Ch 11. Sports Festival Pt. 1
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Today was the day.
It had been a couple weeks since he'd last been on campus. Since any student was actually. Why? Everyone was preparing for what might be the most significant moment of this semester - the U.A. Sports Festival. It was the first time Japan - no, the world would see the U.A. freshmen class perform, and nobody wanted to disappoint. Lee, least of all.
He wouldn't say he was nervous about performing well. No, Lee knew what he was capable of and was confident in his success. He'd trained hard this past couple of weeks, working on his handle with his nunchaku and the Gates - should they prove necessary. He was more powerful and quicker than he was at the Entrance Exam, and today was the day he'd show all that progress.
He was in the back room with 1-B, a little bit of chatter going on between groups or pairs that Lee easily tuned out. He remembered them talking about some plan, but, like with the Entrance Exam, he wanted - no, needed to prove himself capable in his own way. The muffled roar of the crowd was a stark reminder as to why.
Yesterday, after they were done with their workout, Guy-sensei had tried to tell him that he'd be proud of Lee no matter how the day shaped up, but his words left a bad taste in Lee's mouth. He hadn't come all this way just to accept good. He told his sensei that he was aiming for first place, and sensei smiled that big, toothy smile and agreed. Lee had his sensei's support, and that was worth more than anything else in the world.
Lee felt more put together than ever before. After finally telling people he was Quirkless, after finally coming to terms with it and accepting it, Lee felt this burning desire to succeed. He wondered when it left, or if it was ever this powerful. Like a lotus flower opening its petals to expose it's beautiful bud to the sun, Lee found a red-hot desire to compete and win today. His flames of youth were burning bright today!
He couldn't help but grin as he thought of the competition he'd be facing from all of U.A.'s departments today. It'd be unlike anything he'd ever experienced before!
He wondered what he would be faced with? From previous footage he found online, the Sports Festival usually had three events that challenged the students in various ways - some combination of physical and mental challenges. Brute strength or pure intellect wouldn't get you through the day. One needed to put it all together to find the success they're looking for. Every year the events were different, but the last event was always the same.
A tournament to see who would come out on top. The remaining students would face each other in one on one fights. Winner moved forward, loser, metaphorically, went home. Lee resolved not to be sent home early today. Metaphorically.
He finished tying his shoes, double knot, so they didn't come loose and went into warm-up stretches.
He'd come too far just to do good. No, he'd come here to great by anyone's standards, Quirk or Quirkless. Yes, getting scouted by a Pro was vital to any possible future he wanted, but he had a point to prove here. An exclamation point, hehe. That being Quirkless didn't mean he was useless, and it didn't mean he couldn't be a hero. He knew what the world thought of people without Quirks, and this was his chance to not necessarily prove them wrong, but to prove himself right. Well, both actually.
All those times when he was battered and bruised but continued to train. All those times when the sun had dropped, and he continued to train under the light of the moon and stars, all the tears he cried, all the blood he shed, it wouldn't be for no reason. He wouldn't let it.
Guy-sensei had even given him the okay to take off his weights and use the Eight Gates technique should the situation call for it, and Lee had already discarded the weights for today. He would give his absolute best every step of the way, and the weights would only hinder him. Yesterday, Lee got to see how fast he'd gotten without them and whew! He was faster than he could've ever imagined being.
He was out here with something to prove, that being Quirkless didn't mean you were useless, and he could become a hero with enough hard work and determination. He'd become the first Quirkless Hero the world would ever see in this Quirk dominated era. Count on it.
A muffled roar rang from the crowd they all knew was waiting for them outside caught everyone's attention.
The door slid open to show their class rep, Itsuka. She stood there, her brows set firmly, but with a small smile on her face.
"It's time," she said. There was a pause.
"Dramatic much?" Monoma quipped.
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"And Class 1-B!" Present Mic announced, which was their signal to walk out.
As 1-B walked out, the crowd was screaming so loud, Lee couldn't even hear himself think. There wasn't anything he could think to compare it to. He looked around the stadium, eyes wide, mouth slightly agape, at the sheer amount of people there to watch them perform. It was unreal!
Lee took a deep breath to settle himself and tear his eyes away from the mind-boggling number of people in attendance. He didn't even want to imagine the number of people watching on their T.V.s or listening to it on the radio. He was sure Guy-sensei was out there somewhere in the crowd, but sensei would tell him to focus. The crowd didn't matter. They weren't competing, they weren't down here ready to give their all to accomplish their dreams. Lee was. And that's all that mattered.
Midnight: The R- rated Hero
Midnight stood there in her very tight, very eye-catching attire and called for everyone to be quiet. With a swish of her whip, the stadium fell silent, and she called up the Freshman Class representative to open the event with a speech.
"Katsuki Bakugo!" She called, and out from the crowd of freshmen walked a pale blond-haired boy. To Lee's eyes, the boy walked like he didn't care much to be up there, making a speech. Was he not fired up? Was he not excited?
The boy got to the stage and stepped in front of the Mic with his hands in his pockets. Everyone was silent as they waited for his speech. Lee wasn't what to expect.
"I pledge," he began, "That I'll be number one."
The group students erupted angrily at the show of blatant disrespect. That Bakugo had enough gall to go up there in front of the world and declare himself to be number one? Was that confidence or arrogance? Lee wasn't sure, but he made a mental note of the ease the teen declared it with. He didn't seem worried, nor arrogant. There might be more to the boy than there seemed. It got Lee excited to see if he could back those words up or not.
"Let's get right into the first event!" Midnight announced, getting everyone's attention once again.
The screen was put up high so everyone could see. The words on it spun and blurred together until they slowed to a stop.
"An Obstacle Course!"
After a brief explanation, Lee found himself in the crowd of students waiting before the gate to open so they could all start. He found one gate to be a bit...lacking when there were so many of them here. With everyone running, they were sure to get stuck together in the tunnel, right?
The light flashed green, and the door opened. Lee's time to think was no more; he had to act. In a burst of speed, Lee set himself in the front of the pack quickly. No weights, no problem. The best way not to get caught up in the crowd was to not be a part of it.
Legs pumping and arms moving, Lee focused on what was in front of him and not behind. Unexpectedly, a chill ran through the air, and Lee saw the stone floor quickly turning an icy blue. It moved too swiftly for him to avoid, and the ground was now slippery ice beneath his feet. His feet slipped and slid, and Lee teetered back and forth, trying to find his balance.
"What the?" He wondered aloud, looking down at the ice. Where has this ice come from? Was it a part of the obstacle course? Or was it…
The sound of lightly thudding feet reached him, and he looked up to see a red and white-haired boy running forward without his feet frozen to the ground.
"Todoroki!" The blonde-haired boy from the speech cried out angrily. Miniature explosions shot out from his palms as he flew above everyone's heads and out of the tunnel.
"You thought I'd get caught by your little trick, you icy-hot bastard!" The boy, Bakugo, yelled as he propelled himself above the suddenly icy ground. "Think again!"
So it was this Todoroki's doing? Freezing the ground beneath the competition's feet so he could take the lead for himself.
"I'm not getting stopped here!" A girl with long dark hair put into a pointy pony-tail yelled as she propelled herself over the ice as well. Dang, Lee needed to do a little less watching and more doing.
He couldn't move fast on ice, but he had found himself enough purchase on the ground to jump off of it. Decision made, he bent at the knees and catapulted himself up and to the side of the wall. There was no ice there, but he'd need to go quick if he didn't want to slide back down. The instant he touched the right wall, he pushed off, doing it again and again until he was out of the tunnel and away from the ice.
After all, it was an obstacle course, and they met their first one right out of the tunnel.
A familiar metallic clanking caught everyone's attention, and everyone pulled to a stop. Standing in the way were the robots from the Entrance Exam. It was a race, so he didn't have the time to sit here and fight them. Maybe open one of the gates?
Before he could make his mind up, once again, Lee felt a chill on the wind. He found the Todoroki boy and saw the ground around him erupt in a sky-rocketing cascade of ice. The ice encased the giant robots whole, leaving them covered in a frigid, crackling new coat.
"Whoa," He gasped. What power. He froze a zero pointer in its tracks like it was nothing. That was unreal.
Lee shook himself from his daze. Okay, that was admittedly impressive, but he couldn't get stuck staring. The giant frozen robots began to creak, and the ice holding them began to crack. Lee almost thought they were breaking free, but he was wrong. They were breaking apart.
The ice and robot pieces cracked and plummeted to the ground, crashing in a heap, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Lee threw his arms up to keep his eyes safe from the dust. The cloud 'whooshed' by due to the crash's force, revealing a pile of broken robot pieces. He hoped nobody got caught under that. Nobody was supposed to get seriously hurt in these events, right?
The top-most piece on the pile cracked in two places, and Tetsu burst out glinting steel and a red-haired boy with blocky, squarish skin. To survive that crash like Testu must mean the red-headed boys' Quirk granted him similar toughness or something of the like. Lee heard Present Mic call out their names and Quirks, but Lee was already moving forward.
"Target acquired," a robotic voice intoned through the smoke. The remaining robots trudged through the dust kicked up, wisps trailing from their blocky limbs, but Lee had danced this dance before.
He dashed forward and swerved to the side just as the blocky robotic limb predictably slammed down into the ground. He kicked off the part and spun into a Senpu that tore the robot's head right off. It was like kicking a ball off its stand. He smirked a little but kept moving forward as the robot crashed back onto the ground.
Guy-sensei had emphasized for him not to hesitate today. He couldn't afford to if he wanted to win. He had a clear path forward now, seeing heads of red and white and light blonde up ahead. So, he put on a little more speed as the sounds of fighting and others running faded behind him. They couldn't keep up with his pace. He was sure Pony might have been able to or the boy from 1-A with the glasses, but they had robots to get through and the ice to deal with still.
Lee pumped his legs faster, scenery blending together as he got faster. In only a few moments, he was caught up to Todoroki as that Bakugo propelled himself through the air. Lee pulled up shoulder to shoulder with the other teen and felt his eyes on the side of his head as they ran. Bakugo screamed something as he propelled himself through the air, but Lee couldn't hear it over the explosions he was letting off.
No, he focused on what was ahead of him. The second obstacle. It was a pitfall with thin ropes being the only way from platform to platform. So a test of agility and balance? Both things Lee had in spades.
"The top three encounter our second obstacle already, the Fall!" Present Mic's voice rang out. "How will they deal with this?"
Lee smirked. He'd deal with it like..this!
He leaped into the air and onto the rope, taking the lead from Todoroki, who had to slow down a little as he started sliding across the rope with ice. The line shuddered beneath his feet, but years of nursing his balance with Guy-sensei had prepared Lee for worse. Lee started running across the rope like it was solid ground until he got to the next platform. The crackling ice was getting closer behind him, as was the loud bangs and pops as Lee made it to the next rope.
Lee kept a steady lead all the way to the end of the second obstacle, but the other two were steadily making up for the ground they lost. Back on the straightaway, Todoroki caught up to him until he was an arm's length behind him, but it was Bakugo who broke up the rhythm they found themselves in with a boisterous yell.
Lee just so happened to look up and see Bakugo coming down on him, and Todoroki with his hand extended out and sparking dangerously.
"First place is MINE!" He yelled as an explosion burst from his hand right atop Lee and Todoroki. Lee's reflexes were up to the task of dodging left to avoid the blast, and, as the smoke cleared, so was Todoroki. But now, between Lee and Todoroki stood Bakugo, red eyes glaring furiously, hands curled like claws as more sparks popped off them.
Bakugo pointed his hands outward, and Lee was already jumping back to avoid the explosion that ripped through where he was. Even dodging back, the force of the blast flung his hair back and forced Lee to squint. That Bakugo was aggressive and powerful if his explosions' strength were anything to go by. That only served to raise the excitement Lee was already feeling.
Lee heard the crackling of ice and jumped up through the smoke cloud that had yet to dissipate. Sure enough, the ground beneath him turned blue as Todoroki sprinted through the smoke cloud, taking the lead. Lee hadn't jumped into the air alone, though, because right in front of him was a snarling Bakugo.
"Eat this," he growled as he pointed his palms right at Lee. "you damn wannabe!"
But Lee had learned his lesson the first few times, and he wasn't defenseless while in the air. Lee reached forward and grabbed Bakugo's wrists, yanking him forward and causing the explosions to go off behind him. The force of the explosions threw the linked boys forward together, sending them sailing right above Todoroki's head.
"Let me go, you bastard!" Bakugo growled in his face, trying to take his arms back. The sheer strength behind Bakugo's struggles was almost enough to cause Lee's grip to give. Lee needed to do this quickly.
Before gravity could grab hold of the both of them, Lee tucked his legs and shot them right in Bakugo's stomach. The red-eyed boy gagged at the sudden stomach blow, and Lee gained control of their clench. Lee pulled his feet back and torqued his hips while still holding onto Bakugo's wrists. Just like the Reverse Lotus, he spun with Bakugo in the air and threw him right at Todoroki.
Lee landed and immediately took off as the sound of explosions and cracking ice met his ears. He hazarded a glimpse over his shoulder, still running forward, and saw neither Todoroki nor Bakugo worst off from Lee's attempt to delay them. Fractals of ice scattered through the air as both Bakugo and Todoroki started back running after him, both of their faces set in fierce, focused scowls. They were gunning after him now that he had taken the lead.
He turned his head back forward, and just in time to notice his next step sunk into the ground a little further than it should've. Instantly, he leaped up just as the ground beneath him exploded in a burst of pink.
What was that? What had caused that explosion? In the air, Lee looked out over the field but couldn't notice anything that would cause that explosion. It wasn't that forceful that Bakugo's explosions held more force than these, but they would be enough to hurt - to impede anyone caught in the blast.
Lee landed in the lip of the crater because landing anywhere else risked setting off another explosion. Eyes peeled and a lot more cautious, he stood and slowly began to inch forward across the field. That little slip up had been enough to even him, Bakugo, and Todoroki as they had just as little idea of what the explosions were too.
"We've already got three at the last obstacle, the Minefield!" Present Mic's boisterous voice said. "Watch your step, trying to get to the other side, hehe. The mines aren't strong enough to maim, but they do pack a punch!"
As if to prove his point, someone stepped on one and was blasted back and up into the air.
Lee almost looked back but shook the curiosity away. He had made it halfway across the minefield along with Bakugo and Todoroki, without setting off another one. He'd noticed that the rough dirt was smoother in some places than others, and since no one had stepped there to flatten the ground out, that must have meant those areas were tampered with before the students stepped foot on the field. Lee guessed those smoother areas were where the mines were and made to avoid them.
It had paid off so far for him, but, and he didn't know if the other two figured it out themselves or were just following his example, they hadn't set any off either. Taking it cautiously, though, had allowed the others to catch up to them, and now several people were tip-toeing their way across the field.
Another explosion went off, and pink smoke went up into the sky.
Well, trying to tip-toe across the field. Lee looked around, noting he was at least a couple of steps ahead of the other two, but they were gaining on him. One in stoic focus, the other in seething grit. He turned back forward and saw he only had a little left before he was sure the field stopped.
He slowly stepped forward, toes lightly tapping the ground to make sure nothing was waiting for him underneath it before planting his full foot. Another step forward in the same manner. All he needed was a few more, and he'd be home free. Another step, aaand another-!
Just then, an absolutely massive explosion shattered the air of focus over the entire field of competitors. Lee looked over his shoulder to see a piece of metal shooting through the air and coming closer. Wait, no. That wasn't entirely correct. As the piece traveled through the air, Lee could catch a person riding the metal piece through the air. It was the Midoriya kid! And he was shooting ahead!
Lee almost cursed as he glanced from the boy flying through the air to the ground. Just a couple more steps - he couldn't wait! Lee disregarded any form of caution and started running after the sky-surfing teen as Todoroki began skating on his ice and Bakugo propelled himself forward with his explosions.
Now, it was a dead sprint. Lee was a little ahead, but Bakugo and Todoroki were right behind him with Midoriya above. The problem for Midoriya, though, as he was coming down into a crash.
Just as it looked like Midoriya would crash and fall behind, he flipped in mid-air while slamming the piece of metal down onto the ground. A spot of smooth dirt.
Before anyone could react, the ground exploded in a cloud pink, knocking Lee, Bakugo, and Todoroki back while kicking Midoriya forward.
Midoriya tumbled forward but was able to roll to his feet into a run in a dead sprint, officially taking first place.
Lee almost couldn't believe it, were it not for the fact that it just happened right in front of his face.
It was a dead sprint, a straightaway. They were neck and neck, trying desperately to catch up to Midoriya. Lee was running with all he had, eyes on the back of Midoriya's head as he got closer and closer. Almost there.
10 feet.
They were nearing the end of the tunnel.
5 feet.
They could hear the roaring crowd now. The light was getting bigger and bigger.
Within arms reach!
But it wasn't enough. Midoriya was the first one to enter the arena proper, followed by the other three. It was too close for Lee to call, so he'd wait for the results.
Present Mic's voice came through the speakers as Lee slowly walked around, gaining his breath back. The others were much of the same in trying to get their breath back. Soon, others came through as the crowd roared, and soon enough, Present Mic had the results.
The screen read:
1st Place: Izuku Midoriya
2nd Place: Todoroki Shouto
3rd Place: Katsuki Bakugo
4th Place: Rock Lee
He got fourth? Lee took deep breaths in and out and wiped the sweat away from his forehead. It didn't feel like he got fourth. He couldn't have guessed what that Midoriya was going do. That had shaken everything up.
He stood up straighter as his breaths evened out and turned away from the screen. He turned to face a deep scowl and red eyes.
"You think you're something special, huh you Quirkless wannabe?" Bakugo glared harshly, teeth-gnashing. "You think this is your special moment or some shit?"
Lee didn't lean away; no, he leaned forward, a smile growing on his face. Bakugo's nostrils flared, and veins popped in his neck. Lee wasn't here to back down to anybody.
"I think I'm here to prove a point to people like you," he said. Lee knocked a chin in the direction of the crowd. "And to them."
"Drop dead," Bakugo said back. "Nobody gives a shit about some weak Quirkless wannabe who thinks he can play Hero."
Lee slid his tongue along the inside of his teeth, letting the words blow right by him. He'd heard worse. Lee wasn't intimidated in the slightest. He could play the insult game with Bakugo, but Guy-sensei had always told him that he had to go high when someone went low because going low only brought him down to the other person's level. Lee was here to rise above the insults, to rise above people like Bakugo. So, he swallowed the words and instead smiled wider.
"Good luck in the next event, Bakugo," Lee said. "I hope to see you perform even better than you did in the first one."
Bakugo's fingers twitched, and Lee tenses his legs, keeping the smile on his face. The blonde-haired teen only grunted and shouldered past Lee. Lee let him.
Lee watched the teen walk away, moving people out of the way on his way to the front of the crowd. The farther he got, the more Lee relaxed. He'd have to watch out for him. Usually, the ones with the loudest barks don't have the strongest bites, but Lee doubted that was the case with Bakugo. His performance in the Obstacle Course and the fact he was the freshman class representative spoke for itself.
"Attention!" Midnight called for them through the Mic. Her whip waving in the sky. "We have our 46 qualifiers from the Obstacle Course, and their names are on the screen."
Lee turned to look, and the screen was more filled out than what it was previously. Ibarra even got fifth behind him. Wow, good for her. Itsuka was up there too, Pony, Mina, and most of his class had also made it through. Around the same time too...
"The name of the second event is," The screen flashed, and words came to a stop on it. "The Cavalry Battle! The way this event is meant to go, there will be teams of a maximum of four people of at least one rider and one 'horse,' " she explained. An image popped up of Present Mic and 13 carrying All Might in the way she described.
She explained that every student who had qualified was given a point value that increased by five, the higher they placed in the race. Teams were given points values based on that, and riders were given headbands representing those points to protect. But the catch, the reason that everyone was staring at the Midoriya boy like he was the last rib on the rack, was that first place's point value was worth 10 million points!
Everyone would be gunning for him, Lee himself included, but first, Lee had to find a team. He walked around, thinking to himself who would do best on his team, but wherever he looked, others turned away. They looked down or at their friends or group members. Some outright turned their backs to him like he didn't even exist. He knew it was because they heard he was Quirkless after Present Mic announced it like he did with the others. Lee hadn't really focused on Present Mic's announcing because it would only have served to distract him. Others, though, had clearly heard and listened.
Their reactions would make him more if he didn't know he had people who accepted him, people he could call his friend. As a matter of fact, he saw one of them right now, and Lee got his idea for a team. So, he smiled wide, beaming, and walked past them uttering 'excuse me's and 'pardon me's to get through.
"Pony!" Lee called to her, speeding up to get to her quicker,
"Be on my team," he asked as he got to her. Then, he remembered his manners. "Please."
She peered up at him with her big, blue eyes and tilted her head to the side. "You want to be on a team with me?" She asked him.
Lee nodded rapidly. "Yes! I think together, we would make a great team."
He wouldn't mention how others were avoiding him because that didn't influence his choosing her. He wouldn't cheapen his decision nor Pony like that. No, he'd chosen Pony because he wanted to because of what he knew about her and her Quirk.
Pony's face got this weird dazed look, and her eyes twinkled, but it must've been the angle and the lights.
"So is that a yes?" Lee wondered.
Before she could answer, a familiar voice hooked in.
"Do you two have a team yet?" Togaru asked as he approached them.
Lee's eyes widened a little. He expected to just be a team with Pony. Maybe try and find Itsuka and Setsuna before time went out. Not that seeing Togaru here was a bad thing. Lee looked to Pony, who looked back to normal, gave him a look back. He guessed it was his decision to make.
He looked back to Togaru and shook his head. "No, not yet. I just asked Pony to be on my team, but she hasn't-"
"Yes!" Pony Interjected. "Lee and I are together. On a team! Together on a team. Yeah, haha."
Lee looked to Togaru, who looked back at Lee. They both looked at a red in the face Pony.
"So," Togaru drawled. "Can I join your team? I think I can play defense with these bad boys."
He brought his arm up and made a fist. From his forearm, a sharp blade sprouted out.
"Yeah," Togaru smiled as sharp as the blade coming from his arm. "I can make these bad boys come out from any part of my body. Anyone gets close, and they got these to deal with."
"Oh, oh, oh," Pony hopped in place. "With my Quirk, I can play defense too. My horns will cover what you're blades can't, Togaru."
"Sweet," Togaru smiled, but it quickly turned down, and he looked at Lee. "Hey, just to let you know, I don't appreciate how the others here are treating you, Lee. I know how it is to be treated differently - I'm not exactly normal lookin' myself, hehe," he tried to joke. "Er, but yeah, man, I heard some of them saying that you'd be easy to get points from since you, y'know,"
"Since I don't have a Quirk."
"Since you don't have a Quirk, yeah," Togaru confirmed, eyes flickering down briefly. Did he assume Lee would be offended of the reminder?
"Thank you for letting me know, Togaru," Lee thanked him, and Togaru's head shot up with his brows raised. "I would've thought our competition a bit more youthful than that, but it's not going to dissuade me from trying to win this. If anything," Lee smirked. "It makes me even more excited for the event to start."
"Yeah!" Pony cheered, pumping her fist in the air. "Let them come," her voice suddenly dipped deeper, and her bangs shadowed her eyes. "They will fail against our might. We will crush their bodies and their spirits."
Togaru looked at Lee, mouth slightly agape, and Lee looked back with the same look. Pony noticed their gaping faces and reverted back to her usual bright demeanor.
She scuffed her hooves against the ground, eyes focused down there too. "Was that weird? I saw it in an anime and thought it would fit the mood," she muttered.
Togaru threw his head back and barked out a laugh. "Ha, I thought it was perfect, Pony. It's got me all fired up! Let them all come," he yelled, mimicking how Pony was just a moment ago. "They will meet the edge of my blades!"
"I'll pulverize them with my horns!" Pony added on, fingers pointed alongside her horns.
"They will be overcome with our passionate flames of youth!" Lee cheered, fist shooting into the air.
"Alright!" They all shouted together.
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A/N: What can I say? The flames of youth are powerful. A lot goes on in the Sports Festival, and trying to put that all in one chapter would be too much. So, I broke it up into I won't say how many parts. Keep an eye out for that chapter coming up in the next couple of weeks. I don't want to do a month-to-month update with such an important arc like the Sports Festival is. Read, review, and stay safe errybody. Until next time!