20

Chapter 20: Sports Festival VIII – And WinNotes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Ochaco, like but perhaps more than everybody else in her class, took in the result of the last fight with mixed emotions. 

She knew that Izuku could have literally destroyed her, the proof was right there. He'd obliterated Bakugo, one of their most competent fighters, in a matter of seconds. And yet, he had played around with Mina and her for minutes, playing the role of a guide more than that of an opponent. All those tips she'd received during the battle felt like a private lesson. Despite what he'd said before, had he faced them with everything he had? 

Was she a bad person for feeling both relieved and a bit disappointed by the fact? If he didn't even consider her worthy of fighting on equal terms... 

- No. - She shook her head, hitting her cheeks twice. - Get your mind out of the gutter, Ochaco. Izuku's a great friend, he just didn't want to make you look bad! - 

Izuku. He'd said that she could call him by name now. Did she want to? 

...Yes. 

But did he have to make that whole exchange so embarrassing? Weren't her cheeks rosy enough?! 

Ochaco had to think about anything else to keep herself from yelling her frustration. 

She tried to distract herself by listening to the banter going on around her. 

"'Something more up his sleeves,' was it?" Mina teased, nudging her Horn Buddy by poking his cheeks with her finger. 

Kirishima just groaned as he tilted his head to the other side, taking the mocking in stride. 

"That technique was something else though," Sero pointed out. "He just got a bad matchup." 

"Dude, it's not 'a bad matchup' when you're in the semifinals," Kyoka snorted with laughter. 

"I've got to agree there," Sato nodded. 

"It would've been fun watching him try to blast Todoroki's stuff," Denki huffed. "At least we could've seen something." 

"Before I would have said that he would've done better against Yaoyorozu, but now I'm too scared to," Ojiro confessed, having realized how terrifying the girl could be during her last two bouts. 

No one but Midoriya had given her win as a sure thing. Were they the same kind of crazy? 

"She probably had a plan for Bakugo too, ribbit," Tsuyu said, drawing some convinced nods and sounds of agreement. 

Toru's clothes moved excitedly. "What about Midoriya though? She did say she didn't know how to counter... well, anything." 

"Another tranquilizer dart?" Ochaco asked, not sounding sure herself. 

"She'd have to hit him first," Shoji stated, a couple of smiles turning serious. 

"Yeah, I don't see it happening either," the girl sighed. 

"And would that even bring him down anyway?" Mineta pondered, making some frown. 

"That can't be... right?" Sato's voice fell towards the end. 

"I believe his constitution to be enhanced to epic levels," Tokoyami confirmed. "So, no." 

Tsu nodded. "Or he'd find another way to take it, ribbit." 

"Bro, really?" Kirishima asked. 

"He really shines bright!" Aoyama announced, interjecting for a moment. 

"Despite the eyebags, I don't think I've ever seen him act tired," Kyoka thought aloud. 

"Do any of you know what his limit is?" Sero questioned his more assiduous group. 

The classmates exchanged some looks, easily reaching the shared and always practical response called "shrug shoulders."

"Well, Yaoyorozu had a good run," Ojiro stated, crossing his arms and resigning himself to a boring match. 

"Let's just see how it goes," Toru said, settling the exchange. 

"Rep VS Vice-Rep, the match of the century," Mina chuckled, climbing back on her seat. 

Their English teacher's voice filled their ears as they looked upon their classmates preparing for their last fight of the day. 

"At last, we've arrived at the very end, the battle where it shall be settled! Who's the cream of the crop, the top dog, the best of the best among U.A.'s first-years! It's the final match! 

You may know them by now, but let me refresh your memories a bit people! From Hero Course 1-A, a duo of Class Representative and Vice like you've never seen before! 

On one side, Yaoyorozu Momo, the ever-prepared girl with a sharp wit and incredible skills! She's been teaching us all why a recommendation isn't a reason to sit on your laurels! What will she create to aid her ascent to the crown? 

On the other, Midoriya Izuku, who hasn't stopped making a name for himself all day! His fists smashed through giant zero-pointers! His legs let him fly higher than anybody else! Will this green lightning strike once again? 

Hold on to your seatbelts people, 'cause this is about to get chaotic! 

START!" 

- Izuku, Momo, do your best! -

They bowed lightly to each other as their eyes met. 

"Yaoyorozu." 

"Midoriya." 

"'Keep being this clever and I may start being in trouble,' was it? You're always full of surprises," he smiled, taking her back to their first day. 

"Ah, I did say I would put up a fight, didn't I?" She closed her eyes for a moment, returning the sentiment. 

"Hoping to snatch the top spot for yourself?" he teased. 

"I'm afraid to say that I must. It would be a shame not to put to the test what I've recently gained," she replied, doing her best not to sound shaken after she'd composed herself so well. 

He chuckled, letting his Quirk show as he moved into his preferred stance. "Well, you can certainly try." 

Momo gave him a look full of pride. She was rising to the challenge. 

"I'll be sure to do much more than try." 

Exactly what he wanted. 

"She's got a temper then..." Third hummed, his liking of spiky dispositions apparent. 

"Did I already say that I like her?" Nana asked rhetorically. 

"Yeah. Don't get your ass kicked, Kid," Daigoro mocked with a laugh. 

- Wow, thanks for the support, guys, - he mentally huffed at his mind's tenants. He still needed [Float] though, so he couldn't really irritate Nana that much. Cons of having a party of ghosts spectating his every move. 

As Mic hit the last phrase, he analyzed the subtle movements on his friend's body, looking for what she had in mind. 

Momo didn't know herself yet, but she did have a tell: In every place where her cells were about to finish a creation process, her vellus hair would move ever so slightly. Nobody without an incredible eyesight and the right knowledge would even start to look for that. Being mostly imperceptible, it didn't make for that much of a weakness, but it was still a tell nonetheless. His own discovery of the fact had been pure chance (a pleasant one, but oh god had he been embarrassed back then), and the two of them had never shared the knowledge with anyone else.

He could notice such movements on her hands, her arms, her ankles, and, most importantly, her face. Every square millimeter of visible skin was activating. 

Izuku grinned. She had already reached that kind of plan... this would be fun. 

Green light brightened his surroundings as he pulled from the ocean of energy inside [One For All], charging to a full 18%. He'd need it soon. 

The first thing he did was wait for precisely one point four seconds. Momo generated the gun she had been preparing and pulled the trigger, sending the kind of sleep dart that had gotten Shoto his way. 

It wasn't a Lady Nagant bullet, but a tranquilizer dart. The girl's first draft of handgun was always capable of speeds between forty and fifty kilometers per hour. 

Izuku reached forward, catching the small bolt with his fingers, letting it fall and tinkle on the ground. 

"Surprised?" 

"I feel like I shouldn't be," Momo sneered sarcastically, opting to unload the rest of the magazine on him. 

He caught another two and dodged the rest before having enough. He crouched, channeling into his legs. His feet marked the pavement with cracks as he left his place, shooting forward like a bullet. 

Momo moved to plan B. Letting go of the pistol, she crouched and created what had been waiting just under her skin. Her feet got encased in the heaviest lead boots she could make, keeping her steady. At the same time, every square inch of her body that was pointing outwards generated a series of dark metallic spikes, tearing her uniform to pieces but leaving her completely covered on all sides. She had effectively turned herself into the world's deadliest porcupine. 

His [Danger Sense] would have flared up if he could have used it, but there was no need. Izuku, having an inkling of the trap she was laying out, turned on [Float] to stop in midair, directing his force up to create distance between them. From some meters away, Momo's defense didn't seem to have any weak points. 

"That's a lot of metal," the Second grumbled. 

- Tungsten carbide. I gave her the idea a couple of weeks ago. - 

"What's her damn limit?" Daigoro asked. 

- Virtually endless, but she doesn't know that. Today she's never stopped eating, so she'll keep at it for a while. - 

"Weaknesses?" Yoichi questioned; his voice still calm. 

- Like that, none. She's flick-resistant, and I don't want to use [Blackwhip]. - 

"Can't you just push her away?" Hikage added his doubts to the pile, knowing that just grabbing and throwing the girl out of the ring would have been easy with his strength. 

- She's not blind in that state, she can defend herself. Last time I tried that she got a flamethrower out. - 

En hummed in understanding. "She's planned well. What do you propose?"  

- I give her what she wants. Time. - 

"Ok, I'll bite! Show me what you can prepare with enough time, Yaomomo." 

In response, the spikes grew in size, as Yaoyorozu was completing her plan by hiding herself in a makeshift half-sphere. 

Izuku slowly descended, ignoring the whistles and the shouts from the rude ones in the crowd. 

"SHUT UP! Someone's trying to concentrate here!" He directed his voice to the nuisances, thundering. "Ever heard of preparation? Being Heroes isn't only about flashy Quirks and interviews people! How many Heroes do you think can go at Villains without their support items? We're trying to assess how good we are overall, not to beat each other senseless for your pleasure! It's only fair I wait for my opponent to do what she can." 

Not hearing a fly, he turned back, content. He'd gotten some blessed silence and, probably, something to catch the Hero Killer's sight. Every bit counted, after all. 

After three minutes of waiting, the metallic structure opened with a crack, revealing only a thick curtain of smoke to obscure the view. Not a second later, a new shower of bullets exploded against him, incomparable to the previous one. 

"Smart," En said, admiring the ploy. 

"Dangerous," Hikage cursed, still anxious even as Izuku could easily dodge each projectile. 

- Great, - he smirked, feeling the rush of adrenaline in his veins. Things were getting interesting. 

He exchanged [Float] for [Danger Sense] just to keep up, reacting by instinct to the myriad of alarm signals. The boy kept approaching the sphere with every step, only bothering to dodge. Getting into the right range, he let loose an air blast, clearing the smoke and making the source of the bullets fly: a fixed machine-gun. 

Feeling the presence incoming from above, he somersaulted back, meeting Momo's staff with the full force of his soles. He immediately launched himself further back, avoiding the electric discharge. 

Momo kept pressuring him, swinging the weapon wildly but with purpose, giving him time to evade and do little else at 8%. There were additional attacks incoming now, from darts shot at point-blank to cables trying to catch him. As the Quirk alerted him more and more, he found himself increasing the percentage to 9, then 11 and finally to 13%. 

Having reached a comfortable point, Izuku stomped hard, cracking the ground and sending debris flying all around himself. With a swift turn, he kicked the air, blasting the girl back and practically settling them back to their starting positions. 

He almost feared having exaggerated, but a bright light coming from behind the girl's back told him she'd be fine. 

Taking a moment to admire the girl in all her awe-inspiring setup, Izuku wore a sincere smile. 

Momo had gone above and beyond. Her uniform was back in its place, but it was clearly hiding several layers of protections, as displayed by the scales on her forearms. But that was only the beginning. 

She wore Kinetic Enhancers on her legs, and an Auto Balancer on her hips. Her back was covered by a Directional Jetpack, her sides had Hydraulic Attachment Bars, and on her front was a Newtonian Liquid Breastplate. Her hands were covered by Ranged Stun Gloves, and she had Automatic Darts Launchers on her shoulders. Finally, some Movement Detection Goggles completed the ensemble. 

She'd gotten Mei's complete set. 

Izuku chuckled a bit at the absurdity of the situation. It wasn't one he could see often, but certainly a welcome one. Having the two get acquainted so early was either a recipe for salvation or for catastrophe... but at least he already had Mei's unshakable trust and a very good budding friendship with Momo. 

Never letting the lightning subside, he called his classmate with joy. 

"Ready, Yaomomo?" 

She moved down the staff, letting him notice her determined smile. 

"Do your worst." 

They spent six more minutes locked in a head-to-head, each receiving as much as they were giving. Tearing down the support items one by one without damaging their user was a welcome challenge. 

Izuku could count himself satisfied by the end of their spar. His four broken bones (one ulna, one fibula, and two ribs) were a small price to pay for seeing Momo get that much confidence and learn as much as she had. Her reaction time had improved as she got closer to finding the perfect middle point between following both her plans and her instincts, and she had started showing an aggressive side she usually kept quiet. He wondered if she'd noticed how she'd gone above her usual maximum output during their match, but he would be sure to bring it up later. 

The chances of Momo accepting anything below standard for herself from this point on would be close to zero. Uwabami, or any other glory-hog out there, wouldn't get any of his friends if he had a say in it. Popularity wasn't worth maiming and death. 

He dared anybody to underestimate her now. A genius with enough confidence could get anywhere, and he knew that everybody else would follow. 

He raised himself from the hold he was keeping her locked in, reaching down to lend her a hand. When they were both up, their hands joined in a friendly hold, he let out a tired groan. 

"Next time, could you put a biiit less of a fight? I think my head might still be ringing from those hits of yours." 

She kept looking at him with intensity, despite showing a hint of that teasing she was learning from Mina and him. "I'm sorry, but am I hearing that our great Class Representative found himself in trouble after all?" 

He sneered. "You're too smart to hear things wrong, Yaoyorozu." 

"And you're too stubborn for your own good, Midoriya." 

They held the stare for a handful of seconds before breaking up in chuckles and giggles. 

Which, by the way, hurts like hell when your ribs are in pieces. 

"'Too stubborn', ain't that right," Daigoro laughed. 

"Stubborn doesn't cut it," Hikage grumbled. 

- Come on, it's not even that bad. - 

"You've managed to collect multiple contusions, broken bones and I think I can hear your stomach growling from here," En stated, deadpan. 

"Go see Chiyo now, Squirt, before I take [Float] away for a week," Nana reprimanded him. 

There wasn't much space to argue with that. 

"I think I'll need to see Recovery Girl before the award ceremony. Want to come with?" 

She nodded with a smile. "Lead the way. I believe that getting checked-up may be the sensible thing to do."

As they stumbled out between the public cheers, and before their classmates could swarm them, he put on an expression that was a step beyond his friendly one. He couldn't really help himself, again. 

"Thank you for keeping up with me, Momo." 

She didn't stop walking, opting to just take in a rushed breath. He wondered if she had realized how her hold on his arm had gotten a bit tighter. 

"It was my pleasure, Izuku."

All Might approached the podium with a bright smile, one for his students more than for the cameras. 

"Young Todoroki, congratulations," he delivered the first bronze medal. "You've started using your full power. You've grown." 

Todoroki met his eyes, but his expression was difficult to read into. "I think I understand why you've got your eyes on Midoriya now, and it's not just the power. I... will need some time to settle some matters, but I swear I won't stop moving forward." Gradually, his deadpan stare had morphed into something more determined. 

The man closed in with a short hug. "I had yet to see that expression on your face, kid. I'm sure you'll be able to do it." 

As Todoroki nodded, Yagi moved on to Bakugo. 

The blonde was keeping his arms crossed and his jaw clenched. He wasn't looking up, not even for the cameras. 

"You've worked hard, young Bakugo, but there are always more obstacles that Heroes like us need to face." Despite his stillness, the kid didn't resist his medal endowment. "Don't beat yourself up. You are the only one who can choose whether you'll break or climb higher. And I don't see a quitter here." 

Bakugo kept his mouth shout, only letting out a heavy breath. 

Yaoyorozu's reception was much more welcoming as he granted her the silver medal.

"Young Yaoyorozu, let me say that you've surprised us all with a remarkable show of ingenuity and skill."

In the teachers' stands, Aizawa fake-coughed with a "told you" , with the little girl on his right utterly unable to sit still as she waved towards her own Hero.

"Many could stand to learn a thing or two from you about strategy and improvisation. Keep honing your Quirk and your wits, and I'm sure you'll be able to reach unseen heights."

"You're too kind, All Might, sir," the girl bowed lightly, an appreciative smile on her lips. "I'll be sure to never stop improving."

"I can't wait to see what you'll accomplish further on," he said, moving on to the platform in the middle.

Midoriya was looking at him with the same kind smile and hopeful eyes he'd first seen in that shady alley, but the boy wasn't the same anymore. 

His body had been built to house a Quirk that represented hope for Japan and the whole World. His mind had been sharpened and his spirit had started to burn with a renewed passion unlike any he'd seen before since he'd made it into the school. 

And, somehow, the kid had started to show progresses beyond his own, powers hidden inside [One for All]. He'd first thought that his exploit in the U.S.J. might have been Izuku's own Quirk, awoken by the rush of adrenaline, but he'd since changed his mind. There was no way that Toshinori would mistake Nana's [Float] for any other Quirk. 

They'd need to talk about it. He'd need to find any and all data he could about the previous users. 

But today was meant to be a day of celebration, and his worries could wait. 

Once again, Toshinori was sure he'd made the right choice. 

"Young Midoriya, you've lived up to your promise, as a good Hero should! But stay sharp, as there aren't many who can continuously stay on top!" 

- Although I can't wait to see the day when you'll take my place. - 

Izuku nodded gratefully before looking up and speaking, looking not only towards him, but to everybody around him. His voice wasn't as loud as Yagi's, but at this point there wasn't anybody who would stop listening. 

"All I've done is do the best that I could, because I am surrounded by incredible people. For I believe that any of my peers had the potential to stand where I am now, my challenge still stands. One's victory isn't solely determined by their Quirk, but by their determination. I'm a kid who's been seen as Quirkless for fifteen years, but you've given me the hope I needed to become a Hero. Coming here was a dream come true, so, from the bottom of my heart: thank you." 

The boy started bowing, but Yagi enveloped him in his arms under the cameras' flashes. 

Surely tomorrow the boy's words would be in every newspaper of the country, for more than one reason. Saying he'd been seen as Quirkless had just added more fuel to the already sky-high fire, but he couldn't blame him. 

And since the pyre was already that high, a bit more wouldn't hurt, right? 

"I'm proud of you, young one," Toshinori said, from the heart. He already knew what Nana may have felt back then, but to have that feeling be renewed and grow further only helped the old, tired man under the indestructible mask. 

As they separated, he raised his voice to thunderous levels. 

"These students will soon receive their internships offers from the thousands of Heroes of our country! With their performance they've shown qualities that remind us what we all should strive for, and I'm sure they will all receive quite a number of requests! So, let me be start this process myself!" 

In one swift motion, he took an envelope painted with his signature red, blue, yellow and white, holding it up so that everybody could witness his choice. 

As the piece of paper was placed into Izuku's hands, he saw the stares on the faces of the boy's classmates: the shock and elation on Yaoyorozu's, the neutral but somewhat victorious acknowledgement on Todoroki's, the wide-eyes surprise on Bakugo's breaking his calm for a moment. 

"Plus Ultra, right?" Izuku smiled, reminding him again of how he had chosen to live his life. 

- Indeed! - 

As the award ceremony ended, the man willed the television to turn off, settling back on his seat with a huff. The words still hung around his brain, dancing to a hateful tune. 

A hidden message, surely meant for him. 

It seemed that the Eight had found a Ninth far more vicious that he'd thought possible. 

The game had just gotten more interesting.