I do not own MHA

In just under ten minutes the arena had been torn apart. One guy, the boy who told them to get over it, had lost two teeth when Shoji punched him in the face. It had been a complete accident despite the wicked smirk that pulled at the boy's lips. Aizawa wasn't sure if he should be proud or worried. Who was he kidding; he was so proud of his little demons that it was hard to keep from smiling under his bandages. Three teams other than the one behind the wall had made it through the second stage. Hizashi had almost had to hold him back when the purple-haired boy on Monoma's team had mind-controlled Asui's team to attack Jirou's. Was he overprotective of his class? Yes, he was. Was he willing to put a kid in detention for a year for a single comment? Yes, he was. Now he just had to decide how to deal with the brat that mind-controlled his kids. Maybe recruit him; it might solve the issue of his kids getting into trouble.

The moment Hizashi announced the hour break for lunch he relaxed. His kids couldn't get into too much trouble in just an hour. Wait... yes, they could. Grumbling he glanced down at his mummified limbs then at his kids before reaching for the microphone, if he couldn't go to them, then he would bring them up here.

"Class 1-A come to the commenters box," he ordered before putting down the mic and turning it off. He was tired and it hadn't even been twenty-four hours yet; he couldn't even take a nap today since he needed to be awake. Why was it that every time he dealt with his kids, he felt so exhausted? This was why cats were better than people. Reaching up to run a hand through his hair, he glared when his injured hand didn't work the way he wanted it to, and in retaliation, he gave Hizashi, who had chuckled, a look to shoo. Watching the man mumble something about going to get food, he settled into his seat to wait.

It wasn't that surprising that five minutes later his class was shoving Iida through the door as a sacrifice. Well, the timing was unexpected but them shoving Iida into his path like a lamb to the slaughter wasn't. Hiding a chuckle, he simply ordered them to get in the room and ignored Iida's insulted expression; even he could tell that it was fake. He had no idea if it was about being served up for execution or the fact it had been Katsuki kicking him through the doorway. Once his class was standing in front of him, he motioned for them to close the door.

"Why did no one tell me about what the other students were saying," he asked.

Shrinking back from him like children who'd gotten caught stealing cookies, they winced slightly. Watching them share anxious glances, he waited for one of them to break. He bet it was either going to be Momo or Asui. Both girls were strict believers in authority, but if he glared at Kaminari the boy would trip over himself to tell him what he wanted to know.

"You were still recovering sir, we didn't want to bother you," Asui said softly. She had a tone like one would use to soothe a wild tiger. Raising an eyebrow not that they could see, he scoffed.

"Try again," he said not believing her for an instant. His kids had way too much pride to ever come to him with an issue. Even if he had been fully healed none of them would have tried to get his help.

"Because this was our fucking issue, not yours," Katsuki snapped. Stepping forward the blonde glared at him fully prepared to take all the blame onto himself. How adorable, like an enraged chihuahua; the boy thought he could protect the others.

"Kacchan," Izuku hissed grabbing his arm as Aizawa frowned.

That was the crux of his kids. At their center, they all had far too much pride in themselves and each other. They thought that any issue aimed at them was theirs alone despite the fact he was here to help them. He was their teacher, not some homeless person they passed on the way to school; their issues were his issues. Everything that affected them also affected him. This probably wouldn't be the last time they tried to solve it all by themselves either. Was it wrong he wanted to wrap them all in bubble wrap or stuff them in hamster balls?

"Wrong," he said after Izuku had calmed down Katsuki; he was beginning to think that there were only three people in his class capable of dealing with the temperamental boy outside of himself. Looking each of them in the eyes he settled on Iida. The boy was the leader of the class and unless he got through to him, none of the others would care to listen. Sighing he said, "You weren't the only ones that lost Mineta. You might've lost a classmate, but I lost a student. I've been under investigation since the moment the fight at the USJ ended."

"That wasn't your fault!"

There was Mina, always ready to voice her opinion. The pink-skinned girl had crossed her arms and seemed ready to fight off anyone who disagreed with her. Feeling the pride in his kids intensify he watched as Aoyama laid a hand on her shoulder. His kids were much more contact-oriented than most other students; it was both a good and bad sign. He had defiantly been right to look into that therapist for his kids, now all he had to do was vet every single one of them until he found the right one.

"They can't possibly blame you!"

Momo was the next to speak up. Her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion at the very idea of him being blamed. The girl seemed unable to comprehend the idea that he would be blamed for them nearly dying. He had to admit it was nice to know his kids had so much faith in him.

"Why," Iida asked. The tone was almost challenging as he stood stiffly. Even as his class fell to pieces around him, he looked for answers. His kids had chosen a good leader.

"Because I allowed one of you to die, what if next time we're attacked the same thing happens," he said bluntly. Seeing Izuku flinch at the thought of one of her classmates dying, he felt a bit guilty. The green-haired girl really was the most timid of his kids.

"It won't," Tokoyami stated. With his arms crossed the boy hid the trembling of his hands.

He was right that none of his kids would die. He would sacrifice his life a thousand times before he allowed anyone to touch his kids. Even Katsuki was under his protection. He dared the league of villains to come for his kids. The moment they did he would take them down and feed their souls to his cats. Huffing slightly as Iida gave a slow glance at his classmates, he knew the boy had realized the same thing he had. Every single one would follow the boy's lead if he didn't do something stupid.

"We'll get strong enough that you don't have to protect us," he stated. Meeting his teacher's eyes he tried to convey the feeling of determination they all shared.

"See that you do, also nothing the other students say matter. They don't know you nor were they at the USJ, ignore them and if you can't then crush them," he said fully aware that they would do just that. Seeing the wicked smirk on Katsuki's face he rolled his eyes and motioned to the door saying, "Now go get something to eat."

(Katsuki)

He was taking a break with Iida and Izu beside him. The rest of the class had broken into their teams as well and were scattered around the stadium. Ochako and her team had managed to drag Ojiro's team into a quick competition to see who could win the most recreation games. He honestly didn't know why they weren't taking the time to relax before the Tournament. Todoroki had vanished along with his team to go hunt down snacks at Aoyama's request. Asui had taken her team to find a quiet corner to strategize.

He was slightly uncomfortable not having them within his sight but that was nothing compared to Iida who was almost bouncing in place. The other boy was almost having a panic attack at the thought of something happening to their classmates. Rolling his eyes, he frowned slightly as he sent a quick look at the other boy. Iida really was the most emotional of the three of them. He just wished the other boy would calm down. All their classmates could take care of themselves; they didn't need to be protected.

"Do you think we made the right choice," Izu asked softly. Her eyes were tracking the other students closely as Frost took a nap. She knew that this was retaliation for everything they'd said over the last two weeks, but she couldn't stop herself from feeling guilty. The looks of anger from the other students hurt, however, the way they avoided them hurt even more. Hugging her knees tightly she heard Katsuki scoff even as Iida turned to look at her.

"I don't know if we did the right thing," he admitted. There were so many other things they could've done but even the memory of just hearing the students whispering behind their backs caused his hands to clench. He didn't hate them, but he hated how they'd treated his classmates. Speaking of his classmates, did Midoriya still hold a grudge from their practical exam? Looking over at Midoriya he frowned before asking, "do you still dislike me?"

Stilling for a moment, Izuku considered her answer. It had been a while since the moment they met and now that she'd gotten to know him, she no longer blamed him for his actions. He hadn't been meaning to single her out that day, it was simply his personality that led to him gaining her annoyance. Besides that, she'd mostly been wary that he might turn out to be a bully like those from middle school. Iida was many things, but he wasn't a bully.

"No," She admitted. Hiding her face when he sent her a hopeful glance. Rolling his eyes, Katsuki fell back to stare up at the sky.

"Don't worry about it, If Izu disliked you she wouldn't even glance in your direction," he said causing Iida to beam at them both.

"I see, that is in character for her," he stated causing the girl to whine.

Flushing scarlet she glared at both of them but mostly Katsuki who was laughing at her like a psychopath. Kicking him gently she pouted when it did nothing but cause him to laugh more; it wasn't fair that she was the one to get teased. Sending a mental prob to Frost she wasn't even shocked to know that her other half had vanished into her territory. At least that meant she was awake from her nap and would be ready for the matches.

"Don't tease me," she snapped although it was more like a pout than anything dangerous.

"My apologies."

Iida was hiding a smile behind his hand as he looked away from her toward where Ochako was leading a charge against Ojiro. Somehow it had dissolved from games to all-out warfare between the two groups. It was almost terrifying how much destruction they were causing not that Midnight seemed to mind if her cackling was anything to go by.

"Who do you want to fight in the finals," Katsuki asked drawing their attention.

"Not Todoroki."

"Not Shoto."

Roaring in laughter the blonde missed the shocked glances the two exchanged. It was a known fact that the only person that wanted to fight Todoroki was him, however, he was a battle junkie. It was also a known fact that they were only holding back until the Tournament portion started. Soon enough they would be able to go wild as much as they wanted. He was looking forward to that moment.

(Dabi)

The bastard was right there looking down at the gathered group of students as if he was a true hero. As if he hadn't torn his own family to pieces just for his own benefit. He hated Endeavor more than anyone he'd ever met and even standing in this stadium was horrifying however it was for his little brother. Leaning back in the seat he'd claimed while the other audience members gave him a wide berth he watched as his brother leaned down to whisper to the green-haired girl beside him; did his brother have a crush. Hell did he even know what a crush was? With that bastard as a father, it would be a shock if he did. After all, having a romance would be a distraction to the man who wanted someone to carry on his twisted legacy.

Fuyumi hadn't even been given a day before the bastard decided she was useless simply because she was female. Now years later she was still suffering under his thumb because she was too kind to leave. When he finally paid that bastard back for all he did, his sister would be free to live the life she wanted not the one that she had to. In all his time watching, stalking, his family he'd never once seen her be happy when she was alone. She always looked sad and exhausted when she thought no one was looking. Natsu hadn't even been home in over a year from what he'd seen. The boy was the only one that managed to escape their father in a way that didn't require him losing everything. At least he was safe and sound. Shoto however was the one that the bastard would never let go of. He was the legacy that Endeavor had strived for and he would never be free until the man was rotting in the ground. His little brother who'd been forced to dance to Endeavor's tune since the second his quirk manifested was the one hurt the worst by the abuse, they'd all gone for and now he wanted to be a hero. Part of him wanted to berate the boy but he also knew that Shoto would never be a man like their father.

When he finally put Endeavor in the ground, they would be happy and free at the same time this flawed society would know that they put an abusive bastard on a pedestal. He would air every single mistake Endeavor had ever made and make him confess to it all. Before he died the bastard would know what it was like to suffer. It wasn't as if the man would ever regret what he did to his family.

Scoffing at the idea, he saw the kids in his brother's class tense as one as Midnight started to explain the tournament style of the upcoming event. He'd been ticked to learn those outside class 1-A had been bullying the class; seriously what aspiring hero decided to be a bully. However, the way they handled the situation made it all too obvious that they'd already learned a lesson that their classmates hadn't. The world was cruel and those that didn't accept that fact would be destroyed; instead, they accepted the darkness then kept moving to find their way through it.

It was obvious that his brother seemed more annoyed than anything with the other teen, but his body language immediately changed when the brackets appeared on the screen. Hell, all the members of class 1-A tensed as one as they turned to look at the green-haired girl. Her match was the very first of the day and as much as he was looking forward to his brother freezing the competition, he wanted to see what his classmates could do. Seeing the girl move to stand across from the purple-haired boy as her classmates filed out of the arena, he leaned forward wondering what his brothers crush could do.

~ Izuku vs. Shinso ~

She had no idea if she was going to win this tournament, but she did know that she wouldn't lose to anyone outside of her class. The not so subtle growl from Frost meant her other half agreed with the sentiment. There was no way they would allow him to beat them when he wasn't Pack. Flickering her eyes up to meet the dark purple of the boy in front of her, she looked away quickly. Just because she wasn't going to lose to him didn't mean she wasn't nervous about fighting him. For one he seemed more fragile than her.

The darkened bags under his eyes meant he didn't get much sleep; kind of like Aizawa. Now that she was thinking about it he resembled her teacher quite a bit. If she was Shoto she might think that he was the man's secret love child instead she found the resemblance intriguing. His quirk according to Jirou was Mind Control. It would be a wonderful quirk for hero work, but he was in general studies. More than that however he didn't seem to have muscles. Had he neglected his physical training? If so, then it would make him far easier to defeat.

All she had to do was avoid answering any of his questions and she would be able to defeat him easily especially with her speed. Tensing as Midnight called the match to start she braced herself to rush him. She was ready. She could do this. Nothing was going to stop her from making her class proud.

"So are you two dating if so you and Endeavors son look good together?"

"W-"

Fuck.

Izu why? You had one job; not to respond and you go and talk to the droopy-eyed boy. How annoying and now he was ordering her to walk out of the ring. Yeah, that wasn't going to happen, Izu might've followed his order but she wasn't about to take a single step. Instead, she lifted an eyebrow her golden eyes narrowing as he waited for her to follow the order. Too bad for him that Izu wasn't the one in control anymore. Lips twisting into a cold smirk she waited for him to realize that she wasn't Izu at the same time Katsuki started cackling.

Wait... she wasn't Izu. She wasn't under his control. Even if he was able to control one of them the other would just switch in. Nice. They would definitely be able to win and then rub it in Monoma's stupid face; preferably while also rubbing his nose into the ground with heeled shoes on. Moving on from her chaotic thoughts she decided to have some fun with the boy who was getting, even more, panicked the longer she simply stood there. His discomfort might've been partially caused by Katsuki's evil laughter and the way Toshi was hiding his face in his hands, but she was more willing to bet it was due to the fact Aizawa had chuckled a second ago. Her teacher did have a sense of humor; who knew?

"Well that backfired, I mean instead of sweet Izu you now get to deal with me," Frost stated with a wicked smirk. The expression of shock on his face followed by panic brought her an insane amount of satisfaction. How dare he try to control her partner!

"Who the hell are you?"

"Fr-"

Well, that felt weird. Not only was she now back in control but her opponent was snapping at her to walk out of bounds. Instead, she offered him an innocent smile saying, "Your quirk isn't going to work on us. Sorry about that."

"Just walk out of the ring! Why isn't my quirk working?"

"It-"

"As I was saying before being so rudely interrupted, I'm Frost."

The way his jaw dropped was amusing. Lunging toward the boy she didn't hesitate to slam her foot into his stomach. Gasping he tumbled backward trying to breathe despite the fact he no longer had any air in his lungs. He might not be a member of class 1-B but he was still her enemy. Izu might not be able to hurt him without remorse but she could and would. He should've just stuck with Izu; if he had then this fight wouldn't leave him bruised.

"Please walk out of the ring," she said softly. It was the final warning she was going to give to him.

"Shut up," he hissed as he shoved himself off the ground. Dodging the strike, he sent in her direction, she frowned when he snarled, "If I had a quirk like yours then I wouldn't have to deal with people like you looking down on me."

She could feel Izu softening toward the boy. Her other half was seeing similarities between them, but she saw no such thing. He'd stood with Monoma who drug their weakness out into the open. She wouldn't allow him to talk his way out of this. Besides conversations like this were more Izu's thing than her own.

"Please don't tell me you want to have a heart to heart," she said keeping amusement in her tone despite the fact Izu was disapproving of the situation.

Growling he lunged off the ground throwing a punch in her direction. Shifting she grabbed his wrist before tossing him over her shoulder and out of the ring completely. The dark expression on his face changed to shock and regret as he realized that he'd lost. Shrugging her shoulders as Midnight called the match, she offered him her hand as her eyes changed back to emerald.

"Next time you should try training your body, if you want you can join our class training sessions," Izu offered despite the way Frost was huffing in her mind. The guarded expression on his face almost made her retract her hand but she didn't. He was different from Monoma, she had to believe that. Grinning happily when he took her hand and allowed her to pull him off the ground, she hoped that he would become her friend.

"I'd like that."

"Good, and I think your quirk will make you a great hero."

~Kaminari vs. Monoma~

(Kaminari)

He sometimes wondered if he was a fool. Midoriya was his friend and he would fight to protect her, but she wasn't Frost. He didn't know if it was a crush because Frost was obviously not interested in dating him, but he cared about her more than Midoriya. Maybe that was why as he stepped into the ring for his match, he couldn't keep the scowl off his face. Frost might act strong, but she cared far too much just like Midoriya, and Monoma had hurt them both. If the other blonde got through this round, then he would be fighting them.

Kaminari wasn't going to let that happen.

Frost might consider him as her Jester and perhaps he was, but he was also a hero. There was no way he would allow either of them to fight someone who would use their insecurities against them the way Monoma would. He would rather die than allow that. Just this once, he wanted to be her knight instead of her fool. Maybe that was why when he looked into the audience before the match started seeing her eyes green rather than gold hurt so much. Flashing his class, a smile despite how much it hurt, he straightened.

Monoma could copy quirks and there was no telling which ones the other blonde had. He had to end this quickly. Electricity bounced off his skin the second Midnight began the match, and he was slamming his palms into the floor. He put everything he had into the attack hoping that it would reach Monoma before the other male could activate a quirk. Instead, he saw green before everything went black.

(Frost)

It was a snarl that left her lips, but she wasn't the only one on her feet. Her entire class was glaring down at the only standing blonde in the arena though they could do nothing to help. The long vine that had tossed Denki into the stadium wall fell to the ground, but she only had eyes for the smirking blonde who looked so proud of himself. Gritting her teeth until she could hear them grinding, she could feel Izu crying out in worry for her Jester, but she didn't care. Digging her nails into her palms as Monoma looked up to meet her eyes she had never hated someone so much as she did at that moment. Snapping her gaze to Kaminari as he was picked up by the medical robots, she felt something cold creep into her heart. It was far colder than Shoto's ice. She was going to destroy him no matter what Izu said.

Twisting on her heel, she stalked toward the infirmary as her classmates stared after her in worry. Feeling a shoulder brush, her own she glanced toward Asui who nodded at her. It might've been the fact that Asui was her classmate, her Pack, but the action gave her enough control to suck in a tentative breath.

Denki was her pack, the first friend that was her own and despite the way, Izu laid under her skin bristled with worry, she felt confused. Was this anger normal when someone hurt her friend? Denki had looked so determined when the match started but he didn't want to fight her in the second round. He'd been trying to protect them from Monoma and gotten hurt instead. He didn't deserve that. Warm hands closed around her own yet until that moment she hadn't noticed they were trembling nor that she'd stopped moving. The warm midnight colored eyes that looked into her own caused her to crumble.

"If I was Izu I might be crying right now," she said trying to lighten the mood. If anything, her words had the opposite effect causing Asui to frown.

"You are."

The words caused her to freeze as Izu made a nervous sound in their head. Her classmate had to be joking, right? Raising a hand to her face she frowned at the dampness on her fingers. Izu was the one who cried not her. Straightening she rubbed at her eyes hoping to make the feeling go away as her other half mumbled soothing words; it didn't help. Almost growling she took a deep breath as Tsu took a step away from her.

Wiping her eyes, she frowned before stomping away toward the infirmary.

~Kastuki vs. Ochaco~

(Ochaco)

It was easy to see that Katsuki was angry; they were all angry. To make things worse he wouldn't even get to fight the blonde that hurt Kaminari. That honor would go to Izu and Frost although she didn't know if it was a good idea to let the two fight him. Still, that wasn't her problem right now. It was obvious to her that she wouldn't be able to beat Katsuki; he was far stronger than her when he was in a good mood. With him this angry she would rather be in the ring with a rabid dog than him at least the dog didn't cause explosions.

Meeting his red eyes, she raised an eyebrow before returning his smirk with one of her own. It was far too late to consider what others thought of them and their classmates the only thing they could do now was put on a show. Besides her parents were watching she wanted to make them proud. Flickering her eyes to his hands she could already see his fingers twitching. He was going to snap the instant the match started. Raising her hand, she sent a wave in his direction that caused him to scoff although now there was amusement in his gaze.

Charging forward as the match started, she didn't even try to dodge the explosion he sent in her direction instead she guarded her face as smoke filled the air. Once she would've used the debris was a weapon however now she knew that wouldn't help. The only option to win was to wear him down, except he knew that too. They'd sparred enough that he realized when she was being deliberately reckless. Everything she could do was something he expected unless she went against her instincts. That was why she used her quirk to send her jacket in his direction while she took a higher approach.

Biting her lip to keep from groaning she floated above him waiting for the instant that he attacked her jacket. As always, he was aggressive enough in the action that she wasn't going to get the jacket back. Releasing her quirk, she aimed her feet for the center of his back already knowing that it wouldn't work. His red eyes flicked upward meeting her own as she saw sparks leap off his palms. It was going to hurt when he countered... or not.

Instead of lashing out with an explosion, he grabbed her ankle before tossing her away gently. How did she know it was gentle? Simple she actually landed in the ring instead of being tossed into the arena wall like she was a rag doll. Aww, he didn't want to hurt her. As if sensing her thoughts, he growled causing her to giggle. Dodging his fist as he went on the offensive, she tried to grab his wrist only for him to reverse the situation. The way his hand encircled her wrist reminded her that he could hurt her; only he wouldn't. Taking advantage of that fact she tried to kick his knee. The chuckle that left his lips brought a blush to her face before he was tossing her away again. This time she landed outside the arena just enough to give him the win.

"No Fair Suki," she snapped causing his eyes to widen. The faint sheen of pink that decorated his cheeks was enough to make her giggle.

~Kirishima vs. Tetsutetsu~

(Kirishima)

Katsuki had been a lot gentler with Ochako than anyone had thought he would, but then again not many people would consider Katsuki gentle at all. The boy really wasn't someone that could be considered meek. Neither was Ochako now that he thought about it. It was amazing how they both just went for it despite knowing who would win. Now he had to show that he belonged in class 1-A too.

He'd never thought he would belong somewhere, for years he'd tried to keep believing that he could be a hero despite how weak his quirk was. For the longest time, he felt as if he was useless simply doomed to watch as everyone left him behind. He felt useless like his work was going to amount to nothing yet that was different now; the others didn't care if he hesitated. They cared about his problems and he wanted to shield them from the world even if it broke him to pieces; they would be there to pick him up if he shattered.

Stepping into the ring across from the boy in class 1-B he struggled to keep his good mood. This was Monoma's classmate who had a similar quirk to his. Brute force wasn't going to work; he'd been tossed by Ojiro enough to know that there were other ways to win a fight. Sending the other boy a disarming grin he made sure to keep his eyes closed so that the other male didn't notice his sharpened gaze. He was going to win, that was the only way this could end, if not then he had no right to be a part of 1-A.

Hearing Midnight callout for the match to start, he shifted dodging the right hook sent at his face before wrapping his hand around the other boy's wrist. He could almost hear Ojiro cheering him on as he activated his quirk and tossed him. The impact was enough to leave a small crater in the floor, but he didn't hesitate to kick out at the other boy's stomach. The hit was enough to send him rolling to the edge of the arena bounds. Apparently being tossed was enough to daze him since he was taking a moment to get back up.

Glancing up in the audience he noticed that Monoma was glaring at him. It was petty, cruel, selfish, but justified anger that led to him kicking Tetsutetsu out of the ring harder than necessary. Tilting his head back he dared the other male to say a word before turning and stalking from the stage.

This win didn't make him feel proud; the anger was still simmering inside him like a fire without end. He hated this feeling so much yet when he walked back into the tunnel leading to the arena all the anger vanished. Katsuki was waiting with a pleased smirk that drove away all the worries he had however Ochako was there too her bright eyes filled with pride that he'd never thought would be directed at him. Grinning he shifted to brace himself as Ochako rushed forward to give him a hug. Stilling as Katsuki reached out to ruffle his hair his heart sped up. It was only for an instant but the smirk on the blonde's face had changed into a soft fond smile.

Letting the two pull him back to the seating area, his chest was filled with this warm fuzzy feeling as if he was dancing on clouds. Closing his eyes for a moment he tried to ignore the voice that whispered they would abandon him once they realized how useless he really was. A firm hand landed on his shoulder for only a second drawing him back to reality as Katsuki took the lead in their little trio. That's right he wasn't alone anymore.

~Kendo vs. Mina~

(Mina)

Skipping onto the stage she wasn't at all worried. There was no possible way she could lose and even if she did none of her classmates, except Katsuki, would hold it against her. Waving toward her class she was a bit disappointed not to see Zuzu or Frosty, but she shrugged it off. Most of her classmates returned her wave although Katsuki seemed annoyed. Grinning she turned her attention to the announcer's box sending another wave at her favorite teacher; the audible sigh was music to her ears.

Finally, she turned her attention to her opponent who seemed more amused than annoyed. Internally pouting she outwardly grinned. The lack of respect in her gaze was something she didn't even try to hide. Folding her hands behind her back she spouted off some nonsense about having a fair fight despite the way she wished for nothing more than to show just how upset she was. This could've ended at any time if the other students had taken a moment to think about their actions instead, they'd driven her class into a corner; now they would discover just how good they could fight angry.

Don't get her wrong, she understood that these weren't the most heroic of actions, in truth she would rather not be fighting the other students at all, however, it hurt. The discrimination and whispered words caused pain to sprout in her chest like nothing she'd ever felt before. She could smile, pretend everything was fine, but that didn't make it true. She was so tired of hiding how much it hurt.

The others knew she was pretending; however, they didn't ask her to stop. They understood that she would never let anyone see how she actually felt. Being the bright ray of sunshine that they needed was the only thing that kept her going. That was why she didn't let herself fall apart like Momo or Zuzu; she would rather cut off her own hand than make them worry for her.

Rushing forward when the match started, she didn't care that her wide grin might be seen as taunting because it was. Dancing around the ginger girl's enlarged hand she could almost hear Bakugou shouting to kill the extra. This was one of the few times she agreed with the blonde porcupine. Sending a wink at her class as she skidded around behind the other girl, she didn't realize the malice was showing in her gaze.

(Frost)

Sitting beside Denki's bed, she hesitated to touch him. He looked younger like this as if he was a child instead of her Pikachu. In truth, she didn't know who Denki was to her but she cared about him. All her life, she'd had no friends of her own; she'd always shared Izu's yet Denki was different. For the first time, it felt as if she had someone of her own, someone who saw her as a person rather than Izu's quirk. And now he was hurt because of her. What if he hated her now that he'd gotten hurt?

Glancing around she couldn't help but be glad that Izu was letting her work through this on her own. Sometimes in these moments, it felt like it would be better if she'd never existed, but that was a thought she would never entertain. Reaching out slowly she hovered her hand above his own. She knew that this was a waste of time; if she used all her time now, Izu would have to fight Monoma on her own. The only issue was that she found herself not caring about the upcoming battle.

Lacing her fingers through his, something inside her cracked. Raising his hand slowly, she held it against her forehead wishing that he was awake to make one of his pointless jokes. He was pack, before Shoto or Uraraka, he was someone she cared for; so why couldn't she figure out what she was feeling right now. Her eyes stung but she forced back the emotion threatening to overwhelm her no matter how much her throat hurt.

"Pretty..."

Stiffening, she gazed down at him with blurry eyes as he did the same. His hand tightened on her own for a second before he was gently brushing his fingers over her cheek; it felt nice. Leaning into the touch she had no idea how he could find her teary face to be pretty. Closing her eyes she wanted to tell him that it would be better to stay away from her, but her throat burned. The rustle of sheets was the only warning she had before he was tugging her onto the bed. In a moment of weakness that they would never speak of again, she allowed herself to curl up beside him. If it was only for a few minutes, then it was alright.

Ojiro vs. Sero

(Sero)

He'd been told for years that his quirk wasn't all that useful; after all, there was only so much someone could do with tape. That didn't stop him from fighting against those around him with all his strength. He was a brightly grinning teen that never gave up, yet even he knew that it was only a matter of time until his classmates left him behind. Until then he would smile.

That didn't mean that he had a chance against Ojiro who was already kicking him into the floor. At least he'd given it his best; he was proud of that. Wincing as his back hit the floor, he frowned for only a second before launching a return kick at the other teen. He wasn't going to win, but he didn't want to back down either. Flipping to his feet he twisted around trying to put distance between them, but it wasn't working. Ojiro was the expert martial artist who would never lose against someone like him.

Maybe it would be easier to give up...no, his classmates had been putting on a show for the last few hours. The least he could do was to put on one of his own. From the small smile on Ojirou's face, the other teen felt the same. Dodging the blonde's tail, he couldn't stop himself from chuckling as it slammed into the arena floor.

He'd forgotten for a moment that this was a performance. Aizawa would scold them if the man found out they were only playing around. Aiming a kick at the blonde he wasn't shocked when Ojiro grabbed his leg and tossed him. Using his tape to stay in the arena he chanced a glance up at their classmates who seemed more amused than anything else. Propelling himself at the blonde he felt amazing when he finally managed to land a hit on the other boy. That feeling lasted about five seconds before he was being tossed out of the arena before he could even realize that he'd lost.

Laying there on the grass he sighed with a bit of awe hidden behind his gaze. He knew this was a game, well until round three, but he'd wanted to go a bit farther. Taking the hand Ojiro offered him he let the blonde pull him off the ground with a fair bit of ease. They had to step up their combat training before they could defeat anyone much less villains. Throwing an arm around the other boy's shoulders he muttered a complaint about being tossed even if he didn't mean it. The huff of amusement he got in return was worth the pain of being tossed like a rag doll.

Todoroki vs. Tokoyami

(Shoto)

His father was blocking the way into the arena. The man was saying something about using his fire side, but he didn't really care; he was too busy trying to wave off Momo from stabbing a pro hero. The most dangerous thing the man could do was annoy his classmates and the man was ticking all the red flags his classmates had. As much as he disliked his father, he didn't want the man to be killed by his overprotective teammates. Shifting nervously as Momo smiled in the way that caused him to wish for a couch to hide behind he threw a helpless glance around for help.

Aoyama wasn't any help considering he was looking down at his nails. Honestly, they looked fine; he had no idea why the blonde couldn't just help him instead of contemplating if he needed to pain them blue or gold. He supposed it could be worse, Katsuki could be here instead then they would have to hold him back. At least Momo could sort of control herself. As if that control would last long.

Reaching out to lay a calming hand on her shoulder as her fingers twitched, he noticed that his father had finally taken the hint and stopped talking. Throwing a glance at the man, he faltered at the dark frown on his face. So, his father was annoyed with his lack of response, that wasn't good. He should say something to calm the man down. Or he would have if not for the fact he was being called to the arena. Sighing he let his hand fall from her shoulder as the black-haired girl smiled at him.

Walking toward the arena, he hesitated. He didn't want to leave them alone with his father; they might get hurt. Then he straightened, his classmates were strong enough to deal with his father on their own. He just hoped that his father didn't do anything to hurt them.

(Dabi)

His brother looked tense, it was expected given that this match was on global television and that their father was most likely trying to use this against him. He wanted to reassure his brother that everything would be alright; soon he would deal with their father and his siblings would be free. They just had to hold on a little longer.

So far, his brother's class had put on a wonderful show, except for the blonde who got taken out by plants. Frowning he shifted but kept his attention on the teens below. From what he knew his brother didn't like using his fire side, however, the bicolored teen didn't hesitate to activate the fire half of his quirk. Either his little brother had finally given up on rebelling or this was a sign that he was going to use all his power from now on. Somehow, he knew it was the second option.

The guilt he still felt over not taking his siblings with him when he left vanished just a bit when he saw how willing his brother was to fight now. These kids had helped his brother in a way that he hadn't been able to; now all he had to do was make sure it would stay this way. The sound of his father shouting about how Shoto was fulfilling the legacy was enough to set his blood on fire. Narrowing his eyes on the number two hero he muffled his low growl. Glancing at the man he almost missed the way his brother stiffened then the bird quirked teen across from his little brother was forfeiting.

It was almost disappointing, but he leaned back anyway; he was sure there would be other chances to watch his brother fight. All he had to do was wait.

Iida vs. Momo

(Iida)

He hadn't exactly been a team player before joining this class. It was true that he tried to help others and make things easier for those around him, but he'd never been given the same treatment. It was easy not to blame them seeing as he was the one who was unlikable, then he met his class. At first it was hard to deal with the puppy piles and easy casual touches that sometimes made his skin burn. If he asked, they would stop but the burn was addictive. When they smiled it was like his own heart was about to burst it was smothering, in a good way. He wasn't used to being shown affection like this.

His parents were amazing, but they were busy, and his brother was a hero. It was okay that they didn't have time for him; they had no idea how easily he gave himself to those that asked. No one knew how easily he got lost in caring for people who would never care about him. It was okay, honestly, he didn't understand why they always left him behind, but it was okay. There was no way it couldn't be okay, so why did these people make his heart feel like it was shattering.

Why did they make him feel so at home all the time when it wasn't possible?

Pushing up his glasses he looked over at Momo who seemed to be staring intently at the ground. Was it the same for her? No, Momo was much too bright to feel the same way he did. Her smiles had to be real or he would fall to pieces; if anyone hurt any of them, he would lose his mind. It was such a selfish thought that he had no idea how to process it. They weren't perfect, he knew that more than anyone, but they were the first people not to leave him behind.

The thought of not being abandoned somehow hurt more than the idea they would leave him. He had no idea why that was or why he wanted so badly to protect them. He didn't understand why the gentle touches and bright smiles hurt so much. The cold truth was that he wouldn't trade them for anything; he was far too addicted to the pain. Flashing Momo a smile he felt his worries ease when she returned the expression easily. The warmth that filled his chest was so hot it burned.

That burn didn't stop him from dodging the blunted needles she threw at him once the match started. He knew her well enough to know she would try for a surprise attack then pout when it didn't work. Speeding toward her, he gently moved her out of the ring earning a huff for his efforts. The expression on her face told him that she would be complaining about this later, but he didn't mind. As long as they were happy, he would never mind what they did to him.


So, this took a lot longer than I thought it would. Some of the battles were not easy to write about.

So Brackets for the next chapter, which hopefully will take less time: Izuku vs. Monoma, Katsuki vs. Kirishima, Mina vs. Ojiro, and Iida vs. Todoroki.

Also no big three this chapter sorry, it ran a little long but I will add them next chapter. What did you guys think about this chapter? Also what arc are you looking forward to the most? I can't wait to write the hero killer arc.

Anyway stay safe and have a good day

-Shyla