(A/N: formatting reminder, "Dialogue heard through a speaker or sound system. Most character dialogue like this will have normal capitalization." ...meanwhile... "PRESENT MIC WILL COME THROUGH LIKE THIS BECAUSE OF HIS ENTHUSIASM!" )
...
"GREETINGS SPORTS FANS AND MEDIA ALIKE! WELCOME TO UA'S SPORTS FESTIVAL! SET UP THOSE CAMERAS, GRAB SOME GRUB, AND SETTLE IN FOR WHAT'S GUAR-AN-TEED TO BE ONE HECK OF A SHOW!"
Yamada-sensei sure is loud this morning, but then again, his Quirk is Voice.
It was the day of the Sports Festival and all students were doing final preparations for the event. While most classes were either stretching or getting into the right mind set, Class 1-H, like the other Support classes, were doing final checks on their gear. Mei was looking over her many babies and Izuku was taking stock of his numerous Quirk Replicating Support Items.
"Let's see…Jet shoes, check. Fire Breath mask and fuel cartridges, check and check. Electric escrima rods and gloves, check, check. Collapsible shield, check. Tape gun, check. Goggles, check. Various bombs…flash, smoke, explosive, and glue. Check, check, check, and check. And last but not least, my very first invention for good luck! Check!"
With care, Izuku placed the small black disc in his assigned Support Item box along with everything else. After a final scan of his gadgets, he closed the container with a smile and a determined nod to himself.
"Alright, 1-H. It's time to go," Maijima announced. "Grab your gear and get to the changing rooms. Then go to the waiting room assigned for 1-H. Remember, you are allowed to use any Support Item that you have made yourself. Show them what you and your inventions are made of. Plus Ultra!"
After cheering the school motto, the students of 1-H all grabbed their boxes of Support Items and headed for the changing rooms. Since this was a school wide event, all students were required to wear the designated school gym uniform. No matter what course you were in, everyone would be wearing the same clothes. However, being in the Support Course allowed for those students certain…perks. Aka their own inventions.
For example. Under Izuku's gym uniform, he was wearing a thin under armor body suit that was fire resistant. During the weeks before the Sports Festival, Izuku had managed to find some time to work on the Support Item for Todoroki. A kind of temperature regulating bodysuit of sorts. It was going along fine until one of Mei's babies exploded and almost took him and the bodysuit out with it. He, himself, got a little singed, not enough to warrant going to the nurse's office by Support Course standards, but the suit itself wasn't damaged at all. Which gave Izuku the idea to make something similar for himself.
It would be great defense against Katsuki if I ever go up against him. Or if Todoroki-kun ever does use his fire...I still wonder why he refuses to use it though.
Adjusting his bodysuit and gym clothes, Izuku started to put on his Support Items. He attached the Jet shoes to his own shoes, clicking them into place. He checked that the Fire Breath mask had a fuel cartridge inserted on the side of it before pulling the mask over his head and had it hanging loosely around his neck for now. He positioned the goggles so that they rested on top of his head since he didn't need to use either of them yet.
Around his waist went his utility belt that the various bombs along with other supplies like extra tape cartridges. On his right leg, he attached the Tape gun with a special holster that attached to the belt and had a strap that wrapped around his thigh. To the belt, he attached the two Electric escrima rods, one on either side. On his left arm, he strapped the shield in its collapsed state. Finally, he grabbed the Electric gloves and put them on, securing them by fastening the straps around his wrists. The only thing left in the box was his first ever Support Item as he closed the lid.
As they all waited for the Sports Festival to begin, students gathered in waiting rooms separated by class. Izuku carried his box and made his way to the room assigned for 1-H. Opening the door, he was met with the sight of his fellow geared up classmates and their gear boxes were scattered across the room. He entered the room and placed down his own case in an open spot before turning to observe the other 1-H students.
His classmates were all decked out in their self-made Support Items and were ready to show what they had created. They wanted to use the Sports Festival to show Support Companies that they would be good hires in the future. While Izuku wanted to use the event to show the world that the Quirk didn't make the Hero. They all had their own goals and would do their best to reach them.
"Are you ready to show them who's boss, Hero-kun?!" Mei hollered cheerfully as she entered the room in her usual dramatic fashion. She walked over to her friend and placed her box next to Izuku's.
The others, having gotten used to her antics over the last few weeks, ignored the boisterous pinkette while Izuku looked over his friend's gear. On her feet were her own version of hover shoes that she called Hover Soles. They were bulkier than Izuku's but packed a bit more power too. On her upper torso she wore a harness with her grappling hook baby which she called Wire Arrow. And on her head were her signature goggles in all their steampunk glory. He wasn't sure what the purpose of all the various copper pipes and what looked like a handle to a water spigot though. Probably just aesthetic.
"You bet!" Izuku chirped, excited for the festival to start. Taking in all of his friend's gear, he commented, "You look great, Mei-chan! Do you have everything you need?"
"Yep!" Mei replied, popping the 'p' as she adjusted her goggles. "All of my babies are in perfect working order and ready to be loved by all the Support Companies watching today. These babies are only a taste and I have lots more to show later on. They're going to see how amazing my babies are and want me to make even more of them!"
If anyone else listened to this conversation without context, they would be very confused…, Izuku thought, smiling at his eccentric friend.
"The Sports Festival will be starting shortly. Students, please proceed to your designated tunnels and wait for your class's introduction."
After the announcement ended, Izuku offered a fist bump and declared, "Let's do our best, Mei-chan!"
"We're going to blow them away, Hero-kun!" Mei proclaimed, returning the fist bump.
This was it. Though he was still nervous about today, he had trained hard and was able to make all of the Support Items he wanted to for the festival. He was ready to show the world that, as All Might would say it, 'I AM HERE!'. As they walked, he thought back to what the man had told him back on the second day of school.
'Use the skills you have to be the best hero you can be with your own strengths.'
Izuku knew that Yagi still thought that he couldn't be a Hero without a Quirk. Knew he meant 'hero' as in one who acts heroic, not a 'Hero' professionally. The man's words were meant to be encouraging, but they still stung with the pain of not being considered Hero material. All because he was born without a Quirk.
But he would use those words as motivation none the less. His training and his Support Items were his own strengths. His 'edge' as Akaguro would say. And he would use them to show the world that anyone can be a Hero. Especially a certain green haired, green eyed, plain looking, Quirkless boy who has only ever wanted to help.
I will show them all.
...
"…AND SETTLE IN FOR WHAT'S GUAR-AN-TEED TO BE ONE HECK OF A SHOW!" Hizashi announced into the microphone before switching it off and turned to his husband/fellow commentator. "Ready to give some colorful commentary, Mummy Man?"
"I still don't know how you talked me into this, Zashi," Shouta retorted. Even though his face was all covered in bandages, Hizashi could still picture the tired man's 'I'm so done' face.
"Aw, come on, Shouta! It'll be fun!" Hizashi implored with a bright smile, causing the other to squint. "I know under that grumpiness is excitement to see your 'problem children' shine."
"We can't play favorites, Hizashi," Shouta stressed. "Keep the commentating unbiased."
"You got it, Shou!" Hizashi replied, shooting finger guns while the other rolled his eyes fondly. Unbeknownst to the tired man, the loud mouth next to him had a pun-tastic plan for just that.
Shouta turned to the box he had in front of him which he tried to open with bandaged hands. They weren't as heavily bandaged as they were a few weeks ago, but the wrappings still made his grip clumsy. After struggling for a few minutes with no success, he huffed a frustrated sigh and turned back to his husband. Who was just sitting there watching him with an annoyingly amused smirk.
He just likes to watch me struggle, doesn't he? Ass.
"Need some help there, Kitten?" Hizashi asked cheekily, earning an obscured glare.
Definitely an ass. Why did I marry him again? Oh right, because I just had to fall in love with the damn cockatoo.
Sighing again, Shouta nodded and Hizashi opened the box for him to reveal a set of yellow goggles.
"Aren't these the goggles that the little Green Bean made you?" Hizashi asked as he took the goggles out of the box.
"Yes, I want to test them while we're commentating," Shouta answered.
Hizashi frowned and scolded, "Shou, you heard what Chiyo said. No using your Quirk until the bandages are off unless absolutely necessary."
Despite the wrappings, the Voice Hero could feel the deadpan glare from his husband. To which he responded with a challenging look of his own. They had a short staring contest until the Erasure Hero's dry-eye caused him to blink and look away.
"I'm not going to use my Quirk, Zashi," Shouta assured with a sigh. "I merely wanted to have them on in case a situation comes up that would allow me to test out some of the features Midoriya included. And since my other ones…broke…"
The reason that they had been broken by a creature called a Noumu by slamming Shouta's head into the ground twice went unsaid. Though they both still flinched at the unspoken thought, Hizashi more dramatically than the other.
"…I'll need to test them before wearing them during patrol. They're the only pair I have now. Or the only pair I'm willing to wear on the job."
Hizashi looked at his husband with a solemn expression. He knew that the other was alluding to the first pair of goggles he ever used as a Hero. The ones safely sitting in a box back at their home. The ones that had been a gift from their high school friend. A friend that had been gone for some time now.
Without another word, Hizashi helped the other man put on the goggles and arrange them comfortably on his head. After brushing his bangs out of his line of vision, the blonde pecked the black-haired man on the lips and turned back to the microphone, ready to put all of his energetic extra-ness into the upcoming live coverage. Next to him, bandages hid the blush that blossomed on the Erasure Hero's face.
Damn cockatoo.
...
"HEY-O!"
Present Mic's voice rang through the stadium as a live video feed of the Hero appeared on the many screens set up above the crowd for all to see.
"MAKE SOME NOISE, SPORTS FANS! IT'S TIME FOR UA'S SPORTS FESTIVAL! WHERE FLEDGLING HEROES GATHER TO FIGHT FOR THE CHANCE TO SHOW THE WORLD WHAT THEY'RE MADE OF AND THAT THEY'VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES! BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR YA! ARE YOU READY?!"
"YEEAAAHHH!" the crowd screamed as one. They were all pumped and ready to watch all the action to come.
"THAT'S WHAT I LIKE TO HERE, LISTENERS! LET ME HEAR YA SCREAM AS OUR STUDENTS MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE MAIN STAGE! THIS FIRST GROUP ARE NO STRANGERS TO THE SPOTLIGHT! YOU MAY KNOW THEM AS THE RISING STARS THAT POWERED THROUGH A VILLAIN ATTACK! FROM THE HERO COURSE, IT'S CLASS 1-A!"
The crowd cheered loudly as the eighteen students of 1-A walked onto the field.
"OUR NEXT GROUP HASN'T HAD NEARLY AS MUCH SCREENTIME, BUT ARE NO LESS IMPRESSIVE! PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER FOR THE DAZZLING STUDENTS OF HERO COURSE CLASS 1-B!"
More cheers as the full class of 1-B entered the field. It wasn't quite as loud as the one for 1-A, but the crowd was still excited to see what they could do.
"NOW OUR NEXT GROUPS MAY NOT BE STUDYING TO BECOME HEROES, BUT THEY ARE SMART COOKIES NONE THE LESS! LET'S HEAR IT FOR GENERAL STUDIES CLASSES C, D, AND E! FOLLOWED BY THE EVER-HELPFUL SUPPORT COURSE CLASSES F, G, AND H! AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, THOSE EXPERTS OF ADVERTISING, BUSINESS COURSE CLASSES I, J, AND K! LET'S HEAR IT FOR THIS YEAR'S FIRST-YEAR CONTESTANTS!"
The crowd roared as the rest of the first-year UA students assembled on to the field. Some students looked nervous while others appeared to be getting more pumped from all the cheering.
"WITH ALL OF OUR CHALLENGERS ON THE FIELD, TURN YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS YEAR'S REFEREE FOR THE FIRST-YEARS, MIDNIGHT!"
Said Hero took the stage as the crowd cheered. Especially those that found her attire quite attractive. Though others questioned if having the 18+ Only Hero hosting an event for minors was appropriate or not. With a snap of her flogger-style whip, Midnight silenced the crowd and grabbed everyone's attention.
"Now for the student pledge!" Midnight announced, her voice spilling from the speakers. "The first-year student representative is from Class 1-A, Bakugou Katsuki!"
The crowd waited with baited breath as the blonde walked on stage while those who knew him eyed him warily, wondering what would come out of the explosive teen's mouth.
...
This is it, thought Katsuki as he walked up the stairs with his hands in his pockets. Time to show all these extras what a real Hero is.
Ever since he had started at UA, Katsuki had been waiting for this moment. The world-famous UA Sports Festival. Where only the best of the best claim victory. As he would. This was his moment to show them all that he was the one who would be the Number One Hero one day. Even better than All Might. Today they would all see that he was the best.
"He's the first-year rep?" some extra asked.
"Well, I guess he did place first in the entrance exam," Soy Sauce answered.
"Only for the Hero Course entrance exams," another extra sneered with a sigh.
Katsuki ignored all their comments as he approached the microphone. He stared out at the crowd, letting them take in the sight of the future Number One Hero.
"I just wanna say…"
The arena was dead silent as they waited for his words. The crowd waited in anticipation while the students became more nervous the longer it took.
"…at the end of this, I'm gonna be the one in first place."
The field erupted into a cacophony of boos and complaints from the students but Katsuki ignored them. They didn't matter.
"Why would you show such disrespect for your fellow students?" Four-Eyes reprimanded him with his stupid robot arm movements. "Shouldn't you have more tact than that? You're representing us all!"
"Why should I?" Katsuki replied with scowl. "All of you are just stepping stones to my victory." He flashed them all a thumbs down as a big 'fuck you' to all the extras.
The students continued to rage and even the loud extra from 1-B shouted a challenge over the noise. But he didn't care. None of them mattered. As he left the stage, the blonde scanned the crowd of students who stood between him and first place. Among the extras, Katsuki spotted a familiar head of green hair that quickly ducked out of sight.
Deku.
He had almost forgotten about the damn nerd. Katsuki hadn't run into Deku once since he started at UA. Not directly anyway. Sometimes he saw him in passing in the hallways or in the cafeteria. Flashes of green hair amongst the rest of the extras but that was it. It was quite different from having the nerd following him around like a puppy since they were kids.
Though, now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen Deku much for about a year now. Ever since he started hanging out with Dreadlocks. Katsuki would see them together either going to or coming from Auntie Inko's house. Joined later by some freaky purple Troll Doll extra after the UA entrance exam.
Tch. Just thinking about how the idiot still had the audacity to apply to UA even after I told him not to pisses me off.
He thought back to their last interaction before the exam. That smug look on the shitty nerd's face when Deku said he couldn't be stopped from applying and that he would go for the Support Course. Then spouting some crap about other ways into the Hero Course.
As if. The Hero Practical is designed to weed out those too weak to be a Hero. Not like me and my Explosion Quirk which is perfect for Pro Hero work.
Katsuki remembered how when they were kids, he and Deku both wanted to be Heroes and they were going to become the strongest duo when they grew up. Of course, he would be the stronger of the two no matter what stupid Quirk the nerd got. But then Deku just had to be one of those Quirkless freaks and ruin all of their plans. All of his plans. On top of that, it pissed Katsuki off when the idiot still insisted on trying to become a Hero.
He's Quirkless. You can't be a Hero without a Quirk. It's impossible. He'll just get himself killed.
Which was why, after that, Katsuki did his best to teach Deku his place in the world. Only those with the strongest Quirks could be Heroes. Like All Might or Endeavor. And since Deku didn't have one at all, there was no way for him to ever be a Hero. But no matter what he did, the shitty nerd never seemed to learn.
Growing up, Katsuki tried to teach the other boy what he himself knew to be true. Even going so far as to use his Quirk to do it. But that came to a stop when Auntie Inko talked to the old Hag and they stopped arranging meetings between the two boys. Though he still was able to get some 'lessons' in at school, sometimes with the help of the other extras in his class.
Eventually, it became clear that any physical persuasion wasn't going to work anymore. Not after the damn nerd finally grew a backbone and had learned to fight back. But just because Deku could fight didn't mean he could be a Hero like Katsuki could. He still didn't have a Quirk after all. What kind of a Hero doesn't have a Quirk?
Since physical influence was off the table, Katsuki fell back on the only thing left. Words. Every day he used his words to verbally teach the idiot to just give up. There was nothing he could do to fix the problem of being Quirkless. Though Katsuki had offered a suggestion anyway.
'If you want a Quirk so bad, why don't you take a swan dive off the roof and pray for a Quirk in your next life.'
As soon as those words had left his lips, he had regretted them. Katsuki didn't want the nerd dead. He only wanted Deku to finally get it into his head that he couldn't be a Hero. He was Quirkless. How could he take down Villains when he had no Quirk to fight with? Pursuing such a dangerous profession without the power to back it up was like a death wish in and of itself. He didn't want the nerd to put himself out there only to die because he was too stubborn to accept reality.
But the words had been spoken and he couldn't take them back. On that day, Katuski actually found comfort in the fact that the nerd never listened to him. Confident that Deku would never ever take that kind of advice. Though he still wished he could take them back. They weren't very heroic and thankfully weren't their last due to the nerd's stubbornness. The words from their last real conversation played in his head.
'What the fuck have you been doing after school, Deku?'
'How is that any of your business?'
Come to think of it, he never did find out what the nerd had been doing after school during their last year of junior high. Probably something shitty and stupid with Dreadlocks.
'You better not be fucking training to be a Hero, Deku. You know it's impossible.'
'Do I? Or is that just your ego talking?'
It's not ego. It's fact. Everyone knew it except the damn idiot nerd himself.
'Don't even fucking think of trying for UA, nerd. There's no way a Quirkless Deku like you could ever pass the Hero Practical.'
'You're right. There isn't. But I'm not applying to the Hero Course. I'm applying for the Support Course.'
When Deku had said that, Katsuki had thought he had finally gotten through to the nerd that his dream was impossible.
'Hah?! The Support Course? So, you've finally accepted your shitty ass could never be a Hero.'
'I didn't say I was giving up on becoming a Hero. I may not be taking the Hero Exam, but that isn't the only way into the Hero Course.'
What a load of crap. At that point, Deku had come off as downright delusional thinking there was another way into the Hero Course. Katsuki had never heard of a Hero that had been able to do that. And he was no idiot when it came to the strongest Heroes. Either you passed the Hero Practical or you didn't make the cut.
'What are you fucking talking about, shitty nerd?'
'Not telling. After all, it would ruin the surprise.'
A surprise? Yeah, right. No matter what the stupid idiot thought, Katsuki knew there was no way such a useless Deku could ever become a Hero. Not in a million years. But now was not the time to waste thinking about the Quirkless Blunder.
Tch. Whatever, Katsuki thought clicking his tongue as he left the stage. Deku should know by now not to get in my way. The damn nerd matters even less than these other extras. His Quirkless ass doesn't stand a chance. I'll take them all down and show them the Hero I was born to be.
He would win this. Prove that he was the best. Perhaps even finally drill into that Quirkless idiot's head that he could never, under any circumstances, be a Hero. As he took that last step off the stairs and on to green field, one last thought of what Deku had said that day popped into his head.
'Bye…Katsuki.'
The blonde scowled at the thought before brushing it away. He still couldn't place that sour feeling in his gut.
...
"I just wanna say…" Katsuki drawled into the microphone.
He's not really going to, is he?
"…at the end of this, I'm gonna be the one in first place."
Of course, he is.
Izuku sighed as his once-friend riled the students up in a rage in a very Katsuki manner. He knew the blonde was aware of what he was doing and provoked the other students on purpose. He was pushing himself, determined to come out on top. And he would accept nothing less than to claim victory against opponents who put their all into the fight. All the while painting a target on his fellow classmates' backs.
It's just so…Katsuki…
As the explosive teen left the stage, Izuku could feel the sharp gaze of glaring red eyes on him and he couldn't help but hide. The greenette had been avoiding the blonde since day one and old habits die hard. But hopefully, once he proved to Katsuki, and the world, that he wasn't useless without a Quirk, maybe then the other boy would finally see that Izuku could be a Hero too.
Maybe we could even become friends? Nah, even then, I highly doubt that. I still don't really know why Katsuki hates me so much.
"And now, without further ado, it's time to get started!" Midnight announced, drawing everyone's attention to the screens. "This first event is where the pain begins and many are sent crying home every year. The first fateful game is a qualifying round and only the best will move on. Hold your breath, everyone. Our first round is…"
On the screens, the options for the first round appeared so fast that they were a blur. But Izuku already knew what it would be. It was practically the same every year for the first event. But, since this was technically a show, he couldn't blame UA for the dramatics.
"…an Obstacle Course Race!" Midnight announced with her usual flair.
Well at least that's slightly different. They did a sort of maze last year.
The R-rated Hero went on to explain that all students from the eleven first-year classes would compete against each other in a race around the stadium. Anything went during the race as long as they stayed on the course.
Which means anyone could sabotage others…or help them.
"Now students, take your places and get ready," Midnight said as she finished explaining. "As soon as the last light turns off, the race begins…"
Izuku, like the rest of the students, gathered around the tunnel that led outside of the stadium. Three lights lit up above the archway. He shared a look with Mei as they waited who smiled and gave him a determined nod in return. There were too many students for him to find Hitoshi but that was alright.
Before they parted ways this morning, they all agreed to do their best and not hold back. They were friends but this was a competition. They could help each other but, in the end, they needed to fight using their own strength.
Turning his attention back to the tunnel, Izuku fixed the Fire Breath mask over his mouth and his goggles over his eyes. The roar of the crowd died down and the students waited in anticipation as the lights turned off one by one.
Three.
Two.
One.
"Begin!" Midnight yelled as the last one turned off. The students shot forward toward the tunnel as the festival officially started.
Watch out world. It's go time.
...
Blog name: ja0-s-blank-canvas-fic
Notes extension: post/633160524614565888/chapter-35-sports-festival-let-the-games-begin
Izuku's Sports Festival Support Items: post/633159898680721408/blank-canvas-fic-izukus-sports-festival-support