The evening began peacefully enough, despite the tension simmering between Valerie and the boys after their training session. Valerie had gained a new and improved suit thanks to Endeavour and his team. 

The patrol had an almost serene atmosphere, with the group casually navigating the streets and playfully bantering. The sky was painted in twilight hues, and the soft hum of city life surrounded them. Katsuki was grumbling about some minor annoyance while Valerie couldn't help but chuckle, the sound dancing between them like a melody. Shoto, with his usual bluntness, leaned in closer to Valerie, his eyes narrowing as he observed her.

"Why do you have bruises on your hips?" Shoto whispered, his tone genuinely concerned but so matter-of-fact that Valerie could only blink in surprise.

Valerie's cheeks burned a deep crimson, and Katsuki immediately growled, his voice laced with irritation. "Back off, Icy Hot. That's none of your damn business."

Shoto's expression remained neutral, though his confusion deepened. "But bruises can be signs of injury. If someone hurt you, we should know."

Izuku, who had been listening in, choked on air, his face lighting up with a knowing blush as he desperately tried to focus on anything else. Valerie, still burning with embarrassment, was saved from responding when a strange, almost otherworldly hush fell over the city. The temperature seemed to drop, and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

The sky darkened as if consumed by a shadow, clouds twisting and churning in unnatural patterns. The air grew thick, heavy with anticipation and dread. Katsuki's palms began to crackle with small, angry explosions, his instincts on high alert. Shoto's gaze sharpened, and a thin layer of frost began to creep over the pavement. Izuku clenched his fists, his muscles coiling with energy.

And then it happened.

With a thunderous roar, Hurricane descended, a living tempest wrapped in a cloak of chaos. Winds whipped through the city streets, bending metal and tearing up chunks of asphalt. He was a figure of pure destruction, his blue, blazing eyes glowing with cold fury behind a menacing silver steel mask. This time, though, he radiated something far more sinister—an amplified power that sent shivers of dread through everyone present.

Katsuki stepped forward, his jaw set, fire in his eyes. "You've gotta be kidding me," he muttered, his voice low and dangerous. Valerie's heart hammered in her chest, her lightning dancing anxiously along her fingertips as she prepared herself for the battle ahead. The whirlwind around Hurricane intensified, and he spoke, his voice a booming echo carried by the violent winds.

"Finally... I found you..."

Valerie and Katsuki immediately took the lead, Valerie's lightning flaring brightly against the chaos. "Stay close, Sparky," Katsuki shouted over the roaring wind. He launched a series of fierce explosions at Hurricane, but the winds snuffed them out like flickering flames.

Hurricane's voice boomed, distorted and powerful. "Do you really think your petty flames can stop me?" He swiped a hand, and a tornado formed instantly, launching Katsuki into the side of a building. He hit the wall hard, collapsing into the rubble below.

"Dynamite!" Valerie screamed, rage coursing through her veins. Her lightning surged, crackling around her body as she rushed at Hurricane. She fired bolt after bolt, blue electricity arcing toward the villain, but he twisted effortlessly, evading each attack with precision. He was too fast, too strong, enhanced beyond recognition.

Deku and Shoto were focusing on the civilians while Valerie stood charged before Hurricane, glaring with her eyes so wide they looked bare. 

"You're weak, Valerie!" Hurricane taunted, his winds pushing her back, forcing her to skid across the pavement. "Do you even know the truth about yourself?"

His voice sent shivers down her spine, but she refused to let fear take hold. "What are you talking about?" she demanded, trying to steady her breathing. Her hands clenched, electricity sparking.

He laughed, a cold, menacing sound. "Oh, you really don't know, do you?" The windstorm paused for a moment, and Hurricane reached up, removing his mask. Valerie's heart stopped, her breath catching in her throat.

"Todd," she whispered, her voice trembling. It was her stepfather, the man she believed dead, the one she had mourned. Memories of her mother, of their once-happy family life, flashed through her mind. Her knees weakened, but she forced herself to stand firm.

Todd had never looked more twisted. His voice boomed over the chaos, full of mockery and rage. "You've always wondered, haven't you, Valerie? Why your quirk was so unpredictable, why did your power never feel like your own? Well, let me finally put an end to that mystery."

His eyes gleamed with a twisted satisfaction as he lunged forward, sending a gust of wind so powerful that it hurled Valerie into the cracked wall of a crumbling building. The impact left her breathless, her body aching as she struggled to her feet. The air crackled with tension, and Todd's voice cut through the turmoil like a serrated blade.

"You were never my blood. I knew it from the start," he spat, his words dripping with venom. "Your mother knew the truth, and she wanted to stay with that loser, Aizawa! So, when she tried to leave when she thought she could escape me, I made sure she never could." His eyes glistened with a dark, cold fury, and he raised a hand. The wind around him swirled ominously, a storm brewing at his command.

Valerie's vision blurred as the memories resurfaced—the fire, the storm, the night she lost everything. Her pulse roared in her ears, and her heart felt like it was shattering all over again. Todd's face twisted with rage as he took a step forward, the wind coiling around his figure. "But you're more like me than you realize, you see... Your power comes from mine, after all. The quirk enhancement experiments on your ability to have an impact on the weather... they fused my DNA with yours, ensuring that your quirk would accept mine."

His words pierced her soul, each one a painful blow. Her body trembled from exhaustion and emotional turmoil, her strength wavering as Hurricane's wind lifted her, immobilizing her in the air. The brutal truth crushed her, and she felt herself slipping, her power slipping away with her.

"But somehow, you managed to manifest three quirks!" Todd roared, his voice cracking with madness. "Shouta should have stayed away from your mother. She was mine!" He punctuated his fury with another vicious gust, sending Valerie spiraling through the air. She landed hard, her limbs protesting as she tried to rise again.

Valerie's heart sank, grief and rage mingling in her chest. Tears burned in her eyes as she remembered her mother's warm embrace, the love she once felt, and the night that took it all away. It had all been him. The betrayal cut deeper than any physical wound ever could.

Todd's lips curled into a wicked grin, his silver steel mask gleaming in the city lights. He spread his arms, summoning a whirlwind that bent streetlights and shattered windows. "You were nothing but a lab project to me," he declared, his voice echoing over the carnage. "From the moment you were born, I knew you had potential. Your mother's family quirk was powerful, so much stronger than mine. But it needed something... more. Trauma, pain, fear. They were the only way to push your abilities to their fullest potential."

With another wave of his hand, he unleashed a blast of wind so fierce that Valerie barely managed to dodge, her body protesting every movement. Her lightning crackled feebly at her fingertips, her energy dangerously low. Todd's sneer deepened, and he stepped closer, his eyes alight with sadistic pleasure.

"You think your power is your own?" he taunted. "It's an evolved form of my quirk, grafted into you through those endless experiments. You were always meant to be my greatest creation, my ultimate weapon. And now, you're going to serve your purpose."

Valerie's breath came in ragged gasps, the weight of his words crushing her. But the true horror lay in the confession that followed. Todd's gaze burned with ambition and cruelty as he revealed  "I built a weather machine, Valerie," he continued, his voice filled with dark triumph. "A device that can alter the climate of the entire planet. Droughts, hurricanes, floods—all at my command. Nations will bow to me, beg for my mercy! But to make it work, I need a power source. A raw, relentless energy that only you can provide."

The revelation struck her like a lightning bolt. He had never seen her as anything more than a tool, a means to an end. The trauma, the manipulation, the years of pain—they had all been orchestrated for this. Desperation and fury surged through her, and her lightning flared brighter. 

Valerie's vision blurred, not from the wind, but from the overwhelming heartbreak and fury that coursed through her. Her entire life, her pain and struggles, all orchestrated by the monster who called himself her father. She felt the electricity inside her pulse dangerously, on the verge of exploding as his words cut into her deepest wounds.

But even in her despair, a spark of defiance burned. She wouldn't let Todd define her, wouldn't let him win. Gathering every last shred of her strength, she prepared to fight back, determined to turn the weapon he had tried to make of her against him. She was more than his experiment. She was her own person, and she would prove it.

Valerie's body crackled with electric energy, sparks dancing along her skin as she forced herself to stand tall, despite the tremors of exhaustion wracking her limbs. Her eyes, usually warm and kind, now glowed with fierce determination. Todd's storm raged around them, debris swirling like a hurricane of destruction, but she refused to let herself be swallowed by it. Not this time.

"You're wrong!" Valerie shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos like a bolt of lightning. The raw emotion in her tone caught Todd's attention, his twisted grin faltering as he turned to look at her, almost curious.

"Wrong?" he mocked, his eyes narrowing behind the cold silver steel of his mask. "I made you what you are, Valerie. Without me, you're nothing but a failed experiment waiting to burn out."

Valerie clenched her fists, her nails biting into her palms, and took a defiant step forward. The wind pushed against her, trying to knock her down, but she resisted, planting her feet firmly. "You think you own me just because you forced your quirk onto me?" she demanded, her voice ringing with strength. "You think I'm some kind of weapon you get to control?"

Todd sneered, his blue, blazing eyes narrowing. "You are a weapon," he spat. "You were built for this, Valerie. My greatest creation. Your mother's death, your pain—it all served a purpose."

Her heart ached, but she refused to let his words cut deeper than they already had. "You're wrong," she repeated, and this time, her voice was steady, full of conviction. "I am powerful, but not because of you. Yes, you forced your quirk onto me, but I made it my own. I turned it into something that can protect the people I love, something that makes me who I am—not just your experiment."

Todd's eyes flickered with something like uncertainty, but he quickly masked it with anger. "You think you're strong enough to take me down?" he roared, sending another gust of wind hurtling toward her.

Valerie braced herself, digging deep into her reserves, her lightning flaring up in response. "I am stronger than you ever were," she said, her voice unwavering. "And do you want to know why?" She thought of the people who had made her stronger: her friends, her classmates, and especially Aizawa. Her heart swelled with gratitude and defiance. "Because I've learned more about strength and love in the past few months from Shouta Aizawa than I ever did from you."

Todd's winds faltered for a moment, and his expression twisted with a mixture of disbelief and rage. Valerie seized the moment, her voice gaining more power as she spoke her truth. "Aizawa taught me that my worth isn't tied to my quirk. He taught me to control my power, to be a hero, and to protect the people I care about. In just a few months, he showed me the love and respect you never did."

Todd's hands clenched into fists, his entire body radiating fury. "You're lying," he hissed, though his voice wavered, just slightly.

Valerie's energy surged, her lightning blazing around her like an electric storm. "I'm not lying. You are the one who's always lied—to me, to yourself, to everyone. But I'm not a weapon, Todd. I'm a person. I have a heart, a soul, and dreams of my own. And I won't let you take that away from me."

Her lightning roared to life, and for a moment, Todd seemed stunned, almost as if he was finally seeing her for who she really was—a force of nature, not a weapon. Valerie felt strength fill her, not just from her quirk, but from the love and lessons she'd received from those who truly cared about her. She wasn't just the product of his twisted schemes; she was so much more.

And with that realization, she prepared to fight back, not just for herself, but for everything she had come to cherish.

Her lightning flickered weakly but Valerie would die before giving up...

But then, salvation came.

"Get away from my daughter, you bastard!" A voice roared through the chaos. Aizawa appeared, scarf flying, his eyes glowing red. Todd's power vanished instantly, his winds dissipating. Aizawa had erased his quirk. "You're not laying another hand on her."

Present Mic appeared his voice a deafening boom. "You're going down, freak!" He unleashed a sonic blast that sent Todd stumbling, the power of sound overwhelming him.

Aizawa's scarf wrapped around Todd, pulling him to the ground. His face twisted in rage, but Aizawa's grip tightened. "You are done," he hissed, the fury of a father defending his daughter burning in his eyes.

***

Present Mic secured Todd and had him escorted to Tarturaus. 

Aizawa knelt beside Valerie, his own heart aching. He had only known Valerie as his daughter for a short while, but his love for her was infinite. He placed a hand on her shoulder, his voice gentle yet firm. "You're not a weapon. You're not an experiment. You're my daughter, and I'm so damn proud of you."

Valerie looked up at him, her vision blurred by tears. The love in his eyes was real, and it began to push back the darkness Todd's words had planted. Katsuki, now conscious, stumbled over, wincing but determined, his eyes locked on Valerie with concern and admiration.

"Valerie," he said softly, his voice breaking. "You're incredible. Don't ever forget that."

Valerie managed a shaky smile, her tears mingling with the dust and sweat on her face. Aizawa's steady presence and Katsuki's unwavering gaze wrapped around her like a protective shield, giving her the strength she so desperately needed. For a moment, everything felt still, the chaos around them settling into a fragile peace.

But then, a low rumble vibrated through the ground beneath their feet. Aizawa's eyes darted around, immediately alert. Katsuki's expression twisted with worry as he took a step forward, placing himself instinctively between Valerie and whatever was coming. Valerie felt her heart race, confusion and fear bubbling up as the rumble grew louder.

Suddenly, an unearthly, mechanical voice crackled to life from Todd's discarded communicator, the sound echoing through the now-silent city street. "Initiating failsafe protocol," it declared, cold and emotionless. Before anyone could react, an ominous blue light erupted from the sky, casting a harsh glow over them all.

Aizawa's eyes widened in horror as he realized what was happening. "No," he whispered, dread creeping into his voice. Katsuki's hands clenched into fists, his own anger and fear rising.

Valerie looked up just in time to see the blue light fracture the clouds, something massive and unnatural descending from the heavens. Her breath caught in her throat as a colossal weather-control machine emerged, fully operational, its turbines already spinning with deadly force.

"Failsafe protocol activated," the voice repeated. "Power source required: Valerie Black."

Valerie's stomach dropped as the machine began pulling at the air around them, her body instinctively responding to the surge of energy aimed straight at her. She felt her power start to crackle uncontrollably, the pull threatening to tear her apart.

Aizawa's grip tightened on her shoulder, his eyes fierce. "We won't let it take you," he vowed, his voice raw with determination.

But before anyone could move, a jagged bolt of lightning shot from the machine, striking the ground between them and sending them flying. Valerie landed hard, her vision spinning, Katsuki's shout of her name echoing in her ears. As she struggled to focus, the last thing she saw was the machine's turbines glowing brighter, its demand for her energy growing stronger.

And then, everything went black.

----

uh oh...

dun dun daaaa