Hey folks! We're back with more of "Through the Rough"! After giving you all an update on who's where in terms of the work studies, it's time to bring them all together for one of the big plotpoints of Season 4: the raid. It's gonna be a fun ride, but it'll be a little tough, too.
That said, I'm excited for you to all see where I'm going with this story, especially with the things that are ahead. No point in delaying the start any longer. Welcome back to "Through the Rough"!
THROUGH THE ROUGH
Izu: You got the call this morning, right?
Becca: yeah
sounds like were back in the saddle.
Izu: *We're
Becca: :P
Rebecca giggled as she looked at her text conversation with her boyfriend. It had been almost a full week since the two of them had gotten called in to Nighteye's office. After their first experience, they were concerned about the circumstances of his current case. Had any new leads been uncovered? If so, what were they?
Exiting her room and pressing the button for the elevator, the Cat Leaper Quirk user looked up any news for the day. There was a lot for her to think about, especially in regards to the Saintfires coming after her. With Xiaomei's warning along with the fact that Nox had specifically contacted her through some form of psychic link, she wanted to find out just what she was after. At that moment, the elevator doors opened.
"Oh, hey!" Ochaco greeted, much to her surprise as she saw the Zero Gravity Quirk user standing in the lift alongside Tsuyu, "You're heading off for your work study, too?" she assumed.
"Yeah, but no hero stuff today from the sound of it," Rebecca replied, "Don't have to bring my costume," she mentioned.
"Huh," Tsuyu uttered with a blink of surprise, "That's the same for us…" she pointed out, putting a finger onto her chin.
"Wait, really?" the Cat Leaper Quirk user inquired. The three girls made their way off of the elevator once it reached the first floor, followed by running into Weisz, Eijiro, and Izuku outside.
"Looks like everyone's going to their work studies today!" Ochaco noted with a smile.
"Everyone except Granbell and Tokoyami," the Hardening Quirk user corrected, "I still can't believe that they both got offered opportunities to work with Hawks of all people…" he admitted with a sheepish grin.
"If the IUA could do work studies, then there'd probably be a lot more people out and about…" Weisz muttered, folding his arms behind his head.
"Oh, there you are!" a voice called out, getting the group's attention as they saw Kleene running over, "You're all about to head out for the work studies, right?" she assumed.
"Yep!" Ochaco responded with a grin.
"You're welcome to come with us," Eijiro affirmed.
"Yeah, the more the merrier," Weisz remarked as he went over and put his arm around the Wind Snatch Quirk user's shoulders, "And if you'd like to later, I'd be happy to take you out for a d— OW!" he yelped as Rebecca kicked his left shin, causing him to hop up and down in pain as he grabbed at his foot, "What the hell was that for?!" he questioned angrily.
"Hm," the Cat Leaper Quirk user huffed, "Anyways, I didn't know you were taking part in the work study program, Kleene," she noted to the Class B student, "I mean… with everything that's happened…" she continued worriedly.
"It wasn't easy," the Wind Snatch Quirk user admitted, lowering her gaze for a moment, "There're a lot of people who think I don't deserve a second chance, even in UA…" she added to the group's surprise, "But… Mister Kan was able to reach out and vouch for me," she recalled with a smile, "And Ryukyu was happy to accept me as a part of her team for the time being," she mentioned.
"Even Nejire gave you a lot of praise," Ochaco added.
"Ribbit!" Tsuyu croaked in agreement.
"I'm happy that you're finally back on your feet, Kleene," Rebecca noted to the Wind Snatch Quirk user, who giggled.
"The wind won't stop for me now," she vowed, giggling again. However, she and the others had yet to realize what kind of case they were about to get involved in…
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
This was weird. Rebecca figured that it was a strange coincidence that she, Izuku and the other work study students were heading off in the same directions. Whether by going on the same train, walking down the same street, and turning the same corner. Eventually, they arrived at the building altogether, seeing that the Big 3 were present as well. And once all of them made their way inside, there was even more of a shock.
"What in the world is going on…?!" Izuku wondered aloud. There were all kinds of heroes in the buildings. Ryukyu, Fat Gum, Rock Lock, Kesagiri Man, Mr. Brave and many other pros were in the building, whether they were small-time locals or more involved heroes. Even Shota was there, talking with Eraser.
"Whoa, even an IUA Hero's here?" Ochaco noted out of surprise.
"Mister Aizawa!" Tsuyu greeted as she approached alongside Rebecca and Kleene, getting his attention, "What are you doing here?" she inquired curiously.
"I got called in last minute," the teacher replied, "I've got a general idea of what it's about…" he noted, rubbing the back of his head.
"You should, too," Ryukyu chimed in, getting their attention, "You remember what I told you, right?" she asked of her three work study freshmen. They looked to each other, remembering the potential case that their mentor had brought up the other night.
"Even Gran Torino's here…" Izuku noted aloud, spotting the elderly hero talking amongst some of the pros. As he was about to head over to him, he suddenly felt something soft squish against the back of his head.
"Well, what a surprise…" a familiar, sultry voice said, causing him to squeak in surprise as his face went red, "I wouldn't have figured a spry young boy like yourself would be brought into all of this…" she noted. Izuku slowly turned his head to find Holy standing behind him. "It's been a while since we've seen each other in person, Izuku…" she pointed out.
"M-M-M-Miss Holy!" the One For All inheritor stammered out as he stepped away, making her giggle.
"Hey, hey!" Nejire whispered to Mirio, "Does Midoriya know Holy or something? Do you know?" she inquired.
"Seems that way…" the Permeation Quirk user replied with a shrug.
"Seinaru, knock it off," Sorahiko advised as he approached, getting their attentions, "At this point, you're making a bad example for the kid…" he grumbled.
"Oh, you're no fun…" the I.U.A. Hero complained with her hands at her hips.
"You know, that could be considered harassment…" Eraser chimed in as he approached, getting their attentions, "So we're actually teaming up on something for once," he noted aloud.
"Is Justice aware?" Holy inquired, folding her arms underneath her chest.
"You'd think he'd be up in arms over us not worrying about the Seis…" her fellow I.U.A. Hero inferred, "but he actually thinks this could help lead us to some of them," he pointed out.
"So he says…" the Light Quirk user grumbled.
"It's nice to see you again," Eraser noted, turning his attention onto Izuku, "We haven't seen each other since Shibuya," he recalled, "I'm sure it's going to be a little difficult to differentiate between me and your teacher since our hero names are the same," he mentioned with a chuckle.
"Uh, yeah…" the One For All inheritor agreed, letting out a laugh of his own, "So um…" he continued, "what are you all doing here?" he wondered curiously.
"We're ready to get started, Nighteye," Ryukyu chimed in, turning her attention towards the front of the room, where the Foresight Quirk user stood alongside Bubble Girl and another sidekick of his, Centipeder.
"Thanks to the information provided by all of you, our investigation has progressed substantially," he pointed out, walking to the center of the room, "We've invited you all here for a joint conference to share the intel we've gathered regarding the yakuza group, Shie Hassaikai," he explained to them, "And what they might be planning," he added.
"Hold on, I feel I like I'm missing something," Eijiro chimed in, "Shie… Ha-what now?" he tried to say.
'Come on, it's not that hard to say…' Weisz noted inwardly as a drop of sweat rolled down the side of his head.
"Some bad guys are planning to do some bad things," Fat Gum told his work study students, "so we're meeting to break down all we know about 'em," he added.
"Along with whomever else they're working with," another voice chimed in, belonging to Ivry as she stepped forward.
"Sister Ivry?" Ochaco said in surprise.
"You're part of this, too?" Tsuyu inquired, putting a finger onto her cheek.
"Yeah, got called in last minute like Eraser Head here…" she mumbled, folding her arms behind her head, "Anyways, let's get this shit started," she insisted, "I don't wanna beat around the bush here," she firmly noted. A few minutes later, everyone was gathered in the conference room. Rebecca sat with Izuku and Mirio near the front, with Nighteye sitting at the head of the table. Everyone else was scattered about, sitting in their respective groups.
'With so many different heroes here, the situation with the Hassaikai must be a lot more serious than we imagined…' the Cat Leaper Quirk user assumed inwardly.
"Alright, we'll start at the beginning," Bubble Girl said, holding up a tablet as she and Centipeder were standing on opposite sides of the presentation screen, "For the past couple of weeks, the Nighteye Agency's been conducting investigations into the Shie Hassaikai," she told those in the room, "a small but organized yakuza group," she mentioned.
"What prompted the investigation?" one hero asked.
"An incident involving a thievery gang called the Reservoir Dogs," the blue-skinned sidekick responded.
"Yeah, I heard about that…" another hero noted in remembrance, "Zero casualties, right?" he inquired.
"Correct," Centipeder replied.
"The police assumed it was merely an accident, but there were a number of details that weren't adding up," Bubble Girl continued, "So we decided to launch an investigation into the Hassaikai, tailing them," she explained.
"In our capacity as Nighteye Agency sidekicks, we began following leads to see what we could uncover," Centipeder told everyone, "I found that in the past year, the members of the Shie Hassaikai have increased contact with those outside of their organization," he pointed out, "including those whose business dealings are less than reputable," he mentioned, "Their aims seem to be expanding their organization and enriching their commerce," he added on.
"Shortly after our investigation began, they made contact with a member of the League of Villains," Bubble Girl noted, "Jin Bubaigawara; villain name: Twice," she said as a grainy image of the person in question was meeting with Overhaul on a street corner, appearing to lead him into a car. Rebecca tensed up a little.
"They were wary of being tailed, so we weren't able to follow them," Centipeder pointed out, "However, with the police's help, we confirmed that an altercation had occurred between the Hassaikai and the League," he mentioned as images of the damaged warehouse where the villains had resided appeared on the screen.
"That'd be when the police reached out to Tsukauchi, Seinaru, and me," Gran Torino chimed in, "Figured we could be of help with the League involved," he mentioned.
"Where is Tsukauchi?" Kesagiri Man asked curiously.
"Follow-ups with eyewitnesses," Holy responded, "You know, the usual," she mentioned with a shrug.
"Sorry, kids," Sorahiko apologized over to Izuku and Rebecca, getting their attentions, "I didn't see something like this coming," he pointed out, "I got a bad feeling that things are about to get ugly…" he admitted grimly.
"I don't care if they do, I wanna help," the One For All inheritor affirmed.
"Same here," his girlfriend agreed.
"Hold on, you guys know him?" Mirio questioned.
"Oh, Gran Torino?" Izuku said, "I did my internship with him," he pointed out, "And Rebecca happened to work with us on some occasions," he mentioned, making the Cat Leaper Quirk user smile. A few more details were brought up, with Bubble Girl mentioning the Hero Network request and Nejire being kind enough to explain its function to her underclassmen. However, the interruptions did seem to vex a few in the room.
"Is anybody gonna tell me why a bunch of high school kids are here in this meeting?" Rock Lock asked, getting the attentions of those in the room, "I don't care if they are from UA," he mentioned, "If we have to keep stopping to explain things, we'll never get to the point of this conference," he noted, gesturing to those in question.
"Don't say that!" Fat Gum shouted as he shot up from his seat, "These three have important information to pass along!" he affirmed, gesturing to his work study students.
"Uh… we do?" Eijiro inquired out of confusion.
"I wanna go home…" Tamaki complained.
"Ah, geez…" Weisz grumbled, putting his right hand onto his face out of exasperation.
"The Hassaikai's movements are hard to trace," Nighteye pointed out, steering the focus of the conversation back onto the main topic, "but one of their sources of income is illegal drug sales," he told those in the room, "So our request was to get help from heroes with expertise in that area," he said.
"Yep, I've brought in my fair share of drug dealers back in the day," Fat Gum noted, "And in Red Riot's debut fight, he proved he could, too!" he mentioned proudly, clenching his fists, "Tamaki was shot, and the bullet that hit him contained some kind of substance that I've never heard of before," he explained, "One that destroys Quirks!" he added.
"Destroys?" Eraser uttered in surprise and confusion.
"Wait, are you okay, Tamaki?!" Mirio asked immediately out of concern as he shot to his feet.
"Yeah… the stuff wore off after I slept," the Manifest Quirk user replied, showing that he could morph his arm into a whole cow hoof.
'What the hell did you have for breakfast?' Weisz wondered inwardly, sweating a little.
"Glad to know the effects aren't permanent at least," Rock Lock chimed in, "So this stuff doesn't zap a Quirk for good?" he assumed.
"No," Nighteye affirmed in response, "But Eraser Head has some further insight to provide," he pointed out, gesturing to the Erasure Quirk user near the end of the conference table, prompting him to speak.
"The drug doesn't function like my Erasure does," he noted, "since I'm not actually attacking the Quirk directly," he mentioned, pointing to his eyes, "What we call a Quirk is an extraordinary addition to an ordinary human body," he explained on, "Those additions are collectively referred to as Quirk genes," he added, "I can temporarily block those genes and keep Quirks from being expressed," he pointed out, "but not actually damage them," he confirmed.
"So Tamaki's Quirk genes were damaged?" Rebecca assumed.
"Yeah, that's right," Fat Gum replied, "Fortunately, they've managed to heal up on their own," he mentioned.
"What do we know about the substance he was shot with?" Nighteye asked.
"Whatever it was didn't harm the rest of his body, just his Quirk," the B.M.I. Hero replied, "And the guy who shot him clammed up and wouldn't say a word," he added.
"So… there's no lead?" Izuku inquired. Fat Gum grinned.
"Luckily for us, another round that got shot was blocked by Kirishima here," he pointed out, "And thanks to that, since the bullet was still intact, we got ourselves a viable sample," he affirmed to the group.
"Wait… I did that?" Eijiro questioned, completely lost on the conversation.
"You got shot in the head, remember?!" Weisz yelled.
"Way to go, Kirishima!" Ochaco complimented. However, the air in the room changed once Fat Gum clenched his teeth with anger.
"After we analyzed the components in that bullet, we discovered something that made me sick to my stomach…" he growled out, "It contained human cells…" he confirmed.
"…Wh…What?" Rebecca stammered in shock.
'Human… cells…?' Izuku uttered inwardly out of disbelief.
"Sounds like something out of a scary movie…" Tsuyu noted.
"In other words, that effect came from a person…" Ryukyu confirmed amidst the unease of the students in the room, "A Quirk that can destroy Quirks…" she mentioned.
"Hmm… I'm not connecting the dots," another hero chimed in, "What does all this have to do with the Hassaikai?" he questioned.
"The guy that shot Tamaki used an illegal drug to boost his Quirk during his fight with Kirishima and Steiner here," Fat Gum explained, "The distribution channels for something like that are complex, even though it's a lot smaller than it was in the old days," he pointed out, "Drugs pass through various organizations before they finally reach the end user," he noted on, "There's no concrete evidence that the Hassaikai handled the drug," he continued, "but we know for a fact that they interacted with one of the middlemen responsible for moving it," he told those in the room.
"That's all?" the hero inquired.
"The other day, Ryukyu's team broke up a fight between villain groups," Nighteye chimed in, "One of those groups is controlled by the intermediary organization that Fat Gum just mentioned," he confirmed.
"One of those two giants had been given an inferior drug that didn't last long," Ryukyu mentioned.
"There have been a rash of gang-related crimes lately, and most could be connected to the Hassaikai if you try hard enough…" Kesagiri Man pointed out.
"Which is what it seems like you're doing," the hero from earlier chimed in, "Trying to make them guilty," he said, "Don't you have anything that implicates them more?" he questioned, sounding quite irritated. An image of Overhaul flashed upon the screen, causing Izuku, Rebecca and Mirio to perk up in surprise.
"Their young head, Kai Chisaki, has a Quirk called Overhaul," Nighteye told those in the room, "With this power, he can disassemble things and then reassemble them," he explained, "A Quirk that allows him to completely break down matter…" he continued, "And a bullet that can break down Quirks…" he added. At that moment, a horrifying realization struck his work study students. The bandages around Eri's arms and legs, her overwhelming sense of fear, and the fact that Kai wanted her back so badly.
The Cat Leaper Quirk user could hear the girl's voice in her head, pleading for her and the others to stay back then. She hung her head in shame like her boyfriend and their senior. Looking over to them for a brief moment, their mentor continued.
"Chisaki apparently has a daughter named Eri," he pointed out, "There are no records or details about her birth," he mentioned, "But when Mirio, Midoriya and Bluegarden encountered her, they noticed bandages around her arms and legs," he told those in attendance.
"To think that someone would do something so vile…" Holy said grimly.
"Unfortunately, in a society of superhumans, if you can dream it, you can do it," Gran Torino remarked.
"Hold on… what is everyone talking about?" Eijiro asked.
"Yeah, even I'm getting a little lost…" Weisz admitted.
"Once again, why do we have kids in this meeting?" Rock Lock asked, "I'll say this one time…" he affirmed, "We're wondering if this Chisaki bastard is turning his daughter's body into bullets… and selling them on the black market," he explained. Every U.A. student in the room was left mortified by the revelation.
"To be clear, we aren't certain that he's actually selling the bullets," Nighteye chimed in, "It's likely that they're still in the testing phase," he confirmed, "And he's giving out samples to rally people to join his cause," he mentioned as an inference, "While we have no hard evidence, we do know he's gathering forces and funds from across the nation," he pointed out, "If the completed drug allows him to annihilate someone's Quirk completely, then imagine the devastation he could cause," he suggested to his colleagues.
"All this talking's making my blood boil…" Fat Gum growled out, "Let's go get this monster!" he insisted, clenching his fists.
"Tch," Rock Lock scoffed, "Would've saved us a lot of trouble if these three amateurs had just gotten the girl away in the first place," he pointed out.
"Hey, shut your trashy mouth, Rock Lock," Sister chimed in, putting her feet up on the table, "Don't go disrespecting kids from my school unless you want me to kill you…" she threatened to everyone's surprise.
"Ahem," Nighteye coughed, "I take full responsibility," he said, "The blame should not fall onto their shoulders," he affirmed on, "Even without knowing the whole story, they acted to save the child each in their own way," he pointed out, "Midoriya and Bluegarden were willing to bear the risk of taking her then," he confirmed, "while Mirio opted to wait for another opportunity when success would be more likely," he mentioned. All three of his work study students were feeling an incredible amount of guilt. They didn't think they deserved the title of hero after failing to save Eri. And their mentor affirmed that they were the most frustrated. They got up from their seats.
"We'll get Eri back from him!" Rebecca and Izuku declared simultaneously.
"And we'll protect her!" all three work study students vowed together.
"That's precisely what we'll do," Nighteye promised.
X
"Hmph," Rock Lock scoffed again, getting everyone's attention again, "You kids wanna talk big, that's fine," he assured, "But if what Nighteye's saying is for real, that little girl's at the center of the Hassaikai's operation," he told them, "She might've managed to get away from Chisaki for a while," he continued, "but since she got herself seen by a couple heroes, now he's gonna be sure she's not anywhere we can find her," he pointed out, "Hell, I know I wouldn't keep her in that home she's supposed to be holed up in," he affirmed on.
"Ugh, give it a rest…" Ivry complained, "Mind talking about the other thing?" she inquired, causing everyone to look over at her, "It's the reason I'm here in the first place," she noted.
"Uh, r-right!" Bubble Girl stammered out, changing the picture to an image of Rogue Out's leader. Everyone blinked in surprise.
"Who's that?" Weisz asked.
"I call her Faker," Ivry answered, "She used to be my former sidekick," she mentioned.
"Wait, you had a sidekick?!" the Machina Maker Quirk user inquired, quite shocked.
"This is Iyashi Kotetsu, a former member of the Ziggy Agency as a sidekick under Sister Ivry," Nighteye explained, "Currently, she's known as the leader of Rogue Out, a mercenary group that's helped in robberies, assassinations, and even bounty hunting for villains," he mentioned on.
"How the hell did all that happen?" Fat Gum wondered aloud, earning a scoff out of the Heal Atomizer Quirk user.
"Anyways, there's reason to believe that Hassaikai is enlisting Rogue Out's services for their operations," Centipeder explained, "The previous image of Bubaigawara we covered had another person of interest aside from Chisaki," he pointed out, flipping to the next image on the screen. A sharp gasp came from one person in particular: Kleene.
"No…" she uttered. She recognized the green hair and the cloaked figure that was her brother, standing alongside the leader of the Shie Hassaikai as they were being led into a car. She trembled, even as Ryukyu put a reassuring hand onto her shoulder.
"From what we know, Rogue Out doesn't consist of many members," Nighteye noted, "Most of them are only foot soldiers," he mentioned, "However, there are few who can be considered dangerous, like Kris Rutherford here," he pointed out, "He is a former member of the League of Villains… and has been associated with Rogue Out in the past," he explained, "Is that correct, Miss Rutherford?" he asked of the Wind Snatch Quirk user, whose eyes were veiled by her hair.
"…Yes…" she managed to respond, letting out a sniffle.
"Kleene…" Rebecca uttered worriedly.
"When my brother and I became orphaned after our parents were killed, he found himself working under the fake Sister as a mercenary from when he was just seven," the Wind Snatch Quirk user told those in the room, "After three years, we found ourselves living under Drakken Joe's roof in more stable conditions…" she mentioned on.
"Huh…" Ryukyu sighed out, "Kleene, you don't need to go into all of the details," she assured. Her work study student sniffled as everyone watched on sympathetically.
"So the Hassaikai hired Rogue Out," Holy noted, steering the conversation back to the main topic, "which means their activities are aligning," she pointed out.
"That's what we've presumed," Nighteye replied, "At least based on recent happenings," he mentioned, "It's another reason why we've asked a fair few of you here today," he added to those in the room.
"Wait, you're not talking about the string of missing persons, are you?!" one hero inquired to everyone's surprise.
'Missing persons?' Rebecca repeated inwardly, widening her eyes.
"Bubble Girl, Centipeder, if you would," Nighteye requested of his sidekicks.
"Yes, sir," the blue-skinned young woman responded, tapping her tablet to bring up the next slide for the presentation, which featured pictures of various women, "The thirty women you see here have all gone missing within the past few weeks, during the time in which were starting to investigate the Hassaikai," she explained.
"Witnesses say that a majority of these women were abducted in areas in which the Hassaikai operate," Centipeder added, "At this time, we don't know how many are going missing or have continued to be kidnapped," he mentioned to the others.
"And you're saying that this activity relates to Rogue Out and Hassaikai?" one hero assumed, "How?" he asked.
"The testing," Nighteye answered, "By having human subjects act as tests for his bullets, Chisaki can determine their full efficacy," he affirmed.
"Hmm… that does make sense…" the hero admitted, "But why so many?" he wondered aloud.
"And why only women?" Holy inquired, "Honestly, all these details are bringing back bad memories…" she admitted, trembling a little.
"Easy, Seinaru," Sorahiko said, "Our goal's clear," he stated, "We save that little girl and those young women," he pointed out firmly.
"Yeah, but what happens if we rush in and they're not there?" Rock Lock chimed in, "The second Chisaki realizes we're on his tail, he's gonna make sure we can't find him, that girl, or those other people," he noted thoroughly.
"…He does have a point," Eraser admitted, "Nighteye, do you have a plan for locating them?" he inquired.
"That's our conundrum," the Foresight Quirk user remarked in reply, "Since we currently don't know how far they've taken their plans, the success of our initial strike is crucial," he told those in the room, "To that end, we've collected a thorough list of groups with connections to the Hassaikai," he mentioned, "as well as properties owned by the organization," he added as the map of Japan upon the screen showed several markings, "This is our starting point," he confirmed, "I'd like you all to investigate these locations on this map," he requested, "This will be the most logical way to narrow down our targets," he affirmed.
"I see…" Mr. Brave uttered in realization, "So that's why you asked minor heroes like us to join you," he noted.
"What do you mean?" the hero next to him asked.
"Take a look," he responded, turning his attention to the map, "The heroes in this room operate in those locales," he pointed out, "We know the areas better than most," he mentioned.
"Didn't expect All Might's former sidekick to be such a careful planner…" Fat Gum chimed in, standing near Nighteye, "Let's just go bring 'em down!" he demanded angrily, "While we're taking our sweet time, that little girl's crying somewhere, along with those kidnapped girls!" he pointed out in frustration.
"We can't do this like All Might would," the Foresight Quirk user argued, "That's why we must be meticulous and strategic about our predictions from the outset," he told him, "so that we have the highest chance of saving her," he stated.
"He's right, we shouldn't rush," Gran Torino agreed, "If we show our hand and don't end up rescuing them, then we'll just be throwing gas on a fire," he remarked.
"Like how Stain's capture was a beacon to let criminals join the League of Villains…" Holy recalled.
"In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they handed out Quirk-destroying weapons to those hoodlums in order to rally more support…" Sorahiko mentioned.
"You're thinkin' too dang much!" Fat Gum shouted, "If we keep sittin' here yappin' about it, we're never gonna get anywhere!" he pointed out, extremely frustrated.
'Geez… talk about passionate…' Weisz muttered inwardly.
"Uh, excuse me?" Shota chimed in, raising his right hand to get the attentions of those in the room, "I've got a question," he said. Nighteye nodded, allowing him to speak. "I don't know the specifics of your Quirk, Nighteye. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong," he noted, "But from what I've heard of it, your Foresight allows you to see into the future," he pointed out, "So why not use it on us?" he questioned, "That's logical, right?" he inquired on. Surprisingly, the former sidekick of All Might shifted uncomfortably in his seat a little. Rebecca and Izuku noticed.
"I'm sorry…" he apologized, "I cannot…" he confessed to everyone's surprise, "My Foresight has some limitations," he confirmed, "I need a full twenty-four hours between activations," he explained, "That means I get one person, and I'm spent for the rest of the day," he noted, "Additionally, the future is played in my mind like a flashback," he mentioned, "Think of it like viewing a film strip," he said, "For one hour, I have the power to watch a person's life as a movie," he told those in the room, "The issue is… everything I see is based on a tight perspective from the person in question," he added on, "This severely limits my capacity to interpret context," he pointed out.
"That should still provide more than enough information," Shota responded.
"And it doesn't explain why you can't…" Holy added, narrowing her eyes. Nighteye put his right hand up to his glasses, adjusting them.
"What if I saw imminent death in your future?" he questioned. Hearing that, Izuku blinked in surprise. "Worse…" the Foresight Quirk user continued, "What if it was a cruel, merciless demise?" he inquired on.
'This is… because of what happened with All Might…' the One For All inheritor realized inwardly. Rebecca seemed to understand as well, lowering her gaze slightly.
"My Quirk should only be employed when we're certain of the highest chance of success," Nighteye told everyone, "Then it can help ensure our victory," he pointed out, "It shouldn't be used so flippantly when there are still too many uncertainties…" he mentioned.
"Hold on, death's still information," Rock Lock argued, "If we know what's coming, we can figure out how to survive it," he suggested.
"You don't understand…" the Foresight Quirk user responded, "It's possible that what I see can't be avoided, not matter what we may try," he explained.
"Seriously, that's the only excuse you have?!" Rock Lock inquired in frustration, "Oh hell no! Just use it on me now!" he insisted, "I'll show you I can beat death!" he proclaimed.
"I can't!" Nighteye yelled, hanging his head low. The whole room fell silent.
"Yeah… alright…" Rock Lock replied, deciding to drop the issue. Clearly, the former sidekick of All Might didn't want to use his Quirk in this instance not because it wouldn't be useful, but because of the morality of the situation. If someone were to die and he was to know about it, he wouldn't be able to bear the thought of being unable to prevent it.
"Huh…" Ryukyu sighed out, "We should get started," she insisted, "There's a child in trouble," she noted.
"Along with those kidnapped victims," Eraser added, standing up from his seat.
"We must confirm their location and take them into our protection as quickly as possible using the most accurate data," Nighteye told those in the room as he stood up from his seat, "I'm counting on your help, all of you," he added seriously. In the meantime, Izuku and Rebecca both grimaced again. The memory of meeting Eri and seeing her go back to the man who was abusing her so cruelly made them so frustrated. They could only hope that their second chance to save her would come soon…
X
"If only we could've rescued her then, even if we had to use force…" the One For All inheritor said, seated amongst his classmates and the other U.A. students at a table outside of the conference room. The orange, dusk sky in the distance shimmered as his head hung low, along with his girlfriend's.
"Yeah…" she agreed with a sniffle, "At least she'd be safe…" she noted.
"Oh man…" Eijiro uttered in shock.
"So that's what happened that day, huh?" Weisz noted, arching an eyebrow.
"That's gotta be so frustrating…" the Hardening Quirk user mentioned with a grimace.
"We know you tried your hardest, Deku…" Ochaco affirmed.
"You too, Rebecca…" Tsuyu added over to the Cat Leaper Quirk user, who lifted her head up. She glanced over at Kleene, who seemed to be deep in thought.
"Are you doing okay, Kleene?" she inquired out of concern, getting her attention.
"…My brother would always train constantly, trying to grow stronger after our parents were killed," she told her fellow student heroes, "He wanted to protect me… and give us a better life," she noted, "And that meant turning to groups like Rogue Out and Drakken…" she recalled additionally, "Now that he's there again…" she continued as she trembled, "I don't know what he's even fighting for…" she confessed sadly.
"Kleene…" Tsuyu uttered worriedly. Nejire reached over, letting the Wind Snatch Quirk user rest her head against her shoulders as she whimpered. Tamaki could see the dread on Mirio's face. He had never seen him so disheartened. At that moment, the doors slid open. Everyone looked over to see Shota walking over alongside Holy and Eraser.
"Is this a funeral or something?" the Erasure Quirk user remarked in question.
"Oh hush, Shota…" the purple-haired I.U.A. Hero reprimanded as she elbowed him, "You understand how this is personal for some of them, don't you?" she inquired.
"Um, hello, Mister Aizawa," Tsuyu greeted.
"Just call me Eraser Head outside of school, okay?" the teacher insisted as he approached with the I.U.A. Heroes, "Huh…" he sighed, "Just my luck…" he grumbled out, "Before you got roped into this, I was planning on suspending your work studies," he told his students, who all gasped in surprise.
"What?!" Eijiro exclaimed as he shot up to his feet, "Why would you do that?!" he questioned emphatically.
"You were listening, weren't you?" Shota inquired back, "With the League involved, it changes things…" he pointed out. Izuku and Rebecca grimaced. Seeing their expressions, their teacher remembered the declaration they made back in the conference room. "Huh… here's the deal…" he continued, rubbing the back of his head, "Midoriya… you and Bluegarden haven't earned my trust back…" he pointed out, much to the One For All inheritor's surprise as he looked up at his teacher.
"Wait, me too?!" Rebecca yelped out, shooting up from her seat.
"You got yourself involved in that fight at the start of the semester, remember?" her teacher inquired, causing her to frown with realization as she lowered her gaze guiltily, "However…" he kept going, "I know if I try to stop you now, you'll do something reckless," he noted, crouching down to his student's eye level, "So I'll watch you," he confirmed, "If you wanna do this, you gotta do it the right way," he advised seriously, placing his right fist against the freckled teen's bunched-up tie, "Got it, problem child?" he inquired. Izuku nodded.
"Mister Aizawa…" Rebecca uttered, getting her teacher's attention, "I swear, we'll do whatever we're asked," she vowed.
"Yeah, definitely!" Eijiro agreed as he clenched his fists.
"Huh…" Weisz sighed out, "You get way too excited over stuff…" he grumbled, getting to his feet. Ochaco and Tsuyu stood up as well.
"As long as we have your permission Mister Aizawa, we'll do what we can to save that little girl and those other people!" the former promised.
"Ribbit!" the latter croaked in agreement. Their seniors were surprised by their determination. And then, Kleene stood up, wiping her eyes free of tears.
"We'll stop the Hassaikai and Rogue Out…" she declared with clenched fists, "We'll save Eri and those other women…" she vowed on, "And I'm going to bring my brother back!" she proclaimed finally, much to everyone's surprise.
"Huh…" Shota sighed again, "Should've figured," he noted, "But remember, we're all gonna do this the right way, got it?" he inquired of them.
"Yes, sir!" all of the freshmen responded.
"Huh…" Holy exhaled in exasperation, "Honestly, you could speak with a little more tact, you know…" she pointed out, going over to Izuku and embracing him warmly, letting his head rest in between her breasts, "You'll make your cute little students like Izuku here feel worse…" she noted as the freckled teen blushed a bright red.
"Uh…" Shota uttered, while Eraser sighed beside him.
"Lucky bastard…" Weisz grumbled as he seethed. Needless to say, everyone was still determined to see this mission through. And with their teacher's encouragement, they would.
X
"The Shie Hassaikai?" Takashi said out of confusion, knelt before Nox alongside Komi.
"Yes," the archbishop responded with a nod, "Though I can't be entirely certain, Rebecca Bluegarden is set to be involved in a conflict with them," she explained. The mute woman started signing.
So we're to make sure she is safe?
"That is correct," Nox affirmed.
"And additionally, we could determine if she is closer to being ready for assisting our cause," Takashi added. The archbishop appeared to tense up.
"Yes, of course…" she agreed, "See to it that she remains safe," she advised seriously. Her followers nodded, departing from the room. She turned around, closing her eyes. "I know that you can see me," she confirmed.
"Oh?" a familiar female voice uttered, "And I was beginning to think you were ignoring me…" she admitted. Opening her eyes, Nox turned to find herself in a starry void with none other than Xiaomei. "This whole ordeal brings back memories, doesn't it?" she presumed, sitting on a large throne while resting her right hand against her cheek. The archbishop clutched her staff tightly.
"I'm surprised you didn't tell Rebecca who I really am to her," she said, "Why?" she asked.
"Because we both know that it wouldn't matter either way," the Oracle Quirk user replied, "She has a family without you," she pointed out, "And even if she did know the truth, she would never do something so cruel as to wipe away all Quirks in the world," she added thoroughly, "But that's enough about Rebecca," she said, much to Nox's surprise, "I'm shocked you haven't turned more of your attention onto what's going on with the Hassaikai," she pointed out, "Given your desires, I would've figured you'd be curious about that…" she mentioned with a chuckle.
"What are you talking abou—?" As the archbishop turned, she gasped. Inside of the Hassaikai's main base of operations, Eri was trembling upon her bed with a pillow curled around the back of her head. Crawling up onto the bed was Pino, who went over to comfort the little girl. Her fear was still present.
But she had a glimmer of hope. When she was touched by Izuku and Rebecca, she felt safe. She only hoped that someone would make her feel that safe again. In the starry void where Xiaomei and Nox were, the former smirked.
"Now do you see?" she assumed, "You've got something else to fight for," she noted on.
"Eri…" the archbishop uttered with tears streaking down her cheeks.
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
Well, we're getting closer to the raid itself. This was a great chapter to write, especially with the stories that are unfolding. And it'll all come together beautifully, I promise.
In the meantime, thanks so much for reading! See you all next time!