Chapter 07: Race to the Top
It was a tight squeeze as – pretty much – every 1st year student struggled to run through the corridor, packing tightly in the narrow space.
"Well…this is oddly familiar…" Ruby grunted, recalling the incident when security was breached during lunch on the third day of school. During her struggle to push through, she felt a chill around her legs and gasped. "Todoroki!"
Ice crawled along the ground and walls of the corridor, reaching even the exit just the students made it.
{And Shouto Todoroki makes his first move by freezing the way!}
"Sorry, but I'm going to win," Todoroki muttered, keeping his eyes forward.
Todoroki ran through the frozen ground with ease to get a running head start, as well as trapping the other students from catching up.
Well, except for…
"LIKE HELL, ICY HOT!" Bakugo shouted as he soared by his explosions. And he wasn't the only one free. Momo created a pole to vault over the ice and crowd, Aoyama used his Navel Laser, Ruby burst into the air in an array of petals, Weiss used her Glyphs, and Penny used the strings from her fingers to pull herself along, and Izuku was able to leap in time to dodge. The other students following close behind were the rest of Class 1-A, several of 1-B, and some from the other classes. Free to run, though some struggled on the ice.
Ruby could almost hear her sister and friends cheer for her from the stands as she sailed in the air, her goggles protecting her eyes.
"That was a close one!" Ruby heard Izuku exclaim, and she agreed. She was lucky that she felt the icy wind in time before Todoroki unleashed his attack. The pair land back on the ground, slipping a bit on the ice before running.
"That's one obstacle down!" Ruby said.
"You're right," Izuku said, the tiny green sparks around his legs dimming. "With so many students, overcrowding was going to happen in such a narrow place like that! Getting through that was a challenge on its own!"
"What's next?" Ruby's question was answered when a giant shadow loomed over them. They're eyes grew wide and gasped.
"ZERO-POINTERS?!" someone in the crowd shouted.
{Here comes the next obstacle, folks! The Robo Inferno!}
{Calm down, will you?}
In contrast to Hizashi's enthusiasm and Aizawa's chill no-fs-given, the 1st year students were floundering around how to get past this! All except for Todoroki, who, with a swing of his arm, unleashed a massive wave of ice at an oncoming Zero Pointer, freezing it in place before it could reach him.
{And an incredible move by Shouto Todoroki!}
His attack had also frozen the other robots too, leaving an opening to run through. Just as he ran, he called out to the other students, "Be careful if you try to run through! I froze them while they were off balance." Just as he was in the clear, the robot behind him collapsed. "On purpose!"
{Shouto Todoroki takes the lead with an impressive offense and defense combo!}
"On purpose?!" Izuku exclaimed.
"Todoroki! You jerk!" Nora shouted.
"How is it that he doesn't have the highest score in the entrance exam and not Bakugo?" Ruby wondered, pulling her goggles up.
"That's because he got in on recommendation," Momo said. "Students who were recommended for the UA hero course get a different exam."
"Does that mean you didn't have to fight these robots?" asked Ruby.
Momo nodded. "That's right. I only know about what happened in the other exam from Weiss."
"Uh, guys?" Mineta called out, pointing at the dust cloud. Emerging from the settling cloud were a number of 1-3 Pointers, along with more Zero Pointers.
"Oh, boy…" Ruby muttered.
Suddenly, the downed Zero Pointer started moving and shifting. Just as some thought it was about to put itself back together, a familiar redhead comes bursting out of the metal.
"I'M ALIVE!"
"It's Kirishima!" Ruby shouted.
"He must've used his Hardening to protect himself!" Izuku declared. "Such amazing resilience!"
"Don't scare us like that, dude!" Kaminari yelled.
Not long after Kirishima surfaced, a young man with a body of steel also burst from the metal debris.
"Class 1-A is full of jackasses. Each and every one of them!" Ruby recognized him from those two weeks ago, who was vocal about his displeasure towards their class. Penny had called him 'Tetsutetsu.'
Kirishima looks over at the steel student. "Wait, your Quirk makes you tough too?"
"Huh? You too?"
The two stared for a moment before both exclaiming, "ARE YOU JOKING?!"
"Interesting," Izuku murmured. Ruby could figure that he is taking mental notes as we speak.
"Midoriya, now's not the time for one of your mumbles," Ruby said, snapping him out of it.
"Oh! Right!" Izuku gasps. "Rose, look out!" She turns to see a 2-Pointer getting ready to attack her before Izuku punches it with 5% of power. It falls to the ground with its head severely damaged, now inoperable.
Ruby let out a breath. "Thanks, Midoriya."
Izuku smiled and nod at her. He looks at the robot again. "Looks like that's the extent of the damage I can do to these things. It'll be useless to fight the Zero Pointers head on."
Bakugo starts using his Explosions to fly over the Zero Pointers, as do Weiss and Penny with their respective Quirks. They are then followed by Sero and Tokoyami, using their Tape and Dark Shadow Quirks respectively, and Tenya speed fast below through the robots.
Ruby watched from the ground, unsure how anyone else could get past that. She hears something bend and snap and finds that Izuku has taken a sizable metal plate from the robot.
"What are you going to do with that?" Ruby asked, as Izuku tied the plate to his back with straps also from the robot.
"I figured it might be of some use," Izuku answered. They flinched from the ground shaking caused by the Zero Pointers. "How are we gonna get past that?"
Ruby looks up at the giant robots. Then, an idea pops into her head. She takes hold of Izuku's wrist, surprising him. "Let's go, Midoriya! And fast!" Ruby exclaimed. She sprints into a run, taking Izuku with her.
Jaune watched from afar. "Ruby?"
"Rose, what are you doing?" Izuku asked as they ran fast.
"Helping you go far!" Ruby replied.
"Huh?"
{What's going on here folks? Two students are running head-on towards the robos! What are they planning?}
"Like, seriously. I don't think their Quirks grant them the similar durability as Kirishima and Tetsutetsu! They better be careful," Hizashi announced.
Aizawa sat silently as he watched what was about to unfold.
[Midoriya Apartment]
"Who is that girl?" Masaru wondered, watching.
"Don't tell me that Izuku has a girlfriend," Mitsuki smiled. "Good for him!"
Inko remained silent as she watched intently and worriedly.
[Sports Festival Obstacle Race]
After running a bit more, inching closer and closer towards the Zero Pointers, Ruby pulls Izuku closer. "Rose, what is your plan?!"
Ruby grinned. "Three words: Standing long jump!" Izuku looked at her in amazement. Without another word, Ruby pulls her goggles over her eyes again before she and Izuku disappear into a burst of red/green petals.
{Will you look at that, folks! Ruby Rose had used her Petal Burst with Izuku Midoriya going along for the ride!}
Just as the burst got close to the Zero-Pointers, the pair became visible again, in the 'scattering' state, before leaping high into the air. It was similar to what Ruby had done for the Quirk Apprehension Test. Unlike the test, however, Ruby was able to launch herself even higher than before, just enough to fly over the Zero-Pointers.
"You doing okay, Midoriya?" Ruby asked while airborne. Izuku was still latching onto her, clearly shaken up and dazed from what just happened.
"I don't know!" he exclaimed because he honestly doesn't know.
"Yeah, it's a little disorienting at first, but you'll be okay!" Ruby assured. She notices that they had started to descend. "You might wanna snap out of it now! I'm gonna need your help!"
"Uh…" Izuku shakes his head vigorously. "Okay!"
"Help me get Crescent Rose out!" Ruby ordered. Izuku does and gives it to Ruby. She activates Crescent Rose into its scythe mode. Ruby then positioned the head of the scythe downward. "Hang on, Midoriya!" Before they hit the ground, Ruby pulls the trigger. The recoil of the shot brought the pair upwards briefly before they hit the ground running safely, dashing towards the next obstacle.
Kaminari blinked at what he just saw. "Did you guys just see that?!"
"Yeah, we saw! Now, come on and help. We might as well team up with the others to get passed this!" Jiro said.
{What an incredible display we say folks! Rose had used the recoil of her sniper scythe to make a soft landing for her and Midoriya! She's one smart egg, eh Eraser Head?}
{…She's prone to having the safety of others in mind and helping in any way she can, a positive quality for any hero.}
[Sports Festival Stadium: Faculty Stands]
"Huh…" Qrow hummed.
"What?" Toshinori asked.
"Some of Ruby's petals were green," Qrow noticed.
"Oh, yeah…I noticed that," Thirteen said. "They're usually red, yes?"
"Yeah," Qrow nodded.
"Actually, I think I remember something like that during the battle trial on their first day in the hero course," Toshinori remembered. "When R-Young Rose used her Quirk with Young Bakugo, some of the petals were an orange color."
"I see. So, the color of Rose's petals depends on who's 'bursting' with her?" Thirteen asked.
"I guess so."
"Huh, well, that's particular," Thirteen mused.
Qrow grew silent as he started thinking. "I think Summer could do that too…I can't remember…I might have to ask Tai. What an odd side effect… Heh…funny coming from me…"
He absentmindedly put a hand on the clover shaped badge attached to the lapel of his vest.
[Sports Festival Obstacle Race]
The next part of the Obstacle Race was a large pit with stone pillars connected by tightropes. It is called the Fall. The name of the game is that students must traverse this pit, either by the tightropes or by other means so as long its allowed, without falling.
Todoroki had used his ice to keep his balance on the tightrope, while Tenya glide on the rope with his Engines. Penny didn't take the tightropes, instead using her strings to pull herself to one stone pillar to the next and Sero and Tokoyami did something similar with their Quirks. Weiss used her Glyphs for long leaps across the pit and Bakugo flew across with his Explosions.
They were gone for the next obstacle when Ruby and Izuku made it to the Fall.
"This one is a bit tricky…" Izuku commented.
"But it's nothing that we can't handle. Ready to go, Midoriya?" Ruby asked. Izuku took notice of Ruby panting. While the girl may be smiling, she seems to be unaware that her carrying Izuku's weight, plus the steel plate still on his back, had caused some strain.
"…Actually, Rose, I think I'm good here," Izuku told her. Ruby's smile changed to a confused frown. "I can't keep relying on the strength of another. Otherwise, I won't see what I can do on my own. I'm sorry if that upsets you…and besides…" Ruby looks at him quizzically. "…I kinda want to see which of us could make it to the finish line. Be warned…" He grins at her. "I won't lose."
Ruby grinned back. "You're on." She takes a few steps back, readying her Crescent Rose to pole vault. "See you at the finish line, Midoriya!" She does a running start before again using her recoil to catapult and burst into petals in the air with an excited shout.
Izuku nodded. "All right… let's do this!"
[Sports Festival Stadium: The Stands]
"I wonder why Ruby helped that Midoriya boy only to go on ahead without him," Nejire wondered.
"It was probably Midoriya's choice," Mirio said.
"Huh?"
"He probably didn't want to keep riding on the efforts of someone else. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a real win," Mirio explained. "It's okay to rely on someone from time to time, but you gotta look at your own self-worth first. That way you'd know that you can pull your own weight too."
"Oh…I see."
Yang kept quiet as she listened. She only got to meet Izuku once and even then, she could tell what kind of person he is. He was a lot like Ruby: Adorkable, socially awkward, and super fixated on anything heroic. He also held a determination on becoming a hero, just like Ruby does now. Yang could see how Ruby was inspired. Izuku had a childlike innocence about heroism that Yang admired.
And even though Ruby is also competing to win the Sports Festival, Yang wanted Izuku to win too…
[Somewhere...]
"You're always seeking to help others in need, Ruby, no matter who they are," Blake said as she watched the television screen with an expression that is mixed with somberness and happiness. "I'm happy that your friendship with Midoriya didn't go away…I wish I can meet him one day…You deserved so much better…you and your sister…Yang…" Before she could stop it, tears fell from her face. "…You deserved better than me…"
[Sports Festival Obstacle Race]
The next and final obstacle was a minefield. Competitors must cross the field in order to get to the finish line. Sounds easy, right? Remember that it's a minefield? The location of the mines can be easily seen by rings in the dirt. And they were everywhere! Granted, these mines aren't as powerful as real mines, but they can still send someone on their rear if they're not careful. Even Todoroki was being careful as he cautiously traversed around the mines. Sure, he could use his ice, but that would also mean giving the others a platform to run on too.
This also proved to be his downfall as he was now slowed down and the other competitors has started to catch up. Bakugo rocketed towards him to attack and gain the lead, though Todoroki fought back, blocking Bakugo's attacks. As they fought, Weiss leaped by on her Glyph, much to the boys' surprise.
She gave them a sideways glance before going. That single look added more fuel to Bakugo's fire.
"Like hell you'll take the lead, Snowflake!" he shouted. He, and Todoroki, were suddenly tugged back as Penny had attached her strings on their backs and pulled herself over them with a flip.
"I'm sorry, boys!" she apologized with a friendly wink before running off.
{What a turn of events, people! Weiss Schnee has taken the lead and Penny Polendina is in hot pursuit, leaving Shouto Todoroki and Katsuki Bakugo in the dust!}
This further angered Bakugo, making him shout in the air.
Izuku had fallen behind during the Fall, as there were others who had fared better on the tightropes, like Tsuyu. Also, at his current percentage, he couldn't leap to every stone pillar with One for All due to the varying distances.
So, he was a little late to the spectacle before him as he watched the chaos in front of him as other competitors struggled with the mines. He even saw Ruby step on a mine, causing it to detonate and blow her back.
"This is crazy. How am I going to get past this?" he wondered as his grip on the strap tightened…the strap…the metal plate on his back…
…An idea struck him…
A part of Weiss didn't think that she was going to take the lead and yet here she was. She could see the end of the minefield in sight, which means that the finish line is not too far away now.
Just as she could feel a sense of victory, she felt a tug on the back of her gym shirt. She looks back to Penny right behind, using her strings to get closer.
Weiss uses her sword to try and cut the strings, but soon realized how tough the strings were.
"You won't be able to cut them easily, Schnee! If you're heading for the finish line, then I'm tagging along," Penny declared.
Weiss gritted her teeth. "Darn it!"
She hears a boom and gasps once seeing Bakugo coming after them and Todoroki was right behind him.
"Wrong move, Snowflake!" Weiss summons up a Shield Glyph to block Bakugo's attack. There were some cracks, but the shield held on. Bakugo had other plans, however. "That won't be enough to stop me!" He blasts the shield again, this time it shattered. "I'm the one who's winning this…GOT IT!?"
"Nice and easy…Nice and easy…" Ruby muttered to herself as she carefully – and briskly - moved around the minefield. "That was very stupid of me…why did I think that using that same move Midoriya and I did before the Fall was gonna work here." She should have thought that shooting at a mine would also cause detonation. Ruby had tried to be careful at first, but she had quickly lost her patience and wanted to go the easy route with Crescent Rose…clearly, it didn't work out. "…I'm sure Yang had a good laugh…Just a bit closer and I can just burst the rest of the—"
A large blast from behind interrupted Ruby and she looked up just in time to see a green, metal plate fly by.
"Was that…who I think that was…?"
[Sports Festival Stadium: Faculty Stands]
The UA faculty members stared in disbelief, even Toshinori.
"What the…" was all Qrow could say.
[Sports Festival Obstacle Race]
{Class 1-A's Izuku Midoriya comes flyin' by out of nowhere!}
Bakugo, Todoroki, Weiss, and Penny stared in surprise as Izuku soared past them.
{And has taken the lead!}
"It went just as I planned, but I think a bit too well!" Izuku thought as he held on. "And I didn't think about the landing strategy!" And just as Izuku was beginning to panic at the sight of how fast he's getting to the ground, Bakugo comes rocketing after him with Weiss and Penny in tow. Todoroki decided that the risk of giving the others a foothold was unimportant now that Izuku had taken the lead, and so he went to freeze the ground, making it easier to run on for the other competitors.
{The previous top 4 is now after Midoriya! Since they have a common enemy, they've stopped squabbling!}
"DEKUUUUU!" Bakugo shouted.
"I can't lose this!" Weiss declared.
[Sports Festival Stadium: Faculty Stands]
Toshinori clenched his fists tightly, the anticipation building. "Come on, Young Midoriya…You can do this…"
While Toshinori had said this in a low tone, it was still caught by the sharp ears of James Ironwood.
[Sports Festival Obstacle Race]
"Oh, no…I'm losing speed!" Izuku realized as he could feel the deceleration. As he started to slow down, he could see Todoroki, Weiss, Bakugo, and Penny catching up. "They'll go past me in an instant!" The four are about to pass him…They're about to take the lead. "I can't lose this…" Izuku's grip tightens. "…not when I was so close!" Just as Bakugo and Todoroki were going to pass him, Izuku flips around and plants his feet on their backs. "I can't let All Might down!" He then pulled down the metal plate, hitting the ground and the mines underneath.
Bakugo, Todoroki, Penny, and Weiss had little time to react as the mines detonated, pushing them back and Izuku forward.
[Sports Festival Stadium: Faculty Stands]
Toshinori couldn't stop the smile on his face from spreading.
"That's it, Young Midoriya. You're almost there!"
[Midoriya Apartment]
"Come on, Izuku…" Inko urged.
[Sports Festival Obstacle Race]
Izuku somersaulted when he hit the ground before going into a mad dash, tiny green sparks coming off his legs. He didn't dare to look back because he had zero doubt that Todoroki, Weiss, Bakugo, and Penny were right behind him. He kept his eyes forward as he saw the stadium again.
He's almost there…
He entered the narrow corridor.
He's almost there…
He could hear the blasts of Bakugo's hands, the creeping ice of Todoroki's, and the sound of Weiss' Glyphs.
He's almost there!
His legs are starting to hurt and the sparks are starting to grow larger…
[Sports Festival Stadium]
/ And the winner of the Obstacle Race is… /
Izuku leaps out into the sunlight again, passing the finish line.
/ Izuku Midoriya! /
[Midoriya Apartment]
Inko couldn't contain it any longer as tears sprung from her eyes. "He won, Mitsuki! My baby won! Izuuuuu!" Mitsuki smiled at Inko's tearful glee.
"Yes, Inko! Good for him," she said, happy for her friend.
"Congratulations, Izuku," Masaru applauded calmly, clapping his hands.
[Sports Festival Stadium: Outside]
"Hey, Achillea! Come take pictures with me!" Mt. Lady insisted, getting her pictures taken by paparazzi.
"Is…that okay?" Pyrrha wondered.
"I don't see the harm, if you want to," Coco said.
"Mt. Lady seems eager…Maybe a few snaps? After that, I'll return to patrolling," Pyrrha said.
Coco smirked. "Whatever floats your boat…Hey, are you doing okay?"
Pyrrha looked perplexed by the question. "What do you mean?"
"…Never mind. Go take some pics, I'll be here, waiting for ya," Coco insisted.
"…Okay."
"Hey, isn't that the kid from last year?" Death Arms wondered, looking up at the screen. Pyrrha looks up too, seeing that Izuku has won the race.
She smiled. "Good for you, Midoriya," she said quietly. "I'm sure you've done All Might proud."
[Sports Festival Stadium]
Izuku panted heavily as he tried to catch his breath. He stood up straight, amazed by all of the cheering from the crowd. It was all a little overwhelming, Izuku could feel the tears emerging as his own sense of pride over his accomplishment washed over him. He looked up at the stands, to where the teachers were, and he could see Toshinori, looking down at him as he clapped. Izuku could see the man smile at him, just as he did when Izuku tried to save him back at the USJ.
Toshinori was proud of him.
Izuku gives the man a big grin against his tears. "I did it, All Might!" Toshinori nodded, as though he had heard Izuku's thoughts.
"Midoriya!" Ruby called out as she jogged over to him. "You did it! You won! Hey, why are you crying?"
Izuku hurriedly wiped his tears away. "Sorry…I guess…I got a little emotional…"
"I guess anyone would be, huh?" Ruby asked.
Izuku sniffled. "Yeah."
Weiss sighed to herself. "…I was…so close…huh?" She sees Todoroki off to the side, also catching his breath. She also saw what could be described as a mist coming off his trembling right side…Trembling?
Todoroki walks off, before she noticed anything else.
Probably a good thing, because she was now contemplating on using a certain grape head, who had the insidious idea to use his Pop-Off balls to latch on to Momo for the rest of the race, as target practice.
{~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* - Our Hero Academia - *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~}
Ruby Rose
Quirk: Petal Burst
"She can burst into a swarm of rose petals and move at high speeds."
— Affiliation: UA High School Hero Class 1-A Student
— Birthday: 10/31 (Scorpio)
— Height: 162 cm
— Blood Type: O
— Likes: Support Equipment, Support Engineering, Sweets, Strawberries
— Color: Haute Couture
{~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* - Our Hero Academia - *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~}
May Marigold
Quirk: Invisibility Field
"Allows her to create an area of space around her that makes everything inside invisible to the outside and isolate it to only herself becoming invisible."
— Affiliation: UA High School Hero Class 1-B Student
— Birthday: 11/14 (Scorpio)
— Height: 178 cm
— Blood Type: O
— Likes: Quiet, Friends
— Color: Marigold (EAA221)
{~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* - Our Hero Academia - *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~}
"Deku! You were amazing!" Ochako declared as she came over to Ruby and Izuku. Ruby saw Tenya in the background, lamenting his loss. "You were so cool with how you swooped by!" She sounded exhausted, but she was clearly amazed by Izuku's move.
"It-it was nothing!" Izuku blurted, wrapping his arms around himself, covering his flustered face. "It really was nothing. It all happened out of luck…It was thanks to Rose that I was able to pass robots, and the rest was just pure luck…"
Nemuri goes to take the stage again. "The first game is now over. Let's go over the results!"
(1st) Izuku Midoriya
(2nd) Shouto Todoroki
(3rd) Weiss Schnee
(4th & 5th) An angry Katsuki Bakugo and a smiling Penny Polendina
(6th & 7th) A pleased Ruby Rose and a disappointed Tenya Iida
(8th & 9th) Juzo Honezuki and Fumikage Tokoyami
(10th – 12th) Ibara Shiozaki, Eijiro Kirishima, and Hanta Sero
(13th – 15th) Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, Mashirao Ojiro, and Tsuyu Asui
(16th – 18th) Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie, and Mezo Shouji
(19th – 22nd) Jaune Arc, Ochako Uraraka, Momo Yaoyorozu, and a smacked Minoru Mineta
(23rd – 26th) Mina Ashido, May Marigold, Koji Koda, and Kyoka Jiro
(27th – 30th) Sen Kaibara, Kosei Tsuburaba, Denki Kaminari, and Kojiro Bondo
(31st – 35th) Reiko Yanagi, Hitoshi Shinsou, Itsuka Kendo, Jurota ShishIida, and Shiha Kuroiro
(36th – 40th) Yui Kodai, Hiryu Rin, Kinoko Komori, Togaru Kumakiri, and Neito Monoma
(41st – 45th) Sun Wukong, Yosetsu Awase, Rikido Satou, Pony Tsunotori, and Setsuna Togake
(46th – 50th) Tooru Hagakure, Manga FukIidashi, Mei Hatsume, Fionna Thyme, and Yuga Aoyama
"Usually, it would be the top 42 who get to move on to the next round, but because the number of 1st year hero course students got expanded this year, it was only right to do the same here," Nemuri announced. "And to those who still couldn't make the cut, don't fret. We have something prepared for all to still shine!" Nemuri licks her lips with anticipation. "The real competition begins next. The press is keeping an eye out, so you better give your all." The screen shows the randomizer again, spinning. "And the next game will be…" The randomizer stops. "…the Cavalry Battle!"
"Cavalry Battle?" Kaminari questioned. "I'm bad at those…"
"Have you played this before, Ruby?" Ochako asked.
"I think so, with Jaune back in middle school when we had Sports Day," Ruby replied. It dawns on her. "Wait…"
"Let me explain," Nemuri goes on, "The participants can form teams of 2-4 as they wish."
"Teams!" Ruby thought. "We can finally work together!"
"It's basically the same as regular cavalry battles, but with one difference: based on the results of the last competition, each person has been assigned with value points," Nemuri explained further.
"Then that means each team is worth different points depending on who's in the team," Ochako said.
"Oh, I get it!" Mina exclaimed. They flinched from the crack of Nemuri's whip.
"You think that we're not in class, that it's okay for you to talk while I'm talking?!" Nemuri asked angrily. The students quiet down. "Good. Now, as I was saying, the points assigned go up by 5 points, starting from the bottom. 50th place gets 5 points, 49th gets 10 points, 48th gets 15 points, and so on…"
Ruby started counting her fingers. "Hey, Midoriya," she whispered, so as to not anger Nemuri. "That means your value points would be 250."
"250? That doesn't sound so bad…" Izuku muttered, and maybe a little relieved it wasn't too high.
"And the point value assigned to the number one spot is," Nemuri announced. "10,000,000 points!"
"…Te-Te-Te-Te…" Izuku spluttered. "…Te-Te-Te-Te…"
"Ten…million?" Ruby asked in disbelief.
Nemuri smirked at the sight of nearly all of the competitors putting their sights on the nervous Izuku.
"It's survival of the fittest…Those at the bottom would have the chance to overthrow the top!"
"Midoriya?" Ruby said, worried at how stiff Izuku was.
"…Te-Te-Te-Te…"
[Sports Festival Stadium: Faculty Stands]
Qrow grimaced with sympathy. "Oof…Poor kid…" He looks over at Toshinori, to see his reaction. He saw…none. "You don't seem all that worried."
"Not necessarily, but this would allow Young Midoriya to experience the number one spot," Toshinori said. "The world of heroes can be a cutthroat place at times and Young Midoriya may get a brief taste of it."
"Yeesh…Times like this make me grateful for being an underground hero."
[Sports Festival Stadium]
"You kids got 15 minutes to build your team and strategize!" Midnight announced. "So, you better not dilly-dally!"
Taking that as the que to go, the students scattered hastily.
"Okay! I gotta hurry and make a team!" Izuku said. "If Rose and I team up, it might be enough. Rose, let's…Uh, Rose?" Izuku looked around, seeing no sign of his friend. "Rose. Oh, no…We've got separated! She must have gotten swept away by everyone running away from me!" He starts running around. "I can't waste time looking for her. I got to build up a team, but…no one wants to team up with me because of my point value! What should I do?!"
"Wanna team up, Deku?" Ochako asked.
Izuku looked at her with tears gushing from his eyes. "YES! Thank you! I can't find Rose and everyone won't team up with me because of my points!"
Ochako giggled despite getting dowsed. "Hey, if we keep running around and avoid everyone, we'd win, right?"
"I think you're overestimating me…Who else could join us…Oh, let's go talk to Iida!" Izuku exclaimed. But Ochako looked dejected.
"Actually, I already asked him to join you, but he refused," she told him. "He's joined Todoroki's team."
"What?"
"Bakugo and Todoroki aren't the only ones to consider you a rival, Deku," Ochako said.
Izuku looked down. "…I see."
"Don't be sad! Iida still sees you as a friend!" Ochako assured. "He just—"
"It's okay, Uraraka. This is a competition after all," Izuku said. "We've all got to make an impact, one way or another." Seeing that Izuku wasn't upset, Ochako smiled.
"Hey, can I join in too?" Mei Hatsume asked, wearing her equipment and too close in Izuku's personal space.
"Whoa! Too close! Who are you?!"
"It's Mei Hatsume. If you let me and my babies join, we'd win for sure!" Hatsume said. "Rose was able to get this far, showing off her gear, but I won't let that happen again!"
"What is she talking about?" Izuku wondered.
"I wondered that too, back at the Fall…" Ochako said. "So, is this good enough, or should we try to find one person?"
Izuku sees someone. "Actually…I think I found someone…"
Like how Bakugo was getting crowded to be a part of his team, the same was happening to Weiss. Despite her family's reputation, her skills and Quirk could help getting the advantage. But Weiss wasn't focused on that. Instead, she was focusing on someone who wasn't asking to be a part of her team.
She strode by the others as she made her way to the person. Once she reached them, she looked them straight in the eye and asked, "Will you please be a part of my team…"
"Gotta find a team…gotta find a team!" Ruby said repeatedly as she ran around. She had gotten swept away by the other students when they were given the green light to team up, separating her from Izuku. And with such limited time, it's better for her to try to find a team herself. Much to her dismay, it looked like the competitors had already found a team, many opting to team up with people in their class. "Maybe I should look for Jaune…Just like old times."
"Ruby?" Ruby turns around to see Tsuyu with Shouji and Mineta. "Wanna join us?" Ruby was suddenly in front of Tsuyu in a burst, holding her hands.
"Yes, please! Thank you!"
Tsuyu smiled. "Ribbit."
Jaune had just seen Ruby scampering around like a chicken losing their head. He couldn't help but chuckle. It reminded him of when they would team up for events.
Why not team up for old times' sake?
"Hey, Ruby—!" Jaune called out, holding out his hand.
"Ruby? Wanna join us?" Tsuyu asked the girl.
Ruby was quick to be at the frog girl's side. "Yes, please! Thank you!"
"Ribbit."
…Oh…He guessed that Ruby didn't hear him…Wouldn't be the first. Ruby would sometimes get so lost in thoughts that she would ignore her surroundings. It's no big deal…
…Then what is this tightness in Jaune's chest?
It had happened before. It was back during the Obstacle Race, when they were facing the robots. There was another tightness in Jaune's chest then, when Ruby bursted away with Izuku.
And now, that pinged thing has happened again…and it feels stronger this time…
What's going on?
Jaune heard someone walking up to him. He turns and sees a familiarly exhausted looking purple haired young man walking towards. Without thinking, Jaune spoke, "H-hey, you looking for another member for your team? I'll join."
The purple haired young man was mildly surprised, not expecting an immediate response before he had said anything.
Nevertheless, he smirked. "Good to hear."
{The Cavalry Battle is about to begin! Look alive, people! You too, Mummy Man.}
{Huh?}
The teams have all gotten together and decided on their formations:
Team Midoriya: Rider – Izuku Midoriya; Horses – May Marigold, Ochako Uraraka, and Mei Hatsume (Total Points: 10,000,305)
Team Schnee: Rider – Weiss Schnee; Horses – Fumikage Tokoyami, Lie Ren, and Nora Valkyrie (Total Points: 795)
Team Bakugo: Rider – Katsuki Bakugo; Horses – Eijiro Kirishima, Mina Ashido, and Hanta Sero (Total Points: 740)
Team Todoroki: Rider – Shouto Todoroki; Horses – Tenya Iida, Denki Kaminari, and Momo Yaoyorozu (Total Points: 725)
Team Rose: Rider – Ruby Rose; Horses(?) – Mezo Shouji, Tsuyu Asui, and Minoru Mineta (Total Points: 715)
Team Tetsutetsu: Rider – Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu; Horses – Juzo Honezuki, Togaru Kamakiri, and Ibara Shiozaki (Total Points: 670)
Team Polendina: Rider – Penny Polendina; Horses – Itsuka Kendo, Kinoko Komori, and Setsuna Yanagi (Total Points: 485)
Team Shinsou: Rider – Hitoshi Shinsou; Horses – Jaune Arc, Mashirao Ojiro, and Yuga Aoyama (Total Points: 445)
Team Monoma: Rider – Neito Monoma; Horses – Kosei Tsuburaba, Sen Kaibara, and Shihai Kuroiro (Total Points: 370)
Team Hagakure: Rider – Tooru Hagakure; Horses – Rikido Sato, Kyoka Jiro, and Koji Koda (Total Points: 320)
Team Kodai: Rider – Yui Kodai; Horses – Kojiro Bondo and Manga FukIidashi (Total Points: 200)
Team Rin: Rider – Hiryu Rin; Horse – Jurota ShishIida (Total Points: 155)
Team Wukong: Rider – Sun Wukong; Horses – Yosetsu Awase and Setsuna Tokage (Total Points: 125)
Team Thyme: Rider – Fionna Thyme; Horse – Pony Tsunotori (Total Points: 45)
Midnight holds her whip high. "Let the countdown begin in three! …Two! …One! Go!"
Almost immediately, nearly all the teams gained up on Izuku's.
"We need to make a run for it!" Izuku shouted. They were about to run forward until May saw something and caused the group to move back. "Marigold?"
"Hey, Freckles! Get to using that jetpack!" she exclaimed.
"Right!" Izuku turns on the jetpack, sending them into the sky.
"Yes! My babies get to shine!" Hatsume cheered.
"Marigold, what's going on?" Izuku asked her.
"Juzo Honenuki," May said. "His Quirk can soften any surface."
"Is that so? Thanks, Marigold!" Izuku thanked. They started to lower back to the ground, the other teams going after them.
"There is no need to thank me. That was the reason you recruited me, wasn't it?" Marigold asked. They were able to dodge an upcoming attack thanks to both the jetpack and Ochako's Quirk making them weigh less.
"Yeah, that's one reason," Izuku said. He recalled meeting her that yesterday morning, accidentally walking in on her changing out of the boy's uniform and into the girl's. And her invisibility Quirk. When Izuku saw her again moments ago, he remembered her Quirk and figured that she'd be a valuable asset to the team. Plus, her having some knowledge of her fellow 1-B classmates wouldn't hurt.
They reached touchdown and saw the other teams gaining on them. "Now, Marigold!" Izuku exclaimed. May takes a deep breath –
And Team Midoriya vanished.
{What the? Team Midoriya disappeared?!}
The sudden disappearance had caught the opposing off guard causing them to stop.
"What just happened?" Kaminari asked.
"They disappeared?" Momo questioned.
"Where the hell did they go?" Bakugo frowned angrily.
"Kendo, Komori, Yanagi, keep an eye out!" Penny commanded. "They've turned invisible!"
"Invisible?" Weiss echoed.
"There's someone else with an invisibility Quirk too?" Hagakure questioned, wearing only her gym pants and point band. Her team were still blushing from this fact, even though Hagakure was totally invisible.
"That traitorous Marigold, working for Class 1-A…watch closely!" Monoma ordered his team. "That Quirk of hers won't last long!"
About a second later, Team Midoriya reappeared, running off in another direction.
"There they are!"
Ruby sees it from within Shouji's arms. "They were able to make that distance?"
"After them," Todoroki ordered.
Tenya nods. "Right."
"That was amazing, Marigold!" Ochako praised.
"You okay?" Izuku asked May, who appeared to be winded.
May managed to give him a grin. "Yeah…I'm good…I just need to catch my breath. It's hard to hold it while running."
[May Marigold! Her Quirk: Invisibility Field! She can create a dome around herself to render herself and anything near to be invisible from the outside! But she has to hold her breath for it to work!]
"That Quirk of hers is cool, but it's annoying in situations like this," Sun said. He smirks. "How about some reinforcements?" He claps his hands together and a glow emits from his body. Then, two light clones of himself sprung forth after Team Midoriya.
Ochako sees this coming and used the hover boots to dodge
Sun snaps his fingers. "We almost had them!"
[Sun Wukong! His Quirk: Via Sun! He can create clones made of light to attack in his stead!]
Todoroki is given a pointed pipe by Momo so he could freeze the ground and tries to trap Team Midoriya, but they again are taken to the air by Izuku's jetpack.
Bakugo comes blasting towards them. "DEEEKUUU!" May takes in another breath, turning the team invisible again. Bakugo gasps when he attacked nothing again and Sero uses his tape to bring Bakugo back before he'd touch the ground and their team gets disqualified.
"Hey, guys, let's avoid Midoriya's team," Ruby said.
"What? Why?! Do you realize how many points we'd be missing out!?" Mineta argued.
"Do you realize how many people are after him? I'd rather us not get caught up in that," Ruby countered.
"Good points, but does it also have to do with you not wanting to steal points from Midoriya specifically, ribbit?" Tsuyu asked.
"…Maybe."
{Looks like Team Midoriya is playing a second game of their own! For the past several minutes, they've been disappearing and then reappearing in a totally different spot on the field!}
"Where the hell is that Deku at?!" Bakugo shouted.
Todoroki grimaced. "Kaminari, use your Quirk!"
"Right!" Kaminari uses his Indiscriminate Shock, spreading his electricity out.
Thanks to her goggles, Ruby saw the attack coming. "Shouji, jump!" The bigger student did so, just as the electricity reached them, narrowly hitting them. The other teams were unfortunately shocked by the attack, even canceling May's Invisibility Field, and Team Todoroki was left unscathed thanks to Momo creating insulation to protect them…which didn't prevent Kaminari from going 'yay' mode.
Izuku shakes his head. "…Are you guys okay?"
May hissed in pain. "…That was smarts…"
"We're okay, Deku," Ochako winced. She gasped at seeing Team Todoroki coming their way. "Deku!"
"The jetpack isn't working!" Izuku shouted.
"What?"
"It got damaged by Kaminari's electricity!"
"No, my baby!" Hatsume declared.
"Marigold, are you able to use your Quirk again?" Izuku asked the blue haired girl.
"Ngh…Just give me a minute and I'll—" A giant wall of ice formed beside them. "What the-?"
Izuku gasped. "Todoroki!"
"Where did this wall of ice come from?!" Ruby shouted from inside Shouji's arm tent.
"Todoroki is probably trying to trap Midoriya," Shouji figured.
"We gotta find a way in so we can get Midoriya's points first!" Mineta said.
Ruby spots Rin and Shishida. They look like they were still stunned by Kaminari's attack. "No! Shouji, go after Team Rin instead!"
Shouji nods. "Roger."
"What? Rose! Why are we going after someone with lower points?!" Mineta asked.
"Because all of the heavy hitters are occupied at the moment, and it would be a dumb move to face them or get caught in the crossfire. And…" Ruby looks at Mineta pointedly. "…This is Team Rose, not Team Mineta."
"…You're lucky you're cute."
Ruby sees that they are getting closer to Team. "Tsu, get ready!"
"Ribbit!"
"…Now, Shouji!" Shouji unfolds his arms out and Tsuyu shoots out her tongue to grab the 155-point headband from Rin's head. As Ruby waited for Tsuyu to reel it in, she noticed Team Shinsou heading their way. "Shouji, once we get the headband, avoid the other teams!" Shouji nodded. Once the headband was secured, Shouji folded his arms over his teammates before running off into another direction.
And they were now being targeted by Team Tetsutetsu.
"How dare they take our classmate's headband when they couldn't move. That's uncool," Tetsutetsu growled. "Guys, we're going after Team Rose!"
"Right!"
"Get ready, Shiozaki."
"As much as I despise such an underhanded tactic…I will help my comrades!" the vine-haired girl exclaimed.
"Well, damn. They're gone," Shinsou mused.
"Didn't I say that Ruby is sharper than she appears?" Jaune quipped, smiling and proud that Ruby got away.
"Looks like you were right," Shinsou said. "Let's look for a different target then…"
Jaune takes glances at Aoyama and Ojiro. They looked zoned out. "They haven't said a word since the cavalry battle started. Not even Aoyama…What's going on?"
"Huh? Hey! My headband!" Hagakure exclaimed. "It's gone!"
"When did that happen?" Satou wondered.
Jiro gasped at seeing the retreating figure. "How…when did Schnee and her team get to us? They weren't anywhere near us!"
"An excellent move, Schnee," Tokoyami applauded from Weiss' right side.
"Thank you, Tokoyami," Weiss thanked as she tied Hagakure's 320-point headband with her own around her head. "But I had help. Thanks to Kaminari, Valkyrie was able to gain speed and strength."
"Yep!" Nora chirped, full of energy and tiny, pink sparks around her.
"And…" Weiss holds up a pale blue crystal. A rare smirk graced Weiss' lip. "We've got some added artillery."
"Pardon me!"
Weiss gasped as she felt her two headbands be removed from her head, looping through her long ponytail. She whips around to see Penny and her team run off with their new prizes. "Everyone! After Team Polendina!"
"Get back here, you jackass!" Bakugo demanded, making his team go after Team Monoma after Monoma took Bakugo's headband.
"'Get back here,' you say. Is that all you could say or have you lost a lot of your brain cells from nearly suffocating by that sludge villain last year," Monoma taunted.
A dangerous anger tick pulsed as Bakugo saw red. "What was that?"
"Oh, boy…" Mina muttered.
Izuku let out a shout as Todoroki successfully grabbed his headband right off his head thanks to an unexpected move from Tenya.
"Iida…what was that?" a shocked Todoroki asked.
"…A move I was able to come up with for the festival, Recipro Burst," Tenya revealed. He glances down at his smoking engine pipes. "Unfortunately, the recoil causes my Engine to stall for a while."
{And Midoriya is suddenly with zero points!}
They have less than 2 minutes left to go…
Next Chapter: Making Connections
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR SHIRT ON!"
"I'm curious to know, how to raise the next generation of heroes?"
"I'd express my condolences if that were the case."
"What did Rose mean to me?"
"Still not fond of fighting against your friends?"
If it feels like the cavalry battle is going too fast, I didn't want to make too many repeats and risk padding.