Another few days, another chapter, though I'll need to focus the rest of this week on my OP story. I'm woefully behind on that front, but deadlines are a surprisingly good motivator when I'm beholden to someone else. I'm glad y'all seem to like Nascha. It's seems to be hit-or-miss with such OCs. Now, on to review responses:
Alastor Grimm-Rose: This chapter should answer which of those options Nascha takes.
Gamelover41592: Thank you for your praise! I hope you continue to enjoy this story!
LEGOBRICK13: Well, the Joker isn't going to play a part in this story, but Marvel and DC do exist as companies, or they did at least. Izuku has to slowly come into the mindset, as all of the main-title Assassins did, though he's coming into it from a different viewpoint. I expect a good reaction to this chapter from you. I think you'll like it.
Monkey D. Conan: As the end of this chapter will show, not everything will go the way of Canon. Yes, Izuku still wants to be a hero, but this Izuku doesn't have the same chances that he did in Canon, so he'll have different character growth. Just wait until he he can't just watch death happen.
Ranger McAleer: I imagine Momo as a Templar (well, daughter of Templars) isn't that hard to guess in hindsight, but I applaud you for guessing it before the reveal. I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far, so here's more. I pride myself on my dedication, considering I have the ONLY One Piece fan fiction currently that goes from the beginning (well, episode 5 or so) all the way to Punk Hazard (not on FF, yet), so I'm a little familiar with pressure for getting a new chapter out. Nae pressure, indeed.
Shadowwolf1997: Indeed, that was a Zootopia reference. I figured an altruistic character like Izuku wouldn't be able to just accept such a moral gray area outright, so I'm glad you enjoyed Tsuyu's speech. I imagine the rise of law and anthropology made the Assassins' job so much harder, so yeah, murder isn't as common as it might have been during the times of Ezio Auditore or Connor Kenway. At least the idea of "motive" gives them a little wiggle room.
Souloman: I can't blame you since these chapters are coming out so quickly. 6k words are a whole lot more manageable to write than 10k. Yeah, Aizawa would NOT have allowed Izuku to follow a potential Templar to an unknown local, but Tsuyu —despite being raised by Assassins— doesn't have the same cautious mindset. Aizawa, being a teacher for his day job, would absolutely call Tsuyu out on this. And yes, Nascha has had a bad couple of days, and it's only going to get worse. I intend for her to play a decently-large role in the story, even if she's not the main focus. (In hindsight, it's funny I didn't know she'd exist until chapter 3 happened.) I'm glad you enjoyed the mission and Tsuyu's little speech. I can't say it's on the same level as some of those from the games, but (not to toot my own horn) I think I did a pretty good job with it. This chapter should also make you worried for Izu's wellbeing.
ThanosGaming (guest): The Eden Artifacts will come into play, but they are less useful than they were before for reasons yet to be seen. That said, the current Templars are tying to find a way to make them useful again. It doesn't help that Ubisoft said they'd never use Japan as a location for an AC game, but I've made my own history to compensate for that. I've got a chapter already written on the subject, but it won't come out for a good while.
Wizardwolf 1020: You're right, I really should play more of the AC games, but currently the hookblade is my favorite tool they ever used, even if it's only from Revelations. I'm sure that I'll eventually use some of the other tools, but I need to work with them in the games myself to make it work, and that takes time and money (I just finished the main story from AC III). As for your suggestion and comment about OFA... That's a pretty good idea and I think I'll run with it, but I don't think that will come up for a good, long time. I need to have OFA be a regular villain with his own 100+year plan before I move to someone that's even more of a threat. Thing is, I have a timeline worked out for why Quirkless people are special —got the chapter already written and everything— but we need the build-up first. We just need to get there.
Chapter 12:
The Sports Festival Begins
The week that followed Izuku's mission and subsequent promotion to Initiate was busy enough to take his mind off the moral gray area that he had been thrust into so starkly, training for the Sports Festival taking up all his time. Nearly every moment he had outside of school was spent sweating, whether that was because he was running, lifting weights, or physically recovering as he studied the words and tactics of the legends of old. He spent his lunch periods alone, pouring over Sun Tsu's The Art of War again and again. He had to, being the only Quirkless competitor —whether the others knew it or not— meant that he could not rest for even a minute too long. His dedication spread to the rest of his class, even those less prone to studying redoubling their training so they could bust through any obstacle they couldn't outsmart.
Finally, the day came.
Izuku leaned against the wall, breathing deeply as he tried to get his thoughts in order. None of the hero students were allowed to wear their costumes lest they have an unfair advantage over the other students, so everyone was dressed in their UA sweats. Izuku's hands went to his waist, feeling his collapsed bo and rope-dart for the seventh time in as many minutes, reassuring him that his applications had been accepted and that they were there.
"Bakugo," a voice said, Izuku looking up to see his childhood bully having a stare down with the dual-haired Shoto Todoroki. "I need to talk to you."
"The Hell do you want, Icy-Hot?" the blonde demanded. "I'm planning my goddamn victory speech and you're interrupting me."
"You are the only student here who comes close to me in terms of raw power," Shoto continued, ignoring Bakugo's complaint.
"You're fuckin' right I am," the other boy grinned.
"Objectively, however, I am still stronger than you."
"You fuckin' wish, bastard!"
"That is why I'm issuing you this declaration of war," Shoto continued, his eyes narrowing. "I will defeat you and come out on top in this competition. I will win, Katsuki Bakugo, and there's nothing you can do about it."
"So you wanna play it that way, huh?" Bakugo grinned. He raised a finger, shoving it into Shoto's face. "I accept your goddamn challenge. Just don't go crying to your fuckin' mommy when I murder your pansy ass, Icy-Hot."
"I certainly expect you to try." Emotionless as an iceberg, Shoto turned and walked to the other side of the room.
"Damn," Kaminari cursed. "You just had to wait until the last minute to bring the heat! I'm getting pumped!"
"You can say that again," Kirishima agreed. "That was so freaking manly!"
Izuku tried to shake their conversation from his thoughts and focus on the coming tournament, but something else kept wiggling in. He had been in the den earlier in the week when the American woman Nascha had been informed of the state of her family.
["The Hell do you mean my family's gone‽"] the American demanded, the young woman shooting up from the couch. Her hands balled into fists. ["They can't be! My parents might not be pro heroes, but they took self-defense classes and had decently strong Metas! They can't be gone!"]
Aizawa raised his arms in an attempt to placate her, Tsuyu and Izuku flanking him, but the action did nothing to help. He sighed, setting a manila folder on the coffee table. Nascha snapped it up, ripping the top off and spilling the pages within over the surface in her haste.
Her blue eyes snapped to a picture of her from her days in college, the photo pinned to one of the reports. She scanned its words, her frown slowly distorting into a snarl. She froze upon reaching the center, her body going limp as she fell back onto the couch. Tears rolled down her cheeks.
["Mom…"] she whispered. ["Jamie… Simon… I'm so sorry."]
["Your brother is still alive,"] Aizawa offered. ["At least, far as we can know."]
["Where?"] Nascha's voice was a hiss, her eyes narrowed.
["We do not know. The Templars must have—"]
"Raahh!" Nascha flipped the table with a primal roar, papers scattering over the floor as it collided with the leftmost wall. The table was only the first piece of furniture to feel her wrath as she kicked the couch over, too. ["Those no-good, cross-wearing bastards! Those fuckers think they can get away with this‽"]
["They do,"] Aizawa said. ["We have not receive any summons or signs yet, but Templars know we are hard to find and cannot just announce their kidnap."]
["Ms. Garcia,"] Izuku offered, thankful that he'd learned English to watch All Might's oldest interviews without subtitles. The dubs just didn't have the right tone when it wasn't the original voices and the subtitles didn't let you see their facial expressions. ["As it stands, the Templars must know that you are alive and with us for them to go this far. Most likely, they will demand that you turn yourself over to them in exchange for your brother's safety, but we cannot trust them to uphold any sort of bargain. Once they have you, I do not think they would release him, only continue to use him as leverage so you do what they say. A continuous hostage situation."]
["Then what the Hell do you think I should do‽"] Nascha demanded. ["I can't just leave my brother at their mercy!"]
"Recruit Midoriya, translate," Aizawa ordered, the man quickly laying out the situation.
["Currently, that is all we can do,"] Izuku told her, trying to stay word-for-word as best he could. ["We have no leads to his whereabouts, but they will not kill him. He…"] Izuku paused, the words he had to translate tasting foul on his tongue. ["He is worthless to them dead."]
["Goddamn, motherfucking, murderous assholes!"] Nascha yelled, ripping a pillow from the couch in two with her bare hands. She continued to curse with a string of profanities so long and powerful that even Tsuyu, the one present with the least grasp on the English language, felt horrified awe at the atrocious words and vitriolic tone. Minutes passed like this without pause until Nascha was left panting amid a pile of torn cloth, stuffing, and broken wood, the couch demolished.
["I want in,"] she said, no room for debate. ["You said you fight these guys, right? Well, I'm joining this fight."]
["You don't need to—"] Izuku tried, still translating.
["They have my brother because they wanted me!"] the American growled, cutting him off. ["I wasn't able to fight back when they took me the first time and it killed the only parents I've ever known. I won't lose Simon without a good goddamn fight, so train me. Make me an Assassin. These Templars have put themselves on my shitlist and I'll do whatever I have to to get my brother back."]
["That's a noble cause, but your emotions are clouding your judgement,"] Izuku translated. ["Wait few days. We'll see what we can find about your brother. It's possible we can save your brother soon. You shouldn't stain your hands like us if you don't need to."]
["I'll give you all until Saturday."]
["Would you like us to try to find your birth father?"] Izuku asked.
["No,"] the woman replied with a shake of her head. ["He's not related to Simon and probably doesn't even know about me. There's no point in getting him involved in all this. He's got no stake here, just an illegitimate daughter he doesn't even know. It might as well stay that way. Still, whether you all manage to find Simon or not, I want to start training. I can't just sit around and do nothing."]
["That is fine,"] Aizawa nodded. ["You can train with Keeper."]
The weekend had come and gone with no word nor leads on Nascha's brother, the young woman throwing herself into training with a furfur bordering on zeal, but Izuku worried that it was all fueled by the wrong emotions. Even so, he couldn't fault her, certain that he would do the same if his mother was kidnapped in the same way. For Nascha, her whole world had been turned upside down and, rather than being given a choice, it seemed like the choice had been made for her. Perhaps this is what Tsuyu meant when she said the Templars wanted to 'control the ecosystem' without caring about the fish.
He refused to let them win here. Refused to let them destroy another innocent life, no matter their reasons. They had no right to do that, even in the name of some ultimate "peace."
"ARE YOU ALL READY TO RUMBLE‽" the voice of Present Mic yelled over the sound system, earning a cacophony of cheering from all those who had managed to get tickets to watch the Sports Festival from the stands. Izuku jolted, shocked out of his thoughts. "SOUNDS LIKE IT! GET YOUR CAMERAS READY, MEDIA HOARDS! CHEER LOUD, FANS! 'CAUSE HERE THEY COME! LET'S INTRODUCE OUR FIRST COMPETETORS! THESE ARE THE FOLKS SO MANY OF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT, THE CLASS THAT FOUGHT OFF REAL VILLAINS WITHIN WEEKS OF ENROLLMENT, CLASS 1-A!"
"That's us!" Mina cheered, leading the group as the class stepped out into the light. Some of the more extroverted of their number waved at the stands while others, like Izuku, put their hands together and tried not to tremble at the camera flashes and roaring.
"AND BEHIND THEM WE HAVE OUR OTHER HERO COURSE CLASS! THOUGH THEY HAVEN'T BEEN THROUGH THE SAME THING, THEY'RE JUST AS HEROIC! GIVE IT UP FOR 1-B!"
The cheering was noticeably less, but it wasn't hard to understand why. Izuku looked back and flashed his Eagle Vision, a number of class 1-B shining a clear red. Most of the class were simply the white of indifference while Itsuka and her Vice Representative Nirengeki Shoda glowed blue along with a couple others.
"NEXT WE HAVE THE GEN ED COURSES 1- C, D, AND E! KEEP AN EYE ON THEM, FOLKS, 'CAUSE WE'VE GOT AN OPEN SEAT IN THE HERO COURSE THAT ONE OF THESE UNSEEN STARS IS GONNA STEP INTO! AND IF A HERO STUDENT DOESN'T MANAGE TO PROVE THEIR WORTH, THEY JUST MIGHT GET TRADED!"
Despite his height, Mineta was easy to see within the depths of class 1-D, the little student burning a red almost as potent as Bakugo's. That was not a good sign.
"AND FILLING OUT THE ROSTER WE HAVE THE SUPPORT STUDENTS OF CLASSES 1- F, H, AND J! TECH COMPANIES, THESE KIDS ARE YOUR FUTURE BIG SHOTS! AND THEY CAN SHOW YOU WHAT THEY'VE GOT, 'CAUSE ALL THE GEAR THEY'RE USING WAS MADE WITH THEIR OWN HANDS!"
"I think Mic-sensei did a pretty good job introducing everyone," Ochako commented as the classes lined up, forming rectangles.
"Doesn't UA have a business course?" Jiro questioned. "Aren't they participating?"
"They do not participate," Momo responded. "Rather, they practice their negotiation and analytical skills by selling concessions and discussing odds and marketing with the people in the stands. It's a long-running tradition that they try to predict the winner of the festival by the end of the first round."
"Silence, everyone!" On the podium before them strutted out Midnight, Izuku taken aback at her hero suit despite having seen it before. Like with Tsuyu, Midnight's costume left nothing to the imagination, a stark contrast to usually seeing Master Kayama in her Assassin robes or the business suit she typically wore during school.
"Midnight-sensei's outfit needs to come with a warning label," Sero said, his face red. Koda nodded silently beside him. Izuku could practically hear Mineta drooling from his location three classes away.
"Alright kiddies, settle down!" Midnight ordered, cracking her cat-o'-nine-tails like a whip, her hips cocked in a way that accentuated their wideness. Izuku felt his own cheeks heat. "I know all of you are just raring to go, but we've got some foreplay to get through before we get to the actual play. For our student pledge, we've got the student that scored the highest on the entrance exam, Katsuki Bakugo!"
"Highest for the hero course," someone in 1-C grumbled. Bakugo stomped his way to the podium, taking Midnight's spot as she offered him the mic. He stood there in silence for a moment, glaring at them.
"I," he began, his voice sent out to not just Japan but the entire world, "am gonna kick every one of your asses."
Izuku's head fell into his hands with a sigh, disgruntled yells coming from members of every class. They rolled off Bakugo like water off a duck's back.
"You cannot say such a thing!" Iida admonished. "You are representing all of us, not only 1-A but UA as a whole!"
"Not my fault you're all just steppingstones to my victory," Bakugo shrugged, offering the wealthy student a thumbs-down. This only served to make the booing of the rest of the students louder.
"If the other classes already didn't hate us because of you, they certainly do now!" Kaminari growled. "Way to go, 'Splody Boy!"
"Kaminari's right, everyone," Izuku muttered to his classmates. "Bakugo's speech turned nearly half of the rest of the student body against us in an instant."
Knowing that Izuku's eyes could see malice and ill will toward him or any group he affiliated himself with, the rest of 1-A accepted that they now had targets on their backs. It was something they would have to keep in mind going forward.
"Alright everyone, it's time for the first round!" Midnight called, gesturing to a screen above her. "The first round will be an obstacle race! Only the top 42 students will move on to the next round, so you better be quick about it! The track will be four kilometers around the stadium! You're not allowed to leave the track or deliberately hurt any of your fellow students. Other than that, you can use your Quirks and your wits to their full abilities to reach the end and/or impede your competition! Everyone, to the starting line!"
Izuku followed the throng of people as the students made their way to the indicated area, the massive group waiting outside a tunnel. Izuku's eyes widened as the world seemed to slow down.
'The tunnel itself is the first obstacle,' he realized. 'Students are going to be packed like sardines and we'll need to find a way to maneuver ourselves around everyone else.' The countdown started to buzz, Izuku studying the walls and his fellow students. There was a chill in the air, an indication that Shoto was already preparing something.
"Tsu," the verdet hissed, speaking quickly and quietly. "Todoroki's up to something, so let's work together to clear the tunnel on the roof."
The frog-girl nodded, grabbing one of Izuku's wrists as the starting horn blew. The pair jumped, just missing the ice that covered both the staring line and the entire floor of the tunnel rooting most of the students in place. Shoto shot forward, Bakugo and several of their classmates already on his heels, having avoided his attack.
Tsuyu threw Izuku forward, the teen's fingers hooking onto a light. This, however, was ultimately to Tsuyu's advantage, the female student using the boy as more of a handle, pulling herself forward with her tongue and leaving him behind.
"Tsu!"
"Sorry Izuku, ribbit!" she called back. "I'm sure you'll think of something!"
Having to think quickly with his first plan leaving him in the dust, Izuku pulled his rope-dart from his belt and swung it, hooking onto the next light. He repeated this until reaching the end, landing outside the tunnel in a roll among a host of other hero students.
"That was pretty manly, Midoriya!" Kirishima commented, some ice still stuck to his shoes. "Reminded me of that weird spider hero Midnight-sensei had us study!"
"Thanks!" Izuku yelled back, matching the Hardening student's pace. A veritable glacier grew ahead of them around a frame of metal. "Are those zero-pointers?"
"And Todoroki left us a gift!" Kirishima added, only for the falling, frozen robot to suddenly explode, its body tilting backward as Bakugo showed what he thought of his two-toned rival's play. As they drew closer, Izuku noticed the red glow of enemies, various smaller robots littering the track ahead. Leaving the other zero-pointers to his classmates with more tratdtionally-stronger Quirks, Izuku drew his bo and charged forward, preparing for a reenactment of the entrance exam.
"SHOTO TODOROKI AND KATSUKI BAKUGO RACE AHEAD PAST THE ROBO INFERNO!" Present Mic commentated. "TODOROKI FROZE ONE OF THE ZERO-POINTERS WHILE IT WAS OFF-BALANCE, MAKING IT A HAZARD TO THOSE BEHIND, BUT BAKUGO PUT A STOP TO THAT WITH A MASSIVE EXPLOSION! WHAT A HOT START TO OUR FESTIVAL! WHAT ARE YOU TEACHING THOSE KIDS, ERASER‽"
"Why did I let you talk me into being a commentator," the tired voice of Aizawa bemoaned. "Those two lead the class is raw power, but they still have a long way to go when it comes to technique. Still, leaving the zero-pointer ready to fall was a strong showing of finesse on Todoroki's part. I'd call Bakugo's response heroic if I didn't know he doesn't care about helping anyone else."
"EITHER WAY, THEY'VE BOTH ARRIVED AT THE NEXT OBSTACLE, THE FALL! BUT THE OTHER STUDENTS ARE CLOSING IN, TOO! IN FACT, IT LOOKS LIKE MOST OF THE FRONTRUNNERS ARE FROM 1-A!"
"They've learned not to hesitate," Aizawa said. "They've seen what real villains are capable of and know that even a moment can cost them their dreams. They can't stop even when they're scared."
Disregarding the commentary, Izuku found himself between Kirishima and a student from 1-B with skin shimmering a reflective silver. Izuku focused on his own foe with a determined frown on his face, a robot incredibly similar to the three-pointers of the entrance exam. His bo spun, its electrified ends drawing lines of blue in the air as he redirected a rocket into the air above him before jabbing the end into a weak point in the bot's neck. It convulsed as its systems short-circuited, the head exploding and the body falling over. Izuku jumped its downed form to see the silver-skinned student about to be attacked from behind.
"Watch out!" the verdet yelled, swinging his rope-dart forward to catch the robot's arm as his reeled for a punch. He pulled, overbalancing the machine so it fell on its back. The silver-skinned student stomped on its torso, crushing the parts inside, before throwing him a thumbs-up.
"Thanks, bro! That was pretty manly of you! Wanna run together?"
"Thanks," Izuku replied, the boy joining him as Izuku caught up. He offered a hand mid-run. "Izuku Midoriya, class 1-A."
"Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, 1-B," the student said as he accepted the hand, the shiny metallics of his skin fading away to reveal his white-almost-silver hair and long eyelashes. "I guess some of you 1-A guys aren't as bad as Monoma says."
"You really remind me of my classmate Kirishima. I think you and him would be best friends."
"I'll have to meet the guy."
Izuku and Tetsutetsu slowed to a stop, the two looking out over what Present Mic had called The Fall. It was a veritable canyon littered with pillars between the two sides. Each pillar was connected to those nearby by thin wires. The pillars lessened in number as they neared the other side until there was only one connecting to the edge by a single line of metal.
"Aw crap," Tetsutetsu sighed. "Got any ideas, Midoriya?"
"Wishing you luck," Izuku replied, one foot already on the closest wire. "I've trained for this. See you later, Tetsutetsu!"
"Come on, man!"
Sending a wave behind him, Izuku ran, slowly catching up with some of the students ahead. He could make out Tsuyu on the final pillar, already beginning to crawl long the wire there like a chameleon. Iida was almost directly ahead, balancing himself as his engines propelled him along. Ochako was floating from pillar to pillar, avoiding the wires altogether, while Momo had created a miniature hot-air balloon she was directing over the divide. A girl Izuku recognized as Hatsume from the support course laughed manically ahead as her contraptions catapulted her forward. Focusing on himself and with far more balance than Iida through his Assassin training, Izuku was quick to catch up to the legacy hero student.
"Pardon me, Iida!" Izuku chuckled, jumping. Iida didn't know how to react as Izuku, in a completely unprecedented, highly-acrobatic move, landed on his shoulders in a handstand.
"Midoriya‽" Iida gasped, nearly losing his balance. Izuku moved to correct for their combined mass. "What are you doing‽"
"Getting past you and showing off a little," the verdet answered honestly, pushing off to land ahead of his friend. "See you later, Iida!"
"DID ANYONE ELSE JUST SEE THAT‽" Present Mic yelled. "MIDORIYA JUST BYPASSED A FELLOW STUDENT ON THE WIRE BRIDGE! WHAT A SHOWING!"
"Midoriya's Quirk is non-combative in nature," Aizawa explained. "He is keeping pace in the hero course through harsh training and his wits. Parkour and acrobatics are one way he maintains his seat. In his words, 'if they can't hit me, then their power means nothing.' I approve."
"HE KIND OF REMINDS ME OF YOU, EREASER!" Mic commented. "HAVE YOU BEEN TRAINING HIM‽"
"He did approach me for some additional training," Aizawa admitted. "Our Quirks and shortcomings are very similar, so I guess you could say he's like a younger me. That doesn't mean I favor him over any of my other students, though. If anything, he has a higher bar to pass because of that."
"CONSIDERING THAT LAST PLAY, I'D SAY HE'S GOT THE HOPS TO GET OVER ANY BAR YOU GIVE HIM, ERASER! AND LOOK AT THAT, BAKUGO AND TODOROKI ARE ALREADY AT THE MINEFIELD! THIS FIELD IS NEARLY A FULL KILOMETER OF EXPLOSIVE DANGERS, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY; THEY'RE ONLY STRONG ENOUGH KNOCK YOU UPWARD AND SCARE THE PEE OUT OF YOU, NOT CAUSE ANY DAMAGE! THAT SAID, SOME OF THEM ARE FAKE, SO THE OBSERVANT MIGHT JUST TAKE THE LEAD! SPEAKING OF LEAD, OUR LEADERS ARE STILL NECK AND NECK, BUTTING HEADS FOR FIRST PLACE! BUT WHAT'S THIS‽ YAOYOROZU'S FLYING OVER THE COURSE AND QUICKLY CATCHING UP!"
Izuku continued to run, focusing only on keeping his breathing even and his balance centered. Movement flashed in the corners of his vision as other students made their own ways over The Fall, but their actions were unimportant. The pillars blurred together until, at long last, he reached the final one. Several of his classmates were there already. Ochako stood with a hand on her stomach and another over her mouth while Mina was trying to catch her breath to the side. Hanta Sero gave his arms a quick stretch before shooting his tape, swinging along as he had been before.
"You guys should do some more cardio," Izuku joked, bypassing them to stand at the final wire.
"How are you not even breathing hard, Midori?" Mina panted.
"Cardio," he grinned, taking off down the wire and leaving them behind. Explosions sounded ahead, each accompanied by clouds of pink smoke.
"OH, THAT'S GOTTA HURT!" Present Mic yelled. "APPEARENTLY SICK OF YAOYOROZU'S EASE, EXCHANGE STUDENT HIRYU RIN OF 1-B USED HIS QUIRK: SCALES TO PUNCH A HOLE IN HER BALLOON! IT WAS ALL DOWNHILL FROM THERE! OHH, AND OUR TWIN LEADERS WERE TOO FOCUSED ON EACH OTHER AND HIT A LANDMINE, KNOCKING THEM SILLY! WHAT SAY YOU, ERASER‽"
"Their focus on each other is foolish," the other commentator said. "This delay is allowing others to vie for first place, something that would not have happened if they were more focused on the obstacles before them."
Despite having been trained to not let his emotions control him, Izuku couldn't help the smile that widened with schadenfreude at the news of Bakugo blowing himself up and losing some of his lead. He cleared The Fall and hurried, catching up to those ahead of him.
The start of the final obstacle was marked with two yellow signs, both reading "DANGER, MINES" in bold lettering. Several spots ahead where mines had been buried were now nothing more than holes, their contents having been detonated. As he watched, a gen ed student stepped on one, the resulting blast of pink smoke launching the screaming student into the air.
"I wonder…" Izuku muttered to himself, activating his Eagle Vision. As he'd suspected might be the case, the mines glowed as red dots, vaguely reminding him of acne scattered across the field. Some spots did not glow at all, indicating that the mines below were duds or fakes. He grinned.
"WHAT'S THIS‽" Present Mic commented. "EVERY STUDENT HAD TO SLOW DOWN WHEN THEY REACHED THE MINEFIELD, BUT IZUKU MIDORIYA IS CHARGING STRAIGHT AHEAD, STEPPING ON MINES THAT DO NOTHING AND AVOIDING THE REST! HE'S BLITZING THROUGH THE COMPETITION!"
"Midoriya can sense benevolence and malice," Aizawa offered by way of explanation. "It appears that extends to inanimate danger. Unlike his fellow students, he can see which mines are dangerous and which are not."
"Bye, Tsu!" Izuku taunted as he passed her, the frog-girl narrowing her eyes as he paid her back for her stunt in the tunnel. Ahead, tipped off by the commentary of their teachers, Momo glanced back to see Izuku rushing forward. Using her Creation, a pair of roller-skates popped out of her stomach, the girl quickly lacing them on. Estimating her timing, she stood and threw a fishing line. Her calculations proved correct, the line swinging around to hook on itself as Izuku went past her.
The verdet felt something thin pull against his torso, a look down showing nothing but the line in made on his jacket. He quickly memorized the area immediately ahead before chancing a glance backward. There, he found Momo treating him like a boat one uses to waterski with, the girl tracing his path perfectly.
"Really‽" he yelled.
"I'll pay you back later!" Momo promised.
Deciding that it would cost too much time to remove her line, Izuku just pushed ahead all the harder. The red and white lights that were Bakugo and Shoto clearing the last of the Minefield and turning the corner into the final tunnel. The only one now ahead of him was a girl from 1-B with vines for hair, her own glow a shimmering red. She was using her hair to feel out the mines ahead, a quick and efficient method, but one that was ultimately slower than outright seeing them. Izuku passed her quickly.
"Wha… Momo?" the girl blinked as the somewhat-connected pair raced past. The rich girl gave her a wave and a smirk.
"AAAAND WE HAVE OUR WINNER!" Present Mic called. "EKING OUT FIRST BY A NOSE, WE HAVE KATSUKI BAKUGO WITH SHOTO TODOROKI TAKING SECOND! FARTHER BACK WE HAVE IZUKU MIDORIYA COMING IN FOR THIRD PLACE UNLESS WE SEE AN UPSET, AND IT LOOKS LIKE HE'S PULLING ALONG MOMO YAOYOROZU IN FOURTH! WHAT ARE YOUR STUDENTS MADE OF, ERASER‽"
"Mostly flesh," Aizawa deadpanned, "like everyone else."
Izuku rounded the corner to the final tunnel when he felt the line around him shift. Having cleared the mines, he no longer needed his Eagle Vision, his now-no-longer-gold eyes looking back to see Momo was trying to pull herself closer. He would have none of that, the Assassin Recruit pulling out his bo and extending it horizontally behind him. The pole of metal took up a majority of the center, meaning that Momo would need to detour around him with her own efforts or somehow get under or over if she wanted to get past.
He felt the shifting stop.
The light at the end of the tunnel grew as Izuku neared, the verdet pushing his legs just a little harder as he burst into the outside. It took him only a few more seconds to cross the finish, Momo right behind him. Present Mic announced his and Momo's names to the audience, but he wasn't listening, the boy falling on his back and panting.
"Thank you for your help, Izuku," Momo grinned from above, the verdet only then realizing her top was open to show her stomach and a black bra, most likely for the benefit of her Quirk. He prayed she thought the redness of his face was from exertion and not the real reason. "I did say I would repay you for your assistance and I plan to uphold that promise should the next event allow."
"Y-Yeah, ok."
Ibara Shiozaki crossed the finish line in fifth, the students coming though at a steadier and steadier pace until all 42 places were filled. All 39 hero course students were there, the last three spots being filled by Mineta —the boy having managed to hitch a ride on Rukido Sato's back— Mei Hatsumi, and the purple-haired boy from gen ed. Yuga Aoyama just barely squeaked by in 42nd place, the blond boy holding his stomach in pain.
"AAAAAND THAT'S THAT!" Present Mic yelled. "IF YOU DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT, THAT'S FINE 'CAUSE WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER ROUND FOR YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN LATER, BUT FOR NOW, GO AHEAD AND TAKE YOUR BREAK! FOR THE HARDCORE 42 OF YOU, MIDNIGHT WILL EXPLAIN THE NEXT ROUND! YEEEEAAAAH!"
"Pay attention!" Midnight ordered with another crack of her cat-o'-nine-tails and a lick of her lips. "If you'll direct your attention to the screen above me, you'll see all of your names!" As she spoke, the list of contestants appeared in order of their placement, Bakugo, Shoto, and Izuku's names at the top. Those three names slid out of the list, each forming the top of their own column. The first column with Bakugo's name was labeled Team X (the lettering red), Shoto had Team O (the lettering black), and Izuku was given Team A (the lettering blue). The verdet blinked, thinking the letters and colors a little strange.
"The top three finishers will each be the leader of their own team for the next round!" Midnight continued. "The rest of you will be shuffled through a randomizer and divided into three teams of 14. Each team will act as an army vying for supremacy! Only 12 of you will move on while the rest of you are 'killed off!' Beware, though, because friendly fire is on! This game is called… Paintball War."
"That was a very impressive showing," Kanri Yaoyorozu commented, ignoring his son jumping on the couch as he cheered for Momo on the screen. Kyoryoku could have his childish fun, for now. Childhood for their family, after all, could be far too short. "Truthfully, I expected Midoriya to be taller."
"I think he's adorable," Okame cooed at his side, the woman giggling as, on the screen, their daughter leaned over the panting boy, ignorant to the effect she seemed to have on him. "He is not as powerful as some of their classmates, but he is hardworking and clever. Such things allow wheat to rise out of the chaff, so to speak."
"Yay, Momo!" Kyoryoku cheered. "Go Sis! Kick their butts!"
"Kyo!" his mother scolded. "We do not use such vulgar language!"
"Sorry, Mom," the boy pouted, sitting down.
"The race allowed the students to show off their individual skills," Kanri muttered, "so the next round should grant them the opportunity to showcase their teamwork, presumably in small groups."
There was a knock on the door, the patriarch turning to see a maid in the doorway. She bowed.
"Master, a package has arrived for you from your coworkers in America."
"I see," he replied. "Dearest Okame, continue to watch the Sports Festival with Kyoryoku. I will sign for and inspect this delivery."
"Of course, Dear," his wife answered. Kanri separated from them, walking to the maid who led him to a seemingly-random hallway. She reached for a metal light holder, pulling it down until it clicked. A door, heretofore unseen, opened in the wall, Kanri following the maid through before the door closed behind them. She led the man down the hidden stairs into the room below, a wooden box about five feet long sitting on the floor of the same secret room which held his and Okame's Templar uniforms.
Leaving the maid at the entrance, Kanri stepped forward and lifted the lid from the box. Inside was a boy of 12 or 13 with shaggy, brown hair and olive skin. A small IV was connected to his arm. and he was dressed in khakis and a blue sweatshirt.
"Does he have what we're looking for?" Kanri questioned.
"Not quite, Master," the maid answered, offering the man a file. He skimmed it. "Simon Atsa Simmons-Garcia of Spanish-Navajo descent, primarily from his mother's side. Quirk: Spirit Eagle. It allows him to manifest a semi-physical eagle that can act independently for up to 1.3 kilometers. He does, however, have notable genetic memories from the late 1700s and the earlier ones of that specific line, but his is of a different branch than Subject 17 was."
"A shame, but we can work with this," Kanri commented, studying the child. "He doesn't have the memories we were aiming for with his half-sister, but his lineage suggests the seeds of greatness. You said he has memories from the Colonial era? America?"
"Yes."
"Good. Put him in our Animus and wipe his memories of the abduction. Tell him we rescued him from a housefire but that his neurons were damaged. Then, have him relive the life of Haytham Kenway and/or Shay Cormack if possible. Perhaps, if he sees the Brotherhood from that point of view, we can have him come around to our way of thinking. He might just be a means to his sister, but that does not mean he can't become more."
"By your command, Master." The maid bowed. Kanri stepped away from the box, pausing by the doorway. He glanced back, a hand brushing his abdomen where an old scar twinged, the remnants of a blade he took saving his wife many years ago.
"He is not yet lost," the Templar muttered to himself. "He may yet find the guidance of the Father of Understanding. I hope that is the case, Simon Atsa Simmons-Garcia."
End of Chapter 12
The Sports Festival is now under way, but heroes aren't the only ones watching! What attention will Izuku's third-place standing get him? What will this Paintball War entail? What will become of Nascha and her brother Simon? I want to hear what you think!
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-SwordOfTheGods