Chapter 13: Going for Gold
Countdown to festival: TWO DAYS
With a black marker and eraser in hand, Blossom was in the middle of changing the impromptu calendar counting down to the sports festival. She had been doing it ever since it had been announced, having gotten a mini whiteboard and posting the countdown for her and her sisters to see whenever they passed by it in their apartment
This time, she erased the words "two days", and updated it to match the current date.
Countdown to festival: TOMORROW!
She took extra time to underline and accentuate the word "tomorrow". It was an important word, after all. It confirmed the fact that today was technically Sports Festival Eve, as unofficially dubbed by Buttercup.
Speaking of Buttercup, she was in the middle of doing push ups one handed. And doing it with ease.
"I… can't… believe it!" Buttercup gasped as she did the exercise, "The festival's… really… tomorrow!"
Bubbles meanwhile was lifting weights that were as big as her head.
"Me neither! After all this time!" she squealed, "Did you know that there's gonna be all kinds of booths there like the fair we went to? That means more merchandise, more food, more games!"
"More Heroes too!" Buttercup exclaimed as she finished her push ups, "And they'll all be watching us! It feels unreal!"
Blossom leaned on the kitchen counter, looking uneasy.They'll be watching us…
She had known this since the beginning. She knew that famous Heroes would be there, as they were looking for potential first years to hire as interns. But, knowing that it was actually happening tomorrow made her feel a little sick.
Everyone will be watching… watching her and her sisters. For the first time live. Not in random footage, but in actual live recordings.
As she thought more of it, the tiny feeling of sickness escalated into a rattling feeling of nerves and slight distress. She didn't know what was going on with her. All Blossom knew was one thing.
I need fresh air.
So, Blossom quickly muttered that she was going on a walk. If her sisters were or weren't okay with that, she didn't know, as she went out the door before Bubbles or Buttercup could say anything.
As she walked out into the night air and outside the building, Blossom instantly remembered. The news. But, as she looked around, there was a strange absence of news reporters and paparazzi. Perhaps it's because of them focusing on sports festival coverage or the fact that it was night that explained why they were missing.
But of course, Blossom didn't want to take any chances, and took to the skies.
As the city of Musutafu grew tiny, Blossom soared through the open air in a pink flash. The city lights illuminated her path, as she set off through the spanning urban area. At first, she didn't have a set destination to go to. But, a specific building roof caught her eye and she ended up going straight towards it.
Slowly, she landed on the roof, almost losing the flip flops on her feet. Blossom took in the sight of the roof. It all felt like a distant memory as she looked around.
That was because it was one. After all, it had officially been a year since she and her sisters came into this world and landed on this very roof.
Strangely, the crater was still there, a dip of steel and concrete standing out very noticeably on the otherwise bare and smooth roof. Blossom came up to it, going no further than the edge. She could recall the memory like it was yesterday. After all, it was such a vital moment. It was the reason why she was waiting for a sports festival hosted by the school she shouldn't even be at.
Once she realized that, Blossom sat down at the very end of the roof, before pulling her knees to her chest and resting her chin on her legs. Her hair, free from the bow and ponytail she always wore it in, tousled around in the late spring breeze.
She didn't know why she felt so overtaken by nerves to leave the apartment in the first place. Was she… anxious? No, that was ridiculous. She doesn't have any reason to. At least, she SHOULDN'T have any reason to.
Why… was she so nervous? She should be more confident in her skills. Which she definitely is, right? She SHOULD. She's been a Hero for 7 years! She's been a Hero since she was FIVE! She had way more experience being a Hero than all of her classmates combined.
So then, why was she nervous about going up against those same people? The more she thought about it, the quicker Blossom concluded that she wasn't anxious about the people she was going up against. She was anxious about the fact that a lot was riding on this.
Because there was a lot! Mainly, the girls' reputation. This sports festival is one of the, possibly the ONLY time that everyone would be witnessing the girls in action. Not in blurry and shaky footage or low quality pictures, but live, whether it was in person or on the TV.
The fact that it was live meant that this would be how people saw if the girls can actually live up to the title that the public gave to them. This would be how people can judge whether or not these girls displayed "wonder" in real time, without the help of some external source.
Blossom made a promise to her sisters and herself that she will work to make sure that people see that wonder. That was why she had to win.
"Nice view, isn't it?" a deep voice noted.
Instinctively, Blossom nodded and said, "Yeah."
But she quickly realized that someone had actually said that out loud, and jumped incredibly high in fright. As she floated in the air and covered her face, she could hear the voice laugh. Not with cruelty, not with mockery, but with kindness.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to spook you, Momoko."
Blossom slowly uncovered her face to see All Might standing on the ledge beside the spot she was once sitting in. Slowly, she landed, wide-eyed.
"All Might?! W-what are you doing here?" she asked.
All Might crossed his arms, still looking at the view. "I could ask you the same thing."
Blossom flinched slightly. But then, she realized that the sentence wasn't accusing her. All Might had asked it in a calm, almost joking, manner. And once she connected the dots and concluded that All Might wasn't going to drag her to get punished for being out so late, Blossom relaxed.
"I… um…" Blossom stammered, before sighing and sitting back down, "I needed to think."
All Might nodded in understanding. "Let me guess… about the sports festival?"
Blossom paused before nodding. "Yes."
"Gotcha. Don't blame you. Everyone's been stressing out about it. Even me, believe it or not."
Blossom looked surprised at this. "Really?"
All Might looked over for the first time. "Of course! My favorite class, going against each other to win! I'm gonna be worrying and worrying about who I want to come out on top. Especially since I like all of you."
Blossom blinked. She hasn't been giving much thought about her friends competing, mostly resolving to focus on her aiming to win. But, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that her friends were going to be her opponents. Ochaco. Izuku. Tenya. Shoto. All of them.
Which made that heavy pit in her stomach seemingly triple.
"Anyways…" All Might continued, sitting down as well, "I saw you flying off in a hurry on my nightly patrol. Thought I'd come to make sure you're not abandoning ship."
Blossom let out a half-hearted chuckle before shaking her head. "Nope. I'm here until the end."
All Might smiled. "Good. This event is a great way for you and your sisters to make yourself known. …Not that you haven't done that already with the news coverage you get 24/7."
"Yeah…" Blossom sighed, "My sisters and I have been training a lot for it."
"Of course. And have faith that your preparation will come in handy. There's a lot that UA has in store for the sports festival. But obviously, I'm not allowed to say."
Blossom looked down. She predicted UA would not reveal anything about the sports festival. They're always secretive with events like these.
For a few minutes, the pair sat in comfortable silence, the sounds of cars and faint talking in the city below. After a while, All Might broke the silence.
"Momoko… I just want you to know that I'm a little… concerned for you."
Blossom tensed. Deep down, she expected All Might to bring this up. She's seen the way All Might looks at her when he thinks that she isn't looking. She knew that All Might had to have heard at least some of the rumors circulating around.
It didn't make it any less jolting when he finally admitted it.
"What makes you say that?" Blossom asked, feigning a look of cluelessness.
All Might sighed. "You and your sisters have been through a lot. Especially in the past couple of weeks. Going from the USJ incident to learning about the sports festival. It's too much for anyone to handle. And with the public opinion on top of that… I fear that it may be impacting you more than you realize."
Blossom looked at him, and she couldn't help but think that what he said wasn't the half of it. He wasn't aware that she didn't come from here. He wasn't aware that she wasn't going to be in this reality forever (hopefully). He wasn't even aware that her name wasn't Momoko.
And while she acknowledged that fact, Blossom felt a subtle feeling of guilt. Shouldn't he know this? He should know the truth, know about everything. And what better moment to tell him than now, when it's just the two of them with no one around to hear?
But as Blossom opened her mouth, All Might chose that moment to talk again.
"I hope that I am mistaken when saying this. But, if you are… just know that you're not alone. If you feel like you can't handle this, give UA the word and we'll take care of it. And even if you end up being too stressed to compete in the festival, you don't have to compete. I understand if you're too scared."
This took Blossom for a loop. Scared? I'm not scared!
Now, Blossom will admit that she was feeling some negative things at the moment, and that was mainly anxiety and guilt. But, fear? Maybe of public opinion during and after the festival, but definitely not fear of losing.
She knew her worth. She knew that she had enough power to ace this whole tournament!
All Might should know that. He's seen what she and her sisters can do. They took on a Nomu, and THAT was way scarier than this tournament will ever be! Blossom knew ultimately that All Might didn't mean his speech to sound patronizing and was trying to comfort her. But, in the end, he did seem to think in some way that Blossom and her sisters were too young for this.
That didn't make her mad. If anything, it made Blossom's nerves dissipate when she truly realized that she needed to put that belittling rumor to rest. She needed to prove to All Might that he should not be thinking of her as helpless.
Which is why Blossom stood up suddenly, making All Might confused. But before he could say anything, Blossom took her chance to talk.
"I appreciate your concern, All Might. But, there is no need for it. I don't think I'm going to lose it. I'm more prepared than you realize. My SISTERS and I are more prepared than you realize."
All Might nodded. "Yes. I do not doubt that for a second—"
Blossom suddenly turned to look at All Might with fiery eyes.
"Then why question our resolve? Hm? This isn't scary. We've been through a lot! You know that. A sports festival doesn't crack the top TEN! And even before UA, my sisters and I have been through a lot. We've worked hard to get to this point. And with all due respect, if you think I'm going to back down just because of a few nerves, you're very mistaken!"
After saying that, Blossom paused, mulling over her words. She meant every word she said, and yet she felt bad that it was said in a nearly yelling speech. This was the number 1 Hero of this reality she was talking to. She should have a little more respect, right?
But, instead of looking angry or even shocked, All Might nodded in understanding as he stood up too.
"You're right. I understand. But, I just want to ask you something." All Might said before his face grew serious. "Are you ready? And I mean, REALLY ready? Once you step into that stadium, everyone you see will be your rival. There are no teams. Just you. Are you ready to face the people you call friends, and most importantly, triumph over them, regardless of what they feel?"
Blossom was quiet, staring at All Might with wide eyes. But despite the split second pause, she answered confidently.
"Yes." No.
All Might didn't reply to this, and for a moment, a flicker of pride and surprise crossed his face. But as he smiled, the emotion disappeared, and he put a firm hand on Blossom's shoulder.
"Okay then, Momoko. I wish you and your sisters the best of luck. Sincerely."
Blossom blinked. Once again, that feeling of guilt washed over her. The fact that All Might was simply looking out for her and her sisters made Blossom feel as if she told a big lie. But, the problem isn't the lie. It's the truth. Or lack thereof.
She needed to tell him everything. He has more than proven that he deserved to know.
That was why Blossom started to say, "All Might… I nee—"
But as she started talking, All Might had removed his hand and was now going to the edge of the roof.
"Alright. I think we both need to go back home. It's nearly an hour before midnight, and you need your rest for tomorrow. I will see you at the festival then! Goodbye!"
As her eyes widened, Blossom stumbled after him. "All Might…!"
All Might turned around, and for a moment, Blossom swore that he was surrounded by a misty white cloud. But, it disappeared as soon as she blinked. Perhaps it was the moonlight.
"Yes?" he asked, a bit of concern in his voice due to the sudden call.
Blossom stopped walking. Now was her chance to tell him everything. And yet, the more she paused, the more she felt like she couldn't tell him. Not now, at least, with the time of night and the sports festival already taking up their minds. Another unmasked secret would add to the stress that Blossom was already carrying.
So instead, she smiled softly and said, "Thank you. I really do mean it when I say I appreciate everything you do for me and my sisters."
All Might was quiet before smiling a little, his eyes heartfelt and sincere.
"Of course, Momoko. You don't deserve anything less."
And with that, All Might dropped down from the roof ledge. Quickly, Blossom ran towards the ledge and looked down, only to find no sign of All Might below. She briefly wondered how he managed to sneak off so quickly, but admiration overshadowed it.
She had decided on it. If her and her sisters ever got back home, Blossom wanted to make sure she was as compassionate and spirited as All Might. Maybe Townsville will see the Powerpuff Girls just like how this world sees All Might.
As Symbols of Peace.
On UA High School grounds…
"HELLO EVERYONE! This is Keomi Himari, and I am right here, right now, LIVE, at the annual UA Sports Festival!"
The day was finally here. It was a bright and sunny day, and the official UA sports stadium was packed. Crowds of people moved in and out, excited and talkative. Mini smoke fireworks exploded in the sky, and UA flags waved in the air. And outside the stadium, a young woman with blonde hair and a charismatic smile held a microphone and stood in front of one of many news cameras, reporting for the Musutafu Broadcast Network.
"That's right! Today, the renowned school event is in full swing! The weather's perfect, and conditions are suitable for the festival to go off without a hitch! Currently, people are saving their seats and exploring this amazing venue. But soon, they and YOU will get to experience students giving it their all at the festival LIVE! Coming up will be the opening ceremony that will OFFICIALLY get things started. So until then, get ready and stay tuned!"
Meanwhile, past the crowded entrance, past the newly enhanced security system of Pro Heroes and police (they did not want a repeat of the USJ incident obviously), and deep inside the stadium were the students of Class 1-A changing in the waiting room.
This time, instead of changing into their Hero Costumes, they wore something a little different: a dark blue athletic jacket with pants to match, which had the letters 'UA' sprawled on the front in a bold white color. It was the official PE uniform they had previously worn back when they did the Quirk Apprehension Test– it was required that they wear it to prevent "unfair advantages" that their costumes could give them, as the regulators told them.
And Bubbles was sad about it.
"Nooo…" she whined as she pulled on the jacket over her black tank top, "I wanted to wear my skirt-shorts for the festival! AND I wanted the Heroes to admire our pretty costumes!"
Buttercup sighed as she looked herself over in a nearby mirror and "fixed" her hair (in reality, she just combed her fingers through it to make it look both neat and messy).
"Yeah, I feel you. But, hey! At least we got these! They look cool." she replied.
Blossom meanwhile remained silent, as she tied up her signature bow, this time tying it on her low ponytail instead of the top of her head. Her mind wasn't on the attire; she was more concerned about going out there into the stadium.
The good news was that she didn't feel as nervous as last night. The bad news was that she still felt it. Which equally distressed and annoyed her. She shouldn't be nervous. She was Blossom Utonium! Fearless leader of the Powerpuff Girls! So to calm down, she repeated those two sentences like a mantra in her head.
She only stopped when she saw Tenya coming into the waiting room, which drew everyone's eyes.
"I just confirmed with one of the regulators!" he announced, "We're about to go into the arena for the opening ceremony."
Blossom took a deep breath while closing her eyes. The rest of her classmates looked equally as nervous. This was it. Once they walked out into the stadium, the sports festival would have officially kicked off. And there was no turning back.
But, as everyone started to go, a weird thing happened. Todoroki, who had previously been eying everyone silently with a dark look on his face, had placed himself in front of Izuku. And judging by Izuku's confused reaction, he hadn't expected this.
"Before we go… I want to say something to you, Midoriya." he stated, for all of Class 1-A to hear.
Izuku frowned. "Um… Todoroki, what–"
"It is clear that I am stronger than you," Todoroki interrupted while narrowing his eyes, "Both in terms of skills and Quirks. But, you have the Number One Hero on your side. I hope you know that the advantage will not help you in the slightest. No matter what… I'm winning against you at the sports festival."
At this, everyone looked at each other, all thinking the same thing. What is this about? Meanwhile, Izuku narrowed his eyes, not in contempt but in determination. This was a bit unlike him– after all, he didn't seem like the confident type. He was more timid in nature.
As the two stood off, it was clear that this confrontation was going to get worse. Which was probably why Kirishima stepped up to stop it.
"Hey… why don't we all just calm down for a moment? No need to make threats or anything!" Kirishima said in a slightly joking manner.
Todoroki looked at Kirishima with fiery eyes, startling the latter.
"This doesn't concern you!" he snapped before storming away in silent anger.
As the class watched him leave, Kirishima frowned in indignation and started to walk after him. But, Izuku was quick to stop him.
"It's okay, Kirishima. Don't go after him." he said calmly, the same determined look on his face.
Kirishima looked surprised at this. "But he was harassing you! He called you weak!"
"He's only being set on winning." Izuku reassured him, "I don't blame him. I am too. We should all be. Todoroki is a strong classmate, I know that. Despite that, I'll still be aiming for the top. Like you guys."
Ater he said this, the class nodded and voiced their agreement. Meanwhile, the girls looked both impressed and the slightest bit intimidated.
"Looks like we're not the only people here to win." Bubbles mused.
Blossom nodded. "That's right. Which is why we need to try hard too."
"You got that right." Buttercup agreed as she crossed her arms.
Finally, after the minor setback, the class filed out and walked towards the exit of the hallway that led into the stadium. Once they entered the arena, a deafening cheer from the crowd seemed to swallow up any other sounds.
As predicted, the stadium was packed. Crowds upon crowds were stuffed into rows of seats. There were various types of people in the crowds: diehard UA fans, people with merch who had clearly gone on an intense shopping spree among the booths outside prior, and silent watching Pro Heroes.
At the moment Class 1-A arrived, other competing classes were appearing in the stadium. All were students with diverse Quirks and appearances; some were even new people the girls had never seen or met before. And they were all gathering in the middle, where a raised platform stood.
Once everyone was gathered, a sudden loud and familiar voice echoed throughout the stadium.
"IT'S SHOWTIME, FOLKS!"
As virtually everyone in the stadium clapped enthusiastically, the girls looked excited, especially Buttercup.
"YO! That's Present Mic! He's announcing for the festival?! That's SICK!" she exclaimed, looking very happy.
"Oh! The Hero from the Entrance Exam? It's been a while since I've seen him!" Bubbles squealed.
After she said that, the voice continued speaking.
"Hello everybody! Welcome one and welcome all to the annual UA Sports Festival! Now, who's ready to ROCK?!"
At this, the cheering became increasingly deafening, as the crowds rumbled and the students jumped and whooped.
"Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!" Present Mic said excitedly, "The event of the year is finally here! And to start us off with the opening ceremony, please welcome our chief referee: MIDNIGHT!"
As everyone cheered once more, a woman strutted onto the platform. She was a captivatingly beautiful lady, with naturally narrowed eyes and long black hair. What had to stand out the most about her, however, was her costume… which happened to be a skin-tight revealing bodysuit. And to go with it were red whips which she carried in her hands. It was clearly an ensemble that was out of place for a high school event. And the students knew that, which was probably why they were staring in bewilderment at the Pro Heroine.
"Thanks, Present Mic! I'll take it from here." Midnight said before turning to the crowd of students with a charming smile, "Welcome students! Congrats on making it to your very first Sports Festival! Hopefully, it will be a memorable event for you all. How about let's start with announcing which class you belong to? Starting with the first class in the Hero Department!"
Midnight then pointed her whip weapon at the Class 1-A group, who started to look around for who was going to announce them. Finally, Tenya stepped forward.
"We're Class 1-A!" he declared.
This was followed by both enthusiastic and respectful clapping from the crowd. And while some students clapped respectfully, others eyed the class with anger and borderline jealousy.
After Tenya stepped back, a student from another class stepped up. Immediately, it was noticed that it was the same guy who warned Class 1-A not to embarrass everyone at the festival.
"We are Class 1-B!" he shouted.
Once again, people clapped, but not as enthusiastically as they did for Class 1-A. Soon, others stepped up and announced their class, going from Class 1-C all the way to Class 1-K. Once the last student announced their class, silence fell and Midnight continued.
"Okay! Now, before we start with other matters, I want you to acknowledge this moment. Right now, you all stand before me as mere UA first years. And perhaps by the end of this festival, you will leave with the satisfaction of showing everyone that your skills excel BEYOND that of a first year! During this event, I want you to give it your all! Important people are watching your every move, and that is especially true for the Pro Heroes in the crowd. These could be your future bosses for when you do internships, and you gotta show them just how skilled you are during this tournament."
Midnight paused, letting the words sink in for the students, who donned faces of passion and determination. Finally, after a while, she spoke again.
"Now that that's settled, let's move onto the student pledge. It's tradition that the student who received the most combat points in the Entrance Exam. It was a hard decision, with multiple people tying, but we came to a decision. It will be given by none other than Katsuki Bakugou of Class 1-A! Let's see what he has to say!"
At this, everyone turned to Bakugou in shock. Meanwhile, Bakugou himself didn't seem to care less as he went up to the platform with a slight scowl on his face. As he got up and Midnight handed him a microphone, Blossom wondered what he was planning to say. Everyone else seemed to wonder that too as they fell silent and listened attentively.
Bakugou was quiet before sighing and finally spoke into the mic, saying something that nobody expected.
"I just want everyone to know…" he said in a monotone voice, "I'm going to win over all of you losers."
At this, a split second of loud silence fell over the stadium. But, as mentioned, that was only for a second. Shortly afterwards, it was broken by a loud and provoked uproar of boos and shouts.
"BAKUGOU!" Tenya gasped, "You CANNOT be saying these things! Why are you calling everyone losers?!"
Buttercup was also angered as she shouted, "And if you think YOUR ass is winning this festival, you got another thing coming! Someone needs to knock you down a few pegs!"
Surprisingly, Bakugou didn't respond to the ensuing insults or criticism. Instead, he kept on his deadpan expression while he gave Midnight the microphone back and got off the platform. As he did, Blossom frowned.
Bakugou was a hard person to figure out. But, this moment was a clear sign of what he really thinks. And it shows that Bakugou, even though he came off as conceited, was dead serious. He was looking to win, and he did not care for anyone who stood in his way, no matter what his connection to them is.
Blossom narrowed her eyes. She made a reminder inside her head to keep an eye on him; he could be a formidable rival to face.
Meanwhile, Midnight nodded slowly. "Bold… I like it! Well then, that concludes our very short student pledge! I'm not complaining, since now, we get to the FUN part!"
After she said this, everyone fell silent, their minds immediately off Bakugou and on the first game of the festival.
"For our first event," Midnight continued, "We have… an OBSTACLE RACE! The rules are simple. All 11 classes will start here inside the stadium, and complete a four kilometer course that leads outside the stadium and back inside. Of course, the use of Quirks is allowed. The only thing you can't do is leave the course, which will result in a disqualification."
Bubbles looked excited. "Ooh! A race? That sounds fun!"
Buttercup grinned at this. "Hah! A race is hardly worth the time! I thought there were supposed to be challenging games, not a simple race to the finish line. I bet I won't break a sweat."
Blossom nodded as she raised an eyebrow. Buttercup did seem right. A race sounded simple. TOO simple, if you ask her. But, maybe she was looking too much into this.
"Alright, if there are no questions, head on over to the corridor over there where you will start the race!" Midnight concluded with a flourish.
As she pointed in the direction of the entrance to a hallway inside the stadium, every student made their way over there. As they walked, Blossom looked at her sisters.
"Are you guys ready for this?" she asked.
Buttercup looked relaxed, as she crossed her arms behind her head. "Duh! The real question is are you ready?"
Blossom chuckled as she smirked. "Ready as I'll ever be."
But as she said this, she had a feeling that the statement rang hollow. She quickly pushed the feeling away. She needed to stop the growing seed of anxiety and doubt in her mind before it grew into something more distracting. She can't win if she doubted every move she made.
Soon, everyone was inside the large room, and had lined up at the line marked as the starting point. As people started to warm up, Blossom looked straight ahead. That is, until someone called her name.
"Hey! Momoko!"
At this, Blossom looked to see Ochaco waving with a smile and thumbs up.
"Good luck!" she mouthed.
Blossom couldn't help but smile. "Thanks! You too," she mouthed back.
At that moment, the loudspeakers in the room turned on and Present Mic's voice spoke.
"Alright, y'all! The race will start in a few seconds! Y'all know the rules, and hopefully, you'll follow them! And remember, no teamwork and no cheaters!"
Blossom's eyes widened as she looked at her sisters. No teamwork. That meant Bubbles and Buttercup couldn't help her and she couldn't help them to win. Suddenly, All Might's question last night made sense.
When he asked her if she was ready to fight against everyone, he MEANT everyone. Including her sisters. Everyone around her was an opponent. She had figured that was the case, of course, but she still felt bad that her sisters would not be on her side this time. The only person Blossom could rely on was herself and ONLY herself.
Blossom then sighed and crouched into a running position. If that was the case… then so be it.
"LET'S GET STARTED!" Present Mic shouted before counting down. "5… 4… 3… 2…"
Blossom glared defiantly, gritting her teeth. Let's do this!
"ONE! GO, GO, GO!"
After he said this, a blaring alarm went off, which in turn, set off a stampede of students towards the doorway. As they made it through the hallway that led outside to the course, the hallway became unbelievably crowded. What once used to be an uncrowded sight of the end beyond was now a vision filled with jostling PE uniforms and pushing arms.
The obstacles hadn't even started yet, and there was already trouble.
But Blossom was prepared. After crouching for a short moment, Blossom propelled herself up so that she was floating above everyone's heads. And without hesitation, she flew towards the end of the hallway past stunned students, and blasted herself into the lead.
"And off we go, y'all!" Present Mic announced, "We're starting off this race with a bang! As you can see, folks, Class 1-A's Momoko Utonium, one of the legendary Wonder Girls of UA, quickly takes the lead with her pink flying streaks! Talk about stealing the show!"
But shortly after Blossom took the lead, Todoroki followed a few seconds after. And as the two made it out of the hallway, Todoroki aimed his hand at the ground behind him.
Suddenly, a wave of ice blasted out of his hand, freezing the ground behind him. Immediately, some of the students got trapped in the ice, to their shock and chagrin.
"OH SNAP! Would you look at that? Another student of Class 1-A, Shoto Todoroki, slips up everyone with his ice! Literally! Looks like some of the contenders in this race are gonna face a huge setback!" Present Mic shouted.
After he did that, Todoroki pursued Blossom, who looked back with shock. Once she did, Todoroki sent an ice blast her way. And while she is able to dodge by ducking, she ends up landing on the ground, allowing Todoroki to overtake her.
"And Shoto Todoroki takes the lead from Momoko!" Present Mic hollered over cheers.
Blossom glared. She wasn't going to give up that easily. As she runs after him, more students move around the ice barrier in various ways. Bubbles and Buttercup fly out, while Aoyama uses his Navel Laser to propel him forward, Bakugou uses his Explosions to fly away, and Yaoyorozu creates a pole that she uses to avoid the ice.
"But, hold your breath, folks! These two whizkids in the lead have some competition! Many students are avoiding Todoroki's ice show and taking the setback in stride. It's gonna take a lot more to knock down these guys!"
Bubbles grinned as she landed on the ground and started running. She was in 5th place, but now, she was looking to move up a few spots.
"It's MY turn now!" she declared.
After she said that, Bubbles stuck out her hand, and instantly her bubble wand materialized. Quickly, she swung it, and large bubbles came out, floating above people's heads. She then jumped towards one of the bubbles, before bouncing off of it like a trampoline.
"It's time for… THE BUBBLE BOUNCE~!" she declared as she soared through the air.
And with that, she landed on another bubble, only to bounce off of that one onto another one. Soon, Bubbles is ricocheting her way past her rivals, before jumping high enough to clear the heads of the rest and landing in first.
Bakugou clearly didn't like this, as he gaped with an eye twitching as he ran.
"That CAN'T be allowed! She used a weapon, didn't she? Weapons aren't allowed!" he shouted.
As if on cue, Present Mic's voice rang out.
"In a BUBBLY turn of events, Class 1-A's Miyako Utonium takes 1st place after using the help of bubbles created by her 'weapon' to send her past her opponents! And yes, y'all, I checked with regulators: the move IS allowed, as she is using purely her power and not a solid weapon! However, they advise not to use the move again before it is classified as a rule-breaker!"
Bubbles shrugged as the wand disappeared in a shower of tiny bubbles. "Eh, whatever! I'm still in the lead!"
"NOT FOR LONG, YOU'RE NOT!"
The shout belonged to Mineta of Class 1-A, as he moved across with incredible speed. This was because he was using his Quirk, which were removable purple balls on his head that he could take off and throw, allowing him to bounce off of them in a maneuver similar to Bubbles's 'Bubble Bounce'.
Mineta then launched himself into the air over Bubbles, two balls in his hands ready to aim.
"Take THIS, Pigtails!" he shouted.
But before he could make another move, a sudden attack from an unknown aggressor sends Mineta flying back, all the way to last place. Once this happened, everyone stopped in confusion and surprise. Shadows of varying sizes blocked their paths. And once the light shone on them, it became clear what they were.
"Alright! We made it to the first obstacle of the race! And I know that this will take y'all on a trip down memory lane. You know 'em, you love 'em. It's the EXAM ROBOTS!"
Sure enough, there they were. A group consisting of Entrance Exam robots. But unlike the Entrance Exam, there was an army of them. And, to people's shock and dread, MANY zero-pointer Arena Traps were among them.
It was official. UA wasn't messing around with this race.
Bubbles stepped back timidly. "Oh no…"
Bubbles wasn't the only one to look intimidated. In fact, most students looked apprehensive, even fearful, to attack the approaching robots. But soon, one student took initiative.
Suddenly, more ice surrounded Todoroki before he blasted forward, sliding across a wave of ice he created. He then released another onslaught of ice, which reached high into the sky as an ice cliff and completely froze one Arena Trap. Once it froze, it then fell over, the impact creating a blizzard-like shockwave that pushed some students back.
"WOAH! Would you look at the power! An impressive feat from Shoto Todoroki!" Present Mic complimented.
As Todoroki started to race past the zero-pointer's corpse, more started to come his way. But suddenly, one had its chest punctured by a zooming green light.
Buttercup had taken the liberty of destroying the remaining Arena Traps. She was flying fast and using the momentum, along with her sheer strength, to blast through the chests of Arena Traps, similar to how she had done with her sisters when using the Bullet Formation attack on the Entrance Exam Arena Trap. Only, she was doing this on her own without the help of her sisters.
"But, it turns out! Kaoru Utonium of Class 1-A's not looking to give Todoroki the spotlight. She's tearing through these robots like paper!" Present Mic screamed.
But, that spelled out bad news for the rest, as robot debris started to fall right towards them. Some quickly jumped out of the way, but others weren't as lucky. One of the unlucky ones was Bubbles, as a colossal Arena Trap came crashing down onto her. Fortunately, as she bursted out from underneath it, her power allowed her to be completely invincible, and she came out without a scratch.
Before a zero pointer could fall on Blossom, she incinerated it into ash with a large pink energy blast. Through the ash, she could see Buttercup slightly veering away from the direction she's supposed to go in, killing robot after robot with a trigger happy grin.
Classic Buttercup. The amount of robots to destroy was distracting her from her true objective, which was to finish the race. But, as she set off, Blossom wasn't concerned about robots, when first place was just within her grasp.
But soon, it became apparent that she wasn't the only one who wanted that. As Blossom ran with her super speed, someone followed closely behind– namely, Todoroki sliding on another ice wave.
"And here we have it! Two Class 1-A students neck to neck for first place! It's official: Class 1-A is truly the stars of the show!" Present Mic declared.
As the two locked eyes, Blossom glared in determination with a smirk. Looks like he's not giving up easily. Well, neither am I!
That was when Blossom decided to double her speed, running faster than the ice wave. But, Todoroki wasn't letting up, as he manipulated the ice so that it launched him into midair, allowing him to soar faster through the air and create another ice wave to jump on that was closer to Blossom.
"Agh! The suspense is KILLING me! WHO'S GONNA WIN?!" Present Mic hollered.
After he said that, Blossom looked away from Todoroki, only for her eyes to widen and for her to stop running and skid to a stop. And fortunately, she was able to stop herself from plunging off a cliff.
Todoroki slowed as well, jumping off the ice wave and stumbling to a stop at the edge of the cliff. Together, the two looked at the sight in front of them, which was an expansive canyon with stone pillars and cables in between each one.
"And here we are at our second pitstop! Emphasis on the PIT!" Present Mic announced, "Here, competitors must try their best to cross the canyon, either on the cables or some other rule-abiding way! All you gotta not do is simple: don't FALL! That's why it's called the Fall!"
Blossom looked down at the seemingly endless drop, before looking up. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Todoroki do the same thing she was doing: gauging the distance and how to get across easily. And as their eyes met, that was when time seemed to unfreeze and the high-paced adrenaline came rushing back.
When it came to easy methods of getting across, the way to go was obvious: flight. Which was why Blossom didn't hesitate to fly off in a pink blur, making her way across the canyon. Todoroki followed immediately afterwards, using his ice to get across.
As others came to the canyon, they used various ways of getting across, such as Tsuyu using her Frog-like speed and movement to clear the cables, while Tenya used the engines on his legs to jet himself across. Bubbles meanwhile decided to do this the fun way.
After crouching, Bubbles made a big leap into the air, soaring high above everyone's heads. Then, using her power, she flew quickly back down to land on a pillar before launching herself again, jumping from pillar to pillar in rapid succession.
While Bubbles leapt through the air, Buttercup finally came up to the Fall. But instead of going across, Buttercup looked at some of the ropes, with people still crossing on them. An idea was starting to form in her head.
With a wicked grin, Buttercup grabbed as many cables as she could, and started to shake them violently. The resulting ripple of jostling ropes dislodged competitors, making some of them fly in the air while others fell onto the rock pillars.
"WOAH! Looks like y'all better watch out! 'Cause Kaoru isn't coming to play!" Present Mic hollered.
Once a sufficient number of students were set back, Buttercup finally flew across, sticking out her curled tongue at some players on rock pillars glaring and cursing her out.
Once the Fall was cleared, Blossom landed and started to run again. But, as she heard the crackling sound of ice behind her, she groaned.
"Does this guy ever quit?" she muttered to herself.
Not bothering to look at Todoroki in hot pursuit, Blossom ran faster to pull farther ahead. But, her urge to get away seemed to fog her awareness of surroundings, as her foot stepped into a shallow ditch.
So one second, Blossom was running. The next, a huge explosion of pink smoke sent her reeling and falling on the ground. And although she was unscathed, she was very disoriented.
"Whoops! Looks like Momoko stumbled right onto the third and final obstacle of the race! You might want to watch your step, contestants, because here, we have a MINEFIELD!"
At this, Blossom blinked in bewilderment and indignation.
"Minefield?! Are they TRYING to kill us?!" she muttered.
Slowly Blossom stood up and looked across the expansive area. In the devoid field, there were almost infinite small and barely noticeable ditches dug in the mud. And inside those ditches were blinking discs, which were most likely the landmines.
But with bad news, there was also good news. Blossom could see the stadium up ahead. The finish line was just beyond the obstacle. Too bad that obstacle was full of bombs ready to explode.
Just like the Fall, Blossom resorted to flight, just as other students came up. As for those who couldn't fly, they moved around the field with the daintiness and caution of a mouse, trying not to step on a bomb that could absolutely hurt them.
The next Powerpuff Girl to make it to the Minefield was Buttercup who came in after Todoroki set off. She also decided to fly across for an easy win. But as she made it a quarter of a way through, a sudden explosion knocked her off balance. As she fell on her butt, she coincidently fell onto another bomb, which exploded underneath her.
"Oooh!" Present Mic hissed, "That's gonna leave a mark on Kaoru for sure."
As Buttercup stumbled upwards, rubbing her head (despite not feeling any pain), she then saw what happened. A student that came in behind her had not liked the fact that she was ahead. And as a result, the contestant used his Emitter Quirk to send a blast towards a landmine underneath Buttercup, causing the explosion. And with Buttercup distracted, that allowed the boy to race by with a glare.
"That's what you get for knocking me off the rope, loser!" he shouted as he made his way past.
Buttercup glared and gritted her teeth. Clearly she wasn't going to let this slide. That was why she grabbed a nearby disc, quickly aimed, and threw it like a frisbee. This caused the mine to land by the boy's feet and blow up, sending him and others around him flying.
"'Loser' my ass." Buttercup growled as she continued running.
Meanwhile, Bubbles was clearing the minefield as well. Before going onto it, she had enveloped herself into a glowing energy construct of a bubble. Then, she rolled by on the minefield like a hamster, unaffected by any surrounding explosions.
But, Bubbles wasn't going to be unbothered for long. That was evidenced by Bakugou blasting up to her and shoving the bubble out of the way.
"MOVE IT, BUG EYES!" he shouted as he passed by.
Bubbles, shocked by the sudden maneuver and insult, quickly grew irritated. An idea coming to her, Bubbles jumped, and in turn, the bubble jumped too. Once she landed, she immediately rocketed into the air, propelled by the bounciness of the bubble. As she flew over Bakugou's head, she then glared at him, as he looked up, bewildered.
"Stop CALLING me that!" she shouted.
After she said that, Bubbles pushed on the bottom of the bubble, which caused it to fly straight towards Bakugou. But, he quickly turned around and threw one of his explosions at the bubble. This stopped Bubbles's attempted attack, and burst the bubble around her into tiny flickers of blue.
But, it was revealed that that was Bubbles's plan all along. After the bubble exploded, Bubbles's foot had pressed onto Bakugou's outstretched hand. Using her momentum and the "prop", Bubbles pushed off, doing a twist flip over him and landing on the other side. With a dorky salute and an equally dorky smile, Bubbles raced ahead.
"Now THAT'S a maneuver we gotta zero on really quick!" Present Mic gasped, "Katsuki Bakugou of Class 1-A had been trying to land an attack on Miyako Utonium, also of Class 1-A. But not only did she take the attack in stride, but she also used it to her advantage to push ahead of him! That's TOP-LEVEL strategy right there!"
Bakugou stared in shock for a second before snapping out of it. He then glared hard, screamed in fury, and raced after her.
"That brat's always SHOWING OFF! I'll KILL HER!" he shouted.
Not far ahead of the pair, almost at the end of the minefield, Blossom hit the ground. But instead of falling flat, Blossom did a tuck and roll, landing in a crouch. She then touched the right side of her face, which felt cold and icy. Which was expected since Todoroki had just aimed a barely missed ice blast at her, and the attack grazed her face.
As Blossom stood up, Todoroki pushed past her, starting to get onto the small hill leading up to the stadium. She didn't hesitate to start running after him, quickly catching up to him.
Now, the two were side by side, heading towards the finish line and in a deadlock for first place. Fighting off attacks and attempts made by Todoroki to deter her, Blossom fixed her eyes wildly on the entrance of the stadium.
This was it. The first event of the sports festival came down to this. Winning this would make a statement to everyone watching that she had more than enough skill and determination to ace the sports festival.
Right now, the one thing standing in between that was Todoroki. But then, as she heard the loudest explosion behind her, she realized that maybe he wasn't the ONLY one.
Blossom looked behind her to see something green hurtling towards them. It then landed a few feet away before it started to barrel towards them. Looking at it, she frowned. What was that?
But then, as it came close and took the lead from a shocked Blossom and Todoroki, it was clear who it was.
"Izuku!" Blossom shouted in bewilderment and irritation.
Sure enough, Izuku was running up the hill towards the stadium. But, despite the strong start, he seemed to be losing his momentum. This allowed the two to race past him, their passion and urgency pushing them forward.
But, Izuku wasn't done, as he grabbed what looked like a metal sheet, positioned it behind his head, jumped up, and slammed it into the ground. The resulting chain of explosions sent dust flying everywhere, directly towards Blossom and Todoroki. This forced them to stop and cough from the dust as Izuku continued to run.
Through her watery eyes, Blossom could see Izuku's retreating form as he came closer and closer towards the stadium. He was taking the win from both of them.
No. This couldn't be the end, could it? She couldn't lose like this. She would take second or third place and be known as "the girl who really tried but wasn't good enough to win". Leaders don't lose. SHE doesn't lose.
No. No. NO!
What happened afterwards, Blossom couldn't figure out. All she knew was that something inside her snapped. Not minding the dust at all, Blossom jetted out of it, flying like she never had done during this race. She then started to move in a corkscrew motion as the stadium came in closer and closer.
"BULLET… FORMATION!" she shouted.
In a gust of wind, she blasted past Izuku just as he came to the entrance, the force making him stop and protect his face with his arms. After a split second, Blossom had the sense to shut her eyes and dig her feet into the ground. But her momentum dragged her along, making skid marks on the stadium floor, before stopping in the middle of it.
Panting from the exertion, Blossom unclenched her fist. Her heart was beating rapidly, like it was about to burst. It didn't appear to be because of the tiredness (or lack thereof). But it seemed like it was, as it slowly slowed. Only then did she open her eyes.
Around her, Blossom could see people in the stands staring at her with shock. Even some of the Pro Heroes looked like they were thrown for a loop. For the first time at the sports festival, the stadium was dead silent.
But, that was soon broken by Present Mic as he announced something that made Blossom do a double take.
"And our winner for the Obstacle Race is… MOMOKO UTONIUM!"
At this, loud applause shook the stadium as people whooped and cheered. Blossom now looked completely nonplussed as she whirled around and looked at the entrance. Izuku followed afterwards and took 2nd place, while Todoroki took 3rd. They were then followed by Buttercup, Bubbles, and Bakugou, who all took the last 3 spots as the top 6.
As others trickled in, Present Mic said more but Blossom was barely listening. She could hardly believe it. She was first!
But as her sisters barreled into her, taking her into a hug and congratulated her excitedly, it felt all the more real. And it WAS all the more real.