"Geeenkiiii."
"Uuuuugh…"
"Geeeenkiiiii."
"Guuuuurgh…"
"Wake up Genkiiiiiii."
"Who… Who's talking to me?"
"This is All Might, waking you up like a normal personnnnnnn."
"If you wanted me up, you could've used smelling salts," Genki said as he felt his strength returning to him, the teen rubbing his eyes. "How long was I out?"
"Oh, just a few minutes," All Might said with a wave of his hand. "I'm glad you're up so soon. Any longer and we might've had to postpone the award ceremony."
"Postpone…? You mean… You mean I'm not disqualified?"
"Disqualified? Oh heaven's no," an intelligent voice said. "If we disqualified you after you put forth so much effort to make it as far as you did, your adoring public would be sorely disappointed."
"P-P-P-P-Principal Nezu!?" Genki gawped looking over his other shoulder. "W-W-When did you get here?!"
"I just arrived actually," the dog/mouse/bear hybrid returned jovially. "Takes me a little longer with these short legs of mine, but that's neither here nor there."
"Couldn't you just have the Support Course whip up a Segway for you, just with legs instead of wheels?"
"You know… I never really thought of that," Nezu hummed contemplatively. "Usually I just bum a ride off someone else. Hahahaha!"
"Well, if it ain't broke, don't fix it," Genki said scratching his head. "So… Since I'm not in handcuffs, I take it you were able to restrain me before I attacked anyone else?"
"Yes, your warning in that regard was much-appreciated," All Might said with a winning smile. "It takes a very strong man to know one's own limits, even moreso to ask for help."
"Well, I figured it'd look really bad if I leapt up into the audience and ripped someone in half like a phonebook," Genki said sitting up, only to wince as his body throbbed. "Ugh… Damn that took a lot out of me. I thought going through puberty would take some of the edge of, but I guess I was wrong…" he cringed as he held his aching stomach.
"Well, you did put on several hundred pounds of bone, muscle, and exoskeletal armor," Recovery Girl said making her presence known. "Transformations of that nature do tend to eat at you when they aren't as straightforward as size-altering Quirks. Right now you're just a bit bruised and battered, but I can fix you up with my [Recovery] Quirk. Only issue is, it might leave you sapped of energy before the award ceremony."
"If it's a matter of stamina, you don't need to worry about that," Genki said with a wave of his hand. "I'll just burn some amylose polysaccharides after you're done and I'll be right as rain."
"Poly-what-aride?" All Might asked dumbfounded.
"Amylose Polysaccharides are one of the components of starch," Principal Nezu answered. "One of Genki's sub-Quirks lets him manually catalyze it for an extra bit of energy."
"Oh, well I know what that is," All Might said scratching the back of his head. "Well… I'll just head on out, wait for this young man to be up on his feet again. Send him out when he's ready," he said beating a hasty retreat.
"So… I really did make it then?" Genki asked as he looked up at the ceiling, his body glowing green as Recovery Girl's lips met his cheek. "Somehow, I can't help but feel it came down more to luck than anything else."
"Nonsense!" Nezu cut in. "It only looked like luck because you trained so hard before entering Yuuei you were better-prepared for these obstacles put in front of you. Don't think of what you achieved as the result of mere chance. There's a difference between being lucky and deserving. One's an accident, the other, a reward; never get the two confused."
"Thanks… I really needed to hear that," Genki said with a smile as Recovery Girl's lips pulled away. "I guess I'd gotten so used to people disparaging my Quirk, I started doubting if I earned this."
"Well doubt no longer," Nezu said with a smile as he hopped on the bed and clapped him on the shoulder. "Go on now, or you'll be late for the award ceremony. We have a pleasant surprise waiting for you, so just follow the arrows."
"R-Right! Don't want to keep everyone waiting," Genki said getting up, steam rising from the corners of his mouth as his body burned a cache of starch for quick energy.
*MHA*
"And now, it's time to move on to the awards ceremony!" Midnight announced, colorful fireworks popping in the air above the stadium as part of the ground opened up, the pearlescent winner's stand rising up from belowground revealing its winners. On the center stand above a large 1 was Genki, Todoroki to his right atop the 2 pedestal, while on the other side situated atop the 3 was Bakugou… strapped to a concrete slab with villain-grade restraints on his arms, hands, and mouth, an unending tide of muffled obscenities spilling into his muzzle.
"Psst! Todoroki. What's with that guy?" Genki whispered over his shoulder, struggling not to be blinded by the wall of camera flashes in front of the winner's stand.
"He's been going wild since the second he woke up," Todoroki whispered back. "Apparently when he found out you beat me, they had to put him in restraints so he wouldn't rampage."
"Geez, that guy has zero chill, doesn't he?" Genki asked as Bakugou flailed against leather straps, chains, cuffs, and muzzle.
"In third place we have both Bakugou Katsuki and Iida Tenya. However, Iida was forced to leave early due to a family emergency. We hope you all understand," Midnight announced, sending a wink into the wall of cameras and flashes."Now, for the medals! Presenting them this year is…"
"HAAA HAHAHAHA!" a bombastic voice bellowed as a vaguely rabbit-like silhouette rose atop the lip of the stadium roof, the audience exploding into cheers.
"Our very own hero, All Might!"/"I have brought the medals here!" Midnight and All Might announced at the same time as the latter somersaulted onto the stage, completely overlapping one another causing the rancorous cheers to turn into an awkward silence.
"I cut you off… Sorry…" Midnight apologized with clasped hands while All Might trembled in embarrassment.
Regaining his composure, All Might ascended the matching steps to the winner's stand, standing face-to-face with the flailing Bakugou, even-now writhing like an angry fish on a line.
"Bakugou… Well… Isn't this a bit much?" All Might asked as he removed the muzzle, an absolutely murderous expression on the blond's face.
"All Might…" Bakugou growled as he beheld the bronze medal in the No.1 Hero's hand. "You keep that thing away from me…!"
"Come now, young man, you worked very hard to make it this far. Plus, the craftsman who made this medal would have their feelings hurt if you didn't take it," All Might said lifting it up to slip the sash over Bakugou's neck, only for the teen to rear his head back.
"I don't care! This win… It doesn't mean squat. Doesn't matter what anyone else says. If I don't recognize it, then that medal's just garbage…!" Bakugou growled as the sash of the medal pushed against the bridge of his nose.
"Young Bakugou, not everyone can win every time. What's important is that you learn from your losses. There is more to be gained from a wound than a flawless victory," All Might said struggling against the flailing teen, until finally settling the sash between the livid teen's teeth. "This is a lesson even I have been forced to learn. Don't underestimate it's value simply because it hurts your pride."
The fuming teen left with a medal on hand-er-mouth, All Might then moved on to the second tier stand.
"Todoroki. Congratulations," All Might said with a smile, the two-toned teen bowing his head humbly as he accepted the silver medal. "Even though you used your left side against Gokiburi, in the end, you still held back. Was there a reason for that?"
"It was my match against Midoriya… I think I've lost my way," the teen said somberly. Even after his final battle, it was his second that weighed most-heavily on his mind. "I know you've taken an interest in him, and I'm starting to see why. I've always wanted to become a Hero like you, but… It's not like I can just forget and get over things. That isn't good enough. There's still something I have to settle," he finished, eyes downcast.
" . . . That's a new look I'm seeing on your face. Say no more. Whatever you must settle, I'm sure you can do it," All Might said giving the teen a muscly hug and patting him on the back.
Stepping back, All Might ascended the longest flight of steps coming face to face with Gokiburi, a dusting of red on the teen's face as the cheers of the audience washed over him, the camera flashes almost blinding him.
"Gokiburi… What you've accomplished here today is nothing short of amazing," All Might said as he beheld the gold medal, its polished face sparkling in the afternoon sun. "One after the other, you overcame every obstacle placed before you, even when the odds were stacked against you. It gives me great pleasure to award your efforts with this medal. I look forward to seeing what you go on to accomplish in the future."
However, as he slipped the medal over the teen's neck, the No.1 Hero winced as tears greeted him.
"Wh-What's wrong, young man? Are you still hurt from your previous match?" All Might asked worriedly.
"I'm not crying…" Genki sniffled as he rubbed his eyes, thankful that the wall of muscle in front of him hid his expression from the media. "I'm… I'm just allergic to sore loser. That's all."
"Whad ou shay?!" Bakugou growled through the medal in his teeth.
"Well… uh… I hope that goes down soon…" All Might replied awkwardly.
"Yeah…" *Sob* "Me too…" Genki sniffled, wiping away the last of his tears.
"Anyway, before we finish up here, there's one last thing I want to say to you," All Might, projecting his voice for the media circus at his back to hear.
"What is it?" Genki asked as All Might stepped back.
Cue My Hero Academia OST – My Hero Academia
"Young man… Congratulations," he said holding out his hand. "Welcome… to your Hero Academia!"
"Wha… What…? Y-You mean…?"
"That's right, young man! Welcome to the Hero Course!" All Might said in a booming voice, a winning smile on his face. "You are HERE!"
It took a few moments for Genki to realize what exactly he'd just been told. Pinching his thigh only to see that everything was still there, reassured this moment was not a dream, the teen's eyes suddenly began to water. His vision going cloudy, his teeth clenched as his shoulders began to hitch, after a few seconds, bit fat tears began to spill down his face. A heartfelt wail escaping his lips as the media scrambled to capture this heartfelt moment, a moment later the General Course let out an explosive cheer, which soon spread to the entire arena.
"Dry those tears, young man," he said embracing the sobbing teen, patting the teen's back even as his costume was soaked with tears and snot. "The face a Hero has to show the most… is a big, winning smile," he said stepping to the side.
"H… Hai!" Genki choked out.
The teen giving his best, winning smile, All Might raised the teen's arm in a show of victory –while discretely wiping his suit clean-. The wave of camera flashes that came a moment later would've been blinding, had his eyes not already been drowned in tears. The roar of the crowd and explosion of fireworks sounding through the air, by the time All Might was ready to wrap things up, Genki's tears had stopped flowing, that winning smile ever-present on his lips as the wall of camera flashes grew more tame.
"Well, these are our winners. But hold on! Everyone here today has the potential to be standing up here, as you've all witnessed here today!" All Might announced, a wave of his hand toward Genki proving exactly that sentiment as undisputible fact rather than hopeful opinion. "Competition! Encouragement! Pushing each other to climb higher and higher! The sprouts of today will grow into the Heroes of tomorrow! In that spirit, let's have on final cheer!" he announced, a finger raised to the heavens. "Everyone say it with me now! One, two, and…"
"PLUS ULTRA!"/"THANKS FOR THE HARD WORK!"
" . . . "/" . . . "
A moment later and the spectators actually started heckling him.
"We're supposed to say 'Plus Ultra', All Might!"
"Oh, right… It's just, they really did work so hard and…"
Heckling aside, the Yuuei Sports Festival ended on a high note, for Gokiburi Genki more than anyone else.
However, even with all he'd accomplished, there was still one final obstacle for him to overcome.
*MHA*
AN:
I'm not sure how-many OC-centric stories have their protagonists get into the Hero Course this way instead of having the "stopping power" to get into the Hero Course from the get-go, but I'd like to think I did a pretty good job. Please be sure to tell me your thoughts in the Review Column.
GO BEYOND!
EXCELSIOR!