Chapter 482 - 17-18

Chapter 17: The Cavalry Battle

Kyouka shook her head, "So...What do we do?"

Izuku took a deep breath, looking over at his other friends. "Iida? U-Uraraka?"

Tenya gazed down at his feet in thought before looking back up to his friends. "I'm sorry, but...I refuse."

Kyouka deadpanned, "Of course."

The bluenette shook his head, "I mean no disrespect, truly. But, after the entrance exam, I've been behind you, Midoriya. And now…" Tenya turned to Kyouka, "I see that I've been blind to notice another formidable classmate right in front of me. I know there have been several declarations of war today, but I need to add one more." Tenya turned away, beginning to walk into the sea of students. "Todoroki and Bakugou aren't the only ones who see you as a rival."

As he vanished, Kyouka squinted her eyes in confusion. "Me? I literally rode your back the entire time. How am I a rival?"

"W-Well, I think he just means you have the intention and mind to win. I guess he's just as surprised as everyone else is that we worked together during the race. A-And now that we're working together again, we're a threat."

"I guess that's fair." Kyouka looked over to their brunette companion. "Et tu, Uraraka?"

"Oh, no I'll definitely help you guys! I think it's best to work with your friends!"

Kyouka smiled, but immediately jerked back in shock as Izuku's face clenched into something...odd. "Woah, what the hell are you doing?"

"I-It's just s-so heartwarming to remember I have friends." Kyouka rolled her eyes with a smile, knowing Izuku was being genuine. Having people care about him after eleven years was new to him, but this just meant it was affecting him for the better.

She tugged his sleeve, bringing him down to whisper in his ear. "Look, I think you're always hot. But, this is not a good look for you." Clearly, that was the wrong thing to say as Izuku's face clenched up even further. "Wh-?! What now?!"

"You called me hot."

"...Okay, c'mon big guy. Let's go find our fourth membe-"

"MS. FIRST PLACE!"

"AH!" Kyouka jumped back as a goggled pinked-haired girl suddenly entered her vision. Her jacks quickly shot out in defense, but Izuku grabbed them before they could hit their target.

"Team up with me!"

"Next time, Bubblegum, how about yo-"

Izuku raised a brow, "Do you j-just create all of your nicknames based off of people's hair?"

"Quiet you. Anyway, Bubblegum, how about you just walk up to us and ask politely next time."

"And waste time that could be used showing the big shots of the industry my super cute babies? Never!"

Ochako furrowed her brow in confusion, "Wait...Babies? Industry? Who even are you?"

Lifting up her goggles, the girl brandished a wide, crazy smile. "Mei Hatsume, future queen of the support gear industry, at your service! Someone like me would be useful in your situation." Mei unclipped a part of her harness, a large backpack falling to the ground. She unzipped it, pulling out gear one after the other. "Just look at all my babies! I'm sure you'll find one, if not all of them, useful to you!"

Both of Kyouka's eyebrows raised, "That's...actually a good idea."

Izuku nodded, his hand rubbing his chin in thought. "No one else has support gear, it's a playing card no one else can play. It would also allow us to rely on much more than our quirks, and it's unexpected. Each piece of gear would do something different, so unpredictability will b-"

The trio of girls watched as Izuku continued to mutter, his mouth going a mile a minute. Kyouka smirked, "Yeah, he does that."

Mei smiled wider, "A quick thinker! I like him!" The inventor quickly stepped over to Izuku, disrupting his muttering as she shoved the open backpack in his face. "See anything you like?"

"O-Oh, w-well-..." Kyouka watched as Izuku began to falter and shut down with how close Mei was. If Izuku was anybody else, she'd be a little ticked off because she would think Izuku was nervous because Mei, another girl, was getting near him. But, Izuku was nervous around literally everybody. Except for herself, obviously. Mei was his exact opposite socially. Loud, in your face, no shame at all. However…"I-Is that…?" Izuku reached in and pulled out a jet pack. "This looks like Air Jet's."

"Yep! Based directly off of his gear."

A smile broke out on Izuku's face, "His agency used t-to be in my neighborhood. He's really c-cool."

"That's not all I got. C'mon, take a look!" Kyouka smiled as Izuku began to dig deeper into the bag, in awe at everything he saw. Hero stuff. One of the only things that broke through Izuku's nervous shell. At first, Kyouka thought Mei was going to be someone she'd lose her patience with. But, maybe she was a good addition. Izuku was quiet and reserved due to his social inexperience, and Mei was loud and shameless due to her's. Combine that all with hero related conversation and they oddly balance each other out when it came to that specific aspect.

"Hatsume, you're in."

The pink-haired girl swiveled around, "Perfect! Hold on, I'll go grab the rest of my stuff."

"You have even more?"

"Pfft, of course I do. Future queen, remember? Also, I know none of your names. You can tell me, but I'll most likely forget...Scratch that. I will absolutely forget."

Kyouka chuckled, "Well, even if it doesn't matter, I'm Kyouka Jirou. And that stuttering ball of awkwardness is Izuku Midoriya. And this bubbly brunette is Ochako Uraraka."

"Koko, Zuko, and Chalk. Got it!"

Kyouka and Ochako looked at one another, shrugged, and then back to Mei. "Close enough."

As Mei ran off to grab more gear to choose from, Ochako turned to her purplette friend. "She's...interesting."

"Yeah, but she definitely seems like a big help. What do you think, Izuku?"

Moving his eyes away from the backpack, Izuku nodded. "Yeah, a-all this stuff is great. I'm just trying to figure out how a-all this stuff will work for a horse formation."

Kyouka nodded, looking around at all the other teams beginning for form. They were all beginning to start stacking themselves on top of one another, their riders stepping onto their teammates' hands with everyone else being the horse. If she was going to be the rider, she would be used to that kind of position. It was a little different to riding piggyback on Izuku, but they couldn't just do that. There were four of them…

...Or, could they?

Kyouka looked back to Izuku and Ochako. "Hey, they said the team has to be two to four people, right?" They both nodded in response, waiting to see where the purplette was going with her train of thought. "So that means anything goes as long as there is at least one horse and one rider. The formation could even break up, but the game keeps going."

Ochako tilted her head, "Yeah, why?"

"Well, we don't have to be in a full, four person horse formation, do we?"

Izuku furrowed his brow, "What do you mean?"

"Midnight said there can be two people on a team, so it's allowed to have only one person as the horse and one as the rider. Izuku, you're our speed demon and our strongest attacker. We'd be holding you back. Especially since our goal isn't really to grab other headbands."

The greenette brought a hand to his chin, "You're right. We're the only headbands that really matter. I got second place, but I'm still not a target."

"Like Hatsume said, the spotlight is all on us."

"So, our goal isn't t-to attack, but to defend and evade. We're running away. But, it won't last forever. We need a good defense from all angles."

Kyouka nodded over to the jetpack, "I don't know about you, but I don't see anyone else with air support."

"You're right." Izuku hummed to himself, looking around at the rest of the groups. "But, whoever is using it won't be connected to the formation. And they'll have to keep up with me. We'll need some way to keep them attached, or we'll be disqualified."

"Oh, wait!" The couple turned to Ochako, her face lighting up. "Back during the obstacle course, Hatsume had a grappling hook harness thing."

Kyouka chuckled, "So we fly her around like a kite? That's a good idea, but what purpose will she serve?"

"I'm back!" The trio turned to see Hatsume appear with an even larger duffel bag of gear. "So, what'd I miss?"

Izuku pointed down to the duffel bag, "Do you have any projectile w-weapons in there?"

"Hm...Oh!" Mei reached in, pulling out a dual-grip, silver gun with a canister screwed into the bottom. "Baby #41! Pressurized Globular Cluster Firearm! Or Glue Gun for short."

Kyouka and Izuku smiled at one another before the purplette turned back to Mei. "How would you like to fly above the rest of the crowd to show off your babies?"

Mei's smile grew even wilder as she lowered her goggles and pulled out her welding gun, "Just need to make a few adjustments."

…

(Ten Minutes Later)

"One minute remaining!" Midnight yelled out. "Get your formations ready!"

Izuku wrapped his 205 point headband around his neck, turning towards Mei. The inventor fired out her harpoon into the ground for Izuku to pick up. Following Hatsume's disassembly instructions, the sharp harpoon came off, leaving only the wire cable and hooks. Mei took the jet pack, fastening it on the upper hook of her harness. Ochako turned on the rocket boots, setting them to low power per Mei's instructions, allowing her to hover off of the ground.

Attaching Mei's second harness around her body, Kyouka allowed Izuku to wrap the cable around the back clips, securing it tightly to keep Mei connected to the team. Izuku leaned down, allowing Kyouka to hop on his back. Kyouka sat upright, her arms straight with her hands on Izuku's shoulders. Ochako interlocked her fingers around Kyouka's waist to avoid accidentally using her quirk until they needed it. Mei fired up her jetpack, flying up a few meters before twisting on a full canister to her gun.

Tetsutetsu yelled out from his own formation, "Hey! That's not horse formation! And that chick's flying!"

Midnight yelled out through the megaphone, "The rules state that there needs to be at least one horse and one rider. So, as long as the team is connected in some way, and the support student's feet don't touch the ground, these fall under our guidelines."

Kyouka smirked, patting Izuku's head. "Good thinking, Pine Tree."

"Hm? This was mostly your plan, though."

"You're rubbing off on me. So, you ready?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Uraraka?"

Ochako grinned, "Ready when you are!"

The punk looked up behind her, "Hatsume?"

"My babies will be all over the big screen!"

"...I'll take that as a yes." Popping her knuckles, Kyouka tightened her headband and brandished her jacks. "Here we go."

Kayama began the countdown. "3!" Izuku turned his gaze over to Katsuki's team, the blonde seemingly unfazed by his former friend's out of place formation. The only expression he had was his usual glare. "2!" Shaking his head, Izuku focused back on Todoroki's team and found Iida. They were more dangerous than Katsuki's team, which Izuku had to sum up to the blonde not knowing anyone else's quirk. He didn't care about anyone else, and that cost him valuable knowledge he could have used to form a more balanced team.

But, Iida had the speed to match, maybe even surpass Izuku's. He still had no idea what percentage of One For All he could use, and Iida surely could have something up his sleeve. Izuku noticed the team was wearing rollerblades, likely made by Yaoyorozu. So, Tenya wasn't being held back by much either. The only thing Izuku had to depend on was that One For All boosted his physical strength as well, not just his speed. Iida still had to drag weight behind him, albeit eased by the rollerblades. Shoto also would have a difficult time creating ice with Iida directly below and in front of him.

'Whenever we directly confront them, stay to the left of his team. Iida will be in the way of his ice if he tries to go after me.'

All eyes were on his team. Kyouka and Mei were right, the spotlight was on them. Izuku knew he couldn't freeze up now. He had to be ready, he had to prove himself again like he did during the race. Izuku breathed in deep, his body beginning to glow. One For All began coursing through his veins, raising his power until he felt his muscles slightly tighten in strain. He felt Kyouka's hand slowly move up from his shoulder, giving his cheek a slight, subtle caress before moving back down to his shoulder before anyone noticed.

A smile spread on Izuku's lips.

"1!"

He was ready.

"BEGIN!"

*ZOOM!*

Izuku burst out through the teams, weaving his way through the students before some of them even began to move. Kyouka looked back, seeing the ground they had been standing on begin to sink in on itself. It must've been someone's quirk, but they managed to evade it.

However, it looked like Todoroki had learned from the race. He knew Izuku would burst out into a full sprint like he did beforehand. A large wall of ice formed in front of them, but they were ready. Kyouka yelled, "Uraraka!"

"On it!" The brunette stopped interlocking her hands, flipping them around and pressing them against Izuku's back. Izuku jumped up and Ochako boosted the rocket boots, allowing them to float up high above the ice.

"DEKU!"

Kyouka groaned, "I'm getting really sick of him screaming that."

They turned their gazes to see Katsuki flying up at them, explosions blasting out of his hands. "You're getting so full of yourself! You can't wi-GAGCK!" A small ball of glue suddenly exploded onto Katsuki's face, but before he could fall, Sero pulled him back to his group with his tape.

Mei lowered the weapon clicking on the speakers attached just under her chest, "Don't worry folks! It's non-toxic!" She then raised a brow, looking down at her gun, "...I think. Either way, it's a super cute baby ready for action! Along with this incredible jetpack made by yours truly!"

As Ochako deactivated her quirk and the group began to fall to the ground, Kyouka looked back towards her pink-haired teammate. "Are you seriously advertising right now?!"

"You said I could!"

"I meant show them off in action! Not literally making a commercial!"

"I'm a woman of opportunity!"

"I-...Whatever." The team landed with the help of the rocket boots slowing their fall. They took off again, running around the outer edge of the area with Izuku as their chariot horse.

"Well folks, it looks like this unorthodox horse formation is working out for the best! With their placement in the last event, and their performance so far in the second, Izuku Midoriya and Kyouka Jirou of Class 1-A seem to be the MVPs of the festival this year! What are your thoughts on your star students, Eraser!"

The teacher didn't respond, he merely furrowed his brow in thought. This wasn't the first year the Cavalry Battle had been the chosen second event. But, out of all the years it was selected, he had never seen a formation quite like the one formed by the "Dynamic Duo" as Present Mic had taken to calling them.

Shouta knew he was someone who judged harshly and bluntly. He made it clear to his students on the first day, but especially to Midoriya. But, he was beginning to show Aizawa just how wrong he can be about people.

And now he was beginning to feel the same about Jirou.

Her grades in the past were very good. Never the top five, but always the top ten. Her quirk was versatile enough, and proved it could do damage during the entrance exams.

But, just like Midoriya, she was beginning to reach new levels at faster rates than he anticipated. He saw their exams, he saw their skill. Yet, somehow, they were far better than they were just a few months ago. He knew it had to do with their relationship.

Whatever they were to each other, their improvement benefitted from the other's presence.

He'd have to keep an eye on them.

Back on the field, Kyouka leaned down next to Izuku's ear. "Okay, we're doing good. We have ten minutes left. If we keep this up, then we can-"

"Tongue!"

Blushing, Kyouka's eyes widened. "Wow, that was forward of you."

"No! Tongue!" Kyouka followed Izuku's line of sight to see Shoji far up ahead of them, trying to intercept them before they ran by. From Shoji's back came out Asui's tongue, aiming high for Kyouka's headband. Kyouka quickly shot her jacks out, jabbing Tsu's tongue before it came near.

Mei yelled out from up above, "Purple minefield!"

Kyouka squinted in confusion until she looked far up ahead and saw a multitude of Mineta's hair balls on the ground. She had to give it to the little bastard, it wasn't a bad idea. He likely knew he wasn't fast enough or a good enough aim to hit them dead on. They were too fast, so he decided to stop them in their tracks. "Stop or jump, Green Bean?"

"It's like you said during the race against Todoroki. They want us to stop. We have to keep going! Get ready to jump, Uraraka!" They repeated their process from earlier in the battle with Uraraka using her quirk on Izuku and jumping high in the air with the assistance of the rocket boots. Izuku turned his head to assess the situation when they landed. Further away, he miraculously saw Katsuki not trying to chase him. He was actually going after someone from 1-B. Someone with a smirk and look in his eyes that uneased Izuku.

Kyouka followed Izuku's example, sighing in relief as she too saw Katsuki. "Thank goodness. That's one less major thing to worry about."

Ochako looked past Kyouka, her eyes wide. "I think we should worry about that, though."

The couple turned back to look ahead of them to find Hagakure, Tokoyami, Shoji, and Koda waiting for them at the very end of the field of purple orbs. Seeing nothing but a few floating headbands and a pair of pants, Kyouka realized Toru was completely topless. "Izuku, close your eyes!"

"Wh-? Why!?"

"Just do it! Hatsume!" Hearing her name again, the inventor began firing at the opposing team. With Tokoyami as their lead, Dark Shadow burst out of his body, smacking away the bundles of glue. Kyouka knew her jacks had become stronger, but not yet strong enough to be able to combat Dark Shadow in any way. "Uraraka, Hatsume, slow us down!"

Mei pulled back, trying to fly back while Ochako put her feet forward to move them in Mei's direction. But, Kyouka looked back to see Shoji's team running towards them with Mineta ready to throw his balls, and directly to their right, Todoroki's team was finally beginning to catch up. "Izuku, any ideas?"

"I can't assess the situation with my eyes closed!" Kyouka looked back down at Toru, and then over to an approaching Momo whose jacket was wide open with her bra covered chest out in the open.

Had Izuku seen Momo in her far less, that being her hero costume? Yes.

Could Izuku, or anyone, not actually even see Toru's breasts? Also, yes.

Did Kyouka care? No.

"Keep 'em closed, just be ready to attack."

"How?"

"Uh." Kyouka looked around again, trying to figure out which direction was their best bet of escaping. Shoto's team and Shoji's team could easily stop them in their tracks if given the chance, so..."Ram right through Dark Shadow!"

"How? I-I can't let go of you! How can I atta-..." Izuku's eyes opened wide in realization, putting his legs out to attack.

"Did...Did you just forget you have legs?"

"N-...No?"

'...Oh my god, my boyfriend is an idiot.' Deciding not to think too hard on that, Kyouka yelled out to her other teammates. "Hatsume! Uraraka! Fly us at full speed towards Hagakure!" Mei flew towards them at full power, pressing against Ochako, who also put her legs out behind her. With three rocket powered pieces of gear on their side, they launched at the opposing team at blinding speeds. Clearly faster than Tokoyami was expecting, because his the teen bird's eyes widened right as Izuku kicked hard into him while Kyouka sent her jacks out into his forehead. With the other team stunned, Kyouka's group made their getaway. Kyouka looked over her shoulder, yelling out, "Hagakure! Put on a shirt!"

A sudden light flashed from their right, all of their hairs standing up. All of their eyes turned to see Kaminari lighting up the entire playing field, shocking other teams while Shoto froze them.

Izuku's eyes widened as he saw a wave of electricity flying right for them. Mei could avoid the hit, Ochako was behind the group, but Kyouka was out in the open. She would be blasted for sure. Izuku's instincts kicked in, his body seized up like at the USJ when Kyouka was going to be touched by Shigaraki. He jumped up, arching backwards to make Kyouka fall back and for his body to be in front of her.

"AAAAH!" He felt the sparks hit him directly in the chest, all of his muscles clenching as the electricity shook him to his very core.

...Until he felt nothing.

Izuku felt his feet hit the ground again. He opened his eyes to see his body glowing and sparking with yellow electricity, which then turned green, and dissipated into him. "Izuku?" Kyouka asked. "What happened?"

"I-I-...I don't…"

"Look out!" Ochako yelled. They didn't even have time to register Ochako's warning before they felt wind rush past them, and Kyouka's headband was ripped from her head. Kyouka looked over her shoulder to see Shoto's team skidding to a halt far behind them. She could see their mouths moving, so her jacks focused in on the noise.

"-as that?" Kyouka heard the fragmented question asked by Shoto.

Iida responded, "It's a secret technique I've been waiting for the opportune time to use. But, it stalls my engines.

Midnight yelled out through her megaphone, "Ten seconds remaining!"

Kyouka's jacks perked, her eyes widening. "He said his engines are stalled!" Izuku's eyes widened as well, quickly springing to action, bringing One For All's power up until a shooting pain ran throughout his muscles.

"9!"

The greenette fired towards them, shouting over the wind blowing in his ears. "Hatsume!"

"8!"

Mei heard her cue, a smile breaking out on her face as she pressed the button on her harness, her jetpack firing at full power. She flew at Shoto's team, firing her gun at all of their feet. With their slowed speed and Mei's zoom quirk, her aim was true. Due to Shoto's formation being in mid turn, glue clusters began to hit the right side of each person. With their main horse, Iida, now stuck to the ground, they were sitting ducks.

"7!"

Shoto looked at his team and panicked. Iida was stuck to the ground, and Momo was half covered in glue and looked like she was scrambling to think of anything to save them. Kaminari was the only one not hit by the glue, but his brain was completely scrambled by his big attack. Shoto looked back towards the enemy team heading right for them.

"6!"

There was an intense look in Izuku's eyes, lightning flaring up all around him as he charioted his friends. They were right on course to ram into Shoto's team's side.

"5!"

Kyouka's jacks were brandished, and her hands were out, ready to grab the headbands.

"DEKU!" The purplette groaned as she saw Katsuki flying in the air towards them.

"Oh you've gotta be kidding me."

"4!"

The pressure was at an all time high, Shoto's instincts kicked in. Heat began emanating from his only free arm, his left.

"3!"

Todoroki shot out his arm towards, flames beginning to billow. Izuku could feel the heat, quickly improvising by leaping up and kicking away Shoto's hand, flames bursting away from them. With their momentum from the charge, Izuku's jump caused them to go over Shoto's team. Kyouka quickly reached down and back, grabbing the top headband around the dual-quirk user's neck.

"2!"

"Got it!"

"1!"

"RAAAH!" Their eyes Katsuki, flying in the air towards them. "That headband is mi-GACKH!"

"Time's up!"

All teams slid to a halt, except for Katsuki who fell on his face away from Izuku's team with another cluster of glue on his face. Mei smiled from up above, "Got him!"

Katsuki growled, sitting up and turning to see Izuku's team dissembling from their formation. Kyouka smiled, bringing the headband in her hand up to read it, only for her stomach to drop. "Si-...Sixty-five?!"

"What?!" Ochako and Izuku said simultaneously.

Izuku gripped his hair, shaking his head. "He must've switched them around. I can't believe we lo-"

"In first place, Team Jirou with over ten million points!"Izuku froze, he swiveled around to his teammates. Kyouka and Izuku both turned to Ochako, but the brunette was pointing towards Mei, who had just landed back down on the ground. She raised her hand up to the sky, the ten million headband in her grasp.

She clicked on her microphone once more, turning towards the Support Industry seating area. "Would you look at that! My babies secured us the first place win!"

Izuku's jaw dropped, tears beginning to form in his eyes before Kyouka quickly wiped them away. The purplette chuckled to herself, "Future Queen of the Industry, indeed."

Midnight yelled out, "In second place, we have Team Todoroki! In third, Team Bakugou! And in fourth, Team Shinso. Before we advance to the final event, we'll have a one hour lunch break. We will announce when we start up again!" 

Kyouka unclipped her harness, handing it back to Hatsume. "Thanks, Hatsume. We wouldn't have been able to win without you and your babies...You really need a new nickname for those."

"I told you my babies were the best. All I had to do was swoop down and grab these headbands. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to prepare for...special plans I have for the final event." With that, the pinkette walked away with her gear in hand.

Izuku came up behind Kyouka, a sigh escaping his lips. "I can't believe w-we pulled that off."

"Me neither. But, now we at least have a small break from all this cra-"

"Midoriya." The couple turned around to find Shoto standing behind them, his usual cold glare present. "I need to talk to you privately."

Kyouka pinched the bridge of her nose, "When will I learn not to speak too soon? Look, I get you hate him for some reason, but can't you just leave us alo-"

"W-Wait." Izuku placed a hand around Kyouka's wrist to stop her. "...Okay."

Shoto nodded, turning around and walking away, expecting Izuku to follow. With Izuku walking away, Kyouka couldn't keep her feet still. Shoto had proven to be a thorn in their side all day, and now he suddenly wanted a private conversation?

Once they were a good distance away, Kyouka began to follow them through the crowd. She luckily managed to keep track of them through all the people trying to get to lunch. They entered the stadium building, weaving through hallways until Kyouka could hear them stop and begin to talk.

Kyouka rounded the corner, shock appearing on her face as she became face-to-face with Bakugou, who seemingly also was trying to listen in on the conversation.

Katsuki gave her an emotionless stare before looking back down at the floor tiles. As much as she would have enjoyed telling the blonde to go away, Kyouka decided it was best to not blow her cover. The purplette leaned against the other side of the archway, honing in on the nearby conversation.

Izuku was standing against one wall, and Shoto the opposite. The light from the exit next to them shone through into the hall. The greenette looked around at anything but Shoto's cold stare. "Um...Wh-When people ask to have a conversation, u-usually they actually talk." Shoto raised a brow, and Izuku cleared his throat. "S-Sorry, that was my inner Kyouka. She's been influencing me." Around the corner, Kyouka couldn't help but smirk with pride.

"...You overwhelmed me." Izuku was taken aback by Shoto's sudden dialogue. "So much so, that I broke my pledge, even if for a moment. I used my left side." He raised his left hand up, staring into his palm. "I didn't know what to do. I saw you coming right for me, trapped in that glue. I felt like an animal in a trap, instinct kicked in to lash out. I could've really hurt you, all of you. Even my own team...but, you stopped me."

"I-I mean...I don-"

"And unlike a lot of the class, I was there when All Might appeared. I felt him clash with that creature. That overwhelming pressure, a strange static in the air, even when he was just standing still. I could feel that same pressure, that electricity, from you."

Kyouka hadn't actually thought about that before, but it was true. She was right in the action when All Might was there. Hell, he even picked her up and took her to the USJ entrance. There was this weird electricity in the air that made the hair on her neck stand on end. She had trained with Izuku more than enough to know he had that same aura when he fought. All Might didn't have green lightning or anything, but she could still feel that shock. She had just summed it up to the electricity she felt when they were being intimate, but now she could see how different those two feelings were.

While All Might's quirk was a mystery, it was obvious it was a body enhancer...Just like Izuku's. And, not that she believed Izuku was a liar, but developing a quirk at 15? She knew his story was that it didn't fully come to fruition until he was physically fit enough to handle it, but wouldn't the doctors still catch something?

Kyouka would've questioned absolutely none of this if Izuku didn't look like he was going to vomit out of anxiety again.

"U-Um...Uh...I-..."

"Are you All Might's illegitimate child?"

Izuku, Kyouka, and Katsuki's eyes all went wide. "Wh-...What?"

"Are you his secret love child?"

Kyouka almost laughed at the idea. There was no way. Izuku wouldn't make up all the issues he had with his father... Unless Inko just told him his father worked in America to cover up his true father's identity? No. No, that was stupid. Izuku didn't even look like All Mig-... Kyouka's mind suddenly jumped to Izuku's All Might impersonation, having his facial features copied to perfection.

'...Holy shit.'

Izuku began to panic, "I-? No! That's not it!"

"You worded that pretty oddly. That's not it? Sure makes it sound like there is something going on. You know my father is Endeavor, right? So, if you're related to the number one hero in some way, it's all the more reason to crush you."

Izuku squinted his eyes in confusion, "Wait, that's why you hate me? You th-think I'm related to All Might, so you want to beat me so you can please your dad?"

"The exact opposite, actually. I want him to hurt."

Kyouka's brows raised, 'Wow. And I thought Izuku had daddy issues.'

Izuku furrowed his brow, "Why?"

"You've heard of quirk marriages, right?"

"Oh, y-yeah. They a-appeared late in the second generation of quirk users, and became a big issue during the third. Those are looked down upon now. Some prefectures even outlawed it."

"My father did it. Forced my mother into a marriage. He made my mother's family agree, all to get his hands on her quirk." A deep scowl formed on Shoto's face as he formed a fist with his left hand. "I was born as nothing, but a tool. A weapon meant to be better than All Might, all because that piece of human trash can't do it himself. He's no hero. Never will be. Everything he's done to me, my family, my...my mother. She told me she couldn't stand the sight of my left side, right before throwing scalding water on my face."

Kyouka's jaw dropped, and she could see Katsuki's eyes widen slightly as well. Izuku was stunned into silence. "I-...I-I-..."

"He's the reason I have this scar. I made a pledge to never use my left side after that."

"...Why a-are you telling me this?"

Shoto put his hands in his pockets, walking out of the exit. "Because you at least deserve an explanation. I don't hate you, Midoriya. But, if beating you without using my left side is what it takes to deny my bastard of a father everything he's ever worked towards, then so be it. Sorry for wasting your time." He continued to walk away, not looking back.

Izuku felt a pit form in his stomach after hearing such a story. He knew people out there had to have it much worse than he did.

He just didn't expect it to be someone who he thought was born with everything he didn't have. Two quirks, a father, a family…

Yet, Izuku felt like Shoto had just as little as he did.

"I-..." Shoto stopped and turned around, waiting for Izuku to continue. Izuku steeled himself before speaking as clearly and stutter free as possible. "I've always had people helping me...Well, th-that's not true. I've only gotten help in the last year. But, I wouldn't be anywhere without them. I want to be like All Might, but...there's someone else in my life now. Someone I can't imagine living without. I want to be like them, too."

Katsuki lifted a brow at that, his eyes flickering over to Kyouka, seeing a blush on her face.

Izuku continued, "I-I can't fully know the experiences of everything y-you went through, but I can understand your convictions. B-But, even then, I owe it to the people in my life that helped me get to where I am today not to lose. I've lost enough. So, what I-I said earlier still stands. I won't fall behind. I will beat you with everything I've got. Nothing less."

Shoto watched him for a few more seconds before nodding, turning back around and walking away. Izuku tried to control his heartbeat, walking back to the archway and sitting down against the wall in the stadium hallway.

Around the corner Katsuki walked away just as he arrived, without a word. Izuku called out, "Y-You can come out now."

Kyouka grimaced, but rounded the corner and approached the greenette. She sat next to him and asked, "You knew I was following you?"

"I didn't actually see you, but I had a hunch. So...you heard all of that?"

"Yeah, it's...That's all kinds of screwed up."

Izuku sighed, shaking his head as he leaned his head back against the wall. "Makes my issues with my own father feel insignificant."

Kyouka grabbed his hand, "Don't say that. Everyone's issues are their own, and are significant to them in their own ways."

"Y-Yeah...Yeah, you're right. It's still not right. He shouldn't have to keep that part of himself in." Kyouka raised a finger to retort, but Izuku quickly intervened. "Yes, I'm well aware of how hypocritical that is coming from me."

"Ah, the classic "Do as I say, not as I do" situation."

"You know who y-you're talking to, right? That's half of my existence."

Kyouka chuckled, "I'm sure you'll figure something out. Well, as long as Frozone learns to stop being an asshole...That sounded insensitive. He at least somewhat deserves to be an asshole. But, uh...Did you mean what you said?"

"A-About the people in my life?"

"Yeah. Specifically the new person that you can't imagine living without."

Izuku cracked a smile, slowly leaning in and capturing Kyouka's lips with his. "O-Of course."

Kyouka put her forehead down on Izuku's shoulder as they sat quietly. Until, Kyouka spoke up. "So...that All Might theory Todoroki had…"

"It's not true."

"I know, but...he doesn't know some of the things I do about your , he can't poke holes in the past like I can. A lot of them revolving around your quirk…"

Izuku looked at her in what seemed to be deep thought. He was thinking back to what All Might had said about making a circle of trust for himself. If he thought Kyouka was the one, then tell her everything.

He did say he didn't want lies between them…

"I know you're gonna be mad at me, but I promise I-I'll tell yo-"

"After the festival. Yeah, yeah, I've heard that one before. But you're not backing out of this one." Kyouka stood up, reaching a hand out to Izuku. "C'mon, let's go eat."

Izuku took her hand, standing up with her to walk to the cafeteria. "After earlier in the bathroom this morning, I think the last thing I need is food."

"You have to eat something, Izuku. Would you rather vomit during a fight, or pass out? I'm sure you could disgust someone so much they would just forfeit."

"Or I end up puking on Kacchan's shoes and he beats me up even more."

"Or you end up puking in his face, blinding him, and securing the victory."

"If that's h-how I beat him, I think I would rather just lose."

"Ah, Jirou!" As the duo walked through the cafeteria double doors, their attention was grabbed by Momo. "I was just looking for you. I need your measurements."

Kyouka's eyes widened, "Wha-? Why?"

"For your cheerleading outfit."

"Okay, back up! What in the world are you talking about? What cheerleading outfits?"

Momo hummed to herself, crossing her arms. "You didn't know either? I wonder why we weren't all informed. I was only recently told that we would be performing a cheer for our fellow classmates."

"By who?!"

"Well, Mineta told me that Mr. Aiza-..." Momo's eyes widened, her shoulders drooped. "...Oh."

Kyouka swerved her line of sight to meet Mineta's and Kaminari's as they sat a few tables away, a death glare burning through their souls. Minoru dropped his chopsticks, "Ooooooh shit. We need to run."

"I-I-...I can't!"

The grape-head turned to his friend, "What do you mean you can't?!"

"I...I dunno. Her eyes, I-...I-I can't move, dude. I told you we shouldn't mess with her again!"

"She wasn't exactly the one I was focusing on getting in the outfit!" They both jumped as Izuku's face suddenly switched into a fierce glare.

"Shit, dude! I think you said that too loud! Why do I keep hanging out with you?! You're gonna get me killed!"

"Just run!" The two quickly fumbled away from the table, breaking out into a full sprint and vanishing into the hallway.

"Are you going after them?" Izuku asked.

Kyouka shook her head, "No. Their time will come."

Momo pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head as she sighed. "I can't believe they almost tricked me. How could I fall for that? I'm so gullible."

"Don't feel bad, Yaoyorozu. Just don't think highly of them next time. That grape-headed bastard is always up to something."

"...I guess." Momo walked away sullenly, a discouraged look on her face.

Izuku frowned, "She didn't look too good."

"No one would if they were tricked by those two. At least we managed to avoid that."

"Y-Yeah...I mean, can you imagine...y-you…" Izuku's eyes suddenly glazed over, "...in a cheerleading outfit."

Kyouka's brow raised, "No, but I think you're imagining right now."

Izuku snapped to attention, his focus returning. "Hm? What? U-Uh, let's go get some food." Izuku awkwardly walked away, his limbs stiff and a heavy blush on his face.

Kyouka rolled her eyes, but a blush bloomed on her cheeks as well. The clear train of thought Izuku had destroyed any lingering blemishes on her mind that Mineta's comment left behind.

...She'd still get revenge on them, though. Not just for her, but for the rest of the girls as well.

She had a promise to keep afterall. Her jacks would meet his eyes soon enough.

Chapter 18: Round One

"...Am I going to have to spoon-feed you?"

Izuku looked over from his untouched food, a wobbly smile adorning his features. "At this point, you might."

Under the table, Kyouka took his hand in her's. "You'll be fine. It's not like they can kill you."

"That's not comforting."

Across from them, Ochako bounced in her seat. "You've beaten Todoroki in every event, Midoriya. I'm sure you'll do great. And if it makes you feel any better, I'm nervous, too."

"A-A fight is far different from a race and cavalry battle, but thanks."

Tenya smiled, too. "Maybe you and I will be up against each other, Midoriya."

Kyouka shook her head, "Are you trying to give him a heart attack?"

"Everyone!" Present Mic came in over the intercom. "Please be back on the field in the next ten minutes where we will be showing the full roster for the final event: The Tournament!" 

Izuku sighed, "No, but that might give me one." They all stood up, throwing away any leftover food they had and heading back outside. Izuku suddenly felt something slip into hand, finding a small bread roll there.

Kyouka placed a hand on his shoulder as they walked, "At least eat this. Now calm down, everything's gonna be fine. You've done more than enough to prove yourself. The message has been sent."

Izuku smiled in appreciation, his nerves somewhat eased. But, he knew deep down that if he lost now without facing Katsuki head on, he wouldn't be satisfied. Nothing would change. He needed to know what would happen in a real fight with him.

And that didn't even include whatever he would have to do if he fought Todoroki.

The only thing Izuku had to calm his mind, or at least switch his focus on the fight from fear to analyzation, was that Izuku now firmly believed Katsuki was scared the greenette might actually win. Desperation oozed from Katsuki even if no one else could see it, but Izuku knew. Taking a bite from his roll, they stepped back out onto the field and gathered around with the rest of the students in front of the large screen.

Midnight stepped up onto the stage, speaking loudly to the students "It's time for the tournament portion of the festival! The remaining sixteen students will be placed in one-on-one fights. Who you face will be decided by drawing lots. After the placements are set, we'll take another half hour to engage in some festivities if you choose to do so. I'm sure those participating in the tournament would rather save their strength. Now, we'll start with Jirou's team as they placed first in the last event. Please, step up an-"

"Excuse me." All eyes turned to see Ojiro with his hand raised, his gaze down in disappointment. "...I'd like to drop out." Murmurs and whispers immediately began spreading around, everyone confused by Ojiro's decision. "I...I honestly don't remember a single thing from the entire cavalry battle. I don't even remember accepting to be on the team I was on."

Kyouka squinted her eyes at that, turning her gaze towards Shinso who wasn't even acting interested in what was going on. Izuku followed her line of sight, whispering, "Isn't that the guy from the hallway when we got here?"

"Yeah. He talked to me when I went to go find you in the bathroom, too."

"Do you have any gaps in memory?"

Kyouka shook her head, "No, not at all. The conversation was pretty short. Nothing that important. He just told me which direction you went. Keep an eye on him, I'll keep my ears open."

"...You've been waiting to use that phrase for a long time, haven't you?"

A smirk grew on Kyouka's face, "Perhaps."

Ojiro continued, sadness still etched into his features. "I know it's probably a stupid idea to throw away this opportunity, but...everyone else got here with their own strengh, and I don't even know how I got here. I don't feel like I've earned it, so I forfeit my position in the tournament to someone else."

Another hand raised up, this time by Nirengeki Shoda of Class 1-B. "I don't remember anything either. And being able to advance without feeling like you did anything kind of defeats the purpose, so...I'll also give my position to someone more deserving of it."

The whispers started up again until Nemuri cracked her whip, gaining their attention once more. The hero hummed in thought, her gaze looking back and forth between both forfeiting students. "Such a naive and green choice...I LIKE IT!"

Kyouka pinched the bridge of her nose, throwing a hand up in exasperation. "That's it. I'm done trying to understand this place."

After deciding who would be replacing both students and drawing the lots, the large screen then lit up with all of the first match ups. Izuku noticed he was up against Shinso, his curiosity peaking. He was going up against the wildcard, the one with the unknown quirk. At least, it was unknown to most of the participants.

"Oh come on!" Denki shouted, gazing up at the match ups. "If I win I have to go up against Midoriya! He's basically immune to everything I do! Hacks! I call hacks! And then..." Terror then suddenly formed on his expression as he remembered he wasn't exactly on Izuku's friends list for understandable reasons. "...I'm dead."

Izuku stepped back a bit, hiding behind Kyouka to avoid his possible opponent's gaze. Izuku also felt it best to not mention that he had absolutely zero idea how he stopped Kaminari's attack in the Cavalry Battle. He realized at some point he should talk to Kaminari, let him know his anger wasn't fully on him and more on his short, grape-headed friend.

...Once he figured out how to properly socialize with the classmates outside of his friend group. Hell, he still had to learn how to properly socialize with anyone other than Kyouka. Looking further up his list, Todoroki could possibly be his third match. However, Katsuki was all the way on the exact opposite end of the bracket.

He turned his gaze towards the crowd, his eyes meeting the blonde's. Katsuki allowed himself a grin, this was exactly what he wanted.

The only way they would be able to battle was in the final round.

All eyes on them. His victory over Izuku would come with the ultimate validation. Izuku would be his inferior, and everyone would see it.

"Oh...my...God." Izuku turned to see Kyouka's eyes wide, her body frozen.

Confused, Izuku asked, "What's wrong? Are you really scared to fight Uraraka?"

"No. I'm scared of who I fight if I win."

Izuku looked at the match up next to Kyouka's, his eyes landing on...Oh.

If Kyouka won, she'd be up against Todoroki.

Izuku didn't mean to downplay or insult Sero, but...it was fairly obvious who was going to win. Todoroki was going to advance to the next round. And now, it was no longer Izuku's turn to panic.

Kyouka grasped Izuku's arms, looking him dead in the eyes. "I. Am going. To die."

"I-I'm sure it won't be that bad."

"Being frozen, losing in two seconds flat. Yeah, that's pretty bad. Not to mention Uraraka has been all "Terminator Mode" since this whole thing was announced. So either I lose with a good fight in the first round, or I win my first fight and lose instantly in the second. How exactly do I win here?"

"Jirou!" Before Izuku could answer, Ochako called out Kyouka's name. "You and me are against each other. What are the odds?"

"I'd say one in sixteen, but I think the universe was going to send me a message either way."

"What?"

"Nothing. Can't wait," Kyouka responded with a tired smile.

Off to the side, Katsuki looked up at the screen with confusion. "Who the fuck is Yaoyorozu?"

The ponytailed girl perked up, her mouth opening to say something. But, she stopped herself, looking down at her feet and backing up a bit as to not garner any attention.

"Midoriya." The teen turned around to see Ojiro approaching him. "I need to talk to you."

'Can people please stop needing to talk to me today?' He nodded his head, "S-Sure." Looking towards Kyouka with a look that screamed "Help", she waved at her other friends and began to follow them.

Ojiro raised a brow, "Oh, Jirou. I didn't know you were coming."

"Yeah, kind of a mutualism symbiotic relationship Izuku and I have."

Rubbing the back of his head, Izuku nodded in agreement. "Y-Yeah, I-I uh...I'm not very good at-"

Ojiro waved them off, "Nah, I get it. You've always been quiet, at least as long as I've known you. Nothing to worry about. Besides, maybe you'll both benefit from this." Breathing a sigh of relief that Ojiro was understanding, the duo continued to follow him into the stadium until they found themselves back in the Class 1-A waiting room. "Now, I need to warn you about Shinso."

…..

(Midoriya Family Apartment)

"I mean...Wow. You said he had a quirk now, but this...this is nuts."

Inko chuckled, moving her phone to her other hand as she sat back down on the couch. "I know, I couldn't believe it when he told me."

"You don't think...You don't think he's had this for a long time and just didn't say anything? I mean, he wasn't exactly too keen on talking to us after his diagnosis."

Inko sighed, "I...I don't know. I won't lie and say the thought hasn't passed my mind. It would make sense for him to keep it secret after...after what I told him that night. Maybe he manifested the quirk soon after, and then wanted to prove me wrong. It doesn't sound like Izuku at all, but at this point I just don't know."

"I can hear that tone in your voice. Stop beating yourself up over that night. You had to deal with that situation alone...Maybe, if I had been there…"

"Hisashi, you do everything you can to keep us with all the money we need and more."

"I know that, but...he hasn't responded to my letters in four years. And each one became shorter and shorter, and they weren't even that long to begin with."

"I've been telling you for ages to just call him."

"I don't know what to say. And, at this point I'm not sure he wants to talk to me. I haven't seen him in person in years. Far too many I care to count."

"I've been right next to him the entire time, and yet I feel like I'm just as far away." Both parents sat in silence for a little bit, mulling over the past and trying to figure out how to correct their mistakes.

"You know what? Nevermind that for now. This is supposed to be exciting. Our son is in the finals of the UA Sports Festival! And, from what I've been seeing on camera, has a lovely little lady by his side. Kyouka Jirou, was it? When were you going to tell me about this?"

"I was waiting for when Izuku finally told me."

"...Oh."

"All I know is that she's the best thing to happen to Izuku."

"Well, I hope I can meet her someday."

Inko nodded, resting her head on her hand. "You and me both."

…..

(Sports Festival Stadium)

After their talk with Ojiro, the couple made their way to the exit hallway. Izuku's match was going to start in five minutes. Cementoss had just finished creating the ring they would be fighting on. Kyouka put a hand on Izuku's arm, "You ready?"

"I think so. He's still a wildcard, even with the warning from Ojiro. S-Someone like that is bound to have a trick up his sleeve."

"Let's just hope he's a one trick pony. I have to get back to my seat. Good luck, Fern."

"Oh, that's a new one."

"I'm struggling here, you're gonna have to help me with more names." They chuckled, leaning in and capturing each other's lips.

"Ah, Young Midori-Oh! Whoops!" The teens detached their lips, switching their gaze to the just appearing Toshinori. "Ah, don't mind me you two. I'll just uh, I'll leave you to it."

Kyouka raised a brow, looking the tall, gangly blonde man up and down. "Izuku, you know this guy? He was about to say your name."

Toshinori froze, his cover thought to be blown. Who else but All Might called anybody "Young (Insert Name Here)"? However, Izuku quickly recovered. "Th-This is my mentor I told you about. Toshinori Yagi."

"Oh, really?"

Hearing his cue, Toshinori played along. Besides, it wasn't exactly a lie. "Ah, yes, that's me. You must be Youn-...I mean, you must be Jirou. I mean, I already knew that from the festival. Great job, by the way. Midoriya has told me a lot about yo-."

"You're the one I have to blame for that torturous training regiment."

"O-Oh, well you know what they say. No pain, no gain."

"I can't gain anything if I'm dead."

"Haha, I heard you have the bark to match your bite, and this is proof along with being able to handle the training at all. Anyway, Young Midoriya, your quirk control has improved significantly. You've been doing incredible out there. Why didn't you tell me?"

Izuku shrugged, a small smile on his face. "G-Got distracted, I guess."

The blonde nodded his head towards Kyouka, "Yeah, I saw."

They both blushed, looking away from the adult. Izuku continued, "I still don't really have a set range yet. All I can do is base it off of how much pain I'm in. And even the amount I've been using the most stings."

"Hm...Well, I'd say it's definitely more than five percent. Maybe seven or eight? Pain is a decent base, but giving a number helps with visualization. And that visualization makes it easier to set a specific amount."

Kyouka raised her hands up, stopping the conversation. "Woah, hold up. You're telling me Izuku does all that stuff, and he's not even using ten percent of his power?"

All Might nodded, "Just about, yeah."

The purplette turned to her boyfriend, a stunned expression on her face. "What the hell are you?"

"...An anxious teenager trying his best?"

"...That checks out."

The speakers suddenly blasted to life, Present Mic yelling out in excitement. "Alright, everybody! It's time for the tournament to begin! Fighters, make your way to the ring." 

Izuku rolled his shoulders back, turning towards the exit. "Alright, here we go." With one last kiss on the cheek from Kyouka, Izuku made his way out to the ring.

"For our first match we have a surprise MVP of this year's tournament, Izuku Midoriya of Class 1-A! However, his violet partner in crime isn't here. So let's see what he's capable of on his own!" Izuku stepped up onto the ring, his gaze meeting Shinso's. "And on the other side we have Hitoshi Shinso, who's mostly been under the radar for the festival. But, now that he's here, he's got the spotlight on him! Fighters! Get ready!"

Midnight stood on her cement platform, also made by Cementoss. "The rules are simple. Knock your opponent out of the ring, make them unable to continue, or have them say, "I give up!", and you win."

Cementoss added, "Remember, anything except going for the kill is allowed. Otherwise, we'll stop and disqualify you. Ethics have no meaning here, fight dirty if you have to."

"Huh.." Shinso scoffed, "I give up? Just like that tailed moron, huh?" Izuku furrowed his brow, but didn't give a verbal response.

Present Mic came back over the speakers, "Alright, let's get this show on the road. 3! 2! 1! BEGIN!" The crowd cheered, ready for action. But, neither contestant moved, both standing in place. Shinso because he didn't plan on actually fighting, and Izuku because he was waiting. Ojiro warned him about Shinso, but Izuku still had no idea what he was capable of. The threat level hadn't been assessed yet. "Uh...You guys do know this is the part where you fight, right? Wait, is my mic on?"

Aizawa groaned, "Believe me, it's on. My ears won't stop ringing."

Smirking, Shinso began to talk. "He's an idiot, right?"

'Don't talk.' Izuku merely gave a lifted brow in response to show he was listening.

"I'm talking about that stupid monkey who gave up his shot to be here." Izuku's eye twitched just a little. Hurling insults like that clearly wasn't Izuku's favorite thing in the world, but he kept himself under control. It was far from enough to make him talk.

If responding was the only way Shinso was a threat, then it should be fine to attack, right? Izuku didn't have enough information to feel completely comfortable with that decision, but he couldn't just stand there all day. Izuku bent his knees, energy beginning to flare up around him.

On the other side of the ring, Shinso gave a low, irritated growl. Izuku was going for the immediate win. There was no time to waste, he had to pull out the trump card.

"So, Jirou was that girl's name, right?" Izuku faltered for a second, waiting to hear exactly what Shinso was going to say. "You know what's funny? At first, I thought you could do much better than that. But, then I got a good look at you. You two are made for each other."

'...Shut up.'

"That is if you had the balls to ask out a girl like that. I mean, you have eyes, right?"

'Shut. Up.'

Up in the seats, Ochako nudged Kyouka. "What are they saying down there?...Kyouka?"

Kyouka sat frozen in her chair, her skin deathly pale. "N-...Nothing. Nothing really." She felt like she was going to vomit, her entire body began to feel uncomfortable. No shift in position could change it. Her arms folded over her stomach, trying to focus on the fight and not think about what was being said.

Lightning was bursting around Izuku at an alarming rate, his glare turning deadly and unblinking as his eyes were set on Shinso. The indigo haired teen began to become a bit worried. He was gambling here. He didn't even know if those two were in a relationship to begin with, he just got lucky with that assumption.

Two things could happen if he continued. Either Izuku didn't speak and punched him so hard he would be eating through a straw for the rest of his life, or Izuku finally snaps and yells, securing the victory for Shinso. 'Well, you know what they say. High risk...' Standing tall once more, Shinso shook his head. "Or maybe you didn't get with her for her looks, and instead for what she was willing to do, if you get what I me-"

"SHUT YOUR GOD-DAMN MOUTH!" Izuku then froze on the spot, his eyes glazing over and muscles going numb.

Shinso smiled, '...High reward.' 

Up in the stands, Ojiro groaned, "Damn it."

His worry fading, the indigo-haired teen pointed behind Izuku. "Now walk out of the ring." Against his will, Izuku turned around and began to walk to the edge.

'No! Damn it! I'm such an idiot!' 

Shinso breathed a sigh of relief, "You know, you almost had me scared for a second. But, then I'm always reminded how easy people like you think a victory like this will be for you."

Present Mic came in over the speakers, "What the heck is going on down there?! Is Midoriya giving up?!"

"It must be nice," Shinso continued. "Having everything handed to you from birth."

Kyouka growled up in the stands, hearing every word. 'You have no idea how wrong you are, jackass.'

Izuku was using all the willpower he had to resist, but nothing changed. He was still heading straight for the edge. 'Even after I was warned...I-I-...Kyouka, All Might...I'm sorry.' His body wouldn't listen, his mind was becoming fuzzier by the second. What made it worse were all the eyes watching him.

Not the crowd of heroes, but the eyes of Kyouka, All Might, Ochako, Tenya, people who actually believed in him for once in his life.

Even Kyoutoku and Mika were surely cheering him on from home. He was failing them, too.

And Katsuki and Todoroki, the two people he swore he wouldn't lose to, were watching go out so pathetically.

He had no control.

He was useless once more.

"Izuku!" Kyouka yelled out from the 1-A seats. "Fight it!"

'...Kyouka.'

His mind flashbacked to the playground, he and Kyouka sitting next to the scorch marks of his past.

"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 fought with every ounce of will he had left. Everyone he loved was counting on him. All the people that have helped him, blessed him with a better life, were counting on him winning.

He wouldn't lose.

He couldn't lose.

'C'mon! Fight it! Stop moving! I! Can't! Lose here! After everything, I won't! Something! Anything! STOP ME!'

Izuku felt his stomach drop, his vision darkening and tunneling into the entry archway into the stadium. The pitch black darkness, eight sets of eyes lit up. He didn't recognize any of the silhouettes except for one foggy one.

"Hehe…" A female voice rang out. "Whatever you say, kiddo."

The tunnel sparked to life, a burning fire of all colors shot out and slammed right into Izuku. He felt his body begin to come back into his control, power flowing through his veins. He stopped in his tracks, still staring straight forward.

Shinso's eyes widened, "Wh-? What the hell?"

Up in the stands, Uraraka looked on in confusion. "What's happening? Why is Midoriya leaving the ring?"

Katsuki growled, "That fucking nerd better not be giving up so he doesn't have to fight me."

Kyouka swerved around in her seat, glaring up at Katsuki. "He's not giving up! He would never-"

"Uh, guys?" Mina's eyes widened, her hand raising to point down at the ring. "...Is anyone else seeing that?"

All eyes turned back towards Izuku, his body beginning to emit more energy than usual. This time with a mix of yellow electricity with his usual green.

Kaminari hummed to himself, "Huh, looks like my electricity…" His eyes widened, remembering what had happened when he shocked Izuku during the Cavalry Battle. "Holy crap that's my electrici-!"

*THZOOM*

Everyone in the stadium had to cover their eyes as a bright flash emanated from Izuku's body, every person's hair stood on end as a tingling wave passed through them. Everyone felt a push and a small shock, sparks flying from the ring. All of the screens, camera's, phones, lights, everything of the sort shut down, the only light source being the sun. Due to his close proximity to the blast, Shinso tumbled back, his body shaking from electricity.

He shakily stood up, looking over to Izuku to see him looking back at him. "How...How did yo-? You shouldn't have control!" Izuku still didn't move, his glare focused on Shinso from over the shoulder. "What?! Nothing to say for yourself?! Of course with power like that you'd escape. I couldn't enter the golden gates of the hero course because of my quirk, but people like yo-"

*CRACK*

All Shinso had seen in that moment was a flash of green light, and heard the sickening crunch of his nose and Izuku's fist slammed directly into him. He flew back, landing and skidding to a halt just outside the exit archway.

Midnight raised her whip, lifting her megaphone up to speak. But, it was still shut down thanks to whatever Izuku had done with his blast. So she simply shouted, "Shinso is out of bounds! Midoriya advances to the next round! Now we'll take a short break as we try to get the power back on!" Some of the crowd cheered while others sat in stunned silence. Izuku stood with his fist extended out, shock also clear on his face.

He didn't mean to be that aggressive...Did he?

Well, he was still fairly pissed off about Shino's insults towards Kyouka. So, maybe just a little bit...unintentionally.

Shinso sat up, groaning as he covered his broken nose, trying to the blood. "Damn it." He looked up at Izuku, shaking his head before standing up and walking back into the stadium. Izuku grimaced, not liking how that had ended. He looked back at All Might who was still standing near the opposite entrance in shock, and then up at Kyouka in the stands before running off to follow Shinso.

Kyouka sighed, "Damn it, Izuku." She quickly stood up and rushed out of the stands and towards the most logical place the two teens would go to.

…..

(Recovery Girl's Stadium Office)

Izuku opened up the door to Recovery Girl's office, finding Shinso already on the exam bed with Chiyo kissing his cheek. "There. Now rest here for a bit." She turned around and looked at Izuku, "Please don't tell me you broke your bones again."

"N-No, not this time. I just came t-to check on him."

"Worried for your opponent? Been a bit since we've seen that kind of sportsmanship in the festival. Alright, fine. So, are you with that Jirou girl, yet? I'd hope so after leaving you two in my office for so long at the entrance exam."

"You did that on purpose?!"

"Of course I did. I saw that look on your face when she walked in. I couldn't resist. Now I need to check on Aizawa's bandages, no matter how much he'll whine. Hopefully they'll get the power back on by the time I get back." Chiyo left the room, leaving the two boys to themselves.

They sat in silence, the only light source being a few candles Recovery Girl had lit due to the power outage. "...U-Uh."

"Look, I didn't mean those things about your girlfriend, alright? Really, she's pretty, even I won't deny that. I was just trying to make you angry so you would yell. Which worked...until it didn't."

Izuku breathed in deep, nodding his head. "I-I understand...Just don't say anything like that again or I swear-"

"I get the gist of it. I already get the feeling that I got off easy with a broken nose and concussion. I may not like the position of life I'm on right now, but I want to stay alive. Just remember I didn't mean any of it, seriously. You won't see me again, anyways. I'll be going back to general studies."

"N-No, I…That wasn't all." Izuku cleared his throat, steeling himself to talk. "I wanted to know wh-why you want to be a hero."

Shinso raised a brow, "What?"

"Why d-do you want to be a hero?"

"...Not all of us are born with the ability to become like those we naturally admire."

"I know, bu-"

"No. You don't know."

"I know more than you ever could understand."

Hitoshi looked confused once more, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I...I just do. I-I can't go into why, but...I know what i-it's like to fight so hard for something everyone else got so easily, only to fail in the end. I-I just wanted you to know that." Izuku turned around and opened the door, only to be met by a large group of general study students. Piling in, they surrounded the injured teen.

"Shinso, that was awesome. You got so close!"

"MVP of General Studies!"

"A bunch of heroes are talking about you out there!"

Izuku watched Hitoshi's eyes widen slightly as he listened to his classmates. Smiling a little, the greenette took his leave, closing the door behind him. "So…" Izuku turned his head over to find Kyouka leaning against the wall. "...you're still a walking lightning bomb it seems. Although, this time it was a lot bigger."

"Y-Yeah, I think it had to do with Kaminari's electricity. When I absorbed it in the Cavalry Battle, I must've stored it somewhere and used it during the fight."

"How'd you escape the brainwashing anyway?"

"Well, it started when I heard your voice."

Groaning, Kyouka threw her head back, "Ugh, that's so corny."

"It's true, though!" Granted, Izuku was leaving out the extremely important detail of One For All saving him, but Kyouka couldn't know that...yet. And apparently One For All could speak? So...that was a thing. He'd have to talk to All Might about it later.

Whatever it was, Izuku had a feeling it wouldn't be the last time he'd be seeing those figures.

"S-Sorry, by the way. Even after Ojiro warned me, I still responded."

"It's fine, really."

"No, it's…" Izuku then suddenly grabbed Kyouka's hand, dragging her down the hall.

"Whoa! Izuku, what the heck!?" He led her into an empty waiting room, likely intended for another class, and stood in front of her after closing the door behind them. "What are you doing?!"

"...You heard Shinso, didn't you?"

"...Yeah. It must be crazy to find someone who at least somewhat understands what it's like to not be accepted."

"I'm not talking about that. You heard him during our fight. You heard why I yelled."

Kyouka lowered her eyes, biting the inside of her cheek. "...Yeah, I did. I-I mean, whatever. You heard him in Recovery Girl's office. He didn't mean it. He was just trying to make you mad."

"I-I know, but...with what happened during the battle test last month, and the beach…" His hands shakily moved up, caressing every centimeter of her face before stopping with one hand on each cheek. "...You're perfect. Please, pleasedon't think otherwise. You're the most gorgeous thing I've ever laid eyes on."

Kyouka looked down at her feet, a blush on her face. But, eventually she bumped her forehead against Izuku's affectionately. "I didn't say stop."

Izuku smiled, "Beautiful is too weak a word to describe you."

"Keep 'em coming."

"I-I'm running out of cheesy phrases."

"Then show me how you feel."

Izuku paused at the forward request by Kyouka, and the massive blush on her face proved that she was surprised by how blunt she had been. "...I'd be m-more than happy to." Both teens leaned in, their lips meeting passionately. It was becoming far easier to get carried away as intimacy was becoming more common for them. Which was evident as they moved back, Kyouka's legs hitting the edge of one of the tables. She sat down on the table, not disconnecting her lips from Izuku's.

Suddenly, the lights flickered on along with the speakers. "Hey everybody! We've got the power back on! The next fight will now go on as scheduled."

Izuku looked back towards Kyouka, "Should we go watch the next fight?"

"Nah, it's Kaminari. He'll lose anyway. And if he wins, you'll just absorb whatever he throws at you."

"I-...I guess that's fair."

"Yep. Now c'mere." As their lips connected again, Kyouka couldn't deny the seed of doubt and insecurity from Shinso's words were still in her mind. Her subconscious was screaming at her that Shinso only complemented her to avoid another beating. Those thoughts were sure to come back to haunt her at another time.

But, for now, she had her ESI (Emergency Support Izuku) on standby. And her mind was far too focused on her upcoming match to concentrate on the topic for much longer.

…..

(15 Minutes Later)

Iida turned around in his seat as he saw his friends approach and sit down. "Where have you two been?"

The couple looked at one another, both blushing slightly before simultaneously responding, "Bathroom."

"...At the same time?"

Kyouka shrugged, "Best friend mental link. Now, what'd we miss? Kaminari lose?"

"Unfortunately yes."

"Ha! Called it." Looking down over the railing she found Sero and Todoroki getting ready to fight. She knew needed to follow Izuku's examples and use the opportunity to examine Todoroki. If she beat Ochako, Todoroki was her next opponent. And that didn't bode well at all.

With any luck, Sero would be able to give a good enough fight to allow Kyouka a decent amount of time to analyze the situa-

*SHNNK!*

...Or Shoto could cover the entire side of the stadium with ice. Kyouka let out a shaky breath, "You've gotta be kidding me."

Midnight deadpanned as she was half covered in ice. "Sero, are you able to move?"

The tape quirk user looked over at Midnight, "You're kidding me, right? Do you really think I can move right now?"

"Then that settles it. Sero is unable to move. Todoroki moves on to the next round!" Shoto moved to defrost his classmate as the crowd tried to cheer up Sero for his attempt.

Looking over at Izuku, Kyouka could see he was focusing on Todoroki. It was his analyzation face, a look she had seen plenty enough beforehand to recognize. "You picking up something?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah. His ice affects him. Frost covers his body after he uses it. And if he refuses to use his fire that'll only slow him down, make him weaker."

"Noted, but still not much going for me."

"I-I don't know. I think this was a one time thing. The overkill of ice I mean. He seems out of it, at least compared to when I talked to him. Something's happened since then, he seems...almost sad."

"Well, hopefully he switches and becomes so happy that he just lets me win."

Ochako suddenly spoke, "I hope the same." The couple turned to their bubbly friend, a smile on her face. "What? I have a shot at going against him, too. I'm not just gonna let you win, Jirou."

"Ah, but if the winner has to fight Todoroki, do we even want to win?"

"That's...a fair point."

"Next two fighters, head to your waiting areas! The arena should be thawed out shortly."

The girl's stood up, both looking at one another. "Ready?" Ochako asked.

"I sure hope so." They chuckled, making their way to the exit. Kyouka and Izuku decided earlier that he wouldn't follow her down to the waiting area to avoid suspicion. And, without telling him, for Izuku to get used to being around his classmates without her around.

Her fears about facing Shoto were still evident in her mind, but she still had a promise to keep.

She would do her best like Izuku.

Besides, if she somehow performed a miracle and beat Todoroki, she would have to fight Izuku.

...Maybe losing really would be better.

…..

(5 Minutes Later)

"Alright folks, it looks like we have teammates up against each other for this round. MVP Kyouka Jirou of Class 1-A against the ever bubbly Ochako Uraraka also from 1-A!"

Midnight cracked her whip, silencing the crowd. "You girls both know the rules, so we'll begin immediately. Ready yourselves!"

Kyouka crouched down, her jacks brandished. Ochako did the same, her arms out, ready to charge. They knew it would happen eventually, but this was the first match of the tournament portion where not just two classmates, but two friends were up against each other. But, both were ready to do whatever it took.

"BEGIN!"

Just like Izuku's prediction, Ochako charged forward at full speed with her hands out. Kyouka's jacks shot out, her left one quickly jabbing Ochako's leg fast enough to where the brunette didn't have the opportunity to grab it. The gravity manipulator tumbled, allowing Kyouka to take the opportunity to charge forward herself. She maneuvered around and grabbed Ochako around the waist, who was in mid roll, and used her jacks and new physical strength to throw the brunette back at the other side of the ring.

Ochako rolled, but slid to her feet before making it over the edge. She charged once more, ready for Kyouka's jacks this time. The purplette knew that the same trick wouldn't work twice, so she let Ochako come to her this time. Ochako stretched out her hand, aimed directly for Kyouka's chest. Dodging to the left, Kyouka jack wrapped around her friend's wrist.

With one hand caught by Kyouka's jack, Uraraka tried to use her other hand. But, Kyouka grabbed it, using her free jack to jab Ochako in the stomach, causing her to jolt back. Kyouka pushed her back further with both hands this time.

She knew it was a fight, but she didn't want to straight up punch her friend in the face. So, instead of a fist fight, Kyouka began dodging and weaving through every attempt Ochako made to touch her. With every dodge Kyouka's jacks would stun Ochako on one side of her body while the purplette would give a forceful push, making the duo go closer and closer to the edge.

"Would you look at that folks! Uraraka is unrelenting, but Jirou is giving her no chances! I can see why she's this year's MVP so far!"

Ochako gave one last thrust forward, this time towards Kyouka's face. The violette dodged inward, pulling Ochako forward and shoulder bashing her back. Once again, Ochako was right against the edge of the arena and breathing heavily.

But, she didn't let it stop her. Ochako charged once more. Kyouka had to give it to her, she was determined. Readying her jacks for another counter attack, Kyouka was surprised to find a blue jacket thrown into her face.

"Ah! What th-?!"

"Gotcha!" Kyouka felt a hand press into her stomach, and then her feet lifted off of the ground. Removing the jacket from her face, Kyouka looked down as she began to drift away from the concrete arena. Ochako grabbed Kyouka's leg, twisted around and threw Kyouka towards the edge of the ring.

"Uraraka has finally managed to land a hit on her opponent! This might be it for Jirou!"

Kyouka spun in the air, her body almost over the grass. Ochako got her fingers ready to release Kyouka from her hold, sending her to the ground. The purplette shot out her jacks at Ochako, the brunette jumping back to dodge.

Kyouka's jack stabbed into the concrete, allowing her to yank them and send her back to the ring. While her feet may have been back on the ground, she was basically a sitting duck. She couldn't unplug her jacks or she would fly off again. She could try and run with her jacks unplugging and plugging back into the ground again, but her body was still super light. Running would be awkward and still put her at a disadvantage.

Kyouka couldn't help but feel bad as she looked up and saw panic in Ochako's eyes. It looked like that was her only plan. Not that Kyouka blamed her. The setting they were in didn't exactly benefit either of their quirks. Or, it wouldn't have benefitted Kyouka's if she hadn't been training with Izuku.

Thanks to Izuku she had way more combat experience than Ochako did, it almost wasn't fair. And her brunette friend was relentless, trying so hard to win. Kyouka thought back once again to Ochako's desire to help her parents, imagining her parents watching her at that moment.

...Ochako needed this more than her.

There were other festivals. And Ochako needed that attention from pros as soon as possible. What if her family went bankrupt before she could get them the money? Kyouka had received enough attention anyway. First place in both the first and second events would garner her plenty of offers alone, she had enough.

She promised she would do her best with Izuku, but he would more than understand finding helping someone else being more important.

Kyouka detached her jack from the concrete, her feet slowly leaving the ground. Ochako kept her speed up, charging towards Kyouka to push her out.

...Until she stopped.

Kyouka's eyes widened, "What...What are you doing?"

"What are you doing? You stopped fighting."

"I-I-...I just…"

Ochako raised a brow, standing up straight. "Were you...going to let me win?"

Kyouka tried to speak, but nothing came out. She was caught red-handed. "...You need this win more than I do."

Ochako furrowed her brow in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Your parents, the life you want to give them, you need the attention of other heroes to get that money as soon as you can. I'll have other chances."

Ochako furrowed her brow, processing what she was hearing. "...No."

"I want to win with both of us giving everything we have! You reminded me to achieve that dream I need to remember to always remain steady, do it all the right way. Make sure I don't accidentally fall off the right path. Well, that starts now! I want to win this the right way! I want to earn it! I can't have things handed to me, I have to fight for my dream! So, Jirou, I can't win. Not like this. Not if you're trying to just give it to me." She backtracked, getting back into a battle ready position further away. "So come at me with everything you've got!"

Kyouka didn't know Ochako had taken what she said a couple weeks ago to heart.

...But if this was what Ochako wanted, who was she to deny her that.

Kyouka got ready, too. Her brow furrowing in concentration, "Bring it."

"Grah!" Ochako charged at full speed, this time with clenched fists instead of open hands. Kyouka jumped back, using her lack of gravity to her advantage. Giving her jacks some slack, she pulled on them and flew at Ochako with a drop kick. The brunette dodged under with a roll, now aiming for Kyouka's jacks still stabbed into the ground. But, just as her hand reached out, one unplugged and jabbed Ochako directly into the palm of her hand. "Ow!"

Kyouka pulled again, flying back towards Ochako. The brunette was ready this time, grabbing Kyouka and throwing her towards the end once more. Kyouka growled as she began flying towards the edge again, releasing her jacks from the ground and instead wrapping them around Ochako's leg instead and sweeping her feet out from under her. Pulling once more, using Ochako as her anchor, Kyouka landed back on the ground.

Ochako grabbed at the jack around her leg, pulling hard. Kyouka fell forward, landing in a push up position with her nose just inches from the ground. Her body began moving up again, so she vibrated the jack in Ochako's hand, causing her opponent to release it. Kyouka retracted her jacks, plugging them back into the ground to keep her there. Just as she regained her footing, the musician looked up to see Ochako only a few meters away in another charge.

Her instincts kicked in. Kyouka had learned how to react to Izuku's fighting speed, so this was nothing.

She grabbed Ochako's hands as they came to give another hard push, her jacks unplugging from the ground and giving a pulsing jab into the brunette's abdomen. Kyouka threw them both back, placing her feet on Ochako's stomach as they rolled backwards. Giving a hard kick, Uraraka went flying through the air and tumbling out of control.

Ochako managed to stop herself, but just a little too late. She felt her stomach drop as she realized her leg was just barely hanging over the edge and touching the steps below.

Midnight yelled out through her megaphone, "Ochako Uraraka is out of bounds! Kyouka Jirou advances to the next round!"

The crowd cheered, claps and whistles rang in Kyouka's ears as she relaxed her body and began to float up. As she rose, she could make out the faces of her classmates easier. Kyouka looked up into the stands, Izuku was looking down at her with the brightest smile.

Her eyes then shifted to the left, Todoroki not sitting far behind.

They made it to round two, but things had only just begun.