Chapter 33: "I'm almost feeling bad for my brother at this rate."
"Momo 'Yaomomo' Yaoyorozu." Said Izuku calmly. "I'm going to be completely honest with you, the only thing that can challenge how absolutely terrifying your Quirk is, is how absolutely fascinating I find it."
Yaomomo blinked at him in surprise, she certainly wasn't expecting that. "What do you mean?"
"Well, disregarding the fact that if you were a villain you could, say, absolutely devastate the economy by turning yourself into a human money printer, or you could potentially recreate the tragedy that was Hiroshima from two centuries ago if given the time and resources to make a large enough warhead."
"Oh my god dude, dark much?" Said Kaminari, aghast at Izuku's words.
Yaomomo had practically fallen into a stupor as she stared at Izuku, trying to process the metaphorical bomb he just dropped on them all.
Izuku shrugged, "Quirks are dangerous, even something as seemingly good natured as Recover Girl's could be dangerous if used carelessly."
"I-I would never do such a thing!" Exclaimed Yaomomo, having finally returned to her senses.
"Never said you would, just that you could." Replied Izuku. "I'm simply reiterating how potentially dangerous our Quirks can be, the importance that is us training to use them correctly, and honestly how glad it feels that you're all striving to become heroes and didn't fall down a path of villainy." He closed his eyes and folded his arms. "Because honestly, I think just about any one of us could've gone down that path had the wrong circumstances or influences had occurred in our lives."
"Even you, Midoriya?" Mineta seemed to find the notion positively absurd, so Izuku decided to bring that positive down to negative.
Fixing a tired gaze on him, he stated, "Don't forget, I'm human too." Despite his best efforts, he found himself briefly flashing back to one of his lowest moments, looking over the edge of that rooftop All Might had left him on, silently considering the advice his awful classmate had given him. In that moment he let his resolve falter and was ready to give up. Not just on his dream but on just about everything else, and pray that things worked out for him in his next life.
That memory was cut short by the sensation of being hugged. He blinked as he realized that the bright golden vestige that was Eighth had moved to pull him into a comforting hug, he could also feel Seventh's hand on his shoulder. After a few seconds Eighth floated away to the side, letting him get a clear view of his classmates once more, who were all silently and expectantly watching him, ready for what he was going to say next.
Without saying a word, Izuku could tell that Eighth accomplished his goal, reminding Izuku of what he had now, and there was no way he would ever allow himself to falter when he had them by his side. Clapping his hands together, he said, "Apologies for getting us sidetracked, who's ready to see Yaomomo do some insane things with her Quirk?"
"Hell yeah!" Came an excited cheer from Kaminari. Jirou rolled her eyes while standing next to him, but said nothing.
"Alright then." Said Izuku as he crouched down and picked up one of the discarded metal bars he'd used to smack Kirishika with. "I'm gonna need you to make another one of these, alright?"
With a confused nod, Yaomomo got to work, sticking an arm and allowing the metal rod to slowly grow out of her skin using her Quirk. Before she could finish though, Izuku abruptly shouted, "Stop!"
With a flinch, Yaomomo reflexively stopped the process, leaving the incomplete bar kind of just… sitting there in her skin.
Izuku walked up and examined the bar, gently reaching out and wiggling it a couple times, Yaomomo's arm moving with it each time, refusing to remove itself. "I thought so." He said.
"Notice something?" Asked Jirou.
"As I suspected. You are able to stop your creation midway, and it won't budge. It's like a part of you now." Explained Izuku, looking over at Yaomomo.
"Ain't that bad?!" Ashido showed a worried look, shared by some of the others in their class.
Izuku shook his head. "I don't think so. Yaomomo, are you able to let it fall like this? Don't complete the creation, just let it detach itself."
She nodded, closing her eyes to concentrate. A second later, the metal bar hit the floor with a clang. A few heads turned towards Kaminari as he started snickering about something, but nobody questioned it.
"That was easier than I thought it would be," She admitted, surprised by the immediacy of the action.
"Why wouldn't it be?" Asked Izuku, tilting his head. "If you're not completing it, it shouldn't take you any longer. Do you think it took less energy to create, or was it just the same as usual?"
She brought a hand up to her chin. "I wouldn't know precisely... But yes, I'd say it was slightly less tiring."
Izuku smiled. "Perfect! So, we've seen that you can leave your creations partially unfinished, and that they would just stick to your skin if you don't release them yourself. That opens so many doors!"
"How?" Ochako asked, this time being the one to tilt her head in confusion. "Incomplete things wouldn't work properly, would they?"
The analyst clicked his tongue while shaking his head and waving a finger before bending down to pick up the discarded metal bar. "That depends on what she's making. Of course, complex devices require their full build or most of it to function properly, but that's not the case for a lot of stuff." Looking back at Yaomomo, he said, "For our next trick, I'm going to need you to create a titanium gauntlet. That is to say, not one that can be worn, you're going to create it around your hand and leave the metal attached to your skin." After pausing for a moment, he further elaborated, "Stick to just the backside of your hand, leave the skin of your palm exposed."
Yaomomo's eyes narrowed in concentration as she nodded her head, focusing her Quirk to create the effects her class president desired. After a couple seconds she held up her arm, her back hand coated in a shiny layer of metal. She then showed her exposed palm to Izuku before squeezing her hand a couple of times to show that it was still operational even with the metal.
Izuku clapped his hands, proud of Yaomomo for accomplishing the results on the first try. The raven haired girl blushed at the praise, bashfully rubbing the back of her head.
"Now then," Said Izuku, his voice making his vice president focus again as he tapped the half finished metal pole in his hand. "You watched how we tested Kirishima's Quirk, and being the smart girl that you are, I'm certain you can figure out the next step."
Thankfully, Yaomomo was able to keep herself from getting thrown off by the praise this time as she quickly brought her arms up, using the metal coated one as a small shield and used her uncovered one to brace it.
"Woah woah woah, bro." Said Kirishima, stepping forward between Izuku and Yaomomo. "Smacking me around with metal bars is one thing, I'm a man and my Quirk lets me take it, but you can't seriously be planning to do the same with Yaoyorozu, right?"
Izuku looked at the redhead with a raised eyebrow. "Kirishima, do you think a villain's going to care whether or not Yaomomo is a girl when they're trying to kill her?" He asked, before reaching out with the metal bar to poke him in one of his pecs, adding on, "Also, for someone who boasts about being manly, I'd say the implication that a girl can't take a hit to be very unmanly."
It seems referring to Kirishima with such an adjective was more effective than Izuku had expected, as the teen wound up falling to his knees, staring at the ground in shock. "Oh god Midori, you broke him." Said Ashido.
"Eh?"
"Yaoyorozu, I'm so sorry for implying that you're weak just because you're a girl!" Before Izuku could question what Ashido meant, Kirishima abruptly leapt to his feet and began loudly apologizing to Yaomomo while bowing at just shy of a ninety degree angle.
Yaomomo and Izuku watched the redhead in shock for a moment before Yaomomo began to frantically wave her hands at him, reassuring him that she wasn't upset.
"The kid's a genuine one, I like him. Very manly."
"A bit hardheaded, but he clearly means well."
Izuku rolled his eyes at their quips before clearing his throat. "Besides, you guys were only about half right with how this test'll work. I'm not hitting Yaomomo with the bar, she's going to hit the bar with her brand new gauntlet." He explained. "If my theory's right, she should be able to slam her fist into the thing all she likes without it hurting her hand at all. As long as she had proper punching form anyways."
"That's not really reassuring, Green," Jirou pointed out.
"But he's been right before now, ribbit." Tsu argued.
Following the frog girl's certainty, Yaomomo nodded, "Alright. Just be careful, I don't want to hurt you."
"Oh, don't worry about me. Just give me the best you've got." He held up the bar firmly, like a wooden board that would broken to show the skill of a martial artist, and met her gaze, issuing a challenge to his vice president to give it her all.
She responded in kind by striking the bar precisely in its middle, bending it and making Izuku slide a couple of inches backwards.
"Yeah!" Kirishima whooped as he clapped his hands. "That was a good punch!"
"Good job," Izuku smiled, holding up the now bent bar between two fingers to show off the damage. "Though I would suggest giving your hits a bit of a twist near the end, puts a bit more 'oomf' into the blow."
"Sorry, I'm not used to dealing direct hits." Yaomomo confessed, a bit surprised by the result of the experiment as she looked at her arm. "I can't help but feel unbalanced. It's heavy."
"Of course, it's titanium. But you didn't feel a thing, did you?" He asked, sounding certain of his previous assessment.
She shook her head. "No, apart from a slight tingle, it doesn't hurt at all."
"If your skin is in the process of producing an object, it merges with said object until it's completed. So, for you, the protection you could get from a half-made armor is actually far greater than the one you could get from a complete one. Your skin might get bruised anyway under a layer of plate, but if your skin is the plate, which can also be easily discarded and replaced, you won't get hurt. Cutting attacks aren't gonna do much against that." He explained his reasoning, letting her mull over his words.
Yaomomo was clearly deep in thought, but a fire was growing in her eyes. "So, by only partially producing my armor, I could both lower my lipid usage and get an increase to my protections. Simple, yet effective... But I should take into account bashing attacks and the risk of hitting walls or the floor with my back. My skin may be covered, but my insides would be just as defenseless as they typically are."
"They would be, true." Conceded Izuku with folded arms and a nod. "But that can easily be taken care of by creating a layer of padding or an airbag. You're clearly intelligent Yaomomo, I think you can imagine how many uses this kind of creation could have, right?"
He had seen that the girl was someone who prided herself on her intellect, so if he could just get the gears in her head turning, the rest could be left to her.
"Who needs a sword hilt when the blade can grow out of your hand? What could cut you if your own skin can become the strongest alloy on the planet? Who would risk staying in close range when you can produce a flamethrower from your fingers? Even producing acid isn't out of the question."
"Wait, acid?" Ashido raised her head. "Wouldn't that be like copying my Quirk?"
Izuku nodded, eager at this point as his face morphed into an almost deranged grin. "She wouldn't have the same resistance you possess, Ashido, but every weakness can be compensated for with proper preparation. Bases can cover you and neutralize any acid that would otherwise touch your skin, and since it would still be fused with your skin you wouldn't be hurt either way. But there's more! What do you know of Miss Midnight's Quirk?"
Yaomomo tilted her head to the side. "I believe it's called Somnambulist, and it allows her to emit a sleep inducing aroma from her skin. Effective, but can be countered by simply avoiding to breathe it in."
"Yes, but what do you think that aroma is?" He looked at Yaomomo, hoping she would get his meaning.
Her eyes widened as she came to understand. "It can be reproduced... I could replicate her Quirk if I knew the right formula!"
Their classmates gasped as Izuku clapped his hands together. "We have a winner! Creation would let you copy any non living product of Quirks! Kacchan's explosions for example! You may lack the natural detonation ability that are a part of his palms, but you could produce the same explosive liquid that they produce! And then couple that with Ashido's acids and then the villains will really be scared."
Ashido jumped up, catching the heiress's sleeve. "Yaoyorozu! I've got to teach you how to use Acid! We can be walking hazards together!"
"Uh... Thanks?" Yaomomo wore an uncertain smile, a bit taken aback by the sudden support and offer. She was coming to understand the full scope of her Quirk's potential.
Izuku knew that face. She was thinking about how much she'd have to learn and how she could cram it into as short a time as possible. He wore it himself on plenty of occasions.
"It's like I'm seeing double. I thought we'd have to wait at least half a decade before you started reproducing but at this rate there's already gonna be more Izukus in the world."
"I'm almost feeling bad for my brother at this rate."
"Seriously?"
"What? I said almost. I'm sure the feeling will fade when I watch Izuku imprinting the underside of his boot onto Torei's face."
"I hope that works for you, Yaomomo," Izuku smiled at his classmate, "Your Quirk is great, it's only your imagination and perception that set your limits. So go beyond."
She returned his joy as the group yelled "PLUS ULTRA!" and started laughing.
"Thank you, Midoriya. It's more than I would've thought possible. Even Quirk specialists didn't reach such a conclusion. You're incredibly gifted in Quirk analysis."
Izuku shrugged. "I spent a decade thinking I was Quirkless, I had to get creative in finding ways to circumvent that handicap, and now that I do have a Quirk, I'm going to make the most of my abilities to help everyone else become even stronger."
Yaomomo let out a hum and nodded her head. "On that note, I do believe it's your turn."
"Eh?"
"Oh yeah!" Exclaimed Ashido. "We've all heard you talk to death about our Quirks-"
"Which on that note, I think you actually could kill it as a teacher dude," Interjected Kaminari, "That crazy lung capacity of yours would make you a master at lectures."
"He has a point y'know, and given your background with teachers the irony would be hilarious."
"I know the universe is trying to make certain things play out like they're 'supposed to' but I'm starting to wonder if it's trying too hard when it comes to this. Or if it's just trying to do a bit."
"What're you talking about?"
"Hm? No idea what you mean, I haven't said a thing."
"Then how did you know I was talking to you!?"
"Because you're predictable."
"YOU-!"
Thankfully, Ashido served as a welcome distraction as she put a hand on Kaminari's face and pushed him to the side. "As I was saying, you've told us all about our Quirks, we wanna hear about yours now Midori!" She exclaimed.
Izuku scratched the back of his head, realizing that that was a fair point, it wasn't really all that fair for him to know everything about them but then fail to divulge some secrets of his own. The problem is that when it comes to his secrets…
"Sharing them would compromise their safety."
'I know, I know.' Said Izuku before sighing. He was going to have to spin something clever. "Fair enough. I have technically told you about my Quirk in the past, back during the first day of school after the Q.A.T, but given recent… developments, it's only fair that I give you guys the updated version."
"You mean with the whole smoke thing?" Asked Mineta.
Izuku nodded his head and raised a fist, activating Smokescreen and producing a small cloud of purple smoke to demonstrate for everyone. "Right, let's start with the basics. My Quirk, strength stockpile, was one that failed to properly activate while growing up, leading me to believe I was Quirkless for the first fourteen years of my life. I thought that the Quirk simply had me stockpiling strength, more than my young body could handle, and thus kept itself turned off as a sort of self preservation precaution. It wasn't until I buffed myself up while training for the entrance exam that I was finally able to tap into my Quirk. Unfortunately I can still only use a percentage of my stockpiled strength, currently that percentage is Thirteen."
The mention of the number made Ochako look down, more than likely she'd been reminded of her personal hero and the injuries she'd sustained during the U.S.J incident. Even if she had survived and had made a full recovery, courtesy of Recovery Girl's Quirk, watching their teacher nearly be murdered by her own Quirk was traumatic.
Izuku shook his head, he couldn't distract himself. "But with the U.S.J incident, I've learned that my stockpile contains more than just 'strength,' I'd simply only been using it in that limited way thanks to my own misinformation and limited views when it came to my Quirk. The irony, nor the embarrassment, is lost on me." He admitted with an embarrassed chuckle. "I think my Quirk, in truth, is a mutation of my mom's who had the power to pull small things towards herself using her hands. But in my case, rather than 'things' I think I've been attracting and storing a sort of… energy into myself, which I can then apply in creative ways for combat. First there was the strength enhancement." To demonstrate, he sparked up the green electricity around his hand, before switching back to Smokescreen. "And now I can produce this smoke. It seems my abilities manifest in ways that'll help me in dire situations. The strength gave me the means to bash in the robots during the exam and my Smokescreen allowed me to ward off Shigaraki, the villain leader with the Decay Quirk."
"So," Said Yaomomo with a hand on her chin, "I suppose the question has changed from, 'what can your Quirk do,' to, 'what can it not do?'"
Izuku nodded his head. "In essence, yes. I have some speculations about potential applications and abilities I could unlock, the problem is that they only seem to awaken in Do or Die scenarios, so I'd have to willingly throw myself into danger-"
"NO!" Izuku actually had to cover his ears in response to the wave of angry shouts of denial his entire class redirected his way.
"…Or," Continued Izuku drily, "Wait until danger inevitably finds me."
Some of his friends frowned at that, but given that he was clearly phrasing it to show that he wouldn't be seeking danger out for the chance to make himself stronger, it seemed like they were willing to concede on that point.
"Any ideas for potential abilities you'll awaken to?" Asked Yaomomo.
"A few." Admitted Izuku. "One idea off the top of my head is the ability to fly, or at least hover in the air. I could also potentially find a way to produce a sort of physical energy, like a whip, that'd let me grab things from far away. Or maybe a way to enhance my senses in a way to detect danger better. Honestly it's all super situational so I have no real way of knowing until the awakenings occur, all I can do is try to train myself to be prepared for as many potential different awakenings as possible."
"Which I guess this training for us actually does double as training for you then." Said Kaminari, before blinking when he realized everyone was staring at him. "What?"
"What's that supposed to mean Jamming-Whey?" Asked Jirou, tilting her head in confusion.
"I mean, if Midoriya needs to understand our Quirks in order to help us use them better. That means he must know a lot about how Quirks work in general and different ways to use different powers. So if he ever gets something similar to what we have, he can use that experience as a basis." Everyone continued to stare at him, so Kaminari had to ask, "What, does that sound dumb or something?"
"N… no." Replied Jirou nervously. "That sounded so smart that I think we're all kinda freaked out that you were the first to think of it."
"Aw, thanks Jirou!" Said Kaminari with a grin, before frowning while his brows furrowed. "Wait, was that a compliment or an insult?"
"…Both?" Said the musician uncertainly.
"Oh come on!" Exclaimed Kaminari in distress, earning a laugh from his classmates.
"That was pretty crafty of you. Finding a way to 'explain' the nature of One for All without giving away the truth of your Quirk either."
"Well there was no way he could tell them the truth, he'd probably rather die than ever actually risk putting them in danger."
"Because he's a stubborn fool who believes that he can protect everyone himself and chooses to bear that weight alone."
There was silence in One for All as someone who'd remained hidden in the background for the longest time decided to show his face once more.
"Second…"
"You've got a lot of balls showing your face here, bastard."
"I'm not going to waste my nonexistent breath with an apology, Seventh."
"Well good! I wouldn't accept one from a stubborn ass like you anyways! The only thing I wanna do is stick my boot so far up your ass you'll taste the rubber of my soles!"
"Kinky."
"SHUT UP FIFTH!"
Izuku could practically feel Second's sigh as Fifth retreated into the depths of their Quirk before he wound up discovering whether or not it was possible to murder a vestige.
"Whatever, I'm not interested in playing nice with you, brat. Or any of the rest of you for that matter. Third, if you wanna play and make merry with this kid I won't stop you."
"Second I-"
"Just remember what stubbornness earned All Might. One for All won't survive if you try to burden yourself with everything."
Izuku's brows furrowed at that. 'Are you… trying to help me?' He asked, though he would get no response as Second vanished into the recesses of One for All once more.
The class parted ways soon after Izuku's explanation of his Quirk, with everyone promising to meet up again tomorrow for more practical applications of the training Izuku proposed that day. With the Sports Festival fast approaching, they threw their all into their training so that each and every one of them could Go Beyond their limits.
Despite his best efforts to invite him to join, Aoyama and Todoroki both refused to accept, the latter due to his stubborn belief that he was and would continue to be the strongest, and the former simply coming up with an increasingly dramatic excuse each and every time to avoid his class president's offers.
A week passed from there, and it was on the Tuesday before the Sports Festival that Izuku had an idea, remembering the confrontation their class had gotten into with the other First Years at the start of the previous week. After a moment of consideration, he made his choice and began walking towards Class 1B next door, telling Yaomomo to simple have everyone continue practising, telling her that he would trust her and Iida to supervise the training in his stead, to which she was more than willing to agree.
After knocking the door and entering Class 1B, much to the confused looks of their sister class, Izuku looked around before his focus eventually settled on the one he was searching for.
"Itsuka Kendo. We need to talk."
Chapter 34: 'This is going to be fun!'
Before Izuku even realized, the final week leading up to the Sports Festival blurred by, now he and his friends were in the 1A Prep Room, doing their best to mentally ready themselves for what was to come. All of Japan and its Pro Heroes would be watching this after all…
"Midoriya." Izuku turned to look at the person, talking to him, recognizing that cold tone anywhere.
"Todoroki, can I help you?" He asked, looking at his classmate with as composed of an expression as he could maintain.
Todoroki took a moment to observe his class president before speaking again. "You're strong, certainly stronger than anyone else in our class. I can see why All Might's taken an interest in you."
"Uh…" Izuku wasn't sure where he was going with this.
"But I'm still stronger. I plan to beat you, so you'd better not disappoint me today and drop out before I have the chance to defeat you myself." The expression on his face was just as cold as the words coming from his mouth.
Izuku maintained eye contact with the heterochromic boy before eventually responding, "I appreciate the vote of confidence, Todoroki, but don't think we're the only ones in this Festival." He spread his arms out, gesturing to the other eighteen teens in the room with them. "Everyone's gone Plus Ultra training for today, and there's also the students in the other Hero Class as well as those in the other courses who're vying for a spot amongst us, those who really want to make it are going to be facing us with All their Might. Don't drop your guard or you'll be the one dropped before we even get to round three, understand?"
Todoroki stared at him for another moment before letting out a huff and returning to his warmups.
"Damn Midobro, talk about manly!" Exclaimed Kirishima, clapping a hand on Izuku's shoulder.
"Huh?" Asked Izuku, looking at him in confusion.
"Dude," Said Kaminari, clapping his other shoulder, "Todoroki threw down the gauntlet and your reaction was to bitchslap him with it, I'm gonna side with Kirishima on this one, that was manly as hell."
"I think you guys are overhyping me a little, all I did was point out that if he focused solely on me he'd almost certainly lose. He hasn't seen how far the rest of you've come." Argued Izuku.
Kaminari shook his head, "S.M.H, my dude, S.M.H. We've gotta take the time to teach you how to take a compliment for crying out loud."
"Sorry…" Said Izuku dejectedly as he stared at the ground.
"Class President, it will be time to head out soon." Declared Iida as he chopped his arms for emphasis.
Izuku stood up straight at the statement, abandoning those negative feelings so he could focus on the task at hand. Class 1A scrambled as they prepared to head out, and after an incident with Jirou mistaking a bottle of pond water that Tsu had on her for green tea, the class made their way out to the stadium. "Alright 1A, let's give this everything we've got. Say it with me, Go Beyond…"
"PLUS ULTRA!" Cheered the majority of the class, raising their fists into the air as they proceeded to set out excitedly to claim victory.
"...First up, you know who I'm talkin' about! The miraculous rising stars who brushed off a villain attack with their steely willpower, give it up for Class 1A!" At the sound of Present Mic's voice announcing their class, Izuku and company walked through the entrance and into the stadium. Izuku's eyes darted around, feeling just a touch self conscious at having all these eyes on him.
"Don't stress yourself out Izuku, you're going to blow them away!"
"Just preferably not literally."
'Let's hope things don't get that out of hand…' Izuku thought to himself with a tired expression. After the U.S.J incident he'd rather avoid another villain attack or something equally absurd. Then again, that's what the Pros on patrol are for, right?
"Must be nice getting to laze around and play guard dog for a high school event instead of doing something productive…"
"Thanks for the input Second, it's crazy how literally no one asked."
"Next up we have 1B's sister class in the Heroics Department, followed by Classes C, D, and E of General Education, Classes 1F, 1G, and 1H of the Support Course, and last but not least we have the Business Course Classes I, J, and K!" As Present Mic announced the other ten classes of UA's First Year's Izuku felt his gaze wandering towards the other Hero Class.
Going off appearances alone it seemed like there were quite a few bizarre Quirks amongst their ranks too. He also caught the way that the blond boy had been seemingly glaring at him before averting his gaze and smiling as if he was simply another face in the crowd of his class. Izuku's eyes briefly narrowed before he averted his attention, spotting a familiar mop of lavender hair amongst the students of Class 1C. The corners of his mouth quirked upwards as he felt himself being curious to see just how resolved Shinso really was to join the Heroics Course.
The cracking sound of a whip took Izuku's attention off the Reserve Course and made him focus on the center stage, upon which stood Midnight-Sensei. "Alright kids, time for the Athlete's Oath!" She declared.
"Shouldn't the principal be doing this?" Wondered Tokoyami with a flat expression. "That costume hardly seems appropriate for a high school event."
"Principal Nedzu is in charge of the Third Years." Whispered Izuku. "As for your concerns about the costume I've… got nothing to say in her defense, it's like this every year. All M- er, I mean my mom almost had a heart attack when we watched last year's on the TV and she saw the way Midnight-Sensei was dressed." Tokoyami let out a noise that was something between a thoughtful hum and a disappointed sigh.
"Silence from the peanut gallery!" Ordered the R-Rated Heroine with another crack of her whip before using it to point at the crowd of students. "Now then, as the one to come in first place during this year's entrance exam, even managing to set a brand new record of a hundred and nine points, Going Beyond even All Might's score… We have 1A Class President, Izuku Midoriya!"
Izuku blinked in surprise, looking to his left, then his right, before pointing at himself uncertainly. "Yes, you! C'mon up green bean, you're keeping the others waiting!" Ordered Midnight.
With a frantic nod, Izuku quickly weaved through the crowd with a level of speed and precision that the General Education students had to do a double take when they noticed he was already at the front.
Even with the surprise, some were able to mutter their own annoyance. "Psh, this guy got first in the Hero Course Exams, big whoop, he's probably just a muscle headed brute who coasted by using his Quirk." Muttered a girl whose dark brown hair was styled into a pair of pigtails while her bangs were arched slightly up before coming down.
"Actually, he scored the second highest on the written exam with a ninety nine percent." Commented Midnight nonchalantly, much to Izuku's continued embarrassment. The teacher's rebuttal did cause the General Course student to eat her own words, forcing her to shut her mouth and simply sigh in defeat. Izuku did his best to flash her an apologetic smile, but it seems like she failed to notice, so he simply made his way up to the podium next to Midnight. He stopped in front of a microphone, looking at it for a moment before looking over at Midnight, who simply nodded and smiled at the student, urging him to go ahead.
Izuku reached out and tapped the microphone's head, causing some feedback to echo through the stadium, much to the discomfort of practically everyone present. With a wince, Izuku took the microphone into his hand and started to speak, "H… hello everyone, students of UA, teachers of UA, visitors of UA. There's something that I would like to say…" Taking a deep breath in through his nose and out through his mouth, he declared, "I intend to win this festival today."
The stadium was silent to the point that Izuku actually tapped his foot on the ground to test that he hadn't magically gone deaf, before the crowd of students angrily erupted at him.
"Don't get cocky you A Class Bastard!"
"How dare you show contempt for such an important event!?
"You arrogant bastard!"
Izuku chuckled as he watched the crowd express their anger, and within his peripheral vision he could see his classmates, displaying looks ranging from confusion, to embarrassment, to even amusement (no points for guessing who fit into that last category.)
After giving them about ten more seconds of angry shouting, Izuku tossed the microphone into the air before quickly bringing his hands together, charging One for All through them so that when his hands clapped, the sound was loud enough to echo through the whole stadium, causing the shouts to die down as everyone proceeded to stare at him in shocked silence. Izuku then caught the microphone as it fell down towards him.
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself there." He said, giving the students a brief, but apologetic, bow. "In all seriousness though, I plan to win. Isn't that the same for all of you?"The students clearly weren't expecting Izuku to ask them a question like that. Rather than answering, they began murmuring amongst themselves.
Thankfully, Kacchan once again proved to be his Hero as he shouted out from the crowd. "You're damn right I'm gonna win, Deku!" Declared the explosive blond.
Izuku snapped his fingers and pointed at Kacchan. "Thank you! Honestly, is that all people? Are we the only ones who wanna win?!"
"No way Deku, I said I'm gonna do my best and you'd better believe that's still true!" Shouted Ochako.
"Agreed! Putting anything less than one hundred percent would be a disgrace to our upperclassmen!" Declared Iida.
"Hey, I dunno if I can win but I sure as heck will give it my all." Said Sero with a shrug and a grin.
"I'm gonna blow you guys away and show the ladies how cool I really am!" Declared Mineta.
"I will show the Pro Heroes just what I am capable of!" Said Yaomomo proudly.
Izuku then gave Kendo a side eye, easily picking her orange hair out of the crowd, before giving her a cheeky wink and a nod. With a sigh, the martial artist chose to call out, "Don't underestimate the students of Class B! We're Hero Course students too and we won't make this easy for you!"
Spurred on by their class president's words, students of Class 1B started to voice their own desires to win. Nodding, Izuku then pointed in the direction of Shinso's class. "And I know that there are those amongst you in General Education who are gunning for a seat in the Hero Course too. If you want in then you'd better be ready to show that you've got the grit to Go Beyond and show the teacher's that you're Hero Material!" He then pointed towards Mei's class. "And you Support Course Students, I'm sure there are those of you itching to show off your skills and inventions to the Pros, hoping to nab yourselves some deals down the line. You better not waste this chance, it'll be a whole year before you get another!" His words continued to inspire the students, earring cheers and declarations of a desire to win.
Truly, they all wanted to show what they could do now thanks to him. Izuku smiled as he watched them cheer. "First Years of UA, let's show the world what we can do! Say it with me, Go Beyond…"
"PLUS ULTRA!" Cried almost every First Year student. Izuku couldn't sway them all of course, there were the stubborn ones who refused to cooperate with him and the edgelords that simply wanted to prove they were different, but Izuku was satisfied with this result. With a theatrical bow, he returned the microphone to its position and reclaimed his spot amongst his classmates.
Once he was certain that none of the other classes could see him, he let out a wheezing noise as he leaned his head forward, resting his forehead against Shouji's massive back muscles.
"Still not used to talking in front of large crowds, ribbit?" Asked Tsu, a finger pressed against her chin as she watched him quizzically.
"Mmmgh…" Groaned Izuku, "I thought I was gonna mess it up… I thought everyone would hate me… I thought…" The green haired boy devolved into rambles as he listed off all the worst case scenarios that he feared would occur.
Tsu, with Ochako at her side, watched him continue to mumble to himself for a little while before exchanging a glance and nodding their heads. Ochako grabbed Izuku by his shoulders and pulled him away from Shouji before turning him so he was facing Tsu, not that he really noticed that he was looking her way, still lost in his own head as he continued to mumble. The thing to finally wake him up was a solid slap to the face, courtesy of the frog girl's tongue.
Izuku stood there, stunned, before slowly reaching up to feel his now stinging cheek. After wiping Tsu's saliva off his face, he looked at the girls and said, "Thanks, I needed that." In response, Tsu slapped him again. "I needed that too." After a third slap, he snapped back, "You're pushing your luck, Tsu!"
There were a few beats of silence before the three students devolved into giggles.
"Credit where it's due, Izuku, that was a very impressive speech."
'Thanks First, I was kind of just making stuff up as I went, if not for everyone's contributions I don't think it would've landed nearly as well…' Admitted Izuku, a pained expression on his face as he imagined all the potential ways he could've fumbled that speech. He was proud of himself for breaking All Might's record, but honestly he might've preferred getting second place if it meant avoiding future public speaking like that.
"I think you're forgetting that going Pro will require you to make speeches like that on live television, especially once you start breaking into the higher ranks on the leaderboard."
Izuku groaned quietly as he brought his hands up to his face, realizing that Fifth had a point, even if he hated it.
"Hey!"
'I meant that I hate that I'm going to have to do this kinda thing in the future.' Clarified Izuku flatly.
"Oh…"
"Yeah, Izuku's too nice to an idiot like you. Insulting you is our job."
"Oh fuck off."
"Can't I'm stuck here and have to listen to your dumbassery for the rest of time."
"Now then!" Called Midnight, pulling Izuku's attention away from Third and Fifth's bickering. "Without any delay, let's get the first event started!"
"What is there at UA that ever is delayed?" Asked Ochako drily, which made Izuku and Sero snicker a bit.
"Round One is the Qualifier, it'll isolate the best and ditch the rest amongst you, so do your best or you'' be sent home crying well before you can make a name for yourself!" Explained Midnight as she pointed towards the large monitor in the stadium, which flashed as it began to cycle through a list of events so fast that nobody could read them. "And now, the fateful first event for this year's First Year Sports Festival is…" Once the wheel of names came to a halt, Midnight gestured towards the monitor dramatically, "This!"
Izuku's eyes narrowed in interest as he read the words on the monitor aloud, "The Obstacle Course…"
"All two hundred and twenty students from the eleven classes will partake in a four kilometer race around the entire stadium! But watch out, you'll be forced to contend with not only your fellow racers, but also the various devious and dangerous obstacles that have been set up throughout the course!" Explained Midnight. "Now, our school is very proud when it comes to preaching of freedom, so as long as you remain on the course any action or usage of your Quirk is fair game! So do be sure to give us quite the show… heh heh heh…"
Something about the teacher's sadistic sounding laugh made Izuku's skin crawl.
"Alright then, racers get into position!" Instructed the R-Rated Heroine as she waved her whip around, pointing towards a large metal door with three lights above it.
Izuku followed the crowd as they approached the gate, and as he took in his surroundings he immediately noticed something. The size of the crowd far exceeded the size of the door, if someone wasn't at the front of the pack and simply charged in without a plan, they were certain to get bottlenecked. Without even realizing it, the First Year students had already approached the first obstacle of this race.
"Ready…" Said Midnight, raising her whip into the air.
Time around Izuku seemed to slow in that moment as he quickly began to take in his options.
His first thought was to simply barrel straight ahead using his Quirk, that method could easily get him through the crowd.
But he quickly disregarded it, if he collided with the wrong student he could get seriously hurt by their Quirk.
But more importantly, simply stiff arming his way to the front and smashing through his competitors was the fastest way to get someone injured. Midnight might've said 'anything goes,' but that doesn't mean he was going to resort to injuring his competitors for the sake of a potential lead.
His eyes then moved upwards as the more practical, and viable, option became clear to him.
He quickly looked around himself, wondering if it was possible to grab one of his classmates and-
"Absolutely not."
'Eh?'
"You're not assisting your friends unless you absolutely have to."
'Wh- but Seventh I-"
"Seventh speaks the truth, this is a contest Izuku."
'First…'
"Look, we admire your wish to help others at any given time, it's what makes you such a great ninth for One for All. But this is a contest, you can't just carry all your friends to the finish line."
Izuku wanted to retort, but he wasn't given the chance.
"Imagine how they would feel. They're here to give it their all and show what they can do. Being carried by their Class President would just tell the Pros that they're too weak to function on their own strengths."
"Get set…" Said Midnight, as the various other students got into running positions.
Izuku sighed, clenching his fists. 'You're right… you're right, you're right, you're right.' He said before releasing a breath he'd been holding in. Upon doing so, he began to charge One for All through his body, green electricity sparking off his body as he kept his eyes on his target. 'I'll have faith in my friends. We'll all make it through this race together. And I plan to take first place.'
"Go!" Shouted Midnight, cracking her whip like she was waving a flag, the large doors opening up for the students.
As those in the front dashed through in an attempt to make it out and take an early lead while those behind them pushed and struggled with those besides them, Izuku leapt into action.
Literally. Since he couldn't go through the crowd, he decided to go over it, he grabbed onto the frame of the entrance to the stadium, earning himself a vantage point above all the others, using his Quirk enhanced fingers to literally dig into the structure to keep himself in place.
He then heard the familiar crackling of ice forming, looking down he saw Todoroki dashing to the front of the pack, while ice formed on the floor and legs of those he passed. Not wanting to be upstaged by one of 1A's heaviest hitters, Izuku leapt from the wall and onto the ground in front of the majority of the crowd. With One for All charging through his whole body at Thirteen Percent, he began to run.
"Wowwie!" Called Present Mic from the announcer's booth. "And just like that, Midoriya and Todoroki of Class A both pull ahead of the pack using different but equally ingenious implementations of their Quirks! Truly a recreation of the rivalry between Japan's Number One and Two is occurring in the next generation of Heroes!"
Izuku quickly caught up to his classmate, and as he passed him, he said, "Let's give this our all, Todoroki!"
From behind, he heard the sound of explosions and a familiar voice shouting, "Dekuuu! Icyhooot! Don't think I'm letting you bastards steal the spotlight!" Shouted Kacchan as he broke through the crowd.
Izuku watched his rival, along with the rest of the students of 1A, use their Quirks to fling themselves through the crowd and begin running after them.
Izuku turned his attention to the path in front him, and unable to resist the smile forming on his face, thought to himself, 'This is going to be fun!'
Chapter 35: "Why the heck are you… here…?"
"Thanks for the assist, Todoroki!" Laughed Mineta as he bounced along a series of hair balls he'd thrown onto the racetrack. "You cleared the way for me to get through, so let me return the favor with a move of my own, Grape Ru-" Though before he could finish calling out his attack, the short student was cut off when he tanked a metal fist to the face and was sent into the sky.
"Mineta!" Exclaimed Izuku as he skidded to a halt, watching his friend fly upwards before beginning his downward descent into the crowd of students behind them.
"Don't stop, focus on the race Izuku!"
"Watch your six!"
"Multiple Targets Acquired…" Beeped out a deep electronic voice. Izuku slowly turned to see a familiar metallic face staring down at him. The two-pointer robot reared back to strike Izuku next, but the student was faster as he threw a fast jab into the machine, striking it just right to send it flying backwards straight into another, smashing both into bits.
"Every obstacle course needs obstacles…"Explained Present Mic over the loudspeakers, "Starting with… the Robo Inferno!"
Izuku's eyes widened as a shadow was suddenly cast over him, he looked up to see a Zero Pointer looming over him, flanked by at least half a dozen additional ones.
"Good god, I thought the one from the entrance exam was extreme but this borders on outright goofy!"
Before Izuku could retort, he saw a blur of red and white rush past him, followed by the crackling of more ice forming. His eyes widened as he saw Todoroki, in nearly an instant, froze all the Zero Pointers in place with his Quirk.
"I know it's rich coming from us, but this kid's Quirk is just bullshit."
'No kidding, he must've trained insanely hard to be able to pull these kinds of moves off…' Thought Izuku as Todoroki started walking towards the robot.
"I kind of wish they had prepared something a little more threatening." Izuku heard his classmate mutter. "Especially since dear old Dad is watching…"
"What's that about…?"
Izuku was wondering the same as he began to jog after Todoroki.
"Everyone, quick!" Shouted one of the Business Course students. "He froze them in place, let's get going!"
"Bad idea." Todoroki called over his shoulder as he got clear of the robots. "I intentionally froze them in precarious positions…" Izuku's eyes widened as he looked up towards the sound of ice cracking and metal creaking. "So that they would fall over."
Izuku froze in place as he quickly looked at the robots, which were now in the process of falling. He'd need to move fast in order to avoid-
The sound of screaming behind him grabbed his attention, and he could see various other students scrambling in a desperate attempt to get clear, but it was obvious not all of them were going to make it, and there was no telling which ones would be able to actually survive having a giant robot fall on them.
And so his legs once again moved before his brain.
"Izuku, don't-"
'Veto.'
"Eh!?"
'SMASH!' He rocked himself into the air, charging One for All at Thirteen percent and slamming his fist into the robot. It wasn't enough to demolish the thing, in its entirety like he did to the one from the entrance exam, but with the brittle state the metal was thanks to being frozen, his punch was more than enough to send the thing tumbling in a direction away from the other contestants while causing it to break apart.
He then quickly kicked his leg into the machine, using it to propel himself away from it and towards the second robot, slamming his foot into it and knocking it away similarly to the first one, and then use it as a launchpad to leap at the third Zero Pointer.
He repeated this process for robots three to six, and then as he leapt off the sixth and found himself flying at the seventh and final one, he kicked things up a notch, and did a forward flip as he flew through the air. 'One for All… Fourteen Percent…'
"CALIFORNIA SMASH!" He shouted as he slammed his fist into the seventh robot, sending it and himself plummeting to the ground, kicking up a large dust cloud in the process.
The other racers stared in awe as the smoke cleared, and saw the leader of Class A standing atop the remains of the seventh Zero Pointer, his messy green hair flowing in the wind as he seemed to be practically staring down upon them.
"Izuku! Quit Aura Farmin' and start runnin'!"
Izuku winced as he heard Fifth's voice ring in his head, interrupting him from surveying the carnage to check if anyone had been injured by the falling metal. 'Right, right, sorry…'
Before he could start moving though, he looked up as he heard the sound of explosions overhead. "SUUUCK MYYY DIIICK DEEEKUUU!" Shouted Kacchan as he flew over and past Izuku, propelling himself with his Quirk.
Damn, he'd fallen to third place now thanks to Todoroki's stunt, he needed to start running before those two got even more of a lead on him. Charging One for All at Fourteen Percent, he resumed running while everyone else did their best to bypass the metallic carnage Izuku had left in his wake.
For some, it was a simply application of their Quirks, Ochako floating herself over and then returning her gravity at just the right moment to make herself fall towards the ground at just the right speed and angle to resume running, recreating her technique from the long jump, while Sero and Tokoyami used their Quirks to sling themselves over the rubble.
Others used their Quirks more creatively, like Satou and Iida, who both enhanced their speed using their Quirks and replicated the kick and jump technique Izuku used to quickly make it through.
Some were forced to simply stiff arm their ways through, like Koda and Kaminari, whose Quirks couldn't help them here and had to simply start climbing over the metal or following after those who were tunneling through the rubble, like Kirishima.
And some combined options one and three, using their Quirks to get through while also taking inspiration from those around them to help their classmates get through, like Yaomomo holding onto Jirou with one arm while she generated a pole from her palm to vault them both over, or Tsu holding (a mildly concussed) Mineta with her tongue as she leapfrogged over the metal.
Even students from other classes were getting creative, as Mei flew over the heads of her peers using a jetpack, while Shinso somehow seemed to be climbing a ladder made of people to get to the top of the scrap heap before resuming running.
How he convinced those students to help him was anyone's guess but they couldn't focus on that for now.
Others still had to deal with smaller robots gunning for them, though those amongst Izuku's class who still had the smaller scale robots that hadn't been iced by Todoroki to deal with. Shouji fired a barrage of punches that broke apart a Three Pointer while Ashido's acid burned through the armor and wiring of a One Pointer.
Soon enough, the students of 1A were able to find their ways through the first obstacle and continue the race, with the B Class Students hot on their heels.
"You played a dangerous game, slowing down to help your fellow competitors."
"Especially when we told you to do the opposite."
'I refuse to sit by while people are in danger.' Replied Izuku calmly as he continued to jog down the race track, keeping a steady lead and pace with One for All. 'What Todoroki did was not okay, he might want to win but those tactics could've seriously injured someone. Sure someone like Kirishima or Tokoyami could've walked that sort of thing off but most of our classmates, and presumably students from the other classes, lack the durability to tank being crushed under a bunch of giant fucking robots.'
He gave the vestiges a flat side-eye, the closest he could manage to an outright glare without looking deranged.
'So I Vetoed. I still want to win of course, but if I have to abandon people and let them risk injury to do it, then that victory would be hollow.'
He turned his focus to what was in front of him. He could see Todoroki had been keeping a lead of a good couple dozen meters up until now, leaving various ice slip traps on the floor that made Izuku need to watch his footing in order to avoid slipping and cracking his skull on the ground.
Kacchan had managed to use his Quirk to simply move around and over the traps, and was quickly catching up. However both Izuku and Todoroki had to slow down when it came to the next obstacle.
A huge hole in the ground that was so deep the bottom was obscured in darkness, with various "islands" scattered across it that were connected by ropes. Izuku was willing to bet that going around wasn't an option.
"The first barrier might've been a cakewalk for the heavy hitters of 1A, but let's see how they handle the second!" Explained Present Mic.
"The rules are simple." Said Aizawa-Sensei, who'd joined him in the announcer's booth (against his will.) "If you fall, you're out."
"Heroes and Gentleheroines, this is… The Fall!"Declared Present Mic, not letting Aizawa-Sensei's low energy speaking slow him down.
"On the nose, but if it works it works."
"Speaking of working, Izuku should start getting to work before those two widen the gap even further."
Izuku looked at one of the ropes to see Todoroki sliding across it, generating ice from his foot to freeze the rope, reducing friction and allowing himself to just glide through without stopping.
Kacchan meanwhile simply flew over with his explosions, shouting about how he refused to lose.
From behind, Izuku could also see that the other contestants were beginning to close the distance between them, the fastest amongst them like Iida leading the pack.
Izuku looked around, doing his best to quickly find which combination of ropes he could run across that would be the fastest path, when suddenly Seventh spoke up.
"Wait, this is perfect!"
'What is it?' Wondered Izuku.
"This is how we get you to awaken Float!"
Izuku raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued.
"Okay, just do a running jump over the pit, and when gravity starts to drag you into the void, your desire to cross will definitely cause Float to activate!"
"That seems… risky."
"It'll be fine, the consequence of failure is definitely dire enough to get Float to work without, you know, being life threatening."
'Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained, and having Float would definitely be useful…' Admitted Izuku as he took a couple dozen paces back before running and leaping as far as he could using One for All. He specifically timed the jump and angle to make sure that he wouldn't be able to reach the other side.
"Alright. Any second now you'll start to float."
Izuku felt gravity begin to overtake his body, making him move downwards while still continuing to hurtle himself forwards.
"Any second now."
"Uh, Seventh-?"
"Any second now!"
"Seventh I don't think he's going to float."
"That's quitter talk! He's… definitely… going to fall… Yeah, he's falling…"
…
"Shit shit shit shit! What now!?"
Izuku grit his teeth as he quickly shot an arm out and tried to grab one of the nearby ropes. Unfortunately he was already too far away from them to reach them, and he began to descend into the dark void that was the fall.
"Deku!"
"Midoriya!"
Izuku could hear them. The voices of his friends, who'd managed to reach the edge of the pit and had seen him try and fail to make the jump.
"What's this!? Class A's Midoriya seems to have overhyped his own abilities and failed to make the jump! Will this be how the A Class's President meets his end, in the qualifying round!?" Exclaimed Present Mic in dramatic shock.
"Hmph, this is what happens when you put too much stock into your Quirk and allow it to make you act illogically." Commented Aizawa-Sensei. "Midoriya will have to use this as a learning experience…"
'This can't be how it ends…' Thinks Izuku as he reaches a hand out towards the island as it got further and further away while the darkness below began to envelop him. 'I can't lose here, not before I have the chance to get anything done! I can't let all that effort go to waste!'
"Izuku…I'm so sorry…"
Izuku's eyes widened. Of course Seventh would blame herself in a situation like this. She'd been the one to propose this course of action. He could feel her spectral arms wrapped around his shoulders, her voice sounded like she was on the verge of crying. She'd only tried to help, and now he was about to be taken out before he even had the chance to do anything…!
No. He refused to let this be how it ends!
He just needed a way to… propel himself…
In that moment, memories of Kacchan flashed through his mind, visions of him using his explosions to fly through the air. Then he flashed back to the U.S.J, and that time he created a large burst of air using the Delaware Smash. Quickly spinning himself around mid air, Izuku charged One for All through his left middle finger and aimed it downwards, gripping his arm with his right hand to focus the aim.
Then he realized that using just one arm might result in an unbalanced propulsion that could throw him off course, so he extended both arms and charged One for All through both middle fingers.
Then he realized that if he was going to use two fingers to carry half the burden, he could rely on just Fifty Percent in each finger.
Actually… if two fingers could each carry Fifty Percent of the load, then why not split it to Twenty Five Percent across four fingers? And across six fingers the burden would be just shy of Seventeen Percent. And if he used eight fingers, then he could use…
'One for All, Fifteen Percent…' Izuku thought to himself. "Delaware Smash: Air Force!" All eight fingers flicked at once, and the resulting wind pressure of eight simultaneously powerful shots was enough to launch himself upwards into the air and away from the jaws of defeat.
"What's this!? Moments before defeat could claim him, Izuku Midoriya finds a creative usage of his Quirk to get himself back into the race!" Cried out Present Mic in excitement.
Aizawa-Sensei scoffed. "Well well, it seems he used this as a learning experience after all."
The problem with this technique is that Izuku lacked the practice when using it, and the air bursts were not concentrated enough to make him fly nearly as far or as straight as Kacchan did. As a result he was practically somersaulting through the air and out of the pit.
Then, by pure chance as he was passing over the edge and now found himself above ground, he found himself passing by and making eye contact with two particular people: Ochako and Mei, who were both staring at him in amazement and excitement respectively. Time seemed to slow down for him as he stared back at them, that brief fraction of a second feeling almost like an eternity as he stared at their faces.
Had his friends always been this pretty? He barely had the time to register that question in his mind before time began to flow for him once more, and he rocketed into the air even further. Though he didn't get very far before gravity's pull finally made him stop climbing. Though before he could resume falling, he twisted his body midair to look back down at the students below him, shouting out, "I'm not out of this race yet! I'm gonna win! Let's Go Beyond!" He then fired off another Air Force, launching himself through the air and after a few more shots, successfully made it to the other side of the race's second obstacle.
He focused his gaze on his current goal, Todoroki and Kacchan, who continued to race ahead of him, and resumed chasing after them.
Ochako stared blankly ahead. There had been… a lot of emotions that she was feeling all at once. There had been the rush of excitement she'd been feeling running this race so far, making it past those robots and running alongside her friends and classmates towards the second obstacle.
Then there was the feeling of dread as she watched Deku fail to clear the second obstacle and start to fall, seemingly being the first of their class to get eliminated before they even made it from the preliminary round, even their teachers had counted him out, only for Deku to do what he does best and pull a miracle from his ass and practically teach himself how to fly with his Quirk.
And then for the cherry on top, when Izuku clawed his way back from the jaws of defeat, he wound up right in front of her, their faces so close she could practically kiss him if she wanted to-
Wait wait wait! Nope! Nuh uh! She's not touching that thought! She's taking that idea and compressing it into a veeery small box in the back of her brain right now! She can't be catching feelings for a boy she's known for a month! Especially during the middle of a competition on live television!
Even if he is kinda cu- STOP!
"HAHAHA! Now that's what I like to see, Wonder Boy!"
Who…?
Ochako turned to see a pink haired girl standing next to her, her entire body decked out in various gadgets as she sported a wide grin on her face.
"Hey, is all that stuff allowed?" Asked Ashido, who'd been standing right next to her.
The pink hair girl maintained her smile as she reached up and tapped a gloved finger against the goggles she was wearing. "Since you Hero Course students get an edge with your 'practical training,' the teachers decided to even the playing field a little by letting those of us in the support course use anything we've built. This Sports Festival isn't just for you Hero Hopefuls y'know?"
Then, with a dramatic thrust of her hips that would impress Aoyama if he'd seen it, the girl fired a rope from the belt she was wearing, which sunk into the wall of one of the islands, before leaping off the edge of the cliff. "Don't take your eyes off me, Pros of Japan!" She declared as she swung downwards to the island. "Get a load of the adorable babies of Mei Hatsume! Future number one Support Gear Inventor of Japan!" She then fired up the rocket boots she was wearing to launch herself upwards and onto the next island, before repeating the process to continue progressing to the next island.
"No way that's fair!" Declared Ashido in frustration. "C'mon guys! We need to keep going, we can't let her win!"
Ochako found herself agreeing with Ashido's statement. She wasn't sure why, but she had the feeling she'd just found a rival in that inventor girl, and there wasn't a chance in hell she was going to let her win! "You wanna catch up to her that badly?" Asked Ochako, a dangerous glint in her eye and a feral grin on her face.
"Eh? Ochako, why're you looking at me like th-?" Asked Ashido, a concerned look on her face before yelping in surprise as Ochako's hand snaked forward and grabbed her wrist.
The moment Ochako felt Ashido's gravity get negated, she quickly shifted her posture and swung her arm as hard as she could. "Then I'll give you a head start!" She shouted.
"Ochako what're you doIIING!?" Ashido cried out as she was sent flying.
Ochako watched Ashido fly through the air, a hand on her forehead shielding her eyes from the sun. Once she was satisfied, she quickly brought her fingertips together and called out, "Release!" Ashido landed on the other side of The Fall, rolling a few times to break up the force of the impact. The pink girl stood up, turned towards Ochako and shouted something she couldn't make out from this distance here before waving and turning to resume running.
She then turned her focus on the rest of her present classmates who hadn't already begun their own treks across The Fall. "Anyone without a convenient means to cross who's willing to Go Beyond, line up!" She practically ordered them.
Her classmates exchanged glances, deciding that they did not want to find out what happened if they turned down the offer, given what just happened to Ashido, and began to approach her.
One by one, she started tossing them across The Fall. Sure she was sacrificing her spot a bit, but as long as she followed close behind her classmates she should be fine. It's what Deku would do.
"Hey, don't think we're going to let you A Class Bastards One Up us!" Shouted a blond boy from 1B. "Kendo, Fukidashi! Over here, I have an idea!" Ochako decided to leave him be, if she inspired the B Class students to work together just like Deku had inspired her, then she would be more than happy.
After about half her classmates had been successfully tossed across the pit, she felt a hand tap her shoulder. "Hey, gravity girl, would you be willing to give me a hand too?"
She turned her head to face whoever had tapped her shoulder, only to stop when she felt a finger pressing into her cheek. It was that weird purple haired guy with the eyebags who'd declared war on their class two weeks ago, why was he here now?
She took a step back away from him. "Why the heck are you… here…?" She asked, trailing off as she felt her body suddenly become weirdly relaxed as the rest of the world seemed to disappear into a haze…