Welcome back to "Through the Rough", everyone! Hope you're all enjoying 2023! I'm doing the best I can at the moment I'm writing this. There's a lot to unpack and get through in terms of Season 4. Plus, there's all the original stuff I wanna get to.
We'll be touching on that in this chapter, plus some other things that'll be quite interesting to talk about. Weisz already had his big moment to shine in the last chapter. So how'll everyone else fare?
Well, I think it's time we go ahead and find out for ourselves!
THROUGH THE ROUGH
"Moscoy!" Mosco exclaimed, looming before the flabbergasted group of heroes and police, "I shan't let you pass!" he declared proudly.
'What the hell even is that guy…?' Rebecca wondered inwardly. Meanwhile, Holy took on a more serious and anxious expression.
'He must be with Rogue Out…' she realized, 'And he was able to push back Red Riot and Izuku so easily…' she noted on to herself, getting into a ready stance, 'Whatever his Quirk may be, we can't afford to throw caution to the wind,' she remarked through her thoughts.
"Everyone, be ready!" she advised seriously. The Rogue Out member didn't seem remotely intimidated.
"Bring as many heroes as you want against me!" he challenged fiercely to everyone's surprise, "My sumo shan't be bested by the likes of youuuuuuu!" he proclaimed as he lunged forward. Everyone seemed prepared to fight, save for one person in particular…
"Geez…" Ivry muttered, readying her whip, "Paradise Whip!" she exclaimed as she suddenly lashed at the heavyset man without any regard, blowing him back. Everyone widened their eyes in shock.
"Ivry!" Holy shouted.
"Don't worry, I can heal the poor bastard," the Shining Star Hero assured, "Besides, it's not like he isn't used to it," she mentioned with a smirk.
"What?" the Light Quirk user uttered in confusion.
"Wait, you know that guy?" Eijiro inquired.
"Yep…" Ivry confirmed as she approached the downed Mosco, who pushed himself up onto his hands and knees.
"How dare you…" he growled out, only to widen his eyes and let his jaw go slack at the sight of the Shining Star Hero looming over him.
"Been a long time, Mosco," she remarked.
"M-M-M-M-M-M-MISTRESS?!" the heavyset man stammered out in disbelief. Everyone was left flabbergasted.
"M-Mistress?" Izuku stuttered, confused and concerned.
"I don't understand…" Holy said, shaking her head as she approached, "How do you know this man?" she inquired.
"Oh, he used to be my servant," Ivry answered to her surprise.
"Uh… you mean sidekick, right?" Rebecca assumed. There was a brief silence before the Shining Star Hero turned to the Rogue Out member.
"So why'd you join up with Iyashi?" she asked. The Cat Leaper Quirk user sweated a little.
'She didn't even answer me…' she noted to herself, somewhat freaked out.
"F-Forgive me, Mistress…" Mosco stuttered, "It's just… Miss Iyashi was kind enough to support my dream…" he recalled, "That I could one day become the top sumo wrestler in all of the world…" he mentioned… right before Ivry stomped on his head.
"You knucklehead!" she shouted, "You'd be knocked out by even a rookie in the ring!" she remarked coldly. Everyone watched on with varying expressions of astonishment, especially as Mosco appeared to enjoy being stepped on. Meanwhile, Joi was roaming about the walls of the labyrinth, finding that Weisz had defeated the Eight Bullets' members and Ganoff, while Nighteye, Shota and the others were continuing through the labyrinth.
"Seems like Irinaka's eased off on manipulating the labyrinth…" Tamaki pointed out, "Do you think he's more focused on the others that didn't fall down the hole?" he wondered aloud.
"Or maybe his drug wore off, I dunno…" Fat Gum replied, giving off a concerned look, "What do you think, Nighteye?" he asked of the Foresight Quirk user.
"It's possible that Irinaka's reach doesn't extend to this whole area," he responded, "That said, he could easily reposition himself to come after us," he mentioned theoretically.
"So he can't keep tabs on everything," Rock Lock assumed.
"Right," Shota replied, "And when he does show himself with all the twists and turns, we'll know he's nearby at least," he added in explanation, "Just being able to see an eye or an ear'll be all it takes for me," he affirmed on.
"Heh," Eraser chuckled out beside him, "We're lucky that you're in charge of that, Aizawa," he noted, getting the Erasure Quirk user's attention, "Knowing me, I'd just erase him from existence on the spot," he pointed out, "I'll help you get to his body," he promised.
"Right, thanks," the U.A. teacher replied. Meanwhile, Tamaki glanced back worriedly down the hall. Fat Gum took notice.
"Worried about Arsenal?" he assumed, getting his attention.
"Yeah…" he answered, lowering his gaze, "He said I was probably better suited to keep going the rest of the way…" he recalled, "But really… he's the one that should be here…" he pointed out.
"Yeah, maybe…" the B.M.I. Hero concurred, "That said, you trusted him to get the job done against those criminals," he added to the Manifest Quirk user's surprise, "I got no doubt he'll live up to that trust," he confirmed confidently with a grin.
"Right…" Tamaki agreed, letting off a small smile of his own.
'Kirishima… I hope you're doing okay, too…' he noted inwardly as he and the others continued onward.
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
"Wait, what?!" Bubble Girl exclaimed as she cuffed one of the hoodlums back inside the main residence, "You're saying there were already intruders before we got here?!" she inquired of him, tightening her grip on him.
"Look, I thought they were just new hires at first and then I saw them wandering about…!" he told her through a wince, "I was gonna tell Overhaul, but then you heroes showed up…" he muttered on. The sidekick grimaced a little.
"Centipeder—"
"I know," her fellow sidekick interjected before she could say anything, "If it's the Saintfires, then that might be what all that rumbling was about earlier…" he noted aloud, "We can only hope that Nighteye and the others make it there before it's too late…" he added. Down in the labyrinth, blood was spilt all over the hall floor, coming from Takashi as he lied upon the ground. He breathed weakly as his left arm and leg were gone, while a pair of spikes impaled his right shoulder.
Standing over him was Kai, who breathed heavily himself with exhaustion. His battle with the masked Saintfire had taken far too much of his time. And he felt the grime and filth all over his body, making him tremble with rage. Calming himself down, he started to walk off.
"If you survive this…" he began to the downed Takashi, "let your precious Saintfire know that I'll pay her a visit…" he advised. His foe had no strength left to respond. Elsewhere in the labyrinth, Komi held her kunai firmly between her fingers as she stood off with Iyashi, who smirked.
'That petrification Quirk of hers appears to work on whatever her eyes focus on in any particular instance…' she recalled, 'And it doesn't matter if it's living or nonliving…' she mentioned to herself, 'But at the same time, I can tell that it puts quite a burden onto her…' she noted on.
"Tell me something…" she began to her foe, who tensed up slightly, "do you have even the slightest idea what that girl you're holding is capable of?" she inquired. Eri trembled in Komi's arms. "I'm certain your precious Saintfire told you many stories," the Rogue Out leader pointed out, "But rest assured, what she's being used for is to achieve the same goal of yours," she mentioned, causing the Saintfire member to widen her eyes, "If you give me her now, I can convince Overhaul to spare your—" One of the kunai flew past her face, interjecting her as she gasped lightly.
An enraged look was upon Komi's face as she stood up. Iyashi found herself grimacing a little. She hadn't expected such a reaction.
"Very well then…" she uttered, taking a lunging stance, "You seem content on throwing your life away…" she noted before making the charge forward. Her foe glared at her with her glowing eyes, causing her to suddenly freeze in place.
'So this is her petrification experienced firsthand…' she noted inwardly, unable to move at all, 'Seems to affect my entire body as well…' she mentioned to herself, seeing her foe charge toward her with her kunai at the ready, 'However, the effects can't last forever…' she added through her thoughts as the Saintfire member readied her weapons, "And it isn't like I can't counter it…" she said inwardly. As Komi closed in, a reddish light suddenly shrouded her body, causing her to falter down onto her knees, though she didn't drop Eri. She appeared to have been weakened, feeling her vision start to blur.
"Anti-Heal," Iyashi said, getting her foe's attention, "It's a little trick I taught myself with my Quirk," she told her, "Did you know I used to be a sidekick to Sister Ivry, one of the Shining Star Heroes?" she inquired curiously, "She's the reason I'm able to use my Quirk…" she pointed out.
Rogue Out Leader: Sister! Real Name: Iyashi Kotetsu! Quirk: Heal Atomizer!
She can provide a healing aura to anyone and anything that she chooses! Her power works better when she's in her underwear, though no one knows why…
"I'll admit, I do detest the crass effect of needing to look like this in order to use my abilities to their fullest…" she confessed, keeping her hand extended toward her foe, "But so long as I can be of use, then that's all that matters…" she affirmed. Komi said nothing, glaring up at her angrily.
'So she isn't using her Quirk...' her foe noted through her thoughts, 'Could she pass out if she were to try again?' she wondered curiously.
"Well, I suppose I'll just take the girl now," she decided, having her tail-like prosthetic extend out toward Eri. But to her shock, Komi managed to swat it away with her kunai. She then charged forward and slashed past her opponent, making blood spurt out from her stomach. She let out a wince, but quickly had a greenish, healing aura shroud her new cuts, sealing them off.
'So she's still able to move quickly, even after my Anti-Heal, hm?' she presumed inwardly, seeing her running off, 'Then I suppose I'll have to be more forceful in taking her down,' she concluded through her thoughts.
"Anti-Heal!" she exclaimed, making a reddish aura shroud her fleeing foe again, causing her to fall onto her knees as she started breathing a lot more heavily. With a smirk, the Rogue Out leader approached. However, she was caught by surprise once again as the Saintfire member whipped around to toss her pair of kunai out at her, piercing into her left shoulder and hip. Before she could even think to heal herself, she was frozen in place as her foe glared at her again.
Peeking her eyes open for a moment, Eri gasped to see the blood dripping from Komi's eyes as she grimaced. She was barely able to stand, staggering as she tried to turn and run away. It wasn't long before Iyashi found herself able to move again, letting off a grin.
"Your tricks are becoming old…" she remarked, removing the kunai from her body and subsequently healing her wounds, "Then again, what should I expect from someone who doesn't even bother to try and kill her opponent?" she wondered aloud, extending her tail-like prosthetic out to jab into her foe's back, making her fall forward. She was quick to cradle Eri before hitting the floor hard, trembling all the while. The Rogue Out leader narrowed her eyes.
'Even after taking two of my Anti-Heals, she still managed to muster up strength to at least protect the girl…' she noted inwardly, letting out a scoff, 'She must be a valuable piece to the Saintfire…' she pointed out as the weakened woman cradled the trembling girl in her arms, much like someone had done for her in the past.
FLASHBACK
"What's your name, little one?" Nox asked of the short-haired girl in front of her church on a nice, sunny day. She had short, dark purple hair. Her body trembled as the archbishop looked at her curiously. She then pulled out a notebook and wrote something.
I'm Komi Shoko.
"Komi…" Nox repeated, letting off a smile, "That's a very nice name," she complimented, "Where are your parents?" she inquired out of concern. The mute girl turned the page of her notebook, writing another message. She showed it to the archbishop.
I don't have any parents. They passed away a few years ago.
Nox lightly gasped with widened eyes. She then sadly lowered her gaze. Taking off her tall miter and putting her staff aside, she knelt down in front of the little girl.
"Komi…" she uttered out, "are you lonely?" she guessed. The little girl tried to write upon her notebook again, but then started to tremble as she teared up. She dropped the notebook and whimpered into her hands.
"…Yes…" she finally responded. Nox reached out to hug her warmly.
"You don't like to speak much, do you?" she presumed. Komi shook her head while continuing to cry into her shoulder. "Komi…" she began, pulling herself back to look the girl in her teary eyes, giving her an encouraging smile, "would you like me to help you?" she inquired, "I can teach you how to speak without ever needing to move your lips," she told her, "Perhaps I could even be somewhat of a mother for you," she mentioned. Hearing that, the Petrification Quirk user's eyes widened. However, she did manage to give off a small smile.
"Yes…" she answered quietly.
END FLASHBACK
Nox had been such a crucial figure in Komi's life. From teaching her sign language to helping her grow stronger and less nervous around people, she had given her a newfound purpose. Even as she became integrated into the archbishop's following, her loyalty never wavered. She was treated so warmly as a child. And she wanted Eri to be treated the same way. As Iyashi reached for Eri, she held onto her firmly, not letting go.
'How?' the Heal Atomizer Quirk user wondered, 'After taking two of my Anti-Heals, she shouldn't even be able to resist…' she noted to herself.
"I…" Komi uttered out, getting her attention, "I… won't…" she tried to say, her voice almost too quiet to hear as Eri peeked out, "I won't let you… hurt this little girl…" she proclaimed, "Even if… our goals do align…" she kept going, "I would never do something… so cruel…" she affirmed, gritting her teeth, "She's a child…" she pointed out, "I won't let you use her!" she declared fiercely. Iyashi was quite surprised, but then she smirked.
"So you can speak…" she realized, "Well, those are some bold last words…" she noted, extending her right hand out as a reddish aura wafted from it, "After this last Anti-Heal, you'll barely be able to breathe…" she affirmed confidently. Komi didn't relinquish her protective hold on Eri. She wasn't going to let her be dragged back into the hell she had endured for so long. And at that moment, the lights went out.
'What?!' the Rogue Out leader exclaimed inwardly as she looked out, seeing that the sudden blackout only extended so far through the labyrinth as lights were still on far away, 'This is what happened the other day before Eri's first escape attempt…' she recalled. She decided to not worry about it for the moment, knowing that she had her foe pinned right beneath her, only needing to finish her off. But something felt off. The aura around her right hand was gone. 'Wait… why isn't my Quirk working?' she wondered through her thoughts, 'I know I haven't reached my limits yet…' she noted to herself. She then widened her eyes. 'The blackout…' she remembered, 'It's not just an electrical failure…' she started to realize, 'Someone amongst the heroes must have a Quirk that releases an electromagnetic pulse, the very thing that can hinder Ether-types!' she mentioned to herself, 'But… who could've gotten this far already?!' she wondered on. The lights flashed back on.
"Hm," Iyashi huffed, "Whatever that was, it could've saved you…" she noted to her still downed foe, "if it had come sooner…" she mentioned with a wicked grin, extending her right hand out. However, she failed to notice the red-gloved fist emerging from the ground.
"POWWWWWWWWWERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!" Mirio bellowed as he shot up from the floor, slamming his right fist against the Rogue Out leader's face in a fierce haymaker, sending her tumbling back over the floor. Komi and Eri looked on in awe as the Permeation Quirk user landed in front of them. "Sorry that I'm late, Eri," he apologized to the horned girl, making her blink in surprise, "I promise…" he began, "I'm not going to let them lay another finger on you!" he vowed, taking a ready stance as Iyashi stood back up.
X
"So let me get this straight…" Ivry said after listening to the captured Mosco as she and the others were continuing down the halls, "Rogue Out was recruited by this Chisaki bastard because he needed extra muscle in order to move production of his drugs to new locations, and you and your little lackeys would still do other dirty work, which included all those kidnappings, right?" she assumed thoroughly.
"Yes, Mistress…" the heavyset responded ashamedly, "I'm mos-sorry…" he apologized.
'This guy's a weird one…' Rebecca noted inwardly as a drop of sweat rolled down her head.
"Could you guide us to where the kidnapped victims are being kept?" Holy inquired of Mosco.
"Mos-certainly!" he replied eagerly with a smile.
"Cut it out!" Ivry shouted, "Even if he can lead us to where those ladies, they're not as much of a priority as that kid," she pointed out to the group, "Best we can do is have the cops deal with them," she affirmed.
"I hate to admit it, but she's right," Holy concurred, "Chisaki's likely focused more on Eri than those kidnapped victims," she noted, "With villains with Quirks surrounding her, heroes like us need to be there to help fight back," she told the group of U.A. freshmen.
"Right!" they all responded.
'Eri…' Izuku uttered inwardly as he ran onward, 'we're almost there!' he affirmed. All of a sudden, the labyrinth started twisting again, though much more wildly. The walls where Nighteye, Shota and the others were also started bending.
"Irinaka again?!" Rock Lock exclaimed.
"Guy really must be getting sick of us prancing around!" Fat Gum remarked.
"And this feels a lot stronger than the last time…" Tamaki added out of concern, "I wonder if he's trying to separate us all at once since we're close to getting back together…" he inferred, narrowing his eyes.
"Stay on your guards!" Nighteye advised quickly. At that moment, pillars shot out at the group. More specifically, they were honing in on Shota.
'He wants me out before taking care of anyone else!' he realized with a grimace. Luckily, Tamaki was quick to grab him with tentacles protruded from his fingers, yanking him away.
"Protect Eraser Head!" he cried out in instruction, "He's the only who can give us a chance against Irinaka while his Quirk's still working like this!" he mentioned seriously. Growling from within the walls, Joi had the floor open up beneath the U.A. senior's feet. "Ah!" he gasped as he started falling.
"Tamaki!" Fat Gum exclaimed in shock, seeing him plummet. Another pillar then shot out at Shota, which the Fat Absorption Quirk user quickly took, getting slammed through another hole in the wall.
"Fat!" the Erasure Quirk user cried out. More pillars were converging on the group.
"Dammit…" Eraser cursed, letting his markings reappear as his hair turned white. With an aura over his hands, he swiped in a cross-shaped pattern, erasing the pillars from existence in a flash of white light. A grunt of pain was heard from the walls in the process, catching Nighteye's attention.
"You all heard that, right?" he asked of his colleagues.
"Yeah…" Shota replied.
"So Irinaka's nearby…" Ichiro concluded, letting his markings disappear as his hair went back to normal, "Even with his Quirk boosted, it seems he needs to be in a specific area in order to use it at its maximum potential…" he pointed out, narrowing his eyes.
"Lucky for us, looks like that trick of yours scared him off," Rock Lock noted.
"He may just be moving on to the others…" Nighteye inferred, "We need to keep moving!" he advised of his colleagues, enticing him to follow him down the twisted hallway. Elsewhere in the walls, Joi grimaced.
'Damn that Eraser…' he grumbled inwardly, seeing that part of his left leg had been cleaved from the last attack, 'He could wipe me out in an instant if he weren't playing it safe…' he noted to himself, 'I'll have to take care of them later…' he decided through his thoughts, 'Right now, I need to separate the other heroes…' he told himself. Elsewhere, Izuku and the others were trying to find their balance as the labyrinth kept twisting about.
"Ergh…!" Holy grunted, latching onto one of the walls, "If only Aizawa were here…" she muttered out.
"Or Eraser…!" Sister chimed in, "He could just wipe the damn bastard out!" she noted in frustration.
"We're not trying to kill anyone, Ivry!" the I.U.A. Hero shouted back.
'From the look of it, we're getting closer to Eri with how Irinaka's targeting us more ferociously than before…' she told herself, 'That said, we're sorely unfit to deal with him, especially since we're all separated at the moment…' she mentioned inwardly, only to widen her eyes, 'Separate…' she repeated through her thoughts. All of a sudden, the floor gave way beneath her as she started to fall through.
"Miss Holy!" Eijiro cried out, jumping after her.
"Kirishima, wait!" Izuku screamed, but it was no use as the Hardening Quirk user and the I.U.A. Hero had disappeared, with the hole sealing up.
"Damn!" Ivry cursed, "Bastard's splitting us up more!" she pointed out in frustration.
"Well, we're not gonna let him do that again!" Rebecca declared… right before the floor opened up beneath her feet as she ran forward, "Huh?!" she yelped out.
"Rebecca!" her boyfriend cried out, lunging over to grab her. But as he was about to pull her away from plummeting, a pillar shot down from the ceiling, threatening to slam onto both of them. Taking notice, Kleene flew over in a burst of wind, engulfing herself and her fellow student heroes in a sphere-shaped torrent, right before the pillar struck them.
"NO!" Ivry screamed. As the dust settled, she was the only hero still standing in the hallway with the police.
"Wh…What do we do now?" one officer asked. The Heal Atomizer Quirk user clutched her whip tightly.
"We're gonna find that Irinaka bastard… and I'm gonna give him one hell of an ass-whopping…" she declared fiercely with her teeth clenched.
X
It was almost like being on a slide on the playground as both Holy and Eijiro slid further down the hole they had gone into. The Hardening Quirk user managed to meet up with the I.U.A. Hero, who grabbed him and held him close as they tumbled down into a dark room. Muffled yelps came from the U.A. student as his face was buried between the Light Quirk user's breasts.
"Oh, sorry…" she apologized, pushing herself up, "I should've known you'd be able to handle that fall with your Hardening…" she pointed out.
"Uh… yeah…" he responded with a heavy blush across his cheeks. He shook his head to regain his composure, getting onto his feet. "So where are we?" he wondered aloud, looking around.
"Someplace I won't be of much use," Holy admitted in response, causing him to look over at her in surprise, "My Quirk works best in brighter environments," she told him, showing the mere flickers of luminosity coming off of her right hand, "Get me in a lit room or out in a sunny environment, and I can rain down laser beams without a problem," she mentioned, "But here…" she continued, "I'm only as good as a flashlight…" she pointed out.
"Well, we'll at least be able to find our way around…" Eijiro noted. The I.U.A. Hero let off a little smile.
"You're quite a positive one…" she remarked. However, she then felt something amiss as she let her lights fade out. "We're not alone," she confirmed to the Hardening Quirk user, who blinked in surprise. Charging towards them was a very large, muscular man with long, light brown hair. His face was hidden beneath the plague mask he donned over his head, having a tattered t-shirt and dark pants covered by a light tunic and decorated with two belts. He also sported gloves, which cover his hands and wrists with several leather straps and his knuckles with metal. Eijiro gritted his teeth at the sight of him.
'Go ahead, punch me!' he inwardly challenged, hardening his entire body to its maximum capability as he stepped out in front of Holy, 'I'll smash your fist to pieces!' he declared through his thoughts. The muscular man reeled his clenched right fist back before throwing it out instantly like a bullet. Eijiro crossed his arms to take the attack... but ended up getting instantly blown back!
"Red Riot!" the I.U.A. Hero yelled out in a panic. She too was about to endure a flurry of punches from the villain, but all of a sudden, a figure slid out in front of her, being none other than Fat Gum. He ended up bombarded with a rapid flurry of punches from his new foe. His hoodie was frayed once the bombardment ceased, and steam was coming off of his body.
"Holy, you alright?!" he asked through a wince.
"Y-Yes, thank you…" she responded gratefully, "Where did you come from…?" she wondered aloud.
"Got shoved down a damn hole thanks to Irinaka…" the Fat Absorption Quirk user answered, "Guess you and Red must've gone through the same…" he assumed. With that, the I.U.A. Hero perked up in realization, whipping around.
"Red Riot, are you alright?!" she cried out. She widened her eyes with horror. Fat Gum looked back and lightly gasped.
"Hah… hah…" Eijiro breathed raggedly as chips of the wall he crashed into fell to the floor... along with pieces of his hardened skin. His arms were cracked and bleeding. "No…" he uttered out, "My arms are…!" he grunted out, trembling with agony.
'Even in his hardened state, he still took that much damage?!' Holy noted inwardly out of disbelief.
"Red…" Fat Gum uttered, astonished that he'd been hurt so handily.
"You know what I think?" the muscular man suddenly said, catching their attentions as they looked over at him, "Knives and guns got no place in a fight…" he noted, "That's the coward's way…" he muttered, "A real fighter should kill his opponent with nothing but his own strength," he stated firmly, "You two real fighters?" he asked of the pair of heroes in front of him. Both of them clenched their teeth.
"You're not gonna take us down that easily!" Fat Gum roared, rearing his left fist back for a punch to his foe's head. But instead, it came in contact with a yellow energy barrier in the shape of a dome, surrounding the muscular man. "What?!" Taishiro exclaimed as he hopped back.
'It's some kinda barrier!' he realized inwardly. A new figure approached as the shield went down.
"So we have Fat Gum, Holy, and a boy with a hardening Quirk..." a male voice listed off. The individual who had arrived was a tall, slim man with short, spiky hair of a pale color. He had straight, dark eyebrows and closed eyes. He wore a traditional dark-colored yukata with a pair of geta on his feet, and a long white piece of cloth acting as a belt around his waist. He also had a plague mask, his being a plain brown one worn strapped to his face with three belts, one down his forehead and one on each side of his face that also covered his ears, like mufflers. Taishiro grimaced.
'These two weren't on the Quirk list we got…' he recalled, 'Did they bring in outside help?' he guessed inwardly, 'One makes a barrier and the other rains down punches…' he noted to himself.
'Considering their masks, they must be top brass in Chisaki's organization…' Holy pointed out inwardly, 'Whatever the case, I can't fight like this…' she concluded through her thoughts.
"Fat, I'll go help Red," she confirmed to the Fat Absorption Quirk user, "Can you hold them off?" she inquired.
"Yeah, you got it," he responded with a nod, allowing her to hurry off to the downed Eijiro.
"It seems that we have a battle between spears and shields, Rappa," Hekiji Tengai noted, catching his partner's attention.
"Huh," he scoffed, "I wouldn't call these broken records either of those," he remarked, "They're not mincemeat yet, but still..." he added.
"Oh, you think you're so tough?" Fat Gum inquired rhetorically, getting their attentions, "Well, I've had my fair share of brawls back in the day…" he pointed out, "Your name's Rappa, right?" he inquired of the muscular villain, "Why don't we see what gives out first?" he challenged, "Your arms? Or my body?" he questioned.
"Hoho…" Kendo Rappa chuckled, "I like the way you think, fatso…" he admitted.
"Calm yourself, Rappa…" Hekiji advised, "He might just be up to something…" he pointed out seriously, "And he's not the only one we should be worried about…" he mentioned.
"Huh?" his partner uttered in confusion. All of a sudden, an array of tentacles extended towards them. Hekiji erected another barrier around him and Kendo, blocking them off. Fat Gum widened his eyes.
"Is that…?!" he started to assume, glancing over to see none other than Tamaki there.
"That guy's got quick reflexes…" he commented with a grimace.
"Tamaki!" the Fat Absorption Quirk user exclaimed, smiling widely, "Okay, now we've got ourselves a fair fight!" he confirmed, clenching his fists determinedly.
"So Irinaka sent us four opponents…" Hekiji realized.
"Hah!" Kendo laughed, "Guess he isn't so bad after all!" he noted excitedly, "Now take this damn thing down, Tengai," he advised, "I wanna let loose and kill 'em!" he insisted.
"You need to calm down, Rappa…" his partner advised, "There's no need for senseless violence…" he pointed out, much to the muscular man's annoyance as he groaned. He then started rapidly punching at his teammate, only for him to put up another energy barrier around himself beforehand, easily taking the punches while the others watched on.
"Fat, are you the only one down here?" Tamaki asked of his mentor.
"No, Holy and Red got here before I did…" he replied, "Red already took a pretty hefty blow from that big guy…" he mentioned.
"What?!" the Manifest Quirk user exclaimed in shock, looking back to see the I.U.A. Hero helping the U.A. freshman step away from the wall. His hardened arms were cracked. Looking at him, the senior clenched his fists and growled. Taking notice, Fat Gum was a little surprised.
'Never seen Tamaki look so mad before…' he noted inwardly, 'After Arsenal stayed behind, he's probably feeling terrible about letting the newbies put themselves out in harm's way…' he mentioned to himself.
"Eijiro, can you hear me?" Holy asked of the Hardening Quirk user as his body trembled, "How badly does it hurt?" she inquired.
"Ergh… agh…" the U.A. freshman groaned out. He couldn't absorb the blow, even though he had hardened himself to his utmost limit. As strong as he thought he was, he still was weak. From the look in his eyes, the I.U.A. Hero could tell how disheartened he was. In fact, it was familiar to her.
"Remember, you're unbreakable!" Fat Gum called out, getting their attentions, "If your spirit's broken, then you've already lost!" he noted seriously, "You can't lose your drive to fight before they do!" he insisted.
"Fat…" Eijiro uttered.
"Holy, please look after him…" Tamaki requested, getting the I.U.A. Hero's attention, "We'll handle these two ourselves," he promised, taking a ready stance.
"Two-on-one?" Kendo assumed, smacking his fists together, "Sounds like a plan!" he declared, rushing forward, "Tengai!" he yelled.
"No barriers…" his partner said in understanding, allowing him to fight. Fat Gum was quick to step in front of the muscular man, taking the next barrage of punches. As he did, Tamaki leapt up and attempted to restrain him with his tentacles. However, they were instantly punched away by Kendo's rapid fists.
'He's too fast…!' he noted inwardly with a grimace. The villain then leapt after him, only for Fat Gum to leap in the way and take yet another punching bombardment.
"Damn…" Holy cursed from afar.
'Even though it seemed like those two were arguing before, I'm sure the one standing off will put up a barrier when his partner needs it…' she told herself, 'Right now, Fat's our only option in defense…' she pointed out, 'And Suneater can't get close enough to try and restrain him…' she mentioned through her thoughts, 'Even if he could…' she continued inwardly, imagining him getting struck with a barrage of punches, 'he'd probably die from taking a single hit…!' she confirmed, knowing that his Quirk wasn't built around defense like Eijiro's and Taishiro's.
"Fat Gum…" the U.A. freshman uttered out, trembling with frustration. Seeing that, the I.U.A. Hero gave off a sympathetic look. She too had felt useless herself at one point in her life, a point in which she lost everything she loved in an instant. She clenched her fists.
'I can't just let him think he's been beaten down already!' she affirmed inwardly, 'I've been in that same state myself, so I know!' she recalled.
"Miss Holy…" Eijiro uttered, seeing her step forward.
"You're still unbreakable, Red Riot," she told him, causing him to gasp with surprise as he looked over at her, "Fat was right, you can't lose your drive to fight before they do," she mentioned, letting purple lines of energy appear upon her arms, "That's why I'll fight, too," she decided, rushing forward to his shock.
"GUAH…!" Taishiro gasped out as he coughed up more blood from withstanding another bombardment of Kendo's punches.
"Hey, don't quit on me yet, wide-load!" he insisted as he dashed in and landed yet another flurry of punches, "I'm just getting warmed up here!" he pointed out. Morphing his legs into that of a chicken's, Tamaki leapt up and had his tentacles extend out towards the muscular villain again.
'I won't let Fat taking all that damage be for nothing!' he affirmed inwardly, 'If I can hold this guy down long enough, Fat'll finish him!' he declared through his thoughts. However, his tentacles were this time repelled by the yellow energy barrier that appeared over Kendo.
"What?!" the Manifest Quirk user exclaimed in shock, while the muscular villain growled.
"Tengai!" he shouted.
"Don't blame me for being cautious," his partner retorted, letting the barrier dissipate, "Finish them quickly," he advised.
"Hmph!" Kendo huffed as the barrier came down, "I don't need your permission to kill these guys!" he yelled, turning toward Tamaki, who grimaced as he was still in midair.
'Not good…!' Fat Gum realized, 'I doubt Tamaki's got something strong enough to take even a blow from this guy!' he noted inwardly. The muscular villain was ready to strike. But all of a sudden, the floor at his right foot softened like lava, causing it to sink in and throw him off balance.
"Ah!" he gasped, while Hekiji perked up in surprise.
'I don't think anyone else made it down here…' he pointed out to himself, 'Either that boy with the tentacles has a particular ability, or something else is happening…' he mentioned through his thoughts. Tamaki landed and let out a breath of relief.
"What was that?" he asked of his mentor.
"No idea…" he responded, "I'd say it's Irinaka, but he's on their side…" he pointed out, seeing Kendo remove his foot from the melted section of the floor.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting," Holy's voice chimed in, getting their attentions as they saw her approach with the purple lines of energy formed along her arms.
"Miss Holy…?" Tamaki uttered in confusion. Fat Gum took notice of her markings, remembering that they were usually curved and golden, not purple and straight.
"I don't know what the hell that was, but it's not gonna stop me!" Kendo declared as he charged in again. This time, the Fat Absorption Quirk user was prepared to take on the bombardment of punches thrusted his way.
"While Fat takes care of him, let's deal with the other one!" she instructed of Tamaki.
"Right!" he agreed, hurrying off with her to confront Hekiji.
"It's no use…" he remarked, surrounding himself with a barrier, "Fat Gum wasn't able to leave a scratch on this wall, so what makes you think you can?" he wondered of his foes.
"Maybe it's not the barrier we're after…" Holy remarked as a retort, much to his surprise. All of a sudden, the ground melted beneath the Barrier Quirk user, causing him to start sinking down into it.
"Holy, is that your power?" Tamaki asked, quite bewildered.
"Stay focused, Suneater!" she advised, "The sooner we restrain him, the sooner we can help Fat finish the other one!" she affirmed.
"Heh," Kendo laughed as he dashed over in front of the pair, "That's not happening," he noted to their surprise, "I might not like the guy, but he's still my partner," he pointed out, rearing his arms back.
'What's he doing here?!' Holy wondered inwardly as she grimaced, 'I thought Fat was—!' She looked back and gasped to see that the Fat Absorption Quirk user was still standing, but was hardly moving at all. At some point during his endurance battle with his foe, he had gotten somewhat bored and decided to try see how much better the other heroes would be in a fight against him. Taishiro wanted to stop him, but was far too worn to really move, at least not in a way that wouldn't expend more of his energy.
"Holy!" Tamaki cried out, getting in front of her and setting up a defense of octopus tentacles and crab shells over his upper body to take the punches from Kendo, which sent them tumbling back to the wall.
"Tamaki! Holy!" Fat Gum screamed. Fortunately, both of them were fine, emerging from the rubble and standing up as blood trickled down their heads.
"Not bad…" Kendo admitted, while Hekiji crawled out of the melted floor, "But now it's time to really let loose!" he declared, continuing a bombardment of punches onto the Fat Absorption Quirk user.
"He's not gonna be able to hold out like this…!" Tamaki noted in panic, "And even if he does… who knows if his counterattack'll be strong enough…" he mentioned, "especially with that other guy's barrier Quirk…" he added out of frustration. Holy grimaced. By not being able to take down Hekiji, the situation was a lot direr for Taishiro. Even as his body was absorbing the blows and providing him with the necessary energy for an attack on his foes, he wasn't going to be able to have even a second to do so.
'Melt isn't going to be enough to slow Rappa down at this rate, and he'll just punch through anything that Suneater manifests…' the I.U.A. Hero noted inwardly, 'We need a miracle…' she added through her thoughts. At that moment, she and Tamaki saw a figure hurry forward.
Back in middle school, Eijiro always had envisioned himself being a chivalrous hero like his idol, Crimson Riot. That's who inspired his own hero name. It didn't matter what your power was. As long as you had a righteous heart, you could be a hero.
But that turned into a pipe dream on one fateful day. When he failed to do something and watched as someone else from his own school save lives, he realized that actually putting himself out there was too frightening. He couldn't do anything. His true colors showed, and he wasn't ready. He wasn't a hero, much less a man.
Before he could hang up on his dream for good, the visage of Crimson inspired him again. In an interview he had, he told the journalist about what chivalry meant to him, and how it wasn't about being bold or confident. It didn't even have to do with manliness. To Crimson, it meant living life with no regrets. And that's exactly what Eijiro needed.
'I've been through a ton of scary situations…' he noted inwardly as he continued forward in spite of the pain his body was enduring, clenching his hardened fists, 'but one thing's frightened me more than anything else!' he admitted to himself, gritting his teeth together.
"GWAH...!" Taishiro grunted out, coughing up blood. He had taken so many hits from Kendo that he was ready to fall over…
"You're kidding me! How're you still standing?!" his opponent exclaimed out of shock.
'You think I'm just a shield…' the B.M.I. Hero noted inwardly, with his blonde hair flowing out from his frayed hood, 'and that mistake's gonna cost you this fight!' he declared through his thoughts. All this time, he had been taking blow after blow, letting the fat of his body burn up with the energy he stored from each hit. 'So my defense is getting weaker…' he pointed out to himself, 'but I'll take those punches…' he continued as he closed his gloved right hand into a fist, 'AND FORGE A SPEAR THAT CAN SHATTER ANY SHIELD!' he bellowed inwardly. Hekiji noticed.
"Rappa, he's up to something!" he called out to his partner, "Finish him quickly!" he advised. The muscular man charged onward, about to land another flurry of blows. And Taishiro wasn't ready to counterattack. He had been worn down more than he anticipated.
"Show me what you got! Don't hold anything back!" Rappa roared, firing off his next flurry of punches. Suddenly, someone slid in front of him. It was Eijiro, taking on his maximum hardness.
"Red...!" Taishiro gasped, while Tamaki and Holy widened their eyes.
'I won't regret anything… now or ever again!' the Hardening Quirk user inwardly declared, taking the punches while standing firm with crossed arms, 'I'll do it! I'll become a hero!' he yelled through his thoughts, 'I'll protect people!' he promised. Everyone was shocked.
'He was blown away so easily earlier!' Rappa remembered as he continued punching.
'If I crack, then I'll harden again!' Eijiro noted through his thoughts, 'Stay strong! Protect others! Even if it means your life!' he told himself.
"ALRIGHT KID, LET'S GO!" Rappa roared, reeling his right fist back for a mighty punch.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Eijiro bellowed, about to land a straight punch with his left fist to counter… only for it to hit the yellow energy barrier that popped up between him and his opponent.
"The shield now?!" Rappa yelled to Tengai.
"Of course, don't be a fool!" he shouted back. Eijiro was falling backwards as he was going unconscious. "Nothing can overcome the strength of my defense," the slim man pointed out, "The boy's attack was in vain..." he remarked.
"It wasn't in vain..." Taishiro's voice responded through the smoke and dust blowing about.
"Huh?!" Tengai gasped. The unconscious Eijiro was caught in the B.M.I. Hero's left arm.
"Thank you, Red!" he said in gratitude. His body had shed its fat, giving him a slim appearance as his short blonde hair showed. "Bought me the time I needed!" he pointed out as an energy surged through his right fist.
"Tengai, take this thing down!" Rappa yelled desperately. He knew they'd been played.
"The two of you are gonna lose!" Taishiro declared as he reeled his arm back, "And you wanna know why?!" he inquired.
"My wall will stand…!" Tengai assured, though he didn't seem or sound confident.
"I'm not so sure!" his partner responded, taking a ready stance.
"You underestimated him! And so did we!" the BMI Hero exclaimed, "We all underestimated the hero named Red Riot..." he continued, throwing his fist forward, "AND HIS CHIVALROUS... SPIRITTTTT!" he roared, shattering through the barrier in a single punch, blowing the two Shie Hassaikai members back instantly as they crashed into the wall.
Tamaki and Holy looked on with shaking eyes. The only reason Taishiro was able to finish their foes off... was thanks to Eijiro's brave defense. They looked at how battered he seemed. But he still managed to smile.
"A spear and a shield..." the B.M.I. Hero uttered out, "The victory... is ours," he declared with his fist still extended.
X
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Izuku, Rebecca and Kleene screamed as they continued to plummet down the hole before tumbling through a gap in the wall. The girls sat up, rubbing their heads.
"Man… that could not have gone any worse…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user grumbled out, "Sorry for getting us stuck down here…" she apologized.
"It's alright," Kleene assured, "Let's just be happy that we're still alive…" she insisted.
"Um…" Izuku uttered, causing the two girls to perk up.
"Izu?" his girlfriend said, looking around, "Where are you?" she asked worriedly.
"Right here…" he mumbled out as an answer. Looking down, Rebecca gasped as she realized that she and Kleene were actually sitting upon the One For All inheritor, who lied on the floor upon his stomach.
"Oh my gosh, Izu!" she yelped, quickly getting to her feet, "I'm so sorry!" she apologized, helping to pick him back up as well.
"No… it's fine…" he assured in response, "Still… this isn't good…" he pointed out.
"Yeah…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user agreed, "We don't know where we are or if the others up top are okay…" she noted.
"Not to mention that Irinaka could be roaming the walls as we speak," Kleene added, "If he keeps continuing to manipulate the labyrinth…" she continued.
"There's no way the heroes'll get to Eri in time…" Izuku noted aloud, finishing her sentence. He and the girls glanced down in thought for a moment, pondering what their next move would be. At that moment, they heard a whimper.
"Huh?" Rebecca uttered, hearing it again, "H-Hello?" she stuttered in greeting, "Is someone there?" she inquired aloud.
"Wait, who is that?" a feminine voice asked.
"Is it a hero maybe?!" someone else exclaimed in question.
"No way, they actually found us?!" another voice screamed with excitement. Widening her eyes, Rebecca saw the 30 girls in the room, who appeared to range in ages from 10 to 20. Izuku and Kleene were also surprised.
"Are these… the kidnapped victims they were talking about?!" the One For All inheritor assumed.
"I think so…" his girlfriend answered, gasping in shock, "Oh my gosh, it's Milon from Tokko TV!" she exclaimed out of disbelief, noticing a young woman with short white hair. She had an elaborate tattoo on her left arm. She wore skimpy, revealing clothing that left her arms, legs and midriff exposed. "And there's Copa… and Miyako…" she continued, "and even Couchpo!" she pointed out additionally.
"W-Wait a second, Rebecca…" her boyfriend stuttered out, "How do you know all these girls?" he asked curiously.
"Oh, they're all famous V-Tubers!" she answered to his surprise, "I've watched tons of their videos online!" she mentioned, "They're all so amazing!" she added excitedly.
"Are you a V-Tuber yourself?" a heavyset young woman amongst the group inquired in a squeaky voice, getting her attention.
"Never heard of a hero being a V-Tuber…" Milon remarked, "She looks as old as us…" she mentioned.
"Well… I'm kinda a V-Tuber…" Rebecca sheepishly answered, scratching at her right cheek.
"Let's shift the topic, please," Izuku insisted, interjecting on the conversation, "Were you all kidnapped by Rogue Out?" he inquired of the girls gathered around the room.
"Yeah," Couchpo replied, "I wasn't sure at first, but there's a pattern with what kinds of targets they went after…" she pointed out.
"That being V-Tubers specifically, correct?" Kleene assumed, receiving a nod from a spectacled young woman amidst the group.
"We've heard that we're being shipped out at some point to whoever wanted us," she told the trio of student heroes.
"But while we're left waiting here, those masked freaks have been using us for their sick experiments," Milon mentioned.
"Experiments?" Rebecca repeated in confusion, only for her boyfriend to gasp in realization.
"What they were insinuating during the conference!" he recalled, causing both girls alongside him to gasp as well.
"Do any of you have Quirks?" Kleene immediately asked of the group of girls.
"If you're asking if we lost them, the answer's yes and no," Milon responded to their confusion, "When they injected us with the drugs they were using, some of us lost our powers for just a few hours," she told them, "Others lost them for a full week or longer," she mentioned.
"It's not like we have Quirks that are anything to write home about," Couchpo added.
"But it definitely made the likes of us easy targets…" Miyako commented.
"When did the experiments stop?" Izuku questioned on.
"About two days ago after a couple of us showed signs of our Quirks not returning for over two months," Couchpo answered, looking over to a pair of disheartened girls sitting in the corner, "Now that we've apparently served our purpose to those masked people, we're getting moved to the buyer that Rogue Out was paid by," she explained.
"And who's that?" Rebecca asked. At that very moment, a door opened.
"I can't believe you made me wait so long for all thirty of these girls!" a deep voice complained, "I asked you and your boss to bring me them in under a month, and it took over four!" he pointed out angrily. Everyone turned to see who was there. Kleene gasped upon seeing her brother there alongside a frog-like man with an oversized torso and disproportionately thin arms and legs. He had webbed hands and a spotted pattern over most of his greenish skin. His outfit consisted of a luxurious jacket and small top hat, with a large chain and key serving as a necklace. "I swear, you're all lucky that you're not responsible for the delays!" he shouted to Kris, "But your full payment's going to be docked for sure!" he vowed.
"You can take that up with Sister…" the Wind Rage Quirk user responded, "Until then, just be happy that you have—" He stopped talking upon noticing his sister standing in the room alongside Izuku and Rebecca.
"Brother…" she uttered out with shaking eyes.
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, that's the end of that chapter! I'm happy to see this story continuing to thrive. And there's a lot of original ideas on the way, particularly in the next few chapters.
Mirio faces off with the fake Sister, Kleene battles her brother, and more is to come! Hope you're all excited! Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time!