(A/N: Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and cheers to you, dear readers! My present to you is another chapter as a holiday treat! Regular Tuesday update will happen as usual. Thanks so much for reading and have a lovely day!
Formatting reminder: "Dialogue heard through a sound system." ... "PRESENT MIC'S DIALOGUE HEARD THROUGH A SOUND SYSTEM." )
...
"Uraraka has been KO'd and is unable to continue. Bakugou will advance to the second round!"
"Poor Uraraka," Izuku sighed, more to himself than anything as he watched his friend being carted away. "She had such a good strategy and was doing so well. But Katsuki can be just so overwhelmingly powerful."
"Why don't you go see how she's doing?" Mei offered, knowing he would want to go.
"Maybe later," Izuku replied. "She'll probably be with Recovery Girl for a while. I wouldn't want to intrude while Shuuzenji-sensei works."
"THE CONCLUSION OF THAT LAST MATCH HAS REALLY BROUGHT US BACK DOWN TO EARTH IN A BOMB-BLAST-IC WAY! THE FIRST ROUND OF ONE-ON-ONE MATCHES IS NOW ALMOST COMPLETE! WE'LL TAKE A SHORT BREAK BEFORE THE SECOND TO REPAIR THE ARENA AS WELL AS WAIT FOR OUR TIED PAIR TO WAKE UP! SO, STAY TUNED FOR THE DECIDING ARM-WRESTLING MATCH BETWEEN KIRISHIMA AND TETSUTETSU!"
During the break, the two friends sat, chatted, and did a once-over of Izuku's gear together as the fighting stage was repaired by Cementoss. The Hero even formed a podium in the middle for the upcoming tie breaker. In what felt like no time at all, the short break was over and the fully recovered opponents from the seventh match were once again entering the ring.
Now, with this arm-wrestling match, it'll come down to not only their arm strength, but also how their Quirk works. Or, if my guesses are correct, what fuels their Quirks specifically.
Izuku, already having a guess on who would win and why, excused himself as the next match this one would be his and he wanted to prepare. The greenette navigated through the halls same as he had done before Uraraka's match and headed for the pre-match prep rooms. As he approached, he saw his next opponent, Ashido, who upon spotting him gave him a smile and a peace sign paired with a wink before disappearing into Waiting Room 1. Which left the second one to him so he opened the door. He expected it to be empty, but turned out it wasn't.
"Oh, hey Mido!" Uraraka said to a surprised Izuku. "Guess I lost, huh? Darn it!"
...
Katsuki was heading back to the 1-A booth after being fussed over by Recovery Girl when he saw a flash of green. It was Deku, making his way to the prep rooms as his match was next after Shitty Hair and that other extra finished their stupid tie breaker. The blonde's annoyance over the fact that somehow the damn nerd was still in the running came back with a vengeance.
How in the fucking hell hasn't the Quirkless Blunder been knock out yet?
In the hopes of catching Deku alone and talk some sense into his idiot brain as well as possibly get some answers from him, Katsuki followed the other boy through the halls. As they approached the prep rooms, the blonde hid himself when he saw Pinkie was there as well. The extra gave the nerd a friendly greeting for some reason and claimed one of the rooms.
Perfect, Katsuki thought as he made to leave his hiding place as Deku opened the door to the other room. We'll have plenty of privacy to have a little 'chat'.
"Oh, hey Mido! Guess I lost, huh? Darn it!"
The fuck? I know that voice, Katsuki thought as he quickly returning to his hiding place. Uraraka's in there? Wait…
The blonde suddenly froze as he realized something. Instead of being surprised by Deku's sudden appearance and demand that he leave, there was recognition. She had called him Mido.
What the actual fuck?! Since when did Deku start hanging out with Round-Face?! What the fucking hell? How did they even fucking meet? Damn it! I'll bet that shitty nerd was the one that gave her the idea for that attack in the first place. That fucker!
Seething, Katsuki resolved to wait and see if maybe the damn extra would leave. Then maybe he could get the answers he deserved from Deku. That shitty nerd had some explaining to do. But for now, he would listen and see if he could find out how the hell Deku and Floaty Girl knew each other.
...
Expecting a vacant room and being met with the sight of a slightly bandaged Uraraka instead left Izuku confused and meant that he could only respond in one way.
"Eh?"
"You went to all that effort to pep me up before," Uraraka continued, rubbing the back of her neck. "But I let you down in the end. I was so caught up thinking I had it and got carried away. But Bakugou is just too strong! I couldn't even get close!"
Shaking himself out of his stupor, Izuku stepped into the room.
"Are you okay, Uraraka-san?" he asked as he closed the door behind him. She seemed fine but also…not. Like she was forcing herself to be cheerful right now. "You were hurt pretty bad. I thought you'd be with Recovery Girl still."
"Oh, I was but I'm all good now!" she said with a smile that didn't quite meet her eyes. "Still a few scrapes and scratches here and there because she didn't want to drain my stamina too much. But I'll be good as new in no time."
A buzzing noise started sounding which drew Izuku's attention to the phone in Uraraka's hand. The notification on the phone screen showed it was her dad calling. Probably to check on her after that intense match. But the brunette cut the call off without answering.
"Are you sure you're ok?" Izuku asked, taking the seat next to her.
"Of course, I am, Mido!" Uraraka insisted, really playing up an upbeat attitude but he could see through it. "Sure, I lost, but that just means I need to train harder and get better."
"You don't have to pretend to be fine with your loss, Uraraka-san," Izuku said, gently placing a gloved hand onto one of her balled fists in comfort. "It's ok to be upset."
At that, tears started to form in auburn eyes then suddenly burst forth like a tsunami. Izuku pulled her into a hug, being mindful of his Support Items, as she sobbed against his shoulder. Doing what his mom does when he's upset, the greenette ran his fingers through her hair and gently held her with the other arm.
"You fought so hard and did so well," Izuku said, quietly. He could feel a protest coming and shushed her kindly. "Shh…yes, you did. Don't mind what the crowd said. You were putting your all into that battle and they were being idiots for not seeing that. No 'if's, 'and's, or 'but's about it." That earned him a snort from the girl in his arms. "And that plan of yours? That was awesome!"
"It wasn't that great," Uraraka mumbled with a bitter tone. "It didn't work. Bakugou didn't even get a scratch on him. Even took it out with one shot."
"Are you kidding?" Izuku interjected, placing his hands on her shoulders and pushing her away ever so slightly to look her in the eyes. "That strategy was amazing! Did you come up with that before or during the fight?"
"D-during," she stuttered, rubbing some of the tears from her puffy eyes. "After he broke up the ring when I tried to get him with that first sneak attack."
"Wow, that was really smart of you, Uraraka-san!" Izuku chirped. "Even I was surprised by it."
"Really?" Uraraka asked in disbelief. "But I thought that was something you would come up with."
"Maybe," he conceded with a shrug. "But I didn't. My idea involved you ending the fight quick by getting in close and using your Quirk on him. With the factor that you had no weapons to use, that seemed the best strategy. I'm guessing that was your first plan?"
She nodded.
"Smart. You were being mindful of your opponent's and your own skills," Izuku continued with a comforting smile. "Then, seeing that it wasn't working, you adapted on the spot and tried a new strategy. Being able to improvise on the fly is a good quality for a Hero."
Uraraka sniffed as she looked at his with a teary smile. A real one. "Thanks, Mido. You're a really good friend, you know that?"
This made Izuku blush and stuttered out, "Th-thanks, Uraraka-san."
"Please, call me Ochako," Ura-Ochako said. "And none of this -san stuff. Though if you insist on an honorific, I will settle for -chan like with Tsu."
"Oh, o-ok, Ochako-chan," Izuku said, smiling bashfully for being called out for his incessant need to be polite. "Please, c-call me Izuku. Or Mido! I l-like that, too."
Both smiled at each other, happy about becoming closer friends and shared another hug. The hug was cut short as an announcement was made.
"Kirishima is the winner!" Midnight declared, the announcement loud enough to hear from the prep rooms. "He will be added to second round bracket!"
"Oh gosh! I'm sorry, Izuku!" Ochako exclaimed, jumping back in her seat. "That means you're up next and I just wasted all your prep time with my blubbering!"
"I wouldn't call it a waste, Ochako-chan," Izuku assured with a smile. "After all, I got to comfort a friend. That's never a waste."
"Alright alright, I'll give you that, Mido," Ochako conceded as she stood up. "Come on. I'll walk you to your fight."
Together, the two friends left Waiting Room 2 and headed towards the field.
...
At the announcement of Shitty Hair winning against the other extra, Katsuki clicked his tongue as he glared at the two leaving the room together. So much for getting answers. Whatever, he would confront the damn nerd about everything later.
The decision to eavesdrop had led to him having to listen to their overly mushy conversation. Gross. Dealing with emotions? No thank you. Ultimately it was pointless. It gave the blonde no answers as to how the hell the two knew each other. But it seemed that Uraraka actually did come up with that powerful attack on her own. Though it pissed Katsuki off that she did so by thinking what Deku would do.
Who in their right mind would rely on that shitty nerd for anything? Let alone a battle plan. What would a weak-ass Quirkless nobody like him know about fighting anyway? He's useless, a Deku.
'Yet he's still in the running and is in fact going to fight right now,' that unwanted inner voice interjected. The one at the back of his head he ignored on the regular. Though, today it seemed particularly persistent in speaking out.
Scowling in annoyance, Katsuki clicked his tongue again and left for his original destination. He was going to watch this match closely and see how in the hell the damn nerd was doing it. Because there was only one explanation as to why he was still in the lineup that made sense to Katsuki.
Deku has to be cheating.
...
"So, Izuku, I saw something interesting~ after the Obstacle Course," Ochako said with a not-so-innocent smile as they walked. Izuku looked at her with his head tilted in question. "I saw you linking pinkies with a certain boy. Since when have you and Todoroki been dating?"
"Eh?! Wha-…you…he…I…what?!" Izuku sputtered out, freckled cheeks crimson. "We're not dating! We're just friends!"
"Are you sure~, Mido~?" she teased, wiggling her brow. "Looked pretty subtly intimate to me~."
"Why are my friends the worst?" Izuku whined, hiding his flustered face with his hands. "You are just as bad as Mei-chan and Hitoshi-kun!"
"They know about this?" Ochako asked, surprised they hadn't said anything before. But then again, she had notice them giving the greenette strange looks from time to time. Possible gossip buddies?
"Yeah," he sighed, dragging his hands down his face. "They keep asking if I like him and teasing me about him being my boyfriend. But I don't even know if I do like him like that. We've only known each other for a short time and I'm focusing on being his friend first while I figure it out. And what's worse is that Kayama-sensei kind of knows, too."
"Even Midnight?" she prodded further, curious for some gossip.
"Yes, and she is the worst of the bunch," Izuku affirmed, slumping his shoulders in exasperation. "Mostly because she doesn't know who it is exactly and won't stop trying to find out."
"WITH THE LINEUP FOR THE UPCOMING MATCHES NOW ETCHED IN STONE, LET'S PRESS ON TO THE SECOND ROUND OF THE FINALS!"
"Ugh, I don't have time to think about this right now," he said, brows furrowed in slight annoyance. "I gotta fight Ashido-san next."
Though I'm actually relieved for the distraction.
"Alright, I'll stop talking about it," she relented, causing him to sigh in relief. "For now." He squawked. "I'm not finished with you yet, I-zu-ku~."
"Fine, fine! Whatever!" Izuku conceded with a flail of his arms in exasperation.
Giggling, Ochako pulled him in for one last hug before pushing him towards the field. Izuku began to walk forward before he remembered something.
"Hey, uh, Ochako-chan?" Izuku asked, getting a curious hum from her. "Remember to call your dad back. I'm sure he wants to check up on you and say how proud he is of you. Like I am."
Ochako looks at him stunned before smiling warmly with a confirming nod.
"Do your best out there, Izuku!" she said with a wink. "I'll be watching."
Izuku gave her a determined smile and a nod before turning away. He adjusted his gear as he waited for his name to be called.
"BEFORE WE GET STARTED, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT OUR LINE UP FOR THE SECOND ROUND OF THE FINALS! CHECK IT!"
From his spot at the tunnel's mouth, Izuku peered up at one of the many screens spread around the stadium. On them, the list of the next for matches were shown.
One on One Battle Quarter-Final Lineup
Midoriya Izuku VS Ashido Mina
Todoroki Shouto VS Iida Tenya
Tokoyami Fumikage VS Shinsou Hitoshi
Kirishima Eijirou VS Bakugou Katsuki
"THESE NEXT MATCHUPS WILL DETERMINE WHICH FOUR OF THE REMAINING EIGHT WILL BE MOVING ONTO THE SEMI-FINALS!"
Izuku was up next. If he won, he could possibly be up against Todoroki in the semi-finals. Or rather, most likely. No offense, Iida-kun, but Todoroki is very skilled with his ice. But, if…no, when they do fight, Izuku hoped he could help his friend learn that his fire is his own. Though that was an issue for future Izuku to tackle.
"WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LET'S GET CRACKING! 'OHM' EXCITED FOR THIS ONE, FOLKS! STARTING US OFF, HE'S GOT THE ATTITUDE! HE'S GOT THE GADGETS! BACK AGAIN TO HIT 'EM WHERE IT HERTZ! IT'S MIDORIYA!"
At the call of his name, Izuku walked out into the sunlight.
...
"VERSUS! SHE'S HERE BY NO ACID-DENT! HERE TO WALK ON THE WILD SLIDE, GIVE IT UP FOR ASHIDO!" Hizashi announced loudly beside his bandaged counterpart.
Shouta, still untested goggles fixed over his eyes, rolled said eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time today as yet another unnecessary pun passed through his husband's lips.
Whoever inspired the damn cockatoo to do this is dead to me, he thought, suspecting one or both of the not-yet-his-students problem children. His sheer volume is pun-ishment enough. Wait…did I just think that? Fuck. Now I've been infected too. Ugh.
The tired man groaned in annoyance while turning his attention down at the arena below. The green one, his main suspect for the pun bombardment, was up next against the pink one. He was curious how Midoriya was going to work through this match. The man hadn't been too worried the first one when he was up against Kaminari. His student's Electrification Quirk was strong, no doubt about that, but it was no match for Midoriya's brain.
And with the way Kaminari has the tendency to go beyond his limits and become defenseless right off the bat, it seemed an obvious call who would win.
However, this time Midoriya was going up against someone who's Quirk doesn't incapacitate them instantly. Ashido wasn't the academically brightest of the students in 1-A, but when it came to using her Acid Quirk, she was quite adept.
So far, Ashido has used her Acid Quirk mostly offensively and has shown its potential to improve her mobility. She tends to keep her opponents at a distance and favors using her acid to back them into a corner.
Down below, he could see the pink one talking up a storm. I'd guess trash talk, knowing her. While the green one seemed to stay silent though it was hard to tell with the mask he was wearing.
Midoriya was most likely sizing her up right now. Assessing her in the moment while also recalling everything he's observed before. Having already observed all of the Hero course students' Quirks beforehand may be an unfair advantage, but Shouta didn't care to point that out. After all, many Heroes' Quirks were well known by the public because of the media coverage of Villain fights. It was a good experience to go up against an opponent who already knew their Quirks to prepare them for the future.
This fight will come down to whether Midoriya finds a way to counter Ashido's Quirk or hinder her in some way. What will that brain of yours come up with this time, problem child?
"READY?" Hizashi yelled beside him. "BEGIN!"
One second, the ring was in full view with the two fighters visible to all watching. The next, a brief flash of light and then the field was lost in a cloud of smoke.
"WHA?" the loud cockatoo let out. "THE MATCH HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN AND 'EYE' CAN'T SEE A THING! WHAT'S GOING ON DOWN THERE?"
"Hold on," Shouta interjected, raising a bandaged finger to one of the buttons on his goggles. "I've got this."
Let's see how well your invention works, Midoriya, the tired man thought as he activated the infrared.
...
"VERSUS! SHE'S HERE BY NO ACID-DENT! HERE TO WALK ON THE WILD SLIDE, GIVE IT UP FOR ASHIDO!"
As Izuku made his way to the ring, he pointedly ignored the inquisitive and suggestive look from Midnight and instead watched his opponent enter the field. Pink hair just as unruly as his own paired with pink skin and the whites of her eyes were instead black. Like a negative of a photograph. In fact, if he thought about it, by color scheme alone Ashido was very similar to him but opposite. Like the other side of the coin, her pink, instead of red, being the compliment to his dark green.
"So, you're Midoriya, huh?" Ashido called out once they were both in the ring. "You're one of those Support Course students I met during the Obstacle Course."
Izuku nodded but said nothing as he eyed his opponent through his goggles. He knew she had a good handle on her Quirk and that a major factor of this fight would be how he handled against her Acid. The outcome of the match would depend on his ability to dodge her abrasive attacks or impede her efforts in some way.
I've got an idea for that, he thought as he reached into a pocket on his belt.
Ashido, undeterred by his silence, continued talking while smiling confidently. "Well, you may have won against Kaminari with your gadgets, but you'll be no match for me. He's kind of a dumby, letting his own Quirk short him out like that. But my Acid is gonna melt your butt!" She finished with a wink.
Well, she's definitely confident.
"READY?"
"This match will be a piece of cake!" Ashido said, getting into a defensive stance with a determined grin.
Ok, now we're leaning more towards being cocky.
"BEGIN!"
Midoriya Izuku VS Ashido Mina
At the call to start, Izuku immediately threw the smoke bomb in his hand to the ground and quickly dodged the Acid attack he predicted that Ashido would send his way. Or rather where he used to be.
"WHA? THE MATCH HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN AND 'EYE' CAN'T SEE A THING! WHAT'S GOING ON DOWN THERE?"
Let there be light, Izuku thought as he activated the infrared feature on his goggles. The world he saw went from an obscured one of grey smoke to one filled with vibrant color. From the coolness of blues and greens that marked the ring and field to the heat of oranges and yellows that lit up his opponent who was frantically looking around for him.
"Hold on. I've got this."
Copycat, he thought with a silent chuckle, knowing that Aizawa was also using infrared.
Izuku eyed the girl across from him and took note of the red puddle that marked where her acid had landed on the ground, still warm after leaving her body. He'll have to be careful to avoid it and any others that may form in the future. The greenette knew he could use his Jet shoes to evade them easily but he had to be careful as that would also churn up the smoke and possibly give his position away or even thin it out faster. He already knew his cover was only temporary so for now he kept them deactivated.
"Seems that Midoriya released a smoke bomb of sorts in order to obscure his opponent's vision. Probably figuring that if Ashido can't see where he is, then she won't be able to accurately attack him."
"WOW! THAT'S QUITE THE EPI-pH-ANY TO HAVE RIGHT OFF THE BAT!"
"…you said that with 'pH' in mind, didn't you?"
"GUILTY AS CHARGED!"
"But you used it for Midoriya. He isn't the one with acid."
"'ACID' IT 'CAUSE I CAN!"
"You know what? For that and this continuous torture of puns, I say your pH level is 14."
"BUT THAT WOULD MAKE ME BASIC!"
"Exactly."
"'VIEW' KNEW YOU COULD BE SUCH A MEANIE! WELL, I FEEL BLINDSIDED 'CAUSE I CAN'T SEE A THING! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO COMMENTATE WHAT I CAN'T SEE?"
"Upgrade your gear and stop complaining."
"NO NEED TO BE SO SNIPPY, ERASER! NOT ALL OF US HAVE FANCY SHMANCY GOGGLES MADE BY THE VERY SAME SUPPORT COURSE STUDENT FIGHTING RIGHT NOW, MIDORIYA!"
Thanks for the advertising, Yamada-sensei!
Tuning out the bickering commentary, Izuku focused on the task at hand. Ashido, lit up orange and yellow like the sun, hadn't moved from her initial spot which was understandable because now she couldn't see where the boundary lines were. He also couldn't really see them, only the slightest change of color on the ground being any indication of the stripe of white that separated victory from defeat.
"Ugh! I can't see anything!" Ashido pouted, still trying to find Izuku in the haze. "Where are you?"
Izuku quietly readied him stance before saying, "Over here."
As soon as he spoke, he dodged out of the expected acid attack and another pool of acid formed in the ring.
"Missed me."
Again, he evaded as she aimed for where his voice had come.
"Missed me again."
Another dodge, another attack.
"That one wasn't even close."
Once more he avoided her acid, adding another puddle to the several that littered the ring. Thankfully his Jet shoes, now activated, would keep him elevated above the acid traps.
"I'M SEEING SOME MOVEMENT, BUT STILL CAN'T MAKE ANYTHING OUT! TELL US WHAT'S HAPPENIN', MUMMY MAN!"
"Midoriya is currently playing a game of cat and mouse with Ashido. He has his own version of the same goggles I'm using. Which means that he has a setting that detects infrared allowing him to see his opponent while leaving the other in the dark."
"This is so unfair!" Ashido complained, obviously growing frustrated. "Hero Course students aren't allowed Support gear!"
"That's true," Izuku replied as he skated around avoiding her acid. "But like I said before…"
Dodge once.
"…Hero Course students get special training…"
Dodge twice.
"…that other courses don't."
Dodge three times.
At this point, Ashido was beyond frustrated and had begun to toss out handfuls of acid at random. Her desperation meant that her attacks were more sporadic and globs of acid were flying everywhere. Izuku found he needed to activate his shield to protect himself from the stray beads of corrosive liquid.
"GIVE US AN UPDATE, ERASER! YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO KNOWS THE DEETS!"
"Ashido still can't see where Midoriya is and so is now attempting to land a hit on him by chance. At this point, she's frustrated and getting desperate."
"SO…YOU COULD SAY SHE'S 'LIPID'?"
"…she isn't the only one who's livid right now."
Was that a growl? I can almost feel his glare from here.
He ducked and dodged over and over as the ring became an ocean of acid with Ashido at the epicenter. The greenette had a mind that his cover may soon be too thinned out to be affective and a comment from his opponent confirmed it.
"There you are!" the pinkette exclaimed, her posture obviously turning to his direction.
Note for Ashido, don't reveal your advantage to your opponent.
Reflexively, Izuku used his Jet shoes to leap into the air at the same time he turned off the infrared on his goggles. If she could see him then he could see her and with so much acid on the ground the boundary lines were blurred, or rather corroded. Being able to judge with his own eyes would be far easier than trying to differentiate the subtle color changes of temperature.
The world lost its rainbow color overlay and returned to its natural hues. It was a little disorienting at first, but Izuku had trained with switching between the two view modes in preparation for the Sports Festival. As he landed on the cushion of air his Jet shoes provided, the Support student quickly turned to face the other.
"WELL, THIS IS A SIGHT FOR SORE EYES! FINALLY, WE CAN SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING!"
"Oh good, now you can stop slacking off and do your job."
"So, you done with playing hide and seek?" Ashido asked with an impish glare.
"I guess it's time to finish this," Izuku replied, taking a hold of one of his escrima rods while keeping his shield unfolded.
"Do you think a stick is really going to help you against my acid?" the pinkette taunted, eyeing the rod in his hand. She had seen him use the pair of them as a lightning rod to attract Kaminari's Electricity during his first match, but she didn't know what else they could do.
"You would think not," Izuku replied, quickly dodging as she shot acid at where he had just been standing. "But here's the thing…"
He jumped high in the air out of the way again and maneuvered up and over his opponent until he was right behind her back.
"…it's Electric."
Before Ashido could spin around, Izuku activated the rod and electricity crackled from the tip. He shoved the sparking point on to her back and caused the pink girl to twitch from the electric current. Before she could fall to the floor, he deactivated the stick and caught her to protect her from her own acid.
"Ashido has been incapacitated!" Midnight declared with a crack of her whip. "Midoriya will be moving on!"
The crowd cheered and the medical robots came out as the greenette skated over to the edge while carrying the acid user in a princess hold. Izuku gently placed Ashido on the provided stretcher and, after deactivating his shield and shoes, walked with her to Recovery Girl's temporary nurse's office. When they arrived, he helped to get the pinkette onto one of the beds. Shuuzenji checked Izuku over to check for any injuries and, after finding no serious issues, gave him a small peck on the forehead before shooing him off so she could focus on Ashido. Izuku thanked her for her hard work and left for the 1-H seats.
...
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Notes extension: post/638507799789322240/chapter-46-sports-festival-its-electric