Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia. Or do I? MWAHAHAHA!

Mayumi looked at Mei and Midoriya. "Huh, you guys look pretty happy."

Indeed, the pair of them seemed to be positively glowing. Sayuu could already tell that this was dangerous. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Mei's grin would have been calm and reserved on a normal person. This just made Sayuu even more nervous. "Oh, it's pretty simple! Me and Midori have been working on a baby together and we finally finished it!"

This was more familiar territory. Hopefully it wasn't something that was going to explode or melt. Mayumi braced herself for whatever craziness they'd built together. "So, you've built something?"

"Ah, not exactly." Mei's grin widened. "I mean an actual baby!"

Mayumi's eyes widened. "What?"

"Yeah, Midori and I really got down to brass tacks making a baby together!" Mei gave her a thumbs up, an excited blush on her face. Midoriya hid his face in embarrassment.

"I-I mean, we were talking about hero gear, and then one thing led to another…" Midoriya flushed strawberry red.

Mayumi stared at her best friend in horror. The thought of Mei and Midoriya's kid… hell, the thought that Mei would put down her gear for long enough to even think about such things. "I-I mean, what about school?"

"Well, we're both doing pretty well in school…" Midoriya rubbed the back of his head apologetically. "I'm sure we can manage!"

"Yeah! Especially since I want you to be the godmother!"

Mayumi's face went slack. She stared at Mei with wide eyes, trying to say something either positive or negative at being declared this kid's godmother. Nothing came to mind. She opened her mouth -!

With a gasp, Sayuu went from horizontal to vertical in a split second. She sat there in the dark, panting. "Oh, it's just a nightmare…"

She flopped back, trying to get back to sleep. It wasn't exactly easy. A combination of nerves from whatever Mei and Izuku were planning for the Festival and knowing that they were going to be on live television meant that getting to sleep was practically impossible.

First time she'd had that dream, though.

In spite of her typical reactions to Mei, the eccentric girl was her best friend. She was enthusiastic, energetic, and had befriended her over their mutual love for giant robot anime. And Midoriya, surprisingly, was a calming influence on Mei when he wasn't amplifying her gremlin energy.

She drifted off to an uneasy sleep. The only thing she could hope for tomorrow was that her own creation would be good enough to attract attention.

Izuku glanced over the list in his hands one last time. "This should be everything I need…"

Ever since he'd been going to U.A, he'd steadily built up a large store of inventions both in the official labs and in his personal time. To say nothing of all the gear that he'd made beforehand! And that was going to be the most difficult part of this subterfuge.

Izuku knew that if he took Mastermind's gear and used it, he would win against any student. He would also get arrested. So Izuku intended to make a good show at the festival, get his name known, and lose in the second round. He'd get less offers, sure, but there would always be the Culture Festival for him to truly make an impression. This was just a fun bonus - and if he was impressive enough he might get an internship at a Support Item company!

The bag containing his inventions bulged. He rearranged it, then with a slight grunt he hauled his bag onto his shoulder.

His mother grabbed him in a tight hug. "Oh, Izuku! I'm so proud of you," she squeezed him tightly, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. "Go and do your best today!"

He squeezed back tightly. "I will, mum. Don't worry!"

Double swallowed, looking at the rest of the League of Villains. "So, everybody ready?"

He'd done this before, but it was still thrilling. They were down one member - Daiki had bowed out. "Me and my sister always watch the Sports Festival," he'd explained.

Double hadn't minded. If he hadn't been participating, then he would have happily watched the Festival with his mum. Participating in the U.A festival had been a lifelong dream of his. "So, we know what the plan is?"

Mr. Compress nodded. "Wait for the height of the Sports Festival, then break into the Genosi Insurance Company."

"Then, we take out an insurance policy for Villain damages!" Inkblot piped up. "We do some damage, then leave via the back alley!"

Double grinned. "It's going to be great!" Thunder roared in the hideout once more. "MWA-HAHAHA!"

For the past two weeks, Melissa and her fellow classmates had been doing whatever was necessary to prepare for the festival. Some of them had pushed themselves relentlessly, working on new moves. Others had tried to relax as much as possible, not wanting to tear or strain something before the matches.

The energy in Class 1-A's waiting room was electric. Every student there was tense as a wire, waiting for the event to start. Once more, Iida checked that people were ready. "Is everybody ready?! The Sports Festival is about to begin!"

Melissa sighed at that, only to start at an unusual voice. "Shield."

She turned. "Todoroki! What-"

The flat grey and blue stare met her eyes. "...Objectively speaking I'm stronger than you."

"Uh…"

He stared her right in the eye. "All Might's got his eye on you, doesn't he? I can make a guess as to why, but I'm still going to beat you."

"...Wow, a declaration of war from the strongest guy here…" Kaminari muttered. Bakugo twitched violently at that statement. If his Quirk had involved glaring people to death Kaminari would have been a smear on the wall.

As Kirishima objected to Todoroki making a challenge like that and was rebuffed with the statement that Todoroki wasn't here to make friends, Melissa stared down at her hand, unsure what to do with this. She remembered what she'd talked about with Uncle Might…

In the break room, Melissa gave her godfather a concerned look. "So… your time limit's shrunk again?"

Uncle Might nodded grimly. "Well, I knew that my time would eventually come. But yes, I now have barely two hours in my muscle form. I pushed myself pretty far at the USJ, after all."

She looked away. "Sorry-"

"Don't apologise! I chose you to have it, and I can't think of a better recipient of One for All." His face grew serious. "What I wanted to talk about was the Sports Festival, since you're still having problems with using it."

Melissa stared down at her hand. "I… could swear I had it. One time, when I hit the Noumu - I wasn't going full force. And when I hit Shigaraki."

"That's good - it means that you held back instinctively against a living opponent." He hummed pensievely. "Regarding the Sports Festival… Well, we already know that my time is running short. So my advice is to tell the world that you are here!"

She blinked. "Uh… how should I do that? I mean, I have a general idea, but-"

"Well, you're familiar with how the Sorts Festival works, aren't you?" As she nodded, Uncle Might grinned. "If you make it all the way to the third round… it's the perfect chance to build mass appeal for your Hero career!"

Melissa couldn't help but grin. "Well, I have to admit I don't have much motivation for that - I mean, I've got you as a godfather and I'm known in the Support field already. So-"

He nodded soberly. "That's certainly true, Melissa. It doesn't change the fact that Villains like Shigaraki and Mastermind are picking up on my absences. And regarding motivation… the difference between those who always aim for the top and those who don't is slight, but it's there."

"Alright, I accept your challenge." Melissa met Todoroki's bi-coloured gaze. "I know that I'm less experienced than other students here, at least with using my Quirk."

"Being humble's manly, but that's a bit much-"

A figurative fire lit in her eyes, matching Todoroki's glacial look. "Everybody today, even students in the General Course are giving it their all, so why shouldn't I? I'm giving it my all, same as everybody else."

Todoroki's eyes narrowed. Unseen by Melissa, Bakugo's face twisted into a vicious smirk.

Present Mic stretched, grinning as he took in the reporters gathered around. "OKAY, MASS MEDIA?! YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS! IT'S THAT SPECIAL TIME OF YEAR WHERE YOU SEE HIGH SCHOOLERS REVEL IN THEIR YOUTH… THE U.A SPORTS FESTIVAL!"

The crowd roared its approval. Meanwhile, Kamui Woods sighed. "I was kind of hoping to do some scouting today…"

Death Arms shrugged. "Stay frosty. We were asked to be on security. It's not impossible that Mastermind would try something ridiculous, like a popcorn heist or something…"

Mount Lady popped another piece of takoyaki into her mouth. "We'll keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Plus, who'd be stupid enough to attack U.A's sports festival anyway?"

"Mastermind," her companions chorused.

"...yeah, fair point."

Up in the commentator's booth, Present Mic belted out the next announcement at the top of his lungs. "AWRIGHT! COMING IN FIRST AND HOT, YOU ALL KNOW EM! THE RISING STARS WHO SURVIVED A VILLAIN ATTACK… GIVE IT UP… FOR CLASS 1-A!"

A wall of sound greeted Class 1-A. Back in the waiting area, Izuku winced. "S-so many people…" he muttered.

Present Mic continued commentating, less bombastically. "OKAY, AND THEN WE'VE GOT 1-B, THE OTHER HERO COURSE STUDENTS! THEN WE GOT GENERAL COURSE C, D AND E, FOLLOWED BY SUPPORT F, G AND H! THE BUSINESS COURSE STUDENTS ARE ALREADY IN THE STANDS, WORKING ON THEIR ANALYSES AND BUSINESSES!"

Mei cackled. "He thinks we're the hype men for 1-A, doesn't he? He should know better - everybody else here's gonna be our hype man, Midori!"

Mayumi swallowed, looking over her invention. "...I should have never come here. "

Mei slapped her friend on the back. "Come on Say! You're gonna crush them! Cause I ain't friends with quitters!"

Izuku hid a grimace while Mayumi took a shuddering breath, trying to calm down. Then his eyes widened when he saw the referee.

Midnight strode onto the stage, whip in hand and full Hero costume on. Behind him, he could see the purple ball haired boy suddenly drop to do push ups at the sight of her full regalia. "Alright, students! It's time for the Athlete's Oath!"

Shinsou blinked, taking in Midnight's costume. "...that can't be appropriate."

Iida practically shuddered next to him. "I've got a speech prepared for this…" he muttered.

"Now, you little first years, your student representative is…"

Iida vibrated with excitement. He opened his mouth-!

"Bakugou! Since you placed first in the exams, you deliver the oath!"

Shinsou patted iida's back consolingly as the taller boy deflated. "There, there." He paused, before adding another, "there," for good measure. He still wasn't good at this whole 'comforting people' thing.

Bakugou glared out at the crowd. Shinsou stared at the abrasive, literally explosive blonde. For once, his face wasn't set in a scowl or demonic grin. Still, this was Bakugo. He was probably saving all that energy for some overconfident statement.

Bakugo took a deep breath. "The Athlete's Oath, huh…"

He looked out at the crowd of students in front of him, eventually spotting a familiar head of fluffy green hair. "I pledge…"

If he had been doing this at the start of the school year, he would have been cocky about it. But after everything, he couldn't say he was the absolute best anymore. Shit, I ain't guaranteed to win this. Hell… might as well.

"Make no mistake. We all want first place, right? If you don't, then why are you even here? Give it your all, but that won't be enough to stop me taking first place."

There was a brief pause, then the students in front of him roared their displeasure. Katsuki only sneered at them. "Oh, don't like me saying it like that?"

His voice dropped to a whisper, cutting through everybody's complaints. "Come on if you think you're hard enough."

He dropped the mic, walking downstairs with his face set in a determined glare. They wanted to complain about stupid shit like fame? Thinking that they could run their mouths at his class? Then they had to put their money where their mouth was.

Mei cackled, grinning at Izuku. "Wow, you weren't kidding when you said your buddy was admirable!"

Izuku nodded, deep in thought. He knew Kacchan better than he knew his own mind, and the old Kacchan would have been grinning, probably flipping off the entire crowd and swearing like a sailor. Kacchan was challenging himself and everybody around him - he wanted a complete victory.

And that only made this plan harder.

Izuku wanted to win! He wanted to be on the winners podium, proudly taking the gold medal home! But if he won, then everybody would be looking at him with closer scrutiny, and they might figure out who he was.

Izuku's face split into a vicious grin. Before, he'd been happy to put it aside. But now…

That's my future archnemesis for you! He's already making my life difficult without meaning to!

While Izuku wrestled with his ambitions, Midnight looked serious for a second. "Such an inflammatory speech…" she suddenly grinned widely. "I like it! Now, it's time for the first round!"

The digital spinner whirred, before…

"The Obstacle course! A four kilometre run around this stadium!" Midnight grinned. "So long as you don't go off track, everything's fair in love and the Sports Festival! Now get ready to cover this stadium in hot, steaming spurts of youthful fluids!"

Mei cackled at that. "Such a shame I couldn't take every super cool baby I made today! They must miss me so much!" Her backpack rattled ominously at that statement. Something within the pack shifted.

Izuku shrugged. "Well, there's always the Culture Festival!" His backpack, similarly massive, also clanked and rattled. He pulled a couple of choice items out, strapping them to his wrists. "We can't let the Hero Course have all the fun, can we?"

Mayumi simply stared straight ahead as they funnelled to their starting positions. "Those poor Hero Course students."

—-

Melissa focused on the gates in front of her. Much as Bakugo was a jerk, his speech had definitely lit a fire in her. Proving him wrong was going to be tough, but she had been working on a new move in those two weeks.

It had come from looking at Mastermind, of all things. Really, she should have done it from the start, but sometimes you needed a different perspective.

"Start!"

Melissa ran forwards, only for an immediate problem to surface - the gates were too narrow for everybody to make their way through! Briefly she panicked at the massive surge of bodies, only for the temperature to suddenly drop.

Her eyes narrowed, and she quickly leapt up, slightly confusing the other students. A split second later, everybody not in their class knew why she'd done that.

In front of her, she heard Bakugo yelling. "IT'LL TAKE MORE THAN THAT TO TAKE US OUT, HALF AND HALF?!"

"HEY, ERASERHEAD! YOU READY FOR SOME COMMENTARY?!"

Eraserhead slumped slightly. "Remind me why I agreed to this again."

"Well, Recovery Girl told you that you should take it easy! Plus, Nezu." Present Mic looked at the scene in front of him. "THAT'S COLD, TODOROKI! HE'S LITERALLY FROZEN THE COMPETITION!"

The narrow corridor's floor was covered in ice, trailing away from the red and white haired boy as he tore ahead, not bothered by the competition. The boy glanced behind him, only to briefly pause.

Present Mic grinned. "OH? WHAT'S THIS? IT LOOKS LIKE 1-A'S BARELY PHASED?!"

Erasaerhead glanced down, noting his students. Some had leaped over the spreading ice, carefully avoiding the worst. He spotted a head of purple hair sitting atop a pair of brainwashed students, directing them to avoid the worst of the ice. Another purple haired boy seemed to be bouncing from place to place off the spheres he pulled from his head.

"Todoroki made a good tactical decision then, unleashing his ice in that narrow space. He's eliminated most of the competition, but those who are left… will be a challenge."

Present Mic grinned. "OH, BUT IT ISN'T OVER YET?! BEHOLD, OUR FIRST PROPER OBSTACLE…THE ROBO INFERNO!"

The looming figures of over a dozen Majima units darkened the sun in front of the students. Eraserhead shook his head. It would be an impressive barrier, but against his students?

Not enough robot.

Todoroki stared up at the robots flatly. Big and threatening, alright. They must have been what was used to test the other students. Unfortunately for them…

He felt his Quirk build up as a truck sized fist came towards him, carefully watching the other Robots for the perfect moment. Then he released it.

…he wasn't an ordinary student.

Each and every robot was covered in bluish-white ice as he ran forwards, casually tossing out a word of warning. "Be careful. I froze them in unstable positions, so they'd fall."

He could feel his bastard of a sperm donor watching his every move. He knew that he was going to get an earful about this…

Some of the students behind him commented. "HEY! THERE'S SOME STUDENTS PINNED UNDER THEM?! WE NEED TO GET HELP?!"

Todoroki paused slightly. He'd seen one of them… he had to hope the others had similar-!

From the frozen wreckage burst a familiar red haired figure. "LIKE HELL I'M DEAD?!"

"OH! THAT'S 1-A'S KIRISHIMA?! HIS QUIRK, HARDENING, LETS HIM BECOME HARD AS A ROCK FOR THE PERFECT DEFENCE AND OFFENCE!"

There was a rumbling of plates next to him. "Man, 1-A's fulla jerks!"

Then another from the same place. "Man, gotta hope my gear's alright! But…"

A pair of students punched their way out of their scrap metal prison simultaneously. They shouted in unison, "LIKE HELL I'M DEAD! GOOD THING IT WAS ME, ANYBODY ELSE'D BE CRUSHED!"

Todoroki stared at the pair of students punching their way out of the steel. One of them shone a steel grey, while the other was a shiny black colour. For a moment, they paused, staring at each other. Then Present Mic decided to cut in.

"WOW! CLASS 1-B'S TETSUTETSU AND 1F'S KUROYAMI ALSO GOT FLATTENED?! TETSUTETSU'S QUIRK, REAL STEEL, LETS HIM HARDEN HIS BODY TO TURN HIS BODY HARD AS STEEL, WHILE KUROYAMI'S GRAPHENE LETS HIM CHANGE THE CARBON IN HIS BODY INTO GRAPHENE! BOTH THESE STUDENTS HAVE AN UNBREAKABLE OFFENCE AND DEFENCE! Huh, probably a good thing it was them, cause otherwise we might've gotten sued for this…"

The boys stared at one another, before much inarticulate yelling and pointing of fingers occurred.

Kirishima wiped away tears at the sight, dashing forwards. "AW, COME ON! IT'S HARD ENOUGH TO STAND OUT AS IT IS?!"

Tetsutetsu glared at the Support student as he similarly bulldozed through the robots. "REALLY?! YOU JUST DO THE SAME THING WE DO! EXCEPT YOUR QUIRK LOOKS WAY COOLER!"

Kuroyami pulled some sort of glove on, using that to smack a robot coming closer. "WELL, I'M SORRY FOR HAVING THE SAME QUIRK THEN!"

Todoroki's mind flicked through the possibilities as he tore ahead of the competition. Were they clones or something? This was too weird to be a coincidence, having so many sharp toothed guys with Hardening Quirks. But he had a race to win, mostly to rub it in his asshole of a father's face.

Toshinori Yagi watched the students intently. He could see why Todoroki had made that choice, but the situation was already shifting. A loud series of explosions signalled young Bakugo going on the offensive, the boy flying through the air on his explosions. Behind him, young Tokoyami and Sero following suit in their own way. Below them, 1-A smashed robots apart at breakneck pace. Melissa had torn off an armour plate and was using it as a bludgeon and shield.

"AND IT LOOKS LIKE CLASS 1-A'S OVERWHELMINGLY IN THE LEAD?! WHAT ARE THOSE KIDS BEING FED, ERASERHEAD?!"

"It's not that the other students are bad, it's simply that 1-A knows that there's no time to hesitate. They've adapted and grown from that overwhelming pressure."

Well, he's not wrong, Toshinori mused. There was another loud explosion, followed by the tortured squeal and crash of collapsing metal as Yaoyaorozu created and fired a cannon in a single fluid motion.

His heart lightened when he saw his goddaughter, his protege, tearing ahead with her makeshift shield. "Good luck, Melissa! He yelled.

Maybe she'd heard him, for she picked up the pace. The rest of the students surged through. Yagi saw young Satou eat something from a packet, suddenly growing dark brown crystals over his body and dashing forwards, knocking competitors out of the way. Behind him, he saw young Midoriya jogging forwards, already strapping a silvery-white backpack on. Toshinori wondered what piece of Support tech the young man was going to use.

His phone buzzed, causing him to pause. Looking at the message, he just grinned. David Shield was watching his daughter, same as he was! The photo he'd sent was a close up of Melissa carefully knocking the robot back using her shield.

"A Shield using a shield…"

Toshinori chuckled at that.

The group of students in front of Mei stopped, briefly. In front of them was a huge, deep canyon, a multitude of rocky pillars sticking up from the ground. Ropes connected the pillars at odd angles, leading to the other side.

Mei grinned. A perfect opportunity for her Babies to shine! Her arms and legs were covered in bulky white armour, emblazoned with her logo.

Present Mic's commentary blared out. "WELL, WELL! THE ROBOTS WERE ONE THING, BUT NOW… IT'S TIME FOR THE CANYON OF PERIL! FALL AND YOU'RE OUT, SO STAY ON THE ROPES!"

"Canyon of Peril? Really?"

"SHOTA, MY HUSBAND OF TWENTY YEARS-"

"We aren't married."

"I'LL CALL THE EVENTS WHATEVER I WANT TO! AND WE ARE MARRIED, YOU JERK!"

Eraserhead didn't respond to that beyond inaudible grumbling.

Mei chuckled, goggles in place. She'd already put on her Hover Soles and Grappling Wire, and now it was simply a matter of getting across. Sure, Mastermind had a grappling hook, but he didn't have the market on those!

The Hover Boots had been much improved. Working with Midoriya and looking at Mastermind's ingenious tech through his videos had been incredible inspiration! Much as she hated to admit it, Mastermind was a brilliant inventor, almost at her level. Even if she could never use some concepts again thanks to him defiling them, her new Babies were better for having a nemesis who would pressure her into reaching new heights!

She'd been so inspired that Power Loader had given up on giving her extra credit, instead simply asking/begging that she stop her output because 'you've already passed, please stop blowing up my labs.'

A wild grin split her face as she leapt through the air, grappling line launched and securely fastened to a rock. "EYES ON ME, CORPORATIONS! TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT MY BEAUTIFUL BABIES CAN DO!"

The Hero course students cried out about how unfair it was as the Hover Boots pushed her up from the rockface. Behind her, she could see Mayumi leaping the canyon in her invention.

"SHE'S GOT A MECH SUIT?!" The other students yelled.

Mayumi sat in the tiny cockpit of her light blue mech, the machine slowly yet surely pulling her up. Its whole body was built in a boxy fashion, its huge hands capable of crushing rock and concrete easily. Mayumi had insisted that it was for dealing with building and excavation. Mei knew that it was because Mayumi had always wanted to pilot a Gundam.

Her best friends grinned like a demon as she made the jump again. Mei gave her best buddy a thumbs up. Maybe she should work on a tiny mech like that? Behind her, she saw Izuku making his own attempt. His backpack split open, unfolding into two draconic wings. He leapt through the air, and then he was flying over the competition.

Mei cackled at that, already racing ahead. Trust the Hero fanboy to make stuff like that!

For the Sports Festival I had to choose my gear carefully. I wanted items that reflected not just my growing technological skills, but also were supported by my love of Heroes and Quirks.

These items were my attempts at replicating Quirks from my absolute Top Ten favourite Heroes. I had been inspired by Ryuku's ability to fly, so I made the Ryuku jetpack in honour of the Dragoon Heroine!

Not just her - I'd been inspired by Gang Orca, Wash, Mirko - and Power Loader as well. I had been reluctant to do it initially, but Mei insisted that I take the cape with me and use it, since it was one of my best inventions. Plus, the cape was a different colour from Masterminds and it had no hood.

Admittedly it was an annoying limit, since I could carry whatever I wanted as Mastermind. But I had a plan. Kacchan's class was pretty good, I knew that much from talking to my fellow Supervillains. That, and there was the other Hero class, who I'd briefly gone over.

Generally, Support students in these kinds of events didn't make it past the second round. So that was what I was planning - make a big splash, use my flashier gadgets, and just lose in the second round. With so many brilliant Hero students here, how could it go wrong?

There was a general sense of chaos on the tv screen. One student was grinding along the rope in an unsightly display. Others, like the explosive kid and a plain boy in a jetpack, ignored the course entirely.

"-AND TODOROKI IS KEEPING IN THE LEAD! HOWEVER, IT LOOKS LIKE BAKUGOU AND MIDORIYA ARE LOOKING TO CHALLENGE HIS POSITION? CAN HE STAY IN CONTROL?!"

"Do you have to be so loud?"

In the bar, Tomura leered at the screen. "Wow, that NPC gets a jetpack? Might have to nab him." Idly he swished his drink around.

Kurogiri didn't make any comment, settling for polishing the glasses. Tomura shrugged, turning to the other screen displaying static. "Well, Sensei, I'm studying these brats. I gotta say, that icy one's pretty OP. Wouldn't mind having him."

"It's good to see you're paying attention, Tomura. You have certainly learned from your mistakes regarding a lack of intel." A faint note of exasperation entered Sensei's voice. "However… why do you have that… thing with you?"

Tomura looked at his lap, where a rather adorable Corgi rested. "Oh yeah, sensei. This is Mon."

He'd found Mon on their grocery trip. Normally, Shigaraki walked past the pet store to make fun of the animals in their cages and sneakily pop kids' balloons. However, he'd seen this corgi, and it had given him such a knowing look that he'd bought it and some toys immediately. He even had special gloves so that he could pet Mon!

Kurogiri was apparently feeding cats in an alleyway. He'd asked Shigaraki not to tell the doctor. Personally Shigaraki disliked the doctor, so he was happy not to tell.

"It's a fleabag. I don't see how it can help you in your efforts to kill… Mastermind, then All Might."

Shigaraki ignored the disgusted note in Sensei's voice since it couldn't have been there. "Yeah, Mon's pretty smart. Check this out."

He picked up an All Might doll, tossing it onto the floor. Mon immediately leaped onto it, savaging the toy and tearing its head off.

"...Very well. The mutt stays."

"Mon's a corgi."

"Just make sure that it doesn't hinder your quest for vengeance."

Sensei's screen turned off, Shigaraki shaking his head. "Sensei must not be a dog person." His face cracked a smile. "Come here, Mon-chan!"

Mon leaped into his lap with the head of All Might in his jaws. Shigaraki ruffled his dog's fur. "You're not getting in the way of my vengeance on Mastermind and Hero Society, are you?"

His smile turned vicious. "First, I'm gonna kill Mastermind and his annoying friends. Then I'm gonna tear it all down, except for the dog stuff. That will be all yours! I might ask Sensei to give you a Quirk, if you don't already have one."

Mon licked his face happily. Shigaraki scritched his ears, watching the Stupid Festival as he called it. Knowing these future Heroes and their Quirks was going to be a game changer. He leered, watching the brats race around the stadium, using their Quirks willy nilly.

Currently the school's state sponsored violence program was showing a large, empty field. The annoying Sonic DPS kept talking. "THE LEAD KEEPS GETTING CLOSER AND FURTHER, BUT NOW TODOROKI HAS HIT THE FINAL OBSTACLE! IT'S… THE MINEFIELD!"

Shigaraki perked up as the camera panned around, showing various lumps that indicated mines. This was more like it! Maybe the kids'd be blown to smithereens-!

"The mines are nonlethal, but they're loud and flashy. You can see where the mines are if you're careful."

"AW, SHOTA! I WANTED TO DO THAT BIT!"

Shigaraki slumped. "What a fucking disappointment."

Bakugo simply grinned. A minefield? He was in his fucking element! While Icy Hot had to pussyfoot around the landmines, Bakugo deliberately set one off, using the extra force to catch up to that Zuko-looking motherfucker.

"HEY HALF AND HALF!"

For the first time since they'd known each other, the jerk looked stunned. Bakugo grinned, another explosion building up in his other hand. "YA MADE YOUR DECLARATION OF WAR TO THE WRONG PERSON!"

He unleashed his explosion, careful not to hit Todoroki with it. He surged forwards, the crowd going wild.

"DO YOU SEE THAT?! BAKUGO MAKES A LAST MINUTE UPSET, SHAKING THE PREVIOUSLY UNBEATABLE TODOROKI FROM HIS POSITION AS FIRST PLACE! YOU GETTING THIS, MASS MEDIA?!"

Half and Half reacted to this by pushing himself further, frozen mask once again in place. Bakugo grit his teeth, ready to fight the guy for supremacy.

"WITH THESE TWO POWERHOUSES GRAPPLING FOR FIRST, CAN THEY HOLD ONTO THEIR LEAD?!"

Bakugo hissed as ice formed on his arm. The bastard wasn't going to-!

KABOOM!

Melissa knew that this was a terrible idea. Every rational brain cell in her head screamed at her for thinking this was an option. But as she gathered all of the land mines she could into a small area, they were shoved aside by one, unwavering thought:

I have to tell the world I'm here!

The explosion shook her to her core, and suddenly she was flying through the air, over the rest of the mines and hurtling towards Bakugo and Todoroki.

Present Mic cut back in after stunned silence. "HOLY COW, 1-A'S SHIELD HAS JUST SET OFF A HUGE EXPLOSION AND IS COMING RIGHT AT BAKUGO AND TODOROKI! AND, WAIT… SHE'S PASSED THEM!"

Melissa grit her teeth as she shot past two of the toughest students in 1-A. The boys glanced at each other, then Bakugo leaped into the air, trying to grab her. "GET THE FUCK BACK HERE, AMERICAN!"

Todoroki didn't say anything so dramatic, instead making a frozen pathway for himself and dashing forwards.

"ENEMIES HAVE BECOME FRIENDS! A THIRD PARTY'S SHOWN UP, AND THE PAIR OF THEM HAVE SET ASIDE THEIR DIFFERENCES TO WIN!"

"Hopefully Melissa has some strategy for landing."

In spite of the threat to her well being, Melissa smiled. Burgundy energy started to spark around her. She braced herself as well as she could, twisting in the air to land on her feet. And to think, without Mastermind's armour she would have never thought about One for All like this…

Two weeks ago…

Melissa sighed, frowning at Mirio. "It's still no good. I keep using more power than I need to, and there's still too much collateral damage from using my Quirk."

Mirio just laughed. "Well, don't fret! Nobody just gets the hang of their Quirk! Why, the first time I used it on all of my body, I was so terrified I, ah, had to leave some stuff in the dirt." he rubbed the back of his head.

Melissa giggled in spite of herself. "You mean you-?"

Mirio just stared at her with a flat expression. "Yes, and it was embarrassing." His customary smile lit his face back up. "Still, it did teach me that I had to use my Quirk carefully."

She couldn't help but sigh in frustration. "One for All is just… difficult. I mean, if I could use it like Mastermind's suit of armour, then that would be great."

"Yes, Sir told me about that. From reports, it seemed to be about half as strong as All Might, given the damage he inflicted."

Melissa tapped her chin. "It's amazing that he didn't snap his limbs using that armour. I mean, if it was fifty percent of All Might's power, if I used that on my arm and punched I'd still break-"

She stopped, eyes wide. Mirio looked over at his junior in concern. "Melissa-"

She blinked. "I'm an idiot."

Mirio tilted his head. "Uh-"

"No, really! I've been an idiot about this!" She shot up, pacing around. "I've been treating One for All's full force as if it's all I can do, while forgetting that most of my work on the beach was about improving my entire body!"

A grin split her face. "And that's why Mastermind's suit works! It doesn't increase power in one limb, it spreads that power through the whole body, probably using that impact absorption technology of his to protect the user's body! I-I've been thinking about One for All like a switch, when I should have thought about it like a dial!"

Mirio's eyes went wide. "Dialling the power back… and I didn't suggest that because my Quirk is one and done by nature…" he slapped a hand to his face. "Don't worry, Mel, I'm a pretty big idiot as well."

She shook her head, waving off Mirio's self deprecation. "No, no! It's my Quirk, after all! Uncle Might said to treat it like part of my body, and I haven't been doing that!"

Mirio waved it off, an easy smile on his face. "Alright, Mel. If you're sure… maybe you want to try dialling it up now?"

Her eyes lit up, then she frowned in concentration. "Imagining a dial… and the power goes through me…" She took a deep breath, focusing on her Quirk, forcing the vast majority of her power down to manageable levels.

Mirio leapt back as burgundy energy started to spark around Melissa. "Uh… is that supposed to happen?"

Melissa gasped. "Whoa. This is…" She simply stood there, the power surrounding her in a corona of energy. It wanted to get away, to be more powerful, but she wasn't ready to dial it up. She managed to smile at Mirio, just letting the feeling soak in.

Mirio blinked, then grinned. "So, Mel. Wanna try it out for a spin?"

"Sure!"

Todoroki blinked as Melissa suddenly glowed a deep red colour. Loose sparks of power pulled away from her. Was she going to break her limbs to get ahead?

Her foot hit the ground, and suddenly she was rocketing away, a blur of deep red and yellow hair, tearing ahead. Bakugo gaped at the sight before his legs were pumping, explosions propelling the feral blonde forwards.

The crowd, predictably, went nuts. Present Mic started screaming. "AND MELISSA'S SUDDENLY SURGED AHEAD WITH A BURST OF SUPERHUMAN SPEED! SHOTA, WHAT THE HELL DID YOU TEACH THEM?!"

"This isn't my doing!" That was the most energetic speech he'd ever heard from Eraserhead. "This is something new. And I'm glad to see she's managed to get better control of her Quirk."

There was a slight gasp in the announcer's booth. "SHOTA, ARE YOU SMILING?"

"N-no, I'm not."

"YOU GODDAMN LIAR! 1-A, HE'S SMILING-" Present Mic was cut off by sounds of grunting and yelling as Eraserhead apparently started to use his Quirk and Binding cloth on Present Mic.

Todoroki kept running, determined to try and catch up. A tiny part of him was elated, though.

He now had more proof of the greatest truth he'd ever uncovered. He would have to confirm it, but it would mean that he had unearthed one of the greatest secrets in the world.

He wondered what her father was thinking about everything.

On I-Island David Shield didn't care that his colleagues were staring at him as he whooped and cheered. "YES! GO, MELISSA! WIN IT ALL!"

On screen, he saw his daughter, exhausted yet triumphant as the announcers untangled themselves. "WHAT A STUNNING UPSET! THE FIRST STUDENT TO CROSS THE FINISH LINE IS NONE OTHER THAN… MELISSA SHIELD OF CLASS 1-A!"

"WHOO!" David grabbed Sam in a bear hug, lifting the shorter man up with struggling sounds. "SHE DID IT, SAM! MY BABY GIRL'S WON THE FIRST EVENT!"

"I'm happy for you, David, but, uh, could you put me down?"

He hastily put him down as he watched the other students come in, watching them intently. "Right, sorry Sam."

His gaze swept over the screen, until he saw two people he was interested in pass over the line. A green haired boy and a pink haired girl with dreadlocks passed pretty much simultaneously, the boy laughing.

Sam looked over his shoulder. "Huh. You don't normally see Support students get that far."

David simply nodded. "Melissa mentioned the boy to me - Midoriya Izuku. Quirkless, but he's a genius Quirk analyst as well as an inventor. The other girl - Hatsume Mei? I've been keeping an eye on her as well since our representative messaged me."

Naturally I-Island had a booth in the Sports Festival. David had insisted that they have representatives at every major Support Item school, always looking for new, innovative talents.

Sam paused. "Well, they've certainly got the gift." He looked around, face more serious. "But enough about the Sports Festival. I was wondering what you thought of my plan."

David turned to look at his friend, a sad smile on his face. "Well, Sam… the answer's no. I don't think it's a good idea."

After all, he didn't need to use that particular invention. Not when he knew about All Might. It would be for the best if the Quirk Enhancer never left its vault.

AN: Here we go! It's a long 'un.

So! The first round's over! I wasn't sure how I was gonna finish it, so I'm leaving it on this note. WE're seeing changes already! We didn't see much of Izuku this chapter, but next chapter we should see more action!

Balance patches:

-Satou's Quirk is called Sugar Boost. Made more interesting. I'd need to show him more, but it no longer makes him stupid.

-Shigaraki: Dog.

-Mineta: Perversion dialled back. More competent.

-Melissa: Has unlocked her version of Full Cowl, though she won't call it that.

Next time… I couldn't think of something to change for the Cavalry Battle so it'll probably be that!