"The UA Sports Festival is about to start," Mr. Aizawa informed the class while still bandaged. "It's true that joining a famous hero agency can garner you greater experience and popularity," He thought about some of the top ten.
"It's something that the pros—no, the entire country will be watching very closely. Think of the sports festival as your debut. You are the fledgling Symbol of Peace and the fledgling Symbol of Light. The next All Might and new hope!" Both of the twins flinched at this. "Izuku Midoriya, Izuka Midoriya. You must introduce yourselves and proudly say I am here!"
A huge explosion went off, gaining everyone's attention. "The first-year students are rocketing through this obstacle course in hopes of moving on in the festival." Izuku was flying through the air gripping onto the metal. Katsuki let out a yell moving forward with his explosions, and Shoto created an ice path to catch up. Izuka was flying through the air thanks to shooting herself into the sky. "Who would have imagined at the beginning of this race that the climax would be a non-stop mega-mix of surprises?"
Izuka was catching up to her brother from behind as Izuku flew over Katsuki and Shoto's heads. Izuka's eyes widened as Izuku slammed down the metal hard, setting off some more land mines and spinning quickly ahead of the three.
He then made a run for it. "The first competitor to make it back into the stadium will be the first-place winner!" Light greed them as well as the cheering crowd. And it was none other than Izuku. Izuka ran in just a few seconds behind him to take second place. "Izuku Midoriya is our champion!"
"43 of you qualified to move on to the next round," Midnight's voice boomed while the screen was choosing the next challenge. "Grid your loins and prepare for your next test." It then landed on Cavalry Battle. "A Cavalry Battle! Those of you at the top will suffer the most." The teachers watched attentively, as well as the 43 competitors. "Of course that's something you'll hear over and over again at UA. Show us what 'Plus Ultra' means!" She then pointed her flogger whip forward. "Izuku Midoriya placed first in the qualifier. He'll be worth ten million!"
Izuku suddenly felt like he had a target on his back with the intense looks he was getting from everyone. Izuka slowly inched away in a bit of fear. It didn't help that also, she might be a target because of the perceived assumption that she had no Quirk. And yes, she definitely had people who witnessed it, but she didn't know how many more enemies she had out here.
This did not end up working out for you, did it, little brother? Izuka winched towards him and he felt a pang in his heart. He then suddenly remembered what happened when he revealed in middle school he wanted to go to UA.
Katsuki loomed over the twins along with everyone else, smoke coming from his hands. Everyone was in dark shadow with red eyes, looking down at the twins. "You'd never be able to hang with the best of the best! You're just Quirkless wannabes!"
Things have changed so much since junior high Izuku thought while Katsuki was staring at the twins as well, though he did sneak a few looks towards Izuka. Shoto was looking at them intensely as well. But we're still targets. I'm only in first place right now because of some good luck. Not that that matters, I guess.
Izuka gulped a little, feeling awful for her brother. If he had known this would happen, he probably would've settled for second...but it ultimately didn't bother him. He'd advance to the next round no matter what.
Since I'm in second, I don't have as many points, I'm worth 205. Still, I wouldn't be surprised if some people tried to gain my points thanks to earlier. Or because some of them still think I don't have a Quirk thanks to the rumors that went around school. She bit her lip nervously, some sweat dropping down her face. She thought of Katsuki and Shoto specifically since they were trying to pass her earlier. Those two would probably come for her eventually if it meant advancing. And in Katsuki's case, he'd wanna take her down personally, despite how different he may act sometimes around her.
Toshinori gave a knowing look upon seeing the twins' amount of points. Now you know the burden of being the best.
Izuku then clenched his fists in determination. What they say is true. It's hard being at the top. Right, All Might?
Midnight raised her whip again. "First years! These are the rules that you'll abide by: the game itself will last 15 minutes," A display came on the screen, showing Present Mic and Thirteen supporting All Might by carrying him. "Individual point values will be added together to reach your team total. Everyone will know how much you're worth thanks to your headbands. Swipe as many headbands as you can to raise your team's score." The purple-haired boy gave a small smirk. "Stolen headbands must be worn from the neck up. So the more you steal, the harder it'll be to manage them. And another thing—even if your headband gets stolen or your team falls down...you can keep playing until time's up!"
"It's anyone's game, then," Momo rubbed her chin in thought.
"And since there are 43 contestants, there'll be ten or 12 teams fighting on the field the entire time," Rikido pointed out to her.
Yuga popped up in front of the boy with a nervous expression. "Sounds hard."
"So if you lose your headband at the beginning, you have more time to make up a plan," Mina spoke up as she debated the process.
"I dunno, Mina," Tsuyu placed a finger on her chin. "Maybe we should wait and see how the teams turn out before we start strategizing."
"This is going to be rough. You may use your Quirks as much as you like. But there are still rules!" Midnight continued to everyone in the stadium. "Make a team fall on purpose and I'll slap you with a red card. You'll be disqualified!"
Katsuki scoffed while looking away; it might've crossed his mind a little before she said that...
A timer then appeared on the screen. "Now, you've got 15 minutes to build your teams. I recommend you get started!"
Izuku then rubbed his chin as something came to mind. It doesn't matter how many points my teammates have since I've got so many. I just need to make sure I pick the right people. Okay, I know who I want!
Meanwhile, Death Arms, Mt. Lady, and Kamui Woods were in the break room for staff only. "The sports festival isn't really about seeing how prepared they are at being heroes," Death Arms was taking a smoke break, watching a TV showing the festival still. "It's more about simulating the competition they'll face if they go pro."
"Huh?" Mt. Lady turned to him in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
He sighed while letting out some air. "We both know this country's overrun with agencies right now. If you wanna put food on the table, you've gotta be willing to step on top of other heroes." Mt. Lady recoiled back in disgust, Kamui Woods trying not to show his own distaste. "That was the whole point of the first round."
"That's such a sad way of looking at our jobs," Mt. Lady commented while waving a hand, her other hand over her nose.
"Seriously?!" Kamui Woods turned to her in disbelief; he knew exactly what Death Arms meant. "You've never had a problem stealing the spotlight." She did stop a villain and ruined his own moment, after all...which was disappointing for him.
Death Arms let out some more smoke. "But on the other hand—even if you're battling each other for popularity, there are plenty a' cases where you have to work together."
"Huh," Mt. Lady murmured in agreement. "You're right, it's just like this cavalry battle! Every point you score is not just for you, but for your teammates as well. Plus, you have to think about how Quirks work together and who you're compatible with." Too bad she didn't learn that when she took down that villain on her own...
"It's kind of like coordinating with your sidekick or doing Quirk training with other agencies," Kamui Woods explained, trying to sip some water...but he didn't really have a mouth to drink it from.
"I'm sure at least some of the kids are thinking about all this," Death Arms then turned back to the TV. "If they become pros, it'll be their way of life."
"They've still got a long road ahead of 'em..." Mt. Lady murmured as the students were starting to form up teams.
Meanwhile, a lot of them were surrounding Katsuki, which made sense given that he got the highest score on the entrance exam. And his classmates had seen how his Quirk worked at this point.
"You should team with me!" Rikido offered, jerking a thumb to himself.
"No, you definitely want me by your side," Mina pleaded with the boy.
"I don't wanna beg, but please," Yuga begged, holding his stomach as he looked like he was already about to be sick.
Katsuki stared at them in silence. "...Wait, remind me what your Quirks are again," He stated while shaking. "And your names."
"You're kidding!" Mina flinched in disbelief at him. Rikido didn't look so amused either. "We're your classmates!"
"Can you really be that self-centered?" He looked away with a pout. "At least Mido knows all of our names."
"So then go team up with the damn mouse if you care about it that much," Katsuki deadpanned at the boy.
"Huh, I thought you two might've been getting along," Mina blinked at him and he growled in response.
"You thought wrong!"
"He's a hot head, but he came in fourth and has 195 points," Toshinori stared at the blond. "And considering how versatile his Quirk is, I'm not surprised people are trying to join up with him." He then noticed Katsuki's head turning over to Izuka, who was talking with her brother with her arms crossed. Both of them were alone still. Toshinori blinked at the boy's gaze on her specifically, especially since her back was to the boy. Izuku was in front of her, so the hot-headed blond definitely wasn't looking at her brother. As soon as Katsuki turned to look at the girl, he turned away, as if it never happened at all.
Huh...I wonder what that was all about. Was he thinking about teaming up with Mido? Those two do act rather odd towards each other, but they did work together somewhat when the USJ attack occurred. He remembered that the two held down Kurogiri together, and Izuka had looked hesitant at the time. Katsuki himself wasn't too keen on the impromptu team-up himself, but still went along with it regardless. From what I can tell, she still has some animosity towards Young Bakugo...but have they ever been alone recently? They must've have been if he was focusing on her briefly just now.
Maybe he was overthinking it; he was only speculating about the relationship between two of his students at this point. When Izuku spoke up about Katsuki on his own, Toshinori never once asked them directly of their problems with him. And he should probably keep it that way, even if it was piquing his curiosity. Plus, Izuka was still going through the rumors, she didn't need him questioning how she felt about Katsuki right now.
"Bakugo!" Eijiro waved a hand while running over. "I was gonna try Todoroki, but he already picked a group. So hey! We should team up," He grinned while pointing to himself, gently slipping past Toru.
"Hey, dumb hair," Katsuki deadpanned towards the boy.
"My name is Kirishima!" Eijiro protested at him. "And my hair's not that different from yours!" He pointed between their heads, since both of them had messy hair. "Come on. You wanna be the rider, right? So you're gonna need a strong front horse who won't be hurt by your blasts," He then hardened his left arm. "That'd be me."
"Hmm..." Katsuki stared at him, as Eijiro was making a good point. He needed someone that could hold their own. "I need someone with guts."
"My Quirk was made for this!" Eijiro smirked at the blond. "I got you covered, man! Let's go charging into battle together." Katsuki flinched in alarm; this definitely was swaying him more to take on Eijiro. He could see how the boy was matching with his outlook. "Ten million. Bring it," Eijiro gave a big grin, clenching a fist. He was gonna fight just as hard.
Katsuki growled with a smile as he was pleased with this.
"Shoji! Shoji!" He glanced down at Minoru, who was bawling. "None of the girls wanna team up with me...! Please be my partner!" He held out a desperate hand to his classmate. Mezo walked away while Minoru jumped up and down. "I'm super tiny, so I can't be a horse, but for some reason no one wants me to climb on top of them so I can be a rider! With your huge body and those tentacles, you could cover me completely, so no one'll take my headband!" Mezo then stopped walking. "Right? Please?"
One of Mezo's limbs went over to Minoru. "Good idea. Let's go."
Momo was speaking to Shoto, as she was part of his group. Just like I expected. Mina was showing off her acid to Katsuki and Eijiro. Everyone's sticking to the people in their homeroom class. It's too much of a gamble to partner with someone if you don't know what their Quirk can do. Izuku glanced at his sister; she was already part of his group. She was scoping the area for people in their class who didn't have a team yet. We need to find a team of our own and fast. But everyone's totally avoiding me since I'm worth so much!
He then approached Mashirao, who looked like he wasn't on a team. "Oh, hey. What's up, Ojiro?"
Mashirao flinched and then turned away. "Sorry..." He left, knowing that they wanted to team up with them. Both of the twins yelped in alarm, pale as well. Izuka whined while sagging her arms; it wasn't like it was personal or anything, but still...
It makes sense. No one's worried about keeping their own headbands the whole game. It's a better strategy to steal as many points as you can at the end. And unlike Todoroki or Kacchan or Izuka, I didn't use my Quirk in the first round, so no one has any confidence in me! He was shaking and Izuka frowned a little. He then sighed while turning to her. "At least I have one teammate. Thanks for sticking by me, even though I know you had other options."
"We're still family at the end of the day," She reminded with a small smile. "I'm sure we can find people in no time. Besides, I already know that you've got this even though you can't control your Quirk fully."
Even without the rumors, I'm not exactly a first pick either. My power is probably considered too unpredictable to my own classmates and not everyone saw me use it in the obstacle course. I still have some people with doubts. And it's not like Todoroki-San or Bakugo-San would wanna team up with me either because of me being Izuku's sister. In their eyes, I'm either a nuisance or on par with him. She scratched her cheek awkwardly and then blinked, faltering a little. She couldn't even believe the thought of teaming up with Katsuki crossed her mind to begin with. But...part of her recalled all the times he wasn't so much as a jerk to her only too. She shook her head to snap out of it. The sports festival was priority, not Katsuki being weird.
"Hey Deku, Mido!" Izuku slowly turned his head to see Ochaco smiling at the two. "Let's team up!"
As soon as she offered this, tears flew from his eyes so much that the girls had to brace themselves. "Uraraka! Are you sure? Everyone'll be after me and my ten million stupid points! Tell me you're not kidding!"
Izuka reached out to squeeze the ends of her wet hair from his crying. "If we run away the whole time, then we'll win, right?" The brunette asked with a smile, as she didn't seem to care about the ten million points.
"Um..." Izuku blinked with a small smile, tears still in his eyes. "You're either overestimating the both of us or underestimating everyone else here," He pointed out to her.
"Besides, wouldn't you...you know, be more cautious with your decision?" Izuka rubbed her arm awkwardly. "It is your choice and we...we can't take that away from you. But everyone will be after you too..." Plus she didn't want the girl or any of her classmates for that matter getting caught up in the rumors.
"Phooey!" Ochaco replied back, the green-haired girl blinking at her rapidly. She then gave a beaming smile. "Anyway, it's better to team up with people you like!" Izuku gulped with a blush on his face, his heart beating as he felt like he was gonna tear up again. "Is something wrong? You look so gross."
"No," He turned away, wiping his eyes with his wrist. "I just thought my chest was gonna explode for a second."
Izuka smiled a little towards the brunette. "Thank you, Uraraka-Chan...! It's a relief that you wanna be on our team..." She said softly and the girl smiled back.
"Well, I wasn't gonna forget that you chose me for combat class. So now I get to return the favor!" She then grabbed the green-haired girl's hands, to her shock. "Let's win this together as friends, okay, Mido?"
Izuka let out a soft gasp and then nodded with a determined look. "Actually, I wanted to team up with you too," Izuku spoke up as Minoru was staring at a tear puddle behind the boy, wondering if Izuku pissed himself. "Thanks a lot. You're right. For a game that requires so much teamwork, it's smart to find people you communicate smoothly with." She then nodded eagerly in agreement. "In fact, if we had your Quirk and one other person...you know what—I think I might have a solid plan."
Izuka stared at him in confusion while Ochaco glanced behind the boy. He ran up to Tenya specifically.
"Ida?" He turned around as he and Ochaco gave him hopeful looks. Izuka just gave a small awkward wave. "The four of us would be horses, with Ida in the front. Using Uraraka's Quirk, Ida and I would be way lighter, so we'd be able to maneuver around really easily. Izuka wouldn't even need to use hers since she's small enough to slip past anyone. That way, she won't have to exhaust herself before the final round. No one could catch us."
"Good idea!" Ochaco smiled encouragingly at him.
"Yeah, I'll be able to build up even more power that way too..." Izuka nodded in agreement.
"The only thing is..." Izuku placed a hand in front of his mouth. "We'd still have to find a pretty strong rider. I don't know who could do it. I know it's not much, but it's the only evasive plan I could think of this fast."
"A good strategy...but I'm sorry," Tenya answered, to their shock. "I'm afraid I must refuse your offer."
All of them gasped in surprise, since they were on friendly terms still. "Ida-San...?" Izuka blinked up at him.
"Since this all started, I've been losing to you," He revealed to the three. "Please don't take this as an insult. You're great friends..." He then pushed up his glasses. "But if I continue to follow you, I'll never get stronger," He then stared at the twins straight in the eyes. "Bakugo and Todoroki have challenged you both already, but they aren't the only ones who see you as a rival, both individually and together," He then turned away, walking off from his friends. "Midoriya, Mido...I'll try my best to defeat you," He joined his actual team of Momo, Shoto, and Denki.
"Whoa, Ida..." Ochaco murmured at this and Izuka gave a small frown. Momo's eyes saddened a little towards the girl. She could tell that Momo felt the same way and that it wasn't personal...but there were a lot of stakes at this Sports Festival. Ochaco looked between the boys, Izuka looking a bit worried.
So...it's already begun. Katsuki had Eijiro, Mina, and Hanta on his team. They were staring down the competition. Everyone's an enemy. I'm at the top, and they'll all be coming for me. Shoto's team was staring at them as well. Izuku then gave a nervous look as it was just like how he said to everyone earlier in their waiting room. I can't rely on anyone. Not this time.
They then heard a giggle as someone hovered over to them. "Oh perfect, you're still alone. And you're the star." They all turned around to see the same girl from Support who had all the gear. She then got into their faces. "Team up with me, person in first place!"
"Ahh, so close!" Izuku shook at her. "Who are you?"
"Mm?" Izuka blinked as she recognized the girl. "A-aren't...you the one who was allowed to...have all of that on you?" Izuka nervously pointed at the girl's gear.
She chuckled, a hand on her goggles. "I'm a student in the support course," She then pulled them up over her head. "Name's Mei Hatsume!"
"Oh!" Ochaco recognized her as well. "You're that weirdo from the obstacle course."
"U-Uraraka-Chan!" Izuka stammered at her in disbelief, leaning in. "What if you insulted her...?"
If Mei was bothered by it, she definitely didn't show it. "We haven't met, but I'd like to use your current fame to my personal advantage," She stated without hesitation, hands on her hips.
That's straightforward! Izuku thought in alarm that she said it so confidently.
She then got into their faces again. Izuka yelped, hiding behind Ochaco and Izuku. "If I team up with you, then I'll be in the spotlight! Part of the team that everyone is keeping their eyes on," She got even closer and they stepped back. "That means my super cute little babies will inevitably be seen by the big company CEOs who are tuning in to the Sports Festival." She got even closer, her eyes looking a little crazed. "And following that line of reasoning, this is the best way for me and my marvelous gadgets to get recruited."
"That's...a bit concerning," Izuka blinked rapidly at the girl.
"Could you slow down a minute?" Ochaco attempted to calm her down. "Did you bring babies here, or...I mean..."
Mei kept talking to Izuku, who looked at her freaked out. "Plus, you three will definitely benefit..."
Oh, she doesn't care about the two of us... Ochaco flinched in disbelief.
I understand her logic, but maybe she needs a pause button... Izuka gave a sheepish expression.
Mei then opened up her box, showing off all her gadgets. "The support course specializes in creating equipment that helps heroes deal with their Quirks and enhance their skills," She then cackled while holding one up proudly. "I packed a ton of powerful babies to bring with me, so I'm sure you'll find something you like floating around my arsenal! Oh, I see one's caught your eye." He flinched as she was holding a jet pack. "I based this on a certain hero's backpack. Though, of course, I added my own twist."
"Wait, I recognize that!" Izuku blinked in realization. "Air Jet, the Buster Hero has one of those!" She then laughed while handing it to him. "I love that guy!"
"Isn't he awesome?" She admired the hero as well.
"Mm-hm!" He nodded in agreement. "His agency's close by..."
Huh Ochaco simply stared at the two. They sure get along well.
Izuka glanced at her friend, noticing her expression. She turned to the two, wondering if something was bothering Ochaco. But she didn't have time to question it, she had a feeling where Izuku was going with his plan. They were still missing someone. She then picked up a blaster in curiosity. "Um...excuse me, Hatsume-Chan, does this absorb a Quirk?"
"Huh?" Mei blinked and then grinned at her. "You bet! Go ahead and take it! It'll shoot out any Emitter type at powerful amounts! You just strap it on in and it'll take care of the rest, taking your stored energy. And it won't tire you out easily either."
"Thank you," Izuka nodded gratefully at her. This was just what she needed since she needed to rest her power for a bit. And having a weapon do it for her would make things easier.
Not being able to team up with Ida was a definite blow Izuku glanced around, Ochaco still staring at Mei in concern. I've got Hatsume, Uraraka, and my sister now. But...I still need one more. However, it looked like almost everyone was taken. Looks like everyone is on a team already. That's fine, we can work with that. In fact, I know exactly what power our team is missing! And the person who can fill this spot is... He gasped sharply once he found who he was looking for. Ochaco blinked as he walked off without saying anything.
"Where are you going?" She called out but didn't get an answer.
He approached the student and placed a hand on their shoulder. "Join me," He simply offered them.
"Almost everyone in the audience is foaming at the mouth for Class 1-A," A bitter voice spoke from the group of students. "Why is that? They're so full of themselves, just like Tetsutetsu said earlier. Why are they stars? The only difference between us and them is that they fought a couple of villains. Just because we're Class 1-B doesn't mean we're second rate or can't win this whole thing," A blond boy from Class 1-B told his team. "So let's step it up and show those jerks what we can do. Are you with me?"
A second later, the time to form teams had just passed. Midnight smiled while stretching her arms. "Oh goodie! It's time to get this party started!"
"Hey, hey," Present Mic tapped Mr. Aizawa on the shoulder. "Look alive." The man opened his eyes from his nap. "After 15 minutes to make teammates and talk strategy, 12 cavalry teams are prepared to go head-to-head!"
"I see some unexpected student combinations," Mr. Aizawa had a closer look.
"Well, come on! Everyone get your hands in the air. It's time for an arena of the UA Battle Royale!" Present Mic announced while Izuku tied his own headband to his forehead. "Let me hear ya scream!"
The last teammate of theirs was Fumikage, up in front. Izuka, Ochaco, and Mei were behind supporting him as he was the rider. "Ready?"
"Yeah!" Ochaco looked up at him in determination.
"Hatsume?" He asked next, earning a laugh in return.
"Tokoyami?"
"Yes," Fumikage nodded from up front.
"Izuka?"
"I'm ready," She answered with a small nod standing between Mei and Ochaco.
"Let's do this!" He glared towards the arena, preparing for the other teams to come at them.
The crowd cheered as the Cavalry Battle was about to begin. "I chose the three of you because I believe we'll make for the most stable formation possible," Shoto told his own team. "Kaminari's our left wing. He can use his Quirk to keep enemies at bay. Yaoyorozu, you'll take the right wing. Focus on insulation and defense. Ida, you'll take the front. We'll rely on you for mobility and physical defense."
"And you'll be attacking and creating diversions of ice and fire," Tenya guessed correctly towards Shoto. "Is that right?"
"Not quite," He glanced to the side to see that his father was watching. "When I'm in battle..." He then clenched an angry fist. "I never use my left side." Endeavor had a deep frown on his face staring at his son so...intensely. Shoto returned the stare, though his was definitely more bitter than anything.
The game was about to start as the crowd cheered. "Okay, all you first years!" Present Mic announced as the teams had their riders and horses picked out. "I hope you're happy with your chosen teams!"
"Tetsutetsu," The blond from Class 1-B spoke up, Tetsutetsu turning to him in confusion. "No hard feelings, okay?" The boy actually had a bandage over his cheek thanks to the punch he received from Katsuki not too long ago. He didn't bother seeing Recovery Girl because he wanted the reminder to be there.
"Right!" He clenched a fist.
"Let's get this party started!" Present Mic's voice bellowed again. "One final countdown before the game starts! Three!"
"Get 'em," Katsuki cracked his knuckles as he was the rider.
"Two!"
"They're ours," Shoto stared up ahead.
"One!"
Izuku glared towards up ahead, Izuka keeping her eyes determined in front of her. "Let's do this, little brother!" She declared and he nodded sharply.
"Begin!" Midnight pointed her whip and everyone started running towards Izuku's team. He flinched in alarm at how soon it started.
"It's basically one big battle for ten million points!" Tetsutetsu made his intentions very clear from the start.
Toru let out a cackle as she was the rider...without her clothes on. Both Koji and Rikido were blushing in embarrassment over this. "I'll be taking that headband, Midoriya!"
"They're not even giving us a chance, huh?" Fumikage stared blankly up ahead. "Such is the fate of the pursued."
Ochaco then flinched while staring at her classmate. This is it!
"Make your choice, Midoriya!"
"Here they come!" Mei sung a little, not looking fazed by the slightest.
"That's easy," Izuku spoke up, clenching a fist. "We're running away!"
Not only is it smart, it allows me to build up energy into Hatsume's weapon I picked out, Izuka glanced down at her hand. Meaning he probably wants me to use it when the time is right instead of wasting the energy.
"Don't think so!" Tetsutetsu announced as his team was running over. The ground suddenly became darker, the five yelping as they started to sink into the dirt like quicksand.
"What's happening?" Ochaco asked in alarm.
"We're sinking!" Izuku then gritted his teeth while looking up, looking at the student in front of Tetsutetstu. It must be that guy's Quirk!
"No good—I can't get out," Ochaco tried to get her legs free, but it was no use.
"I can't use my power either if I can't see where my feet are," Izuka grunted while trying to wiggle herself free.
"Uraraka! Hatsume, Izuka! Watch your faces!" He warned them and the three braced themselves. Izuku pressed a red button, causing the jet pack to power up. It then soared into the sky, lifting all five off of the ground and into the sky. They then flew over several teams.
"They flew?" Tetsutetsu glanced behind him in surprise. "Damn support course. After them!" He shouted as his team turned around.
"Jiro, now!" Toru urged the girl.
"I know!" She extended her ears, but Dark Shadow flew in, swiping at the air so her lobes would move away from Izuku's team. "Stupid bird!"
Izuku smiled happily at his choice of defense. "Good work," Fumikage told Dark Shadow, looking over his shoulder. "Please, continue to watch over our blind spots, Dark Shadow. Mido will cover anything that gets past you."
"Got it!" Dark Shadow agreed with him.
"Wow, that is seriously cool," Izuku smiled down at his classmate. "Your shadow is just what we needed. It'll take care of our omnidirectional mid-range defenses! Tokoyami. You're amazing!"
Fumikage simply looked up ahead. "You are the one who chose me."
"Watch out!" Izuka held up a small shield as two horns went flying from a Class 1-B student that was blonde with horns on her head. "That was a close one, is everyone okay?" She turned to her teammates while putting down her star shield.
"We're fine. Thanks for the save!" Ochaco told her and Izuku looked behind him.
"Sis, you're doing great! Remember, keep building up your energy and use minimal amounts of your Quirk," He told the girl and she nodded. He then gave a small smile; she was definitely not worried about the crowd anymore. He could tell by her face.
"We're landing," Ochaco announced and she hovered her feet above the ground to make them float safely. Izuku turned to her with a big smile.
Uraraka's Quirk is awesome! She's floating everything but her and the equipment.
Ochaco looked at the ground while they floated down. Mei then looked up with a happy smile. "So what do you think of my babies?" She asked the boy eagerly. "Aren't they just precious? Cuteness can be manufactured, you know. Like your sister! If I used her on a design one day, she'd sell like hotcakes!"
"Uhhh..." Izuka looked away awkwardly; being a poster girl was definitely something that she didn't want to do...
"Excellent mobility!" Izuku looked down at the pink-haired girl. "Your babies are amazing, Hatsume!"
"Aw, thanks!" She blushed a little.
Ochaco saw this and glanced away with a pout. "I'm the one who's making us float..."
"Hm?" Izuka blinked while turning to her friend; she had never seen Ochaco like this before.
"They're not that far away!" Toru informed her team, the boys still blushing towards her. "Come on, Jiro! Full speed ahead!"
"Hey, wait!" Rikido looked up at the invisible girl as she was actually missing a headband. "Hagakure! Your headband's gone!" He informed in a bit of disbelief, since no one was near their team to steal it as far as they were concerned.
"Huh?" She sweated and realized that it was not on her head. "What? Who-?! No!" She cried out in dismay.
The blond from Class 1-B had a smug smile on his face, spinning Toru's stolen headband around his finger. "Well, that was easy," He remarked as they got away from the team.
"Wow! Barely two minutes have passed since we started, and it's already a total free for all!" Present Mic announced as more teams were headed for Izuku's. "YEAH! Watch those headbands! You can even ignore the ten million points and go after the other chart toppers!"
Minoru cackled while Mezo was running. Izuku glanced over his shoulder as Izuka blinked from the laughter. She looked back as well, but oddly, they couldn't see their shortest classmate. "This is too easy. It's not a fight. It's more like a massacre!"
"It's Shoji! Is he all by himself?" The green-haired boy wondered while Fumikage turned towards the front. Tetsutetsu and his team were approaching them from up front.
"Being a rider, horse, and defense all by himself? No way," Izuka shook her head in doubt.
"So then where's his team?" Izuku wondered from her telling him this.
"What we need is breathing room," Fumikage glanced up at the boy. "We can't get caught trapped between multiple opponents!"
Ochaco gasped and then tried to move. "Uh! Oh no," She glanced down at her left foot, which was stuck on top of something.
"What, is something wrong?" Izuku tried to get a better look.
"Yeah, I'm stuck!" She tried to get her foot free, but the restraints definitely looked familiar to the twins.
Izuku then let out a gasp as he recognized it. "That's Mineta's ball. But where did it come from?!" He looked around as he still couldn't see Minoru anywhere at all. And he had to be still out in the field to be able to plant the sticky ball.
"From right over here," He turned to Mezo again, seeing that Minoru was hiding in Mezo's arms like a tent of sorts. "Hi, Midoriya, Mido," He chuckled evilly at the strategy.
"What? Is that even allowed?!" Izuku yelped at how this looked since no one could see who was inside unless they revealed themselves.
"Judges say yes!" Midnight revealed while pointing her whip.
"So unfair..." Izuka wept a little, tears in the corners of her eyes.
Minoru went back to hiding as Tsuyu's tongue shot out of hiding. The twins both ducked, Tetsutetsu moving his head to the side to quickly dodge. It then recoiled back over to Mezo. "Impressive moves as usual."
"Oh, man. You've got Asui in there too?" Izuku could see her peeking out from Minoru's right side.
"I told you to call me Tsu," She corrected, shooting out her tongue again. Minoru tossed a few of his sticky balls towards the group. Izuka held up a small shield to knock away the sticky balls. Izuku moved to the side from Tsuyu's tongue just as Tetsutetsu did.
"Team Mineta's coming in like a tank, making clever use of how compact their members are!" Present Mic commented as the ammo didn't let up from Minoru.
Fumikage looked up at Izuku while the girls braced themselves. "Quickly, we must move!" He urged as Izuku grunted, moving his head away from the tongue. He then pressed the red button to activate the jet pack, but the boot's boosters from Ochaco broke off in the process.
Mei let out a sob looking at the boot emitting smoke. "My baby's ruined!"
"Sorry! But at least we got away from them," Izuku reminded her while they were still in the air. Katsuki put down his arms and launched himself into the air with his explosions. He flew into a curve, the twins glancing down at him with nervous expressions. "Kacchan!"
"Almost forgot about him..." Izuka murmured while looking away. Katsuki noticed this and grunted in annoyance, accelerating himself towards the team.
"Don't think for a second that you're safe," He warned as he reached out towards Izuku's headband. Ochaco yelped in alarm at him. "I've got you!" He shouted and Izuku held up his arm in front of the headband.
"Tokoyami! Izuka!" He shouted at the two. Dark Shadow extended himself in front of the team while Izuka pointed her blaster at the blond. It powered up, white coming from inside before she fired, sending a shooting star at the boy. Just as Katsuki fired off his explosion, Dark Shadow took the blow. Then Izuka's star collided with it so that the two explosions cancelled each other out.
The crowd then cheered for the current events. "WHOA!" Present Mic shouted at this, getting up from his chair.
"What the hell was that?" Katsuki asked in disbelief as he started to fall. He hadn't seen this from izuka's power before, and he hadn't properly seen Dark Shadow until now.
"Bakugo has been separated from his horses!"
Katsuki was suddenly pulled backwards towards the ground. It was Hanta that was responsible for this, as he had fired off tape to catch his teammate. "Whoa, nice catch," Eijiro commented as the boy caught the hot-headed blond.
"Is that even allowed?" Present Mic couldn't help but wonder; some of these rules for the Cavalry Battle were getting a little too loose.
"He never touched the ground, so technically it's okay," Midnight gave a thumbs up.
Ochaco let out a yelp as her feet touched the ground, floating them down safely since one of her boots wasn't operating anymore. "Nicely done, Uraraka!" Izuku glanced down at the brunette.
"It's hard to control where we're going with just one foot," She pointed out to him.
He nodded down at the girl. "I understand." With that busted foot, our movement is limited. We can't risk taking to the sky again. Even if my sister had a way to get us off the ground, carrying four people might overwhelm her and then she wouldn't be able to defend or attack. That means to survive, we'll have to rely on Tokoyami's Dark Shadow and our increased mobility, thanks to Uraraka's Zero Gravity. We'll have to only use Izuka's attacks too.
Death Arms, Kamui Woods, and Mt. Lady were still tuning in from the staff break room. "As expected, everyone's after the first place team, giving them no time to catch their breath. What a show this is!"
"Wow," Death Arms gave a small smirk. "Those Class 1-A guys are pretty good." Some other heroes had started watching at this point.
The press continued to film or take snapshots. "With all those flashy Quirks, I can't decide who I should be watching!"
"Looks like the experience fighting villains made that class level up superfast!"
"Now who wants to take a look at each team's points so far?" Present Mic questioned as Toshinori was keeping a close eye on the field, specifically his two pupils. "It's been seven minutes, so let's get those rankings thrown up on the screen," The blond man glanced up at the board, and people were very confused. "Hold on here," Present Mic was just as baffled as well. "This is an unexpected turn." A headband got snatched as Izuku's team was still at the top. But the top five consisted of only two teams from Class 1-A, and the rest were from Class 1-B. "Other than Midoriya, Class 1-A's not doing so hot."
The blond from Class 1-B glanced back...as Katsuki's team now had zero points. "Even Bakugo is losing!" This was because his team was the one whose headband just got snatched, putting them now at zero. He gave a sound of shock at the team responsible.
"Your class is too small minded," The rider remarked while clutching the headband. "Think bigger."
"He got us!" Mina glanced back in alarm.
"What did you say?!" Katsuki called out after him angrily. "Come back here!" He then gasped as he saw the bandage on the boy's cheek. He's that asshole extra I punched because of him taunting the mouse.
The team then came to a stop, and the boy didn't look back for a few seconds. "Midnight said the obstacle course was just the first game, and we figured they wouldn't cut that many of us right off the bat. Would they?" He glanced back with a small smirk, alarming Katsuki. "Assuming they'd keep at least 40 contestants for the next event, all we had to do was make sure we stayed within that last group as we ran. From our spots in the middle ranks, we could fully observe the Quirks our rivals had and judge their capabilities. Only a fool would obsess over winning the preliminary rounds or some girl who isn't even worth our time, wouldn't you agree?"
"Hey! Was that about Mido? You take that back," Eijiro gritted his teeth. Just because she was his rival right now didn't mean he wasn't gonna defend her.
"It's just the way it is, nothing I said was untruthful," The blond gave a small shrug.
Katsuki then narrowed his eyes suspiciously, gritting his teeth. He really wanted to punch the boy again, but he'd get disqualified if he did. "You planned this as a class?"
"It wasn't totally unanimous," The boy tied his new headband around his neck. "But I'd say it's planning out well."
"Hey, they're coming," One of his teammates warned him.
"It's better than chasing after a temporary frontrunner like a horse with a carrot waving in his face," The blond then commented and Katsuki flinched, recoiling back in alarm. "Oh, while I have your attention. You're kinda famous, aren't you? For being attacked by that sludge villain. And then that short stack tried to save you. You'll have to tell me about it some time. Though wouldn't her being the victim be her job since she's your girlfriend? Oh wait," The boy gave a small smirk. "She wouldn't even wanna be seen with you." Katsuki slowly clenched his teeth, looking up as his blood was boiling just like it was with Shoto. "It must be strange to always find yourself in the role of the victim instead of a girl who cheated her way to this school."
Katsuki then flinched as several memories came to mind. The three kids of the twins and Katsuki were walking through the forest. Once Katsuki turned back, he flinched when he saw Izuka's face. He stared at her for a few seconds, wondering why she looked so upset. He gave a hum of thought and then scoffed, turning around. It was probably nothing for him to worry about.
"You haven't proven how much you don't hold back yet, so why do it now? I don't care what anyone says, if you don't try hard enough, I'll kill you! You need to let them see that...you're not actually a mouse. That's why you're here, right?"
Izuka blinked while looking up at him, feeling...inspired by his words.
Katsuki looked REALLY furious as his eyes were pure white now. And he didn't think he could feel twice as pissed off as he was when he punched the boy in the face. I don't know even why this is bothering me so much...maybe because hearing about her is annoying me. But the fact that she was crying and willing to quit before this all started because of people like him... "Kirishima...we have a change of plans," He started off with a scary tone to his voice.
Eijiro turned around in confusion, yelping in fear as his eyes widened. The boy glanced back as Hanta, Mina, and Eijiro all whimpered at Katsuki. And the hot-headed blond looked like he was ready to kill someone to say the least. "Before we take down Deku and mousy...we're gonna kill every one of these B-list idiots! Starting with the one who can't seem to keep mousy out of his mouth..."
The boy just gave a small smirk, knowing that if he was really gonna die, the event would end there. Plus, Katsuki had already gotten in trouble dealing with him before. Seems like he doesn't like it when anyone talks about that girl. Interesting that he still thinks poorly of her and yet is having this kind of reaction...
Holy whoa Izuku had seen the whole thing. Izuka wasn't looking, though. Class 1-B had a long-term strategy that involved throwing the qualifier. I guess that could help them leave a bigger impression with the audience. Everyone does kinda love an underdog. But...if they're playing the long game here, they might not even bother coming after my headband at all! He could see other teams approaching, but Katsuki's and the other team from Class 1-B were too focused on each other right now.
"Everyone, don't worry," Izuku smiled in encouragement at his tea. "I think we're okay."
"I wouldn't say so..." Izuka murmured in thought and he looked up to see why. They slid to a stop, knocking them off balance momentarily. The green-haired boy looked up with a small gasp, seeing that it was Shoto's team in front of them.
"And now we've reached the halfway point of the game!"
It was dead silence between the two teams, Izuku letting out a deep breath. He should've known this would happen given the conversation he had with Shoto earlier. "I thought we had it made. Guess I was wrong."
"As the cavalry battle enters its second half, it's anyone's game!" Minoru tapped the top of his head, as he didn't have a headband anymore. "Class 1-B has made an unexpected showing, but who will wear the ten million points in the end? That's the real question, sports fans!"
Izuka gave a small frown towards Shoto's team, giving extra attention to Momo and Shoto. The former because they were friends (at least, that was what Momo conveyed to her), and the latter because of his assumptions regarding All Might. And how his reasoning for wanting to win might've stemmed from personal things.
"...I'll be taking that now," Shoto revealed to the team.