Todoroki let his ice side burst forward, as one crack formed two more were sealed up.
"F-Four minutes left…" he quivered. "It's time to make a move!"
"Get us as close as possible!" Iida said.
"Screeeeeeeeeeeee!"
"Guys, this isn't working!" Hatsume stated.
"I know!" Kendo responded.
Cracks appeared through it, but it seemed just resilient enough to last. Tennyson thought about bringing out more clones to help him out, but their structure was unstable enough as it is. By making them move this much, Todoroki was also eating off from that advantage.
Their leader felt out of options… up till it her. "Hatsume!"
The pink haired girl looked up.
"What was that other baby you wanted to try out?"
Surprise, and then a grateful expression spread across her face. Her scope-like eyes grew. "Really?"
"Well, I don't have any better ideas." Kendo shrugged.
Hatsume put away the 'Razor Claw' as she called it, and then took out the yellow&black rocket launcher!
"Rise and shine Ice-Box, and say hello to the new big kid on the block…" She cocked the shoulder-mounted firearm. "THE NEGOTIATOR!"
The hearts of everyone on her own team dropped.
"Don't worry!" She cheekily remarked at them. "I tempered with the yield, plus it's very compact. It should be just shy of non-lethal."
Ben raised an eyebrow. "Should. Be?"
"Just shy?!" Jiro also exclaimed.
Hatsume pulled the trigger, and a long-range rocket launched at the other team!
Todoroki started layering on the ice–!
"No need!" Tokoyami intervened, and had Dark Shadow extend his fist to punch a hole through their Fimbulvetr armor.
"I got it."
With his claw covering the hole, he then caught the missile, letting out a small explosion!
"HA!" Dark Shadow closed his smoking fist. "Payback time for that razor claw, pink girl!"
The missile had not deterred them at all, Todoroki and his team were coming.
"One clone can't handle this." Ben thought. "Plus Dark Shadow is unaffected by sound…"
He lifted up his hand. "Well, I've had fun, but I gotta try something else!"
"Get. Ready. For." he told his team, as his clones fused back together, and hit the dial!
Instead of the small white humanoid, the tall purple and magenta crystalline warrior emerged.
"Chromastone!"
Without warning he shot at the ice, Todoroki tried to shut him out but the concussive laser was persistent.
"Can't block this one!" Dark Shadow retreated back.
Iida… saw his chance. This was it.
He leaned forward.
"Todoroki…" The glare that appeared over his glasses, and the shadow fell on his face hid his intentions. "Reiko, I think we have discussed this?"
The ghost girl nodded. "It was something spooky…"
Todoroki was about to ask, but instead nodded acceptingly.
"I'm about to do something that will leave me useless to you."
"What are you planning?" Todoroki looked down alarmedly, however Iida chose to not elaborate yet.
"Just make sure to get that headband." he put one foot forward. "Whenever you're ready, Reiko!"
The ghost girl of 1-B nodded, and stretched out her hand. The magenta aura that encapsulated debris earlier… appeared around Tokoyami's and her own shoes.
"Brace yourselves! Hold on tight!"
Todoroki firmly planted one hand on his back, and Tokoyami let Dark Shadow emerge, letting the creature put its claws over the points where they were holding Todoroki's feet.
Reiko in the meantime, raised the front of their shoes off from the ground!
Steam and fire erupted from Iida's calves!
The class prez planted his foot on the ground, waiting until the pressure built up further and further… so much so that the fire became blue..!
"TORQUE OVER..!"
He raised his feet, and like a bolt of lightning, their team struck without any reservations.
The ice that they surrounded themselves with was left behind.
Todoroki could barely blink, as one second he was staring down Tennyson's team, and in the other, he was past Chromastone and Kendo… with the 10 million points!
"RECIPRO BURST!"
1. Team Todoroki: 10,001,020 Points
2. Team Monoma: 1850 Points
3. Team Tokage: 530 Points
4. Team Tetsutetsu: 420 Points
5. Team Shoda: 315 Points
6. Team Kodai: 170 Points
7. Team Kendo: 0 Points!
8. Team Midoriya: 0 Points!
9. Team Bakugo: 0 Points!
10. Team Sero: 0 Points
11. Team Hagakure: 0 Points
Reiko quickly deactivated her quirk as did Tokoyami with Dark Shadow, and as the dust kicked up from their shoes skidding along the dirt mixed in with pure dark smoke, the team and their opponents were in shock.
"WHA? WHA? WHA?!" Present mic was in shock. "What just happened?! That was one big blue blur! Holy smokes, folks! Why didn't he show off that speed in the preliminaries?!"
Tennyson's team were in shock. Chromastone was just about to blast back Dark Shadow! What really happened?!
"Iida, what was that?" Todoroki just put the 10 million around his neck, as sunlight properly warmed up his joints a little.
"Force my torque and RPM into overdrive…"The class president stated, panting and like he was reading off some manual. "It gave me explosive power, however, the recoil stalls out my engines for a while."
"It's a secret move I've been saving. I've only told Reiko just before the start of the match, because I had concerns over needing to use it."
He exhaustively sighed. "I've trust that you'll be able to keep the points safe."
Tokoyami and Reiko nodded. Todoroki, even though he was a quarter of the way to being an ice statue, responded to the challenge as well.
And then the class prez… grinned up to Chromastone.
"I apologize… but this is where your stake in this battle, ends!"
Present Mic shouted "INSANE! THIS ENTIRE GAME OFFICIALLY TURNED ON ITS HEAD! Todrooki's team now has all the chips, and Tennyson is left with none!"
From the stances, Endeavor crossed his arms and grinned, while All Might himself, sweatdropped.
However… Chromastone smiled right back.
"Taking initiative…" He said. "Now, you're acting like a class prez, Emergency Exit!"
Iida was taken aback. Praise in the middle of combat?
"Thanks!" He bowed his head. "That's high praise coming from someone like you! I greatly appreciate it–"
"Unfortunately though." Chromastone tagged on at the end. "We're going to be taking those right back!"
His teammates adapted to the front horse's new tall stature, and got to attack!
Now that they were dealt with, they could leave the initial air wall up, and leav–
"Kirishima! Harden your leg!" Midoriya's voice came out, making the blonde dismissively think about turning back around.
"Jeez, so persistent–"
*BOOM!*
Monoma instantly turned around after that. What the hell was 1-A up to now?
And what he saw… was a floating Midoriya up in the air, with a couple vines wrapped around his waist and two additional broken fingers.
"Release." Uraraka put her hands together, as Shiozaki directed him back down.
Monoma looked down. With that shockwave though, the redhead's leg was completely free… and Tsunotori had him in his sights.
She launched two more horns, making Monoma resort to his last option. He copied Tsuburaba's quirk immediately and made another air wall!
With the amount of plays, he was out of breath for a second.
"Ha!" he arrogantly declared. "What was that supposed to accomplish, huh?"
"This."
Suddenly from the back of his neck, Bakugo swooped in and managed to steal three headbands!
He had taken flight a long time ago to dive towards their team, but Monoma didn't realize because of Midoriya's stunt!
"OH, BAKUGO COMES IN WITH THE SNEAK ATTACK!" Present Mic shouted. "With the other team members making for distractions, he sneaks in and snatches the points of a lifetime!"
1. Team Todoroki: 10,001,020 Points
2. Team Bakugo: 1120 Points!
3. Team Monoma: 730 Points
4. Team Tokage: 530 Points
5. Team Tetsutetsu: 420 Points
6. Team Shoda: 315 Points
7. Team Kodai: 170 Points
8. Team Kendo: 0 Points
9. Team Midoriya: 0 Points
10. Team Sero: 0 Points
11. Team Hagakure: 0 Points
"There you go!" Meanwhile, Ashido waved her hand, and acid sprayed over the fused vines of Shiozaki, trimming the edges and separating them from the host. "Charity from one neighbor to another, don't you think?"
Shiozaki solemnly nodded. "I agree. Thank you." If she had to let them go on her own, they would be from the root, and that would require too much time for regrowth.
Now, though, she was ready for another attack… even though Monoma's team wasn't.
"Dammit, he snatched some of them!" Tsuburaba shouted. Monoma tried to touch him by the feet, but two horns got under Bakugo, helping him with the retreat.
"The latter half of the game has been full of shake-ups, final 3 minutes everyone!"
"We're still in third." Kaibara said. "It's fine!"
Monoma checked his neck. There were only his 130 points and the 600 from the green kid.
"Yeah…" He pulled the headbands close to his face. "If we defend these to the death, we'll move forward."
Bakugo landed back with his team.
"Hey, what was that attack from Deku, huh?!" He looked at them.
"Hey, he offered to help–" Kirishima shrugged.
However, Bakugo wasn't taking that attitude. "Never take offers from Deku, alright?!"
Kirishima opened his mouth. Why? What did Bakugo have against Midoriya so bad?–
But, he remembered, this was Bakugo. Either he wouldn't listen, or he wouldn't answer.
"Fine whatever." Kirishima said. "This still means we're advancing–"
"WE'RE NOT DONE!" Bakugo started banging his hand against Kirishima's hardened head. "WE'RE GONNA BE THE INDISPUTABLE CHAMPIONS OF THE GAME!"
Eraser Head watched the whole show unfold from above. As Present Mic was too busy commentating on Tennyson, and Todoroki, this side conflict with so many combination moves, got his attention.
"Class 1-B's strategy… or rather Monoma's strategy was a reasonable one, however there are a couple of things he forgot to consider."
His bloodshot eyes tiredly closed. "First one was the feelings of his allies…"
Tsuburaba's eyebrows went up, as with one more blow, he made another air wall.
"What happened?" Monoma quickly got to attack mode, copying Kamiakiri's quirk, blades emerging from his body.
He was slowly but surely getting jumpy, because of the shaky situation.
From behind the wall, he saw Shoda's team, along with Awase and Fukidashi.
"Now, you're turning against me?" Monoma frustratedly asked.
"This was never a class game, Monoma." Shoda spoke from behind the solid air. "And after how you treated our sister class, I can't blame them for their reaction."
Kamakiri barely had Monoma stop before they ran straight into a pit of glue.
Monoma copied Tsuburaba's quirk again and made another air wall!
This time it was Kodai. She was the one who tried to ambush them. With her unchanging, unimpressed expression, she spoke to the blonde. "Why do you think we didn't do a Class prez re-election?"
"You wouldn't win." She plainly stated. "You're too intense."
"You don't know when to stop." Shoda said. "So, we figured we would keep an eye on you."
The realization dawned on Monoma. These two teams were never his escorts, they were just keeping an eye on him, save him to get his points later!
"Fukidashi." Shoda ordered. The student with a speech bubble as a head spoke.
"Crack!"
Instantly, their air wall fractured. Monoma's eyes widened. They had to go, stat!
From behind him, he could hear the *Boom!* and the wall turned to absolute dust.
Monoma continued to run with his team, as Bakugo, Shoda and Kodai were all behind him, however…
"...and second, not only did Monoma underestimate Bakugo's overwhelming tenacity, he underestimated Midoriya's brashness during combat."
Eraser Head then looked at the stances. There was someone else, watching this student as intensely as he did, wasn't there?
All Might leaned forward.
"Shiozaki, wrap your vines around my waist!"
She did as she was told. Now that her hair was fully free, the connection was even stronger!
"Uraraka–"
"I already know, Deku!"
The zero-gravity hero touched the pupil of All Might with all 5 fingers. He took flight like a kite yet again.
"I'm not alone in this."
Red veins ran up Midoriya's arm.
"If we rushed in now, we would never be able to overtake those three." It then spread to his left arm. "All three of them put their trust in me. As the rider, it is my responsibility!"
"We all have our reasons to win this, and I refuse to let the others down!"
With his middle fingers, he prepared two more flicks.
All Might solemnly and under his breath, spoke from the stances.
"This Sports Festival is a competition where everyone aims for the top."
As he stood up from his seat, hunched over due to being in his skinny form, he held onto the railings.
"When I chose you though, you wanted to help others above anything else, so I thought your selflessness could be your weakness."
Letting the flicks loose, Midoriya launched himself like an arrow, similar to the Obstacle Course, but this time he could stay up right!
"This will be fine." Midoriya thought. "You have been using One for All against people for a while now."
He quickly passed the other three teams, coming right up on the air walls.
"Take out your opponent's defenses…" he thought, as his eyebrows crossed. "And act like Kacchan would!"
He broke through both air walls and..!
"SMASH!"
He grabbed the final two headbands!
"Midoriya is a merciless force!" Present Mic jumped out of his seat. "He ripped all of Monoma's hard investment away from him! Telling him he gets nothing, AND good day sir! Man, I can't wait to watch the replay!"
1. Team Todoroki: 10,001,020 Points
2. Team Bakugo: 1120 Points
3. Team Midoriya: 730 Points!
4. Team Tokage: 530 Points
5. Team Tetsutetsu: 420 Points
6. Team Shoda: 315 Points
7. Team Kodai: 170 Points
8. Team Monoma: 0 Points
9. Team Kendo: 0 Points
10. Team Sero: 0 Points
11. Team Hagakure: 0 Points
"But, turns out I was worried for nothing." All Might thought to himself as the rest of the crowds cheered.
"You *are* a fighter… who isn't afraid to do anything for his comrades."
With Shiozaki's vines, Midoriya was quickly pulled back to the rider spot.
"Release." Uraraka said, and now, tied around his neck, Midoriya found their ticket… to third place.
He looked at them proudly.
"Thanks, you guys."
Shiozaki and Uraraka gave him a nod.
"You're the one who forged our path to glory." Shiozaki stated. "We merely followed."
Midoriya felt a fist tap him by the side.
"Come on Deku, take some pride in it." Uraraka beamed, and that made the pupil of the number 1 laugh… however he refused to open his mouth to gloat–
He saw Kirsihima who stopped before him, and once Midoriya raised his head, his glare met Bakugo's eyes.
The ash-blonde was annoyed.
"Listen here…" He seethed. "...Deku–!"
"I didn't help you."
Bakugo raised his head. Deku wasn't quite looking him in the eye… however he could speak without the stutter.
"You didn't ask for my help. " Midoriya tied the points around his neck. "You…
The words lingered, just for a second.
"You took your own points by yourself."
Bakugo… closed his mouth. Whatever he was going to say, he didn't.
Anger from his expression hadn't quite washed off, but he did make his team turn away.
"Damn straight."
Ash-blonde left the scene, and even though Midoriya was feeling a little frustrated, that was probably the most normal interaction they've ever had.
The greenette then looked at his hand too. His middle fingers hurt… but they weren't broken.
"Now, we're going after Tennyson and Todoroki."
Chromastone shot out from his magenta crystals. "Give it up, Night King!"
Todoroki made a wall of ice to protect himself. Tennyson was still quipping, even with two minutes on the clock.
"We just need to hold out–"
Another rocket hit the block of ice, right before Kendo and Chromastone's rainbow-powered fists demolished it.
"Sorry, but we can't have an end like this." Chromastone declared as he lifted one hand.
Their front horse did something unprecedented, and reached out for the points himself!
Tokoyami tried to make his move with Dark Shadow, but in the face of the rainbow light, it had to back off. Todoroki tried lifting his right arm up… but it was useless.
The frost had crept up too much, he could barely move his arm anymore. In the final couple minutes, he was completely exposed!
"No!"
He grabbed Chromastone's wrist. As with embers flaring from his left side, he pushed the silicon-based creature away, and moved to let out a stream of–!
*BOOM!*
"SMASH!"
One after the other, two shockwaves rocked the outer walls, and Team Midoriya along with Team Bakugo emerged.
"Who's got the points?" Bakugo eagerly looked around, and immediately found them on his neck. "Damn it, Icy-hot!"
Chromastone pulled back, and as relief hit the right side of Todoroki's body, his eyes widened.
"My left side…" He noticed. "What am I doing?.."
"Now, we're talking, Todoroki." Chromastone nodded. "Finally turning up that heat! Any other form, and I would be toast."
Todoroki's heart dropped. "No."
The fire shut off as fast as it appeared.
"I can't let *him*... win." He declared. Tennyson hadn't gotten attacked with his fire, he didn't let it burst, it was just a light shove.
"I won't break my vow."
Todoroki reassessed the situation. The wall he made between himself and the other teams had been broken, and on top of the three leading teams, everyone was rushing towards him–
"Yaoyorozu, get ready with our protection!" Tokage said from the rider's position.
"Yaoyorozu?!" Todoroki muttered to himself. She had arrived as well?!
With her black tied-back hair, and sharp eyes, she finally showed her face, along with Kaminari and Asui by her sides.
An insulation sheet emerged from her stomach, and Tokage pulled it over herself. "Kaminari!"
"You got it, vice prez." Kaminari said.
*Everyone* could see the storm which was coming.
"Hope you've made something strong!" Kaminari sparked up.
Many people had very little time to prepare.
"Thank god!" Chromastone thought. "Any other form and I *really* would be toast! Get behind me!"
"Shiozaki!" Midoriya called out, and the nun-like girl with luscious vine hair split off some of her hair as a barrier!
Desperate times called for desperate measures. Todoroki did the only thing that came to mind since their ice shield was down. "Tokoyami!"
Dark Shadow got in front of their team and opened his arms too. "Oh, this is going to hurt."
And Bakugo's team…
Kirishima looked up to their rider seat, and saw no one there. In the distance there were just some explosions!
"Hey Bakugo, where the hell are you going?!" Kirishima called out.
"WHAT GOOD IS IT IF I GET SHOCKED ALONG WITH YOU?!"
Yaoyorozu was undeterred however. "No matter if you've defended. This… is what we've been waiting for."
"Indiscriminate Shock: 1.3 MILLION VOLTS!"
All other teams got the shock treatment, all except for the lucky ones.
"WHY?!" Dark Shadow whimpered, but Todoroki breathed a sigh of relief. It did save them from being shocked.
The ten million points–
"Asui, now!"
"Ribbit." Her tongue shot out right to his neck, and pulled the newly acquired headband right off!
1. Team Tokage: 10,000,850 Points!
2. Team Bakugo: 1120 Points
3. Team Midoriya: 730 Points
4. Team Todoroki: 700 Points!
5. Team Tetsutetsu: 420 Points
6. Team Shoda: 315 Points
7. Team Kodai: 170 Points
8. Team Monoma: 0 Points
9. Team Kendo: 0 Points
10. Team Sero: 0 Points
11. Team Hagakure: 0 Points
"Todoroki!"
The fire and ice teen looked down, and saw two floating hands around his own neck!
His hands raised without waiting, but it was too late!
"You got it! You actually got it, Yaomomo!" Tokage jumped in place.
"Yes." Yaoyorozu said… as Asui passed her the 10 million.
The rich girl had to hold onto it for a second.
"Now." She then solemnly passed it on. "If you would?"
Tokage got the white band with the big red number, and firmly cracked her knuckles, right before her hands snapped off.
"Leave it to me!"
As her hands split off, so did her upper torso and flew into the air!
"Last minute!"
Chromastone scoffed. "Oh so you had an air battle in mind, Yaomomo? Easy pickings for Jet–"
He was about to slam the dial on his chest, only to see it blinking.
"Huh?!.."
"We've accounted for your transformation time." Yaoyorozu gritted her teeth as she looked over to him, specifically the dial on his chest. "If you were to switch now, your quirk wouldn't have enough charge remaining. The drawbacks would not allow you to sustain another transformation!"
"Drawbacks?-" Chromastone's eye widened. Yaomomo had calculated it, hadn't she?
"Each quick change is set to shave off 20 minutes of your time."
The midswitches. She was one of the only people who knew about the new restrictions on the Omnitrix, prior.
Yaoyorozu looked him dead in the eye. She had really gone and done that, this was her strategy!
"We don't underestimate you…" She spoke. "... yet you underestimate us!"
The hero of heroes was at a loss for any kind of response!
"Oh, some performance issue from Tennyson!" Present Mic cut in. "Right at the last minute too!"
Chromastone looked back at his team. He had no points, and the time. There was no chance for a switch back as well as a recharge right now!
"THE GAME IS ALMOST OVER!"
"Yanagi." Todoroki stated, and… the magenta glow appeared around his body, chasing after Tokage!
"My weight limit is roughly the weight of an average human." Reiko stated in a lower tone. "Todoroki is… an average human."
"GET BACK HERE!" Bakugo also changed course towards her, with his make-shift explosion airlines. Midoriya joined the group with help from Uraraka and Shiozaki!
"LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOT A THREE WAY CHASE FOLKS!" Present Mic played up the intensity. ""IN THESE FINAL SECONDS, WHO WILL GET THE ULTIMATE 10 MILLION PRIZE?!"
Todoroki gritted his teeth. He was ahead of the three.
Right as he got close, he tried to make some ic–
"Boop!"
All in an instant, her entire upper body split into 10 pieces!
"Sorry handsome!" Tokage said. "But, hands off the merchandise!"
Her two hands floated to grab hi–
Todrooki grip-locked with them first, and gave her the ice-cold glare.
"Ooookay, tough crowd…" Tokage though as he tossed her hands down, undoing most her defenses.
"Tokage!" She heard from the ground. It was the team captain.
"Land back down!" From her stomach, Yaoyorozu was making shields. "We need to shift to Plan B…"
"Oh yeah, Tokage!" Kaminari said. "My strat!"
"TIME FOR A COUNTDOWN!"
Midnight cracked her whip and a 10 second countdown appeared on the hologram behind her.
10!
Tokage didn't even question it. She dove down–
"Not in your dreams!" This time Bakugo intercepted her.
"Oh, would you look at the time!" All at once, from the wrist up, she let pieces of her right arm bombard him!
9!
Tokage floated away. Bakugo was further away now. Todoroki was close, and Midoriya… not so much.
She smiled, everything was going just like Yaomomo said.
8!
And Tennyson…
"I'm told to not underestimate them…" With one eye split off, she wanted to spy–
…only to see their team in a brand new formation.
7!
Chromastone had lifted up Hatsume with one hand, as he supported the rest of the team with the other. "Are you ready?"
"Born ready!" She put on her goggles.
Kendo looked from her side. "Remember, we only have one shot."
"Anything less than a perfect aim…" Jiro rolled her eyes, with zero belief.
"Then I'm overqualified!" Hatsume said. "Send me up already!"
6!
Chromastone nodded and put all his force on that arm, sending her barrelling towards the sky.
"Activating hover-soles!" She tapped her boots together, and they activated, straightening her course.
"Now, you get ready Tennyson." Kendo said, her fists growing. Chromastone nodded, and got ready…
5!
Yaoyorozu saw the girl from the support course rise to the air. "Asui–"
"I wouldn't, frog girl!" She took out her blade weapon. "Buzz Blades here are way sharper than cotton candy, you see!"
She pressed a button on the side of her goggles. It made the lenses retract, letting her quirk activate.
4!
Her pupils narrowed on that path, brushing past Midoriya, swerving by Todoroki, almost hitting Bakugo… and honing right on the paper headband!
"Everyone!" She took aim. "Observe what babies of brilliance… and a little fangirling can do!"
One pull of the trigger, let loose a singular zooming saw blade go past.
It cut right through the paper, making it fall from Tokage's neck!
3!
"OH, THE HEADBAND IS AROUND NO ONE'S NECK NOW!" Present Mic jumped up.
Everyone swerved down.
Tokage and her floating hands, Todoroki with the poltergeist, Bakugo alone and even Midoriya!
"I got it!/I have you!/You're mine!/Just a little closer!"
A rainbow trail blew past them.
2!
It grabbed hold of the points, as all in a green flash, he revealed himself.
"No." He said with his back turned. "I*'ve got it!"
Tennyson… had managed to get up there.
1. Team Kendo: 10,000,320 Points!
2. Team Bakugo: 1120 Points
3. Team Midoriya: 730 Points
4. Team Todoroki: 700 Points
5. Team Tokage: 530 Points
6. Team Tetsutetsu: 420 Points
7. Team Shoda: 315 Points
8. Team Kodai: 170 Points
9. Team Monoma: 0 Points
10. Team Sero: 0 Points
11. Team Hagakure: 0 Points
Asui's eyes turned elsewhere. "Ribbit!" She fired her tongue to someone else's neck!
1!
"Dark Shadow!" Tokoyami yelled out from the ground. Yanagi swerved her hand, making their leader go even faster.
"Give it back." Todoroki said, but the currently free falling Tennyson just smiled earnestly.
"You were way too close, Todoroki." He looked at and then kept the points close to his chest. "But… maybe next time. When you bring more flare and less frost."
Todoroki's eyes widened–
"TIME'S UP!"
The heart rate of everyone in the air, at that time… suddenly dropped to zero, as relief washed over.
"AND WITH THAT, THE SECOND ROUND OF THE SPORTS FESTIVAL IS OFFICIALLY OVER!"
Todoroki found himself suspended in the air… as his teammate directed him back.
"I got you, Tennyson!" Kendo and Jiro positioned themselves right under him, and caught the winner.
Todoroki didn't look at them though. Not for another second, he didn't.
"Damn it…" He muttered under his breath.
Midoriya was also clenching his fist, as his team let him down. So did Tokage… though there was a lot more sorrow on her face than usual.
And Bakugo…
He slammed face first into the ground.
"Bakugo!" Kirishima became the first to call out. "You okay man?"
"HRRRRRRRRRRRR!" HE kept slamming his fist to the ground. "AHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Pony concernedly looked over, as Ashido nodded.
"Yep, he's fine as ever."
"NOW, LET'S LOOK AT WHO OUR TOP 4 TEAMS ARE!"
The cameras descended on Kendo and her team as Hatsume also just touched down..
Present Mic yelled. "IN FIRST PLACE, TEAM KENDO!"
Team Kendo: 10,000,320 Points
"EVEN THOUGH THEY BRIEFLY LOST THE POINTS, THE TEAM PULLED TOGETHER WITH GREAT UNITY!"
"And to think almost all of us are from different classes." Kendo said as she helped Tennyson find his footing.
"I know." Ben said, as he looked at Jiro who was taking off her hoverboots and Hatsume who was working on her saw gun.
"Can't believe it worked out."
"IN SECOND PLACE, TEAM BAKUGO!"
Team Bakugo: 1125 Points
"Ugh…" Mina waved her hand around. "We were so close to first place… and I really couldn't do much!"
"I know…" Kirishima said. "And I don't think our team leader feels the same way."
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Bakugo continued to shout, hunched over. "LOST. TO. F**KING! AHHHHHH AGAIN!"
Pony assembled her hands behind her. "Well, it was fun at least. AND we're moving on."
"AND THIRD PLACE GOES TO 1-A AGAIN! THE UNRELENTING TEAM MIDORIYA!"
Team Midoriya: 730 Points
Their response was one of relieved sighs… minus Uraraka's fistbumping the air and Shinso walking away, with hands in his pockets.
Yaoyorozu… couldn't find the right words.
They stopped the cavalry formation, and for the first time she got to have a real look towards her teammates.
Kaminari was discontented, to put it simply. He held himself back from muttering, yelling, or just complaining in general.
Tokage also came down from the skies, equally discouraged and a little pissed. She could see her grab and pull off the other 530 points wrapped around her forehead.
"Everyone, you have my apologies."
Yaoyorozu bowed her head, taking their attention. "I know I made a promise to win and get you all to the finals together, with our teamwork, however…"
She lifted up her head, eyes still not able to look at them.
"Both my idea and I… have been insufficient–"
"Yaoyorozu." Asui cut her off. She sympathetically looked her in the eye…. and lifted her right hand.
"You didn't fail."
All 3 teammates were perplexed, as the realization dawned on them.
"I've wanted to save Tokage as you've said, ribbit." She said, unraveling the headband. "However, there was too much commotion to take aim. I thought Todoroki might freeze my tongue, or Bakugo could explode it, or the girl from support could…"
Asui paused for a second, most likely because she felt reminded of Hatsume's saw weapon.
"Ribbit, still, I looked around elsewhere to get one… " She handed it off to Tokage. "...and I found it on one of your friends."
Tokage took one look, as did Kaminari and Yaoyorozu… only for all her eyes to widen.
170 points.
Tokage took out her prior 530 points again! If they had both of these, then… wait a second!
Momo felt an adrenaline rush coming.
"AND WHAT IS THAT INFO I'M GETTING LADIES AND GENTS?!" Present Mic shouted, one hand on his headphones.
Her heart felt like it was about to burst from her chest.
"BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A TIE FOR THE FOURTH PLACE! TEAM TOKAGE…"
Team Tokage: 700 Points!
Team Todoroki: 700 Points
"...AND TEAM TODOROKI!"
Present Mic then… looked at his co-commentator about what to do. He threw up his hands. Five teams?-
Midnight saw their struggle from the podium. She looked at Cementoss next to her, and as she saw him shrug as well, she cracked her whip.
"As this is unprecedented, we will decide what to do during the break!" She said. "For now, let's all get recharged before going onto the afternoon festivities!"
Eraser Head turned on his microphone. "Well said, Midnight."
Present Mic cleared his throat, and got his words back in order. "AND WHEN WE COME BACK, WE'LL SEE HOW 16 FROM THESE FIVE VALIANT TEAMS WILL ADVANCE… TO THE FINAL ROUNDS!"
Tokoyami looked up to the commentator booth… before looking over to the team they've tied with.
"We really cut it close, huh, Fumi?" Dark Shadow emerged.
"I'm sorry everyone!" Iida raised his fist, shaking with disappointment… directed to himself! "If only I could save my trump card just for a little while longer."
Reiko tilted her head, talking under her breath again. "Even though we advanced, it felt like we were skating on thin ice."
"It is fine, class president." Tokoyami, on the other hand, tried to be supportive. "Without you, we would have been out of the fight to begin with."
Iida looked at him with surprise.
"All we have to do now, is learn how they will decide on 16 out of 20 of us."
"Right…" Iida settled back down.
Yanagi got further away from them… Now that the event was done, they could be split off to their own classes.
She crossed her arms, and leaned against a wall–!
"Hey!"
Reiko almost jumped, seeing an exhausted and seething Monoma approach her.
"Yanagi…" He said, as an overwhelming sinister undertone as well as desperation was still in his voice.!
"I… I have to congratulate you on making it into the final couple of teams!…" he said, with one hand over his face. "...in spite of your entourage."
Her own eyes widened.
"I didn't do much." She bluntly stated.
"Oh, don't be all humble like the others, Yanagi." Monoma opened his arms. "You USED the lousy 1-A members of your team perfectly. YOU allowed that engine guy to execute his desperate assault. And at the end, seeing an unwinnable situation, you ensured a tie would happen!"
She honestly had no idea what he was talking about. They qualified with just the 700 of their own points, and as for helping Iida, that's… what exactly she did. She allowed him to use his trump card by levitating their own feet so they wouldn't trip over one another.
"Don't tell me you've gone soft as well!" Monoma saw her being unresponsive. "Come on!"
Reiko looked away this time. She wasn't looking to indulge him anymore–
"I can see your hair brushed back too!" he opened his hands. "Since when do you do that?!"
Her eyebrows went up, as she checked it. Yes, the left side of her face was uncovered.
Reiko fixed it back, covering her left eye once again.
With her burrow furrowed, her eyes turned to Todoroki in the distance and Yanagi stated plainly. "It was to see better."
Todoroki looked up at the commentators as well… before looking into his own left hand.
"I said I'd never use this to attack." he said frustratedly. "But as soon as I got overwhelmed… I broke my own promise."
His fist clenched. "At this rate he'll win… and I'll be just like how he wants me to be."
Endeavor looked annoyed, before retreating inside the stadium. His stomps had an extra weight to them now, as his expression held crooked.
"To think you were doing well earlier." He scoffed.
Tennyson was in the distance now, talking and laughing along with his team.
"His eleventh… new form." Todoroki thought. "The type of quirk he has…"
His eyes narrowed.
"It's strong…" He thought. "... and feels purposefully so."
"NOW, LET'S TAKE OUR HOUR LONG LUNCH BREAK! SEE YA SOON!"
Midnight cracked her whip. "Run the ads now!"
Present Mic relaxed in her seat. "Hey Eraser Head, let's go grab some food."
"Maybe I'll take a nap…" Eraser Head leaned to his microphone, and turned it off.
Present Mic noticed him getting up, and walking fast. That didn't look like a man who was going to grab a sleeping bag.
"Hey, where are you going?" he asked from the corridor.
Aizawa deadpanned. "Did you forget?"
There were some answers he wanted to get, and as he walked off to do so, the students in the field started to disperse to the cafeteria, along with others from their class.
"Mina, congrats." Asui said, as she met up.
Ashido however wasn't in the mood to party all that much.
"Thanks, but I really didn't do much." She said with a hand behind her neck. "Bakugo only asked me to join because I could melt Todoroki's ice and I didn't even get to do that. It's not like, you know, I really helped that much."
"Don't downplay yourself, ribbit." Asui responded. "You made it to the finals, without a tie. You should enjoy it!"
"Iida, you were holding out on us!" Uraraka ran in place. Even though she didn't get attacked by it, she had seen the Recipro burst from the giant screens. "I had no idea you could do that!"
"Rest assured, my intention to deceive you had no malicious intent." He robotically waved his hand. "I was just being strategic."
"What a strategy it was though." Jiro crossed her arms. "You know Chromastone probably didn't show it, but I'm sure you made Tennyson piss his pants a little."
"Language, Jiro!" Iida waved his hand again!
"Speaking of which…" Yaoyorozu joined their group. Her eyes traveled around, with a reluctant expression. "Have you perhaps seen where Tennyson went?"
Uraraka and Jiro looked around.
"Or Midoriya for that matter." Iida noticed another one of his fellow classmate's absence as well.
At the Faculty and Student Entrance just next to the exit that they had, stood Tennyson… and Todoroki.
They were alone, and face to face.
The light was just cutting in from the doorway, covering only half of each other's looks.
Tennyson stood tall in the presence of the blue iris on Todoroki's right side, enlightened by the light… and the black iris on his left, darkened by the shadows.
"Well, you asked, and here I am." Ben stated, trying to sort of lighten up the mood. "What did you want to talk about?"
Endeavor was also inside the tournament grounds, long since left the spectator seats, and walking down some stairs.
"YO." The flaming hero heard the unintentionally booming tone from behind him.
It pissed him off. He could hardly keep a lid on his quirk.
"LONG TIME NO SEE."
With a dark navy suit, white shirt, red tie, and his usual bulky physique, the number 1 hero… had appeared behind him.
"LET'S HAVE TEA AND CATCH UP, ENDEAVOR!"
That was the final straw though, his usual jovial and familiar tone. His flames couldn't help but actually grow larger, especially around his mask as a show of force.
He looked over his shoulder. "All Might…"