"Here we go, first match STARRRRTTTTT!" Present Mic howled, the audience roaring in excitement.
Two battering rams surged forward; one ironclad, the other rock hard. Tetsutetsu met Kirishima's charge in the middle of the battlefield, a resounding clang echoing through the stadium when the two headstrong boys clashed.
Izuku observed with interest, scribbling down every facet of their encounter in his beloved notebook. There was still some time before his match and he'd already worked out a basic strategy to go against Monoma, so for now he decided to calm himself by doing the thing he loved most; thinking. That, and he was trying to come up with a strategy for Ochaco's match. Another clang drew his attention back to the arena. A battle between two hardening users would be interesting, it would all come down to endurance and stamina.
Did Tetsutesu's Quirk work in the same way as Kirishima's, a layer of metal over his skin? Or did his entire body turn to metal, both inside and out? Then there was the question of tensile strength and heat resistance. Organic metal… certain species of sea slugs in the deep ocean could produce something similar by consuming the chemical soup from underwater geothermal vents. Did Tetsutetsu have to eat metal to achieve the same effect? Fascinating.
"You really do love that notebook, Midoriya-kun."
"A-ah, Iida-kun." Izuku caught himself just before he apologized automatically. "Was I muttering again?"
"You were." Iida smiled. "Don't worry about it, I just think it shows how much dedication you have for your craft!"
"Aye." Tokoyami agreed, sitting down beside Iida. "It's clear that the book has been through as much as you have."
Izuku glanced down at his notebook again, his fingers running across burnt, crumpled pages. He tried not to think of how it got that way in the first place.
"A CROSS-COUNTEEEERRR! Kirishima follows up with a left jab but OOOOOOHHH!" Present Mic screamed. "Tetsutetsu counters with a knee to the liver! What an astounding turn of events! Who will come out on top in this battle of hardness?"
Present Mic's yelling continued, ramping up the audience's excitement with every passing minute. In contrast Aizawa added little tidbits of information now and then, his flat explanations somehow melding perfectly with the blonde's eager excitement.
"WATCH OUT WATCH OUT WATCH OUT—" The crowd erupted with cheers alongside the announcement. "OOOOOHHH! Kirishima's TAKING HIS OPPONENT FOR A RIDE!"
Kirishima arched his heels, a victorious howl exploding from his throat as he suplexed Tetsutetsu into oblivion. The winner was declared soon after, and the redhead made his way back into the stands to receive a delighted victory hug from his pink-haired horn buddy. Izuku smiled at the sight while the two blushed and separated soon after.
Up next was Ashido Mina vs Iida Tenya. Izuku had to bear Kirishima's excited cheering while the match progressed, trying to block out the other boy while scribbling in his notebook.
"THE JAW, MINA-CHAN! THE JAWWW—"
"O-outspeed her, Iida-kun!" Izuku tried nervously, having never actually cheered on anyone before. "C-come on!"
"Go, Iida-kun! Fight~!" Ochaco cheered beside him.
Mina flung her arms outward and built a moat of acid around her, but Iida simply leaped over the corrosive obstacle in a magnificent standing long jump. If Iida could be compared to an Olympic athlete then Mina was a pro dancer, it was a battle of speed versus dexterity.
Iida's foot narrowly missed her head when Mina backstepped; no... she slid backwards, Izuku realizing she could make both acids and bases. The pink schoolgirl started skating around the arena, circling around Iida with her superior maneuverability and leaving pools of slippery lubricant wherever she stepped. The crowd let out a collective cry of shock when Iida slipped while chasing her, barreling towards the arena's edge with his own speed. It was only with a well-timed kick into the ground that anchored and stopped him from getting out of bounds, the tall boy letting out a huff of effort while he got up.
Mina didn't let the sight discourage her. She swung her legs in a series of stunning breakdancing flares, waves of acid exploding from the holes in her shoes. Mina was a tornado of pink, rings of acid lasing out and forcing Iida back. The danger wasn't just in the corrosive effects of the acid, there were also the fumes. Clouds of billowing pink smoke surrounded Mina like a shield, a toxic barrier that she was immune to. Just when it appeared that Iida was doomed the boy crouched and took a deep breath, taking a runner's position in the face of the acidic hurricane.
"Recipro Burst!"
Iida moved. He was a flash of blue and white, his sheer speed managing to thread the needle between Mina's defenses. It was all over in a moment, with Mina finding herself upside-down with one ankle held in Iida's grip. He gently set the stunned girl down outside the arena and she pouted at him before letting out a laugh.
"The winner is Iida Tenya! What a fantastic showdown!"Present Mic declared. "Let's give it up for our two combatants, everybody!"
Applause rippled through the stadium, accompanied by cheers and whistles. Izuku allowed himself to catch a breath before scribbling in his notebook again, marveling at Iida's wondrous comeback. Everyone here was absolutely amazing.
The next match was actually one that Izuku was looking forward to since one of his previous teammates was going onstage. Hatsume Mei's smile was wide and delighted when she stepped into the arena, fiddling with her devices and completely ignoring her opponent.
"Hey, cutie." Kaminari said from the opposite end of the arena, slicking his hair back in an attempt to be suave. "Remember me?"
"Oh I remember you, alright." Mei smirked, reaching for something behind her. "That's why I brought THIS!"
Kaminari's lightning flared but Mei's device opened like an inverted umbrella, a thin rod within conducting the arcs of electricity that rushed towards her. A full three seconds passed before Kaminari stopped, eyes widening in horror to see Mei completely unharmed.
The device retreated into Mei's backpack and a shroud of purple-pink lightning soon enveloped her like a shield, ironically powered by Kaminari's attack. A pair of mechanical gauntlets slid over her hands and the girl smashed her fists together, voice amplified by a microphone she had brought.
"This ass-whooping is sponsored by Hatsume Heavy Engineering!" Mei announced happily, a bolt of pink light erupting from her hand and slamming into Kaminari. "Building the future, today!"
"Gyaaaaa!" the blonde boy screamed.
"Stings, doesn't it? Now you have an inkling of how everyone else felt." Mei smirked and turned to the crowd. "With our new top of the line Lightningrod X9, electrical and environmental problems caused by the weather become a thing of the past! Our conversion rod technology converts the absorbed energy to be used for your own home devices; in fact, I'm charging my phone right now!"
Kaminari sent out another pulse of lightning but yelped and doubled over when Mei pulled out another device that unfolded and shot him in the gut, not even turning to look.
"A conversion rate of 98% ensures that no power is wasted whatsoever! Even the ambient heat energy can be recycled for other uses, such as to fuel this Westinghouse M-25 40-watt plasma rifle that comes with the package! That's right folks, with every purchase of the X9 we'll throw in a FREE plasma rifle! Now available at local retailers. Batteries not included, terms and conditions apply. Please seek permission from your parents or guardian before purchase if you are under 18."
"Mom, I want a plasma rifle!" a young boy's voice called out from the awed crowd.
"But I'm not done yet! Buy now and save yourself—"
"Indiscriminate Shock, 1.3 Million Volts!" Kaminari yelled.
"H-Field." Mei snapped her fingers.
Izuku rose from his seat in shock, terrified that his pink-haired friend would be fried to a crisp. What happened instead stunned everyone watching. A purple-pink hexagonal shield sprung into existence around Mei, Kaminari's overwhelming lightning failing to breach the energy barrier. The support student grinned in triumph.
"Performance issues, battery boy? Don't worry, it happens to everyone. As for me…" Mei let out a hearty laugh. "I've got 99 problems but a breach ain't one."
The match continued as such, with Mei demonstrating her shiny new inventions and stunning Kaminari whenever he got up again. It was finally over when Kaminari exhausted himself much to Mei's disappointment—she still wanted to test more gadgets out on him. Izuku winced, feeling bad for the other boy. It had been a bad matchup for the blonde.
No. Knowing Mei, she would be a bad matchup for anyone. As long as she had enough information and preptime she would be able to find or even create a gadget to counter her opponent. Izuku felt his respect for her grow again with the realization that she'd made it this far not using her Quirk, but with her mind. A smile curled its way onto his lips. She really was amazing, wasn't she.
Beside him Ochaco watched, not knowing why her chest suddenly felt tighter.
A rumble in his pocket snapped him out of his thoughts, the boy pulling out his phone to find someone calling him. He answered, bringing the device to his ear.
"Hello, Mimi?" Izuku asked, before rising from his chair. "Sorry, I've got to take this."
"Sure, Midoriya-kun." Iida nodded.
Ochaco blinked, heart squeezing in her chest. Who was this 'Mimi' person? Wasn't he already dating the Ice Queen? No wait, they had a big fight earlier. Did they break up? This is so complicated… wait, why do I care anyway!
"Hey, aniki." Mimi's voice echoed from his phone as Izuku made his way down the corridor. "About Mei, um, I mean, Hatsume-san. Something weird is going on."
"Really?"
"Yeah! Mei's devices aren't supposed to be that advanced. I've seen her using drones and the X9 before but that shield, the one she called the 'H-Field'. That thing is made using charged H-particles, scattered into the air so that their repulsive forces spontaneously align into a regular cubic lattice structure—"
She paused, and Izuku could hear a small smack as she palmed her cheeks.
"Right. Point is, her tech's way too advanced for her age. DEWs and particle shielding? She's smart, but not that smart. At least, not yet. Did she mention any helpers or benefactors of any kind?"
"No, I don't think so? She has her own company though, and those little Haro units that help her out." Izuku listed.
"That's the thing. She didn't have a company on my world, at least not until she's eighteen. What changed? Is she smarter here, stronger? She didn't field so many drones, either… in fact, she always preferred to do things herself."Mimi hummed. "What was her main drone called again? The Haro unit."
"Zenith. He's harmless."
"Zenith?" His sister paused. "That can't be right. 'Zenith' was supposed to be her hero name, why did she name one of her drones after it? It doesn't make sense… Did I really change things that much? Or perhaps it's just one of the variables. Hmmm, I'll have to do more thinking. Oh, Kiri wants to talk to you."
She passed the phone, and Kiri's sweet little voice echoed over the speaker.
"Hello, nii-chan!"
"Hello, Kiri. What is it?"
"Nothing. I just wanted to hear your voice again." she said innocently.
Izuku was stunned for a bit before he smiled again, reminded of how she was still a child in some aspects.
"I'm fine, dear. Thanks for checking up on me." Izuku said. "How's mom?"
"She's getting some snacks for us now. Baa-chan isn't crying anymore, so that's good." Kiri answered. "Maybe she'll cry again when it's your time to fight, but we'll be here to dry her tears."
"You do that." Izuku chuckled, making his way back to the stands. "I hope she doesn't worry too much… tell her I love her, okay? Oh, and I love the two of you too."
"Ehehe." Kiri giggled, her light laughter making him smile once more. "Love you, nii-chan. I've said it once, and now I'll say it again—"
He could hear her take a deep breath.
"Good luck, Izuku-nii-chan!"
"Heh. Thanks, Kiri." He rounded the corner after that last sentence, about to end the call. "Bye, sweetheart."
"Bye-bye~."
He slid the phone back into his pocket and sat down beside Ochaco and Tokoyami again, feeling refreshed. Iida was watching Tokoyami's match with great focus but Ochaco had her eyes wide as dinner plates, having caught the last part of Izuku's call.
S-s-sweetheart?!
A roar from the crowd drew their attention. Momo was struggling against Tokoyami, Dark Shadow's claws raking away at her defenses with each passing second. The ponytailed girl tanked another heavy punch, skidding backward from the impact. Just when she produced a quarterstaff to attack Midnight's whip cracked, signalling the end of the match.
"Yaoyorozu Momo is out of bounds! The winner is Tokoyami Fumikage!"
Izuku sighed when he watched Momo's head dip in disappointment, the girl shuffling towards the exit sadly. On one hand he was glad to see Tokoyami win as his teammate, but there was also an undeniable feeling of… something as he watched Momo go. For there to be a winner, there had to be a loser. That was the cruel reality of how things were.
What followed next was a matchup everyone had been anticipating. Todoroki stepped up to the plate, and Sero cracked his knuckles evaluating his opponent. Izuku frowned. There was an air of cold fury around the heterochromatic boy. Did something happen before the match?
"—and in the blue corner, Todoroki Shoto! It's a battle of classmates once more, now let's see who'll come out on top! STAAARRT—"
A massive glacier pierced the heavens. The words had barely even left Present Mic's mouth before it happened, the match not even spanning a single second before Todoroki obliterated his opponent. Sero was half-frozen within the ice, completely immobilized. It didn't take a genius to see that he was completely outmatched.
There was a chorus of 'don't mind's floating through the stadium at Sero's defeat, a weak effort to cheer up a bruised ego. Todoroki was a powerhouse, that was for sure. Izuku simply stared at the scene, burning it into his memory. The image of Todoroki melting the ice with his right hand, with the right side he despised so much…
It just seemed so infinitely… sad.
It took quite a while for the giant glacier to melt, some of the staff helping to speed up the process by breaking it down. After the arena was restored it was time for a new match, the audience eagerly awaiting what would happen next.
Many cheered when Bakugo Katuski stepped into the arena, scowling all the way. Izuku could understand; Bakugo was very entertaining, after all. Even with that declaration that drew all the attention to himself instead of Class A the audience still loved him.
It had been that way ever since they were children. He had everything Izuku didn't. Bakugo was talented, popular, and had a great Quirk. He had a future. He had potential. He had a loving fa—
Izuku bit down on his lip, trying to ignore that last part. He turned his attention to Bakugo's opponent just as Present Mic announced his name.
"In the blue corner, hailing from U.A's premier General Studies Department… Shinso Hitoshi!"
More cheers and clapping, especially from the General Studies students. Just as the Support Department students had cheered for Hatsume, people cheered for Shinso simply because he was 'one of them'. Izuku couldn't exactly fault them for that. Besides, it was nice to cheer for the underdog. Shinso was that in their eyes, especially when they saw the raw power Bakugo could output.
But they didn't know about Shinso's Quirk. Well, most of them didn't. By now Izuku had figured out that the purple-haired boy had some sort of master-type Quirk. It's activation parameters probably required some sort of connection between him and his target. Izuku thought back to when he'd gotten frozen during the Cavalry Battle.
Was the control Quirk activated via concentration, or perhaps line of sight? Shinso had his attention on Bakugo back when he stole the ten million points. Izuku continued pondering to himself. No. If it were based on either of those factors Shinso would have taken the headband at the very start. He had waited for an opportunity; for when Bakugo had been certain of his victory before he acted. There had to be some sort of limitation, some requirement that had to be fulfilled before he could take control of someone. The last thing he remembered Shinso doing before he took control was…
Talking to him.
A question? His Quirk was sound-activated? Travelling along the sound waves his mouth produced and into his target's mind? Izuku's pen danced across paper furiously. No, it was more than that. If it was simply that, he could have controlled anyone who heard his voice. A connection needed to be established. An answer to the question. A verbal response.
Izuku's eyes widened. Shinso could control anyone who responded to him verbally!
It was an incredible Quirk, one that had Izuku squealing with excitement on the inside at the sheer possibilities one could do with it. He put away those thoughts for now, wondering how Shinso would get Bakugo to respond. Judging by the look on his face, he'd already figured out a way.
Shinso opened his mouth, and Bakugo's features twisted with rage. It was too far away for Izuku to hear the words Shinso said, but judging by the look on the blonde's face it had stung. However, there wasn't an angry roar or a scathing reply.
Bakugo began advancing forward, jaw clenched and hands crackling.
The purple-haired boy said something again, but Bakugo declined to respond once more despite the obvious anger he was in. Izuku could hear Kaminari and Kirishima mumbling amongst themselves about what was going on and that it wasn't like Bakugo to just stand there and take an insult. Izuku knew better; Bakugo had already figured out how Shinso activated his Quirk, just like he did.
An explosion swept across the battlefield, sound and fury following in its wake. What should have flung Shinso out of bounds flew over his head when the boy dodged, his quick thinking saving him from an early loss. By now the purple boy had figured the jig was up and was clearly starting to revert to a fight-or-flight approach.
Flight. Evade. Izuku tried to tell him. Going up against Bakugo in close combat was suicide. Whether it was pride or some other form of defiance was questioned when Shinso charged forward, arms brought up to shield his face. Izuku flinched. Here it comes.
Shinso's body was flung backwards with a thunderous boom, but he got back up again and dodged another blast. Many assumed most of the power from Bakugo's explosion came from the heat. It was more than just that. There was also the shockwave, which shook the insides. The flash, which blinded the eyes. The smoke, which choked the lungs. Izuku knew from experience.
It is six years ago. Two boys are holding back his arms. Tears are running down his cheeks. Bakugo's crimson eyes were alight with a malicious glee.
An explosion sweeps across Izuku's childish face. His soft cheeks burn and he cries. His tormentors laugh.
'That's what you get for thinking you can be a hero, Deku! Just give up!'
Laughing, laughing, laughing. His face is pushed into the dirt and mud fills his mouth.
Stop.
Izuku got his wish and the memory shifted to something worse. Much, much worse.
It is decades ago. The sound of rain and thunder interrupts his meal. No, not thunder. Artillery. The taste of mud is in his mouth as he scoops up another bit of canned tuna, using the can's lid as a spoon. It is not the first time he has come face to face with death. If he's going to die here, he will not die hungry.
He feels… tired. Apathetic. He has felt that way for the last decade. Maybe this is it. Maybe he can finally rest and stop fighting.
The young soldier beside him is getting antsy, covering his ears and shaking. Izuku offers him the remainder of his tuna. He accepts with a wobbly hand, and Izuku gets a full magazine for his rifle in exchange. Not that it would do him any good. More troopers behind them huddle closer, praying that the cavern roof does not collapse and bury them all alive.
Stony fingers tighten around his weapon. A tiny bit of hysteria sets in and he realizes that he has slept more times holding his rifle than he has holding his children. He decides to live, just to be able to see them again.
'[We never should have come here.]' the young man trembles. '[Korea belongs to the Jinsoyun.]'
The storm of shells and Quirks was above their head, with only a layer of rock between them and certain death. Flashes of light bursting through the gaps in the makeshift barrier. When there was no thunder, there was the sound of lives ending. The angry rattle of machine guns. The sharp snap of rifles. Shellfire and Quirk effects shaking the earth.
And the screams.
STOP!
Izuku snapped back to reality. A streak of red ran down his nose and he quickly brought up a hand, hoping nobody noticed. Thankfully for him they didn't see the blood, but the shaking… that was something he couldn't hide. Iida was the first to notice it, taking his eyes off the match and gazing at Izuku worriedly.
"Midoriya-kun, is everything alright?"
"I'm okay." Izuku coughed, quickly excusing himself. "Just feeling a little cold."
The memories were still crystal-clear in his mind, but this time the emotions that were associated with them had quickly faded away. Izuku thanked his lucky stars for that; the last thing he needed was a memory-induced breakdown. The old memories still lingered, mixing with his knowledge of history.
A seven nation army marched into its doom. The Russian Federation's refusal to intervene. The Jinsoyun, a new Empress of the United Korean Republic. China torn to pieces by the Great Divide. An economic bubble that burst like a balloon, the ramifications of which could still be felt. Quirks of world-shaking magnitudes already existed nearly a century ago, but back then those were outliers.
As Quirks mix together over the years they would only get stronger and stronger. Izuku now understood that there would one day be another 'Jinsoyun', another 'Destro', another tyrant that would break the world. Then there were the underlying social issues that still plagued humanity. Quirkism against mutant-types. Discirimnation against 'villainous' Quirks like Shinso's. The unheard suffering of the Quirkless.
Even All Might couldn't save everyone. The pillar was beginning to crack under the weight of the world's problems. Society had become complacent under the safety of All Might and swept those problems under the rug but they were still there, just ready to trip someone up at the worst possible time.
Were the hero schools for preparation of things to come? Or were they the catalyst that would eventually lead to society's destruction?
Another boom drew everyone's attention back to the arena below, allowing Izuku to quickly wipe the blood off his face with a tissue. Bakugo was standing over a crumpled Shinso, the taller boy clutching his smoking thigh. He was crawling away to retreat, but Bakugo raised a hand before wrenching it downward in a scooping motion.
The very nature of the blonde's power was flashy and destructive. But it was the ways that Bakugo used it that showed just how dangerous it could be. The explosions carved a path into the ground and lifted Shinso into the air, sending the boy crashing down out of bounds in a broken heap. Many in the audience let out cries of dismay. Many others cheered.
"Shinso Hitoshi is out, the match is over!" Midnight announced with a snap of her whip. "The winner is Bakugo Katsuki!"
Izuku groaned, feeling just a tiny bit bitter. He didn't deny that he wanted to see Shinso win, but Bakugo was just too... smart, strong and talented. Of course he would figure out the mechanics of the mind-control Quirk.
The cameras zoomed in to Shinso's defeated form as he slowly began to stir, sitting up to find Bakugo moving towards him. Perhaps the camera operators expected Bakugo to pick him up, shake his hand or show some other form of competitive honor. The audio turned on, and Izuku wished it hadn't.
"—a fucking joke. Worthless loser."
The crowd silenced itself and Izuku stiffened. Iida looked uncomfortable, bringing a hand to his forehead at Bakugo's words. The blonde noticed the silence but he was too angry to care.
"Good match? Don't kid yourself! You're a nobody extra who thinks he can be a hero. Keep on dreaming, because it's never going to happen." Bakugo leaned over Shinso, that hate-filled sneer that Izuku was so familiar with now directed at someone else. "It's annoying! It's annoying to see a talentless weakling like you even try. Just go back to Gen-Ed where you belong, trash!"
Several Gen-Ed students in the crowd stood and booed. Angry protests erupted from them and Bakugo's only response was to raise both middle fingers in their general direction before turning back to Shinso.
"You fucking losers should know your place; beneath me! You're nothing but stepping stones!" Bakugo roared, spittle flying in Shinso's face. "A lion doesn't concern himself with the opinions of sheep, and I'm gonna be the number one hero—"
"Cut the feed." Present Mic's voice interrupted, a colorful graphic showing the next matchups appearing to distract the audience. "WELL FOLKS THAT'S ALL FOR THIS MATCH, LET'S TAKE A SHORT BREAK BEFORE THE NEXT ONE! Feel free to take a break or purchase a snack at one of our premium food stalls, manned by the one and only Lunch Rush!"
With the confrontation between them finally ended, Bakugo simply turned and walked away. Izuku watched as Shinso got up and limped down the corridor alone, still holding on to his wounded side. Even from his seat he could see the expression on the other boy's face, twisted into an impotent rage that he knew all too well.
"Poor guy…" Ochaco said sadly, shaking her head.
Before he knew it Izuku was standing, making his way down the stairs. He was running, hoping that he'd make it in time. Time seemed to blur as he raced through the hallways, the green-haired boy finding himself standing before what seemed like a reflection of himself. Shinso Hitoshi was putting all his weight on one foot, a hand pressed against the wall for support.
"T-tch. What do you want?" Shinso asked bitterly upon seeing him, the two of them alone in the dimly lit corridor. "Have you come to gloat?"
"No, I…" Izuku winced. "Um, do you remember me?"
"Of course I do. You're that guy that confronted the Class B blonde." Shinso grunted through clenched teeth, shifting his weight to lean against the wall. "I get it. What, You're gonna me that I should know my place too? Save your breath, I've heard it all before."
"N-no! I would never—"
Why don't you take a swan dive off the roof?
"I wasn't going to say anything like that." Izuku said. "I came here because…"
The green-haired boy closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"I thought you were amazing!"
The silence seemed to stretch on for an infinity until Shinso coughed, his face scrunched up in confusion.
"What."
"I…" Izuku reached into himself and found the courage to speak again. "You were amazing out there. Dodging those explosions, trying to come up with a way to get him to respond—"
"You know how my Quirk works." Shinso narrowed his eyes.
"It's a really strong one, too! I can already see the applications for it!" Izuku said excitedly, the nervousness from before long forgotten. "It's a pity you're not in the hero course, especially with such a wonderful Quirk like that! I'm sure Aizawa-sensei or some other teacher has already noticed your potential—"
"Pfft."
Izuku stopped, finding a weird look on Shinso's face. It was apprehension mixed with a smile, mixed with the confusion of someone who didn't quite understand what they were looking at.
"Shit. Is that your attempt at making me feel better?"
"Um, I-I guess?"
"Don't bother. Like I've said before, I've heard it plenty of times, don't worry about it." Shinso coughed again. "How my Quirk is villainous, that people are wary of what I can do. But this…"
Purple eyes met Izuku's, still tinged with a hint of bitterness.
"Perhaps this is the first time where someone called me 'amazing'. Dangerous, yeah. But amazing?"
"First time for everything." Izuku said, offering the other boy a hand. "Come on, I'll help."
Shinso looked at his outstretched hand suspiciously before finally taking it, and Izuku slung the boy's arm over his shoulder. Together they headed towards Recovery Girl's infirmary, the journey still plagued with an awkward silence.
"Hey." Shinso said. "Why help me?"
Because I know what it feels like. Izuku quietly decided not to say that.
"Why not?"
"I stole those ten million points from you, remember? I thought you'd be glad to see me in pain."
"I'm not that kind of person."
"I confronted your class. I taunted you." the taller boy tried. "I mind-controlled you. So why do you still offer your help?"
"Because that's what heroes do." Izuku replied.
Shinso tilted his head, wild purple hair waving as he did.
"Ah, so you're one of those goody-two-shoes types. So unlike your friend."
"He's…" It took a moment to say the words. "...Just my classmate."
Though Izuku tried he could not hide the look of sadness on his face. The good times of his youth were spent with Bakugo, when they were both young and innocent. What had changed? He wished for those times to return but deep down he knew it was over. People had to move on. Bakugo certainly had.
It was time for him to move forward as well.
"What was your name again?"
"Midoriya Izuku."
"Heh. Nice to meet you, Midoriya-san." Shinso said. "I'm Shinso Hitoshi."
"Nice to meet you."
Together the two made their way to the infirmary, Izuku supporting his newfound comrade. That should have been the end of it, with them making it there after a short, boring journey. Unfortunately for him, fate refused to leave Midoirya Izuku alone.
It took a while before Izuku noticed it. It had been at the corner of his eye, just above Shinso's shoulder. He didn't see it until it moved.
A large purple serpent slithered over Shinso's neck and stared at Izuku. It was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped down his back and the boy suddenly stopped in his tracks, the breath catching in his throat. The creature sniffed the air curiously, nostrils flaring. It's body was covered in a thin sheen of scales but it was also segmented, jutting ridges along its back making it resemble a human spine.
"What's wrong, tired already?" Shinso coughed. "I thought you hero course students were made of sterner stuff."
"N-no, it's nothing." Izuku said quickly, heart racing. He refused to make eye contact with the creature, observing it out of the corner of his eye while he continued helping Shinso.
The purple-haired boy didn't seem to notice anything. He… he couldn't see it, Izuku realized with a bit of confusion mixed with horror. What was this thing?! An attack from someone's Quirk? No… the long corridor they were in was empty. Sweat beaded on Izuku's forehead, hearing the snake's low hiss. It was getting closer.
Maybe if I ignore it, it will go away.
It didn't go away. Izuku's legs shook when a second and third serpent appeared, their elongated snouts turning toward him. Though he couldn't see the finer details he noted that each had six eyes, three on each side. One opened its maw and yawned, displaying a set of razor sharp fangs. Izuku leaned a bit further from Shinso in fear but refused to let it show on his face.
One stuck its head out too far just as they were walking past a corner, but the head phased through the corner instead of bumping into it. It was intangible? An illusion? The serpents leaned in closer and Izuku noticed how they all shared one body, multiple heads branching out from a single point. It wasn't a serpent. It was a hydra.
The hydra hissed once more, three tongues flicking out in unison. Izuku somehow got the sense that it was… impatient. Annoyed. This thing… Was it a part of Shinso's Quirk, some sort of hallucination? His mind raced with questions, but the fear in his heart held them back.
It was an agonizing minute later when they finally made it to the infirmary. Izuku quickly bid farewell to Shinso, practically sprinting out of the room when he was out of the other boy's field of vision. He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, hands clenched tight into fists. What was that thing?! Why was it on Shinso? Wait… his sisters did mention a 'snake' earlier in their call but he brushed it off as their overactive imaginations. Was the hydra part of Shinso's Quirk, one of the delivery vectors of his control visualized? Even so, why did he not see it? Why didn't anyone see it?! Another hiss drew his attention, and the boy steeled himself.
Don't look back, don't look back, don't look back—
He looked back and instantly regretted it. One of the hydra's heads had stretched out impossibly from inside the infirmary and all the way into the corridor, clinging on from the ceiling to get a better look at him. They locked eyes, and Izuku took a step backward in alarm. Then the rest of its eyes opened. A dozen of them were staring at him, two regal purple pupils on each side of every segment of its body like some grotesque ocular centipede. The snake head moved its jaw up and down repeatedly in a disturbingly human motion, never taking its gaze off him for a second. He only understood what it was doing a moment later.
It was laughing.
Presented with the unnerving sight, Izuku did what any normal teenager would have done. He simply turned away and pretended that it never happened, promising himself that he would investigate more later. The fear and alarm he felt was alreading seeping out of him, no doubt being absorbed by his siblings. The thought of them caused him to pause. Was that hydra creature the same as them? Some sort of projection? His mind sparked with interest, fear forgotten.
Ultimately he shook his head and shoved the thoughts away, filing them for further study later. There was something more important that he had to do now.
[x]
After helping Shinso Izuku made his way back down the corridors until he met Iida. His friend sent him a knowing smile, his eyes already indicating that he knew what had transpired. Izuku looked away sheepishly while the taller boy patted him on the shoulder.
"Uraraka-san's match is next, right?" Izuku asked shakily, the two teenagers making their way to their friend's waiting room.
"Correct. She's already preparing." Iida paused. "Midoriya-kun, are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"I'm… I'm fine. It's just nerves."
A certain ominous aura radiated from the waiting room's door. Izuku looked to Iida but the other boy simply made a 'go ahead' gesture, inviting him to be the one to proceed first. Izuku gulped, bringing his hand up to sharply knock three times.
"Um, come in!"
"Hi, Uraraka-san…" Izuku began. "Whoa!"
Ochaco was squeezing her hands atop the table, her brows pinched together.
"Is that you, Uraraka-kun? Your brow, it's so wrinkled!" Iida exclaimed.
"Ahhh, I'm just so nervous!" Ochaco sighed. "My opponent is that girl, after all."
"Oh, you mean Kodai-san." Izuku said softly.
The girl who beat the crap out of me. Again, Izuku wisely decided to keep his mouth shut.
"Yeah. I won't lie, I'm super scared." Ochaco began playing with her fingers. "She's strong, fast, and smart. And I'm just… me. Everyone's giving it their all here, so there's no doubt that she's gonna go all out, too. She's amazing."
"So are you." Izuku blurted out.
Ochaco looked up. "H-huh?"
"Kodai-san might be strong, but… you have your own strengths too, Uraraka-san!" the green-haired boy nodded. "You've saved me so many times. I thought I'd help you out in my own way, even if it's just a little…"
Izuku pulled out a notebook from his back pocket, this one fresh and new compared to the burnt, tattered mess he was known for carrying around.
"This is a strategy that I drafted for you. It's based on Kodai-san's Quirk and yours." Izuku said. "It's super hasty last-minute stuff, but… this is what I came up with."
"Oho! You must be pleased, Uraraka-kun! Now there's another way to fight back!" Iida nodded excitedly.
"Thank you, Deku-kun." Ochaco smiled. "But it's fine."
"Huh?"
"You were awesome out there, Deku-kun. You entered the spotlight so incredibly quickly! For the Cavalry Battle I said I'd team up with friends, but…" The brunette touched her fingertips together sheepishly. "If I'm being truly honest with myself, I realize that I may have been counting on you to pull through once again. It's like I'm riding on your coattails."
Ochaco rose from her chair.
"That's why when Iida said he was challenging you, I grew a little ashamed of myself."
The two boys said nothing, allowing her to let out those repressed feelings.
"So I think it's all right! Everyone's doing their best with their own futures in mind… so in a way, everybody's each other's rivals." The brunette turned to them, a wobbly little smile on her face. "Let's meet up at the final match!"
Izuku and Iida exchanged glances, before slowly smiling themselves.
"Let's."
The next few minutes were spent in some agonizing contemplation when Izuku tried not to think about Shinso's snakes and instead focused on Ochaco's upcoming match. He had to watch this.
"Back to our regularly scheduled program, ladies and gents, boys and girls! Are you ready? Let's make some NOOOOIIIISSSEEE!"
The roar of the crowd was deafening, a wave of sound circling around the stadium as Present Mic waved his hand and hyped them up. The girls of Class 1-A watched in nervous anticipation as their friend and classmate readied herself for battle.
"That's right, it's the match you have all been waiting for! The ONE, and ONLY girl-on-girl match we have in this tournament so far!" More cheering erupted in the crowd. "Hold your horses, and horses hold your breaths because we are about to go for a riiideeeeee! It's the second-last match of the first round..."
"Ah, it's that match." Tsuyu said from behind Izuku. "The match that's bound to be the most exciting."
"Or upsetting." Jiro remarked from beside her. "I feel like I might look away the entire time."
You can do it, Uraraka-san… Izuku thought, fingers curling into fists in his lap.
"I'm curious, Midoriya-kun. What was the counter strategy you came up with for her against Kodai-san?" Iida asked.
"Oh, that? It's nothing brilliant or anything." Izuku put a hand to his chin. "The strength of Kodai-san's Quirk lies in its simplicity. She has the ability to change the size of whatever she touches… including herself. This doesn't seem to apply to living beings, or at least, organic matter with the exception of her own body. If it were she could have shrunk me during the Cavalry Battle and have me wrapped around her finger."
"Hmmm." Iida nodded, listening intently.
"The power to shrink and grow may not seem all that powerful, but when she changes size she retains the strength she had in her regular form. Energy seems to be compressed so she has the force of a regular person behind a fist the size of a ball bearing. It's like she's a bullet." Izuku's hand hovered over some of the still healing bruises he'd received. "She's got speed and maneuverability up close, but what really interests me is the giant form. I just can't figure it out; how does her body withstand all that mass, and where does she draw it form? How is she able to have super strength in that form when the tiny form's strength is based on her regular one's? There has to be an explanation."
"Midoriya-kun, most Quirks can't be explained by conventional science."
Izuku steepled his hands together, deep in thought.
"I know, but I'm willing to try for Uraraka-san's sake. Kodai-san's tough, but she's not invincible. Uraraka-san's Zero Gravity has a weight limit that outmatches that giant form. If she can get her to float, she can gain the initiative from there. The main problem is that…"
"She needs to get close enough to touch her." Iida said nervously.
"Yeah, and Kodai-san knows how to fight. All Uraraka-san needs is a single touch, but her opponent excels in close-quarters-combat. Their Quirks are both touch-based, too."
Izuku grit his teeth. Ochaco was smart and had most likely already thought of a similar strategy, but Yui wasn't a fool either. Tiny Dancer would tear the poor girl to shreds, just like it had done with him. Then she still had to consider Yui's counter-strategy.
Ochaco stepped into the arena, a confident frown on her face. Her petite hands were clenched tight in an effort to stop herself from trembling.
"In the red corner; hailing from Mie prefecture and the Hero Department! Uraraka Ochaco!"
The crowd cheered for Ochaco, Izuku and Iida among them. The girls of 1-A went one step further and stood, yelling out their dear friend's name in a show of support. Even the timid Momo had joined in.
"Fight! Show her what you're made of!"
"YEAH! Kick her butt, Ochaco-chan! Revenge for the cinnamon roll!"
"D-do your best, desuwa!"
At the opposite end of the arena Ochaco's opponent stepped in, her features cold and expressionless as usual.
"In the blue corner; hailing from Shimane Prefecture and also in the Hero Department! Kodai Yui!"
Thunderous cheers and whoops erupted from the stands. Some of Yui's classmates stood and cheered as well, a mirrored echo of what the 1-A girls had done for Ochaco. Izuku gulped, thinking of who he should support.
Definitely Ochaco.
"In this battle of two cuties only one can come out on top! Only one will walk away to continue to the next round! Your next potential champion could be one of them! Vote now on your phones!"
"Ignore that last part." Aizawa said curtly.
"Without further ado, let's get ready to RUMMMMBBBLLLEEEEE!" Present Mic screamed. "Match STARRRTTTT!"
Uraraka Ochaco took a deep breath while her opponent stared at her from across the arena.
"U-um, let's have a good match!" Ochaco called.
"Nn." Yui nodded.
The moment the pre-fight greetings were over there was movement. Yui brought her hands together and shifted into maximum size, her six-meter form towering over a stunned Ochaco. The Class 1-A brunette took an involuntary step back in fear, and Izuku didn't blame her. Most people would have been terrified if a giant suddenly appeared before them. The sheer intimidation factor of that massive form was a psychological attack that froze Ochaco on the spot.
Yui moved and was much faster than a being of that size should have been capable of, crossing the long stretch of ground between them in the span of a few seconds. She'd been injured during the Cavalry Battle, slowing her down the already glacier-like giant form greatly. Now? She had a full tank of gas for an engine of destruction.
The giant reached down and swiped at Ochaco, but the gravity girl did something completely unexpected. She charged instead of retreating, ducking under Yui's swing that would have slapped her out of the arena. Pivoting on her heel she dodged another attack by running between the giant's legs, barely getting away from being stomped on.
Good, disorient her! Tangle her limbs!
Ochaco darted back and forth, utilizing a cat-and-mouse approach to stretch out the encounter. She reached out to tag Yui on one of her legs—
Yui jumped. An earthquake rocked the stadium when she landed, throwing up a cloud of dust and cratering her landing zone. The shockwave washed past the safety shields protecting the audience, sending hair and snacks billowing. Ochaco was thrown back, tumbling across the shattered ground painfully.
To her credit the brunette got right back up again, flexing her fingers for another attack run. Ochaco kicked off the ground, floating herself into the dust cloud and bravely venturing into the unknown…
Only to have a giant hand surge through the cloud and grab her entire body. The audience cried out, and so did Izuku. Ochaco struggled against her captor but she simply wasn't strong enough to break free. Yui started walking towards the arena's edge, preparing to gently drop Ochaco out of bounds.
That was when the tide turned.
A pink glow raced across the giant girl's body, the strange energy field originating from her hand. Ochaco had managed to apply her Quirk! Yui's eyes widened in alarm. Izuku expected her to suddenly start floating but something completely different happened instead.
There was a resounding crack like a giant rubber band snapping and Yui shrunk back down to regular size. Ochaco was released, landing after releasing her Quirk. Yui however looked to be… nauseous? Her usual empty expression was now replaced with a grimace, the brunette clutching her body painfully.
What? Why didn't she float instead?
Ochaco looked just as confused as Izuku felt but decided to capitalize on the opportunity. She charged and Yui responded by shrinking, winding up a fist. It crashed into Ochaco's soft cheek but the gravity girl's fingers just barely managed to skim her opponent, and Izuku was surprised to see the size-shifter returning back to normal size once more. Yui landed on her side with a loud crash, recovering with a quick kip-up.
It didn't make sense. Why did Yui return to regular size when she had the advantage in her tiny form? She could clearly hold it much longer than her giant one. The gears spun in Izuku's head. She wouldn't change back unless… it wasn't voluntary. He took another look at Yui and found her clutching her body again, clearly in some sort of pain. She was forced to return to normal size?
Ochaco was beginning to realize what happened. She surged forward, now on the offensive. Yui dodged and backpedaled, her eyes laser-focused on Ochaco's hands. Avoiding her touch.
Avoiding her Quirk.
"It's Zero Gravity." Izuku whispered, eyes wide with realization. "Uraraka-san's Quirk interferes with Kodai-san's! It forces her to change back to normal!"
"Huh?! What does gravity have to do with size-changing?" Mina asked from behind him, rocking his seat back and forth.
Size-changing. Emitter. Striker-type Quirk. Both Quirks applied via hands. Touch based. Physical contact required. Contact implies application. Application implies localised effect on target, and only target. Effect is field, similar to Uraraka's? Izuku thought, the world around him slowing down. Zero Gravity negates gravitational force, negates air resistance, inertia. Entrance exam rescue and Aizawa-sensei's test supports hypothesis. Changes, alters target. Similar. Size alters target in what way? Mass, weight? Inconsistent with enhanced strength shown. Reducing/enlarging… Makes attacks against her smaller when giant, makes her own attacks bigger when tiny? Interferes/disrupted by gravity? Gravity affects—
"It's not size-changing." Izuku answered, finally connecting the dots with the missing piece he'd found. "It's space. I think that Kodai-san's Quirk applies a field that alters the space around whatever she touches, thereby changing its size. It's why her clothes don't rip when she turns giant, and why she can turn tiny and still be able to breathe normally. It's how she bypasses the square-cube law. A Quirk that alters space…"
"And gravity is the curvature of space and time." Hagakure said, her voice lighting up with hope and excitement.
"Um, I don't think it's as simple as that…" Momo began.
"KICK HER SPACE-WARPING BUTT, OCHACO-CHAN!" Mina yelled.
Ochaco lunged forward, spurred on by the supportive cheers of her friends. Three consecutive swipes lashed out at Yui but she backstepped each time, her legs braced in a heavy, angular stance that seemed somewhat familiar to Izuku. It was some kind of martial art… Yui still had that pained expression in her eyes, Izuku realizing that whatever Ochaco's Quirk had done to her was lingering. The size-changing girl stumbled before catching herself, taking another wide step back just before Ochaco's palm could slap her across the face. She narrowly dodged the blow and Izuku noticed her chest rising and falling erratically with each strained breath. He could see her trying to change sizes but something was wrong, wincing every time she tried. Ochaco had the advantage now.
The arcs of Ochaco's attacks were much too wide, leaving her open for multiple counterattacks. Luckily for her Yui was too disoriented from the earlier Quirk backlash to exploit those openings, focusing on keeping herself upright and balanced.
If one were to judge by Quirks then both girls were close-combat types, needing to get in close to apply the effect of their Quirks on objects. However, they could also apply their Quirks on themselves. While Ochaco could float, Yui could turn herself big for height and reach advantage or small for maneuverability and speed. Unfortunately Ochaco's Quirk directly countered that aspect—the moment she got her hands on Yui she would be forced back to normal, hurting her in the process.
The Class B brunette decided to rely on her fighting skills instead, seemingly aiming to end the match before she succumbed to whatever Ochaco's Quirk was doing to her. Though she was clearly disoriented, slowed and off-balance from the devastating effect Zero Gravity had unleashed upon her body, Yui was still able to fight. She slipped under Ochaco's swipe and trapped her arm, hooking a leg behind her opponent's and pushing for a classic takedown. Ochaco fell with a crash, gasping from the impact. Yui took a mounted position. She could have gone for a choke but knew she'd be vulnerable to Ochaco's touch, so she opted to go for this to keep the other girl's hands occupied.
"Arms up, keep your arms up!" Izuku cried, nails digging into his palms while he watched his friend get pinned down. "Get out of there!"
Ochaco kept enough of her senses to protect her head, forearms shielding the haymakers that rained down on her like hammer strikes. Many gasped at the sheer brutality of their match and Izuku couldn't help but grit his teeth. While he wasn't exactly sure how specialized Yui was in close combat, he could be sure of one thing.
She was far more specialized than Ochaco.
Her bare knuckles were pummeling her opponent relentlessly; when Ochaco tried to twist herself out of the pin Yui simply grabbed hold and raised her in the air before slamming her back down with a horrific crash. The assault continued, Ochaco's guard rapidly deteriorating from each one of those heavy strikes.
"—and Kodai is just beating Uraraka like she's a side of beef! That savagery sure doesn't match that stoic expression of hers; what have you been teaching these kids, Vlad-sensei?!" Present Mic yelled. "Good God, you do that to someone on the street they'd lock you up and call you a villain!"
It was clear that the audience hadn't been expecting to see this kind of battle. When the jumbotron first displayed the pictures of the two pretty girls who would be fighting they had probably thought of a cute catfight, with hair-pulling and dishevelled outfits at the end of it. What was happening on the arena floor was the complete opposite; it looked more like a brutal MMA match.
A sudden snap and a flash of pink light ended the engagement, Yui's body thrown backwards and sent tumbling over broken earth when Ochaco finally managed to apply her Quirk; the other girl was forced to size-shift and cancel the floating effect before she got flung out of bounds. Yui got up on shaking legs, a trail of bright red streaking down her nose. She didn't seem to be as badly affected compared to the first backlash, Izuku noted. Diminishing returns, perhaps.
"S-sorry!"
"Nn."
The stoic girl nodded and closed in, carefully managing her spacing. Yui's explosive jab connected and Ochaco's head snapped backward while the audience cried out, Present Mic yelling something into the mic. Izuku bit his lip. There was an audible click when Ochaco retaliated and slammed her counterpart's jaw shut with an upward swing.
A collective 'oooohh' of shock and awe ran through the crowd when Yui leapt onto Ochaco, body twisting to use her momentum to swing around her like a gymnast in a series of mind-numbing spins. Ochaco was thrown to the ground with a devastating crash while Yui landed, having used the other girl's body weight against her.
Ochaco staggered as she got up painfully, looking almost ready to faint.
Almost. She refused to go down and caught her footing with a rattling breath, standing strong and defiant against all odds. Slender hands wrapped around the back of Ochaco's neck before a sharp knee was driven into her ribs. Ochaco landed a liver shot in exchange but it was far too light, her opponent simply tanking it.
The gravity-girl retreated, clutching her side and breathing heavily. She was still standing on trembling legs, bringing her arms up in a rough imitation of what Izuku had done in the Cavalry Battle. Her ferocious attacks lased out but missed by a hair's breadth each time. There was a moment where she got close but Yui's jacket exploded with massive chunks of stone and sent the two flying apart, the size-changing girl having hidden a handful of rocks that were tagged with Size under the fabric like a suicide vest. Either the debuff from Zero Gravity was starting to wear off, or Yui was starting to adapt to it.
Ochaco huffed and pushed herself back up once more. Yui tossed her torn jacket into the wind, loading her fists. It was revealed to be a complete feint when she flung a pebble at Ochaco's feet and caused it to bounce, the tiny projectile suddenly turning into a basketball-sized chunk that still retained its thrown speed and crashed into her stomach. Ochaco staggered, wracked with pain.
The green-haired boy's mind spun, shifting into gear and analyzing the situation. Something was wrong. Yui could have easily won if she just sat back and threw enlarged rocks at Ochaco… or perhaps she knew she'd be countered when Ochaco threw them right back. She could have opened with Tiny Dancer and cut Ochaco down, but instead she chose to go giant and tried to gently place her out of bounds. Yui only started to ramp up when Ochaco began putting up a fight, and that gleam in her eyes afterwards; It was just like the battle she had with him. Respect, admiration, and excitement mixed as one. She was… enjoying the thrill of battle?
She doesn't care if she wins or loses. Izuku realized. She just wants a good fight.
"Come on, Uraraka-san!" Izuku shouted, not caring what others nearby thought of him. "If you can't go over her, go under her! Close the gap, you can do it!"
There had to be a way. Use the environment, the surroundings, anything. There had to be a way! His thoughts were drowned out by the cheers from most of Class A. Even Iida was taking part, and Izuku barely noticed that both he and the taller boy were standing.
It was almost as if Ochaco heard his thoughts, sweeping her hand along the broken ground. A makeshift barrier of debris floated between the two girls, and Izuku hoped that it would slow Yui down.
Instead of forcing her way through the obstacle the opposing brunette slipped through it, shrinking down and bouncing from rock to rock like a pinball. Izuku watched, mind racing. Yui looked to be in pain and was definitely slower than before thanks to Zero Gravity's debilitating effect, much slower than she had been in the Cavalry Battle. She could be beaten!
What Ochaco did next was nothing short of ingenious. She gathered a handful of stones around her and held them in both hands, fingers flicking to shoot the makeshift projectiles with high speed. As her fingers flicked out the tips rubbed against each other, deactivating her Quirk a split second later. Within that split second the rocks had already left her hand and gained speed, the air resistance around them negated from her Quirk. When it deactivated those projectiles still retained their earlier momentum; a scattering of projectiles now speeding towards a still tiny Yui.
The shotgun blast of rock and debris smacked Yui out of the air, the girl changing back to normal size. Ochaco released another scatter blast but Yui responded with an attack of her own, tossing two baseball-sized chunks of rock at her. An unearthly cyan glow surrounded the projectiles and they grew into boulders twenty times their original size, blocking Ochaco's shot and forcing her to leap to the side.
Ochaco made herself weightless and surged forward with a battlecry while her fingers skimmed the ground, Yui meeting her charge in the middle of the battlefield. Their hands crashed, fingers interlocking. Pink and cyan auras flared and crackled as both girls tried to apply their Quirks on each other, esoteric energies clashing and roiling off them in waves. Yui was not thrown backwards this time and Izuku knew she figured it out. Her Quirk couldn't be applied to living things… but it affected Ochaco's. If one could interfere with the other, the opposite was true as well.
There was a high-pitched whine when Zero Gravity and Size screamed with power, ethereal pink and cyan light flashing within clasped hands. The air around them rippled as space shuddered and flexed when the two Quirks struggled against each other, the laws of physics twisted by human thought. Rocks around the two started floating and stuttering, shrinking and growing erratically… all without either girl touching them. A piercing snap split the air and the fighters were forced apart roughly.
Ochaco doubled over in pain from the Quirk backlash that cancelled her floating, and Yui moved in for the kill despite the same backlash that she also received. The size-changing girl spear-tackled Ochaco and brought her opponent to the ground once more, this time wrapping her legs around the other girl's torso and catching her in an armbar.
Ochaco let out a pained scream when Yui pulled, attempting to force her into submission.
"Goddamn, I can't watch this!" Jiro exclaimed, covering her eyes.
"Come on, Kero…" Tsuyu said nervously.
"Get her out of there, she's gonna kill her!" Hagakure cried.
Present Mic's commentary was mixing together with the audience's voices to form a deafening howl. Ochaco struggled, managing to bring her fingertips together despite the armlock.
"R-release."
Yui finally looked up. Countless chunks of stone rained down around them, forcing her to go giant to protect both herself and Ochaco from the reckless, self-destructive attack. A particularly large chunk of rock shattered over the giant girl's shoulder blade and still-healing collarbone, the cameras capturing how Yui cried out in pain. Another large chunk impacted the back of her head, jerking it downward. With the distraction in place Ochaco managed to free herself only for the rain of fragments to end soon after. Her opponent shrunk back to normal, visibly dazed.
This was it. She could win! Ochaco lunged—
A speeding knee drove the air from Ochaco's body. The backspin elbow to the cheek stunned her, stars exploding in her vision. One heel arched off the ground, hips twisting and preparing to cut through the air. Izuku gasped.
Yui's roundhouse kick smashed into Ochaco's temple with a sickening crack that resonated through the stadium, and the brunette knew no more.
[x]
'When I grow up, I wanna be a hero! I'll earn lots of money for you and mommy!'
'A hero, eh? Being a hero is tough, perilous! Do you have what it takes, honey?"
'I do! Mommy said that…" Ochaco's tiny face scrunched up as she remembered the words. 'All I gotta do is believe in myself!'
'That's the spirit! You have to believe! If you believe you can do it, anything is possible! Never let uncertainty hold you back!'
'Yeah!'
'Now, my sweet little Ochaco…' Her father smiled, her tiny hand held in his as he began to float. 'Do you believe in Gravity?'
Ochaco's eyes fluttered open, mildly confused as to why her face was pressed against the ground. Then the pain hit like a wave, a red-hot spike that hammered itself into her nervous system. She trembled from it, instinctively curling up into a fetal position. Midnight was counting in the background, her words muffled and incoherent.
A metallic taste mixed with dirt was in her mouth. The roar of the audience was still audible through the ringing in her ears, fading in and out. Her eyelids felt like they were being tugged by lead weights, the comforting lure of unconsciousness at the edge of her mind.
She wanted to cry, despair seeping into her thoughts. It was hopeless. Yui was just too strong, and she was just… plain old Ochaco.
"DON'T GIVE UP!"
A single voice cut through the haze of noise, stirring Ochaco from the allure of darkness. Soft brown eyes started to focus.
Deku-kun?
"YOU CAN DO IT, URARAKA-SAN!" Midoriya Izuku screamed from the crowd, his cheering the loudest amongst her classmates. "I BELIEVE IN YOU!"
Soft fingerpads dug into the dirt. Her friends were cheering for her. The girls of Class 1-A cried out again, their voices blending together in a stream of support. She… she couldn't give up. Not here. Not now. They still believed in her!
Slowly but surely, Ochaco pushed herself up. The roar of the audience grew to an ear-splitting crescendo with each passing second and every step. Wherever her hands roamed, things began to float.
The gravity-defying girl stood unsteadily; first on one leg, then the other. Step by step. She stumbled, barely managing to stand on her own two feet and looking like she was about to collapse.
But she still moved forward.
"It's not over, I repeat, IT'S NOT OVER! Uraraka Ochaco has gotten back up, she's not going down without a fight! The absolute tenacity of this girl is astounding!" Present Mic started shaking Aizawa wildly in the announcer's booth. "What are you and Vlad teaching these kids?!"
Yui wiped the blood from her nose and Ochaco replicated the motion with a shaking hand. Her opponent looked around, knowing that the majority were cheering for Ochaco. Her gaze shot toward Ochaco and her friends, a twinge of jealousy in her heart.
Ochaco's lungs were on fire, her body just begging, screaming for her to stop. Amidst the chaos and hysteria a singular image resurfaced in her head; the picture of her friend Deku smiling while on a date with this other girl before her. She didn't understand why, but…
She didn't want to lose to her again.
Both combatants stared at each other from where they stood, knowing that it was now or never. Fingers flexed and prepared to touch and the two girls said the exact same words, at the exact same time.
""RELEASE!""
Rocks fell from the sky like a Meteor Shower. Giant Stepsshook the earth. Twin hammerfists smashed into where Ochaco stood while heavy stone rained down on the two combatants, throwing up a massive cloud of choking dust and sending tremors reverberating through the entire stadium. Nearly everyone in the audience rose from their seats.
Dark blue cloth was flattened under one of Yui's gargantuan fists. Iida gasped in horror and Momo fainted into Jiro's arms. Izuku's eyes were wide, burning the scene into his memory.
The giant girl lifted her hands only to reveal that she had missed; all she managed to catch was Ochaco's gym jacket which now fluttered in the wind. Yui looked around in confusion, her disoriented state apparent in her rapidly weakening posture. It was clear that she couldn't hold the giant form much longer.
"My daddy once told me…"
Yui's gaze shot upward, her eyes turning wide. The air above her was filled with hundreds of rocks, and in the middle of it all stood Uraraka Ochaco. She had somehow gathered that much ammunition under the cover of the dust cloud.
"...that the best way to understand gravity is when you hit the ground." Ochaco said, shakily making her way up the floating field of stone like she was walking up a spiral staircase. "If you fall, just get back up again. You have to believe you can do it."
Ochaco and Yui locked gazes. The giant girl tensed her legs, readying to jump.
"And I believe in my Gravity."
The earth split open from the force of Yui's legs. The goliath leaped, hand drawn back into a fist.
"Stairway to Heaven!"
Trembling fingertips touched and the floating spiral staircase turned into an avalanche that smashed into Yui a moment later, sending her crashing into the ground. The relentless assault of stone and debris lasted for a full three seconds, burying Ochaco's opponent in a pile of rubble. The gravity-defying girl landed unsteadily to the cries of an amazed audience.
"She's done it! Uraraka has made a massive counterattack! Kodai has been immobilized under that rockslide of dooooooommm!" Present Mic yelled, shaking Aizawa hysterically. "Midnight's starting the count! Is this really it?!"
A hand burst from the pile of rock and the blood drained from Ochaco's face while the audience collectively drew a sharp breath. Yui pulled herself out from the rubble, bruised and limping. One of her arms hung loosely at her side while she brought her gaze up to Ochaco.
'No way… even after all that?'
Yui took a few steps forward but went down on one knee, fully aware of how Midnight continued her countdown once she did so. Ochaco's eyes widened in realization.
"Three!"
The Class B brunette tilted her head and gave her counterpart a contemplative look, and Ochaco seemed to feel a sort of… satisfaction in Yui's gaze. For the first time, she saw the other girl smile. Just a tiny, barely noticeable smile.
"Two!"
Yui nodded and leaned backward, collapsing to the ground. Just before the final count she raised a hand to show that she was okay, directing a tired thumbs up at Ochaco.
"One! ZERRRROOOOO!" Midnight declared, her whip snapping through the air. "Kodai Yui is unable to continue! THE WINNER! IS! URARAKA OCHACOOOOOOO!"
A tidal wave of sound rocked the entire stadium when the crowd exploded with cheers and whistles, the girls of Class 1-A hugging each other and screaming with joy. Izuku and Iida roared, their victorious cheers reaching into the skies above.
"SHE'S DONE IT! Behold! Uraraka Ochaco has made a glorious comeback, rising from the ashes, snatching VICTORY from the jaws of defeat!" Present Mic howled. "What a match ladies and gents, what a match!"
In the stands of Class 1-B Kendo sighed and smiled while applauding with the rest of the class, and Reiko had a satisfied smirk on her face like a cat who'd caught a canary. The pale girl fiddled with a tiny device on her shoulder discreetly.
Ochaco basked in the glory for a moment, sniffling before quickly remembering where she was. She wiped the joyous tears from her eyes and limped over to Yui's form, the prone brunette shooting her a confused glance.
Yui's confusion increased when Ochaco offered her a hand. The audience watched and held their breaths until she took it and the gravity girl helped her up, a second round of cheers and applause resounding through the stadium. The deafening cacophony only got louder when Yui raised Ochaco's arm, declaring her as the winner.
"A beautiful display of sportsmanship, just beautiful!" Present Mic sniffed, blowing his nose into a handkerchief. "I take it all back, Aizawa, Vlad. You two have done a wonderful job teaching them! Let's give a round of applause to both combatants!"
There was a moment where both girls simply stood in the midst of those cheers, sharing a moment of calm after the vicious battle. Ochaco found that she didn't resent her opponent at all; not one bit. She admired her strength. Yui held out her hand respectfully, and Ochaco shook it. Several camera flashes blinded them before they parted ways, with the stoic girl giving her a light wave before shakily making her way to the other end of the arena.
"Uraraka-san!"
Ochaco turned her head to see Izuku and Iida barreling down the corridor once she'd reached the edge of the arena. She limped towards them and met Izuku in a tight hug, causing the green-haired boy to freeze in place.
"W-whoa! U-uraraka-san?!"
"Thank you, Deku-kun." she smiled, leaning into his shoulder and breathing heavily. "For believing in me. I heard you... loud and clear."
"A-ah." Izuku's hands came up to pat her on the back awkwardly. "I'm glad you did."
"Congratulations, Uraraka-kun!" Iida exclaimed, catching both Izuku and Ochaco in a big hug and squeezing them closer together. "A truly magnificent battle worthy of the U.A records!"
"Thanks…" Ochaco said, feeling the warmth creep up Izuku's body as he blushed.
"Uraraka-chan!"
"Ochaco-chan!"
The girls of 1-A streamed in a moment later, allowing Izuku to finally get some reprieve while they congratulated their friend's victory. Ochaco's tears began streaming down her face as the other girls swept her up into a big hug, celebrating her victory. She let herself fall into their arms, finally allowing the comforting call of darkness to take over. Here, she was safe and among friends.
Today, she had believed in herself.