Well, we're back with more of "Through the Rough"! Season 4's adaptation has started off pretty strong. And it's only gonna get stronger as the stories for this season unfold!
First off, we've seen that Rebecca's a part of Izuku's group for his work study, but who else has gone where? And also, what'll happen when it comes to the Shie Hassaikai, the Saintfires, and even the League of Villains? Well, we'll find out soon enough!
Let's jump right back in!
THROUGH THE ROUGH
"We've got a fight between villain groups!" an officer exclaimed into his radio as a pair of giant villains were attacking each other, with one of them being shark-like, "They're tearing up Espa Way!" he pointed out desperately, "Send heroes!" he insisted. The shark-like villain was slammed against one of the buildings, sending several people flying out from it.
"Oh no!" another officer yelled in shock. All of a wind picked up, separating the falling civilians from the debris before becoming encased in a sphere of air. It shrunk and hovered over the palm of Kleene, whose green markings shined brightly.
"Please try not to move around too much," she advised as she gently descended toward the ground below. Meanwhile, another figure flew onto the scene as twisting waves of yellow energy emitted from her feet. It was none other than Nejire.
Her hero costume consisted of a royal blue skin-tight bodysuit with a high black collar, pale mint green markings covering her torso from over her shoulders to between her legs, framed with turquoise, a matching stripe of the same two colors around both of her upper arms. On her feet, she wore a pair of knee-high boots, a thinning flap buttoned on each thigh, with turquoise spirals around her ankles, matching the thicker ones above her yellow gauntlets and wrist-guards. She had a black strap around the top of each thigh, two small satchels attached, and two spiraling horns of hair protruding from behind her ears.
"Full Charge… Output Level Thirty…" she said as she readied her hands, with the waves of energy building around them, "NEJIRE WAVE!" she exclaimed, unleashing a powerful surge onto the pair of villains, knocking them both down onto the ground, "Hey, why are you guys fighting?" she asked curiously as she floated above the giants, "Is it because you've got the same Quirk?" she assumed, "That's weird…" she noted on.
"Nejire-Chan!" Kleene's voice called out, getting her attention as she saw her float up beside her, "I've evacuated all the civilians!" she informed, earning a smile from her senior.
"You're up, you two!" she yelled to another pair of figures who were also on the scene, being Ochaco and Tsuyu. They had several pieces of debris floating around them thanks to the former's zero gravity.
"Ultimate Move!" they exclaimed simultaneously, with the Zero Gravity Quirk user placing her fingertips together.
"Meteor…" she began as the debris started falling.
"Fafrotskies!" the Frog Quirk user yelled, whipping the debris with her tongue, making it shower onto the enlarged villains. With that, both of them were completely knocked out. The four girls descended down onto the ground, gathering around each other.
"Wow, that was amazing back there!" Nejire complimented, "You girls were all great!" she pointed out.
"Huh…" Ochaco sighed with relief, removing her helmet, "I'm just glad we pulled it off…" she noted aloud.
"Indeed…" Kleene agreed, "When that building started coming down, I was worried I wouldn't be able to get to everyone in time…" she admitted.
"Well, you all certainly proved yourselves," a female voice chimed in, getting their attentions as they saw another figure approach. It was a woman with chin-length blonde hair, which she wore swept back with a headband, and a long fringe over the right side of her face, covering her eye. She had thin, yellow, inward-tilting eyes with slit pupils and notably sharp teeth.
Her hero costume consisted of a dark red, traditional qipao with a pale green scale trim around her shoulders, which seemed to only be slit on the left side, with yellow claw patterns on the bottom and smaller ones around her neck. She wore knee-high boots and a strap around her exposed thigh. She also wore long, almost sleeve-like white gloves that nearly reached her shoulders, with higher tabs on the outer sides, and they exposed her hands from the wrist. She bore a matching green headband with four large, pale purple claws attached, covering the right side of her face, and a set of small black dragon wings were protruded from the back of her head, with a number of gold spiked cartilage piercings decorating her left ear.
"Nejire would've never recommended you three if you weren't up to the task, though," she pointed out.
"Thank you, Miss Ryukyu," Kleene politely said with gratitude, "We appreciate you taking us under your wing," she affirmed, giving off a little smile.
"Yeah, thank you so much!" Ochaco and Tsuyu added as they bowed.
"My pleasure," the Dragoon Hero responded, "I know the situation with your school was difficult, especially with how certain agencies weren't allowed to take you on," she pointed out.
"And it was probably even more difficult for Rutherford, since she's an ex-villain, right?" Nejire assumed, only to blink in realization, "Oh, sorry about that…" she apologized quickly. The Wind Snatch Quirk user lowered her gaze for a moment.
"No, it's fine," she assured, "I understand that I still have much left to make up for…" she noted, taking on a firm expression.
"Kleene…" Tsuyu uttered worriedly.
"Anyways, with how you've proven yourselves as valuable assets," Ryukyu continued, changing the subject, "we may have a case for you to help us with," she inferred.
"A case?" Ochaco repeated curiously.
"Nighteye, All Might's former sidekick, recently issued a request for us to team up," the Dragoon Hero explained.
"That's where Midoriya and Rebecca are doing their work studies…" Tsuyu remembered.
"What does this team-up entail?" Kleene asked on.
"It's the investigation and possible takedown of the yakuza group known as the Shie Hassaikai," Ryukyu answered to the surprise of the three freshmen. At that moment, the wind started to pick up as everyone looked up to see a familiar figure floating overhead. With a pair of white mechanical wings on her back, Feather descended, landing next to the Dragoon Hero and her interns.
"Hello, Ryukyu," she greeted as she approached her fellow hero.
"Feather, it's been a while…" she noted with crossed arms, "To what do I owe the visit?" she wondered curiously.
"I wanted to talk with you in regards to the Oracion Seis," the I.U.A. Hero replied, causing her to blink in surprise.
"Of course…" Ryukyu said, turning to her work study students, "Nejire, could you bring the others back to the agency with you?" she requested of the Surge Quirk user, "I think I'm going to be a while…" she noted.
"You got it, Ryukyu!" she responded with a nod, heading off with the U.A. freshmen.
"So Nighteye and the yakuza, huh?" Ochaco noted in a whisper to her classmates.
"It sounds pretty serious, ribbit…" Tsuyu mentioned with a croak.
"Perhaps we'll find out soon enough…" Kleene inferred, narrowing her eyes. Elsewhere, Overhaul and his subordinates were meeting with Tomura, with Sister and Kris being present in the room. Things were starting to move…
OPENING
Insert "Eden Through the Rough" by Takanori Nishikawa
Opens with Izuku and Rebecca getting ready for another day of class together, going through their morning routines before meeting up at the Heights Alliance doors, exchanging a kiss before heading to the classroom. There, we see all of Class A mingling about, including the likes of Mirio, Tamaki, and Nejire. Mirio spots the arriving couple of Izuku and Rebecca, going over to them and putting his arms around them with a big smile on his face.
Later, we see them visiting Sir Nighteye's agency, were we see him, Bubble Girl, and Centipeder, along with Xiaomei lurking in the background as she gives off a small grin. There are shots of Eijiro and Weisz working alongside Tamaki and Fat Gum, and Ochaco, Tsuyu and Kleene with Nejire and Ryukyu. We get a shot of various heroes in the background, including the likes of Shota, Ivry, Gran Torino, Eraser, and Holy.
The scene changes to the League of Villains confronting the Shie Hassaikai, with Tomura and Overhaul standing face-to-face. Beyond them lies the little girl known as Eri alongside Pino, as she clenches her fists in frustration, wanting to escape her imprisoned life. She then notices cracks of light in the darkness around her, and she runs towards them.
We see various scenes of Tamaki having to battle a trio of villains wearing masks, Ochaco, Tsuyu, and Nejire battling one of the larger fiends, while Ryukyu faces off against Ganoff and Mosco. Kleene is forced to confront her brother, while Ivry goes up against the Fake Sister, who shows her wide mouth with sharp teeth before she throws off her habit.
Eijiro and Weisz are blown back by a villain that fires rapid punches, which Fat Gum has to defend them from before trying to strike back, only to be blocked by another villain putting up an energy barrier. Mirio faces Overhaul and three other villains all by himself, removing his helmet before confronting them. He's joined by Nighteye, Shota, Eraser, Holy, Izuku, and Rebecca. But before they can stop the head villain, he completely reassembles the ground, shooting a barrage of spikes at his foes.
There's various shots of Shiki trying to better control his Overdrive form, Homura standing outside the dorms as she solemnly stares at her phone, Weisz looking at a picture of his mom while lying on his bed, and Rebecca sitting in the bath in contemplation. As she stands up, her blue markings shine brightly. The Ether markings of her fellow Ether-types also shine and expand as their bodies transform, showing silhouettes of their Overdrive forms outlined in their respective colors.
We see Poseidon Nero, Deadend Crow, God Acnoella, Saintfire Nox, and Elsie Crimson in their respective locations, preparing for the new era ahead now that All For One and Drakken Joe are gone. On the other side, the likes of Endeavor, Hawks, Mirko, and those of the I.U.A. are getting ready to take on the new era themselves.
We end with Eri and Pino breaking through the cracks, finding Izuku and Rebecca there. They look to them and smile, offering their hands. A bright flash of light envelops the screen.
END OPENING
It wasn't a perfect discussion that Tomura had with the Hassaikai prior to meeting them face-to-face again. Arrangements needed to be made in order for there to be a partnership. And meeting them like this was the only way to foster that.
"What you said on the phone the other day…" Mimic began, "was it true? That you'd agree to a partnership under the right conditions?" he questioned of Tomura, who took his seat across the table from him and Kai.
"Don't start celebrating just yet," the Decay Quirk user advised, placing his right foot onto the table, "You want to expand your reputation…" he noted, "We want to increase our numbers…" he mentioned on, "Our needs happen to align for the moment," he pointed out.
"Put your foot down," Overhaul insisted, "You're gonna scuff up the table…" he grumbled out.
"No 'please'?" Tomura inquired, "You really ought to mind your manners," he advised, "I don't appreciate disrespect…" he muttered on, "Now, we won't be putting ourselves under you," he affirmed, "We'll still be calling our own shots," he stated.
"Quite a bold proposal," Sister remarked, while Kris watched on beside her. The League of Villains' leader huffed.
"Either we're in a joint partnership, or I walk out the door," he decided firmly.
"So those are the conditions?" Overhaul assumed.
"Oh, one more thing," Tomura said, raising his left hand, "That plan you were spouting off about the first time we met…" he continued as he started to reach into his jacket, only for Sister to suddenly thrust her tail toward him, with a sharp needle coming from its tip. Chronostasis and Mimic were quick to jump in as well, with the former pressing a gun against the back of the League of Villains' leader's head, while the latter had a giant arm protruding from his body to grasp him.
"Hands where we can see 'em," the hooded aide insisted, earning a glare back from Tomura, "Stop acting like you're the one in charge here," he advised.
"Yeah, who the hell do you think you are, you little PUNK?!" Mimic questioned angrily.
"…Who do you think you are?" the Decay Quirk user asked back, "One of your disposable thugs against our Higashi?" he inquired on, causing Kris to grimace at the memory of Magne's demise, "And let's not forget Compress' arm," he added, "The stakes are far from even," he affirmed.
"Huh…" Overhaul sighed, "Kurono, Mimic, that's enough," he said, "Let him go," he instructed, enticing his two aides to back away from Tomura. However, Sister didn't move.
"Do you have a death wish…?" the League of Villains' leader inquired, narrowing his eyes.
"I'm not completely under Overhaul's command," Sister responded, "That said, I do hope you'll be more reasonable," she mentioned, pulling her tail away, "For everyone's sake, that is…" she added as she stepped back.
"By all means, continue," the Shie Hassaikai leader insisted. Reaching into his coat again, the Decay Quirk user pulled out a small red projectile with a needle-shaped end to it.
"This is part of your plan, right?" he inquired, holding the object in between his fingers. Overhaul narrowed his eyes curiously. Just then, the door opened as Ganoff and Mosco entered.
"We've rounded up all thirty targets for the buyer," the former confirmed.
"Moscoy," the latter squeaked out.
"Hm?" Tomura uttered in confusion.
"Of course you've still got other business to attend from us, right?" Overhaul inquired, looking over to Sister.
"That's correct," she replied, "But don't you worry," she assured with a grin, "Now that we've gathered the resources needed for our client, it won't interfere with your business," she promised. Unconsciously, Kris balled his hands into fists. He was frustrated at how things were unfolding, especially when he used to turn a blind eye to it. And now… he wanted to get away from it. He wanted to see his sister again.
X
Weisz and Eijiro had found themselves given the opportunity to do their work studies where Tamaki was, being in Kansai. The hero they were working under was a big, round man, easily towering over other adults. His mouth was big and his nose was small, which alongside his odd body proportions, gave him an odd look.
His hero costume consisted of black pants and an orange, zippered hood, which had the initials F,G and an inverted F. Alongside them, he also wore gloves, metallic boots, and a mask that went around his eyes and over his forehead. He was stuffing himself full of a tray of takoyaki as he and his interns walked onward down the streets.
"Sure are a lot of food stops…" Weisz commented, "You usually come here, Fat Gum?" he asked of the B.M.I. Hero, getting his attention as he swallowed his food.
"Yeah, for the most part…" he replied, "There's idiots fighting a lot on the streets these days," he pointed out, "Can't really eat enough to keep up…" he muttered, downing another two pieces of takoyaki, "Anyway, the agencies around here have been wanting a close-combat type," he noted to his newest pair of interns, "I'd say you two are just what the doctor ordered!" he affirmed.
"Thanks!" Eijiro replied gratefully.
"I'm honestly more of an all-rounder type of guy…" Weisz said in a boastful tone, folding his arms behind his head, "With my armor, I can basically do anything," he bragged, making the Hardening Quirk user beside him frown a little as he rolled his eyes.
"Guess we gotta work on that arrogance of yours, Arsenal…" Fat Gum noted as he downed another piece of takoyaki, "From what I heard, you get way too cocky sometimes…" he mentioned, causing the Machina Maker Quirk to grimace.
"Yeah… you got a point…" he admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. Trudging along behind them was Tamaki. His hero costume consisted of a black bodysuit decorated with gold plating around the arms and shoulders. He donned a white tunic as well as a matching cape and hood that featured more gold plating on the top of the hood. The cape connected to a scarf-like collar that featured a silver mask on the front. He also sported a purple mask over his face as well as a matching purple carrier vest with red straps. He was also barefoot.
"Man… your persistence was terrifying…" he noted, recalling when Eijiro had begged for him and Weisz to be introduced to the B.M.I. Hero.
"We're gonna work on those delicate nerves of yours, Tamaki," his mentor assured, "and then you'll be worth your weight and gold," he affirmed on. The senior U.A. student clutched his chest afterward.
"Your expectations only drag me deeper into despair…" he confessed.
'The hell is with this guy?' Weisz wondered inwardly as he glanced back, 'Isn't he supposed to be one of UA's top guns?' he inquired to himself, 'How does he do it with that attitude?' he questioned through his thoughts.
"I wanna go home…" Tamaki mumbled out, causing the Machina Maker Quirk user to grimace.
"He's just trying to encourage you, man," Eijiro assured, "It's what mentors are supposed to do," he pointed out.
"Yeah, chill out a little…" Weisz insisted.
"Huh…" Tamaki sighed, looking at his hands, "I'm not like either you two or Mirio," he admitted to them, "Positivity's not my strong suit…" he noted.
"Hey, I get how you feel," the Hardening Quirk user replied, "Sometimes when things get crazy, I feel pretty useless too…" he confessed, much to his classmate's surprise as he blinked, "There's a gap between me and my classmates that's only getting wider," he pointed out, "But I'm doing my best to close that gap so I can fight beside them!" he affirmed.
"That right there is called positivity," his senior noted, "And what about you?" he inquired of Weisz, getting his attention, "How do you feel?" he questioned on.
"Uh, well…" he started to reply.
"Hey, there's a fight!" someone yelled from afar, getting their attentions.
"Looks like someone's at it…" Fat Gum grumbled, finishing the last of his takoyaki before heading off. The students hurried after him. The ruckus was being caused by a group of hoodlums that stole cash from another. They were about to split up until they found themselves caught and submerged in the fat of the B.M.I. Hero. One of them managed to escape, only to be ensnared by octopus tentacles that manifested from Tamaki's fingers. He followed up by knocking the hoodlum out by morphing his hand into a clam, bashing him upside the head a couple times to knock him out.
His Quirk was called Manifest, which gave him the ability to alter parts of his body based on what he ate. It would give him the characteristics of certain animals. Eijiro and Weisz were awed at how quickly he managed to take care of the situation.
"Was that okay?" he asked to their surprise, "It felt terrible…" he admitted.
'Can this guy not cut himself any slack…?' the Machina Maker Quirk user inwardly wondered, with a drop of sweat rolling down the side of his head.
"Yeah, our Suneater's got some serious talent!" Fat Gum noted, "His mental game needs work, but he's as strong as a pro!" he affirmed. The crowd watching cheered for the U.A. senior, who was evidently shaken from all the praise.
"Geez…" Weisz muttered out. At that moment, he noticed a figure in the crowd pull out a gun, causing him to gasp. "GET DOWN!" he yelled. A gunshot went off, with a red projectile heading over towards Tamaki and the freshmen.
"The strangest thing happened to Compress when he was shot with this," Tomura noted back in the Hassaikai stronghold, holding up the bullet he had in his fingers, "He couldn't use his Quirk for a while after it hit him," he pointed out, "So I'd like to know… what this is…" he said. In Kansai, the bullet struck Tamaki's left arm.
"It'll be what helps break the natural order of things," Overhaul replied, "They say All For One ruled over everybody by stealing people's Quirks," he recalled, "I've taken that method and fine-tuned it a little," he told the League of Villains' leader, "I've already begun spreading my roots across this country…" he mentioned. Back in Kansai, Tamaki fell to his knees, clutching his arm in pain.
"Now's your chance, man! Run!" the shooter in the crowd yelled out.
"Suneater, you okay?!" Eijiro yelled as he ran out in front of the senior.
"You idiot, get down!" Weisz shouted, only for another bullet to get shot. However, it bounced right off of the Hardening Quirk user's head, as he had hardened it beforehand.
"Red!" Fat Gum cried out.
"I'm good!" he affirmed, glaring out at the shocked shooter, "That guy's mine!" he declared.
"Hold on!" Weisz insisted, going over to check on Tamaki, "We gotta make sure he's not—!" To his shock, the Manifest Quirk user seemed to sit up without any trouble.
"Hurts less than I thought it would…" he admitted.
"Seriously?!" the Machina Maker Quirk user exclaimed out of disbelief.
"Glad to see you're alright!" Eijiro noted with a grin, "I'll go take care of that guy," he decided, running off after the shooter, who was fleeing the scene.
"Wait, I can get him with my tentacles!" Tamaki affirmed, extending his left hand out. However, Weisz was surprised to see that his fingertips were barely managing to transform at all.
"The hell…?" he uttered in surprise. He then took notice of the bullet that had bounced off of his classmate, lying upon the ground.
"Red didn't run off on his own, did he?!" Fat Gum inquired as he jogged over.
"Yeah, he did…" Weisz replied with a grimace, picking up the bullet from the ground, "Suneater got shot with this thing," he pointed out, handing it over to the B.M.I. Hero as he raised an eyebrow, "I'm gonna go get Red back," he decided, hurrying off.
"Hey, wait a sec!" Fat Gum yelled to no avail, "Damn…" he cursed out, "You're okay, right?" he assumed of Tamaki.
"Yeah…" he replied, looking at his left hand, "But my Quirk isn't working…" he pointed out. His mentor widened his eyes in disbelief.
"Do those guys have someone like Eraser Head with them…?!" he wondered aloud. In the meantime, Eijiro had chased down the hoodlum into an alleyway. After yelling at him for how cowardly he was for running from the scene, he got the shooter trapped at a dead end.
"Ergh…" he growled out, whipping around as he protruded a small trio of blades from his right arm, "Leave me alone!" he yelled, about to slash the Hardening Quirk user. He hardened his skin just in time to take the blades without damage. And at that moment, an armored Weisz sped in, landing a straight punch to the hoodlum's face. It sent him tumbling back along the alley before he came to a stop.
"Whoa, Steiner…" Eijiro uttered.
"It's Arsenal, Red Riot," the Machina Maker Quirk user corrected as he let his armor retract back into its watch form around his wrist, "And don't go running off on your own without backup," he added seriously, "What if you got shot with one of those bullets like Suneater did?" he inquired on.
"Huh? What do you mean?" his classmate questioned back. Their attentions were then brought back onto the hoodlum, who was crying.
"It's not fair…" he whimpered out, "My Quirk only lets me pop out blades that are ten centimeters, like a bunch of dinky box cutters!" he complained.
"Then you probably should've thought of that before trying to shoot someone, moron," Weisz noted as he approached.
"If you're gonna whine and cry about it, then you shouldn't be committing crimes in the first place!" Eijiro added as he crouched down slightly, "Come on, up you get…" he said, helping the criminal back to his feet.
"Make sure he doesn't have anything else on him," Weisz advised.
"Right, got it," the Hardening Quirk user replied, patting the hoodlum down.
'So the guy had a weapon with bullets that could stop Quirks like Mister Aizawa…' the blonde-haired teen noted to himself, 'Question is, where'd he get all that?' he wondered inwardly, 'I doubt he'd just find stuff like this…' he mentioned through his thoughts.
"Hey," he said, getting the man's attention, "Where'd you get that gun and those bullets from?" he asked. He went silent. "Hey, spill!" Weisz insisted, grabbing him by his shirt, "Where'd you get that stuff?!" he inquired angrily.
"Calm down, Arsenal…" Eijiro insisted. At that moment, he took notice of an object falling out of the hoodlum's sleeve into his right hand.
"You heroes don't know anything…" he pointed out, jabbing the object against his neck, "Don't act like you do!" he yelled, pressing the button on the other end of it, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed out, dropping it onto the ground.
"Hey, what the heck?!" the Hardening Quirk user yelped, "What'd you just give yourself?!" he questioned on. Weisz widened his eyes.
"Red, get back!" he called out, quickly equipping his armor once more. All of a sudden, several blades shot out from the criminal's body, cutting through Eijiro's body and even nicking the Machina Maker Quirk user's armored suit.
"Where'd all these come from?!" the former inquired, clenching his teeth together. The hoodlum was smiling wickedly, satisfied with how his blades were now much stronger. Underneath his armor, Weisz grimaced.
'Should've figured the guy had something else aside from just a gun to stop Quirks!' he pointed out inwardly, 'We gotta hold him off before another hero gets here!' he noted, seeing the other people behind him and Eijiro. The situation had changed drastically for the two student heroes. And they didn't realize what they were about to become a part of…
X
"Well, I wouldn't have expected a call from you today, All Might…" Holy noted in a sultry voice into her phone.
"Eh-heh…" the former pro chuckled through the line, "How are things?" he asked curiously.
"They're getting strange, if you can believe it," the I.U.A. Hero answered, "Ichiro contacted us the other day in regards to the Saintfires," she told him, "They actually met with your old sidekick," she mentioned.
"Huh…" All Might sighed, "It's one thing after another, isn't it?" he assumed rhetorically.
"There's another thing," Holy said, "It seems as if they're after Rebecca," she pointed out, causing him to gasp over the line, "After Drakken Joe, we hoped that she wouldn't be a target again…" she noted, sighing herself, "From what I've heard, the Saintfires want her because of her ability to alter time," she mentioned, "That is, from what I've learned…" she added with a chuckle.
"They really want to restore things to an era before Quirks existed, hm?" the former pro assumed.
"Ichiro said he's planning on teaming with Nighteye's agency to look more into the matter," Holy explained, "As a favor in return, he'll be helping your old sidekick with his current target, the Shie Hassaikai," she mentioned, leaning back in her seat.
"The yakuza?" All Might inquired, "What are they up to?" he wondered curiously.
"Not sure just yet…" Holy replied, "But we'll let you know," she promised. After a few more notes were exchanged, the pair said goodbye to each other, with the I.U.A. Hero putting her phone down. "Huh…" she sighed out.
"Something tells me you might wanna help out with Sasaki's business, too," Sorahiko's voice chimed in, getting her attention as she saw him approach, "Am I wrong?" he inquired. The Light Quirk user chuckled.
"I can't help but worry about that boy…" she admitted, "Knowing that he's supposed to be the next All Might, as people who know the secret, we need to help him," she affirmed seriously.
"In that case, I guess I've got my answer," the elderly hero concluded, earning another chuckle out of Holy. Back in Kansai, Weisz fell onto his left knee as many portions of his armor were slashed open.
'If I wasn't wearing Arsenal, I'd be ribbons by now…' he noted to himself, looking over to Eijiro, who was grimacing.
'I've heard about drugs that can boost Quirks, but this is crazy!' he exclaimed inwardly, 'We gotta figure out a way to take this guy down, and fast!' he insisted through his thoughts.
"Everyone, find a place to hide where his blades can't reach!" he advised of the people behind him. All of a sudden, the villain shot his blades out towards the pair of student heroes again. Weisz quickly formed a wing-like blade upon his right arm.
"Grandee Wing!" he exclaimed, slashing at the incoming blades. However, his was immediately slashed off. "Ah!" he gasped before getting knocked away.
"Arsenal!" Eijiro cried out, quickly crossing his arms over his chest to defend himself from the other blades. Unfortunately, they were cutting right through him, even with his hardened skin. The villain was becoming far too strong for him to deal with at this point. At least, with his current level of hardening.
He recalled getting advice from All Might about trying to be like a bulldozer instead of being flashy in battle. He wasn't sure what he meant by that, even as he asked his friends. He thought he was pathetic compared to them.
But then shockingly, Katsuki said that just standing up and taking hits proved his strength. It proved that he wasn't mediocre at all. Remembering that made Eijiro ball his fists. He wasn't going to back down. His whole body hardened further, giving him a monstrous appearance. Watching from afar, Weisz widened his eyes.
"No way…" he uttered in disbelief. As the blades closed in and struck the Hardening Quirk user, they shattered apart.
"GAAAAHHHH!" the hoodlum screamed out in pain. This was Eijiro's Quirk at its maximum potential. He was now seemingly unbreakable.
"HERE I COME!" he roared, charging forward without a care.
"Fine, I'll focus my blades on one spot… AND SKEWER YOU!" the hoodlum yelled, shooting a huge mass of blades from his stomach onto the Hardening Quirk user.
"Red!" Weisz screamed. Fortunately, his classmate took the blades head on, charging through them. Instead of going for flashy tricks, he just need to bulldoze his way through and overwhelm his foe.
"ULTIMATE MOVE!" he bellowed as he crashed through the blades, shattering them. He then slammed his hardened right fist into his opponent's stomach. "RED GAUNTLET!" he exclaimed, sending him tumbling back as the remainder of the blades scattered across the ground.
"Oh man…" the Machina Maker Quirk user uttered, sitting up.
"He may be just a kid, but he's got guts," one well-dressed man pointed out, getting his attention.
"Totally amazing…" another man added. Steam emitted from Eijiro's body as his hardened form had dissipated. Standing up, his classmate walked over to him.
"Nice job…" he complimented, "I was gonna jump in, but…" he tried to say, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. The Hardening Quirk user smiled.
"You're welcome!" he remarked, making the blonde-haired teen blush. Just then, they heard the hoodlum whimper.
"Stay back!" he pleaded out.
"Seriously…?" Weisz muttered, "Dude's looking like Shiki with all the waterworks…" he grumbled out.
"Guess the drug's effect's must've worn off…" Eijiro noted.
"I just wanted to get stronger!" the hoodlum proclaimed as he crawled back, "Please, let me go!" he begged of the two student heroes, "I'm nothing but a pathetic weakling who wanted a taste of power!" he pointed out.
"Yeah, no can do," Weisz responded, "You shot Suneater and tried to shoot Red Riot," he noted, gesturing to his classmate.
"But… I can get where you're coming from," Eijiro admitted, much to his classmate's surprise, "A long while ago, I—"
"No one wants to hear your sob-story, wannabe!" the hoodlum proclaimed, launching himself away with the mass of blades he protruded from his back.
"Ah, shit!" Weisz cursed, while the Hardening Quirk user grimaced. Fortunately, Fat Gum had arrived on the scene, subduing the villain as he submerged into his fat, rendering any blades he protruded useless. He pointed out that villains had many ways to win their battles, while heroes only had so many. The key for them was making villains lose the will to fight.
"Thanks for your help!" Eijiro exclaimed with gratitude. He and Weisz had barely managed to hold their own together, but their mentor had finished the hoodlum off so easily.
"And thank you, young man!" the well-dressed man from before added, getting their attentions as they turned to face the group of people that they protected earlier.
"The way you kept his blades from hitting us was insane!" the capped man pointed out excitedly.
"I've been watching heroes for a long time now, and most would be scared of a guy like that!" the elderly man mentioned.
"You saved our lives!" another man added. Hearing all the praise was quite something for Eijiro. It reminded him of the time when he felt so inadequate as a person aiming to even be a hero.
As for Weisz, he already felt inadequate for being unable to do anything productive in that battle. Even as fine-tuned as he was with his Quirk, it meant nothing if he couldn't use it properly in certain places. Compared to Eijiro, he was actually the one who most needed to catch up with his classmates.
After things had settled down, the trio reunited with Tamaki and the police to discuss the matters. The Manifest Quirk user was still unable to use his abilities, at least for the moment. It was alarming to think that there were Quirk-boosting drugs being given to criminals. But ones that stopped Quirks? Now that was something new…
X
Those who were involved in work studies were evidently left exhausted from all that had happened. Not even a couple of days in, and they already experienced things that professionals would've on a regular basis. Rebecca stretched her arms up and sighed.
"Doing okay, Rebecca?" Kyoka inquired, getting her attention.
"Oh, yeah…" she responded, "Just a bit worn from all the work already…" she admitted.
'Not to mention everything that's being dumped on us all at once…' she noted inwardly.
"You saw the news articles about Kirishima, Uraraka and Tsu, right?" the Earphone Jack Quirk user inquired, getting her friend's attention as she showed her the articles on her phone.
"Oh wow, that's awesome!" Rebecca complimented. She was a bit envious about how well the other work study students were progressing. Then again, that wasn't her biggest concern. It was more about things in regards to Eri, the little girl that she and Izuku could've saved just days ago. The thought of her ate away at the Cat Leaper Quirk user as she clenched her fists. She was determined to not let something like that ever happen again.
ENDING
Insert "The World's Continuation" by Ado
Opens with Rebecca as a little girl waking up in the morning at the orphanage she grew up in. She plays with the other orphans as Witch watches on, smiling all the while. Growing up, Rebecca is a big help around the orphanage, learning to cook with Witch, organize, and even clean.
At one point, a cat is adopted by the orphanage, being none other than Happy. Rebecca is the one to take care of it the most, feeding him every so often and sleeping with him. She goes out on a walk with him and Witch one day, heading to a local park. There, she sees Izuku lying on the ground after having to deal with Katsuki and the other bullies.
From then on, he and Rebecca become friends, growing up together. They even go out to get hero trading cards one day, coming across the rare All Might card in their respective packs. Throughout their school days from kindergarten to elementary to junior high, Izuku and Rebecca stay great friends.
One night during a school dance, Izuku sits dejectedly as everyone else is dancing together in pairs. Rebecca approaches him, wearing a lovely green dress. She offers her hand to Izuku, who graciously accepts it as his face scrunches up. They dance together, all while Katsuki watches on from the corner with a look of annoyance on his face.
The years go by, up to the end of middle school. The day arrives that Izuku and Rebecca get to U.A. High, entering alongside each other. We see flashes of everything they've gone through: the Quirk tests, the battle training, the USJ incident, the Sports Festival, the internships, the final exams, the forest camp attack, the incident in Camino Ward, the provisional licensing exam, and Izuku and Katsuki's fight afterwards.
From there, we see the couple dressed in their hero costumes, looking out to the horizon as they're joined by their classmates, prepared to face whatever lies ahead. Izuku looks to Rebecca and smiles, taking her hand into his own and holding onto it firmly. Neither of them are ever going to lose hope in each other.
END ENDING
And that brings an end to this chapter! I'm really liking the Weisz and Eijiro dynamic I'm starting to put together. Hopefully, it'll be stronger in later chapters, but we'll see. For those curious as to where Shiki's interning, you'll see. I'm sure you'll find that he's a good fit for who he's with.
So that's about it for now! I think I'll be taking a bit of a break from writing as much in terms of this story, and I'll focus more on the main chapters of fics I wanna get done before the end of 2022. Thanks for reading, everyone! Next week, there's a lot of information to get into.