"When there's nothing to be gained, rising to the challenge at those times is surely the mark of a true hero!"


My father and I had a tense relationship, to say the very least. This was true especially recently, what with his insistence that I stay home twenty-four-seven, and I could only assume that, deep down, he was hoping that I would back out of the school sports festival. The tenseness between my father and I, however, paled in comparison to the cold interactions between Shouto and his father, the Pro-hero known as Endeavor.

I sipped a cup of hot tea quietly from the opposite end of the table. Endeavor — whose birth name was Enji, I had learned — and Shouto sat quietly at the other end of the table, not looking at each other. Endeavor had been staring at me quite a bit, apparently at a loss as to how I had gotten here, or even how long I had been here, not to mention the lingering mystery about exactly who I was. Shouto's demeanor since arriving at the table rivaled his Quirk in iciness, and his behavior had caused a seemingly unbreakable silence to fall over the breakfast table.

Ignoring Endeavor's gaze I turned my eyes downward toward my lap, where a thick packet of paper, carefully stapled in the upper lefthand corner, sat gingerly on top of my thighs. A familiar face, albeit in black-and-white due to lack of colored printer ink, stared up at me. This was a face that I knew well: the face of Shigaraki Izanami, my mother. Shouto and I had spent an hour or so scrolling through the results for my mother that had turned up on the search engine, and had printed most everything that looked promising. I bit my lip, staring more determinedly into the printed eyes of my mother. It was troubling: we had found nothing on the internet about her days as a villain.

"You're the child of Eraserhead, aren't you?"

A gruff voice broke my concentration. I was startled, spilling my tea ever so slightly, the still steaming liquid slapping languidly against the tabletop. I averted my eyes from the papers in my lap, dragging them away from my thighs to rest on the hulking man across the table from me. His voice was almost familiar, like All Might if he were a pessimist, and also a little bit rude. Orange and crimson flames licked around Todoroki Enji's face, his bright blue eyes almost glowering at me from his place next to Shouto. I bit my lip, glancing sideways in Shouto's direction for help; I received none.

"Ah… Yes. I'm Aizawa Daichi," I replied slowly, trying my best to not let my voice shake. "How did you know that?"

"You don't look like him almost at all," he replied quickly, pushing his plate away. His glare shifted to his son briefly as he moved, but it did not remain there. "I only recognize you because you're the spitting image of your mother." I froze, and so did Shouto. "Hard to forget a face like hers."

"You knew my mother?" I said softly, my eyes now defiantly locked with his. "When?"

"Is your Quirk like your father's, or your mother's?" Endeavor pressed, ignoring my earlier question. I shifted uncomfortably, starting to feel a little annoyed. "Or a mixture of the two?"

My eyes made their way over to Shouto, who had stopped eating. His eyes were now fixed uncomfortably on his father's hands, an icy glare maring his features. I knew enough about Pro heroes to know why Shouto looked the way that he did. Especially after meeting his father, without even meeting his mother it was as clear as the scar on his face why his hair was two different colors. I didn't even have to ask. Endeavor, on the other hand, felt the need to ask me.

"Well?" Endeavor repeated, his eyes darting from Shouto to myself.

"My mother's." I answered finally. Endeavor relaxed a little, apparently satisfied with my answer. "I don't have my father's Quirk. I'm pretty sure that mine more closely resembles my mother's."

"That's a shame," Endeavor replied, getting up from the table abruptly. "If a Quirk like Izanami's were to combine with Shouta's, that would be… Incredible…" I raised an eyebrow; this guy was something else.


It was a crisp weekend morning as Shouto and I left his home after breakfast. Shouto lead the way, not looking back at his home as he made to escort me back to mine. I glanced over my shoulder, catching the figure of Endeavor in the doorway as we rounded the corner. I did not envy Shouto's living situation in the slightest, although I had to admit I was growing more and more curious about it. I had seen no sign nor heard any mention of his mother. I wondered vaguely if Shouto was like me, and had lost his mother. Turning back toward Shouto, watching his two-toned hair shift in the morning breeze, I reminded myself that there was more than one way of losing a mother.

"Which way?"

We had walked the entirety of the way in a stale silence until that point. Shouto had stopped just past the entrance of UA, where the path branched out in several directions. Straight ahead lead into the halls of the academy; to the left were the training grounds. I pursed my lips, not very much caring for inviting people into my own living situation, but knowing that to not do so could be detrimental to the fragile trust the two of us had built. I let out a small puff of air.

"Right," I replied, nodding in the direction of which I spoke. "To the right is where UA houses a lot of its staff, including my dad and I." Shouto nodded curtly, and then set off.

"Why didn't you tell me your dad was Endeavor?" I muttered over the pitter-patter of our shoes on the concrete. Shouto did not glance back at me.

"For the same reason you didn't tell me your old man was Eraserhead, I imagine." he said gruffly. I pressed my lips into a line, embarrassment churning in the pit of my stomach. Between my Quirk and my embarrassment, it was a marvel that I ever went a whole day without feeling queasy.

"Fair enough." I replied.

Up ahead my house was beginning to come into view. It was plain white brick, just like all the others that surrounded it. There were only a few, as plenty of the staff had their own living quarters. The green turf grass that covered much of the campus shifted in the breeze, and I stopped just short of my home. Realizing that I had stopped walking, Shouto stopped, too. He turned to me, his mismatched eyes grazing over me, half confused, and the rest something that I could not quite sort out at that time.

"You won't tell anyone about looking up my mom, will you?" I asked, my tone stony. Shouto nodded immediately in reply. "Thank you... For doing that with me..."

"We didn't really find what you were looking for, did we?" he said. I dropped my gaze. "Didn't find all that much, to be honest." I nodded, and he sighed. "Your mother seems like she was a really powerful hero... Even my old man seems to think so. As I'm sure you gathered from breakfast, he's a little tricky to impress." I let out a curt laugh; Shouto halfway smiled and halfway grimaced in response.

"You're nothing like him, you know," I said. I willed my feet to move forward, closing the distance between the two of us. "At... at least, from what I know about you, it doesn't seem like you are." My stammering only increased the churning feeling in my stomach as I fought to keep the pink from rising in my cheeks. Could my Quirk let me control my embarrassment? Shouto let out a curt laugh.

"That's why I'm such a disappointment."

A soft creak in the distance made my gaze shift to over Shouto's shoulder. My father's bandaged face had appeared on the small porch of our house. Despite the bandages, I could tell that he was royally pissed. I let out a long sigh, shifting my gaze back to Shouto's face. He nodded, somehow knowing what I had seen over his shoulder.

"He'll forgive you." he said softly, taking a step closer to me. "Aizawa-sensei is a tough guy, but I think he probably can't be as tough as he'd like to be with you."

"T-thank you," I stammered, mentally slapping myself for my social ineptitude. "I guess there's only one way to find out... Thanks again, for last night... And breakfast..."

"It was a terrible breakfast."

"The food was good!"

"Not good enough to be worth the company."

The two of us let out a soft, dry laugh together. It seemed that familial tensions were a common ground with the two of us. I glanced over his shoulder again, noticing my father becoming more impatient as time went on. With a shrug I let out another sigh, shifting my body to prepare to walk past Shouto. A soft tap on my shoulder made me stop; my eyes fluttered slightly as I looked at Shouto, whose face was now much closer to mine than I recalled it being before.

"Have him help you get ready for the festival," he murmured.

My eyes widened and my face flushed crimson as I felt his lips touch my forehead. I looked back up my heart beating more loudly than I remembered it ever have before. Shouto's face was, for the most part, just as stoic as ever. If I looked closely, though, I could see a smirk tugging at the edge of his lips. I opened my mouth, letting out a small gasp despite my best efforts. I heard a low chuckle from his throat, but his facial expression barely changed.

"I won't go easy on you."

And with that Shouto marched past me, not bothering to look back to see the outrage in my father's eyes as he watched us from the porch. I did not look back at Shouto, either, instead starting toward my house where my father was waiting for me. Clumsily, still recovering from what had just happened, I made my way up the stairs. My father let out a low grunt of disapproval.

"I can't believe you idiots just did that in front of me," he said, folding his bandaged arms tighter across his chest. "You don't come home all night and this is what you make me put up with afterwards? No apology, just shady kisses in my front lawn?"

"Sorry, papa," I muttered, still attempting to recover from the feverish blush that coated my face. "I just... I needed to get out for a little while."

"Uh-hmm," he replied, clearly not having it. "Next time you want to get out, I'll take you to a movie."

I stuffed my hands in my pockets, grasping the papers that were folded there tightly. I had so many questions; the quick search that Shouto and I had done the night before on my mother, Shigaraki Izanami, had not revealed much. But it revealed enough to tell me that my father was, in this regard, a liar. I bit my tongue, willing myself to stay silent about it, for now. Now was not the time: now was the time to get ready to prove to my father that I was not my mother.

"Papa," I said, finally allowing myself to speak. "I'm ready to train." My father scoffed.

"Train?" he replied sourly. "You come back after being gone without a word all night and all you have to say is you want to train?" I nodded.

"Let me compete in the festival." I continued sternly. I met my father's eyes, willing myself not to blink. I needed to show him that I was serious. "I'm going to prove to you that I can handle my Quirk." I saw the bandages around where his mouth was shift slightly. He was smiling.

"And how do you plan to do that, exactly, you little truant?" This time, I smiled.

"I'm going to win."


The UA campus had been transformed from a school into a booming, buzzing fairground, only this fair was full of Pro heroes who I only really recognized from the news. My father and I would often watch those segments together after training: picture me eagerly slurping soba, eyes glued to the screen, while my father criticized their form and style, usually mumbling something about how young they were.

I had gone to the UA sports festival almost every year since my father had worked at the school. Truthfully, I had lost count of how many times I had been present to witness young heroes-in-the-making. Thinking back on my childhood days of watching in the stadium with my father, usually with a plethora of snacks that my father had reluctantly purchased for me, I found myself temporarily short of breath as I considered that now, this time, I would no longer just be watching.

The waiting room for class 1-A was crowded and noisy, about as hectic as I had expected for it to be. Tsuyu, Mina, and Mashirao were all sitting around a table in the center of the classroom as I entered, avidly discussing tactics with Ochaco. She stood by the table, listening eagerly with a look of pure determination on her face.

"Daichi!"

My presence was noticed almost immediately by Ochaco, who broke away from the group at the table and pranced over to me almost too quickly for my eyes to follow her. I let out a small yelp as she wrapped her arms around me tightly.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in ages!"

"I see you in class, like, everyday," I replied, my voice raising at the end of my reply as if I were posing a question. Ochaco beamed.

"Yes! Yes! But I'm just so excited!" she said gleefully. "Aren't you?"

I smiled a small smile, still feeling a little tired from all of my training the night before. I wondered briefly whether or not I should have just taken it easy the night before the festival, but I forced myself to quickly pushed the worry from my mind.

"I guess so," I muttered as she pulled away from our hug. "Nervous, mostly."

My gaze shifted back towards the door, suddenly very aware of who had just entered the room. Todoroki Shouto shuffled into view, one hand perched lazily in his pocket as his eyes calmly surveyed his classmates. Our eyes locked briefly; I flushed, turning away as swiftly as I could. My cheeks continued to burn as I recalled our last interaction; my forehead was suddenly very tingly.

"Midoriya,"

I sighed, both relieved and disappointed that the first name out of his mouth had not been my own. Izuku perked up from his place by the lockers, shifting uncomfortably in his blue and red gym uniform as his eyes met Shouto's. Ochaco mimicked Izuku's movements, shifting nervously by my side as we watched the two boys approach one another.

"What is it, Todoroki?" Izuku responded shyly, his voice low but as level as one could have hoped for in such an obviously tense situation.

"On an objective basis, I think I'm above you in terms of objective strength," Shouto replied languidly.

I pursed my lips, suddenly finding myself becoming slightly annoyed as I realized that today was just going to be one long, painful pissing contest between all of the supposedly dominant males in the class. I held my tongue, not particularly desiring any sort of verbal tiff at present, but I could not help but internally meditate on the fact that none of the girls in our class were bothering with addressing one another in such a manner.

"Wha — Ah, yeah, I guess so…" Izuku said, apparently missing Shouto's point.

"You've managed to get All Might's eyes on you, right?" Shouto continued. I arched an eyebrow, finding myself becoming curious despite my annoyance. "I don't feel the need to pry too much into that, but… I'm going to beat you."

"Huh…" I murmured, noticing Katsuki's sudden, yet very apparent, annoyance. "Is this a declaration of war from one of the top students?"

As I spoke I let my eyes slide toward Katsuki, who looked more than ready to burst into flames right then and there. His inability to control his emotions would be his undoing in the festival, I was sure.

"What do you think you're doing?" Eijiro approached the two, reaching for Shouto but being half-heartedly rebuffed as Shouto moved his shoulder away from Eijiro's reach. "Don't do this right before the festival starts!"

"I'm not here to make friends," Shouto replied gruffly, not taking his eyes off of Izuku.

Despite myself, I snorted loudly; Shouto leaning in to kiss my forehead right in front of my father replayed for what felt like the thousandth time in my mind's eye. Shouto blushed, his eyes dancing toward and away from me in a flash. Ochaco glanced between the two of us with interest.

"But whatever." Shouto finished lamely.

Izuku opened his mouth to reply, but my attention was drawn away from a loud and sudden buzz that broke through the tense atmosphere from the room. I felt Ochaco squeeze my hand, and I allowed my gaze to slide over toward her briefly.

"Don't worry, Ochaco," I murmured, continuing to ignore Izuku and Shouto's conversation in the background. "It's time to go… It'll be over before you know it."

And just like that everyone in class 1-A was suddenly on the move, walking determinedly down the dimly lit hallway toward the festival stadium. Present Mic's voice boomed in the distance like some washed-up radio show host as our group moved gradually closer to the light at the end of the tunnel. I wondered briefly if this was what it was like to die.

"It's the Freshman stage!" Present Mic shouted. I squinted against the light as Ochaco and I emerged from the tunnel. "And the students are making their entry, now!"

"The UA sports festival! Where the hero world's little eggs aim for each other's throats, and the top! Our grand yearly melee! And let me guess: all you miscreants came to see them, right?" Cheers from the crowd offended my ears, and I winced ever so slightly from the combination of loud noises and bright lights. "The freshly-formed miracle stars that shrugged off a mass villain assault with wills of steel! The Department of Heroics' Freshman class!"

All of class 1-A was now out in the open, and I felt my stomach begin to churn as I realized that all eyes were on us. Ochaco had yet to let go of my hand, and to my right I could feel Shouto's eyes on me.

"You're all here for class 1-A, right?"

Another loud cheer from the crowd erupted as we came to a standstill in the center of the stadium. I glanced around, my eyes meeting the annoyed face of Shinso, who was giving the audience a deadpan gaze mixed with a little bit of disdain. My heart sunk as I realized the disappointment that I knew he must be feeling at that moment.

"Daichi, is your dad in the audience?" Ochaco muttered, not looking at me as she spoke. Her eyes were fixated on the crowd. I shook my head.

"No, he'll be with Present Mic —"

"Silence!"

I started, realizing with a jolt who was standing in front of us. Clad in her usual astonishing getup, the heroine Midnight stood on a platform, waving her whip around in a manner that was somehow simultaneously casual and domineering. I grimaced, suddenly even more nervous. If there was someone here that I wanted to impress, it was probably Midnight.

"Player rep: Bakugo Katsuki!" she continued, still shouting and waving her whip around haphazardly. I frowned; that was the last name I wanted coming out of her mouth.

"Eh?!" Izuku shouted from behind Ochaco and I, clearly taken aback. "Kacchan is our representative?"

"It makes sense," I responded, glancing over my shoulder to look at Izuku. "I heard he placed first in the entrance exam."

By this point Katsuki had ascended the stage, taking his place next to Midnight. She watched him coyly, and I could tell she did not give one single shit about what he had to say. She was here for the festivities and the showy-ness of her position as the conductor of the ceremony. Katsuki turned to face all of the rest of the students, including myself, his hands placed lazily in his blue and red pockets. His mouth twitched as he prepared to speak, and I felt my mouth press into a grimace. Whatever it was that he was planning to say, I knew that it was going to be the biggest, rudest disaster of a speech in UA history.

"I'm gonna place first."

"Of course," I muttered sourly, rolling my eyes as the rest of the students responded in an uproar.

"You'll all make fantastic stepping stones, I'm sure," Katsuki sneered, eyeing me pointedly at the mention of rocks as some other student in the crowd yelled what sounded like 'sludge fucker.'

And with that Katsuki had said his piece, removing himself from the stage as lazily as he had put himself there. He returned back into the crowd, breezing past Izuku dismissively as Izuku watched him, shock marring his features. For Izuku having apparently known Katsuki for so many years, it was actually shocking that he had expected anything less than this. I had known Katsuki only for a few short months, and I had already come to expect only blatant, borderline explosive rudeness from the fiery blonde.

"Alright, with that we can move directly to our first event!" Midnight continued, clearly unphased by Katsuki's public and humiliating slight to every single member of the UA heroics department and beyond. "Onto the 'preliminaries,' as they're called! Lots of fine folk end up choking on their tears here every year! And this year's first round of destiny is this!"

A screen placed behind midnight suddenly lit up. The words "Obstacle Race" stood out in large black block letters against the bright white screen. I low rumble from our backs alerted me to the fact that a large gate had begun to open. I swiveled around, forcing Ochaco to release my hand. My heart began beating rapidly in my throat, and I felt my hands instantly become clammy. This was it.

"It's a race between all eleven classes!" Midnight called. UA students swarmed around me as I slowly made my way toward the gate in front of us. "The course makes a nearly four kilometer ring around the stadium! We always sing about our freedom on campus,"

Midnight paused here to laugh. I stopped walking, still several feet away from the gate, upon realizing that I would not be able to make my way through the thick wall of bodies standing in front of me. Taking a deep breath I removed my shoes, pushing them aside gingerly with my toes. The dirt beneath my feet calmed me, and I was suddenly very aware of all the various minerals that surrounded me. I took another breath; I felt at home.

"Well, this is what it's all about! You're free to do anything, anything, so long as you remain within the course! So, let's get crackin'! On your marks…"

I grounded myself, crouching low to the ground and patting my palms against the sand. Several students that I did not recognize cast anxious and confused glances down at me. I closed my eyes, allowing the tenseness of the other students to leave me. I felt my temperature spike, and my eyebrows furrowed as my new mantra to my Quirk ran through my mind: control everything but the people around me, please.

That was when I heard the buzzer. My eyes flashed open, and I could already feel beads of sweat prickling my back. As the feet of other students stampeded around me, I was determined not to let myself be phased. I grunted loudly, smashing my palms into the ground with as much force as I could muster.

"Get up!" I growled. The ground beneath me shook then broke, and I heard startled cries from several students as the earth surrounding my split apart.

Then I was in the air, carrying myself swiftly through the gate above the heads of the rest of my classmates. I heard the distinct, familiar growl of Katsuki as I swooped over the heads of class 1-A, the air rushing through my hair and past my ears. I let out a slow breath, willing myself to relax as I continued to fly through the air on my small chunk of earth.

"We won't let you get away that easily, two-face!"

I looked down below my earth pile, realizing that anyone from 1-A had yet to set their sites on me. I looked ahead, realizing that Shouto was breezily ice skating ahead of the rest of our classmates — he was who Katsuki had been growling at. A deep frown marred my features. I had never really been that competitive of a person, but realizing that everyone in our class was so focussed on Shouto that they did not even realize that I was easily gliding past them irked me, somehow.

Suddenly, ahead of all the other students, I realized what was coming. At least ten enormous metal robots stood in a herd between the students on the ground and the rest of the race. The one in the front had its sight set directly on me. I glanced behind me, realizing that Shouto had finally realized where I was. A mechanical whir met my ears, and I ripped my eyes off of Shouto to return to the obstacle several yards ahead of me. I sighed: I could either win this race very, very easily; or, I could make an impression.

I raised myself from my crouched position on my hunk of earth, moving my arms in a downward arc as one of the robots reached out toward me. It missed by a hair, my rock scraping against the ground as I rushed through their legs. I heard the other students catching up to me, and I knew that if I wanted to make an impression on the Pro-heroes in the audience, it was either now or never.

I let out a grunt, flipping off the rock while keeping my fingers touching the end to my rear. As another robot reached for me I threw the rock at its head with both my fingertips and my mind. A distant crash told me that my aim was true, but I didn't stop to look. With another grunt I slammed my palm into the ground, keeping my bare feet planted firmly in the dirt.

The earth split in a jagged line, moving quickly toward the robots which blocked the path in front of us. I straightened, lifting both arms above my head before pushing each arm outward, palms flat. The earth responded, raising itself like crooked waves. Some robots were pushed off kilter by the sudden shaking of the earth. I grimaced with the exertion of the moves I was using, fanning my fingers out determinedly. Mimicking my movements, the raised earth elongated into fingerlike spikes. Several robots were punctured through the head, crashing down into the dirt.

"Quit showing off,"

I started, realizing that Shouto had come to a stop at my side. I smirked, swiping my arm out in an arc in front of me. The spikes of earth broke off from the main arches, turning into javelins that shot through the air to pierce the armour of the robots that my initial attack had missed.

"Afraid I'm gonna make you look bad?" I goaded, turning to Shouto defiantly. He looked somewhat startled. "Don't worry, there'll be plenty of time to get back at me later on." Shouto cocked an eyebrow.

"Get back at you — ?"

I leaned down, swiveling on the bare tips of my toes with my arms outstretched. A thin wall of earth sprung up from the ground, following my movements. Shouto let out a grunt of surprise, the wall hitting him squarely in the gut.

"Sorry, Shouto," I muttered as our eyes meeting briefly as I followed my attack through. My torso looped around as my feet stayed firmly planted on the ground. Shouto's eyes widened as he realized my plan. "It was a sweet kiss, but I can't play favorites here."

I straightened, sticking my arms out straight before bending my front and arms toward Shouto, sending the wall of earth careening backwards toward the hoard of other students who were still making their way to where we were. I smirked as his gaze hardened, and I saw Katsuki snicker as Shouto joined the group of students making their way toward what remained of the robots. I crouched again, ignoring the stream of sweat on my neck as I slammed my palms into the ground again, lifting myself on another piece of earth into the air.

"1-A's Aizawa has forged ahead, and forced a classmate farther back to boot!" Present Mic's voice boomed loudly over the speakers. I winced. Perhaps I'd been a little harsh. "That kid's harsh!" I grimaced even more deeply. Thanks, Present Mic.

I forged ahead despite my lingering guilt. Sweat was slipping down my back; looking behind me, I could see a few students making their way out of the hectic mass of robots, many of which had been obliterated by various Quirks. I sighed, letting myself down off of my rock. I had to conserve energy.

I jogged quickly, putting the sound of my approaching classmates' footsteps out of my mind as I raced toward the next obstacle. The sweat dripping down me and the slight churning in my stomach told me that I had gone a little too hard early on. I hoped against hope that it would not be my undoing: that small hope vanished as I approached the next obstacle.

"Well then, Missy, if the first barrier was such a cinch, then whaddya think of the second?" My heart sank as my blue eyes fell on the gaping pit in front of me. Dappled across the open space were pillars of earth in a variety of sizes. I sighed, letting out a scathing 'harrumph!'

"You fall, and you're out!" Present Mic continued; the footsteps of my classmates were getting nearer to me. "If you don't like the idea, maybe you can crawl. It's... The fall!"

As Present Mic drew out his last word, I braced myself for the sick feeling in my stomach I was sure was to come. With a gruff pant I pounded my right fist into my left palm; the pillar that I had my eye on responded by allowing its top half to break away from the rest, making its way over to me. It took far less energy to break off a piece of a thin earthen pillar than to lift a chunk of dirt from the tightly compacted ground below my feet.

With a grunt I hoisted myself onto the top of the pillar, hearing audible gasps as the students behind me realized what they were up against. The frustration was palpable once they set their eyes on the sea of pillars standing within the gaping pit. I closed my eyes, ushering the earth below me forward with my will.

"It's true that they're encouraged to take the bull by the horns in a number of ways, right Mr. Eraserhead?" My heart leapt, suddenly all too aware that my father was watching me.

"What are those idiots doing just standing around?" My father's gruff voice came through the speakers, comforting my skipping heart and churning stomach. I smiled; I could always count on my father to be a lovable curmudgeon.

"Well the player in the lead seems to be keeping it comfortably!" Present Mic chortled over the intercom. My father grunted his agreement.

After what seemed like an eternity I made it to the other side, releasing the pillar of earth beneath me. I felt my stomach begin to settle, though I was quickly realizing that I would need to take it down a notch if I was to have any energy left for the elimination rounds to come. I did not much fancy getting into the stadium to fight, only to vomit all over my opponent. A small chuckle broke from my lips: on the other hand, maybe vomiting all over someone wouldn't be the worst attack.

"That was a dirty stunt you pulled back there!"

I jolted, realizing that Shouto was only a few yards behind me. I mentally slapped myself: of course he, of all people, would make it across the pit with relative ease. I did not look behind me, but kept my eyes firmly fixed on the path ahead of me as I replied. I had seen too many television shows where people tripped themselves up by simply not looking where they were going.

"I'll make it up to you, Shouto!" I called back, raising my voice so that he could hear me. "You'd have done the same to me!" Before Shouto could respond, I stopped abruptly on the edge of what looked like a very dingy soccer field. I pursed my lips: this couldn't be good.

"And now we come to the hidden final barrier!" I glanced around the field, ignoring my blush as Shouto also came to a halt by my side. We glanced at each other quickly, averting our eyes upon contact. "Its true form is none other than the minefield right out of Rambo Three!" Shouto arched an eyebrow.

"I've never even seen Rambo," he muttered, glancing around the field.

"It isn't one of my favorites." I shrugged.

"It's set up so that if you look carefully, you can see where the landmines are placed! Strain your eyes and feet!" Present Mic continued. I blanched — did he just said landmines? "In any case, they're landmines! They're not overly lethal, but they bang big and bright! Sure to knock a stool or two loose!"

Shouto and I frowned in unison. I could only imagine the look of annoyance on my own father's face from his place beside Present Mic. I sighed, spreading my toes out to feel the ground beneath me. This part of the course was clearly designed to put those in the lead at a disadvantage: Shouto and I were in for a treat.

With my mind I began to shift small particles of dirt, searching for spaces that seemed less compact. Slowly, carefully, I made my way forward. Shouto's eyes darted around the field, making his own way partially, but at the same time following my path ever so slightly. He seemed to know where my head was at.

A sudden pop broke my concentration. My mind slipped, as did the earth to my immediate right where I had been searching for a landmine. A loud explosion burst into the air, earthy rubble spraying over me as I did my best to hold my body in one place. Opening my eyes, I gazed through the dirt that sprayed the air, searching frustratedly for the one who had broken my concentration. A moment later, I realized that I should not even have bothered.

"Yo!" Bakugo Katsuki called as he flew through air, spraying flames every which way. My eyes fell on Shouto, who was a little less than a yard to my right. He too was gazing up at Katsuki, our faces each wearing almost identical masks of annoyance. "Ya think you mighta' issued that declaration of war to the wrong rival?"

"Katsuki, you absolute ass!" I yelled.

Katsuki paid me no mind, instead choosing to focus on goading Shouto into engaging him. Shouto and Katsuki began a timid sort of wrestle in the midst of a field full of landmines. I rolled my eyes, becoming increasingly aware of approaching students to our rear.

"Katsuki!"

My annoyance and fatigue took over. My body jolted forward, leaving Katsuki and Shouto behind me as I darted toward the finish line.

"You fucking moron!" I continued, haphazardly forcing my mind to find weaker spots in the ground closest to where Katsuki and Shouto were quarreling. "I'm the one who was in the lead, you stupid hothead! Pay attention!"

I balled my hands into fists, squeezing the earth around the dueling pair. A resounding boom! was the response I received as the force of the constricting earth around Shouto and Katsuki caused the surrounding landmines to detonate. Several coughs and splutters met my ears amidst the dust and rubble, and I turned again to face forward. My heart skipped: was I going to be first?

Another explosion met my ears, and a shadow passed above me. I gasped, glancing upwards only to see Midoriya Izuku gliding through the air atop a spare piece of metal. My breath caught in my throat, watching as he spun in the air, bringing the metal down to detonate another landmine to propel himself forward. My heart sunk. This was not going to be my win.

"Whoo-ey, who could have predicted this outcome when the trial began?"

I grunted, grabbing the piece of metal Izuku had left behind with my mind and leaping onto it. If it was Izuku, I think I could settle for second, but the footsteps and growls from Katsuki behind me told me that I did not have much time.

"The man who has returned to the stadium in triumph is none other than Midoriya Izuku! His will be a name to know!"

Izuku's back gradually came into view as I finally made it back into the stadium. Lowering my palm slowly through the air, I brought the slab of metal down to a graceful stop in the dirt directly behind him. He was panting heavily, but the look of sheer happiness on his face made it impossible for me to be frustrated with him.

"Good race, Izuku," I murmured from behind him. Izuku let out a long sigh, looking up at me as the crowd cheered around us.

"You, too, Daichi-san," he gasped, wiping a drop of sweat from his brow. "Your Quirk is amazing!" I shrugged, wiping my own sweat away.

"It wears me out."

"And now they're steadily crossing the finish line, one after the other! We'll compile the results later, so for the time being, enjoy your breather!"

I turned around, observing those who arrived behind me as Present Mic continued his narration. My eyes met Shouto's; a look of disappointment was barely recognizable on his face. Giving Izuku a congratulatory pat on the shoulder, I turned and made my way over to Shouto. His mouth was drawn in a tight line as he watched the rankings appear on the large screen, in front of which Midnight was standing, watching patiently but eagerly as the rest of the students arrived.

"Sorry for the dirt," I said more shyly than I would have liked. Shouto sighed and shrugged, brushing his hair out of his eyes nervously.

"It's fine," he muttered, glancing again at our rankings. Izuku was first; I was second; Shouto third; and Katsuki fourth. He looked livid. "You're right. I would have done the same."

"The 42 at the top have earned the right to advance! I'm sorry for the kids who failed, but take heart! The festival's showstopper is still being prepared!"

The voice of Midnight broke Shouto and I out of our little bubble, drawing our attentions away from one another and back to the festival.

"And now for the post-preliminaries, the final selection! From here on out, even the press corps will teem in a white heat of excitement, so go all out!"

Shouto and I shifted next to one another. I felt our hands brush as we gazed at the screen in anticipation. Neither of us moved our hands away from the other's.

"Now then, onto today's heart-pounding second event! I already know what it will be, but the suspense is killing me... What could it be? Well, I'll tell you!" My eyes narrowed in annoyance when I saw the words on the screen. "Behold!" Shouto and I shared a moment of sighing.

"A human calvary battle?"


Thank you for keeping up with this story despite my long absence! once again, reviews are very much appreciated. I'm very excited about getting to the one on one battles, so I hope this chapter didn't seem too rushed! thank you again for all of the reviews, favorites, and follows- I appreciate all of your support!