Nen was not thrilled with the second obstacle.
Or was this the third?
She had survived the bottle-necking of the classes, and the robots. The battle with the big clunky machines felt more like a warm-up, boosting her confidence a bit. She'd practically grown up fighting against some type of robot, so it wasn't anything unfamiliar. But there was still some exertion.
Nen was trying to save her energy, focusing more on dodging than fighting them. After what happened to her wrists, she wanted to be a bit more careful. They had healed, but Nen felt they might not be fully as strong as they once were and fighting head one wouldn't be the smartest move right now.
Or at least not for this round.
But the obstacle before her had her worried about something else.
As she looked out over the canyons, she let out a stressed sigh. She watched Tsuyu leap onto a rope and quickly make her way across. For a moment, she marveled at her friend's speed, but then noticed the slack on the ropes. It was going to be a nightmare getting across.
But then a girl near her caught her attention. She was pretty hard to miss. She was loudly gushing over some boots and Nen watched with wide eyes as she sped off over the chasms.
Nen HAD to talk to her later. Come hell or high water, Nen was going to know her, pick her brain. If there was one true hobby she had, it was tinkering with machines. But right now, she needed to find a way across.
As she tested the tension under her foot, she found it sturdy enough. It wasn't swaying, at least, but it had some bounce. Nen could hear the throng of students nearing and sucked in a deep breath. She crouched for a moment before taking a leap, her legs glowing yellow as she willed strength into her jump, leaving a small dent in the ground.
Nen cursed herself as she realized she wouldn't make it fully across. She had to think fast and her mind raced to find a solution. Being suspended in the air like this wasn't her normal. She didn't have a lot of experience with this type of movement or body physics, so it was going to have to be touch and go. So, as Nen began her descent, she stretched out her hands to ensure she gripped the rope.
The rope stretched, sinking with her weight. This time, she willed strength into her arms and core, and with a motion similar to a pole vault, Nen launched herself into the air. Nen's eyes were wide as her arms flailed. She was almost completely out of control, flying through the air. Nen wasn't even sure she would make it to the other side until she crashed into the dirt, rolling.
As she sat on her knees and took a relieved breath, she saw her classmates carrying on or following behind. She didn't have time to waste, and as she rose to her feet, her shoulders slumped at the sight of even more ropes ahead.
She had a long way to go.
"Well, that's definitely one way to go about it," Present Mic said into the microphone as Nen's progress was displayed on the large screen.
"She's using a combination of her quirk and her environment to her advantage," Aizawa commented. "She's using the obstacle itself to propel herself forward. It's smart."
"Yeah, but at what costs?" Present Mic said. "It looks like it's wearing her down. I'm getting tired just watching!"
"Finally," Nen panted as she finally made it to the end. She only gave herself a moment to catch her breath before jogging on. She was falling behind and couldn't afford to let more people pass her. Luckily, there were still many, many students behind her, but she couldn't let herself get too cocky.
But then she heard the names of those who finished and Nen paused in her steps.
Izuku Midoriya had come in first, followed by Bakugo and Todoroki.
As more names were announced, Nen began to sprint. She couldn't fall behind. She wouldn't fall behind! Nen was a member of class 1-A. She was determined to make the final cut, even if she was the last.
As Nen came to the mine field, she had her plan already decided. She knew what she was going to do, but first, she had to watch a mine blow. She needed to see the force they expended. She needed to know how many mines to set off under herself.
Well, fortunately, or unfortunately, a few students fell victim to the mines. The flashiness of them skewed her perception and made it difficult for her to run the calculations in her head. So, Nen figured it was best to start small.
Nen jumped out onto the minefield, but before her feet could touch the ground, she willed a shield between her shoes and the dirt and willed strength to her legs once more, reinforcing them as best as she could. The explosion crashed in her ears as she was propelled forward. Despite the fatigue she already felt, she was grateful for the canyon obstacle with all the ropes. It had given her a chance to practice moving herself in the air. It wasn't exactly the same motions, but it had some similar mechanics.
The first explosion didn't get her very far, so as she came down, she willed her shield a little wider and willed her legs stronger. the blast was louder and she grit her teeth as the force tossed her higher, further.
She hadn't taken gravity into account.
With the final landing, and the final explosion, she was tossed across the end of the field, she dropped her shield, focusing instead on reinforcing her legs. Each time she landed on the mines, there was more and more strain. She kicked herself for missing the gravity factor and Nen worried with strain on her legs would hinder her in the next competitions.
She rolled in the dirt before propelling herself forward. She didn't bother to lessen the will power in her legs, pushing faster and faster. She was trying to conserve her energy from her quirk, but at this point, Nen wanted to make sure she could even make it to the next round.
And when she hit the finish line, Nen's face broke into a smile.
She had made it. She made it!
Nen was met with cheers from some of her classmates who had made it but before she could celebrate with them, there was a ruckus from up in the stands. Her attention and a few of her friends turned to the group causing the noise. Nen's eyes blew wide. How had she missed them?
"What on Earth?" Momo asked and Nen flushed.
"That's my family!" Nen announced before her face lit up. She jumped and waived at them, but still blushed at the praise and attention her family was causing. "I didn't know they were coming!"
"Seems like they wanted to surprise you," Momo said. "I'm glad you made it."
"You too!" Nen said to her. "From what I could see, you were amazing!"
"I didn't get to see much of you, but I saw you at the ropes," Momo said. "That was ingenious how you used the ropes to propel yourself. I don't even think Tsuyu dared to hop or bounce."
"Yeah, I was really worried," Nen admitted, rubbing the back of her neck. "There were a few times I almost missed."
"Look, it's Ochako," Momo said, glancing past Nen. The two girls turned and waived, cheering her on. As more and more of them passed the finish line, they cheered and welcomed them excitedly. Slowly but surely, all participants completed the round and Midnight's voice once more echoed over the system. As the rankings came in, Nen furrowed her brows.
"How did Minetta get through so fast?" Nen asked Momo quietly, noticing the boy had come in after her. As she glanced to her friend, she noticed a look of embarrassment and defeat.
"He stuck himself to my back," she admitted and Nen screwed up her face in annoyance. "I had to carry him practically the whole way."
"Did you at least use him as armor?" Nen joked.
"Of course," Momo chuckled and Nen giggled at the mental image. Sadly, the two didn't have too long to chat. Moments after they started paying attention, Midnight had just announced the scoring for the next round.
And Midoriya had become the biggest target.
As Nen looked around, and all eyes were on him, almost glaring hungrily. But when his worried green eyes met hers, all Midoriya could see was worry.
Midoriya wasn't too surprised. For a member of Class 1-A, she didn't really seem to have much of a competitive streak.
But that didn't mean she wasn't just as formidable of an opponent as anyone else.
woop woop! I'm alive! Sorry, the first two events aren't really of interest to me. And life has been lifing. Since my last update, I've left an abusive relationship, got into a new one, moved 4 times, got two degrees, and am now working in my dream career.
Oh! I also recommend checking out my AO3 battybabe for more MHA stories...some of which I think are better written than this.
Hope yall have been well!