Midnight went on to explain the additional rules.
They were pretty basic. The rider had to wear the headband on their head or neck, directly attacking other students with the intent to make them fall or injure would get you disqualified, and if the rider fell to the ground, Midnight would determine if the team was disqualified depending on how it happened, in other words, whether a quirk was used to just shatter it or if the rider just fell on his own.
He was listening, but at that moment Izuku was busy inside his own head. He had made up a team, he thought he could lead to victory. He just had to get her them.
The first was easy.
Mina was looking at him with a surprised look, her eyes darting from him to Uraraka, but when Midnight's talking ended, he went over to her, and she didn't disappoint.
"Sure." She grinned. "I like a team with friends better anyway!"
He smiled.
"Thank you!"
"Any plans for the fourth member? Or are we doing this as a trio?"
Mina asked as she followed behind him as he began walking again.
"No… We NEED a fourth member. Anyway, I've got someone in mind."
That someone was a tall, blue-haired boy who looked like he was in his early twenties, not 15.
"Iida!"
The tall boy turned at his call.
"Yes, Midoriya?"
"We need a fourth man on our team."
"... I see."
Uraraka, Mina, and Izuku stepped around Ida, forming a closed circle of the four friends.
"You three will form the horse, with Iida in front, Mina on the right and Uraraka on the left. I'll be rider. With my webbing, I can get back to the three of you in case Uraraka needs to throw me to avoid the headband being taken. That gives us a good level of increased mobility. Also, I'm really damned strong, so I can guard against any physical attack in any case."
He turned to Uraraka.
"Uraraka will be our gravitational center. She can make all of us weightless, making our mobility way easier, but she's also strong enough to move all os us, while still anchoring herself. Also her strength is great for defenses too."
He turned to Mina.
"Mina will be providing acid to deny the rest of the teams mobility to attack us. Also, her physical ability will be great for guarding."
And finally, he turned to Iida.
"Lastly there's, you Iida, you'll be our front. With your sturdy legs and propulsion, you'll be good at both defence, and to move us in a pinch if we need to. Our strategy will essentially be defence and mobility. We run around for the entire match, making sure no one can snatch our band."
It was a good plan. One he had full confidence in. It WOULD work.
Iida killed it with less than 20 words.
"... You've really thought of everything Midoriya. As I would expect of you. But, I'm sorry. I refuse."
All of them stared at him in shock.
Well everyone except for Venom.
"The fuck do you mean, I refuse!?"
Iida was not taken aback by the hostile reaction.
"Ever since the entrance exam, I have been losing out to you guys, again, and again. It is precisely because you guys are stronger than me, that I must refuse. Untempered as I am now."
Venom wouldn't hear of it.
"You can't just leave us in our time of need you… You DICK!"
Iida's eyes went over to Uraraka.
"Bakugou and Todoroki aren't the only people who see you two as rivals. So here, and now… I too challenge you."
And with that, he turned and walked over to Momo, Todoroki, and Kiminari, who had been standing off by themselves clearly waiting for him.
Izuku stared after him, feeling despair as his plan fell to pieces.
Venom, felt only wrath.
"THAT BACKSTABBING, TREACHEROUS, FALSE CUNT! WE WILL REMEMBER THIS TENYA IIDA! WE WILL HAVE OUR REVENGE UPON YOU FOR YOUR BETRAYAL!!!"
Mina and Uraraka just stared at him.
"Dude, I get it, he was kinda a dick, but that's… That's kinda a bit extreme reaction, isn't it?
Venom snorted, and without a further word, he fused himself back inside Izuku's shirt.
For a moment the 3 just stood there in silence. Finally, Izuku spoke.
"We… We Need a fourth member. It doesn't matter who, but we NEED a fourth member to make this work."
He turned to look at the two girls.
"We should split up and try and find someone. ANYONE will do!"
They nodded and, without a further word, they went their separate way.
… for about half a minute, when Mina came up to Izuku, just after he was turned down by Tsuyu, who had apparently been sniped by Shoji and Mineta.
"Hey."
Izuku was startled as she pretty much popped up to his side without any warning.
"Mina? S-Shouldn't you be looking for a fourth member?"
The pink girl, wearing a curious, questioning expression, was nonplussed.
"We can look together. No problem with that right?."
Izuku wanted to object, to say that they would have a better chance to find someone if everyone went alone. But Mina silenced that with her next words.
"Also, I had something I wanted to ask you about anyway. This seemed a good time to do it."
He stared at her for a moment. Then relented, and they began walking looking for a potential fourth member.
He was silent for a bit before he asked.
"So… What did you want to ask?"
"Why were you so eager to form a team with Uraraka?"
The tone wasn't angry, or annoyed. Just genuinely curious.
"Is… Is there a reason I shouldn't have been? I mean, we are friends just like you and me are."
"Well, yeah, but that's not what I was talking about. I was heading over to you after talking with that… Girl , when that 10 million surprise dropped."
"You looked absolutely devastated. Like, I thought for a moment I'd heard wrong, and it was the fourth spot who got that number as a random surprise. But no, it was Uraraka. Then 10 seconds later, you just blurted out for the two of you to team up. What was that?"
Izuku stopped walking. He didn't plan to, but he did. Mina stopped too, just looking at him with those black eyes of hers.
"I…" How to explain this? "I… When Uraraka got that… Million on her head, everyone… Everyone turned on her. Like… Everyone around her. At least those I could see. I don't know about those behind me."
She stared at him.
"You… Didn't like that she was picked out as a target."
It was a statement, not a question.
"No, I… Well yeah, but that's not it. Not really. I… I don't like it when people just turn on someone. Like… We should be friends, right? Comrades, classmates, and all that you know? Like… I feel like this should have been a moment where we came together. Like, Uraraka became a target, and needed support."
He clenched his fist.
"Instead, the exact opposite happened. She became a target, and EVERYONE turned on her, for… For convenience sake."
He tried not to make the bitterness show in his voice. He failed miserably.
It brought back memories. Not of those who had supported Katsuki back during his middle school. Instead, the ones he remembered was those who couldn't be bothered. Those who saw him being targeted and singled out, and just stood there and condoned it.
Those who couldn't be bothered, because doing so was inconvenient to them personally.
As he saw the rest of the students out of the corners of his eyes, he saw that exact same thing. Not as indifferent, and certainly way more guilt as they glanced over at them, but it was the same sentiment.
It was everything he didn't want to be.
Mina stared at him.
"So… You really didn't like that she was singled out, so you gave her support when no one else did? You… Didn't do it just because it was Uraraka? You would have done that for anyone who got number one?"
He searched within himself for a moment. Not a long moment though.
"Yes. I would. I… I don't like people being singled out. And I HATE that people don't help them when they are."
Mina's expression went from questioning, to one much more like her regular face. When she replied, it was with a supportive, almost relieved tone.
"Wow. You're… A really cool guy Midori."
He did blush. But he took the compliment with a smile.
"In that case, I'm really glad miss octopus didn't get first place then. Man, could you imagine us having to team up with HER?"
...
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