Chapter 30 – Camera, Lights, Action
Mika was pacing the waiting room before her battle trying to do everything apart from get stuck in her own head. She was pumped, she was ready to get out there and prove to herself that she could make it another step closer to winning, prove to her Brother that he had not wasted his time, prove to the school that giving her a chance was the right decision, prove to her classmates that she wasn't going to be beaten so easily and prove to the world that she was someone to look out for.
She had already drunk three cups of water from the machine and stretched herself out to make sure she was ready for anything. So now all that was left was to think of a plan against Aoyama. Mika knew that he would be allowed to have his belt, which meant that his naval laser was going to be what she had to look out for. Mika knew that he was able to shoot at a great range, so technically she could just shoot her with the laser from the opposite side of the course and that would be enough to knock her back and out of bounds. So that was a big thing to avoid.
She knew that her agility was what was going to win her this round. The rules were that you weren't allowed to activate your quirk till the battle had started, which meant that storing up before hand was out of the question. She needed to be able to dodge and collect the shadow energy she needed at the same time. She was also going to have to dodge the laser to get close enough to take out the belt, with the belt out of the way he would not be able to aim properly and she would easily be able to overpower him to get him out of bounds. That was it, that was the plan that she had and she knew that it was the best shot that she had.
She started to stretch again, making sure that she was going to be as ready to flex out the way of the laser as possible.
"You look super ready, Mika-chan!" She heard Kirishima as he entered the room.
"Oh hey"
"I've come to wait and let you know you are up next" Kirishima urged her, looking towards the other door that would lead them out towards the stadium. She noticed that he looked nervous too and couldn't help but feel for him. As children they were under a large amount of pressure to perform and that was not something to be taken lightly, but at the same time they were representatives of the Hero course from UA, the best in the world. This was a feel that they both knew that they should get used to.
"Good luck out there" He smiled his brightest smile to her, pumping his fist out.
"You too, give em hell" She smirked to him and bumped her fist into his. "I know you can do it!"
The feeling of nerves in her stomach erupted with the anticipation as she turned and made her way out the room and into the tunnel that lead to the stadium arena. The closer and closer she got the louder the crowd got, people cheering out and applause just echoing down the tunnel. It was bright, it was like she was walking towards the sun as she emerged from the tunnel. Immediately she could hear her Brother starting to announce her round.
"UP NEXT!" He boomed across the massive space. "We have my fav…"
"You cannot say that" She heard the mumbled voice of her home room teacher mutter over the speakers. She heard her Brother cough a little and there was a brief moment of silence which had the crowd in hysterics. She could feel her cheeks heat a little at the pure embarrassment.
"We… we have… the only umbra kinetic in our current Hero courses, the unbreakable MIKA YAMADA, CLASS-1A…" He finally shouted, earning her a raucous applause. The feeling almost felt as good as when her body was pumping with the shadow energy, it was invigorating and a little addictive, but she narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists in concentration as she made it into the ring, stepping over the white line. She was situated on the side of the stadium that was starting to fall into the shade of the afternoon sun. Perfect, everything I need is right behind me… Aoyama, you are going down!
"… she will be going up against a boy whose belly button is no joke, YUGO AOYAMA, ALSO CLASS-1A!" He finished, the crown going wild one more.
She let her eyes glance before her, noticing a few camera's before landing on her opponent. He was stood posing up a storm on the other side of the course. His eyes were twinkling as he soaked in all the applause. With an overly dramatic bow, he ended up falling into a stance and finally looking over to her.
In that instance she felt her smirk appear and her eyes lock on his, and she could almost hear the gulp he took it was that obvious. She stretched her hands out by her sides, ready to start soaking up shadow energy as soon as she could.
Midnight readied herself on her viewing platform and started the countdown. With every second closer to the start, Mika could feel her body buzzing with anticipation. She was ready, ready to get this over and done with, ready to smash it 'plus ultra' style.
"START!"
Immediately, Aoyama sent a thick bolt of laser straight towards her. Mika was already ready for this and dropped down into a split to avoid it, her hands spread at her sides as she pulled in the shadows from the shaded area of the arena behind her. She was mildly aware of the ripple through the crowd that happened when they watched the shade start seeping around and into the raven-haired girl.
Before he had a chance to make another move, she had dropped into a roll and launched herself out and towards her opponent. She wasted in no time in urging the energy she had picked up to pulse through her legs. With every step there was a cloud of black smoke behind her as her blacked-out eyes zeroed in on every move that Aoyama made. At her quick approach he yelped and sent another beam straight for her head, she managed to dodge by spinning out the way and continuing on.
He was smart through; mere seconds after her spinning to the left and dodging and he was aiming for her left side trying to knock her of balance. She felt her heart catch in her throat as she was just barely able to miss the laser, a lock of her hair frying at the close call. She paused and assessed Aoyama. He was panting already, obviously trying to use strong lasers to deter her from getting any closer. You can't keep that up for ever! She thought as she sucked in more and more energy.
She waited till he was just about to set another laser off towards her before she launched into the air and over the incoming beam. Once against the ground she was merely metres from him, and it took no time at all for her to get in close enough to strike at his belt. He faltered in her closeness and his laser stopped. As it ended she forced her shadow energy into her left hand and she jabbed it out at the belt feeling it crunch under knuckles.
The force sent him flying back a few steps, encroaching on his white line.
She smirked and pulled back to assess if the damage was enough to render the belt useless. She watched as he desperately righted himself before aiming right for her, but when nothing came, she realised her trick had worked.
"NO… no wait!" Mika heard him almost whimper as she erupted from her spot before him with a manic grin on her face, one shove was all it took for him to go flying off out of bounds.
"AOYAMA IS OUT!" She heard Midnight call and the crowd went wild.
She had done it. She could not help the massive grin that split across her face.
Mika bowed once Aoyama had stood himself back up again, and then once more to Midnight before walking off the pitch back into the tunnel. She strode with one of her smirks on her face, the crowd chanting in the background making her feel unstoppable. She realised as she was walking that there was a camera following her to her left, she turned her head to look at it as she went, noticing the red light that meant it was one and recording. Without a thought she let out the breath she had been holding full of the extra dark energy right at it. Clouding the screen for a second before she disappeared into the tunnel.
"WHOA SO COOL!" She heard her Brother shriek.
"That was quick work Mika-chan" Mina bounced as Mika arrived back at her seat. Both Kaminari and Ashido has kept it free for her. She plopped back down into it and let out a breath, she had spent quite a bit of time in the prep room after her match so that she could stretch again. She would be damned if she let herself get all tired and sore before the battles had even finished. She knew that as she was talking Tokoyami and Yaoyorozu were out there fighting. She would be up against one of them and that was exciting. She still hoped that it would be Tokoyami.
"That felt awesome" Mika sighed as she leant back in her chair.
"You looked so comfortable out there, what was it like?" Mina asked with an excited wiggle.
"It was cool, but its intense…"
"They had you up on the big screen, how crazy is that?" Mina squealed, pointing up to the large screen across the stadium to them that was now showing some strange soda advert.
"On really?" Mika face grew a little shocked at that, she had not put 2 and 2 together earlier. Of course, the cameras were putting her up on the big screen. Idiot… why did you act like such a loser…
"Yeah, zoomed in on your face and everything" Kaminari piped up from her other side.
"You looked so kick-ass" Mina added, seeing Mika's face pale a little.
"The more you mention it the more embarrassing it is, Mina" Mika slid lower in her seat and pulled her t-shirt up to cover her face so that all they could see was her scowl, making a few of her class mates chuckle at her.
"Yeah, but like… your whole face would have been on people tv's"
"Eughhhhhhh" Mika put her face in her hands and groaned.
"You're going to be famous" She urged again, nudging Mika's side.
"Bloody hell"
"Yeah but all the Pro's will have seen you" Mina continued.
"Makes me feel so much better, gee thanks Mina"
"You are calling me Mina and it's giving me life…" The bubbly pink haired girl grinned at Mika, her brows wiggling suggestively. "… are we best friends now?"
"I think you are best friends now, I am a witness" Kaminari snorted, as he leaned back and rested his arm over the back of Mika's chair, earning him a glare and a growl. He backed off by placing his hands up in front of him.
"Anyway, who is next?" Mika cut across the chuckled around her to cut the conversation.
"She brushed us off just like that" Kaminari fake gasped.
"I am your best friend, how could you?" Mina dramatically draped herself across Mika's lap and all Mika could do was sigh and except her fate. She was doomed.
"Oh jeez" Mika sighed, but she couldn't help the small smile appear.
