Mic's commentary boomed out some more. "THE FIRST ROUND'S OBSTACLE COURSE IS UNDERWAY! AND THE GOAL IS TO RUN ONE LAP AROUND THIS SPECIAL MADE STADIUM'S OUTER RING! THE RULES ARE SIMPLE - AND SAVAGE! ASIDE FROM LEAVING THE COURSE, THIS IS A BONA FIDE RACE WHERE EVERYTHING GOES! THE CAMERA BOTS INSTALLED IN EACH AREA CAN BARELY CONTAIN THEIR EXCITEMENT! AAND 1-A'S BAKUGOU HAS ABANDONED THE GROUND AND VAULTED OVER THEIR HEADS, CLEVER THAT!"

Everyone always assumes he'll be slow, I thought, from his attitude and appearance that he's a fool…that's a bad assumption, and a mistake I won't make.

"AS EXPECTED OF THSOE WHO'VE MADE IT PAST, LOTS ARE FROM CLASS A!" came more commentary as I ran all out towards the next obstacle.

"It's not that the other departments of Class B aren't any good," said Mr. Aizawa's voice. "It's just that Class A's learned not to hesitate. They've seen what the real world holds, and they've come to know what it is to be instilled with true fear. They coped and made it out in one piece, and now their experience has become a source of encouragement, drowning out their doubt and hesitation."

On the other side, the second obstacle was finally in front of me. A giant rockfall. Mic's voice boomed in description as I froze the tightropes solid, gliding on top of them to the other side.

"WELL THEN, IF THE FIRST BARRIER WAS A CINCH, WHADDYA THINK OF THE SECOND? YOU FALL AND YOU'RE OUT! IF YOU DON'T LIKE THAT IDEA MAYBE YOU CAN CRAWL! IT'S THE FALLLL!"

Still too easy.

"IT'S TRUE THAT THEY'RE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORN IN ANY NUMBER OF WAYS, RIGHT ERASERHEAD?"

"What are those idiots doing just standing around?" came the musing voice of our Sense in response. As I reached the end of the fall and hit the other side, Mic's commentary announced "THE PLAYER IN THE LEAD IS KEEPING IT COMFORTABLY!"

The loud and banging familiar sound of explosions came blast on the periphery of my vision. He picked up the pace, huh. Guess he's a slow starter.

Bakugou looked angrier than usual as he came charging right at me.

"THE PLAYERS IN THE LEAD ARE SEPARATED FROM THOSE BUNCHED UP BEHIND! BUT WON'T SAY HOW MANY ARE PULLING AHED, SO DON'T GET COMPLACENT AND KEEP GOING FORWARD! AND NOW WE COME TO THE HIDDEN FINAL BARRIER! IT'S TRUE FORM IS NONE OTHER THAN - "

I skittered to a halt right in front of the final obstacle course.

"THE MINE FIELD! IT'S SET UP SO THAT IF YOU LOOK CAREFULLY, YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE LANDLINES ARE! STRAIN YOUR EYES AND FEET! IN ANY CASE THEY'RE LANDLINES, NOT OVERLY LETHAL BUT THEY BANG BIG AND BRIGHT!"

I see, I thought, walking carefully. This obstacle was devised to be disadvantageous for whoever was in the lead. Bastards are in it for the entertainment value.

"HA! It Don't mean a damn thing to me!"

Indistinguishable almost from the blasts and explosions of the mines the kids behind me were stepping on at first, I didn't realize he was gaining on me. But while I was distracted, Bakugou blasted right past me.

He caught my gaze as he moved ahead. "Yo, you think you might've issued your little declaration of war to the wrong person?" he snarled at me. Midoriya. Always Midoriya with you.

"AND THE LEAD HAS BEEN UPSET! REJOICE MASS MEDIA! THIS IS JUST THE SORT OF DEVELOPMENT YOU CRAVE! WHY EVEN THOSE WHO ARE TRAILING BEHIND ARE PUTTING ON SPURTS!"

If I don't hurry I'll lose, I thought, as Bakugou moved even further ahead of me, I reached out with my left - without activating my power, of course - and grabbed his upper arm, trying to pull him backwards.

"HOWEVER, WHILE THEY'RE PULLING EACH OTEHR BACK, WE EFFECTIVELY HAVE TWO KIDS IN THE LEAD!?" the commentary said. All eyes on us. Bakugou swiping back. A hit of ice on him to try and slow him down, but I was still behind him - he could glide over the mines without even paying attention to them, but I had to step carefully.

Then from behind us came an explosion. One far bigger than any I'd heard before, from the small mines, or from Bakugou - a gigantic blast of energy like a bomb had gone off.

"A GIANT EXPLOSION NEAR HTE ENTRANCE?! WHY WAS THAT BANG SO BIG?! WAS IT HIS PLAN OR SHEER COINCIDENCE?"

I turned - Bakugou turned with me - and saw who they meant. Dammit, while I was focused elsewhere - He was soaring right at us like a bullet from a gun, riding on top o the explosion and a broken piece of metal he must have ripped from the robots before.

"CLASS A'S MIDORIYA MOUNTS HIS CHARGE - USING SHOCK WAVES?" Mic continued to call out.

Midoriya was coming - coming - straight at us - no time to move, no time to even register what had happened, because -

"HE OVERTOOK THEM, THE LEAD IS HIS!" Mic was right. He'd beaten us now - but the game wasn't over yet. You haven't won. Not yet.

"DEKU!" screamed Bakugou, blasting over my head and aiming straight for him. "DON'T YOU DARE GO AHEAD OF ME!"

I had no choice. I had to use it. It'll open up the path behind me if I do this, but this isn't the time to worry about me. The ice platform was my only choice to catch up to them.

"THE TWO WHO WERE FORMERLY IN THE LEAD HAVE STOPPED TRIPPING EACH OTEHR UP AND BEGUN TO BOLT AFTER MIDORIYA! THEY SAY IT TAKES A COMMON ENEMY TO PUT A HOLD ON STRIFE! THOUGH STRIFE WILL NEVER TOTALLY DISAPPEAR, RIGHT?"

Midoriya was slowly falling in front of us, his momentum slowing down. At this rate, I can pass him, I thought. I haven't lost this yet. He was falling almost in between me and Bakugou, as we were neck in neck, Midoriya falling upside down in between us and looking panicky. Your big trick only got you so far. You didn't think ahead enough, I thought.

I wasn't paying enough attention myself, because he was ahead of me. He was standing in seconds on my back, and on Bakugou's, standing as if riding us, as if using your backs like a pair of skies, and slamming his piece of robot onto the ground between us to set off the mines. I had to duck from the explosion, and when I looked again, Midoriya had pulled ahead once more.

"IN NO TIME AT ALL MIDORWYA BLEW DUST IN THEIR EYES, AND NOW HE'S CLEARED THE LANDLINE AREA ENTIRELY! DAMMIT EARSERHEAD, YOUR CLASS IS INSANE?! WHAT'RE YOU TEACHING THEM?"

"I didn't do anything. This is all the fruit of the fires they lit in each other."

I kept moving. had to overtake him. Midoriya's back was receding further and faster into the distance, towards the finish line that was the entryway back into the stadium. He was disappearing as I went with all the ice I had, running neck in neck with Bakugou and barely beginning to overtake him - but -

"WHOEVER COULD'VE PREDICTED THIS OUTCOME WHEN THE TRIAL BEGAN? THE ONE WHO RETURNED TO HTE STADIUM IS NONE OTHER THAN - MIDORIYA IZUKU! HIS WILL BE A NAEM TO KNOW!"

Dammit, dammit, dammit.

I'd made it back in just a step or two in front of Bakugou. I was cold and out of breath as he panted furiously behind me. "Dammit, again?" I heard him swear in horror.

I watched Midoriya. He stood towards the center of the ring, all eyes upon him. The whole stadium watching him. Todoroki, I'll be aiming for the top too. He'd said those words to me. I'd seen the fire in his eyes, the determination. And yet, I had assumed…I had foolishly just thought that the man I'd decided to challenge as a rival would, what…roll over and be defeated?

One event in, and I had lost. I was in second place alone. Always second best.