"What an amazing round from our two competitors! This train needs to keep moving, however, so let's get to spinning that wheel again, Midnight!" Present Mic's chipper voice rang out over the arena, startling Midnight.

"Right! Let's spin that wheel again and see who will be fighting next!" The screen rose out of the ring again, running through names and images in a blur. "Next we have Aoyama Yuga! Annnndddddd… Yaoyorozu Momo! Students, please proceed to the ring! You have five minutes! Back to you, Mic!" Midnight cracked her whip again and walked off the stage.

"Excellent!" Present Mic yelled. "Let's get some insights on our next two fighters. Yaoyorozu Momo is Class 1-A's vice president and our first Recommendation student of this stage! Aizawa, care to fill in our audience about the difference between Recommendation students and those who come through our Heroics Exam?" A sigh came through the speakers, heavy and long.

"Not particularly, but I guess I don't get a choice."

"Nope! So lay it on us, Aizawa-man!"

"Fine. Recommended students are, just like the title implies, recommended by someone of good standing. The recommendation has to come from a hero in good standing and who graduated from UA themselves. Each hero who graduates from UA gets a single recommendation to use over the course of their careers. No, I will not disclose who recommended Yaoyorozu. If you want to know that, ask her."

"Cool story, bro, but what makes them so special? These cool cats don't have to take the same exam as the rest of the students, right?"

"Correct," Aizawa said. "They usually fall into three categories: highly skilled and have extensive training with their Quirks, have such a powerful or unique Quirk that they would either dominate a regular exam or wouldn't be suited for it, or have strong connections in the Hero world. Recommended students tend to be stronger or more powerful than the average student. This isn't always the case, but it is often enough to make a trend."

"AWESOME! What can you tell us about Yaoyorozu's Quirk then?" The screen in the center flicked on, displaying her face and the name of her Quirk.

"Yayrozu's Quirk is named Creation and it allows her to create objects using the lipids in her body as fuel. Her only limitation is knowledge. To make anything, she must know exactly what things are made of down to a molecular level."

"Sounds like a Quirk made for a smart cookie! So she can make anything?" Present Mic questioned.

"Anything living," Aizawa corrected. "She can't make, for instance, a live virus or a live tree."

"SUPER! What about Aoyama? We've seen his Quirk in action a couple times today, some sort of laser that comes from his torso!"

"Aoyama has a powerful Quirk, no doubt. His Navel Laser has enormous potential, but it has a short duration. If Aoyama can hit Yaoyorozu, it may end the fight. But it comes down to who can follow through with their main weapon. Creativity or weapon?" Aizawa sighed into the microphone. "I guess we'll have to see. Oh look, the competitors have made it to the field."

Yaoyorozu and Aoyama stepped out onto the platform. Physically, they were a study in contrasts. Aoyama was slim and blonde, his hair immaculately styled. Yaoyorozu, on the other hand, was statuesque and dark-haired, her figure on display from her open PE jacket. Her long hair was in a tight braided bun, threaded with golden string that shimmered in the sunlight.

Aoyama played to the crowd, waving and sparkling his heart out. 'This is what I've always wanted! To be a star and dazzle everyone!'

Yaoyorozu, on the other hand, was demure and focused as she stepped up. 'This is what I've trained for. Gohan-sensei believes in me, my friends believe in me. Now all I have to do is believe in myself.' Her dark eyes hardened. "I will win this," she whispered to herself.

"Ladies and gentlepeople, please welcome the Queen of Creation, the VP of Class 1-A, Yaoyorozu Momo!" Present Mic yelled over the intercom, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. "Opposite to her, we have the Sparkling Prince, Aoyama Yuga!"

Midnight raised her whip between the two students, looking back and forth between them. "Are you both ready? Andddd…. FIGHT!" Midnight jumped out of the way.

Aoyama smirked and thrust his hips forward, firing his Navel Laser. "Mon ami, I shall win this with a sparkle!" Yaoyorozu's expression never changed as a rainbow of sparkles came from her own navel, revealing a mirror. The laser impacted the mirror, reflecting back at Aoyama while pushing her back a few feet. The Frenchman had just enough time to shout in surprise before the laser hit him in the chest. The impact threw him back several feet, landing on his back in a heap as smoke rose from his chest.

"Are you alright?" Yaoyorozu asked. "I'm not sure how powerful your attack was intended to be."

"Je vais bien (I'm ok)," Aoyama groaned. He waved a hand at Midnight from his spot on the ground. "Madame Midnight, I am fini (finished). That attack damaged the lens on my belt." Midnight quickly walked over to check on the downed boy, confirming the damage to his belt, before raising her whip.

"Winner: Yaoyorozu Momo!"

The crowd cheered for Yaoyorozu, who waved with a stunned look in her eyes. 'I really won.' Her eyes began to tear up as her face split into a grin. 'I really did it.' Midnight gestured for Yaoyorozu to leave the ring while she helped Aoyama to his feet.

"What a fantastic, but short match!" Present Mic said. "I guess durability is just as important as power after all!"

"Quite. Aoyama's Naval Laser is powerful, without a doubt. But power is only good when it can hit something," Aizawa said, his attention more focused than earlier. "Heroes also need to be able to take more than one hit in a fight. Even though the laser was deflected, the kinetic force was transferred through the mirror to Yaoyorozu's body. If she couldn't take the blow, it would have injured her anyway and made her counter pointless."

"Let's talk about that mirror trick for a moment! That was an inspired bit of improvisation on Yaoyorozu's part, considering she only had five minutes to think of it and then, I remind you listeners, had to remember the molecular composition of glass."

"Very true. I was initially worried about whether Yaoyorozu could use her impressive intelligence under pressure, but those worries have been put to rest. I believe our newest staff hire has been helping with those kinds of issues." Aizawa said with a faint pleased note in his voice. "However, we are still under some time constraints. Midnight, next two matches, please."

The screen rose from the center of the ring, the names and faces of the remaining contestants flickering across it. "Alright, everyone! Let's see who is fighting next!" Midnight said with a wave of her whip. "SPIN! THAT! WHEEL!" The spinning names sped up for a second, then slowed to a stop.

"And our next matchup is decided!" Present Mic declared. "Our next fighters are…. Bakugo Katsuki and Kaminari Denki! Heroes, please report to the ring! Aizawa, give us the rundown on our next two competitors! Let's start with Bakugo Katsuki, who was the first place finisher in the Heroics exam this year and earned his place to give the Athletics pledge this year through the Entrance Exam!"

"Bakugou Katsuki, Quirk: Explosion. It's essentially what it says, Bakugo can create explosions using a substance secreted in his sweat. Bakugo is talented, that much is obvious from his performance so far in this competition, but hot-headed. Kaminari will have a tough time if he hasn't stepped up his training in the last month."

"Awesome! That leads us to our next contestant! What can you tell us about the electrifying Kaminari Denki?"

"Kaminari Denki, Quirk: Electrification. He can generate electricity to cover his entire body, as well as branch off in a wide range attack. His Quirk is powerful, but it can be a danger in team matches. In a one-on-one situation like this, however, it could turn a battle quickly."

"An awesome analysis from the Class 1-A Homeroom Teacher! If you didn't know, now you know! Our competitors have reached the ring, so let's get ready for a heck of a battle!"

Bakugo stretched one arm across his chest as he stepped into the ring. 'Gohan-sensei said to control my anger, don't let it control me. The fuck is that supposed to mean? I get mad, I wreck the fuck out of whatever made me mad.' "You ready, Pika-dolt?"

Kaminari had a grin on his face as he stretched opposite of Bakugo, even as he internally panicked. 'Oh god, oh man, oh geez, I am so freaking screwed right now! Why did I have to pull Bakugou on the first freakin' round?' Kaminari stretched one arm over his head, taking the chance to wipe nervous sweat off his brow. 'How the heck do I beat him?! He's a freakin' monster and doesn't give a crap if he hurts me!' Gohan's voice came unbidden to Kaminari's brain, something from the two weeks of training hell.

Flashback

"Kaminari, your power is uniquely suited to close quarters combat. Please channel your power into your arms." Gohan-sensei said, looking at Kaminari.

"Umm, what do you mean?" Kaminari questioned. "I make electricity that goes everywhere, why would I be good at fighting up close?" He scratched his head, squinting up at Gohan.

"From what I can see about your Quirk, you generate your own electricity, correct?"

"Yeah, but I use it to attack stuff around me, not to, like, actually punch people! I like being a little further away from danger," Kaminari said, waving his hands frantically in front of him.

Gohan-sensei leaned down to look him in the eyes. "Please. Gather. Your. Power." Kaminari felt locked into place, falling into Gohan-sensei's fathomless eyes. His arm sparked to life as he reflexively channeled electricity down them. "Good," the older teen said. "Midoriya, please come spar with Kaminari."

"Wait, what?" Kaminari questioned as Midoriya jogged up to the pair. "Hold on, isn't this going to hurt if I actually hit Midoriya with electricity?!" Midoriya got into the basic fighting stance they had spent the past four days drilling into their heads.

"Well, yeah," Midoriya said. "But it probably won't kill me and Recovery Girl is right over there." Kaminari stared at the small green-haired boy uncomprehendingly. He robotically moved into a similar stance, arms still crackling with electricity.

"Fight," Gohan-sensei said as he watched on. Kaminari leaped forward, swinging his electrified fist in a massive haymaker. The electricity in his arm focused down into his fist, creating a bright corona of light around it just before he landed the blow on a braced Midoriya. He was thrown back from the impact with a bright flash and crackle. "And hold. Kaminari, how did that feel?"

"It felt like I just plugged a fork into an electrical socket, then shot it at Midoriya! Hey, Midori, are you ok?" Midoriya gave a quick thumbs up as he popped up from the floor.

"But what did the channeling of the power feel like?" Gohan clarified. "Was it easy to hold or did you struggle to funnel it down to your fist?"

"I…" Kaminari started, staring at his fist in wonder. "I didn't even realize that I had moved my power out of my arm. It didn't take any effort. And," he said as he raised his head to stare at Gohan-sensei, "I used my power without frying out my brain. I can actually do it." Tears started welling up in his eyes as he grinned widely. "I can actually fight and not be deadweight in the field!"

Flashback End

'No! Gohan-sensei showed me that I can do this! I'm not just a back-line hero, I can be a fighter too!' Kaminari's grin got smaller, but more genuine as he slid into the stance Gohan drilled into him. "Bring it on, Bakugo!" His arms began to spark as Midnight stepped between the two fighters.

"Both fighters ready? FIGHT!"

Bakugou leaped forward as Midnight moved out of the way, igniting explosions to speed up his leap. 'Pikadolt will dodge left; he's a fucking coward, he'll never get close. He'll try to use that stupid AoE attack if I let him get out of range.' Bakugou swung with his right, aiming for Kaminari's face.

Kaminari blocked the punch with a hastily raised forearm, his electricity concentrating into his lower arm. The discharge of electricity threw Bakugou backwards. "I'm not a weakling any more! Come on, I'm ready for you!"

Bakugou shook out his hand, igniting a couple of sparks in the process. "So you figured out the most basic-ass usage of your Quirk, huh? Only took ten years to get it in gear." He grinned wildly. "Good. I was starting to think I wouldn't have any fun today!" Bakugou shot forward again, zig-zagging around the stage with explosions. He lunged at Kaminari's left side, stopping himself with a blast just before he could be blocked. A second blast propelled Bakugou over his opponent, allowing him to punch down on Kaminari's collarbone. Kaminari buckled, going down to one knee.

"FUCK!" He screamed. Kaminari grabbed his injury with his off-hand, his dominant arm hanging limply.

Bakugou took another swipe at him with a glowing hand, aiming for the same arm he targeted before. "Got ya now, Pikadolt!" Kaminari squeezed his eyes shut against the bright light from Bakugou's attack.

"Well, shit." Lightning exploded out from Kaminari just as Bakugou's explosion collided with his shoulder. The explosion from both attacks launched the pair in opposite directions as a dust cloud covered the stage.

"Midnight, what's happening down there?" Present Mic called from the sound booth. Midnight coughed and waved her whip around to disperse the dust. She looked around for the two boys.

"It seems like both competitors have blown each other out of the ring!" A groan came from one side of the ring where the dust cloud hadn't dispersed yet. "Wait, one of them might have stayed in!" Another groan came from the other side of the ring. "BOTH ARE STILL IN THE RING! THE MATCH IS STILL GOING!" The dust cloud completely dispersed, showing both Bakugou and Kaminari laying on opposite edges of the ring.

"Fucking AoE bullshit…" Bakugou groaned, trying to stand up and failing. He had several electrical burns across his arms and chest, spider webbing out from where his palm impacted Kaminari's shoulder. "Fuck!" He cradled his burned hand, gently blowing on his knuckles.

"Wheyyyyyy…." Kaminari groaned as he laid on the ground, arms and legs outstretched. His eyes were staring vacantly up at the sky. Midnight walked over, kneeling beside him.

"Kaminari is no longer able to compete! Winner: Bakugou!" The crowd cheered for Bakugou as Cementoss helped him up. Midnight helped Kaminari up and ushered him off the stage into the care of a group of medical robots.

"What a phenomenal match!" Present Mic screamed, revving up the crowd into more cheers. "Let's get some post-match analysis from my main man in the booth: Aizawa! What did you think of that match?"

"It was short, but unexpected. Kaminari has certainly improved his skills over the training period prior to the Sports Festival, that much is obvious. Both he and Yaoyorozu were part of a small group that our new hire focused on over the last month and that extra focus has borne fruit in this tournament, even though Kaminari lost. Bakugou won this exchange only because of the downside of Kaminari's larger attacks. Kaminari did well to harness his electricity into a close-combat application, but he still defaulted to a debilitating attack when he was against the wall. Bakugou also did well adapting to a wrinkle in his original battle plan, which speaks well to his future as a hero, but he initially underestimated his opponent. Both boys showed enormous promise for the future, but have a lot of work to reach the level of pro heroes."

"Great analysis, Aizawa-man! Now, let's see what our next match will be! Midnight, let it roll!"

The screen rose out of the ground and Midnight walked back to the center of stage. Midnight cracked her whip to get everyone's attention.

"Alright, let's spin the wheel!" The screen came to life, showing the images and names of the remaining competitors circulating on it. They slowed to reveal the matchup. "And we have… Todoroki Shoto and Shoda Nirengeki!" The two faces strongly contrasted one another. Todoroki's picture was stoic and flat, no emotion in his gaze. Shoda's image, on the other hand, had the beginnings of a smile on his face, like he'd mistimed when the camera would take the picture. "Gentlemen, make your way to the ring! Back to you, Present Mic!"

"Thanks, Midnight!" Present Mic called. He turned to face Aizawa before continuing. "Now, let's go over these two competitors! Todoroki Shoto, son of the Number Two hero, Endeavor! His Quirk: Half Hot Half Cold! Most of what we have seen so far in this competition has been the ice part of this young man's power." Images flickered on the screens around the arena of Todoroki launching waves of ice at the various enemies and robots pitted against him. "I don't believe I've seen him use his hot side, though. Have you, Aizawa?"

"No."

"Maybe your Quirk is actually Brevity, huh? Anyway, maybe we'll get to see Todoroki heat it up out here in the next round! What do you think, Aizawa?"

"Todoroki is a powerful student, he has proven that in the competition today. I believe that this part of the competition will push him to showcase more than he has shown previously." Aizawa sighed. "If he continues to rely solely on his ice, he won't make it all the way through UA regardless of how powerful it is."

"Ice cold! What about his opponent? Class 1B's Vice Rep, Shoda Nirengeki! Quirk: Twin Impact! This powerful Quirk allows Shoda to double up on his hits, even triggering them remotely! That should make a splash in this competition! That's twice the number of chances to do damage!" A banging sound came from the booth. "Aizawa, I keep telling you, that desk isn't going to break no matter how hard you bang your head into it!"

"I know."

"Anyway, any hints about what kind of strategies Shoda may attempt here?"

"If he can use his Quirk creatively, he can do what is needed to pass on. Todoroki is a tough opponent for any student, but he is far from unbeatable."

"Awesome word of confidence, Aizawa-man! Let's get back down to the ring where our competitors are waiting! Midnight?"

"Thank you, gentlemen!" Midnight said as she waved her whip around. "Todoroki Shoto, Shoda Nirengeki, are you both ready to compete?!" She pointed to each boy as she said their names. They both nodded.

Todoroki didn't bother getting into a fighting stance, his arms relaxed by his side. He stared at Shoda without concern, his expression cold and motionless.

Shoda, on the other hand, took up a boxing stance. In contrast to Todoroki's tall and lean form, Shoda was short and fairly round with ice-blue hair. He bounced on the balls of his feet, moving side-to-side slightly as he raised his fist up. The chubby boy knew that he would have to get out of the way of the first attack quickly.

"BEGIN!" Midnight jumped out of the way just as Todoroki sent a massive spike of ice at his opponent with a twist of his foot. A glacier erupted from the stage, thrusting toward the crowd until it hit an invisible barrier around the stands. Todoroki turned on the same foot to head off the ring but was stopped by a punch to the back of his ribs. He staggered to the side, swinging an arm to the side to release another wave of ice. A second impact, stronger than the first, to the same spot forced Todoroki to hunch over, aborting the second attack.

"GAH!" Saliva bursted from Todoroki's mouth from the second blow, spraying the ground in front of him. "How…?"

"You shouldn't count me out just because you have a good first attack, you know," said a voice to Todoroki's left. He whipped his head around to see Shoda bouncing on his toes, launching a punch aimed for Todoroki's jaw. The bi-colored teen managed to turn his head enough to weaken the blow, spinning with the impact to launch his own attack. His attack was interrupted by a second impact against his face, throwing him back to land several feet away. Shoda pressed the attack, dashing forward with more agility than his figure suggested.

Todoroki created an ice structure to block his opponent's rush. Shoda punched the structure, to no avail. But a moment later, the ice launched itself across the arena at Todoroki with a smirking Shoda behind it. The structure clipped Todoroki's left shoulder as he threw himself sideways, spinning him around onto his back. Even as he hit the ground, the tall teen created a sheet of ice between him and Shoda to keep him out of melee range. Shoda frowned at the chunk of ice as it hit the ground on the other side of Todoroki. The formerly symmetrical structure was now lopsided, like it started melting suddenly.

"Your Quirk. It must cause a secondary impact from your strikes." Todoroki said as he clambered to his feet, wiping a small bit of blood from his lip with his good arm. His other arm was hanging limply at his side. His eyes were blazing with anger. "I underestimated you, but as long as you don't hit me directly, your Quirk is not going to help you. Allow me to show my mother's strength. Ice Age." A wave of frost flowed from Todoroki's hand, then the stage froze . Midnight and Shoda were caught and encased in massive spiraling structures of ice that curled up from the stage and the surrounding grass. Everything within ten meters of the ring was covered in a coating of ice and snow.

"ARE YOU OK IN THERE, MIDNIGHT?!" Present Mic yelled from the booth. When no reply was forthcoming, he leaned out of the window built into the front of the booth and pursed his lips for a whistle. No sound could be heard by the crowd, but the ice around Midnight's head and shoulders cracked and shattered. She took a huge breath.

"I'm OK now, thanks Mic!" She locked a glare on Todoroki with her limited head movement. "Todoroki, if you don't melt this ice in the next five seconds, you'll be disqualified and possibly expelled. This was overkill and highly inappropriate."

Todoroki blinked slowly, the frost covering his right side beginning to turn his skin a bluish hue. Steam rose from his left side, melting the frost and returning his skin to a more normal tone. He placed his hand on the pillars of ice containing Midnight and Shoda, melting them in short order. "I apologize, Midnight-sensei." He turned to Shoda. "And to you, Shoda-san. My reaction was unnecessarily violent." He gave a short bow to the shivering boy, then walked off the stage. Midnight raised her whip.

"Winner: TODOROKI SHOTO!" The audience cheered and clapped for the exciting match.

"What an exciting match," Present Mic yelled. "It looked like Todoroki was on the ropes for a while, but that last attack was just cold! Aizawa, any post-match commentary?"

"Shoda-san did a good job of keeping his eye on the ball. He didn't underestimate his opponent, he used his environment to his advantage, and was focused on ending the match as quickly as possible. If he can continue to develop his fighting style, I believe that he will be a force to be reckoned with in the years to come."

"High praise from Aizawa there! What about our winner, Todoroki?"

"Todoroki should have won the match almost immediately, but he wasn't focused. He underestimated his opponent and used significantly more force than necessary. All heroes, especially ones with powers that cause large-scale property damage, know that control is the most important aspect of Quirk use."

Present Mic winced and hit the broadcast button, muting the microphones for a moment. "Ain't that a little harsh, Shota? He is just a first-year, after all."

Aizawa glared back at him. "No, it's not. If he can't control his power, then he doesn't deserve to be in the Hero Course, no matter who his father is."

Present Mic turned back on the microphones after a moment of staring at Aizawa. "That's the end of the post-match commentary! Midnight, spin that wheel again!"

Midnight cracked her whip to gain the crowd's attention. "Everyone, direct your attention to the screen on the blimp above to see our new matches!" The screens on each side of the blimp flickered to life and cycled through names and pictures to find the next pair of competitors. It slowed to a halt on a brown-haired girl with pink cheeks and a raven-headed boy. "For our penultimate match, we have Uraraka Ochako and Tokoyami Fumikage! Students, begin heading down to the ring! It'll take a few minutes to thaw the ring and the grounds, so everyone else feel free to take advantage of our Business Course stalls stationed around the stadium!" The crowd cheered for the upcoming match.

"Great idea, Midnight!" Present Mic yelled. "Remember, everyone, we have all kinds of merchandise from every hero who graduated from UA as well as the first run of merchandise for our third-years, all designed and created by our wonderful students in the Business Course! We'll be back in twenty minutes for more action!"