Welcome back to "Through the Rough", everyone! Last time we left off, Eri got to tour around U.A. with Izuku and Rebecca, and we had a lot of IzuBecca shenanigans! This week, we'll be delving more into the latter as the school festival draws near. Will our hero couple manage to work out the newest difficulty to their relationship?
Well, let's find out!
THROUGH THE ROUGH
"Ugh…" Rebecca groaned the moment she woke up. Sleeping had not come easy for her last night. After the whole incident with her boyfriend sticking his hand between her breasts to catch his phone, her mind was left racing. Embarrassing moments like that had been happening a lot more often lately between them.
Granted, becoming a couple did mean that a few more walls would come down between her and Izuku. But it embarrassed her so much to think about the implications of that. Exhaling a sigh, she got up from her bed. When she got downstairs to have breakfast, she immediately noticed the dark circles around the One For All inheritor's eyes. He hadn't gotten much sleep either.
"So you're sleep deprived as well, Bluegarden?" Tenya presumed as he approached the Cat Leaper Quirk user, getting her attention.
"Oh, uh… kinda…" she stuttered in admittance, "But I'll be good to go before class," she vowed. She wandered into the kitchen, pouring herself some coffee that Rikido had prepared. One week was left before the school festival. She needed to stay focused on getting the performance perfected for everyone's sake.
"Want some sugar?" Kyoka's voice inquired, making her perk up as she turned to see the Earphone Jack Quirk user handing her a packet.
"Oh, thanks…" she responded gratefully as she accepted it, ripping it open and pouring the sugar in her mug, "Huh…" she sighed out, "Didn't really get much sleep last night…" she confessed before her classmate could ask.
"Dare I ask why?" she inquired. Rebecca shook her head.
"I'll be fine," she promised, "I just… need some time to sort things out," she confirmed.
"Gotcha'," Kyoka responded with a nod, "Well, see you in class," she remarked, heading off. The Cat Leaper Quirk user smiled a little, looking back to her boyfriend. He was having his breakfast, chewing contently on his food before spotting his girlfriend's gaze on him. The two blushed a bright red, turning away from each other instantly.
'Oh, geez…' Rebecca muttered inwardly, 'We really need to talk to each other about this…' she insisted of herself, sipping her coffee to wake up at least a little more.
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
Six days went by. Not a meaningful conversation was initiated between Izuku and Rebecca. Neither of them had the nerves to handle talking for a prolonged period, especially about their recent relationship issues. The most they could do was greet each other in between classes and maybe exchange some notes or two, along with some kisses. Not many would've noticed the tension between them. But someone did.
"Damn lovesick idiots…" Katsuki grumbled under his breath. He didn't much care for the pair struggling with being a couple, but he loathed how it was making them a lot tenser than usual. As the final bell rang, everyone got up from their seats and gathered their things. Izuku was putting his notebooks in his bag before a figure came across him. He looked up and lightly gasped to see his rival there.
"K-Kacchan?" he stuttered out.
"Come with me," he requested suddenly to his surprise. In the meantime, Rebecca was trudging down the halls alongside her bandmates.
"We should be able to do a couple of run-throughs tonight with the rest of the class," Momo pointed out.
"Good," Kyoka responded, "Ashido and Steiner are keeping me updated on any changes, so there shouldn't be any issues with that," she told the group.
"Hmm…" Homura hummed out, "I still worry that our music will be inferior compared to the woman whose songs we are using…" she confessed, getting the others' attentions, "The other classes may think we are just ripping off her good name for fame…" she mentioned worriedly.
"Hey, covers of songs are done all the time," the Earphone Jack Quirk user pointed out assuredly, putting a hand onto her shoulder, "Ado's music is just gonna be what helps us bring everyone's spirits back up," she affirmed.
"Right!" Momo agreed with a giggle. Rebecca smiled. It was good to see everyone in high spirits for the festival. She was confident that it would go well. Her drumming had improved tremendously with help from Kyoka, along with the rest of the band. The only issue was making sure the music, choreography, and effects all coincided.
"Hey, anybody catch where Bakugo might've taken off to?" Eijiro inquired as he was looking around with Hanta and Koji.
"Midoriya's not here, either," Minoru pointed out, looking around alongside Toru.
"Oh, those two better not be getting into another fight again!" Mina shouted in frustration. Rebecca looked back curiously. Just what was going on?
Somewhere else in U.A.'s halls, Izuku had a flabbergasted look on his face as he blinked twice. He could hardly believe what he had just heard from the Explosion Quirk user, who was standing in front of him with his back turned. Shaking his head, the One For All inheritor tried to calm down.
"Wh-What did you just say?" he stuttered in question.
"Tch…" his rival scoffed, "'Course you wouldn't believe it when I'm the one telling you…" he grumbled.
"W-Well… there's sorta a precedent for that…" Izuku stammered as a response, scratching his right cheek.
"Huh…" Katsuki sighed, "If one of you doesn't speak up and sort your crap out, then you can kiss your life as a couple goodbye," he advised to the One For All inheritor's shock, "It's already hard enough for you losers to actually be a couple when you're trying to be heroes," he mentioned on, "You have to either figure out what you need to deal with and rip that bandage, or just stop the relationship altogether," he explained, "That's the only way you'll ever get to be number one," he stated.
"Kacchan…" his rival uttered out, looking down in thought, "Thanks," he said gratefully, "I'll figure it out before the concert," he promised.
"Humph," the Explosion Quirk user scoffed, "You and Rebecca better…" he grumbled out, trudging off, "Otherwise, I'm gonna kill both of you…" he muttered, causing the freckled teen to sweat a little. He was at least a bit reaffirmed about what he needed to do. Everyone in Class A was working their hardest in the gym that night, with the band and dance teams working in sync.
Rebecca was feeling a bit better after the events of the week, managing to drum well with her bandmates. She would shoot a glance over to Izuku every now and again. Thankfully, it wasn't much of a distraction, especially since he needed to go offstage to get Yuga hoisted into the air.
"Wheee!" the Navel Laser Quirk user exclaimed as the rope lifted him high above everyone else.
"Whoa, that looks like fun!" Shiki pointed out, "Can I try it?!" he inquired excitedly.
"Shiki, you can literally fly!" Weisz noted loudly in frustration, "Huh…" he sighed out.
"That's it! Perfect!" Mina called out to Izuku, who shot her a thumbs-up in response. Just then, the doors were slammed open.
"IT'S NINE O'CLOCK!" Hound Dog roared as everyone flinched in surprise, "GET BACK TO THE DORMS, NOW!" he commanded of the students.
"Crap, sorry!" Eijiro quickly apologized. Everyone gathered their things and headed back to the dorms. Some went right ahead and cleaned themselves up before going to bed, while others stayed up in the common area.
"I can't sleep!" Denki exclaimed.
"Yeah, I'm so excited!" Minoru agreed, running around with him.
"Guys, settle down!" Mina insisted in a quiet shout, "People are still sleeping!" she pointed out. Rebecca arrived in the common room with a towel around her neck as she was dressed in a white tank top and shorts. She yawned as she walked over, spotting Izuku and Yuga sitting at a table nearby with the materials they needed for the performance.
"Looks like everything's all set here," she remarked upon approaching, getting their attentions.
"Wi, mademoiselle," the Navel Laser Quirk user agreed, "So long as we're able to pull this performance of ours off, it'll be the pièce de résistance," he affirmed with confidence.
"We just have to make sure everything's in check," the One For All inheritor pointed out.
"No doubt you two got that handled," his girlfriend, sharing a chuckle with him. He then thought back to his conversation with Katsuki, making him blink in realization.
"Hey, Rebecca?" he said, getting the Cat Leaper Quirk user's attention, "I was thinking…" he started to say, "can we ta—?"
"Mon dieu!" Yuga suddenly yelped, causing the couple to look over at him.
"What's wrong?" Rebecca asked.
"Our rope's been so frayed…" the Navel Laser Quirk user noted in response, holding up the damaged rope, "We must've put it through quite the abuse during our practice…" he mentioned, "It's physical proof of our growing friendship!" he confirmed proudly.
"Uh…" the ash blonde-haired girl uttered out.
"Well, we can't use a rope like this now…" Izuku pointed out, "I wish I noticed sooner…" he admitted.
"Yaoyorozu can make you a new one~!" Denki remarked in a singsong voice.
"Yaomomo's in bed already," Mina told him, "Don't go using her as your own personal factory," she remarked on.
"But you guys use me as a phone charger on the regular…" the Electrification Quirk user muttered.
"That's because men get no respect," Minoru claimed.
"Huh…" Rebecca sighed out, "I think there's a hardware store not too far from UA," she said, causing her boyfriend to blink in surprise as he looked over at her.
"Yeah, that'll work out," he confirmed in reply, "Plus, I get up pretty early anyways," he mentioned.
"Uh, you sure?" Denki inquired, chiming into the conversation, "Most places don't open up until nine on weekends…" he pointed out.
"The store I saw opens at eight," the Cat Leaper Quirk user noted as a response, "Plus, we can grab any other materials we might need just in case," she mentioned.
"Wait, we?" her boyfriend repeated out of confusion.
"Well, yeah," she replied, "You wouldn't mind if I came with you, right?" she inquired of him.
"Oh, of course not!" he affirmed in reply, "We'll have a lot of time to get there and back before even the festival starts!" he proclaimed with confidence.
"Mm-hmm," his girlfriend agreed as she nodded. This was going to be good for them. Not only was it an opportunity to help, but also a chance for them to finally have a meaningful talk about their relationship.
X
"Morning!" Rebecca called out, entering the clearing as she waved hello to her boyfriend and All Might, who perked up upon spotting her.
"Oh, Young Bluegarden!" the latter greeted, "Here to watch your boyfriend's training today?" he presumed as she approached.
"Might as well," she responded, "We were gonna go out on an errand together once he was all set," she told him, "How's it going so far?" she asked of Izuku.
"Good!" he replied, "My control's getting a lot better, even though I still have to think about it when I kick up the percentage of power I've got a handle on," he explained to her.
"We've figured out how Young Midoriya can put this to good use," All Might mentioned, "Even got Young Hatsume involved," he added on.
"Wait, Hatsume?" Rebecca repeated in surprise. As if on cue, the Zoom Quirk user suddenly appeared from the bushes.
"There you are, Midoriya!" she exclaimed, making him and his girlfriend jolt in surprise.
"H-Hatsume!" the former stammered out. Rebecca was astonished by just how unkempt and dirty the Support Course student looked. It was like she hadn't slept for days. However, she didn't care.
"I got the gloves you asked for to work, so I came to deliver them in person!" she confirmed, holding out a pair of white gloves with green palms and orange sights attached to each of the knuckles. They also featured a dual-layered band around the wrist decorated with a blue seam.
"Wow, those look great!" Rebecca complimented.
"Thank you so much!" Izuku exclaimed gratefully as he accepted the gloves into his hands, "You could've just given these to me after the festival though…" he pointed out.
"Nah, it's no biggie," Mei assured, "I'm gonna sleep for a full thirty-six hours after today," she declared with a thumbs-up.
'Not sure if that's supposed to be a flex…' Rebecca noted to herself as a drop of sweat rolled down the side of her head.
"Oh yeah, that reminds me!" the Zoom Quirk user yelped as she zipped up to the ash blonde-haired girl, "I'm making a new set of babies for you in place of those crummy pulse pistols that broke!" she told her.
"Wait, really?" she inquired, blinking in surprise.
"Mm-hmm," Mei responded with a nod, "Something that'll fit with your costume design, like Midoriya and his new gloves!" she added, "After all, an inventor needs to be able to satisfy the client's needs through thick and thin!" she affirmed on.
"Well, I'm certainly satisfied!" the One For All inheritor confirmed as a response, flexing his new gloves.
"Here's the manual, by the way," the inventor chimed in, handing him a packet of paper, "Bye!" she yelled quickly as she took off in an instant.
"Whoa…" Rebecca uttered out.
"Thanks, Hatsume!" Izuku shouted gratefully, "Good luck today!" he added as a remark.
"So, why don't we give those gloves a trial run?" All Might suggested.
"Yes, sir!" his successor responded. Rebecca watched on curiously. Before her boyfriend would flick his fingers, the outer layers of his gloves would jolt forward. By doing so, the pressurized air blasts he unleashed were a lot more concentrated.
"Running an errand together today, huh?" All Might recalled, getting the Cat Leaper Quirk user's attention.
"Oh, yeah," she responded, "We have to get some new rope down at the hardware store for the concert," she told him.
"You and Young Midoriya?" he inquired on, making her blink in surprise, "Seems like something only one of you would need to take care of…" he pointed out. Rebecca then looked down sadly in thought.
"We're… also trying to get some alone time to talk…" she confessed to the former pro's surprise, "After a few months of this relationship thing since what happened on I-Island, we're a lot closer than when we started school…" she noted thoroughly, "But now…" she continued, "it's getting to the point where we're not sure where to go next," she admitted, "Like we're right at the edge of taking things to the next level, but we're too afraid as to where it'll go…" she added in explanation, letting out a sigh.
"…I see…" All Might awkwardly responded after a moment, "Well, I can't exactly help you on that front…" he said, much to her shock as she looked over at him, "Unlike you two, I've never been in a relationship…" he told her, "so what happens between you, I can't assist you with," he stated, "You'll have to figure that out for yourselves," he advised. Rebecca glanced down at the ground again.
"Yeah," she responded. She looked at her boyfriend, who was doing well with his new gloves. Things were looking up for him. So she wanted to make sure their relationship was looking up as well.
After a while, the pair left to head off to the hardware store together. Izuku had spent longer than he imagined with breaking in the aptly-named Air Force Gloves. It was a little after eight in the morning as the pair made their way to the hardware store, acquiring the rope they needed. Rebecca had also gotten herself a chocolate bar as a snack, chewing it contently as she walked out of the sliding doors alongside her boyfriend.
"Want some?" she offered, holding her candy out to the One For All inheritor.
"Yeah, thanks," he replied gratefully, taking a piece and putting it in his mouth, "It's too bad we couldn't find that other stuff…" he grumbled in admittance between bites, looking back down the street.
"I texted Rikido a few minutes ago," his girlfriend confirmed, holding out her phone, "I'm sure he's got what we'll need just in case," she added confidently.
"Alright, then let's go," Izuku insisted, ready to head out, "We might get back before the festival starts if we hurry," he mentioned.
"Uh, wait a sec," Rebecca said, causing him to stop and turn to her.
"Is… something wrong?" he asked, only to blink in realization, "Oh… right…" he uttered out, "You were probably wanting to get the chance to talk…" he noted.
"You too, huh?" the Cat Leaper Quirk user concluded, earning a nod in reply, "Huh…" she sighed, "It seemed so easy at first," she admitted, "We were just going out for lunch, going to movies, and everything else normal couples do…" she listed off, "And then… there was what happened at summer camp…" she recalled on.
"What do you…?" Izuku started to question, only to blush in realization upon remembering that she had seen him in just a towel.
"Since then, nothing's been the same in our relationship," she pointed out, "We kept getting closer and closer up to the point where we don't know where to go except…" she continued, blushing a bright red, "to a new level…" she finished. Her boyfriend gulped audibly.
"Yeah… I get what you mean…" he confirmed, exhaling his own sigh, "To be honest, I think we need to have this tension between us figured out soon…" he advised, "Otherwise, we're just gonna end up putting ourselves in trouble while training to be heroes…" he noted.
"Who… told you that?" Rebecca asked.
"Kacchan, if you can believe it," Izuku replied to her shock, "The thing is, I really don't want what's between to get stuck like this…" he confessed, "I want us to keep being boyfriend and girlfriend, even if the teachers aren't exactly for it," he added thoroughly.
"Izu…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user uttered.
"I'm… not exactly sure what we can do that we're both comfortable with…" the One For All inheritor admitted, holding the bags in his hands tightly, "I always thought it'd just happen naturally, but…" he continued, letting out another sigh, "I think we need to both agree on something that'll at least ease the tension," he advised seriously. Hearing that, Rebecca looked down in thought. After a moment, she blinked in realization.
"In that case… I think I might have something we could do…" she told him, making him widen his eyes slightly, "It's not totally weird or anything, but…" she kept going, blushing a little, "maybe we could—"
"Goodness!" a voice suddenly yelped nearby, causing the couple to jolt in surprise upon seeing the masked gentleman beside them with a short young woman, "Careful where you stand, young ones," he advised of them, "You almost made me lose the taste of the Gold Tips Imperial!" he pointed out emphatically.
"Oh, we're sorry, sir!" Rebecca apologized, stepping aside. However, she couldn't help but think she had heard that voice somewhere before. And Izuku remembered the name of the tea that he had from Momo a week ago was the same one the gentleman was raving about.
"Come along, La- I mean, come along, honey," he beckoned of the woman beside him.
"H-Honey?!" she stammered in surprise, "Uh, yeah, that's me!" she stuttered out, walking off with him.
'That… was weird…' Rebecca noted inwardly.
"So… that little building there's a tea shop, huh?" her boyfriend pointed out, looking at the house-like edifice beside the hardware store. The gentleman overheard, perking up in surprise.
"Ahahaha!" he laughed, approaching the couple, "You must be familiar with Gold Tips Imperial if you made that realization!" he pointed out, "You're obviously a boy with refined taste!" he mentioned in a complimentary tone, causing the freckled teen to give off a nervous smile, "Always a pleasure to meet a fellow connoisseur, even if you are just a lad," he added on.
"Um, well… I don't really know that much…" Izuku admitted as a response.
"Yeah, me either…" Rebecca chimed in, "We recently just had that brand of tea from a friend of ours…" she recalled. Both of them felt as if they had heard the man's voice before. An uneasy feeling was stirring up inside of them.
"Oh, you both undoubtedly run in high-class circles!" the gentleman realized. At the same time, he came to the stark realization that they were likely from an elite school. "Uh, I mean… you have a wise friend…" he corrected.
"Yeah, she's our classmate…" Rebecca replied. The pieces were coming together between her, her boyfriend, and the man before them. The latter had figured out the couple was from U.A., while they knew his true identity: Gentle Criminal.
"Well… I hope you'll pardon me…" the gentleman said, tipping his hat before turning around and heading off alongside the woman with him.
"…Wait," Izuku said darkly, getting his attention, "That tea you just had…" he began, looking up at the man, "it's part of your ritual, right?" he presumed. Gentle cursed himself for being allured by the curiosity of one so young with knowledge of exquisite teas. He was found out by the pair before him and his partner.
Their plan was an elusive one, making an attempt to sneak into U.A. High during the school festival. And part of their success would be attributed to their usual ritual of teatime. But now, it had become a detriment. Izuku put down his shopping bags.
During Eri's visit, he learned that if an alarm went off during the festival, even if it was a false one, the whole school would need to be evacuated and thus ruin the event. Everything was at stake. Everyone's hard work and determination would be for nothing if something were to go wrong. And he didn't want that. Neither did Rebecca.
"Ritual?" Gentle repeated in confusion, "Whatever do you mean, lad?" he inquired, trying to save himself.
"We saw your video," Rebecca confirmed in reply, making her blue-glowing markings appear at her legs.
"Please…" her boyfriend started to plea.
"La Brava, I think it's time to bring out the camera…" Gentle advised as he took off his mask and sunglasses.
"We don't care what you have planned…" Izuku affirmed as he stood upright with a determined look upon his face, "We won't let you near our school!" he declared. It was 8:33 AM.
X
"Well, aren't you two perceptive lads…" Gentle remarked to his two new foes.
'Okay, he's definitely our guy, but now what?' Rebecca inquired of herself, looking around to see practically no one in sight, 'It's Saturday morning, so there's nobody around,' she pointed out inwardly, 'And I doubt there's a hero agency near UA…' she added through her thoughts. She looked over to her boyfriend, who nodded to her. 'Right, Izu'll take 'em on and I'll get the police on the line,' she decided, reaching into her hoodie's right pocket for her phone.
"La Brava…" Gentle began to the woman beside him, "from this moment on, don't stop filming," he advised of her.
"I'm on it, Gentle!" she responded, "But are you really gonna fight?" she wondered aloud as she pulled out her camera and turned it on, "What about your master plan?" she inquired on. Her partner grabbed his trench coat.
"Dearest viewers," he began, "today I'm going to give you a good taste of my hijinks!" he declared, throwing his disguise aside, "Try not to be so dazzled that you'll avert your eyes when your favorite scoundrel shows off his talents!" he insisted, "Gentle Criminal, at your service," he introduced. Meanwhile, his partner threw off her disguise. She was a very short young woman with quite a large, round head, compared to her narrow body. She had raspberry pink hair, which she wore up in two high pigtails, wide and thick at the top and thin at the bottom, the ends curved upwards to the sides at her waist, their edges trimmed straight. She had a single bang in the middle of her forehead, swept pointedly to her right, and very large, pointed-down eyes with dark rings on the underside of each, two longer eyelashes to each far side, which took up most of her face. Her irises were oval-shaped, pink in color, and each had two circles between their small pupils and their rims, giving them a rather hypnotic look.
'Is she livestreaming this?!' Rebecca wondered inwardly, 'No, it's probably just being recorded to get uploaded later…' she concluded to herself.
"Due to our current predicament, friends…" Gentle continued, looking to the camera in his partner's grasp, "I'll keep my words brief," he said, "For this caper…" he kept going as he posed dramatically, "I will infiltrate UA!" he declared.
"So cool!" La Brava exclaimed as she shivered with excitement.
'So not cool!' Rebecca remarked through her thoughts as she was about to dial for the police on her phone.
"I won't let you do that!" Izuku yelled, lunging out at that them. But all of a sudden, he found himself stopped in midair due to plastic film-like layer his body pressed against.
"I-Izu?!" his girlfriend stammered in shock, "What just happened?!" she asked.
"I conjured up this barrier when I cast off my overcoat," Gentle replied, "If you've seen my videos, then you should already know…" he pointed out, "My Quirk is Elasticity," he told his foes, "I bestow said property to anything I touch," he explained on, "That even includes the air itself," he mentioned.
"Izu, hold on!" Rebecca yelled, hurrying over to her boyfriend.
"Gently Rebound!" the villain exclaimed, swiping his hand along the elastic barrier he created, blowing the One For All inheritor back. He crashed into his girlfriend as they tumbled away, with her dropping her phone onto the sidewalk in the process.
"Ow…" she muttered out, pushing herself back up, "You okay, Izu?" she inquired of the freckled teen, who sat up himself.
"Yeah…" he replied.
"Sorry to cut and run, but the show must go on!" Gentle declared, hurrying off alongside La Brava.
"Don't apologize…" Izuku growled out, hopping onto his feet as he reactivated his Full Cowling.
"Yeah…" Rebecca agreed, getting up and readying her wing-like markings at her ankles, "Just stay away from our school!" she insisted, charging at the two villains alongside her boyfriend.
"A clever couple, but no such luck for you!" Gentle yelled as he whipped around and palmed the sidewalk, "Gently Trampoline!" he exclaimed, making the ground in the vicinity all rubbery. The moment Izuku and Rebecca touched it, they found themselves launched up high into the air as they yelled.
'You've gotta be kidding me!' the latter of the two shouted inwardly, 'This guy doesn't seem like someone we should even be having that much trouble against!' she pointed out through her thoughts.
"When I was a lad your age, I too poured my heart into working on school festivals with my class," the Elasticity Quirk user noted to his foes, "I know you have feelings about this, but they can't outdo the desires of mine!" he proclaimed, "I will become a legend as of today!" he declared fiercely. He and La Brava then started hopping off via elastic platforms the former conjured. "Cheerio, lads!" he remarked in farewell, "Hope you stick the landing!" he added.
"Get back here!" Rebecca shouted out, "Ah, if only I had my pulse pistols…" she grumbled aloud. She then looked over to her boyfriend, gasping a little at the fierce expression upon his face. Thinking back to how Eri was getting a little excited for the festival and how everyone wanted to give it their all, he was hoping to make it a great experience. And it would be all for nothing if he didn't stop Gentle now.
He had to focus. Even if he was still practicing with his new move, he had to at least try. It was the only way he could attack at the moment. He curled his middle finger in, holding it back with his thumb. Thinking of all the people that had helped him get to this point, he was ready to take a risk.
"Delaware Smash…" he began as the outer layer of his glove jolted forward before he flicked, unleashing a pressurized blast of air that struck his foe squarely in the back, "AIR FORCE!" he exclaimed loudly.
"Gahh…!" Gentle gasped out, "Some kind of air cannon…?" he presumed through a grunt.
"Nice shot, Izu!" Rebecca complimented.
"Rebecca!" her boyfriend called out, causing her to perk up as she saw him flip over and extend his left hand out to her, "I'll catch up with you quick!" he promised.
"Right!" she responded, grabbing his hand with hers. That allowed for him to swing her around and throw her out at their fleeing foe.
"Hah!" he laughed, "That measly little blast won't be enough to stop me!" he affirmed.
"AONEKO…" Rebecca's voice started to bellow, causing him to gasp as he whipped his head around to see her coming, raising her right leg, "AXE!" she exclaimed, landing a good kick to his back.
"Gentle!" La Brava yelped.
"We're not letting you near UA, got it?!" the Cat Leaper Quirk user declared, "All of us worked too hard on the festival for you to go and ruin it!" she yelled fiercely.
"That's right!" Izuku yelled as he dove in and tackled the villain with her, "Don't trample on everyone's feelings!" he insisted.
"I see, forgive my rudeness!" Gentle remarked before they all crashed into a nearby construction site.
"Gentle, no!" La Brava screamed as dust billowed from the impact. An old man nearby had taken notice of the scene as well.
"Looks like some trouble's brewin'…" he remarked aloud. At the construction site, both Izuku and Rebecca tumbled out, remaining on their feet. The former inwardly thanked Mei for providing him with the items needed for ranged attacks, and Mina for helping him improve his focus and maneuverability in their dance training.
"Sorry, I lost my hold on him…" his girlfriend apologized.
"No, you're fine," he assured in response as the dust was slow to settle, "Once we capture him, we'll report to the police right away," he decided.
"Got it," Rebecca responded, only to blink in realization, "Oh crap, I think I dropped my phone back on the street!" she exclaimed, causing her boyfriend to gasp.
"What an unexpected turn of events…" Gentle's voice remarked, getting their attentions, "This won't do at all…" he admitted as his foes turned to where they heard him, "However, one must keep a sense of humor about such things, mustn't one?" he presumed, all while his coat hung him upon a steel beam.
'How can he be so casual about this?!' Rebecca inwardly wondered.
"Isn't it time to drop the act already?!" Izuku shouted in question.
"My plan will still be but a smashing success!" the villain proclaimed, "This is merely just a delay…" he mentioned confidently.
"Afraid not," the Cat Leaper Quirk user remarked as a response, taking a ready stance, "You're pretty much cornered…" she declared.
'I doubt that's going to make him give up, though…' her boyfriend admitted inwardly, clenching his teeth, 'The festival's still in danger…' he confirmed through his thoughts.
"Yes, that is the resolve of Gentle Criminal!" the Elasticity Quirk user stated.
"You're no gentleman!" Izuku shouted, aiming his gloved hand out at the villain as he curled his middle finger in, holding it back with his thumb, "We know you're planning to do something to UA!" he pointed out, "What do you want with our school?" he growled in question.
"Hmm…" Gentle hummed out, "You'd like to know my scheme, ey?" he inquired of his foes, "I implore you not to associate me with those foul fiends of the League of Villains, though I may be a ruffian," he advised, "For you see, I have no desire for murder, kidnapping, or any such rubbish," he listed off in explanation, "I simply wish to sneak into your school festival so the world indeed knows that I am a master criminal," he told them.
'That's it?!' Rebecca yelled inwardly.
"You have to know that the campus is on emergency alert nowadays!" Izuku pointed out to their foe, "Someone's bound to catch you before you sneak in, and it'll set off all kinds of alarms!" he added emphatically.
"Yeah, just quit while you're ahead!" his girlfriend insisted, "The school festival will end up canceled, and you'll be in jail!" she mentioned on.
"Ah, I don't fear being detected…" the villain affirmed, still confident, "My partner has devised an ingenious plan to disable all of your school's security sensors," he explained, "Nothing will be canceled, and my dastardly plan will be a success!" he proclaimed on, "It's a win-win situation, my lads!" he assured to his foes.
"No, it's not!" Rebecca exclaimed, "That'll just make even more trouble!" she noted emphatically.
"Fair enough," Gentle concurred.
'Wait, partner?' the Cat Leaper Quirk user uttered inwardly, 'He must mean that woman with the camera…' she recalled, looking around and finding La Brava standing nearby, 'In that case…' she began to herself.
"Izu, deal with him!" she insisted of her boyfriend, "I'll take care of his partner!" she decided, hurrying off toward the pigtailed woman.
"Right, got it!" Izuku responded, ready to flick his finger at the Elasticity Quirk user. However, he cracked a smirk.
"I don't think so, lads," he remarked. As Izuku fired off a pressurized air blast his way, he dodged by bouncing off an elastic cushion of air he formed. He then started bouncing all around the structure of the site, making the steel beams rubbery thanks to his power. Noticing as she charged for La Brava, Rebecca gasped.
'I can't even see where he's going!' she pointed out through her thoughts, 'With all that momentum, it's practically impossible to figure out where he'll end up!' she noted to herself. As if on cue, the villain wound up bouncing in front of her. 'Oh crap!' she yelped inwardly.
"Gently Rebound!" he exclaimed, putting up an elastic layer of air before himself and his partner, which the Cat Leaper Quirk user ran into, her face being squished. She steeled herself before she could get propelled back however, making her markings at her ankles shine brightly. When she opened her eyes, she found herself just making the charge toward La Brava.
'Guess I can control how far I can go back now, depending on the limit I hit…' she realized, 'In any case, Izu's gonna have a tough time against that guy if he can't read his moves,' she told herself, 'Which means…' she continued through her thoughts. She kept on course for the pigtailed woman, who grimaced. However, Gentle landed in front of her like before.
"Izu, now!" she shouted, causing her foes to blink in surprise. The One For All inheritor whipped around, flicking his fingers to unleash a pressurized air blast towards them. The Elasticity Quirk user was quick to grab his partner and bounce out of the way, setting her down safely before continuing to bound about.
"Gentle, maybe we should retreat!" she suggested, "There's probably police and people who've seen us!" she pointed out.
"Nay, La Brava!" her partner refused, "Though the snags are there, we will still prevail!" he declared firmly.
'We gotta catch him now!' Rebecca insisted, hurrying over alongside her boyfriend. However, they both noticed him removing the bolts from a rubbery steel beam he was squatting upon. He explained that his Quirk's effects couldn't be canceled out by his own will, only to return to normally gradually over time.
And with the beam's structure affected by his bouncing, along with the removal of all the bolts, it was bound to fall. That would've been bad enough, but there was also someone witnessing the scuffle from below. Widening his eyes as the beam fell, Izuku lunged over to catch it.
"Izu!" his girlfriend exclaimed. He grimaced and grunted as he held the beam as best he could.
"Not a murderer, huh…?!" he groaned out, "Even though you just tried to drop it on that guy?!" he inquired angrily.
"Heavens, no," Gentle retorted, "I planned to bounce it back up should you have kept to yourself for some reason," he told him, "I just needed to keep you occupied for the moment," he pointed out, turning to face Rebecca, "As for you, my dear…" he continued. She clenched her fists.
"You won't get past me!" she proclaimed.
'And even if you do, I can just reverse as long as I can to try again!' she added to herself. She lunged forward, only to find herself caught in a film of air. 'Oh, shoot!' she yelped inwardly in realization, grimacing. The villain chuckled as he approached.
"Gently Rebound!" he exclaimed, swiping at the elastic film air to propel her back. She started bouncing around wildly, unable to concentrate.
"Rebecca!" her boyfriend cried out.
"I do hate to leave you two with such a strain, but do be good chaps and bear your struggles patiently," he advised. The Cat Leaper Quirk user finally managed to come to a stop as she rolled along the ground, halting upon her stomach as she groaned. "Help will arrive soon, and you'll both be safe," the villain assured, "By that point, I should be done filming," he added while using his power on a nearby crane, making it rubbery.
"No…!" Rebecca growled out, thinking of her classmates and everyone else who was looking forward to the performance ahead. As she staggered to her feet, she watched as Gentle and La Brava launched themselves out towards the school. She gritted her teeth. This couldn't be how the fight ended. And it wasn't.
Managing to hold the beam with just his left hand, Izuku managed to fire off an air blast towards the duo, who managed to narrowly evade it. It was 8:51 AM, just almost an hour before Class A's concert. Both hero hopefuls were determined to make sure it wasn't stopped.
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
And thus begins Izuku and Rebecca against Gentle! I was going to have it be Izuku and Kris originally, but this thematically made a lot more sense. Plus, doing an IzuBecca team-up is perfect for this part of the story going forward.
Get excited for what's ahead, because it'll be awesome. Thanks for reading, everyone!