AN: Don't be confused by the beginning. In Izuku's speech for the Sports Festival, he basically said what the villains did at the USJ and what they stand for don't matter. Aaaand they're a bit upset by that. Anyways, enjoy!

"We don't matter?!!!"

Kurogiri sighs, putting down his nearly polished glass. While of course, he agrees with Master's idea to have Shigaraki watch the Sports Festival to familiarize herself with her enemies more and check on Tomura's progression, there were…complications.

"Who does he think he is?!!"

With a practiced wave of his hand, he creates a portal to catch the bar stool before it hits the wall it was sent hurtling toward. Kurogiri creates another portal to deposit the stool in front of him.

"I matter!!" In a scene he has seen more times than he can count, he stopped trying years ago, Shigaraki slices the old computer they use clean in half with one of her discs.

They hadn't even gotten to the first event.

But the green-haired hero boy had decided to specifically call out their organization in all but name during his speech, claiming they were hiding and didn't matter. Kurogiri was willing to concede he was right about the first point but even he had issues with the second.

That put it lightly to how Shigaraki was taking the words if her pacing angrily around the room was any indication. "I have to hear it from sensei almost every day, I am not taking that from some little privileged hero brat!" She screeches.

Kurogiri hums in agreement, moving to a closet behind the bar and allowing Shigaraki to rant more. "What gives him the right? Huh? He's not the one who had to grow up being broken down in every possible way by sensei? To do everything right and whatever he asked only to be constantly told you'll never get out of the shadow of your stupid brother!!"

A dozen small discs form around her body and shoot out around the room so fast, that most wouldn't know what was happening until it was over.

The discs are gone as fast as they appeared but their damage is not. Small cuts on almost every part of the room and furniture seem to finally bring Shigaraki back a little. "Aw crap, not again…" she slumps onto the couch. "Sorry, Kurogiri…

"Not to worry, young master." Kurogiri opens a closet he is very familiar with to reveal a dozen very similar computers to the one broken by Shigaraki. His quirk made them easy to obtain and it never hurt to be prepared. "This could be an opportunity for you."

While sensei's successor gives him a questioning look, Kurogiri warps the old computer and replaces it with a new one. He had learned long ago that his young master could get…very involved in whatever tv show or movie she was watching.

There was never anything wrong with this in his eyes. The media often helped distract his charge after a particularly rough day or calmed her down after say, a nightmare. As Kurogiri had no need for sleep, he found the two of them watching tv in the middle of the night into the early hours of the next morning a common occurrence.

He hadn't had much interest in most of what Shigaraki watches, except perhaps the programs where the protagonist would take care of a wounded animal, but stayed as it was his job to keep an eye on her.

It was always when he least expected that Shigaraki would lash out, however. Either something not going her way in the plot or a series 'dragging out her OTP for no reason.' Kurogiri finds it best to just nod along at these moments he doesn't understand.

"It is for reasons like this that the Master had insisted you watch the festival, Shigaraki," Kurogiri placates while setting up the new computer. "The boy has dug his own trap, all that is required now is for you to seize the opportunity."

After returning to the correct website and making sure he has Shigaraki's undivided attention, which he does, Kurogiri finishes, "the boy claimed you don't matter and the people believed him. Prove him wrong. Land a decisive blow to the heroes and the victory will be twofold. You have your win, and you prove the boy wrong and make the public question both him and UA. Show everyone you matter."

To her credit, Shigaraki looks deep in thought for a minute. "You're right…and I think I have a couple of ideas."

"This year's first event is…the obstacle race!" Midnight yells out to the approval of the crowd.

She goes on to explain how the race will be four kilometers around the stadium and they could do whatever they wanted as long as they stayed on the track.

Not that it surprises Shoto. He was well-versed in UA's approach to teaching and the freedom they allowed. Still, he can't help but feel a little satisfied despite himself. Having the ability to do whatever he wanted and still not using his left side was sure to anger that man.

This first event benefited him in more ways the longer he thought about it. The greatest asset for a race was mobility, something his mother's ice gave him in spades.

And while Midoriya's quirk was extremely versatile, no doubt thanks to who Shoto suspected as his parent, he had never seen it aid the other boy too much in movability, usually relying on his natural athleticism in class.

No, he wouldn't have to worry about him this round. Shoto wasn't naive enough to think the verdant wouldn't pass the round, but Midoriya would not be a threat to him for now.

One of the giant doors surrounding the field they stand in opens, prompting all eleven classes to move in front of it and get ready. Immediately, Shoto notices a problem.

Despite most of the students around him posing no threat directly, he imagines the only ones he'd have to worry about for this particular event are Iida, Yaoyorozu, and Bakugo, the hall to enter the race is narrow. Too narrow.

On purpose, Shoto supposes. A first obstacle not even before they reach the starting line to catch the unobservant off-guard. But that was not him. Feeling his right side already begin to chill, Shoto tunes out the maddening squawking of Present Mic over the speakers and the crowd.

Endeavor was watching, he hopes to make him so proud today.

Midnight's countdown shakes Shoto from his sarcastic thoughts. He raises his right leg, ready to instantly freeze all the competition and push himself through the hall at once. From his observations, some of his classmates will not be deterred too much, but he imagines that will not be the same for anyone outside of his class.

"Ready…set…go!"

"Stop!"

It's only Shoto's training that allows him to stop his ice before it even starts. Still, even he was not immune to stumbling a bit. Many other competitors outright fall on top of each other.

What happened? Had there been a malfunction of some kind? Heterochromatic eyes move to their referee and Shoto blinks.

Because standing on the stage is not one, but two Midnights, glaring at each other. Present Mic screeches for answers and confusion ripples its way through the crowds.

"Don't listen to her! I said the race started, go!" One of the Midnights yells to them.

"This fake is lying to you!" The other accuses.

"What are you talking about?! You're the one that's not real!"

"No, you!!"

"Shut up!" Midnight swipes at her other self, revealing the clone and causing it to fade away. "It wasn't real! Go!"

A clone? But that could only be…

Shoto whips his head forward and his suspicions are confirmed, Izuku Midoriya stands at the exit to the narrow hall, smirking at him through a sea of students. With a wink, he's gone.

"Atta boy, Izuku!!"

"Don't fall for such putrid tricks already, Denki!!"

"How dare you call our tricks putrid?!"

"H-hey! Get your foam finger out of my eye!"

Cold fury tunes out the crowd again as Shoto stomps his foot down with more force than necessary. In what is an instant for most, the tunnel is frosted and Shoto is firing himself through the passageway.

"That had to be one of the CRAZIEST starts I've seen to an event!" Present Mic's voice booms through all their ears, the crowd roaring in response. "It seems Class 1-A's Izuku Midoriya created a copy of our referee to stop the race and give himself a lead!! Is that even allowed?!"

Aizawa sighs into his microphone. "The rules state anything goes as long as you stay on the race track. In this regard, Midoriya did not break any rules."

"You hear that folks?! Anything can happen! Like Shoto Todoroki's frosty greeting to his fellow competitors by freezing most of them to the ground! Talk about not being chill with your peeps!"

"Please stop."

"But that hasn't stopped anyone for long! Those kids are making that ice look like a single traffic cone in their way! And it looks like most of them are from 1-A as well! Aizawa, what are you teaching these kids?!"

Shoto lands on the ground and uses his ice to propel him forward, ignoring several of his classmates calling out to him about the stunt he just pulled and Bakugo's cursing of both him and Midoriya.

It surprises him how many both in and out of his class were able to break through his ice so quickly. Perhaps it wasn't just Midoriya he should be wary of underestimating.

But that is thought for another time because he is gaining quick ground on Midoriya, who's running hard in front of him but it won't be enough.

"That was pathetic, hero student!" Shoto looks behind him to see what he assumes is a general education student flying through the air and heading right for him. He's small with what looks like purple balls on his head.

"Too bad I've outwitted you! Time for my special move!" The boy detaches one of the balls from his head, another taking its place instantly. "Gra-" Before Shoto can witness whatever this special move is, a metal hand smacks the boy out of the air.

"It's time for our first major obstacle!! That's right ladies and gentlemen, it's Robo Inferno!!" Shoto's eyes widen slightly at the sight ahead of him. The track opens to a large area with three massive robots towering over them all, and dozens of smaller robots at their feet. "Woah! Power Loader went a bit overboard this year, huh?"

Learning from the exclamation of other students that these were the robots from the entrance exam doesn't matter, what does, is that Midoriya is nowhere to be seen.

'Dammit! He must've turned invisible so he could just run through!'

If the sounds of Iida's engines and Bakugo's explosions were any indication, they thought the same. But before Shoto could take a step, he was surrounded by three robots, all aiming their weapons at him. "I don't have time for this." He plants his foot on the ground, producing ice spikes to easily take care of the machines.

Instead of the sound of crunching metal like he expected, Shoto hears…nothing. His ice travels through the robots and they fade like they were never there…'shit.'

"I don't know when he did it, but it looks like 1-A's Midoriya has created clones of the robots to slow down the other runners!! How will they respond?!"

"Shitty clones don't matter when you can just fly over them!! Where are you, Deku?!!" True to his word, Bakugo's uses his explosions to propel him over the battlefield where students fall to robots, unable to identify which was real and which wasn't.

For once, it seems like Bakugo has a point. And he meant it when he told Midoriya his illusions won't matter against him. And he'll start proving that right here, right now.

Ice explodes out from Shoto's body, uncaring if it encases person, clone, or robot. Now even the famed zero pointer is safe. He gives himself just enough time to run under the behemoth before his ice cracks and the bot falls. Again, he cares not for the yelling afterward or what sounds like a cannon being fired off. Yaoyorozu, he guesses.

"We don't know where he went but Izuku Midoriya reappears, still in the lead! Followed closely by Shoto Todoroki and Katsuki Bakugo!"

Again, Midoriya is still in front of him! And not looking tired in the slightest while Shoto gains on him. Meanwhile, he can feel some frost already beginning to creep up his arm, but not nearly enough to slow him down. He had been through much worse, and Shoto had something to prove.

"Our leaders have reached the second obstacle, the fall! Don't look down!"

This time, he actually witnesses Midoriya disappear in a green light. It won't be that easy. Shoto runs up to the canyon and intends to skate across one of the lines of rope but his foot misses the rope.

Correction. It goes through the rope.

'You've got to be kidding me!' The rope flickers like a hologram, as do several others while Shoto regains his footing on even ground.

"Hey, Todoroki!" Shoto scowls at the sight of Midoriya standing alone on one of the pillars scattered throughout the gorge, waving at him without a care in the world. "Not having trouble, are you? Try the next one, maybe that'll be it!"

"Maybe be a threat before declaring war, Icy Hot!!" Bakugo soars above him, flying over the canyon. "You'll have to do better than that Deku!"

A shadow above him catches his eye just in time to see Asui jumping over him intending to catch one of the ropes…only to fall through an illusion. "Ribbit!" She desperately extends her tongue back to the cliff but it looks like it'll be just short.

Or it would've been if it wasn't for Shimura reaching out and grabbing hold of the appendage, allowing Asui safe passage back to land, or at least safe passage back to the boy she crashes into.

"Thanks, ribbit."

"No problem…"

"When will the madman Midoriya be stopped?! Now he has turned the real ropes invisible and created fake ones to lure his classmates to fall to their doom!!"

"Mic forgot to mention the obstacle is perfectly safe and any student who does fall will not be injured," Aizawa's tired voice comes through the speakers.

Deciding to be done with the bullshit, Shoto spreads ice across the cliff face until it catches and reveals a real rope. He's on it in seconds, using his ice to simultaneously speed him across while at the same time, making the rope unusable for anyone behind him.

"Sorry, Deku, but that doesn't work on me either!" Uraraka smirks victoriously, jumping over the ravine and using her quirk on herself to float to each pillar.

"Look at my babies all you companies out there, especially the big ones!" Shoto sees a manically laughing pink-haired…person he assumes covered in tech using wires and propulsion to move from rocky pillar to pillar.

A descendant of the American hero Iron Man perhaps? No! Shoto, focus. Humiliate Endeavor now, your board later.

Kaminari looks on with others trying to locate the real ropes but spots Tokage beginning to float across in pieces first. "Hey! Mind giving me a ride across!"

"At least take me out to dinner before asking for something like that!" The green-haired girl winks back.

"Usually, I don't gotta ask!"

Tokage's snort turns into a laugh and her detached hand points down where one of her fingers had seemingly found a rope and was strumming it like a guitar.

"You rock!" Kaminari lights up and streaks across the tightrope, Iida close behind being called out for looking very uncool by Present Mic. An Indigo-haired boy seems popular as he has multiple students testing ropes for him.

Shoto makes it to the other side and had enough boost to be just behind Bakugo again and runs down the path to the final obstacle.

"It's here! Our leaders are making their way to the last challenge! The great equalizer! The minefield!! Make your way carefully through or face an explosion like no other!!"

"Mic…"

"The mines don't actually hurt, they're just loud, flashy and blah blah blah, are you happy now?!"

"I'm never happy when I'm with you."

"Oh, you and your banter! Now, normally, this minefield is meant to slow down our leaders and give those in the back of the pack time to catch up, but what hasn't stopped Izuku Midoriya today? It wasn't robots, the fall, and it certainly won't be mines! How is he doing that?!"

That's what Shoto wants to know! The ground makes it pretty easy to spot where each mine lays and unless you were as fast as Iida, (could he be descended from Quicksilver?-enough!) you shouldn't be able to run over them.

Midoriya was yet again, proving his theories wrong because there he was, running across the mines without setting a single one off. Bakugo was literally hot on his trail, getting closer and closer.

Damn! He wouldn't mind slowing down but he had no choice! Shoto makes a path of ice to run down and takes off after the two leaders. It would leave a trail for those behind him but he's smarter than that.

Iida and Yaoyorozu could take advantage too easily and steal a victory from underneath him, so Shoto puts up several walls behind him to deter any followers.

Explosions batter his ears as Shoto makes his way closer and closer to Midoriya. Whether it was from Bakugo, whose yelling was drowned out, or the numerous mines being set off behind him, he couldn't hear much.

But he didn't need to hear to win this. He needed to see. And from what he was seeing right now, Midoriya had run out of his little tricks. It was over.

The support student uses her wire's to dig up mines and toss them at various students, blanketing the field in pink smoke. Shimura is hit and blasted away but a tongue wraps around him and brings him back down before he's too far.

Kirishima and a steel boy power through. Dark Shadow tanks hits for Tokoyami but is slowly getting smaller. Ashido and Hagakure help Jiro run. Sero uses his tape to redirect any mines sent his way. Spider-Man's webs look similar to his-that does it. He's using the old man's card to get himself a portable whiteboard after the festival. After Endeavor is done yelling at him for winning only using his ice, of course, that was very important and started now.

Shoto and Bakugo reach Midoriya at the same time, the greenette turning his head in shock. Time to show him what Shoto thinks of his tricks once and for all. He stretches his right hand out just as Bakugo does the same with his left. Shoto goes to grab his arm and freeze it when-

When he can't.

No. The dual user can't believe it when his hand goes through Midoriya, Bakugo is similarly stunned. Midoriya responds to them by sticking his tongue out.

The Midoriya they had been chasing the entire race was an illusion.

"Expecting someone else?" The copy mocks them before laughing and vanishing. If this Midoriya had been a decoy the entire time then where was-

"Seriously!" Shoto and Bakugo's heads shoot up to the tunnel they're running toward and lo and behold, standing at the end, by the finish line, was Midoriya. "How many times can I get away with that?" Neither can so much as push their quirks more before he takes a step over the line.

"We have OUR WINNER! In first place, Mr. blink and you'll miss him, Izuku Midoriya!" They almost couldn't hear what he says next because the crowd was so loud. "In second place, taking after his father is Shoto Todoroki!! Ow…Shota what was that for? Erm, and in third place, Katsuki Bakugo!!"

The rest of the runners begin to fill in but Shoto pays them no mind. He just stares at Midoriya who waves to the crowd with a big smile on his face, several of his friends coming up to congratulate him as they cross the finish line.

A lesser man would take this loss as a sign of what's to come, but not Shoto. Present Mic's jab about his father only strengthens what he has to prove. This also taught him he has a lot to learn. Shoto underestimated Midoriya going into this race and it cost him. That won't happen again.

In order to beat Midoriya, he needs to figure out how his mind works because blindly shooting ice at him was not working. He can think of one place to start.

Begrudgingly, he walks over to Midoriya's group who were talking excitedly about the race. "-after that I-oh! Hi Todoroki! Good rac-"

"How?"

It's ironic that social interaction seems to be the first and only way Shoto has gotten the best of Midoriya today. "How what?"

"How did you obtain such a large lead?" Shoto clarifies. "If that was truly a decoy the entire race, then presumably, you were even farther ahead, how?"

Midoriya looks stunned for a moment before rubbing the back of his head, his friends all give him questioning looks. "Technically that was an astral projection and…Midnight said the only rule of the race was you had to stay on the track and you could do anything you want so…" he shrugs. "She never said we had to wait for her signal to go."

Uraraka smacks her forehead, berating herself for not thinking of that, Kaminari looks jealous, Asui seems thoughtful, and Shimura is covering the mouth of a screaming Iida. No one notices Monoma running over to the judge's table.

"Interesting." Shoto files the knowledge away for later. Midoriya was very literal it seems. He would have to take this into account.

"IZUKU!!!" A voice rises above the crowd catching everyone's attention. It's a man in the crowd yelling through a bullhorn. Shoto did not realize patrons could bring those inside. Hopefully, Endeavor was not aware.

The man is tall, and wears what looks like a version of the UA gym uniform but the front is modified with the number one and 'Izuku Midoriya' written across both the uniform a giant foam finger on his hand.

"Oh no…" Shoto has never been adept at reading people's emotions but he believes Midoriya's current state could be described as…terrified.

"Deku, do you know him? Is that your dad?" Uraraka asks.

"I have never met this man in my life."

"You did so well, son!!" The man Shoto is almost positive about is his father yells down. It could be, it didn't ruin his parentage theory. "Your mother and I are so proud! You've come so far from when your illusions used to scare you and send you crying into our room, do you remember?"

Midoriya freezes. The man lowers the bullhorn to a shorter green-haired woman next to him in tears. "IZUUUUUUUUU!" seems to be all she can get out before crying against the man more. Most would assume this was his mother but Shoto is unconvinced.

Kaminari is also in tears, however, this is from his laughter at Midoriya while pointing at him. It would die very quickly, however.

"DENKI!!" A new blonde man yells through the bullhorn now. Ah, this was the hero, Thor. It would be easy to assume this is Kaminari's father. Shoto will take his wins where he can.

Thor is dressed almost exactly like Izuku's father. Only his uniform has the number two on it with Kaminari's name, as well as his own foam finger. "You make us proud as well, son! You are becoming quite the man! Your ancestors will sing songs of your battles for generations to come!"

"I'm so proud of you, my little spark plug!!" Kaminari's mom yells next.

"Spark plug?" The green-haired girl from 1-B appears from seemingly nowhere, a toothy grin on her face.

"I'm out of here before it gets worse." Midoriya is gone in a flash of green light, leaving an incense Kamianri.

"Get back here you coward!!"

What odd people.

Inko Midoriya couldn't stop wiping her tears. Her son, her baby, just seeing him out there had her so proud. Loki dutifully hands her another tissue like the great husband he is so she can dab her eyes again.

He once joked to her that he couldn't keep anything else in his pocket dimension because it was filled with tissues for her to use. She laughed at the time but looking at herself now, maybe he wasn't kidding as much as she thought.

"Would you like some water, darling?" She opens her watery eyes to see soft green eyes studying her. Loki's attention always seemed to be on everything around them so she loves these moments when all of his focus is on her.

The hero Midnight had announced the judges needed about twenty minutes to confer so they had time before the next round.

"Yes, but I'm still not letting you get away with teaching our son what a 'mewling quim' is," Inko chuckles through her tears, sniffling.

The God of Mischief is immediately on the defensive. "I did not tell him what it means! Merely that it would be funny."

"I don't think that makes it better, brother," Thor teases next to him.

Seeing a familiar look in her husband's eyes, Inko immediately intervenes. "I'll go with you, dear! Let's get drinks. Did you two want anything?" She asks the couple they're with. Good, Loki was thoroughly distracted. Inko didn't feel like trying to explain to stadium security why her husband stabbed his brother.

"No need to trouble yourselves." Thor smiles, standing up with his own wife. "We can obtain drinks ourselves. We have to keep our voices fresh somehow." The four separate and depart down to concessions, getting in line with many others trying to get food before the second event starts.

Inko could already see the swarm of fans swallowing Thor as he tried to make his way through. The man, always too nice for his own good, couldn't say no to any autographs or pictures.

Is that what it was going to be like for Izuku when he became a famous hero? Maybe it was perhaps conceited to think that way but what mother didn't want best for their child? Not that it mattered to her, number one or number one thousand in the rankings, as long as Izuku was happy, she would be too.

Until then, Inko will happily enjoy the privacy she has now. Loki had never put in to become an official hero himself, preferring to work behind the scenes when Thor asked him to. So the chances of him being recognized were next to zero. Not that she minded, it was rare she had him all to herself.

Inko wraps her hands around her husband's arm and leans against him as the line moves forward, sighing contently. "Darling?"

"I know today is about Izuku," she starts, her eyes closed. "But if you don't mind, I think I'll consider this a date. It has been a while since you've taken me on a proper one." The green-haired woman snickers in victory at feeling Loki stiffen at her words.

She wasn't serious for the most part, and he knows that. Does Inko wish she could spend more time with her husband? Yes, obviously. But she also knew what she was getting into when she decided to marry a god. And with everything he's done to help their son achieve his dreams, she can hardly complain.

Buuut that doesn't mean she won't enjoy these moments either.

The two reach the front and Loki orders their waters with a few snacks. "Name for the order?" The cashier asks.

"D.B. Cooper," Loki replies, taking his card back. Inko scoffs and lightly hits him over the shoulder for that while they move out of the way. "It's not like anyone remembers anyway." He shrugs off her concerns.

Inko hums. "No alcohol for you, today?" Loki shakes his head. "That's too bad. I was hoping we could recreate how we met."

Getting her husband to scowl will never get old to Inko. "What's wrong, sweety?" She says in between laughs.

"It was undignified and embarrassing," Loki complains. "Why Thor insisted on a Norse-themed party I'll never understand…"

"But you fit in with how much you two drank!" Inko nuzzles closer. Loki's body temperature was colder than other people's but she liked him that way. "The bartender was so upset at the amount of glasses you and your brother had smashed," she lightly chastises.

"You can stop anytime…" Loki's voice had a warning tone to it but the small smile on his face gives her all the permission she needs.

"Hey, it's not as if I was expecting to have to stop a drunk guy in a Loki costume from tripping and falling."

"Costume?!" Inko knows exactly what buttons to push and it was so much fun to see a man who prided himself on how he presents himself, gape at her. "Costume? We both know what I wore was the genuine article and better than any of those other fakes."

Inko feels proud when she continues to stand strong at the smirk Loki gives her. "It doesn't matter. When all was said and done, it was you who ended up falling for me after, was it not?"

Her stance falters as her face heats up. "D-do you always have to have the last word?!"

"Yes."

"Well, stop it."

"No."

Inko and Loki stare at each other for a good few seconds before breaking out in laughter. That was one of the things that her husband never failed at, making her laugh.

Inko knows she can come off as a party pooper to her son but if she's being honest, Loki's pranks were one of the reasons why she fell for him. And she's proud Izuku is taking so much from his father. Unfortunately, that includes Loki's tendency to take pranks too far at times but that's why Inko was here. To 'politely' remind her boys of such things.

"I miss this." Inko almost misses Loki's quiet words. He's still holding her but looking off somewhere in the distance. "I miss you."

"Then stay…" Inko does her best to not make it sound like a beg.

He holds her tighter but not in a painful way, looking down at her and smiling sadly. "I want nothing more. But for Izuku's sake…"

"I know, Loki." The couple transitions into a full-on hug and they stay that way for a minute, just enjoying the contact they have before Loki will eventually have to leave again.

As one of the biggest sporting events in Japan, the stadium is crowded. So it was no surprise to Inko when two people bump into her as they walk by. What was a surprise, was Loki swiftly ending the hug and catching the two people by their arms before they could walk away.

"Just a moment." Inko looks confused at her husband and his words to the other couple, nothing seems out of the ordinary? The man was plain looking with curly brown hair wearing a dress shirt and vest under a black trench coat. The woman was similarly plain looking but with pink hair and an orange top that was buttoned up.

"Is something wrong?" Inko asks Loki but he continues to stare at the strangers he's grabbed onto. The woman looks more agitated by the second.

"Nothing is wrong, dear," he responds to her before turning back. "You can keep the money if you wish. I would like the wallet back, however. Some of the documents in there are a pain to replace. I'm sure you understand."

"We don't know what you're-" the woman angrily begins before being cut off by a sharp grunt from the man.

"There are places to begin fights and places to not. And I think we both know that in a place full of heroes is not one." She glares at him but doesn't respond. "You saw?" The man has been mostly calm during the interaction and that doesn't change here.

"I did. You should be proud of her, not many others would have noticed. You just got unlucky, I'm afraid." Loki speaks just as casually.

The man hums. "So what happens now? We do not want to start a conflict but if you wish to hand us over to a hero, you'll find that to be problematic."

"It's as I said, you can keep the money. I just want the wallet back." The thief or, the trainer Inko supposes, takes a little time to decide before nodding at the woman.

She flowers but procures Inko's wallet that she would've never known was missing and roughly pushes it into Loki's hands after taking all available yen out.

Loki grasps the wallet but doesn't take his eyes off the woman. Normally, this might cause alarm to most wives, but Inko knows Loki. He wasn't looking at her in a romantic way, but instead, he was studying her. "I must say, that's impressive."

For the first time, the woman's face drops from a glare to surprise. "You can tell?"

The God of Mischief only offers her a nod. "Take care now, both of you." The would-be thieves look at each other before deciding not to question any further and walk away quickly.

With the trouble seemingly over, Inko goes back to holding Loki's arm after the altercation. "No matter what it is, you always give me stories to tell."

"I have plenty."

Inko sighs again into him. "When alone with me or out in public, you're just never afraid to be yourself. I always love that about you."

Loki pulls her in close. "Sometimes, what you see is what you get."

Shota leans back into his chair, he groans but it doesn't feel like enough to convey both the everything and nothing he feels right now.

In his favor, he just got off the phone with Howlett who's keeping an eye on Eri with his own daughter in the staff viewing room, she was doing great.

Not in his favor, Midoriya had cheated but not technically cheated again. Apparently, Monoma had overheard him saying as much and went and told Midnight immediately, which led to an emergency staff meeting in the middle of the festival. Wonderful.

He had told them over and over to not make the rules so vague going into the festival but when does anyone ever listen to him? All Might tried to seem shocked but the man couldn't act. How he's maintained his lie about his weakened form, Shota will never know.

In the most unsurprising twist ever, Nezu admitted he had already thought of the possibility and considered giving Midoriya a packet limiting what he could and couldn't do at the festival but decided against it because 'it was more fun this way.' Because why wouldn't he?

What Midoriya did was ruled legal for the round but it was decided in the interest of fairness and even though it went unsaid, public perception should they ever find out, Midnight is already explaining to him he can't do it again. Nezu gave her the right words to use so the boy wouldn't find another loophole.

Vlad was furious and marched out, saying something about having to talk to a few of his own students or whatever.

What does Shota think about all this? One round to go out of three, that's what he thinks. He would hope Problem Child wouldn't cause any more problems in that time but he hasn't gotten as far as he has by being stupid.

"Coffee delivery!" Hizashi announces loudly coming back into the room. "Midnight's gonna be starting the next round any minute so get caffeinated up buddy!"

Shota takes an experimental sip. "Fine. You live for another event."

"YEAAAAAH!"

How many rounds did he say he had left?

For the first event, Izuku basically turned invisible and took off running and did the obstacle course while everyone else was waiting around.

The robots couldn't see him for the first part, and as he's shown, Izuku used his naturally enhanced agility to run across the ropes of the second part, and for the mines: Izuku's invisibility is different from Toru cuz, you know, magic. It's less turning invisible and more hiding his presence. He doesn't make any sound when he's invisible or disturb the ground, not even leaving tracks in sand as an example. So he could easily run across the mines without blowing them.

After that, he just let the others chase a projection of himself while he waited by the finish line lol. Anyways, that's all for now. Until next time!