23. Let the Fight Begin

Itsuka Kendo Vs. Tsuyu Asui

To the crowd's delight, Itsuka and Tsu shook hands before they stepped back. Itsuka took a traditional fighting stance while Tsu crouched low, one hand on the floor and the other behind her.

"BEGIN!" shouted Midnight.

Tsu's tongue launched immediately towards Itsuka's legs. Itsuka jumped forward, her fist enlarging, as she tried to deliver a downward punch, hoping to knock Tsu out. Itsuka's eyes went wide when she saw Tsu's tongue begin to retract, and she rolled forward, sprung off her hands, closing the distance while Itsuka was airborne, delivering a rising kick.

Itsuka managed to get her other hand in the way to deflect the blow, enlarging it to absorb more of the impact. It did the job of preventing the Tsu from driving the air from her body, but it couldn't stop the force from sending her upward. Tsu twisted in mid-air, her tongue coming out again, wrapping around one of Itsuka's legs. She yanked her head and slammed Itsuka to the ground.

Itsuka landed back first. She tucked her chin to avoid being knocked out. Her vision was dazed, and she barely managed to prevent Tsu from coming down with a tremendous ax kick that cracked the concrete. Itsuka spun low off one leg and swept Tsu, sending her down. Tsu rolled. To reach her feet, Itsuka met her with a fist that sent Tsu tumbling.

Tsu pushed off the ground, turning it into a tumble; she slipped to the right past Itsuka's follow-up attack, countering with a knee to the gut and an upward elbow strike that knocked Itsuka's head back. Itsuka stumbled; Tsu launched herself like a bullet, spearing Itsuka in the stomach. Both girls tumbled. Itsuka felt Tsu grab the front of her uniform, and her leg slid up to launch her away, most likely out of the ring. Itsuka grabbed Tsu's leg to avoid being launched and landed a hard punch to Tsu's face, making her release her grip.

Both girls got to their feet; both were bleeding from their mouths, and both were smiling. The crowd erupted; Itsuka moved first, firing off a one-two combination. Tsu ducked under and sent a counter uppercut; Itsuka slid her head to the left and landed a hit to Tsu's ribs and a kick to the side of her leg that sent Tsu down to one knee. Itsuka grabbed one arm and rolled to lock in an arm bar.

In the heat of battle, she didn't expect Tsu's legs to be able to bend almost 90^ like a contortionist; Tsu's legs were so powerful that she broke Itsuka's grip, nearly separating her shoulder. Tsu's legs wrapped around Itsuka's upper body in a triangle; Tsu was in the top position and started dropping elbows. Itsuka enlarged her to block the blows and try to push Tsu off. Tsu would not let go. Itsuka was now sitting with Tsu's legs around her head. Tsu's tongue came out and wrapped around Itsuka's neck and yanked back violently. Itsuka had to brace herself from being pulled back, but it did nothing to stop Tsu from choking her. She struggled to her feet, and when her guard dropped, Tsu started landing blows to her face.

Everything was getting dark. Itsuka got to her feet; the crowd was at a fever pitch. Tsu was aloft; she kept firing more and more blows, and Itsuka staggered. She grabbed Tsu's tongue near her mouth with her other hand under Tsu's chin. She enlarged both hands, suddenly dropping to the ground in a sit-out slam that bounced Tsu's head off the concrete, ending the fight. Itsuka quickly uncoiled Tsu's tongue from her neck as Midnight declared her the winner; the medical bots came to claim Tsu as Itsuka walked next to the stretcher holding her neck.

Ochaco vs. Bakugo

Ochaco took a deep breath; why did I have to draw him for my first match, she thought. He is such an asshole, a muscular asshole though. That always seems to be the case. The assholes are never weak. He has to be hurting from that fight with Eijiro. There is no way he is at 100%. He isn't even thinking about me, probably looking past me. I don't know if this will work, but I don't think I can win in another way. All right, Bakugo, in the words of Eijiro, What is my name?

"And his opponent, the girl that Gravity forgot, also from Class 1-A, gave it up for my favorite Ochaco Uraraka!" Mic called out as her signal to head to the stage. She saw Bakguo. He wasn't even looking at her. He was looking towards the stands, staring straight at Izuku. A fire in her belly burned even brighter, Don't look past me, you asshole; I am going to be a great hero just like everyone else.

When she extended her hand, he clicked his tongue, "Don't cry too much, Round Cheeks; you are just in the way," he said, stepping back. Ochaco's eyes narrowed as she glared at him.

"Okay, okay," she said as she went to the start position. At the call to start, she went in; he smiled and fired off a blast, forcing her to dodge to the side; she rolled and kept moving forward. He fired high; she slid underneath. As she got to her feet, he dashed forward and landed a knee to her face that sent her tumbling back. He jumped with the aid of his quirk and fired a double-hand blast where she had landed; she barely managed to avoid the hit but was sent to the ground from the explosion.

He landed, running up and kicking her in the ribs; she rolled and got to her feet. She came in, slipped past a shot, and swung, hoping to make contact; he slid to the right, and a left-right to the face sent her down. She spun, sweeping his legs; he fired at the ground between them, sending more debris and smoke into the air. She cleared the smoke and landed a kick on his chest. Trying to press her advantage, she went to tag him again. He fired at the ground, knocking her back and exploding a large chunk out of the stage.

Ochaco kept pushing forward, trying to get to him; his explosions were getting stronger, but she could see that his movements were getting labored; huge chunks were missing from the stage. Dust clouded the view as she kept going, bloodied and bruised from where his attacks landed; she stumbled forward and saw him come to blast her away again. She went to dodge left; he smiled, both hands came up, and a loud blast erupted, sending her flying back into the cloud of smoke.

"Got ya," he said. "Call it," he yelled at Midnight.

"Ochaco, can you continue?" she called out, struggling to see through all the smoke and dust.

"Yes, Fuck him," Ochaco replied. Bakugo suddenly heard footsteps from the left and then the right.

"She is using the smoke," he said, then he saw it in her uniform. "it's over!" he fired, hitting center mass. It was just her uniform top; the smoke began to clear, and he barely heard it.

"Release."

Bakugo quickly scanned around when suddenly a sick feeling washed over him. He looked up, and above him were hugs and chunks of debris. He finally realized her plan; she hadn't been just relying on tagging him. The crowd barely erupted as he raised his arm to the sky and fired a massive explosion. Nice try, he thought.

"STARFALL!" Ochaco called out.

Katsuki saw his blast tear out, the rubble above him flying apart; in the panic of what would befall him, he had to use everything he had to save himself. He heard Ochaco's words as the most significant piece of the stage fell apart; there was Ochaco, coming down at him. She had used the debris to absorb the brunt of his blast as she came crashing down with a gravity-enhanced punch straight to Bakugo's face. It drove them both into the ground, leaving a sizable crater. The crowd was going wild; a hush fell, waiting to see who was still standing.

Ochaco's hand came up out of the hole; she pulled herself out, burned, bloodied, wearing a black sports bra and as she had sacrificed her top in her gambit for victory.

"Winner!" Midnight yelled as Bakugo was unconscious.

"What's my name bitch?" Ochaco said as she stumbled to the side. Midnight caught her.

"Damn impressive," Midnight whispered, making Ochaco smile. The medical bots had to collect them both.

Hero Course

"She fucking won!" yelled Toru. As the hero course erupted.

"Holy shit, that was metal," Kyoka said.

"I fucking told him," Izuku laughed. "I told him IF he got past Ochaco serves him fucking right."

"I wish Eijiro had put him in his place, but I am glad that Ochaco was able to," Momo sat back. She had three plans; I wonder if there was a fourth."

Mei came up the stairs, "Our girl is ready." Momo and Izuku held hands while waiting for Melissa to take the stage.

Melissa Vs. Tenya

"I am so freaking nervous Mei," Melissa said as she paced the floor. "What if I mess up?"

"Then you mess up," Mei said taking Melissa's hands. "I won't be the end of the world, but it will hurt and it will suck. But nothing will change, Izuku will still love you, Momo will still be your best friend, and…"

Melissa could feel the change in the air, it was different, as she watched Mei hesitate. "And?" Melissa said, for some reason she could hear heart pounding in her ears.

"And I will still be in love with you," Mei whispered. She leaned up and kissed Melissa softly on the lips. Mei was happy when Melissa slowly returned the kiss. "We can talk later," Mei whispered. Melissa nodded, their foreheads resting against each other.

"Mei…" Melissa started to say, Mei put finger to her lips.

"Don't worry about it Melissa," Mei whispered. "No matter how you feel I will still be here, by your side. Go out there and win, chase your dreams. Everything is moving so fast, I just wanted to let you know that no matter what happens out there you have to people who are in love with you waiting for you."

They heard Tenya being announced as they separated, "When did it happen?" Melissa said at the door.

"It started during the attack," Mei said. "You didn't run away, you fought back. No quirk, nothing you went for it."

Tenya stood on the stage, watching Melissa enter the arena to the crowd's roar. Like many others, he was mesmerized by her appearance. Although unfamiliar with her, he respected what she was trying to accomplish. He hoped her defeat at his hands did not cut short her dream of joining the hero course.

Melissa blushed under her mask as she entered the arena; the crowd loved her aesthetic and cheered her on; she could also feel pressure. She was quirkless, and here she was, carrying the dreams of others like her or those who had been told they couldn't live their dream. She looked towards the stands and saw Izuku, Momo, and Mei all cheering wildly for her. Her mind drifted to the chaste kiss that she had shared with Mei, it brought a small smile to her looked towards the VIP section and could see All-Might and Miro looking at her. She felt conflicted, so angry at her uncle and father, but that quickly faded as she remembered her meeting with her uncle between rounds and hearing what Mirio did.

She paused at the stage, taking the stage before the whole world, and nothing but victory would suffice. She wasn't guaranteed anything except the love of her friends and this very moment. But that wasn't enough. She wanted that chair; she had to have it. With a renewed sense of determination, she stepped onto the stage.

At the call to begin, Tenya sped right at her. She quickly sent a pillar at him, hoping to use his speed against him but driving the wind from his body. Tenya saw the attack and flipped over it. He spun off the pillar, launching into a spin kick. "Recipro Kick!" he yelled out. The engines on his legs illuminated a brilliant blue, bringing his foot down with incredible speed and velocity.

The cloud under Melissa disappeared, coming up to catch the kick; her tails wrapped around her fist as she swung like a giant extension of her hand, and his ribs cracked. The cloud bots around his leg wrapped and coiled up, taking him and swinging him overhead down to the ground; it yanked him up before he could recover and did it again. It wrapped around both legs now; he fired his quirk. Micro bots fell to the ground, but she still held fast; she spun with him and released him, sending him flying out of the ring and into the wall. It spiderwebbed from the impact as he fell to the ground in defeat.

Kyoka vs. Hitoshi

"Well, this is some bullshit," he said, standing across from Kyoka, who just smiled with her lips pressed together.

"Begin," Midnight called.

Hitoshi dodged out of the way of a wild left hook, "Deep Dope is overrated!" he yelled. Kyoka opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself. "Their guitarist and bassist are like the 7th best, not even in the world but in Okinawa." He didn't dodge as he ate a right hook and a knee to the gut. He grabbed one jack before it landed in his ear; the other stuck true. He stumbled to the side and yanked her down by the jack, eliciting a yell of pain.

He got to his feet. "Hendrix is mid at best." He dodged the jab but not the leg kick. A crisp elbow to the jaw nearly turned his lights out. "I will tell Izuku you have the hots for him!"

"I do not," she yelled.

"Got…" he was saying as his quirk took hold. Her jacks plunged into his ears, and her very rapid heartbeat sent him down before he could give an order.

Midnight walked over and checked them both. "Winner, Kyoka Jiro!" she called, touching the girl and snapping her out of her trance. Kyoka was blushing as she left the stage, not wanting to look at the stands.

Mina vs. Shoto

Mina stepped out of her locker room to see Izuku waiting for her along with Toru. Toru ran over and hugged her. "You got this girl," Toru said. "Go out there and whoop his butt, so after I whoop his butt," she said about Izuku, "we can meet up next round."

"You got it," Mina said as Toru ran off. "Hey Izuku…"

Izuku walked over and hugged her. "You can do this, Mina. Do your best, and no matter what happens, I will be right here, okay?"

"Thank you…for everything," Mina said softly. Summoning her courage, she kissed his cheek and ran to the entrance. "Cheer for me!" she called out.

Izuku smiled and went to his locker room. He took a deep breath when his phone chimed. It was a text message from Nejire. He nearly dropped his phone. It was a picture of Nejire without her shirt.

Nejire: Every match you win, I lose a piece of clothing.

"Sweet baby," Izuku muttered.

Momo looked at her phone to see a message from Nejire; she wondered how Nejire had gotten her phone number.

Nejire: Since your boyfriend is busy tonight, would you like to have dinner so we can get to know each other better? Melissa is also invited.

Momo showed the text to Melissa. "Well, she knows what she wants," Melissa said. "We probably should give her a chance. I mean, Mirio is an asshole."

Momo: Sounds good; let's discuss the details after the tournament.

"Our next match features one of the favorites to win the tournament this year, now entering the arena the son of the number two hero in the country, the master of cold, the sultan of hot; give it up for Shoto Todoroki!" Mic called out.

"Getting a little more creative, I see," Aizawa said.

"Got give the people what they want, OH YEA!" Present Mic said with a grin.

"And his opponent, not to be taken lightly, everyone's favorite pink-skinned, alien-loving, tough as nails, queen of acid, MINA ASHIDO!" Mina, thankfully, wasn't blushing as severely as she had earlier when she had stepped out of the tunnel and made her way to the stage.

Mina was glad she wasn't facing someone like Bakugo, and at least Shoto was nice. They shook hands and stepped back, waiting for the signal to begin; once Midnight gave the signal, both parties sprang into action. Shoto created a large ice wave to try to trap Mina quickly; Mina dashed forward using her acid to coat her feet and threw as large of a concentrated wave of acid as she could straight at the wave. The two collided; her acid started to melt the ice, creating an opening for Mina to skate out of the attack straight at Shoto.

Shoto eyes went wide as he dodged the leaping punch; Mina was quick and agile as soon as she landed. She planted off her hands, and the donkey kicked him in the chest. The acid on her feet was not that concentrated, so it didn't burn through his uniform, but the kick hurt like hell.

He tumbled and came to his feet as Mina streamed acid at him; his fire sprang to his call, creating a wall between them and intercepting her attack. He was about to try and follow up when he felt a burning in his lungs and eyes; he stumbled back, gaging from the toxic cloud. Mina sprang out from around the firewall, planted off the wave of ice, and tackled him to the ground.

Shoto got his arm up to fend off an elbow. He hit her shoulder with a palm strike backed by the ice portion of his quirk. Mina was knocked to the side. He scrambled to his feet. Mina grabbed his ankle and yanked, bringing him crashing back down.

She grabbed his arm and wrestled it behind his head, pinning it there in a triangle position; she took her free arm and began to rain blows to his face. He got his other arm in the way to deflect the blows while scrambling to get free.

With his arm pinned, he could use his ice quirk. His other arm was free, but he was hesitant to lose his fire as his control was lacking. He brought him up, his flames cumming up, hoping to startle her so he could break free.

It worked. She flinched back, and she raised her hand defensively, acid coming with it. He hissed as the wild spray hit his arms; he turned his head as some of the spray hit the side of his head. He let her grip loosen, turned on his back, and kicked her away; she tumbled, and he slammed his hand on the ground, sending his ice quirk racing toward Mina; it got her before she could move, trapping her. Midnight, he called out his victory as the crowd cheered.

The crowd gasped as the stage was suddenly covered in a cement dome. The television feed replayed the fight. The announcement that due to a wardrobe malfunction, the stage had been sealed earned a laugh.

Shoto turned at his ice-shattering and saw Izuku at Mina's side, cradling her in his arms as she trembled and cried. Shoto felt his heart drop as he approached slowly.

Mina

She was determined to win; she wanted to prove to herself and anyone watching that she had grown and was strong. She knew what they were saying: that Shoto Todoroki would steamroll over her, that it was a bad draw, that was all. They would have to fight if she won and Izuku got past Toru. She wanted that match to show Izuku that everything he had done for her wasn't for a lost cause.

He had taken his precious time to be with her; she understood time was precious, and if what she had seen was any indication, he could be spending it with Momo or maybe even Melissa. She had caught them kissing one night under a tree. But Momo was right there, and she felt a sudden wave of relief. During those nights he had spent with her, he never tried anything and never behaved inappropriately despite their situation; most boys would have wandered a little bit, but he never did.

Those nights chased the nightmares away, made her feel safe, and encouraged her to continue and take her time. There was also the way he made her feel alive: when the nightmares were chased away, other dreams took place, and dreams of death were replaced with dreams of life. She had woken up before him, and looking down at his peaceful face; she had found herself a mere inch from kissing him before she pulled back. She wanted to tell him; she was going to tell him when she met him in the next round, win, lose, or draw, she was going to tell him.

Momo had been studying how to combat her possible opponents, all she knew about them. She knew she had a chance against Shoto, that her acid could melt his ice. Then, her acid hit Shoto's skin; the smell immediately flooded her; it overrode everything. She wasn't in the arena of the U.A. Sports Festival; she was on the street of the USJ. Broken, battered, alone. She could see all of them around her, crawling towards her, eyes missing, throats gone, limbs, and whole chunks of them. The smell of their burning flesh and tormented cries assailed her like fists. Driving her down, breaking her, she couldn't move, and her body wouldn't respond. What Mina had to do to survive haunted her, and what steps she was forced to take tormented her. She knew it was them or her, that it wasn't some exercise, it was more than a fight, it was a war.

It made it easier during the daytime when they would come, when the visions would invade her mind or the smell would manifest out of nowhere; she would look around for it in a panic, close her eyes to try and shut out the mental torment. She would be about to break and fall; then he would be there. He would take her hand under the table, or this feeling of calm would suddenly wash over her, and her phone would read, "It's okay; I am right here. You are safe." She would look over and see him looking at her, and he would smile. That smile made those words stick, telling her she was safe. The smell would go, and the visions would retreat. It was like they were afraid of him and what they might do if they didn't leave.

It wasn't just him; sometimes, Momo would take her hand if he wasn't near or just come over and flop on her, asking her about some random thing. Once Mina answered, Momo smiled and asked for more details, pulling up stuff on her phone and showing Mina how to keep the conversation going. Momo knew how Mina felt and told her it was okay and that she was alright. Mina didn't understand but didn't want to be that girl. Momo was encouraging her, and Mina was helpless against him.

She was consumed again before she broke down the whole world, and then she felt it. The cold wrapped around her was gone, warmth flooded her body, familiar arms held her, and the smell and visions ran away. She knew who was holding her; his soft voice whispered her favorite phrase, "It's okay, I am right here. You are safe." She put her arms around his neck as the trembling subsided. Her eyes slowly opened, and he was carrying her there. Shoto is right at his side, looking so worried.

"It is okay, Shoto," she said. "You didn't do anything."

"But Mina…" he protested.

"Did I hurt you?" Mina asked, her head resting on Izuku's shoulder.

"No, I am alright. It just burned some," Shoto said, trying to smile for her. "You nearly had me; you can throw a mean punch." Seeing Mina smile made him relax.

He laid her on a stretcher. In the tunnel, Momo was there and took her hand. "I have to go. My match is coming up. Cheer for me, okay?" he smiled. She held on to his hand a second longer than she probably should have before letting it go. Momo escorted her and Shoto to the medical wing.

Nezu

"Sir, she is freaking out. Can you cover the stage!" Midoriya's voice rang in his head. Quickly, he gave the order to Cementos and relayed the cover story to the Mic and Midnight. He didn't even see Midoriya cross the field to the stage, but there he was, cradling Ms. Ashido and carrying her away.

He looked at his camera feeds, and his gaze hardened when he saw Mirio sitting in the All-Might's booth. "Snipe have All-Might and Mr. Mirio report to me immediately," he said.

Izuku Vs. Toru

"And her opponent, this young man, needs no introduction; after his rousing speech, he asked you all one question: will you fight for him!" Mic called out,

"YES!" the crowd responded.

Mic was on the desk, "Fight for a better tomorrow!"

"YES!"

"Fight for those next to you!"

"YES!"

"OH YEA, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN IIIZZZUUUUKKKUUUU MMMIIIIDDDDOOORRRRIIIYYYAAAA!" Mic was bent back, yelling into the microphone.

"YES! YES!" chants erupted; Izuku stepped out, a bit embarrassed as the crowd chanted at him and cheered.

He stepped onto the stage. Toru felt a bit envious of the reaction he had received, seeming him be embarrassed about it, and not walking out to the stage as he owned it was good. He was a good person; she figured she was out of her depth, her uniform was visible, she didn't have the drop on him, and it would be over quickly.

She thought I could make it a step or two if lucky.

"It seems that Ms. Hagakure is outclassed in this event. Her quirk would give her an advantage, but her sports festival uniform negates that," Mic said, sitting again. "And with the power demonstration that Mr. Midoriya demonstrated during the second round, I feel this will be over very quickly. What are your thoughts, Eraser?"

Eraser Head was leaning forward, his elbows on the table, staring down at the stage, "How are you going to handle this?" he muttered.

"Eraser?" Mic said, trying to get his friend's attention. Eventually, he had to poke him in the side to do so.

"Sorry, I missed the question?" Aizawa said, glaring at his friend.

"I was saying that this match should be over quickly with the abilities that Midoriya showed during the second round," Mic repeated.

"That is the million dollar question, it should be," Aizawa said, looking down at the field.

"Should?" Mic said, confused.

"Normally, a student that had demonstrated such power would end the fight quickly, use their overwhelming quirk, and claim victory," Aizawa paused, rubbing his forehead. "But Mr. Midoriya, while he did show off in the first and second rounds, you notice that he didn't take first place in the first round. Nor did he go into direct battle; I believe if the Thunder Lizards had not attacked, he would have never left the base. He let Ms. Shield take first and so forth. Ms. Hatsume stood back to defend and withdrew from the third round so as not to jeopardize anyone's position. She made her point and knew she didn't need to do anything more."

"What does that have to do with Mr. Midoriya?" Mic said, stunned at the flood of words coming from his grumpy friend.

"I believe that Mr. Midoriya is not going just to humiliate Ms. Hagakure," Aizawa said, leaning forward. "He wants her to shine, the invisible girl that no one can see to be seen."

"Poetic," Mic said. He carefully looked over his friend; something about Aizawa felt different. "There is the start."

Toru charged, one step…two steps. He is in a defensive posture, she thought. Fuck it!

She threw a jab, followed quickly by a right cross and a spinning heel kick. Izuku managed to dodge the jab but not the cross; the kick landed, sending him stumbling back. The crowd was stunned as a murmur ran through the crowd. Toru didn't know what he was playing at, but the surge of adrenaline pushed her forward; she tried to land a leaping knee but missed; the spinning backhand hit nothing; he cracked her in the ribs, slipped his arm under her armpits, lifted her with ease and slammed her to the ground.

Toru tucked her chin to avoid being knocked out; she rolled backward, twisting and trapping his arm up at a very awkward angle. The crowd had started to cheer. Her hand held his head down; she yanked as hard as she could as he went to get free; she heard his shoulder pop out of the socket, grunt, roll, and hit her with a sidekick while they were both on their knees.

They got to their feet, she winced seeing his shoulder pop into place but didn't stop as she changed levels at the last second and tackled him to the ground; she felt him immediately pull guard, she popped her head up and landed an elbow across his forehead, he pulled her back down she couldn't overpower him he ground his forehead against the side of her face, she felt his guard loosen, she pushed up to pass, his leg shot under her, he kicked back and off sending her flying. The outline of the side of her face could be seen now that his blood was on it.

The world could see the corner of her mouth turned up as she charged back in. She ducked under a straight left; she threw a wild uppercut, hoping to take him down, and hit nothing but air. He landed an elbow strike across her jaw, another shot to her body, and then a huge thrust kick sent her tumbling away. She got up and wiped her mouth, looking at the blood. She smiled and came back in.

He checked her leg kick, leaned out of reach of the spin kick, and came back with a right-left combination that she couldn't dodge. She shifted slightly to the right, and her uppercut rocked his jaw; she tried to take him down, but he countered it with a sprawl, and he landed two considerable shots to her ribcage; she scrambled to get free, and he had her down and drove a vicious knee straight into her shoulder, she heard it crack. She tried to roll to the side, but he spun over her back and started driving his knee into her side as he held her down. She tried to protect herself with her arm; he grabbed it, taking her back, his other arm under her chin; she tried to fight out, but one-handed she was done for he was too strong, his legs locked her body in place when he released his hold on her hand behind her back and grabbed his bicep she knew she was done, she tapped his arm before she was put to sleep.

The crowd was watching this fight with rapt attention, which they hadn't been expecting. Then Izuku released his choke hold, and they held their breath. "She tapped," he said.

"Toru?" Midnight said.

"I tapped," she called out.

"Winner Izuku Midoriya!" Midnight yelled out to the crowd's delight.

Izuku helped her to her feet, "Why didn't you just grab me and throw me out?" she asked as they walked from the stage. She could hear people calling out her name and yelling encouragement or good job.

"You deserved your time to shine, Toru, my friend. Yes, I am here to win, but I am not here to humiliate people. Like I said, it is going to take more than one person to change the world, and I don't want to do it alone," he said.

"Thank you," Toru said, punching him in the arm as they entered the tunnel. "Good luck with Shoto in the next round."

"Cheer for me?" he called out as she walked away.

"Hell no," she laughed, "I hope Shoto kicks your ass!"

Izuku couldn't help but laugh as well.

Peanuts Gallery

"Why did he do that?" Mirio wondered aloud.

Why indeed? All-Might thought. He could have just thrown her out of the ring from the get-go. He can stop Mirio's quirk and stop a punch from One for All.

"Was he trying to be humble or some shit," Mirio said. "Or does his quirk have some limit, and he saves it for later rounds."

"That is possible," All-Might said, stroking his chin. "Everyone gets tired. It could be that using his quirk taxes him like everyone else, and he showed off early to garner attention. Now, he has to be careful in the future."

"That is why he had to end the second exam quickly, a prolonged fight, and his quirk would falter," Mirio said, smiling.

"That may be the case," All-Might said. But what IF, and that is a big IF, he didn't want to humiliate his classmate? He wanted her to have a chance to shine. If he were thinking like that, it would suddenly make All-Might uncomfortable.

The door to the suite opened, revealing Snipe, "Nezu wants to see the both of you right away."

"We shall be along shortly," All-Might said.

"Sorry, partner," Snipe pushed the brim of his hat with his finger. "He didn't say when it was convenient."

Unknown Apartment

"Did you see that?" Himiko shouted. "He could have just tossed her out, but instead, he fought her straight on, giving her a chance. Oh god, I love him so much."

"What an asshole?" Magne replied. "He just beat her at her own game. Gave her hope and yanked that shit away like an asshole."

"No, you don't understand," Toru said, rocking. "I bet he wouldn't even flinch at my need for blood; I bet he would let me drink and drink…."

Magne's eyes widened as she grabbed a squirt bottle and sprayed Himiko. "NO, NO AGAIN DAMN IT!"

Nejire Hado

She shook her poor friend as she extolled the virtues of her kohai. YuYu shoved another piece of brownie in her mouth to calm Nejire down again.

Momo Vs. Denki

Momo stood across from Denki, who was feeling nervous for two reasons; the front of Momo's uniform was unzipped, it was freaking Momo, and if he won, Izuku would be mad. Pushing those thoughts from his mind, he knew he had to go big, or he was boned and not in a good way.

"1.5 Million Indiscriminate shocks!" he unleashed his quirk as soon as Midnight said to begin. He saw Momo's chest glow, and then his brain was out of commission.

It was all a question of whose quirk was faster. It made Momo think of an old American Western duel. His quirk and hers activated. Her insulated blanket sprang from her chest and back as she huddled down. She was fast enough. She peeked out and saw him stumbling around. She gently guided him to the edge, pushing him off the stage with a soft shove.

The crowd laughed before they cheered for the victor. Momo smiled and waved as she walked away. Izuku was waiting in the tunnel to congratulate her.

"Way to go, quick draw," he eyed her open top with a smirk. "Little extra there, my love."

"I just had to loosen the holster some," she smirked, claiming her victory kiss. She took his arm as they walked back to join their class.

Koji Vs. Fumi

"Now, for our final round fight, we have a man who can finally answer whether you have domesticated your cat or if they have domesticated you. The animal whispered, the giant who showed he is more than just a whisper in the second round, give it up for KOJI KODA!" Mic smiled as the timid boy stepped out of the tunnel, waved quickly, and power walked to the stage as quickly as possible.

"And his opponent, the master of macabre, the prophet of Poe, the disciple of the night, never alone give it up for Fumikage Tokoyami and DARK SHADOW!"

The crowd cheered as Dark Shadow held Fumi's hands aloft as they walked onto the battlefield.

Koji tried to see if his Anivoice would work on Dark Shadow or Fumi, but while it made them hesitate, it didn't stop Dark Shadow from wrestling him to the edge. Birds had just started to descend to attack Fumi, but it was too late. Koji sighed as he was forced out of bounds.

The crowd cheered at the anticlimactic fight, but when Mic called for them to give a hand to all their combatants so far, the crowd erupted. Dark Shadow had his arm around Koji's shoulders as the trio exited the stadium, smiling.

"Now, Ladies and Gentlemen, after a 10-minute break, we will be right back with the second round. We will start with the two young ladies who fought to win their first-round fight. Ochaco Uraraka will be taking on Itsuka Kendo. The first quirkless participant not only won her first round but has captivated the minds of millions worldwide and will be taking on our mistress of Sound, Melissa Shield vs Kyoka Jiro! Following a much-anticipated match, we will see Shoto Todoroki collide with Izuku Midoriya! Our final second-round match will see the lovely Momo Yaoyorozu take on the master of the dark when she steps onto the stages to fight Fumikage Tokoyami!" Mic announced as the matchups were displayed; the class members cheered for the combatants as they prepared for the second round.

Nezu

"I know that you may be uncomfortable with being told what to do when you are on my campus and under my roof, but that is exactly what you will do," Nezu said, staring at All-Might. Mirio, you are to report to your dorm immediately. Snipe escorts him. Should you leave there before the morning light, further disciplinary action will be taken. A formal letter of discipline will be entered into your file, and you will spend the week with the cleaning crew."

"Sir…" Mirio began to protest.

"At what point did you think this was a discussion," Nezu said.

"Nezu," All-Might said. "Young Mirio was following my instructions."

"Then you are also suspended for a week," Nezu said.

"You can't…." Mirio said, but All-Might placed his hand on his protégé's shoulder. Mirio glared at Nezu before he exited the room with Snipe.

"What is this about Nezu?" All-Might said.

"This grudge with Mr. Midoriya has to stop," Nezu said. "I am guilty of chasing the story rather than judging the person." He held up his paw to stop All-Might's protest. "There are questions that need to be answered, but this is not how to get those answers."

"Nezu the boy is…complicated," All-Might said. "The ideals he is putting forth are dangerous."

"No, Toshi, they are different," Nezu said. "They are not how you think things should be accomplished."

"And you agree with him?" All-Might said stunned.

"I never said that; while some things in his speech are inflammatory, and the wording is a bit troublesome, there is no reason to believe he has ties to the MLF," Nezu said. "It is different than what we have been living under, but that doesn't make it dangerous; it just makes it different. Maybe we have settled into a comfortable way of doing things, letting things go, or not pursuing things as we should have."

"All for One is not dead, Nezu," Toshi said. "There is only one person who could create that beast from the USJ, only one who can take a quirkless person and give them a quirk."

"There is no question that the riddle of Izuku Midoriya needs to be answered, but pursuing it in this manner is just going to make an enemy of a very powerful and charismatic young man," Nezu said. "Forcing that answer will alienate him and those who stand with him. While you may be outside the court of public opinion, you have benefited from it. Your protégé will enjoy the benefit of your endorsement, but he will forever be in your shadow. Should he walk alone, that shadow is a cold and lonely place to stand. If you want Midoriya to tow your line, he needs a reason to do so. He doesn't like you or trust us, so we have given him no reason to do so. Yet he is still reaching out."

"Instead of demanding an answer, ask," All-Might said.

"And when he says no," Nezu said. "And he will ask what we have done to earn that answer?"