AN: Thanks for reading and leaving reviews everyone!
The following week, the students of 1-B rallied around each other and attacked their schoolwork with renewed vigor. Things felt like they had almost returned to normal, with the news of 1-As expulsion a distant memory.
That is, until the sports festival arrived.
The morning of the sports festival, Himiko felt the nervous energy that permeated the air, practically suffocating her class. The twenty of them stood in the waiting area while the opening ceremonies plodded along in the stadium, waiting for their cue.
After an eternity, they had a brief moment of relief as Present Mic announced the first class to enter the stadium - theirs.
"And now it's the moment you've all been waiting for. It's time to introduce the Hero students of UA, Class 1-B!"
Himiko walked out into the stadium in silence, and she didn't need Tomoe's enhanced senses to feel all of the eyes on her and her classmates.
"And now introducing our General Studies courses, with classes 1-C, D, and E!" Mic continued. "With only one class of hero students, this is their chance to shine. Who will emerge from their ranks to impress us? Not only from them, but from our support courses as well. Now introducing classes F, G, and H!"
From her position in the central area, Himiko watched as the other students entered. It wasn't hard for Himiko to see that they were surrounded by the same nervous energy that she and her classmates felt. This year wasn't normal - with twenty seats in 1-A waiting to be filled, many ambitious students sought their chance to prove themselves.
And many of the former students of 1-A sought a chance to re-earn their seats.
Silence fell across the arena as Midnight ascended the stage in the center of the arena. "Oooh, look at all the youthful vigor on display this year!" A mischievous smile danced across her lips. "I can't wait to see it in action, and neither can they!" She indicated the crowd with a sweep of her baton. "But first, the opening address! It will be given by the student who scored the highest on the entrance exam. From 1-B, Habiki Hideo!"
Habiki smiled at his friends before he climbed up onto the stage. Taking the microphone he looked out at all of the participants, giving particular focus to the general studies classes. "I know this year's been strange for all of us. But it's like Present Mic said: this is an opportunity. One of the biggest things I've learned this year is that anyone can be a hero. It's not just about your quirk, but also your drive and passion." He pointed to the spectators in the stands. "For everyone watching, don't just ignore the students down here just because they're not Hero students. And to everyone here," His gaze swept over his fellow first years. "Now's the time to shine! If you want to be a hero, stand up and let the world know!"
The nervous energy that had settled over the first years had changed. Where there was once fear and uncertainty, now only excitement remained. Habiki felt it too. Smiling, he pumped his fist into the air "Plus Ultra!"
"Plus Ultra!"
As Habiki returned to his class, Midnight looked out at the stadium. "What a rousing speech! Now then, time to see what the first event of the year will be!" She held out her microphone as a giant display appeared, a wheel spinning on the screen before it finally stopped on 'Maze Race.'
"Behind the arena we have erected a two-kilometer-long maze. Your goal will be to navigate the maze and be one of the first to the end! But beware, the maze is full of obstacles and devious traps just waiting to catch careless students!"
Once Midnight was done, the students began their trek to the entrance to the maze. As Himiko was walking, she felt a familiar hand on her shoulder as Tomoe whispered into her ear. "Stay close when this starts."
Giving her friend a sideways glance, Himiko gave the barest perception of a nod, knowing that was more than enough. Tomoe didn't reply, and out of the corner of her eye, Himiko watched her move onto Atsuko. The other girl had a plan, and she was willing to trust her judgment.
A moment later the students arrived at the entrance to the maze. Or rather, five large gates. They didn't have any time to worry about that before a horn blared, announcing that the race had begun. Himiko's first instincts were to charge forward. Instead, she turned to find her friends, forcing her way through the rapidly moving crowd as they grouped up around Tomoe.
"There's nothing in the rules against working together," Tomoe explained as the crowds thinned out. "So why don't we work together?"
"We're in!" Emily stated definitively, speaking for everyone. "Sakura, you've clearly got a plan, don't you?"
Tomoe gave a slight smile. "Of course. I can't use my senses for echolocation, but I can help navigate," Turning her gaze to the gates, she pointed to one. "The fourth gate is the only one where people are making forward progress."
Everyone bobbing their heads in agreement, they made their way to the gate as one. Himiko took the lead alongside Atsuko, the pair scouting for traps that haven't been triggered yet and bypassing them with creative applications of Atsuko's quirk. Habiki and Emily helped when they ran across the occasional robot, and even created a shortcut or two by blowing a hole in a wall when they found a dead end.
Meanwhile, the four of them kept their guide safe, as Sakura did her best to make a mental map of the maze and lead them toward the exit.
By Tomoe's estimate, they were halfway through the maze when they heard Mic's voice come to life over the speakers. "We have our winner folks! Mawata Fuwa from General Studies! She is the first through the maze with an amazing lead! Things are sure to heat up though, since multiple teams have already passed the halfway point!"
"Wasn't Fuwa originally part of 1-A?" Atsuko asked
"Yes," Tomoe replied. "She was one of the twelve students who were re-enrolled in General Studies after her expulsion. Nezu ensured the transition was done before the sports festival. Judging by the prize, I can understand why."
"Come ON!" Emily urged. "We don't have time to worry about stuff like that. You heard Mic! We need to keep going"
"She's right," Himiko grimaced. "We're not the only ones this far in. We can worry about the former members of 1-A from the finish line!"
"R-right," Atsuko said. "Where to next?"
The group pushed onward, the traps only becoming denser and more dangerous as they pulled ahead of the other students. They felt like they were losing time after each trap, but Tomoe continued to assure them that they were near the front of the pack as they pressed onward - that there was only one team ahead of them. After what felt like an eternity they made it to the final challenge - an open room, the goal line, and entrance to the stadium waiting for them at the other end.
"Almost there!" Emily encouraged the others. "Let's go!"
"We've still got to be careful!" Tomoe insisted.
"She's right," Atsuko agreed. "We don't want to get caught this close to the end."
They proceeded cautiously, trying to deftly avoid the final room of traps when another group of students burst into the room. A group of their classmates who also had the same idea to team up.
"There's the exit!" Amaya called out. "We can still win! I'll detonate the traps for you!" As she spoke, she activated her quirk, her body turning into water before she collapsed into a living wave that raced across the room, detonating any trap that she passed over.
"We were too cautious," Habiki yelled. Charging up his quirk, he punched the ground, unleashing a massive shockwave and detonating the landmines, turning the ground in front of them into a sticky mess of glue. "Go!"
Himiko took one last glance at Atsuko before she took off, dodging and sliding to avoid the remaining traps, all the while hearing the onrushing sound of a tidal wave. Pushing herself to her absolute limit, she willed her legs to move faster, racing across the finish line. She continued all the way into the arena, not stopping until she was back in the open courtyard.
"Damn, Midoriya," Amaya exclaimed as she reformed into a human shape and shifted back to a body made of skin and bones. "I'm impressed - not many people can keep up with me when I'm like that."
"Yeah well," Himiko said between breaths, "I had a head start!"
"True!" Amaya smirked, "I guess next time you won't be so lucky!"
"We'll see about that," Himiko gave a fierce grin in reply.
As the others from their two groups trickled in, the students of 1-B congratulated each other, before they turned to the scoreboard to see their final standings.
1 - Mawata Fuwa - General Studies
2 - Kenji Ryo - Heroics
…
5 - Himiko Midoriya - Heroics
6 - Amaya Yuki - Heroics
7 - Habiki Hideo - Heroics
8 - Atsuko Hotoko - Heroics
9 - Emily Song - Heroics
10 - Tomoe Sakura - Heroics
"Yes!" Himiko cheered. "We did it!"
In addition to the entirety of 1-B, there were an unprecedented six students from the support department and sixteen students from general studies. Surprisingly, all twelve of the former hero students didn't make it in, and four of them failed to pass the first round. The eight former members of 1-A, however, were still fighting for their right to rejoin the heroics department.
After a short break, it was time for the second round.
"What an exciting race!" Midnight said to the gathered students. "And many of you showed off your amazing teamwork skills! Those same skills will serve you well this next round when you'll be teaming up for our elimination match!"
With a flourish, she gestured to the screen. The roulette wheel spun a second time, only to stop on 'Capture the Flag.'
"You'll be forming teams of two to four, and then your team will be given a base and a flag worth a total determined by your standing in the race. After that, everyone will have fifteen minutes to capture as many opposing flags and return them to their base as they can. When time is called the top sixteen finalists will advance to the finals!"
No sooner was Midnight done speaking when Emily spun around to face Himiko, a smirk on her face. "So, we're teaming up, right? There's no way I'm letting anyone else grab you."
Himiko smirked back. While she could refuse the other girl, she knew that the stubborn blonde was one of her best options. "I guess someone's gotta watch my back for me."
"Hey!"
"Actually," Tomoe interrupted the pair, "My friend from the support course made it in, along with some of his classmates." She waved at a group of students, and one waved back. "I'm going to team up with them this round." She said apologetically. "After Hideo's speech, I think it would be better if I helped them out, to give them the best chance at advancing."
"But you'd be super helpful this round!" Emily protested.
"Exactly," Tomoe smiled. "And the four of you are all amazing. None of you need my help to make it to the final round."
"I think I'm going to follow Sakura's lead," Habiki added. "Even though my quirk won't tip the scales as heavily as Midoriya's or Sakura's, I'd like to think it's still pretty good, if I do say so myself. And if I can help some general studies students with my experience, all the better."
"What about you, 'Suko?" Himiko asked as she turned toward her best friend.
"Of course I'm going to team up with you," Atsuko smirked. "Someone needs to keep the two of you from killing each other." She couldn't help but laugh at the twin reactions of Himiko and Emily as they squawked in indignation. "But who should we ask for our fourth?"
"If you don't mind, I think I have a lot to offer," The trio turned and saw a pink-haired girl approaching them. "Allow me to introduce myself," She gave them a polite bow. "My name is Mawata Fuwa."
By the end of the selection period, the students had formed a total of thirteen teams, who were then ushered off the field, allowing it to be reshaped for the event. Massive doors opened up in the arena, as thirteen small bunkers rose to the surface. Each bunker was a standard shape, a small domed building consisting of three rooms: two smaller front rooms, and a larger back room with a flagpole for the students to guard.
Having Fuwa on the team was both a blessing and a curse, Himiko realized. Not only did she add ten million points to their score, guaranteeing that anyone who had her flag was guaranteed a spot in the finals, but they were also assigned the central structure of the makeshift complex. She was sure there was some lesson in there, but she'll let Izuku explain it to her later that evening. For now, she had to focus.
Their plan was a simple one. Emily, Fuwa, and Atsuko would all guard the bunker and the ten million point flag inside. Himiko, on the other hand, had the fun job - to cause as much chaos as possible. She was perfectly happy with her role, knowing it would give her a chance to show off.
When the buzzer sounded, Himiko took off, weaving through the chaos until she found a suitable target - a general studies student hurrying back to their base with an enemy flag. Taking a deep breath, Himiko used her disappearing technique before she dashed toward the student. Grabbing him in an arm lock, she flipped him over so that he landed with a heavy thud behind a building, away from his teammates. Not giving him a chance to recover she was on top of him, pinning him to the ground.
"I need a teensy little bit of blood," Himiko gave the boy an innocent smile. "I hope you don't mind." Not bothering with waiting for a response, she bit down on his arm. She immediately felt a few droplets of blood pooling around her fangs that she greedily swallowed, while simultaneously yanking the flag out of his hands. As he watched in horror, Himiko transformed into a perfect copy of him.
"I suggest you don't follow me," Himiko whispered in his ear before standing up. Taking a moment to look properly panicked and worried, she left the cover of the building, jogging back toward "her" teammates.
"That was scary!" Himiko said as she waved the flag. "I got ambushed but managed to escape with this!"
"Her" teammates congratulated her on a job well done and she almost felt bad when they happily let her into the bunker, expecting her to hook the flag on the pole inside. That feeling disappeared when she realized they weren't paying attention to her now that she was inside. How could they be so careless? Well, that made her job easy then. Grabbing their flag off the pole, she dashed back out of the bunker. "Sorry not sorry, thanks for the flag!"
She didn't bother looking back when she heard the shouts of protest, nor did she bother to check if anyone was following her. Instead, she ducked between two nearby bunkers, maintaining her full speed as she dropped her transformation. The gray sludge sloughed off of her as she burst out the other side, feeling herself speed up now that she was back in her natural form. Scanning the bunkers to find her target, she adjusted directions and darted directly toward Tomoe's team.
As she drew close to the bunker, a support student wearing a jet-black motorcycle helmet, much like the one Tomoe wore as part of her hero costume, noticed her and aimed a project launcher at her.
"Waitwaitwait!" Himiko held up her hands defensively. "I'm here to talk to Sakura! I know she's in there! And that she can hear me!"
Without speaking the student lowered their weapon and waved her inside. Taking the offer, Himiko entered the building to see Tomoe standing there, arms crossed as she guarded the door to the flag chamber. "Please tell me you're not here to steal our flag Midoriya."
"Actually, I came here to give you these!" Himiko held up the two flags in her hands.
"What's the catch?"
"You need to stay away from our flag."
"What's to stop us from just taking these from you and then going after your flag?" The student asked through a filtered voice behind her.
Himiko turned around so that the support student could watch her roll her eyes. "Oh please. Sakura can tell you exactly why that's a terrible idea."
"She's right," Sakura admitted. "Given who's on their team, if they went on the offensive, there's no way we could stop them from reclaiming their flag and taking all of ours in the process."
The support student sighed. "They're your friends Tomoe. What do you think?"
"I think it's a good deal," Tomoe admitted, looking slyly at Himiko. "Especially since it means we don't have to worry about this troublemaker."
Himiko let out a laugh. "See? It's a win-win!" Himiko released the flags, letting them flutter to the ground. "I'll see you next round!"
Having secured one temporary alliance, Himiko spent the rest of the time sowing confusion among the other teams. She was happily bouncing around, using her agility and stealth to ambush unaware students and gather a few drops of their blood, using their form to grab flags from her "allies" and sow distrust among the teams. Most of the flags she simply dropped on the ground, watching with a grin as opposing teams fought over the newly abandoned points, but she also made sure to sneak a spare flag to Tomoe and Habiki's teammates as well.
Her little game had the desired effect, and by the end she had practically everyone distrusting each other and focused on her. Meanwhile, her teammates were comfortably holding down their base, easily repelling any attempt to take their flag. Finally, the buzzer once again rang out, announcing the end of the round. Smiling, Himiko dropped her final transformation as she walked back to her base.
"Remind me never to get on your bad side," Fuwa said as Himiko approached her teammates. "I've never seen one person cause so much chaos before.
"Thanks!" Himiko beamed at her teammate before she leaned against the wall of the building and took a moment to regain her breath.
"I should be thanking you instead," Fuwa said softly as she looked towards the door of the bunker. "I… needed this chance, and you gave it to me."
"You 'needed' this chance?" Emily asked skeptically, her eyes narrowing.
"No, you're right," Fuwa's face hardened in determination. "I might not deserve this second chance, but Nezu offered it to us, and I want it."
"If you get back in the hero course," Emily unfolded her arms as she jabbed Fuwa's shoulder. "You'd better become the best damned hero you can be. Or else!"
"Or else what?" Fuwa asked suspiciously.
Emily gestured towards Himiko. "Midoriya and I will make sure your life is a living hell."
Himiko didn't particularly like the idea of being dragged into whatever squabble Emily was brewing with Fuwa, but she had to agree with her classmate. Instead of speaking, she simply gave Fuwa a fanged smile when the other student looked at her.
"I'll… keep that in mind," Fuwa said softly.
"Great!" Emily replied. "Now come on, I want to see what the final bracket looks like!"
Returning to the mustering area with the other teams, the three rejoined their classmates while Fuwa rejoined the general studies students. Once they had all gathered, the scoreboard lit up, displaying the final tallies.
1 - Team Fuwa - 10,000,535 points
2 - Team Ryo - 1,165 points
3 - Team Sakura - 955 points
4 - Team Hideo - 685 points
"What a chaotic round," Midnight announced as she walked back onto the stage. "It was so exciting to watch!" Sweeping her hand, she gestured at the scoreboard. "But alas, we can only have sixteen students in the final round. These four teams will all be moving on to the final game of the festival! What will it be this year?" She asked mysteriously.
Suddenly the scoreboard disappeared, once again replaced with a spinning wheel. It seemed to spin for an eternity, before finally stopping on 'Sword Fighting'.
"Oooh, how exhilarating! Students will be dueling with reinforced foam katanas, and their objective will be to land a hit on their opponent a total of three times! Alternatively, you could force them to concede, instead. But where is the fun in that?" Midnight asked slyly.
"Given the makeup of finalists, that actually makes sense," Tomoe speculated. "This way our class is handicapped, allowing those without our training a shot to actually show off."
"Plus it forces us to get creative with our quirks!" Emily added. "It means Hideo and I have to think on our feet, rather than just overpower our opponents."
Himiko was uncharacteristically silent while her friends talked. Her brows furrowed as she tried to figure out how to show off her quirk. She mine as well be quirkless for all the good Transform will do in this match!
But she still had to try! She just… needed to figure out how!
"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for. The final brackets!" Midnight interrupted. Striking a pose, she directed everyone's attention to the screen as it transformed, revealing the final round.
Himiko felt a lump forming in her throat as she stared at the screen.
Himiko Midoriya vs Atsuko Hotoko
This was the worst possible outcome for her!
"Suko," Himiko called out to her friend from the door of the locker room, "can we talk?"
Atsuko jumped out of her chair. "Himi, the match is going to start soon! Shouldn't you be getting ready?"
"Yeah, about that." Himiko bit her lip, feeling the familiar sting as her fang pressed into the sensitive skin. "Can I ask you for a favor?"
"If you want me to throw the match, no," She crossed her arms and smirked at her friend.
"No!" Himiko protested. "It's just - we both know you're favored to win this match. We've sparred enough at this point," Himiko huffed in frustration. "I'm not going to make it easy on you! But that's not the real problem. It's my quirk! Even if I win, I won't get to show off Transform! Not against you or anyone else!"
"I get it," Atsuko softened as she looked at her friend. "So you want to put on a show before I kick your ass?"
Himiko barked out a laugh. "You'd better be careful, or I'll win just to prove a point. But yeah, I'd like to drink some of your blood."
"My, how bold of you." Atsuko giggled. The room fell into a heavy silence as she thought it over. "Of course Himi. As long as you promise no sneak attacks while I'm letting you put on a show."
Himiko gasped in mock offense. "Suko, how dare you accuse me."
"Himi," Atsuko gave her a flat stare.
Himiko dropped her act as she rushed in to hug her friend. "You're the best friend I could have asked for!"
A gentle smile danced across Atsuko's lips as she returned the hug. "What're friends for?"
"Begin!"
The crowd watched in anticipation as Midnight announced the start of the fight. However, Himiko and Atsuko confused everyone when they calmly placed their weapons on the ground before they walked to the center of the ring.
"Are you ready, 'Suko?"
"Of course," Atsuko replied as she offered out her hand. Himiko gently took it, cradling it as if it was a precious object before she opened her mouth, revealing her fangs to the world. She heard the crowd gasp as she bit down on her friend's wrist.
Don't listen to them.
They're just proving your point!
You're going to show them all!
So that nobody else has to suffer like you did.
Letting go of her friend's hand, she swallowed the mouthful of blood and activated her quirk. She felt the familiar feeling of warm hugs and late nights wrap over her as the gray slime wrapped around her and transformed into her best friend. She could hear Present Mic in the background but she was afraid to listen, instead focusing on the feelings of her transformation as she focused her gaze on her best friend, letting it anchor her.
When her transformation was complete, Atsuko closed the gap between them and hugged Himiko, feeling her best friend shaking in her arms. "It's okay Himi, they aren't saying anything bad."
"Thanks, Suko," Himiko took a deep breath before separating. She scanned the crowd and twirled around, showing off her perfect transformation before taking a deep bow.
"Think that was enough?" Atsuko asked.
"Yeah, I think so," Himiko smiled at her friend. "Thanks."
"Anytime, Himi."
Returning to their original positions, the duo retrieved their weapons and bowed to each other. Himiko dropped her transformation, feeling the form of her friend slough off of her as she slid into a casual fighting stance, watching as Atsuko fell into a matching stance.
Raising her foam weapon, Himiko charged.
"Hotoko wins! What an intense match!" Present Mic shouted over the loudspeaker as the crowd cheered.
"Owww," Himiko said from her position facedown on the concrete. As she pushed herself up, Atsuko offered her a hand.
"Sorry Himi," Atsuko apologized, a guilty expression on her face. "That was dirty of me."
"I'll forgive you," Himiko said as she grabbed her friend's hand. "Only because it worked though!"
"Of course," Atsuko said as she allowed her friend to pull herself up. "I can't let a villain trick me!"
"What an incredible display of sportsmanship!" Midnight called from her position on the platform. "Let's hear it for Hotoko!"
Descending to the arena, Midnight raised Atsuko's hand to the cheers of the crowd. Himiko gave her friend one final smile before she walked off the field, returning to the bleachers. Despite some bruises that she knew she was going to feel later, she didn't feel bad enough to go to Recovery Girl. After all, she couldn't rely on the elderly hero forever.
As she returned to her seat, Tomoe turned to her and waved. "Midoriya, that was great!"
"How are people taking it?" Himiko asked. "The transformation, I mean."
"Listen for yourself," Tomoe said, offering her hand.
Sitting down next to her friend, Himiko took Tomoe's hand and let her friend use her quirk, enhancing Himiko's hearing to superhuman levels.
"You know, a quirk like that would be really useful for information gathering. No villain would ever suspect a thing!"
"It's a shame that her method for transformation causes such a visceral reaction, she could be a top-ranking hero otherwise!"
"I wonder if she matches voice as well, or just appearance… There aren't many shapeshifters around the world who can do both. If she can, that would make her a rare treasure."
"I would love to have her as a sidekick at my agency. There's so many applications for a shapeshifting quirk."
"You're right, I feel a little bad about my reaction when she just bit her opponent like that."
"It's a shame she revealed herself on national television like that. Then again villains could use a little paranoia, thinking about the future shapeshifter hero training at UA!"
Tears ran down Himiko's cheeks as she let go of her friend's hand.
"You're smiling," Tomoe pointed out.
"Am I?"
"Yeah," Tomoe smiled at her friend. "Looks like you made your point."
"Yay!" Himiko cheered. "Izu was right! If these people can see that a blood-based quirk isn't bad, then I'll just have to show everyone else too!"
"And here I thought I won the match," Atsuko said as she sat down next to her friend. "Better luck next year Himi."
Himiko rolled her eyes and elbowed her friend. "You know damned well that if that wasn't an open arena I would have kicked your ass."
"A hero needs to be prepared to operate under any condition," Atsuko responded with a bad Aizawa impression. "More seriously, did it work?"
"Yeah, it did," Himiko said, her smile never fading.
AN: Something that always bothered me about UA's sports festivals is the logistics never made any sense. So here the Sports Festival spans the first three days of Golden Week, where each year has a dedicated day-long event. It doesn't matter so much for this first Sports Festival, but it will in the future when Izuku joins his sister at UA!