A/N: I have a special announcement: next week and the week after, I'll be posting a two-part request from Z-Arc34! For now, though, I wanted to get in a more lighthearted chapter.
After another day of classes, Deku headed to Todoroki's dorm and knocked on her door, excited for what he had in mind.
"DEKU!"
Yet again, Todoroki gave Deku a big hug and kiss, which rejuvenated his spirits after these classes.
"How are you doing?" asked Todoroki.
Deku smiled. "Not too bad, especially considering I'm excited for what I've got planned for us!"
Todoroki put her index finger on her cheek. "Oh? And what do you have planned for us?"
Deku flashed a pair of tickets. "I bought us tickets for a monster truck show this Sunday!"
Todoroki's look turned serious. "What's a monster truck?"
"So basically, they're highly-modified vehicles – usually pickup trucks – that compete by racing and crushing cars. Here, I'll show you…"
Deku stepped inside Todoroki's dorm, where he brought up YouTube and showed her various videos of monster trucks, including older footage of trucks such as Outlaw 35, Bear Foot and Rollin' Thunder, to newer footage of trucks such as Grave Digger, Maximum Destruction and El Toro Loco. Todoroki watched the videos with fixated intent, and after watching a number of videos, her answer was obvious…
"That actually looks interesting. I'll go with you."
"Great!"
That Sunday, Deku and Todoroki headed to the Musutafu Civic Arena, where the show was being held. The main arena floor had been covered with dirt and old junk cars, some as part of a racing course around the ring of the arena, some placed in the center of the arena. Surrounding the crush cars in the center were two other tracks, a dirt track for sled pulling, the other a mud pit for mud racing. The stadium's PA system was playing 70s and 80s rock and metal songs such as "Manic Mechanic" by ZZ Top, "Money Money Money" by John Hyde and "Running Wild" by Judas Priest. Already, as she saw the whole setup, Todoroki got a tingly feeling up and down her spine.
"Are you excited so far?" asked Deku.
Todoroki nodded. "So far, yes."
At some point after Deku and Todoroki had taken their seats, the stadium lights went dark, and a voiceover made a little monologue over the synth-laden intro of "Movin' On" by Missouri:
"Ever since man created the internal combustion engine, motorsports has been a popular pastime all around the world, from outdoor race tracks to NFL stadiums. With the rise of monster trucks in the 80s, International Motorsports USA came together to bring monster trucking, sled pulling, and mud racing to audiences all over the world. Please join us at International Motorsports USA as we bring you the hottest event in off-road motorsports…THE UNITED STATES OFF-ROAD MOTORSPORTS SPECTACULAR."
As the song kicked into the rock section, a bunch of spotlights came on and danced around the arena, while an announcer welcomed everyone to the show:
"Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone outside the gender binary, welcome to another edition of the Motorsports Spectacular, the hottest four-wheel drive show in the world today! And here come the big boys with the big toys: from Flint, Michigan, driving a 1974 GMC Sierra 25, it's Andreas Towner and Bad GMC!"
The crowd cheered as Bad GMC – painted dark blue with white and red lettering – thundered into the arena with a spotlight focused on it, parking on one side of the arena.
"From Buffalo, New York, driving a 2006 Chevy Silverado 1500, it's Bob Robbins Jr. and Carolina Crusher!"
The crowd cheered again as the red/yellow Carolina Crusher – a legendary name – drove out to more applause and parked behind Bad GMC on the side of the arena.
"From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, driving a 2019 Ford F-350, it's Zeno Walker and Car Eater!"
Car Eater – a gray/yellow Ford – drove out to some more applause and parked behind Carolina Crusher.
"From Jonesboro, Illinois, driving a legendary 1988 Chevy Silverado 1500, it's Rodney Tweedy and USA-1!"
The legendary USA-1 – still sporting its iconic US flag paint scheme – drove out to some of the biggest applause.
"From Reno, Nevada, driving a 1978 Plymouth Fury, it's Jason Ford and Above the Law!"
Above the Law – which was painted in the typical black-and-white scheme of American police cars and sporting a red/blue Twin Beacon Ray lightbar – drove out next, also getting its fair share of applause.
"From Fort Worth, Texas, driving a 2023 Dodge Ram 2500, it's Michael Kemp and Ram It Down!"
Ram It Down – which was painted red and black – drove out to more applause.
"From Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, driving a 1950 Chevy panel van, it's Adam Anderson and the legendary GRAVE DIGGER!"
Grave Digger – which needs no introduction – drove out to applause that dwarfed that of even USA-1.
"And last, but most certainly not least, from Pacific, Missouri, driving a 1974 Ford F-250, the one that started it all, it's Christian Norman and the legendary BIGFOOT!"
Bigfoot – which, like Grave Digger, needed no introduction – drove out to applause that rivalled that of Grave Digger's.
"And now, please welcome our drivers as we see what they have to say about the sport of monster trucking!"
After the introductions, there were various interviews with the drivers, and then the first round of racing events got on, with Above the Law facing Bad GMC. By now, the arena's smell had become rather acrid with the smell of burning alcohol fuel, and the growling of unmuffled big-block V8s thundered throughout the arena. Then, the gate dropped, the nonsense stopped, and the two trucks roared around the race course. Both drivers put up a valiant effort, but in the end, Towner and Bad GMC won the race. For the next three races, Bigfoot, USA-1 and Grave Digger all advanced.
Then, the monsters took a break for some sled pulling, where highly-modified 4x4 pickups pulled a weighted sled across a dirt track, and whoever pulled it the furthest won. It was a close competition, but a truck called The Mistress took it. Thus far, despite never having been to a monster truck show before, Todoroki was watching the whole thing with a smile on her face, thinking about how wonderful it was that Deku got her to try a new thing. In the next round of racing, Bigfoot beat Bad GMC, and Grave Digger beat USA-1. Then, it was onto mud racing, which was even more nitro-powered fun as modded trucks and sandrails wildly churned up mud in their quest for gold. Obviously, whoever got through the mud pit the fastest won, and in this case, it was a vehicle named Wild Wuff.
Finally, the moment that all the fans had been waiting for had arrived: the racing finals for monster trucks. Bigfoot and Grave Digger was a rivalry for the ages, but in the end, only one truck and driver could take it all, and Deku was practically on the edge of his seat waiting for the outcome. Todoroki took notice of him, and despite having had fun so far, she wondered just what it was about these two trucks that could get him so worked up. When the green was a go, though, she didn't need to wonder any more. Both the drivers were extraordinarily skilled, and for the first half of the race, it seemed that things would be close. Even in the second half, the drivers of both trucks were really going hard, hoping to clench the gold, but as Highlander always said, "there can be only one", and that one was…
"Ladies and gentlemen, your racing champion…BIGFOOT!"
Everyone stood up from their seats and cheered raucously as the King of the Monster Trucks kept his crown. However, all wasn't over yet, as the trucks were going into a freestyle competition next. Here, the crowd really got to see what monster trucks were capable of as they zipped around the arena and raucously crushed cars. One of the more notable moments during the freestyle event occurred when Grave Digger hit a pile of cars in such a way that it ended up on two wheels and nearly flipped over. Fortunately, Anderson was able to get the truck under control and upright again, much to the fans' delight.
Unlike Monster Jam, the freestyle event of the Motor Spectacular wasn't a judged competition, so there was no real winner in that sense. Even so, Todoroki was beaming with happiness as she left the arena with Deku:
"Deku, thank you SO MUCH for taking me out to this! This was way more fun than I thought it was gonna be!"
"I'm glad you liked it! I always enjoy sharing new things with you!"
"And I enjoy it when you share new things with me, even if not all of them are hits!"
Deku rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, I'm sorry if not everything I share with you is a hit. I just like hanging out with you, you know?"
Todoroki wrapped an arm around Deku. "Hey, don't worry about offending me! The fact that you're even thinking of me is so sweet of you!"
"Well, I'm glad! Being with my friends and loved ones makes me happy!"
"And so it should!"
Todoroki kissed Deku as they headed back to UA, wondering what other new adventures awaited them.
Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.