Chapter 25: The First Event: Race to the Finish
- CAFÉ WILDKAT – DAY OF THE FESTIVAL -
There was an obvious excitement in the air in the city of Musutafu. As U.A. finished their preparations for the festival, many citizens of the city got ready themselves. Those who couldn't afford a ticket to see the sports festival in person managed to either set up watch parties of their own or visit any local cafés or bars that had planned for it.
Much like Mr. H did with Café Wildkat.
It was one of the busiest days he had ever had, but he was fine with it. His Kats were competing and he was going to be sure he watched them. Plus, he had some old, familiar faces stopping by.
"H-Man! Get some coffee ready cuz the game is on, yo!" Mr. H turned in the direction of the voice that called out to him. He smirked at the pair that had just walked in.
At the door was a loud, well-built young man. He had short blonde hair that spiked and swept out at the back, with his bangs hanging over his right eye, leaving his left one the only one visible to show off his energetic blues. He wore a large, baggy white v-neck under a black hoodie with a red interior, and white crossbones printed on the front. Around his neck was a pair of black stereo headphones, a chain necklace, and another chain bracelet on his left wrist. A pair of black, baggy pants covered his legs, the hems of the legs pulled up past his ankles as he finished his look with a pair of red and black shoes.
Rhyme walked in, laughing at her older brother's antics. "Come on Beat, keep it chill."
"Hey, I'm always chill, lil sis," Beat said.
The two siblings made their way to the counter, taking their seats on two of the last few stools available. Mr. H greeted his old guests from Shibuya with a fond smile. "Well, how's it hangin' you two? Shibuya still standing?"
"Doing good, Mr. H. And yep! At least when Beat doesn't go too crazy while on patrol." Rhyme answered.
"Dang, sis. Why you gotta do me dirty like that, yo? Not my fault them Villains can't keep up with my flow." Beat responded. He brought a hand to his chest, acting as though he had been wounded. "Can you believe it, Coffee Man? My own sister, treatin' me like this."
Mr. H shook his head in amusement, letting out a few chuckles as he moved to his coffee maker to make the two their drinks. "Never a dull moment with you two."
"So how have you been, Mr. H? It's been a while since I dropped by." Rhyme turned to ask the café owner.
"Been doin' alright. Those Kats of mine managed to get into U.A." He replied. Mr. H made his way over to the pair, their drinks in hand. "And now we get to see them compete today."
"Nice! Hey, Rhyme, maybe we can see if one of them wants to intern with us." Beat said to his sister excitedly. He turned back to the scruffy-bearded man. "Which ones do we gotta look out for?"
"Nuh-uh, Skater-Brain. Gonna have to use that head of yours to figure it out." Mr. H answered, tapping the side of his head. Beat gave him a disgruntled look as the café owner looked at Rhyme and addressed her, "Same goes for you, Lil Miss. I'm sure you'll at least figure it out."
"Hey!" Beat cried out indignantly at the verbal jab.
"Challenge accepted, Mr. H." The three turned to look at one of the TVs Mr. H had set up around the café for his guests to watch the festival. The three Shibuya natives were excited to see how things would play out today.
- I-ISLAND, SHIELD RESIDENCE -
On the artificial island dedicated to the study and scientific advancement of the world, a family of two was getting ready to watch the broadcast of U.A.'s sports festival. David Shield sat on his living room couch, relaxing for the first time in a while as he was finally able to get out of his lab.
David was an older man, if the wrinkles around his eyes were anything to go by, with short, messy light-brown hair that had two tufts that hung over his forehead, with a matching goatee on his chin. He wore a pair of wide-rimmed, square glasses that covered his aqua-blue eyes.
He was wearing a blue button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. It was tucked into a pale pair of pants that was being held up by a dark belt. He wore a pair of navy sneakers with several red accents and lighter soles. He had on a black watch on his left wrist, with a wedding ring on his finger.
"How's the popcorn coming Melissa?" The Shield patriarch called out from his spot.
"Done!" A voice yelled out from the kitchen. The sound of footsteps could be heard as they sped around the corner. There was a shift on the couch as David's daughter plopped down next to him, a large bowl of popcorn held in her hands.
Melissa Shield was a young woman with a full figure, being slightly taller than most women around her. She had a round face, with a pair of aqua-blue eyes she inherited from her father. She wore a pair of pink, oval-shaped glasses that added to her looks and had long, wavy blonde locks that went down to her mid back, with two large strands sitting over her shoulders, and side-swept bangs that framed her face.
She was wearing a large, white button-up shirt that did little to hide her form, the sleeves rolled up to the middle of her arms, a pair of dark-blue Capri pants that tightly hugged her legs and hips, and dark-red slip-on shoes. She had a watch, similar to her father's, on her wrist.
"It hasn't started yet, right?" Melissa asked her father.
David let out a few chuckles at his daughter's excitement. "No, not yet. It's about to though. It's been a while since you were excited about something like this." He remarked.
"Well yeah! We haven't gotten to do this in years. Plus, you said Uncle Might recommended we watch it this year, right?" Melissa asked as she started to dig into the large bowl of popcorn.
"Yeah, he did," David answered. His mind began to wander to the conversation he had with Toshinori a few days ago.
"All Might? Well, this is a surprise. Good to hear from you." David greeted All Might happily over the video call.
"It's good to see you too, David." The No. 1 Hero returned. "Before we continue, this line is secure, yes?"
David quirked a brow at the question. "Of course. It's my private line." He stopped when he understood what Toshinori hinted at. "Ah... Give me just a second and I will add the extra security measures."
All Might gave him a nod as David disconnected. The I-Island researcher ran through several protocols and programs on his personal computer to ensure complete secrecy regarding his upcoming talk with his friend. Once he was ready, he reconnected to the video call.
"Alright. Everything is set. Ready when you are, Toshi." The brunette man said.
Smoke began to envelop the other screen and David was greeted by Toshinori's true state. The emaciated Hero started to cough and reached for his handkerchief to wipe away the blood that was expelled from his mouth.
"Thank you, David." Toshinori took a moment to gather himself. "I called because I wanted to talk with you again, at least before the expo later this year, but also because there are some things that I wanted to share with you. Things that you should have known about long ago."
David saw the hesitancy in Toshinori's expression. He held his tongue, waiting for his friend to start. "There are some things I can't say now. I would prefer to tell you in person, so you will have to be patient. But I can tell you this." Toshinori took a deep breath and released it. "My time is coming to an end, David. I have only a few hours left with my Quirk."
"I... I see." David's tone was somber as he took in the news. "I'm sorry, Toshi."
"Don't be, my friend. I can't be a Hero forever. My time was always going to end." The No. 1 Hero said with a sigh. "But," His smile grew wider as he looked at his friend through the screen, "I know that the future is in good hands. In fact, I found the one who is going to be my successor!"
The researcher blinked a few times at the declaration. "A successor?"
Toshinori gave a nod. "Yes. Before I started teaching, I had run into a young man who caught my interest. You should have seen him, David! He had such spirit, the drive to be a Hero! And he has only proved me right at every turn. I know that when I retire when my Quirk stops working, I will have no regrets when he graduates."
David looked at the acceptance content displayed by Toshinori's expression. The pride filled his smile as he talked about this successor of his. It had been a while since he saw such emotions in his friend and it started to erode away his own fears and doubts at the idea of the world losing All Might.
"Well then, I can't wait to see who he is. Maybe we can have him meet with Melissa. Have them both form a team like we did back in the day." David said in jest.
"That honestly sounds like a fantastic idea! I still don't know where I would be without you beside me when I first started out." The blonde Hero said as he fully considered the idea. Toshinori began to laugh at the flood of memories of his time in America and all the situations he and David ended up in.
"I fondly remember you 'stress testing' most of the support items I made for you back in the day, Toshi," David replied with a smirk.
"Apparently that is a habit my successor and I share..." The emaciated man muttered.
David couldn't help but laugh at his friend's expense. After he calmed down enough, he asked a question, "So, who is this successor of yours?"
"Ah, of course. His name is Midoriya Izuku. If you get the chance, watch the upcoming sports festival. He is competing in the first-year games this year. I have no doubt you'll be just as impressed with him as I am." Toshinori said with a beaming smile.
'Midoriya, huh? I wonder how your kid has been, Hisashi.' David thought to himself. He turned his head and looked at his daughter, the blonde young woman paying more attention to the TV than anything else. He started to remember seeing the excitement in Melissa's eyes when she exchanged those letters regularly all those years ago. And her disappointment when they had stopped suddenly.
He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his emails, coming to the one Toshinori sent him. Apparently, his old friend really did like the idea of Izuku and Melissa hitting it off and forming a team and sent David the Hero student's email address to share with her. 'Who knows, maybe they can start up their friendship again. That partnership idea might have some merit.'
The researcher shook his head of those thoughts, returning his attention to the TV as the festival was about to begin. For now, he would see how Midoriya would do and enjoy the time together with Melissa.
- MIDORIYA HOUSEHOLD -
Inko glued herself to the couch. For the longest time, it was just her and Izuku watching the sports festival because he wanted to see all the Quirks being on display. And now, her baby was getting to participate in them. While she was doing her best to fight off her nervousness, she still couldn't hold back how proud she was of him.
And she wasn't alone in those feelings. Shinso's parents, Seiko and Nori, had accepted her invitation so that the three parents could cheer on their sons. They were all huddled together on the couch as they waited for the broadcast to start.
"I can't believe it. Our boys are actually competing in the sports festival. Oh, this is so exciting!" Nori said as she vibrated in her seat.
"It is, though I just hope Izuku doesn't do anything too crazy," Inko said with an exasperated sigh. As much as she hoped otherwise, she knew Izuku would find a way to pull off a stunt that would make her worry greatly.
- U.A. STADIUM, PRIVATE BOXES -
As the stadium began to fill itself with U.A. students, ticket holders, and Heroes either here to watch the competition or provide extra security, a group of men made their way through the halls of the stadium to the private boxes.
Leading the group was a young man, who looked much younger than he was. He had deep, dark violet eyes that seemed to take in everything he saw with a calculated look. He had chin-length, ash-gray hair with pointed bangs covering most of the right side of his face while the back flared out.
He wore a white buttoned shirt with the top two buttons left undone, and a light-gray jacket over on top of it. The man had on a pair of dark gray pants and a pair of white dress shoes that had black soles and laces.
The man walked down the hall without a care in the world, his hands in his pockets as he was relaxed in his movements. The two black-suited men following him kept a more serious and tense air around them with their presence alone. To the younger man's dismay, his enjoyable jaunt had come to an end as they reached the private box they would be using to watch the sports festival.
He rapped his hand against the door and waited for only a moment.
"Come in!"
The well-dressed man entered the room at the call. He noticed several comfortable-looking chairs with a well-made coffee table in front of them. The chairs had a clear and perfect few of the stadium's field, with several viewing screens that would allow for close-ups of the upcoming action. In one seat was Ayano, going over several files and documents as she waited for the festival opening to begin. In the other chair was Nezu, who turned to meet his guest.
"Ah, Joshua, what a pleasant surprise." The chimera said as he got up from his chair.
Joshua smirked at what Nezu said and called out the chimera as he stooped down to shake his paw, "Please. You knew I was here the very moment I stepped foot on your campus. Besides, it would look bad on me if I didn't make an appearance. That and, unlike Madam President, I actually enjoy your company."
"The same could be said for me as well." There was a mischievous glint in Nezu's beady eyes. "After all, the two of us being in the same room would be a nightmare for her."
"Indeed," Joshua replied with a mischievous smirk of his own. The two went to the chairs and took their seats. The ash-haired man looked over and greeted Ayano. "Greetings, Ms. Kamachi."
Ayano looked up from her tablet, noting Joshua's presence as she gave him an informal bow from her seat. "Good morning, Vice-President Kiryu." The dark-haired woman answered.
"So, Nezu," The chimera turned his head to Joshua, "what can I expect to see today? Anyone worth keeping an eye on?"
Nezu hummed thoughtfully at the questions. "That would depend on what you want to see. Are you wishing to see healthy competition, or trying to scout one of my students?"
Joshua smirked as fireworks went off and Present Mic could be heard starting the ceremonies.
[HEEEEEEEEEEEEELLO AND HOW YA DOING!? THIS IS PRESENT MIC, YOUR ACTING DJ TODAY, TOMORROW, AND THE DAY AFTER! ARE YOU ALL READY TO SEE SOME HEART POUNDING ACTION!? TO WATCH THIS YEAR'S RISING STARS SOAR TO NEW HEIGHTS!?]
"Why not both?" The ash-haired man answered. The crowd's cheers began to shake the stadium. Joshua simply kept his eye on the gate where the first years would enter. "Better to see who has the skills to survive in this business and to see who the country will flock to when they start their careers."
[THEN LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!!! UP HERE IN THE BOOTH WITH ME IS MY CO-HOST, THE UNDERGROUND HERO ERASER HEEEEEEEEEAD! Say hi to our wonderful listeners, Eraser.]
[You're too loud.]
"Besides. Better me to keep them in mind rather than our dear Madam President. I prefer people as opposed to props out on the streets." Joshua added.
"Indeed." The chimera replied with a nod.
[IT'S TIME FOR THE FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS TO STEP UP TO THE STAGE! UP FIRST IS HERO COURSE, THE STUDENTS 1-A!]
At Present Mic's words, 1-A stepped through the gate and onto the field, greeted by the uproarious crowd's cheers and excitement. Despite the nervousness between most of them, they pushed forward as the Voice Hero continued his presentation.
[The very group of Hero students who fought against a horde of Villains single-handedly, showing the world they didn't just hit the ground running, THEY BLASTED OFF LIKE THE RISING STARS THEY ARE!!!]
The roaring cheers grew louder as Present Mic finished, causing the Hero students' nerves to start to get the better of them.
"Man, Present Mic laid it on pretty thick there," Sero said.
"Yeah. The crowd just got even more hyped. Pretty much put even more pressure on us with that." Shoka said with a pout.
"All the more reason to take this seriously. This is the best opportunity for us to get used to the pressures of the public's eyes." Iida explained.
As 1-A took their spot on the field, Present Mic continued on with the next group of students.
[While they hadn't had as much time on the air as their sister class, don't you dare count them out! Their hearts beat with the same fire as all Heroes do! INTRODUCING HERO COURSE 1-B!!!]
Izuku turned and saw 1-B making their way to their spot next to 1-A. While the crowd's cheers weren't as loud for 1-B as it was for Izuku's class, Present Mic's words seemed to help keep up everyone's spirits. The verdette saw Monoma look his way and gave him a nod while a smirk was on his face. Izuku returned the gesture before focusing on the other courses.
[COMING OUT OF THEIR SHELLS ARE THE GENERAL COURSES C, D, AND E! No matter the odds, this course is just bursting with the potential to be great!]
Izuku and 1-A saw the General Course students make their way onto the field. Despite The Voice Hero's words, they came out to very little fanfare and their displeasure was apparent on their faces. Many had turned to look at both Hero Course classes, their competitive spirits emerging as they wished to outshine the Hero Course.
[Of course, the ones who arm and equip our Heroes with our much-needed tech and equipment are here too! PLEASE WELCOME SUPPORT COURSES F, G, AND H!]
A mass of students arrived, taking their place next to the General Courses. 1-A saw all of them sporting some kind of equipment on their person, some much more than others, making 1-A talk among themselves at what they saw.
"Dang! How much equipment do they need?" Mina asked.
"I believe the rules state that the Support Courses are allowed to bring in as much equipment and use it during the competition as long as they made it during their time here," Momo explained as she looked at the different pieces of equipment. The busty heiress was seeing what pieces could inspire some of her creations during the festival if she was able to make them.
Shinso looked over the group and only noted that a few of the support students had a multitude of equipment. "I would be careful though. The ones that seem to have a whole arsenal will either keep us on our toes, or the gear was hastily made and could backfire."
[And finally, the group of whiz kids and media experts that help our Heroes stay connected to those they protect, BUSINESS COURSES I, J, and K!]
The last group of first years exited their gate. While the other groups seemed excited to compete in the festival, this group seemed to have their minds elsewhere.
[EVERYBODY CHEER YOUR HEARTS OUT FOR U.A.'S FIRST-YEAR COURSES!]
The crowd roared with excitement once more, the stadium shaking at the thunderous volume.
[And now, introducing this year's umpire, please welcome the R-Rated Hero, MIDNIGHT!!!]
As the sensual dark-haired woman made her way to her stage, the crowd's reaction varied though many were too enthralled at the appearance of the Hero. Midnight seemed to bask in the attention, taking a moment to pose, garnering an even greater reaction.
"Well, that seems kinda on point for her," Kirishima said, doing his best to focus on something else.
"It is her brand," Kaminari stated. He happened to be one of the number of men who were too focused on the R-Rate Hero.
"Silence!" Midnight cracked her flogger-style whip, the sharp sound echoing throughout the stadium as it rose over the crowd. As everyone began to quiet down enough, she spoke, "Presenting the opening speech for this year's festival is Midoriya Izuku from Hero Course 1-A!"
Izuku took a deep breath, doing his best to calm down as he made his way to the stage. His mind raced as he robotically took step after step across the field.
'Okay, Izuku, this shouldn't be hard. You worked as a barista. You have seen the worst humanity has to offer from just that. Talking in front of a crowd should be easy compared to that.' He thought to himself as he stepped onto the stage and took his place next to Midnight. As he stood in front of the microphone, he looked around at his fellow students and then the crowded seats of the stadium. 'Crap baskets! This is way worse!'
- LEAGUE OF VILLAINS HIDEOUT -
Shigaraki kept his attention solely on the TV sitting on the counter. He agreed to watch the festival to get a better understanding of the students who had ruined his attack on the USJ. The shaggy-haired Villain watched the opening with disinterest, not really paying attention for the most part. Until he recognized the mop of green hair on the screen.
"It's him..." He watched as the verdette made his way onto the stage and stood next to Midnight and seemed to freeze in front of the microphone. There was a phantom twitch from Shigiraki's right hand as rage filled his core.
"Come on, Phones. Just take a deep breath." Mr. H said out loud as he kept his eyes glued to the screen.
The café was quiet, despite it being at full capacity. While there were a few new faces, most of the guests were regulars. Ones that knew Izuku and the other Kats. Ones that were heavily invested in seeing the three compete. And ones that were silently watching Izuku with bated breath, waiting to hear verdette's speech.
Izuku took another deep breath and slowly released it.
"U.A. has a history of being the starting line to many of the greatest Heroes of our country. We all know them by name: All Might, Endeavor, Best Jeanist. Our commentators Present Mic and Eraser Head." From the speakers around the stadium, the crowd heard Present Mic give a quick and energetic 'Yeah', earning him a chuckle from everyone. "And of course, our umpire, Midnight." The R-Rated Hero gave Izuku a small and appreciative wink before giving a bow to the crowd.
Izuku paused to look all around him, doing his best to not focus his eyes on just one place. "And now, it's our starting line. Today each and every one of us will prove to you all that we will be just as great as those who came before us. But we won't stop at being just as great."
The verdette directed his attention to his fellow first-years. His eyes fell on Shoka and Momo, to Shinso and several others among the large group of students. "We will be better. Because while we're here, we will learn to be better than who we were when we started. So take this next step forward. And don't close yourself to everything around you."
Izuku smiled. The next words resonated within him as Ego hummed. That memory of him and Mr. H was prominent in his mind. The verdette raised his arm and pointed to the crowd of first-years. "For the world ends with you! When you reach the borders of your world, don't fear the next step. Push yourself to grow. To see the worlds of others and expand your horizons."
"When you hit the borders of your world, then go beyond!" Izuku clenched his hand into a fist and held it high. And he was rewarded for his words.
"PLUS ULTRA!!!" The stadium roared as a mixture of students and spectators finished the university's motto, leading to an uproarious applause.
Izuku smiled as he still held his fist up high. As the crowd began to quiet down some, he finished up his speech. "Now then. Time to start off this year's games off right! Give it your all, and I will give mine." Izuku stepped off the platform and took his spot back with the rest of 1-A, getting between Shoka and Momo.
Shoka nudged him with her elbow. "Nice speech. Not as hard as you thought, right?"
"Never again..." Izuku muttered as he stared at the ground.
Shoka and Momo shared a look before smiling fondly and taking Izuku's hands into theirs, giving them a comforting squeeze. That had caused their boyfriend to reboot, the verdette giving them a warm and loving smile in return.
"Now," Midnight's echoing voice caught everyone's attention, "with that impassioned speech given, let's get started with the first event!" A holographic projection booted up from behind the R-Rated Hero, with a spinning wheel at the center moving in a blur to build up the tension for the first event. The first-year students watch with rapt attention as the wheel continues to spin and spin and spin. As it suddenly stops, Midnight declares the results to everyone. "This year we're starting off with the Obstacle Course!"
Izuku took note of the event and began to speak his thoughts out loud. "I see. This would be the easiest way to eliminate a lot of the competition."
"Indeed. With only so many spots available for the next event, this would showcase which students have the ability to stand out." Momo added, picking up where he stopped.
Before they could continue on their train of thought, Midnight began to explain the rules for the event. "This race will be for every single class. No one is sitting out!" The display behind her changed, showing a map of a track around the stadium. "The course will be the outer circumference of the stadium, four kilometers in total. Our university's selling point is freedom!" The R-Rated Hero licked her lips as she stared down the group of students. "As long as you stay on the track, anything and everything goes!"
"Now, we will have a fifteen-minute break as we quickly set up the course and the obstacles. Be sure to limber up darlings." Midnight finished, a hint of lust oozing from her final words.
The students broke up into their own small groups or went off by themselves as they did what they needed to in order to prepare for the race. Izuku, Shoka, Momo, and Shinso formed their own group, with Shinso and Izuku stretching off to the side while Shoka and Momo helped each other with their own stretches.
And making sure to give Izuku a small show whenever they saw his eyes on them. And him doing the same to them in turn.
With time still remaining, Izuku began to think about what Psychs he should use for the race. 'Orbit, Blink, and Pyre can be used for utility and movement, with Orbit and Pyre doubling as attacks if I need them to. Vitali-Tea is out. Buster-Shot may not be useful but I can't rule it out. Resolute could be useful, never know when I will need a shield. I'll keep Excalibur. That just leaves my last slot.'
Izuku thought about his new Psych, debating with himself if it would be worth using during this event or saving it for the other events. 'No, better save it for later. This event is about speed and how you handle obstacles. The other events will probably be more combat-focused, especially with the final event. Better use Scratch.'
With his mind set, he equipped his Psychs and waited for the race to start.
"Boy, I'm glad I didn't have to do a race when I took part in the festival." Rhyme said as she drank her coffee.
"This is gonna be one helluva race though. You got, what? Over two hundred students there?" Beat asked.
Rhyme did some quick math in her head and nodded. "Yeah, two-hundred and twenty. And you'd be right. The first event is always pretty hectic, no matter what year you're in."
"Well, this one's gonna show who's got the skills to make it to the top. Some punks are just gonna skate by with what they got. Others are gonna hit every trick they can to stand out. It ain't just about crossin' the line first, it's about your style too. You could come in last and still impress the right person." Beat said in a rare moment of greater wisdom.
Mr. H and Rhyme just looked at the blonde skater, blinking owlishly at his words. Beat looked at the two and spoke up defensively, "What? Don't gimme those looks, I have my moments!"
"Well, this should be a good way to see all the different kinds of Quirks the students have," David said as he leaned back into the couch. He looked over and saw Melissa focusing on the screen. He noticed that the cameras had changed to show Izuku again as the verdette was chatting with two ravenettes and an indigoette.
"Melissa?" The Shield patriarch nudged his daughter's shoulder, breaking her out of her thoughts.
The young blonde looked at her father. "Hmm? Oh, sorry, Dad." Melissa turned her attention back to the TV, catching one last glimpse of Izuku before the camera switched to another. "Just... Thinking about something."
David braced himself, ready to fill in the gaps in Melissa's questions that he figured she had. "Midoriya was the name of your old colleague, right?" David nodded. "Then Izuku was the pen pal I had, wasn't he?" David nodded once more.
Melissa didn't ask any more questions. There was a spark in her eyes as she quickly stood up from her seat and rushed to her room. David watched in confusion, only to be surprised by the sounds of his daughter digging through old boxes and drawers in her attempt to locate something. She came back just as quickly, the young blonde putting a set of notebooks down on the table. She pulled her hair up, tying it into a high, wavy ponytail as she focused on the screen.
David watched it all happen with a smile on his face and followed his daughter's lead, looking back at the TV.
"Everyone, take your places!" Midnight called out.
The group of first-year students gathered at the starting gate, the three lights at the top of the arch lighting up green as the countdown began. The crowd's cheers began to fade out as every student focused on the task at hand.
The first light dimmed. "Ready!"
Izuku stood at the back of the pack, keeping an eye on things as Ego began to hum again.
The second light dimmed. "Set!"
The verdette noted that the tunnel was long. He could Blink all the way to the end but run the risk of getting stalled by the feedback by traveling such a far distance. 'Better to use short bursts. Use Orbit to slingshot me when I can.'
The final light dimmed. "START!"
And the rush began. Each and every student raced to enter the gate and secure the lead, bumping and pushing into each other to do so.
[It's time to get in some commentary! So my fellow DJ, what should we be keeping an eye on during this race.]
[The start of it. Already we are seeing the first real obstacle in this race. Now we will see which students can find a way to overcome it.]
As Izuku entered the tunnel, he saw Shoka to his right, the ravenette taking notice of him as well. The two nodded and put some of their free-running exercises to use.
Shoka activated her Quirk, the color draining from her skin and uniform as her arms and legs were wrapped up in her black segmented armor. She leaped onto the wall and began to run along it, her claws digging into the stone as she maintained her balance.
Izuku followed suit, kicking off the ground and over several students as he ran along the vertical surface. Without Shoka's advantage, he had to deal with gravity pulling him down. As his body was about to fall into the swarm of students, the verdette used Blink to maintain his momentum, performing several jumps to bypass the crowd.
Izuku felt the air chill as he neared the head of the pack when a sudden wave of ice ran along the ground, effectively trapping those at the front. Izuku used Orbit to launch himself forward, avoiding the chilling blast and putting himself in the lead.
Todoroki watched as Izuku appeared ahead of him. The scarred young man doubled his efforts as he sprinted on ahead, ignoring the cries of those he froze in place.
"On your left!" Todoroki couldn't help but turn to face the person who called out to him. His eyes widened in surprise as Shoka skated by, the ravenette giving him a smirk and a two-fingered salute as she overtook him. Todoroki grew slightly frustrated as she continued to create a gap between them.
"Don't think that your shitty trick would work on me, you half-and-half bastard!" The sound of explosions was heard as Bakugo blasted himself into the air and towards Todoroki.
Despite his earlier move to hinder the competition, 1-A wasn't deterred. Momo had used her Creation to make a metal pole that vaulted herself over the crowd and past the end of the ice. Mina had used her dexterity and skills in dance to skate along Todoroki's ice with little effort, only to be caught by surprise as Shinso flew past her. She gave a quick glance over her shoulder and saw a rather muscular student blink several times in confusion as he held his arms out as if he had just thrown somebody.
[It seems that Midoriya and Sakurane completely avoided Todoroki's ice hazard and are sitting comfortably in the lead! And even those stuck behind the ice have managed to overcome it with ease, letting Todoroki know that they aren't slowing down!]
As the others began to find their footing, Izuku maintained the lead. He found a comfortable rhythm with Orbit and Blink. He caught a glimpse of a large object ahead of him around the bend and as he soon saw what it was, his eyes began to widen.
The verdette slowed down enough as his vision was filled with a multitude of green automatons. While he didn't worry too much with the appearance of the 1, 2, and 3-Pointers from the entrance exam, it was the several 0-Pointers that caused him to balk in surprise, nearly tripping over his feet at the sheer presence of the metal goliaths.
"I'm starting to wonder if Nezu gets a kick out of messing with all of us." He muttered to himself.
[And it looks like Midoriya has come to the first major obstacle of the race. Behold! THE ROBO INFERNO! To rush through and hope for the best, or to take your time and defeat the enemies in your way!? That's the decision each student will have to make as they enter this mechanized warzone!]
Izuku could hear the mass of students coming up from behind him as they closed the distance. He took a quick glance and saw Shoka nearing him, with Todoroki and Bakugo hot on her heels. The verdette looked back at the large mass of robots and came to his decision.
'I'll do both!' Izuku wasted no time as he rushed at a 1-Pointer.
The robot reeled a mechanical arm back as it readied itself to strike the verdette. "Target acquired. Initiating Green Crush Protocol."
'Yep, Nezu is messing with us.' Izuku dodged the punch easily, sidestepping the robot as he used Excalibur to cut off the appendage with a clean strike. With another slash, he bisected the robot, the upper half crashing into the ground. He was about to continue on his way when he heard a much louder robotic voice above him.
"0-Point Slayer. Threat level: Priority One." Boomed the automated voice of a nearby 0-Pointer.
Izuku didn't know what to think about that one. He was just more concerned that the metal monstrosity seemed to recognize him.
Back in the commentator's booth, Present Mic began to slightly panic as he covered his microphone and turned to Aizawa. "Hey, Sho?" He spoke in a whisper, doing his best not to let anyone overhear him. "Since when do the 0-Pointers call out certain students?"
"Since their code apparently allows them to recognize the one that destroyed their comrade during the exams." The Underground Hero answered dumbly. This was all new to him.
They both swore they could hear Nezu and another voice laughing from the private boxes.
"Fine then. If your code lets you seek me out for revenge, let's see if it lets you feel fear." Izuku switched out Scratch Rhapsody for Buster-Shot. He began to pool his energy into both Orbit and Buster-Shot as he grabbed at the arm of the 1-Pointer he had just taken down. Shoka, Bakugo, and Todoroki saw the verdette ready himself, recognizing his maneuver and bracing for the inevitable shockwave from his attack.
The 0-Pointer lashed out at the verdette, its enormous arm intent on slamming him into the ground. A green trail of energy coiled around his arm one and flowed to his fingertips as he held them out in a finger gun gesture.
"Psychronization! Low MAC Round!"
As he let out a howl, the 1-Pointer's arm shot out and struck the 0-Pointer, creating a clean hole straight through its elongated head. The resulting shockwave knocked many of the students off their feet as the dust created in its wake blocked their vision. Izuku watched as the kinetic force caused the 0-Pointer to fall back, crashing into the ground and crushing any unfortunate robots who were unable to move out of the way in time.
The verdette wasted no more time as he started running on ahead, using Blink to avoid any more robots until his arm settled.
[WHAT A MOVE! MIDORIYA MANAGED TO TAKE DOWN A 0-POINTER AND SEVERAL SMALLER BOTS WITH ONE MOVE!]
[Midoriya's Quirk is a unique one. He can create abilities and utilize them in a variety of ways, and as we just saw, combining them for a special move. He, along with Yaoyorozu and Monoma are the wild cards to look out for due to the versatile nature of their Quirks.]
[Just goes to show that creativity is an extremely powerful tool that shouldn't be ignored!]
He left behind the rest of the competition as most stared dumbly at what they saw.
"He... He just took down that big robot like it was nothing..."
"That's gotta be a fluke, right?"
Shoka just smirked. "Well, can't really lag behind." She rushed forward, deftly dodging the attacks of the robots that sought to slow her down. Her body bent and curved around the robots in her way, making several of the members of the horde lose track of her. Those that got too close or lost line of sight were clawed, cut, and slashed at, leaving a trail of metal carnage in the ravenette's wake as she maintained her momentum.
"Deuces dummies!" Shoka's athleticism shined through as she never lost a step. Each movement was made with a purpose as she continued on her way down the track.
[And Sakurane turns those metal obstacles into robo-mincemeat! Those claws must be super sharp!]
[Sakurane excels in her athleticism, using her Quirk and its physical boosts to give her an edge in combat. As we just saw, it also helps in her movement and flexibility, making it difficult to hold her down and overpower her.]
Todoroki watched and followed after her, using his ice to generate a trail for him to slide across at greater speeds. His path was cut off by another 0-Pointer who tried to slow him down. Todoroki looked at the goliath impassively, not bothered by its intrusion.
"If Midoriya can take you down easily," The scarred student said. An intense chill filled the air. Todoroki swiped his hand across the ground as ice began to generate, a glacial wave erupting from the ground and converging on the attacking 0-Pointer, "then you will barely inconvenience me."
In an impressive show of Power, the entirety of the 0-Pointer was frozen. He sped through, running under the legs of the frozen monstrosity, garnering the attention of the others.
"Hey, he stopped the 0-Pointer! There's a way through!"
"Quick, go under it!"
Todoroki glanced back over his shoulder, not really believing that those behind him thought it would be that easy. "I wouldn't do that. I froze it while it was off balance."
As he finished his piece, the frozen 0-Pointer's legs started to be crushed under its own weight. The metal and ice groaned as the chassis lurched forward. More and more ice shattered, causing several chunks of the 0-Pointer to break apart and shower the field with debris.
Many of the students scrambled to avoid getting crushed. Bakugo growled in annoyance and launched himself into the air. With a great application of his Quirk, the ash-blonde bomber maneuvered effortlessly as he dodged the metal and ice chucks as they fell. When he came to the main body of the 0-Pointer, Bakugo generated a large explosion with both hands, propelling himself over the head of the robot and ahead of Todoroki.
[HOW ABOUT THAT VIEWERS!? TODOROKI JUST FROZE A 0-POINTER IN ITS TRACKS, WHILE BAKUGO FLEW UP AND OVER ITS REMAINS!]
[Todoroki and Bakugo showcased that while they have power, they also have control to match it. Bakugo shows that same creativity we expect to see, to push the boundaries of his Quirk's limits.]
The two began to speed up as they raced each other to reach the front of the pack, leaving behind everyone as they chased after Izuku and Shoka.
From the remains of the frozen 0-Pointer, loud thuds, and heavy slamming could be heard from the metal chassis. Metal began to groan and tear apart as Kirishima burst out from the downed robot's body, his Hardening Quirk fully activated.
"Damn it Todoroki! Someone could have been killed by that!" The redhead bellowed out.
Another slam was heard next to him as a pair of metal arms tore through the 0-Pointer's chassis, revealing that Tetsutetsu had also nearly been crushed by the debris.
"The hell was that!? Not very manly of that bastard to drop something like that on us!" The steel-bodied young man roared.
Kirishima and Tetsutetsu took a moment to look at each other, sheer confusion on their faces.
"Bro..."
"Bro..."
The mass of students and spectators watched the two give each other sharp-toothed smiles as they slammed their hands together, forming an arm lock of pure testosterone.
""BRO!!!""
Shaking off the manly display, the group of students got their heads back in the race as the horde of robots closed in on them. Those with little experience scrambled to avoid encounters with the bots, while others pushed their luck and tried to defeat them with their Quirks.
They all came up short when compared to the students of 1-A.
Momo opened up her jacket as her creation flared. From the myriad of colors on her stomach emerged a pair of off-road rollerblades that she clasped onto her shoes. The busty heiress weaved through the smaller robots as they swarmed her, doing her best to avoid their attacks. Realizing she was at a disadvantage, she created a one-handed broadsword to provide her a means to attack.
The onyx-eyed ravenette skated forward, building up her speed as she neared a 1-Pointer. The green, mono-pedal robot sped at her, eager to meet the heiress in battle. Momo blurred into the 1-Pointer's space, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Using both her and the 1-Pointer's momentum, she swung her sword, careful with her footing so that she performed a controlled spin, the blade of her weapon cutting through the robot like a hot knife through butter.
Momo took a moment to bask in her victory and continued to race forward.
Shinso pulled a play from the entrance exam while coming up with a plan on the fly. The chances of success were low, but he figured that sometimes he had to roll the dice. He grabbed a small scrap of metal and began to move. The indigoette sneaked up to a 1-Pointer that had been too focused on another student. With its back turned, Shinso jumped up and clambered up to its shut-off switch.
The sleep-deprived student took a breath to steady himself and plunged the piece of metal into the side of its head, hoping to hit something helpful. The 1-Pointer twitched several times as it came to a stop. Shinso looked down at the robot, his confusion and disappointment apparent. As he was about to jump off the still robot, the 1-Pointer jerked when the indigoette accidentally nudged the metal shank.
Shinso paused and moved the scrap of metal forward, causing the robot to jerk in the same direction. The Hero student blinked several times in shock. "I can't believe that fucking worked..." He turned to look at the end of the robo inferno, narrowing his eyes and gripping the 1-Pointer and the shard. He moved the piece of metal, finding the right directions to go in order to turn the robot around.
Shinso smirked as he started to guide the robot forward. "I can't believe this is actually fucking working."
"Quite the interesting display of strategies," Joshua commented as he, Nezu, and Ayano watched the race unfold. "1-A seems to be leading the charge. Against a mountain that others would claim is insurmountable, they seem to treat it as a minor inconvenience. There is not a moment of hesitation from them. No ounce of fear overwhelming them."
Nezu nodded in agreement. "Yes. While the rest of the first-years are starting to hit their stride, 1-A had already found their momentum and capitalized on it."
The three watched the screen in their private box as it showcased the first obstacle from multiple angles. They saw the majority of 1-A already pulling ahead of the rest, using their skills and Quirks in such a way that made them stand out among the mass of students.
"It is a shame though. How quickly this career seems to make bright-eyed, optimistic students grow up." Joshua said. The grim implication that his tone just carried quickly shifted to a more jovial one as he continued to speak. "But, even with the eyes of the whole world upon them, they have yet to buckle under the pressure. You have a very special group of students on your paws, Nezu."
The chimera smiled. "That I do."
[Look at them go! Who would have thought that taking down a horde of robots would be so easy!]
As Present Mic continued his commentary, Izuku pushed on down the track and did his best to maintain his lead while Blink and Orbit took the time to recharge. Shoka had managed to catch up with him, falling in step beside him so they could talk.
"Sup Izzy." The ravenette said. "Must have been lonely up here, huh?"
"I would be lying if I said I wasn't. It seemed like things would be too easy otherwise," Izuku said jokingly.
"Well, how about I give you something to look at to make up for coming in second?" She replied. She began to speed up, shooting past Izuku and cutting in front of him. She spared him a glance and a wink as she added a small amount of sway to her hips, her tail adding on to her teasing as it moved enticingly as Izuku watched.
And he would have to say it was a pleasant view.
The verdette had to shake away his growing thoughts as his gray-eyed girlfriend started to get a lead on him. Before he could speed up, the sound of cracking ice and explosions came up from behind him. He didn't need to look back to see who was gaining on him.
[And Sakurane takes the lead, by passing Midoriya as both Todoroki and Bakugo are hot on his heels! But now these four pack leaders are coming up on our next obstacle!]
Shoka slowed down as her eyes widened at what she saw. An enormous trench was dug into the ground, leaving only a series of platforms with a series of tight ropes connecting to each other, giving the students a way to proceed forward.
[IT'S THE FALL!]
"Oh, so now it's a bottomless pit... Real classy U.A., reeeeeeal classy." The ravenette groaned out in displeasure.
Shoka looked at one of the tight ropes and pulled back on her transformation, removing the segmented arm and leg coverings to leave only her tail. The slender ravenette held onto the rope and started to make her way across. While the tail provided her greater balance, allowing her to move forward more quickly, the loss of the rest of her transformation took away her added speed, allowing Izuku, Bakugo, and Todoroki to close the gap.
Izuku pulled out an old play and used Orbit to launch himself into the air and used Pyre to jettison himself forward. Bakugo simply followed suit and kept to the air, his explosions launching himself clear over the obstacle as if it were never there. Todoroki had to use the ropes like Shoka, using his ice to slide across the ropes.
The crowded stadium watched with excitement at the performance of the four lead students. The race had turned out better than they hoped as each student pulled out another trick to one-up the others.
"Man, look at those four go!"
"That Midoriya is just full of surprises. How many different powers does his Quirk have?"
"Can't forget that Bakugo guy. Dude's tenacious!"
"Not surprised that Endeavor's kid is doing so well. He seems like he already has the skills of a pro."
"What about that Sakurane chick? Her Quirk is simple, but she's able to keep up with those three easily!"
As the four leaders neared the end of the pitfall, Momo and Iida managed to reach the start of the second obstacle.
"Tensei is watching this no doubt. I can't let him see me act uncool under this pressure!" The bluenette held his arms up and to the side as he jumped on the rope. With his engines roaring, he began to slide across the line, struggling to maintain his balance with such an act.
[Well... at least he is asserting his dominance over the rope with that pose...]
[Really, Mic?]
Momo focused on the platforms and came up with a plan to get across. She began to create another object, a small gun with a hooked head at the end of the barrel. She took a moment to breathe, trying to calm her nerves. 'No fear, Yaoyorozu. No fear!'
She leaped off the cliff and her body fell down as gravity took effect. She lifted up her arm and took aim, pulling the trigger of the gun and launching a grapple line out that dug into the platform ahead of her. She pulled the second trigger, causing her to fly up and over the platform. She smiled as she felt the wind blowing through her hair, the feeling of freedom rushing through her as she soared.
"I see great minds think alike! Tell me, how did you make such a cute baby!?" Momo turned her head and saw a curvy young woman with pink dreadlocks staring at her grapple gun through the unusual-looking goggles on her face. The ravenette noticed a series of machines and equipment on the pinkette's body, which Momo assumed she made for the festival.
Momo didn't answer at first, as gravity took hold of both girls, causing them to both descend back into the pit. The two used their equipment to hook onto another platform, launching them back into the air. Momo saw the pinkette still staring at her expectantly, waiting for the ravenette heiress' response.
"Well, I used my Quirk and thought about a piece of equipment my boyfriend showed me from a comic book." Momo then wished she didn't answer as the pinkette leaned closer, a wide smile on her face as if she hit the jackpot.
"Are you telling me that you can make just about anything with your Quirk!? Why haven't I heard about this!? Want to go into business together?" The goggles-wearing young woman asked.
Momo tried her best to focus on getting through the second obstacle, ignoring the abrasive pinkette as best she could. 'Izuku, Shoka. Please, help me!'
Izuku and Shoka, however, had cleared the pitfall, along with Bakugo and Todoroki right on them. The four battled for the top stop, each one getting the lead only for someone else to overtake them for just a moment.
As they rounded the next curve, Present Mic's commentary continued.
[And our four leaders have reached the final obstacle! Let's see how they fair with...]
The four 1-A students stopped in their tracks as they saw a field filled with recently dug-up and filled-in holes that were scattered across the open space. There was no uniformity to them and barely any room to maneuver around them.
[THE MINEFIELD! And just because you can see where the mines are doesn't mean it helps a lot. Gotta be quick and gotta be smart about where you plant your feet. Don't worry though. These mines aren't lethal, but they do pack a punch... also I think Nezu may have added glitter to a few of them, so if you don't want to look like you just got back from a rave, mind your step.]
Izuku and Shoka felt a chill and jumped back in time to avoid a wave of ice that threatened to freeze them in place. With the two distracted, Todoroki started to make his way through, with Bakugo right behind him, the ash-blonde using his Quirk to stay above the mines.
"Back off Half-and-Half. I'm not gonna lose to you, that damn nerd or his cat-bitch!" Bakugo growled out.
"And I don't have time to listen to your blustering." The scarred young man replied coolly.
The two nearly missed Shoka blitzing past them, "Later losers!" The slender ravenette deftly weaving through the field, her clawed feet barely grazing the mounds where the mines were buried.
As the three started to make their way through the minefield, with the rest of the students coming around the bend, Izuku planned his next move.
'Blink could get me through this, but I would either have to wait for the recharge or risk moving and setting off a mine. Shoka and the others could easily pass me by.' Izuku narrowed his eyes at the end of the field. 'Or should I risk pushing Blink to its limits. The end is still in my line of sight, but I could take myself out of the competition if it ends up being too much for me to handle.'
The mass of students passed him by, some sparing a few glances his way before continuing onward. One was unfortunate enough to step on a mine, launching himself into the air as Izuku watched. There was a glint in the verdette's eyes as he found his way through.
Izuku pooled his energy into Orbit, reaching out and grabbing a large group of mines from the dirt and pulling them to him. He set them down gently, being careful not to set them off and ruin his plan. He stepped back, took in a deep breath, and released it.
Inko kept her eyes glued to the screen, her worry becoming more and more apparent as she watched her son begin to pull off a crazy stunt she had already figured he would perform.
Mr. H shook his head as he already figured out the verdette's plan. He was unsure whether or not to be mad, impressed, or surprised Izuku would come up with something like this. Rhyme watched on in concern as Beat jumped up to his feet in excitement.
"YO! Is Greenie gonna do what I think he is!? This is gonna be hella tight!"
"Dad?" Melissa called out to her father.
"Yes, sweetie?" The researcher asked, not taking his eyes off the screen.
"Midoriya is about to do something stupid and wildly unsafe, isn't he?" She asked. Part of her was excited to see how he would pull this off, while another part was extremely concerned for his safety.
David just nodded, going back to what Toshinori had said. He would have to agree, both Toshinori and Midoriya seemed to have a really bad habit of stress-testing their abilities.
In the Nezu's private box, he and Joshua shared a laugh at Izuku's plan to take the lead, while Ayano just sighed heavily at the verdette's actions.
Izuku opened his eyes and sprinted. He pooled his energy into Resolute and focused it away from his hands. He jumped into the air, and in an act of pure athleticism, performed a front flip. Right before his feet hit the pile of mines, he formed an energy shield in the shape of an elongated kite shield. As he slammed down into the mines, he was blasted into the air, his minor screams of panic quickly changing into triumphant laughter.
Shinso had come to the minefield just in time to see his best friend get launched. He wanted to say he was surprised, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He refocused on how he would get through the minefield and noticed Setsuna detach her torso from her legs. Before she used her Quirk to take off, Shinso called out to her.
"Hey, Set!"
The mossy-verdette couldn't help but turn to the voice. Her confusion was apparent as she replied to the indigoette, "Indi? Whatcha ne-"
"Mind ferrying me across the field?"
As Shoka, Bakugo, and Todoroki battled for first place, the sound of a large explosion caught them off guard. They had stopped in their tracks to see a large cloud of pink smoke, with glitter mixed in, envelope the start of the final obstacle. They saw a body fly out of the smoke, a green shield planted at the bottom of the person's feet as he laughed excitedly.
"IZZY!?" The slender ravenette watched in surprise as her boyfriend surfed through the air on his energy shield.
[HOLY CRAP! MIDORIYA JUST BLASTED HIMSELF INTO FIRST PLACE! TALK ABOUT AN EXPLOSIVE TURN OF EVENTS!]
[Of course, it would be the Problem Children who keep pulling off stunts like these...]
Izuku started to descend at a rapid pace, gravity pulling him down quickly as he shot past Shoka and the others. He still saw he had some distance to clear before he was out of the minefield. 'I still have Blink and Orbit ready to go. But...' He looked back and saw Bakugo and Todoroki rushing past the mines to catch up to him, with Shoka lagging behind, keeping an eye on the three.
'I can force them to back off if I time it right!' The verdette felt the energy that was pooling into Resolute, the Psych still running with enough juice to pull off one more move. As Bakugo and Todoroki neared him, Izuku used Orbit to pull him ahead, performing a front flip past his two pursuers.
And then he slammed his shield into the ground, hitting several mines in the process. The resulting blast knocked Bakugo and Todoroki off course while Izuku was blasted forward. His energy shield shattered, throwing off his balance. As he neared the ground, the verdette ducked into a roll, kipping up as soon as he could, and used his momentum to carry on running.
He used Blink sparingly, making sure to give him the lead he needed to ensure his victory. As Izuku ran on ahead, Shoka rushed through the smoke and followed after him, her Quirk in full effect as she sped through the final stretch of the race. Bakugo and Todoroki weren't too far behind, the two Hero students pushing their Quirks to the limit to overshoot the ravenette.
[And the first four students are nearing the end of the track! Who is gonna come out on top?]
At Present Mic's words, Izuku Blinked past the gate, emerging from a mote of green energy.
[IT'S MIDORIYA IZUKU!!!]
The verdette steadied himself, doing his best to catch his breath as the stadium roared in excitement at his crossing. He looked up at the crowd, his head turning to see them cheering for him. His eyes fell onto the teacher's box, his eyes honing in on Toshinori.
The emaciated Hero smiled at Izuku's victory, not holding back as he joined the crowd in their celebrations.
[And coming in second, maintaining her place above both Bakugo and Todoroki, IT'S SAKURANE SHOKA!]
"Izzy!" Izuku turned and saw his gray-eyed ravenette making her way over to him. Shoka quickly wrapped him up into a hug as she went limp in his arms, her Quirk's transformation releasing, with the verdette chuckling as he held her up.
[And by the skin of his teeth, Bakugo Katsuki takes third place, with Todoroki Shoto securing fourth!]
"Hey, let's go over and wait for Momo," Izuku said to the ravenette in his arms.
"Sounds good. Can't walk though. Carry me." Shoka said, her exhaustion catching up to her.
Izuku let out a chuckle and squatted down, allowing Shoka to hang off of his back as the two made their way over to the gate. Bakugo watched as the two passed him by, his fists clenching tightly as he seethed internally for getting third, with his only consolation being that he placed higher than Todoroki.
Off to the side, the bicolor-haired young man stared down at the ground. His mind barely made sense at the thought of being outperformed by Izuku, Shoka, and Bakugo. Todoroki turned his head and watched as Izuku and Shoka were reunited with Momo, the busty heiress bringing the two into an embrace as she crossed the finish line, placing ninth, just behind Iida.
Todoroki's heterochromatic eyes focused on Izuku. He began to reevaluate the verdette, his initial thoughts about him, how they both stacked up to each other now moot. He didn't want to admit it, but Izuku was proving to be a much greater challenge than he had anticipated.
- ALL FOR ONE'S HIDDEN BASE -
Within the dark confines of a large room, several screens illuminating the space around them, sat an imposing figure as watched and listened to the broadcast of U.A.'s sports festival. He was dressed in a pitch-black suit, with a white button-up shirt worn underneath the jacket. Several machines and IVs were attached and plugged into his body, each one doing its job of keeping him alive and comfortable.
His entire skull was a mass of scar tissue, with his eyes, ears, and nose completely gone or covered by the destroyed skin, leaving his mouth and chin the only untouched areas of his face. Despite having no means of truly viewing the festival, that didn't stop him from doing so, the signals of the televisions were still being interpreted by a series of Quirks working throughout his body.
The man smiled, a sadistic and thoughtful grin forming on his face. "Well now, quite the interesting Quirk. And to think, how one could have the means to create whatever power they could ever dream of, and it's in the hands of a mere Hero student."