"Alright students, line up!" Chiura-sensei says. "We'll be heading out onto the field soon so I want you all to be ready. Yamada will be heaping praises onto 1-A but that doesn't mean you should be slacking," their teacher announces. "This is your chance, boys and girls, don't waste this opportunity."
"And here come classes C, D and E from the Department of General Education!"
"That's your cue, make your class proud," Sensei says as Izuku forces his legs to move forward with the rest of his class. This morning has passed by in a blur from waking up and getting dressed, dealing with the crowd and the security checkpoints to the quiet, hushed conversations with his friends a few minutes ago in the waiting room.
It all sped by so quickly until now, Izuku squints slightly as he steps out onto the field and into the bright sun. Izuku thinks his heart is going to give out for a second as he sees just how enormous the stadium is. It didn't look nearly that big on TV. And he was going to compete in front of these people, in front of cameras which were livestreaming the event all over the country, maybe even the world?
"Hey," Kyoshi says to his right, smiling shyly as she links their pinkies together for an instant. "Take a deep breath, it'll be fine."
"Yeah, I mean it's not like anyone is looking at us," Korudo says bitterly with folded arms as he glares over where 1-A is gathered. "I can't believe they gave that huge introduction for 1-A and the rest of us barely got a mention."
"And Yuuei's supposed to be equal opportunity, what a crock," Motome remarks in annoyance, clearly more upset by the fact that she's required to participate than anything. By the time the last class has gathered on the field, Izuku has calmed down and come to terms with the millions of eyes staring down at them. He thinks of his mother at home, undoubtedly glued to the TV trying to spot him.
"Now, now, let's play fair everyone!" Midnight announces as she saunters onto the small stage. She smiles for the crowd and strikes a little pose that doesn't leave very much to the imagination. Izuku turns beet red and keeps his eyes firmly trained on her face.
She cracks her whip and points over to 1-A. "Let's have the player rep for the first years, Bakugou Katsuki of 1-A!"
"Jerk he may be but I heard he placed first in the entrance exam," Taketsu whispers unhappily, her hair tied up in a messy bun.
"Yeah, in the Heroics exam," a girl from one of the other Gen Ed classes sneers. Korudo looks he's about ready to stomp up to the stage and give a speech himself. Izuku and Taketsu link their arms with Korudo's just in case he decides to do something stupid. Izuku exchanges a look with his friend behind Korudo's back.
"Everyone," Kacchan begins solemnly, looking up to the crowd with determined eyes. "I'm going to place first. You all are going to make excellent stepping stones." Izuku buries his face in Korudo's shoulder rather than face the utter disaster of Kacchan's speech. Around him, the whole field is alight with threats and jeers while Kacchan rudely gives them a thumbs down in response.
"Kacchan," Izuku sighs, unhappy but unsurprised.
"What an overconfident bastard!" Korudo shouts, straining from within their hold. "Let go of me, I'll show him how hard this 'stepping stone' can hit."
"He's not being overconfident," Izuku says as Kacchan walks calmly off the stage with his head high and his eyes resolute. Maybe Izuku isn't the only one who's grown up these past few weeks. "He's painting a target on his back; he wants people to throw everything they've got at him so he can prove himself the best."
"Hmph," Taketsu snorts from Korudo's other side. "I never thought I'd find something you two had in common," she says, giving Izuku a cheeky smile. Before Izuku can even think of addressing that loaded statement, Midnight is talking again.
"All right, now that that's done, we can move on directly to our first event! These are our preliminaries, a lot of our students end up choking on their tears at this event! And this year's first round of destiny is..." Izuku's holds his breath, please be something reasonable, please be- "an obstacle course!" Midnight announces, causing the crowd to launch into cheers.
An obstacle course huh, he could, maybe, do that...
As Midnight goes on about the rules of the race, Izuku finds himself seeking out all his friends. He catches their eyes and they smile back at him, it makes him think of their last discussion in the waiting area before they exited onto the field
"Good luck everyone," Izuku said with barely contained energy. "You're all going to do great."
"You shouldn't wish us luck, we're direct competitors now," Korudo remarked before clapping Izuku on the shoulder. "But I'll do it anyway, Midoriya. You'll need it more than all of us."
"Is it even possible for you to give a compliment without making it insulting?" Taketsu sighed.
"We don't have time to be arguing," Patrick said, grabbing Shinsou and Korudo by the shoulders and pulling them into one-armed hugs. "We'll be going out soon and, yeah, we'll all be trying our best to win but can we promise at least not to sabotage each other?"
"I'm going to use my quirk to pass the preliminaries so as long as you stay away from me, you'll be safe," Shinsou said before looking at Izuku. "I won't make any promises for the one on one fights."
"Aw, Shinsou, you do care," Taketsu preened.
"Stop it you guys," Izuku urged, forcing the circle closer. "Look, I just want to say that no matter what happens out there, you guys have been the best friends I have ever had. No matter who wins or loses, if we stay or transfer, you'll always be my friends."
"And you'll always be our friend, Midoriya," Taketsu said warmly. "This semester has been insane but you made it so much better. We're in for the long haul; you can't get rid of us even if you do become a big, famous hero."
"So are we ready?" Patrick asked, his skin lighting up. "Let's go beyond! Plus Ultra!"
XxX
Izuku's lungs are burning, his clothes might be too from that crazy and nearly suicidal stunt with the mines, and his legs feel like they're going to give out at any second but he can't bring himself to slow down. He can see the end of the tunnel up ahead and the thumping footsteps behind him tell him that Kacchan, the Todoroki kid and the rest of the school are right on his heels. He grits his teeth and forces himself to go faster.
This whole obstacle course was designed to test the toughest of quirks with gigantic robots, perilous tightropes and minefields. Izuku saw dozens of people being tripped up trying to accommodate their quirks to the environment but Izuku had to struggle just to survive. There has never been a quirkless kid in the Heroics department and he's starting to see why, it was nearly impossible for someone like him to succeed in this quirk-oriented world.
Lucky for him, it was only nearly impossible.
"I actually cannot believe it folks, who would have imagined this outcome when the race began?" Present Mic announces somewhere far above him. "The first one back to the stadium is..." Izuku bursts through the tunnel into the sunlight and he's absolutely stunned to see his face plastered on all the screens, no way, he couldn't have...
"Some green haired kid! Who is the heck is that boy, Eraser? I'm pretty sure he's not in any of the hero classes." Izuku is still looking around stunned, panting and wiping his brow as the other students begin pouring back into the stadium. He briefly catches sight of Kacchan's glare before he's swallowed up by the crowd.
"His name is Midoriya Izuku and he's a General Education student, this will be the first time in recent memory that a non-hero student has placed first in a preliminary."
"You heard it here first! History is happening right before our eyes. He might be one to keep your eye on, especially since he hasn't revealed his quirk yet!" Mic announces. "And here come the rest of the students crossing the finish line one after another. We'll have the results in a minute, remember, only the first 42 get to go on!"
There are people around him, slapping him on the back and congratulating him; one or two he knew from Gen Ed but most he didn't. The friendly hero girl, Uraraka, smiles and gives him a thumbs up as she leans over on her knees and tries to get her breath back. He looks around and is relieved to see Taketsu and Korudo in the crowd.
"You made it! Have you seen Shinsou or Pat-" Izuku cheers as he runs up to them before Taketsu sweeps him into a bone-crushing hug.
"You were amazing Midoriya! I couldn't believe it when they announced you came in first! I made it by the skin of my teeth at 41st." Her cheeks are bright red and she's a bit sweaty but otherwise seems fine as she releases him.
"It was close for me too," Korudo says, wiping at the sweat beading on his forehead. "I don't know about Shinsou but I passed Takamitsu near the tightrope fall and I was the 39th to get through. It's probably safe to say he didn't qualify. By the way," he gives Izuku a friendly punch on the shoulder. "Good work out there. You're tougher than you look."
"Oh no, poor Patrick," Taketsu says even as Izuku looks at the ground. He knew not everyone would qualify but the reminder of how cutthroat this competition was a bit terrifying. Yes, he did well this first round but what about the second? Izuku gulps as Midnight appears on the big screen.
"The top 42 are allowed to advance, I'm sorry for those who didn't pass but be sure to enjoy the rest of the Festival! We'll continue on to the final section of the preliminaries." Midnight says with a smile as she gestures to the screen, "and what will this final challenge be? I know but let me show you." Taketsu reaches out and grips Izuku's hand tightly.
"Behold! A human cavalry battle!" Midnight announces with a flourish. Izuku doesn't know whether to sigh with relief or vomit. It could have been worse, he supposes, but it also could have been better. "It'll function just like a normal cavalry battle with teams of 2-4 people. The only change is you all will receive headbands with points on them based on your performance in the obstacle course. Whoever has the most points at the end will win!" Izuku feels dread begin to creep up his spine, slowly but with practiced ease.
"So if you placed 42nd you get 5 points, 41st gets 10 and so on all the way up to our first place winner who is worth 10 million points! This is the chance for the low to replace those higher up, welcome to a battle for survival!"
And just like that, there are 41 pairs of eyes boring into him. 41 kids with amazing quirks capable of surpassing that hellish course all coming after the quirkless kid worth 10 million points. There was no way in hell he was getting through this intact, not to mention no one was going to want to team up with him.
"Let's team up, Midoriya," Taketsu says with a bright smile.
"Taketsu!" Izuku says with tears pouring out of his eyes as he gazes at Taketsu like she's just handed him the key to heaven. What has he ever done to deserve such good friends? "You mean it? You know everyone will be after my 10 million, right?"
"I trust you to keep our headbands safe besides, sorry to say, but no one else is gonna want to pair with you since they either don't know your quirk or know you're quirkless. Us Gen Ed students need to stick together." She says with a thumbs up. "Now we just need one more and we'll be all ready to go."
"Two more," Korudo says quietly, looking pained. "I like you Midoriya and I have nothing but respect for you but I'm in this to win and I can't place my faith in a team I don't believe in." He steps away slowly, looking uncomfortable. "I wish you both the best but I can't afford to let friendship get in my way."
"Well, shoot," Taketsu sighs as Korudo leaves. "Oh well, we'll figure out something. The teams can be 2 to 4 players," she eyes him up and down. "What do you weigh? I could probably carry you myself." Before Izuku could stammer out why exactly that plan won't work, muscular arms are pulling him backwards into a large pair of breasts.
"I knew you'd be useful eventually, First Place," Hatsume says, leaning her face down right next to his. "Let me join your team! Everyone will be watching us so I get the chance to use my babies and show them off to all the big companies. You owe me a favor for making your gear and besides," she reaches forward to lovingly stroke the gloves on his hand, "you know how useful my babies can be."
"H-H-Hatsume, yeah! We'd love to have you on our team," Izuku says, edging out of her hold with a bright blush. "If uh that's alright with you, Taketsu?"
"Beggars can't be choosers plus I'm sure she's got some crazy invention we can use," Taketsu says with a grin. "Now we just need one more."
"I'm going to be pretty much useless in this battle, you have some offense capabilities with your blood manipulation and with Hatsume, we now have access to both offensive and defense technologies." Izuku mutters to himself, tuning out the chaos around him.
"What we need is someone with a good defense, someone who can evade or defend. That should balance out the weaknesses in our group and give us half a chance at qualifying for the finals. But who would work?" Izuku thinks out loud, it's not just a problem of finding someone willing to team up with them, though that is still a significant issue. But there's not a lot of combative or defense quirks among the people he knows, he wouldn't even know who to ask.
"If I may, I would like to volunteer myself for your group," a stern voice says and Izuku looks up to see a dark haired boy with glasses. Izuku is struck suddenly as he recognizes him as the hero student who calmed everyone during the time reporters broke in.
"I am Iida Tenya of Class 1-A. I was very impressed with your performance in the obstacle course and I believe I have the power you lack," Iida says, bringing his hand down in a chopping motion. "My quirk is engine which means I can maneuver and evade quite easily which you will need to do in order to keep your 10 million points."
"Yes!" Izuku replies enthusiastically. "Yes, that's exactly what we need! You'd be a perfect addition for our team, I'm Midoriya Izuku and this is Taketsu and Hatsume." Despite the joy he feels, Izuku can't help the niggling sense of doubt. "But um why would you want to work with us? I mean, it's much more practical for you to work with another group to take our headband than to defend it."
"Ah, I'm sorry, I wasn't aware I was so transparent," Iida says, adjusting his glasses a bit. "With so many strong quirks in 1-A, I don't feel like I've had to chance to showcase my capabilities. I wasn't even there for most of the attack at USJ. With your 10 million points, I know everyone will be after you and so I want to challenge myself." Izuku hums, he wasn't exactly surprised and, after all, wasn't he also trying to prove himself?
"I understand, Iida and it's fine. Nice to meet you." Izuku says as he hears Midnight announce that they're getting ready to begin. "Ok, we need to work on our strategy. Hatsume, do you have anything that can work with Iida's speed? Ensure that we're able to move around easily?"
"Oh boy do I!" Hatsume says with a toothy smile that almost makes Izuku regret asking. But soon enough they'd worked out their plan and Izuku steps into his teammate's hands and becomes the mount, the 10 million point headband secured around his head. He warily eyes the other groups around him, keenly aware that they'll all be on them the second the battle started.
"Midoriya, I didn't get a chance to see your quirk during the obstacle course. Would you mind sharing it so we can incorporate it into our plans," Iida asks. Hatsume promptly bursts into snorting giggles while Taketsu shoots him a worried look. They only have moments before the battle begins and Izuku doesn't want to dishearten Iida before they even start.
"It's hard to explain, you'll see in the battle," Izuku responds enigmatically as Taketsu bites into the flesh of her free hand and draws blood, ready to unleash her power. "Let's stay focused; all we need to do to advance is keep this headband. Our primary goal is to protect the 10 million."
"Start!" Midnight announces and, despite expecting it, Izuku startles when most of the other teams come barreling their way.
"Okay, we need to get out of here and fast." Taketsu yelps before, suddenly, they begin to sink into the ground. The groups are closer now, close enough that someone is able to use their quirk apparently. "It's got to be the guy in the front of that group; we need him to distract him, Taketsu!"
"On it," his friend hisses as a stream of blood shoots out and strikes the kid in the face. He reels back in surprise causing his whole group to stall and, more importantly, for the ground to return to normal beneath Izuku's team. "Come on motor boy! Get a move on!"
"Hold on, all of you!" Iida shouts as he races around the oncoming groups at what may be a slow pace for him but is still well beyond what the average person could do. Izuku had braced for the speed and, with the girls wearing Hatsume's mechanized skates, they're easily able to glide out of immediate danger.
"Good job, Iida. The battle is only 15 minutes, we just need to keep this up for that long. We can do that."
Maybe, Izuku thinks with trepidation as he catches sight of Kacchan charging across the field. Endeavor's son, Todoroki, also looks like he's going to be trouble. Right now their main advantage is Iida's speed and also the fact that most probably don't know what quirk to expect from a nameless Gen Ed student.
"And look at that ladies and gentleman," Present Mic says from the commentators box. "Only 2 minutes in and already we have a melee of tumultuous proportions! As you can see, headbands are already being taken and it's fine strategy to settle for second, third or fourth and not go after the 10 million!"
"Let's slow down a little Iida, I don't know how long you can keep up this pace but I think it's a little much for us." Izuku says, starting to feel the strain from the wind and pressure. Iida obediently slows down to a normal person's jog.
"Apologies everyone," Iida announces. "I noticed Todoroki was behind us but it looks like we've put a bit of distance betw-"
"Give me your fucking headband, Deku!" Izuku turns to see Kacchan raging close by, his red eyes locked onto their group as his team rapidly approaches. Izuku's hand twitches towards the staff strapped to his back but decides against it. Not only will it be cumbersome to maneuver it but the weapon all but announces that he doesn't have a combat quirk.
"Keep moving, I've got Kacchan," Taketsu says with a dark look on her face. "We still have a score to settle." Blood flies through the air, she'd aimed not at Kacchan but at his redheaded front rider. The boy's skin hardens instinctively at the blood flying into his face. The blood can't stop him but the surprise does slow the team down long enough for Iida to race past them.
"That's quite the impressive quirk, Taketsu," Iida says sincerely as he shoots Taketsu a quick look before concentrating back on his run. Taketsu gives a weak smile in return.
Izuku practically jumps out of his skin as something pink, a tongue he thinks, shoots past his face and narrowly misses his headband. The tongue retracts and he sees that it's coming from a boy with many arms with three people protected within. A shadowy figure pops out from the shelter and dives toward them.
"That's Shouji, Tokoyami, Asui and Mineta from 1-A," Iida announces, immediately turning and going in another direction before the living shadow can reach them. "Asui and Tokoyami are dangerous with their long range attacks as is Mineta who can release adhesive balls; we would do well to avoid them."
"Thanks for the heads up, Iida," Izuku mutters, feeling paranoia beating him down from all sides. They can't catch a moment to breathe.
"And all Team Midoriya can do is run away! Not that I blame them with that juicy 10 million to protect!" Present Mic's commentary was starting to get very grating. "Seven minutes have passed and, whoa, look at those scores! Class 1-A, the Festival's darlings, aren't doing so hot and Class 1-B is really heating up!"
"You know I hadn't planned on going for the 10 million, second or third would have sufficed but you look just like a sweet little lamb that I couldn't help myself." Fingers brush gently against the back of Izuku's head, loosening the headband and panic become the only reality he knows. Izuku spins, smacking the thief's arm away and further dislodging the headband until it slips down to Izuku's neck.
"Watch out Midoriya!" Iida yells, "Monoma can copy your quirk!" Izuku almost smiles, oh no, what will he do?
The other boy, a blond with a pinched face, grins. "Thank you for giving me the chance to test out whatever quirk helped you to win the obstacle course." The wannabe thief, Monoma, raises his hand, clearly expecting something great.
"Huh?" Monoma blinks and looks down at himself when nothing happens, "I definitely touched you so why didn't I copy-" Izuku punches him hard in the face and the boy dazedly falls back and is only kept upright by his teammates. Taketsu further drives them off with blood whips. In a split second decision, Izuku reaches forward and grabs two headbands from around Monoma's neck.
"What an upset from Team Midoriya! Not only were they able to evade Monoma's copy quirk but they also managed to steal some of their headbands, putting Team Monoma down to sixth place. Does this Midoriya kid ever stop?" Izuku isn't listening to the rest of the commentary as he secures the two new headbands, 665 and 120, around his neck. He reties the 10 million but keeps it with the others to confuse any other potential thieves.
"Amazing Midoriya! I made a wise choice when I teamed up with you," Iida shouts. "How did you manage to avoid Monoma's quirk? It's very effective, I saw he used it earlier to take Bakugou's headband."
"I'll tell you later, come on, we have to keep moving. There's six minutes left and we still have everyone after us!" Izuku answers as he hones in on one team moving forward purposefully, it's Todoroki. Izuku feels his insides twist a bit as he thinks of the boy's terrifying power during the obstacle course.
"That headband," Todoroki announces once he's close enough, "I'm taking it."
"We need to move," Taketsu says quietly enough that Izuku tears his eyes off the dual toned boy charging towards them to look down at his friend. She's pale and tired looking, breathing hoarsely through her mouth. He glances down at her palm which is still bleeding freely. Between the obstacle course and now the cavalry battle, she's got to be feeling the effects of her quirk.
"Taketsu, close your wounds before you lose too much blood!" Izuku shrieks and he really isn't surprised when there's ice cold fingers at his neck grasping for the headbands.
Todoroki is driven off by a weak blood stream and Izuku's maneuvering so he only manages to get away with one headband. But, surprisingly enough, Izuku couldn't care less right now. "Taketsu please, you've done amazing so far but please don't push yourself, winning isn't worth it!" He practically begs.
"Midoriya, did he get the 10 million?" Iida demands, not seeming to care at all about Taketsu's health.
"Who cares about that when she could be bleeding to death?" Izuku shouts even as he angrily looks down at the headbands strapped around his neck. "But no, he didn't, he got one of Monoma's, the 665 point one. Not that a stupid piece of cloth matters," Taketsu squeezes his foot with her hand.
"Thank you for your concern but I'm fine, I'm just a bit weak. Having these skates has been a lifesaver. I can hold out for the rest of the battle, you just focus on getting us through." She says with a tired smile and it's hard work for Izuku to pull his eyes from her to evaluate the big players left on the battlefield.
Todoroki is still pretty close, wiping off Taketsu's blood from his arms and looking ready to attack again at any moment. Kacchan looks like he's gotten some points back and will probably be coming their way soon. Izuku sees Shinsou being carried around, but his friend has plenty of headbands and likely won't make an attempt on them. He doesn't know where Korudo went, he's probably with another group.
"Yea, you can do it, First Place! You have to get us through so I can continue to show off my babies!" Hatsume pipes up.
"Alright, let's do this." Izuku says resolutely, tugging on the two headbands around his neck to test their security.
Todoroki suddenly charges forward and it looks like he's pulled a blanket out of nowhere? What's that going to- Iida is speeding away quickly from Todoroki who electrocutes the teams nearest him before icing them in place. Izuku yelps, what kind of quirks does Todoroki have on his team?
"That's Kaminari's doing, he has a lightning quirk," Iida says in a subdued tone. "He also has Yaoyorozu who can create anything she can understand molecularly and that's Uraraka up front, her quirk is Zero Gravity so I imagine she's lightening the load of the team for maneuverability. They're a very efficient combination."
"Hey, First Place, isn't that your friend over there?" Hatsume asks, pointing over to Kacchan who's also racing towards them with deadly intent. Izuku's team is caught in a triangle between bad and worse with not many places to run to. Izuku looks at Todoroki's passive face then over at Kacchan who is practically frothing at the mouth with rage.
"I say we go for Todoroki, if we go quickly enough we can avoid the ice and the lightning," Izuku says.
"I agree, if I may point something out. Todoroki can create both fire and ice but he's vowed never to use the fire from his left side in battle. I'm not sure if that helps in any way," Iida supplies as he begins to run at Todoroki.
"Only two minutes left and it looks like it's down to three! Todoroki and Bakugou of Class 1-A and the wild card Midoriya from Gen Ed who still hasn't shown us anything about his quirk!"
Todoroki brings up an ice wall on Izuku's left, not just blocking off their only escape route but also cutting off Kacchan's advance. Honestly, Izuku kind of wants to thank him for that.
Present Mic's commentary reminds Izuku that his unknown quirk is still an advantage, if he pretends that he's bigger than he is, he just might be able to drive Todoroki off. It's a gamble but it's all he can do since retreat isn't an option anymore. Todoroki doesn't appear put off by their advancement and instead readies himself for whatever Izuku can throw his way.
Iida is careful to stay on Todoroki's left and, true to form, Todoroki keeps shifting to try and accommodate the ice on his right. Why isn't he using his fire? Is he afraid of hurting his teammates? Either way, Izuku is going to take advantage of his opponent's stubbornness.
Izuku borrows a technique from Kacchan and shifts his weight over to Hatsume, pulling his foot out of Taketsu's hand and delivering a strong kick to Todoroki's midsection. It startles the other boy enough that he doubles over, leaving his headbands exposed.
"Todoroki!" Uraraka shouts as she tries to retreat but Izuku's already grabbing at Todoroki's headbands while Iida and Hatsume struggle to keep him upright. Izuku's hand lands on Todoroki's neck but before he can grab anything, a small amount of flames bursts from Todoroki's left. It's snuffed out just as quickly but Izuku instinctively pulls back at the intense heat. Grey and blue eyes look at Izuku with something approaching horror on his face.
"Midoriya and Todoroki are right in each other's grill but nothing is happening! What's going on down there? Team Bakugou is going around Todoroki's barrier and is charging toward both teams, looking ready to launch! 30 seconds left and it's anyone's game at this point!"
"Iida, get us out of here!" Izuku shouts because Todoroki's only going to be stunned for so long and Kacchan is fast approaching. Izuku's words seem to snap Todoroki out of his daze and his arm darts forward quicker than Izuku can track.
"Hold on! Recipro Burst!" Iida shouts, revving his engine before speeding off faster than Izuku can even comprehend. The girls shriek below him and Izuku is aware of fingers at his neck. The next moment, they're halfway across the field with good distance between them and Todoroki. Kacchan is screaming as they get away again and there's a limp headband hanging in Todoroki's hand.
"I'm out, my engines have stalled. Midoriya, how are we doing?" Iida shouts, looking up at him.
"5... 4... 3..."
With shaking fingers, Izuku slowly turns the only remaining headband over in his hand and looks at it. Kacchan is close now, he'll be upon them in a few more seconds. He either didn't notice Todoroki grab the headband or he doesn't care.
"You're fucking mine Deku! You can't run away any more!" Kacchan shouts as he launches himself into the air.
"2... 1... Time is up everyone! Let's tally up the points!"
His momentum lost, Kacchan falls flat the ground and proceeds to pound his fists into the ground in frustration. Todoroki lets out a deep breath, bringing the fist holding the stolen headband up to rest against his forehead. Meanwhile, Izuku is too busy staring at the numbers on his headband.
"And in first place is, once again, Team Midoriya with 10 million points! Absolutely unbelievable, who is this kid!? In second we have Team Todoroki, Team Bakugou in third." Kacchan screeches even louder from his place on the ground at that announcement. "And in fourth is eh? Team Shinsou? When did that happen?"
Izuku bursts into a grin as the shock wears off, they made it! It was only due to dumb luck but they made it! And Shinsou did too, he'd have to congratulate his friend later!
"Taketsu, did you hear that? Shinsou made it through! I can't believe it-" Izuku begins to sway as Taketsu's grip on him loosens. Iida and Hatsume steady him while Taketsu sinks to her knees. "Taketsu!" Izuku shouts, jumping down to the ground and supporting her back before she falls over. She's even paler in the light, her hands are cold and trembling slightly. Her hair has mostly fallen out of its bun and is dusting the ground. She tries to smile at him but her lips barely twitch.
"So we made it, huh?" In the background, he can hear Iida calling for a medic but Izuku can't tear his eyes off his friend. There's no way he can lift her alone, maybe if he and Iida work together. She touches his arm.
"I'm glad. I can't go on but I kind of knew this was a one-shot deal. Quirks like mine, we have limits and sometimes they're too much," Taketsu whispers as people start to rush towards them. "But that's what's so great about you Midoriya, you don't have any limits, there's nothing stopping you from going all the way to the top."
"Please move, I need to take her to Recovery Girl," a medic bot announces.
"I'm going with," Izuku pleads, stepping back anxiously as Taketsu is loaded over onto the stretcher. Shinsou runs over and looks at Taketsu with large, fearful eyes. Izuku doesn't think he's seen him so shaken up before.
"No, stay here, both of you. You have the one on one matches, remember? I'll be fine, really, and I'll be cheering you on from the nurse's office. Good luck." And with that said, one of Izuku's best friends is rushed off the field, worn out from blood loss because Izuku hadn't paid her enough attention to remind her not to overdo it.
Around him the crowd is still cheering, hell, they're probably excited by the added drama of a student being taken away by a stretcher, and Izuku doesn't even hear it. All he can think about is victory and the high cost that comes with it.
Hello! Welcome to the opening chapter of the Sports Festival, I still consider this one of the most fun, and most exhausting, chapters to write. As a few people pointed out in the reviews, canon Izuku didn't use OFA during the obstacle course so just imagine it lines up similarly to canon. It was so fun to finally bring some of our favorite 1-A kids into the game and to switch up teams. Thank you so much for all the reviews and follows! I appreciate it a lot!
Also shout out to my beta Suzi Q for being great and I have another beta helping out GwendolynStacy who's been amazing! I'm grateful beyond measure for all the support! Tune in next Sunday for the first of the one on one matches!