Chapter Text
"Heads up!" an excited and visible Toru exclaimed as she ran up and leapt toward a surprised Rebecca, causing her to yelp before catching her and falling onto the classroom floor.
"Ow…" she muttered out, rubbing the back of her head, "Toru, what the heck was that for?!" she questioned of the Invisibility Quirk user, sitting up with her.
"Sorry…" she apologized, "I just figured you would've been able to catch me easy like you did that car," she pointed out.
"I was only able to do it 'cause I was in Overdrive, you know…" Rebecca retorted with a look of annoyance.
"Again, super sorry!" Toru apologized with a sheepish wave of her hands. With winter break over, Class 1-A was back to their studies. And a lot had changed. Everyone was in high spirits from their work studies, especially the Cat Leaper Quirk user. The video of her catching the falling car to save the mother and daughter inside was shared online millions of times. It was all thanks to Marin, who had recorded it in the first place.
"I had a lot of people looking at me like I was a celebrity or something…" Rebecca recalled, blushing a little, "I kinda feel bad Izu and the others didn't get that sort of rep, too…" she pointed out.
"Actually, there were a few people who wanted to interact with us," Homura noted as she approached alongside Shoto.
"Yeah," he confirmed with a nod, "They said they were followers of that Kitagawa girl and saw our pictures with her," he pointed out. From nearby, Katsuki scoffed in frustration, having had the displeasure of being watched on curiously by some girls on his way to class.
"You guys are really getting the best training from the best pro after all," Denki chimed in, "No surprise you've got all the popularity these days," he mentioned on.
"Yeah, you're awesome!" Eijiro complimented, making everyone smile.
"Good morning, everyone!" Tenya called out in greeting as he went up to the podium with Momo, "I hope you all had a Happy New Year along with some experience out in your work studies!" he remarked to his classmates, who all took their seats, "Today's class will consist of a practical briefing," he told them, "We'll each share our accomplishments, challenges, etcetera with the rest of the class from over the winter break," he confirmed on, "So class, it's time to suit up and head over to Ground Alpha!" he declared.
"Right!" everyone responded. Moments later, the door opened to reveal Shota there, carrying his sleeping bag under his left arm.
"Quiet! It's time to get started!" he yelled out, only to blink in surprise to see his students grabbing their suitcases.
"Happy New Year, Mister Aizawa!" Rebecca greeted as she walked over with Tsuyu and Mina.
"Happy New Year, sir!" Tenya called out to the homeroom teacher, "I've already gone ahead and briefed everyone on what we're covering for class today," he told him.
"Oh, good," he responded, somewhat surprised by his class' punctuality.
"Man, Iida," Denki chimed in as he walked by, "you're really going all out today," he noted.
"Indeed," the Engine Quirk user responded, "Thanks to Manual, I've learned quite a lot during our week in the field," he pointed out while adjusting his glasses, "How to work hard without being uptight!" he declared, "Heck yeah, that's the only way to live!" he proclaimed while rapidly swinging his hips from side to side.
'What the heck's with all that…?' Rebecca wondered inwardly as a drop of sweat trickled down the side of her head.
"He's like a bike where the chain keeps coming off…" Weisz remarked, sharing a chuckle with Eijiro as they went down the hall together.
"Wouldn't he be more of a motorcycle, though?" Hanta inquired as he approached. As the students bantered, Shota overheard the intercom go off.
"Mister Aizawa, please report to the staff room immediately," Nezu's voice advised, causing him to blink in surprise. Meanwhile, everyone else was gathered in the locker rooms. Rebecca zipped up her bodysuit, putting on her jacket and holstering her blasters.
"Hey Becca~!" Mina's voice sang, getting her attention as she turned, "Catch!" she exclaimed, leaping over to the Cat Leaper Quirk user.
"Ah!" she yelped, managing to catch her pink-skinned classmate in her arms as she staggered back a step, "Guh…" she exhaled with relief, "Mina!" she shouted, making the Acid Quirk user giggle.
"Sorry, but I wanted to see for myself that you've got a lot more muscle than you're letting on," she remarked as she hopped out of her friend's arms.
"That was really impressive," Tsuyu complimented.
"Indeed," Momo agreed, "Between Jaguar's training for us and your experiences with Sir Nighteye and Endeavor, you've gone and overtaken a lot of the class," she pointed out to Rebecca, making her blush.
"Oh, uh, no," she claimed with a stutter, "I mean, all I did was catch a falling car…" she pointed out.
"Allyou did?!" an invisible Toru repeated, sounding astonished, "Rebecca, that seems more like something Midoriya would do!" she pointed out.
"Guess someone's proving she can be a top…" Mina teased. The Cat Leaper Quirk user's face went instantly red.
"Wh—?! MINA!" she yelled out, causing both her and the Invisibility Quirk user to giggle.
"Gotta say though, that was awesome to see," Ochaco complimented, "Kyoka was showing all of us the video before class started," she mentioned, making the Earphone Jack Quirk user squeak as she went red herself.
"Really?" Rebecca said, looking over to her friend, whose face burned scarlet as she glanced away in embarrassment.
"I mean… I thought it was really cool…" she noted, fidgeting with her earlobe jacks. The Cat Leaper Quirk user smiled.
"Thanks, Kyoka!" she exclaimed gratefully. Her friend smiled, still blushing.
"You've been doing well yourself, Homura," Tsuyu noted to the Soul Blade Quirk user as she shut her locker door, "How've things been between you and Todoroki lately, though?" she inquired curiously.
"Honestly, much better," her classmate answered with a smile, "I've completely gotten over my embarrassment, I think," she affirmed.
"That's good," the Frog Quirk user said.
"So have you and Todoroki decided on a day for your first date yet?" Toru asked curiously as she approached. Meanwhile, Izuku and the other boys were getting themselves dressed in the locker room.
"You finally got that dark energy under control?" Eijiro inquired of the One For All inheritor, getting his attention, "That's awesome!" he exclaimed, "It must've been from Bluegarden's help with you visualizing it, right?" he presumed.
"Yeah," Izuku responded, looking at his gloved left hand, "I can't really use it for more than a few seconds…" he admitted, "but it's strong," he affirmed confidently. Out of nowhere, a piece of Katsuki's mask came flying over, piercing into the side of his head.
"No… Midoriya!" Tenya gasped out, seeing his classmate fall over.
"Bakugo, what's your problem?!" Eijiro yelled over to an annoyed Explosion Quirk user.
"Stupid…" he muttered out. Blood was spurting out from the One For All inheritor's head.
"Oh no, is that his brain matter oozing out?!" Rikido inquired out of worry.
"Midoriya!" Minoru exclaimed in fright as others gathered around their wounded classmate.
OPENING
Insert "Kaibutsu" by Tani Yuuki
Opens with Rebecca getting into her winter costume, donning her cat ears and blue jacket before stepping out of the locker room. She smiles as she spots Izuku, Katsuki, Shoto, and Homura, as they're all gathered at the Endeavor Agency together. They walk into the main office, finding themselves greeted by Endeavor, Burnin, and the other sidekicks, ready to start another day of work.
We see the five interns struggling to keep up with Endeavor as he speeds ahead, saving lives and stopping villains. For a moment, he hesitates upon thinking of his family laughing at the dinner table without him. Meanwhile, Gowen is hanging out in an abandoned warehouse with Elsie and the rest of the crew, glancing out a window to see the Flame Hero he once worked under acting like more of a hero than he remembers. He turns away to gather with his colleagues, whom all don't notice the smirk on Jesse's face.
Elsewhere, Madame Kurenai marvels at the sight of the red mech suit being built for her, with her cohorts standing behind her. Nino grimaces worriedly before looking away. We get shots of the Paranormal Liberation Front, including Tomura as he enters a vat and closes his eyes, being sent into a deep slumber. Dabi is out in the city, overlooking how Endeavor and his interns are faring in fending off villains.
Katsuki blasts himself away from Baku, who swings blades of energy his way from his axe. Izuku protrudes his Blackwhip from his right arm, imitating Spider-Man as he swings about while evading the many Punishers heading his way. They're shot down by Rebecca, who winks with a grin before taking care of more foes.
Next, we find a scene of Homura coming face-to-face with Kurenai for the first time, as she opens her arms to welcome her. However, Shoto suddenly steps in between them, igniting the flames on his left side threateningly. Kurenai smirks, hopping into her mech as it towers over the two U.A. students. They take ready stances before starting a battle.
There are shots of Deadend Crow, Poseidon Shura, Tomura Shigaraki, God Acnoella, Elsie Crimson, and Saintfire Nox, as they all give off ominous auras. We also see the likes of Justice, Mirko, Holy, Eraser, Feather, and Cure, though the latter looks away. There's also shots of the other students on their internships, with Kleene and Ochaco flying alongside Nejire and Ryukyu, with Tsuyu riding aboard the Dragoon Hero's back. Weisz, Eijiro and Tetsutetsu gorge on takoyaki with Fat Gum, while Tamaki sulks in the corner, unable to keep up with their energy.
Kyoka and Mezo are interning under Gang Orca with Laguna and Hitoshi. The Tears Lover Quirk user notices that Kyoka's home screen on her phone is a picture of her and Rebecca from the school concert, which she blushes at. She yelps in embarrassment upon realizing that Laguna saw, while Mezo and Hitoshi blink in confusion. Shiki flies alongside Fumikage as they soar after Hawks, who's lost in thought over whatever the Paranormal Liberation Front is up to.
The song winds down with the interns at Endeavor's agency taking a much-needed break, having snacks and drinks atop the building's roof together. Rebecca lovingly leans against Izuku's shoulder, while Homura winds up holding hands with Shoto as they stare at the sunset together. Katsuki scoffs and trudges away, but not before taking one last glance at Rebecca and letting off the tiniest of smiles.
END OPENING
"What the…?" Rebecca uttered with widened eyes upon spotting her boyfriend walking out to the training grounds… with part of Katsuki's mask still pierced into the side of his head.
"Basically… I gotta… make my body… move as fast as my brain…" he told his classmates, who were all quite concerned that he was even standing from what had happened earlier. Immediately, Kyoka singled the obvious perpetrator, jogging over to him.
"Jerk!" she shouted, kicking him in his left shin before he could react.
"Ghrk!" he grunted out, "Again, Earjacks?!" he yelled, "What'd I do now?!" he questioned angrily.
"Oh, isn't it obvious, Mister Explosion Boy?!" she roared back, exchanging glares and growls with him.
"Oh dear…" Momo uttered.
"What exactly happened?" Rebecca inquired as she approached Weisz.
"Well, Cap was telling us about how he got that dark energy crap under control, so Katsuki got a little ticked…" he answered, putting his hands onto his hips.
"Cap?" the Cat Leaper Quirk user repeated in confusion, arching an eyebrow.
"Oh, that's my nickname for Izuku," Weisz confirmed, "Figured since we've been watching all those movies, I'd give everyone a second codename," he explained.
"Huh," Rebecca uttered, "So what's mine?" she inquired curiously.
"How 'bout Black Widow?" the Machina Maker Quirk user suggested in response, making her giggle.
"I am here!" All Might's voice suddenly echoed out, "The symbol… of sweets!" he exclaimed while stirring up cotton candy in a maker he held. However, the students walked by him, not paying him any mind. "Uh, guys?" he called out, getting their attentions, "I putallmymightinto this one gag, and you're completely ignoring it!" he noted to them.
"Oh, All Might," Rebecca greeted.
"You okay?" Minoru asked in concern.
"I'm fine, and I am here!" the former pro hero exclaimed as a response, "The symbol of sweets!" he yelled out, continuing to stir up his cotton candy as everyone watched on with exasperated expressions, "Get it? Sweets? Cotton candy?" he inquired rather excitedly.
"I do not believe that was a good gag…" Homura admitted aloud sheepishly.
"Hey, where's Mister Aizawa?" Rebecca inquired as she looked around, "I overheard he had to visit the staff room, but I didn't think it'd be long for him to get here…" she noted as All Might perked up.
"There's been an urgent matter that he needs to attend to," he confirmed to the class, "He had to leave the school to help take care of it," he mentioned.
'I wonder if it's got something to do with Eri…' Rebecca said inwardly with concern.
"Anyways, it's time we got to see just what you learned over your weeks at your new work studies!" All Might insisted of the class, "Let's be Plus Ultra as always!" he advised on. Meanwhile at Tartarus, Holy and Gran Torino were standing in a control room along with Naomasa and a few guards. The I.U.A. Hero looked down in thought for a brief moment.
"To think that we'd make such a troubling discovery when trying to get answers out of Kurogiri…" she noted aloud.
"It's quite unfortunate indeed…" Sorahiko concurred, "Are Mic and Eraser here yet?" he inquired of the detective.
"They both just pulled in," he confirmed, walking off, "I'll go bring them here," he decided.
"I'll meet you halfway," Gran Torino assured, heading out of the room as well, leaving Holy behind. She stared down for a moment before peering over to the glass window separating her and others inside from the prisoner in his lone cell, being Kurogiri. His dark, misty body wafted. He didn't appear to be human.
But he was. Who he was made things all the more troubling. As it turned out, Kurogiri's Quirk was a manifestation of other Quirk factors being combined with a base to form a new one. It had taken researchers a long time to uncover the truth. Once they did, they learned about the base power and who once wielded it. The doors slid open, enticing the I.U.A. Hero to look over and give off a solemn expression to see the troubled faces of both Shota and Hizashi.
"Holy…" the latter uttered out.
"I assume you're aware of the situation?" she guessed. Naomasa nodded for the pair of U.A. teachers in confirmation.
"We found out that the base of this Quirk… is very similar to that of Oboro Shirakumo's," he told them. Shota tensed up, remembering how he, Hizashi and their long-passed classmate had been working hard to become heroes at U.A. He wanted for the three of them to start an agency together. Even if one of them slipped up, the other two could help pick up the slack. That was the dream, anyway. And it was one that ended far too soon.
"So in other words, Kurogiri is a kind of Nomu," Gran Torino said, "And there's a high probability that the base of his Quirks… was adapted by using Oboro Shirakumo's remains," he added in explanation.
"I'm so sorry for all of this…" Holy apologized to the two U.A. teachers.
"You know what they used to call us back in the days?" Hizashi inquired, causing her to perk up, "Class A's three dumbigos…" he told the I.U.A. Hero, who glanced away sadly, "This doesn't make any damn sense!" he shouted out. From what Gran Torino told him and Shota, All For One had been targeting U.A. for a long time, even before All Might became a teacher there. There was such a large abundance of strong Quirks to take from the school's rising stars, and Oboro just so happened to end up as one of his many targets. In all likelihood, his body was likely switched before being cremated, thus leading to the villains experimenting on it.
"We can't expect things to make sense at this point," Holy stated, "It's just pure evil, which rarely makes sense," she affirmed on.
"So why are we here?" Shota asked, getting her attention, "You still haven't explained that to us…" he noted, narrowing his eyes, "You think us being here's gonna make some sort of miracle happen?" he presumed, "You've been watching too many movies…" he muttered.
"Miracles do happen," Gran Torino retorted, "They often lead to possibilities," he mentioned as he turned to lead both the Erasure Quirk user and Hizashi back into the hall, with Holy and Naomasa to follow alongside some of the guards. They explained how the Nomu that Endeavor had in Kyushu had a distinctive personality compared to those seen before it. When its remains were analyzed, it turned out its body belonged to that of an underground street fighter, who was prone to being violent.
"Meaning it still had aspects of its personality before death?" Shota inquired, "Well you have to remember, I fought Kurogiri at UA," he pointed out, "He spoke completely different than Shirakumo and didn't even react to me," he added further.
"That may be due to the experiments they ran on him," Holy presumed.
"We don't know for sure…" Naomasa admitted, "But regardless, I'll emphasize again," he continued as they arrived at a cell door, "If you can just get him to talk, it would be a great help," he said. The door opened, allowing for both Shota and Hizashi to go through. Eventually, they arrived at a room with two chairs facing a glass window, separating them from the restrained and sedated Kurogiri. Both teachers were tense. As the rest of the group had returned to the control room for the time being, Holy sighed sadly.
"Do we really have to put them through this…?" she wondered aloud.
"I don't like it either…" Gran Torino confessed, "But at the same time, we don't have any good leads," he pointed out, "If they can get through to Kurogiri, we might have something to work with," he inferred.
"…I hope you're right…" Holy responded as she glanced away.
X
"Ha!" Hizashi laughed out from the interrogation room, "You really think we can reawaken Shirakumo?!" he inquired of those in the control room, "So what, should we talk about old times?" he inquired over the intercom.
"What about his family?" Shota questioned.
"Try anything," Naomasa requested, "If you two can't get through to him… we're going to ask them to see him next," he warned.
"Naomasa…" Holy uttered in surprise. From the interrogation room, Shota closed his eyes for a moment in thought. This was a now-or-never situation. If he and Hizashi couldn't get Kurogiri to talk, then it was very likely that the methods law enforcement would use next would much more distasteful. He opened his eyes as they flashed red, while his hair stuck up.
"I would never allow his parents to see that he had been turned into something so disgusting," he stated firmly. A groan came out from the Warp Gate Quirk user.
"He's awake," one of the operators confirmed from the control room.
"Alright, go ahead and start," Naomasa advised of the two teachers.
"Oh… what's this…?" Kurogiri wondered aloud as his glowing yellow eyes opened up, "What an unexpected pair of guests…" he commented upon seeing Shota and Hizashi.
'Even though Shota's using his Quirk on him, that mist hasn't faded from around his body…' Holy noted to herself as she watched on, 'I suppose his body doesn't have a normal form anymore…' she presumed, tensing up.
"Looks like you guys got it wrong after all!" Hizashi yelled out, "This freak's nothing like Shirakumo!" he proclaimed.
"How is Tomura Shigaraki doing?" Kurogiri suddenly asked, much to his surprise as he froze for a moment, "He hasn't been captured, has he?" he inquired on, sounding worried. The Voice Quirk user trembled with anger.
"Ergh… I don't know!" he shouted, shooting up from his seat.
"I see…" the Warp Gate Quirk user uttered, "What a shame…" he remarked.
"Are you concerned about Shigaraki?" Shota guessed.
"But of course," Kurogiri confirmed in response, "It's my duty to look after him," he mentioned. Hearing that made the Erasure Quirk user tense up as his glaring eyes widened.
"That's a lame job if you ask me!" Hizashi exclaimed, "Who would ever wanna have to take care of that gloomy little punk all day long?!" he questioned, only to realize what he just said. He turned to his fellow teacher, seeing the shocked look on his face.
"I've never questioned it," the Warp Gate Quirk user stated, "I'm not the type to neglect a friend," he added on. That was what made Shota start getting emotional. He rubbed his nose with his left pointer finger before putting his hand over his mouth, trying not to react with despair. Sitting in front of him was his old friend, now turned into a monster thanks to the villains that had taken his body.
"Do you remember?" he asked, causing Kurogiri to perk up in confusion, "The kind of guy who would take in a stray kitten… after I pointedly ignored it…" he noted in remembrance, "That kind of guy…" he repeated.
"I don't know what you're talking about," the Warp Gate Quirk user responded, "What are you here to accomplish?" he questioned. From the control room, Holy narrowed her eyes in concern.
"Are you picking up any unusual signals from him?" she inquired of the operators.
"Nope, no response," one of them replied.
"Don't you remember?" Shota inquired of Kurogiri, "I was always hesitating…" he recalled, "I didn't have a heart like you…" he mentioned in admittance. He remembered how friendly Oboro had been to him during their high school days, even being the one to give him the goggles he so regularly used with his Quirk. "You acted on instinct… I overthought…" he remembered on, "But you pulled me along…" he said.
"Is this a confession?" the Warp Gate Quirk user assumed, "Well, we aren't in a church and I'm certainly not a priest…" he remarked to the two teachers seated before him on the other side of the glass. However, it didn't deter Shota.
"Nothing could ever dampen your spirits…" he noted, "You were always looking ahead… never worrying about consequences…" he mentioned further. His eyes were starting to look dryer. "Despite the fact that a single misstep… would mean your death…" he recalled grimly, thinking of when he watched paramedics retrieve Oboro's body after they had fought a villain together. Kurogiri's eyes narrowed. From the control room, Holy happened to notice the slightest blip in the readings on the monitors, letting out a soft gasp.
"I think it's working…" she confirmed to her colleagues' surprise.
"You know… Yamada and I are teachers now…" Shota told the Warp Gate Quirk user from back in the interrogation room, "I've been incredibly strict with my students," he pointed out.
"Word on the street is you expelled quite a few of them," Gran Torino noted over the intercom to their room.
"Maybe, but only on paper…" Hizashi corrected. It turned out Shota had been granted the authority to expel and re-enroll students at UA, which he had done last year to the entire class.
"Do you knowwhyI did it?!" he inquired of the captive, now raising his voice, "I didn't want them to make the same fatal mistake you did!" he shouted out, reaching underneath his scarf to pull out his goggles, clutching them tightly in his hands, "I didn't want them to become heroes who devalued their own lives in the name of empty justice…" he mentioned on as he trembled, "At the same time… I wanted them to be like you…!" he admitted through a sob as tears were starting to prick his eyes, flowing down his cheeks, "I wanted to shape them into heroes who'd motivate and inspire others…" he continued, "And I want all the greatest heroes… to live long, happy lives!" he affirmed finally. All of a sudden, Kurogiri's body began twitching. From the operating room, the readings were starting to spike. Now everyone noticed. "Shirakumo!" the Erasure Quirk user yelled out, holding his goggles up for the Warp Gate Quirk user to see, "If you're in there, if there's any trace of my friend left at all…!" he kept going, "We can still do it, the three of us…!" he proclaimed, "We can still be heroes!" he roared.
"Shota…" Holy uttered worriedly.
"We're picking up brainwave anomalies!" an operator confirmed.
"Anything specific?" Gran Torino inquired.
"He's agitated," the operator responded.
"Who is producing the Nomu?! Where is Shigaraki hiding?!" Naomasa quickly questioned over the intercom, trying to get an answer out of Kurogiri before he could end up shutting down again. Shota wasn't focused on that. Rather, he was lamenting over what was left of his friend. Even if this was all that was left of him, it didn't matter. Nothing would bring him back.
"Tell me who the monster who did this to you is!" he demanded angrily, tears still streaking down his face, "Where'd they take you to mess with your brain?!" he shouted on in question.
"I…I don't…" Kurogiri stuttered, still twitching.
"When you last saw me… when you attacked UA…" Shota kept going, "did you really feel nothing at all?!" he questioned with rage and anguish.
"I… d-don't… I have… no idea… what… you're talking… a-about…!" the Warp Gate Quirk user stammered on, his voice and body sounding and looking like a glitch from a computer.
"Dammit, talk to us!" Shota insisted.
"Answer the question, Shirakumo!" Hizashi yelled. The brainwaves were spiking even more from the control room.
"The three of us were in Class Two-A together at UA High School!" the Erasure Hero shouted out.
"And we were all going to be heroes together!" the Voice Quirk user mentioned loudly.
"You're our friend, Oboro Shirakumo!" they bellowed together.
"I…I don't know… what… you… mean…!" Kurogiri stammered. From the control room, the brainwave readings suddenly settled. Looking back into the interrogation room in confusion, Holy widened her eyes to find that the Warp Gate Quirk user had seemingly calmed down, no longer twitching. "I am Kurogiri," he stated, "The protector of Tomura Shigaraki," he added firmly.
"Damn…" the I.U.A. Hero cursed, "Switch was flipped just before we could get an answer, huh?" she presumed.
"Nothing you're saying makes any sense to me…" Kurogiri said, right before the haze around the right side of his face started to clear away, revealing the visage of Hizashi and Shota's old friend.
"Shira…kumo?" the former uttered out in shock. He was trying to say something.
"Come on, you can fight this!" Shota yelled.
"Don't give up, Shirakumo!" Hizashi cheered. For a moment, the villain found himself remembering something about himself and the two people on the other side of the glass. If one of them slipped up, the other two would help pick up the slack and support him. And that support was what they were providing him now.
"He… rests… in a… hospital…" he finally answered before the haze around his body exploded, "I am… I am…!" he tried to say, only to shut down as the black-purple mist around his head reformed, while his eyes shut.
"Eraser Head, Present Mic," Naomasa addressed over the intercom, "That's enough. You did well," he affirmed to the pair of U.A. teachers, with the Voice Quirk user falling back onto his chair in exhaustion, emotionally overwhelmed by what he and Shota had just gone through.
"Hey… are your eyes okay?" he asked of his friend, who still had tears streaking down his face, even as he had deactivated his Quirk with his hair hanging down.
"They're dry, but it's no big deal…" he answered.
X
"Your Quirk blossomed in the Deika City fight," Daruma noted to a standing Tomura in an operating room with him, "Now you cannot only destroy whatever you touch, but anything connected to it as well," he noted, "You've truly become an embodiment of destruction," he affirmed with a chuckle, "So I must ask…" he continued, dressed in scrubs with a mask over his nose and mouth, "why do you seekmorepower?" he inquired.
"If more strength is available, why wouldn't I take it?" the Decay Quirk user questioned back, holding the lone hand he still had possession of in his broken right hand. In place of his left hand's fingers was a bio-mechanical device. "While it's true I'm no longer forced to use cheap tricks, you can see my arm's ravaged from just one full blast of my power," he pointed out, "And with a whole war coming, I won't go underestimating heroes anymore," he vowed firmly, "I'll use all the power I can get to destroy All Might and his legacy," he declared.
"Ha!" Daruma laughed, "Using your talents to the misery of your enemies!" he remarked, "Like master, like student, I suppose," he said, walking over to one of the computers as Tomura sat down upon the operating chair, "I was originally conducting this research for All For One, but you'll benefit from itquitenicely," he told the Paranormal Liberation Front's leader, "Over the generations, Quirks have merged and formed more complex and ambiguous abilities," he noted on, "Many manifestations are unyielding, much like Ether-types," he mentioned out, "Though our minds our adaptive, our physical hardware can't keep up with such power," he pointed out, "I observed this progression and called it Quirk Singularity," he said, "But no one took my research seriously, except for All For One and a few other notable figures," he confirmed as he went over to take the lone hand away from Tomura, setting it aside.
"Notable figures, huh…?" he muttered, leaning back in the operating chair.
"If our bodies can't handle such power," the doctor continued as he put on his gloves, "then humanity will become unstable," he proclaimed, "Signs of this began showing as early as the Fourth Quirk Generation," he pointed out, "All For One recognized that the problem with capacity was a serious one that needed to be remedied," he told Tomura.
"How long will this take?" he asked.
"Aw, you're like a kid waiting for Christmas morning…" Daruma commented.
"Can you blame me?" the Paranormal Liberation Front's leader questioned back, "I'm overflowing with beautiful dreams…" he noted, causing the doctor to chuckle.
"For the next four months, your life will be one of hellish pain…" he pointed out, "But when you come out on the other side, should you survive…" he kept going, "the whole world will be in the palm of your hand," he declared, "Even One For All…" he added.
"One For All?" Tomura repeated in confusion.
"Of the many designs your master had for this world, that power was the only one that end up going to plan…" Daruma told him, causing him to widen his eyes. Back at U.A.'s training grounds, the wind breezed by as Izuku flinched from the chill it gave off.
"You okay?" his girlfriend asked upon noticing.
"Yeah, just a little cold," he admitted in reply. She smiled, followed by turning to see her classmates all demonstrating their abilities up against the U.A. robots bent on taking them down.
Behold, my Navel Saber!" Yuga yelled, unleashing a blade of blue light from his belt to slash through the villain bots coming toward him.
"Nice one, Aoyama!" Toru complimented as she ran over. She then used her hands to refract his laser, shooting it through other droids closing in on them. What followed was Mina running over and leaping up, covering herself in a large amount of acid she generated from her body, as it took on an anthropomorphic form.
"Acidman!" she exclaimed, melting through a few of the bots with ease.
"Whoa, that's amazing!" Denki called out as he and the others clapped in awe.
"As expected from you three, considering you trained under Yoroi Musha!" All Might pointed out.
"Yeah, we've all been perfecting our Ultimate Moves and coming up with new ones fit for fighting!" Toru explained excitedly, while Yuga wrapped his arms around his hurting stomach, "The combos are especially helpful, too!" she added.
"Didja see my Acidman?" Mina inquired of Eijiro as she went over to him, removing her mask while shaking some of the leftover acid from her body, "I got the idea from your Unbreakable..." she mentioned, sheepishly sticking out her tongue with a grin.
"Nice...!" he replied with sparkling eyes. Everyone was getting the chance to display their skills and show what they had learned. Mashirao and Rikido, who were under Lion, showed off their progress in terms of offensive capabilities. Mezo and Kyoka had improved their reconnaissance under Gang Orca, while Denki, Hanta, and Minoru had excellent teamwork thanks to the help of the Lurkers, who consisted of Edgeshot, Kamui Woods, and Mt. Lady.
"Grandee Wing!" Weiss exclaimed, clad in his Arsenal armor as he formed a wing-like blade at his right arm, using it to slash through a few bots, while Eijiro bashed aside others with his hardened fists. The two of them had been working on strengthening their willpower under Fatgum. Momo had improved overall under the likes of Majestic, while Koji had been working on his communication skills thanks to Wash. Tenya had practiced proper ethics with Manual, and Shiki and Fumikage were improving their speed and power under the guidance of Hawks' sidekicks.
Ochaco and Tsuyu showed off their improvements in acting quickly, with Izuku taking notice of the wires the former was shooting out from her wristlets. Overall, it seemed like everyone was getting much better. It came down to the One For All inheritor, Katsuki, Shoto, Rebecca and Homura showing what they took away from their first week with Endeavor: experience.
"Happy Blast!" the Cat Leaper Quirk user exclaimed as she shot down several robots with her blasters. Shoto froze several in ice, Katsuki blasted about a dozen others, and Izuku finally managed to focus on using Blackwhip as several tendrils came out and snatched the robots, allowing him to kick through them in an instant. All Might was proud to see that his successor didn't have to look back at him anymore for help. Now he was forging his own path ahead with One For All.
"Wow, everyone's gotten amazing!" Toru complimented excitedly. Just then, she and the others heard a rumble nearby, enticing them to turn and see the massive zero-pointer robot arriving onto the scene, glaring down at them.
"ALL HUMANS WILL BE TERMINATED," it declared.
"Hah!" Katsuki laughed, getting ready to blast himself up at the giant robot, "Don't blink, idiots!" he called out to his classmates, "I'm gonna kill this damn thing!" he declared. However, a figure suddenly sped past him, being Weisz.
"Sorry, Iron Man!" he apologized, "But I gotta show you guys I'm not just a one-trick pony anymore!" he affirmed loudly.
"The hell'd you call me…?" the Explosion Quirk user uttered in confusion with a tilt of his head. He and the others watched as yellow energy lines expanded along the Machina Maker Quirk user's body, turning blue as his armor came apart around him. He had gained an overall mechanical appearance, where his neck, hands, and feet gain intricate mechanical seams, round ear cups, and four dark-colored tentacles sprouting from his back. His hair became blue, and was slid back where several blue energy lines went across his right eye. His upper legs and parts of his arms were darkened.
"Whoa, is that Steiner's Overdrive?!" Denki questioned out of shock.
"I've never even seen it before…!" Eijiro noted, quite stunned himself. Though his eyes were shaking, Shiki grinned, assuming his own Overdrive appearance as well. Beside him, Fumikage blinked in surprise.
"Magimech King?" he uttered out.
"If we're showing off, we oughta' go all out!" the Satan Gravity Quirk user affirmed, rocketing off after the zero-pointer with Weisz.
"I suppose we should do the same ourselves," Homura noted to Rebecca upon noticing. The Cat Leaper Quirk user exhaled a sigh with a smile.
"Izu, can you hold onto these for me?" she requested of her boyfriend, tossing him her blasters as he yelped in surprise. He caught them, watching her and the Soul Blade Quirk user rush off. Both of them assumed their Overdrive forms, joining their fellow Ether-types as they charged towards the zero-pointer. Rebecca sped past her classmates, running up the giant bot's body as blue bio-electricity sparked around her. She leapt over its head, extending her right leg out. Meanwhile, Weisz formed a large cannon over his right arm, closing in on the right arm of the zero-pointer. Homura readied a red energy bow, preparing a quartet of sharp arrows upon it as she aimed for left arm. As for Shiki, he condensed a sphere of gravitational energy around his right fist as he closed in on the front of the bot.
"Magimech Attack…" he started to bellow with a grin on his face, "METEOR BREAKER!" he roared, slamming his fist into the chest of the zero-pointer, crushing it instantaneously.
"IGNIA BUSTER!" Weisz yelled as he unleashed a fiery blast from his created cannon, practically incinerating the right arm of the bot.
"Warrior Maiden Archery Attack…" Homura began, launching her energy arrows as they flew around before piercing into different sections of the zero-pointer's left arm, exploding simultaneously, "KITSUNE DANCING ARROWS!" she exclaimed powerfully.
"BELLHOLY NEEDLE!" Rebecca shouted, swinging her leg down to land a strong kick to the robot's head, crushing it completely. Its body soon toppled over from the force of all four attacks, as the Ether-type Quirk users landed safely upon the ground.
"ALRIGHT!" Shiki yelled excitedly with his arms raised.
"Your Overdrive is quite impressive, Weisz," Homura complimented of the Machina Maker Quirk user, who rubbed his nose with his right pointer finger.
"Thanks for that, Valkyrie," he responded gratefully, "You and Black Widow weren't too bad yourselves," he commented.
"Black Widow?" the Soul Blade Quirk user repeated in confusion, looking over to Rebecca.
"I guess it's a thing for all of us," she presumed with a shrug of her shoulders, transforming back to normal like her fellow Ether-types.
"That was amazing, everyone!" All Might complimented, clapping his hands.
"Guess you finally conquered winter, huh Bakugo?" Eijiro assumed of the Explosion Quirk user as he approached.
"Tch," he scoffed, "I used condensed shots," he pointed out, "Winter's still crap for me…" he muttered, walking over to Weisz, "Hey, grease monkey," he called out, getting his attention.
"The hell kinda nickname is that…?" he questioned aloud as a drop of sweat rolled down the side of his side.
"That's what I'd like to know," he retorted as he tilted his head to the side, narrowing his eyes, "Why are you callingmeIron Man?" he questioned. Weisz blinked in surprise. He then cracked a grin.
"You're a better fit for that name than me," he admitted, walking past him. As everyone complimented each other for their new abilities during the exercise, All Might watched on with a smile. His students were improving bit by bit every day. And soon, they'd become great heroes.
X
"Sorry we couldn't be of more use or if it was a waste," Shota apologized to Naomasa later outside of the prison facility, shaking hands with the detective.
"No, far from it," he assured in response.
"As to Kurogiri's condition now," Holy chimed in, getting their attentions, "he basically shut down," she confirmed, "Regardless, we did take a big step forward with this," she mentioned assuredly.
"The three of you shared big dreams back in the day," Gran Torino commented, "And you chased them together," he added, "That made you open painful wounds…" he concluded solemnly, "But trust us, something good will come out of it," he affirmed as his cape flapped about with the wind. Shota's hair waved the same way.
"These Nomu… what exactly are they?" he asked, "What's the point in creating such monsters…?" he questioned on, anger building in his tone.
"At this point, who can say?" Holy responded, "Right now, our focus is making sure there are no other victims," she stated, "And with the information we gained today, little as it might be," she kept going, "we could reach a breakthrough that'll finally lead us to the creator of those Nomu," she inferred, clenching her fists, "This was good progress, and it'll make more," she finished confidently.
"I sure hope so…" Shota replied. Moments later, he and Hizashi left Tartarus.
"Huh…" Holy exhaled, "A hospital, huh?" she recalled, turning to Naomasa and Gran Torino, "It would make sense that such a facility would provide the technology capable to create such monsters," she pointed out, "But the question is, which one?" she wondered.
"It's not much go off of, but we'll find out," the detective assured, dialing a number on his phone before holding it up to his right ear. In the meantime, the elderly hero approached the dual-type Quirk user.
"You know, we might not find Crow at the end of this…" he pointed out to her.
"I know," she responded, folding her arms underneath her chest, "But I'm confident we will," she affirmed, staring off into the distance. By sunset, Shota and Hizashi were back at U.A., hanging out in one of the dormitories' common spaces.
"What are thinking right now?" the former asked of the latter, who was planked upon an ottoman.
"I could go for something easy to digest…" he answered unenthusiastically, "Udon?" he offered. The Erasure Hero sighed.
"I've been thinking… given the work studies, the Safety Commission must know something…" he told his friend.
"Yep," he agreed.
"If we find out who's manufacturing Nomu… then what?" Shota wondered on.
"I'll have a surprise karaoke contest with them," Hizashi decided, lifting his head up slightly, "Then boil their guts while their eardrums bleed," he added darkly, "And you?" he asked of his fellow teacher.
"Well…" he started to reply.
"Excuse me, Mister Aizawa?!" a voice cried out, belonging to Yor as she ran in with both Mirio and Tamaki.
"Missus Forger…" Shota uttered, "That's right, Anya's visiting today…" he remembered.
"Sorry to bother you on your break," Mirio apologized.
"Something's come up with Eri…" Tamaki confirmed to the Erasure Quirk user's surprise. Moments later, he headed off to the playroom, where Nejire was trying to comfort the horned girl in her arms as sparks of light flickered off of her horn. Meanwhile, Anya was hiding behind a toy table, trembling with fright. The door opened, revealing Shota there with Yor as they walked in.
"Oh, thank goodness…" the Surge Quirk user said upon noticing him.
"My horn's all tingly…" Eri whimpered out. Shota placed a hand atop her head as he crouched down in front of her.
"Don't worry," he assured, "You're in good hands here," he affirmed.
"That's right," Yor agreed as she bent forward, "You've got lots of friends who're here to help," she noted with a giggle, "Isn't that right, Anya?" she inquired of her daughter, who stood up from behind the table.
"R-Right!" she stuttered in agreement. Eri opened her teary eyes, as the sparks around her horn calmed down.
"What about Becca?" she asked, causing Shota to blink in surprise. He let off a small smile.
"You'll get to see her again soon, I promise," he vowed.
X
"Ahchoo!" Rebecca sneezed cutely from the teacher's lounge, dressed in her uniform like Izuku and Katsuki alongside her.
"Whoa!" her boyfriend yelped, "Are you okay?" he asked immediately in concern.
"Yeah, that was just out of nowhere…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user assured as a response, "It actually felt kinda nice…" she admitted sheepishly, sharing a laugh with Izuku.
"Tch…" Katsuki scoffed, "Just don't go spreading your damn cooties around or whatever…" he grumbled.
"Cooties…?" his rival repeated in confusion.
"What are you, five?" Rebecca questioned sarcastically, earning a glare from the Explosion Quirk user.
"Alright, that's enough," All Might advised, sitting across from the trio, "First of all, I'd like to say congrats on getting control over Blackwhip," he complimented of Izuku, who perked up.
"Oh, thank you very much!" he responded gratefully, bowing to his mentor.
"And excellent work from you too, Young Bluegarden and Young Bakugo," he mentioned to the other pair of students, "There seems to be no limit to your potential," he noted on.
"Thank you!" Rebecca replied happily with a smile.
"Obviously!" Katsuki shouted, much to her annoyance, while Izuku let out a dry laugh.
"Well, now onto the main topic…" All Might decided as he pulled out a notebook, "I'm sorry, but I couldn't figure out everything," he apologized to his successor, "But I know that you need to keep moving forward, Young Midoriya," he affirmed, setting the notebook down in front of him. It read 'Previous Successor Quirks: Notes for Young Midoriya'. Rebecca blinked in surprise, looking to her boyfriend, who tensed up. This was a big deal for him. He'd now get to know what other powers would eventually manifest like Blackwhip. "Be sure to read closely," his teacher advised, "I collected as many details as I could about each of the successors as possible," he mentioned, "Unfortunately, I couldn't find so much as a whisper about the second or third users," he admitted on, "Given the times they lived through and the nature of the ability, the official records aren't going to be helpful to us," he pointed out, "I'm also not sure what they knew about the power," he added, "If they realized how it worked, I'd assume they'd wanna help out future wielders," he finished.
"Well, that information could've been really hard to find, even for you," Rebecca inferred, grabbing the notebook off of the table and opening it.
"Who cares about a bunch of dead old heroes anyway?" Katsuki questioned, "I'm tired of wasting my time waiting for you to figure stuff out…" he muttered.
"Ugh… just stop it already…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user insisted in a grumble, turning the notebook's pages, "So the fifth user was the one with Blackwhip…" she read, "And his hero name was Lariat," she mentioned, "His real name was Daigoro Banjo…" she added, only to blink in realization. She recalled hearing that name echoing in her head after Izuku had first manifested Blackwhip during the joint training session.
"Is something wrong, Young Bluegarden?" All Might inquired in concern.
"Oh, uh, no…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user stuttered as a reply, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head while allowing Katsuki to take the notebook.
"Thanks to the threads of energy he shot from his body, he excelled at capture and midair maneuvers," he read from the page, "Hm," he huffed, "Well, one thing's obvious," he noted as he flipped through the other pages, "None of these people had Quirks even worth mentioning…" he said, "So it's no wonder I've never heard of these nobodies," he concluded.
"Huh?!" Izuku exclaimed, "What are you talking about? Their powers are amazing!" he yelled out.
"Yeah, because someone likeyouwould fanboy over every power!" Katsuki complained, while Rebecca sighed in exasperation again.
"Young Bakugo isn't technically wrong," All Might chimed in to the trio's surprise, "From what we know, All For One was obsessed with this Quirk," he pointed out, "During a time when evil had more power than one could possibly comprehend, All For One crushedanybodythat he considered strong," he explained on, "That was made possible by his perseverance and wide-ranging influence," he mentioned, "…As they died, struggling in terrible pain…" he continued, "the past users entrusted this power to the future, adding to its legacy," he noted to the students, "They weren't chosen ones," he added, "They were just the people who received the power and passed it on," he kept going, "through a fight that kept repeating itself…" he finished.
"So they all died young…" Katsuki concluded, dropping the notebook onto the table, "That tracks," he affirmed.
"…Yes, that's correct," All Might confirmed in reply after a moment. Rebecca looked over to her boyfriend, noticing how tense he appeared to be. Immediately, she gently put her left hand atop his right, getting his attention as he glanced down at it in confusion. He turned his eyes to his girlfriend, who gave off a soft yet concerned expression as she looked forward determinedly.
"So… what power will Izu get next?" she asked curiously.
"The next power he'll manifest… is Float," the teacher answered, causing the trio of students to blink in surprise, "My master's Quirk," he mentioned.
'Nana Shimura's Quirk…!' Izuku inwardly realized, remaining tense with both anticipation and excitement.
"I WIN!" Katsuki suddenly bellowed, "AHAHAHAHAHA!" he laughed, "I can already use my explosions to fly around easy!" he pointed out, "You're gonna be wasting time doing something I've been learning to do forever!" he affirmed on, "While you crash and burn, I'll hone my skills even more at the work study!" he mentioned as a vow, "Which means I'll rocket right ahead of you, ya damn nerd!" he proclaimed.
"Are you finished?" Rebecca grumbled in question to his surprise, "Not everything has to be a competition between you two…" she noted, folding her arms over her chest.
"But I'll learn how to use Float fast and catch right back up," Izuku promised, causing her to blink in surprise as she looked over at him.
"Izu…" she uttered out.
"Nah, you're probably gonna panic, go out of control, and die!" Katsuki inferred.
"No, I won't!" his rival argued, "I got the hang of Blackwhip pretty quick, so I should be able to—!"
"Die!" the Explosion Quirk user repeated callously.
"Please stop saying that…" Izuku grumbled in plea, while Rebecca sighed. All Might looked on at the trio with a smile. They seemed to be getting closer, from a certain perspective. Meanwhile, the Cat Leaper Quirk user looked down in thought for a moment. She wondered if someday soon, she'd manifest the other Quirks of One For All herself. Only time would tell…
X
"Hey Star-Lord, check it out!" Weisz called out from the Heights Alliance dormitory later that night, getting Shiki's attention as he perked up.
"What's up?" he asked, only to yelp in surprise upon seeing the lobster the Machina Maker Quirk user was holding up in his hand.
"What do you think of this big ol' bug we're gonna cook up tonight with the other hot pots?" he inquired of his classmate, who trembled with fright.
"B-B-B-Bug?!" he stammered out as he stepped back.
"Granbell, that's only a lobster…" Mashirao assured upon approaching.
"Oh, a lobster?" Shiki repeated, starting to calm down. Weisz chuckled.
"Might look like a lobster, but it's actually a big old bug…" he pointed out, holding it closer to the Satan Gravity Quirk user, who flinched again.
"I can confirm that it is a lobster, not an insect," Pino chimed in as she came over.
"That doesn't make it look any less creepy!" Shiki cried out. Noticing from afar, Ochaco gave off a glare toward Weisz, followed by noticing Koji come by. She whispered something into his ear, making him blink in surprise before looking to see her nod seriously at him. He seemed reluctant for a moment, but then walked over to the Machina Maker Quirk user.
"Guess it's not really bugs you're afraid of, but anything that's a creepy crawly, right?" he assumed of Shiki. He didn't notice the Anivoice Quirk user pass by, appearing to say something. The lobster turned in Weisz's grasp, reaching its right claw out and pinching his nose. "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed in pain, getting everyone's attention as they saw him trying to pull the crustacean off of him, "Get it off! Get it off!" he begged.
"Steiner, be careful!" Momo insisted as she hurried over.
"Yeah, a lobster's an expensive thing to eat, ya know!" Toru added while approaching herself.
"How come we're doing a lobster hot pot, too?" Denki wondered aloud, "Doesn't that seem a bit more grownup for us?" he inquired on.
"It's a sign of our improvements and maturity through our first year," Tenya proclaimed while carrying a tray of meat over. Just then, the doors opened, enticing everyone to look over to see the trio of Izuku, Rebecca and Katsuki entering.
"Hi guys!" the Cat Leaper Quirk user greeted, "Sorry we're late…" she apologized.
"What were you guys even up to?" Hanta inquired, "The house arrest kids are late again, I guess…" he remarked.
"Better hurry up and help, or you're not gonna get any meat!" Denki proclaimed.
"Right, we're on it!" Izuku assured as he sped off.
"You morons think you can take my meat away from me?" Katsuki questioned as he stomped towards his classmates, who grimaced a little. Meanwhile, Weisz finally got the lobster off of his nose thanks to Momo's help.
"Agh… ease up, Iron Man…" he insisted of the Explosion Quirk user, getting his attention, "The sooner you help, the sooner we can all eat," he affirmed.
"Exactly," the class deputy agreed as she approached, creating a bandage to put upon the Machina Maker Quirk user's nose as he blinked in surprise, "Go ahead and help however you want," she advised.
"Tch, fine…" Katsuki grumbled, sauntering off.
"Huh…" Weisz exhaled, "Thanks for that…" he said gratefully to the Creation Quirk user.
"Don't mention it!" she responded with a warm, kind smile. From afar, Ochaco took notice, blinking in surprise.
"Hey, who the hell cut these chives?!" Katsuki roared in question, holding up a string of barely-cut plants.
"Oh, I did," Shoto answered upon overhearing.
"You shamed your sister!" the Explosion Quirk user yelled, going on to cutting the chives up himself with a knife, "Damn it…" he cursed in frustration.
"Wow, you're really good," his red-and-white-haired classmate complimented.
"No, you're just incredibly bad at this!" Katsuki shouted back. Meanwhile, Rebecca made her over to the kitchen area, where Kyoka, Mezo and Rikido were cooking up the broth for the hot pots.
"How's it looking, guys?" she inquired curiously, getting their attentions.
"Pretty good," the Sugar Rush Quirk user responded, "Just need to add a few more herbs and spices before we start separating it each pot," he told her as she went ahead and grabbed a nearby spoon, scooping out some of the broth. She blew on it gently before tasting it, taking a moment to fully taste its flavor.
"Wow, it's great!" she exclaimed excitedly, "I can't wait to try it with everything else in it!" she added with a smile.
"Then we better hurry," Mezo concluded with a chuckle, seeing her head off to assist anyone else still prepping ingredients. The Dupli-Arms Quirk user then happened to notice Kyoka trembling as a blush was building upon her cheeks. "You okay, Jiro?" he asked of her in concern.
"Th-That spoon…" she stammered out, looking over to the utensil Rebecca had used to taste the broth, "I… used it earlier…" she recalled, going completely red in the face. Everyone mingled about, working to get the food for the hot pots together. Eventually, all of them were set upon the table, being boiled to perfection.
"Congratulations, everybody!" Tenya exclaimed, "I can now officially say our Starting Our Term with a Bang Hot Pot Party can now begin!" he confirmed.
"Bit heavy-handed on the name there, Iida…" Denki commented.
"Let's dig in, everyone!" the class representative insisted as he held up his drink.
"YEAH!" his classmates cheered, holding up their own drinks. With the food set on the table, everyone grabbed what they wanted. Making herself visible by putting her suppressant cuff upon her right wrist, Toru went ahead and poured herself a bowl from one of the pots, followed by Mashirao doing the same.
"Nothing like a hot pot when it's cold out!" Eijiro noted after scarfing down most of his bowl.
"You said it, War Machine," Weisz agreed while biting into a slice of pizza.
"War Machine?" Hanta repeated in confusion.
"And I thought you calling Bakugo Iron Man was weird enough…" Minoru remarked additionally, "What's up with that?" he inquired of the Machina Maker Quirk user.
"Ah, I guess I kinda realize that I'm not really a guy like Tony Stark," he admitted in response, "To be honest, I'm more of a Rocket," he confessed on.
"Yeah, that makes sense for you!" Mina chimed in, "You are more of a tinkerer if anything…" she pointed out.
"And you do stuff on the fly, too!" Toru mentioned.
"Okay, no need to poke fun at me…" Weisz mumbled out in annoyance.
"Do you have nicknames for the rest of the us?" Momo inquired curiously.
"Ooh, I'm Star-Lord!" Shiki exclaimed as he held up his right hand.
"And I guess I'm Captain America… or Cap for short…" Izuku chimed in with a sheepish grin.
"Since Bakugo's Iron Man, I guess that goes and makes me Thor, right?" Denki presumed as he smirked.
"Actually, that's more what I'd call Shoto," Weisz admitted in response to his shock.
"What?!" he exclaimed, "Then who am I?!" he questioned loudly in panic.
"Calm down, I'll go in order," the Machina Maker Quirk user assured, "Katsuki's Iron Man, Izuku's Cap, Shoto's Thor…" he listed off, "I'd say Rikido's the Hulk," he decided, making the Sugar Rush Quirk user blink in surprise.
"Oh, uh, thanks…" he stuttered gratefully.
"Rebecca's Black Widow…" Weisz kept going, "so I guess that makes you Hawkeye, Denki," he confirmed to the Electrification Quirk user, who whined.
"Come on…!" he complained, "Who wants to be the stupid archer who barely got to do anything?!" he questioned in frustration.
"Hey, Hawkeye's cool!" Hanta argued, "You saw how he kicked Loki's ass, didn't you?" he inquired of him.
"Yeah, but still…" Denki grumbled.
"Now let's see…" Weisz said, "Eijiro's War Machine, Fumikage's Falcon…" he kept listing off.
"Falcon, hm?" the Dark Shadow Quirk user uttered, "How fitting," he remarked as he looked over to Izuku, "The movie with his introduction was one of my favorites," he admitted.
"Yeah, mine too!" the One For All inheritor responded with a smile.
"Shiki's Star-Lord, Mezo's Drax, Kyoka's probably Gamora, I'm Rocket, and Koji's Groot," the Machina Maker Quirk user continued.
"So we're the Guardians of the Galaxy, huh?" Mezo noted, chuckling a little.
"I feel like I'm a little too small to be considered a Gamora…" Kyoka mumbled.
"No it definitely suits you!" Rebecca argued with a grin, making her blush. Meanwhile, Koji was smiling at his new nickname.
"So who else gets a nickname?" Toru inquired.
"Well, Mashirao and you can be Ant-Man and Wasp," Weisz responded for her and the Tail Quirk user.
"Ant-Man…?" the latter repeated in confusion, "I feel like that's more suited to Koda…" he admitted.
"Oh, that's awesome!" Toru exclaimed with sparkles in her eyes.
"Tenya and Ochaco can be Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch," the Machina Maker Quirk user added, making the pair perk up in surprise.
"Well, that's quite an honor…" the class representative admitted aloud.
"Eh-heh…" Ochaco chuckled sheepishly, "Being compared to Wanda's kinda a lot to live up to…" she confessed.
"Mina can be Nebula, and Tsu can be Mantis," Weisz mentioned as the girls perked up.
"You're comparing me to that murder-happy cyborg with daddy issues?" the Acid Quirk user inquired, arching an eyebrow.
"Uh… well… I…" her classmate stuttered, only to start hearing her giggle.
"Just kidding!" she exclaimed, "I actually really like Nebula!" she admitted.
"And I'm okay with being Mantis," Tsuyu added happily.
"Guess that must mean I'm someone cool like Spider-Man…" Minoru presumed.
"Actually, that's Hanta's nickname," Weisz corrected to his shock.
"Whoa, sweet!" the Tape Quirk user exclaimed excitedly.
"I'd call Yuga Vision, while you're probably more of a… hm… Loki, I guess…" Weisz mentioned over to Minoru, who crumbled to his knees in defeat.
"Loki, huh…?" he repeated, sounding dismayed.
"It's not that big a deal…" Kyoka argued.
"Yeah, Loki kinda becomes a good guy…" Toru added.
"Emphasis onkinda…" Rebecca chimed in.
"What about me?" Homura asked curiously, getting Weisz's attention "What about the character I'm named after?" she wondered.
"I thought I already told you earlier during our training…" he noted in reply, "You're Valkyrie," he said.
"There is a character in the movies named Valkyrie?" the Soul Blade Quirk user inquired.
"Dude, spoilers!" Hanta yelled out.
"Uh, whoops…" Weisz uttered sheepishly.
"I suppose that leaves me for last…" Momo realized, "What character did you think of for me?" she asked of the Machina Maker Quirk user, making him blink in surprise.
"Uh, that's kind of a spoiler, too…" he admitted as a reply, glancing away.
"That's alright," the class deputy assured, "You can tell me later," she affirmed with a giggle, making him blush. Mina's eyes darted back and forth between the two in shock, while Ochaco's eyes widened. She took the opportunity to scooch over closer to Shiki, causing him to perk up.
"Hey, you want some of the lobster hot pot?" he offered to her.
"S-Sure!" she stammered in response, allowing him to take her bowl and use a ladle to pour her a refill.
"By the time things warm up again, we'll be second-years," Kyoka pointed out, changing the subject.
"Time sure does fly," Tsuyu remarked.
"It's been a crazy bunch of months…" Ochaco added in the midst of chewing her food.
"Just think, we'll be upperclassmen finally!" Mina chimed in excitedly.
"We're not gonna be seeing much of the newbies, though," Rikido pointed out, getting their attentions as he leaned over, "Hero students can't join clubs," he mentioned.
"Ugh, that's such a bummer…" Rebecca grumbled from her seat, eating a slice of pizza, "I was hoping there'd be a gaming club I could join once things calmed down a little…" she admitted.
"I still can't wait to meet those cute little first-years!" Toru exclaimed in a squeaky, excited voice.
"Calm down," Tenya advised, "Don't forget, we still have three more months to go before our first year officially ends," he noted to his classmates, "And don't forget that finals are just over the horizon," he added seriously.
"Stop talking, Iida!" Minoru shouted, "You're gonna ruin the food for everybody!" he pointed out.
"Words don't change the taste…" Shoto chimed in, much to the Pop Off Quirk user's annoyance as he glared at him.
"You…" he growled, "How is someone so dense so popular with the ladies?!" he questioned in annoyance.
"Are you perhaps worried about passing the exams soon?" Homura presumed.
"Ugh, shut up!" Minoru yelled.
"Yep, sounds like it…" Kyoka concluded, sharing a chuckle with those beside her.
"Don't sweat it, Mineta," Denki called out, "I'm kinda worried, too…" he admitted sheepishly while others laughed beside him, including Izuku. He looked around at his classmates, amazed at how things had changed for him over the past year. Sometimes, he found himself overwhelmed with reality. He could hardly believe that he was at U.A., learning to become a hero. Learning under All Might and getting to almost talk normally with Katsuki was surreal.
"Midoriya, could you pass me the ponzu?" Fumikage asked of the One For All inheritor, who was seemingly lost in his thoughts.
"I really am so blessed…" he admitted aloud. The Dark Shadow Quirk user gave off a somewhat annoyed look.
"Midoriya… the ponzu?" he requested again, getting his attention.
"Oh, uh, sorry!" he stammered apologetically.
"Here you go," Rebecca chimed in, handing the bottle over to Fumikage.
"Thank you, Bluegarden," he said gratefully. A sheepish chuckle left Izuku's lips in embarrassment.
"I'm blessed, too," his girlfriend chimed in, causing him to blink in surprise as he looked over at her, "Not just because I'm here at UA…" she affirmed, turning to look at the One For All inheritor, smiling warmly at him, "but because I've got the best boyfriend in the world cheering me on," she mentioned happily. A light blush dusted Izuku's cheeks before he grinned.
"Yeah…" he agreed. The pair then leaned in and kissed sweetly, with their classmates taking notice. Their locked lips separated after a few moments, but everyone could tell that the kiss was one of their most genuine, smiling at them.
"Midoriya, I hope you and Bluegarden will keep that wonderful romance of yoursoutsideof the classroom," Tenya advised seriously.
"D-Don't worry, Iida…" the freckled teen stammered in reassurance.
X
"Huh…" Hermit sighed out, leaning back in her chair at the development studio. She looked to her left to spot Mei sleeping upon her workbench, mumbling over her work as several blueprints and machine parts were laid out in front of her. Just then, the door opened.
"Already worn out?" Witch's voice assumed as she entered, carrying Pino in her arms.
"Oh, Witch," the Master Code Quirk user greeted, "Yeah, I'm ready to turn in for the night," she admitted, standing up from her seat, "I should get Mei back to her dorm, too," she decided, going over to the sleeping pink-haired girl.
"What is that you're working on exactly?" Witch inquired curiously, letting Pino hop out of her arms onto a workbench.
"It appears to be a battle mech of some kind," she concluded after a quick scan.
"Yeah, it's a side project," Hermit confirmed while putting Mei's left arm over her shoulders, "Hey, Witch…" she said, getting the attention of her fellow Shining Star Hero, "I've been looking into stuff around Valkyrie's killer lately, Madame Kurenai," she told her, causing her to blink in surprise, "There's a lot I still don't get just yet…" she admitted, "but I know for a fact that whatever she's up to in the shadows can't be good," she affirmed, "I'm sure she's going to make a move soon," she mentioned grimly.
"And what are you planning to do?" the Sorcery Quirk user asked in concern.
"I'm going to alert the hero who's sure to want to find her," Hermit answered, pulling out her phone. Elsewhere in Japan, Dabi was standing at the entrance to a warehouse, looking up at the massive mech being painted in front of him.
"Heh," he chuckled out.
"Impressed?" Kurenai inquired as she approached.
"Yeah, but it's still just one big hunk of metal," the Paranormal Liberation Front member pointed out, "What's it gonna do to Endeavor?" he wondered aloud.
"We've made proper hardware preparations for his flames," the villainess assured as she stepped forward, "There's no way he'll be able to even break the Kurenai Dragoon," she declared.
"Uh-huh," Dabi responded, "And what about that traitor of yours?" he inquired on, causing Kurenai to frown.
"Don't worry…" she assured as out at a shipment yard, Nino was bleeding from his left shoulder as he breathed heavily, being faced by both Baku and Garrot, "He's being taken care of," she stated ominously, looking up at her giant mech, excited for her future. Dabi huffed, walking off.
'Better watch out, Endeavor…' he warned, 'This one's got a lot more firepower than the last two…' he noted to himself, grinning wickedly.
ENDING
Insert "Believe" by Soushi Sakiyama
Opens with Homura waking up and preparing for the day, getting dressed in her school uniform before lying on her knees in front of her memorial to Valkyrie, offering a prayer before she heads off. As she gathers in the dorm common room with her classmates, she sees Shoto and smiles, walking off with him. She breathes out a puff of cold air, looking up at the partly cloudy winter sky.
Later, we see her at the Endeavor Agency, practicing with her energy blades against the fiery ones Burnin creates with her Quirk, all while the Flame Hero watches. As Homura's exhaustion catches up with her, Endeavor offers her a cup of tea to ease her. She accepts it, sipping it gratefully. We transition to her as a child, sitting on the porch of her old home with Valkyrie, as they smile at each other.
Being taught for years how to fight with Soul Blade, Homura never knew her teacher was actually an android. But that didn't matter to her either way, as she appreciated what Valkyrie had done for her. We cut to when the police showed up at her home one evening, with Naomasa telling her the unfortunate news of Valkyrie's death. We see the lifeless body of the Shining Star Hero, having many scarlet burns along her body, with a missing right arm and half of her face gone, revealing her robotic appearance underneath.
Back in the present, we see Homura still mourning over her teacher to this day. Things have only been harder after discovering that she was a machine all this time. She starts to tear up a little, but then suddenly has a hand come onto her back. She looks to her right to see a smiling Rebecca there, followed by turning to her left to find Izuku and Katsuki there, with the former flashing a kind grin.
A hand then extends for the Soul Blade Quirk user as she looks to see Shoto standing in front of her. She gratefully accepts it as tears prick her eyes. They walk off together, with Homura starting to lean against Shoto in the process…
END ENDING
