BEN 10 DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. MY HERO ACADEMIA DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. GUYS, I FIGURED IT OUT! NO, I'M NOT TELLING YOU WHAT I FIGURED OUT, ONLY THAT I FIGURED IT OUT. ENJOY DEALING WITH NOT KNOWING, I'M OFF TO ADD THIS TO MY VILLAIN APPLICATION RESUME.

Wow. First off all, I really want to thank you for the massive uptick in favorites, follows and positive reviews over the last few weeks. It really makes me feel good to know that you guys like my writing. Honestly, I'm just glad that I'm able to send this stuff to you. It's pretty hard to get internet up here on the moon. Not because of distance, but because the aliens I'm rooming with are really reluctant to give up their wi-fi password, and they change it all the time.

Also, here are some time-skips, because I'm not covering every single day leading up to the Sports Festival.

My Alien Academia

Chapter 8

Try, Try Again

Class 1-A was still a little subdued as they entered the classroom; for many, a small part of their experience at school would be forever tainted by what happened at the USJ. However, for Midoriya and his friends, things were a little easier; they had talked it over, both in person and over the phone, and while they were far from completely recovered, they walked into school with their heads held high.

"Do you think we'll get a substitute for Homeroom?" Sero asked as he and the rest of his friends sat down.

"Probably, ribbit." Other than a slight shift of her eyebrows, Asui's expression hardly changed. "Aizawa-sensei was in bad shape when Mineta and I got him out of there."

The doors slid open, and a familiar, if bandaged, figure walked in. "Everyone, take your seats. I'm too tired to deal with your nonsense."

Everyone was too surprised to see Aizawa to do more than numbly sit down. The man had bandages on both arms, while his right was in a sling; only his face was exposed, which allowed an unobstructed view of his expression. The poor man looked even more tired than they had ever seen.

"Aizawa-sensei," Asui croaked, "it's good to see you, but are you sure you should be up, ribbit?"

Aizawa shrugged as he sat behind his desk. "The old lady just wants me to take it easy. It's not like I'm going on patrol until I'm fully recovered." He paused, as if realizing something. "There's a lesson for you—Heroes need to be at the top of their game, and they can't do that if they're hurt. If you're recovering from anything but the most minor of injuries, don't go out in the field again until a doctor says you can."

"Yes, Aizawa-sensei!" the class said dutifully.

"Anyway, I have an important announcement." Aizawa stretched out his neck before continuing. "The UA Sports Festival is coming up soon, and you all will want to be ready."

The students immediately began chatting amongst themselves excitedly. The Sports Festival was one of the biggest events of the year, with the entire country watching. Pro Heroes often used it as a way to scout for new talent; many a successful Hero got their start as a Sidekick because they made a good showing at the Sports Festival.

"As you all know, you'll all have exactly three chances at doing well in the Sports Festival during your time at UA," Aizawa continued, after a withering glare made the students quiet down. "However, the sooner you do well, the better your futures will be, so I suggest you start strong. Until the Sports Festival begins, every other day will include physical training, Quirk training, tactics, and so on. This is on top of your regular classes, so look at this as a good indicator of how well you're doing as a student. If you can't handle schoolwork and increased training, you might want to reconsider being Heroes." He coughed into his less-injured hand. "Also, you're encouraged to train out of class, provided it's of the non-Quirk variety; study groups will help with that."

Midoriya and his friends shared a conspiratorial smile; in that regard, they were ahead of the game.

"Anyway, that's what I wanted to say." Aizawa promptly leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. "If you've got homework you haven't finished, do it now; you've got the rest of this class."

As Midoriya and his friends shifted their desks to move closer, Ashido brought out her half-finished math homework.

"Midori, you said you'd help me with this," she whined. "You want me to be in the Sports Festival, right?"

Midoriya rolled his eyes, especially when he saw the answers Ashido had already written down. "I expect you to be in the final event, actually. Yaomomo, can you help me help her?"

Yaoyorozu gave them both a brilliant smile. "Of course!"

They all ended up helping each other—except for Yaoyorozu, who had finished all of her work early, and helped answer any questions the others had. Between her, Midoriya and Iida, everyone had their homework done and double-checked with time to spare.

"What do you think this year's Sports Festival will be like, ribbit?" Asui tapped her chin as she thought about it. "Do you think the structure will be the same?"

"I don't see why it wouldn't," Midoriya said. "It hasn't changed in years—a free-for-all, a team event, and then the bracketed fights. The only thing that changes is the specific events for the first two."

"That's not much to train for," Uraraka said nervously. "The only thing we can be sure about is combat at the end."

"That must be why they will be training us so thoroughly," Iida said with a nod. "How responsible of such a fine institution, to give us the best chance possible!"

Midoriya nodded, but then jumped when someone coughed behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see Aizawa staring at him. "Ah! Aizawa-sensei! Is something wrong?"

"No, I just forgot to tell you something, Midoriya." Aizawa actually looked like he regretted what he was about to say. "Since you got the top score at the entrance exam, that makes you the Freshman Representative. You'll have to give a short speech before the Sports Festival officially starts."

Midoriya didn't even notice that Aizawa left; he was consumed by sudden and overwhelming panic at the thought of speaking in front of thousands of people in a stadium, and then millions of others who would be watching on television andthewallswereclosinginpleasehelp

"Deku-kun!" Midoriya snapped out of it when Uraraka started shaking him. "Deku-kun, can you hear me? You were trembling and sweating, and you looked like you were about to run for your life."

Midoriya took several deep breaths; he was still shaking when Yaoyorozu gently turned him to face her.

"Midoriya, were you having a panic attack?" she asked.

"I, uh…" Midoriya lowered his eyes to his desk in shame and nodded. "I've never had to speak in front of so many people before. When I thought about it…"

Yaoyorozu nodded. "I understand. If I may offer a suggestion—"

Before she could continue, there was a commotion from outside the door. Bakugo scowled at the noise, stomped over and slammed the door open.

"What the hell do you extras want? Here to grovel at the feet of the Hero Course?"

There was a small crowd outside the classroom; Midoriya vaguely recognized some of the faces, but didn't know any of the names. He was reasonably sure that none of them were from Class 1-B, the other first-year Hero Course.

"Well, that sure doesn't leave a good impression," one boy at the front, with wild, purple hair and tired eyes, smirked. "Are all Hero Course students so arrogant, or is it just you?"

Bakugo snarled, but Kirishima dragged him back. "Sorry about that, man; seriously, I'm pretty sure it's just him. Anyway, uh, what's going on?"

The boy crossed his arms. "The word's out that this class fought real Villains last week, and we all wanted to get a look at our biggest competition for the Sports Festival."

Ashido leaned over to Midoriya. "What's he talking about?"

It took him a moment to figure it out. "Oh! Students from non-Hero courses who do well enough in the Sports Festival can earn a reevaluation and possible admittance into the Hero Course. It's not uncommon; people whose Quirks aren't suited for certain scenarios can get passed over at the entrance exams, but then go on to be successful Heroes after the Sports Festival."

Bakugo heard all of that, and sneered at the crowd. "So that's it, huh? You losers couldn't hack it the first time, so you think you can do better after we've actually practiced? Don't make me laugh!"

The purple-haired boy never lost his composure. "Just watch your backs; if you're not careful, your seats in the Hero Course could get taken by any one of us." Just as he was leaving, he looked over his shoulder. "Consider that a declaration of war."

Sero buried his head in his hands. "So this competition isn't just going to pit us against each other, we've got targets on our backs that the whole school will be gunning for? Great."

"As much as it pains me to admit, Bakugo actually raised a good point," Yaoyorozu said. "As Hero Course students, we have access to resources that allow us greater training. If we utilize those resources properly, we will have a significant advantage during the Festival. But we mustn't get complacent! The students from other courses who want to get into our class will be working harder than any of us can imagine!"

"You heard the Class President!" Iida rose to his feet and pumped his fist. "Let us show UA and the entire world exactly why we deserve to be here, and go beyond! Plus Ultra!"

The more enthusiastic students—which included everyone except Bakugo, Todoroki, and Tokoyami—all mirrored him.

"Plus Ultra!"

The first part of Class 1-A's accelerated training started with hand-to-hand combat. All Might himself supervised, giving pointers to various students, especially those who had no formal training before UA.

"Keep moving, young Midoriya!" All Might barked as the student was knocked onto his back by Ojiro. "If you remain in one place, all you're doing is giving your opponent time to get a good angle on you."

"Yes, All Might-sensei," Midoriya grunted, and accepted Ojiro's helping hand. Like the other students, they were wearing their gym clothes, and had been sparring in the familiar—to Midoriya, anyway—Gym Alpha.

"Would you like some more advice, Midoriya-san?" Ojiro asked politely. He had been Midoriya's opponent for the last few minutes, and had been wiping the floor with him. The point of the training was to increase every aspect of their abilities—in this case, that meant no Quirks, which was why Midoriya was getting beaten like an old rug, even with Ojiro not using his tail.

"I'll take anything at this point," Midoriya said as he rubbed his sore leg.

"I've noticed that you don't take the initiative." Ojiro stretched out his arms as he talked. "If you can't get out of that mindset, maybe you should focus on counters—using your opponent's weight and momentum against them, taking advantage of openings at the right time, that kind of thing. I don't mean to brag, but I've studied many martial arts, and I can help you." He glanced off to the side. "So would Yaomomo, I'll bet."

Midoriya followed his gaze to the neighboring ring and saw Yaoyorozu literally throw Sato over her shoulder when he charged at her. At first, he had trouble believing that she'd done that.

"Wait, no, she must have calculated his trajectory and estimated his weight, thus figuring out the best angle to throw him. If she did the math right, Sato-san would have done most of the work for her!"

"Um, Midoriya-san?" Midoriya looked up and saw Ojiro's concerned frown. "Sorry, but you were mumbling there."

Midoriya blushed. "Uh, sorry. It's a habit of mine. But, yes, I'll take any help you or Yaomomo can offer."

Across the room, Uraraka was having as much trouble with her own sparring partner. Kirishima was friendly, true, but he was strong, and Uraraka wasn't exactly a good fighter.

"Come on, Uraraka, hit me like you mean it!" Kirishima gave her a sharp-toothed grin. "If you don't put your all into a hit, your opponent is going to shrug it off, and then you'll be in trouble—like now!"

Uraraka yelped when Kirishima lifted her up as easily as if she'd used her Quirk on herself, and slammed her onto the mat. The air left her lungs, and she lay there, stunned.

"Oh, crap, are you okay?" Kirishima's face filled her vision, his smile gone. "Sorry, I didn't mean to hit you that hard."

"It's…" Uraraka took a deep breath and sat up. "It's okay, Kirishima-san; like you said, I didn't put anything into hitting you, so that's what I get, right?"

Kirishima grinned sheepishly as he helped her to her feet. "Yeah, I guess I knew what I was talking about, huh?"

"Can you, uh, show me how to really throw a punch?" Uraraka rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment, but Kirishima's grin became wider and more genuine.

"Sure thing! Asking for help to improve is manly as hell, Uraraka-san! I'll show you how to knock a Villain right on his ass!"

The entire class was throwing itself into its training. Even Bakugo was less verbally abrasive with his sparring partners, only shouting at them when they made obvious mistakes; it was constructive, in its own way, though he did reduce poor Koda to tears at one point.

When All Might told them all that he was proud of the progress they were making, they went home feeling vindicated—not just in their efforts, but in the decisions to be Heroes at all.

The next Heroics class wasn't training for the Sports Festival, but a do-over of their first Rescue Training. It was with some trepidation that Class 1-A returned to the USJ; Thirteen was there to greet them again, but instead of the Big Three, All Might joined them. Having him there did wonders for the students; after all, if Villains showed up again, the world's greatest Hero would be there from the get-go.

"Now, you're all going to be divided into groups of four," Thirteen said. "All Might and I will be watching from the observation room to provide instructions or answer questions; just use the communicators we provided you with outside."

All Might took over. "One thing you should know is that you'll be rescuing robots that will simulate real people in certain conditions—panic, injury, and so on. Since this is your first time doing this, this lesson is more to gauge how you react, and what you do. Further lessons will provide details on first aid, on-the-spot trauma counseling, that sort of thing. Good luck to you all!"

Midoriya was grouped with Tokoyami, Sero, and Asui; he shared a smile with his two friends, and shared a respectful nod with Tokoyami. He then pulled up his hood—his costume had been repaired by now—and was directed towards the Landslide Zone.

"See, this is what I was hoping for," Sero said with his usual grin. "Actually helping people who need it. I mean, yeah, fighting Villains can be part of the job, but I'd rather deal with something that doesn't involve hurting someone."

"Ribbit, I feel the same way," Asui said as she stretched by hopping instead of walking.

"I can't say the same," Tokoyami's Quirk, Dark Shadow, said as he emerged from his partner's chest. "I love a good fight!"

"As Heroes, we must sometimes work outside what we are comfortable with," Tokoyami said sagely. "However, the idea of protecting the innocent from the darkness is appealing."

Midoriya shrugged. "I kind of agree with you, Tokoyami-san. There are different ways to protect people—either saving their lives from disasters, or from Villains. Either way, it's our job to make sure that everyone is safe."

When they arrived at their test zone, they found a pile of boulders, and a humanoid robot half-buried under them.

"This is your first test," Thirteen said into their earpieces. "This civilian is trapped; you must free them, apply first aid, and then transport them to the evacuation area."

Midoriya looked around until he saw a gate with a sign saying 'Evacuation' not too far off. "Well, I guess we should get started. We need to get those rocks off the robot."

"We should probably treat it like a real person, ribbit," Asui said. "Or else we might not try as hard."

"Right." Midoriya took a deep breath, and then hurried over to the robot. "Don't worry, sir, we'll get you out of here as soon as we can! You're going to be fine!"

"Okay, so what's the plan?" Sero asked as he put on his helmet.

Midoriya looked at the pile of boulders. "We can't just push them off, they might roll on top of the civilian. Sero, Tokoyami-san, can you two secure as much of the pile as possible? Tsuyu, grab the civilian and get ready to pull as soon as I move the rocks directly on top of him."

Tokoyami and Sero nodded first; the former had Dark Shadow wrap his arms around one section of stones, while the latter secured more with a thick web of tape. Asui hopped over to the robot and gave it a reassuring smile—which was strange, considering how blank she usually kept her features—and wrapped her tongue around its torso. Midoriya activated the Ultimatrix and cycled through his aliens until he found the one he wanted.

"FOUR ARMS!" After cracking all of his knuckles, Four Arms braced himself against the boulders that were actually touching the robot. "Okay, everyone get ready; those rocks could come down any second. On three, okay? One, two, three!"

With a mighty heave, Four Arms shifted the boulders; the rest of the pile shuddered, but Sero and Tokoyami were prepared. Some of the smaller rocks started to fall, but Asui had already moved the robot to a safe distance.

"It's all coming down!" Sero shouted.

"Sero, get to Tsuyu and cover her!" Four Arms braced himself. "Tokoyami, we need to block those rocks!"

Tokoyami jumped to the side and behind Four Arms. "Understood! Dark Shadow!"

"I'm on it!" The sentient Quirk readied his claws, just as several boulders started rolling towards them.

Four Arms' punches shattered the larger rocks, while Dark Shadow swept aside the smaller ones. The landslide only lasted a few seconds, but it felt far longer; when it was over, even the stoic Tokoyami was a little rattled.

"So, was that your first rockslide too?" Midoriya asked when he turned back to normal.

Tokoyami nodded. "I can't say it was pleasant, but at least it was in as close to a controlled environment as possible."

"Hey, speak for yourself!" Dark Shadow didn't have a mouth, but he sounded pleased. "I got to punch a seismic event! How often do you get to say you did that?"

"He's not wrong," Midoriya admitted as they walked over to Sero, Asui, and the robot. "How's the civilian?"

"I've wrapped up his legs with my tape," Sero reported seriously. "According to him, both his legs might be broken. We need to get him to the evacuation zone quickly—my tape might be good for keeping his bones from moving around, but he'll lose circulation if we don't hurry."

Midoriya nodded. "Okay, Tokoyami-san, could Dark Shadow hold the civilian steady? Sero, Tsuyu and I will watch out for more rockslides."

Thankfully, the rest of the walk was without incident, and they delivered the robot safely. As soon as they walked through the gate, several more robots—dressed up as nurses—hurried over and took the 'victim' from them.

"Excellent work," Thirteen complimented. "You could have reacted faster at the very beginning, but you were still quick to treat this as a real emergency, and a real civilian. You utilized your Quirks well, and your teamwork was commendable. Well done; please take a moment to rest, and then head to the Shipwreck Zone."

Midoriya and Asui shared an uncomfortable look; that was where they had really fought Villains for the first time, and though they had emerged unscathed, it was far from a pleasant memory.

When they arrived at the next test, it was All Might who spoke in their ears. "Students! This time, the civilian is on a sinking ship. You have five minutes to rescue them; there is a small boat on the shore, but use your best judgment to succeed! Oh, and I should probably mention that this test is on an individual basis, and will be reset after each attempt. Your time starts as soon as you either step onto the small boat, or begin using your Quirk!"

"Is it just me, or does All Might not seem like he knows what he's doing sometimes, ribbit?"

Midoriya chuckled. "W-well, he did have those flashcards during the Battle Training. Maybe he's still new to being a teacher?"

Tokoyami stepped forward first, but he took one look at the boat they were supposed to use and shook his head. "Sensei, I am afraid that I have no experience in using a motorboat; I believe I could figure it out, given time, but in this case, that is time I do not have. I believe my best recourse would be to find another Hero whose Quirk or knowledge is better suited for this test."

"Not to worry, young Tokoyami! Admitting your weaknesses is no weakness at all! Many Heroes are unsuited for certain environments or conditions; you won't see Mount Lady trying to get people out of a cave-in, for example! You'll be docked points for not trying, of course, but you'll get some back for such a responsible decision."

Tokoyami bowed, and then stepped aside. Sero went next, and he actually knew how to start the boat's engine; he was able to get to the sinking ship, climb up and rescue the civilian—another robot—and get back with seconds to spare.

Asui and Midoriya had the easiest time of it. Asui just jumped into the water and swam over to the ship, then carried the civilian over the water with her tongue as she swam back. Midoriya turned into Water Hazard and did something similar; he had the robot wrap its arms around his neck as he became a living speedboat.

When it came to the Conflagration Zone, a cityscape that was almost completely on fire, it was Asui who bowed out. Her physiology was too easily dried out by the fire, and waited patiently outside for the others to rescue civilians from burning buildings. When it was Midoriya's turn, he surprised Tokoyami and Sero by turning into Heatblast.

"Hey, are you sure you want to just add more fire to the hellscape?" Sero asked.

Heatblast smiled sheepishly. "Actually, I can absorb fire and shoot it back in this form."

The two boys—and one sentient Quirk—watched as Heatblast calmly walked into a burning building. The fire flowed into his body, much like iron dust flowed to a magnet; when the flame died down, Heatblast walked back out with the civilian close behind him.

Sero and Tokoyami had less dramatic, but no less successful rescues. They were both able to pull their civilians through windows with little difficulty, though Dark Shadow looked a little miserable when he withdrew back inside Tokoyami.

"He is strengthened by darkness, and weakened by light," Tokoyami explained. "The fire does provide some shadows, but it is more detrimental than helpful."

After the Conflagration Zone, they went to the Downpour Zone. It was the opposite of the previous test in every way; the false city was bombarded by stinging rain, and it was difficult to see very far.

This time, Sero pulled out; he explained that his tape would become soaked and easily torn in this weather. However, while Midoriya rescued his civilian from a flooding car easily enough with Humungousaur, it was Asui and Tokoyami who stole the show.

Asui was almost completely unaffected by the rain, though she did complain that it was a little cold as she brought her civilian back. In the darkness, Dark Shadow thrived, growing twice as large as normal and easily ripping open the door to the flooding basement that housed the last civilian.

Though there were other test areas, the four of them were called back to the entrance after that. All Might was there, along with Uraraka—whose costume was now repaired—Sato, Shoji and Hagakure, handing out mugs of hot chocolate.

"The Downpour Zone is usually the last test of the day," All Might said as the cold students warmed themselves up. "Students don't like doing more when they're cold and wet."

Uraraka, who was drying herself off with a towel, nodded. "Yeah, it wasn't fun. Poor Hagakure got stuck, and we couldn't find her for a while."

"It was awful!" Hagakure wailed; she was bundled up with several towels, but was still shivering. "I mean, Shoji-san found me—thanks, by the way!—but I was stuck in the worst rain ever, and all I have are my gloves and boots!"

Midoriya blushed, and with his hood down, it was impossible to hide; so she really wasn't wearing any clothes. "M-maybe y-you could ask the S-Support D-Department to make you a costume that w-works with your Quirk?"

"I tried!" Hagakure sniffed, like she was about to cry. "Power Loader-sensei said that my Quirk was tricky, and they were still working on a costume that could turn invisible."

All Might reached out to pat her, but then pulled back; after all, since Hagakure was invisible, he couldn't be completely sure where he was patting her. "I'll put in a word with the Support Department and see if they can't put more focus on helping you, young Hagakure."

"Thanks, All Might-sensei! You're the best!"

All Might gave her his usual grin, and then turned to Midoriya's group. "You'll receive individual scores and feedback later, but I want you all to know now that you did admirably."

Sero shrugged. "Thanks, but Midoriya was the only one who was able to do every test, so I guess he got the highest score."

"Not necessarily," All Might corrected. "While it is true that young Midoriya's Quirk makes him incredibly versatile, that comes with its own weakness. You'll get a more in-depth explanation in your review, young Midoriya, but something I noticed was that you often hesitated for a few seconds before choosing your form. Your sheer number of options is a bit overwhelming, yes?"

"Th-that's right, All Might-sensei," Midoriya admitted. "I have a few forms that, uh, compete for certain situations—I need to work on making snap decisions."

All Might ruffled his hair. "Better to be aware of this now, than when it matters in a life-or-death situation."

Midoriya saw Ben in the corner of his eye; the hologram nodded. "He's right, buddy; when lives are on the line, you should have a 'favorites list' or something. If that doesn't work in the beginning, just slap the dial again and get the alien you need."

Midoriya nodded. "Got it."

When it came to Quirk combat, everyone wanted Midoriya as their sparring partner. All of his aliens meant that, if the other students needed to work on something in particular, he probably had a form that could help.

One of his first matches was against Kirishima, who had practically begged him to use Four Arms.

"Please, Midoriya?" The other boy was grinning almost maniacally. "I know a form like that would be really good for strengthening my Quirk, and I could use some experience fighting a guy with multiple limbs."

Midoriya sighed, and shot an exasperated look at Uraraka when she giggled. "Fine, but if I do this, I can't start off with my best punches. We need to see how much your Hardening can take; I don't want to hurt you by accident."

"You got it!" Kirishima flexed, and his entire body took on a craggy, rocky appearance—even his hair looked like it had been roughly carved from stone. "Bring it on, Midoriya!"

After transforming, Four Arms brought one fist down right on top of Kirishima's guard. The blow sent him skidding back a few inches, but he stood tall.

"Come on, I barely felt that!" Kirishima's grin grew even wider. "If I'm gonna get better, I need to push my Quirk past its limit!"

Four Arms grimaced, but then Ben appeared in front of him. "You heard the guy. Stop treating your classmates like glass; they want to be Heroes just as much as you do."

"All right, fine." Four Arms cocked back two of his fists, and Ben vanished. "I hope you're as tough as you think you are, Kirishima!"

Both fists smashed through Kirishima's guard and into his chest. To Four Arms' surprise, the blow wasn't enough to knock Kirishima out of his Hardening, though it did send him flying through the air and into a far wall. It took him a moment, but Kirishima pulled himself free; when he did, he looked ecstatic.

"That's what I'm talking about, Midoriya! But don't think I'll just let you keep on hitting me; I want to show you what I've got!"

Not everyone in the class was sparring at the same time. Jiro was sitting on a bench, drinking some water as she watched Four Arms and Kirishima go at it.

"You know, Midoriya never struck me as the meathead type," she commented.

Yaoyorozu shrugged; Jiro tried not to feel jealous of how graceful the other girl made such a simple gesture look.

"I don't think he is," Yaoyorozu said. "He may just be doing what Kirishima wants. Though Midoriya could stand to be a bit more aggressive, I suppose. With Kirishima, he has to be, or else he won't win; I think Kirishima knows this, which is why he's encouraging Midoriya so much."

Jiro just raised an eyebrow. "Or it has something to do with 'being manly' that he's always talking about."

"That could also be it," Yaoyorozu admitted.

"Changing topics a bit, I heard that some of our class is studying at your place?"

"Oh, yes—well, sort of. We haven't actually done any academic work yet, but we agreed that we should all get together and study when we had to. If we're not studying… I suppose we're just spending time together."

Jiro nodded. "Do you think I could get in on that? I'm having trouble with some of my homework, and I don't want to fall behind."

Yaoyorozu smiled. "Of course! I'm sure everyone would be happy to have you—look out!"

Before Jiro could think, Yaoyorozu tackled her to the side; an instant later, a Kirishima-shaped missile crashed into the spot Jiro had been sitting.

"Oh, man!" Four Arms turned back to normal as he jogged up to them. "I'm sorry! I didn't know you were there, and I was trying out a counter that Ojiro-san showed me, and—"

"It's all right, Midoriya," Yaoyorozu said as she helped Jiro to her feet. "We're fine."

"Yeah, don't worry about it." Jiro gave him a thumbs-up. "Hey, Kirishima, you okay?"

"I'm good," Kirishima said weakly as he got to his feet. "Just got my bell rung. Give me a minute, and I'll be good to go again."

Yaoyorozu coughed into her hand. "Perhaps you two could not destroy school property this time?"

The two boys looked at the shattered remains of the bench the girls had been sitting on and blushed.

During the weekend, Midoriya and his friends met up at the Yaoyorozu home again, this time to get their homework done. Waiting for them was not only Yaoyorozu herself, but also Jiro; they had all been informed that Jiro had been invited as well, and no one had a problem. The petite girl had admitted that she wasn't sure about hanging out all the time, but she had nothing against studying with her classmates.

Midoriya didn't mind, since group hangouts weren't for everyone; he still wasn't sure about it himself, beyond his immediate friends.

That reminded him of something he'd been putting off until now, actually. "Hey, Yaomomo?"

Yaoyorozu looked up from her review of Uraraka's chemistry homework. "Yes, Izuku?"

"What were you going to say before, about speaking in front of so many people?" The thought still made him start to spiral into a panic, but Uraraka grabbed his hand before he got too far.

"Oh, it's something simple that I found worked for me." Yaoyorozu produced a spare piece of paper from her arm and drew a large circle; just outside it, she drew a small dot. "The circle is all the people you're addressing, and the dot is you."

That didn't make Midoriya feel better, but Yaoyorozu wasn't done. She drew a much smaller circle on the side closest to the dot.

"This small circle represents the people you're focusing on. They don't have to be physically present, but I've found that it's much easier to say a speech to people you care about. It helps tune out everyone else."

Midoriya looked at the drawing and thought about it. Everyone would hear him, but who did he really want to address? To be honest, it really boiled down to those who had helped him so far—Ben, his mother, Nezu, the Big Three, and the friends around him now. Despite knowing most of the people on that list for barely two weeks now, he trusted them. They had stood up for him when they had barely known him, and they had faced very real dangers together. That formed a bond that he wouldn't easily give up.

"Thanks, Yaomomo," he said. "That… really helps."

Yaoyorozu smiled warmly. "I'm glad to hear it."

Midoriya started to pull his hand free from Uraraka's—though, for some reason, he was reluctant to—when his thumb accidentally brushed hers, which she'd kept free. Now under the effect of her Quirk, Midoriya started to float away.

"Ah! I'm sorry!" Uraraka blushed in embarrassment, but waited until Asui and Jiro secured the boy with tongue and earphone jacks, respectively, before releasing her Quirk. "Maybe I should start wearing gloves more often."

Ashido snickered. "If you're gonna keep holding Midori's hand, that might be a good idea."

Most of the group laughed, while Midoriya and Uraraka avoided eye-contact for the rest of the day.

The next week passed, and each day brought more and more anxiety for Class 1-A. It was bad for most of them, but UA's Rising Stars were able to keep themselves grounded, either by talking to each other at school, or messaging each other. On the night before the Sports Festival, they had one more chance for the latter.

Book: Is everyone ready?

Comet: I am!

Crayon: bring it on!

Glasses: I look forward to giving my all.

Tape: Man, I'm so excited!

Frog: Me too, ribbit.

All Might: I'm still really nervous.

Crayon: don't be, Midori! U r awesome, and I no u will do well!

All Might: Thanks. I think we all will.

Comet: I know! Let's make a promise.

All Might: ?

Glasses: ?

Tape: ?

Book: ?

Crayon: ?

Frog: ? Ribbit

Tape: DAMMIT

Comet: Let's all promise to meet up in the final round. Even if we have to face each other then, we'll still all be there together!

Crayon: aw, that's sweet, Ochako! U got a deal!

Book: I agree! None of us are allowed to not make it to the final event.

Tape: Is that an order from the Class President?

Book: Yes.

All Might: Seconded by the Vice President!

All Might: Actually, there's something I want to say now, in case we don't have time tomorrow.

All Might: It's kind of obvious, but I'm not very… social. You all are the first real friends I've ever had. I know we haven't known each other that long, but I'm sure that I wouldn't be able to do what I've done without you. So… thanks.

Comet: *sniff* Deku-kun, that's so sweet! You're totally welcome.

Book: I agree, and echo that sentiment. You are all my best friends.

Crayon: dang it, im gonna cry! Now I have 2 reasons to make it to the last round

Tape: ^

Glasses: ^

Frog: You're welcome, Izuku. I was hoping for a declaration of love for Ochako, but what you said was nice, ribbit.

Book: Tsu! You just ruined the moment.

Tape: Eh, we were getting a little too emotional anyway. Thanks for lightening the mood, Tsuyu.

Frog: Ribbit.

Tape: OH COME ON, THAT ONE WASN'T EVEN ATTACHED TO ANYTHING!

Crayon: um, Midori and Ochako haven't said anything. They ok?

Glasses: Going by past experience, I would say that Izuku is probably having a breakdown from Tsuyu's comment, and Ochako is floating through the air.

Frog: Tension broken, mission accomplished. Goodnight, everyone, and good luck tomorrow.

Frog: Ribbit.

Tape: Why? Just… you know what? I'm going to bed. Frogs are going to haunt my nightmares now, I just know it.

Public speaking sucks. That coping tactic Yaomomo suggested is something I used to do in high school. Thankfully, I didn't need to speak to groups larger than a classroom, but even that was terrifying. Poor Midoriya has to make a speech in front of an entire stadium.

Aside from that, this chapter was just a bunch of snippets of the time leading up to the Sports Festival. Don't expect chapters like this again, but I kind of wanted to hurry things up a bit. The Sports Festival itself will be broken up into several chapters, obviously; the last round in particular may take a few chapters, especially since I've got some interesting stuff planned out. Not just for the competition, but events outside of it.

As always, please consider buying my book, Alpha Sanction, by Josh Gottlieb. You can find it on Amazon as both an eBook and physical copy. Sales help me, and you all get something more to read!

Other ways you can help is by donating on P-atreon (link in my profile). Donating means just a little bit less stress for me, and if I get enough to live off it, expect me to write fan fiction all the freaking time. No, seriously, I'm probably going to be homeless at the rate I'm going, and I can't find a job.

Thanks to those who are trying to help me:

Serious Muffins: jafr86, SpaceEmperorSpar, Nimrod009, Anders Lyngbye, Krisjanis Jansons, Matthias Matanovic, ChaosSpartan575, Alexis Troy, John Collins, Calleo, Casey Pak, Red Bard, Ultimatrix10

Incredible Muffins: RaptorusMaximus, michaelb958, Crazyman844, Jaeger456, killroy225, Brian McGloughlin

Ultra Muffins: Adam Costello, Jeffrey Perigo, Matthew Bunting, RangersRoll

Next Chapter: The Sports Festival begins, and interested parties watch from the shadows…

Plus Muffin!