Azula stretches foreword touching her toes, before standing up and leaning forward touching her toes and then leaning back into a back bend.
"Wow you're flexible," Toru notes.
"You guys have no idea, This one time we were out..." Mina starts.
"My fighting style requires flexibility." Azula cuts in standing up.
"Are we just going to let that drop?" Jiro asks looking between Azula and Mina.
"You are," Azula tells her, and Jiro shrugs.
"Ok sure… wow you're lucky I'm as stiff as a board," Jiro says adding the second part on in monotone. Azula pulls on her shoes tying them and heading towards the door pausing.
"Good luck ladies," she says before walking through the door.
"That was nice of her," Momo notes.
"She's trying really hard, we should all wish her luck when we go out there," Mina says following after Azula to find her waiting on her.
"I expect you to make it at least to the third round."
"And I expect you to win, now for luck." she moves forward giving Azula a quick peck on the lips before heading down the hall towards the waiting room
"Are we supposed to ignore that to?" Jiro asks and Azula looks over to see the girls of 1A in the door frame.
"Do what you want." She tells them before heading down the hall after Mina.
"Goodluck!" Ururaka calls from the doorframe as Azula walks into the waiting room sitting on an empty seat, Presents Mic's voice echoing.
"Ten minutes left, it's time to find your seats." Azula watches the boys as they challenge each other, wanting to prove themselves.
"All students please begin making your way to the field." Mic's voice echoes before she hears the speakers outside turn on their teacher announcing them as metal doors open everyone standing and walking through a long hall and out onto a grass field surrounded by cheering fans Azula taking a place near the front of the group and she sees the pro hero Midnight on stage.
"And now for this year's introductory speech," she says and Azula can hear the weak minded men talking about her.
"Silence." she swings her tool. "Can Azula Please come to the podium for this years student pledge." Azula waks up to the stage, climbing it and standing before the microphone.
"Many of you do not know me yet and that is perfectly fine, You only need to watch my showing in today's battles to understand the kind of woman I am. I expect my fellow classmates to give this their all any less and you will only be besmirching your honor. Aside from Katsuki Bakugo as we all know you have no honor." she says golden eyes meeting red
Gasps and laughs echo throughout the arena and dozens of quiet pops as Bakugo stares mouth agape His palms exploding over and over.
"I.. I will fucking kill you bitch." He seethes.
"You can try." She challenges and Midnight grabs the mic.
"Oh I love how young blood runs hot, this year's first Challenge will be an obstacle course, all students please make their way towards the gate to your left." Azula hops from the stage joining the group as they head towards the gate.
"Okay, Wasnt that a start, always gotta love a rivalry am I right?!" Mic asks the crowd who cheer.
"She Embarrassed Kachan on live tv." Azula hears Midoriya mutter to himself, and she grins.
"Dead, shes dead!" She hears Bakugo yell behind her, and she grins thinking that he would have made a good firebender.
"On one the gate will open and it will begin." Mic announces.
"You want to count?" he asks Aizawa quieter.
"No." Aizawa replies.
"Okay, Five." Everyone prepares to run.
"Four."
"Three
"Two."
"ONE!" he yells and the door slams open, Azula Jumping over Todoroki's initial ice wave, hearing the others cry out as they're trapped. Azula, Bakugo, and Todoroki quickly take the first three places, giant robots coming into view Todoroki riding a giant wave of ice Bakugo propelling himself with a massive blast, and Azula shooting fire from the soles of her feet to propel herself over landing in a roll in the otherside and splitting an explosion in half with her flames.
"You have a death wish huh!?" Bakugo snarls rushing her Azula sending a jab into his left arm watching with amusement as it falls limp, Bakugo propels himself back with an explosion and she takes the moment to begin running again, Bakugo pulls his arm close to his chest and rushes after her.
"Undo this!"
"Come and make me, Kachan!" she mocks back Hearing him scream in anger, He would need to get a handle on that or he'd become a liability.
Azula reaches the pit and jumps propelling herself to the first platform with a burst of flame landing and running towards the edge jumping, again and again. She hears a single explosion behind her as she reaches the midway point.
"You golden-eyed bitch, why can't I feel my arm!" she hears, closer now as she looks over her shoulder to smirk at him before turning and jumping again reaching the other side, her brother's brother a little in front of her.
"Todoroki" she calls out and he looks to the side as she passes him as they come to a skull on a sign indicating a minefield. She doesn't break her stride dancing effortlessly between the easily seen traps she can hear Bakugo and Todoroki fighting behind her as she reaches the midpoint of the field a few small explosions behind her..
As Azula nears the edge of the field she hears a massive explosion, followed by second and third places screams followed by another explosion Izuku rolls as he hits the ground beside her taking off in a sprint Azula smirks, impressed by the unassuming boy as she passes him again through the final corridor winning first place.
"Azula takes first place, And after an amazing turn Izuku Midoriya claims second!" she hears him fall to the ground but she ignores him looking to the jumbotron eyes quickly finding Mina running through the minefield. She turns back to the gate seeing Bakugo beelining for her swinging she grabs his arm throwing him over her shoulder and planting her knee on his chest.
"Try and burn me and I'll send it back at you." she threatens, seeing so much contempt when she looks into his eyes.
"You're not used to being truly outclassed, trust me I know what that's like but it will consume you. Now I'm going to release you and if you try to attack me I'll make it so you don't lift your arms until long after this festival is finished understand?" he nods and she lets go standing.
"Azula!" she hears turning in time to catch Mina, hearing Bakugo stand and stomp off.
"You won!"
"I said I would." Azula returns. "And you did well." She congratulates.
"Only due to your training."
"I'm sure you would have made it.
The first stage of the first-year games is over." Midnight announces as their names and numbers play across the screen Azula first followed by Izuku and then Todoroki and Mina coming in 14th.
"The First forty two will be moving on to the next game and the next game will be.." she trails off gesturing as games start to scroll finally ending on a calvary battle.
"A calvary battle, you will form teams of four over the next ten minutes and then you will compete trying to steal bandannas representing a point value based on your positions and now for your points." The screen starts on 42 scrolling up, the point value growing until it ends on Azula, who is worth ten million all eyes turning to her to which she only grins.
"Being on top isn't always easy young lady, remember that." midnight calls out as Azula looks to her side at Mina.
"Will you be on my team?"
"Of course, you don't even need to ask."
"Ok, great, now we need speed you go try to recruit Iida and I will head for…" Azula starts before being cut off.
"Let me join you!" Mei yells coming to a stop in front of Azula who raises an eyebrow.
"And what do you have to offer us?"
"You need speed and maneuverability and my hover boots and jetpack will provide it." She says showing Azula her boots.
"And you stand by these?" she says taking one and measuring it against her foot, a plan forming in her mind.
"Of course, I do Ten million." she agrees.
"Then lets go to Mina and hope she has succeeded," she says tucking the boot under her arm and heading to find Mina who is dragging Tenya to meet them.
"He's in."
"Thank you for this opportunity," he says with a bow.
"Ok, Here is the plan Mina and Hatsume will be in the back with the hoverboots, and Iida will be in the front with his Quirk and Hatsume's jet pack."
"How do you know my name," Mei asks only to be ignored.
"And you will be using your flames to keep enemies at bay, so it would seem Todoroki will be our greatest threat."
"Not much of one, our goal is to prove that we are the best here, the world is watching and we won't disappoint." The group discusses their plan for a while longer and mei explains how her babies work as the stage is removed the groups spread out. The bell rings and everyone begins rushing about, the teams nearest to them rushing towards them Azula swinging her arms surrounding them in walls of flames.
"Let's go!" Mina exclaims as Iida launches them over the wall landing in front of another group Azula smacking away an arm reaching for her bandana grabbing theirs and pushing them away.
"Take us to the next one," she orders and he uses his engines to move past the pile of bodies towards the next group when an explosion flies towards them Azula sending a massive pillar of flame to meet it the two flames killing each other and the concussive energy leaving a crater in the ground.
"This is going to be a problem." Iida murmurs.
"Not a problem, an opportunity," Azula says with a grin,
"Foreward shitty hair, we meet the bitch head on!" Bakugo snarls.
"You heard him Iida, head on." Iida's engines start up and he carries the group forward, Azula sending out flaming bolts watching them hit Kirishima's hardened skin watching them wash over him,
"Hah, shitty hairs fireproof."
"Are you absolutely certain I've seen the heat you're explosions create, nothing near true nitroglycerin whereas I can easily create temperatures of 3000 degrees" she sees Kirishima's eyes widen.
"I'll show you heat!?" Bakugo yells sending out an explosion far larger and hitter than the last iIda Launching them over the blast, Azula raining blue flames down on them, bringing them in quirk Bakugo using an explosion to propel his punch Azula smacking it up bringing her flaming fist into his stomach watching his eyes widen as she grabs his bandana from around his neck,
"IIda" she says and he nods
"Got it."
"Thank you Bakugo," Mina calls as they rocket into the air Iida propelling them forward Bakugo sends another explosion up after them Azula changing the direction of the blast enough to make it miss.
Azula hears a familiar noise, looking to her left to see Todoroki's Team flying towards them, a grinning blonde propelling them towards her using Bakugos quirk Shoto sends out his arm sending a massive blast of ice, Azula meeting it with a blast of fire moving her hands behind them launching them forward and smacking Shoto's hand away sending a massive blast off to the side arm shooting out for his numbers Shoto's eyes widen and his other hand comes up, flame forming and with a grin, Azula prepares to finally see what Todoroki can do when the alarm Blairs.
"And with that, the second round comes to an end!" Shoto lets his fire die and he forms an ice slide sending his team safely to the ground, Azula's team lands and Azula checks the bandana finding the ten million still on her forehead,
"We win." Mina cheers jumping onto Azula's back the two tumbling to the ground.
"Of course we did." Azula agrees feeling Mina being pulled off of her with a yelp.
"Ok kiss later, gimme my baby," Mei says already removing her boot.
"Your inventions are amazing Hatsume, and your plan worked perfectly Azula," Iida says as he holds out his hand to help her to her feet, which she ignores it standing by herself.
"All contestants come to the podium." Midnight's voice echoes and Azula looks towards the newly constructed stage turning and walking towards it, abandoning Mina to Mei.
The rest of the students start to arrive, Mina eventually walking over still missing a shoe.
"Ok, and now for the scores." she gestures to the screen Azula's team coming first by over nine million. Followed by Izuku's team in second.
"The third and final round of today's sports festival will be one on one battles amongst the students on the board, but for now we will be taking an hour-long break so take the chance to eat and prepare for the final act of today's festival.
"Lunch?" Mina asks.
"After you," Azula says letting Mina lead her along with their classmates, Getting plates from lunch rush and a group of them sitting together.
"I think Bakugo hates you," Ururaka says sitting down with them.
"Nah, Bakugo's just grumpy." Mina defends her sort of friend.
"He needs to be humbled, Or he will end up destroying himself." Azula says starting to eat her extra spicy food.
"Oh wow, thats making my eyes water from here." ururaka says with a chuckle.
"Azula loves spicy foods, I saw her eat a handful of ghost peppers once."
"I keep them to dry out." she adds before taking another bite of her food.
"Dry out and season with more spices. I ate one once and my mouth still burns sometimes." she says taking a long drink.
"Your mouth burns because I eat those peppers often Mina." She says and Ururaka snorts.
"Is that why? And you never told me?! I've been suffering for so long!" Azula smirks.
"Am I not worth a little burning?" she asks mock indignant.
"No no youre totaly worth it!" Mina says standing waving her arms, the conversion at the table dying down for a moment, minas cheeks going purple as she sits down Ururaka laughing.
"You're mean." She whines.
"Sometimes." Azula agrees.
"Get those foam fingers in the air! It's almost time for the last round! But before that: Good news for everyone who didn't make it to the finals. Since this is a sports festival, we've prepared some super-fun side games everyone can participate in we even brought in cheerleaders from America to get your blood pumping!" he says and cheerleaders start their routine.
"After the side games the last sixteen members of the top four teams will be duking it out in a one on one style fighting competition!"
"Im so pumped, I watch these finals every year, and now im actually in them," Kirishima says excited.
"Wait is it always a tournament?: Mina asks.
"The final rounds always one on one battles, last year it was a foam sword fighting match," Sero explains
"Can anyone in our year even use a sword?" Mina asks looking at the group of students.
"Zuko can, but he wasn't allowed to be here." Azula adds in.
"Yea, watching you two fight for first would have been amazing."
"I'll be sinning today," Shoto says from behind them as Midnight calls them
"Come closer and draw lots to se who youre up against, and then enjoy the recreational games before we start, the sixteen finalists have the option to participate in the activities or sit out to prepare for battle. Im sure you all want to conserve youre stamina. Now I'll start with the first place team." She walkls over holding the bos out to azula when ojiro raises his hand.
"Excuse me, but I'm withdrawing," he says to gasps.
"Ojiro no way."
"But this is a rare chance to get scouted."
"It just wouldn't be right, I barely remember anything from the calvary battle Until the very end if it."
"I.. I think it was that guy's quirk," he says and Azula looks to Shinso.
"I know this is a great opportunity and i wish I could take advantage of it but my conscious won't let me." Midoriya tries to convince him but he stays steadfast.
"Nirengeki Shoda from class 1B I think should withdraw for the exact same reason, Regardless of how strong I am this isn't how I wanted to get here. It would go against the values of the festival to advance without earning my spot." Kirishima starts crying at their words.
"This sort of talk is incredibly naive, my boys. That turns me on, Shoji! Ojiro! You're withdrawn." The entire student body stairs on in confusion.
"Now lets see, well have to move up two students from the fifth place calvary team so we have enough contestants."
"We where frozen most of the time. Honestly, we barely did anything in the calvary battle. Isn't that right?" Kendo asks her team who agrees.
"You should choose from the group that kept fighting the whole time. Team Tetsutetsu."
"Kendo." Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu exclaims.
"I'm not doing this as a favor, its just fair."
"Seriously you guys! Thank you!"
They pick out their contestants joining the finalists at the front.
"Take a look at the brackets my dears, these are your opponents." the brackets go up and the group splits apart, mina joining the games and Azula heading to find a quiet room to meditate until the Battles are to begin.
The time passes quickly and she finds herself standing across from Mina turning her back and taking a traditional Agni Kai bow, giving mina the respect it affords.
"And Begin." she turns seeing Mina charge her throwing a wave of acid towards her face, Azula pulling her jacket off and using it to knock it out of the air charging mina sending a few flaming jabs in her direction watching as she stumbles back Azula sending a wave across the ground rushing into her, slamming her shoulder into her chest sending her tumbling out of the ring.
"Azula wins the first round!"
"Ah damn, Goode job Zula!" she cheers. Azula pulls her to her feet the two headed through the ring and u to the bleachers.
"Good job guys." Toru congratulates them as the next contestants enter the arena.
"Hey Azula, why did you bow?." Mina asks.
"It.. Was an old tradition, don't think too much on it."
"Alright, lets watch Yayoruzus match. Who do you think will win."
"Yayoruzu is Very smart, she should win unlesTokoyami surprises us." Azula says back as the bell rings, Dark shadow emerges rushing forward but momo forms a flash grenade from each palm closing her eyes and throwing them shrinking him forming a bo staff and another flash grenade charging Tokoyami and closing her eyes after she throws it swinging the bo into his chest knocking the wind out of him before sweeping his feet out from under him. He kicks out at her knee, blind and on the ground, Momo steps back out of the way and drops her bo staff.
"Im sorry for this." she says before lunging for him and pressing her palm against his face, Tokoyami's eyes widdening before he passes out.
"And Yayorozu wins!" Mic exclaims,
the rest of the preliminary rounds pass by Azula finding herself amused by Mei hatsumes antics.
The second rounds begin and Azula finds herself standing across from Momo for the second round.
"And start!" Mic exclaims as a buzzer sounds Yaomomo Creates half a dozen small orbs sending them flying toward Azula who dodges three of them moving into the path of the fourth sending out a flame, the orb explodes coating Azula in a thick foamlike substance. She goes to bend at momo, finding her fire unable to pass through the foam, dying in her palm.
"I'm impressed by you," Azula says as she spits out a mouthful of the foam, ducking under Momos bo staff bringing her fist up into her stomach and knocking the breath out of him, momo conjures another foam bomb coating them both, Azula wipes at her eyes moving back throwing her hands out throwing some of the foam off launching blue flame at momo meeting another foam bomb snuffing it out.
"How many of these can you make Yayoruzu? And even if you can you get me out of the ring?" Momo freezes up for a moment and its more than enough enough, Azula takes her moment of weakness clearing her palm and sending a burst of red fire into Momo's stomach launching her from the ring and burning her skin the crowd cheering.
"And Azula wins, your students are something else Eraserhead."
"All of my students are on the track to be pro heroes." Aizawa gives the answer as if he was reading from a script.
"You say that every year," MIc complains. Azula walks out, robots rushing out to collect Momo. Azula leaves the arena heading for the locker room taking a quick shower to get the foam off and changing into a new U.A athletics suit, leaving the locker room and walking to the bleachers in time to watch the next few rounds with Mina, the only one of note Todoroki vs Deku where Azula sees the true extent of Todorokis flames.
She walks into the arena, standing across from Ibara, having watched the way she uses her vines in the previous two battles.
"Let us fight fairly," Ibara suggests Azula doesn't respond.
"Two powerhouses face-off, creation vs destruction," Mic announces.
"Fire is not destruction!" Azula snaps up at the spectator's box, the sound of someone falling echoing over the mic.
"Sorry." he yelps and the sound of him sitting back down begins.
"Alright, lets get this started, Begin." the buzzer sounds and Azula sends out a massive blast of blue flames engulfing Ibara's vines, she scream as it starts to travel up, detaching her vines violently from her scalp, her head engulfing in flames for a brief moment before Azula's eyes widen as she Snuffs out the flames, staring at Ibara curled up on the ground.
"Azula wins." Azula stairs on as Iibara is removed, "I..I didn't mean to.." she stutters out watching as Ibara is wheeled away before rushing off of the stage and towards the backrooms finding an empty room and collapsing against one of the walls taking deep breaths.
A knock sounds at the door, and Azula has no idea how long it's been.
"Zula? You in their." Mina's voice calls through the door.
"I didn't mean to hurt her, I'm not like him anymore," she says in a weak voice, as much to herself as to Mina.
"I'm coming in," she says melting the doorknob off and pushing the door in rushing over to crouch in front of Azula.
"Can I touch you?" she asks and Azula nods, mina wraps her arms around her pulling her close.
"I didn't mean to burn her like that." She tells mina.
"I know you didn't Zula, you pulled your punches with me and Momo, you're not the kind of person to hurt people like that," she says and Azula pulls away looking ashamed.
"I was once a long time ago, and I'm afraid I will be again," she admits.
"You're wrong, You're so kind Zula." She hopes she believes her as she says it.
"Azula to the Arena, you have five minutes before you're disqualified." Mics voice calls out.
"Can you go and resign for me, I don't think I have it in me anymore," she asks mina who nods.
"Will you be ok on your own?" Mina asks worriedly.
"I always am," she says giving mina a fake smile while mina stands.
"Ill be right back ok?" she says and Azula nods, Mina going to tell midnight of Azula's decision coming back to an empty room
(Authors note:Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, you always make my day.)