Chapter 17: What Do You Want from "WELCOME to the first tournament match of the UA first year Sports Festival!" Present Mic yelled as the crowd thundered around him.
Monoma walked up the stairs, his expression serious and sure as he came face to face with 18 and his cocky smile.
"This is going to be a good one, folks! It's the strategic head of the hero course, hot on the heels of class A for the entirety of the competition – Neito Monoma!"
The roar of approval greeted Monoma's ears.
He was the good guy. 18 may have had a similar Quirk to him, but he was the villain. Monoma would prove that he was more than this. He was not powerless – he would win this competition and show the world that the villains could never win!
"VERSES – someone we really should have been watching out for from the beginning. It's the class president of 1-A – Izuku Midoriya!"
Inevitably, the audience began to boo and hiss.
Yes, Monoma would be victorious – he'd take down the leader! But he had to be careful… 18 could have stolen any one of his classmates' abilities and could give that up to take Monoma's whenever he wanted.
"Are you READY?!" cried Present Mic. "Say it with me, folks!"
"THREE –"
Monoma shifted into a battle stance.
"TWO –"
18 drew his sword.
"ONE – BEGINNNN!"
They both charged immediately.
"And they're off –"
Monoma had thought through what Quirks he needed carefully, and his classmates were more than willing to help. But there was a secret that he was sure 18 didn't know of – there were some Quirks that Monoma simply couldn't copy.
"Midoriya is gaining fast and that sword of his looks pretty sharp!"
Shiozaki's vines took days of meditating in sunlight to grow – but Monoma only had five minutes with that Quirk. It was useless to him. Bondo's glue Quirk had a mutation around his face, where the glue would be released from holes around his eyes. Monoma didn't have that – so no glue Quirk.
In the end, Monoma had –
Kamakiri's blades.
Shoda's double hit.
Honenuki's softening.
"What will Monoma do?!"
As soon as 18 was close enough, Monoma slammed his foot onto the ground and let the concrete melt into a quicksand-like trap. But 18 must have seen the ripples approaching on the floor, because he dodged in an instant.
"So close! Looks like Monoma has a trick or two up his sleeve! Why? Let's give him a little introduction, shall we?!
"Neito Monoma, his Quirk – Copy! He can copy the Quirk of anyone he touches, but only for five minutes!"
18 still hadn't revealed what Quirk he had, so Monoma kept trying to trap him – force the secret out into the open.
"Monoma must have copied some of his classmates' powers that he believed were best suited for his fight against Midoriya," the other presenter, class A's Mr Aizawa, droned.
"But did he make the right decisions?!" Present Mic yelled dramatically.
Monoma wasn't nearly as powerful as Honenuki was with this Quirk. He could only send out one wave of softening at a time. He couldn't just control the entire battlefield. 18 must have realised this because he was dodging with great efficiency and quickly gaining ground.
"Midoriya's getting closer! Let's hope Monoma has something to protect against that sword!"
What did 18 have?! Maybe the gravity Quirk? That wouldn't make sense! He'd have to touch him anyway and by then he could just take Monoma's ability!
Could Monoma copy whatever 18 had on him? He didn't know all of class A's Quirks, no matter how hard he'd tried to study them when given the opportunity.
Perhaps it was the Quirk similar to Tetsutetsu – so 18 could protect himself against Kamakiri's blades – an obvious choice for Monoma. But he'd thought he'd take Todoroki's Quirk and defeat him in an instant!
No matter because he was now too close for comfort. From the time that class A had tried to escape, Monoma knew that Kamakiri's blades did not count as part of him, and 18 couldn't steal his Quirk by touching them.
"Midoriya dodges and –"
He dropped Honenuki's Quirk to use Kamakiri's, 18's blade crashing against his in mere moments.
"Monoma blocks it!"
The double hit Quirk that Monoma had in his figurative back pocket meant that if he were to attack, activating the power would make the force of that attack land again, even if Monoma had backed away from his opponent by this point. All he needed to do, was strike 18 with the strength of Kamakiri's Quirk, quickly deactivate it to use Shoda's, and slowly force the enemy backwards in the shock of it.
However, none of this mattered if he couldn't land a hit.
"Hey! Midoriya's pretty good with that thing! Monoma's playing on his terms! Can he still come out on top?!"
Rather than continuing to push Monoma's blade back with his own, 18 hit it aside and jabbed at Monoma's chest. He stumbled back as 18 struck again and again, never quite touching him, but was frighteningly close. Monoma kept trying to strike back, but 18 parried the blow away in an instant.
Monoma formed another blade on his other arm, trying to protect himself.
"Looks like Monoma's struggling here! But will Midoriya be able to hold up against two blades?!"
"Midoriya may not be an expert," said Mr Aizawa, "But he's far more familiar with this style of fighting than Monoma."
He hated it, but the grumpy teacher was absolutely right! Monoma should have borrowed Setsuna's Quirk – but he had been so worried about 18 touching his skin and stealing the ability!
Realising he was now far too close to the edge of the pitch for comfort, Monoma cried out and kicked 18 backwards. It bought him just enough time to switch to Shoda's Quirk, and before 18 could recover, he was hit again.
"Midoriya is hit backwards with an invisible force! That looks like Nirengeki Shoda's double hit Quirk to me!"
"Class B must have been keen to help Monoma defeat class A's president…"
Monoma switched to Honenuki's Quirk. The ground before him rippled and softened. He saw 18's foot sink into the edge of the liquid concrete – he finally had the upper hand – he'd –
There was an explosion with no warning to it – barely even a sound.
Monoma shielded his eyes from a plum of black-grey smoke or ash or something. This must have been the Quirk 18 took – was it Bakugo's?! There's no way he let him take it! Why didn't he use it earlier?!
"Huh?! What just happened?! I can't see a thing!"
Knowing he was in serious trouble here, Monoma took out the blades again, backing away from where he was sure 18 had been stuck to the ground as he waited for the cloud to disperse. And then –
He felt the air move around him, and the coolness of metal against his skin. 18 gripped Monoma's arm, and he felt the blades shrink away into nothingness in an instant.
The smoke faded quickly, leaving behind the view of Monoma struggling against 18's grip, his sword against his neck in an act that was surely purposefully ironic.
"You can't use your Quirks, give up!" 18 yelled in his ear.
Monoma let out a cry of frustration.
"Give up!"
"OK, FINE, I YIELD!"
"Monoma surrenders!" shouted Miss Midnight, "Midoriya wins!"
The crowd erupted into a confused frenzy – applauding yet clearly disappointed in the result.
"What was that, huh?!" Present Mic exclaimed as 18 took his sword away from Monoma. "Where'd the cloud come from?! Is that Midoriya's Quirk?!"
"You know it isn't his Quirk," Mr Aizawa sighed exasperatedly, "It was clearly a smoke bomb. Midoriya must have some in his utility belt."
"A smoke bomb?" Monoma gaped, running his hand across his neck, where the sword had been held.
"Then what's Midoriya's Quirk?!"
Monoma glared at 18 – this was where the villainous version of Monoma's own copy Quirk was revealed. He may have been defeated, but this wasn't over – the audience was against 18, and the rest of his class would still have to face some of the strongest members of class B yet! He wouldn't hold this winning streak for –
"Midoriya doesn't have a Quirk."
"…What?" Monoma found himself saying aloud, gaping at 18 as he slid his weapon back into his sheath, the fearsome expression on his face not wavering for a moment.
Monoma wasn't the only one who was shocked. The volume of the entire stadium dimmed dramatically as they realised this… this unreal truth.
Mr Aizawa continued, "Midoriya is Quirkless – but he is also an adept fighter. He is quick to pick up new skills, and his leadership in class 1-A is unquestioned. They're all trying so hard – working together – because he told them to. He doesn't need any power at all to be the most dangerous member of that class."
With a slight smile, 18 brushed the dust that the smoke bomb left behind off his shoulder. He turned away from Monoma and marched across the arena to his exit – holding his head high triumphantly.
Monoma could only stare as he walked away – the gold bands on his arms glinting in the sun – the red sheath of his sword crossing over the bold 18 on his back.
Shoto walked through the halls to his first match. He was smiling.
They'd cheered and clapped as Yaoyorozu faced Mina in the first match that did not carry such heavy stakes. Yaoyorozu won, of course, but the amount of progress Mina had made over these short weeks had been undeniable. It was hard to believe that she was put in class A for a dangerous, uncontrollable ability – one that she had now seemed to have all but mastered.
Since both girls were members of class A, the audience seemed to forget which side they were on, and for once, the match felt unbiased and well, entertaining. Midoriya's fight just felt… sad. Monoma looked so shocked, and the audience almost seemed sorry for Midoriya, despite him being the indisputable victor.
Shoto was also against someone from class A – Sero. He knew it wasn't going to be much of a fight, Sero's Quirk just wasn't a good match up against Shoto's own, but he'd give him a chance – at least a few moments to show off his capabilities.
He was in no rush – the arena had to be patched up from the puddles of acid Mina had left sizzling slowly on the concrete's surface. But… he needed some air – so he left the rest of his class a little early.
Midoriya was scared.
He had been sitting by Shoto whilst they watched the match, but Shoto could tell that his friend was trying to distract himself. After all, his charade of having a Quirk was finally up – and he was back to what he'd always been – Quirkless. Not that it mattered, but it clearly had a huge impact on Midoriya. Shoto could feel the stress radiating off him.
He would be up against Yaoyorozu next. If he won that, then the first requirement of the deal he'd struck with the Principal was fulfilled. But she was an incredibly tough opponent…
Nonetheless, no one could know the outcome until the moment arrived.
Shoto was almost at the entrance to the arena, and he, like Midoriya, had to brace himself not just for the fight, but for the thousands upon thousands of disapproving eyes that would be staring –
He stopped.
Thoughts of his classmates were banished to the wind as Shoto rested his gaze upon the towering figure at the end of this last corridor. Bright flames flickered across his face and shoulders, reflecting in his gaze – anything but warm.
It had been months – Shoto had known it was coming.
He looked right past Endeavor, eyes fixed on the wall just behind him as he marched forwards, pace picking up as he drew closer, heart beating faster. He was just about to slip past him when a vast hand gripped Shoto's arm in a vice-like hold.
"I don't know what game you're playing," his father's voice thundered. "But I don't like it one bit."
Good – was the word that never left his lips.
No – he owed nothing to this man – not his love nor loyalty – not even the hatred Shoto had kindled for so long. He deserved none of it.
Shoto tried to pull his arm away – Father only held tighter.
"You will win this festival," he ordered. "You will do so with both sides of your power – and if I see the slightest hesitation when faced with your classmates, you will –"
"If I win this festival it won't be for you," Shoto interrupted, not willing to subject himself to these poisonous words any longer. "If I choose to be a hero – it won't be for you."
Although he still refused to look at him, Shoto could feel Endeavor's gaze grow harsher.
"You can't hide from your legacy – your blood, your power."
"I'm not hiding from it," Shoto snapped.
There was a moment of silence, "UA has improved you – if only slightly."
"Let go of me."
"But it's clear it can do no more. Class 1-A is a bad influence on you – especially that Quirkless representative."
"Don't you dare say a word against him –"
"After the festival we'll see if we can have you transferred away from –"
Shoto snatched his arm away and glared up at his father, "YOU CAN'T TAKE ME AWAY FROM HERE – YOU PUT ME HERE!"
He crossed his arms, "Tell me where Dabi is hiding."
"IF I KNEW I WOULD BE THERE!"
"But that's exactly what you tried to do."
Shoto wavered, and Endeavor sneered, "I know about that little escape attempt class A tried to pull off – and I know you would have gone straight back to him. Tell me where he is, and I'll consider letting you stay."
"…I don't know where he is."
"Don't lie to –"
"I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE IS – HE SHOULD BE HERE – I SHOULDN'T BE HERE!"
There was a moment of silence. Shoto shuddered in anger, his voice already aching; his last words echoing in his ears.
"This is your last chance," his father warned. "Don't blow it."
"– some really freaky elbows! It's class 1-A's Hanta Sero!
"VERSES! Someone who's been part of a story that has GRIPPED the nation for the last two years – it's none other than the youngest son of our number two hero… Shoto Todoroki!"
Shoto heard none of this. His gaze hardened and cold, piercing into his opponent, who looked back at him with a nervous smile.
"– BEGIN!"
It did not end well for Sero.
The audience was silent. Even more than it had been at the revelation of Midoriya's Quirklessness.
"W-What the hell, man?" Sero stammered, frozen solid in a mass of ice so vast that it stretched out higher than the arena itself.
"I'm sorry," Shoto whispered to him as he began to melt him free, focusing on the itching fire that longed to break free inside of him. "I was… angry."
Tetsutetsu had just been defeated by this Shinso guy.
It wasn't hard to rile Honenuki's loud-mouthed classmate up. He had been brainwashed in moments – forced to walk out of the arena.
The audience had been excited to watch a match between two of the good guys, after the long wait Todoroki caused (the ice took a while to remove). But they quickly decided that Shinso… was not someone they wanted to side with.
It was Hatsume's and Toga's turn now. Present Mic may have started off hyping the crowd up for a support verses support battle, but it soon became clear that this was not the girls' intention. Five minutes into a prolonged advertisement of Himei industries, class B had clearly had enough.
"This is stupid," huffed Setsuna. "They're just running amok. All of class A are – and the students from the other courses are clearly on their side."
No one said a word for a little longer, until Tsuburaba finally spoke up, "We're going to get the blame for this, aren't we?"
Honenuki frowned at him, "How come?"
"Because the hero course is supposed to win!" he sighed, "And not only is it extremely unlikely that we'll make it past the first set of battles, but we're going to lose to… well, you know… 18."
A few eyes flickered towards Monoma, who hadn't really talked at all since his match against Midoriya.
Pony tapped Honenuki on his shoulder. She was American, and although her Japanese was getting an awful lot better, there were still some gaps in her vocabulary. Luckily enough, Honenuki was as proficient in English as she was in Japanese, so together, they could always get the message across. "What were they talking about with class A's president again?" she asked him in English. "The err… what's the word? I literally can't even repeat it err…"
"Quirkless?" Honenuki guessed.
"Yeah – yeah – so… he doesn't have a power or something?"
"Yeah, no power at all," he nodded, now speaking in Japanese again.
There was another moment of silence before Tsuburaba spoke up again.
"We're supposed to be the most powerful hero students in the country," he reminded them, "and we've lost to a Quirkless villain."
"Guys don't be so harsh about it," Honenuki retorted, a little shocked, honestly. "Midoriya's not someone to be taken lightly, with or without a Quirk."
"But that's not what the rest of the world will see, is it?"
"It's the truth, any one of us could struggle against Midoriya if he had the right strategy and support items, which is what happened today – it's not Monoma's fault that Midoriya was prepared," Honenuki said harshly. "And him being Quirkless gives Monoma a massive disadvantage – because he could cancel out his Quirk. They had to fight without powers and Monoma didn't have the capabilities to do that."
"Why not?" Monoma finally spoke up, not looking away from the advertisements the support course girls were performing down below. "Are you saying I'm as good as Quirkless?"
Honenuki hesitated, "Well, against Midoriya, kind of? Um, you know it's not a big deal, right? I mean look at Midoriya, he's not exactly weak –"
"Well, he is!" Monoma suddenly snapped, finally turning around in his chair to stare at them all, bearing an expression of mixed emotions. "He is weak, and I lost! What does that make me?!"
"You're not weak, Monoma," Kendo interjected, leaning forwards a little. "And I think Midoriya has proven that he –"
"He is weak!" he yelled. "Deny it all you want – but he doesn't have the strength that any of you, or his classmates, possess. He has nothing – he isn't strong – and I still can't win. Any of us could learn the skills that he's got! He doesn't have anything that is uniquely his; h-he has no quirks; no Quirk. Don't you… don't any of you get it? 18 represents the bare minimum – something that we are supposed to be far better than! If we can't beat him, there are going to be some people out there who question whether w-we are worth UA's time!"
There was another moment of silence.
"I think you're all looking at this the wrong way," said Honenuki. "Midoriya isn't trying to make everyone feel weak – he's showing that everyone can be strong. It's like the old… anyone can be a hero schtick."
"But he's not a hero," Monoma reminded him, only after the half-hearted applause had died down at the end of Hatsume's and Toga's marketing spree. Hatsume had just walked out of the ring and Midnight had to uncertainly announce Toga as the winner.
Honenuki shrugged, sinking further into his chair, "He wants to be."
"What?" Awase almost laughed. "He – wait, you're not kidding?"
Honenuki blinked at him and shook his head.
"O-Oh, I wasn't saying like, there was no chance for a Quirkless person to be a hero but err… doesn't that defeat the point? And… isn't Midoriya… definitely a villain?"
"He's a really nice person," Honenuki insisted. "I talk to him all the time when he's in detention – you know this. He's just had a tough life, and this is how it's ended up for him."
Monoma put his head in his hands whilst the next two competitors walked out into the battlefield, both from class A again – Iida and Kirishima.
"Wait," Monoma suddenly frowned, "Honenuki – you knew he was Quirkless all along, didn't you?!"
All of class B turned to stare at him.
Honenuki glanced around at them all anxiously, "Um, yeah? I did try to tell you, but you kept ignoring me."
"…We just lost the tournament because of that, man!" Tetsutetsu yelled. He'd been standing at the back of their walled off section of the stands for a while now.
"They kind of need this more than us," Honenuki pointed out.
"What do they need it for?!" laughed Tsuburaba. "To make us all look like idiots?!"
"Um, to get onto the hero course?"
"We're the hero course!"
"Well, next year there'll be two hero course classes," Honenuki explained. "So, maybe they want one of those classes to be theirs. They could transfer directly to class 2-A. Second years don't have a redemption class at all – it's A and B for second year hero courses."
"That class is for transfer students," said Sen.
Honenuki simply shrugged again, "Look, Midoriya's a smart guy – he wouldn't be urging his class to be doing so well if there wasn't a good reason behind it. Otherwise, they really would be running amok – trying to make this whole thing look like a joke. I mean, look at those two, they're taking this seriously."
He pointed down at the arena, where Iida and Kirishima were locked in combat. Iida skidded around his opponent as though he were trying to disorientate him. Kirishima kept lashing out to try and hit Iida, but his blows never landed.
On the other side of the partition in the stands, Honenuki could just hear class A cheering and whooping for their classmates, urging them on.
Next was Shiozaki's fight – but she was up against Bakugo. Her explosive and temperamental opponent was a big challenge, and her Quirk was not a good match for the fire the class A student could produce. Although no one wanted to admit it, Shiozaki could not win that fight.
After them, it was Honenuki's turn. If his predictions were right and Shiozaki couldn't pull this off, Honenuki was class B's only hope.
But against the zero-gravity villain, Honenuki knew it wouldn't be plain sailing. Even after that, he would find himself facing either Shiozaki (which would result in a class B knock out anyway) or Bakugo himself – someone else who could utilise the air in their fights.
Kirishima had suddenly found himself standing outside the arena, in a burst of speed from Iida unlike anything he'd ever shown before.
"Kirishima is out of bounds, Iida is the winner!" Midnight's voice boomed, and the crowd cheered. Class A seemed to cheer louder.
Shiozaki stood up, running her hands through the vines she bore instead of hair.
"Good luck," Komori smiled at her.
Kodai gave her a nod to show that she felt the same.
"Yeah, do your best, Ibara!" smiled Kendo, but everyone knew there was little hope for victory here.
The solemn attitude was crushing. Not wanting to witness the defeat, Honenuki left his classmates behind to sit in a waiting room and mull over his strategies. Alone.
Shiozaki's defeat was quick and merciless.
Class A was a little less enthusiastic with their cheering this time since it was clear from the start that Kacchan had this in the bag. He didn't hold back – showed no signs of hesitation – and was never even scratched.
Scorched and exhausted, poor Shiozaki tumbled backwards over the border line after a fatal explosion from Kacchan, and it was all over. Present Mic's commentary didn't help Bakugo's cause, and he left the battlefield shouldering even more hatred towards class A than they'd suffered to begin with.
But Uraraka had to give it to Shiozaki – she didn't give up! Even when her vines were obliterated every time that she got close, she kept trying. It was that kind of resilience that Uraraka strived to achieve herself! And when she faced Kacchan after her match against Honenuki from class B, she would be the same, she was sure of it!
"Well, I guess it's my turn!" Uraraka beamed, standing up and resting her hands on her hips.
"You got this, Ochako!" Mina yelled, standing up too and punching the air.
Midori stood up to hold her back for a moment, "J-Just hear me out for a moment," he started. "If you win this – w-we've won. Class B is completely out of the competition and –"
"Don't put pressure on her, Midoriya!" Iida snapped.
"N-No! Of course not!" Midori stammered glancing between the two of them and raising his hands in mock surrender, "I-I just wanted to say – be careful when you use your grappling hook."
Uraraka cocked her head to one side, "What do you mean?"
"Look, we don't have time," he rushed, "Just – you know where the emergency release button is, r-right?"
"Um, where?"
"Underneath the – yeah, right there, that one."
"Ok!" Uraraka grinned, trying not to sound too nervous.
"Oh – and take this."
Midori handed her a small, grey orb from his utility belt.
She frowned at it, turning it over in her hand, "Is this one of your smoke bombs?"
He nodded, "Put it in your pocket – just in case."
She smiled at him again, "Aw, thank you! Now LUCK – give me all the luck!"
"Good luck!" they all chorused, which encouraged a few laughs as she waved goodbye and sprinted down the corridor behind the stands.
She could do this. Her parents would be watching – and she'd prove that she… well, she didn't know quite what she would be proving. Maybe that she was on the right path now! If that… got across, especially after Kacchan's fight…
But it was fine! Everything would be fine. Well, just look at Himiko (Toga insisted on being called by her first name)! She used to be a member of class 1-A, and now she was doing great!
Uraraka would be a hero – and she'd be the kind of hero who really helped people. Not just from… falling buildings – but from themselves. She'd be the hero that she'd always needed.
Sometimes, people forget that villains need saving too.
"He got into UA's hero course through recommendations – is one of the strongest members of class B, and on top of it all – has one killer smile! It's Juzo Honenuki!"
The crowd roared, clapping their hands and cheering at the top of their voice when the last standing member of class B came to a halt opposite Uraraka, on the far side of the battlefield.
Present Mic took a deep breath, "VERSES – she may not look it, but this member of class 1-A had some of our finest Detectives up round the clock! Will this once-villain be giving Honenuki a run for his money too?! It's the infamous thief, Zero – Ochako Uraraka!"
"GO OCHAKO!"
"YOU GOT THIS, GIRL!"
"So, wait, Ochako really is Zero?!"
"I don't know, I hadn't really heard of her before all this. Apparently, she was a big deal."
"Yeah…"
"Do you think he'll pull his punches because he's against a girl?"
"Obviously not!"
"Yeah, we saw you during the escape attempt. You were too much of a wuss to go after Kodai!"
"Excuse me, I've never hit a girl in my life!"
"We noticed – try harder!"
Uraraka tried her best to block out the noise of the stadium and focus only on the faint whispers of her friends' usual antics. Here, she wasn't Zero – she was Uraraka. She could be whoever she wanted, and this was her declaration.
But then the ringing scream of the word begin filled her ears. She blinked and she wasn't in the stands – she was standing in the centre of a ring of eyes, as a trained and capable enemy began his charge.
She felt like a gladiator – the one that was thrown down there to meet their doom.
But Uraraka wasn't the pitiful, meek girl she once was. After all, she was never actually caught as a villain – she was sold out.
And she wasn't about to end her winning streak here.
"You saw a sneak peek during Monoma's match – but here it is in high definition!" Present Mic yelled as Uraraka's opponent made his first move, "Juzo Honenuki, his Quirk, softening! He can drastically soften any non-living thing he touches! How can Uraraka fight when the ground is made of liquid concrete?!"
"Like this!" Uraraka cried to no one but herself. Pushing off the last bit of solid ground before the floor before her melted into a grey sea, she activated her power on herself and leapt into the sky.
"Ochako Uraraka, her Quirk, zero gravity! She can nullify the effect of gravity from anything she touches with all five fingers! How is Honenuki going to fight when his opponent is in the sky – completely unaffected by his power?!"
Ok – Present Mic was just yelling a whole load of nonsense! Uraraka tried her best to block him out and focus!
She needed to get close to Honenuki. If she could get him away from the ground – she could float him right out of the arena!
Uraraka aimed her arm at her opponent, clenched her teeth and pressed the button. The grappling hook (more like an arrow attached to a length of rope) shot out and slammed right into the gloppy ground next to the hero student.
She didn't hesitate to press the second button and pull herself in. The arrow may have been wrenched back out of the ground, but he supplied more than enough propulsion to send her flying in Honenuki's direction.
He, however, darted out of the way at the last second, hardening the ground beneath him as he ran.
Uraraka pivoted in mid-air and sent her grappling hook in the other direction, pulling her around and back into the fight before she floated out of bounds.
She was sure was going to hit him this time, but even closer than he had been before, Honenuki took a deep breath and sunk right out beneath Uraraka's grasp, sinking into the ground in an instant and disappearing.
Uraraka screeched as she tumbled to the floor, only just inside the white boarder lines.
Brushing the slightest hint of blood away from her cheek, Uraraka got to her feet and gazed out before her.
"Uh oh – looks like Honenuki is trying out an interesting tactic here!" Present Mic almost laughed, "Will Uraraka be able to figure out where he went before –"
With a yelp, Uraraka felt a pale hand grip her ankle, the floor falling apart beneath her as she was pulled under the surface, only just able to take a breath of air before the light vanished.
The hand left her ankle, now gripping her arm behind her back and pulling her up to the surface again.
She was done for – she was doomed – she would let down her friends – no, no, no!
And just as the light returned, in a moment of panic, Uraraka managed to toss Midori's smoke bomb blindly into the air.
Somehow, Uraraka's feet found solid ground, and she leapt out of the plum of grey smoke and dust, into the sky once more – her safe haven.
Finally able to see again, Uraraka looked around, spying Honenuki just below, coughing on whatever the smoke bomb was made out of and furiously wiping it away from his eyes, knee-deep in softened concrete.
He must have been trying to trap Uraraka under the ground, with only her head and shoulders visible so she could still see and breathe – but he hadn't quite hardened the floor again by the time Uraraka made her move.
It was an incredibly lucky escape.
But she knew she couldn't waste any more time. Ignoring Present Mic's disappointed cries about poor visibility and a drastic turn of events, Uraraka aimed her grappling hook once more at the ground around Honenuki.
She fired, unsurprised to see it not sink in far. She knew it wouldn't give her much momentum but maybe just enough to let her reach –
Oh no.
Glaring up at her, Honenuki rested his hand on the ground and froze the concrete back to its normal solidity, with the end of her grappling hook still stuck inside. She'd propel herself right back into the trap!
Panicking, Uraraka fumbled – and only in the last second did she recall Midori's mutterings of an emergency release button.
It all happened so quickly.
Uraraka's rope fell away from the device on her arm, freeing her.
Honenuki, unprepared, held his hand up upon instinct, and Uraraka slammed right into him, kicking him in the chest.
Her legs buckled and she rolled to the side to absorb the impact.
Honenuki had slammed his head against the ground that he had thankfully only just managed to soften – but in the shock, he was nowhere near ready for Uraraka's next move.
She dived back at him, her fingertips brushing against his bare arm – Quirk activating with a soft, pink glow. By now, she was on the other side of him. She pulled his weightless body up, and with a final kick, sent him soaring over the nearby boarder line.
The arena, for the third time that afternoon, was silent as a dazed Honenuki floated softly to the far wall.
Uraraka stood up, panting heavily – head spinning – as she released her power and let her opponent drop harmlessly to the floor.
"Honenuki is out of bounds," Midnight's voice echoed across the stadium, holding a tone of utter disbelief, "Uraraka advances to the next round…
"And the hero course is out of the competition."
A couple more seconds past before Uraraka punched the sky and yelled a victory cry, alongside a small and awfully specific portion of the audience.
She span in a circle once or twice, laughing and almost crying at the edge of the pitch.
Making eye contact with her classmates, who hung over the edge of their barricade at their section of the stands, Uraraka braved activating her power one last time to leap towards them and grab Mina's outstretched hand fearlessly.
Few clapped and even fewer could have known what this possibly meant. But class A didn't care – they'd as good as won.
This was it – she'd really graduated class 1-A. She… wasn't a villain anymore.
She could be a hero!
And as they chanted her name and Momo tossed a little pouch of confetti in the air –
Uraraka already felt like she was one.
