Chapter 17
Izuku talks with Pony and a few of his classmates on the field. They stand by the stage, surrounded by a few other groups. There aren't nearly as many as would be moving on to the next round. Some of them were being healed by Recovery Girl, some were sitting in the stands, and others were elsewhere.
In the middle of Denki's sentence a warning buzzer sounds, signalling for them to line up in their classes once again. Students flood the field. Some lines are only one or two people long, while others don't exist at all. There aren't enough students to fill the gaps, so they're left alone.
Another buzzer sounds just as Midnight steps back onto the stage. The lights on the cameras flicker to life and the drones begin circling again.
"Welcome back everyone!"
Midnight calls. The slot machine rises back out of the stage behind her.
"It's time to find out what the second event will be!"
She announces as the slots start to spin. Individual slots slow to a stop until they once again come together to form two words, "Cavalry Battle".
"The second event will be a cavalry battle!"
Midnight announces,
"Each participating student will be given a point value based on their placement in the obstacle race. Each will be a steady increment of fifty, with the exception of first place. Midoriya Izuku will have a point value of ten million!"
All eyes turn to Izuku. He straightens his back and holds his head high against the stares.
"Everyone gather at the gates! You'll be given the headband with your point value on it and fifteen minutes on the field to plan and make your teams. Max of four people per team."
Midnight instructs. They do as they're told, though students stay away from Izuku, making it clear that he's going to struggle to make his team. The gates open soon after everyone is gathered. The field is barren. The ground is covered in what looks like a mix of dirt and sand.
Izuku stands off to the side, surveying the other students. Most of them stick to groups within their own class, but a few invite outsiders. As the time they have for team-making ticks down, Izuku realizes he's either going to have to accept those that no one else wants, or he's going to have to force someone to join his team. Whether or not that's through kindness or intimidation he hasn't yet decided.
He's about to just pick someone and go up to them when Pony bumps into his side. She wraps her arms around his waist and digs her fingers under his ribs. Laughing, Izuku loses his balance and falls to the ground. Pony laughs with him as she helps him up.
"I'm going to be on your team, obviously. So, do you know who else you want on our team?"
Izuku shrugs,
"Whoever we can get, I guess."
A few minutes later, Uraraka and Tokoyami stand beside them. They're talking through their plan, or at least what little of a plant they can make when Tokoyami is pushed aside by a girl with bubblegum pink hair, goggles over he eyes, and tech covering practically every inch of her.
"I'm going to be on your team, One Million. You'll help put my babies in the spotlight!"
Pony tilts her head,
"Babies?"
The girl nods energetically as she shows off some of the gadgets on her person.
"My babies! There are engineering agents in the crowd, after all."
Tokoyami breathes a sigh of relief when Izuku nods in agreement. Hatsume takes his place and he walks off to join another team.
Pony clambers onto Izuku's shoulders, boosted up by Uraraka. She had four headbands on her head, all turned inside out. They arrange themselves so that Hatsume is in the front, supporting Pony's feet, and Uraraka is on the left, making contact with each of them.
The buzzer sounds a minute later. Izuku's feet shift as the ground starts to move beneath them as if it's melting. Uraraka activates her quirk and they all float up into the air, avoiding the sopping ground that the other teams are sinking into. Uraraka doesn't have to do all the work, though, as Hatusme's jetpack keeps her aloft and Pony hooks a horn into each of their shirts to ensure they don't fall.
They have a few minutes of peace in the air before a slimy tongue comes darting at them from below. The tongue is quickly joined by sticky purple balls. They do their best to dodge but one of the balls sticks to the leg of Hatsume's uniform. Hatsume zooms in her eyes, tracing the path of the projectiles to Shouji, who's running around with his arms covering his back.
"They're coming from there!"
She calls, pointing to the boy on the ground. Pony nods. One horn detaches from her head and shoots down toward Shouji. The point drives through the webbing between his arms. Two high-pitched screams sound from below.
Izuku's attention is drawn from the team below them by the sound of explosions nearby. Bakugou flies through the air toward them. Tape is wrapped around his waist, tethering him to his team. Izuku flicks his wrist. The wind swirls, knocking Bakugou out of the sky. He doesn't have time to see if the other boy lands with his team as Todoroki starts making an ice ramp up to them.
Izuku pulls the same trick, tossing shards of ice off course. The ramp ends up warped, though Todoroki's team tries anyway. Uraraka kicks out, knocking them back down to the ground. They recover quickly, however, and come up again. Iida's engines start to smoke as he calls out,
"Recipro Burst!"
Their team bursts up the ramp, Todoroki reaching out a hand as they go. He manages to grab one of the bands before they land on a second ramp Todoroki creates as they descend. Izuku's team follows. Uraraka releases her quirk, allowing them to slide down the ramp. Her face looks a little green, but she seems to be fairing okay for the moment.
Izuku reaches out for the bands on Todoroki's out. A brief look of panic overtakes his face right before his left side bursts into flames. Izuku ignores the fire. His arm coats itself in scales, protecting him from the heat. He snatches the band Todoroki had stolen and hands it up to Pony just as the buzzer sounds.
"That's the end of the Cavalry Battle, folks!"
Present Mic announces.
"And here are the students moving on!"
The screens changed, showing a list of sixteen students, all of whom would be moving on to the next round. Izuku's team, of course, are the first four listed.
Chapter 18
As they make their way off the field, they're told that they'll be given an hour-long break before the next event. The bracket for the one-on-ones would be released about ten minutes before the first rounds would commence.
Pony comes up beside Izuku. She reaches her hands up, wrapping her arms around his neck. She plants a kiss on his cheek before hooking her arm through his. They walk side-by-side to the edge of the field, dead set on the innards of the stadium, when Todoroki steps in front of them.
"Midoriya, are you free for a moment-?"
Izuku shakes his head,
"Sorry, Todoroki, I'm busy right now."
"Are you sure-"
A horn flies past his head, lodging in the wall behind him. His head snaps to Pony, who waves her hand in dismissal before continuing on with Izuku.
They two make their way through the halls of the stadium until they find a deserted hall. Izuku presses Pony against a wall, his head tilted down to look her in the eye. She smiles up at him as she rests her hand on the back of his head. Her fingers tangle in his hair as their lips meet. She parts his lips with her tongue. His sharp teeth prick her tongue and she closes her eyes, noticing him do the same.
Izuku ignores the smell of sweat as he leans over Pony. He does his best not to bite her as his hands dig into her hips. After a moment, she gently pulls away. The hand not tangled in his hair comes to rest on one of his hands as she looks up at him,
"Really?"
She sounds like she's holding in a laugh. Izuku grins as he presses a kiss against her forehead.
"You made me fall earlier."
Pony hums as she attempts, though half-heartedly, to pull his hands away.
"Yes, but do you really have to get me back now?"
Her eyes take on an innocent shine, and her smile loses some of its mischief to match. Izuku tilts his head and hums as if he's thinking it over.
"Yes."
His fingers dig into her sides and she squeals, doubling over. She grips his arms for balance as she laughs. He stops a few seconds later and she leans against his chest.
"Are we even now?"
She asks between deep breaths. Izuku rests his head on hers between her horns as he thinks.
"I guess. For now, at least."
Pony smirks,
"Fine. Now, I think Todoroki wanted to talk to you."
She looks up at what she can see of his head from underneath her lashes. Izuku huffs as he gently pulls back,
"Right. I'll see you after?"
His lips brush the spot between her brows. Pony nods,
"Of course. I'll wait for you in 1-B's section."
Izuku nods back,
"Alright. Bye."
His voice is sultry, holding promises to be fulfilled later as his hands leave her body and he walks away. Pony takes a moment for herself, catching the last of her breath before she follows after.
--------
Izuku wanders the halls of the stadium for a while before he finally spots Todoroki rounding a corner ahead of him, coming his way. Todoroki spots him and slows his pace as he comes to a stop in front of Izuku.
"Midoriya."
Todoroki greets. They're standing by one of the exits out into the arena, rays of sun streaming in at their feet.
"Todoroki."
Izuku says in return.
"I have something important to ask you. I urge you to answer truthfully."
Izuku nods,
"Of course. What's up?"
"Are you All Might's secret love child?"
Todoroki asks, his tone flat and his expression serious. Whatever Izuku had been expecting, it wasn't that. He bursts into laughter for the second time that day, hands coming to clasp his stomach. A minute or so later Izuku unfolds. He wipes the tears that had fallen from his eyes off his cheeks and takes a few deep breaths before answering.
"I am in no way related to All Might, I assure you."
Izuku says. Todoroki's head tilts. Izuku can't help but compare the boy to a cat in his mind.
"Are you sure? You share the same enhanced abilities and he watches you a little more than the others during our heroics lessons."
Izuku nods,
"I'm sure. If we are related, it's so far down my family tree that we're far from sharing enough blood to make it significant. My dad works abroad in America, here."
Izuku pulls up a picture of his father on his phone, flipping it to show Todoroki after a moment Todoroki nods,
"I see."
For a moment, they stand in silence. That is until Todoroki breaks it with another sentence Izuku hadn't expected to come from his mouth.
"Are you familiar with quirk marriages?"
Izuku stands and listens as Todoroki explains to him some of the intricacies of his home life, the truth of why his mother lives in a hospital, and the horrors of Endeavor's abuse. When he's done, Todoroki takes a breath and stalks off before Izuku can say anything. Izuku stands there in shock for a moment before shaking himself off and heading up to the stands to find Pony.
He sits down next to her as the bracket for the first round of one-on-one battles is projected above the stage. Their names are printed under their pictures,
Midoriya Izuku vs. Shinsou Hitoshi
Tsunotori Pony vs. Shiozaki Ibara
Todoroki Shouto vs. Sero Hanta
Iida Tenya vs. Hatsume Mei
Bakugou Katsuki vs. Uraraka Ochako
Yaoyorozu Momo vs. Tokoyami Fumikage
Kendo Itsuka vs. Monoma Neito
Kirishima Eijirou vs. Honenuki Juzo
Izuku is happy with his match. He had heard about Shinsou's quirk, some kind of brainwashing or hypnosis. He was excited to learn how it worked and if he could resist it. He's taken out of his thoughts by the sound of Mineta talking over the barrier between the 1-A and 1-B seating areas.
"Mrs.Midnight asked me to tell you that you have to go change into the cheer uniforms."
Izuku can practically hear the smile on the other boy's face.
"Yeah, right."
He hears Jirou reply.
"We would have been told ahead of time."
Ochako says.
"I'm telling the truth!"
Mineta cries.
"Leave it, Mineta, we know you're lying."
Yaoyorozu says.
"I'm not lying!"
Mineta says.
Izuku hears the sound of a slap and Mineta screams out.
"What was that for!?"
Mineta's voice is shrill.
"For being a creep."
Jirou says. Izuku is sure Mineta is about to retort when Hagakure speaks up,
"Let's head down to the cafeteria before the matches. I'm hungry!"
The other girls voice their agreement and Izuku can hear their footsteps as they retreat into the stadium.
--------
When the break comes to an end Present Mic comes over the speakers.
"Our first match is between Midoriya Izuku of class 1-A and Shinsou Hitoshi of Class 1-C!"
Izuku steps out onto the arena across from Shinsou. Midnight stands on the stage a few feet away from the arena.
"Alright, here's how this works! If you touch the ground outside the border, become unable to continue, or tap out you lose. Understood?"
Midnight says. Izuku and Shinsou both nod. Midnight nods back and cracks her whip on the concrete of the stage.
"So, you think you're good enough to become a hero?"
Shinsou says.
"I-"
Is all Izuku can get out in reply before he feels as if he's given up control of his body. It feels like he's watching himself from the outside, as if he's one of the spectators in the stands.
"Walk out of bounds."
Shinsou commands. Izuku's body moves of its own accord. It turns toward the boundary line and he takes two steps forward.
Your mind will be better protected. You'll be able to resist some mind control quirks, though it will take effort. For now, the ability is called "Will". As you master it and become stronger, the name will change.
The Dragon's voice sounds in his head. It's a memory from a month or so ago of a conversation they'd had after he'd unlocked the hybrid form. However, it feels as if the memory had been dragged to the surface by someone other than Izuku. Likely the dragon, attempting to help him break out of the quirk
Izuku does as he'd been told. He focuses back on his body, specifically on stopping. His body grinds to a halt, pausing a few feet from the border. Shinsou keeps calling for him to move but he stays in place.
Izuku takes a deep breath as he regains control of his body. He shakes out his limbs, leaning his head back to look up at teh sky for a moment before turning to face Shinsou. Shinsou's eyes widen in panic as he starts to look around himself as if searching for help.
Izuku can still feel the dragon at the back of his head, hovering in case Shinsou's quirk takes effect again. Izuku steps toward Shinsou, walking deliberately. Shinsou takes a step back. He lowers into a defensive stance as Izuku nears and attempts to attack. Izuku dodges easily and punches Shinsou in the chest. The other boy flies back out of the ring. He lands on the grass surrounding the arena. Izuku hears him groan before Midnight speaks,
"Shinsou is out of bounds! Midoriya wins!"
She announces. The crowd cheers, whooping and clapping. Izuku turns in a circle, smiling up at everyone in the stands as a duo of med-bots heft Shinsou onto their stretcher and cart him back into the stands.
Izuku walks back into the stadium through the tunnel he had come out through. Around five minutes later Present Mic announces the next match.
"Up next we have Shiozaki Ibara and Tsunotori Pony!"
The crowd cheers as the two girls walk out onto the arena. Pony waves to the crowd and smiles up at the stands. Shiozaki stares straight ahead, her hands clasped in front of her.
"Let's go through the rules!"
Midnight calls once they're both within the arena.
"If you step out of bounds, are unable to continue, or tap out you lose. Understood?"
The two girls nod. Midnight cracks her whip on the concrete of the stage and their match begins.
Shiozaki's vines snake up and around her, creating a shield around her. Pony rises out of the offensive position she had lowered into, her arms crossed against her chest. Two sets of horns hover on either side of her as she walks toward the vine sphere. She tilts her head as she inspects the shield. After a moment she steps back and her horns start spinning violently, resembling drills. They tear through the vines, creating holes in the vines to reveal a shocked Shiozaki within. The holes are quickly filled and the shield looks to become thicker. A few dart out at her, attempting to grab her or cut her with their thorns.
While Pony continues to dodge her horns start to cut a door-shaped hole into the vines. More join them and the vines fall away, once again revealing Shiozaki on the other side. Pony jumps forward and through the hole, uppercutting the other girl. Shiozaki stumbles backward. Another vine snakes up toward Pony, though it's slower than the others. Pony sidesteps it. She elbows Shiozaki in the stomach as she passes her, causing her to double over.
"Is that all you've got?"
She taunts, standing back as she watches Shiozaki. Shiozaki glares up at her as a wave of vines sweeps in her direction. Pony leaps to dodge them. As she moves she grabs hold of Shiozaki's arms. She lands behind the other girl, Shiozaki's arms clasped in her grip. Pony kicks her in the back and lets go of her at the same time. Shiozaki stumbles forward and is about to fall over the boundary line before a wall of vines catches her. Pony sends out her horns in an attempt to push or drag Shiozaki out of the arena. Shiozaki dodges and blocks the horns, working her way back into the middle of the arena.
They continue their dance of dodging and sending out attacks for nearly eight minutes. Pony watches as Shiozaki grows weaker and slower. Shiozaki tries to stop Pony from getting close to her but ultimately fails. She unleashes a volley of attacks as Shiozaki tries to fight back. Primal fear appears in the other girl's gaze as Pony becomes relentless.
Shiozaki sees a horn heading straight for her neck, sharp tip gleaming in the bright sun. She screams as the bone hurtles right for her. She screams as the horn slices through her neck, sending her head tumbling to the ground and spewing blood across the arena.
Pony winces as Shiozaki screams, the shrill sound piercing in her ears. Shiozaki falls unconscious, collapsing in a heap on the ground. Pony smiles to herself as she realizes that she has won, but when her name isn't called she glances over at Midnight, who's ripping over her costume as purple smoke billows from her skin. On instinct, Pony balances herself on her horns, flying up into the air as she uses a technique Izuku had taught to blow the smoke away. She's, admittedly, much weaker than him, meaning she doesn't blow as much of the smoke away as he'd have been able to, nor does it go as far.
Cemetoss attempts to grab her from a cement platform but she maneuvers out of the way. She sets back down next to Shiozaki who, other than a few scrapes and bruises, is just fine.
"Why are you trying to grab me? She's fine, just passed out. I don't know why."
The teachers look down at the unconscious girl, taking in her minor injuries before conceding.
"Our apoloigies, Tsunotori. We had thought she was much more injured based on her screams."
Pony nods,
"I understand."
Present Mic audibly clears his throat, the sound carrying over the speakers.
"Shiozaki Ibara is unable to continue, Tsunotori Pony is the winner!"
He announces. The crowd cheers, though they're quieter than they had been when Pony had walked out. She was happy about her win nonetheless, smiling as she walks out of the arena and back up to the stands.
--------
Miruku watches the UA Sports Festival on the large screen in her office. Her agency is relatively small, as she was one of only four heroes contracted to it. The rest of her employees were sparse, numbers only just above what would be required for their work. Though they were all paid handsomely. She rarely ever took on interns, the last being around five years ago as she found most candidates to be a waste of time, but Tsunotori intrigued her. The girl had potential and was obviously highly skilled and brutal in her attack, something Miruko wanted to help her hone.
Miruko presses a button on the cord phone next to her computer as she spins in her chair.
"Luka? Would you mind printing me the UA intern request form? For first-year Tsunotori Pony, specifically."
She asks. After a moment, the young man's voice replies to her, crackling over the speaker.
"Right away, ma'am."
"Thanks."
She finishes before pressing the button again, ending their call. She hoped Tsunotori would accept her request. She was greatly looking forward to getting to know the girl.
--------
As she's walking through the halls, she catches the end of Present Mic's commentary on her victory.
"Tsunotori Pony is the beloved daughter of American Hero Cow Lady, who moved to Japan nearly a year ago with her husband in the hopes of expanding his business. It seems rather clear from her ruthless fighting style that Tsunotori takes after her mother!"
Pony rolls her eyes good-naturedly as she climbs the stairs to the 1-B seating area. Yes, her mother had taken the time to train her, but she's also spent the majority of her time sparring against Izuku, who took hundreds of attacks to even bruise.
Pony leans against Izuku as they watch a few of the remaining matches. Todoroki and Sero are up first, walking out onto the arena to the cheers of the crowd, though Izuku mutters to her that most of the noise is most likely for Todoroki, considering he's Endeavor's son. Speaking of the man, Pony can't help but notice the way he watches his son with incredible intensity.
The match ends as quickly as it starts. As soon as Midnight's whip cracks against the stage a large iceberg forms around Sero, trapping him inside. There's a moment of silence before Midnight announces Todoroki's win. The boy walks forward after his win is confirmed, laying a steaming hand against the iceberg. He melts the ice directly trapping Sero but leaves the rest for the heroes and staff to deal with.
Iida and Hatsume were next. The legacy boy steps onto the arena with a winged belt around his waist.
"Did you have that approved, Iida?"
Midnight asks, gesturing to the belt. Iida immediately dips into a bow,
"My apologies, ma'am. Hatsume offered it to me and I assumed that since she had offered it it would be okay."
Midnight is about to reply when Hatsume interrupts her,
"I'd prefer if you allowed him to wear it, ma'am."
Midnight takes a moment to consider before shrugging and nodding.
"Alright, since both participants are okay with it. I assume you're familiar with the rules by this point?"
The two students nod and Midnight's whip cracks against the concrete of the stage, starting the match. Iida looks like he's about to run across the arena to Hatsume when she presses a button on her own belt and he shoots up into the air. She taps her headphones and a microphone drops down next to her mouth.
The next ten minutes are filled with Hatsume pitching each of the support items, captivating the support engineers in the audience while boring everyone else. They allow her to continue without interruption, however, and after a few minutes, Iida concedes to being the model in her impromptu ad.
When she's finally done she lowers Iida to the ground and steps out of the ring, conceding the match to Iida.
Both Izuku and Pony can see the anger and disapproval in his expression at not receiving an actual match, but hopefully his next would prove more fruitful for him.
Chapter 19
Ochako takes a deep breath as she leans back in one of the chairs in the waiting room. A piece of paper sits on the table in front of her, causing more anxiety than the fight she's going into once that timer on the wall reaches zero. Pony had given her the paper just before Ochako left for the waiting room. The letter threatened to increase Ochako's training, should she not do her best.
She had been planning to, anyway, but now she was really thinking through her plans. She didn't know how her training could become more intense, but she wasn't ready to find out. When she looks up, she sees that there's only a minute left on the timer. She sighs as she stands. She tucks in her chair with a screech and walks toward the door. She takes one more deep breath before pulling it open and stepping out into the hall. Iida is leaning against the opposite wall. Ochako smiles as she closes the door behind her.
"Iida! Congrats on your win!"
She says with a smile. Clearly, the smile isn't as happy as she was trying for as Iida looks at her with minor concern,
"Are you alright, Uraraka? You look rather nervous. Though, of course, I can't blame you. You're going up against Bakugou, after all."
She shrugs, letting the smile fall.
"Honestly? I'm more nervous about what'll come after. Pony says that if I don't try my best, she's going to increase my training."
Iida nods in sympathy,
"Well, then, I hope she deems your performance acceptable."
Ochako smiles as she thanks him. At the same time, a robotic voice comes over the speakers, calling her out to the field.
"I'll see you later?"
She asks. Iida nods,
"Of course. I wish you luck."
Ochako sighs,
"Thanks."
She straightens her back before walking through the tunnel and out onto the field. She's met by the cheers of those in the stands. She stops on the opposite side of the arena from Bakugou.
"You afraid, Pink Cheeks? Worried you're too weak to stand a chance?"
Bakugou taunts. Ochako holds back the urge to roll her eyes.
Pony watches the two in the arena intently. She has one arm against her chest while the other reaches slightly behind her and down, stroking Izuku's tail, which is wrapped across her waist. Mina coos behind her,
"You two are so cute!"
She says. Pony barely registers the words, too focused on Ochako as Midnight's whip cracks against the stage.
Ochako jumps forward, reaching for Bakugou. She can tell he's winding up for a right hook she jumps out of the way, managing to land a hit on his side before she's forced back. She does her best to stay close, though this ends in a few explosions getting a little too close, singing her clothing and hair.
Pony huffs as she watches Ochako dodge blasts, though she doesn't jump back enough to avoid being singed and, in some cases, burned.
"She should be staying back."
Pony says, leaning forward.
"What she's doing now won't work in the long run."
She says. Izuku hums,
"Better hope she ends it quickly, then."
Uraraka raises her arms to protect her face against the coming explosion. She stumbles back as the searing heat burns her skin and the loud pop causes her ears to start ringing. She hisses a breath as she lowers her arms, glaring at Bakugou as he resets his stance. She's pretty sure Bakugou says something, but she can't hear what it is. Probably another taunt, if their fight so far was anything to go off of.
Smoke clouds the arena, forcing her to squint as she tries to spot Bakugou through the cloud. The ringing starts to subside and she strains her ears, trying to hear any indication of Bakugou's location. He sets off another explosion, thickening the smoke cloud while also telling Ochako where he is. She smiles to herself as she tears off her jacket and tosses it in the direction of the noise. Another explosion goes off, this time lighting up the area enough that she can see him standing off to the left.
Ochako jumps out behind him but only manages to hit him in the stomach, not quite hard enough to debilitate before she's forced backward with another explosion. She isn't fast enough to raise her arms again, causing a few places on her face and shoulders to burn.
They continue to go back and forth, Uraraka forcing herself in close to land a hit or two before she's forced back by an explosion or attack. She tries to tune out the booing crowd as she dodges an incoming punch.
"Why aren't you stopping the match?"
Someone calls.
"He's being too harsh! Can't you see her burns?"
Another one.
"Why isn't he going easier on her? He's acting like a villain!"
Ochako stumbles at that one, taking a hit to the shoulder as a result.
" Enough ."
Their teacher's voice comes on over the speakers, drowning out the voices of those in the stands.
"Bakugou is giving this fight his all, as I'm sure Uraraka is doing. Those of you who are heroes should recognize that. It's a sign of respect, and those of you who don't recognize that sicken me."
Uraraka sees Bakugou glance up at the stands and takes this as her chance. She touches her fingers together and the rocks gathered above them start to fall. For a moment, she thinks she's won. That Bakugou will be crushed underneath this barrage and she'll be proclaimed the winner. She jumps forward, reaching to touch him, but at the last minute, he raises his arm and sets off the biggest explosion yet.
Ochako is blown back in the explosion. Dust settles in her hair, coating her skin and clothes. She lands a few feet away and props herself up on her elbows. She watches as Bakugou lowers his shaking arm to his chest. He clutches his hand as he watches her. She tries to stand and Bakugou's eyes narrow. He settles back into an offensive position.
Ochako winces as the world starts to spin. Her stomach churns, a sensation she'd been pushing down since almost the middle of the fight. She tries to hold back vomit as she tilts to the side. Black encroaches on the side of the vision, slowly taking over. She gags one last time before she loses consciousness.
--------
Ochako blinks awake. Blinding fluorescents hang above her, making it difficult for her to open her eyes, though she manages. When she looks over to her side, she sees Pony sitting in a chair by her bed. Pony smiles when she sees Ochako's eyes on her,
"Good morning. Nice new scars you've got. Make you look badass."
Ochako huffs a laugh,
"Thanks, I haven't seen them yet."
Pony shrugs,
"I think they look cool, but I don't think everyone else will agree."
"What?"
Pony suddenly looks more serious than she's been since their last training session.
"You'll be judged by other heroes, there's no getting around it. Happened to my mom and all of her hero friends. On a man, scars are seen as a trophy, they show off how many dangerous fights they've had and survived. On a woman, they're seen as her not trying hard enough. They'll likely impede your ranking. Scars aren't marketable on advertisements."
Ochako nods,
"I understand. But I'm not going to let that stop me. I'm going to become a hero, a respected one, and I'm going to make enough money to keep my parents on their feet."
Pony smiles,
"I'm glad."
Both of them jump slightly when Ochako's phone goes off. She picks it up and reads the caller ID before looking up at Pony,
"Sorry, it's my mom. Do you mind…?"
Pony shakes her head as she stands,
"Of course not. I'll see you later."
Ochako waves and answers the phone, saying hello just as Pony steps back out into the hall.
--------
Pony sits next to Izuku as the next match starts. Yaoyorozu steps out onto the field across from Tokoyami. Midnight asks them if they both know the rules. They nod, and she cracks her whip against the stage.
Yaoyorozu's arm glitters as she pulls out a metal pole and a shield, of all things. Pony huffs,
"Why didn't she make a flash grenade or even a flashlight? Dark Shadow is already weak, any more light and she'd have them out of commission, at least temporarily."
Izuku nods in agreement,
"I'm sure she thought of that. She just doesn't have enough confidence in her plans. She fell back on something familiar."
"Yeah, I know. Maybe I should start training with her, too…"
Izuku chuckles as he rests a hand on her thigh,
"If you keep taking on girls to train you'll stop having time to train yourself."
Pony waves him off as she leans forward. She watches as Yaoyorozu is slowly pushed back toward the boundary. She tries to fight back, but any attempts to block attacks just push her further back. Eventually, she's pushed over the boundary and Midnight announces Tokoyami the winner.
Pony shakes her head in disappointment as she leans back,
"She should have been able to win."
She says. Izuku hums in agreement as he, too, leans back into his chair.
"Let's hope the others do well."
Pony nods and they wait in silence for Monoma and Kendo's match to start.
The two 1-B students walk out across from each other. Midnight once again asks if they remember the rules and they nod. She barely waits for their answer before her whip cracks. Neito looks like he's crouching down to touch the ground but before he can do much Kendo jumps toward him, her fists growing. She punches him across the face, both knocking him unconscious and pushing him out of the ring.
Pony holds back a laugh as Monoma's limp body hits the ground. Izuku chuckles when he glances over at her.
Kirishima and Honenuki are next. At first, Pony thinks Honenuki is the sure winner. She'd seen him training with his quirk, after all, but just as Midnight's whip cracks he trips, landing face-first on the concrete. A crack resounds throughout the arena as the stands go silent. Kirishima stands still for a moment before he takes a careful step forward, nudging the other boy's hand over the boundary. Midnight shrugs,
"Honenuki is out of bounds! Kirishima wins!"
The cheers are belated and quiet. Through them, you can clearly hear Pony burst into laughter.
Chapter 20
Pony walks out onto the arena, Iida walking out across from her. The other boy has a determined expression on his face, set on not allowing this match to end like his last. Pony takes on an expression to match as she comes to a stop. Midnight asks if they both know the rules. Pony nods, though she doesn't look up at her teacher. She keeps her gaze pinned on Iida. He nods, too, and Midnight's whip cracks against the cement.
Iida's engines start to smoke and he darts forward with a speed Pony hadn't seen from him before. She jumps to the side, shooting horns off from her head. She smiles to herself as Iida dodges the projectiles. Iida holds his arms out as he continues to run at her in an attempt to push her down. Pony waits until he's just a few feet away. She shifts, pulling an arm back. She punches him in the chin. His head snaps back and he stumbles.
"What a quick reaction from Ms.Tsunotori!"
Present Mic says, his voice booming through the speakers in the stands.
"He was going 161km/h after all!"
A huff from Mr.Aizawa interrupts anything else Present Mic was planning to say,
"She has a multi-faceted horse mutation quirk. As such, all of her physical attributes are enhanced beyond that of the average person and even most superhumans."
He explains simply, if a little scathing.
Iida spits out blood, and small pieces of what looks like bone fall out with it. When he looks back up, Pony can see that a few of his teeth are chipped, some more severely than others. Iida doesn't waste any more time. He runs for her side, trying to kick out when he reaches her left. She catches his leg,
"Nice try."
She says, smiling,
"Let me show you how to do it properly."
With that, she lets go and kicks out herself. The hit lands on Iida's chest and he goes flying back. He hits the wall of the stadium with a crack and falls to the grass, unconscious, a vaguely person-shaped hole left behind in the stadium wall. The stands erupt in cheers as Pony is pronounced the winner by Midnight, her whip in the air as she smiles at the stands. Pony mimics the smile as she walks out of the arena, careful not to step on the collection of blood and teeth. She enters the stands through the same tunnel she had used to leave. She makes her way up to the 1-A seating area, where Izuku had moved after Monoma had refused to stop glaring and Izuku had gotten sick of sitting through his thinly-veiled insults.
Pony isn't able to sit next to Izuku for more than a minute before he gets up for his match. Pony presses a kiss to his cheek as he stands,
"Good luck."
She says. He smiles at her, gently brushing his lips against her hair before taking the stairs into the stands. Pony settles into the empty seat beneath her, ignoring the glances from the 1-A students as she waits for Izuku's match to start.
Izuku walks out onto the arena across from Kirishima. The other boy has a determined expression on his face. Midnight asks if they know the rules. They both nod at the same time and the sound of her whip cracking echoes on the stands, though it's drowned out by the cheers. Kirishima's skin hardens and he runs forward. Izuku side-steps him. Kirishima's eyes widen as he skids to a stop. Izuku takes advantage of the momentary distraction and punches Kirishima in the side of the head. He stumbles to the side but catches himself and runs at Izuku again. Izuku punches him in the stomach. A cracking sound reverberates in his ears as Kirishima gasps. When he steps back, the press of hardened skin beneath his gym uniform is no longer visible. Kirishima glares as he re-activates his quirk. He crouches and punches the ground, creating a crater and creating enough dust that he could hide within it while he gathered himself.
Izuku lets Kirishima slip into the dust. He creates more of it himself, kicking up the cement floor of the arena to enlarge the cloud. Once he's satisfied he starts walking, searching the dust for Kirishima. When he finds the other boy it's to him in an offensive stance, already punching out. Izuku lets the blow land, if only so he can prepare his own. Kirishima falls to the ground and rolls, absorbing the impact. The dust starts to clear and Kirishima becomes more clear, curled up a few feet away, still within the borders of the arena. A camera drone comes down to hover next to his face. For a moment, Izuku thinks Midnight is going to call Kirishima unable to continue. He has a crack running through his hardening, from his temple down to his chin, and his eyes are screwed shut.
Kirishima's eyes pop open and he pushes himself up to his knees. The drone flits away, back up into the air with its brethren. He makes immediate eye contact with Izuku, who's stepping forward. Izuku reaches out, setting off a blast of air, clearing away the remaining dust and causing Kirishima to stumble. He manages to stay upright and jumps at Izuku, throwing a few punches before jumping back to avoid being hit himself.
The two continue to exchange blows. Izuku adjusts the amount of force he puts behind each attack, occasionally knocking Kirishima to the ground while other times barely causing him to skip a breath. Finally, he settles on a force he likes and hits Kirishima in the chest. His hardening shatters and he falls to the ground, unconscious. The crowd cheers as Midnight raises her whip,
"Kirishima has been defeated! Midoriya wins!"
Izuku smiles up at the stands as he leaves the arena, stepping over Kirishima and walking around the med-bots, a stretcher held between them.
Izuku and Pony sit together as Bakugou and Tokoyami walk out onto the arena. Midnight barely gets a chance to crack her whip before the two surge at each other. Dark Shadow lashes out, clawing at Bakugou. They don't get very far before Bakugou sets off an explosion, forcing them back. Dark Shadow keeps trying to attack, but Bakugou keeps them back. Tokoyami tries to skirt around the explosions and attack himself, but the searing heat keeps him away.
Bakugou sighs as he rubs his hands together. Tokoyami tries to take the opportunity to get close, but it ends up working against him. Bakugou sets off an explosion large enough to blast him into the air. The light is blinding. Dark Shadow shrinks back into Tokyami and the aforementioned boy has to screw his eyes shut to avoid being blinded. Katsuki lands just as Dark Shadow is trying to peek back out.
"Grab him!"
Tokoyami orders. Dark Shadow tries to reach for Bakugou, but he evades, jumping behind Tokoyami. He kicks out, knocking Tokoyami to the ground. He falls and Dark Shadow tries to grab Bakugou. Bakugou sets off an explosion, forcing them back as he pins Tokoyami. He keeps up enough light to keep Dark Shadow back. After a few seconds, Midnight calls out,
"Tokoyami, can you continue?"
She asks. Tokoyami shakes his head,
"No, ma'am."
Midnight nods,
"Well, then, Tokoyami is unable to continue! Bakugou wins!"
The crowd cheers as Bakugou stands. He dusts himself off as he steps over the other boy, heading back into the tunnel he had left through.
Pony leans forward as Kendo enters the arena across from Todoroki. She knew who the winner would be, it was obvious, but she wanted to see how Kendo was going to react anyway. Izuku stays leaning back in his chair, though it's clear he's paying just as much attention as she is to the match.
Midnight raises her whip,
"Do you both know the rules?"
She asks, sounding somewhat bored with having to ask teh same question every match. The two students nod and she smiles,
"Good!"
She cracks her whip on the concrete stage. Ice starts to spread from Todoroki's feet at the same time as Kendo's hands enlargen. Within seconds, her hands are frozen to her sides, her feet are stuck to the arena floor, and her expression is a scowl rather than something of determination.
Pony narrows her eyes as Kendo squirms, but doesn't do much against the ice. She had been expecting a little more from her classmate, but she can also admit the girl didn't have much of a chance.
"Kendo is unable to continue! Todoroki wins!"
The crowd once again starts to cheer. Todoroki walks toward the ice encasing Kendo. He rests a steaming hand on the ice, slowly melting it away. Robots wheel out of the tunnels to help, what look like hair dryers clutched in their metal hands.
Once Kendo is freed and the two students are safely within the stands, the cameras zoom in on Midnight, casting her image on the screens lining the inner stadiums.
"As I'm sure you know, folks, that was the last round of our regular matches! We'll be moving on to the semi-finals after a short break. The bracket will be posted above the stage in just a moment."
Murmurs erupt within the stands as people excuse themselves to the bathroom or discuss the names and pictures now projected as a hologram in the center of the field. Izuku is being pitted against Bakugou, and Pony is going to be fighting against Todoroki.
Pony groans as she leans back in her seat.
"He's going to freeze me to the arena!"
She complains, glaring at a chuckling Izuku.
"I'm sure Recovery Girl has plenty of blankets for you."
Pony leans to the side and swats his arm,
"How dare you say something like that. Not even a word of encouragement for your girlfriend."
Izuku takes hold of her hand in his,
"You'll do fine. At least, you'll put up more of a fight than the others we've seen, if you don't win."
Pony huffs, but doesn't take her hand back.
"Fine. If that's all you have to say to me, you don't get another good-luck kiss for your match."
Izuku pouts as dramatically as he can,
"Oh, whatever will I do!"
Pony laughs as he presses his free hand against his forehead and leans back. Gently, she pulls her hand from his grasp and leans over the edge of her chair, pressing a kiss to his cheek.
"Good luck."
Izuku smiles as he returns the kiss.
"Thank you."
Izuku takes a deep breath and stretches his neck as he walks out onto the arena. Bakugou glares at him from across the cement.
"Do you both know the rules?"
Midnight asks, her whip already starting to unravel. The two nod, though their heads had barely moved before the now familiar crack was resounding around them.
The two run at each other at full speed, small explosions already popping in Bakugou's hands, even as he pulls back his arms for a right hook. Izuku does the same and they manage to hit each other. A cracking sound stems from where Izuku managed to hit Bakugou's shoulder. The two pull apart and Bakugou tries to feign a punch to Izuku's stomach, his real attack and explosion aimed at the other boy's face. Izuku manages to avoid both, however, by jumping up into the air. He extends a leg, aiming to kick Bakugou in the back on his way down.
Bakugou 'humphs' as he smacks into the ground. He manages to keep his chin from slamming against the arena and glares up at Izuku, who now stands above him, a small crater at his feet. Bakugou raises an arm, aiming an explosion at Izuku's face. Izuku stumbles back as soot speckles his eyes. Bakugou pushes himself up and jumps back, avoiding one of Izuku's punches. He propels another explosion at Izuku's face as he jumps forward. Izuku dodges the explosion, though Bakugou's punch still clips him on the shoulder. Bakugou glares as he continues to run at Izuku.
Sweat beads on his brow and gathers in his palms. Bakugou points both hands in Izuku's direction, setting off an explosion that reaches the edges of the arena. Dust clouds the arena and, for a moment, Bakugou thinks he's won.
He stumbles back, bringing a hand to his jaw. He doesn't have a chance to prepare another attack before Izuku kicks him in the chest, sending him flying back. He manages to use an explosion to push himself against his momentum. He lands within the boundary, spitting blood onto the dirtied cement. He runs at Izuku again, undeterred.
They continue to exchange blows. More than once, Bakugou is nearly pushed out of the arena but, every time, he manages to stay within the lines. After around five minutes, the two stand apart. Bakugou's chest heaves as he tries to regain his breath. His right arm hangs at an odd angle, his jaw is clearly dislocated at the very least, his left arm looks broken, and marks that will later become bruises mottle his skin. Izuku is wholly uninjured. The only damage being to his shirt, which is nothing more than scraps, and his hair, which is singed.
Bakugou starts to sway. Izuku watches as he falls to the ground, unconscious. It takes a moment, but the crowd starts to whistle and clap as Midnight grins,
"Bakugou is unable to continue! Midoriya wins!"
Izuku wipes soot from his face as he leaves the arena. Med-bots had already started rolling out before Midnight had called the match, so Bakugou was already being carried into the stadium as Izuku stepped over the boundary line.
Izuku sits with Pony in the waiting room.
"You're going to do great."
He reassures,
"He can't freeze all your horns down, after all."
Pony nods. She's stretching across from Izuku, who is sitting in one of the many chairs in the room. He has on a new shirt, which he had been provided almost as soon as he'd come back from his match with Bakugou.
Pony lets out a breath as she stands, stretching out her neck. She looks up at the camera in the corner and takes one last steeling breath before slipping out the door.
"I'll see you after my match."
She says. Izuku's chair screeches as he pushes back. He walks toward Pony, stopping just in front of her. He kisses her hair and gives her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"Of course. Good luck."
She smiles and rolls her eyes as she leaves. Izuku waits a few seconds until he's sure she's down the tunnel before he, too, steps through the door.
Pony stands straight on her side of the arena. Todoroki looks just as tense, if not more so, than her, and his gaze keeps flitting up to the flaming mass that is Endeavor leaning over the railing of the stadium.
"You both know the rules?"
Midnight asks. The two nod. Midnight hasn't yet cracked her whip before ice shoots out toward Pony. She jumps out of the way, sending out horns in an attempt to pin Todoroki down. He dodges, though he looks a little surprised that she isn't already trapped in a block of ice.
Pony continues to dodge Todoroki's attempts to freeze her in place. He continues to dodge her horns, even as she uses her max to try and corner him. Todoroki gets more and more frustrated as their match continues, while Pony simply tries to focus on not slipping on the thin layer of ice coating the arena.
Todoroki glares as he stops a few feet away from Pony. Frost has spread along his arm and he's starting to shiver. He stomps his foot, sending out another blast of ice. Though this one is slower than the others. It should have been easy enough to dodge. But Pony slips on the ice already beneath her hooves. She manages to keep her balance but doesn't move out of the way in time to avoid being frozen in place.
Pony takes a moment to breathe, glaring at the smug expression on Todoroki's face as she aims her horns at his face. He jumps to the side and the horns follow. Pony manages to keep her horns trained on Todoroki for almost two minutes, even managing to nick him a few times, but he manages to freeze all of them to the ground eventually.
By the time Todoroki is declared the winner the spread of the frost has gotten worse and he's shaking so much that Pony is pretty sure those watching from the stands can see it.
"Pony is unable to continue! Todoroki is the winner!"
Midnight declares. The crowd cheers and whoops, though Pony can't help but notice that Endeavor is glaring.
Pony glares at Izuku, who sits beside her in Recovery Girl's office. Bakugou is a few beds down, but he's surrounded by privacy screens. Pony has a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She's shivering, though not nearly as much as Todoroki had been.
"Don't laugh at me."
She says. Izuku shakes his head,
"I'm not."
Pony huffs, but she doesn't say anything else. Izuku reaches forward, resting his hand on hers,
"What do you think about working training on different terrains into our regimens? I think UA has some gyms for the purpose we can book slots for."
Pony nods,
"Good. We've been neglecting that."
Izuku huffs a laugh as Pony takes on what he calls her 'thinking face'. He doesn't interrupt her planning, instead delving into some of his own as he tries to figure out how he's going to beat Todoroki.
Chapter 21
Class 1-A and 1-B sit in their separate sections of the stands, though a few of them are leaning over the barrier separating them. Kaminari has a notebook in hand and he's scribbling down names and numbers. A small betting ring had started among the two classes regarding whether Todoroki or Midoriya would be the winner of their match. Most of them were placing their money on Todoroki, given the fact he's the son of the number two hero. None of them are betting more than five hundred yen, though the winning amount was still quite large.
Pony and Uraraka had both placed their bets on Midoriya and were now sitting back in their seats as they waited for the match to start. Pony is in the 1-A stands, seated next to Uraraka. The other girl had been released from Recovery Girl's office only a few minutes before. The scars littering her face and arms looked like intricate starbursts. They were dark and puckered. Already mostly healed due to Recovery Girl's quirk.
A few minutes later, Todoroki and Midoriya walk out onto the arena across from each other. The betting pool closes so no one can make or change their bet throughout the match. Midnight asks if they both know the rules and they nod. Her whip cracks on the stage, as it had for all the matches before, and Izuku starts running toward Todoroki. Todoroki sends up a massive wave of ice in an attempt to keep Izuku back. The wall grows to nearly reach the top of the arena before Izuku reacts. He pulls his arm back and punches, shattering the wall. The shards spray out but before they can get very far, Izuku waves his arms. Two slashes of wind rush out in opposite directions, turning the shard into mere particles.
Izuku doesn't pause in his run. He zig-zags between spikes of ice that shoot out of the ground. He knows Todoroki is more accustomed to long-distance fighting, as is apparent by the fact that he's trying very hard to keep Izuku back. Therefore, he'd be easier to beat in close quarters, unused to hand-to-hand. Izuku sends out another wave of wind, this time trying to hit Todoroki. He dodges at the last minute but comes away with a bleeding scratch on his cheek.
Because of the distraction, Todoroki isn't able to create any more ice, allowing Izuku to get in close. He knees Todoroki in the face, causing his nose to crack and forcing him back. Before Todoroki can gather himself Izuku punches him in the chest, sending him flying. For a moment, it looks like he's going to fall out of the arena. Fortunately for him, he manages to create a wall of ice, stopping himself from going over the border. Todoroki glares as he sends out another wall of ice. Izuku smashes through it with his tail, once again sending shards flying. Izuku's eyes narrow as he notices the frost spreading along Todoroki's arm and the shivering he's clearly trying to hide.
He's snapped out of his observation by a missile of ice shooting toward his face. He smashes it and is forced to duck to the side to narrowly avoid the second one directly behind it. Izuku is about to attack, but before he can Todoroki throws a punch. Izuku dodges the hit and jumps over the small spines of ice covering the ground. He tries to attack Todoroki but is forced back when he has to dodge a piece of ice heading for his neck. He leans forward and grabs hold of Todoroki's incoming fist.
Izuku pulls the other boy in,
"You aren't going to have a chance unless you use your fire."
He says, just before he throws the other boy into the air. Izuku jumps after him, just catching Todorki's furious expression before he kicks him back toward the arena. The other boy lands with a crack and a thud. He Creates a small crater where he lands. Izuku starts to fall and braces himself against the impact. When he lands, his full weight hits the concrete of the arena. The cement cracks and entire chunks go flying, leaving the arena completely decimated. Somehow, Shouto manages to stay standing despite the lack of solid ground.
Todoroki glares with an intensity Izuku hadn't seen before. He raises his left arm, sparks flying off onto the broken concrete below. Izuku grins as a stream of flame, so hot and so large that Cementoss creates walls to separate them from the stands, bursts to life around him. The flames lick at his scaled limbs as he walks through them, toward the dark shape at the end of the stream. When his head pokes through the flames, he takes minor joy in the faint shock on Todorki's face as he lifts the other boy and unceremoniously drops him on the other side of the boundary line.
The walls around the crumble as Midnight raises her whip,
"Todoroki is out of bounds! Midoriya wins!"
The crowd's cheers are the loudest they had been all day. Izuku raises his arms, welcoming the praise as he walks off the shattered arena, onto the grass below, and through the tunnel into the innards of the arena.
Pony smiles as she takes her part of the winnings from Kaminari. A few people are groaning or rolling their eyes, having bet on Todoroki rather than Midoriya. Uraraka and Pony exchange a smile as the coins clink together in their hands as they slip them into their pockets.
--------
Izuku straightens his back as the podium raises. The sun blinds him momentarily as they emerge into the bright sun from the dull lighting of the basement they'd been in a moment before. Bakugou stands at his right. He looks tired and is barely able to stand, having been carted to the podium immediately after waking up in Recovery Girl's office. Todoroki is on the second-place podium on his left, though he looks just as tired as Bakugou, if not more so. He has a bandage on his cheek. Recovery Girl had come to the podium room to heal him and he'd been shoved onto the podium immediately after.
The crowd cheers as they come to a stop in the center of the arena. Izuku smiles and waves. Bakugou glares and Todorki seems intent on merely avoiding his father's gaze. Midnight smiles from the stage as they appear.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! May I present to you your winners of the first year's Sports Festival!"
The cheers somehow get louder. Midnight waits for them to quiet and looks like she's about to say something when All Might crashes into the arena in front of them. The crowd continues to cheer as he stands. Midnight shoots him a short glare before directing her attention back to the crowd. All Might turns in a slow spin as he addresses the crowd,
"Everyone, let's cheer for our winners, shall we?"
All Might raises his fist.
"Good job!"
"Plus Ultra!"
The crowd goes silent when they realize what All Might had cheered instead of the school's motto. They start to mutter amongst themselves about the man's mistake. His smile starts to look slightly strained as he clears his throat and turns to face the podium. He steps toward Bakugou first, draping the third-place medal over his head before pulling the boy into a hug. He looks startled by the action and like he's about to blow up All Might's back, but the man pulls away before he has the chance. He goes to Todoroki next, who becomes stiff in the man's hug but, at least, doesn't look like he's going to attack. When All Might comes to stand in front of Izuku, he returns the man's smile and ducks his head to receive the medal. He returns the hug, though rigidly, and tunes the hero out as he delves into a speech. He finds Pony among the students and smiles up at her.
Izuku scrolls on his phone as the train moves down the rails. He can feel the eyes of the other passengers on him, but he does his best to ignore them. His attention is drawn away from his phone when the person across from him says something to him,
"Excuse me, you're Midoriya, right? The first place winner at the Sports Festival?"
Izuku nods. The person smiles,
"I just wanted to congratulate you on your win. You'll make an amazing hero when you graduate."
"Thank you."
Izuku says. The person's words seemed to have been what was needed to break the dam, so to speak, as everyone else in the compartment started to congratulate him, too. He does his best to thank them all individually before the train pulls into his stop. He steps out of the train and onto the platform, pulling his umbrella from its pocket on his bag before he leaves the dy area under the awning. The rain patters off surrounding rooftops and others' umbrellas. Izuku follows the foot traffic to the end of the street. Pony is standing at the corner of the sidewalk, her own umbrella held in hand. She smiles as Izuku nears and they fall into step beside each other.
The walk to UA is silent. Occasionally, their hands or umbrellas brush against each other.
--------
Izuku looks up when Aizawa steps into the classroom. He has his sleeping bag tucked under his arm and his expression looks more tired than usual. He sighs as he stops behind the podium.
"Since you have to choose your internships today, you'll also be picking hero names. Because I'm apparently unqualified for this-"
The door slams against the wall as Midnight throws it open,
"I'll be supervising!"
Aizawa sighs again as he stalks into the corner. He slides into his sleeping back and seemingly goes to sleep while Midnight takes his place. She sets a stack of whiteboards and markers on the podium.
"You'll have twenty minutes to think of a hero name and, hopefully, a tagline. You'll then present your choice to the class and I'll either approve it or suggest a change. Understood?"
"Understood."
They parrot back. Midnight nods,
"Well, then, come up and get a board!"
They form a line in front of the podium, grabbing their materials before heading back to their desks. Izuku settles down at his desk. He fiddles with the marker as he thinks. It doesn't take him long to come up with a name.
He sets his marker down on the desk once he's done and leans back in his chair. A few moments later, however, his phone buzzes with a text from Pony.
Pony ♥️
Pony: We're picking hero names and I can't decide
Any suggestions?
What about Roketti?:You
Pony: 👍💋
Izuku smiles to himself as he puts his phone away. He stays quiet until Midnight starts calling them up to present. They're called in number order, meaning Izuku is one of the last to go. He steps up to the podium, keeping his whiteboard hidden until he reaches it.
"The Dragon King Hero: Tatsuya."
Midnight smiles as she nods,
"I think it's wonderful! Mineta, you're next."
Izuku smiles and nods back as he leaves the podium. He wipes off the whiteboard and leaves it on a stack on top of an empty desk. Mineta walks up to the podium once Izuku is back at his desk.
Once everyone has approved names, Midnight and Aizawa start handing out pamphlets of internship offers. Izuku, Bakugou, and Todoroki receive tablets containing their offers since there are too many to rationalize printing them out.
--------
Izuku and Pony sit together in the cafeteria. They both have their internship offer lists in front of them on the cafeteria table. They had been silent for most of the period, contemplating their lists.
"Okay, I think I know who I want to go with."
Pony says. Izuku hums as he looks up from his list,
"Who?"
Pony turns the paper so Izuku can read the name she's pointing to.
"Miruko."
Izuku nods,
"Good choice. I think you'll be a good match personality and fighting style-wise."
Pony nods,
"I think so, too. Who are you thinking about?"
Izuku huffs as he turns the tablet so she can see the screen,
"Ryukyu. She has a dragon-like quirk, so I was thinking she might be able to help me with mine."
Pony nods,
"Good. Okay, now that that's done, can we please eat?"
Izuku chuckles as he nods. He tucks the tablet into his bag, his digital form already handed in, before pulling his food tray toward him.
Izuku walks toward Pony's house. He's dressed in a white t-shirt, a black jacket, jeans, and black sneakers. When he knocks on Pony's door it doesn't take more than a few seconds for her to answer the door. She's wearing a baby pink shirt, white coat, and jeans. She smiles when she sees him on the porch and grabs her bag off the hook by the door. She slings it over her shoulder and steps out in front of him. She pulls the door shut and locks it before walking down the stairs beside Izuku.
"Where do you want to go first?"
Izuku asks as he takes Pony's hand. Pony shrugs,
"Give me some time to think."
Izuku chuckles and shakes his head, but stays quiet. As they're walking onto a street of shops, Pony starts pulling him toward one of the many propped-open doors. Izuku groans when he reads the name of the store. Pony laughs as they step through the door.
"Come on! It won't be that bad, I promise I'll be fast."
Izuku rolls his eyes but smiles when he sees the smile on her face. She starts rifling through racks of clothes while he stands back, occasionally helping her reach something or holding her choices. Once she's done collecting clothes, she leads Izuku back to the changing rooms. She takes the clothes from his arms, careful not to let the different articles tangle. Izuku settles onto one of the many cushioned benches provided while he waits for Pony to show him her first outfit.
The door to Pony's chosen room clicks open. She twirls, showing off the entirety of the outfit. She's dressed in a cropped ribbed blouse with decorative buttons and a short black skirt. The skirt has a hole in the back for her tail, which swishes when she spins. The cropped shirt reveals part of her stomach, leaving her sculpted abdominal muscles clearly visible.
"What do you think?"
She asks. Izuku smiles as he stands. He gently places his hands on her hips,
"I love it."
She smiles back up at him as she raises herself onto her tip-toes. They exchange a quick kiss before she pulls back.
"I'll change back and then we can check out, okay?"
She says. Izuku nods. His hands drop from her hips and she steps back into the changing room. She comes back out a few minutes later, the new outfit slung over her left arm. They walk up to the register together and Pony sets the clothes onto the conveyor belt. The cashier smiles at them as she starts scanning the items. Pony pulls out her card and taps it on the device when the cashier tells her her total. Izuku takes the bag of clothes from where the cashier had set it. Pony walks up to his side and they walk out of the store, the bag now swinging at Izuku's side.
"What do you want to do next?"
Izuku asks. Pony looks up at a billboard on top of a nearby building and points it out to Izuku,
"The theatre is having a sale on snacks. Maybe we could go watch a movie…"
She trails off, giving Izuku a chance to answer. He nods and they pivot, heading back toward the train station. Izuku entwines his fingers with Pony's. They walk like that all the way to the station, only pulling apart when they have to scan through the turnstiles to get onto the platform.
The train screeches to a stop a few minutes later. They step to the side to allow people a chance to get off before climbing on themselves. They grab hold of two plastic handles hanging from the roof of the ceiling and lean into each other as the train starts, pulling away from the station and into the dark tunnel in front of them.
--------
Izuku taps his card to pay for their popcorn. He takes the bags from the cashier, nodding in thanks before stepping away and heading toward Pony. She's standing off to the side, their tickets clutched in her hand. She smiles and takes her popcorn from him once he's close enough. He takes his ticket and they head up the short flight of stairs to the hall of theatres. Theirs is in the center hall, a glowing orange sign displaying the number six hanging above it.
The walkway is lit by small LED lights and the previews had already started. They're silent as they make their way to their seats in the center of the theatre. There aren't many others there, since it's the middle of the day, so they don't have to shuffle past anyone already seated. Izuku holds Pony's jacket for her until she's settled. Once she's seated, he drapes it over her lap. He smiles at her as he balances his popcorn on his lap, holding it still with his right hand while he rests his left on their shared armrest. She smiles back as she rests her hand on top of his, letting her fingers drape between his.
Pony jumps as the killer, dressed in a mock-hero-costume, appears in the window. Izuku squeezes her hand, attempting to comfort her as the college girl the killer had crept up on starts running for the exit. A knife lands in her calf, causing her to stumble. She screams as the killer slowly walks toward her, another knife held firmly in his grip. He raises it above his head, pausing for a moment to whisper something unintelligible before plunging the blade into her throat. He rips the knife out and stabs her again and again until she's nothing more than a bloody mass. He rises, covered in gore, and walks back the way he had come.
Izuku and Pony leave the theatre, more rattled than when they had arrived. They throw their trash into the waiting trashcan outside the theatre and walk down the hall to the stairs. Their fingers are entwined, their grip on each other tighter than it had been before.
"How about we go for an early dinner?"
Izuku suggests as they step out into the theatre and the cool air hits their faces. Pony nods,
"A new place opened a couple blocks down that I've been wanting to try."
Izuku nods,
"Lead the way."
Pony nods back and the two walk down the street, Pony gently tugging Izuku along.
--------
The two step through the doors to the restaurant and bow to the hostess waiting by the podium. The restaurant has a cozy feeling, with burgundy wallpaper spread across the wall, broken up at regular intervals by wooden panels. There are only booths, some against the walls and others in the middle of the restaurant, arranged in neat rows. The hostess grabs two menus from a shelf on her podium and leads them to one of the window seats. They slide in across from each other and the menus are placed in front of them.
"Your waiter will be with you shortly."
The hostess says before walking away. Izuku and Pony thank her as she leaves and pick up their menus, flicking through.
"What do you think about a crab hotpot?"
Izuku suggests, gesturing to the item as he shows his menu to Pony. She nods,
"I was thinking about the crab sashimi and sushi. Do you think that's too much crab?"
Izuku shakes his head,
"Absolutely not."
Pony chuckles as she closes her menu and places it on the edge of the table. Izuku does the same. It doesn't take much longer for their waiter to show up at their table.
"Can I get you any drinks to start?"
He asks, his gaze settling on Izuku first.
"A Shirley Temple, please."
He says. The waiter nods and looks over to Pony.
"I'll have the same, please."
The waiter nods again,
"Are you finished with your menus?"
They both nod and he takes their food order as well before tucking his notepad away and picking up their menus. He walks away. Izuku watches him leave for a moment before turning to Pony,
"So, what did you think of the movie?"
Pony shivers, but has a smile on his face,
"It was gory but interesting. The costume design especially."
Izuku nods. They continue talking about the movie, chattering about the costumes, blood, and plot until their drinks arrive and, a few minutes after them their food. Multiple waiters come out at once, an assortment of plates, pots, and utensils held in their hands. A tray or two of vegetables and a small assortment of other meats joins the crab. The food is spread throughout their table and they thank the waiters as they walk away. Izuku and Pony rip open their chopsticks and rub them against each other for a moment before digging in.
Pony smiles as she takes her first bite of a piece of sushi.
"This is better than our usual place."
Izuku nods as he takes a bite himself.
"We'll have to come here more often."
They don't talk much during the rest of the meal, all too happy to simply enjoy the food and each other's company. When they're done, their dishes cleared away and the bill paid, Pony reaches across the table and takes Izuku's hand,
"Thank you, for taking me out."
Izuku smiles. He lifts her hand to his lips and gently kisses her knuckles,
"I should be the one thanking you, for accepting the offer."
Pony laughs and gently pulls her hand away she she can slip back into her coat. They stand from their booth and entwine their hands before leaving the restaurant.
They walk up the steps to Pony's house. The two stop on the porch and Pony turns to face Izuku rather than let herself inside,
"Why don't you come in? We could have a little…fun before we leave for our internships. My parents won't be back until late tomorrow."
She brushes a hand against Izuku's cheek. Her face is tinted with a light brush of pink and her lashes cover just enough of her eyes. Izuku blushes as he leans down, taking her lips in his,
"I'd love to."