Chapter 68: School Resumes
After sending Ochako a message and wishing her a good night, Izuku settled into bed. Closing his eyes, he let his consciousness be carried off deep into the confines of One For All. There, he awoke in the lobby of the observatory, where Nana was already waiting for him.
"Hey grandma," Izuku greeted.
"Hey Izu." Nana smiled softly back. "Since you're not crying, I hope it's good news?"
"Mhm." Izuku nodded before looking around. "Why don't we go somewhere to talk?"
"Not gonna wait for Ochako?"
"She's catching up with Tsu," Izuku explained, "and said to get started without her."
Nodding, Nana led Izuku toward a small office that she had dedicated a lot of time to redecorating. There were several padded leather chairs that she had obtained from around the observatory, as well as a makeshift fireplace that she found materials for somewhere. Of course it wasn't lit, but she claimed it gave the room ambiance, and it was her preferred place to talk to Izuku when they talked about family, rather than business involving One For All.
After sitting down, Nana closed her eyes and lazily spun in her chair. While Izuku sat down, she came to a stop, perfectly facing Izuku. She opened her eyes and looked at her grandson.
"So what happened with Tenko?"
Izuku spent the next several minutes repeating what his mom had told him, exactly as she wanted him to tell her mother. That All Might never got through to him, and that Tenko's hatred for heroes runs deep - but it wasn't just because of All For One. Even from a young age, Kotaro forbade the talk of heroes to the point of being physically abusive.
"Kotaro…" Nana gasped, her hands covering her mouth. "He… what happened to him?"
"He…" Izuku looked away from his grandmother. "I'm sorry."
"Izu." Nana lowered her hands. "What did Inko tell you?"
"She…" Izuku swallowed the lump in his throat before forcing himself to look at the vestige. "He hated heroes. He always resented you for choosing… for choosing to be a hero over raising him and leaving him to the foster system."
Nana was glad she was sitting when she heard the news. Her legs felt weak, and she didn't trust herself to stand. Tears stung her eyes as she tried to form words, but the best she was able to muster were formless sounds. Izuku seemed to understand, and she soon felt his arms wrap around her shoulders as he leaned into her, offering her the vague memories of warmth as he tried to hug her.
"I'm sorry," Izuku whispered. "I didn't want to tell you but mom insisted–"
Nana shook her head, feeling the tears falling. "N-no." She finally managed to croak out. "She was right." Adjusting herself, she managed to free her arms and wrapped them around her grandson. "I just… need a moment."
"Okay," Izuku said softly, refusing to let her go.
Nana held tightly onto Izuku, using him as a lifeline while the guilt and sorrow tore through her. After her husband was killed and she found out she was pregnant with a second child, she knew that she didn't have a choice. Her children would always be in danger as long as All For One still lived. Without any other option available, she gave her son up, abandoning him into the care of others in the hopes that he would escape All For One's wrath.
As for her daughter… she tried her hardest to hide her pregnancy, not daring to trust anyone with the information for fear that All For One would discover her daughter. And when it was time to have Inko, she arranged for her sister to pick her up from the hospital directly. Every day, Nana regretted never being able to hold her daughter and watch her grow up. Even the few times she saw her were from a distance, watching her sister and daughter from afar.
To learn that Kotaro resented her for all of that…
"I wish it was different," Nana whispered to Izuku. "That we could have been a family. But it wasn't meant to be. To think All For One tore my family apart and then used that to twist my grandchildren to his ends…"
Izuku winced as he felt Nana's fingers dig into his back. "It's not too late. We– Mom. She managed to get through to Tenko!"
"Of course she did," Nana said. Taking a deep breath, she finally pulled away from Izuku, releasing him as she sat back in her chair. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Izuku said as he looked down at her weary face. "Are you ready to hear the rest?"
"I think so." Nana took a deep breath. "Tell me what happened."
Izuku sat back down and then continued. He told Nana about how his mom managed to break through. And while it wasn't a total success, it was a start.
"And Toshinori promised to help her see him again. Maybe even keep him out of Tartarus," Izuku concluded.
"That's…" Nana found tears coming again, but they were happy tears this time. "...more than I could have hoped for."
"You thought Tenko was a lost cause, didn't you?" asked Izuku softly.
"Yep." Nana nodded once. "I'd rather… after spending nearly two decades fighting All For One, it was too much to bank on hope," she admitted. "I'd rather be happily surprised by this outcome than to have hoped for it from the beginning only to be disappointed when it failed."
"I'm glad Mom was able to surprise you," Izuku said softly.
"Me too." Nana let out a fond sigh. "I'm glad at least one of my kids turned out alright."
"Do you… do you feel the same way about Hana?"
Nana looked at Izuku and gave him a broken smile. "I already know what you're thinking. And yes…" She spun her chair around, facing away from him before leaning back to stare at the ceiling. "I just can't hope. Not yet. I've already found you and Inko. That was more than I ever deserved. If Inko manages to help Tenko find his way back from the path of villainy, that would be nothing short of a miracle. Knowing you want to go after Hana too…"
"We'll find a way," Izuku said.
Nana closed her eyes in an attempt to hold back the tears. "I hope you prove me wrong."
Izuku sat there, trying to think of some way to convince his grandmother that they'd be able to pull it off when he heard the door handle twist before it pushed open.
"Sorry I'm late!" Ochako said with a hint of exasperation in her voice. "I got to talking to Tsu and we just went overboard and I–"
Nana chuckled as she spun around. "It's okay. I think we're just about done here."
"We are?" Izuku asked.
Nana spun around in the chair to face her grandson again as her eyes darted between the two teens. "Yeah. You two should go relax. I've got a lot to think about."
Ochako shot Izuku a questioning glance, and he gave her a small gesture to tell her that he'd tell her later, which quelled her curiosity. Turning his attention back toward his grandmother, Izuku stood up. "If there's anything you need, you know where to find us."
"Of course I do," Nana chuckled. "Don't worry, you're off the hook for tonight."
Nana watched the two retreat out of the room, her gaze lingering on the door as it sealed behind them. With a weary sigh, she turned her chair toward the fireplace, once again wishing she could find a way to light it. It was always her dream to have a small house somewhere in rural Japan where she could eventually retreat and live out the rest of her days peacefully. Something to look forward to if she ever managed to triumph over All For One.
A dream that was tragically cut short.
As she sat there, she imagined Inko and Toshi sitting there next to her while Izuku and Ochako told stories of their latest missions as pro heroes. But this time, she imagined Tenko standing in the corner, brooding and sulking, just like his dad – her son – used to.
"You always were a difficult child, Kotaro." Nana closed her eyes and dismissed the vision. "Thank you, Inko."
The first day back was a quiet, somber affair for most of the students of 1-A. And while that was because two of their loudest classmates were missing, it was the reason why they were missing that was the problem.
Both were still in the hospital, serving as a reminder of the attack they had all been a part of.
However, as the day passed, things slowly returned to normal – as normal as they could be. By the time classes were dismissed for the day, half the class was able to pretend things were normal again. Or at least as normal as you can get at a hero high school.
By the next morning, the gloom that had filled the classroom was mostly gone, and the students were back to their morning routine before homeroom. They had broken into small groups of twos and threes and were talking amongst themselves until they heard the door open to reveal their teacher. Scrambling to their desks, they sat down as Aizawa walked to the front desk and silently surveyed his classroom. Once satisfied, he gave his students a single nod before speaking.
"I would like to announce that we have come to a decision, and the Sports Festival is still going to proceed as normal."
It was a bit of a lie - they had never intended to cancel the Sports Festival to begin with, hoping that the attack at the USJ would be the end for the League of Villains. However, they conducted multiple meetings over the past two days trying to determine the best way to proceed in light of how events played out.
"For real?"
"Even after that?"
"Aren't you worried?"
"It makes sense," Ochako called out from her seat. After she had everyone's attention, she looked at Aizawa. "After all, we don't want to make the villains think they can get away with this, right?" She saw a few of her classmates nodding their heads, prompting her to give them an encouraging smile. "Besides, we're not the only class here. It would suck if the entire school year revolved around us."
"Uraraka is right," Aizawa continued from the front of the room. "The sports festival gives everyone, not just Hero Course students, a chance to show off. It would be unfair to them if we canceled on account of one class. However, we understand some of you may be concerned in light of recent events. Therefore, if anyone isn't comfortable joining in the Sports Festival, you may let me know privately, and you will be allowed to sit out – we will not hold it against you. In the meantime, are there any questions?"
Finding none, Aizawa began explaining how the students could begin training for their first festival.
At the end of the day, Ochako packed her bag before she stood up. She then looked over at Tenya and Tsuyu as they approached her desk.
"You two ready to visit the support labs?"
"Yes, kero."
"Indeed. I have been in Ingenium's support department so I am curious how they compare."
Ochako gave them a soft smile and nod before she walked over to the storage locker. Keying in the code, she watched it slide open and retrieved her case; her friends did the same. After giving Izuku a small wave goodbye, she then led the two out of the classroom and toward the stairs. While she had been up to Melissa's lab once already, she wasn't aware of the other two ever stepping foot on the upper floors of the school, so it was a new experience for them as the three climbed to the third floor and made their way to the support wing of the school.
Ochako couldn't help but smile at Tenya's hesitancy as they approached the labs. The three heard strange sounds and noticed the somewhat crowded hallways littered with crates, each having pieces of support equipment poking out - the product of many failed experiments as they designed usable support gear.
Suddenly, the three froze as they heard the sound of a distant explosion.
"What was that?" Tenya asked, suddenly on high alert.
"Was it from the labs?"
"It was probably one of the first years," Ochako muttered as she thought of a specific support student.
Fortunately, she was saved from having to explain herself by a door opening and the very girl they were looking for stepping out. Melissa looked down the hallway curiously until she spotted the trio. With a smile and wave, she urged them forward. "Hey Ochako, are you breaking my gear already?"
"I wouldn't say that," Ochako admitted. "But the integrity is a lot lower than it should be."
Melissa frowned. "Alright, we can discuss that. And who are your friends?"
"Tsuyu Asui, but you can call me Tsu, kero."
"I am Tenya Iida! It is a pleasure to make acquaintances with someone from I-Island!"
"Iida…" Melissa said thoughtfully as she placed her index finger on her lips. Eyes lighting up, she snapped her fingers. "Ingenium, right?"
"That is correct." Tenya smiled proudly. "I come from a proud line of heroes. Currently, my brother Tensei holds the title of Ingenium and carries on our family name. I just hope that someday I live up to my family's legacy."
"I know how hard that can be." Melissa gave the boy a faint smile, but even through the glasses, Ochako could tell it didn't reach her eyes.
She made a note to talk to the girl about it later, maybe see if she wanted to explore the area more.
"So what can I do for you?" Melissa continued, interrupting Ochako's train of thought.
"I am not looking for anything today," Tenya explained. "I am merely exploring UA's options after the USJ. After all, I am impressed by the costumes of my classmates, particularly Midoriya's and Uraraka's. It would be wasteful to not see how I can improve my own when the time comes."
"I am actually wondering if you could help me, kero," Tsuyu began. "During the USJ, I had a problem with Todoroki's ice lowering the ambient temperature around us." She crossed her arms and shivered at the mere memory of what happened. "Since that could be a problem in the field, especially during the winter, I was wondering if you could help design some sort of thermal regulation for my suit."
"Todoroki did that huh…" Melissa mused as if she was thinking of something. Ochako winced internally and hoped they didn't make a mistake by telling the older girl about their classmates. "You'd think the son of Endeavor would be more careful."
"Indeed." Tenya chopped a hand through the air and landed it on his open palm. "While he is powerful, he is a lone wolf! It is again the exact opposite of how Tensei operates the Idaten Agency!"
"That was the second time he acted alone, and it caused a problem." Tsuyu tilted her head and placed a finger on her mouth as she thought about it. "Actually, he was called out both times by the Midoriyas."
"Izuku's got another project already?" Melissa asked Ochako, a light tone floating behind her question.
"Yep!" Ochako replied with a far-too-wide smile that quickly faded. "Although… it might take a while to get through to him."
"That's… a little sad," Melissa said.
Tenya raised his arm to emote while he responded, only to pause midair as he registered Melissa's words. "Sad?" His arm lowered itself back to his side. "What do you mean?"
"Well, don't you ever feel…" Melissa paused, searching for the right word. "Pressured by the weight of expectations? After all, you've got a history of heroics in your family, plus your older brother. Doesn't that feel like a lot to you?"
"No," Tenya replied with uncharacteristic softness. "I can't say that I do. I wish to honor my family and will strive to be the best hero I can be, but I do so because that is what I choose to be."
"I see." Melissa gave him a tight smile. "I guess you're lucky then."
"What do you mean, kero?"
Melissa shook her head. "I guess I'm just… My dad's leaving some big shoes for me to fill, and I don't want to disappoint him. I'm wondering if that's why Todoroki's acting the way he is."
"I never thought of it that way," Tsuyu said, tilting her head as she thought about it.
"Nevermind." Melissa shook her head and offered the three first years an apologetic smile. "I've wasted enough of your time. Why don't you step into my lab and we can discuss what you want done?"
After spending time letting Tenya look through her portfolio and discussing potential upgrades with Tsuyu, Melissa and Ochako said their goodbyes to the pair. They watched as their fellow students left, waiting until the door fully closed behind them before they turned to each other.
"Ok, so now that we're alone, do you mind explaining how you're breaking my gear?" Melissa asked jokingly.
Ochako felt her face heat up slightly as she set her case on the workstation. "I wasn't pushing myself if that's what you're asking. At least, I wasn't pushing myself harder than Izu was. But when we ran the diagnostics afterwards well…"
Ochako reached into the case and grabbed the gauntlet with the built-in control panel and offered it to the third year. Melissa snatched it out of her hands. Walking it over to the other end of the station, she hooked it up to her computer and started typing. Moments later, a holographic image appeared displaying the status of all of Ochako's equipment.
"I see," Melissa said as she looked at the numbers. "Your full gauntlet's suffering far more strain than it should be under normal operating conditions."
"Yep!" Ochako said with a far-too-bright smile. Rubbing the back of her head, she looked at the older girl sheepishly. "I think I know what happened though."
"Oh?"
Nodding, Ochako turned toward the diagram. "This was the first time I used both Heavy Gravity and One For All at the same time."
"I see." Melissa steepled her fingers in front of her as she stared at the readings. "If that's what caused this, that could be a problem. After all, the gauntlet's designed to contain One For All's power, but if that power is amplified by your Heavy Gravity…"
"That means I can't use as much of it," Ochako finished the sentence for her friend.
"Exactly."
Ochako sighed. "Is there a way to fix it?"
"Not yet, but that hasn't stopped me before!" Melissa exclaimed brightly. "We always knew we'd have to reinforce the material as you and Izuku got reacclimated to One For All." Her eyes darted to the readings. "This just means we need to push the timetables a little bit."
"Won't that be risky?" Ochako asked nervously.
"A little bit," Melissa admitted before balling her fists in front of her. "But I swear I'll figure it out!"
"I know you will." Ochako smiled at the older girl. "In the meantime, is it safe to keep using this gear?"
"Yep!" Melissa smiled brightly at Ochako. "Just keep your Galactic Shroud levels down if you're mixing it with Heavy Gravity, otherwise you'll risk breaking the gear."
"Of course that means Izu's gonna have the advantage," Ochako grumbled.
"Is that a problem?"
"Not at all!" Ochako smiled far-too-brightly for Melissa's liking. "We just have a few friendly competitions going on, that's all!"
"Ehe," Melissa laughed nervously. Giving her a wobbly smile she unhooked the gauntlet from her equipment. "I've got no idea what's going on between the two of you, and some days, I think I prefer it that way."
"Eee… It's not like that!" Ochako raised her hands defensively as her face heated up.
"Sure it's not," Melissa teased as she offered the younger girl her gauntlet. "Do you need anything else from me?"
"Not right now!" Ochako said quickly as she snatched the equipment back and roughly shoved it back into her case. Closing her eyes and taking several steadying breaths, she looked at her friend. "But maybe we should go out sometime?"
"Go out?"
"Yeah! I know you're still settling in, but maybe we can invite Himi and Jiro and go out for an evening?"
Melissa let out a soft gasp, before giving her friend a warm smile. "I think I'd like that. Staying cooped up in my apartment can get kind of boring."
"I'll talk to the others then," Ochako promised.
"I'm looking forward to it!"
"I'd better get going," Ochako continued as she gently closed her case. "Gotta make sure Izu and All Might didn't think up anything too crazy while I left them alone." She giggled at her own joke.
Melissa laughed in response. "Tell uncle Might I said hi!"
"I will," Ochako promised. "See you later!"
"Later." Melissa watched as Ochako walked to the door. "And thanks."
After a calm weekend to cap off their eventful first week, the students of 1-A returned to school on Monday for what would hopefully be a much less eventful week.
Unfortunately for Izuku and Ochako, they found their hopes were swiftly dashed as they approached the door to their classroom and heard a certain loud pair of voices coming from inside.
"Oh no," they both exclaimed. Turning toward each other, they both shared a resigned smile before Izuku grasped the door handle.
"Ready?"
"No," Ochako admitted. "But there's no point in waiting."
Nodding, Izuku slid the door open to reveal half of their classmates hanging around the room. However, everyone's attention was on the pair of recently-recovered classmates that stood in front of the teacher's desk. There, Aika and Bakugo stood with their arms crossed as they glared at each other.
Izuku looked at Ochako, hoping that maybe they could sneak away from the inevitable confrontation. But no such luck.
"Oi! Deku!" Bakugo called out, already facing the duo.
Freezing, Izuku turned his attention toward their classmate. "Yes?"
Bakugo stomped toward the pair and stopped less than a meter away, jabbing a finger at Izuku.
"You– Look." Bakugo closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them to glare at Izuku. "I'm still gonna be number one! Just because you've got a quirk and a girlfriend now doesn't change that!"
"And what about–"
"I'm getting to that, damn it!" Bakugo balled his hand into a fist. "If someone like you thinks you can be number one with a social life that just means I'm gonna have the best social life, too!"
Izuku opened his mouth to make sure it wasn't just bluster, but all that came out was an undignified squeak as he heard the words he had been dreading all year.
"Wait!" Mina hopped off the desk she was sitting on. "You mean to tell me the two of you are dating?!"
"Oh thank the kami," Aika breathed a sigh of relief. "I wasn't the one to spill the secret."
"Aika!" Ochako shot her friend a look of betrayal.
"It wasn't me!" Aika held a hand to her chest. "Blasty there told everyone! If he figured it out, then everyone was bound to find out sooner or later!"
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Bakugo demanded as he spun around to face their songstress classmate.
"I knew it!" Toru exclaimed. "Those two were way too comfortable around each other!"
"So how long?" Mina asked, closing the gap between them until she got between Bakugo and Izuku. "I want deets."
"Umm…" Izuku rubbed the back of his head as he looked at Ochako nervously. "Since last summer. We actually… got together the same day Himi did."
"Aww, that means you're middle school sweethearts!" From the position of her uniform, everyone could tell her hands were clasped in front of her.
"That's adorable!" Mina said. "Getting together the same day as your sister! It must have been so cute!"
"Ehe…"
"Is that why your quirks appear to be so similar?" Momo asked curiously, breaking into the conversation. "Because you've trained a lot together?"
"Yep!" Ochako said a little too loudly as she leaned into Izuku's side. Smiling at her boyfriend, she gave him a content smile. "When we found out my gravity manipulation could be used a lot like Izu's energy manipulation quirk, we spent a lot of time trying to figure out if we could do what the other person could." She smirked at her boyfriend. "My quirk's still better though."
"Hey," Izuku protested. "I'm still a fan of being able to create Blackwhip! Plus I did figure out how to fly eventually."
"Ugh," Katsuki scoffed. "Get a room, you two. Just because everyone knows now doesn't mean we want to see it."
Ochako opened her mouth to retort but was interrupted by the sound of their teacher.
"I should expel all of you," the tired voice of Aizawa announced. As one, twenty faces turned to see their teacher standing behind his desk as he surveyed the room. "You were so interested in gossip that I managed to make it to my desk without anyone noticing. What would have happened to you if I were a villain?"
As one, the students all scrambled to sit down at their desks, reaching them in record time. Letting out a resigned sigh, Aizawa started giving the morning announcements, ready to begin the school week.
Chapter 69: Future Home
"Say hi to Eri for us!" Izuku called out to his sister.
Himiko paused long enough to flash Izuku a fanged smile before she slammed the door to the classroom open and rushed out.
"Someone's happy," Ochako said as she reached Izuku's desk.
"She's going out with Emily afterwards," Izuku explained.
"I get it." Ochako let out a faint giggle as she held out a hand to Izuku. "Guess your mom's gonna have the house all to herself tonight."
"Ehe," Izuku said nervously as he stood up and shouldered his bag before he laced his fingers between hers. "She's already got plans with Toshinori."
"I'm sure." Ochako gave him a mischievous smile before she gently tugged on his hand. "C'mon, let's get going."
Saying their goodbyes as they crossed the classroom, the couple quickly escaped into the hallway themselves, only to merge in the flow of traffic as they made their way out of UA. Once outside, they stepped off the pavement onto a dirt path that led toward the construction site. Or for them, the future site of Height's Alliance and the other dorms.
"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Izuku asked his girlfriend.
"Yep!" Ochako smiled brightly. "After the past two weeks, I just want to do something simple. Besides, don't you want to see how things are different with my parents handling the construction?"
"Did the plans actually change?" Izuku asked as he took the first step on the path.
"Nope." Ochako shook her head. "Just spread out, since this isn't a rush job this time."
"Right…" Izuku said softly as he remembered the events of Kamino, and the scramble to assemble the dorms in less than a week as a result. "And we're not gonna move in until next year."
"That's gonna be weird," Ochako admitted. "I had fun in the dorms."
"Me too," Izuku agreed.
The pair fell into a comfortable silence as they walked down the path. It didn't take long for them to reach the artificial lake Nezu had installed with students dotting the shore in small groups. Izuku's keen eyes even spotted a couple hiding under a tree on the far side, the pair huddled together as they watched something on a computer.
He decided to give the couple their privacy and returned his gaze to Ochako. The girl seemed to have the same thought, her brown eyes locking with green. The two shared a quiet giggle before Ochako leaned into his side.
"Maybe we could ask our friends to hang out on campus?" Ochako asked. "I know it's not the same but…"
"I know what you mean," Izuku agreed. "It'll be a better bonding activity than getting attacked?"
Ochako let out a barking laugh before she pulled away just far enough to glare at him. "These last two weeks were already plenty enough for the year." She let out a soft sigh. "What I wouldn't give for that to be all of it."
"I'm sorry," Izuku said as he squeezed Ochako's hand. "I didn't mean to–"
"I know," Ochako cut him off.
The two continued in silence until they reached the construction fence, a simple but sturdy chain link fence that ran in both directions with a large sign for Uraraka Construction hanging next to the gate. Silently, the gravity girl freed herself from her boyfriend's grasp, using her now-free hands to tug her gloves off of her other hand. With a smile, she turned toward Izuku and held out her hand.
"Ready to break into a construction site?"
"Is it really breaking in if your name is on the sign?"
Ochako rolled her eyes. "Technically, we're not supposed to be here. My parents would yell at us!"
"You're more afraid of them yelling at us than of an accident?"
"Izu, please. I've spent the better part of a decade around a construction site. And that was before One For All."
"I guess you're right." Izuku offered her a playful smile before he took her hand, only to feel the now-familiar feeling of weightlessness come over him.
Ochako gently pulled her arm, with Izuku still attached, back and threw him upward. As Izuku found himself floating skyward, he launched a Blackwhip tendril down, anchoring himself to the fence. He was soon joined by his girlfriend as he felt her hands wrap around his arm, pulling herself close to him. Not wasting time, Izuku pulled on the tendril, sending the pair back down towards the earth. He adjusted himself to land on his feet, his knees folding as he attempted to bleed momentum.
"Release!" Ochako called with perfect timing, and Izuku felt gravity reassert itself before he had the chance to take off again.
Detaching herself from her boyfriend, Ochako made her way over to a nearby portable building, fishing a set of keys out of her bag as she did so. Izuku watched curiously as she unlocked the building and disappeared, only to return a moment later with a hard hat on her head and another in hand.
"What're those for?"
"Like I said-" Ochako smirked as she tossed the hard hat to her boyfriend. "-I've spent the better part of a decade around a construction site."
"Ehe," Izuku laughed nervously as he caught the hat and put it on. "So onward to Heights Alliance?"
"Yep!" Ochako smiled brightly. "I'm sure you know the way!"
The two continued onward down the path, weaving through piles of construction materials until they came upon the skeleton of their past – and future – dorm. Ochako placed a hand on herself to remove her gravity and quickly found herself caught by her boyfriend. She wrapped her hands around his arm, removing his gravity in the process, and once they were free of the laws of physics, Izuku once again launched Blackwhip. The tendril secured itself around a beam at the top of the construction, and Izuku swiftly reeled himself in. The two wrapped their legs around the beam, and finally Ochako once again restored their gravity.
"It doesn't look like much," Izuku said as he looked down at the criss-cross of beams below them. Letting out a sigh, he then slid closer to Ochako. "But in those nine months, it felt like home."
"I know what you mean," Ochako said as she wrapped an arm around Izuku's side. "At least the view's still impressive?"
Izuku followed his girlfriend's gaze to the view of the city below. "It is." He turned his attention back to the girl who sat beside him, his arm finding its way around her shoulders. "But you're still more impressive."
"Dork," Ochako giggled before burying her head in his shoulder in an attempt to hide her growing blush. "I can't wait to watch the stars on the roof with you."
"Even though we watch them every night?"
"Yep! That's nice but…" Izuku felt disappointment as she pulled away from him, only to suddenly feel her soft lips on his cheeks. "Like everything else we do, it's much nicer out here."
Izuku shuddered at the sensation of her lips dancing on his cheeks. Turning his head, his lips found hers as he replied with a kiss of his own.
"You're right." He gave her a warm smile as his hand pushed away an errant strand of her hair, tucking it behind her ear.
"Of course I am," she replied with a playful smirk before leaning in for another kiss. With a content sigh, she then adjusted herself to lean into his side, wrapping his arm around her like a warm blanket.
"So did you do that a lot? Watch the stars, I mean."
"Mhm," Ochako said brightly. "I managed to save up my money to get a telescope, even! It wasn't much and Yaoyorozu kept offering to buy a nicer one for when we had our 'viewing parties,' but…" She let out a fond sigh. "That silly telescope was always more than enough for me."
"Are you going to rebuy the same one?"
"Maybe! I know my parents have that permanent contract with UA so money's not an issue anymore but…" She let out a fond sigh.
"I get it. It's like those All Might figures I keep rebuying."
"Even though he's basically your dad now?"
"Ehe…" Izuku rubbed the back of his neck nervously with his free hand. "It's not like he's asked Mom to marry him or anything."
"Izu," Ochako deadpanned. "Have you seen how they act around each other? It's only a matter of time." Her voice softened as she continued. "And really… he deserves it."
"Yeah, he does. And so does Mom."
"Besides! I'd rather have more of those changes then the surprise we had at the USJ!"
"Me too," Izuku agreed. "Hopefully nothing happens at the Sports Festival…"
"You still planning on confronting Todoroki?"
Izuku nodded. "Although, I don't want to break my arm again to do so." He let out a laugh that was far faster and higher-pitched than he would have liked.
"I know." Ochako squeezed his side with her arm to reassure him. "I hope he listens to you again."
"I'll find a way."
"I'm sure you will. We've just gotta make sure you meet him in the Elimination rounds."
"You worried I won't?"
"I dunno," Ochako said playfully. "We've got some real powerhouses in the class now."
"We do, and our classmates have really been getting into training for it as well."
"I'm not surprised." Izuku felt Ochako vibrating against him as she let out a soft laugh. "Between us and our friends… not to mention Todoroki and Iida…"
"Nobody wants to be left behind," Izuku said softly.
"But that's not what I was talking about and you know it." Ochako pulled away from Izuku and he could see her smirking.
"You mean – oh."
"Yep!" Ochako replied brightly. "You know at some point we're gonna be facing each other, and I'm gonna kick your ass!"
"Are you sure about that?" Izuku asked. "Zero Gravity doesn't exactly work on me now, and I've been practicing how to move under Heavy Gravity."
"Then I'll just kick your butt the old fashioned way!" Ochako crossed her arms and Izuku saw the fire in her eyes. Normally he would find her determination incredibly attractive, but now wasn't the time for distractions!
"Besides," Izuku continued, "Blackwhip means I'll outrange you!"
"Unless I throw your emotions off!" Ochako gave him a sly grin. "Like this!"
Without giving Izuku a chance to respond, he felt her hand on the back of his head as their lips locked. He momentarily felt his mind blank as he kissed back, his eyes closing briefly to enjoy the sensation…
…only to realize he was now floating.
Izuku jerked his head back. "Ochaaaa…!"
"Aww, I was enjoying that," Ochako pouted.
Izuku responded with a pout of his own, crossing his arms for maximum effect. "That was playing dirty!"
"It worked though, didn't it?" she asked. "Just one little push and you'd be out of the ring!"
"But now that I know your plan it won't work!" Izuku protested.
"You can say that but we both know the truth," Ochako giggled. Taking pity on her boyfriend, she released her hand and pressed her fingertips together, releasing him from her quirk.
Izuku, meanwhile, continued to sit there with a pout on his face and his arms crossed.
Despite her best efforts, Ochako felt herself cracking under the look. Finally letting out a resigned sigh, she slid closer to her boyfriend. "I'm sorry Izu."
"Does this mean you won't play dirty at the Sports Festival?" Izuku asked as he uncrossed his arms.
"Nope!"
Izuku let out a soft sigh. "Of course you'd say that. Can we at least enjoy a kiss without you using your quirk on me?"
"Of course," Ochako murmured, already sliding her hand back behind his head. He could immediately tell the difference with her pinky raised, and leaned forward to find her lips, the two enjoying a passionate kiss while the world continued around them.
Once they were done, they settled into each other's side. There they continued to talk and people-watch until the sun began to set and their stomachs began to protest. Deciding that they've had enough for the day, they bid goodbye to their once and future home before they lowered themselves to the ground and left the school in search of food.
"You ready to go?" Ochako asked her friends as she shouldered her bag.
"Yeah!" Aika cheered. "It's been too long since we've gone out for Karaoke!"
"Maybe if someone didn't ban it." Himiko threw a venomous glare at Kyoka.
"Hey, it's not my fault that Song, despite her name, can't carry a tune to save her life."
"She tries!" Himiko protested.
"Enthusiasm only makes it worse!" Kyoka countered.
"I already told you we can go out again with Emily," Izuku tried to reassure his sister.
Himiko softened as she turned her attention toward her brother. "Thanks Izu. I'm glad to know at least someone is on my side here."
"Your funeral," Kyoka remarked as she smirked at the siblings before she looked at Ochako. "So where's Shield gonna meet us?"
Ochako glanced down at her phone and then back to her friend. "Just outside!"
"Great! Let's get going!"
Without another word, Aika crossed the classroom, the other girls trying to keep up with her when she opened the door to reveal the hallway. And the third year transfer student who was leaning against the far wall waiting for them.
"Hey!" Melissa said brightly as she separated from the wall. "Thanks for letting me tag along."
"Of course!" Ochako said as she finally caught up with Aika in the hallway.
"So how's your prep for the Sports Festival going?" Aika asked as the group began walking down the hallway. "We've all been training hard this week for it!"
"Aika–"
"No it's okay," Melissa assured Kyoka. "Sure I may be new to UA, but they haven't seen what I can do yet!" She flexed her arm for emphasis. "Besides…" She lowered her voice to a stage-whisper. "There's a few of my dad's old inventions I've been rebuilding since last summer. I can't wait to show them to the world!"
"Oooh!" Aika exclaimed. "I can't wait to see it!"
"Me neither," Ochako agreed.
"And how about the four of you?" Melissa asked curiously. "I've been keeping up with Ochako but haven't had time to really pay attention to the rest of you…" She rubbed the back of her head as she got an apologetic look on her face. "...sorry about that."
"Don't be!" Aika insisted. "We know how much of a handful those two are–"
"Hey!"
"-but they're doing important stuff!"
"Emmy's more than happy to take care of me," Himiko said with a bright smile. "And her support gear's pretty great too."
Ochako and Melissa nearly choked, earning a loud bark of laughter from the girl.
"I know my quirk isn't super flashy," Himiko admitted as she continued on unphased. "But as long as I can make it to the third round and show people that there's nothing bad or wrong with my quirk I'll be happy!"
"That's…" Melissa took a moment to compose herself before she continued. "...a great goal. Although aren't you going to try going as far as you can?"
"Of course!" Himiko chirped before she pointed an accusatory finger at Ochako. "But we all know that Izu or Ocha's gonna win the whole thing. The rest of us are fighting for top four, at best."
"You don't have to say it out loud, you know," Kyoka grumbled as she jabbed Himiko's shoulder with an ear jack.
Himiko rolled her eyes and swatted at the jack until her friend retracted it. "It's not like half our class believes it anyways."
"Well, their loss," Melissa said with a faint smile as she watched the first years going back and forth.
"Yep!" Ochako said with a far-too-bright smile, causing her classmates to shudder in dread.
Eventually the five girls made their way to the karaoke box and checked into the room. After food and drinks were ordered, Aika and Kyoka busied themselves by flipping through song lists, but Ochako's attention was focused on the third year girl.
"Nervous?" Ochako asked.
"M-me?" Melissa said, jumping as if she was scared by a sudden sound.
"Sorry," Ochako offered her an apologetic smile. "Is something on your mind?"
"I just…" Melissa's gaze drifted to the two girls who were bickering over their choice of first song. "Never have done anything like this before?"
"Wait, seriously?" Kyoka spun around, her attention suddenly on Melissa.
"Didn't you have friends you hung out with on the island?" Himiko asked. "Even Emmy had a group that she hung out with."
Melissa's face momentarily fell before she shook her head in an attempt to cover it up. But it was enough for Ochako to notice. Turning to Himiko, she shot the other girl a withering glare before she once again looked at the upperclassman. "You don't have to tell us if you don't–"
"No, it's okay," Melissa assured them, despite how vulnerable she looked. "I just… didn't have a lot of friends on the Island. I always well… the Shield name had a certain weight behind it and I wanted to live up to expectations. So I buckled down and studied and became the top of the class…"
"...But you didn't really have friends," Ochako finished.
"Yeah," Melissa said softly.
"That's so terrible!" Aika exclaimed. Before anyone could respond, she crossed the small room and crashed into the older girl, sending them both to the floor in an undignified heap.
"Aika!" Kyoka protested.
"S-sorry!" the girl apologized as she scrambled off the floor. "I just–"
"It's okay," Melissa pushed herself into a sitting position, an awkward smile on her face. "I'm just not as strong as the rest of you."
"No, but you make up for it in other ways," Kyoka pointed out.
"Yeah!" Ochako agreed. "Your support equipment's done so much to help Izu and I already…"
Himiko walked over and offered the girl a hand. "I'm sorry I brought up a bad memory. I know Emmy's an overachiever so I–"
"No, you were right." Melissa took the other girl's hand and pulled herself upright. "I had chances, but I just… never took them." She let out a sad sigh.
"Well we won't let it happen again," Ochako said.
"Yeah!" Aika agreed. "We're your friends now!"
"A friend of Mido and Raka is a friend of mine," Kyoka added.
"Emmy also knows what it's like to be lonely – although she'll never admit it. If you ever need to talk…"
Melissa took off her glasses and wiped her eyes. "You guys are the best, thank you." Resetting her glasses, she sat back down and turned toward the screen. "But I've wasted enough time, did you two finally decide on a song?"
Eyes lighting up, Aika dashed back to the machine and punched in a song code, ignoring her best friend's protests. The other three girls shared a laugh as the energetic girl shoved a microphone into Kyoka's hands, not giving her any choice in the matter as they started singing a poppy duet song to kick off the evening.
Chapter 70: SF - Start
"Ready for your second Sports Festival, Izu?" Ochako asked as her boyfriend and his sister approached their meeting spot.
"Yeah." Izuku smiled warmly at his girlfriend. "How about you?"
"Yep!" Ochako chirped with a far-too-bright smile, leaving the other two people with a sense of unease.
"Hey no fair!" Himiko shot back. "We already know the two of you are gonna win, so you could at least give us a chance to look good!"
"Don't worry," Ochako giggled. "Izu's the only one I'm going to go all-out on!"
"Ehe." Izuku gave her a nervous smile. "I thought the goal was that I don't end up with a shattered arm this time?"
"Oh that still applies!" Ochako said, her smile never leaving her face.
"You better not break your arm then, either!" Izuku shot back.
"Don't worry, I won't." Ochako's face morphed into a playful smile. "Besides, I'm not sure the stadium could survive both of us breaking limbs."
"No," Izuku chuckled and shook his head. "It wouldn't."
"Now that you two are done flirting," Himiko interjected. "Shouldn't we get going?"
"Right!" Izuku said before taking Ochako's hand. The three began walking.
"So what do you think the challenges will be this time?" Ochako asked curiously.
"I'm not sure," Izuku admitted.
"Didn't you two already deal with this?" Himiko asked.
"We did," Izuku replied, "but knowing Nezu, he'll intentionally change things because of us."
"Ugh." Himiko hung her head. "What good are you two?"
The three shared a laugh as they walked to the train station.
An hour later, the students arrived at UA and changed into their gym uniforms. As Izuku stepped into the staging area for 1-A, he looked around for his friends when he heard a familiar voice from behind him.
"Midoriya."
Izuku froze, not because the temperature of the room dropped, but the tone coming from Shoto suggested it may as well have. Spinning around, he looked at his fellow student. "What is it, Todoroki?"
"Do you remember what I said during the Battle Trials?"
Izuku swallowed the lump in his throat. "Of course."
"Today you won't have your support gear to help you," he said plainly as he examined Izuku, paying particular attention to his wrists and shoes to verify that he wasn't wearing his gauntlets and greaves. "That's a shame."
"A shame?"
Shoto closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh. "I intend on meeting you in the finals – and having our rematch."
"You still want to beat me?" Izuku said as he felt his lips curl into a nervous grin.
"I never stopped." Shoto opened his eyes and heterochromatic locked with green. "You and your sister… You are both persistent. But I've spent years training my Ice." Shoto balled his right hand into a fist and raised it, and this time Izuku felt the temperature drop. "Words won't be enough to deter me from my goal. I will meet you in the final round, and I will beat you."
"I understand," Izuku said stiffly.
"Good." Shoto nodded stiffly before walking. As he passed Izuku, he spoke again, his voice low. "You'd better not disappoint me and fail before then."
Izuku jerked his head and body, spinning around to watch Shoto walk across the room, but before he could respond, he was interrupted by Bakugo's yelling.
"Hey! What about me?!" the explosive boy demanded. "Deku's not the one you should be worried about!"
"If you need a rival Blasty," Aika yelled back as she raised her hand and jumped in the air. "I'll volunteer!"
"Nobody asked you!" Bakugo shot back. "Who wants some second-rate extra as their rival anyway?!"
"Hey!" Aika stomped her foot. "I'm not second rate!"
"Yeah?"
"Yeah!" Aika replied as she stomped towards Bakugo.
Izuku shook his head as the two continued their endless bickering as he walked over to where his friends stood, their expressions betraying their amusement.
"Damn, Mido," Kyoka snorted. "Save some for the rest of us."
"You could always be like Shizu," Himiko said playfully. "Just stake a claim on a rival."
"Ugh," Kyoka mimicked gagging. "Someone like Blasty? Pass."
"What about Kaminari?" Ochako asked curiously. "He always annoys you."
"Not you too," Kyoka huffed and rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms and earjacks. "There's a difference between annoyance and a proper rival."
"That's true," Ochako giggled.
The four turned to watch Aika bickering with Bakugo until she actually did manage to annoy him into declaring her his rival. She whooped triumphantly and turned towards her friends to celebrate but was cut off as Present Mic began his introduction for the Sports Festival.
Easily shifting into their roles as Class Reps, Izuku and Ochako walked over to the door and directed the rest of the class to congregate behind them. They listened to the Voice Hero as he went through a familiar routine, explaining the nature of the festival and telling everyone the schedule before the moment finally arrived.
"And now to introduce you to our promising students. Starting with the Hero Course! Everybody welcome Classes 1-A and 1-B!"
The shutter that had been isolating them from the central stadium began to rise, announcing to the students it was time to go. Taking the brief moment for themselves, Izuku and Ochako shared one last glance, a ghost of a smile on each of their lips. As one, they turned toward their class and motioned them forward. Everyone had been training hard the past few weeks, and they were excited to announce themselves to the world.
Again.
Izuku stood there, Midnight's instructions reduced to background noise as he mulled over what he was going to say. Thanks to their warning, Nezu was prepared for the media's response to the USJ attack and had blunted the worst of it. In fact, the school had come together, and the hero classes were closer than ever.
But that wasn't enough.
Izuku knew he wouldn't be able to solve the problems with a speech, but he could certainly–
"And now, to give the opening speech for the first years, the student who scored the highest on the entrance exam: Izuku Midoriya!"
Of course, Aika and Himiko cheered, the attention causing the back of Izuku's neck to heat up. Rubbing it awkwardly, he flashed a grin to his friends and classmates before he walked to the stairs and slowly ascended them to reach the platform. There, Midnight waited for him.
"You ready for this?" she asked in a low tone.
"Mhm." Izuku nodded as he held out his hands. "I'll do my best."
"That's the spirit." She offered him a coy smile, but he could see the genuine warmth in her eyes as she held out the microphone.
Taking the microphone, Izuku looked out at his classmates before his gaze swept out to the other courses, taking each group of twenty in. All told there were two-hundred and nineteen students staring up at him, as well as countless heroes in the crowd. Taking a deep breath, he held it close to his face and pressed the button.
"Today marks the first day of the Sports Festival. Over the next three days, you will see all of us-" He swept his hand to indicate the assembled students. "-compete in games to show our quirks off and introduce ourselves to the world. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, only four of us will be on the podium." He paused and closed his eyes, giving the crowd a moment. "However!" He opened them again and stared up at the camera drones. "There are over two hundred other students in each grade who also deserve recognition. From the Hero Course-" He gestured towards his classmates, "-to the Support Course-" He pointed towards the sixty students. "-that will be responsible for the next generation of support gear and quirk analysis, to the Business Course-" He gestured towards another group. "-that will be handling all of the invisible work to allow us to do our jobs. And finally-" He swept his hand towards the general course. "-the students whose paths don't line up with Heroics. Even though we may walk separate paths, they have still made it to UA! And they follow our motto just as firmly as we do."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. He didn't know how Bakugo did it that first time, so casually declaring his statement of intent to win the whole thing. Even now, he still felt his nerves threatening to give out. Swallowing, he continued.
"This Festival may only have one winner, but everyone here will have a chance to say 'I Am Here' in their own way. Today, we announce ourselves to the world. It doesn't matter who takes first place, because all of us will have told the world 'We Are Here'." He paused, and heard a few people clapping among the assembled students. He knew he couldn't see All Might from this distance, but he glanced towards the teacher's box anyways. It was probably his imagination, but he swore he saw his mentor and father figure giving him his signature smile and a thumbs up.
A smile on his lips, Izuku looked back down at his fellow first years. "So let's go out there, and show the world who we are. Plus Ultra!"
"Plus Ultra!" the voices of the assembled first years echoed back.
"My, that was quite the show."
Izuku was thankful for his training keeping him from jumping when his teacher began to speak. Feeling his shoulders slump, he offered her the microphone. "I… may have practiced a lot in front of Ocha and Himi."
"Well, you certainly got them motivated." Midnight's eyes sparkled as she took back the device. "I hope it works out for you."
"Me too," Izuku agreed. With one last sweep of his gaze, he took in his classmates and saw the motivation and excitement burning in their eyes. A far different experience than what he remembered the last time he was here, where they were angry and upset.
Whatever's coming, they'll be ready. A voice told him. It sounded like Nana's.
Nodding at his classmates, he finally descended the platform, returning to a beaming Ochako.
"I'm glad we're already dating, otherwise I would have fallen for you on the spot."
"E-eh?! That's a bad thing?" Izuku blinked.
"Well yeah." Ochako leaned toward him conspiratorially. "Then I'd have to figure out how to make you fall for me all over again."
"I-" Izuku's face heated up as he looked into his girlfriend's eyes, the sunlight making them sparkle. "-'m sure I'd have fallen for you too, given time."
He was rewarded by the sight of Ochako's permanent blush spreading, betraying her true emotions even if she managed to hold her playful smile. For a moment, the world around them faded, and it was just him and her, two teenagers in love enjoying a quiet moment together.
Unfortunately, the moment of serenity was broken all too quickly as Midnight began speaking again.
"My my, what an exhilarating speech, I'm fired up! And I hope you are too as we announce our first round for our students!"
With a flourish, she raised the microphone and a holographic projection appeared behind her. A wheel began to spin rapidly on the screen before it suddenly came to a halt, and the words 'Maze Run' appeared, as well as a drawing of a simple maze with two stick figures moving through it.
The students suddenly felt a rumbling below them as Midnight appeared to ascend into the sky. A moment later, they realized that wasn't what was happening. Instead, they were being lowered into the ground.
"We've constructed an entire labyrinth underneath the stadium and filled it with devious traps. It's up to you to find the exit and return to the surface. The first forty-eight to make it through successfully will move on to the next round," Midnight smiled and waved down at the one hundred and sixty students. "We'll be waiting!"
A few moments later, the students heard the floor lock into place, only for a pair of spotlights to light up, revealing a massive gate with a red light over it.
"We're doing this together, right?" Kyoka called from a nearby position.
"Yep!" Ochako said as she looked at her friends. "There's plenty of room for all the hero students to make it through!"
"At this rate, you may as well be helping the entire class, kero," Tsuyu remarked as she looked at the arrayed group.
"Not everyone…" Izuku said as he looked over at Shoto, already walking toward the gate with Bakugo hot on his heels.
"I believe they have the right idea." Tenya adjusted his glasses as he spoke. "If we wish to be successful, we should join the group at the gate."
"What are we waiting for?" Aika exclaimed as she took off towards the rest of their classmates.
"Well Izu," Ochako began, giving her boyfriend a resigned look, "you heard them."
They joined their friends, hanging near the back of the assembled students as everyone congregated near the gate. Once everyone got close enough, the red light blinked a couple times before it turned yellow, and last green.
"Now!" Izuku called.
As if on cue, he saw a massive wave of ice approaching them, a frozen tsunami set to trap students and keep them from entering the maze. Izuku was already in motion, Full Cowling wrapped around him as he charged forward. Ochako was next to him, matching his movements with her own as the flickering black-and-pink nebula of Galactic Shroud whirled around her. In perfect harmony, the two punched the air, their combined strength creating a shockwave that shattered the ice, stopping it in its tracks.
"Hmph." Shoto glanced back at their handiwork. "Good, I would have been disappointed if that stopped you." Without another word, he turned and jogged inside before sealing the gate with another barricade of ice.
"Like hell I'm gonna let you stop me!" Katsuki screamed as he charged towards the ice. As everyone watched, he unleashed explosion after explosion, the heat and force causing the ice to crack.
"C'mon everyone!" Kirishima called out. "If we use our quirks, we can bring down the barrier!"
His call to action worked, and soon several students from 1-A, 1-B, and even a couple support students attacked the barrier, making short work of it. With a satisfying explosion, the barrier shattered into a million pieces, showering everyone in splinters of ice.
"I guess we didn't need to help this time," Izuku muttered.
"Nope! But we can't steal all of the spotlight," Ochako teased.
"You're right," Izuku admitted. Face hardening in determination, he looked at his girlfriend. "Ready?"
"Yep!" Ochako waved towards their group of friends. "Let's go!"
The first challenge of the maze was, of course, the maze itself. Corridors twisted and turned, shrinking to narrow passages before opening to wide courtyards and every turn could lead to a dead end. Not that they were entirely helpless - there were small signs posted periodically with hints and clues, disguised as trivia questions or problems from their classes.
The second challenge was the traps. Tripwires, falling nets, pits, and glue mines, all designed to inconvenience and slow down the students while not incapacitating them. Aika and Tenya in particular were particularly adept at finding them, but with their friends' help, they were quickly freed as they continued onward.
The final challenge, and the one that posed the most difficulty for the group, were the third years waiting in ambush.
"Don't worry guys." Aika waved dismissively as she spun around the corner…
…only to come face to face with a turquoise-haired girl dressed in a rain slick. And floating around her was what was best described was a living quirk, much like Dark Shadow.
Except this quirk was made out of water. And eyes.
"I told you we'd have guests!" the quirk said happily.
"I never doubted you," the girl replied with a playful smile.
"Here I go!"
The quirk charged forward, slamming into Aika and knocking the wind out of her as it sent her into the wall. It pulled back, a dozen eyes examining the group of first years that were waiting.
"Wow! There's more of you than I thought!"
"Don't worry, we're leaving, kero," Tsuyu said before shooting out her tongue and wrapping it around Aika.
With a jerk of her head, she pulled the girl back, sending her sailing in the air only to be caught by Ochako. Izuku called upon Blackwhip, sending several tentacles toward the quirk in an attempt to keep it at bay. It worked. Sort of. The quirk's body was able to harmlessly pass through the bands of energy, but it disrupted its body enough to slow the quirk down, giving the students time to retreat. Once he saw the backs of his friends as they hurried back to the intersection, he dismissed his own quirk as he quickly backed away to join them.
"Aww, I was just getting started!" the quirk called after him.
"I'm sure it would be great talking to you, but we're in a hurry!" Izuku apologized before he turned around. Shooting one last glance over his shoulder, he made sure the quirk wasn't following him. "Maybe another time?"
Once he rejoined his friends, he saw Kyoka already dragging Aika down another corridor. Giving Ochako a resigned look, he and the others joined them in their search for the exit.
They were sure it was only minutes, but time much like the maze itself, seemed to stretch on forever as the group hurried through the twisting corridors. They wondered how other groups were doing, but the brief shouts and sounds of fighting didn't tell them as much as they would like.
"This has to be it!" Ochako said in an attempt to encourage others as she took the lead and raced down a narrowing corridor with light streaming through the other side. When she reached the end it opened up into a large open room. She was right! The large inclined room was open to the sky, and at the far end of the room she could see the entrance to the stadium!
But she also saw Togata currently engaged with both Bakugo and Shoto, pinning them in place and preventing them from crossing the finish line.
"Look Tamaki!" a nearby voice exclaimed. "It's our kouhai!"
"You mean your kouhai," Tamaki replied.
Ochako whipped around to see Nejire floating nearby, a bright smile on her face as she raised her arms. "We're supposed to hold back and only slow you down, buuuut…. We know what you can do!"
With her words as her only warning, she fired a blast of spiral energy at Ochako.
Chapter 71: SF - Rising
"Stay back!" Ochako shouted. She stepped forward, pink lightning already crackling along her skin as she raised her arms to absorb the blow.
A rapidly-approaching Tenya decided to wisely heed her warning and stopped short; his arm shot out to contain Tsuyu and Aika as well. He opened his mouth to speak, but Ochako never heard the words when she felt the first Waves of spiral energy hitting her. Gritting her teeth, she took a step back to steady herself and turned her attention to the third years.
"That's my kouhai!" Nejire beamed. She lowered her arms, noticing that Ochako was still standing.
"I thought we weren't supposed to be biased?" Tamaki let out a resigned sigh.
"Oh shush." Nejire folded her arms and shot him a pout. "I'm not a member of the staff. I'm allowed to play favorites!"
"What is going on?" Tenya asked once he saw the initial skirmish was over and decided it was safe to approach.
"We've got one more obstacle in our way," Ochako said. She opened up her fists. Placing her palms downward, she activated Smokescreen and began to fill the area with a purple haze. "I'll cover you!"
"But–"
"You heard her," Kyoka said as she grabbed Tenya's arm. "If those two want to take on third years, that's on them."
Before Tenya could protest further, a mass of octopus arms pierced the fog; they thrashed about, each one seeking to catch the first years unaware. He swallowed his words and turned toward his classmate. "I understand."
"Good." Kyoka smirked at him. "Now let's go!"
"What about–"
A moment later, the group saw a mass of black tentacles appear behind them. With Blackwhip activated, Izuku slammed each tendril into an opposing tentacle.
"I'll clear the way!" Izuku said, holding out an outstretched hand.
"Thank you!" Tenya called before he took off. The rest of their friends were hot on his heels as they ran past the third years.
Tamaki canceled his quirk and looked into the fog. "Are we really gonna just let them go?"
"Who would you rather take on?" Nejire asked knowingly.
Tamaki pulled his hood in a futile attempt to cover his head further. "You're so mean."
"And you love it," Nejire teased before she raised her arms and fired again, her spiral energy covering a large area.
Her shot was weak and no threat to Izuku and Ochako, but as they watched their cover shredded, they knew harming them wasn't the true objective. As the smoke dissipated, they saw the two third years facing them.
"Found you!" Nejire exclaimed with a bright smile.
"My turn," Tamaki said. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled a black ink that flew through the air towards the students.
"Ocha!" Izuku shouted. He pushed his girlfriend out of the way, using his momentum to carry himself forward. Despite his reaction time, he still caught part of the attack, feeling ink splatter against his hand and leg.
"Thanks for the save," Ochako said as she regained her balance. With a quick glance, she surveyed her partner. "Is that gonna be a problem?"
"It shouldn't be." Izuku shook his head. "My shoe's a little slick though…"
"Just don't fall," she said with a wry smile.
"Ehe. I'll keep that in mind." Izuku gave her a crooked smile before he turned his attention back towards the third years. "But first…"
Raising his hand, Izuku unleashed another wave of Blackwhip, this time targeting the third years directly. He watched Nejire take to the skies, twisting and twirling as she fired spiral blasts of energy at the tendrils while Tamaki fought back with his own tentacles. It wasn't enough to knock them out, and they both knew it. But as his friends slipped further and further away from the fight, he knew his diversion was working.
"How noble, giving up your positions for your friends!" Nejire said as she followed Izuku's gaze. "But you can't stay here forever!"
"Who said we were planning on it?" Ochako asked. "Ready Izu?"
"Yeah." Izuku nodded. He held his arm out toward his girlfriend.
Ochako grabbed his arm, pink sparks meeting green as she removed Izuku's gravity. Freed from its influence, Izuku kicked off the ground and proceeded to float in the air, anchored by Ochako's grip. Nodding to her boyfriend, she pulled her arm back like she was about to throw a javelin. Taking a deep breath, she then hurled Izuku straight toward the third years.
"What the–"
"Wait!"
"We won't let you stop us!" Izuku said. He wrapped himself in Full Cowling, green lightning surging around him as he braced himself to crash into Nejire. Rapidly approaching, he felt his gravity restored, a subtle shift in his momentum as he began to arc downward towards the girl.
When he saw her take off, grabbing Tamaki and flying sideways, he smiled. He flipped himself as the ground rushed to greet him and landed on his feet, feeling the ground give way to form an impact crater. Not wasting any time, he threw his hand behind him and activated Blackwhip. He turned his head slightly and sought out the pink glow of Ochako. As he spotted her, he guided the quirk as it wrapped itself around his girlfriend.
"Your turn!" Izuku said as he arced his hand overhead, carrying his fellow One For All user to the sky and throwing her towards the exit. At the apex of his throw, he felt a sudden tug of resistance as the gravity-wielder rapidly used her quirk to go from no gravity to a large amount of gravity affecting her. But they trained with this maneuver until they perfected it, and he sent a surge of power into his arm to follow through with his motion, sending Ochako hurtling forward.
With himself still attached to her thanks to Blackwhip.
"They intended for us to dodge," Tamaki said from the side.
"That's my kouhai!" Nejire cheered as she watched Izuku take off, flying through the air as he was dragged along by Ochako.
Izuku's aim was true, and Ochako crashed into the ground beyond Mirio and their classmates, her way to the exit clear. She wasted no time on her landing, already on the move as soon as her feet touched the ground. Izuku dismissed Blackwhip, and several heartbeats later, he felt his own feet touch the ground as he broke out in a run.
He heard shouts of protest and explosions from Bakugo, along with the telltale sound of air rapidly cooling as Shoto activated his quirk. A quick glance behind him confirmed that Mirio was done with them, the third year watching with amusement as they raced towards him. He realized the third year knew exactly what he was doing when he caught Izuku's gaze and responded with a thumbs up.
"Thanks," Izuku muttered under his breath as he turned his attention up the hill and towards the gate back to the school. There was no way he was catching Ochako, but that was okay – he just wanted to stay ahead of his classmates.
"Get back here Deku!"
"I'm not letting you escape so easily, Midoriya."
Izuku tensed as he heard the threat from Shoto. He didn't need Danger Sense to realize what was about to happen and leapt skyward, activating Float just as he saw a massive glacier appear underneath him as the temperature rapidly dropped.
"Hey! Watch where you're aiming that thing!" Bakugo yelled from behind him.
"Maybe you should have been paying more attention when we were fighting Lemillion," Shoto shot back.
Ignoring them, Izuku stopped using Float and dropped to the glacier and kicked off, using One For All's power to propel him forward and resume his race. Ochako had already crossed the finish line, of course, but he soon joined her, continuing to the far end of the staging area and hoping that they would have a moment of privacy before the others arrived.
"Ha!" Ochako declared triumphantly as Izuku slowed to a stop in front of her. "I knew I'd beat you."
"You weren't the one being targeted by two of our classmates," Izuku complained, pouting.
"It's no fair that you look so cute like that…" Ochako turned away from him in an attempt to keep her resolve. "Not that any round before the finals reallymatters."
"Yeah…" Izuku observed Aika bickering with Bakugo, while Shoto was content to watch him from the sidelines. "I wonder what the next round is going to be."
"Me too," Ochako agreed before she glanced over to where the other students were starting to trickle in. "I guess we'll find out soon?"
Nodding in agreement, Izuku offered her his hand. She took it, and together, they walked back to the rest of their friends, where they could watch the rest of the race on the giant holographic projector set up.
Once everyone had successfully completed the maze, the top forty-eight found themselves in front of the stage, the air thick with anticipation as they watched Midnight ascend to make her announcement. When she reached the top, she walked slowly to the middle and gave a sweeping gaze to the assembled students, a coy smile on her face while she raised the microphone to her lips.
"Now then, it's time to reveal the game for the second round!" she announced. With a flourish, she pointed her microphone skyward as the holographic projection appeared displaying a wheel. The wheel began to spin before it quickly came to a halt and revealed the next game.
King of the Hill
Beneath the text was an image of two stick figures: one at the top of a hill with the other at the bottom, dancing back and forth as they shot little laser blasts at each other.
"This year we are going to try an exciting new format!" Midnight declared. She closed her eyes and visibly shivered from excitement. "The perceptive members of the crowd may have wondered why we upped the number of students who passed the first round from forty-two to forty-eight. Well, the answer is for this challenge." She offered the assembled students a coy smile. "We wanted a nice round number, so you can divide yourselves into twelve teams of four. Now then, for the rules themselves: There will be four hills placed around the arena, each one with a flag at the top of the hill. The four teams in control of the flags at the end of ten minutes will advance to the final round!"
"So this is how Nezu's getting back at us, huh?" Izuku muttered to himself.
"It certainly keeps us in check," Ochako admitted softly. "Since he knows we're not going to split up."
"Mhm," Izuku agreed.
"Now then, you all have ten minutes to come up with your teams. As for placing from the last round…" Her eyes drifted down to find Izuku and Ochako amongst the crowd. "I'm sure you know that in previous years we've had a scoring component. We did this to let you feel the pressures of your rank in the real world. However! As the premier hero school in Japan, we need to keep on top of the latest trends. And now, more than ever, heroes have been forced to work in groups to face the villains threatening Japan's citizens."
"That's clever," Izuku mumbled. "By framing it that way, Nezu is pressuring other hero schools to adopt similar concepts for their own Sports Festivals."
"And in those battles, rank doesn't matter," Midnight explained. "Since we wish to encourage more cooperation, regardless of rank, this year passing will purely come down to teamwork, coordination, and skill. But don't worry – at the end of the round, your scores for the first round will be used to determine the order of the top sixteen." She gave the students a wolfish grin. "So in the end, you may be forced to confront your teammates sooner than you would like."
Izuku and Ochako's eyes found each other immediately as they both had the same question on their mind: who will we team with?
"Before you ask, I must apologize," Tenya approached the couple and bowed his head. "But I will not be joining you."
"Really?" Izuku asked in surprise.
"As much as I appreciate your help in the first round, I do believe I need to expand my views," he explained. "Therefore, it would be best if I found a different group to partner with this round."
"I understand," Izuku said, having heard the same argument before. "Good luck, and maybe we'll see each other in the third round?"
"That is the hope." Tenya straightened up and gave his friend a ghost of a smile. "I will be disappointed if you don't make it."
"What about you two?" Ochako asked as she turned towards Aika and Kyoka.
"Ehehe…" Aika laughed nervously.
"Actually, we've got our team set already," Kyoka explained.
"You do?" Izuku asked.
"Yep!" Aika exclaimed. "I actually talked with Komori earlier! We're doing a music-themed team!"
"Don't you need a fourth, though?"
"We've got our mascot," Kyoka said with slight amusement.
"Who?"
"Me!" Kirishima said, flashing them a toothy grin as he walked up to join his teammates. "I don't have the musical talents of the other three, but idol groups are always three people anyways, right?"
"I don't think that's how it works…" Ochako said softly. Izuku tried his best to smile at their classmate's logic.
"Don't worry Izu, I'm sticking with you!" Himiko said from their side.
"Thanks Himi," Izuku said as he looked around, only to see Tsuyu had already vanished. "So who should we ask for our fourth…"
"Not her," Ochako said knowingly.
Izuku shivered as he suddenly looked around for Hatsume, wondering if he would be ambushed by her again. He relaxed slightly when he saw her standing in the middle of a group of support students, the four already planning something. Until he realized that meant that there were four support students, led by Hatsume, on a team, and he shuddered a second time.
"Well hopefully they won't be coming after us…" Izuku muttered to himself.
"How about moi?" Izuku heard a voice coming from behind him. Spinning around, he came face to face with his dazzling classmate, Aoyama, as he struck a pose.
"You want to team up with us?" Himiko asked in confusion.
"Oui! After all, I can already tell where the cameras will be pointing. And that will give a chance to dazzle the crowds." He gave them a wink for emphasis.
"Ehe." Izuku looked over at his girlfriend. "What do you think?"
Ochako looked at Izuku and then turned to Aoyama, offering him a bright smile. "Welcome to the team!"
Ten minutes later, the teams of four all stood in the center of the arena as four massive gates opened up in the ground; four hills rose out of them, giving the appearance of growing out of the ground.
"You'd better not disappoint us," Kyoka said as she shot a sideways glance to Izuku, Ochako and Himiko.
"We won't!" Ochako promised. "We'll see you next round!"
"Yeah!" Aika punched the air for emphasis. "Time to announce ourselves to the world!"
Collectively, forty-eight eyes looked to the sky as a holographic red light began flashing before it turned yellow, and finally green.
"Begin!" Present Mic's voice rang out throughout the stadium as twelve teams each chose a hill and began their ascent.
Izuku and Ochako knew it didn't matter what hill they chose – they'd have Shoto and Bakugo's teams coming after them immediately. Freezing for a moment, they watched as their friends chose a hill to climb, and then they went in the opposite direction. Already, they saw a pair of teams – one from class 1-B, and another with their own classmates ascending that particular hill.
"I wonder if they'll change their minds once we start climbing?" Himiko asked nobody in particular.
"Only one way to find out!" Ochako replied. "Let's go!"
As one, the four students took off toward the hill, ready to claim it for themselves. When they had gotten halfway up, Aoyama decided to announce himself by firing a Navel Laser toward the summit, causing the students of 1-B to flinch.
"We have arrived," their classmate announced. "And are claiming this hill for ourselves."
Taking the initiative, Ochako pressed a hand against her arm, removing her gravity as she activated Galactic Shroud and took to the skies. Once she had gained enough height, she reversed her quirk as she quickly accelerated toward the peak. Their classmates rightfully hesitated at the sight, but it appeared that their sister class would require a little more convincing.
Fukidashi raised a pair of finger guns toward Ochako and yelled 'BANG!' His quirk activated, and a pair of rapidly-expanding kanji letters launched from his fingertips and aimed directly towards Ochako. She was undeterred and shifted into a defensive pose as the words struck her. They knocked her off-course, but it only saved the students of 1-B from having her crash directly into them.
She ended up taking a knee as she landed, her eyes already examining the students before she charged forward. Moments later, she was joined by Izuku and Himiko as the three began their assault to claim the hill.
To their credit, the four students of 1-B lasted almost twenty seconds before they were driven off the hill.
They didn't have any time to celebrate, however. The 1-B team had barely begun their retreat before a massive glacier appeared on the other side of the hill, almost catching and trapping Aoyama.
Turning, Izuku raced over to the other side, only to lock eyes with Shoto.
Now the round really begins.