My Foreign Exchange Hero

by jawmax

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne are the only kids from Royal Woods who were born with quirks, but a sponsorship program gives them the chance to attend the best hero school in the world. Join them and the rest of Class 1-A in their trails in become pro heroes and growing up.

8. Sidelined

Chapter 8: Sidelined

Author's note: This chapter will contain a section that mentions rape. I know this can be a very sensitive topic for some people so if you don't want to read it then at the point marked (Warning!) skip ahead by scrolling down until the point marked SAFE ZONE is at the top of your screen. Thank you.

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne sat down at opposite ends of the section reserved for members of their class. Even as Midnight explained the rules of the cavalry battle the pair barely spoke a word to each other. But they heard loud and clear that Midoriya was worth ten million points. "This is not going to be easy for him." Lincoln said.

"That's what you get for knocking our brother out of the game!" Lana said as the two families continued to watch.

"But if he didn't then maybe everyone would be gunning for Lincoln or Ronnie Anne instead." Clyde said.

"He's right guys, I've seen heroes compete with each in the city. The guy was just doing his best." Carlota added.

Rita then said. "Besides, Lincoln speaks so highly of Izuku in his emails. I don't think he's made friends with anyone that fast since… well you Clyde."

"Yeah, he certainly has made some cool superpowered friends, like himself." Clyde whispered.

After the teams were picked the game started. "Izuku with those support items, Yaoyorozu's creations, even that Tetsutetsu kid! There are so many opponents that my quirk would be great against both offensive and defensively!" Lincoln moaned, "I could be showing so much more than I did!"

"Lincoln…about what happened …on the track…" Ronnie Anne tried to say.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to touch your there! I'm not at all like Mineta!" Lincoln said panicked.

"I, I know you didn't mean to land on them. But with that and the kiss at the USJ…Lincoln are you fine with how our friendship is?"

"Of course, I am. Are you?"

"Yes, I never would want that to change…that's it! We are both changing and growing and that is what's confusing us! We're feeling things we think are love but it's just our teen hormones going out of whack."

"Yeah, give it a month or two and things will be back to how they were." They were lying to themselves, avoiding talking about their feelings desperately trying to hold on to their friendship as they knew it.

At that moment they saw Iida pulling his team faster than they ever saw him go and the tables turn for Midoriya. "What? How did he do that?" Ronnie Anne asked.

"I don't know but look at Bakugo. Those guys from Class B got him real mad. He took all their points!" Lincoln said. So much was happening at once it was getting hard to decide where to focus his attention.

"The game is almost over! Time for a count down!" Present Mic said as a ten second timer appeared.

"Who's going to win?" Lynn Jr. asked.

"Can they make a comeback?" Lincoln wondered out loud as Bakugo's team closed in on Team Midoriya and Todoroki.

"Times up!" Present Mic announced. Ronnie Anne snickered as Bakugo landed flat on his face. "And with that the second round is officially over. Now let's take a look at who our top four teams are. In first place Team Todoroki, in second place Team Bakugo, in third place is Tetsut…what? It's team Shinso! When did they come back from the dead?"

"Shinso, he's still gunning for our seats." Ronnie Anne said.

"And in fourth place is Team Midoriya. These four valiant teams will move on to the final round! Now let's take an hour lunch break before we start the afternoon festivities! See you soon! Hey Eraserhead lets grab some food."

"I'm taking a nap." Aizawa said disinterested.

Rosa got up and made her way to a table with the food on it. "Well, that sounds like a good time to pause while everyone enjoys Mr. Louds hotdogs, along with my churros for dessert."

"You Casagrandes are going to love the homemade honey mustard I made for them." Lynn Sr. added.

"I never seen a game like that, I wonder if Royal Woods High will let me organize a game." Lynn Jr. wondered.

"Are you going to try for that before your big date with Ray next week?" Luan asked.

"Big date? Little sister, have you been holding out on us? Who is this Ray?" Lori asked with Leni and Luna coming close to hear.

Luan explained as Lynn Jr. blushed. "Raymond Danvers and his mom moved into town about two months ago. He joined the school paper and asked her out after interviewing her for a big win for the school's softball team."

"It's just he's still new and he's the first guy with the guts to make the first move with me, so I'm tossing him a bone. Don't think it will go anywhere." Lynn said.

Back at the stadium Ronnie Anne got up from her seat. "Lincoln come on, let's get something to eat and congratulate our classmates."

"You go on ahead, I want to personally tell Izuku no hard feelings." Lincoln said. A few minutes later Lincoln was standing outside the faculty and student entrance after here from someone that they saw Midoriya head that way.

"You brought me here, now what?" Midoriya asked Todoroki.

"Wait Todoroki challenged Izuku, tried to knock him out of the tournament, and now he wants to talk?" Lincoln thought overhearing the conversation.

Midoriya's question was met with silence. "We should probably eat soon, the cafeteria is going to be busy, don't you think?"

"I was overwhelmed." Was Todoroki's response. "And it made me break the promise I made to myself a long time ago." The scared boy looked at his left hand. "Iida and Kaminari, Yaoyorozu and Tokoyami, Uraraka, none of them felt it. In that moment I was the only one who could sense your true power. It reminded me of something, experiencing All Might's quirk."

Midoriya looked nervous. "Well yeah, okay. Is that all?"

"I'm saying the power coming from you felt the same as All Might. Midoriya tell me…are you really All Might's secret love child or something?"

Lincoln's mouth hung open. "How did he come to that conclusion? I've seen pictures of Izuku's dad around the apartment! I think he got sick or something, Aunt Inko didn't want to talk about it. But still for one of the best of our class he is way off base! Lots of people who are unrelated have similar powers."

"Well, are you?" Todoroki asked again.

"No! No way! That's not it all!" Midoriya yelled. "But if I was, I'd totally say I wasn't so, you probably wouldn't believe no what, I bet. Anyway, I promise you got the wrong idea. And why would you even think that about me?"

"That's not it at all is interesting wording, it suggests that there is something between you two that you're not supposed to talk about." Todoroki then took a breath. "My father is the hero Endeavor, you must have heard of him, which means you're aware he's the number two hero. So that means if you're connected to the number one hero, All Might in some way that would mean I have even more reason to beat you. My old man is ambitious, he aims for the top. He used his power to make a name for himself as a hero, but he was never able to best All Might. So, the Symbol of Peace is living proof of his failure. He's still at it though trying to take down All Might, one way or another."

"I'm not sure what you are getting at. What are you trying to tell me Todoroki?"

"Have you ever heard of Quirk Marriages? They became a problem in the first few generations after superpowers became widespread. There were those who sought potential mates solely with the intention of creating powerful children. Many people were forced into relationships, they viewed as old fashioned arranged marriages but clearly it was unethical. My father not only has a rich history of accomplishments but plenty of money to throw at his problems. He bought my mother's relatives to get his hands on her quirk and now he's raising me to usurp All Might. It's so annoying, I refuse to be a tool for that scumbag! In every memory of my mother, I only see her crying. I remember she called my left side unbearable before she poured boiling water on my face." Lincoln was just as shocked as Midoriya to hear this. "The reason I picked a fight with you is to show my old man what I was capable of doing, without having to rely on his damned fire quirk! You see, I going to show him I reject his power and can take first place without using it." Todoroki began walking away. "You're obviously connected to All Might, even if you won't tell me about it. But no matter how fiercely you come at me in the future, I will defeat you using only my right side. I can assure you of that."

"Hey wait!" Midoriya said following after Todoroki. "I'm only here because others supported me, I've been really lucky. In fact, I've had even more help since I've come to U.A. All Might is constantly saving people with a fearless smile; he's the greatest hero and I want to be just like him. In order to do that I have to become strong enough to become number one. I know my motivation might seem stupid compared to yours, but still I can't lose this either! I owe it to everyone who supported me to try my best! You declared war on me earlier, well right back at you. I am going to beat you!"

"Todoroki!" Lincoln called. "I get why you challenged Izuku but why Ronnie Anne and me?"

Todoroki stopped and turned around. "The two of you were picked by Agent Delta so you obviously have talent. There are two reasons, first Delta represents doubt to my father beating the two of you would say the same thing as Midoriya; you heard to rumors right?"

Izuku knew what he was talking about. "That's right, everything about him is classified so he's not on the Hero Billboard. But online some say that if all the missions he did were made public then he'd be the one in the number two spot."

"Maybe but we barely know the guy, he was one to make the offer for us to try and come to U.A. but that was the only time we've ever seen him." Lincoln explained.

"I said that there were two reason and if you are telling truth then you should hear this, the only advice from my father that I will ever follow is to not trust Delta. He told me about the one time they worked together, and I confirmed it by talking to a former sidekick of his. On that mission Delta held back vital intel because he didn't want to tip off the villains they were after off by having Endeavor's team appear too cautious. They almost didn't make it back alive and the sidekick received an injury that ended his Pro Hero career. Delta will always prioritize completing his mission over the safety of his allies. You may have to work with him because he's your sponsor but keep him at arm's length."

Lincoln turned to Izuku as Todoroki walked away again. "On the outside it looks like he has everything I don't but if there was ever a problem between me and my dad, or mom, or my sisters we always come to an understanding because we're family. I guess not everyone is as lucky me."

Later the games began again. "Get those foam fingers in the air!" Present Mic cheered. "It's almost time for the last round! But before that, good news for those who didn't make in the finals. Since this is a sports festival, we've prepared some super fun side games everyone can participate in. We even brought in some cheerleaders from America to get your blood pumping! Hold up."

Everyone saw that the girls of Class 1-A were wearing uniforms identical to the cheerleaders. "What are they doing?" Aizawa asked.

"Looks like Class 1-A is going full on fanservice!" As Present Mic said that Mineta and Kaminari gave each other thumbs up.

"Oh, Ronnie Anne looks so cute in that outfit." Carlota said.

"I bet she's wearing it for Lincoln." Leni gushed.

"What?! You tricked us? You're going to regret this!" Yaoyorozu yelled.

"Mineta! I'm going to punt you into next week you little creep!" Ronnie screamed.

"Or not." Lana said.

"Right, in her emails Ronnie Anne told me one of her classmates was girl crazy." Sid remembered.

Lincoln tried to look away. "It's just stupid hormones! It's just stupid hormones! Yes, she looks great…Stop it! Get a hold of yourself man!"

"Why do I always fall for that stupid little pervert's schemes?" Yaoyorozu said on her knees in embarrassment, "I even used my quirk to make these outfits!"

Ugh! I hate those guys!" Jiro said throwing her pom poms to the ground.

Hagakure felt differently. "Well, we do have a little time before the finals start and I kinda like these uniforms so how about we just roll with it!" She then wave her pom poms like crazy.

"Are you crazy?"

"Wow Toru, you got skills." Asui said.

"Have fun competing in these side games everyone. After they're over the sixteen students of the top four teams will be duking it out in a one on one tournament style fighting competition! I promise you're not gonna to miss these epic match ups!"

"Ah yeah! Finally getting a chance to show what we're made of!" Kirishima said, "I watch these finals every year and now I'm actually in them!"

"So, wait is it always a tournament?" Ashido asked.

"The final is always a one-on-one competition but they switch it up every time. Last year it was a foam sword fighting match." Sero explained.

"Come closer and draw lot to see who you're up against. Then enjoy the pleasure of the recreational games before we start." Midnight instructed, "The sixteen finalists have the option to participate in those activities or sitting out to prepare for battle. I'm sure you all want to conserve your stamina. I'll start with the first-place team."

Ojiro raised his hand. "Um, excuse me. Sorry but I'm withdrawing."

"Ojiro, no way." Midoriya was shocked.

"This is a rare chance for you to get scouted." Iida added.

"It just wouldn't be right." Ojiro said. "I barely remember anything from the cavalry battle until the very end of it. I think it was that guys quirk."

Ronnie Anne was disturbed by this news. "He was teamed up with that Shinso boy. I've had a bad feeling about him since we first met. At first, I thought it was just because he was gunning for mine or Lincoln's spots but it's something else. Could he have a power like the one my mom told me about? One that lets him control people?"

"I know this is a great opportunity. I wish I could take advantage of it, but my conscience won't let me."

"Just think about this…" Midoriya began.

"I have okay! Everyone gave their all in round two but I was just someone's puppet! No way! I don't wanna advance if I don't know how I got there. It wouldn't be fair."

"You're making way too much of this! Just kill it in the finals and prove you should be here!" Hagakure pleaded.

Ashido agreed. "Yeah, what she said. I didn't do much in the battle either."

"That's not it! I'm talking about my pride here; I refuse to give that up!" Ojiro declared, "Also, why are all the girls dressed like cheerleaders?" That made the girls a little embarrassed again.

A short young man with ice blue hair also spoke up to Midnight. "Nirengeki Shoda from Class 1-B, I think I should withdraw for the exact same reason. Regardless of how strong I am, this isn't how I wanted to get here. It would go against the values of the festival to advance without earning my spot."

Kirishima was in tears. "Listen to these guys! They're so manly!"

"This sort of talk is incredibly naive my boys, that turns me on!" Midnight judged and with that Ojiro and Shoda were out and Tetsutetsu and Ibara Shiozaki were in.

Seeing the brackets Lincoln and Ronnie Anne saw that Midoriya was in the first match against Shinso and that Todoroki could be his next opponent. "That is you, right? Izuku Midoriya?" Shinso asked their friend.

"It's him. How does his quirk work? Is there any defense? He must be trying to set up his first win right now!" Ronnie Anne thought.

"A pleasure, are you excited?" Shinso asked Midoriya.

Before Midoriya could answer the question Ojiro wrapped his tail around his mouth. "Not so fast!" he told Shinso who had a knowing grin on his face as he walked away.

"Ojiro, what's the deal?" Midoriya asked.

"You can't say a word to him."

"Okay let's press pause for a momentary interlude. Before the battles begin it's time for some pulse pounding side games!" Present Mic announced.

The side games were a much welcome relief from the stress and drama of the festival. They both had a lot of fun, but it was not to last and Lincoln and Ronnie Anne returned to their seat joined by their classmates. They watched as Cementoss made the stage for the fights. "That's it. I'm pretty much done here."

"Thank you Cementoss." Present Mic said, "Hey sports fans are you ready?" The crowd cheered loudly. "After all the action you witnessed it time for the real battles to begin! Our competitors are on their own now, sometimes heroes have only themselves to rely on. Heart, skill, strength, wisdom, courage, they will have to use all these things to rise to the top."

"This is it, good luck Izuku." Lincoln said.

"Ojiro you gave Midoriya advice on how to keep Shinso out of his head didn't you?" Ronnie Anne asked.

"As long as he doesn't say anything to him after he asks a question then he should be fine." Ojiro answered.

"Good because after this match is over then I would like a word with that guy and you just gave me a way that he can't just make me walk away from it."

Present Mic announced the first match. "Alright audience let's get to the good stuff and not delay these finals any longer! Welcome our first fighters! Well he looks kinda scared in that picture, doesn't he? It's Izuku Midoriya from the Hero Course, versus Hitoshi Shinso from General Studies, who hasn't done anything to stand out yet. The rules are simple, immobilize you opponent or force them out of the ring! You can also win by getting the other person to cry uncle! Bring on the injuries because we got our very own Recovery Girl waiting on standby so put your morals aside and don't be afraid to play dirty. Of course, no life threating crap folks, it's not allowed. Real hero use their powers to throw villains in jail not kill them."

"I'll stop anybody who tries to get too rough." Cementoss said.

As far from the action as they were from the action none of the members of the class could hear what the fighters said but they could see that Shinso said something that made Midoriya mad enough to say something . "Ready, Begin!" Present Mic said but Midoriya stopped mid stride.

"Ahhhh! I warned him not to say anything! Ojiro yelled.

"Wah? Hey, hey, what's the dealio? This is the first match! It should start out with a bang! The fight has just begun and Izuku Midoriya is completely frozen! He's not moving a muscle! And what's with that look on his face? Could this be a quirk at work. Hitoshi Shinso seem to have Izuku Midoriya completely stunned."

"Deku?" Uraraka was concerned.

"Why in the world isn't he moving?" Iida asked.

Maria Santiago went wide eyed. "The look in that boy's eyes. It's like that time!" She began breathing erratically.

"Maria! It's all right! This is not like that!" Hector tried to calm his daughter.

"What is going on? It looks like she's having a panic attack!" Lori asked.

Bobby explained. "Mom seen something like this while she was in nursing school, someone using a power that can take control of people. It was one of the most terrifying things that ever happened to her. If Dad wasn't there or that pro hero didn't show up…"

"He didn't stand out in the first rounds at all but it's possible Shinso is crazy powerful! Who could have imagined this turn of events? That's the festival for ya!"

"This is a perfect example of the entrance exam isn't rational." Aizawa said and he went on to explain Shinso's quirk and how it wouldn't help against the robots of the entrance exam.

In the ring Midoriya turned around and began to walk out. "Wah? Midoriya is obeying him!"

"Oh no Deku, what are you doing?" Uraraka asked.

"He can't walk out of the ring! He'll lose the match if he does!" Iida panicked.

"Come on Izuku! Fight it! Don't let this guy make you quit!" Lincoln yelled.

"You can't let him win Midoriya!" Ronnie Anne said.

Midoriya somehow moved his fingers on his own and made a gust of air pressure like a mini windstorm making him stop. "What's this? Midoriya stopped just in time!"

"That the way to do it!" Iida cheered.

"Woah! I was about to freak out!" Uraraka said relieved.

"Whoo, that just about killed me." Ojiro said with his hand over his heart.

"I knew you had the will power!" Lincoln said clapping.

"That was from just wiggling his fingers?!" Cylde said.

"That kid is OP!" Rusty was just as shocked.

"Why didn't he do that in the earlier games?" Sid asked.

"For real!" Casey added.

Shinso was obviously angry had tried to do everything he could to get Midoriya to talk and as they struggled, he punched Midoriya in his broken fingers but in the end the hero course student threw him out of the ring. "Lincoln…" Ronnie Anne said, "I need someone I can trust to do what I need to do now, could you come with me? I'll explain on the way."

A short few minutes later Lincoln and Ronnie Anne were waiting in front of the general studies seating waiting for Shinso. "I have something to say to you!" Ronnie Anne told the purple haired young man.

"Okay fine, what is it?" Shinso asked.

Ronnie Anne whispered something to Lincoln who said. "I get you want to be a hero, but you need to think about what kind of hero you want to be."

"Having someone else answer me clever. I know how my power looks to people."

"It's how you used it I have a problem with." Ronnie Anne said, "You forced those boys to be on your team when you could have just told them what you could do. If you do transfer into our class that wouldn't make you any friends."

"Maybe, why do you care?"

Another whisper and a surprised looking Lincoln said, "I was told a story about a power that did something similar to yours."

"My mom told me this story to teach me not to rush to judgement." Ronnie Anne said.

(WARNING!)

"When my mom was in nursing school she was attacked by a friend of my dad. She screamed for help and a pro showed up to stop him but before he could lay a finger on the guy he collapsed. Turns out my dad saw what another man did nearby to his friend, so he punched him. You see the second man had a power that let him leave his own body to possess others; when Dad hit his unconscious body, it broke his hold."

"He was controlling your dad's friend." Shinso answered.

"That man used his power to rape over a dozen women through other men's bodies so they would take the blame! Later he even called these men his condoms!" Ronnie Anne said disgusted. "For every woman whose life he ruined, my mom almost being one of them, there was a man in prison for a crime they had no say in doing! Two lives ruined at once! With his confession all the men he controlled we set free, but they could never get the time they lost back or forget the shame everyone made them feel. My mom still has nightmares about that night."

SAFE ZONE

"Okay I get it, but I'm not like that!"

"I know but a power like yours comes with a lot of temptation. Like I said before you controlled your teammates instead of asking them. And like she wanted me to learn I don't want to rush to judgement with you but if you really want to prove you're a hero then every time you use your power has to be beyond reproach!" Ronnie Anne said.

"Maybe I could have been more upfront, it's just I'm so used to people not trusting me because of my power."

"Shinso all I'm asking you to do is to try harder to show you are one of the good guys because it's too easy for people to make assumptions."

"I'll try, first Midoriya and now you, guess I rushed to judgment too about your class."

As Ronnie Anne and Lincoln made their way back to their seats Lincoln said. "I had no idea your mom went through something like that. It couldn't have been easy to talk about now I see where your strength comes from."

Before they got to their seats, they felt the stadium shake. "Is it another villain attack?" Ronnie Anne asked as they looked out a doorway to see a giant ice wall that poke out of the opening at the top of the stadium.

"Todoroki, I never seen him do something that big before!" Lincoln gasped. The next thing they heard was the crowd say "Nice try" to Todoroki's opponent Sero.

In Great Lakes City everyone's jaws dropped at the sight. "That, that settles it. If Lincoln has friends like himself that can do things like that then…he probably doesn't need me anymore. It's not like I can understand what it's like to have that kind of power."

When Lincoln and Ronnie Anne got back to their seats Shiozaki was complaining about Present Mic calling her an assassin. "That girl is taking the whole thing way too seriously." Ronnie Anne said.

The battle didn't last long and Kaminari lost. "Oh yeah! Way to represent Class 1-B!" Tetsutetsu said.

"Man, she's good." Jiro said.

"Guess he was right, that match really was over in two seconds!" Monoma said, "I wonder if his real quirk is the ability to tell the future? Hey wasn't Class 1-A supposed to so much better than us?" Monoma laughed until Kendo karate chopped him in the neck.

"Sorry about him." Kendo said.

Lincoln was confused. "Is he just a sore loser or… I don't get why he doesn't like our class. We didn't make villains attack us or told Bakugo to be a jerk."

Ronnie Anne then thought. "You're such a good guy Lincoln. A big mouth talks us down, but you don't let it get to you. It's very sweet that he…What are you thinking Ronalda? You're friends! Nothing more! These feelings are just puberty messing with your head!" By the time she shook of the train of thought Iida and Hatsume's match had begun. As soon as Hatsume dodged Iida's first attack she knew something was up. "What are they doing?" Hatsume had complete control of the match with the support items she and Iida had.

Carl yawned. "If she's going to drag this match out then I'm taking a bathroom break."

"Poor guy, this is embarrassing." Sameer said.

After the ten-minute gadget showcase Hatsume stepped out of the ring giving Iida the match. "If Lisa turns out like her when she hits her teens then we're in trouble." Lincoln thought.

The next match was Ashido versus Aoyama. "Come on Mina you can do it!" Asui cheered.

"Don't show her any mercy Aoyama!" Mineta yelled, "Fight like you're in one those video games where everyone's clothes get beaten off!"

"You pervert!" Jiro said.

"Oh right, punting Mineta is still on my to do list. After the festival." Ronnie Anne muttered.

Lola's eyes lit up as Aoyama fired his navel laser. "It's like glitter on demand!"

After melting his belt one punch from Ashido was all it really took to end the match. "Wow Mina is amazing!" Asui said.

Mineta slammed his fists into his knees. "I got to see panties but why they his?" he cried.

"Uh, karma. Yeah karma." Ronnie Anne said smugly.

"For crying out loud." Jiro chided Mineta.

Next up was Yaoyorozu and Tokoyami. The match didn't last very long as Tokoyami attacked faster than his opponent could make a plan. "Poor Momo, I know how it feels to fall short of your expectations." Lincoln said.

"Fumikage Tokoyami, I didn't think there was a hero like him." Lucy whispered blushing, "His power, his name, he is the most goth hero I've seen. I must know more."

For the seventh match it was Kirishima and Tetsutetsu. "I glad I didn't get pulled into that whole redundant quirk thing those two have going." Ronnie Anne said.

The battle went on for several minutes each hit as hard as they can and putting up a powerful defense. In the end they knocked each other out. "Well, that hurt me and I'm just watching these guys. The hard heads have been KO'd but who is the winner?" Present Mic asked.

Midnight made her judgement. "They're both down! It's a draw! When the contestants recover the winner will be decided by a simple contest, perhaps arm wrestling."

"While we wait for Tetsutesu and Kirishima to recover we'll move on the next battle!" Present Mic said as the screens displayed the images of Uraraka and Bakugo.

"Ribbit, this might be the most disturbing match up." Asui said.

"I know, I almost don't want to watch it." Jiro said.

"Ronnie Anne be straight with me, do you think Uraraka stands a chance?" Lincoln asked.

"It's hard to say, she really just needs to land one touch and the match would be hers but Cretino is no idiot. He won't make this easy." Ronnie Anne said.

Present Mic announced the combatants. "The eighth and final battle of the first round of matches! He was kind of a hotshot in middle school, and just look at that determined face. From the Hero Course Katsuki Bakugo!"

"With what I've seen do through this whole thing that dude scares me." Luna said. Bobby clenched his fists.

"Versus, the one I'm personally rooting for also from Class 1-A Ochaco Uraraka! Let the eighth match begin!"

"I'm trying to remember what's her power again?" Lynn Jr. asked.

"It's fascinating really, her touch can nullify the pull of gravity on an object including people." Carlos explained just as Bakugo made his first blast.

By the time he made his third counter both Rita and Frida were covering their youngest's eyes. "Mommy I can't see!" Lilly complained.

"Mama stop it!" Carlitos whined as he tried to take his mother hand off his face.

"Letting them see these rounds was a bad idea." Rita said.

"Si!" Frida agreed, "I had no idea they would let them get this violent."

During the match, the combatants' classmates were also concerned. "Is she okay? Asui asked.

"I can't watch this!" Jiro said covering her eyes.

"Like I always suspected, Bakugo's a total sadist." Mineta said.

"Stop it! No more!" Bobby cried.

"Boo-boo bear… you're not seeing that Ochaco girl. You're seeing your little sister in that ring, aren't you?" Lori thought, she knew the man she loved was sensitive.

Then a man in the crowd riled the others up. "The crowd is now booing Bakugo! And honestly I'm kinda agreeing with what they're say…" Present Mic was knocked away from the microphone by Mr. Aizawa. "Hey woah! What the crap?"

Eraserhead ignored Mic. "Where is the man who started this uproar? Are you a Pro? Because if you're being serious then you can go home and hang up your cape. I suggest looking into another career."

"You know what his talking about?" Midoriya asked.

Aizawa explained. "Bakugo's fierceness is an acknowledgement of his opponent's strength. He knows she deserves to have made it this far. So, he making sure he does whatever it takes to keep her at bay and come out on top."

"I didn't expect out teacher to defend him." Lincoln said.

"That's one thing I learned about Katsuki by living with him." Ronnie Anne said. "He never goes full force on anything he doesn't think is worth the effort. He's a jerk, but a jerk with his own standards that he lives by."

Lincoln was surprised to hear this. "That's the first time I ever heard her refer to Bakugo by his first name. I guess she's getting closer to her host brother than I thought."

Lori pulled Bobby close. "I know you're scared of what this guy might be doing to Ronnie Anne in his home. But she and this girl, I think they are both stronger than you're giving them credit for."

Lincoln then overheard what Monoma was saying. "I don't blame Bakugo for not noticing, but it's embarrassing for a pro to boo and not realize what's going on from the stands. She kept low to the ground as she moved which meant Bakugo's blasts tore up the floor of the ring, creating weapons for her. And she kept his focus on her by attacking relentlessly without rest. Rendering him oblivious."

Lincoln looked at the ring again. "He's right, where are the pieces of ring that should on the floor. Don't tell me…" He then looked up. "She floated them all?"

It then began raining concrete. "A meteor shower!" Mic yelled.

"Now you notice." Aizawa said.

"Not scientifically accurate but the results are about the same." Lisa noted.

"She had a plan all along!" Midoriya said.

Against the falling debris Bakugo made a large explosion that blasted out of the arena that everyone could feel. "Bakugo banks on a huge display of power! He blasted apart Uraraka's finishing move and remains untouched!" Present Mic said. The pair made one final charge at each other but Uraraka tripped and fell.

It's too much." Iida said.

Midoriya agreed. "Yeah, she's way past her limit."

Midnight stepped in. "Uraraka is KO'd Bakugo advances to the second round."

"And that's it for the first round, I was really pulling for her. Oh yeah, I guess Bakugo is moving on." Present Mic announced unenthusiastically.

"You're supposed to be unbiased you know." Aizawa scolded.

Mic ignored him. "Let's forget that depressing outcome!"

"Or not."

"With that the first round is complete! We're taking a quick break and then we'll be back with more matches!"

"Makes me wonder how I'd do if I took him on." Lincoln said, "And Izuku and Todoroki are next. I'm not sure how I would avoid his ice."

A short time later Bakugo rejoined them in the stands. "Hey Bakugo, playing the villain huh? Must have been tough." Sero teased.

"Even if it was because of who you were up against you did make a convincing bad guy." Asui added.

"Shut up you idiots, or else!" Bakugo yelled.

Kaminari then said. "For real dude. I don't know how you were able to aim a powerful blast at a frail girl like that. I couldn't help but hold back at Shiozaki."

"She completely overpowered you Kaminari." Asui said bluntly.

"Can't you just let me have this?"

"I definitely wouldn't call that girl frail." Bakugo said.

"You did a good job Cretino, but next time she might not go easy on you." Ronnie Anne joked.

"Shut up Wheels."

Cementoss repaired the ring and set up a pedestal for the seventh-round tie breaking arm-wrestling match. "Kirishima is the winner! Add him to the bracket!" Midnight declared.

"At least that was more wholesome." Lynn Sr. said.

"So, the match hasn't started yet?" Uraraka said, "Oh good."

While Iida looked worried Ronnie Anne could tell she had a good cry before he did. "Oh, of course if I were you, I'd be frustrated too." Iida said.

"It's no time to wallow, use this next fight as a source of encouragement." Tokoyami said.

"Will do." Uraraka said cheering up immediately.

"Your' so wise." Iida whispered.

"This is it, give it your best Izuku." Lincoln said.

Present Mic was excited. "I can feel the anticipation in the stadium! And that's because the second round first match is going to be epic! It's the guy who won his fight by a landslide and literally left half the audience frozen! The hero course's Shoto Todoroki! And this kid almost walked out of his first match up but made a stunning comeback by showing us some impressive moves also from the hero course Izuku Midoriya!"

The match started off with a bang as Todoroki sent a large wave of ice which Midoriya shattered with a flick of his finger creating an artic wind in the stadium. "He broke his finger again, man I just can't get used to seeing him hurt himself just by using his power." Ronnie Anne said feeling like she threw up in her mouth a little.

The same moves were repeated two more times before Kirishima joined the rest of the class. "Oh no, crap! I'm missing it!"

"Hey nice job making it to the second round Kirishima." Kaminari said.

"Thanks man, looks like I'll take down Bakugo next."

"I'll kill you." Bakugo said bluntly.

"Yeah sure, in your dreams. But seriously, it's crazy you and Todoroki have moves that blast the whole stadium. Must be pretty nice!"

"Plus, you don't have to pause between attacks." Sero added.

"It's not as easy as you think, ya morons. If you overuse your muscles you risk tearing them apart, if you sprint to much you run out of breath." Bakugo looked at his mand for a moment. "Quirks are physical abilities too. They can get worn out; you can't just use them nonstop."

"It makes sense when you put it that way." Kirishima said, "I wonder if that's how Midoriya thinks that's how he's going to beat Todoroki."

Lincoln then said. "Not all limits work in the same way though, Ronnie Anne gets tired if she uses her Aura too much while I can overload if I let my magnetic field get too strong. Who knows how Todoroki's will show."

Frida and Rita had already taken Lily and Carlito out of the room much to the relief of the others. "Lincoln said that Izuku hasn't learned how to handle the backlash of his strength, but I didn't think it would be this bad. He's using fingers that were broken in his last match, he has to be in a lot of pain." Lynn Jr. said.

"I like gross stuff, but this is…just wrong." Lana looked green.

"Forget pranking him, he's putting enough on himself. I don't want see." Luan covered her eyes.

"All that and he's not stopping." Clyde said as he saw Izuku throw a full punch, "Where is he getting the will to keep this up?"

"You think you win with half your strength? Look at me Todoroki, you haven't managed to put one scratch on me yet! So, come at me with all you got!" Midoriya shouted.

"He's taunting him, is he loco?" Ronnie Anne asked.

With a successful punch the tide began to turn in Midoriya's favor. "Izuku…this is…too much! I don't want you to win by tearing yourself apart!" Lincoln thought.

Midoriya connected a second punch as more ice built up on Todoroki. Then Midoriya said something that put the whole thing in perspective for Lincoln. "It's yours! Your quirk not his!"

"Wait you've been trying to help him? Now of all times?!"

Then a blaze came from Todoroki's left side. "Woah is that…?" Present Mic wondered.

"He's using his fire!" Uraraka said.

"Incredible." Iida said in a awestruck whisper.

"I can feel the heat from here!" Ronnie was sweating.

"Yes Shoto!" Endeavor who was watching from the stands said, "Have you finally accepted you purpose? That's it! Very good! This is the dawn of a new era for us! With my blood in your veins you'll surpass me! You'll live up to the reason I created you!"

Present Mic was confused. "Endeavor suddenly shouts words of…encouragement? What a doting father."

"What was that all about?" Ronnie Anne asked.

"It's… not my place to tell." Lincoln said, "Besides I don't think you want to know."

The two got ready to go full force. "That's it Midnight! One of them could be killed!" Cementoss said as he tried to stop them.

Midnight agreed as she tore part of her costume off. "His body won't hold up!" But they couldn't stop the huge explosion at shook the stadium. Both exchange students were as speechless as their friends and family would at the sight. But when the smoke cleared Todoroki was declared the winner.

As Midoriya was taken away to be healed Sid said. "That was insane! I never seen anyone that powerful before!"

"I…I don't how Lincoln could have won against either of them if made it any further." Lynn Sr. said shaken.

"Is it over? Can we bring them back in now?" Rita asked.

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne followed Uraraka, Iida, Asui, and Mineta to the first aid room the school set up. "Midoriya!" their friends said with concern.

"Scared the crap out of me." All Might said in his weakened form.

"Are you okay?" Uraraka asked before turning to the skinny man she didn't recognize. "Oh, it's nice to meet you sir."

"Uh yeah." The man said.

Lincoln thought about something but kept it to himself for now. "Don't scare us like that again Izuku."

"He's in no state for visitors." Recovery Girl stated.

"Hey, you guys. Shouldn't you be watching the matches?" Midoriya asked.

"The stage was far too damaged. They're taking a quick break to repair it now." Iida explained.

"That match was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life Midoriya! What pro is going to want a sidekick who hurts himself!" Mineta said.

Asui stuck her tongue on Mineta's neck. "Now you're just pouring salt in his wounds. Probably not a good time."

"Hey, I'm just speaking the truth!"

"This is not the time or the place!" Ronnie Anne yelled.

"You're much too noisy! I know you're worried, but I've got to focus on surgery now." Recovery Girl said trying to shoo them away.

"Surgery!?" the group asked.

"Go on get out of here."

"But surgery's a big deal isn't it?" Mineta asked.

Iida followed up with. "Will his wounds be healed?"

"Don't worry just leave me to it." Recovery Girl reassured.

Asui ribbited after the door was closed but Lincoln had a look on his face that said he was thinking. "You heard her, Izuku will be fine." Ronnie Anne said.

"It's not that, that man that was in there, he's not Izuku dad. He doesn't look like the pictures I've seen." Lincoln said.

"So, he's probably his uncle or something."

"Maybe…"

The Louds and Casagrandes were relieved that the next few matches were much more subdued. Iida was far too quick for Shiozaki. Tokoyami also beat Ashido quickly. "He and Dark Shadow are incredible, showing the world that darkness doesn't mean evil." Lucy said.

"Oh, is someone getting a new crush?" Leni asked.

Next was Kirishima vs. Bakugo. "Kirishima's not landing a lot of hits because of Bakugo's reflexes" Ronnie Anne noted. "He shouldn't be keeping his hardening up when his opponent isn't attacking, he'll wear himself out." And she was right, after a series of rapid explosions he was down for the count.

"Deku!" Uraraka said as he joined them in the stands.

"Hi Midoriya, it looks like your surgery went okay." Asui noted.

Midoriya nodded. "Yeah, recovery girl healed me up enough to walk."

"It's too bad healing quirks aren't more common. My parents would love to have a power like." Ronnie Anne mused.

"Sure, but shouldn't you be taking it easy?" Uraraka asked.

"I want to watch these matches in person, this where everyone's effort are finally going to pay off." Midoriya said as he took his seat.

Present Mic the said. "The first match of the semifinals! Both come from hero families, making this a battle of elites! From the hero course Tenya Iida! Versus his classmate Shoto Todoroki! Start!"

Iida tried to run around his opponent, but he was blocked of by Todoroki's ice. As more was coming Iida jumped and used his ace in the hole. "Recipro Burst!"

"That's the move he used that changed the whole cavalry battle!" Lincoln gasped.

Iida got a powerful kick in. "That was a heavy hit!" Sero said.

"I didn't know he could kick like that!" Kaminari added.

Iida grabbed the scared boy and tried to run him out of the ring but with his exhaust block by ice he was frozen in place instead. Iida's classmates did feel sorry for his loss, unaware of the greater tragedy elsewhere.

The last match before the final round was Bakugo vs. Tokoyami but it wasn't going well for the bird headed young man. "Tokoyami has advanced this far with an almost unbeatable quirk! But this time it looks like he's on the ropes!" Present Mic said.

"What is that bird brain doing? He attacked super hard against us!" Ashido said to Yaoyorozu.

"There must be a reason." Yaoyorozu pondered.

"Dark Shadow, he can't go on the offensive because of all the light. This match up couldn't be any worse." Uraraka said.

"Most people don't know about his weakness. Kacchan may not have figured it out yet." Midoriya replied.

Overhearing that got Ronnie Anne thinking. "I can't make my aura brighter but if I was up against Tokoyami then every time Dark Shadow would attack my Aura, he would be hurting himself if only slightly. The real problem would be that the monster is so fast I'd have a hard time hitting it so I would need to focus on Tokoyami like Cretino is doing now and force him on the defensive."

Then Bakugo unleashed a new move. "Stun Grenade!" with so much light the dark aspiring hero surrendered.

"Of course, horrible light would be his weakness." Lucy said. "Bakugo will pay for this as soon I find where I put Great Grandma Harriet's spell book."

With the final contestants decided Midoriya said. "I wonder what this match will be like, besides intense."

"We'll have to take notes for next time." Iida said as he walked up.

Shortly after that he began shaking. "Woah what's wrong?" Midoriya and Uraraka asked.

"It's just my phone."

"I think your vibrate setting maybe a little high." Lincoln said.

Iida stepped away to take the call, when he got back, he had worrying news. "Uraraka, Midoriya, Santiago, Loud. I know this is sudden, but I have to leave now. A villain got my older brother."

"Wait you're saying Ingenium is hurt?" Midoriya asked.

"Yes."

"Do they think he's going to be okay?" Uraraka asked.

"I don't know many details yet, that's why I have to go right away!"

As Iida left Lincoln thought about when Leni was in a coma. "I do hope his brother is okay. I maybe more than anyone else know how he must be feeling right now."

It was a short time later when the last battle had come, and Present Mic was pumped. "Welcome to the final battle of the U.A. Sports Festival! In just a moment we'll see which first years come out on top! Yes, it all comes down to this folks! From the hero course Shoto Todoroki! Versus his classmate Katsuki Bakugo! Now begin!"

Todoroki opened with a large blast of ice but Bakugo tunneled through it. Bakugo then launched himself into the air and careful to only touch the left side threw Todoroki who made ice to slide on to keep him from being flung out of the ring. Todoroki did a throw of his own despite his fathers calls to use his flames. This not only displeased the flame hero but Bakugo as well. "You bastard! I'll tell you what'll happen if you make a fool out of me! I'll kill you! I don't want there to be any doubt that I'm the best student at the festival! That's only possible if you come at me as hard as you can! There's no point if you don't fight me with the same power you used against Deku! If you don't want to win this then why are you here? Show everyone you're trying to destroy me!"

"Does that guy only see the world through the lens of violence?" Bobby asked.

"Come on Todoroki! Do your best!" Midoriya cheered.

Bakugo launched himself again as Todoroki began using his flames. Bakugo then used his explosions to spin himself. "Howitzer Impact!" But at the last-minute Todoroki put out his fire, the explosion tossed Todoroki out of the ring. Bakugo was upset at winning like this so Midnight used her power to put him to sleep. Neither of the exchange students expected a win like this.

Later all students that didn't place in the top three were gathered at the field. "The first-year students have completed all of the events for the U.A. Sports Festival, now it is time to relax and enjoy the awards ceremony!" Midnight said as the crowd cheered. Fireworks, smokescreens, and confetti went off as podiums with top three rose from the ground. One podium had a lot of movement.

"Woah." Mineta said.

"What the heck?" Jiro asked as it became clear Bakugo was cuffed, chained, and muzzled.

"He's been going nuts since he woke up." Kirishima explained. "Man Bakugo, pull yourself together."

"Personally, I prefer him with the muzzle. Think they let us take it home?" Ronnie Anne joked.

"He's acting like a feral animal." Tokoyami said from the third-place podium.

Bobby whispered to his mother. "Mom, are you sure we can't get Ronnie Anne a different host family?"

"Tenya Iida shares the third-place award with Tokoyami, but unfortunately he had to leave for family reason. Gotta love those familial bonds." Midnight said winking to the cameras.

"A media darling!" Tokoyami said.

"To bad Iida couldn't be here, he was so excited." Asui said worried.

"Yeah." Midoriya agreed.

"Now let's breakout the hardware." Midnight said. "Of course, there is only one person worthy enough of distribute the awards."

Then a deep laughter was heard as a figure stood on the roof. "Tarnation! It really is him!" Liam said.

"Lincoln and Ronnie Anne are so lucky to have him as a teacher." Stella sighed.

"I'm so excited to see him even if it's just a recording! I need my inhaler!" Laird wheezed.

"Citizens! I am here!" All Might said as he jumped off the roof and landed safely.

At the same time Midnight said. "All Might, the natural born hero!" there was a bit of an awkward silence. "Ruined that, didn't I?" Midnight held out the medals to All Might. "So now that you're here All Might, why don't you start the presentation?"

All Might place the bronze on Tokoyami. "Young Tokoyami, congratulations. You've shown great strength out there."

"Your words humble me sir." Tokoyami said.

"However, you have more training to do if you are going to fight different types of villains. You're not going to be to rely on your quirk in every battle you face."

"Yes sir."

All Might handed the Silver next. "Young Todoroki, congratulations. I'm assume there's a reason you didn't use your left side though it cost you the final."

Todoroki spoke in a melancholy tone. "Midoriya opened my eyes during our match but them I started to doubt myself. I think now I understand a little about why you are so interested in him. I want to be the kind of hero you are, but my path isn't as clear as I thought it was. I have a lot to think about and I still need to settle things with someone, very soon."

"I've never seen this sort of look on your face before, I won't ask for details but trust yourself. I'm sure you'll work things out."

"Right."

"And now young Bakugo. Hmm this is a bit much." All Might began to take the muzzle off.

"Uh oh." Lincoln said knowing whatever was next it wouldn't be good.

"Well, you did what you said you would do in the pledge, you're true to your word!"

"All Might…winning first place this way doesn't prove I'm the best one here! Even if the world considers I'm the winner I refuse to except it like this!"

"In a world where we are constantly compared to each other there are very few who can keep their eyes focused on the top spot. You're one of them." All Might held out the gold medal. "Please except this medal, even if you have to think of it as a scar, something you'll never forget."

"I don't want that piece of garbage!" Bakugo shouted.

"Just take you big baby." Ronnie Anne moaned.

"Come on now." All Might said as he tried to place the medal on him.

"Get that trash off of me you idiot!" when the ribbon tied to the medal fell into his mouth Bakugo went into a silent fuming.

"Here they are! The winners of this year's sports festival! But listen closely, any of you first years could've ended up standing on these podiums! Think about what you've done today, you've challenged each other, learned, and climbed even closer to your goals of being pros! I think the next generation of heros is proving to be our most promising one yet! So, I have one more thing to say! I want everyone to yell it with me! You know what it is! Thanks everyone for your hard work!"

But the crowd yelled "Plus Ultra!"

"Even the world's greatest hero embarrasses himself sometimes." Lincoln said.

The recording ended and both families and friends of Lincoln and Ronnie Anne got up. "I still wish Lincoln could have gone farther. It would have meant so much to him to get one of those medals for us to put in the trophy case back home." Rita said.

"Well, they both have next year." Hector said.

"Daddy when the boy that made things go boom spoke a lot of times the words on T.V. were funny shapes. Why?" Lily asked.

"Uh well, some languages have words for things we don't have." Lynn Sr. told a little white lie to his now four-year-old daughter. "In any event thanks for letting all of us come here."

"De nada." Rosa said. "You should all stay and join us for a feast."

"That is kind of you, but we have to get going." Howard McBride said.

"Yes, we promised these kids parents we'd have them home before morning." Harold added.

"Of course." Maria said.

"Hey why don't Leni, Luna, and me come home soon so we can all together tell Lincoln how proud we are in your next video chat."

"I think he would love that sweetheart." Rita said.

Back during the day of the festival Class 1-A except for Iida had changed back into their school uniforms and were seated in front of Mr. Aizawa. "Nice work. You have the next two days of school off to recuperate. I'm sure the pros that watched the festival will want to recruit some of you. We'll look over the draft forms and update you when you return. Get some rest, you still have a lot of training."

"Yes sir." The class said.

That was how Lincoln and Ronnie Anne's first sports festival ended while they rested changes both mundane and dark were coming, and nothing were going to stop them.

"Oh, wait I almost forgot something." Ronnie Anne said as she and Bakugo we're leaving. She ran up behind Mineta and wrapped her aura around her leg looked like a oversized boot. She kicked so hard he flew into the branches of one of the trees on campus. "That's for tricking me into looking like pep rally bimbo!"

Next time: Change comes in many forms, body, mind, feelings. In a time with many of these our exchange students will get codenames, experience internships, and struggle against themselves. Next chapter, Growth and Change. Lincoln gets a visit from a friend and sees a nightmare. Go Beyond! Plus Ultra!