Diana sat with her other friends, occasionally glancing around the cafeteria in search of Clark and Bruce. "Where are they? If they don't show up soon there won't be much time for them to eat?"

Shayera shrugged. "Maybe they went out to the concession stands because they weren't too hungry," she suggested.

"But the food in the cafeteria is free," Hal pointed out as he cut his hamburger steak, "If they weren't hungry they could have just ordered something small. Why spend money on what's basically snacks?"

Shayera swallowed some soba. "I don't know about Kent, but Wayne's rich. I doubt some concession food will put a dent in his bank. Besides Wayne's also a lone wolf. He's probably just taking some time to himself after the cavalry battle, maybe even thinking about the next event."

"Speaking of which," J'onn said after silently listening the whole time, "I want to congratulate you again Prince. You, Wayne, Adams, and Blood are the only students from 0-JL to make it to the final event."

Diana smiled and rubbed the back of her head. "Well, it was really all Wayne. It was his plans that led us to getting the 10,000,000 points." Her smile softened, and she looked down fondly. "He really is amazing. I'm glad I teamed up with him." Shayera eyed her mischievously. "Seems you really appreciated him," the redhead said with a suggestive tone. Diana quickly became flustered and immediately stuttered, "I-I'm just saying how I feel! I think it was a really good idea to team up with him!" Shayera just chuckled and replied, "Sure Prince. I'm sure that's all you feel." Hal snickered into his hand while J'onn just observed blankly.

"You guys!" The teens turned to see Wally running up to the table. "West, where have you been? And why don't you have anything? Weren't you going to get fourths?" Hal asked. Wally nodded and said, "I was, but then I heard something important. Prince, Hol! The girls are all going to have a cheer battle this afternoon!"

Shayera choked on some noodles and Diana quirked an eyebrow. "A cheer battle?" she asked. Wally nodded rapidly and bounced excitedly on his toes. "I heard some guys from 1-A telling their girls about it. They said they had to wear those outfits for the event." Wally pointed at some American girls who were wearing U.A. cheerleading uniforms. They showed off the girls' thighs and midriffs. Shayera stammered at the sight of them. Diana turned back to Wally. "I haven't heard anything about this event." The redhead said, "The boys from 1-A mentioned that they heard the news from their teacher so it must be official. I've already told the other girls in our class about it. I'm sure there are spares for all of you." Diana thought a bit and then said, "Well, if it's official guess we'll have to do it." "WHAA?!" Shayera exclaimed. "Come on, Hol. This could be fun. Besides we can raise our schoolmates' spirits for the rest of the Sports Festival," her friend reasoned. The winged girl blushed and glared away. "... Fine. But I won't enjoy it."

"But I will," Hal piped up. He closed his eyes in anticipation. "Seeing a bunch of cute girls in cheerleading attire. Sweet!" "Do you have to be so blatantly pervy?" J'onn asked. "Come on, J'onzz," Hal said as he eyed the other teen and gently elbowed him. "You can't tell me you don't want to see some hot cheerleading action." "I don't," J'onn bluntly said. Hal's grin slightly died at that straightforward response.


"That's why I will win without using my old man's damn fire."

Izuku stared at Shoto. He hadn't expected his classmate to tell him such private matters about his life. After mistaking him for All Might's secret lovechild, Shoto told him how his father, Endeavor, pressured his mother into a Quirk marriage in order to have a child strong enough to surpass the No. 1 hero. He also told him how he had gotten his scar when his mother poured boiling water on him while calling his left side "unsightly". To say Izuku was shocked was an understatement. He had never imagined such a life could exist.

Unbeknownst to them, Bakugo had been silently listening in the hall. And unbeknownst to all three of them, there was a fourth person listening just out of sight of the entrance.

Meanwhile, in parallel, Endeavor had shot down All Might's attempts at a civil conversation by telling the blonde how he had created Shoto to surpass him regardless of what he wanted, leaving the No. 1 hero uneasy. Both pro heroes were oblivious to the person on the above staircase.

It goes without saying that both secret listeners were disturbed by what they had just heard. By the time Shoto left the hall and All Might went up the stairs, no one was there.


Bruce walked through the concession stands of the festival. He kept turning what he had learned in his head. Todoroki… so his Quirk can generate fire… but he refuses to use it… though understandable, it's still… Bruce's fists tightened. He rarely got angry. Well, he's been angry before just not this type of angry. He felt like he wanted to punch something. He had to cool down.

Bruce spotted a ramune stand. Sugary, but it will suffice. He walked up to it and bought an original flavor. He popped the marble and took a long drink. So when something rammed into his legs and didn't let go, he choked and sputtered out some soda.

"Mama, Mama, look! It really is him!"

Bruce looked down to see a little boy with light brown hair and matching big eyes. He looked vaguely familiar.

"Haru! Don't run off like that! And you shouldn't randomly hug people. You might startle them." Bruce glanced up and saw a woman running towards them. She had the same hair and eyes as the boy though she had a low ponytail. Now her he definitely recognized. Though only now she wasn't looking terrified of the probability of having her life ended by a villain.

"It's you," the teen said. The woman smiled softly and nodded. "Yes. I believe we didn't get to properly introduce ourselves. I am Amane Hinazuki." The little boy released Bruce's leg to run over and hug her's. "And this is Haru, my son." Bruce nodded. "My name is Bruce Wayne though I'm sure you know that from watching the sports festival. How have you been?" Hinazuki smiled. "I've been fine. I never got to properly thank you for saving me from that villain." Bruce awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't really do much. Eraserhead was the one who stopped the villain." "Mister!" The little boy drew both his mother and Bruce's attention. His eyes sparkled as he looked up at the teen. "You saved my mama from a bad guy! You're my hero!"

Bruce jerked back a bit, surprised. He then smiled gently. "Thank you, Haru-chan. You have no idea how much those words mean to me." He and Hinazuki began walking to the stadium and Haru skipped ahead. "I was worried that Haru would be negatively affected by the event. Instead, he's made up his mind that he wants to be a hero when he grows up." Hinazuki's smile became apprehensive. "He seems so happy with the idea, but… I'm uncertain if that is the best option for him. Hero work is so dangerous." Bruce was silent and then responded, "Haru-chan is still young, so he has plenty of time to decide his future. However, if he really is determined to become a hero and is willing to give his all to achieve that goal, the best thing you can do is support him throughout his journey to that dream. You'd be surprised how much parental support can hold a person up." He smiled at her, and she returned it. "It was a pleasure to see you again. And thank you again. You really are a hero." This brought a wide smile that showed his pearly whites on to Bruce's face. "Thank you for your kind words. Stay safe." Bruce waved good-bye to the mother and son who gave him shouts of good luck. When his back was turned, he heard Haru asking his mother why "that hero" didn't have any merchandise yet. That just made Bruce beam even more.


Lunch was over, and it was time for the final game. But before that, there would be recreational games that everyone could join since this still was a sports festival. Those cheerleaders were here to liven the games up. Speaking of which…

"Hey, hey Classes 1-A and 0-JL! What's with this sudden fanservice?"

The girls of both classes stood mortified as they held pom-poms in their cheerleading uniforms.

Helena gritted her teeth. "How the hell did this happen?" Zatanna slumped in embarrassment. "West told us that there would be an official cheer battle." "I can't believe I went through with this!" Shayera snarled as she angrily threw her pom-poms down. Dinah and Diana just stood embarrassed. Mari came back after walking off. "I figured out what happened. Some pervs in 1-A were tricking the girls about this 'cheer battle', and West must have overheard and believed them." The girls sighed. "It figures his naivete would eventually screw us," Shayera muttered.

Someone clearing their throat drew the girls' attention to the side. Wally stood bashfully, looking down at his twiddling thumbs. "You guys… I want to say sorry. I told you the wrong information and now I've embarrassed you all."

All the girls softened to varying degrees. "Oh West, no one is blaming you," Zatanna reassured. "Yeah. It's not like you lied to get us into these pervy clothes," added Shayera. "You genuinely thought you were helping. That's good at least," Diana said. Wally still looked ashamed. "But I still caused this…" The boy was silent for a bit before he suddenly lit up. "Oh! I've got an idea!" He then sped off.

Clark watched his friend go. He was one of the few guys not staring at their female classmates though he was surprised like everyone else. "Man, things have taken a turn, huh Wayne? What do you think West is going to do now?" he casually asked his friend. When he didn't receive an answer, he turned away from looking at the entrance Wally had disappeared into and drew his attention towards Bruce. The teen was staring blankly ahead. Clark followed his gaze and saw it landed on Diana who hadn't noticed the boy's stares.

Clark laughed. "Yeah. It was quite a shock seeing them all dressed up like that, right Wayne?" No answer. Clark tilted his head as his friend. "Wayne?" Nothing. He snapped his fingers in front of his face. Still nothing.

… (Bruce_ has stopped working)

"... Wayne?"

"I'm back!"

Wally's high-pitch voice startled everyone, but what he was wearing shocked them even more. He had switched out his gym uniform for a cheerleading outfit causing his soft but visible abs to be seen. His runner legs were also shown off as the skirt fluttered when he bounced up and down. "There! Now you won't feel as bad because I'm now dressed up, too!" he exclaimed as he wildly shook his pom-poms. The girls just stared, absolutely gobsmacked. All the boys were also stunned. In fact, every single person in the stadium was shocked.

"West, what the hell are you doing?" Hal asked, flustered. The redhead turned to his friend. "I'm just making them feel better. I messed up, so this is my way of fixing it." "But, aren't you embarrassed?" the brunette asked. Wally pondered a bit and then replied, "Not really. I mean if girls can wear pants, why can't a guy wear a skirt?" Hal just stared before smiling and laughing softly.

Meanwhile, Class 1-A was listening and watching the scene. After hearing Wally's words, Kirishima clenched his fist with tears glistening in his eyes. "Damn, willing to risk humiliation for fellow classmates. West is truly manly!" Denki just awkwardly blushed. "... Is it weird he looks like a girl from behind?" the blonde asked. "... No?" Mineta replied, equally red.

Diana tried awkwardly to persuade Wally to change out of the uniform. "Really West, you don't need to do this. It's really not that bad."

"As if! I'm going to change!" exclaimed Helena. "But Bertinelli, you look really good in it," said a voice. Helena quickly turned to face Vic, her face tomato-red. "You- you think so?" Vic nodded. "Mm-hm. You look like a model and it shows off your perfection." Suddenly Helena had her pom-poms up and she struck a pose. "Let's do this! Cheer your hearts out!" she addressed the other girls though she remained facing Vic.

"Well she was convinced easily," Mari noted, crossing her arms. "I've gotta say though McCabe, he ain't wrong about them outfits showin' off the right stuff," Greg said. His blush bridged across his nose. "Your'n biceps are in full view," he whispered. Mari smirked and flexed her arm at the cowboy. Greg's blush deepened and the tips of his ears reddened. "Like what you see, cowboy?" the girl teased. "Definitely. Strong women are hot," the boy drawled with a grin.

Dinah looked out of the corner of her eye. "You didn't think I wouldn't notice you staring did you Queen?" she teased the other blonde. Oliver grinned. "What? Can you blame me for appreciating fine art? The cheerleading outfit is just an added bonus." Dinah coyly smiled and used her pom-poms to hide her cleavage. "I'm afraid this gallery is not open to the public." Oliver walked up to her, his gaze and grin becoming more alluring with each step. Soon he was looking into her eyes, and he said, "Why don't you give me a private sneak peek," he lifted her chin up a bit, "so I can learn more about the artist behind the gallery?"

Kaminari had disappointed tears in his eyes. "Dammit, that's three hotties already taken."

Eventually, announcements continued. The final round would be one-on-one tournament battles with the members of the five teams that made it past the cavalry battle. The brackets would be determined through random draws.

Bruce stared up at the screen displaying the currently-empty bracket chart. One-on-one fights, huh? Of those who made it through, I have a basic idea on most of their Quirks. Some, however, are still a mystery to me…

There was a bit of a surprise before the drawing. Two students, one from 1-A with a long tail, and a short guy from 1-B, withdrew from the final round. They did it for the same reason: they couldn't remember anything from the previous round and felt it wasn't right to continue without having given it their own effort. Midnight accepted their withdrawal, but that left two empty spots in the tournament.

Clark felt a hand on his shoulder. "This guy literally carried us in the last round," Hal said. Another hand rested on his other shoulder. "He was vital in allowing us to make it to the end of the cavalry battle," Dinah said. Clark glanced back and forth between them in confusion. Arthur stood off to the side with his arms crossed. "It was our fault for missing the 10,000,000 points, swish. Kent played his part well."

"... You guys…" Clark trailed off.

And so Clark along with another 1-B student advanced to the final round. With the total number back to twenty, the first bracket was chosen.

Hitoshi Shinso vs. Izuku Midoriya

Hanta Sero vs. Shoto Todoroki

Katsuki Bakugo vs. Denki Kaminari

Tenya Iida vs. Mei Hatsume

Diana Prince vs. Yuga Aoyama

Jason Blood vs. Fumikage Tokoyami

Nathaniel Adams vs. Ochaco Uraraka

Bruce Wayne vs. Mina Ashido

Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu vs. Eijiro Kirishima

Clark Kent vs. Momo Yaoyorozu

Bruce was already thinking about his plan against his opponent, however, his mind couldn't help but wander to the two students who withdrew from the competition. They both suffered from a lapse in memory… and both were on his team. He glanced at the purple-haired general studies student. Shinso Hitoshi… an intriguing line up of events.


As the recreational games took place, most who were to be in the tournament battles used that time to prepare. This was it. The final challenge for first place.

Bruce sat alone on some stairs. He heard someone walking down and looked behind himself. He gave a small smile. "Aizawa-sensei." His teacher nodded. "Hey. How are you feeling?" Bruce turned away. "I won't lie, I am quite nervous. There are many powerful opponents in the final round… and now my best friend is fighting in it, too. I have no doubt that he will make it to the end… and I plan to make it to the end as well. That means I will have to face him." Bruce's grip on his knees tightened. "When I fought him during the battle trial at the start of the school year I was barely able to do anything. The only reason Prince and I won is that I distracted him long enough for her to achieve the objective. Now if I'm going to win, I'll have to beat him. And that's practically impossible." Aizawa was silent. "Wayn-" "But," Bruce continued as he stood and looked back at his teacher, "it was practically impossible for someone like me to get into U.A., yet here I am." Aizawa nodded. "Right. You've worked hard and deserve to be here. Don't start doubting yourself now." The teen nodded in return. "Right. I'm going to win this Aizawa-sensei. Oh, Sensei! You'll never believe what happened." Bruce suddenly perked up. "I ran into that woman from the bandaged villain incident and her son. They were both in good health." Bruce shyly smiled at the ground. "Her son, Haru-chan, called me a hero. It… made me really happy." Aizawa smiled under his bandages. It was rare to see Bruce's smile, especially one as genuine as this. "That's just the first time you're going to be called a hero. Now get ready. The final round is about to start."


Bruce sat with his friends in the stands to watch the first round. Everyone was pretty excited though some were calm like J'onn, Arthur, and Jason. Speaking of Jason, Bruce noticed bandages wrapped around his forearms. The other teen had disappeared soon after the cavalry battle. His arm correlates with the one of his Quirk hit by that girl's acid, Bruce noted. He turned back to the fight. It was between Izuku and Shinso. This was now his chance to see their Quirks and prepare for which one he could potentially face.

However… things didn't go as he expected. Bruce watched as Shinso said something to Midoriya, then the green-haired boy walked a bit towards his opponent before he just froze. Then he turned around and started walking to the boundaries. Bruce saw that Izuku had a blank expression, his eyes wide and glazed over.

"Oh? This is quite interesting," he mused. "What's going on?" Clark asked, "If he walks out of bounds, he'll lose." "Exactly." Bruce's friends turned to him. "This is Shinso's Quirk. It allows him to gain some sort of control over another and command them. I believe it is voice-activated since he spoke to Midoriya at the start of the fight." He rested his chin on the back of his hand. "Unless Midoriya can somehow break free of his hold, Shinso has basically won this." How disappointing. I actually wanted to see Midoriya's Quirk. He is in Aizawa-sensei's class after all.

However, once again things did not go as he expected. Just as his foot was about to cross the boundary, Izuku just stopped. Like a statue. Bruce lifted his head up.

"Hmm? He stopped? Did he-" Suddenly Bruce felt a strange pulse. He could hear some sort of heartbeat in the back of his skull. It was faint but there. Only… there was more than one. Several hearts beating in synchronization. On impulse he stood up, ignoring his friends' questions, and walked to the edge of the stand. He stared down at Midoriya. W-What am I-

Suddenly all around Midoriya was an explosion of colors. Rays of the light spectrum surrounded him and seemed to flow into him. However, a few strays managed to deviate and instead reached towards Bruce. There was an uncanny tingling sensation as his body felt the raw power, from his toes to the tips of his hair.

What… is… this!?

There was a burst of wind from where Izuku stood, and then he was breathing heavily, just shy of the border. He wasn't the only one out of a shock. Bruce braced himself on the cement wall of the stand, heaving. Sweat trailed down his forehead. Wha… the hell… was that!? Was that Midoriya's Quirk? But it wasn't anything like super strength! It felt like… like-!

A hand fell on his shoulder. Startled, Bruce quickly snapped his head to see Clark's concerned expression, their other friends behind him. "Wayne, are you okay? You just got up all of a sudden and wouldn't answer us. You're also breathing really hard. Do you need the nurse?" Clark asked. Bruce swallowed and hastily answered, "Ah- no. Sorry, I just- I'm- I'm fine, really." "Are you sure? Do you need water?" Diana asked. "Thank you, but I'm okay. Just wanted a… closer view." He could tell they didn't believe that excuse, but they didn't press any further. All seven returned to their seats, the other six still shooting Bruce worried glances. He tried to distract himself by watching the fight, however, the uncomfortable question of what just happened continued to pound in his head.

The fight ended with Izuku flipping Shinso out of bounds and advancing to the next round. "He managed to turn the tables at the last minute," Hal said. "That purple-haired guy, Shinso? His Quirk seems pretty awesome but kinda cheap. Not exactly the fighting type," Shayera said. "Not all Quirks have to be suitable for combat in order to be useful in hero work," said J'onn.

"So Midoriya won even though it looked like he was going to lose. What do you think the next fight will be like, Wa-" Clark cut himself off when he saw the seat next to him was empty. "Wha!? Where'd he go?!" Diana exclaimed.


Shinso walked into the dark entrance hall, preparing to head back to the stands with his classmates. He sighed. Though his classmates had for once actually said nice things about his Quirk, he had still lost. His Quirk just wasn't enough. He wasn't enough.

"Dammit…"

"I see you're disappointed."

Shinso startled and quickly looked up. He could have sworn that he was alone here. Bruce stood a few feet in front of him, his arms crossed. "That's no surprise. You did lose after all. And to someone you threatened to 'knock down a peg'." Shinso scowled as Bruce smugly threw his own words back at him. He huffed and shoved past him. He wasn't going to listen to this arrogant jerk.

"I have to say, that's a pretty cool Quirk."

That got Shinso to freeze and look back at Bruce in shock. Bruce remained facing away from him.

"All you'd have to do is get a villain to talk to you and it's over. You can just turn them in; maybe even make them turn themselves in." Bruce glanced over his shoulder, his smugness still in full force. "That look tells me this is probably one of the few times your Quirk's been praised, if ever."

Shinso frowned and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Hard for anyone to receive praise when you have a villain's Quirk," he bitterly said as he glanced to the side. Bruce's smirk fell, and his face returned to its usual apathy.

"I know what you said to Midoriya." Shinso looked up once again in shock. How? How was that possible? No way he could have heard that from up in the stands. Bruce easily saw the confusion on the other teen's face. "I read your lips." That only served to startle Shinso even more. Bruce sighed and turned to fully face him. "Look, in a different angle, I understand how you feel. But here's the thing Shinso: any Quirk can be heroic or villainous. They can be used for the benefits of others… or they can be used for one's self without regards to others." Bruce allowed silence to fill the air leaving Shinso uncomfortable as he inadvertently thought about how he "assembled" his team for the cavalry battle. Bruce continued, "My point is that it is the actions of a person that determines if they are a hero or a villain, not the power." More silence. Then, "I don't think you're a villain… but your actions tell me you're not a nice person."

Shinso remained quiet, so Bruce began walking past him. He stopped when he was right next to him. "Though you called Ojiro's withdrawal for the sake of his pride 'foolish', I think you have an understanding of wanting to win by your own power." Shinso glanced at him. Bruce remained looking forward. "You remind me of Aizawa-sensei: an impressive Quirk that cannot be solely relied on in combat but when combined with martial arts could make an amazing hero." The other teen stared at him. "I recommend you talk to him after all this. I guarantee he can help you become a great hero. And if you don't want to take my word for it," Bruce said as he made eye contact over his shoulder, his smirk back, "then you can just watch when I win and decide for yourself." He then walked away, his footsteps silent. The purple-haired teen just watched after him. That wasn't arrogance just now, that was… absolute self-confidence. Shinso looked down.

"Aizawa-sensei… huh?"


Bruce made his way to Recovery Girl's office. His scar was starting to ache again. Something about that… weird surge caused it to act up again. As he reached the door, it flung open.

"Thank you for- umph!"

Izuku ran smack into Bruce's chest.

"Ah! Sorry, Wayne!" he exclaimed. "It's nothing," Bruce replied. He noticed two of Izuku's fingers were bandaged. So my assumption was right. "Well, uh, the next fight will start soon. I don't want to miss it. Hope you feel better." "Thank you." Izuku ran off, and Bruce entered the room. He saw Recovery Girl sitting in a chair, and Yagi standing next to her.

"Hello, Recovery Girl. Hello, Yagi-san." The adults returned his greeting. Bruce lifted his shirt. "I'm afraid my scar is hurting again, Recovery Girl. I guess I'll need painkillers." The nurse sadly frowned and nodded. She kissed his scar then rotated her seat to write a prescription note. Bruce noticed Yagi staring at him sadly. "What's wrong, Yagi-san? It's not like you caused this." He rested his hand on his side. "I got this because I was reckless." That's only half of the truth, he thought. Yagi forced a tired smile. "Sorry, Young Wayne it… just brings up unfortunate memories."

"..." Bruce's unwavering gaze bore into him. Before the blonde could shift awkwardly, Bruce said, "You have a habit of putting 'Young' in front of people's names, Yagi-san."

Yagi blinked. Such a… random thing to point out. "Why yes Young Wayne. Why do you mention that?" Bruce was silent. "No reason. It's just that All Might does the same thing."

Recovery Girl stopped writing. Yagi's posture stiffened. Bruce made note of both. "That's quite a coincidence… isn't it?"

Silence filled the room. The tension in the atmosphere was suffocating.

"Ah, well-!" Yagi coughed into his fist. "I am All Might's secretary so I suppose I picked up on some of his tendencies! Heh!" Bruce remained silent. The uncomfortableness began to rise again when he said, "Well, he does have a way of… influencing people." Bruce stood up and took the note. "Thank you, Recovery Girl." He nodded to Yagi. "It was nice seeing you again… Yagi-san." The teen then walked out of the room.

When the door closed, All Might let out a deep breath. "H-Holy shit! Young Wayne… is truly frightening!" Recovery Girl sighed. "It isn't too surprising. He is one of the most intelligent students in his class. He also took over his family's business at a young age. He's kept it running and its stocks high for six straight years." She turned to All Might. "For his sake, you'd better hope he doesn't find out the truth." The No. 1 hero grimly looked at the door.


Bruce walked back to the stands, his thoughts racing.

When Midoriya bumped into me… I felt it again. The heartbeats… And Yagi-san… it came from him too, only fainter. His brows pulled into a frown. Could it be… they are more than just mentor and student? Midoriya, Yagi-san… All Might…


The second fight went pretty much how he expected. It was over in a few seconds.

What do you expect when you put a tape dispenser against half of Antarctica and half of the Sun? Bruce boredly thought as his classmates freaked out about Todoroki's tremendous display of power. Bruce eyed the victorious teen. He didn't even bother with his fire.

His fist tightened.


Now for the Preview!

The fights of the first round continue!

What happens when my classmates take the stage?

Next time: Differences in Levels

Some victories lean more towards "bitter" in bittersweet.