Aizawa grumbled under his breath as Izuku stepped off the stage. The speech wasn't the unmitigated disaster he had expected, but it had been a giant middle finger to the establishment in Japan and worldwide. When he finished, there was more applause than Aizawa would have thought; the speech had struck a nerve.

Aizawa stared at the boy. It was no secret that he didn't like Izuku or thought Izuku was a liability in the field, but the boy had emerged from the USJ damaged. He had read the reports and watched the computer simulation compiled from all the data they could. He had done well, helped guide his team through a difficult and dangerous encounter, and done all he could to survive.

What bothered him was how right the boy was about his speech; Aizawa could tell you the names of the ones who put him down or mocked him for wanting to be a hero. He knew other heroes who could do the same. And if he did make it, if he graduated and managed to have a career, he would give Hope to someone, somewhere.

Aizawa was a capable fighter; he had to fight most of his life, so he learned to fight to protect himself. What had always been his advantage was that the sudden removal of someone's quirk threw them off; most people didn't know how to fight without it genuinely. It was integrated into their fighting style; take that away, and he had the advantage because he didn't have that weakness. Of course, that held for those he could erase their quirks; he couldn't erase mutations. Asui was utterly impervious to his quirk; she was quicker and more agile than he hoped. With proper training, she would not only be able to give him an actual fight, but she would probably win.

Izuku didn't have that option; everyone he fought was essentially a mutant. Izuku Midoriya was going to get himself killed. They were going to let him go off on an internship, and he was going to get himself killed, just like Oboro. Vlad's stubborn belief that everyone could be a hero would get that boy killed, and Aizawa couldn't let that happen. Maybe Izuku would fail in the first round, and Aizawa could launch the argument for replacing him; if not, it would take more drastic measures. He could bear the hate and anger that would be rained down on him; at least the kid would be alive.

All-Might

He sat in his private booth, looking down at the arena. He would use this opportunity to evaluate whether any first-year students would be good candidates for One for All. He had yet to meet with Mirio. But from the boy's file and everything All-Might had read, the boy was a great candidate. He had the right attitude, drive, and personality; Mirio had worked hard to control and hone his quirk and rise to be considered one of the top students, part of the Big 3, and their leader. He was on the shortlist.

He lifted the file with a photo of Izuku Midoriya on it and put it in the no box. The boy had potential, but the anger was a red flag; after reading the reports on the boy, All-Might saw how the boy responded to his classmates and how there was a tender and soft side. Quirkless, just as he was all those years ago, with a desire to be a hero regardless. But that speech had removed him from consideration; All-Might knew that boy would say no. For Izuku to take a quirk now would remove his reason for doing what he was doing, his goal to be a Symbol of Hope. All-Might wondered what kind of successor he could have been if he had met Izuku earlier in the boy's life.

He had ruled out many of the others. They were all fine heroes in training, but he trusted his gut, which had narrowed the list to Itsuka Kendo, Ochaco Uraraka, and Neito Monoma.

He thought about their actions during the USJ and their answers in the reports afterward. He realized he could eliminate one more. He placed Ochaco's file in the box. The girl had a fantastic spirit and determination, but his gut told him no.

He thought of how they found Itsuka Kendo battered and beaten, but her body covering another student, attempting to shelter them from harm.

Neito Monoma, the versatility of his quirk, how he had used it in many ways to save his classmates and defeat the villains. His heroic sacrifice to remove the monster from the table. A part of it scared All-Might what would happen when One for All met Copy. Would it give birth to another version of All For One?

He still had one file in the maybe pile; he pulled it out and shuddered, thinking of what would happen if Kinoko's quirk infused with One for All, Nana went from Float to Flight….what would happen with Mushroom? He shuddered as he remembered his conversation with Kinoko after the first Heroic class.

Katsuki Bakugo

He sat there slack jawed as Izuku stepped off the stage, the conflict of wanting to blow him the hell up, punch him in the face or even shake his damn hand. The guts that it took to stand there and tell the world to suck it.

There he was, standing in the spot that Bakugo believed with his whole being that it should be his, that he should have been the one to take the top spot so he could tell the world who was next. He wondered who had placed higher than him and scored higher than the great Katsuki Bakugo. All his life, he would say how great he was, how he would be the following number one, and everyone agreed. Those who didn't learn quickly were taught a lesson, and he never had to repeat the lesson. But someone had scored better via some bullshit called rescue points; who the hell cared about that. But the point breakdown was close. Whoever the bastard was had also racked up the second most villain points.

That person was Izuku Midoriya; that quirkless bastard had beaten him; of course, it was those bullshit rescue points, but the fact he had been close to the villain was mind-boggling. How had he managed it? As he looked at Izuku on the screen, he could see the scars on his arms, legs, and neck. Then he thought about the fight in the cafeteria and how Deku had gotten the better of him after a distraction and a foreign object. He ground his teeth in frustration, staring at what anomaly Deku was telling the world of.

The greater the quirk, the better that person was; what would it mean if Deku graduated, that when Katsuki made it back to the hero course at the end, a quirkless POS was standing on the same stage as him? Of course, he would never rank higher than him; he would be the following number one, but he would still be a hero out on patrol, fighting villains until he inevitably was killed. At least it would put things back in its place, but till then, all those weak extras would be running around like a bunch of morons proclaiming how they could be heroes just like him.

He needed to bite the bullet and put his head down, and next year, he would show the world that not just anyone could be a hero, that these quirkless bastards' words were just a pipedream. The world would settle back down, that was, of course, if he even made it anywhere at the sports festival; indeed, some of the dumb ass extras in his class would be able to put Deku in his place.

What Remains

Shigaraki sat staring at the screen, frothing at the mouth and trashing as he saw those who had robbed him of his glory and destiny parading on the screen. A stump for a hand, bandaged and broken, he seethed.

Vengeance, he thought. He would have his vengeance on those damn MOBS and then All-Might. He didn't care what it took. There would be piles of ash on the floor at his feet. The one that took his hand, the blonde who destroyed the Nomu, cost him Kurogiri, the bitch that shot him in the chest.

"What are we going to do with him?" the doctor said as he looked at Shigaraki foaming at the mouth.

"He is a failure," a deep voice rumbled from the darkness. "I think he is a good candidate for the alpha project. Let's see if his hatred and anger allow him to survive the transformation.

"IF he dies?" the doctor said.

"See, he doesn't doctor, but he can still be useful."

"Yes, master." The doctor replied.

Blood-Soaked Alley

"It is a pity you found your way in my path today, Ingenium. I came seeking Manual, and low and behold, I found you, a bit ahead of schedule, but you will serve a purpose," the masked man stalked forward, his blades soaked in blood. "Did you hear the words of that boy? Did you hear his call? Do better. Simple and to the point. Maybe if you had done better, but instead you like the other soil the name hero."

"You are lucky that the future seems bright," the man said. "It gives me hope; you may yet draw breath. Reflect and repent, Ingenium, or I will return and finish the job." The man reached down and snatched the hero's radio. "Code 417, Hero Down."

Class 1-B

"So, a nice easy speech, huh?" Neito said as Izuku stepped back amongst his class.

"Well, I figured I would keep it simple," Izuku shrugged.

"Well, I liked it; it was very in your face, very American," Pony added. "I was also very sexy," she whispered in English, causing Izuku to blush.

"It was a very passionate," Reiko added, "Though I fear you may have made yourself quite the target amongst the other classes, I am sure that those in 1-A may feel a bit of anger, but it is the general studies course that I fear you earned the wrath of. They have not stopped looking at you since the speech."

"What I said wasn't wrong," Izuku said. "Besides, I know I was going to ruffle some feathers, so it would probably be best if all of you kept away from me so as not to get caught in the crossfire."

"Is this idiot saying something stupid like we should stay away blah, blah, blah," Togaru said.

"I am sure he is," Ibara added, joining the circle. "While noble, he is quite foolish."

"Yea, no way we are agreeing to any of that bullshit," Tetsu said. "How could I call myself a man?"

"Hey, we stand together; we fall together," Itsuka said as she placed her hand in the circle. The entire class huddled around, adding their hands. "We ride together, people; no person is an island, and no one gets left behind." She smiled at Neito. "Bring us home!"

"HERO SHIT!" HE YELLED.

"HERO SHIT!" The class echoed.

"I saw we use their anger to our advantage," Manga said. "I got the mother of all smokescreens locked and loaded."

"Some light softening to make the ground a bit muddy?" Juzo said, raising an eyebrow.

"As your president, I should tell you to stay away, but that would be useless, HERO SHIT!" Izuku said. "I will warn 1-A, but I don't want them caught up in our plan since we are working on mending fences."

"Or getting a date," Hiryu called after him, making the Izuku smile.

Izuku approached Momo and Kyoka. Kyoka used the crowd to get close and let the backs of their hands lightly touch each other. She smiled when his pinky hooked hers. Momo gave them a smirk and thanked Izuku for the heads-up. Then, he returned to his class.

"The openings are small," Jurota said. "It's an obstacle without outright saying it is. Let me charge through; I will clear the way for the rest of you to follow."

"Sounds good, big man," Izuku patted his shoulder. 1-B got in position. Juzo was at the back, his hand on the ground, and Manga was ready. Everyone tensed for the start of the race.

The buzzer rang, and it was immediate chaos: 1-A, thanks to their sister class's warning, just broke away with Ochaco tagging Tsu and Tenya. Tenya activated his quirk, propelling them at an angle towards the top of the exit; she grabbed it, reversing their momentum so they went towards the ground instead of into the sky. Ochaco released her quirk, and they went off and running. The rest of 1-A came through the tunnel with 1-B hot on their heels. Jurota had cleared the path for them with a feral roar. He tore out of the smoke and into the tunnel. Those in front of him hugged the wall as they ran past.

Tenya took off. It was a race, and he was not about to lose a foot race. One, his family would be distraught should he lose, and two, his brother would tease him forever. He was not looking forward to either prospect, though he was concerned with returning some honor to his name after the cafeteria incident.

He first arrived at the robot inferno and didn't stop; he just bypassed it. The rest of the hero course was not so lucky; Shoto stabbed one through the chest with a massive ice pillar, and when it came to falling over, he froze it in place. Momo's cannon shot rang out, blowing another one away; she saw some of her class breaking towards the ice tunnel that Shoto had created when the freeze was in place, and then she saw 1-B break around it as the tunnel collapsed; Shoto had rigged a trap.

Sen blew another latterly away with his quirk; Neito and Jurota, both in beast mode, leaped and tore another apart with their bare hands. Izuku was keeping pace as they cleared the first obstacle; he was not the fastest man on the planet, but he was well-conditioned, so running was no issue. Pony smiled as she broke from the pack, racing to catch up with Shoto and Tenya.

As they neared, members of general studies started to catch up. Izuku dropped to the back along with Tetsu to draw fire as they came hard towards Izuku.

The Pit of Insanity slowed Tenya down as he tried to navigate the chasm; Shoto just created an ice ramp that efficiently carried him over; it disintegrated once he landed. Tsu quickly jumps from platform to platform, allowing her to be the second across.

As 1-B approached the pit, Neito and Reiko high-fived and jumped, activating their quirks and floating across the chasm. Setsuna broke apart, grabbed Itsuka and Tetsu with her limbs, and carried them across. Pony earned cheers from the crowd when she came to the obstacle and kept running, having to dive into a platform when she lost her balance.

Once Neito and Reiko landed, they turned and started yanking their class across the chasm; Juzo ran his finger across the line and watched them begin to sag; with a cackle, he pulled across. General Studies and those of 1-A that had fallen behind were not happy. Then, to 1-A's surprise, the girls of 1-A were yanked across, followed by the boys. Tenya, already across, engaged his quirk to chase down Tsu and Shoto, who had a sizable lead. When 1-B hit the minefield, Juzo worked his magic again, softening the ground to make the mines sink more than hardening around them to negate them. They took off in hot pursuit of the leader; Tsu could jump free as soon as the ground softened. Shoto found himself trapped; in his annoyance, he activated his quirk to push himself free and activated a mine that sent him tumbling through the air. Tenya poured every ounce of speed he could muster and jumped, only getting trapped near the edge of the field; he managed to break himself free as Pony raced past him.

Tsu hit the tunnel first, with Pony hot on her heels. They exited the tunnel to the roar of the crowd. Tsu put all she could into one final jump. Pony pumped her legs for all she could, but Tsu cleared the line just before her. The two girls hugged to the crowd's delight and caught their breath as the rest of their class crossed the finish line.

All of the hero courses advanced, with one member of the Support course, a girl with pink dreadlocks who stumbled across the line and was lying on her back, getting her wind back. A member of general studies came stumbling in managing to keep his balance and cross the line.

"Give a round of applause to all our runners today," Mic called out as Izuku watched the death stares he was receiving from the general studies who hadn't made it. "Now for our second event. Are you ready to face the Labyrinth!"

The crowd started to mumble, as this was a brand-new event. The students looked worried, as this hadn't been something they had prepared for.

"Now pay attention, one and all, as I, your host with the most, will break it down," Mic said. "You are going to be divided into groups of ten. Each group will enter our Labyrinth one at a time. The top four members of each team who make it to the center will be declared the winner. Easy, right?" Mic cackled and rubbed his hands together, "but that would be much fun, would it, people?"

The crowd shouted, "NO!"

"Tell them Midnight!" Mic howled.

"Listen, darlings, the top members are the ones with the most points," Midnight said. "You earn points in two ways. You can add the points of another maze runner to your own. Two, you defeat the Minotaurs to earn points to add to your total, and each Minotaur is worth 2500 points. It would be best if YOU made it to the maze's center in the 20-minute time limit to have your point total registered. Those with the top four scores will advance to the field of 16 for the final event."

"Now, Midnight, who are these Minotaurs you speak of," Mic asked sarcastically.

"Why, Mic, didn't you hear we teachers will be the Minotaur and some specially selected pro heroes? Handpicked by the principal of U.A.," Midnight smiled sadistically at the students. "Not to worry, my little runners, we will not be allowed to use our quirks, and to claim victory over us, you simply have to remove one of the flags at our waist. Once you claim the flag, you may move on."

Izuku turned, looked towards the announcer's booth, and saw Aizawa staring down at him.

"Now you can work together or for yourself," Mic called out. "Only the top four of each heat will make it in. Once you enter the middle, your point total is locked, and you cannot leave."

"With 40 of you, it is pretty simple; the order you crossed the line is how they get divided up. In the first heat, first place, followed by 5th, then 9th, etc, will all form one heat. If you don't understand, look at the board, and you will see your assignments. Every runner will be worth a base of 1000 points with an extra 100 points added, with the lead runner being worth 2000; where you are ranked in the heat will determine where you are placed in proximity to the maze's center, with first place being the furthest from the center."

"Each Heat will be sequestered in their holding areas under the arena, with no knowledge of who has advanced or fallen," Present Mic said. "Now, everyone will be allowed a 20-minute break before they report to their underground holding area; good luck!"

All the students looked at the board to see their assignments.

Group 1: Tsu, Mezo, Itsuka, Manga, Ochaco, Kyoka, Tetsu, Yuga, Fumi, and Niren.

Group 2: Pony, Yui, Sero, Mina, Kinoko, Jurota, Sato, Ibarra, Denki, and Bondo.

Group 3: Tenya, Shoto, Izuku, Toru, Reiko, Togaru, Eijiro, Kosei, Awase, Mei.

Group 4: Setsuna, Neito, Hiryu, Momo, Shihai, Ojiro, Sen, Juzo, Koda, and Hitoshi.

The students left the field looking at each other and went to the cafeteria to eat and prepare the best they could.

They weren't very far down the tunnel when, "Hey, Mr. Quirkless," a girl's voice called out. He turned and saw the girl from the support course running towards him; with a bunny hop, she stopped very close to him. There is a reasonably short girl with a mature build. She has shoulder-length salmon-pink hair styled into thick dreadlocks and side-swept to her right. Her eyes are wide and sloped upwards, with notably long upper eyelashes. Their irises are green-yellow with a cross in the center, making them look like scope lenses.

Most of his class and a few friends from 1-A had stopped with him. The girl ignored all the other stares and looked him over intently, stopping to stare into his eyes. "I want to talk to you." She noticed the circle of people at his back and around her.

"What about?" Izuku said cautiously.

"Making babies!" the girl said with a wild smile.

"WHAT!" the group yelled.

Momo held her hand to her blushing cheeks, "Oh my, how bold."

Kyoka was blubbering; Tsu looked at Ochaco, whose mouth was hanging open, "I am not that bold." Tsu said.

"I don't fucking think so," said Pony, who was about to punch the girl.

"That is quite the declarative statement, but as one of his girlfriends, I am afraid that I cannot allow such an event," Reiko said a bit too loudly.

"WHAT!" the group yelled again.

"One of his girlfriends," Kosei said, hanging his head. "That is some of that old bullshit."

The girl with her dreadlocks grabbed Izuku's arm and tugged, "We need to talk babies!"

This brought Kyoka back to reality as she grabbed Izuku's other arm and yanked him back towards her. Pony came around, ready to fire off a haymaker, but Tetsu stopped her. "Just one, I only need one!" she said, trying to convince him to let her go.

Setsuna raised an eyebrow before she stepped in and got the pink-haired girl's attention, "Are you dragging him off to have sex?" the girl stopped tugging on Izuku, looked him over, and looked Setsuna over.

"You're more my speed," she said.

Set fighting down a blush, "Then why are you talking about babies?"

"That is what I call my inventions," Mei said. The tension and threats of violence eased some. "I have some questions for Mr. Quirkless and wanted to talk to him before I decide. But when I am done, if you want to have sex, we can." Mei told Set, who couldn't longer contain that blush; Ibarra fainted. Thankfully, Manga caught her.

"I just created this new baby, and whoa, baby," Mei said. "I couldn't get up for at least 20 minutes when it was done. But later, quirkless, we don't have much time."

Setsuna was as red as a tomato and couldn't find the words to respond. "Do you have a name?" Niren said, breaking the silence.

"Mei Hatsume," the girl said. She reached into her pocket and pulled out some business cards. Mei tucked one into Setsuna's pocket and handed one to Izuku.

Izuku, who had been stunned by the flurry of the event, took the card. It read, "Mei Hatsume, CEO of Hatsume Industries. Lead Inventor, Designer, and Explosives Expert."

"So let me get this straight: You are from the support course, and you want to talk to me about your inventions that you call babies," he said.

"Duh," Mei rolled her eyes.

"Ok, sure," he said.

"Darling, I must protest," Reiko said.

"I still think you should let me deck her," Pony added.

"In what world is this a good idea?" Kyoka said.

"I don't think she wants to hurt me and…I am curious," Izuku said as Mei happily grabbed his arm and dragged him off towards the locker room.

Once they were gone, Setsuna, in a daze, finally snapped back to reality, "What happened?"

"You got offered a night of sex with mechanical aid," Yui said; her monotone delivery just made everyone burst out laughing as she took the blustering Set's hand and led her to the cafeteria.

Ibarra regained her senses. Thanks to Manga for catching her, she turned to Reiko. "Now, Reiko, the spring of love can be rather intoxicating, but let me speak to you of the temptations you must avoid. For you see, Sin takes many forms…"

Mei and Izuku

"Okay, tell me the truth. Are you quirkless?" Mei said as they stepped into an empty locker room.

"Yes, why would I lie about something like that," Izuku said.

"How do you fight?" Mei said as she walked around him, examining him up and down.

"Martial arts and weapons," he replied.

"Weapon, what kind of weapon?" Mei suddenly knelt and began to feel his legs. "Good muscle tone, tons of scars, kind of jumpy…"

"Cudgel, mainly, but it got destroyed, knives and a sword," he said, trying not to blush as she felt up his legs.

"What kind of sword?" Mei said, standing up and repeating the process in his arms.

"A great sword," Izuku said; his discomfort dissipated as the way she touched him was very clinical. "An old man in an alley gave it to me; I can summon it at will."

Mei stepped back. "Show me." She was amazed to see the black sword appear in his hand. She carefully watched it as the blade darkened more, and whisps of shadow came from it. "That is interesting," Mei said, staring at it wonderfully. "And this sword is not your quirk?" Mei looked at him questioningly.

"No, I obtained it just as I said," Izuku said. "I have a second joint in my pinky toe."

"That means you're quirkless, all right?" Mei said, staring at the sword. "I have a friend like you, quirkless. Same pinky joint." Mei stepped back. "Okay, enough chitter chatter. I want to be your exclusive gearhead. I want to design all your support equipment."

"Support Equipment?" Izuku said. "I hadn't considered…"

"Yeah, I bet you didn't," Mei said. "Let me break it down. You are a blank slate, the perfect specimen to show off what I can do. And I want to help you because of that speech you gave. Unlike most people, I never wanted to be a hero; I wanted to make stuff. And if I can help you achieve your dream, I get what I want in return."

"And what do you want?" he said, her eyes dancing when the sword disappeared.

"To make your dream come true and to get my name out there so every hero will want what I make; if I can help turn you into a hero, imagine what I can do for them," Mei said.

"So you want me to advise you and help you get rich," Izuku said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, but there is more," Mei said. "If I can help you, I can help everyone, including those who are looked down upon or dismissed. Anyone can be a hero if they train as hard as you and with my help and support gear. Money is nice, but it is just a means to an end."

"What is that end?" Izuku said, trying to understand Mei.

"I want to invent not just for heroes but for everyone else at home, to keep them safe and make their lives better," Mei rolled her neck. "I don't want to be part of some group where they tell me what I can and cannot make. I love heroes; they are great, and I dream of keeping them safe. And make the world safer in the process. We can do more than that with you, something that can never be taken away."

"What is that," he said.

"Hope," Mei said wistfully. "To bring an ideal like Hope to Japan and the world…that is what dreams are made of. I want to help you do that."

Izuku could hear her voice brimming with passion. He extended his hand, which she grabbed and shook with vigor. At that moment, he didn't know he had just made a lifelong friend. "So what now?"

"Support course students are allowed to carry four inventions with them into every event, but there is regulation 56-2.98 that states that we are allowed to provide gear to someone with whom we have an exclusive contract and may carry two of our creations into every event or match," Mei replied. "No first year has an exclusive contract; maybe a third year might, but…"

"So that means if I sign with you, then you can provide me with support gear for every match or event I participate in," Mei nodded. "And by doing so, I carry your name with me."

"Exactly sport," Mei snapped her fingers. "IF you sign, I will give you my armband for the maze run. I don't fancy getting my butt kicked by some rando, and it is helping to make sure you advance, and our mission carries on."

"Got a contract on you?" Izuku said, smirking, as Mei pulled out a data tablet and handed it to him.

Once he signed, Mei submitted it right away. She walked over to the crate and popped the lid. "Now let's see what babies I have that will get you through to the next round. I think rocket boots and shock gauntlets will work best."

When Izuku and Mei finally returned, they were greeted by intense stares as they were studied to determine if they had disappeared to engage in "questionable" activities.

Labyrinth Group Three

Each group was led away to await their run. The room was laid out with some benches and bottles of water on a center table. Reiko watched as Mei and Izuku talked for a bit before he came and sat next to her.

"I have to know," Reiko said.

"She is part of the support course," he said. "She offered me the use of some of her gear if I agreed to sign an exclusive contract with her."

"Is that wise?" Awase said. "You don't even know her."

"Sounds very suspicious to me," Togaru added.

"She wants to bring hope," Izuku said. "I believe her; if working together will further my goal, why wouldn't I? If anything, you have all clarified that I can't and shouldn't do this alone."

"No crying when I beat you down and take those points," Togaru said.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Izuku replied. Reiko took his hand and led him to a corner. "Everything alright."

"I wish to propose that we work together," Reiko said. "Before you protest, I want us to advance to the third round together. Yes, that is due to my feelings for you, but what you are trying to accomplish is essential, and that should be seen through. Should we meet in the third round, I will thrash you and claim victory." She smirked. Izuku couldn't help but smile.

"As part of my deal with Mei, she has offered me her points so I can demonstrate her inventions in the third round," Izuku whispered, "Assuming I collect them, then that would put me at 2800."

"Awase will weld his points to himself, making them impossible to steal," Reiko said, looking over the room. "Kosei's quirk will be great for defense and attack but wouldn't stop me from taking his points."

"Togaru will fight straight up; Eijiro will take this opportunity to fight me," Reiko raised an eyebrow. "We don't like each other, and if he can stop me from moving on, he will take the opportunity."

"Shoto is very strong and powerful," Reiko whispered. "If the opportunity presents itself, we should try and eliminate him from the competition; I believe Tenya will attempt to reach the center and take any opportunities that he comes by."

"Speed is dangerous," Izuku said, "He may be able to steal points and be away before anyone even notices."

They could hear the dull roar of the crowd but nothing else; it was unsettling for most of the runners. Awase and Kosei whispered in one corner, and Toru talked with Tenya briefly before she took her seat.

"What about the Minotaur's?" Reiko said.

"I believe one of them is going to be the homeroom teacher of 1-A," Izuku said. "The way he looked at me told me as much."

"Does this stem from when you stood back to talk to him after we met that day?" Reiko questioned.

"Yes," Izuku smiled. "Someone else who doesn't like me and I don't like."

"This appears to be a nasty habit," Reiko smirked. "Perhaps I should partner with Toru; it seems she hasn't managed to rack up any enemies yet."

"That may be true," Izuku replied. "Maybe she would agree to at least a non-aggression pact unless advancement is at risk?"

Toru felt a little tug. Looking over, she saw Reiko waive her over, "Hey guys?"

"We were wondering if you would be interested in a non-aggression pact," Reiko said. "Of course, that would be nulled should advancement be at risk."

"So we don't attack each other unless we have to," Toru said. "Having two fewer people to watch out for, especially one that could yank my points before I saw her, would be beneficial. I agree."

Izuku noticed Ejiro and Shoto staring at them, "Your classmates don't seem very happy that you are talking with us."

"Ejiro and Shoto are never happy about anything; Tenya is nervous like the rest of us. He may be a stick in the mud, but he is a good person," Toru added. "If that is it, I will go sit and plan."

Reiko and Izuku took seats next to each other and sat listening to the dull roar of the crowd above them.

It seemed ages until the door opened, and there stood Snipe, "Alright, partners, you are up; please exit the room and proceed to the cage matching your runner number. Best of luck to all of you." He tipped his hat. They all shuffled out illuminated pathways that led them to their cages. Izuku and Reiko held hands till their path forced them apart. Once in the cage, they all swung closed with a monstrous clang, and the room was plunged into complete darkness. The portals above them opened, providing light, and the dull roar of the crowd was no longer there. They ascended into the arena, surrounded by stone walls, moss, and vines running everywhere.

Izuku

Izuku couldn't see the crowd. He only saw the floating scoreboard above him showing his group's point total. The cage fell apart, freeing them to begin their run. Izuku stepped out of the cage and started pulling down vines. He was off and running after wrapping about six arms around his forearm.

He could hear an explanation for the silver gauntlets and boots that he now had ringing out across the stadium; he turned a corner, and down the path, he saw Awase do the same; they looked at each other and took off in opposite directions. It wasn't long before he heard the sound of a fight erupting somewhere in the maze; he listened to a buzzer and saw Kosei's number drop to Zero and Shota's increase to 3100. Fuck, he rounded another corner and heard the sound of an engine doing the same; he slid to the ground as Ida came tearing past, grabbing his armband.

Izuku rolled to his feet as Ida came to make another pass. Ida came tearing towards him, and Izuku ran towards him to engage, to Ida's surprise and the crowd's delight. At the last moment, he jumped up and over, the vine around his arm falling and catching Ida about the head, yanking him back and sending him tumbling, crashing hard into the wall.

Ida stumbled to his feet and barely got his arms up to block the running knee Izuku attempted to land; the force knocked Ida back into the fractured wall again, banging the speedster's head. Ida grabbed Izuku's leg, pushing off the wall with his quirk, sending them flying back into the hall, tumbling down in a tangle of limbs. Izuku tucked his chin to avoid being knocked out. Ida rose and attempted to drop a hard elbow, but Izuku was able to block. Izuku quickly threw his legs around Ida's torso and slipped his arms around Ida's arm, locked into a kimura.

"Tap," Izuku said as he cranked on Ida's arm. Ida responded by trying to ignite his quirk to burn Izuku's leg and force him to release; Izuku gritted his teeth and yanked as hard as he could. He felt the limb break as Ida screamed. Izuku scrambled off, trying to get to his feet. Ida was holding his arm; Izuku ran and delivered a running knee strike to Ida's head, knocking him out. Izuku grabbed his armband and raced away.

He heard a second buzzer shortly after his point total increased. His heart sank, seeing Reiko's points drop to zero and Shoto's increase again—4600.

He rounded the corner and saw Mei running towards him. "Behind me!" she yelled. She ran past him, handing over her points, and Eijiro rounded the corner. Mei kept running into the maze. Eijiro smiled, seeing Izuku.

"We don't have to do this," Izuku said to Eijiro.

"You're right, we don't HAVE to," Eijiro said. "But I want to."

"I figured as much, you better quirk up because I don't want any excuses," Izuku said. "I want you at your best when I win."

Eijiro charged, activating his quirk; Izuku ran to meet him in the middle of the corridor. Eijiro went high, and at the last second, Izuku went low, grabbing Eijiro's leg and sending him crashing face-first. Ejiro bounced off the concrete; he tried to push up the ground when a foot came stomping down on the back of his head, bouncing it off the ground. Izuku activated his hover boots and pushed off as Ejiro pushed up and rolled away, trying to grab him. Izuku angled towards the wall and pushed off, landing a flying kick; it collided with Eijiro's chest, protected by his quirk.

It knocked Eijiro back but didn't do as much damage as Izuku had hoped. He grabbed Izuku's leg, turned, and slammed him into the wall. He got his arm behind his head to protect himself. Eijiro immediately followed it with a forearm smash to Izuku's head. He deflected the blow to the wall instead of blocking it. When it cracked the wall, he was happy he did so.

"Talk that shit now," Eijiro said.

Izuku landed a kick to the top of Eijiro's right leg, knocking Ejiro off balance; he fell on top of Izuku, who rolled him onto his back, transitioning to a heel hook. Eijiro immediately shifted the hardening to his lower body as Izuku rolled back and reached his feet. He smiled as Eijiro scrambled to his feet and charged; Izuku telegraphed a high punch, and Eijiro went to tackle him to the ground. With catlike agility, Izuku rolled over his back. Before Ejiro could turn around, Izuku jumped up and brought his armored boot across the back of Ejiro's knee, driving him down.

Izuku punched him in the back of the head, just hard enough with the armored gauntlet to knock his head forward and keep Eijiro from shifting his quirk to his lower body again. He stomped down as hard as he could across Eijiro's ankle and broke it. Ejiro screamed and immediately moved his quirk to the injured area, this time using his whole body as he drove his fist into the back of Eijiro's head.

Izuku spun to his side and started to land a knee into Eijiro's ribs. He landed two unprotected blows before reaching over and tearing Eijiro's armband off, rolling to his feet. Eijiro tried to grab at him desperately but grabbed nothing but air.

Eijiro struggled to his feet, and Izuku danced back out of reach. When Eijiro stumbled, Izuku came in, faked high, and landed a kick to the uninjured leg that made Eijiro fall, but he regained his balance quickly and landed a shot to Izuku's ribs; he tried to grab him but stomped Eijiro's foot, kicked the side of the broken ankle and sent him down again. Izuku landed a kick to his knee, dislocating it; the crowd winced as Eijiro's knees moved entirely to the inside of his leg, and he fell to the ground. Izuku stepped back, looked at the camera, and took off into the labyrinth.

He heard the buzzer again and saw Togaru's total point drop as Reiko's increased. 1400. The buzzer sound and Toru's point total read 3100. He was followed by a gong ringing out and Shoto's name going gold and locking in at 4900. Toru's name soon followed suit, locking in. It was only he and Awase whose points total had not moved while Izuku was sitting at 6100 points. He raced to find the center, and as he rounded a corner, he saw the maze's center and a minotaur blocking his way. The buzzer sounded, and Reiko's total rose to 3900, then went gold as it locked in.

He slid to a stop. He had found a minotaur, the one he wanted to see if he were honest. Standing before him and moving forward was Aizawa. In the timespan of a single breath, there was nothing else in front of him, just Aizawa.

"This is your option to turn and walk away," Aizawa said. "Your ambitions are noble, but you are running towards nothing but an early death. You can have the hope your class gave you, but you cannot be a hero. I will not let you throw your life away."

"It is my life," Izuku said. "You don't get to decide how I choose to live it. Just because you are scared. Whatever haunts you is not my fault. Besides, we both want this; you can admit it."

Aizawa's capture scarf flew towards Izuku like a rocket. As he passed, Izuku placed his gauntleted hand on the scarf, and an electric shock coursed through the material, shocking and stunning Aizawa. Izuku landed right cross, followed by a crisp uppercut that rocked Aizawa's head back. Aizawa recovered and pushed Izuku back.

Izuku tried to press his attack and slipped under a quick counter jab, but not the elbow to the temple that sent him stumbling. Aizawa whirled and pressed Izuku with a quick jab combination; Izuku deflected and tried to counter, only to get a sharp right cross to the ribs. He fell back; Aizawa wouldn't let him breathe, but he could block a few blows. However, more slipped in. Aizawa fired another jab at it directly to land a kick to the inside of Aizawa's knee. He grabbed Aizawa's head with both hands and triggered the gauntlets, making Aizawa scream as the electroshock tore through him.

Wrapping Aizawa's hair around his hand, he drove his knee into Aizawa's face; Aizawa blocked the second one and landed a punch to Izuku's kneecap, sending the boy down. He went to land an elbow, but Izuku yanked him to the side by his hair. Izuku got both feet into Aizawa's chest, rolled, and ignited the rocket boots, launching the teacher repeatedly; Izuku released his hold on Aizawa's hair and scrambled towards the exit.

Aizawa hit the wall and fell. He got to a knee, his capture scarf rocketing towards Izuku. Izuku saw Reiko standing there and heard her warning. He spun his sword, flowing into his hand as he cut the scarf clean and fell into the labyrinth's center. The bell rang, and his score was locked. Izuku pushed himself to his feet, his face bruised, his ribs cracked. He spit out blood as he stared at Aizawa. "MY LIFE!" he yelled. He stumbled. Reiko grabbed him, and to his surprise, so did Shoto.

"Do not let them see you fall," he whispered. Izuku walked under his power out of the labyrinth to the tunnel. There, he let the medical bots carry him to Recovery Girl. After a quick smooch on his forehead, he felt her quirk kick in, and he fell asleep at the start of the fourth and final labyrinth run.

End of the Second Round.