"Midoriya Izuku, who placed first in the qualifier, is worth ten million points!" Midnight reiterated though no one had missed a beat the first time around. The body of students stared daggers at the young man; and while you were also anticipating snatching that win for yourself, your sympathy resonated for him.

"Now then onto the rules! The match will last 15 minutes. Each team's points are determined by its members and the rider will wear a headband displaying their total. During the allotted time, your respective teams will be competing to take each other's headbands and maintain the ones you have. Stolen headbands must be worn from the neck up, but be careful as the more you steal the harder it'll be to manage them!"

"Most importantly," Midnight wrapped up, "even if your headband is taken or your horse formation is broken, it's not over 'til it's over! Quirks are allowed so this battle will be brutal! However, it is a cavalry event. Malicious attacks on another team with the intent to make them fall will earn you a red card and you will be eliminated!"

Midnight flashed her whip out to the crowd with a clean snap. "So! You have 15 minutes to form your teams! Start!!"

As soon as the timer rang, you were bombarded by a herd of students. Shouts and exclamations from various faces circled you, pulling you away from Katsuki who was suffering the same fate.

"Excuse me!" You yelled over the voices that were now becoming a garble of words. You couldn't think straight. You weren't even sure if you wanted to be the rider or part of the horse, much less who you wanted on your team.

You squeezed through the throng of people, but more seemed to be piling up. Eventually, you popped out of the sea and were able to get a better look at the competition as well as possible teammates.

The crowd that had cornered you was now being more respectful to not surround you, but they still continued to shout over one another. Your eyes shifted to each one in thought. Some you recognized and others you didn't. But who would be the perfect candidates...

You were mulling over their abilities when you felt something bump into your back. You turned around and came face to face with pair of cloudy grey eyes.

"Monoma," You addressed with slight surprise. You weren't sure how to talk to him anymore. You two hadn't run into each other since the last detention session where he had apologized to you. The teachers had let you both off the hook that week in order to prepare for the festival.

"(l/n)," He smiled coolly. His expression was suave, but there was something sad behind his eyes that you weren't sure if you were imagining or not. "It's been a while."

"Yeah...you made it to the top 42, that's pretty good ," You said, scratching your neck. The air was awkward between you two for a couple moments before Monoma spoke again.

"I hadn't realized how talented you were with your quirk. I only ever saw you in the library."

Your mind went back to the last time you were together. His earnest words sounded in your brain as you recalled his speech. The remembrance of that memory must have been written on your face because Monoma reacted swiftly to it.

"Hey, you don't have to worry about what I said. I just wanted to apologize for what I did. I don't expect you to do anything about it," He reassured though the confliction in your gaze was unwavering.

You didn't know what to make of him. Did you hate him still? And if not, then what was that feeling that tugged at your emotions?

His confident brow faltered a bit as he glanced away. "Uh, (l/n), listen, I..."

"Yeah?"

"I..." His pupils met yours but then flickered over to the crowd awaiting your response. His lips tightened in a thin line when he looked back at you. "I wanted to..."

You leaned forward, urging him to continue. "Yeah...?"

The air in his throat choked as he struggled to form his thoughts. Monoma's apprehension was triggered by the doe-like gaze you were watching him with. Your features were neutral, a vast change from the previous glares and scowls you used to greet him with. It was almost surreal how you could now look at him with a polite demeanor.

And yet Monoma still couldn't shake the cowardice within him. His heart drummed anxiously as he forced a chuckle through his lips. "I just wanted to say...congratulations on placing second. I didn't expect you to come in so high, but I'm happy that you did."

You were speechless as he smiled softly and walked away. You stared after him, baffled by the encounter. You had the strangest sensation that he was going to ask you to team up with him...

Your wonder was cut short when a familiar yell erupted from the students in front of you. "Oi, night light, c'mere!" Katsuki shouted as he pushed past the others who were still arguing over who would be your teammates. They were silenced when Bakugou and his crew came by.

Not a second later, Shoto appeared on the opposite side along with his team. "(y/n)."

"What are you doing, glow stick? Come on, you're with me." Katsuki gestured with a head nod.

"(y/n), I wanted to offer you to join my team," Shoto said as the explosive blond's brows furrowed.

You blinked in shock. Your gaze flitted between the two of them. Katsuki had gotten Kirishima, Mina, and Sero on his team while Shoto had recruited Iida, Yaoyorozu, and Kaminari. And now both groups were expecting an answer from you.

"I-I, I'm not sure I even..." You trailed off trying to get a grasp of the situation. The two leaders were both your friends so you couldn't just pick one over the other. Not only that but this game required strength not friendship.

The decision weighed heavily on you.

But Katsuki was as hotheaded as ever. He marched up to you and tugged your arm gently, steering to his side. "Your offer means shit. She already has a team," the blond spat.

Shoto frowned and walked up to you as well. He extended an open palm to you, ignoring the ill-tempered male. "I think you'd be a great addition to my group, (y/n). I've seen you fight and I believe my team would be the most beneficial for you."

"Listen to this fucker," Katsuki chortled humorlessly as he stepped forward, bringing himself toe to toe with your monotonous classmate. "How the fuck would you know what's most beneficial for her?"

"Well, her chances of passing this event are higher if she were with me. I can clearly tell that your arrogance is a hindrance to winning this battle."

Bakugou growled under his breath and made to come closer when Kirishima stepped in, clasping him back by the shoulder. "Come on, man, he's just riling you up." The red head turned to you with a grin. "You'll join us, right, (y/n)?"

You returned it with a pensive look which soon drifted off to the sea of students. They were quickly dispersing now that time was running out. "I..."

"Glow stick, tell this bastard to fuck off so we can go," Katsuki said, his glower never leaving the rival.

Kiri interjected with a smile. "It's your choice, but it'd be great to have you with us, (y/n)."

"(y/n)? Are you coming?" Todoroki questioned.

Your gaze was still lingering on the small scatterings of students remaining. Your unsettled expression melted into a quiet determination as the three males watched you with bated breath.

"Well?" Katsuki raised an eyebrow. Your eyes fell on all of them before you let out a sigh and walked a few paces forward. "I've made my decision."

"What is it?" Shoto asked.

You swiveled back to them, locking your vision with each of them. "I've decided to decline your offers."

The three of them looked completely taken aback. However, Katsuki was the one who appeared the most bewildered. The frustration was evident on his features but they also cast a sort of disheartenment. You gave him an apologetic smile as you faced forward and sauntered off.

"I think I already have a team I'd like to join in mind."

Their groups were both built with the best of the best but it didn't feel right joining them. You appreciated them thinking of you, but putting you on the spot didn't make them very convincing either. Instead, you found your own group, which by the looks of it, could use a little work. But that was okay. This person was the sole reason you were even out there to begin with. Rather than picking a team you would easily rise the ranks with, you opted to help someone who had done the same for you in the past.

They watched intently and with greater astonishment when you wandered over to where Midoriya was, all by himself. Katsuki felt a wave of cold wash over him as he saw you interacting with the green haired boy who looked just as shocked as they were. The blond grit his teeth and roughly turned to leave the area.

His mind toiled over the mix of emotions bouncing around in his chest. How could you choose Deku over him? Why would you? You said you believed in him then why were you going to that goddamn liar? Did you feel bad for him? No, you were too smart for that. You knew how much was at risk for you to just throw that away. Deku was too inconsistent for you to rely on. But then why...?

Katsuki's breath hardened as he stomped off with his group. Maybe this wasn't so much about Deku as it was about you deciding to go with someone else. He still didn't like the idea of you working with that nerd, but that wasn't what had shaken him first. It was when you slipped out of his grasp and denied his offer that had hurt him. You were the first person he wanted on his team and to see that he wasn't yours, well it felt like a punch to the stomach.

But this was a competition. It made sense that you would consider him a rival and would go out of your way to showcase yourself away from him. Hell, even Kaminari had done that by going off with Todoroki. Katsuki knew this to be true, yet his sentimental feelings were getting the better of him. Somehow you did that to him.

He hissed and pushed back those thoughts. In the depths of his mind he wished you luck; you were going to need it if you intended on facing him.

Todoroki had also wandered away with his team in tow. They made it to a clearing when the young man let out a sigh. "Alright, here's the plan," He began.

"I chose you three because our formation would be the most stable. Kaminari, you'll take the left wing and guard enemies away with your electricity. Yaoyorozu, you'll take the right and provide insulation as well as shielding and supplementing our movements. Iida, I'd like you to lead the forefront as our mobility and our physical defense."

Iida's brows furrowed as he focused curiously on Todoroki. "And you will attack and create diversions with your ice and fire?"

"No." The heterochromatic male frowned, glancing back to where you stood with Midoriya. A friendly smile curled on your face while you spoke with him. Todoroki turned as fast as he had looked. "It would have been ideal for (y/n) to have taken the left as our defense and attack, but we will make do."

"Besides," Todoroki spoke as his eyes trailed over the swarm of audience members. Despite the masses, his gaze landed on a broad man sparked aflame by a roaring fire. The man stared down at him with a vicious glare. "In battle, I will never use my left side."

Shoto felt his anger beating against his ribs as he and his teammates got into position. The emotions brewed and grew in his mind, but he did his best to push them down for now.

You, however, had never been more sure of your feelings. You greeted Midoriya who looked on the brink of tears. "Wanna team up?" You asked, a bright beam on your face.

"(y/n)!" Midoriya mumbled through his waterworks. "A-are you sure you want to work with me? Everyone's going to come after me 'cause of my ten million points..."

"Yeah, I know, but I couldn't stand by when you needed someone," You admitted. "After all, I wouldn't be here without your help. I want to return the favor."

He looked like he could cry a river or two. "(y/n)..."

"Hey, count me in too!" Another voice jumped in. Uraraka ran over to your guys' side wearing a big, friendly grin. "Let's team up!"

"Uraraka! You too? You're okay with me being a target?"

"It's okay! As long as we run away the entire game, we can win right?" She pointed out.

"Exactly! And with our combined quirks I'm sure we can create a sturdy defense system," You encouraged. However, something stopped you short.

You knew Uraraka's power was gravity, but what was Izuku's? You were new to 1-a and hadn't really gotten to experience many exercises that utilized your quirks. You had never even heard anyone mention his quirk. The most you knew was from the one time you healed him in the infirmary. You would be lying if you didn't say you weren't worried about this little detail.

"I think you guys are overestimating me..." Izuku said nervously.

Uraraka suddenly spurred to life with a small hop. "Oh! Why don't we ask Iida to join us?"

"A-actually, I already talked to him. He said he couldn't team up with a friend this time around. He said that I was his rival in this instance."

You definitely noticed that. You had spotted Iida at Todoroki's side along with your own friend. It seemed like everyone was really treating this like a survival of the fittest. But it was understandable and you couldn't fault them for it.

"Aw..." The brunette pouted. "I was looking forward to teaming up with friends, but I guess it can't be helped!"

"We believe in you, Izu. We'll do our best to make sure no one grabs that ten million," You smiled back.

The green haired boy's brows knitted in a deep passionate expression with his ears redder than a fire truck. It almost looked like he was having a heart attack. "Whoa! Why'd your face get all ugly?" Uraraka gaped.

"You two are just so cheerful that I can't look straight at you..." Midoriya said as he brushed away newly formed tears. "I'm glad you guys are my teammates since it's best to work with people who you can communicate with well."

Just as he said this, someone else came hovering towards you guys. It was a girl with strange looking equipment strapped to her torso and feet. A pair of intricately designed goggles pushed her pink locks out of her face revealing her yellow, target eyes. "This couldn't have been more perfect! The two biggest stand outs!"

You all whirled around stare at the girl who was giggling hysterically to herself. All of a sudden, she leaned into yours and Izuku's personal space bubble. "Hey, team up with me, first and second place!"

"Whoa! Um, let's start off with a name before we start accepting new people," You chuckled anxiously as you stepped back into your comfort zone.

"Ah, yes! Formalities! I'm Hatsume Mei, from the support course!" The girl grinned from ear to ear. "I don't know you, but I could be useful to someone with your position! You'll have full access to all of my babies, which in turn means they'll inevitably be in the spotlight! Which means they'll inevitably be seen by the industry big shots. Which means they'll have to take notice of me and my babies!!"

Uraraka wore a wide eyed frown. "H-hold on a second! Babies and the industry? What're you..." But Mei wasn't listening. She kept closing the gap you and Izuku made and went on about her inventions and the traction they'd receive.

Hatsume then pulled out a suitcase and popped it open, revealing the carefully packaged equipment at her disposal. "The support course develops gadgets that helps heroes manage their quirks. I have a ton of babies, so I'm sure you'll find one or two that suit you!"

"What's this?" You said, eyeing a fabric that stuck out from the bundles of metal contraptions.

"Ah! An ordinary design, but nevertheless extremely handy!" Hatsume swiped the cloth out of the bunch extended it in her hands. "A very difficult baby, this one! Took me a whole month to figure out how to infuse nanotechnology into fiber! It responds to muscle pain and triggers a cooling or warming agent depending on the damage."

You lifted your brows, impressed by the simple black glove. It was fingerless and reached just under your elbows. The material wasn't too thick either making it a perfect comfortable fit.

As you fiddled with the fabric, Hatsume zoomed over to Izuku who was looking at a big metal backpack. "Oh! I see this has caught your eye?" She smiled brilliantly as she demonstrated the equipment like a saleswoman. "This is modeled after a certain hero's jetpack, with a few of my own additions, of course."

"You mean Buster Hero, Air Jet?" Midoriya gaped in awe. "I love that guy! His agency used to be in my neighborhood!"

"Is that so? Oh, by the way, my quirk is..."

Uraraka sighed beside you as Hatsume and Izuku proceeded to babble on about heroes. "Well, you guys are fast friends."

"Yeah, she seems nice enough," You shrugged, still glancing at the sleek glove. They felt tight enough to not slip off, but loose enough to not feel constricting. "These are great, and if they do what she says they will, they would be awesome to have. You should find yourself something too, Uraraka!"

Once Hatsume saw you had them on she squealed with joy. "Ahh! Perfect, are they not? My babies will finally get the attention they deserve!"

You nodded then drew yourself back to the task at hand. "Izuku, we have enough people, but I think we should get one more just in case. If our plan is going to be running away the whole time, we'd better have as much reinforcement as possible."

"Right," He agreed. "We're allowed up to 5 per team, so one more wouldn't hurt." He pressed a thoughtful finger to his chin and skimmed over the crowd. It was tough, many had already found refuge in their alliances. There had to be someone...

"I know I can rely on you for attacking and defending, (y/n), but doing both will be a heavy role. We need another person with a powerful quirk," The green haired male murmured before his vision settled a lone figure. "Them!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blare of a horn resounded across the field bringing all focus back on Midnight who was stretching an arm across her chest. "Time's up! Let's get started!"

"After fifteen minutes of forming teams and strategies, all 12 are lined up and ready!" A radio host-like voice boomed over the stadium's speakers. You hadn't seen it before, but there was cabin located above the audience seats on one end of the arena. Large windows overlooked the field and inside you could barely make out the builds of two men, one with shaggy black hair and another with a long, blond, Mohawk-esque do.

"There are some interesting teams out there," the tired voice replied. Little did you know it belonged to your homeroom teacher who was watching you with a close eye. Aizawa was shocked by your arrival in the obstacle course and even more so when there wasn't an immediate reaction from a certain school principal. But he kept quiet and let the chips fall where they may.

"Now, raise those battle cries!" The energized man hollered as the sea of spectators screamed along. "Blood begets blood in this UA match!"

Izuku fastened your guys' headbands to his forehead. He had taken the position of the rider while you and Hatsume flanked him. Uraraka, now wearing Hatsume's boot equipment, stood at the rear. Your latest comrade, Tokoyami, guarded the front along with his Dark Shadow.

Midoriya breathed out in anticipation. "Uraraka, Hatsume, Tokoyami..." His gaze flickered over to yours, both ignited with a blazing fervor. "(y/n)..."

You had been worried about Izuku's quirk a little while ago yet something in his eyes melted away those thoughts. There was a fire in him that outshined those of your competitors who brawled for recognition and fame. In his stare was the sense of survival that you too could feel pounding in your bloodstream. You two were both at the top, but you felt like you had fallen all the way to the bottom this time around.

Izuku hadn't shown off his power, however you realized that that wasn't a qualification you needed to go by. If he got where he was it was because he was intelligent and resourceful, something the competition lacked. There was a time and place for everything, and right now, your place was by his side. You had faith in him, and you would do your damndest to make sure you both kept your spot for the next round.

"Let's do this!" He cried out right as the announcer resonated out into the stadium.

"All right!! Made your teams? Organized your strategies? Too bad if you haven't!" It was in that moment that you recognized the host as Present Mic from your practical entrance exams as well as from his hero work. "Here we go! The countdown to this brutal battle royal!"

"Three!"

Your feet felt like bricks while the seconds ticked by. You could already see the starving desperation in the other students' eyes as they watched your group.

"Two!"

They would be coming after you immediately when the timer rang.

You smirked to yourself and rolled your shoulders back. Better not disappoint them.

"One!"

"START!!!" Midnight shouted.

You didn't even have time to blink before the other competitors took off. Teams of all sizes stormed the area, racing to be the first to get you. Two in particular, lead by Tetsutetsu and Hagakure, manned the front lines.

"Right off the bat, huh?" You heard Tokoyami muttered. "Alright, Midoriya, make your choice!"

"We run, we have no other choice!" The male replied tensely.

"Not on my watch!" Tetsutetsu yelled out and signaled his teammate. Before you knew it the ground beneath you turned to mush, bringing your team to a sinking halt.

"Quick sand quirk," You grit your teeth. "Izuku, the backpack!"

"(y/n), we'll need you for this one as well!" He responded.

You grinned. "Already on it!" Midoriya warned the girls behind him to look away while he activated the jetpack's boosters. You aimed your palm to the floor and let out a blast as you five flew off into the sky. Your group was soaring over the other teams when Tokoyami's shadow rushed past you, blocking an attacking from Jirou's earlobe jacks.

"Nice going," You chuckled in marvel.

"Yes, thank you, Dark Shadow. Be sure to keep watch on our blind spots," Tokoyami spoke to the being who nodded back.

"Looks like you chose the right teammate, Izu!" You congratulated. From what you could tell Midoriya wasn't a huge fighter, but in terms of tactics and battle strategy this guy could plan the end of a war in day.

Izuku smiled sheepishly. "Well, it's all thanks to Tokoyami joining us. He's amazing in omnidirectional mid-range defense!"

"We're landing!" Uraraka warned as you shifted your hands and the matter firing out. Hatsume's gloves were already working like a charm. It kept your muscle from straining too much when you used your quirk.

The brunette stabilized your descent with the hover boots she had borrowed from Hatsume. This was much easier due to her quirk making everyone weightless except herself and your clothes/equipment.

"So what do you think of my babies? Cute, aren't they? Cuteness can be made, you know," Hatsume chirped happily.

"They're making us totally mobile! Your babies are great, Hatsume!" Midoriya chimed back.

You noted the grumble that escaped Uraraka while your team started to run again. "Because I'm making them float..."

You glanced behind and offered the girl an encouraging beam. "You're doing an awesome job too, Uraraka. Your effort hasn't been lost on us." The girl blushed, realizing she had been heard. "Oh! Er, I didn't mean to sound bratty I just..."

"It's okay. We're gonna get through this together," You said just as other teams noticed your arrival and made a dash for you.

"Two minutes have passed yet the battlefield is already in chaos!!" Present Mic spewed over the speakers. "Everyone is scrambling for headbands, but it's not just the ten million out there! Those other high rankers are worth a shot as well!!"

"Ahaha...scrambling, he says? No, this is a one-sided massacre!!" A voice from your rear shouted. It appeared to be your 1-A classmate with the multiple limbs, Shoji, you believed. But that voice didn't belong to him... Moreover, his wing-like arms were folded at his back creating a dome.

In front of you once again was Team Tetsutetsu, this time appearing more unrelenting than before. "Izuku, we have to move," You advised as he glanced between the incoming foes.

"She's right. We can't fend off this many opponents at the same time," Tokoyami supported. Uraraka tried taking a step forward but found her boot caught on the ground. Stuck on her heel was a purple ball preventing her from breaking away. "I can't...!"

"What...? But that's Mineta's. Where is he?" Midoriya scanned the groups circling around you but came up empty handed.

A rapid object suddenly darted out from Shoji's dome and you immediately leapt up before it could reach Midoriya. You snatched it out of the sky and ignited it with your blazing matter. You heard a yelp emit from within Shoji's arms and the long, rubber band object pulled away.

Following the attack, your eyes were met with Asui and Mineta hiding inside Shoji's arm shield. "I shouldn't have expected anything less of your sharp reflexes, (l/n)," Asui said as she massaged her injured tongue in her mouth.

"Is that allowed?" You questioned and pointed over to the team.

"Asui and Mineta? Shoji, how many you got in there!?" Izuku inquired, wide eyed.

"Call me Tsuyu."

"Team Mineta makes use of their varying sizes to form less of a horse and more of a tank! How will Team Midoriya fair now!?" Present Mic riled the crowd.

"Midoriya!" Tokoyami yelled once Shoji's teammates began hurling attack after attack. The male nodded and pressed the button of the jetpack, launching your team into the air again. You fired up your free hand to do the same.

But the force of the take off was too harsh on Uraraka's boot which was still held captive by Mineta's purple ball. The equipment wrenched itself free but at the cost of a vital part of its mechanism.

Hatsume gasped when she spied the broken gadget smoking out. "My baby was torn apart!"

"I'm sorry! But we managed to get away, and with (y/n)'s quirk we should be able to maneuver ourselves still!" Midoriya tried to console.

A loud blast brought your focus down below as a memorable head of spiky blond hair hurtled towards your group. Panic invaded your senses when you realized you couldn't block his incoming attack as it would throw off your team's flight.

"Getting pretty full of yourself, huh, bastard?" Katsuki roared as he directed his palm to hit the left side of your group. You and Midoriya would be taking this blow at full brunt.

"Tokoyami!" Izuku screamed. In the blink of an eye, Dark Shadow snaked across your side saving you from the bombastic explosion. It grunted in pain causing a slight worry to course within you.

It almost seemed to shrivel at the assault giving you a chance to glance over it. Bakugou, with no other way to keep himself afloat, was once again caught by gravity and began to drop.

But in those few seconds, your eyes had snared his which were storming with fury and frustration. He almost looked like he wanted to say something but there was no time for it.

You watched as he fell from the sky, your gaze intent in an uneasy expression. Katsuki was piecing together the strange way the shadow being had reacted to his hit when something grabbed hold of him and yanked him out of his free gravity test.

Once he came back down, he recognized Sero was the one who had pulled him back with his tape. "Nice catch!" Kirishima commented.

"Whoa! Is leaving your unit valid!?" Present Mic gasped.

"It is here, on technicality!" Midnight reaffirmed. "As long as your feet don't touch the ground!"

Your team made a quicker landing than before now that a part of your flying gear was down for the count. Midoriya, ever the optimistic one, thanked you for your fast reactions. "I didn't say this back there but you were great in catching Asui's attack earlier. You're even helping us in our flying away methods without need of any input! You're doing an amazing job, (y/n)!"

You smiled coyly and winked back, making him blush. "Just doing what I can."

"Okay! Let's see how our teams are doing after seven minutes of play!" Present Mic announced as a screen flickered with numbers and names. "Ohh? Now wait just a second! Besides Midoriya, Class A's not looking so hot..."

You stole a quick glance at the score board and were paralyzed with shock.

"Huh!? What happened to Bakugou!!?"

A few paces from where your team was stood Bakugou's who had just received a deadly blow from an unexpected source. Monoma had snuck across and managed to snatch their headbands straight from under them. He chuckled, gloating to himself while his teammates carried him away to a safe distance. "So simple-minded, you of Class A."

"He got us!" Mina remarked.

"Give that back! I'll fucking kill you, bastard!!" Bakugou shouted back, a scowl flaring on his features.

"When Midnight said it was the first game, it didn't take a genius to realize they wouldn't be thinning our numbers that much in a preliminary," Monoma said calmly. "Assuming they'd keep about forty or so people for the next stage, it was the perfect strategy to just hang back and observe our rivals' quirks and tendencies."

"There's no point in being obsessive over winning in the qualifier, is there?" The icy eyed blond smirked.

Katsuki grew a cold glare on his face. "The whole class was in on it?"

"Well, it wasn't a consensus. After all, I didn't see Ibara or Itsuka let (l/n) in on it," Monoma shrugged as he placed his newly stolen headbands around his neck. "But it was a good idea."

"She ain't a part of your class anymore, dipshit," Bakugou retorted, anger bubbling. This asshole had no right to say your name after the bullshit he did.

"No, technically not, but she isn't one of yours either. She's better than half of your entire class and she started off in 1-B." Monoma gave him a shit eating grin. "What does that say about you?"

"She wouldn't have even switched to your class if they had given her the option. All her friends were in 1-B, everything she knew was in 1-B. And now all of a sudden she was thrust into some poor excuse of a hero course. The only reason (l/n)'s in 1-A is because she was forced to transfer to keep her name in the school's roster."

Katsuki looked like he was getting more furious by the second which was what Monoma was aiming for. The grey eyed blond had noted the way the explosive boy reacted to the mentions of your name and ran with it. Monoma wasn't trying to throw you under the bus by any means. In fact, he believed some of what he was saying was true. But if prodding the beast with your likeness was enough to make it crack then it was necessary.

"Like I said, (l/n) would have followed in our footsteps in the preliminaries if her friends had let her know," Monoma sniggered and shifted his group in another direction. "It's a smarter plan than going after a temporary 'top lead' like horse with a carrot waving in front of its face." The ash blond's eye twitched.

"Oh but you're already a celebrity, aren't you?" Monoma continued, not knowing what he was about to unleash. "I may have had moment of stardom with (l/n), but she was a student and the press didn't even bother with our story, let alone our names. You were the victim of the sludge incident! I'll have to ask you about it sometime! About how it feels to get attacked by villains once every year."

Katsuki was deathly quiet for a second, however there was no questions as to what he was feeling because the aura around him was murderous. "Kirishima...change of plan..."

The red head looked up to find Bakugou sneering a vengeful lip as he gripped his shoulder. "Before we go for Deku...I'm gonna kill every last one of these guys!"

"Oh no," Kirishima sighed.

As Team Midoriya raced away from its enemies, Izuku couldn't help but overhear the exchange between Monoma and Bakugou. He glanced down at you to gage your response, however you seemed oblivious to it. You were watching every which way making sure no one was trying to sneak an attack at the headbands while you kept up with the other's pace.

But in other alarming news, it seemed like Class B had come prepared with a long term tactic of their own. They threw the qualifier just so they could figure who and what to look out for. They would most likely leave a stronger impression by turning the tides of the festival whom favored Class A to begin with.

But luckily, this didn't single out Midoriya as their prime target. He and his team would be safe as long as they kept up their evasion strategy until the end of the match.

"Hey you guys, I think we have a shot at this as long as we run—"

Your brows deepened in worry as you and your group came to a screeching halt. You stared at the team in front of you wondering what the hell you were going to do. "Um, not to burst your bubble, Izu, but..."

Todoroki and his calculated group of teammates blocked your way, appearing determined as ever. "...we've got company."

"The cavalry battle is about to enter its second half! Class B is on the rise, but in the end..."

"WHO WILL WHERE THE TEN MILLION POINT CROWN!?"

Todoroki let out a soft sigh; the frigid gaze you had first met him with evident in his expression. "I'll be taking that now."

Hey everyone I hope you guys are doing okay. I know things are really crazy right now and I please ask you to stay safe. Whether it's for covid or the protests, please plan ahead and get whatever you need to do the things you need to do safely. I'm not here to encourage or discourage you, but I will say that I wholeheartedly support the Black Lives Matter protests. We need change, we need better laws, and not just in one country. Worldwide. 

Please be careful wherever you are and I hope this global outcry makes a difference in the world.

As always, thank you for reading.