"I need assistance now! Anyone!" Ida yelled through clenched teeth. As point, he was facing Tennyson and therefore bore the brunt of Team Tetsutetsu's attack. Shiozaki bound his legs, Tennyson peppered him with long range attacks and now Tetsutetsu was using the back of his head to push off against as he dueled Todoroki, all out of his sight. His frustration grew; their teamwork that allowed them to so easily snatch the 10 million headband in the earlier melee was falling apart. Kaminari and Yaoyorozu were using one hand each to try and ward away Tetsutetsu, leaving him to carry the bulk of Todoroki in his hands. His head was forced lower; Tetsutetsu dug his foot deep into his neck to deliver a solid punch into Todoroki's stomach..
Thwack!
"Hahahahahah!"
"No use!" Yaoyorozu swung her bo staff once more at the steel teen, but it had no effect. Yaoyorozu never saw anything wrong with her preferred choice in weapon before: a staff weapon gave her reach, it was easy to create with her quirk and her years of practice gave it a natural feel. Against someone like Tetsutetsu, however, it was proving to be quite useless. His quirk gave him practical immunity to traditional weapons, and she was quickly picking up on that fact. Ida's screams for help made her realize that Tennyson had once more resumed firing from a distance. A distance her team could not cross due to Shiozaki's vines. She racked her brain to think of something, anything, that could tilt the losing battle in her favor. But her mind, usually as quick as a whip, was overwhelmed with the sounds of battle.
"Omph!" Todoroki doubled over as a steel fist sunk into his body. The punch landed right below his ribs, knocking the air out of him. Tetsutetsu reached out, his fingers grazing Todoroki's forehead as he grasped at the 10 million headband. Todoroki jerked his head back, ignoring the ache in his belly.
Throwing out his right hand, he expelled a wave of icy wind to try and freeze Tetsutetsu, but he underestimated his enemy's endurance and agility. The moment his right arm moved, Tetsutetsu's eyes darted to his moving limb and he started maneuvering to the heterochromatic teen's left. He had been doing that since the battle started and Todoroki was already twisting his torso far to the left. The movement was intentional. Tennyson must have noticed the nature of his quirk and relayed that information to Tetsutetsu. What Tennyson did not know was that Todoroki's right side had a power, but it was a power he swore he'd never use. Oh, it was so tempting to use it now. It would solve all his problems now! But he could never... he swore he'd never...
"Gha- not the face!" Kaminari's voice broke through Todoroki's muddled thoughts. Tetsutetsu's constant repositioning had made him change his platform from Ida to Kaminari. A boot to the face caused Team Todoroki's left horse to stagger, his free hand smacking the intruding leg, but he couldn't use an electrical attack now. They had planned for Yaoyorozu to create a blanket of insulating material to shield the rest of the team when the time came, but there was no time for that! Kaminari's hand holding Todoroki's right foot shook as he was forced further away from his team, forcing Ida to take even more weight.
"I can't hold out much longer! You three need to do something NOW!" The normally prim and proper class president was now beside himself with frustration. He could feel Kaminari's hand sliding away, and the extra weight was now causing him shoulder pains. No one had done anything about the vines around his legs, Tetsutetsu was taking on three people at once,and it seemed like he was winning!
"I can't- I'll try to- ow!" Diamondhead, noticing Ida being tied up and Kaminari in trouble, switched his attention directly onto Yaoyorozu. The girl was about to use a flashbang, but a barrage of crystals forced her to change plans. The half-baked grenade fell to the ground out of her palm, where it fizzled and died. She created a small buckler to defend her head, but even that wasn't enough. The thin metal disk trembled under Diamondhead's attack, and those vibrations traveled up her arm, making it go numb.
"I can't move! I need help!"
"My arm!"
"I'm slipping!"
Todoroki started breathing rapidly. It was too much! He was going to lose- but he couldn't lose! Tetsutetsu's grinning face invaded his personal space once more, ramming into his forehead in a headbutt. His vision grew hazy. He could vaguely make out a hand reaching past his face, up to where he fastened the 10 million headband.
"You three need to help me!"
"Help!"
"HELP!"
That's enough! Todoroki screwed his eyes shut, his brow furrowing and his lips curled back. Something sparked within Todoroki, figuratively and literally. A sudden burst of heat burned Ida, Kaminari, Yaoyorozu and Tetsutetsu's eyes and throat. The contrast between the expected wave of cold silenced the combatants as they stared at Todoroki with widened eyes. The boy's left arm awakened, tendrils of fire swimming around his arm from the elbow down. The fire licked at his uniform's sleeves, the durable material singing at the edges. Todoroki's face bore a terrifying grimace, as if using this fire went against his very being. But that didn't stop him at the moment. The fire grew larger, traveling up his arm and igniting his face! The boy's eyes burned with a fire that overshadowed even Tetsutetsu's gutsy nature, and he flexed his left arm for the first time in years!
"HAAAAAAA!" An ignition of powerful pyrotechnic power overwhelmed friend and foe! Todoroki's teammates screwed their eyes shut and did their best to look away from the source of the heat. The heat was nearly unbearable, being so close, but their limited hero training let them maintain a cavalry formation. Team Tetsutetsu was not as fortunate.
Shiozaki let loose a terrified screech as she felt her vines wither in the flames, dying from the sweltering flames. She retracted all her vines, trying to save her burning hair. Diamondhead was unaffected by the heat, and managed to shield Shiozaki, but he quickly found that Tetsutetsu had it the worst of all. The sudden wave of heat sent him through the air, and put the safety vine under too much stress. It burned and snapped, sending Tetsutetsu into a free fall. Diamondhead quickly extended his right arm, and morphed it into a thin spear. Diamondhead pulled back the arm, and then thrusted it forward, willing his arm to extend. The pointy end pierced through Tetsutetsu's collar, and the boy hung there, just millimeters from the ground. Diamondhead raised his arm, slowly retracting the tip to bring their team's rider back in. Gasping and coughing, Tetsutetsu grasped Diamondhead tightly as he made his way back into his usual position.
"Is everyone all right?" Diamondhead called out.
"Cough, cough, yeah... cough, cough." Tetsutetsu croaked out, trying to get rid of the ash and dust in his throat. His eyes were red and watery, and his skin was smoldering from the heat. His uniform was burnt and his left hand was tightened into a fist that he did not let relax.
"I'm still functional I suppose." Shiozaki nursed the burnt ends of her vines.
"Urg, I guess I should be happy that we didn't just fall to that surprise attack." Tetsutetsu then glared down at Ben, who didn't see it, but very much felt it. "You know, it would have been helpful to know that he has both fire and ice! We're teammates Ben! You told me about ice, what about fire?"
"I didn't tell you because I had no idea." Diamondhead curtly replied, to the shock of his teammates. Diamondhead kept his guard up, now not knowing what to expect. Todoroki was downcast, his head hanging limp and his chest heaving with every breath. "He's never used fire before."
"What? Not during training? Not during the USJ attack?" Tetsutetsu gawked.
"No. Didn't you see how his teammates reacted? Not even they knew about it. He never told them. He never planned on using it. I guess we just backed him into a corner and he lashed out." Indeed, Team Todoroki was just as shocked at what happened as Team Tetsutetsu. They stared at Todoroki, eyes full of confusion and apprehension.
"So... fire and ice huh?" Kaminari was the first to break the silence.
"You all know that I am the son of Endeavor, surely a fire quirk is not all too surprising?" Todoroki spat. "My quirk is Half-Cold Half-Hot, with my right side controlling cold and left side hot."
Yaoyorozu was quick to try and soothe him. "Our view of you was not based on the fact that you are Endeavor's son! We never even expected you to have a fire quirk! It's just that in the recommended student evaluation, Aizawa-sensei's quirk assessment, our heroics lessons and during the USJ, you've never used fire."
"And I should not have used it here." Todoroki's voice was so quiet that his teammates had to strain to hear him. They noticed he had a forlorn look in his eyes, and he was gazing off into the stands. Was he looking at someone, or for someone?
Team Todoroki was temporarily vulnerable. Diamondhead noticed this, and prepared to take advantage of it.
"Look, I'm sorry about the fire thing, alright? But time is ticking and we still need those 10 million points!" Diamondhead bent his arms and shook his fists.
"Tennyson is right. Time is of the essence!" Shiozaki flicked out her vines, confirming that despite their weakness to fire, she was ready to go.
"Heh, well, about that actually." Tetsutetsu's chuckle made Diamondhead hesitate. Why would the boldest of the team have second thoughts?
"You know, I wasn't being completely honest with you either, Ben. I had doubts about you even when I said I didn't. But then you whipped this Diamondhead guy out, and completely bodied everyone in our way, and I asked myself: 'what the hell am I doing?'" Tetsutetsu slowly opened up his clenched left fist. "You're giving this your all. Then, it's only fair..."
Todoroki looked down from the stands, letting his head hang limp again, ignoring what his teammates were saying. He let the words bounce off him as he hung his head in shame. Sweat trickled down his face, the liquid warm from the use of his left side. How could he let it come to this? Using his fire during the Sports Festival of all places! In front of all these people and cameras! In front of his own father! Thankfully the stadium's open design let plenty of air flow through the combat arena, cooling Todoroki down. The lack of that annoying band around his head helps in relaxing his heated skin. Wait!
Gasp!
Todoroki's hand flew up to his forehead, scrambling to feel the 10 million point headband. But it was gone! His teammates picked this up quickly, and their heads swiveled around to look at Team Tetsutetsu. Tennyson was looking to his left and Shiozaki was peering around Diamonhead's bulky shoulder. Tetsutesu was once more around Tennyson's neck. He was unclenching his left fist, where a certain headband caught the sun's rays, illuminating the bolded text imprinted upon it.
"...that I'd give it my all and then some!" Tetsutetsu revealed the 10 million point headband safely in his hand. "What kind of man would I be if I flinched because of a little fire?"
"Well done Tetsutetsu!" Shiozaki praised.
"Righteous!" Diamondhead grinned.
"AND WE HAVE OURSELVES A NEW FIRST PLACE TEAM! TEAM TETSUTETSU'S COMBINED ASSAULT FORCED TODOROKI TO UNVEIL HIS FLAMES FOR A COUNTER-ATTACK! BUT IN THAT MOMENT HE FORGOT THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS EVENT AND A GUTSY MOVE BY TETSUTETSU CAPITALIZED ON THAT MISTAKE! THE ORIGINAL HOLDERS OF THE 10 MILLION, WHO VOLUNTARILY GAVE IT UP AT THE BEGINNING, ARE NOW IN POSSESSION ONCE MORE, PUTTING THEM IN THE LEAD!
5 minutes and 22 seconds left!
'How?' Todoroki's hand was still grasping at his forehead, as if trying to summon another 10 million point headband. He was replaying the fight, again and again, wondering when Tetsutetsu could have gotten his hands on the headband. Then he remembered. Right before he used his fire, the moment when everything was just too much, he closed his eyes. In that second of time, he let his guard down and paid the price. His hand fell to his side. They had gotten their headband back due to a mistake on his part.
"They have the headband! We should move to intercept!" Ida was panting, but he squared his shoulders and revved his engines. Kaminari and Yaoyorozu voiced their agreement, but Todoroki's voice cut through.
"No." Todoroki was not even looking at Team Tetsutetsu anymore. He was looking up at the large score screen.
"But why? We aimed for that bounty the moment the game started!" Kaminari protested.
"Because it is not as important as qualifying for the next round." The three other class A students looked up at the scoreboard, and sure enough, they had fallen from first all the way to sixth. They were on the brink of falling into the bottom half of the teams. There was a big divide between the teams; there were teams with points and multiple headbands and teams with no points due to their headbands being stolen. That was the reality of the Human Calvary Battle. Just because a large portion of the audience and commentators' attention had been focused on Team Todoroki fighting Team Tetsutetsu did not mean the other teams were battling each other, exchanging headbands all the while. Teams Bakugo, Midoriya, Kendo and surprisingly, the unknown Shinsou occupied the 2nd to 5th places while Team Tetsutetsu now had 1st with 10 million.
Todoroki averted his eyes, refusing to look at the scoreboard or his teammates directly. "We need to secure our spots in the final event before considering the 10 million. We will go after Team Kendo, and take their headbands."
There was no immediate response. Todoroki phrased it like they would come back to get the 10 million, there was only a third of the event left to go. 5 minutes was a small amount of time to get another team's headbands and take back the 10 million. Sensing the hesitation, Yaoyorozu decided to throw in her own thoughts.
"I agree. While the 10 million guarantees one team's qualification, there are 16 spots in the final event. We should make sure we have enough points to be safe before attempting another risky battle." That decided it. Ida nodded and Kaminari shrugged. Ida turned the team to the side and propelled them to intercept Team Kendo a ways away.
"Looks like we got them." Diamondhead observed, watching their opponents run off to fight a different team.
"How fortunate." Shiozaki sighed. "I did not relish the thought of having to go against such a powerful fire quirk again."
"Meh, kinda disappointed." Tetsutetsu frowned. He finished tying the headband around his head, pulling on it a couple times to test its strength. "I was ready for round 2."
Rumble rumble rumble
"Oh boy. Looks like we're the center of attention once again." Diamondhead looked behind him and spotted no less than four different teams closing in on them. "Hagakure coming in from the left, with Shoji just ahead."
"Kodai and Awase are on our right as well." Shiozaki raised her vines to guard their backs. "There are less than 5 minutes left in this event. We need only to hold out until then. I will defend the rear, Tennyson will take care of everything else. Tetsutetsu, guard our two headbands."
"On it!" Tetsutetsu held a hand out, protecting their recovered original headband and the one they had taken from Team Kamakiri, who smartly decided not to test their luck again.
"Not a problem." Diamondhead rolled his shoulders.
The four teams were running over for one last desperate attempt at the 10 million. No point in not trying, right? Team Kodai was the first to reach them, and the first to make a move. Tsunotori called out, a wild smile on her face as she enjoyed the event to its fullest.
"Sorry for interruption Ben!" She called out. Her Japanese had improved, but still held that signature Pony charm of poor grammar. "But we be taking that headband now!"
The girl bent her neck, lowering her head and prepared her quirk, Horn Cannon, to fire. Not before her rider, who Ben would come to know as Kodai Yui, reached over and touched her left horn. Using her quirk, Size, she enlarged the horn to almost comical proportions. Lifting her head slightly, Tsunotori shouted something out, and the two horns launched like guided missiles. Streaking through the air, the two horns twisted back and forth, weaving through the open stadium in intricate patterns, getting ever closer to Team Tetsutetsu. While Tetsutetsu jerked his head back and forth trying to keep tabs on both horns, Diamondhead just stayed still, calm and motionless. The horns were coming to him, and Tsunotori obviously had some sort of control over them. Sure enough, as the small horn veered off to the side, the big horn suddenly streaked towards him directly at breakneck speeds.
All Diamondhead did was hold out one hand. The horn, while very big, did not have nearly enough force to move a Petrosapian. Diamondhead raised one side of his face as if it were an eyebrow, noting how the horn didn't seem to weigh that much, or be that tough at all. Then the second horn whizzed through the air, aiming for the side of his head.
Tink
The small horn connected. And Diamondhead squeezed his hand.
Crssshhhhh
Both horns fractured and fell to the floor, broken into little pieces. The big horn from the force of Diamondhead's hand and the small horn from just hitting his skin. He looked at Team Kodai, looking at their faces of disbelief. It seemed that they expected to do more.
"Kodai! Let's get this guy together!" A boy's voice called out from the side. Shiozaki informed him that it was Awase Yosetsu riding Honenuki Juzo, the only team of two. Kodai nodded.
"Bondo, we need to immobilize him!" Juzo called out. Juzo slowed down on Diamondhead's left and placed his hand on the ground. Bondo of Team Kodai from Diaomondhead's right fired out streams of a mysterious substance that covered Diamondhead's feet and legs.
The effects were immediate. The ground beneath Team Tetsutetsu softened to near quicksand levels, causing them to sink. The substance Bondo expelled was his quirk, Cemedine, a white glue-like thick liquid that quickly hardened. This inhibited his legs and they were also below ground. It honestly was a good combination attack, and may have taken down some of Ben's other aliens. But not Diamondhead.
Rumble
"Huh? The ground's shaking!" Shoda called out as a small quake started, with the epicenter being Diamondhead. No sooner had the words left his mouth then a massive tower of crystal emerged through the softened ground, pushing the puddy-like cement out of the way. Diamondhead was crouching, his hands on the crystal pillar, obviously controlling it. He quickly stopped the pillar at around 10 feet in the air. Didn't want it too high, Shiozaki didn't like his aerial moves after all. Diamondhead morphed one of his hands into a sword and started shearing off the glue, much to the chagrin of the onlookers.
"This is honestly absurd." Juzo muttered. Team Awase and Kodai looked up at the tower, joined by Teams Hagakure and Shoji who didn't even bother firing off attacks of their own. "Even working with other teams we can't pin this guy down. It's like he's on a whole 'nother level." And that sentiment pissed off one team in particular.
Team Bakugo had just finished tussling with Team Monoma, a battle that Bakugo thoroughly enjoyed. Nothing fires him up like putting extras in their place, and the louder their mouths, the sweeter the victory. Clenching the newly acquired headband and wrapping it around his neck in a hurry, he looked up at the scoreboard. Yes! He was in second! Above shitty Deku and even above Todoroki who was in... sixth? Their score was so low now! That means they lost the 10 million!"
"Tennyson!" Bakugo muttered with murderous intent. So, the coward finally transformed! He had been so tunnel visioned on destroying Deku, and then those class B insects he had totally forgotten about the stepping stone. Well no problem, just got to look for the biggest crowd. That's when the blonde saw him.
Some sort of crystal-man, with a girl resting on the spikes growing out of his back and a guy around his neck. A one-man team in his eyes. Atop a crystal pillar many feet off the ground, and judging by the color scheme, Tennyson made it. He was casually scraping some gunk off his leg without a care in the world. His teammates were talking, the guy was even laughing! In the Sports Festival, where they were supposed to be pushing themselves to the brink to win! They were literally looking down at him! Well, that would not stand!
Boom!
"Mhh?" Diamondhead heard the familiar sounds of explosions in the distance and flicked the last of the glue off of his blade. Team Tetsutetsu watched as Bakugo fired explosion after explosion, rising in height as his team desperately tried to keep up with him. He flew up the edge of the pillar, a final explosion thrusting him to eye level with Diamondhead, dust billowing around them.
"Think you're too good for the ground ya bastard?" Bakugo's eyes were wide with adrenaline and he fired an explosion from an outstretched palm inches away Diamondhead's face. "Well, let me send you back down to Earth!"
Booooom!
The explosion streaked past Diamondhead, the brown dust intermixed with the burst light of a nitroglycerin-powered explosion. The air whipped past the Petrosapian in a rush, and he was lost in the dust cloud. Bakugo's trademark feral grin grew even wider. A near point-blank direct hit! Let's see wonder boy recover from that! He felt his body stagnate and gravity started pulling him down.
Then the dust cloud slowly started to dissipate. The sun shone off pale-green crystals. Bakugo's grin faded to a snarl as he realized Tennyson hadn't moved. He didn't even flinch. The bombardier positioned his arms for a second attack, but Diamondhead was faster.
Thwak!
Diamondhead swung his left fist in a swift left arc. The crystal reached further than Bakugo thought and it caught him in the shoulder. A flare of pain, and he was sent far off course. He managed to twist himself around and slow his descent with twin controlled explosions. His team finally caught up to him and Sero once more reeled him back. He nursed his shoulder, grimacing when he touched it. That was going to bruise.
Thooom!
A heavy impact made Bakugo realize Tennyson wasn't just content with staying on his perch. A crouched figure slowly rose from the point of impact, and walked out of the cloud. Team Tetsutetsu stood in front of Team Bakugo, ready to right. Many other teams were as well, as Diamondhead's descent made everyone realize the 10 million was back on the ground, within reach.
"IT'S THE FINAL STRETCH LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, AND IT LOOKS LIKE HALF THE TEAMS HAVE CHOSEN TO GO ALL-OUT FOR THE 10 MILLION POINT HEADBAND! TEAM TETSUTETSU FOUGHT OFF TEAM TODOROKI, BUT NOW THEY FACE FIVE TEAMS AT ONCE! THESE LAST FEW MINUTES DECIDE WHO MOVES ON! FIGHT TO THE BITTER END! PLUS ULTRA!"
2 minutes and 49 second remaining!
"Was it really necessary to descend from the crystal pillar? As far as I know, no student has a quirk that would contest us up there." Shiozaki flicked her vines, carefully surveying the teams surrounding them.
"Heroes don't wait Shiozaki!" Tetsutetsu pounded his chest. "Heroes have to take initiative! They don't sit around, waiting for opportunities! They go out and make their own! I don't know about you, but I don't want to win by just sitting on a lame-ass pillar for three minutes, no matter how cool its creator is."
"Very well." The girl laughed. "You are right. It wouldn't be in the spirit of UA to win in that fashion, now would it?"
"Alright guys." Diamondhead rolled his head. "Let's do this!"
"Charge!"
No one really knew who said that, but it really didn't matter. Team Tetsutetsu stood defiant, their faces set with grim determination as they were surrounded on all sides. They chose to be here, surrounded and outnumbered. But they fought with a ferocity that couldn't be matched.
Shiozaki blanketed the ground behind them in vines, daring anyone to approach. Teams tried, but their ankles were pulled from under then, their feet tripped and were subsequently tossed aside. More horn projectiles were fired, but vines swarmed up to meet them. The horns were intercepted, brought to the ground, and neutralized. Sticky purple spheres were being flung, but Shiozaki sacrificed several weaker vines specifically to make sure none of them reached Diamondhead. Ear jacks and a long powerful tongue followed, but were beaten back with equal ferocity.
Tetsutetsu steeled his arms and held them up like a boxer. He strained every sense, trying to pick up every sound, every flicker of movement, everything that might be a different team trying to steal their headband. Shiozaki did well defending against ranged attacks, but multiple attacks got close. Shoji extended multiple limbs overhead and tried to pluck the headband from above. Shielding his head behind his arms, Tetsutetsu let them get close before battering them with punches from fists of steel. Shoji had lots of arms but none of them could match steel arms. Tape whizzed by, but everytime they landed Tetsutetsu would twist his body and rip the tape apart before anything could be done.
Diamondhead was a juggernaut; plowing forward without pause no matter the team in front. Shoji moving in front of him with dozens of arms braced to stop him? Diamondhead aimed his right arm and fired a particularly large crystal bullet straight to his gut. Shoji staggered back, his other arms assaulting Tetsutetsu stopping as well. Shoda bashing into his side, smacked away, only to use his quirk to fling himself in a second, stronger time? A crystal fisted haymaker sent Team Kodai off-balance, and nearly knocked Shoda out of their formation entirely. Bakugo flying overhead, firing explosions from above? Both arms raised, and a torrent of crystal shards forced Bakugo back to the ground. Bondo firing more of his adhesive substance? Diamondhead swept his right hand in a wide arc, summoning a protective wave of crystals in a wall to take the attack.
"LESS THAN A MINUTE LEFT! ARE YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO BE?"
The teams surged for one last wave at Present Mic's call. Whipped into a desperate frenzy, wanting a place among the finalists of their first Sports Festival! They pushed themselves to their feet, and threw themselves in the melee. Leave no regrets, fight until the end!
"Too many!" Shiozaki tried to ward away the teams but the last few frantic minutes had taken their toll. She was tired, her vines strained, cut and severed. Many of her vines were glued by purple spheres and the ones that were not were being trampled over.
"Less than a minute, hang in there, Shiozaki!" Tetsutetsu grabbed a circling horn and tossed it aside. He was panting hard and maintaining his steel was getting more and more difficult. The force impact from explosions, the burning from acid and the added weight of the layers of tape were finally affecting his stamina.
"All around us." Diamondhead whispered. Where had Ben seen this situation before? Where two tired combatants were surrounded by enemies, with only a Petrosapian between them and defeat? Incarcecon: the prison planet, that's where. And Tetrax had freed up enough space for them to escape with one move.
"Tetsutetsu, Shiozaki, I'm going to do something! I need you two to hold tight and not move at all. If you do move, this attack will probably hit you." Diamondhead received two knocks on his body, a non-verbal confirmation.
Teams Bakugo, Shoji, Hagakure, Kodai and Awase closed in. Shiozaki retracted her vines and Tetsutetsu readopted his defensive stance. Diamondhead closed his eyes, bent his back slightly and started feeling out his entire body, every limb every inch. The opposing teams were pressed for time to consider what he was doing. They got closer and closer, arms outstretched from all sides. Above, the sides and below. Tetsutetsu brought his head down low and covered himself with his steeled arms. Diamondhead's eyes flew open.
"HA!"
SHINGSHINGSHINGSHINGSHING!
In less than a blink of an eye, dozens of massive crystal spikes shot out of Diamondhead in every direction! Resembling a hedgehog or a porcupine, Diamondhead's skin disappeared under a forest of dulled crystal spines, with only Ben's teammates being spared. The other teams had no time to react, some of them were in the air or in the middle of launching attacks of their own. Bodies were flung through the air, knocked to the ground or sent staggering back onto their asses. The students struggled to maintain their balance but several fell to their hands and knees, clutched the parts of their body that were numb with pain. Just as quickly as the spines appeared, they retracted back into Diamondhead's body, leaving only the normal four from his back.
BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!
"TIME IS UP!"
BEWW BEWW BEWW BEWW!
"Wah!"
"Ommp!"
The final buzzer for the second event of the Sports Festival blared out, bringing all action to a screeching halt. A second later, three fading warnings emitted from the Omnitrix and in a flash of red, Diamondhead reverted back to plain old Ben. Shiozaki fell only a foot before hitting the ground. A little uncomfortable, but she got up no problem. Tetsutetsu was riding on Diamondhead's neck, and when that support was gone he went straight down, collapsing on the smaller Ben. Team Tetsutetsu groaned, rolling their sore muscles and aching wounds as they pushed themselves up.
Ben rolled himself off his back and onto his stomach, pushing down with his right elbow. He was surprised at how tired he was; those last few minutes of the Human Calvary Battle took more out of him than he realized. A silvery hand, slowly fading back to normal human skin, pushed itself in front of Ben's face. He looked up the offered limb to see Tetsutetsu beaming at him, with a Shiozaki barely holding back her giddiness behind.
"NOW, LET US SEE WHO OUT TOP TEAMS ARE! IN FIRST PLACE, WE HAVE TEAM TETSUTETSU! DESPITE THROWING AWAY THEIR 10 MILLION AT THE START, THEY CAME ROARING BACK WITH A VENGEANCE AND TAKE HOME THE NUMBER 1 SPOT!"
"That's thanks to you Ben. I'll never doubt you again!"
"Heh, you guys didn't do too shabby yourselves!" Ben clasped his hand with Tetsutetsu, and the teen pulled him up with one pull of his arm. Tetsutetsu's smile could outshine the sun as he brought Ben into a tight side hug, shaking him around.
Shiozaki was much more reserved, walking in front of him, putting his hands together and giving him a tiny bow. "Thank you for your dedication, Tennyson. This truly was a one-of-a-kind experience."
"Aww, just call me Ben Shiozaki. We're friends, are we not?" Shiozaki's face finally broke into an ear-to-ear smile. She held a hand to her head as she laughed, this time at full volume.
"I suppose so. Very well, Ben."
"IN SECOND WE HAVE TEAM BAKUGO! A NON-STOP BARRAGE OF OFFENSIVE PLAYS EARNED THEM THE HIGHEST AMOUNT OF HEADBANDS AND THE SECOND HIGHEST TOTAL OVERALL!"
"GRAAAAHHHHHH!" Bakugo was evidently not happy. He fell to the ground, cross-legged, back bent, fingers scraping the concrete. His team shook their heads and laughed amongst themselves at their rider's actions. Ashido, Kirishima and Sero seemed quite pleased with themselves.
"IN THIRD PLACE, TEAM MIDORIYA! IN STARK CONTRAST TO THE OFFENSIVE MACHINE THAT WAS TEAM BAKUGO, TEAM MIDORIYA PLAYED IT SAFE, CLEVERLY EVADING ATTACKS AND KEEPING DISTANCE BETWEEN THEMSELVES AND OTHER TEAMS!"
"We-we did it guys!" Midoriya held his head high, fists clenched at his sides and his mouth quivering. Tears of happiness were starting to leak from the corners of his eyes.
"Yeah!" Uraraka jumped in the air, waving her arms around, smiling and laughing.
"Please don't cry." Tokoyami shook his head at his team's antics, but his beak curved into a smile as well.
"Mhmm... the boosters could use recalibrating, and the vulnerability to caustic substances should be worked out before the next stage of development..." Hatsume was already in work mode, taking apart her inventions and prying them open, a finger at her chin. It took Dark Shadow pawing at her shoulder to finally get her to join the group hug.
"AND IN FOURTH PLACE WE HAVE A TIE! TEAM TODOROKI HELD ONTO THE 10 MILLION FOR A LONG TIME, BUT THE AMOUNT OF TIME DOESN'T MATTER, IT'S WHO HAS IT AT THE END. DESPITE THAT, TEAM TODOROKI FOUGHT TOOTH-AND-NAIL TO CLIMB BACK UP, AND ENDED UP VICTORIOUS IN A GREAT SCRIMMAGE AGAINST TEAM KENDO!"
"Tied for fourth." Whispered Yaoyorozu, her body sagging under the weight of her exhaustion and disappointment.
"Hey, we didn't do that bad. I mean, we got some points back, didn't we?" Kaminari tried to cheer his team up. As someone who didn't expect to make it this far, Kaminari seemed to be the only one happy about where his team ended up in the rankings.
"Let me take responsibility!" Ida fell to his knees and banged his fist on the ground. His chest was heaving with every breath he took.
"No." All heads turned to their rider. Todoroki was staring off, looking at the celebrating teams with an unreadable expression. "The fault is mine."
Then he walked away, ignoring the protests behind him.
"ALSO IN FOURTH PLACE IS TEAM SHINSOU! THEY TOOK THE MOST CALCULATED APPROACH TO THE EVENT AND PICKED THEIR FIGHTS CAREFULLY, ONLY TAKING ENGAGEMENTS THEY KNEW THEY COULD WIN!"
"What the fu-?" Sato put a hand on his head as he looked around at the scoreboard, unable to comprehend what happened.
Ojiro was looking around wildly, his body shaking. All around him were sweaty, exhausted students. So why did he feel fine? Why did he not remember anything?
"Sacré bleu!" Aoyama was in distress. "What happened?"
The chuckles of a purple-haired gen ed student caught their attention. They stared at this student's back, piecing together what happened. The three recalled that they were looking for teammates for the second event after Midnight cracked her whip, and this guy approached them separately, out of nowhere. He said something, they started replying, then everything went dark.
"Gentlemen, your hard work is greatly appreciated." Shinsou laughed as he stuck his hands in his pockets and walked towards the exit.
"THOSE ARE THE TOP FINISHERS FOR THE SECOND EVENT FOLKS! WHILE WE WORK OUT THE NECESSARY FORMAT TO ACCOMMODATE ALL THE TEAMS IN THE THIRD AND FINAL ROUND OF THIS YEARS SPORTS FESTIVAL, WE WILL HAVE AN HOUR BREAK FOR LUNCH! GET SOME FOOD, WATER, REST, WHATEVER YOU NEED CAUSE AFTERWARDS WE AIN'T STOPPING TILL WE CROWN THE CHAMPION! HEY, ERASERHEAD! LET'S GO GET SOME- hey, where ya goin'?"
"I've seen way too much already." Aizawa mumbled as he sank into his yellow sleeping bag. "First that Upgrade form, and now Diamondhead. I need to think, and I think best when asleep."
"Uhh, sure! You do you." Present Mic pressed a couple buttons and turned down a dial on his electronic board. Opening the door of the commentator booth to exit, he turned to his friend. "Want me to get something small for you?"
No response.
"Man, I wish I had that skill. Must be nice, being able to fall asleep on command." The hero heaved a big fake sigh before catching someone moving in the corner of his vision. "Yo, Nemuri, wait up!"
Mic's boots echoing off the metal floor slowly faded away, leaving Aizawa with the ambient sounds of stadium chatter and activity. He turned over, trying to simultaneously block out the sounds of the world around him and processing his thoughts.
Tennyson had revealed two new forms in less than half a day. That means Aizawa now knew a total of 6 of his transformations. However, this only added problems onto his plate. These two new forms were definitely problems, as they were incredibly powerful and versatile. Upgrade may not have great direct combat prowess, but he didn't need to have any. Being able to assimilate himself into any machine and improve whatever he takes over is something Aizawa honestly didn't know how to combat. And in this day and age, technology is everywhere. Humanity has never before relied on technology as much as they did now for communication, security and transportation.
Then there was the newest form, Diamondhead. It was easy to compare this form to Four Arms based on looks, but that really wasn't the case. Sure, Four Arms' strength was on a whole different level, but it was hard to compare endurance and durability in just 10 minutes. Then there was that crystallokinesis. It was a power Aizawa had never seen before, and he had seen a lot of quirks. It didn't even seem to take any effort on Tennyson's part. His ability to fire crystals as a ranged weapon, surprising mobility and the ability to create crystal constructs, this was a form with no easy answer. The only way Aizawa would defeat this form was to wait out the transformation time. The teacher groaned and curled in on himself. He didn't have the brain power anymore. He just needed to sleep.
1-A's teacher may have the luxury of sleeping, but not all UA staff were so lucky. Cementoss jogged down a flight of stairs and emerged for a stadium exit. He jogged over to the gathered students and told them to exit where he emerged from and enjoy the lunch break. They could take a school-prepared meal or go about the many vendors set up and eat what they wanted. UA students ate for free after all. Cementoss then picked out the student he needed to chat with and stood in front of him.
"Tennyson, a question if you would?" The boy in question looked up at his teacher.
"Sure Cementoss-sensei, what do you need?"
"You left a lot of debris." Cementoss pointed to the massive crystal structures and mounds of crystal shards that Diamondhead left behind. "I don't think I can move those pillars without construction equipment, so could you transform again to help dispose of them?"
"Oh, no need! Those crystals are directly linked to Diamondhead. They were made by him, so without him they will eventually decay." Ben explained. He bent over and picked up a nearby shard. He held it up to his teacher. "See?"
He was right! Cementoss got a closer look and saw the shard had lost it's shiny luster and it's edges were slowly forming dust. "Should only take half an hour before the biggest ones go away fully. Sorry about that."
"No worries. That still leaves me plenty of time to do my work. Now, go eat with the rest of your class." Cementoss gently patted his head and strode off, starting to fix the edges of the stadium that were damaged in the event.
"No need to tell me twice, I'm starving!" Ben started walking with his teammates.
"Heh, same here! You know, I've been low-key looking forward to the lunch break the most out of everything today." Tetsutetsu admitted shamelessly. "Not to bash on Lunch Rush, but I've always loved street food! My dad would take me to festivals over the summer and we would eat until we could barely move. Sometimes, it's the shadiest, greasiest vendors that serve the real gems, food that restaurants just can't mimic."
"Sounds like a health hazard. I think I'll just take their provided lunch, rather than risk a stomachache." Shiozaki remarked.
"You know, I'm kinda with Tetsutetsu in this. I've always preferred baseball game chili dogs than the plain franks you get at the store. You know-"
"Tennyson." Recognizing the voice of the interrupter, Ben let out a long, exaggerated sigh as he rolled his head to lazily stare at the opposing glare.
"What is it this time Todoroki? Here to give another declaration of war?" Todoroki's eye twitched at the insult.
"Come with me." He commanded, his voice leaving no room for arguments. A shame that Ben never really gave in to those sorts of orders.
"Yeah, no. I'm hungry, so I'm going to browse the vendors for lunch. Now, if you'll excuse me!" Ben tried to push his way past Todoroki, but the boy just moved to intercept, blocking Ben's path by hitting him with his shoulder. Ben looked up at the taller boy, whose eyes were radiating hostility.
"I need to talk to you. Alone." Todoroki kept his eyes on Ben as he jabbed a thumb over his shoulder to a different tunnel than the one Cementoss came out of. He didn't even give Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki any acknowledgement! Ben scowled, and opened his mouth to let loose a swarm of insults, but someone else beat him to it.
"That is enough!" Shiozaki's raised voice startled Ben and Tetsutetsu, as they looked over to see her serene expression muddied by anger. She stomped forward, with Tetsutetsu putting up his hands and stepping out of her way. She forced Todoroki to acknowledge her, and she crossed her arms and stared at him down.
"I do not know what history you have with Ben, but this is unacceptable behavior for any aspiring hero. The Sports Festival is not a gladiator arena where personal squabbles can be settled. It exists so that the next generation of heroes can demonstrate to the public what they can offer to be of service to them. Dragging a smaller boy to a secluded, unsupervised corner of the stadium when he obviously does not want to go is almost criminal in nature! Ben is under no obligation to do anything you say, and implying you will use force to get your way is what a villain would do! You may be used to having things your way, being the son of a famous hero, but here we are all equals." Shiozaki berated Todoroki like a furious mother would a misbehaving child.
"..." Todoroki never changed his expression, but judging from his widened eyes and open mouth, he was caught off guard. He looked at Ben before turning around muttering under his breath.
"Just be there." He slinked away without another word.
"What a rude boy." Huffed Shiozaki. She strode forward, past Ben, continuing forward. "Now then, let us grab lunch."
"Uhh, sure." Ben and Tetsutetsu shared a stunned look before catching up to Shiozaki and then the rest of their classes. Conversation was bouncing around, as students were comparing how they performed, their regrets and their victories.
"It sucks to lose when we are so close to the finals, ribbit. But, everyone gave it their best. Some people would have to drop. Congratulations Mina."
"It's not like I did much. While it pains me to admit it, Bakugo kinda carried the team. Still, I appreciate the thought Tsuyu."
"That was some speed Ida! I never knew you could accelerate that fast!"
"While I can, truth be told, I shouldn't. It does me more harm than good, especially in extended events, such the one we just did."
"Shishida, I've never seen you go full beast before! That was sick!"
"Indeed, but in the end, it was not enough."
"Pah! Class A just got lucky, that's all! We have two fine students in the final event, and they will easily stand on top!"
"Can it Monoma, no one is in the mood."
"So, what are you guys doing for lunch?"
"UA is providing us various bento box sets. Simple, but Lunch Rush made them."
"Sounds good! I think I'll go with that!"
"Well, I'm off to the vendors! I'll catch you guys later!"
"See ya!"
Reaching the end of the hall, the majority of the students went left. They went to pick up their bentos and sat to eat in groups in the mess hall, still chatting about the Cavalry Battle. Ben and the others went right. They soon found themselves on the ground floor, with dozens of set-up stalls before them. Delicious smells filled the air as the first batches of food were being plated.
"No one is here yet! We must have priority!" Tokage from class B surveyed the options before her, rubbing her hands together. The students broke off, wandering the stalls, finding what they wanted, and returning back.
"Oh, what are these?" Ben stared at a vendor serving some sort of fried batter balls with an assortment of filling.
"Hey, you're that transforming kid!" A rough voice shocked Ben, and he looked up to see the vendor's owner. He was a large man, whose quirk gave him blue-green fish-like skin, fin and gills and sharp teeth. A thick build and powerful arms made him intimidating, but his kind, toothy smile drew Ben in. "This here is my famous takoyaki! Fried batter, octopus, ginger, onions, all the fixins! There's lots of takoyaki stalls here, but mine stands on top!"
"Take some kid! You'll need the energy!" Ben had an eight pack of takoyaki thrust into his hands. He stammered his thanks, only for the chef's roaring laughter to wave him off. "I'm rooting for ya kid! Good luck out there!"
Ben walked off, wanting one more thing. A woman with a dog quirk caught his eye, giving out boxes of some sort of noodle. Learning that it was yakisoba, Ben thought it smelled too good not to grab. So, now armed with a box of yakisoba and a carton of takoyaki, Ben went back through the tunnel and found the rest of the students, eating and talking. Ben sat down, cracked open a pair of chopsticks and a water bottle and started eating. Greasy, fried and unhealthy. Yup, this was awesome.
"The basics, huh Ben?" Shoda sat down beside him, several boxes in his hands.
"I guess? Never really had this stuff before. It's good though." Ben mumbled through a mouthful of noodles.
"Yeah, takoyaki and yakisoba are what most consider the basics of festival food. It's a title well earned." Shoda opened a box of his and brought out a thin paper ship full of fries doused in chili and cheese and put it on the ground to open other boxes. The familiar scent caught Ben's attention.
"Chili fries! They have them?"
"Yeah. Want some?" Shoda nudged the ship a little closer to Ben.
"Yes! Here, take a takoyaki." Ben lost track of time, as he and the people around him in the mess hall were just eating, having a good time despite what just happened in the Cavalry Battle. The food was great, but some people were obviously out of it. Ben nudged Aoyama, who was toying with a skewer. He didn't react.
"Oi, Aoyama!" The french boy startled to attention, before turning around.
"Yes?"
"Where's the usual sparkle?" Kirishima frowned. Ben noticed Aoyama wasn't the only one downcast. Shoji and Asui were trying to talk to Sato, but he was mindlessly chewing a sugar pastry, his lips curved into a frown. Kaminari and Hagakure were consoling Ojiro, who wrapped his arms around his knees and seemed to be in the middle of a crisis of sorts. Yes, these three boys technically won, earning a tied fourth place, but their reactions did not reflect this.
Suddenly, Aoyama stood. He nodded towards Sato and Ojiro, who nodded back and stood to meet him. The three then exited the mess hall, going up a flight of stairs. People turned to each other, silently asking each other what they were doing. They only got shrugs in return.
"Oh, by the way Tennyson." Ben looked up from his food to see Ida talking to him. "I noticed that Todoroki went to talk to you and Midoriya after the Cavalry Battle. He didn't harass you, did he?"
"Oh, that. No, he just wanted me to talk to him in one of the stadium exits." Todoroki really wanted to talk to him in the hallway beyond the exit, but same thing really. "He talked to Midoriya too?"
Ida nodded. "After he talked to you, he went to Midoriya right after. I noticed the two slipping away, to that area you mentioned. If I may ask, why didn't you go with him?"
"I dunno."
Stadium Hallway-
Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap
Two teen boys stood in a hallway, backs against opposing walls. Midoriya fiddled with his hands anxiously. His eyes darted from the ground, to Todoroki, down the hall, and back to the floor. He didn't know why he was here, or why Todoroki called him out, he just followed when requested to.
Todoroki impatiently tapped his foot, arms crossed. His head leaned back, staring at the ceiling. It had been almost 15 minutes since he talked to Tennyson, but the kid had yet to show up. Todoroki grit his teeth. They only had an hour for lunch, and he needed fuel for the next event. He exhaled heavily through his nose, ceasing his foot tapping and bringing his gaze to meet Midoriya. Only one of the two people that caught his eye had arrived, and while he really wanted to talk to both of them, one would suffice. Besides, he needed to ask Midoriya a couple private questions anyway.
"Midoriya." The green-haired teen shook a little at being addressed so directly, but he met Todoroki's gaze unflinchingly.
"Are you All Might's illegitimate child?"
Stadium Mess Hall-
"I was hungry. A guys gotta eat, right?" Ben stuffed his last takoyaki in his mouth.
"A fair point. We all expended a lot of energy and we need to replenish." Ida agreed, then chugged a can of orange juice.
"Hey, has anyone seen Bakugo? It's oddly quiet here." At Ashido's remark, people looked around to notice that indeed Bakugo was also gone. That means that three students; Bakugo, Todoroki and Midoriya were missing. A small cause for concern, but there was security everywhere, so no one thought twice. If anything, seeing that some of the toughest competition weren't eating made people think that this could be advantageous. A hungry foe is a weak foe.
"1-A Girls!" Yaoyorozu called out, trying to grab people's attention. She had left for the bathroom recently, but has now returned with some sort of parcel under her arm. "Please come with me! We need to be ready before the lunch period is over, in 10 minutes!"
"What's going on?" Jiro questioned, but still got up from her table and walked over. All the other 1-A girls gathered as well, all confused except for Yaoyorozu. She quickly led them out of the mess hall, leaving the other students confused.
"What just happened?" Sero looked around for answers, but got nothing.
"We just happened." Kaminari and Mineta from gen ed walked into the mess hall, with triumphant smiles on their faces.
"This can't be good." Shoji sighed, with Koda nodding in agreement, covering his eyes with his hands.
"Were you two up to no good?" Ida marched over and towered over the two boys. They held their hands up in mercy, but were still smiling. Ultimately, Ida couldn't get them to confess anything and he had no proof of any wrongdoings. Despite his instincts telling him to report the two, Ida went back to the tables.
"The lunch break is almost over, everyone! We are supposed to be in the stadium before the break is up, so let us move!"
"Ah, a class A clown telling us what to do! How presumptuous of them!" Monoma scoffed, only to be smacked in the back of the head by an enlarged palm.
"I meant what I said earlier Monoma: no one is in the mood." Kendo then turned to Ida, smiling. "Don't mind him. Thanks for the heads up. We'll follow you out."
"What about the girls? They still aren't back yet." Sero asked, worried.
"Ojiro, Sato and Aoyama left a while ago and never came back." Ben added. "We don't even know where they went off to."
"They are with Yaoyorozu. She knows the schedule as well, and would not purposefully make any of our classmates late. As for the three boys, well, they were made aware of where they should be after an hour. They left on their own accord; we are not responsible for them at this point." Ida did not waver. He started walking towards the mess hall exit. "All of us, even those that did not qualify, are supposed to be in the stadium grounds. Let's not keep the people waiting."
All the students followed the class 1-A president, throwing away their trash as they left. The noise was back; the stadium was even more hyped than before. The first two events were fun to watch, sure, but this was the big kahuna. The main attraction. The third event was always what people came in-person to watch. As the students walked out the tunnels once more, some for the last time this year, the roar of the crowd made even some of the most stoic students flinch. The students made their way to the center, where Midnight was waiting on the stage, and Cementoss was still working. There was a lot of action going on. Present Mic was yelling again, Midnight was posing, music was blaring and hired cheerleaders from the United States were performing. Then, all the students stopped. And stared. To the side, with gloomy faces and stooped posture, stood the 1-A girls, in orange UA cheerleading uniforms and matching pom poms.
"So this is what they were doing?" Kendo scratched her head at the sight.
"Well, at least they are present." Ida rubbed the bridge of his nose with a sigh.
"Such madness. Surely this isn't what Kaminari and his compatriot were up to?" Tokoyami shook his head, seeing the thumbs up Kaminari and Mineta were giving each other.
Yaoyorozu buried her face in her hands with a mixture of embarrassment and shame. Jiro joined her, shooting a deadly glare at Kaminari, promising him that her revenge will be bloody. But on the flip side, once the initial wave of embarrassment was gone, Hagakure jumped up and down, shame turning to enthusiasm. She wasn't moving on to the next event anyways, what's a little cheerleading going to do? For the ones that did qualify, however, the embarrassment only magnified once they learned they had no time to go and change. Yaoyorozu, Ashido and Uraraka walked over, trying their best to avoid attention. They silently joined the ranks of their classmates, who tried to avoid eye contact. Finally making it to the center, another surprise awaited them.
"Aoyama?" Ben was shocked to find the french student already standing in front of the set up stage. A quick glance around showed Ben that Sato and Ojiro were also present. "Where'd you go?"
"We went to take care of some business." Aoyama's voice lacked any of his usual peppiness, a major red flag. What did they do? Why did the three boys look so forlorn? Ben looked over his shoulder, and sure enough, that purple-haired gen ed kid was standing in the back, keeping distance between him and the hero students. He was the last non-hero student in the Festival, since Mineta didn't qualify. Ben narrowed his eyes. Something was fishy.
"There's the last three." Everyone turned to see Midoriya and Todoroki walking out of the tunnel they had just entered through, and Bakugo from one over. Todoroki glared at Ben, who returned it with a carefree smirk. Midoriya, once Ben looked at him, seemed to have steeled his resolve based on his determined expression. Bakugo was harder to read, with his eyes downcast and hands in his pockets. But once he got close, the fire in his eyes was as strong as ever.
'Wonder how Grandpa Max is doing.' Ben craned his neck to see if he could catch a glimpse. The family seats were closer to the action than standard spectators, which gave them a better view and made it easier for participating students to see their families cheering them on. Ben didn't have to look that hard; Tetrax's massive size and imposing suit made people give him a wide berth. The only person sitting near such a figure was the grandfather clad in Hawaiian red. Ben raised a hand to wave, but then he noticed something that made him frown. Grandpa Max, usually so happy and upbeat, seemed to have a scowl on his face. He quickly shed it once he saw Ben wave, but it was too late.
'Was I just imagining things, or did something happen to grandpa?'
Family's Stands (after the conclusion of the second event)-
"Alright, Ben!" Grandpa Max was on his feet, fists shaking in triumph as he watched his grandson hold onto the 10 million point headband at the closing buzzer.
"He did well." Tetrax voiced his approval. "This time he actually held a sound strategy, working around the inherent limitations of the Omnitrix and not being bogged down by a poor start. His teammates, that boy of steel and the girl with plant hair were perfect complements. One gutsy and aggressive, the other calm and observant. Ben should seek the help of others like that in the future. Working with a team makes life a lot easier."
"Says the lone wolf." Max teased as he clapped with the audience.
"Well, I am technically a wanted man. The destruction of Petropia was hardly a quiet affair. People assume Petrosapians are gone now. People see me, then they'll know I'm the guy from the rumors. The one who worked for Vilgax. Besides, I'm not all alone. I have Gluto, my pilot."
"Oh yes, the Protost. Garruk also knows him; claims Gluto is one of the best pilots in the galaxy. How's he doing these days?"
"Well enough. I gave him a long vacation after that little adventure with Ben. Seeing as how he had multiple deadly encounters, I figured he earned it."
"Reminds me of the paid leaves I'd get after particularly dangerous missions. Never took them though. Probably should have." Max moved, not to sit down, but to leave the stands.
Tetrax noticed. "Where are you going?"
"Bathroom and food." Max replied. "Got to get ready for the final event!"
"Very well. I will remain here. It's interesting watching that Cementoss fellow work." Tetrax turned back to watch the hero haul a large tub spewing cement to the edge of the stadium where he started to mold the material with his quirk.
"I'll be back soon." Max shimmied himself through the tightly packed seats and exited to the hallways. The refreshingly cool halls were a welcome feeling after all that intensity. The old Plumber walked down the halls, taking his time and enjoying the ambiance. It had been a long time since he was able to just enjoy himself. No mission to covertly complete, no alien-transforming grandson to watch over, no life and death encounters. Just him, a grandparent, watching his grandson compete at a sports event.
Down the hall, down a flight of stairs and just a few more steps and Max saw the sign for the bathroom pointing right. There was a small line, but there was no sense of urgency in the air. People were talking amongst themselves, discussing the second event and what went down. The adults were happy to see that the next generation of peacekeepers are just as enthusiastic and willing as the ones before them, and the kids were excitedly reenacting their favorite moments. Max smiled as he watched several young boys pretending to be Diamondhead. It was heartwarming, to see that Ben's initial fears were not manifesting. The people weren't scared.
Max remembered what he came down here to do. So, he walked forward.
And went left.
Max walked down the empty hallway, the noises of people slowly fading. Max came across some more forks in the path. He went right, down a flight to ground level, another right, forward, right again, then a left. The halls were quiet. The only noise left was the echoing footsteps of Max's shoes hitting the ground. The air, already cold, was starting to chill Max's old bones. Judging from the tracks in the dust, these halls were meant for transporting equipment for the events, not for foot traffic. Hence the fact that Max was alone.
Thump Thump Thump
Max continued walking down the hall. There were no more lights, or at least lights that worked. The only source of light was far down where he came, the lights from the stadium. This was far out of the way where UA did not expect anyone to go down. It was a poor direction to attack from for a villain attack, as it was on the ground level and only led to one area. You couldn't use this area to collapse the stadium, there were no important structural points in the area. What this area did offer was privacy.
Thump, Crunch
Max took one more step and stopped. The small dust and gravel beneath his shoes scraped against the ground. He closed his eyes and took in the environment around him. Quiet, with only faint noises of people far behind. Nothing but old, broken electronics, so no way to record a conversation. Max opened his eyes.
"Well now, I think this is far enough, wouldn't you say?"
Nothing.
Max didn't move and just stood still. He faced down the dark tunnel, not knowing if the path in front of him led to some storage closest or whatnot.
"Now then, what can this old man do?"
Max finally turned around to face the hallway he just walked down.
"For the number 2 hero, Endeavor?"
Where there was nothing before now stood a man with an intimidating visage. His bodysuit costume struggled to contain his impressively built body. He towered over Max, his massive height brought to bear as he kept a straight back and glared down at the smaller, older man. His face covered in fire, illuminating the hall. The fire licked at his hair, his facial features, yet, they did not seem to harm him. The flame hero, Endeavor, was not a man you wanted to face.
"So you did notice me. I thought it was just your old age clouding your sense of direction." Endeavor snorted.
"Well, to be fair, you do stand out in a crowd." Max never let his smile leave his face.
"The fact is that I tried to remain undetected. I attracted no attention from civilians and patrolling heroes alike. Yet, you still noticed me almost instantaneously."
"Perhaps you are not as stealthy as you think you are." Max's cheeky remark earned him a scowl.
"Who are you?"
"Getting right to the point, are we?"
"Answer the question." Endeavor kept his sentences short and to the point.
"If I recall correctly, I think I asked a question first, no?"
Endeavor crossed his arms. "What I want?"
"With me, yes." Max gave him an affirming nod.
"What I want is to know who the Tennysons really are." Endeavor moved closer, his combat boots echoing far louder than Max's shoes. "Powers like what your grandson wields don't just appear like your files say. In this day and age, a quirk like that would be world-wide news. I don't care that you're from the States, from some backwater town."
"Bellwood." Max corrected.
"Irrelevant. You are hiding something." Endeavor stood centimeters away from Max, standing almost a foot taller than him. He brought up a fist, clenching and unclenching it. "Tennyson Maxwell, retired US air force pilot and astronaut. No records for almost 50 years, and then reappears saying you worked as a plumber."
"You certainly did your homework." Max made note to call Coleson and secure his information for the future.
"A man of your caliber doesn't go from an air force pilot and a candidate for space missions to someone who fixes toilets! And for over fifty years I may add!" Endeavor's flames burned brighter.
"If I am being honest, Endeavor, that really is none of your business." Max's smile grew a bit more strained.
"Then why are you hiding so much?"
"Do you think me and my grandson are suspicious? I'll have you know that I talked to Principal Nezu about my grandson's enrollment. I assure you, I am only here for my grandson's education."
"Oh, you're the least of my worries old man. Your past is suspicious, but you aren't what I'm after. What I want is the truth about that kid."
Max twitched. "You're walking a fine line, Endeavor.
"A kid with a power like that is not something that comes naturally."
"The Tennysons do not partake in such barbaric tactics such as Quirk Marriages!" Max finally let his smile drop as he snapped at the hero.
"Oh please, like your words mean anything to me. We just went over how you're hiding who you really are. I've seen his files. Every hero in the area has." Endeavor lied, a practice he unfortunately had a good amount of experience in doing. "A different transformation for a different power. Hyper strength and hyper speed. Aquatic and beastial powers. And from today, crystallokinesis and technology assimilation. That kid has the potential to be the next All Might. No, he's already surpassed that."
"Don't pretend to know Ben."
"I don't need to know him. I simply know what he can become. Give him to me, Maxwell, and I can mold him into a hero beyond comparison. Think about what he can do! With his powers, with those transformations, he could eliminate crime in its entirety! Who would dare step out of line, knowing that no matter who they are, what resources they obtain, or what quirks they possess, they still can not plan around the transformations of that kid? The name Tennyson Benjamin will be heard around the globe, a hero beyond compare. I can make him great!" Endeavor's flames reached a critical heat, blazing wildly, almost out of control. The flame hero took a second to compose himself. He looked down expectantly.
"You aren't the only one who did their research, you know?"
"You already know about Quirk Marriages. That isn't something you just look up." Endeavor dismissed him with a wave of his hand.
"I know what you did to your wife. To your children. And what happened to your eldest." Endeavor's glare intensified.
"My wife had an outburst that scared my youngest son. My eldest son, Toya, was consumed by his own quirk in an accident. There is nothing more to say."
"You treat your children like disposable commodities. Things that have no value unless they can further your own goals." Max shook his head. "And you expect me to just hand over my grandson? Without even consulting my children, who are his parents?"
"It is for the greater good. Someone with that amount of power shouldn't be fooling around at school. As adults, we should be bringing out our kids' best, their full potential. Tennyson is too young, without the life experience needed to make proper decisions. He should be training."
"And who are we to make that decision!" Max was shaking in rage. "As parents, yes, we brought our children into this world, but that does not mean we have the right to plan their lives! They are their own person, with the right to go down whatever path they choose! My son didn't follow my footsteps! Ben is free to go down whichever path he chooses! He chose to become a hero, isn't that enough?"
"Parents are expected to mold their children into proper members of society. To pass down the knowledge they have gathered through their lives and pass it down. If we know that our kids can become heroes that can save the lives of countless innocents, then it is our duty to mold them so." Retorted Endeavor.
"Not at the cost of their own self agency." Max's resolve was unbroken.
"You're too soft. No wonder your son is a no-name that will be lost to time." Endeavor snarked. "After all, what are children but the sum of their parents?"
"Your own logic is flawed. If that really is the case, Endeavor, then how will the son of the eternal number 2 hero ever become number 1?"
Endeavor paused. Then his flames roared, stronger and brighter than before. "So, you really are more than you seem."
"Your 'creation,' Shoto, is only half of you. By your logic, he is as much of his mother as he is of you." Max recalled all the information he uncovered about Endeavor. There wasn't anything on Earth that a plumber computer couldn't break into. That gave Max more than enough information to know that he would never be able to see eye to eye with the flame hero. "No amount of training will ever change that."
"You dare!" Endeavor swelled up with anger.
"Yes, I dare!" Max finally let the dam break, shouting at the hero. "How can you look in a mirror, knowing what you've done? Is it worth it? Will it ever be worth it? Knowing the lives you irreversibly scarred, inflicted with terrible wounds that will never fully heal? Will seeing your children hate you make you stronger? Will seeing your child fulfill your dream instead of theirs bring you joy?"
Endeavor was taken aback. He was not expecting such power, such passion for the elderly Tennyson. There was more fire in this one than he ever could have expected. The hero opened his mouth to reply, but Max was not done.
"Did you really think I would ever let you control my family? That I would just, give you a person that isn't me? Did you think I think so little of my own grandson that I would just abandon him because you told me to do so? Well, news flash Endeavor! Families aren't like yours! You are the anomaly!"
Max took a step forward, encroaching on Endeavor's space. The hero took a step back.
"Don't you ever. EVER." Max got right up to Endeavor, shoving his face right in front of the heroes. If the fire on Endeavor's face was hurting the old man, he didn't show it. "Threaten to take apart my family again. Because I swear, if you do, there is nothing you, your connections, or the Public Hero Safety Commission can do to protect you from me."
Endeavor didn't know why he was backing up. He outmatched Maxwell Tennyson in every way. He was younger, stronger, tougher. He had a powerful fire quirk while it seemed like Maxwell had a non-combat quirk. Endeavor was in his prime, with a body that reflected decades of training. Maxwell was old, with white hair and a bit of a belly going. He gave off a friendly, doting grandfather aura. When Endeavor evaluated him while following him, he seemed like the least threatening person in existence.
So why was he backing up?
"You will stay away from me." Max took a step forward. Endeavor took a step back.
"You will stay away from my grandson!" More steps. Why was this man's aura so intimidating! Endeavor's heel hit the wall. When did they turn to let this happen?
"You will forget about molding Ben into a soldier." Endeavor's senses were screaming danger.
"Don't make me repeat this again. Goodbye, Endeavor." Max turned and stalked off, not giving the hero a second glance.
Endeavor clutched his rapidly beating heart. He took several breaths, a technique to slow his heart rate down. After successfully calming his body down, Endeavor put his hands on the ground to push himself up. As he stood, he looked at his hands. That was not the rage of a grandfather alone. No, Maxwell was something more than just a pilot, an astronaut, and a plumber. There was a real threat behind those words, backed with the confidence that he could follow through on his word. Endeavor looked up to see Max's figure illuminated by the stadium's lights. He knew he shouldn't say anything. But his pride would not allow this exchange to end with him on the ground.
"And if I ask the boy what he thinks?" Endeavor regretted those words the moment they left his mouth. Max stiffened.
"Then in your last moments, you will come to understand what I really am hiding." And he was gone.
Endeavor stood there, in the dark, with the only light coming from his own flames. He didn't know how long he stood there, going over that conversation again and again, asking himself why he, the great Endeavor, the flame hero, the number 2 ranked hero in all of Japan, the number 1 crimefighter, cowered before an old grandfather. He left the hall without another word, and silently made his way back to his seat. He sat down, and refused to look anywhere but forward.
'I will find out what the Tennyson's are hiding, Maxwell, consequences be damned.'
"Took you long enough- what happened." Tetrax could tell something was off. Max didn't move like that unless he was on a mission.
"Nothing." Max collapsed into his seat. He pulled out his phone, and started dialing Coleson's number. "Just realizing I have a lot more work to do."
Center Stage (back to present time)-
"ALL RIGHT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS, VIEWERS AT HOME AND THOSE IN THE STADIUM BELOW!"
Present Mic's voice shook Ben out of his stupor. Ben shook out his body, bouncing in place. He needed to focus back in!
"THIS YEAR'S BATCH OF STUDENTS HAVE FOUGHT THEIR HEARTS OUT TO MAKE IT THIS FAR, BUT AT THE END OF IT ALL, WE CAN ONLY HAVE ONE CHAMPION! THIS IS THE LAST EVENT! 16 FINALISTS FROM THE LAST EVENT!"
"16?" Murmurs broke out in the student body. Team Tetsutetsu had 3 people and Teams Bakugo, Midoriya, Todoroki and Shino had 4. 19 people had been on the highest scoring teams. How did they narrow it to just 16 participants?
"WE'VE SET UP A TOURNAMENT STYLE SERIES OF ONE-ON-ONE MATCHES FOR THE THIRD, AND FINAL, EVENT! 16 GO IN, BUT ONLY 1 COMES OUT! THIS IS IT, THIS IS FOR ALL THE MARBLES!"
"Thank you, Present Mic!" A well practiced transition from commentator to referee switched the spotlight from the commentator booth to the stage. Midnight cracked her whip and the stadium's ruckus started to dim.
"Now, to address the elephant in the room! Yes, we are aware that 19 students qualified for the last round. However, three students, Ojiro Mashirao, Sato Rikido and Aoyama Yuga have come forward with desires to withdraw!"
An explosion of noise!
"Dude!" Ben whirled around to Aoyama, stunned at the news. Ben wasn't the only one, nearly all of class A, except Todoroki and Bakugo, turned to their classmates full of concern. Class B joined in as well, unable to understand. Even Monoma didn't know how to respond. "You're throwing in the towel, just like that?"
"You wouldn't understand." Ojiro, Sato and Aoyama repeated some variation of that phrase again and again, to everyone who asked them: why?
"Then help us understand!" Midoriya pleaded. "This is the UA Sports Festival! This won't come again until next year! Think about what you're doing!"
"Of course I know! You don't think I understand the magnitude of this decision?" Ojiro snapped. Voices shut up, and everyone stood, silenced. This was Ojiro, the level-headed, moderate voice of reason. And he just snapped, his voice quivering with emotion.
"The truth is... I don't remember anything about the Human Cavalry Battle. I don't remember making a team, I don't remember moving or participating, and I sure as hell don't remember winning. I just blinked my eyes, and then boom, my name was being broadcasted as one of those who qualified. I know this is my big chance to prove myself, and I know it's dumb to throw away the chance to show what I can do." Ojiro raised his fist to his chest, a deep look of shame on his face.
"Everyone else used their full power to qualify for the second event, and went even further to try to get into the third. And most didn't qualify. I can't just accept a hand-out! Not when I know those who tried their very best didn't make it! How can I stand alongside those who brought their A game when I can't even remember what I did? It's about pride. I can't do it."
"It's not right." Sato rubbed his eyes. He tilted his head downwards, shoulders sagging. "Seeing people trip over their own legs with exhaustion, fighting, but failing to make it. Then seeing myself in the mirror, not even a little bit tired. How could I face myself afterwards? Even if I did well in the third event, how could I face myself knowing I didn't even deserve the chance to participate?"
"Only those who truly deserve to qualify should move on." Aoyama sounded almost on the verge of tears. "We didn't do anything. We didn't push ourselves, didn't plan, didn't fight. We didn't play the game, and yet people are telling us that we won. Isn't the whole point of the Sports Festival for hero students to demonstrate what they will bring to the people when they graduate? What sane person would want a hero who doesn't know what they're doing protecting them? No, we do not deserve this. We will abstain."
"And there it is, from the very people themselves! Normally, a decision like this is not taken lightly. This was discussed in great detail during the lunch break, with Principal Nezu himself. While we urged them against it, ultimately it is their decision. Hence, why Ojiro Mashirao, Sato Rikido and Aoyama Yuga from Team Shinsou have been officially recognized as withdrawn!"
The boys picked themselves up and walked to the side. On the way, the stadium clapped, honoring those who did what they viewed as right, even if it came at the cost of their first Sports Festival. Some would even say this was the most heroic moment of the Sport Festival. Their fellow students clapped their backs and shoulders, whispered encouraging words and even gave them hugs. At the end, while they still were a little teary, they held their heads up high. They weren't ashamed anymore. They had nothing to be ashamed of.
"Now that we have settled that matter, we can go back to the third event!" Midnight cracked her whip, bringing the attention back to the stage, where the heroine was holding a large box with a small circle opening on the top. It was similar to what All Might used for class A's first heroic lesson, just a lot bigger.
"We will determine the matchups for the first round through lots. In this box, we have orbs, just like this!" Setting the box down, Midnight opened a pouch on her waistband and produced a navy-blue orb. She held it comfortably in her hand, raising it so the cameras could get a good look.
"There are 16 of these orbs in the box! Each one has a number, from 1 to 16, imprinted on it. The number won't appear until someone holds it in their hand, like so!" The cameras picked up the orb's surface shimmering. The navy blue swirled with whites and silvers and golds, until a bolded number 0 showed itself. "Obviously this one is just for demonstration purposes, but rest assured, the ones in the box are different. Once the match ups have been decided, Cementoss will finish the arena, and we will commence! Now, will the first place team, Team Tetsutetsu, come up to the stage?"
Ben walked up, flanked by Shiozaki and Tetsutetsu, and stood in front of Midnight. She held the box out, and after some gesturing from his teammates, Ben reached inside the box first. The smooth and cool surfaces of the orbs rolling past his fingers. Pushing his hand deeper into the box, Ben gripped one in particular and pulled his arm out. All the cameras zoomed in, screens showing the shimmering orb held in the boy's hand. Soon the number revealed itself. 16.
"And for our first participant, Tennyson Benjamin, we have number 16! Put him on the board!"
Ding!
'16. Dead last, huh?' Ben watched on the big screen as a large 16 person tournament style bracket was shown. On the last black line, on the very right, his last name appeared.
"Shiozaki Ibara, number 5!"
"Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, number 11!"
Ding! Ding!
Two more names found themselves below the black tournament bracket lines. Midnight was quick and efficient, bringing up the next team after the next, announcing the number their orb held.
"Bakugo Katsuki, number 9!" Ding!
"Ashido Mina, number 4!" Ding!
"Sero Hanta, number 3!" Ding!
"Kirishima Eijiro, number 10!" Ding!
"Midoriya Izuku, number 8!" Ding!
"Uraraka Ochako, number 12!" Ding!
"Hatsume Mei, number 1!" Ding!
"Tokoyami Fumikage, number 14!" Ding!
"Shinsou Hitoshi, number 7!" Ding!
"Todoroki Shoto, number 6!" Ding!
"Ida Tenya, number 13!" Ding!
"Kaminari Denki, number 2!" Ding!
"And Yaoyorozu Momo, number 15!" Ding!
Midnight ended with a pose, then jabbing her whip's handle at the big screen. "And here is our final line up!"
Bracket A:
Match 1: Hatsume vs. Kaminari
Match 2: Sero vs. Ashido
Match 3: Shiozaki vs. Todoroki
Match 4: Shinsou vs. Midoriya
Bracket B:
Match 1: Bakugo vs. Kirishima
Match 2: Tetsutetsu vs. Uraraka
Match 3: Ida vs. Tokoyami
Match 4: Yaoyorozu vs. Tennyson
'So, I'm up against Yaoyorozu first.' Ben looked over, seeing his opponent still looking at the screen with her fists clenched so tight that her knuckles went white.
'This'll be interesting.'