Her Friendly Neighborhood Hero Academia

by GohanSon32

Momo Yaoyorozu is Class 1A's top student, vice representative, and one of the brightest up and coming heroes. Always one to be highly focused on her goals and grades, she has never been one to be bitten by the love bug. But with the addition of a new student, Peter Parker, to class 1A, how will a budding relationship between Momo and the new student change the events of MHA?

18. Ch18: Momo Yaoyorozu Vs Katsuki Bakugo

Note: Hey everyone!!! I'm sorry it took so long for this chapter to come out... I hit a few roadblocks that made this take a little bit longer than it should have. But I did work on it every day since the last chapter came out. In my own opinion chapter 17 is by far the best chapter of the story so far so it was going to be a tough act to follow... which unfortunately made me try to be a perfectionist and make this chapter just as good. I wanted to get things just right because this chapter sets up a lot of important plot points. I hope you guys enjoy...

@SulliMike23: Fights over. Good ol Spidey's headed to the finals!!!

@abijayks: Thanks my friend!!! Just for you, I set up a heartwarming little scenario with you in mind... Get ready for more Fuyumi in the near future!

@DrCoogans: Sorry haha! Couldn't help myself... I will neither confirm nor deny that it will happen again in the future. I'm glad you enjoyed it though!!! Hopefully you like this one too!!

@El-lector327: Thank you so much for the kind words!! I'm glad to have you reading along! Im not gonna act like I have a refined taste for anime, but I absolutely love it! Definitely give it a shot. If you can get to episode 13 thats where I got hooked. I have every intention of finishing this story but I plan for it to be extremely long so buckle up!!!

@daniel.santiago.4545: Hey!! Thanks so much!! I'm stoked that you like it!! Happy to have you following along!!!

@ImNotAWeeb64101: I seriously love that you binged it!!! That really motivates me to keep the story going, especially when the critical reviews roll through! Hope to hear more of what you think in the future!!

@katana12: The previews ironically are becoming my favorite parts to write out of the whole story. I actually wrote 2 more before starting on this chapter and they're up! Be sure to go back and check them out if you haven't seen them yet! I also wanted to say that I read your suggestion and have decided to give Peter a special ability. However in order to make it fit into the story it will have to come in sometime after the fight with Stain. Thanks for the suggestion, I hope it is recived well when its put into action.

@CRUDEN: Thanks!!! I'm honestly not sure I can write anything that will top it for the rest of the sports festival but I'm going to do my best!

@Watchdog Man of Justice: Hey, sorry to hear you aren't liking the way I'm writing Peter. This is actually only the second thing I've ever written so its probably a little rocky. That said, I'm not trying to write a traditional Peter Parker. He's gonna be waaaay different from what the average Spider-Man fan expects, but thats purely due to the fact that this is an MHA story. Most of Peter's big moments are starting after this chapter though, including a more in depth look at his extremely high intelligence and ingenuity (he will invent an adaptation of the iron spider... already planned on it). Hopefully it ends up being a more enjoyable story for you to read in the future. (I promise I'm being genuine and not a sarcastic dick.) p.s. in my mind this is just as much Momo's story so shes getting a lot of the early moments, but I'll try to balance them better in the future

As always, big thanks for everyone who's reading and for all the reviews!!

I do not own any of the characters depicted in this story...

---

Peter hit the ground hard as his momentum caused him to roll and bounce across the ring, until finally he came to a stop just past the center. The entire stadium had fallen into a stunned silence... Even Present Mic and Aizawa leaned over the large table of the commentary booth, both at a loss for words as they stared wide eyed out the sizable window towards the ring below. Everyone was frozen in shock at what had just transpired before their very eyes and not a single person dared to make a sound... Not even to breath...

Peter's body ached as he began to slowly push himself up from the concrete. He shakily put his feet underneath him one at a time and slowly stood up amongst the deafening quiet... His heavy breathing along with the clacking sounds of ice chunks finding their final resting places were the only things that could be heard in the massive arena. His body trembled as the adrenaline rush continued to course through his veins. He stared forward, completely taken aback by the sight in front of him... There, laying on his side, well beyond the borders of the ring... Was Shoto Todoroki.

Midnight was the first to somewhat come back to her senses as she slowly held the microphone up to her mouth. "T-Todoroki is... Out of bounds!!!" She said in a complete state of disbelief. She noticed the atmosphere of the stadium around her and did her best to try to break the spell that had fallen over the crowd. "PETER PARKER WILL MOVE ON TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!" She belted out with a plethora of excitement injected into her voice. Her words did the trick as the entire stadium shook with an unbelievable wave of cheers.

Momo's expression of worry shakily turned into one of elation. "H-he did it... OhmyGod he did it!!! He won!!!!" She began to scream with the rest of the crowd as her classmates all joined in. She got up and ran towards the tunnel as fast as she could. A smile of pure pride plastered on her face as she made her way towards her destination.

Peter hardly even registered the massive tone shift of the entire stadium. Without even the slightest acknowledgement of the heavy praise he was receiving from the crowd, his feet quickly began to move towards the edge of the ring. His friend still hadn't moved. He jumped down, ran to his side, and knealt down as concern began to fill his every thought. His body was still radiating heat...

"Sho!!! Hey!!! Come on buddy, say something!!" He said in a raised voice as Midnight and Cementoss slowly approached the two of them. He did his best to keep himself from panicking. Just as he was reaching a breaking point in his anxiety a slight groan came from the boy and he spoke.

"Why... *Groan... Why the hell didn't you hit Monoma that hard?" He strained to say through the pain.

Peter blinked in disbelief before f zthey both started to laugh... Though Shoto's wasn't nearly as strong due to his condition. Even the two teachers behind them cracked a smile.

"So are you just gonna stare at me or are you gonna help me up anytime soon? Pre-tty sure I have some broken ribs here."

"Oh... Duh!" He chuckled as the maintenance bots appeared behind them. Peter and Cementoss gingerly helped Shoto to his feet and onto the stretcher. Suddenly a realization popped into Peter's mind. "Is this the first time you've ever had to go visit Recovery Girl?"

"Yeah, why?"

Peter started to laugh deviously.

Shoto knew that laugh, and it made him grow uneasy... "Parker... why are you laughing like that? What's in Recovery Girl's office?!" He asked as the robots immediately started towards the stadium's infirmary. "Wait! Hold on! Hey!!!!" The boy's pleas fell on deaf ears... Or... Circuits?... As the droids sped towards their destination.

Finally, Peter was able to take in the moment. He had climbed the mountain that was the UA Sports Festival... Now all that was left for him to do was plant his flag. He felt an overwhelming sense of pride as the cheers continued to ring out. He used to love watching these games with his uncle... He remembered how his aunt would always put out quite the spread for them in front of the living room TV. Ben always rooted for the underdogs, while May would vehemently cheer on the prettiest young lady in the competition to kick whoever's butt she faced off against... He chuckled at his thoughts... She would have definitely been cheering on Mo if she was still here...

It felt so surreal... To think that he was actually competing in the championship round of those very games they watched every year together back in Queens. He found himself wondering just how many kids and their parents were at home watching, spending time together as a family... Making memories they would look back on someday... A smile formed on his face knowing that he was now a part of those memories, even if only tangentially.

That thought gave him an idea... How many kids who were watching right now were going through some of the things he had to growing up? The struggles he had overcome were not exclusive to him... There were kids all over the world who faced similar hardships every single day. He turned to face all the cameras in the media section behind him... He had something to tell any kid who needed to hear some form of encouragement. The flashes were nearly blinding as the journalists all stood up from their seats, pens clicked and in hand, ready to immortalize whatever words came from the young man in ink. He stared directly into one of the lenses in front of him and flashed a charismatic smile as he mouthed two words that would headline every newspaper and electronic article written about this year's games...

The sound of cheers drowned out any sound that left his lips but they were able to be read crystal clear...

"Anything's possible!"

With a chuckle and a wink, he turned away and jogged to the tunnel offering one last wave to the crowd as he made his exit.

---

The young lady hurried down the hallway towards the tunnel. Her feet hardly seemed to touch the ground as she moved. The look on his face when she shouted to him from the stands was burned into her mind. She was so happy for him. He was always pushing himself to improve... Not only as a future hero... but as a person as well. He always seemed to put the needs and feelings of others before his own... So it felt wonderful to see him succeed. She was quickly pulled from her thoughts as she rounded the corner and nearly collided with the robots who carried Todoroki towards the infirmary... Luckily the automatons stopped just before they ran into her. She looked at her friend on the stretcher. He looked slightly paranoid as he locked eyes with her.

"Yaoyorozu!! Oh thank god! I've never had to go see Recovery Girl, why did Parker look so smug about it?!" He quickly asked her.

... Make that fully paranoid...

Momo looked at the panicked expression of the boy on the stretcher and fondly looked back on Peter's first time being exposed to the old lady's healing methods... The day the spark of romantic feelings for the boy ignited in her heart. She began to cackle at the realization that his best friend was about to face the same situation he had.

"Why does everyone keep laughing?!" He shouted in fear as the robots made their way around the girl.

She continued to chuckle as she ran forward towards the tunnel entrance.

---

Almost immediately after he stepped out of view from the crowd, his body let him know that it was extremely tired. Every muscle, joint, tendon, and bone in his body was begging him for a rest... But, as usual, he kept it from showing outwardly. He focused his gaze at the ground as he walked forward with a hardened expression. The time for celebration had ended the moment he stepped into the concrete archway. The job wasn't finished yet. Though he didn't consciously register it, he was beginning to feel the weight of all the pressure he was putting on himself to win... To take his first official step towards becoming a real hero... Someone who would make a difference.

Before he could fall too far down the rabbit hole, a soft, comforting voice made itself known from the end of the tunnel.

"I knew you could do it..."

He looked up and saw Momo standing in place with her fingers intertwined in front of her waist. He was mesmerized by the warmth of her smile and the softness of her gaze... All thoughts not pertaining to the raven haired girl in front of him completely vanished from his mind. He continued to walk towards her as if his body had been put on auto pilot... Slowly being drawn in by the magnetic pull that was shared between their hearts.

"Well... Like I said... You're pretty inspirational." He offered a charming, yet nervous smile. "All it took was one look at you and I was ready to do something crazy..." He chuckled as he stopped in front of her.

That particular choice of words sent a tingle throughout her body, suddenly making her weak. 'H-ohmygod Peter... Do you even hear yourself when you say things like that?...' She wasn't sure what she found more titillating... The fact that she was capable of feeling such an unbelievable rush of pure ecstasy from his words alone... Or the fact that he could do that to her without even realizing it or trying.

She forced herself to regain her composure, and decided to give him a little taste of his own medicine. "Well... I guess I can let it slide... Considering the fact that Todoroki probably would've torched that beautiful head of hair I love so much if you hadn't done something wild." She said as she gently raised her hand and ran it through his brown locks.

This time it was his turn to feel weak... Her touch always left him completely wrapped around her finger. In his past of being isolated and bullied by his peers, along with his crime fighting "adventures" in the back alleys of New York, he was hardly one to ever receive a gentle touch... And after the passing of his aunt, it was a part of the human experience that left his life completely... Until she came into the picture anyway. It was a good thing this tournament was in the final stretch because he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep from telling her everything... There was so much that he desperately needed to let out... and so many things they needed to discuss if they were to take this plunge together.

Her voice once again, brought him back to reality. "Speaking of Todoroki, I passed him on my way to find you... He's in total panic mode..." She chuckled.

"Oh yeah? What'd you say to him?"

"Nothing actually... I just ended up laughing when I realized it was his first time going to the infirmary." She smirked with a wink.

"Oh my God you're amazing!" He cackled, "I bet he's in there losing his freaking mind..." A devilish idea entered his thoughts. "You think if we hurry we could make it there before she heals him?"

She beamed, "Only one way to find out! Come on!" She said as they took off running towards Recovery Girl's temporary office.

Then seemingly out of nowhere, the pair froze at the sound of a highly intimidating voice that came from behind them.

"Hold it right there!..."

Peter's Spidey Sense started to tingle in his head, causing him to turn and instinctively step in front of Momo. His eyes widened as he realized where the command had come from. There... Walking towards them with a purpose... Was the number two hero himself.

"You're the kid Shoto just fought aren't you..."

His piercing blue eyes narrowed behind his fiery mask...

"I'd like to have a word with you..."

The unreasonably huge man continued to walk towards Peter with a glare on his face while his fire dancing brightly around him. With each step forward the flame hero took, his intense expression deepened...

Momo stepped out from behind Peter and stared between the two in confusion. Something about this situation was very... Off. Todoroki and Peter were inseparable best friends... But judging by the way the man spoke to him just now, he made it seem like they had never been formally introduced to one another. Her eyes darted back to Peter and she began to study him. She took note of all the subtle differences in his demeanor and posture...

His hands were out of his pockets and the hair on his arms stood on end. He had placed his left foot slightly in front of his right and had shifted his body weight from his heels to the balls of his feet. His facial expression featured a calm expression but his eyes darted around the man's body, almost as if he were looking for any sudden movement to be made.

He was a fantastic actor... She was confident that nobody else would've been able to see through his façade... But it was abundantly clear to her that he was secretly preparing himself for this interaction to go sideways... Which was more than enough to confirm her suspicions. She made the decision right then and there that she would absolutely not be leaving Peter alone with the menacing man.

His mind was moving at an unbelievable speed. He had no idea what Shoto's father could possibly want with him, but all he knew was that he needed to navigate whatever "talk" they were about to have very, very carefully... He debated on sending Momo away to have their discussion in private, but ultimately decided that having a third party present would provide him with control over the conversation. Besides, with her around, he figured there would be very little chance of their chat turning to the subject of what he knew about the infamous Todoroki family history.

The man stopped a few paces away and immediately locked eyes with the girl beside the young man. "If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to him in private." He said in his naturally deep voice.

She opened her mouth to protest, but Peter beat her to the punch, taking the large man's attention off of her in the process. "I would like to think that anything you have to say to me, could be said in front of her."

Enji Todoroki's head turned towards Peter and, in the blink of an eye, the boy caught a glimpse of the man's dangerously violent nature he had heard so much about. It was a look that left as fast as it had appeared, but it shot a shiver down his spine nonetheless... And even though his Spidey Sense was telling him he needed to remove himself from this situation, he stood his ground firmly in the face of the unpredictable number two hero.

"Of course..." He responded as he tried to hide his annoyance and began to work a different angle. "Allow me to formally introduce myself, I am the flame hero Endeavor..." He offered his hand to the boy.

"Peter Parker... Nice to meet you." He forced himself to say as he reluctantly shook his massive hand.

Momo watched the two in silence as she waited for Endeavor to continue.

"You fought pretty well for yourself out there... You must've had quite a teacher back in the states..."

"Self-taught actually..." He said cautiously, knowing full well that flattery was a powerful tool for people who had an agenda to push.

"Impressive..." He said with a sinister tone in his voice, "I find that piece of information rather interesting." An ominous smirk appeared on his face. 'Yes... He'd make the perfect test subject...'

"And why is that?"

The towering titan of a man folded his giant arms over his chest and cocked his head to the side... His smirk remained plastered on his face. "Because imagine what kind of potential you have inside of you that has yet to be tapped into... With proper guidance, you could have more power at your disposal than you could ever dream of... And you could become a hero that tops the billboard charts."

Momo felt uneasy at the man's words... She felt an ulterior motive behind his insinuations. She watched the boy beside her place his hands back in his pockets as his posture returned to normal... However his facial expression was stern as he remained silent.

"Look, I'll just cut to the chase... I plan on using one of my two internship offers on you. The other will obviously go to Shoto..."

Momo raised her eyebrows and finally broke her silence, "Two offers? It was my understanding that in years past, pros were only given the chance to submit one offer for our internships..."

Endeavor looked at the girl with annoyance due to the interruption, but provided clarification anyway... It seemed that he would have to play nice with her as well in order to convince the boy to conform to his grand design. "I suppose they haven't told you yet... Due to the events that transpired at the USJ, your Principal decided that it would be best to loosen the restrictions of the internship program in order for more of you to have access to a higher standard of training."

He took her silence as an invitation to continue as he returned his focus back to the boy. "As I was saying, I plan on taking you on as an intern. Shoto has more potential than anyone to become number one some day, but he's slacked off on his hand to hand combat training and has finally decided to leave his childish rebellion of rejecting his fire behind him... He's fallen off the track I've laid before him since his birth... I believe that you could be a wonderful example for him to follow, putting him back on the path of the mighty..."

Peter silently began to feel an intense burning of rage deep inside his heart. 'So that's what this is?! You think you can use me to help push your oppressive ideology on your son?... Sho's right about you... You are a bastard.'

Momo noticed a look in Peter's eyes she had only seen once before as Endeavor continued to reveal his true colors.

"Under my tutelage you could continue at my agency for your work studies, and from there, you could even earn a spot as one of my sidekicks in the future. Eventually I will retire and pass down command to Shoto... Seeing that you both have become rather close to each other, I could see him appointing you to be his number one asset..." His volume progressively raised as he laid out his pitch, "Everything this world has to offer could be yours... Money, fame, limitless power... You would bring honor and glory to your family... How does that sound to you, boy?"

'Couldn't even be bothered to remember my name could you...' Peter thought as he formulated a response that would get his point across.

Momo silently stood, completely taken aback by the words that were just spoken to Peter. So many pieces began to effortlessly fit themselves together of what plagued his mind so much over the past couple of days... This man was what it all stemmed from. Though she didn't know the full extent of just what the man had done to his own son... He didn't exactly seem like a doting father... His ideals of why someone should follow him made her skin crawl.

"I'll just go ahead and respond to all the things you said in the order you presented them..." Peter said through his cold stare as the man's smirk disappeared at the sound of his angry tone. "First of all, Shoto's defeat in our match is not a result of some so called 'failure', but of my success... Second, I'm never going to waste my potential being someone else's stepping stone to a manufactured 'destiny' they don't even want! And I'm nobody's damned sidekick..."

Endeavor began to show visual signs of obvious frustration, but it didn't even phase the kid in front of him as he continued to verbally rip his proposal to pieces and throw it into the wind... "I don't need money... And I certainly don't need fame to motivate me to use my gifts for what's right. You want to talk about limitless power? Real strength comes from having unbelievable power... And knowing when to use it!! You're supposed to be among the best this country has to offer, second only to All Might himself... Do you really wanna know what separates you from him? He knows what a real hero is!!

Momo watched as he removed his hands from his pockets... And clenched his fist so tightly that his knuckles turned white... "...And don't worry about whether or not I bring honor, glory, or even shame to my family, it makes no difference anymore..." He spat, "... Because dead people don't feel pride."

The creation artist felt a pit form in her stomach as the boy her heart yearned for uttered his final sentence to the so-called hero. She could feel the pain his words carried with them. Without thinking she grabbed his hand and began to pull him in the opposite direction.

"I think that's enough you two. This conversation is becoming less than productive." She said as Peter began to calm down due to her touch.

"Agreed..." The man said in a low tone as he recomposed himself. "It's no wonder you and my son get along so well... You both seem to have a rebellious nature, but that behavior can be... Corrected..." He said with an ominous sense of foreboding as he turned around to walk away in the other direction. "My offer still stands... Don't be hasty... Think about it, before you so carelessly throw away the opportunity of a lifetime."

And with that, the man left without another word.

The pair stood as they watched Enji Todoroki's flames disappear around the nearest corner of the hallway. Momo turned to see Peter averting his gaze towards the ground.

"I-I'm sorry Mo... That was... a little less than level headed of me..." He said as he began to mentally reprimand himself for getting so worked up in front of her.

"Peter..." She gently placed her hand under his chin and lifted his face up to look at her. She slowly moved her hand to his cheek and captured his eyes as her thumb slowly travelled up and down the side of his face. "You are allowed to have emotions... You are allowed to get upset, angry, sad, and even scared... and you never have to hide those feelings from me."

He didn't know what to say... He just stood there motionless, staring into onyx eyes that told no lies. She truly meant everything she had just said...

"This is the third time today you've apologized for being human... I'm never going to judge you for that. I already told you... I'm not going anywhere. So stop being so hard on yourself." She said as she finally pulled her hand away and a grin slowly appeared on her face.

"I think I know what will cheer you up... Let's go watch Todoroki get his first kiss." She chuckled as his wonderful smile finally returned.

"Oh God... Please tell me those don't actually count..." He said with a slight trace of nervousness.

"No... But we can tell him they do."

"Oh-ho my God that's evil... I love it!" He laughed as they continued on to their original destination.

---

"Well, well, well... You must be Enji's boy... Shoto, right?" Recovery Girl said as the boy gingerly made his way up onto the medical table.

The boy laid back and rested his right hand on his ribcage. The pain was starting to get to him so much that he completely missed the mention of his father. "Yeah..." He winced as she began to examine his injuries.

She grimaced at the discoloration of his skin as she lightly felt up and down his right side. "Well I've seen quite enough in my day to know that every one of your ribs on this side of your body is broken without the help of an x-ray machine..." She shook her head "but just to make sure I haven't missed anything, I'm going to have a look anyway. Are you breathing alright?"

"Feels a little constricted, but otherwise yeah..."

She readied the machine to take a few pictures and began to offer up some small talk to calm his demeanor... After so many years of providing medical care, she could tell when someone was nervous. "So, Mr. Parker tells me you two are quite close..."

"Yeah he's actually my best friend..." He said as he removed his hand so that the machine could do its job.

"I figured as much... He's made a habit of finding himself on my table more often than not... Normally I don't like having regular patients... it usually means they aren't learning from their mistakes, which is very dangerous for a young hero... But I've actually grown quite fond of his company. He's a rather remarkable young man... You and miss Yaoyorozu seem to be all he ever talks about."

He began to loosen up a bit as the machine flashed a few times. "Doesn't really surprise me... He's pretty crazy about her."

"Oh, believe me, I've noticed..." she chuckled, "I like her... She has quite a bit of spirit. Reminds me a lot of myself at her age... Just a few feet taller." She chuckled as she made her way over to the monitor that displayed the picture of his cracked ribs. She sighed and shook her head as she turned to him, "Well... The good news is, you won't need surgery."

"What's the bad news?" He raised his eyebrows.

"The bad news is that I'm gonna need a new clipboard when I get done knocking some sense into your friend... He came this close to causing some real damage to your lung!" She held her thumb and index finger up extremely close together.

The boy chuckled. "Huh.. Silver lining... Do you mind if I watch?"

She laughed, "Don't worry I wouldn't dream of letting you miss it... You know you're a lot different than your father was at your age... You're much less rough around the edges, and you appear to actually have a sense of humor. You must take after your mother." She said innocently as she rummaged through the drawer on the table for some bandaging.

A small smile formed on his face as he fully began to relax, letting all of his worries wash away while she prepared to heal him.

*Knock knock

The door slowly creaked open as Momo poked her head in.

"Hello? Mrs. Shuzenji? Is it okay if we come in?" She asked politely.

The old woman seemed to light up as she turned to see the raven haired girl. "Oh! Miss Yaoyorozu! What a nice surprise. Of course dear, come right on in! I was just about to heal this nice young man here." She said with a sweet smile.

Momo opened the door and stepped inside as Peter followed in behind her... He received a... Less welcome greeting. Her face suddenly became stern.

"Nice young man?... We're in the wrong room." He turned to walk back out the door but was grabbed by the collar of his shirt by Momo. She shook her head and rolled her eyes at him, but couldn't hide the smile brought on by his antics.

"Well if it isn't Mr. Size 11 himself..." The old lady said with a huff.

"Huh?" He said, genuinely confused as the two approached their friend on the table.

"That is your shoe size is it not? Know how I could tell?" She asked as she maneuvered herself on her step stool to reveal a very nasty foot shaped bruise on Shoto's ribcage. She narrowed her eyes.

"That could be from anyone..." He joked earning him a smack on the shoulder from her clipboard. "Tough crowd..." He said as he rubbed the spot where the object had struck him.

"Not tough enough, actually... You must be making it your personal mission to work me to the bone today! All three people you've fought so far have ended up on this table. You should have seen the condition of Mr. Monoma's broken nose... Every time he exhaled it sounded like he was whistling a showtune..."

"I stand by that..." He said with a grin.

"Well what about Mr. Tetsutetsu's concussion?"

"Isn't two broken hands punishment enough for that?"

"You almost punctured your friend's lung." She retorted gesturing to Shoto.

"He has another one!" He countered humorously.

"You've got your hands full with this one young lady..." She glanced at the jet black haired beauty.

Momo couldn't help but giggle at the back and forth between Peter and the elderly woman. Though the school nurse had an outward expression of exasperation, Momo could tell she secretly enjoyed the dynamic she shared with the young man. "Never a dull moment, that's for sure..." The obsidian eyed girl said with a chuckle.

"Watch and learn..." Recovery Girl said to her before looking at him in an unamused manner. She removed the papers from the clip board in her hand and handed it to Shoto.

"Would you do me a favor and give him a good whack on the head for me sweetie? I'm not quite tall enough."

Shoto smirked, "Don't have to ask me twice."

*Bonk

Peter side eyed his friend as the old lady shook her head. "Oh come on now, his skull is much thicker than that... Put some muscle into it."

*Crack!!!

Peter rubbed his head as the clipboard split in two. He looked over at his friend who was grimacing from the pain caused by the swift movement. "Yeah, bet that hurt you waaaay more than it did me, huh?" He chuckled.

"Worth it..." Shoto groaned.

Recovery Girl shook her head at the two boys in front of her. "Alright, I suppose I should go ahead and get you fixed up... Excuse me you two..."

They smirked at one another and took a step backwards as Shoto began to inwardly feel anxious again. Before he knew it, he felt a pair of lips press against the side of his face. He turned pale and his eyes bugged out of his head.

Peter and Momo both brought a hand over their mouths to hide their snickering.

"There ya go, you should already be starting to feel better. You're going to feel a bit worn out, but that's just a side effect from my quirk. Here's some candy." She placed a handful of gummies in his palm and gave some to Momo as well. She turned to Peter and with a smirk, she placed the empty wrapper in his hand. "Eat up." She said to him sarcastically.

The girl decided to poke a bit of fun at him. "Ooooo I got strawberry flavor. What about you Todoroki?"

"I got lemon..." He said, still trying to process what had just happened to him as the fatigue forced him to lie back on the table.

"Oh, how nice! What about you Peter?" She smirked.

He looked down at the plastic in his hand, "I got a rock..." He said dejectedly as he tossed the packaging into the wastebasket, earning a chuckle from the two ladies. Momo handed him a piece of her candy with a smile.

The reference went right over poor Shoto's head. "Uhhh... That was a wrapper Parker."

Peter just stared at him and shook his head slowly while Recovery Girl glanced up at the clock and turned to Momo. "As much as I enjoy having your company, it looks like your match is about to start... You should probably head on towards your waiting room, don't you think?"

Peter and Momo both glanced at the time and their faces grew stern as they looked at each other... Both of them were well aware of what kind of fight awaited her in the ring.

She took in a deep breath quickly exhaled as she put on a confident face... Though inside, she couldn't help but feel nervous. "Well... I guess it's my turn now. You both did incredible... It's gonna be hard to follow up a match like that." She smiled. "But I'm about to show you boys what it means to fight like a girl." She declared, referencing something Present Mic had said earlier that had stuck with her.

Recovery Girl beamed at her, "I'll walk you out dear." She turned to Shoto, "If you're not feeling anymore pain, then you should be free to go whenever you're ready."

Shoto nodded at her with a smile as he started to stretch and perform a few movements to test his condition.

"Can I come wish you luck before you head to the tunnel?" Peter grinned.

"Of course! I'll wait for you in my waiting room... Glad to see you feeling better Todoroki." She made her way towards the door with Recovery Girl at her side.

The boy smiled, "Thanks... Hey if you need some motivation, how about this: If you manage to land a clean shot to Bakugo's face on live TV, me and my sister will treat you and your boyfriend here to sushi on my dad's dime."

"Deal!" She said as she winked at Peter and closed the door behind her.

"Oh! Speaking of your dad... Guess who got to meet the number two hero today?" Peter said in a lighthearted tone as he watched Shoto's eyes widen.

"Oh God... Was she with you?!"

"Yeah... We were on our way to see you, and he stopped us in the hallway... Don't worry, he didn't get into anything personal with her around."

Shoto shook his head... "What did he want?"

"He came to let me know that he was gonna put in an offer for my internship... And yours... Apparently the school is letting pros put in two this year... He wants both of us at his agency in a couple weeks. He spent the rest of the conversation trying to convince me to take him up on it..."

"Don't tell me you were dense enough to take his words at face value... Everything he says and does is solely for his own benefit."

Peter chuckled, "Give me a little credit man..."

Shoto felt slightly relieved by those words, "How did he go about it?"

"Purely flattery based at first... But he eventually couldn't help himself from acting like the world's worst Little League Dad... When he started to talk about you, it was painfully obvious that he only wanted me there to be your sparring partner... And he seemed to think that he could use me as a tool to get you to conform to his bullshit... Then he started monologuing about empty promises of fame, power, and money if I were to take him up on his offer... He tried to convince me that I'd be set for life as his sidekick... And eventually, yours..."

Shoto remembered Parker's motivational talk he gave him in the waiting room before their fight. "Sounds like a swing and a miss if I've ever heard one..." He actually cracked a small smile.

"Oh yeah... He whiffed big time... Uhhh... My response to it was... Sort of heated. I rejected him pretty harshly." He admitted. "But before he left he let me know he still planned on making me an offer." He finished and waited for his friend's response.

Shoto directed his gaze to the ground and sighed. "This might sound crazy... But I've already made my decision to intern at his agency." He said as Peter raised his eyebrows in shock. "As much as I hate him... As much as I completely disagree with every single one of his beliefs and actions... Fire quirks are extremely rare, and there's not a single pro in Japan who could teach me how to use my left side better than he can."

Peter inwardly acknowledged that his best friend had an inarguable point... "If it would make your week easier... I'll accept his offer..." He said as Shoto glanced up at him.

"I appreciate that... But I'd actually rather you decline..." He said firmly and began to offer an explanation. "You taking an internship position at his agency would be a terrible decision on your part... Especially if I'm going there too. The only thing he'd have us do all week long is fight each other like caged animals... And on patrols, you'd be completely ignored, if you weren't left behind all together to begin with..." He said rather bluntly. "You're in the championship match Parker, you're gonna be receiving offers from every pro hero in the country... You should choose one that will help you grow, not one that will use you as a training dummy."

"I know... But I had to offer... If you change your mind, just let me know." He said as his best friend hopped off the table and they headed towards the door.

"My mind is pretty much made up... But thanks man..."

The door closed behind them.

---

Up in the commentary booth, Shouta Aizawa snored in his sleeping bag on the floor as Present Mic had kicked up his feet while enjoying some food from the concession stand. Suddenly an unreasonably loud sound nearly caused the latter to fall out of his chair.

The famous podcast and radio personality quickly composed himself as he just barely managed to save his snacks from falling out of his lap. "You know, if you didn't insist on napping every spare second of the day, you wouldn't need such an unbelievably obnoxious ringtone!!" He grumbled.

Shouta groaned as he rolled over and grabbed the blaring device from the ground beside him. He pushed his long dark hair out of his face. "I know that you of all people aren't complaining to me about volume control right now..." He retorted. The insomniatic teacher glanced at the name on the screen and suddenly found himself functionally awake.

To his counterpart's surprise, he actually answered the phone call.

"What?" He answered unenthusiastically.

"Let me guess... Napping in between matches, huh?" Came the voice from the other side of the call.

The man rolled his eyes, "What I do with my down time is irrelevant... Why are you calling?"

"I want the kid's internship."

"You'll have to be more specific... There are twenty students in my class."

"And yet you know exactly which one I'm talking about."

"You do realize this isn't how the recruitment process works right? You have to submit a formal offer to the faculty through email or fax using the format we provide on the school's website."

"No shit. I already did it. Twice. It's a real pain in the ass..."

"You used both your offers on one kid?"

"I'm not taking any chances of slipping through the cracks. That's why I'm calling. You can either point him in my direction, or I can show up to your classroom Monday and toss his other offers in the trash myself... And we both know I will."

The man sat up and pinched the bridge of his nose as he sighed into the phone. "At the end of the day, it's his choice... It doesn't matter what I say or think would be best."

"So you agree that I'm the best option for him..."

"I never said that..."

"He hasn't been in Japan that long, how can you expect him to sift through all his offers and make an informed decision on something like this?!"

"If you must know, I plan on keeping him after class Monday and helping him choose personally."

"And here I was thinking you liked sleeping... Hope you're prepared to be going at it until Tuesday morning... Kid's already all over every channel and every corner of the Internet. Spending that much time helping one student pick an internship when nineteen others could also use some guidance doesn't seem very rational to me... Especially when you already know what the right fit for him is..."

"What makes you so sure that I think you're who he should choose?"

"Because you would've already hung up on me if you didn't... So quit jerking me around. You and I both know that I can turn that kid into an absolute freak of nature in a week's time."

Aizawa sat silently as he knew the person on the call was absolutely, one thousand percent correct.

"Checkmate."

He rolled his eyes again. "Fine. If you want him so badly, I'll push him towards you. But that's the best I can do."

"Perfect. Now what all can you tell me about him?"

"You are aware that the festival isn't over yet right? I'll call you back when it ends and we'll discuss this matter further."

"The very second the championship ends, I expect to see your name pop up on my phone. If not I'll come to Musutafu myself and we'll talk in person. You aren't as hard to find as you think Eraser."

*Beep Beep Beep

The call ended as the man shook his head and climbed back into his sleeping bag. Present Mic chuckled, "I don't think I've ever seen someone wrestle with you like that over the phone... What was that about?"

"Someone wanting Parker's internship..." He said in annoyance as he drifted back off to sleep.

Present Mic popped a piece of candy in his mouth, "Geez get ready for a lot of that in your future."

---

Yana's foot tapped repeatedly against the ground as she started at the massive screen across the arena. A picture of her daughter and a grimacing blonde headed boy was brightly displayed upon it with a fifteen minute timer slowly ticking down in between them.

Her eyes drifted to the picture of Katsuki Bakugo and she closed her eyes. All she saw were incredibly gruesome flashes from the boy's first two fights... And all the destruction to the ring he had dealt. An absolutely ruthless young man who seemed to hold nothing back, leaving behind only destruction in his wake... That was what her daughter was up against. Her eyes opened and she felt the heat of the day wash over her. Her daughter was everything to her... Her only child... A spitting image of herself as a young lady... Her whole world... About to come face to face with an unmerciful force of violence and unhinged aggression. It tore at her soul.

Her mind drifted back to a moment before her little girl had grown up into the young woman shown on the jumbotron...

"Momo... This world you live in is full of possibilities... And you have been very fortunate to grow up in a family that lives well beyond its means. Your father and I... All we want is to give you the opportunity to do anything you want with the life you've been given... Whatever you want to do... We will support you with everything in our hearts, no matter what... I know it's a little early to ask you this... But do you have any ideas on what you want to be when you grow up?..."

She remembered the light in her eyes... the wide smile... and the absolute absence of any trace of hesitation when she answered the question.

"I wanna be the first ever girl to become the number one hero!!!"

A lofty goal to say the least. She thought back at the smile she gave her daughter as she tussled her hair. In the world they found themselves in, nearly every kid wanted to grow up to be a hero... But the reality was that it was a lifetime of hard work and sacrifice. Not everyone was cut out for it... Most of those young children would go on to give up and dream a new dream, very few followed it through to its end... And even fewer had what it took to be a pro. At the time, it was hard for the young mother to know just how serious little Momo was about her grand aspiration.

Being a parent comes with a multitude of things you could never be certain of... With literally everything you do being followed by doubt or some form of a second guess... Did you make the right call?... Did you say the right words?... Were you pulling enough weight in your relationship with your partner?... Could a mistake you made have been avoided?... How could you have shown up better for your family in a given situation where you simply weren't okay?... Were you even doing a good job?

In that moment, she made the conscious decision to say something that she would look back on with pride as a mother. It was one thing that, as a parent, she was sure she got absolutely right when she knelt down and looked into her daughter's eyes.

"Then go for it. Chase that dream as fast as you can, and never let anyone tell you you can't. Your father and I will be there to help in any way that we can. It might be hard... Some days you might want to give up... But those are the dreams that are worth fighting for."

As the days turned into years, Yana Yaoyorozu would watch her sweet little girl blossom into who she was today... Never failing to forget the words of encouragement from her mother until finally... Her letter of acceptance to the most prestigious hero school in the world came in the mail.

The black haired woman blinked as a single tear fell from her eyes. Her and her husband both were well aware of the hardship they would face as hero-parents... But it wasn't until she had found out about the events of the USJ attack, that she became painfully aware of just how real the danger that came with Momo's career choice was. Still, heroes were a necessity in the world they lived in... Without them, chaos and the utter destruction of society as they knew it would become a haunting inevitability. Besides... It was the only thing Momo wanted to do with her life... And it brought her happiness, which was all any parent could ever want for their child.

She came to understand that the road ahead of her would be filled with a sense of worry. Each new day could bring her little girl into harm's way... She continued to watch the seconds fade away on the countdown... Today was one of those days.

Suddenly she felt her husband pull her close and she looked up to see a reflection of her own worries on his face... Then after a brief moment... He offered an encouraging smile and something became clear to her. In their situation... The only source of strength they had that would allow them to carry the cross they decided to bear... Was belief. Belief that their girl could stand up and overcome whatever obstacles and challenges the future held for her. She mirrored his smile as they watched... And waited.

---

"...you're not going to win your next match... because you'll be facing me next."

Momo took a deep breath and slowly exhaled as she sat at a folding table in her waiting area. Her interaction with Bakugo swirled around in her mind so vividly that it was almost as if she had traveled back to that very moment in time.

"I'm not afraid of any of you! Not the class rep! Not Icy Hot! Not your smart mouth boyfriend! And certainly not you!..."

She could clearly hear the sharpness in his tone... Almost as if he were in the room with her. She could see the fiery anger in his bright red eyes even as the shadows of the tunnel covered half of his face. She could feel his cold stare.

"...if you set foot in that ring next round, then you better be ready to face the same fate as the gravity chick... I'm not holding back."

Her fists clenched in her lap as she continued to fight down her anxiety. This was it... Her true test. Just how far had she really come? Did she have what it takes to go toe to toe with a highly motivated... And highly pissed off Katsuki Bakugo? Would she be able to ride her newly awoken self confidence into the championship match... Or would the anxiousness she was fighting down, finally get the best of her?

Her eyes opened as a voice of reassurance overpowered all the other thoughts in her mind...

"You're an incredible fighter and you're gonna be an amazing hero Mo. A single fight will never make those things untrue. No defeat will ever define you. You deserve to believe in yourself..."

Her brow furrowed. 'I am not the same person I used to be...'

*Knock knock

Her demeanor instantly transformed... A warm smile appeared on her face, knowing exactly who was on the other side. "Come in..."

The door slowly creaked open and Peter stepped into the room. "Hey..." He said with a comforting expression.

"Hi, handsome."

He spun around, acting as if he were expecting to find someone else behind him, earning a chuckle from his crush. His cheeks turned pink and he dropped his gaze to his feet as he made his way to the table and sat down across from her. He looked up to see her staring at him through half lidded eyes as her cheek rested in the hand that propped up her head. It was funny... Every time... Every single time he looked at her, he felt... Lucky... It was definitely a new feeling. His life had been... Challenging, to say the least. For someone like him who had experienced so much of life's cruelty at such a young age... To feel fortunate was almost completely foreign to him. He found it to be a very welcome feeling, as his new life had become full of that particular sensation. As he watched her slowly bat her eyes at him... He couldn't help but feel a sense of hope that maybe life was finally rewarding him for enduring everything it had thrown his way. He suddenly realized he had been staring at her for an almost embarrassing amount of time.

She watched him suddenly come out of his daydream-like state. He blinked a few times in rapid succession, causing her to giggle as his face turned an even darker shade of red.

"You seem pretty relaxed for someone who's about to go fight in less than ten minutes..." He said glancing up at the clock on the wall. "I know I already asked you this earlier, but how are you feeling about it?"

She took a breath and exhaled. "I never knew it was possible to feel nervous and calm at the same time..." She admitted to him.

"What you're feeling is completely normal... Ideal even..." He began. "Being nervous means you're aware of your opponent's strength... And being calm is to be in control of the fear that comes with that. There's no better way to go into this fight than feeling the way you do right now."

"That... Makes a lot of sense actually... And it's very reassuring. Thank you Peter..." She smiled gratefully at him. "Got anything else in your head to tell me?"

"A lot actually... But that's for the cafe."

She blushed as she quickly deciphered just what those words meant. She forced herself to refocus on the present, despite desperately wanting to think about the events of the near future.

"Believe it or not... I didn't come here to make a grand motivational speech... I think you and I both know, you don't need one." He winked.

"Well, what if I want one?" She crossed her arms and pouted at him.

One look at her "please face" was all it took for him to bend to her every whim. It would be his downfall in many future minor disagreements. He shuttered at the unbelievable power over him that she possessed. "How about a quote that I think of every time before I fight instead since we're so short on time?"

She perked up and excitedly decided to compromise. "Let's hear it!"

"Show them no mercy... For you shall receive none."

She immediately felt her heartbeat pick up speed as she immediately pinpointed where he had picked up the quote from. "From your book you lent me..." She said barely audibly. If there were a certain button to make her swoon over him and get her competitive fires ignited... Peter just absolutely slammed it.

He grinned at her as they stood up. "Now go out there... Plant your feet... Grit your teeth... deck that egotistical prick in the mouth... And win us a free sushi dinner." He said as he held the door open for her.

He didn't have to tell her twice as she smirked. "Tell Todoroki to be ready to bust out his wallet and get his dad's credit card ready... Because, as Mina would say..." She narrowed her eyes.

"Mama's hungry."

---

A loud horn sounded as the countdown on the jumbotron finally reached all zeros.

"ALRIGHT EVERYONE!!! YOU ALL KNOW WHAT THAT SOUND MEANS!!!! WE'RE ABOUT TO TIE UP OUR VERY LAST LOOSE END BEFORE THE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH!!! THE LAST MATCH OF THE SEMI FINALS IS ABOUT TO GO DOWN RIGHT HERE!!! RIGHT NOW!!! WITH THESE TWO PARTICULAR COMPETITORS WHO ARE ABOUT TO FACE OFF, THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO TELLING WHAT IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN!!!! THERE'S ONLY ONE QUESTION THAT STILL NEEDS TO BE ANSWERED... WHO'S GOING TO JOIN PETER PARKER IN THE FINAL SHOWDOWN OF THIS YEARS UA SPORTS FESTIVAAAAAAAAAAAAL?!?!?!"

Peter made his way down the stairs towards his friends as the crowd began to burst out into an uncontrollable scream of excitement. "Looks like I made it just in time!" He said as the group swung their heads around at the sound of his voice. Their expressions were... Off...

"You didn't kill him did you?" Jiro said as she cocked an eyebrow at him.

"...What?" Peter said with a confused chuckle as Shoto glanced at them and swiped his hand across his throat signaling for them to stop the conversation.

"She must not have told him." Mina whispered.

"What's going on?" He asked, becoming increasingly aware that there was something they all seemed to know that he didn't.

"Nothing Parker... Sit down and rest before your next match." His best friend nodded towards the seat beside him.

"O-kay?... You guys are acting really weird..."

"OUR FIRST FIGHTER HAS ABSOLUTELY DEMOLISHED BOTH OPPONENTS HE HAS FACED ON HIS WAY INTO THESE SEMI FINALS!!!!"

"I wouldn't say demolished..." Ochako crossed her arms in annoyance.

"HE'S LET IT BE KNOWN TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON HERE THAT HE'S NOT ONE TO PULL ANY PUNCHES!!! HIS EARLY DECLARATION OF VICTORY IS NOW ONLY TWO WINS AWAY FROM COMING TO FRUITION!!!! IS AN ULTRA CHARGED FIGHT BETWEEN HIM AND PARKER SET IN STONE?!?! OR IS THIS WHERE WE SEE THE TERRIFYING TITAN FINALLY FALL?!?!?! IT'S KATSUKI BAKUGOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"

The blonde headed boy stepped out of the tunnel with a menacing scowl. His fists clenched tighter with each step he took towards the concrete spotlight. His goal was clear to him... Waste this chick... Then destroy Parker in the next round...

The very moment Parker was declared the winner in his fight against that half and half bastard... The flint of Bakugo's massive temper struck against the steel of contempt he held for that insignificant spandex-wearing piece of trash. Thus, sparking a raging fire of anger to life that was immediately directed towards the wall crawler... And the mere thought of his earlier confrontation with the creation quirk user only threw gasoline onto those flames.

As he stepped into the ring... He was completely unaware of the grave mistake he was already making. It was the same error he had made during his first face-off with Peter... He was going into this fight completely out of control of his own emotions and underestimating a strong opponent... But as they say, old habits die hard.

He cracked his knuckles as he waited for his opponent to be announced. 'All these extras are about to learn... They're all beneath me... It's time I put them back in their place underneath my boot.'

---

Meanwhile in an unknown location:

Alone in a dark room, illuminated by the flickering light of an old television set, the sinister Tomura Shigaraki sat in a decrepit and well worn office chair, tirelessly scratching the raw spot on the side of his throat. He was hunched over with his eyes just barely managing to stay open as he stared at the screen.

"...IS AN ULTRA CHARGED FIGHT BETWEEN HIM AND PARKER SET IN STONE?!?! OR IS THIS WHERE WE SEE THE TERRIFYING TITAN FINALLY FALL?!?!?! IT'S KATSUKI BAKUGOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"

He grumbled as he adjusted the white model of a hand that covered his face. This was such a complete waste of his time.

Suddenly a petrifyingly evil voice came from the blank computer monitor beside the TV. "I do hope you're paying close attention... Young Tomura..."

"Yes, master." He responded with his gravely hoarse voice.

"Your attack on the USJ facility may have seemed like an abject failure... Your League of Villains suffered heavy losses... The Nomu I so graciously gave you was lost... And the symbol of peace still draws breath into his irreparably damaged body..."

Shigaraki grunted in frustration at the reminder of his defeat...

"However... Your efforts were not without fruit... Your endeavors have instilled a restless fear into the hearts and minds of not only UA students and faculty... But to the population of Japan as well... I believe you will be happy to know that there are already whispers of you and your group circulating in the underground shadows of this world..." The voice said as the shaggy haired young man began to scratch harder at his own flesh.

"I have always told you my young Tomura... Start over as many times as you like. Everything I do is for you. It is time to rebuild your ranks... I will continue to send word out through the shadows to recruit those with tainted hearts to your band of followers. When your League of Villains is back to fighting strength, you can try again..."

Tomura became irritated further as the screen flashed light from the broadcast in his face. "Master... Why do I have to keep watching this crap?!"

"Because my dear boy... In addition to the lost souls I bring to your aid... I believe that this beautifully violent Bakugo child could be quite a useful addition to your group... And as for the girl he's about to fight... I want her power for myself." The mysterious voice revealed to him.

Shigaraki's face slowly cracked into an expression of delightful insanity as his master continued.

"It isn't often that I give you an order, Tomura Shigaraki... But whenever the time comes to make your next move... You will bring them both to me personally. The boy will join you, or I will take his quirk and give it to someone who will... And the girl... Just imagine the wonderful things I could create with that power... Nuclear warheads, VX nerve gas, automatic firearms, torture devices, quirk enhancers... All at your disposal once I have her quirk added to my esteemed collection..."

Tomura's disposition was completely transformed as he watched the screen with sudden interest...

---

"OUR FINAL COMPETITOR OF THIS SEMI FINAL ROUND HAS PROVEN TO BE QUITE A HANDFUL IN HER OWN RIGHT!!!! SHE'S EARNED HER SPOT IN THIS MATCH AFTER USING A BEAUTIFUL COMBINATION OF BRAINS AND BUTT KICKING TO LIFT HER UP THROUGH THIS TOURNAMENT BRACKET!!!! SHE'S LIKELY THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE HER OPPONENT HAS YET TO FACE!!! CAN SHE SPIT IN THE FACE OF HIS PREMATURE DECLARATION OF VICTORY?!?!?! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, ITS MOMO YAOYOROZUUUUUUUU!!!!!!"

The vice rep of the most famous high school class on earth emerged from her tunnel, already removing the top of her uniform. She seemed absolutely ready to throw down. As she walked by her class she nodded at Peter with a thumbs up before continuing on into the ring.

Peter leaned back in his seat and took a few deep breaths to calm himself. This kind of match was exactly why he had pushed her so hard in their week of nonstop training. It was going to be extremely tough. She was about to face exactly what she used to fear... An opponent she considered to be her superior, that possessed an absurd amount of natural talent and power.

He never went easy on her. She stumbled and failed quite often during their first few days of sparring, but he was always extremely quick to point out every single thing she did right after every round to build her self esteem. As the training sessions passed, she began to steadily improve to the point where she started to offer him a proper match, and eventually... She managed to best him...

The championship bound teen continued to control his breathing as he allowed his eyes to shut. He could still clearly visualize her expression of joyful disbelief after she had managed to force him out of bounds for the first time. From that moment forward, he caught glimpses of exactly what she was truly capable of. Despite what she had previously convinced herself of, she was no push over. He learned that with the help of her family's vast amount of wealth, she had been given the opportunity to work with some of the country's best fighting instructors, and was at least somewhat familiar with many different styles of fighting. Her personal go-to of course being bōjutsu.

Perhaps her greatest asset though, was her skillful handling of her extraordinary quirk. In the hands of someone of lesser intelligence, it was all but useless... But to someone like her with a brilliant mind, it was a fierce weapon of the highest caliber. He was beyond impressed by the way she utilized her god given ability in a multitude of creative ways. It gave her such a distinct advantage in terms of unpredictability... And with every single day that passed, she gained further control of it.

If someone else was able to read his thoughts, they would be inclined to wonder why he was so worried... The answer to which was rather simple. Though he truthfully didn't hold back in their practice matches... He was forced to train with her under a legion of limitations... Something Momo herself even called attention to during their very first day, though he brushed it off as if it weren't all that important.

At the time, he honestly didn't see the restraints as too much of a factor... But after seeing Bakugo's last two fights, and the way he was practically unbothered by a ring setting, he began to grow nervous.

He opened his eyes to find nearly all of those sitting near him, including Shoto, stealing glances at him and quickly averting their gaze as he locked eyes with them.

He sat up and decided to confront them about it.

"Alright, everyone is acting seriously weird... What's up?"

He noticed the group looking at each other as if they were nonverbally discussing whether or not to tell him something. One girl in particular looked a little more nervous than the rest of them...

"Just don't worry about it Parker, just focus on the fight..." Shoto tried to convince him.

"No way. You guys are hiding something from me. What is it?"

"Seriously Parker, just don-" Jiro tried to say before he interrupted her.

He locked eyes with the trembling brunette in the row in front of him, "Uraraka?"

"Oh no you don't! Uraraka!" Shoto protested.

The group suddenly realized he had found their weak spot and vehemently tried to keep her from talking.

"'Chako don't do it *ribbit..."

He continued to put pressure on her knowing she would eventually crack. "Uraraka..."

"Keep it zipped girl!" Mina blurted out.

"Ochako..." He pressed.

"Not a word!" Jiro hissed.

"Ochako..."

The girl in question began to sweat as her eyes darted to everyone around her.

"Keep it together..." Midoriya warned.

"Ochako..."

The girl finally blurted out her refusal. "I'M FINE! IM GOOD! IM GOOD!!..." She began to breathe easier. "I'm good..."

...

"Ochako."

She immediately broke. "BAKUGO CORNERED YAOMOMO IN THE TUNNEL AFTER HER LAST MATCH AND TRIED TO INTIMIDATE HER AND MADE SOME VAGUE THREATS ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF SHE STEPPED INTO THE RING WITH HIM AND NOBODY WANTED TO TELL YOU BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT YOU TO KILL HIM OR THROW YOU OFF BEFORE YOUR NEXT FIGHT!!!" She blurted out an entire mouthful all at once as the rest of the group gulped and looked at the boy.

They didn't know what to expect from the brown headed super-human who had already shown his protective nature for the girl he cared so much for... But after a few seconds, they had their answer as the metal armrests of his seat were crumpled like paper. To some, the actions of Katsuki would be seen as normal displays of his brash hot headedness... But for Peter... he could only think of all the times he was cornered by Flash Thompson, and all the emotions he felt in those moments. He grimaced at the thought of her facing the same situation... Unaware of the fact that she had handled herself just fine.

"Parker... Are you okay?" Mina asked him gently.

He forced himself to put on a convincing smile. "I'll be okay... I'll be even better after she wins this match though."

Mina couldn't help but remember what Shoto had shared with them in private earlier... About his history of being bullied back before he came to Japan... She stared at the armrest of his seat and couldn't help but disregard the dismissive smile he gave her.

Before she could question him further, she was interrupted by Midnight...

---

As Momo stepped into the ring, she made a beeline for the blonde and stuck out her hand. She was feeling an adrenaline rush like no other and was ready to let everyone know that she was supposed to be here.

Bakugo glared at her and spit on the ground between them. "Get your fucking hand away from me... I'm about to send you to the nearest hospital."

She matched his glare, "Good luck with that... You're gonna need it."

She turned and headed back towards her sideline as Midnight took up her microphone.

"CONTESTANTS KATSUKI BAKUGO AND MOMO YAOYOROZU! CONGRATULATIONS ON FIGHTING YOUR WAY THIS FAR!!! THIS IS THE LAST FIGHT OF THE SEMI FINALS AND ONLY ONE OF YOU CAN ADVANCE!!! ITS TIME TO SHOW US WHICH ONE OF YOU WANTS IT MORE!!!"

'I hope you're watching this Parker...' the blonde thought as he gritted his teeth.

'I've been watching you Bakugo... I know how you fight, I know how you're going to start this off...' she furrowed her brow as she tightened hair tie. 'I know you can't help but to fight with emotions... I know you're underestimating me...'

"CONTESTANTS READY?!?!" The R rated hero raised her hand...

"COME ON ALREADY!!!" Katsuki screamed.

'And I know what I'm having for dinner tonight.' she smirked as she nodded to Midnight.

"BEGIN!!!!"

The second her hand dropped, Momo charged and Katsuki blasted his way across the ring. A sparkling light covered the outside of her left forearm and her right fist as she watched Bakugo draw his right arm back as far as he could.

'There it is...' she smirked.

"A DAMNED SHIELD ISN'T GONNA SAVE YOU FROM ME!!!!" he screamed as he opened his hand and his palm started to glow.

Suddenly, three grey cylinders sprung out of her arm and shot a cloud of confetti in his face as a thick pair of brass knuckles appeared on her right hand.

The surprisingly unorthodox strategy paid off as Bakugo lost his focus completely.

She quickly capitalized and started the fight off... With a big right hook.

Her fist made solid contact with his face and opened up a nasty cut underneath his left eye as he slid on his back across the concrete. She quickly removed the brass coverings from her hand and began to create her signature weapon.

Peter turned to Shoto. "Better text your sister before she starts making dinner plans... Looks like we're going out tonight."

"WHAT AN ASTOUNDING START TO THIS FIGHT AS MOMO YAOYOROZU KICKS THINGS OFF WITH AN INCREDIBLY CREATIVE ATTACK!!!! WHAT KIND OF CHAOS ARE WE IN FOR?!?!"

Katsuki quickly got to his feet as his crimson blood trickled down his cheek... Only to be staggered again by a metal staff slamming into his face. One after another, each swing of her staff carried a message to the blonde that if he wanted to win this fight, then he would have to take her seriously. Swift but powerful strikes found their home. His knee caps, elbows, shoulders, neck, chin, and cheek bones were all severely punished by her barrage. Finally, he was able to escape her ruthless flurry as he leaned back far enough for her staff to just barely graze one of his blonde spikes. He latched onto the weapon that had dealt a surprising amount of damage to him already. He quickly attached his other hand onto the staff and a power struggle for its possession began.

So far, in every single match she had fought in, her opponent had found a way to disarm her... She tightened her grip and refused to let it happen a third time. The two pushed and pulled relentlessly, both refusing to relinquish control of the metal object. Almost out of nowhere, Katsuki's kneecap slammed into her gut, causing her to double over as the pain spread throughout her entire body... But her grip remained locked...

Bakugo reared his leg back and drove his knee into her again with even more force than before... She still held firm. He started to get frustrated... And with his frustration... Rage and violence were never too far behind.

"WHY.. THE... HELL... WON'T... YOU..." He continued to slam his knee into her ribs between each word, until his anger finally got the best of him and he made yet another mistake. "LET... GO?!?!?!" He removed his right hand and cocked his arm back to hit her as hard as he possibly could.

As soon as Momo felt the change in his hold on the weapon, she reacted instantly by violently thrusting the staff against the bridge of his nose and stomping down onto his foot, applying every single pound of her weight into her action. Bakugo winced in pain as she pivoted around his body and pulled her staff against his throat. She began to constrict his breathing.

"BAKUGO IS IN TROUBLE!!! THE BATTLE HAS JUST STARTED AND MOMO YAOYOROZU HAS HIM EXACTLY WHERE SHE WANTS HIM!!! COULD SHE FINISH THIS FIGHT ALREADY?!?!?!"

She continued to pull tighter and tighter. The boy's face began to turn red from both the lack of air going into his lungs, and the blockage of blood circulation. He clutched desperately at the silver rod but couldn't get a firm hold on it.

"Surrender! Now! If I pull any harder then I'll completely crush your esophagus!" She barked at him.

Midnight stood up and readied herself to stop the fight as Katsuki struggled in vain to free himself.

Class 1-A was losing their minds as they watched their vice rep do the unthinkable. She was on the verge of pulling off one of the most miraculous victories they had ever witnessed.

"Ohmygod! OHMYGOD!!! She's got him!!! She's gonna win!" Mina exclaimed as she looked over to see her friend's reactions. Jiro was in the middle of screaming her lungs out... But Peter and Shoto both sat with worried expressions on their faces. Her look of excitement slowly began to fade... If she had learned anything from the events of the day, it was that if those two weren't ready to celebrate... Then this fight was still far from over.

"She needs to finish this... Now." Shoto said in an intense voice that left those around him completely unnerved.

Peter nodded silently... He knew that with each passing second... Bakugo would become more and more dangerous. He watched as Momo buckled his knees with a couple of swift downward kicks to the back of his legs.

"Give it up! You can't exactly afford to lose any more braincells from oxygen deprivation!!!"

Katsuki writhed in her grasp... By his calculations, he had two options:

Surrender to the girl who was choking the absolute shit out of him... Or go completely nuclear.

It was... An easy choice... He began to reach his palm towards the surface of the ring...

Peter leapt out of his seat and screamed. "MO!!!! STAND HIM BACK UP!!!!" But unfortunately, it was a warning that came mere seconds too late as the palm of the blonde made contact with the ground and he let off an absurdly massive explosion, sending both himself and Momo flying backwards. Her staff flew from her grasp...

Both fighters tumbled across the ring and were slow to get back to their feet.

"WHAT A GIGANTIC BLAST FROM THE HUMAN STICK OF DYNAMITE!!! LET'S HOPE THESE TWO CAN GET BACK UP AFTER THAT ONE!!!!"

Everything was blurry... Pieces of concrete fell from the sky like hail as an ungodly high pitched screech rang in both of her ears. After a short time the horrid noise was slowly replaced by the screams of the crowd and her vision finally refocused. From her position on the ground she saw her opponent on all fours, violently coughing as he brought a hand up to his bruised throat. She turned her head to find her staff just beyond her reach. She rolled her body towards it and extended her arm as far as she could. Just as her finger tips brushed against the weapon, a black combat boot stomped down on her hand, causing her to yelp in anguish.

"BAKUGO IS BACK ON HIS FEET!!! I WOULD URGE THOSE WITH SENSITIVE EYES TO LOOK AWAY!!!"

As she tried to free herself, she felt a horrific pain in her scalp as she was jerked to her feet by her ponytail and a fist slammed into her gut... Then into her face... then her gut again. She was pulled back up by her hair into a standing position as he began to taunt her. "Look at you... You're nothing... You shouldn't even be here... You wouldn't even be here if it weren't for daddy's money... WELL WHERE'S ALL THAT NEW CONFIDENCE OF YOUR'S GONE NOW?!" He screamed in her face.

Shoto and the others looked at Peter, who seemed like he was doing everything in his power to contain the unbelievable amount of fury inside of him. Monoma had managed to bring out a downright scary level of anger by insulting the creation artist... But watching the way Bakugo was treating this fight made him feel a certain type of rage he had only experienced once before in his life... When he looked into the eyes of his uncle's killer, just before he swelled them shut.

He wasn't an angry person by nature by any means... Though admittedly, today was sort of an outlier. It had been an emotional rollercoaster for him to say the least... But watching this fight was like walking barefoot on broken glass to him. Though she was holding her own just fine, the way Bakugo was fighting... it was clear to him that his main goal was to blatantly cause her harm... not to win the match.

His friends watched as his resolve began to crack. He started to get out of his seat but was quickly stopped by his best friend... "Don't even think about it..." Shoto said as he stared down Peter with his hand firmly latched to his arm. "She needs you to stay calm right now... If you go do something stupid you'll be disqualified and she'll spend the rest of this fight completely distracted! You and I both know how dangerous that would be for her!!!"

He took a deep breath as he nodded and tried to calm himself.

"You've continued to believe in her abilities all day long... Don't stop now... You know that she's more than capable of handling herself out there."

Momo opened her eyes with an indescribable anger flashing inside of them. "LET... GO... OF!!! MY!!! HAIR!!!"

In the blink of an eye, her hand shot up and latched onto his wrist. She dug her thumb into the pressure point, forcing him to release his hold on her jet black locks. In one fluid motion, she twisted his arm and spun around behind him. With a sharp jerk upwards, she pinned his arm to his back, drew back her free arm, and slammed her elbow into his neck.

As she reared back to deal him another blow to the head, his palm behind his back flashed and another explosion sent her flying away from him. She managed to contort her body in midair to land on her feet as she used the distance between them to rest. Her breathing was starting to become heavier.

'This isn't working! No matter how hard I hit him, he keeps using his explosions to keep me from overwhelming him... And it's wearing on my body as well... Have I even managed to phase him at all?!?!' She thought to herself.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN I CAN'T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME I SAW A FIST FIGHT THIS EXCITING!!! THERE'S NO BETTER WAY TO CAP OFF THESE SEMI FINALS THAN WHAT WE'RE WITNESSING RIGHT HERE!!!!"

The blonde watched her closely as he prepared to continue their fight.

'I need to do something now. I can't risk dragging this fight out much longer... I've already used up a lot of lipids since I last ate...' she shook the unwelcome thoughts from her mind, refusing to be deterred. 'Just keep fighting Momo...'

She created another staff and charged straight towards Katsuki once again. Her legs and lungs burned... Her body ached... The fatigue from her loss of lipids began to creep its way throughout her body... But still she ran forward, fueled by determination to win this fight by whatever means necessary. As she closed in, she lunged at her opponent preparing to unleash a violent barrage of attacks from her bō staff... But as she swung her weapon, Bakugo blasted himself into a flip over her head. He used his other hand to create a blast to stop his momentum, and as his feet touched the ground behind her, he shot his hand out towards her back.

Everything almost appeared to happen in slow motion... The very moment she realized that her attack had missed, her brain went straight into overdrive mode. In order to win this fight, self preservation was top priority. Even though she had taken more than her fair share of blows in this match, she had managed to do something that both Iida and Uraraka could not... Force him into a close quarter fist fight, limiting the power of his explosions. She had adopted the strategy from a quote from a character in the movie she had watched with her crush.

"The closer we are to danger, the farther we are from harm..."

This time, however, She turned her head to find a huge blast forming in his palm and created a riot shield from her back.

*BOOOOM!!!

The shield did its job, but the force sent her flying through the air towards the sideline. As she soared through the air, it became more than obvious that, given her aerial trajectory, she was about to land outside of the ring. Her brain continued to fire on all cylinders as she decided to take a page from Peter's book of reckless behavior... A grenade sprouted from the palm of her hand.

She quickly pulled the pin with her teeth and tossed it down where she was about to land. She managed to reposition her body to face away from the impending explosion so that the shield would absorb the blast and the shrapnel.

*BOOM!!!

The detonation changed her direction and sent her tumbling back into the ring. She struggled to stand back up... She had burned through more lipids than she had originally thought. She clenched her fist, shakily stood back up, and forced herself to run forward towards the blonde.

Bakugo's frustration was close to pushing him completely over the edge. Nothing he was doing was working. This girl... Who he viewed as beneath him... Was actually challenging him. And she obviously didn't fear him... Her backtalk from earlier today wormed it's way back into his brain.

"You must be feeling pretty threatened by me if you are worried about a match you haven't earned a spot in yet."

He nearly chipped a tooth from how hard he began to grit his teeth.

"...Do you always spit this much when you talk?"

He began to shake with rage.

"...I will beat you."

The sight of her running towards him, coupled with that very last thought... Finally pushed him completely over the edge and he lost all control of himself.

"RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

The boy began to scream with all the breath in his lungs as he sent multiple massive explosions in her direction, covering the two fighters in a cloud of smoke.

"BAKUGO ONCE AGAIN COVERS THE RING IN A BLANKET OF SMOKE!!!! IS YAOYOROZU STILL IN THE FIGHT?!?! OR WAS SHE TAKEN OUT BY ONE OF THOSE HUGE BLASTS?!?!"

The entirety of Class A leapt from their seats and crowded around the railing in suspense as they desperately tried to get a look at their vice rep. Peter shoved his way to the front as he stared wide eyed at the scene before him. The smoke was way too thick to see anything. A hush fell over the stadium...

Inside the shrouded ring, Momo groaned as she struggled to pick herself up from the concrete that now bore so many cracks that it looked like one of Peter's webs. She was seriously running on empty after being forced to create a second riot shield to protect herself from Bakugo's temper tantrum. She felt the urge to cough from all the smoke that threatened to fill her lungs... But she suppressed it in order to keep from giving away her position. After all, he was just as blind as she was...

Bakugo found himself feeling a sudden sense of Deja Vu as his eyes shifted all around him. After a few uneventful seconds he actually considered the possibility that maybe he had actually hit her with one of those deranged blasts.

*WHACK

Her staff struck the back of his head. As he whipped around he sent another blast behind him in the direction of where the attack came from... Nothing...

Peter watched as another explosion came from within the smoke. 'She's still fighting!!!'

*WHACK

Another rogue strike from behind the blonde left him frazzled. Again and again she continued to attack and disappear...but unknown to everyone else in the stadium, including Bakugo... A brilliant strategy was being put into place. She was forcing herself beyond her limits as she left behind creations with each surprise attack she dealt to her opponent.

Finally the madness stopped and the smoke began to disappear to reveal Momo Yaoyorozu standing completely worn out as she faced her opponent from a distance.

Bakugo scowled and took a step forward... But stopped abruptly as his foot made contact with an object on the ground. He looked down as a cluster of Russian nesting dolls began to pop open revealing flash bangs inside them. He looked up at his opponent with wide eyes as she tossed a handful of pins to the ground as she struggled to remain on her feet. One by one, the canisters burst as a bright flash threw the blonde into a state of temporary blindness.

He prepared himself for a final assault that never came...

His opponent fell over from exhaustion and slipped into unconsciousness...