Chapter 27: Echo of Competition!
"I chose the three of you because I believed we would make for the most stable formation," Todoroki stated.
Minutes earlier, before any of the conflict had gotten rolling, teams were forming their battle strategies.
"Tokoyami is our left wing. He will use his quirk to keep enemies at bay on all fronts."
Dark Shadow gave a thumbs up. "You got it!"
He then turned to the disciplined Iida, who had his hands on his hips.
"Iida, you will be at the front. We are relying on you for mobility and physical defense in case they get close."
The class president fixed his glasses. "It shall be my duty."
Lastly, his eyes settled on the Yanagi. With her hand on her other elbow and averted gaze, she was being aloof. However, Todoroki's deadpan attitude didn't change.
"How does he do it?" Dark Shadow nudged Tokoyami. "So unfeeling…"
"Be silent." Tokoyami said to his summon.
"Yanagi." Todoroki spoke. "You will be the right wing, using your telekinesis to create distractions as well as for support."
Reiko nodded.
Todoroki took in that acknowledgement… as his eyes went over her for a second time.
"Also." He pointed to her left eye being covered. "You might want to fix your hair to see better."
Reiko then lifted one of her dropping hands, and pushed the hair on her left eye to the side, revealing a beautiful blue iris just like the other one.
She looked at him, with an equal deadpan stare. This time, Todoroki became the one to nod, with his dismissive expression not changing in the slightest.
"And you will be attacking and creating diversions with ice and fire, is that right, Todoroki?" Iida spoke up.
Their leader became annoyed.
"Not quite." Todoroki looked away to the stances. There stood a pro-hero with metal gauntlets, a tight navy-turquoise bodysuit, and a fire coming from his upper body as well as his shoes. It formed a mask, mustache, and beard around his face, however the only heat that Todoroki could feel from him… is in his glare.
Detesting the sight before his eyes, Todoroki responded equivalently. "I've already told this while recruiting Tokoyami, but in battle, I will never use my left side."
He turned back to his teammates. His eyes washed over them one by one.
Tokoyami: Attack
Iida: Speed
Yanagi: Utility
And himself, defense.
"If everyone just sticks to their assignments…" Todoroki gritted his teeth, dialing back his anger. "We should be able to handle whatever anyone throws at us."
Back to the fight
"What is this now?" Todoroki grumbled.
Momo muttered all silently to herself. "A new alien…"
Gwen facepalmed from the stances.
All teams looked at the little, white new form which Tennyson donned. More than half of him was submerged in the softened ground, but it was clearly unlike anything they'd ever seen.
"Shota, wasn't he supposed to just have the 10?" Present Mic took his hand off from the microphone for a second. The red lights turned off.
"That's what his file said." The almost-mummified teacher, also solemnly responded.
The two were at a loss for what to do.
"Hey, boys." Midnight's voice came through the channel. Eraser looked down to see her using the communicator in her ear, rather than the microphone in her hand.
"I'm gonna guess you two are thinking what I'm thinking?"
Present Mic took a deep breath. Yep, Tennyson's new NEW quirk evolution. What in the heck was going on with this kid anyway?
He reached to turn his microphone back on. It could be dangerous, quirk evolutions like this weren't exactly common.
Perhaps… a quick unscheduled break was in order. Just so that Nemuri can get out there and ask him what he was–
Shota blocked it with his leg. "Eraser…?"
"For what purpose?" Aizawa's gaze cut through him like a knife.
He couldn't physically cross his arms more than they were right now, but it felt like Aizawa closed in on himself even more.
"You two." He stated. "How exactly would it be prudent if we were to act on instinct now?" he asked his colleagues. Of course there was no reply.
"Tennyson has already caught us off-guard. We can't afford to step in, and turn this into a bigger deal. That would only panic the people." He stated.
The voice hero adjusted everything in the studio. "We'll continue playing to the crowds then."
"Yes." Eraser Head said, and then leaned to the speaker. "Now Nemuri, I'm going to need you to–"
"Say no more." She said with a smile. "Just in case things get messy my, hard as a rock, coworker is already on his way."
Aizawa felt whatever's left of his soul leave his body. "She's talking about Cementoss…"
Present Mic couldn't help but giggle at his collapsed co-commentator.
"Yeah, alright, we'll step in *if* something happens during the match that can endanger anyone, which shouldn't happen…"
"... and during the break, we will then give Tennyson a lecture on *sharing*. As well as All Might."
His blonde co-commentator looked at him, and from under his orange shades, he could see Shota's black hair risen, some of his bandages floating and red irises.
Present Mic laughed it off though, as he made sure the headphones and his hair didn't get in the way of each other. "Tennyson, gotta say, you're never boring."
He had turned himself into a small, white dwarf with fully green eyes, mouth and circles on top of his wrists. There were also black lines across his entire body, making the inside of his mouth look… like an amp?
There was also something like an MP3 player on his back, headphones over where his ears should be… WERE THOSE THINGS ON HIS KNEES CASSETTE TAPES?!
"Tennyson, what–" Jiro was at a loss for words. "Where the heck did you get this white and green boombox from?!"
"Uh." The transforming hero in question could say, as his hands and legs were still in the softened ground.
"Oh how cute!" Hatsume said, looking at Tennyson from behind her goggles… right before she faced the battle again. "So yeah, which of my babies are we using?"
Momo noticed the opposite team's uncontainable kind of wonder and amazement.
"They didn't know." Momo thought. "So, this wasn't a team strategy…"
It was obviously the Omnitrix at play, however, in the midst of them, she could also see Ben's smiling face.
"However, it wasn't a complete surprise either."
"Yaomomo." Asui said from the left side. "Are we still going to move forward with your plan, ribbit?"
Kaminari was also apprehensive now. "Yeah, Tennyson flipped the script on us as per usual. Who knows if your theory holds up no–"
"Hey!" Tokage called up from above. "What's with the doubtful talk? Even if we're surprised, we have to stay on track, and trust the leader."
She flashed a smirk, with her pointy teeth. "Don't you agree?"
"Y-Yes." Yaoyorozu stumbled on her words. She had become briefly unnerved by Tennyson's surprise, but the spirit of competition was returning to her.
"He changed form, so what?!" Tetsutetsu declared, snapping everyone out of that brief pause. "Get him!"
Kendo responded by putting up her arms, a plan forming in her head.
"We don't have our deterrent right now…" She looked down at their stuck fourth member. "I should be able to hold off Tetsutetsu until Tennyson manages to save himself–"
Bakugo also leaped off from his team and took flight!
"DON'T THINK FOR A SECOND YOU'RE SAFE!"
Making explosions behind him, he maneuvered through the air like an expert, launching himself like a missile to the number 1 team!
"Oh, right." Kendo reached out. "Tennyson told me about him."
"Get out of my way, extra!" He made an explosion with his right hand, making his body move left and then reached for their points.
However, as he grazed the headband, Kendo's fist grew 10 times in size, smacking the ash-blonde!
"Ah-!"
He had to force his hand a little, but Bakugo managed to stay in the air.
"Without your gauntlets, your explosion quirk requires a close quarter combat-style, doesn't it, Bakugo?" Kendo smiled.
"Grrrrr! You think you're so great?!"
Bakugo rushed in, but the president of Class 1-B deflected!
"Nope, but this is why I'm the rider!"
He went back around, tried to sneak from behind, but Kendo saw it coming again. Bakugo tried from all kinds of angles, but with her reaction time and surface area which she could defend, he couldn't get close to the headband.
Bakugo then pulled back, and then launched himself way up, and then descended from above.
"You-!"
Kendo covered her head with one hand though, and then still pushed him away with the other.
"When I'm done, I hope you will want to reconsider that 'extra' comment."
At that moment, Bakugo took it to the skies, getting further away… but they could assume it was for his fastest assault yet.
"You guys could have prepared me a little more for his persistence." She said with her big fists.
Jiro deadpanned. "Trust me, we couldn't."
No one could actually be prepared for Bakugo.
Kendo looked at her hands, and the irritated skin because of the explosions. She could continue the defense, but it wouldn't be viable.
She called out to her teammates. "Jiro, by any chance, could you use your quirk to save Tennyson?"
Jiro looked down at Tennyson. "Not much luck from me. I would need my speakers to push off the ground with sound. Hatsume?"
The pink haired girl's eyebrows went up.
"I thought you'd never ask!" With her off-hand, she reached to her back and pulled out a shoulder-mounted yellow and gray rocket launcher with red highlights!
She showed all of them, perhaps the most innocent but excited smile. "Take a deep breath, I'll get you out in a moment!"
"Woah! Wait! Wait! Wait!" Tennyson could only screech, making Hatsume stop.
"Okay okay. It's up to you." He thought to himself. "This is a new one, but what can it do? Surely, i got something going for me other than the power of cuteness–"
In that moment, he felt a bursting feeling around his chest, boiling upwards.
The ash-blonde was still getting close. "You lose!"
Kendo made the team reposition. "Jiro!"
"I know!" her earphone jacks shot forward, but Bakugo brushed them aside with an explosion! Kendo got ready. It was up to her again. Ben's chest swelled.
She could see his intense glare.
"Son of a b-" He stopped himself, gritting his teeth. "I GOT YOU THIS TIIIIIII–!"
"SCREEEEEEEE!" From Tennyson's new form, a geyser of sound emerged!
"WHAAAAAA!" Present Mic was shocked. "Sonic screams?! Seriously?! He stole my 'do!"
Bakugo, though, couldn't help but cover his ears. That caught him mid-air and ruined his concentration!
Explosions weren't coming out from him, so he couldn't stabilize himself. He was rapidly approaching the ground–
"Wha-?!"
He was floating back, with stuff under his arms. They were horns from the horse girl!
"Hey!" He yelled. "I was in the middle of something!"
But the horns still dropped him off back with their team.
"Nice catch!" Kirishima remarked, and Pony seemed glad.
"Thanks!"
"GRRRRR!" Bakugo didn't care. His eyes turned to the ground. It was the midget's doing!
"See. Ya." The little Tennyson waved at him from afar, before opening his mouth again!
"SCREEEEEEEE!"
Using his power, he pushed it off the softened ground from both himself and teammates.
"Alright, so that's what this guy does…" He looked into parts of his hands above the quicksand. "I got sound power!"
This got Aizawa thinking…
"He could do the same thing in his Blitzwolfer form, so it is not exactly an improvement…" Aizawa thought.
The sound he could make… it was still strong enough to push the softened ground off, however from what he could tell, it wasn't a match for his wolf form.
So what was the deal with this–
"And Bakugo split off from his horse?" Present Mic turned to Eraser Head, stopping that train of thought at the station. "Is that even allowed?!"
Midnight raised a thumbs up. "He never touched the ground, so technically it's okay."
"Glad… you could help us Tennyson." Kendo said.
Behind him, Ben saw his teammates rubbing the sides of their heads.
"But, next time, could you give us a warning when you're gonna do that?"
His smile wasn't as big anymore.
"Seriously." The worst off though was clearly Jiro. "I got a hearing quirk over here."
"Sorry." Tennyson said, as Hatsume looked at all three of them, and shrugged.
"Eh." She was mostly upset she didn't get to use the rocket launcher.
Kendo's headache died down first, and her bright and tactful manner revived, with intrigue. "Everyone was so surprised…"
"Yeah. We *still* are." Jiro added real quick, so Kendo continued.
"How come you didn't say anything about this form during planning?"
"Umm." The little Tennyson tapped two fingers together. "Didn't. Know?"
The silence was, quite frankly, palpable. Even though the four teams were once again gunning it towards them.
"Wait, so even you didn't know you had this form?" Jiro cut in and Tennyson confirmed it. Honestly, he really just couldn't come up with a good lie right now s–
"Oh, really?! This is a new baby then!" Hatsume beamed. "What's his name?!"
Ben's eyebrows went up. Right! There was also the fun part. "Um–!"
Midnight then cracked her whip towards him.
"You! Tennyson!" she said, making Ben's heart skip a beat.
She was going to question him about his new powers. Wasn't she…
"You are not the rider Tennyson, but still disconnected to your team!"
Tennyson took a second to have his brain register that.
"Oh." he looked up. "Right."
However, even when he was free, his little hands could only reach their waist.
"Well, that might be a problem." Jiro stated.
Midnight nodded. "That's correct ladies. You're going to have to figure out a solution."
Kendo clicked her tongue. She was ready to step off, since they had agreed Ben to be the front horse because most of his forms were too heavy. However, if he was going to use this, perhaps it would be best for her to be the front horse instea–
"How about he switches?" Jiro reasonably called out. "I mean all his other forms were tall enough."
Ben glanced down at the dial. Yeah, he had the option to switch to anyone else, minus Ball Weevil because he would then be even smaller…
…but then where was the fun?
"I don't like how that looks." Jiro saw the mischief on Tennyson's new form.
"No." Ben stated, and let out a green glow around his body. "Watch this."
Suddenly, five more of them appeared in a pyramid formation!
"Tennyson, are those…" Kendo was in disbelief, as was all the other team members. "...your clones?"
"Better." The Tennyson at the top turned around, smirking. "They. Are. Me."
He then gestured for Kendo to put his hands on the heads of the pairs of the clones, as the bottom row also helped out the sides in holding onto his feet.
Ben knew he could just settle on making a ring around his teammates as well, but Kendo looked like she definitely needed a shoulder to lean on.
"Cloning?..."
Now *that* was a way to get Class 1-A's homeroom teacher's attention. *This* power of his was unique–
"CLONING?!" And Mic HAD to make it dramatic.
"So, he has sonic screams like Present Mic, combined with cloning like Ectoplasm Sensei?" Uraraka said outloud.
The little Tennyson on top of the pyramid proudly smiled.
"It seems so." Shiozaki pensively replied. "A powerful combination, no doubt."
The last-minute member of Deku's team, Shinso, had been dismissively observing. "Good thing you didn't make us rush ahead like them, the–"
"There is a glaring downside."
Deku suddenly threw that out, like he was in a deep, trance-like state. "No, Shinso, I think *they* had the right idea. We need to move."
Uraraka tilted her head.
"Why do you think so, Deku?" She asked.
"There is no balance of power."
He watched as a team from 1-B, led by a black haired girl was forced back by another one of Tennyson's screams… However, it also almost made the pyramid topple.
"The structure he chose to meet the Cavalry Battle's formation isn't compatible with the force which Tennyson outputs from his mouth." he said. "If his feet were pressing on the ground, or if he could just anchor himself in a better formation in general, it wouldn't be a problem."
Tennyson let out another scream, which was cut off as the ground beneath them softened again!
The clones at the bottom level worked overtime to get the sludge out from their feet, and that forced Jiro and Hatsume at the back to plant one foot back to not trip over each other.
"However he's forced to work with a team and stay in the pyramid formation, constantly risking them toppling over… and hence making them stop."
"Like a gun barrel that cracks after one shot." Uraraka thought out loud. "Everytime they fire…"
"Exactly." Shinso was also studious. "So they can be surrounded."
"SCREEEEEEEE!"
It was time for Hagakure and her team to be pushed back by Tennyson.
"Tennyson, two o' clock!" Kendo pointed, as she grew out one of her hands, blocking a swarm of scales shot at them. "Ah, Rin!"
A seventh copy emerged from Tenyson's back, and jumped on Kendo's back to take aim.
"SCREEEE–!" He had to cut it short, as their structure shook.
They were still hard at work, protecting the ten million points, and trying to get some distance–
"OH, HELL NO ARE THEY RUNNING AFTER THAT!" Hagakure was pouting. "SATO! FULL SPEED AHEAD!"
"Aye aye!" Her team of Sato, Koda and Aoyama started sprinting.
"Mademoiselle Hagakure!" Aoyama then noticed. "Your headband!"
Both of the other embarrassed students then looked up, and saw that it was missing!
"Huh?! When did that happen?!"
A very arrogant Monoma passed by them, twirling the headband around his finger. "Well, that's one."
"We're not letting up either!" Tetsutetsu covered himself with steel, and put his hands over his ears! "Komori, it's your time to shine!"
"You got it, shroom!" The brown haired girl of their team said, as a yellow mist came out from her body.
Hatsume, very ignorantly, asked. "What's that–?"
Without pause, Kendo blocked Jiro and Hatsume's mouths with her hands, she pressed her mouth to her shirt.
"Tennyson..!" She said muffledly. The little clone looked at her, and immediately understood.
He faced the cloud and screamed at it, pushing it away!
"Oh crap…" Tetsutetsu muttered. "Turn!"
The team dodged their own cloud just at the right time. Meanwhile, Kendo allowed the rest of her teammates to breathe in the air again.
"What. Was. That?"
Kendo pointed, as the cloud settled down, and mushrooms grew on the empty ground. She had one hand rubbing her eyebrows still recoiling from the sound.
"Spores." She said. "Kinoko can grow mushrooms on any surface, the more humid the better."
Jiro put that piece together with the hand on her mouth and nose just a second ago. "That means–?"
"Our throats, right?!" Hatsume tilted her head. "It's the most logical place!"
Kendo nodded. "It's an ace she doesn't bring out until she has no other options, but…"
"Got. It. Translation. Crisis. Averted." Tennyson stood proudly. "You're. Welcome."
Almost immediately, a mushroom grew on where his nose would be. Kendo was about to point to it, but she barely dodged a strand of tape, coming real close to her forehead!
"Dammit, so close to a sneak attack!"
A string of tape shot out, but another scream from Tennyson destroyed it!
Then, from behind them, there were vines creeping up.
"Oh no, you don't!" Kendo was about to grab and rip them apart, but they tied around her hand instead.
Ben didn't even turn. Fists clenched, another copy popped out and did the exact same thing… not realizing that he had two people where only one used to stand.
"SCREE– EEEE– EE-!"
The copy stumbled, forcing them to stop, as did their whole structure again!
"Hey, Earphone jack girl!" This time… Hatsume shouted?
"This is the perfect time to use it. Stop messing around and use my baby!" She tapped her feet together and her own hover soles turned on. "Bend your knees!"
"Oh, right." Jiro bent her knees, and the brown and yellow shoes of her roared to life with blue fire, making her hover slightly. The gyroscope in them helped with stabilizing, before both boot sets turned off.
"Phew…" The team took a sigh of relief–!
Rin, from Kodai's team, shot his scales again. Kendo blocked them, and Ben got ready to fire.
*inhale* "SC–"
Kendo put a hand on his mouth.
"Sorry, but we should be finding a better way to utilize your power, Tennyson." Kendo said as the clone got off and merged with the main one. "Otherwise, just in 15 minutes, we're all going to walk away with brain dama–"
This time, she had to dodge a floating horn. Pony had also joined the conflict!
"We know. I'd love for this quirk to not be used." Jiro answered Kendo in place of him. "But they're not going to give us another choice."
And then a blue laser.
"I know that wherever I see it." Jiro spoke under her breath as she saw Aoyama from Hagakure's team.
Her earlobes levitated and chose them as their target.
Hatsume reached behind her and pulled out a pistol-like baby this time. It was tall, red and black, and was making a whirring noise. A gear was turning on the outside of it as the two nozzles were wide, both of which had a blue glow emanating.
She picked the explosion boy as her target.
Kendo looked around and… between Kodai, Tetsutetsu, Hagakure, Sero, Bakugo and Midoriya, there were sixteams who had them at their sights!
She, the class president of 1-A, shielded her head with one hand, and faced Tetsutetsu off with the other–
"Not. Yet!" The top Tennyson clone told everyone on his team."I. Got. An. Idea."
"About time!" Jiro said, earphones retracting back. "What is it?"
"Plug. In. Me."
And that… immediately made her very confused.
"Not. Like. That." He pointed to his back to the MP3 player looking thing, before holding his arms up like an infant. "Kendo. Enlarge. Your. Hands. And. Aim."
The 1-B class president and earphone jack user looked at each other.
"Hurry!"
As the teams got close, they did as they were told.
Kendo, with her other enlarged hand, lifted him up and Jiro plugged one earphone jack into his back!
Hatsume, in the meantime, gave a smile, and pulled on the trigger. One after the other, small saw blades launched and started to slice and dice Shiozaki's offense!
"HAAHAHAAHAHA!" She laughed as the blue glow of the blades shined off "If anyone thought the engineer was the weak class in any team, they've never met this TF2 player!"
The blades were ricocheting from the ground, up till their energy ran out and they fell to the ground. It certainly slowed the upcoming teams, but as seen with Bakugo blasting the blades away to the level of breaking them, it hadn't withered everyone.
For them though, Tennyson got ready. He clenched his fists. "HIT. ME."
Jiro was confused. Did he *want* to be shocke–
The little Tennyson looked down. Right, race against time! She closed her eyes, and let her heartbeat speak for itself, Kendo closed her eyes, just hoping that her fist muffled the sound a little this time.
However, what came out wasn't his usual sound.
"screeeeeeeeeeeee–!"
Instead of the booming violent scream from earlier, a high-pitched sonic attack came out!
Just like that ALL 6 teams stop, clenching their ears.
Hatsume put the gun away, and then noticed something along with Kendo. The backlash wasn't as bad, and so if they tried…
She nudged Jiro and along with the rest of Tennyson clones, they moved their team and got distance as the top clone continued to fire!
"Okay, enough!" Kendo rattled the clone.
"...eeeeeeaaaam!" Tennyson stopped, and Jiro unplugged.
The headache was there, once again, but it wasn't as bad.
"What was that?" Kendo asked, looking at the clone in her hand.
Tennyson opened his arms like an infant, giggling at their reaction. "It. Is–"
"My speakers?" Jiro had spoken up.
The earphone jack girl was speechless. That was the sound of her sonic boots from her hero costume, and… Tennyson replicated that like her speakers.
She looked up at the little guy, taking a breather.
"Yes." he said, as Kendo lowered a cheeky smile, he pointed to her, and then himself. "Figured. Us. To. Be. Compatible."
Jiro… frankly didn't know what to say–
Suddenly, the team came to a very swift stop.
"...and we're in trouble."
Like it was to repent for their dilly dallying, a glacier of ice soared!
The number 3 team was standing right before them. The chilling ice that came from his left side…
Todoroki was standing before them like a full-on enemy, as the rest of the teams were still coming behind them.
In a flash though, Todoroki extended the glacier into a circle!…
And *it* locked both himself and the number 1 in.
Like it was a call to arms, Jiro's earphone jacks alerted floated again, Kendo took a martial arts stance, and Hatsume… got to searching her pockets.
"Oop, there we go!"
She found a small orange device, and mounted it on her wrist. With the press of the big green button on top, two yellow blades appeared on the side of her hand! "Alright! My Razor Claw baby is working!"
The blade vanished and then came back right at that moment.
"Mostly." She added. "There is always room for improvement."
"A third of the time has come and gone!" Present Mic yelled out. "Calling all teams, you only have 10 minutes remaining now!"
In response, Dark Shadow was at the front, Todoroki had his ice in reserve and… Yangai had floated some of the debris. Iida, not having any ranged attacks, just placed his foot forward, engines already revving up.
All of them were piled back to back though, rather than standing all together, like a unit or team would.
Todoroki didn't care. He spoke, meeting both Kendo and Tennyson's gaze.
"I will be taking that now."
Ben 10: Hero Force
Chapter 27
Echo of Competition!
"WOO-OO!" Present Mic shouted. "Isn't this exciting, Eraser Head? Now that number 1 and 3 are in their own zones, things have turned into a free for all!"
Mic then gestured to him to say something.
*Sigh.*
Eraser Head did as so.
"Don't forget." He stated, very deadpan. "Instead of banging at their wall of ice, you could ignore the ten million points and go after other chart leaders. It's an extremely sound strategy."
And some were doing exactly that too.
Kodai's team turned to attacking Yaoyorozu and Tokage.
Sero had also pulled back and gone full attack mode on Tetsutetsu for their points.
It would seem like Tennyson's only problem was Todoroki right now…
Midoriya though, along with his team, stood just outside of the said barrier.
He brought his hand forward. The index finger was still wrapped around in the vines, and now that he tried to move it again, it gave him great pain.
"I can't give them this time alone."
Bakugo was further to the right side of the wall, warming up his palms as Ashido on their left flank held out her hand too.
"Icy-hot thought he could seal him inside to prevent other teams from stealing the points."
He scorned the idea, growling, palming his fist. "Challenging everyone and still making an oversight…"
"It's true that this wall would block us off." Midoriya took the word back. "However, we know that Tennyson isn't used to this form just yet."
Midoriya riled his fist back.
"Having no one else to overwhelm him, means you're only giving him a flashy training course jackass!"
Bakugo's explosions were ready. Pony had her horns already floating, and balls of viscous acid were forming in Ashido's palms.
They quickly started chipping away.
"The more he gets used to that midget, the bigger of a problem he's gonna be!" Bakugo roared on the inside as he waited. "He needs to be taken out now, and *you* won't be able to do it!"
On the inside, Tennyson really was having the time of his life. Dark Shadow tried to attack, but Tennyson jumped back to one of Kendo's larger hands instead, as his claw grip-locked with the other.
"Now. Launch!" Ben said.
"With pleasure!"
Like an actual baseball, Ben was launched into the air, Jiro's earphone jack still plugged to his back.
Out of the whole team, Yanagi acted first. Making whichever small rocks she could find float, she sent them towards Tennyson like a hail–!
"screeeeeeeeeeeee!"
The rocks crumbled under the high-frequency sound, not even having the chance to make it to their target.
Todoroki's team got hit by a sound attack…
"Fumi!" Dark Shadow shouted and as he was distracted, Kendo hit him with one fierce haymaker, sending him back to his team!
Todoroki, as defense to the sound attack, erected another wall of ice!
Meanwhile, Jiro sent her second earphone jack to the Tennyson clone, wrapping onto his arm and making sure to pull him back to their team.
"Tick tock!" Present Mic's voice came through. "9 minutes left!"
Bakugo looked at the wall. A small peep hole had opened up, and it was time to make a gateway for him and the rest.
This glacier was about to come down–!
"Speaking of which, let's see them now." Present Mic said, gesturing to the big screens. "Throw those rankings on the screen!"
And right at that moment… Bakugo could feel something, or rather someone tugging at his forehead.
The result that came to view took everyone's breaths away.
All Might, Thirteen, Snipe… Even the teachers were also quite perplexed.
"Wait, hold on, stop the count! What's this! This is an unexpected turn, that's what this is!" Present Mic went on. " Other than Todoroki and Tennyson, Class 1-A isn't doing so hot!"
The ash-blonde felt his 585 point headband rip away from his head, and the one who did that… had a very sly grin on his face.
1. Team Kendo: 10,000,320 Points
2. Team Monoma: 1850 Points
3. Team Todoroki: 700 Points
4. Team Tokage: 530 Points
5. Team Tetsutetsu: 420 Points
6. Team Shoda: 315 Points
7. Team Kodai: 170 Points
8. Team Midoriya: 0 Points!
9. Team Bakugo: 0 Points!
10. Team Sero: 0 Points
11. Team Hagakure: 0 Points
"Even Bakugo?!" Present Mic screamed. "What?!"
"Class 1-A is too simple minded."
Ashido turned around first. "He got us!"
"What did you say?!" Bakugo also turned his attention away from the ice wall. "Give that back! I'll kill you!"
Eraser Head thought to himself, as Bakugo's arch-rival, Midoriya, also noticed the absence of his points. "They even got past Midoriya's defensive group."
He narrowed his eyes, before they snapped up from the ground, onto the homeroom teacher of Class 1-B, a very proud looking Vlad King.
"Just like that Monoma!"
The underground pro shook his head, but he had to admit. Just like his group this year, Vlad had also secured himself an interesting class.
Pony could see the veins on Bakugo already. "Are you insane, Monoma?!" She asked.
"Insane?" The extra called Monoma added the headband to his neck. "Tell me which part of this is insane, Tsunotori…"
He opened his arms. "Miss Midnight said the Obstacle Course was just the first game, right? So we figured they wouldn't cut that many of us right off the bat."
His voice oozed confidence. "Assuming they would keep around 40 contestants for the next event, all we needed to do was make sure we stayed within that ballpark… add to which we could fully observe the quirks and tactics of our opponent from the back, while keeping ours close to our chest."
His chin raised, and the blue pupils he had stared down at them.
"There is no point in obsessing over a preliminary game, wouldn't you say?" his attention was firmly on his fellow classmate. "Can an insane person have such a forethought, Tsunotori?"
The horse girl's glare hardened. Even though she shouldn't have expected anything else, she was still feeling betrayed and angry.
Bakugo turned to his teammate too, and saw her sour expression.
It was easy to put the pieces together. "You couldn't have planned this as a class." he stated.
Monoma shrugge–
"Kacchan!"
Bakugo looked, as he saw Deku and his lousy team pull up to his side, and in front of this bastard blonde.
"Pony." Shiozaki nodded, greeting her classmate as the front horse.
"Ibara!" Pony cheered. "How is it going?"
"Adequate I would say." The vine-haired girl said. "The only contrivance that soiled my very day… would be seeing insanity truly overtaking my classmate."
Her green eyes were directed right at Monoma for that last part.
"Awwww!" Now he started mimicking her postures, making fun of them. "You too, Shiozaki?"
Her hair was moving like snakes right now, fully pouring her unleashed aggression.
"It would be my honor to exorcize it out."
Meanwhile, Bakugo really wasn't happy to see people either.
"Deku…" He seethed, taking the attention of All Might's pupil before his glare went back to the opponent with actual points.
"Kacchan." Midoriya spoke. "I know you won't want to hear this, but–"
Explosions came out of his palm.
"Kacchan, don't!"
Oh, Bakugo had enough of that. Kacchan this, Kacchan that, Kacchan listen!
He gritted his teeth, does EVERYONE think they can just tell him around, get in his way?!
Bakugo took off from his rider seat again, only to *almost* get splashed by glue!
With an explosion from his hands, he propelled back and sat on top of his team again.
"Of course not everyone decided to go with us." Monoma cut in at this point. "But I'd say we made the best of what was dealt."
Two more teams stepped forward.
"I tried to tell you. They got in my way." Midoriya said, as some of Shiozaki's hair also had glue on it.
One was with the black haired Kodai, riding the brown beast named Shishida, along with Bondo and Rin.
And the second was led by a short, blue haired vice class representative of 1-B named Shoda, as he was riding with Awase and the manga page named Fukidashi.
They clearly seemed more resentful over the tactic, which both Monoma and Midoriya noticed. Bakugo on the other hand…
He responded more angrily.
Monoma bowed before them. "Honestly, I will have to thank your dimwitted number 1 for the distraction. He played his part as the jester perfectly,.
"I mean, what other perfect hook could get us to line in this bag of inflated ego!" Monoma gestured with his hand.
The vice-class president even felt disgusted by tha–
"Inflated ego?!" Bakugo snarled.
Midoriya spoke up. "Kacchan, he's just trying to get in your head."
"Shut it, Deku!" He snapped at him.
"Oh, and while I still have your attention. You, in particular, are kinda famous, aren't you? For being attacked by that sludge villain?"
Midoriya also stopped… right there. His mouth was slanted open, and his pupils contracted.
"You'll have to tell me about that sometime." Monoma gleefully said. "I'd love to hear how you got bailed out by the pros."
Monoma looked down on him. "It must be strange… to always find yourself in the role of the victim."
The front rider of Bakugo's team felt the heat behind him spike–!
Monoma smiled mockingly.
"Monoma, don't provoke him man." Kamakiri spoke from his right flank. "That's the kind of thing he would do."
"I guess you're right." Monoma raised her hands, and smiled under his breath. "IT WOULD not be very hero-like. Besides, we know how these things work."
"Heroes are always being hounded by moronic villains, desperate for some kind of revenge."
The blonde then retreated, as the two other teams almost acted like escorts. A cross shaped vein appeared on Bakugo's face… at multiple spots.
He was shaking.
"CALM DOWN, BAKUGO!" Kirishima said as he faced forward. "You've gotta keep a clear head, or we'll never make it into the top 4!"
The frustrations of the ash-blonde poured out of him in one guttural scream.
"AHHHHHHHH!" He palmed his hand with an explosion. "Shut up! I've never been calmer! Can't you tell?!"
"Eep!" Pony shrunk as she got one glance at the rider.
"Kirishima…"
The redhead turned back and saw a demon incarnate sitting on him instead.
Midoriya on the other hand… kept his mouth shut. Under his lips, he had also gritted his teeth, as Bakugo continued!
"We have just had a change in plans."
Explosions happened all over his hands.
"Before we take down Deku, Freak Show, Ponytail or any of those bastards!.." He grinned. "We're gonna kill every last one of those B-LISTERS!"
His hands brushed the smoke coming off his body aside.
"NOW, GET AFTER THEM KIRISHIMA!"
The redhead reluctantly looked back to Uraraka, and then sighed. "*Please* don't make us regret this!"
The exploding team bolted forwards.
"Us too."
The Midoriya team was the only one left behind, but when they heard this order, they got back on the move.
"Gladly." Shiozaki said. Admitted by her own words or not, she wanted those points back. Shinso was annoyed but he had no other choice but to obey, and for Uraraka…
She just wanted to know what Deku was thinking.
The pupil of All Might was thinking to himself with a solemn expression.
"Listen. I would never ask for a weakling like you to help me.." He mulled over the words of Bakugo from that time. "I was fine by myself! You didn't help me!.. You did nothing."
Other words got mixed in, like the pros when they chewed him up for jumping in.
"You moron! Do you have a death wish? There was absolutely no reason for you to have put yourself in danger like that!"
Those words weighed on his mind.
"You'd never be able to hang with the best of the best! You're just a quirkless wannabe!"
Midoriya clenched his fist. Things had changed so much since junior high, and that was the day where it all changed.
All Might's words as well as Tennyson's echoed in his heart.
"The next All Might… The fledgling Symbol of Peace… Izuku Midoriya!"
"Basically, with no space cops around, we're the last line of defense."
It was terrifying, but it led him to places he could never imagine.
And Midoriya, the pupil of All Might himself, his successor… wouldn't stand anyone who would insult that.
"Back to the stars with you, beast!"
In the meantime, the two top contenders continued their routine.
Kendo and Dark Shadow were too busy fighting their battle, and Hatsume waved around her wrist claw weapon.
"Hah!" Dark Shadow scoffed, with his high and mighty laughing. "What do you think some wrist guards are gonna–"
Hatsume landed one of her slashes, and it actually cut through his shadowy presence. "Ah, it burns!"
Dark Shadow backed away, giving Kendo the opening she wanted.
"Here's the next one!" She threw another Tennyson towards the opposite team.
Todoroki called out. "Yanagi!"
The silver haired girl levitated more debris from the ground again, to launch them and support their attack against–
The one Ben split into four!
"Stay. Down! Sonic. Eruptor. Times. Four!"
"Todoroki!" Iida spoke concernedly as another wave of ice emerged AGAIN to block the attack!
The ice user gritted his teeth.
"He's seeing right through your strategy." Endeavor, the number 2 flame hero, stated from the stances. "Don't be a fool."
Todoroki's eyebrows crossed. "Tennyson is keeping his distance, and making me use my right side. In a battle of attrition, he knows he has the upper hand."
He patted down the ice on his shoulder and forearm.
"However…" He glanced to his right side, at his classmate with the raven-esque head. "Tokoyami's Dark Shadow isn't affected by the sonic attacks. If we can corner them even further, he could steal those points."
"They are still the ones captured here."
"I wouldn't be so sure, Todoroki." Iida spoke up. Todoroki raised an eyebrow, he must have been thinking out loud.
The pair looked from the corner, and saw the Ben's use their sonic screams in short bursts, navigating through the air.
"Kendo, you caught them?" Hatsume teasingly asked, and the big sis of 1-B shrugged.
"Oh, we will see." The orange haired student said, as she held up her big open hand… with one Tennyson in her palm. "I've played some baseball, but I don't know how much of it stuck."
As the first Ben came towards them, she positioned the two clones to crash and abosrb into one another. "Next!"
Kendo laughed and did it with the other 3.
"At this rate, they will make it to the end of time with their points." Iida stated. "And they seem well aware of it."
Todoroki gritted his teeth. They really were not forcing Tennyson's team as much as he thought.
Something should be missing. Tennyson being able to combat him made sense, but to do it without even switching form?..
This also made Iida think to himself.
"You think you're tough?!" Bakugo jetted towards them, Monoma stopped his team, and gestured his escorts to back off, almost giving Bakugo one free shot.
And the ash-blond took it eagerly!
"Die!"
"Bakugo wait!" Pony saw what was happening. However, her warning came in too late. The big right swing he threw was deflected… and then countered with another explosion right back to his face!
"Wow, what a nice quirk!"
It dazzled Bakugo, giving Monoma enough time to touch Kirishima real quick.
"I forgot to tell you! He can copy quirks." Pony said. "It's for 5 minutes and limited to whoever he touches!"
"Hey, why are you spoiling the surprise!" Monoma responded coyly, acting like he was angry.
"WHY did you forget to tell me that?!" Bakugo's vision came back to him.
Pony was quick with the clapback. "You never asked!"
"Whatever!" Bakugo scoffed, as Pony took the chance to attack this time. She fired four horns, right towards Monoma's neck to undo the headbands. Even if he moved, Pony would curve them at the last minute.
"Tsuburaba! Guard!"
Their front horse inhaled and made a disk right in front of the rider, blocking the horns!
"Alright!" He cheered to himself… only to realize it was too soon. During that attack, vines had crept up through all of their legs.
Sun shined brightly on Shiozaki as well as the whole team that followed after her.
"Time for these lost lambs to learn their place."
Bakugo looked behind him and saw Deku's team approaching. WAS HE REALLY TRYING TO HELP HIM NOW?!
Monoma then had vines wrapped around his body, restricting him.
"Really now?" Monoma deadpanned, as he glanced down to his flanks. "Kaibara! Kamakiri!"
The pair nodded. The former raised and rotated his legs at lightning speed one at a time, whereas the latter just let blades emerge from his body, cutting off the plant life!
Monoma's entire body then hardened as a rock, and he ripped out of the vines just like that.
"Good attempt." He told them. "But I think mine's better."
"Ah!" Kirishima frustratedly spoke up. "I knew I felt something smack my hair earlier!"
Shiozaki's eyes narrowed. Her thorned locks moved to attack again, only for another team to come around. Shoda's team, but most importantly the person as their right flank, Awase.
He ran over the vines, and as his feet touched the vines, he fused them to the ground!
"Sorry about this." Awase said solemnly.
Shiozaki tried to pull on them, but it was useless!
Bakugo didn't pay any mind to what happened with Deku's team though. All he cared about was breaking their air wall and–
"It's too sticky!" It was Kirishima's turn to call out this time. His whole left leg was covered… with glue!
As Ashido moved to help, Bakugo growled. It was the work of the jackass' second escort!
"Nice one." Monoma called out. "Thanks for the backup, Awase, Bondo."
The two people who assisted… looked at each other from their separate teams.
Monoma glanced around, and saw Midoriya talking with Shiozaki, probably trying to help. Uraraka was also listening to them.
Going over, then Bakugo's front horse firmly stuck in place, and since Monoma was a guy who picked and chose his battles, they did the only logical thing.
Leaving.
"Nice try you two!"
As their points got away, Shiozaki muttered under her breath. "From above, the wicked shall receive their just reward…"
Everyone was feeling bitter, and eager to get back into it.
"I have a plan." Midoriya said.
Back at the ice field
"Perhaps… we're missing something they have." Iida spoke.
He had experienced the very same thing during the battle trial, when he was selected to be the teammate of Bakugo.
"We're not working our quirks together."
He peeked from the corner of the ice again, and the contrast was even more real. Dark Shadow was alone in attacking all four members of Tennyson's team.
Todoroki's ice acted as the only defense between Ben, Jiro and Kendo's combined sound attacks from above.
Their patterns were too rigid and so his engine and Yanagi's Poltergeist stayed on the ineffective side as well.
"What do you have in mind then?"
"Combination attacks, just like them." Iida bowed his head, trying to come up with some on the fly… only to blank out.
Curses! It really was more difficult than Midoriya or Tennyson would make them seem.
"I believe I have an idea." Tokoyami spoke up, and made Dark Shadow retreat.
It was all up to Todoroki to say yes to it though. The fire and ice teen… reluctantly opened his mouth.
"What did you have in mind?"
Tokoyami's eyes descended to his summon, and then the rest of his teammates.
"Unfortunately, something cold."
"Last five minutes!" Present Mic shouted. "It looks to me like Team Kendo has this in the bag."
Jiro rolled her eyes. "Well, someone is looking to jinx us."
"Nah, with our lead, no way!" Hatsume added.
Kendo and Ben looked at each other though.
"Uh. Uh." The little clone put a hand on his chin, and then glanced back at the dial. "Jiro's. Right. Universe. Isn't. Kind. To. Me. With. These. Things–"
The glacier right ahead of them exploded for example.
"See?"
"Yes, I do." Kendo enlarged her fists. "What is happening?"
On the outset, it was like any other ice blast from Todoroki, similar to the one he made the wall with or any one of his other barricades, but… this one then rose up to the air.
It was like part of a glacier had broken off and was moving right towards them.
"What is that?" Jiro and the rest of the Tennyson team moved back.
"Guys! You're not gonna believe this!"
Kendo turned to look at Hatsume. The pink haired girl, using her quirk for a change, identified what it was.
"Oh, so they are approaching like that…" She muttered. "Nevermind I take it back, five minutes will still be a problem!"
"What do you see?" Jiro nudged her, and Hatsume giggled.
"It's the crow kid!"
Both the rider and front horse narrowed their eyes, not understanding what she meant.
"Don't you guys see!" Hatsume asked. She could zoom in and see from a couple of cracks.
Inside the two-meter thick dome of ice, held up by mostly Dark Shadow with assistance from Yanagi, Tokoyami didn't even shiver, even though it was made to be cramped, and on short notice…
"I shall name it." He determinedly spoke. "Dark Shadow: Fimbulvetr mode."
"That's… admittedly a very interesting name!" Iida said, shouting in his usual characteristic tone. "Todoroki–"
"I'm aware." He stated. "I will be ready to fortify our defense."
Tokoyami might have not been shivering, but Todoroki was. His right leg was completely frozen over.
"An ice dome? But why?-" It clicked with Kendo first. "Our sound attack."
Ben nodded too. "They. Needed. The. Glaciers. To. Defend. So. Now–"
"They are bringing the glaciers to us. Smart." Jiro bent her knees and the hoverboots fired up once more. "Once they get close enough, Dark Shadow can drop the dome…"
"... and as I'm griplocked with the shadow, Todoroki can get our points." Kendo finished the thought.
Hatsume did the same, using her propeller boots. The Tennyson clones… did the best they could to increase mobility like the other two.
But it wasn't enough.
"They are too fast!" Jiro shouted. "We can't get away!"
Kendo assumed command again. "Tennyson! Jiro!"
The duo launched their sonic attack. If they could chip down the ice wall fast enough, maybe they could put a stop to the assault as well.
Inside though, the team was fine.