It's once again been another year. That's four now if y'all been counting, since I first made this Fic in 2020. I know this year wasn't full of many chapters, but these were very emotionally impactful ones. I've got an actual plan for what is to come, and with the actual story now over, I can make sure it fits with every detail!

So thank you to my 134 Followers (from xfel to Zzombieman123).

Thank you for the 100 Favorites (from Lawrence3830 to Puddingcup1).

Thank you for all 65 reviews (from Bruno Zaigot to Hydraposiedon).

And, of course, all of you amazing people in between and to come! I keep coming back to post not only because I have a lot of ideas, but because you guys make me feel so at home. Let's have another great year!

My Mistborn Academia

Written by ReaderWarrior

Don't be afraid to comment on this chapter! It makes my day reading your thoughts and opinions on my work :). And tell your friends! I'm still trying to be the #1 Mistborn writer on Fanfiction.

I do not own Mistborn or My Hero Academia

Time to Train

Midoriya, on the top of UA's roof, watches as All Might flies by. But beneath him, in the shadows, Vin looks down at the ground to see black tendrils spreading out. A wide smile glows inside of the darkness as she scowls. Her mistcloak unfurls as the words 'My Mistborn Academia' flash on the screen.

"One day I set my eyes to the sky and like a plane my dreams were passing by."

Uraraka stretches at a beachside where different items lay scattered in front of her.

"And I awoke to tears that filled my eyes, I need to spread my wings and fly."

A confident smile stretches across Kirishima's face as he stands in the mirror, using his Quirk to Harden and deHarden rapidly as he flexes.

"I lie awake at night with these memories of feeling powerless and their haunting me."

Bakugo's eye twitches as he rapidly squats and rises. Sweat pours down his body, making small explosions as it hits the ground.

"I'm always reaching out for this destiny to make it happen - that's all on me."

Momo eats a tub of ice cream as she reads a book on metallurgy and robotics.

"Cruel fate sets in motion and no one else knows why."

Still atop UA's roof, Midoriya stretches backward. His eyes look up to the sky and catch the reflection of the sun.

"Waiting for the day to come, when it will show up? Claiming what's before my eyes."

Now in the gym, Vin winds around two poles on opposite sides of the room. Blue iron and steel-lines shine from her chest as a shadow passes over the windows.

"With every issue, I gotta breathe through, or the moment just might pass."

Breathing in and out, Todoroki spreads his arms on a darkened field. As the cloud passes, light returns, and he turns around.

"They were all telling me I can't, they were laughing-"

Three groups smile back at him. The first, Midoriya's, consists of himself, Uraraka, Iida, Tsuyu, and Sero. Then Vin with Momo, Hagakure, Mina, Kirishima, and Tokoyami. Ojirou blushes as he stands in front of Kaminari, Jiro, Kouda, Satou, and Shouji. Bakugo was nowhere to be seen.

They each hold their hands out confidently and offer Todoroki a place with their teams.

"- Well look who's laughing now?"

In a stadium, the members of class 1A all charge forward toward each other. Vin and Bakugou rise into the air as Midoriya and Todoroki meet on the ground. Iida runs around, causing dust to rise up only to have Momo throw a bolas at his legs. Each of the other classmates begin to attack as a boy with purple hair looks on from the shadows.

"Now I can feel the fire burning deep within me."

A black wave courses throughout the field as Dark Shadow forms to throw Vin into the air - right toward Bakugou after he holds out his palms. A girl with strange eyes cackles as she marvels at the sight and reaches into a bag. Kirishima smashes his head against a man made of metal and smiles. A purple orb rolls onto the field, making Momo stumble.

"I'll be the hero and no one can stop me."

All Might lands atop of the stadium to study his students. Behind him, like he was staring at a screen, a man smiles and folds his hands, watching a few specific people.

"Loudly I will scream it from the depth of my lungs!"

Smiling proudly, All Might spins around, letting his cape flutter and stretch to the horizon. As his cape falls, and light begins to shine, Aizawa and Present Mic join his side.

"You've got those tired eyes from crying every moment?"

All of the students in class 1A turn to look at UA High, where All Might and his fellow teachers are now standing. They all look forward and upward. Midoriya stands up front, clenching his fists, as Vin looks back to see the darkness from before slowly sinking back into the shadows.

"You cannot hide it, someone's gonna notice."

Uraraka, Iida, Momo, and Kirishima all leap forward, determination in their eyes.

"I'll be your hero - no one's going to hurt you again!"

Now Vin, Midroiya, and Todoroki all race toward each other. Their fists slam together, forming an explosion of light.

"Gonna raise my hand with a peace sign-"

As the light fades, everyone is back in their Hero uniforms. Each of the poses they used now reflected their current stature - taking what they learned and applying it to their role as Heroes.

"- Our story will last forever!"

5 Days until the Sports Festival

It wasn't a good idea. Not in the slightest. The festival was a foolish show of bravado Heroes used as a deterrent to scare villains and lesser criminals into staying inside. It reminded them of who they were up against - a burning flag upon a hill of bodies. Fight us if you dare. We will win. But it could ultimately give the villains exactly what they would need to win in the end, specific examples of how the next wave of Heroes use their powers and the limitations to them.

That is why, as a Mistborn, Vin didn't like to share information about Allomancy. Each one of her abilities gave, and took, something to or from her. If someone knew how to pierce her copper clouds, use her Pushes and Pulls against her, or overstimulate her tin-enhanced senses, Vin would have a very poor chance of winning a fight. Simply knowing gave an edge.

Atium, the most powerful of the metals she could burn, allowed her to see into the future - only for a few moments. It was thought to make a Mistborn invincible. But she, what felt like a lifetime ago, was able to kill someone who was burning it, while she wasn't. Vin used her knowledge born from experience to realize that if someone could react fast enough, or lead their opponent into a situation where there was no way to dodge or block, then any normal person could react to a Mistborn's actions, change their own, and kill them. It was how she beat Zane. And yet, as dangerous as this entire situation felt, Vin felt like it was the right idea.

Not the Sports Festival, but this. Training with her friends.

Kirishima laid down the last of the mats and grinned. "All ready, President!" he saluted.

There was about less week to go before the festival, more than enough time for their class to take what they learned in the USJ, adapt, and rise above. So far, only about a third of the class had shown up. Mina, Uraraka, and Kirishima were the first to arrive after Vin, Momo, and Midoriya. They had asked for special permission to use the UA gymnasium and were given a few hours each day. Then Hagakure, Tokoyami, and Sato, which had to be the strangest group she'd seen yet.

"All right," Momo said with a clap of her hands. She walked up onto the mat and looked over the group. "We are all here in some way to improve ourselves for the upcoming event. This is our time to prove ourselves to the Pro-Heroes of yesterday that we, the Heroes of tomorrow, are able to radiate with the same power and energy as they can.

"I know this cuts into your schedules. Iida said this would directly interfere with his homework time, so he'll stick with his own training regimen. Others simply can't make it, didn't respond, or did so with a lot of swear words." Momo paused as everyone envisioned Bakugo's 'I can train myself' response.

"The gym will be split into two sections," she continued. "Those who wish to work on their Quirks, and those who wish to work on combat ability. I asked Mr. Aizawa for some of the training robots and he was able to find us a few old ones if you want to use those. You do not need to stay in one group, feel free to jump between them."

Sato raised his hand. "Who's gonna be teaching us? I don't see any of the teachers?"

"The Quirk trainers will be by themselves," Momo explained. She nodded to the side of the room littered with dozens of different devices, objects, and tools. "I assume you'd know best what to work on and how to enhance your skills in that regard. Combat, however, will be taught by Vin."

The group paused and turned to look at Vin. A unanimous 'gulp' proceeded more than a few back steps away from the training mat.

"I'm still recovering from last time," Kirishima said. Sweat rolled down his face as he covered his groin. "She doesn't hold back."

Vin sighed. "I will this time. I was reminded recently that not everyone is ready for some of the things I was taught. I'm sorry for pushing you too hard."

"Well… it wasn't too hard."

"Let me go first, let me go first!" Jumping up and down, Hagakure waved her hands above her head. She quickly walked over to the mat and kicked off her shoes. Thankfully, she - along with everyone else - had changed into their training gear, so Vin could tell that Hagakure had dropped into a pose. With a flare of tin, she saw her arms shimmering, held up with her fists in front of her against her chest.

Vin walked over to the other side of the mat. She nodded at Momo, who gave a concerned glance before backing away and raising a hand. "Begin!"

Pewter flared, Vin lunged forward. Hagakure had barely taken a step by the time Vin moved directly in front of her. She let out an 'eep!' and covered her face. Carefully, yet with still enough strength to do so, Vin dropped to a knee and swung her leg out to connect with the back of her shin. A shock ran up Hagakure's leg and she fell backward onto the mat with a groan. Vin stood up.

"Okay," the invisible girl groaned, holding out a hand, "I think I see what Kirishima was talking about."

Vin took her hand. "I was holding back. You should have kept your distance. Use your Quirk. I can't block what I can't see." She pulled her up to her feet.

"I thought we weren't supposed to use them," Hagakure said. "Combat class and all."

"Your Quirk is something you need to fight with." Vin turned around. Everyone had watched the (short) spar and hissed at Hagakure's sudden, yet obvious, defeat. "The point is to not rely on your Quirks. Bakugou is so dangerous because was able to use his explosions with his movements. Kirishima, if you and Hagakure train and learn how to fight, your Quirks will only enhance your prowess. A punch with the power of stone. And an opponent who nobody can see. Others will need to be… creative."

Momo caught the side-eye Vin was giving her and nodded. "Let's get started then."

"What're you going to pick, Deku?" Uraraka asked.

Midoriya looked up and blushed, literally standing in between the two camps. Kirishima, Vin, Hagakure, Momo, and Sato were moving around the fighting mats while Mina and Tokoyami were already picking up buckets and weights to use their Quirks on. Uraraka had stepped toward the later group but stopped when she noticed Midoriya's hesitation.

"I-I don't know," he said. "On one hand, my Quirk is tied directly to my strength. So if I work out and train, my body can become strong enough to handle it. On the other, I can learn to control my Quirk more so that I won't have to exceed one percent. Maybe if Recovery Girl was here…" His voice faltered as he realized he was starting to ramble. "S-sorry."

Uraraka smiled. "It's okay! I like hearing about your Quirk. It's so cool. Like All Might's. But he seems to be strong everywhere, not just in his finger."

"Yeah." Instinctively, Midoriya glanced down at his hand. It had been healed, thank goodness, but he doubted he'd ever forget how much it hurt every single time he broke it. "What're you going to do, Uraraka?"

She pointed toward Mina and Tokoyami. "I was going to practice floating. I got a cool new idea to try and integrate into my costume, but I need to be able to float for a while if it's going to work."

Midoriya's eyes lit up and he quickly pulled out a small notebook and pencil from his pocket. "What is it?"

"I don't want to say until I'm sure it'll work," she blushed. "But I'll ask you for help if I do! Besides, my Quirk is more suited for rescue and recovery than combat. Vin might be right about it being good to know, but I don't think I'll be on the front lines that much."

"Your Quirk definitely doesn't seem to be all too combative," Midoriya agreed, "but I'm sure you could use it to throw villains into the air."

Uraraka laughed and held her sides. "Imagine seeing a bank robber just floating in the sky!"

"It would make catching them easier…"

"But you didn't answer my question!" she said. "What're you going to pick?" She waited as Midoriya glanced left, then right. Then left. Right. Left. Ri-

Uraraka shook her head. "Midoriya, when the attack on the USJ happened you didn't hesitate or second guess yourself then. We heard how you jumped in to save Vin without thinking."

"B-b-but that was a life or death situation!" Midoriya paled. And he decided not to mention how he stopped Vin from helping Eraserhead or how scared he was then. "This is…"

"This," Uraraka said, grabbing his hand and pointing it at himself, "is easy. All you have to do is make a decision and be confident in it."

Midoriya felt his heart beat a little bit faster at her touch. He blushed and looked down at his hand. After a moment, she quickly let go and covered her face.

"Sorry!"

"No!" Midoriya said. "I'm sorry. You're just trying to help. Maybe… I could use it."

He then stopped toward Mina, who was holding her hands out over a brick and letting her acid fall. She smiled as Midoriya walked by and stood in the center of the area. Then, closing his eyes, he focused on One for All.

A few minutes later, Uraraka patted his shoulder as she floated by. He smiled.

4 Days until the Sports Festival

In all honesty, Sato would much rather be baking cookies right now. Usually, he liked the gym. Not like Kirishima, who he bet was given a punching bag instead of a stuffed animal as a kid, but enough to make his Quirk work. But trying to hit someone who couldn't move? That was cruel.

By ingesting sugar, Sato's Quirk increased his strength five-fold Basically, the more sugar he had, the more of a hulk he became. There was a lot more to it. 10 grams equaled about three minutes of strength and he had to constantly eat more for longer periods of time. The longer he used his Quirk (which he named Sugar Rush) the more his brain would shut down quicker. Like a sugar crash but instead of him passing out, it just turned him into a mindless beast.

Wait, am I Sugar Hulk? That would be such a cool name! Sato thought as he threw a fist at Kirishima.

Vin had put the two of them together since they were the ones who already had some combat training. On the first day, Vin did a quick spar with everyone one at a time to gauge their abilities. Kirishima lasted the longest, as he already trained with her before, and Momo lasted a bit longer than Hagakure by forming a baton from her hand and trying to use it as a club. Vin caught it and used it to pull her off balance, then grabbed her arm and threw Momo onto her back.

Next, and last, had been Sato. There was a moment where he walked up to the mat and thought that, maybe, Vin wasn't as much of a threat as everyone saw her as. She was good with her Quirk but Sato had almost a full foot on her.

Oh, how foolish he was.

Sato was stronger, even without his Quirk, but Vin was fast. She whispered something about him being a colossus as he spread his arms out and charged. Before he could grab her, she jumped forward and springboarded off of his shoulders with her arms. Sato spun around quickly and swung his arms, but Vin had disappeared. Up! Before he could react to his instincts, he felt something small, but very heavy, land on his back and push him onto his chest.

With a groan, Sato tried to rise, but it was like the weight of the ceiling was on top of him. What kind of Quirk did Vin have exactly?

She then helped him up and told him he needed to get smarter instead of stronger. Vin paired him and Kirishima up.

"Sato, focus on only landing key strikes. Places that will incapacitate your opponent. You have a time limit on your Quirk, you need to make the most out of it while you can. You, Kirishima, should continue to work on only applying your Quirk to places that need it." Then she left to focus on the others.

They spared for a while, with Kirishima ending up bruised and tired while Sato had energy to spare. But as the day went on, and Kirishima began to figure out how to Harden specific spots on his chest, Sato began to get tired as well. The first day ended with everyone sweating and groaning. All except for Vin.

Today, they had picked up where they left off. Kirishima was standing in place, following Sato as he circled around him. He had googled places to hit people last night and kept his eyes focused on those specific areas on Kirishima's body.

Neck. Stomach. A blow to the kidneys often knocked the air out of anybody.

Kirishima watched as Sato tightened his fist and charged. The manly redhead flinched and did what he could to stop himself from blocking. Sato gave a silent apology as he stooped down and brought his fist to Kirishima's stomach.

"Ow!" the sugar-filled giant gasped. He took a few steps back and cradled his hand, the knuckles now bruised from the literal, rock-hard abs of his opponent.

Kirishima smiled. "I did it! Wait, shoot, are you okay dude?"

"Yeah," Sato said, shaking his hand to knock the pain away. "Grandma used to beat me worse over Christmas."

"That's manly, man. I think I'm finally getting the hang of this. And Vin's right, if I do this, it's going to toughen up my armor a lot in the places it matters." Kirishima slapped his stomach.

Sato nodded and crackled the knuckles on his other hand. "Yeah. But I think she's wrong about my Quirk. It's not like I can turn Sugar Rush on and off between punches like you. I've got to make the most out of my attacks for as long as I can. And the more sugar I take, the less smart I become. So doing this doesn't really make sense."

"That's because you are focusing on it," Vin said. She stepped away from Hagakure, who was on her back with Momo waving a towel over her face. "Your Quirk is different to mine. But when you become mindless, your body reacts first. If you can train it to know what to hit instead of thrashing about, then you wouldn't have to worry about taking more and more sugar."

"Like… muscle memory?" Sato asked.

She nodded.

"I guess that makes sense." If his body knew what to do even without his brain, then he would be able to fight for a longer time while high on sugar. I'm not sugar Hulk, I'm like sugar Batman!

Sato turned back to Kirishima with a renewed grin. "Let's go!"

"Bring it!" Kirishima smiled as he flexed his body, ready to begin again.

Mina grinned maniacally as she placed down a row of objects in front of her. It was amazing what strange stuff she could find in the chest of items UA had in the corner of the gym. A big old rock, dumbbells, a wooden figurine shaped like Eraserhead, a spoon as big as her, a shard of glass - it was like a lost-and-found treasure trove!

Mina looked down at her winnings and clapped her hands. I hope these don't belong to anyone important! She held her hands over the first item, the dumbbells, and let her Acid pour from her hands.

It wasn't gross or anything. A hole didn't open up in her hand and it didn't feel like sweat, but there was a warmness as she willed the stuff to excrete from her palms. Back when she first got her Quirk registered, the doctors said something about her lungs converting oxygen and other things into acid-like stuff and spreading it through her body. Her cute pink skin was her body making sure it didn't burn anything inside of her. There had been a couple of times when she released too much at too high an acidity that it started to turn pale, but that had only happened when she was pushing her Quirk too hard.

The acid dripped from her fingers and landed on the weight. When she was a little girl, she looked up different acids and got nightmares imagining all the effects other types of acids have on people and things. Luckily, her Acid wasn't the normal type. Inhaling the smoke, although others told her it smelled bad, wasn't dangerous. When she was happy with the results (and totally not because she accidentally made a small hole in the ground form), Mina stopped and moved on to the next object. The rock turned to goo almost instantly, as did the spoon, which now had an awkward hole in the center of it.

Someone yelped. "Sorry!"

Mina looked behind and saw Hagakure standing above a dazed Momo with a staff in her hand. Vin was already helping the ravenette to her feet and offering pointers on their match.

She still couldn't believe what Vin had told them. Well, she told Momo and left the phone on. They felt guilty listening in at first, but couldn't resist! How was I supposed to know Vin was married? And a widow! There was always a jaggedness to Vin that Momo could barely describe.

When Mina was little, her parents went on a trip to France. While there, they stopped at the Notre Dame Cathedral. It used to be this really big touristy church thing. But a lot of it was destroyed in the dark times when Quirks were first appearing. Now it stands as a monument to how dangerous unchecked Quirks are. Mina's dad tried explaining to her that it stood as a hideout for 'good guys' back when everything was going to crap, but she didn't listen. What she did remember was the Last Shard.

There used to be this giant glass window thing, made from dozens of colorful stained glass fixtures. But at some point, in the middle of the night, someone came in and destroyed it. They shattered every single bit of it except for one. Although the window has been replaced with normal, clear glass, the Last Shard still remains.

Vin was like that. She stood out so easily, even though they were all students. When she wanted to, she could dazzle a room with color. And even though she was a part of something greater, she never seemed to fit in perfectly.

Mina gasped as her Acid rolled from the glass piece and toward her, making a groove in the floor. Dropping her hands, she checked to make sure there wasn't any more seeping anywhere. There wasn't.

A sigh of relief escaped Mina's lips. Her Quirk, like everyone else's, was dangerous. She needed to control it. The next time she and her friends were surrounded by villains, Mina wouldn't be stuck on the sidelines. She'd be up front, protecting her friends. Like a real Hero should.

Like Vin.

3 Days until the Sports Festival.

"Dark Shadow! Ascend!"

Tokoyami spread his arms across his chest and felt the forces of a realm older than the world funnel through him. Dark Shadow wasn't just his Quirk, it was alive. The first ally he had in a universe filled with darkness.

The forces converged from his body and a figure reached out from his chest. Two arms, then a head - shaped similarly to his own. He imagined it reeling its head back and roaring so primally that everyone who heard would run, uncontrollably, into the Ramapo Deep.

Instead, Dark Shadow rubbed its eyes and yawned. "Are we doing this again?"

"Yes," Tokoyami explained. "It is important for us, as Heroes, to learn how to work together in any environment."

"But it's so bright!"

"We must not let anything get in our way. Now, Dark Shadow, ascend!" Again, Tokoyami raised his arms and gestured to the task in front of him. His partner groaned, covering its eyes, and extended itself forward. It lowered itself and, slowly, began work on his task.

Tokoyami gritted his teeth. Dark Shadow had always been an ethereal being, not really something from the mortal realm, but it was able to interact with the world. Though it took some of his life force to do so. He once woke up with a pile of dead-gray feathers on his pillow after a night of prolonged training. Now he had to make sure he didn't overexert himself - the main reason why he had spent a few hours of the last few days 'training'.

"I've… got it!" Dark Shadow roared as it lifted the block of tungsten. It was half a meter cubed and weighed at least 2.5 thousand kilos (almost 5 thousand pounds). The spirit held the block above its head. "This is so much easier than before!"

Dropping to a knee, Tokoyami felt his life force draining away. He gritted his teeth and said "We must. Get. Stronger!"

Dark Shadow dropped the cube and crashed into the flooring with a loud echo. "Why are you so dramatic? There's nothing to it."

Uraraka floated above them, huddled into a ball shape. "How's everything going for you guys?"

"Everything's great," it said sarcastically. "I'm the one with an edge, but he's the edge lord. Always on and on with the darkness and the beyond and-"

An opening. As Dark Shadow turned away to complain, Tokoyami reached into his pockets and prepared for the true training to begin. Tokoyami held forward the weapon in his hand and fired, shooting out a beam of focused energy at his partner.

The radiation struck Dark Shadow and it shuddered. "No! That's not fair! It was already difficult enough in here!"

As Dark Shadow twisted and tried to cover itself, Uraraka floated over to them and frowned. "Is that… a flashlight?" she asked.

Tokoyami nodded. "The true enemy of darkness has always been the light. Our weakness together is being able to obtain control in the night and strength in the day."

Uraraka frowned. "What?"

"The light burns!" Dark Shadow summarized.

"Oh. Then why not…" Uraraka made a clicking sound and pointed to the device.

Tokoyami kept it focused on Dark Shadow, however. "Because we won't always be lucky enough to fight our foes in the dark. Some days it will be with a cloudless sunshine. Dark Shadow and I need to be prepared for that."

There was a loud banging as Dark Shadow hit its head against the cube. "Kill me! Why did I get stuck with this guy?"

Slowly, without drawing any more attention to herself, Uraraka floated away as Tokoyami pulled out a second flashlight.

This was going to be the one. All of her training had led to this. Hagakure had spent the last two days trying to land a single strike on Vin but she had always been too fast. Even when she threw off her clothes, Vin could somehow see where she was going to attack from.

But not this time!

The Hagakure of the past would have let out a yell as she jumped forward, but this Hagakure - Hagakure 2.0 - knew to keep quiet. She (silently) ran forward and lept to the left, then the right, then back to her left to make her invisible-ness even more blurry.

Vin's eyes danced back and forth and she took a hesitant step back. Hagakure couldn't help but smile and she made one last leap to the other side of the mat. For a split second, Vin looked in the opposite direction.

I've got you now! With the grace of a ninja, Hagakure jumped up and flew at Vin, fully prepared to crash into her. She had finally done it! She tagged Vin!

Vin spun back around and, to Hagakure's surprise, they made eye contact. Vin dropped to the ground and Hagakure sailed right over her. Her leg suddenly kicked up and hit Hagakure square in the chest, causing her to fall down in a coughing fit.

Vin quickly rushed to her side. "I didn't see you until the last moment," she said, placing a hand on Hagakure's back. Jeez, she was strong. Whatever metal gave her super strength was awesome.

"I thought I was going to win," Hagakure pouted, rubbing her bruised knees. "How did you see me?"

"Whenever you step, especially when you jump, you push down on the mat." Vin placed a foot down and showed the indentation. "I thought you jumped again, but when I didn't see your footmarks, I knew you had to be coming in from the other side."

"Am I that predictable?"

Vin let out a rare smile. A kind smile that made Hagakure feel like she asked her parents something that she was too smart to understand. "It was predictable because it was the move I would have made. You're learning faster than I thought."

Hagakure beamed. "Really? Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, YES! Let's do it again!"

Vin seemed hesitant, glancing toward where she had kicked Hagakure.

"I'm fine! This is what we signed up for. The Invisible Girl wouldn't be much of a Hero if she couldn't take a hit or two."

"The Invisible Girl?"

Hagakure nodded. "That's going to be my Hero name! I don't know when we get to choose them, but I picked mine when I was very little."

"It's very… apt," Vin said. "But Momo was next."

They turned and saw her standing, posed like a Buddha statue, waiting for her turn. Since day one, the three of them had been a training trio. Vin would show them basic stances - sometimes with bare hands, and other times with a staff - before letting them try them on each other, then on her. So far, neither of them had landed a hit on Vin. But Hagakure had won 11 out of the 30 fights against Momo.

She knew that wasn't a lot, but Momo had training already from fancy, rich-people fighters. Hagakure was just a normal girl. A normal, invisible, almost-died-a-few-days-ago girl.

"Oh. Okay." Hagakure smiled and waved at Momo. "It's your turn!"

A few seconds later, Hagakure was standing by the side as the two girls faced off. While Hagakure tended to be more of the grappling, open-hand type, Momo preferred to summon weapons with her Quirk and use them. She had been holding back, only summoning blunt weapons, since this was just training. Even so, she, like Hagakure, had yet to gain a single 'point'.

This time, Vin was the one to make the first move. She marched toward Momo and kept her hands open. Leaving the mat meant losing the match, so when Momo hit the edge and glanced back, Vin made her move. She kicked off with one leg and dashed forward. By the time Momo blinked, Vin was on top of her.

A rip formed at Momo's pants as she created a foam-covered bat just above her knee. It grew fast and jutted upward at Vin's chin. She dodged it, though, and caught it in midair. Then, in the same motion, spun on her ankle and swung the cylinder into Momo's side, knocking her out of the zone.

Sweat had formed on Momo's brow, the only thing that ruined her visage of being a princess. She wiped it away and smiled. "I haven't had to practice this much with my Quirk in years. I usually just think of my creations and pull them out. Making them act as weapons themselves… it's different."

"But it will catch your opponents by surprise," Vin said. "If someone knows how your Quirk works, then they've already won half the battle. The rest is decided on how you use it. Hagakure, why did Todoroki freeze the entire building in the mock battles?"

Hagakure jumped as Vin called out to her. "Uh, because it was cool?"

Even from the other side of the gym, she heard Mina, Kirishima, and Sato groan.

Vin shook her head. "He froze the building because of you. You were capable of jumping out from any corner, so Todoroki used his Quirk in a way that would immobilize you."

"I doubt that Hagakure could use her Quirk in a new way," Momo said. "Mutant-type Quirk users have been known to evolve in high-stress moments. However, it is usually associated with a physical change to their bodies."

Hagakure nodded. She read once that in the early days of Quirks, Mutant-types had more control of their bodies and could change their Quirks in some ways. But that was decades ago. "I'm invisible. My body reflects light around me. It's not like I can make others invisible."

"Says who?"

"Um, says experts?" Hagakure tried to look at her hands. "Even if I'm piggybacking on someone, I'm still invisible. It doesn't spread to them."

Vin placed a hand on hers. She was the only one who could do that, even her parents sometimes didn't realize they were talking to a wall and not her. "You're the only one with your mind. That gives you an insight no one else has. It's your Quirk, think of it on your terms, not theirs."

Suddenly, Momo's eyes widened. "I've got an idea. Hagakure, can I make some modifications to your outfit?"

"I guess. What do you have in mind?"

Momo explained the designs, earning a nod from Vin. "Do you think it can work?"

"Absolutely!"

Hagakure smiled. "Then it sounds like I've got another meeting with the Support Class."

2 Days until the Sports Festival

The gym was silent. "I did it," he whispered. Then, a bit louder as he looked up at Kirishima, Uraraka, Vin, and everyone else. "I did it!"

"Holy shit," Kirishima muttered as he rose from his knees. An hour into today's training session Midoriya had asked if he could use his help. He happily agreed. They both knew there was only so much one person could do to train without throwing hands with a partner.

And so they fought. It wasn't a long fight. Kirishima wouldn't even call it a spar, but they did end up charging at each other with their fists raised. That's when he saw it. Emerald energy - snapping like electricity and barely visible - across Midoriya's arm. Kirishima's instincts kicked in and he Hardened his fist right as it collided with Midoriya's.

There was a loud crack! and Kirishima felt a shock run up his arm. He gasped. The air in his chest raced out of him as he flew through the air and crashed against the wall, before slumping onto his front.

Everyone heard that. And they all looked up from their training regiments to see Midoriya, without a bruise, holding out his fist as Kirishima lay a few dozen yards away right in front of a manly-shaped crater.

Kirishima got to his feet and rubbed his knuckles. The stone that was there had cracked and turned to dust from the force of Midoriya's blow. He smiled up at him. "Holy shit."

"Deku?" Uraraka said with a soft voice. "Did you just beat Kirishima?"

Sato pulled at his hair. "He didn't just beat him. He punched him into next week!"

"He punched him into a wall," Dark Shadow corrected.

Midoriya, still frozen and looking at his fist. "Point-one percent. I was able to hold it back to point-one percent along my entire arm!"

"Congrats, man!" Kirishima laughed, grabbing him by the shoulder and giving him a shake. "That was cool how you punched through my armor! Really manly. But maybe some heads up next time? It takes a while to regenerate stone."

He didn't know where it came from, just that in time it would. Tougher and stronger than before, but until then… well, hopefully he wouldn't have to punch any more bricks before the Festival.

Vin walked over and started inspecting Midoriya's arm. The boy pushed and Kirishima smirked. He mustn't have been very popular with the girls before UA. He on the other hand-

"How long will it take?" Mina asked, grabbing Kirishima's hand and inspecting the knuckles as everyone focused on Midoriya.

Kirishima stammered. "Uh, probably a day or two. It was a small bit covered. I think I finally figured out how to focus on a smaller area and only did it right before we hit each other."

"More like he hit you." She brushed away a few pebbles and shook her head. "I don't see anything broken. But I'm not Recovery Girl. Maybe you should go see her?"

"I'm fine," Kirishima squeaked, pulling his hand back and covering it behind his head. Totally manly.

Mina sighed and shook her head. "Always have to be the tough guy, don't you?"

He smiled. "Always for my friends."

Uraraka's stomach felt like it was trying to mug her. Every second she spent in weightlessness was another twist of her gut and she felt like - special rainbow bits! - were going to spew out of her mouth any second.

But… I need… to get… stronger! She covered her mouth and tried to focus on something unmoving. The ceiling or floor? No. Her friends? Not unless one of them can fly.

Her eyes shot open. The wall! Duh. If she didn't feel like her gut was trying to crawl its way up, she'd have smiled. Zero Gravity affected her body directly for each item or person she touched. If they exceeded 3 tons, she would get sick. If she used her Quirk on herself, she'd get sick. But the more she did, the better her resistance was and the more weight she could remove gravity from.

Uraraka's dad loved to tell the story of waking up to her crying one night as a baby and seeing her floating out of her crib with - special rainbow bits! - everywhere. Since then, she wore gloves whenever she went to bed.

When she felt like her stomach had started to calm down, Uraraka looked away from the ceiling and studied the different training techniques her classmates were using. Sato and Kirishima were sparing again. So were Hagakure and Momo, while Vin watched. She caught Uraraka's eyes and nodded.

Uraraka began to wave but it started to spin her around. Let's not do that again, the brunette panicked as she steadied herself and grabbed her stomach.

Mina had turned from melting down some stuff to watching Kirishima. Next to her, Tokoyami was chasing after Dark Shadow with a large flashlight.

Which left her focus to fall upon Deku. She was proud of him for finally controlling his Quirk. Ever since the placement exams, when he used it to save her, she had been in awe of it. But she was also worried for him. Each time he used his Quirk, his arm ended up broken. Or his finger. She didn't know of any Pro-Hero that had to injure themselves to use their abilities.

But if he could control his Quirk… Uraraka had no doubt Deku would be one of the strongest Heroes ever.

Uraraka's stomach heaved. She quickly slapped her fingertips together, deactivating her Quirk's power, and felt gravity take hold of her. The nausea faded but was quickly replaced by a lurch as she fell a few dozen feet toward the ground.

She was smart enough to float over one of the mats and it broke her fall. She did hear Mina gasp at the loud thud, but Uraraka quickly stood back up and assured her she was fine. Zero Gravity meant that the Earth couldn't pull on her - somehow breaking a few laws of physics. Uraraka was weightless, lighter than air. However, like most astronauts she had seen in movies and the news, there wasn't much control when she was. But before she could make a way for her to control her floaty-ness, she had to have her stomach strong enough to handle long periods of time as such.

So, after holding her head above a toilet for a few minutes, and drinking some water, Uraraka stood back on one of the mats with a determined look.

If I control my Quirk, I can be better. If I'm better, I can win the Festival. If I win, I will be noticed by top Hero agencies. And if I get accepted to those, I'm one step closer to my dream.

Uraraka slapped her cheeks, both to wake herself up and activate her Quirk. For my dream!

1 Day until the Sports Festival

One more run. That's all they had left.

It was the last day of training. Their last chance to prove to themselves that they were ready.

'They' referred to Momo and Hagakure. Everyone else had left for the day, going home to relax in their own ways before the games began. Both girls stood together, facing Vin. Like before, Momo had a quarterstaff in her hands - perfectly balanced, with cushions on the end - while Hagakure posed barehanded. To the best Momo could tell, at least. She didn't see anything floating in the air. Hagakure had stopped wearing her gym uniform when they sparred these past few days.

Vin also held nothing. It was strange, even though she was smaller than her and wore the same outfit, there was a size to Vin. The way she stood, the way she watched them… it was like a castle turret was looking down at them. Strong and old and unreachable.

It's time for us to climb it then, Momo thought, nodding in Hagakure's direction. Let's begin.

They charged almost at the same time Vin did. And when they clashed, a slight smile tugged at her lips.

"I know it's not the games yet," Hagakure said as she changed out of her school uniform. "But I really want to beat Vin, at least once."

Momo nodded, surprising herself. "I… I agree. She's so strong, that it invites us to prove ourselves. Such is the essence of heroism itself. But perhaps she's too strong for us to defeat alone."

"We should work together then!"

"Vin might expect that. In fact, I think she hopes we will."

Hagakure sighed. "Then how're we supposed to do this? She knows us and how we fight."

An idea formed in Momo's mind. She smiled. "She might know how we fight… but we know how she does."

Momo swung with her staff sideways. A soft blow, but it still forced Vin to dodge it. She slid down on her knee, under the swing, and grabbed at her staff. There wasn't much of a struggle as Momo let go. Vin kicked with her legs and carried the momentum to jump back to her feet. She tried to drop the staff, but it stuck to her hands.

Momo held up her hands, revealing the skin-tight gloves she was wearing so her hands wouldn't get stuck to the glue she added to the staff's body. It was fast-acting, skin-safe, and would dissolve in a few minutes.

That's all the time we need. As she began to form a new weapon from her shoulder, she felt Hagakure brush past her. The invisible girl had already shown how she could improve her Insivibility with motion, but what about if she hadn't moved? What if she remained perfectly still and hadn't moved when Vin and Momo had charged forward?

Vin looked around, pivoting on her heel to try and see where Hagakure would strike from. In a fight, the best blow from a hidden enemy would come from the back. Vin knew that. But they knew Vin would be expecting it. So they planned for the opposite.

Hagakure charged directly forward. Vin was still looking around, trying to notice her. Momo knew that if Hagakure was fast enough, and moved directly down Vin's line of sight, she wouldn't be noticed. That didn't mean she couldn't provide more of a distraction.

Two bulges had formed on her shoulders. Momo grabbed them and tore the cloth away, revealing two blunt bats. Even though it wasn't her style, Momo threw them at Vin. The small woman swung the staff, still stuck to her hands, and knocked them away. Then, strangely, she jumped vertically and spun like a helicopter rotor.

Momo covered her eyes as she felt a drop of glue hit her cheek. Uh oh.

"Eep!" cried Hagakure as she was splattered. A few bits of glue hit the mat in front of her and when she tried to run forward, Hagakure fell down onto her face. Momo looked up and Vin had the cushioned end of the staff pointed at her face.

"We forfeit," Momo sighed.

After the glue had dried and they were able to unstick her and Hagakure from their respective items, Vin stood back in front of the training hall as her friends changed back into their uniforms. Both girls marched out dejected, but still excited for the next day.

"I guess I'll have to beat you in the games," Hagakure pouted as she slung her bag on her arm.

"You had a good plan," Vin said. "But you forgot how it might affect you. There are consequences to every action you make, especially in combat. Every sword you might make can be used against you. And your enemies may not see you, but your allies can't either."

The two girls nodded. Vin felt a strange bit of pride. Kelsier was always pushing her forward in his lessons, jumping from one to another and allowing her to learn more as they went. From the time that Kelsier had found her, to her rendezvous with Zane, and finally to going to the Well, Vin had always been a student. Never a teacher. It was ironic that it took going to a school for her to become a mentor.

Momo smiled. "What are your plans for tonight? I know we are all excited about the event tomorrow, but I don't know if I'll be able to sleep at all. Perhaps you'd like to come over and have some tea?"

It was a tempting offer. Some part of Vin craved to rejoin the nobility lifestyle. Tea, cushions, gossip. Maybe it was in her blood just as much as being a skaa was. It was why she was Mistborn. But Vin glanced back at the gym and had to decline.

"There's something I need to do," she said. "Someone I have to talk with."

Hagakure nodded. "Okay! I guess we'll see you at the festival?"

"If not a bit before," Momo said. "I imagine very few of us will be able to sleep tonight. Maybe everyone shows up earlier than expected."

"We will see," Vin said. Before she could leave them, Hagakure wrapped her up in a hug. It was tighter than the usual ones. "Why?"

A few seconds later, Hagakure pulled away. "Because we saw you enjoying yourself this week with us. You seemed happy to be doing something that didn't involve a classroom. I feel bad that now you might go back to being super-moody Vin instead of just moody Vin."

"I…" Vin paused. Had she been distracted?

Momo noticed her puzzlement and nodded sheepishly. "It has seemed like you were more… energetic these past few days. I thought that it might pertain to our conversation but Hagakure's right, you enjoyed the combat exercises."

Because it was the closest thing she had to the people she lost. Kelsier had trained her, yes. But so had Hammond. Clubs. She had tried to teach Breeze (unsuccessfully) and practiced with Spook. And although Elend never joined them, she knew he had always been there to watch with Dockson and make sure she didn't push herself too hard.

Even though she was a Mistborn, and the mists of blood and death were almost as personal to her as her metals, she didn't miss it. Ever since the assault on Cett's Keep, she had promised herself she would only fight and kill when it was necessary - when her friends were in danger. But training… that reminded her of the good times. Even when Straff's army had marched on Luthadel, there were still a few moments when she had felt peace. Loved.

And as much as she missed the crew, it was always Kelsier's. She never felt comfortable taking his place. Dockson was managing just as before while Elend took the leadership role as king. She had only become the leader in view of the populace. But here, in a world of heroes, Vin felt like she had found people she could build something with.

"I promise, I won't try to close myself off as much," Vin whispered. There were secrets - there's always another secret - but she wouldn't be haunted by the wraiths of her past. "Here is where I am. It's time to look forward."

They said their goodbyes and Vin returned to the gym, where Midoriya was waiting. There was a lot for them to discuss.

This chapter was a strange combination of easy-to-write but time-brutal. I know it's fairly episodic, with short segments for certain members of Class 1-A showcasing their Quirks semi-scientifically and in new ways under Vin's tutelage.

Vin, of course, has the most combat experience out of anyone so far and won't lose to her friends. And I think that this arc, the Sports Tournament, does show the pride of the Pro-Heroes. Remember that one Justice League Unlimited episode 'Patriot Act' where a bunch of the JL go on a parade? They make their presence known and show off a bit of their powers, but not so much that they are actually using their fighting abilities (until the monster shows up)... It's one thing to inspire safety, it's another to show off your capabilities.

Midoriya finally starts to learn that he is already a hero and that he needs to stop guessing himself, thanks to Uraraka.

I had a lot of fun with Sato's PoV because it is fairly different than what Vin is used to. Sato's power comes with a debuff, while Allomancy doesn't (typically). Her training isn't perfect for him and that's a flaw I think needed to be represented. Vin is an expert on combat and Allomancy, not on Quirks.

Mina didn't have much of an arc, but I felt her Quirk needed to be explored. Also, it was important to show off how Vin was seen by other members of the Class outside of the core group (ie - Midoriya, Momo, Hagakure, and Uraraka).

Tokoyami's was just fun to write. His Quirk has always been fascinating to me because it doesn't make much sense. I enjoy writing an edgy character with a comedic partner to call him out for it.

Giving Hagakure a goal was crucial. She has always seen her Quirk as straightforward and her power unbeatable. But both Vin and Todoroki were able to show that just being invisible doesn't guarantee success. It worked against Purple Guy / Kurogiri, but won't always. And, again, I hate that she's naked. So stupid.

In Kirishima's section, we see the results of two lessons Vin offered come to fruition. First, Kirishima was able to only Harden the bit of himself he needed to protect (his knuckles), while Midoriya was finally able to access less than 1% of OfA's power! I actually spent a good amount of time judging Midoriya's power output, and, at best, him using just his fingers (one at a time) in his fight with Todoroki, and with the baseball, he uses, at minimum, 700 Newtons of force. At MINIMUM, the percentage Midoriya can handle without breaking his finger is 0.145%. But, strangely, using the entire arm at minimum durability (meaning at the minimum percentage he could use OfA without breaking his arm), he should be able to use 1.45% of its power. Yeah, SCIENCE!

Uraraka is learning to control her Quirk further and I plan to upgrade her costume a bit (after the tournament).

That leaves Vin, Momo, and Hagakure. Our trio. Sadly, they aren't strong enough to beat Vin yet, but their tricks almost gave them the win! Also, it was great to see them worrying about her. Vin's change in attitude since the USJ has been, to her, small. But to others, I bet very noticeable.

Phew, that's a lot from me. I'm very excited to finally start on the Festival next chapter! I promise not to take too long, haha.

Thank you all for reading. I'll see you all next time!

As always, I'd like to ask everyone to comment on this chapter (whether or not you are reading this as it updates or a year from then). It helps me improve and gives me even more drive to write!

My dream of being the number one Mistborn FanFic writer still has not been achieved! Slavok's Beautiful Destroyer still holds that record with a difference of 169 Favorites and 280 Follows. We are in 4th though! C'mon everyone, we can do this!

Read on, my warriors, and share with your friends.