Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia. I have challenge Horikoshi to a fistfight, but so far he hasn't returned my calls.
Iida briefly stared at the screen of matchups, before he shook himself. WHile he was a bit down about not being up there, he could honestly say that he had tried his very hardest. Next year, he would be there for sure.
Present Mic interrupted his thoughts. "AWRIGHT, EVERYBODY! NOW YOU'VE HAD SOME GRUB, IT'S TIME TO GET BACK TO THE FESTIVAL! NOW, BEFORE THE MAIN EVENT, THE OTHER COMPETITORS HAVE A RECREATIONAL EVENT! THIS IS A SPORTS FESTIVAL AFTER ALL! LET'S SEE SOME SPORTS!"
"Be sure to reach out and impress. This is still an opportunity for you." Aizawa-sensei sighed. "And we've also got cheerleaders from America. As if we didn't have better things to spend our budget on."
"COME ON, ERASERHEAD! IT'S STILL A GOOD BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY! ANYWAY, ONCE THIS IS OVER, IT'LL BE TIME FOR THE MAIN EVENT! NOW LITTLE LISTENERS, YOUR EVENT IS… TREASURE HUNT! GET HUNTING!"
Iida bowed politely to Melissa. "Again, I'm only sorry that I couldn't challenge you properly in this event! Still, I gave it my very best, and I can see that I have a lot to work on in future!"
"It's alright, Iida." Melissa gave him an encouraging smile. "Next year, I'll be sure to see you in the third round."
Smiling to his friend and rival, Iida ran off to join his classmates. As Midnight explained the rules of the treasure hunt and handed out the cards that marked what each of them was searching for, Iida spotted a couple of business course students in the stands counting money out. He frowned, wondering if he should see what they were doing.
—
Kamui Woods stared at the scene. They'd been asked to make a patrol through the stands, on guard against potential Villain attacks. Death Arms and Mount Lady had taken the chance to potentially scout for interns, since they could have used any help they could get. They hadn't expected to stumble on some more… enterprising Business course students.
The chubby beehive-haired student checked his phone while watching the festivities below. "-So, what are the odds on Todoroki?"
His friend with glasses waggled his hand. "Eh, Son of the Number Two, ridiculous Quirk… he's sure to make it all the way through. So, let's say his odds are 1.05."
"The Bakugo guy's pretty skilled as well, but he's pissed off every other competitor, so they may work harder to drag him down. Personally I'd say his odds are 1.66 that he wins-"
"So this is your thing in the Sports Festival?" Mount Lady asked, slightly shakily.
The beehive-haired student blinked, a piece of paper with odds scribbled on it in hand. "Yes. It's a business."
Kamui Woods stared right at the boy. "You're running the book on which student will take first place," he clarified.
"Not just that. We're also calculating which students will place second and third. Those runners-up could be some of the future top ten, after all."
"What, you think people don't bet on the rankings of the Top Ten every year?" The glasses-wearing student shook his head, adjusting his glasses so that they shone menacingly. "Sure, the odds of All Might or Endeavour dropping in their rank are so low I won't bother to calculate them, but the other eight places are highly variable."
Mount Lady shuddered. Sure, she'd been pretty mercenary with her debut and publicity, but something like this was a bit beyond the pale. "Are your teachers aware of this? Heck, is Nezu aware of this?"
Beehive hair shrugged, watching as the Iida kid ran around enthusiastically, mother-henning his classmates as they hunted for various items hidden around the stadium. "Oh, he's running his own book for each of the events. We check our odds against him."
"Considering other things that have happened, we're also betting on other events that could come up." Glasses pulled out the full book. "We personally reckon that Mastermind and the League of Supervillains attacking here has 2.0 odds of happening."
The Mastermind Taskforce stared at them. Death Arms sighed, before glaring disapprovingly at a Hero in what looked like buckskins who walked up to the students.
Native carefully avoided their gaze. "I'm putting thirty thousand yen on Todoroki, placing first."
Kamui Woods gave Native a disgusted stare as the students accepted his money, writing down his name. "This is just wrong. You're literally betting on children fighting!"
Native simply shrugged, walking off to his seat. For a moment, the Mastermind Taskforce stared at each other, before sighing. Mount Lady refused to look her comrades in the eye as she walked up to the students, pulling out her wallet.
"...One hundred yen on the pink haired Support girl."
Kamui Woods sent her a despairing look. "You too?!"
The chubby student accepted her money, writing down her name. "Going for the longshot, I see. She's certainly made a splash, kind of like that small purple kid."
—
About an hour or so later, Present Mic grinned, cracking his knuckles. "OKAY, EVERYBODY! NOW THAT THE FESTIVITIES ARE OVER, IT'S TIME FOR THE MAIN EVENT! WHO WANTS TO SEE SOME HIGHSCHOOLERS BEAT EACH OTHER UP?!"
The roar of the crowd temporarily deafened even him. Eraserhead sighed, looking at the crowd with a faint expression of disgust. "Did you have to put it like that?"
Present Mic shrugged. "Eh, it's what Nezu asked for."
Down below, Cementoss put the finishing touches on the ring. Wiping his brow clean of sweat, he gave the thumbs up.
Switching his mic back on, Present Mic hyper himself up. "AWRIGHT, EVERYBODY! STUDENTS, YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH HELL TO GET THIS FAR, BUT NOW YOU'RE HERE! IN THIS RING, YOU CAN'T COUNT ON ANYBODY BUT YOURSELF! USE EVERY OUNCE OF STRENGTH, WILLPOWER, TECHNIQUE AND YOUTHFUL VIGOUR! GIVE IT YOUR BEST SHOT!"
The first matchup started, Present Mic switching to focus on the contestants. "STEPPING INTO THE RING FIRST IS A POWERHOUSE COMPETITOR! QUOTH THE RAVEN, 'A MAD BANQUET OF DARKNESS,' AND THAT'S WHAT HE UNLEASHES ON HIS OPPONENTS! TECHNICALLY A TWO FOR ONE DEAL, IT'S TOKOYAMI FUMIKAGE OF CLASS 1-A!
Below, the bird headed boy stared impassively at the other side of the ring while his Quirk cackled, flexing its shadowy muscles and blowing kisses to the roaring crowd.
Present Mic turned to the other side. "AND ON THE OTHER SIDE IS A SURPRISING COMPETITOR! THE DARK PURPLE HORSE FROM THE GENERAL COURSE, HE MAY BE SHORT BUT HE'S READY TO STICK IT TO ANYBODY! GIVE IT UP FOR THE SURPRISINGLY BUFF MINETA MINORU!"
The crowd's cheer was quieter than it had been for Tokoyami but Mineta stepped into the ring with a nervous yet determined expression. Present Mic cracked his knuckles as the two shortest competitors waited.
—
Midnight raised her whip, then swung it down. "BEGIN!"
Minoru darted to the side immediately, throwing a hairball at Tokoyami that almost screamed through the air. The bird-headed boy managed to step out of the way, Dark Shadow attacking where Mineta had been a second ago. "Hey, shortstuff! Get back here!"
"Hell no! I actually want to win this!"
He'd given up too much to lose like this.
Minoru plucked a ball from his head, then whipped it at the Dark Shadow thing. It swayed around the attack, sticking out its shadowy tongue. Tokoyami was content to stay where he was, watching as Minoru hastily ducked under his Quirk's grasping claws.
"SO FAR IN THIS MATCH, MINETA'S BEEN ON THE DEFENSIVE AS TOKOYAMI UNLEASHES A FLURRY OF ATTACKS! IS THIS AS FAR AS MINETA GOES?!"
Despite the onslaught, Minoru snorted. As if. He nearly screamed as a shadow claw swiped in front of him, barely managing to roll back as it tore his shirt open. Ever since he'd sworn to try and cut back his perversion by doing pushups, he'd built a surprisingly amount of muscle. More of his Quirk's balls flew around the arena, sticking in seemingly random places.
Tokoyami stared at him, then looked at his own chest with a despairing expression on his face. Dark Shadow snickered. "You gotta work out more, Tokoyami."
That was enough for Tokoyami to snap out of it. With a shout Dark Shadow loomed over Minoru, Tokoyami pointing at him in what he thought was a dramatic pose. "I believe it will be my win-"
Minoru bounced off one of his hairballs. Then he ricocheted off another, then another. Dark Shadow tried to grab him again, but he bounced away yet again, grinning. Tokoyami's eyes widened as he picked out the pattern that Mineta had laid out over the arena.
"Wait a minute… MINETA'S FAKED OUT HIS OPPONENT! THOSE HAIRBALLS WEREN'T THROWN RANDOMLY, THEY WERE THROWN SO THAT HE COULD BOUNCE AROUND! BUT AS TOKOYAMI KNOWS ALL TOO WELL, ONLY MINETA'S REPELLED BY HIS QUIRK LIKE THIS, ANYBODY ELSE WOULD BE IN FOR A STICKY SURRISE!"
Minoru threw more spheres from Pop Off as he landed, before darting away. Tokoyami tried to dodge but with how quickly Minoru was moving and the speed at which he was throwing them, he simply couldn't keep up. Dark Shadow tried to scrape off one of the purple balls that had gotten on its hand, accomplishing nothing but getting stuck to the ground. "What the hell are these made of-"
Minoru threw a sphere, and it stuck in Dark Shadow's mouth. Spluttering, the Quirk tried to pull it out, only to fail. Tokoyami gasped. "Dark Shadow!"
As Tokoyami tried and failed to pull free from Minoru's Quirk, Minoru finally came to a stop, managing to stand up. He'd practised bouncing around on his balls before, but nothing so intense. Tokoyami gaped at him as he plucked another ball, then closed his eyes. "I… give up."
"AMAZING! TOKOYAMI, THE DARK POWERHOUSE OF 1-A, HAS BEEN DEFEATED! MINETA HAS PASSED TO THE NEXT ROUND!"
Minoru smiled. He'd managed to get into the next stage! "Hey man, sorry about this." Quickly he walked over to Dark Shadow. Working his fingers into its mouth carefully, he levered Pop Off's ball out of its mouth.
Dark Shadow spluttered, trying to wash its tongue. "Oh god, it tastes like bubblegum and hair… Tokoyami, I need coffee!" it whined.
"No! I know what darkness is unleashed when you drink coffee." Tokoyami shook his head, then bowed politely to Mineta. "In this fight today, I felt a darkness coming from you that was stronger than my own dark, uncontrollable power. What drives you?"
Minoru shrugged, freeing Dark Shadow from another Pop Off ball. "I just want to be a Hero, and I've been training too hard to lose here."
He shuddered. He'd put himself through a certain challenge to try and focus, despite it being the wrong month. While it had definitely worked… when he got home, he was going to indulge in everything he'd denied himself.
—
Present Mic hummed to himself as he watched the field get cleaned of the short boy's Quirk. "Kind of a weird Quirk, but he did pretty well."
"He certainly didn't have that great a performance in the Entrance exam," Eraserhead commented. "Seems that he's taking it more seriously."
Shrugging, Present Mic turned back to the stage, readying his lungs once more. "OKAY, LISTENERS! THIS NEXT MATCH IS GONNA BE A SPECIAL ONE! IN THE RIGHT CORNER, YOU CAN'T MISS HER!"
He grinned. "SHE MELTS STONE AND CONCRETE AS EASILY AS SHE MELTS OUR HEARTS! GIVE IT UP FOR THIS LOW PH GIRL, ASHIDO MINA!"
Down below, the bright pink girl grinned, giving the crowd a thumbs up. As Ashido made a couple of agile dance moves to limber up, Present Mic turned to Eraserhead, mic off. "Do you want to introduce your purple son or not?"
Eraserhead sighed. "For the last time, he's not my child."
"Right, right." Present Mic chuckled as Eraserhead glared at him. "Yeah, parentage jokes aren't that funny, I get it. But you helped get that boy in."
"Yes, so I'd rather not be accused of being biassed."
—
"AND IN THE OPPOSITE CORNER… HE MAY LOOK TIRED, BUT HE'S AS FOCUSED AS THE REST OF US! WITH A BARRAGE OF BAD PUNS AND JOKES, GIVE IT UP FOR… SHINSOU HITOSHI!"
Nemu cheered as she saw her son step on stage, the crowd cheering with her even if it wasn't as loud as it had been for his opponent. "There he is! He made it!"
Kazuya grinned, watching Hitoshi step up to meet his opponent. "Isn't his teacher one of the ones commentating?"
She smiled as Hitoshi readied himself. "Hitoshi will win this. It's not like that Villain attack!"
No, it certainly wasn't. When Nemu had heard that Hitoshi's class had been attacked by Villains, she'd wanted to pull him out right then and there. It was only Hitoshi coming back safe and wanting to continue that had her stop.
Nemu didn't want her son to lose his dreams like she had.
—
Hitoshi put a smile back on his face as he sized up Ashido. The pink-skinned girl was a formidable fighter in her own right, with the combination of her Quirk and agile dance moves making her one of the better hand to hand fighters in the class.
He was still disturbed by what he'd overheard from Shouto, but he couldn't focus on that. Not when he had a match to win. "I can't believe that Present Mic didn't describe you as the diametric opposite of a 'basic bitch.' Seems like a missed opportunity, eh?"
"BEGIN!"
Ashido didn't respond to his taunt, instead skating forwards on a stream of acid. Hitoshi leaned out of the way as she sprayed acid at him, before counterattacking. Ashido managed to block his fist with her forearm, grunting with effort. Still, he grinned at her. "Hey, what do you call an acid with a bad attitude?"
He hastily pulled his fist back as Ashido created acid on her arm. Hitoshi tried to smack Ashido in the face, pulling back when a spray of acid sloshed towards him, burning holes in his clothing. "A mean-o acid."
Ashido's cheeks puffed, then she flung more acid at him. Hitoshi shrugged. "Not much for the puns, eh? But I know how I can get you to talk."
"OH! IT SOUNDS LIKE SHINSOU'S HAS A PLAN! AS YOU'VE SEEN, HIS QUIRK'S USELESS IF THEY DON'T RESPOND, SO IT'S ALL ABOUT GETTING THEM TO TALK!"
"Yes, that's true. Shinsou has, however, passed the standard exam through his close combat skills. Otherwise Ashido would have taken him out already."
He suddenly pitched his voice higher, singing. "You are, my fire."
Ashido's eyes widened. Her attacks sped up, acid sloshing around the stage. Still, he kept singing. "My one, desire."
She frantically shook her head, sweat beading on her forehead. She started to spin around on the stage, frantically breakdancing to try and overwhelm Hitoshi before he could complete the song. Not quickly enough. "Believe, when I say… I want it that way!"
Ashido kicked and spun, a frantic outburst of attacks that did nothing to hide her face screwing up. Hitoshi smirked, feeling a bit bad about exploiting this particular weakness.
"TELL ME WHY!"
Ashido's composure broke. She sang, loudly, echoed by Present Mic. "AIN'T NOTHIN' BUT A HEARTACHE-"
She froze in place, conflicted face turning stunned and placid. For a moment Ashido stood there, swaying. Then Hitoshi gently supported her. If she'd fallen… "Walk out of bounds."
The crowd murmured a bit as Ashido did just that. Hitoshi took a deep breath. Ashido's acid had scorched small holes in his jacket, through he'd narrowly avoided being burnt directly.
"WHAT AN INCREDIBLE TURNAROUND! FOR A WHILE, WE THOUGHT THAT ASHIDO HAD THE EDGE THANKS TO HER RELENTLESS OFFENCE, BUT AT THE LAST SECOND, SHINSOU TURNED IT AROUND WITH THE BACKSTREET BOYS!"
"Both of their approaches made sense. Since they were classmates, they had a solid idea of each other's personality and Quirks. Shinsou's victory came from knowing what his opponent would respond to above all else."
Ashido crossed the boundary line, then Hitoshi dropped his control. She stumbled, then turned around to glare at him, though her tone showed she wasn't too serious about it. "Low blow, Shinsou!"
He rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, Ashido. I couldn't think of any other way to get you to respond."
She huffed, then grinned. "Well, at least you've developed something resembling taste! And I nearly got you before you got me!" She shook his hand, and Hitoshi let out a breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding.
Amidst the crowd, he could hear people talking.
"A Brainwashing Quirk… that would be so useful to have as a Hero."
"Just think of how many situations he could resolve without throwing a punch!"
"Not just that, he was fighting pretty well out there even without his Quirk! Not often you see kids pay so much attention to hand to hand combat."
"You think he'd be a good fit for your agency?"
He spotted Ms. Joke in the crowd, cheering loudly and giving him a thumbs up. Hitoshi's smile lightened up.
—
Ms. Joke grinned, nudging her neighbour as Shinsou held his fist high in victory, the crowd cheering intensely. "Can you believe Eraserhead's actually kept a class this year? Shinsou's one of his!"
The Dinosaur themed Hero snorted, watching as Shinsou left the stage, talking to Ashido about something. "It seems rather unlikely. "
The Hero next to him grinned. "Crazy odds. You wonder if Eraserhead's training this kid to be like him?"
Her smile dropped. "No, he wouldn't."
Inadvertently, Ms. Joke thought back to the first time she'd seen Shouta. The other boy had joined their agency while His Purple Highness had been hospitalised. Apparently he'd been cleared as psychologically fit for Hero work, but in those days the regulations about mental health weren't as strict.
Her jokes and puns hadn't gotten through to him, the teenage Aizawa merely staring ahead with lifeless eyes focused on some point in the past. He had moved with laser focus in missions, something driving him beyond the point of rationality.
But when she'd offered to marry him, some life had flashed into them. So she kept offering, partially because he was a catch, but mostly so that he would be more like a human being.
Ms. Joke put her smile back on her face. "Eraserhead's got the whole 'grungy Underground Hero' thing going on, can't compromise that branding!"
Call her selfish, but Ms. Joke didn't want to see the student she'd helped train go down that path. And she was sure that Eraserhead didn't want that either.
—
Momo took a deep breath as she waited to go on stage. The past couple of matches had been exciting to watch, and they'd firmed her resolve. She was 1-A's vice class president, and a recommended student besides.
"IT'S TIME FOR OUR THIRD MATCH! IN THE FIRST CORNER, SHE'S TALL, SHE'S ELEGANT AND SHE'S GRACEFUL! REPRESENTING 1-A, IT'S… YAOYOROZU MOMO!"
She stepped into the ring, smiling cheerfully at the crowd. On the opposite side, her opponent stepped up, long vines in place of hair swaying in the breeze.
Present Mic coughed. "AND IN THE OTHER CORNER, WELL, EVERY VINE HAS ITS THORNS! INTRODUCING CLASS 1-B'S ASSASSIN, SHIOZAKI IBARA-"
"Assassin?"
Momo blinked as Shiozaki turned to the commentator's booth. "What did you mean by 'assassin'? I have come this far without using such underhanded tactics."
Present mic seemed nonplussed. "Er… sorry? How about '1-B's Crusader then?' Or paladin?"
Shiozaki hummed. "Crusader… Yes, that sounds better."
"IGNORE THE PREVIOUS DESCRIPTION! 1-B'S CRUSADER, SHIOZAKI IBARA IS READY TO FIGHT!"
Momo bowed politely to the other girl. "Let us have a fine match."
Shizaki smiled. "Yes, let's."
Midnight raised her whip, and swung it down. "BEGIN!"
Immediately Shiozaki's vines whipped forwards, intent on grabbing her. Momo's eyes narrowed, and the light of Creation sparked on her midriff. Lightning fast, she formed a sword, slashing through the vines that came at her.
Shiozaki's eyes narrowed, and more vines whipped out from her head. Momo pressed her advantage, sword slicing through vines in an elegant dance towards the stationary girl. In spite of herself, a slight smile blossomed on Momo's face. She'd never thought she'd have to use her sword training as a Hero, but using it to close the distance…
Creation lit up again on her arm, a shield forming as a stream of vines hit her other side, knocking her back. Momo grit her teeth, then she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She rolled to the side as more vines lashed out, then had to keep moving as vines seemed to come up all around her. Momo tried to get her bearings.
She just needed a moment to think…
Momo gasped. That was it!
—
Ibara bowed her head as her vines came crashing over Yaoyorozu as the girl stood there. Yaoyorozu had been getting closer, but Ibara had stealthily been layering vines around the sides. Once she grabbed the other girl, it would be over.
She had been blessed with this chance by the Lord, there was no reason to waste it by not fighting as hard as she could.
As her vines came closer, Yaoyorozu grit her teeth and dropped something small from her midriff, a similar light forming over her face and ears. Ibara only had a moment to try and grab it before it burst open.
Ibara described it later as being similar to the Lord saying, 'let there be light.' A bright flash of light accompanied by a thunderous BANG left her cringing backwards, vines temporarily as stunned as she was. She tried to compensate, vines lashing out to try and hit her opponent-
But it was too late. As Ibrara stumbled blindly, Yaoyorozu was right to her side, a quarterstaff swinging and knocking her to the ground. Through her hazy vision, she saw the taller girl over her, quarterstaff at her midriff. A pair of dark glasses covered her eyes, along with what looked like earplugs.
Ibara stiffened, then sighed. Close quarters combat wasn't her strong suit, and she wouldn't be able to grab her opponent before getting a blow to the stomach. "...I submit."
As Midnight called the match, Yaoyorozu offered her a hand up. "That was truly an excellent match, Shiozaki!"
Shiozaki bowed politely to her opponent. "You were able to get past my vines… I hadn't expected such a response."
Yaoyorozu simply giggled elegantly. "That Quirk of yours will make you an excellent Hero. I have to admit, I still have a long way to go… you almost had me."
Shiozaki smiled warmly. She had not thrown away her chance, after all.
—
Present Mic whistled, glancing down at his notes. "That was one hell of a match, Shota! Man, Yaoyorozu really gave that girl a hard time!"
"You should probably do more research on the people you're commentating on. Maybe you wouldn't have made such an error," Eraserhead commented.
Present Mic laughed awkwardly at that. "Yeah, yeah…" he turned back to the stage. "NOW THAT WE'VE CLEARED ALL THE VINES AWAY, WE'VE GOT OUR FOURTH MATCH! COMING IN FIRST, WE'VE GOT THE ELECTRIFYING KAMINARI DENKI! THEY SAY LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES TWICE, BUT CLEARLY THEY'VE NEVER SEEN KAMINARI IN ACTION!"
Down below, Kaminari gave what he thought was a determined smile. It made him look like he was constipated.
Eraserhead grunted noncommittal. Idly, he spotted Power Loader on the side, frantically trying to talk to his student.
—
Denki felt a bit nervous but squashed it down. He'd seen Hatsume before - she was a hard figure to miss, given all of her Support gear and bombastic statements. Not to mention, she'd tried to offer him some 'babies' for the match. However, Denki was an honourable guy!
He'd seen how that green haired guy had talked to her. While he was flattered, maybe a little curious about being in an open relationship, you don't hit on somebody else's girl! That was against the Bro Code.
So he'd said no to the babies. After all, he was sure he could win. How hard could it be?
"COMING INTO THE RING NOW, IT'S… wait, what the hell?"
CLUNK!
Denki's eyes widened as he saw his opponent walk forwards. Well, technically she was walking.
CLUNK!
Extending from her back by a harness were four huge, mechanical arms, coiling like white metal snakes, They effortlessly supported Hatsume as she came onto the stage, grinning maniacally. Other gadgets were strapped to her belt and harness, a pair of white boots and gloves completing the ensemble.
Present Mic coughed. "Well, uh… FROM THE SUPPORT COURSE, WE'VE GOT THE BRILLIANT, UNPARALLELLED HATSUME MEI! WHAT THE HELL KIND OF GEAR IS THAT THING SHE'S WEARING?!"
Hatsume tapped the side of her goggles, a microphone turning on. "I'm glad you asked, Present Mic! This beautiful baby here is my newest invention, Baby number 86! BEHOLD, THE HATSUME EXTENDING GRIPPER ARMS, FROM THE FUTURE HATSUME INDUSTRIES! Each arm is capable of exerting over a thousand kilos of force for its grip, as well as offering unparalleled dexterity with smaller grippers! Not just that, but each arm has its own A.I built in, allowing them to gauge and identify different materials!"
An unhinged grin split her pretty face. Denki felt like he was being hunted by some sort of predator. "This baby is designed for construction purposes and handling hazardous materials, but it will work just as well in a fight!"
Denki gulped. Then he smiled cockily. He knew his science! Metal conducts electricity, so all he had to do was electrify the arms and he had it!
Heh. I'm a genius!
—
Mei cricked her neck, the neural interface connected to her spine flexing with her. This was a perfect opportunity to show off her new and improved babies! With Izuku and Mayumi working together on each others' gear and inspired by her sheer disdain for Mastermind, they had created newer and better babies than she could have ever dreamed of!
Midnight looked between them, then swiped her flag down. "FIGHT!"
Her opponent - Blonde Guy? No, Kaminari - smirked confidently. Electricity sparked around him. "Time for an electrifying match, Hatsume!"
Mei chuckled. "Ah, I get to see your Electrification Quirk up close! That's great! Keep it up!"
As he paused, one of her mechanical arms lashed forwards, forcing him to dodge. "As you can see, audience, the Hatsume Extending Gripper Arms can stretch up to twice their sitting length with no loss of protection! Not just that, but thanks to the neural link in my spine, I can choose how much force to exert!"
She paused. "If you're worried about the A.I. taking over, don't! I'm using miraculous devices known as control chips and surge protectors to ensure my brain is safe!"
Electrical Client yelped, running away as she lashed out with each arm. "Oh god, oh god, oh god, why?"
Mei grinned as she finally nabbed him. "Behold! Despite the incredible power of the grip, I have secured him without inducing permanent harm! Not just that-"
He grinned, in spite of being pinned to the ground. "You fool! You've forgotten - electricity travels along metal!"
He then paused. "Wait, I'm being indirectly touched by a girl-"
His eyes rolled back in his head. Power surged from his body, spectacularly failing to travel up the length of the arm. Mei blinked, then shrugged. "...as I was about to say, the Hatsume Extending Gripper Arms are made from non conductive metal, as well as heat resistant metamaterials! They can withstand extreme heat and cold as well as electrical assault!"
Midnight glanced over to her advertising buddy. "Kaminari, can you continue?"
"...Whey…"
Midnight double checked, then nodded to Mei. "Congratulations, Hatsume! You advance to the next round!"
Mei grinned, releasing her advertising sap. "Sorry, Kaminari. I used you."
Now all she had to do was watch and wait for her other best friend and minion to finish his match. The Todoroki kid would be such an amazing client to have!
—
Endeavour sighed. After dealing with All Might, he'd left with a bad taste in his mouth. At least he'd found his son after being so rudely delayed.
His son glared at him in the hallway. "Get out of the way, Endeavour."
Endeavour decided that his son needed some quality fatherly advice. "Are you trying to make a fool of yourself out there? You should have crushed both courses out there. If you used your fire-"
His son walked up to him with no indication that he'd heard. Endeavour shook his head at this teenage rebellion. Ah, teenagers. "Are you still angry for no good reason? Stop this foolish rebellion and rise to your full potential!"
Endeavour pressed further as he saw his son start to walk past. "You must surpass All Might! You're different from your sister and brothers. You, Shouto, are my greatest creation!"
Good, motivational advice and encouraging your child. That was what a father had to do. Even if Shouto was making it unreasonably difficult by not moving on from one accident.
That got Shouto to turn around, briefly. "Is that all you have to say? As I said, I'll win without using your power. Mum's will be enough."
Endeavour frowned. Seeing his perfect child deliberately ignore part of his greatness made him furious. It made him terrified, it made him see a mountain engulfed in flame and a fragment of jawbone. "That may work in school. But out there, against real Villains, it will not be enough. You will hit that wall soon, and when you do-"
Shouto turned around and stomped off. Endeavour shook his head sadly. Ah, the arrogance of youth.
—
Present Mic gulped, looking down at the card. He quietly turned off the microphone before turning to his best friend. "Oh, this is a terrible idea…"
Eraserhead nodded, minutely. "Just bad luck."
"He's gonna get slaughtered out there, Shouta. He's my Little Listener! When he comes into English class, he's always asking me about the last episode! Heck, he calls in to my show!"
Eraserhead shrugged. "Midnight will be able to keep it from going too far."
Present Mic sighed. "I hope you're right, Shouta." Then he slapped a smile on his face. "HEY, LISTENERS! ARE YA READY FOR MORE?! WELL, FROM 1-A, IT'S THEIR SECOND RECOMMENDED STUDENT! THE BEST OF THE BEST, THE STRONGEST OF THE STRONG, IT'S 1-A'S VERY OWN ICE PRINCE, TODOROKI SHOUTO!"
Todoroki walked onto the stage stiffly. Eraserhead watched intently. "He's furious already…"
He snapped his hand to his microphone, patching into Midnight's headset. "Get ready to call the match early. This is going to get ugly."
Present Mic winced, clutching his hands to his chest. "AND COMING UP ON STAGE NOW, IT'S THE SECOND SUPPORT STUDENT OF THE DAY! HE KNOWS A THOUSAND AND ONE FACTS ABOUT ALL MIGHT, HE LOVES HEROES WITH EVERY FIBRE OF HIS BEING, AND HE'S HERE TODAY! GIVE IT UP FOR THE CREATIVE, COURAGEOUS, MIDORIYA IZUKU!"
He switched his microphone off, watching as Midoriya took to the stage. He wore a huge smile on his face, along with various pieces of Support tech strapped on his back and arms. That sonic gun from before was holstered, along with what looked like a miniature washing machine on a gun barrel. A pair of white boots similar to Hatsume's seemed to spring slightly as he walked, the heel supported by what looked like some sort of wire. A pair of thick goggles similar to Hatsume's were currently on his forehead, a microphone dangling from the side.
"Good luck, LIttle Listener…" he muttered.
—
AN: Holy shit I bashed this one out quickly. I felt the muse hit me over the head. So! Fights have happened, some results expected, some not! It was a close match, but Momo managed to win against Shiozaki! Sorry for Shiozaki fans, but Momo managed to get a bit of a reprieve from the vines and took the win!
I want to share the bracket, but fanfiction won't let me.
So! Next time, we're getting the climactic confrontation! Will Izuku manage to lose? Will Todoroki independently pull his head out from his ass? Find out next time on Villain Notebook for the Future!
