"Let's announce our winners right away! In first place, Todoroki Shoto's team!" Present Mic had been speaking as Mallory reconciled with the loss, and craned her neck to look at the scoreboard as everyone's point values flashed. Well, her team didn't end up with zero points, but they were nowhere near the top four. She still felt somewhat bitter about it, but not enough to scorn the winners. Everyone worked hard; she just wasn't good enough.
"In second place, Bakugo Katsuki's team!"
Will I ever be as good as any of them? she wondered, pace sluggish as she headed towards the ice that had appeared earlier to congratulate the teams.
The announcement of the third place team, however, gave her pause. Shinso Hitoshi? Who was that? She looked around, and her eyes widened when she spotted the tired boy from before smiling confidently. Mashirao and Aoyama didn't look too pleased, and she understood instantly. It only thanks to Pony's quick thinking that she hadn't given up her own team's points, and she still wasn't sure what had exactly happened. Whatever he had done, he must have had better success with all the other teams that had no points.
Mallory looked down. Her memories felt hazy, but she knew that he had controlled her. That kind of thing was scary, wasn't? The thought struck her like lightning. Suddenly, she really wanted to talk to him, because it was just too unfair. She had been intimidated by him initially, but...just because a person had a scary Quirk didn't mean he was scary, nor did it mean he was bad - right?
"And finally, in fourth place, Midoriya Izuku and his team!"
She had abruptly changed direction, and was now marching straight towards Hitoshi's group. He must have caught her from the corner of his eye, because he looked at her over his shoulder, and she froze again. His dark eyes pierced right through her, as though he was uncovering everything she was, everything she did. The cold and bitterness she felt were familiar, frightening friends, and she swallowed thickly. Without a word, he instead headed for the hall out of the arena rather than formally acknowledging her as Present Mic called for an hour lunch break.
"Does he not like me…?" she asked aloud as Mashirao approached her.
Mashirao shook his head. "I don't think so." To her surprise, her polite and gentle classmate was glaring in Hitoshi's direction. "Or rather, I don't think it's just you."
"Ojiro-kun? What's wrong?"
He hesitated, and seemed to be struggling to find the words. His expression became one of worry and puzzlement as he shook his head. "It's just...I don't know." He sighed helplessly, but before she could ask if he wasn't feeling well, he offered a small smile. "Let's just go to lunch, okay?"
If he didn't want to talk about it, then there was nothing she could do, so Mallory merely nodded and followed him back inside.
After putting away her gas tank, she met up with her classmates back in the school. Despite the loss, it was hard to linger on it for long when the girls had saved her a seat, much to her joy. U.A. had offered her so many new experiences already, but the most dear to her were the friends she was making. Truly, companionship tasted even sweeter than she imagined. She even received a text from Mrs. Maki, who was sorry that she didn't make it to the finals, but proud of her all the same.
However, something went awry in the middle of lunch, such that Mallory found herself in an orange cheerleading uniform that showed far more skin than she was used to.
"Uh...are we sure this is right?" she asked sheepishly. All of the girls were in the locker room, having just finished changing. She tugged at the hem of the shirt, conscious of the fact she was showing her belly button.
Kyoka had her arms across her chest, and Ochaco was pulling at the skirt; it seemed that they weren't entirely onboard, either.
"This is according to Aizawa-sensei," Momo reminded them, seeming at ease. Well, considering how much skin she had to show as part of her Quirk, it was no wonder she seemed to have no issue with this. Although, Mallory became quite more aware of just how slender and petite she was in comparison to her peers, and she wasn't sure what to make of that.
"Yeah, but you heard about it from Mineta-kun," Tsuyu pointed out, adjusting the fancy bow she had styled her hair in.
Mallory nodded in agreement. She wasn't quite sure this was legit, but before she could say anything, Present Mic came over the loudspeaker and announced the start of the recreational games, though there was no mention of the so-called cheer competition that was supposed to take place at the same time. Grabbing their pom-poms, the girls headed out to the field with varying degrees of trepidation.
It became immediately apparent that something was off. When they entered the arena, they were the only ones wearing cheerleading uniforms, even though it was something all the girls were supposed to be doing, according to Minoru.
"Woah, what's going on, 1-A girls? What kind of fan service is this?" Present Mic exclaimed in shock. Mallory's heart tumbled down to her stomach.
"They tricked us!" Momo cried in despair, and fell to her knees in shame. Ochaco bent down to comfort her as Kyouka threw down her pom-poms in anger. Mallory awkwardly crossed her arms over her chest, also covering up her stomach. Her face was burning with embarrassment, but said nothing.
However, despite the trickery, Toru wanted to cheer nonetheless. "It's fine! Let's just give it our all!" she cheered, waving her pom-poms wildly in the air.
Mallory was far from eager to wear the outfit any longer, but before she could have a chance to escape to the locker room, Present Mic explained how the finals would proceed. It was a classic one-on-one bracket, and it made her knees shake just thinking about it. Maybe it was a good thing she didn't make it so far...not that she would tell anyone that. She really did try her hardest, but she figured her peers would accuse her of not being serious enough if she admitted to being so scared and certain of failure.
I just...I don't like my Quirk.
"Now, let's draw lots to determine the bracket," Midnight announced, holding up a yellow box. She quickly explained that the recreation would start after this, and the finalists could choose to participate or not. Mallory glanced at Ochaco and Mina, wondering what they would do.
However, before the first lot was drawn, Mashirao raised his hand. "Excuse me, but...I'm withdrawing," he muttered, looking down.
Everyone was taken by surprise. Izuku and Iida protested immediately, and Mallory couldn't help but agree. Mashirao was ready to show off to the pros, she knew it. He had so much skill, so much to demonstrate. It would be a shame to lose such a great opportunity!
However, he then explained that he didn't remember the cavalry race at all, and suggested it was due to Hitoshi's Quirk. That revelation gave her pause. Now that some time had passed, her memory was getting foggier and foggier. She could hardly recall what happened between when he spoke to her and when Pony released the gas. She scanned the crowd and saw Hitoshi not too far from her, looking away as though silently admitting his guilt.
Mashirao went on to explain it was a matter of pride to him. Mallory was upset to see the way he trembled, the way he covered his eyes with his hand. What happened in the cavalry battle had really gotten to him, so she was in place to try to sway his mind one way or the other. She neither protested nor supported his decision - although, she did blush and turn away herself when he asked why she was in a cheerleading uniform.
To further everyone's astonishment, the boy from Class 1-B that had also been on Hitoshi's team withdrew. Mallory remained quiet and observant as Midnight accepted their resignations from the final round of the tournament. She had nothing left to really say or feel about the situation, and was indifferent to the fifth place team giving up their newfound places to Team Tetsutetsu.
Her attention had swiveled to the scoreboard once the bracket had been decided. A lot of her classmates were going to fight each other, so she was just wondering if it were appropriate to cheer on one over the other when Mashirao and Izuku interrupted her ruminations, sporting stern and puzzled expressions respectively.
"Sorry, Tinker, but do you think you could come with us?" Mashirao asked. "I wanted to hear from you about the cavalry battle...about your experience with Shinso. I think it'll be important for Midoriya's match against him. Though, if you'd rather stay out here and cheer…."
She shook her head. Truthfully, she hated being in the uniform, and wanted to take any excuse to get away from the thousands of eyes on her. "No, it's fine. I'll come with you."
Izuku's gaze passed between them, clearly confused, but nevertheless the three of them headed back inside, sitting down in the waiting room where they had started.
"I'm pretty sure his Quirk allows him to control people." Mashirao was abrupt, voice low and commanding attention. He looked down at the table, seeming to try and wrack his brain for information. Mallory nodded in affirmation; it was the most logical conclusion, based on what she could recall of her encounter with him.
Izuku noticeably paled and slumped in his seat. "But, isn't that too strong to beat?" he protested weakly.
Mashirao's expression grew even tighter. "Yeah, but you can probably avoid it if you know about it. I don't remember much after I answered his question. I take that it was the same for you, Tinker?"
She hummed thoughtfully. While the details seemed hazy, she did recall how it started. "Yeah, I'm sure he asked me a question and I replied, but I don't remember what exactly it was. After that, it's really hazy. I only know what happened because my teammates told me; I had been about to give him my headband."
Izuku pressed his fingers together, crestfallen. "So if I speak carelessly, I'll lose."
Mashirao folded his arms. "Not necessarily, no. I think there's a way to snap out of it. I still remember the events towards the end of the match. As we were running away from Tetsutetsu's team, I bumped into one of his teammates. That's when I snapped out of it. My memory is clear from that point on."
Mallory straightened, coming to a realization of her own. "Yes, that's right! When Pony pulled me back and released the sulfur gas, I was lucid again. Maybe it was just her touch or the overstimulation from the gas, but it could have been both, too."
"So we can confirm with a good amount of confidence that those are the parameters of his Quirk," Mashirao concluded.
Izuku looked between them. "So, some kind of shock can wake you up from his Quirk?"
"That seems most likely, yes," Mashirao replied. "That said, I don't know how much of a shock you need. I don't remember the gas at all, so maybe it's more physical?"
"But if that's the case, then you won't have any outside forces to help you if you fall under his control, Midoriya-kun."
"Tinker, is there anything else you can think of?"
She shook her head and Mashirao stood, so she followed suit. "Well, I guess that's about all we know, then."
Izuku jumped up. "Thank you, both of you! This will be a huge help!"
Mallory smiled, happy she could be of assistance to her classmate. She liked Izuku's enthusiasm, and she was still unsure what he thought of her, but she sincerely hoped they could be friends now, if they weren't already before.
However, Mashirao wasn't done yet. Holding up his fist, he muttered, "I'm going to say something selfish, but...please do your best for me, too, Midoriya."
Izuku nodded, grinning with determination, and they bumped fists.
In the spur of the moment, Mallory gathered the pom-poms in her hands and lightly shook them, even offering a small hop. "You'll do great, Midoriya-kun! I'll be cheering you on!"
Both boys stared at her, and she thought she may have seen each of them turn a shade or two darker. Blood rushed to her own face as well.
"Uh...sorry. Was that weird?" she whimpered.
They both shook their heads rather aggressively, to her relief, and the three went their separate ways.
By the time Mallory changed back into the U.A. tracksuit, the recreational games were near their end. She didn't really mind missing out since she had the chance to help Izuku; she'd have a chance in the next two years, after all. She opted to climb up to the designated student seating area and patiently wait for the start of the finals.
Mashirao was already there, and she amicably sat beside him. It took several minutes for the remainder of the class to trickle in while Cementoss assembled the stage, but the pleasant chatter abruptly ceased as Present Mic declared that the first round of the tournament was about to begin.
Izuku and Hitoshi entered from opposite corners. They were so tiny from her position. She held her breath in anticipation as they stopped, facing each other. For a moment, there was nothing but the cheers of the crowd, but then Izuku took several steps forward before abruptly stopping.
A ripple of confusion passed through the masses. Why wasn't he moving? Then...he turned around and started walking away.
Both Mashirao and Mallory leapt to their feet in horror. "No way...did he talk to him?" Mallory gasped.
"After we took the effort to warn him!" Mashirao groaned in dismay, holding his head.
"Where's he going? What's he doing?" Present Mic cried, mirroring the reactions of the spectators.
Quietly as though bored, Mr. Aizawa came over the loudspeaker and explained Hitoshi's Quirk. It seemed Mallory and Mashirao were right: he had the ability to Brainwash people. It was incredible, a truly amazing Quirk worthy of a hero in Mallory's opinion - but, wait, that wasn't the important part! Izuku was going to lose!
Mallory held her breath until her lungs threatened to collapse. Izuku's steps were slow but steady, and just as she was about to give up all hope that he'd win, a blast of wind shook the rafters and stirred her hair, even from her position so high above him she couldn't make out his face.
His steps stopped abruptly, just shy of the boundary line. He turned around and marched right back to Hitoshi, to Mallory's amazement and delight, and she leapt for joy as he successfully pushed and threw Hitoshi over the boundary line, winning the match.
"How anticlimactic!" Present Mic roared. "Seriously, wasn't that too fast? But even so, the winner of round one of the tournament is Midoriya Izuku!"
A/N: So this chapter was hard to write just due to how incredibly slow this area of events feels because it's so Izuku-focused. I am considering completely skipping some parts of the story to get to my original storyline that I have in mind, such as the final exams and skipping the first part of the camping trip and going straight into the attack from the League of Villains.
However, I really, REALLY want input on that. Frankly, the story is starting to feel like a bit of a slog to me, and there's just so much canon material to go through first before I am able to write what I want. The chapters are taking longer because I have little motivation for them, and I'm just itching to hit more vital plot points that affect the whole class (and therefore Mallory) rather than just Izuku. What do you think? PLEASE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE, AND THANK YOU FOR READING!