I don't own My Hero Academia or Kill la Kill, please don't sue.
UA Sports Festival: Start of the Cavalry Battle
Just as Inumuta predicted, nearly every team was itching to go after Midoriya's. Uzu Sanageyama could tell by the directions their eyes pointed, the way their muscles twitched, or the smell of adrenaline in their sweat. They were all desperate. The umpire began to raise her whip and her lips started to move by the slightest amount. In a few milliseconds, the game would begin.
"Begin!" she declared, right on time.
Every team instantly took off charging for Midoriya. Inumuta was right after all, why bother going for Midoriya when there was a whole buffet of weaklings to choose from? Besides, eliminating him this early wouldn't do him any good, not when he'd make for an interesting opponent in the finals. While everyone else made a mad dash for Team Midoriya, Uzu and his team stayed in place for a few moments, surveying potential targets.
Uzu locked onto his first victims, a team led by some kid with insanely creepy elbows. He shot out what seemed to be tape from them, aiming to stick to Midoriya's headband and reel it back in. It was so adorable! They were so focused on Midoriya that they didn't even notice him hooking their headband with a single finger and stealing it right from under their noses. A few seconds passed before they even knew something was wrong.
Before he could choose another target though, the scent of burning fuel filled his nostrils, coming from Midoriya. So that's what the backpack was for! If his prediction was right, and of course it was, the other teams would be stunned by Midoriya suddenly flying, creating the perfect opening to steal more headbands. Sure enough, Midoriya and his team took to the sky and one team with a very loud rider made his surprise abundantly clear.
Uzu tried to use the same trick he used against the elbow guy, but to their credit, they were much more prepared. One of the horses, some girl with vines for hair, noticed them and lashed at him with a thorny vine. The attack was easy to dodge, but unfortunately it gave the girl enough time to warn her team.
"Tetsutetsu! We have to watch our blind spots more carefully, we almost lost out headband!" she exclaimed.
"What? Oh, it's those Elite jerks!" her rider yelled. "You think that you can just show up here and ignore us? This is supposed to be our festival! But you and those glory-hogs in Class 1-A are stealing all the spotlight for yourselves! Now let's show them that Class 1-B isn't to be underestimated!"
"Ugh, do you just like the sound of your own voice?" Jakuzure drawled.
Please, these guys were just the second-rate version of Class 1-A and even they were an absolute joke. He knew they'd try softening the ground underneath them to slow them down, given by how the one with the weird teeth was about to stomp on the ground. Using the same trick they just used against Midoriya mere moments ago? Did they really think he was an idiot?
"Sidestep! Now!" he barked.
"To the right, the one on their left flank is the weak link," Inumuta added.
His fellow Elites grunted in response and stepped to the right in unison, dodging the now muddy ground by a hair. Uzu instantly counter-attacked, lunging for Tetsutetsu's headband. The vine-haired girl tried blocking him with her vines, but she couldn't get a good angle due to being blocked by her own teammates. Just like Inumuta said, the boy on their left flank was completely helpless. He must have had a quirk that he couldn't use in a cavalry battle.
Even though most of them couldn't reach him, the sheer volume of the vines coming his way forced Uzu to dodge. He twisted his body around each thorny vine, but when the assault was over, it was too late. A massive wall of vines was now completely protecting their left side. Just perfect, now they'd have to reposition again!
The ground started to soften again, but not where Uzu and his team were standing. They were softening the ground around them. They must have learned from their previous attempt by not targeting where they were, but where they were going to be. Pretty clever, but not good enough.
"Gamagoori, now!"
Uzu climbed onto the giant's shoulders, his sudden increase in size launching him high above the wall of vines. He kicked the vine girl in the head as he descended, making her barrier collapse. Using the momentum from the kick, Uzu backflipped back onto his team and reached out for the headband again.
Tetsutetsu turned his top half to steel and howled a battlecry as he tried to punch Uzu. Amazing. That was literally the worst thing he could have done other than fall down on purpose. Uzu dodged the punch with a slight tilt of his head and his opponent's scream was quickly cut off by a small pink shockwave in his mouth, making his entire metallic body ring like a bell. While he was still recoiling from the shock of Jakuzure's blast, Uzu nabbed the headband from his literally chrome dome. Why did he turn his face to metal anyway? It wasn't like that made it harder to take his headband.
"YOU MAY BE ABLE TO TURN YOURSELF TO STEEL, BUT IT MAY AS WELL BE PAPER COMPARED TO OUR IRON WILLS!" Gamagoori bellowed.
"Damnit! You get back here right now!" Tetsutetsu demanded.
Obviously none of them listened. What, did his brain turn to metal too?
"The game's just started and we already have three headbands! I'd say we're doing pretty well," Uzu remarked as his team ran away, scouting for more targets.
"Not enough to secure a spot in the finals yet though, we're only in fourth," Inumuta butted in. "That last confrontation took more time and effort than I expected. And Team Tetsutetsu has already made up for the points we stole."
He did have a point. Those guys were a lot more annoying than he expected. Fortunately, there was a big score just waiting for them. Midoriya and his team had lost their flight and were now in a standoff with Endeavor's kid, both teams hesitating to make the first move. Todoroki was practically begging to have his headband stolen.
"I'll be taking that now," he said.
Uzu couldn't help but chuckle a little bit. That guy was so confident that he would win! He couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he realized his headband was gone. Well, not "see" exactly, but he could read expressions even better with Shingantsu. Unlike the previous team, no one even noticed him slipping Todoroki's headband off and adding it to his own growing collection.
"Uh dude, your headband is gone!" one of Todoroki's teammates told his rider far too late.
"What? Where the hell did it go?" he shouted.
So that's how he reacted. He was trying so hard to play himself off as the cold and stoic type, but Uzu could tell that he was within a hair of losing his temper. Midoriya on the other hand, made no attempt to conceal how rattled he was. That fear drove him though, as Uzu could tell from his quick breaths and rapid eye movements that he was already thinking of a plan if Uzu decided to go after him next. Him literally muttering his plans out loud certainly helped too though.
"Oh man, stealing the headband while you two stared at each other like kids with a crush, that was too easy! I guess you could say that you need to check your blind spots!" he laughed.
"A pun? Really?" Jakuzure groaned. "I suppose that is the only form of comedy a monkey could understand though."
"Don't engage with them Sanageyama, we still need at least 500 more points to lock in a spot in the finals," Inumuta added.
"Yeah yeah, I know," he groaned. "You hear that? There's no need to worry Izuku Midoriya, I'm not coming after you. We'll fight in the finals, not here. Sayonara!"
"We're now at the halfway point and Team Sanageyama has just made a huge score, pushing them up to second place! It's still anyone's game though!"
Uzu and his team left Midoriya and Todoroki behind, but they didn't run away too far. Since Midoriya couldn't fly anymore, the other teams were sure to try going after him again. And that's just what they all did. God they were all so predictable. Oh well, it looked like he'd get the points he needed with time to spare.
Maybe not all of them were so predictable though. A pole emerged from one of Todoroki's horses, anchoring her to the ground. From her chest, she produced a blanket for Todoroki to cover himself with.
"Kaminari!" he shouted.
Which one was that again? It must have been the dumb one. Maybe he didn't stay behind with his fellow Elites to gather information, but he didn't need to when we could see the whole thing with his quirk. He knew exactly what Todoroki was planning, he wanted to make sure that no one could dodge his ice blast this time.
"Stay back! Don't get any closer!" Uzu ordered.
"Why would we do that?" Jakuzure asked. "Look, they're all gathered together!"
"Indiscriminate Shock: 1.3 Million Volts!"
Every team around Todoroki's was instantly zapped by a blast of electricity. While they were still literally shocked, Todoroki froze the ground through the pole, freezing every team going after Midoriya in place.
"That's why."
"Alright, you were right this one time," she groaned. "Don't let it go to your head!"
With everyone frozen in place, stealing their headbands was even easier. Todoroki tried taking some of their headbands for himself, but quickly decided it wasn't worth the trouble of fighting over them. A few teams tried protecting their headbands anyway, such as one girl who tried using her massive fist as a shield, but it was hard to defend a headband when you couldn't move.
Uzu felt himself go into a sort of autopilot as his team went around systematically collecting headbands. There wasn't any doubt that they'd be going to the finals anymore, as pretty much every headband on the field was now in their possession. That meant he could focus his Shingantsu on the teams that interested him.
Todoroki had sectioned off a portion of the arena with a massive ice wall, isolating him and Midoriya from any interference. But every time he tried to make an attempt at stealing the headband, Midoriya would keep to his left. It was like he was physically incapable of producing ice from his left side. Midoriya must have been exploiting that weakness to play keep away for the past few minutes.
Meanwhile, Matoi was busy literally beating the piss out of one of those Class 1-B guys. It was disappointing that she wasn't leading her own team, instead teaming up with some spiky-haired kid, but she was doing pretty well for herself. With the last of those B-listers out of the way, her team was one of the only ones with headbands at all. It looked like Uzu would be getting his dream matchups in the finals after all!
"Recipro Burst!"
It happened fast. So fast that Uzu was barely able to react to it at all without his Goku Uniform. But Todoroki's team suddenly went from in front of Midoriya to behind him in the span of a few milliseconds. And took the 10,000,000 point headband with them.
Goddamnit! Without that headband, there was no way Midoriya's team would be able to pass! The ice wall was stopping them from going after other teams and it was unlikely they'd get the headband back. Now how was he supposed to beat Midoriya in the finals? Unless...
"I can already tell what you're thinking," Inumuta interrupted him. "And no, absolutely not."
"I haven't even said what it is yet!" Uzu protested. "And anyway, I'm up here, which means that I'm the team leader. That means you have to do what I say. And what I say is that we're going after Matoi!"
Present
"Ah, Ryuko Matoi!" Monkey-Boy laughed. "Going after the ten million points are we? Now I hate to do this to you so early, but that means we'll be taking your headband."
Katsuki Bakugo had just started to marginally calm down after destroying that B-list idiot and his cronies, but seeing him just made him even madder. Not only was that bastard was the reason he lost the first round, but he was addressing Matoi instead of him? Did he think that he was some extra to be ignored?
"Hey! I'm the leader over here!" he shouted. "That's my headband you idiots are gonna fail to take! And when I'm done with you, that stupid mask will be the only proof you existed!"
"Sorry, but you assholes aren't taking shit!" Matoi yelled.
Katsuki started to twitch. Was she deaf? That's what he just said!
"I misspoke," Monkey-Boy replied. "What I meant to say is that you're gonna give me the headband. Don't worry, I don't need all of them. The one you started with will be plenty."
"And I'm guessing that there's an 'or else' right?" Matoi asked. "Like you'll take all of them if we don't give it to you?"
"Nope! I really am asking nicely. If I wanted all your headbands, I'd already have them. Giving it up willing will make this so much easier for both of us."
"Why do you want the points anyway?" Matoi kept asking. "You guys have pretty much every headband in play, there's no way you're not moving on."
"What makes you think they're for us?" Ninja Turtle laughed. "I don't need the points, I need to give it to Izuku Midoriya. I'm not gonna let him lose here, not when I haven't fought him yet. He won't be able to get his points back from Todoroki in time. I can see what's happening right now. He's about to make one last move and he'll steal a headband, but it won't be enough points to pass."
Deku? All this was for freaking Deku? That's all he was to that asshole? A stepping stone just so he could fight Deku? First it was Icy Hot, now this Elite bastard was singling Deku out as a rival? He was the best at UA, they should be going after him!
"Like hell I'm giving you a single point!" Katsuki screamed before Matoi could try answering for him. "Don't waste your time with that damn nerd, I'm the strongest person here and I'm going to be the indisputable champion of the game! You idiots are just a stepping stone to my victory! I'll take every last point from you and them I'm going after the ten million points myself!"
"Hey kid! I don't know you, but try shutting up a bit. The big kids are talking right now," Monkey-Boy dismissed him.
Now Katsuki was literally fuming, smoke pouring out from his palms. Was that bastard seriously still ignoring him? Did he forget what he did in the first round? How he humiliated him in front of millions of people on national TV? Going after the ten million could wait, he was going to kill that guy and all his annoying buddies!
"Matoi, we're not stopping until every one of these Hibachi Academy losers is dead!"
"Oh come on Matoi! Are you gonna let this knucklehead speak for you?" Monkey-Boy asked, once again completely ignoring Katsuki. "I'm offering you a good deal here! You're friends with Midoriya right? If you want him to move to the next round, this is his only chance!"
"I can speak for myself!" she snarled. "Midoriya is my friend, but I need to win this thing no matter what! I won't give that up for anything or anyone! Now get lost!"
"You just have to make me do this the hard way," Monkey-Boy sighed. "Oh well, that is what I like about you after all. Looks like I'll be getting a little more fun!"
"More like you're wasting our time," Squeaky-Toy grumbled. "Are we really doing this just so the monkey can satisfy his ego?"
"He is our leader, at least for this game," Jumbo pointed out. "And it's not like we have anything better to do with our time."
Katsuki tensed himself up, ready to react to any move his opponents could make. He didn't bother paying attention to what their quirks were, but he saw that Monkey-Boy was fast, far faster than even his own reaction time. That was how he got him in the obstacle course, something Katsuki wouldn't let happen again!
Without warning, his enemy and his team shot off towards Katsuki. While the attack was unexpected, Katsuki and his team were able to dodge. Monkey-Boy may have been fast, but he was limited by the speed of his teammates. He retaliated with an explosion aimed at Monkey-Boy, but there was only empty space atop his teammates. What the hell? Where did he go?
For the second time, Katsuki felt the sensation of a headband being ripped from his head. Monkey-Boy jumped off his shoulders and flipped back on top of his horses. True to his word, the only headband he took was the one he was assigned at the beginning of the game.
"I can't believe you fell for that!" he laughed. "I mean, come on! Did you really think I'd do something so obvious as charge straight in? Your explosions are so predictable! I do have to thank you, they provided the perfect smokescreen for me to get right in your blind spot!"
Damnit! Katsuki hated to admit it, but he was right. That was so stupid of him! He couldn't believe that bastard caught him off guard again! There wasn't much time left and Katsuki didn't feel like wasting time with the extras, so he launched himself into the air and landed on top of Jumbo's shoulders, right next to Monkey-Boy. He swung wildly for headband, but his opponent effortlessly dodged each strike. Katsuki growled and prepared a blast so big that he couldn't dodge, but Monkey-Boy whacked him in the face with a backhand and sent him flying back. Fortunately, Matoi and Weird-Hair were able to catch him.
"Come on man! What was that?" Weird-Hair exclaimed. "I thought we were working as a team!"
"You're right," Katsuki reluctantly forced out. "I have a plan."
He had to admit that he had a point. Unfortunately, he would need their help. The Hibachi Academy idiots were standing in place like they were mocking, goading him into making the next move. That was their mistake.
"Raccoon-Eyes! Melt the ground beneath them!" he ordered.
"My name is Mina Ashido!" she protested, but followed his order nonetheless.
A stream of corrosive liquid shot out from her finger tips, liquifying the ground it hit. While it should have been right underneath Monkey-Boy and his team, they simply sidestepped out of the way.
"Really? That was your plan?" he taunted.
"That was just to get your attention!" Katsuki shouted back. "Now, Split Formation!"
Just like they did before, he detached from Matoi and Weird-Hair, putting all of his weight on Raccoon-Eyes. He had to give her credit where it was due, she was a lot stronger and more agile than she looked. The two teams charged in from different directions, Katsuki's to the right and Matoi's to the left.
"Sanageyama, let's just get out of here," Four-Eyes suggested. "As infinitesimally small as it may be, there's still a chance we could lose our headbands. It's unnecessary to put ourselves at risk."
"It's just getting good though! But fine," he grunted. "We're going in reverse!"
"How the hell are we supposed to run away when we can't see where we're going?" Squeaky-Toy shrieked.
"Just go where I tell you. We need to have Gamagoori in front as a shield."
They positioned themselves so that Jumbo would be facing Matoi and Weird-Hair as they ran straight towards their opponents. The two of them launched a flurry of punches and kicks at Jumbo, but not a single one made him even flinch.
"IF THAT'S THE BEST YOU CAN DO, THEN YOU DON'T DESERVE TO MOVE ON TO THE FINALS AT ALL!" he roared.
Matoi simply grunted and picked Weird-Hair up like a club, just like she did earlier. She swung him wildly at the giant, but he simply bounced off his skin. She almost landed a hit on his face, but a massive hand stopped her improvised weapon and tossed him aside. A swift punch to the gut sent Matoi flying with him.
"Now that was just disappointing," Monkey-boy sighed. "Hold on, stop right now!"
His team immediately obliged, skidding to a halt right before they hit the melted ground. Katsuki couldn't help but grin wildly. While they were distracted with Matoi, he and Raccoon-Eyes surrounded them with a ring of acid. Now they had nowhere to run! Matoi and Weird-Hair were already recovering, the headbands would be his in no time!
"You think you're so clever don't you? But it's gonna take a lot more than that to keep us down! Jakuzure!"
"I can't believe I have to follow orders from a monkey," she grunted.
Squeaky-Toy closed her eyes and held both of her hands out, which were now glowing bright pink. She opened her mouth and seemingly shrieked as loud as she could, but for some reason Katsuki couldn't hear it. A pink beam shot out from her mouth and hit the ground, making it shake violently. In an instant, all the melted ground was completely pulverized, reduced to dust.
While Katsuki was still shocked that they were able to escape, Jumbo pushed him and Raccoon-Eyes away while his team made their retreat. He was deceptively fast, the impact felt like a freight train hitting him at full speed. Once they widened the distance between them and Katsuki, they swiveled around, making Jumbo face him.
Damnit! All that and he was back at square one! Matoi and Weird-Hair were back on their feet, connecting back with Katsuki. So they wanted to use the big guy as a human shield huh? Then if he could get around him, they'd have no defenses left!
"Matoi, throw me again!" he ordered. "Aim over the big one!"
She grunted and picked Katsuki up like a javelin, throwing him as hard as she could straight over Jumbo's giant head. When the time was right, he would use an explosion to force himself downward, right onto that Monkey Bastard's stupid head!
But it just couldn't have been that easy. Right as he was about to pass over Jumbo, he somehow got even bigger! Katsuki slammed into his chest like a fly against a windshield. Before the giant could pick him up, he frantically climbed on top of his shoulders, dodging several attempts to throw him off. He was staring right into Monkey-Boy's eyes now, or more accurately, that damn mask.
"Are you done yet? If you want to waste my time and yours with this pathetic attempt at getting your points back, at least have Matoi do it!"
Katsuki felt himself quiver with rage, but suppressed the urge to blow his face up right then and there. That was just what he wanted him to do. Katsuki had a plan and he was going to stick to it! He'd been practicing this move since middle school, it worked on Deku and it would work here! He launched himself up over Monkey Boy's head, making sure to get as much smoke as possible in his face.
"You're right! My explosions do provide the perfect smokescreen!" he taunted.
Obviously it was impossible due to the mask, but Katsuki could have sworn he saw his eyes roll. Whatever! It would still catch him off guard! After all, it wasn't like he could tell exactly where he was going to be! Right as he was behind his opponent, he fired a second blast to propel himself at his back. Katsuki stretched his hand out to grab his headbands, but it never made it.
In one swift motion, Monkey-Boy had reached behind him and grabbed Katsuki's face without even turning to look at him. He tossed him aside like a rag doll with similar disrespect, sending Katsuki rolling on the dirty floor. His big plan had completely and utterly failed. The smokescreen did nothing, his opponent somehow knew exactly where he was. But Katsuki couldn't stop smiling.
"That's gotta be the saddest attempt I've seen in this entire game!" Squeaky-Toy laughed. "Did you really think you could steal- Holy crap he got it!"
While it wasn't the complete annihilation Katsuki had hoped for, he was able to steal a single headband right when Monkey-Boy grabbed him. That cocky bastard must have been using his quirk to tell where he would be, so he wouldn't be concentrating on what his hands were doing. But strangely, he wasn't doing anything to get his headband back. In fact he'd already turned around and started running in the opposite direction.
"What are you doing?" Squeaky-Toy yelled. "We gotta teach this brat a lesson!"
"There's no need," he replied. "This fight is over."
Well at least that asshole had the brains to know when he was beat. He didn't know which one he stole since his face was being grabbed, so Katsuki smugly opened his palm to look at his prize, and it was... green? No! That bastard got him again! It wasn't a headband, it was that stupid mask! As he turned to look back, Monkey-Boy was laughing like a hyena, not even bothering to show Katsuki his face. Katsuki completely overflowed with rage as he incinerated the piece of cloth in his hands.
"GOD FUCKING DAMNIT!"
Izuku Midoriya held the headband in his right hand. His left hurt, but it was far from the mind-numbing pain of having its bones broken. He really did it! Not just with the headband, but he'd used One For All without breaking any bones!
"I got it!" he exclaimed, making the crowd cheer in response.
"With just eleven seconds left, Team Midoriya's back in the game!"
"Uh wait a minute!" Hatsume interrupted the moment. "Please tell me I've got something wrong with my eyes!"
No, it couldn't be! Izuku dreaded turning the headband over, but he knew he had to. He felt his blood run cold as soon as his brain was able to process the number. 65 points. That was it. There was no way that was enough to pass. Team Tetsutetsu didn't have many points, but it was certainly more than that. And with less than ten seconds left and Todoroki's ice wall boxing them in, they didn't have enough time to get any more points.
"Oh no! Team Midoriya didn't get the ten million points after all! The game is almost over! Time for a countdown!" Present Mic announced, unintentionally rubbing salt in the wound.
Izuku tried to fight back the tears, but it was pointless. He'd let everyone down, All Might, his teammates, even his mom. He didn't get to the final round and he didn't even use his quirk more than a single time. It was over.
"Midoriya! Catch!" a voice shouted.
Purely by instinct, Izuku grabbed the object out of the air. It was another headband! And not just any headband, but the one Kacchan and Ryuko started out with!. How was anyone able to take that thing? And why were they giving it to him?
He looked over at where the voice came from. Standing on top of the ice wall was Uzu Sanageyama, his back turned to him.
"I told you, we'll fight in the finals. Not here."
Izuku stared in shock as his surprise benefactor jumped off the ice wall and back onto his horses. The headband he'd given him was more than enough points to get past Tetsutetsu and secure fourth place. He said he wanted to fight in the finals, but why?
"Time's up! And with that, the second game is officially over! Now, let's take a look at who our top four teams are!"
Izuku climbed down from his horses and did a few stretches. Sitting on top of someone else's shoulders for 15 minutes wasn't exactly comfortable. He turned his attention to one of the many monitors around the stadium, which were now all displaying the results of the game.
1. Team Todoroki - 10,000,000 points
2. Team Sanageyama - 2,255 points
3. Team Bakugo - 745 points
4. Team Midoriya - 560 points
"Hey Deku!" Uraraka called over to him. "We're moving on! We did it!"
"Yeah, but only because Sanageyama gave me his headband," he lamented. "If it weren't for him, we'd be out right now."
"Don't be so hard on yourself," Tokoyami interrupted. "What he did wasn't pity, but an acknowledgement of your worthiness. He said that he wanted to fight you in the finals, he wouldn't have given you the headband if he didn't think you were strong."
"The only reason he wants to fight me is because I beat him in the obstacle course. And I only won because of some good luck."
"If winning the first event was purely due to luck, then so was grabbing the decoy headband instead of the ten million one. Luck is part of everyone's life, both good and bad," Tokoyami pointed out. "You can't get hung up on what might have happened or what should have happened, it is what it is."
Izuku nodded. It was just like All Might told him, there was a difference between being lucky and being deserving. He'd just have to prove to Sanageyama that he was the latter in the finals.
"Now, let's take a lunch break before we start the afternoon festivities! See ya soon! Hey Eraser Head, let's grab some food."
"I'm taking a nap."
Ryuko Matoi walked out of the stadium, eager to take her lunch break. Not because she was hungry or anything, but because she needed to get away from Bakugo. Her team leader had some... choice words for her after the game was over. The worst part was that she almost agreed with him.
Even without their Goku Uniforms, she was completely helpless against the Elites! Now she'd have to deal with all four of them in the finals. She had no doubt that they'd steamroll their way past their competition, though hopefully the brackets would end up making them fight each other. Fortunately she'd have time to come up with a plan during lunch.
"Matoi!" someone called over to her.
She turned around to see who it was. It was Todoroki.
"There's something I need to tell you. Follow me."
He didn't even wait for her response before he walked away to a stadium entrance that was restricted for participants, far away from the crowds and even their classmates. What the hell did he want? Did he think he could just tell her to do something and she'd oblige? She didn't exactly forget his not-so-veiled threat to Midoriya at the start of the festival. She huffed and followed her classmate, ready to give him a piece of her mind. Maybe she was just doing exactly what he wanted, but she didn't care right now.
"Alright, what do you want?" she growled. "Are you gonna try threatening me like you did with Midoriya- Wait, he's here too?"
Midoriya was already standing against the wall of the tunnel, his entire body shaking with anticipation.
"Oh hey Ryuko, congratulations on moving on!" he said.
"Thanks, you too. Anyway, what are you doing here?"
"I don't know," he admitted. "Todoroki told me to come here. He said he wanted to tell me something. Is that why he brought you here too?"
"Yeah, something like that. Well we're both here now!" she turned to Todoroki, who was gazing intently into their eyes. "You brought us here, so what's this big thing you want to say?"
Todoroki didn't respond, still staring right at her. He didn't even move a muscle. Ryuko scowled at him, what did he think he was doing? Was this meant to intimidate her? Or just waste her time?
"You know, I'm pretty hungry!" Midoriya tried to break the tension. "Why don't we all get something to eat? We should probably go now, I'm sure the cafeteria's gonna be busy pretty soon."
Still nothing. So he wanted to waste her time. That or he was just really bad at being intimidating. Ryuko turned away from him and started to walk out of the tunnel.
"I brought you both here because you both overwhelmed me," he suddenly spoke, stopping her in her tracks. "Both in the cavalry battle and in combat training, you two made me break the promise I made a long time ago. The promise to never use my left side in battle."
His left side? Oh right, he could make fire too. He did seem extremely reluctant to use it during their fight, despite that it would have given him a much better chance at winning. A promise not to use it explained that reluctance, but it didn't make a lot of sense to give up a power like that. It was actually worse than giving up a power, it was a weakness. A weakness that she exploited. Ryuko would bet anything that Midoriya tried exploiting it too.
"Midoriya, I felt your true power in that moment. It reminded me of All Might's."
What an insightful comment from Captain Obvious. Midoriya was strong. All Might was also strong. Asui said the exact same thing on the bus to the USJ. But for some reason Midoriya was shaking nervously. Well he was always shaking nervously, but especially so now.
"Oh yeah?" he stammered. "Is that all?"
That could not have been it. There was no way he brought them to this dark tunnel just to make the most obvious statement in the world. He was clearly trying to get at something.
"Midoriya, I want you to be honest with me. Are you All Might's secret love child or something?"
Whatever tension was present instantly deflated as Ryuko erupted into rancorous laughter.
"Oh man, I didn't know you could make jokes! All Might's secret love child! That's pretty good!"
"It was a serious question."
As Ryuko regained her composure, she saw that her classmates clearly didn't see the comedy in the situation. Midoriya was white as a ghost and Todoroki... well, he still looked the same. So he was being serious after all. How could a rational human being come to that conclusion? It wasn't like All Might paid special attention to Midoriya in class, or offered to eat lunch with him, or became a teacher at UA out of the blue the same year that he was accepted... Ok, so maybe he was All Might's bastard son.
"No wait, that's not it at all!" Midoriya quickly denied. "But I guess I'd say the same thing even if I was, so you probably won't believe me no matter what. Anyway, I promise you've got the wrong idea! And what does that have to do with anything?"
"Hm, 'That's not it at all' is very interesting wording. It implies that there is something between you two that you're not supposed to talk about," Todoroki pointed out. "My father is the hero Endeavor, the number two hero. He's dedicated his life to surpassing All Might and more recently, the Elite Four. That's why you're here Matoi, you use a Life Fiber uniform, just like them. One of you wields the power of All Might and the other the power of Life Fibers. My father has failed to surpass both. So that's why I have to beat you."
"Oh yeah, that guy. I've heard the Elites talk about him before. I think they use his name as slang for 'to try really hard but fail miserably anyway'," she recalled what little she knew about the number two hero, eliciting a small chuckle from Todoroki. "What, do you want to avenge your father too?"
"No! It's nothing like that!" he suddenly shouted, startling Ryuko and Midoriya. "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 really sure what you're getting at. What are you trying to tell us Todoroki?" Midoriya asked.
"He's saying that Endeavor wants him to be the one to surpass All Might," she explained.
Todoroki nodded, confirming her theory. The expectation to be the number one anything must have been a heavy burden, to say nothing of being expected to be a better hero than the Symbol of Peace himself. Ryuko had a hard time dealing with her own dad's expectations just to do well in school. But if Todoroki wanted to live up to his dad's expectations, then why didn't he use his power?
"Are either of you familiar with quirk marriages?" he asked. "They became a problem in the first few generations after superpowers became widespread. There were those who sought out potential mates solely with the intention of creating powerful children. Many people were forced into relationships, they were simply viewed as old-fashioned arranged marriages, but clearly it was unethical. My father has not only 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', right before she poured boiling water on my face. The reason I want, no need to beat you two is to show him what I'm capable of doing without having to rely on his damned fire quirk! I want to win so I can show him that I reject his power, that I don't need him!"
Wow. That was... some pretty heavy stuff. Way worse than Ryuko ever could have imagined. Forget heavy expectations being placed on him, Todoroki was literally made for the sole purpose of achieving his father's goals. To be... created like that, not as a human being with free will, but as some kind of sick experiment or a tool, she couldn't fathom being in his place. But she did understand one thing.
"Dads can be tough," she said, placing her hand on Todoroki's shoulder. "I mean, my father never did anything like... that, but he never really had time for me. He was always working in his lab or shipping me off to some boarding school on the other side of the country. Right before he died, I hadn't even seen him in years. Sometimes it kind of felt like he never wanted me, and that he was just waiting for the day he could get rid of me for good."
"My siblings certainly know that feeling. I wasn't his first attempt, it took him four tries to perfect his 'masterpiece'. There's Fuyumi, my sister, and Natsuo, my brother. When Endeavor found out that their quirks weren't perfect, he couldn't have been bothered to spend a single minute with them. I doubt he even knows their names, Endeavor doesn't have children, only tools for his own ambition. I'm 'lucky' enough to be a useful tool for him, but my siblings might as well be garbage in his eyes."
"Hold on, I thought you said you were the fourth!" Midoriya realized.
"And then there's Touya, my oldest brother. Or at least he should be. He was supposed to be the one, but Endeavor pushed him so hard he incinerated himself while training."
"What? H-he made his son kill himself?" Ryuko exclaimed. "That has to be illegal! He's the number two hero, why doesn't anyone know about this?"
"You said it yourself, he's the number two hero," Todoroki shrugged. "Don't bother telling anyone either, Touya himself could return from the dead and he'd deny it. Like I said, he has plenty of money to throw at his problems. It seems both of our fathers have failed us. But I have to ask, why?"
"Why what?"
"Why do you want to avenge him? From what you've told me it sounds like you never got along with your father. So why dedicate yourself to fighting in his honor?"
"Well, it's complicated," she scratched the back of her head. "I mean yeah, he wasn't much, but it wasn't like I had anyone else. I don't have a mom, or siblings, or even friends until recently, he was pretty much all I had. And I did love him and all, it's just that... it didn't always come out that way."
"I see," he nodded. "I do wish you luck in finding your father's killer, but I have no intentions of losing either. I have to win the festival no matter what. It's the only way I can prove to Endeavor that I don't need him."
"I could say the exact same thing. Winning the festival is the best chance at finding out who killed my dad I've ever had. I'm not giving it up for anything. We can't both get what we want, we'll just have to see who wants it more out on the field."
"So it seems we have a mutual understanding."
"Hold on, that's it?" Midoriya interrupted. "I already knew about Matoi, but Todoroki? You only use half of your power because you want to spite your father?"
"Yeah. Is there a problem?"
"Well, it's just that we're all competing to be the best, but it's like you two... just don't care about that at all. It's hard for me to put into words... wait, I got it! Both of you aren't fighting for yourselves, but for your fathers! If it weren't for them, would either of you even want to win the festival?"
"No, Matoi's fighting for her father. I'm fighting to spite mine," Todoroki corrected. "Her father defines her, while I'm doing everything I can to make sure mine doesn't define me."
"That kind of just sounds like he's defining you with extra steps," Ryuko pointed out. "I mean, if your goals are built on not being anything like your father, that means he's still a big part of your goals. But to answer the question, probably not. The festival is just a means to an end for me. Anyway, what are you saying?"
"I'm saying that you should want to be number one because that's what you want! Not to spite someone else!" Midoriya exclaimed. "Especially when everyone here is giving it their all to achieve their goals while you two couldn't care less!"
"I do want to be number one. I want to win using only my ice to show that I reject Endeavor. Weren't you listening to anything I said?"
"And I'm giving it my all to win no matter what," Ryuko joined in. "Why does it matter to you that our reasons aren't the same as yours? Because they're not 'heroic' enough for you? I thought you were all about fighting for the sake of others, saving everyone no matter what, but now you're saying that fighting for someone else isn't right?"
"No, that's not what I'm saying! Well, it kind of is, but I didn't want to offend you or anything! And yeah, I do want so save other people, but it's because I want to... alright, so it doesn't make a lot of sense," Midoriya stammered. "It's just that I feel like I need to help you is all. I don't want you hurting yourself."
"Midoriya, you don't need to help me. This is what I want," she said putting her hand on his shoulder. "And I'm pretty sure Todoroki feels the same way."
"Ok. If both of you are set on your goals, then that's fine," he conceded. "But I still have my own goals too you know! You might think that they're stupid or don't make sense compared to yours, but they're mine! And just like you, I'll do anything I can to achieve them!"
Both Ryuko and Todoroki nodded in acknowledgement before the three of them parted ways. The next time they'd see each other, they'd all be rivals.
"Get those foam fingers up in the air, it's almost time for the last round! But before that, good news for everyone who didn't make the finals! Since this is a sports festival, we've prepared some super fun side games everyone can participate in! We've even brought in cheerleaders to get everyone's blood pumping! Hold up, what's this?"
"What are they doing?"
"Looks like Class 1-A's going full-on fanservice!"
Ryuko stood alongside her fellow female classmates, dressed in a cheerleader's uniform and holding pom-poms like an idiot. While her classmates were nearly paralyzed with embarrassment, she was hardly fazed. The uniform was barely any more revealing than Senketsu's unactivated from. Still, she didn't take kindly to being tricked. She walked over to the two perverted perpetrators and slammed their heads together.
"I can't believe I fell for that little pervert's stupid schemes!" Yaoyorozu groaned, falling onto her knees in shame. "I even used my quirk to make these outfits!"
"Ugh! I hate those guys!" Jiro growled, throwing her pom poms down in rage.
Ryuko had to admit, she had to be pretty gullible to fall for that one. None of the girls from the other classes were wearing the uniforms, and why would there be a "cheer battle" when no one had any experience with it? But Mineta was surprisingly crafty, and telling the honor student that there was even a chance she'd get in trouble pushed exactly the right buttons. Oh well, they'd just have to change again, no big deal.
A brief flash of light caught her eye and she quickly turned around to see where it came from. Jakuzure was holding up her phone while Sanageyama stood behind her snickering. If Ryuko's classmates were embarrassed before, now they were completely horrified.
"You! Delete that this instant!" Jiro screamed.
"Oh? Why don't you make me Lobes?" the shorter girl taunted, dangling the phone in front of her face.
Jiro immediately fell for the bait and lunged for the device, desperate to delete its contents. Right as she was about to grab it, Jakuzure stepped to the side, making Jiro fall flat on her face. She looked like she was about to explode in indignant anger, but she cut her losses and walked back to her classmates as Jakuzure howled with laughter.
"How could this get any worse? This is so embarrassing!" Yaoyorozu cried, burying her face in her hands.
That was it, Ryuko had seen enough! If those assholes thought that their pathetic trick would be enough shame and oppress her classmates, they had another thing coming!
"What about this is embarrassing? Because you're showing a little bit of skin? Because you have the same stuff under your clothes as everyone else?" she shouted. "It's only embarrassing if you let it be embarrassing! People like them use shame as a weapon to make you feel weak and helpless! Because shame is weakness! Now are you weak?"
"No, I'm not!" Yaoyorozu stood up. "I have to wear a revealing costume to use my quirk to its fullest potential, just like you! It's just, that was always my choice. But this wasn't my choice, we were tricked."
"Then we'll just have to make this our choice! Everyone's staring at us right now, I say we give them a reason to! We have time before the finals right? So let's just roll with it and be the best cheerleaders we can!"
"Are you crazy?" Jiro yelled.
"No, she's right!" Yaoyorozu announced. "We'll just have to make the best of our situation! Instead of a mark of shame, we'll wear these uniforms as a badge of honor!"
Have fun competing in these little side games everyone!" Present Mic continued announcing. "After they're over, the sixteen competitors from the top four teams will be duking it out in a tournament-style fighting competition! I promise you're not gonna want to miss these epic matchups!"
"The matchups for the first round of the finals will be completely randomized by machine," Midnight explained. "The sixteen finalists will have the option of participating in the afternoon festivities or preparing for battle. But there is one more thing, the final's special rule!"
Ryuko perked up when she heard that last part. The final round of the UA Sports Festival was always a one-on-one tournament, but there was always some kind of twist. One year the competitors had to fight with swords while another year the arena was a giant pool. Whatever this special rule was, it could make or break her chances of winning.
"The Sports Festival is meant to be as fair as possible, which is why we prohibit any special costumes or support items that can give their wearer an advantage. But the real world isn't some strictly regulated competition," Midnight smirked. "Both villains and heroes alike use support items that can drastically change their fighting style. That's why the finalists will be permitted to wear any support item or costume of their choosing!"
Ryuko instantly broke out into a smile. Any costume or support item? That meant she could wear Senketsu again and use her scissor blade! She wasn't the only one ecstatic about the new rule though, the Elite Four were all sporting grins that matched hers. Except for Gamagoori of course.
"With that out of the way, take a look at the brackets! These will be your opponents!"
Ryuko Matoi vs Ira Gamagoori
Houka Inumuta vs Eijiro Kirishima
Mina Ashido vs Mei Hatsume
Denki Kaminari vs Nonon Jakuzure
Uzu Sanageyama vs Momo Yaoyorozu
Tenya Iida vs Fumikage Tokoyami
Katsuki Bakugo vs Ochako Uraraka
Izuku Midoriya vs Shoto Todoroki
So Gamagoori would be her first opponent huh? After him it would likely be Inumuta and then... Wait a minute, she'd just end up fighting the Elite Four! There was no way that was just by random chance. And that rule allowing costumes and support items was awfully suspicious. Ryuko's eyes immediately darted over to Satsuki Kiryuin's private box. That goddamn bitch! She must have rigged the whole thing!
At least she wouldn't be going into this blind, she had time to prepare herself and catch up with Senketsu before her fight. As Ryuko started to leave the pitch to find Senketsu, she overheard Yaoyorozu planning their cheer routine with her class. There was no way she could just leave them, especially not after she was the one who encouraged them to embrace it. Sorry Senketsu, planning would have to wait.
Before long, it was finally time for the finals. Ryuko walked over to her waiting room, having changed out of her cheerleader outfit and back into Senketsu. The cheer competition... was a total flop. None of the girls in her class had any experience with cheerleading, so it wasn't exactly unexpected. But they did have a lot of fun doing it.
"Sorry I didn't get to come up with a plan with you Senketsu," she apologized. "It's just that I was reminded so much of how I used to be with you, rejecting your power and suffering for it. I didn't want my friends to feel the same way."
"I understand Ryuko. In fact, I'm proud of you for doing that. Even if your cheerleading skills... leave something to be desired. And don't worry about a plan, I took the liberty of coming up with some ideas while you were competing in the first two games."
"Oh? What do you have on Gamagoori? How do you want to beat him?"
"Well, I did say they were just ideas," Senketsu admitted sheepishly. "But Gamagoori's uniform is a two-stage transformation for a reason. He can't attack while in Shackle Regalia and I'd bet anything that transforming into Scourge Regalia sacrifices his defenses. The problem is that the transformation is so quick I don't know how we can exploit that weakness."
"He can't attack while in Shackle Regalia? I think you might be right, that's why he let those yakuza guys pound on him for so long. If you're right, I don't think we'll have to worry about his transformations at all!"
"I guess now it's my turn to ask what you're planning. Something crazy I presume?"
"You bet! The finals can be won by knockout, but also by knocking your opponent out of bounds, so I was thinking-"
"MATOI!"
Ryuko instantly froze. That voice sounded exactly like Gamagoori! What was he doing here? She'd thought he'd have been in the waiting room an hour early! She turned around to face her opponent, but it wasn't him. It was so much worse.
He was a giant of a man, perhaps even a head shorter than Gamagoori. His outfit was covered in flames, from his shoulders all the way down to his boots. Even his face was on fire, the flames taking the shape of a mask and beard. That wasn't what stood out to her though. While his face was wreathed in flames, his eyes were pure ice. Just like Todoroki's.
"There you are, I've been looking for you!" Endeavor said.
Wow, he sounded identical to Gamagoori. It was pretty freaky actually. But she couldn't forget who she was dealing with, this man was responsible for making her classmate's life hell. She had to keep her guard up around him.
"Oh yeah? What for?" she replied icily.
"I wanted to wish you luck on your fight. It seems that you won't be able to fight my son Shoto unless you both make it to the finals. I heard about what happened in school, you beat him in combat training. Because of you, he's not the number one in his class. He'll have to rectify that when you face him."
"Thanks," she replied bluntly. "Now if you excuse me, I really have to go."
"Don't get me wrong, I don't hold it against you for beating him, he deserved to lose that fight," Endeavor went on, completely ignoring her attempts to end the conversation. "He's squandering his full potential with his little rebellious phase. After he defeats those Elite bastards, I want you to knock some sense into the boy. Make him realize that what he's doing is foolish, make him use my quirk!"
"No."
"What did you say?"
"I said no!" Ryuko shouted. "I'm not doing any favors for you, not after what your son told me! You're a monster, and I see exactly why Todoroki wants to reject you! So get lost!"
The flames on Endeavor's face intensified, nearly blinding her from their light and heating her up from their radiation. But as quickly as it happened, they cooled to a bearable temperature.
"If he's going to reject my power, then he doesn't deserve to win. And neither do you, if all you want is vengeance," he sneered. "You're just like my boy, foolish and immature, so blinded by spite and petty vendettas that you can't see the big picture!"
"Oh I'm foolish and immature? I'm blinded by spite? Who's the guy who dedicated his entire life to surpassing All Might, not so he could be a great hero, but just so he could get a shiny trophy and recognition in some tabloids? Who brought kids into the world and abused and neglected them just so they could fulfill that vendetta against a guy who's done literally nothing to you? Face it, you're even pettier and spitefuller than I am! And when this is all over, I promise I'll beat the shit out of you!"
The instant Ryuko finished her rant, she realized she took it a bit too far. There was no way a guy like him wouldn't be pissed off if a teenage girl said she'd beat him up. Of course, she'd easily be able to make good on her promise if he tried anything, but that was the least of her concerns. She wasn't scared of Endeavor himself, but rather the power and influence he possessed. If he could cover up his past for who knew how many years, he could easily make her life a legal and social hell.
"You should know who you're talking to girl. I would suggest watching your tone in the future," he growled. "It's only a matter of time before Shoto comes around, and when he does, I'll make sure he makes your defeat as painful as possible!"
As soon as Endeavor was out of sight, Ryuko sighed in relief. All things considered, he let her off pretty lightly. Even id Todoroki did use his flames, it wasn't like he could beat her. In fact, she wasn't too sure he'd even get past Midoriya.
"You really do have a knack for antagonizing powerful people, don't you?"
"Yeah, I guess you could call it my special talent," she chuckled. "Ready to do it again?"
"Hey sports fans! Are you ready? After all the action you've already witnessed, it's time for the real battles to begin! Can't you feel the excitement? Our competitors are on their own now, they'll have to rely on themselves to win! Or do they? Because as you've seen, they're allowed to bring whatever support items they want into this grueling, all-out gauntlet!
Ryuko stood at the very edge of the tunnel to the pitch, where the battlefield was just about finished. It was shaped like a hexagon and took up pretty much the entire field, providing the fighters with plenty of space to move around. It was made entirely of cement, courtesy of Cementoss, who could use his quirk to quickly repair the battlefield between matches.
"Alright audience, let's cut to the good stuff and not delay these finals any longer! Now let's welcome our first fighters! Our first fighter hasn't gotten to show off her quirk in the first two games, but she's more than made up for it with her quick thinking and loophole abusing! Looks like she'll finally be getting to show off her true power! From the hero course, Ryuko Matoi!"
The braziers on each corner of the battle field ignited as Present Mic started his introductions, signaling for Ryuko to start making her entrance. The roars of the crowd were deafening, but Ryuko paid them no attention. All of her focus was on her opponent.
"And her opponent needs no introduction! He's Satsuki Kiryuin's right-hand man, from Honnouji Academy's Elite Four, it's Ira Gamagoori! The rules for the finals are simple: Immobilize your opponent or force them out of the ring! You can also win by getting the other person to cry uncle! Don't worry about injuries, as we've got Recovery Girl on standby! So you can put those pesky morals aside and fight dirty!"
Ryuko was now at the very center of the battlefield, face to face with the living mountain.
"I AM SATSUKI KIRYUIN'S LIVING SHIELD!" he bellowed. "I WILL FIGHT YOU, AND I WILL CRUSH YOU!"
"Good luck with that!" she taunted as she pulled the pin out of her glove, letting her blood flow into Senketsu.
"Life Fiber Synchronize: Kamui Senketsu!"
"CONSIDER THAT YOUR FIRST AND LAST TRANSFORMATION MATOI!" Gamagoori roared.
"Three Star Goku Uniform: Shackle Regalia!"
A/N: We're finally here at the finals! I know we're starting off with a canon fight, and there will be a few more throughout the tournament, but there will still be plenty of original fights. And while some of the matchups are the same, that doesn't mean they'll go exactly like they do in canon. Let me know who you think is gonna win!
While it was my intention to have Midoriya completely botch his first talk-no-jutsu attempt, I think I made him come across as too hypocritical and inconsistent. His main issue with Ryuko and Todoroki's motivations is that they don't want to be heroes (or at all in Ryuko's case) for altruistic or even ambitious reasons like his own, but rather for an ulterior motive driven by spite. And it just so happens that said ulterior motives involve their fathers. Todoroki wants to be the number one hero, but only so he can spite Endeavor. Ryuko wants to win the festival, but only so she can find her father's killer. Additionally, he recognizes that Todoroki still has the ambition to become the number one hero (even if he doesn't approve of the reason), he thinks that Todoroki is implicitly insulting everyone else by only using half of his power. With Ryuko, while he likes that she's doing everything she can to win, he doesn't approve of her lack of ambition and short-sightedness.