AN: So as a head's up, if you check my author's page you will notice several of my stories have been taken down. Over the next several weeks I plan on slowly removing the rest of my stories from FFN entirely. For the last several months myself, and other authors, have had their stories stolen from FFN, run through a text-to-speech translator, and posted on youtube, where people have been monetizing our efforts for profit. I've personally found multiple stories of mine on youtube, and it all points back to FFN. So sadly I will eventually discontinue posting on FFN entirely. If you wish to continue reading my stories you can find everything on Archive of our Own, as well as several more one-shots that never made an appearance on FFN. Just search for my pen name in the search bar and you'll find me :)
With that out of the way, it's time to start the sports festival!
"Ready for your second Sports Festival, Izu?" Ochako asked as her boyfriend and his sister approached their meeting spot.
"Yeah." Izuku smiled warmly at his girlfriend. "How about you?"
"Yep!" Ochako chirped with a far-too-bright smile, leaving the other two people with a sense of unease.
"Hey no fair!" Himiko shot back. "We already know the two of you are gonna win, so you could at least give us a chance to look good!"
"Don't worry," Ochako giggled. "Izu's the only one I'm going to go all-out on!"
"Ehe." Izuku gave her a nervous smile. "I thought the goal was that I don't end up with a shattered arm this time?"
"Oh that still applies!" Ochako said, her smile never leaving her face.
"You better not break your arm then, either!" Izuku shot back.
"Don't worry, I won't." Ochako's face morphed into a playful smile. "Besides, I'm not sure the stadium could survive both of us breaking limbs."
"No," Izuku chuckled and shook his head. "It wouldn't."
"Now that you two are done flirting," Himiko interjected. "Shouldn't we get going?"
"Right!" Izuku said before taking Ochako's hand. The three began walking.
"So what do you think the challenges will be this time?" Ochako asked curiously.
"I'm not sure," Izuku admitted.
"Didn't you two already deal with this?" Himiko asked.
"We did," Izuku replied, "but knowing Nezu, he'll intentionally change things because of us."
"Ugh." Himiko hung her head. "What good are you two?"
The three shared a laugh as they walked to the train station.
An hour later, the students arrived at UA and changed into their gym uniforms. As Izuku stepped into the staging area for 1-A, he looked around for his friends when he heard a familiar voice from behind him.
"Midoriya."
Izuku froze, not because the temperature of the room dropped, but the tone coming from Shoto suggested it may as well have. Spinning around, he looked at his fellow student. "What is it, Todoroki?"
"Do you remember what I said during the Battle Trials?"
Izuku swallowed the lump in his throat. "Of course."
"Today you won't have your support gear to help you," he said plainly as he examined Izuku, paying particular attention to his wrists and shoes to verify that he wasn't wearing his gauntlets and greaves. "That's a shame."
"A shame?"
Shoto closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh. "I intend on meeting you in the finals – and having our rematch."
"You still want to beat me?" Izuku said as he felt his lips curl into a nervous grin.
"I never stopped." Shoto opened his eyes and heterochromatic locked with green. "You and your sister… You are both persistent. But I've spent years training my Ice." Shoto balled his right hand into a fist and raised it, and this time Izuku felt the temperature drop. "Words won't be enough to deter me from my goal. I will meet you in the final round, and I will beat you."
"I understand," Izuku said stiffly.
"Good." Shoto nodded stiffly before walking. As he passed Izuku, he spoke again, his voice low. "You'd better not disappoint me and fail before then."
Izuku jerked his head and body, spinning around to watch Shoto walk across the room, but before he could respond, he was interrupted by Bakugo's yelling.
"Hey! What about me?!" the explosive boy demanded. "Deku's not the one you should be worried about!"
"If you need a rival Blasty," Aika yelled back as she raised her hand and jumped in the air. "I'll volunteer!"
"Nobody asked you!" Bakugo shot back. "Who wants some second-rate extra as their rival anyway?!"
"Hey!" Aika stomped her foot. "I'm not second rate!"
"Yeah?"
"Yeah!" Aika replied as she stomped towards Bakugo.
Izuku shook his head as the two continued their endless bickering as he walked over to where his friends stood, their expressions betraying their amusement.
"Damn, Mido," Kyoka snorted. "Save some for the rest of us."
"You could always be like Shizu," Himiko said playfully. "Just stake a claim on a rival."
"Ugh," Kyoka mimicked gagging. "Someone like Blasty? Pass."
"What about Kaminari?" Ochako asked curiously. "He always annoys you."
"Not you too," Kyoka huffed and rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms and earjacks. "There's a difference between annoyance and a proper rival."
"That's true," Ochako giggled.
The four turned to watch Aika bickering with Bakugo until she actually did manage to annoy him into declaring her his rival. She whooped triumphantly and turned towards her friends to celebrate but was cut off as Present Mic began his introduction for the Sports Festival.
Easily shifting into their roles as Class Reps, Izuku and Ochako walked over to the door and directed the rest of the class to congregate behind them. They listened to the Voice Hero as he went through a familiar routine, explaining the nature of the festival and telling everyone the schedule before the moment finally arrived.
"And now to introduce you to our promising students. Starting with the Hero Course! Everybody welcome Classes 1-A and 1-B!"
The shutter that had been isolating them from the central stadium began to rise, announcing to the students it was time to go. Taking the brief moment for themselves, Izuku and Ochako shared one last glance, a ghost of a smile on each of their lips. As one, they turned toward their class and motioned them forward. Everyone had been training hard the past few weeks, and they were excited to announce themselves to the world.
Again.
Izuku stood there, Midnight's instructions reduced to background noise as he mulled over what he was going to say. Thanks to their warning, Nezu was prepared for the media's response to the USJ attack and had blunted the worst of it. In fact, the school had come together, and the hero classes were closer than ever.
But that wasn't enough.
Izuku knew he wouldn't be able to solve the problems with a speech, but he could certainly–
"And now, to give the opening speech for the first years, the student who scored the highest on the entrance exam: Izuku Midoriya!"
Of course, Aika and Himiko cheered, the attention causing the back of Izuku's neck to heat up. Rubbing it awkwardly, he flashed a grin to his friends and classmates before he walked to the stairs and slowly ascended them to reach the platform. There, Midnight waited for him.
"You ready for this?" she asked in a low tone.
"Mhm." Izuku nodded as he held out his hands. "I'll do my best."
"That's the spirit." She offered him a coy smile, but he could see the genuine warmth in her eyes as she held out the microphone.
Taking the microphone, Izuku looked out at his classmates before his gaze swept out to the other courses, taking each group of twenty in. All told there were two-hundred and nineteen students staring up at him, as well as countless heroes in the crowd. Taking a deep breath, he held it close to his face and pressed the button.
"Today marks the first day of the Sports Festival. Over the next three days, you will see all of us-" He swept his hand to indicate the assembled students. "-compete in games to show our quirks off and introduce ourselves to the world. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, only four of us will be on the podium." He paused and closed his eyes, giving the crowd a moment. "However!" He opened them again and stared up at the camera drones. "There are over two hundred other students in each grade who also deserve recognition. From the Hero Course-" He gestured towards his classmates, "-to the Support Course-" He pointed towards the sixty students. "-that will be responsible for the next generation of support gear and quirk analysis, to the Business Course-" He gestured towards another group. "-that will be handling all of the invisible work to allow us to do our jobs. And finally-" He swept his hand towards the general course. "-the students whose paths don't line up with Heroics. Even though we may walk separate paths, they have still made it to UA! And they follow our motto just as firmly as we do."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. He didn't know how Bakugo did it that first time, so casually declaring his statement of intent to win the whole thing. Even now, he still felt his nerves threatening to give out. Swallowing, he continued.
"This Festival may only have one winner, but everyone here will have a chance to say 'I Am Here' in their own way. Today, we announce ourselves to the world. It doesn't matter who takes first place, because all of us will have told the world 'We Are Here'." He paused, and heard a few people clapping among the assembled students. He knew he couldn't see All Might from this distance, but he glanced towards the teacher's box anyways. It was probably his imagination, but he swore he saw his mentor and father figure giving him his signature smile and a thumbs up.
A smile on his lips, Izuku looked back down at his fellow first years. "So let's go out there, and show the world who we are. Plus Ultra!"
"Plus Ultra!" the voices of the assembled first years echoed back.
"My, that was quite the show."
Izuku was thankful for his training keeping him from jumping when his teacher began to speak. Feeling his shoulders slump, he offered her the microphone. "I… may have practiced a lot in front of Ocha and Himi."
"Well, you certainly got them motivated." Midnight's eyes sparkled as she took back the device. "I hope it works out for you."
"Me too," Izuku agreed. With one last sweep of his gaze, he took in his classmates and saw the motivation and excitement burning in their eyes. A far different experience than what he remembered the last time he was here, where they were angry and upset.
Whatever's coming, they'll be ready. A voice told him. It sounded like Nana's.
Nodding at his classmates, he finally descended the platform, returning to a beaming Ochako.
"I'm glad we're already dating, otherwise I would have fallen for you on the spot."
"E-eh?! That's a bad thing?" Izuku blinked.
"Well yeah." Ochako leaned toward him conspiratorially. "Then I'd have to figure out how to make you fall for me all over again."
"I-" Izuku's face heated up as he looked into his girlfriend's eyes, the sunlight making them sparkle. "-'m sure I'd have fallen for you too, given time."
He was rewarded by the sight of Ochako's permanent blush spreading, betraying her true emotions even if she managed to hold her playful smile. For a moment, the world around them faded, and it was just him and her, two teenagers in love enjoying a quiet moment together.
Unfortunately, the moment of serenity was broken all too quickly as Midnight began speaking again.
"My my, what an exhilarating speech, I'm fired up! And I hope you are too as we announce our first round for our students!"
With a flourish, she raised the microphone and a holographic projection appeared behind her. A wheel began to spin rapidly on the screen before it suddenly came to a halt, and the words 'Maze Run' appeared, as well as a drawing of a simple maze with two stick figures moving through it.
The students suddenly felt a rumbling below them as Midnight appeared to ascend into the sky. A moment later, they realized that wasn't what was happening. Instead, they were being lowered into the ground.
"We've constructed an entire labyrinth underneath the stadium and filled it with devious traps. It's up to you to find the exit and return to the surface. The first forty-eight to make it through successfully will move on to the next round," Midnight smiled and waved down at the one hundred and sixty students. "We'll be waiting!"
A few moments later, the students heard the floor lock into place, only for a pair of spotlights to light up, revealing a massive gate with a red light over it.
"We're doing this together, right?" Kyoka called from a nearby position.
"Yep!" Ochako said as she looked at her friends. "There's plenty of room for all the hero students to make it through!"
"At this rate, you may as well be helping the entire class, kero," Tsuyu remarked as she looked at the arrayed group.
"Not everyone…" Izuku said as he looked over at Shoto, already walking toward the gate with Bakugo hot on his heels.
"I believe they have the right idea." Tenya adjusted his glasses as he spoke. "If we wish to be successful, we should join the group at the gate."
"What are we waiting for?" Aika exclaimed as she took off towards the rest of their classmates.
"Well Izu," Ochako began, giving her boyfriend a resigned look, "you heard them."
They joined their friends, hanging near the back of the assembled students as everyone congregated near the gate. Once everyone got close enough, the red light blinked a couple times before it turned yellow, and last green.
"Now!" Izuku called.
As if on cue, he saw a massive wave of ice approaching them, a frozen tsunami set to trap students and keep them from entering the maze. Izuku was already in motion, Full Cowling wrapped around him as he charged forward. Ochako was next to him, matching his movements with her own as the flickering black-and-pink nebula of Galactic Shroud whirled around her. In perfect harmony, the two punched the air, their combined strength creating a shockwave that shattered the ice, stopping it in its tracks.
"Hmph." Shoto glanced back at their handiwork. "Good, I would have been disappointed if that stopped you." Without another word, he turned and jogged inside before sealing the gate with another barricade of ice.
"Like hell I'm gonna let you stop me!" Katsuki screamed as he charged towards the ice. As everyone watched, he unleashed explosion after explosion, the heat and force causing the ice to crack.
"C'mon everyone!" Kirishima called out. "If we use our quirks, we can bring down the barrier!"
His call to action worked, and soon several students from 1-A, 1-B, and even a couple support students attacked the barrier, making short work of it. With a satisfying explosion, the barrier shattered into a million pieces, showering everyone in splinters of ice.
"I guess we didn't need to help this time," Izuku muttered.
"Nope! But we can't steal all of the spotlight," Ochako teased.
"You're right," Izuku admitted. Face hardening in determination, he looked at his girlfriend. "Ready?"
"Yep!" Ochako waved towards their group of friends. "Let's go!"
The first challenge of the maze was, of course, the maze itself. Corridors twisted and turned, shrinking to narrow passages before opening to wide courtyards and every turn could lead to a dead end. Not that they were entirely helpless - there were small signs posted periodically with hints and clues, disguised as trivia questions or problems from their classes.
The second challenge was the traps. Tripwires, falling nets, pits, and glue mines, all designed to inconvenience and slow down the students while not incapacitating them. Aika and Tenya in particular were particularly adept at finding them, but with their friends' help, they were quickly freed as they continued onward.
The final challenge, and the one that posed the most difficulty for the group, were the third years waiting in ambush.
"Don't worry guys." Aika waved dismissively as she spun around the corner…
…only to come face to face with a turquoise-haired girl dressed in a rain slick. And floating around her was what was best described was a living quirk, much like Dark Shadow.
Except this quirk was made out of water. And eyes.
"I told you we'd have guests!" the quirk said happily.
"I never doubted you," the girl replied with a playful smile.
"Here I go!"
The quirk charged forward, slamming into Aika and knocking the wind out of her as it sent her into the wall. It pulled back, a dozen eyes examining the group of first years that were waiting.
"Wow! There's more of you than I thought!"
"Don't worry, we're leaving, kero," Tsuyu said before shooting out her tongue and wrapping it around Aika.
With a jerk of her head, she pulled the girl back, sending her sailing in the air only to be caught by Ochako. Izuku called upon Blackwhip, sending several tentacles toward the quirk in an attempt to keep it at bay. It worked. Sort of. The quirk's body was able to harmlessly pass through the bands of energy, but it disrupted its body enough to slow the quirk down, giving the students time to retreat. Once he saw the backs of his friends as they hurried back to the intersection, he dismissed his own quirk as he quickly backed away to join them.
"Aww, I was just getting started!" the quirk called after him.
"I'm sure it would be great talking to you, but we're in a hurry!" Izuku apologized before he turned around. Shooting one last glance over his shoulder, he made sure the quirk wasn't following him. "Maybe another time?"
Once he rejoined his friends, he saw Kyoka already dragging Aika down another corridor. Giving Ochako a resigned look, he and the others joined them in their search for the exit.
They were sure it was only minutes, but time much like the maze itself, seemed to stretch on forever as the group hurried through the twisting corridors. They wondered how other groups were doing, but the brief shouts and sounds of fighting didn't tell them as much as they would like.
"This has to be it!" Ochako said in an attempt to encourage others as she took the lead and raced down a narrowing corridor with light streaming through the other side. When she reached the end it opened up into a large open room. She was right! The large inclined room was open to the sky, and at the far end of the room she could see the entrance to the stadium!
But she also saw Togata currently engaged with both Bakugo and Shoto, pinning them in place and preventing them from crossing the finish line.
"Look Tamaki!" a nearby voice exclaimed. "It's our kouhai!"
"You mean your kouhai," Tamaki replied.
Ochako whipped around to see Nejire floating nearby, a bright smile on her face as she raised her arms. "We're supposed to hold back and only slow you down, buuuut…. We know what you can do!"
With her words as her only warning, she fired a blast of spiral energy at Ochako.
AN: Homura sat at the bar, a mixed drink in her hands as she watched the cameras flicker between students in the maze.
"Midoriya and Todoroki, huh?" She recalled the names Present Mic had given for the first years as he periodically interjected with commentary. "Let's see what you two can do."
Taking a sip of her drink, she slammed it back onto the coaster.
"After all, I want to know all about the people who got my brother arrested."