"I'm back, everyone! Look what I've got!"
"Hello, hello."
Three heads glanced towards Hatsume Mei, now back with an armful of gadgets and a little silver robot floating behind her.
"Oooh, a Haro!" Ochaco inspected it, cooing all the while. "What's this cutie's name?"
Look, look! I did it, I did it!
"Zenith. He'll be my support unit for this mission." Hatsume replied, reaching for a metallic backpack that she handed over to Izuku. "Here, Midoriya-kun. Wear this."
"Is that… a jetpack modeled after the Buster Hero, Air Jet?!" Izuku held the device like a priceless treasure. "Uwooohh, so cooooool!"
"That's not all! It has a secret function as well. It can…" Mei leaned in to whisper in Izuku's ear, the boy blushing scarlet until he began paying attention.
The embarrassment he felt was soon replaced by amazement, eyes widening in awe. In the background Ochaco pouted, slipping on a pair of hover boots that Mei had gotten for her. Tokoyami simply shrugged and glanced over at the opposing teams with a watchful eye.
"Whoa, so it has that sort of function. Was your inspiration the hero Toymaster?"
"You know it, my dude." Mei grinned, putting on her harness. "All you have to do is press that button. Emergencies only, though."
"Awesome…" Izuku muttered to himself, strapping the jetpack on.
"Ok, here we go." Mei adjusted the jetpack, running her hands across Izuku's chest and causing him to blush again. "Zenith, buddy; help me do a final check-up."
"Roger, roger." Zenith beeped.
"Not calling him your 'baby'?" Izuku tried, seeking any topic to distract himself from Mei's light but firm touch.
"Oh I didn't make Zenith, I just gave him a new Haro shell since his old one was worn out. He belonged to my mom, which in turn belonged to her dad, so on and so forth. Passed down from parent to child, y'see." Mei looked up with a grin, and he turned away so as to not bump noses with her. "He's been in my family for ages! Can't even remember how old he's supposed to be."
"I-I see." Izuku blushed as her fingers played across his arms and barely paying attention to her words. A girl was so close to him! He really hoped she couldn't feel how fast his heart was beating.
"Elevated heart rate detected. Recommend loosing straps, straps." Zenith chirped.
Why did he have to tempt fate.
"Too tight, huh?" The pink-haired schoolgirl frowned, pressing her chest against his and circling her arms around his torso to adjust the jetpack. "Here, let me help."
Somewhere on Izuku's body was definitely getting too tight, and Mei wasn't helping one bit. He froze, subconsciously committing this scene to memory. Everything about this girl was memorable, from her amazing smile and pretty golden eyes, to the light smell of grease mixed with natural sweat, the warm softness he felt on his chest—no no, bad thoughts!
"There!" Mei finished, patting him on the shoulder. She presented her back to him. "Mind helping me with mine?"
"Uh—" Izuku began.
"I'll help you, Hatsume-san!" Ochaco said quickly, face red as a tomato.
"Sure, thanks!"
Izuku couldn't decide if he wanted to sigh with relief or regret. He and Tokoyami watched as Ochaco helped Mei float the heavy rig that was supposed to go on her back, an intimidating device that looked like a mechanical spine. Overlapping metal plates clicked and hissed when the machine attached itself onto her, shifting metal parts extending and overlaying themselves on Mei's right shoulder before a gap opened in the device. They watched curiously when Zenith floated down, settling himself into the cavity perfectly like an egg within a nest.
"Docking mode, docking mode." Zenith beeped. "Complete. Initiating secondary docking. Phase 2, Phase 2."
Mei lifted up another angular metal plate, this one for covering her chest. She frowned when it didn't quite seem to fit, grumbling to herself about how they'd grown again. Izuku and Tokoyami politely pretended they didn't hear that last part, and Ochaco's expression was emptier than her fridge. After a few adjustments she was done, chest armor gleaming and back rig activated. Two conical fins rotated atop her back like a pair of cherub's wings as the girl tested them, her goggle's lenses glowing a futuristic purple-pink for a second.
"Remote point defense system, check. Artificial neural interface—" The prongs on her goggles buzzed, and the small fins on her back clicked into place. "—check. All systems go."
"We are combat ready, ready." Zenith reported cutely.
Right on time, too. Midnight announced that the Cavalry Battle was about to start, and Team Midoriya soon found themselves in their starting positions along with the other teams. Gazes shimmering with want eyed them from nearly every direction. Izuku noted how the members of Class B looked at them differently—steely determination and intent directed not at the ten million points resting on his head, but the entirety of Class A. Some sort of plan they had agreed on, perhaps? He instructed his team to be extra cautious of anyone from the opposing class, just in case. Midnight started the countdown, the numbers displayed on the jumbotron for all to see.
"Three!" Midnight counted, the crowd echoing the countdown with barely contained excitement.
In the Midoriya household two sisters squeaked as Inko hugged them lovingly, her eyes glimmering with worried tears. Kiri and Mimi let her do so, gazes still focused on their brother.
"Two!"
In the realm of memories and dreams the members of One For All watched, Shimura Nana chugging her beer straight from the bottle. They were having an outdoor BBQ in the courtyard of all things, Izuku's vision displayed on a wide screen that Hiro had created. A hamburger patty flipped through the air, the pom-pom on Koko's head flying off as she leapt to grab it.
"One!"
Izuku cracked his knuckles, and Dark Shadow let out a low rumble. He turned to his team, giving them a final word of encouragement before the battle began.
"Let's do this."
"STAAAAAAARRRRTTTTT!"
Team Midoriya lifted off the ground. One moment they were there and the next they weren't; Aoyama's Navel Lasercarving a ravine into where they'd once stood. The three Class A teams that were aiming for them cursed and peeled away, not even noticing that one team among them already lost their headband. The B team that stole it backed off, circling around in a wide arc for another flyby.
Something fast and sharp whizzed through the air, bouncing off Dark Shadow's arms when he deflected the attack with a single swipe. Jiro grunted, readying her earphone jacks for another blow. In the air they had the advantage; only ranged Quirks could reach them, and Tokoyami had two angles of vision to watch for incoming attacks. Ochaco utilized her Quirk to make everyone weightless, and Mei's tech allowed them to get out of being cornered by escaping into the air. It was a decent plan.
But no plan survives contact with the enemy.
Team Midoriya landed, and were beset by enemies from all sides once again. Izuku's mind raced, analyzing the scene before him in the span of a second. Three teams. Mid-ranged Quirks. Bruiser-blaster combo. Only Class A? Where were the teams from Class B?
A fourth and fifth team circled in from the left and right respectively but their angle of attack was perpendicular to him; they were aiming for the headbands of Class A. His classmates' headbands vanished, the two oblivious riders not even noticing as they were too focused on the ten million points.
Class B is working together. Izuku realized. This isn't good.
Present Mic yelled something that he didn't hear, the boy too focused on dodging and trying not to let the opposing teams box them in. His worries took a backseat when he spotted something massive charging at them through the corner of his eye; the third team that had been waiting to get into an advantageous position. Shoji Mezo surged at them like a raging bull, torso low to the ground. His heavy feet dug into the dirt with every step. He was alone… no. Izuku glanced at the hump of tangled flesh the other boy had formed on his back. A shelter. For a rider?
His instincts took over when he tilted his head, barely avoiding the spearlike tongue that aimed for his forehead.
"Good reflexes, Midoriya-chan. Very good, kero." Tsuyu grunted from atop Shoji's back. "Mineta-chan."
A volley of purple balls exploded from Shoji's back along with an angry cry of jealousy.
"Point defense!" Mei barked.
"Firing, firing."
Twin beams of dark purple-pink energy scythed through the air from the fins on Mei's back, carving through Mineta's thrown orbs like a hot knife through butter. The beams didn't destroy the spheres but instead cut them in half, altering their trajectories and scattering them away from Izuku's team instead of atop them. Shoji grunted and skidded to a halt, nearly stepping into the field of sticky filth.
Izuku activated Mei's jetpack and they were sailing through the air once more, leaving behind more obstacles to get in the other team's way. It was a good play, but he knew they couldn't keep escaping through the air the whole match—someone would figure out a way to counter or exploit their aerial escape route. His mind spun, a thousand scenarios playing out before him. Keep moving, always keep moving. It wasn't worth it to get into a battle, not when a third party could simply swoop in and swipe the ten million off his head when he'd be busy fighting. The best option was to keep evading them and work with the clock.
"SHITTY—"
Izuku knew that voice. There he was, just as expected. Dark Shadow went on the defensive upon Izuku's taps on Tokoyami and Mei's shoulders. The support student prepared to fire a short-range, wide angle beam attack to shoot their attacker out of the air.
"—FUCKIN'—"
He had already anticipated this beforehand, knowing that his opponent could move in all three dimensions with his explosions. Be proactive, not reactive. Predict your opponent's moves and plan countermeasures. They would be ready for whatever Bakugo threw at them and counterattack!
"—DEKUGGGHH—"
They didn't have to. Something small and dark-haired slammed into Bakugo mid-air feet first, folding him in two like a clean towel. Izuku's eyes widened in shock as the figure used Bakugo's falling body as a springboard, kicking off the blonde and leaping towards him with an outstretched hand.
Yui Kodai hurtled at Team Midoriya like an emotionless missile.
[x]
Minutes ago, small skirmishes were taking place on the stadium ground. Blows were exchanged, Quirk effects thrown left and right in a flashy display of power. It did not impress the stoic girl who was waiting patiently, not one bit.
The waiting was the most difficult part, really.
Team Kodai circled around the edges and avoided conflict, helping their fellow classmates whenever they could. Good things come to those who wait, or at least that was how the quote went. Yui didn't like that quote very much.
She was a normal, plain, boring girl. That was how she liked it. Because people were always afraid of her before she became that. It was why she ended up like this, an emotionless, non-threatening, fairly normal teenager. Just to fit in with society.
But sometimes she just had to let it out. She wasn't sure if it was her Quirk, or her own actual desire that caused her to be like this. In the end, she channeled those horrid thoughts and feelings into something positive, something good. A career in heroism.
That way, she could express herself all she wanted and not get in trouble for it.
Her reminiscing soon ended when Bondo grunted beneath her, the muscular boy nodding towards their target; Team Midoriya. Slippery little things they were, hopping from place to place like a frog. Hippity-hoppity, hippity-hoppity. It was almost time. They just needed an opportunity…
"SHITTY—" A blonde boy from Class-A roared, his palms igniting and sending him into the air.
That would do. She patted Bondo and readied herself while the heavyset boy pulled an arm back. Manga cleared his throat and nodded at her, awaiting her signal.
"—FUCKIN'—"
Yui used her Quirk. She shrunk down to the size of an action figure in the blink of an eye, curling up into a ball atop Bondo's palm. A muscular arm lanced forward and the girl hurtled through the air as if she'd been shot through a cannon. It was a crazy, insane plan that even Bondo had been reluctant to agree on at first, but they made it work. It had to work.
"—DEKUGGGHH—"
It did. Of course a guy with seven eyes would make a great pitcher. Yui tilted herself at just the right angle and returned to normal size just before slamming both feet into Bakugo's stomach, the boy's body crumpling around her legs when all her momentum rocketed into him with a heavy crunch. With that momentum his body spun mid-air, giving Yui a fraction of a second to bring herself up and launch off him like a diver off a springboard. She did so, aiming for the ten million points on a shocked Izuku's forehead.
"Tokoya—"
"DARK SHADOW!"
Darkness itself raced towards her in the shape of bestial claws, Yui twisting her form and shrinking simultaneously to avoid those shadowy daggers. Slipping through Dark Shadow's fingers she landed on the projection's arm, sprinting along its length to avoid another wild swipe and bouncing within the labyrinth of tangled limbs like a ricocheting bullet. She was actually much stronger and faster in her tiny form compared to her regular one, evidenced by the lightning-quick uppercut that sent Dark Shadow sprawling backward in pain.
"Firing solution!" the pink-haired girl at Izuku's side yelled.
"Lock on, lock on." Her little support bot—a Haro unit mounted on her shoulder, announced with flashing eyes.
Yui knew she couldn't dodge the beam attack, not when a computer was doing the targeting. She instead darted right at the bird-headed boy; Tokoyami, finding cover in the chaos and the brief moment she broke their line of sight. Even if the Haro had locked on to her, it would have had to shoot through Tokoyami to score a hit. She bounced between their bodies, feet light and aiming for her target.
"What the—where?!" She heard Izuku cry out, feeling the others looking around in shock.
In the end, it was the brunette girl that spotted her.
"Deku-kun! On your right shoulder!"
Izuku whirled, a hand coming up to catch her. Too little, too late. Yui's chambered fist crashed into the boy's cheekbone, snapping his head to the side painfully. Offhandedly, she wondered if they could still be friends after this. She hoped so.
Her other hand pulled at fabric, snatching away those precious ten million points.
"AND WHAT'S THISSS?! A complete upset! A dark horse from Class B, Team Kodai, has attained the ten million points! I don't believe what I'm seeing here, is being detached from your horse even allowed?!"
"I'll allow it! And since Kodai-san's feet haven't touched the stadium floor, she's still in the game!" Midnight announced with a flourish of her whip. "Here at U.A, we encourage creative thinking and unorthodox tactics!"
"INCREDIBLE! You heard it here first, folks; no true hero is a one trick pony! Plus Ultra!"
"Did you just steal my line—"
"What an amazing turn of events! Let's take a look at the scoreboard—" Present Mic paused. "WHHHHAAAAATTTT?! What's happening Class A, where have most of those points gone? Don't tell me, is this the fabled pride before the fall?!"
"YEAH! GO CLASS 1-B!" Vlad King suddenly stood from his position in the teacher's stand, his triumphant expression displayed on the jumbotron as the cameras temporarily focused on him. "EAT THAT, AIZAWA!"
Objective complete. Yui kicked off Izuku's shoulder and rocketed downward, slipping past Dark Shadow with the still normal-sized headband wrapped around her neck like a fluttering cape. At this size, she could use her gym uniform's jacket as a parachute to slow her fall so her team could catch her.
"Oh no you don't!"
A hand closed around her, fingers shimmering with small arcs of emerald lightning. Yui looked up just in time to see Izuku swipe the ten million points off her, tossing the headband around his neck as he hesitated with what to do with the miniature girl in his grip. He looked at her as if she was some fragile thing that could be easily broken, like a little doll. His fingers loosened inadvertently, and Yui was glad he did so—otherwise, she'd broken all five of them with what she was about to do next.
The girl shifted back to normal size, stunning the green-haired boy as his hand snapped open. Tokoyami let out a surprised cry with her sudden weight atop his back, and Yui made use of the temporary disorientation she'd caused to wrap her legs around Izuku's torso. Pulling him close she caught him in a tight hold while the boy struggled to throw her off, ignoring his embarrassed shout and wrecking the team's flight pattern. She had to force them to land right now or Dark Shadow would simply peel her off and toss her aside.
Yui locked eyes with the brunette on Izuku's team. She saw the other girl's eyes widen at how her hands wrapped themselves around Izuku's neck, restraining him while she prepared to have her fingertips meet. The stoic girl opened her mouth and said a single word.
"Release."
The world shifted. Mass, space, weight and everything in between moved. Yui supersized herself, becoming three meters tall. With the sudden increase in weight the jetpack on Izuku's back flared and sputtered, failing to keep them airborne.
"AAAAHHHHHHHHHH—" Izuku cried, suddenly engulfed in the ultimate softness of Yui's giant bosom.
"Okay tiny girl is big now, she's big now!" Mei yelled. "Zenith, deploy countermeasures!"
"Dark Shadow!" Tokoyami howled.
Yui raised a single, gargantuan arm; blocking a barrage of micro-missiles and Dark Shadow's fists.
Ochaco panicked and reached up to smack the giant with her Zero Gravity—
Only to have her hand knocked aside when a long, tan horn collided with her wrist. The crowd roared, cheered, and stomped their feet with excitement, a sharp, piercing whistle exploding from the stadium floor.
"That's the signal! Go, go, go!" Kendo yelled, her hand chopping through the air. "Commence Operation Babydog!"
"Aye." Manga said. He took a deep breath and spoke at the sky.
The Japanese Kanji for 'floaty' erupted from his speech bubble head and materialized in physical space, Manga's reality-warping Quirk causing the impossible to become possible. His words were his will made manifest, and in this case he willed a massive platform into being, one that could float in the air. The floating platform was nothing more than the physical Japanese Kanji made literal and physical, but it was enough to serve Yui's needs as a staging ground.
The size-changing girl made her move, tilting her body to the side with Izuku still in her grip. Together, they fell off his horse and towards the platform while the audience went wild. Izuku was still affected by Ochaco's Quirk so he floated down; Yui was having none of that and decided to speed things up with a monstrous, giant-sized punch. The platform shook when Izuku cratered upon its surface, momentarily stunned from the impact. His opponent made a near-perfect superhero landing and strode towards him, casually reaching down to pluck the ten million points off him like how a child would pluck the wings off a helpless fly.
At least, that's what everyone thought would happen. Izuku exploded with movement and backflipped, the tip of his shoe catching her chin and knocking her back. The boy righted himself with a huff, tightening the ten million point headband before his hands came to a fighting stance. Yui tilted her head, shrinking back to regular size to take on her own kickboxing stance.
Izuku grimaced, almost as if he recognized it. No, he definitely did. Yui realized. She knew from the way he watched her legs and hips, already preparing for the incoming roundhouse kick. How did he know? One thing was certain, though...
Midoriya Izuku was one of the most interesting people she'd ever met.
[x]
Bakugo Katsuki was absolutely livid. Some plain-faced bitch had just interrupted his flawless victory over that shitty Deku! Unacceptable, absolutely fucking unacceptable! He noticed that for some goddamn reason the losers from the other class were suddenly moving and coordinating together. It was bloody obvious, but it didn't matter. It wasn't like those nobodies could do anything to him. Nothing mattered except the top.
A trio of explosions righted his course, the blonde landing in the midst of his team once more. Shitty hair turned back to look at him, a hint of worry in his expression.
"Dude, Bakugo. You okay? That looked like it hurt—"
"Shut the fuck up! As if some dumb extra is gonna keep me down." Bakugo snarled. "We're going after shitty Deku again! The rest of you losers just wait here until I get back!"
"You're not going anywhere, sparky-sparky-boom-boom."
He felt the impossible happen when his headband was yanked off. Whirling around, Bakugo came face-to-face with someone from class B, immediately giving the other boy the mental moniker of Smug Bastard with that look on his face.
"Just what I expected from Class A. An arrogant prick for an arrogant class." Smug Bastard said nonchalantly, twirling his headband around like a toy. "My, my. The standards have been lowered to such a point where even someone like you is allowed in the Hero Course. What a travesty!"
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean, bastard?"
"You know…" Smug Bastard's eyes were taunting, looking down on him. "Some rage-filled brute who throws a tantrum when he doesn't get what he wants. How can you speak to your own team members that way? Shame on you. Let me guess; everything was handed to you since you were young, and now you can't handle the fact that you're not the best? How cliché."
Crimson eyes narrowed with fury. "Hahh?!"
"It's plain to see, spiky hair." Smug Bastard thought for a moment. "Or Shitty Hair, if you'd prefer. That's what you called your buddy, right? It's funny, really. Don't you two have almost the same hairstyle?"
The class B blonde laughed, and Bakugo felt his blood pressure skyrocket. Forget Deku, he was going to kill this bastard first. Team Bakugo surged forward and its leader lunged, only to have his hand knocked aside effortlessly.
"So quick to resort to violence. Are you sure you aren't just a villain-in-training?"
"You—"
The words were cut off when an Explosion blossomed from Smug Bastard's palm, knocking Bakugo back who quickly recovered with an enraged growl.
"Whoops, my hand slipped."
"Wha—Bakugo, he's got the same Quirk as you!" Kirishima yelled.
Bakugo ignored him in favor of sending an explosion of his own towards the other blonde, only for it to splash harmlessly off hardened skin.
"Whoa, he's got mine too?! Dammit, does everyone have a hardening Quirk these days?!"
"Nah." Bakugo snarled, already knowing what the extra's Quirk was. "This guy's just a fucking copycat."
"Believe me, yours is nothing special. And neither are you." Smug Bastard grinned, lightly swiping his hands atop his team member's heads. "You've simply deluded yourself into thinking you are. You're a big fish in a small pond…"
He exhaled, the air around him shifting with power.
"It's time you see the ocean."
While Monoma was busying himself by distracting Bakugo, Kendo was making plans of her own. She watched as a wave of electricity followed by ice trapped three of her class' teams along with two others from Class A, frowning at the sheer effectiveness of the combo. Stun and freeze. Clever.
"Reiko-san."
"On it." Reiko said, narrowing her tired eyes.
An invisible force shattered the ice that was keeping the class B teams in check, but only the B teams. She could vaguely hear Present Mic yelling about how they were using teamwork and how he couldn't wait to see how things would turn out.
"Kaibara-kun, you alright?" she asked, giving him a quick once-over.
"I'll live." Kaibara Sen shivered and shook his head. "Let's get this guy."
The two teams charged towards a scowling Todoroki, the look on his face making it clear that he was annoyed at all these interference between him and those ten million points. Good, she hoped the anger threw him off.
Freezing cold leapt at them from Todoroki's right foot, a crashing wave of frost that advanced like a creeping winter. The wave slowed without warning, seeming to melt into the ground—no, the ground itself was melting.
"Nice one, Honenuki-san!" Sen cheered to his teammate, the ground restoring itself a moment later.
With their path clear and unobstructed, they barreled forward at Todoroki. His points weren't actually that important; the main goal was to show everyone what they were made of by taking them off the number two's son. That was the real prize.
"Yo, prez!" Tetsutetsu asked from beneath her. "How are we gonna get past those ice barriers?"
"Use your head." Kendo suggested.
Todoroki frowned at his approaching enemies, and another wave of ice rumbled towards them. This time however, they were ready for it.
"Rebuff Overdrive!"
Sen's gyrating elbow crashed into the solid wall of frost, not enough to fully stop Todoroki's ice. But he didn't need to stop it; he just needed to provide an opening for Kendo. That alone was worth it to see the look on Mr Privellege's face when Team Kendo made it past his defense, the redhead clenching a giant fist.
A wall of ice sprung into existence but Tetsutetsu had indeed followed Kendo's suggestion; he used his head. His heavy, steel-plated, unbreakable head was a battering ram that smashed through the ice like a thin sheet of glass.
"Yaoyorozu, Kaminari!"
"Oi, shock jockey! Your fly's unzipped! Nice pink underwear you're rocking!" one of Kendo's teammates yelled out of nowhere.
"Hey! It's not pi—" Kaminari began, and simply stopped.
For a second number two's son looked bewildered at the lack of electricity, his guard dropped at the assurance that Kaminari's power could stop anything charging at them. They were wrong in that instance.
"GOT YOU." Kendo thundered, her fist coming down like a wrecking ball.
Todoroki hissed and flung up a hastily constructed shield of ice, but Kendo bulldozed through it and tore the points off his pretty heterochromatic head. Cheers and gasps from the crowd rippled through the stadium and Present Mic yelled something that they didn't hear. Not with the blood rushing through their ears. This was their moment.
It was short-lived when Iida raised his leg; his heavy, engine equipped leg—bringing his heel down on Kaminari's toes. The electric teen let out a pained yelp, Iida quickly apologizing and draping Momo's insulating sheet over them. Moments later an ice wall circled around Team Kendo and Kaibara, blocking off their escape route.
"Ah! Reiko—"
Too late. What came next was five seconds of pure agony as lightning coursed through the two teams; pain receptors screaming as raw energy crashed into nervous systems, fingers spasming, lungs heaving.
No! Kendo thought, bitter tears threatening to spill from her eyes. We were so close… just a bit further!
They had been barely within Kaminari's attack range, but it wasn't enough. With Todoroki's ice, Iida's speed, and Momo's ability to create anything she could think of, they were outgunned from the start.
But they were not outnumbered or outplanned. The two-man team of Rin Hiryu and Shishida Jurota crashed through the ice wall, the latter unleashing a beastial roar that stopped Team Todoroki in its tracks.
"Go!" Rin yelled to a staggering Sen and Kendo. "Go, we'll hold them off! Regroup with the others!"
"No you won't." Todoroki said. Ice erupted from the ground.
Shishida lashed out with a single hairy paw, shattering the pursuing ice with ease.
"Yes they will." Shishida growled.
Todoroki's eyes narrowed as he watched the two opposing teams run off with his headband, the irritation clear on his face. He turned to Team Rin, unimpressed. His eyes flickered up to their headband and saw the low point values, a look of cold annoyance forming a split second later.
"You're in my way."
"I know."
"Move." Todoroki demanded, frost creeping up his uniform.
"Make me." Rin answered, a covering of green scales rushing down his arm.
At the opposite end of the stadium Team Midoriya landed, the other teams simply avoiding them when they noticed the lack of ten million points and their missing horseman.
Uraraka Ochaco looked up at the floating platform that appeared out of nowhere, her expression one of panic. She had undid her Quirk's effects earlier, knowing her shy friend would need his footing for what came next. The sounds of battle echoed overhead; Deku was fighting with the Ice Queen! Was this a case of a jealous ex, or perhaps a lover's dispute?
"We've gotta get up there!" Ochaco cried. "Deku-kun's in trouble!"
"I know! Zenith, overclock Uraraka-san's hover boots so we can fly!"
"Warning, warning. Overlocking will result in increased battery usage. Remaining battery life will—"
"I've done the math. Just do it!" Mei grunted. "Uraraka-san, make us weightless again!"
"Got it!"
Team Midoriya held on tight as they rocketed into the air, advancing towards the platform to rescue their leader. But before they could even make it halfway a pair of tan horns cut through the space atop them like a pair of flying daggers, forcing Ochaco to stop ascending lest their formation crumble. Those very same horns circled round for another attack, controlled by an unseen force. Mei hissed in frustration, the fins on her back flaring out in an intimidating display.
"Go, Funnels!"
Purple lightning sparked upon the prongs of Mei's goggles, and the fins—Funnels detached themselves from her back and chased after the two horns like a pair of dogfighting planes. Thin beams of energy lanced outward from her devices and smashed the flying horns to bits, freeing their path. But before they could advance upward a series of thorny vines wrapped around all three of them, grasping and anchoring them to another team. Mei's Funnels sliced at the vines but no matter how many she cut, more grew back from the wounds to replace them like a beheaded hydra's heads.
"Keep 'em busy, guys. I'm heading up." Setsuna smirked.
She floated into the air and past them, sending Ochaco a triumphant sneer on the way up to the platform. Something hot and ugly twisted in the gravity girl's stomach.
"Funnel!" Mei shouted.
"[Yea, nah.]"
Another horn smacked into Mei's Funnel and deflected its attack, leaving Setsuna free to ascend towards her target. The wayward beam attack skidded across the invisible energy shields protecting the audience, those nearby screaming with excitement instead of the fear that came with being shot at.
"[Well, well, well. Would you look at the menagerie?]" Tsunotori Pony smiled politely as twin horns floated beside her, two more already regrowing at her temples. "[A cute little birdy and a pair of tits.]"
"Look who's talking, cow." the pink-haired support student shot back.
Pony blinked. "[You can understand me?]"
"Speech-to-text interface." Mei pointed at her goggles. "Work in progress."
The exchange student let out a low whistle, impressed. "[Wicked.]"
"You're the one with the horns, and you're calling me evil?" Mei raised an eyebrow until Zenith whispered to her. "Oh. Ohhh. Whoops. Looks like the translation software could use a little work."
"The only evil here is the dark one." A curt voice said from beside Pony, Ochaco recognizing her as Shiozaki Ibara, the plant girl. "Such wickedness, the darkness itself given form… Truly abhorrent."
"Now that's just Quirkist." Tokoyami grunted with annoyance.
"I wasn't talking about you, young crow." Shiozaki shook her head. "In you, I sense a kind heart. But that thing you wield? It is a creature of the night, an unholy phantom of negativity. Evil incarnate."
"I'm not evil, I'm just dark!" Dark Shadow complained.
"Damn." Kuroiro Shihai; the third member of Team Setsuna, shook his head sadly. "I know that feel, bro. Those who live in the light know nothing of those who live in the dark."
"Can we all just stop talking and rescue Deku-kun?!" Ochaco yelled, her voice taking a hysterical edge.
"I'm afraid we can't allow you to do that." Shiozaki tilted her head, a dozen vines branching out behind her. "As noble as your goals are, they conflict with ours. Forgive us, but we'll be your opponents."
The thorn-haired girl closed her eyes and a web of tangled vines shot towards them like thrown knives. Dark Shadow rushed forward in response, fists flying in a rapid barrage of blows.
"ORAORAORAORAORA!" the projection roared.
"It's useless, you can't escape." Shiozaki said calmly, her vines like whips and spears that hammered into Team Midoriya's guard relentlessly. "Useless, useless, useless."
"We'll see about that!" Mei yelled and aimed one of her Funnels directly at Shiozaki, only to have the beam's trajectory shift and miss at the last second when one of Pony's horns crashed into it again.
Pony recalled the horns, letting them orbit around her head lazily. Flashing them a friendly yet competitive smile, the foreign girl looked Mei right in the eye with a challenging gaze.
"[Let's see which is faster; my Horns or your Funnels.]" the American laughed. "[I feel the need… the need for speed!]"
[x]
Midoriya Izuku tightened the ten million point headband, his gaze steely and cautious. Before him stood Yui Kodai; the girl who looked just like his sister. A part of him had hesitated earlier because she looked like Kiri, and now he ended up trapped on the floating platform. He wasn't sure if he could stop himself from making the same mistake again.
"WHOOOAAA! Team Leaders Midoriya Izuku and Kodai Yui have gotten off their horses and onto a floating platform! Is that even allowed?!"
Izuku brought his fists up. No. She wasn't Kiri. To even think of her as such would be disrespectful to Yui. She was out here doing her best. What kind of person would he be if he didn't respond in kind? Either way there was no choice; he had to occupy her while his team made their way back up to the platform. Mei's jetpack had been damaged by the fall, rendering its thrusters inoperable and stranding him. He could try avoiding Yui, but the speed she'd shown in her tiny form pretty much cancelled that option. It was the same for her, she could focus on just the headband but she knew he'd catch her. They were aiming to stun each other and make an escape with the headband in possession; Yui's team was probably waiting for her groundside. She had the advantage in this situation.
"It's allowed as long as both combatants are not touching the stadium floor—which they aren't! That is an artificial platform created by Fukidashi-kun's Quirk, and as the rules stated earlier; Quirk usage is allowed! Plus, they actually bothered to ask me first before the match started!"
Yui took on her own stance, one that looked all too familiar. Kiri's doppelganger stared at him, arms brought together like a boxer and one foot forward with her heel raised. His eyes flickered to her hips, knowing to watch for the twist. He knew, for that was how Kiri executed it before; a roundhouse kick to the temple that would rock his brain. This girl knew how to fight.
His opponent's eyes seemed to narrow just a tiny fraction, and the two combatants surveyed each other carefully. They circled like two lions, scanning for any weaknesses to exploit. Izuku saw how her right arm trembled ever so slightly, a light dusting of soot from Mei's micro-missiles still remaining. She hadn't gotten off unscathed from Mei and Tokoyami's combined attack after all.
However, she wasn't using the giant form that could crush him easily. Conserving her power, perhaps? It was slower too, because of the increased size. But it shouldn't have been possible in the first place, not according to the square-cube law. As something grows in size, its volume grows faster than its surface area—it was why elephants looked like elephants and not giant mice. Scaling something up simply doesn't work when the correct shape was needed to withstand all that mass. At that size, Yui's bones shouldn't have been able to support her own bodyweight. How was she doing it?
Izuku didn't get an answer when Yui darted forward, breaking line of sight by shrinking. His gaze immediately shot to the ground.
The girl moved fast, faster than his eyes could track. In the split second that he lost her a tiny fist rocketed into his chin, Izuku's head snapping backwards with a surprised grunt. It wasn't even a half-second later when something impacted his cheek, sending him sprawling to the right before he made a painful recovery. His straight jab hurtled through the air but it was like trying to fight a mosquito—Yui landed on his arm and returned to regular size, her lithe legs wrapping around the limb in preparation for a takedown.
The girl twisted but he followed her momentum, tucking and rolling so as to not let her catch him in an armlock. Before she could react he braced, lifting up the entirety of her weight with one arm. He could see the brief moment of surprise in her eyes before it passed, with him slamming her back to the ground with a heavy crash. Yui let out a pained gasp when the air was knocked out of her, Izuku growling as he got atop her for a pin.
She struggled beneath him, but only for a second before she shrunk herself again. His body lifted off the ground when the brunette launched a brutal handstand-kick into his midsection, launching him further into the air than he'd anticipated. Izuku felt the bile on his tongue, the air escaping his body, and his mind spinning with pain. The wind whistled in his ears as they fell, with him looking around frantically.
Where—
Yui reappeared on his face, still tiny as she drove both feet down into his forehead. He pinwheeled down onto the platform again, crash-landing with a sickening crunch when his face met its surface. Present Mic shouted something, his voice mixed with the ringing in Izuku's ears. The boy immediately got up while still disoriented, seeing red—literally seeing red as blood entered his eyes from a cut on his forehead just below the headband.
It was a light wound but cuts to the forehead tended to bleed a lot, clouding his vision as he staggered blindly. Yui had the advantage here; this was her turf, her battlefield, her tactics. Izuku couldn't help but smile—she was just like Kiri, from her viciousness to her unrelenting advance.
It was just like he was fighting his sister.
And that's how he knew where she'd be. Izuku's arm shot up to his right shoulder and was rewarded with a soft squeak when he caught Yui preparing to throw another haymaker and steal his headband. That spot was reserved for Kiri, and he didn't appreciate someone else standing in it. Now he had to distract her somehow, lest she break every bone in his hand by returning back to normal size. One For All surged into his arm like a river of pain, preventing her from escaping. He gazed down on her, still smiling.
"So cute…"
Yui froze. He took advantage of the momentary distraction to wrench his arm back and fling her tiny body into the ground, an explosion of dust and debris erupting from the impact.
"But not as cute as my imouto."
The audience roared; half out of anger, half out of wild excitement. How could he be so rough with a girl?! Funny, seeing as they had nothing to say when she used his face as a trampoline earlier. In any case, he knew something like that wasn't going to keep her down for long. Izuku backed off and wiped the blood out of his eyes to the best of his abilities, using the ten million point headband as a makeshift bandage to stem the bleeding.
Yui was a cute girl, but to face her with anything less than all of his effort would be a disservice to her. It was something Nana mentioned during his training; he would probably face a female opponent or two in the festival, and that one should respect their opponent regardless of gender or he'd get his ass handed to him. He had finally made peace with the fact and accepted it after the older woman had yelled at him a dozen times. It was why he had little trouble fighting her, a member of the opposite sex. The lesson that he should never underestimate someone because of their gender was also drilled into his head; he'd seen far too many cases of heroes biting the dust because of mistakes like that.
He didn't think about how he was a guy and she was a girl. For now, it was just one versus the other. That was the respect he would show to her.
Unfortunately his efforts seemed to have the opposite effect when Yui emerged from the dust cloud, holding a trembling hand to her injured side. Her pupils were narrowed to pinpricks, but not in pain. He knew that look in her eyes, having seen it on Bakugo one too many times; the first of which being that fateful day on the riverbank. Only now did he have an inkling of what it truly meant.
She rushed at him, turning giant mid-stride by striking her fingertips together. A whiplike kick punted him into the air, the boy barely managing to guard against the heavy attack. His forearms and shins throbbed, having shielded him from most of the impact when he curled up to tank the blow. Yui didn't waste any time, leaping high like a volleyball player—her giant hands clasping together and preparing for a spike. Her eyes held the same expression as earlier, and Izuku subconsciously made a mental note to talk to her after this. He hated seeing that look, much less on someone he wanted to be friends with. He wanted her to know that was never his intention. Those lovely blue sapphires flashed with anger just before the impact.
Stop looking down on me.
Her hands came down like a gargantuan sledgehammer, shattering his guard and spiking him with a thunderous crack. Izuku bounced off the ground, an agonized cry escaping his lips involuntarily. Pain knifed in his side, and something broke. He ignored it and got right back up again, finding Yui diving down at him from above in her regular size.
"Killer move…" Yui whispered.
Izuku braced himself, feet apart. His fist lanced out with the speed of a thrown javelin but the girl shrank; twisting mid-air to dodge and break line of sight again, causing him to miss his jab and the follow up cross.
"Tiny Dancer."
Yui cut through his defenses like a razor through flesh. Her minute form ricocheted off his arm and snapped it back with a kick, following up with a crushing blow into his kneecap to immobilize him. It didn't matter how strong or durable he was; she was small and quick enough to slip through his attacks and hit him where it hurt. Nerve clusters. Temples. Joints. Solar plexus. Each miniature punch from her felt like a bullet, which equated to Izuku getting torn to shreds by her rapid, machine gun strikes.
She darted in and out of his guard, bouncing across every part of his body with inhuman speed and striking a vicious blow wherever she landed. White-hot agony blossomed across his form like dozens of bloodied flowers, Izuku gritting his teeth and taking it all. He made sure to guard his throat and jaw; a good hit there would be catastrophic. If it hadn't been for Chen's resistance training he'd be unconscious by now.
Full Cowl!
Thunder crashed. Green lightning filled the air as Izuku somehow managed to focus through the pain, bringing 3% of One For All to the forefront. Izuku clapped and a shockwave of wind pressure blasted Yui off him; she quickly recovered mid-air, shifting back to normal size and bringing her fingertips together.
"Giant Steps."
Yui turned six meters tall, towering over him like an impassable wall. An enormous shoe stomped down on Izuku, the boy barely catching the attack in time. A horrific grinding noise filled the air when the ground beneath him cracked, spider-webbing and cratering around his feet as Yui started putting more of her weight atop him. It was like trying to lift a truck, and Izuku felt his back howl with pain. Muscles clenched and tendons threatened to snap under that immense force.
Lift with your legs, not your back.
Johnny's advice came back to him in a flash of clarity, Izuku focusing on his calves and thighs instead. There the two struggled, like the myth of David and Goliath made manifest.
A brief moment of hysteria entered his mind and he was back in middle school; somebody was stepping on him once more and he was surrounded by mocking laughter, disgusted sneers—no. He wouldn't let it happen again. Things were different now, he was no longer Izuku the weakling, Izuku the doormat, no longer just Deku.
What can you even do?
Yui pushed down, gradually putting her entire weight on him. Bones creaked and teeth rattled. The cloth on Izuku's torso began to rip from One For All's power, the zipper snapping open and exposing his bare chest. Full Cowl was somehow breaking past 3% now.
He was Midoriya Izuku, son of Midoriya Inko, brother of Midoriya Kirimi and Izumi. Ninth wielder of One For All and All Might's Successor. Friend to Uraraka Ochaco and Iida Tenya. He wasn't a nobody anymore.
Without power, can one become a hero? No, I should think not.
The earth beneath his feet ruptured, deep cracks spreading across the entire platform. Yui kept forcing him down, her giant body trembling from the effort. Izuku held the weight of the world on his shoulders.
He never wanted to let anyone walk all over him ever again. Deku… his 'Deku' meant 'you can do it'!
Why don't you take a swan dive off the roof?
He never wanted to feel that way ever again!
Every man, woman and child in the audience watched with bated breath as the green-haired boy pushed against the unstoppable force of a titan. The cameras rolled, broadcasting the scene nationwide, even worldwide in some cases. Lightning crackled around him and the boy growled with effort. Present Mic was screaming into the microphone.
Come on, Izuku.
The weight was unbearable. It stopped being comparable to a truck long ago; now it was like trying to hold up a collapsing building. Sweat rolled down his chest, a high-pitched ringing rushing through his ears. He tasted iron in his mouth, vision blurring as his eyes stopped focusing. Waves of agony pulsed along his ribs, ragged breaths hissing through clenched teeth. Lightning raced up his spine from the herculean effort. He could do this. Push it. Overcome it. Go beyond his limits.
Come on, Izuku!
Yui was breathing harder too; he could hear her panting heavily. Probably because she couldn't hold the giant form for too long, a part of his mind told him. The other remaining parts were too busy screaming at him. He thought of the people who supported him, believed in him. Uraraka. Iida. Hatsume. Tokoyami. All Might. Kiri. Mimi. Mom.
COME ON, IZUKU!
"You better—" he snarled, raw power surging through him. Yui's eyes widened as Izuku did the impossible. "—STEP OFF!"
With a great effort he pushed, throwing Yui off him with a mighty roar. She landed on her back with an enormous crash, the goliath clutching the back of her head in pain when it hit the ground. Present Mic's screaming reached a crescendo, barely audible over the audience's excited howling.
Izuku didn't let up. He worked with the momentum he'd gotten, launching himself at Yui's face with his entire body. One good strike to the temple or jaw was all he needed to take her down, or disorient her at the very least. Without her chasing him, he could retreat off the platform to his hopefully waiting team. The giant girl swiped at him and he twisted mid-air to copy her earlier movement, the attack glancing off him but sending his body spinning chaotically.
Izuku's vision swam, dizziness clouding his thoughts as he spun through the air. Still, he managed to remember the lesson he'd been taught, focusing on his right leg. In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity. Was this how Mimi did it, working with the rotation instead of against it? Close enough. At this range, he wouldn't miss.
"3% Manchester Smash!"
His lightning-clad heel raced down towards Yui's nose and aimed to stun her, but instead of hitting soft cartilage it stopped with a resounding thump. Izuku tried to understand what he was looking at, only seeing two disembodied hands that had somehow stopped his attack. Nothing made sense anymore.
"Oi, geekboy…"
A shiver ran down his spine. Before he could react six uneven shapes smashed into him from every direction, forcing him away from Yui. Izuku's fingers dug into the ground to slow the knockback, leaving a trail of five deep gouges in the space between them. Setsuna Tokage entered the fray, sharklike teeth bared and glinting in the light.
"Why don't you pick on someone your own size!" she declared.
[x]
Uraraka Ochaco was panicking.
How could she not, when the situation was currently going belly-up in the sea of chaos that was the Cavalry Battle. Above her Deku was being cornered by two opponents, outnumbered and alone. The more pressing concern was the team below that tethered them down, stopping them from reaching their beloved leader.
Dark Shadow lashed out, his ethereal claws striking and parrying against whiplike emerald vines. Both Tokoyami and Shiozaki wore looks of pained concentration, focusing on wearing each other down. The air around them was filled with energy beams and speeding keratin, Mei dogfighting with Pony via their proxy weapons.
Pony's horns were faster but Mei countered with that ranged beam attack, which was in turn countered by the revelation that the blonde could grow her horns back. No matter how many the Tinker shot down Pony always seemed to have more, adamant on continuing their aerial battle until Mei ran out of power. The enemy was aiming to exhaust all of Team Midoriya.
Ochaco looked around helplessly. What could she do to help? Her Quirk required physical contact, but there was no way the opposing team was going to let her touch them. Then they still needed to disengage and make their way back to Deku.
Or they could do both at the same time.
Her thoughts were interrupted when one of Shiozaki's vines cracked like a whip only inches away from her head, the brunette already formulating a plan in response.
"Kuroiro-kun!" Shiozaki cried.
"Gotcha!"
The teen with jet-black skin managed to raise his hand to catch Dark Shadow's fist, and Ochaco's eyes narrowed. No, his hand was sinking into Dark Shadow, the projection suddenly stiffening.
"Can't… move…" Dark Shadow managed.
Was Kuroiro's Quirk the power to manipulate darkness? It didn't matter, not when a spiralling spear of tangled vines was headed right at Tokoyami. Ochaco reached forward and slapped the vines, curving them away from their intended target when they were no longer bound by gravity. She wouldn't just sit there and do nothing while everyone was doing their best!
Ochaco felt the effects of her Zero Gravity travelling down those vines… and into Shiozaki. She had the pleasure of watching the other girl's eyes widen in panic, her entire team also floating off the ground.
Full power. The hover boots on Ochaco's feet rumbled with activity and roared like a runaway diesel, the gadget pushed beyond its default settings by Mei's overclocking. Team Midoriya shot into the air, dragging Team Setsuna behind them while they ascended.
"Tsunotori-san—" Kuroiro yelled.
"I know! Fly, my pretties!"
Shiozaki herself seemed to be frozen with terror, Ochaco quickly realizing that the serious girl had a fear of heights. To her shock Shiozaki simply closed her eyes for a second before glaring at them with a newfound determination, a sort of bravado having ignited within that defiant gaze.
"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death..." the thorn-haired girl declared with trembling lips, an array of vines fanning out behind her. "I shall fear no evil!"
"That's 'cause you're the baddest bitch in the goddamn valley!" Kuroiro whooped, slamming his skull against Tokoyami's when the two chunnibyous butted heads. "Go get 'em, sister!"
The vines increased their speed twofold, a few even interrupting the dogfight between Pony and Mei. A horn blurred with speed, aiming right at Mei through the distraction—the tinker shifted just in time for the projectile to graze the side of her head…
...Shearing off the right side of her goggles but leaving the pink-haired girl unharmed. Mei was wearing half her goggles now, her furious right eye exposed for all to see.
"My baby!" she shrieked, knuckles whitening around Tokoyami's shoulder. "That's it, I've had enough. Zenith, rollout Killbox One Alpha!"
"Killbox One Alpha, preparing for takeoff, takeoff." Her little robot chirped. Steam hissed from shifting metal as her chest armor started to transform. "Please confirm activation phrase."
"Laserbeak, eject!" Mei howled.
[x]
Izuku's mind disassembled the situation before him into its simplest components, compartmentalizing the sheer screw-up he found himself in.
Ten million points. Two opponents. Keep away. Delay. Retreat unavailable. Await reinforcements.
Hold your ground.
His heart hammered in his chest, a quick analysis revealing what he was up against. On one side was Yui who had returned to normal size; the girl taking slow, heavy breaths to calm herself.
Super strength in both forms. Super speed when she's small, super durability when she's big. No noticeable change when in normal size so far.
His eyes flickered over Setsuna, remembering those floating hands that stopped his attack earlier. What was that? A projection or a copy of her body? No, it had something to do with her body parts. Was her Quirk like Shoji's, allowing her to grow extra limbs?
"Lookit what we have here." Setsuna smirked as Yui got up and dusted herself off. Her eyes flickered over Izuku's bare torso. "Looks like broccoli boy ain't just a string bean."
Izuku's only response was to swirl the blood in his mouth before spitting it out at his feet, in too much pain to notice his open shirt or whatever she was talking about. The girl's grin grew even wider.
"Ready to give up?" Setsuna crowed, her posture confident and unafraid. "Just hand over the headband and this'll all be over soon. Unless you want another beating, but… perhaps you'd like that? Heh."
The boy rolled his shoulders, ignoring the sharp pain in his side when he brought his arms up. He couldn't afford to lose here, not when the hopes and dreams of three others rested on his shoulders. The ten million point headband felt wet, dyed a deep red by the wound it was keeping pressure on.
"I can do this all day." Izuku breathed, arms held close like a boxer.
Yui's eyes flashed with something different than the anger from before. A quiet respect for a fellow warrior. She flexed her fingers, preparing to engage once again.
"Look what we have here, Kodai-san. A stallion, a real stud." Setsuna laughed, putting a hand on her hip. "Let's see how long you can last against the two of us."
Izuku increased his guard, teeth gritting. He would be ready for whatever they did next.
Yui and Setsuna took off their jackets, revealing a white t-shirt and a black tank top respectively. Okay, he had not been ready for that. He vaguely understood what they were doing; Yui's jacket was soaked with sweat so she wanted to lose some weight, while Setsuna probably wanted more freedom of movement with her Quirk. So why did it feel so wrong?
"Look all you want, geekboy." the green-haired girl smirked, catching him staring. "Cause' we're the last thing you'll see today before we knock your damn lights out."
Wide emerald eyes were inadvertently drawn to the creamy, sweat-slicked skin of his two opponents and even an exposed midriff in Setsuna's case. Even after everything, Izuku was still a young, hormonal teenanger, the boy blushing helplessly in response. In fact, he was the type of guy who would get hot and bothered by just seeing a girl's bare shoulders. A part of him chastised him for not taking this seriously, but he couldn't help but want to look—they were, after all, very attractive girls that were his age.
A fair bit of shame welled up in him as well, for finding Yui attractive despite her being a doppelganger of his younger sister. That, and he was pretty sure the words 'really pretty' weren't supposed to be the first thing that came to mind about someone who had just brutalized him a minute ago. He supposed it was a result of his acknowledgement that she was a completely different person.
"Aight," Setsuna announced, tying her jacket around her waist. Yui simply held hers. "Get ready for a pounding, broccoli boy."
Izuku said the first thing that came to his delirious mind, still shaking himself out of that hormone-induced stupor and remembering Nana's teachings to hide fear with humor.
"T-the only ones who'll be getting a pounding are the two of you!"
Oh God, was that the best comeback he could think of?
Yui's expressionless face turned a warm pink, and even Setsuna wore an embarrassed scowl.
"Yeah, I bet you'd like that..." the long-haired girl grumbled.
Izuku didn't get a chance to contemplate further when she flung out both arms, each limb segmenting into three different parts. At first he didn't quite understand what he was looking at, watching her disembodied fists float into the air. It clicked when one of them slugged him across the face, sending him reeling back and clutching his nose.
Setsuna's Quirk allowed her to detach and remotely control her body parts, turning herself into a whirlwind that descended on Izuku like a murder of crows. Full Cowl sparked and shuddered, the boy leaping backward until a flash of blue at the corner of his eye made him turn to face the new threat.
A giant blanket of cloth was thrown over him—where the hell did they get that—blocking his vision. The girls' gambit worked, Izuku too distracted to notice the three different lumps of flesh slamming into him. A giant fist hammered into him next, knocking him away. Adrenaline raced through his veins, dulling the pain.
His opponents advanced; one fast and light, the other slow and heavy. Their teamwork was remarkable; he had to keep one eye on Setsuna's rapid movements, but the moment he did Yui's attack would come down on him like the fist of an angry god. If he focused too much on Yui, Setsuna would tear him to pieces… with her pieces.
That giant cloth is Kodai-san's jacket. Is her Quirk the power to change the size of whatever she touches? Wait, she can probably only change the size of other things when she's in her regular form. Now she's smaller than before… that giant form has its own limits.
A knee, elbow, and fist smashed into Izuku from three different directions. His head dipped just in time for her other fist to miss his headband, snatching at empty air. The floating torso that was Setsuna Tokage growled, her pretty face scrunching up in frustration.
Tokage-san's Quirk allows her to split and control her body. Each blow isn't that painful, but they add up. Instead of a meaty cross-section there's only a black void in those floating parts; it might be some sort of space-warping Quirk. Fascinating. Unlimited angles of attack, perfect as a distraction.
Her shin smashed into his, causing him to wince and nearly tripping him. He barely managed to dodge another ground pound from Yui, the shockwave throwing up a cloud of dust. Case in point.
But Izuku wasn't just going to stand there and take it. He stuck his right arm around his back and a 3% Delaware Smash exploded from his hand in an unexpected angle, nailing Yui in the gut. Momentum and recoil spun him, his left elbow wheeling about and crashing into Setsuna's cheek to stun both girls simultaneously.
The sharp-toothed girl let out a grunt of pain but he knew it wasn't enough, so he flipped her over his shoulder in a judo throw that Misha had taught him. Setsuna split in two at the apex of his throw; her torso went left, legs skidding right. A foot and fist hammered into his guard from two opposite angles—fighting her was like fighting multiple people.
Yui stomped, driving her heel into the ground. The resulting tremor was enough for Izuku to lose his footing, enough for two massive hands to clamp around his entire body. Setsuna's hands and feet had been knocked away, but one part of her could still grab her objective.
The girl headbutted him with her floating head, sharp teeth biting down on the headband. Ten million points were torn off with a victorious grunt. The audience howled.
No!
"Hold him, Kodai-san!" Setsuna made to retreat, only to stop in her tracks when something darted through the air and nearly crashed into her.
Laserbeak opened fire; a thin line of purple energy from its mouth striking Setsuna in the neck and causing her to cry out in pain, dropping the headband off the platform.
"Midoriya-kun!" Mei's voice squawked from the mechanical falcon. "Docking mode!"
Setsuna dived after the headband, and Izuku knew there was no time to waste. One For All thundered through his limbs, forcing Yui's hands apart as he reached for a button on the jetpack. This was the hidden function that Mei had mentioned earlier; he could dock with Laserbeak and divert all his power to fly in the event that the jetpack malfunctioned. She'd been saving it for an emergency, but he supposed this qualified. The boy leapt off the platform and there was a click atop his back and the vibration of shifting gears, a pair of metallic wings spreading out with a glorious clang. Izuku soared downward, rocketing after the lizard-girl.
They crashed mid-air, Setsuna letting out a scream of fury at the untimely return of her opponent. He snarled and reached for the headband wrapped around her neck; she bared her teeth and detached her hands to target his fragile, hollow wings, twisting and pulling. They were truly a sight to behold, two teenagers fighting tooth and nail over a piece of cloth with some numbers on it.
Team Midoriya appeared from nowhere, dragging Team Setsuna behind them as they headed straight at the pair. Mei no longer had both her Funnels, holding the one remaining, barely functional device like a handgun. Both leaders called out to their teams.
"Pony-chan, get up here and get this asshole off me!"
"Shoot her, Hatsume-san! SHOOOOOOT HER!"
Speeding keratin sprang from Pony like striking vipers but Mei was ready, sniping them out of the air before they could get to Izuku. Setsuna split herself again, swirling around Izuku and smashing into him from every direction.
"Targeting system malfunction, malfunction." Zenith announced. The tinker's hand trembled, her weapon's barrel shifting while she tried to get a bead on her target.
"I've only got one round left!" Mei yelled at the rapidly distancing struggle. "I can't get a clear shot!"
"THEN HIT ME IF YOU HAVE TO!" Izuku roared.
Golden reticles for pupils widened. Mei took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. A purple streak of energy hissed through the air, exotic particles compressed together into a beam that carried kinetic energy…
...Punching through Izuku's fluffy hair and straight into Setsuna's chest. The green-haired girl let out a pained cry, but not before wrenching her hands backward and snapping Izuku's lightweight robotic wings. Izuku snatched the headband off her neck as he fell and screaming erupted in the stands. He fell like an angel cast out of heaven, broken wings fluttering behind him.
"Deku-kun!"
Uraraka Ochaco cried out, her hand reaching out for him. The memories of his brother echoed in a melancholic whisper.
Take my hand.
Izuku reached out, fingertips brushing against Ochaco's, not enough for her to grab onto him…
But enough for her to use her Quirk. Zero Gravity raced across the boy's body in a pink glow, Ochaco managing to drag her friend back into her arms. Dark Shadow managed to sever the vines binding them with a screech of victory.
"I've got you!" Ochaco wailed, holding him tight. "I've got you!"
The audience exploded with cheers and whoops. Team Midoriya was back in action!
They landed, seeking to get as far away as possible from Team Setsuna, especially considering how pissed off she seemed at the moment. Luckily for them the other team was stranded in the air, or at least until Pony could regrow her horns and guide them back onto solid ground.
"You shot me in the boob! Why you little—"
Izuku pretended he didn't hear that, instead glancing at all three of his teammates.
"Thank you! Uraraka-san, Hatsume-san, Tokoyami-san!" Izuku choked, wrapping the headband around him once more. "I… I can't… thank you enough!"
"We're not out of the woods yet." Tokoyami said curtly when they landed.
They weren't. A glacial wall erupted from the ground around them, forcing the team to back off. On their left Team Todoroki appeared, their rider's breath cold with frost. An ice-covered headband with low point values were clutched in his right hand.
Fire and smoke boomed on their right. Team Bakugo emerged from shattered ice and strewn debris, the blonde rider snarling like a mad dog while he tied a new headband around his neck.
Behind them a third team landed, Izuku's eyes widening at the realization that they were surrounded. This was why Mei had been so adamant on saving up Laserbeak as an emergency… now they had no way to fly as the hover boots had run out of power. Team Kendo landed with a thump, their rider glancing at the headbands Todoroki and Bakugo were fiddling with.
"Hiryu-kun, Monoma-kun… your sacrifices will not be in vain." Kendo said through clenched teeth.
That seemed to be the signal as all three opposing teams moved in, all at once. Team Midoriya braced themselves; Dark Shadow roared a challenge, Ochaco brought up a hand, and Mei detached one of Laserbeak's wings to use as a sword, handing the other to Izuku for the same. Full Cowl failed to activate for Izuku and he felt his heart drop before quickly deciding it didn't matter; he would fight with his bare hands if he had to.
"Fucking DEKU!"
An explosion sheared Dark Shadow away, the projection letting out a scream of pain from the blinding light. Bakugo was fast, too fast—but Kaminari's electricity was faster. It raced across the field and up their bodies, thousands of volts causing muscles to lock up and spasm. The inside of Izuku's mouth filled with the taste of metal. Team Kendo had backed off just out of range, not falling for the same trap twice. Ice rushed up the stunned teams' legs, Todoroki ripping the bloodied headband off a wheezing Izuku.
"Seven seconds left!"
Bakugo recovered almost immediately, a string of curses escaping his throat. Izuku tried to move but the beating that Yui and Setsuna had left him weak, injured. Darkness crept along the edge of his vision and the boy felt like he was about to collapse. Dark Shadow reached down and smashed the ice, his fingers working like pickaxes. A fourth team exploded from the ice wall, its rider's arms spinning like drills.
"Kaibara-kun! Left side, even side!" Kendo pointed a giant finger at Team Todoroki. "Now, HANDLE IT!"
"Graaahhhh!" Sen charged, his whirling fists slamming into Yaoyorozu's ice-covered kite shield. "OVERDRIVE!"
"Kaminari!"
"Weeh?"
"Five!"
The flames of an explosion surged against unyielding frost on Team Todoroki's right. Bakugo carved away at the ice, but more kept springing up from nowhere. The heterochromatic teen's face twisted with effort, pinched between two opponents and sinking into the ground from somebody's Quirk. Something had to break and eventually, it did. The ice gave way, and Bakugo snatched up the ten million points with a victorious roar.
"Hand it over, that thing." a member of Team Kendo commanded. "Your ten million points."
"In your dreams, loser! Go fuck yoursel—" Bakugo began and froze mid-sentence.
"Four!"
"Toss that headband onto the ground." the purple-haired boy ordered, and to their shock Bakugo did so. "Reiko-san, would you do the honors?"
"Gladly." Reiko smiled devilishly. The headband and a cleanly cut chunk of ground it was on floated into the air towards Team Kendo, Reiko's Quirk too risky to use on a precision target.
"No!" Izuku cried, his team skidding as they struggled against their own momentum to reorient themselves towards Team Kendo.
"Three!"
"Yes. It's all ours." the purple-haired boy; the Gen-Ed student who had stood in front of the 1-A classroom, smirked with glee as Kendo claimed the headband. "All your efforts, wasted. How does it feel, I wonder?"
"You—"
The world slowed, Izuku blanking out. He could vaguely feel his team rushing out and see Dark Shadow surging forward, but… everything was moving in slow motion. He couldn't budge an inch, petrified by the other boy's power. They were going to lose.
[x]
In the garden of paradise, the wielders of One For All just had their barbeque party interrupted by an unwelcome guest. Seven pairs of eyes stared up at the massive hole that had opened up in the sky, hamburger patties temporarily forgotten.
A gigantic purple serpent slithered through, six slitted pupils gazing down at the tree that represented Izuku's soul.
"What is that?" Johnny asked, his eyes disbelieving. He ripped off his 'kiss the cook' apron in one smooth motion. "What the hell is that?! What is that, private mutt?!"
"Wan, I dunno, wan!" Koko barked from beside him, before shifting into human form and clashing her fists together. "But it looks like a big snakey! And that means it's bad, right?"
"Wait!" someone yelled.
Koko halted her charge, leaving a trail of claw marks in the cobblestone path. "B-but big monster!"
"Don't attack it yet, we have no idea what will happen to Midoriya-kun if—" Nana began.
The serpent coiled around Izuku's tree and sank its fangs into it. Nana's eyes burned with anger.
"Get that motherfucker." she declared.
Everyone sprang into action. Guns and Quirks fired, the phantoms defending their new home and host with all of their power.
"You!" Koko snarled, red lightning crackling along her arm as she closed in and prepared to punch the serpent. "You are HUGE! That means you have huge guts! Rip and tear! RIP AND TEAR YOUR GUTS!"
[x]
"Two!"
Translucent images of the eight remaining One For All members appeared in Izuku's sight, overlapping across his vision. They looked around in confusion until Koko noticed him, waving happily.
"Mastaaahhhh! There was a big snakey in your head but I punched it really hard, and so did everyone else and it went away, and—"
"We've got your back, young Midoriya!" Nana interrupted, getting right up in his face. "Go get 'em, kid!"
The ghostly phantoms faded and Izuku was back in reality again, finding his team charging directly at Team Kendo. He could hear Bakugo behind him, the crack of his explosions only a few meters away from them. Ice erupted around them like frozen spears. Izuku's hand lashed out at Kendo's neck, at ten million points…
"One!"
And missed.
Kendo deflected his wild swing effortlessly, but his fingers caught cloth—the headbands of other teams, but not the one he wanted. He pulled anyway, right before Kendo could follow up with a jab that would break his face. A part of him marveled at the movements she was using; Chen's Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist had survived even after all these years.
"Times up!"
The ice stopped, and there was a heavy thud as Bakugo fell flat on his face. Izuku didn't even turn to look, his mind numbed from failure. He… he failed. He couldn't hear what Midnight, Present Mic, or what his team said next as he dismounted. Glancing at his shaking hand he counted the points from the headbands he'd taken. It was so little, so very little compared to the ten million point lead they held throughout the battle. They had managed to hold that lead only to trip at the finish line.
"In first place, Team Kendo! In second place, Team Todoroki! In Third place, Team Bakugo!"
The bottom of Izuku's heart just… dropped. He'd failed, not only himself, but everyone. The hopes and dreams of three other people had been resting on his shoulders and he'd let them down. All Might wanted him to show the world what he could do and he'd let him down. Everyone from One For All had put in the time and effort to train him, and he had failed.
Kiri and Mimi wanted to see him win, and he failed. He let them down.
Pathetic little creature. You're an inferior defect, a mistake. A failure; that's all you were, that's all you will ever be. Weak… and unwanted.
The sobs threatened to escape through clenched teeth, but Izuku pushed them back. Do not cry, he told himself. Crying won't solve anything. It was time to face the music. He turned to his team, an apology already on his lips.
"Everyone… I'm so sorry." Izuku said weakly.
"It's okay, you did your best." Ochaco smiled. "Besides, I think that someone's got a little surprise for you."
"Hmm?" Mei looked up from the piece of Laserbeak she was holding. "Don't look at me, the only surprise I've got is how much time it'll take to repair my baby! Gyaaa, look what she did to it!"
"Repair, repair." Zenith squeaked helpfully.
Izuku turned to Tokoyami and Dark Shadow.
"You fought well, Midoriya-kun. For that I must commend you; it is no easy feat to hold your ground against two opponents, no matter how inexperienced they might be. Nevertheless, this has been quite the eye-opening experience." The crow-boy tited his head at Dark Shadow, who held something in his mouth. "I was able to get one. I took the one on her head, where her guard had been weakest in the opening you had created in that last final spurt."
It… it couldn't be. Could it?
"In fourth place, Team Midoriya!"
A single tear. That much was allowed, right? Okay, maybe more than just a single one. Izuku smiled with relief, feeling a weight lift off his heart. Leaning forward, he patted both Dark Shadow and Tokoyami on their shoulders.
"Thank you," he choked. "All of you!"
Izuku turned back to Ochaco and Mei, his expression one of pure gratefulness.
"Thank you."
His eyes rolled up to the back of his head, and the last thing he saw before he fainted was his three teammates moving to catch him. Three pairs of hands held him up, a warmth he'd never felt before surging through his chest.
Ah, he realized. So this is what camaraderie feels like.