Midoriya Izuku laid on the bed on wheels, silent and staring at the medical tent's ceiling. The pain had primarily subsided… Well, he felt like he couldn't move his neck five degrees without crying in pain, but considering how it felt when he got hit, it was an incredible improvement. The wave of nausea had also quieted and instead found a nice spot in the back of his head, threatening to slosh out vertigo and vomit at any sudden movement. Now, since both states of being are canceling each other out, it must make a positive – Midoriya Izuku was the picture of health.

"You're absolutely not participating in the next event," declared Dr. Yaritezawa.

Midoriya Izuku was the picture of sad.

"Don't look at me like that," she said.

Izuku was the picture of sadder?

"If you can follow this light, I'll let you participate in the next event." She then cruelly took out her flashlight and aimed it at the side of his head.

And, to be fair, he did try – about three times. Dr. Yaritezawa stopped the fourth – cheated – when she realized he was winding up the turn of his head, so he could throw his chin through the pain and towards the light. That seemed to be the last straw for the doctor, informing that he were to stay still and rest lest she break out a cone.

Izuku relented, finding himself staring at the fabric ceiling once more. He was hurting and those failed attempts hadn't helped. But it was kinda fun getting a rise out of the doctor – a good distraction. He needed another stat because his thoughts began to fill the void, ever intrusive.

"Guess I'll just nap then…" he said.

Dr. Yaritezawa nodded, "Well, considering that counts as resting, I'll let it slide."

"Thanks."

As he closed his eyes, the doctor turned and offered a small smile, "Your friends will probably swing by after the Principal gets through the placement announcement." She nodded, "I'll wake you then."

Those thoughts, those words – dark and italicized, would appear in his mind. "They're probably worried about you… What happens if that affects their performance…? Did they make good times…? Or bad times because of you…?" They wouldn't say anything new. All it was was an echo-chamber of doubt and anxiety—"Bothering the doctor was a good distraction… You were the worst one… What were you thinking…? Climbing that tower… Literally everyone else hightailed it in the opposite direction… But a Quirkless idiot like you decided why the hell not…?"—what he thought of himself and what others thought of him. It always found him when he was at his most quietest and lonesomeness. "Was it fun…? For them it wasn't; it can't be… The Top Ten are watching… This is their futures – their internships… You can't ruin this for them…" As if it was offended by being forgotten whenever he had company, using whatever low-blows it could muster. "Wait… Top Ten…? Is All-Might—"

If he couldn't escape it via company, he'd have to settle for slumber – like any other restless night.

-XXX-

To say Kaminari Denki was disappointed with his time required there to be a positive expectation. He didn't have a mobility Quirk, but he was reasonably athletic so he made average time… Average being a difficult term to use due to the outliers who made it up there in about five to ten seconds. Yaoarashi with an Air Quirk just flew up there. Denki had no idea how Tokage's Quirk of Dismemberment led to flight but it did. Shiozaki made a tree, Kaibara made platforms out of his breath, and Sero made the Tower look like it had been tricked on Halloween night. Those were just the top five – Yanagi's Poltergeist and Yaoyorozu's Creation Quirks brought them close but no cigar.

Denki was lucky number thirteen – got ahead of Jirou, but fell behind Ashido and Shinso. Of course, a good question might be, "How did Denki get ahead of Jirou when she was ahead of him"? Well, if he was allowed to guess… she was distracted. That assumption wasn't just from their times, but even the way she was acting. Her arms were crossed, and she was whirling one of her jacks around her finger. Her eyes weren't on her own score either – they were on a score painted in red, unfinished. Her gaze also flickered towards the distant medical tent.

Denki couldn't blame her. It was scary, seeing Midoriya tumble off the edge. He'd never say it out loud, but it was different from Midoriya. They saw Sero tumble through the air, but… Midoriya didn't have a Quirk. He didn't have some special ability that could help him at the last minute. And, you know, neither did Denki, but… Midoriya wasn't… He was Quirkless… He was normal?

It was just… scary when it was him. Which wasn't wrong, but it didn't feel right. He was sure that they all felt that… Or, at least, he hoped they did.

Denki sighed, "Great… Now, I'm staring at the tent…"

Principal Ikoma announced, "We'll take a small break for all students to regain their bearings." She smiled, "Or rather, a break for any students who had participated! For those who did not, enjoy this scavenger hunt! And, of course, if any of those who climbed the Tower wish to participate, they may."

Denki overheard Okuma sighed, "Oh, thank god," sighed Okuma.

"No kidding…" laughed Uemura.

"Yeah, I do not want to end up like Midoriya," said Okuma.

"Enjoy yourselves! The next event will be announced shortly," said Principal Ikoma. "Mr. Haimawari?"

Mr. Haimawari stepped before the microphone, "Any student who wishes to take their well-earned break, you may take your leave." He explained, "The scores will be kept in a similar fashion to the Tower's Times. Collect your ticket past the green line and drag your prize across it for it to count!"

Denki blinked when Ashido nudged his shoulder, "Hey, do you want to go see how Midori's doing?", with Shinso in tow.

"Yeah," said Denki.

"Jirou?"

She blinked, snapping at attention, "Hm?" She looked between them and the tent, "Oh… uh…" She tugged on her jack, turning away, "I need to use the restroom."

"Jirou?" said Shinso.

As Jirou's disappearing back melded with the crowd, Ashido offered a smile to the boys, "I'll go talk to her. You guys go on ahead."

Ashido's form disappeared into the crowd, and Shinso muttered, "Guess she blames herself…"

"It's not her fault he fell," said Denki.

Shinso shook his head as they left the girls for the medical tent, "It's not anyone's, just plain bad luck."

"Hm…" murmured Denki.

Shinso stopped their pace at the edge of the academy field, "Alright, what's your funk?"

"I… I don't know if we should've let Midoriya climb the Tower."

"Let Midoriya?"

"Ugh, maybe that wasn't the best way of putting it," said Denki.

Shinso put his hands on his hips, "Midoriya climbed the Tower of his own volition. We wanted him to join us, yeah. We had an expectation that he would, yes. We also didn't pressure him – he's got his own autonomy." He waved his hand, "Course, if he feels, he'll tell us – now or later, and we'll talk about it then."

"But—"

Shinso put a hand on Denki's shoulder, "Look, Kaminari, don't poison your own well. All you'll achieve is churning your own stomach and turning your blood to static." He sighed, "Now, I'm not telling you to stop. I'm telling you not to act on it." He gestured to the tent, "Let's go talk to Midoriya and not bring up the Quirkless shit."

They began to walk again as Denki spoke, "I didn't…" Yeah, it was obvious as to why Denki was suddenly coming from where he was. If it were Sero, he wouldn't be like this: Yoarashi, Kaibara – even Shiozaki and Yaoyorozu. And of course, Shinso was the one who caught it. Shinso had a Quirk, sure, but its own isolation came with it too. Ashido probably did too, in her own way. "Yeah… You're right…"

Shinso parted the partition of the tent, "Excuse us, Dr. Yaritezawa."

Dr. Yaritezawa turned away from her makeshift cabinet, "Ah, Mr. Shinso with Mr. Kaminari." She gave a flat look, "How common."

"Eh, what's that supposed to mean, Doc?" said Denki.

She turned away, giving a flat, "Whey."

"Ha!" exclaimed Shinso.

"Hey!" cried Denki.

"Hm?" grunted Midoriya as he arose from what seemed to be a slumber.

Denki took the "Midoriya, Dr. Yaritezawa is mocking my medical condition."

"Tattle tale," said Dr. Yaritezawa.

Shinso muttered, "I guess it would count as a medical condition, huh?"

"What medical condition?" echoed Midoriya.

Shinso shrugged, "What he acts like when his brain gets fried by his Quirk."

"Acts like?"

Denki raised his finger, "Uh—"

But was interrupted by his traitor friend and surprisingly unprofessional school nurse, "Whey~." They half-mocked his occasional state of being. They made a short shuffle forward while giving a thumbs-up with their elbows at a ninety-degree angle. Dr. Yaritezawa wasn't too committed to the bit. While, Shinso gave a horrifically accurate performance – even managing a dribble of drool out the corner of his mouth.

Midoriya blinked, "Oh… Uh…"

Denki wiped his face, taking a deep breath, "I think fine, but everything I say is just, 'whey'. And then my movement is restricted to a weird… shuffle." He waved his hand, "As you saw."

"Huh…" Midoriya pulled his legs over the edge of the bed, "You said your mom got you checked out, right?"

Denki shrugged, "Yeah, doctors say I'm alright in the noggin, but my wires get all crossed."

"A chemical imbalance or just mixed neuron pathways?" asked Midoriya.

"Dude, I was like five. I don't remember any of it," said Denki.

"I've seen them," chimed in Dr. Yaritezawa. "I can't disclose anything, of course. But, while concerning on the surface concept, everything in that noggin works as well as any teenagers." She shivered, "All those hormones…"

Midoriya turned, "And that all happens when you exert too much of your electricity?"

"Yeah, exactly."

"Hm, that makes me have a question. Have you ever tried to reabsorb your electricity?" posed Midoriya. "I mean, I'm pretty sure you've been using it as an on-and-off switch. I guess… you just have to… try and flip it… faster…?"

"Eloquently put," noted Shinso.

"Wait… guys… This conversation shouldn't be about me." Denki turned, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," said Midoriya.

Dr. Yaritezawa corrected, "Potential concussion."

"I'll be right as rain in a few minutes."

"No activities until the tournament."

"Picture of health."

Dr. Yaritezawa rolled her eyes, "May not even let him participate in the tourney." She gave him a decisive point, "And I'll let the sit up slide, but if you try and get on your feet, I'll get the straps."

"She absolutely will," chimed Shinso.

Denki looked between the doctor and his friend, "There was a joke there… I'm not gonna touch it…" He turned and noticed the flat look aimed at him via Midoriya. "I'm not gonna touch it!"

He nodded, "That's for the best."

"Excuse me?" interrupted a familiar voice.

Dr. Yaritezawa turned, "Ms. Yaoyorozu, is everything okay?"

"Yes… I believe so…" She looked amongst the occupants, "I was speaking to Ashido earlier. She requested I come here to support, um… 'my girl'?" She looked adorably confused, looking towards Midoriya, "Did she mean you?"

"Uh…"

She tapped her chin, "That does make sense, after your injury, I'm sure you must feel a lack of confidence…" She bawled her hands into fists, "Do your best, Midoriya!"

"Ah, what the fuck…? That's cute…" thought Denki.

Midoriya blinked, "Uh… Thanks… I guess…"

Ashido burst through the partition, grabbing the ravenette and pulling her away, "Yao-Momo! Not him!" She gave a quick thumbs-up to the inventor, "Though, that was a great run, Midori! You're great, sweetie – doing great!" Yaoyorozu was pulled away by Ashido, and through the partition.

Midoriya looked to Denki, who shrugged, "Um… Thanks…?"

Jirou was shoved through the partition, spinning to spit at the pink hands, "Ashido!"

"Go talk to him," said Ashido, poking through the partition, before disappearing.

"Ash—"

An index finger whipped forward, "Go." The fabric was lifted, allowing the ravenette to reappear, "Yao-Momo?"

"D-Do your best, Jirou!" Yaoyorozu gave.

"Cute…" thought Denki.

Jirou pinched the bridge of her nose, grumbling, "This is way too damn much…" She pushed her hands into her pockets, "H-Hey, Midoriya…" Her jack waggled in the air, "How are you holding up?"

Midoriya looked towards the doctor before scratching his cheek, "I'm doing."

Dr. Yaritezawa turned, "No, you are no—" Her look of challenge turned flat, accusing, "You did that on purpose."

"Did what on purpose?" questioned Midoriya.

"He'll live," sighed Dr. Yaritezawa. "Nothing strenuous for him. The injury shouldn't be long lasting."

"That's good…" said Jirou.

Midoriya looked forward, "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" she blinked. "I'm fine."

Midoriya straightened his back, "Good, you took a rough fall."

"I took a rough fall?" she laughed. "It wasn't that rough… Thanks to you…" She rubbed the back of her neck, "That was a good catch."

"Was it?" questioned Midoriya.

Denki, like an idiot, opened his mouth, "Well, you did fall…"

"Kaminari," sighed Shinso.

Denki coughed, "But, uh, you know…" But, he realized that he couldn't his own foot out of his mouth that easily, "Sorry…"

"How were your times?" said Midoriya, changing the subject.

"Good, but you know, we don't have any mobility Quirks. So we didn't reach the top numbers, you know?" said Shinso.

Seeing the opportunity, Denki jerked his thumb, "Jirou fell behind, though."

"Hey!" she cried,

"Oh…" said Midoriya.

Denki lifted his head, crossing his arms, "I always knew I was faster than Jirou, but it's nice to have proof."

"Oh, shut it!" said Jirou, pointing her jacks menacingly.

"Ah!" Denki cried, as a jack stabbed into his side.

"I see," said Midoriya.

"I was distracted!" defended Jirou.

Denki smirked, "Oh… yeah…?" before it slowly faded. The same realization dawned on Jirou's face, he could guess, before they turned to Midoriya. He was smiling, sure, but it was forced… "Not choking on my foot anymore… I swallowed the whole damn thing…"

"Okay!" shouted Ashido, bursting into the tent. "I think Principal Ikoma's about to announce the next event! We should go!" She grabbed Denki's arm and Jirou's; gave a pointed look at Shinso, "Ha-Ha! Bye, Doc, Midori!"

"See you," said the doctor.

Midoriya nodded with a smile, "Have fun."

Denki turned, "Midoriya—"

Ashido spoke through her teeth, "We need to talk about your bedside manner – both of you!" She dragged Denki and Jirou out of the tent with Shinso and Yaoyorozu in tow. Once they were a ways away from the tent, "I was distracted?" echoed Ashido.

"It just slipped out," defended Jirou.

Ashido turned to Denki, "Why did you bring up the topic in the first place?"

"I was teasing Jirou – it was supposed to be funny," said Denki, with practically zero confidence.

Ashido questioned, "Was it?"

"Uh… you got me there…" he admitted…

Ashido sighed, "Well, we have time… We'll fix it later."

"The next event?" concluded Shinso.

When Ashido nodded, Yaoyorozu concurred, "Yes, we should get moving – we don't wish to opt out automatically." The now group of five began to make their way towards the academy field, melding with the crowd as they did so.

"They already finished the scavenger hunt?" asked Denki.

Ashido shrugged, "I saw some of it – they didn't have a lot of tasks."

"Aw, that's… most of the fun."

Shinso shrugged, "It must be like an intermission. Meant to be a break more than an actual activity."

"And give other students the opportunity to gain an activity credit," suggested Yaoyorozu.

Jirou said, "I guess that makes sense. Can't be that much fun, though."

Mr. Haimawari stepped in front of the mic, "Students, I hope you enjoyed your test of wits and running." He grinned, "Our next event will test you in a similar way – in strategy, Quirk usage, and most importantly, teamwork. It's a classic folks! I'm sure you've seen it before… A Cavalry Battle!" The scoreboard shifted once more, re-displaying the times of the Tower-Run. "Teams of five battle out for headbands and points, hoping to breach the top rings. A chance to make up for lost ground." Those who participated were added to the tail-end of the board. "Students will dictate their own teams, but the points have already been decided. From a base of fifty points for the longest time, with twenty participants, the shortest time is granted one thousand points!"

Denki looked for his name, "Four hundred for me… Ashido has five, Shinso; four-fifty, Jirou; three-fifty… Yaoyorozu has seven hundred… Midoriya got fifty…?"

Mr. Haimawari continued, "Those who played in the Scavenger Hunt will be granted a base of two hundred points with a bonus of twenty points for each completed task."

"Whoa… That's kinda unfair to Tsuburaba, Shoda, and Midoriya…" said Denki.

"But logical in some sense," suggested Yaoyorozu. "If one understands that they wouldn't do well in a Tower-Run, they can save their energy and earn the same amount of points."

"That does make sense… Still sucks."

"With permission, Hero and Support Course students may utilize Items in the coming activity." Mr. Haimawari concluded, "You'll have ten minutes to formulate your teams, strategize, and gain permissions."

"Items?" echoed Shinso.

"Holy crud, that could change everything!" cried Ashido.

Jirou said, "Crud?"

Denki's heart jump-started with excitement, "The Stein-Gauntlet! Yes!"

"And we can form a team!" said Ashido, gesturing to the group.

"Us?"

Ashido explained, "Jirou can use her speakers to keep people back. I can acid the floor. Shinso can brainwash people. Kaminari can shock people and Yaoyorozu can protect us from him!"

"I agree – I don't know how I feel about the wording," said Denki.

"Together, our base points would be… twenty-four hundred," said Shinso.

Jirou nodded, "We'd be able to keep up with any mid-tier teams, but if the top five got together, there's no way to climb above them."

"To get some attention, we'd have to at least put up a good fight."

Denki nodded, "Playing safe wouldn't get that either."

"I concur, to gain the Pros' attention, we may need to go on the offensive if we do form a team," said Yaoyorozu.

Shinso turned to Denki, "That Stein-Gauntlet working?"

"Yeah, I even got some practice in."

Ashido grinned, "Ooh, this is gonna be awesome!"

Jirou frowned, "Wait, are we really gonna group up again?" She nearly grimaced, "We kinda did that a lot on the Tower."

"The Pros may not look that kindly about that…" said Yaoyorozu.

"Well, so long as we do greater than before, that wouldn't matter," concluded Shinso. "We just gotta show them that we work well as a team."

"They're not gonna give us a group internship," said Jirou.

Ashido put her hands on her hips, "You don't know that."

"Look, I like you guys, but that's pushing it."

"We'll work well together, at least," said Shinso.

"Don't take too long! The activity will begin without your chance to get your Items," called out Mr. Haimawari from the stage. "No one's asked for permission yet." He tapped his foot, "Pretty good opportunity, you shouldn't waste. Just saying…"

Denki nodded, "We better hurry."

"Let's submit our team formation!" said Ashido.

Yaoyorozu nodded, "Then we'll grab our own Items."

"Let's go!" shouted Ashido, pumping her fist.

Denki turned with a grin, "This is gonna be awesome…! The Stein-Gauntlet's gonna blow everyone away…!"

-XXX-

"Crap, crap, crap!" shouted Kaminari Denki.

He said he had sifted through the varied materials within his costume case. He knew he needed his top and jacket to make the whole thing work, but lacked the key to his lock. He had emptied the case into a pile, placed everything back inside in searching the pile again, and emptied it once more in a third attempt. But, he found nothing – not the thing he was searching for. As Kaminari didn't want to consider the worst case scenario, he hoped for the second best. He rushed for the medical tent and found the inventor.

Midoriya Izuku had been left alone as the doctor had made a quick exit, hoping to have a word with the Principal she said. So, there wasn't a worry in the air as Kaminari asked about the smuggled gauntlet. The Stein-Gauntlet was nowhere to be found – at least on campus. The day before, after assisting in hiding the smuggling, Izuku left the gauntlet in Kaminari's hands. Well, forgetful hands, they were.

"Crap, I don't know what we're gonna do!" Kaminari paced before Izuku, "I mean we'll probably be fine for the Cavalry Battle, but what about the tournament? If we don't have it…" His hands clasped on the sides of his head, "They'll find out I took off campus! I'm gonna get in so much trouble, dude!"

"You should've made him put it back…! This isn't going to just screw over him, but his team… Why the hell did you enable him…!?" screamed Izuku's mind. "T-There has to be something to do…" He tapped his chin, "Think, think…" His teeth jittered and ground, "This is as much your fault as it is his…"

Kaminari sighed, "I could… ditch the activity… Run home and grab it…"

"No!" said Izuku. "You should've been the responsible one…!"

"Midoriya?"

"He's gonna get screwed over again – in trouble again because of you…!" Izuku shook his head, "After your performance in the Tower, you'll lose your chance to impress the Pros. Absentee is worse than a crap performance."

"Well, what're we gonna do?"

Izuku slowly raised his head, "Well… I could do it." He pushed himself off the bed to pace, "You'd get a chance to compete and we'd get the Stein-Gauntlet."

"Will you make it in time?"

Izuku felt a wobble to his feet and a weight on his neck. "Uh… I could access the Maneuver Belt… The Support Course is allowed to use Items, right? I should be able to."

"Don't you think that'd make you a bit obvious?"

"I'll stick to the alleyways," he said. "It'd be good practice for me too."

"I don't know, Midoriya. I—"

Izuku shook his head once more, "Kaminari, let me do this. Go compete." He reassured, "I'm in the Support Course. Let me support you, okay?" His mind said, "I'm not gonna let my bad choice affect you again…" He offered a smile, "I owe you more than enough as is. Time for me to repay my debt." His mind finished, "One brick at a time…"

"Midoriya…"

Mr. Haimawari's voice came through the distant speakers, "Teams! The battle will commence in two minutes!"

Kaminari shook his head before hugging Izuku, "Thanks, man!" One last smack on the shoulder before Kaminari made his exit, "You're the best!"

"Far from it…" Izuku thought, battling a wince and trading out a grunt instead. "I gotta get to my gear… But, first…" He turned, searching for a napkin and pen, before he wrote a note, "Needed to use the restroom." He rolled his shoulders before rushing through the partition and towards the locker rooms.

-XXX-

Dr. Yaritezawa Rin made her way over to the bleachers, sitting amongst the forming staff and Pro-Heroes. Each one held a similar look – a taut jaw, a controlled brow, and a pronounced smile. The news was sudden and Principal Ikoma seemed intent on acting on it immediately. "Good to have you with us. Your patient?"

"Resting," she said.

Ikoma nodded, "Good…"

"The situation?" said Jeanist.

The Principal took a deep breath, "I've just been informed by the captain that the villain may have entered the city." She assured, "Team Idaten is in pursuit, but not directly. They're combing through block by block, hoping to draw him out. Mirko, Edgeshot, and Burnin have already left to provide assistance."

"What're we to do? Inform the guests?" asked Haimawari.

"The captain would prefer to minimize panic and dissonance." She took a breath, "We'll inform them shortly, but allow them to be distracted for now. It'll give us time to prepare defenses."

"As requested, the sparing bots have begun patrols at the edge of the academy field," said Abraham.

"Good. Mr. Jeanist, would you please move towards the front gate as a deterrent."

The Fiber Hero stood, moving down the bleachers, "Of course."

"I suppose I'll be the main deterrent here," said Gang Orca.

"Correct. The rest of you inform the second year students." She turned, "Mr. Abraham, collect the first years after the battle and inform them – allow them access to their gear. I won't have them defenseless."

Abraham nodded, "Understood."

"Dr. Yaritezawa, Washa will join you to prep the medical tent. Bots will also be spared – if there are injured Shiketsu will not turn them away."

Dr. Yaritezawa gave a simple salute, "Roger that."

"Washa, washa!" said the Hero.

-XXX-

Midoriya Izuku launched both of his grapples, gripping the edge of the wall. He zipped forward, retracting his hooks in mid-air, before vaulting over its ridge. As he did so, a shot of pain echoed through his neck as a wave of nausea infected his senses. Before it was all replaced by bush and the crunching of its branches. Izuku wheezed as he rolled onto his hands and knees. "Crap… I guess I was doing worse than I thought…"

"Shouldn't make promises you can't keep…"

"Piss off," he muttered as he forced himself onto his feet. He picked up his knees and made his way to the street. He could see distant flashing lights and a crowd of people. It caused him to look down at himself – the motorcycle onesie. He quickly turned the corner, running into the alleyway. "Gotta stay out of sight… Kaminari was right, I'll draw a ton of attention, otherwise…" He launched a grapple ahead, zipping away, "Hopefully, if I stick to the alleyways, I'll be able to avoid anyone and everyone…"

-\ XXX /-

AN: Oh, how the shit will be fucked... Now, the chapter is a bit on the dense side. Had to fit character motivation with timeline stuff. I am slightly worried how this chapter will be received. Guess I'll see.

In other news, the voice of doubt returns in Midoriya's mind. After participating in an event that was pretty exclusive to Hero Course. Dr. Yaritezawa has a fun banter session between herself and... da boys. Though, there aren't 'da boys' yet - just the boys.

That's it. Don't want to risk spoilers or unnecessary hints.

Update Window: January 20th - January 30th

Intended Due Date: January 20th - 25th