Welcome back to "Through the Rough", everybody! The School Festival Arc is in full swing and with some bonus content to boot! I know that the last few chapters haven't been the most exciting thus far, but it'll get better as time goes on, rest assured.
So now it's time for some original content mixed in with canon stuff! We've got Pino and Eri on the now! Hope you enjoy, everyone!
THROUGH THE ROUGH
"So… it's a robot?" Hanta inquired as he and the rest of the class were gathered in the common space later that evening, being introduced to Pino by their teacher.
"Technically, Pino here is considered an android," Shota told his students, "She's going to be staying here for a little while, at least until the end of the school festival," he explained.
"Aw, she's so cute~!" Toru sang excitedly.
"So she's the one who was with Eri, right?" Eijiro inquired of Rebecca, getting her attention as she nodded.
"According to Mirio, Pino said her purpose was always to protect Eri," she told him.
"And since we're planning on having Eri come to UA for the festival, she wanted to come here and observe firsthand the work everyone's doing," Shota mentioned.
"I look forward to seeing how much entertainment you can all provide in a safe environment," the little android said with a salute.
"How adorable!" Momo squeaked out.
"Does that mean Eri'll be coming soon?" Izuku wondered aloud, getting his teacher's attention.
"It'll depend on how Pino feels about the school," he replied with his hands stuff into his pockets, "If she finds it safe enough for Eri to come, then we'll give her a chance to tour the school grounds before the festival," he told the One For All inheritor.
"From what you guys told us, we really have to go all-out then," Mashirao presumed, clenching his fists.
"Yeah, we're gonna rock it out there!" Denki proclaimed excitedly.
"No doubt about it!" Mina agreed. Seeing everyone's enthusiasm, Rebecca smiled.
"Bluegarden," Shota chimed in, getting the attention of the Cat Leaper Quirk user.
"Yes, sir?" she said.
"I trust that you'll be able to properly look after Pino, right?" he assumed.
"Of course, Mister Aizawa!" she replied with a firm nod, "You have my word!" she assured.
"Then I guess I'll leave you to it," the Erasure Quirk user decided, heading off, "Remember, don't neglect your studies for the performance," he advised of his class.
"Understood, sir!" most of his students responded before he left.
"Hello there, Pino," Tenya greeted, "My name is Tenya Iida, Class One-A's representative," he introduced, putting his right hand over his chest.
"And I'm the class deputy, Momo Yaoyorozu," Momo chimed in, "It's a pleasure to meet you," she affirmed with a smile.
"Likewise," the little android replied, "This performance you all are preparing for…" she began curiously, "what is it?" she inquired.
"It's a concert!" Rebecca responded.
"A… concert?" Pino repeated, tilting her head to the side in confusion.
"It's basically a performance where we play music and dance while having all sorts of special effects raining around!" Mina quickly explained in reply, "Oh, I'm Mina Ashido by the way!" she introduced, "Choreographer and dance queen extraordinaire!" she added boastfully, causing some of those around her to sweat a little.
"It sounds like there is a lot that goes into this concert…" the little android noted.
"Yeah, but what would be the point if it were easy?" Shiki's voice inquired, getting her attention as she turned to see him there, "As heroes, we always gotta give everything a hundred percent!" he declared, pumping his left fist up.
"Yeah!" Ochaco agreed as she mimicked him. Pino stared at the Satan Gravity Quirk user for what felt like a good long minute. Rebecca took notice.
"Is… something wrong, Pino?" she asked in concern.
"Who… are you?" she inquired of Shiki, causing his attention to turn back to her.
"Well, I'm Shiki Granbell!" he introduced in response, "Nice to meet ya, Pino!" he greeted, "You wanna be friends?" he inquired, holding his right hand out to her.
"Oh, Shiki…" Momo and Ochaco uttered with small smiles.
"Granbell…" the little android repeated aloud, "Processing… processing…" she repeated robotically.
"Are you okay, Pino?" Izuku worriedly questioned as he approached.
"Don't tell me she broke already…" Weisz grumbled out.
"Shiki…" the little android said, "Would you by chance happen to know Juryoku Granbell?" she inquired of the Satan Gravity Quirk user.
"Well, yeah…" he responded, "He was my grandpa…" he mentioned aloud.
"You mean…" Tenya started to say as his eyes slightly widened.
"The Demon King Hero, Ziggy…" Izuku finished for him.
"He was the man who created me," Pino told the class, making them all gasp in surprise, "And I believe our meeting today may be fated," she inferred on.
OPENING
Insert "Fleeting Lullaby" by Ado
A spotlight shines upon a stage, where Kyoka, Rebecca, Momo and Homura are. Kyoka wields her bass, Rebecca's sitting at the drums, Momo readies her hands to play the keyboard, and Homura grips her electric guitar tightly. As Kyoka starts signing, more lights flash on, revealing the rest of Class 1-A as they're about to perform.
We cut to Shoto and Katsuki struggling with the provisional license course as Homura watches on alongside All Might and Endeavor. She glances toward the Flame Hero curiously, while a memory of Valkyrie crosses her mind. In the meantime, we get images of Madame Kurenai with her cronies, Garrot, Baku, and Nino; the latter of which appearing reluctant. There's also a shot of the current Shining Star Heroes, who're standing in front of the safe door found at the Hassaikai headquarters.
There's another scene of the League of Villains lurking in the shadows, with Dabi taking note of a particular news broadcast on a TV. Elsewhere, Shura finds himself being confronted by the Oceans 6. He sneers as he readies his Quirk, but is suddenly stopped when Nero appears behind him and slams his head into the ground. He goes through a flashback of his own where as a young boy, he was crying in the corner.
Next up, we see Izuku and Rebecca hopping around in pursuit of Gentle Criminal and La Brava as they bounce about on the way to U.A. Already there is Eri, who's with Mirio and the others who were a part of the raid mission. They and the rest of Class 1-A are about to perform as they head off to the stage inside Gym Gamma.
We go through several scenes of the class in separate groups, with Katsuki and Eijiro arguing over the special effects as the others sigh, Mina practicing the dancing with the class, especially Shiki as Ochaco watches on with a blank jealous stare, and Kyoka, Momo and Homura tuning their respective instruments. The Earphone Jack Quirk user worriedly looks at the clock, hoping that Izuku and Rebecca can make it in time.
As the opening winds down, we see shots of Deadend Crow, God Acnoella, Poseidon Nero, Saintfire Nox, Elsie Crimson, and finally, Tomura Shigaraki. We also get to see the lineup of the top ten pro heroes of Japan: Eraser, Kamui Woods, Crust, Holy, Mirko, Justice, Edgeshot, Hawks, and Endeavor. As the ceremony goes on, an ominous figure watches on curiously.
The song concludes with Izuku and Rebecca holding hands as they run ahead with smiles on their faces, heading for what they hope is a bright future.
END OPENING
"EM Pino, huh?" Hermit said, looking at the schematics of the little android early the next morning in the school's development studio upon a holographic screen in front of her, "She definitely gives off Ziggy's MO in terms of design…" she noted aloud.
"An android with the ability to unleash an EMP," Power Loader chimed in, getting her attention as she saw him approach, "Seems like a Quirk almost," he mentioned.
"One that's really dangerous if in the wrong hands, too…" the Shining Star Hero added, putting her right hand onto her chin, "According to what we know, Pino was given to Eri as a present from the former leader of the Shie Hassaikai before he went comatose," she explained, "But we don't know if Ziggy gave Pino to him beforehand… or if she was stolen…" she mentioned, folding her arms over her chest, "Regardless…" she continued, "we're already in a bit of a bind with what we found at the Hassaikai's headquarters…" she pointed out. Meanwhile, Sister was out at the hospital with Witch, checking in on Eri as the former used a stethoscope to listen to the little girl's heartbeat. After a moment, she pulled herself away, taking her tool off from her ears and wrapping it around her neck.
"Well, she's as healthy as can be…" she noted aloud, standing up, "Still, I doubt that's gonna be enough to help lift her spirits…" she mentioned grimly.
"Ivry…" Witch uttered in a reprimanding tone.
"Yeah, yeah, sorry…" she apologized, taking a deep breath and sighing, "Any medical records of this little one got expunged by the Hassaikai apparently…" she pointed out.
"They didn't want anyone to find her…" the Sorcery Quirk user realized, putting a hand onto her chin in curiosity, "It makes me curious as to why they never seemed to know about Pino…" she added aloud.
"Grandpa gave her to me…" Eri's voice chimed in, getting their attentions as they looked over at the little girl in surprise, "He said she was a gift from somebody he knew…" she mentioned.
"A gift?" Witch repeated, earning a nod in reply.
"I hope she likes that school place…" the little girl admitted, "It sounds like… Deku, Becca and Lemillion want to make sure things go well…" she recalled, looking down in thought.
"Eri…" the Sorcery Quirk user uttered worriedly. Sister cracked her knuckles.
"I swear, I'm gonna go to Tartarus myself and rip Chisaki's legs off for what he did to this little angel…" she vowed angrily in a whisper.
"Ivry, please…" Witch grumbled out. At that moment, the door opened, getting their attentions as they saw a nurse there.
"Oh, are you two all set?" she inquired of the Shining Star Heroes, "So sorry to have to kick you out, but we were hoping to try and get Eri to walk around a bit if she's up for it," she told them.
"Yeah, we were just about done," Sister affirmed, resting a hand upon her right hip, "Hope to see you at UA soon, Eri," she remarked with a salute to the horned girl, while Witch just gave her a smile. The two of then left, allowing for the nurse to approach.
"Would you like to go on a walk?" she asked of her. The normally meek girl wound up nodding. She was being a lot more open, especially after Izuku, Rebecca, and Mirio's visit. A few moments later, she was holding onto the nurse's right hand as they wandered through the halls. "From what we heard from Mister Eraser Head, you'll be getting to visit to UA in the next few days," she noted to her, "Of course, we're gonna need to give you some clothes for visiting," she pointed out.
"Clothes?" Eri repeated in confusion.
"You don't wanna wear rags, do you?" the nurse inquired, making the little girl shake her head in reply, "Then this'll be perfect," she affirmed, sliding the door open to another room, "So, did Eraser drop off the clothes?" she inquired of her colleagues upon entering. To her surprise, they all seemed mortified with disgust. "Uh… what's wrong?" she asked worriedly.
"That guy…" one of her coworkers began, holding up a green sweater with cartoonish cats upon it and words that read 'GANRIKI NEKO', "He's got no taste in fashion!" she exclaimed with tears in her eyes, "Honestly, what was he thinking?!" she wondered aloud.
"This is just too loud, even for a little kid…" another nurse mumbled out.
"I think we can figure out something else…" one more confidently affirmed.
"Oh dear…" the lead nurse holding Eri's hand muttered, putting her left hand onto her cheek, "Sorry, Eri…" she apologized, "We'll get you something nice to wear in a bit," she promised.
"Okay," the little girl replied. She stood around as the nurses fussed over what she could wear, looking through children's clothes they had on hand. After a moment, the horned girl curiously started wandering about the room. She then took notice of someone peeking into the room from the doorway. It was a short young girl with fair skin and green eyes. Her green eyes were large and oval-shaped with prominent eyelashes. She had shoulder-length, light pink hair that curled inwards with a fringe that reaches just above her eyes and a small strand of ahoge at the top of her head. She also wore two black hair ornaments with bright yellow embellishments that resembled small horns on the sides of her head.
Catching Eri's gaze, she stared at her for what felt like a solid minute. Normally, the horned girl would be a bit intimidated by someone looking at her so intently. But now, her curiosity was peaked. Just who was the mysterious girl?
"There we go!" the nurse exclaimed with a smile, "Eri, do you wanna come over and try—?" She stopped upon noticing the horned girl staring at the one girl standing at the doorway.
"Well, look who got herself out of her room again…" another nurse grumbled with a grin. The pink-haired girl flinched. "Anya, haven't we told you not to sneak out over a dozen times?" she inquired of her.
"…I forgot…" she admitted after a moment.
"Of course…" the lead nurse noted, letting out a sigh with a small sigh, "Eri, we should introduce you to our resident delinquent, Anya," she told the little girl, "She came in here with a fever like you did, but she's been sticking it out at the hospital since her parents are away," she explained.
"I'm totawee healthy!" the pink-haired girl proclaimed proudly, putting her hands onto her hips.
"Although, we could stand to give her some writing and pronunciation lessons…" another nurse suggested as a drop of sweat trickled down her head.
"You know, that might not be a bad idea…" the lead nurse admitted to her surprise, "If we can have Eri join in with her, then we can gauge how well they're doing mentally and physically," she pointed out, "Plus, it'll be good for Eri to interact with kids her age…" she mentioned in a whisper. The horned girl was curious as to what they were talking about, not realizing that Anya was coming up behind her.
"They said your name was Eri, right?" she guessed, causing the horned girl to turn to see her there, "My name's Anya," she introduced, holding her right hand out, "Let's be fweinds!" she insisted childishly. The grey-haired girl was confused by her insistence… but was willing to be open. She held out her own right hand slowly, grabbing hers.
"O-Okay…" she stammered out. The nurses giggled. Inwardly though, Anya smirked.
'It took a while, but I finally got to meet Mama's target for her…' she noted to herself, 'If I can be her fweind, Papa's mission'll go better…' she added inwardly.
Anya Forger! Codename: Starlight! Quirk: Telepath!
Unlike Mandalay, Anya can read the minds of the people she concentrates on. However, if too many people are around, it can provide her with some discomfort. It's a useful power for spying for sure!
"Anya, what's with that face?" one of the nurses asked, noticing the smirk of the pink-haired girl.
"Uh… um…" she stammered, "Can I have peanuts?" she requested, raising her right hand.
"Well, I guess we can share some while we're here," the lead nurse decided, "Eri, would you want some peanuts?" she inquired of the horned girl. She thought for a moment, but then nodded.
"We can have a peanut party!" Anya declared, making the nurses giggle. She inwardly sighed with relief. Part of her duty as a Saintfire follower was to make sure not to draw too much suspicion…
X
"Do you think we should try to be a little showier with the effects?" Eijiro wondered aloud, gathered at a table in the common space with the rest of the special effects team.
"Moron…" Katsuki muttered out, "We do too much, it'll ruin the damn concert," he noted with somewhat of a glare, making the Hardening Quirk user flinch.
"We also have to consider the basics, like lighting and staging," Koji chimed in.
"I agree," Shoto replied, "There's also the songs and what kind of… energy they bring to the concert," he pointed out, "I think we should listen to the songs to get an idea of what setup we should go for," he advised of the group.
"Yeah, good call," Hanta complimented, "What do ya think, boss?" he inquired of Weisz, who sat at the head of the table.
"The lighting and sound mechanics should be a cinch on my end," he affirmed as he stood up, "All that's left is to figure out what effects we should use for each song the girls play," he told his classmates.
"So… what songs are they doing?" Denki asked.
"I can go ask them!" Koji affirmed, hopping up from his seat and jogging off. Everyone was hard at work in Class 1-A. They wanted to make their festival performance the most fun for everyone at school, including themselves. Pino was quite impressed, especially with the band team's work on their songs.
"So you are doing covers along with your own original song?" she inquired of them.
"Basically, yeah," Kyoka replied, "The idea was to get everything all set up for the big finale with 'New Genesis'," she pointed out.
"Based on our list, we'll be doing six songs in total for the concert," Momo mentioned, "Since we have the gym to ourselves for an hour, we'll have plenty of time to clean up after we're done," she added confidently.
"So rocking out's not gonna be a problem!" Rebecca affirmed confidently. At that moment, the door slammed open.
"REBECCA!" Mina bellowed out, causing everyone to flinch in surprise.
"M-Mina?" the Cat Leaper Quirk user stammered out, seeing her horned classmate stomp up to her, "What's… wrong?" she asked worriedly, sweating a little.
"I hate to be the one to say it…" the Acid Quirk user began, "but your boyfriend can't dance!" she exclaimed. A moment of silence passed.
"…Oh, that's all?" Rebecca wondered aloud, "Well, it's only been a few days," she pointed out, "I'm sure he'll get the hang of it," she confidently noted.
"Everyone else is already on the same page except for him!" Mina shouted. Everyone chuckled in amusement as the pair bickered. Just then, the doors opened.
"Hey!" Mirio greeted upon entering with Tamaki and Nejire, "Heard you guys are getting one heck of a concert together!" he pointed out excitedly.
"Sounds like it'll be fun," the Manifest Quirk chimed in.
"So hey, what kinds of songs are you doing?" the Surge Quirk user inquired, "Something upbeat and awesome, right?" she assumed.
"Indeed," Homura replied, "Most of our songs will be covers from the famous Ado," she told the senior U.A. students.
"Whoa, the Ado?!" Nejire exclaimed with her hands over her mouth in shock.
"That's a lot to live up to…" Mirio commented, "I've even heard people call her the queen of vocals…" he mentioned aloud.
"Well, we're gonna do our best," Kyoka affirmed in response, "All of us," she added, sharing an assured nod with the rest of her bandmates.
"Huh…" Mina sighed out, "Well, I guess since everyone else is all on the same page dance-wise, I can teach Midoriya one-on-one…" she noted, putting her hands onto her hips, "Becca, I'm really gonna be whipping him into shape, ya know…" she pointed out to the Cat Leaper Quirk user, who giggled.
"That's fine!" she assured, "As long as he can help make this the best performance possible, I'm sure he'll do his best!" she vowed with a wink.
"So what are you guys gonna wear for the concert?" Nejire inquired curiously, causing the band members to blink in surprise.
"We… haven't thought about that…" Momo admitted as a reply.
"I'm sure doing something basic would work…" Kyoka chimed in, "We probably don't wanna be too flashy…" she mentioned.
"Maybe it's just me, but I think the lead star of the show should put in some flair," Mirio suggested, getting her attention, "Not too much if you're not comfortable with it," he corrected, "But definitely enough to really get the crowd's attention," he stated.
"Like this!" Nejire exclaimed, showing the Earphone Jack Quirk user a picture on her phone. She blushed a little upon seeing the short white dress ending at the upper thighs, possessing a frilly neckline and a black bow and buttons down the middle.
"Wh…Wha…?" she stammered out. The others came over to look at the image on the phone. The character wearing the outfit was a young woman with long hair that was white on her left side and red on her right; the colors were perfectly separated at the middle of her scalp. Her hair was arranged into two long ponytails with two circular braids at the end; these circular braids were also seen at the top of her head. Her left eye was shrouded by her white hair, as both of them were bright purple.
"Oh, that's Uta!" Rebecca exclaimed.
"Uta?" Momo and Homura repeated in confusion simultaneously.
"She's a character from One Piece!" the Cat Leaper Quirk user told them, "You know, the one with the pirates and such?" she pointed out to her bandmates, who were all the more confused as they looked to each other.
"You really think I'd go and wear something like this…?" Kyoka inquired in embarrassment as she stared at the dress of the character in the picture.
"Showing a little thigh's not the worst thing in the world!" Nejire pointed out.
"That isn't the issue here!" the Earphone Jack Quirk user exclaimed frantically.
"According to my research, more people are likely to pay witness to such a performance when those on stage are wearing provocative clothing," Pino mentioned thoroughly.
"HUH?!" Kyoka yelped out, her face reddening.
"I think she's saying that we don't wanna go too basic…" Rebecca corrected.
"R-Right…" the Earphone Jack Quirk user stuttered.
"Hmm…" Momo hummed as she inspected the outfit again, "Perhaps we can try to invert the colors of the dress and maybe add a few things…" she suggested.
"Exactly!" the Cat Leaper Quirk user agreed, "We can make it feel more like Kyoka and then get our own outfits together!" she affirmed.
"Speaking of which, what should those be like?" Homura wondered aloud.
"Go for something flashy to help Jiro here stand out!" Mirio insisted as an idea, getting the girls' attention, "If she's the star of the show, then you all oughta' give her a reason to be!" he advised with a thumbs-up.
"Then that's what we'll do," Rebecca affirmed in reply, "It's our new genesis after all," she added to her bandmates, who nodded in agreement. Kyoka's eyes shook. Everyone was so determined to not only make the upcoming performance work, but to make sure that she was comfortable with it, especially the Cat Leaper Quirk user. It made her smile a little as she blushed again.
"Oh, you guys mind if I borrow Rebecca and Pino real quick?" Mirio requested. A few moments later, the Cat Leaper Quirk user was outside along with the little android, standing with the U.A. senior. Both of them blinked in surprise.
"She's coming soon?" Rebecca inquired, earning a nod in response from the Quirkless teen.
"Eraser told me that she's been progressing pretty well at the hospital," he pointed out, "Even made a friend!" he added.
"A friend?" Pino repeated in shock.
"She still isn't smiling just yet…" Mirio noted as he looked toward the setting sun in the distance, "but I know she'll be super stoked to see you and Midoriya," he mentioned confidently, "Plus, Pino gets to see her again!" he added with a grin.
"Well, I guess we got a lot to look forward to!" Rebecca inferred, letting off a bright smile.
"Indeed!" the little android agreed, sharing a giggle with the Cat Leaper Quirk user.
"Okay, gotta bounce!" Mirio called out, jogging off, "Good luck with the concert prep!" he yelled as he ran.
"Thanks, Mirio!" Rebecca shouted gratefully. She was glad to see him in such high spirits, especially after all that happened in the past month. And she wanted nothing more than to help heighten the spirits for everyone at U.A. "Alright…" she uttered, determinedly clenching her fists, "It's time to get back to practice!" she declared.
"Right!" Pino concurred excitedly.
X
Waiting in the hospital lobby was Loid, who sat patiently with his white fedora upon his knees. He looked around as staff and patients were wandering about, checking in and checking out. He was in deep concentration, narrowing his eyes.
"You shouldn't worry so much," a voice chimed in, getting his attention as he turned his head to see Yor approaching, wearing a pinkish-beige trench coat with black buttons. She offered him a cup of coffee, which he graciously accepted.
"Sorry," he apologized, letting her sit down beside him, "It's just…" he began, "The Saintfire's plan to keep an eye on the target was a little extreme…" he pointed out, "We had to let our own daughter get sick enough in order to come here…" he mentioned grimly.
"I know it was tough, Loid…" Yor noted, putting her right hand onto his knee, "But rest assured, Anya is fine," she vowed, "And I promise, we're doing this for the sake of a world without fear of Quirks…" she added in a whisper.
"Right…" the Disguise Quirk user agreed, "Thank you, Yor," he said out of gratitude to his wife, who smiled. However, her expression shifted into one of surprise.
"Wh-What is he doing here?" she stammered in question. Her husband turned and blinked out of shock to see Shota wandering into the lobby alongside Mirio.
'Eraser Head's come to pick up the girl today?!' he inquired inwardly, grimacing, 'Well, that's not too much of a problem, so long as we get Anya at a later time…' he noted to himself.
"Hey, there she is!" Mirio called out excitedly. Loid and Yor turned and gawked in disbelief. Walking over was Eri, who was dressed in a white dress shirt with a frilled collar and a plain red pinafore with two large, golden buttons on either side of her chest. Under this, she donned gray tights and a large set of tan boots, and a small dark red messenger bag with the strap sitting over her right shoulder, and a little floral pattern decorating one of its sides. Her hair also looked to be better cared for, appearing straighter and neater. Marching beside her was Anya, who wore a simple black dress with a white ribbon at the front, along with white folded-down socks and black shoes.
"Papa! Mama!" she called out, "I made a new fweind!" she exclaimed as she hurried over to her parents, who stood up.
"Oh, that's nice…" Loid remarked aloud.
'She was only supposed to get close to the girl to determine her status! Not be her friend!' he noted inwardly, panicking somewhat as he trembled.
'It seems like the girl's much better than before…' Yor added through her thoughts, 'Maybe Anya did the right thing…' she suggested to herself. Having overheard their thoughts, the Telepath Quirk user snickered.
'I did my mission perfectly…' she inwardly proclaimed, 'And now I can make it even better…' she affirmed on to herself.
"You all set to go?" Mirio inquired of Eri as he crouched to her height. She merely nodded. "Awesome!" the Quirkless teen exclaimed.
"Remember, we're only visiting for a little while," Shota pointed out, having just sent a text message on his phone, "We'll meet up with Midoriya and then, you and he can show Eri around the school," he told the U.A. senior.
"Yeah, I gotcha'," he replied, "So let's get a move on!" he insisted excitedly.
"Um, 'scuse me," Anya's voice chimed in as she approached, getting their attentions.
"And who might you be?" Shota inquired curiously.
"Oh, I apologize," Loid chimed in, walking over alongside Yor, "Apparently, our daughter became friends with this little one," he pointed out. Inwardly, he was sweating.
'You're getting us too close to the target, Anya…' he noted through his thoughts, 'Just say goodbye and we can inform the Saintfire about the mission later…' he affirmed inwardly. His daughter wasn't backing down though. Reading his thoughts through her head, she already had her plan in mind.
"Where are you going?" she asked of Eri curiously, making her blink in surprise.
"Oh, we're going over to UA," Mirio answered for her, "You know, that famous hero school?" he pointed out. Anya's eyes sparkled.
"Mama! Papa!" she called out to her parents, "Can we go, too?!" she requested emphatically to their surprise.
"N-Now hold on…" her father stammered out, "You might be all better, but I think you ought to get some rest after being cooped up in this hospital for so long…" he advised seriously, "Sorry, but I'm going to have to say—"
"Can she come with us?" Eri asked, interjecting Loid as he looked over to her in surprise, "Anya's… my friend…" she pointed out sheepishly, twiddling her thumbs. After taking a moment to think, Shota let out a sigh.
"I guess it's alright, so long as her parents are okay with it," he replied.
"Yay!" Anya exclaimed excitedly.
"Well… I guess we can't refuse when Anya's new friend wants her to come along…" Yor realized sheepishly.
"I guess not…" her husband concurred.
'Now that I think about it, the new Leaper is at UA, right?' he assumed through his thoughts, 'Perhaps it'll be good to get tabs on her as well…' he suggested inwardly. Hearing his thoughts through her mind, Anya snickered.
'Papa's probably gonna be so proud of me…' she inferred. Back at U.A., it was a little early in the morning as Rebecca was brushing her teeth in the bathroom, with some of the other girls present as well.
"Well, you were right, Becca," Mina remarked, getting the Cat Leaper Quirk user's attention, "All your boyfriend needed was a good kick to the butt," she pointed out, causing some of the others to giggle.
"As long as he's got the best dance instructor around, there's no way he'll mess up," Rebecca noted, sharing another giggle with the Acid Quirk user.
"So how are things going with the music?" Ochaco asked curiously after a moment.
"We're pretty much set," the Cat Leaper Quirk user confirmed, "Just gotta get the songs down completely for the concert," she pointed out.
"Not to mention our costumes," Homura chimed in, "We discussed that the other day when it came to how we would like to present ourselves," she recalled.
"Oh yeah, I hadn't thought about that…" Mina admitted in response.
"Well, I'm sure we can definitely come up with something amazing!" Ochaco affirmed confidently.
"Definitely," Tsuyu croaked in agreement.
"Do you happen to know where Pino's at by the way?" Mina inquired of Rebecca, who finished brushing her teeth.
"She's gonna be working with the special effects team today," she replied, "Anyways, I better get a move on," she noted, putting her toothbrush away in a plastic case, "Got quite a bit to get done today!" she pointed out, hurrying off.
"Determined as ever, I see…" Homura remarked with a small smile. Just as the Cat Leaper Quirk user exited the bathroom, she wound up bumping into her boyfriend.
"Oh, sorry!" he apologized immediately.
"N-No, you're good!" his girlfriend stammered, "Look both ways, right?" she assumed with a sheepish grin. The two of them laughed a little. "Mina says you're getting a lot better with the dancing," Rebecca pointed out.
"Yeah," Izuku replied with a nod, "Having that concentration in mind helps out with my training, too," he mentioned, "I think I've figured out most of what I can do when it comes to using my ranged attacks now," he pointed out, looking at his fingers, "The trick is to figure out how to be able to do it more often without seriously hurting myself…" he mentioned aloud.
"I think you'll figure it out," the Cat Leaper Quirk user assured in reply, "I mean, you're getting good with the dancing," she noted as she grinned. Her boyfriend smiled.
"And what about you?" he asked, "Aside from drumming for all those songs, I'm sure you're trying to figure out more about your Overdrive and what's going on with One For All…" he noted thoroughly.
"Yeah…" his girlfriend responded, looking down at her legs, "It's more than just having that ability lurking inside me, I have to know when the right time to use it is…" she explained, "Not to mention, I don't wanna draw too much attention…" she added, clenching her fists, "No one seemed to notice when we took down Chisaki, but…" she continued, only for Izuku to put his hands onto her shoulders.
"Don't worry," he reassured, "If it comes to it, I know you'll be able to master One For All like I'm going to," he promised of her.
"Izu…" she uttered out, letting off a smile, "Oh, you're so sweet…" she noted, leaning in to kiss him on the lips. He returned the affectionate gesture, hearing her moan into his lips as she parted hers. Neither of them broke away as Rebecca wrapped her arms around the back of his head, pulling him closer. And then, their tongues touched. Immediately, their eyes jolted open as they let go of each other, backing up a step as their faces went crimson.
"Wha…What just…?" Izuku tried to ask, while his girlfriend's eyes shook. Neither of them had ever gone so far with just a simple kiss…
"Ah, there you are!" Mina suddenly chimed in as she wandered out of the bathroom, grabbing the One For All inheritor by his left wrist and dragging him off, "Come on, Midoriya," she beckoned in a firm tone, "We still got a lot to do before you're caught up with everybody else," she pointed out to him.
"H-Huh?" he stammered out, "Hey, wait a second…!" he tried to plead, but it was no use as he wound up getting taken out through the front doors. Rebecca stood still for what felt like a long minute, the feeling of her boyfriend's tongue ingrained in her body forever. And that tension reminded her of what she felt from her dream back at the summer camp…
'Oh no…' she uttered inwardly as her face burned crimson.
ENDING
Insert "Shikisai" by Yama
Opens with Rebecca waking up for the day in her dorm room, tiredly crawling out of her bed. She makes it to the bathroom, only to widen her eyes with terror at the sight of how messy her hair is. Luckily, a comb is passed to her from Tsuyu, who she thanks.
Later that morning, Rebecca enjoys her breakfast before being given a cup of tea made by Momo. What follows is her going over to play a video game with Mina and Toru on the Switch before they have to go class. It rains on the way, though Rebecca forgot her umbrella. Thankfully, Mezo comes over, using his patagia to shield her from raindrops.
In the classroom, she talks with both Tenya and Shoto about studying, asking them for pointers. As Shota walks in to start class, she scurries back to her seat, only to find a note there. She opens it up and smiles to see that it's from Izuku, who she shoots a smile toward.
In the afternoon during lunch, Kyoka saves her a seat in the cafeteria. She's also kind enough to shoo away a pesky Minoru, though he was only making sure Rebecca didn't touch a piece of gum left under the table. As the class returns from lunch, the Cat Leaper Quirk user trips by accident, only to end up caught by Mashirao's tail. The two of them share a smile and then a laugh.
During hero training, Rebecca gets the chance to spar against Ochaco, Hanta, and Homura. She weaves past the Zero Gravity Quirk user, evades the tape of Hanta, and then closes in to land a kick on the crossed blades of Homura, who cracks a grin. The four of them continue as All Might, Witch and Shota watch on.
Yuga later offers Rebecca some cheese as a snack, which she happily accepts. She also goes the development studio with Weisz and Denki, as the three of them are met with an explosion as a dirtied Mei laughs sheepishly. With a long day nearly done, Rebecca returns to the dorms to find Koji there with his bunny in hand, allowing her to pet it warmly. She then goes over to Rikido, asking him about a favor.
Once dinner's over, Rebecca puts on an apron and starts baking, whisking eggs and mixing flour with water. Fumikage and Eijiro watch on curiously with intrigue, followed by Katsuki approaching. He takes a taste of the batter to Rebecca's shock and anger, only for her to realize that she almost missed adding some vanilla. After a little while, she pulls out a baking sheet from the oven with several cookies upon it, decorating them for Halloween.
As the class goes ahead and partakes in her baked goods, the Cat Leaper Quirk goes over and offers Izuku a treat in the shape of a heart. He smiles and blushes, eagerly eating it. Afterwards, the whole class gets themselves ready for a movie night. Shiki floats over with a bowl of popcorn and other snacks, landing on the couch between Ochaco and Momo. With the remote in her hand, Rebecca presses the play button… and the screen goes black.
END ENDING
A nice chapter to slow things down a little before we get into the canon stuff! And in case you couldn't tell, I'm a huge fan of Spy X Family. If you haven't seen it yet, please do. It's that good.
Anyways, Eri'll be coming to U.A. next time along with a few extra guests! Hope you're all looking forward to that! See you later!