Chapter 6: Volume 4, pt 1 Sports Festival!
Ochako laughed, glad Tsu was able to add some levity to the tension before the festival began. She was about to try and respond with her own joke when the room suddenly felt much more tense. Turning to glance over at the problem students (namely Deku, Kat-Chan, Kaminari, and Mineta), she stiffened a little. Todoroki was glowering at her Deku, speaking for the first time she could recall.
"I will beat you."
Normally, Ochako would leave the boys be, let them fight it out however they felt like, but she'd spent the last week or so building up Deku's confidence and bonding with her Flying Bestie (still had to workshop that name). She held up a finger to Tsu, silently asking for a second while she took some action. Getting a nod, she turned and marched over to the half-and-half Recommendation Student.
She positioned herself beside Deku, coming up beside him and nudging his arm with her shoulder. Ochako wasn't going to step in if she didn't have to, but she also needed to make sure he stood up for himself. Todoroki took notice of her positioning and grimaced even more.
"From what I've seen, your quirk might just be an illusion, using her's to pretend you're top tier," he said, his voice monotone, "I'll expose your little sham, if it's true."
Deku clenched his fist, clearly thinking about something. When he looked up, his eyes were full of an intensity she felt rather proud of.
"I don't know why you felt the need to challenge me like this," he said, his expression grim, "But everyone, even students from the other courses, we're all aiming for the top. You're right, I'm behind everyone with my Quirk. And you're right, objectively, that I'm behind you. Most of us are."
Deku grinned, glancing at Ochako for a moment. Not like he was seeking approval, but as if to indicate she was part of his next words.
"But we're not gonna roll over for you. I'm not going to fall behind. And if you're so certain my Quirk is why I'm here: then I guess I have to show you otherwise."
Ochako wondered what Deku meant by that, but like most of the other people in the room: she was kind of swept up in his fervor. As Todoroki brushed past her, she reached over and took Deku's hand, careful to keep her pinky free.
"That was pretty cool, but… what do you mean by that?" she asked quietly.
He shot her a smile which seemed more nervous than she'd expect from the bold boy who'd just challenged the icy powerhouse of the class.
"If I have to, I'll win this tournament without my Quirk," he managed, swallowing, "Hey, that was my plan when I went into the Entrance Exam anyway…"
Ochako blinked at him. Maybe she'd overdone the confidence? That or she'd forgotten to account for his annoyingly strong sense of honor.
"Deku… I don't wanna say that's a terrible idea, but… I have no other words," she prodded, watching him with worry.
"Yeah, but… I can't help but feel like Todoroki… like he's someone who needs saving," he whispered, looking after him as the two-haired student left.
"The one who made it back to the stadium first is: None Other Than IZUKU MIDORIYA!" came Present Mic's scream, and Ochako felt her chest bubble with giddiness.
She couldn't believe it. He'd made it all the way through without using his Float once, tossing Todoroki and Kat-chan aside with apparent ease. Now it was time for her to catch up too.
Taking a page out of Deku's book, Ochako leapt towards one of the mounds with a grenade near the end of the course. Touching her hands together, she scrunched her knees below her into a shield. She only just brushed the sensor, her momentum carrying her down for a bit before planetary spin picked her up. It was enough though.
The blast hurt her knees, and probably burnt her leggings, but it was worth it to see five other students fall behind her as she soared after the leaders. She crashed into the ground, hard, but managed to keep herself moving a few more seconds.
Sliding through the gate, she let herself fall to the ground. She inhaled deeply, grinning at the sky.
A shadow fell over her face, and Ochako glanced over at whoever was casting it. Her grin became even brighter as she saw the concerned, emerald eyes of her bestie. She managed to get her hand up and give him the thumbs up. A smile touched his lips too, and he nodded in approval.
By the time the final contestant arrived, she had her breath back and managed to get up into the group clustered towards Midnight's podium. She settled close to Deku, ready to show him and everyone else she could keep up. She'd promised herself she'd become famous and help ease her parents' burdens, and now was the time to do so.
"Now onto the second event!" Midnight declared proudly, snapping her whip a little and grinning down at the students, "I, of course, already know what it is, of course… Are you dying in suspense!? Our next event is-"
She gestured to the giant screen behind her, grinning maniacally at the words: CAVALRY BATTLE.
"This!"
As if Deku's victory had infected the rest of the students, a number of muttered conversations popped up, the various groups discussing the possibilities and tactics. Midnight didn't seem very happy about being ignored.
"I'm about to explain it, so just shut up already!" she shouted, snapping her whip a few times.
The voices died out, and Midnight seemed to compose herself.
"Anyway, yes! Your individual point values start at five, at the bottom! So the student who took 42nd place is worth five points, 41st is worth ten… get it? But…"
Midnight's smile shifted to her patented Rated-R Grin as she aimed her whip at Deku.
"Our first place participant is worth: Ten Million Points!"
The entire stadium suddenly felt much colder. It felt like everyone was staring at Deku now, their eyes hungry and menacing. She didn't like it. Glancing at him herself, Ochako felt her face soften and hoped he would see her expression. He needed to know he wasn't alone. That he wasn't going to be taken out by something as silly as this.
"This survival game is a chance for a comeback. It's anyone's game!" Midnight finished dramatically, before setting into clarifying the rules.
Ochako saw Deku start to mutter to himself almost instantly, clearly going about his plans on who to pick and what to do. She wanted to go over and join up with him, but worried she wasn't right for his plan.
Her fears were, of course, waylaid when everyone else on the field started drifting away from him. Everyone not in class had no idea what he was about, his bet to go Quirkless for Todoroki still in place when he'd won the prior challenge. Everyone who did know he could fly were put off by his point count.
"Hey Deku, we should team- whoa!"
As he turned to her, his eyes were outputting a bit of salt water, and by a bit she meant enough that she was currently holding up her hands in a defenseive stance.
"Are you sure?" he finally managed, "Everyone's probably coming after me, and you could get hurt."
She smirked and gave him a soft slug on the shoulder.
"Nah, we'll just fly away. Plus: it's better to lose while helping a friend than win against them!"
Something seemed to be hurting Deku, because his face scrunched up into a rather unappealing grimace.
"Gah! What's wrong?! You just got all ugly!" she complained.
"Sorry, you're just so Uraraka I can't bear to look at you, Uraraka…" he muttered, which she decided to take as a compliment.
"Actually, I was hoping to team up with you. The problem is, we'd need one or two other people to make it work, and I don't think-"
"Team Up With Me Mr. First Place!" came a voice from behind Deku.
For a moment, Ochako worried he'd activated his Quirk on accident, but then realized he just jumped out of fear.
"Sorry, you were just… way too close," he managed, clutching at his chest, "I need some kind of radar for people coming close to me… Um, who are you?"
"I'm Hatsume Mei, from the Support Course! I don't know you, but I could be useful to someone in your position."
"Huh, you're not really one to mince words, are ya?" Ochako muttered, surprised at how forward and upbeat the woman was about literally using Deku for advertising purposes.
Her surprise quickly turned to annoyance as Hatsume started to take Deku's attention away and to her gadgets. It was kind of bothersome, though she couldn't say why. Luckily, when he caught sight of one particular unit, his eyes went unfocused and he grinned.
"You're on," he promised, giving her a thumbs-up, "Uraraka, can you and Hatsume get geared up while I'm gone? You'll both need hover boots and whatever capture or subdual items you'll be comfortable with."
"Right!" Ochako promised, giving him the thumbs-up, "I won't let you down! Um… where are you going?"
"To get the missing member of our team," he said, grinning back.
He marched away, heading for the bird-headed Tokoyami, speaking with him for a moment before getting a nod of agreement and going to register their team. Tokoyami turned away and bowed to the two girls.
"I look forward to working with you," he said simply, accepting the jetpack.
A bird-like phantom floated free from his body, giving them what was probably a grin, alongside a massive thumbs-up. Ochako didn't know why, but it seemed very comfortable to be around right then, almost friendly.
"Alright, wake up Eraserhead!" Present Mic called, "They've had time to form teams and strategize, and all 12 teams are lined up and ready to move!"
"Interesting," came the tired mumble.
Izuku prepared to mute them out of his mind, his hands back in Uraraka's and his shoulders gripped by his allies'. It was time to move. They all knew the plan, and it was time they employed it.
"Let's get a Battle Cry! Here comes the Starting Signal! Blood begets Blood in the U.A. Grand Match!" Mic screamed to the crowd.
"Uraraka!"
"Right!"
"Hatsume!"
"Oh Boy!"
Tokoyami!"
"Ready!"
Izuku gritted his teeth.
"Let's win this!" he screamed.
Midnight's whip cracked, and a buzzer sounded the clock had begun. Without wasting any time, two teams rushed them, calling their challenges.
"Right off the bat, just like you said 10,000,000!" Hatsume grinned.
"Such is the fate of those who are pursued," Tokoyami agreed, "Prepare to enact phase 1!"
They attempted to run away, but found the ground beneath them was becoming suddenly… gooier?
"Skip to Phase 2!" Izuku shouted, earning a nod from the rider.
The two girls braced against the boys, and with a click: the jetpack fired and they started rising slowly. Deku kicked in his Float at his 3% limit, forcing it up to 4% in an effort to keep pace with the jets. The ground snapped, and they launched into the sky.
A good deal of the competition seemed to be trying to figure out where they'd come down, only to blink as they slowed to a halt in the middle of the arena, still in the air. Izuku felt a swell of pride in Uraraka. She'd managed to float herself and Hatsume without too much difficulty, and was holding off her motion sickness quite well. The only weight which remained was Tokoyami, who was counter-balancing the spin of the Earth as they held position.
Some attacks were flung their way, but most fell short. Those that did manage to become a threat were quickly batted aside by Dark Shadow.
"Whoa! And with a gravity-defying leap: Team Tokoyami has taken to the skies! High-Fliers indeed!" Mic's voice echoed over the cheers.
"You're getting pretty full of yourself, huh, you bastard!"
Izuku turned to see Kacchan racing up at them, blasting himself through the sky like some kind of deformed rocket. However, as he swung for his favored right-hook, an ethereal arm batted him aside, knocking him back down towards his horse.
Immediately turning, Izuku pointed at Team Todoroki.
"He'll land before coming back, prepare to dodge!" he called, using his meager skill at Float to guide them back towards the edge of the arena.
He knew from watching that Todoroki's ice was more than strong enough to reach them up there, and now that Kacchan had opened the field to aerial attacks: he'd be running up to get them. But there were a few things Izuku knew would let them still win. 1: Todoroki needed their headband, and wouldn't risk covering it. 2: Todoroki had to worry about disabling his own team if he went all out. 3: As Todoroki was a rider, and not a horse, he would be limited to his arm, not his feet.
Izuku's predictions were right on the money. A moment after the other teams started going after one another instead of him, barring a few holdouts, Todoroki leapt from his formation and summoned an arctic pillar to launch himself at Tokoyami. It was just as futile as Kacchan's attack, leaving him falling to earth and having to be saved by his team.
The rage in the son of Endeavor's eyes was enough that Izuku knew they'd pushed him far enough. He glanced over at Kacchan, grinning as he saw the spiked blonde revving up his arms after taking out someone from Class 1-B. If they both attacked now, it would just work.
"Phase 3!" Deku shouted, letting go of Uraraka and Hatsume's hands.
Tokoyami clambered around to sit on his shoulders, now supported solely by Float and the emergency Jetpack. The girls disengaged, falling with controlled air from their boots. Izuku didn't focus on them. They knew their missions, and he trusted them.
For a moment, things seemed almost peaceful, simply holding position in the sky. Dark Shadow seemed to shiver, but not with cold, and Izuku heard Tokoyami whisper something to himself.
"So this is where we were meant to be…"
"What's this? It seems Team Tokoyami has another trick up their sleeve! They've broken apart, leaving themselves with greater maneuverability, but less defense!"
"All warfare is deception. Now the enemy believes they know our plan, we shall subvert their power," Tokoyami intoned, clenching a fist.
Izuku couldn't agree more.
As the two heavy-hitters of the class raced towards them again, Deku pulled out the capture net item Hatsume had given him. He would shoot Todoroki, and when Kacchan got decked by Dark Shadow again, they'd move. But as the two got closer, Deku felt an odd sensation in his gut. It was almost like disappointment.
Heroes save the people first, defeat the villains second.
Internally, Izuku cursed himself. He realized the saying wasn't just correct, but in that moment: it was also the right course of action.
Todoroki wasn't using his fire, which meant the net or Dark Shadow could take him down easily. But Kacchan was using explosives, as per usual, which emitted light. While being fought by the superior firepower of Tokoyami's Quirk would have shown Kacchan that Izuku still respected him as an opponent, and the net would humiliate him, Izuku realized that he couldn't keep playing rival to someone so determined not to give him the same respect.
I'm sorry, Kacchan, he thought to himself, priming the net launcher.
"Tokoyami! When I say "Now:" Punch Right, then swing Dark Shadow's body left!" he called back.
They waited a few more heartbeats, then Izuku deactivated Float. They began to fall, and he screamed up at his new friend: "NOW!"
Dark Shadow swung for all she was worth, and Izuku fired straight up.
Todoroki was impacted in the gut, using his ice to freeze the arm which got him, but now floating free with a winded expression. Dark Shadow swung left, and her arm cracked against Kacchan's explosions, shattering and blinding him for a moment. The two collided in midair, followed by the net.
The two struggled against it and one another, and as they growled and pushed and punched: Dark Shadow pulled away all of their headbands. She seemed to grin at him as she placed them in Tokoyami's hand, who reversed them and fastened them around his neck.
"Even in the blazing sun, our dark might cannot be pierced," he growled, grinning like a madman.
Izuku gave him and Dark Shadow the thumbs up, glancing down to see Hatsume and Uraraka soaring back up to them a bit clumsily.
"I say we go to Phase 4," he checked.
"Let them know our power."
Taking that as a yes, Izuku lowered them to reattach to their companions, who revealed what they'd been up to.
"Holy- When in the world did-" Present Mic started.
"Hatsume?" Izuku asked, adjusting the headset she'd given him earlier and grinning as the boards updated below.
"Ready!"
"And in a shocking turn of events, it seems Team Tokoyami's been busy at work while everyone else has been playing keep-away! Good Lord, Eraserhead, I know you said this isn't you but-"
Tapping the mic button, Deku heard the audio cut out and shift over to him. On the scoreboard, their points jumped to 10,004,295, while everyone else's hit 0. The crowd gasped in surprise and amazement, but quickly quieted themselves as a new voice came over the speakers: Izuku's voice.
"You're holding back!" he shouted, silencing everyone, including the other students.
They all looked up at him and his team, and he grinned as the cameras too focused up at their team.
"Every team lost their points to us, because you're all holding back! I know for a fact, some of you are only half-trying! Others are hoping to skate by on the bare minimum until everyone else is tired so they can get the easy win! Well guess what?! Heroes don't get to half-ass the job! That means one thing:"
He nodded, and Hatsume tied in all four of their voices for the final announcement.
"WE WON'T ACCEPT ANYTHING BUT YOUR BEST! YOU WANT TO PASS: YOU GO PLUS ULTRA AND GET YOUR POINTS BACK!"
They returned the sound back to Present Mic, and each pulled out their weapons of choice. Stun launchers, net cannons, Dark Shadow, or simply their hands.
Izuku felt an odd swelling of pride, but not how he expected. Instead of self-assurance, it felt like it was directed at him from somewhere inside himself. It was quickly drowned out by pride for the students who were finding ways to get up to them, not taking his challenge lying down, which then changed to fear.
"It looks like Team Tokoyami has just gone all in on this gambit! They've called out everyone here, and everyone's calling! Is it a bluff, or do they have the cards?!"
The sides all exchanged fire, with a flung Mineta trying to tag them with one of his balls, but missing out of sheer fear as he arced up and over them, Tsu's throw a little off. Yaoyorozu had opened up with cannon fire, which was… not pleasant. But somehow, between the various dodges and unrelenting counterattacks, they were holding ground, keeping their headbands out of the others' hands.
Once, a girl with vines for hair got tantalizingly close, but as she reached for a neck band instead of the head, Tokoyami's beat moved down and she withdrew out of fear, missing her shot.
But as they fought on, it began to feel… oddly easier. Izuku looked around, and realized he'd guided them under the shade of the glacier Todoroki had made to try and reach them. He grinned, ready to add a new aspect to their plan.
"Todoroki! I thought you said you'd beat me?!"
The half-and-half student seemed to combust with rage, and for a single instant: Deku thought he saw flames licking his arm. But then it was gone, and he merely shot another glacier at them; which was exactly what Izuku wanted.
They swung around, allowing it to crash into the other, making two walls of ice and increasing both their defense and shadows. The attacks were more focused on the front now, but Dark Shadow was starting to counterattack, warding most of the others off. Todoroki's team came racing around the side, and he launched another glacier at them in blind anger.
Izuku realized he might have just killed his team, seeing the ice race at him. Todoroki might just freeze them all and then have someone tunnel down to pull the headbands off. He couldn't think of how to stop the sheer firepower of the ice.
Do your best… Izuku…
It felt like a pair of hands took his arm in them guiding him knuckle-on towards the ice. The power of One-For-All raced up his body, but without Float. He wound his arm back, feeling the energy adjust without his intent, moving to hover around 30%. He didn't question it, and simply punched.
It felt like every muscle in his arm had been shredded, bruised, and worked for weeks without reprieve. It might have tensed up and curled into a ball, but it didn't seem to even be able to do that much. The rewards were worth it though.
A rocket of air smashed into the ice, not enough to shatter it all, but enough to deflect it around them, sealing their formation in a cave of ice. Izuku didn't wait for the teachers to react, and knew he wouldn't get the chance again. He punched with his left arm, equaling out the pain and finishing his arms entirely, blowing a small hole into the most shallow area for others to attempt to get in.
Dark Shadow began to roar, growing in size and menace. But oddly, Deku didn't feel threatened by it. It felt… like an angry mother, which he realized fit. Tokoyami's ghostly companion felt very much like a she, though it wasn't obvious until the moment they'd begun to fly, and Tokoyami's wonder had pierced his barriers for that single moment.
"Time's Up!" echoed through to them, and Izuku's heart fell.
He'd meant to draw out their power and determination, not strand everyone outside of the tournament. He realized he had to fix it now.
"Hatsume, the comms!"
"On it!"
He clicked on again, but it wasn't his own voice which echoed through to them.
"Am I a dog? Am I a cat? A bear, a mouse, a mole, or something else? Who knows?! It doesn't matter! Starting now: we've moved into the emergency contingency: Overtime! The four members of Team Tokoyami have secured their spots in the next round, but no one else has! If I've counted right, as I always do, they have twelve headbands in there with them."
"The new rule is: each headband is worth one slot in the next round! Your teams stay, so if you all want to move on: you better grab one for everyone! If you want to keep it all to yourself, then you'd best prove you're the one who should keep the glory! Disassemble your horses, and get ready for this test of courage! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Deciding to play into Principal Nezu's game; Izuku, Uraraka, and Hatsume screamed in terror, while Dark Shadow roared playfully.
What did that nerd think he was doing?! How dare he cheat and grab the spotlight like that?! This was his moment, and he wasn't going to let a useless Deku like him steal it from him.
"Move it, you extras!" he screamed, leaping down and sprinting for the entrance.
He was met by a black fist the size of a truck, launching him back across the ground and into Kirishima's arms as he skidded past the other teams. Okay, so that strategy was out.
The one with the engines started doing his run thing, and shouted something that sounded kind of cool, if really lamely spoken. Recipro something. It seemed to pay off too, as in a moment he simply vanished from where he'd been standing, evidently inside.
""...for I know the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.""
Katsuki glanced over at the plant-haired chick, who was evidently psyching herself up as she walked calmly towards the dark opening. He was about to laugh as she ate dirt, but blinked in surprise as she suddenly dropped into a combat crouch and rushed the entrance, her vines snapping in and then ripping her after them with amazing speed.
He glanced around to see others heading for it, though a few abstained. A few, like the Monoma punk waved it off, gravitating towards teams who'd sent in a few runners, as if he was going to just steal theirs after they got it back. A snap of Midnight's whip drew both of their attention.
"Just so you all know: once you come out of that… ice cave, that headband belongs to your team. If you try to steal one: your whole team's disqualified," she hissed, "I don't like lazy students, almost as much as I don't like selfish and lazy lovers."
"From the looks of it, only Todoroki and Bakugo from Class 1-A have yet to at least attempt going in! Not only that, but even Shinso from General Studies has teamed up with his former horse-man Ojiro to try and breach the dark maw before them!" Present Mic yelled distractingly.
"Of course," came Eraserhead's grouchy voice, "Technically, I can't expel any of them while they're in the festival, but my class knows two things better than any other first years do right now: Not to hesitate, and that if they don't even try after a spectacular failure like what got them into this situation in the first place: they shouldn't come to class tomorrow."
That was enough. Katsuki wasn't going to just sit there and take this.
"Sh***y hair! Let's go!" he roared, grabbing the boy's shoulder and holding him out in front.
Bringing his arms back, Katsuki started blasting them forward with full force, aiming for a side of ice they were going to ram through like a jet missile. Kirishima grinned and locked his arms over his face, and they smashed into the dark.
What happened next he didn't know. There were sounds, and impacts, and people were moving, but he couldn't see! He considered making a few lights with his hands, but knew he'd become a target instantly if he did. After about two minutes of being batted around inside, he decided he'd had enough.
"Y'all better duck, you damn extras!"
Raising his hands to the sky and straining them for everything they were or ever would be worth, Katsuki fired his Quirk. The resulting explosion knocked him on his backside, slamming and pressing him into the ground as the ice blew apart, revealing the sky again. He could hear bodies flying everywhere, and didn't think he could even stand, let alone find a headband.
He managed to raise an arm, trying vainly to block out the sun. Something fluttered into his palm, and he grasped it tightly.
"And in an explosive finish, it seems all the headbands are now distributed!" Mic screamed with the crowd's support, "It seems Midoriya finally drew out the Plus Ultra in these kids!"
Katsuki managed to shuffle into a sitting position, blinking around at the remains of the cave. A few students were holding their prizes proudly, while others were toast. He didn't doubt that every single one of them had given their all. So… why had it taken so long for him to do the same?
Glancing down at the bandana, he realized it was the 70: the lowest score available. He'd pushed himself to the edge, yes, but only at the last second, and only when he'd had nothing left to lose. But Deku… Deku could have just waited in the air. He could have flown higher and just remained on the defensive! He would have won anyways! But he chose to push himself…
"Oy, Bakugo, congrats!" came a voice at his side.
Katsuki turned, seeing Kirishima grinning at him, his own hands empty.
"Nice! You be sure to give Midoriya what for, okay?" he grinned, "He's so freaking Manly, dude. I can't wait to see you two duke it out! I'm gonna go congratulate him while you get registered!"
The red-headed idiot stood up and jogged over to where Katsuki realized Deku was sitting.
His jaw dropped at the sight of the boy. His arms were red, like they were bleeding, but without any on his skin. He seemed dead on his feet, and Katsuki realized he wasn't actually standing: but behind held up by an ice structure. Todoroki had evidently found him at the end and tried to hold him down, right up until the blast.
Speaking of half-n-half, the boy was standing beside Midoriya, holding his original headband in a flaming hand, looking at it as if unsure what he was seeing.
He'd been holding back too. He saw how the bird thing shrunk in light, which meant the fire could have won the match way earlier. But he'd held back, been arrogant enough to assume he was just that much better than the rest.
...not unlike Katsuki himself…
"Bakugo? I take it you'll be moving on to the tournament?" a teacher asked, coming over with a clipboard.
Glancing up at Cementos, Katsuki was about to enter, but sighed.
"Send Kirishima on. I'm tapping out here," he managed, "you tell him I did though, and I'll blow your rectangle face off."
"Noted."
Chapter 7: Volume 4, pt 2 Nana Shimura
All four of them placed their knuckles together, leaving a small square of empty space in the middle as they said farewell.
"See you in the finals!" they chanted, before pulling back.
Izuku was positively giddy. He hadn't believed he would win not only one round, but two! As he turned to wait for the tournament brackets, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Tokoyami still standing there, looking a bit contemplative.
"What is it, Tokoyami?"
The bird-headed student sighed, before looking up at him and smiling.
"Thank you for freeing us," he muttered, as if not wanting to be overheard, "For showing us the skies for- for what they can be."
Izuku positively beamed at his new friend.
"I'm glad I could help you two out! Oh, by the way: is Dark Shadow… it seems like it's fairly sentient."
Tokoyami nodded, releasing his spiritual companion to come out and offer its hand.
"It- she, is," Tokoyami confirmed, "In fact, I don't think she's ever been so vibrant before today."
"Because today I got to taste the sky and have a nest to protect for the first time!" she said, offering up her own hand, "Thanks, Midoriya!"
Extending his hand, Izuku grasped the inky-black limb and gave it a small bob of confirmation. That seemed to satisfy the creature, and it quickly retreated from the light of day. Oddly, Izuku felt his hand tug with it for a moment, followed by a gasp from Tokoyami.
"You too are afflicted by darkness?"
Izuku glanced down at his hand, to see an odd array of black and blue-ish tendrils warping along his palm. He shivered and clenched his fist, willing them to go back. The fear of them seemed oddly tinted by… gloating? Where the heck was that emotion coming from?
"I, ah… can I trust you with a secret?" he mumbled, glancing around.
Uraraka was still nearby, but Hatsume had wandered off for maintenance. He could share it with them, he supposed.
Tokoyami nodded.
"The curse of trust and private information are powers no warrior would be rid of."
As the three gravitated together again, Izuku opened his hand and let the black tentacles emerge from his skin just slightly.
"My Quirk… I don't know how it all works," he explained, using the cover he and All Might had come up with, "What we do know, is that it didn't manifest until the day of the Entrance Exam. I think this is why."
"Affliction by darkness?"
"Winning?"
Izuku chuckled.
"No. Well, kinda in your case, Tokoyami. Actually… you're both half-right. You see, I think my power is like a copy Quirk, but more specific. The first time I ever used my Quirk, it was when I suddenly inverted my body's gravity against the zero-pointer. Which happened right after I'd been affected by a Zero-Gravity Quirk from the first real friend I ever made, and right before I went to save said friend."
Uraraka gasped in surprise and wonder.
"And just now… I touched Dark Shadow directly, right after we became friends, Tokoyami," he continued, "We are… friends, right?"
"Our dark brotherhood was forged in battle."
"Right… but anyways, now I've started to manifest this sort of… shadow rope energy. I don't know what it does, and I think I'm gonna have to keep it out of the fight for now, just in case it could hurt someone," Izuku decided.
"But what about that air thing you did?" Uraraka asked, mimicking his punches, "Those were so cool!"
"Um… I don't know," he admitted, "It felt like my arms were being guided. Maybe I was localizing my Float to just my arms or something, and moving them really fast? Regardless, I probably need to learn the true limits of my power, or else I'll end up like Todoroki: only using half my strength."
Uraraka gave him a big thumbs up.
"Don't worry, Deku! You'll be the best before you know it! That's why your nickname's so fitting!"
"So the title Deku means one who is the best?" Tokoyami clarified.
"No… Kacchan named me Deku when we were kids, and said it meant useless. Mostly because my Quirk didn't really activate back then," Deku whispered, embarrassed, "But Uraraka… she said it sounded like Dekiru: "You can do it!" so I've kind of adopted the meaning of "Do your best!" for Deku."
"To bend an affliction to a power is truly the height of dark power!"
Uraraka and Izuku glanced at one another, before smirking and starting to chuckle. Tokoyami quickly joined in, the three of them laughing as they headed for Midnight's podium.
"I see the thieves are enjoying their spoils."
The trio turned to see the blonde kid from Class 1-B smirking at them, radiating an aura of disdain.
"I'd say that you'll be taken out in the first round, but I think those who made it in will tell you that," he continued, "Looking down on all of us, saying we weren't worthy of you and this tournament section? It sickens all of us. So don't be surprised if some of you don't have any friends in the Hero Course when you get back to class."
With that, he walked off, leaving Deku feeling very small. Had it seemed that way? Had the others all thought them arrogant and rude?
"Don't listen to him, Dude! That was so Manly! You got us all off our butts and into the action!" two voices called in unison from behind him.
"Thank you for the opportunity, Midoriya! I wouldn't have made it to this round without you guys, Kero!"
"That bum's just sore he lost! We proved we're the ones willing to go the distance, and that means stuff to the big shots out there!"
""For the power is in them, wherein they are against unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.""
"-and you were all like "You're not trying!" and "Go Plus Ultra!" and we were all like "I'll show you Plus Ultra!" and "Oh no the scary bird demon!" and it was all like "Yes the scary bird demon!-"
"Midoriya! I apologize for holding back on you! I intended to join another team to prove I was a worthy rival to you, and that I respected your abilities, but I failed to live up to my ideals until the end! I will not fail you again!"
"I was gonna tap out there for a bit, but then that last match gave me the drive to keep going, where I could really go all out!"
"Please forgive me, I didn't respect your determination to grow, remembering the Quirk Test at the beginning of the year! I will not look down upon you again, Midoriya!"
"That was a pretty metal move, sealing yourself in with a demon and daring us all to come in after ya. I dig it."
Seeing almost everyone else in the tournament bracket praising him, thanking him even, for challenging them how he did… it was too much for Izuku. Uraraka saw the signs and paled.
"Everybody get down!" she screamed, leaping at Tsu and pushing them to the earth.
Izuku turned his face skyward and cried tears of joy and relief, feeling the geyser of water push him down so hard it cracked the concrete they were standing on. The majority of the others around them either laughed or playfully screamed out in mock-fear. Shiozaki moved around to catch some of the water on her hair, evidently unbothered by using his weakness as an advantage for the next round.
As he wiped his eyes, Izuku realized that two of the finalists weren't coming over to speak with him. One was Todoroki, obviously still annoyed at him, but the other was a purple-haired boy who Deku thought he'd seen as a rider on Ojiro's team. Shinso, wasn't it? They glared at him from opposite sides, though not as intensely as he'd expected.
Izuku didn't have much time to dwell on it though.
"Alright all you listeners! Since that took a little longer than expected, we're gonna give you a quick taste of what's next before we hit Lunch and recovery for our wonderful contestants!" Mic exclaimed, "It's time for the event you've all been waiting for: the One-On-One's! So be sure to eat your food with gusto, because it might be your last!"
Midnight gestured to the massive screen once again, revealing the empty tournament brackets. Team Tokoyami went up first, followed by the ones who'd grabbed headbands. A small shock ran through Deku as he saw Kacchan's name wasn't present, but instead Kirishima's was. He whirled to find his old friend, only to see a vague outline of the boy appearing in the 1-A viewing box.
He smiled up at Kacchan, wanting him to know he'd done the right thing. Distant explosions told him the gesture wasn't appreciated.
Returning to the screen, Izuku looked over the matchups.
Midoriya v Shinso
Todoroki v Ashido
Ojiro v Sero
Asui v Hatsume
Jiro v Yaoyorozu
Tokoyami v Shiozaki
Tetsutetsu v Kirishima
Uraraka v Ida
So he'd be up against the General Studies guy first. That was worrisome. He'd seen most of what the others could do, even if from afar, but his Quirk and skills were still close to the chest. Hatsume had said she'd gone to grab his bandana, and that it had been the easiest.
"They were all, I dunno, kinda bored-looking," she'd explained.
"Midoriya…"
Izuku turned, taking an involuntary step back as he found Todoroki right next to him.
"Let's talk…"
Hitoshi took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. He wasn't liking his odds with this first matchup. The green-haired guy, Midoriya, he was pretty strong-willed, and clearly in this for the glory. That might make him easy to trick, but he might just toss Hitoshi right out of the ring with some kind of flying kick that would keep moving even if he was hypnotized.
Ojiro hadn't been happy when he'd realized what Hitoshi'd done to him, but when he'd explained why: he'd promised not to tell anyone his secret so long as he got the first headband. Now that the two of them were in the tournament proper, he just had to hope he kept his word.
Hopefully he'd be able to catch Midoriya off guard and show everyone that the gloryhogs in the Hero Course were still only human. Luckily he was pretty well-rested from that last bout, otherwise he might not even be able to stand anymore. Luckily, the grape-haired pervert had been boasting loud enough for him to snag the headband before the anger-management moron had tried to nuke them all.
Stepping up to the ring, he prepared to give it his all once again.
"Making a weird face, despite his spectacular performances so far, it's Izuku Midoriya, from the Hero Course!
Versus
The Invisible Man, who dove into the overtime test without fear but hasn't really done much otherwise, it's Hitoshi Shinso from General Studies!"
Hitoshi grinned at his opponent, who seemed rather queasy. Good, that meant he was off-balance.
"The rules are simple! Win by knocking your opponent out of the ring, immobilizing them, or getting them to say "I give up"! Bring the Pain! We've got our good old Recovery Girl on standby! And Fight Dirty if you must! "Ethics" have no meaning here!"
"Of course," Cementos added, "Going for the kill is a no-go. I'd stop you, and you'd be disqualified immediately."
""I give up", Huh?" Hitoshi smirked, trying to grab Midoriya's attention, "You got that, Izuku Midoriya? This battle's a true test of will, not that arrogant announcement and dirty ice trick you pulled earlier. I suppose if you've got a dream though, you'll do anything to reach it, even cheat your way to the top, huh?"
"START!"
"After all, When you're born with the power to look down on everyone, hard work must not even be a factor," he finished, knowing he'd won.
"What did you say?!" Midoriya roared, starting to charge him.
Hitoshi smirked as the other boy stopped dead, slowing and staring off into space. His eyes were the dull white-grey of a hypnotized victim.
"I've won."
"Hey, what's up guys?! The match only just started! Show some spirit!"
After a few moments of nothing happening, Hitoshi began to pace around, smiling at his prey. It would be good for everyone to see that even this high-flier wasn't invincible to his power.
"And just a few seconds into the match, Midoriya's frozen in place! Whoever this Shinso guy is, he just leapt from another player to someone to have a major eye on!"
Eraserhead began to say something, but Shinso wasn't worried about what they told the crowd. This was his match, and he was going to get some catharsis out on the boy prideful enough to claim he wasn't trying.
"It must be nice, sitting up there in your flying glass house," he spat, stepping closer and leveling a finger at the frozen Hero Student, "Able to avoid any problem by running and being praised for what genetics dealt you as if it was somehow earned. But today you learn the lesson those of us with Quirks that aren't bred for public opinion learned on day one: life's not fair."
"Now," he ordered, "Turn around and walk out of this ring."
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, Midoriya blinked.
Izuku didn't know where he was. Everything was dark, and some kind of wind whipped around everything. All he could see was a concrete floor and a wall, where oddly smoky figures drifted around, their eyes and shapes giving off an odd familiarity. One looked… somewhat like the skeletal form of All Might. He counted seven, but felt like he was missing one.
He tried to call out to them, to figure out why he wasn't fighting Shinso, but couldn't speak. He had no mouth! He didn't have… anything. He was just as smoky and wispy as the others, with only his eyes able to show he was even alive.
"Izuku!"
A sudden grip came at him from behind, wrapping him up in arms he couldn't recognize. He was turned around, and the hug became tighter. At first, he thought it was his mother, her hair and facial structure not too different from how Inko's used to be. Then he thought it might be a future version of Uraraka, her aura of love and pride so similar as she hugged him. But as he focused on her, things appeared different.
If he really had to compare it to a sensation he knew, he'd have to go with: being hugged by a very proud grandmother.
"I can't believe it! We didn't expect our Quirks had come with, and when you became Ninth, we worried you'd hurt yourself, but then you- Oh, I'm just so proud you got mine!" she cheered, still not releasing him.
A sensation of annoyance or perhaps gentle rebuke came from the other figures, but Nana scoffed at it like she could hear whichever one it was speaking.
"I have a grandson I can be proud of who's using my Quirk. When he unlocks yours, you can be as calm as you want," she called back at them, before holding Izuku's smoke form at arms length so they could see one another.
"I can see why Toshinori picked you," she nodded, "And I completely agree. Might be a bit biased, but hey, sue me."
Who… where… what…?
"Yeah, speaking's not really easy here the first few times," she apologized, "but I get your drift. I suppose you can call me your Quirk Grandma! I was the seventh User of One-For-All: Nana Shimura!"
The shock must have been evident in his eyes or aura, because Shimura laughed a little.
"Just Nana's fine, Izuku. I've seen many of your rather prominent memories, and you're kind of stuck with us, so formalities aren't really important."
Izuku managed a nod, and she smiled kindly.
"As for where and what, you can ask Toshinori when you get out. We don't have much time left, and I'm finishing up a little talk with Hito- ahem, Shinso, while you get your head back on. Hopefully we'll be able to speak again when you adjust more. Just remember, Izuku: We're all very proud of you, and the strongest Heroes smile when things get tough, even after the toughest battle of their lives."
Gritting himself, Izuku sent a wave of determination her way, his version of a promise to Nana that he would be worthy of her pride and trust.
"You already are. Tell Toshinori I'm proud of him, and he chose well. Now, get back out there, Ninth!"
It wasn't the normal, sluggish blink of a natural body keeping itself functioning, but a determined and intense squishing of eyelids, as if to clear one's thoughts. Then they opened again, and Hitoshi took an involuntary step back. His green eyes, once so vibrant with hope and joy, were grey.
Not only were they the wrong color, but his entire aura shifted. Midoriya stood straighter, radiating confidence and experience. He looked down at his hands, giving them an experimental flex before looking up at the stands. He seemed to be looking for someone, and eventually settled on the exit behind him.
Midoriya placed a finger at either corner of his mouth, before smiling brightly and tugging his cheeks just a bit. Then, he turned back to Hitoshi, and smiled more gently.
"Don't worry, I won't interfere in your match. I'm just here to say something."
Something was wrong. Midoriya shouldn't be able to move with any intent while hypnotized, let alone speak!
"No one's ever had confidence in you, have they?" Midoriya asked, his voice too somehow different, more elegant and experienced.
However, there was one part that was still present: the one element of Midoriya that Shinso had been conflicted about fighting. The compassion and dedication of someone who wished to save others was still there.
Hitoshi tried to muster the power to hypnotize Midoriya again.
"Of course not! But why would they when they have people like you to fawn over?"
Midoriya didn't even flinch as he replied. Evidently Hitoshi couldn't hypnotize people who were already hypnotized.
"No one ever fawned over Midoriya or his power," he said, evidently in third person but it didn't feel as awkward as that should have been, "They looked down on him just like you. He received Red Spider Lilies on his desk, was bullied for being a nerd, and more than once contemplated ending this life and hoping for a better one in his reincarnation. The only difference between how he would be and how you are now is this: one man said the words he most needed to hear, the words I now say to you: Hitoshi Shinso."
Midoriya stepped forward, holding his fist towards Hitoshi, not like a punch but like he wanted a knuckle bump.
""You Too can be a Hero!""
Hitoshi felt something give in his heart, and he choked out a laugh. Raising his own fist, he gently pressed it against the offered one.
He felt the hypnosis snap inside Midoriya, and his eyes abruptly turned back to their usual emerald. The aura of strength vanished, leaving just the friendly boy he'd been about to humiliate.
"What's this?! A sudden display of showmanship! What could these two be planning!?"
"Alright, Midoriya. I don't know what just happened, or who hijacked my power over you, but I've got a proposition for you. No Quirks. Just you and me. We'll give the crowd a show," he offered, wondering if Midoriya would take the bait.
"You're on!" he grinned, clenching his other fist in agreement.
Hitoshi almost got him again for that, but decided instead to swing a punch into Midoriya's face. He deserved it for being so naive, even if he was justified.
Midoriya stumbled back, before looking up at him and smiled back even wider than before.
The two rushed one another, punching it out with no skill or powers, just straight up brawn against brawn. Each one of Midoriya's punches were fast and hard though, nearly winding him each time, and pushing him a little further back. But he wasn't giving up. Hitoshi landed successful hits on weak spots and managed to slow his retreat up until the very edge.
"And now they're fighting on equal footing! Why aren't either of them using Quirks?! Who will last longest?! What was up with that freaky smile towards the exit?!"
"Secret Technique! Congaree Smash!" Midoriya roared, dodging Hitoshi's final straight and clotheslining him with his arm.
Hitoshi was swung out of the ring, falling to the grass below with a soft impact that still jarred him.
"Shinso is out of the Ring!" Midnight shouted, "Midoriya moves on to the second round!"
"Well, it looks like we're starting off small today, but no less intense than any other round could be!" Mic continued, much to the joy of the crowd, "Let's give a hand for our barbaric boxers, short-lived but bright as the stars!"
"Hey, good match."
Hitoshi opened his eyes to see Midoriya standing over him, hand offered and a smile on his face. Sighing, he swung his arm up and took it, feeling himself pulled up in an instant.
"I suppose," he muttered, about to head off.
He felt his hand catch in Midoriya's, and was about to ask what was up, when it was suddenly lifted in the air. He turned and realized why. The crowd cheered at the movement, and Midoriya was grinning at them and him in equal measure.
"They say that Heroes who smile, even after the most intense battles are the strongest," Midoriya said, nudging him, "I think you're one of 'em."
Swallowing, Hitoshi managed to get out a small beam to the people in the audience, earning a little surge of its own. Then he pulled away and let his more subtle grin take over.
"You can't choose the thing you admire," he said, heading for the exit, "So… I'm glad you and I chose to pursue it anyways."
"You're gonna be a Hero too, aren't you?"
Hitoshi nodded, still facing away.
"Then I promise you this, Shinso."
He turned back, seeing Midoriya holding his hand out the same way he had before the hypnosis had broken.
"I won't hold back. I won't stop growing. When you make it to the Hero Course, I'll be there to challenge you every step of the way. Let's become Heroes together!"
Hitoshi leveled his arm, giving him an air-bump.
"See you there, Midoriya."
"Let's have a great match, Todoroki!" Mina cheered, giving him a peace sign.
He was always so dour and serious. Guy needed to lighten up a bit. Maybe if she got him a date- no, bad Mina! Now was not the time to indulge in shipping classmates. She could do that after by antagonizing Midoriya and Uraraka.
"He's the best of the best, the strongest of the strong, give it up for Shoto Todoroki!
Versus
The pink destroyer of worlds, Ridley Scott's monster born again as a cutie of doom: Mina Ashido!"
"You held back in the cavalry battle," Mina yelled, holding her arms to her sides and preparing an acid drip, "Don't make the mistake twice: or you'll regret it!"
"START!"
A wave of cold came her way, and Mina barely had time to leap up and away from it before she was sitting in midair with her back stuck in a glacier. She tried to get a look at it, but wasn't able to twist enough. Growling, she melted what she could and got free, slipping a little and sliding towards Todoroki.
She recovered quickly, leaping back to her feet and jetting out acid to help her maintain speed over the rough ice.
"Nice shot, but I'm not just gonna sit here and take it!" she roared, preparing to throw some acid at his clothes.
Todoroki just glared at her, his expression so intense she almost tripped herself up. Readying a fist, she leapt off the ice and went for a solid hit to his solar plexus. Her hand got caught in something burningly cold, and before she could break out: the cold spread up her arm and over her whole body, leaving only her face exposed.
"A-a-a-a-ashido?" Midnight shivered, "Can you move? I can't really see you from this angle."
"No…" she chattered back, "I'm out…"
"Sorry," Todoroki sighed, placing a hand to the ice and starting to melt it, "I overdid it a little. I was just annoyed."
"Th-that's okay, Todoroki," Mina managed, "Next time though… just ask me to help you find a date, yeah?"
"I'd rather not."
"Your name is Toshinori?!"
"Um… yes? Didn't I tell you that?" All Might checked, confused at why his pupil was being so frantic about his name. Sure, he'd always been a bit of a fanboy, but really this was too much.
"No, I had to hear it from Nana!" Midoriya complained, folding his arms as if put out about it.
"N-nana!? You mean Master Shimura?! How do you know her?" All Might asked, a little panicked, "And how did you know her smile during your match?"
"You mean, you never met a past user?"
"Of course I did! So have you! I'm here, aren't I?"
"No, I mean… When Shinso hypnotized me, I was in this windy place, where all these smoke people were wandering around, and one even looked like you, but I couldn't move. I didn't really exist there, except for a shadow too, but I knew what my body was doing. But there was this one woman there, she called herself Nana Shimura, and she said she was talking to Shinso while I talked to her. Don't you know where or what that was? She said you would!"
All Might felt the energy slip out of him, wilting down to his skeletal form. He felt rather stunned. Had his pupil somehow contacted the vestiges of One-For-All within the Quirk itself? He'd seen the afterimages of them periodically, usually in dreams, but never substantial enough to speak to or have them control his body.
"Oh, and before that, when I was in the cavalry battle!" Midoriya continued, "I didn't recognize it at the time, but I remember a voice talking to me really quietly, which I think was her! And she helped power my arms up for those strikes that shredded my muscles!"
"Calm down, young Midoriya," Toshinori interrupted, giving his student a small bop on the head, "Now try to calm down, and I'll tell you what I know."
Midoriya nodded and took a seat across from him, having been patched up a bit by Recovery Girl and now waiting for the candy to kick in his system.
"Yes, I saw the spirits once," Toshinori admitted, "when I was younger and had first received One-For-All. They're traces of the past users, including myself and my master: Nana Shimura. In my time they were little more than echoes; a few visual markers of the past. They never interacted with me or guided me so far as I can recall. Whatever happened out there must be special to you."
"Then… you don't know what this is?" Midoriya asked, holding up his right hand.
Toshinori shivered in awe and horror, already set-off by the talking about ghosts and whatnot. Midoriya's hand was surrounded by thick, black and blue tendrils, not unlike the tentacles of a sea creature or squid ink.
"That's astounding! I imagined your body might try to tap into the Quirks of past users, but not so quickly as this!" he managed, gesturing for the boy to put it away, "Did anyone else see it?"
"Well, two people did, but I think I have a cover story for it and any other powers that might arise," Midoriya admitted, a bit sheepishly.
"A cover story for why you're developing multiple Quirks at age 15? This I have to hear."
"Well, I unlocked Float during the entrance exam, right? But I did it after I met Uraraka, and she helped me before the exam by tapping my shoulder and stopping me from falling. And I used it when trying to save her. And this power manifested right after I shook hands with Tokoyami's Quirk: Dark Shadow."
"I see. Then it was young Uraraka and young Tokoyami who saw this?"
"Yeah. I told them that my Quirk didn't manifest until the day of the exam, but I added in a guess about why these Quirks are awakening when they do, to help make it closer to the truth. I think… I think I'm unlocking powers that are similar to Quirks of people I've made a connection with."
Toshinori mulled it over. It wasn't an impossible theory, he supposed.
"I noticed young Tokoyami seemed oddly at ease when you flew together. I take it you two are friends then? In which case, your explanation has merit both in the cover and in truth. You're pretty sharp when it comes to Quirks, aren't ya?"
"If you say so, All Might."
"So, what did Master Shimura say to you? I haven't talked to her in a while!"
"Oh, she said she was my Quirk Grandmother, and that she was very proud of us. Um… she apparently approves of me."
All Might laughed, glad to hear his master was doing alright, if only in spirit form.
"Oh, she also told someone off who wasn't happy she was so excited. Do you know who any of the other users are?" Midoriya inquired.
"I know of my master, and I asked her about how she received One-For-All once, so I know she got it from someone named En, but otherwise I don't have much. I've been putting out some feelers for information, but it's slow going."
"Oh," Midoriya sighed, frowning a little, "Well, maybe I can ask some of them later."
"Later? What makes you think this wasn't a one-time event?"
"Nana said she hoped we could talk again. She seemed pretty excited I was there."
"He's as plain as they come, but also the creme of the crop! Hanta Sero Everybody!
Versus
The animal man himself, the king of the plain and simple, Mashiro Ojiro!"
"Jeez, you couldn't put a little more pizzazz into our intros?" Sero muttered, earning a small grin from Mashiro.
"Well, it's not like he's wrong…"
"Ready? START!"
"Okay, I guess we're going now," Sero mumbled, turning around and opening up with his tape dispensers.
Mashiro was faster, able to dodge out of the way in time with the range he had. The problem was: his speed wouldn't hold up as he got closer, and he couldn't win this far away. He had to think of something clever. Something unpredictable. Something, dare he say: unorthodox.
Smashing his tail into the ground, he leapt up in the air over the next attack, wincing a little. It hurt, but he could stomach it. He did it again, feeling the concrete crack. On his third time, he felt the pieces give.
"Whoa! He's got so fired up, he's broken the very ground he's standing on!"
Leaning down, Mashiro hefted a plate from his work, then another. He found a pair which fit his needs, and nodded. Rushing his opponent, he held them up like shields, able to catch the tape on them and then discard it as he bounced closer.
Praying he didn't look like Tigger, he caught and evaded a second attack, before rocketing into the air and descending on his opponent. He gave his tail a full-body swing, catching Sero across the chest as he fell, and rocketing the other boy towards the wall.
"I can't lose like this! It's too normal!" he roared, firing one last line of tape at Mashiro's body.
They caught his arms, and Sero tried to swing back to him, only for his momentum to be cut as Mashiro's tail swung down and gave the tape slack. Sero's feet only had to brush the ground once for him to lose.
"Sero Out!" Midnight called, "Ojiro advances!"
"Unusual enough for ya?" he checked, grinning.
Sero groaned.
"Dude, even our catchphrases are plain. We gotta work on that in class or something."
"You're on, my guy."