A deafening silence was all that filled the entire stadium.
Hearing the words that the young Anna-May Parker spoke off left many speechless. And around her, when looking at her fellow classmates from her own course and beyond, one could see a mixture of looks. Some were of pure shock, unable to process what they heard. Some others were left flabbergasted. There were a handful of people checking their ears, not sure if they even heard right. There were a pair of very mean-looking faces directed at her. From Bakugo holding the urges to literally explode, in a manner reminiscent of how he tried to attack Izuku during the first day of school. To Shoto, having his eyes widen, yet looking completely terrifying to the rest of the students. Some could have sworn that the temperature started to lower around him.
It wasn't even something contained to the students. The whole of the audience had similar reactions. From the V.I.P area of foreigner pro-heroes being left speechless, to the many other areas murmuring amongst themselves for confirmation of what she said. And as if an entire stadium having that kind of take from Annie's announcement wasn't enough, there were a bunch of eyes on many homes and workspaces dealing with similar reactions.
"I… I'm sorry, but could you repeat that?" the very confused Midnight asked for confirmation to the foreigner redhead.
"I'm forfeiting" she just replied, making everyone even more confused.
"Aizawa, what the hell are you teaching your kids?" Mic asked his partner, while turning his microphone off to have a private chat.
"I don't know, but whatever it was, I'm changing it right away" he replied.
Truth is, some were surprisingly reacting better to what she said than others. Because if one were to go to where the mother of the child was, one would see her wondering if someone tried to body-snatch another member of her family. The fact that something like that happened was yet another concern that she had.
"What the actual… heck?!" MJ said, being so close to cursing, yet refraining when she remembered she was carrying a very easy to influence baby.
"Uh… did I misheard something? What happened?" Lisa asked.
"I think she just called it quits. Is that what she did?" asked Nadia to Jarvis.
"I believe so"
"No! She can't just call it quits! She's a Parker! Since when do Parkers call it quits?!" the girl's mother questioned.
"She can't do that! Why would she do that?!" Mayday asked.
The older Parker sister was still in her patrols as for Idaten's assigned area. Doing her part by helping catch small criminals or doing mundane help, she decided to go take a little break near a coffee shop. She had bought a simple water bottle to rehydrate herself when she noticed that the shop had a TV that was playing the first year's Sports Festival.
And being the older sister that she is, it should not be any surprise that she decided to stick a bit longer to see Annie. And everything seemed well enough until she heard that Anna-May Parker, the same girl that constantly nagged about wanting to dawn a hero costume like the rest of her family for almost half a decade, whom was so stubborn she made a brand new science project, after her previous one got wrecked, in such amount of time and while also making some smelly bomb to drop at the Baxter Building at the same time, decided to just forfeit…
Well, Mayday's attempt to rehydrate herself ended up going nowhere, because she just spat it all Looney Toons style.
"No, no, no! You can't do that! It doesn't even make sense! It… Actually… nevermind, it makes sense. It totally does… And worst part, I probably would too… dammit" she said, once she remembered a few things her sister said about the Sports Festival.
"I should have let Felicia babysit them more!" Mary Jane said, once she realized why her daughter did what she did and thinking that maybe spending some more time with a bad influence growing up would have made her kids think a bit less selfless.
Back at the stadium, Midnight stared at Annie. Now more composed and trying to figure out why a student with such a great performance so far in the Sports Festival would suddenly want to quit. Something that everyone else was clearly also trying to figure out if the expression of every other student around her was anything to go by.
And among those students was Izuku. Who after recomposing himself, instantly rushed to Parker's side.
"Parker-san! What do you mean you forfeit? You really meant that?" he asked her.
"I mean, I did say it so… Hey, should I just leave or…?" Annie asked the teacher, who just stared at her.
"... AMP" she suddenly called her out via the name she registered for the Sports Festival "Do you realize the implications of what you are doing?"
"Um… that I'm sitting the next event out? Or does forfeiting have a different meaning here that I didn't know off? Hey, Izuku, what does forfeit mean here in Japan?"
"And what reasons would there be for you to forfeit?" the teacher asked the question that was on everyone's mind.
"Oh, that one is easy. I just don't feel like I should advance to the next stage of the Sports Festival. It's not like I did much in the Cavalry Battle anyway" she answered, causing a shock to be seen in everyone's face and for both her previous teammates to have their eyes widened.
"Ann-" they tried to call out, yet both stopped immediately when they saw the middle Parker child, indicating subtly to remain where they were.
Was she…?
"Didn't do much?! You?! How can you not have done much in the Cavalry Battle?! That doesn't even make sense!" Uraraka blurred out, surprising Annie a bit, since she had hardly spoken to her for a while that directly.
"I mean, honest, I didn't really do that much. Especially compared to Hitoshi and Valerie. They did most of the heavy lifting stuff, I was just there for the ride"
"But don't you think you're going a little overboard? By that logic, I really shouldn't be here either. Why don't you just show what you can do in the tournament?" Mina asked the redhead.
"Meh, I guess it's a personal thing. It doesn't really feel right for me to advance along the others when everyone pushed themselves to their limit while I was just a glorified third wheel" the New Yorker replied, causing even more confusion amongst her peers how it was that her of all people would be saying that "Plus, I think I sprained my ankle somewhere along the last bits of the Cavalry Battle and I'm not sure if a quick visit to Recovery would fix it well enough for me to continue onto something as tough as what'll come next. So better be safe than sorry, am I right?" Annie mentioned, pointing at her right foot and acting as if were hurt.
Meanwhile, Midnight stared deeply at the girl, knowing exactly what she was doing right away. Maybe she could have fooled most of her classmates, she could tell it by their expression, but she couldn't fool her. The young Parker was no doubt good, but she was not that good just yet. Still, she opted to ask once more. Whatever answer she would give will be absolute.
"Once again I'll ask. AMP, what you are doing is that you are choosing to forfeit your right to advance to the next round, sacrificing a chance only held once a year for all students. If that is the case, know that there will be no going back. Are you sure that you wish to uphold from moving onto the next round?" the teacher asked, with such a serious tone, one would not be blamed for mistaking her with Shota Aizawa.
And once more, did the atmosphere thicken. Growing heavier and heavier, expecting her to go back on what she said. Some, believing that she was joking, she was practically the class clown after all, she must be. There was no way anyone would just do something like that. But, if there was anything that the Parkers were known for, it was not going back on their word so readily.
"I do, I would like to forfeit" she answered.
"... Very well. This is your choice. I hope you won't be regretting it afterwards" the teacher announced, lifting her right arm and raising her voice "As referee of the first year's Sports Festival, I hereby recognize the student AMP's decision to pull out of the competition!"
With the stadium soon enough being filled with sighs and murmurs over what happened, Midnight went and walked to a small table behind her. Picking up a box, not before taking out something without anyone noticing. And as she did that, most students nearby followed in the footsteps of the adults. Murmuring among each other, not sure what had just happened. Only a select few remained quiet, among which, were those close to the redhead. Such as Midoriya, who stood next to her and just looked at her with a slight concern.
"Parker-san…" he only said for the moment, with Annie just turning to face him and smiling as if nothing had happened.
"Welp, that's that. Guess that I'll be stuck with those small events that mister Mic mentioned"
"Now then, seeing as this matter has been resolved, we'll proceed with deciding the matches for our tournament" Midnight announced, gaining once more the attention of everyone "We'll be determining them via lottery. In this box, there are sixteen marbles, each labeled with a number each. I would like for our 16 finalists to come forth and get one out. After which, we'll decide the matches based on the numbers that you pulled"
"Basing the results through sheer luck" Tokoyami noted.
"Guess it makes sense. It's probably the only way to keep things fair" Kirishima seconded before Midnight continued.
"After we have decided this matter, we'll proceed with our recreational activities. Whether those who advanced to the finals wish to compete will be up to them. No doubt some of you would like to save your strengths for the main event" she said, making emphasis to the box that she had in hand "Starting from the team that placed first, if all of the members would please come forth"
And so they did. One by one, team by team, they all went forward and picked the item from the box, all safe for the young Parker, whose choice still confused many. Yet deciding to continue and put that thought to the back, they all focused on what would come next. Once they were done, they informed the teacher of their respective number and before they knew it, the matches were finally done. Appearing on the massive screen of the stadium, they all looked upwards, their hearts beating hard, as they saw whom they'll be facing.
Hitoshi Shinso VS Midoriya Izuku
Sero Hanta VS Todoroki Shoto
Reyes Roberto VS Kaminari Denki
Tenya Ida VS Hatsume Mei
Ashido Mina VS Bendy Girl
Tokoyami Fumikage VS Yaoyorozu Momo
V VS Kirishima Ejiro
Uraraka Ochako VS Bakugo Katsuki
"This will be the match for our tournament! Look up your name and be prepared!" the teacher called out and boy were their nerves through the roof.
"Shinso… Hitoshi…" Midoriya murmured, glancing at the boy in question, who himself had his gaze plastered on the screen "He's the general course student who's friends with Parker-san and the others…" he thought, remembering what little he could of him, for he had very little to no information of him next to the fact that he was friend with his classmates.
Yet Shinso, despite noticing him staring at him, paid no heed. He still looked upward to the board and frowned. His fist clenched as he looked at the matches. More so, because he knew of the reasoning of her friend. And that reason made him angry at the green haired boy. And he wasn't even the only one to pay attention to Izuku's name. For not that far from him, Shoto was also looking at it as well. Noticing specifically, the placement of their matches. If… when he wins his, he'll face off against Midoriya in the following round. And when that happens, he'll beat him with all that he has. Parker may have decided not to participate, but that doesn't change his desire one bit.
Tho, not everyone was exactly looking forward to said match.
"Oh… I get Todoroki… f-from the get go, hehehe. No, I'm fine with t-that" Sero very nervously and very fearful stuttered.
And he was far from the only one to have that reaction.
"Reyes Rober-" Denki was telling to himself, until he remembered who that name belonged to "I got him!" he internally screamed, looking over to where he and the other only class B student to make it past the cavalry battle sood.
"Denki, hey isn't that the idiot?" asked Kamala.
"Which one?" replied Robbie.
"I'm so gonna die"
Just then, the duo was approached by Mina. Going straight towards Kamala to talk to.
"Hey, Khan! Looks like we're going to be going against one another!"
"Looks like we do!"
"You better not hold back against me just because we're friends, alright? Because I'm planning on going all out with you!"
"Of course you are" she sighed, glaring at Robbie, who quickly picked up on her.
"Hey, quit that! I had nothing to do with this one!"
"You jinxed it"
"The hell I did!"
"Well, no need to worry, Ashido. I'm not planning on holding anything back. So you better bring it your A game!"
"Oh, you're on!" the pink girl replied, not before looking at her "What are you looking at?"
"I'm sorry, but I can't take you seriously while wearing that. Why are you all dressed like that? Seriously, what did I miss?"
"Jerk" Mina thought.
BAROOM!
The duo of Shigaraki and Kurogiri suddenly heard. The sound of something having blown up quickly traveled in their little lair. Rushing to where the sound originated from, the two arrived at their bar. Expecting it to be the result of some sort of intruder ambushing them, they were quickly surprised when they saw none. Instead, the only scene before them was that of Joey, expelling some energy in the form of her aura, panting a bit while clenching her fist and looking visibly angry. But most importantly of all, they saw that the TV that they had in the bar had been completely destroyed. Only rubble and a small fire remain where it once was.
Kurogiri sighed, having to put a mental reminder to add that TV to the now many things that the foreigner now owed him. Goodness grace, he hoped this would be the last time that happened. Just because they were all villains didn't mean that they could be that wreckless.
"Oh great, as if you weren't enough of a drag to deal with, you go ahead and make a mess" Shigaraki complained, gaining a glare from the foreigner, which he scoffed at.
"Is there a reason as to why this outburst occurred? I believe that it's the least you could do at the moment" Kurogiri asked Joey, but she did not speak.
She remained quiet, her aura still lashing out and glowing brightly and emitting the sensation of danger. So much so that Kurogiri was almost expecting her to also lash out at them. Not like Shigaraki has never given her a reason not to. Those two really don't get along. Thankfully, Joey seemed to have calmed down a bit. While the sense of danger was still lurking around her, at least she had the decency of turning down her powers. Her aura being dismissed, tho her fists were still being clenched.
"... I'm going for a walk" she finally spoke, starting to walk towards where the exit was.
"That's it? You wreck our stuff, blow up our TV and that's the only thing that you have to say for yourself? Hey, I'm talking to you!" Shigaraki told to the foreigner, who kept on walking to the door, growling at her, he rushed to her side "Don't ignore me when I'm talking to yo-" he was saying, almost about to grab a hold of her, until she turned back, made an explosive marble and held it towards him, making him stop in his tracks.
And as she did, he finally got another look at her face. She was glaring at him, almost growling like a wild animal and with obvious bloodlust in her eyes. One that was match by Shigaraki, who at this point, was really tired of her outbursts.
"I don't have to hear shit from you or tell shit to you. I have no reason to tell you what I'm doing. So when I say, I'm going for a walk, it means that you should be grateful that I'm even telling you what I'm doing and staying out of my way!" she growled, yet Shigaraki growled back.
"And I have no reason to care about you. So when I'm telling you that I'm talking to you, it means, be grateful that I'm even acknowledging at all. Remember that the only reason you're even here to play your little game with that brat is because of me. An that the only reason you've latest as long as you have here is because I even let you"
"Bull"
"Say whatever makes you feel better. It doesn't change the fact that you're sleeping under a roof and getting to eat something because I let you. You're nothing but a pawn to me. If I want to, I can replace you with whatever good for nothing thug and nothing would change. Want to test your luck on the streets? Then the door is there"
The two stared at each other for a bit. Glaring and expecting for the other to make the first move against their lives. The intensity was so much that Kurogiri was about to act, yet thankfully the two ended up deescalating. With Joey dismissing her powers and Shigaraki lowering his hands. They were still looking like they were about to kill someone, but at least it was something.
After a bit, Joey walked away and exited the establishment through the door. Slamming it a little on her way out. It was a bit odd to the mist-like villain. With how their relationship was, he was expecting for at least one body to be on the floor half dead.
"I would advice for-"
"I already heard you the first time, Kurogiri. She'll be back. I'm not too lucky to be able to get rid of her that easily"
"You say that, yet have still to truly lash out against her. Have you finally learned the importance of keeping our strength?"
"As if it had anything to do with it. Only reason I haven't finished her off in her sleep is because I haven't come up with a fitting way to kill her, that's all" Shigaraki replied.
Meanwhile on the streets, Joey started to wander off. Her face being covered by a hoodie and a disposable face mask. Unlike Supercharger, the authorities did manage to get a good look at her face, so she had to make an actual effort in not dragging too much attention to her. Which was a bit hard, seeing that she was an obvious foreigner sticking like a sore thumb. Especially because she was taller than most of the people around her. And with the mean as hell look in her eyes and she wouldn't be surprised if someone were to try and make a kaiju joke at her expense.
Yeah, she was actually hoping that a walk could cool her head a bit, but so far nothing was happening. She was still very moody and kept the urges of trying to wreck something nearby. And as she kept walking, the only thing that was going through her head was the same thing over and over.
"Yeah, I would like to forfeit, thank you very much"
Right as she heard that for some reason she snapped. For some reason she decided to blow up the TV after hearing that. For some reason…
"Why the hell did that get to me?" she was questioning herself as she snarled "Why the hell did I get so mad when that stupid runt backed down from that competition? I shouldn't be this upset at it, I just want her dead to ruin her old man. So why did seeing that pissed me off so much?!"
"Alright web for brains, what was that all about?" Robbie asked calmly.
Or well, at least that was the intention. Instead, he was just grabbing Annie by the collar of her uniform, having a look that screamed murder intent in his eyes and while fire was coming out of him. As in, literal fire was flaring up like a cartoon. All while Annie looked calm as a capybara in a body of water, with a chill smile on her face for some reason.
"Wow, you sure are lively today aren't you, California?" she replied with a none-chillan question of herself, which only made Robbie to be more calm than before.
Thankfully the rest of Annie's friends came to get Robbie to tone it down. Not out of fear of them actually starting a fight, but rather to avoid them making a scene. Unfortunately for them, they weren't on their first week of school anymore, so they won't be able to play dumb and act as if they didn't know them for a second time.
"Ok, now that the Halloween decoration let off some steam… Annie, what the heck?!" Kamala asked as Valerie approached the redhead.
"Annie, why would you do that? It doesn't make sense"
"What do you mean? I'm pretty sure I told the why"
"Parker-san, I'm sure you understand what Vector-san actually meant with that question. It's just very hard to understand your reasoning with wanting to forfeit" Midoriya followed.
"I know I'm kind of new here, but I'm not sure I can believe that" Sero said, whom was hanging with the group.
"See?! Even the stranger sees through your bullshit!" Robbie exclaimed, pointing at Sero and making him feel threatened.
"B-But I'm not a-"
"Parker-san…" they all heard, turning to where that voice was coming from and noticing Yaoyorozu and Uraraka walking towards them… while still in her cheerleader costume.
"Ok seriously, why did you all decide to dress up as cheerleaders all of the sudden? What the hell is up with that?" Robbie asked, invoking in Momo and Ochako a very noticeable blush full of shame and regret.
"Nevermind that…" she instantly replied to try and avoid and be reminded of why she was dressed like that, before turning to Annie "Parker-san, you managed to place second place on the obstacle race. Your team was the first to have acquired any points whatsoever. You managed to avoid you headbands from being stolen and gotten an extra set right before time ran out and if we go by performance in the cavalry battle, your team was no doubt the best of them all"
"Ok, we can like, make an argument for that part, right?" asked Kamala.
"The point being, that between your placement in both the obstacle race and cavalry battle being the same, you out of all of us have been the most consistent and had the best average results so far. So why would you of all people choose to forfeit?" she asked and right before Annie could answer anything, someone else spoke up.
"Ten million, four thousand, three hundred and five…"
Confusing, most turned to the person who said that. None other than Shinso, who had his sight directly at Annie and no one else. One of confusion despite having a bit of an idea of her reasoning.
"It helps because it tells us exactly what to do. Those were the words that you told us"
"I don't follow, what exactly does that mean?" Uraraka asked Momo, who to her surprise was just as confused.
"You said that it would help us keep track of things. And after you told us to take that last headband…" he mentioned, taking a glance at Midoriya, who was caught of guard as he noticed it "You really knew things would go that way, didn't you"
The others were still somewhat confused with what Hitoshi said. Still not getting a thing. All but Valerie who started to piece things a little bit. Soon enough, she was starting to get what Shinso was going on about. And apparently, Anni saw what he was on about nearly instantly. Her being arguably the smartest girl in class with Momo, it was no doubt that she would.
So seeing that she couldn't play dumb anymore, she just sighed in defeat.
"Ok fine, you got me" she said, lifting her hands before speaking once more "I meant it when I said it was a bit of an improve thing"
"I still don't get it. What do you mean?" asked Uraraka, as she got an answer by Valerie.
"She got us to get that last headband to make it possible for your team to advance" she revealed, making the others have their eyes widened.
"She what?" asked Kamala "But how?"
"Like I said, it was a bit of an improve thing. Let's just… they told us that only sixteen of us could make it. Seeing the way the teams got split, I'm sure that they were expecting for the finalist being made of four four teams of four. Especially with that last comment when they mentioned Izuku's team. But seeing how things were at tee time, I could tell that wouldn't happen. So… "
"B-But how would that help our team?" Midoriya asked, taken aback by what he was hearing.
"It's a domino effect. Set something in motion and everything falls into place. Or at least close to it. Like I said, it was mostly improvised, no way I could predict everything to the teeth. But I knew that if one team got eliminated and all the other teams could be cemented that you guys could make it. And if I took at least one headband then chances are that someone else would take the other and seeing that Kamala and Robbie still only had their own, I somewhat expected for them to take it. And with all that set, it was sure to give you indirectly extra motivation to at least get something. But it was mostly guess work. I'm not that smart" she told the others, taken aback at the fact that she managed to pull that off just like that.
Yeah, she was definitely the smartest of the bunch.
"I see… Well, like you mention there would still be some luck required for that to work, but the odds would increase that they could make it though"
"That still doesn't answer the question" Robbie asked right after Momo noted Annie's logic "Why did you pull out?"
"There's seventeen of us…" was her answer.
"Seventeen?" Midoriya repeated, only for him to start putting the pieces together.
Tho thankfully for most of the others, Annie was still going to explain her train of thought.
"The teachers wanted sixteen, but there was an extra student in the finalists. Like I said, from the line up that we had, four teams wouldn't be likely to fill all spots, so to ensure that you guys could make it, I hoped that your team at least could get something to make them want you. But I kinda didn't notice that we had one person too many until right before we got called back. So I decided on the spot to call it quits… Huh, that sounds weird coming from me. It feels unnatural for some reason"
"But why? There was no reason for you to do it!" Uraraka asked, but as she did, Momo, Robbie and even Izuku started to figure out why she did it.
"It was the uncertainty of that extra factor, was it not?" asked the vice president of class A "You realized that one of us may not be allowed to follow through to the next event, right?"
"Bingo!" she playfully replied as she made two gun signs and pointed at Momo.
"Wait, how would that work?" asked Kamala to Robbie.
"That the teachers could either make it so that we could all make it through, or that by whatever reason, only the sixteen that were required would"
"And the how would vary. Sure, maybe they had a way to decide and make it all fair. They decided the matches through randomness, so maybe they would have decided who to lock out by chance. And maybe that chance would have made it so that I would have been kicked out either way. But unless I knew for certain, I wouldn't be satisfied" Annie stated, with Izuku in particular staring at her, a mixture of awe and regret coursing through his being as he saw his friend doing what she did.
"Parker-san… the Sports Festival is something that could define our lives. We only get this chance once a year. Are you… Are you really so willing to sacrifice your opportunity like that?" he asked her.
Annie remained silent for a bit. Simply staring at him for a few seconds. Afterwards, she reignited her smile and grin at Izuku.
"I'm the one winning today. You said those words, this morning to all of us" she reminded Izuku of his words before the start of the Sports Festival, right as she turned to face Uraraka "Let's do our best" she said, recalling her reaction that Monday two weeks ago "Let's give it our all at the Sports Festival" she said as she looked at Valerie right before turning to face Shinso "Do I really need to keep going?"
She had just reminded them of the times that they showed their determination in standing out at the Sports Festival. Having reminded them of just how much it meant to them. What it represented to them. And as for Annie… Well, she only saw the memory of a bittersweet moment from that fateful day that she left her home.
"Before coming here, my dad told me something very special to me" Annie spoke, taking everyone by surprise, with the fact that she, for many reasons, is not one to speak much of her father out of the blue like that "He told me that to be a hero, is to make sacrifices. I said that I don't have to win this to be a hero. And in all honesty, I never really got the importance all the way through after all this time. But you do. Maybe this doesn't matter to me, but it matters to you. And if I have to choose between sitting this one out to ensure that you all get your time to shine, then… That is one clear answer, isn't it?"
After hearing her response, they all remained quiet. Her words, somehow so simple yet so filled with awe and admiration to nearly all of the other teens. Seeing someone that by all means would shine bright on an event like the Sports Festival being so willing to just… not take part of it? More so being so readily to give up an opportunity of such magnitude for someone else's sake?
"I see…" Robbie said, walking towards Annie alongside Kamala, who looked pretty serious as they stood next to her… only for them to do a total 180 on what some would have expected "So you're saying that you're too scared of me kicking you into next Sunday in front of so many people, is that right?" he asked with a big smug on his face that Annie matched.
"As if! Please, Reyes. If anything I felt so much pity for you that I decided to give you a little boost, you know? Wouldn't want you feeling sad that all the cameras would point at me out there while you're sulking like a little kid" Annie replied with a similar playful tone that Robbie had.
"Oh mother of God! See? This is what happens because you've been picking fights with everyone all day long!" Kamala nagged at Robbie, who backed away a little bit from her.
"Wow, where did that come from?" he asked.
"Oh, don't play dumb"
"Yeah, Sunny Boy. It's-"
"And don't you start! You're as much at fault as him, encouraging him like that!" Kamala interrupted Annie mid-sentence, as she did as Robbie did and back a bit from the Pakistani girl.
"Wow, jeez. Whose side are you on?" Annie asked.
"The one that doesn't give me a headache, that's for sure"
"Hey, no fair. How are we supposed to compete with Valerie and Hitoshi?"
"Yeah, that's so rigged against us"
"That's not what I meant!"
And with the trio of Annie, Robbie and Kamala locked in their conversation, the rest of the teens just stayed there, wondering what the hell was even happening. Going from having a heart to heart to them just doing… Whatever the hell was going on sure gave them a bit of whiplash. Maybe not to Valerie and Hitoshi, being almost already used to their antics, but the others sure were taken aback a little.
"So uh, is that normal?" Uraraka asked the duo of Shinso and Valerie.
"That depends. Normal for them or just in general? Either way I don't feel comfortable with either answer" Hitoshi replied.
And as the trio of Parker, Khan and Reyes were having their little discussion, with the others watching as all got unfold, that very feeling of admiration grew towards the redhead. For the most part, easing most of them up. Giving them a comforting feeling.
"Parker-san… You really never cease to amaze me" Momo thought, looking back at their first encounter and seeing the contrast of who she thought she was against who she actually was.
"You really are the coolest, Parker" Sero inwardly said to himself, looking at the girl playfully messing with a very annoyed Kamala and a quite relaxed Robbie.
"... Parker-san…" Uraraka suddenly called out, making everyone stop what they were doing as they all looked at her. Looking very serious at first, before giving the redhead a look of determination "I'm going to give it my all!" she exclaimed, thrusting her gist upwards in a manner similar to how she did it two weeks ago.
"Ochako…" Annie murmured, smiling to herself after hearing her declaration "It's the first time in days that she talks to me like that"
"Everyone! Let's give it our all!" she shouted, turning back and directing herself to the rest of the teens present.
"That's the spirit!" Annie exclaimed with a similar tone to Uraraka's "Well there's still a lot of time before the finals begin. Go ahead and take a break if you guys want. I'll be busy with those recreational activities that they mentioned"
"Is that your way of asking me to not humiliate you?" Robbie asked her, with a competitive smirk.
"If you can keep up, then by all means, come. But don't expect me to go easy on you, Sunny Boy"
"By all means. Just because you pulled out of the tournament doesn't mean I don't plan on beating you"
"Know what? Fine, whatever. I'll go too, maybe those activities will be what I need after dealing with your nonsense" Kamala said, following the others.
"You're suddenly way too moody out of nowhere, you know? What, did someone cut in front of you in the line to one of the stans or what?"
"Sip it, Reyes" Kamala replied to Robbie as the other teens started to talk amongst each other.
"We should go too! We can clear our minds that way!" Uraraka suggested to Momo and the others.
"Well, I was hoping for a quick change of clothing, but perhaps there is no wrong in enjoying the activities for a while longer"
"Yeah, let's go and have fun"
And as they all started to go to where the activities would begin, Annie turned to the two boys that still had yet to say anything. Those being Izuku and Shinso respectively.
"Hey Izuku, Hitoshi, you coming or what?" she asked them.
"Oh, well-"
"I think I'll pass out on the offer" Shinso answered her, before Izuku could finish a sentence "I'm the only General Course student here. I think It'll be better for me to save my strength for later. You go ahead and have fun, I'll be in the locker rooms if you need me"
"If you say so. You better not be all moody that you weren't there after I make Robbie eat dirt in those activities"
"Hey, who's making who eat dirt?" Robbie asked Annie who just laughed, which also was followed by Shinso doing the same "Hey man not cool. Don't go about taking her side"
"Sorry and don't worry about me. You guys relax, ok?" Shinso told the group as he walked away and towards the entrance to head to the waiting rooms.
"How about you, mean green?" asked Annie to Izuku.
"Oh I'll catch up with you guys later. I think I'll take a walk for a bit"
"Don't take too long. There are just so many games I can beat Robbie before he starts making dumb faces. And you don't want to miss them"
"Dumb faces, you say. Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?" Robbie asked the redhead, as Izuku shook his head.
"I won't, don't worry. I just need to think of something quick" he replied, with Annie and the others nodding in acceptance as they walked away.
And as they did and before Izuku could walk away, he looked at Annie for a bit. Being reminded of something as he looked back at what she said. All as he looked up to the screen on the arena, with the matchups for the tournament still there and looking at his match.
"To be a hero… Is to make sacrifices…" he murmured before walking away.
.
Most students had participated in the recreational activities that the teachers had promised them in an attempt to ease their minds and to just have a little relaxation time. There were games involving giant balls, a scavenging hunt of sorts, among many others. And sure, Annie had to sometimes overact her 'injured leg' everytime everyone looked at her acting as if nothing, but other than that it was a very good time for the most part. Even the girls of class A decided to lean into the cheerleader thing to have some fun.
Well, most of them anyway. Momo was still not that hyped after being tricked by Mineta and Jiro refused to participate in almost its entirely.
Outside of them, there were a few that rather than take part in them, decided to spend their time doing something else. Mentally preparing for what was coming. Resting their strengths for the next fight. And then, there was Hatsume whom no one knew what she was up to or anything, which was a little worrisome.
But now, the wait is over. The tournament was about to start and in the middle of the stadium, one could see Cementos, creating the arena with his quirk. A rectangular base, adorned with the shield of the school and whatnot. They even had fire coming out of the edges of the rectangle for dramatic effect, because of course they would. And as for the students, the ones that weren't participating were taking a seat in their own personal section of the stadium. And with most of class A's girls finally out of that cheerleader uniform and back in their regular gym uniforms.
"Huh, didn't think we would get our personal bleachers. Kinda makes me feel important" Annie commented as she alongside the rest of her class took their places.
"Oh great, because you weren't irritating enough as it is" Bakugo murmured, causing a little twitch on Annie's left eye.
"Hi, I'm Pot, you must be Kettle, right?" she sarcastically asked him.
"What the fuck is that even suppoused to mean?" he replied as Tenya put a stop to the two of them.
"Both of you, enough, the match is about to start"
"The fact that a General Course student managed to get this far and without showing what his quirk even is? I wonder, how is Midoriya going to deal with a total mystery like him" murmured Ojiro, with most of his classmates being in agreement with him.
"Parker, V…" Shouji spoke, directing himself to the two foreigners, who turned to him "You two are friends of that General Course student. How do you think this fight is going to unravel?" he asked them.
Annie and Valerie just turned to each other and then, to the arena. How would this fight unravel? Truth is, even they weren't exactly sure of the answer to that question. It made sense why they would ask them that, they are the only ones in class to know anything about Hitoshi and at the same time, were close friends of Izuku. They knew the two of them fairly well so it's not like there would be any bias to their statements. But for the time being, they just decided that it would be best to watch.
"Who knows, but I can assure you that whatever happens, you don't want to miss it" Annie replied with a confident smile on her face as Present Mic finally started to speak.
"Alright! Are you guys ready?!" he very excitedly asked to the public, who replied with a very loud roar of agreement "Presenting to you, our beloved rascals, the arena in which you will face off against one another!" he announced as in the hallways of the stadium, at the very entrances, opposite of one another, were the two students to face in combat on the first round.
As Midoriya listened to what Present Mic was saying, looking forward to the arena, a certain someone made his presence known as he approached the hero in training.
"It took you quite a while, but it seems that you have finally managed to get a hold of One for All, even if just a little" All Might said, causing Izuku to turn back to meet his mentor "I say, that is some improvement, wouldn't you agree?"
"All Might… yeah I guess I did" Izuku replied, looking at his hands and being reminded of the times in the day that he was able to use One For All without hurting himself "I managed to use it without hurting myself… but it doesn't seem like I can push myself as much as I want to. If I lose concentration, I can feel my bones being close to breaking. Plus, I'm sure that even with all of that, my control on the power output isn't exactly great either"
"Mm… yeah, I guess you're right. If we go by the example of 0 to 100, I'll say that you're capable of controlling about 5 to 6 percent"
"That little?" Izuku asked while starting to feel bad "When you put it that way, it doesn't really seem like I did mu-GHUH!"
"Even a little progress is still progress! That's what you should say instead of looking depressed, you prince of nonsense!" All Might said, karate-chopping Midoriya mid-sentence "Listen, what's done is done so instead of trying to complain about things that can't be changed, focus on what you can do now. It is during times like this that a hero must stand proud with a smile on their face! You've come this far to just let yourself be torn down that easily!" All Might said, giving the boy a thumbs up as he was speaking "I'm expecting great things from you, Young Midoriya and I know that you won't be letting me down" he finished, with Izuku nodding.
Meanwhile, on the opposite entrance of the arena, stood Hitoshi. He was taking deep breaths and trying for some last minute stretches. Nothing too serious, just the basics. Once he was finished, he stared into the newly formed arena made by Cementos and tried to get his head on the game. He was here. In spite of everything before him, he managed to make it this far. A small sense of pride was within him, alongside a deep sense of duty.
He had to make something out of the chance that he got. He had to do something to make his presence known. He could not let all those that believed in him down. Not his parents, not his classmates, not his friends… and not Annie most of all.
"Come on, not even a little hint?"
He suddenly recalled a moment from last week.
He was walking by in the hallways, just minding his business when he remembered hearing the voice of his friend and her classmates. So out of curiosity, he decided to stick around for a little longer to hear what was happening.
"Nope" was what Annie had replied to her classmate, the pink girl, who was standing with the invisible girl and the… Well, it was the blonde kid that sometimes spoke in French, but he himself wasn't actually sure if he was French.
"Hey, not fair, what happened to sharing is caring?" the invisible one asked.
"That's for asking someone to lend you a pencil or to get them to give you some of their food. Not talking about someone else's personal information"
"Well, that doesn't seem fair, he can know about our quirks, but you won't tell us about him? What's the issue in just wanting to know him?" pink asked Annie.
"It's not about that, it's about telling you something that I have no right in telling without his consent. And besides, the Sports Festival is coming soon so it would be way too unfair to just blur that out. We train to be actual super heroes in our classes. While we learn how to put a fire out he is learning science and whatnot"
"Mm, well that would be a fair way of putting it" the french one said.
"Can't you at least give us a clue?"
"A clue? Mm… well, I guess the only thing that I can say is… that you better expect him to show off" Annie had said, before a quiet Shinso, who remained there for a bit longer, decided to walk away.
"Show off, huh?" Shinso spoke, having finished reminiscing of that time "You are giving me too much credit Annie. If not for you and the others, I wouldn't have gotten this far… or at least, not the way I did"
Looking back, he sure had changed, even if just a little. He wondered what would have happened had he never met them. Surely, he would have just been another General Course student that would spend all day hating on the hero course in its entirety. And while he sure had his issues with them, he would have expected for that distaste to at least triple if not for them. He probably would have just used his quirk to get an easy advantage prior, instead of actually putting in some effort out of determination and a little spite against Bill.
And now, he had a chance to show off.
"Yeah, I would like to forfeit, thank you very much"
"... I have a chance to show off. And it's all because of you. I'm not letting it go to waste" Shinso said out loud as he started to walk into the arena as they were both being called out.
"Alright, let's welcome our two gladiators to the stage!" Mic called out as both students started to enter the arena "Coming from the Hero Course's class A! He's green, he's ready for the fight, and for some reason he is putting on a weird face even though he did well up to now! Ladies and gentlemen! Give a round of applause to Midoriya Izukuuuu!" he finished as Izuku walked up the stairs to the main arena.
"With the way they're setting them up, I'm half expecting someone to come midfight with a steel chair, uh guys?" Annie joked, only for the entire of her class to look at her weirdly "... Man, why does no one get my jokes?"
"And on the other side of the ring! The surprise of the event, who managed to climb the ranks while coming out of nowhere! From our General Course, class 1-C, Shinso Hitoshiiii!"
"Are you going to do that for everyone?" Aizawa asked his partner.
"I thought I could spice things up. I think it's pretty neat"
"It's annoying, that's what it is"
"Alright, the rules are simple! You win by either getting your opponent out of the ring, rendering them unable to fight or get them to admit defeat! Feel free to go all out and not hold anything back, Recovery Girl will take care of whatever happens next!"Mic said, almost swearing that he could hear Recovery Girl curse at his name as he said that "That being said, you're obviously not allowed to endanger each other's lives! You're training to be heroes, after all! So, our good old Cementos will intervene if things get out of hand" he mentioned just as Cementos built himself a little chair next to the arena as he waved at the kids.
"G-Good luck you two" Valerie said in a low and shy tone, trying to cheer for both her friends, tho also apparently trying her best not to be too loud about it.
Something Annie was more than willing to ignore.
"Hitoshi, Izuku! Give it your best, ok?!" she shouted from the top of her lungs so much so that they actually managed to hear her from all the way down below.
And the fact that a girl was cheering for them like that did make them blush a little. Oh well, whatever happens next, Shinso could at least leave knowing he at least was able to control himself better. Unlike Izuku, who was starting to glow a little in a manner that was similar to Valerie whenever she herself blushed. That at least has to count for something.
"At least Parker-chan doesn't seem to feel conflicted" Tsu noted, seeing that Annie had no issue on who to root for.
Meanwhile with class B, they also heard the very loud redhead of class A and her friends did not waste a second to speak about it.
"The hell is this shit?" Robbie asked, after Kamala handed him two 10 yen bronze coins.
"The bet was 20 bucks. We never specified the currency"
As it turns out, they had made a wager on how long it would take for Annie to be Annie and Robbie's more cynical outlook on the world gave him an edge. Too bad that he really was that much of a bad influence on Kamala to pull a loophole in their bet.
"Um… hey uh. Good luck I guess?" Izuku told Shinso, trying to break the ice even if they were going to be fighting.
The purple haired boy didn't reply at first. Rather, he seemed to look at the boy, being about to open his mouth when suddenly, he stopped. He just decided to remain quiet, closing his mouth and looking directly at his opponent with a determined look in his eyes. And instead of speaking, Shinso lifted his fist as if he were a boxer. Something that told Izuku that he was completely serious.
"I don't know too much about this guy. The only things that I know are that he is apparently really strong and that Annie and Valerie actually like him. Tho from what they said about him needing a push I think he probably isn't that good at using his quirk. That may as well be the only thing I actually have going against him"
"I can't take this fight too lightly. He may be a General Course student, but that doesn't mean he isn't strong. He manage to make it through the obstacle course and I don't even know what his quirk could be"
The two boys thought, trying to think of a way for the odds weighing in their favor. Not wanting to underestimate the other and being willing to make a stand. And as they were thinking that, Mic announced the beginning of the match
"On your marks, let's get ready to rumble! Fight on, now!"
At his announcement, Shinso decided to try and get a headstart. Rushing to Izuku, taking the boy by surprise.
"A frontal attack?" he thought, noticing that Shinso was preparing a left jab at him.
Moving swiftly, Izuku managed to dodge the attack. Weaving to the side and skipping back twice to get some distance between the two. He still didn't know what his quirk was and he didn't want to risk the chance that he could be taken by surprise. Shinso on the other hand decided to try and keep going into the offensive. Not wanting for his opponent to get a moment of rest.
"A frontal assault?" wondered Tokoyami, as he and the rest of the class watched as the General Course student tried and failed at connecting a single hit on Izuku.
"I'm not sure if that's a really good idea. After all, Midoriya's quirk makes him really strong" Krishima added, though Kyoka decided to add her two cents.
"But he also has issues controlling it, so that guy probably took notice of it in both the Obstacle Race and Cavalry Battle. And his quirk is a complete mystery to everyone besides Parker and Vector"
"True, if he's confident enough to try a direct confrontation against Midoriya-san, then it has to be due to him having a very impressive quirk" Momo followed as she turned to Annie to try and see if her theory was correct "Would that be correct, Parker-san?"
"Can't say"
"Can't or won't?" asked Hagakure.
"Yes"
Back in the arena, Shinso was still trying to at least get one good hit on Midoriya, who kept on dodging them all. To his credit, Shinso was surprisingly decent in terms of physical capabilities. Or at least, compared to other General Course or even Management and Support Course students. But despite that, even tho Midoriya was ranked last in the quirk assessment test, he was still better suited than Shinso in any physical activity. And one could tell because while Midoriya was being somewhat pressed by Shnso's attacks, he was for the most part still ok, while the purple-haired boy was starting to tire a little. He should really be thankful that his friends helped him train for that whole week. If not for that, he wouldn't even be able to do anything that he did so far.
"And young Shinso is taking the offensive on this one! Having Izuku on the ropes so far and against all odds! One could say that it's quite the, revol-"
"Genuine question, how many lawsuits do you want to give the school? Because even our legal team isn't that good"
Back to the fight, Shinso started to notice that his strategy wasn't going to get him anywhere. He was only tiring himself and the other boy was completely unscratched. He had to try and do something. Then, he remembered a little trick that one of his friends taught him during the previous week of training. He wasn't really that good, but he hoped it would do him some good.
Once more he rushed at Izuku, throwing a right and left jab, which were both avoided by the Hero Course student. Shinso tried the same set at least two more times, indirectly getting Izuku used to the rhythm, only for him to switch things up at the third set. Instead of throwing a jab, he made a faint which messed with Izuku's tempo. Distracting him for a bit, which was long enough for Shinso to actually land one hit on Izuku. And while Izuku was physically better than Shinso, that hit still stung him. At least enough to leave a small bruise in his left cheek as he once more backed away.
"And Shinso draws first blood! Who could have seen such a thing happen?! But, will he be able to keep up the pace before things get serious?"
And after hearing that, Izuku knew that he had to go serious himself. Maybe he didn't exactly need to use All for One, but he could still do something about Shinso. So, he got ready, waiting for Shinso to try once more to attack him. And when he did, not only did Izuku weave out of the way, but he got a hold of Shinso's left arm that he used to throw a punch. Afterwards, he moved behind him,got his right foot between Shinso's feet and pulled it back, hooking onto Shinso's right foot as he also pushed forward, still holding onto his arm.
The result was Izuku, dropping Shinso onto the floor and holding him in place as the crowd cheered. Shinso tried to break free, but like said before, even without a quirk, Izuku was physically stronger than him.
"Oooh and it looks like Shinso's streak is going to come to an end! What will he do now?"
"D-Don't need you to rub it in my face, you know?" Shinso thought as he struggled to move and failed.
"I'm sorry, but I must ask you to give up. I can't lose just yet" Izuku told Shinso, who was still trying to break free.
But try as he wants, he could not budge the other teen off him. Could it be that this was really it? This was as far as he could get? Well, there was still one last trick up his sleeve. One that he has been saving for the entire Sports Festival. He tried to murmur something, but it was so low it was hardly audible. Thos it was still loud enough for Izuku to take notice and question what he was trying to say. And after a bit, Shinso finally said what he wanted to say out loud.
"You… your mama…" he managed to say, confusing Izuku, who only said one thing.
"...What?" the hero course student replied, not sure if he even heard right.
However, just as he did that, he suddenly felt his mind going numb. His eyes went stiff and blank as his body felt paralyzed. Before he knew it, he remained unable to move one bit.
"W-What?!" he thought, not understanding what had just happened.
"Can't believe that actually worked" Shinso thought, knowing that if Annie were to have heard him, he would never be able to hear the end of it. "Alright then… let go and get off me" Shinso ordered.
And to Izuku's surprise, despite not being able to act on his own, he suddenly started to do what Shinso had told him to. Letting go of his arm and standing up as he got away from Shinso. He was still conscious, but felt trapped. As if he were on autopilot, with not a say on what his body could do. Hell, not only was unable to move on his own, he couldn't even speak or blink for that matter. As if he were in one of those dreams in which you were fully aware of your surroundings, yet had no control whatsoever.
"What's this? Why would Midoriya suddenly let go of his opponent just like that?!" Present Mic asked with genuine curiosity, not sure what even was happening.
"I don't understand, he had him where he wanted. Why would Midoriya just let go like that?!" Mineta asked as he and almost all of class A remained in confusion.
Even Bakugo was wondering what the hell just happened. That nerd was many things, annoying, a crybaby, pretty infuriating to him among many things. But one thing he knew for sure was that he was surprisingly stubborn. He would refuse to back away even if he had everything against him. Especially when he had everything against him. So why is it that after all that he went through in life without wavering in his resolve did he suddenly decide to let go of such a small fry? To him, he may as well be an annoying nerd, but that was not the annoying nerd that he had known all his life.
And as for Annie and Valerie, they just remained quiet and watched the fight carefully.
"To think that you would force me to use my quirk. I guess that's to be expected of a Hero Course student" Sinso said, standing up and grabbing a hold of his now free wrist "I can't lose, that's what you told me earlier. Funny, I was just about to tell you that"
"What's going on? Why can't I move on my own? Could it be… is this part of his quirk?"
"Not everyone is as blessed as you. But, that doesn't take away from the fact that I still have my own dreams"
"It's just like I've said, the entrance exam is very flawed as it is" Aizawa said out loud, getting the attention of Present Mic.
"Hh? What's that?" he asked, pointing at the papers that Aizawa had.
"I pulled out the files of the students to get an idea of what to expect in the one on one fights" he replied, somehow managing to get a hold of the papers despite his hands being bandaged in a way that should have made it impossible "That Shinso kid like many others tried and failed to get into the Hero Course. He couldn't get any single point in the practical entrance exams, which I think he was almost expecting since he also applied to the General Course. And that's despite the fact that his quirk is a force to be reckoned with"
"Let me see that" Mic said as he took Shinso's file and read it "Oh wow, that's actually pretty good. How did I miss that when we were judging them out?"
"With the rules as they were, it would be a surprise if he could have gotten the chance to show it" Aizawa replied as he looked at the two kids in the arena "Izuku ranked among the lowest in the Quirk Assessment test and lacks a proper handle of his own quirk. Even then, he is still leagues above that other kid even without a quirk. If it were just a full on brawl, he would win no doubt, but unless he can think of a way around brainwash, I'm not sure he could show that"
.
"Now that we've gotten that out of the way, why don't we just get this over with? Walk off bounds, would you?"
As Shinso said that, Izuku suddenly felt his body move. Doing exactly what Shinso had told him to do, as he started to walk away from where he was and towards the bounds of the arena. Much to his horror, who despised being completely frozen, was still very conscious about what was happening. And no matter how hard he was trying, he couldn't get to even slow down a bit, much less stop.
"... You know? Chances are that you're still somewhat conscious. So for all that you or anyone else may think, this isn't personal. If what I've heard of you, you seem like a good guy. If it's any consolation, I do feel a bit remorse that this is happening. But as said before, I can't lose just yet. Sorry, but that's just how things are" Shinso told Izuku, as he was still walking away and towards the exit.
Exit in which All Might was still standing nearby. Desperately trying to tell his young pupil to not come any closer. To turn away and to break free of whatever was making him do this. And he was far from the only one, because most of class A was in a similar train of thought. Desperately wanting to think of a reason as to why would Midoriya seemingly throw away the towel. All safe for Annie, Valerie and both Kamala and Robbie, all four of them who just remained watching the events unfold with care.
"No, stop please! My head feels fuzzy and my body won't stop moving on it's own! How could this happen? Quick, think! What happened before I lost control of my body?" Izuku thought, trying to think of something and as he did, he recalled that before that, the other kid had told him something and Izuku replied with a question right before he lost control "Could it be that his quirk activates with sound? Is it because he told me something or because I replied to him? But what use is there to knowing that now when I'm so close to losing?! Quick, there's got to be a way out of this! Maybe I can think of something that…"
And as he was thinking all of that, he could have sworn to have heard something. A sort of buzzing sound with static, and so low it was as if someone were to try to murmur something to him while being 20 meters away. As he did, he saw the exit, with All Might still there in complete panic. And as he saw there, a big flash engulfed the entire hallway before all of it turned to black. And as it did, multiple pairs of eyes started to glow bright yellow and looking right at him. And as it did, that same buzzing sound kept on repeating. With him knowing that whatever on Earth it was, it was trying to say something that was too full of static to be properly understood. And then…
"Ninth…"
"I guess this really is the end…" Shinso murmured to himself as Izuku reached the very edge of the arena, being only a few steps from exiting "Huh, perhaps I did show-" he tried to say, only for him to stop all of the sudden.
He noticed a small twitch in his left hand, with two fingers specifically. And before he could figure what was happening, those two fingers suddenly snapped, tapping hard on his thigh and realizing just enough energy to make a small gust of wind come from it and for his fingers to feel as if someone had smashed a door in his fingers. And that jolt of pain, apparently did the trick, because Midoriya felt awake out of nowhere and with that fuzzy feeling in his head now gone.
"I… can move…" Izuku murmured, before realizing that he just spoke out loud and freely.
And his wasn't the only expression of shock. The teachers, the pros, the students nearby and most of all, Shinso himself look flabbergasted. Not understanding what had just occurred.
"W-What… What did you do?" he questioned and on instinct, Izuku covered his mouth.
"If sound was what activated his quirk on me, I should remain quiet. It all happened after I replied to him, so that probably has something to do"
"How did you do it…? I asked you how did you do it…" Shinso asked him, not getting any answer and rather growing frustrated "I asked you how did you do it?!" he yelled.
Instead, Izuku decided to ignore him and instead just rush at him, taking Shinso aback.
"Shit!" he thought as Izuku grabbed a hold of him and started to push him out of bounds "No, you weren't supposed to even move, how did you break free?!" Shinso asked once more, and once more, did Izuku refuse to talk.
"I'm sorry, I can tell you really want to win, but I must be the one to do it!" Izuku thought to himself, as he started to push Shinso off, only for the General Course student to manage to punch him in the face.
"It's not fair!" he said as he threw another punch that Izuku took directly.
"I know it isn't"
Another punch was thrown.
"I need to win!"
"So do i"
And another one.
"Someone as blessed as you could never understand!"
"I do, not that long ago I was the same"
Another punch.
"And if I have to choose between sitting this one out to ensure that you all get your time to shine, then… That is one clear answer, isn't it?"
The both remembered and then…
"The one that is coming on top is going to be me!" they both innerly said.
Just as they had reached the edge, Shinso managed to move a little to the left, getting Izuku off balance enough for both their positions to be shifted. Now, it was Izuku the one that seemed to be about to be pushed off and Shinso wasted no time in trying to do just that. Shoving him as hard as he could, as Izuku resisted and pushed back. The two had a back and forth like that for a little while before Izuku managed to grab a hold of Hitoshi's clothes and yank him to the edge once more.
He tried to get him off the arena, but Hitoshi managed to get a hold of his right arm, to pull himself back before he could fall as he used his other hand to grab onto Izuku's uniform.
As the two wrestled for control, Izuku realized that in the position they were, this would last too long. Sure, he was stronger without his power, but even then, Shinso was still somewhat capable of latching onto him in a way that made it hard for him to use that to his advantage. And knowing that, he tried to focus. Thinking back of the U.S.J invasion and the time he punched that monster without breaking his own arm. Of earlier in the morning where he managed to jump with enough force to get the win over Parker. And of the Cavalry Battle where he faced off against Todoroki.
Five to six percent. That was what All Might said that he could control without hurting himself too much. And that was what he was going to use just now.
Slowly he pulled his right arm inwards, just as Shinso was grabbing onto it with his left hand, refusing to let go. When it was near his chest, he started to slowly push forward a little bit. Shinso thought that he was trying once more to push him off. But before he could realize it, the green-haired boy closed his eyes for one second. One second to focus. One second to feel One for All course through his right arm. And one second, before he pulled said arm away with enough force that Shinso could not hold his grip on him, letting go almost instantly and having his footing going off balance.
And as Izuku had pulled his arm away, as time slowed down for the two of them, Shinso realized the predicament that he was in and knew immediately…
He lost.
In one sweep move, Izuku lifted his right leg and pushed Shinso off with one kick, pushing him off the arena and sending him falling down into the ground, outside of bounds. As he did, Izuku clutched his right arm, feeling some small pain in it. He at least was glad that even though it hurt, it didn't seem to be broken. And with the two taking deep breaths, Midnight raised one of her arms.
"Shinso is out of bounds! The winner, is Izuku Midoriya!"
My Hero Academia: Legacy Bits! - Side-Games!
"Hey, can someone lend me a textbook?!"
"Cat, anyone got a cat, nearby?!"
"Back fat? How am I supposed to get that?!"
It was the time before the final tournament of the Sports Festival and the students were now participating in the previously mentioned recreational activities. It was the best most could get to participate in since the vast majority could not make it past the Obstacle Race. And the very first activity on schedule was a treasure hunt. The students were given a card by the teachers that had one very specific word each and had to go and try to find it and bring it back. So, most of the students were going around the crowd and asking if they had any of the items needed.
And among them, the quartet of Americans were trying to get as many as they could. Mostly due to a certain duo having a personal competition between each other.
"Thanks!" Kamala said with gratitude, having someone from the crowd offering her cane for her to bring back.
As she was rushing by, she noticed Robbie looking between his card and at Kendo as she was carrying Monoma with her and cursing at it.
"Goddamit, Kendo beat me to it" he complained as Kamala went to his side.
"What'd you get?" she asked, as Robbie showed his card that had 'wicked person' written in it "... What kind of treasure hunt even is this?"
"Yeah, now what the hell am I supposed to do?" Robbie asked.
Just then, the two noticed Annie going to ask the crowd for something and as they did, Kamala saw Robbie put on his thinking face.
"What are you thinking?"
"I think I can make a case…"
"Robbie no" Kamala said, instantly realizing that he was thinking of using Annie as his 'wicked person'.
Not like it would have helped anyway. The two ended up tying with Valerie becoming the undisputed Treasure Hunt champion. Who could have seen that one coming?