Forgive me if some parts aren't exactly as they were in the anime. I did not want to re-watch the entire arc. I'm also going to skip over some things that aren't any different from the original, as you already know what happened and there's no point to rewriting it.

Anyway, onto the story.

Izuku stared at the pages of his notebook, his eyes unfocused. The sound of students chatting barely reached his ears as he pondered the upcoming afternoon.

Today was the day. The event all UA students—no, the entire world—looked forward to the entire year. The Sports Festival, where resolve would be tested, success was hard-earned, and the competition was fierce. For their entire hero-based society, the future was based on this one afternoon.

I know I could win, but that's not the point. Izuku scratched his head with his pencil, his mouth pulling into a frown. I could cheat, but how am I supposed to pull that off with a stadium full of heroes watching? I'll just have to trust my intuition to get us through this.

"You nervous?" Shinso slid into the seat next to Izuku, his blue and white PE uniform matching Izuku's, and everyone else's for that matter, even if Izuku was wearing a black hoodie over his. Such a thing was meant to provide a standard of fairness among the competing students, although Izuku, along with the rest of the General Course, didn't think anything about this competition could be considered fair. After all, the Hero Course students received special one on one training with top pro heroes, whereas he and his classmates had to make due with minor heroes and minimal training.

Truly, they were only there to give the illusion of school unity to the outside world. The Sports Festival was all about the Hero Course students and their future sponsorships by hero agencies around the world.

But today would be different. Izuku would make sure of it.

Raising his eyes to meet Shinso's, Izuku shrugged. "Nervous isn't the right word. I just don't like that I don't know what the tests are going to be."

"I'm sure we'll be able to handle it." Shinso tapped the open pages of Izuku's notebook. "After all, you're the expert on heroes."

Izuku laughed and brushed back his hair before shoving the notebook into his backpack. "Right. And," he pulled out a brand new Binding Cloth from his backpack and wrapped it around his neck as he'd seen Eraser Head do. "with these, we can't lose."

"I can't believe they let you use support gear." Shinso leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling. "The rest of us aren't nearly as lucky."

Lucky, right, Izuku thought scathingly. "Well, I don't have a quirk. How else am I supposed to measure up to the rest of you?" Izuku clicked his Persona Chords over his mouth before grimacing.

Unbeknownst to Shinso or Eraser Head, Izuku had been carefully observing the two during their lessons, and had created his own version of the Binding Cloth for his personal use. He wasn't sure if it would ever actually make it into his arsenal as a masked villain—if Shinso or Aizawa happened to recognize it as being derived from Eraser Head's support gear, it would be easy to figure out his identity. Regardless, the weapon was just too good to pass up.

Who knows, maybe they'll both die, and I'll be able to use it without restraint. Izuku's eyes drifted to Shinso, observing the boy's relaxed posture as he leaned against the table. The young hero had loosened up over the two weeks they had been preparing for the Sports Festival, and the dark circles under his eyes had lessened somewhat. Or maybe he will join us, and it won't matter. Although, we can never truly be . . . Izuku shook his head, focusing instead on ensuring the mask fully covered his face.

"Ida and Uraraka said you were amazing during the entrance exam." Shinso lifted his head and closed one eye, peering closely at Izuku through the other one. "I still think it'd be cool for you to teach me your moves."

Izuku shook his head. "They're wrong. It was just dumb luck." Izuku patted his chest, subtly checking to make sure his knife vest was properly fastened. He didn't plan on fighting during the competition due to the risk of exposing his cover, but he was better safe than sorry. No matter what, he would ensure Shinso's victory.

"Hm," Shinso hummed, closing both of his eyes and leaning his head back again. Izuku knew that meant he didn't believe him, but he wouldn't press any further. More than anyone, Shinso understood the value of privacy. "Do you think you'll get scouted?"

"By an agency? I don't know." Izuku zipped up his backpack and shoved it under the table, hearing the metal inside clink as he did so. "I've only technically made one item."

"You could get hired as a tactician. Your strategies could help bring down the League of Villains. I hear the police are still trying to track them down but getting nowhere."

Izuku snorted. Yeah, that'd make me a double agent, and even I can't keep track of all the backstabbing I'd have to do. "You can't say my strategies are good when none of them have been put to the test yet. Let's just wait until the end of the festival to consider the future."

At that moment, the intercom sputtered to life, informing the General Studies students to head to the arena for the first event. "Speak of the devil," Izuku muttered as he stood. The two of them exited the waiting room quickly. As he passed the other students, narrowed eyes followed him, and whispers cropped up like weeds in his wake.

Most General Studies students knew Izuku didn't have a quirk by now, but that didn't matter. They would all be eliminated by the end of the first round anyway. After all, there was a reason they hadn't made it into the hero course.

And if any of them get even close, I'll eliminated them. Izuku's eyes narrowed, and he stopped in the middle of the hallway, giving Shinso a nod.

His purple eyes roamed the hallway, narrowed in what Izuku knew was annoyance. Izuku followed his gaze, once again observing their classmates staring at Izuku as they passed on their way to the arena.

"They don't matter." Izuku raised his fist, waiting until Shinso met his eyes. "Remember—"

"Stay in the middle of the pack," Shinso finished, nodding his head. "I know."

"And—"

"Don't use my quirk. I got that too." Shinso's lips twitched upwards in the ghost of a smile. "I'll see you soon, Izuku. Good luck."

Izuku dipped his head and watched Shinso walk away from him, his lips twisting into a frown. He had no doubt the two of them would pass the first round. The problem was the amount of handicaps Izuku had to place upon himself to prevent the possibility of revealing his identity.

The intercom sounded again, and Izuku jerked up his hood, knowing it shadowed his eyes enough to disguise his identity. Dressing up as a masked person is dangerous, Izuku thought as he entered the arena, glancing around at the packed stands. Are there too many similarities to my villain persona?

His eyes drifted to the stage, where the R-rated hero Midnight stood on the stage holding a microphone. So she's the umpire. She's more likely to allow bending the rules than some other heroes. Izuku shifted to observe the crowd, wondering if any of the more famous heroes were present.

Wait, is that Endeavor? Izuku's eyes widened. And next to him, that's All Might! His jaw twitched as his hands curled into fists, and he stared at the two heroes, who were currently engaged in conversation. About what? he wondered. What on Earth did the two of them share in common? And why was All Might here?

Well, that's a good thing. This means he's probably still searching for a successor. If he sees Shinso's prowess, it's possible he might pick him. Despite this, Izuku still glared at the two of them, unable to tear his eyes away. I swear, one day, I'll . . .

"And now for the pledge, given by Katsuki Bakugo!" Midnight announced, and Izuku's attention snapped to the stage, surprised to hear his childhood's bully's name. The blond boy in question slunk to the stage, his hands tucked into his pockets.

This isn't going to go well, Izuku thought, his mouth twisting into a grin. You are going to humiliate yourself, Bakugo.

"I just want to say . . . I'm going to win," Bakugo announced to the accompany boos of the students gathered in front of him.

Uraraka, standing with the class of 1-A, turned her nervous eyes to the rest of the group. The others in class 1-A seemed to do the same, and the remaining Hero Course students returned their gazes, although theirs was far more hostile.

Interesting. It seems like Bakugo has not only made enemies for himself, but for the rest of Class 1-A. Izuku smirked and faced the stage, staring at Bakugo as he descended the stairs. Good job, Bakugo. You've doomed your entire class.

Bakugo's eyes lifted, and his gaze caught Izuku's. Time seemed to slow, and Izuku didn't turn away, instead staring into the face of his greatest rival, not even bothering to conceal the hatred on his features. Bakugo's eyebrows furrowed, and he sneered before turning away and joining the rest of his class.

Good, he didn't recognize me. If he didn't, no one will. Izuku adjusted the Persona Chords, although the mask hadn't moved an inch.

"And the first round for the competition is . . ." Midnight continued, raising her whip to the sky. The screen behind her flashed for a few moments before revealing the words: "Obstacle Race."

The first 42 players to complete the race will win. Easy enough.

"Take your places!"

The students all rushed to the opening, and Izuku followed slowly, noticing Shinso joining the rest. Lights above the large door they ran toward began to blink, and the door slid open, revealing a narrow hallway beyond.

This is the first obstacle. It would be insanity to try to charge through like this.

"Go!" Midnight yelled, and the crowd erupted into yells as the students burst through the doors, pushing and shoving in an effort to get ahead. They quickly bunched together and slowed to a crawl, completely defeating the purpose of their initial rush.

Someone will make a move soon.

Suddenly, a gust of freezing cold wind almost knocked Izuku's hood off his head, and he grabbed it with one hand, narrowing his eyes. Ice sprouted from the ground and exploded out of the hallway, with one figure following the wave close behind, his white and red hair standing out like a beacon.

Shoto Todoroki. The ice and fire hero. Ida and Uraraka are his classmates. Izuku reached the doorway and launched into the air, landing on one of his classmate's shoulders. Ignoring his shout of protest, he jumped to the next victim, only resting there for a moment before leaping forward again. Many of the students were stuck in place, ice covering their feet, making them great launching points. A few of the Hero Course students peeled off ahead, apparently having anticipated Todoroki's attack.

"I'm glad you warned me about him."

Izuku whipped his head around to see Shinso jumping alongside him, using the same technique of stepping on their classmates to avoid the slippery ice. "He's more powerful than I thought," Izuku replied, jumping over Uraraka's head. Her eyes lifted to his, but Izuku didn't pause to say hello. It was doubtful she'd recognize him anyway. "If he's using a move like that out of the gate, he must have a lot more in the tank."

They landed on the ground next to each other, and they both spun around to view the massive sheets of ice that sprouted from the arena exit. Shinso let out a low whistle. "Your predictions were spot on."

A loud thud echoed from behind them, and Izuku spun around, surprised to see a purple blur fall to the floor somewhere up ahead. A massive shadow suddenly enveloped them, and Izuku directed his gaze upward to see a large robot towering over them. Its attention was currently directed to the students in front of them, but there was no doubt it would notice them soon.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Shinso asked, his attention fixed on the head of the robot, which Izuku now recognized as being the one of the 0 point robots from the entrance exam.

A smile tugged at Izuku's mouth, and he glanced at Shinso, who raised an eyebrow. "Race you," Izuku replied, jumping into the air before the words exited his mouth, Shinso following close behind. The Binding Cloth around Izuku's neck flew into the air, heading straight for Shinso, who grabbed it with one hand.

"No fair!" Izuku shouted as the binding cloth wrapped around a mechanical part of the robot far above his head. Shinso grinned at Izuku as he shot past him, propelled upward by the Binding Cloth.

He even grins like a villain. Izuku landed on the side of the robot, using the chinks in its metallic parts to gain a foot hold before he began to climb, fast and agile. I can't use the Binding Cloth because I'm not supposed to know how to use it. I can't use my knives because they might be recognized while I'm in disguise. I can't stand out too much, because I'm supposed to be a quirkless loser, but I'm supposed to stand out enough to draw attention away from Shinso.

Izuku paused and twisted around, gazing behind him to see the straggling Hero Course students reach the second obstacle and begin to fight their way through the machines. A sharp pain emanated from behind Izuku's eyes, and he winced as he began to ascend the side of the robot once again. This is too much to keep track of, even for me.

"You're late," Shinso said, swinging the Binding Cloth in a circle as he gazed across the race course. "Bakugo and Todoroki are in the lead."

"Of course they are." Izuku straightened, and the robot beneath them shuddered and began to fall, albeit slowly. "Time to bail."

Together, they jumped from the robot, gravity immediately pulling them toward the ground. Izuku closed his eyes as wind rushed across his cheeks and raked through his hair. It was a familiar sensation, one that invoked a feeling he couldn't quite name but was best described as a mixture of dread and elation.

I'm not going to hit the ground this time. Izuku opened his eyes when Shinso's Binding Cloth wrapped around his waist, jerking him up and toward another robot. Smoke billowed from a massive hole in its side, and its limbs flew into the air, almost in an expression of surprise.

Shinso and Izuku landed on the robot, only to hear a massive thud from somewhere up ahead, and they both stared in the direction of the sound.

"Oh wow," Izuku muttered. Before them, an entire 0 point robot, covered in a massive sheet of ice, collapsed, sending a wave of cold air and dust across the race track.

"Think we can jump over it?" Shinso's eyes darted to the various robots left standing between them and the blockage, currently under attack from the rest of the students. Even the one they were currently standing on slowly descended toward the ground, bringing them closer being forced to climb over the robot.

"Only one way to find out." Izuku grinned, and Shinso's eyes narrowed in a smile. A streak of white appeared, and they both launched into the air, once again propelled by Shinso's Binding Cloth. In no time at all, they flew over the blockage, a short distance behind the rest of the students.

Explosions echoed around them, and Izuku glanced down to see Yaoyorozu, the creation hero, blasting several 0 point robots with a cannon. She was one of the two students in the Hero Course that had gotten in based on recommendation. In all honesty, he had expected more from her, but it seemed she was stuck in the middle of the group, unlike Todoroki, who was also accepted via recommendation. "Hurry, Shinso," he urged, and the grip of the Binding Cloth tightened around Izuku's waist.

"Whoah!" Izuku yelled as the Binding Cloth suddenly yanked him in the opposite direction of their previous trajectory, knocking the wind out of him. "What are you doing?" He was grateful for his knife vest, which protected his skin from the friction burns he no doubt would've sustained otherwise.

"Brace for impact!" Shinso yelled, crossing his arms over his face.

Eyes widening, Izuku saw a 0 point robot rapidly rushing toward them. No—they were flying toward it, and at reckless speed. Shinso's Binding Cloth was wrapped around a displaced shard of metal on the side of the robot's "head," right next to a massive crater no doubt caused by Yaoyorozu's canon.

Izuku brought up his hands a moment before slamming into the metal, the loose shards burying into his skin. He bounced backward, plummeting toward the ground, but the Binding Cloth constricted around his middle, jerking him back up.

Grasping tightly onto the side of the robot, Izuku peered at Shinso, who stared back, his eyes uncharacteristically energetic. "What in the world—"

"The one I was aiming for fell in the wrong direction. It was too far away, so I had to change course. Didn't have time to provide a soft landing," Shinso panted before pressing his forehead against the robot's head, his eyes squeezing shut.

Izuku examined his side, grimacing at the sight of red blood dripping onto gray metal. It was lucky they had been close enough to attach to the side of the robot's head. Going any lower could've been dangerous, as they might've been crushed by the machine as it fell. "Okay," Izuku muttered, blowing out a breath as his heart rate steadied. "I understand."

The metal beneath them shuddered, and Izuku twisted around to see the ground approaching at a steady pace. "Shinso," he exclaimed, and the boy's gaze joined Izuku's. "3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . now!" The two jumped off the robot and dropped to the ground, each of them tucking into a roll to lessen the impact.

Izuku straightened and yanked his hood back into place before dusting off his clothing. He wasn't sure when the hood had fallen off, but he missed his villain costume—specifically the clasps that held the hood in place. "I'll give you an 8/10. I could've done without the impaling, though."

Shinso whirled around, his eyes widening at the sight of the blood splattered on Izuku's uniform. "Are you okay?" he asked. He stepped forward, his hands splaying out as if to touch Izuku but stopping short.

"Can't even feel it," Izuku responded truthfully. After all the abuse he regularly put himself through, he didn't feel pain anymore, at least not in the traditional sense. "Don't worry about me, worry about them." Izuku jerked his chin to the front.

Shinso turned around just in time to see a pink-ish blur fly into the air, leaving several students behind. Beyond them lay a large canyon, and the announcer informed them it was called the Fall. Several islands dotted the vast drop into oblivion, and ropes stretched between the island, providing the means to cross the obstacle.

"UA continues to surprise me," Izuku muttered.

"Surprisingly well-funded," Shinso remarked. He clutched at the Binding Cloth, staring at it for a moment before turning to Izuku. "Well?"

Shimmying out of his hoodie and handing it over to Shinso, Izuku gave him a thumbs up with his other hand. "Take out a few students. Draw some attention, but not enough to raise any flags. I'll catch up to you before the last obstacle."

"Right." Shinso slipped the hoodie over his uniform and accepted the Persona Chords when Izuku held them out to him.

Izuku chuckled, a smile stretching across his face. With the Persona Chords in place and the hood pulled over his eyes, there was no difference between the two of them. Well, Shinso was taller than him, but no one would be looking closely enough to notice. "Great."

"This feels a bit like cheating," Shinso muttered, the Persona Chords distorting his voice to the point it was unrecognizable.

"Midnight said we could do whatever we wanted as long as we stayed on the race track. Besides, lending you my support gear isn't specifically against the rules." Izuku shrugged and motioned to the obstacle. "You'd better hurry."

Shinso turned around, but he still hesitated. "Are you sure you're going to be alright?"

What, are you asking because I'm quirkless? Do you think I'm helpless just because I'm not gifted? Swallowing the growl that threatened to emerge from his throat, Izuku grinned. "Of course! I'm not trying to win, after all, just not lose. Don't worry about me."

After nodding, Shinso ran to the canyon, the Binding Cloth expanding over his head before zipping into the canyon and encircling a rope, swinging Shinso deep into the abyss. Izuku turned to observe the rest of the students quickly rushing past him, his smile dropping. Most of them were Hero Course students, but some of them were from the two other courses.

Falling into the pack, Izuku subtly pulled out a small dart from his vest, holding it firmly between his forefinger and thumb.

There, he's a General Studies student. Izuku stumbled and fell into the person in question right before they reached the edge of the canyon, almost toppling them both.

"Hey, watch it!" the student spat, pushing Izuku away from him with both hands.

"I'm so sorry!" Izuku held up a hand, hiding the other behind his neck. "I'm so clumsy. Are you hurt?"

"Whatever. Just stay out of my way." The boy shook his head and joined the others as they began to cross the ropes. Izuku stopped and stared after him, noticing how his movements started strong, then slowed to a crawl.

Izuku tucked the used dart into a pouch on his vest before pulling out another, already searching for his next victim. Mild tranquilizer. Not enough to knock them out, but enough to make them very, very tired. His eyes widened as he spotted another of his classmates somewhere ahead, and he started down the nearest rope, his feet light and sure as he sprinted across the divide. They won't be able to keep up with the rest of the students.

Slowing before he reached the next victim, he once again bumped into them, albeit much less dramatically this time. The girl gave him a weird look and rubbed her arm, but didn't say anything as Izuku pressed on ahead, this time crossing in a much slower and unsure manner. Once again, he tucked the used dart into his pouch and procured another, his lips twisting into a cruel smirk.

All of your hopes and aspirations of joining the Hero Course, gone, just like that. And all because you happen to be in the same department as me. He shook his head and focused on his next victim. It's a lot less than what you deserve.

The rest of the second obstacle proceeded in the same manner, with Izuku subtly pricking any General Studies students he saw with his tranquilizer darts, leaving them none of the wiser. Hardly any had managed to make it this far regardless, allowing Izuku to finish in no time and head to the last obstacle. There, he saw Shinso standing to the side of the track, staring across the expansive field that lay ahead.

"It's a mine-field," Shinso announced, his attention not wavering for a moment.

"Let's just walk across it. There's enough people behind us to not worry about it." Izuku beckoned to Shinso to switch gear with him, and the boy complied, relinquishing the support gear back to Izuku. "Notice anything funny about this competition?"

Shinso's purple eyes darted to Izuku's before returning to the field, his eyebrows furrowing. "No," he finally admitted. "What am I missing?"

"Class 1-A is the only class freely using their quirks. Class 1-B is especially holding back. They are maintaining their position in the top 40, but they aren't even trying for first." Izuku clicked the Persona Chords into place before pulling the hood back over his hair, making sure it covered every inch of his green locks.

"They're using the same strategy as us, then?"

"Yes. But we're going to do it better." Izuku smirked and started forward, throwing his last words over his shoulder, "Let's split up for now. I'll go ahead."

Izuku jogged to the minefield and began carefully navigating the mines, advancing at a leisurely pace. He didn't need to look behind him to know Shinso was doing the same.

Explosions sounded up ahead, which wasn't surprising in a minefield, but these were much louder than the mines' regular explosions. Izuku directed his gaze forward, not surprised to see Bakugo attacking Todoroki, who defended himself by shooting ice at Bakugo, who in turn destroyed it with his quirk.

Dividing his attention between their battle and his own feet, Izuku's lips pursed. Interesting. It was good he had an opportunity to observe their battle. Although he knew Bakugo's fighting style all too well, he didn't have the same knowledge of Todoroki's quirk. Of the two, Izuku could tell Todoroki was far more dangerous.

This should be enough, Izuku thought as the two passed the finish line, Todoroki in first, and Bakugo in second. After a few more minutes, all forty-two contestants had crossed the finish line, with Shinso and Izuku somewhere close to last place, along with Class 1-B.

I wonder what their quirks are, Izuku thought of the mysterious class as Midnight introduced the next event.

Calvary Battle. The students had fifteen minutes to get into teams of two to four. They would each be given a headband with a number printed on it, the amount of which was determined by their placement in the obstacle course. Each team member's headband added to their overall score, and after the teams were formed, they would have fifteen minutes to steal the other teams' headbands. The four teams with the most points would then advance to the finals.

Izuku met Shinso's eyes, and the boy stared back at him, seemingly waiting for his instructions. Since Todoroki scored first, his headband is worth ten million points. Bakugo is next, of course, but going after him would be dangerous due to his aggressiveness. We could go after the other teams . . . His eyes drifted over to the rest of the qualifying students, who were already gathering into groups, mostly sticking with those in their homeroom class. It's best to avoid the unknown.

Motioning Shinso to join him, Izuku whispered into the boy's ear. He nodded, and Izuku ran back into the building to retrieve the backpack he had left in the waiting room.

I know exactly how to win this.

I did it! It took a lot of research and thought, but I finished it! I feel like I should mention I don't have an editor for this story, so I apologize for any errors.

The next chapter is written (a surprising turn of events, I know.) I just need to edit it. Expect it to be out next week! I really enjoyed writing it, and I think you will like it too.

If you're enjoying this story so far, comment, vote, send to a friend, and whatever else you can think of. Please go to Salandrawolfe . com for more of my writing if you like my style. Make sure to check out my profile for other fanfictions I've written!

See you next chapter!

Sally