She was a lone island in a sea of surging humanity.
The race was on; quirks were exploding everywhere as people escaped Todoroki's ice, and gigantic robotic parts began scattering to the ground as debris.
Within her deadly stillness, One for All churned.
"C'mon Kimi!" Momo called over her shoulder.
She moved.
/~/
The race was on; Momo took off like a shot, her eyes already roving over the obstacles, assessing weak points and preparing to craft the perfect counter. Everyone was moving, scrambling frantically for the goal-
-except for Shoto Todoroki who swept effortlessly before them all with an unprecedented grace.
He had said that he was going to win. She had begged to differ.
But now…
No. I'm not going to lose. She'd been chasing after their backs from the moment Todoroki had beat her in the class rankings. They demanded all the attention, had all the glorious fights. And Kimi during the USJ invasion…
It was supposed to be the three of them. A friendly three-way rivalry. But somewhere along the line, Kimi and Todoroki had snapped into orbit.
And Momo…
I'm not going to be left behind.
Despite everything, she cast a single glance back. Kimiko hadn't moved an inch; her face betrayed nothing but that ever-present quiet focus, and her eyes were those of a hunter stalking prey. She was an assassin lying in wait- as if this race could be won by waiting and analyzing- by lying in wait to see just how she should strike.
"C'mon Kimi!"
Kimiko was going to fight for it. Shoto Todoroki was going to fight for it. And Momo was going to tear this victory right out of their throats, because she was going to win, damnit!
Momo kept running.
/~/
Kimi was flying through time and space, through eternity and nothingness towards the one undiluted goal she'd been clawing at since the USJ.
Kimi didn't know where the end of the race was. She didn't know how to get there or where she was going. But All Might had given her a mission and she would see it accomplished.
She would get there first, and she would make an impact and declare it to the world. And the world was going to hear- she'd make the world hear.
The colored lights of One for All guided her as she rode on the broken wings of sacrifice and desire. Blinding light crashed into the earth and her feet hit solid ground, the blazing energy rippling off her.
I am here!
The crowd roared.
/~/
Still breathless with joy and adrenaline, Kimi turned to grin at Todoroki as he crossed the finish line.
He stopped and lifted his head, staring back at her darkly.
It jarred the fluttering ecstasy right out of her; Kimi paused, words of congratulations on the tip of her tongue. Roughly, she swallowed, and allowed her gaze to grow cold. That breathless joy began to fade.
I won, she thought fiercely. And that's all that matters.
/~/
She had made it; Momo had made it.
Todoroki had beaten her to finish line, but that had become more inevitable to her as the race went on. But oh, she was going to come out better than one of them at least- she hoped Kimi had fought for it, had put up a valiant fight. She hoped her win was dramatic, with Kimi clawing at her heels as she passed the finish line.
Momo turned around. Nobody was there.
Numbly, she crossed the threshold leading to the others who'd overtaken her, leading to the winners whom she'd now be a part of. Katsuki Bakugo greeted her with a silent glare as she passed.
The crowd was screaming around her, cheering wildly and frenzied. And in the eye of the hurricane was Kimi and Todoroki staring each other down, locked in their own little world.
No-!
/~/
"TEN MILLION POINTS!"
Kimi blinked. "Excuse me?"
Several pairs of hungry eyes gleamed around her.
Well damn.
Nobody would want to partner with the winner of the race, because everyone would be targeting her. Ten million damn points; this was not how math worked. She had to find –or desperately scramble for- a team and quick, before everyone was taken.
Instinctively, she turned in the direction she knew Todoroki was in. Even as more people finished the race and crowded the area, she'd always subconsciously had a pinpoint on his location. She knew it was the same for him, and they could both feel the subtle tension between them.
She arrived in time to see him extend a hand towards Momo. "Yaoyorozu," he said. A command.
Momo stared at that hand for a single, eternal moment. Her hesitation surprised Kimi, but more surprising was the conviction with which she turned away.
She declined him.
Todoroki blinked in equal surprise before resolutely heading off, turning his back to Kimi. She stumbled a step after him, her hand lifting.
No.
She didn't know what happened, and she didn't know what it was all about, but Kimi wasn't welcome anymore. He'd seen her and walked away deliberately- she could take a hint.
Kimi swiveled around, pushing away the hurt, but Momo was gone as well.
People kept moving around her but Kimi stood shock-still, suddenly feeling so…isolated. Alone. A little helplessly, she began listing her classmates. Asui? She'd seen her with Mineta and Mezo. Mina? With Bakugo. She wandered dazedly through the bustling crowd, suddenly spotting Momo. Her eyes lit up, but her hopes quickly crumbled upon seeing her with Jiro, Uraraka, and someone who was presumably Toru Hagakure.
Swiveling on her heel, her steps picked up speed as a bit of frantic desperation seeped in.
"Midoriya-san."
She froze, and locked eyes with Tokoyami. A little bit of that crushed hope sparked within her, and she held her breath.
Then Tokoyami nodded, and Kimi smiled. "Welcome to the team."
They sifted through and were declined by another few students, before a blur stopped her in his tracks. She heard a purr of "Perfect, you're still alone…" and a mop of pink hair shoved itself in her face.
"Team up with me, person in first place!" The girl's face was split in a wide, hungry grin. Kimi took several quick steps back.
"Um…sure?"
The girl's eyes lit up like a flame, and she clasped her hands together. "Wonderful! This will be such a good opportunity to show off my babies-"
Kimi blinked. "Pardon?"
"Oh, yes." She whipped out a pile of metal contraptions and waved around fervently. A wide grin had split her face. "They'll be of much use to you, promise. I've prepared a jetpack which I'm sure you'll love 'cause I'm assuming you'll want to hide- and what better place to do so than in the sky?"
"Breathe," muttered Tokoyami.
"Anyways," she went on. "I'm Mei Hatsume! Who are you?"
"Kimiko Midoriya."
"Fumikage Tokoyami."
Mei flipped up her goggles to reveal startlingly intense eyes. "Great, nice to meet you all. So anyways, I'm going to use your unfortunate situation to my personal advantage!"
"Subtle," Kimi muttered.
"Oh yes, and I'll have the perfect chance to be in the spotlight with you. This'll ensure that my precious babies will be seen by all of the big-company CEOs that will surely be tuning into the battle! This is totally the best way for me and my marvelous gadgets to get recruits!"
Mei stopped to take a breath and tilted her head. "So yeah, what's the game plan?"
"We-ell," Kimi said dryly with a raised eyebrow. "I'm glad you asked." Mei Hatsume continued to stare expectantly at her with that same strange intensity. "You're right that I'll need to be in the sky, but hiding isn't all we're going to be doing. You have anything that can turn a bit quicker, with more flexibility?"
Mei tilted her head. "I can make a few tweaks on the jetpack right now, but the acceleration and speed will suffer for it."
"No. The speed can go, but I'll need the acceleration."
"I can launch us into the sky with Dark Shadow," Tokoyami interrupted. "That's all the acceleration we'll need. Do what you need to do, Hatsume-san."
"On it!"
"Okay, that works. Tokoyami? You'll be playing defensive. Cover my back, and only switch to front if there's an emergency."
"Understood."
"Mei?"
Tools and wires were flying everywhere. She worked with an almost unholy speed.
"Hurry up."
Mei flashed a feral grin and her hands became little more than a blur.
/~/
"Three!"
Kimi fiddled with her jetpack, and Mei slipped on her hover boots.
"Two!"
Dark Shadow slid from Tokoyami, bellowing a war-cry.
"One!"
The others closed in, surrounding her team like wolves circling prey. Kimi gritted her teeth. I'm not the same defenseless prey I once was. Never again.
"Move!" Her voice cracked like a whip, and Mei barked a delighted laugh. Her devices kicked into full gear and Dark Shadow slammed the ground, launching them into the sky.
"You aren't getting away, Midoriya!" Bakugo launched himself into the air like some feral beast, eyes wide and hair madly tousled. His arm was cocked back, crackling with energy.
Tokoyami barked, "Dark Shadow!" And the monstrous blast was met head on with a roiling surge of darkness.
"Nice," Kimi breathed.
But then Bakugo shot another explosion beneath him, keeping him in the air. Dark Shadow lashed out, but he twisted to avoid the blow.
"You two fuckers against me," he snarled. "Just like the good ol' days."
He struck out with a fist, but Dark Shadow met him blow for blow. Kimi called, "The hell are you talking about?"
"Pummel him," Tokoyami commanded.
Dark Shadow finally struck Bakugo across the chest, and he let himself fall, controlling his descent with miniature blasts. He seethed, glaring daggers.
Kimi pushed the button for another boost from the jetpack. Mei angled her body to propel them forwards with her hover boots. "What was his problem?" she said.
"Dunno," said Kimi.
In their brief moment of respite, Tokoyami let Dark Shadow relax. "Bakugo-san was referring to our first hero-course assignment. The one where he was on the villain team and we were acting as the hero team."
"Oh, that," said Kimi. She had won by pretending to engage in a final, all-out attack with Bakugo before dropping her knife at the last minute, distracting him and allowing Tokoyami to take him down from the back. Yeah, it had been a bit of a dirty trick, but… "Didn't know he was still hung up about it."
From beneath her, Tokoyami's shoulders shifted in a shrug.
Mei, oblivious to what had just occurred, tossed her head back to give a whoop of joy before blasting her devices into full throttle. They hurtled sharply to the side, just as lightning arced across where they had once stood.
"Ten million points!" Kaminari crowed with Todoroki on his back. "Enjoy it while it lasts, Midoriya!"
Kimiko gritted her teeth and shot off, the crackle of thunder on her heels. Her jetpack sputtered, the fuel draining at an alarming rate. That, coupled with the feeling of the chase, of being chased and hunted down, drew her resolutely to a single conclusion.
This wouldn't be won by running away.
Her eyes roved over the writhing masses below, surveying the chaos. She locked onto a weak point in the crowd; an opening. Their salvation.
"We attack," she commanded. "Strike swiftly and get out fast. We can lose Todoroki in the process."
"It's too risky," rumbled Tokoyami.
Kimi smiled grimly. "You know what they say: offense is the best defense." She angled her jetpack downwards. "Now follow my lead."
They shot towards a group of Class B students, their rider lifting their arms to defend. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Toru's headband bob towards her. A grin slashed across Kimi's face as she jerked to the side; Tokoyami sensed her intent and threw Dark Shadow to a side, banking while shielding them from the Class B team.
The first to react, Momo cried out a warning and a kaleidoscope of color burst to life in her chest. I won't give you a chance to use that, Kimi thought and barked out an order. Mei grinned wildly and thrust out an arm, something metal and shiny shooting from her sleeve and snatching the headband right off Toru's head.
Suddenly, Kimi noticed that their team had all lost their headbands, save for Uraraka's. No. Don't hesitate. Don't falter.
Jiro muttered something to Uraraka, quickly and urgently. The other girl gave a determined nod and reached up to touch Toru, and the two began rising into the air. Jiro and Momo scattered from beneath them.
"They're going all-out offensive," said Tokoyami.
"We have to get out!" Kimi called. "Hatsume, full power!"
"You got it!"
Dark Shadow threw them into the air, and the thrum of the jetpack vibrated intensely against her back. Wind ripped the hair from her face as Kimi and her team launched into the sky, only for a spike of ice to shoot up before them.
Kimi clenched her jaw. Damnit.
Frost glittering in his eyes, Todoroki rose to their level on his crystalline spire. Kaminari launched lightning at her, forcing them to swerve right into Todoroki's ice. Dark Shadow smashed through it and the shards rained down on the teams below.
"Toldya we were coming for you," snarked Kaminari. A path of ice unraveled towards them and lightning danced along it, skimming Mei. She cried out, and her hover boots flailed. Team Todoroki sped towards them with Iida at the helm.
Sudden clarity struck through Kimi's panic. A blanket of focus wrapped around her and she carefully isolated a fraction of her power, slowly but surely, and thrust it to her side. Energy surged through her -around her- demanding that the world keep them upright. A burst of power neutralized Mei's flailing, giving them just enough time to dodge Kaminari's next attack.
"They're not letting up," Tokoyami remarked. "We're getting overwhelmed."
"Then we push back."
Kimiko shut off her jetpack and they landed solidly on Todoroki's platform of ice. She shifted her weight entirely onto Tokoyami, allowing Mei to do a spinning kick, propelled by a sudden burst of her hover boots.
Kaminari was knocked off balance but the other two didn't slow. Unbalanced, their entire team flailed for a moment. Todoroki snarled in frustration, urging them to continue their momentum despite their stumble.
He's desperate.
The opposing team lurched forwards but Kimi's team danced around them. The fourth member of their team, Ojiro, covered their backs and lashed out with his tail.
And then, like the low rumble of thunder, Todoroki spoke: "Midoriya."
Her head spun round against her will. Her gaze locked with his.
He reached out, and flames danced along his fingertips.
/~/
He was burning from the inside out. The fire danced beneath his skin, and he ached- oh how he ached. Heat, power, rage- he was the flame. He held it all in, devoured the fire until it was devouring him. And… and Midoriya-
Fire in his heart. Fire in his soul. He was burning; would there even be anything left after he burned? Would there be anything left of Shoto Todoroki- or would there be nothing left but ashes.
His mind and soul screamed, and the fire raced into his fingertips and burst forth into the world.
/~/
She saw the flame, and sheer instinct had her recoiling, retreating, but Tokoyami and Mei kept charging forwards but there was fire just a breath away-
The headband ripped right off her head.
No! All fear fled her mind, driven out by pure rage and desperation. Cold power raced through her veins and she threw out an arm. As if nature itself had bowed to her command, a sharp, ripping wind crashed into Todoroki's team and they stopped, fumbling.
Kimi's team charged past.
Dark Shadow held a headband in his beak.
Pass.
/~/
Present Mic revealed the top four teams one by one, Todoroki's obviously placing first. Having snagged his original headband, Kimi's team managed to make it into fourth place.
Satisfaction gleamed in Tokoyami's eyes. Mei cheered.
Suddenly remembering the team she'd singled out for their weakness, Kimi felt a pang of worry. She spun in a small circle, before hurrying over to Momo. "Hey," she said. "Sorry about that. You guys make it?"
Her friend's face had gone curiously blank, before a smile slowly blossomed across her face. It looked strangely strained.
"Yeah," said Momo. "We picked off some Class B guys."
Relieved, Kimi loosed a breath. "Oh, good."
"Don't worry about it. Competition's competition, am I right?"
The two shared a laugh with Momo's sounding a little forced, but Kimi quickly dismissed it as nerves.
Settling for small talk, Kimi struck up a conversation about their classmates. Momo slowly relaxed as they speculated on Tokoyami's Dark Shadow.
"He doesn't feel solid," the other girl said. "But it certainly feels solid when it hits you in the face. Reminds me kind of water- the way it solidifies as you slam into it."
"I dunno," replied Kimi. "It seems more like pure energy. If it were liquid, it wouldn't be able to hold its shape. The real question is whether or not it's its own sentient being."
Momo was about to answer before Present Mic announced the third stage: a straight-up arena battle. The matches were determined based on the points, and Kimi pitied whoever was facing Todoroki and Bakugo, the first and second place winners respectively.
She expressed as much to Momo.
Her face twisted. "Mr. First Place," she muttered, before sighing. "Obviously." When she looked up, her gaze was hard with determination. "But not for much longer."
Well, Kimi disagreed with who her friend thought would replace him (it certainly wasn't going to be Momo) but quietly, she agreed with her words.
She was going for the kill, and the others would just have to settle for second. Glancing over, she saw Todoroki staring at his hands as if they'd betrayed him. She turned away.
All Might's command rang through her mind, her soul:
I am here.
I am here.
I am here.
Kimi opened her eyes and smiled at Momo. "Well, I'll introduce you to your opponent. Momo, this is Mei Hatsume."
She left her friend to that… that force of nature and went to find Hitoshi Shinso.