Step one, mission fucking accomplished.
The first event wrapped up with a mix of glowing faces and exhausted groans echoing through the stadium. The other classes kicked into gear, and over by the Management Course, I could hear the buzz picking up, chatter about my weird-ass vibe and Izuku's wild, creative stunt stealing the show. A few were scratching their heads, wondering why Izuku hadn't gone full throttle with his power and just how deep that strength of his ran. But one thing was crystal clear: Class 1-A had carved out a first impression no one was forgetting anytime soon.
Ochako, rolling in at sixteenth place, was all smiles as she hit the finish line, tossing congrats at Izuku, Ida, and me for making it through. Sure, she wasn't thrilled about her spot, but snagging a slot in the next round still had her grinning. She sidled up to Izuku, giving him a little pep talk to fire him up for what was coming. Sweet, classic Ochako move.
You'd have to be blind as fuck not to see Izuku turning into a blushing mess with her so close, he was practically a tomato. I figured, why not play wingman? Let the kids have their moment. Seemed like a solid plan.
Thought it, did it. I strolled over, clapped Izuku on the back - maybe a little too hard - and "accidentally" shoved him into Ochako. They toppled into each other, a tangle of limbs and awkward yelps. I hauled 'em both up, but not before leaning in close to Izuku, voice low: "Ask if she's okay, dumbass. Quick, it's your shot."
Izuku's face went nuclear red, his eyes darting between me and Ochako, who was brushing herself off, just as flustered but with this tiny spark of amusement in her gaze. They stood there, staring at each other, both fumbling for words, cheeks flushed like they'd been caught doing something they shouldn't. That awkward, electric vibe? Yeah, anyone with half a brain could tell something was brewing between 'em - slow, messy, and real.
I smirked, stepping aside to let 'em flounder in peace. Ochako broke the silence first, dipping her head a bit, voice soft: "It's fine, Deku. I'm not hurt or anything."
Izuku just kept staring, still lost in his head, probably overthinking what to do next. I watched from the sidelines, smug as hell, enjoying the show. Two dorks catching feelings right in front of me—couldn't ask for better entertainment.
Maybe my side goal in this world was playing matchmaker, making sure these two got the happy ending they deserved instead of the half-assed, dogshit conclusion Horikoshi Kohei scribbled out just to dodge the rabid fandom's boylove, yuri, and gay ship threats. Everyone oughta get something good out of their journey, right?
But the warm fuzzies didn't last long. Bakugo stormed over from the distance, face twisted like he'd just punched a wall and hated it. He bellowed, loud enough to rattle the stands: "Oy, Deku! What the hell you so happy about? Don't forget the whole damn point of this tournament's to prove your strength!"
The air went tight as a wire. Izuku, still flustered, straightened up, his expression calming but his eyes blazing with resolve. "I know that, Kacchan. And I'm not losing to you either."
Everyone around shut up, eyes locked on the two of 'em. The vibe was like a fight could break out right there, sparks damn near visible between 'em. I felt the tension crawl up my spine, but part of me was hyped to see where this'd go.
Next target: surviving the final qualifier—the Cavalry Battle.
The second event kicked off after a short breather, and this one was a different beast. It wasn't just about raw power, strategy and teamwork were the name of the game, a total flip from the solo sprint before. With forty-three of us left, teams started forming fast, three to four per group, everyone scrambling for allies to guard their points and snatch headbands from the rest. Points scaled up - fifth place got five, forty-first got ten, and so on. Mine weren't high enough to make me a prime target, but Izuku? Sitting pretty at first place with ten million points strapped to him—he was a walking bullseye.
Yeah, if I were them, I'd be gunning for that too, no kidding.
I caught him looking twitchy as the crowd closed in, so I stepped up, clapped his shoulder, and grinned. "Chill, Izuku. I've got your back, comrade. Let's team up."
His eyes went wide, like he hadn't seen that coming, but after a beat, he nodded, a flicker of relief lighting up his face. Ochako jumped in quick, rounding out the vibe with her easy energy. I nabbed Hatsume Mei from the Support Course too—figured her gear could tip the scales. Lucky break—she was already eyeballing Izuku with interest, so roping her in was a cinch.
Before we hashed out the plan, I tied Izuku's ten-million-point headband around his neck like a damn tie, hardened it to chromium, and said, "Our goal? Hold the line. Defend like our lives depend on it… Kidding. Just don't get grabbed or touch the ground. I'll yank this off when it's over."
With the team locked in, we dove into strategy. Hatsume, resident gearhead genius, started rattling off her arsenal of weird-ass gadgets. Ochako tried keeping up, but Izuku got sucked into Mei's endless tech spiel. I cut in sharp: "Alright, Hatsume, we don't have time to play with all your toys. Pick shit that'll keep us safe or move us fast—now."
She raised a brow, then laughed. "Relax, I've got this covered! Jet boosters, directional magnets—no one's touching us with these babies!"
I exhaled, tension easing a bit. She was quirky as hell, but her brain was gold. Might need her down the line—her, David Shield, Melissa too. Gotta snag that old man someday.
The whistle blew, and the arena turned into a goddamn warzone. Cheers mixed with the clash of Quirks firing off, footsteps thundering across the field. I glanced at Izuku—he was gripping his fists tight, eyes glued to that chromium headband with ten million etched into it.
"Focus, Izuku," I said, scanning the other teams. "Don't freak out. Trust the squad."
Mei fired up the jet boosters, lifting us off the ground smooth as hell. She bragged about tweaking 'em for max efficiency—enough height to dodge most ground attacks for a while. Ochako hit us with her Quirk, cutting our weight so the jets could work harder, keeping us floating like a damn cloud.
Seconds in, eyes locked on us. A four-man team from 1-B, led by Monoma, charged hard. That smug bastard grinned like he'd already won, ten million points dancing in his head.
Something clicked... oh, fuck me sideways.
Shit, shit, SHIT, HIS QUIRK CAN COPY MINE!
"Fall back—NOW! WE ARE NOT GOING TO FIGHT HIM NO MATTER WHAT!" I yelled, shoving the team right.
We veered sharp, but Monoma's crew stuck like glue. That prick never missed a chance to flex 1-B's edge, and him jacking my Quirk turned this into a goddamn nightmare.
"If he touches me, we're fucked!" I growled under my breath, forcing calm to keep the team steady.
"Don't sweat it!" Mei shouted, tweaking the jets with precision. "I've got tricks to keep him off!"
Before I could blink, she unleashed a swarm of tiny drones from her backpack—blinding lights and thick black smoke spilling out, turning our patch of sky into a haze. Monoma's team faltered, vision shot to hell.
"Nice one!" I barked, grinning as the pressure eased. "Izuku, you good?"
He nodded, eyes still sharp. "I'm fine! We've gotta hold this spot!"
"Alright, flexible defense it is," I said. "Dodge, distract with Mei's gear, keep 'em guessing. Ochako, be ready to lighten us up!"
But Monoma wasn't the only threat. A 1-C team with a water Quirk whipped up a mini rainstorm, trying to short out our jets. I barked directions, steering Mei clear of the cloud. Then a squad from below hit us with vines - thick, snaking tendrils wrapping Mei and Ochako's legs, yanking hard.
"I've got it!" I roared, turning the vines to sand in a flash. Mei shook free, cranking the jets to climb higher.
Thought we were clear, but then a chill ripped through the air - Todoroki Shoto, rolling in with Ida, Momo, and Kaminari. That icy-hot bastard moved calm but lethal, his mismatched eyes locked on Izuku's headband.
"Toothpaste squad's here," I muttered, feeling the weight. "Heads up, this ain't small fry."
Todoroki raised a hand, and a massive ice pillar shot up, branching out like a frozen web straight for us. It sliced through the field, slick and deadly, forcing other teams to scatter or freeze solid.
"Hold tight, brace!" I yelled, hardening my arms to tungsten and smashing any ice spikes getting too close.
"Jets need a breather or they'll overheat!" Mei warned, dropping us to the ground with five minutes left.
Todoroki didn't let up, ice coated the field, a slippery death trap. Ochako countered fast, slashing our gravity so the jets could skim us over it. Izuku clutched his headband, focus unbreakable.
Momo clocked our predictable arc, crafting a spear and hurling it our way. I snapped my hand to diamond, caught it, and turned it to dust before it hit Izuku.
Three minutes.
Kaminari fired off long-range lightning, aiming for Mei - our linchpin. Her electric shield held, but she yelled, "Can't block forever—gotta pull back!"
"Ochako, lighten us up higher, now!" I ordered. She did, and Mei gunned the jets, lifting us above Todoroki's ice range.
Couldn't last, Ochako and the jets were straining hard. "You three, bolt," I said, eyeing a landing spot. "I'll buy some time."
"But..." Izuku started, panic flashing, but I dropped before he finished, hitting the ground to draw the heat.
My points weren't chump change, and solo in the chaos, I was a neon sign screaming "rob me." Teams swarmed from every angle, smelling blood. I darted through a narrow gap, dodging strikes, giving my crew space to slip away.
Didn't take long for reality to bite—skills or not, Quirks trumped all, and one versus dozens was a losing bet. Forty seconds in, they pinned me, snatching my headband clean off.
Thought it was over—then the buzzer screamed. Ten million points, safe with Izuku's crew, locked us the win.
Happy? Eh, not really. This whole damn thing felt pointless in the grand scheme.
Good news so far, my team had held the line, keeping Izuku's spot locked down and that crucial score safe. To keep shit legit and dodge any accusations of cheating, I'd reversed the transformation on his headband, turning it back to normal fabric. Last thing we needed was some prick crying foul over a technicality, and I wasn't about to waste breath explaining myself if it came to that.
Izuku, still rocking the ten-million-point headband around his neck like a trophy, grabbed my hand and hauled me up the second the match ended. His face was a mix of gratitude and pride, but those green eyes couldn't hide a flicker of worry. "You okay?!" he asked, pulling me to my feet with a grip stronger than I'd expected.
"I'm fine," I said, forcing a grin as I brushed dirt off my uniform. "Results matter, how we got here's just noise."
He gave me that shy laugh of his, but his gaze flared with determination. "It's all thanks to the team, and you… thank you."
I clapped his shoulder, standing up straight, and glanced over at Ochako and Mei barreling toward us. Both were buzzing with excitement - Ochako waving like a maniac, shouting, "We did it! Next round's waiting!" Mei, meanwhile, launched into a rant about how her gear had barely held out for those last few minutes, already brainstorming upgrades for the next go. I snorted, feeling the team's high washing over me. We'd been through hell, but damn if it didn't feel worth it right then.
The good vibes didn't last long, though. Todoroki strode up, his icy-hot stare cutting through the buzz like a blade. He locked eyes with Izuku first, then me, colder than ever. "Midoriya," he said, voice calm but heavy as fuck. "Next round, I'm not letting you off easy. And you..." he turned to me "...no freebies next time."
I smirked, keeping my cool under that pressure. "Bring it on, man. I'm game."
We stood there, staring each other down for a few seconds before he turned and walked off, leaving his warning hanging in the air like a storm cloud. The atmosphere thickened, but it lit a fire in me too - shit was about to get real.
The final event was straight-up one-on-one fights, and no question, it'd be the toughest test yet. But first, I needed Toga to pull off one more piece of the plan.