Welcome back, everyone! Another week goes by as we continue to get chapters out for you all! We're finally about to get started with the raid portion of this arc, so I hope you're ready for it!
It's gonna be a bumpy ride, since there'll be a mix of so many different characters involved. So please bear with me as we toil our way through all this. With all that said, I hope you're ready for action, angst, drama, and the like! Let's get started!
THROUGH THE ROUGH
A few days had passed since the conference. Rebecca was climbing a rock wall in Gym Gamma with her boyfriend and their classmates whom were involved in the upcoming endeavor. No word had come out on the location of where they were keeping Eri, but it wasn't as if a discovery would happen overnight. There needed to be careful planning and considerations.
The group was put under strict orders not to talk about their work studies and the case they were involved in. Even as people like Katsuki would demand answers, they didn't provide them. The Cat Leaper Quirk user found herself growing more impatient as the days were going by. With the situation that she knew Eri and those other kidnapped women were in, she wanted to go and rescue them as soon as possible. As she reached the top of the rock wall, Izuku reached out to her, helping pull her up.
"Thanks…" she said in gratitude, taking a deep breath, "Holding up okay?" she asked of the One For All inheritor.
"Somewhat…" he answered. Shota had mentioned that there was a slim possibility the League of Villains was involved with the Hassaikai. If that turned out to be the case, those of his class would be taken out of the mission for their safety, regardless of the circumstances. It made sense given the recent attacks from the League, even though it may have frustrated a few in particular.
Izuku was evidently fired up with wanting to save Eri. But something else was still weighing on him. Rebecca could tell as he marched into the cafeteria later that day, grabbing his food and sitting down at a table alongside Tenya, Shoto, and Homura. As he broke his chopsticks apart, he thought back to when Nighteye refused to use his Quirk to look into someone's future for the raid.
Knowing that he had tried to prevent All Might from continuing his hero duties years ago upon receiving his injuries from All For One, the freckled teen felt as if he was carrying a heavy burden. And it wasn't something he could talk to his other friends about. His girlfriend sat down next to him.
"Hey," she said in greeting, giving him a comforting smile, "It's okay," she assured.
"R-Right…" Izuku stammered out, starting to eat his katsudon. The others looked to him in concern.
"Are the work studies becoming that challenging for you?" Homura assumed, getting the couple's attention.
"Oh, uh, no…" Rebecca stuttered, holding her hands up, "I mean… they are, but…" she tried to say, laughing sheepishly before digging into her food. She didn't want to accidentally tell them about what she and her boyfriend were involved in.
"You've both been acting a bit edgy and depressed since you've started your work studies together…" Shoto noted.
"Could it be a lover's quarrel?" the Soul Blade Quirk user guessed suddenly, causing Rebecca to yelp in surprise as her boyfriend almost choked on his food.
"N-No, it's not that!" she exclaimed, slamming her hands onto the table to everyone's surprise, "Uh… sorry…" she apologized, slumping back into her seat, "But really, we're fine…" she assured as she gave off a grin. Tenya looked to her and then at Izuku, narrowing his eyes slightly with concern. Clearly, they weren't feeling well. They seemed lost, much like he once was. He held his left hand out to them
"If you ever wanna talk or anything, just let me know," he advised, "We're friends, right?" he inquired of the One For All inheritor, whose eyes widened. He remembered saying the exact same thing to the class representative before they parted ways for their internships last semester. "That's what you said to me, remember?" the Engine Quirk user inquired.
"Tenya…" Rebecca uttered out. At that moment, her boyfriend started breaking down in tears, whimpering all the while.
"AAHH!" the class representative yelped, "No… oh dear…" he said, waving his arms frantically.
"Midoriya…" Shoto uttered.
"Sorry…" the One For All inheritor apologized as he wiped his eyes with his right arm, "It's okay… It's nothing…" he affirmed on. It was frustrating to not be able to tell anyone else about what was happening. But he was grateful for the class representative's kind sentiment. As he scarfed down the rest of his food, his girlfriend could still see the tears in his eyes.
She too could feel her own walls start to crumble as she teared up herself. She let out a sniffle, which Homura overheard as she looked over at her. Tears streaked down her cheeks, but she wiped them away as she ate her lunch without a word.
'All this stress and worry…' she noted to herself, 'Maybe it's alright to at least let it out every now and again…' she suggested, taking another bite of her food. Before long, she and Izuku were both finished, though their eyes were still watery.
"Heroes aren't supposed to cry…!" the latter proclaimed, trying to wipe away all of his tears.
"Yeah…!" his girlfriend whimpered in agreement.
"I dunno…" Shoto said, "I always figured that heroes cry when they need to," he told his teary-eyed classmates, "don't they?" he inquired. He then grabbed his tray of soba. "Here, do you wanna share half of my soba?" he offered.
"And I have extra dumplings if you want any," Homura added, pushing her own tray over.
"Thanks…" Izuku uttered with gratitude, while Rebecca nodded with a small smile. He wished he could've told them about their current plight. But for now, the sentiment was more than enough.
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
The investigations went on for quite a while. Every hero involved was looking into the Hassaikai facilities in one form or another. They had to determine whether or not said locations were places where the bullets could be manufactured. There was also finding out how many members would come and go frequently to said locations. Not to mention the illegal drug shipments leaving.
The first half of the locations turned up with nothing based on the heroes' findings. And it left those at U.A. waiting patiently for the call. It was especially the case with Kleene, who stared at her phone as she sat on a bench in the courtyard. Thinking back to when she decided to save Rebecca and Katsuki from Drakken, she essentially left her brother to fend for himself. In some ways, it was her fault that he was back with Rogue Out.
"Hey, Kleene?" a voice chimed in, getting her attention as she looked over to see Itsuka and Setsuna there, "You doing okay?" the former asked out of concern.
"Oh, I'm fine," the Wind Snatch Quirk user assured, putting her phone away as she stood up. She didn't want to worry anyone. After having betrayed her classmates' trust back during the training camp, she felt that she still needed to go through leaps and bounds to earn it again. But to her shock, everyone was willing to accept that she was a good person that had an awful upbringing, and that she was forced to do things she wouldn't otherwise. It made her feel very emotional. She wiped her tears away and sniffled, trying to keep her composure as she waited for the updates.
Everyone was waiting. And then, one night, Rebecca was trying to sleep until she noticed her phone light up with a notification. She immediately got up from her bed and grabbed it, checking what was upon the screen.
"They got it…" she realized. She then heard a couple knocks at her door. She hurried over and opened it, seeing Ochaco and Tsuyu there.
"You got the message too, huh?" the former assumed, earning a nod in response from the Cat Leaper Quirk user. She and the others met up with Izuku, Eijiro, and Weisz down in the common area.
"Figured it'd be a little longer with as many heroes out and about…" the Machina Maker Quirk user admitted.
"Better sooner than later, I'll say," Rebecca remarked, "Let's all be ready," she insisted of her classmates, who all nodded in agreement. Staring at the update on his phone, Izuku was determined. So was Kleene as she sat upon her bed, looking at the notification she received.
'Brother…' she uttered inwardly. Everyone was determined to see the mission through to the end. Whether it was to rescue Eri, Kris, or all those kidnapped women, they would strive to succeed with all their might.
Elsewhere in the Hassaikai stronghold, there was a room filled with several young women, who were sleeping on the floor. Looming over them were Sister, Ganoff, Moscoy, and Kris.
"Heh," the heteromorphic man laughed with his arms crossed, "Can't believe that gross toad wanted thirty of these bitches…" he muttered out, "What, is he gonna play around with 'em until he's bored?" he assumed. Beside him, the Wind Rage Quirk user grimaced. Some of the girls in the room weren't even teenagers.
"Illega was quite specific on our targets," Sister noted, "Whatever he decides to do is of no consequence to us," she mentioned on, "He'll actually be coming to collect these girls himself soon," she told her colleagues.
"And we'll have plenty of money to use after working with the Hassaikai, moscoy!" Mosco added. Kris lowered his gaze, clenching his trembling fists. Ganoff took notice.
"Hey, you good, Jinn?" he asked, grabbing his shoulder, "Seem a little jumpy…" he pointed out.
"I…" the Wind Rage Quirk user uttered out, looking away.
"Heh," his colleague chuckled again, "Guess after being away for so long, you must be a little sick of the old jobs…" he presumed, patting his shoulder, "Don't worry…" he assured, "All you need to focus on is making sure the merchandise doesn't get damaged before it gets to Illega…" he mentioned firmly.
"…Right…" Kris responded.
"Let's go," Sister insisted, "Chisaki is expecting temps as well," she pointed out, departing from the room with her colleagues. The Wind Rage Quirk user stayed behind for a moment, looking back at the girls in the room. One was a little girl with pink-orange hair in short pigtails. He remembered hearing what his sister had said after they returned from the training camp attack.
'What have we become?' she had asked. The question echoed in his mind. He left the room, letting the door shut behind him.
X
"What?!" Rock Lock exclaimed back at Nighteye's office as he and the other pros were reconvened after learning of the update, "They're keeping that Eri girl in their stronghold?!" he inquired of the Foresight Quirk user, who stood at a desk.
"And by stronghold, you mean…" Fat Gum continued.
"The Hassaikai's headquarters," Holy finished for him with crossed arms underneath her chest, "It's their leader's residence," she mentioned.
"Hmph!" Rock Lock huffed in frustration, "So all that investigating this whole time was for nothing?!" he assumed.
"Not at all," Nighteye responded, "We gained plenty of new information as well," he pointed out.
"How'd you confirm her location?" Eraser asked curiously. The Foresight Quirk user explained how a Hassaikai member purchased a toy for little girls, and he himself was there at the time, having overheard his conversation with the store clerk of the department store. With that, he took the initiative and used his power to look into the future, determining that he was buying the toy for Eri, and was returning to the headquarters with it.
"So you ended up using Foresight anyway?!" Rock Lock yelled in question.
"If you recall, I said I'd only use it when our path was more certain," Nighteye retorted in reply
"Whatever, at least we know where she is," Fat Gum pointed out.
"Is my brother there as well?" Kleene asked, chiming into the discussion.
"That I could not determine," the Foresight Quirk user replied to her dismay, "However, I would assume that since the stronghold is where Eri is being kept, then it's likely that Rogue Out is there as well," he predicted.
"The same goes for those kidnapped women," Holy added, stepping forward.
"And we've already got a warrant to search the place with the police's help," Bubble Girl mentioned.
"We've got all our bases covered," Eraser noted, "So now…" he continued.
"It's time to barge in there!" Fat Gum declared, punching his left hand determinedly. Izuku and Rebecca looked to each other, nodding with serious looks in their eyes. They were going to make up for lost time and get Eri back safely.
"Come on, you guys…" Mirio uttered, getting their attentions as they saw him flex his arms back, "We're all over this! Let's rescue that girl!" he yelled, waving his arms wildly.
"The heck's up with him…?" Weisz wondered aloud as a drop of sweat rolled down the side of his head. Tamaki smiled, while Nejire giggled. They were glad that their friend had recovered from his seemingly unbearable frustration. It was thanks to him that the mission was so well-prepared in the first place.
With that, everyone got dressed in their costumes. Rebecca set her iron-soled sandals onto her feet as she put on her cat ears. Unlike normally, she instead tied her hair up into a single ponytail. She looked over to Kleene, who just finished throwing on her top. She looked over to the person who was the first one willing to give her a second chance, shooting her a small, grateful smile. If not for her, she probably wouldn't have the opportunity to find her brother again.
'This time… we'll get them all back!' the Cat Leaper Quirk user declared inwardly. She and the other U.A. students arrived in the conference room moments later.
"Now then…" Nighteye began, "let us begin," he declared. By 8:00 AM, the police had gathered information for the heroes in regards to the Hassaikai's headquarters, providing them with knowledge on their members and their Quirks.
"Looks like we're not wasting time…" Eijiro remarked, seeing the heroes being informed of their targets.
"Yeah, no kidding…" Weisz agreed.
"Mmm… I'm getting nervous…" Ochaco admitted.
"I know…" Tsuyu said, "First detective work, and now we're cooperating with the police…" she pointed out with a finger upon her cheek, "There's a lot we still don't know…" she said.
"Right?" Nejire chimed in, mimicking her action as well, "It's so official and efficient!" she noted.
"All the pros seem pretty chill about this…" Rebecca pointed out.
"Yeah, they're so brave!" Eijiro complimented.
"Hey, have either of you seen Gran Torino around?" Izuku asked, getting their attentions, "I didn't spot him this morning during the meeting…" he recalled.
"Apparently, he won't be able to join us," Nighteye chimed in as a response, getting their attentions.
"Tsukauchi's been keeping an eye on the League, and according to him, it looks like they're on the move," the police chief told the students.
"Which means Sorahiko's going to be helping them try to track those hooligans down," Holy mentioned as she approached, letting off a small grin, "But don't worry, we can afford to have him away when we've got so many of us here," she pointed out, leaning up against Izuku as he blushed, widening his eyes in surprise, "And I'm sure you'll give it your all in his place, Izuku…" she added flirtatiously.
"Um… I… uh…" the freckled teen stuttered out.
"Quit harassing my student, Holy," Shota insisted as he approached, donning his goggles up over his eyes.
"Oh, Eraser Head, sir!" Izuku greeted, standing to attention.
"Keep in mind, I'm teaming up with Nighteye Agency for this," he pointed out to him and Rebecca, "You understand what that means, don't you?" he inquired of them. They blinked in surprise, recalling his instructions from the other day.
"We understand, sir," the Cat Leaper Quirk user affirmed for herself and her boyfriend. With everything laid out, it was time for the operation to commence. A half hour later, the heroes and the police were standing outside the residence of the Hassaikai.
"Once they've read the warrant, you're free to move in," the police chief told the heroes.
"Hmph," Rock Lock scoffed, "What's with this guy?" he muttered in question, "Acting like we don't know our jobs…" he grumbled on.
"You know that's not what he meant, Rock Lock," Fat Gum retorted, "Give it a rest…" he insisted, earning a huff out of his fellow hero.
'Geez… talk about a sourpuss…' Weisz muttered inwardly, holding his rifle over his shoulder.
"Look, all I'm saying is that these yakuza types love to work in the shadows…" Rock Lock pointed out as the police chief was about to ring the doorbell to the front gate, "They see all these heroes and cops out here, they might just disappear…" he noted. As if on cue, the doors burst open, sending several officers flying.
"Ah!" Rebecca gasped, while many others went wide-eyed. Having come out onto the street was a huge, tall, and very muscular man. He wore a black tank-top with jeans and sneakers, as well as a plague mask that covered his head. He also donned massive gauntlets and knuckledusters on his fists, too. Izuku and Shota were quick to catch the officers that went flying, bringing them back down safely.
"Oh man!" Rock Lock yelped, "They already know we're here?!" he inquired loudly.
"No time for questions," Mr. Brave said, pulling off a piece of his hair as it shaped into a blade in his hand, "Let's go!" he insisted.
"That's good…" the hulking man uttered as his muscles appeared to grow larger, "I'm waking up a little…" he pointed out, rearing his right arm back.
"Everyone, get back!" Ryukyu advised as the villain thrusted his fist out. However, he suddenly found himself kneed upside the head by Weisz, who was donning his Arsenal armor.
"Arsenal?!" Fat Gum and Eijiro exclaimed. The hulking Hassaikai member stumbled, shaking his head.
"Who the hell are you…?" he asked, narrowing his eyes onto the Machina Maker Quirk user.
"The man who'll make you fall in five seconds!" he declared in response, morphing the right forearm of his suit to a massive size, clenching it into a fist. Its rockets flared to life, propelling him toward the hulking figure. "METALLICA… EXPLOSIONNNNN!" he bellowed, punching the Hassaikai member with all of his might to send him flying across the street in an explosive blast.
"Nice one, Arsenal!" Eijiro complimented, seeing his classmate land down and let his armor come apart, morphing back into the wristwatch upon his right arm.
"Huh…" he breathed out, picking up his rifle, "That took a lot more out of me than I thought…" he admitted, putting his hands onto his knees.
"That's likely due to his Quirk," Ryukyu responded as she stepped forward, causing him to blink in surprise, "Rikiya Katsukame," she said, "His Quirk lets him steal the vitality of anyone he comes into direct contact with," she pointed out.
"Huh?!" Weisz exclaimed.
"You didn't even read the forms we got, did ya…?" Fat Gum assumed exasperatedly, causing his work study student to grimace with embarrassment as he blushed.
"In any case, we should let ranged attackers be the ones to subdue him," Ryukyu advised, enveloping herself in a puff of smoke. Her body transformed into that of a large, winged dragon with pale gray scales, although she still has the same skin tone, hair, and eyes. Her hero costume remained visible bar her boots and the claws that were upon her face had transferred to her right hand. "Let the Ryukyu Agency handle this one!" she insisted.
"Understood, thank you," Nighteye responded, leading the charge with the police into the residence. Nejire, Ochaco, Tsuyu and Kleene stayed behind, about to go and assist their mentor.
"Sylph!" she called out, causing the Wind Snatch Quirk user to stop and blink in surprise, "Go on ahead with them!" she instructed, "If your brother is here, then there's no one more suited to facing him than you!" she affirmed. Hearing that, Kleene balled her hands into fists.
"Right!" she responded, turning around and heading after those who already made their way inside, "Thank you, Ryukyu!" she yelled gratefully. She hurried inside after the others, as some heroes and police stayed behind to subdue villains in the courtyard.
"We've got this!" Mirio proclaimed as they hurried to the front doors.
"Right!" Izuku and Rebecca agreed. They were going to save everyone they needed to. Inside the stronghold underground, Overhaul was walking alongside Hari and Iyashi.
"Sounds like quite the ruckus upstairs…" the latter commented curiously.
"Based on that, I'd say they have an idea as to where they wanna go…" Chronostasis mentioned.
"Well, we can't let them find us right now," the Hassaikai leader affirmed, "They attacked, that'll be the story," he decided.
"You mean the Eight Bullets and your other lackeys?" Sister assumed, letting off a chuckle, "My, this operation really is important to you, isn't it?" she guessed. Kai closed his eyes for a moment, thinking of when he had earlier visited the man he called 'Pops', apologizing for how noisy things were going to get.
"Make sure you have your men help deal with them," he insisted of the Rogue Out leader, "It'd be a waste to keep them hidden until it's too late," he mentioned on.
"But of course…" she replied, "After all…" she continued as several masked members of the Hassaikai were preparing themselves for battle, "they're only pawns in this game," she pointed out. They arrived at Eri's room, opening the door. But all of a sudden, a pillar of rock shot out, smashing into the masked face of Hari, slamming him against the wall and knocking him out completely as he slumped onto the floor.
"Kurono!" Overhaul exclaimed.
"What in the hell—?!" Sister's shout was interjected as she peered inside to find Eri being gently held in the arms of Komi, while Takashi stood beside him with the rock pillar over his left arm retracting.
"Who the hell are you two?" the Shie Hassaikai leader asked, narrowing his eyes as he started to take off his white gloves.
"Apologies…" the masked man said, having more rock appear around his right arm as he closed his hand into a fist, "but in the Saintfire's hollowed name, we'll be taking this girl into our protection from you," he declared. In Komi's arms, Eri trembled. Under the bed, Pino watched on with a grimace. Things were about to get even crazier than before.
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, what a twist! I wanted to spice things up with some more battles, considering what'll be up ahead feels a bit… well, the same as before. Plus, the Saintfires needed to be involved here, there's no arguing about that. But now that this situation's unfolded, what'll happen next?
I'm excited to deliver that to you guys next time, so long as I can get it together. But until then, I hope you enjoyed this shorter chapter. Thanks for reading!