Mina/Jake

I was still coming down off the thrill from the cavalry battle as we walked to lunch, our group having crossed with Bakugou's on the way. Said teen was still seeming to be enraged, grumbling as Kirishima tried to get him to engage.

"Third place isn't bad man. We're still in the finals"

The angry blonde didn't reply, only looking away sullenly before stalking off to spy on Midoriya. I simply smiled as I turned to Shinso, who had a similar look on his face. It had been his strategies that brought us through that successfully, so he kinda deserved a lot of credit, and he seemed to know that.

I still can't believe we got first place!

'Me either. Shinso came through big time.'

Your friend is pretty smart.

'Yeah. Always been that way. Evan and Anne were always the brains. Evan was the planner, Anne was always best on the fly.'

Sounds like they made a good team.

'You have no idea.'

I couldn't help the nostalgia that came from reminiscing over that. The projects they had done together. It was sad too. I missed Evan. We had been sharing an apartment, the two of us hadn't gone a day or two without seeing each other for years at this point. I could only imagine how much he would panic if he was left behind. To find two of his friends missing. At the very least Ben would be there, but he probably wouldn't react much better either. Lots of swearing.

I hope you find them again.

'Thanks. Who knows what happened? They could even be here in the world. But we don't even have a lead besides the eye tattoo.'

Ughhh. Why did it have to be so cryptic? Why not a note that said "Hey, this is why we shoved you in Mina's body"?

'I have to say, you're right on that. Being cryptic is my thing.'

Lunch wasn't bad really, plus we could check out a few of the food stalls. Our parents had given us a little money to spend, so I experimented. Not bad, Japan, not bad.

All the finalists talked, even Midoriya, who turned up late with Todoroki. The latter boy just silently grabbed lunch and sat alone. Honestly, he looked a bit sad. Bakugou showed up just a bit later than that, to Kirishima's relief.

It felt comforting, despite the fact that we were all going to be fighting in just a bit of time. No reason to let that ruin some good food. Kirishima was the one to break the ice.

"So, you guys ready for the finals?"

Shinso nodded.

"You bet. No hard feelings when I kick your butt?"

Kirishima laughed.

"That's manly confidence right there! I'll have to step it up to match!"

I smirked at that.

"Don't think Shinso will even get the chance to kick your butt if I do it first."

Kirishima looked shocked, before his look regained the normal positivity.

"Hell yeah! That's the spirit! Let's all do our best!"

Everyone around nodded, the atmosphere charged even as we returned to finish eating. Everyone here was going to be doing their best. Me included.

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Gathering up after lunch, I was tense. It looked like it would be a very different final round. All we could do was wait as Midnight began to explain the final round. One on one fights, whoever gets disabled or pushed out of the ring loses.

Then the brackets came up. I squinted as I checked things over. It seemed my first opponent was going to be Aoyama, like normal. But looking over, Shinso wasn't matched with Midoriya. He was fighting Asui, and from the look of the brackets we wouldn't be fighting unless we made it to the finals, which I doubted. If I won both of my first two matches, I would be fighting Todoroki in the semi-finals. And I had little chance there. Not like I wouldn't do my best though.

Okay! We're up first! Let's give it all we got!

'Right. Let's just get ready in the waiting room'

Aoyama spoke as I looked over, sparkly and confident as ever.

"Sorry Mon Cherie, but it looks like this is the end of the line for you!"

I simply gave him a lazy smile and a simple reply.

"We'll have to see sparkles."

I could feel Mina's excitement as I walked off to wait in one of the provided rooms. It was making me feel fidgety and a bit energetic, though it was hard to tell our feelings apart from one another, especially during times like this, high energy, when the adrenaline was pumping.

Ohhhh, right. Did any more memories leak over?

'Ehhh, a few. I have a theory about that too.'

Oooh. Tell me.

'It's a bit complicated to say in a short time.'

Then shorten it!

'I'll try. My idea is that two brains weren't meant to share the same space, so they can't stay apart forever. So our minds are being forced together. We're kinda being forced to merge.'

Oh. I…I don't know what to feel about that. Are we going to die?

'Not exactly.'

What the heck does that mean?

'That's the complicated part. So-'

I heard a cheer from outside. It appeared to be time. I jumped up and walked to the door.

'I'll explain when things are a bit slower. For now, we need to get to the match.'

Alright. Let's go win!

'Right.'

Giving the room one more look, I smirked. Time to kick some sparkly butt.

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Match 1: Mina Ashido Vs Yuga Aoyama

Walking out to cheers was quite the experience, especially having Present Mic hype us up.

"On one side we have Class 1-A's Mina Ashido!"

I waved as he said that.

"And in the other we have another member of 1-A, Yuga Aoyama!"

Aoyama smiled in a very Aoyama way, and I couldn't help but feel bad for what was about to happen. The guy was just too funny. Then, considering what I'd heard from manga, maybe there was more to him. I'd have to talk to him later. But now? I watched as Midnight smiled from the sidelines and Present Mic gave his rules spiel. Soon enough the R-rated hero raised her whip.

"Ready? Then begin!"

Aoyama didn't waste time, trying to keep me away with his lasers, but I dodged quickly, turning it into a dance for the crowd, spinning and ducking between the slow telegraphed projectiles. I just had to find the right opportunity to take him down. My eyes focused on the belt. His big obvious weakness.

It only took a short time before I saw my chance. Aoyama had to pause a bit longer after several volleys of his lasers. He was vulnerable, and a simple spray of acid left him further vulnerable. He cried in surprise before looking up to see me smirk.

"I think it's about time for the…how would you say it? The Coup de Grâce?"

I saw him gulp as I raced forward, propelled by my acid in a dash. A punch felt a bit mean, so instead, I opted for something that would still take him out.

Then again, me colliding with him at full speed to shove him full force out of the ring might have been worse. Still, it got results, as Aoyama flew out of the ring, landing in the grass. Midnight raised her whip to announce the end.

"Aoyama is out of the ring! The match goes to Ashido!"

I jumped down and walked over to Aoyama, offering the flamboyant boy a hand.

"You need to work on your durability."

The boy accepted the hand, smiling at me as if he hadn't just taken a quick defeat.

"Thank you Cherie. I'll…think about that. Go far for moi, won't you?"

I nodded.

"I'll do my best."

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I entered the box for Class 1-A to a couple cheers and a high five from Kaminari. Kirishima was already gone, getting ready for his match. I simply sat down, glad I got a break for a while. Now I got to scope out the competition while I waited for the next round. I looked over to see Midoriya scribbling in a notebook and muttering. It was weird to see now, but I leaned over and tapped the guy on the shoulder.

"You okay Midoriya?"

He perked up, realizing what he was doing, and smiled apologetically.

"O-oh! Sorry!"

I shrugged.

"Eh, it's fine. Just do whatever. I think it's kinda cool you can make notes so detailed from just watching a fight."

Iida, who was sitting near Midoriya's seat, nodded.

"Indeed. Midoriya is quite thorough. One of the things that makes him a good student!"

Uraraka interjected too.

"Yeah, he's…pretty cool."

Midoriya went a little red, hearing the praise from his friends. He apparently didn't notice the look on Uraraka's face afterwards. I smiled.

Ooooooohhhhh! Crush?

'Yup. She's got it bad.'

We gotta do something to help them!

'Maybe. I find it kinda funny to see them both flail'

Nooo! We need to help love blossom!

'Maybe'

That wasn't a yes!

'I know.'

Uugghhh. You are vague at the worst times!

'I know.'

Our attention was pulled back to reality as the next match was called to begin.

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Match 2: Kirishima Vs Jirou

Kirishima was as confident as I'd ever seen, walking on with his widest smile, though how real it was was up for debate. Jirou seemed indifferent, though it was hard to tell the specifics from where we sat. Still, both of them looked ready.

I had a feeling I knew where this was going to go. Jirou had practically nothing on Kirishima without her support equipment. As long as he was hardened, she couldn't really hurt him.

And Kirishima seemed to know that too. As soon as the match began, he hardened and rushed right at her, seeming to catch her off guard.

Jirou tried to fight back, and she did seem to have some hand to hand, but Kirishima just bowled through it, pushing her back relentlessly. She desperately tried to dig her heels in, but it wasn't much use.

I'd given some advice during training to him, just as he had to me. Use yourself like a battering ram. And he was taking that to heart.

It wasn't long before the relentless push paid off, and Jirou was shoved out of the ring.

"Jirou is out of the ring! The match goes to Kirishima!"

He of course helped her up to applause, and they walked out together. The guy was a real humble winner too, aside from the usual celebrations, he didn't go too wild. I high fived him, offering a seat next to me. He obliged, smiling as everyone was talking. Midoriya and Kaminari had left as Kirishima and Jirou had walked in, Kaminari high fiving Kirishima on the way out.

Jirou had sat down with some of the other girls, and I made sure to give her a thumbs up as she did. She only gave me a small smile and a shrug.

It was only after he spoke up that I realized Shinso was behind me.

"So, how's it feel to be moving up?"

I snapped my head to look at the purple trickster, and met a grin. He looked over and offered a fist bump, which I returned.

"Me or Kiri?"

Shinso shrugged.

"Both, I guess."

I shrugged.

"Not bad. Just gotta keep going, right?"

Kirishima nodded as I said that, making his own answer.

"It gets me pumped! I always wanted to be here, and now I am!"

I laughed a little, patting him on the shoulder.

"Well, you are. And I hope you're ready to get your butt kicked next round."

He returned the grin.

"Only if you are."

I shrugged.

"Guess we'll see."

Shinso chimed in.

"You guys gonna make out now?"

Kirishima sputtered, and I just laughed.

It was about that time that the next match was called. And it was going to be interesting.

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Match 3: Kaminari Vs. Midoriya

This was a match that could go either way. If Midoriya broke too much here, he might get knocked out, but Kaminari could very easily short circuit. Still, I really hoped Midoriya won. It was kind of integral to Todoroki.

The two looked pretty determined as they came out, and it seemed like tension was building.

Soon enough, the match was called, and it was time to fight. And neither one of them wasted time. Midoriya with a smash that nearly blew Kaminari away, but then Kaminari recovered and sent a blast of electricity at Midoriya, which he dodged.

Huh. Normally Kaminari would go all or nothing. But he seemed to hold off, as Midoriya ran at him, just a regular punch. That played to Kaminari, who shocked him, the green haired boy jumping back, and seeming to reassess things.

Kaminari seemed to take this as the time to go all in. He seemed to unleash all his electricity at once, briefly blinding us.

But when the smoke cleared, Midoriya was still standing, and Kaminari was short circuited.

Midoriya walked up, seeming awkward, and put a hand on his shoulder. Kaminar just kept giving a thumbs up.

There was a moment of silence before Midnight called the match.

"Kaminari is unable to battle! The match goes to Midoriya!"

It was only Midoriya who walked back to the box, saying Kaminari was in the nurse's booth. I shrugged. Shinso sighed.

"He really needs to stop doing the all or nothing stuff."

I nodded at that. But enough. It was time for the shortest match so far, as I saw Sero and Todoroki walk up to the arena.

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Match 3: Sero Vs. Todoroki

This one was going to be hard to watch.

Sero looked confident as he stretched, but Todoroki looked as cold (pardon the pun) as ever.

As soon as things started, Sero wrapped Todoroki up and tried to throw him out of the ring, but it was no good.

It was almost terrifying to see the glacier Todorki created when he took out Sero. It near;ly reached the stands, and was taller than the arena.

I heard a quiet 'holy shit…" from Shinso. It was one thing to see something in a piece of media, and another to experience it.

Todoroki is really strong!

'Yeah. Wait until he uses flames too.'

Why hasn't he?

'Family stuff. I'll tell you later.'

You don't sound happy

'That's because it isn't a happy story.'

I remembered what was up next as a break was announced to clear the glacier. I thought a while on it, but once things were cleared for the next match, I made up my mind. I got up as I saw Uraraka and Bakugou walk out, and walked over to see if Kaminari was good to come back to the seats.

Wait, why are you going?

'I can't watch this one.'

Why?

"I…just can't'

Okay.

'Thanks for the understanding.'

No problem. We're friends, right?

'Yeah. we are.'

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Shinso/Anne

Match 5: Uraraka Vs. Bakugou

Gotta say, Mina getting up at the start of the match was weird, but then, this was one that wasn't going to be pleasant.

Why not?

'Ehhh. You'll see.'

I settled in and braced as I watched the match begin, and Uraraka charged Bakugou recklessly, getting shot down each time, but throwing up dust each time. She kept doing it too, and to be honest it did start to feel like bullying, if I didn't know the context.

Even Kirishima started to say something about it.

"It's not very manly to treat a lady like that."

I shook my head.

"I'd argue it would be unmanly to not take her seriously like he is."

Kirishima looked contemplative for a moment.

"I guess. Still doesn't feel right."

I shrugged. He wasn't wrong there. I turned my attention back to the arena, where the same scene was still playing out.

Soon enough, the pro heroes and some of the crowd were making a fuss, which Aizawa silenced with his little spiel, matching something I'd said already. I gave Kirishima a look.

"Aizawa said what I meant to better."

He thought about it and then nodded.

"I get it."

Soon enough the final charge was done, and Uraraka's plan was enacted, the rocks falling rapidly, before being blasted with a massive explosion. When the smoke cleared, Uraraka stepped forward, and then collapsed, tried to move, then fell down.

As Uraraka was escorted off to the medical center, Midnight called the match.

"Uraraka is unable to battle! The match goes to Bakugou!"

Well, that was that. Bakugou seemed to be in shock as he walked in, and then sat down, ignoring the rest of the class, though he did respond to someone calling Uraraka delicate.

"Nothing about that girl was delicate."

I smirked. Finally, the development starts.

It was around the same time that Mina came back with Kaminari. Midoriya and Iida came back soon after, having checked on Uraraka. According to them, she'd be fine. Uraraka herself came back soon after, seeming chipper as ever.

Soon after, the next match was called.

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Match 6: Yaoyorozu Vs. Tokoyami

This one was quick. As soon as the match began, poor Yaoyorozu was on the defensive, having to constantly defend against Tokoyami's attacks with Dark Shadow, pushing her back all the while.

It was a good move. Yaoyorozu, much as she was smart, did not do quick thinking at this stage. Keeping her on the defense, not giving her time to form a plan, that was the way to throw her off.

And that was what was happening. Yaoyorozu kept getting pushed back and back, never being able to even hit Tokoyami.

Even with Dark Shadow's diminished state in the daylight, he was still strong enough to take on Yaoyorozu right now.

Before long, she was out, with not even the chance to form a counter attack.

"Yaoyorozu is out of the ring! The match goes to Tokoyami!"

It was sad, especially with how this would affect her in a bit. Still, she would learn.

It wasn't long before both the fighters returned. Yaoyorozu was immediately swarmed by the girls, offering reassurances, which seemed to help a bit, but I could tell she was bummed. That kind of defeat wasn't something you recovered from easily.

Then again, it was time for humiliation of a different kind as I saw Iida's match was getting ready.

At least this one was going to lift our spirits.

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Match 7: Iida Vs. Hatsume

This was one I was looking forward to.

That Hatsume girl has no training. How is she going to beat Glasses?

'She doesn't. You'll see.'

They both walked on, though Iida was loaded down with gear. He exchanged some words with Midnight beforehand, then the match started.

And boy was it humiliating for poor Iida. He was jerked around repeatedly as Hatsume used him as a living billboard for her support equipment.

It was amusing at first, though once it hit ten minutes, it started to drag. Luckily, it was only after another five that Hatsume finally was done, and willingly stepped out of the ring.

Everyone was in shock, and a moment of silence rang loudly before Midnight called the match.

"Uhh…Hatsume is out of the ring. The match goes to Iida?"

It was that questioning tone that finally broke me, an uncontrollable laughter breaking out as I struggled to breathe. I had started to get bored, but the end got me. Mina giggled a bit as well, though we both got a dirty look from Iida as he walked in to see us laughing.

He handled it the best he could, though I didn't see, as I went to wait for my match. The last of the first round.

I had to admit, I was wary. Tsu was no slouch in the fight department.

'Alright. Let's do this.'

Are you sure we can do this?

'No, but we gotta try, right?'

I guess.

I shook off the hesitation quickly, and put my smirk back in its place. Do not let fear show.

Soon enough, I heard the call for the match, and I got up.

Make or break time.

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Match 8: Shinso Vs. Asui

It was to an ecstatic crowd that I came out to face Tsu. We were the first place team in the last part of the sports festival, so a fight between two of that same team was going to be anticipated.

I smirked and stretched a bit as I faced Tsu, and Mic went through a few preliminary things. Tsu looked the same as ever.

I felt the tension building, ready to explode, before the match was finally called.

And with it, Tsu jumped right at me, with me barely dodging. If I got hit too many times by those kicks I would be done.

I had to duck a tongue too. She had that as well.

I didn't really have much of an advantage, especially with her not being the talkative type and knowing my quirk's weakness.

I still did try.

"Geez, right into it, aren't you? Didn't know you jumped that high. You have to train that?"

She of course didn't respond. Worth a shot. I had to quickly dodge another hit, before I finally managed to retaliate with a right hook that caught Tsu in the side. She recovered quickly, jumping away and shooting her tongue out. It grabbed me around the waist, but I smirked. That was the idea. I grabbed onto the tongue, and pulled, pulling Tsu toward me. I used the momentum to aim a kick that hit her in the stomach, causing her to fall over.

She got up though, still up. She responded to that with a kick that sent me off balance and stumbling, which she took advantage of to try and grab me with her tongue and throw me out of the ring.

I very nearly did, managing to stop just at the edge.

It was pure luck that I moved just as Tsu went to kick me out of the ring, leading to the force she put behind it pushing her out.

I just recovered my marbles when I heard the match called.

"Asui is out of the ring! The match goes to Shinso!"

I rubbed the back of my head as the crowd cheered.

I walked and helped up Tsu, who had fallen on her way out. She looked unperturbed, though I detected a little disappointment. I patted her shoulder as we walked out.

"No hard feelings?"

"None, kero."

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Mina/Jake

I couldn't help the smile as Shinso walked back into the box. That was interesting. With that match, it meant the next round was going to start. I looked over at Kirishima, who nodded at me, grinning confidently.

"I guess it's happening soon."

I shrugged.

"Yep. No hard feelings, right?"

He nodded as Present Mic announced a short break before the quarter finals. I got up and stretched a little, walking toward the door. I stopped once I heard a few voices calling after me, and turned to see a couple of my classmates encouraging me.

"You got this Mina! Show 'em what ya got!"

"Put on a good show, yeah?"

"You can do it, kero."

I smiled and gave them a thumbs up before walking out. It wasn't going to be long before the next match, and I needed to be at my best for this one. This was likely going to be my last match, since if I won, I would be going against Todoroki, and well, I wasn't sure I even had a ghost of a chance.

Maybe you can explain what you wanted to say earlier.

'What was it again?'

Something about merging, I think?

'Right.'

Soooo? What did you want to say?

'I was trying to say that I don't really know what it would be like for two people to merge.'

Gee, thanks.

'That doesn't mean I don't have a theory. From the way things are going, I think we'll end up taking on so many aspects of the other person that our thoughts will be completely indistinguishable.'

Huh. I don't get it.

'I know. The best way I can explain it is that by the time any merge happens, we'll be basically the same person, so there wouldn't be any difference to kill.'

That doesn't help!

'I guess. Just saying what I think might happen.'

I stretched a bit in one of the rooms absentmindedly, feeling a little restless. Looking around, it was quite a sparse room, so I had the reins. I walked and plopped down in the chair, letting out a sigh. It was weird being here. That wasn't something I got to reflect on often, really. There always seemed to be something going on that had my attention, but during quiet moments I had the chance to really let it hit me.

I missed Evan. I know it seemed silly, but he was kind of a good anchor for me, letting me put my head in the clouds without floating into space. Without him, it felt like it was hard to keep focus.

Anne was nice, she was a great person to scheme with, but she wasn't…anchored. I sighed and shook my head. Don't think about that now.

Do you…wanna talk?

'Maybe later. We have a fight to get to.'

I hopped up and headed to the arena exit soon after. Time to face down my rival.

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Match 9: Ashido Vs. Kirishima

The crowd was just as exuberant as the last time I had come out, and I felt a grin tug at my face as I walked out, staring down my red haired friend, who seemed similarly pumped.

I tensed and got ready to explode into action. This was it. Go time.

The call came, and we charged each other. Kirishima swung, already hardened, but I ducked under it, moving quickly to sweep his legs out from under him. He moved away at just the time to dodge, and charged, hardened, trying to act as a battering ram just like he had done to Jirou.

I smirked, and moved aside from the charge easily, delivering a swift kick to his back to send him off balance and stumbling. Taking advantage of the momentary stun, I tried to shove him back and out of the ring, but he recovered before I could, blocking my shove with his arms.

I jumped back, not wanting to stay in close, and waited. Let him come to me.

And he did, running and engaging me up close. I blocked, at the price of some pain. His arm was hardened after all. He smirked at that. I did the same, before we jumped back to survey each other.

I narrowed my eyes. He was being more cautious than I thought, though not by much. I didn't have much time to think on that before I was dodging again, on the back foot as he'd charged. He had control of the flow of the fight, he had the momentum, and that I needed to rectify.

Ducking one of his swings, I moved behind him and kicked his leg, trying to put him off balance. It worked, he stumbled, and I took advantage, spraying some acid in front of him and shoving him forward, into the patch, causing him to slide out of control toward the edge of the arena.

Kirishima managed to stop before hitting the edge, but in the time he took to steady himself, I pulled a gambit. I charged him, using an acid dash to rocket toward him and push him out of the arena.

That didn't go as I had thought, my momentum halting as I crashed headfirst into him, hitting him like a wall. It made me see stars, stumbling back and taking a moment to recover, almost not catching the cry as Kirishima charged me again. I barely moved out of the way, my vision blurring. I shook my head as my sight cleared in time to dodge a punch, returning one of my own to his unhardened chest.

We clashed like that for several minutes. We knew each other too well to get an edge, and nearly settled into a stalemate. I smirked after I realized that. A battle of attrition favored him, but if I could stay at it, he might exhaust himself.

So I switched tactics. I dodged, weaved, and spun around attacks, focusing entirely on defense. I blocked and redirected attacks, and generally made myself a nuisance.

Soon enough I noticed some of the hardening fading, and a swift right hook to Kirishima's face confirmed he had eased off on those areas to focus on the more important ones.

I wasn't cruel, so I tried not to hit him in the face too much. Still, a punch now and again to stagger him was useful in reacting to his attacks.

I could tell he was getting tired, and to be fair, so was I. Sweat was starting to drip down my face as I focused on a way to take him down now. And I had an idea. Kirishima seemed to be reaching his limit, and put it all into a final charge. I smirked. I knew he would do that, and with effort, threw myself out of the way, revealing the patch of slippery acid I'd left behind. I saw him try to stop, but it was too late. He stepped on, and the ride began, ending with him landing just outside the ring.

I let out a woop as Midnight called the match.

"Kirishima is outside the ring! The match goes to Ashido!"

I walked over, offering a hand to my friend that he took, smiling at me.

"Well, guess we know who's manlier."

I shook my head.

"I think we've both earned the right to say we're manly."

He nodded back as we both walked back to the nurses station, a few injuries needed to be healed.

"Sorry for punching you in the face, Kiri."

"No need to apologize, Ashido. Sorry for bruising your face."

I hadn't even noticed, but now that adrenaline was wearing off, I could start to feel the dull ache on my face. I just shook my head.

"Same to you. No need to apologize."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Getting back to the box hand in hand with a friend was the best I had felt in a while. Sitting down next to Tsu, I sighed, smiling slightly. Shinso noticed and grinned at me.

"Happy?"

I nodded a little, conserving energy. I would need it to give my best against the next match. Shinso seemed to notice my quietness, and gave me a questioning look. I responded with a thumbs up. He accepted it and went back to normal. I sighed in relief, seeing Kaminari pat Kirishima on the shoulder.

"It's alright man. You did your best."

Kirishima smiled and responded by doing the same to Kaminari.

"You too, Kami-bro."

Kaminari seemed shocked, before smiling. I couldn't help but smile at that. Good to see them being there.

Present Mic's voice called to me, and I looked back to the arena to see a match I knew was going to be climactic.

Midoriya and Todoroki had already left, and if I remembered correctly, Midoriya should have had an encounter with Endeavor right now.

I shook my head and looked out with a grin. This one was going to be fun.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Match 10: Midoriya Vs. Todoroki

Watching two of the main characters walk out to face each other for a pivotal moment was tense, I could feel the fire from here, even if it was metaphorical.

Kaminari leaned over to whisper to me.

"Who do you think has this one?"

I shrugged.

"Probably Todoroki. But Midoriya isn't going to make it easy on him."

Kaminari nodded. I turned back in time to see the match called, and Todorki sent out waves of ice at Midoriya, only for them to be smashed by Midoriya's powerful air blasts. I had to admit, for air to be able to smash ice like that, that must have been a lot of power he had concentrated in his fingers. Guess that's why he breaks them. One For All is no joke.

One For what?

'Right. I'll explain later, but the short version is Midoriya is All Might's successor and has been given his quirk, which has been passed down through eight generations before Midoriya to fight evil'

…Huh.

'I'll explain later. We have a fight to watch.'

Then again, it wasn't much of a real fight, Midoriya was on the defensive, Todoroki had full control of the fight, but he couldn't quite get him, all because he didn't use his fire.

And Midoriya knew that too, I could hear his shout at Todoroki to come at him with full power, but he didn't seem to get it, so the battle kept going until Midoriya shouted something else.

'There are the words.'

What words?

And within seconds, Todoroki was on fire.

'The words that did that'

I've never seen him use that before.

'He refused to, but Midoriya got him to use them'

And with that, things went wild. Both of the combatants used their final attacks, a massive wave of ice and fire rushing toward an exuberantly charging Midoriya.

Cementoss tried to put a wall between them, but impact turned it to cubes and shattered it in a glorious display. Like I had been saying, it was one thing to see it on a screen, but in person? Mind blowing.

And when it cleared? Everyone uncovered their eyes, the bright white flash fading as we saw that Midoriya had been knocked out. He was carried off to the nurse as Midnight called the match.

"Midoriya is unable to battle! The match goes to Todoroki!"

Said boy seemed in shock as he came back later, not talking to anyone even as he was pestered by the entire class.

"Whoa! That was awesome Todoroki! Why didn't you do that before?"

"That was manly as heck Todo-bro!"

"Nice light show you put on."

"Tsch. It wasn't that good."

"Powerful and versatile! Just as expected from a recommendation student!"

Todoroki didn't respond to any of them as he simply looked at his hands, deep in thought. I let him be for now. I knew I would have to fight him, but I had a feeling he was going through something I shouldn't disturb for now.

Aw, but he looks sad.

'I know, but he's got things to think about. Let him be.'

Fine

I saw Bakugou and Tokoyami leaving, getting set up for the next match. I let them go, and simply rested a little, closing my eyes and just…being for a bit. I'd get up soon enough, but for now? I needed to rest.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Shinso/Anne

Match 11: Bakugou Vs. Tokoyami

I winced in sympathy when I realized this was the one up next. Poor Tokoyami.

Does Boom Boy mess him up or something?

I had to try really hard not to burst out laughing, but I continued.

'Okay, first? Please keep the jokes down low. I nearly burst out just now.'

No promises.

'Figures. Second, not really. It's just a bad match up.'

It happens. Like the fact we're fighting Speedy over there next.

I nodded a bit as I looked down to see the fight had started, Tokoyami on the defensive immediately as Dark Shadow defended him from explosion after explosion, but shrinking each time.

It wasn't long before Dark Shadow dissipated, and with that poor bird boy was rendered completely defenseless, Bakuguo gripping his beak in one hand and a roiling explosion in the other. Tokoyami's head was bowed in defeat as he conceded, Midnight calling the match.

"Tokoyami has conceded! The match goes to Bakugou!"

Almost as soon as that was said, I sprang up from my seat to go, before I noticed Mina passed out. I shook her shoulder a little, causing her to make a little groan, but to wake.

"Uhh…How long was I out?"

I shrugged.

"Long enough for Bakugou to beat Tokoyami. Now pay attention. I'm about to lose."

She made a face like she was going to say something to the contrary, but I turned tail before she did.

She was going to encourage us, you know.

'Yeah, don't need it. We're going to lose. It's better here than next time.'

Why, exactly?

'Would you rather lose to Iida or Bakugou?'

…Good point.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Match 12: Iida Vs. Shinso

I made sure to wave at the crowd as I walked out to cheers, winking at Iida as he walked up, causing the other teen to redden a little, but shake it off quick. He was getting used to it. That meant I needed to change tactics.

I stretched a bit as Present Mic went over the normal spiel, Aizawa chiming in occasionally to add commentary that I honestly found kind of funny. Why wasn't he the host?

Oh, right. He was Aizawa.

I tried my best to stay aware as things counted down, and then I raced forward as the match was called, trying to get to Iida before he could-

And then a whoosh, as I felt myself be pushed. I couldn't stop it either. In seconds, I was over the line, and Midnight was calling the match.

"Shinso is out of bounds! The match goes to Iida."

I blinked. Then I did it again. Well. That was humiliating. I couldn't help the stab of disappointment, even as I reminded myself that losing had been the plan. Even with that, it was still…underwhelming.

Still, it was all to plan, so I stuck out my hand for a shake, and then gave a confused Iiad a knuckle bump when he moved to reciprocate.

"Good job, speedy. Better not make me look bad in the next round, got it?"

He nodded.

"I will be doing my best, Shinso! I will make everyone who believes in me proud!"

I nodded, feeling a bit better as we walked back.

"Alright. Thanks."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Mina/Jake

I patted Shinso on the back as he came in, but I couldn't stay long before my match was up, and I noticed Todoroki heading out too.

It was a spur of the moment decision, but I called out to him as we both left.

"Todoroki!"

He turned, not seeming that responsive still

"What?"

I winced, realizing he was still mostly in his colder mode. I didn't turn back though.

"I…noticed you seemed…quiet after you fought Midoriya. Well quieter than normal."

He didn't respond to that, merely narrowing his eyes slightly. I continued, rubbing the back of my neck slightly.

"I'm guessing it was something he said, right?"

He nodded slowly. I nodded back.

"Well whatever it was, it gave you something to think about, and I guess what I wanted to say was…whatever he said, Midoriya's probably right."

I patted his shoulder as I passed him.

"That was it. See you in the arena."

I didn't hear a response as I left, but I figure I gave him something to mull over. I myself was readying to give it my all, even as I knew I was probably gonna lose. But hey, third place. Not bad. Not bad at all.

I narrowed my eyes. I wasn't going to make that win easy on Todoroki. Time to push into overdrive.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Match 13: Ashido Vs. Todoroki

Walking out of the arch into the arena this time felt different, like I was walking to an execution, though I guess that was a bit too dramatic a way to put it.

I gave Todoroki a confident smirk as we stood across from each other, tensing to begin. Even if there was a high chance to lose, I still needed a strategy. A full on charge wasn't going to work, his defense was too strong there. I'd need to focus on dodging until I saw a chance, then melt through any obstacles he threw up. Time was on my side. The more he used his ice, the more likely he was to be knocked out.

Of course, that strategy only worked if he only used ice. If he used fire? Well I was, to put it lightly, screwed. He could defend easily against any attacks, both physical and from my quirk, able to simply burn up any acid I used.

As soon as the match began, Todoroki was on the offensive, sending a wave of ice right at me, likely to try and push me out of the ring fast. I all but threw myself to the side, dodging and using the momentum to charge toward him, which he responded to with an ice wall. Of course I melted through it, forcing him to replace it to keep me away.

I moved forward, only to spot and just barely leap back to avoid an ice wall popping up under my feet, avoiding being frozen completely. I followed the dodge up with a flip that sent me over the shorter walls, and continued moving toward him, forcing him to move back and send more ice at me, which I dodged again.

This process continued for a good while, though it was hard to keep track of time in the arena really.

I dodged yet another blast of ice, panting a bit as some sweat dripped down my face. Still, that didn't stop me from using some of my acid to break through another wall and actually manage to get close to actually hitting Todoroki himself, the guy just barely throwing some ice to force me away.

At this point I felt like my limbs were aching, all the pushing from today was catching up to me, but I kept going. Todoroki himself was slowing down too. I could see a light layer of ice crystals forming on his left side, meaning he was close to his limit. I just had to-

One of Todoroki's ice blasts caught me in the side as I was dodging, forming ice over part of it and causing me to cry out. It was cold and made me feel a bit more limited in what I could do, just barely managing to stumble out of the way of the next ice wave, but I was still standing. If I could just-

It was like my limbs refused to move. I tried and they just refused to do anything at all. The ache had become a fire and I just. Couldn't. Move. Todoroki seemed surprised, but he seemed to prepare to end this, but before he could, my limbs went from locking up to giving out, as I tumbled down, my vision going blurry as I hit the ground hard, my vision going even blurrier as I felt the impact on my head. Black crept into my vision, and then, nothing.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Shinso/Anne

I felt my heart drop as I saw Mina do the same onto the ground of the arena. It had been so unexpected no one seemed to know how to handle it for a moment. Even Todoroki seemed shocked. There was silence over the arena, like every single one of the people in the arena had just seen their specific pet be run over right in front of them and couldn't believe the audacity. Even Present Mic had no idea what to say before Midnight, looking concerned, called the match.

"Ashido is…unable to battle. The match goes to Todoroki."

It was then that the arena erupted again, chatter and cheers and the usual cacophony as Mina got taken to the nurse on a stretcher. As soon as she disappeared, I just felt shock. That…what had just happened.

Our-your friend just passed out for no reason.

'You can just say she's your friend too.'

Yeah okay. Just go make sure she's alright

'Can do buddy'

I got up from my seat and walked to find the nurse's station, only stopping when I heard Kirishima.

"Shinso-bro! Make sure Ashi-Mina's okay, alright?"

I turned and nodded, giving him a smile.

"I'll make sure she's alright. If I'm not back, tell me if Bakugou gets his ass kicked."

I ignored the shout of "What was that?!" from Bakugou and walked back to see Mina.

On the way there, I passed Todoroki, who seemed to be contemplating something. I tapped his shoulder as we crossed paths, and he gave me a look.

"What?"

I shrugged.

"Wanted to congratulate you on getting so far. If I'm right, Bakugou's gonna be next for you. Kick his ass for Mina, yeah?"

He nodded slowly after a moment. I smiled at that.

"Good."

And with that left. He probably still had a lot to think about. I had a friend to check on.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The small nurse's office was impressive, given it wasn't used year round. A couple beds and some other supplies. One of the beds was currently occupied by Midoriya, who looked a bit contemplative, before startling at seeing me there. Recovery Girl also seemed surprised I knew how to get there. I just gave her a concerned look.

"How's Ashido?"

Recovery Girl smiled slightly before gesturing over.

"Your friend is fine, if that's what you were worried about. Simply overworked herself. She should be alright after a little rest."

I nodded.

"I was just worried about it. Just passing out like that…it scared me."

Recovery Girl shook her head.

"This happens at least once every year. Some hero student has a fire under them and they push until they burn out. Sometimes more than once."

She made a point to give Midoriya a look, and the broccoli boy had the decency to look embarrassed. I simply sighed.

"Guess I just didn't expect it from her. She's always been good at pacing herself."

Recovery Girl simply resumed her work while answering.

"I'm not sure what motivates young people these days, but perhaps she felt she had something to prove. But enough questions."

I nodded.

"Mind if I stay here a bit, see if she wakes up?"

Recovery Girl nodded.

"You can stay for now, but if another person comes for treatment, I'll have to ask you to leave. And don't make too much noise either."

I nodded, before sitting down near Mina. There was a TV showing the next match, Iida and Bakugou clashing at high velocity to decide who was going to the finals. I watched a bit of it, the clash itself was entertaining, but was interrupted by Midoriya, who was looking at me.

I gave him a look before saying something.

"You need something?"

He seemed to startle before recovering.

"Oh, I was just curious about you and Ashido."

I shrugged.

"We're friends. Anything else?"

He shook his head before he responded.

"N-no it's not that. It's just…you guys hadn't met before UA, right?"

I shrugged.

"I guess not. We just kind of clicked."

He nodded, and we both went back to watching the match, one that was heating up, though it was clear Bakugou had the power advantage. Still, Iida wasn't making it easy on him. He nearly had him at some point too, but by the end, Bakugou had knocked poor Iida out of the ring with a big explosion.

It was around the same time that Mina groaned, slowly opening her eyes.

"What?"

I looked over and smirked.

"Good job knocking yourself out and missing the last of the semi-finals."

Getting up, she shook her head and rubbed her eyes before responding. Recovery Girl came over and gave Mina a kind smile.

"Glad to see you awake young lady. How do you feel?"

Mina looked over, seeming still a little out of it.

"Fine… I guess?"

Recovery Girl smiled, then wacked her in the head with her cane. Mina cried out in surprise, but Recovery Girl simply scowled.

"Don't push yourself so hard young lady! It's not healthy."

Mina rubbed her head, then stopped before looking over at me. I nodded. She nodded back before smiling and nodding at Recovery Girl.

"Message received, Recovery Girl."

She nodded, seeming satisfied.

"Good. I'll let you go back to watch the last match, but please do not push yourself for a time."

Mina nodded, and with my help, she got up, and we headed to go back to the box. Everyone greeted us as we settled back in, and I waved off concern with a quick explanation for Mina's state.

"She just pushed herself hard until she gave out. She'll be fine."

Kirishima gave me a concerned stare, but I waved him off. He stayed staring for a bit before the announcement went out, and we all found our eyes on the figures approaching the arena. Last fight of the time, better be a good one.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Mina/Jake

I was pretty out of it the entire match, but it was quite the spectacle. I still felt tired beyond belief, so I missed a bit, even with the loud sounds. I barely noticed Shinso shaking me a bit, to see the match be called in Bakugou's favor, the teen objecting loudly, but after a few of the teachers talked to him, he settled for grumbling as he walked out.

There was a brief time before awards were called, and I used that opportunity to rest a bit, closing my eyes and leaning back. I was in third place alongside Iida, though he might not be here to accept-

My eyes opened as I realized I still heard Iida talking with Uraraka. Iida was still here. He should be gone by now, his brother getting injured by Stain. But he wasn't. Maybe the call was later? Maybe something else had happened? I made a note to check that when I got home, but I was still tired, so I fell back into a light rest.

By the time I woke up, it was around the time for awards, and let me say being in front of so many people wasn't the best experience. I still wasn't the best on my feet, but I did stand, though Iida was looking at me concerned as we stood side by side on the third place podium. I caught Todoroki looking at me too, a quick flash of concern in his eyes before he looked back out.

I admit, even now, seeing All Might come bounding into the stadium was still exciting, even if I was still just a little out of it. He approached us first, giving Iida his medal and some encouraging words before coming to me, helping me steady myself as he placed the medal around my neck.

"Young Ashido, you showed great resilience, and fought hard to overcome all obstacles in your way, like a hero should."

His smile flattered just slightly as I blearily nodded at him.

"Though…moderation is also an important quality for a hero. Please take care of yourself"

I gave him a thumbs up. Still wasn't sure why I had pushed so hard.

Maybe it was me?

'Don't blame yourself. We're fiiine.'

But maybe I made you push so hard because I wanted to win!

'I wanted to too ya know. I guess we just fed on each other's excitement in a bad way. Let's learn from it and move on.'

Mina was silent a moment as I watched All Might move on to Todoroki and a thankfully unchained and less wild Bakugou. She did speak up as All Might was talking to Bakugou.

I guess you're right, as always.

'Hey, you're right too. Sometimes.'

Hey!

'You know I'm right.'

Yeah, but it's still mean!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I basically passed out as soon as I was home, having nearly missed my stop if Kirishima wasn't there. We parted ways soon after and I fell onto my bed, out like a light.

It was the next day, and when I woke up, I took it easy, as Recovery Girl had said. Mom and Dad were all over me with concern (they had been watching on tv and just about had a panic attack when they saw me pass out), but I managed to get them to give me space by lunch. And it was around that time that I got a call from Shinso.

I picked up, smiling when I heard the worry. It wasn't often I worried Shinso, so to have him be concerned was…novel.

"You doing okay?"

I nodded, then responded when I realized he couldn't see it.

"I'm fine. Still sore, but I'll be alright by the time school's back. Can you believe we get two days off?"

I heard him chuckle over the receiver.

"Yeah, crazy. Just wanted to make sure you were okay. I know you're tough, but Shinso was worried."

There was a pause for a moment, and I could hear the smirk as he continued.

"Yup. Was practically beside himself."

I laughed a bit at that, before he went on.

"Yeah, anyways, I didn't just call to check on you. You said you needed time to think about my plan. You still need more?"

I paused a moment.

I…I'm still not sure about it.

'I think we should take it. They'll just do it without us, and we kind of need to reign them in.'

I guess.

I nodded to myself before responding.

"We gotta be careful about it, but we're in. If only to make sure you don't get hurt."

I heard a mock gasp of shock on the other end.

"Me? Not be careful? Madam, you wound me."

He paused a moment, before going on.

"Shinso says you should stop being such a bully"

I giggled a bit.

"Well, I'll stop, but only for him."

He laughed too, and then his voice turned more serious.

"I'll start drawing things up. We can make a move once internships are done. Let's meet up tomorrow to start drafting things."

I smiled.

"Gotcha."

I looked out the window to see the world below. Things were going to change soon, and if everything went right, we would be part of that.

Let's do it.