Chapter 18: That's the Idea, Ochaco
The class and Aizawa settled into their seats with snacks and sleeping bags. Uraraka, Hagakure and Ashido went to the school after Bakugo opened the box, revealing the season 2 case, and told Aizawa about it. He gave them permission, but in the back of his head thought about what they saw at the end. All Might couldn't join them this time, for work importance.
"You think it'll show Endeavor fight with the hero killer?" Sero asked, throwing punches at the air.
"Hopefully, but since this anime makes Midoriya the 'main character', I guess it all depends." Jiro told him, using air quotes when she said main character.
"Midoriya was there to witness it if I'm correct? Along with Iida and Todoroki?" Yaoyorozu pointed out.
Midoriya put the disc into the player while listening to their conversations.
'You know that it's going to show it, so why okay this, Aizawa Sensei?' Midoriya sighed as he made his way to Uraraka and Iida. The screen was black until the screen lit up with the class in their hero costumes.
"This is so cool, but yet, also creepy!" Kaminari whispered as Midoriya pressed play.
A recap of the first season showed.
"Oh come on! Why start it with more information that we already know?!" Kaminari shrieked.
"But we get to see baby Midoriya again!" Hagakure exclaimed.
"I want baby pics of Midoriya now!" Ashido cried.
Midoriya crouched over a cliffside, overlooking a city as he narrated, "That's right. I had to give up on my dream."
Silhouetted figures ran toward the cliffside while Midoriya stood up to face them.
"What the hell are those?!" Mineta cried.
"If we watch, maybe we'll find out." Yaoyorozu told him.
"Is this real, or just narration?" Tokoyami thought out loud.
"Did this happen to you, Midoriya?" Todokroki leaned across Iida.
"N-No, just narration?" Midoriya answered confusedly.
"-keep supporting me," Midoriya narrated as light connected lines to other lights, images of All Might, Aizawa, Thirteen, Uraraka, Iida, Todoroki and Bakugo appearing.
"I never supported the damn nerd! That part's wrong!" Bakugo declared.
'Why am I up there? I do support Midoriya, but I haven't become friends with him yet.' Todoroki noted.
"I am here now." Midoriya brought his fist down after grasping the light, grinning.
"That's a creepy smile you got there Midoriya, I didn't know you could do that." Kirishima commented, a shadow covering half of Midoriya's face.
The figures started running at him as Midoriya prepared One for All, narrating, "My dream is becoming reality."
"Wait, Midoriya hasn't mastered using his quirk through his entire body yet. He's still breaking his bones!" Sero questioned.
"Maybe this episode, it'll show Deku mastering it!" Uraraka exclaimed.
"I think that'll happen later, Uraraka." Ojiro told her.
"If you think so..." Uraraka responded.
Midoriya clenched his fists.
"I'll say it again." Midoriya narrated while The figures continued running towards him. Midoriya smirked as he prepared to punch them before zooming out into space, the sun shining on Earth.
"This is the story of how I became the greatest hero."
"Not that again…" Kaminari sighed.
"Wait, wait, wait! Did it just say, 'how I became the greatest hero'?!" Midoriya gaped.
"Hell no he isn't!" Bakugo shouted.
"It said that same thing at the end of episode two." Uraraka told him.
"Yo, look at the new opening song!" Jiro exclaimed, getting everyone's attention.
"Aw, I was just getting used to the other one." Kaminari cried, before asking, "How does it go again?"
"Why the hell am I on IcyHot's team?!" Bakugo yelled out, making some confused.
"Would you rather be on Midoriya's?" Kirishima teased.
"I'd rather be on my own!" Bakugo argued.
"Oh, it's the sports feastival!" Sero pointed at the TV to see Midoriya v.s. Todoroki (and of course, Midoriya's breaking his goddamn fingers).
"Hey, it's Shinso!" Midoriya beamed.
"Tetsutetsu's there too!" Kirishima smiled.
"Hatsume…" Uraraka, Midoriya and Iida shook their fists.
"You think it'll show all the matches, or just Midoriya's?" Ojiro asked Shoji.
"Hopefully all. Some of the other fights were well played out." Shoji answered.
"This is the follow-up report on yesterday's incident at the U.A. rescue training facility where hero course students were attacked by villains." a news reporter reported.
"I thought that was over…" Asui put her finger on her cheek.
"-criminals call themselves 'The League of Villains' and have been plotting to kill All Might, who has been a teacher at U.A. since spring of this year." the reporter continued the report, citizens in the streets stopping to watch the large TV displayed.
"Hey, that's Gran Torino's home!" Midoriya blurted out as the screen changed to show a building with a broken 'Welcome' sign.
"Is that where you had your internship?" Kirishima asked.
"Yeah, he helped me master One for All throughout my body." Midoriya looked down at his hand, clenching it into a fist before rubbing his neck, muttering, "It's still a little weird that I can openly talk about my quirk, though."
"-feels like summer is just around the corner. As for you sir, I hope that this letter finds you well." All Might read off a letter he sent.
'Is this the letter All Might groaned about after the sports festival?' Midoriya wondered.
"Since spring, I have been a teacher at U.A. High School and have taken on the task of guiding the next generation. I thought to find someone worthy to inherit my power among the most promising students aiming to become heroes. However, before I took up my post at U.A., I met a young man." All Might continued reading off.
"Again, you got lucky meeting him." Sero elbowed Midoriya.
"But, why is it explaining this again when we already know?" Hagakure asked.
"I'm guessing it's what All Might wrote in his letter to… Gran Torino…? That's his name, right, Midoriya." Ojiro answered Hagakure before turning to Midoriya.
"Yeah." Midoriya nodded.
"Do you think this is the close friend All Might was talking about with Recovery Girl?" Kaminari asked.
"-mind at the time. Even so, he ran. I feel like I relearned from that young man the essence of what a hero must have in order to be worthy to be a hero. That is why I told him, 'You can become a hero'. I proposed to transfer my own quirk to him. The power cultivated by one person, who passes it on to another person, who also cultivated it and passes it on. The crystallization of power that spins together the voices of those who need help with a courageous heart- One for All. The young man inherited my power without hesitation and underwent training to be accepted into the hero course at U.A. High School. Even as he struggled with his new quirk, he kept giving his all to make it his own. I'm proud of him. I don't like to toot my own horn, but I do not regret passing on One for All to him." All Might explained in the letter.
"He sure seems like it…" Aizawa sighed.
"Come on Aizawa Sensei, would you rather not have Midoriya here?" Kirishima smiled at him.
"-you, my old teacher. I am counting on you when that time comes. Please take care of yourself as the seasons change. I will continue to keep you updated on my circumstances. Sincerely yours." All Might finished.
An eldery man that All Might sent his letter to took a bite of a piece of taiyaki before scratching his back.
"The boy acknowledged by Toshinori, huh?" an eldery man questioned.
Title screen 'Episode 14: That's the Idea, Ochaco'
"Uraraka…?" Bakugo whispered.
"What's the idea?" Ashido asked, Uraraka shrugging her shoulders in response.
"The police have investigated the group calling themselves 'The League of Villains', and there does not appear to be anyone registered with the name Shigaraki in his 20s or 30s with a quirk that lets him disintegrate whatever he touches. It's the same with the villain called Kurogiri with the Warp Gate. They are probably not citizens and are using false names." Tsukauchi reported to the staff of U.A. in the meeting room.
"Is this meeting supposed to be private?" Yaoyorozu wondered.
"Everyone! Look away!" Iida yelled, blocking the TV.
"Goddamnit! Move outta the way, Glasses!" Bakugo walked to the TV, trying to push Iida out of the way.
"Kacchan!" Midoriya stood up.
"You kids either sit down, or it's going off for tonight." Aizawa told them. Bakugo made his way back to his seat while Iida went back to his.
"Sorry I spoke…" Yaoyorozu murmured.
"-ringleader, Shigaraki's gun wounds heal, they'll definitely try again. It'll be a pain." the teacher with the cowboy hat stated.
"Their ringleader, huh?" All Might repeated.
"What is it, All Might?" Nezu turned to him.
"It was a bold attack that normal people wouldn't carry out even if they thought of it. To suddenly go on and on with his wild statements like that… Although he didn't reveal his own quirk, he bragged about that Nomu's quirk… And when things didn't go the way he wanted, he was visibly upset. Well, the incident with the quirk was to also force my hand, but…" All Might explained to them.
"Even so, it was foolish to throw away the advantage of having unknown quirks when fighting against heroes." Nezu announced, Tsukauchi nodding.
"He made immature, wild statements with a straight face." All Might added.
"You couldn't even see his face." Kaminari argued, getting shushed by others around him.
"-his possessions. He thought everything would simply go his way." All Might continued.
"So... Like Bakugo?" Kaminari whispered, but loud enough for Bakugo to hear.
"Huh?! What do you mean like me, Dunce Face?!" Bakugo yelled at him.
"Please, quiet down Bakugo, we are trying to hear." Yaoyorozu soothed.
"Don't tell me what to do!" Bakugo replied before quieting down.
"-saw of him when he carried out the attack, the picture I get of Shigaraki is… someone who hasn't gotten rid of his childish sense of omnipotence-A man-child." All Might finished.
"A child with power?" a teacher with a x-scar on his cheek and gray hair asked.
"Could it be that he never received the quirk counseling every child gets in elementary school?" the female teacher suggested.
"Well, what does that have to do with anything?" the cowboy hat asked All Might.
"There were 72 villains arrested the other day at USJ. They were all small-timers that lurked in back alleys. But the problem is how they all agreed with that man-child and followed him. In the current environment saturated with heroes, villainous people who have been oppressed may be drawn to that kind of simple-minded evil." Tsukauchi spoke.
"Do you think Midoriya could've…" Asui asked, before going quiet.
"No way! Deku would never!" Uraraka answered, knowing what Asui was going to ask.
"It might have been a possibility." Aizawa spoke, making Midoriya pause, Aizawa explaining, "If Midoriya had never been taken hostage by that sludge villain, or All Might didn't offer his quirk to him and just left him on the roof, Midoriya might have had different thoughts about heroes, especially if he had met Shigaraki or a different villain. Or maybe even considered Bakugo's words…"
Some of the class turned to glare at Bakugo at Aizawa's last sentence.
'What Aizawa Sensei is saying makes sense, and after I fought Gentle, I realized I could've ended up like him if I hadn't met All Might or ran out, but hearing it from them…' Midoriya felt himself growing smaller.
"Deku would never become a villain! He's too obsessed about heroes!" Bakugo broke Midoriya out of his thoughts.
"But when All Might told him he couldn't be a hero, it might have turned him over for the worst. And, adding what you told him to do..." Kirishima noted, his voice dropping at the last sentence.
"Well, Deku's not like that, so there's nothing to worry about!" Uraraka stood up, catching everyone's attention as she said, "He's going to be the greatest hero, like he narrated, and he'll give One for All onto his next successor. Right, Deku?"
Uraraka looked down at Midoriya before her eyes widened as she saw him smiling softly up at her, tears in his eyes.
"Oh, Deku! Did I say something wrong?! I'm so sorry…" Uraraka jumped.
"No, no, you're fine, it's just…" Midoriya wiped his eyes, looking at her again while he smiled, "Thanks for believing in me."
Uraraka stared at Midoriya before she sighed.
"Always!" Uraraka beamed, sitting back down.
"Well, nerd's gonna have to beat me first." Bakugo pointed at himself.
"I'll take your challenge anyday, Kacchan." Midoriya declared, making Bakugo smirk while Midoriya unpaused the TV.
"-plenty of people who don't know what to do with their quirks." the cowboy hat stated.
"This is alarming, though…" the female sighed.
"Well, it's thanks to you heroes that we are able to devote ourselves to our investigation. We'll expand our search network and continue to assist in arresting the perpetrators." Tsukauchi told them.
"A man-child…" Nezu softly spoke, getting All Might's attention as he said, "In some sense, he's like our students."
"Did Principal Nezu compare us to that Shigaraki villain?!" Ashido exclaimed.
"In growing, yes." Ojiro answered, with Nezu saying the same.
"I still think we shouldn't be watching this…" Iida whispered.
"Well, it's not like we can skip it." Uraraka leaned past Midoriya.
"Maybe mute it?" Iida suggested.
"Nope. It won't let me." Midoriya responded, pressing mute on the remote.
"Why would you want to anyway?" Sato questioned.
"-cultivate his malice…" Nezu finished.
'I don't want to think about what could happen…' All Might thought.
At the same time, Midoriya sat in his room, his knees bent up.
"The day after the League of Villains attacked USJ, school was closed temporarily, but it was hard to take it easy." Midoriya narrated while the All Might video played on Midoriya's computer.
"You still listen to that video?" Kaminari blurted out, holding his laughter.
"It's inspiring!" Midoriya exclaimed.
"Come on, Kaminari, this is Midoriya you're talking about, remember his dorm room?" Sero teased.
"You think we'll see it more, since Midoriya's the main character in this?" Kaminari laughed, Midoriya covering his face from embarrassment.
Midoriya sat in his chair, listening to the video.
'What I aspire to be seems so out of reach… During the USJ incident, the villains just toyed with us with their malice strength. We just slowed down Aizawa Sensei and Thirteen.' Midoriya thought, picking up the dumbbell by his bed, moving from his chair to sit on the bed. As Midoriya lifted it up and down, he thought more, 'In order to oppose that evil, I must make this power that I inherited from All Might, One for All, more and more my own. Because time of the essence… Because I'm the one who inherited it…'
A knock sounded on the door, breaking Midoriya from his thoughts.
"Izuku…?" Midoriya's mother called.
"Yes?" Midoriya answered, his mother opening the door.
"The food's ready." his mother told Midoriya.
"So, you still haven't told your mom about One for All, right?" Jiro asked Midoriya, him nodding in response.
"So that means, she still thinks you're quirkless, right?" Jiro added on.
"No, actually she knows I have a quirk now..." Midoriya said nervously.
"She knows! When?" Aoyama asked.
"A-After the sports festival, actually…" Midoriya muttered.
"Huh, okay then, nevermind." Jiro replied.
Once U.A. opened back up, the students in Class 1-A sat in their classroom.
"Hey, did you watch the news last night?" Hagakure asked Shoji and Ojiro. When they nodded, Hagakure told them, "Did you see how everyone in class was on-screen for a second? I didn't stand out at all…"
"That's true." Shoji agreed.
Ojiro jumped a little, an imagery of the girls in Class 1-A appearing, Ojiro pointing out, "It's hard to stand out looking like that, huh?"
"Aw, Ojiro...!" Ashido exclaimed.
"Huh?! W-What?" Ojiro asked, his face getting a hint of red.
"Hush! I'm on screen!" Kaminari shushed them.
"-deal about it." Kaminari leaned back to tell Kirishima about the news channels.
"I was surprised." Kirishima replied.
"Can you blame them? The hero course that keeps pumping out pro heroes was attacked." Jiro explained.
"Who knows what would've happened if the teachers hadn't come when they did." Sero sighed.
"Stop that, Sero! Just thinking about it's making me wet myself-" Mineta exclaiming, jumping in his chair.
"Shut up! Be quiet, scum!" Bakugo yelled back at him.
"So, what's the idea, Ochaco?" Asui asked her.
"Huh? Uh… I'm not sure…" Uraraka put her hand on her head.
"-was great. He pushed back those crazy strong villains." Sato told Tokoyami.
"Yes, his strength is worth wondering at." Tokoyami replied.
"Everyone! Morning homeroom is about to start! Stop talking and take your seats!" Iida shouted at the front of the classroom.
"We're already in our seats. You're the only one who's not." Sero commented.
Iida sat down in his seat, shaking his fists in frustration.
"Shoot!" Iida groaned.
"Don't worry about it." Uraraka comforted him.
"Tsu, who…" Ashido began leaning back in her chair until she leaned too much and Asui had to catch her, Ashido finishing, "...gonna teach homeroom today?"
"Oh, I remember this!" Kaminari whispered.
"Aizawa Sensei came in looking like a mummy." Sero laughed.
"I'm a teacher, I have a job." Aizawa said flatly.
"You should've at least healed first." Midoriya told him nervously.
The door opened, Aizawa standing there wrapped in bandages from head to toe.
"Morning." Aizawa muttered through the bandages.
"Aizawa Sensei, you're back too soon!" the class exclaimed.
"You're too much of a pro!" Kaminari looked horrified while Kirishima approved.
"So you're all right, Aizawa Sensei?" Iida raised his hand.
"Can you really call that 'all right'?" Uraraka asked behind him.
"My well being doesn't matter." Aizawa answered, making his way to the podium, adding, "More importantly, the fight is not over yet."
"Fight?" Bakugo smirked.
"Don't tell me…" Midoriya muttered nervously.
"The villains again…?!" Mineta stressed.
"The U.A. sports festival is drawing near." Aizawa told them.
"That's a super normal school event!" the class shouted.
"We were really excited for that event!" Sero put his hands over his head.
"Remember the obstacle course?! Deku blew up the entire field!" Uraraka shouted, holding her fist up.
"It wasn't that big of a deal…" Midoriya scratched his cheek.
"That's a super normal school event-" Kirishima repeated, before getting cut off by Kaminari, putting his hand over his mouth.
"Wait a minute." Kaminari called.
"Is it okay to have a sports festival so soon after the villains snuck inside?" Jiro asked.
"What if they attack us again or something…?" Ojiro added.
"Apparently, they think of it as U.A. showing that our crisis management system is solid as a rock by holding the event. Security will also be strengthened to five times that of previous years. Above all, our sports festival is a huge chance. It's not an event to be cancelled because of a few villains." Aizawa explained.
"But that's a good reason, isn't it? It's just a festival of sports." Mineta whispered.
"Mineta, you've never seen the U.A. sports festival?" Midoriya overheard.
"Of course I have. That's not what I meant!" Mineta answered.
"Then what did you mean?" Midoriya asked Mineta.
Mineta stared at him before bursting into tears, crying, "We were just attacked by villains, okay?!"
"That doesn't answer the damn question!" Bakugo yelled at him, making Mineta jump.
"Bakugo, please stop yelling." Yaoyorozu spoke up.
"Yeah, I wanna find out Uraraka's idea!" Kaminari exclaimed.
"-you know, with reductions in scale and population, they're now a shell of their former glory. And now, for Japan, what has taken the place of those Olympics is the U.A. sports festival!" Aizawa explained more about the sports festival.
"Of course, all the top heroes around the country will be watching. For scouting purposes!" Yaoyorozu added to Mineta.
"I know that." Mineta told her.
"After we graduate, it's typical to join a pro hero agency as a sidekick." Kaminari held a thumbs up.
"A lot of people miss their chance to become independent after that and become eternal sidekicks, though." Jiro noted before turning to Kaminari, observing, "Kaminari, I feel like you'd be one of them. Since you're dumb."
The class bursted out laughing, Jiro's being the loudest while Kaminari crossed his arms, sulking.
"Am I wrong?" Jiro shouted over the laughter, making them laugh harder.
"Ha, ha. Laugh all you want, but I'll prove you wrong, you hear?" Kaminari vowed.
"If you don't, you can always join my number one pro hero agency, Dunce Face." Bakugo smirked.
"-is limited. If you expect to go pro, then this path to your future will open up at this event." Aizawa advised them. The student's faces lit up with determination as Aizawa declared, "One chance a year… a total of just three chances. No aspiring heroes can afford to miss this event. If you understand that, then don't slack off on your preparations!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Homeroom is dismissed." Aizawa announced.
A bell rang, signaling lunchtime as Cementoss opened the door to Class 1-A.
"Even though all that stuff happened, I'm getting really excited!" Kirishima exclaimed to Tokoyami and Sato.
"If we put on a good show and stand out…" Sero added, making his way to them, "...we'll have taken the first step to becoming a pro!"
"It was worth coming to U.A.!" Sato smirked.
"We will only receive a few chances. We cannot afford to miss this." Tokoyami agreed.
"Ojiro, I'm getting kind of nervous now. I need to stand out at the sports festival! Hip, hip, hooray!" Hagakure cheered, bouncing from one foot to the other.
"Y-Yeah…" Ojiro nodded, thinking, 'But the pros might not notice you unless you try really hard…'
"Oh, come on Ojiro, have some faith in her!" Ashido elbowed him.
"I do, it's just, well… Being invisible all the time, it's kind of hard to stand out…" Ojiro defended his past self.
"-just by standing still, so the scouts won't be able to stop looking at me, right?" Aoyama sparkled.
"Says the person who got last in the obstacle course…" Sero whispered, making Kaminari try to hold his laughter.
"You're just jealous that you can't sparkle like me!" Aoyama declared.
"I don't think anyone wants to shine in last place, Glitter." Bakugo noted flatly, making Aoyama wince.
"Your brawn stands out on its own." Kaminari sighed at Shoji.
"There's no point if I cannot show them my usefulness." Shoji stated.
"I think you'll stand out, too." Jiro told Kaminari, trying not to laugh as she imagined him saying, 'Yee!'.
"Everyone's so into it." Midoriya muttered nervously.
"You weren't?" Todoroki leaned past Iida.
"Well, I couldn't exactly control my quirk yet, so…" Midoriya's voice lowered, showing his nervousness.
"But you still denominated that obstacle course, Deku!" Uraraka cheered.
"-so of course we would get fired up!" Iida told Midoriya.
"Iida, you have a unique way of getting fired up. It's weird." Asui overheard.
"Midoriya, you don't feel the same?" Iida asked.
"Of course I do. But something's..." Midoriya sighed.
"Deku, Iida…"
Midoriya and Iida glanced behind them, seeing Uraraka's eyes narrowed with a strange dark aura around him
"Let's do our best at the sports festival." Uraraka grinned.
"Holy shit-" Sero, Kaminari and Sato flinched back.
"U-Uraraka… Are you all right…?" Yaoyorozu asked nervously.
"Yeah, just the nerves, you know." Uraraka chuckled while rubbing her neck.
"-though that's what your name means." Ashido observed about Uraraka's aura.
Mineta's cheeks turned pink as he watched Uraraka.
"PM-" Mineta started before getting slapped in the face with Asui's tongue.
Uraraka slid her foot on the floor, raising her fist up.
"Everyone, I'm gonna do my best!" Uraraka shouted.
"Yeah!" Iida, Midoriya, Asui and Ashido raised their fist.
"I'm gonna do my best!" Uraraka turned to Tokoyami, Sato, Kirishima and Sero.
"Y-Yeah…" the four of them raising their hands nervously.
'What's wrong? Your personality's all over the place.' Kirishima sweated.
'Now that I think about it…' Midoriya thought, putting his fist down.
"Everyone, I'm gonna do my best!" Uraraka yelled again.
'I never asked Uraraka…' Midoriya realized.
"What did you never ask her?" Kaminari asked, getting in Midoriya's face.
"Oh, um, why she wanted to be a hero?" Midoriya answered.
"Is that the idea, then?!" Kaminari looked at her.
'I hope it isn't…' Uraraka thought while shrugging at Kaminari.
"-you decide to come to U.A. and become a pro hero?" Midoriya asked Uraraka, walking out of the classroom with Iida.
"Huh? Um… because…" Uraraka stuttered.
"For money?!" Midoriya gasped.
"You wanna be a hero for money? That's shallow." Ashido frowned as Uraraka hid her face.
'Why did it have to show her reasoning?!' Uraraka panicked.
"No, no! It's for a good reason!" Midoriya stood up in her defense, Uraraka uncovering her face with one hand.
"She just wants to help her parents live a good life, that's all. It isn't shallow at all!" Midoriya looked at Ashido.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Uraraka." Ashido apologized
"I-It's fine." Uraraka reassured her.
"I think it's a good motivation to have, Uraraka!" Iida shouted.
"-to support your livelihood not admirable?" Iida questioned when Uraraka said it was embarrassing that he and Midoriya had admirable motivations.
"Right. But it's unexpected." Midoriya agreed.
Uraraka sighed before explaining, "My family owns a construction company, but we haven't gotten any work at all, so we're flat broke. This isn't really something to tell other people, though…"
While she explained, Uraraka was sweating and playing with her hair.
"We won't tell anyone, Uraraka! We promise!" Kirishima assured her, everyone else nodding.
"Thanks…" Uraraka smiled as she blushed.
"-way down, right?" Midoriya told Iida about her quirk and the cost of money.
"She could make any raw material float. They wouldn't need any heavy equipment." Iida agreed.
"Right? That's what I told Dad when I was little!" Uraraka blurted out, sighing, "But…"
Younger Uraraka stood clutching her shirt with tears in her eyes.
"Aw! Baby Uraraka!" Ashido and Hagakure exclaimed.
"So cute!" Asui added while Uraraka buried her face in a pillow.
"When I get big, I'll help you and Mommy!" Uraraka nodded, running up to them.
Her father stared at Uraraka before he smiled. As he bent down to his daughter, he put his hand on her head, ruffling her hair.
"I appreciate the thought, Ochaco. But as your dad, I'd be even happier if you could achieve your dream." Uraraka's father soothed.
"Your dad's so supportive." Jiro glanced at Uraraka, who still had her face in the pillow, but looked up at Jiro when she spoke.
"Th-Thank you." Uraraka stuttered.
"-take us to Hawaii!" Uraraka's father beamed.
Uraraka looked down at the ground, muttering, "Daddy…"
Uraraka clenched her skirt as she remembered.
"I'll definitely become a hero and make money and let my parents take it easy." Uraraka vowed to Midoriya and Iida.
The three stared at each other before Iida started clapping his hands.
The class started joining TV Iida, clapping and cheering on Uraraka.
Uraraka felt light as she heard her classmates cheer her on, until she realized she accidentally activated her quirk.
She put her fingers together, and landed on the couch.
Uraraka started blushing out of embarrassment.
'She's not just aspiring to be a hero. She's also taken reality into consideration.' Midoriya thought, staring at Uraraka with admiration.
A familiar laugh sounded in the halls, catching the three's attention.
"Young Midoriya is here!" All Might shouted, pointing at him.
"All Might? What's the matter?" Midoriya asked.
"Lunch!" All Might replied, holding up his, asking, "Wanna eat together?"
"He's like a maiden!" Uraraka bursted out laughing.
"You got to eat with All Might?!" Mineta shouted.
"Man, Midoriya got All Might's quirk?!" Kaminari teased.
"That was so cute…!" Ashido and Hagakure gushed.
"I'd love to." Midoriya walked over to him, wondering, 'I wonder what's going on…'
Walking into the lunchroom, Uraraka and Iida stood in line to get their lunch.
"I wonder what he wanted with Deku." Uraraka wondered to Iida.
"I heard that when All Might was attacked by villains during the USJ incident, he rushed out alone to help. Perhaps it's about that?" Iida told her.
"Oh, yeah!" Uraraka agreed.
"Remember what Asui said on the bus?" Iida pointed out.
'You're quirk is kind of like All Might's.'
"The boundless power they both have are similar, too, so maybe All Might has taken a liking to him. He's amazing." Iida noted, Uraraka nodding in agreement.
Todoroki stood a little ways in front of them in line, overhearing.
'All Might… and Izuku Midoriya…' Todoroki narrowed his eyes.
"Todoroki doesn't seem too happy about that." Kaminari whispered, his hand over his mouth.
"Only about fifty minutes?!" Midoriya gasped.
"Yeah… That's the limit to how long I can use my power now. I overdid it too many times." All Might explained.
"Now he realizes." Aizawa sighed.
"That Nomu was also a tough opponent. And it hurt… I can just barely maintain muscle form for 1.5 hours now." All Might admitted.
"About that… Sorr-" Midoriya began before All Might started laughing and coughing blood, making Midoriya jump.
"You don't have to apologize! Man, we really are alike, you and me. Have some tea." All Might laughed, placing down a cup.
"Thanks…" Midoriya took the cup of tea.
"More importantly, about the sports festival. You still can't regulate One for All, can you? What'll you do?" All Might asked.
Midoriya thought, then gasping, explaining, "But there was this one time…! When I aimed a smash at that brain villain, there was no backlash."
"Oh yeah, you mentioned that! What was different?" All Might intrigued.
"Different…" Midoriya repeated, trying to explain, "The biggest difference between that and the One for All that I'd been using was…"
Midoriya glanced at his right hand.
'...my quirk, Black Hole. I can suck anything and turn it to dust. But it is a power that can kill easily.'
"Why does it keep explaining stuff we already know!" Kaminari whined.
"Because it's probably important!" Jiro glared at him.
"Midoriya, you're looking a little dramatic there…" Sero chuckled when TV Midoriya talked about using his quirk on someone.
"I'm starting to think my theory on where this disc came from is false." Yaoyorozu narrowed her eyes.
"-like you succeeded in putting on the brakes unconsciously. Anyway, that's progress. I'm glad. Now, drink up." All Might instructed Midoriya.
"Oh, thank you." Midoriya took a sip of the tea.
"Frankly, I don't have much time left as the Symbol of Peace." All Might admitted, walking to look about the window.
"No way…" Midoriya muttered.
"And some of those with built-up villainous intent are starting to realize." All Might narrowed his eyes.
Midoriya stood up as All Might turned to face him, holding his hand out.
"I granted you my power because I want you to succeed me." All Might clenched his fist.
'I want to be like you. I want to become the greatest hero, like you! Saving people with a fearless smile.'
"That was a badass workout." Kirishima grinned.
"I still can't believe you cleaned the entire beach!" Hagakure blurted out.
"It was hard work…" Midoriya rubbed his neck.
"-time has come for you to show that. The U.A. sports festival is something pro heroes-no, the whole country-is watching closely. A big event! That is what I brought you here to talk about! The next All Might… the fledgling Symbol of Peace… Izuku Midoriya. I want you to tell the world 'I am here!'" All Might declared to Midoriya.
Ending plays.
"Jeez, talk about pressure." Sero breathed.
"Toshinori…" Aizawa closed his eyes, groaning, 'He is a high school student!'
"All Might wants you to be the new Symbol of Peace? That is a lot of stress on you, is it not?" Yaoyorozu worried to Midoriya.
"If he wants to be the new 'All Might', he's going to have to beat me first!" Bakugo yelled over everyone.
"Like I said early, I'll take up your challenge any day!" Midoriya narrowed his eyes while smirking.
"This new ending is just us… girls…?" Jiro questioned.
"I like this new ending." Mineta hummed to himself.
Chapter 19: Roaring Sports Festival
"The world has become a superhuman society, and about 80% of the world's population now has some kind of special trait. In this world swirling with chaos, the profession that everyone once dreamed about and admired came into the limelight." Midoriya narrated.
An imagery of Aizawa, Bakugo, Uraraka, Iida and Todoroki showing off their fighting skills and quirks, Midoriya continued.
"Heroes of justice fighting villains and saving people from distress. Yes, this is the story of how I became the greatest hero."
Opening plays.
"There it goes again! Saying Midoriya's gonna be the greatest hero." Kaminari exclaimed.
"What the hell is this?! You're the one that brought this thing in in the first place, Deku! You trying to rub it in?!" Bakugo yelled at Midoriya.
"You brought this case in though, Kacchan…" Kaminari teased.
"I'm starting to wonder if this is real…" Jiro thought out loud.
"Yeah, Deku! You can do it!" Uraraka jumped up and down.
A recap of the previous episode.
Title screen 'Roaring Sports Festival'
"The U.A. sports festival is something pro heroes-no, the whole country-is watching closely. A big event! That is what I brought you here to talk about! The next All Might… The fledgling Symbol of Peace… Izuku Midoriya. I want you to tell the world 'I am here'!" All Might announced to Midoriya, who looked shocked and confused.
"Maybe All Might shouldn't have put so much pressure about this onto you, huh?" Kirishima sympathized with Midoriya.
"I want to live up to his expectations, but sometimes I'm not sure if I can…" Midoriya confessed.
"He shouldn't have put that weight on you." Aizawa told him, groaning to himself, 'I'm going to have to talk to Toshinori. Again.'
"-business, general studies, and hero course come together and fight through preliminary games of different types by class year. The students who make it through face off in the finals. It's a round-robin tournament divided by grade." Midoriya explained the sports festival system to All Might.
"That's right! In other words, you can sell yourself with everything you've got!" All Might exclaimed.
"Right…" Midoriya muttered.
The couch All Might was sitting on fell, back along with him.
"Ouch!" some of the class murmured.
"I mean, what you say is absolutely correct!" Midoriya sounded more enthusiastic.
"You didn't offer him any help?!" Mineta cried.
"There he goes again…" Sero smiled as it showed Midoriya muttering to himself.
"-it right after what happened… Besides, All Might is already teaching me, so I'm not as motivated to stand out at the sports festival… In the first place, I don't think I can stand out in my current state, and I did terribly in the fitness tests…" Midoriya muttered, the words, 'mutter' surrounding him.
"No one's better at spouting nonsense than you!" All Might spat out blood.
"Nonsense?" Midoriya questioned.
"Yes, All Might's right, it is nonsense!" Iida yelled out.
"Why is it nonsense?" Midoriya asked, a little spooked by his yelling.
"You're a very talented person, Midoriya. And, you plan out strategies to help people and to help others win. You inspire everyone here to give a 100%-" Iida explained while waving his hands around.
"Even if he can't." Todoroki pointed out.
"Right! I never want to hear such negativity from you again!" Iida ordered (chopping the air while doing so uwu).
"Yeah! Iida's right! Your strategies are how me and Sero got our hero licenses!" Uraraka joined in.
"And how we rescued Tokoyami and Bakugo…" Todoroki added quietly, sparing a glance at Bakugo.
"Now, let us continue watching!" Iida pointed at the TV, realizing it had been playing the whole time.
"-back at the beach park." All Might told Midoriya to remember it, ending their meeting.
At the end of their class, Class 1-A stood in the classroom, Uraraka, Mineta, Iida and Midoriya gaping from something outside.
"Wh… Wh-What's going on?" Uraraka shouted, the door to the classroom crowded by students outside.
"What business do you have with Class A?" Iida asked the students.
"We can't get out! What'd you come here for, anyway?" Mineta exclaimed.
"Scouting out the enemy, small fry. We're the ones who made it out of the villains' attack. They probably wanna check us out before the sports festival." Bakugo told him.
Mineta pointed at Bakugo to Midoriya, shaking in his place.
"That's Kacchan in neutral." Midoriya whispered to Mineta.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Bakugo exclaimed to Midoriya.
"You're not angry, you're just… neutral." Midoriya answered.
"Huh?!" Bakugo questioned.
Bakugo made his way to the door, glaring down the students.
"Out of my way, extras!" Bakugo ordered.
Uraraka and Midoriya gaped, shaking at what Bakugo said.
"Stop calling people 'extras' just because you don't know them!" Iida chopped his hand.
"I came to see what the famous Class A was like, but you seem pretty arrogant." a student with purple hair and dead eyes explained, pushing his way to the front, asking, "Are all the students in the hero course like this?"
Iida, Mineta, Uraraka and Midoriya shook their heads at the question while Bakugo groaned.
"Seeing something like this makes me disillusioned." the purple-haired made it to the front, putting his hand behind his neck, continuing. "There are quite a few people who enrolled in general studies or other courses because they didn't make it into the hero course. Did you know that?"
"I never liked that guy." Bakugo spat.
"Shinso is nice once you get to know him." Midoriya defended him.
"I bet you got a good job knowing him, when he… brainwashed you." Kaminari teased.
"Yes, about that… How did you escape his quirk, Midoriya?" Yaoyorozu asked.
"We'll find out if we watch." Todoroki told her before Midoriya spoke.
"-may also transfer people out." the purple-haired students explained about transfering students out and into the hero course, making Class 1-A stiffen. Eyeing the class, the purple-haired muttered, "Scouting out the enemy? I, at least, came to say that even if you're in the hero course, if you get carried away, I'll sweep your feet out from under you. I came with a declaration of war."
'This person's bold, too!' Iida, Uraraka and Midoriya thought.
Bakugo and the students stared at each other, glaring.
"Hey, hey! I'm from Class B next door!" a gray-haired student with long eyelashes shouted, breaking the tension.
"Hey, Tetsutetsu!" Kirishima beamed.
"-against villains, so I came to hear 'bout it! Don't get so full of yourself!" the gray-haired spat at them.
'Another bold person!' Iida, Midoriya and Uraraka blinked.
"Hey, Tetsutetsu, maybe calm down…" Kaminari whispered.
"-embarrassing for you durin' the real fight!" another student yelled at the gray-haired while Bakugo started walking toward the crowd of students, pushing his way out.
"You ignorin' me, bastard?!" the gray-haired yelled out, ignoring the other.
"Wait a minute, Bakugo! What're you gonna do about all this? It's your fault everyone's hating on us!" Kirishima stopped him.
"It doesn't matter." Bakugo replied.
"Huh?!" Kirishima raised an eyebrow.
"It doesn't matter as long as you rise to the top." Bakugo spat, continuing his walking.
"Damnit, you bastard!" the gray-haired popped from the crowd.
"What do you think would've happened if Class B found out about this disc?" Koda whispered to Shoji.
"Monoma probably would've laughed since this is about us." Kaminari overheard.
"Monoma does like to mess with us by stealing our mail…" Jiro groaned.
"But thanks to Kendo, he has stopped doing it!" Yaoyorozu smiled.
"It's only been a week, Yao-momo." Jiro remarked.
"I hate that damn copycat…" Bakugo groaned.
"You only hate him because he gave you a taste of your own medicine." Kirishima elbowed him.
"'Taste of his own medicine'?" Midoriya turned around at the two.
"You'll see in the sports festival." Kirishima replied, thinking, 'Bakugo wouldn't like it if I told everyone… yet.'
"-be at a disadvantage at the sports festival!" Mineta agreed with Kaminari about Bakugo making enemies while Sato, Kirishima and Tokoyami agreed with Bakugo. While they argued, Midoriya stared at the entrance to the classroom.
'I'm just… I'm just getting started! You hear?'
"It's soft Bakugo…" Kaminari whispered.
"Shut the hell up, Dunce Face!" Bakugo growled at him.
"Hey, Kaminari…" Sero elbowed him, teasing, "...this is a one chance thing, so take a picture!"
"That's a great idea!" Kaminari beamed, pretending to take out his phone.
"You two idiots are going to be dead when I get my hands on you!" Bakugo raged.
'-an idiot…?!' Midoriya thought.
"What did I say about negativity, Midoriya!" Iida chopped his hands at him.
"Ah! S-Sorry!" Midoriya apologized.
'I set my sights on being a hero because I want to be like my brother.'
'Time is limited. If you expect to go pro, then the path to your future will open up at this…'
'That slight difference in attitudes will have a big impact once you go out into society.'
Midoriya clenched his fist as he stood on the beach, staring at his past self screaming from the top of the trash pile he worked hard to clean.
"When'd you get to the beach?" Sato asked.
"I think it's just a flashback." Asui answered.
Midoriya stared at the image, narrowing his eyes as he nodded.
'Dagoba Municipal Beach Park'
Footprints were made in the sand as Midoriya ran on the beach.
"The U.A. sports festival is in two weeks. It'll be broadcast live on TV, too. There's no doubt that those who do well have a much better chance of becoming pro heroes." Midoriya narrated, him doing push-ups in his room as he narrated, "We won't know what events we'll be participating in until the day of. But I'm sure everyone has started getting ready."
Montages of the class preparing for the sports festival.
"That was so fun to do with you!" Ashido hugged Uraraka as it showed Uraraka making rocks float while Ashido used her acid.
"That hurt…" Aoyama sighed, him in on the training Ashido and Uraraka did, getting hit on the head by a rock that he shot his laser at before.
"Aw! Koda with all the animals is so cute!" Hagakure gushed, making Koda hide his face.
"Damn, Kirishima, you sure you ain't breaking yourself doing that?" Kaminari commented, showing Kirishima falling from a building, using his quirk.
"Nope." Kirishima smiled.
"Ha! Good job training, Kaminari!" Jiro smacked his arm, showing him shooting out his lightning, making his brain fired.
"Good job on yours, too, Jiro. That was an excellent shot." Yaoyorozu praised her, showing Jiro shooting darts with her earphone jacks.
The class bursted out laughing when it showed Mineta's, him holding a trophy, saying, 'Thank you.'
"I thought this was about Midoriya…" Mineta grumbled as his class laughed.
"Time passed in the blink of an eye, and the morning of the sports festival arrived." Midoriya narrated.
"Izuku, be careful not to get hurt." Midoriya's mother told him as he packed his bag.
Some of the class started giggling while Midoriya ducked his head.
'I'm so sorry, Mom.' Midoriya sweated.
"Okay." Midoriya responded.
"I'll record it, okay? In high resolution." his mother explained.
"Okay." Midoriya replied, grabbing the doorknob to leave.
"Do your best." Midoriya's mother beamed at him.
Midoriya nodded before exclaiming, "I'm off!"
Fireworks went off at U.A. as reporters crowded outside the entrance.
"The bag check's taking forever." the woman reporter from before USJ complained.
"They were just attacked by villains. Of course they'll be more strict. There are people criticizing their decision to hold it this year." the photographer from before narrowed his eyes at her.
"Controversy equals ratings!" the woman winked.
"What is that woman's deal?" Ojiro asked.
"I don't know, but I wish she was the reporter who interviewed us." Mineta whined.
"With the passion of their last chance and the tactics from their experience, the third years have always been the main event in past years… But this year, the first-year stage is the one to watch!"
"Hey, did you know that Endeavor's son is a first-year this year?"
"They're talking about Todoroki!" Kaminari exclaimed, glancing at him.
'Of course…' Todoroki sighed.
"The first-year stage is gonna be good, huh?"
"One order of takoyaki, please."
"Oh, Mt. Lady!" a man smiled up at Mt. Lady, who was drooling from the food.
"No green seaweed." Mt. Lady added.
"One, right? That'll be 500 yen." the man explained.
"Huh?" Mt. Lady gaped before she started to punt, as she made herself look seductive, whispering, "Um… I don't have that much on me right now…"
"Hmmmmm…" Mineta moaned, making Sero slap his tape over his eyes.
"Why doesn't it show the events yet?" Bakugo yelled out.
"It'll be there soon, just watch, okay, bro." Kirishima told him.
Kamui and Death Arms walked through the stands, watching people order food and beverages before the event.
"I had also hoped to be able to do some scouting." Kamui told Death Arms.
"We have to work security, so we don't have a choice." Death Arms replied.
Mt. Lady munched on her snack as they walked.
"It looks like they called pro heroes from all over the country this year." Mt. Lady observed.
'Waiting Room Class A'
"Man… I wanted to wear my costume." Ashido complained, wearing the school p.e. clothes.
"To keep everything fair, we can't." Ojiro explained as he stretched his arms.
"I wonder what the first round's gonna be…" Sato sat with Tokoyami and Shoji at a table in the room.
"No matter what comes, we have no choice but to deal with it." Tokoyami stated.
"Right." Shoji agreed as Iida opened the door to the room.
"Everyone,are you ready? We will be entering soon!" Iida announced.
At the news, Midoriya took a deep breath in and out.
"Person, person, person, person, person…" Mineta whispered beside Midoriya.
"Looking quite nervous over there, Mineta." Sero grinned at Mineta, who deadpanned back in reply.
"Todoroki? What is it?" Midoriya asked when Todoroki called his name, getting the attention of everyone as they looked at the two, waiting for Todoroki's reply.
"Looking at things objectively, I think I'm stronger than you." Todoroki told him, making Midoriya flinch.
"Y-Yeah…" Midoriya agreed, hanging his head but not breaking eye contact.
"But… All Might has his eye on you, doesn't he?" Todoroki asked, Midoriya flinching again while Todoroki continued, declared, "I'm not trying to pry about that. But I'm going to beat you."
"Oh? Is the best in the class making a declaration of war?" Kaminari teased while Kirishima stood up out of his chair beside him.
"Yes. I was, Kaminari." Todoroki turned to him.
"I-I knew, dude. Just teasing." Kaminari replied.
"Not now, we're about to start!" Kirishima placed his hand on Todoroki's shoulder, asking him why he was picking a fight all of a sudden.
"We're not here to play at being friends. So what does it matter?" Todoroki brushed his hand off before walking off, leaving Midoriya to think.
"Todoroki, I don't know what you're thinking when you say you'll beat me, but of course you're better than me. I think you're more capable than most people… Looking at it objectively…" Midoriya started, making Todoroki stop to glance back.
"Midoriya, you probably shouldn't talk so negatively…" Kirishima smiled nervously.
"Kirishima is absolutely right." Iida agreed.
"Shush! This was a tense moment!" Sero hushed him.
"-the top with everything they've got!" Midoriya explained to Todoroki.
'I want to become the greatest hero!'
I can't afford to fall behind. I'll be going for it with everything I have, too." Midoriya finished, staring down Todoroki.
"Yeah." Todoroki nodded while Bakugo narrowed his eyes at the two.
"Hey!" Present Mic announced on screen, making the crowd roar, Present Mic continuing, "Pay attention, audience! Swarm, mass media! This year's high school rodeo of adolescence that you all love, the U.A. sports festival, is about to begin! Everybody, are you ready?! It's time for the students to enter the first-year stage!"
As the music on TV, Midoriya's mother sat on her couch, tense
"Izuku…" she uttered.
"I'm pretty sure your mom had a heart attack when she saw your fight with Todoroki." Jiro looked at Midoriya.
"I probably scared her, yeah…" Midoriya sighed.
"You think it'll show our parents reactions?" Uraraka asked Asui.
"I'm not sure, but if we continue watching, we'll see." Asui replied.
'-tell the world 'I am here!'
"Roger that, All Might!" Midoriya whispered to himself as Class 1-A walked onto the field for the event, fireworks going off around the arena.
"The U.A. sports festival! The huge battle where fledgling heroes sharpen their swords once a year! Anyway, these are the guys, right? The miraculous new stars who overcome enemy attacks with their hearts of steel! Hero course, Class 1-A, right?!" Present Mic cheered along with the crowd while Class 1-A looked up at the people in the stands.
"Th-Th-There are so many people…" Midoriya uttered shakingly.
"Will we be able to give our best performance being watched by so many people? This is also part of the training required to become a hero." Iida asked next to Midoriya.
"Man, he's going overboard with that praise! I'm getting nervous!" Kirishima smirked, before turning to Bakugo in front of him, asking, "Aren't you, Bakugo?"
"No, I'm just getting more into it." Bakugo grinned up at the crowd.
"They haven't been getting as much airtime, but this class is also full of talent! Hero course, Class 1-B!" Present Mic continued as the class walked out.
Present Mic continued announcing the other classes until they all gathered in the middle and the audience cheered.
"We're just here to make those guys look better, huh?" a student from the purple-haired student's class noted about the hero course.
"I'm not really feeling it…"
"Time for the player pledge!" a teacher shouted, standing on a podium.
"Oh, this year's chief umpire for the first years is the R-Rated Hero, Midnight?" the crowd blushed.
While Sero held Mineta in place with his tape, Shoji asked, "If she's an R-Rated Hero, should she really have led the games?"
Ojiro shrugged in response.
"-third-year stage every year." a hero in the crowd answered another about Nezu.
"What is Midnight Sensei wearing?" Kirishima blushed uncomfortably.
"That's an R-Rated Hero for you." Kaminari nodded, a slight blush too.
"Is it okay for her to be at a high school even though she's R-Rated?" Tokoyami asked while Mineta held a thumbs up, nodding aggressively.
The class sighed.
"Quiet, everyone!" Midnight called out. "Representing the students is Katsuki Bakugo from Class 1-A!"
Some of the class glared in Bakugo's direction; who could see the stares on him.
'I know I was acting like a jerk with what I said on that stage, but if I could go back, maybe I'd change a few words…' Bakugo thought to himself.
Being called, Bakugo started walking up onto the stage.
"What? It's Kacchan?" Midoriya whispered.
"That guy did finish first in the entrance exam." Sero remarked.
"In the hero course." a girl huffed.
"R-Right." Midoriya stuttered, rubbing his neck.
"It's obvious she hates us." Sero whispered.
"And it's all Bakugo's fault." Kaminari narrowed his eyes.
Bakugo walked up the stairs to the podium as everyone waited.
"I pledge- That I'll be number one." Bakugo spoke into the microphone.
'I knew he'd do that!' Class 1-A panicked.
"What the heck?"
"Stop messing around!"
"Don't be so full of yourselves, Class A!"
"You sludge bastard!"
Kirishima cringed as he noticed almost all eyes on Bakugo.
"He can be so infuriating!" Hagakure whispered scarcely to Ashido.
'Sludge bastard… huh…?' Bakugo glared at the floor.
"Why are you doing something so disgraceful?!" Iida yelled at Bakugo.
"At least become a nice bouncy step for me to jump off of." Bakugo gave a thumbs down.
"That's it." Uraraka got up from her seat, making Midoriya pause as everyone watched her make her way to Bakugo, who looked up at her when she stopped in front of him.
"Why do you act like this? At first, I didn't care but after seeing what you did to Deku and how you acted, I can't just watch you say something so disrespectful like that. Just because you were praised as a child doesn't mean you have to act so rude!" Uraraka angrily exclaimed at him, the class dead silent.
"U-Uraraka, come on, it's-" Midoriya started before Jiro got up.
"You don't have to be so rude and make us all look bad." Jiro glared, putting her elbow on Uraraka as she spoke.
Kirishima stood up to defend Bakugo before Midoriya started speaking.
"Come on, just calm down. Let's watch-" Midoriya attempted again, inching closer and closer to the three.
"Why do you defend him?!" Uraraka spun around, almost making Jiro fall, as she turned to Midoriya, demanding, "He's done nothing but bully you, tease you, and even tried to kill you! Why do you always try and defend him?!"
The class switched their attention from Uraraka to Midoriya, awaiting his answer while Midoriya stared at his friend before looking down, a shadow over his eyes.
"Because…" Midoriya uttered, clenching his fist as he said, "Because how can I be a hero if I hurt others?"
Midoriya looked up at Uraraka, seeing a confused expression on her face.
"I understand what Kacchan has done to me in the past, but... I forgive him. That's why I didn't want him to be expelled. He wants to become a hero, like he's dreamed since we were kids. Like I've dreamed. And if I take my anger out on him and tell Aizawa Sensei I want him gone, how is that any less of being a villain?" Midoriya explained.
'I never understood why Deku wanted me to stay, but if he thought that it would make him a villain doing that, he really must have forgiven me.' Bakugo realized before standing up, making Uraraka turn back to him.
"If you think expelling me makes you a villain, Deku…" Bakugo began, looking around at his classmates, asking, "Then how the hell do the rest of you think he could ever become one?"
"How overconfident can you get?" the gray-haired student raged to himself.
Todoroki grabbed the remote and paused the TV.
The tense moment that gripped the class began to fade as a few started chuckling.
"That was perfect timing." Kaminari noted as Jiro, Uraraka and Midoriya made their way back to their seats, Midoriya looking over his shoulder at Bakugo.
'He believed in me… He even defended me.' Midoriya thought as he sat down, Bakugo and Kirishima doing the same.
'I can't believe he would call himself a villain if he said he wanted me expelled.' Bakugo scuffed.
"I'll crush you!" the gray-haired student shouted at Bakugo.
"Tetsutetsu may have a similar quirk to mine, but he's got your personality, huh, Bakugo?" Kirishima pointed at him.
"Shove off." Bakugo muttered.
'-laughed while saying that.' Midoriya narrowed his eyes as Bakugo made his way off stage, Iida still yelling at him. As he walked closer to Midoriya, Midoriya realized, 'He's driving himself into a corner.'
As he passed Midoriya, Bakugo bumped his shoulder. Midoriya turned his head as he watched him walk away, then sighed.
'Getting the rest of us caught up in it is just like Kacchan, though.' Midoriya noted.
"If Bakugo laughed, the entire first year courses would've targeted us all." Ashido shook her head.
"-first game is what you'd call a qualifier! Every year, many drink their tears here!" Midnight announced.
As Midnight spoke, Uraraka whispered to Asui, "U.A. does everything 'right away', huh?"
"Now here is the fateful first game!" Midnight said, raising her hand as a illusion board showed, spinning until it stopped on 'Obstacle Race'
"An obstacle course…" Midoriya muttered.
Midnight explained the rules for the obstacle course. When she finished, Midnight licked her lips.
"As long as you stay on the course, it doesn't matter what you do!" Midnight announced.
"AH! I never thought I'd see her sadistic side again!" Mineta cried before his body got taped up by Sero, his mouth included, and stuck to the ceiling.
"Is that okay, Aizawa Sensei?" Sero asked, pointing at Mineta.
"Just get him down after this is over." Aizawa replied.
"Yes, sir!" Sero saluted.
The students stood at the gate to begin the obstacle course.
'All Might…' Midoriya thought.
'I want you to tell the world 'I am here'!'
'Thinking about it realistically, without really being able to regulate One for All… That's too unreasonable…' Midoriya told himself.
One light on the gate went off.
Midoriya narrowed his eyes. 'That's why I have to go beyond.'
Another light.
All Might squeezed his hands together.
'Please watch me!' Midoriya pleaded as the last light went off.
"Start!" Midnight shouted, a signal for the students to go through the gate.
In the narrow hallway to begin, the students shuffled through.
"Okay, here's the play-by-play!" Present Mic announced. Turning to Aizawa beside him, Present Mic teased, "Are you ready to do the commentary, Mummy Man?"
"Why didn't I think of that?" Kaminari exclaimed.
"Call me 'Mummy Man', and I'll see you watching the school from the outside." Aizawa told him.
"Y-Yes, sir!" Kaminari choked.
"Let's get started right away, Mummy Man. What should we pay attention to in the early stage?" Present Mic beamed.
"This part right now." Aizawa answered.
The students squeezed together in the hallway.
"Hey, hey!"
"This is too narrow!"
"Ouch!"
"Hey, move!"
In the middle, Midoriya's face got elbowed multiple times.
"Ouch…" some of the class commented.
"I think almost everyone got something like that from this." Shoji remarked.
Midoriya poked his head out from the shoving to get a look.
'I see… This means, from the start, it's already…' Midoriya thought.
'The first sifting.' Todoroki finished as flurries appeared from underneath everyone's feet. Ice spread across the entrance outside as Todoroki ran out from the large group of students, who were stuck by the ice.
"Sorry..." Todoroki apologized.
"So cold!"
"Outta my way! I can't get it off!"
An explosion went off, Bakugo, Aoyama, Yaoyorozu and Kirishima jumping out from the ice with faces of determination.
"Todoroki thought that ice could hold moi back." Aoyama flipped his hair.
"You still got last place, Glitter." Bakugo responded.
Todoroki turned his head, watching the four.
"I won't let you get away so easily! You half-and-half bastard!" Bakugo declared, blasting himself toward Todoroki while Ojiro used his tail to avoid the ice.
"You got me with that once. You won't get me again!" Ojiro smirked.
"Woah, that was close!" Ashido sprayed her acid on the ice, the other students started trying to run or walk on the ice.
The purple-haired student had three people carry him on the ice.
"That could've been you, Midoriya." Kaminari pointed at the TV.
"That should've been you." Jiro corrected him.
"-outside of Class A were able to dodge that than I expected…" Todoroki thought out loud before looking up to see Mineta pull his balls from his head onto the ice, using them as stepping stones.
"I've outwitted you Todoroki! How pathetic!" Mineta cried at him, getting closer and closer to him. Mineta pulled another ball from his head, grinning, "Take this! My special attack! Gra-"
Before Mineta finished, he was hit in the side by a robot arm.
"Nice…" Jiro smiled while some of the girls chuckled, Mineta sighing through the tape.
Mineta rolled to the ground, screaming the whole time.
"Mineta!" Midoriya called before gasping as he saw several robots before them.
"Targets found… Lots!"
"The faux villains from the entrance exam?" Midoriya realized.
"Come on Midoriya, attack them like you did before!" Kirishima yelled.
"But if he does, then he'll be injured." Yaoyorozu reminded him.
"Oh yeah, true." Kirishima rubbed his neck.
"Midoriya still got first place, though." Asui reminded them.
"-with the first barrier! Robo Inferno!" Present Mic announced.
Kaminari slid into the front, stopping himself as he gaped, "Aren't those the zero-point villains from the entrance exam?"
"You know, Midoriya, it would've been nice if you went…" Kaminari started, throwing punches at the air.
"Again, if he did that, he'd be injured." Jiro told him, narrowing her eyes.
"-they used in the general entrance exam?" Todoroki narrowed his eyes.
"I wonder where they got the money for that?" Yaoyorozu questioned as a robot aimed to hit Todoroki.
"If they went through all this trouble, I wish they would've prepared something better." Todoroki muttered, using his ice to move himself out of the way of the robot. Narrowing his eyes, Todoroki remarked, "Since my old man is watching."
Todoroki slid his right hand on the ground before whipping it up at the robot, ice coming from his hand as it froze the robot in place. Todoroki stood in place for a while, exhaling out an icy breath.
"Jeez, Todoroki, you really are brutal!" Sero looked up at him.
"It was just a robot." Todoroki responded.
"Also, what did you mean by, 'Since my old man is watching'?" Yaoyorozu asked him. When Todoroki flinched, Yaoyorozu replied, "Nevermind."
"-their legs! We can get through!" Sato shouted out about the robot.
"I wouldn't if I were you. I froze them when they were unbalanced." Todoroki warned as the robot started cracking before it broke into pieces, crashing to the ground, Todoroki finishing, "They'll fall over."
"Todoroki from Class 1-A! He attacked and defended in one hit! How elegant!" Present Mic cheered, the crowd following.
"That's not elegant, Mic Sensei. That's destructive." Aoyama corrected.
"Maybe not…" Ashido replied, whispering to Jiro and Yaoyorozu, "...but he is looking elegant."
"It's, you know, practically unfair!" Present Mic remarked, holding a thumbs up to Aizawa.
"His actions are logical and strategic." Aizawa explained.
"As expected of someone who got in through recommendations! He'd never fought them before, but those Robo Infernos couldn't get past his elite moves!"
More robots appeared while the students stood around.
'Gotta hurry…!' Midoriya gritted his teeth.
"You can't beat those. Run… Run away, Izuku!" Midoriya's mother cried at the TV.
"Aw! Poor Mrs. Midoriya…" Ashido punted.
"I hope I didn't frighten her too much now that I can see what her reaction is." Midoriya put his hand behind his neck.
'-the obstacles around me.' Midoriya planned about the robot's attention span.
'Idiot, why?! Why can't I move?'
Midoriya moved his foot, grinning shakingly
'Come on, think! Now what?' Midoriya asked himself.
Ending plays.
"Oh come on!" the class complained.
"Why did it have to end like that?!" Bakugo huffed.
"It was just getting to the good parts!" Sato agreed.
"Let's continue watching then!" Iida pointed at the TV.
"Aizawa Sensei, how many more can we watch?" Yaoyorozu asked him.
"One more… I'm getting tired." Aizawa sighed.
"Aw! Can we please watch more!" Ashido pleaded.
Aizawa glanced at the eager faces of the class.
"Three, I'm leaving after the next one ends. So, Iida…" Aizawa explained. Iida looked up at him, Aizawa instructing, "...you and Yaoyorozu are in charge once I leave, so make sure they turn it off at a rational time."
"Yes, sir!"
"Well then, let's continue!" Kaminari shouted.