Toshinori watched his protege lying on the grass, his chest heaving.
He was in the stands, with the Management Students, in his true form, conserving energy while Kayama refereed the first event.
Young Midoriya, Izuku, you had me worried there for a second. That speed, just for a millisecond, you surpassed my prime speed.
Toshinori smiled, brimming with pride, his gaze fond.
Ah, emotions, a luxury I can afford in this form.
In this form Toshinori didn't have to force himself to smile, but right now, he couldn't help but.
"Midoriya's stock is sure to shoot up."
Toshinori tilted his head, the management students were already analysing the marketability of the competitors.
"Are you sure, if anything, he's only going to be confusing pro heroes, and the spectators." Another student replied. "His quirk, first some kind of super-jump, then water transformation, then gravity manipulation and finally hyper-speed. That's four separate quirks. Oh yeah, and he turned into a chicken, with tornadoes for feet."
"Perhaps it's one quirk, he could have a gravity alteration quirk, the jump, the slingshot in the fall, the speed, it explains them." A third student chimed in.
"Then how do you explain the water thing he did at the first barrier?" The second student argued. "Not to mention the chicken thing."
"Then what about some matter manipulation quirk?"
"That makes less sense!"
"But the chicken-"
"I don't care about the chicken!"
"Damn, all this talk about chickens is making me hungry."
"SHUT UP!"
Toshinori stood, shaking his head with a smirk.
It was time for him to return.
He turned, heading back up to the teachers lounge, where he could transform and change without fear of his true form being discovered.
Toshinori stopped, turning his head to look at the three management students still debating Izuku's quirk. "Have you perhaps thought those four instances may be separate quirks?"
The No.1 Hero continued on, allowing the students to think over his advice.
"So a copy-type quirk then? Touch-based or vicinity-based"
"No, no, that teacher didn't mean a copy quirk, he was clearly suggesting some kind of adaptable quirk, changing to fit the needs of the holder."
Toshinori shook his head minutely.
I don't wish to play favourites, but, Young Izuku, your ability for analysis is far greater.
Izuku laid on the grass, his breath slowly returning to normal, his Speed quirk exhausted, likely for the rest of the day.
"Are you okay, Midoriya, kero?"
The green-haired boy raised his head to see Tsuyu and Mineta stood over him, Momo off to one side.
"Yeah, I'm fine, just a bit winded."
Tsuyu nodded. "That's good."
Momo smiled at him, Izuku felt something flutter in his stomach.
"Yeah, if anyone from 1-A is gonna win it's gotta be you, with that crazy punch you did at the USJ." Mineta added.
Izuku shook his head. "N-No, it could be any of us, you as well. Your quirk's pretty versatile."
Mineta grumbled under his breath, clearly not convinced.
"Do not put yourself down, Mineta, when it comes to containment you have us all beat, even Sero, as your spheres are indestructible." Momo smiled at the purple-sphered boy.
Mineta shrugged.
"W-Where did you guys come?" Izuku asked, with a nervous smile, hoping it wouldn't come across as bragging.
"I was sixteen, Mineta was seventeenth." Tsuyu answered.
"Huh, you guys were one after each other."
Mineta nodded, regaining some of his usual cheer. "Yea, yea. We worked together, I stuck us back-to-back using my balls-"
"Spheres, kero."
"-and then Tsu used her froggy abilities to speed through the course while I threw more of my balls-"
"Still spheres, Min."
"-at other people, not any of us 1-Aers, though."
Izuku looked to Momo, mouthing at her.
Min?
Momo looked nonplussed, shrugging minutely.
Izuku took a deep breath, and pushed himself to his feet.
Just in time to see that all eyes were on him.
Later, Izuku would insist he didn't release a cry of shock and jump three feet into the air.
He had.
Calming slightly, Izuku saw predatory looks from his fellow competitors, Bakugo's attempt at feigning disinterest, Todoroki's freezing glare.
Momo's smile.
"Izuku?"
The green-haired boy realised he'd been staring, turning bright red and looking away.
"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable-"
"You didn't."
The words seemed to tumble out of Momo's mouth before she could think about them, a far cry from her usual composure.
Momo stared at the green-haired boy, a fluttering in her stomach.
This feeling, it's…
Oh my, I have a crush on Izuku.
"It was actually kind of nice." Momo smiled again, unable to stop herself from blushing at her realisation.
Izuku's own blush somehow managed to deepen, the fluttering in his chest increasing to a fever pitch.
This feeling, it's…
Oh god, I have a crush on Momo.
Izuku felt his heartbeat quicken, his palms so slick with sweat he was sure if he released an explosion he would blow himself up as well.
I just have to tell her, right? Yeah, I'll do it now!
"I-"
What if she rejects me?
Then at least you tried, kid.
Five?
In the flesh, or I guess vestige.
You're still here?
I mean, I guess so kid. By the way, you're keeping that lovely lady waiting.
You're right.
Izuku steeled himself. "Momo, I lik-"
"NEVER FEAR! I AM HERE, TO ANNOUNCE THE RESULTS OF THE FIRST EVENT!"
All Might landed on the platform, striking a pose as he did.
"HA-HA!"
The first-year students broke off their conversations, turning their attention to the No.1 Hero.
Izuku silently cursed his luck.
There's always another time, kid.
Izuku mentally shrugged.
I guess. Thanks, Five.
Any time, kid.
"IN FIRST PLACE, AS I KNOW PRESENT MIC MADE YOU ALL AWARE, IS 1-A KATSUKI BAKUGO!"
All Might's booming voice filled the stadium, drowning out a considerable amount of cheers and the very audible grinding of Endeavor's teeth.
The screen behind All Might changed to show a headshot of Bakugo, a large number one next to it.
"NEXT, WITH A SHOCKING, METEORIC RISE FROM 167TH PLACE AT THE LAST SECOND, IT'S IZUKU MIDORIYA, ALSO FROM 1-A."
More cheers, slightly less than those for Bakugo, not that Izuku noticed.
Five did.
"ROUNDING OUT 1-A DOMINATION OF THE PODIUM, IT'S SHOTO TODOROKI IN THIRD PLACE!"
Far more cheers sounded for Todoroki than they had for either Bakugo or himself.
It made sense, after all, as the son of Endeavor, Todoroki was far more of a known value.
"FOLLOWING HIM IS 1-B'S IBARA SHIOZAKI IN FOURTH, THEN JUZO HONENUKI, ALSO FROM 1-B!"
A girl with vines for hair and boy with a skull-like face waved to the crowd.
"IN SIXTH, ANOTHER UPSET, FROM THE SUPPORT COURSE, IT'S 1-H'S MIKUMO AKATANI! FOLLOWED BY 1-A'S MOMO YAOYOROZU IN SEVENTH!"
In a surprising show of confidence, Mikumo ignored the crowd, his jaw set, while Momo nodded once, acknowledging the crowd's cheers with poise.
"SUCH REFINED RESPONSES! IN EIGHTH AND NINTH, IT'S A 1-A SWEEP, FIRST TENYA IIDA, THEN IT'S FUMIKAGE TOKOYAMI!"
Iida and Todoroki both acknowledged the crowd with a nod of their heads, similar to Momo. However, Dark Shadow's enthusiastic waving undercut Tokoyami's aura of mystery somewhat.
"COMPLETING OUR TOP TEN, IT'S NEITO MONOMA, FROM 1-B!"
Monoma looked up at the crowds, a smug smirk on his face.
"AND NOW, THE OTHER 54 STUDENTS WHO ALSO MADE IT THROUGH TO THE SECOND EVENT!" All Might have a beaming smile. "FEAR NOT, EVEN IF YOU HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED THERE IS STILL A HOST OF ACTIVITIES LINED UP FOR YOU!"
Izuku frowned.
Sixty-four students made it to the second event, that's higher than I ever seen or heard of before!
The screen changed again, displaying the results from eleventh to sixty-four.
Mei Hatsume Hanta Sero Eijiro Kirishima Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu Mashirao Ojiro Tsuyu Asui Minoru Mineta Yosetsu Awase Mezo Shoji Rikido Sato Isshoni Reimitsu Hakeru Roenegi Ochako Uraraka Mina Ashido Koji Koda Kyoka Jiro Sen Kaibara Kosei Tsuburaba Denki Kaminari Kojiro Bondo Reiko Yanagi Hitoshi Shinso Renn Takarakuji Hikaru Chikyu Itsuka Kendo Jurota Shishida Shihai Kuroiro Yui Kodai Hiryu Rin Nirengeki Shoda Kinoko Komori Togaru Kamakiri Pony Tsunotori Toru Hagakure Setsuna Tokage Manga Fukidashi Yuga Aoyama Hineru Hagane Kamu Hitokuchi Reza Natsuka Kaze Tsunzaku Taro Yamada Nento Haishiro Aibori Kiba Hazumi Hazumu Ashi Mokusei Illia Armstrong Rensa Kinzoku Mina Sandoitsu Yaro Tamada Kaizan Kogo Keibi Hikari Denka Raimei Akeru UchuA mixture of cheers, groans and shouts from Izuku's year group reached his ears.
"NOW." Boomed All Might. "THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE NOT MADE IT THROUGH TO THE SECOND ROUND SHOULD DEPART TO THE VIEWING AREA, ONE HAS BEEN ASSIGNED FOR EACH CLASS."
Murmurs rose from the students, those who hadn't made it into the second event beginning to shuffle towards the stands, when a conversation caught Izuku's attention.
"How the hell did that Akatani get sixth? I heard he was quirkless, guess it was just a rumor after all."
Izuku turned his head to see the speaker was a boy with shoulder length grey hair, a girl with a visor over her eyes, a horizontal bar glowing with blue light, standing next to him.
"Nah, I went to middle school with him, the shitstain is totally quirkless, convinced he's gonna be a hero. Probably had to play the whole crippled and disabled card just to get in."
To his credit the grey-haired boy looked disgusted by the vitriol the visor girl was spewing.
"Just because he's quirkless doesn't mean he's disabled!" The grey-haired boy barked. "How could you say such a thing?"
"You must be one of those QJWs, it must make you so popular to pretend not to be repulsed by those fucking retar-"
A hand rested on the visor girl's shoulder.
She jumped, and turned around to see Midnight stood behind her. With the dark look on her face and the whip in her hand she looked downright terrifying.
Midnight spoke quietly, but yet the students still heard every word she said.
"Natsuka, I won't stop you from competing, but once the Sports Festival is over we will be discussing your continued attendance at U.A., or lack thereof."
A chill ran down Natsuka's spine, barely able to stop herself from vomiting at the thought of being expelled from U.A., getting axed by such a prestigious school was like the black spot of academics.
"Oi, you can't talk to Reza like that!" A boy with orange hair barged his way towards where Natsuka and Midnight stood. "She actually deserves to be here instead of that worthless freak!"
Izuku hadn't felt himself move towards the orange-haired boy, fists clenched, until Momo's hand caught his wrist.
He calmed, he knew she was right, he just had to let Midnight handle it. She was the teacher after all.
His brain kindly reminded Izuku that every teacher he'd had before U.A. hadn't handled it.
They'd encouraged it.
"Enough, Haishiro, you're already on your final warning as it is." Midnight flared down at the two students, putting the metaphorical fear of god into them.
All Might coughed awkwardly, an attempt to break the tension.
It didn't work.
"So, moving on then, I suppose." All Might spoke lamely, before regaining his usual composure. "NEXT UP, THE SECOND EVENT OF THIS YEAR'S FIRST YEAR SPORTS FESTIVAL WILL BE-"
The screen showed an ever changing series of options, but suddenly stopping.
"-A CAVALRY BATTLE! WITH A TWIST!"
All Might struck a pose.
"HA-HA! AS EVER, THE SECOND EVENT WILL BE A TEAM BASED EXERCISE, IN GROUPS OF TWO, THREE OR FOUR THE STUDENTS WILL FORM THEMSELVES."
Murmurs spread through both the competitors and spectators.
"EVERY TEAM WILL HAVE A HEADBAND, TO BE WORN ANYWHERE ABOVE THE NECK, WITH THE POINTS VALUE BASED ON YOUR POSITION IN THE FIRST EVENT."
"AS SUCH, 64TH PLACE IS ASSIGNED 5 POINTS, 63TH HAS 10, 62TH HAS 15, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH UNTIL FIRST PLACE, THE TWIST IS, IT'S WORTH TEN MILLION POINTS."
Hungry eyes all turned to look at Bakugo, eying him up, evaluating him.
The blond-haired boy ignored the attention.
"ADDITIONAL RULES INCLUDE NO MOVES DELIBERATELY INTENDED TO KNOCK THE RIDER OR ONE OF THE HORSES DOWN AND RIDER'S FEET ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH THE GROUND!"
"YOU HAVE FIFTEEN MINUTES TO FORM TEAMS AND STRATEGISE, BEGIN!"
Almost instantly three crowds formed, the largest around Bakugo, not surprising since he'd placed first, another around Todoroki, again not surprising since he was the son of the No.2 Hero.
To Izuku's horror, the last, and smallest, crowd was surrounding him.
"W-Why are you all here?" Izuku managed to choke out.
"Er, we wanna be on your team?" Mineta looked at the green-haired boy with confusion, standing with more members of 1-A.
Tsuyu, Hagakure, Shoji, Jiro, Sato, Koda and Ojiro to be exact.
Mikumo as well, his armor in storage mode next to him.
The rest of the crowd was made up of mainly GenEd students, as well as a couple from 1-B, Izuku was pretty sure their names were Rin and Shishido.
Looking to one side, Izuku saw the empty space where Momo had been standing.
"Oh."
Jiro rolled her eyes. "So, who are you going to pick?"
Izuku forced himself to concentrate. "R-Right, what's everyone's name and quirk, if y-you have one, I mean, i-it's totally fine if you don't, I didn't-"
"Izuku, it's fine." The black-haired boy shrugged. "Mikumo Akatani, Quirkless."
"Toru Hagakure, Invisibility!" The transparent girl chimed in. "It's pretty much as it sounds!"
The rest of the 1-A students introduced themselves, followed by the 1-B students, Hiryu Rin, Scales and Jurota Shishida, Beast.
The attention turned towards a girl with long silvery-white hair and a nervous expression, her violet eyes large and round.
"R-Right, I-I'm Isshoni Reimitsu, and, er, my quirk is Two Become One, I basically turn into a ghost and possess others."
Izuku's lit up with excitement at such an unusual quirk.
Reimitsu only looked more terrified than before.
"Can you possess anyone, or does it have to be willing? Does possession alter or empower their quirk in any way? If so, what effect does it have on people without a quirk or with an invisible quirk?"
Reimitsu stared at the green-haired boy with wide eyes, frozen.
"I think you broke her. She can possess unwilling people, but they can force her out if they try hard enough, and yeah, she enhances the possessee's quirk, dunno about what happens for quirkless people."
A dark-haired boy gently elbowed Reimitsu, his eyes glowing orange, making the girl snap out her trance and nod.
"I'm Hakeru Roenegi, by the way." The orange-eyed boy gave a small wave. "Quirk's Drain Vitailty, does what it says on the tin, I can make anyone I want in a five meter radius really tired, gives me the energy instead."
A muscular, blonde-haired girl next to Roenegi and Reimitsu struck a pose. "I'm Illia Armstrong! The Stretch-Body Hero-To-Be! Choose me, for I possess the technique that's been passed down in my family for generations!"
Awkward silence reigned.
A brown-haired boy cleared his throat. "Um, yeah, I'm Renn Takarakuji, quirk's Joker."
"Joker?" Jiro queried. "Can you turn into a clown or something?"
Takarakuji shook his head. "Nah, nothing like that, at least not yet I guess. Joker's random quirk, everyday I have a different quirk, the more common a quirk, the higher the chance of getting it I have, today I've got Giant Feet, a transformation-type, I can grow my feet tenfold."
Rin tilted his head. "That sound kinda like Kendo's quirk, except with your feet instead of hands, cool!"
Takarakuji shrugged. "I won't keep though and I mainly get pretty useless quirks, yesterday was Cat Whiskers. I tried out for the Hero Course, but, er, on the day I woke up quirkless."
"So some days you just don't get a quirk?" Izuku asked.
"Yeah, every five days or so."
Izuku frowned. "Every five days? Huh, your chance of gaining a quirk must be based in the population of Japan, twenty percent of people are quirkless, right?"
"Huh, I guess you're right." Takarakuji nodded his head. "Anyways, I've got a pretty good handle on this quirk I've got today, it's the first time I've had it, but Hikaru used his quirk on me so I know all about it."
All eyes turned to a white-haired boy stood next to Takarakuji, his eyes closed, he looked like he was asleep standing up.
"Hikaru?"
The boy opened his eyes. "Right, my name is Hikaru, just Hikaru, my quirk is Gaia's Light. It allows me to access a metaphysical library of all human knowledge that I can search using three keywords. Due to the nature of my quirk I can also channel my mind into another's body, I cannot possess then but I can transfer data directly into their mind, such as more efficient methods of using their quirks."
Everyone looked in disbelief at the veritable thesis Hikaru had just given on his quirk, except Izuku, who was bouncing up and down on his heels in excitement.
"That's an awesome quirk!" Izuku beamed.
Hikaru shrugged. "Perhaps, but it lacks any kind of combative element, I failed to receive enough rescue points from advising my fellow examinees to make it into the hero course, something I hope to rectify today."
Izuku nodded. "Well, good luck."
The final three students introduced themselves. Kamu Hitokuchi, his quirk was Maw, which allowed him to unhinge his jaw and bite through pretty much anything. Kaze Tsunzaku, her quirk was Air Eruption, which allowed her to fire weak pulses of air from her palms and the bottoms of her feet.
Rensa Kinzoku, her quirk was Chains, a Common-class, the same as one Izuku had copied from a USJ villain, allowing the holder to fire chains from their wrists, using the iron in their own body to make them.
At that moment both Ashido and Sero ran up to join them.
"Bakugo turned us down so we thought we see if you wanted us of your team, Midori!"
Hagakure bounced on the balls of her feet. "So, who are you gonna pick?"
Izuku paused, before a smile slowly crept on to his lips. "I have an idea."
Hagakure backed away slightly. "Oh no, that's the same smile that Mikumo does before one of his inventions blows up."
"TAKE YOUR POSITIONS, MY YOUNG FLEDGLINGS!"
All Might's voice filled the stadium, the crowd matching his volume with their cheers.
Izuku turned the headband over and raised it to his forehead, securing it in place with the velcro.
935 Points.
"You ready?"
The green-haired boy turned to look at Mikumo, decked out in his SHTR Armor, with the Booster Legs, nearly identical to the ones that Hatsume had used in the first event, and his default, strength boosting, gauntlets.
"Yeah, let's rock this, Midotani!" Hagakure struck a pose, also wearing a set of Booster Legs.
Reimitsu shuffled nervously.
"GET READY!"
Izuku nodded his head. "Right, let's do this."
Reimitsu uncertainty suddenly fell away, her body taking on the appearance of ink, before it faded away into a smudge.
Izuku took a deep breath as he felt a warm wave pass through his body, like turning the shower on a cold winter's morning.
And then it was gone.
Izuku blinked, he was in his quirkspace again, but this time, instead of Seven or Five, Reimitsu was standing in it, looking far calmer than he'd seen her in the fifteen minutes of knowing her.
"Wow, I've never seen a void that was actually black before, grey or silver, but never black." Reimitsu looked around in awe. "So many quirks."
Izuku frowned slightly. "I-If you don't mind me asking, you don't seem as…"
"As scared of my own shadow as before?" Reimitsu turned to face Izuku.
Pausing, Izuku settled on just nodding.
"It's because of my quirk, Two Becomes One, it's always active." Reimitsu shrugged. "If I'm not consciously focusing on keeping my body together I'll dissolve and possess the nearest person, and if they force me out the next nearest person, ad infinitum."
"That sounds tough."
"It is." Reimitsu sighed. "I have to wear a set of special bracelets that stop me from smudging just to sleep. I used to use them all the time, but my doctor decided I was using them as a crutch and that I just needed to 'toughen up and get a hold on my quirk'."
"He sounds awful."
"Absolutely, utter creep, especially with those goggles, you never know where he's looking." Reimitsu shivered at the thought.
Silence fell for a few seconds.
Izuku spoke. "So, are you possessing my body now?"
Reimitsu shook her head. "Not yet, I have to go through there."
Izuku turned, following where Reimitsu pointed, a white doorway sat in contrast to the black void.
"Just walk through it?"
"Pretty much, except I usually have to get past a less than willing possessee." Reimitsu answered. "I've never actually possessed someone willing before, but the longest I've managed to hold someone is about seven minutes."
Izuku nodded in understanding, before stepping aside. "Hm, you'll probably be able to hold on to me longer since I'm willing, though probably not infinitely, all quirks have their limits."
Reimitsu nodded, striding forward and through the doorway as the quirkspace dissolved in the same manner the white-haired had when she used her quirk.
Izuku finished blinking, his eyes shining violet.
"Woah!" Hagakure exclaimed. "Glowy eyes, cool!"
"Reimitsu?" Mikumo questioned. "Is that you?"
"What, it's me. Izuku."
Both Hagakure and Mikumo jumped as Izuku's voice came out of his mouth.
"Wait, Izuku? You're here too?"
Now Izuku's mouth was speaking in what was clearly Reimitsu's voice.
"Y-Yeah, it's strange, it feels like I'm not in control of my body, but I kinda am at the same time." Izuku spoke, waving his arm.
"This has never happened before." Reimitsu admitted. "It must be because it's willing."
"Two Becomes One!" Izuku exclaimed. "It's not about you possessing someone, it's about sharing two minds sharing control of one body!"
Reimitsu blinked Izuku's eyes, his mouth slightly hanging in shock. "I use my quirk on you and in like two minutes you've managed to completely redefine it."
"Y-Yeah, I guess."
"He has a habit of doing that." Mikumo shrugged, Hagakure nodding in agreement.
"MOUNT UP!"
Around the cavalry area each team began to form their horses and riders.
"The analysis will have to wait." Reimitsu stated resolutely. "We have competition to crush."
Hagkure leaned over to Mikumo, whispering. "Is it just me or has Reimitsu got really intense all of a sudden?"
Mikumo shrugged.
Team Midoriya quickly formed up, Hagakure taking the spot of front horse, so she could use her refraction move to blind other teams, while Mikumo went at the back, his suit would propel the hovering team along.
Finally, the amalgam of Izuku and Reimitsu took up the position of rider, their arms free to use Izuku's quirk, Reimitsu's providing him with a power boost.
But they weren't alone.
Instead of merely rejecting those he didn't want on his team, Izuku had matched them together into their optimal formations.
Team Tokoyami, with Takarakuji as the rear horse, Illia, as she'd insisted on being called, as the front horse, and Hikaru unconscious, stored inside Dark Shadow, free to use his quirk on whichever teammate needed his help.
Team Ashido, with Sato as front horse, both his quirk and size providing defensive and offensive power, and Ojiro and Sero as rear horses, their high mobility and short-range attack power covering Ashido's back.
Team Rin, with both Koda and Shishida as front horses, practically making them a siege weapon, and Jiro as the rear horse, her ear jacks ready to snatch headbands on the way through.
Team Roenegi, with Hitokuchi as front horse, his mouth able to bite or consume most physical attacks, such as Todoroki's ice, while Tsunzaku and Kinzoku were rear horses, the former using Air Eruption to blow opponents away, the latter with Chains to bind them.
Izuku raised his head, staring directly at Team Bakugo, Uraraka and Hatsume as his rear horses, both wearing Booster Legs, and Kirishima as his front horse.
"Reimitsu's right, we're going to crush this."
"START!"
Chaos descended, with almost every team going straight for Bakugo and the ten million point headband.
Well, the ten million, seven hundred and twenty point headband.
But with a number that large, no one really cared.
They were all aiming to steal it.
Except Team Midoriya, they had a different goal. To defend their own headband, which alone probably had enough points for them to progress to the final round, and then snatch the ten million points from whoever had it at the last second.
Team Ashido went for them first, Sero's tape shooting towards the headband secured around Izuku's forehead.
His mouth opened, orange fire spewing from it and burning Sero's tape.
Using his other hand, the dark-haired boy ripped his tape before the fire could spread back down to him.
"Those flames, they were hotter than normal, I can't only make them red!"
"It's the power boost from my quirk." Remitsu spoke with Izuku's mouth. "Although, it's a bit more potent than normal, must be because you're willing."
A wave of acid shot at Team Midoriya, fired from Ashido's arm.
Within Izuku's quirkspace Wind Generation lit up, a tornado firing from the green-haired boy's arm, scattering the acid and blowing it away.
Two more teams, one 1-B, the other GenEd, started to bear down.
"Mikumo, we need a speedy exit!" Izuku called.
"On it. ASPECT, initiate hover mode and backburner."
"As you wish, Pilot Yamikuro."
Both Mikumo and Hagakure's hover boots burst into life, lifting them half a foot off the ground as a metal plate retracted to reveal a large repulsor in the back of Mikumo's chest armor.
The repulsor shone orange as the team was rocketed forwards, vacating the area just as the 1-B team attacked.
"Damn it." Ashido sighed. "It wasn't the ten million, but Midori's headband still would have been a juicy catch!"
"I'll have to settle for yours then!"
Roots burst from the ground, wrapping around Sato, Sero and Ojiro's legs, trapping them in place.
A hand pulled the headband from Ashido.
The GenEd came to a halt, their rider smirking at the hero course students.
"To think you losers got into the hero course." The rider sneered, turning over the headband. "Nine four five, now that is a juicy catch, even more than greenie's."
Ashido stared at the rider in horror, it was like looking in a funhouse mirror.
Her face looked almost the same, purple instead of pink, her hair longer, braided down her back. Her eyes, the scelera black, the irises red.
"Mina Sandoitsu, pleased to meet you." The girl smiled. "I guess you could call me a better version of yourself."
Ashido bristled, forming acid along her arm and flicking it at her near-doppleganger.
Sandoitsu giggled, with a swish of her wrist the acid diverted its path, hitting the ground. "How pathetic. Is that really the best you can do?"
"Acid control! That must be her quirk!" Ojiro called. "Ashido, if you don't use your quirk, there's nothing she can control."
"Wrong!" Sandoitsu exclaimed, crossing her arms in the shape of an X. "Acid Control is just a taste of what I can do."
Holding out her hand, Sandoitsu created acid from her palm, before it rose into the air and took the form of a sphere, solidifying.
"I told you, A~shi~do." Sandoitsu smirked. "I'm the better version of you, even my quirk is more advanced than yours. Just acid secretion? How paltry."
Ashido growled, balling her fist.
Hizashi leant forwards in his chair.
"Oi, oi, oi! What's this? Looks like Team Sandoitsu's snagged Team Ashido's headband, Sandoitsu appears to be gloating."
Shota frowned, focusing his eyes on the screen, the feed showing Sandotisu manipulating the acid ball in multiple different shapes with her quirk.
He frowned, he recognised the girl, from the hero course exam test, she'd failed, just a few points shy, and ended up in GenEd.
But.
Back then, her quirk had been the same as Ashido's. Acid secretion, nothing more.
"Whoa, look at all these acid abilities this girl's showing, her quirk description I've got here really fails to describe it!" Hizashi hollered, a beaming smile on his face.
On the screen Sandoitsu spun Ashido's headband around her finger, faking a yawn.
Shota's eyes widened.
Her tongue was black.
Reaching out, Shota clicked the microphones off.
"Hey, what's that for?" Hizashi complained.
"Don't let on that I've gone." Shota stood.
With that, the underground hero was gone, the door slamming behind him.
Hizashi sighed. "I hate when he just runs off like this."
Shota sprinted down the corridor, heading towards the U.A. faculty box when Nedzu was.
Trigger.
He'd thought the drug was gone for good.
Clearly not.
Shota had to make it to Nedzu, only he had the authority to end the cavalry battle.
That had been decided as a part of the increased security. Shota couldn't ring the principal either, the hyper-intelligent rodent wouldn't be able to confirm it accept his words without his presence, and the general alarm would create too much chaos.
If he didn't do this carefully, without a blind panic, then someone was going to get hurt, that girl might be in control of herself at the moment, but it wasn't going to stay that way.
With Trigger the effects of the drug got more potent as the amount left in the body reduced, culminating a final burst of power that could prove highly lethal, both to bystanders and the user.
"Help, my sister, she's not breathing!"
Shota mentally cursed, he didn't have time for it, but he couldn't ignore it.
Bursting into the room, Shota found a young boy, around eight, holding a worryingly limp girl, a few years younger than him.
The underground hero rushed towards them, when he felt a sudden wave of something sickening wash over him.
Activating his quirk on the young boy and girl, Shota watched they dissolved into sludge-like liquid and then to nothing.
The door slammed shut, sealing Shota in the windowless room.
Charging at the door, Shota smashed into it, hoping to break it open.
He bounced off, it was reinforced, no doubt as a part of the increased security since the USJ attack.
"You stay in there, Eraserhead." A teenager's voice, male, echoed through the door. "I'll let you out once the second event is over, once the others have taken the detox drug, there'll be no sign of Trigger left in their systems."
The others. Their.
Shota repressed the urge to punch a wall.
There was more than one ticking time bomb in the stadium.
And there was nothing he could do about it.