My soul is in the sky. – William Shakespeare
I watched the Sports Festival yesterday, the one for the first years. The unbridled sense of nostalgia overcame me. So many young souls gave their all to win. Most thought they looked cool. I think most of my class 1-A could've beat them all.
When I was fifteen, none of us students really saw how… different we were. I think Monoma of all people did since the maniac had a peculiar devotion to overcoming us. I know my dad did. Why else would he not expel half the class on the first day?
I asked Father about it a year or two ago, and he gave his theory. First, we survived a trial by fire. Very few things were more difficult than surviving murderous villains and watching your heroes get torn apart. We did. Second, he told me three students pushed the class beyond their limits… Plus Ultra.
Midoriya had a thoughtful and geeky demeanor, but he had no problem shattering every bone in his body to save someone. Bakugo used a single-minded drive to power his way into greatness and dragged a bunch of us with him. And me. Father said I helped so many students grow.
Okay, I gotta admit… He totally told the truth there, but I'm still giddy. Just because I grew up doesn't mean I have to act old, right? I'm making up for lost years.
BREAK LOGIC
Supply and demand. Hatsume Mei knew those concepts by heart, and she attended U.A. to increase both. With access to near limitless resources, she created support gear held back only by her shortcomings like needing to sleep or eat. With access to the Sports Festival, she had access to her personal infomercial to every man, woman, or child in Japan. More importantly, support companies and heroes watched the event with interest.
She thought the perfect storm landed in her lap. That crazy blue-haired girl gave her information to make perfect counters or supports for the hero students, and her efforts produced results. With just one Baby, Mei won the first event. With that alone, her name skyrocketed into the public's subconscious. Mei meant winner. What hero didn't want a winner's gear?
Then, supply and demand bitch-slapped her.
For the cavalry battle, students needed to gather points from headbands. Only the top sixteen shall advance. The lowest finishing qualifier, forty-second, received the fewest points while the highest, her, received a million. To clarify, a million was several orders of magnitude more than all the other points combined. She held most of the supply, and all the demand focused on her. If these were companies, some would ally themselves to her; however, she stood surrounded by hormonally unhinged and competitively ambitious teenagers.
No one will want to be her partner. If no one would be her partner, she won't qualify for the event from lack of a team.
She's fucked.
"Mechanic Mei." Said mechanic spun to face her potential savior. She saw two other faces, and the girl's heart skipped a beat from excitement and terror. "I have secured an alliance with another full team; however, would you accept being a part of ours?"
Ours. Eri knew Mei would accept before she accepted it, and neither girl could be called a fool. The hero in training established her organization skills during the last match. No wonder the bubbly girl followed her. Mei suspected Eri somehow manipulated her into victory knowing about the million points which meant Mei had no choice but to accept this offer.
It also meant, HOLY SMOKES, she'd better get this girl as a loyal customer.
The pinkette lunged at her new friend and hugged her. "Yes!" She felt how Eri tensed. Now, Mei held little regard for concepts like personal space or modesty. Everything in her life pointed towards inventing and using inventions, so all else fell by the wayside. As a result, she created many instances of socially questionable behavior and caused dozens of people to tense.
Eri tensed in an entirely different way. She didn't know how exactly, but she could tell. Not wanting to burn a bridge between her and a future customer, she took a step back.
Her benefactor stood rigid for several tedious seconds before she talked again. "Please refrain from doing so again, though I don't hold you in contempt. I will tell you our situation and strategy. All three of you, I implore you to assist if you have input."
And she explained the situation. All three of her listener's faces twisted into awe as the girl laid out the full scale of her scheme. Mei made a simple conclusion. In another life, Eri would've made a spectacular Yakuza family boss.
BREAK LOGIC
Ibara Shiozaki felt like an honest hypocrite. No… That wasn't the right term. She was honest to the point of hypocrisy. Yes, that described her current situation much more effectively.
She looked to her left to see her teammates. Monoma gave a dazed look as drool dripped from his mouth. His hair sprouted horned vines, exactly like her hair. Her Quirk had the most versatility, so the left and right horses gained the same ability. On top of them, a class 1-A student named Mineta had the same look as Monoma. The general education student named Shinso brainwashed the two.
She couldn't condone violating the sanctity of the human mind, but perhaps his action led to less sin. Monoma embraced the sins of pride and envy. He never ceased boasting of his abilities yet never stopped envying their fellow hero class. She and Kendo, God bless her soul, tried to teach the boy humility. Alas, he had ears but wouldn't hear. By being emancipated from conscious thought, no opportunity presented itself for sinning while in this event.
She never met Mineta until today, but Eri explained his personality on the day that student visited. Oh, she knew the stoic girl arranged the situation. Shinso explained how their team will work with Eri's. Even so, Shiozaki felt almost comforted by Mineta's inaction. The boy apparently existed as lust's incarnation in human flesh.
"Lord forgive me," she whispered under her breath. "For even though I walk the straight and narrow path, I find relief that his eyes and hands have no chance of violating the temple of my body."
"Hey…" Hitoshi's bloodshot eyes scanned the other teams. In mere moments, chaos will replace order. "Eri told me you'd accept, but I didn't…"
Shiozaki smiled. "Though you may be a sinner, I am a soldier of God and forever willing to help those who ask."
She couldn't see his face, but she suspected it twisted into confusion. Most people did, for not many understood her. "I think that wasn't an insult?"
"We are all sinners," she said with finality.
"Okay…"
Before her mind even registered the start, a 1-A student created a glacier which trapped many teams. Hers was one of the few who evaded because Hitoshi started at the edge of the square. Was this what believers felt when thrown into the Nero's Coliseum? Daunting power against faith in God?
She prayed God willed for her to remain victorious. It wasn't out of greed. She wanted to help Shinso. Her Lord Jesus broke bread with tax collectors, so she had every reason to help him.
The top four finishers of the race rocketed up like an Angel ascending into heaven. The religious girl felt comfort in calling them allies rather than enemies.
Shiozaki made a wall of vines of their right while Monoma did the same on the left. It created a funnel. With the out of bounds behind them and their walls on either side, the only way to reach the four was charging to them. They followed Eri's plan without regrets.
They had just one objective, eliminate the student with a bird head or Endeavor's son. In return, Eri's team would give any spare headbands to them in the last minute remaining. In the end, it didn't matter.
A team charged at the four, or she thought it was a team. A tall man from 1-A had his arm-parachute-appendages wrapped around his back. Shinso merely spoke, "Shoji?"
"Yes?" said the tall man. His expression already was devoid of emotion, but she could tell their efforts bore fruit. Shoji stopped moving.
"Now, deactivate your Quirk and stand straight." Within a moment, a girl with frog-like attributes and a boy with a bird head clung to the giant's neck. He asked, "Are you two… hanging in there?" Both groaned at the humorless pun, and both froze. "Would you kindly give me your headband then guard the entrance to our funnel? Thanks."
Shiozaki licked her lips. All the ice Quirk seemed to make the air cold and dry. The girl looked to the sky and saw Eri's team just… floating there. The inventor may have been giving an infomercial on her inventions as well, though she couldn't quite tell from this distance.
"Shinso?" She paused the strengthen her vines. A team tried to break through her defenses without success. "Does this feel… too easy?"
"Nah." An explosion went off in the middle of the field and shattered much of the ice. Someone screamed in either surprise or pain, but she didn't identify the voice. On the leaderboard, their team sat in fourth. "I'm just gen ed for now, but I'm pretty sure heroes don't fight for the sake of fighting. We're just using our heads rather than our fists."
She nodded. "I see your logic."
And so, they waited. As it turned out, no one could reach Eri's team nor did anyone wish to fight the team surrounded by horned vines and guarded by three brainwashed… minions.
The cavalry battle secured the title as "most boring Sports Festival event ever" for years to come, but it was the middle event. People never remember much about the middle event, just the start and finish. On the other hand, the audience was entertained by something else instead. The cameras focused on Principal Nezu. He laughed the entire time and became quite loved by little children everywhere. Who wouldn't love a giggling bear-mouse-rat thing?
BREAK LOGIC
Eri sat at a corner of the cafeteria and ate.
She, Midoriya, Uraraka, Hatsmuni, Todoroki, Momo, Kaminari, Iida, Bakugo, Kirishima, Mina, Sero, Shinso, Shiozaki, Monoma, and Mineta. Sixteen students hoped to win.
Shinso proved to be a valuable ally and eliminated Tokoyami. Of the remaining students, only Todoroki had a guaranteed victory over her. Bakugo probably could beat her. Otherwise, the odds favored her in every other matchup.
Judging from the constant glances in her direction, her plans succeeded. Whispers of "Aizawa's daughter" blanketed the room. Why wouldn't it? She received attention after the USJ incident, and she dominated both events with her allies. The others weren't dumb. Mei contributed with her mechanics. Uraraka accidentally made herself float, so they knew she was the gravity girl. Eri hadn't shown her Quirk, despite using it. They pegged her as the mastermind.
Now, she had to rely on her preparations and combat prowess. The tournament consisted of one-on-one duels which didn't suit the girl like group events. She preferred a support role since her powers let her teammates have unlimited energy and healing.
Someone set a tray across the table of her. The yawn let her know who it was.
"Greetings, Shinso." She ate another piece of toast. She expected to hurl whatever she ate due to combat, so she consumed items easier on the stomach.
He shifted in his chair. "Um… Thanks again for the help. You and the vine girl proved… different than what I expected."
"I understand." She sipped some energy drink. It tasted horrible. "You're better suited for heroics than the purple pervert."
"About that, why'd you tell me to use him? I thought the last thing you'd want is positive exposure for him." He scratched his head. "Unless you think he'd humiliate himself?"
She motioned in the pervert's direction. "I asked Jiro to take one for the team. She happened to suggest a coffee drinking contest to him. Since she has breasts, he accepted."
He almost spewed his soda. "A diuretic? If he's as cowardly as you make him to be, he'll piss his pants."
"Precisely." She smiled, a genuine one. Shinso reminded her of Father. Smart, exhausted, non-combat Quirk. The world needed more heroes like Father, so Shinso will be great.
She nodded in thanks to Kendo. The girl didn't hesitate to answer her questions. Was Monoma really that conceited? Yes. Were there any students who'd help anyone in need, even an opponent? After a moment's pause, the class representative of 1-B answered with a name. Ibara Shiozaki, the girl with vine hair.
Thus, she traveled the halls to the general education section. The students ranged from hero hopefuls to kids who happened to attend a school with a hero department. During these two weeks, 1-A received the afternoon to train their bodies and Quirks while 1-B did so in the mornings. 1-C had a full day of normal classes, giving them a major disadvantage.
Eri knew she'd be in this class if she wasn't recommended, not that anyone knew that. Actually, she would've seen the futility of fighting robots and healed others. She would've only been accepted if the other students were self-destructive idiots.
After thinking about 1-A for half a second, she concluded there wouldn't have been any problems with completing that portion of the test.
The bell rang for the final time that day. A student opened the door to leave but paused when they saw her. The girl's stubby horn and reprimanding Monoma garnered her a small reputation already. Seeing that she remained standing on the opposite wall, the student shrugged and left. One. Two. Five. Nineteen. All but one student left the classroom, and she wanted to talk with him.
She stepped inside and saw a boy. He had purple hair and sleep-deprived eyes which narrowed when they saw her. Hitoshi Shinso didn't trust her, probably loathed her.
"What are you doing here?" He glanced at the door and tensed. Ah, another person who experienced cruelty from the monster known as humanity. Others saw Brain Washing as a villainous Quirk; furthermore, it had the potential to take away people's control over their bodies. Children would respond to that fear by asserting control over Shinso. In other words, punching and bullying.
He saw her as the culmination of all his hatred, a student with a Quirk society deemed heroic and a life that glided into 1-A. Too bad he's wrong. Additionally, he asked her a question. If she answered, his Quirk would take effect. Since she… procured his filed… the girl also knew how to counteract it.
Eri punched a desk with all her might and incorrectly. Shinso flinched at the sound. Pain shot up her fingers since some broke. She started bluntly. "I want you to replace student Mineta in 1-A. I canceled your Quirk with three or four broken fingers, so our conversation can't be interrupted."
He looked at her hand back to her eyes. "The fuck?"
"The second event is group oriented. I have secured an alliance with a support department student, and I know of a 1-B student who'd be happy to help. Lastly, there are approximately five students in 1-A who'd work with me and are good people."
He shook his head. "You're insane. You think I believe you, and you just broke your hand. You didn't even trust me enough to tell me your name."
He walked by her to the door.
"Apologies!" She shook her head. "I'm sorry. When I become nervous, I speak rigidly." She held out her hand, now healed thanks to her Quirk. "Eri Aizawa of 1-A."
He froze in his tracks. "Aizawa?"
She put two and two together. "Adopted."
"And you want me in his class?"
"I'll offer hand-to-hand combat experience as well. Like Eraser Head, I am adept at fighting Quirkless. I pervert occupies a seat in class, and I really want his presence far away from me or any other girl. I know you applied for 1-A, and your Quirk is among the most beneficial I've seen among first years."
"You aren't afraid of my Quirk?"
Ah, another test. This time, she showed her trust. "I've seen worse."
"You're talking a big game with nothing to show." He rubbed his chin. "How will I know I'll get something out of this?"
"Do you like Eraser Head?"
"Favorite hero."
"I concur." She nodded. "In that case, I will give you a memento. Does his favorite coffee mug sound sufficient?"
He tensed. "Will he kill me?"
"No, but he'll work you until you wish you were… if he discovers and confirms who received the mug."
Shinso rubbed his eyes. "Alright. Whatever. This'll be the best chance I'll get."
They shook hands. "Additionally, I can give enough information for you to successfully spur most of my classmates into a verbal response."
"Why didn't you just start with that?"
Eri finished eating her lunch. It soured in her stomach when she saw the pervert slithering her way. While most male or female stares at her body made her pleased, his did not. He reminded her of Overhaul in a twisted way. The man abused her physically, and she believed he'd rape any girl if he thought he'd get away unpunished. His presence made her uncomfortable. Was killing him really such a bad thing?
"Eri!" he wheezed with a peculiar lisp. Shinso raised his eyebrow, not having experienced much of the boy's sexual instability since he was incapacitated mentally. "The principal wants all the 1-A girls to do a cheerleading exercise during the general games! Yaoyorozu is already making the suits!"
"Call me Aizawa, not Eri." A few tables over, Momo indeed created a few cheerleader outfits. She had a significant desire to harm Mineta, but she couldn't do anything illegal with the Sports Festival occurring. Then, she remembered a conversation she had with Bakugo during one of their sparing matches.
"Bakugo, you know how to be blunt. Can I ask for advice?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Me? Sure, whatever."
"What's something hurtful I could say to Minita when he sexually pursues me?"
Her friend shrugged. "The little shit is good at covering his bases, so you can't threaten him with legal crap…" He paused to put some thought into the answer. "First, I'd be sure to stand over him. Assert dominance and reinforce his small height. Plus, you can get Aizawa's creepy stare. Then, I'd probably say…"
Eri stood up and moved in front of the perverted little blob. She looked down and stared with all the fury she could manage.
The cafeteria's noise died down. Hundreds of eyes fixed themselves on the two.
Eri spoke calmly and clearly. "Mineta, you're a disgusting, short excuse for a human being, so go fuck yourself. It's all the action you'll ever get."
Mineta burst into tears and ran away. Eri felt rather pleased with herself.
Author's notes: Bah, another short chapter. Sorry. On the other hand, you're probably quite aware of Eri's distaste in Mineta. If you think she's being too hard on Mineta (WHY?!), then this chapter shed some light on that. Plus, he's a disgusting pervert (without even some redeeming qualities), so fuck him.
Also, there's two new POVs in this chapter! Yay! Mei was honestly pretty easy. Shiozaki was a lot harder than expected.
Why did I shorten the cavalry battle so much? I didn't see the point. Eri had a pretty logical plan that none of the students could really counter. Heck, Midoriya could've gone 100% on anyone, and Eri would've fixed him immediately. Plus, what fanfic have you read that didn't have Bakugo and Todoroki get into the finals? Not many. There's no tension if we already know the outcome, so I'd either make that section shorter or just do something wonky to make it entertaining. I went for short since I couldn't come up with the wonky.
