IMPORTANT WORDS IN BOLD!

Firstly: it's finally time! The Sports Festival is HERE!

First thing: Just got back from My Hero Academia: The Movie: World Heroes Mission and… well, that was… hot dang!

Secondly…

After much consideration, I've decided to post here, up until I catch up with the manga I have physical copies of (namely until the start of the Forest Training Camp) and then shift over to Ao3 to repost them until I can get ahold of more volumes. It'll be under the same name, so you should be able to find it right-quick. Mostly it's formatting issues, and convenience of upload speeds.

That aside, I want to hear your thoughts, as always.

Ochako laughed, glad Tsu was able to add some levity to the tension before the festival began. She was about to try and respond with her own joke when the room suddenly felt much more tense. Turning to glance over at the problem students (namely Deku, Kat-Chan, Kaminari, and Mineta), she stiffened a little. Todoroki was glowering at her Deku, speaking for the first time she could recall.

"I will beat you."

Normally, Ochako would leave the boys be, let them fight it out however they felt like, but she'd spent the last week or so building up Deku's confidence and bonding with her Flying Bestie (still had to workshop that name). She held up a finger to Tsu, silently asking for a second while she took some action. Getting a nod, she turned and marched over to the half-and-half Recommendation Student.

She positioned herself beside Deku, coming up beside him and nudging his arm with her shoulder. Ochako wasn't going to step in if she didn't have to, but she also needed to make sure he stood up for himself. Todoroki took notice of her positioning and grimaced even more.

"From what I've seen, your quirk might just be an illusion, using her's to pretend you're top tier," he said, his voice monotone, "I'll expose your little sham, if it's true."

Deku clenched his fist, clearly thinking about something. When he looked up, his eyes were full of an intensity she felt rather proud of.

"I don't know why you felt the need to challenge me like this," he said, his expression grim, "But everyone, even students from the other courses, we're all aiming for the top. You're right, I'm behind everyone with my Quirk. And you're right, objectively, that I'm behind you. Most of us are."

Deku grinned, glancing at Ochako for a moment. Not like he was seeking approval, but as if to indicate she was part of his next words.

"But we're not gonna roll over for you. I'm not going to fall behind. And if you're so certain my Quirk is why I'm here: then I guess I have to show you otherwise."

Ochako wondered what Deku meant by that, but like most of the other people in the room: she was kind of swept up in his fervor. As Todoroki brushed past her, she reached over and took Deku's hand, careful to keep her pinky free.

"That was pretty cool, but… what do you mean by that?" she asked quietly.

He shot her a smile which seemed more nervous than she'd expect from the bold boy who'd just challenged the icy powerhouse of the class.

"If I have to, I'll win this tournament without my Quirk," he managed, swallowing, "Hey, that was my plan when I went into the Entrance Exam anyway…"

Ochako blinked at him. Maybe she'd overdone the confidence? That or she'd forgotten to account for his annoyingly strong sense of honor.

"Deku… I don't wanna say that's a terrible idea, but… I have no other words," she prodded, watching him with worry.

"Yeah, but… I can't help but feel like Todoroki… like he's someone who needs saving," he whispered, looking after him as the two-haired student left.

"The one who made it back to the stadium first is: None Other Than IZUKU MIDORIYA!" came Present Mic's scream, and Ochako felt her chest bubble with giddiness.

She couldn't believe it. He'd made it all the way through without using his Float once, tossing Todoroki and Kat-chan aside with apparent ease. Now it was time for her to catch up too.

Taking a page out of Deku's book, Ochako leapt towards one of the mounds with a grenade near the end of the course. Touching her hands together, she scrunched her knees below her into a shield. She only just brushed the sensor, her momentum carrying her down for a bit before planetary spin picked her up. It was enough though.

The blast hurt her knees, and probably burnt her leggings, but it was worth it to see five other students fall behind her as she soared after the leaders. She crashed into the ground, hard, but managed to keep herself moving a few more seconds.

Sliding through the gate, she let herself fall to the ground. She inhaled deeply, grinning at the sky.

A shadow fell over her face, and Ochako glanced over at whoever was casting it. Her grin became even brighter as she saw the concerned, emerald eyes of her bestie. She managed to get her hand up and give him the thumbs up. A smile touched his lips too, and he nodded in approval.

By the time the final contestant arrived, she had her breath back and managed to get up into the group clustered towards Midnight's podium. She settled close to Deku, ready to show him and everyone else she could keep up. She'd promised herself she'd become famous and help ease her parents' burdens, and now was the time to do so.

"Now onto the second event!" Midnight declared proudly, snapping her whip a little and grinning down at the students, "I, of course, already know what it is, of course… Are you dying in suspense!? Our next event is-"

She gestured to the giant screen behind her, grinning maniacally at the words: CAVALRY BATTLE.

"This!"

As if Deku's victory had infected the rest of the students, a number of muttered conversations popped up, the various groups discussing the possibilities and tactics. Midnight didn't seem very happy about being ignored.

"I'm about to explain it, so just shut up already!" she shouted, snapping her whip a few times.

The voices died out, and Midnight seemed to compose herself.

"Anyway, yes! Your individual point values start at five, at the bottom! So the student who took 42nd place is worth five points, 41st is worth ten… get it? But…"

Midnight's smile shifted to her patented Rated-R Grin as she aimed her whip at Deku.

"Our first place participant is worth: Ten Million Points!"

The entire stadium suddenly felt much colder. It felt like everyone was staring at Deku now, their eyes hungry and menacing. She didn't like it. Glancing at him herself, Ochako felt her face soften and hoped he would see her expression. He needed to know he wasn't alone. That he wasn't going to be taken out by something as silly as this.

"This survival game is a chance for a comeback. It's anyone's game!" Midnight finished dramatically, before setting into clarifying the rules.

Ochako saw Deku start to mutter to himself almost instantly, clearly going about his plans on who to pick and what to do. She wanted to go over and join up with him, but worried she wasn't right for his plan.

Her fears were, of course, waylaid when everyone else on the field started drifting away from him. Everyone not in class had no idea what he was about, his bet to go Quirkless for Todoroki still in place when he'd won the prior challenge. Everyone who did know he could fly were put off by his point count.

"Hey Deku, we should team- whoa!"

As he turned to her, his eyes were outputting a bit of salt water, and by a bit she meant enough that she was currently holding up her hands in a defenseive stance.

"Are you sure?" he finally managed, "Everyone's probably coming after me, and you could get hurt."

She smirked and gave him a soft slug on the shoulder.

"Nah, we'll just fly away. Plus: it's better to lose while helping a friend than win against them!"

Something seemed to be hurting Deku, because his face scrunched up into a rather unappealing grimace.

"Gah! What's wrong?! You just got all ugly!" she complained.

"Sorry, you're just so Uraraka I can't bear to look at you, Uraraka…" he muttered, which she decided to take as a compliment.

"Actually, I was hoping to team up with you. The problem is, we'd need one or two other people to make it work, and I don't think-"

"Team Up With Me Mr. First Place!" came a voice from behind Deku.

For a moment, Ochako worried he'd activated his Quirk on accident, but then realized he just jumped out of fear.

"Sorry, you were just… way too close," he managed, clutching at his chest, "I need some kind of radar for people coming close to me… Um, who are you?"

"I'm Hatsume Mei, from the Support Course! I don't know you, but I could be useful to someone in your position."

"Huh, you're not really one to mince words, are ya?" Ochako muttered, surprised at how forward and upbeat the woman was about literally using Deku for advertising purposes.

Her surprise quickly turned to annoyance as Hatsume started to take Deku's attention away and to her gadgets. It was kind of bothersome, though she couldn't say why. Luckily, when he caught sight of one particular unit, his eyes went unfocused and he grinned.

"You're on," he promised, giving her a thumbs-up, "Uraraka, can you and Hatsume get geared up while I'm gone? You'll both need hover boots and whatever capture or subdual items you'll be comfortable with."

"Right!" Ochako promised, giving him the thumbs-up, "I won't let you down! Um… where are you going?"

"To get the missing member of our team," he said, grinning back.

He marched away, heading for the bird-headed Tokoyami, speaking with him for a moment before getting a nod of agreement and going to register their team. Tokoyami turned away and bowed to the two girls.

"I look forward to working with you," he said simply, accepting the jetpack.

A bird-like phantom floated free from his body, giving them what was probably a grin, alongside a massive thumbs-up. Ochako didn't know why, but it seemed very comfortable to be around right then, almost friendly.

"Alright, wake up Eraserhead!" Present Mic called, "They've had time to form teams and strategize, and all 12 teams are lined up and ready to move!"

"Interesting," came the tired mumble.

Izuku prepared to mute them out of his mind, his hands back in Uraraka's and his shoulders gripped by his allies'. It was time to move. They all knew the plan, and it was time they employed it.

"Let's get a Battle Cry! Here comes the Starting Signal! Blood begets Blood in the U.A. Grand Match!" Mic screamed to the crowd.

"Uraraka!"

"Right!"

"Hatsume!"

"Oh Boy!"

Tokoyami!"

"Ready!"

Izuku gritted his teeth.

"Let's win this!" he screamed.

Midnight's whip cracked, and a buzzer sounded the clock had begun. Without wasting any time, two teams rushed them, calling their challenges.

"Right off the bat, just like you said 10,000,000!" Hatsume grinned.

"Such is the fate of those who are pursued," Tokoyami agreed, "Prepare to enact phase 1!"

They attempted to run away, but found the ground beneath them was becoming suddenly… gooier?

"Skip to Phase 2!" Izuku shouted, earning a nod from the rider.

The two girls braced against the boys, and with a click: the jetpack fired and they started rising slowly. Deku kicked in his Float at his 3% limit, forcing it up to 4% in an effort to keep pace with the jets. The ground snapped, and they launched into the sky.

A good deal of the competition seemed to be trying to figure out where they'd come down, only to blink as they slowed to a halt in the middle of the arena, still in the air. Izuku felt a swell of pride in Uraraka. She'd managed to float herself and Hatsume without too much difficulty, and was holding off her motion sickness quite well. The only weight which remained was Tokoyami, who was counter-balancing the spin of the Earth as they held position.

Some attacks were flung their way, but most fell short. Those that did manage to become a threat were quickly batted aside by Dark Shadow.

"Whoa! And with a gravity-defying leap: Team Tokoyami has taken to the skies! High-Fliers indeed!" Mic's voice echoed over the cheers.

"You're getting pretty full of yourself, huh, you bastard!"

Izuku turned to see Kacchan racing up at them, blasting himself through the sky like some kind of deformed rocket. However, as he swung for his favored right-hook, an ethereal arm batted him aside, knocking him back down towards his horse.

Immediately turning, Izuku pointed at Team Todoroki.

"He'll land before coming back, prepare to dodge!" he called, using his meager skill at Float to guide them back towards the edge of the arena.

He knew from watching that Todoroki's ice was more than strong enough to reach them up there, and now that Kacchan had opened the field to aerial attacks: he'd be running up to get them. But there were a few things Izuku knew would let them still win. 1: Todoroki needed their headband, and wouldn't risk covering it. 2: Todoroki had to worry about disabling his own team if he went all out. 3: As Todoroki was a rider, and not a horse, he would be limited to his arm, not his feet.

Izuku's predictions were right on the money. A moment after the other teams started going after one another instead of him, barring a few holdouts, Todoroki leapt from his formation and summoned an arctic pillar to launch himself at Tokoyami. It was just as futile as Kacchan's attack, leaving him falling to earth and having to be saved by his team.

The rage in the son of Endeavor's eyes was enough that Izuku knew they'd pushed him far enough. He glanced over at Kacchan, grinning as he saw the spiked blonde revving up his arms after taking out someone from Class 1-B. If they both attacked now, it would just work.

"Phase 3!" Deku shouted, letting go of Uraraka and Hatsume's hands.

Tokoyami clambered around to sit on his shoulders, now supported solely by Float and the emergency Jetpack. The girls disengaged, falling with controlled air from their boots. Izuku didn't focus on them. They knew their missions, and he trusted them.

For a moment, things seemed almost peaceful, simply holding position in the sky. Dark Shadow seemed to shiver, but not with cold, and Izuku heard Tokoyami whisper something to himself.

"So this is where we were meant to be…"

"What's this? It seems Team Tokoyami has another trick up their sleeve! They've broken apart, leaving themselves with greater maneuverability, but less defense!"

"All warfare is deception. Now the enemy believes they know our plan, we shall subvert their power," Tokoyami intoned, clenching a fist.

Izuku couldn't agree more.

As the two heavy-hitters of the class raced towards them again, Deku pulled out the capture net item Hatsume had given him. He would shoot Todoroki, and when Kacchan got decked by Dark Shadow again, they'd move. But as the two got closer, Deku felt an odd sensation in his gut. It was almost like disappointment.

Heroes save the people first, defeat the villains second.

Internally, Izuku cursed himself. He realized the saying wasn't just correct, but in that moment: it was also the right course of action.

Todoroki wasn't using his fire, which meant the net or Dark Shadow could take him down easily. But Kacchan was using explosives, as per usual, which emitted light. While being fought by the superior firepower of Tokoyami's Quirk would have shown Kacchan that Izuku still respected him as an opponent, and the net would humiliate him, Izuku realized that he couldn't keep playing rival to someone so determined not to give him the same respect.

I'm sorry, Kacchan, he thought to himself, priming the net launcher.

"Tokoyami! When I say "Now:" Punch Right, then swing Dark Shadow's body left!" he called back.

They waited a few more heartbeats, then Izuku deactivated Float. They began to fall, and he screamed up at his new friend: "NOW!"

Dark Shadow swung for all she was worth, and Izuku fired straight up.

Todoroki was impacted in the gut, using his ice to freeze the arm which got him, but now floating free with a winded expression. Dark Shadow swung left, and her arm cracked against Kacchan's explosions, shattering and blinding him for a moment. The two collided in midair, followed by the net.

The two struggled against it and one another, and as they growled and pushed and punched: Dark Shadow pulled away all of their headbands. She seemed to grin at him as she placed them in Tokoyami's hand, who reversed them and fastened them around his neck.

"Even in the blazing sun, our dark might cannot be pierced," he growled, grinning like a madman.

Izuku gave him and Dark Shadow the thumbs up, glancing down to see Hatsume and Uraraka soaring back up to them a bit clumsily.

"I say we go to Phase 4," he checked.

"Let them know our power."

Taking that as a yes, Izuku lowered them to reattach to their companions, who revealed what they'd been up to.

"Holy- When in the world did-" Present Mic started.

"Hatsume?" Izuku asked, adjusting the headset she'd given him earlier and grinning as the boards updated below.

"Ready!"

"And in a shocking turn of events, it seems Team Tokoyami's been busy at work while everyone else has been playing keep-away! Good Lord, Eraserhead, I know you said this isn't you but-"

Tapping the mic button, Deku heard the audio cut out and shift over to him. On the scoreboard, their points jumped to 10,004,295, while everyone else's hit 0. The crowd gasped in surprise and amazement, but quickly quieted themselves as a new voice came over the speakers: Izuku's voice.

"You're holding back!" he shouted, silencing everyone, including the other students.

They all looked up at him and his team, and he grinned as the cameras too focused up at their team.

"Every team lost their points to us, because you're all holding back! I know for a fact, some of you are only half-trying! Others are hoping to skate by on the bare minimum until everyone else is tired so they can get the easy win! Well guess what?! Heroes don't get to half-ass the job! That means one thing:"

He nodded, and Hatsume tied in all four of their voices for the final announcement.

"WE WON'T ACCEPT ANYTHING BUT YOUR BEST! YOU WANT TO PASS: YOU GO PLUS ULTRA AND GET YOUR POINTS BACK!"

They returned the sound back to Present Mic, and each pulled out their weapons of choice. Stun launchers, net cannons, Dark Shadow, or simply their hands.

Izuku felt an odd swelling of pride, but not how he expected. Instead of self-assurance, it felt like it was directed at him from somewhere inside himself. It was quickly drowned out by pride for the students who were finding ways to get up to them, not taking his challenge lying down, which then changed to fear.

"It looks like Team Tokoyami has just gone all in on this gambit! They've called out everyone here, and everyone's calling! Is it a bluff, or do they have the cards?!"

The sides all exchanged fire, with a flung Mineta trying to tag them with one of his balls, but missing out of sheer fear as he arced up and over them, Tsu's throw a little off. Yaoyorozu had opened up with cannon fire, which was… not pleasant. But somehow, between the various dodges and unrelenting counterattacks, they were holding ground, keeping their headbands out of the others' hands.

Once, a girl with vines for hair got tantalizingly close, but as she reached for a neck band instead of the head, Tokoyami's beat moved down and she withdrew out of fear, missing her shot.

But as they fought on, it began to feel… oddly easier. Izuku looked around, and realized he'd guided them under the shade of the glacier Todoroki had made to try and reach them. He grinned, ready to add a new aspect to their plan.

"Todoroki! I thought you said you'd beat me?!"

The half-and-half student seemed to combust with rage, and for a single instant: Deku thought he saw flames licking his arm. But then it was gone, and he merely shot another glacier at them; which was exactly what Izuku wanted.

They swung around, allowing it to crash into the other, making two walls of ice and increasing both their defense and shadows. The attacks were more focused on the front now, but Dark Shadow was starting to counterattack, warding most of the others off. Todoroki's team came racing around the side, and he launched another glacier at them in blind anger.

Izuku realized he might have just killed his team, seeing the ice race at him. Todoroki might just freeze them all and then have someone tunnel down to pull the headbands off. He couldn't think of how to stop the sheer firepower of the ice.

Do your best… Izuku…

It felt like a pair of hands took his arm in them guiding him knuckle-on towards the ice. The power of One-For-All raced up his body, but without Float. He wound his arm back, feeling the energy adjust without his intent, moving to hover around 30%. He didn't question it, and simply punched.

It felt like every muscle in his arm had been shredded, bruised, and worked for weeks without reprieve. It might have tensed up and curled into a ball, but it didn't seem to even be able to do that much. The rewards were worth it though.

A rocket of air smashed into the ice, not enough to shatter it all, but enough to deflect it around them, sealing their formation in a cave of ice. Izuku didn't wait for the teachers to react, and knew he wouldn't get the chance again. He punched with his left arm, equaling out the pain and finishing his arms entirely, blowing a small hole into the most shallow area for others to attempt to get in.

Dark Shadow began to roar, growing in size and menace. But oddly, Deku didn't feel threatened by it. It felt… like an angry mother, which he realized fit. Tokoyami's ghostly companion felt very much like a she, though it wasn't obvious until the moment they'd begun to fly, and Tokoyami's wonder had pierced his barriers for that single moment.

"Time's Up!" echoed through to them, and Izuku's heart fell.

He'd meant to draw out their power and determination, not strand everyone outside of the tournament. He realized he had to fix it now.

"Hatsume, the comms!"

"On it!"

He clicked on again, but it wasn't his own voice which echoed through to them.

"Am I a dog? Am I a cat? A bear, a mouse, a mole, or something else? Who knows?! It doesn't matter! Starting now: we've moved into the emergency contingency: Overtime! The four members of Team Tokoyami have secured their spots in the next round, but no one else has! If I've counted right, as I always do, they have twelve headbands in there with them."

"The new rule is: each headband is worth one slot in the next round! Your teams stay, so if you all want to move on: you better grab one for everyone! If you want to keep it all to yourself, then you'd best prove you're the one who should keep the glory! Disassemble your horses, and get ready for this test of courage! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Deciding to play into Principal Nezu's game; Izuku, Uraraka, and Hatsume screamed in terror, while Dark Shadow roared playfully.

What did that nerd think he was doing?! How dare he cheat and grab the spotlight like that?! This was his moment, and he wasn't going to let a useless Deku like him steal it from him.

"Move it, you extras!" he screamed, leaping down and sprinting for the entrance.

He was met by a black fist the size of a truck, launching him back across the ground and into Kirishima's arms as he skidded past the other teams. Okay, so that strategy was out.

The one with the engines started doing his run thing, and shouted something that sounded kind of cool, if really lamely spoken. Recipro something. It seemed to pay off too, as in a moment he simply vanished from where he'd been standing, evidently inside.

""...for I know the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.""

Katsuki glanced over at the plant-haired chick, who was evidently psyching herself up as she walked calmly towards the dark opening. He was about to laugh as she ate dirt, but blinked in surprise as she suddenly dropped into a combat crouch and rushed the entrance, her vines snapping in and then ripping her after them with amazing speed.

He glanced around to see others heading for it, though a few abstained. A few, like the Monoma punk waved it off, gravitating towards teams who'd sent in a few runners, as if he was going to just steal theirs after they got it back. A snap of Midnight's whip drew both of their attention.

"Just so you all know: once you come out of that… ice cave, that headband belongs to your team. If you try to steal one: your whole team's disqualified," she hissed, "I don't like lazy students, almost as much as I don't like selfish and lazy lovers."

"From the looks of it, only Todoroki and Bakugo from Class 1-A have yet to at least attempt going in! Not only that, but even Shinso from General Studies has teamed up with his former horse-man Ojiro to try and breach the dark maw before them!" Present Mic yelled distractingly.

"Of course," came Eraserhead's grouchy voice, "Technically, I can't expel any of them while they're in the festival, but my class knows two things better than any other first years do right now: Not to hesitate, and that if they don't even try after a spectacular failure like what got them into this situation in the first place: they shouldn't come to class tomorrow."

That was enough. Katsuki wasn't going to just sit there and take this.

"Sh***y hair! Let's go!" he roared, grabbing the boy's shoulder and holding him out in front.

Bringing his arms back, Katsuki started blasting them forward with full force, aiming for a side of ice they were going to ram through like a jet missile. Kirishima grinned and locked his arms over his face, and they smashed into the dark.

What happened next he didn't know. There were sounds, and impacts, and people were moving, but he couldn't see! He considered making a few lights with his hands, but knew he'd become a target instantly if he did. After about two minutes of being batted around inside, he decided he'd had enough.

"Y'all better duck, you damn extras!"

Raising his hands to the sky and straining them for everything they were or ever would be worth, Katsuki fired his Quirk. The resulting explosion knocked him on his backside, slamming and pressing him into the ground as the ice blew apart, revealing the sky again. He could hear bodies flying everywhere, and didn't think he could even stand, let alone find a headband.

He managed to raise an arm, trying vainly to block out the sun. Something fluttered into his palm, and he grasped it tightly.

"And in an explosive finish, it seems all the headbands are now distributed!" Mic screamed with the crowd's support, "It seems Midoriya finally drew out the Plus Ultra in these kids!"

Katsuki managed to shuffle into a sitting position, blinking around at the remains of the cave. A few students were holding their prizes proudly, while others were toast. He didn't doubt that every single one of them had given their all. So… why had it taken so long for him to do the same?

Glancing down at the bandana, he realized it was the 70: the lowest score available. He'd pushed himself to the edge, yes, but only at the last second, and only when he'd had nothing left to lose. But Deku… Deku could have just waited in the air. He could have flown higher and just remained on the defensive! He would have won anyways! But he chose to push himself…

"Oy, Bakugo, congrats!" came a voice at his side.

Katsuki turned, seeing Kirishima grinning at him, his own hands empty.

"Nice! You be sure to give Midoriya what for, okay?" he grinned, "He's so freaking Manly, dude. I can't wait to see you two duke it out! I'm gonna go congratulate him while you get registered!"

The red-headed idiot stood up and jogged over to where Katsuki realized Deku was sitting.

His jaw dropped at the sight of the boy. His arms were red, like they were bleeding, but without any on his skin. He seemed dead on his feet, and Katsuki realized he wasn't actually standing: but behind held up by an ice structure. Todoroki had evidently found him at the end and tried to hold him down, right up until the blast.

Speaking of half-n-half, the boy was standing beside Midoriya, holding his original headband in a flaming hand, looking at it as if unsure what he was seeing.

He'd been holding back too. He saw how the bird thing shrunk in light, which meant the fire could have won the match way earlier. But he'd held back, been arrogant enough to assume he was just that much better than the rest.

...not unlike Katsuki himself…

"Bakugo? I take it you'll be moving on to the tournament?" a teacher asked, coming over with a clipboard.

Glancing up at Cementos, Katsuki was about to enter, but sighed.

"Send Kirishima on. I'm tapping out here," he managed, "you tell him I did though, and I'll blow your rectangle face off."

"Noted."