"… THE GREAT CREATOR! SHE WAS ADMITTED BECAUSE OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND I THINK WE CAN ALL SEE WHY, ALSO FROM 1A, MOMO YAOYOROZU!"
The girl just introduced by Present Mic took a deep breath before looking straight at her opponent, Tokoyami.
In some ways it was ironic that her first opponent in the tournament was indeed one of the comrades with whom she had won the Cavalry Battle.
They had worked well as a team under Todoroki-san's guide but now it was time to face each other.
-Present Mic's description of Tokoyami-san is accurate- Momo reflected –With Dark Shadow he's skilled at both attacking and defending, so there's little doubt he'll start the match with a pre-emptive strike …-
So she'll have to be fast and immediately create something to protect herself, but what?
The simplest and most logical thing would be a shield.
A simple iron shield would have required her just a few seconds of concentration.
But then she would have to create some weapon to attack and …
"STAAAART!"
Present Mic's scream made her jump.
"Dark Shadow" Tokoyami called, summoning his sentient Quirk.
The shadow creature covered the distance that separated her and his master in a flash, barely giving her time to create the shield to defend herself.
The blows were fast and powerful, and the intervals between the attacks were too short for her to concentrate enough to create a suitable weapon.
The fourth hit knocked her shield off.
"Damn it!" Momo hissed, immediately creating another shield "I can't focus on my Quirk"
They went on like this for a few more moments until…
-… U-Uh, it stopped attacking- Momo looked surprised at Dark Shadow who for some reason seemed to have stopped in mid-air in the center of the arena.
-It's my chance!- she thought, creating a metal staff.
However when she was about to lunge at Tokoyami, Midnight's voice stopped her "Momo Yaoyorozu is OUT of ring!"
"WHAT!?" the black haired girl looked down, realizing with horror that one of her feet was actually out of bounds.
She ... She had lost ...?
"... B-But I … I didn't even … do anything …"
With low spirit, the girl left the arena keeping her eyes down, completely unaware of the calculating gaze that was observing her from the top of the stands.
"Momo Yaoyorozu, Quirk: Creation" Izuku muttered to himself as he watched the girl leave the arena with a disconsolate expression on her face "Emitter type, varies range; Creation allows the user to materialize different objects, such as weapons and tools, from any part of their body, with the exception of living beings such as humans and animals …"
… A unique Quirk to say the least, but that's not all.
In order to create a particular object, it's essential that Miss Yaoyorozu knows the atomic structure that makes up the object itself, which requires a remarkable mnemonic capacity AND a creative intelligence.
Qualities Miss Yaoyorozu has been shown to possess in abundance.
Still, the fact that she had lost so quickly hadn't really surprised him.
In such a context, hand-to-hand combat within a perimeter that offered no cover whatsoever, there was very little Miss Yaoyorozu could do against Tokoyami.
Unlike her, the dark boy didn't need to concentrate to control his Quirk, which attacked her immediately without giving her a breather.
So no, he didn't expect her to win.
Of course, it was a shame not to have been able to observe his Lady's future host in a combat one on one, but still ...
Izuku's lips curled into a small dark smile.
After seeing what Momo Yaoyorozu was able to do with her Quirk during the Sports Festival, he decided that she was the best candidate for the role …
"… It seems you've finally made up your mind, my champion"
Izuku felt Lady Bone Demon's smug whisper like a breath of cold air against his ear.
Though silent, she had never stopped looking through his eyes, nor had she stopped keeping an eye on his thoughts; As a result she had been able to follow all his research and the reasoning that had led him to make that decision.
"Yes, I analyzed the potential of her Quirk and now that I've had the opportunity to observe it in the field, I believe that Miss Yaoyorozu is the best choice" the green haired boy said, absolutely sure of what he was saying.
Now, he just needed her permission to proceed "Does my decision meet your expectations, my Lady?"
"Very" The power to create any object, empowered by her immortal essence would be extremely useful to her plans.
"Am I allowed to proceed then?"
"You are" the Demon agreed "Find a way to bring her to me, a way that is discreet though"
"I will need time for that"
"And you will have it, in the last year through you I have been able to restore my ancient power but, as you know, in order to fulfill my purpose I need SOMETHING more …"
Izuku's eyes narrow in a calculating expression "The items from the celestial realm"
"Yes, once collected, they will allow me to forge OUR destiny"
The blue image of what looked like some kind of giant Mech, similar to the ones often seen in sci-fi anime, flashed through his mind.
"But until then, we still need to keep a low profile" LBD stated "Let everyone's eyes look in the wrong direction, fear the wrong danger; I have waited for more the thousand years, I can wait a little more if that means ensuring our victory"
"As you wish, my Lady"
Toshinori Yagi was sitting beside her bed when she woke up in the infirmary.
"Uraraka-chan!" he exclaimed, visibly relieved when he saw her awake "You're awake, how do you feel?"
"Yagi-san …?" Ochako murmured, blinking as she tried to sort through her thoughts.
It took her a few moments to remember what had happened.
The last thing she remembered was herself desperately trying to get up after she fell to the ground, exhausted.
She looked around, confused.
She was in the infirmary, that mean she lost consciousness?
But then …
"… I lost" she wispered dejected.
"Uraraka-chan …"
"… I lost, at the first meeting" Ochako interrupted him, her lips trembling slightly "I'm so sorry, Yagi-san" she continued, looking away "I … I didn't succeed …"
"I want you to make the world know that you have arrived!"
"… If only I could better control One for All, I could have used it during the match …" she sighed "… I'm sorry I'm such a disappointment"
"W-WHAT?!" Toshinori had to quickly bring a handkerchief to his mouth to avoid spitting blood all over the girl.
He coughed a couple of times before recovering.
"Y-You're … You're not a d-disappointment at all, Uraraka-chan" the hero reassured her, wiping his mouth "You did your best! I saw it, EVERYONE out there saw it and the strategy you used against young Bakugou it was brilliant …"
"Not brilliant enough to make me win though"
"That doesn't matter"
"But you said …"
"I know what I said!" All Might snapped before sighing, running a hand behind the back of his neck with a mortified air.
"L-Look, it was a mistake of me put so much pressure on you" he continued "You're just at your first year, you still have a lot of time to stand out so if there is someone here who needs to apologize … it's me"
"Y-You're not disappointed?"
"Of course not! Quite the contrary" the blond smiled at her "I was very impressed by the tenacity you showed throughout the Festival; I am sure you will receive many internship offers; As for the One for All, I saw that you managed to use it during the Cavalry Battle WITHOUT breaking your arm which is already a good sign, you know, after what happened at the USJ …"
Though he'd passed his power to young Uraraka since the day of the U.A's entrance exam, it was only the day of the USJ attack that she had used it for the first time, with scary consequences.
In an attempt to help him, the girl had directed all the power of the Quirk on her legs to be able to jump between him and that creepy villain covered in severed hands.
She ended up breaking BOTH of her legs, falling in front of him like a broken doll.
It was horrible.
Luckily for them, other Pro Heros showed up seconds later and the Villains were forced to flee, but that didn't change the fact that All Might felt immensely guilty after the incident.
He knew that his Quirk required a certain physical prowess to be used without harmful effects on the host body, but that was precisely why he had put Uraraka-chan through a rigorous training program!
She had worked very hard, facing the training with enthusiasm without ever complaining and from the end she had made it.
After ten months of sacrifice she had reached an ideal shape to host the One for All.
Of course she was still 14 years old, so her body still had plenty of time to grow and mature.
Toshinori was pretty sure that if she continued on that path she would become as muscular as Nana.
So, he would have never aspected for One for All to have SUCH a collateral effect on Ochako's body.
They had since agreed to minimize the use of One for All until they worked out a safer way for her to use it.
"By the way" Yagi continued looking at her curious "How did you manage to use it without breaking your arm this time?"
"I'm … not sure …" Ochako frowned thoughtfully "I … I think I put less power into the blow?" she speculated "It wasn't like at USJ where ... w-well, it was a matter of life and death; I just wanted to take back the band Todoroki stole from me …"
"So it may simply be a question of understanding how much energy your body is able to withstand" Toshinori nodded, stroking his chin "I didn't have this problem when I got the One for All, my body had adapted right away to handle the repercussions of the most powerful blows"
Then his expression turned sour.
"I'm so sorry Uraraka-chan, I shouldn't have assumed that you would have been the same"
"You don't need to apologize, you couldn't have known"
"That's not an excuse"
Yagi shook his head "I AM your teacher, which means your safety and growth is MY responsibility" he clenched his fists on his thighs, determined "I promise, from now on I'll try harder to support you"
Ochako smiled at the promise, feeling heartened "Thank you Yagi-san …"
Round Cheeks had turned out to be a good opponent.
Not that Katsuki Bakugou had any doubts that he would win, because he would win all the damn matches of that tournament and THAT was unquestionable!
Buuuut the anti-gravity girl defended herself well, he could admit that …
That trick with the debris that he himself, in the heat of the fight, had ended up creating for her had taken him by surprise.
It was only thanks to his quick reflexes and thinking that he was able to create an explosion big enough to save himself from the rain of rocks.
And even in that case he had felt the backlash.
However that last attack had drained all of her energy and in the end she had fallen to the ground exhausted.
He had won, but it had been a REAL challenge.
She had earned his respect.
The only person who had managed to earn it so far it was Shitty Hair.
If only the subsequent matches had been as satisfying.
After Round Cheeks, the other two he'd faced had offered him the same level of difficulty as a walk in the park.
If only the half-and-half bastard hadn't got himself knocked out at his first round, maybe he would had have a decent fight.
How the fuck he got screwed by that guy in General Education was a mystery for him! By now it was clear that his Quirk was activated through a direct response, so to beat him it was enough to remain silent.
Yet after three matches the purple extra was still in the game.
It pissed him off although, he figured, he shouldn't be all that surprised considering who his opponents have been after Todoroki.
The flippant dude with the French accent who shoots lasers from his navel and the religious fanatic from 1B with vines for hair.
Yeah, thinking about it, it made sense to him that they'd lost.
Fucking idiots.
And as if that weren't enough, during the fights he had begun to feel these annoying TWINGES in his head, like the beginning of a headache, after the first match.
In any case, it didn't matter.
He'd take care of kicking the purple guy out the tournament himself.
"… FINALLY THE LAST BATTLE OF THE U.A HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS FESTIVAL!" Present Mic announced enthusiastically "FROM THE HERO COURSE, KATSUKI BAKUGOU, VERSUUUUUS … NONE OF US EXPECTED HE WOULD GET SO FAR! YET THERE HE IS, WE MAY BE EYEING A NEW HERO CLASS STUDENT! FROM THE GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE, SHINSOU HITOSHI!"
"Did you really have to put so much emphasis on it?" Aizawa sighed, casting a tired look at his husband.
Hizashi snorted in response.
"Oh please Shota, like you haven't been keeping an eye on him since the beginning of the competition" he teased him "And looking at him, I also understand why; That little mind controller looks a lot like you did when you were his same age, the same passive-aggressive expression at our first Festival ahahaha!"
"Shinsou Hitoshi originally applied for the Hero Course, but he failed the practical exam as fighting robots was totally incompatible with his Quirk" the other man replied simply "However that doesn't mean he has no potential, he managed to get my attention"
"I know that look, you've already decided to talk about it with Nezu, right?"
"Let's just say that soon my class might get a new student, but I don't make any promises …" Shota replied "I will follow his training personally, see for myself if he has what it takes to become a Pro and only then I will decide"
"Sounds like a plan" exclaimed Hizashi raising his thumb to his partner "Okay folks, the last match of the tournament STARTS NOW!"
"… You already know how my Quirk works, right?" Hitoshi asked, looking at his opponent.
Bakugou's arrogant silent smile was more than enough answer.
The blond lashed out at him, intending to end the fight as soon as possible and claim first place for himself as it should be.
He was about to raise his hand against the extra, hit him with a blast that knocked him out of the arena when …
Another twinge in his head suddenly hit him, more painful than the others.
So painful that it slowed him down, make him stagger.
Enough for Shinso to avoid the blow by simply moving to the side.
"Woah, is something wrong Mr. I'm going to win this?" the purple haired boy asked, a small teasing smile curling his lips "You don't look so good"
Bakugou had to bite his tongue not to respond with some insults like he would under normal circumstances.
He had to keep in mind who was in front of him and act accordingly.
Again he tried to attack.
However as he was about to fire a blast again he felt a sharp pain in his head that made him lose focus.
What the fuck …?
He unconsciously put a hand to his temple, narrowing his eyes in anger.
Stupid headache!
They went on like this for five minutes.
The most frustrating five minutes of his life, with him coming SO close to catching the bastard only to miss his aim at the last second because of those goddamn staggering pains in his head.
All this followed by an irreverent comment from the extra aimed at trying to provoke him and make him talk.
"And you're the guy who finished first on the practical exam? Wow, I never would have guessed that"
"Watch your head, pal! You almost tripped"
"Are you sure you want to win? Because you wouldn't tell from the way you fooling around"
"Laaaaame …"
And the more they went on, the more Katsuki had the impression that the asshole read his movements perfectly.
As if he knew him somehow.
"Hey now that I think about it, aren't you the guy that was taken hostage by that Sludge Villian?"
That last sentence made him stiffen for a moment as the headache got worse.
"I saw the news report at the time, pretty presumptuous of you to declare that you would come in first place when you haven't even been able to get rid of him with that badass Quirk of yours …"
Don't answer, don't answer, don't answer-…
"Oh sorry, did I hit a sore spot?" Shinsou smiled "… Kacchan?"
He pronounced THAT Nickname with little more than a whisper as if it were a secret between just the two of them.
The headache became unbearable.
"HOW THE FUCK YOU JUST CALLED ME?!" the question slipped from his lips before his brain had even processed it.
Hitoshi grinned, while Katsuki's eyes widened as he realized his mistake.
He expected the purple haired boy to take control of his body at any moment, until …
… He didn't?
"Okay then, EHY MIDNIGHT-SENSEI! I GIVE UP!" Hitoshi exclaimed surprising everyone, especially Bakugou.
"Uh?!" the heroine, hearing that request, approached him perplexed "Are you sure? You seemed to be doing just fine …"
"Yeah, but the truth is that I had no chance of winning against him from the start" Shinsou explained with a shrug "I tried out anyway for respect for the spirit of the tournament but he already knew how my Quirk works, and at this rate soon or later he would have kicked me out the bounds …"
Katsuki couldn't belive his ears.
What the fuck?! WHAT THE FUCK?!
What the fuck was the bastard talking about?! He had told him, he could have taken control at any moment, he could have …
… he could have won.
"… It's a shame I know, but it's wiser to recognize when you can't win a fight and rather get prepere to win the next one" Hitoshi continued "Still, I think I've shown how far I can reach and that I'm actually able to beat people stronger than me"
Midnight blinked at first but then smiled intrigued as she walked back to her elevated spot "Very well, I accept it!" she declared to Katsuki's utter horror "Bakugou Katsuki is THE WINNER!"
"WHAT?!" the blond yelled "WHAT THE FUCK?! NO WAY!"
He advanced furiously towards the other boy despite the crowd cheering him "What kind of shitty victory is this?! Are you fucking kidding me?!"
But Shinsou already turned his back to him, not even listening.
"HEY, I'M TALKING TO YOU, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" he roared, small explosions coming from his palms "Come back here! YOU CAN'T GIVE UP!"
Again a twinge in the head, albeit much lighter than those that had tormented him up to that moment, forced him to bring a hand to his temple.
"I don't understand what's your problem, the first place is yours" Shinsou replied listlessly "Just like you wanted, besides …" he glanced towards the stands, looking for a certain greenie.
"… I had to return a favor" he added to himself, too low for Katsuki to hear.
Like he wanted?! LIKE HE WANTED?!
The blond saw red.
FUCK ALL THIS SHIT!
He had answered him, he had him in his grasp, he could have forced him out of the bounds and instead he didn't!
He had LET him win, why?! FUCKING WHY?!
That wasn't how he wanted to win! Such a victory means nothing!
This is bullshit! This …!
Midnight's narcotic gas knocked him out before he could blast that cursed extra in the face.
Izuku couldn't help to let out a chuckle as he saw Bakugou fall to the ground under the effect of Midnight's Quirk, while whispers of disapproval snaked through the spectators at the clearly unsportsmanlike behavior displayed by the blond.
He was so happy that Hitoshi-kun had kept the promise he made in exchange for his informations.
Plus a little EXTRA help the purple haired boy didn't need to know about.
Headache can be a bitch, isn't it?
If earlier the public had disapproved the way Bakugou behaved in his match against Miss Uraraka (although Eraserhead's intervention saved him from being perceived as a violent bully), now there was NO doubt that, at least most of them, would saw the blond as the dangerous time bomb that he was.
"... What kind of shitty victory is this!?"
"Oh, but that's the point Bakugou" Izuku whispered, amused but also with a hint of resentment "life has ALWAYS let you win easy, you're just finding out now"
A victory that the blond knew was fake.
He couldn't have humiliated him in a worse way, and if in that moment he wasn't in public he would have laugh out loud "Well, that was fun" he grinned, before walking away "Time to get back to work ..."
...
Well, looks like Izuku had his fun ^^ as well as having received approval from LBD regarding Momo, Hitoshi got Eraserhead's attention, and everyone is happy!
Yeah well, all except Bakugou XD
I also wanted to dedicate some space to the mentor/student relationship between All might and Ochako, a relationship of which will see other moments in the future because I LIKE Toshinori Yagi as a character.
He's not perfect, he's a bad teacher and he makes mistakes but he's a good person and, most of all, he CARES, so I honestly don't understand why there are people in the fandom who hate him excessively.
Furthermore, in this story All Might and Ochako will have an even closer relationship compared to the one All Might and Deku have in the canon.
This is because I decided to base myself on two factors: First, because Ochako has a more extroverted personality than Izuku and second, because she has never been obsessed with All Might, of course she admires him, but he is not her idol, which in my opinion allows her to see more of the person behind the hero.
Hence why she calls him "Yagi-san" instead of All Might.
She obviously won't see him as a father figure, since she still has both of her parents, but she will end up seeing him like an uncle or something.
And finally, one last thing.
In the end I've decided that I will try to introduce the other Lego Monkie Kid characters sooner than I imagined when I wrote the prologue, as well as a few OCs.
In fact as you can see the tags only slightly changed for this one, however "soon" doesn't mean in the next chapter, or even the one after that.
I still need to clear things up a bit.
Thanks to everyone who left comments, bookmarked the story and left kudous!
Until next time! :)