It felt weird to return to USJ. It had been a week since the attack and Thirteen was finally ready to give 'Rescue Class' another try. The whole class was visibly on edge as they walked in, but nothing happened. No villains appeared or attacked them, and as they were shown each environment they slowly started to relax slightly. Thirteen understood how they were feeling, and did her best to be warm and positive. In that she found an unexpected ally… Luzura. Sure the girl wasn't as versed in the nuisances of proper rescue protocol, but between her bright demeanor and willingness to help demonstrate, Thirteen was slowly starting to like her.

When they got to a large enclosed room, Luzura even surprised her when she asked, "I was actually involved in a hostage situation not too long ago. Maybe I could share how I handled it, and we can discuss what I did right and how it could have been done better. What do you think, sensei?"

Thirteen slowly nodded, "I think I'd like to hear about this as well. What do you all think?" A number of students chuckled as they saw Luzura nearly vibrating in excitement to share, and they all nodded in agreement.

It took a few minutes, but soon Thirteen was sitting on some rubble in the place of Bria, and the class was spread out acting as either hostages or 'mooks'. Since Tsui was the smallest she got a special job… being King in a cage made of shadows. As they got started, Thirteen saw Luzura melt into a shadow only for her voice to be heard around the room, "I'm sure most of you have heard the cliff notes, but this will be the play by play. I've warned those of you who will have active roles of what to expect, but… this is only a live demonstration. Nobody's actually going to get hurt. For authenticity only Sensei is completely in the dark, so please if you have a question please keep it to only what has already happened. Ready?"

Everyone nodded, and Lucia began recapping the events up to the gym in vivid detail, and she was surprisingly good at weaving a narrative… perhaps too good. Lucia left nothing out. How they felt, her fear, and even the devastation of finding one of her fellow students already beyond help. What started as a fun exercise soon became a serious somber experience, but through it all Lucia was shockingly clinical about most of it, with the exception of her own feelings about what she thought and saw.

"That's when I saw where the mooks were taking everyone, and I started to move in. I knew I had to evacuate who I could, but honestly I knew the only way to end this situation was to find and take out the leader. Most hired guns are dumb and skittish, so if the strongest guy gets taken out they usually scatter, but not always. While I looked, I had to minimize potential casualties just in case this ended up being one of those times where a mook gets smart. The first thing I did was get a layout for everything. I was familiar with the rough details since it was my school gym, but I wasn't going to take chances. After determining where all potential players were, and confirming statuses like injuries or blind spots I got to work."

Thirteen spoke up, "Were there any injured?"

"Thankfully not yet, and none of them were bound… just terrified. With that taken care of, I found a group of hostages that were currently unguarded, and evacuated them." Sato and Sero suddenly disappeared into their shadows and reappeared in the area they had designed as 'outside'. "With the proof of concept done I went around and started picking off isolated mooks and continuing to evacuate those l could." Lucia popped out of the shadows behind Momo, Jiro, and Ojiro one at a time and covered their mouths with shadows and carefully guided them into a sitting position. In between each 'takedown' Lucia moved Ida, Aoyama, and Kaminari to the safe zone. "I made sure to actually knock out the mooks in reality, but I figure this was close enough."

Ochaco raised her hand, "How did you take them out?"

Lucia giggled, "Well Choco, it was similar to what I just did. Shadows to muffle them, but with added braces to prevent movement. After that a combination of preventing them from breathing and a carefully placed hit to the base of the skull, and they were out. I'll teach it to you later, hermona. Anyway that's when things started going sideways. Bria finally noticed Boscha, and walked over to confront her." Thirteen walked over to Mina. "I won't go into specifics of what was said, but Bria hurt her. Bria's quirk 'Earth Binder' gave her a lot of control over dust, dirt, and the like, and she was a sadist. She cracked her jaw with a backhand and then shattered her knee with a stomp. I had to watch because I still had a half dozen other hostages, and as much as I care for Boscha… I couldn't risk everyone's lives yet."

Mina being the over actor she was, acted out both strikes, and the scream of pain when she acted like her knee had been shattered caused chills to run up a few backs. Lucia's reaction was the worst part… silence. The silence of someone who has heard and seen things that most couldn't fathom.

"I managed to save another couple groups…" Ochaco and Koda were moved to safety. "... But in the process Bria noticed, and started yelling. I had to make a choice to expose myself or take the chance they might hurt or blame some of the hostages. I choose to expose myself. There were only two other mooks left, and I was confident I could take them out quickly if they tried to attack. Luckily my grandstanding was effective to keep them distracted as I traded barbs with Bria, and waited for an opening to take her out. Bria wasn't stupid though. She created stone armor to prevent me from taking her out easily. I still tried, but it didn't work out. Then we fought."

Luz performed and described every hit before she did it, and Thirteen played along, impressed by the ruthless efficiency of it all before she asked, "This seems oddly familiar. Who taught you to fight?"

Lucia sighed nostalgically, "My mom Eda is a great fighter, and my Aunt Lilith teaches takedowns at the police academy for a couple weeks each year. Beyond that… It was a lot of private study. We were captain of the boxing, fencing, and baseball teams for a reason. Anyway, I was winning and Bria knew it, so she pulled King to her, and threatened to crush him in his stone cage. Even if it wasn't my eight year old little brother, I still wouldn't have had any other choice but to give up. I let her hit me to keep her distracted as I pulled my final trick. That earth armor created a layer of darkness between itself and her skin… and I used it." Suddenly Thirteen was covered in a layer of darkness… and then it exploded as spikes shot out. "Except when I did it to her they exploded out in both directions. I avoided all of her arteries, but… I made it hurt. It had to hurt. She had to pass out from shock before she could even consider hurting King or anyone else. Thankfully that's when SWAT showed up, and I disappeared."

Luzura just looked at Thirteen as if she expected to be criticized or yelled at, but instead the woman hugged her, "These situations are life and death, and can change at any moment. You did well. Luzura, you did very well. You handled yourself like a pro, and even when faced with impossible choices… you never lost perspective of the people who needed you."

Luz sniffled, "That means a lot coming from you sensei. You're one of the most capable rescue heroes in the world. Thank you."

Thirteen gave Luzura a warm look, "Questions anyone?"

Sato gave Luz a worried look, "Can you do that spike armor trick whenever you want?"

Luz laughed, "No way. I need a complete dark place to pull that off. Maybe in thick hiking boots or if the person is wearing like three layers of clothing, I could try, but it's not practical unless you're wearing a space suit like sensei, or maybe full leather like Midnight sensei's costume. I don't think it would work with leather though… not enough space to breathe or work with."

That made a few students blush, but then Tsui looked down looking scared and conflicted, "Luzura, how did you do it? I have two younger siblings, and thinking about one of them in that situation… how did you have the control to do any of it?"

Luz smiled and wrapped Tsu in a hug, "That…" Luzura teared up, "That is the hardest thing in the world. A hero is defined by a willingness to run toward danger. We save people. It's a part of who we are, but… having the strength to not be blinded by your every instinct screaming at you to help. It's what defines a leader. To not hesitate makes you a hero. Knowing when to strike makes you a better hero. There were a thousand ways that situation could have gone wrong, but they didn't because I stayed in control… and I got incredibly lucky. Experience keeps me grounded. The things I've seen give me control, because I know what happens if I screw up, and I'm not talking about the light show last week. Tsu, I hope you never reach my level of control because it kills a part of your soul in the process."

After that they practiced a few rescue drills in different environments, but it was a quieter affair. There were still a few jokes here and there, but in the moment… there was no laughter as they treated every situation like it was real.

Later as they headed back to U.A, Luz got everyone's attention, "Since the sports festival is an individual event… I think we should train alone until then." That earned a few confused looks from around her, so Lucia took over, "The point is to surprise and wow everybody watching, and that should include each other. You are all amazing, and I want to see just how far you've come since that first spar on our first day. Let's all go out there and do our best, so when it's over we can honestly say we tried with everything we had. I don't want to win without a fight after all." They all saw Luzura give them a cheeky purple eyed wink, and they exploded into cheers as they each vowed to beat her.

A week later Luzura, Izuku, and the rest of 1-A were walking down the tunnel that led to the main stage of the stadium where the Sports Festival would take place as they heard Mic announcing the beginning of the festival.

"Good morning, World. This is your favorite MC Present Mic with my co-host Eraserhead, and we are coming to you live from the U.A. Sports Dome for this year's Sports Festival sponsored by the Hero Commission, the Yaoyorozu group, Detnerat, and our friends at Blight Industries. Now let's get on with the showwww! Entering the stadium first is this year's premium crop of heroes to be… class 1-A and from the next tunnel over… their rivals, class 1-B." Everyone watched as the two hero classes exited their respective tunnels with Luz leading 1-A, and Willow 1-B. "I know your all chomping at the bit for this party to get startedddd, so while the rest of our competitors make their way in, I'll turn the mic over to my counterparts on the ground. You know her, you love her, put your hands together for the R-rated hero, Middddnight."

Midnight waved with her flogger whip, and smiled, "Thanks Mic. I'd like to welcome everyone as well." Midnight gave the cameras a seductive wink in her black leather leotard, flesh tone bodysuit that left very little to the imagination, and her signature handcuff wristbands. Even Luz had to admit, with her thigh high garter stockings, black knee high boots, and little red mask the woman knew what she was doing, and she respected the confidence it took to 'bare yourself' so fully. "I'm sure everyone knows how we like to start these events off, but this year we have a special speaker to give the opening student pledge. Not only did she crush the entrance exam, but she has begun making a name for herself as the head of 1-A's 'Pentagram of Power'. It is my honor to introduce… Luzura Noceda."

A number of heads turned and focused on the tall girl walking up the steps to stand beside Midnight. With an air of confidence and determination Luz accepted the microphone from Midnight with a small nod, "Now before I give the official vow, I wanted to make another." Luz spread her arm wide, "To all the world, the students you see before you are the most incredible I've ever had the opportunity to meet. We are the future, and we want all of you to watch closely today because you'll be seeing a lot of us very soon. All Might may be the current Symbol of Peace, but we are the future and as the daughter of Red Wrath… I VOW THAT THAT FUTURE WILL BE BRIGHT LIKE THE SUN." Luz shot her fist in the air, and all of her fellow heroic classmates did the same as they yelled together, "PLUS ULTRA!" With her personal vow made, Luz took the official pledge, but as she did Luz could feel it. Everybody was ready to shine for the world to see.

Returning to her class Luz received fist bumps and determined smiles as Midnight spoke again, "Well I'm feeling excited. What about you?" The crowd exploded into cheers and Midnight fake swooned, "Yes, let your passion show! Let's get this first round underway. As always the first two events are randomized, so let's see what the board has in store this time." A hologram board appeared behind Midnight and began to spin… until it stopped revealing their first event, the obstacle race. "Well look at that. The obstacle race, a four kilometer dash consisting of a test of speed and ingenuity. A race to the end where only the quickest will succeed, coupled with a few of our 'special traps' to force everyone to think on their feet to survive!" Midnight gave the cameras another wink, "I'm trembling with excitement already. Participants, get to your marks and let's get this festival underway!"

A couple minutes later everyone was standing in another tunnel awaiting the signal to begin. On a wall was a small display that lit up red to indicate for everyone to get ready. The light became yellow, and everybody tensed… green and a wave of ice and frost shot through the tunnel as the majority found themselves frozen to the floor. Todoroki started to run, but he found the majority of his class and a few others right behind him as they all smirked having expected such a thing from their half and half classmate.

As soon as the mouth of the tunnel was reached, the crowd saw a small group of teens leading the pack. Todoroki glided along on a sheet of ice he was making to extend his stride. Behind him a pair of teens with glowing limbs, one with raw red power and the other with luminous white light that were not only getting faster, but also closer to taking the lead with every second. Flying just above and behind were two teens, a blond using explosions and a three eyed girl with a pair of crab claw-like gauntlets that rocketed her forward. At the back of the small pack was a green haired girl performing a similar trick to Todoroki, but using lilac colored goo instead of ice, and a dark green haired girl who was creating roots to spring her forward.

Just before the first obstacle Luz and Izuku took the lead as they seemed to mostly ignore each other beyond a cheeky smirk. They had made a deal on their way to school that morning. They would save their fight for round three, the tournament. It was tradition, so neither had any doubt it would show up again. They wouldn't help or hinder each other until then.

Then they heard Mic, "It looks like our front runners are coming up on the first obstacle. It's a little thing we like to call… ROBO INFERNO!"

Suddenly a half dozen zero point robots appeared from the sides of the course with groups of 'pointed' robots at their feet, but neither teen slowed. Luz just intensified her light and spun as she shot through the chest of a zero pointer like a light spear. Izuku on the other hand, just ran over the collapsing bot, grabbing a piece of armor as he ran. On the other side, Izuku used his armor piece as a makeshift spoiler to keep him grounded as he pushed himself to run faster, and took the lead.

As the first two cleared the bots, Willow, Boscha, and the remaining members of the pentagram hit the first challenge. Bakugo blew his way through as quickly as possible, while Todoroki froze the path to remain open, and Boscha slipped through their slipstream. As the robots started to unfreeze, Willow locked them down with vines and Amity put goo spikes through their main cpu's.

As the duo cleared the area, Willow collapsed the path to block the others who were finally catching up. What they found was awe inspiring. Three zeroes completely devastated with a dozen various pointed robots in pieces at their feet. It had taken seconds for half of the toughest bots U.A. could throw at them to be destroyed, and the seven responsible hadn't even seemed to notice. Nobody could argue it anymore… Those were monsters fighting on a whole other level than them.

As the others contemplated their life choices, Izuku made it to the second obstacle. "Welcome listeners… to THE FALL. Dozens of plateaus with only ropes to use as walkways. Unless you have wings, this could prove a difficult obstacle to cross." As if on cue, Izuku shifted the angle of his 'spoiler' and turned it into a wing to turn his speed into lift as he hopped from pillar to pillar. Similarly Luz focused light into her legs and simply jumped. Back at the dome all of the spectators went wild at the displays of power and ingenuity as each member of the front runners did a variation of the same. Bakugo and Boscha continued to fly, Todoroki and Amity slid across on the ropes using their ice and goo respectively, and Willow just continued to use vines she grew between plateaus, before withering them behind her.

By this point the gap between the front runners and the others was considerable, but none of them were going to stop. Their competitive spirits wouldn't let them. Up in the stands, Eda Clawthorne was sitting and cheering on her daughter just like everyone around her until she felt a fuzzy paw touch her arm. When she looked to see who dared to touch her, she saw a little bear/mouse creature with a scared eye who smiled at her, "Hello again, Ms. Clawthorne. Could you come with me? I believe we need to talk."

Eda paled before letting out a sigh, "I guess I don't have a choice… not against you, Principle Nezu. Can it wait a moment though? I want to see my girl cross the finish line."

Nezu smiled, "Of course. They are quite the show aren't they? And only half as chaotic as their Mother's." Eda looked away clearly beginning to sweat as she wondered just how much her old principle knew.

Back at the race the front runners were just reaching the third obstacle, and as expected, Mic made his presence known again as he yelled, "Well race fans, we've come to the final stretch, and it's quite the blast. Welcome to our Mine field. They may not be powerful enough to kill, but let me assure you… a blast to the chest will still take your breath away."

After flying through the rest of the race, Bakugo and Boscha had to finally land as his arm shook from strain and she looked exhausted. This gave the remaining three a chance to close the gap, and it became a neck and neck struggle for third place since neither Luz nor Izuku seemed ready to surrender that first place ribbon. While Luz still had the noon day sun to pull light from, Izuku was starting to slow as his body was hitting its limit. They both knew he could push past it, and guarantee a win, but with potentially sacrificing the rest of the festival on the line… it simply wasn't worth it. Instead Izuku had used every ounce of power and momentum he had left to long jump as far as he could across the minefield, and in the process both competitors found themselves neck and neck as well. Then the area got a little darker, like an eclipse and Luz's body glowed even brighter as she rocketed forward with as much power as she could.

For a moment Luz smirked as she thought, "Better luck next time, little bro." But then she heard an explosion and she watched as Izuku slammed the metal scrap he'd been carrying the whole time into the ground, setting off a cluster of mines, and shooting him forward like a rocket. Without the added weight of the metal, now shrapnel, Izuku flew straight toward the goal, but Luz noticed it wouldn't be enough. He'd still only get second place, so she pulled back for a split second. Only enough to lose the slightest bit of momentum, but it was enough, and only Izuku was close enough to notice as he flew over the line in first place, a photo finish.

As they lay on the ground completely spent, Izuku gave Luz an annoyed look as he said a single word, "Why?"

Seeing as she had more energy Lucia answered, "You earned it. The difference between coming in first or second doesn't really matter at this point… even if I really freaking wanted it. No, as much as I hate to admit it, you fought as hard as you could for that spot, and we didn't. We didn't deserve to win this one. You didn't just lean on your quirk, like we did. You used your head and… ugh, we're proud of you."

Izuku groaned, "I don't feel right about it though. I didn't beat you."

Luz groaned, "You forced me to my limit. So what if you would have come up a split second to slow. You forced me to go all out for the first time. Take the win, little bro, cuz I'm going to push you even harder from now on."

Izuku grinned and fist bumped Luz, "You two Onee-chan. I'm on your tail, so you better keep an eye out."

At that moment they both felt a cold breeze as Todoroki fell to a knee beside them followed by Bakugo, Amity, Willow, and finally Boscha. Only Amity and Bakugo seemed bothered though. The others looked exhausted, but proud of what they just accomplished. It was silent for a couple minutes before they heard explosions as everybody else managed to reach the mine field, and Luz and Izuku started to laugh.

"What's so fucking funny nerd," hissed Bakugo with a scowl.

Luz just sat up on her elbows, "We expected that the others would take a minute to catch up, but that was a lot longer than we estimated." Luz looked around with a smile, "I never thought I'd find so many worthy rivals, but here you all are, and I couldn't be happier." Luz continued to laugh.

Izuku sat up slowly, "I feel the same way. All of you are so awesome. Anyway, Luz and I agreed to a cease fire until round three this morning, but… why don't we all agree to one now. No matter what the next challenge is, we do what we have to in order for all of us to make it to the final tournament. I want to win the whole thing, but if I'm going to lose to anyone… I want it to be one of us. I want to show everyone just how strong we are, and I know that's only possible if it's against each other because nobody else can handle us at our best." Izuku and Luz held out their hands with Luz's on the bottom.

Willow, Todoroki, Boscha, and Willow put their hands on Izuku and Luz's with a determined look and a small smile. After a moment, the other two did the same begrudging.

It took another three minutes for the first of the students to reach the resting seven, and another ten after that for everyone else. In the end the top forty-two were determined, and Midnight came strutting back out, "What a captivating performance. My heart's all a quiver and I can feel the adrenaline rushing all… over." Midnight gave the cameras another flirty wink, "As much as I'd like to keep going, we have another event to determine, so everybody shout it with me… SPIN… THAT… WHEEL!" As the crowd exploded into cheers the event wheel began to spin until finally it stopped on cavalry battle. With a smirk Midnight announced, "And now we have a team event. You all have ten minutes to form a team of three to four before the fun begins."

Suddenly Mic boomed over the speakers, "Sorry Midnight, but you seem to have forgotten something crucial. Depending on where you placed, you've all been assigned a point total. Last place earned five points, and for each position up you earned five more for yourselves… except the top ten. You each earned a special bonus. Positions four through ten, you each earned a whopping thousand point bonus. Third, you get two hundred and fifty thousand points. To second place a heart stopping five hundred thousand, but to our number one… our King to beat… you earned ONE… MILLION… POINTS. For this next event, those points will be critical, because one of you on each team will be wearing a headband with your team's total points. The top five teams at the end move on to the final round, so watch out super stars and enjoy those targets." Mic laughed playfully.

After that everyone broke up to make plans and teams. While most of the top seven separated to make their own teams, Boscha and Willow found themselves being grabbed around the waist by familiar arms as Luz smirked, "What to show everyone what real teamwork looks like?"

Boscha laughed evilly, "Ohhh, ya. Let's do this."

Willow blushed, "Ok, but I better get something as a reward. Apparently I'm very desirable as a partner."

Lucia let out a low growl, "Don't I know it. Don't worry, me bonita novia, I've got all kinds of ways I could… reward you."

Willow blushed and Luz looked uncomfortable, "Dammit, Cia! Don't think so loud. I actually saw some of that… and really… leather seems a bit tacky. Better than that wooden idea you had, but dear kami the splinters." As Boscha blushed and her thoughts started going to impure places, Willow stiffened and seemed to faint.

"Phrasing! Look what you did, Lu! A new leather chair for her green house isn't tacky and I'll have you know red oak floors would be beautiful. If you choose to walk around her private space barefoot, that's your problem," groaned Lucia.

Luz gave Boscha an expectant look, and she chuckled as she moved her new gear around to give her friend a better look, "Like it? This is the first of my newest project line. Project Palismen, a line of personalized gear to help maximize the user's quirk." Boscha held up her right claw, "This is my personal prototype. The Multi application yield apparatus, or MAYA. It helps me focus my flames into jets for mobility, and a bit of extra fire power in a fight. My baby has other functions, but you'll have to wait and see."

Willow seemed to finally come back around, "Your baby?"

Boscha chuckled, "Ya, I guess Mei's finally rubbing off on me." At her friends confused looks Boscha pointed to a pink haired mature girl with cross shaped eyes that was talking to Izuku, "Hatsume Mei, she's my lab partner, and honestly she's cool as hell. She might be the smartest student in class, but nobody else wants to work with her. Who cares if her babies blow up from time to time. The ones that work are incredibly."

They all watched as Izuku nodded, and Mei gave him a hug before winking and shooting Boscha a thumbs up. Willow sighed, "Should we be worried?"

Boscha gave a fifty/fifty gesture, "Izuku's tough, and I think Mei agreed to only bring a few babies I already tested." Boscha shrugged, "Should be fine."

After that Luz went to grab a few bottles of sports drinks for her team, and when she saw an exhausted looking boy with spiky lavender hair walk up to her, "Your Liz Noceda, right?"

Luz smirked, "It's Luz ac-" Luz's mind suddenly went blank until she felt a mental slap. "Did you just try to mind control me?"

The boy seemed stunned as he seemed to focus, "No. Of course not. Why would you think that?"

"Because Captain Ruffies-" Lucia stayed before she felt the sensation again, and Luz returned the gesture, "Ok. Knock that off, you dick. It's not going to work, and more to the point… that's super rude. I know I'm hot, but this is unacceptable."

The boy blanched, "Wait! You don't understand. I'd never… ok. Firstly, I'm sorry. You're just really strong, so I thought you might be able to help me make it to the final round. I know my quirk is 'villainous', but I just want to be a hero, and prove that anyone can be a hero regardless of their quirk. I almost made it into the hero course, but the practical…" The boy looked angry, "It's not fair. Just because my quirk isn't flashy that shouldn't be the deciding factor."

Luz gave the boy a look and sighed, "Fine, I won't report you, but use this as a learning experience. You're much more than your quirk. Train your body, and make something of yourself that way. Heck Mr. Aizawa's quirk isn't flashy, but he's a great hero. Give it some thought, and… if you try to dominate me again I'll make you wish we never met." Luz smiled and walked away, leaving the boy a bit shocked, and more than a little scared.

In the end it was Team Awesome (Boscha's idea) with Luz, Willow, and Boscha. Team Izu with Izuku, Ochaco, Mei, and Tokoyami. Team Baku with Bakugo, Kirishima, and Mina. Team Icy with Totoroki, Ida, and Momo. Team Mental with Amity, the purple haired boy named Shinzo, and an orange haired girl named Kendo.

Due to the non-aggregation agreement each of the top teams kept clear of each other except Mental, but they had their own problems as Amity seemed to be off her game because her control over her goo was obvious and unrefined, a blunt object instead of her usual scalpel-like proficiency. For most of the round each top team just played defense allowing the other teams to come to them due to the fact that they didn't need to waste the energy. Even if they got ignored, they were guaranteed to advance, and each knew better than to doubt the other's strength. None of them were going to allow themselves to lose. At first the crowd seemed less than thrilled that they were each playing defense, but once they actually started to defend that changed. Each had already shown how powerfully aggressive they could be, but now they showed off the fact that they were just as capable on defense.

For team Awesome, they had a simple plan. If the opponent was on the ground they dealt with Willow and her frightening forestry. If in the air they had large fireballs and jets of flame to deal with. The whole time the crowd watched as Luz kept a hand on each of her partners shoulders, and pumped her light into them to further empower and revitalize them. Team Icy did something similar with Todoroki creating an ice fortress and Momo filling it with traps while Ida keeps them moving inside. Shoto had to inform his teammates about the agreement the top seven had, but they each just smirked. To be honest, it sounded like something the siblings would come up with. Izu and Baku just settled for remaining mobile and circling the area like sharks, but always directly across from each other. Their teams had snickered at the deal their 'captains' agreed to, but accepted it because it meant they would each get a chance to shine in the next round.

In the end, the leaderboard didn't change, but that didn't mean the crowd was any less excited. They knew the tournament would be next, and after displaying how capable they were in general everyone was excited to see how they compared to each other directly. While the staff got the ring ready and the bracket was decided, all of the remaining participants had a half hour to rest and prepare. Mai and Boscha disappeared while giggling about 'testing a baby', so nobody tried to follow. Willow and the orange haired girl, Kendo, went to talk and comfort the rest of their class since they were the only ones left to represent them. Luz and Izuku missed where everyone else slipped away to, so they each separated to look for someone else to hang out with. Sure they could've stuck together, but they were each other's main rival, so they wanted time to make a plan to counter each other anyway.

Izuku found someone first, but only because one was whisper shouting and putting off waves of heat, "Your refusal to use my quirk was cute at first, but now it's just pathetic. You're getting beaten left and right by a pathetic little boy and a lightbulb! Stop being a petulant child and show these upstarts that their better has arrived." Izuku recognized the man. He was Todoroki Enji, aka Endeavor… Shoto's dad.

Shoto just gave the large man a dismissive scoff, "Never. I'd rather die. If I can't beat them with my ice, then I don't deserve to win. I refuse to be like you. I refuse to be defined by you. Unless you can bring back Toya-"

Endeavor suddenly attempts to back hand Shoto, but finds his wrist caught before it could hit and a green haired boy standing between them still clutching his wrist with a surprising amount of strength. Endeavor heated his arm to force the boy to release, but the boy only squoze harder as they had a silent battle of wills. Izuku's hand started to smoke and a smell of burnt pork started to rise from his hand, but at the same time Endeavor's face started to scrunch up in pain as the bones in his wrist was slowly turned to powder. In the end, Endeavor flinched first, and pulled his arm away. Something Izuku allowed. With an audible growl the older man left, trying not to reveal how much his wrist actually pained him.

With him gone Izuku turned to Shoto with a smile as he said, "Ya know, in retrospect, I might be better off without a dad cuz yours is an asshole."

Shoto looked at Izuku in surprise before he actually chuckled, "Ya, he is. Thanks, but you didn't need to do that."

Izuku shrugged, "I don't like bullies." Izuku started to walk away but stopped and turned around with a small smile, "You should stop holding yourself back though. Your fire and your ice, they're a part of you. It's YOUR fire, not his, and if you really want to beat him you know the only way he'll ever accept it. Be better than him. A better man, a better hero, and do it while being all you can be. In the end, it's your quirk, your power, and it's yours to use in whatever way you choose, but I for one want to see you at your very best. That way… when I win there will be no regrets. I know we aren't close, but I've got your back Shoto. No matter what." Izuku raised his fist in the air, and continued walking away leaving a contemplative Shoto behind him.

In another hallway, Luz was walking around until she heard a heavy slap and a familiar exhalation of pain. Without a moment of pause, Lucia took over and they disappeared into the shadows to get past the locked door. On the other side was Amity on the ground with a large bruise across her cheek as a woman with similar green hair and business attire stood over her with a look of rage. While Amity curled in on herself to try and protect herself, the woman just scoffed dismissively, "I've tried to be kind, Mittens. I played along with your little 'deal' until now, but you're bringing shame to our name, and THAT can not be allowed." The woman leaned down and put her hand on Amity's cheek in mock concern, "I only want what is best for us. You know that. I'll allow you to continue for now, but if you don't correct this behavior by the end of term… we'll have to move up the date." Shoving Amity's face away dismissively she stood up, "Come along Mr. Hunter. I would like to escort you back to our seats. Our lunches should be ready by now, and it would not do to have them get cold."

Luz finally noticed the teen leaning against the wall in a fine suit. She saw a dead coldness in the boy's eyes as he went to follow the woman, but before he left he got close to Amity's ear as he smirked, "You will be mine, and I can't wait to have you all to myself." Amity started to tremble something that made the older boy's smirk widen as a crazed look appeared in his scarlet eyes for a moment before it was gone again, and the duo left.

Luzura gave it twenty to thirty seconds for them to be far enough away before she rose up and held Amity close to her, tenderly as Amity just cried, seemingly not even caring who was holding her. Amity just let it all out as she snuggled deeply into the warm embrace, and it felt like years of pain and abuse just flowed out of her. She felt a tender touch on her bruised cheek and that pain too seemed to fade. After a while, Amity finally looked up and saw a pair of purple orbs looking back at her that she recognized, but never before had she noticed how… beautiful they were. Deep dark pools of lavender warmth that seemed to captivate and awe her because there was no judgment in them. Never before had she experienced being held like this. It was like being embraced by the sun at noon with arms that promised safety and protection.

They didn't say anything for a long while before Amity sighed, "I'm sorry you saw that. I should be stronger than-" Amity let out a surprised squeak as she was cut off.

Luz just shifted to fully pull the smaller girl into her lap, and made Amity start to blush in the process, but she gave Amity a sad look, "No. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come in… or maybe I should have found you sooner?" Luz groaned in frustration, "Amity, you're plenty strong, and… ugh, I don't know what to say. I part of me wants to hunt down that puta and claw out her eyes, and another just wants to stay here and hold you until I can't anymore." Luz pouted and that caused Amity to let out a small giggle.

But then Amity sighed, "I know you're strong, but Odalia has powerful friends and a strong quirk. I don't think anyone can stop her."

Luz scoffed, "She can't be that tough, but you sound like you know her well?"

Amity rolled her eyes, "I should. She's my birther. I refuse to call her my 'mother' unless she makes me, and it's always caustic on my tongue. Luz, she owns me."

Amity looked away in shame, "I'm just another one of her slaves and she knows it. A part of her quirk allows her to make binding contracts with people that bind their spirits. In order to try to free myself… I had to make a deal."

Luz growled lowly and held the choco-mint in her lap even tighter, "If there's a contract there must be a loophole. What exactly was the deal? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I want to help you."

Amity sniffled, "If I can graduate at the top of the class, I'm free to live my life however I choose with whomever I choose… but if I can't… one of her business partners wants me for some reason. They set up a quirk marriage between myself and that guy Hunter." Amity started to tear up, "I don't even like men, and…" Amity shuddered, "I've seen a few of the girls he's been with after he's done with them… they're broken and lifeless. He's a brute and… I'm scared, but I know from experience the contract will prevent me from being able to fight back physically… I won't have a choice."

Luz started to tremble as well, but in her case it was with rage. Luz's eyes started to glow purple and the room started to lose all its light… but the room wasn't getting darker either. The shadows seemed to be being pulled in as well and absorbed into Luzura's body causing bits of lavender 'twilight' to start leaking from her. Amity was captivated once again by how beautiful and powerful the girl holding her is. With a voice that Amity hadn't heard before, kind of like both sisters were talking at the same time but not layered the way it usually was, Luzura started to speak in a single voice, "We refuse. We will break this contract, and you will be free. This we swear, and we won't stop until it happens or we die. No one should have to go through what you have, but most of all you. This will not be how your story ends." Suddenly Luz wavered and all the energy dispersed back into the room leaving her looking pale and drained, but Luz just smiled, "Even if I have to kidnap you and lock you away myself… I'll never let anyone hurt you again."

Amity felt her heart flutter and without thinking she kissed Luz. It was desperate and needy at first, but then it softened as Luz cupped Amity's cheek and returned the kiss. For a full minute they just continued to stay connected, and neither girl thought about anything besides how right it felt or their desire to remain connected like this forever, but eventually they needed to breathe.

When they separated, both girls blushed, and Amity stammered, "I-I'm so sorry! Th-that wasn't supposed to happen. I know you're with Willow and… Oh god, Willow! What have I done? I told her I loved her and now I'm throwing myself at her girlfriend… I'm just such a sl-"

Luz rounded on Amity and for the first time she looked angry at her, and Amity thought she knew why, but Luz shocked her by kissing her forehead and pulling her back into a tender embrace. With a stern, but tender voice Luz stated, "I never want to hear you talk like that again. You didn't do anything wrong. Amity, you're beautiful, smart, classy, and a thousand other things. You might be the most perfect girl I've ever met, and…" Luz took a deep breath before letting it out, "I've had a crush on you since I first saw you at the entrance exam. I-I think I'm falling in love with you. I know it's weird, my sister and I sharing a body, and her being with Willow, but… would you… could you ever love me? I promise I'll understand if you can't, but please… Do you think we could give it a try?"

Amity looked into Luz's blue eyes, and smiled, "I don't know. I'm sorry, Luz, but I don't. I've been in love with Willow for years. I used to dream of us running away together, in order to escape all of the abuse. I know it'll never happen now, and Lucia seems to make her happy, but I'm still in love with her. I-I can't be with you when my heart still belongs to her. It's not fair to you." Luz sighed dejectedly having expected this would happen, but it still hurt… until she felt soft lips on her cheek and saw Amity blush again as she smiled, "At the same time, you are growing on me, and I can't say you don't own a piece too, but until I know for sure… I just can't. Please, just give me time. I feel confused and twisted up inside. I know I care about you, but… I'm sorry."

Luz just smiled, "Amity Blight, I would wait for you forever. I'll give you as long as you need. Just please, even if we can't be together… I still want to be there for you. Even if it's only as your friend, please don't push me away. Incluso si no puedes ser mi reina, déjame ser tu caballero, mi hermosa Diosa Pegajosa (Even if you can't be my Queen, please let me be your knight, my beautiful gooey goddess)."

Amity blushed, "Nunca te mereceré, mi Caballero Crepuscular (I'll never deserve you, my Twilight Knight)." Luz's eyes went wide at that as she blushed back, and for a few more minutes they just held each other, but then they had to exit to meet up with the other competitors.

As they walked Luz heard a voice in her head, "You let me be with Willow, so I'll do everything I can to help you with Amity, me hermana." Luz felt so touched by that simple promise, but then Lucia ruined it. "Willow's better, but I wonder if we could interest them into having some fun. Since we share a body would it be an orgy or a Ménage à trois? Questions for later?" Luz's face turned scarlet in embarrassment, as she just tried to focus on moving forward.

Breakdown: And it's finally done. This chapter was so much more difficult than I expected, but I hope you enjoyed it. On to the play by play.

So I really wanted to include the ova, and I contemplated just having it be a shot for shot with Luz present, but then I thought, "This is a golden opportunity for 1-A and 13 to get a better look at exactly how Luz thinks, and how her mind works", and it went from there. Also we never really go back to the USJ so this felt like a needed moment to use the location one last time. Also, while we might not see her often, 13 is a cool character, and I thought she should definitely be addressed on Luz's 'making teachers like me tour'. While they're not a natural disaster, a hostage situation would still count as a rescue, so of all teachers 13 is actually one of the best to critique Luz's thought process, and it's incredibly hard to teach without a mock retelling like they did. It was also a great way to show a different perspective. The first time it was a hostage POV so actually getting to see it from Luz's was a fun retread.

I hope everyone paid attention to Mic's opening speech… it could be important. Small note, I thought for the longest time that Midnight used a riding crop, but according to the wiki it's a flogger whip, the more you know. Also, which teacher or student coined the Pentagram's unofficial title will never be revealed, but much like the Big 3 it has significance. Luz, Amity, Shoto, Izuku, and Katsuki make up the pentagram, and it's actually a subtle jab at the fact that each counter another member and are countered. More on that next chapter though. There is a Hexsquad in this Au, but instead of it being a reference to Hexside it's the name for the top six hero students of the first year in terms of overall ability, the pentagram plus Willow. They each excel at both combat and academics whereas most of the others lean toward one or the other, like Momo who is wildly intelligent but lacks killer instinct, or Kirishima who is a solid fighter but much more average academically. Also, here's hoping Luz outing herself as Camila's daughter won't have terrible consequences *wink wink*.

So the whole first event was a fun ride as I tried to demonstrate just how large the gap is between the Hexsquad and everyone else. Honestly, Boscha only did as well as she did because she managed to stay in Bakugo's orbit. Without him, she would have been slowed down enough by the bots for everyone to catch her. In no way are they unbeatable, heck Luz almost died during the USJ incident, but they are each on a different level from the rest of the first years. Why did Luz and Izuku, and later the others, agree to the third round agreement? Because if they didn't there would be a lot of destruction and injuries from others getting caught in the crossfire, and they each know it. It's literally safer this way. Could I have gone into detail about who made it to the final forty-two, yes, but in the end we only need to know the final sixteen, so I didn't see a point. The final positions didn't change much except the last four finishers from canon didn't make it except Mei who managed to make it as number forty-two.

I love taking advantage of the fact Luz and Lucia share head space. It's a bottomless well of jokes and innuendos I can't do any other way. Also, surprise! The first palisman has been shown. I'm still working on how exactly the others will work, but ya they're personalized support items, and yes, later they will gain a level of AI to make them semi-sentient. Also yes, there is a reason why Boscha isn't worried about Mei, and it has to do with her quirk.

Why doesn't Luz grab water? Because water is for fish, and I'm not afraid to die on this hill. I don't drink it and nobody is going to convince me to start. I eat watermelon, drink kool-aid, and stuff like that, but I've been anti-water for over fifteen years. Rant over.

Shinso trying to use his quirk on Luz was too hilarious to pass up. In his defense, some of the strongest options happen to be girls, so yes he does end up on a team of only girls, but it's not because of any kink reasons, Amity and Kendo are just that strong. I had to end up making all of the team's trio's (except Izuku's) because otherwise it would have thrown off the bracket. My only other choice would have been to add another round to the bracket, doubling the contestants, and that wasn't going to work. A round that only eliminated ten people is a bad round. I don't really have much to say about the second round. By instituting the agreement I prevented a slaughter, but it also made it kind of uneventful, sorry.

The two scenes with 'parents' were one of the highlights of this chapter for me. Izuku basically forcing Endeavor to back off was pure catharsis, and helps explain why they end up being such good friends… shitty dads. While Luz doesn't get to Amity fast enough to protect her this time… it won't happen again, and need I remind you… Luz still has a code and Odalia has already burned two strikes. Luz may no longer be Death Shadow, but she can still be lethal if she chooses. If you think Luz wouldn't happily use her first actual kill to protect Amity, you're very wrong. I might have created the most horrifying situation possible for Amity. If she can't succeed or escape she'll basically be assaulted, and that knowledge is eating her up inside. It's why the only character trait we've really seen from her up until now was her drive to succeed. She couldn't afford to think about anything else.

I know I'm going to get some push back on this version of Hunter, but he is not the one we know. This one is irredeemable by design, and much closer to a Nomu in terms of alignment and position. More on that in a future chapter.

Finally we get to see the last barriers fall away as Luzura finally shows the first real signs of her true combined quirk. Luz's 'Legendary Light' and Lucia's 'Deepest Darkness' have been slowly blending for their entire lives. Every time their minds overlapped and they synchronized their thoughts into a single unstoppable being they took a step closer to this power, and now they've finally hit the point where they can evolve or 'unlock' their true potential. It's not a true third quirk, but for ease it will get its own name… 'Eternal Twilight'. It breaks the boundaries of either of its parts and allows Luz to absorb both elements and turn them into a unique 'twilight' energy that she can use as a stronger version of any of her normal tricks. She can't use it on command yet, or really control it, but ya… she's busted. For reference this is a similar situation to what we saw Toga do near the end of canon. For those who don't understand, I'm sorry, but you'll see, and Luz isn't the only one to start evolving soon.

First Lumity kiss, woot-woot, and the conversation after, OMT I live for these scenes. That much raw vulnerability, it just felt like the perfect moment. They're bearing their souls, fears, and feelings, so it just felt right. Emotional maturity at its best, and surprise.. This Amity knows Spanish. She's a rich kid, and a bookworm. She's already bi-lingual since she knows English and Japanese, why would she stop there? How many does she actually know… you'll see, but it's more than three. Next chapter of this story's probably going to take a while again because… the round three tournament is going to be so hard, but I'll get it done. Until then, Shine on beautiful readers. Shine on.