Chapter Summary: With the clock still ticking, the teams on the field all fight to get the ten million points. But only one will emerge victorious.

When the pushback from his own smash came rushing towards him, Izuku couldn't help but wonder if this was how Kacchan felt when he first started using his explosions. While he may have been blessed with an innate ability to handle his Quirk, the first person to learn the consequences of his blasts had been none other than Kacchan himself. It had taken trial and error to find out how to best use his Quirk that would maximize his mobility without sacrificing his maneuverability and dexterity; maybe that was why Izuku felt like he was going to lose his breakfast.

"Uraraka!" he called out. He closed his eyes to keep himself from getting dizzy as he flipped backward in the air. " Tsuyu! Don't let me fall!"

Thankfully, he wasn't left waiting for long when he felt something wrap around his waist and begin to tighten its hold on him. He pursed his lips at the slimy texture, but pushed his own queasiness aside to focus on Todoroki and his team, who were still recovering from Izuku's attack. He grit his teeth in determination and braced himself.

"Now, Tsuyu!" he exclaimed.

Izuku found himself flung forward like a slingshot and he had to force himself to remain focused on his target. Todoroki's eyes had only just begun to open as the winds died down and the mismatched pair met with Izuku's. It wasn't until Izuku's fingers slipped around the headband on his head that realization melted his expression of shock, with anger quickly following in its stead. Izuku gripped the fabric tightly and pulled back, unlatching the velcro.

"No!" Iida shouted. With a sudden jerk, Izuku went flying backwards and he couldn't stop himself from yelping in terror. His eyes met with Iida's, his friend's expression betraying equal parts turmoil and fury. "How did you– How could you have possibly known?! "

"Release!" Uraraka proclaimed. As Izuku drew closer to his cavalry, he felt the effects of gravity start to take hold again. He grunted with discomfort as Tsuyu plopped him back onto their formation and latched onto Tokoyami's shoulders for purchase. Behind him, he heard Uraraka take a breath. "You alright, Deku?"

Despite how his heart raced, he nodded. "Yeah… Thanks for keeping me airborne."

Tsuyu croaked. "You're lucky. That could have gone wrong on so many levels."

'Don't remind me,' he mused silently. As he wrapped the headband around his neck, his gaze went back to Todoroki and his cavalry, still collectively reeling at what just happened. 'Good thing we were ready for that little trick of theirs'."

Earlier, before the battle started…

"You guys want me on your team?" Tsuyu questioned. Her tongue slipped to the other side of her mouth as she pointed at herself, her expression pensive and quizzical. "You sure?"

Uraraka nodded. "Yeah! When everyone was trying to make their case, I realized that we should try to ask you. I think you'd be perfect!

Tsuyu appeared unconvinced. "I don't know about that… I know we're friends and all, but I don't think you should pick me just because of that."

"We're not," Izuku reassured her, "when Uraraka brought you up, I felt like a complete dunce for not asking you in the first place." When she turned to regard him, he smiled. "Asui, you saved my life back at the U.S.J. I don't think we would have made it out of the shipwreck zone without you. So, yeah, we really do want you on our team."

Her doubt softened, but did not disappear. "I told you to call me Tsu."

"Right!" he exclaimed, a nervous laugh bubbling out of him. Izuku rubbed the back of his head and his smile turned sheepish. "Sorry… But I mean it, Tsuyu. You clearly have a lot of experience with your Quirk and you've shown to be incredibly versatile with it. Anyone would be lucky enough to have you on their team. So, it'd be an honor if you were on ours."

A small croak rumbled out of her. "Where would I even be in the formation? I'm kinda small, so I'd probably have to be the horse."

"We actually thought you could be in the back with me," Uraraka answered, and Izuku nodded in affirmation, "we're close enough in height that it won't cause any balance issues. Plus, you'd be able to help me provide coverage!"

"I guess that could work," Tsuyu admitted. Then, she cast her gaze off to the side. "But I don't know if that'll be enough…"

Izuku arched his brow. "What do you mean?"

She gestured with her head and Izuku tracked her gaze, where he saw Todoroki gathered with his cavalry. Their eyes were locked together in an intense discussion, their voice soft and unintelligible over the noise of the crowd. Even Kaminari appeared uncharacteristically serious as they spoke amongst themselves. Fighting the urge to frown, Izuku turned back to Tsuyu and put on what he hoped to be a determined look.

"I know that Todoroki threw down the gauntlet earlier," he acknowledged, bringing her gaze back to him, "but I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't believe you were capable of helping us win. We just have to stay on guard for whatever kind of stunt he tries to pull."

"That's just it," Tsuyu said, "I kinda already have an idea of what kind of stunt they might pull."

Uraraka tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Tsuyu let out a small ribbit. "You remember how after the U.S.J., I messaged all of you guys?"

"Yeah," Izuku answered, recalling the text message. It had been nice to see when he was laid up in bed recovering the following morning. He had never gotten text messages checking in on him like that– not from anyone outside his family, anyway. "You wanted to see how we were doing… My mom thought the frog photo you sent was cute, by the way."

"Mine did, too," Uraraka added.

"Well, I also texted Yaoyorozu," she went on, "and when I asked her how she was doing, she told me all about how she was just happy that Kaminari was able to help her and Jirou out when they were stuck in the mountain zone together." She placed her index finger on her chin. "Apparently, they only got out because he was able to use his indiscriminate shock move to knock out a majority of the villains."

"Whoa," Izuku and Uraraka breathed out in tandem.

Tsuyu nodded. "Yeah. And when I asked her if she and Jirou got shocked, she said she was fine because she made an insulated cover for the two of them. Said it kept them from being incapacitated like the rest of the villains."

Realization dawned on Izuku. "And you think they're gonna do something like that during the battle?"

"I mean, I don't see why they wouldn't, " Tsuyu replied, "it'd be a good way to stop everyone from coming after you or to take their points while they're recovering."

Izuku's brows furrowed in thought. "And Todoroki could use his Quirk to freeze people to the spot… A lot of people were able to avoid his attack during the first round. If Kaminari used his Quirk, it'd stun people long enough for him to stop them in their tracks."

"Yeesh," Uraraka uttered, "how do we defend against that? "

A hum of thought escaped Izuku and he brought a hand to his chin. It was certainly a difficult thing to make a plan for; it was no wonder that the villains at the U.S.J. hardly stood a chance against it. Although they weren't aware of their class's Quirks prior to going in, Izuku and his teammates weren't at much of an advantage even by knowing what Todoroki and his teammates were capable of. Knowing that he was Todoroki's primary target didn't ease his anxieties– there was no doubt that the two of them would cross paths in the midst of the battle. So how was he to prepare against such a formidable attack?

"Wait a minute," Uraraka murmured, breaking him out of his thoughts. When Izuku turned to look at her, her face brightened and she snapped her fingers excitedly. "I think I have an idea! Deku, you remember what Midnight said?"

"About the cavalry battle?" he questioned, raising a brow.

Uraraka shook her head. "No, back before the obstacle course! She brought up how U.A. is big on encouraging freedom and ingenuity– that's why you pulled that trick with the bombs last round, right?"

Izuku's brows furrowed in consideration. "Yeah, I did… I mean, it was a total fluke that it ended up working, but I guess-"

"She said something pretty similar while explaining the rules about this round!" Uraraka cut in, making him blink. "She reminded us that we can use our Quirks however we please so long as we don't knock anyone over. So I think we can get around some of the rules with technicalities so long as we use our Quirks to do it!"

"'Technicalities'?" Tsuyu repeated. "Like what?"

Uraraka held up her index finger. "The rider can't touch the ground, right? But maybe if the rider is airborne… "

Her insinuation melted Izuku's pensive expression. "Then they still wouldn't get hit with a penalty."

"Exactly!" she exclaimed. She smacked her fist into her other palm. "I could use my Quirk to get you up in the air if they try to pull that stunt. It might get you high enough to where you're not in the shock range and they can't come after your headband while the rest of us recover!"

A rumble of worry escaped Tsuyu. "I don't know… That seems really risky. What if we get red carded and have to sit out?"

When Uraraka's face fell, Izuku offered her a reassuring smile. "It was a good idea, Uraraka. That's the kind of thinking we have to have when we're making a strategy." He fought the urge to frown as he looked around the field. "But we should probably find out who our last teammate should be… We should pick someone who would make a good front horse."

"Hm," Tsuyu hummed, her tongue slipping past her lips, "maybe someone who can help with defense would be best. My Quirk is pretty good for grabbing and evading, but I don't know if it'll be enough to defend our headbands."

Izuku blinked and let out a small gasp. "That's it… I think I know just who to pick!"

Below Izuku, Tokoyami let out a breath of relief. "We owe you a great deal of praise, Tsuyu… It's because of you I was able to withdraw Dark Shadow in a timely manner. I fear what Kaminari's attack might have done had he been out."

Izuku nodded in affirmation. "The light in that attack could have been pretty bad for him… But I doubt that'll be the last time Kaminari pulls out all the stops in this round."

"Indeed," Tokoyami concurred, "I fear that another attack like that could do us in."

"But they don't know that," Uraraka pointed out, her voice soft enough for them to hear, "and that's an advantage, isn't it?"

The beginnings of a smile tugged at his lips. "It sure is. Now let's make sure we use it properly."

"Oi!" barked out Kacchan As his cavalry struggled to break out of the ice Todoroki trapped them in, he raised his palms up with a deep grimace. "What're you doin' by trying to pick a fight with him , Deku? Don't you know I'm the real threat, here?!"

When Izuku's next breath was accompanied by fog, his eyes flitted over to Todoroki. Despite the chill that had entered the air around him, there was an undeniable heat within the boy's mismatched eyes, its intensity only met by the fire each of his cavalry member's held within their own gaze. Gone were the friendly smiles that he had grown to look forward to when he would arrive at class and see his fellow officers– there was no friendship to be had on the field. Only a desire to win.

As he began to take form again, Dark Shadow brandished his large, claw-like hands. Then, to Izuku's surprise, the dark mass turned towards him and gave him an intent look. He did not know the creature that resided within Tokoyami very well, nor did he think he would ever truly understand the bond that tied the two of them together. But as Dark Shadow's amber gaze bore into his own eyes, he felt the icy disposition of fear slowly start to melt away.

'They're not going to let us lose,' he reminded himself, 'they're all counting on me to make sure we all advance to the next round.'

"Tokoyami," he murmured softly, giving his teammate a gentle squeeze on the shoulder, "make sure we stay to Todoroki's left."

Tokoyami nodded. "Will do."

Another growl of frustration erupted out of Kacchan and he let off a round of explosions from his hands. "Enough standing around! Let's end this!"

He came flying towards Izuku without warning, though Tokoyami was quick to defend against the attack by calling upon his companion. In the midst of the sweeping move, Todoroki's team advanced forward and hit the curve of his body, knocking them back. This did little to deter Kacchan, however, as another set of blasts left Dark Shadow shrieking in terror.

"First you copy me at the minefield…" Kacchan began, his voice low. "And then you do it again this round?! You really have no shame , do you, Dek–"

His words caught in his throat when a rope of pink curled around his torso and snatched him up mid-air. In the moment it took for Kacchan to take a gulping breath, the rope flung him upwards and released, sending his body up into the air in a fantastical spiral. Bewildered, Izuku turned back to Tsuyu, who regarded Kacchan's form with annoyance.

"I can't believe he got first in the entrance exam," she commented, shaking her head, "you're right, Uraraka; he is a butthole."

A loud laugh echoed throughout the stadium. "Man, looks like Katsuki Bakugou wasn't ready for Tsuyu Asui's tactile tongue! Guess if this festival had a round of leapfrog, she'd be the one to beat, huh?"

"You're just intent on being obnoxious, aren't you?" Aizawa droned in response.

"Bakugou!" Kirishima cried. He watched helplessly while his teammate screamed and cursed in the air as he came flying back down. "I told him to stop flying off like that!"

"Oh, who cares about him?! " exclaimed the girl from the support course. She prodded at the jetpack Kirishima was wearing and let out a loud whine. "My baby… That monster shocked the life out of you!"

Izuku blinked. 'Kaminari's shock broke their jetpack?'

As the girl continued to bemoan the loss of her invention, he spared a glance at Ashido and gasped softly. He had completely forgotten that the boot she was wearing on the outer side of their formation had been busted earlier in the round. Coupling that with the loss of their jetpack, that meant that their evasiveness had been greatly decreased.

'Maybe we have a chance after all, ' he thought, his hand tightening around the fabric of Tokoyami's shirt. Although he knew how savory the reward of ten million points would be, he hadn't been too keen on trying to take them from Kacchan in order to proceed to the next round. But, if he could actually manage to get ahold of the headband, then–

"Looks like it's just down to us now," drawled an unsettling voice, breaking him out of his thoughts. He felt the hair on the back of his neck begin to stand on end as he turned to regard the owner and upon meeting his gaze, he went still. It was that boy from 1-C, the one that had made his declaration of war towards Kacchan: Shinsou.

He smiled at Izuku, but it did not reach his deep, purple eyes, which only added to his unease. He looked entirely too casual perched on top of his teammates– amongst them being Aoyama and Ojiro from Izuku's class. However, their faces lacked the usual warmth he had grown used to seeing; in fact, they lacked much of anything to indicate any sort of emotion, let alone thought. Was something wrong with them?

"That's a very powerful Quirk," Shinsou complimented. His head tilted ever so slightly as his smile curved up into a half-smirk. "You don't mind if I ask for a demonstration, do you?"

Izuku blinked. "'A demonstration'? What are you–"

Then, just like that, something flipped in his entire body. No longer was he in the driver's seat and instead, he had been tossed into the backseat. Before he could ascertain how this had come to be, the screen separating the two compartments seemed to slip up between the seats, leaving the path ahead hazy. Still, even in the growing graininess of his vision, he could only stare ahead at Shinsou and watch as his smirk turned sinister.

"Deku?" Uraraka called out. Why did she sound so muffled? It was like someone had stuffed cotton into his ears. "Deku!"

"What did you do to him?" Tokoyami demanded. Izuku could vaguely feel the sensation of him turning up to look at him. "Midoriya, snap out of it!"

"You have a powerful Quirk, too," Shinsou commented, ignoring their concerns, "could you maybe let me see it up close and personal?"

Fear crept into Izuku's heart when Uraraka shouted out, "What did you do to my frie–"

Despite feeling like he was in a fog, ice ran through Izuku's veins when silence met his ears. 'No… No, this isn't right…'

His vision was so blurry and spotty, like he was watching the world through an old TV screen. The voices of his teammates blurred into background noise and he wished he could turn his head to look at their faces, but his body wouldn't allow him to. All he could do was watch Shinsou and his dark gaze grow evermore frightening.

"Do you remember what I said to your classmates all those weeks ago?" Shinsou asked Tokoyami. Thankfully, the front horse remained silent, which caused Shinsou's smile to weaken. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

"Enough talk!" Dark Shadow proclaimed, shooting forward.

'Dark Shadow, no!' Izuku thought. 'Stay away!'

Thankfully, Dark Shadow did come to a stop; though, as Izuku soon realized, it wasn't of his own volition. No, he was being far too still, far too calm to be acting of his own accord. Izuku's gaze bore endlessly into the back of Dark Shadow's form and were he capable, he might have felt his hands shake.

'What's happening…? ' he thought, though it was getting so much harder to think clearly. 'What… did he…?'

"Dark Shadow," Shinsou stated, his voice crisp, "keep the team from moving."

In a flash, Dark Shadow's form stretched out and he wrapped himself around Izuku's cavalry. Tokoyami shouted out in protest and Tsuyu tried to hit him with her tongue, but he proved to be too careless and too fast for either of them. Like a boa constrictor, he tightened his hold on the entire team, leaving Tokoyami cursing under his breath.

"Dark Shadow!" he called out. "Release us this instance!"

When his shadowy companion didn't respond, Shinsou chuckled. "Not happy to have your little friend disobey you?"

Silence held in the air as both Tokoyami and Tsuyu held their tongues. Although they didn't seem to understand what was happening or exactly how it was happening, Izuku was thankful that they were trying not to fall prey to the same tricks Shinsou had subjected him to. In the frame of his vision, he could partially make out the faces of Shinsou's cavalry and spotted Aoyama and Ojiro once again, along with a boy that he suspected to be from 1-B. All of them stared ahead with that blank, almost lifeless look.

'He… did it to them, too…' he realized. God, it was so hard to form a thought. Just what exactly had Shinsou done? Was it mind control? Had that been why he didn't make it into the hero course? For fear of what he could do to others? 'Have to… snap out… of it…'

"Now that I have you all," Shinsou went on, his tone measured as a viper set to strike, "I think it's time that I finally show your class what giving my all looks like. Midoriya, turn around."

Like a puppet on a string, Izuku's body turned as soon as the words left Shinsou's mouth. He could make out teams moving to and fro across the field, but their features grew less distinguishable the longer the distance between them. However, there was no mistaking that head of bright, blond hair, nor who it belonged to as he came flying back towards his abandoned cavalry.

'No…' Izuku thought, realization dawning on him, 'no, no, no…'

"Raise your hand, Midoriya," Shinsou ordered, "I want you to prepare one of your special little flicks… and send it right towards Bakugou and his team."

Katsuki was going to kill that stupid frog when he got the chance. Not only did she have the audacity to put her slimy tongue on him, she had the gall to toss him like a bundle of dough at a pizzeria and send him flying into the air. Hearing Loudmouth's announcement over the PA had only locked in his place as going second on Katuski's chopping block.

"Dammit!" he hollered as he came flying down. With his arms behind him, he sent off a round of blasts to right himself. "Dammit, dammit, dammit! "

How had Deku managed to prepare himself for Icyhot's strategy? The nerd had contingency plans upon contingency plans, there was no doubt about that; but for him to have been so prepared as to avoid the shock entirely? Something wasn't right. It was almost like he had been warned ahead of time.

'Did those bastards plan on this?' some dark part of him thought. 'Did they team up together just to outdo me?'

"Bakugou!" Shitty Hair exclaimed. He let out a loud grunt when Katsuki landed back on their formation and grimaced deeply. "You can't keep doing that! You're gonna land us in hot water if you keep it up!"

"Little late for that!" Pinky shot back. "This entire field is a boiling pot!"

Katsuki growled and adjusted himself into the formation. "She's right… So we just have to keep going while the pressure is on!"

Then, in a flash, he spotted the red and white hair of Icyhot as his team came barreling towards him. Katsuki cursed quietly and squeezed Shitty Hair's left shoulder, signaling him to go that direction. Thankfully, his teammate did as asked and the rest of the cavalry followed suit after him.

'Keep to the left,' he thought, his eyes never leaving his opponent's face. Icyhot merely met his gaze with that same, cold disposition as before– so unlike the fire that he showed with Deku just moments prior. But then again, he hadn't shown his real fire yet; not even during training.

Katsuki didn't know why his classmate was so intent on only using his ice. Judging from the scar on his face, he had guessed it had to do with something going wrong during training when he was still developing or that his fire wasn't as controlled as his ice. But regardless of the reason, no matter how big or small, he knew that his refusal to do so gave him an edge.

'He can't use his ice at a short distance without screwing over his own formation,' Katsuki mused, unable to stop himself from smirking, 'so long as I keep him back, he can't take my–'

A harsh gust of wind flew through the air towards him, stopping him in his tracks. He latched onto Shitty Hair's shoulder for purchase and grit his teeth in realization: Deku . With his lip curled up in a snarl, he whipped his head towards the source of the gales, only to duck down as debris flew towards him. Shitty Hair brandished his arms in front of Pinky and Goggles while Katsuki sent out a blast that broke up the larger chunks of dirt.

"Man, he's not holding back!" Shitty Hair exclaimed. "I guess Midoriya really wants to win!"

Katsuki's next blast sent the last of the debris backward as the winds died down. Slowly, the dust began to settle and through it, he could see Deku's form atop his formation. His shoulders heaved with every breath he took– deep, gulping breaths– and he clutched Birdbrain for support. With a blink, Katsuki saw as Birdbrain's companion (Dark Shape, he thought it was called?) fluttered his eyes and straightened up, almost like he just woke up. He began to uncurl his body from around the cavalry, which only confused Katsuki more.

'What the hell is going on over there?' he thought, staring incredulously.

Then, his eyes trailed down to the field and he went still. Right in front of Deku's formation was a deep, gaping hole that was framed by piles and piles of unsettled earth. The point of impact began just a couple feet from Birdbrain's spot in the formation and spanned a couple of yards into an oval shape. It eerily reminded Katsuki of the aftermath of a missile hitting the earth, albeit on a much smaller scale.

"Oi!" he exclaimed. When Deku blinked and looked over at him, Katsuki raised his fist. "What was the point of that? You just flexing or something, Deku?"

To his astonishment, Deku clapped his hand over his mouth and cast his gaze off to the side. Evermore bewildered, Katsuki tracked his line of sight and, to his growing shock, found Dark Circles there. The tired-eyed boy appeared to be just as baffled and discombobulated, if not more– though why he was there, Katsuki had no idea.

"Oh, man, this round has had surprises after surprises!" proclaimed Loudmouth over the P.A. "With less than two minutes on the clock, not only are the top three teams battling it out to see who will take first, but it looks like Team Shinsou has decided to throw their hat into the ring! Poor guy probably wasn't expecting a show of strength from Midoriya the Merciless, though!"

Something dark flashed across Dark Circle's face and he clenched his fists. "So you've got that much power in just one finger, do you? Aren't you the lucky one?"

Deku slipped his hand away from his mouth, but he still did not reply. He turned to each of his teammates and pantomimed zipping his mouth shut, then locking it and throwing away the key. Katsuki stared in confusion as the rest of his team nodded back at him in affirmation. Just what the hell was he missing?

"Uh, Bakugou," Shitty Hair spoke up, "maybe we should–"

Katsuki's palm smacked across the back of his head to silence him. "Deku, what's your deal, huh?! First you ignore me to go after Icyhot, then you make some sort of grandstand by flicking your finger? Just what exactly are you trying to–"

His words stalled in his throat when another bellow of wind soared past him, though it was not the familiar blows that accompanied one of Deku's attacks. The sounds of exhaust and the rumbles of an engine harmonized with the gales in a vicious symphony that could have only been composed by one person in his class, which only made his stomach churn. Katsuki didn't even have time to fully process the fact that Glasses had sent him and his team forward at such a breakneck speed, not even as he began to shout:

"Take it, Todoroki!" Glasses' voice bellowed, breaking through the cacophony of sound. "Recipro Burst!"

"What the–" Pinky hollered, sputtering for a moment. "What just happened?! "

Goggles let out a shriek of terror. "First Place! Your headband– it's gone! "

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Loudmouth broadcasted. "What a startling upset! Somehow, Team Todoroki was able to go blisteringly fast and snatch away the prized ten million points! Makes you wonder why they didn't do that sooner!"

Katsuki's eyes widened and he grabbed onto his head, his fingers combing through his hair in futile hopes that he had misheard. However, as soon as he didn't feel the fabric wrapped around his head, he felt that horrible churning feeling in his stomach only begin to grow. He whipped around to face his assailants and stared daggers into Icyhot's back as he shakingly slipped the headband around his neck. Was he just as surprised? Had he not orchestrated the attack?

"Iida…" Icyhot murmured, his voice uncharacteristically taken aback, "what was that just now? What did you do? "

Glasses took a heaving breath and rolled his shoulders back, adjusting his hold on his teammates. "I can forcibly rev up my torque to explosive proportions in the event of an emergency… But the kickback leaves me engine stalled. That's why I had to wait until now to use it."

Fire surged through Katsuki's gut and he clenched his fists so tightly he could feel his nails press into his palms. 'That dirty, rotten…'

Then, he watched as Glasses turned away from his teammates and looked over his shoulder. But it wasn't at Katsuki, oh no– it was at Deku . As sweat dripped down his brow, he flashed the nerd a satisfied grin.

"I told you that I would beat you, Midoriya."

A loud scream ripped out of Katsuki like a chainsaw being pulled to a start with a rope. Shitty Hair and Pinky's shouts became white noise as he sprang into the air like a jaguar, his hands clawed and his teeth bared. Some small, rational part of him was shouting at him, begging him to turn his attention elsewhere, to find points from another team, but he shoved those thoughts down into the recesses of his mind. Even if he were to go after another team, he had no idea where everyone stood on the points system– his only option was to get his team's points back .

"You bastard! " Katsuki screamed. "Damn you to hell! "

Ponytail sent up a blockade as he drew close, but he countered it with a blast, clutching onto the manufactured stone. He watched as her face melted into shock and fear as it splintered beneath his touch.

"You can't keep me at bay that easily!" he snarked. He raised his other hand and allowed heat to begin to take form within his palm. "I'm not going to take this lying down!"

A fist caved into his cheek and his mouth fell slack, leaving his jaw partially agape. His eyes inadvertently fell to a close and he felt the sting of tears lick at his rims. Were he not still hanging onto the remnants of Ponytail's makeshift shield, he might have fallen backwards from the sheer force of the blow.

"Oh, man, Midoriya the Merciless has struck once again!" Loudmouth announced. "Looks like he didn't want a repeat of the obstacle course!"

Just as Katsuki began to peek his eyes open, something grabbed a hold of his forearm. His eyes snapped open to their fullest capability to take in Deku's stormy eyes and set jaw. Deku tightened his grip on his forearm, causing Katsuki's hold on the blockade to weaken considerably. With a violent pull, Deku unhinged his fingers from the shield and lifted him further into the air, his legs flying upward from the sheer momentum.

"Tsuyu!" he barked. "Now!"

Once again, that awful, slimy feeling wrapped itself around his torso and free arm, locking it in place at his side. With one tight wrap, he gasped out a heavy breath and slumped in her grasp as the air left his lungs. Before he could will himself to do something, anything , his head was tossed back like a ragdoll as his body went flying backward.

"Bakugou!" Shitty Hair cried out. "Hang on!"

His back made impact first– though, it wasn't on the ground like he expected. With a blink, he sat up and looked around to see his teammates beneath him once again. His legs were unceremoniously wrapped around Shitty Hair's neck and slung over his shoulders, while Pinky and Goggles held up his upper body.

"What did we say about pulling a stunt like that again?" Pinky admonished, forcing him upright. When he regarded her with equal parts annoyance and bewilderment, she puffed out her cheeks indignantly. "What?"

"You caught me," he stated simply. He hadn't even meant to say it– he just did.

Slowly, the air left her cheeks and her brows furrowed. "Yeah?"

(Perhaps if Katsuki was better at identifying emotions outside of anger and competitive drive, he might have recognized that his statement had come from a place of gratitude. Unfortunately, Katsuki was not good at doing so, nor was he a wordsmith when it came to expressing his feelings.)

"Well, then what the fuck took you so long?!" he demanded. His thumb jerked into the direction of his foes. "We only got a minute on the clock! It's now or never!"

"He's right!" Shitty Hair concurred, causing his head to snap towards him. His front horse readied his stance and nodded at his fellow cavalry members. "We're getting our points back!"

Despite the severity of the situation, Katsuki felt the corner of his lip tug upwards. 'That's right… It's their points they're fighting for, too. We all have our spots on the line.'

"Oh, forget the original plan!" Goggles proclaimed. She shed the remainder of her boot off and readied her feet on the ground. "Looks like we're flying with a wing and a prayer!"

Heat began to bloom in the palms of Katsuki's hands and slowly, his smile grew. "Let's bring it to their doorstep, you guys! This game ain't over yet! "

Perhaps Shoto had been wrong in his original assessment of Midoriya. Originally, when he had made his declaration, he had considered the boy to be a threat, but too unpolished, too reckless to truly be on the same level as the rest of their class. That idea had been backed up during the obstacle course when Midoriya took the lead by using the minefield to his advantage and managed to snag second place above him with just moments to spare. Had he been more refined, he might have overtaken Bakugou in the placements. So why – despite everything that Shoto had seen and prepared for– had Midoriya managed to get the jump on him once again?

'He figured out what we were planning when I picked my teammates,' he thought, 'he read between the lines as I was writing them.'

His audacity seemed to know no bounds, Shoto soon realized, as he sent Bakugou's form flying back over to his team. There was a crazed look in his eyes, an intensity that was borderline disturbing on a face that normally dressed itself in a bright smile. He would argue that it was just as jarring as seeing that All Might was not smiling back at the U.S.J.

"Todoroki…" Midoriya began, his voice low. When he raised his fist, electricity seemed to crackle in the air between them. "I hope this is the fight you wanted! "

Shoto's arm flew forward without thought to block the onslaught and he readied to lock it into place, only for his heart to nearly stop. Sitting atop the top of his skin was the beginning of flames– bright, fiery and burning . His breath caught in his throat and he stared with wide eyes.

'My left side,' he realized, his next inhale coming in shakily, 'what am I…?'

He felt a sharp tug from around his neck and his eyes snapped back to Midoriya. His fingers curled around a pair of the headbands and he snatched them off, undoing the velcro and leaving the tails flapping in the air.

"Whoo-hoo!" Present Mic cheered. "Midoriya the Merciless has grabbed a pair of Todoroki's headbands with less than half a minute on the clock! This mad lad just doesn't know when to quit!"

A flurry of explosions brought Shoto out of his swarming thoughts and he whipped around to see none other than Bakugou making his way back towards him, his team trailing after his form.

"Forward march and here we go!" Ashido exclaimed. "Coming in hot: Team Bakugou! "

The team's namesake grinned manically. "I already told ya I wasn't gonna take this lying down, you slimy bastard!"

No longer frozen by his shock, Shoto raised his right arm and quickly covered it in his ice as a makeshift shield. When Bakugou's arm came diving into his, he allowed the frost to spread to his opponent, making Bakugou hiss with pain and displeasure. But his foe was undeterred and merely jerked his head towards Midoriya, their eyes meeting in an intense gaze. With the headbands still flying in Midoriya's grasp, Bakugou snagged one of the loose tails and rolled his wrist, wrapping the fabric around it.

"It's nearly over!" Present Mic announced. "Everyone, join in for the countdown! Ten!"

Bakugou pulled his arm back…

"Nine!"

… and Midoriya yanked his back, as well, causing the headband to slip free from his grasp.

"Eight!"

Adrenaline coursing through his veins, Shoto shot forward…

"Seven!"

…and his fingers clawed out towards Bakugou's throat…

"Six!"

…but the bright, blinding light of an explosion left him screwing his eyes shut and turning away.

"Five!"

Still, he reached forward and felt his fingers curl around a singular headband…

"Four!"

…and when he heard the velcro rip apart, he yanked backwards.

"Three!"

'An eye for an eye,' Shoto thought silently, drawing the headband towards his chest.

"Two!"

With a shout of unrestrained fury, Bakugou let out one more blast. "You son of a–"

"One! Time's up!"

As soon as the final word echoed across the stadium, it was almost as though the strings had been cut on his opponents. Through squinting eyes, Shoto watched as Bakugou's forward momentum into his punch suddenly fell short and, with a final shout, he plopped face down onto the field. Both Yaoyarozu and Kaminari rolled their feet backward as he fell into a small heap, his blonde hair becoming speckled with loose earth. With his entire body trembling, he propped himself up onto his elbow and peered through heavy lids at the headband in his grasp.

"What the…" he muttered. Bakugou blinked once, twice, three times before he rolled over onto his back and sat up, his face plastered with disbelief. "That… That can't be right…"

"Let's take a look at our top four!" Present Mic went on, his voice accompanied by the roar of the crowd. "In the first place spot, it looks like our lucky winner is…"

A shuddering gasp brought Shoto's attention over to Midoriya's team, who all stared up at their rider in wonder, but if he noticed, he gave no heed. Instead, Midoriya's eyes were shining– and with a couple of blinks, Shoto realized it was because of the tears that had begun to pool within their rims.

"Team Midoriya, the cavalry without any mercy!" Present Mic finished. "He's taken first place in a clear landslide by snagging the ten million points!"

Midoriya's hand clapped over his mouth, but even with it covered, Shoto could hear the sob as it broke past his lips. He slumped forward with relief and exhaustion, the hand that was clutching the winning headband falling onto Tokoyami's shoulder for support. His teammate allowed the action and closed his eyes, a satisfied smile spreading across his normally stoic face. Dark Shadow took a hold of the headband within his claws and shot up into the air. He waved it like a flag and cawed victoriously, sending the crowd around them into a frenzy. At the back of the formation, Uraraka and Asui broke away from the cavalry and wrapped their arms around each other in an enthusiastic embrace. The balance in the formation gone, Midoriya fell backward with a yelp of surprise, but Dark Shadow quickly caught him and set him down on the ground. The soles of his shoes hadn't even settled into the dirt before Uraraka and Asui pulled him into their hug, their laughter and cheers drowned out by the roar of the stadium.

"And in second place, we have Team Todoroki!" continued the announcement, snapping Shoto out of his stare. He glanced down at the headband in his hand and checked the points: 670. That had been Midoriya's point value at the beginning, hadn't it? Had Bakugou gotten a hold of it during the round and that was what he snatched from him in the final moments? "Third place, we have… Whoa, look at that! It's Team Shinsou! Talk about snapping victory from the jaws of defeat!"

Shoto peered at the back of Shinsou's head from afar curiously. He had recalled Shinsou making some sort of a stand against Midoriya, but he hadn't really paid much mind to where he had gone off to when Midoriya collided with Shoto and Bakugou. Had he decided to cut his losses when his attempts against Midoriya failed? Or had that been part of his strategy in the long run?

A blast shook the ground beneath him and Shoto turned to regard Bakugou, whose fist was buried into the smoking earth. He sat cross-legged on the ground and shakingly raised his hand to glare at the headband ruefully. The number "165" stared back at him, indifferent and unchanging.

'That had been from one of the 1-B teams,' Shoto realized, recalling how he had snatched them off the heads of his opponents while they recovered from Kaminari's shock. Despite himself, a small chuckle huffed out of his nose. 'Looks like he lost that gamble he took.'

"And in fourth place, we have Team Bakugou!" Present Mic finished. Their teacher let out a hearty laugh into the mic. "Man, that was a close game! Class 1-A may have hit a low point during the middle of the round, but it looks like they used their second wind to their advantage! You just can't stop the fire these kids have burning inside of them!"

The memory of flames crawling across his arm brought a chill down Shoto's spine. Just what had gotten into him? He had never felt tempted to use his fire during a battle, not even at the U.S.J.; so why had Midoriya managed to draw it out of him? Had it been because he was afraid of losing? Or was it because of something deeper, something he himself couldn't identify?

'I can't let it go on like this,' he thought, his hand clenching into a fist. His right hand gripped his left wrist and he set his jaw. 'This is exactly what that bastard has been saying…'

"Todoroki?" said a soft voice. Shoto blinked and looked down to see Yaoyarozu looking up at him, concern creasing her brows. "Are you alright?"

His hand tightened around his wrist. "I will be."

As his cavalry began to break their formation and let him down, he tried to force the tension in his shoulders to loosen up with a deep breath. He barely registered the conversation of Yaoyorozu comforting Iida while he apologized for hindering himself with his special move, nor did he fully process Kirishima's words of encouragement to Bakugou as he continued to stew on the ground. Even Present Mic's announcements about the lunch break had become a dull noise within his swarming thoughts. Seeking to find a tether to cut through the cacophony, his eyes trailed across the field to a familiar pair of red shoes and before he knew it, he found himself walking to close the distance between them.

"Deku, that was amazing! " Uraraka adulated. She had withdrawn from their shared hug, but her hands still rested on his shoulders, her smile bright. "You won us first place!"

A shade of pink spread across Midoriya's freckled cheeks and he rubbed the back of his head. "I-I couldn't have done it without you guys… A rider is only as good as his cavalry, after all."

Asui let out a ribbit. "I only hope I won't have to use my tongue on Bakugou anytime soon. He tasted nasty ."

"You were an invaluable part of our formation, Tsuyu," Tokoyami told her, "as were you, Uraraka. At the risk of coming across as too forward, might I show my appreciation by buying you both lunch?"

Dark Shadow's head popped up over his shoulder. "We'll also do dessert!"

Uraraka's eyes practically sparkled at that. "Heck yeah! "

Then, as Shoto drew closer to the group, he watched as Midoriya's soft smile quickly faded. Gone was his relaxed disposition and there, Shoto watched as his shoulders rolled back and tensed. Midoriya stepped forward and Uraraka blinked, only for her eyes to follow his line of sight and lock onto Shoto. Her brows furrowed, her lighthearted expression turning pensive in an instant.

"Todoroki," Midoriya greeted, his tone polite, yet not warm, "did you need something?"

Shoto's eyes flitted to Uraraka, who stared intently at him. "I would like to talk to you in private."

"Whatever you have to say, you can say now," Uraraka countered without hesitation. She stepped up to join Midoriya at his side and crossed her arms over her chest. "You didn't have a problem making a declaration of war in public, so this shouldn't bother you, either."

Shoto clutched his wrist tightly as he felt heat seep into his left fist. "I'm not here to pick a fight."

"Seems a little late for that now," commented Asui. Beside her, Dark Shadow nodded his head.

Fighting against his growing irritation, Shoto focused on Midoriya's face. "I won't keep you long. I just have something I want to talk to you about."

Something unknown flickered in Midoriya's green irises and for a moment, Shoto believed that his classmate would refuse him. However, to his surprise, he stepped forward and nodded. When Uraraka regarded him quizzically, he turned back to her and smiled.

"I'll join you in the lunchroom in a bit," he reassured her, which only made her brows furrow deeper. Midoriya gave her a thumbs up and he tilted his head at her humorously. "I'll let you know if my egg is in danger of getting scrambled."

Shoto blinked with confusion, but before he could ask what Midoriya meant by that, he watched as the uncertainty in Uraraka's expression melted into bemused mirth. After a beat, she huffed out a weak laugh and smiled back at him.

"Try not to take too long, okay?" she conceded. "Otherwise I'll come looking for you."

Midoriya nodded at her. "Got it. See you in a bit."

When he turned back to Shoto, his smile wilted into a mask of neutrality. If he were operating off of expression alone, he would have guessed that Midoriya was unbothered; but judging from the way he rubbed his sweaty palms against the fabric of his pants, Shoto took that to be a front. Shoto nodded his head off to the side and began walking in that direction, not even waiting to see if Midoriya was following after. The tread of footfalls behind him was all he needed to hear to confirm it.

'I don't know what it is about you,' Shoto admitted silently, thankful that his classmate couldn't see his expression from behind. He drew his left hand to his chest and held it there. 'But you've brought the fire out of me… And you need to know just how dangerous it is for you to do that.'

Enji's steps were determined as he prowled the halls of the stadium. The staff hallways granted him a reprieve from prying eyes and gabbing mouths that came with being in the stands. Most had the grace to leave him to his devices as he watched the rounds play out, but the brave and stupid few that attempted to speak to him only needed one solitary look before they went skulking back to their seats. He had never one for the pleasantries that other Pros exchanged with fanatics.

'I'm not here to build my reputation,' he thought. His fists clenched at his sides and he felt his flames raise just a bit higher. 'I'm here to ensure that my legacy doesn't disappoint me.'

So far, Shoto had ranked high in the placings, but had not earned first. That hadn't surprised Enji in the slightest, although it did annoy him a great deal. He had warned his son that his wasted potential would earn him no favors during the competition and that had been proven twice fold. Bakugou, as foolhardy as he could be, had countered Shoto's icy disposition with a fire that would have been admirable were it not so destructive; meanwhile, Midoriya was electric on the field of the cavalry battle, his quick wit and dexterity being almost enough for Shoto to break his supposed "vow." The memory of flames running across his son's arm was almost enough to make him smile.

But alas, it was for naught, because they were extinguished just as quickly as they came. Shoto appeared to have been just as surprised by the development as Enji, though he did not mirror his father's joy. His rebellious streak took precedence over any notion of winning and Enji watched as his son tossed his chances of taking first with the final licks of his flames, his frustration evergrowing.

'How long will he cling to that childish idea?' he mused. 'How much longer will I watch him waste his potential?'

"Excuse me, Endeavor?"

A low growl rumbled out of his throat and Enji paused in his step. He didn't turn to regard the source of the voice, his eyes staring daggers down the hall before him. "What?"

He heard a light shuffle behind him. "Ah, pardon me, sir… I wanted to ask you a question."

"I don't do autographs," he answered gruffly. Enji rolled his shoulders back and began to step forward. "You'll do better to ask someone else."

"It's not that," the voice replied hastily, "it's about your son."

Once again, Enji came to a still, though his glare lessened with surprise. He turned his head and peered at the man over his shoulder; he was a tall man, though his slouch hid his true height. His suit was tailored to his slight frame and his blond hair hung around his face in two large sections while the rest was fanned behind him messily. Most striking, however, was his eyes– piercing blue eyes amidst black scleras.

"What about my Shoto?" he questioned. He felt a flicker of familiarity as he gazed upon the man before him, but could not place the source.

The man straightened up his posture and cleared his throat. "Allow me to introduce myself… I am Sensei Yagi. It's my first year teaching here at U.A. and I've had the pleasure of instructing your son these past few weeks." He offered Enji a warm smile. "I was hoping I could gain some insight so that I might help him realize his full potential."

Enji's eyes narrowed. "What are you implying? That my Shoto is falling short in some way?"

"Oh, no, not at all ," Yagi reassured him, waving a hand. Then, his expression became underlined with a hint of worry. "Although, I can't help but notice that he refuses to use his left side… Why is that?"

The frown on Enji's face graduated to a deep grimace. "And why do you want to know?"

Yagi rested a hand over his heart. "He's a talented young man and incredibly intelligent. He blew the entire class away with the use of his Quirk during our first battle simulation." The soft beginnings of a smile played across his lips. "He's competitive and driven. There's no doubt that he takes after you."

Praise was not a new thing for Enji to hear when it came to his son, nor was it uncommon for it to be attributed to him for being the boy's father. But, the way that the man before him did so lacked the superficiality that he had seen in the past. He wasn't trying to stroke Enji's ego or gain his favor for personal gain; he was being sincere.

Still, Enji's expression did not change. "I'm aware of my son's capabilities. I spent enough time training him to have seen it for myself."

"That much is clear," Yagi replied, nodding in affirmation, "you know, as quiet as he is, he's got quite the spirit. Back during the U.S.J. attack, one of my students told me about how he managed to stop a group of villains within a matter of moments." His smile grew and a chuckle rumbled out of his throat. "He actually jumped into the fray to help All Might ."

Ice surged through Enji's veins. "What?"

One blink from Yagi and already, Enji was silently chiding himself for losing his composure. He had learned of the invasion hours after the fact from his sidekicks when he returned from handling a situation in the next city over and had been absolutely furious to learn that the ringleader and his co-conspirator got away. When he returned home to find answers, Shoto was unresponsive to any of his questions. It didn't matter what kind of demands he made; the boy had pointedly ignored him and retired to his room. Everything Enji knew had come from the news and the police, his sidekicks digging in to find out all the details. Two teachers had been gravely injured, including Shoto's homeroom teacher, Eraserhead– Enji didn't care much for him. He never got on well with underground heroes.

"He… didn't tell you?" Yagi asked softly. When Enji's response was a steely glare, the man clutched his breast pocket. "Oh, I… I'm sorry , I thought that he would have told you. I suppose he didn't want to worry–"

" Enough rambling," Enji cut in, causing Yagi to blink. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Where are you going with this? I haven't got all day."

Yagi cleared his throat. "Right… You see, as I've said, Young Todoroki has shown a great deal of control and mastery of his ice Quirk. But… Well, I haven't seen his progress with his flames. I know it's only been a short time since we've met, but I can't help but worry…" His brows furrowed and he dared to take a step forward. "Did something happen to make him so hesitant to use his fire?"

A growl rose out of Enji's throat without thought and he clenched his fist. It certainly wasn't the first time that someone had asked him that question, but it was still audacious nonetheless. Enji had done well to bury the incident that marred his son's face and he would be damned if some nobody dredged up the past under the guise of concern . When it came to people like Enji, people were vultures about any piece of information they could get, subject to their preconceived notions. Not even heroes were exempt from being made into monsters or martyrs.

"I know it's forward of me to ask," Yagi acknowledged, "I haven't asked him why for fear of prying too much into his personal life, but I thought if I asked you–"

"You could pry me instead?" Enji cut in, silencing the man. When Yagi stared at him, he let out a huff and turned his body to face him entirely. "What makes you think I will divulge anything about the boy or his training?"

The beginnings of a frown settled onto Yagi's lips. "I merely want to understand how I can help him–"

"Well, I fail to understand how you could ," Enji snapped, "my son is at U.A. because he is going to be a hero–" His eyes looked the man up and down. "-which is something I doubt you would understand."

'Besides,' he added silently, 'how could you hope to succeed where I've failed thus far?'

The two men stared at one another for a long moment, but Enji wasn't keen on letting their staring contest continue. With a huff of annoyance, he turned on the ball of his foot and began to make his way down to the stairway.

"The little brat is going through a rebellious phase," he muttered, more to himself than his unwelcome guest, "but with time, he'll come around… I don't need some second-rate teachers to threaten his potential to surpass our society's caliber of greatness ."

The smiling visage of All Might flashed across his mind and he felt a surge of heat from within his flames. Suppressing the urge to growl, he gripped the railing to the stairway for purchase. However, his next step was hindered when a hand grabbed his bicep.

"What," Yagi began, his voice low, "did you just say? "

On a normal day, Enji would have jerked his arm back and barked at the man for daring to set a hand on him. But, any sense of normalcy ceased as soon as his eyes met with Yagi's and instead, he went still beneath his gaze.

"Your son ," he went on, snapping Enji out of his stare, "is a talented and well-disciplined student. That is why he is at U.A." The man's grip tightened on Enji's arm and he grimaced. "But you will not, and I repeat, not disparage the teachers who had dedicated themselves to his and his peers' education. It is his teachers that put their lives on the line when the U.S.J. was under attack."

There was something deep, yet unknown within his eyes, betraying an experience that Enji himself was not privy to. He had seen many things in his time as Pro, but there was something unspeakably dark within the skeletal man's eyes. Enji was no stranger to anger– it practically fueled his flames and could sometimes be as constant as his heartbeat. It seemed that the man knew anger almost as well as he did and the source was the same; the world had done something to instill it within his being.

"Furthermore," Yagi continued, "you should be very careful about what you say about your son. I may not know his reasons for not using his fire, but I at least know not to call a child who is struggling a ' brat' ." He leaned in just a tad and it was there that Enji caught the scent of dried blood from his breath. "I would expect better behavior from someone of your rank."

Within an instant, Enji's arm jerked out of Yagi's grasp. "Your expectations aren't my burden to bear, you cretin ." He snatched the man by the wrist and drew him close. "Just because you favor an easy-breezy attitude like All Might doesn't mean that others have to follow his example. Some of us are focused on more important matters."

Despite the position he found himself in, Yagi met Enji's fiery eyes with a steely disposition. "More important than your son's well-being?"

Enji blinked and Yagi narrowed his eyes at him. Just who exactly was this guy? Was he a retired Pro that Enji never crossed paths with before?

'He's not a civilian, that's for sure,' he settled on quickly. Even with his hand still around the man's wrist, there was no trepidation or fear within Yagi's demeanor. 'Is he an underground hero, like Eraserhead?'

Within seconds of his grip loosening, Yagi's wrist slipped out of his hold. The man stood upright and it was then that Enji realized just how much the man towered over him. That fact was only highlighted by Yagi standing a couple steps over him, leaving him gazing down at him. He rubbed his wrist and sighed.

"You haven't changed a bit," he murmured, surprising Enji. Yagi drew his hands to his chest and held them there. "I was hoping that time had tempered your fire, but I suppose that was idealistic of me…"

"What are you on about?" he snapped.

With a blink, Yagi seemed to realize what he said and shook his head. "It's… It's nothing."

Silence permeated the space between them. After what felt like an eternity, Enji turned away from him.

"This is ridiculous ," he muttered, taking a step down the stairs, "I don't have to listen to the criticisms of an old man. Now, get out of my way ."

Yagi's eyes cut towards him, but he said nothing. Instead, the man watched as Enji's steps increased the distance between the two of them. He could feel Yagi's eyes on him as he rounded the corner of the stairwell and his own gaze flitted up to briefly meet with him. Neither said a word when they did; neither said a word when they broke away from each other.

It was a welcome change when Enji could no longer feel the man staring him down from the stop of the stairwell, but even so, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease. A man that slightly shouldn't have been able to grab a hold of him, let alone stop him in his tracks– just how strong was he? And how much was he holding back while talking to Enji?

'It's no matter,' he decided silently, 'who he is of no consequence… All that matters is that my Shoto surpasses that annoying fool we call our Symbol.'

A/N:

(before the battle)

Some poor 1-C student: alright so... I didn't think I'd make it this far.

Shoji: ...is that supposed to convince us to team up with you?

Sero: yeah, I'll be real, it's not very reassuring.

1-C student: I mean... I'm small. I could get up on your shoulders and you could use your arms to shield me. Might stop people from taking our points.

Shoji: ...sure alright.

Sero: (sighs) I wish Midoriya picked me...

(during the battle)

Shinsou: I bet once I get control of him, I can use him to get Bakugou's headba-

Midoriya: (breaks out of his control)

Shinsou: nope nope nope nope nope, not worth it, nope nope no-

(after the battle)

Kirishima: does anyone know where Bakugou went?

Ashido: I have no /

Hatsume: Oh, who cares! (cradles her jet pack to her chest) my poor baby...

Kirishima: ...would you feel better if I bought you lunch?

Hatsume: (sniffles) Yes

Kirishima: Alright. (pats her shoulder) C'mon, let's help her carry her stuff.

Ashido: Oh, as if I haven't spent the past fifteen minutes carrying Bakugou!

Kirishima: ...we all have?

Ashido: (sighs) alright, give me some stuff to carry-

So, a fun fact: the cavalry battle has been the hardest thing for me to plan for the Sports Festival. I had been working on it since I started this fic, but I was still struggling when I got to it because it sets the stage for *everything* that follows in the rest of the tournament. I went back and forth on the teams and the bracket list over and over again until I finally settled on it.

"Wait, the bracket list?" you say. Yeah. Let's just say I threw in a couple of shake-ups with it. But you won't see that until later... Since next chapter, we're going to be getting into the thick of it with Izuku and Shoto, amongst other things.