Chapter 15 - Luck

Recovery Girl tended to everyone's injuries as the second event was set up. Your burns were only minor and your coughing had subsided, so you were released from her tent quickly. On your way out you noticed a number of students covered in smoke connected to oxygen tanks. It made your heart drop and that peculiar sense of déjà vu tainted your thoughts again. You hadn't helped them. You hadn't been a hero.

Leaving the tent feeling a new sense of shame you made your way to the waiting area. A list of the 48 qualifiers filled a giant leader board at the center of the stadium. It was further broadcast on the screens around the arena.

There you were. 28th. Middling. You huffed an annoyed sigh then scanned the rest of the board, starting from the top.

#1 Iida Tenya - good for you Iida

#2 Todoroki Shouto

#3 Bakugou Katsuki

#4 Tokoyami Fumikage

#5 Asui Tsuyu

#6 Shiozaki Ibara

You continued to search the list for your classmates. Izuku was lower than you had expected at #13, but it made more sense when Ochako ranked #12.

Snipe's voice boomed across the stadium. "Guys and gals, it's time to get ready for the second event!" The crowd cheered. "Let's see what it'll be!" The roulette wheel spun around as it had before. You watched the digital ball hop over red, then black, then red...

"It's time for a Relay Race!" Your eyes widened. "You'll be needin' four members per team. Each member's gotta complete one lap 'round the main UA building, 'bout 1 kilometer. Don't y'all go expectin' the ground to be flat like a standard foot race. This is a UA relay." He held up a blue and white baton. "You gotta pass this on to your teammate." There was a shuffle around the space.

"Hold your horses! There's one more thing." Numbers flashed up next to the names on the leader board.

#1 - 94

#2 - 92

"Your teams will be taking off from different starting blocks depending on your ranks. 48th place will be at the true starting line, while first place will be 94 meters back. All rank distances will be summed. If first through fourth teamed up, they'd begin 364 meters behind the starting line. Get it? Y'all have fifteen minutes to pick your teams."

Anxious chatter filled the air. In a race where centimeters could mean the difference between winning and losing, starting behind anyone was terrifying. You started to strategize in your head. Whatever team you were on would already be placed 38 meters behind the starting line. The best mobility experts in your class were in the top 15, all pushing your starting place farther and farther back. You chewed on your lower lip.

"Who else are you thinking for a team?" Todoroki stood beside you. You nearly jumped out of your skin at his sudden presence.

"What do you mean who else?" you asked, still distracted by your own planning.

"It'll be us, and who else do you want?" he said matter-of-factly. Your eyebrows raised. "You agreed to be my partner during the Festival," he reminded you.

"Shouto, we really don't have to." You kicked the surrounding dirt.

"You run every day. I'm sure half of these people won't even be able to make it over whatever uneven terrain is out there. Who else do you want?" His tone was forceful and confident. He had made up his mind to be your partner. You had agreed. There was no backing out now.

"I want Izuku and Tsuyu," you said after a moment.

"That'll put us...282 meters behind. You okay with that?" Todoroki asked, scanning the leader board and tallying the values in his head.

"Of course not. But if we want to have good mobility with people we can trust to handle rough terrain, that's who I want." Todoroki nodded at your thinking and turned, looking for the green-haired students.

"ASHTRAY! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING? GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!" Bakugou's voice carried from across the arena floor. You snapped to face him, knowing there would not be a good way to phrase your response. He was standing next to Kirishima and Sero who both smiled toward you, waving their hands as a sign of 'come this way'.

"I'm good. I've got a team." You waved back casually, acting as though he wasn't about to explode. His brow furrowed and he stomped toward you.

"Yeah. Mine." The explosive blond was getting closer.

"Actually, she's with me," that familiar calm voice, "I called shotgun." Todoroki had returned with Izuku and Tsuyu, a bored expression on his face. The green-haired boy tapped Todoroki on the arm and whispered something into his ear. "Dibs. I meant dibs."

Your eyes flicked between the two boys now on either side of you. You watched Izuku and Tsuyu back away slightly as Bakugou bubbled up with rage.

"FUCK THAT ICYHOT! SHE'S MY GODDAMN PARTNER! SHE'S ON MY TEAM! GO FUCK OFF AND DIE!" Thankfully the crowd was loud enough to drown out some of Bakugou's shouts but the small groups standing around your party were stunned silent.

"We had an arrangement. She picked me. So, I suggest you go find another member before time runs out." Todoroki's eyes burned with a fire you'd never seen. He was determined. He wanted to win.

Putting your life on the line you stepped between the two glaring boys and pressed your hands to their chests. In your best resolute and fearless voice you addressed Bakugou first.

"You! I agreed to partner with him. Get over it. You can kick his ass later." You faced Todoroki. "And you! Don't provoke him. Don't make me regret being on this team." The boys still glared at each other. You pushed with both your hands, sending each stumbling back a step, breaking their eye contact.

"Ugh! Grow the fuck up! Both of you!" You threw your hands into the air exasperated and walked toward Tsuyu and Izuku.

***

Screens within the arena showed images of the massive glass central UA building and the relay track around its circumference. Spectators would be able to see the entire field, every obstacle, but the teams on the ground wouldn't know what was coming. Twelve lanes were spread out, ensuring students wouldn't be running or flying or jumping on top of each other. The distance between your team and the starting line seemed so far. Seeing other teams dotted closer to the marked pavement, you tensed.

Bakugou and his team, now completed with Mina - same group as last year, you noticed - stood a good hundred meters ahead of you. Having Kirishima on their team with his low rank had worked out well. Bakugou would use his explosions, Kirishima would break through any barriers, Mina would slide with ease on her acid and Sero would pull himself with his tape. It was a solid team. The knot in your stomach tightened.

"We have to pick our order," Tsuyu's voice broke you from your thoughts. "First and second will be at a disadvantage, as first doesn't know what's coming, and second won't get to listen to the first runner's experience before they have to begin their lap, kiro." You bit your lip.

"I'll go first." Todoroki stepped forward, already holding the baton. "Anything in the way I can clear with either my ice or fire. Even if the second runner doesn't know what's coming, it should make the path smoother."

"I think Midoriya should go last." Tsuyu looked at the green-haired boy.

"You want me to be the closer?" Izuku suddenly looked like a giant weight had been placed on his shoulders. He began to sweat.

"If we're falling behind at all you should be able to make up for it with your speed, jumps, and maybe even air attacks," Tsuyu continued.

"But we won't be falling behind! So don't worry." You tried to push a reassuring smile to your lips, but your nerves only made it to an awkward half-grin.

"Then I guess it just leaves spots two and three." Todoroki looked between you and Tsuyu.

"I think I should go second," Tsuyu said. "Not having a mobility type quirk, [y/n] will need as much information about the course as possible, kiro." Feeling suddenly embarrassed about your 'normal' mobility you dropped your head.

"I'll do my best," you said to the ground. Izuku placed a hand on your back. You looked up. That giant, sweet, freckled smile was staring back at you.

"We got this [y/n]. Plus Ultra!" You laughed at the school motto.

"Plus Ultra."

***

Todoroki was poised on your starting block, the baton clutched in his left hand. He was clearly going to start making a path with ice from his right side. It was eerily quiet for the number of people all crowded together at their starting locations. Everyone was concentrating. Todoroki's eyes were down, focusing on nothing but the inevitable sound of the starting pistol.

3...

2...

1...

A wave of ice shot back from Todoroki's heels, nearly hitting you, Tsuyu and Izuku. But in the time it had taken you to regain your composure, Todoroki was out of view, already around the first corner of the building.

Izuku swung a lazy punch at the ice, dispersing it into dust, clearing the path for Tsuyu. You stood to the side, bouncing lightly on the balls of your feet, your fingertips lit in anticipation of your lap. From your position, you could just hear the mania within the stadium.

***

Todoroki was back within five minutes. Before he slowed, he shoved the baton into Tsuyu's outstretched hand and she was off. Your eyes widened at their speed.

ASUI TSUYU, HERO NAME: FROPPY—QUIRK: FROG. FROG IS THE SUMMATION OF TSUYU'S MANY FROG-RELATED ABILITIES. THIS INCLUDES FROG-LIKE ANATOMY, GREAT LEG STRENGTH, WALL CLINGING, A POWERFUL EXTENDING TONGUE, CAMOUFLAGING AND FAST SWIMMING. TSUYU IS SEEMINGLY CAPABLE OF USING ALL THOSE SKILLS LIMITLESSLY AND IN COMBINATION WITH ONE ANOTHER.

Without even taking a moment to breathe, Todoroki quickly rolled up his left sleeve and activated his quirk, bringing a sudden inferno to his skin. You pulled in the smoke it provided, greedily filling your reserves. He finally took in one big breath and then broke into an explanation of the obstacles on the circuit.

Before you could fully appreciate everything Todoroki said, Tsuyu's froggy form turned the last corner. She was propelling herself on all fours and held the baton with her tongue. You planted your feet on the starting block, holding your left arm out to receive the blue and white cylinder.

Contact.

You began to sprint. You could barely see other running figures out of your periphery, but you didn't care about anything other than your lane, your obstacles, your race. You shoved the baton down your shirt. You'd need your hands.

You turned the first corner and threw out your tendrils. A series of metal bars, chains, and blocks hung from a lattice above while the ground fell away into an apparent abyss. Without pausing to feel the nerves that would surely rise if you thought about your position, you swung your way across. It almost felt like the monkey bars on a playground. A very dangerous playground. Dropping to the ground moments later you pulled in your ropes and continued your sprint.

One obstacle down.

Remnants of Todoroki's ice were still on the track. The streaks of white got bigger, building into a ramp which led to a wall. The wall was at least five stories high with small footholds every five to ten feet. You had to go over. There was no way around or through with your quirk. Thankfully Todoroki had kept to the right side of the wall, leaving plenty of footholds on the left for you to hook your tendrils onto. You threw your rope and climbed, threw and climbed, threw and climbed.

Breathing heavily, you reached the top, only to look down at the terrifying drop. There was no time to be cautious. You hooked your tendril to the topmost foothold on the other side and let yourself belay quickly to the ground. Can't rest yet. Shouto said there's only one more obstacle. Dissolving the rope you ran once more.

You rounded the third corner. Your eyes went wide as you took in the volcanic ground in front of you. Geysers of steam shot from fissures in the black rock and streaks of magma could be seen under the unstable foundation. You saw Todoroki's ice which easily cut a lane across the wasteland, but you knew the high likelihood that you would slip or fall if you tried to run on the frozen path. Instead, you sent a layer of smoke to your shoes, cushioning yourself from encountering the fiery ground.

You took your first step, feeling slightly uneasy at the buoyancy of the smoke cloud, but stabilized your center and took another. Three steps in it started to feel more comfortable, by ten, like you'd been running on clouds your whole life. Even without the friction of a shoe touching the ground you could produce immense force, subconsciously pushing with your tendrils. A tall black rock framed the edge of the volcanic zone. You pushed stilts from your hands and feet simultaneously, easily launching yourself over the obstruction.

Thank God for Aizawa's lessons. I would have never crossed that...

The landing stung. The cushion around your feet had dissipated when you released the tendrils, but you couldn't focus on anything but the adrenaline coursing through your veins and rounding the last corner.

Green hair. Izuku was waiting at the starting block. His eyes widened as he saw you fly out from around the last bend, barreling forward at an impressive speed. You pulled the baton from your shirt. He planted his feet at the line. Green energy danced around his body. He was ready. Almost... there... You slammed the baton into his outstretched hand before falling to your knees.

Your brow was coated in sweat. You'd never run so hard while using your quirk at the same time.

"You beat my time." You looked up as you gasped for air. Todoroki extended a hand to you. You took it and stood, still breathing heavily.

"What?" you wheezed, finally letting the smoke dissipate from your arms and hands, returning them to their normal shade.

"You were faster than me," he said, taking in your exhausted form, a little perturbed that you'd bested his time.

"Yeah. I shouldn't have said you didn't have a mobility quirk. Because wow [y/n], that was impressive, kiro," Tsuyu spoke up. You looked between them bewildered. How much faster could you have possibly been? They had returned so quickly.

Suddenly the windows of the main building became opaque, before flicking into hundreds of tiny screens all melded together to show a video of the finish line. You watched hungrily, needing to know if your team had done enough, if you had done enough. Had the handicap been too much to overcome?

A series of flashes could be seen around the last corner, followed by a cloud of smoke. Within an instant, Bakugou tore around the final arc of track. He was hovering over the ground, sending rapid fire explosions from his palms. An engine roared around the corner as Iida cranked into fifth gear for the final stretch. A flash of green lighting appeared from within the smoke.

Izuku!

Your heart leaped to your throat. You couldn't even cheer him on. You could only watch, holding your breath.

100 meters left. 50. 20. 10.

"Team Iida wins! Iida, Shinsou, Shouji and Uraraka take first place!" Present Mic's voice boomed from all the way in the stadium. Wild applause erupted. You were sure it shook the ground. Wow Iida is crushing...

PRESENT MIC—QUIRK: VOICE. INCREASES THE VOLUME OF PRESENT MIC'S VOICE, GIVING HIM THE ABILITY TO CREATE LOUD, HIGH-PITCHED SOUNDS OR DEEP BASS. THE SOUND CAN REACH EXTREMELY HIGH LEVELS, ENOUGH TO INCAPACITATE PEOPLE BY DISRUPTING THEIR EARDRUMS.

The rankings popped up onto the leader board, now replacing the finish line footage.

1. Class 2-A/2-B; Iida, Shinsou, Shouji, Uraraka

2. Class 2-A; Bakugou, Sero, Ashido, Kirishima

3. Class 2-A; Midoriya, [l/n], Asui, Todoroki

4. Class 2-B; Shishida, Tsuburaba, Honenuki, Kodai

Izuku was bent over, hands on his knees as your team arrived at the finish line.

"We're in the top 4!" you called out, excitement evident in your voice. Izuku looked up at hearing you and flashed his famous smile.

"I thought I was going to pass him," he breathed out before you barreled into him, almost knocking him to the ground. As he steadied himself you enveloped him in a bear hug.

"We're going to be in the tournament!" you cried, releasing Izuku and moving your hug onto Tsuyu. You jumped up and down a few times together before finally turning to Todoroki. You wrapped your arms around his neck and felt him stiffen, before his hands went inelegantly around your waist, resting on your lower back.

You looked up into his eyes. "We're going to the tournament!" you repeated, beaming up into his handsome face. His expression was bewildered.

Oh shit. He's not really okay with contact...

"YOU READY TO FUCKING DIE ICYHOT?" You released your arms from Todoroki's neck and spun around at hearing Bakugou's voice. But Todoroki's hand surprisingly remained on the small of your back. "I CAN'T WAIT TO FINISH WHAT WE FUCKING STARTED LAST YEAR. YOU BETTER NOT HOLD BACK THIS TIME!" Bakugou stalked over toward your team, a fresh fire in his eyes.

"HEY HEY HEY!!!" Present Mic's voice boomed once more, halting Bakugou's prowl. "We need the four top teams back in the stadium to draw lots for our final tournament! LET'S GO!"

"I don't plan on holding back," Todoroki answered, his quiet demeanor in complete contrast to Bakugou's wrath. He released you and began walking toward the stadium, hands pushed deep into his pockets.

***

"Now y'all, we've got sixteen finalists that will compete in this year's Festival tournament. We've randomly drawn lots and here's your bracket," Snipe announced once you were all back in the stadium. Your classmates who hadn't made it into the tournament sat near the east entrance. You could see that Kaminari was already eating hot dogs and choco bananas.

The bracket shown on the gigantic screen.

Sero vs. Tsuburaba

Bakugou vs. Asui

Todoroki vs. Shouji

Iida vs. Shinsou

Honenuki vs. Midoriya

Kirishima vs. Shishida

Uraraka vs. Kodai

[l/n] vs. Ashido

You glanced over at your pink friend. Mina gave you a wink.

Sorry Mina, but I'm going to crush you.

You puzzled through the other pairings on the list. You didn't know four of the students. They were from 2-B, the other hero class, you knew, but had never seen their quirks.

"FINAL 16! WE'LL BE STARTING OUR FIRST MATCH IN ONE HOUR! UNTIL THEN, LET'S BRING ALL THE STUDENTS ONTO THE FIELD FOR SOME FUN AND GAMES!" Present Mic's announcement fell on deaf ears as you were developing strategies and sizing up the competition.

You walked into the waiting rooms, needing to get away from the chaos of the stadium and sat down on a metal chair next to a rectangular wooden table. The door flew open.

"What the fuck are you doing in here?" While aggressive, Bakugou's tone didn't hold the ire of a few minutes ago.

"I just needed to think," you said quietly, eyes focused on the table in front of you. Your hands were folded on top of each other.

"Well, I'm fighting first. This is my time to think. Get out." He dropped into the chair across from you, propping his feet onto the wood. You raised your eyes. He was looking down at the floor, a dark shadow over his features.

"Right. Sorry." You stood.

"Why didn't you want to be on my team?" You held onto the back of the chair and turned toward his downcast face. "Did you not think you could win with me?" His voice was genuine, imploring. You sat back down.

"I never doubted you. I told Sho-," A dissatisfied 'tsk' escaped Bakugou's lips. "I told Todoroki I would partner with him for the festival weeks ago. I didn't think you'd even care..." you said softly, trailing off as the boy lifted his head.

"Well...I did." Bakugou crossed his arms over his chest as a faint pink touched his ears. You stood up again and walked to the door. You would give him space to prep for his fight.

"Bakugou-" he followed your voice with those seemingly sad scarlet eyes- "good luck. I'll see you in the finals." He gave a weak laugh as you closed the door.