Disclaimer: I do not own the world of My Hero Academia

A/N: It's been a while. I know, I'm so sorry. I hope you enjoy this chapter. We get to go with Michiko to her first ever sports festival! I won't spend much time here because it would just be me rewriting what we see in the show so eventually I will be skipping ahead. I hope you enjoy and thank you for your patience!


Michiko watched, fascinated, from her place hovering near the ceiling as the students of 1-A practiced in the training center. It was her day to monitor and she couldn't help but admit that she admired these kids a bit. No one could say that they weren't committed. With two weeks till the Sports Festival, most of the students were giving all they got.

Uraraka was working on levitating rubble, while Ashido and Aoyama target it. Sero and Ojiro were practicing their agility while Kirishima and Sato worked on their strength. Even shy Koda was talking to animals over in the forest zone. Over in another area, Bakugo was busy blowing things up with an incredible (scary) amount of intensity.

She let her eyes drift out the window, watching Iida dash around the building, yelling as he ran. Kaminari was practicing letting his electricity run without frying his brain. Others, like Todoroki, Midoriya, Yaoyoroza, Mineta, Asui, Hagakure, Shoji and Jiro had chose to train elsewhere; at least she hoped they were training.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the lights flare up. She knew that Tokoyami was working on Dark Shadows resistance to light. He had asked for her assistance but . . . she hadn't thought that was the best idea. His power hit a little close to home.

So, instead, she sat on high, playing with a photon, watching them train.

"Onichi-san! Onichi-San!" Michiko looked down to see Uraraka waving up at her. She drifted down towards her, curious. The other girl, Ashido and Aoyama were all grinning at her conspiratorially.

"What's up?" Michiko asked suspiciously.

"We were just wondering," Uraraka started.

"Could you tell us what the sports festival was like when you competed?" Ashido jumped in.

"Oh! Well, I didn't. Compete that is. I went to a private school," Michiko explained, easily at their shocked faces.

"How did you become a Pro-Hero?" Aoyama asked. "UA is the top school for this sort of thing, no?"

"It is, but with a lot of hard work and drive, I pushed my way forward," Michiko responded. It was a question she had been asked a lot, especially growing up in Japan. She thought she may have loved to attend UA, make all these friends. "You're – you're all very lucky. You'll get to know some incredibly strong, powerful people and form bonds and teams that will transcend anything you encounter out there."

The kids smiled at each other and Michiko smiled as well. "Now, I think you all have some work to do."

"Yes Ma'am!"


Days passed and before they knew it, the Sports Festival had arrived.

Michiko knocked hesitantly on the door to the announcer booth, tugging on the bottom of her Hero costume. She would have much preferred to dress normally but Principal Nezu had insisted they show off.

The door swung open, Yamada standing there with his normal giant grin. "Onishi, welcome!"

"Thanks for having me," Michiko responded as she entered.

"I thought, since it's your first Festival, you could do with some box seats!" Yamada responded. "Plus, Shota mentioned how you might want to avoid the crowds."

Michiko looked at the back of the bandaged wrapped teacher sitting in a seat in front of a microphone and camera. She quirked an eyebrow. "That was awfully considerate of him."

"If I need a break," Aizawa started, "you're taking over."

"Of course," Michiko sighed, taking a seat behind his and Yamada's. "You're so selfish."

"It's almost time to start!" Yamada said.

"Wait," Michiko said, sitting up straight in her chair. "Am I going to be on camera?"

Yamada sent her a sly smile. "Oh my, you're right! I guess I didn't think of that!"

"Both of you are devious!"

The hero chuckled, turning to the camera as a light on top turned on. "Make some noise all you rabid sports fans! Get those cameras prepped, media hordes!"

Michiko could hear the screams of the crowds, their excitement palpable. She would be lying if she said she wasn't intrigued by all of this.

"This year," Yamada continued, "we're bringing you some of the hottest performances in sports festival history, guaranteed! I've only got one question before we start this show: Are you ready? Let me hear ya scream as our students make their way to the main stage!"

A smile came to her face as the first years entered the arena, determined looks on all their faces. They were probably so nervous but they were putting on a good front.

The tension was palpable. Kayama stood with a flag off to the side as the first years watched the lights, ready and eager to go. The light turned green and Kayama yelled, "Begin!"

They all took off, using their powers to their advantage to get a headstart.

"And we're off to a racing start!" Yamada yelled into his microphone. "How about some color commentary, Mummy-man?" he asked, turning slightly to Aizawa.

"How did you talk me into this?" Aizawa mumbled, clearly not amused.

Yamada, like always, was unfazed by the reaction he got. "What should we be paying attention to in the early stages of the race?"

"The doorway."

Michiko snorted, rolling her eyes. "Or how the kids are using their quirks to get ahead of the crowd. That's a lot of students down there; getting through the doorway won't be simple without some sort of strategy."

"Some insightful thoughts from Pro-Hero Lumena, back to join us just in time for these exciting events!"

The mega screen changed to show the commentator box, Michiko's eyes wide. She quickly schooled her expression into a bright smile. Though it had been a few years, she knew how to work a camera and a crowd, despite not wanting to. "Glad to be here!" she responded, cheerfully, earning an eye roll herself from Aizawa.

Suddenly, ice shot out of the doorway. Todoroki dashed forward, leaving a lot of his fellow first years with their feet frozen to the ground. Michiko leaned forward, nodding in approval at how powerful Enji's kid was. If he was that strong with his ice, she couldn't wait to see what his fire was like.

Quickly following his lead, Bakugo, Kirishima, Yaoyorozu, and Ayame used their quirks to burst into the air, over the crowd stuck behind them. Ojiro was quick to follow as well, using his tail to spring him high into the air, Tokayami and Dark Shadow zooming past him. Not everyone had gotten trapped in the ice and they slipped, slid and skated their way back into and it wasn't just the kids from 1-A. Michiko frowned at the boy riding on some of his classmate's shoulders as they trudged along dutifully. She wondered what his quirk was.

Surprisingly, it was Mineta who caught up with Todoroki, looking ready to take the boy out when he was knocked to the side by one of the training bots. Michiko winced. "Got to pay attention to all sides."

"Oooh, enemies have shown up out of nowhere!" Yamada commented. "I bet we're in for a treat here! A test of strength and cunning! It's a Robo Inferno!"

With barely any hesitation, Todoroki swung his arm around, freezing the three robots in front of him place. He took off running again, leaving his classmates in shock as he darted through their legs. As a few brave souls made to follow him, the robots began to teeter, falling and crashing to the ground.

"That's Todoroki from Class 1-A, pulling ahead to an early lead with a devastating display! Amazing!" Yamada shot to his feet, pounding his hands on the desk. "He's one we should watch! It almost seems unfair! Thoughts!"

"It almost seemed as if he froze them in that position on purpose," Michiko said, thoughtfully. "Like he knew they would fall. It was a very smart tactic."

"His attack was both offensive and defensive," Aizawa replied.

"No wonder he was let in on recommendations!" Yamada hollered. "He never even fought those Robo Infernos before, but they didn't stand a chance against his chart-topping moves!"

The other students weren't given much of a reprise; more Robo Infernos appeared before them, blocking their path.

"The first year students are already off to a rockin' start and it's only the first round! Talk about a cruel obstacle course! Our players are racing against each other in a vicious battle where anything goes so long as they stay on the track!"

"Watch it," Aizawa said as he and Michiko ducked to avoid Yamada's swinging arms.

"We'll continue to bring you live updates and pulse-pounding action, thanks to the camera robots placed around the course! The stakes are high! We've got a whole school of top-notch students trying to be heroes, but do they really stand a chance against our heavy metal swarm of Robo Infernos!"

Michiko clasped her hands together as Kirishima burst through the top of one of the robots that had fallen. He had been under there!?

"It's Kirishima from Class 1-A!" Yamada yelled. "What a hardcore debut for this rookie!"

Another student burst out of the machine a few feet from Kirishima.

"Whooo! Tetsutetsu from Class 1-B was also stuck underneath! What are the odds?"

"Very lucky, considering their quirks," Michiko agreed.

"He should have just asked you to do this in the first place if you were going to get so excited," Aizawa muttered, earning a cheeky grin from Michiko.

Bursts of fire popped on the screen as Bakugo jetted himself up into the air, propelling himself past the swinging arms of the robots.

"Class 1-A's Bakugo is rocketing over the obstacles! Clever!"

He wasn't the only one. Tokoyami and Sero were also using their quirks to make their way over the obstacles. Michiko watched Class 1-A as most of the students took the lead. They barreled forward, no matter the obstacle.

She knew she probably shouldn't have favorites but it was proving to be hard.

"Class 1-A's learned not to hesitate," Aizawa spoke up. "They've seen what the real world is like. They've felt the fear of facing villains. Yet they fight on, trying to overcome that fear. They've grown. All of them. And they know that they have to act quickly if they want to stay alive."

A small smile came to her face and her heart swelled. She recognized that feeling.

She was very proud.

"If you thought that first obstacle was easy, let's see how you feel about the second one!"

Michiko tilted her head to the side, smiling wide for the camera. "Depends on how you define the word easy."

On the screen, the students approached a wide pit, rocky poles jetted up from deep down. There were a couple of ropes stretched out among the rocks, but they weren't nearly thick enough for anyone to walk across.

"If they take a spill they're out! If they want to pass this test, they'll have to get creative!"

Asui must have taken that challenge personally. She leaped out into the pit, grabbing onto a rope and crawling her way quickly across. Nearly right behind her, a girl with bright pink hair shot out a grappling hook. She seemed to fly across the pit, propelled into the air by the boots she was wearing.

"Oh I see!" Michiko held a finger in the air. "She must be from the Support Class. What a great opportunity to show what her gadgets can do."

"In the world of Heroes, it can be hard to get by without a flashy quirk," Yamada said, turning to Aizawa. "Right, Eraser Head?"

Aizawa flinched, hunching his shoulders forward as Michiko hid her smile behind her mouth. "I don't know what you're talking about, idiot."

"Looks like Todoroki from Class 1-A is still skating by easily!"

Bakugo, however, was very nearly right on his trail.

"The leader's putting distance between him and the students stuck at the fall!" Yamada cried out. "It hasn't been announced how many competitors will make it through to the next round, so there's no time to relax."

Michiko leaned forward in her seat, surprised by how quickly she had become invested in this race. She wanted 1-A, any one of them, to come in first. She had seen how hard they had worked, how much they wanted this. It was turning her into a bundle of nerves.

"Now we are finally approaching the last obstacle. Everyone had better tread carefully. You're stepping onto a minefield! If you look carefully, you can see where those little bombs are buried, so keep your eyes on the ground, folks. By the way, those landmines were designed for the games, so they might be loud and flashy, but they're not all that powerful. Just enough to make you wet your pants!"

"Get a hold of yourself," Aizawa muttered.

Michiko frowned at the screens, noticing her little green haired friend was carrying a large chunk of a robot from earlier. "That's odd," she whispered.

When Aizawa shifted his gaze to her, she shook her head, focusing again on Midoriya. What on earth was he going to do with that?

She was distracted by a flash of flame as Bakugo jetted over the mind field, flying straight towards Todoroki. He moved past the other boy quickly, attacking him as he did so.

"Whoa!" Michiko gasped. "Talk about speed."

"Just like that, a new student takes the lead! The media here is going crazy! There's nothing they love more than an upset! Hey, hey, hey! The rest of the competitors are catching up too!"

True to his word, a couple of students, such as Tenya and Shiozaki, were pulling forward. Meanwhile, Bakugo and Todoroki were fighting, trying to trip each other up to get to the finish as the rest of their classmates attempted to avoid the landmines.

All except –

"No way!" Michiko gasped, standing up from her seat and leaning against the desk.

"What –" Aizawa started as Michiko pointed at the screen.

It had been out of the ordinary, so she had been watching him, watching as Midoriya had stopped at the entrance to the obstacle, waiting, before he began to dig. She watched as he strapped the chunk of robot he had been carrying to his arms and then – he jumped.

An explosion rocked the stadium.

"What's with that huge explosion in the back!" Yamada yelled. "That was way more powerful than it should be!"

Dust and dirt flew through the air . . . and so did Midoriya.

"Incredible! What just happened!? Whatever the case, Class 1-A Midoriya Izuku is suddenly in hot pursuit of first place! Strike that!" Yamada added as Midoriya raced over the two boys in front. "The lead is his!"

"That kid," Michiko muttered, a grin coming to her face.

He might surprise you.

And he keeps doing just that, Toshinori, she thought, shaking her head.

Bakugo and Todoroki chased after Midoriya, Todoroki laying an ice path that was sure to be helpful for the other competitors but she could tell that wasn't the focus.

"Look at that plot twist!" Yamada yelled. "Those two aren't fighting anymore! They're chasing Midoriya! That's what having a common enemy will do in this competition. This fight is still far from over, though!"

Michiko tried to hold back a cheer as Midoriya flipped in the air, placing his feet on both Bakugo and Todoroki's shoulders as he flung his robot piece to the ground. The resulting explosion knocked the two other boys aside, propelling Midoriya forward.

"In a stunning move, Midoriya has blasted past his classmates from 1-A! I don't believe it – he cleared that minefield in an instant! Eraser Head, your students are amazing! What the heck are you teaching them?"

"This has nothing to do with me," Aizawa answered. "Each of them is powered by their own drive to succeed."

The three boys disappeared into the tunnel before the finish.

"There you have it! Eraser Head is a terrible teacher!"

"I'm what?"

"Present Mic!"

"Who would have imagined that at the beginning of this race that the climax would be a non-stop mega mix of surprises?"

Michiko clutched the back of Yamada and Aizawa's chairs, holding her breath as she waited for one of the boys to appear.

"The first to make it back into the stadium is the first-place winner! Midoriya Izuku is our champion!"

Michiko's hands flew to her head as the crowd burst into cheers. He looked shocked at his success but she could tell he was very proud. He wiped away tears as the rest of his classmates and friends began to enter the stadium. She sunk back into her seat, taking a deep breath.

Okay, maybe she did have a favorite.