Ochako looked around worriedly, Tsuyu at her side as the pair watched Midnight announce the students heading to the next round.
"Where is he?" she muttered, hopping nervously from foot to foot, "He'll be disqualified if he's late!"
"I'm sure he's fine," Tsuyu croaked, patting Ochako on the shoulder, "He's probably just gone to get more blood, kero."
"He could have just asked one of us," the brunette pouted slightly.
"You know he wouldn't do that," Tsuyu chuckled, "He would probably say something like 'I can't risk weakening you for the next round', or something, kero."
"You're right," Ochako sighed, looking around again, "But really, Midnight is about to announce the next event and he still isn't here!"
"Who's not here?" Izuku asked as he stepped up beside the two girls, smiling softly as he looked between them.
"Where were you?" Ochako asked, scowling slightly at him, "We were worried you'd miss the next event!"
"Not for the world," Izuku chuckled, the two girls watching as he shifted from side to side slightly, "I was just getting some more blood."
"Are you okay, kero?" Tsuyu asked, "You're swaying."
"I'm fine," Izuku laughed, waving off her concern, "Just excited for the next round! Speaking of which, Midnight-sensei is about to announce it!"
"And the next contest is…!" the woman shouted as the main screen spun through the options again, pausing until the words stopped, revealing the next contest, "DODGEBALL!"
The crowd cheered as the students looked around at each other in slight confusion, Midnight launching into an explanation of the rules.
"It's simple! All competitors will be randomly assigned to one of two teams. One team will defend while the other attacks. The defenders will stand in the middle of the field while the attackers line the outside and throw balls at them! Each contestant will also have three special markers attached to them and getting hit by a ball will light them up. Once all three have been lit up, you're out!" She shouted enthusiastically, images appearing on the numerous screens depicting the rules, "Each person you hit with a ball will earn you points, and if a defender manages to survive until the end of the time limit, then they'll receive 10 points for each unlit marker! Then the teams swap positions and we do it all again! And just like before, quirks are allowed!"
The crowd nodded slowly as they absorbed the rules, Midnight grinning at the students as names began to scroll across the screen in two columns.
"Aw, I'm not in the same team as Izuku," Ochako moaned as Tsuyu ribbited happily, siddling a little closer to the green-haired teen.
"Also!" Midnight shouted, "Only body shots count, so the torso, arms and legs! That means no aiming for the head, people! You can also catch and kick balls away if you want! And defenders are allowed to throw the balls back at the attackers as well! Everyone understand?"
The students all nodded as they split up into their teams, Izuku noticing that both Bakugo and Todoroki were on the opposing team, both glaring at him as he walked into the centre of the field. He looked around to try and figure out who else was on the opposing team, spotting a head of familiar purple hair as the owner chatted to a group of students.
"Ready?" Iida asked as he stepped up beside Izuku, making the teen jump slightly.
"As I'll ever be," Izuku nodded, smiling back at the taller teen.
"First to attack will be Team A!" Midnight shouted as she licked her lips, "So get ready to face the onslaught with youthful vigour, Team B!"
Izuku took a calming breath as he scanned the field again. There was just about enough space for each of the contestants to stand about a metre apart from each other, with a couple of metres of space from the edge as well, though most were tightly clustered around the centre of the field. Izuku stood about halfway between the centre and the edge, easily spotting the blonde that stalked the line like a wild animal, a sneering grin on Bakugo's face as he glared at Izuku. Izuku let out a sigh, closing his eyes as he took another calming breath, focusing on the world around him as he remembered the training his Sire had put him through. Training that was perfect for this.
"You are not to take the blindfold off until you can dodge my strikes," the man explained as Izuku stood on the roof of his Sire's apartment, the cool night air blowing gently around them, "I will be attacking now."
The first strike hit him in the side of the head, throwing Izuku off balance as the next stabbed into the back of his knee, sending him crashing to the floor.
"Ow!" he cried out, trying to get back to his feet as his Sire struck him again, "Why are we doing this? Did I do something wrong?"
"Of course not," his Sire hummed, smacking Izuku on the wrist as the teen tried to get back up again, "This is to develop your instincts. Feel the world around you. Sense the movement of the air. Avoid the attacks."
Izuku swallowed as his Sire continued to strike him at random, trying to ignore the pain as he calmed himself. Another hit. Another hit. Another hit. THERE!
Izuku darted his hand out of the way, smiling to himself as he heard his Sire's cane hit the roofing, before it smacked into his chest.
"Good," the man hummed, "But do not get arrogant from a single success. We will be continuing this until you can do it perfectly."
"AND…BEGIN!"
Izuku twisted his body to the side, hearing the small explosion before he felt the ball shoot past him, the smell of smoke and burnt sugar following it. He quickly ducked under another ball thrown by someone else, dodging to the side at the sound of another explosion, cracking open his eyes to look at the source of the blasts. Bakugo snarled as he snatched another ball from the hands of one of his teammates, hurling it at Izuku with another explosion and a screeching shout.
"JUST FUCKING DIE, DEKU!"
"Not today," Izuku hummed as he closed his eyes again, dodging under the ball.
Keeping his eyes closed probably wasn't the best strategy, but he wasn't good enough at sensing the world with his eyes open yet. He ducked and jumped, darting between the other contestants as he avoided every ball that flew his way. Well, almost every ball.
The ball smacked into the small of his back, making him blink his eyes open as he looked around in surprise, the soft chime of one of his markers going off. He was pretty sure that he had felt the ball coming but hadn't been able to react in time. He looked around, spotting a ball hanging a couple of feet in the air, snatching it up as he smiled.
"It must be Ochako," He hummed, blinking as the weightless ball suddenly regained its gravity, almost slipping from his hands. He looked down at it for a moment, before a smile inched across his face as he mused, "Maybe it's time to stop just dodging."
Where the fuck was that useless fucking nerd?
Bakugo growled as he glared at the crowd in front of him, the sweat on his palms building as he prepared to launch the ball right into that stupid bastard's freckled face.
But he was hiding. He'd ducked behind a group of extras after someone had managed to hit him. Someone else had managed to hit the little shit when he'd been able to dodge every one of Bakugo's throws. It was infuriating.
A flash of dark green caught his eye, the blond letting out a massive shout as he shot the ball straight towards it, slamming into the back of the girl with enough force to throw her to the floor. Bakugo scowled, wrong target, he needed another ball! Where was an extra with a ball he could take? Where was that fucking DEKU?!
The ball smacked against his shoulder as he looked away, Bakugo blinking in surprise as one of his markers lit up, looking up to see a grinning Izuku watching him. The rage inside him built. He snatched another ball from an extra beside him, launching it with as much force as he could at that fucking Deku. There was a loud smack, loud enough to be heard even over the shouting of the extras, Bakugo grinning to himself for a moment as he waited for the smoke to clear.
The ball slammed into his chest, knocking the air from his lungs as he was thrown backwards, another of his markers lighting up.
He stared as the smoke cleared, Deku nonchalantly shaking one of his hands as if it stung slightly.
Bakugo dug his fingers into the dirt. Fuck this. Fuck this stupid game. But most of all, fuck Deku! The little shit was showing him up! He was making fun of Bakugo!
Bakugo leapt to his feet, stalking forwards as he prepared to launch himself at the other teen, explosions crackling across his palms as he locked eyes with Deku, the stupid bastard's own eyes going wide.
Rules be damned, he was going to kill that nerd. Right here, right now.
"AND TIME!" Midnight shouted, startling Bakugo out of his rage, "Time to swap sides! Team A please make your way onto the field while Team B lines the outside!"
Bakugo scowled as he stomped towards Izuku, the green-haired teen not breaking eye contact until they passed each other.
"Don't think you're safe yet, fucking Deku," the blond hissed.
"Don't lose, Kacchan," Izuku chuckled back, making the blond tense with rage.
Izuku tossed the ball at the crowd of dazed looking students, hitting two f them as they blinked in surprise, shaking their heads. He watched as they turned towards the middle of the group, angry looks on their faces before they suddenly stilled, turning back around with he same dazed look as before.
Izuku side-stepped a ball that rocketed towards him, flinching as he heard it hit someone else behind him. He looked over at the blonde that was standing right at the edge of the defender's zone, snarling, and glaring at him as he snatched up or caught any ball he could to hurl at the green-haired teen. Despite how loud an obvious he was being, he had yet to lose a single marker this round, and had scored quite a few points, though mostly e accident when he missed Izuku.
The young Vampire just ignored him, glad that he hadn't had to use much of his blood this round, lazily tossing another ball at the crowd of dazed students in the centre of the field. His ball bounced off one, knocking him out of his daze and lighting up his third marker, meaning he was out. Instead of making his way off the field, however, he spun around, trying to grab someone in the middle of the group, before going stiff and marching away, the dazed look back on his face.
Izuku craned his head as the group closed, only managing to get a quick flash of purple as the bodies closed in around the person in the centre. His hand shot out, catching the thrown ball out of the air as Bakugo howled and swore at him, tossing it back at the group. He managed to get someone else out, the red headed girl looking around in confusion, before walking slowly off the field, an upset look on her face. Izuku spotted the purple-haired boy again, seeing him say something to one of the other students as they were hit by another ball, the angry expression on the teen's face going slack a moment later.
"Some kind of mind control quirk?" Izuku hummed, ducking under another of Bakugo's explosive throws as he glanced up at the screen, only seconds left in the round.
Izuku quickly looked around for a last-minute target, grabbing a ball from the ground. He blinked as he saw the small dome of ice on the other side of the field, the occupant obvious as a mischievous grin inched across his face. Pulling his arm back, he felt the wave of power surge through his body, before he threw the ball as hard as he could. There was a loud crack as the hardened rubber hit ice, bouncing off it as the ball sailed into the air, but doing enough damage to allow Izuku to lock eyes with a startled Todoroki. The teen gave the other a grin, the two-toned boy scowling back just as time was called.
"That was amazing, folks! Such hot blooded spirit from all these kids today!" Midnight licked her lips as she spoke, "Now! Let's see the scores!"
The massive screen lit up as names scrolled past, showing the eight contestants with the highest scores. Izuku blinked in surprise as he looked at first place, the tired eyes of the pruple-haired teen staring blankly back at him.
"And in first place! The dark horse of this contest, without taking a single hit and dealing a dozen, with 72 points! Hitoshi Shinsou of the General Education Department!" Mic screamed, "Congratulations kid! You're going to become the poster child for Gen Ed at this rate!"