Chapter 23: What it Really Means
All Might's arrival was heralded by a hurricane as he covered the distance from the entrance to the plaza in the blink of an eye, his landing shaking the foundations of the USJ and forcing Shigaraki to retreat towards Nomu. Assessing the situation for no more than an instant, All Might addressed me while keeping his eyes fixed on Shigaraki and the Nomu.
"Young Midoriya, take Aizawa back to the entrance." He commanded.
"Unless you disabled the warp villain, I can't leave. The hand guy has a disintegrator quirk with five-point touch activation, and the bird one is as strong and fast as you are. The warp villain will be here any second. The three of them together can beat you, and I trust you know what it means for me of all people to say that." I lowered my voice so only All Might could hear me. "I think our worst fears have been realized, All Might. I'd bet my life that the bird guy has multiple quirks, and I don't mean one from each parent."
All Might stiffened beside me before beginning to tremble. "You're absolutely certain, Izuku?" He replied with barely contained rage.
"Positive. The only reason Aizawa and I are still alive is because the hand guy is in charge and wanted to kill me himself. Bird brain only hit me once, and even with him under Aizawa's quirk, I was ragdolled twenty yards." I confirmed.
Having received enough information on our enemies, All Might burst forward towards Shigaraki without another word, but just before making contact, Nomu interceded, absorbing the blow without flinching.
"I guess he wasn't wrong when he said you were strong!" All Might said as he began testing Nomu for weak points, primarily focusing on the exposed brain. "Doesn't even matter where I punch you, does it?" All Might asked rhetorically as he began throwing more powerful blows into Nomu in an attempt to overwhelm the chimera's defenses with sheer force.
"That's because Nomu here has Shock Absorption, All Might. The only way you're going to hurt him is to slowly gouge out his flesh. Of course, I don't think he'll sit back and let you do that. You've finally met your match." Shigaraki boasted.
"Thanks for telling me how to beat him! All I have to do is wear him down, and it's on to you!" All Might countered.
All Might piledrived Nomu into the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dust and debris. As the air cleared, I immediately cursed under my breath and charged forward.
Fuck! I forgot this was when Kurogiri returned. I've been too caught up in my anxiety and anticipation today. I needed to sit down and force myself to remember how everything went down. Now it's too late.
Flying past the warp split Nomu and the pinned All Might, I pulled my arm back and aimed directly for Shigaraki's head. As expected, a warp gate appeared in front of me before I could get too close, and I immediately redirected away from Kurogiri and Tomura to avoid any potential trickery from the latter putting his hands through the warp gates.
Spinning along the ground to dissipate my momentum, I whipped around and fired off a full powered Delaware Smash with my left pointer finger. The force of the attack caught both villains off guard, sending the two flying to the far end of the court yard.
Grimacing from the pain, I cast a glance over my shoulder and smirked at the sight of All Might easily dislodging himself from the hands of Nomu, who had been bisected as soon as Kurogiri lost his concentration from my attack.
"DIE!"
I snapped my head back towards Shigaraki and Kurogiri just as Katsuki and Kirishima burst from the treeline behind them. Katsuki slammed into Kurogiri, forcing him to the ground with his hand held against the warp villain's armored body. Kirishima likewise attempted a surprise attack on Shigaraki, but Tomura's reflexes proved superior and he easily jumped away.
Right as I opened my mouth to warn my two classmates about Shigaraki's quirk, a line of ice shot across the plaza towards Shigaraki, forcing him to back off even further as Todoroki casually walked up beside me.
As All Might, still holding his bleeding flank, slowly staggered to stand alongside Todoroki and I, Shigaraki calmly clasped his hands together in front of him as he observed the sudden turn of fortune.
"Four students escaped our trap uninjured and disabled my two strongest men. Kids these days really are amazing. They make the League of Villains look like amateurs. Can't have that." Shigaraki stated with cool indifference that sent a shiver down my spine.
When the victorious grins on Bakugou and Kirishima faded, I knew they felt the same.
Shigaraki turned to stare down at the motionless remains of Nomu, who, despite being split in two, had not produced a single drop of blood.
"Nomu."
A blood curdling screech sounded through the air as Nomu began to writhe on the ground, his flesh bubbling and expanding from his torso to begin reforming his lost lower half. Beside me, even Todoroki's iron composure cracked as he gasped in shock at the display.
"Stay back, everybody!" All Might ordered.
Shigaraki began laughing hysterically. "What do you think, All Might? Nomu also has Super Regeneration! He has been modified to take you on, even at one hundred percent of your power. He's basically a highly efficient punching bag that hits back."
Nomu stood upright, and I noticed All Might clenching his fists so hard his knuckles turned white, his smile looking more akin to a sneer of abject hatred.
"I fear you may have been correct, Izuku." He stated monotonously.
"First, we need to free our method of escape." Shigaraki announced as he turned back towards where Katsuki and Kirishima had Kurogiri pinned down. "Get him, Nomu."
Before Shigaraki could finish his sentence I was in motion, but less than halfway to Katsuki's position on the other side of the plaza, I was tossed aside by a gust of wind as All Might moved faster in his wounded state than I could ever hope to achieve at my current level.
An instant later, Nomu made contact, and I was forced to reset my feet to avoid being tossed away by the air pressure of his and All Might's clash. My fellow classmates were left gaping at how All Might had managed to cover the distance and protect Bakugou in the time it took them to register that Nomu was even moving.
While Shigaraki began to monologue at All Might, I decided enough was enough. "Todoroki, you're the fastest when you ride your ice, you and Kirishima take Aizawa and get him to the entrance!"
Kirishima looked conflicted, but nodded his acceptance. Todoroki shot me a glare and opened his mouth to argue, but All Might cut him off.
"Get out of here, all of you. It's gonna be alright. Just sit back and watch a pro at work." He ordered as he positioned himself between my three classmates and the villains.
Shoto narrowed his eyes at All Might's back, but after a moment conceded and turned to follow Kirishima towards where Aizawa remained motionless.
Please, God. Please let him still be alive.
"Kaachan, the hands guy has a disintegrator quirk that will kill you if he gets a hand on you. You're better with ranged combat, so he's all yours. I'll take the warp asshole. We'll keep them occupied until All Might can put that bird freak in the ground." I called out as I jumped over to where Bakugou remained just behind All Might.
Katsuki growled resentfully but didn't argue. Looking over his shoulder, All Might gave me a frustrated look before sighing, his smile picking up somewhat. Flashing us a quick thumbs up, he turned back towards the villains.
"Nomu, Kurogiri, kill him. I'll deal with the children." Shigaraki commanded coldly.
All Might's shoulders straightened as he breathed in deeply and shifted into a combat stance.
"Let's clear this level and go home." Shigaraki said tiredly before he began sprinting towards us.
A moment later, All Might stepped forward, rocketing towards the villains while Nomu came forth to meet him. As I remembered from the anime, the impact of the two sent a burst of pressure that sent all of us skidding backwards, unable to advance in the face of the wind emanating from their clash. I watched in awe as the two giants battled, their blows moving faster than the eye could see.
I'm the only one who can get closer, but I can't do anything against Nomu. I'll just get in the way.
The two battled head-on, both refusing to yield to the hail of blows they were absorbing. Slowly, All Might began to gain ground, breaking down Nomu's stance and forcing him back towards the treeline. The two briefly separated after a particularly savage exchange of blows, but swiftly converged again in the air, only for All Might to redirect Nomu's momentum and launch him into the ground, shattering the sandstone below and sending tremors through the earth beneath us.
A wide smile split my features as All Might slammed into the ground before the stunned Nomu.
"Now for a lesson. You may have heard this saying before, but I'll show you what it really means!" Cocking his fist back, All Might inhaled deeply as he wound up.
"GO BEYOND! PLUS ULTRAAAAAAAAA!"
All Might's fist impacted Nomu's torso, the chimera remaining locked in place for almost a full second before the force exploded outward, sending Nomu hurtling through the USJ's roof and out into the clear blue sky beyond.
I stared in awe at the gaping hole in the dome for a moment before barely audible mumbling drew my attention back to the seething form of Shigaraki, who was scratching furiously at his neck, rivulets of crimson blood streaming down his fingers.
"What's wrong? Not attacking me? Didn't you say you were going to 'clear this level', earlier? Well, come and get me. If you dare." All Might challenged.
I grit my teeth at All Might's bluff. The lingering dust from his battle with Nomu was partially obscuring him, but I could see the steam beginning to pour out of All Might, and for those that knew him well, it was obvious he was physically smaller than he normally was in his muscle form.
All Might's taunts threw Tomura into another fit of rage, and he began viciously clawing at his own neck. Not waiting for Kurogiri to spur Shigaraki into a last ditch attack, I walked forward to stand next to All Might and allowed a small smile when Bakugou came up alongside me in turn.
Shigaraki froze abruptly, his blood stained fingers still latched to his neck as his head twisted unnaturally to allow crazed, bloodshot eyes to peer balefully out at me.
"You…" The words peeled from Shigaraki's lips with more malice than I thought was possible from a human being. "You're the reason this happened. If you hadn't butt in, Nomu and Kurogiri would've killed All Might and I'd be at the victory screen right now."
Watching the deranged villain shake and contort in anger was deeply unsettling, but I held my nerve, keeping my eyes locked on both him and Kurogiri.
"Tomura Shigaraki, we should withdraw. This is no defeat if you live to fight another day." Kurogiri advised.
My eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected reversal of what had happened in canon. Looking around us at the dozens of dead small time villains, the change became self-explanatory.
I've shown myself to be a threat, and Bakugou can't be ignored either. Combine that with their lackeys being dead instead of slowly rejoining the fight, and it makes sense that Kurogiri doesn't like their odds.
Tomura began throwing a tantrum, kicking his feet and clawing at his neck with a fervor that made me think he would kill himself by sheer blood loss. Finally, after nearly a minute, Shigaraki calmed somewhat.
"Fine. Let's go." He muttered disdainfully.
Just as Kurogiri's warp gate opened and Shigaraki turned to enter it, shots rang out, and bullets punctured through both of Tomura's legs and his shoulders. Immediately expanding to cover his screaming leader, Kurogiri quickly teleported the two away, leaving the plaza in an eerie calm as gunshots and Present Mic's audial attacks continued to ring out through the USJ.
The three of us watched as the rest of the U.A. staff descended on the surviving villains throughout the USJ, but after a few moments, All Might broke the silence.
"Young Bakugou, could you please ensure young Todoroki and young Kirishima didn't run into any trouble escorting Mr Aizawa back to the entrance?" He requested with a faltering smile.
Bakugou arched his eyebrow skeptically before casting me a suspicious look, but instead of arguing he merely scoffed and stomped off.
"Thank you, young Izuku. You've saved me once again." All Might said sincerely once Katsuki had moved far enough away.
Turning around, I winced at All Might's exhausted and partially transformed figure. Rushing forward, I put his arm over my shoulder and my mentor almost immediately collapsed, leaning entirely on me to hold him upright.
"Damn, I just realized. When I first showed up to help Aizawa, I should've yelled, 'I am here!'" I replied sorrowfully.
I was immediately made to regret my joke as All Might's spluttered laugh immediately segued into a bloody cough.
"Fuck, don't make me laugh."
Chapter 24: Across the Aisle
The school's decision to proceed with the sports festival as planned received a mixed reception from my classmates. Most were either excited or cautiously optimistic, but a handful expressed their doubts.
Then there's Mineta. I thought irritably as the boy in question continued to whimper behind me.
Fed up with his prattling about how he was going to die, I made my way to the front of the class, where Aizawa was leaning on a cane to slowly lower himself into his chair. While my interference had spared his eyes, the damage to the rest of his body had been just as severe, if not moreso, than it had been canonically.
"How bad is it?" I asked sympathetically as Aizawa settled into his seat with a grimace.
He exhaled heavily before casting me an irritated look and ignoring my question entirely. "You're lucky I didn't have you expelled."
"Yeah, yeah, I know, but I stand by what I said at the USJ. I couldn't just leave you to die." I replied earnestly.
Aizawa grumbled something about me being a problem child, but didn't continue his chastisement. "Four broken vertebrae, one disintegrated elbow replaced by a steel plate, a cracked skull, three broken ribs, and a serious concussion. And that's just the big stuff." He said in answer to my original question.
I winced at the list of injuries my teacher had sustained. Still, it's better than what could have happened if All Might hadn't arrived when he did.
"Well, I'm glad you're alive. When Nomu threw you, my heart practically stopped." I admitted.
Aizawa studied me for a moment before beginning to shuffle some papers atop his desk. "How are you doing?" He asked seriously.
"Me?" I repeated bemusedly. "I'm fine. You saw Nomu send me flying, but that was the only real hit I took." I answered.
Lifting his head to look at me once more, Aizawa sighed before putting his papers back down on the desk. "That's not what I mean, Midoriya." He said in exasperation.
Looking past me to ensure the rest of the class was still preoccupied discussing the festival, he continued. "You were in the courtyard. You saw the bodies. I want to make sure you're okay." He finished sincerely.
"Oh." I responded dumbly.
This is awkward. How do I answer that without coming across as a total sociopath?
"Um, yeah, I'm okay. I mean, don't get me wrong, it was jarring to see, but…" I began, fumbling for the right words. "It's just that I've watched a lot of hero videos over the years. When you get to be as obsessed as I am, you start looking on sites other than YouTube."
What I said was technically the truth. Izuku had seen his first dead body when he was nine years old. Granted, he had cried for a week and never looked at that particular site again, but it was true that he had accidentally found himself on a few Liveleak equivalents over the years.
At Aizawa's doubtful expression, I sighed and shrugged my shoulders. "Yeah, it was pretty fucked up. I've had more than a few nightmares the last couple nights. Seeing corpses online doesn't really prepare you for the real deal, especially the smell." I steeled myself as I met Aizawa's coal black eyes. "But you did the right thing. Those villains were there to try and kill All Might, and they had no qualms murdering anyone else who got in their way. While I'm relieved that I didn't have to kill anyone, I wouldn't have hesitated to do so if it meant saving you, my classmates, or myself."
It was Aizawa's turn to sigh heavily before grimacing as the action apparently agitated one of his various injuries.
"What about you? It's only been two days since the attack. Shouldn't you at least take the rest of the week?" I suggested.
Scoffing at my suggestion, Aizawa hobbled to his feet as the lunch bell rang. "Don't worry about me. I slept for almost thirty-six hours straight, after Recovery Girl finished her surgeries and quirk treatments. I only woke up in the infirmary fifteen minutes before class started. You're welcome for sparing you Present Mic's morning greeting, by the way."
I laughed at the man's tenacity, my smile widening when the corner of his mouth creeped upwards for a fraction of a second. "You should go to lunch. I'm letting you know now though that you'll need to have a session with Hound Dog this week. It doesn't need to be a regular thing and you aren't the only one going. Kirishima, Todoroki, and Bakugou will be scheduled for an appointment as well."
"Don't worry about me." I dismissed with a wave. "I have no problem going to therapy. It's Todoroki and Katsuki that you'll have trouble with."
Nodding as he watched the two boys in question make their way out of the class for lunch, Aizawa voiced his agreement. "I've wanted to get those two in with Hound Dog, anyway. The circumstances may be less than ideal, but I may as well make the most of it."
Giving him a conceding shrug, I bid Aizawa farewell, but just before I crossed the threshold of the classroom, he called out to me. "Oh, and Midoriya?"
Turning back to face him, I recoiled at the menacing gaze he pinned me with as One for All was snuffed out like a candle by Erasure. "Don't ever pull something like what you did at the USJ again, do you understand me?"
Regaining my composure, I smiled brightly and snapped a sharp salute. "Aye aye, captain!"
Aizawa dead panned at me for a moment before releasing his quirk and turning back to his desk, grumbling once again about problem children.
Stepping into the cafeteria, I quickly realized that in light of the recent attack, almost all of the student body had forgone their usual dispersed seating and had instead clustered at the various larger tables. While there appeared to be plenty of cross table discussion and even some merged classes amongst the second and third years, the first years were almost entirely segregated by class. I smiled when I noticed Cementoss reading a book at the end of Class 1-A's table, the large man acting as a deterrent to prevent them from being swarmed by the rest of the school for answers.
Well, here we go.
Striding forward, I received a few smiles and waves from my classmates, but these were swiftly replaced by looks of confusion as I made my way past the table Class 1-A had claimed for themselves and straight to the next.
Unceremoniously taking a seat as centrally as possible, I stifled a grin at the bewildered looks I was receiving from several members of Class 1-B.
"Good morning, neighbours. I assume you have more than a handful of questions. I am here to answer them as best I can." I proclaimed grandly while flashing a disarming smile.
I was met with silence for several seconds as they processed what it was I had said. Then, as if a dam had broken, I was assaulted by a torrent of questions from more than a dozen 1-B students.
Maybe I didn't think this through. Should I have them go alphabetically?
"Alright, that's enough. Quiet down!" Kendo ordered over the tumult, bringing the table's volume down but failing to completely reign in her classmates, many of whom were still attempting to speak over one another in their eagerness for information.
"I concur with our class representative. We shouldn't debase ourselves before this pompous 1-A-" Before Monoma could continue his insult, Kendo delivered a decisive chop to his neck, stunning the blonde boy as he flopped face first into his food.
The possibility of physical retaliation for their continued disobedience quickly brought the rest of Class 1-B in line, and following a few hushes, silence reigned over the table.
Nodding my head in appreciation, I looked over my shoulder to where my own class was observing the display in abject confusion. "Hey, Yaoyorozu, take notes! We should totally try that on Kacchan!"
"Try it and I'll kill you!" Bakugou replied angrily as he attempted to rise to his feet, only being kept in his seat by Kirishima's desperate intervention.
Chuckling at their display as well as Momo pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation, I turned back to Class 1-B.
"Sorry about that. Anyway, where were we?" I asked no one in particular.
A few students hurriedly made to speak, but a swift glare from Kendo maintained the silence.
Whistling softly, I shook my head in disbelief. "It's been like a week since we chose class representatives. How do you already have this much authority?"
Kendo rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, but Honenuki was the one to answer. "We didn't have an election. Vlad King chose Kendo as our class rep on the first day when she broke up a fight between Awase and Kaibara."
"And by 'broke up a fight', he means she smacked them both upside the head so hard they had to go see Recovery Girl." Tokage clarified with a sharp toothed grin towards the two troublemakers, both shrinking into their seats at the embarrassing memory.
Nodding in confirmation, Honenuki pointed a finger down the table towards a short, pudgy kid who smiled uncomfortably and gave an awkward wave. "Vlad King made Shoda vice rep because he was able to talk Kendo down after Fukidashi made a comment about her hands."
The physics defying student in question waved his hands wildly, the migraine-inducing speech bubble that somehow existed in lieu of his head morphing to display the words 'I'm innocent!'.
I blinked tightly to try and disperse the vertigo brought on by Fukidashi's appearance, earning a sympathetic smile from Rin, beside me. "You get used to it."
Not sure I want to. I've seen some weird looking people since arriving in this world, but this is the first one that actually hurts to look at.
"Well, it sounds like you had an exciting first day." I said in regards to our sister-class' apparently eventful introduction to UA.
"Where were you guys? You weren't in the auditorium during orientation, and when we asked Mr Kan he just grumbled something about an 'eraserhead'." Yanagi asked in her soft, almost ethereal voice.
I burst into laughter at her description of Vlad King's answer as Tetsutetsu shouted across the table. "Damnit, Yanagi! Who cares about that? We have to ask questions about what happened at the USJ!"
Waving off Yanagi's quiet apology, I regarded Tetsutetsu. "Don't worry, you aren't limited to a certain number of questions or anything." Turning back to Yanagi, I answered her first. "Mr Aizawa thinks that orientation is a waste of time, so he had us do quirk assessments on our first day. He threatened to expel whoever came in last place. It was hilarious." I finished with a laugh, my mirth only increasing after I heard Mineta's squawk of outrage from behind me.
Most of Class 1-B looked horrified at the idea of a teacher threatening to expel someone on the first day, but when I prompted them for more questions, they were quick to refocus on the subject at hand.
Looking at their entire class beside the still incapacitated Monoma waiting with hands upraised, I felt a bead of sweat form on my brow.
I should have grabbed lunch first.
What followed was effectively a recounting of my experience during the USJ attack. Within minutes, the entire cafeteria had gone silent, and most of the student body had drifted as close as they could to 1-B's table before Cementoss ordered them to keep their distance. Even my own classmates listened intently to hear my perspective of the attack.
"That's when the villains beat a hasty retreat through their portal. After that, it was pretty much just the teachers cleaning up the rest of the small timers." I concluded, having glossed over many of the grittier details of what had occurred.
The cafeteria remained deathly quiet for a moment before Shoda hesitantly spoke up. "What the news said about a lot of the villains, um… You know? Is that true?"
The smile I had endeavored to maintain through my account faded somewhat at Shoda's implication. "Yeah, a lot of the villains were killed."
Murmurs broke out across the cafeteria and I turned to look at 1-A's table, where Cementoss was observing carefully, and Kirishima, Bakugou, and Todoroki all displayed varying degrees of discomfort at the memory of the corpse-strewn central plaza.
Shifting my attention back to Shoda, I raised my voice loud enough to be heard over the commotion. "It was the right thing to do." I began, earning more than a handful of gasps from the assembled. "Ask anyone in my class, gracefully if you would, it's a touchy subject. They will tell you the same. Those villains were there with the explicit intention to murder All Might. The petty thugs had been brought along to kill us and the other teachers. If we hadn't defended ourselves, I have no doubt in my mind that the entirety of Class 1-A would have been slaughtered."
Many of the upperclassmen, particularly those in the hero course, nodded in solemn agreement, but most of the other surrounding students merely considered my words in gloomy silence.
"We heard that All Might launched the weird bird villain through the roof of the USJ like a rocket ship! Is that true?" A bright and excited voice suddenly rang out through the cafeteria.
Turning to the source, I doubletaked at Nejire Hado, who had somehow slipped past Cementoss' watch to sit at the end of 1-B's table, where she was now propped up on her knees, arms crossed atop the head of an absolutely blindsided Pony Tsunotori.
"Hado, where did you… how did you even… forget it, go back to your table this instant!" An equally caught off guard Cementoss stammered out.
The blue haired girl pouted, but before she could return to her class' table, I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to shift the school's mood.
"He did." I answered happily with an easy smile, stopping Hado in her tracks as she plopped back down and resumed her place on the head of the still hopelessly confused Pony.
Making sure the entire cafeteria could hear me, I continued. "He was amazing. One moment I thought Mr Aizawa and I were doomed, the next, All Might was there atop the staircase. Even the insane hand guy and the practically animatronic bird villain froze at the sight of him. I can't even describe watching All Might and the bird guy fight. It was like watching two legends from mythology duke it out. All Might slammed the bird guy into the ground so hard he made a crater."
I didn't have to fake the awe in my voice as I recalled the event. "You guys should have seen him when he finally broke down the bird guy's regeneration." I said dreamily, the entire room hanging off my every word. "You may have heard this saying before, but I'll show you what it really means. Go beyond…'" I repeated All Might's words from the fight.
I shook my head slowly at the image seared into my mind's eye. The smile on my face hurt, it was so wide.
"I'll remember that 'Plus Ultra' until the day I die. I felt it in my soul." Turning back to Hado, who had finally removed herself from Pony and was now bouncing in her seat, I finished. "Like you said, it was like watching a spaceship launch."
As I had hoped, the more detailed recounting that focused on All Might lifted the spirits of the surrounding students as their minds raced trying to imagine what it must have been like to witness.
Walking up to the 1-B table, Cementoss gave me a small nod before addressing the students, who had finally been broken from their sulking and were now chattering amongst themselves excitedly. "Alright, head back to your tables. More information will be released by the school and the police in the coming days, but I can confirm that Midoriya's account is accurate."
The pro hero's corroboration led to an increase in the commotion as the various students began to make their way back to their tables. Slouching in my seat with a weary smile, I was drawn back to the present as my stomach growled loudly. Hesitantly, I looked at the large clock mounted above the cafeteria entrance.
Two minutes until the bell. I hate my life.
The remainder of the school week passed rather uneventfully. Our practical hero training had been postponed in order to give us time to physically and mentally recover from the attack, but the biggest change had been in how we moved around the school. Even after I had more or less explained what happened to everyone in the cafeteria, Class 1-A was still being constantly badgered by other students for more information. As a result, we never moved anywhere on school grounds without a teacher escorting us, something that was welcomed by some of my classmates and resented by others.
By the following Monday, the school appeared to have calmed down enough that the teachers deemed it acceptable for us to begin moving about on our own again. While this hadn't proven to be an issue during the lunch period when we were under the watchful eyes of teachers in the cafeteria, the final bell heralded something else entirely. Especially as Aizawa had left fifteen minutes prior to the final bell, most likely to take another nap.
"Why the heck are you all here?" Uraraka exclaimed in surprise as she opened the classroom's door, revealing the hallway beyond to be completely packed with first year students.
Iida politely enquired as to their business while Mineta immediately began protesting being held hostage. Watching Bakugou stalk towards the exit, I sighed heavily at what was to come.
"They're scouting out the competition, you idiots. We're the class that survived a real villain attack. Cementoss and the other teachers have kept them at a distance ever since the USJ. Now that the teachers have backed off, they want to see us up close with their own eyes." Bakugou stated dispassionately, a stark contrast to his usual boisterous demeanor.
Several of our classmates seemed to reach the same conclusion I had and began to panic as Katsuki came to a halt at the entrance, staring down the students before him, many of whom quailed at his dauntless approach. Kirishima hurried forward in an attempt to thwart the inevitable, but it was too late.
"At least now you know what a future pro looks like. Now move it, extras." Katsuki demanded.
The students, both in the classroom and in the hall, immediately descended into chaos. The collection of general, support, and business students immediately began shouting in outrage as several of my classmates chastised Katsuki for his rudeness.
"So this is Class 1-A?"
I wasn't sure how, but the dry, airy voice managed to pierce through the din, silencing the assembled students as a taller boy with purple hair made his way to the front of the mob.
"I heard you guys were impressive, but you just sound like an ass. Is everyone in the hero course delusional or just you?" Shinso asked sardonically.
"You and I are going to need to do some damage control next week. Go talk to the other first year classes at lunch or something." I suggested to Momo, who had a hand over her face in resignation.
As Shinso set down his declaration of war, I made my way past my mortified classmates to stand just behind Bakugou. It wasn't particularly necessary, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to try and alleviate some of the tension.
On cue, Tetsutetsu yelled out over the crowd from his position just outside 1-B's classroom. "Here I thought you guys were alright, but it turns out you're just a bunch of assholes that think you're better than us!"
Without so much as a click of his tongue, Katsuki turned and walked away, the other students quickly clearing out of his path. As Tetsutetsu began shouting after him, I made my way forward to the doorway.
"Hey, Tetsutetsu! Sorry about him." I apologized over the crowd.
"Oh, hey, Midoriya. That guy's a real asshole!" The silver haired boy said.
"Yeah, I know. He's a dick to us, too." I replied with a laugh.
I noticed Katsuki's shoulders tense, but before he could respond, Kirishima came up beside me.
"Dude, where are you going? You gotta say something! It's your fault they're all hating on us, Bakugou!" He demanded.
Katsuki halted and turned to look at us over his shoulder. "These people don't matter. The only thing that's important is that I beat them." He finished before stomping off, leaving most of the students in stunned silence.
The crowd dispersed in a storm of angry muttering as my classmates started bickering amongst themselves as to whether or not Bakugou was correct.
Well, so much for that. At least Tetsutetsu still likes me I guess…
Chapter 25: A Better Tomorrow
We had been standing by in our assigned waiting area for the better part of an hour. Most of the class was either distracting themselves with nervous conversation or sitting in silent contemplation. I wasn't surprised to see that Shoji, Bakugou, Todoroki, Tokoyami, and Iida all appeared to be handling the pressure well, but everyone else was on the brink of an anxiety attack if their constant fidgeting was any indication.
"Aww man! I was totally hoping I could wear my costume!" Ashido complained, dramatically tugging at her gym uniform.
"It'd be one thing to give the okay for anyone with a purely aesthetic costume, but it would be a huge advantage for people like Katsuki or Jiro. This is the eighty-seventh sports festival hosted by U.A., and a non-hero student has only made the final four twice. Both of those students took fourth. Honestly, I think the staff just want to make it as fair as possible for the other courses." I replied, chuckling at Ashido's pout.
Her outburst had the unintended side effect of lightening the atmosphere somewhat. A few of my classmates laughed at her antics and conversation briefly picked up, but all mirth evaporated when Yaoyorozu finally returned from her meeting with the staff and the other class representatives.
"Okay, everyone. We'll be entering the arena in five minutes, so let's go ahead and make our way to the entrance tunnel." She announced.
Pushing off the wall I had been leaning against, I headed towards the exit, only for Todoroki to abruptly step in front of me.
"Midoriya." He said coolly, eyeing me up and down.
And so it begins.
A wide smile slid across my features as all eyes in the room turned to us. "Todoroki." I acknowledged.
"From an objective standpoint, I think it's fairly clear that you and I are the strongest students in the class." Todoroki stated matter-of-factly.
I noticed Bakugou's thunderous expression out of the corner of my eye, but kept my focus locked on Todoroki.
When I tentatively nodded my agreement, he continued. "However, you've got All Might in your corner helping you out. I don't particularly care what your relationship with him is. Just know that I will defeat you."
There was a pregnant pause before Kaminari made an awkward joke in an attempt to break the tension. "Whoa, what's with all these declarations of war lately?"
Kirishima was the next to intervene, walking over and placing a hand on Todoroki's shoulder. "Yeah, what's the big deal? Why are you picking a fight all of a sudden? And right before we get started."
Todoroki jerked his arm away from Kirishima's hand, holding my gaze a second longer before turning sharply on his heel and making for the exit. "We're not here to be each other's friends. Don't forget, this isn't a team effort."
Just as Todoroki reached the door, I called out, prompting him to face me again. "Ignore everyone else at your own peril, Todoroki. It won't just be our classmates that are aiming for the top. Allow yourself to get caught looking too far ahead,-" My smile morphed into a challenging smirk. "-and you may find yourself bowing out long before you run into me."
Without waiting for a reply, I strode past Todoroki, casting a quick side glance at a scowling Bakugou before I made my way down the hall towards the entrance tunnel.
The music began following Present Mic's introduction, giving us our cue to walk out into the arena. We had been able to hear the roar of the crowd before we even stepped into the tunnel, but as we emerged into the sunlight bathing the field of Sports Festival Stadium, I found myself in awe at the sheer size of the venue. The stadium boasted a capacity of nearly two hundred thousand, and it was clear that every single seat was occupied for the day's events.
That kind of attendance is unheard of for the first year tournament. Normally the first years don't even compete here, they're in the secondary stadium that has about a third the capacity. I suppose the desire to see the class that survived a villain attack caused a surge in demand. That, and the endless rumors regarding All Might's 'secret' apprentice.
"I hope we're still able to give our best performances, even though all these eyes are on us. I suppose it's just another aspect of being a hero we all have to get used to." Iida said from beside me, barely audible over the cacophony of applause.
Coming to a halt before the central stage where Midnight awaited us, I watched as the other classes arrived in turn. Most of the non-hero students looked extremely uncomfortable with the massive crowd, and more than a handful looked like they would rather not be participating at all. The sports festival wasn't optional, and while the games held for students that were knocked out in the first two rounds were known to be very lighthearted and fun, I couldn't entirely disagree with two nearby general students when they began complaining that they were only there to make hero students look better in the first round.
The primary events do give any students who want to transfer into the hero course an opportunity to impress, but for most of them, it's just a tedious event they have to slog through before they can do anything actually enjoyable. I imagine more than half the non-hero students will fail to make it past the ravine, and that's if they even bother with the robots.
As the last classes arrived in the central area, Midnight stepped up to the microphone. Ignoring the lustful attention she was receiving from much of the audience, she snapped her horse whip.
"Silence, everyone! For the student commencement address, we have Izuku Midoriya!" She proclaimed.
"Wait, Midoriya, you're the first year rep?" Kaminari bumbled in surprise.
"He did finish first in the entrance test." Sero offered as an explanation.
An annoyed sigh sounded behind me as I made my way towards the stage.
"Only for the hero course exams." One of the general education girls responded irritably.
Her comment garnered my attention, and I started mumbling under my breath while making my way up the stairs to the microphone. "That's actually a really good idea. Since the winner of the sports fest is always a hero course student and they get to make a short victory speech during the medal ceremony anyway, it would make way more sense to have whoever scored highest on the academic exams handle the commencement speech, regardless of which track they're in."
I had forgotten all about that little exchange. It would make the other tracks feel more like equals and emphasize that U.A. also values its educational standards, not just hero training. I should bring it up to Nedzu some-
"A wonderful idea, Midoriya!" A cheery voice suddenly blasted through the speaker system, giving half the stadium a heart attack and eliciting a surprised string of curses from myself.
Waiting a few seconds for the audience to relax, Nedzu continued from wherever he was broadcasting. "Midoriya, why don't you and Ms Mashimo write up a proposal for a change to the sports festival procedure and present it to me at your earliest convenience. Also, please watch your language. You're in front of the microphone now, and the whole world can hear everything you say!" He chirped happily, causing the brown-haired girl I assumed was Mashimo to blanch in terror at her complaint having been overheard by the principal.
"Uh, sure, I guess, but um… Sir, how did you even hear me?" I asked bemusedly.
"Not to worry, Midoriya. There are multiple microphones spread around the field for use during later events. I haven't bugged your clothes or anything of the sort." He assured me with a frighteningly sinister laugh.
Allowing a small smirk when Midnight began grumbling rat themed insults behind me, I did my best to ignore the eccentric principal's interruption as well as the fact that tens of millions of people were watching me in that moment. While I was no stranger to public speaking in my previous life, such a large audience was nonetheless somewhat distracting.
'Think of the sports festival as your debut. You are the fledgling Symbol of Peace, the next All Might. The commencement address will give you the opportunity to introduce yourself to the world and proudly proclaim, 'I am here!''
All Might's words from the day before rang in my head, but as I stood on the stage looking out at the disinterested, uncomfortable faces of the non-hero students, I felt the words catch in my throat. Heroes were everything to this world. All aspects of life revolved around that single profession. Everyone else was nothing but a cog in the system, an extra.
Worthless.
Breathing deep, I mimicked All Might's fearless smile, something I knew better than the back of my own hand. "My fellow Japanese, people of the world,-"
'We're not here to be each other's friends.'
I gestured to the students arrayed before me. "-friends. It is the highest honor of my life to stand here today, representing the best Japan has to offer. Before me I see the teachers, the executives, the doctors, detectives, journalists, artists, and leaders of the future. I see the heroes charged with keeping them safe, and I see those who support our heroes in turn, brilliant minds without whom we would be lost. Each and every one of you are the architects of a better tomorrow."
The students staring up at me did so with wide, disbelieving eyes, but I couldn't bring myself to see if the crowd above us were likewise caught off guard, or if they were instead outraged that I had strayed from the standard hero-worship that took place at these types of events.
Spreading my arms wide, I concluded. "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams, so together let us strive to attain those dreams, and proudly proclaim to the world that we are here!"
The silence was deafening. Each second felt like an eternity, but just as I felt myself begin to falter, I heard it. Beginning in the family section, the applause rapidly spread to the teachers' suite, then the general admissions, and even the pro-hero section, until finally the students below erupted. I winced at the thunderous roar of nearly half a million clapping hands, but relief flooded through me, and my smile widened.
It's good to know Shigaraki wasn't entirely correct about hero society. They still remember the point of all this is to protect the little guy, even if they need a little reminder here and there.
Unable to suppress my involuntary blush at the acclaim, I turned to make my way down the stage. Passing by Midnight, the heroine placed a hand on my arm and spoke into my ear in order to be heard over the crowd.
"Well done, Midoriya." She praised, her usual flirtatiousness replaced by genuine warmth.
My blush deepened and I could only nod before hurrying down the steps, grumbling internally as Midnight's good-natured laughter followed behind me. Walking back to where Class 1-A was positioned, I caught Shinso's eye, the dour boy giving me an inscrutable look. Before I could give him any further consideration, Iida practically charged up to me, chopping his right hand rapidly.
"A brilliant speech, Midoriya! It's easy to forget how much the support elements of heroism assist us in our day to day duties. It's only right that they be given their due recognition." He said enthusiastically.
Not exactly what I was trying to get across, but close enough I guess…
A loud buzzer sounded abruptly, silencing the crowd once more and drawing all eyes to the massive screens ringing the upper levels of the stadium.
"Thank you, Midoriya. That was truly wonderful. Now, without further ado, it's time for us to get started! The first fateful game of the festival!" Midnight proclaimed into the microphone.
Snapping her whip, Midnight pointed to a massive holographic display that suddenly appeared above the stage. A slot machine began cycling rapidly on the screens around the stadium, leaving over two hundred thousand people inside and tens of millions more around the world awaiting the result with bated breath. The anticipation was palpable as the reels finally came to a halt, revealing an obstacle course as the first event and eliciting another riotous cheer.
After Midnight explained the rules, she quickly ushered us towards the massive red gate at the entrance of the tunnel leading out of the stadium. Any sense of order began to break down quickly as many students attempted to jostle their way to the front. Others remained on the outer edge of the pile-up, hoping to avoid the initial chaos and make up lost ground in the aftermath.
While there were still several dozen students that were quite obviously uninterested and had every intention of moving through the course at a lackadaisical pace, if they took part at all, I was happy to see that more students were moving to enthusiastically participate than it had initially seemed when the classes first arrived on the field.
Making my way towards the back, I waved at Jiro, who was watching my apparent retreat bemusedly. Settling into a central position at the rear, I smiled at the small knot of anticipation that formed in my stomach as adrenaline began to flow through my bloodstream.
Midnight raised her whip as the green lights atop the gate began their countdown.
3…
2…
1…
"Begin!"
Chapter 26: Race for Second Place
"Begin!"
With a snap of her whip, Midnight began the race, and chaos ensued as nearly two hundred students attempted to force their way through the narrow tunnel leading outside the stadium.
With a small chuckle, I crouched into a ready stance, several nearby students hurriedly backing away as arcs of green lightning began to ripple across my body.
One for All, Full Cowling, eight percent.
The familiar rush of One for All coursing through me was exhilarating, and I grinned broadly at the lack of discomfort I would normally be forced to deal with at eight percent.
I'm getting stronger.
Sparing no more time for pride, I launched from the ground, kicking up a cloud of dirt and rocketing through the entrance tunnel. Flying over Todoroki just as he unleashed his ice attack on the condensed students behind him, I flicked a quick two fingered salute as he stared wide-eyed up at me. Not looking back to see any further reaction, I broke into a sprint once I hit the ground.
Within moments, I reached a massive open area the size of several football fields. At the other end of the clearing a robotic army was arrayed, led by seven of the towering zero point robots. Their red eyes flared to life at my arrival and I dashed forward once more, darting between the various machines as they struggled to track my movements.
They're even slower than in the entrance exam. Probably so that the non-hero students can deal with them as well. These things aren't even worth the time to punch.
Quickly passing by the lumbering machines, I covered the short distance to the ravine in a matter of seconds. Looking down into the abyss below, I scoffed lightly before channeling ten percent into my legs and launching myself nearly halfway across the chasm to one of the islands. Just as I leapt to cover the remaining distance, a loud rumble sounded from behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, I narrowed my eyes at the cloud of dust that had been kicked up.
That would be Todoroki taking down one of the big guys, if I had to guess.
Making my way towards the landmines, a frown etched itself across my features as I considered the three primary obstacles. While there had been a handful of aerial nets and projectile defenses in between the three, it would still have been rather easy for a capable individual in possession of a flying quirk.
Hado would probably be ahead of me at this point. Unless there's some hidden defenses that only activate if someone is actually flying, not just jumping like me, this course is pretty tame. Maybe they took into account that our year has no serious flying quirks. I mused idly as I continued my leisurely stroll.
Finally arriving at the minefield, I channeled ten percent and jumped, flying over much of the obstacle in a single leap. Rather than attempt to land in between mines, I reoriented myself in midair and threw a punch, propelling myself forward like a bullet and covering most of the distance to the finish line.
A few seconds later, I emerged on the other side of the end tunnel.
While I didn't particularly care whether or not I was applauded, it was nevertheless somewhat puzzling when my arrival was met with rather restrained celebration. Looking over my shoulder at the nearest spectators sitting above the tunnel, I found most either whispering amongst themselves or staring back at me slack-jawed.
The surprise quickly wore off and the noise began to rise to uncomfortable levels. A mixture of applause, bemused exclamations, and flabbergasted curses washed over me before the speaker system buzzed to life.
"Holy shit… Ow! Don't hit me, Shota!"
After a brief moment of rustling and unintelligible sounds, the system cut out, reactivating a moment later.
"Izuku Midoriya is the winner, with a record time of four minutes and twenty seconds. If that exact timing was on purpose, Midoriya, you have detention for a month." Aizawa's toneless yet somehow condemnatory voice sounded over the speakers.
I waved my hands frantically to try and convey my innocence, but regardless of whether or not Aizawa believed me, Present Mic was quick to reassert himself as the lead broadcaster.
"Well, now that that threat of judicial punishment is out of the way… Izuku Midoriya is our winner!" The voice hero declared loudly, reinvigorating the applause.
Taking a moment to wave to the crowd and catch my breath, I looked at the screens above to find that Todoroki had only just arrived at the far end of the ravine. Roughly the halfway point in terms of distance.
Once the crowd returned their attention to the ongoing race, I walked over to the central stage. After returning Midnight's flirtatious wink with one of my own, I took a seat on the uppermost stair and began to review my plans for the second round.
Time for the cavalry battle.
Chapter 27: Ten Million Dollar Man
"Deku, that was amazing!" Shouted an exhausted Uraraka as she jogged over to me. "I can't believe you got first place, and so fast! I'm jealous!" She wheezed, still attempting to catch her breath.
Chuckling at her undamped enthusiasm, I patted her on the head as more and more students began to trickle in through the tunnel. Handing Uraraka a bottle of water, I made to invite Iida over as well, but thought better of it when I saw him lamenting over his sixth place finish.
After approximately another fifteen minutes, the last students arrived in the stadium from the opposite direction, having given up at some point along the course and opting to turn back the way they came. After a quick headcount, Midnight ushered the students to gather in front of the stage as we had prior to the first event.
"The first game for the first years is finally over, and what a game it was! Now, let's take a quick look at the standings shall we." Midnight said as she laid a seductive finger against her lower lip.
The names and student photos began to appear on screen, but I blinked in surprise when the count continued past the forty-two students it had ended with in canon. Just when I thought the system was simply going to show all two hundred twenty students, it halted at number sixty-four.
I suppose that makes sense. They probably assume all forty hero students will make it to the next round, but it would look really bad if one or more didn't, so they give us some breathing room. It also allows more than just two non-hero students to go through to the second round.
"Only the top sixty-four will advance to the next round, but don't be too let down if you didn't make the cut. We've prepared other opportunities for you to shine." Midnight finished, licking her lips hungrily.
What is wrong with this woman?
The slot machine reels appeared once more and began to spin, quieting the stadium once more.
"Prepare yourselves, for this!" Midnight proclaimed extravagantly right as the reels came to a halt on 'cavalry battle'.
The crowd briefly erupted into more cheers before Midnight restored order with a crack of her whip. As she began to explain the rules of the game, I found myself entirely focused upon the image on screen.
All Might weighs like six hundred pounds in his muscle form. How the hell are three people holding him up like that?
I pondered this existential question until Midnight arrived at the distribution of points. Within moments, the eyes of every student still in the competition had become fixed upon me. A healthy dose of anxiety arose and I decided to deal with it in the most appropriate way possible.
"Ten million? That's all? You wound me, Midnight." I said with a laugh.
The pro heroine blinked in surprise but quickly recovered, her lips curving into a sadistic smile. "We'll see if you still have that confidence when the game begins. Now then, you will all have fifteen minutes to find a group of between two to four students. The game itself will also last fifteen minutes, and remember, if you make a team fall on purpose, you're disqualified."
"What classifies as 'on purpose'?" I asked, regaining the attention of several students who had already begun to seek out groups.
Placing a slender finger on her cheek, Midnight hummed softly. "Direct attacks. So in your case, Midoriya, using your quirk directly on an opposing team would result in disqualification. That said, if you were to use your quirk on the ground or air around them and they were to fall over because of it, that would be legal." Midnight quickly searched through the crowd of students before finding who she was looking for. "Todoroki, I'll use you as my other example since you had your quirk on full display in the first event. If you used your ice to create a pillar that knocked over another team, you would be disqualified, but if you cover the nearby area in ice and another team were to slip and collapse, that would be fine."
The assembled students voiced their understanding, and with another crack of her whip, Midnight began the countdown.
I brought a hand to my chin and considered potential teammates for the hundredth time that day. Iida would definitely be ideal, but he's certain to team up with Todoroki just as he did in canon. The same goes for Momo. I'm on good terms with Class B, and they saw my quirk in the first round, so it's possible some of them might agree to team up with me. If I duo with Tokage, I could just put her on my shoulders and she could fly her upper body into the sky, but there's a decent number of ranged quirks here, and Katsuki would chase after her. Pony? She could brace against the blowback from One for All better than almost anyone else here, and her horns would be useful depending on the control she has at this point. Shiozaki? That's protection from Kaminari, and Shoto won't use his fire on her. But wait, how would I explain how I know what their quirks are? Shiozaki didn't follow Monoma's plan and came in fourth using her vines, but Tokage and Pony stayed back with the rest of Class B.
No, there's no time. Besides, if I try to recruit one of the Class B kids, there's a high chance they turn me down anyway. The longer I wait, the higher the chance that Tokoyami finds a different group. Hatsume will wait until the last second in an attempt to share the ten million point spotlight, and Uraraka will standby as well, so I do have some wiggle room, but those two are a great combination anyway. No, I have to stick with my original plan. Izuku made the best decisions he could in canon. All I need to do is add the meta knowledge I have and we will clear most of the potential hurdles.
"Uh, Deku?"
Turning to the interloper, I blinked owlishly at Uraraka, who was giving me a concerned look.
"I've been trying to get your attention for like a minute now. You've just been standing there mumbling. Are you okay?" She asked worriedly.
Huh, so I guess I do mutter out loud sometimes…
Shaking my head to clear away the clutter, I smiled at the diminutive girl. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking of a plan, that's all."
"Oh, great! I was wondering if you wanted to team up with me?" She asked cheerfully.
I nodded enthusiastically. "Definitely! I was just about to find you and ask. Now then, all we need is-"
"There you are! Team up with me, person in first place!" Hatsume demanded, coming within inches of my face.
Uraraka yelped in surprise at the sudden intrusion, but I smiled brightly as my second piece fell into place. "There you are. I was just about to come looking for you. I watched you on the screens during the first event. I think your gadgets could come in handy during this fight."
Hatsume grinned manically and chittered something unintelligible before somehow pushing herself even closer to me. "You recognize the potential of my babies? I knew I liked you, uh… What's your name again?"
Laughing off Hatsume's eccentricities, I offered my hand. "Izuku Midoriya. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Grasping my hand with her own, Hatsume introduced herself exuberantly. "I'm Mei Hatsume, support course prodigy. You and I are going to make the most beautiful babies together."
I heard Ururaka splutter in shock behind me as I laughed at Hatsume's peculiar word choice. "Well, you'll have to take me to dinner before we start on that,-" Ururaka emitted another choked sound at my response. "-but we can start with punching our tickets to the final event."
Another wicked grin crossed Hatsume's features. "This is going to be great for my public visibility. Now then, let me show you my babies!"
Going through the arsenal of inventions Hatsume had brought with her, I found myself slipping into excited discussions with the inventor more than once. Forcing myself to focus on the task at hand, I excused myself from my two teammates and hurriedly made my way over to where a couple dozen students were still standing awkwardly off to the side.
Mostly the general students and some of the less outgoing support students. I imagine they'll end up just forming groups with each other in the last few minutes. They won't stand a chance, especially without a plan.
It didn't take long for me to find the boy I was looking for, leaning against the stage in silent contemplation. "Tokoyami, I need you on my team. Will you join us?"
Tokoyami observed me curiously for a moment before his eyes flit to where the point distributions were still displayed on the holographic projector. "What did you have in mind?"
"That's my plan. So, are you in, Tokoyami?" I asked.
Running a thumb along the underside of his beak, Tokoyami looked over the array of gadgets laid out before him. "Yes, I do believe this will work quite well. I must say, Midoriya. I'm surprised you were able to conjure such a well devised strategy on short notice like this."
Shrugging my shoulders, I pointed to Hatsume, who was busy making last minute adjustments to her jetpack. "Hatsume gives us incredible versatility. We're lucky she had everything we could possibly need. You and Dark Shadow are clear on what to look for, right?"
Tokoyami nodded in confirmation. "Yes. It would indeed be troublesome if one of us were to be stuck to the ground by Mineta's quirk."
"I won't let any of those weird ball things get close!" Dark Shadow agreed, flashing a thumbs up.
With a contemplative frown, Tokoyami continued. "Todoroki has not used his fire in battle up to this point in the school year, and to my admittedly limited understanding, that is due to personal reasons that are unlikely to have changed. Bakugou specializes in close combat, so I'm not particularly worried about him either, at least not in this event. Yaoyorozu is always a significant threat, but given that this is a team battle, it will be difficult for her to exploit Dark Shadow's weakness with items that can be created in the midst of battle. As for Aoyama…" Tokoyami rubbed the feathers on the back of his head uncomfortably. "At this point in our training, I don't believe he will prove to be a serious threat."
Uraraka and I chuckled at the insinuation, but motioned for our teammate to continue.
"Therefore, I believe that Kaminari is likely our biggest threat. It is always possible that one of the other students possesses a light based quirk, but unless it is particularly potent, Kaminari is still the more troublesome foe." Tokoyami finished.
Nodding my head in agreement, I gestured to Hatsume as she finished her tinkering and came to join us.
"Don't worry about that, shadow guy! I have a few babies that will come in handy for Sparky." Hatsume assured us confidently.
Okay, I think that's it. Monoma and Shinso won't come for us, and Kacchan will be distracted going after Monoma until the battle is effectively over. Todoroki and Kaminari will disable anyone else coming for us with their combo attack, so we only really need to worry about them and the opening rush. We can get away at the start no problem, and I trust Dark Shadow to protect us from Mineta now that he knows to expect the balls. Hatsume will handle Kaminari, so that leaves Iida's recipro and anything that Yaoyorozu is able to create. I can handle recipro since I know it's coming, and at this point in her development, Momo can't really think on the fly. We'll still need to be ready to deal with anything unexpected, but between my preparation for what happened canonically and my knowledge of Class B's quirks, we shouldn't be caught off guard, at least not by the hero students, and I doubt the non-hero kids beside Shinso are going to do much. Most of them look like they're about to piss themselves at the idea of going up against the hero course.
Not long after we had finalized our strategy for the battle ahead, a loud buzzer sounded through the stadium and Midnight came to stand atop the referee podium.
"Oh goodie. It's time to get this party started!" She announced, drawing a roar of approval from the crowd.
Game time start.
Chapter 28: Fly Like an Eagle
"Wait for it…" I muttered as almost all of the nineteen other teams either charged at us or chased after those who did so.
My finger hovered over the jetpack's launch button as I watched the other students approach. Once they had closed within a few dozen yards, Dark Shadow unfurled from within Tokoyami, the shadowy duo watching diligently for any ranged assaults that may come after we took flight.
"Now!" I yelled over the crowd.
I pushed the button and Hatsume's equipment roared to life, propelling us through the air and over our flabbergasted opposition. Rin, Jiro, Pony, and Sero took pot shots as we flew over but Dark Shadow batted them away easily. Noticing a glint out of the corner of my eye, I lashed out with my hand, tossing Pony's boomeranging horns away in a gust of wind, earning a shout of frustration from the American exchange student.
So far so good.
Soaring across the battlefield, the hover boots on Uraraka's feet whirred to life, cushioning our landing. I grinned as most of the teams we had left behind on the other end of the arena abandoned their chase, opting instead to turn upon one another.
In fictional media like anime or manga, the dimensions of the battlefield are constantly changing in accordance with the whims of whoever is drawing the scene, but here it's fixed. This arena is massive, so it makes sense to cover all of it in order to give ourselves some breathing room.
The unexpected use of Hatsume's support equipment bought us several minutes while the various teams that bothered with pursuit jostled for position or were intercepted by other groups. The first to make their way over to us was Shoji, who admittedly looked quite intimidating with his appendages formed into a kind of turtle shell over his back.
"There, Dark Shadow! Shoji is carrying Mineta, watch out for any balls he throws at us!" I called out, receiving an acknowledgement from the bird as it expanded to completely shield us from the approaching heteromorph.
This is easier than I expected. The sheer size of the field enables us to buy far more time than in the anime, and most of the teams probably realize that we can just do the exact same thing as soon as they run all the way back over here. That said, with the fighting beginning to spread out, we'll have to be careful not to land on top of a team that is able to pin us down.
With several teams closing on our position and Mineta beginning to throw his balls at a prodigious rate, I aimed as far away from Todoroki's lurking team as possible and launched us back into the sky, Dark Shadow hissing in annoyance as he swatted away yet another volley of Mineta's balls.
Before we even made it halfway across the field, my jetpack began to splutter, and we rapidly descended.
"Baby!" Hatsume cried out worriedly. "Does it need some upgrades?" She questioned tenderly.
Shit, already? Didn't that happen later? Is it because we're covering more distance?
A sudden explosion erupted from below and I whipped my head around to see Katsuki rocketing towards us.
"Don't think for a second you're safe!" He roared, reaching a hand out as rippling explosions began to appear on his hands.
Narrowing my eyes in irritation, I channeled One for All through me and slammed my palms together between myself and Bakugou.
Idaho Smash!
The shockwave sent us careening away and ragdolled Katsuki back towards the ground. As we hurtled towards the Earth, Uraraka frantically reoriented us so that her hover boots could slow our descent.
I watched Sero catch Bakugou with his tape an instant before the latter crashed into the dirt before turning my attention back to my team. "Only six more minutes, guys! Uraraka, how are you holding up?"
Though her face was pale and the nausea was severe enough for her to remain silent, Uraraka nevertheless gave a determined thumbs up as we raced across the field, attempting to keep as much distance between Todoroki's team and our own as possible.
I shouldn't have done that. I wanted to keep Dark Shadow at full strength, but I sent us off course, and it's hard on Uraraka when she has to do midair maneuvers levitating so much weight, especially with the extra equipment I had Hatsume bring. Now we're practically surrounded. I realized apprehensively as several teams began to box us in towards the edge of the field.
I grimaced when I realized that not only had my mistake put us down too close to several other groups, but we were well within engagement range of Todoroki, who had spent the first few minutes of the event fighting off a cluster of non-hero teams. As they beelined straight for us, I saw the tell-tale glow of Creation light up Yaoyorozu's right arm and stomach while arcs of electricity simultaneously began to flicker across Kaminari's body.
"Here it comes! Hatsume, now!" I cried out as a massive tarp emerged from Momo's torso, Todoroki yanking it across to cover the two of them and Iida.
With a maniacal laugh, Hatsume reached over her shoulder, grasping the long metal rod attached to her backpack and throwing it out just in front of us.
"Deploying grounding anchors!" She announced gleefully as small cables shot out of the belts attached to all three of our teams 'horses' and into the ground.
"Indiscriminate Shock, One Point Three Million Volts!" Kaminari screamed as electricity lanced out in all directions.
The makeshift lightning rod between ourselves and Kaminari spared us most of the shock that ravaged the other teams nearby, but I still felt my muscles twitch and my hair stand on end.
"Your plan worked, Midoriya. Dark Shadow remains largely unharmed." Tokoyami informed me, the frazzled feathers on his head giving him a rather humorous appearance.
An instant later, ice swept across the field, trapping the stunned teams that had been pursuing us. Iida increased the power to his engines and began rapidly closing the distance between our teams while Todoroki put up walls of ice to enclose the area and lock out any aspiring interlopers.
"Oh, no! They're too fast! We can't get away!" Uraraka exclaimed as she attempted to propel us backwards with the hover boots.
Dark Shadow lashed out towards Iida and Yaoyorozu, but the latter immediately created a pair of shields that deflected the shadow's strikes.
Tokoyami tensed beneath me and his voice became slightly strained. "Dark Shadow can't get past Yaoyorozu and we can't attack Kaminari directly or he'll use his quirk again!"
"Deku, we're almost at the edge of the arena!" Uraraka shouted.
Thinking quickly, I decided on our plan of action. My team doesn't know about Recipro, but I can recognize the signs when Iida is about to use it. We just need to delay long enough that Iida plays his trump card. If we can negate that, this is effectively over.
"Uraraka, keep us on Todoroki's left side so he and Yaoyorozu can't use their quirks to attack us. We'll also need to keep our distance from Kaminari. Expect Iida to push his speed to the limit in order to close the distance as quickly as possible."
As Present Mic announced that the event had entered its final minute, Todoroki's team came to a halt and Iida looked back to say something to his teammates.
"Here they come! Hatsume, caltrops!" I yelled.
With a wicked grin, a small tube extended from Hatsume's backpack and fired a shell out in front of us, the casing exploding a second later to scatter razor sharp caltrops across the field.
I saw Iida blink in surprise at the unexpected obstacle, but instead of hesitating, his expression set with deep determination and he lowered into his Recipro stance.
He isn't backing down. Time for Plan B, then.
"Dark Shadow, surround my head!" I cried out as Iida's engines flared to life.
My heartbeat thundered in my ears and time slowed to a crawl. Todoroki's team catapulted forward, Yaoyorozu and Kaminari left completely at the mercy of their rollerblades as Iida dragged them along after him. A fraction of a second before they reached us, my vision was engulfed in darkness. An instant later, a searing heat scorched the left side of my body and I heard a shriek of pain before Dark Shadow recoiled away from me, whimpering pitifully as it curled itself against Tokoyami's chest.
Blinking both in surprise and from the rapid changes in light exposure, I checked to ensure that my headband was still in place. Confirming that it was, I looked down to ask my teammates what had happened only to find them staring wide-eyed behind us. Turning to follow their gaze, I watched Iida come to a screeching halt at the edge of the field as the last flickers of fire dissipated from Todoroki's left arm.
He used his fire on Dark Shadow?
Quickly shaking off my surprise, I hurriedly instructed my team to turn and face our opponent, only to relax somewhat when Todoroki remained motionless, staring in disgust at his left arm.
"Todoroki, what do we do now?" Yaoyorozu questioned in panic.
When she received no response, Momo turned to Iida with the same question, only to find that he too was rooted to the spot, gaping at me in stunned silence.
Rumbling booms from behind us drew our attention away from Todoroki's paralyzed team just as Bakugou demolished a section of the ice wall entrapping us. The blonde's eyes immediately focused on me and he blasted forward, his teammates desperately attempting to catch up.
"Deku!" Katsuki bellowed as he descended towards us.
Finally snapping out of his haze, Todoroki commanded his team forward, but with Iida's engines stalled and his feet pierced by multiple caltrops each, they were all but immobilized.
With Bakugou approaching rapidly, I prepared another Idaho Smash, channeling One for All throughout my body.
The buzzer blared and Present Mic's booming voice echoed through the stadium. "Time's up!"