Chapter 15: Scorch Marks
(One Day Later)
Kyouka slipped on her black pantyhose and shoes, stretching her arms over her head as she yawned. Her jacks extended, slipping into the sleeves of her uniform blazer still on the bed. They lifted up the clothing, allowing Kyouka to slide her arms into the sleeves and button up.
*Knock* *Knock*
"Kyouka," Mika said, leaning through the open door. Her voice in a teasing tone. "Your boyfriend is here."
"He's not my…" A smile then slowly bloomed on Kyouka's face. "Oh, wait. Yeah, he is. I'll be down in a second."
Mika rolled her eyes, but had a smile on her face as she left the room. Grabbing her bag, Kyouka left her room and headed down stairs to be met with the face of her recently acquired partner. Izuku was on his phone checking the latest hero news when he heard approaching footsteps. Gazing up, he saw Kyouka nearing him.
"H-Hi."
Kyouka grabbed Izuku's improperly tied tie, fixing it for him. "I get the feeling you're not doing this right on purpose so I can do this everyday."
"Yes and no. I-I still d-don't know how to tie it right, but I haven't tried to learn so you can still tie it."
Finishing with the tie, Kyouka chuckled. "You won't see me complaining."
"Oh, please." Both teens turned to see Kyoutoku with half-closed eyes sitting on the couch with coffee in hand. "It's far too early in the morning for this much sweetness. I'm begging you to go to school."
Smirking, Kyouka crossed her arms and turned towards her father. "What? Too early to make threats to my boyfriend?"
"It's never too early for that. Speaking of which, Midoriya, did you know I own a gun?"
"It's a Nerf Gun."
"Hey!" Kyoutoku yelled out, a finger pointing at the teens. "Anything can be a weapon in the right hands."
Rolling her eyes, Kyouka grabbed Izuku's hand and walked out the door. "Goodbye, old man."
Walking down the steps and onto the sidewalk, Izuku looked over to Kyouka. "He...He doesn't actually have a gun, right?"
"Are you kidding me? Do you know how strict gun laws are here? Besides, I'm pretty sure he'd scream like a little girl if he fired a shotgun. And why are you still afraid of him?"
"My first time meeting him he was dressed in a black cloak and threatening death. He's unpredictable. I have every reason to be afraid if I do something wrong."
"You know what's really funny? You've been worrying about what my parents would do to you if you did something wrong, but let's be honest. I'm the one you should be scared of."
Izuku took a deep breath, his eyes wide. "That's actually a good point."
"Especially since if you do something wrong, I'm most likely going to be the one in the closest vicinity to you."
"Wh-What would you do, exactly?"
Kyouka smirked, bringing Izuku's face down to give a chaste kiss on his lips before whispering, "Hope you never find out." She took his hand again, leading Izuku down the sidewalk as a cold chill ran up his spine.
…
(U.A High)
Just as the couple was about to walk through the front gates, Izuku stopped them. "Wait, w-we never actually talked about if we would be public at school." Both teens looked at one another in thought. Izuku thought about the weird, perverted male group of the class, while Kyouka thought of the overbearing, gossip group that was some of the females.
They gazed at one another, simultaneously saying, "Nope."
Their hands separated as they walked into the building and towards their classroom. They could act like a couple at any other time. If sticking to "Best Friends" in public meant keeping their privacy from a bunch of teenagers they barely knew, they'd do it in a heartbeat. For now, at least. As they neared the classroom, Izuku asked, "Do you think we'll make it through the day without people finding out?"
"Were we really comfortable with doing PDA here in the first place? Or anywhere with people?"
"You've got a point." They entered the classroom, sitting down at their desks like everyone else.
Except for Iida, that is.
"To your seats everyone! Class is about to begin!"
Izuku turned to Kyouka, "Should we tell him he's the only one still standing?"
"Eh, let Iida have his fun. He barely has any influence over us to begin with. By the way, I've been meaning to ask. Do you still think they'll go through with the Sports Festival after the attack? Seems like adding fuel to the fire to have another big event where there'll be heroes-in-training ripe for killing."
"I don't know. If they don't cancel it, maybe they'll delay?"
"They better fuckin' not." Both teens turned their eyes towards Katsuki as he sat down at his desk. He swiveled around to glare at Izuku. "And you better do well in the first two events, Deku. Don't forget, we're going to rematch. And it'll be a real fight this time. I wanna see that quirk you've been hiding and prove that even with it you're still a worthles-"
"Can't you just shut up?"
Katsuki paused, his eyes quickly turning to the desk next to Izuku's. Kyouka's stare was directed right at him, her arms crossed as she gazed unamused. "The fuck did you just say?"
"I said shut your obnoxiously large mouth."
Izuku's eyes grew wide, "K-Kyouka, I-I don't think this i-is a good id-"
"Who the hell even are you, Earlobes?"
"Wow, Izuku just said my name. You're either stupid, or you're hard of hearing from your own screaming. Oh, wait. It's both."
Katsuki grit his teeth, his fists clenching. "Who the fuck do you think you're talking to?"
Izuku sighed, 'Out of all questions to ask, you had to ask that? You just gave her more ammo.'
Kyouka smirked, "Right now? Well, right now I'm looking at a loudmouth, arrogant, annoying, complete and utter jackass with a superiority complex who's in denial and being an asshole to my best friend. But in about five seconds I'll be looking at the exact same thing, except you'll be far quieter, because I can hear that Mr. Aizawa is about to walk through the door. And you'll just have to take everything I just said because you're already walking on thin ice with him."
Growling, Katsuki glared at Kyouka with veins popping out on his forehead. "You think you ca-"
"Sit down, everyone! Class is beginning!" Iida yelled out to the class. The door slid open, revealing Aizawa completely covered in bandages. The blonde sneered, taking his seat fuming. Izuku looked over to her in panic, but she shook her head.
She leaned over and whispered, "We'll talk about it after school. I doubt you want more people learning about you two right now."
Izuku looked hesitant, but nodded, knowing she was right. It wasn't a conversation to have near everybody. Aizawa went to his desk, his voice muffled by the bandages. "Morning, everyone."
Mina raised her hand up, "Um...Mr. Aizawa...Are you sure you should be here? You kinda look like a mummy."
"Forget about my well-being. It's not important."
"That's the kind of thinking that just makes us more worried."
"Worry about yourselves, because the fight isn't over. The Sports Festival is still on." The class began speaking out in surprise, the revelation shocking to everyone. "Quiet down. Apparently we have to show to the public and villains that we're not afraid and that we still believe in our crisis management protocols. Granted, we'll still have five times the amount of police coverage compared to last year. But, either way we couldn't skip this event. It's an important opportunity for you all to participate in."
Momo perked up in her chair, "We'll be seen by heroes all over the country."
"Exactly. You'll be scouted for internships with real pros. This only happens once a year, so you'll have three chances to prove yourself. Don't waste this opportunity. Be sure to train hard over these next two weeks. Now, onto today's first lesson…"
…
(Lunchtime)
The class was talking excitedly, everyone charged up for the festival. Kyouka and Izuku were making their ways towards the door, doing their best to ignore Katsuki's constant glare. "E-Everyone is really excited for this."
"Are you not?" Just as they were about to leave the room, Iida grabbed their attention as he tensed up. "This is our chance to prove ourselves!"
They watched Iida's body move in what Kyouka could only call, "A Rigor-Mortis Jig". The purplette awkwardly nodded at him, "Ooookay, dude. Good luck with that." Just as she was grabbing the door handle, Iida stopped them again.
"Aren't you going to wait for Uraraka and I?"
"Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry, just wanted to get out of here. All this noise, you know?" Kyouka said, pointing to her jacks.
"Of course, I understand. Now, Uraraka let's go-" Iida paused at the sight of his friend, a terrifying grin on her face.
Ochako gazed up at her friends, "Iida, Jirou, Midoriya, let's do our best in the festival."
The trio looked at one another before looking back at Ochako with Iida breaking the silence, "Uraraka...Are you alright?"
"Just determined." She jumped up from her seat, pumping her fist up. "Everyone! I'm gonna do my best!" As the class nervously raised their own fists up, Kyouka moved over to Ochako, taking her by the shoulders.
"Okay, let's go get lunch. You determined enough for that?"
Ochako punched her fist into her palm, "Quite." Leading her out the door, the group traveled to the cafeteria. As they walked down the steps, Izuku turned to his friends.
"H-Hey, I-I never asked you Uraraka. But, um, wh-why do you want to be a hero?" Kyouka couldn't help but smile a little. Izuku starting the conversations in their friend group wasn't often, so this was progress.
The look of determination suddenly vanished from the brunette's face. "O-Oh, well I-...It's not exactly, uh...It's money." The group was startled, each one of them not expecting that answer. "I-It's not noble or anything, but...my parent's own a construction company and we're not doing so well. Don't tell anyone, but we're dirt poor right now. I've offered to help them at the worksites with my quirk, but they won't have it. I want to give them a better life."
Iida quickly came to Uraraka's defense, "There's nothing wrong with trying to achieve a better lifestyle."
Kyouka started to speak up, "Yeah, but-." She quickly shut her mouth, immediately regretting adding that "but" at the end. Now all eyes were on her.
Uraraka looked concerned, "What?"
"Uh, nothing. I was just going to say I hope it works out for you."
"No, you can be honest. I know my reasoning isn't exactly what most would consider heroic."
Shit, now she was being put on the spot. If she continued to deny it, Ochako would just feel like Kyouka held something against her and just wouldn't say anything. "I-I...It's a good reason, and obviously it's great that you want to help your parents, but...i-isn't it that kind of thinking that usually leads to corruption in the hero industry?"
The pit in Kyouka's stomach worsened when even Izuku visibly flinched at that answer. Iida swerved on her, "Jirou! It's not right to accuse someone like that!"
Now it was Izuku's turn to interject, "Accuse? She wasn't accusing her of anything. She was just making sure Uraraka knew what she would be getting into." Iida's eyes went wide at Izuku's sudden interruption. That was probably the longest and loudest Izuku had spoken in a short amount of time to them.
Ochako clearly didn't know what to say, "I-I...I don't...Well, I…I guess...I guess you're right."
Tenya tried to stop her, "You don't have to-"
"No, Iida. She's right. There's been plenty of hero agencies that have disbanded or been shut down because someone tried to pull a scam or embezzle. I-I...I have to make sure I stay strong and never break my promise of using the money I earn for good." The trio looked at Uraraka as she gazed down at her feet. Izuku looked past his friends to see All Might swerve around the corner, about to shout something. But, Izuku quickly shook his head, indicating it definitely wasn't a good time. The pro halted, looking at the group and reading the room. He silently backed away from the situation and out of sight. The brunette looked back up to the group, "What about you guys?"
Kyouka faltered, "Us?"
"Why do you and Midoriya want to be heroes? Iida told us a while back, but we never go to the rest of us."
Kyouka became a little skeptical. Was that supposed to be a way for Ochako to turn it all around on her? "Well, I know it may not seem like it, but I want to bring hope by making people smile."
Izuku followed Kyouka's statement with his own. "I-I want to be like All Might. I want my smile to bring hope to everyone."
Ochako and Iida's eyes went wide. The brunette was taken aback, "Wow. No wonder you two are best friends. That's eerily similar."
Iida added, "Uraraka's right. Perhaps you two should be a hero duo, maybe even form a hero agency together?"
The couple looked at one another, both blushing. Ochako gave a weak smile, "It's a lot more noble than wanting money."
Kyouka quickly stepped forward, "Hey, I didn't...Uraraka, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to soun-"
"No, it's fine. Seriously, it...You were right. And I meant what I said, you reminded me of what path that could lead me down if I'm not careful. I'll remember that so I reach my goal to help my parents. So...Thank you. Really, you're...You're awesome." Ochako gave a genuine smile to her female friend, "And see? You're already completing your goal as a hero." Kyouka was at a loss for words. Had that bluntness actually helped? "So, you guys ready for lunch?"
Izuku looked at Kyouka's shock, turning back to the other two. "W-We'll catch up i-in a minute." They nodded, heading to the cafeteria. As soon as they were out of sight, Kyouka immediately sat down on the steps with her head in her hands.
"Shit. Shit. Me and my big mouth. Why did I do that?"
Izuku sat next to her, "Well, I think it actually went well. Uraraka seemed to take it to heart. In a good way, I mean."
"I still basically said she might become corrupt...We're not very good at this "having other friends" thing, are we?"
"No. No, we're not." Kyouka gave a weak laugh, shaking her head. "B-But...our own hero agency, huh?"
The purplette looked over to Izuku with a grin. "Doesn't sound too bad to me. Although, sound and punching makes for an unlikely hero duo."
"We'll find a way."
"You really think so?"
"If we get the right gear and practice, I'm sure we can get it down. I-I mean, did pretty well at the USJ?"
Kyouka looked around, finding the hallway empty. Quickly, Kyouka brought their lips together. Once separated, she stood up from the steps. "C'mon. Let's go do our best to make sure lunch isn't super awkward."
...
(U.A: After-School)
Luckily, Izuku and Kyouka managed to survive the rest of the school day with minimal awkward moments. As soon as they were out of the building, Izuku swerved around to face Kyouka, panic evident on his face. "Okay, n-now that school is over and everyone is gone…" Izuku took a deep breath, his eyes growing wide. "What are you doing?!"
"Walking home with my boyfriend."
"No! I mean what was that this morning with Kacchan! He's going to be after both of us now!"
Kyouka smiled, "Yep."
"...Okay, now I'm just confused."
"That dick deserved it. He was your bully. Scratch that, he still is a bully. Therefore, it's a part of my job to hate him. If he's your enemy, he mine, too."
"Wh-? But, he h-hasn't really bullied me for a while."
Kyouka lifted a brow in confusion, "Woah, wait a minute. Besides the fact that bullying in the first place is still a major problem, you're saying that blasting you through a wall, even when you already won the match, isn't bullying?
"W-Well, I-"
"Not to mention threatening to pull the pin on his gauntlets. There's no telling what those could've done."
Izuku brought his hands together, fiddling with his thumbs. "W-Well, actually they most likely cause a much bigger explosion than he's capable of making on his own. H-His quirk is sweat-based, and my g-guess is they store his sweat for combustion of extreme scales. I-I saw them in the locker room."
"So...a massive explosion in a small, narrow hallway? You're right, that isn't bullying."
"I'm sure he w-was just-"
"That's attempted murder."
"He wouldn't go that far...I think." Izuku then realized the likelihood of having to fight Katsuki in the Sports Festival. "Oh God, I hope."
Kyouka shook her head, taking Izuku's hand and heading towards the sidewalk. "I don't understand you sometimes, dude. Out of everyone, why are you defending him? You even called him a dick, and said you didn't like him...Granted, the dick part was because you've been hanging around me, but still."
Izuku tried to answer, but nothing came out. "...It's a long story."
"One you're going to have to tell me."
"I know. I know, I just...after the Festival? Please? We really need to focus on that right now. Going into the...for lack of a better word, catastrophe that is my relationship with Kacchan will distract us."
Kyouka looked up to him, "It's so bad it would distract you from a festival two weeks away?"
Izuku frowned, his eyes becoming distant. "Yes."
Kyouka sighed, squeezing his hand. "Alright. After the festival. But, no later, alright?"
"I promise." Kyouka still wasn't completely satisfied, however. Continuing to put something like that off would just make it worse. Was that hypocritical of her since she too bottled plenty up? Maybe a little, but, to her, Izuku was far more important.
"Excuse me, young heroes!" The teens stopped in their tracks, swiveling around to find All Might appearing behind them. "Sorry to interrupt your walk home. Or should I say…" All Might nodded down to their intertwined hands, which caused them to quickly let go. "Romantic stroll?"
Kyouka blushed, "U-Uh, well we-"
"Now, now! Don't mind me. I won't say a word. We wouldn't want Midnight all over you two now, would we? Anyway, I must ask to take Young Midoriya away from you for a few minutes. Fear not! It won't take long. Your beau will be with you again, momentarily!"
Izuku blushed, looking over to Kyouka. "I'll just go with him to stop any further embarrassment. Wait for me?"
"Course." Izuku took off with All Might, leaving Kyouka to begin playing on her phone by the front gate.
As they got further away, Toshinori whispered, "Sorry, Young Midoriya. I tried to catch you at lunch, but it was clearly a bad time."
"Y-Yeah, I figured. But, wouldn't it look weird to randomly have lunch with me?"
"I...Huh, you're probably right. Aizawa is already accusing me of favoritism as is. Anyway, we need to talk about the Sports Festival…"
…
(Outside at the Front Gate)
"So…" Kyouka looked up from her phone to see Katsuki standing before her. "Deku's best friend, huh? Didn't think that loser had friends."
"What? Still mad about earlier? Wait, nevermind. Of course you are. When are you not throwing some kind of tantrum? If you're here for another verbal fencing match, trust me, I'll win."
"Look, Earlobes, I don't know what Deku told you about him and I. I honestly don't give a shit. Just as long as you stay outta my way. I don't need any more extras dragging me down."
Kyouka tilted her head in astonishment, "Extras? You've gotta be kidding me. How do you even see with your head so far up your own ass?" Katsuki merely growled, walking down the sidewalk away from the school. "It was horrible meeting you, Kacchan!"
Without turning around or stopping, Katsuki yelled out, "Don't fucking call me that!"
Chuckling to herself, Kyouka went back to playing on her phone. "Oh, you poor, naive boy. The fact that you said that means I'm going to call you that from now on." Wind suddenly gusted next to her. Izuku stood panicked, his body slightly glowing from his quirk.
"Please, don't fight! I got here as fast as I- and he's already gone."
"Yep. Just left."
With his hands on his knees, Izuku sighed in relief. "I saw you guys talking from the window. I figured the worst would happen."
Ruffling Izuku's hair, Kyouka laughed. "He may be a dick, but even he's smart enough to know not to fight here." Grabbing Izuku's hand, they began walking down the sidewalk towards the train station. "At this point he's all bark and no bite."
"But, we'll eventually g-get to the point where he's allowed to bite."
Kyouka could see the underlying fear in Izuku's eyes, which indicated to her that she was being too lax about the whole thing. She nudged his side, "Hey, don't worry about him right now. Everything will be fine, okay? Besides, I think he's scared of me."
Izuku couldn't help but chuckle, "Really? Kacchan, scared?"
"Have you met me? He didn't even get ten sentences out before he left. And with how much he blabs, I'm sure ten is an extremely small number for him."
The tension cleared as Izuku began laughing louder, "You have no idea."
"Just remember what I said at the beach. One day. My boot. His balls."
"I-I don't want unnecessary violence…" Izuku couldn't get through the sentence without laughing a bit, "But, I'll await that day."
"Good." They entered the train station, boarding and finding their seats. "Oh, I forgot to ask you. How was bonding-time with your mom last night?"
"It was...fine. Just fine. It was nothing revolutionary, b-but...it was nice. More than we've done in years. Although, she kept giving me weird looks at times, like she thought I was still hiding something."
"...Brussel Sprout, I don't know how to break this to you, but you are hiding something. In fact, a lot of things. One of them is one-hundred fifty-four centimeters tall, has purple hair, and who's name rhymes with Pyouka."
Sighing, Izuku leaned back in his chair. "Y-Yeah, I know. But-"
"Let me guess. We're also going to add "Introduce Me To Your Mom" to the "After The Sports Festival" list?" Izuku gave a nervous, pleading smile. "You're lucky I like you so much."
"That, I am."
"Well, let's not waste any time then. Might as well get ready for this thing. To the beach we go."
…
(Dagobah Municipal Beach Park: A Few Hours Later)
The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, purple skies hovering over sparkling, orange-lit water blessed the Earth.
Along with a green-haired teenager being tackled into the sand.
"Ow…" Izuku wheezed out.
Kyouka sat up on Izuku's stomach, her face drenched with sweat. "You've gotta fight back, dude. I think I'm ready."
Nodding, Izuku pulled the pillow out of his shirt. "Yeah, I-I can tell. The pillow has stopped working."
"My jacks are getting stronger. I almost threw you over my shoulder with them."
"Y-Yeah, but can you not try and throw me by the neck?"
"Only if you promise to fight back next time."
"Yes, ma'am."
Kyouka chuckled as she fell down next to Izuku , laying down on her back like him. "We've seriously gotta get towels to lay down on or something."
"Or maybe we should stop lying down in sand?"
Kyouka moved her head to Izuku's shoulder, "Too comfortable."
Izuku buried his nose in Kyouka's hair, "I won't argue that." The couple sat in silence for a while longer, the sun fully vanishing from sight.
"Hey, I've been thinking."
"Yeah?"
"I think you've had enough emotionally draining days. And a lot of them are times when things just start pouring out of you. I know you said you want to wait until after the Festival to talk more about your past stuff, but...how about a weekly thing instead?"
Izuku propped himself up on his elbow, "What do you mean?"
"You said you didn't want our relationship to have any secrecy. But, I know you don't like having sensitive stuff forced out of you or being put in situations where it's almost like you have no choice but to share. I understand that, trust me. But, you and I can just have designated times for you to get all the lingering things from your past off your chest."
"So...therapy?"
"Hey, I'm no therapist. I'm just me, an ear ready to listen. And think of it less like weekly therapy, more telling like an episodic tale of Izuku Midoriya."
Izuku smirked, "Are you trying to turn my life into an anime?"
"No. Maybe. A little bit." They laughed, both of them not letting any tension enter the atmosphere. "In all seriousness, I know holding stuff in hurts. It's something we just have to let out at one point or another. I want you to do it as comfortably as possible. I figured, since you said I'm the only one you feel like you can talk to about it, I'm your best option. And instead of forcing it all out of you in one sitting, you and I can just be like this." Kyouka motioned to the quiet beach, their bodies pressed against one another. "Just you and I, alone. Learning more and more about each other as time passes. And, in the end, helping you feel better about it all."
"Y-You...You really think that'd work?"
Kyouka shrugged, "I don't know. I...I just wanna help you. I can always see that look on your face when your past gets brought up. And, as your girlfriend, it's my job to make you feel better."
"You already do, everyday."
"And you do the same for me, but we both know this is different." Izuku nodded in agreement, thinking over what Kyouka offered.
"...Okay. I-I guess we can. Every week I'll try to talk about something from back then."
"Try?"
"Y-You know I'm not the best at this."
Kyouka chuckled, "Fair enough. C'mon, let's go home." Pulling themselves to their feet, the duo left the beach, both satisfied with the progress made.
…
(Dagobah Municipal Beach Park: A Couple Days Later)
"Faster!"
Izuku looked up with wide eyes. Kyouka stood across from him about ten meters away, sweating and huffing in the high noon sun. "A-Are you sure?"
"Yeah, c'mon. We both need to push ourselves."
Izuku nodded, she was right. Everyone would be training to no end until the Sports Festival. If Izuku wanted any chance of doing well, he'd need to do the same. Izuku pulled more of One For All from his body, a stinging pain emanating through his muscles. But, it stung far less than it did back during the apprehension tests.
The teen rushed over to his girlfriend, placing a hand in her stomach and shoving her back. Kyouka stayed on her feet, sliding backwards. Izuku ran forward again, throwing punches left and right. They were fast, but he kept them slow enough for Kyouka to dodge them, which she did.
Dodging left, Kyouka's vibrating jack shot into Izuku's side, causing him to jerk to the right. Before Izuku could be the victim of Kyouka's assault, he jumped up high to avoid any more attacks. But, Kyouka's jacks wrapped around his ankles, yanking him down to the ground. Izuku fell into the sand, quickly recovering by grabbing Kyouka's jacks and pulling her in, placing his feet on her stomach and kicking her back.
Kyouka flew off her feet, tumbling through the sand. Afraid that he might have gone too far, Izuku quickly got up. "A-Are you alright?" Kyouka got on her knees, a smirk on her face. Izuku saw one of her jacks was extended. He followed the appendage to see it wrapped around his knee. The jack poked him in the back of the knee, causing Izuku to buckle and fall back down.
Kyouka threw herself on Izuku, placing her knees on each of Izuku's biceps. "Pinned. I win." It was Izuku's turn to smirk, his body glowing as he easily lifted Kyouka off of him, placing both hands on her waist and tossing her a few meters up in the air. "Woah! Holy shi-!"
Izuku caught her on her descent, bringing her into a tight hug. "Pinned."
"This counts as a pin?"
"Do you plan on escaping?"
"..." Kyouka placed her head down on Izuku's chest. "No."
"Then it's a pin." Izuku let out a deep breath, placing his head back in the sand. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah, we've been at it for awhile." They both stood up, going through the same routine of leaving the beach with Kyouka on Izuku's back. Down the road, once the couple reached the urban streets again, Kyouka asked, "Okay, so I'm getting stronger. My jacks are getting stronger, more durable, yeah. But, what exactly am I going to do if I have to fight someone like Todoroki? Or even Kirishima? I doubt my jacks could affect him when his quirk is activated."
"Hmm...I'll have to think about it. You'd probably have to make it an out of bounds win. Maybe you cou-"
"Get him!" The duo's attention was caught by a group of kids. Running down the sidewalk were three kids chasing after another child. They vanished around the corner of a shop, hot on the trail of the fleeing child.
Kyouka quickly hopped down from Izuku's back. "C'mon!"
Shaken out of a stupor, Izuku followed Kyouka down the sidewalk and around the corner. But, he froze once more. Before him was a public playground. The same public playground from eleven years ago where Katsuki and his friends tried to pick on another boy.
As the child trying to escape the group attempted to climb up the monkey bars, the assailants grabbed his feet, trying to pull him down. "Stop it! I didn't mean to burn it!"
One of the bullies with small tusks coming out of his mouth shouted back, "You wouldn't have burned it if you didn't have such a stupid quirk!"
"HEY!" All the children flinched, quickly turning around to see Kyouka marching towards them. "What exactly do you think you're doing?"
A blonde child to the left sneered, "Who are yo-?" Kyouka swerved her glare on to the boy, quickly changing his demeanor to scared and trembling. "U-Uh...Aki, tell him." Both other boys pushed the child with tusks forward.
"W-Well, we all just got new hero trading cards. I-I got the rare holographic All Might card, b-but Taiyo destroyed it."
"How?"
"His stupid quir-"
"Wasn't talking to you, pipsqueak." Kyouka walked past them, picking up the boy on the monkey bars and placing him down on the ground. She kneeled down, her expression switching to caring. "What happened?"
Taiyo, wiped tears from his eyes, his shaggy, fire-red hair going over his eyes as he lowered his gaze. "My quirk makes me sneeze fire. I-I accidentally sneezed when I asked to s-see Aki's card...and I burned it."
Nodding, Kyouka looked over to the rest of the kids. "Now, answer me this. Is the world ending?"
"...What?" Aki asked.
"Is the world ending because your card was destroyed? I get you're a kid, so little things like this are a big deal to you. But, take it from me, you'll be just fine. It's definitely not worth bullying someone over it."
"B-But his quirk-"
"Is something he can't control. Can you control those tusks coming out of your mouth? Did you ask for them? How would you feel if you accidentally poked someone with them and they picked on you for it?"
"...Well, I…"
"We all have things we can't control. That shouldn't ruin friendships. I am assuming correctly that you were all friends until ten minutes ago if you were all buying cards?"
"Y-Yeah."
"And would you really want a card to ruin that? Besides, Holo-All Might isn't that rare. My boyfriend has like thirty. Do you want to be stupid?"
"N-...No?"
"Then do the smart thing and apologize to each other, and go back to being friends." The boys nervously turned to one another, each saying they were sorry. Taiyo apologized for burning the card, and Aki for trying to hurt him. "Good. Now get outta here before I call all your parents."
"You know our parents?"
"I'm older than you. You don't know what I know." Deciding not to push their luck further, they all began running away. But, they were laughing and smiling like nothing happened. Groaning, Kyouka walked over to Izuku, placing a hand on his back. "It's a good thing children have the memory of a goldfish." Kyouka paused, seeing Izuku not really focused. "Hey? You okay?"
"Yeah. Y-You handled that well."
"Eh, kids are dumb, but they can't help it and can learn from it. You gotta make sure they understand what they're doing is also dumb," Kyouka chuckled. However, she faltered as she noticed Izuku's vacant look had not left his face. "Izuku?"
The greenette looked over to Kyouka. "U-Uh...Do...I-I think now is probably a good time for that first talk."
"O-Oh...Yeah, alright. You want to go back to my place?" Izuku didn't answer her as he walked over to another spot on the playground, looking down at the ground.
"I haven't been here in eleven years. I-I stopped coming after…"
Kyouka followed him, following his line of sight. "After what?"
Izuku crouched down, placing his hand on the ground. Since the last time he was there, they had covered the dirt with pebbles. Moving the pebbles around, Izuku found something even he was surprised was still there. Kyouka kneeled down next to him, looking at the dirt. "Are those...scorch marks?"
Izuku suddenly couldn't swallow, his throat closing up as his heart began beating faster and faster. Kyouka caught on quicker this time, pulling him into a hug as they sat down. Luckily, Kyouka got to him fast enough to ward off the panic attack before it completely took hold of Izuku. It didn't take long for Kyouka to figure out what happened either. Seething, Kyouka glared down at the marks. "That son of a bitch."
"It's fine. Calm down."
"What? Calm down? You can't be seri-"
"It's like you said. Kids are dumb. W-We were four years old."
Kyouka swiped her hand across the rocks, revealing more faded scorch marks. "This is a lot more than kids roughhousing, Izuku!"
Izuku shook his head, "It's different."
"You're right, that is different. Assault while using a quirk illegally? I'm pretty sure that's a felony."
"Kyouka, four year old kids beating up another kid is far from being at the top of the world's list of priorities. They just didn't know any better, and n-nothing is going to change what happened anyway. So, can we move on from that aspect of it?"
Sighing, Kyouka sat back. Izuku wasn't going to budge on the matter. "Fine...So, what happened?"
Izuku blew a raspberry, shaking his head. "They were picking on this kid, but I stepped in. So, they switched to me instead. That...th-that was the first time after my quirkless diagnosis that I felt truly helpless. I-I couldn't do anything. O-One kid, who could extend his fingers, held m-me in place." Izuku finished the sentence with a slight wheeze, his throat closing up once more. Kyouka pressed herself against him, laying her head down on his shoulder to help quell the panic. "Another kid with wings would hold me upside down in the air from my foot...And you can see what Kacchan did." Izuku's face turned to a glare, a bitterness on his lips. "And I couldn't do anything. I-Imagine swimming as hard as you can, but you just keep sinking."
"This is beginning to sound like torture."
"Trust me, the feeling of uselessness is more tortuous than anything they could have done. But…" Izuku placed his hand back down on the marks, taking a deep breath before nodding to himself. "Even with a quirk, it's hard to feel all that useful when I can barely use it without breaking my body."
"You were never useless, and you still aren't."
"I think I've realized whether I was or not doesn't matter. I felt useless, and everyone thought I was. It doesn't matter what the truth is, but what the truth is believed to be." Kyouka opened her mouth to retort, but came up with nothing. He wasn't exactly wrong.
"Then...Then, you have to prove them wrong. Prove yourself wrong. They thought you were weak, couldn't do anything. They convinced you, too. They were dead wrong. And you can prove it." Kyouka took Izuku's face in both of her hands, looking him in the eyes. "The Sports Festival. Make it a message."
"To those bullies?"
"No. To yourself. Prove to yourself you're not useless." Izuku's eyes widened, remembering what All Might had told him a few days back. His mentor wanted him to use the Sports Festival to send a message to the world. But, now Kyouka wanted him to make it a personal message. Something to open his eyes, to break past the barriers put on his own mind.
"I...I will...I'll do my best. We both will."
Kyouka smiled, brushing her nose against his. "I really like that word now. Both."
Izuku smiled back, "Me, too. Has a-a lot more meaning behind it now." They leaned in, pressing their lips together passionately. The scorches on the ground, forgotten, and a new goal set in mind. "Not exactly the detour I was expecting."
"Me neither, but do you feel better now? Did it work?"
"A-Actually, yeah. I-I haven't thought about that day for a really long time, much less talked about it. I guess, I f-feel like I can put it behind me now. Or, at least I'll be able to."
"Awesome. Now, do you wanna go home? For real, this time?" Izuku smiled, getting on his feet in a kneeling position.
"As long as you still need a ride."
"When do I not?" Kyouka hopped on, the couple taking their leave and heading towards the train station. While Izuku may still have had some worry left in his heart, now he was even more excited for the Sports Festival. He and Kyouka had just a little over a week left to prepare.
If Izuku wanted this to be his message, then the work had only just begun.
He was just lucky enough that he had someone happy to lighten the load.
…
(U.A High. Early May: The Day of the Sports Festival)
Izuku and Kyouka stood at the front gate. They had trained all they could, both feeling comfortable about their progression. Izuku still didn't have an exact number of how much of One For All's power he could use, but it was definitely more than back when he first formed Full Cowl. Kyouka's jacks were stronger, tougher, and her control over them made them faster. Her new fighting prowess helped exponentially as well. Had she mastered it? No, but she couldn't deny the progress.
Kyouka turned to Izuku, "Ready?"
"No. Nervous?"
"Like no tomorrow." They smiled, leaning in for a kiss before breaking away. "Just as planned. Oh! Wait! You think I'll get to fight Mineta? Please, please, l want to kick his ass."
"I thought you said you wouldn't harm him unless he did something perverted again."
"You think he won't?"
"I...Nevermind, your chances are pretty high."
"Outta the damn way!" Both teens turned to see Katsuki approaching, hands in pockets and glare set on Izuku.
Kyouka laughed, "And you'll do what if we don't move, Kacchan?"
Growling at Kyouka, Katsuki maneuvered around them. "Deku, if you lose before you get to fight me, I'll fucking kill you anyway."
Kyouka rolled her eyes, turning back to Izuku. "Show him what you're made of."
"A scary amount of quirk knowledge, repressed memories, and anxiety."
"Wh-...Well, yes, and…?"
"Strength and a good heart."
"There we go." The couple began their trek to the building knowing a long, eventful day awaited them.
But, they'd do their best to face it together.
Chapter 16: Dynamic Duo
"We couldn't even make it ten minutes without something happening." Izuku nodded at Kyouka's words as they looked around the hallway. Dozens of students were all in their tracksuits waiting around the Class 1-A prep room. When Izuku and Kyouka arrived, Katsuki was still trying to make his way through.
"Outta my fucking way!"
Kirishima, who was outside the door waiting for him, called out, "Ah, sorry about him. He's not...Okay, he's always like this." He looked over to Katsuki, "C'mon, dude. Are you trying to start a war right before the festival?"
"I'm aiming for the top, so why should I care what the hell they think of me? They can "scope out the competition" or whatever all they want. It won't matter when they lose." He entered the prep room, slamming it behind him. Shaking his head, Kirishima followed him in.
Kyouka hummed to her, "Scoping out the competition? I don't know what they expect to see out here. It's not like we can do anything."
"Maybe they're hoping to intimidate us." Izuku looked around at everyone, but his eyes landed on one tired-looking student looking straight at him. His wild, indigo hair stood out in the crowd. Izuku broke the stare, walking with Kyouka into the prep room with the rest of his class.
"Some of those kids definitely aren't in the hero course. Why would they care so much about this?"
"W-Well, it's rare, but some people in other courses can perform so well th-that they can be transferred into the hero course." They sat down at one of the empty tables, the chatter of the class emanating loudly. "And it works the other way around, too."
"Wait, so you're saying they're trying to replace us?"
"S-Seems like it."
Kyouka sighed, "So, now we have even more to worry about. I'd say hopefully nothing else happens, but I know something wil-"
"Midoriya."
"There it is." They both turned to see Todoroki walk up to their table, his expression as blank as Kyouka's.
"I'm stronger than you, by most standards that is."
Kyouka scoffed, "Wow. Is everyone around here an arrogant asshole?"?"
Izuku stammered, not sure what to say, especially to someone he had never spoken to before. "U-Uh, I-I...I don't-"
"Your quirk makes you stronger, faster, but you can barely use any of it or it'll break you. Yet, for some reason, All Might has his eyes on you."
"Wh-...What do y-you me-?"
"You were the only one who ran back into the USJ to help him, and when everyone was going home after the attack, you went to the teacher's lounge. He always seems to be watching you specifically in class." Izuku's heart was pounding in his ears. He hadn't been careful enough, and now everyone in earshot was hearing it. "I'm not going to pry about that. Not right now, that is. But, just know, I don't care who's in your corner. I will beat you."
Eijirou came up behind Todoroki, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Dude, why're you trying to pick fights right now? We're about to go on."
Shoto shook off the redhead's hand, walking away. "I don't care. I'm not pretending to be anyone's friend around here."
Kyouka stood up from her seat, but stopped as Izuku put a hand on her forearm. He pulled her back down to her seat, his stare directed at the table. "Izuku…" She could see he was terrified, but he was thinking. Which meant he was about to do something, that by Izuku standards, would be crazy.
Izuku stood up, turning to Shoto. "I-I don't know why y-you have it out for me all of a-a sudden." He stopped, grimacing to himself as he tried to control his nervous stutter. "A-And I know you're stronger than me. I know y-you're more experienced than me. Everyone i-in this room is. Everyone out there is. But...B-But I-..." Izuku took a deep breath, most of the class was looking at him now, which didn't help his anxiety in the slightest. He could feel his heart beating faster, his breath shallow.
But, he knew he couldn't stop.
He needed to say it.
For All Might.
For Kyouka.
And for himself.
"...I've been underestimated by everyone for my entire life. A-And, honestly, I'm sick and tired of it. Everyone in this room is aiming to win, to be the strongest hero, a-and that includes me, too. Th-Think of me what you will now, because that's going to change today. I will not fall behind. I will fight with everything I have. I don't care who against. Whether it be you…" Izuku steeled himself with all the courage he could possibly muster, his stomach threatening to betray him in that moment and vomit bile. He turned his head towards Katsuki. "...Or anyone else I have to compete against."
Shoto raised a brow, but nodded. "...Right."
Katsuki didn't say anything, he only gave a look. It wasn't an expression Izuku could immediately recognize, and he wasn't given the chance. Katsuki turned away silently, looking at the wall as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.
Izuku sat back down, his heartbeat slowing, an oncoming panic attack narrowly avoided. "Dude…" Izuku turned to Kyouka at her words, her eyes wide. "Wh-...What was that?"
"I…"
"Midoriya!" Izuku jumped in his seat as his shoulders were grabbed by Ochako, who he didn't even realize was in the room. "That was amazing! I've never heard you talk that much! And when you finally did, it was such a cool speech!"
Tenya came up behind Ochako, an impressed smile on his face. "I must also admit that rebuttal against Todoroki's declaration of war was something else. Well done, Midoriya."
"Th-Thanks guys. Excuse me." Izuku stood up from his chair, heading for the door.
Kyouka looked at him curiously, "Where are you going?"
"To vomit in the bathroom." Izuku exited the room, his footsteps quick.
Kyouka stood up quickly, beginning to follow him. "I'll be right back. I should check on him."
Tenya nodded, "We're to be called out in just a little over ten minutes. Be sure to be back by then."
Kyouka waved in response, acknowledging she heard him. Thankfully, most of the crowd outside of their prep room had dissipated. Likely heading back to their own prep rooms. Kyouka looked around the hall once the door closed behind her, but Izuku was nowhere in sight.
"Bathroom's that way." Kyouka turned to one of the last students remaining from the original crowd, the indigo-haired boy. He was pointing left down the hallway. "Your friend looked like he was going to be sick, so I figure that's where he's headed."
"...Uh, thanks."
Kyouka began walking down the hall, but was interrupted again. "You close to him?"
Without stopping, Kyouka responded, "I don't think that's any of your business."
"Hmm, fair enough." Kyouka vanished from sight around the corner, missing the smirk on Shinso's face. "But, you basically just answered my question. Your assistance to my win is appreciated." Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Shinso walked down the hall to his prep room.
…
Thankfully the nearest bathroom was a single toilet, so anyone was allowed in. That last thing she needed was Iida barking at her for entering the boy's bathroom.
*Knock* *Knock*
"You already know who it is, Mop-Top." All Kyouka received was a groan in response. "That's about right." She opened the door, closing it behind her and moving to sit on her knees next to Izuku, who was on his knees with his head just above the toilet bowl. Thankfully, U.A kept everything extremely clean. Kyouka began rubbing Izuku's back in circles. "Did you get it all out?"
Izuku pulled his head up, spitting one last time into the water. "Th-There was nothing to get out except for bile. I-I didn't eat breakfast because I was afraid I would throw up...But, I was still afraid this would happen, so I brought these." Izuku pulled mints out of his pocket, making Kyouka crack a smile.
"Out of everything to be fully prepared for, you chose this. Come on." Pulling Izuku to his feet, she brought him to the sink where he rinsed his mouth out and popped a couple of the mints in. Kyouka brought him to the door, lowering them down to sit against it. Their bodies were flush against each other, silence ringing in the small space. "What happened?"
"I guess...I-I guess I thought about what you said. Make it a message to everyone, and to myself. With what he said to me, I-I think it triggered that same feeling of being useless. I just started talking."
"Dry Ice was being an asshole. And turning to Bakugou?"
"That was taking an opportunity when it arose. One I really hope I won't regret."
"Did it feel good, though? To speak to him like that?"
"...Y-Yeah, it honestly did. It wasn't like back during the battle training. Back then, I was riding my adrenaline of the fight. Once it was over, I-I was just as terrified as I was before the fight. B-But, that...right to his face, it felt...liberating. Although, I-I put away all my fear only for it to come back up and go right into the toilet...literally."
Kyouka chuckled, taking Izuku's hand. "It's progress. Great progress. I don't think you realize how proud of you I am right now."
Izuku smiled, "Th-Thank you...I wouldn't have been able to do that without your help." They gazed at one another for a few seconds before touching their foreheads together.
"You know, I'm so proud of you and I like you so much, that I'm honestly considering kissing you even with your puke breath." Izuku quickly pulled out his entire roll of mints again, shoving all of them in his mouth and chewing quickly before swallowing. "...I like that effort." She grabbed his face, bringing his lips down to hers. They kissed a few times before Kyouka pulled away. "Are we really about to do this on the bathroom floor?"
"Y-...Yes?"
"...The things I do for you." Their lips came together once more, their arms snaking around one another. If Kyouka didn't want to be on the floor, Izuku would see to it that she didn't have to. He hesitantly placed his right hand under her knees, a signal to ask permission. Kyouka didn't seem to mind, so Izuku moved his hand under both of her knees, lifting her up and placing her in his lap. "Really going for it, huh?"
"I'm on a roll today. If I stop now I'll collapse on myself."
"Hey, I'm not complaining." They continued softly pecking each other's lips until Present Mic rang out over the intercom.
"First year students! Please head out to the stadium grounds!"
The couple detached their lips, leaning their heads together, both of the breath ragged. Kyouka moved her hands from Izuku's chest to his shoulders. "Ready?"
"Do I have a choice?" Chuckling, they stood up and left the bathroom, making their way back to the prep room to see their class heading towards the exit.
"Ah, there you two are." Tenya and Ochako approached them, the blue-haired teen motioning beckoning them. "C'mon, we're starting." Falling in line, they walked with the group, the light at the end of the tunnel approaching.
Uraraka turned to Izuku, "Are you okay, Midoriya? I mean, with my quirk you know I'm no stranger to losing your breakfast, but you seemed different."
"Y-Yeah, just nervous is all." Izuku looked around her to see Todoroki walking with Katsuki not too far away either. "...Very nervous."
They reached the end of the tunnel, the crowds cheering and clapping as their appearance became known. Present Mic came in over the speakers, "And there's your bunch, Eraser! Class 1-A! Any words of inspiration for your little ducklings?!"
Aizawa suddenly spoke up over the mic, "None of you embarrass me."
"Wh-...Uh...ALRIGHT!"
Izuku cleared his throat, looking all around at the people in the stadium. "W-Wow, all th-these people…"
Kyouka nudged him and whispered, "Hey, just focus on me. Alright?"
"I always am."
"Ohoho, not bad. I need to catch up on these flirts. You're a few points ahead of me."
"...That was a flirt?"
"...You've gotta be kidding me, Izuku." After announcing the rest of the participating classes, all focus switched to the stage where Midnight was waiting to make further announcements. Immediately a ton of students began to gawk. Kyouka muttered to herself, "Why are any of them still phased by this? She's been teaching us for weeks." Kyouka then looked over at Izuku, his expression completely normal as he looked at Midnight with zero lust unlike most of the boys and some of the girls. Kyouka smirked, patting his head. "Good boy."
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"Nothing. Just expressing my gratitude."
Kayama cracked her whip, quieting the crowd. "Alright, it's time for the Athlete's Oath! Given by none other than Katsuki Bakugou from Class 1-A." Even with the cheers of the stadium crowd, groans could be heard from some of the other classes.
Kyouka couldn't help but groan as well, "Of course it's him."
Izuku nodded, "He scored highest out of all the entrance exams. At least, the practical portion. That's probably why they picked him."
A sigh escaped Kyouka's lips, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "Well, this outta be good."
Katsuki stepped up to the microphone, looking out at all the people. "...I'm going to win." Kyouka rolled her eyes while spectators gasped in surprise and the other classes began to boo him. "Quit your whining, stepping stones!" That only made them boo louder.
Izuku was the outlier of the crowd, merely squinting in thought. Everyone accepted it as overconfidence, but Izuku knew better. The Katsuki Izuku knew would have said that with a wide smile, but he had made his declaration with an empty expression. He was pushing himself, trying hard to repeatedly tell himself he was going to win. Katuski walked down from the stage, purposely bumping into Izuku's shoulder as he passed.
After the quirk apprehension tests, and the battle training…
'...Is he actually scared I'll win?'
Midnight kept the show going, "You can't deny the boy has confidence! Now, without further delay, the first event!" She motioned towards a large screen behind her, words appearing on the video.
Obstacle Course.
"All eleven classes will be participating in a four kilometer race around the stadium to qualify for the next round!" She motioned to the side, a large gate opening up. Students quickly began moving to the starting line. "Our school preaches freedom in all things, which includes these challenges. So, as long as you don't run out of bounds, anything is fair game! Runners, to the starting line! The race will begin in one minute!"
Izuku and Kyouka to the rest of the classes, both of them stretching out. Kyouka turned to Izuku, "Hey, don't worry about me. You're super fast, so just worry about doing your best."
"A-...Are you sure? They said anything goes. You and I coul-"
"Mutter-Mouth, I seriously appreciate it. But, you shouldn't worry about me."
"No," Izuku said, his voice uncharacteristically stern. "We said we'd do our best together. No matter how the events differ every year, one thing remains the same. O-Only the final event is one-on-one. B-But, right now, we can do this together. I-I...I'll give everything I have, but I want you with me when I do it. W-We can tell the world we are here...Together."
Kyouka was caught off guard, but couldn't help but crack a smile. "Huh...You were serious about that hero duo thing?"
"Oh! W-Well, I-I mean, I haven't thought about it seriously, b-but...I really like the idea. Everyone else will be fighting alone here. If w-we have each other, then we have an advantage."
Kyouka scoffed in amazement, her smile widening. "Alright, Deku. Together it is."
"S-So...need a ride?"
Midnight's whip cracked again, "Runners! On your marks!" He breathed in deep, his body beginning to glow. He put in just enough power to where his body began to sting, but the pain was very bearable. "Get set!"
Izuku crouched into runner's positions, Kyouka quickly hopping onto Izuku's back. Who knew her favorite form of travel would come in handy during such a time? Present Mic suddenly yelled out over the speakers, "Woah! What's this!? Izuku Midoriya and Kyouka Jirou of Class 1-A have formed an alliance!" The crowd suddenly perked up, and many of the runners turned around to see what that meant.
"GO!"
*Zoom*
In a flash of green light, Izuku and Kyouka rushed through most of the crowd. But, Izuku lost his balance as he went through the gate, ice had formed from on the ground, stopping many students in their tracks. Before he could fall on his face, Kyouka shot out her jacks into the ground behind them, keeping Izuku upright. "Todoroki's trying to sabotage everyone! Don't let him get us again!"
Izuku, with fully regained footing, sparked with more light. "Got it!" Izuku rushed off again, quickly passing the rest of the students in an instant. Izuku's world was in slow motion as he turned his gaze to his right. He caught the wide eyes of Katsuki staring at his electrically charged former victim, who was even faster than before. Izuku switched his gaze back to the race, running ahead in an instant.
"Ah! What th-?" Kyouka felt a heavy tug on her left jack, turning to see Mineta hanging off of it.
"Thanks for pulling me out of the ic-" Kyouka quickly retracted her jack, pulling Mineta in and punching him off. "OW! Why!" Mineta yelled as he rolled away with a bruised cheek.
Kyouka yelled back as they ran further away. "You know why!" Izuku suddenly came to a halt, dust clouding around as his feet skid through the dirt. "Woah! Why are we stop-..." Kyouka looked ahead, seeing multiple zero pointer bots and other villain bots in front of them. "...-ping.?"
"I-I'm stronger now, but I definitely can't destroy a zero pointer without breaking my arms yet."
"We don't need to destroy them. We just have to get past them."
"Get the hell off me!" The couple looked behind them, seeing Mineta attached to Todoroki's leg by one of his purple balls.
"C'mon, man! I have tiny legs! I can't do this!" Shoto froze the ball, breaking it off and kicking Mineta away, to where he was suddenly slammed by one of the bots.
Kyouka immediately began laughing, "Pffft! Hahahahahahaha! Ahahahahahahahahaha! Oh my God, my day just got ten million times better!"
*BOOM*
"DEKU!" Back where the students were still trying to de-ice themselves, a large explosion erupted. Katsuki was firing at them like a torpedo...Except it was a torpedo that actively hated them.
"And now it's worse. Run!" Izuku quickly began zipping around multiple villain bots, jumping over, around, and under them. Just as they were nearing the exit of the robot area, Todoroki's ice traveled all the way to near the exit and froze over one of the zero-pointer bot's tread wheels, causing it to tip over and begin falling. "Don't stop!"
"What!? We'll b-be crushed!"
"He wants us to stop! But we can make it!" Izuku shook his head in pure disbelief that he was going to go through with it. He charged forward, putting just the slightest amount more power into his body, his legs beginning to burn from the new strength. The sun was blocked out as the zero-pointer came closer to the ground. They were now completely under it, and it was mere meters from coming down on their heads. Kyouka shot her jacks out, planting them into the ground ahead of them. She grabbed and yanked on them as hard as she could, throwing both of them forward and tumbling into the dirt.
*CRASH*
They both jumped in surprise as the zero pointer crashed down just a little bit away from them. Present Mic once again came in over the announcements. "Midoriya and Jirou just pulled a dangerous move! But they made it just before being crushed! Either they're crazy, or just know they're that talented!"
Kyouka could hear more explosions and ice from across the bot. Going through Todoroki's trap instead of letting it fall then going around it had bought them a couple more extra seconds. And in an event like this with the people they were up against, any amount of extra bought time was a miracle.
"C'mon!" Izuku nodded in response, getting back up on his feet as Kyouka jumped back onto his back. Izuku burst off into another powered sprint, the next. A two-pointer was in the way of the exit, blocking them from leaving. "Toss me up and over!"
Acting quickly, Izuku lowered his torso, allowing Kyouka to move up to his shoulders. He put his hands under her legs, throwing her up in the air and over the bot. Izuku kept it distracted as Kyouka landed in a roll, sending out one of her jacks to vibrate and destroy the joint of it's back leg, and using the other to wrap around the head to pull it back. Izuku saw his opening, jumping up and punching through the metallic neck. He hopped off of the back of the bot, landing back down for Kyouka to hop on. Immediately, they were on their way again.
With the next area in sight, Izuku asked, "Are they close?"
Kyouka looked back, finding Todoroki sliding on his ice, Bakugou was a bit behind him, Iida wasn't too either, some crazy looking pink-haired girl, and the rest of their classmates were further away, but could still be seen. "Just don't turn around." Izuku nodded, looking at the "The Fall" area. He could probably make the jumps between each pillar, but the others were gaining on him. And Katsuki could easily blast himself over the pit. He needed a faster way. Izuku looked at all the tightropes between each rock pillar, and a light bulb went off in his head.
"Do you think your jacks are strong enough to support both of us now?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"Probably not."
"Then, yes."
"A-Alright, then here we…" Izuku raised his power by just the smallest amount, his leg threatening to cramp up on him, "GO!" Izuku leaped off from the edge, the pitch black pit below them as they flew past multiple pillars.
Kyouka shot her jacks out as far as she could, managing to get them around one of the tightropes near the end of the area. She gave them some slack near her head to not rip her ears off and grabbed onto them, gripping Izuku as tight as she could with her legs. They began to fall towards the pit, but were caught and swung by Kyouka's jacks. Gaining momentum with their swing, Kyouka released her jacks from the tightrope, launching them towards the other side. Izuku barely managed to grab onto the ledge, hoisting them both up and continuing on their way.
"These two are unstoppable!" Mic's voice rang out. "This is the first time in U.A history that two people have worked together to win the festival, and they sure are giving us a show!"
Back in the stadium, Toshinori watched in awe. He hadn't gotten too involved with Izuku's training for the festival, so everything the teen did was all new to him. And he knew Kyouka was a very capable young woman, especially if her quick, solo victory during battle training was anything to go by. But, together they had kept a large lead ahead of everybody, with both of them doing their part to get them to the finish line.
Toshinori never expected to be rooting for two students.
The couple could see the end far in the distance, just one final stretch. They were going to make i-
"And now for the minefield!"
Izuku's eyes widened, quickly grinding to a halt just a few centimeters outside of the minefield. "That's...that's unfortunate." There was no going around, no going over. They could only go through. Izuku looked behind them, seeing Todoroki halfway across the tightropes, and Katsuki was just about to start his first explosion boosted jump. "Any ideas?"
"Just one, but it's slow." Kyouka plugged in her jacks into the ground, vibrating them and focusing. "It's not super clear, but I think I can sense the cavities the mines are in." She quickly pointed to her far right, "Jump there." Izuku trusted her, jumping far to where she pointed. Thankfully, no mines were set off. Kyouka plugged her jacks in again, trying to sense for open spots. They were able to continue this process for about a third of the field, until a sound they were dreading approached.
*BOOM*
"DEKU!"
Izuku didn't even bother turning around, he knew that meant Katsuki had seen him. Which also meant he was almost done with the tightropes. So, Todoroki was also probably almost done since while he was ahead of Katsuki, he was slower at that specific area. "K-Kyouka…?"
"There's a spot in the center." Izuku was about to jump, but stopped. He looked back and saw Katsuki and Shoto had both made it, running neck and neck to the minefield. "...Wait."
"Excuse me? What the hell do you mean "wait"? They're right behind us."
"Obviously, U.A can't kill us. And there are students from the general course and support course in this race. They have quirks that wouldn't be able to withstand this race. Exactly how dangerous can these mines actually be? The most they would be able to do is concussive blasts."
"Izuku…" Kyouka threw her arm back, pointing behind them. "They just threw giant robots at us, a pit deep enough where you can't see the bottom, and now a literal minefield! I don't think I want to take the gamble that U.A actually has some sanity left!"
"It's not a gamble. They actually can't have lethal weaponry used against us. Not something so unmonitored." Izuku looked back again, Katsuki and Shoto making their first steps on the minefield. "And we're not the one's who are going to set them off."
…
"Hey IcyHot!" Shoto looked to his left, Katsuki to his side. They had managed to make it halfway across without setting off any of the mines. Shoto was mostly the lucky one, because Katsuki had basically flown above the ground with his explosions. "That dumbass declaration you made against Deku…" He aimed his hand at Shoto. "You made it to the wrong person!"
He knocked Katsuki's hand away just before the explosion went off. "Says the one losing the race to him."
"Fuck off! That nerd isn't going to win this stupid race. These damn mines don't affect m-" As Katsuki said that, Izuku landed directly in front of them in the empty spot Kyouka scoped out. One of each of the purplette's jacks were shoved directly into both teen's ears. One in Katsuki's left ear, and the other in Shotos' right ear, making them stumble in shock. Izuku jumped up, putting one foot on each of the other two competitor's chests, kicking off of them as Kyouka retracted her jacks. Katsuki and Todoroki fell back onto the ground, and Izuku quickly grabbed onto the ends of his girlfriend's jacks to muffle the incoming blast of sound.
*Click*
*Click*
*BOOM*
The mines that the two had dodged were set off, blasting the boys off to the side and assisting in the launch of Izuku and Kyouka. The couple began flying through the air, but without control. The blast wasn't enough to get to the very end, so they were likely about to land directly on more mines. "Kyouka!" Hearing her cue, Kyouka shot her jacks out as far as she could and planted them just outside of the minefield. Izuku grabbed onto them, pulling hard to throw them further. They landed outside of the danger zone, both falling apart from each other and tumbling until they rolled to their feet to break out into a full sprint.
They were in the final stretch.
Izuku bent his torso down as he ran, allowing Kyouka to hop back on. Back at the minefield, Katsuki and Shoto both recovered, getting back on their feet. Shoto began maneuvering around the mines, creating a thick sheet of ice directing to the exit. His efforts to disrupt the pressure mechanics of the mines were successful, running over the ice without setting off any more explosions. However, Katsuki was standing still, completely. He sat in shock, the idea of Izuku getting another victory over him just wasn't computing. His expression turned from shock into a fierce glare, his eyes focusing on Izuku and Kyouka nearing the exit. And Shoto, the one who saw Deku as more of a threat than him, was going to finish second.
...No.
No.
Not. Fucking. Happening.
"RRRRAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!"
*BOOOOOOOM!*
*Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* *Click*
Izuku, Kyouka, and Shoto all turned their heads to see the entirety of the minefield engulfed in a fiery inferno, and a ball of bright, hot colors was shooting directly towards them. Katsuki had fired an explosion behind him so large it set off all the other mines in the field, blowing away everyone who had just managed to make it to the minefield and assisting in Katsuki's launch, allowing him to move even faster.
...And now he was coming right for them.
"Holy shit! GO!" Izuku didn't need to be told twice. He didn't know how much power he began to use. It was enough to feel like his muscles were on fire, his bones rattling. Which, to Izuku, was almost sad because he didn't actually increase One For All by that much. But, it would have to do.
Shoto had no way of getting completely out of the way, so he created ice in front of him and moved off to the side. Even that wasn't enough, for he was still knocked off his feet with his ice shattering and melting as Katsuki passed him.
The leading duo reached the tunnel, but the light from their pursuer was enveloping the darkness. It was almost as if they were still outside. The roar of the explosion was filling their ears, the heat from the combustion at their heels, and the end of the tunnel in the distance. Izuku knew it was now or never.
He jumped forward, spinning around in the air. Time slowed as he saw the explosion of hellfire that Katsuki was, his hand reaching out mere centimeters from Izuku's face. "You can't fucking win!" His fierce eyes, the explosions ringing in his ears, something triggered in Izuku. He threw his hand out, grabbing Katsuki by the face and shoving back.
"I ALREADY HAVE!" Katsuki screamed at Izuku's retort, his own hand also finding Izuku's face. They grappled, tumbling through the air until…
"AND WE HAVE OUR WINNERS!" Both boys froze, then hit the earth at full force. The trio flew out of the tunnel at full force, skidding across the dirt as plumes of smoke followed them. "IZUKU MIDORIYA, KYOUKA JIROU, AND KATSUKI BAKUGOU, ALL FROM CLASS 1-A HAVE FINISHED FIRST! AND IT LOOKS LIKE SHOTOTODOROKI IS ON HIS WAY IN! You've got quite the lively bunch, Eraser!"
"Stop putting attention on me."
"ALRIGHT!"
Finally, the student's momentum gave out and they stopped. Izuku groaned as sat up, his face still warm from the blonde's hands. He turned his head, seeing Kyouka a few feet from him.
"You just had to turn around, didn't you?"
"S-Sorry."
"Are you kidding me? If you didn't he would've grabbed me. You took it for me. What do you think I keep you around for?"
Izuku laughed, looking around to see Katsuki sitting up a few meters away, a scowl on his face. Whatever he did back there was not something Izuku had ever seen before. His suspicion from earlier was proving more and more to be true. The battle training had affected him more than Izuku originally thought...
Katsuki Bakugou was desperate.
"Alright, our beautiful audience, it seems like we're going to have to review some footage to see who exactly came out of the tunnel first. But, for now, turn your attention back to the tunnel to see the rest of our contestants arriving!" Perking up at Mic's words, Izuku turned to see people beginning to run through the gate. However, many of them looked to be covered in dirt and soot. Namely Iida and Uraraka, who made their way over to the duo.
Ochako pumped her fists up and down, "You guys! That was amazing! You never said you would be working together like that!"
Kyouka scooched over to be directly next to Izuku, "I won't take all the credit. It was this guy who was so adamant on it."
Iida sighed, "As disappointed I am about my placement, especially in a race of all things with my quirk, I must admit teamwork wasn't something that crossed my mind in such an event. And it clearly proved fruitful. Perhaps it would have gotten me out of Bakugou's blast range." Iida began patting himself down, cleaning off all the excess dirt and debris on his clothes. "And, might I say, your speed has increased significantly, Midoriya. We should train together sometime. Perhaps a far more friendlier, safer race than whatever U.A concocted up."
"A-Ah, w-well...uh, sure…"
"After reviewing the footage, we've found our winner. Even though they were working as a team, the next event requires set placements. No ties. So we've made the decision to simply place them based on which one of them passed through the gate first. And since her body technically entered the arena first, KYOUKAJIROU IS OUR FIRST PLACE WINNER!" The crowd cheered loudly as Kyouka's eyes widened. Kyouka looked up at the stadium wide screens, the video of her, Izuku, and Katsuki flying through the tunnel. Since Izuku turned around to stop Katsuki, her body passed through the gate first.
Ochako grabbed Kyouka by the shoulders, shaking her wildly. "Jiroouu! That's amazing!"
"AND BY NO SURPRISE THE OTHER HALF OF OUR DYNAMIC DUO, IZUKU MIDORIYA, IS IN SECOND PLACE!"
Then, Izuku was brought into the shoulder shaking, "Midoriyaaa!"
Up in the teacher's private viewing box, Toshinori smiled. 'Second place doesn't matter. Both of them would have been first if the rules didn't require a set placement. He's proven his strength, and ability to work well with others. I didn't even think of that second one. Way to prove me wrong, kid...Or, should I say kids?" Toshinori gazed down at Kyouka, her and Izuku managing to pry Ochako off of them. An idea was forming in his mind, but nothing concrete. He still needed to see how things played out. But, there was definitely potential.
"AND IN THIRD PLACE WE HAVE THE EVER-AMBITIOUS KATSUKI BAKUGOU!"
Izuku stood up, looking over to Katsuki. Their eyes met, neither saying anything as Shoto came into their peripheral. They stood in a triangle, all wide apart staring at one another. Katsuki with a silent anger, Shoto with a cold glare, and Izuku trying to muster up a serious stare as he tried to hide his anxiety...He was failing.
Kyouka placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder, moving in front of him. "Hey, I'd ask if you're all done measuring dicks, but you still have two more events to do that. So, focus on preparing for that instead." Shoto turned away silently. Katsuki growled, but stuffed his hands in his pockets while walking away. "Those two need a hobby."
"I'm pretty s-sure hating me is their hobby."
"Why the hell does Todoroki hate you? We've never even spoken to him."
"At this point I'm beginning to believe I might just be a very hateable person."
"Remaining fourty-two contestants!" Everyone turned back to Midnight on the stage, her whip cracking loudly. "The first event has officially concluded. Now, onto the next event! The Cavalry Battle! You will all form teams of two to four, and will assemble into a horse and rider formation. The rules are simple. Use your quirks and abilities to snag other team's headbands to gain their points and add them to yours. Each of you has been given a point value based on your placement in the previous event. Last place has five points, second to last has ten, and so on. However, to our first place winner…"
Kyouka inwardly flinched, 'Oh no.'
"Will be rewarded ten million points!" All eyes slowly moved over to Kyouka, and purplette had her head in her hands. Izuku stood beside her with wide eyes, already knowing he was going to be on Kyouka's team, which meant he was a target, too. "You have fifteen minutes to form your teams! Good luck!"
Izuku and Kyouka looked at one another, and then back out at the sea of other students all staring directly at Kyouka.
Izuku asked, "S-So...our chances?"
"We're screwed."