Chapter Summary: Everyone prepares for the cavalry battle.

A/N: So while this is a long chapter, I'll admit, I did have to cut it down a bit because the scenes I *did* want to include felt like they deserved their own chapter. Because let's face it, a *lot* is going to be happening in this battle. Nonetheless, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter~!

"You've got 15 minutes to build a team!" Midnight proclaimed. As she raised her whip up, a timer appeared behind her on the screen. "I suggest you get started!"

Almost as soon as she said that, the timer began to count down and everyone began moving. Izuku watched as his classmates all flitted to and fro to begin making their teams, their voices becoming a blend amidst the murmur of the crowd. With furrowed brows, he turned to Kacchan, his heart feeling heavy.

'Kacchan…' he thought. Izuku's hands clenched as his friend called out to Kaminari, who turned to regard Kacchan with apprehension. Within a matter of moments, Kaminari rushed away and Kacchan cursed after his form, leaving Izuku frowning. 'Not even his friends on the committee want to help him…'

He swallowed thickly. Perhaps it was too optimistic– or even downright foolish– for some part of him to consider asking Kacchan to team up, especially after the last round. He supposed he couldn't help it, to a degree– they had known each other almost their entire lives. Still, as he stood there and stared at the back of his friend's head, he couldn't help but recall the his words from the obstacle course:

"You said you wanted to compete with me…" Kacchan's voice echoed in his head. "Now you'll know how it feels to lose to me!"

A frown threatened to settle across his lips and he fought back the urge to sigh. Although the history he shared with Kacchan was long, it was also just as complicated; to ask to form an alliance when he was in such a tough position would only be seen as undermining him, which would do neither of them any good as teammates. No matter how much of a good idea Izuku thought it would be, Kacchan would disagree on principle. That was just how it went with the two of them.

"Hey, Deku!" called out Uraraka, nearly making him jump. He turned around to see her smiling at him excitedly. "Did you want to team up?"

Izuku blinked. "Huh?"

"For the cavalry battle!" she said. "We've been on a team together before, so it seems like a good idea, don't you think?"

Despite his prior resignation regarding Kacchan, Izuku's mood lightened. "It does. I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have won our first battle simulation if it weren't for you."

"You helped ," Uraraka asserted. She bumped into his shoulder playfully and giggled. "Besides, it's better to team up with people you like!"

Almost immediately, Izuku felt as though someone had squeezed his heart in their fist and he had to fight to keep his emotions from showing on his face. Man, he really hadn't gotten used to having friends like this, had he?

"Uh, you alright?" Uraraka questioned. "You don't look so great."

Ah. And so it would seem he hadn't gotten used to hiding that fact, either. Slowly, Izuku tried to relax the muscles in his face and he met with Uraraka's gaze. "Sorry… Just felt like my heart was gonna explode for a second there…"

"Well, don't let it," she teased, "we still have a team to build and strategy to come up with if we wanna win!" Her expression softened. "That is, if you're okay with that?"

"I am," he answered. Already, his mind was rapidly analyzing and applying the use of Uraraka's Quirk in potential battle formations, recalling information from the notes he had written about her in his notebook. "I think your Quirk would be great for maneuverability and evasion. It could help us get out of a tight spot and avoid obstacles our opponents set up. In fact, I think in conjunction with others…"

His eyes trailed over until he spotted Iida and Yaoyorozu standing a few feet away from them, which made his smile only grow. He walked over to his fellow officers and Uraraka followed after him. When he tapped Iida on the shoulder, his friend turned to look at him quizzically.

"Guys," Izuku greeted, "did you guys want to team up?"

Uraraka sprang up beside him. "Yeah! I think we'd make a great team!"

Yaoyorozu blinked in surprise. "You want to team up with us?"

"Of course," Izuku answered earnestly. He glanced over at Iida. "You guys have incredible Quirks and I think that you'd be a great fit." He held up his index finger. "Iida, your speed is amazing and with Uraraka's Quirk, we'd be able to maximize our mobility. And Yaoyorozu–" He ticked off another finger. "You're strategic and versatile. I think you'd do a wonderful job as either a horse or a rider." Then, he held up a third finger. "Plus, we're all pretty familiar with each other and I think that could really help us. What do you guys think?"

Rather than match his enthusiasm, his two peers merely glanced at one another and exchanged a single look. Izuku's smile started to fade and he dropped his hand as the overwhelming feeling of familiarity began to wash over him. He had seen that look before; he had seen it more times than he would have liked to. So when the two of them turned back to him, he already felt the beginnings of dread starting to form in his stomach.

"It's a fine strategy," Iida affirmed, "but… I'm afraid I'll have to decline your offer."

"What?" Uraraka blurted out. "How come, Iida?"

Beneath the shine of his glasses, something in his gaze shifted. "Ever since the entrance exam… Ever since this all started… I've been losing to you, Midoriya. And I worry that if I keep following you, I won't improve." He pushed his glasses up his nose and the light of the sun caused his eyes to disappear beneath its reflection. "You're a good friend… Which is precisely why I can't be on your team."

Rationally, Izuku could understand where he was coming from. To Iida, he had made it into U.A. by finding out some hidden part of the exam no one knew, not by sheer dumb luck. To Iida, he had won his battle against Kacchan with his strength and outsmarted Iida with his wits, not by catching them both by utter surprise. To Iida, he had gotten second place with strategic planning and calculation, not by taking a bunch of risks that just so happened to pay off. So taking all of those things into account, Izuku could understand why he felt the way he did. Which was precisely what made it so frustrating for him when he knew what Iida thought couldn't be further from the truth.

"I'm afraid I'll have to decline, as well," Yaoyorozu told him, causing the weight in Izuku's stomach to sink further down, "while I am honored you think so highly of me…" Her eyes fell down to the ground and she pursed her lips. "I worry that I'm not measuring up to the expectation you have for me."

Izuku furrowed his brows. "What do you mean, Yaoyorozu?"

She exhaled. "I came second to you in the votes. And although I know our classmates were alright with me taking your place after you stepped down… I still came second . It could just be my pride talking, but…" Yaoyorozu lifted her gaze up to meet with Izuku's. "I suppose in a way, I still feel like I'm behind you. I'd like to prove to myself that I'm not."

Once again, Izuku was caught in that vexing place of seeing her perspective. He knew that almost nothing could be as venomous as the voice in your head telling you that you weren't doing enough, that you simply weren't enough. That line of thinking was all too familiar for him and he knew that very little could assuage it other than simply proving it wrong. Actions always did speak louder than words, after all. However, that still didn't erase his frustration.

"Is this about what Todoroki said?" he found himself asking before he could stop himself. It sounded so juvenile. Izuku felt juvenile for saying it. This was a competition, after all– the loyalties that friendship brought wasn't a built-in guarantee. Still, he couldn't keep himself from clenching his fist. "Is that what brought all this on?"

Iida's eyes narrowed. "Midoriya, that's not what this is about–"

"I didn't ask for him to target me, you know," Izuku interjected, causing him to blink. Recognizing his tone as argumentative, he scaled back. "But then again, I guess you can't pick and choose who wants to make an enemy out of you, so there's nothing I can really do about that… Just like I know there's nothing I can do about changing your mind."

Very briefly, his eyes cut over to Kacchan's back and his fist clenched just a bit tighter. He closed them and took a deep breath in through his nose to try to center himself.

"You guys have something you want to prove," he acknowledged out loud, "I get it. Believe it or not, I've got a lot to prove myself." He thought of Yagi up in the faculty section and his proud smile, of how good it felt to see after finishing the obstacle course. "So if you guys want to challenge me, then go ahead. I won't stop you."

"Deku," Uraraka murmured softly.

With great difficulty, Izuku tried to relax his fist and exhaled. "I get why you guys feel like you need to do it… But I meant what I said to Todoroki back there." Finally, he brought himself to open his eyes and faced his fellow officers. "And because I respect you both, I'm going to warn you: I'm not going to hold back. So neither should you."

Slowly, the corner of Yaoyorozu's lips quirked upwards. "I wasn't planning on it."

"Good," Izuku replied. He had it in him to smile back at her, although it lacked his usual enthusiasm. Then, he brought his attention over to Iida and nodded at him. "You guys do what you need to do, and I'll do the same. Alright?"

Iida met his gaze head-on. "I want to stress that this isn't a personal insult… But, at the end of the day, this is a competition." He nodded back at Izuku. "So I will do my best to defeat you."

When both of his peers made their departure, Izuku thought he would have felt something akin to betrayal or despair. However, despite his frustration, he couldn't have it in him to be angry at either of them. While he may not have placed first and earned himself the bounty of ten million points like Kacchan had, he would have been a fool to ignore his overall placement in the competition. He was in the top– that made him someone to beat.

"Geez," Uraraka breathed out, "so I guess we're back to looking for teammates."

"I guess so," Izuku agreed. He brought a hand to his chin and cast a long look across the field. "So far, it looks like everyone is keeping to people they know in their classes, which makes sense. They know what to expect from their classmates."

A small hum of thought escaped Uraraka. "So that means we should probably pick people from our class, too… But, who?"

As if he were waiting for someone to cue him in, Aoyama appeared in front of Izuku's face. " Monsieur! You should pick me for your team!"

"Gah!" Izuku exclaimed, stepping back. He bumped into Uraraka, who grabbed onto his shoulders to keep him from falling backward. "Where'd you come from?"

"Unimportant!" Aoyama proclaimed. Strangely enough, he had an arm wrapped around his stomach and sweat on his brow, but he faced Izuku with that same strange smile that always seemed to be on his face. "Your team needs some panache and I am just the one to give it that!"

Uraraka sent an uneasy look Izuku's way and he slowly brought himself to stand upright so she wouldn't have to hold onto him. "Um… Well, maybe–"

"Yo!" piped up a voice. Collectively, he and Uraraka turned to see Sero make his way over to the three of them. He pointed his thumb at himself and grinned. "You're going to want me on your team, Midoriya! I've got the goods you need!"

Before he could even respond, Sato leaned into Izuku's view. "Hey, man! I know you already have some muscle, but you can never have too much! Together, we'd be unstoppable! "

"Oh," Izuku said, his eyes flitting to each of them in rapid succession, "I, uh–"

"You took down that giant robot like it was nothing! " exclaimed Ashido, causing him to jump. Geez, why was everyone popping up out of nowhere all of a sudden? She leaned over Sero's shoulder and smiled at Izuku excitedly. "I knew you were strong, but I didn't know just how much! "

Heat began to creep its way to Izuku's cheeks. "O-Oh, thanks! It was, uh, nothing really."

"You jokin'? " Sato told him. "I remember being so scared of that thing back during the entrance exam! I can't believe you took it down so easily!"

The memory of the entrance exam nearly made Izuku shudder. It seemed that Sato and some of his classmates hadn't known just how badly things could have gone for him when he decided to face off against the Executor again.

"You have mad guts for standing up to Bakugou and Todoroki," Sero adulated, "it makes sense you got second place!"

At the mention of Izuku's placement, realization began to sink in. Of course– he had done well in the obstacle course, so while his point value also made him a target to some, it made him an ally to others. He hadn't really thought about that part.

"So, what kind of wacky strategy do you have for the cavalry battle?" Ashido questioned. "That stunt with the mines was insane! You got any other wild ideas?"

Beneath everyone's collective gaze, Izuku found himself shrinking down. "Uh, well, I…"

He cast his gaze across his peers and inspected each of them, his mind immediately falling into a series of assessments. Point values were something to consider for sure, but since that could fluctuate as the game went on, he didn't think that alone should dictate who he picked. That, and his own point value of 205, while a mere drop in the bucket compared to Kacchan's point value, was still high up on the charts. So his best bet was to consider the abilities of each person and ensure that his team was balanced. Speaking of balance, height and build was definitely something to consider, since extreme differences in height could leave room for lapses in mobility.

'Sero is incredibly versatile with his Quirk,' Izuku thought, casting a look over at him, 'he's able to bind his opponents from afar and also move around super well with it… The former might prove to be more helpful in this instance.' He glanced at Ashido. 'And Ashido's Acid Quirk is also versatile and effective… She uses it to get around a lot and seems to be able to shift the solubility and viscosity in order to suit what she's trying to accomplish. It would help stop us from getting stuck or cornered.' His eyes trailed over to Sato. 'And even without his Quirk, Sato is really strong… Ingesting sugar augments his strength greatly, albeit for a short time, but he knows that and he knows how to best maximize his strength during that time period.' His brows furrowed and he placed a hand on his chin. 'As for Aoyama–'

"Uh, Deku?" Uraraka interjected lightly. "You're mumbling again."

Izuku slipped his hand over his mouth on instinct. 'Did I say all that out loud?!'

"Oh, geez," Sato said, "we didn't break him, did we?"

"S-Sorry," Izuku stammered out. He dropped his hand from his mouth and shook his head a bit to clear his head. "Listen… You guys all have amazing Quirks. But I can only pick two people at most for my team." He spared a glance at each of them. "I really hope you guys don't take it personally if I don't choose you."

Sero nodded. "Understandable, man. This is a competition, after all."

"Which is why you should have me on your team!" Ashido exclaimed.

"I really don't want to beg," Aoyama stressed. He clutched his stomach hard and pursed his lips. "But please ."

Sato crossed his arms over his chest. "You want to be the rider, right? You're going to need a strong horse to carry you!"

Izuku blinked at that. Now that it had been brought up, just where exactly did he want to stand in the formation? He was small, so being a rider wouldn't be too outside of the realm of possibility. But, would he also do better as a horse?

'So many factors to consider,' he mused, his brows furrowing. With another sweeping look at his potential candidates, he brought his hand to his chin again. 'I need to figure something out soon… Time is still ticking.'

Between him and Uraraka, they had power and dexterity at their disposal. However, despite that, there were still gaps that their potential teammates would have to fill if they were to have a chance against the other teams. One For All was powerful, but his timing issue left him open for attacks– that meant they needed someone, or even two people, who could offer defense and cover the formation's blindspots. The question was: who exactly fit that criteria?

"Deku," Uraraka addressed, snapping him out of his thoughts. He turned to her and watched as a knowing glint in her eyes formed. "I think I have an idea…"

She stroked the air with her finger to beckon him forward and he did just that, allowing her to lean close. Her voice was hushed as she whispered into his ear and slowly, Izuku's brows shot straight up. Of course – the suggestion seemed so obvious now.

"Should we ask?" Izuku questioned out loud, pulling back to peer at her.

Uraraka nodded. "Only way for us to get an answer."

At that, the corner of Izuku's lips twitched upward. "Alright– I just hope she doesn't say 'no'."

Of all the ways that Katsuki could have predicted the stipulations for the next round, perhaps he should have really taken into consideration U.A.'s apparent sadism. Because of course– of course it's when he took first place that it came with an insane price for the next round. If he were just a bit more paranoid and capable of less critical thinking, he might have thought it to be a personal punishment.

'Looks like U.A. decided to do what it does best,' Katsuki mused, his hands gripping the inner lining of his pockets. He grit his teeth and pursed his lips with equal parts indignation and resignation. 'Turn things into a learning opportunity.'

Some part of him wondered where the Grim Reaper was sitting in the stadium. He bet the old geezer was getting a laugh out of watching his misery unfold.

"You've got 15 minutes to build a team!" Midnight proclaimed. A timer popped up onto the screen and she pointed at it. "I suggest you get started!"

As soon as she said that, the timer began to count down and everyone began moving. With a huff, he searched the crowd until he spotted a familiar head of blond hair.

"Yo, Sparky!" Katsuki called out. When his classmate turned around quizzically, he gestured towards himself. "You wanna be on my team?"

Sparky's expression turned pensive. "Ah… Sorry, man… I know we're on the committee together, but…" He stuck out his thumb and pointed behind him awkwardly. "I think I'll take my chances elsewhere."

With furrowed brows, Katsuki's gaze followed Sparky's direction and he went still. Standing there was Icy-Hot, already surrounded by prospective team members. His expression was still frustratingly blank and contemplative. God , Katsuki wanted to clock him.

"You're seriously going to team up with–" He began to shout, only to stop once he brought his attention back to an empty spot. Katsuki blinked and turned to see Sparky scrambling over to Icy-Hot. " Hey! What the hell , Sparky?!"

"Sorry, Bakugou!" Sparky hollered over his shoulder. "I'll buy you a pizza to make it up to you later on!"

A growl rose out of his throat. " Coward! Go be on his team, then! You're just gonna lose anyway!"

He turned away with a huff and clenched his hands into tight fists. Whatever . Sparky could have been a good candidate, but if he would rather be with Icy-Hot, then that was his folly. With a deep inhale to try to quell the burning feeling in his gut, Katsuki scanned the surrounding groups inspectantly. The remaining participants were a mix of his own classmates, whose names and Quirks he didn't really remember that well, if he were honest, and the nobodies that occupied Class 1-B whose names and Quirks he also didn't know. Even if he did know their strengths, however, it didn't like it mattered since no one would come anywhere near him.

'They think I'm a liability,' he admitted silently. His nails pressed into his palm and he let out a small scoff. 'Shows them what they fuckin' know.'

Katsuki's traveling gaze brought him to a group of students that had gathered in a circle, and with one look, he quickly found out why. In the center of all the extras stood Deku, whose face was painted with equal parts shock and apprehension. Members of their class clamored around him and likely were in the midst of making their case for why they should be on his team. It was a far sight from the years of Deku always being the last to be picked, always standing off on the sidelines, always the last choice anyone would pick because they had no other one. Now, he and Katsuki had flipped places.

It made him sick .

"Hey, Bakugou!" called out a familiar voice. Katsuki whipped around in time to see Shitty Hair make his way over, his lips pulled into a bright smile. "You haven't already picked out a team, have you?"

Katsuki let out a growl. "Does it look like I picked one out, Hair for Brains?"

Shitty Hair's expression quickly turned indignant. "My name is Kirishima! And my hair isn't that different from yours, you hothead!"

"Whatever," he replied. Then, he arched his brow. "Why do you want to be on a team with me? Wouldn't you prefer to be on Icy-Hot's team with Sparky?"

"I already tried that," Shitty Hair told him, which caused Katsuki to sputter, "but he wasn't really interested, so… I figured I might try you."

Katsuki narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

Shitty Hair tilted his head. "What do you mean 'why'? You seriously gonna look a gift horse in the mouth when no one else wants to be on your team?"

"Idiot," Katsuki snapped without thought, "this is a game of strategy and wits . You think because we're on the committee together that means we should be teammates?" He crossed his arms over his chest. " Everyone is going to be gunning after me and my headband. So what exactly is your angle here, Shitty Hair?"

"Kirishima," Shitty Hair reiterated sharply, "it's Kirishima and you better get it right if you want me on your team. As for what my 'angle' is… I think you'd be dumb not to pick me."

A scoff escaped Katsuki. "Because I have no other choice?"

"Because I'm one of the best choices for your Quirk," Shitty Hair pressed, "you want to be the rider, don't you?"

"Obviously."

"Then I'm your man!" Shitty Hair proclaimed. "You need someone who won't get hurt by your explosions." He raised up his fist and brandished his forearm, which shifted into a rock-like texture. "If you want a strong front horse in your formation, then I'm just the man for the job!"

Katsuki let out a small hum of thought. "You think you got the guts for it?"

"And then some," Shitty Hair affirmed. As his arm shifted back to normal, he leaned in and smiled widely. "Let's go into battle, man. We're not letting anyone take our ten million points, you hear?"

For the first time since the announcement of the cavalry battle, Katsuki felt the tension in his face and shoulders start to dissipate, albeit only a little bit. He stared at Shitty Hair's smiling face and searched for any hint that would prove him to be disingenuous.

"You're serious," he said aloud. Then, just as quickly, he narrowed his eyes again. "You better not be fucking with me."

"I wouldn't have offered it if I didn't mean it," Shitty Hair told him earnestly, "I've always operated under the belief that a man should have honor in everything he does. So when I say I'll ride with you into battle, I mean it." He held out his hand to Katsuki and nodded. "That is, if you'll have me."

Katsuki inspected the hand before him for a moment. He saw callouses both old and new across his palm and little scars that marred each of his knuckles. It was the hand of someone who had learned from hard work and practice, someone who pushed themselves to their limits. He hadn't known Shitty Hair for very long, nor did he know much about him or the life he led before U.A., but he supposed that didn't matter so much– they were all starting at the bottom together, after all. Slowly, Katsuki uncrossed his arms and extended his own hand out.

"I'm good at what I do," Katsuki reminded him as he took Shitty Hair's hand into his, "but being good isn't going to guarantee us anything in this competition. We're going to have to give it all we've got." He gave Shitty Hair's hand a tight squeeze. " Everyone is going to be gunning for us."

Shitty Hair's smile only grew. "Let them. That way we know they're not wasting our time. That's what you wanted, right?"

An involuntary laugh almost huffed out of Katsuki's nose. "Don't be such a smartass."

"Better than being a dumbass," Shitty Hair settled on. He withdrew his hand from Katsuki's and crossed his arms over his chest. "So, what's our play here? Don't get me wrong, I'm strong enough to carry you on my own, but I have a feeling you don't want to ride with a cavalry of one."

The beginning of a scowl threatened to make its way across his lips. "No. But considering the amount of points I have, we might not have a choice in the matter." His eyes cut dangerously towards Sparky's back and he scoffed quietly. "And it seems like everyone else already has an idea of whose team they want to be on."

Shitty Hair's gaze followed Katsuki's and he frowned. "Oof… Kaminari went with Todoroki? Damn, that's cold ."

"More like stupid ," Katsuki snarled, still glowering at the back of Sparky's head, "we'll see how happy he is with his choice once we win this round."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Shitty Hair told him. When Katsuki sent a glare his way, he merely raised his brows and held up his hands. "Listen, I'm just saying! I want to win, too, but we can't act like it's in the bag just yet."

With a roll of his eyes, Katsuki crossed his arms over his chest. "Whatever."

"Well, since Kaminari is off the table…" Shitty Hair went on, seemingly ignoring Katsuki's comment. "What about Midoriya? I don't think he's picked a team yet."

" Hell , no!" Katsuki exclaimed. The words had shot out of him before he had even realized it, but he still meant them. "He tried to make a fool of me during the obstacle course and I plan on making him pay for it!"

Shitty Hair's brows raised up again. "Okay… A simple 'no' would have sufficed."

"This is ridiculous ," Katsuki seethed aloud, "pick someone else ."

"Okay, okay, geez ," Shitty Hair replied. He brought a hand to his chin and let out a hum of thought, his eyes shifting away to scan their surroundings. Then, he stopped suddenly and his lips pulled up into a smile. "Yo, Ashido! You on a team yet?"

Katsuki's gaze followed Shitty Hair's and he quickly settled onto Pinky's familiar head of hair standing at the edge of the crowd around Deku. She turned around quizzically and upon seeing the two of them, her expression became apprehensive. If Shitty Hair noticed, however, he didn't let it show.

"C'mon!" he pressed. He raised his arm in a flex and grinned. "We still got a spot for you!"

Pinky tilted her head. "I don't know… Seems a bit risky , if you ask me."

"See?" Katsuki hissed.

Shitty Hair glanced at him briefly with a slight frown before turning back to Pinky. "Ashido, c'mon! You'd be a great fit for the team!"

"Oh, yeah? " Pinky retorted. She stepped away from the crowd and began making her way over to the duo. "You sure you aren't just saying that because your team leader is desperate?"

"I'm not desperate!" Katsuki snapped harshly. He registered the judgmental glances from his peers out of his peripheral vision, but swiftly decided to ignore them. "Besides, what can you even do , Pinky?"

Pinky's dark eyes narrowed. "My name is Ashido . I figured you'd have gotten it by now since we're on the committee together." She crossed her arms over her chest. "And you seriously don't know what my Quirk is? Do you even pay attention during training?"

Just as a sharp response began to form on Katsuki's tongue, Shitty Hair stepped forward. "Ashido, please . Your Quirk will allow us to evade people trying to come after us!"

"Ah," Pinky replied, her brows raising with understanding, "so you want me to help you two run away? Is that it?"

"'Run away'?" Katsuki barked back. "We're not going to be–"

Shitty Hair's hand clapped across his mouth, leaving him both stunned and silenced. " Listen – everyone is going to be gunning for us. With your Acid Quirk, we would be able to get out of any traps and avoid being cornered!"

Katsuki blinked. An Acid Quirk? What kind of an Acid Quirk?

"I don't know," Pinky continued, "it just seems like a big risk…" Her eyes trailed off to the other groups of students surrounding them and her brows furrowed with thought. "It's like you said… Everyone is going to be coming after us."

Her gaze lingered and Katsuki followed it, only for his scowl to deepen. There stood Icy Hot, surrounded by Glasses, Ponytail and Sparky as he spoke in hushed tones. His mismatched eyes were intense and his teammates listened with rapt attention to every word that he said. For the briefest of moments, Icy Hot's eyes flitted to Katsuki and their gaze became locked together. He didn't seem bothered at all. And by God, did that piss Katsuki off .

"Ashido, if you–" Shitty Hair began.

Katsuki pushed his hand away from his mouth. "What can you do with your Quirk?"

Pinky turned to him with a startled blink. "Huh?"

"Your Quirk ," Katsuki reiterated, "it's an Acid Quirk. Explain how it works."

"Uh," Pinky drawled, a bit taken aback, "well, I can secrete acid from my body… I usually do it from my hands and feet because it's easier to direct it that way."

The gears began to turn in Katsuki's head. "Can you control the solubility of it?"

"Can I control the what ."

Katsuki closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. " Fucking – Can you control how lethal your acid is or not?!"

"Oh!" Pinky replied. "Yeah, I can do that! I usually have to adjust it during combat training because it can be pretty corrosive if I'm not careful."

"Can it break up Icy Hot's ice?" Katsuki questioned.

Shitty Hair caught on quickly. "It can! I saw her do it back at the obstacle course!"

"Well, yeah ," Pinky affirmed, "I figured he'd try something like that, so I had to be ready for it."

"What about viscos–" Katsuki started, then paused. With a groan, he pinched the bridge of his nose again. "Can you control how slimy your acid is?"

Pinky nodded. "Yeah, I usually do that to give me a hand or foot hold if I'm trying to climb something. I can also adjust it to slide around on the ground" Then, she tilted her head. "But if I were to be on your team, I'm pretty sure my acid would eat away at your shoes if I tried to use it to help us escape… So I don't know if it'd work the way you want it to."

An involuntary growl began to rumble in Katsuki's throat, but he quickly silenced it. Now wasn't the time for him to lose his composure. The clock was ticking and every second he wasted on trying to build a team was less time for planning. With a deep inhale through his nose, he closed his eyes. Think, he had to think . This was a game of strategy and he had very limited pieces he could move on his end. Just how the hell was he supposed to make this work? He knew he could shine on his own, but for once in his life, he had to depend on the help of others. It wasn't like a solution was going to just fall into his lap.

Then, a pair of hands landed on Katsuki's shoulders and he looked up with a blink to see a pair of goggles right in front of his face. "Team up with me, person in first place!"

"Shit!" Katsuki hollered, taking a step back. He slapped his assailant's hands away and raised his fists. "What the hell?! "

To his surprise, the stranger didn't regard him with fear. Instead, she let out a small giggle and straightened up in front of him. She had shoulder-length pink hair that was sectioned off into thick locks, though that wasn't what drew Katsuki's focus– it was the gaudy pair of goggles that she wore over her eyes. He blinked as he took in the full sight of her and inspected her, from the utility belt around her waist to all the way down to her large boots, which seemed to hover above the ground. Just what was she doing with all that junk on?

"Name's Mei Hatsume!" she greeted. "I'm from the support course here at U.A. and I'd like to use your current fame to my personal advantage!"

"Huh?" Katsuki blurted out. "What the hell are you–"

With one blink, she was mere inches in front of him again. "If I team up with you, then I'll be in the spotlight! A part of the team everyone will be keeping an eye on!"

"Wh–" he tried to say. His words were robbed from him blind when she placed her hands on his shoulders and pulled him close. "Hey–"

"That means my super cute little babies will inevitably be seen by the big company CEOs who're tuning into the Sports Festival!" she continued. With a single, hard nod of the head, her goggles flipped back onto her head, revealing her bright, yellow eyes. They eerily reminded him of scope lenses. "And following that line of reasoning, this is the best way for me and my marvelous gadgets to get recruited!"

Just as Katsuki was contemplating letting off a round of explosions to separate her from him, he found himself pulled backwards. In an instant, Shitty Hair was in between them and had his hands held up.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! " Shitty Hair told her. "You can't just get up in people's space like that!"

The weirdo seemed to take no heed of his words and tilted her head to look at Katsuki over his shoulder. "The support course specializes in creating support items that heroes use with their Quirks and to enhance their skills! I packed an entire arsenal that you and your team can use at your discretion!"

"What?" Katsuki shouted. He pushed Shitty Hair out of the way and stepped forward. "What the hell are you yapping about?!"

The weirdo grinned manically and pulled out a briefcase from behind her. "Why don't I show you?"

She cracked open the briefcase and revealed its contents, which made Katsuki blink. As she claimed, there were a variety of support items that filled the case to the brim, yet somehow packed with an insane amount of care. He saw a gauntlet, a utility belt and a variety of other items that he couldn't identify. Most strikingly, however, was the fact that each item seemed to have been crafted by a single person.

"Holy crap," Shitty Hair breathed, peering into the case with wonder, "how come you get to have all of this in the competition?"

"The support course students are allowed to use whatever they make on campus in the Sports Festival!" the weirdo proclaimed. "It's to keep things fair!"

Behind them, Pinky huffed. "Doesn't seem fair, if you ask me."

The weirdo put her sights on Katsuki again and he raised a hand. " Hey! Back off!"

"You use your explosions to get around faster!" she told him, completely ignoring his warning. "But I think I have a better alternative for you in this round." She reached into her briefcase and pulled out a large, backpack-shaped item. "I based this baby on a certain hero's backpack! Though, of course I added my own little Hatsume twist to it!"

Katsuki blinked. "Wait a second… Is that a jetpack? It looks like the one Air Jet uses."

The weirdo's eyes brightened. "It is! Nice catch, First Place!"

"It's Bakugou! " he corrected sharply. Still, his eyes lingered on the jetpack and he took it into his grasp. "Huh… Not a bad recreation. Looks really similar to the real thing."

"Really?" Shitty Hair commented, a bit incredulous. "Are you a fan of his?"

Katsuki continued inspecting the jetpack. "His agency used to be in my neighborhood. I went on a tour and they showed some of his support items in display cases." He turned it upside down to look at the bottom, where the inner rocket vents were. "How powerful is this thing, Goggles?"

"Very!" she answered. "There are controls that you can use to adjust it! I'm sure you're used to using firepower to propel you forward, so it shouldn't be too jarring for you to use!"

"Hold up," Pinky interjected, "no one even asked you to be on the team and you're already acting like you're on it!"

"You're free to take a look at anything else that catches your fancy!" Goggles told him, completely ignoring Pinky. She held up her briefcase with a bright smile. "You've already got firepower, but I've always been of the belief that you can never have too much!"

A flicker of warmth made its home in Katsuki's chest. "Is that so?"

"This stuff is pretty cool…" Shitty Hair conceded. He reached into the briefcase and fished out a small hand-held device. "What's this thing do?"

"That's a Capture Gun!" Goggles clarified. "I made it for heroes to be able to capture villains with ease! It only has up to five rounds before it needs to be reloaded, but it's still effective!"

"Alright, alright, time out!" Pinky exclaimed, raising her hands to form a capital 'T'. Once everyone's attention was back on her, she exhaled. "Listen– I know that all of this stuff looks cool… But do you really think it's going to do the job of defending ten million points?"

Goggles met Pinky's dubious gaze with enthusiasm. "Of course I do! A hero can be strong and powerful with just their Quirk, but the right support item can take them to the next level! That's why you have those acid proof shoes in your hero costume, don't you?

Pinky blinked in surprise, then looked down at her feet. "How did you know they were acid proof?"

"I'd recognize that material from anywhere!" Goggles answered. In a flash, she dropped down to her knees and pointed at the bottom of one of Pinky's shoes. "And judging from the ventilation added to the bottom, I'm guessing your Quirk involves you being able to secrete acid from your feet! I bet those babies help you get around easily!"

"Wow," Shitty Hair commented, his brows raised, "you're good."

Goggles sprang up from the ground and stood upright to face the trio. "I know! That's why you need me!" She locked eyes with Katsuki and grinned. "You got ten million points on your head, so you're going to want my babies' help if you want to keep them! You want to win , don't you?"

Despite the intense stare she shared with him, Katsuki couldn't deny that growing feeling of warmth in his chest. Although he hadn't opted to include his own while competing, he knew just how essential support items could be during battle. Had he gotten the chance to pull the pin on his grenadier bracers, he was certain he would have been able to knock Deku out of the water during the Heroes vs. Villains simulation. Goggles may have been a weirdo, but at the very least, she was a weirdo with her priorities straight. And honestly, that was what he needed in order to win this next round.

"You've got guts," Katsuki told her, "you alright with being in the back of the formation?"

Goggles' eyes practically sparkled. "I've got your back, First Place!"

Just before Katsuki was about to correct her once again, Shitty Hair piped up with, "Ashido? What about you? You in?"

Katsuki turned towards Pinky, who had gone unexpectedly quiet. Her expression was locked in contemplation and she pursed her lips. Silently, she brought her attention to each of them individually and her dark eyes shifted into an unidentifiable emotion. Finally, she closed her eyes and let out a sigh.

"Listen," she began, "this team is basically going to be under fire the entire time we're competing… So we're going to be on guard the entire time."

A frown tugged at Katsuki's lips. "If you can't handle it, then we can–"

"I'm not done ," she interjected, causing him to blink. Pinky inhaled through her nose and opened her eyes. "People are going to come after us… But I already know what that's like. We all do, especially after what happened at the U.S.J."

Katsuki saw a flicker of something dark within her golden irises and he felt his fists begin to unclench. When he and Shitty Hair were separated from the rest of the group, he hadn't really known what the rest of his classmates were up to, nor had he cared to ask. Now, however, he couldn't help but wonder where Pinky had been in all of it.

"Even though this team is going to be everyone's target…" Pinky went on. After a brief pause, she lifted her head up and met Katsuki's gaze head-on. "I'll join your team."

"You will?" Shitty Hair blurted out. His lip quirked up in a crooked smile. "You mean it, Ashido?"

Pinky's expression lightened up. "Well, you're gonna need someone to melt Todoroki's ice!"

"Yes!" Shitty Hair cheered. He pumped his fist and turned to Katsuki. "We got ourselves a full team, Bakugou!"

Goggles chuckled. "Well, isn't this exciting? I guess this means you'll get to use my arsenal, too, Pinky!"

"My name is Ashido! " Pinky groused.

Katsuki let out an aggravated huff. "Pipe down , would ya? We still have to make a game plan!"

Shitty Hair turned towards him with a raised brow. "What'd you have in mind?"

"Goggles," Katsuki addressed sharply. He nodded to her briefcase and beckoned her forward with his finger. "Show me what's in your case again. We gotta figure out what's gonna work best for us here."

With an almost manic smile, Goggles opened up her briefcase again. "I think I have just the right babies in mind!"

With only a couple minutes left on the timer, there was little else for Shoto to do other than to get his team into formation. Iida took up the front, as per requested, with Yaoyorozu and Kaminari being his right and left wing respectively. Taking into account their heights and their abilities, they were quite possibly the best formation he could have hoped to put together for the round, both for stability and overall power. He supposed some part of him should have been thankful that Iida and Yaoyorozu didn't bear a grudge against him for his behavior back in the locker room.

'Pros often have to team up with others on the fly,' he thought while adjusting his headband, 'even some of the best have sidekicks in order to fill in where they may not be able to reach.'

His eyes very briefly slid over to the bright spot of flames that took up residence in the stands and he clenched his fist subconsciously. Although there was a great deal of distance between the two of them, Shoto knew that his father's eyes were on him– they always were. He could feel their weight on his form. With one final look, he turned away from him and closed his eyes.

'He saw Midoriya's power back at the obstacle course…' Shoto contemplated. Even on stable ground, he could still recall just how hard his body shook when the Executor came toppling down after him, just how close it had come to hitting him had he not been quicker with his ice. He took in a deep breath through his nose and slowly opened his eyes as he exhaled. 'Now, he'll get to watch as I best him on my own merit.'

He peered out into the field of teams, scanning the line-up from afar. From his perch atop his teammate's shoulders, he recognized the faces of his classmates clustered together as they got into their respective cavalry formations and narrowed his eyes inspectantly. Most of his peers stuck with people in their own classes, which made sense– Shoto had done the same for his team, as well. However, there were some odd ones, such as the boy from 1-C sitting on top of students from both 1-A and 1-B.

'I suppose it couldn't be helped,' he mused, turning his attention away from them, 'we'll see how far they get.'

Strangely enough, however, he had yet to find Midoriya's face amidst the crowd. With his placement and performance in the obstacle course taken into account, it didn't make sense for him not to have a team at the ready. Were they still huddled up somewhere and waiting to get into formation?

"Looks like Bakugou managed to form a team," Iida observed aloud, causing Shoto to glance down at him. His teammate squinted through his glasses curiously. "Who is that girl to the right of him?"

Interested, Shoto followed Iida's gaze until he spotted Bakugou for himself. His opponent was in the midst of attaching his headband to his head and barking out orders that Shoto couldn't quite make out, but could still hear even from across the field. At the front of the formation stood Kirishima, whose expression was painted into a slight grimace as Bakugou continued to shout above him. Behind him stood Ashido, who seemed to be just barely tolerating the girl to her right, who was talking just as, if not more animatedly than Bakugou.

"Hm," Shoto hummed quietly, "I don't recognize her."

"I believe she's from the support course," Yaoyorozu clarified, her brows furrowing a bit, "we'll have to keep a watch out for her… We don't know what items she brought with her or what they can do."

Kaminari huffed out a laugh through his nose. "Well, I still think they're on a sinking ship. Whatever plans they have in mind might as well be the equivalent of rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic."

"Don't count them out so quickly," Shoto told him sharply. He didn't take his eyes off of Bakugou, or the bright red numbers printed across his headband. "We have to remain on guard."

Although he had trust in his own abilities and the talents of his teammates, Shoto was not a fool. Bakugou may have been a hothead, but that vice didn't put him down for the count. Him winning first place was proof of that fact.

'He won't stay on top for very long,' Shoto vowed silently.

While his declaration of war hadn't been towards him initially, defeating him was still a priority. Besides– if their first battle simulation was to be any indication, then it wouldn't be too wild to assume that going after Bakugou would, in turn, bring them to Midoriya. He just had to play the long game in order to best them both.

"C'mon, everyone!" Present Mic exclaimed. "Get your hands up and let me hear you holler! It's time for an arena-thumping U.A. battle royale!"

"This is it," Yaoyorozu said softly. She made one final adjustment to her grip on Todoroki and readied her stance. "Get ready, everyone."

"Let's get this party started!" Present Mic went on. "One final countdown before the battle starts! Three…"

As Shoto brought his hands together, Bakugou finally glanced his way and stared. Even with the great distance between them, the heat in his vision still felt so palpable. Without breaking eye contact, Bakugou rolled back his shoulders and raised his fists.

"Two…"

In response, Shoto pressed his right hand into his left, cracking his knuckles. 'You better be watching, old man.'

"One! Start!"

A/N:

Hatsume: Nice catch, First Place!

Bakugou: it's *Bakugou!*

Kirishima and Ashido: (shares a look with each other)

(not saying this is canon, but it does make me laugh)

Yagi, up in the booth after Midnight makes her announcement: (bites his lip)

Thirteen: (turns to look at him) You alright there, Yagi?

Yagi: (inhales deeply through his nose and places a hand over his eyes while his shoulders begin to shake)

Vlad King: ...are you laughing or crying?

Yagi: (lets out a small wheeze)

Ectoplasm: both.

Yagi: (hand slips down to show tears in his eyes) It's just so *funny.*

Hooo, boy. We're really getting into it now.