Izuku went to lean up against the wall as the rest of the participants began to pour in after them through the corridor that marked the end of the race.
He really needed a breather after beating the Mines had put both him and Venom through.
Mina on the other hand, once she had made sure he was fine by the wall of the stadium, went straight over towards the pink-haired girl, presumably to give her a piece of her mind.
Izuku did not get to hear what they said to each other, given the distance, but the girl met Mina with a smile that did not drop as the pink-haired girl seemed to be on the verge of screaming at her.
Izuku looked away, feeling both happy, confused, and bothered.
Happy someone cared enough about him to go confront someone who had literarily knocked him into the ground, confused why in the world she hated him so much and bothered that Mina went to such lengths to help him out.
It was as he stood there, and his senses fully returned, that he realized that her carrying him that last bit hadn't just been witnessed by everyone here, but had also just been recorded and shown on national TV.
He buried his scarlet face in his hands, as a sense of shame began to fill him.
Well, he had managed to look like a complete idiot on TV. And more to the point, the 4th place was hollow, given he hadn't earned it himself. Any pro watching would know that if it hadn't been for Mina, he'd have fallen way further down on the rankings.
Not to mention that Mina had given up any hope of ranking as number 1 to go help him out. Meaning not only had he failed on his own, but his failure had also been detrimental to one of his friends.
It took quite a while before the rest of the classes finally finished the race.
He hadn't realized how far ahead the top was in front of everyone else, but it took almost 15 minutes after they went through, before the final student finally reached the goal.
Truth be told, Izuku would have preferred to rest with his shame for even longer, but as Midnight called out that it part 1 was over, he forced himself to put down his hands and look over towards the rest of the students.
Amazingly enough, Mina was still talking to the pink haired girl, who still wore the same unnaturally regular smile she had when the conversation started.
Mina, on the other hand, was so pissed that her face's regular soft pink color had been replaced by an angry burgundy-purple, and she had decided that screaming was a valid response after all.
As he was walking over towards the other students, Mina essentially threw up her hands and did the same. Her expression was a thundercloud of seething, frustrated anger, which to Izuku seemed to be completely out of place of the normally cheerful girl.
He wondered what the hell she had said to Mina to make her this upset.
"She seems to have a talent for pissing people off, this bitch."
"Any idea why she hates us?"
"Don't look at us, clearly it is YOU she hates. After all, she called you Midori, not Venom."
Izuku stopped in his tracks, just behind where Uraraka was standing. The realization just hitting him.
That's right, she had called him Midori. The nickname Mina had given him.
When the hell had she picked up that? Had she overheard the two of them talking? No, Venom hadn't remembered seeing her. And given he had a photographic memory, that meant he hadn't come close to her before.
No, she had to have picked it up today, as he and Mina had been chatting. Had she been hovering behind them, just watching him menacingly, waiting for the moment to strike?
That still did not explain why the hell she hated him.
Izuku was still trying to figure out his newest enemy when Midnight finally Began to unveil the next part of the sports festival.
"The top 42 of this round will move on to the next stage!"
The results of who qualified as the top 42 flashed up on a holographic screen.
With a moment of bitterness for both his and Mina's lost shot at first place, Izuku saw the top spot of Uraraka, then the pink-haired girl, who's named he finally now knew.
Second place: Hatsume Mei.
Beneath her was Mina, then him. Then Todoroki, followed by Bakugou, followed by a girl with thorny green hair he did not know.
He glanced over the pics. It seemed most(maybe all?) of his class had made it.
That was good.
"AND NOW, THE NEW STAGE SHALL TRULY BEGIN! THE PRESS IS GONNA BE GIVING IT ALL THEY GOT, SO PUT IN ALL YOU HAVE!"
She gave another dramatic crack with her whip.
"NOW I KNOW WHAT THE NEXT COURSE WILL BE! DYING IN SUSPENSE? WELL THE NEXT EXCERSICE WILL BE…."
She made an overly dramatic motion with her arm towards the holographic bull board, where the pictures of the 42 passing students blinked out and were replaced by the words "Cavalry Battle".
A cavalry battle. Well. Izuku could not imagine any exercise where his own strength would be more limited.
Sure, he wouldn't be completely helpless, but the fact was that whether he was the rider or the base, he would not be able to use his strength fully without damaging any potential teammate.
Shit.
Midnight began explaining the rules, as an example picture of a basic cavalry team composed of Present Mic behind, 13 in front, and the two of them holding up All Might between them
"You students will be forming teams of 2 to four of your own choice, and get into a rider horse formation."
-You Japanese have the weirdest sports events.-
"The rules of engagement are the same as a regular one, with the goal being to snag your opponent's headbands, however, there is one change…"
"Each of you guys have been assigned a number depending on your placement in the race!"
"So, it's just a gathering of points like the entrance exam? Well, that's easy." Satou interjected.
"And the value of each team headband is dependent on it's member." Kirishima continued.
Midnight, no less than Aizawa did not like being interrupted, and a crack of her whip to the side made the students shut up immediately.
"SILENCE! I WAS GONNA EXPLAIN IT, SO SHUT UP ALREADY!"
She took a brief moment to compose herself before continuing.
"ANYWAY, Yes, the points are dependent on rank, so number 42 gets 5, number 41 gets 10, and so on until 2 gets 205."
Then she grinned a truly sadistic grin.
"OH, AND NUMBER ONE, GETS NO LESS THAN 10 MILLIONS POINTS, SO WHOEVER GETS THAT HEADBAND, PRETTY MUCH WINS BY DEFAULT!"
It happened maybe 4 seconds after Midnight had finished saying those words.
Everyone's attention turned towards Uraraka. Then the reality of the situation sunk in, and the atmosphere changed completely.
It was astonishing how quickly it changed.
It was wrong. So, so wrong. It was like a slap to the face. Before, everyone had been jovial, happy, neutral. No one had paid any attention to Uraraka.
Then, in the blink of an eye, they changed. Every single one of them. Some much more so than others, but they all changed. The eyes of everyone around them became cold, calculation, exclusive. Every single one of them turned on her in that instant, the moment they realized she would be the biggest target in this section.
He was back. Back to his middle school, back to every single time the class had turned on him to humiliate him.
Only this time, he was on the opposite end. He was part of the group who singled someone else out. It shouldn't happen here, it shouldn't happen at Yuei. Yuei was supposed to be better than this.
He felt sick. Truly, truly sick in a way he had never felt before.
He couldn't be like this. He had to be different than this.
He had to do something.
What he did next, he did out of impulse, because it was the only thing he could think to do, and it being the only thing he could think of, he grabbed the action with both hands.
"URARAKA, LET'S TEAM UP!"
The atmosphere broke like a string that had been cut, as everyone, from Midnight, to his fellow students, to the crowds turned to look at him.
He felt his cheeks go red, as the stares of thousands of people turned on him. He didn't care. In that single moment, the only thing that mattered to him in the whole world was to help out Uraraka. To give her a supporting hand. To help her now that she needed it.
The brown-haired girl turned towards him, wearing an expression that was a mixture between surprise and relief.
"Ah… OK!"
She gave him a thumbs up with a scarred hand and a nervous but genuine big smile.
"Let's do it!"
I
Midnight went on to explain the additional rules.
They were pretty basic. The rider had to wear the headband on their head or neck, directly attacking other students with the intent to make them fall or injure would get you disqualified, and if the rider fell to the ground, Midnight would determine if the team was disqualified depending on how it happened, in other words, whether a quirk was used to just shatter it or if the rider just fell on his own.
He was listening, but at that moment Izuku was busy inside his own head. He had made up a team, he thought he could lead to victory. He just had to get her them.
The first was easy.
Mina was looking at him with a surprised look, her eyes darting from him to Uraraka, but when Midnight's talking ended, he went over to her, and she didn't disappoint.
"Sure." She grinned. "I like a team with friends better anyway!"
He smiled.
"Thank you!"
"Any plans for the fourth member? Or are we doing this as a trio?"
Mina asked as she followed behind him as he began walking again.
"No… We NEED a fourth member. Anyway, I've got someone in mind."
That someone was a tall, blue-haired boy who looked like he was in his early twenties, not 15.
"Iida!"
The tall boy turned at his call.
"Yes, Midoriya?"
"We need a fourth man on our team."
"... I see."
Uraraka, Mina, and Izuku stepped around Ida, forming a closed circle of the four friends.
"You three will form the horse, with Iida in front, Mina on the right and Uraraka on the left. I'll be rider. With my webbing, I can get back to the three of you in case Uraraka needs to throw me to avoid the headband being taken. That gives us a good level of increased mobility. Also, I'm really damned strong, so I can guard against any physical attack in any case."
He turned to Uraraka.
"Uraraka will be our gravitational center. She can make all of us weightless, making our mobility way easier, but she's also strong enough to move all os us, while still anchoring herself. Also her strength is great for defenses too."
He turned to Mina.
"Mina will be providing acid to deny the rest of the teams mobility to attack us. Also, her physical ability will be great for guarding."
And finally, he turned to Iida.
"Lastly there's, you Iida, you'll be our front. With your sturdy legs and propulsion, you'll be good at both defence, and to move us in a pinch if we need to. Our strategy will essentially be defence and mobility. We run around for the entire match, making sure no one can snatch our band."
It was a good plan. One he had full confidence in. It WOULD work.
Iida killed it with less than 20 words.
"... You've really thought of everything Midoriya. As I would expect of you. But, I'm sorry. I refuse."
All of them stared at him in shock.
Well everyone except for Venom.
"The fuck do you mean, I refuse!?"
Iida was not taken aback by the hostile reaction.
"Ever since the entrance exam, I have been losing out to you guys, again, and again. It is precisely because you guys are stronger than me, that I must refuse. Untempered as I am now."
Venom wouldn't hear of it.
"You can't just leave us in our time of need you… You DICK!"
Iida's eyes went over to Uraraka.
"Bakugou and Todoroki aren't the only people who see you two as rivals. So here, and now… I too challenge you."
And with that, he turned and walked over to Momo, Todoroki, and Kiminari, who had been standing off by themselves clearly waiting for him.
Izuku stared after him, feeling despair as his plan fell to pieces.
Venom, felt only wrath.
"THAT BACKSTABBING, TREACHEROUS, FALSE CUNT! WE WILL REMEMBER THIS TENYA IIDA! WE WILL HAVE OUR REVENGE UPON YOU FOR YOUR BETRAYAL!"
Mina and Uraraka just stared at him.
"Dude, I get it, he was kinda a dick, but that's… That's kinda a bit extreme reaction, isn't it?
Venom snorted, and without a further word, he fused himself back inside Izuku's shirt.
For a moment the 3 just stood there in silence. Finally, Izuku spoke.
"We… We Need a fourth member. It doesn't matter who, but we NEED a fourth member to make this work."
He turned to look at the two girls.
"We should split up and try and find someone. ANYONE will do!"
They nodded and, without a further word, they went their separate way.
… for about half a minute, when Mina came up to Izuku, just after he was turned down by Tsuyu, who had apparently been sniped by Shoji and Mineta.
"Hey."
Izuku was startled as she pretty much popped up to his side without any warning.
"Mina? S-Shouldn't you be looking for a fourth member?"
The pink girl, wearing a curious, questioning expression, was nonplussed.
"We can look together. No problem with that right?."
Izuku wanted to object, to say that they would have a better chance to find someone if everyone went alone. But Mina silenced that with her next words.
"Also, I had something I wanted to ask you about anyway. This seemed a good time to do it."
He stared at her for a moment. Then relented, and they began walking looking for a potential fourth member.
He was silent for a bit before he asked.
"So… What did you want to ask?"
"Why were you so eager to form a team with Uraraka?"
The tone wasn't angry, or annoyed. Just genuinely curious.
"Is… Is there a reason I shouldn't have been? I mean, we are friends just like you and me are."
"Well, yeah, but that's not what I was talking about. I was heading over to you after talking with that… Girl, when that 10 million surprise dropped."
"You looked absolutely devastated. Like, I thought for a moment I'd heard wrong, and it was the fourth spot who got that number as a random surprise. But no, it was Uraraka. Then 10 seconds later, you just blurted out for the two of you to team up. What was that?"
Izuku stopped walking. He didn't plan to, but he did. Mina stopped too, just looking at him with those black eyes of hers.
"I…" How to explain this? "I… When Uraraka got that… Million on her head, everyone… Everyone turned on her. Like… Everyone around her. At least those I could see. I don't know about those behind me."
She stared at him.
"You… Didn't like that she was picked out as a target."
It was a statement, not a question.
"No, I… Well yeah, but that's not it. Not really. I… I don't like it when people just turn on someone. Like… We should be friends, right? Comrades, classmates, and all that you know? Like… I feel like this should have been a moment where we came together. Like, Uraraka became a target, and needed support."
He clenched his fist.
"Instead, the exact opposite happened. She became a target, and EVERYONE turned on her, for… For convenience sake."
He tried not to make the bitterness show in his voice. He failed miserably.
It brought back memories. Not of those who had supported Katsuki back during his middle school. Instead, the ones he remembered was those who couldn't be bothered. Those who saw him being targeted and singled out, and just stood there and condoned it.
Those who couldn't be bothered, because doing so was inconvenient to them personally.
As he saw the rest of the students out of the corners of his eyes, he saw that exact same thing. Not as indifferent, and certainly way more guilt as they glanced over at them, but it was the same sentiment.
It was everything he didn't want to be.
Mina stared at him.
"So… You really didn't like that she was singled out, so you gave her support when no one else did? You… Didn't do it just because it was Uraraka? You would have done that for anyone who got number one?"
He searched within himself for a moment. Not a long moment though.
"Yes. I would. I… I don't like people being singled out. And I HATE that people don't help them when they are."
Mina's expression went from questioning, to one much more like her regular face. When she replied, it was with a supportive, almost relieved tone.
"Wow. You're… A really cool guy Midori."
He did blush. But he took the compliment with a smile.
"In that case, I'm really glad miss octopus didn't get first place then. Man, could you imagine us having to team up with HER?"
I
"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!"
Neither he nor Mina had managed to get a fourth partner.
Uraraka had, however.
One with shoulder-length pink hair, and four robotic tentacle arms.
Mina did not hide her thoughts on the matter.
"Seriously Uraraka?! HER?"
"Izuku said ANYONE would do, and she was the only one who said yes…"
Izuku stared at her face, though this time he could not see the hatred in Mei's eyes, as she had donned a set of black sunglasses.
He could feel it though. He closed his eyes for a moment, to feel her soul.
He had originally compared it internally as hatred like that Bakugou had towards him.
He was wrong.
Mei hated him, far, FAR more than Katsuki ever had.
Unlike Katsuki though, she at the very least was capable of putting up a false, not angry face. It was far more chilling than any angry outburst from Katsuki had ever been.
"So, what are we calling this team? Top 4?"
Izuku just stared at her.
"Are… Are you just going to pretend that round 1 didn't happen?"
"Sure. Water under the bridge. You need a 4th member, and I need to get into part 3 Right now. That's the only thing that matters to me right now."
Their sights met, and he understood.
Part 3 they would fight. No niceties, no holding back, no pretending. Just two people beating the shit out of each other.
If she hated him as much as he knew she did, then a one on one was probably her goal today.
"Also, the spotlight is going to be on miss 10 000 000, and everyone is going to be looking at her team the most of all! It'll be a perfect time for me and my beloved babies to shine like the Sun!"
Mina and Izuku both just looked at her dumbfounded, while Uraraka scratched her head awkwardly.
"Your… Babies?" Mina asked, confused.
In answer, the four arms made some rather… Disturbing clicking noises.
"Oh… Those creepy ass things."
"They aren't creepy! My little cuties Larry, Harry, Flo, and Moe are the greatest inventions of my life! They are a masterpiece of science and engineering that's going to pave the way for anyone, Quirkless or otherwise to become a hero!"
Izuku blinked.
Had… Had she said that on purpose to get a rise out of him? Or… Was it just a boast? Could… Could those things really lead to quirkless heroes?
Mina looked, first at Mei, then to Izuku, then back at Mei, then at Izuku.
"Are… Are we seriously gonna go with her?"
Izuku looked out over the field.
He couldn't see a single solitary student.
He made the choice.
"It's either her, or we go with 3."
"Yeah, but…" Mina seemed like she was trying desperately to find some excuse NOT to accept Mei unto their team.
"I think we should give her a chance." Uraraka piped in. "I mean… We don't really know why she hates Izuku right… I mean… You two clearly have some history right? It can't ALL have been bad… right?"
For just one moment, Mei's mask of a natural jovial face cracked like glass, her smile becoming grotesque. For some reason, she grasped around her left side.
"Yes… History… We have that. "
The smile fixed itself, and the left hand unclenched itself from her shirt.
"Let's make these 15 minutes peaceful ones, eh Midori? For old time's sake?"
She held out the hand in an open form.
It trembled.
Izuku hesitated for just one moment before he took it. They shook. Spider and Octopus.
He really wished he remembered what those old times were.