Hey folks! Welcome back to "Through the Rough"! We're getting started on the original arc to close out Season 5, and things are already looking intense! Elsie Crimson's gone ahead and gotten involved in another villain's plot, along with a few other familiar faces. And now, we've got ourselves quite a situation about to unfold.
So let's dive back into it!
THROUGH THE ROUGH
FLASHBACK
"Another job?" Hyoga questioned with his arms folded over his chest.
"To be more precise, we're to act as a diversion for this Madame Kurenai in order for her to get what she's after," Elsie confirmed in reply.
"Kurenai…" Gowen repeated aloud, "Isn't she the one who killed Valkyrie?" he inquired with a look of surprise.
"So I've heard," the Oracion Seis member responded, leaning back against the warehouse wall, "Regardless of the circumstances, I already accepted her request," she told her subordinates, making them gasp in surprise.
"But why?!" the Flame Bolt Quirk user asked emphatically, "I know you of all people would hate helping out someone like that!" he pointed out.
"That isn't my objective in all this," Elsie said to his confusion, "Kurenai's looking to go after Endeavor, leading him down a trail until they eventually meet," she explained, "And Endeavor happens to have some students from UA along with him," she mentioned further.
"I see…" Hyoga uttered in realization, while Gowen still looked perplexed, "You want to have a talk with one of them, don't you?" he assumed.
"Huh? A talk?" his colleague repeated out of confusion.
"Exactly," the Oracion Seis member confirmed, "I have someone specific in mind, though I doubt it's going to be easy to separate him from the pack…" she pointed out in admittance, "And along with that, he'll no doubt try to stop me," she added as she stepped forward, "But that'll make things a little more exciting, I'm sure," she affirmed with a small smile.
END FLASHBACK
"Thank you, hero!" one of the dockworkers yelled gratefully before running off with his fellow men, hurrying away from the scene as Izuku stood off against the seated Elsie. She grabbed the cutlass upon her lap, about to stand up.
"Don't move," the One For All inheritor insisted, having curled his right middle finger in, holding it back with his thumb as the outer layer of his glove was jolted forward. The Oracion Seis member complied, giving off a grin.
"The last time I saw you, you still seemed a bit jittery," she recalled, "And when we first fought, you obviously acted in order to protect your friends, right?" she inquired on, making Izuku tense up a little, "If you're still nervous around me, that's all right," she assured, "There's no shame in a hero feeling fear," she pointed out, "But they can't let that fear spread to the people they're supposed to protect," she mentioned, "That's what it means to protect them, isn't it?" she assumed of her foe, who let a drop of sweat trickle down the side of his face.
"Are you working for Madame Kurenai now?" he questioned of her.
"I am," she answered, "Well… partially," she corrected, "My real goal tonight was to talk with you, Izuku Midoriya," she admitted to his surprise, "I must say, I was really impressed with how you and your classmates subdued that villain with the white lines," she complimented, "You really have grown since Camino," she added, "Actually…" she continued, lowering her gaze for a moment, "that's what I wanted to talk with you about," she admitted, making him blink in shock, "First of all, and this is just my assumption," she kept going, "you're connected to All Might, aren't you?" she guessed. The whole world around the One For All inheritor grinded to a halt. It was bad enough when Katsuki had discovered his secret, because it was his own fault for telling him about it. But this was worse. A villain seemingly was putting the pieces together.
"I don't know what you're talking about…" he responded, trying to throw Elsie off. She huffed.
"Your immediate reaction gave you away, so there's no point in trying to save face," she noted, starting to stand up.
"I said don't move!" Izuku shouted, flicking his finger to unleash a pressurized blast of air. The Oracion Seis member merely moved her head aside to evade it. The One For All inheritor's eyes shook with disbelief.
"Ranged attacks, hm?" Elsie said as she took a few steps forward, "My, you really are something…" she complimented, "But I'm not here for a fight," she affirmed, "I want to talk with you about the state of this world of heroes…" she told him as he trembled a little, "and whether or not it's worth saving in the end," she added firmly.
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
"Over there!" Hermit exclaimed, pointing towards the rising flames in the distance.
"Looks like Endeavor found someone…" Kido remarked.
"But who?" Onima wondered aloud.
"Whoever it may be, our assignment is still the same," Witch confirmed to the group, "We need to guard this point so that no one may escape," she noted.
"Yeah, yeah…" Sister mumbled repeated in understanding, folding her arms behind her head as she looked up with a bored expression. She then blinked as she noticed a shadow pass over her, followed by widening her eyes. "Uh, Witch?" she said, getting the attention of the Sorcery Quirk user, "What should we do about people getting in?" she asked as she pointed upward. The others glanced up and gasped. Elsewhere in the yard, masses of ice crashed into each other as both Shoto and Hyoga skated up along the shipping containers. The former flung shards of ice at his opponent, who blocked them with another wall of ice he erected.
"So you're my uncle…" the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user noted aloud, igniting his left arm with flames, "And you're working for the person who killed Valkyrie?!" he questioned angrily, firing a stream of fire that pierced through the ice wall, as his foe ducked underneath it.
"I'm only following the princess," he responded, swinging his left arm out to have ice surge up toward his target in the form of a wave, "This happens to be a benefit for me," he mentioned, having the wave seemingly crash down onto Shoto. However, it was immediately eviscerated by his nephew's flames.
"And what benefit is that?" he questioned.
"I get to talk with you, don't I?" Hyoga inquired back. The Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user narrowed his eyes. "I never approved of your mother's marriage from the start," his uncle told him, "Though I'll admit that it was more our father's fault than Endeavor's, it was him who drove Rei to madness," he explained on, "He's the reason you have that scar, right?" he presumed of his foe, who fired off another stream of flames, forcing him to leap aside to evade it.
"I'm not here to have a talk with you now," Shoto declared, "I've got more important things to worry about!" he affirmed, skating off aboard a wave of ice he conjured. Hyoga grimaced in frustration, making his way after the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user upon a wave of his own. Meanwhile, Homura was hurrying about the shipyard, turning a corner and screeching to a halt. At the end of the pathway, one of the shipping containers had been cleaved open, with a familiar figure standing outside it. Lying around him and trembling were several dockworkers. Readying a pair of energy blades in her hands, the Soul Blade Quirk user took on a ready stance. The figure turned and spotted her.
"Well, well…" he uttered out, walking over to her, "So we finally get to meet again, huh?" he noted, being none other than Garrot as he dragged his whip along the ground with him.
"So you're the one with Kurenai…" Homura realized, gripping her blades tightly in her hands, "Were you also there with her when she killed my teacher?" she questioned, narrowing her eyes with building anger.
"Teacher?" Garrot repeated, "Oh, you must be talking 'bout Valkyrie, right?" he guessed, causing the Soul Blade Quirk user to growl, "Ah, so you're the one she passed her Quirk onto…" he realized, "Wish I could've gotten to see more of that on I-Island…" he admitted aloud. Homura lunged toward him. "Unfortunately, I'm gonna have to hold off on playing with you right now…" he said. All of a sudden, a pair of figures landed down in front of him, causing the incoming Soul Blade Quirk user to stop as she blinked in surprise. As the dust settled, she blinked in surprise to find what seemed to be a pair of gold-armored men in front of her, with red, wing-like apparatuses at their backs and scepters in their hands.
"What in the world…?" Homura uttered out.
"Like our insurance?" Garrot presumed, "These guys are part of Madame Kurenai's Punisher Force," he told her, "And their job's to make sure no one gets in her way," he mentioned. One of the soldiers lunged toward the Soul Blade Quirk user, enticing her to ready her blades as she clashed them against his scepter. She attempted to quickly blitz by him with a slash, but the other Punisher dashed in and rammed into her, sending her sliding back along the ground. Her eyes widened slightly.
'That full-body tackle…' she noted inwardly. The first Punisher lunged in, spinning his scepter around before swinging it at her. She clashed against it with her blades, being forced to step back. That wasn't the only thing, however. The way her foe was moving… reminded her of Valkyrie. 'What is going on?!' she wondered inwardly.
"JET BURNNNN!" Endeavor roared, colliding his right fist against Gowen's, resulting in an explosive blast of fire surrounding the pyrokinetic pair. The former sidekick grinned wickedly all the while before he and his foe hopped back, letting the flames around them dissipate.
"Strong as ever…" he commented, swiping at his nose with his right thumb, "But this time, I'm still standing!" he pointed out excitedly, "That means I'm finally able to take those blasts you dish out!" he proclaimed. The Flame Hero didn't respond, narrowing his eyes. Just then, he heard a ping in his ear.
"Endeavor, are you there?!" Hermit's voice inquired.
"Hermit, what is it?" the Hellflame Quirk user questioned back, putting his right hand up to his ear, much to Gowen's surprise, "I'm not exactly in a favorable position at the moment…" he pointed out.
"We've got new enemies arriving at the port!" the Shining Star Hero responded to his surprise. He looked over, seeing the Punishers arriving as they flew over the arrays of shipping containers spread about the yard.
"What the hell…?" he uttered out in shock.
"Hey!" Gowen yelled, getting his attention as he turned to see his former sidekick lunging toward him with his left fist enflamed, "Didn't you always tell me to pay attention to your opponent at all times, Endeavor?!" he roared in question, about to punch him squarely in the face. However, he found himself stopped by the green flaming blade held by Burnin, who had just flown in. Both men widened their eyes.
"Burnin!" Endeavor exclaimed.
"Moe…" the Flame Bolt Quirk user uttered, seeing the sidekick land in front of him.
"Sorry for coming here, sir!" she apologized to her boss as he blinked in surprise, "Deku had gone off to help some people in trouble," she told him, "He should be west of here!" she confirmed.
"Burnin…" the Flame Hero uttered.
"Let me take care of this, please," his sidekick requested, pulling off a chunk of her fiery green hair into her right hand. The Hellflame Quirk user sighed.
"Don't get in over your head," he advised before rocketing off into the sky. The Blazing Hair Quirk user narrowed her eyes onto Gowen, whose own eyes were shaking for a moment.
"It was around this time a while ago, wasn't it?" he recalled in question.
"Yeah," Burnin responded, "You're not getting away from me this time, Hito…" she declared firmly, lunging forward. Meanwhile, Katsuki was blasting himself around Diego, whose punches were knocking down several shipping containers with just a single blow. Rebecca was still engaged in somewhat of a standoff against Seth, having to be careful about how she moved, knowing that she wouldn't be able to hear his shots coming. She narrowly missed getting hit in her foot before firing off a flurry of blue laser bolts up toward where she thought her foe was, only for him to not be there. She blinked in surprise upon noticing the Punishers flying overhead.
"The state of the world of heroes?" Izuku questioned of Elsie, who now stood just a few feet away from him. She nodded.
"You were acknowledged by Stain last year when fighting to stop him from killing your friend and other heroes, right?" she inquired, "If that's the case, what he saw in you as a hero must've been something that he deemed righteous," she pointed out.
"And you're on that maniac's side…?" the One For All inheritor asked as a drop of sweat rolled down the side of his head. Elsie turned to him inquisitively, making him tense up. She sighed.
"I side with his ideals, not his actions," she confirmed as she sauntered about the student hero, "Tell me something, why did he save you from that Nomu?" she inquired of him, causing him to blink in surprise, "I'm sure whatever the reason was, it was probably because your ideals of heroism resonated with his," she explained. Izuku stared at her intently.
"So then what?" he questioned.
"Thinking back to what happened in Camino Ward this past summer, I had my suspicions, especially upon seeing All Might's power deplete right before my eyes," she told the One For All inheritor, "I knew if someone were to take his place, it would have to be someone who shared his ideals," she pointed out, "Someone who'd charge in without thinking the consequences," she mentioned, "And that's when I thought about that night in Shibuya," she recalled, remembering how the freckled teen had been the first to lunge in amongst his peers to attack her, "You didn't even hesitate, even knowing who I was," she remembered, approaching him again, "So I'll ask you one time," she decided, "Are you All Might's successor?" she inquired with a small smile upon her face. Izuku trembled. He was pretty much cornered. And then a shadow whisked over him.
"Huh?" he uttered as he looked up, spotting a couple of Punishers coming towards him, "Wh-What the?!" he stammered out, hopping back to avoid getting struck by one's scepter. The other landed behind him about to slash with his own weapon. However, his head was suddenly lopped off in an instant, much to Izuku's shock as his eyes widened, seeing that Elsie had blitzed past him. The Punisher fell over in a heap.
Before the One For All inheritor could shout at the Oracion Seis member for killing someone, he noticed that beheaded figure wasn't bleeding. In fact, he looked inside of its body to find machinery sparking inside of it. His eyes widened.
"It's… an android?" he said.
"So that's Kurenai's insurance…" Elsie realized to the One For All inheritor's surprise as he saw that she had dispatched the other Punisher, running it through with her cutlass as it fell over, "She must really need that software she's after…" she concluded. Elsewhere, Homura continued to clash her blades against the scepters of the Punishers she was facing, struggling to push them back in order to get to Garrot. He just chuckled, while another figure emerged from the cleaved container he was beside, being Baku.
"You got it?" he inquired of his partner, who nodded.
"I see that Madame Kurenai didn't want there to be any extra complications tonight…" he noted upon spotting the Punishers.
"Best part is that these heroes don't even know they're not actual people," Garrot mentioned with a chuckle, "So they'll just hold back like the idiots they are…" he pointed out, "Hey, you got it?" he inquired of his partner. He nodded.
"The rest of them should be occupied with the Punishers and those of Elsie's crew," he affirmed, "Let's make haste and get away from here," he advised.
"Yeah, yeah…" Garrot muttered, trudging after him.
"Wait!" Homura yelled from afar, continuing to block the rush of attacks from the Punishers. She clenched her teeth together, making her energy markings along her arms expand. All of a sudden, she slashed past the pair facing her, reducing them to nothing but pieces that clattered upon the ground. The pair of villains glanced back in shock to see the claw-like blades over the Soul Blade Quirk user's arms, along with the anger in her expression.
"So Madame Kurenai was right on the money…" Garrot noted, letting off a grin, "That girl really is the one…" he said.
X
"Logical Arm Blast!" Hermit exclaimed as she slammed her right fist into a Punisher while assuming her Overdrive form, sending it flying back. Others were trapped in mounds of ice conjured by Witch, while Sister lashed a few with her bladed whip. The three of them were making certain to hold the line against their mysterious foes, who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
"Hey… you two notice yet?" the Heal Atomizer Quirk user inquired of her colleagues.
"Unfortunately, yes…" Witch confirmed in reply, "The movements of these foes are similar to those of Valkyrie…" she pointed out.
"Yeah, so what's that mean?" Sister asked as she lashed another Punisher aside. Hermit tensed up.
"I think it's pretty obvious…" she answered, "Madame Kurenai did more than just kill Valkyrie…" she said, making her colleagues tense up as well. Back in the shipyard, ice and fire crashed against each other as Shoto was trying to get away from Hyoga, who was intent on his pursuit. As the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user slid aboard a wave of ice to turn a corner, so too did his foe.
'Damn, he's persistent…' he muttered inwardly, 'But I can't let him mess with my head right now…' he told himself, 'I have to get to Homura!' he declared through his thoughts. Just then, the flaming figure of his father crashed down behind him, blocking off Hyoga's path.
"Endeavor!" he exclaimed as he glanced back.
"Keep going, Shoto!" his father insisted, "Don't let those villains escape with the software!" he advised on.
"Right!" he responded, skating down another corner with his ice. The Flame Hero turned to Hyoga, who had stopped.
"I was hoping to get to talk with him…" he admitted, "but it seems he's quite hyper-focused," he pointed out, "You've trained him well, despite your cruelty…" he muttered as a compliment.
"If you have anything else to say, I'd make it quick," Endeavor remarked, "You're a villain, Samui," he noted, "I can't let you continue to do as you please…" he affirmed, igniting flames around his right fist, concentrating them into a white-hot point.
"Huh…" Hyoga exhaled, "Ice Ring," he said. All of a sudden, ice spread about beneath him, trailing under his foe's feet as well before coming to a stop. "That's the extent of my Quirk's ability," he confirmed, "It allows me to create ice and manipulate it, but only with a fifty-meter diameter," he explained, extending his right hand out, "You would think you have the advantage, right?" he presumed. The Hellflame Quirk user blinked, followed by noticing frost building up upon his body.
"What?!" he yelped in shock.
"Turn up the heat all you'd like," Hyoga challenged, "My Frost will snuff it out…" he affirmed confidently.
"Blaze Needle!" Burnin yelled from afar.
"Flame Bolt!" Gowen roared as he slammed his enflamed right fist against the spear of fire the sidekick had conjured. She reached to pull off another chunk of her flaming hair, chucking it at him. He jumped away, letting it strike the ground in a small blast of fire. "Dang…" he uttered as he landed, "You've gotten better, haven't you Moe?" he asked of the Blazing Hair Quirk user, who narrowed her eyes.
"Why'd you leave?" she asked of him after a moment.
"Why didn't you?" he questioned back, "I'm sure you know about the boss' dirty laundry…" he pointed out.
"I know him for the hero he is right now!" Burnin shouted back to his surprise, "Maybe he did some stupid shit in the past with his family, but I'm not the kinda person to judge someone for all that!" she noted firmly, "What I do know… is that I'm gonna support Endeavor, because he wants to be the best!" she affirmed. Gowen seemed surprised for a moment, but then sighed.
"You said the same thing when we got caught screwing around one time…" he recalled, making her blink in surprise, "Old man kept a close eye on us ever since then…" he remembered on, rubbing his fingers through his hair, "Man, that takes me back…" he admitted with a chuckle. The Blazing Hair Quirk user let her fire spear dissipate. She slowly approached her foe.
"Tell me…" she said as she came to a stop just a foot in front of him, "did you regret leaving?" she asked. For a moment, the Flame Bolt Quirk user didn't respond.
"You asking for me?" he questioned back, "Or for yourself?" he inquired on, causing Burnin to tense up.
"Can you just answer me, please…?" she requested.
"Huh…" Gowen exhaled, "Moe, I didn't want to leave you," he affirmed to her, "But I knew that I couldn't stay there knowing the kind of man Endeavor was underneath," he pointed out seriously, "At the same time, I knew you would stay no matter what," he mentioned, "You want to help people, even if you're working for a jackass," he noted. Burnin clenched her fists.
"Hito…" she uttered, causing him to look… and suddenly squawk with pain as he was promptly kicked in the crotch.
"What the…?! OW!" he groaned out, clutching his aching manhood, "Come on, what'd I deserve that fo—?!" He was silenced as the Blazing Hair Quirk user's lips pressed against his hard, making him widen his eyes. However, he relaxed into the kiss, wrapping his arms around her, while she put her hands onto his chest. Their moment lasted for a few more moments before they released themselves from each other, with Gowen noticing the tears in his former lover's eyes.
"Please… don't go…" she pleaded of him. He sighed.
"Sorry, Moe," he apologized, stepping back, "You and I both know that right now, I'm the villain," he pointed out, "So if you want me back, you're gonna have to catch me," he affirmed, engulfing himself in a blazing torrent of fire, making her flinch. As it dissipated, she saw that the Flame Bolt Quirk user was no longer there. A single tear streaked down her left cheek.
"Hito…" she uttered sadly. Elsewhere, Katsuki roared as he continued to blast himself around Diego, firing off a flurry of concentrated shots onto the Muscle Augmentation Quirk user before closing in. However, his foe swung his right fist out, striking him square in the gut just as he took a point-blank explosion.
"GUAHHH…!" the Explosion Quirk user gasped out as he was sent flying back, crashing into one of the metal containers and falling down onto his stomach.
"Kacchan!" Rebecca cried out upon noticing, followed by narrowly avoiding getting hit in the head by a bullet that bounced off of the container beside her. She quickly ran to the other side, crouching down and pulling out her blasters. She peeked around the corner, trying to look for Seth.
'This sucks…' she grumbled inwardly, noticing Diego coming out from the smoke, seemingly unscathed by Katsuki's barrage earlier, 'Kacchan's dealing with a tank, and I'm dealing with a sniper…' she noted to herself, trying to find her opponent, only to narrowly miss getting hit by a bullet again as it clanged off of the container.
"Eek!" she squeaked, running away again.
'Darn it, he's baiting me out!' she realized with a grimace, 'We're in the worst possible matchups…' she noted on inwardly, 'Should we switch?' she wondered through her thoughts, 'No, that'll just make things more complicated…' she muttered to herself, 'These matchups are bad, but they're also ones that we should be able to overcome…' she affirmed, 'All we have to do is understand what our opponents are looking for in order to beat us…' she concluded, followed by suddenly finding herself taking a shot to her right hip.
"Ergh!" she winced out, clutching her side as she turned. She caught a glimpse of her foe coming down from one of the shipping containers nearby, now no longer in sight.
'There you are…' she remarked inwardly, making the markings at her legs shine brightly. She blinked, finding that the wound at her hip was gone as she was still running. She whipped around aimed her blasters, firing off a flurry of blue blasts towards Seth, who blinked in surprise. He hopped down from the shipping container to avoid them, landing in the shadows between it and another container. Rebecca was running over. 'Since he knows I'm onto him, he'll probably think I'm gonna try and cut him off from the left or the right…' she presumed inwardly, 'But instead…' she continued, making her markings at her legs expand.
The Quickshot Quirk user was keeping tabs on his surroundings, expecting to see his foe come from either left or right, or even above. However, he heard a sudden rumble, shocked to find the shipping container in front of him getting knocked up into the air.
"The hell?!" he yelped out, followed by taking a flurry of blue laser blasts from the Happy Blaster held by Rebecca, who was in her Overdrive form.
"Guess my hunch was on the money…" she remarked with a big grin, turning back to normal in a flash of light. Meanwhile, Katsuki was pushing himself up as Diego stomped over to him.
"Hey, you're that kid who the League was after along with the Cat, right?" he inquired, hoisting him up from the ground by his head, "It's thanks to you that Seth and I got put out on the streets, while the League's gone ahead and thrived without us…" he pointed out, "It's only thanks to Madame Kurenai that we've even got ourselves this second chance…" he mentioned, gripping the Explosion Quirk user's head tightly.
"Hey…" he uttered out, causing his foe to perk up, "Don't blink," he advised with a wicked smirk, unleashing a bright explosive light into the Muscle Augmentation Quirk user's face.
"AH!" he yelped, reflexively dropping the student hero as he covered his blinded eyes. That allowed for him to rush in and press his right palm against his foe's stomach, blasting him back fiercely as he slammed into another shipping container. "Ergh…" he groaned out in agony.
"Your Quirk heats up your muscles to make them stronger, right?" Katsuki assumed, causing Diego to widen his eyes in surprise, "But if you get too overheated, you get screwed over…" he noted, snickering a little as explosions crackled off of his palms, "So let's see if you can handle this!" he challenged, blasting himself up into the air before releasing multiple explosions to propel himself around, forming a torrent of smoke, collecting oxygen. Diego grimaced, trying to run away. Unfortunately, the Explosion Quirk user shot down at him. "HOWITZER… IMPAAAAACCCCTTT!" he roared as he struck in a fierce, fiery blast, blowing both Diego and several shipping containers away. Rebecca had just run onto the scene as the explosion occurred, widening her eyes at the sight of its wake. Katsuki landed down, swiping his right thumb across his nose with a scoff. "Bastard made me use my trump card…" he grumbled out. The Cat Leaper Quirk user let out a sigh with a smile, glad that he had won his battle as well.
X
"Well, that certainly was a mood-killer…" Elsie muttered as she sheathed her katana. She turned back to Izuku, who trembled a little. She had taken out fifteen of the Punishers singlehandedly without so much as breaking a sweat. It was no wonder she was named one of the Oracion Seis. "Now then…" she continued as she stepped toward the freckled teen, who reflexively took on a ready stance as he held his right arm forward, curling his middle finger in, "Oh, relax," the Star Drain Quirk user insisted, "I'm not intending on fighting you," she affirmed, "But I do need to make sure our job gets done," she pointed out. Even as sweat trickled down his face, the One For All inheritor didn't back down.
"You know I can't let you get away…" he noted firmly. Elsie blinked in surprise, but then smiled.
"Then try and stop me… hero," she challenged, suddenly rocketing off in a burst of crimson light.
'That burst of speed…!' he exclaimed inwardly as he started pivoting around, seeing her already getting so far ahead of him. Green sparks of bio-electricity crackled around his body as he leapt after the Oracion Seis member. She glanced back, seeing that he was far behind her.
'It's unfortunate, but not surprising,' she noted to herself, 'He is still young after all,' she said through her thoughts, 'But I'll give him credit for at least trying…' she stated inwardly. Though as if on cue, she found her arms bound to her sides by a set of black energy tendrils. She looked back to see that they had come from Izuku, as he held his right arm out with the tendrils protruding from the sights upon his glove.
"You won't be able to use your Quirk like this, right?!" he yelled out. The Oracion Seis member chuckled a little.
"Very clever…" she remarked, pulling on the tendrils wrapped around her with nothing but her strength, taking the One For All inheritor down with her as they fell to the ground. With a grunt, she burst free from her bindings, drawing forth her katana as it glowed a bright red. Izuku closed in with his left foot aimed forward, slamming it against her blade, sending her sliding back. She came to a quick stop, followed by ducking to evade the pressurized blasts of air her foe flicked her way.
'Keep her on the defensive and don't let her out of your sight!' the One For All inheritor insisted of himself, sending out another Blackwhip her way. She managed to flip away and avoid being caught in its grasp.
'He's quite persistent…' she noted to herself, giving off a little grin, 'I might have to start getting serious…' she realized. Izuku lunged out and attempted to strike her with a roundhouse kick, but she threw her left arm up to block it. She was about to swing her katana at him, only for it to wind up bound by a pair of black energy tendrils that had emerged from her foe. She didn't even get a chance to react as she ended up getting struck by a pair of air blasts that the One For All inheritor flicked into her stomach.
He quickly disarmed her as his Blackwhip tossed her katana aside, followed by landing down and lunging at her again, this time with his left fist reared back. All of a sudden though, a scarlet light burst to life around the Oracion Seis member, who rocketed upwards in an instant. Izuku yelped as he tumbled back from the shockwave's force, skidding to a stop just before he could hit a container. He looked up and widened his eyes to see Elsie holding her right hand upon her left, with seven of her fingers extended.
"Consider this a show of respect for challenging me," she remarked. Seven scarlet beams of light shot up from the ground, surrounding Izuku. He grimaced in realization, jumping up instantly toward Elsie. "Grand Chariot," she said. The lights shined brighter, seemingly engulfing the One For All inheritor as he yelled. Turning away and flying off, the Oracion Seis member exhaled a sigh. "Apologies… Izuku Midoriya…" she uttered.
Elsewhere in the shipyard, Homura's blades clashed against Garrot's whip as he sneered at her, while she gnashed her teeth angrily. Sparks flew between the pair as they stepped back. The Whip Master swung his weapon out at his foe, wrapping it around her wrists as she yelped in surprise, seeing her energy markings and blades disappear.
"Heh," Garrot chuckled, "Ether-types can be really strong, but that glaring weakness of getting your hands tied up really sucks, doesn't it?" he assumed of the Soul Blade Quirk user, who growled, "Wish I knew that the last time we fought…" he remarked. He pulled his whip back, trying to drag Homura toward him. However, she stood her ground, managing to keep herself in place.
"What… did Madame Kurenai do to Valkyrie?!" she questioned angrily, causing her foe to blink in confusion, "Those Punishers… they moved just like her!" she pointed out. The Whip Master Quirk user snickered.
"Well… you probably know that she wasn't really human, right?" he inquired back. The anger in Homura's expression grew darker.
"Garrot, we have what we came here for," Baku affirmed, trying to get his partner's attention, "You know Madame Kurenai wouldn't like it if we wasted more time…" he pointed out.
"Ah, shut it…" the Whip Master Quirk user retorted, "Besides, we can give her one more gift, too…" he mentioned with a chuckle.
"Homura!" a voice cried out, getting their attentions as they saw Shoto arrive aboard a wave of his ice. Flames ignited around his left arm before he unleashed a stream toward Garrot, who reflexively jumped back as his whip was withdrawn from the Soul Blade Quirk user. He scoffed as his new foe landed down in front of him.
"Shoto…" Homura uttered out. She regained her focus, drawing forth her energy blades in her hands as her markings reappeared. She walked up to her friend's side.
"You're not hurt, are you?" he inquired.
"I'm fine," she responded, not bothering to spare him a glance, "I believe these two have the software Madame Kurenai is after…" she confirmed.
"Then let's take them down," Shoto insisted.
"Tch," Garrot scoffed, while Baku walked up beside him. Just as he was about to reach for his battle axe, he looked into the distance, widening his eyes. The scarlet lights that shot up into the sky could be from all around the shipyard, including the entrance. Witch widened her eyes.
"That's…!" she gasped out.
"Elsie Crimson's Grand Chariot…" Baku confirmed from within the shipyard, "She must be facing Endeavor at the moment," he presumed. However, the Flame Hero was shocked to see the lights himself, nowhere near the scene as he had spotted them from the corner of his eye.
'That's where… Deku was…!' he realized with widened eyes. Hyoga seemed just as surprised.
'I didn't think our princess would resort to using the Grand Chariot unless she was facing someone like Justice or Endeavor…' he noted to himself, 'Was it Shoto?' he wondered, narrowing his eyes, 'Or maybe another hero that arrived on the scene?' he inquired on inwardly. He then noticed steam starting to build around the Hellflame Quirk user, who was gritting his teeth.
"Nice try," he remarked, swinging his right arm out. Frost continued to spread along Endeavor's body. He could see his own breath. "If it weren't for the fact that it's winter, you'd probably break free from this rather easily," his foe noted.
"So your plan was to trap me like this…?" the Flame Hero assumed after a heavy breath.
"Precisely," Hyoga responded, "Frost works by channeling cold air into your body at minus-twenty degrees Celsius, which is the maximum amount I can exude," he explained, "While the normal human would instantly freeze to death, your body can withstand it," he pointed out, "However, it's perfect for what'll be next…" he affirmed, causing Endeavor to blink in surprise.
"I see you've finished your preparations, Hyoga!" a voice remarked, belonging to none other than Elsie as she was flying over.
"Of course, Princess!" her colleague responded, "Once you deal with him, we'll escape!" he declared. Endeavor grimaced.
'So that's their plan?!' he inquired inwardly, seeing the Oracion Seis member veer toward him, 'Damn it, I can't use my full firepower thanks to Samui…' he noted to himself as he clenched his teeth, 'I should've gone after Deku instead of worrying about Shoto…' he concluded in frustration, shutting his eyes. However, a figure leapt over in a rush of wind that Elsie felt.
"Huh?" she uttered, looking back in surprise to see Izuku there, rearing his left fist back. Samui and Endeavor widened their eyes themselves.
"TEXAS… SMMMAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the One For All inheritor roared as he slammed his extremity into the Oracion Seis member's jaw, much to everyone's shock.
'I don't care who you are, or how you're stronger than me!' he exclaimed inwardly as determination was in his eyes, 'I'll stop you… because I'm a hero!' he roared through his thoughts.
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
I'll be perfectly honest, I didn't plan on involving Elsie in this arc. But I'm glad I decided to give her some time, as I think her being added helps put forth a new element to the story, especially with her knowing Izuku's secret. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter.
Next time, we'll be getting some more Homura-focused stuff! See you later!