"I just wanna say: I'm gonna win."
Katsuki Bakugo's words echoed throughout my thoughts, covering up any attempt to calm myself down. I had known the Hero Course students were impressive since news of the USJ surfaced, but up until a few minutes ago, I didn't think that they were arrogant. However, with the grade representative's speech only containing those seven words, the thought my classmate, Hitoshi Shinso, had placed in my mind cemented itself as truth. I looked around at the other competitors. Since every first-year class was here, including the business classes, there were a total of two-hundred and twenty contestants in the first event: the obstacle race. No one knew how many they'd be cutting, although I had overheard some students speculating on how many they'd let in.
As my eyes washed over the crowd, they settled on a pair of green eyes complemented by fire-orange hair, tied in a side ponytail. I couldn't quite place my finger on it, but something seemed familiar about her. I assumed she was in the Hero Course, since I hadn't seen her in the General Studies Course, lacked the spiffiness of a Business Course student, and had none of the gadgets significant of a Support Course student. As I thought hard, trying to remember if I had ever seen her before, I was brought back to attention by a cold hand placed on the back of my neck. I jolted around and was greeted by Shinso's purple hair and pale skin.
"Hey, Kotachi, don't stare at the competition like that. They might get ideas that you like them, and we all know that's not true. Why don't you focus on figuring out how you can continue on without a quirk…oh wait, you can't. Still though, you can try to help those of us with quirks. Maybe you can take out one of those Class 1-A students if you really try. Don't respond either, I wouldn't want you to lose focus."
All I could do as I watched him walk back toward the group he was with prior was nod and stare. He was right, no matter what I thought of her, being a Hero Course student, not to mention a competitor, she was an enemy. An enemy I had to defeat. I looked over the rest of the students, somehow feeling a bit calmer now. I couldn't explain it, but despite his creepiness and bluntness, what Shinso had said relaxed me. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the green start lights flickering on. Their turning on meant there were thirty seconds until the race started. I turned all my attention toward listening for the R-rated Hero, Midnight's, start signal. All I could do was try. It didn't matter that I was effectively quirkless as far as he was concerned, I still had my athleticism and optimism. The big issue was figuring out how to avoid people's quirks. As Midnight shouted to signify the start of the race, I knew my first hurdle was making it through the doorway.
As the mass of runners made their way toward the door, I knew my starting position was less-than-optimal, with the obvious issue being the inevitable bottle-neck of the door. As I dashed forward looking for an opening, I suddenly felt a great chill in the air and looked down to see not my feet, but ice filling the doorway. Turns out I had tripped over a rock and had narrowly avoided the leader's ice attack. Awestruck by the sheer volume, I realized there was only one person who could've created it. As I crashed into a pink wall in front of me, I looked forward and, sure enough, saw Shouto Todoroki sprinting away, along with several of his other classmates and students who, like me, had managed to avoid the ice. Then I noticed something strange; the wall I crashed into was moving and in fact berating me.
"Hey! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, MISTER?!" I looked up and was greeted by a large pair of angry black eyes with yellow pupils, matched with an enraged mouth on a pink-skinned female's face. I looked down and saw a yellow-greenish substance secreting from her feet that seemed to be melting the ice whilst allowing her free movement. It seemed miraculous that her shoes weren't melting too, but this wasn't the time to worry about that. My legs were getting scrapes and bruises galore from being dragged on the rough ice, and my arms were wrapped around another human trying to shake me off. "Look, I know you want a free ride and all, but this is NOT THE WAY TO GET IT!"
I had to keep my grip steady until she stopped using her acid. I knew if I did drop, I'd at least lose my tracksuit, if not some important skin cells. "No can do, Pinky. Not until you stop using that acid. I just got this tracksuit and I'm not about to lose it in the first few minutes of the race."
"I guess you're right, can't blame ya there. Alright, well then, hang on! This may get bumpy." She returned her focus to navigating herself off the ice, quite a bit more stable now that she realized there was extra weight attached to her. When we were finally off the ice, she put away her AMD (Acid of Much Destruction), and I fell off. Lying on the ice, I took a little while to compose myself. She was breathing rather heavily herself, having just lugged a human a good 50 yards. I noticed that a little purple-haired kid had just been knocked away by a gigantic robot, so I decided that now would be as good a time as any to apologize.
"Hey, Pinky, sorry about that. I tripped in the tunnel and kinda wrapped my arms around you, as you could probably tell. I saw that your acid melted the ice and was afraid that my clothes would meet the same fate if they touched it. I should probably thank you for not shaking me off. I'm Un Kotachi, by the way. Boring General Course student extraordinaire!" Having gained her breath back, she was now smiling at me. This wasn't at all what I expected from a Class 1-A student, or a Hero Course student, for that matter, considering I had not only hitched a ride but did so in a rather odd way.
"Un Kotachi, huh? Well, guess the circumstances could be worse in a race like this, especially considering the robots up front. Gotta say I never thought I'd be facing them after seeing them in action in the Entrance Exam. By the way, my name's Mina Ashido, not Pinky. I guess you can tell that my quirk is acid. This stuff is so amazing. Not only is it great as a weapon, but thanks to these specially designed shoes, I can use it to glide across any surface too!" As she said this, a bit of acid secreted from her soles. "So you're from the General Studies course, huh? You're much cooler than that purple-haired guy. Maybe we can be friends after this is all over! I just gotta know what the General Course is like! For now though, we have to finish this race. Getting to the next round is more important than making friends. See ya around, Kotachi! I'VE GOT A ROBOT TO FI-"
She froze in her tracks as she turned around. I looked to where she was staring and my own jaw dropped. Not only did Todoroki manage to freeze the doorway, he also froze the three largest robots and sent them crashing down. "HOLY WOW! I KNEW TODOROKI WAS STRONG, BUT THAT?! THAT'S INCREDIBLE! He's never even faced them before, seeing as he got in on recommendation…Hey, Kotachi! You okay in there? Helloooooooo~!"
She had to smack my cheek a few times to snap me out of my trance. "Yeah, that really was impressive. My quirk is nothing compared to tha-Uh I mean, your quirk is nothing compared to that. How do you intend to deal with him if you end up having to fight in a one-on-one battle?" I gave a nervous chuckle at this last sentence. I had made a promise to someone years ago that I wouldn't reveal my quirk until they themselves thought the time was right. Clearly I had mused to the wrong person.
"HEY! That's rude to say to someone you just met! But you're right. He is amazing and so is his quirk. I wouldn't want to have anything to do with it in a one-on-one fight, but I'd probably figure something out. What is your quirk, anyway? You said it's not impressive, didn't you? I'm sure you just don't know how to use it best yet! I believe you'll figure it out eventually!" By this point several runners had passed us. "OH RIGHT, THE RACE! You can tell me about it later, see ya Kotachi, and good luck!"
With that, she ran off to join the fight against the robots. I clenched my fist in frustration, both toward myself and toward Shinso. I couldn't think that this girl was simply an exception. She was as normal as anyone in my class. A human being making the best of her quirk and her life. However, more importantly, I was upset with myself for almost revealing my quirk. The guy who I made the promise to was in the audience today and, having kept it for many years prior, I wasn't about to slip up now. I knew he would give me hell if I had let it slip. I shook my head and smiled to myself at the interaction I just had and made my way past the robots which had since been taken care of. I was at the back of the pack, but somehow that didn't concern me too much. After all, I still had time to make up lost ground.
Putting the robots behind me, I ran toward the next obstacle. I could still see a majority of the runners from my position, so catching up wouldn't be impossible. As I crested the hill I was on, I could see the next obstacle, and my heart jumped into my throat. An incredibly large canyon with several unstable-looking platforms had greeted me with intimidating emptiness. As I made my way closer, I noticed there were several cords attached to each platform.
I thought about my options for a few moments. I could always see if someone would give me a ride again, like that Ashido girl had, but the chances of that were slim at best. Looking forward, I saw about what I expected, many students making use of their quirks or gear to cross the canyon. One girl stuck out in particular, seeming to leap with the strength and grace of a frog. At the limit of her jump, she landed squarely on the cord and crawled to the next platform. Clearly, quirks were being tested here. Those who typically used them for offense would have to get creative in order to advance more quickly through the course.
I looked down at the inky blackness that seemed to have no bottom and thought to myself its application in the whole thing. Surely they wouldn't let students who miscalculated in their quirk, or were possibly pushed off, get severely injured. They'd be out of the competition, sure, but at least they wouldn't be injured. Regardless, there had to be some sort of trick to it. At this point, several students had clearly given up on making it to the next round.
"Business course students, huh? Well, guess the action of the tournament isn't really their style." I muttered this to myself as I pressed my index and middle finger to my right temple. I had to figure out a way to get over there quickly. I mused over my options again: Crawling across the cord was obviously the most reliable way to get there, but that wouldn't get me any closer to the leaders. Finding someone to either transport me using their quirk, as with that Ashido girl, or loan me equipment would be very quick, but impossible. Finally, there was always the option of leaping into the void and hedging my bets on it acting as a transportation system. I eventually decided the best course of action would be to take the risk and jump.. I had overheard Present Mic say that this if a student took a spill, they'd be disqualified. Maybe that wording could be manipulated and the third option would be much more attractive. Sure, I'd be taking a huge gamble here, but what if there were an exception for those who willingly jumped in? That would be getting creative, and it was the absolute only chance I had of catching the leaders.
I looked around at the remaining students who had all begun to cross the gorge and began second guessing myself. I thought back to my interaction with Ashido, and her bright smile and amiability despite having been an unwilling taxi and how Shinso made her class out to be the absolute enemy. For her sake, for my own, and to beat Shinso, I had to win. I couldn't let myself be intimated by a measly canyon, nor the prospect of disqualification. I would have no chance of reaching All Might's level if I didn't take a risk for those I felt must be protected Feeling driven, I took a deep breath, leapt up and while not shouting it, I kept his powerful catch phrase in mind. "PLUS ULTRAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaa~!"
I'll say right now that free-falling is an interesting feeling. With nothing but your body to propel or drag you, you feel completely helpless as the ground nears. In this case, though, I couldn't see the ground. All I could see as I plummeted was the inky blackness of the canyon. As I reached what I assumed to be the bottom, everything vanished: My sight, my hearing, even my sense of smell. I felt like I wasn't moving at all. At first, I thought I had died, that I had been wrong in my assumption that they had a failsafe in place. However, as I floated senselessly, I started to feel movement again. I could hear again too. Something didn't feel right, though. I was still in free-fall, but I was falling…up?
"W-w-whooooAOOOA!" I struggled to open my eyes. I don't know if I was in shock from the sudden return of feeling or something else, but a second later I forced my eyes open and saw that I was going back up. I wasn't just going back up, either. I was on the other side of the canyon. So I had been right. I couldn't relax yet, though. I was still in freefall and had to make it out. After that experience, I'd rather keep all five senses in tact at all times, if possible. Realizing I was facing the wrong way, I had to not only twist myself around in mid-air, which posed its own challenge, but also land safely. As I neared the apex of my path, I realized that I could make it up without having to grab on to the ledge. Forcing myself around, I first made sure I was facing the canyon edge. After this, I tucked my legs and braced myself for landing. Two seconds later, I was on the ground on the other side of the canyon.
Relieved at myself for making it out successfully, I collapsed onto the ground. As I was laying down, catching my breath, I looked back to the obstacle and found a majority of the people still there. I figured there couldn't be more than twenty people still ahead of me, the perfect amount for advancing to the next round. I took note of a few people who were still behind me, including Ashido, who was on the final platform, and Shinso, who was a few platforms back.
"C'mon Shinso, you have to make it through. I know you're a jerk, but being able to publicly destroy you will make me feel so much better." I snickered at this last part. Yeah, right. I couldn't beat him. I'm pretty quick on my feet and in my mind, but that's nothing to someone with an actual quirk. Still though, he seemed to have counted me out earlier, so beating him here would be enough for a moral victory over him.
After spending a few more seconds on the ground to catch my breath, I stood back up and noticed that I felt a little off. I felt like my legs weren't moving how I wanted them to. I decided to shake this feeling off and continue, since it was probably from the temporary sensory deprivation I experienced earlier. I could hear a huge uproar coming from the stadium, but I assumed something major had to be happening ahead of me. Sure enough, as I walked on, trying to regain my legs, I noticed a booming sound coming from ahead of me. It had to be the next obstacle, there's no other explanation for it, with the smoke that followed confirming my suspicions. I eventually regained full control of my legs, but I felt abnormally out-of-breath, so I had to stop a second and collect myself, thinking about everything that'd happened in the race and how much I still had left.
"Well, they sure do get the flashiness right. Can't blame them, I guess. Not only is it free publicity for the students, it's also a major fundraiser for the school. I'd seen it so many times on television, but to be able to compete…it feels like I'm drea-OWW! DEFINITELY NOT DREAMING!" I turned toward the slap and was greeted by Ashido's pink face.
"KOTACHI? HOW'D YOU GET UP HERE?! ONE MINUTE YOU WERE BEHIND ME, THE NEXT YOU POPPED UP OUT OF THE CANYON! Tell me, is your quirk teleportation? Because that'd be sooooo cool! Oh, but tell me while we run. This is still a race, after all!" She was as peppy as she had been a few minutes ago. I agreed and we started running toward the next obstacle. "Oh yeah, I also noticed that your freckles are a normal color again. I was far away at the time, but when you came flying out of the canyon, it looked like they'd turned green."
"No, my quirk isn't teleportation. In fact, I don't think I have one. As I said, I'm pretty boring, and I'm only in this school because I scored well on the General Studies entrance exam. I do have to think you were hallucinating with my freckles being green. I can't think of any reason they'd turn a different color. Regardless, it's a good thing I caught up, huh? Now maybe I actually can make it to the next round. Me, a quirkless boy with all the other heroes-in-training. Maybe I'll even land some kind of sponsor!" I knew that last part wasn't true, but I could always dream. I turned to my new friend and asked her a question I'd been wondering. "Hey, Ashido, are the other students in your class as friendly as you? Shinso, the purple-haired guy, put the idea in my head that the lot of you were egotistical and rude, but you aren't that way at all."
"Huh?" She seemed to be taken aback by what I said, and she slowed down a bit before returning to pace. "Yeah, they're all pretty friendly. There're a few who aren't necessarily what I'd call sociable, but all of them are pretty cool!"
I was delighted to hear that. As someone who typically tries to see the best in everyone, it's always great to get my suspicions confirmed. After a few more moments of running, and the ever-increasing volume of the explosions, the two of us arrived at the last obstacle: A minefield.
"W-woah! THOSE ARE ACTUAL MINES!" Ashido looked shocked to see these. I don't think she realized how unpowerful they were.
"Yes, they are mines, but take a closer look, both at the color of the smoke and the condition of those who trigger them. They aren't very powerful, just showy. That means we can get through without too much trouble. We still have to be careful though. Don't want any unnecessary explosions." As I said this, there was a huge explosion in front of us and a green-haired kid protected by a sheet of scrap metal was sent flying. "Besides, that kid just used like twenty mines to launch himself into the lead." That was weird. Usually I'd be shocked by something that loud. The adrenaline must have really been flowing.
"That's no kid, that's Izuku Midoriya! He's my classmate!" Ashido seemed to be incredibly excited by this. I can only assume she took the same course of action as me, following this Midoriya until he landed. "He's amazing! He doesn't look like much, but once you see him in battle, you'll know why he's in the Hero Course."
From her excitement, I could infer that Midoriya was another great person like her. But that wasn't important right now. Right now, all that mattered was getting to the end of the course before Shinso.
"Alright Ashido, you ready? I can see someone made an ice path about halfway through, so if we can reach that we'll beeeeeee…" As I said this last line, I suddenly felt nauseous. I lost all feeling in my legs and my vision started to fade.
"Hey, Kotachi. KOTACHI! Don't worry Kotachi ill….get….somewhere…sa…" I could barely make out these last few words and had no idea where exactly they were coming from. As my hearing faded completely, I could feel myself hit the ground, and then an inky blackness overtook me.
I don't know how much time passed between losing consciousness and waking up with the old lady standing over me. Having just regained consciousness, I had to take a few moments to register my surroundings. I finally recognized her as Recovery Girl, the school nurse, whose quirk was, well, recovery. Seeing her, I expected to find myself in the infirmary, but as I listened more closely, I could hear the roaring of the crowd and saw open sky above me, which had to mean I was still in the stadium.
"Hey, Recovery Girl?" I turned to the lady beside me. "Why am I still in the stadium and not in the infirmary?"
"There's a reason for that, sonny. You collapsed out on the course and that pink girl you were with carried you all the way to the end on her back. It was really quite impressive. As for why you are still here, my initial examination of you showed me something odd. You weren't even unconscious when you arrived in the stadium, you were just asleep. It's incredibly strange. However, since you are fine, there's something more important you need to worry about right now."
I sat up, noting how normal I felt. Quite odd considering I had blacked out on the course. Ahead of me, I could see Midnight talking with some people. They looked like they were arguing over something. They had likely been doing this for a few minutes as it looked like they had just reached a conclusion. As the group dispersed, Midnight, noticing I had woken up, *walked* over to me with an unusually nosebleed-inducing strut, although that may've been from the shock of the extreme difference between her and Recovery Girl.
"Hey, you're Un Kotachi, right? I have a few words for you. That little stunt you pulled in the Obstacle Race was quite daring and a bit naughty. Personally, I was incredibly excited by it. However, the other judges didn't seem to share that. As you were told, falling or otherwise slipping up would result in disqualification. We didn't expect anyone to intentionally jump into the canyon, so we had to figure out whether or not that was within acceptable constraints. It's unfortunate, but we decided to remove your advancement to the next round for doing that." I was speechless. I had known I was risking a lot when I did it, but it was the only way I had a chance of advancing. I looked down at my legs. That feeling, it ended up being for nothing. I then thought about Ashido and how she went out of her way to make sure I finished the race. It had all been for nothing. My thoughts then turned to what Midnight had said and I noticed something.
"Hey Midnight, you said that I wouldn't advance to the next round. Does that mean Ashido made it? The pink girl who carried me to the end?" I was hopeful. If I had made it, surely she would have too. As long as she didn't lose out on the chance because of me, I couldn't be upset with my disqualification. I got my answer almost immediately after I'd asked.
"Yes, she made it so no need to fret there." She chuckled to herself as she said this. "It was actually kinda invigorating seeing a competitor caring so much for another. Make sure to thank her when you can. That said, there's another piece of good news. The top forty-two places in the race advanced. You were in the upper twenties, but because you were disqualified, the forty-third place student has replaced the spot you lost out on. You probably wonder how that's good news. Well, we were just about to announce the next event when suddenly this awful sound rang out from the back of the group. It turns out one of the students overused his quirk during the race, causing him severe stomach problems. He was taken to the infirmary but he's unable to continue on because of it."
"How is this good news for me? All it tells me is that some other lucky student gets to continue on. Unless…I guess I wouldn't still be lying here, ogl-I mean talking to you about this for no reason." I gasped. Was she saying what I think she was saying? Was I that lucky student?! I jumped up and stared into her aqua eyes, dead serious. "Are you telling me that I'm that lucky student? But…how? I was asleep, so how could I have possibly done anything to advance?"
"Calm down there, boy. This intensity is too much for me." Shaken by this sudden, but not unexpected innuendo, I backed off, a bit hot in the face, apologized, and asked her to continue. "But yes, you were the one chosen to advance. We decided that the only fair way to determine who would get to move on would be through a raffle. We didn't expect it to be you, but I guess that's just the way life works. So lucky you, you get to continue. We got Recovery Girl's okay as well, so once she's dismissed you, make your way over to the stage so you can hear the rules for the next game. We won't be waiting for you, so do make it snappy." She turned around and walked back toward the stage. I couldn't believe what I had just heard, I really was lucky. Not only did I have a chance to continue on and prove myself, but I also had the opportunity to thank Ashido for helping me I looked over to Recovery Girl, who only smiled and pointed toward the stage. She must've been dismissing me from her care. I thanked her and made my way over to the stage, not willing to squander this chance.
I reached the stage a bit after Midnight had started explaining the rules. From what I had gathered, the game was pretty simple. Teams of two to four members would be given point values based on their placement in the race, with the winner being worth one-million points. Because I'd technically placed last, I'd probably be worth the least. Not that it really mattered, there was a lot of game to play, after all. I looked around at everyone who had advanced. It looked like all of Class 1-A made it, I could only assume that 1-B mostly made it too, considering they're trained for that kinda thing. I didn't have too long to look over my competition and figure out who I wanted to make a team with, but judging from everyone's emotions when Midnight dismissed us to create teams, they all seemed to be sticking to their own classes. I wasn't surprised: In a game that's all about teamwork, getting along with your partners is important. As I was looking over the crowd, I was approached by someone.
"I gotta say, I'm surprised to see you here. When they announced your disqualification, I thought it was the end of you. Although I can't say there's anything to worry about. After all, even if you're lucky, you're still quirkless." I recognized that cold voice. Shinso was walking toward me as he spoke, so clearly he had made it. I don't know what his angle was here, but I didn't want any part of it.
Without turning around, I responded. "Yes, I'm here, what of it? I made the most of the opportunities presented to me, took a risk, and it ended up paying off. Big d-" I was cut off by a sudden dizziness. I was worried. This was just like earlier…no wait, it wasn't. There was a difference here. I couldn't tell what it was, but there was definitely a difference. I could hear a voice talking to me, but it wasn't clear. My vision was blurred and I could only focus on one thing: Joining Shinso and helping him win. I'm not entirely sure what happened after this, but the next thing I knew, I felt a sharp stinging sensation on my arm.
"OWOOWOOOW THAT STINGS!" With this shock, the haziness of my thoughts cleared and, after blowing on it for a few seconds, the burning sensation died down. It may've been temporary, but I never wanted to be woken up like that again. I looked around to gather my surroundings. I was with Shinso and he was talking to two other people, a blonde guy with a tail and a short gray-haired boy. Both had vacant stares, as if they weren't aware of what was going on around them. I didn't have much time to think about this because of the person next to me
"KOTACHI! OHMIGOSH I'M SO SORRY! I didn't mean to get acid on you, I was just so excited to see you back and awake! Oh, but before you ask, I'm not here to form a team with you. I'm already with someone else in my class. I just saw you and I guess I lost control of my quirk temporarily as I was dashing over. I guess we're even now for you hitching a ride earlier." That excited voice could only belong to one person. I turned around to face the girl who'd brought me into the stadium.
"Oh, hey Ashido. It's alright. I'd be excited too if I were you. I can imagine how awful you must've felt after I was disqualified after you carried me all the way to the end. Thanks for that, by the way. I mean it, from the bottom of my heart. If it weren't for you I would probably be in the infirmary right now, although there was nothing wrong with me. For whatever reason, I was not unconscious, but asleep when Recovery Girl took control of me. Anyway, I'm mostly fine now and have this Cavalry Battle to prepare for." I didn't want to tell her that she'd broken me out of a trance. She'd already been worrying about me enough. "Anyway, I need to go back to my team so we can start planning things out. You should, too."
"Yeah, you're right. Great to see you here and well! Buh-bye, and good luck!" Ashido smiled and ran back to her team. I looked over to my own. Seeing the two boys completely at Shinso's whim was disheartening to say the least, but I wasn't sure if I could bring myself to snap them out of their trance.
"Hey, Kotachi. Why don't you come back over here? We need to 'strategize' a bit." Shinso was calling me back over, his voice as chilling as ever. Did he know I had been freed from his grasp? I wasn't sure exactly how his quirk worked, so I had to tread lightly. I walked over to where he was without saying a word. "So, Kotachi. I want to tell you the stakes here. I know I no longer control you, but that doesn't matter. I'll tell you right now, though, that if I find you attempting to throw the match for us in any way, I won't hesitate in attempting to re-brainwash you. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to do this. In fact, I hate being the villain, it goes against everything I work for. However, I won't get the chance to prove myself as a hero if I don't get any farther than this." I could feel an unusual amount of emotion in his voice and suddenly understood not only his animosity toward the Hero Course, but also what he was doing here and his reason for existing. His quirk was horrid for being a hero in the traditional sense. It was something straight out of a fiction novel, villains taking control of people. He was fighting an uphill battle against the current of a raging river. As his classmate, and now teammate, it was important that I helped him achieve his goal, even if I didn't agree with his methods here.
About ten awkward minutes passed before Midnight announced that the preparation time was over. As they passed out the headbands, Shinso let me in on his strategy: Wait until the end of the game when the most points are on a few teams and then strike one of the top four. It was a nice strategy, but wholly reliant on the opponent talking to him. I looked around at the other teams. That Midoriya guy had the highest point total at 1,000,000, with a combined team total of 1,000,325. The other teams were more realistic in point value, but I knew none of that mattered in the end. What we had to do was get just enough to advance. I looked at my teammates, two of them still wholly unaware of what was going on. I knew Shinso wouldn't apologize to them, but I figured I would since I was awake the whole time.
As Midnight signaled to begin the competition, it was clear many teams were going for the big value. As long as we held back for a while, we'd be fine. I took this time to look around at all the other quirks in action. As I had originally thought, students from similar classes had stuck together. Looking around, I spotted several two-person teams, which amazed me. It wasn't a bad strategy, offering more mobility and a wider range of protection than a four-person team would, but at the same time decreasing the number of attacks that could be defended against at once.
Somewhere into the competition, Shinso had his headband stolen. At the time, I was more interested in everyone focusing on Midoriya's team, so I didn't get a chance to see who stole it. It was quite impressive how simple numbers were so important to people when, in the long run, the only thing that mattered was getting enough to advance. At some point I looked at the clock to see how long we had left. About three minutes remained in the cavalry battle, so there wasn't much to worry about. It was around this point that a familiar frost covered the playing field. Todoroki must've used his ice quirk to freeze all his opponents. I looked over to the epicenter of the ice-flood and noticed him squaring off with Midoriya's team. Interestingly enough, Midoriya had managed to assemble a team of four, and they had done quite well in avoiding the onslaught up to that point. I looked around some more and saw Bakugo's team fighting some blonde guy's team. I looked at just the right time, as Bakugo broke through a barrier formed by the lead member's quirk and swiped the team's final headband. I noticed Ashido was over there too, that must've been who she'd teamed up with. The way she used her acid to slide around at high speeds was still impressive, even in the face of Bakugo's immense power.
Seeing that the action in Bakugo's neck of the woods had subsided, I looked to the poor souls whose team members were trapped in the ice and saw a familiar ponytail accompanied by an unfamiliarly large hand. An interesting quirk, to say the least. Sadly, I'd have to wait a while to see if the quirk's owner was as interesting, as well as figure out why I couldn't shake the feeling I recognized her, because as I was gawking, Shinso let me know it was time to make our move.
"Hey, Kotachi, look what I see over there." Shinso pointed to a group of four with lots of stolen headbands. I looked up at the scoreboard. So that was Team Tetsutetsu, huh? I looked back to the team. They didn't appear to be focused on anyone other than those with points, understandably so. Shinso signaled to start toward them, suggesting we walk calmly. With the chaos of the battle between Team Todoroki and Team Midoriya, a calmly approaching team wouldn't be viewed as much of a threat. We walked over to them and, of course, Shinso did the talking.
"So, you're Team Tetsutetsu, huh? That's a nice amount of points you have there, it would be shameful if someone were to steal them." I wasn't sure how he'd manage this. He had to successfully hypnotize all four members of the team in order to steal their headband.
"Oh yeah!? And just who are you?" Tetsutetsu was pretty feisty. That would change soon, though. He suddenly quieted down, signifying that Shinso'd successfully gotten into his head. That was one down. His teammates must've noticed that he quieted down at the end of the sentence.
"What'd you do to him?" A green, thorny-haired girl shouted at us, but she wouldn't get her answer for a while since she, too, succumbed to Shinso's brainwashing. The other two spoke out simultaneously, meeting the same fate as their teammates. For some reason what they said didn't stick with me, but I brushed it off as me being too focused on the task at hand.
"My name is Hitoshi Shinso, and I'm the one you're going to give your headbands to." Right on cue, Tetsutetsu removed the headbands from around his head and neck and handed them to Shinso, who wrapped them around his own neck. "Thanks, and sorry about this. It just had to be done. You'll be back to normal as soon as the game is over."
With that, we walked away. I looked up at the scoreboard as the buzzer signifying the end of the game rang out. We'd taken Team Tetsutetsu's third place score, cementing our place in final round, but at what cost? I was unhappy with how we'd ended up getting there, even though I knew it was well within the boundaries of the competition. At this point I had to make a decision. Did I leave my teammates, who were clearly disoriented and confused, in the dark about what had happened, or did I spill everything I knew about this? After thinking for a few moments, it was clear what I had to do, but the real question in my mind was: "Would they forgive me?"