Obstacle Course
The first event was the obstacle race, a staple of the Sports festival. It was generally held as the first event to allow students who had no interest in advancing an opportunity to bow out gracefully. This opportunity was usually taken by business, general studies, and medical students who dreamed of colorful costumes and heroic aspirations.
This year, though, the business course students were all wearing armbands that read "-1" to support their lost comrade. They had no intention of bowing out; they were here to push beyond.
General Studies students were split between those who were content with their positions and those who saw the open spot in 1-B and the rumored positions in 1-A. Seeing the fire in their classmates' eyes, medical students decided that year to run, and they donned the same armbands as the business course.
So when the race started, Shoto Todoroki's starting maneuver of freezing part of the exit was met with anger from the other racers. Momo had warned Izuku of this possibility, and he and his girls were prepared. With a quick jump, Momo in his arms and Itsuka on his back, they cleared the obstacle, and some of them were running first off. Bakugo used his explosions to do the same maneuver as Izuku, just without the excess baggage; Tenya free-ran up and used one of the other tunnels to slip past. Ochaco used her quirk and was proud that she didn't even get sick on the other side. It was an immediate test to get out, but as Izuku landed, so did Setsuna, Ibarra, Reiko, Niren, Mineta, and Tetsu. Ibarra had pulled Niren, Tetsu, and Mineta with her. Juzo softened the pillar, and Jurota smashed it as the crowd roared.
"Don't give up," Ibara called out as she broke into a run.
Mineta took off after her, his stride much shorter than the other runners. He knew that he had to keep moving.
It was a race, and Tenya was not about to lose in a race; he engaged his quirk in a short burst and took the lead. As he came into the first obstacle of the Robot Inferno, he lowered his head and burst through before the robots could slow him down, giving him a sizeable lead and heading into the second obstacle. Shoto froze some as they fell, then triggered his ice to break when people tried to use the tunnel he had created, hoping to trap them and gain an advantage; the crowd rained down boos upon the heterochromatic teen. The toppling robot was met with a thunderous punch from Izuku, sending it toppling back; Bakugo roared in defiance, blasting the head off of another one. Soon, more hero course students were teaming up to take the others down as they did their best to keep moving.
The Pits of Insanity slowed the speedster down as he maneuvered across the ropes to the other side. Shoto took the lead to another downpour of boos as they created an ice slide to bypass the obstacle.
"Momo rope!" Izuku called out as Momo's arm glowed and the rope began spilling out. Izuku grabbed Itsuka, and they leaped over the pit; he set Itsuka down, who smiled and took off in pursuit of Shoto. Momo tied the rope to herself and waited as Tsu, Toru, Kyoka, Mina, and Ochaco came up.
"Express ride, ladies?" Momo winked. The girls quickly tied the rope around themselves. "Ochaco if you would?" and braced as Izuku's quirk flared to life to the oohs and aahs of the crowd, and he yanked the girls all across. Once across, the girls took off as fast as they could; Izuku took control of the end of the rope and sent it back across, wrapping it around the other members of his class who hadn't made it across and yanking them over. They all looked at him questioningly, "For Inari," he replied. The others nodded; this was his way of thanking them for helping watch over Inari before the USJ. Tenya and Bakugo were already on the other side as the race continued. Mineta just nodded gratefully for the assist. Tenya ran in a sprint, seeing Todoroki halfway across the final obstacle of the minefield with Itsuka hot on his heels and the girls of his class about ¼ of the way.
There has to be a delay if I am fast enough…Tenya thought. A wicked smile crossed his face; he was fast, and now was his time to prove it. Tenya took a deep breath and ran; he sprinted as fast as he could, kicking in his quirk at the last minute as he was a step away from the minefield. He chose to go up the right side to avoid his class as much as possible, hopefully. Present Mic was losing his mind about what the speedster was about to attempt. Kyoka yelled a warning as two large shields burst out from Momo, and the girls crouched behind them.
Itsuka had caught up to Shoto, having almost blown herself up a few times in her haste; never had she been thankful for her father drilling her footwork every day. Then they heard the first explosion; Shoto turned, Itsuka shoved her hand under the dirt, activating her quirk, and moved forward like a plow scooping up dirt and landmines alike. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Tenya about to pass them. She braced and heaved with all her might, throwing the dirt and mines towards the right of the track.
Tenya's quirk faltered; he stumbled, and the crowd held its' breath; he could feel the explosions behind him; he planted his foot and pushed off, remembering the long jump from the quirk assessment test. The mines where he jumped exploded, and Itsuka's improvised projectiles landed and detonated. The two explosions meet in the middle. For a brief second, everything stopped; Bakugo, who had entered the Mine Field after Tenya had let his explosions trigger, allowed a path to be cleared for him.
He saw Momo yell something at her group. The shields repositioned themselves, and Bakugo dived to the ground, hands over his head, when a speaker fell from Momo to the ground, and one of Kyoka's jacks plugged in and into the ground. The minefield exploded, the entire thing; Izuku and his class had turned the corner and were launched off their feet. Many other runners trying to pass the Pit of Insanity fell due to the shock wave.
The stadium was quiet; as the smoke cleared, they saw Tenya Ida hitting the tunnel with Itsuka on his heels. The stadium erupted, and Tenya felt like his legs were about to fall off, but he could see the finish line. He was a runner, and this was a race. This was his race; he pushed past his limits, went past the pain, and broke the ribbon two full paces before Itsuka. Shoto was about to hit the tunnel when Katsuki landed right in front of him and knocked him back onto his ass.
"How is that 50% working out for you, Icy Hot?" Bakugo smirked.
Shoto growled and scrambled to his feet, chasing after Bakugo; he was in the tunnel when Tsu came flying over him, bouncing off the walls; the crowd was eating it up. Shoto Todoroki came in fifth; he glared at the others who had passed him and stormed off; the girls hit the tunnel next with the guys hot on their heels, and the rest of the hero course students were trailing behind with a member of the business course coming in behind them. He was pumping his arms as hard as he could; he stumbled about to fall when caught. He looked up and saw Izuku.
"Why?" he asked.
"Ren," Izuku said, his voice tinged with sadness. Izuku ran with the boy and made sure he passed the finish line. A few other runners made the cutoff for the next event, but the crowd cheered on every student who passed. Tenya and Momo left the field to refuel their quirks in preparation for the second event.
"What is your name?" Izuku asked of the business course student.
The black-haired bow was bent over, trying to catch his breath, "Kaito."
"Nice to meet you, Kaito, Izuku Midoriya," he extended his hand.
"Thanks for the catch, but you said you did it for Ren? Did you know her?" Kaito asked.
"No, but the girl who impersonated her used Ren to get to me," Izuku said, his head bowed. "I want to see her, Ren, but I don't know what to say."
"So you're the dude with the kid," Kaito said, finally catching his breath. Izuku looked at Kaito, who held his hands up. "I know the press has been trying to find you, but I won't say anything."
"Thanks, I appreciate that," Izuku said, smiling.
"Look, I don't know the next event, but I am sure this is as far as I can go. Would you mind wearing an armband for her?" Kaito pulled his band off and offered it to Izuku.
"I would be honored," Izuku bowed.
"Good. I am going to bow out gracefully now," Kaito said, looking over towards the referee of the event Midnight. We aren't saying her name either," Kaito called over his shoulder as he walked off.
Izuku looked at the band and slipped it on as he walked over to the rest of his class and Itsuka, who were crowded around the refreshment stand.
Calvary Battle
Tenya stood looking at the screen, thinking it had to be wrong. One million Points, that was his bounty. He could feel all the eyes on him, the whispers—it was like something out of a bad dream. They were all shadowed as they looked and plotted against him.
"Careful, you might just faint if you don't breathe," a voice said, shaking him out of his stupor. He looked, and there was Juzo from 1-B. I would be honored if you would allow me to fight with you."
"Hey, don't count me out!" Ochaco yelled as she ran over. "We got this!"
"Hey, Mr. Million, do you need a fourth?" Mei called out, running up and invading Tenya's personal space. Tenya blushed and tried to step back.
"Too close, Mei," Ochaco said, pulling the pouting inventor back.
"If you don't mind me asking, why do you want to join my team," Tenya said, thankful for Ochaco's actions.
"Simple, you have the most points, and this is an opportunity to show off some of my inventions," Mei said as she bounced. "I am a support course, so I just want to get my babies on display for the fair tomorrow; I need to get scouted to pay the bills."
"So you want money?" Juzo wondered.
"Doesn't everyone?" Mei blinked, and Ochaco hid her blush. "I can't invent without money, and if I want to make what I want, I need to go independent and get my name out there."
"What do you want to invent?" Ochaco asked.
"I want to make Things to help you heroes out there protecting the world, but I also want to make things for the normal people out there and keep them safe," Mei said, holding her finger up.
"Like you are doing for Inari," Ochaco said with a snap.
Mei nodded, "Everyone deserves to feel safe and be safe. For that matter, I am not one for running around punching Villains, but I want to do everything I can to help those who come home safe. So, I don't want to be stuck working for someone telling me what I need to work on. I want to work on what I want."
"You're in," Tenya said, smiling. "Now, how can you help us?"
"Well, that all depends. I know what your quirk is, Mr. Million. What about you two?" Mei said, vibrating from excitement.
Momo and Izuku waited as Itsuka talked to Set and Kinoko from her class. They saw their girlfriend shake her head and point to them, blushing slightly.
"Curse you aqua scum!" Set shouted out as she shook her fist at them with a giant smile.
Izuku turned and watched as Toru came jogging over, "Did you decide to join us?"
"I did," Toru giggled. "Though Tsu did make an exciting offer, I figured I would have a good chance of moving on with you guys, and I got Inari to cheer for me. So win, win."
"So, any plans, my dear?" Momo said.
"Well, if I were bigger, I would have all three of you ride on my shoulders, but that won't work," Izuku smirked. "So I think Toru should be our rider; I will lead, with Momo and Itsuka as the flanks.
"You want me on top…are you sure?" Toru whispered.
"You are super observant and can help call out threats, letting the three of us focus on attacking or defending," Izuku smiled. "Besides, with you on top, it will be your time to shine."
"Thanks, Izuku," Toru said; they could hear the emotion in her voice.
Tenya's team was rushed when the battle started immediately, but Juzo countered by softening the ground around him while the team could hover off the ground thanks to some boots provided by Mei. Tenya ordered a retreat as Juzo shut down his quirk, trapping some of their attackers.
Toru ordered her team to hang back, hoping they could stay on the outside, but Shoto made a beeline straight for them. His team of Eijiro as his lead horse, with Mina and Sero, pressed their attack. Shoto's Ice, Mina's acid, and Sero's tape made running from them nearly impossible.
Toru's call to attack was met with a smile, as Shoto did not expect them to close the distance like that. He activated his quirk and launched an ice attack under their feet, hoping to make them lose their balance.
"Go Izuku!" Toru called out as the girls braced, his quirk springing into action as he leaped, lifting them up and over Shoto's team. The blue light came from Momo's arms as Russian nesting dolls fell on the enemy team. Itsuka deflected a tape attack from Sero; from Momo's feet, Epsom salt fell into Mina's attack, deflecting part of it.
They popped open upon impact, powder spraying all over Shoto and his team.
"Oh god, it itches!" yelled Mina.
"Did they just use itching powder?" Sero yelled, trying to soothe the sudden, nearly desperate urge to itch and not drop Shoto. Eijiro's arms and upper body were fine, but he could feel the powder going down his uniform. His eyes widened as the powder went south, as did his fellow horses.
Mina knew she could get it off her body, but there was going to be a risk that if she pushed too hard, it would also dissolve her clothes, leaving her possibly naked in front of the whole world like that kid from the sports festival two years ago. Mina refused to let that happen and refused to move as she very carefully let a fragile film of acid seep out over her body. Once she had it figured out, she did the same thing to Eijiro and Sero, who were desperately trying to avoid digging at the worst itch in their nethers that they had ever had.
All three swore revenge upon Momo that day. They would get their revenge on the heiress; they just had to wait for the right moment.
Shoto coated his body in ice, then heated himself angrily, dousing his riders.
Toru led her team on a hit-and-run game plan, keeping them near the action but just outside of the main confrontations. With the girls' headbands crossing the finish line from the top ten, she knew they would advance as long as they kept those headbands. They were willing to sacrifice poor Izuku's headband as his point total was meager.
A fact that Shoto learned when he re-engaged them towards the end, and Sero snatched Toru's headband only to find out that she had switched with Izuku, a risky gambit but one the Invisible girl had cleared with Midnight before the match started. As they made their escape, Itsuka stole Mina's headband.
The match was the best chaos, with alliances formed and broken within heartbeats. The hero course was going all out as they went after each other. The crowd's loyalties shifted like a fickle breeze depending on who had recently made the most spectacular play. When the final buzzer sounded, Tenya was about to lose his headband to Bakugo, who missed grabbing it by mere seconds.
The top 5 teams, or 20 combatants, would advance to the third and final round of the day.
Tenya Ida, Ochaco Uraraka, Mei Hatsume, Juzo Honenuki
Itsuka Kendo, Momo Yaoyorozu, Toru Hagakure, Izuku Midoriya
Shoto Todoroki, Mina Ashido, Eijiro Kirishima, Hanta Sero
Ibarra Shiozaki, Setsuna Togake, Kinoko Komori, Hitoshi Shinso
Katsuki Bakugo, Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, Tsuyu Asui, Fumikage Tokoyami
Itsuka went over to congratulate her friends, expecting them to be happy, but instead, they all looked confused.
"Is everything okay?" Itsuka asked.
"I don't know," Kinoko said.
"Yeah, my head is all fuzzy," Ibarra added.
"One second, we were talking to Ibarra, and then we were going to talk to Reiko about filling out our team, and the next thing we knew, we were here," Setsuna said, looking at the purple-haired boy, who just smirked and walked away from them.
"If you go up against that guy, be careful," Set said, glaring at him.
"Yeah, something isn't right. The last thing I remember is him asking if we needed a fourth…" Kinoko added.
"Got it," Itsuka said, escorting her friends to the cafeteria where the others had left to rest up for the third round. Those who didn't make it were invited to participate in games that would allow them to show off some so they could hope to impress a hero watching.
Prelim to the Third Round
Izuku would be lying if he said he wasn't a bit nervous about the thought of having to fight his girlfriends in the third round. Itsuka and Momo, who didn't like the thought of going into combat with someone they had feelings for, shared this sentiment.
"Okay, why are you all acting so weird," Setsuna said as she sat with them at the table. "I know why we are," she pointed to Ibarra and Kinoko.
"Yes, there is something wrong, Itsuka," Ibarra pressed. She narrowed her gaze a bit at Izuku. "Did he make a forward advance on the two of you during the calvary battle?"
Toru giggled, Momo blushed, and Itsuka sighed. "No, we are just not looking forward to fighting each other if it comes down to it."
"While I understand your hesitation to do battle with your friends, I fail to understand why this is causing the three of you such distress," Ibarra said, placing a hand on Itsuka's shoulder. "Please, you can unburden yourself to me."
For Setsuna and Kinoko, a light bulb seemed to click on. They both gave a knowing smirk at Itsuka. "Yes, Itsuka, we are your friends; please tell us," Setsuna said sweetly.
"I am always available," Kinoko added.
"It is probably because Inari calls them Mommie, and he is her dad," Mina said, coming in with the save. "They don't want to upset her. How do you explain to a child what is happening if they fight?"
The trio looked at Mina with gratitude.
"I hadn't considered that. I bet she would be upset if they had to do battle," Ibarra said, and the girl paused. Where is the little one?" she asked a hint of wistfulness in her voice.
"She is under tight security," Izuku said. "Just in case, though, I can't remember ever going this long without seeing her."
"DADDY! MOMMIES! AUNTIES! UNCLE BOOM BOOM!" a little voice rang out. Everyone turned, seeing Inari come running in. They saw Snipe and Torino, Nejire, Mirio, and Tamaki. Nejire looked nearly vibrating at having been able to spend time with Inari.
Inari stopped and held out her Midnight-themed bento box. "Can I eat lunch with you?" Inari made sure to tuck one foot behind the other, sway side to side, lower her head, and say it as shyly as she could. They could see the checklist running through her mind as she did it, Nejire holding her phone to record.
"Of course you can, baby," Izuku said, his heart a puddle of goo. "Who gave you that bento?"
"Ms. Midnight did, and she said if I asked nicely, I could eat lunch with you," Inari said, climbing up into his lap. She opened the box, grabbing her fork. She tilted her head back to look up at her dad.
"That looks so yummy," he said. "Make sure you tell her thank you."
"Okay!" Inari exclaimed as she began to eat. Izuku didn't notice it, but he was just looking down at his daughter, and his look conveyed love. Everyone watched as, for a few minutes, they were in their little world as she tried to share her lunch with him in exchange for bites of his lunch.
Inari's turning to do the same with Itsuka brought him back to the real world. He looked over at Momo, who was smiling. She leaned over and whispered, "The way you look at her tells me that I have fallen in love with the right man."
Izuku blushed as Inari was oblivious to the moment and wanted to share it with Momo.
As Inari finished her food, she stood in her daddy's lap and said, " Oh, Daddy, you need to win. If you win, Grandpa will take me to Disneyworld!"
"Oh, he is? What about me?" Izuku said with a pout.
"He said you were going to hot springs if you win, so you don't get to go to Disneyworld," Inari said.
"I will have to talk with Grandpa about that, but I promise to do my best," Izuku paused. "Inari, there is a chance that your Mommies and Aunties will have to fight each other. I want you to know that we are not mad at each other and still like each other, but it is part of the contest."
"I don't like that," Inari replied sullenly. "I don't want you to have to fight each other."
"How do you explain this kind of contest," Ibarra said quietly. "All Inari is going to see is her family fighting."
"We love you so much," Itsuka said, taking Inari into her arms. "And I know it might be scary, but I promise that after we fight, we will hug and wave to you in the stands, okay?"
"This is how we train to be better heroes," Momo added. "We don't want to fight each other, but sometimes, we have to fight against each other to ensure your safety."
"But if you fight, will you still be my mommies, aunties, and stuff?" Inari said, her lip still pouting as she tried to understand everything.
"Nothing could ever change that," Tsu said, approaching Inari and hugging her. Mina followed, followed by Momo and Toru. "We are your family forever."
"Okay, Aunty Tsu," Inari said, snuggling into the group hug.
"That means we might have to beat your daddy up, though," Mina said with a smile over the top, a hug Izuku.
"That is okay, daddy is tough. I will give him a bandaid and tell him he tried hard," Inari said as people began to laugh.
"So she is okay if we beat up her dad; that is good to know," Eijiro said.
"Thanks, sweety," Izuku said sarcastically.
"Attention all my little listeners out there," Present Mic's voice rang out. "The die has been cast in our wild card round. We have four matches on the slate. In our first match, Mei Hatsume will be taking on Hanta Sero. Followed by Hitoshi Shinso vs. Izuku Midoriya, Eijiro Kirishima vs Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, and the final match will be Kinoko Komori vs. Fumikage Tokoyami. And that first match begins in 30 minutes!"
Shoto got up and left the cafeteria. Hitoshi glared at the Izuku and the rest of the people in the room then got up and left.
Hitoshi watched the entire scene from the corner of the room, his mind racing with thoughts about the speech that Izuku had given. Had Izuku experienced what it was like to be quirkless? And then there was what he had said about no quirk being villainous - it was the person, not the quirk. But Hitoshi had to push those thoughts aside. He couldn't believe Izuku just like that. He needed to win and show the world, especially those who had mocked him, that he was better. This was his chance, and he couldn't let it go to waste. Maybe Izuku was lying to get sympathy from others; he wanted to believe that Izuku was lying, but watching how he was with his daughter, Hitoshi stood up and stormed out.
Setsuna leaned over to Izuku and said, "Hey, I don't know what that guy's quirk is, but I think it is some sort of mind control; we got all fuzzy only after we responded to him, so whatever he says, don't talk to him."
"I don't appreciate being used," Ibarra said. "If you would be so kind as to knock him on his butt for me, I would appreciate it."
"Sock him one for me too!" Kinoko called out.
After Inari initiated, she gave everyone good luck hugs and kisses before she left, holding Nejire and Mirio's hands. "I wanted to ask if I could give her ice cream?" Nejire said, her eyes full of hope.
"Yes, just not too much," Izuku said with a smile. Izuku waited until they turned the corner before heading to his locker room to prepare for his match. Momo and Itsuka offered to walk him there so they could all have some alone time. Turning down the hall, they saw Shoto leaning against the wall.
"I would like to talk to you," Shoto said, looking at the girls. "In private."
"I will meet you both there," Izuku said as the girls gave the boys a look and walked away.
"I want you to understand that I was being truthful when I said that I respect you as a father, that I see how you treat Inari, and I think it is very admirable," Shoto began. "But that being said, I know our paths will cross at some point in this tournament, and I will defeat you!" Shoto said. "Nothing can stop me from showing HIM that I can rise to the ranks of the next number one hero with only the power of her ice."
"I am probably going to regret this," Izuku sighed, rubbing his nose. "But what are you talking about?"
"Do you know what a quirk marriage is?" Izuku nodded. "My father became so obsessed with pursuing All-Might as the number one hero that he had an arranged quirk marriage with my mom to breed the perfect quirk. He abused and neglected us and drove my mother to madness till she poured boiling water on me, giving me this scar."
"I will take that top spot using my mother's ice alone. It is fitting that you are here, the adopted son of All-Might. I have to defeat you and show everyone that I will rise to the top with just the power of my ice," Shoto said. Izuku could hear a hint of desperation in his classmates' voices. This was Shoto's worldview, and he had to accomplish things this way.
"Okay, that is a lot; first off, sorry, your old man is a piece of shit," Izuku said. "But I don't care. Do you know what type of person goes into a fight only expecting to use half their power, and the person that goes into the fight only able to use half their power?"
"No," Shoto replied, glaring at Izuku.
"Fucking dumb," Izuku said. "Whatever issues you have with your dad or your mom, those are your issues; when it comes to the real world, your half-power bullshit is going to one day get someone killed, and I am not about to risk my life on that. So let me tell you something. If we do meet out there, I am going to beat you. Not just because I want to win this thing but because I will show you that half-assing isn't cut it."
"I look forward to shoving those words down your throat," Shoto growled. "I will prove him, Midnight, Hound Dog, and everyone else wrong."
"Oh, thank god, I was going to file a complaint about this with the school if I was the first one to tell you this," Izuku turned. "Remember, when you lose that, in the end, the only person to blame is yourself."
Izuku walked into his locker room expecting to see Momo and Itsuka waiting; instead, they were making out. "Sweet baby Christmas," he whispered, the two of them blushing at being caught in the act. "No, please don't stop on my account."
"Okay," Itsuka said, pulling Momo into a passionate kiss and surprising the heiress. When they broke apart, Izuku was aroused, Momo was holding her hand over her heart, and Itsuka looked like the cat who caught the mouse. Now that is settled, what about a hot spring?"
"And Inari going to Disneyworld?" Momo managed to say.
"I have no idea about the Disneyworld thing. She does have a passport, but we can talk to Grandpa about that after the festival," Izuku sighed; nothing to kill an erection like talking about your daughter, he thought. He could hear Nana laughing in the back of his head. File that one for later.
"Remember when I asked you two if you wanted to go away this weekend?" he said as the girls nodded. "Toshi offered me the use of a private hot spring he owns and to take Inari for the weekend."
"Just the three of us…alone," Momo whispered.
Itsuka raised an eyebrow, "That does sound fun," she said. "So what is the option when one of us beats you?"
"It's still a hot spring, but not nearly as private, but pretty nice," Izuku smiled. "I am sure there are multiple rooms, and we don't have to go further than you are comfortable with, Momo."
"I appreciate that, but…" Momo bit her lip, "I would like to explore some of those boundaries, and being alone with you two, though I will miss Inari, will be nice for us to have a chance to work on our relationship."
"Very well said," Itsuka said, pecking Momo on the cheek. "Now, if you want some kisses, you better get over here so we can leave you to get ready."
Wild Card Round
He sat in his locker room staring at the television, shaking his head at Mei, who had convinced Sero to use some of her support gear, then turned their match into a 20-minute tech demo before she stepped out of the ring to the audience's stunned silence. Sero's victory was greeted with a polite golf clap as the boy hung his head as he walked out of the arena.
Izuku exited his locker room and made the walk to the arena. He could feel his heart beating as he was about to take center stage before the world. He heard Hitoshi being announced, but he had closed his eyes and prayed to his mother and Suijin, wondering if they were watching. Then he heard his name being called; as he walked out, everything was strangely muted; she saw most of the hero course cheering for him; he looked up to where he knew Inari was. And he swore he could see her through the mirrored glass; she imagined, or real cheers drifted to his ears as he took the stage.
Hitoshi scowled at Izuku before he put on a fake smile; Izuku noticed that it looked very out of place on him. As if the boy wasn't accustomed to smiling, it made Izuku sympathetic to his opponent. Hitoshi had been trying to convince himself that Izuku was being fake, that if he had reached out to him, Izuku would have been like so many others.
"Let's have a good match," Hitoshi said, extending his hand; almost instinctively, Izuku was about to respond. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped himself from actually responding. Hitoshi cursed silently; why won't you respond? Did those girls warn him? Plan B, then, he thought. I hope you don't hold a grudge. I want to see if you are that person up on the stage.
"Begin!" Midnight called.
"It must be nice having had such an easy life," Hitoshi spat out. "A flashy quirk, friends, girlfriends, I bet you never knew what it was like to struggle to be looked down on. To be bullied for something you couldn't control, to see your parents be discriminated against just because of your quirk."
Izuku stopped his advance. He could hear the tenors of truth in the boy's words, and he seemed to be trying to convince himself that his words were valid. Hitoshi attempted to fit Izuku into a mold of people who had beaten this young man down.
"You have those whores all around you, playing…" Hitoshi was about to say family, but he had seen the reports about a little girl being kidnapped and how Izuku was not identified as a single parent, the way that Izuku had looked at his daughter during lunch. "Fawning all over you! You don't know what it is like for those of us trying to come up looked down on, discriminated against; all your pretty words don't mean shit!" Izuku could hear how the near desperation in his voice.
Izuku had to bite his cheek to keep from answering. "Say something, or are you too good to talk to me? You're too special to talk to someone from general studies!" Izuku wanted to reach out and talk to him, to help Hitoshi, but he had to win; he had to take this opportunity to show the world that he was here, to show Nieto and All for One that he was not going to cower.
Izuku looked over at the boy. It didn't look like he had worked out a day in his life, and he was there spewing this nonsense; he saw Hitoshi about to speak again. Izuku delivered a hard, un-quirked punch to his jaw, sending him down like a lump of coal. Izuku reached down and grabbed him by the uniform before dragging him to the edge of the arena, hoisted him to his feet, and delivered an uppercut, sending him back onto the grass and gasping for air.
Izuku heard himself declared the winner, and he stepped off the stage and knelt next to Hitoshi, who was struggling to breathe. "I am not sure what your quirk is, but it is not for anyone else to decide if it is villainous," Izuku said. "If you truly want to be a hero, I would happily lend a hand."
Izuku helped him stand. " I'm sorry for what I said about your friends and stuff," Hitoshi said.
"It's okay," Izuku began to say. Hitoshi activated his quirk.
"Are you telling the truth? Do you believe what you said in that speech?" Hitoshi said.
"Yes," Izuku said, Hitoshi released his quirk. "That is a strange feeling."
"Sorry again…."
"But your head says I am full of it, but your heart wants to believe," Izuku said, and Hitoshi nodded. "When they are in conflict, it complicates things; just a word of advice: you need to hit the gym."
"You didn't even use your quirk, did you?" Hitoshi asked when Izuku shook his head. "You may be right."
Izuku separated from Hitoshi and went up to his classmates; he stopped and smiled as he reached the top of the stairs. Normally, the two hero classes were separated on opposite sides of the entrance tunnel but sat together.
"Thanks for the heads-up, Set," Izuku called out, earning the girl's grin. "I owe you a soda."
Set smiled, "I will take some Takotyaki as well!" Izuku flashed her a thumbs-up as he took his seat next to Momo.
"I am impressed you didn't beat the hell out of him," Kyoka said, tilting her head back to look at Izuku. "I heard what he said."
"Well, he did apologize, and I could tell he was just trying to get a response out of me. If it wasn't for Setsuna and their warning, I may have given in and lost," he replied. I think he is someone who had to suffer people being stupid because of his quirk. It skewered his outlook, but I don't think he is a bad guy. But doing what he did to Setsuna and her team wasn't right."
The student's attention was called back to the not-so-thrilling combat of Eijiro Vs. Tetsu, at first, everyone was into the fight, hollering and calling out support for their classmate. But at the 5-minute mark, that enthusiasm started to falter as it had become a war of attrition, with both boys simply standing in the middle of the ring trading blows. It was a good time for Izuku and his girlfriends to excuse themselves and purchase refreshments and drinks for themselves, Setsuna, Ibarra, and Kinoko, along with some requested snacks. They did not duck down a corridor to kiss some; nope, they came right back.
The fight was called a draw at the 20-minute mark to lackluster applause. It settled with an arm wrestling contest that seemed destined to end the same way before Tetsu cracked first, and Eijiro was able to claim victory.
Kinoko stepped nervously onto the stage. She smiled best in her class and at the stadium, but being in front of crowds was not her favorite thing. The normally quiet and shy girl, though, knew this was a fear that she couldn't allow to control or hinder her in the chosen profession she was pursuing. Fumi came out in the same manner, though Dark Shadow was having none of this, playing to the crowd, raising Fumi's arms, and calling out for more noise.
This battle was expected to be short, with Fumi and Dark Shadow claiming an easy victory; sadly, those who thought that were wrong. Dark Shadow immediately launched into attack, but suddenly, mushrooms filled the air, and the ones inside of Dark Shadow began to glow blue, forcing him to rear back in pain and retreat. Kinoko caused more mushrooms to sprout around her, and they multiplied in a spiral ring out from her, about 2 feet high and over 8 feet away from her.
When Dark Shadow attacked again more hesitantly, when he crossed over the ring, they began to explode again, driving him back. With Dark Shadow temporarily pushed back, Kinoko sprang from her protective ring and rushed Fumi directly. Fumi watched as the girl shoved a handful of mushrooms in her mouth; he saw her muscles expand, and her eyes drew to pinpricks as a guttural roar escaped the young girl's lips.
Class 1-A and B were stunned, but 1-B cheered as Kinoko tackled Fumi so hard that he lost a shoe. Kinoko roared as she tumbled with Fumi and tried to throw him out of the ring. It was like something out of a video game or wrestling ring. Kinoko hoisted Fumi above her head, roared, and threw him towards the grass. Unfortunately, Dark Shadow had recovered, caught Fumi, and threw him back into the ring, much to the displeasure of the Mushroom Barbarian, who yelled in defiance at Dark Shadow and also seemingly insulted his mother, his choice of books, and Fumi's DnD campaign.
A primal rage erupted as Dark Shadow could not allow such insults to fly without retribution; the audience was treated to a five-minute no-holds-barred fight. The poor person running the audio had to be on top of the censor button for the words that were being shouted. Their respective classes reacted and cheered, and some had to research some of the insults. Then, once those answers were shared, cheers were mixed with calls of surprise.
The fact that Kinoko was holding her own against Dark Shadow was not lost on heroes in attendance, as the young girl's name was being added to lists for internship offers. Kinoko's undoing was that she was not just fighting Dark Shadow but Fumi as well. Fumi was in no manner a physical powerhouse, something he had been working on, so when Dark Shadow trapped Kinoko's arms, a well-placed pull and shove sent the girl onto the grass and into defeat. Kinoko jumped to their feet, not ready to concede, took a single step and wobbled. Her eyes rolled back in her head, but Dark Shadows caught her and lowered her gently to the ground. Photos and videos would soon flood the internet of the Dark Prince and his Mushroom Queen.
The crowd ate it all up.
"Well, that concludes our wild card round; please let all our participants hear you!" Present Mic called out. "Now, our tournament will start properly with our first-round match-ups," the screens all showed blank 16-person brackets. "Starting with the northwest, we have Shoto Todoroki vs. Hanta Sero and Tsuyu Asui vs. Itsuka Kendo!"
Shoto just looked away while Sero sighed and began to think of a way to win his match.
"It is a good thing we talked with Inari and Kero," Tsu said, smiling at Itsuka. "So when I beat her Mommy in the middle of that arena, she won't be too upset with me."
"Oh, you are going down, Tsu," Itsuka said, returning the smile. "You are going to find out why Mommy is on top!"
"Oh, really," Mina and Toru cooed. Ibarra seemed confused until Set whispered something, and then she was bright red.
Itsuka looked around at everyone. As it slowly dawned on her, Izuku was blushing and looked away. Itsuka went nuclear and hid her face behind her hands. Sadly, this didn't help the matter, as her entire body was blushing, causing everyone to erupt into laughter.
"In the Southwest, we will have Izuku Midoriya vs. Ibarra Shiozaki!" Neither of the two students had recovered enough to say anything to each other. "And Mina Ashido vs. Toru Hagakure." Mina and Toru bellowed this dislike for the match-up before hugging and promising to do their best.
"In the Northeast, Katsuki Bakugo will take on Eijiro Kirishima!"
"Manly," Eijiro smirked at Bakugo. Bakugo clicked his tongue, but he had a slight smile.
"Prepare to lose, Shitty Hair!" Bakugo finally said.
"Tenya Ida vs Ochaco Uraraka!" Tenya and Ochaco both smiled and declared that they would do their best.
"Our fighters out of the Southeast are Momo Yaoyorozu vs. Fumikage Tokoyami and Setsuna Tokage vs. Juzo Honenuki!"
"I fear that I must vanquish you from the field of battle despite how this may affect the princess," Fumi said with a nod.
"Inari may not want to share her apples anymore," Momo mused with a smirk.
"No, we cannot lose out on apple privileges," Dark Shadows bemoaned. "We should forfeit!"
"We must stay strong, brother; surely the princess will understand!" Fumi said as Dark Shadow seemed to fret back and forth.
Set smiled at Juzo, "You are going down, PUNK!" she bellowed, deepening her voice.
"I am going to show you why Dinosaurs are extinct!" Juzo replied to the shock of his class before they cheered. Setsuna brought her hands to her face, giving a fake cry of grief as she poured out a bit of water for her lost children.
"The first and second combatants, please make your way to your locker rooms; the first match will begin in 10 minutes!" Present Mic called out.
The wild card round was over; now it was time for the actual tournament to begin.