Hey all! Welcome back to "Through the Rough"! We're back to the adapted content, along with some interesting tidbits here and there in terms of world-building. You'll see what I mean when we get into this chapter.
I'm really excited for you guys to see what I come up with for the rest of the arc. Aside from the canon material, I had some really interesting ideas for character developments, like how I put Kyoka in the position to be one of the team members for the rescue mission in Camino. She's going to have some interesting developments of her own, even after the festival.
You'll see what I mean later. For now, let's get back into the story!
THROUGH THE ROUGH
'What came over me back there…?' Izuku wondered inwardly, still red in the face as he was practicing the movements alongside the rest of the dance team, 'That wasn't just a regular kiss like the ones we've always had…' he noted, still thinking of the instant his and Rebecca's tongues touched. Even if it was completely by accident somehow, it was still lingering on his mind.
"Loosen up, Midoriya!" Mina shouted, getting his attention, "You gotta be precise, but flexible!" she advised seriously, "Just because it's called a lock doesn't mean you need to be so rigid!" she reprimanded. Minoru chuckled under his breath.
"Can't believe Midoriya's the one getting reamed over all this…" he remarked.
"Don't think I don't notice you slacking there, Mineta!" the Acid Quirk user yelled, making him flinch in surprise. With it being Saturday, everyone was hard at work when it came to making the music, planning the effects, and choreographing the dances. Shiki was moving about as fluently as he could, concentrating on his footwork.
"Looks like you're getting a great hang on it, Granbell," Tsuyu commented.
"Yeah, it's a lotta fun!" he replied with a big smile, only to end up accidentally tripping himself, "Whoa!" he yelped, about to fall forward. Luckily, Ochaco was there to catch him by his right arm, pulling him back up. "Thanks, Ochaco," he said in gratitude.
"N-No problem…" the Zero Gravity Quirk user stuttered as a response, blushing a little as she looked away and scratched her right cheek sheepishly. Minoru glared over at them jealously. No one had yet to realize, but Mirio had returned, watching the dance team practice from the bushes.
"No one's noticed me yet…" he noted quietly, "I'll swoop in with a can't miss gag that'll crack 'em up before they know what's what!" he affirmed with confidence. However, Izuku spotted him.
"Oh, hey!" he called with a wave of his right hand, "What's up, Togata?" he inquired. A blank expression of disappointment crossed the Quirkless teen's face.
"Whoa…!" a voice exclaimed with awe, getting their attentions as they saw Anya step forward, "Are you guys all hero people?" she inquired curiously.
"Uh, who is…?" Ochaco started to ask, only for her, Tsuyu and Izuku to notice someone else in particular standing there.
"Eri!" they exclaimed upon spotting the horned girl in her new outfit. Meanwhile, Mirio was sticking his rear end out from the bush.
"Hey guys!" he greeted, "I brought a 'peach' for ya!" he remarked, shaking his posterior a little.
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
'I'm sure this won't turn out badly, but…' Loid began inwardly as he and his wife were walking over alongside Shota, watching as the dance team gathered around, introducing themselves to Eri, 'I can't help but worry that we're overstepping just a tad…' the Disguise Quirk user admitted to himself, glancing around nervously, 'This was a last-minute decision…' he pointed out through his thoughts.
"So who's this?" Tsuyu inquired, having taken notice of Anya.
"Oh, she's Eri's friend from the hospital, Anya!" Mirio answered.
"That's right," the pink-haired girl confirmed proudly with her hands at her hips, "I'm Eri's bestest fweind," she proclaimed, huffing steam from her nostrils.
"Aw, that's sweet…" Ochaco remarked.
"I'm surprised Eri got to even make a friend…" Izuku admitted out of surprise, "Wasn't she being isolated from everyone else in the hospital?" he inquired quietly of Shota.
"That was the plan, but…" he started to reply, "apparently, that little girl there found her way through the cracks out of curiosity," he pointed out, "She's quite cunning…" he commented.
"I do apologize for that," Loid chimed in as he stepped forward, getting their attentions, "Our daughter's always been a curious one," he noted, scratching his right cheek before removing his hat politely, "I'm Loid Forger, Anya's father," he introduced.
"And I'm her mother, Yor," his wife added, "It's nice to meet the next generation of hero hopefuls," she mentioned with a smile.
"Why thank you, ma'am," Tenya said gratefully.
"Anyways, with the principal's permission, we're going to be showing Eri around the campus before the festival," Shota explained, "just so that she doesn't end up overwhelmed by everything," he mentioned on.
"And to help her feel more comfortable, we brought Anya along!" Mirio added, gesturing to the pink-haired girl as she gave off a proud expression, "We're gonna give these two a tour of the school, so you're welcome to come along, Midoriya," he pointed out to the One For All inheritor.
"Oh, yeah!" he replied.
"Um… Deku?" Eri uttered out, getting his attention, "Where's Becca?" she asked curiously.
"Oh, she's practicing inside for the day," the freckled teen answered, "I can go and get her," he assured, about to jog off.
"Eri!" a voice cried out from the front doors, causing the group to perk up as they saw Pino skipping outside with Eijiro and Koji.
"Pino!" the horned girl exclaimed. The little android happily hurried over, leaping into her arms for a big hug. Anya watched on blankly in confusion.
"Haha!" Mirio laughed, "Glad to have you two reunited!" he pointed out, "Hey, why don't we get ourselves dressed and head off?" he suggested to Izuku, "We can let Bluegarden know on the way," he mentioned.
"Yeah, sure!" the One For All inheritor replied with a nod, "You're gonna see a lot of great stuff today, Eri," he promised to the horned girl. Back in the common space of the dorms, Rebecca set down her drumsticks onto the drum set as she let out an exhausted breath.
"Still not totally awake?" Kyoka inquired of her, getting her attention.
"Oh, uh…" she stammered out, "I mean… um…" she tried to say, blushing a bright red, "I guess it's more a 'me and Izu' thing…" she admitted.
"So what happened this time?" the Earphone Jack Quirk user wondered, "You have another dream about him?" she presumed, "Or… he saw something he wasn't supposed to?" she guessed on nervously.
"N-No, nothing like that!" Rebecca stammered in confirmation, frantically waving her hands, "It's just…" she tried to say, letting out a deep sigh, "This morning, Izu and I kissed…" she recalled as she blushed crimson, "and it… kinda escalated…" she mentioned.
"How?" Kyoka wondered, blushing a little herself.
"…Our tongues kinda touched…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user admitted. The bass guitarist blinked twice before turning crimson in the face herself at the thought.
"Okay, yeah, I can see why that would throw you off…" she confessed in response, "But hey, that's just part of the whole relationship thing, right?" she assumed.
"What do you mean?" Rebecca asked, arching an eyebrow.
"You and Midoriya have been an item for pretty much three months now," Kyoka pointed out, "I just think it's only natural that you two are starting to get more… well… intimate…" she mentioned, sheepishly scratching her right cheek.
'Then… that might mean…' the Cat Leaper Quirk user began inwardly, thinking back to her dream of a shirtless Izuku looming right over her. She shook her head, trying to purge her mind of those thoughts.
"Hey, Rebecca!" her boyfriend's voice suddenly called out, getting her attention as she saw him jog over, "Eri's here!" he noted excitedly.
"Whoa, already?!" the Cat Leaper Quirk user exclaimed with a smile, "Is she outside?" she assumed.
"Yeah," Izuku replied, giving her a nod, "I'm just gonna go get dressed before showing her around with Togata," he told her.
"Then I'll get ready, too!" she decided, "It's okay if I take a break from practice for now, right?" she inquired of Kyoka.
"Yeah, no problem," she replied with a shrug, "I wanted to give Kogetsu some pointers anyway," she noted, "Have fun," she insisted before heading off. With that, the couple was left alone together in the common space for a moment. The memory of their more intimate kiss flashed through their heads for a moment, making them blush before they hurried past each other to their respective rooms.
"S-See you in a bit!" they promised to each other with a stutter.
X
"I really do apologize for my daughter's curiosity…" Loid said as he and Yor walked alongside Shota through the U.A. halls, "She can't help but be interested in heroes…" he pointed out sheepishly.
"It's fine," the Erasure Quirk user assured, "So long as Eri's comfortable with your daughter around, I think it's for the best," he mentioned.
"Anya hasn't really made many friends back in her kindergarten class," Yor noted on, "And when she came down with that fever of her own, we were worried she'd never be able to interact with anyone," she added thoroughly.
"You weren't able to take care of her on your own?" Shota inquired, causing the dark-haired woman to flinch in surprise.
"Ah, we've actually only been living in Japan for a month now…" Loid pointed out, "So when Anya got sick, we decided not to take any chances," he told the teacher.
"Hmm," he hummed out, walking onward.
'As I thought, Eraser's definitely one of those more cunning heroes,' the Disguise Quirk user noted inwardly, 'With someone like him looking out for the next Leaper, I'd say her safety is assured, along with Eri's…' he mentioned to himself, 'Still…' he continued through his thoughts, followed by grabbing Shota's shoulder.
"Ah, would you mind if I split off to find a bathroom for a moment?" he requested of him.
"Uh, sure," he replied, "I'll take your wife over to the teacher's lounge for the time being," he told him, "It'll be just down this hall," he pointed out.
"Much appreciated," Loid remarked with a polite bow, walking off to the hall to his left.
'By my guess, I'd say this school festival will be the very thing that brings both the Leaper and Eri together,' he noted to himself, taking out his phone and typing a message without even looking at the screen, 'I'm counting on you to keep Eraser occupied until I can make a thorough report, Yor,' he added through his thoughts.
"This school is quite wonderful," his wife complimented, still wandering about alongside Shota towards the teacher's lounge, "My little brother would tell me all kinds of stories about the heroes that graduated here," she mentioned.
"Thanks, I guess," the Erasure Quirk user responded gratefully.
"So, where are you and your husband originally from?" he inquired curiously.
"Oh, Germany," Yor replied, "Moving to a new country was a difficult decision, but we decided it'd be for the best for our daughter's sake," she told the teacher.
"And why's that?" he questioned on.
"Well…" the dark-haired woman began, letting off a frown, "I'm not her real mother," she confirmed, much to Shota's surprise, "She had died a few years ago," she recalled, "When Loid met me, I wasn't sure that I could take her place…" she admitted, "especially if Anya didn't approve of me…" she mentioned somewhat sadly.
"I'm… sorry…" the Erasure Quirk user apologized, "I didn't mean to pry too much…" he pointed out.
"No, it's perfectly fine!" Yor assured as she waved her hands dismissively, "It's always nice to know a person's history, right?" she presumed. The teacher grinned a little beneath his scarf.
"Well, I'm sure your daughter's having a good time with the others," he affirmed as they headed towards the teacher's lounge. Elsewhere on campus, Anya herself was leading the group of Izuku, Rebecca, Mirio, Eri, and Pino.
"We're going on an ooting!" she declared excitedly, marching onward.
"Pretty sure you mean outing," the Quirkless teen of the group noted to her. Eri walked alongside Izuku and Rebecca, who were both dressed in their uniforms. The two of them exchanged glances, blushing a little. The memory of their morning kiss was fresh in their minds.
"I detect a slight increase in heart rate from you, Miss Becca," Pino pointed out.
"Wh-What?!" she stammered in surprise.
"Yours as well, Mister Deku," she mentioned to the One For All inheritor, who flinched as his cheeks went pink.
"Haha!" Mirio laughed, "Man, you're some kind of amazing, Pino!" he complimented, "You can basically do anything a machine could and so much more!" he noted to her.
"I do wish I had more physical capabilities though," she admitted, "My EMP is the only tool I have to use in battle," she pointed out.
"Oh yeah, I remember when you used that to help me take down that fake Sister," the Quirkless teen remembered, "You're pretty impressive!" he complimented, making her giggle.
"From what we heard, Pino's actually a creation of Ziggy's," Rebecca noted.
"Whoa, the Demon King Hero?" Mirio said as he blinked in surprise, "That's crazy…" he added out of awe.
"Master Juryoku always invented all sorts of machines, including androids," the little bot recalled as the group walked onward, "I was apparently one of his last creations that was given as a gift to a friend of his," she added in remembrance.
"One of his last?" Izuku repeated aloud.
"Ziggy had passed away seven years ago, right?" Rebecca presumed, earning a nod in response.
"Most of my memories have been altered slightly, but from browsing through historical data, I can confirm that to be the case…" Pino noted thoroughly, "Still, he would not want me to be sad," she pointed out to the group's surprise, "After all, his legacy lives on with Master Shiki!" she mentioned with a smile.
'Master Shiki?' the Cat Leaper Quirk user repeated inwardly. Meanwhile, Anya stared back curiously at the group, reading their thoughts. It was easy to determine how everyone was feeling, including an anxious Eri. But then, she took notice of someone that seemed like Shota lurking around the corner.
'Good, she spotted me,' Loid noted inwardly from his disguised state, 'Eraser's not a social butterfly with most people, so I doubt I'll draw too much attention,' he mentioned through his thoughts, 'All I need to do is make sure the environment is habitable for both Eri and the Leaper,' he told himself.
'Papa's counting on me…' Anya concluded through her thoughts, 'I'll do my best!' she declared inwardly, coming to a stop.
"Can we go see where you guys live?" she requested of the group, getting their attentions.
"Oh, you mean the dorms?" Mirio assumed, "Sure, we'll go by there later," he promised, making the pink-haired girl beam with excitement. A little later, the group was wandering about outside, seeing everyone hard at work. Even with the festival less than three weeks away, all the students were putting in their best efforts to make the event as exciting as possible.
"It's really amazing how dedicated they all are…" Rebecca commented as she looked around.
"Yeah, they're definitely going Plus Ultra for sure!" Mirio added in agreement. All of a sudden, the group found themselves faced with a dragon's head being thrust towards them.
"WAH!" Anya yelped, stumbling backwards and falling onto her bottom, "D-D-D-Dragon…" she whimpered out.
"Oh, sorry 'bout that…" the voice of Tetsutetsu apologized as he peeked out from behind the dragon he was carrying with both Yosetsu and Kris, "Hey, Midoriya and Bluegarden!" he called out.
"Hey guys!" the Cat Leaper Quirk user greeted, going over to help pick Anya back up onto her feet, "Prepping for the festival yourselves?" she guessed.
"Pretty much!" the Steel Quirk user replied, "We're doin' a big old play after your concert," he pointed out, "What are you guys up to?" he inquired curiously.
"Showing Eri here around the school before the festival," Rebecca answered, gesturing to the horned girl behind her, "The teachers thought it'd be best for her to feel more comfortable at UA first," she told him.
"Oh, so that's Eri…" Yosetsu noted aloud, "Nice to meet you," he greeted to the horned girl. However, she shyly hid behind Izuku to his surprise.
"Uh, sorry," he apologized, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, "She's not really keen on talking with people she doesn't remember…" he pointed out. At that moment though, Eri spotted Kris, blinking in surprise.
"Mister…" she uttered, stepping forward.
"You remember me, huh?" he presumed, crouching down in front of her. The little girl clutched the strap of her bag tightly, recalling the gruesome injuries the Wind Rage Quirk user received. "Hey," he said, making her perk up, "I'm pretty much better now, see?" he noted, holding his hand up to make a small torrent of wind hover over his palm, "And I'm glad to see you're doing well, too…" he added, giving Eri a soft smile.
"Kris bounced back pretty quick from all the stuff he went through," Tetsutetsu chimed in, putting the dragon's head down gently.
"Yeah, no kidding…" Izuku commented, "So… this play of yours…" he continued, "whose idea was it?" he wondered curiously.
"Our resident bigmouth, Monoma," Yosetsu answered, "It's called Romeo and Juliet and the Prisoner of Azkaban: The Return of the King," he told the group.
"Sounds like a mouthful…" Rebecca remarked, "And a bad crossover to boot…" she added bluntly.
"Be that as it may, we're determined to do our best," Kris noted as he stood up, "even if it's only twenty of us in the play," he mentioned.
"Twenty?" Izuku repeated in confusion, "Wait, then who's out?" he wondered aloud.
"Well…" Tetsutetsu began. Moments later, the group arrived in the equipment room. Eri and Anya looked on in awe at the floating Nejire in a flowing lake green dress, whose twisting waves of energy kept her airborne.
As it turned out, she was entering U.A.'s beauty pageant. She had wound up runner-up the past couple of years, proving she was a force to be reckoned with. But a Support Course student still wound up getting the best of her.
"I'd figure you'd win with how bubbly and pretty you are, Nejire…" Rebecca admitted.
"I know, right?!" the Surge Quirk user agreed, "I think it's because I wasn't being sexy enough…" she inferred, glancing off to the side in thought.
"Uh… huh?" the ash blonde-haired girl uttered in confusion.
"Say, do you think I should focus on trying to show off my boobs or my butt?" Nejire asked of her in a whisper.
"HUH?!" she yelped, backing in away in surprise, "Wh-Wh-Why are you asking me?!" she stammered out while blushing a bright red.
"Well, you seem like you're pretty flashy in your costume," the Surge Quirk user pointed out in reply, much to Rebecca's embarrassment, "Oh, wait!" she exclaimed in realization, "I should be asking Midoriya instead!" she concluded, turning to the One For All inheritor, "So, what do you think works more?" she asked of him, making him blush a bright red.
"Uh… well… I… uh…" he stuttered, looking away. He didn't want to wind up saying something that would make his girlfriend look at him weirdly.
"Boobies," Anya suddenly said as she raised her left hand. Everyone turned and gawked at her in shock.
"…Thanks!" Nejire responded gratefully, "Now I'll totally have a plan!" she affirmed with confidence.
"Nejire… could you calm down a little?" Tamaki insisted, getting her attention, "There are kids here, you know…" he pointed out.
"Oh, right!" the Surge Quirk user yelped in realization, "Sorry about the grown-up talk!" she apologized, clapping her hands together.
"I-It's no problem…" Izuku stammered assuredly.
"So two first-years from the Hero Course are competing against you too, huh?" Mirio inquired of his periwinkle-haired classmate.
"Yeah," Tamaki responded for Nejire, "Kendo's already pretty popular on campus, and Rutherford's going all out herself," he noted, "Still, they've got a lot to live up to when it comes to Hado," he mentioned confidently, "She's got a lot going for her aside from looks and Quirk," he added. Hearing that, the Surge Quirk user blinked in surprise, blushing a little.
"Amajiki…" she uttered.
"Wow," Mirio said, putting his hands at his hips, "You've been sounding so much cooler lately, Tamaki!" he complimented.
"Wh… I… uh…" the Manifest Quirk user stammered, "Sorry, I…" he started to apologize, "I'm just hoping Hado ends up winning is all…" he confessed, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. The rest of the group aside from the two little girls smiled at them. Anya read their minds.
'Those two like each other…' she confirmed inwardly. A little while passed before the touring group found themselves in the development studio, where members of the Support Course were hard at work. Putting on such an exhibition of their items was going to be something to behold for the festival.
"Hey, Midoriya!" a familiar voice called out, getting the group's attention as they turned to see Mei there.
"Oh, Hatsume!" the One For All inheritor greeted, "Uh… you got a little grease on your uh…" he started to point out.
"Everywhere, I think…" Rebecca finished for him.
"Ah, it's whatever," the Zoom Quirk user remarked dismissively, "Even if I'm filthy, I can't waste time bathing," she noted, "Not when I'm building my super cool Baby Number Two-O-Two!" she proclaimed, gesturing toward a large battle suit that was behind her.
"That's something…" Mirio commented.
"Big robot…" Anya uttered out.
"This vessel looks quite complex from a glance," Pino noted as she stepped forward to inspect the suit, "May I analyze it, please?" she requested of Mei, who looked down at her with a look of surprise.
"Uh… Hatsume?" Izuku uttered, "Is… everything okay?" he asked of her.
"HUHHHHH!" she suddenly gasped in shock, reaching down to pick up Pino and lift her up in her hands, "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed with sparkling eyes and a wide smile, "This is the cutest baby I've ever seen!" she proclaimed, "Hey, who made this one?!" she inquired loudly, "It's amazing!" she complimented.
"Uh, actually…" Rebecca started to reply.
"Oh, if it isn't Midoriya and Bluegarden," Power Loader commented as he approached, "And I see you brought Pino with you as well," he mentioned upon spotting the little android in his student's grasp.
"Hello, Mister Maijima!" she greeted with a wave.
"I didn't know you two were already acquainted…" Izuku pointed out.
"Yeah, me and Hermit had her brought in for some schematic analyses," the teacher confirmed in response, "This is the little android invented by Ziggy I told you about," he mentioned to Mei, whose eyes widened with excitement.
"No way…" she uttered, trembling in delight.
"I didn't know Ziggy was such a big deal in terms of being an inventor…" Rebecca admitted out of surprise.
"He was one of the founders of the support companies all throughout Japan," Power Loader told the group, "His dream was to have machines help humanity while still having the hearts of humans," he explained, "Pino was one of his first models, in fact," he mentioned, "Rumor has it before he passed on, he created androids that were so lifelike, no one could tell they weren't human," he noted thoroughly.
"Whoa…" Izuku uttered.
"Like I said, it's just a rumor," the Support Course teacher pointed out, "Anyways, I'm guessing you're trying to get to touring around the school before too long," he inferred, while Pino stared at the battle suit behind them, "There's plenty to check out here, but I'm sure you'll wanna see everything before you need to get back to work," he mentioned on.
"I believe you have made a few errors with your machine," the little android said suddenly.
"What?" Power Loader said, "What are you—?" Without warning, smoke and fire erupted from the battle suit, causing everyone to gasp in surprise.
"BABY!" Mei screamed.
"Ah, not again!" her teacher grumbled out, "Somebody get an extinguisher!" he yelled. Meanwhile, Rebecca took Pino back into her grasp as the Zoom Quirk user hurried off.
"We better get going!" Izuku insisted, heading off along with the others.
"Okay…" Eri uttered out. She was quite curious about everything happening around her. Anya stared at her, reading her thoughts.
'She's not happy yet…' she noted to herself, 'I've gotta find a way to make her happy or world peace is doomed!' she proclaimed inwardly, sweating a little.
"Something the matter?" Rebecca asked of the pink-haired girl upon noticing, getting her attention.
"Um…" she uttered out, trembling a little, "I gotta go potty…" she said.
"Oh, okay," the Cat Leaper Quirk user responded, "I can take you over to the little ladies' room," she assured, "I'll meet you guys at the cafeteria," she promised of the others.
"That won't be necessary," a voice chimed in, getting their attentions as they turned to see Shota approach, "You three can keep showing Eri around a little more," he advised of the students, "I'll get Miss Forger here back to her parents," he decided. Anya read his mind and blinked in surprise.
"Then I guess it's bye-bye then…" she realized, sounding somewhat sad, turning to the others, "Thank you for the ooting!" she exclaimed gratefully as she bowed, "I wish I could see the big festival!" she pointed out.
"Heh," Mirio chuckled, "Glad you enjoyed your time!" he remarked.
"Make sure to take care of yourself!" Rebecca added as she waved goodbye. Eri was surprised to see her friend leave, but she had such a big smile on her face as she departed, holding Shota's hand with her own.
"Perhaps there may be a way to have her attend the festival as well," Pino inferred, causing the horned girl to blink in surprise, "If that is something you would want, Eri," she added to her.
"I… guess…" she responded unsurely, clutching the strap of her little bag. In the meantime, Anya and Shota turned a corner. The latter tapped his face, reassuming his actual appearance as Loid.
"Did I do good, Papa?" his daughter asked.
"Yes, you did very well," he confirmed in reply, making her snicker with pride.
'So Eri doesn't seem to be completely comfortable just yet…' he noted to himself, 'It makes sense, considering that she's both young and hasn't had the best of experiences with other people like the Hassaikai…' he mentioned thoroughly through his thoughts, 'That Pino android seems to be connected to her quite well…' he added inwardly, 'Not to mention that the new Leaper and those other two boys have been bonding with her as well…' he said to himself, 'I think she's in good hands, Saintfire,' he affirmed as he turned a corner, 'But whenever you command, we'll make our move,' he promised, coming to a stop in front of the door to the teacher's lounge.
"So sorry to keep you all waiting!" he apologized as he opened the door, finding his wife there alongside Shota and All Might, "Oh, wow!" he exclaimed upon spotting the retired hero, "It's a pleasure to meet you, All Might!" he greeted.
"Likewise," the former pro responded, "Your wife's told me a lot about you already," he mentioned, gesturing to Yor.
"Oh, is that so?" Loid inquired, "Well, I hope she didn't bore you with too much of my experiences…" he noted on.
"Hey, wasn't your kid supposed to be with Midoriya and the others?" Shota inquired, narrowing his eyes a little.
"I ran into her and the others on the way back from the bathroom," the Disguise Quirk user replied, "And… I might've wandered off a little to check out the rest of the campus…" he sheepishly confessed, "I'm just so amazed at the dedication of some students…" he pointed out. Yor giggled.
"As I said, Loid is very passionate about schooling," she told the teachers, "He can be a little hard on Anya sometimes when it comes to that…" she mentioned.
"Uh, hey…" her husband uttered, sweating a little.
"Papa wants me to do my best!" his daughter exclaimed, getting their attentions, "And one day, I'll be a big superhero just like All Might!" she declared additionally. The former pro cracked a grin.
"Well, I've got full faith when there's confidence like that brimming from you, young lady," he remarked in response. Anya huffed proudly.
"Anyway, we should be going," Loid said.
"You're not staying any longer?" Shota questioned.
"We've already overextended our reach when we really shouldn't have…" the Disguise Quirk user pointed out as a reply while adjusting his hat, "But we really appreciate the opportunity to see UA," he affirmed with a nod.
"Definitely," his wife agreed as she stood up, "Thank you so much," she said with gratitude, bowing to Shota.
"No, that's quite alright," he assured in reply, "You all have a good rest of your day," he advised of the family, who headed out.
"Bye-bye, Mister Heroes!" Anya exclaimed as a farewell before the door shut behind the group.
"What a nice little family," All Might remarked.
"Yeah…" Shota agreed, narrowing his eyes slightly. Something didn't feel right about this encounter. And the fact that he couldn't pinpoint what it was made him all the more concerned.
X
Izuku was in good spirits. After Eri had said that she wanted see how the festival would turn out, he was more than ready to give his best efforts when it came to the concert. But just a week later…
"Midoriya…" Mina began, approaching him in the classroom while wearing a suit and tie with shades over her eyes. The rest of the dance team behind her had grim expressions of guilt as their lead placed her right hand onto the One For All inheritor's shoulder. "You're fired," she said. The freckled teen widened his eyes in absolute shock.
"Wait, what?!" Rebecca exclaimed upon overhearing, shooting up from her desk, "Mina, what the heck is—?!"
"That is, I mean to say…" the Acid Quirk user continued, throwing off her glasses and coat, "you've been scouted by another team!" she confirmed, "You're gonna be on special effects," she told him.
"Uh… oh…" the ash blonde-haired girl uttered in realization.
"It has to be me…?" her boyfriend inquired, paling in the face, "I told Eri that I'd be dancing…" he pointed out. Rebecca grimaced.
"Why Izu of all people?" she asked, turning towards Eijiro and Hanta.
"Well, we were debating on who'd be both strong and fast enough to move Aoyama around during the performance," the former answered thoroughly.
"I'll be transforming from a dancer to a disco ball!" the Navel Laser Quirk user chimed in.
"Okay…" Rebecca uttered out, "Then… couldn't Shiki do something like that?" she inquired on, "Or maybe Ochaco or even Tsuyu?" she suggested on.
"Rebecca, it's okay," Izuku assured to her surprise, "If I can still dance while getting to do that, I won't have lied to Eri by accident…" he noted as he rubbed the back of his head, "I gotta be able to help how I can, so I'll do it," he affirmed with a smile.
"Izu…" his girlfriend uttered out.
"Nice!" Eijiro exclaimed as he went over and wrapped his right arm around the One For All inheritor's shoulders, "Knew you wouldn't let us down, man!" he remarked.
"Merci beaucoup," Yuga added gratefully. Rebecca smiled. Even if Izuku wasn't going to be as involved in the performance now, he was still going to be working hard. And that work continued, even in terms of training.
"Ah…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user sighed out with relief after downing a cup of tea early the next morning. Her boyfriend had gone out to do some early morning training with All Might. It sounded like he was making progress, but it was growing difficult.
"You're up pretty early," a voice remarked, getting her attention as she looked over to see Kyoka walking into the common space.
"Oh, hey Kyoka," she greeted, "Just thought I'd get an early start to study and whatnot," she pointed out.
"And Midoriya's out training again, right?" the Earphone Jack Quirk user assumed, causing her to blink in surprise, "Seriously, that guy'll take any chance he gets to put in some good work," she pointed out, "You really struck gold with him, Rebecca," she mentioned, causing her friend to blush sheepishly. She then smiled, looking down at her reflection in the tea.
"To be honest… I've always had the feeling there was something else between us," she admitted aloud, "Back when we met as kids, he was someone who kept getting bullied because his Quirk hadn't manifested yet…" she mentioned, "And I wanted to protect him like a hero would," she added on, "But in the end, he was the one protecting me," she noted, making Kyoka blink out of astonishment, "If his bullies turned against me, he'd never hesitate to stand in their way," she recalled.
"…Yeah, he's definitely your guy," the Earphone Jack Quirk user confirmed after a moment, "Anyway, I brought you some notes on what you can try for the drums," she pointed out, handing her friend a notebook titled 'LESSONS FOR REBECCA'.
"Oh, thanks!" she exclaimed gratefully as she took it into her grasp, opening the pages to see the abundance of notes inside, "Whoa, you did all this?!" she inquired in shock.
"Yeah, but I had trouble organizing it…" Kyoka admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head, "Thanks to your boyfriend though, I figured out the best way to get things together," she noted, "I'm gonna get some more notes to Yaoyorozu and Kogetsu," she confirmed, heading off, "We can get to practicing later," she mentioned.
"Okay, sounds good!" Rebecca responded with a wave, "Thanks again!" she yelled in gratitude. The Earphone Jack Quirk user blushed a little and smiled.
'Hey, stop it…' she insisted of herself, 'You gotta stay focused on the festival…' she advised inwardly, shaking her head to regain her composure. The day went by normally, with everyone putting in their best efforts to make sure their festival performance would be a success. Yawning while seated on the couch, Rebecca scrolled through her phone in search of the latest news for the day. Practice had gone well with the rest of her bandmates, especially with Kyoka's new notes. And of course, they were only so good thanks to Izuku's help.
He was actually sitting right beside her, on his phone himself. Though he was… a lot more focused. Glancing over at him, his girlfriend saw just how intensely he was looking at the screen, scrolling through videos.
"Um… Izu…?" she uttered worriedly.
"All Might had an item, All Might had an item, All Might had an item…" he muttered repeatedly. During his trainer with his mentor, he learned that he used to use support items himself, though he tended to break them rather easily. Knowing that fact, Izuku was set on finding out just what those items looked like so he could have an idea as to what to do with his support items, which were being developed by Mei.
"Izu… hello…?" his girlfriend called out to him. He was completely spacing out, too focused on his phone.
"Everyone, I've made you all tea if you want any!" Momo exclaimed from the kitchen, "There should be enough!" she mentioned assuredly.
"Thanks, Momo!" Shiki said gratefully as he took a teacup along with a few rice crackers, "Pino, you want some?" he inquired of the little android next to him.
"I am unable to have food or beverages since I am a machine," she pointed out in response to his surprise. He then teared up.
"That's… so sad…!" he whimpered out.
"It's alright, Shiki…" Momo assured, "That only means Pino doesn't need to worry about the same things we humans do," she noted aloud.
"I am curious as to what this rare tea of yours tastes like," the little android admitted, looking up at the box labeled 'Gold Tips Imperial', "It sounds as if it is quite delicious," she pointed out. Shiki whimpered again.
"Ah, Shiki!" the Creation Quirk user yelped.
"Guy goes around crying over the littlest things…" Weisz grumbled out.
"I think it's endearing!" Toru remarked. Meanwhile, Ochaco went over to the couches with a cup of tea in hand.
"Hey, you guys want some t—?" She stopped herself upon the crazed look in Izuku's eyes as he kept scrolling through his phone. "Uh… what's going on?" she asked of Rebecca, who sighed.
"He's in the zone, unfortunately…" she grumbled out, "IZU!" she shouted, causing him to jolt in surprise. He accidentally pressed his finger against a video in the process, taking him to a new page.
"Gentle Video…" a voice from the phone uttered as a cup of tea was the first thing present upon the screen.
"Wait… what?" Rebecca uttered in surprise.
"Oh, perfect!" Ochaco remarked, "Looks like a tea video!" she pointed out, overhearing the proper and posh voice of the man speaking, "Here, have some!" she offered, handing Izuku a cup.
"Oh, thanks…" he said gratefully as he accepted it. Rebecca looked at the video curiously. On the screen was a man with a refined appearance. He had a slicked-back, white hairdo with a curl at the front and sported a handlebar mustache along with a well-kept, medium-sized beard. He also had black lines around his eyes, resembling eyeliner. His clothes were also quite extravagant, featuring a dark purple jacket with enlarged collars and coattails, a pair of loose, pinstriped pants, and two belts. He also wore a pair of cuffs, and purple gloves along with a woolly scarf of the same color.
"Do know, dearest viewers," he began, "my next debacle will not just be a message to you, but the rest of society as a whole," he promised, "I implore you to contain your anticipation until then," he advised. With that, the video ended.
"That was short…" Ochaco noted.
"Who was that guy?" Rebecca asked curiously.
"Gentle," her boyfriend answered, narrowing his eyes.
"Is he famous?" the Zero Gravity Quirk user presumed, "People don't seem to like him very much…" she pointed out, noticing the massive amount of dislikes on the video compared to zero likes.
"Yeesh…" Rebecca uttered with a wince. She knew that feeling.
"I kinda know who he is," her boyfriend pointed out, getting her attention along with Ochaco's, "He's a villain who causes trouble and records it," he told them.
"Oh…" both girls said, somewhat surprised.
"Wait, then how hasn't he been caught yet?" the Cat Leaper Quirk user wondered aloud.
"No idea…" Izuku replied as he shook his head, "Whatever this guy's planning next, I doubt it's good…" he mentioned grimly.
"Hmm…" his girlfriend hummed in thought, "Maybe there's a pattern in his videos we're not seeing," she suggested, "Why don't we try looking for another video of his?" she advised in question.
"Uh, sure," the One For All inheritor replied, "Let me just see if there's something next or—" As he attempted to start scrolling, his phone slipped out of his hand. "Oh, shoot!" he yelped, quickly snatching it, "Huh…" he exhaled with relief, "Sorry about that…" he apologized, "Didn't realize my hands were… so…" he started to say slowly, only to widen his eyes. Ochaco blushed a bright red.
Izuku's phone thankfully hadn't fallen onto the floor. But instead, it wound up falling into Rebecca's cleavage, which his hand had entered. She was blushing a bright red. A moment this embarrassing hadn't happened since Mina had caught her with her hands on her boyfriend's crotch. And it was worse with practically everyone around. Fortunately, the One For All inheritor was quick to snap out of his shock and pull his phone back before anyone could see what happened.
He was about as red as his girlfriend was, completely shell-shocked over what just happened. Ochaco looked back and forth between the two, whistling innocently before walking away. The couple sighed deeply with relief, though they were turned away from each other. It was clear that the tension between them was getting greater. And they were either bound to give into it, or let it keep growing…
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
120 chapters! Who would've thought? Anyways, glad to have a longer chapter done this time around. Things'll get a lot more interesting during the next few updates, especially in regards to the IzuBecca content. The tension's there, but how will it all end?
You'll find out soon! Thanks for reading, everyone!