Chapter 11. It's go time.
"Katayama, Bakugo," Aizawa said as they walked out of class. "The principal has requested to see you both after fourth period."
The two boys froze. "The...principal...as in, Nezu? Like, in his office?" Doko asked.
Aizawa nodded. "And no, I don't know what it's about yet. I'm supposed to be there as well."
"Okay. Whatever," said Bakugo, trudging on out of the room, his back slouched, his bag strung over one shoulder.
Doko lagged behind. "Something else to say, Katayama?" Aizawa asked in a bored voice, looking down at the papers he was shuffling.
"No, sir."
"Good. Out with you."
Doko left the room, following Bakugo at the end of the trail of 1-A students. To his surprise, the other boy was seething, grinding his teeth nervously. He'd been putting on a show of disinterest to Aizawa.
Doko gulped. "Hey, you don't think it could be about..."
"Of fucking course that's what it's about!" Bakugo hissed, interrupting him. "There's no other reason for me to be grouped in with your extra ass! For anything!"
"So, uhhh...what are we gonna do?"
"Don't be dense. We're gonna do the only thing we CAN do. Try and lie our way out of it."
"And if that doesn't work?"
"Then me and you are toast, Warping Wacko. T-O-A-S-T. Hope you fucking had fun while it lasted. Damn it, damn it, damn it!" He seemed to swear at himself for the last part, breaking ahead of Doko somewhat.
Doko's face twitched. He's seriously stressed. That's not good at all.
If the principal of UA had somehow found out about their illegal Quirk training, then they were in deep shit.
...
At the end of fourth period, Doko had calmed down a bit. There's any number of things it could be. And if it DOES happen to be about that, then it won't do me any good to be all sweaty and stressed. That'll just make me look more suspicious.
A glance across the room at Bakugo seemed to confirm that the other boy was taking a similar strategy. He seemed like his usual scowling, mildly disinterested self.
As the bell rang, Mina tapped his shoulder. "Ready for lunch?" she asked with a bright grin.
"Sorry, can't. I have a meeting with, um...the principal." Dammit, I am really bad at coming up with lies on the spot.
Mina's eyes widened. "Ooooh. Did Doookooo get in trouble for something?"
"No. Well, maybe. Shut u..."
"What's going on?" Uraraka was saying, standing in front of the door. Doko looked around to the doorway, where none of Class 1-A were exiting.
He stood. "What's the holdu..."
There were tons of students blocking the exit to the classroom. They were chatting to each other, but some were giving 1-A deadly looks. A few even had their phones out as if they were recording.
"What is this?" Iida demanded. "What business do you have with our class?"
"They're scouting out the enemy," Bakugo said in a bored voice, walking up. "We were the ones who got caught up in a villain attack, so we're a big deal right now. That makes us their biggest competition in the Sports Festival."
When Doko comprehended his words and realised what was going on, he facepalmed. Oh my god, that's so stupid. The principal might be about to kick me out of the school, and I have to stand here and deal with beef between classes?
"Move aside, please," he told the students in front. "I have an important meeting to get to before next period."
A few people glanced at each other nervously and jostled, but overall they refused to budge.
"Not gonna work if you ask nicely like that, Crackhead," Bakugo said, stepping up. "Outta the way, extras. Me and this guy here really do have somewhere to fucking be."
"You can't call people extras just because you don't know them!" Iida shrieked from behind.
"I came to see the glory of the famous Class A..." a bored voice said, pushing to the front. Doko looked at the guy. He had sleepy eyes like Aizawa's, and purple hair that stuck up. His eyes were also purple...the same shade as Doko's own. "But you seem pretty arrogant. Are all the hero students like this?"
"NO!" Iida shouted from behind. Uraraka and Midoriya shook their heads frantically. Doko's eyes narrowed. This guy thinks he's all high and mighty about something, doesn't he?
"Makes me kinda cynical about this whole thing, you know." The purple haired guy scratched his head. "Some of us in general studies and other courses only enrolled because we didn't make it into the hero course."
"Boohoo, too bad," Bakugo snarled. "You didn't make it in, and we did. Get over yourselves and stop crying about it. I could wipe the floor with all of you." He broke through the crowd forcibly, headed for Nezu's office.
Doko watched him go, a sickly expression on his face. I should hurry and follow, but I don't want to have to break through them like that...
Purple guy seemed to turn his focus to Doko. "The school has given us a chance, however. If we perform well in the Sports Festival, the school will consider transferring us into the hero course...and transferring other people out."
Midoriya gasped. Doko clenched his fist. I really need to go...this guy is annoying.
"Scouting out the enemy? Nah. I just came to say that if you're in the hero course, don't think you're safe at the Sports Festival. I'm here to make a declaration of wa..."
Doko made up his mind. "I literally couldn't give less of a shit, dude. I have something genuinely important to get to that isn't dumb games. Now PLEASE get out of my way. I don't want to act like the other one, but I will if you make me."
Purple dude seemed nonplussed, his cheeks heating up at being interrupted. Clearly he'd been planning for some big intimidating speech. The rest of the group murmured and mumbled, giving Doko strange looks...and then parted the waters. He walked on, already tuning out the scene behind him.
Why does everyone care so much about a sports festival? And why are we all enemies? This isn't some normal high school where you can afford to have factions and cliques. We're all working towards one goal of creating a safer world. If you focus so much effort on fighting each other...that just makes things worse.
But it felt like he was the only one who thought that. Was he the wrong one here, then? The school enables this sort of behaviour, perhaps to bring out the highest potential in students. But for those of us without competitive drive...it's just kinda irritating.
Then again, maybe purple guy was about to get his wish. There might be two open spots in the hero course soon.
Bakugo was waiting outside the principal's office in the first of a line of wooden chairs. The boy was almost steaming. "I know," said Doko. "Those guys back there were super annoying."
Bakugo resisted agreeing with him and clicked his teeth. "Tsk. They said they wanted to talk to you first. Hurry up."
Doko turned toward the closed door that read PRINCIPAL on a foggy glass window. He couldn't see anything on the other side. "Did you see who was in the..."
"No. Like I said, hurry the fuck up."
"Okay, okay, I'm going."
He walked into the office. Into the belly of the beast.
He was immediately aware of several things. First, the office was crowded with heroes. All Might, Midnight, the one in the cowboy hat, the 1-B teacher, and of course Aizawa, still wrapped in bandages. Nezu sat at their center, hands folded behind his desk. Secondly, Doko was aware of the detective guy from USJ standing there too, next to a TV that had footage queued up to play. Thirdly, he noticed that they all looked kind of pissed off.
"Young Katayama," said the principal, the only one who was smiling. That didn't make him feel any better, though. "Why don't you have a seat?"
Doko sat down on the green couch in the room. Nezu got down from the desk and came around nearer to him. "Would you like some tea?"
"No thank you, sir." The purple energy within him was beginning to spin, frantic, as if telling him teleport now now now escape now. It was his fight or flight response, he realised. It wasn't just the energy on its own. Every cell in his body was resisting being here, in this place. With no outlet, Doko began to spit words that reflected the stream of his subconscious. "With no offense meant, all of you are really starting to frighten me. Can I know why I've been called here now, and why you all look so mad?"
The heroes exchanged glances. The detective rolled the TV over, and began to play the footage.
Doko gulped. It was as he feared. Footage of him from their day off two days ago, outside the Quirk facility. He was leaving in a hurry, looking extremely anxious. Of course I was anxious, because that was right after that guy told me about the League recruiter...
"That is indeed me," he squeaked. His throat was really dry, besides the purple that was swimming around in it.
The detective glared at him. "It is. And that's an illegal Quirk training ring."
"What were you doing there that day?"
"We'll ask the questions." The detective stopped the TV. Midnight and Aizawa were glaring daggers into Katayama. All Might was averting his eyes, as if ashamed. Jesus Christ, All Might is disappointed in me. "Listen, I can expla..."
"I'll know if you're lying," said the detective, his eyes flashing. "It's my Quirk."
Oh God. His Quirk is a lie detector? That would make sense for a detective...wait, he might be lying himself to psych me out! To trick me into giving up and telling the truth!
But that was a difficult dice to roll. Too difficult. Doko sighed.
"I swear to you, sir, that was the last time I planned to visit that place. I just wanted to go in there and say my goodbyes, as well as pick up some stuff."
"Pick up some stuff? I don't see anything on your person in that footage," Aizawa said, taking a step forward. Doko clashed eyes with his homeroom teacher, and suddenly all these moments came rushing back. That time I didn't use my Quirk on the softball throw. That time I turned down the class rep position. All this time, Eraser Head has had no idea what to make of me, and he's been trying to figure it out. And now he thinks he's come to a conclusion.
Doko suddenly felt angry. He narrowed his eyes coolly. "The stuff I picked up were some paper masks that I put into my pockets and the hoodie you see wrapped around my waist." That's one hundred percent the truth, if this detective guy's Quirk is what he says it is.
"The last time you meant to visit, you say?" asked Nezu, still smiling that creepy smile. "When was the first time? How long have you been going? How often?"
Fuck it. I'll tell the truth. Don't see what else I can do, really. "On average? Maybe once a week for the past year and a half, up until the UA entrance exam. I stopped after that, until two days ago when I made my last visit."
"I see," said Nezu. "And at what point were you approached by the League of Villains?"
"Wha..." his face flashed red. The League? They know they were there? But...his head spun. But wait. I was never approached. I wouldn't...
"You display a similar Quirk to the villain Kurogiri, who evaded our capture," Snipe growled.
"And the information on your Quirk in the registry is extremely limited. I was wondering why that was. You've been trying to stay lowkey this whole time, haven't you? Holding back." Aizawa's red eyes were filled with fury between his bandages.
"You even held back during my Battle Trial, allowing yourself to lose to Young Kirishima and Young Asui," said All Might. "You knew that would make the rest of the class disinterested in you. Maybe you thought you slipped up by scoring too highly in the Quirk assessment."
"Katayama, you see how we've arrived at this." Nezu spread his hands. "The League of Villains could not have pulled off this operation without help from inside our school. As such, we have reason to believe that you are a traitor to hero society. The League ordered you to take the UA entrance exam and infiltrate us. That is why you stopped visiting that place right after the exam. Unless he was lying about that...?" Nezu gave the detective the side eye.
The detective shook his head. "What he said was the truth."
"Then here's some more truth," Doko snarled, and the entire room of heroes froze. "I'm no traitor, and never have been. The only reason there's limited information on my Quirk in the registry is because my parents are Quirkless, and hate me for what I have. They wrote the limited sentences you see in those records, because they couldn't bear to think about my power any more. They also refused to ever let me train it, so I had to turn to illegal means if I ever wanted to get strong enough to pass your stupid exam. Apparently it didn't prepare me enough to fight against other people, though. So sorry for losing your Battle Trial, All Might. I'd say I'll try and do better next time, but I guess there won't be a next time, since all you clever people seem to have made up your mind."
The detective's face was blank with awe. "No lies at all," he announced to the room, although his voice was barely above a mumble. "That was pure, unbridled honesty."
Aizawa and Midnight looked shocked. All Might at least had the decency to look down in guilt. Nezu's facial expression remained the same as before, infuriatingly.
"Well then," the principal said after a silence, clapping his hands together. "I guess that rules you out. Do tell Bakugo to come in on your way back to class." He walked back toward his desk.
Doko sat up straight, confused. "You're...dismissing me?"
"Yes. You may go back to class. Or lunch, I suppose? Yes, it is lunch period right now. How silly of me."
"I'm not being expelled for breaking the law?"
"Under certain circumstances, perhaps. But from your outburst about your parents, I can only surmise that your reasons were not malevolent. We may have to look more into that." Nezu took a sip of tea.
What the hell is with this guy? "If you mean you're going to talk to my parents, they'll just ignore you. They didn't even answer the call about USJ."
"Oh, I know," said Nezu. "I made the calls myself. Your parents not answering gave me another clue to the puzzle I was piecing together, but I could still see two solutions at once. We decided to interrogate you about the first solution, but you have just confirmed the second."
Doko's eyes widened. He was playing me the whole time? "But..."
"Like I said, you are free to go. I wouldn't want to cut too deeply into you or Bakugo's lunchtime."
Doko awkwardly stood up to leave. "One more thing," he said, looking at the detective. "I can only assume you were at that facility because you thought the League might have been recruiting there. Did you find anything, besides me and Bakugo?"
The detective seemed like he wouldn't answer for a moment, but curiosity won out. He shook his head. "We did not."
"There was a guy there with a flexibility Quirk who warned me about the League. Said a recruiter came along a while back and took two of his friends. The recruiter had brown hair, and a Quirk that let him shoot bullets out of his fingers."
The detective's eyes widened. "That..."
"...matches the description of one of the villains who was arrested," Aizawa finished. "I remember him, one of the first I took out during the attack."
"Did this man tell you anything else?" the detective demanded.
Doko shook his head. "Just that the finger bullet guy came and took his friends. Didn't say where they were going. If you want to question him more, he's probably still there. Real lanky guy, hair going a bit grey. Shifty eyes. Go easy, though. He seemed kinda nervous, and he did manage to say no to going with the League. I think he's a good guy, besides the whole lurking-around-illegal-training-ring thing. Anyway, that's all." Doko turned, and left, not giving the heroes another glance.
Bakugo looked up expectantly. "Did you..."
"Get expelled? No. I just told them the truth. The detective has a lie detector Quirk. I think you'll be fine."
Bakugo exhaled. "Jesus. Okay. Well, uh..." the blonde boy stood up, and stiffly went inside.
Doko's face twitched. Well. That was insane.
Nezu might have been playing with the strings a bit, but some of the hero teachers seemed genuinely convinced that he was some kind of traitor. Do I really give off that impression?
And now he'd had two outbursts, one at his parents, and another at the heroes. Anyone's forgiven if they think I'm a problem child, I guess. And maybe he was. Would a problem child be self aware?
It suddenly occurred to Doko that maybe Bakugo really WAS a traitor, and that's why he'd been there at the facility the whole time. Nah, I don't think so. He may be hot blooded, but it's...genuine, I think.
The warping boy exhaled as he entered the cafeteria. The past few days had been way too intense, and it had been affecting his mood. Dammit, I just want to be chill and easygoing again, not some brooding angry loser! I want Mina to like me, dammit!
He sat down at the table without getting any food, as it was already over halfway through the lunch period. The other five all gave him strange looks. Well, four. Impossible to know if Hagakure looked strange.
"Where've you been?" Sero asked, turning some noodles over his chopsticks.
"Being interrogated by the staff. They thought I was some kind of traitor to the school, and that I colluded with the villains to help them sneak in to USJ. Say, Tsu, could I have some of that pork?"
Dead silence. The frog girl gave him a look of blank shock, her tongue hanging slightly out of her mouth.
Then, Mina and Hagakure and Sero burst out laughing.
"Pffffft!" Mina wiped her eyes. "Doko, that was funny!"
"Dude," Sero breathed, "how do you make jokes like that with such a straight face?"
"That's just Katayama-kun for you," Hagakure chuckled. "His humor style is just...pfffft."
"Here you go, ribbit," Tsu mumbled, grabbing some pork with her chopsticks and dropping it into Doko's open hands. "Here," said Shoji, sliding his tray over slightly to let Doko use the surface. "You can have some of my rice, as well."
"Thanks, guys." Doko sighed. He supposed that if they took what he'd said as a joke, then he wouldn't argue. Careful. You all may end up getting questioned next.
...
Two weeks passed until the sports festival. Apparently most of Class 1-A, and indeed all the classes, were spending all their free time training. Doko continued to stay low at home and did chores. Like he'd told Nezu, a consequence of his home life was that the only training he got was at the school. Of course, as a student he technically had permission to use the facilities whenever he wanted, but they were all intimidating and under use by the upperclassmen.
One thing was for sure. He'd stand by his promise to never go back to the illegal ring again. Bakugo had apparently not been expelled either, although he had no idea what the boy had said. I guess he isn't the traitor, or else the detective would have caught on. Weird how "a traitor" had become "THE traitor" in Doko's mind. Is it possible? That there could be one? My subconscious seems to have accepted it. Maybe it was the purple-haired guy from general studies. Or Koda, the quiet boy in his class. Or Tsuyu, or Shoji. They're both quiet, and the way they reacted at lunch instead of laughing...
No. He wouldn't think of his friends like that.
After finishing the dishes late one night, he picked up his phone off the counter as it lit up. The group chat, now known as "Super Sports Gang", was going wild.
Toru: mannnn i wish there was a way to know what the events are!
Hanta: keeping them secret is kinda the point. heroes gotta be ready for anything
Toru: yeahhhh but for someone like me whos just generally underwhelming from a physical standpoint
Toru: itd be great if i knew what i should focus on to get ready
Tsuyu: your quirk is a dream for any stealth or covert op-based hero agency, toru-chan
Tsuyu: im sure you will get offers no matter how well you do
Toru: grrrr but i still wanna do good!
Mina: today i practiced with ochaco btw. she floated rocks up with her gravity while i cut through them with acid! then that twerp aoyama stole a few of my shots, but whatev
Hanta: ochaco seems cool. we should invite her here
Mina: u just think shes cute ;)
Hanta: what about it
Mina: anyway naaahhh thats not necessary. can just talk w her thru the girls group chat
Hanta: THERES A GIRLS GROUP CHAT?
Doko: why wasnt i invited
Toru: hilarious.
Mina: oh hey doko
Mina: what have you been doing to train?
Doko: housework
Toru: booooo.
Hanta: cmon man. you know thats not gonna cut it. me n you gotta redeem ourselves after the battle trial
Tsuyu: ribbit.
Doko: i already redeemed myself by fighting villains and surviving.
Doko: dont need to fight other students to do it
Mina: wow. cooooool. haha jk ur being lame
Mina: doko u gotta be more motivated. bring some of that ddr spirit! cmon what happened to the guy who scored fifth in the quirk assmnt
Doko: What is a "quirk ass mountain?"
Toru: holy shit that was a terrible joke
Toru: delete your account
Doko: i'm here all week.
Mezo: Katayama, I can't say I understand your position at all here. It is BECAUSE of the villain attack we survived that everyone is waiting to see us do our best at the festival.
Mina: ^^ what shoji said 100%
Hanta: i dont see the point in wanting to be lowkey and not try to do well, with a quirk like yours
Hanta: its got insane potential and a lot of hero agencies that'll be watching deserve to know about it.
Doko: you make a good argument, but i still can't bring myself to get fired up about this. i just dont care about fighting other kids in the same way that i care about fighting villains, or natural disasters
Tsuyu: you'll never reach the point where you can do those things unless you fight some kids now. ribbit.
Doko: Yeah...but...
Mezo: I could understand if you are trying to hide your Quirk from the public. Perhaps you don't want more villains finding out about it? They'll be watching the festival too, no doubt about it.
Hanta: lmaooo shigaraki sitting in his dark lair getting all pissed while the students he failed to kill beat the shit out of each other on live television
Mina: stop. the very idea of that is srsly creepy.
Doko: i will admit that the enigmatic lifestyle of an underground hero like Aizawa is kinda appealing to me
Doko: but i wouldnt call that the full reason, shoji. you have every right to be confused by my position. im still figuring it all out myself.
Mezo: That is fair. I hope you arrive at some sort of conclusion in time for the festival. It would be unfortunate if you finished the day with any regrets.
Doko: so how have you guys been training, then?
Mezo: Lifting weights, mostly.
Tsuyu: swimming. i do my best work in water.
Mina: like i said, i been tearin' through some rocks!
Toru: did you just type that in a country accent
Toru: you really have been working with ochaco!
Hanta: LOL
Doko: hmm...as the guy who is literally not training, making him the least qualified one here, it seems like you guys are all training the parts of your body that are already your strongest.
Mina: and?
Mezo: What are you saying?
Doko: with the mystery of the events being what it is, wouldn't it be good to try and cover for some weaknesses instead?
Tsuyu: yeah but we're insecure
Tsuyu: we'd rather not think about our weak spots while we're trying to get hyped up
Mina: LOL tsu got it
Mezo: Katayama, I'll take that advice to heart for the time we have remaining. Only a few days to go.
Hanta: haha, yup...
...
The day had finally arrived.
When Doko left the house that morning, the interaction with his parents was...strange.
"Doko," his father called to him as he left the kitchen.
He turned. "Sir?"
"We'll..." he coughed. "We'll be watching the festival today. Or at least, I will when I get off work. And your mother as well." His mother nodded her agreement.
Doko kept a straight face. "Okay." Do they want me to act all thankful?
Akane gave him a parting hug. "Do your best, big bro. Knock em dead." She winked and made a thumbs-up.
"I'll...think about it," he replied. Then he left the house.
Akane was going to be watching the festival anyway. She watches it every year, I think. On the living room TV. So my parents may happen to pop in and catch a few minutes out of boredom, but it's not some courtesy to me. They better not be thinking it is.
The campus had come alive. The paths were crossed by strings of coloured flags and lights, and lined with busy stalls. Crowds of people, including press, surged about, some unable to get in. Security had been tightened to a killing grip.
Deep in the innards of the first-year stage stadium, Class 1-A finished putting on their gym uniforms. "Damn," Mina pouted. "I really wanted to wear my costume."
"Well, all the costumes have stuff that helps us, right?" said Ojiro, stretching his arm across his chest. "Now everyone is equally disadvantaged."
I do kinda wish I had my mask, though, Doko thought. As much as he didn't care about winning, he didn't exactly want to puke on live television. With millions of people watching.
"Man..." Sato's leg shook under the table he was sitting at. "I wonder what the first round is going to be?"
"Whatever comes, we will have no choice but to take it in stride," said Shoji.
Iida burst into the room, causing several of the more nervous people to jump. "Is everyone ready?!" he demanded, acting the part of class rep as always. "We're up soon!"
"Ohhhh, dear..." Midoriya's voice shook, and he tried to take a deep breath. Aoyama was trying to keep his usual smug smile, but his whole body had begun to vibrate, and he'd turned extremely pale.
"Midoriya," said a voice.
Everyone turned to look. It was Todoroki.
The green haired boy stood up, the two of them now face to face. "Wh-what is it?"
Mina Ashido watched excitedly. A standoff between two of the strongest guys in class? Oh man! What could this mean? She almost wished she had some popcorn to chow down on.
"Looking at things objectively," said Todoroki, "I think I'm stronger than you."
"Huh?" Midoriya started. "I mean, o-okay..."
"But All Might has his eye on you, doesn't he? Don't worry, I'm not trying to pry about that. But...just so you know, I'm going to beat you today."
"Oh ho ho!" Kaminari chuckled. "Is the best in class declaring war?"
Damn you, that was my line, idiot! Mina thought.
"Hey," Kiri growled, standing up. "What do you think you're doing, picking a fight like this when we're about to start?" He put a hand on Todoroki's shoulder. Mina nearly rolled her eyes. Kiri's always been like this, huh?
"We're not here to play at being friends," Todoroki responded coolly, shoving Kiri off. "So it doesn't matter." He began to walk away.
Mina suddenly became acutely aware of Doko making a strange face next to her. When she cast her eyes that way, he seemed normal again. What was that about?
"Todoroki," Midoriya said, without a trace of stutter, and everyone turned to look, even Todoroki himself. "I don't know what you're talking about or why when you say you'll beat me...but, yeah. I think you're pretty amazing. Certainly better than me."
"Whoa, hey," Kiri raised his hands in good-natured discomfort. "Midoriya, maybe you shouldn't discount yourself like tha..."
"But just know," Midoriya interrupted. "The students from the other courses are aiming for the top, too. With everything they've got. And...I'm the same. I'll be going for it with all my strength."
"Yeah," Todoroki agreed.
Mina shivered. Intense! The manly energy that just went between them...
"HEY!" A shout came from the corner of the room, and all eyes turned to Bakugo. "What the fuck do you think you're doing, Icy Hot? Challenging Deku when I'm in the damn room? You must really be dumber than you look." Small explosions flashed from his palms. "I'll be taking you both down, and all the other extras here, too!"
Mina had to look past Doko to see the explosion user, but when her eyes focused again on the warping boy, he looked...
Mad.
...
"Oh ho!" Hizashi shouted into the mic, gyrating his hips and throwing his hands around like a fool. "The moment you've ALL been waiting for! That's right, mass media! SWARM! It's time for the first years to enter the stage of this year's UAAAAA SPOOOORTS FESTIVAAAAAL!"
The cheering crowd was like a continuous firecracker, shuddering your very soul. Shota Aizawa was glad for the bandages, in that moment. They were probably muffling his ears a little.
Present Mic, his co-commentator, continued to dance around. What's the bloody point in that? Does he think they can see him?
"And here they come! The ones you've been REALLY excited about! The fledgling heroes who faced an enemy attack with their young noble hearts! It's the hero course, Class 1-A!"
Shota watched through the bandages as his homeroom students made their way onto the stadium green. His depth perception and focus weren't all that great right now, and they looked like little more than specks. Bakugo...Katayama...we all misjudged you. I'll be watching. Or at least I'll try to watch. He had no doubts that Bakugo would be someone to pay attention to in this event. Katayama was more of a wild card. If he was never trying to be lowkey because he was a traitor, then he may just not believe in himself. I'll have to make a point to fix that in future classes.
That wasn't to say they were the only two of his students worth worrying over. There was also Todoroki. Shota knew very little about his home situation, but he DID know that Endeavor was present today. That would surely affect the ice-and-fire user's performance, though how Shota could not yet say. He hasn't used his fire offensively at all since the start of the year. Some of the rest of the class may not even know he has it...maybe he was saving it for the event? Certainly a strategy.
Then there was that problem child Izuku Midoriya, who that great bumbling fool All Might so fawned over. There are three rounds. Either Midoriya figures out how to control that damn Quirk of his, or he slowly runs out of bones to break.
Meanwhile, the loud idiot next to him was introducing the other classes.
...
Hanta Sero was really feeling the nerves, he had to admit. Being watched by so many people, surrounding him on all sides? The cheering and loud commentary by Present Mic? Not to mention the students from the other classes, who Class 1-A converged with on the center of the green. Many of them had sullen, or even spiteful looks on their faces. "Man..." Hanta whispered to Katayama next to him. "Those guys don't like us at all, do they?"
"Hmm." The grey-haired boy seemed kinda out of it.
"Oh no. Is this a repeat of the battle trial?" Hanta waved a long arm in front of his friend's face. "Come in, Station Katayama. I realize this is a nervous situation, but..."
"Chill out Sero, I'm fine." Katayama pushed the tape user's arm down in annoyance. "I was just wondering...Todoroki, he's related to someone, right?"
"Huh? Oh yeah. He's the son of Endeavor."
"The number two hero." Katayama narrowed his eyes. "I know about HIM at least. And his...reputation."
"Uh...yeah." Hanta rubbed the back of his head awkwardly and turned back forward.
"Now it's time for the hero pledge!" Midnight announced from the podium, doing a sensuous spin in her form-fitting hero outfit. Most of the men in the crowd sighed in happiness, and Hanta blushed red. He could see Kaminari and Kirishima and some of the other boys doing the same.
"Is she allowed to wear that?" Kaminari asked bashfully.
"Is she even allowed to be at a high school?" Tokoyami followed up, looking uncharacteristically thrown off.
"Quiet, everyone!" Midnight snapped her feathery thing down. "Representing the first years this year is from Class 1-A! Katsuki Bakugo!"
Everyone gasped and turned as Bakugo sauntered up toward the podium, hands in pockets, leaning forward, scowling. Next to Hanta, Katayama made a face. "Weird that they chose him, right?"
Hanta shrugged. "He did get the highest score on the entrance exam practical."
"Yeah," a general studies girl commented loudly, "in the HERO course." Some of her friends nearby snickered, while others shot Class 1-A dirty looks.
Kaminari rolled his eyes and looked back up at Bakugo, who was now standing at the podium. "It's his fault we have to deal with comments like that."
Next to Hanta, Katayama had clenched his fists. What's he getting so worked up about? I mean, it IS annoying, but...
Bakugo cleared his throat. "I pledge..." he began. "...that I'll be the winner."
"I KNEW HE'D DO THAT!" A bunch of Class A, including Hanta, exclaimed at once. Far away, Aizawa sighed. I told them to stop syncing up like that.
The rest of the classes were booing and jeering at Bakugo.
"Eat sludge, you bastard!"
"How overconfident can you get?"
"Bakugo!" Iida's hands chopped the air furiously. "How could you say something so disgraceful!"
The blonde boy turned to the other students. "At least do me the courtesy of being a bouncy step that I can jump off with. I'll leave you all in the dust." He gave them a thumbs down, and walked off the podium.
"Well, umm..." Midnight flashed a smile. "Without further ado, let's get started! The first event is something of a qualifier! A culling, you might call it! Every year, many end up drinking their tears here." She smiled sadistically as she said it, and Hanta and some of the other boys shuddered. "Well...!" The prompter began lighting up and spinning words through in a blur, before settling on something. "The first event is an obstacle race!"
Indeed, the words on the prompter read "obstacle race."
"All classes will participate in this race!" Midnight carried on. "The course will be the track that circles the outside of the stadium, four kilometres in length! Be prepared for some surprises along the way, and..." she licked her lips, and gave the students a sideyed look. "Our school's selling point is freedom. As long as you stay on the course...you can do whatever you want."
...
The students formed up at the starting line, which was just inside the stadium in front of the tunnel that led out to the course. Three green lights were lit up along the tunnel roof.
"Stand by," said Midnight.
A LOT of things had been going through Doko's head in the past few minutes. Things about his classmates...the students in the other classes...and a few things beyond the scope of this competition. But he was tired of worrying and thinking about all that shit. He could tell that he'd been dragging the mood down in his friend group recently. He wanted to put a stop to that. And indeed, while Sero and Hagakure were elsewhere down the line, he had Mina to his left, and Tsu and Shoji to his right.
"Doko?" Mina asked, as she got into a crouching position, ready to run. "You good?"
He paused for a moment. If I want her to like me...I've got to share her energy!
He flashed the biggest grin he possibly could, and gave her a thumbs up. "Yep!"
"Katayama," Shoji intoned. "I am glad you seem to have arrived at some kind of certainty. I must say that I was worried about you."
"Worry about no one but yourself, Shoji my man. I want you guys to do well, because you're my friends. Now come on! You've all been training for this, haven't you?"
Shoji nodded in agreement, and Mina hmmm'd excitedly. Tsuyu gave him a puzzled look, however. "Ribbit."
One light flashed off. All the students seemed to take in a breath at once.
Doko got ready to flash forward. Four kilometres. Take it five metres at a time, steady pace. Get ready to adjust for surprises.
Second light off. Just keep an open mind, why not? See how I do. Don't focus on anything else. Don't think about the crowd, or ANY of your problems...
Third light off. The horn sounded, the students surged forward, and Doko warped into the fray.
Sorry, but I just can't help leaving you all on a cliffhanger. My villainous nature is too much.
Seriously though, the reason I cut it off there was to ensure that the next chapter had a full sequence in it: that being the obstacle race. Next chapter will also contain the preliminary, recruiting segments of the cavalry battle. Don't know if the actual cavalry battle will happen because I'm terrible at judging how many words it's going to take me to write something.
Not to worry. I am on Christmas break and am the opposite of busy, so you'll have all these things and more in just a couple of days time. Probably.
Also, a note on Detective Tsukauchi's Quirk: it remains officially unknown in the main story, but his sister (a character in the manga, not yet in the anime), has a lie detector Quirk, so I just gave him the same Quirk. It made it easier for the heroes to be convinced about Doko one way or the other.
How far do you guys predict Doko will go in the Sports Festival? Thanks for reading as always and don't forget to leave feedback!