Welcome back to "Through the Rough", folks! We're about to engage in a lot of original content today, so I hope you're ready for all that's coming up! We've got a few aftermaths and a lot of battles up ahead!
So without further delay, let's get this all started!
THROUGH THE ROUGH
"The victory… is ours…" Fat Gum proclaimed with his steaming fist still extended. Holy and Tamaki were in awe by just how powerful the Fat Absorption Quirk user's attack was. From how the rubble looked, it seemed like both Kendo and Hekiji were down for the count.
"Fat, are you alright?!" the Manifest Quirk user asked as he jogged over.
"Yeah, just shed a few hundred pounds…" his mentor joked in response.
"What about Red?" Holy questioned upon approaching. She and the others looked to the Hardening Quirk user, who was a bit delirious and barely conscious. He kept on saying that he would protect them, even though the battle was already over.
Taishiro knew just how determined Eijiro was. From the moment he started his work study, he pointed out how lackluster he felt he was as a hero hopeful. And he wanted to be more than just an energetic hero with determination. He wanted to protect people with the strength of his spirit, much like Crimson Riot.
'You've done enough, Red Riot…' Holy confirmed inwardly, seeing Fat Gum tear up, while Tamaki appeared to tremble with frustration, 'Without you, we'd all be dead…' she noted to herself with a small smile.
"Ergh…" a voice grunted, causing her to gasp in surprise. Tamaki and Taishiro looked over themselves, finding that Kendo was back on his feet, though his arms hung as if his shoulders were dislocated. "This is a deathmatch…" he pointed out, "And I'm… not dead yet…!" he added through a wince.
'He withstood Fat's blow?!' the I.U.A. Hero exclaimed inwardly out of disbelief, 'No, that barrier must've softened it somehow…' she realized, 'In any case, it seems like it was enough to greatly hinder him,' she mentioned through her thoughts, extending her right hand forward as purple energy markings appeared along her arm, 'We can finish him now!' she declared to herself.
"Suneater!" she called out.
"Right!" the Manifest Quirk user responded, morphing his legs into those of a chicken while readying multiple tentacles around his fingertips.
"I'd surrender now, Rappa," Holy advised with narrowed eyes, "Unless of course you'd like for me to melt you down to size…" she threatened.
"Heh…" Kendo laughed, stepping forward, "There's a back room where we can patch ourselves up…" he pointed out, "Bring that kid—" He stopped himself. "Bring that man with you," he insisted in correction. There was a long silence amongst the group.
"Nice try…" Fat Gum muttered out bluntly.
"Do I seem like the kind of guy who sets traps?!" the muscular man shouted in question.
"You can't blame us for being cautious," Holy retorted as a response.
'I don't know why, but I can't sense even a hint of hostility from him now…' she noted to herself, 'Is he seriously trying to help us?' she wondered on.
"Rappa… stop it!" Hekiji's voice commanded as he sat up weakly from the floor, "It's my job to keep your recklessness under my control…!" he pointed out, "So you do your job and—!" Tamaki's tentacles suddenly extended and wrapped around him before he was slammed up against the wall, losing consciousness as he fell onto the floor.
"Heh," Kendo laughed, "Nice one, freakshow," he remarked over to the Manifest Quirk user, who took a step back nervously. After a tense moment, Holy lowered her arm.
"Take us to this back room," she requested, "We'll give you a chance," she said.
"Wait a sec!" Fat Gum yelled, "What is that you're after, Rappa?" he questioned of the muscular villain.
"I didn't make it obvious before?" he inquired back, "I want a fight to the death," he proclaimed, "And you guys really gave me a fight worthwhile!" he added excitedly, "You guys were freakin' awesome!" he shouted, "Especially the redhead! I really like his style!" he mentioned, "So when the two of you heal back up, I'll kill you for sure in the next match!" he declared.
"Huh…" Holy sighed out, "Unfortunately for you, you'll be in prison before that opportunity comes," she noted, "Along with your little friend," she mentioned, looking over to the unconscious Hekiji.
"Who cares?!" Kendo shouted as he trudged off, "Nobody died, so it's a draw!" he pointed out.
"That's not how it works!" Fat Gum exclaimed out of frustration. He looked over to the I.U.A. Hero, who was just as baffled. Strange as it was, they knew the muscular villain was being serious.
Picking up Eijiro in his arms, Taishiro finally understood why he was so eager to change. Self-doubt had crippled him before, and it was frustrating. But today, he proved himself. Not just to his mentor, but to the enemy.
It wasn't long before both the Hardening Quirk user and the B.M.I. Hero were bandaged up in the backroom that Kendo had led them to. The former lied asleep upon a bed, with the others looking over him. Meanwhile, Hekiji was tied up in the corner, still knocked out himself.
"So can I fight him yet?" the muscular villain assumed eagerly.
"He's still unconscious!" Fat Gum pointed out.
"Huh…" Holy sighed out again with her arms folded underneath her chest, "Even as violent as you are, you don't seem like the type of person who would want to be a villain," she noted to Kendo, "So what's your story?" she asked curiously, "How did someone like Chisaki recruit you?" she inquired on.
"…'Cause I lost to the bastard," the muscular villain answered, much to the heroes' surprise.
"You lost…?" Fat Gum repeated in shock.
"How?" Holy questioned, quite stunned herself. Given how fast she remembered the Power Shoulder Quirk user was in battle earlier, it was stunning that Overhaul was even stronger than him. Though that wasn't it. The Shie Hassaikai leader was just quicker, able to disassemble and then reassemble a person instantaneously.
"Every time I challenged him afterwards, I kept losing…" Kendo confirmed, "So far, it's been five matches and five deaths…" he pointed out, "And he brings me back every time…" he mentioned on.
"Five times…?" Tamaki repeated out of shock.
'Considering Chisaki is the Hassaikai's leader, it makes sense that he's the most capable…' Holy noted to herself, 'But still…' she said inwardly, quite stunned by the idea that someone as fast as Kendo would lose to someone so easily.
"It's obvious your leader's quite strong…" the I.U.A. Hero noted, "so why isn't he fighting back?" she questioned, "What's his goal?" she inquired on.
"To make the yakuza powerful again," Kendo answered to her surprise. She hadn't expected him to tell the whole truth right then and there. "I don't know all the details, but Overhaul needs money," he confirmed, "And once he's got it, the day his plan comes to light won't be far behind," he added. Holy put a hand onto her chin.
"Now I get it," she said, getting the attentions of her colleagues.
"What is it?" Tamaki asked.
"Handing out these drugs wasn't just meant to be a way to rally troops for this cause…" the I.U.A. Hero confirmed, "It was also supposed to be a way to attract investors who'd be interested," she told her comrades, "By doing so, Chisaki could gather enough funds to enact his plan, which in all likelihood is to produce more drugs with more resources at a quicker pace," she explained, "That's why he's on the run now," she finished.
"In that case, we need to get going," the Manifest Quirk user insisted, "Are you still good to go, Miss Holy?" he asked of her.
"Of course," she responded with a small smile, "After all…" she continued, looking over at the sleeping Eijiro, "with how well he did, it'd be a shame for me to just back down," she pointed out. A smile was shared amongst the group. "Alright, let's move," the I.U.A. Hero insisted, hurrying off with Tamaki. Fat Gum watched on, sitting down upon the bed before patting the unconscious Hardening Quirk user's stomach.
'Well, that could've gone better…' he admitted inwardly, 'Still, I'm glad not all of us are down for the count…' he mentioned through his thoughts, 'Tamaki's definitely got a great chance of fighting off these guys if he's still in the game, and Holy…' he continued, narrowing his eyes a little, 'Well… I guess she's got a couple more surprises up her sleeve…' he noted to himself, recalling how she had melted the floor earlier during their battle. Whether that power would help the heroes or not would soon come to light…
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
"Agh…" Iyashi groaned as she stood up to face Mirio, while Komi managed to sit up with Eri in her arms, "So I assume that EMP was your doing?" she inquired of her new foe.
"EMP?" he repeated in confusion, raising an eyebrow, "Sorry, don't know what you're talking about…" he noted, causing her to grit her teeth a little.
'So he wasn't responsible…' she realized, narrowing her eyes, 'Which means that there's either another hero that can unleash EMP waves…' she kept going through her thoughts, 'or perhaps another Saintfire…' she inferred inwardly, 'Either way, this one shouldn't be much of a problem…' she affirmed to herself, brandishing prosthetic tail as its needle was readied. Her foe took a ready stance, watching as she thrusted her tail out at him. Both Komi and Eri widened their eyes in horror. The Rogue Out leader smirked, but then noticed something. Her tail was phasing right through his chest.
"Wh—?!"
"POWWWERRRRRRRRRRR!" Mirio roared, lunging forward and landing another fierce haymaker onto Iyashi's face, causing her to cough up blood as she stumbled back, retracting her tail.
"Why you…!" she growled, only to find that her foe was gone. She looked around with widened eyes, wondering where he could've gone to. She failed to see him coming to her right too late, as he landed a powerful left hook, followed by phasing through the wall on the opposite side.
'So his Quirk lets him pass through things…' she noted inwardly as she staggered a little, 'If I can predict when he'll appear and from where, then I can counterattack…' she affirmed of herself, only to be proven wrong twice over by random strikes from her foe, making her stagger even more, 'No… I'll be taken down long before I find any kind of pattern…!' she concluded, almost ready to topple over. However, she then looked ahead to see Komi still holding onto Eri upon the floor. 'If you're really a hero…' she began to herself, lunging out at the pair with her tail readied, 'then you'll protect anyone who's about to die, right?!' she assumed. The horned girl shut her eyes tightly with fright, while the woman holding her shield her with her body.
And at that moment, the lights went out again. Iyashi gasped as she felt her tail go limp. She tried to look around and see if she could find the source of the electromagnetic pulse, only to completely forget that she was currently dealing with her own foe, who emerged from the wall beside her.
"Ultimate Move!" he roared out, getting her attention too late as she found herself clotheslined by his right arm, followed by being continuously struck left and right, "PHANTOM THREAT!" the Permeation Quirk user bellowed, landing one last blow to the Rogue Out leader's belly just before the lights came back on. A low groan left her lips as she toppled over onto her stomach. In that instant, she went through a flash of memories of her being Ivry's pupil, wanting to do right by her name until the day that Ziggy had died.
'Sister…' she uttered inwardly before losing consciousness.
"Huh…" Mirio exhaled in relief, turning and jogging over to the pair of Komi and Eri, "Are you two okay?" he asked of them. The Saintfire follower merely nodded in response. Meanwhile, the horned girl broke free of her grasp and ran off in the opposite direction. "Uh, hey!" the blonde-haired student hero called out, only to blink in surprise to see the little figure of Pino peeking out from the corner.
"Pino!" Eri exclaimed.
"Eri!" the android cried out, leaping into the little girl's arms, letting her hold her closely as she whimpered. Mirio and Komi approached, peeking over curiously.
"I thought I told you to get away…" the horned girl pointed out in remembrance.
"I could not leave you behind, especially after those people came to take you away," the android retorted as a response.
"So you were trying to help her, huh?" Mirio noted as he crouched down beside the pair, getting their attentions.
"Ah!" Pino yelped, hopping out of Eri's arms, "You won't be taking Eri anywhere!" she proclaimed, outstretching her little arms as she stood defensively in front of the horned girl.
"No, it's okay," she assured to the android's surprise, "He's one of the nice people I told you about from outside," she noted.
"So you remember me…" the Permeation Quirk user realized, lowering his head a little, "I'm sorry, Eri," he apologized to the little girl's surprise, "I wish I could've saved you back then," he told her, having a guilt-ridden expression upon his face.
"Mister…" she uttered out.
"What about the other person?" Pino asked, getting the group's attention as they looked over to Komi, who perked up in surprise.
"She protected me from that lady with the tail, too…" Eri responded, "You helped, right?" she inquired of the little android.
"Yes, with my EMP," she answered with a nod.
"EMP?" Mirio repeated in confusion.
"Electromagnetic pulse," Pino confirmed as a reply, "Apparently, your foe was an Ether-type Quirk wielder," she pointed out, "By using by EMP, I not only disabled her prosthesis, but also her Quirk," she explained.
"Wow, that's impressive!" Mirio complimented.
'Seems whatever this… Pino is, she's close to Eri…' he noted to himself, 'But I'm not sure about the other woman…' he mentioned inwardly with a glance back toward the Saintfire follower, 'I don't think she's with the Hassaikai, but she's definitely not with us,' he pointed out through his thoughts. At that moment, Komi knelt down and sat. She pulled out a tissue from her pocket to wipe her eyes. Afterward, she then started signing with her hands.
Hero, can you understand me?
"Uh… sorry…" Mirio apologized, rubbing the back of his head, "I'm not that versed in sign language…" he pointed out.
"I can translate for you," Pino confirmed to his surprise, "He will be able to understand," she confirmed.
Good. I was trying to escape this place with the girl. But as you can tell, the person you see behind me weakened me to the point where I barely have any vision.
"She was trying to escape with Eri, but was stopped by Rogue Out's leader," the android paraphrased, "Her vision appears to have been impaired from the battle," she mentioned.
"I can tell that you're not with Chisaki or any of the Hassaikai guys…" Mirio noted, "But that begs the question, who are you?" he asked. Komi continued signing in response.
"I am a follower of one of the Oracion Seis," Pino translated, much to the Permeation Quirk user's shock, "She requested that I and my partner come to take Eri away from this place and bring her with us," she confirmed.
"So you're just kidnapping her?" Mirio assumed. The Petrification Quirk user shook her head vehemently.
"Our aim is to rescue her," the android paraphrased as the Saintfire follower started signing again, "Her being in the clutches of someone so cruel is good for no one," she added.
"…Yeah, I know," the Permeation Quirk user replied with a nod.
"Before Rogue Out's leader ambushed me, I was taking Eri to where I and my partner had entered," Pino translated once again, "It's where we'll go to escape this place," she confirmed to the surprise of both the little girl and the student hero, "However…" she continued. The few words she paraphrased made even her widen her eyes. Komi looked to them with a determined visage.
"Okay…" Mirio uttered, standing up, "Let's get out of here," he insisted. He reached down to pick up Eri, holding her gently in his arms. She was still a bit scared, no doubt thanks to the horrors of almost getting stabbed and hurt yet again. But now… she at least felt a little comfortable.
X
"Haa… haaa…" Joi breathed out after emerging from the walls into a seemingly empty hallway. With the use of the drug he injected himself with expended, he was no longer able to manipulate the labyrinth. He gritted his teeth in frustration.
'I couldn't do anything else for you, boss…' he noted to himself, looking at the huge gash in his leg from Eraser's earlier attack, 'If you've gotta leave it up to those guys, then fine…' he grumbled inwardly, crawling forward, 'Just make sure you—!' The click of a gun being trained onto him got his attention.
"Well, well…" a familiar voice uttered as he looked up to see Fie standing there with a pistol aimed for his head, "What do we have here?" he inquired sarcastically with a sadistic grin. Joi widened his eyes in disbelief.
"Wait… Shigaraki was only supposed to send—!"
"Yeah, those guys snuck me in…" the sniper villain interjected, "They told me you were a bit of a jackass, so I'm gonna do 'em a favor…" he decided, readying his gun, "Nothin' personal, bub," he remarked.
"Wai—!" A gunshot echoed loudly through the labyrinth, catching Nighteye's attention along with those alongside him.
"Great, now we've got someone shooting up the place…" Rock Lock muttered out.
"Irinaka's attacks seem to have stopped…" the police chief noted, "It's possible that his Quirk wore down from the drug he had taken," he pointed out.
"In that case, the path ahead should be clear," Eraser noted.
"Wait," Shota said, holding his left arm out for the group, "Something isn't right…" he noted, narrowing his eyes underneath his goggles. He and the others looked ahead, wondering what was to come. Then all of a sudden, a pair of Kendo lunged out at them with their fists at the ready.
"Watch out!" Nighteye yelled, lunging aside to avoid the rapid barrages of punches both of them threw. The Erasure Quirk user quickly glared at them as his eyes flashed red. Though the speed of their blows decreased, that didn't stop them from continuing to punch around.
"Twin villains?" Eraser assumed, evading another punch.
"Doubtful…" Shota replied, ducking from a strike himself, "I get the feeling that the League is involved in this…" he inferred.
"Then that would mean…!" Rock Lock started to realize as his eyes widened.
"This is Bubaigawara's Quirk…" Nighteye concluded. Lurking nearby was none other than Twice. He and Himiko had been asked by Tomura to provide their services in order to help the Hassaikai. Though he wasn't attuned to the idea, he was willing to do it. Especially considering what his group was planning behind the scenes.
"Get 'em, big bros!" he yelled to the doubles of the Power Shoulder Quirk user.
"So these are just clones, hm?" Eraser assumed, making his energy markings appear along his face and right arm, "Well, that makes things easier…" he noted, swiping his right arm across. A white flash engulfed both doubles of Kendo, causing what remained of them to splatter upon the ground as a brown muck.
"…Huh?" Twice uttered out in shock.
"You're up against an IUA Hero, villain," Eraser pointed out, "It'll take a lot more than that to slow me down," he affirmed. At that moment though, Rock Lock noticed the wall beside the group glowing a bright with heat.
"Everyone, down!" he yelled before the wall exploded in a burst of fire.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Fie cackled, randomly firing off shots from a minigun he was wielding into the smoke. Most of his bullets struck police officers, causing them to cry out in pain.
"Ergh!" Eraser grunted, swiping his hand to eradicate the incoming ammunition, "So this guy's here too, huh?" he grumbled out.
"Hino Denatsu…" Shota said as the villain kept cackling.
Hino Denatsu! Villain Name: Fie! Quirk: Flame Ammo!
He can supercharge his ammunition with the heat from his body! He can also control and create flames at will!
"How'd you heroes like a Flame Bullet, huh?!" he inquired of his many foes, "If not, then a regular bullet oughta' do da trick!" he yelled out, cackling on maniacally. However, something was flung his way, striking the minigun in his hands and making it explode, blowing him back into the wall. "What da hell…?!" he grunted, sitting up.
"You're clever," Nighteye noted, getting his attention as he saw the Foresight Quirk user approach him, "Using weapons in tandem with your power in order to prevent people from getting close to you," he mentioned, "Even with Eraser Head's Quirk used on you, you'd still be a threat," he pointed out, causing Fie to growl with frustration.
"Don't worry, Fie!" Twice yelled as he created another double of Kendo, "These guys aren't gonna stop Big Bro Rappa!" he vowed… only to get immediately proven wrong as a pair of seals were chucked by Nighteye, striking the clone square in the stomach and sending it crashing into the wall, where it instantly melted, "Uh…" the Double Quirk user uttered out.
"I wouldn't have expected the infamous League of Villains to be working with mere yakuza…" Nighteye admitted, "It seems beneath them…" he remarked. Fie snarled, grabbing a pistol and pressing its barrel against the floor.
"You don't know nothin' 'bout us!" he roared, pulling the trigger. A burst of flames spread along the floor, enticing Nighteye to jump back. That allowed for the Flame Ammo Quirk user to run off toward his colleague, who still seemed shell-shocked over easily the doubles he made were beaten.
"These mobsters are useless!" he yelled with frustration. Nighteye tossed a seal that tore through the left half of his mask. "Ah, dammit!" he yelled, running off alongside Fie, who stomped on the ground to make a wall of fire expel out, blocking the heroes from following them.
"Damn…" Rock Lock cursed.
"If the League is working with the yakuza, then I need to pull my kids out…" Shota affirmed to Nighteye, who put his other seals away.
"That'll be hard to do at this stage of the game…" Eraser commented, letting his hair go back to normal as his markings disappeared, "By now, I bet that Midoriya boy already made it to Eri," he mentioned with a chuckle.
"Then what are we just standing here for?!" Rock Lock asked out of frustration, "Let's keep a move on and find them before they get hurt or worse!" he insisted. Elsewhere, Fie and Twice had managed to escape into a secluded corner.
"Damn, dat coulda' gone a lot better…" the former muttered out in frustration.
"Agh… ergh…!" his colleague grunted out, writhing in agony.
"Oh yeah, ya mask got ripped by dat bastard…" Fie recalled, putting his hands over the exposed part of Twice's face, "Is dat better?" he inquired.
"Yeah… a little…" the Double Quirk user whimpered, "Your hands are too hot!" he complained. His comrade let out a little growl.
"I came along 'cause I wanted ta get back at Jinn for what he did ta us…" he confessed, "Killin' the yakuza's just a bonus," he mentioned.
"So you offed Irinaka already?" Twice assumed, getting a nod in reply, "Nice job!" he complimented, "A bit cruel, don't you think?" he added in a more serious tone.
"Heh," Fie chuckled, "I like ya, Twice," he admitted, "Ya remind me o' my big brother," he pointed out, much to his comrade's surprise.
"You have a brother?" he questioned.
"Yeah…" the Flame Ammo Quirk user responded, "He's actually another villain workin' for one of the Oracion Seis," he mentioned.
"Wow, that's pretty interesting to know…" another voice chimed in, getting their attentions as they saw Himiko trotting over, "Why'd you never tell us, Fie?" she asked.
"It's not somethin' I like talkin' 'bout…" the Flame Ammo Quirk user replied as he looked away, "Wait a sec…" he uttered, widening his eye in realization, "Where da the hell were you at?!" he questioned emphatically with a fierce expression.
"I paid a visit to our old friend, Jinn," Himiko answered, going over to Twice, crouching down beside him as she readied a pink handkerchief, "Seems like he's not fit to be on our side anymore," she pointed out.
"What's dat supposed ta mean?" Fie inquired, removing his hands to let the schoolgirl-dressed villain wrap her handkerchief tightly over her colleague's head.
"He's just a guy who wants to protect his little sister," she noted in reply, "which means he's against us for sure," she confirmed.
"Toga…" Twice uttered out tearfully.
"Tch," Fie scoffed, "So does dat mean Jinn's on the heroes' side now?" he assumed, "How da ya even know all dat?" he inquired. Himiko giggled a little.
"Like I said, I paid him a little visit…" she recalled.
X
SEVEN MINUTES EARLIER
"Brother…" Kleene uttered upon spotting Kris standing at the doorway with the frog-like man. His eyes were shaking at the sight of his sister. She was here… and at the worst time possible.
"Oh?" Illega uttered as he pointed forwards, "Did you get me an extra pair of girls for compensation?" he presumed.
'That guy… he must be the one that Rogue Out was trafficking all these girls for!' Izuku realized, clenching his teeth together. Meanwhile, Rebecca drew one of her pulse pistols.
"Both of you, stand down!" she ordered, "We have you outnumbered!" she mentioned seriously.
"Whoa…" Milon uttered out.
"So cool…" Copa said as her eyes sparkled.
'It's obvious that that big guy's just the buyer, so he should be easy to take care of…' the Cat Leaper Quirk user affirmed, steadying herself, 'Kleene's probably not going to be in a good headspace with her brother here, so Izu can take care of him…' she noted inwardly, 'Which leaves us dealing with getting these women to safety…' she concluded through her thoughts.
"Oh, a gun?" Illega uttered, spotting the pulse pistol being aimed towards him and Kris, "How cute…" he remarked, giving off a big grin. He then suddenly extended his tongue out and smacked the weapon out of Rebecca's hand, causing her and the others to gasp in surprise, seeing it shatter against the wall.
"Wh…What the…?!" she stammered out of shock, looking to see the frog-like man's long tongue retract.
"You really think I wouldn't come to such a dangerous place without knowing the dangers that could come?" he inquired. He then lashed his tongue out at the trio of student heroes again.
"Illega, wait!" Kris cried out. Izuku and Rebecca jumped up to avoid their foe's long tongue, while Kleene flew back. The Cat Leaper Quirk user grimaced.
'This is really bad!' she realized, 'That frog guy's got a long tongue like Tsu's and can pack a punch with it!' she noted to herself, 'On top of that, we need to find a way to get all these girls out of here!' she mentioned, looking back at the group of kidnapped victims in the room.
"I think I'll take this blondie as my new toy…" Illega decided, having his tongue wrap around Rebecca's left leg before yanking her back in a yelp.
"Rebecca!" Izuku screamed, seeing her get slammed into a wall.
"No!" Couchpo shrieked.
"You dirty bastard!" Milon shouted angrily. Illega giggled as he reeled in the wincing Cat Leaper Quirk user. She clenched her teeth, grabbing her other pulse pistol and firing a shot onto his tongue.
"AH!" the frog-like man yelped out of pain, his tongue unraveling from Rebecca, "H-How dare you!" he stammered out. At that moment, Izuku lunged out at him, with green bio-electricity crackling around his body.
"Don't you dare… TOUCH HER!" he roared out, rearing his right leg before swinging it out in an attempt to strike Illega, who flinched. However, his foe's iron-soled foot was stopped by Kris, who stepped in between them. "Rutherford…?!" the One For All inheritor gasped.
"Sorry…" he apologized, his eyes veiled for a moment by the darkness, "but I have a job to do," he affirmed, making his green-glowing markings appear. He then blew his opponent back in a burst of wind, sending him flying back before he landed upon the ground on his feet, sliding to a stop.
"Izu!" his girlfriend cried out, right before needing to leap away from getting ensnared by Illega's tongue again.
"Heeheehee…" the frog-like man giggled, "You'll take care of that pesky boy while I play with my new toy here, hm?" he presumed of Kris.
"Do what you like," he responded, "This is part of my contract," he mentioned, lunging forward in a burst of wind.
'He's fast…!' Izuku noted inwardly, narrowly managing to avoid a punch from the Wind Rage Quirk user as he sped by, 'Much faster than when I fought him at the Sports Festival!' he added through his thoughts, seeing his opponent skid to a stop, 'Can I even beat him right now…?' he wondered to himself. Meanwhile, his girlfriend was carefully running away from Illega's lashing tongue, which was smashing walls apart as it missed ensnaring her over and over.
'Holy crap!' she exclaimed through her thoughts, 'It's like Tsu's tongue with Eijiro's Hardening!' she concluded with a grimace, ducking from another attempted lash.
"Hey, don't you wanna play with me?" the frog-like man inquired, followed by looking over at the other girls in the room, "Maybe they'll play instead…" he suggested, whipping his tongue towards them.
"AAAAHHHH!" Copa shrieked, while the others braced themselves. However, Rebecca sped in, taking the lashing right across her face as everyone gasped out of shock, seeing her go flying back.
"Hee…" Illega chuckled, "Heroes are always so stupid…" he noted, "If there's a person screaming for help, they throw away all worry for themselves just to save their useless lives…" he pointed out, seeing the Cat Leaper Quirk user tumble back before slamming against the wall, letting out a pained gasp.
"REBECCA!" Izuku screamed, gnashing his teeth as he lunged for the frog-like man, only for Kris to speed in his way once more.
"Windstorm Palm Strike!" he yelled, striking his foe in the chest with his hand as it was enshrouded with air, creating a cyclone that blew him away.
"GAH…!" the One For All inheritor gasped out with widened eyes, colliding back against the wall.
"Oh no…" Copa uttered with teary eyes. Kleene was finding herself completely shell-shocked. Ryukyu trusted her to handle Kris… and she was just standing there.
"Hey, what are you doing?!" Milon shouted in question, getting her attention, "You're a hero too, right?!" she presumed, "If you are, then go and help them!" she insisted angrily.
"Take it easy!" Miyako yelled back, "You overheard, didn't you?" she inquired rhetorically, "That man with the green hair's her brother!" she pointed out.
"What?!" Couchpo exclaimed in shock. As the kidnapped victims mumbled around her, Kleene grimaced as she clenched her trembling fists. She didn't want to fight her brother. And she knew why he was doing this. It wasn't to make a hefty amount of money or gain some great power…
FLASHBACK
"You want to be a hero when you grow up?" a woman with neatly combed green hair and rounded eyebrows asked of the little girl wearing a bow atop her head, standing next to her at the kitchen counter.
"Mm-hmm!" she answered, "I like helping people like you do, Mommy!" she confirmed excitedly.
"Oh, Kleene…" the woman giggled, crouching down to her eye level, "I think that's a wonderful dream," she affirmed, petting her daughter atop her head as she smiled, "But you know, you're going to have to work hard in order to achieve it," she pointed out.
"I will!" the little girl promised.
"Isn't it too dangerous?" a voice asked, getting their attentions as they turned to see a boy with messy green hair approach, wearing suspenders over a white dress shirt with a red bowtie and shorts, "Heroes don't just help people, they fight bad guys, right?" he assumed, "It sounds scary…" he pointed out.
"Kris…" the woman uttered.
"I don't care!" Kleene proclaimed, turning to face her brother, "If it means helping people like Mommy and Daddy do, I'll do whatever it takes to be a hero!" she vowed firmly.
"Mom and Dad aren't heroes, though…" Kris pointed out, "And besides, you don't even have your Quirk yet…" he mentioned, "What if it's not good enough for helping people?" he inquired on.
"It will be!" his sister assured confidently, having a bright, hopeful smile upon her face, "I'm gonna be a hero!" she declared.
My brother was worried about me all the time. Even though he and I didn't have much of an age difference, he always wanted to keep me safe and out of harm's way. So when I said that I wanted to be a hero, he was beyond scared for me. So much so that he strived to be a hero himself.
"Look, Mommy!" Kleene exclaimed, getting her mother's attention, along with a man who had scruffy facial hair upon his face, "It's my Quirk!" she pointed out excitedly as wind whistled around her arms, pulling leaves from the trees out in the courtyard towards her.
"Incredible…" the man uttered, while his wife noticed the green-glowing lines upon their daughter's arms and face.
"So it's an Ether-type…" she noted curiously. All of a sudden, the leaves upon one of the trees were blown away instantaneously, much to everyone's surprise. They looked over to see Kris with his fist extended toward it, as similar markings were along his own arm as well.
"Kris, too?" the husband said, quite astonished, "Leen, just how much have the kids been training?" he inquired out of concern to the woman beside him.
"They're both determined," she pointed out in reply with a giggle. Though it didn't totally assuage her husband's concerns, he smiled. Kleene looked over to her brother, clenching her little fists. To her, it felt like he was trying to outdo her.
As years passed, I continued to improve upon my Quirk. But at the same time, so did my brother. We were even both enlisted at a local dojo for training. And soon enough, he was overtaking me completely.
At some point, I understood why he was really doing this. But at the time, I just thought he was trying to say that I was inferior in comparison to be a hero. I started ignoring him more often, going out to train on my own. And one night…
"Kleene, wait!" Kris called out, getting his sister's attention as she was wandering through the courtyard, "Are you trying to train on your own again?" he assumed, running up to her.
"Why do you care?" she asked back to his surprise, "I can train on my own, can't I?" she inquired, turning around and heading off.
"No, you can't!" her brother argued, grabbing her by her left wrist to stop her as she yelped in surprise, "I should train with you!" he insisted, "It'll be better that way!" he affirmed on. Kleene growled a little, turning her head away with a huff.
"You're always doing this, Brother!" she complained, "Every time I wanna do something, you wanna do it, too!" she pointed out in frustration to his surprise, "Don't you have things you wanna do?!" she questioned, breaking her arm free from his grasp.
"Kleene, I'm just—!" All of a sudden, an explosion erupted from the estate behind them, causing them to look over in horror to see the entire building set ablaze. The blast's force washed over the siblings, blowing them back down onto the grass. Sitting up, the Wind Snatch Quirk user widened her eyes to see the flames and smoke billowing from where she and her brother lived.
"Mommy… Daddy…!" she whimpered out, tearing up. Then she heard maniacal laughter. Looking over, she could make out a figure with a long nose standing outside of the estate with several other people, all wearing lab coats. His wide, sadistic grin burned into Kleene's memory as tears of fright and anguish flowed down her face.
Müller killed our parents. And afterwards, we were nothing more but wanderers until Drakken found us. Since that day, I never truly smiled. I was traumatized by what that monster had done to our family out of spite.
But also… I felt that I wouldn't be able to achieve my dream on my own. Not without my brother looking out for me…
END FLASHBACK
Tearing up, Kleene was very conflicted. She couldn't bring herself to get involved in any way. It was just like when she saw Müller again during the raid in Shibuya. She was so frozen with fear that she could barely breathe.
"AGH!" Rebecca yelped in agony as she was flung up against the wall outside, her ponytail coming undone as her ash blonde hair fell freely. She struggled to push herself up as she looked up to see Illega looming over her.
"Wow, you don't break easy…" he commented, letting off a grin, "Let's fix that…" he decided, trying to slam his tongue onto her, only for her to roll aside to dodge it.
"Rebecca!" Izuku cried out, trying to hurry over to her, only for Kris to dash in his way once again, "Please move, Rutherford!" he pleaded, rearing his right fist back.
"I won't," the Wind Rage Quirk user responded as the wind swirling around him blew his foe back, "This is what I am, Midoriya," he stated firmly, "I'm a man who'll do anything it takes for the good of those I work with," he declared on, clenching his fists tightly.
"Even if that means fighting your own family?!" the One For All inheritor shouted in question as he lunged at him again, causing him to gasp in surprise, "Isn't your sister important to you?!" he inquired on as he attempted to slam his right foot against his foe, only to be repelled. Hearing him, Kleene's eyes shook.
"Izuku…" she uttered out. She looked over outside of the room to see Rebecca trying to get away from Illega's lashing tongue. However, in such a narrow space, she wound up struck upside the head, crashing up against the wall.
"Ergh…" she grunted out, gritting her teeth with pain as blood was spilling out from her head.
"Rebecca…" Kleene uttered, remembering what she had told her about giving her a second chance, despite all that she did when the Cat Leaper Quirk user was captured. She clenched her teary eyes shut.
'What am I doing…?' she asked herself, balling her fists, 'Izuku and Rebecca… they're still fighting…' she noted inwardly, 'and I'm just standing here like an idiot!' she exclaimed, making her green-glowing markings appear, 'I wanted to be a hero to help people, didn't I?!' she inquired of herself, 'That definitely includes the people who've helped me!' she affirmed through her thoughts.
"GAH!" Izuku yelled out as he stumbled back from another blow he had taken from Kris, breathing heavily. The Wind Rage Quirk user lunged out at him, readying his right fist.
"Wind God Punch!" he roared, preparing to slam his extremity into his foe's stomach. But all of a sudden, a greenish wind pulled him aside, much to his surprise. He then found himself struck in the face with a fist coming from the opposite direction. And it was his sister's.
"Variable Cross!" she exclaimed. The force of the blow knocked her brother back as he tumbled over and came to a stop upon his stomach. He pushed himself up, looking ahead in awe to see Kleene standing there.
"S-Sylph…" Izuku stuttered in shock.
"Go help Miss Aoneko, Deku," she advised to the One For All inheritor, "I can handle this myself," she affirmed, much to Kris' astonishment as his eyes were shaking. The wind swirled about his sister as she lifted herself up into the air. "It doesn't matter if you're my brother," she stated as everyone looked on at her with awed expressions, "It doesn't matter if you were doing this for my sake!" she added vehemently, "So long as you're a villain helping in others' schemes…" she continued, "I'll take you down!" she vowed fiercely.
X
"Kleene…" Rebecca uttered out upon seeing the Wind Snatch Quirk user taking to action against her own brother.
"Hmm…" Illega hummed disdainfully, "I do hope they won't make a mess of my things…" he remarked with a huff, "Now then…" he continued, smirking as he turned his attention back onto the Cat Leaper Quirk user, who grimaced, "let's have some more fu—"
"SSMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Izuku roared, slamming his right foot up against the frog-like man's back as he dashed out at him instantaneously.
"RRRIIBBBBIIITTTTT!" he croaked with pain, slamming against the wall hard and bouncing off of it.
"Izu!" Rebecca exclaimed happily, seeing her boyfriend land down on the floor in front of her.
"Sorry I took so long…" he apologized, reaching into one of the pouches at his belt, "Here," he said, tossing her a small bottle, "That should stop your bleeding," he confirmed.
"Right, thanks," she responded gratefully, quickly twisting the cap off. Meanwhile, Illega groaned as he got back up onto his feet.
"So, you wanna keep me from playing with my toy, huh?" he presumed, readying his tongue again, "I'll have you know, my tongue isn't just powerful…" he pointed out to his new foe's confusion.
"Ah!" Rebecca yelped, struggling to stand up.
"Are you okay?!" Izuku immediately asked.
"It… feels like my whole body's gone numb!" his girlfriend pointed out in response, much to his shock.
"Heehee…" Illega giggled, "That's what happens when you get a full-on taste of my tongue lash…" he pointed out.
Illega! Quirk: Frog!
Unlike Asui, this gross toad's packing a lot of power! That tongue of his can stretch up to thirty yards and smash through solid concrete! Along with that, anything his tongue wraps around for more than ten seconds will get temporarily paralyzed by the mucus secreted from it!
'So this guy's tongue works like a taser if it hits you…' Izuku noted to himself, taking on a ready stance, 'It doesn't look like he himself is that fast, though…' he mentioned inwardly, 'I gotta take him out quick!' he affirmed through his thoughts. He didn't realize there was another figure watching the fight from afar, having an excited grin upon her face. Back in the room, the kidnapped victims watched on in shock as the Rutherford siblings stood off from each other. Kris still seemed shell-shocked that his own sister would punch him. And on the opposite end of things, she had a determined look in her eyes.
"Do you know how I came up with the name, Sylph?" she inquired of the Wind Rage Quirk user, making him perk up in surprise, "It was from a story our mother used to read to us when we were little," she recalled, "I always wanted to be a hero that could provide a caring, gentle breeze to people who needed it," she confessed as she balled her fists tightly, "To help people like these women here…" she added. The girls around all looked on in awe. "So that's why…" the Wind Snatch Quirk user continued as the wind around her swirled mightily, pulling on her brother as he yelped, "I'm going to beat you!" she declared, throwing her right fist out. However, he managed to catch it in his right hand, grimacing a little.
"Kleene, stop it!" he yelled, "You know I'm stronger than you!" he pointed out desperately. However, his sister wasn't even remotely intimidated.
"I've yet to really see that, Kris!" she shouted back, landing a kick to his stomach with her left foot, making him gasp out in pain.
"Holy crap…" Milon uttered out.
"Y-You can do it, Miss Sylph!" Copa cheered with a stutter. The Wind Rage Quirk user regained his footing, letting the air swirl around his body as he closed his hands into fists.
"Skymech Ninjutsu Atack…" he began, holding his right hand up in the form of a tiger seal, followed by swinging his arms back, "WINDSTORM SLASH!" he bellowed, throwing his arms down, firing off a powerful blast of wind toward his sister. She waved her arms, catching the gust in her own breeze. Kris looked on in shock as she pivoted around with it.
"Wind Reflect!" she yelled, launching the strong gust back toward her brother. It struck, sending him crashing back into the wall.
"Nice one!" Couchpo complimented excitedly. However, Miyako took notice of the bleeding cuts upon the Wind Snatch Quirk user's arms. She hadn't completely been to redirect her brother's attack. The dust from his collision with the wall had yet to subside as she narrowed her eyes. At that moment, something shot out from the rubble. She gasped too late to see that it was her brother's prosthetic fist, which collided with her stomach.
"GUAH…!" she exclaimed as blood flew out from her mouth. She slammed back against the wall at the other end of the room, slumping down it onto her knees.
"What the hell was that?!" Milon asked, seeing the detached prosthetic rocket back to the Wind Rage Quirk user, automatically reattaching to his arm.
"I told you, Kleene…" he began, clenching his teeth with frustration, "I'm far too strong for you!" he proclaimed. Out in the hallway, Izuku continued to leap around Illega's lashing tongue while Rebecca sat paralyzed, only able to watch as her boyfriend flipped away again.
"Got you now, hero!" the frog-like man proclaimed as his tongue thrusted out at the One For All inheritor. However, he ducked under it and slid past his foe, pivoting around.
'His tongue might be fast, but he's not!' he noted inwardly as he leapt up and reared his right leg back.
"SAINT LOUIS…" he began to roar, "SMMAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHH!" he yelled, slamming his iron-soled foot against Illega's head just as he tried to turn around.
"RRRRIIIBBB…ITTTT…!" he croaked out in pain.
"All right!" Rebecca exclaimed with relief, seeing the Frog Quirk user lean up against the wall, barely conscious as his opponent landed in front of him.
"I…I'M NOT DONE YETTTTT!" he bellowed, having his tongue redirect itself toward Izuku, who took notice of it too late.
"IZU!" the Cat Leaper Quirk user screamed, seeing it wrap around him almost completely.
"Too bad…" Illega giggled out, while his foe struggled against his tongue, "Just a few more seconds, and then I can kill you for sure…" he affirmed confidently. The One For All inheritor grimaced. He couldn't lose here. Not when there was so much at stake.
'Come on, move…!' he begged of himself, 'Even if I have to break something now…' he continued inwardly, 'I'm still going to help save Eri!' he declared through his thoughts as the bio-electricity around him crackled wildly.
"No need for you to overdo it, Izuku," a familiar voice chimed in, getting his attention along with Rebecca's as they recognized it, widening their eyes, "This toad's not worth your trouble…" she pointed out.
"Huh?" Illega uttered, "Who's there?" he asked. In an instant, Himiko lunged in and slashed his back open, causing blood to spurt out, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" he shrieked with pain, "I'm bleeding! I'M BLEEDING!" he screamed out, falling over and writhing with pain as his tongue unraveled from Izuku. That allowed for him to leap up and swing his left leg back.
"MANCHESTER… SMMAAAAAASSSSSSSHHHHHHHH!" he bellowed, landing a powerful axe kick atop the frog-like man's head. It knocked him down unconscious onto the floor, with his hat staining from his blood. Himiko looked back at him with disgust.
"Eck…" she winced, "Your blood's not worth taking…" she muttered, tossing her knife aside.
"Himiko Toga…" Izuku uttered out, getting her attention as she saw him turn to her, "What are you doing here?" he inquired, clenching his fists tightly.
"I'm a dirty yakuza girl today, Izuku baby," she responded with a grin, "Oh, and it looks like you brought Rebecca baby along, too…" she noted upon spotting the Cat Leaper Quirk user, making her perk up in surprise, "I'd love to stay and have some more of your yummy blood, but I'm kinda on a schedule…" she told the pair, "Since I did you a favor by taking care of that gross pig-frog, could you be nice enough to look the other way for today?" she requested sweetly.
"Fat chance!" Rebecca shouted in response as she tried to stand up again, only to fall down in a grunt.
"Rebecca!" Izuku exclaimed, quickly going over and crouching down beside his girlfriend. Himiko giggled.
"I'll be happy to play with you both some other time…" she promised, skipping off and humming to herself.
"H-Hey!" the One For All inheritor stammered out, about to go after her. However, he then remembered what his teacher had told him prior to the raid starting. He stopped himself, balling his hands into fists in frustration.
"Izu?" Rebecca uttered out of confusion.
"It's not safe for us to go after the League if we're still dealing with the Hassaikai and Rogue Out…" her boyfriend affirmed, "Besides, we need to help Kleene stop her brother," he mentioned as he turned to the opening to the room, where wind breezed out from, "Can you move now?" he inquired of the Cat Leaper Quirk user.
"Yeah, I think so…" she responded, slowly getting to her feet. At that very moment, a huge rush of wind crashed onto her and Izuku, causing them to flinch. Inside the room, the kidnapped girls braced themselves against the wall as the clashing winds of the Rutherford siblings washed over them.
Kris and Kleene were waving their arms around rapidly, their winds pulling and pushing against each other. At one point, the former of the two dashed forward, readying his left fist. Grimacing, his sister had the wind swirl around herself.
"Wind God Punch!" her brother roared, striking through the barrier of air and hitting her crossed arms. She was sent flying back from the blow, crashing into the wall again.
"Oh no! Miss Sylph!" Copa cried out. The Wind Snatch Quirk user landed upon the floor on her feet, breathing heavily.
"Please, stop it, Kleene…" Kris pleaded, getting her attention, "I don't want to fight you anymore…" he affirmed as he trembled, "You're my sister…!" he pointed out.
"So why did you leave?" she asked back to his surprise, "If you had come back for me after Drakken and All For One were stopped…" she began as she stepped forward, "I'm sure you would've been welcomed back to UA like me…" she proclaimed, "Or did you think like and thought you didn't deserve that chance?" she presumed, making him widen his eyes.
"That's… not…" he tried to say, gritting his teeth as he lowered his head.
"I really didn't think I deserved the chance to be a hero again…" his sister admitted, "But thanks to people like Rebecca, Izuku, Mister Kan… and my classmates in Class B…" she listed off, "I can make up for everything that I did!" she declared.
FLASHBACK
"They're all waiting for you in there," Sekijiro noted to the Wind Snatch Quirk user, who trembled a little as she stood outside the Heights Alliance building.
"So… this is what happened because of what we did…" she concluded sadly, lowering her head.
"Hey, none of that," the Blood Control Quirk user insisted, putting a hand upon her head reassuringly, "The principal recognized how you weren't totally involved in the whole ordeal that time," he pointed out, "In fact, Bluegarden and Bakugo vouched that you were on their side the whole time they were in the League's clutches," he mentioned to her surprise, "You're a kind person, Kleene," he told her, "They know that, too," he affirmed confidently, giving her a little grin. She trembled a little, walking forward with her teacher. Inside the dorm building, all of Class B was roaming about, admiring their new on-campus lodgings.
As the doors opened, they turned and looked in surprise to see the Wind Snatch Quirk user enter. She instantly grimaced upon spotting Kinoko, Ibara, and Setsuna, remembering when she had betrayed them on the night of the forest camp attack. The others were looking at her with somewhat surprised expressions.
"Kleene…" Itsuka uttered, causing her to flinch in surprise as she saw the class representative walk up to her.
"I…Itsuka…" she stammered out, tearing up, "I… I…!" she tried to say, her lips quivering. However, the Big Fist Quirk user hugged her gently, much to her shock as her eyes widened.
"Glad you're okay, Kleene," she said, "We were worried that you got hurt in Camino," she pointed out.
"Yeah, it looked pretty rough…" Setsuna mentioned as she approached.
"You're probably really worried about Kris, right?" Kinoko assumed, coming over.
"We'll be praying for his safety ourselves…" Ibara vowed. Hearing the people she betrayed sound so concerned for her was jarring for Kleene. She whimpered into Itsuka's shoulder, while she just smiled.
"It's alright," she assured, "We know you're our classmate… and our friend," she affirmed, while the Wind Snatch Quirk user bawled. And it didn't stop there. Later in the week, Kleene found herself tripped in the cafeteria by a few general studies students, causing her to drop her lunch tray onto the floor.
"Watch where you're going, villain," one of them coldly remarked as she looked back at them.
"Bet they thought you were so weak that the Hero Course decided to pity you…" another mentioned, making her grimace with frustration.
"Get lost," one more insisted as many people, including Hitoshi, were watching, "The one thing we hate more than those snobby Hero Course types are villains like you posing up to them…" he added harshly. Kleene wanted to retaliate, but knew that she couldn't. Doing so would only prove their point.
"So she's a villain, hm?" a familiar voice chimed in, belonging to Neito as he walked over alongside Jurota, Nirengeki, and Shihai, "From what I can tell, you're the ones acting like villains here…" he remarked with a shrug.
"Trying to be funny, prick?" one of the general studies students remarked.
"No, we're being dead serious," Nirengeki retorted firmly, "Don't go bullying our classmate just because of things that other people made her do," he insisted, balling his fists.
"And what are you gonna about it if we don't stop?" one of the girls of the group inquired. Jurota then stepped forward.
"Then we'll show you just why we're training to be heroes," he declared, cracking his knuckles almost threateningly.
"You guys…" Kleene uttered as she stood up. A hand came onto her shoulder, getting her attention as she saw Juzo there.
"It's obvious that there're gonna be people at school who'll put you down because of what happened," he pointed out, "But as far as I can tell, you're working hard to make up for all that, even when we didn't ask you to," he told her as she blinked in surprise, "So we'll make sure no one gets in your way of that," he promised.
"Honenuki…" the Wind Snatch Quirk user said, trembling a little, "Everyone…" she said, watching her classmates stand up for her. After everything, they were willing to give her a chance, even when didn't need her to. So from that day on, she vowed that she would keep doing her best for their sakes… as well as her own.
END FLASHBACK
"As long as they believe in me…" Kleene began to her brother, "I'll fight on as a hero for them!" she declared, "And I'll bring you back!" she added as a vow, much to the shock of the Wind Rage Quirk user.
"No… you can't…" he proclaimed as the wind swirled around him mightily, making those nearby flinch, "I did far worse things to our classmates than you…!" he pointed out, "They'll never let me come back…" he mentioned.
"…If that's really how you feel…" his sister began as the wind swirling around her started to shine green, "then you'll have to beat me first!" she challenged to his shock along with those in the room.
"Hey, wait a sec!" Milon yelled out, "Even if your Quirk and his are the exact same, it's obvious that he's stronger!" she noted desperately.
"You have to get away!" Miyako pleaded loudly.
"I won't," Kleene responded to their shock, "He's still my brother," she pointed out, "And like how he vowed to always protect me when we were kids…" she continued, "I'm doing my part to protect him…" she affirmed. With a grimace, Kris rocketed forward.
"Skymech Ninjutsu Attack…" he began, tearing up with frustration as air swirled around his right arm, "Windstorm Palm Strike!" he yelled, appearing to strike his sister squarely in the stomach with his right hand. At that very moment, Izuku and Rebecca arrived at the doorway to the room.
"Sylph, no!" they cried out. The Wind Rage Quirk user clenched his teeth in frustration. He felt as if he had no choice. He had nothing else to turn to. As long as he got stronger, he could protect those he cared about…
But he looked up and gasped. The wind swirling around Kleene had blocked off his palm, pushing it back. She looked at him with a determined visage.
"I worked a lot with Mister Kan and Miss Witch after I went back to UA…" she noted as her energy lines were expanding, "You might've trained your whole life to be strong enough to protect me for all these years," she continued, "but I've trained, too!" she bellowed, with her appearance changing, "I'm the Wind Hero, Sylph!" she declared as her wind pulled on her brother, throwing him around in a powerful torrent, "And I'll stop you here!" she vowed on. Izuku and Rebecca looked on in amazement. The kidnapped girls did, too.
Kleene had transformed her attire into that of a long, light-trimmed sleeveless black dress, a pair of large, swan-like wings, her two hairpins gained black horn-like appendages, dark-colored stockings, and light-colored feathered ballet shoes. She also has energy lines going from her hands to her shoulders and face, and a black tattoo with an unknown design on her right wrist. She also had a long ponytail along with a more well-endowed chest. The tornado she had formed went faster, causing those in the room to brace themselves.
"ULTIMATE MOVE!" she roared as Kris found himself in the eye of the torrent, "VARIABLE CYCLONE!" she exclaimed, making the wind pull her brother and slam him against the ceiling before gently pulling him down onto the floor, where he lied upon his stomach. He slowly lifted his head up to see his transformed sister's appearance.
"Kleene… you…" he whimpered out, tearing up. She gave him a soft smile.
"Welcome back," she said simply. Her wind had prevailed. And with it, she would carry her brother back to where they belonged.
X
"Are you sure it's this way?" Mirio asked, following Komi through the labyrinth of the underground facility. The Saintfire follower nodded in response.
"I believe she and her partner made their way in through a passage they created," Pino presumed, holding onto the Permeation Quirk user's shoulder as he carried Eri.
"Well, that explains how you guys got in before us…" he noted aloud, "Now that I think about it…" he continued, turning his attention onto the little android holding onto him, "What are you exactly?" he asked of her, making her blink in surprise, "You're obviously not just a toy or anything like that, especially with that EMP thing you've got…" he pointed out, "Are you related to the Hassaikai's plans?" he inquired.
"No, I am not…" Pino answered, "They don't even know that I'm an android…" she mentioned.
"Android?" Mirio repeated.
"I was given to Eri as a gift from the Shie Hassaikai's leader, who is her biological grandfather," she explained, "When Overhaul and his allies took control, they assumed I was just one of Eri's many toys," she pointed out, "I've had to hide for quite a while to make sure they didn't find out what I really was," she noted, "Also…" she kept going, "I wasn't created by the Hassaikai's leader," she mentioned to the others' surprise.
"Wait, hold on a second…" Mirio said as the group was about to round an upcoming corner, "Then who made you?" he inquired. Before Pino could answer, she gasped lightly to see Komi stumble and fall upon her hands and knees. "Whoa, you okay—?!" The Permeation Quirk user found himself staggering as well, leaning up against the wall. "What the heck…?!" he exclaimed in confusion.
"What's the matter?" a voice inquired, getting his attention as he looked, "Feeling sloshed?" he assumed. Up hanging from the pipes on the ceiling was a very skinny and bony but muscular man with greasy black long hair, reaching just below his shoulders, downing a large bottle of sake. He wore a plain mask, having drains fitted into the eye-holes so that the alcohol he consumed could drip through. Aside from that, her donned nothing else but a furry vest and dark pants with black shoes. "Don't get too close to me or you'll be…" he grumbled out while still drinking.
'Another Hassaikai guy…!' Mirio noted inwardly with a grimace, 'And just when we were getting close to the end!' he added to himself, only to widen his eyes at what lied ahead of them.
"Well, schoolboy…" Overhaul uttered, standing ahead in front of a wall alongside Hari and another masked man, "I'd like you to return Eri and that little bot to me…" he requested firmly with a glare. The Permeation Quirk user grimaced. Now things had just gotten a lot more complicated…
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
Man, that was quite the ride, wasn't it? I was really happy with the content I had available for this chapter. Between the stuff with the League and Kleene's battle against Jinn, I had a lot to work with and really put my all into. This is the first chapter that's actually gone over the 10,000-word mark, which I'm more than proud of.
So now, we've got Mirio and Komi being confronted by the remainder of the Shie Hassaikai and Overhaul. Everyone's set to gather around them, and there's more to come from that. Thanks for reading, everyone! Don't forget to leave a review when you can!