A Fool's Bonds
Chapter 23
-Izuku-
"What now?" Izuku frowned as he looked at his friends, the top forty-two competitors from the first event being given ten minutes to make their teams for the second round. But with a cap of no more than four people per team then their plan of all five being in the same group was shot before it even had a chance to get off the ground.
"We'll just have to split up." Mina grumbled, "Three and two. I'll take Eijiro and we'll try to find some other people to work with."
"I guess you and Eijiro do have the best teamwork of all of us." Izuku admitted, the duo had known each other the longest "But," he grinned "there's no rule saying teams can't help each other."
"See boss, that's why we keep you around." Kyoka grinned, throwing an arm around his shoulder, "You've got the ideas. Well, that and someone here thinks you've got a cute butt."
"Kyoka!" Momo gaped, her face flushed red and scandalized.
"Oh, was I not supposed to comment on how Mina stares?" Kyoka gave an exaggerated mock gasp as Izuku snorted, not noticing Momo's sigh of relief "My bad, sorry Mina. I guess your desire for a torrid and scandalous romance with the Boss is out there for everybody now." Kyoka's tone was so exaggerated that even Eijiro picked up on the joke easily.
"Alright, Mina and I will go find whoever else we're gonna work with." Eijiro rolled his eyes as the sturdy redhead chuckled, "You three start working on your plan or something."
"Oh, trust me." Izuku had a wide grin as he glanced over at the girls he was teaming up with "I have some ideas in mind."
"So be prepared to take advantage of people gaping, got it." Eijiro didn't even bat an eye "Come on Mina, let's grab at least one other person." Watching the two head out, Izuku had Momo and Kyoka huddle up as they began to discuss a plan.
-Tomura-
"Thank you Giran, your payment will be sent once the services have been rendered." Kurogiri spoke calmly into the phone before ending it and tossing the cell back over to Tomura.
"He find someone then?" Tomura grunted, popping open a new soda while being careful not to dust the can.
"He has some candidates in mind for your request and is just narrowing down the selection before personally vetting them." Kurogiri shook his head, "He said, bar nothing unexpected occurring to slow him down, he should have who you need within the next two days."
"I can wait that long." Tomura grumbled, not exactly happy about it but knowing he couldn't do what he was aiming for even if had his new hire right away.
"And just what are you planning dear Tomura?" Sensei asked, the man's voice curious and the question framed as a polite request, but he knew full well that it demanded an answer.
"Taking one of your lessons to heart master." Tomura felt his dry lips crack further as his face split into a wide grin "That one must gain knowledge to better defeat one's enemies."
"Oho!" All for One actually laughed, sounding surprised yet pleased "I am glad to see you taking to your lessons. Very well, I won't spoil the surprise. Do let me know how it goes though."
"Of course, Master." Tomura nodded, raising his soda up in a toast to the man who had trained him to hate, to kill, and survive. Glancing back at the television, he tilted his head "Oh? They're sticking to just three?" on the screen he could see that green haired one, Midoriya, standing next to a busty black-haired girl as the two held up a purple haired first year on their shoulders. Next to them was another trio, this one being a red head, a fully pink girl, and another purplette who looked like Eraser Head's secret love child through eye bags alone.
-Izuku-
Standing beside Eijiro's team, and recognizing the purple haired gen ed student from the entrance exam after a moment, Izuku shook his hands. The timer was ticking down as the assembled teams got ready to start the event. As he saw the timer ticking down mockingly slowly, the rules for the event flashed through his mind.
Teams must consist of at least two people and be no more than four.
Only one person per team was permitted to wear the headbands.
If the rider touched the ground, then their team was disqualified.
You cannot deliberately make an enemy rider hit the ground.
And Quirks could not be used until the signal was given to start.
All in all, it made it hazardous to go on the offensive and even if you stayed on defense, you'd still have to fight back. One slip up and you could knock the opposing rider to the ground and if the refs decided it looked intentional then you were out. Probably meant to resemble how a Hero had to be careful to gauge how much force to use when dealing with a villain.
Hearing the timer's tone change, he looked up.
3
Izuku stopped shaking his hands, tensing as he saw Momo preparing out of the corner of his eye.
2
On the other side of the Cavalry battlefield, he could hear someone from 1B shouting out some sort of rallying cry about 'proving their superiority'.
1
Izuku let out the breath he'd been holding, letting thoughts of Momo fill his mind.
GO!
Cerulean flames exploded around him as Izuku's voice roared out "Number Three, Empress! IZANAGI!" he felt the silk robes of this form billow around him, easy confidence oozing from his being as his arm moved.
The heavenly spear in his hand, Amenonuhoko, dipped into the concrete, stirring the stone like it was water. The stone rippled as he revealed the true strength that he'd gained through the Empress bond. While Momo could create anything she understood, his creation was over land, terraforming. Much how Izanagi was said to have raised the islands from the sea using this spear, Izuku used it to expand the field, raising the section his and Eijiro's teams stood on as mountains. They stood tall, the peaks of what he had created sticking out above even the highest seats in the stadium, sheer stone cliffs gave no purchase for the other competitors to try and climb up to them, and he doubted many had the gift of flight.
But, just in case any of them did.
"Number Eight, Strength!" Izuku's calm voice, one oozing easy confidence became a prideful roar "Thor!" the massive form let him easily have Momo and Kyoka each sit on a shoulder with room to spare.
"That means come get some!" Mina shouted down to the other competitors who had been stunned into silence, although whether those down there could even hear he wasn't sure.
"HOLY #$ ! NIBBLETS!" Present Mic's shout was the first thing to break the silence, some sort of quirk apparently 'bleeping' out the man's shocked profanity given the live broadcast, "Since when could Midoriya do that?!"
"Technically since the first week of Hero class, why?" Aizawa's voice was also broadcast and Izuku could hear the smug smirk in his mentor's tone at getting one over on the loud blond man.
"Why does no one tell me these things?!" Present Mic whined even as the audience began to cheer for the unexpected spectacle he was showing, his quirk's versatility meaning that he doubted any of them had expected this after seeing what he'd done before.
"Not our fault you don't pay attention." The smug cat expression was audible.
"That's cold Eraser Head!" as was the despairing cockatoo face.
"Daaaaaaamn girl." Kyoka grinned as she looked out from the view that they had atop the artificial mountain, "And I thought the muscles I gave Boss were impressive. This is on a whole 'nother fucking level."
"Each of Izuku's forms is a quirk unto itself." Momo shook her head, "Let alone that some give him the power of gods."
"Don't sell yourself short miss goddess of creation." Izuku laughed, slapping a hand to his stomach. Whenever he was Thor, he felt either a berserker's rage or the exuberance of being high on life, "You all have amazing quirks of your own after all!"
"Love you too Boss." Kyoka laughed as she slipped on the support gear that Momo had made for her. Momo's incredible mind when paired with a quirk that let her create anything she understood made her the best partner any Hero could ever hope to have. The ability to create any support gear so long as she understood the schematics was a Godsend in the field.
"Not much for us to do though." Eijiro frowned as Izuku stood stone still, focusing on his breathing and conserving as much energy as possible while still being ready.
"There is still one more event after this one." Izuku pointed out, carefully keeping track of his energy levels and keeping in mind how long the break would be between rounds two and three "And that will be one on one fights. We will need all the energy we can there so it is best to use as little as we safely can now."
"I guess." Eijiro grumbled before grinning "At least I know you guys are gonna give me one hell of a fight once we get to round three!"
"Just try not to get too upset when we toss your ass out of the ring." Kyoka smirked, Izuku and Momo laughing as they traded quips with Mina and Eijiro.
So caught up in the exuberance of having essentially thwarted the second task, plus the 'high on life' cheer from his Thor form, Izuku never noticed the growing scowl and glare on the face of Eijiro's third teammate.