Angel: Decided to leave these particular questions for last. Someone asked about Izuka's main friend group...if you mean like a Midosquad in the same sense as Bakusquad or Dekusquad, I feel like that's a bit too obvious. It would be Momo, Ochaco, Izuku, and Shoto. If Izuku doesn't count, I'll say Tenya. And the other question was regarding ultimate moves, which I will not answer at this time because obviously spoilers. Although judging by the double up of uploading I'm doing, that particular chapter will get uploaded sooner than later.
New episode comes out tomorrow, but I am just waiting for that big moment with a particular character, stop dragging it out please lol. I cannot handle the wait y'all. And writing out that little arc much later is gonna be something...
The buzzer went off while Fumikage and Tsuyu were about to start. "Team Asui and Tokoyami. Practical exam. Ready? Go!" A bunch of smoke appeared, turning into clones of Ectoplasm.
"Maybe you didn't understand," He told the two students. "But we teachers are trying to crush you with everything we've got. No holding back." Smoke appeared behind them, the two gasping as more clones appeared.
"Steel your nerves...and show me your resolve," Ectoplasm challenged the team, some of the clones rushing forward.
"Get her!" Fumikage glanced over his shoulder. "Dark Shadow!" His Quirk summoned from his back to grab Tsuyu from behind. "Asui. Your turn!" He flung her into the air, surprising some of the clones.
"Got you, Tokoyami!" She flung her tongue around his body, sticking herself to a wall. She then swung her head to send him flying this time. He landed on one of the floors safely and she jumped up, landing in front of him. "I'm glad we made a plan beforehand."
"Yes," Her classmate agreed with her.
"Nice!" Ochaco smiled happily, she and the twins still watching.
"An escape only the two of them could pull off!" He cheered while clenching a fist.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm glad for their plan. But...that seemed a bit too easy, wouldn't it? It was a good strategy, but these are finals," Izuka rubbed her chin in thought. Ochaco and Izuku stared at her curiously.
"That's good communication," Recovery Girl spoke up as she stepped out of her temporary office. She had already helped Rikido and Eijiro. "They're talking to each other. It may not seem like much, but it's important. I don't just mean having a sidekick or teammate that you know you match well with," All four of them watched the team running off together. "Real heroes need to be able to communicate with anyone."
"Um, so..." Izuku turned to her curiously as she jumped back into her seat. "We were talking about these finals...and how each student is supposed to be facing their weaknesses."
"That's right," Recovery Girl smiled a little, looking towards the screen.
"Okay, so, what do Tokoyami and Asui have to work on? I'm having trouble seeing how Mr. Ectoplasm's Quirk is a bad match-up against theirs," He rubbed his chin just like Izuka did earlier. Ochaco silently nodded in agreement. Ectoplasm's Quirk allowed him to make clones, and Izuku had seen Dark Shadow at work multiple times. So putting Dark Shadow up against clones wouldn't really be too much of a challenge...Tsuyu on the other hand could keep a level head and had great mobility to get around the area for her to slip past the clones and avoid them.
"Oh? Well, it's not good...for Tokoyami, at least," She revealed, confusing the trio.
"Huh? Why do you say that?" The brunette wondered to the nurse.
"Keep watching, you'll see," She urged and Izuka leaned in towards Izuku a little, a hand in front of her mouth.
"I wonder if this has to do with what Tokoyami-San said about his Quirk during the Sports Festival..." She whispered to the two, which did get them to re-think this a little. He did remember his classmate saying that Dark Shadow's attack power was weaker in light. So he wondered if Ectoplasm himself knew that to use it to his advantage. They then all turned back to the screen to see what would happen.
"So you've chosen to avoid a fight," Ectoplasm stated as he watched them run down the hall. "Good luck." The real Ectoplasm was standing in front of the escape gate.
Ectoplasm. His Quirk: Clones! He shoots weird ectoplasm from his mouth and turns it into copies of himself. Fumikage jumped backwards as more clones appeared in front of him. He's able to produce 30 at one time. Though apparently after about his second or third song at karaoke, that number goes up to 36! Fumikage stared as they continued appearing, now blocking his path. Dark Shadow appeared from his body.
"Now!" He started attacking clones, knocking them down so hard that they turned back into ectoplasm. Three more appeared, Dark Shadow pushing one away. More clones appeared right behind Fumikage, and he gasped in alarm.
"Gotcha!" Tsuyu jumped in, using her tongue to knock the clone away from her teammate.
"Thanks," He started as another clone appeared, but Dark Shadow knocked it onto the ground. They disappeared into ectoplasm, the two turning around to see more of them. "Dark Shadow!" His Quirk slipped past some of them, Fumikage grunting as he jumped backwards. Tsuyu's tongue grabbed him by the waist again and she tossed him up into the ceiling. He landed on another floor and Tsuyu leaped, landing behind him.
"There's no end to them..." She stated in a bit of worry and he glanced over his shoulder.
"Let's keep moving." The two gasped as ectoplasm blocked their path up ahead.
"Tokoyami is quick and can attack from afar, allowing him to keep his distance," About a dozen clones appeared in front of the duo. "Those are all strengths. But looking at that another way, it means he's weak at close range," Recovery Girl explained to the three.
"Wow, I never thought about his powers like that," Ochaco looked towards the ground.
"And Mr. Ectoplasm's clones can appear anywhere unexpectedly," Izuku turned back towards the screen.
"Even if his speed can help him, he can't predict Ectoplasm's movements," Izuka glanced at her brother.
"On the other hand, there's Asui," Recovery Girl spoke up again. "A stellar student with no clear weaknesses." Tsuyu jumped from the wall and landed at Fumikage's side. "She can provide support to her ally, as powerful as he may be." She then jumped around on walls, striking them with Fumikage as they powered down the hall as a team. "But she's important in another way too. Her level-headedness and ability to provide emotional support are the key to them passing."
"Emotional support, huh?" Izuku murmured and remembered that he had worked with Tsuyu before. And back then, she was the same with him and Minoru. Now that I think about it, having her around during the USJ attack really helped us stay focused. I'm rooting for you, Asui and Tokoyami. Beat him!
"Come on, Tsu-Chan and Tokoyami-San," Izuka pumped her fists a little in anticipation. Knowing them, they were both strong regarding control of their Quirks. So she knew that they could do this.
Tsuyu flung her tongue at a clone, distracting it long enough for Dark Shadow to attack. Tsuyu then landed several feet away. "That was clone number 28," He stated as he ran up ahead, and she was looking at something.
"Tokoyami, look. It's the goal," She eyed the escape gate. "Which means that's probably his real body down there."
"Excellent job getting past the others," The teacher had already caught wind of their presence. "But tell me...what will you do against this?!" He opened up his mouth and released a bigger amount of ectoplasm, something rising from the substance. Soon, a giant clone of Ectoplasm appeared. "Just try to escape. Giant Bite Detention!"
Fumikage let out a sharp gasp, Tsuyu herself giving a small wince. Neither of them were expecting this, or had planned for it, that was for sure. It must've been a hidden ability that only a few people knew about.
"I can't put out more clones now. But as long as I have you captured, this one is all I need!"
"Asui!" Fumikage rushed for her as the clone was about to attack. "Look out!" He pushed her out of the way while the giant clone smashed its way into the wall. Ochaco and the twins gasped sharply, shaking a little.
"Tokoyami-San! Tsu-Chan!" Izuka yelped in concern for them. As the smoke cleared, the two classmates were trapped in the clone's back inside of the cloak's fabric.
"Only I can get rid of this behemoth," He informed them as Fumikage struggled. "So what is your plan?"
"This Quirk is way too powerful," Fumikage grunted while Dark Shadow appeared.
"Hey, so am I!" The Quirk protested to his controller.
"Dark Shadow," He turned to his Quirk. "You just have to get through that gate!"
"I'm on it!" Dark Shadow zipped over, though Ectoplasm was still blocking the way. He let out a yell and Ectoplasm simply stepped out of the way. He kneed it in the chin, causing the Quirk to slide backwards. "Dammit!" He lunged forward again, swiping his claws but Ectoplasm kept dodging him. The teacher then kicked the Quirk back a few feet, Dark Shadow continuing to attack. Ectoplasm kept kicking him away, both Fumikage and Tsuyu watching.
"I don't think he has a chance against a real pro," He murmured; since Dark Shadow was better in darkness, his attack power wasn't much compared to Katsuki, Shoto, or Tenya. And going up against a pro hero, he wouldn't last very long.
"But...if he can reach him, we have a chance," Tsuyu spoke up, alarming her teammate. She then closed her eyes. "Call Dark Shadow back. I have something for you to give him."
"Asui, what do you mean?" He glanced at her in confusion.
"Please...don't watch me. Mr. Ectoplasm will notice. And besides, it's..." She then started to heave as if she was about to throw up. "Really gross to see me do this."
He gasped in surprise, wondering what her plan was...
"Will you keep this up until time runs out, little bird?" Ectoplasm mocked while spinning his body around repeatedly to kick. "What I want to see is a student who can do away with an adversary, no matter what!" And he proved to be too much for Dark Shadow, kicking him so hard he flew backwards with a groan.
"Dark Shadow!" Fumikage called out, the Quirk flying back and grabbing something from Tsuyu.
"Calm down," Drool came from her tongue. "We've got this." Dark Shadow lunged forward again. "Because Tokoyami and Dark Shadow are heroes!" Dark Shadow let out another yell as Ectoplasm watched. He waited to see what would happen as the Quirk recoiled back a fist, and then he jumped up into the air. He spun around and then swung his leg to kick, a large gust of wind appearing. Dark Shadow's body spiraled as he fell. "I figured this was the only way we could win if he managed to capture us somehow. So I swallowed the cuffs," Tsuyu revealed to her teammate, though was still looking a bit sick. "My Quirk lets me take things in and out of my stomach."
During that kick, Dark Shadow had planted the cuffs over Ectoplasm's leg. "How unexpected."
"Whoa, they legcuffed him!" Ochaco exclaimed with a smile.
"Then they passed! They figured out a way to do it! Dark Shadow and Frog together—what a great team!" Izuku smiled back at her as Izuka grinned, clasping her hands together.
"Good thinking to distract him too by having him fight Dark Shadow!" She complimented towards the screen.
Ochaco hummed with a small smile. "They're so smart!"
Ectoplasm approached his two opponents as the gate changed. "Team Asui and Tokoyami have passed the final!"
"That was wonderfully clever," He congratulated the two students. "I must commend you both."
Fumikage closed his eyes, bowing his head. "I'm truly humbled, sir."
Tsuyu gave a happy smile. "Ribbit, ribbit."
Dark Shadow then popped up between them. "It was all thanks to me!"
Momo got onto her feet, looking up ahead. She had just heard the news. "So Tokoyami and Asui passed their exam. I'm not surprised," She reminded herself of her fight with Fumikage from the Sports Festival. And the girl knew that Tsuyu was good at decision-making, unlike her... She then looked down while furrowing her eyebrows, knowing that she might fail...however, all she could do at this point was see what happened during her test. She then walked off as after the third match, she was up with Shoto.
Tenya and Mashirao were currently doing their match with Power Loader. He was sending cyclones of sand towards them. "We're running out of places to stand. Mr. Power Loader can do this?" Tenya wondered as the pro hero was crawling through the sand. So unfortunately, they had no idea where the teacher was going to strike next.
"What now, Class Rep?" Mashirao turned to his teammate nervously. Like with Tsuyu and Fumikage, neither of them planned for Power Loader being able to appear wherever he wanted. They wouldn't be able to tell where he would emerge.
"The topography gives our opponent the advantage. In order to keep injuries to a minimum and defeat him...I think our best choice right now is to go and find a hero who is better suited to take him on," He was speaking as if he was already a hero for the illusion, just like he did in combat class.
"So in other words, we should run. One thing," Mashirao narrowed his eyes as he used his tail to toss a rock onto the field. It touched the ground and immediately, cyclones of dirt appeared. "There are traps between us and the gate. Not to mention we have no idea where Mr. Power Loader will attack next."
"We can still make it," Tenya encouraged, looking up ahead. "As long as we work together."
Mashirao gave a small hum, deciding to trust him on this. "All right!"
"Fusion!" Tenya announced, though really, it was just his partner hanging onto his back.
"I can only imagine how stupid we look right now," He said in a bit of embarrassment. Although at the very least, he was glad that not many people were watching them.
"Here we go, Ojiro!" Tenya's engines appeared from his costume. "Recipro Burst!" He then ran off, his teammate hanging on for life since he knew how fast Tenya could go. The rocks then crumbled after Tenya ran past them.
We're outrunning the traps he set. If we keep this up... The escape gate was still a bit far, but it was in their sights. A few more traps went off.
"Uh-uh-uh. Not so fast," Power Loader stated, Ochaco and Izuka wincing.
"Not good!" Izuku gritted his teeth.
An explosion occurred up ahead, alarming Mashirao. "We're gonna fail!"
Tenya stayed calm, however, and needed to come up with something that was gonna help them pass. It was definitely a 180 change from how he handled Stain in Hosu. Find the best solution, Tenya! Come on! He then jumped in the air, surrounded by rocks. "Quick, wrap your tail around my leg!"
Mashirao was surprised, but let go of Tenya and did as asked. Tenya spun around like a cyclone as fast as he could. "Recipro...Extend!" He then threw his partner across the field.
"I've got you!" Power Loader reached out a hand. Mashirao swung his tail to strike the teacher, and then soared through the gate, allowing the two to pass.
"Team Ida and Ojiro have passed the final."
Mashirao glanced back with a proud smile. "Nice one, man!"
"Heh," Power Loader commented once he was okay. "It was kind of a risky move, but it put a quick end to the match. And you managed to get your friend out of the ring without getting yourself injured. All in all, not bad. You pass. Congrats."
Tenya closed his eyes, bowing his head. "Thank you very much."
"They're both amazing!" Ochaco cheered as Izuka clapped a little with a smile.
Tenya then waved a hand in front of him. "I promise I will strive to be the perfect hero!"
Ida...you're so cool! Izuku admired silently with a smile of his own.
"I didn't see that strategy coming at all," Izuka's eyes shined a little.
"Also, I'm completely stuck," Tenya revealed that he was actually stuck in the mud from the neck down...
Uh, well. Sometimes at least Izuku silently corrected himself.
Yaoyorozu-Chan and Todoroki-San are up next, right? Izuka bit her lip in thought. Against Mr. Aizawa...she's going through a lot, but I know she can pull through to pass.
The fourth match was now starting in a residential-like area. "It's our turn now," Shoto spoke up to Momo. "Let's go." However, she stayed silent, and didn't seem to be paying attention to what he was saying. "Yaoyorozu." She gasped a little, looking up at him. "What's wrong, are you nervous?"
"Oh, no," She quickly answered in a short manner. The girl didn't want to distract him with her insecure feelings during the test. So she wasn't going to say anything about it.
"It's okay," He looked up ahead. "With our opponent, I don't blame you. Don't worry. I have a plan in mind for us."
She gave a surprised noise and then looked up as the buzzer went off. "Team Todoroki and Yaoyorozu. Practical Exam. Ready? Go!"
The two students ran down an alley, with Shoto leading them. "Yaoyorozu. Listen, I want you to keep making small objects," He instructed the girl. "When you stop being able to, it means Mr. Aizawa's close by."
Mr. Aizawa was currently standing at a high point, his scarf flowing around. And I'm back! That's Class 1-A's homeroom teacher, Shota Aizawa. He can erase the Quirks of whoever he sees, but the effect ends when he blinks.
Currently, he could come from anywhere if he could sense them nearby. Mr. Aizawa wasn't as boisterous as All Might either, so he was really good at stealth. "Our success will depend on which one of us finds the other first," They came to a stop at an intersection, Momo standing in the shadows. And...it almost wasn't helping her current morale. She felt like just by watching him that she was simply following his lead, because that was for the best. And yet something in her was hesitant... "Once we spot him, I'll draw him to me. Then you can run to the escape gate and win this thing for us. Just stay close to me until then," He kept a lookout for Mr. Aizawa.
However...Momo didn't create anything, in fact, she looked towards the ground feeling lost. He glanced at the girl, wondering if something really was wrong. "Come on. Hurry up and start making things."
"...Sure," She said hesitantly after a few seconds, a small frown on her face. "No problem."
"Yaoyorozu-Chan..." Izuka sighed in a bit of worry towards her, hugging herself. "I should've known something like this would happen."
"Huh?" Ochaco wondered as she turned to her in confusion, followed by Izuku. "What do you mean?"
"I was trying to help her after I learned about her fight with Tokoyami-San in the Sports Festival," Izuka gestured to the screen. "Just like Izuku was doing with Ida-San after his brother got hurt. She seemed to always be putting herself down sometimes and didn't seem too confident about this part of the exam either." Momo's uncertainty about not being able to help the study group with the practical was a prime example. "But when I asked, she didn't want to talk about it, or other things just kept getting in the way. I wish I could be there for her..."
If only she hadn't been caught up with internships and the Hero Killer...would it have been different if she had spoken to her friend about her concerns better? Momo was up against their teacher, who knew about all of their Quirks more than anyone else compared to the other opponents. So trying to capture him would be a hard task, since neither of them would flee.
"Just by watching her, I'm sure she knows how much you appreciate her as a person," Izuku placed a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "She'll help them find a way to pass."
Izuka frowned in worry, looking up towards the screen. I know you can do it, Yaoyorozu-Chan. Just because you felt your fight wasn't satisfactory didn't mean you're not a good future hero. It just means that you're still learning as a UA student. She could still remember Momo inspiring her during their rescue exercise class with Thirteen after the USJ incident...and how much the girl dedicated to helping those who had been falling behind in class. That was the real Momo, and she wished that she hadn't been so busy in her own life... Todoroki-San too is very capable of passing this test, though he seems to be taking all of the responsibility. I hope he and Yaoyorozu-Chan can both learn to communicate better.
Shoto and Momo ran down the street, with her making little nesting Russian dolls from her body. "Um," He came to a stop in confusion, glancing over his shoulder. "I guess those work okay, but what are they?"
"Oh, these things?" She asked nonchalantly while placing them inside of her belt. "They're just Russian nesting dolls."
"Right..." He then held up his right hand, completely freezing it. "Let me know if you notice your Quirk acting strangely at all." He ran off without waiting for an answer and she frowned a bit. Momo then ran off again, creating more of the nesting dols.
"I'd expect nothing less from you, Todoroki," She remarked, knowing that he would be able to pass on his own if she just followed his plan.
"What do you mean?" He asked the girl in confusion as they continued running.
"You were able to come up with a plan to use against Mr. Aizawa so quickly. You knew exactly what was best as soon as we started," She complimented her classmate sadly, though he didn't pick up on the fact that she didn't mention herself. Or that she seemed to know how he operated already.
"This is nothing," He dismissed and Momo slowly came to a stop.
"No. You're wrong," She spoke up, getting his attention as he turned around. "As students who got into UA through recommendations...we started from the same place. But in terms of the practical skills that a hero needs, I haven't really managed to do anything that stands out. During the cavalry battle, I just followed your orders," She frowned deeply while clenching a fist in front of her heart. "And then when it was my turn to fight, I failed before I could do anything." Even now, she was still following his lead because she felt it was the right thing to do. Because anything she would think of would end in failure, and she didn't want to do that to either of them.
He stood there in silence, wondering if this was why Izuka was trying to help Momo before they left for internships...and he could see why she reached out to Momo. She clearly had low confidence in both herself and her Quirk's versatility right now...The boy then let out a gasp as he realized that she wasn't making anything at all.
"Yaoyorozu. You're not making those dolls!" Shoto informed his classmate. She gasped in realization, and she wasn't able to make more either. Meaning that Mr. Aizawa was closing in on the both of them. "He's coming!"
"I'm sorry!" She exclaimed as they looked around, but were unable to see him. This was because he was hanging from electronic wires using his scarf upside down above their heads.
"If you know I'm here, then you should be acting," He revealed himself, Shoto turning around to swing his arm. Mr. Aizawa then freed himself, landing in front of Shoto. "I would suggest that you prioritize evasion...since I've taken your power from you," His eyes were glowing red behind his goggles.
"Yaoyorozu!" Shoto called out as he swung his leg at his teacher but missed. "GO!"
She gasped sharply and then turned in the other direction, running off. Mr. Aizawa briefly glanced over his shoulder before he threw his scarf at his student. "Is that what your plan is?" He lunged forward, slipping past Shoto as his scarf surrounded the boy's body. It then tied around Shoto's waist and he grunted as Mr. Aizawa pulled him up to the wires, hanging him above the streets. "Then this will be simple. I was always going to catch you first since you're the team's offense," He revealed as his hair dropped back around his shoulders. He then stood up and started tying his scarf to the nearest pole.
"You think you've caught me?" Shoto spoke up boldly. "This is nothing. I can burn or freeze these restraints in an instant."
"Do whatever you want," Mr. Aizawa didn't seem fazed at all as he dug into his pocket, tossing something. "Just be careful where you land." He had thrown caltrops onto the ground and they shimmered as they were right underneath Shoto.
"Caltrops? This is your strategy?" He asked in disbelief. Shoto didn't even know that he had those, or that Mr. Aizawa would resort to using them against his own student. Considering Izuku's research on heroes, it was a bit surprising that this never came up. "You pretending to be some kind of ninja?"
"This is very different from when you faced the Hero Killer," Mr. Aizawa reminded the boy while digging into his belt. "I know about your Quirks and what you can do," He then lifted his goggles to his forehead, lifting up his head as he held a tiny green bottle. They were revealed to be eye-drops as he put them on. "I'm perfectly prepared to defeat you both." He put his goggles back down over his eyes. "Your plan places most of the burden on yourself. It's nice you tried to be considerate to the girl, but...maybe you should have actually talked this over with her."
And with that, he took off, leaving Shoto behind. He frowned a little as it was true he was basically the front-runner. Talked it over? Talking things over was not his strong suit, given the type of environment he grew up in...but he didn't even notice that Momo didn't question his plan. Knowing her, she would've offered her own strategy, but she didn't.
Momo panted as she continued to run. And the whole time she was doing so, she was starting to question everything. How much farther until I'm at the gate? Is there a shorter route I should take? I-is Todoroki okay? Is this right? Should I take the time and make something to help me go faster? Can I make it? Will I be able to pass this way? Wait, where am I running to? Can I do this? Or am I...going to fail us? She felt like she had a lot of pressure on her shoulders, despite the fact Shoto tried to put all of this on himself. He had more experience with it and was more stoic overall, so it seemed easy to him in her eyes. But she had so much doubt right now that she didn't know if she could be okay passing like this. The fact that she left Shoto behind alone with their teacher...while running away. That all she did was follow him without even trying, but she felt like she couldn't do it...that she couldn't lead them to passing with her strategies.
Mr. Aizawa grabbed something with his scarf, swinging himself into the sky. His scarf flew around as he looked towards the road below him. She obviously lost her confidence after the Sports Festival. He already had eyes on Momo, who looked panicked while running. She unfortunately didn't notice she was being followed until too late. The girl gasped while looking behind her.
Mr. Aizawa! Does that mean Todoroki's been...?
He threw his scarf at her while in the air, capturing her wrist. "No!" She cried out as he pulled back, stopping her in place. He then slid across the roof.
"I'm gonna hit you where it hurts! Let's see which of us is stronger!" He pulled on his scarf hard and she gritted her teeth.
I don't have a chance against my own teacher! She then noticed something as she opened an eye. What? My Quirk's not erased. Creation! Her wrist glowed as she created something out of metal to release her wrist. She squeezed her eyes shut as she took off running again. I'm so sorry, Todoroki!
Mr. Aizawa noticed that she wasn't heading towards the escape gate anymore. Changing direction? She let him make all the decisions. Comparing herself to Todoroki, she decided that he was the superior student. For better or for worse, he never seems to hesitate much. And she's lost her ability to trust in her own instincts and reactions. He continued to watch her run, knowing that between Shoto and Momo, Shoto had plenty of opportunity to prove himself. While Momo only lasted about a minute against Fumikage in the Sports Festival, and didn't experience anything like the Hosu Incident for her internship. Emotionally, she's still a child at 15. I'd like to help her regain her confidence. But that's not my job right now.
He then dashed forward to go after her. The teacher did feel kind of bad leaving Momo to go through this, but he also was still her opponent currently.
Shoto was still hanging above the caltrops, reflecting on what his teacher said to him about his strategy. "Maybe you should have actually talked this over with her." He closed his eyes, giving a small sigh. Now that I think about it, she looked like she had something to say. When she was frowning earlier, he had actually sensed it, but he was too focused on their plan to really push the issue. Although looking back, he should've if it was going to help her out during the exam.
"Todoroki!" Momo cried out, causing him to look up as she ran up to her teammate. "Todoroki!"
"Yaoyorozu!" He called out as she slid to a stop.
"I'm sorry I came back. I couldn't-"
"Hey!" He interrupted her and she flinched in alarm. "Watch it! Mr. Aizawa's coming!"
She gasped as they both looked up to see him heading their way fast. Her eyes shook as she was faced with a difficult decision, and didn't know what to do. No matter what she decided, they would most likely fail. Mr. Aizawa didn't rely on power like All Might, but he was still good with strategy and great at capturing to make up for it. Should I save Todoroki? Or run? What's the right answer? What should I do?
"Yaoyorozu!" He yelled to the girl. "You've got a plan, don't you?" She turned back around to him in confusion, wondering how he knew that. "Sorry, I should've asked before, and not told you what to do. But you have an idea, right?"
"Your plan didn't work," She looked towards the ground sadly. "So there's no way mine will be any good. We're both gonna fail."
Izuka frowned sadly as her eyes saddened watching her friend being this down on herself... I wish I pushed on this sooner. She's acting similar to how I was at the beginning of the semester with my self-confidence...it's still not great with some people, but still...please, Todoroki-San...help out my friend, she really needs it right now.
"Spit it out already!" Shoto urged; if they didn't act at all, then they would fail regardless. "I'm saying that you're the one who's better at this kinda stuff, not me!" Momo looked back up at him slowly. "When we were voting for class rep, you had three votes, remember? One of those votes was mine! And I'm sure that another one was from Mido, because she believes the same thing I do! Because we both thought you would be the best at leading our class!"
She looked at him in both awe and disbelief, her eyes shaking as she could sense that he trusted her judgment, regardless of success. She tried not to tear up as she squeezed her eyes shut, knowing that Izuka looked up to her as well...and was concerned for her as a friend. And she ended up pushing Izuka away...when she knew that the girl would be able to relate to her. But after the Sports Festival...she didn't want her friend thinking that she was weak. I'm pathetic...but maybe...
Mr. Aizawa then soared right over her head. "Giving up?"
"Not yet!" She dug into her belt, gripping the nesting dolls still tucked in there. "Todoroki, close your eyes!" She then threw them up to surround her teacher.
"What are these?" He knocked them away, but they actually had something inside the whole time. A flash then went off, Shoto squeezing his eyes shut from the bright light. Mr. Aizawa gave a shocked sound as he recognized them now. "Flash grenades?"
"You're right," Momo revealed as she slowly lowered Shoto using the scarf. "I have an idea. A plan for us to win!" He spread his feet apart to land safely as Mr. Aizawa crouched in front of them. "This final exam isn't over!" Mr. Aizawa stood up while rubbing at his eyes. "We can still beat Mr. Aizawa!" Shoto set himself free as she had a slight blush over her face, having regained some of her confidence back. The homeroom teacher then glanced up with a grin, knowing that Momo was back.
"So you've got a strategy," Shoto glared at the man, clenching his fists.
"Yes!" She answered in determination. "I've been thinking about it from the beginning. His weakness."
"All right, just tell me what to do." They heard movement, both of them gasping as they looked up to see Mr. Aizawa landing on a roof.
"As a result of my injuries, I can't use my Quirk for as long, and I have to rest more in between erasures," The man murmured to himself, putting down his goggles. "If she chose her attack because she noticed that, she's pretty smart." He grabbed his scarf and threw it towards them.
"Yaoyorozu!" Shoto put an arm in front of her, pushing her backwards as he jumped back. Fire! Shoto held out his hand, but nothing came out because Mr. Aizawa was looking right at him. Crap. He erased it!
Momo held up a hand. "Todoroki. We have to hide. Together!" She ran off and he followed. She looked over her shoulder, hoping that Mr. Aizawa didn't hear what she was about to say. "Since he was injured, his Quirk has become unstable!"
"Because of what happened at the USJ?" He guessed correctly as Mr. Aizawa chased after them from above. "So we're going to exploit that."
"Not yet. For now, we just need to get out of his field of vision. It's all a matter of timing. We're going to pass this final."
"Timing?" He wondered while looking back. "How is getting out of his sight gonna help us with that? He can still take our Quirks whenever he sees us." Even right now, he still had eyes on them.
"Just do as I tell you!" She ran around the corner. "Keep checking to see if you can use your ice power, okay?"
"Not fast enough, kids!" Mr. Aizawa jumped into the air, throwing his scarf towards them. Momo gritted her teeth as she looked back.
"He's wrong to think he'll be able to keep our powers erased the whole time. There will definitely be a single moment...a brief interval when Mr. Aizawa blinks before he can use his Quirk again!" And as she predicted, Mr. Aizawa blinked. As soon as he did, Shoto's arm gained a bit of frost.
This is it. He slid to a stop.
"And I'll be counting on you in that moment to attack," Ice came from his feet, heading towards their teacher. "Like you did at the Sports Festival!" He created a huge wall like he did before. "A giant ice wall!"
Mr. Aizawa gritted his teeth knowingly as he fell back. Todoroki's biggest move. They were waiting for this. He then gave an impressed chuckle as he landed on another rooftop. They took advantage of their opponent. Hit me where it hurts.
Shoto looked up towards the wall, as there would be no way for Mr. Aizawa to bypass it. It was too high for him to climb, and Erasure wouldn't make the ice wall disappear. "I blocked him with the wall the moment my Quirk came back. We can use our powers again," He informed his teammate, frost over his right side of his body. He then used his fire to cool off. "So can you tell me the rest of your plan now?" He looked back...to see her creating something from her body. She was holding the front of her costume open. He then whipped around immediately once he noticed and she continued making a scarf similar to Mr. Aizawa's. Momo knew that unlike Minoru who would never look away, Shoto was respectful of women. So she trusted herself around him to use her Quirk freely. "Is that Aizawa's scarf you're making?" He asked a little nervously.
"It is," She revealed as she looked at the bundle of it on the ground. "I don't know the material it's made of or precisely how it's constructed, so it's not exactly the same. But I created my own version with a special material woven into it. Since this is a residential area, we must keep collateral damage to a minimum." Mr. Aizawa was standing on the rooftop, his scarf blowing in the wind. "And he moves his own restraining bonds so quickly. It makes it difficult to catch him. So you see, here is my plan."
"Huh," Ochaco glanced over to the twins in confusion. "Why isn't Mr. Aizawa going after them?"
"He might have overused his eyes," Izuku informed the brunette, while Recovery Girl stayed silent.
"Yaoyorozu-Chan noticed it and used it against Mr. Aizawa," Izuka gave a small smile, proud of Momo. "She seems to be getting back on track now, while he waits for them to reveal themselves." You've got this, Yaoyorozu-Chan! You remembered his current weakness because of the injuries he got from the USJ.
"What do you think, Todoroki?" Momo wondered after she informed him of the plan. She had also created a catapult, which they planted the scarf on. "I believe this has the highest chance of success. Or at least, it's better than trying to run." She then let out a small sigh. "We'll only get one chance," She then turned to him with a small smile. "So is this all right with you?"
"Yeah," He gave a small nod. "No complaints here."
Mr. Aizawa kneeled while looking at the ice wall, noting that they hadn't made any movements at all for about 10 minutes. "The escape gate is behind me. It'll be better to watch the approach from here than to try and chase them." Even if he tried to, he'd run out of time and they'd fail.
"I have a plan for us to win! We can still beat Mr. Aizawa!"
He then gave a confident smirk. "Let's see it." A few seconds later, he flinched in alarm to see two hooded people running off. "Disguises. I can't use my Quirk if I can't see them," He jumped off the roof, gripping his scarf. "But they're at a disadvantage too!" Mr. Aizawa then flung it at them, wrapping it around the cloaks. He then threw the disguises off, revealing that Momo and Shoto weren't actually wearing them. Momo was holding up a stick dummy to make it look like they were running. She also had the catapult nearby. The upper halves were just mannequins!
Now I just have to launch it! Momo moved her hand, but it slipped, so she didn't actually hit the lever. She gasped sharply as Mr. Aizawa noticed this.
A catapult? He moved back to attack them, but she still fired the catapult, the scarf surrounding his body. It's a diversion!
"Todoroki! Blast your flames, now!" She screamed and he sent a fire attack towards his teacher, his upper body still hidden. It didn't hit Mr. Aizawa, though, which was also something that he noticed. Especially since Shoto had good aim with his Quirk.
He's not aiming for me. Why not?
The scarf Momo made started to harden, kind of like Eijiro's Quirk. "I'm not sure we have a chance of beating you in a full battle, Mr. Aizawa...but that's okay." The cloak moved away to reveal Shoto as he looked up. The material continued to harden. "Tell me something: have you heard of nitinol alloy? When heated, it returns to its original shape in an instant." His eyes widened as the scarf tightened around him. "It's a metal with shape memory!" Both of them looked up in shock that it actually worked.
"Well, isn't that impressive," He commented and admitted defeat, handcuffed on the ground.
"It went exactly according to your plan," Shoto spoke up as Momo was holding the nitinol alloy scarf to secure their teacher. "It was almost a little too smooth."
"...Honestly, it shouldn't have worked out," She stated while looking at Mr. Aizawa. "When I was about to trigger the catapult...I made a big mistake. Mr. Aizawa noticed, but still jumped away. Even though he could have stopped me easily. I think he allowed himself to be captured by my plan on purpose."
"I was just trying to see what Todoroki would do," He revealed to the both of them. "You were in my sights...but he still had a cloth over him, remember? I thought he'd try to freeze me. So I decided it would be best for me to back off," He then looked up at the two students. "In doing so, it looks like I ended up playing right into your hands."
Shoto sighed a little. "It really was just a matter of timing, like you said, huh?" He then looked up at Momo. "Thanks, teammate." She froze up at his praise, gasping as some tears were in her eyes. She then covered her mouth, whimpering happily. "What's wrong? Do you feel sick?"
"No," She turned away from him, trying not to cry. "It's nothing, really!"
"If you feel nauseous, there's a pressure point you can press on to-"
"No, I told you, I'm fine!" She cried out and the teacher sighed from Shoto being oblivious on what he just did for Momo.
Izuka smiled happily towards the two, giggling to herself. Todoroki-San doesn't really get it, huh?
"My, my. Turns out that man's a big softie after all," Recovery Girl smiled knowingly as she could tell why he really did it. He didn't want Momo to continue feeling less confident in herself, so he let the plan play out like they wanted. Otherwise, he would've easily defeated them when Momo first missed her shot. She gave a small hum as the buzzer went off.
"Team Todoroki and Yaoyorozu have passed the final exam!"
Momo and Shoto were on their way back to the watching room. Momo at this point had calmed down, though she did feel content with herself. Both of them looked up as they heard footsteps, revealed to be coming from Izuka.
"Yaoyorozu-Chan!" The girl ran up to her with a happy smile, grabbing her hands. "You did great out there." She then turned to Shoto with the same expression. "And you too, Todoroki-San!"
"Oh...thank you, Mido," Momo hummed a little and Shoto nodded in agreement.
"Yes, thank you. And I wish you luck in your own exam with your brother and Bakugo. Going up against the number one hero isn't going to be easy," He remarked to the short girl.
"Mmm," She looked away in annoyance at the reminder. "I would say I don't need it, but we all know who I'm dealing with in terms of both a team and the teacher I'm fighting against..." Shoto glanced away knowingly while Momo tried to look optimistic for her. Katsuki couldn't even be found anywhere, not that she wanted to see him right now after what happened before exams started. "...I'm sorry I haven't been a good friend, Yaoyorozu-Chan. You were suffering the whole time, and I didn't push further like I should have," Her eyes saddened, alarming the both of them.
"What? No, Mido, it's okay!" Momo assured the girl, waving a hand. "I should've trusted in you more. I know that before UA, your own confidence wasn't high either. But I'll be fine now! I promise I won't make you worry as much again!"
Izuka blinked and then gave a small smile. "Silly Yao-Chan. Friends are meant to worry about each other...so if you feel like you need someone to talk to, I'll always be there for you no matter what."
"...Thank you, Mido. I hope this teaches us to become better friends," Momo smiled happily, Shoto humming to himself. He was glad that she had Izuka as a friend to help her. He couldn't deny that she was a good person.
"Come on, we've gotta support Uraraka-Chan in her match!" Izuka pumped her fists in excitement, looking at Shoto. "Do you wanna come with us, Todoroki-San?"
"No, it's okay, I need to rest. I'll see you two later," He told the two of them. Shoto watched as the two girls ran off together. Momo and Izuka then smiled towards each other happily.
The fifth match is currently in progress. Team Uraraka and Aoyama against Thirteen. It's almost over.
I want to support my friend, but up against someone she admired and that hero had a powerful Quirk...well, let's just say it's not looking good.
Ochaco let out a yell as she and Yuga were holding onto a bar for dear life. They were currently being cornered by Thirteen's Quirk. "Ah! Oh man, but we were so close!" She cried out in dismay.
"There's no way I'll let you get away that easily!" Thirteen stepped closer to them, using Black Hole against them.
"It's getting even stronger the closer Thirteen gets!" Ochaco cried out to her teammate.
"I'm not great at combat, but I am excellent at capturing," The pro hero revealed to them.
The twins with Tsuyu and Momo looked up nervously. "It looks like escaping from Thirteen's Black Hole Quirk is next to impossible," Tsuyu commented with a finger on her chin.
"And since Uraraka-Chan's Quirk requires her to touch someone, getting close to Ms. Thirteen isn't easy..." Izuka frowned a little. "And Aoyama-San's Quirk requires him to be facing his target, but she can use her Black Hole to swallow it..."
"It does seem ill-fated," Momo murmured in agreement.
"They need a plan to break free," Izuku gave a nervous look, wondering how they were gonna get past this.
"Ah! I guess you could say this Quirk really sucks, doesn't it?" Yuga asked the girl anxiously.
"Are you serious right now?!" She screeched at him, gripping onto the support tightly. "We're in big trouble here!"
"My costume's not just chic."
"Huh?!" She turned to him in bewilderment.
"It channels blasts from my belly button...which means..." His lasers appeared from behind, firing off towards Thirteen. "You've got nothing to worry about, mademoiselle!"
"I'll suck up your laser too!" Thirteen warned as she did so, and then took away his glasses for good measure. He yelped in alarm as it disappeared into pieces by her Quirk. "And break it down to a molecular level!"
He glanced back in disbelief. "This is no joke."
"What is your problem?!" Ochaco shouted at her teammate.
"I have no flaws!" He deemed while closing his eyes.
She then looked away, gritting her teeth. This isn't good. We're trapped! Gotta figure out how to get outta this! Okay. Come on. What would Deku do at a time like this?
"Hey," Yuga spoke up to her.
"Not right now, I'm thinking!" She squeezed her eyes shut.
"About Izuku Midoriya?" He somehow guessed correctly with a straight face. "Ah, how sweet." She gasped while turning to the boy. "Is it...because you like him?" The last two words echoed in her head...