On the day of the festival, the students had to arrive at school at the crack of dawn, fraying Mallory's nerves even further. She could hardly sleep the night before, and had to force herself to eat breakfast. Despite not drinking coffee or energy drinks, she couldn't stop her jitters as they boarded a bus to the arena to avoid the already gathering crowds. Even as they entered the rear entrance, she could hear a mass of people setting up food stands and going through security.

Everyone was quiet at school, on the bus, and now in the locker rooms as they changed into their U.A. tracksuits. The tension was suffocating to her, and Mallory's hands trembled as she struggled to affix the tubes to her gas mask and tank.

Just as she finished getting ready (well, as ready as she could be) and headed towards the sitting room, Mina bounded over to her. She pressed herself against Mallory's side, demanding her attention. "Don't be so anxious, Mallory-chan! You'll be fine. I just wish we got to wear our costumes, though."

They caught up to Mashirao as they entered, and he overheard. "It's to keep things fair," he explained." He looked at Mallory, and at first she shrank, thinking he was criticizing her use of support equipment, but to her relief, he only smiled. "Well, since your petition was approved, I'm sure it's fine."

"Yeah, I'm so glad I'm allowed to use my special shoes!" Mina agreed. Mashirao and Mallory exchanged glances and laughed.

They were the last to enter the waiting room, but there was still time to kill, and she needed to calm herself down. Mallory tied up her hair, tested her gauges, stretched, and even helped Toru bend forward as far as she could with her legs stretched out while sitting. If she insisted she was touching her toes, well, Mallory would just have to take her word for it.

An announcement came over the loudspeaker. It was Mr. Aizawa, tiredly stating that there was just five minutes left before the students were to enter the arena. Her jitters came back in full force.

"Do I look stupid?" she asked Momo, suddenly aware of just how much she stuck out. "It only looks good with the rest of my costume, doesn't it? Oh, I shouldn't have brought this! I should take it off."

Before she could rip the gas mask off her face, Momo quickly consoled her. "You look fine, Tinker-san," she replied, putting a hand on her arm. "I think it would benefit you to keep it on."

"Yeah, you'll stand out for sure," Kyouka added, standing nearby and twirling an ear jack around her finger. She smiled. "Stop worrying about everyone else. Just focus on yourself."

Mallory took a deep breath and held it. They were right. She needed to calm down. But she never did well under pressure, and she had learned to keep a low profile at a young age. Before moving to Japan, she had been the subject of terrible rumors at school - some more true than others - and it had even affected her family, spreading outward into the area of Billings that she lived in. So being subject to scrutiny to an unfathomably large audience was enough to make her dangerously lightheaded.

Actually, she probably would have fainted had Tenya not burst into the room to announce that they were about to leave. He made her jump, causing her to exhale in surprise and realize that her lungs were screaming for air. It cleared her thoughts away, and for that she was grateful. Just focus on yourself. Just focus on yourself.

Well, she thought that, but that didn't stop her from getting distracted by Shoto suddenly approaching Izuku. The factual manner in which he said he would beat him made her shudder: she believed it. Both were strong, but Shoto had far better control of his Quirk. Mallory had no such imaginations that she stood a chance against them. But she hadn't considered Shoto to be the competitive type when he was so different from Katsuki, who she also thought to be a contender for strongest student.

If Shoto had approached her with such scathing words, she would only be able to meekly agree. But Izuku stood up for myself, proclaiming his determination to be on top. That stirred something in Mallory, and her breathing evened as she gazed at him in awe.

I want to be as confident as him….

There was no more time to think, for Present Mic's voice boomed through the arena, calling for the start of the sports festival. Mallory swallowed thickly as Tenya ushered everyone out of the room, towards the entrance to the arena where light poured into the corridor. She could hear the excited roaring of the crowd, drowning out everyone's footsteps and stopping her from hearing anymore downtrodden thoughts.

It was okay, it was okay. It would be okay. Just try to place in every event. Just try to get noticed by somebody important - preferably in a positive way.

They stepped onto the turf to unrestrained applause from all sides, countless rows high, and it took everything she had not to freeze in place. These people - so many of them were expecting quite the show. But could she give them that?

Just then, she felt a touch on her arm. It was Tsuyu. "Come on, let's go."

For some reason, receiving an order soothed her somewhat. It was a passive reminder that there was nothing she could do about the circumstances, so she could only make the best of it. She nodded. "Right."

They gathered in the middle, alongside the countless other students in attendance. She had almost forgotten that her place in the hero course was at risk, too, and it dried her throat. She had worked so hard to be there, had gone through so much! It couldn't end now...she couldn't let it end now. Her newfound resolve made her ball her hands into fists.

I want to believe that I deserve to be here.

A woman in a skin tight costume stood on the platform they faced, and she announced that it was time for the introductory speech. Excited murmuring rippled through the students and crowd - the male ones, anyway. Mallory was completely flabbergasted by the provocative clothing. This 'Midnight' lady was allowed to appear on TV looking like that?

She called Katsuki up to the stage, which surprised Mallory. She overheard a bitter jeer from a non-hero student in response, which made her wither inside. She had way too many targets on her back. She knew hero work was hard and full of scrutiny, but she wasn't certain that she was ready to face that yet.

"I want everyone to know that I'm going to win."

Mallory nearly fainted as anger erupted among her peers. I hate him! I hate him! Don't make this harder for me! Mallory thought in dismay as he nonchalantly left the stage, ignoring an aghast Tenya.

The response from the students didn't deter Midnight as she quickly moved on to begin the festival. A screen appeared behind her, words rolling like a slot machine faster than Mallory could read. When the spin finally stopped, Mallory wasn't sure how to react.

"And it looks like the first game is...an obstacle course!" Midnight said with a smile.

After the applause died, she went on to explain. "All the classes will participate in this race. Everyone will go around the perimeter of this stadium - about four kilometers!"

Okay, so that's two and a half miles...that's not bad. Mallory took a deep breath. She had run further than that the previous week, so the run itself wouldn't be a problem. But as for the obstacles….

"And I'd hate to restrain any of you," she added with a lick of her lips, making Mallory uncomfortable. "Therefore, as long as you don't leave the field, you can do anything you want! Now, to your places!"

As everyone headed for a large red gate, an idea came to mind. Mallory quickly flicked the dial on her gas mask, setting it to push air into the tank. There were a lot of disadvantageous implications to the rules, or lack thereof - namely someone would hurt her - but she had to hang on to any and every advantage she could get. She didn't think much of her Quirk, but now was the time to milk it for all it was worth.

She was only ready because she had to be. As the three green lights above the gate slowly counted down, she assumed a comfortable running stance. There was no fighting this, so her only option was to push forward.

Mallory checked her wrist, then looked back towards the corridor that would take them to the obstacle course.

Don't worry so much. You're a smart girl; you'll figure it out.

Mrs. Maki had said that the day before, and if that's what she said, then Mallory had to believe it. In fact, her aunt and uncle told her the same thing, almost verbatim.

I'll do what I can, Peter.

It was time to focus. Her ears were ringing, and her vision was tunneling, but she had a basic outline of what to do. Hopefully, she could work from there.

The last green light went out.

"Begin!" Midnight yelled.

Just as she thought, there were too many students to slip through the corridor to the outside, and the added urgency of the students only contributed to the chaos. Mallory managed to push her way closer to the front of the crowd, picking her position carefully. She felt almost thankful for that day in the cafeteria a few weeks ago, because she didn't feel nearly as frightened now as she did then.

I'm in control this time, she assured herself, hoping to burn away what remained of her anxiety. She didn't know what lay ahead, but for now she needed to stick to the current plan that she had already mapped out.

She was checking her gauge again when she felt a sudden strong chill, one that almost paralyzed her. Goosebumps ran along her arms as she looked up, just in time to see frost and ice race along the walls and ground towards her. She knew immediately what was happening; she had seen it once before.

Todoroki-kun is taking this seriously. I can't fall behind.

"Um, sorry!" Mallory shouted quickly, jumping as high as she could and putting her hands on the shoulders of two strangers in front of her to keep her elevated long enough to not get trapped. The ice encased everyone's feet up to their knees, and she just barely missed having her feet caught. That was a relief.

As everyone around her cried out in dismay and struggled to break free, she carefully picked her way through the throngs, taking large and purposeful steps. She was quick and nimble despite the slippery ground - she was a Billings girl after all, so she was accustomed to navigating ice and snow. She never expected her upbringing to help her like this, but she couldn't complain.

It felt somewhat cruel to execute her plan after Shoto's move, but she wanted to be sure she would stay ahead of the majority. At the very least, she had to make it through the preliminaries - both her and U.A.'s reputation counted on the hero students making it to the semi-finals minimum. That was why she pushed the button on her wrist, silently releasing her secret weapon as she made her way outside, where people had broken free and were starting to shuffle along the ground.

"What's that smell-?" No sooner did she hear the words that students began falling over, lulled to sleep by the sweet tang of sevoflurane. It was much more potent and faster than the isoflurane she had administered to Eijiro, and soon what remained of the students in the corridor fell asleep.

Mallory looked over her shoulder, finally making it outside. "Uh, sorry! They'll wake up soon!" she shouted to the alarmed peers that were trying to shake their friends awake, desperately trying to fight off the incessant drowsiness themselves. It didn't look like too many had actually lost consciousness, but every person counted.

"Looks like class 1-A is off to a roaring start! They're not letting anyone get in their way! I wonder how long the ones affected by Shoto Todoroki's ice and Mallory Tinker's gas will be out of the race? Could any of them catch up?" Present Mic bellowed from the press box. She could hear the crowd's cry of approval.

I know it's good to be signaled out, but now I just feel bad! Mallory lamented inwardly.

She shook off any trace of guilt she felt and sped up, catching up to the others from 1-A. Surely any one of the ones she left behind would have done the same if they could, so Mallory concentrated on pulling ahead. She could see Shoto in the distance, leaving a thick coat of ice in his wake with every step, but she was undeterred. She leapt over frozen protrusions and bounded ahead, though she was momentarily distracted by the sight of Katsuki flying.

He's amazing, she thought, admiring his versatility and mastery of a Quirk that had so much destructive potential. She wanted to be like that…. But why can't he be nice?!

The first turn was up ahead, and Mallory wondered with slight terror just what would be there as she ran alongside Izuku and Eijiro, then went ahead of them. Fortunately, she had trained with an even heavier load on her back, so the smaller weight allowed her to move even faster.

But speed wasn't her biggest concern. She was already at a disadvantage due to being in an open environment, and she wasn't sure if she could rely on the good graces of her classmates if she needed help with the obstacles. Then again, she had used Shoto's Quirk to increase the reach of her own without him knowing, but was riding off other people's backs really the best way to go?

Mallory shook her head. Put that out of your head! Who cares? Just get as high a place you can!

She spotted Minoru leaping from ball to ball with remarkable agility several feet ahead, and she watched him catch up to Shoto with ease. She wondered if he planned on making him stick to the ground when something suddenly slammed into him, sending him flying. Shocked, she skidded to a halt and watched him spin away, wondering if he would be alright.

Her gaze turned to see what was the cause, and her stomach dropped. Robots of varying sizes, from a head taller than herself to several stories tall, towered menacingly above the students, glaring down at them with beady red lights. She recognized them immediately; they must've been the leftovers of the entrance exam. She just barely passed that portion of the test, and had gotten hurt in the process! How on earth was she supposed to handle this?

Just as she prepared to kiss her chances of making it to the top forty-two goodbye, Shoto made his presence known yet again. A massive wall of ice sprung up from the ground where he touched, fully encasing one of the largest robots in an instant. Mallory was awestruck, but before she could think to move, it came crashing down. The gust of dust and wind that resulted from it's collapse nearly knocked her off her feet.

More students were behind her now, equally panicked by the enemies ahead of them and amazed by Shoto's raw strength. Mallory knew she wouldn't get anywhere by standing around, but what exactly was she supposed to do? If she just tried to run, any robots that saw her would chase her, and she couldn't count on being faster than them. She also doubted anyone would stop to help her-

But maybe someone would! As the robots steadily rumbled forward, Mallory scanned the rabble for someone in particular.

"Momo-chan!" she cried, racing towards her friend. Their eyes met. "Please, do you think you could make me some matches?"

Momo paused, then looked back out towards the robots. Some of their classmates were easily clearing the largest obstacles, and the remaining contestants were beginning to push forward as well. There wasn't much time for deliberation.

She closed her eyes, then rolled up the sleeve of her tracksuit. Her skin glowed purple and blue, and a small, slender box grew from it. "I understand your Quirk isn't ideal for this, but in the spirit of competition, I'm only giving you one." She handed over the matchbox, just big enough for one.

Mallory nodded, holding it tightly in her hand. "I understand. Thank you!"

Momo returned the gesture, and they ran into the fray.

The two didn't stick together for long. A small one point robot affixed it's gaze to Mallory, and soon began chasing her. She ran as fast as she could, pounding down the dirt path and breathing out. She kept looking over her shoulder to make sure it was straight behind her, unknowingly engulfing itself in pockets of propane gas. She made a mental note of when she started to dispel it, and when she was sure there was no one nearby, she stopped exhaling it. She ran the match over the strike pad and tossed it over her shoulder.

There was a roar behind her, and she felt heat rake over her back. But this time, she was far enough away to avoid being knocked off her feet. Success!

Before she had to worry about running between the largest robots and hoping she could avoid detection, more explosions shook the ground and made her ears ring. Massive blasts of something struck the robots, causing them to dent, spark, burst into flames, then collapse. Mallory looked behind her to see that Momo had produced a cannon, and was now making quick work of the remaining enemies.

She's amazing, too, she thought in wonder, but she didn't let her pace falter. Even so, she couldn't help but wonder if anyone would ever think the same of her. It looked like whatever mark she made at the start of the race was going to be forgotten at this rate.

AN:

Thank you so much for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts. I don't feel too good about this chapter to be honest with you. Upon rewatching the episode, it went by very fast! And no one's exact placement was made clear aside from Katsuki and Shoto - it was even hard to tell if Izuku was really falling behind at any point. That made it hard for me to give Mallory any kind of placement in turn until the end, but I think I justified her placement.

I hope you will continue your support by reading and sharing my story with other MHA lovers! Look forward to the next chapter!

I also want to thank everyone for their patience when I don't update. I'm a college senior in my final semester and I am in MANY group projects that take up a lot of time. I always try to keep the chapters ahead of publication and I don't update when I think I've gotten too close to what I have currently. It takes me one to two weeks to write a chapter. I hope you understand!

Go beyond!

PLUS ULTRA!