Chapter 12: And We'll all Float On Okay
Summary:
It takes some preparation, but U.A.'s Sports Festival finally begins!
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Well, I believe we have all the data necessary at this point!" Nezu said happily.
Izuku panted, as did Ochako. Momo and Tsuyu were looking better, but not by much. Toru… well, they couldn't see how she was doing, per se, but Izuku could feel her exhaustion as well through the bond. They began taking off the various sensory bands secured along their heads, hands, necks, and anywhere that didn't require a more private removal.
Sitting to the side for the testing gym were Nezu, Recovery Girl, All Might, Mei, and, over individual holograms, David and Melissa Shield. Mei and Melissa were both similarly covered in sensors. Izuku smiled as he took a bottle of water and said, "What's the verdict?"
"The EEGs detect normal brain activity among all of you no matter the distance," David said. "There were spikes whenever a member used the empathy features of a Stage 1 Bond. Distance didn't matter, as Melissa was affected as well as any other member of the group."
"Thus far, the only instance where we could see any difference in your physical capabilities was between Midoriya and Uraraka within range of their Stage 2 Bond," Nezu said. "While you were within ten meters of one another, brain activity spiked, and both of your base physical abilities were increased by ten percent. This was true whether Midoriya was operating Quirkless, with Full Cowl active, or with Full Cowl at half-strength 'invisible mode.'"
Izuku finished off the water bottle as he pondered this. "The incident with Bakugou, where the bond increased… We were more than ten meters apart."
"We would like to have tested you both for that," Nezu said. "However, I was vetoed."
"I'd rather you not risk their lives for an experiment," Recovery Girl said with an edge to her voice.
"Duly noted," Nezu said, looking somewhat cowed for the first time any of the students could tell. "Near as we can tell, the life-or-death defense mechanism has no limit, or at least an extended one."
"Good to know, but we can't rely on it," Izuku mused. "Entering a dangerous situation expecting our Bond to save us is a good way to learn the limitations in a potentially fatal manner."
"You've learned self-preservation," Recovery Girl deadpanned. "It's a miracle."
Izuku blushed and stammered. Nezu stated, "Well, now that we have a baseline for your Quirk as it currently stands, we should be prepared to see how it improves when another one reaches the next stage, or if you and Uraraka potentially reach a third stage…" clearing his throat, the mammal stated, "You're dismissed."
Mei grabbed the projector for Melissa's hologram and walked over to the others, "So, what do you think would cause a Stage 3 Bond to form?"
Izuku and Ochako turned bright red at that question. Momo wasn't too far behind. Tsuyu began to ribbit in a chuckling manner. Melissa simply shook her head.
Mei looked confused, "What did I say?"
Toru, clearly amused, grabbed Mei's shoulder, "You're not that naive, are you?"
Mei blinked for a bit, then her eyes lit up, "Oh, you mean we'd have to fuck! Awesome!"
Tsuyu's chuckles became large belly-laughs, which Toru and Melissa joined. Momo covered her face entirely.
Izuku was rooted in place, up until Mei pointed out, "Ochako's on the ceiling."
Looking up to see the bright red form of his girlfriend (His girlfriend . His first girlfriend . Of several . This was almost too much for him), who indeed had accidentally activated her Quirk and was currently on the gym's high ceiling. Ignoring the embarrassment, he chose to float up to meet her.
"Occhan," Izuku said, "We're gonna need you to come down."
"Nope, I live here now," Ochako responded. "Away from embarrassment."
"Well, as long as your stomach holds out," Izuku stated.
"If you're near me, my stomach will hold out for longer," Ochako said. "Plus, I can drop it and you can hold me while I'm up here…"
"And that'll make you less embarrassed?" Izuku asked.
"Not like I can hear them," Ochako turned away from the floor.
Izuku smiled sympathetically, "At least until they bring Present Mic in."
Ochako pouted, "Phooey. My plans are ruined. All right, bring me down."
"Any preference how?" Izuku asked.
Ochako put a finger to her cheek in thought. "Surprise me."
In an act of spontaneity, he chose to put her in a bridal carry and floated the two of them down to the ground.
Did it help the embarrassment, either hers or his own? No.
Did he regret it? Also no.
"You jerk," Ochako muttered as she desperately tried not to smile. Momo nearly swooned, Tsuyu nodded in approval, and Toru cheered and applauded as they landed. Melissa's hologram disconnected for a second before she returned, giving a whistle.
After Ochako was standing on her own two feet, Mei announced, "I wanna try that!" Izuku braced himself for Mei leaping into his arms, but instead found that she lifted him off the ground and held him in the same bridal carry.
"Woah…" Izuku muttered. "I knew you were strong, but still, woah…"
Melissa blushed at the action and began writing down a reminder. She had to see if her father could speed up the school transfer somehow.
"Uuuuuugh," Mina groaned in pain. "I'm gonna find a way to resurrect and then murder whoever invented calculus…"
"So, either Newton or Liebniz, then," Momo stated. "Depending on which claim you believe."
"I'll get both of them!" Mina stated confidently.
Setsuna slumped down, "Man, do I ever hate math."
"At least you're good at it," Denki said enviously.
"Doesn't make it any less terrible," Setsuna chuckled.
"Why are we even doing this?" Toru complained. "Shouldn't we be training for the Sports Festival?"
With a few exceptions (like Tsuyu, who was currently babysitting her siblings), the students of 1-A were in Momo's mansion after school for a study group.
Tenya gave an enthusiastic hand chop, "It's necessary to maintain respectable grades as well as show off our prowess at the festival! It wouldn't do to excel at the Sports Festival only to fail our midterms shortly thereafter!"
Izuku chuckled as he looked over at Pony, after checking her essay, "[Your grasp of Japanese is much more than before!]" he replied in English.
"[You mean 'much better than before']" Pony said, sighing. "[I'm glad. I hate sounding so stupid when I speak Japanese!]"
"[You are helping us with English, so thank you!]" Ochako said, accented and stilted, but much better than any prior attempts with English.
"We can all agree that Pony is awesome, right?" Kyoka asked everyone. "Like, learning calculus and English themselves are tough enough, can you imagine having to learn calculus in English?"
Most of the students shuddered at that thought.
At that, Momo called for a break, allowing the group to walk around, use the bathroom, or have a snack (the buffet table that was presented for them was astonishing). Izuku stepped out to use the men's room.
As he was washing his hands, he found his thoughts drifting to the girls, Momo in particular. These study groups made her so happy. It was honestly charming.
It's too bad that we decided to wait until after the Festival to actually go on dates, Izuku thought. She deserves a nice time out. They all do.
"You know," Yoichi interjected, "The more time we spend with Momo, the more I think that the bonds don't necessarily have to do with our Quirks…"
Izuku blinked, How so?
"The synergy between our Quirks is weak," Yoichi stated. "However, our upbringing is a much stronger connection. Both she and I have lived sheltered lives, though the circumstances were very different. Not to mention that we're both bookish nerds…"
Izuku nodded, It's something to consider. I mean, if it were solely based on which Quirks resembled each other more, Daigoro-ji-san's Quirk fits Shiozaki-san much better than Tsu-chan.
"Honestly, I'm glad it didn't form with her," Daigoro chimed in. "She's too uptight as far as I'm concerned. Tsu-chan is much more chill."
Not to mention, she's not likely to approve of this whole thing, Izuku thought. I wouldn't want to make her uncomfortable.
"Personality or history might be a factor," Nana agreed. "But there's definitely a stronger connection between Ochako-chan and me through our Quirks."
"Same here," En pointed out.
Hikage contemplated, "Considering Mei and I share both Quirk and personality similarities, I presume that I win."
"You're a hermit who lived in the woods, she's an inventor," Daigoro said, exasperation radiating off of him.
"That's just two different ways to be a social outcast. Therefore, I win," Hikage said simply.
"If those are the criteria, Toshi wins," Nana countered. "He's steeped in Americana, she is American, both are Quirkless, blond and blue eyed, and he's her honorary uncle."
"Curses," Hikage grumbled, as All Might's vestige beamed with pride. Izuku rolled his eyes as he left the restroom.
Once he did, he found that Mina and Setsuna were waiting for him in the hallway.
"Why do I hear boss music?" Yoichi asked as Danger Sense began to ping ever-so-slightly.
"Hey, Midori~" Mina said in a singsong voice that was vaguely threatening. "We need to talk."
"O-of course!" Izuku said, unable to control his stutter. "I-is everything okay?"
"That entirely depends on you," Setsuna said, smiling in a way that was more like baring her fangs. "What exactly are your intentions towards Toru-chan?"
"Eh?" Izuku asked.
"We didn't think you'd be cheating on Ochako-chan," Mina said, looking at him with concern. "You two are joined at the hip. But ever since you helped Toru-chan with her hero outfit…"
"We want to make sure you're not two-timing Ochako-chan," Setsuna said. "Or stringing Toru-chan along…"
Izuku frowned. He knew that they were concerned, but he also wanted to keep it under his hat for now. Though, if the wrong thing got out… "You deserve to know, but we don't want this getting spread everywhere. Can you keep it a secret for now?"
Mina suddenly looked torn between accusatory and thrilled to stumble upon a secret, "Oh? What have we uncovered?"
Setsuna was still concerned, "That entirely depends on what you're about to say…"
"We're polyamorous," Izuku said, scratching his arm. "We've only just begun the relationship, but it's several of us together."
Mina gasped, her concern melting like it was dunked in her strongest acid, "Really?!"
Setsuna relaxed a tad, but she was still looking concerned, "So you kind of are two-timing…"
"No!" Izuku looked angry at them. "I'd never betray any of their trusts! We… we just all want to date, and I don't want to hurt anyone by excluding them…"
Mina turned to Setsuna, "C'mon, Set-chan! This just means they've got more love to spread around! It's not the same as cheating on someone behind their back!"
"Look, we're not ashamed of it, but we also don't want to advertise it, okay, Ashido-chan?" Izuku said.
"Don't worry, I'm not gonna out a fellow poly person!" Mina said happily.
"Wait, what?" Setsuna asked. Izuku looked gobsmacked.
"Well, yeah, I love a ton of people. I can go exclusive, if I want to, but I'm more comfortable being open," Mina said happily.
Setsuna gave a hum, "Not something I ever considered, but I guess as long as you're all on board and you're making each other happy, it's fine."
Izuku sighed, "I'm glad you understand."
Setsuna looked him over. "You're not going to hurt Toru-chan," she commanded.
"I certainly wouldn't intentionally hurt her," Izuku said.
"Set-chan, are you going to do that old 'If you do anything to hurt her I'll throw you out of a window' or whatever?" Mina said with exasperation.
"I was gonna, then I remembered this is Midori and he'd probably throw himself out a window if he hurt her. Also, he can fly so it's not that big a threat," Setsuna concluded.
As they walked back, Mina asked, "So who else are you dating?"
Izuku blushed, "I don't want to spill everything…"
"Makes sense," Mina shrugged. "Just means I have to find out for myself…" she grinned.
"Well, that's fucking ominous," Daigoro muttered.
"I wish we could have trained together," Izuku said to the class in the waiting room. The two week period before the Sports Festival had flown past them.
Tenya looked at him oddly, "Midoriya, we are competing against one another as well. Training together would defeat that purpose, granting our opponents an edge on the field of battle."
"True, but it's so much easier to improve when training with someone else," Izuku countered. "Sparring would be much more effective than simply studying tactics or practicing. Not to mention that there would be an equal exchange of information traded when working together…"
Itsuka nodded as he said this, "Honestly, you both have a point. I suppose it's a matter of whether you decide that shared improvement is worth the risk of exposing a weakness."
"Is that usually a problem when sparring while preparing for martial arts tournaments?" Izuku asked.
"Not as much as you'd expect," Itsuka replied. "Then again, train in a dojo with people long enough, you tend to figure out their strengths and weaknesses just by intuition."
Izuku nodded. Part of him wanted to ruminate more, but the light came on, as Present Mic summoned them to the field. Class 1-A walked out to thunderous applause.
When Class 1-B came out, the applause was still loud, but it was noticeable how much less there was.
"Guess that explains why that Monoma guy kept ranting at us," Yoichi mused.
"It was so satisfying when Shoda punched him in the back of the knee," Nana added.
Izuku tried to concentrate on the words being broadcast, mostly to avoid the stares that Todoroki was drilling into him. He could see that Shinso was also watching him from 1-C, as was a guy who looked somewhat familiar, a tall muscular guy with red and white hair styled into a pompadour. Mei, of course, was covered in her various babies. She waved at him from her spot in 1-H. He smiled and gave a thumbs up.
Midnight, present in her scandalous-looking outfit, cracked her whip and stated, "And now, for the athlete's oath, I present your First-Year student representative, Izuku Midoriya!"
"Why does he get to do it?" He could hear someone in Gen Ed ask, deliberately loudly.
"He got the highest score in the entrance exam!" He heard Toru say in his defense.
"Yeah, for the Hero course…" the Gen Ed voice grumbled.
"He beat All Might's record!" came a louder voice from Gen Ed, the red-and-white pompadour guy (who Izuku vaguely remembered being in the same grounds as him for the entrance exam). "I'd say he earned it!"
Izuku made his way to the podium, taking the microphone from Midnight. He took a deep breath, steeled himself, and began, "Holding this Sports Festival is a terrible idea."
The crowd began to hum in confusion as he said that. Several people, particularly in 1-B, gave him dirty looks.
"To be more precise, televising this Sports Festival is a terrible idea. Not too long ago, U.A. was attacked by villains. Thankfully, we made it through the attack with no casualties, but now, their attention is on us. Any of those villains who escaped, or any villains who think they can succeed where the previous attack failed, are now going to get a free display of our capabilities.
"So, today, I pledge to give it my all so that any villain out there watching us stops before they even think about attacking us again," Izuku said. "And I want to see the same from all of you.
"To my classmates in 1-A, I want you to show the world why the leader of the League of Villains fled crying and throwing a tantrum like a toddler.
"To my brothers in arms of 1-B, I want you to show them that if you were at the USJ in our place, they would have been thrashed just as thoroughly, if not worse.
"To everyone in Support, show the world that we'll be well equipped to handle whatever it throws at us.
"To the Gen-Ed and Business students, show them that if they think you'd be an easy target, they have another thing coming.
"There's two open seats in the Hero Course. If any of you want to take them, show us all why you deserve them…
"I'm going to show you the best I'm capable of being right now, and I'll show you more. I want the same from each and every one of you! Go beyond!" Izuku called out.
"PLUS ULTRA!" came the enthusiastic response of his fellow students, of the audience, and several of the teachers he could spot.
With that, Midnight quickly revealed the first event, an obstacle race. The students made their way to the starting position, which was right before a tight corridor.
"Danger Sense is starting to ping," Izuku warned his classmates. "It's coming from Todoroki."
"He's gonna attack us?" Kirishima scoffed. "Super unmanly."
"It's not against the rules, though," Momo stated.
Any musings they may have had on Todoroki's strategy had to be shelved as the countdown began. Once the final light turned green, the students began to rush into the corridor. Izuku started off using Float, flying high above the competition as they were crammed shoulder-to-shoulder in the hallway. Several of his classmates had similar ideas. Ochako had removed her own gravity and was leaping from wall to wall, as was Tsuyu.
And Danger Sense proved accurate as Todoroki let out a wave of ice, freezing many students in place and covering the ground in slick ice. Izuku scoffed, flying past him, and saw the horde of robots that were looking at the students menacingly. Over a dozen zero-pointers were among the armies facing the students.
Izuku had tested Float's capabilities. He could safely pour One for All's power into his flight, more than he could into his body. He could fly over the robots at top speeds… hell, he could clear the entire course in less than a minute. And, for a second, it seemed like he would…
Then, he felt Danger Sense go off, and he looked back to see that Todoroki had frozen the zero-pointers in such a way that they were deliberately falling on top of other students.
Doubling back at intense speeds, green lightning arced off of Izuku's body as he slammed his feet into the robot, strongly enough that the robot fell away from the student body.
"Great work, Mido-bro!" Came the synchronized call of Tetsutetsu and Kirishima, both of whom were in the path of the falling machines.
Well, at least the targets could handle it, Izuku thought as he flew onwards… only now he was checking to make sure that something like this wouldn't happen again…
"And what a fantastic play by Izuku Midoriya!" Present Mic stated through the loudspeakers. "Sacrificing his lead to ensure the safety of his fellow competitors!"
"It's a bold strategy, but not out of character," Eraserhead commented. "The question becomes, is that kindness going to bite him?"
Izuku decided right then and there that he would make sure it didn't. He flew at high speeds, checking the next obstacle… which turned out to be a deep gorge with numerous rocky plateaus covering it. Wires connected the plateaus, which would allow the students to cross, but one errant slip could send them hurtling into the abyss below.
Well, while Todoroki was skating across on the ice sheets he was forming, Izuku shot over it like a bullet, looking at the third and final obstacle… a minefield.
"They really weren't considering someone who could fly when they were designing this course, were they?" Nana asked smugly as Izuku considered his next options. He could easily fly across this minefield without harming himself whatsoever, and claim first place in the first event…
But he had an audience watching him, and, more importantly, he had classmates who would be following him. And… Well, he was hoping to become a hero… And what hero would leave something so dangerous for other people?
And so, smirking to himself, Izuku flew into the air, then did a frontal somersault to gain momentum, crying out "California Smash!" as he slammed his open palm onto the ground using One for All at a straining-but-doable ten percent.
Once the strike hit, the shockwave rippled through the ground. Izuku took off straight into the air, Float aided by the momentum of the explosions below him.
Todoroki had reached the edge of the minefield just as it erupted into a blazing inferno of explosions. As Present Mic and Eraserhead commented, the mines weren't lethal, but the force of the explosion knocked the heterochromatic boy ass over teakettle, stopping just short of flying back into the ravine.
When the explosions cleared, Todoroki could see Izuku crossing the finish line.
"Of course winning the first event would have a downside come the second," Yoichi sighed. Izuku's ten million point headband hung around his neck like the dead albatross in that old poem.
"It only makes sense," Hikage replied. "How long has Toshinori been at the number one spot, with those below him wishing to overtake him?"
"Speaking of, looks like Endeavor Jr. wants to absolutely murder us," Daigoro said.
No pressure, Izuku thought sarcastically as he looked for people to join his team for the cavalry battle. Most were looking at him like he was some mix between a leper and a tasty snack.
As he was wondering whether he'd be disqualified for not having a team, Ochako came right up to him. "You didn't think I'd abandon you now, did you, Izu-kun?"
Instinctively tearing up in response, Izuku said, "Rational brain didn't. Anxiety brain was certain you would."
"Izu-kun, both of us are stronger when we're together, literally," Ochako smirked. "Did you think I'd pass that up?"
Izuku sighed in relief, "So, we need one or two more. We just need someone crazy enough to-"
"IZUKU!" came a shout from Izuku's left side, nearly making the two of them jump. Mei was there, grinning like a loon. "Good going with that stunt in the first half! Now every eye is going to be on you for this round! I'll be sure to have some important eyes on my babies if I join your team!"
Relieved, Izuku looked around. Momo had joined Tenya, and both were approaching Ibara. Toru had joined Mina and Setsuna, and Eijiro and Tetsutetsu were playing janken for the fourth spot. Fumikage and Reiko, surprising no one, had joined forces, and Kuroiro approached them. Shinso had teamed up with the red-and-white pompadour guy. Pompadour spoke to the fourth non-Hero Course student, a girl who turned them down. He wasn't sure if anyone else would join them…
At which point, Tsuyu hopped over, "So what's the plan, Izu-chan?"
Izuku was shocked, "Just like that?"
"Ribbit, not gonna lie, I was considering not joining you, but I figured that at the rate things usually go, ribbit, you were bound to pull some new random bullshit out of your ass to win this next round. I'd rather be on your side when that happens, ribbit," Tsuyu shrugged.
Izuku paused, before saying, "I really hate that you're not wrong."
"All right! Full team!" Mei cheered. "So, what's our plan of attack?"
"Between my flight, Occhan's Zero Gravity, and Mei-chan's babies, we should probably go airborne for as long as possible," Izuku thought aloud. "Tsu-chan should be the rider, her tongue gives her reach so she can potentially steal headbands from a distance. Mei, how many flight-capable babies do you have?"
"Managed to make a second jetpack and pair of hover soles!" Mei said cheerfully.
"Will they explode on us?" Izuku asked.
"Ten to fifteen percent chance," Mei said without any sense of shame.
Izuku looked at Ochako, "I'd roll those dice if it were me, but…"
"I'll take my chances with them," she responded.
"All right, now this is a long shot, but do you have a drone?" Izuku asked Mei.
"Pssh, who do you think I am?" Mei replied, pulling out a mechanical orb. She activated it, and it hovered in front of them.
Izuku grinned, "Then I think we can win this one