'," Burnin assured, "Guess it'd be easier to do things like that when you're not on duty, huh?" she assumed, looking off into the distance.
"Uh… Burnin?" Izuku uttered, arching an eyebrow in confusion.
"A few years back, I tried to score a date with a coworker behind Endeavor's back…" the Blazing Hair Quirk user confessed, "And we had it set for Valentine's Day…" she mentioned, lowering her head for a moment, "…But he quit and left the agency before the day rolled 'round," she added, causing the One For All inheritor to lightly gasp, "Listen, Deku," she continued, "Make sure not to take those sorts of days for granted with your girlfriend," she advised, "Because you never know if something might happen…" she added in warning.
"Uh… yeah, thanks…" Izuku nervously responded, looking down in thought. Elsewhere in the shipyard, Endeavor was sauntering about the parked freighters, trying to see if anything was amiss. Some workers were still in the area, finishing up their duties as the Flame Hero surveyed the area.
'According to the schedules we read, one of these freighters should contain the software…' he noted to himself, 'Even if we don't find the enemy here, Nino will lead us to Kurenai's stronghold…' he mentioned inwardly, not noticing a figure watching him from afar atop one of the ships, 'Knowing that she's after my head, I bet she'll make herself known soon enough…' he affirmed through his thoughts. Meanwhile, his son was walking behind Homura as they continued through the maze of shipping containers. Her fists remained clenched the entire as the determined look upon her face had stayed as well. The whole time, Shoto hadn't said a thing to her. It was hard for him to say anything after she chastised Witch earlier. But now, he did feel compelled to speak up.
"Homura, hold on," he said, enticing her to come to a stop, "I can tell you want to find this Madame Kurenai as soon as possible…" he pointed out, "but we can't do that if you're so set on taking revenge for Valkyrie's sake," he mentioned seriously.
"Is that what you believe, Shoto?" she questioned back, not turning to face him, "This is nothing like the grudge you bear toward your father…" she noted, "This person is not one I will forgive nor let atone for her actions," she declared firmly, "Even if I do not kill her, I will be certain that she spends the rest of her days alone in a cold, empty cell…" she affirmed on.
"Is revenge what Valkyrie would want?" the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user asked, causing her to blink in surprise as she looked back at him, "Heroes shouldn't let grudges drive their actions," he told her, "It's what led me down a darker path before I really got to know you and the rest of our classmates," he explained further.
"Shoto…" Homura uttered out.
"We're going to find Madame Kurenai and stop her," her classmate vowed, "But don't let yourself get overwhelmed by your feelings," he advised as he walked over and placed a hand onto her left shoulder. She looked down in thought, exhaling a sigh.
"Shoto… I…" she started to say, only to suddenly notice her breath. The Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user did as well, blinking in surprise.
"Ice Wall," a voice said. Suddenly, a massive barrier of ice erected in between the two student heroes, separating them from each other.
"Shoto?!" Homura yelped out, quickly drawing an energy blade in her right hand. Just as she was about to slash at the wall of ice, she heard a rumble in the distance behind her, followed by some screams.
"Go!" the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user insisted of her, "I'll catch up!" he promised as he ignited his left arm with flames.
"Right!" his classmate responded, heading off. Shoto was prepared to melt the ice wall away, only to hear footsteps approaching from behind. He whipped around.
"I don't doubt that you would easily be able to melt my ice," the approaching figure from the shadows noted, stepping into the light to reveal that it was Hyoga, "But I have a strong feeling you won't want to," he said.
"You're with Elsie Crimson's crew…" Shoto recalled, having his flames burn brightly. The Ice Manipulation Quirk user blinked in surprise before sighing.
"I suppose after Rei did marry that monster, all ties to the Himura Family were all but severed…" he presumed, much to the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user's confusion, "It's no wonder you don't know who I am…" he muttered.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Shoto asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Isn't it obvious?" Hyoga questioned back, "I'm your uncle, Shoto," he said, causing him to lightly gasp. Elsewhere in the yard, Rebecca perked up upon hearing the screams, coming to a halt.
"Bakugo, did you hear that?!" she called out in question to the Explosion Quirk user, who had been blasting himself ahead of her.
"Huh?!" he yelled back, only for a figure to suddenly lunge out in front of him.
"Watch out!" Rebecca screamed. Katsuki turned to see that it was Diego there, whose arms glowed a bright red before he slammed his right fist into the Explosion Quirk user's head, sending him crashing down to the ground. Immediately, his classmate was about to speed over to him. But all of a sudden, she found herself shot in her upper right thigh, with blood spurting from her new wound. "GAH…!" she gasped out in pain.
'Where'd… that come from?!' she wondered inwardly, looking to her right. She blinked in surprise upon noticing Seth there with a silencer in hand atop one of the containers. 'Hey, these guys are both Drakken's goons, aren't they?!' she recalled, looking over to see the dust settle around Katsuki, who was being pinned to the ground by Diego. She grimaced. 'No time to worry about it now!' she affirmed to herself, 'I already know what I have to do!' she decided through her thoughts, making her wing-like energy markings appear and shine brightly. She opened her eyes, finding herself still running, while the Explosion Quirk user was blasting ahead.
"Bakugo, heads up!" she yelled out quickly, causing him to perk up. He immediately took notice of Diego lunging at him. He retaliated with a powerful explosion to send him flying back, causing him to crash hard against one of the shipping containers in a grunt. He landed upon the ground as he grimaced, with the Explosion Quirk user coming down just across from him.
Meanwhile, Rebecca pulled out her Happy Blasters, hopping away instinctively to avoid the bullet shot her way from Seth. He blinked in surprise before finding himself met with a flurry of energy bursts from his foe's weapons, enticing him to jump away. He landed on the other side of the container he was upon, reloading his weapon.
"So that girl's got a better handle on her Quirk, huh?" he noted aloud.
"No wonder Drakken wanted her…" Diego remarked, clenching his fists as he faced off against Katsuki, who smirked wickedly. From afar, Endeavor overheard the screams, whipping around. He almost failed to notice the figure diving down from above, being none other than Gowen.
"Hey there, Endeavor!" he yelled out, engulfing his fists in flames that sparked with yellow electricity, "Been a while!" he remarked, colliding his right arm against the ones of his target, who swung them over his face to block.
"Gowen…" he uttered, seeing him jump back, "So Elsie Crimson's involved in this mess?" he presumed, narrowing his eyes.
"Why don't we forget about her for now, Mister Number One?" his former sidekick insisted, "I'm itching to really see just how much you've changed since the last time!" he yelled as he lunged out.
"Ah!" a voice screamed from afar, causing both Izuku and Burnin to perk up.
"Sounds like trouble!" the former concluded, letting green sparks of bio-electricity crackle around his body.
"Right, let's move!" the sidekick agreed, about to jump off after the work study student. However, she stopped herself upon noticing the flames spewing from afar by the freighters, seeing the sparks of electricity crackling off of them. Her eyes slightly widened. Hurrying about the array of shipping containers, Izuku spotted a trio of dockworkers gathered together, trembling with fright. He quickly shot out a Blackwhip from his right arm to reel himself down, landing hard in front of them.
"Are you alright?!" he asked immediately of them, "What happened?" he questioned on.
"Well, well…" a familiar voice chimed in, causing him to widen his eyes as he slowly turned his head, seeing that seated upon a crate a dozen yards from him with a cutlass lying in her lap was Elsie, "I was expecting at least one or two more people to come by with you to help out, but I guess I'm lucky…" she remarked in admittance, putting her right fist up against her cheek, "Imagine that…" she said.
"Elsie… Crimson…" Izuku uttered, shaking all the while.
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
We'll be wrapping things up there for a change! I'm really excited to get more into this plotline down the road, especially with the battles I have planned. But there's going to be an interesting conversation between Izuku and Elsie next chapter, so that's something to look forward to.
Thanks for reading, everyone!