I only own this fan fiction. May contain Out of Character moments.
Even without the large monitor displaying the battle, the thunderous thumping of explosions could be heard from where the Hero Classes of 1A and 1B were sitting. Currently, the 1st team was battling within Ground Gamma and making a real mess of the industrial terrain. Todoroki was creating glaciers and firestorms, Mina was sliding along and dropping pipes whenever an enemy was below her, Kirishima was barreling through walls, and Yaoyorozu was shelling wherever 1B was spotted.
Hence the sound of all the explosions.
1B's Team 1 wasn't helping matters either as they used their caused 1A's Team 1 to create more chaos. Manga's Comic had a variety of effects depending on the onomatopoeia he made, usually to counter Todoroki's attacks. Bondo's Cemedine kept trapping Kirishima, leaving Mina to support the red haired boy. Pony's Horn Cannon gave 1B great support, supplementing their movement as they rode her detached horns or flanked 1A whenever possible. Honenuki's Softening was the real problem though, as it made finding any kind of footing almost impossible for 1A.
And it was that last thing that finally got Kirishima. He sunk too far into the ground before Honenuki undid the effects of his Quirk.
"And there goes Kirishima Eijiro of 1A! Trapped in the ground by Honenuki's excellent Quirk! Will this be enough to put Class 1A in their place!?" Vlad commentated, his bias completely transparent for all to see. As Hagakure, Jirou, and Aoyama were protesting the Blood Hero's lack of objective reporting, Minoru and Izuku focused on their own notes on 1B as they sat upon the ground with the rest of 1A. This was the perfect time to update the notes they had on their fellow Hero Class.
To help them do that, Izuku had finally got a memo pad and made Hero Notes and Analysis for the Future, Pocket Edition 1.
"Honenuki-kun's and Tsunotori's Quirks are quite dangerous when used in tandem… While the opponent has their footing robbed by Softening, 1B's allies can be carried around through Horn Cannon." Izuku mumbled, taking brief notes on the battle before them.
"Mobility and terrain is one of those things that decide battles… When the enemy has advantages to both, things are bound to get ugly real fast." Minoru commented, watching as Todoroki had to now deal with 2 people at once. Given how things were going, the shorter boy didn't have high hopes for this first battle. Well…
That was until Todoroki surrounded himself in a thick shell of ice and numerous explosions went off around him a second later. Once the smoke cleared, both Manga and Honenuki were unconscious and slightly burnt. 1A's dual colored classmate emerged from his ice, breathing a sigh of relief, and tapped the head piece Team 1 had, courtesy of Yaoyorozu.
"What was that!? Divine intervention!?" Monoma shouted.
"Half and Half must've told Ponytail to shell his exact location... A danger close order, not bad." Bakugou replied with a smirk.
"But it seems 1A still has some fight left in them... Can my precious students turn this situation around?" Vlad said, continuing his biased commentary but with less enthusiasm.
"I don't think that's possible. With Todoroki, Yaoyorozu, and Mina are still in decent condition, I think the first win will go to us." Minoru commented quietly, leaning over to Tsuyu. The amphibious girl nodded wordlessly to that, her faith in their classmates clear in her unflinching expression. They continued to watch the fight, Vlad's biased commentary, Izuku's muttering, Monoma's yelling, and other comments floating all around them.
And soon enough…
"Time's up. 1A has 1 student unable to continue, 1B has 2. The first match goes to Class 1A." Aizawa announced, his voice sounding a little more enthused than usual. Minoru heard his friends cheer loudly; drowning out Monoma as he began shouting 'rigged', 'you 1A mongrels cheated', or other such excuses.
"Geez, how obsessed with us is that guy? It's creepy…" Uraraka commented as she continued to watch the arrogant blonde's raving.
"It's entertaining though, watching this idiot lose his mind." Kaminari replied with a small laugh as multiple members of 1B smacked Monoma.
"If you're the one judging, then it must be hilarious." Jirou said, holding back her giggles.
"Exac– Wait a minute…" The electric blonde said, changing his response mid-thought as realization dawned on his face. 1A laughed at Kaminari's bewildered expression, something Minoru couldn't help but join despite feeling a little sorry for his friend. If it's about Kaminari's "whey" mode, expect some playful jab to it that he'll complain about one moment and then laugh with the next.
"Oh sure, laugh it up while you still can 1A! Ensure you savor your little victories… Because this will be the last time you get one over us! It will be us who will be laughing next! Us!" Monoma shouted, dramatically pointing their way. Kendo then swiftly knocked him out again, dragging him back with the annoyance of a leader who just can't get rid of a needed, but insufferable, follower.
"Oh gee, where have I heard that tirade before?" Minoru commented as he eyes immediately went to Bakugou. The explosive blonde smirk changed to a deep frown, his red eyes glaring back at the shorter boy.
"Mineta Minoru, you did not just compare me to that dumbass."
Before anything else could happen through this conversation, 1A and 1B's Team 1 returned to the observation platform. Since Honenuki and Manga were the most injured of the bunch, they were carted off towards the Recovery Girl's nearby field hospital. The two teams stood before their respective homeroom teachers, their stares critical but full of knowledge and wisdom. Win or lose, 1A and 1B will know what went wrong, what went right, and where to improve.
"Kirishima, knowing when to retreat to observe a situation can prevent you from constantly getting caught in bad positions. Your strengths make the best use of your momentum, preserve as much as you can." Aizawa said, looking at the red-haired boy. Kirshima simply nodded quietly, a rare moment of silent introspection from their normally boisterous friend.
"Yaoyorozu, you did well serving as your team's backline and staying away from encounters with the enemy. However, you still hesitate to execute risky, but necessary strategies even when asked by others. A longer delay from you, even by another second, could've resulted poorly for Todoroki." Aizawa continued, moving on to their class vice president.
"I understand. Thank you, Aizawa-sensei." Yaoyorozu replied with a slight bow.
"Mina, your excellent reflexes and sense of space helped you get Kirishima out of many sticky situations and put pressure on 1B. However, you need to learn how to head an enemy off or you'll just be chasing them in circles forever. Both you and Todoroki could've caught Tsunotori and Bondo with just a bit of coordination between you two." Aizawa said, turning to face the pink girl. Mina just hummed to that whilst thinking about the battle again, figuring out where to apply their teacher's advice.
"And Todoroki, your Quirk's power kept the enemy from pressing any advantages or making a complete retreat. But your ability to command on the frontline needs work as Mina and Kirishima could've avoided their issues with a bit of guidance from you. Help be a decisive force the way you did for Yaoyorozu." Aizawa finished, falling on the final member of 1A's Team 1.
"I see… I'll keep that in mind." Todoroki replied with a nod. Aizawa took a look at Vlad, who also just finished his review of 1B's Team 1 and was looking back, gave a nod and turned to their respective Team 2s.
"Team 2, you're up."
"Then we'll continue the momentum of Team 1! Let's go 1A!" Iida shouted, charging forth as Aoyama, Kouda, and Jirou quickly followed their Class President into battle. 1A then watched 1B's Team 2 went in, chasing after an equally enthused Tetsutetsu. Will this battle be centered on the unstoppable force (Iida) and the immovable object (Tetsutetsu)? Probably not as Minoru couldn't help but stare at Kinoko, the girl who had covered him in mushrooms way back when during the Sports Festival.
"I know I shouldn't be saying this… But I'm not feeling very confident about this match up." The shorter boy said, whispering to his teammates.
"Come on Mineta, I'm sure Iida-kun and the others will do just fine." Uraraka commented with a smile and hand wave.
"I'm guessing it's because of Komori-chan? Her Quirk was quite something, though I don't think it'll hinder Iida-chan too much." Tsuyu replied, tilting her head.
"Yosetsu-san is my personal worry for this fight. His Weld Quirk could cause serious problems if he manages to catch Iida-kun…" Izuku said, still scribbling in his notepad. Minoru took a subtle moment to look around, noting where the other members of 1B were to ensure no one heard him.
"If I was 1B, I'd have Komori blind Iida with some mushrooms, lure him into Tetsutetsu to catch him, and use Yosetsu to weld him to something. That would put Iida out of commission and leave our friends in a seriously bad position." Minoru whispered, much to the dismay of his friends.
"Gee Mineta, thanks, now I'm worried for them…" Uraraka said with a pout and glare.
"Then let's hope 1B isn't as smart as Mineta-chan is. The match is starting." Tsuyu replied, attention being drawn to the monitor before them. And with the blare of a loud alarm, the second match began and the two teams immediately made their moves.
Unfortunately, as time passed, Minoru's guess on 1B's plan was on the money. The moment Iida began his pursuit of the enemy, thanks to information provided to him by Kouda and Jirou, he was blinded by sudden and dense mushroom growths all over his helmet. 1A's class president quickly removed his helmet to regain his eyesight, but that split moment delay was more to throw him off guard when metal objects were shot at him. Iida managed to somehow evade every projectile that came his way, though it did slow him down considerably in the end. That was what got him.
Tetsutetsu came out of the shadows, tackling Iida from the side and brought him down. Then, before Iida could get up, Yosetsu quickly emerged from his hiding place and fused Iida to the ground using metal rods. Things just went downhill from there for 1A's Team 2, mostly since they were eventually cornered by Kinoko's ever growing fungal nightmare. And Minoru knew just what those mushrooms did once they started to grow on your body.
Kouda, Jirou, and Aoyama's movements began to get weighed down by the sheer number of mushrooms growing on them. They were then, like Iida, pelted by several flying objects, with Aoyama receiving a direct blow to the head that sent him to the ground. Jirou fought back by sending sound in the direction of the enemy. However, she and Kouda were flanked by Tetsutetsu and Yosetsu and got taken down.
This match was 1B's victory, 0-to-4.
"And so the best class strikes back! 1A was rendered utterly helpless by my students' superior battle strategy!" Vlad commented, tears of pride welling in his eyes. Class 1B let out a cheer, with Monoma being loudest, as Minoru could hear his friends let out a frustrated sigh. Bakugou, on the other hand, was surprisingly quiet about all this.
"Bakugou, you're not going to say anything?" Kirishima asked, tapping the explosive blonde on the shoulder.
"Don't need to. Team 3 is going to shut those fuckers up and show them what real winners look like. I'll do my part, so you better do yours." Bakugou said, turning to his teammates.
"Is that really the plan?" Satou asked, scratching the back of his head.
"You're smart enough to– Actually, no, the thundering dumbass will probably screw something up. Help me explain the plan." Bakugou replied, a moment of hesitation hitting him, before jabbing his thumb at Kaminari. The electric blonde only had a moment to look offended before Bakugou dragged him far away from 1B, Satou and Shouji quickly following after them.
"Plan all you like 1A, but we'll prevail in– Mgh!?" Monoma laughed before a gag found a way into his mouth. Then, as if she had done this many times before, Kendo completely tied the arrogant blonde in a cocoon of rope. Once she's done, she had Setsuna sit on him to prevent him from squirming out of his bindings.
"Monoma, I'm getting real sick and tired of you acting like this whenever 1A's around. You're going to stay like that until our match. End of discussion." She said as began boring a hole into Monoma's skull. And while he still glared back at the girl, he stopped struggling and just laid there. Minoru wasn't sure what to think of sight like that … But at least everyone will enjoy the rest of the matches in peace.
"Ah, they're back." Izuku said, getting up from his seat. Uraraka did the same and the two of them hurried to meet 1A's Team 2, stepping aside for the medical bots that were carrying an unconscious Aoyama on a stretcher.
"I'm sorry everyone! I'm your class president, yet I led Team 2 poorly and straight into defeat! I will reflect on this day for years to come!" Iida apologized loudly, bowing towards Class 1A. Before he could blurt anything else out, Aizawa and Vlad gathered their respective Team 2s and began their criticisms on the match. And based on their scraggly teacher's face, 1A knew their Team 2 wasn't going to get any sympathy.
"Iida, even with a hit-and-run strategy, meeting the enemy without some kind of support is reckless at best and life-threatening at worst. You need to consider what else your speed can be used for; otherwise you'll become a one-trick pony."
"I'll reflect on that deeply, Aizawa-sensei…" Iida said, head hanging in shame.
"Jirou, Kouda, your intelligence gather is sound. However, information is useless when you have no way of conveying it to your allies. Iida wouldn't have been in the situation he was in if you two came up with some kind of way of warning him. Even a simple signal would've been sufficient." Aizawa continued, turning to the students in question."
"You're right, that's something we could've done." Jirou said, pondering the scenario they were in again.
"Sorry guys…" Kouda apologized, turning to his teammates.
"Once Aoyama recovers, I'll give him my criticisms in-person. Team 3, get ready." Aizawa said, looking to Bakugou, Kaminari, Satou, and Shouji. And with all the swagger in the world, the explosive blonde strode forward.
"Alright you fucking extras, I'll show you how it's done."
Kaminari, Shouji, and Satou, as well as 1B's Team 3, quickly followed after the explosive blonde and onto the battlefield. And while Monoma was shouting something about Setsuna being 1B's dirtiest players, all Minoru could think about was how quickly his nemesis could settle this. No matter what sort of plan 1B could come up with, the shorter boy knew whatever Bakugou had in mind will destroy it all. And with the way he walked, Minoru knew his plan won't just revolve around him anymore.
It'll revolve around how 1A plays off each other.
In the next several minutes, much to the utter shock of 1B and the delight of 1A, Bakugou really did live up to his words. No matter what plan, tactic, or path 1B took to take down 1A's Team 3, they were shut down in every which way. But the most surprising thing was that Bakugou, despite relentless charging the enemy team, was just slow enough for Kaminari, Shouji, and Satou to keep up. Then, when any one of those three were in trouble, he moved in to support.
And in turn, they moved in to support him when he got caught in a sticky situation. They were in complete sync, allowing them to make swift progress out of 1B.
It started with taking down Kaibara, whom Bakugou pulled unexpectedly towards an equally unexpected Kaminari and was electrocuted.
Hiryu was eliminated when Bakugou unleashed a massive plume of dense smoke and he and Satou ambushed him in turns, eventually bringing him down.
Kodai had been chased into Shouji's skin shell and got caught, her attention mostly on escaping an aggressively pursuing Bakugou to notice the multi-armed giant.
And finally, despite her efforts to evade the four, Setsuna was cornered when Bakugou appeared above her and drove her straight into the other 3. It was like watching a rat being caged…
"Wait a minute…" Minoru muttered, thinking back to how 1A captured the members of 1B. And like the shorter boy, his friends began to realize something in how Bakugou went about bringing down their rival hero class.
"Those were Minoru-kun's strategies!" Izuku said, his brows shooting for the moon.
"I thought as much, though they were given Bakugou-kun's… Distinct style." Uraraka replied, nodding her head as they watch Bakugou and his team drag 1B into the cage, marking the end of the battle.
"Bakugou-chan is an aggressive fighter, so of course he would modify how them… Still, I'm surprised he was willing to use such subversive tactics. Based on how he treats you, I always thought Bakugou-chan would always be an 'I deal with my problems head-on' kind of person." Tsuyu said, turning to Minoru with a finger thoughtfully on her chin. The shorter boy could only let out a curious hum, wondering just what was going through his nemesis's head.
Did he change his mind?
And, as if on cue, Team 3 returned with 1A's in high spirit and 1B's dragging their feet. Bakugou was strangely reserved, but Minoru could see that he was holding back his true feelings.
"Good work out there Bakugou! I didn't think you'd resort to moves like that." Kirishima commented as the four rejoined the rest of the class.
"The hell is that supposed to mean? I can choose whatever damn strategy I like!"
"You have to admit though; you're the last person we'd expect to suggest a subtler approach. Was there any reason for that?" Satou asked. The explosive blonde at first didn't say anything. His sharp red eyes then went to Minoru, slowly narrowing into a more and more intense glare. Ah, so that's what it was…
"If I'm going to wage war against every Villain I find, then I'm not going to fucking play around. I'll use every play in and out of the book to win; it's as simple as that." Bakugou said as he marched off to his usual corner. Minoru couldn't help but smirk to that last statement, knowing that, with Bakugou, it's never as simple as that. And as Team 4 began to ready themselves, with an obviously upset Monoma giving a pep talk to his classmates on evening the score, Minoru thought on Shinso.
The hero-in-training hopeful was adjusting his mask-like device, the mechanical parts shifting as he turned the small dials on the side of the mask. If Minoru had to make a guess, that device will make it easier to trick people into responding to Shinso. That, in turn, will make it easier for Shinso to brainwash them and take them out of the game. If that's the case, then Minoru, Izuku, Uraraka, and Tsuyu better pay attention to Shinso this match.
"If Aizawa trained him like he trained me… Then we're about to have one hell of a fight ahead of us…" Minoru thought, heated sparks flying as Shinso's glare met his own.
A silent challenge between two students looking to prove themselves.
And that has been Chapter 122!
Originally, I wanted to do all the fights like I did with the Sports Festival. However, since it's only Mineta's and Class 1A's commentary on the fights, I didn't want to bloat the fan fic with chapters that ultimately wouldn't be interesting no matter the match up. But I still apologize to those who wanted a more in detail account of the event.
I've got no other news. So...
Until Next Time. T1.