Chapter Twelve
The Spirit of Competition
"I hate this."
"You know they're necessary, so stop whining." Recovery Girl reprimanded. Under his bandages, Aizawa rolled his eyes as much as he could given his injuries.
It had been a few days since the attack on the USJ. News coverage was a constant, no matter where you looked. Though there were no casualties, a new stab of fear had entered the collective consciousness of society.
If UA was vulnerable, was anywhere safe?
Of course, the Principal had a plan for that, one that Aizawa didn't all the way agree with, but what else was new? After refreshing his bandages and braces, he made his way to the classroom to deliver the news. Hopefully his general appearance doesn't serve as a distraction.
"HOLY CRAP, A MUMMY!" the class yelled.
So much for that.
"Take your seats. You're too loud." He slowly made it to his podium. Asui spoke up, raising her hand.
"Sir, is it really ok for you to be walking around like that?"
"Your concern is appreciated, though not necessary," he replied. "You have more important things to worry about." The class leaned forward with bated breath.
"The UA Sports Festival is coming soon."
"Hell yeah!" Kirishima yelled. "Let's kick some ass!"
"Hang on," Kaminari shoved his friend down. "Didn't we just get attacked?"
"Yes," Aizawa answered. "But in times like these we need to project strength. Besides, I'm sure you're all aware of how important the Festival is, especially for you."
"Hmph! Exactly." Bakugo huffed in annoyance. "Can't let a bunch of losers get in our way." Aizawa continued.
"A school wide competition to show off your skills to the world and various hero agencies. Whoever does well can be selected to join an agency as an intern, and maybe even a work study in later years. With only 3 chances in your entire tenure, you cannot pass up the chance." Aizawa explained. "If you plan on being a successful pro hero, this is your time to shine. We're not about to cancel over a few villains."
Midoriya nodded understandingly. He, like every other student in class, had watched the festival time and time again over the years. It had replaced the Olympics like it was nothing! And to be a part of it…it would mean everything!
"You still have a few weeks before the Festival," Aizawa continued. "So sharpen your skills as much as possible before then. Don't embarrass yourself out there. Plus Ultra."
xXx
Later that day…
"I'm freakin' pumped!" Kirishima grinned as they broke for lunch. "Can't wait to get scouted!"
"Right?" Sero agreed. "It's a huge step to going pro!"
"We will need to work hard to stand out," Shoji said through one of his hand-mouths. "I hope everyone has a chance."
"Don't think you'll have a problem there dude," Sero said jokingly. "No offense."
"None taken."
"Wow, everyone's so ramped up!" Midoriya commented. He and Yaoyorozu were looking over their new training schedule, to prepare for the event.
"Well, of course!" Yaoyorozu added. "It's the biggest event of the year, after all. If we do well enough, we'll be picked up by an experienced Pro Hero and trained in real world environments. It's an amazing opportunity."
"Surely you're excited too, Midoriya!" Iida interjected, chopping his hands as usual.
"Y-yeah! I just hope I do ok."
Yaoyorozu sighed. "Can't tell if you're modest or underconfident, you know that?" Midoriya looked sheepish.
"Good point…what do you think Urara…ka?" They all looked at Uraraka, who had a frightening look on her face.
"Midoriya…Iida…Yoayorozu…let's WIN THIS!" She said intensely.
"Are…you ok?" he asked gently.
"Yeah!" Ashido asked, butting her head in. "You're like, the most chill girl ever!"
"Listen up everyone!" She said loudly, addressing the whole class. "I'M GONNA DO MA BEST!"
"Yeah!" Kirishima gave her a thumbs up. "Not sure where that energy's from, but I like it!"
"You go, girl!" Hagakure added.
"YEAH! IMMA DO MA BEEEST!" she yelled again, hyping herself up. Nobody had ever seen her so motivated! On the other side of the room, Bakugo looked Uraraka over. To him, it looks like she's finally taking it seriously around here.
Meanwhile, Midoriya realized something. He knew why Iida and he himself wanted to be heroes, but Uraraka…
xXx
A few moments later…
"What?" Midoriya asked, flabbergasted. "You want to be a hero…for the money?"
"Uh…yeah?" Uraraka replied, somewhat guiltily. "Not like I don't have other motivations or anything…but that's the size of it."
Iida and Midoriya couldn't believe it. It just didn't seem like her!
"Oh, don't look at me like that!" Uraraka pleaded. "I know you must think I'm greedy and all…"
"Not at all!" Iida perished the thought. "It's perfectly reasonable to want a better standard of living! It's nothing to be ashamed about."
"But it can't be the only reason, can it?" Midoriya insisted. He knew her better than that!
"Well, it's complicated." Uraraka began. "See, my family owns a construction company…but they're not doing so well and not getting a lot of business."
"Hold on," Midoriya's brain went into overdrive, running faster than his mouth. "With your quirk, you would be amazing at construction, right?"
"That makes sense!" Iida agreed. "Once she's licensed, she can bring costs down that might be used on equipment or labor."
"Ugh, exactly!" Uraraka waved her hands in earnest. "But…my Dad said not to worry about them that way. They wanted me to live for myself, not be stuck working for them forever. But…" she clenched her fists. "I can't accept that. So, I'm going to become a hero and make plenty of money. So my family can live an easy life."
"..."
"..."
"Sniff…" In rare form, Iida was actually crying! "That's…that's beautiful! Bravo! Bravo!"
As Uraraka tried to calm Iida down, Midoriya realized how much he assumed! With a goal like that…she was actually more grounded than anyone! But before he could say so, Uraraka got a text.
"Shoot, I gotta go. I'll catch you guys at training!" Uraraka waved as she left. The two boys continued on to lunch.
Uraraka shook herself off as she strode towards All Might's office with her lunch. Talking about mom and dad always made her emotional. She lived by herself after all, so it was easy to find herself missing them. She reached her destination and let herself in.
"Hey! You wanted to see me?" she asked. Toshinori waved her in, looking over some papers with his own packed lunch.
"Yes, please have a seat." he beckoned. She sat down, unwrapping her lunch. "I wanted to talk to you about the Sport's Festival."
Like a switch, her intensity turned right back on. "I understand. I'll do my best!"
"Whoa, easy!" He put a hand up. 'Scary…'
"Anyway, I was gonna give you a speech about why this is so important, but it seems like you already get it," he explained. "So I'll get to the point."
She listened politely, eating her bento without looking.
"With your mastery over One-for-All and your own quirk, I have no doubt that you'll do well out there. But with that in mind, you must be alert." He sipped his tea. "Being the best out there will put a target on your back. If you plan on winning this thing, you must stay focused and don't underestimate anyone out there."
"Huh…so to best show off my abilities, I should play it safe? Try not to stand out early on?"
All Might hummed. "That's the strategy many students will count on early in the game. However, there are always two types of competitors who you'll see in the initial rounds." He put up two fingers as he spoke.
"The ones who aim to settle…and the ones who aim for the top. When you think of young Bakugo, for example, which category do you think he'll fall into?"
"Pff, the latter." Uraraka said without hesitation.
"Exactly. Which is why sooner or later, you'll have to face him and every other student who isn't willing to settle for second." All Might finished. "Bear that in mind as you take on the challenge."
"But…ok, I'm confused." Uraraka stopped him. "You're saying I should stand out? Or not?"
"I'm saying you should be aware." All Might cut in. "If you do well and stand out, others will be able to better strategize against you. And will single you out to reach the top. However, people don't win this type of competition by laying low." He gave her a winning smile. "Just do your best out there kid. I know you'll be great."
Uraraka grinned back. "Count on it!"
xXx
"It's time for individualized training!" Cementoss announced later that week. "Amongst yourselves, or alone, do whatever training you think will help you in the Festival. If you need help with anything, let myself or a teacher know. You may begin."
At some point during the day, every day since the Festival was announced, Class 1A had been sent out to various training areas to perfect their quirks and general skills. Students could go to private areas to work on secret moves or work together to sharpen each other for the coming trials.
Students like Bakugo, Tokoyami and Todoroki chose to train alone, due to their destructive quirks (and preference). As for Midoriya, he wanted to try something. But he needed help.
"Hey Kirishima, you want to train today?" he asked the redhead. They were in a large training gym, where one could practice quirks safely. "I have an idea that can train us both at the same time!"
"Alright, let's hear it!" Eijiro grinned. Midoriya explained quickly, speaking quietly so no one else would hear. The more Midoriya talked, the wider the grin on Kirishima's face was.
"Hell yeah! Let's do it!" The two ran off to a concrete ring. Kirishima did some stretches and hardened up.
"Ok, go for it!" he yelled to the other side. Midoriya slid into his stance, breathing deeply. With a thrust of his arm…
FWOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHH…
Midoriya produced a sustained stream of fire, striking Kirishima! While hardening was active, Kirishima couldn't be hurt by fire or weaker physical attacks. But everything had a limit, so Midoriya's job was to fire constantly for as long as he could. Not only did the exercise make Kirishima hold his hardening for as long as possible, but built up his overall defense from the pressure.
Meanwhile, Midoriya wanted to 1) be able to use his firebending reliably and 2) be able to use it consistently without burning himself. After his breakthrough at the USJ, he hardly ever burnt himself anymore, so he had some catching up to do.
"KEEP IT UP! DON'T STOP!" Kirishima roared. His rocky skin smoked and charred, but he held his guard up for as long as he could. Midoriya continued his onslaught of flame, sweating up a storm from the inner fire. Eventually, he ran out of breath, ceasing the attack. Kirishima immediately dropped his guard and fell to his knees, panting.
"Hah…awesome!" Kirishima gave a thumbs up. "How long do you need?"
"Maybe…a minute or two…hah…" Midoriya made out. After about three minutes of rest, they went at it again. The flame was quite powerful at this time of day, but eventually petered out again when Midoriya lost his breath. They did this exercise about 7 times, until Midoriya, quite literally, ran out of fire.
"I…I just can't keep it up so long!" Midoriya said, frustrated. "Do you know how to circular breathe, by chance?"
"Don't know…what that is, dude." Kirishima answered tiredly. But the manly hero in training still had gas in the tank.
"May I make a suggestion?"
The two turned to an oncoming teacher, Ectoplasm. The hero, using his quirk, made two copies and took both boys to either side of the ring.
"Your guard isn't as effective as it could be." Ectoplasm coached Kirishima. "Hold your arms this way and lean into the attack. Use your whole weight to resist the barrage of rocks."
"Got it!" Kirishima sharpened his limbs in anticipation. "Wait, rocks? Don't you mean-"
"I know what I said. Prepare yourself." Ectoplasm ordered. On the other side, he gave Midoriya pointers on his ability(ies).
"Something I've noticed," He explained. "Your quirk works fourfold. Each of your attributes function separately from each other, so most of the time, you use them separately."
"Yeah, it just takes a lot of focus to use more than one at a time." Midoriya told the hero.
"Then that's how you can improve." Ectoplasm decided. "Eventually, if you become able to manipulate every part of your quirk simultaneously, you will be a devastating opponent. For now," He pointed downrange. "Use earth to attack. Then when you're tired, switch to a different element. Keep switching until you are exhausted."
"Yessir." Midoriya shifted into his earthbending stance and began. A constant stream of attack was impossible with rocks, so he just kept up his attacks the best he could. The concrete and stone boulders chipped, sparked, even shattered against Kirishima's quirk, but he was actually being pushed back now.
Eventually, Cementoss came over to replenish Midoriya's supply, and create a water trough for him to use. Switching elements, the Avatar let loose with a torrent of water, which actually overwhelmed Kirishima! He was blasted away, gasping for breath. He recovered, rehardening his skin for the next attack. The next stream of liquid hit just as hard, but he did not buckle.
"Have to adapt how I defend!" He grunted. "Otherwise he'll get me again!"
After water came air. Midoriya blasted Kirishima with a massive wind tunnel. Kirishima was initially blown back, but adjusted to be more aerodynamic.
Midoriya ceased his attack and fell into his original stance. The fire he used this time was noticeably hotter than the last few times, maybe even stronger! Kirishima actually grunted in pain from the sea of flames.
"If you give yourself time to rest each attribute," Ectoplasm instructed. "The more options you'll have in a drawn out battle. And the more you'll be able to grow. Understand?"
"Yes sir!" Midoriya shouted, switching to water again. The sudden blast of steam engulfed Kirishima due to the change in temperature, making him yell out in pain. The training was really picking up now! They kept this up for about 30 minutes, with every elemental attack getting stronger and stronger!
"OH YEAH! HIT ME HARDER!" Kirishima whooped.
"HRAAA!" Midoriya yelled with effort, chucking a truck-sized boulder at his classmate. With great effort, Kirishima blocked and split the stone in two with his arms. They both fell down, finally exhausted. Kirishima's hardening faded away, revealing burns, scratches and bruises galore. Midoriya wasn't harmed, but definitely hit the limit with his bending power and overall focus. He had never been overexerted with his bending before today!
"Damn…you hit hard, Midoriya!" Kirishima grinned toothily. "Color me impressed!"
"Yeah…you too!" The Avatar said between breaths. "I'd hate to be in a fight with you!"
"Aww, now you're just being nice! How much longer?" Kirishima asked.
Midoriya looked up at the clock. "About 34 minutes still."
"Got it, I'm gonna jump off a few buildings for a bit." He sharpened his arms in anticipation. "See ya later!"
"S-See you!" Midoriya waved. He set off towards other classmates, who were doing their own training, both mental and physical. Ashido was trying to create large amounts of acid to throw and Aoyama was shooting projectiles out of the air via a throwing machine. Asui was swimming in a large pool, going as fast as she could while Iida raced around the training yard.
Midoriya tapped his chin. Speed had to be important if you're responding to emergencies. He jogged to the track, where Iida was lapping every 20 seconds or so. Midoriya began to run, airbending with his legs to build momentum. Only he didn't fly while doing this, staying close to the ground. Iida caught up with Midoriya, but the Avatar pushed harder, keeping pace with him!
"Midoriya?" Iida exclaimed. "I didn't know you could run that fast!"
"Never really tried on a track before!" Midoriya yelled over the wind. They both slowed to a stop at Iida's instruction, skidding to a stop at the starting point.
"Your running form is a little off, but your speed with your air control is quite impressive." He complimented. "Hold your chest up high, but lean forward a bit. You don't need to hold your head down so much. And don't forget to breathe consistently!"
"Got it!" Midoriya accepted the critiques. "How fast were we…"
"About 45 miles per hour, give or take."
"...wanna race?"
Iida pushed up his glasses smugly. "Only my brother has ever beaten me in a race, Midoriya."
"Then there's no harm in trying, right?"
"I suppose not." Both students walked to the start line, crouching down. Tenya's Engines roared to life, glowing blue with heat! Midoriya summoned wind around his body, almost coiling it midair.
"Ready…" Iida said.
"GO!" Midoriya shouted.
ZOOOOOOM!
Both speedsters exploded forward in a quick initial burst of speed. Iida pushed as hard as he could without burning out, roaring at 80 mph. Midoriya was in quick pursuit, but his airbending couldn't quite keep up. Iida won by about 7 seconds.
"Excellent! You're quite fast, Midoriya!" Iida bowed at the end of the race. "I enjoyed our competition!"
"Yeah…you too…" Midoriya panted. Though he only lost by a few moments, he was wiped out by the burst of speed. Meanwhile, Iida had returned to his own training, running off like nothing happened. "...I need more endurance." Midoriya decided.
His physicality wasn't that bad anyway. He was fairly fit for his age and definitely showed signs of training. But bending doesn't improve one's physical abilities like many quirks do. Though airbending can make Midoriya a fast runner, he couldn't really compare to Iida, who had been running all his life! Without his bending, he wasn't anymore capable than anyone else in his class.
His eyes glimmered with determination. Time for a new training plan!
Up above, a pink blur shot around the enclosed gym, zipping and hopping from point to point. A weightless Uraraka (who was doing her best not to puke) was using One-for-All to propel herself in the air for better mobility. She figured in a fight, she'd be less predictable this way and harder to pin down.
And she was right. Midoriya could barely track her with his eyes as she zipped about. He considered asking her for tips on workouts and strength training.
She then hopped to the center of the high ceiling, aiming herself at a pile of rocks from he and Kirishima's training. She leapt down, pulverizing the structure with a piledriver!
CRACK-BOOOM!
'...maybe I'll ask Sato first.' Midoriya thought meekly.
xXx
Later…
"Please leave! You are blocking the way!" Yaoyorozu ordered calmly. Homeroom was over, no one in Class 1A could leave! Students from various classes were crowded in the hall, looking in to see the hero course.
"What gives?" Uraraka asked. "What do you think they want?" But before Midoriya could answer…
"Take a guess, dimwit," Bakugo tisked, walking up to the door. He pushed past his classmates, ticking Uraraka off a bit.
"Who're you calling-"
"They're scoping us out." Katsuki elaborated. "We survived the villain attack, so they want to see for themselves." He looked right at the various UA students.
"Bakugo, please," Yaoyorozu asked disarmingly. "Don't say anything-"
"Now you know what a Pro looks like." Bakugo snapped loudly. "Now beat it, extras."
"Sigh, like that." Yaoyorozu pinched her brow. "What he meant was-"
"Oh, we know what he means." One boy interrupted. He had tired eyes and large purple hair to match. "Y'all in the hero course seem to think you're in the top spot. Untouchable."
Bakugo narrowed his eyes. "T'fuck you mean by that? We are the best."
"Heh…" the boy laughed. "Your arrogance is truly staggering. My point is, you're not untouchable. See, the General Studies course, along with the other courses in UA, also participate in the Sports Festival. Not just to show off our quirks, but to compete for a spot in the hero course. And you're already down a man from what I hear." His purple eyes bored into the class. "If you're not careful, we'll sweep your spot right out from under you. Consider this a declaration of war."
For once, Bakugo didn't have an insult to give. No yelling or cursing or anything. He just glared sharply as Eyebags left.
"HEY!" Another extra yelled. Grey, steel colored hair and eyebrows covered his features. "I'M FROM CLASS 1B AND WE'RE GONNA CRUSH YOU TOO! DON'T UNDERESTIMATE US!"
"Great, good job putting a target on our backs, Bakugo." Kirishima groaned. "Don't you think that'll make it harder for you to win?"
"Shit like that doesn't matter." Bakugo said, weirdly calm. "All that matters is that I beat them." With that said, he pushed past the crowd of students, who began to disperse finally.
With a tear in his eye, Kirishima clutched his chest. "So freakin' manly…"
Uraraka looked after the blond bomber, remembering what All Might told her. "Hey Deku?"
"Huh? Yeah?" Midoriya broke his train of thought. "What's up?"
"Bakugo doesn't ever settle, does he?"
"No," Midoriya seemed confused. "Why do you ask?"
"Well…" Uraraka struggled to find the words. "With how Bakugo treats other people, you'd never think he'd want to be a hero. But he works harder than anybody to reach the top. I mean…"
"I get it…" Midoriya answered. "I suppose we both look up to All Might, just in different ways." Uraraka's eyes widened.
"We've always looked up to him. The way he always saves people with a smile. How he never fails to win. We both admire him a lot." Midoriya shrugged. "It's a little embarrassing, but he's always been my favorite hero. And Kaachan will never admit it, but he's his favorite too."
"I didn't know…" Uraraka said softly. "Well, I knew that you were a fanboy, Deku. But I didn't think he was."
"Yeah, don't tell him I said that."
xXx
Over the next few weeks, Class 1A did nothing but train for the festival. Koda Koji spent time in the forest with his animals while Tokoyami meditated in a tree, commuting with his sentient quirk. Kirishima and Sato had an arm-wrestle at one point, neither backing down.
A charred smoking pit surrounded Bakugo during his training. His explosions only got more powerful the more he sweated, so working out and using his quirk went hand-in-hand. Elsewhere, Todoroki practiced his precision with his ice, forming complex shapes out of thin air.
Uraraka worked tirelessly under Toshinori's supervision to master One-for-All, away from the rest of class. Using OfA and Zero-Gravity together was always a challenge, but they continued brainstorming ideas for her applications. For now, Uraraka tried juggling large weights, using her quirk to send them high into the sky and the other quirk to catch them at terminal velocity. All Might would interfere when it got too dangerous and they'd try again. Overall, she was improving faster than Toshinori expected. She'd win this thing, no sweat.
As for the Avatar, he practiced his own control, trying to bend multiple elements simultaneously. It proved difficult, but he knew he could do it eventually. He also started doing more physical training with Ojiro and Sato, in the form of push-ups, sit-ups, and hand-to-hand sparring.
And then, before they knew it, it was time. The whole class was dressed in UA gym uniforms in their classroom, awaiting the call to leave. Everyone was quiet, psyching themselves up for the coming challenge.
But then, out of nowhere.
"Midoriya." Todoroki approached the Avatar, his passive face furrowed in determination. "I need to tell you something."
"Oh, what is it?" Izuku asked, looking up from his seat. The boy seemed to loom over him as he spoke.
"Objectively," he started. "In terms of quirks, I'd say that I'm stronger than you."
That got everyone's attention. Bakugo looked up from his desk, not believing what he was seeing. Neither could anyone else, for that matter.
It was another declaration of war!
"Hey man, take it easy!" Eijiro tried to intervene. "No need for more enemies here."
"No need for friends either," Shoto stated coldly. He shrugged off the other boy's hand. "That's not why I'm here. Everyone looks up to you. You're powerful, and you seem decent enough. But that doesn't matter." Todoroki narrowed his eyes down at Midoriya. "I will defeat you. That I promise."
Bakugo, who had been brooding in the corner, clenched his fists silently, mentally painting a target on Todoroki's back. Uraraka seemed shaken too.
"Todoroki…" Izuku stood up, looking Shoto in the eye. "You're right. You may just be stronger than me. But…I won't lose either. So give it your best shot."
…
…
SLAM!
"ALRIGHT! You guys ready to ROCK?" Present Mic yelled as he burst into the classroom, cutting right through the tension. The room was dead silent as they all stared at the man.
"Jeez, scary crowd…gear up! See you guys out there!"
xXx
The Sports Festival…up in the booth…
"You know Eraser, your kids sure are intense. What did you say to them?" Yamada asked offhandedly as he prepared the sound system. He always had to dial down his sensitivity extra.
Eraser, still covered head to toe in bandages, didn't even turn to answer. "I did nothing. They do it all on their own at this point."
"Ok, well, you ready to go?" Mic asked, stretching his shoulder. "Bout to be a killer performance out here!"
"I hope you don't mind if I join you." A smaller voice chimed in, coming through the door.
"AH! Principal Nezu!" Mic yelled. "YOU'RE commentating?"
"Oh course! It is good to participate in some way." The mouse/bear answered cheerfully. "Besides, these are the best seats in the house."
"Hey! Fair enough! Let's get you set up…"
"No need," Nezu hopped up to the sound board, which had at least 144 different controls and switches. "I played with something like this in my youth, you know."
xXx
'This is it…' Midoriya thought to himself. They were all in the dark, waiting for the que for their entrance to the field. Midoriya was right in front, as the class representative, with Yaoyorozu by his side.
He swallowed his nerves. He had dreamed about participating in the annual event. It was more famous than the old Olympics! And he was here! Of his own power!
But all those people…the thought made him shiver. And Todoroki's challenge still lingered in his ear.
"Hey," A voice whispered. He looked to his other side. Uraraka, as the top scorer, was told she was to make the opening speech. She looked ready to hurl at any moment, but she gave him a thumbs up anyway.
"It's gonna be ok, right?" She said quietly.
Izuku nodded, giving her a forced smile. "Yep. You'll be fine. No worries!"
She matched his grin. They both squinted as the bombay doors opened, light spilling in.
"LET'S HEAR IT FOR OUR TOP SCORING HERO COURSE FIRST YEARS, CLASS 1A!" Present Mic screamed into the sound system, triggering an eruption of cheers. Midoriya took a deep breath, and led his class forward.
The stadium was massive, at least 20 football field's worth of area for them alone. And the stands seemed to go on forever, at least from the Avatar's perspective. Class 1A marched forward, meeting the crowd with varying levels of excitement. Iida was ramrod straight, strutting proudly in the face of the public. More quiet types like Koda kept their head down, not thrilled by the attention. Midoriya was of the same mind, but he was the Class Rep here. He could manage. For them.
"Man, can't believe I'm on the other side of the screen!" Kirishima said in awe. "What do you think, Bakubro? Nervous?"
"Nah," Bakugo grinned. Personally, he was soaking up the attention. "Just gets me fired up!"
"Woo hoo!" Ashido whooped, waving at the crowd. "Let's do it!"
"NEXT, PLEASE GIVE A HUGE ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THE HERO COURSE'S VERY OWN, CLASS 1B!"
Midoriya looked out the corner of his eye at their rival class. Some he had met, most he had not. And all of their quirks were completely unknown to him. Some he could take a guess at, like the taller girl with vines for hair. Others he could not, like the plain, blond boy with the…is that a sneer? He turned his head to look closer.
No, not a sneer. Though the boy was giving them a serious side-eye. He had met their Class Rep, though. Kendo was leading her class, the same as him, keeping herself as professional as possible, while also smiling despite herself.
Midoriya put his eyes forward. He should probably do the same.
Other classes were announced, with no less vigor from the eternally hyped DJ Hero. Support courses filed in, wearing all kinds of custom equipment for the challenge ahead. Next was the business course, who by and large did not care for actually participating but fully planned watching and scouting potential clients for future endeavors.
Last were the General Studies courses, who filed in the right of Class 1A while the others filed in the left. Reason being the sheer size of the General Studies course for UA. While not everyone qualified for the hero track, UA was still a prestigious academy.
'Shinso is over there somewhere…' Midoriya thought. 'And he won't be the only one giving it his all. We need to be careful.'
"GIVE IT UP FOR OUR 1ST YEAR STUDENTS AT UA HIGH'S 85TH ANNUAL SPORT FESTIVAL! LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!"
Rumble…
A large podium and stand began to rise from the ground, revealing none other than Midnight-Sensei!
In all her R-Rated glory.
"Jeez," Kaminari murmured. "Don't know if I'll even hear anything."
"I know right?" Kirishima said with a blush. "Someone ought to talk to her about that outfit."
"Is this really befitting of a high school?" Tokoyami asked.
Midnight cracked her whip, silencing the crowd (and the contestants.) "Thank you all for coming!" She said, her voice echoing throughout the stadium. "Now I know you all are sick of the foreplay, so we'll get straight to the main event in a minute! But first, it wouldn't be the Sport Festival without the Pledge, now would it?"
"WHOOOOOOOO!"
"Now that's what I like to hear!" Midnight waved her hand down to Class 1A. "I now call up our top scorer to the mic! Ochaco Uraraka!"
Next to him, Uraraka took a calming breath before stepping up the stairs. Cheers filled her senses as she made her way up to the microphone. For just a moment, her entire speech left her head in her panic.
'It's ok…it'll be ok. Remember your opener…you'll be fine…'
"Damn…looking at her," Sero commented to Kaminari. "You'd never guess she scored the most points in the entrance exam."
They heard a loud sigh from their right-hand side. "Only in the hero course." A girl said sarcastically. Bakugo rolled his eyes. It still stung his pride that someone topped his score by so much. He should be up there. Telling everyone how was going to dominate every single student and be the undisputable champion.
'I suppose I'll settle for showing them.' He thought savagely.
As for Uraraka…
"...I…" The girl flinched at the microphone's feedback. She took another breath.
…
"I pledge…to earn my spot."
The audience was dead silent, as if no one was even there.
"Throughout my life," Uraraka continued. "I never truly felt like my life was mine alone. I have parents, who love me very much, and a roof over my head. But I've always ridden on the shoulders of giants, at least to me."
"I've always had someone in my corner, someone cheering me on or helping me in some way. And I'll always be thankful for the people who got me here today."
'And that means you too, All Might.' She thought to herself. She looked up to the VIP section, where she knew All Might was sitting.
"But today…today I'm here to show you what I've got. What I've worked for. What I've cried, sweated, and bled for! Today!" Uraraka shouted. "Today is the day you see what I'M capable of! What we're ALL capable of!"
She turned to her classmates. To her rivals, at least for now.
"So hold nothing back! Everyone came here to be the best? PROVE IT!" She pointed at the crowd behind her. "HOLD NOTHING BACK! LET'S WIN THIS, UA! GO BEYOND!"
"PLUS ULTRA!" Everyone shouted in unison. The audience roared in approval, clapping and cheering in earnest. The rest of UA were equally stoked, with a new fire put under them to win! Many looked at Uraraka in a new light. They would never had expected to put a target on herback. But alas.
As for 1A…
"Dude…" Kirishima said softly. "Did she just challenge the entire school to take her out?"
"I think she did, ribbit!" Asui confirmed. Though the speech was befitting a Pledge and certainly wasn't disrespectful, it seemed…odd…coming out of Ochaco's mouth. "She has been fired up lately."
"Well yeah!" Ashido said like it was obvious. "She's our number one girl! Everyone else will have to watch out!"
Out of all of them, Bakugo was the most affected. By far. His eyes lit up with rage looking at the girl in front of him.
And yet, he was thrilled.
'Challenge accepted.'
"Now then, for our first event!" Midnight snapped her whip in the air, queuing a massive rumble. The entire stadium shook as it transformed, a giant gate erecting in front of the student body.
"An obstacle course race!" Midnight announced. "Make your way through the course as quickly as possible! Use everything to your advantage, nothing is out of bounds! Have fun, kittens!"
"YOU HEARD THE LADY, FOLKS! BEGIN THE 10 SECOND COUNTDOWN!"
A giant clock appeared on the jumbotron, counting down the seconds. The door to the gate opened slowly, in time with the clock. Everyone rushed in, closing around the sole opening!
'Wait!' The Avatar realized. 'Everyone's closing in, but the gate's too small for everyone to fit! It's a bottleneck!'
"3…2…1…BEGIN!" Present Mic all but shouted. And they were off! "WHICH OBSTACLE DO YOU THINK MOST WILL STRUGGLE WITH, ERASER?"
"Why am I up here again?" Aizawa sighed, his bored voice echoing through the stadium. "To answer your question: the doorway."
All at once, everyone rushed forward, jamming into the gate with wild abandon! Many couldn't get through, pushing and shoving to try and break through the gridlock.
BWOOOSH!
Midoriya had other ideas. He crouched down, gathering as much air pressure as he could safely use, and blasted himself (knocking several students down) to the wall. From there, he literally ran sideways, using his momentum and airbending to sustain his horizontal sprint!
"HOO! LOOK AT MIDORIYA, CLASS 1A GO! AND HE AIN'T THE ONLY ONE!"
Shshshshshshsink!
Below, Todoroki noticed the exact same problem and chose a more…aggressive approach. He froze the entire ground, sticking everyone to the ground and used his ice to slide above the competition.
"Apologies." He said emotionlessly as he rushed forward, first one out the gate. "You were in the way."
"YOU'RE the one in the way, bastard!"
Todoroki dodged an explosion! Bakugo had exploded himself up before the freezing attack hit! And he wasn't the only one!
"Nice try, Todoroki!" Yaoyorozu cried out, pole-vaulting herself from the crowd. Kirishima, Sero, Tokoyami and Midoriya soon followed, having made similar moves to escape the traffic jam. Uraraka was close behind, having floated herself and kicked through the air to catch up! She released, flaring OfA to run. Many soon followed as the traffic jam thinned.
Midoriya ran as fast as the wind, gaining on the leaders. Bakugo and Todoroki were ahead, too focused on moving to notice him.
"Gotta make this count!" Midoriya sped up, gaining temporary distance, then skidded into the ground, sending his earthbending through the grassy field! Todoroki heard the rumble and turned back, expecting an attack.
But he sank!
"Tch!" He nearly twisted his ankle! Both feet were now entrenched in the ground! Bakugo boomed past him, unaffected by the ground-based attack. With such a wide range, the newly softened ground was sure to be trouble for anyone incapable of flight or jumping.
"HOT DAMN, MIDORIYA JUST SOFTENED THE GROUND TO STOP HIS COMPETITION IN THEIR TRACKS!" Present Mic announced. "WHAT'S HIS QUIRK ANYWAY?"
"You know his quirk, why are you asking me?"
"It's for the audience, roll with it Shota!"
"Fine. His quirk is elemental. He has control over the classical four elements and can manipulate them at will. Can we move on?"
'It won't stop everybody,' Midoriya thought, now riding on an air scooter over his trap. 'But it'll do! Now I just need toDUCK!'
By the skin of his teeth, he managed to flip over the metal fist aimed for his head! Robots! Like from the entrance exam!
"YOU BEST BE CAREFUL! THIS IS THE FIRST 'OFFICIAL' OBSTACLE, THE ROBO-INFERNO!"
"HAH!" Bakugo laughed, blasting through the annoyances. "WEAK!"
Midoriya kept going, ignoring the offending robot. Out the corner of his eye, he saw Todoroki riding a bridge of ice to advance. And it was fast!
"He must have been preserving his power!" He figured it out! After all, why wouldn't he just use that in the first place!?
Others had similar success with the robots Tokoyami and Dark Shadow shredded through with ease and Kirishima smashed straight through, as if they weren't there!
"TARGET LOCKED!" Countless robotic voices announced ahead. Midoriya looked up to see at least 5 Zero-Pointers! No…seven!
"Isn't that overkill?" He wondered out loud. As he ran, something landed right next to him, thrumming with power!
"URANUS…" Uraraka shouted. She kicked off, exploding from the ground with barely restrained power!
"SMAAAAASH!"
She delivered an uppercut strong enough to shatter the center Zero-pointer's head! As it stumbled, Uraraka landed on its shoulder and kicked off, pushing the behemoth back towards the others!
"HOLY COW…URARAKA FROM CLASS 1A BEST BEAT DOWN THE CENTER GIANT! LOOKS LIKE SHE MEANT HER SPEECH!"
"Crap!" Midoriya reacted quickly, diving underground to avoid the falling debris. Bakugo went high, blasting through the cloud of debris like a cyclone of destruction. With echoing booms, he took off after Uraraka, who was now in the lead!
Todoroki, on the other hand, glared at the falling robot from below.
"Guess I should go all out." He activated his ice, freezing the ground to his right solid. He swung his right arm back!
"Especially since dear old dad is watching."
He struck!
SHSHSHSHSHSHSHINKBOOOOOM!
An enormous glacier exploded from his position, stopping the robot from falling! Ice filled in every nook and cranny of the almost disaster, holding everything up precariously. He sprinted underneath, frost cracking off his right side.
"AND TODOROKI FROM CLASS 1A MANAGES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HIS CLASSMATES ASSAULT WITH HIS OVERPOWERED ICE QUIRK! WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN FEEDING THEM, ERASERHEAD?"
"Hard work. Keep watching."
"He stopped it!" One student yelled. "Quick! Make a break for it!"
"Bad idea." Todoroki called out calmly. The glacier cracked ominously. "I froze it while it was unbalanced."
BOOOOM!
All at once, the mountain of ice and metal cracked and fell, crashing over his opponents!
"On purpose."
Several would-be opponents were trapped under the frozen attack!
"Holy crap! Is everyone ok?"
"Are people seriously going to die here?"
The girl with vines for hair looked closer at the rubble. It was moving! "Look!"
Rumble!
"I'M ALIVE!" Kirishima bellowed, popping out of the pile! "Damn it Todoroki!" He cursed, completely hardened. "Anyone else might have been killed!"
Rumble!
"Man! 1A is full of jerks!" Tetsutetsu pooped out a few feet away, his entire body turned to metal! "Anyone else might have been killed!"
"What the…" Kirishima stared. "Damn it! It's hard enough trying to stand out!" He ran over the pile in earnest.
"KIRISHIMA FROM 1A AND TETSUTETSU FROM 1B EMERGED UNSCATHED! DON'T WORRY FOLKS, WE HAVE RECOVERY GIRL ON STANDBY!"
While most everyone was shaken by the first obstacle, Class 1A rushed onward, diving headlong into battle. Kaminari shocked robot after robot, and Yaoyorozu produced a cannon to take out the remains Zero-pointers.
"So this is what everyone else fought to get in?" She asked no one. "Huh. Pretty easy."
Class 1A weren't the only ones fighting though. A boy who made green scales slashed through the robo inferno while an extremely hairy guy plowed through like a beast! The orange haired girl from before crushed two three-pointers at once with her giant fists before sprinting off. It was clear who was staying and who was watching later.
"Many wonderful eggs this year," Nezu boomed calmly. "I wonder how they might catch up?"
But no one could catch up to the top three. Far ahead, Bakugo and Uraraka approached the 2nd obstacle!
"URARAKA AND BAKUGO, ALSO FROM 1A, HAVE REACHED THE SECOND OBSTACLE: THE FALL! FALL TO THE BOTTOM, AND YOU'RE DISQUALIFIED!"
It was an enormous pit! It was at least 200 yards deep, with a net at the bottom. So they wouldn't die, but falling equaled elimination!
Bakugo blasted himself up while Uraraka made herself weightless and jumped! She soared forward, aiming herself to kick towards the other side!
"NOT SO FAST, ANGEL FACE!" Bakugo roared. He unleashed a wide-area explosion, sending her careening away! "No gravity means no resistance!"
"AND URARAKA IS FLYING AWAY WEIGHTLESSLY! IS SHE LEAVING THE COMPETITION?"
"Obviously not, Mic. Bakugo's explosive force works to great effect on a weightless target." Aizawa explained."With no weight to ground herself, it's like blowing a dandelion."
"Augh!" She hissed in pain, rolling farther and farther from the course! If she lands outside the stadium, she might not qualify! She released her quirk, making herself pitch to the ground!
"Now what!?" She yelled to herself!
CRACK-BOOM!
A huge cliff erupted from the ground, with a single projectile soaring upwards! Midoriya sprang out of the ground in a shockwave, using earthbending to launch himself, then airbending to propel himself even further! He reached out a hand!
"URARAKA! GRAB ON!" He shouted as he approached.
"DEKU?" She yelled. He soared up, grabbing her hand and, in a single, practiced swing, flung her back to the course! And because he grabbed her hand, he became weightless and held on, dragging himself with her!
"Thanks! But…" she called over the wind. "What are you doing? There aren't any teams!"
"Listen'" He explained. "If we work together, at least to beat Kacchan and Todoroki, at least one of us will make first place! You in?"
Uraraka stared at her friend in disbelief. In an every-man-for-himself competition, he was offering to help! He could've left her behind to fail, but he didn't!
"Ok! What's the plan?"
Meanwhile, down below, Todoroki had already slid across the Fall with ease, crossing it in mere seconds. Bakugo was far in the lead, having made it to the third and final obstacle.
"WATCH WHERE YOU STEP, KIDDIES! IT'S A MINEFIELD OUT THERE!"
"Probably not enough to kill." Katsuki considered. He devised a plan. Deku wasn't the only one who could strategize! He aimed a focused explosion towards the wooden "BEWARE: MINES!" sign, destroying it beyond recognition!
With the plan in mind, he carefully stepped through the minefield, avoiding the obviously buried mines with ease. Despite his caution, he kept a casual gait, not appearing careful at all!
Todoroki caught up, but skidded to a stop. Why would Bakugo start walking instead of flying or sprinting? He must know something he doesn't! Todoroki looked down at the dark spots on the ground.
"Mines!" He stepped around the spots carefully, but as quickly as possible to catch up! If he hadn't stopped, he wouldn't have known they were there! Others managed their way across the pit and ran in wildly, too absorbed in the race to notice or care!
BOOM! BOOM! BABOOM!
As Bakugo suspected. The mines were weakened, and pink in color for some reason. Iida had particular trouble, in spite of his speed-based quirk. This event was made specifically to take out anyone who used speed to advance. Individually, they were a nuisance. Just enough juice to shit your pants.
But what about more than one?
Todoroki trudged forward, slowly catching up to the walking Bakugo. Todoroki narrowed his eyes. This didn't fit what he knew about the loose cannon. Something was up.
Then Bakugo turned.
With a smug look on his face.
It was only then that Shoto realized. They hadn't blown a single mine themselves! They were both surrounded by mines!
Bakugo grew a sick smile as he pointed his hand down.
"Don't!"
"BA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!"
"WHAAAT? BAKUGO JUST BLEW THE MINES! ON PURPOSE!"
"What a delightful strategy!" Nezu beamed. "Strength is fine, but proper planning can take your strength to a whole other level! Very few would think to use the mines to their advantage."
In a single, brilliant move, Bakugo blasted himself into the sky and towards the finish line and caused a chain reaction to explode the mines! The mines exploded one after another, catching everyone who had caught up in pretty pink destruction!
"SHIIIIT!" Sero shouted, soaring 15 feet in the air! Every student was kicked up in the blast, knocking them right off their feet! Some were even knocked off the edge of the Fall, disqualifying them!
"HA-HA!" Bakugo cheered as he soared. "EAT SHIT LOSERS!" He kept up his explosions, rocketing to the finish line!
But Todoroki reacted faster than expected! He simultaneously made an icy shield for himself and propelled himself with his ice, passing Bakugo!
"DAMMIIIIIT!" Bakugo roared, catching up again. The two slowed down to run and fight at the same time! And avoid mines!
"YOUR DECLARATION OF WAR…WAS TO THE WRONG PERSON!" Bakugo raged. "IDIOT!"
Todoroki tched, keeping pace just ahead of the blond. They traded blows, keeping neck and neck as they rushed forward. The end was in sight!
Then they heard it. A faint roaring?
fffffwwwwwwwwWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSHHHHHHH!
"Oh my!" Nezu said in slight surprise.
They both looked back!
"COMBO MOVE! BLAZING RINGS OF SATURN!"
From high in the air, he and Uraraka fell in free fall while Uraraka held Midoriya's legs. Then Midoriya shot fire from his hands at an angle while weightless, causing them to spin rapidly. By changing the angle of his firebending, Midoriya could aim them towards the finish line in a controlled descent!
Thus, they formed a gigantic flame wheel, crashing right in front of the two leaders!
"BRAKE!" Midoriya shouted.
Right before landing, they let go, temporarily losing control and rolling to the ground. But the sudden blast of fire detonated more mines, holding up the former leads and blasting the duo forward!
"MIDORIYA AND URARAKA RECOVER AND TAKE THE LEAD! WHAT KIND OF COMBO WAS THAT?"
Aizawa took over. "Midoriya used the same properties of weightlessness that knocked Uraraka out to their advantage. He must have seen the effect and planned accordingly, knowing first hand it would work. Midoriya's on the fly thinking may have secured both their spots in the competition."
"DEKUUUU! URARAKAAAAA!" Bakugo screamed as he regained his momentum.
Midoriya blasted off with wind and fire, desperately getting as far as he could! Uraraka followed suit, flashing pink lightning as she took off! Bakugo and Todoroki abandoned their fight to pursue! It was anyone's game as they left the minefield! They all sprinted into the exit tunnel!
"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Mic screamed. "It's down to four! Whoever leaves that tunnel first wins the first event!"
Within the tunnel, lighting, fire, and boomed echoed loudly on the other side! Someone stepped out!
…
…
"THE WINNER IS…OCHAKO URARAKAAAAAAA!"