Chapter 06: Let the Sports Festival Begin!
[Xiao Long-Rose Residence: Summer Rose Memorial]
The morning of the Sports Festival was calm as Ruby decided to visit her mother's memorial garden before leaving for the UA Stadium.
"Hey, Mom. Sorry I haven't come by in a while. Things have been... Well, things have been pretty busy. What with the Sports Festival coming and all," Ruby said to the headstone. "Oh, Dad's here, too! He's, uh, you know... Dad. He's still doing hero work, but he's going to take today off to watch me in the tournament!" Ruby's expression turns melancholy. "He misses you…And I do too. So do Yang and Uncle Qrow and Uncle Toshi…" There was a small pause before Ruby continued. "Haven't gotten kicked out of UA yet! So that's cool. I think being in the same class as Midoriya helps. I keep him in line... That was a joke. He's actually a really great fighter! You can tell he's learned a lot! Well, he spent his whole life studying heroes, so…" Ruby then remembers something. "Uncle Toshi told me a bit about how you guys met. I didn't know that you used to work for Ozpin. I wish I could ask you about him. The guy is a mystery to me. I even asked Uncle Toshi what his real name is, he said it was too long to deal with." She shrugs. She then hears a bark and sees Tai and Zwei waiting for her.
"Oh! Gotta go! It's Sports Festival time! Wish me luck!" Ruby said before moving to leave. She stops short and turns back at the plaque with a sad smile. "It was good to talk. I hope…I hope that wherever you are, that you'll be watching me and my classmates." With that, Ruby leaves.
And a small flurry of white rose petals danced in the soft wind.
[Somewhere...]
"I'm not sure if I should even do this…what if I get caught…" Blake pondered as she paced around the room. She stops, wringing her hands nervously. "But…she might be there…she might want me to watch…" She closes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths. "Okay…I'll do it." She sits down and takes in another breath before grabbing a bowl of popcorn and turning on the television.
[UA Sport Festival Stadium: Commentator's Booth]
"HEEEY! Whaddup, party people!" Hizashi declared from the commentator's booth with his image on the big screen for all to see. "Present Mic here to commentate on today's event. Welcome to the annual Sports Festivaaaal!" He is met with the stadium full of people cheering and applauding. "YEEEAAHH! We're alive today! And co-commentating with yours truly is the Mummy Man himself, Shouta Aizawa!"
"I don't even know why I'm here," Aizawa muttered, still covered in bandages.
"Let me tell you people how this is gonna go down…"
[Midoriya Apartment]
As Present Mic explained how the UA Sports Festival goes for newcomers, Mitsuki was helping Inko with the food and drinks.
"Mitsuki, you're my guest. You don't have to help me," Inko said.
"Inko, we've been through this already," Mitsuki smiled. "We've been friends since college, we've been to each other's weddings, we've looked after each other's kids…at this point, this apartment has become my second home. Which is nice whenever the boys are gone. Now go sit with Masaru. He looks lonely."
Inko opened her mouth to argue, but instead shrugged before going to sit in the living room. She took a spot on the sofa while Masaru sat in the armchair. "Finally gave up, huh?" the man asked.
"Mitsuki is as stubborn as ever," Inko sighed. "I wanted to counter with me doing the work while I'm at your place, but something tells me that it will fall on deaf ears."
"It's easier to just follow along. As you said, she's pretty stubborn." Masaru turned to face the television screen. "It won't be long and we'll get to see our boys. Are you excited?"
Inko's smile was watery. "Yes…I am." Masaru frowned.
"Inko?"
"I'm fine." Inko ignores Masaru's concerned gaze, keeping her eyes on the screen. She was also ignoring the wrinkling of her brow as she thought about the idea of her son getting hurt. Sure, it's an inevitability in the hero business, but…a mother has the right to worry…
{ …And don't you worry, all you concerned folks at home! This year, our security has gotten a rock out upgrade, courtesy of the HPSC and the General Hero! }
The image of Present Mic gets replaced by the image of a well-dressed and stern, tall man with short, graying black hair and blue eyes. From what can be seen on the screen, from the waist up, he wore a white, double-breasted tailcoat with dark blue and black accents, most notable at the cuffs and shoulder pieces. The coat was belted at the waist. Underneath, he has a black collared shirt and a red tie. Over his right eyebrow seems to be a strip of metal.
Inko may not be as hero savvy as her son, but she knows who this is. The man is one of the main faces of the Hero Public Safety Commission.
This is the General Hero. His real name, James Ironwood.
{I understand that safety takes priority when it comes to the future generations of heroes. In response to recent events, the HPSC and I, with the assistance of the Schnee Support Company, have created the Atlesian Knights.}
An image of an android pops up next to Ironwood. The body of the android was slender and sleek, clad in white armor, with its black robotic workings' visible underneath. Its armor was thin at the midsection, neck and joints, but their chest and legs appeared well-protected.
{These models are equipped with a criminal database and facial recognition software should any undesirables dare to step foot here and cause trouble.}
The stern gaze took on a slight softer tone, his brows a smidge up.
{Please do not fret. As with any other hero here, I am here to protect you. You have my word.}
[Kamino Ward: Abandoned Bar]
Roman scoffed at Ironwood's words. "Yeah, keep talking, Tin Can," he muttered.
Shigaraki, his wounds still bandaged, glared up at the television sequestered in the high corner. He growled as he scratched his neck. "Why do we have to watch this garbage?"
Kurogiri comes up and places a bowl of popcorn on the bar table for Shigaraki to snack on. "The Master wished for you to study the potential of these students."
"Tch. Whatever," Shigaraki dismissed. "It's a no brainer of who's gonna win this. It's always heroes in the spotlight…"
"Oh, come now," Cinder smiled, taking a seat at the bar. "Even if you know how the story ends…" She plucks a kernel out of the bowl. "…that doesn't make it any less fun to watch." Her eyes glowed, as did her fingertips as they heated the kernel until it popped.
[Outside the Sports Festival Stadium]
The concession stands were bustling with business as they went to get last minute snacks and drinks before the tournament began. Not only were the grounds busy with fest fans, but there were also heroes patrolling the area, ones not here to scout for potential, as part of the extra security. The other part being the androids, standing position at certain spots.
Many were happy for the androids' presence, but some heroes patrolling wasn't that thrilled.
"Talk about an eyesore," a sharp-dressed young woman with sunglasses said to her patrol partner, Pyrrha.
Pyrrha shook her head. "I wouldn't say that. If it helps people feel safe, then I don't mind."
The woman caught the coin that she had been flicking and catching. "Look, I'm not saying that it's a bad thing that the civilians feel at ease, I just don't wanna lose my job to machines."
[Coco Adel! Hero Name: Chanel! She is currently the TA of Class 1-B! Her Quirk: Hype! She can control the muzzle energy of any projectile of her choosing, say a coin or even a pole!]
"I don't think that'll ever happen. Heroism is a task that would require a human touch," Pyrrha said.
Coco grinned at that. "Look at you. Been an official hero for a little over a year and you already sound like a veteran pro. Maybe it's a perk of working under All Might."
"Well, look who's here." Pyrrha and Coco paused when they came across three fellows: Death Arms, Kamui Woods, and Mt. Lady. Death Arms lifted his massive arm as a form of greeting. "Hey."
Mt. Lady looked uninterested, looking off somewhere else. "Hey, what's up?"
"Hello, Chanel and Achillea. It's a pleasure to be working together," Kamui said.
"The pleasure is all mine," Pyrrha said. "It's nice to be out on the field again."
"We're patrolling," Mt. Lady pointed out. "That's not much."
"No matter the size, any job is important for a hero," Pyrrha said with confidence.
Mt. Lady sweatdrops. "Is she serious?"
"You sure it's okay for you to be working?" Death Arms asked Pyrrha, his eyebrows drawn together.
"I thank you for your concerns, Mr. Death Arms, but I am well enough to help my comrades," Pyrrha assured kindly.
Death Arms didn't seem convinced but conceded. "If you say so…"
"Things will be alright since Achillea is here," Kamui said. Pyrrha's smile was suddenly strained.
"…I thank you for your kind words, Mr Woods," Pyrrha said. Coco gives her a stoic look behind her sunglasses.
Feeling peckish, Mt. Lady looks around for anything to eat. Her eyes landed on a Takoyaki stand and went over. "These look so good."
"Do they now? If you want a box, that will only cost 500 yen," the stand owner said.
Before the eyes of her workmates, Mt. Lady changed to her demeanor that one would describe as being innocently flirty, moving her hips, absently nudging her breasts, and looking away. "Oh no…I don't think I have enough money on me right now…"
The stand owner turns a bright red at the sight. "Don't worry! I'll give it away for free!"
"Wow, thank you!" Mt. Lady thanked, quickly dropping the act. "No green seaweed, please!"
"Is she serious?" Coco wondered.
"Apparently," Death Arms said, a little miffed at Mt. Lady's underhanded act.
The Takoyaki seller holds out another box towards Pyrrha. "Would you like a box too, Achillea?"
"Uh…Sure…but at least let me pay for it…and Mt. Lady's," Pyrrha said, holding up a 1,000 yen note. The older woman beamed at her.
"Really? You're my hero, Achillea! Hey, think you can get me a drink too, sweetie?"
"Have you no pride?" Death Arms pondered.
Mt. Lady got her free box of Takoyaki, happily eating the fried octopus balls as she met back up with the others as they resumed their patrol. Another happy individual would be the Takoyaki seller, thrilled that he got to meet the beautiful Mt. Lady and the prodigious sidekick of All Might, Achillea.
As the man relished the excitement, he was unaware of one of his boxes getting stolen.
Emerald Sustrai blew gently on the still hot Takoyaki before eating it. She shrugged. "Not bad." Her partner, Mercury Black, reached for a Takoyaki before she smacked his hand away. Mercury, not in the least bit agitated toward the action, groaned.
"This place is so dull," he complained.
Emerald shrugged again. "I kinda like it."
"Why are we here again?" Mercury asked.
Emerald rolled her eyes. "We're here to gather intel, remember?"
"Of the UA students and heroes here?" Mercury questioned.
"There was some doubt that the Sports Festival was going to happen this year after the USJ Incident. But apparently, someone was able to convince the HPSC to let the event go on as planned," Emerald explained. "Cinder felt that we should take advantage of this opportunity."
Mercury smiled. "Sounds like a plan."
"She also said for us to keep our hands clean while we're here." Emerald throws cautious glances at the presence of heroes and security androids. "With all these heroes here, we'll be no match."
"Don't forget the Symbol of Peace."
"Right. Let's get to our seats."
[Sports Festival Stadium: The Faculty Box]
"What a crowd," Toshinori marveled out the window. "I'm not sure that I have ever seen a stadium this packed before for first years."
"This year has given a promising bunch," Ozpin said, standing next to his friend, as is Glynda and Nezu. "You've seen their capabilities firsthand." Ozpin's words reminded Toshinori of the USJ Incident two weeks back and yesterday's rescue training. Class 1-A has garnered an experience that very few hero students their age would have ever faced, and they grew and learned from it.
"I still feel that this isn't such a good idea," Glynda voiced, visibly displeased.
"I understand your concerns, but someone high ranking in the HPSC deemed it necessary for the Sports Festival to go on as planned," Nezu said. There was a knock on the door.
"I have an inkling that I know who that 'high ranking' someone is," Glynda quipped.
"Come in," Nezu said.
The door opened for James Ironwood to walk through. The man gave a friendly smile at the first person he saw upon entering. "Ozpin!" he greeted cordially as the UA vice principal approached him.
"Hello, General," Ozpin welcomed.
"Please, drop the formalities," Ironwood insisted and approached Ozpin for a handshake, which Ozpin does in return. "It's been too long." He looks down to see Nezu. "Good day, Nezu. Your fur looks healthy today."
"Why thank you, Ironwood," Nezu acknowledged happily.
"And Glynda!" Ironwood moved on, his eyes laying on the only woman currently in the room. "It has certainly been too long since we last met."
"Oh, James," Glynda sardonically swooned, waving a hand in fake pleasantry before dropping it immediately. "I'll be outside." She walked briskly past the men in the room as she left.
Ironwood watched as she did before turning away once she closed the door behind her. "Well, she hasn't changed a bit," Ironwood commented, his tone lighthearted. His friendly demeanor changed to shock once he saw Toshinori. Instead of a large man with rippling muscles and a shining smile, Ironwood saw a mere shadow of the man Toshinori used to be. He was still tall, taller than Ironwood, but he was painfully thin compared to his former self and his face was sunken, his can barely be seen.
At the sight of Ironwood's slacked jaw and widen eyes, Toshinori's welcoming smiled wavered.
"H-Hey, James," Toshinori greeted, chuckling to relieve tension. Ironwood's shoulders slump.
"So, it's really true…" he finally said. "I knew that this was going to happen, after that fight all those years ago but…I guess there's truly a difference between knowing and actually seeing it…"
"It…was a bit of a shock," Toshinori said. He remembered the day he had finally took a look at himself in a mirror after a long time, after him taking reckless abandon with his recovery. He was just as shocked.
"Indeed. At least now I know that I made the right choice with my decision, then," Ironwood said.
"What?" Toshinori asked with a quirked brow.
Ironwood gives him an assuring smile. "You'll see soon enough." He goes to pat Toshinori's shoulder. Ozpin and Nezu exchange curious glances.
[Sports Festival Stadium: The Stands]
Nejire bounced in her seat with poorly contained excitement. "I can't believe that this is happening! It won't be long, and we'll get to see little Ruby out there!"
"I know, right?" Mirio smiled. Tamaki sat next to him, playing with a pair of magnetic worry stones. "It felt like it was only yesterday that we'd hear her from the stands, cheering for us."
"And now, we get to do the same for her!" Nejire shouted. She looks over at the empty seat between her and Mirio and Nejire starts to feel a rare emotion. Rare for her, anyway. Somberness. "I guess Yang won't be joining us, huh?"
"Who won't be joining you?" The three looked to see Yang standing there. She wore a varsity jacket over her tank top and cargo pants. The jacket was gold colored with white sleeves, her surname 'Xiao Long' and personal emblem was on the sleeves in orange. On the back was what appeared to be a pair of 'antennae' and a teeth-bearing grin, not unlike All Might's.
"Yang! You made it!" Nejire exclaimed. "Where have you been? I thought we were gonna meet at the gate?"
"Yeah, sorry about that," Yang said before taking her seat between Nejire and Mirio. "I was busy making these!" She holds up three mini pennant flags with the name 'Ruby' on them. Nejire practically sparkled when Yang gave her one.
"Ruby! Ruby! Ruby! Ruby!" Nejire cheered as she waved her flag.
"Looking good, Yang," Mirio asked after Yang gave him two flags to give one to Tamaki. "How's the arm?"
Yang pushes the sleeve up to show him. It got a new paint job, the silvery parts now a yellow color accented with black. "Pretty good. I gotta thank Sir Nighteye when I see him again." Yang stared at the yellow, remembering back when Toshinori came to visit her, telling her the truth about him being All Might. And how he helped reignite her spark.
"I'm sure that Sir would be pleased," Mirio said.
Yang puts the sleeve back down. "My motor skills are improving. It won't be long and I'll be back in class with you guys."
"That's good to hear."
"Just don't overdo it, okay?" Tamaki muttered, gently fiddling with his flag. "We were very worried about you…"
Yang smiled at him. "I will. Thanks." Nejire hugs her from behind.
"Let's practice cheering for Ruby!" she said. "Let's go! Ruby Rose! Let's go! Ruby Rose!"
Yang giggled at her friend before joining in. And doing her best to not think about a certain cat girl.
A few seats up from the 3rd year students sat Mercury and Emerald, the former holding a tube of popcorn.
"I wonder who's gonna win," Mercury pondered with a mouthful of popcorn.
"Tch. As if we didn't already know," Emerald said.
Mercury grinned. "I know who's not gonna win."
{I hope everyone has taken their seats! Because the show will begin shortly!}
{~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* - Our Hero Academia - *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~}
Katsuki Bakugo
Quirk: Explosion
"Sweats a nitroglycerin-like substance from the palms of his hands to create explosions."
— Affiliation: UA High School Hero Class 1-A Student
— Birthday: 04/20 (Taurus)
— Height: 172 cm
— Blood Type: A
— Likes: Hiking, Spicy Foods
— Color: Coral (DCD02E)
{~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* - Our Hero Academia - *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~}
James Ironwood (The General Hero)
Quirk: ?
"?."
— Affiliation: Pro Hero
— Birthday: 01/18 (Capricorn)
— Height: 198 cm
— Blood Type: A
— Likes: Order, Vodka
— Color: Solitude (EBEBF5)
{~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* - Our Hero Academia - *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~}
[Sports Festival Stadium: 1-A Waiting Room]
"Get ready, people! We'll be heading out shortly!" Tenya announced to his classmates.
"We've all heard Present Mic, Iida," Sero commented.
"He's probably as nervous as we are," Jaune said.
"Yeah, the ones who aren't able to use their gear," Mina glowered. "Unlike those three!" She points at Ruby, Weiss, and Aoyama and their respective gear. "It's just not fair! How come you guys get to use your gear and the rest of us are stuck with just our gym clothes?!"
"Aren't you wearing your boots?" Ruby asked, looking at the boots specifically made to withstand Mina's Acid. She returns to check over her gear. "Aoyama's belt is no different."
"She's right," Aoyama agreed.
"Well…yeah…but you and Schnee get to use tools!" Mina argued. "Nora doesn't get to use her hammer and Bakugo doesn't have his gauntlets!"
Bakugo snorted. "Like I need them to win this."
"Rose and I were able to use our equipment because of our connections with a support company," Weiss explained as she inspected Myrtenaster. "In a way, Rose is representing Kuo Kuana Enterprise and I'm representing the Schnee Support Company." Tsuyu tilted her head with a curious 'ribbit.' Momo felt worried, knowing full well that Weiss' family will be watching this event.
Mina looks at her oddly. "Really? You don't seem…never mind…"
Izuku takes a few deep breaths with his anxiety inhaler. He sighs. Ruby walks over to him. "You okay, Midoriya?"
"Yeah…just preparing myself," Izuku said. "I can't afford to lose my cool now. All Might is counting on me to make an impact."
"Midoriya." Todoroki stood before the freckled-face boy with a serious gaze.
"Todoroki? Is there…something you need?" Izuku asked, feeling uneasy by the look. Silence fell as everyone in the room looked over.
"…From where I stand, I am much stronger than you," Todoroki said. Izuku gasped at his blunt comment, as did Ruby. As blunt as it was, Izuku couldn't help but agree. He's still working on his control over One for All, not even close to the power of All Might. So, what Todoroki said bared some truth. "…However, you have All Might at your corner, it seems." Izuku gasps again. How did he…? "I won't pry. It's none of my concern. But I'm going to beat you, Midoriya. Don't forget that."
Ruby stared at Todoroki in shock. "Are you seriously making declarations, Todoroki?" The boy shifts his gaze to her. "I get it. There could be only one winner in this. But is there any reason to declare war on each other, like that purple haired guy from before?" Todoroki didn't respond to Ruby's words, keeping his gaze on her. At this point, everyone had turned their attention to Ruby. "We're Class 1-A. We're a team!" Bakugo narrowed his eyes on her. "Remember the USJ Incident and yesterday's exercise? We shouldn't be fighting like this!"
"Ruby…" Jaune muttered. Weiss looked on with pursed lips.
"…We're not a team, Rose." Todoroki's cold words stung Ruby. She could feel her arms tremble, even though they also felt weak. "And I'm not here to make friends." Her shoulders dropped. "I'm here to be a hero," Todoroki declared. He returns his gaze to Izuku. "And I will win."
Kirishima rises from his seat. "Hold on now. Let's not pick fights here, okay?" He places a hand on Todoroki's shoulder but is swiftly pushed away by the boy.
"This isn't a children's playground. And I'm done talking," Todoroki said. He turned to leave the room, Tenya moving out of the way.
"Wait, Todoroki," Izuku said. To his surprise, Todoroki did. "…I don't know what's going through your head right now, for making you say what you've said. You are better than me…better than all of us, probably."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Midoriya," Nora commented sarcastically. Ren lightly elbows her.
"But everyone…not just the hero course students, but every class…Support, business, and general courses…they're gonna give their all to be on top!" Izuku starts to remember the moment Toshinori said he could be a hero, his training, the battle trial, the attack at the USJ, and the talk they had when they returned to school…
"Izuku Midoriya…the fledgling Symbol of Peace…the next All Might! I want you shout to the world 'I am here!'"
Ruby watched in awe as Izuku took on a confident stance, his fists clenched tightly and his shoulders backed and he held his chin high as he gave Todoroki a fierce gaze, his eyes making strong contact, unwavered.
"I will give my all, like everyone else. I will shout to the world that 'I am here!'"
Ruby gasped. Even the others gaped at Izuku's own declaration.
But, Izuku stood his ground. Even as Bakugo glared at him.
[Sports Festival Stadium]
Hizashi appears on the jumbo screen, giving everyone his ever present smile.
{It's time, folks! Listen well, audience! Pay attention, mass media! Because this year's Sports Fest is gonna be a doozy! Are you readyyyy?}
He is met with a big round of applause and cheer.
{I thought so! Let the show begin! It's time for this round of 1st years to rear their heads! The first class to step on to the plate are the newest stars for overcoming an enemy attack and showing their might, it's Class 1-A!}
The crowd cheered louder as the class walked out of the corridor. Once Ruby stepped into the sunlight, she suddenly froze.
"Ruby, are you okay?" Tsuyu asked, curious about Ruby's behavior. She noticed Ruby staring at the large crowd around. "Are you afraid of large crowds? Ribbit."
Ruby was somehow able to squeak out, "…Apparently, I do…"
Ochako appears at Ruby's side. "Don't worry, Ruby. We're right here with you." She holds a hand out for Ruby to take. And Ruby does.
"Thanks, Ochako…" Ruby said, keeping her eyes on the ground and letting Ochako guide her out to the field.
"Whoa…t-there is so many people," Izuku said nervously.
"I wonder if we'll be able to do our best performance with all these eyes watching us…And this doesn't account for the people watching from their homes," Tenya commented. His and Izuku comments did nothing but made Ruby's fears worse, prompting her to stop immediately.
"Guys, you're making it worse for Ruby!" Ochako scolded. Even Tsuyu was glaring at them.
"I'm sorry, Rose!" Izuku apologized.
"My sincerest apologies, Rose. I was only thinking out loud!" Tenya exclaimed.
"Then stop talking about it," Tsuyu advised calmly.
"Right!"
"Seriously though. Does Present Mic have to hype us up like that?" Kirishima wondered. He puts a hand on Bakugo's shoulder. "You ready, Bakugo?"
"As I'll ever be," Bakugo grinned.
{Next up is the class who has yet to have enough airtime but has just as much talent! It's Class 1-B! Some of you may notice how the hero course classes seem to have more students. That's because it does! We have a grand total of 50 fledgling heroes in the making!}
"You know I always wondered why the acceptance rate got increased," Ochako said.
"Maybe someone at the school felt that there were students who had great potential," Tsuyu surmised. She noticed something in the stands. "Hey, Ruby. Look over there."
"Seriously, Tsu? That's not a funny joke," Ruby said, keeping her head down.
"No, Ruby, look!" Ochako insisted. At her prompting, Ruby does. The first thing she noticed was the high stands, which seems to be stretching even higher as Ruby's anxiety get worse.
Then, she saw four little red flags and blonde hair.
When Ruby started to focus on that, the rest of the crowd seems to have disappeared and all she saw was her sister, Mirio, Nejire, and Tamaki waving the flags, cheering for her.
"Let's go! Ruby Rose! Let's go! Ruby Rose!"
"Yang…Mirio…Nejire…Tamaki…" Ruby muttered, a smile forming on her lips. She could also imagine Blake being up there, waving her own flag.
"Fight well!" she would have said.
"…Blake…" Ruby looks up at the sky. "I hope that you are watching this…"
'Ruby, please do me a favor. Attend UA, get into the hero course and become an amazing hero. A hero that I failed to be.'
"I'll try, Blake," Ruby thought, somehow hoping her thoughts would reach Blake, wherever she may be. "Just watch me."
"Was that your sister and her friends, Rose?" Tenya asked.
Ruby nodded. "Yeah. It was."
"That's so sweet! You have your own cheerleading squad!" Ochako exclaimed.
"Looks like it!" Ruby said. She looks back up again.
She could hear her sister saying, "That's my baby sister and she's gonna kick butt!"
Ruby sweatdrops. "It's actually a little embarrassing…" she said sheepishly.
"Yeah…" Jaune agreed, seeing his own family in the stands, cheering for him.
"Arc! When were you gonna tell us you have a bunch of hot ladies in your family?!" Kaminari exclaimed.
Jaune looks at him, questioningly. "Why would I?"
"Still…it's a strengthening feeling to know that your sibling has your back," Tenya said, smiling. "It's a feeling like no other!"
"That's right. You have an older brother!" Ochako recalled.
Tenya nods. "That's right, Uraraka. He was thrilled for me and couldn't wait for me to compete."
"Oh, yeah! Ingenium, right?" Ruby asked. "You think he's watching this?"
"Undoubtedly. Provided that he's not busy at the moment," Tenya said. "I'm a little late with my own declaration, but I plan to give this my all as well and make my brother proud!"
"I'm sure he is, Iida," Tsuyu said. "Take it from an older sibling."
"Wow, you guys are so lucky," Ochako said. "I wish I had siblings…"
"Yeah," Izuku nodded.
"Enough talking, kids! It's time for the player pledge!" Nemuri Kayama, Midnight, announced once the other classes arrived.
"Um…is it really a good idea for her to be wearing that for a high school event?" Jaune wondered out loud, referring to Nemuri's dominatrix-styled hero costume.
"I see nothing wrong with it," Mineta insisted.
"Surprising no one," Tokoyami remarked.
"Believe it or not, but it's remarkably tame compared to when Midnight was in high school," Izuku revealed. "It was because of her that a law was passed limiting how much skin can be exposed not long after her debut."
"I don't even wanna know what that could mean," Ruby voiced.
"Quiet, everyone!" Nemuri demanded, whipping her cat-o-nine tails. "Representing the students will be Katsuki Bakugo of Class 1-A!"
"K-Kaachan is our representative?" Izuku questioned as Bakugo strode by towards the stage.
"He did rank the highest in the entrance exam," Kirishima pointed out.
A general course student made a scoff. "Yeah, for the hero course," she said, her voice laced with venom.
"She clearly hates us," Nora observed.
"All thanks to Bakugo," Kaminari said as Bakugo stood at the microphone.
Everyone waited on bated breath, anticipating what he's about to say. His classmates have an inkling…and they don't like it…
"…I pledge…That I'm gonna win this," Bakugo announced.
"We knew he was gonna say that!"
The other classes flew into a rage.
"What the heck?!"
"Stop messing around, jerk!"
"Class 1-A really is full of themselves!"
"WHY, BAKUGO?! WHY?!" Kaminari wailed.
"Why do you have to be so disrespectful?!" Tenya asked.
Bakugo appeared unperturbed when turned around. "Like I care what you people think. You are all just steppingstones to me." He gives them a thumbs down, aggravating the already mad students even more!
"Bakugo sure is confident with himself," Ruby said, gripping at the goggles on her head as she watched Bakugo leave the stage.
"No, I don't think that's it," Izuku said to her. "The old Kaachan would have laughed while saying that. Although, getting us into the mix is very much Kaachan…"
Amongst the outrage, Ruby could see Penny, giving her a friendly wave. Ruby waved back. At least there was one person who didn't hate them.
"Now, let's get started!" Nemuri announced. "The first game is what you would call a qualifier! Every year, many would drink their tears here! Now, the first fateful game!" A large hologram appears behind the woman, showing a spinning randomizer. "And this year's first game will be…" The randomizer stops. "…The Obstacle Race!"
"An obstacle course?" Jaune wondered.
"All 11 classes will be participating in this race," Nemuri explained. "The course will be the outer circumference of this stadium, about 4 kilometers. Our school advocates for freedom. So as long as you stay within the course, it doesn't matter what you do! Now, get ready at the starting point."
With every step closer, Ruby felt a little more uneasy. Jaune takes notice of this.
"Nervous?" he asked.
"…Yeah. I just…I really don't want us to compete against each other…"
"You've got nothing to worry about, Rose," Mina said, happened to have been overhearing. "Everything will be fine. For all we know, we might grow closer when all this is over."
"You think so?" Ruby asked. Mina nods. Ruby looks at Jaune, who also nods. Ruby sighs before getting herself ready to run.
The first light goes out.
Ruby heard a whispered "Hey." She turns her head to see Penny. "Good luck," Penny whispered.
Ruby smiled at that.
The second light goes out.
"Rose," Ruby looks at Izuku, "Let's go beyond!"
"Right!"
The final light goes out.
Next Chapter: Race to the Top
"Sorry, but I'm going to win."
"I'M ALIVE!"
"Like hell you'll take the lead, Snowflake!"
"Teams! We can finally work together!"
"Hey, Freckles! Get to using that jetpack!"
Coco's Semblance was originally described as 'use her Aura to increase the effects and power of Dust.' However, Aura and Dust don't exist in MHA in the way it's portrayed in RWBY, so I had to tweak it to Muzzle Energy Manipulation. This is technically not her first appearance in the series, it was back in the first arc. Speaking of Coco, she's 20 years old here and a sidekick to someone in UA. Guess who! I'll give you a hint: She appeared with them in the first arc.
The next chapter will show both the race and the cavalry battle!