Blond Shadow the Hedgehog: Will you fucking answer at least ONE of my calls?
How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?
Are you really gonna fucking ignore me?
(y/n), goddamn it, pick up the phone
Fine, don't pick up text me if that's what you prefer
Please let me fuckin explain myself
(y/n), I know you're reading these you're just leaving them in your notifications so I don't see that you've read them
Fuck, did you block me?
(y/n)
Can we talk? Please

That was the summarized version of the messages that Katsuki had sent during your time apart. The last few were the ones he had barely sent. But just like the others they received no reply.

He growled under his breath and shoved the phone back in his pocket. He was angry, frustrated, confused, and unable to do anything about it. You had ceased contact with him all weekend and he had half a mind to go over to your house, but he didn't want to push it. Bakugou didn't know how you'd react or if him being there would make things worse. In his head, he was pleading with you virtually whilst allowing you physical time to cool off. Even if he hated it he reminded himself that you would have to see him eventually. You two went to the same school.

Speaking of which...were you going to come today at all? The blond knew you weren't allowed to participate but could you still spectate?

Katsuki glanced down at his phone only to be met with his same tower of messages. Your usual barrage of stupid memes or your childish bickering was no were to be found. The feeling left him cold.

In a weak attempt, he typed.

Blond Shadow the Hedgehog: Hey....are you coming to school today?

He stared at the screen waiting, hoping, that there would be some flicker image to let him know you were aware of him. But none came.

Uraraka was walking past his seat when she noticed the tenseness in his shoulders. Before she went back to her own table she touched his shoulder bringing her to his attention. She smiled empathetically as she spoke. "She'll reply. Don't worry. She just needs time."

Katsuki had spilled the details of your guys' fight a little later into his training session with the brunette that day. Uraraka could tell he was unsettled by the phone call and kept prying into it until he caved. Strangely enough, he felt better having someone to talk to about it.

He let out an agitated sigh just as Todoroki entered the prep room.

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

In an effort to not get caught you snuck about the school and nestled yourself near the back of the general studies crowd. The roaring audience and the stomping of their feet could be heard in the ceiling above you as the event was preparing to commence. The booming voice of Present Mic reverberated in the darkened tunnel where you hid.

Your nerves got the better of you as you swung your arms at your sides, praying you wouldn't be discovered immediately.

You spoke to soon because at that same moment you heard someone approaching you from behind. "Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in." You turned bringing you face to face with a pair tired lavender eyes.

"Shinsou! Hey, odd seeing you back here," You grinned, trying to mask your suspicious behavior. "Isn't this class 1-A's tunnel?"

The smirk on his lips didn't leave as he leaned himself down to your level. "You know I can tell when you're lying, right?"

"Who said I was lying?" You pouted and avoided his gaze.

"Alright, fine, not lying, but sure as hell acting shady. What are you doing back here?"

"Just chillin'."

"(l/n)..."

You sighed and rolled your eyes. You had entrusted him with heavier subjects before. You doubted he'd rat you out now. "Fine, fine. I'm trying to stealth my way into the Sports Festival."

The male frowned and raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because according to Principal Nezu, I'm a danger to everyone around me. I'm here to prove that wrong," You explained, a fervent expression in your glance. "It's like you said, this is the perfect opportunity for some of us to redeem ourselves."

Shinsou's eyes widened as he rubbed his jaw. "Sounds like you've got a big plate to fill. There's gotta be over a hundred students here with a similar goal."

"You're here aren't you?" You retorted. "Which means you haven't given up, and neither have I."

"Can't argue with that."

All of a sudden a thought crossed your mind. Your friendly banter waned as you formed your worries to words. "Shinsou...you won't out me to the teachers right?"

The notion came from his drive to be transferred into the hero program. You recalled his proclamation the day he encountered your class. His determination was so fiery and strong-willed, you wondered whether that was will was ruthless enough to disregard you. After all, what better than one less student to compete against?

You cast away your gaze, afraid of what you might see in his. But to your astonishment you felt a hand run through your hair, ruffling it up. "(l/n), why in the world would I ever do that?"

You looked up into his softened irises as Shinsou's smirk playfully upturned. "We're friends aren't we?"

A glowing smile warmed its way onto your lips when you replied. "Yeah."

Just then the rumble of the crowd outside blew up as Present Mic began announcing the classes into the arena. You shifted back to Shinsou and met him with a grin. "Showtime."

"...FOLLOWING CLASS B, IT'S CLASSES C, D, AND E OF GENERAL STUDIES!"

As soon as you stepped out of the tunnel the thunderous cheers from the audience hit your ears. It was packed to the brim with heroes and civilians alike. The turn-out made you a little jittery, but you reminded yourself that this was what you wanted. Aside from redemption you wanted the world to know how strong you were. Especially since Hero Agencies all across Japan were paying very close attention.

You were so lost in your brewing ideas that you lagged behind a few moments and had to race to catch up to Shinsou. You stuck closely to him, trying to maintain as much cover as possible.

"What are you doing?" He questioned in a whisper.

"I can't be seen or I'll get kicked off the field. I've gotta at least make it to the first event."

He nodded and surprisingly aided you in your attempt to shroud yourself. The male grabbed the top side of your wrist and pulled you closer to him, keeping you at his back. Fortunately for you, you were a shorter stature than him making it quite the amazing coverage.

But something still ate away at you. You lightly pressed a hand to his back causing him to throw a glance toward you. "What is it?"

"I...I'm really grateful that you're doing this for me, but I just don't get it," You murmured in response. "Why would you want to help me? I'm a hero student, I'm basically your enemy and yet you don't seem to mind having more competition."

Shinsou sighed and once again faced forward. His thin fingers slid down to your hand and clasped it with a squeeze. "Because I know your situation, (l/n). I'm in your situation. Being told you're a menace 'cause of your quirk? I know how that feels. You deserve a chance just like the rest of us."

You watched Shinsou's shoulders bolster up as he continued. "And I told you didn't I? I don't care if you're a hero or a business student. We're friends. That's all that matters to me." The stutter of your heartbeat thrummed in your chest at hearing his words. A jubilant smile found its way on to your face, thankful for his empathy.

"Thanks..." The softness in your tone brought the quickest blush rushing to the male's cheeks. That and the fact that his hand was able to completely wrap around yours was very cute to him.

However, that exchange came to an end when you two reached the edge of the crowd. Everyone gathered in front of a stage in the middle of the stadium where a woman with long, dark purple hair stood. Through her intricately designed, red rimmed glasses she cast her sharp gaze onto the student body before her.

"Oh wow that's Pro Hero Midnight!" You gushed, peeking over Shinsou's shoulder.

"That's quite the costume she has on," He replied with surprise eyes. "I'm guessing she's the ref." You motioned in agreement, but your excitement was still bouncing around in your head. You'd seen a lot of her battles online and while she wasn't the best fighter, she was stunning to behold.

"Alright, pipe down!" Midnight shouted with a crack of her whip. "Before we begin, a word from your student representative...from Class 1-A, Bakugou Katsuki!"

Your mouth went ajar. You didn't expect to be hearing that name so soon. "Katsuki's the representative?" You muttered to yourself. Your senses were then alerted by the rippling of the crowd. Amid the bodies was the unmistakable head of spiky blond hair sauntering up to the stage.

"Whaaa... it's Kacchan?" The chattering voices echoed all the way to where you remained. They sounded familiar. Probably people from your class.

"Must be 'cause he placed first in the entrance exam."

"The hero's entrance exam, you mean," A girl a few paces from you retorted with an irritated drawl.

You frowned, confused by her evident anger. "What does that mean?"

"Well, don't you think it's a little unfair that the rep of the entire first year student body is chosen by the hero course?" Shinsou whispered back. His tone wasn't resentful, but it did highlight how blatantly biased the decision was. You nodded, guilt worming into your emotions as you did.

Katsuki roamed over to the mic as everyone leaned forward to catch his words. But what he said was not missed by a single soul.

"I pledge...that I'll be taking first place!"

The crowd of students immediately erupted with a roar of insults. But even as classmates and other first years yelled obscenities at him, Katsuki merely swiped his thumb over his neck; downplaying their crude and earned remarks. "At least you'll all be great stepping stones on my way to victory."

You groaned and let your forehead fall into your open palm. Shinsou heard the slap and clicked his tongue indignantly. "Your friend's a real classy guy, huh?"

"He's a little too confident sometimes, but this didn't feel like one of those. I'm sure he just managed to piss off everybody out here so it doesn't really matter anyway," You huffed.

You followed the blond as he walked off the stage and back into the crowd. The fixed crease in his brow and his tightened jaw led you to believe that he himself didn't completely trust his own speech. He was just as uneasy as the rest of the students, but he was forcing himself to overcome because that's how he did. Katsuki was realistic, but also willing to push himself to win.

"Now then let's get this first event started!" Midnight proclaimed as the masses began to settle. The billboard screen behind her lit up with an array of selections. "These are the qualifiers! It's in this stage that many are cut down and sent home crying every year! And this year's first event is...!"

Your heart pounded in your ears as the choices on the screen blurred, going through like a wheel. It felt an eternity but the final clunk chimed and displayed your fate.

"Obstacle course race!"

"Simply put, it's a race between every individual from all eleven classes!" As Midnight went on, you were all directed to the gate at one end of the arena. The massive count of students bumping into you spiked your anxieties as you realized how stiff the competition was. The crowd was so heavy you lost Shinsou in the middle of all of it. You were disappointed to not have him there, but there was no time to waste. You silently wished him luck as you strode over to the starting line with the others.

"The course is a four kilometer run around the stadium itself! Now our school preaches freedom in all things so as long as you don't veer off course anything is fair game!"

Midnight flashed her whip again and pointed it into the far reaches of the new tunnel you'd have to go in. "Racers, to your positions...!"

This was it. Out of some miracle you had pulled yourself all the way here. Your definitive chance of gaining back everything you had lost these past couple weeks depended on this. The culmination of all your blood, sweat, and tears...you couldn't let it slip away now.

The first hum of the buzzer resonated and one of the three lights above the gate shut off.

You clenched your fists and took your stance. Though it was hard to since everyone was cramming to get as close to the front as possible. All the bodies surrounding you would be flinging themselves into that tunnel when the start was signaled.

The second hum buzzed. Another light gone.

Your eyes widened in realization. You were going to have to fight your way through even from the very beginning.

Or you needed to be smart about it.

The third sound came blaring out of the stadium's speakers as the last light diminished. The noise rang in you like a raw shock of electricity.

"GO!!!" Midnight cried out.

Just as you predicted, everyone was practically climbing over themselves trying to get to the end of the tunnel. You could have been trampled by the sheer amount of students who were shoving you out of the way. But you stayed back waiting for the perfect opportunity.

Once you were sure you were of the last few you shot off towards the pile of bodies. You jumped up on the first person you came across and used their back as a step to reach over them. After that you wasted no time in hopping from shoulder to head to arm through the crowd. Needless to say there were a lot of yells and insults thrown about as you tugged on hair or pushed down several.

You were nearing the clearing of the tunnel when a large blast of frigid air threatened to knock you off balance. Luckily, the bodies underneath you ceased to move and you were able to get back your momentum. But still, something about that chilly wind sparked a lightbulb.

As you clambered over the students, you spotted Todoroki who had left a trail of ice behind him. That would explain all the people shackled to the ground by it.

But he underestimated them as a good majority of the competitors that had avoided Shoto's capture were from 1-A.

"I ain't lettin' you get away that easy, half n' half bastard!" You heard the distinct rumble of Katsuki's voice shout as he set off the bombs in hands. Following suit were Momo, Kirishima, and Aoyama among others.

Your grin broadened. Your nerves were set on the back burner while your new heightened thrill took its place.

Without missing a beat, you launched yourself off the students and caught yourself with the ignition of your quirk. Mid air, you shot a burning beam at your mentor which clipped his shoe sending him tumbling down. But as fast as he fell he barreled back onto his feet. Shoto reared to see who had managed to hit him only to be startled that it was you.

However, he wasn't the only one who had jumped at the sudden attack. The few who were ahead of you looked surprised as well. Especially a pair of simmering scarlet eyes.

Not wanting to exhaust yourself, you let out burst of matter from your hand and landed right between Katsuki and Momo. Your strategy was to not excessively use your quirk unless it was absolutely crucial.

"What the hell are you doing, glow stick!?" Katsuki immediately seethed as you chased Shoto side by side. You melted the ice you encountered at your feet by blasting a ray from through it.

"What's it look like, hedgehog? I'm here to win."

"What you're gonna win is an express ticket to expulsion! How fucking dumb are you!?"

You rolled your eyes and shook your head. "I thought being a hero was about taking risks, Kacchan?"

Just then Mineta hopped past you and the others by bouncing off of each purple ball he threw down. He wore a wicked smirk on his face as he approached Todoroki. "Ahaha! Good thinking, Todoroki! Trying to be two steps ahead! But not good enough! Get ready for my Grape-!"

The sleaze ball didn't even get 5 feet to Shoto when a huge robotic arm slammed into him. The boy went flailing away leaving you and the competitors to marvel at the army of machines. Standing as tall as skyscrapers, their red lens zoomed in on the lot of you.

"Multiple targets acquired..." The one in the front droned.

You recognized them as the faux villains from the entrance exam. Like the others, you avoided them and didn't get to learn too much other than 'they're pretty dangerous STEER CLEAR'. Watching them now however, was a daunting experience. Getting past them with everyone else doing their damndest to slow you down was going to be difficult.

Just as you were about to make a run for it, Shoto beat you to it. You saw him step forward, a distinct chill radiating from him. He suddenly hovered his hand over the ground, ice forming at his fingertips, and swung it out just as the robot extended its arm. A huge wave of frost spread up the mechanism, completely encapsulating the robot in a glittering array of ice. Despite this incredible feat Todoroki merely exhaled a frigid breath and continued to sprint in between the mecha's legs.

You had seen Shoto work his magic up close while you two were training but somehow he still managed to amaze you everytime.

However, there was no time to gawk as the rest of the students realized they had an opening now. "He stopped them! We can get through that gap!" Some cried out.

You took off before you knew it, straight into the wedge that was left at the robot's feet. But right as you made it underneath you heard the crackle of ice. Your eyes widened knowing that the mecha would soon break free of its icy prison and collapse. And you were right in the line of fire.

You quickened your pace as hard as your lungs would allow to escape the blow. The robot's limbs groaned as it began to descend, sending a rain of ice shards down to you. But you couldn't fret over scraped up skin when you needed to prioritize making it out safely. You would have been crushed by the hunk of metal if you hadn't jumped and rolled out of its way in time.

Unfortunately, others weren't so lucky.

You had seen two figures run in with you but now they were nowhere to be found. You looked back at the destruction, hastily checking for the students. Your heart was sinking with fear when all of a sudden someone busted through the fallen mecha shouting. "That bastard, Todoroki! Timing their fall...if it wasn't me someone could have died!"

You let out a relieved sigh seeing that it was Ejirou and that he was alright. His skin cracked in rocky layers like you'd never seen before. You couldn't recall him ever using his quirk in front of you. Witnessing it now it was quite impressive.

Not a minute later someone else popped out yelling out a similar notion to Kirishima's. It was Tetsutetsu in his full steel glory. "That damn Class A! If it wasn't me someone could have died!"

A sympathetic smirk played on your lips as you left the scene of the demolition and overheard Kiri sorrowfully saying something about Tetsutetsu's quirk being practically the same as his.

You began zipping and zagging across the legs of the mechas when one surprised you by shooting out its hand. You leapt away from its grasp and proceeded to climb up it in an attempt to gain more ground as well as get a view of the competition. You reached its shoulder and flung yourself to another using your quirk as momentum. You were easily bouncing across the sea of robots when a loud explosion sounded behind you.

You knew the noise all too well and weren't shocked to find Bakugou sailing over the mechanisms. You two locked eyes, sharing a similar steely gaze but continued to plow through the obstacles.

He was the first to break the ice. "You're so goddamn reckless!!" Katsuki hissed as you two caught up to one another.

"What else was I supposed to do? Lie on my back in defeat while the rest of you progressed? I didn't have a choice! They didn't allow me a choice!" You retorted, swiftly spinning in the air to get to the following robot.

The blond was very annoyed by your decision but it was hard to stay mad when you were flying like a nimble bird across each metal being. Prancing and bending in ways that didn't seem to belong in a high school obstacle race, and yet you made it look fiercely graceful.

Katsuki's attention soon fixed itself on two newcomers coming up from behind. They soared overhead, closing the distance you two had made. "I was sure with your personality types you'd be doing the opposite of each other but it looks like I was wrong!" Sero grinned as he detached the tape that had gotten him there and readied to shoot another.

"Allow me to follow in your wake," Tokoyami added. Your inexperience with your classmates quirks was becoming painfully clearer to you as you noted the yellow eyed shadow sprouted from his back. While the others in 1-A spent most of their time training together in the beginning you had only ever interacted with them in class. Having no knowledge on them was a crutch, but one you would have to bear.

You came upon the last of the mechanisms and jumped down its back with the other three in tow. With a flare from your hands, you caught yourself and willed your legs to sprint to the next obstacle.

You soon came face to face with a gaping canyon. Rock pillars of various sizes littered the inside and were connected by ropes from all sides. You and Katsuki shared a look before immediately leaping into action.

Tempted by curiosity, you glanced behind and found many coming in right on your heels. One interesting figure was a pink-haired girl who seemed to be sporting this heavy-looking machinery. You didn't even know that was allowed.

You didn't linger on it as you propelled your body from one pillar to the next. You spotted Todoroki drifting across on the ropes provided using his ice powers. It wasn't long before you and Bakugou reached him just as he landed on the other side of the course.

"Hey Sho! Do you mind having some extra company?" You teased as you shut off your quirk and resumed your travel on foot. Your blood was pumping harshly in your ears and your lungs were burning but your exhaustion wasn't something you were registering at the moment.

The lead regarded you respectfully. "(y/n)...I'm not shocked by how quickly you've advanced, but your friend on the other hand is a different story."

Katsuki bared his snarl at him in response. "The fuck you just say about me!?"

Before you could react, Shoto froze the ground behind him bringing you and the blond to a grinding stop and trapped like those from the beginning. Todoroki dashed forward onto the next course deserting you with the competitors that were coming in hot.

You heard Bakugou growl ferociously as he exploded the ice off his feet and blasted off in the male's direction. "You half n' half shithead!!"

You sighed, exasperated and quickly working to melt the frozen chain. Your quirk wasn't as fast as Katsuki's but you were able to disintegrate it before the other students could catch up.

As you turned the corner to the next obstacle, you saw Shoto doing his best to carefully cross an empty field of dirt while Bakugou flared in with his explosions. Your vision flickered over to a small billboard with the words 'Danger Mines' on it.

Huh, okay, just don't touch the ground. Sounded simple enough.

You ignited your palms once more and hurled yourself toward the duo. You neared them a little after Katsuki had and were able to catch a snippet of what he was yelling. "Bastard, your declaration of war was to the wrong person!"

Declaration of war? You questioned yourself right when Bakugou attacked Shoto. The heterochromatic male dodged in the nick of time, but as a result he lost his position in the lead. Katsuki was now in first.

You gritted your teeth and ignored the burning of your hands as you arrived over top of them. You let yourself fall between them and kicked both out of the way in mid air. They staggered for a brief second, letting you get ahead. However, they were quick to clamber back on their balance.

"Sorry, boys! But I don't have time for petty arguments right now!" You sniggered. You were just as fast on foot as you were in the air. At a glance you could tell where the mines had been dug under and managed to ballerina step all that were in your path. But the two guys were a different situation to handle.

You felt hands on opposite sides grab you by the shoulders, pulling you back. You saw both their arms at the ready with an attack that would have made impact if you hadn't ducked. The burst and ice clashed causing the two males to falter only to recover and again chase after you. Getting these two off you was going to be grueling.

"Get your ass back here, (y/n)!" Katsuki shouted as he sped up beside you; Shoto was right behind him.

"I can't let you win this one, (y/n)," Your cold classmate stated through a panting breath.

And I can't afford to lose, Your inner voice replied. The blazing matter materialized in your hand right as you swung it at Todoroki. As you did so, you stuck out your leg clotheslining Bakugou in the stomach. Your strategy worked on the blonde but Todoroki was too snappy. He stepped away from your advance and froze your arm up to the elbow. You immediately snatched it out of his grasp and tried warming up with your quirk to get rid of the freezing sensation.

Katsuki on the other hand was back on his feet and out for revenge. He slammed one of his explosions on your back, sending you flying onto a bed of mines. The first blow had knocked the wind out of you but the second felt like you had been punched in the face. It rocketed you ten feet in the air before letting gravity take hold of you again.

You were still struggling to inhale oxygen, but you pushed yourself to activate your quirk and reunite with the males. They were at each other's throats when you spiraled back down on them, grabbing them by their hair and smashing their heads together.

They both grunted upon the initial attack and glared at you as you passed them yet again.

"Can't get rid of me that easy," You scowled back through haggard breaths.

From then on, it was just a constant motion of blocking, dodging, and attacking from all sides. You were all aware that you needed to keep up your pace and stay ahead of the other competitors, but you also had to slow down your assailants from reaching the end of the course. Such a fragile plan and yet you three were able to pull it off.

Your fingers were numb and cold to the touch from how many times Shoto had frozen them; your clothes were also charred almost completely black from Katsuki's blasts. However, you weren't the only one suffering injuries. Katsuki had taken a good number of your punches to the face that his cheek was beginning to swell. Not only that but Shoto was also marred with red bruises forming on his arms and chest. You three were fighting tooth and nail, preventing any of you from leaving the little group fight you had going on.

As it turned out, it wasn't any of you that was able to impede each other's progression. It was an enormous bang that resonated throughout the minefield from behind you. You three halted in your tracks and glanced back to locate the source of the explosion.

That's when your vision was invaded by the sight of a giant pink cloud that had smoked out from wherever it had detonated. But that wasn't what had caught everyone's attention. No, it was the small life form that was soaring just overhead of that cloud.

You blinked in astonishment. "Midoriya...?"

He was using some large piece of scrap metal to surf the blast of the mines. He flew so fast he managed to zoom past to first place, leaving you three in the dust. Without a moment of hesitation, you, Bakugou, and Todoroki shot after him.

"You damn nerd, you ain't getting ahead of me!" Katsuki roared to life with a burst of his palms. You copied his strategy and propelled yourself alongside him while Todoroki laid down a path of ice and started down it. Long gone was the grappling battle between you three as you chased Midoriya to the finish line.

He had gotten the lead, but his flight was beginning to dip. The green haired male's earlier momentum was fading meaning his big showcase was going to fail. You watched as his figure was going to fall right in front of you, but for some reason something made you stop short. No...he wasn't falling. He was turning.

You knew in an instant what he was going to do, so rather than become victim of the fallout you grinded your heels to a halt. Todoroki and Bakugou raced to get to the goal while you watched the whole scene play out.

Like you predicted, Midoriya had flipped himself in the air and landed on the backs of your classmates. With his footing now secure, he used his metal panel to throw it against the remaining mines that littered the dirt. You were all too familiar with the explosion that happened next as Midoriya was sent hurling forward the rest of the way.

You were far enough to not be affected by the huge gust and flung yourself to the skies with your quirk. You soared over the smoke cloud, past Katsuki and Shoto and out to the end of the course. You could feel the scorching of your lungs and your throat as you crossed the threshold of the finish line and were greeted by ear-piercing cheers.

You were back in the stadium, being looked down on by the zealous crowds.

But you didn't care for that at the moment. You plopped onto the ground, dehydrated and completely depleted of energy.

Soon enough, the other contestants started to trickle in and the field was once again inhabited. You had time to recover from your pounding chest and your breathless lips when a familiar face came marching up to you. They grabbed you by the collar, pulling you to your feet. The eyes that met yours were red as velvet and fervent with frustration.

Katsuki stared at you with a gritted scowl for a couple seconds before he finally let you go. He scoffed and gripped his forearm. "You stupid night light..."

You frowned when you saw how his arm twitched painfully. "Katsu, are you okay?"

"Why do you care? I thought you were ignoring me."

"I was mad at you, but I had time to cool down. Now, are you alright or not?" You scolded. "That looks like it hurts."

"I'm fine," He said coldly, rubbing the aching muscle. "So what, are we good now? Or are you gonna keep my number blocked?"

You raised an eyebrow at this. "Blocked? You're not blocked. I just didn't respond."

You reached out for his arm which he reluctantly let you take. You thumbed the swollen muscle, releasing just the tiniest bit of your healing quirk into his skin. Your veins faintly glowed purple as you did so. This ability was part of your Supernova quirk, however, you weren't very skilled in balancing the negative effect it had on your body so you kept it hush hush.

It came to your realization that you had never shown Katsuki this side of your quirk because the look on his face was priceless. He was either in shock or awe, you couldn't really tell. But you pulled his focus back to you with your next words. "I would never block you, Katsuki."

The blond's steel gaze softened ever so slightly as he shifted it away, a hint of blush on his cheeks. He didn't know why his chest felt a sudden wave of relief, but he thought maybe it was because he was anxious that he might have said something he couldn't take back. And you would be resentful enough to never speak to him again. It was safe to say that Katsuki was glad your guys' little spat was over.

The sensation of your quirk soothed the stressed limb and cooled down the throbbing just as you drew away. Two new people came running up to you with large grins on their faces.

"(y/n)! You were so good!" Itsuka hooted as she and Ibara engulfed you in a hug.

"You were incredible! To see such determination...it was amazing!" Ibara followed her lead. You smiled in thanks and embraced them as well. While you were happy with placing at the top, you were a little disappointed not to have come in first. Maybe it was the perfectionist in you or the drive to prove yourself, but you wished you had pushed yourself a little more.

"Thank you. You guys weren't bad either! You weren't that far behind me."

"Fifth isn't too bad, but you placed second! That was quite the show!" Ibara beamed back. "Itsuka, came in a little later but she was still here earlier than the others."

"Aw, come on, no pity parties for me please," Itsuka waved the girl off. She then noticed Katsuki standing a few feet from you and grew awkward. "Oh, and uh, Bakugou, nice going placing fourth! I know you said you were aiming for number one, but I mean that's still pretty great."

The blond's glower made a comeback as he rolled his eyes and hooked your arm with his, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, whatever. Let's go, glow stick, they're announcing something."

You gave them an apologetic smile while Katsuki pulled you away from them. You both wandered over to the same stage as before. Awaiting you there was none other than Midnight.

"Nice job, everyone! You've cleared the first stage!" She proclaimed. "Now, let's check the results!" The screen behind her illuminated with a series of names and digits. Some that stood out to you were:

Number 1: Midoriya Izuku

Number 3: Todoroki Shoto

Number 4: Bakugou Katsuki

Number 5: Shiozaki Ibara

Number 9: Hanta Sero

Number 10: Kirishima Ejirou

Number 17: Uraraka Ochako

Number 20: Ashido Mina

Number 25: Kaminari Denki

Number 28: Shinsou Hitoshi

Number 29: Kendo Itsuka

Number 37: Monoma Neito

"The top 42 qualify for the next round! But if you placed lower, don't worry! We've prepared other chances for you to shine," Midnight went on with a lick of her lips. "Now the real competition begins."

"The press has their eye all over this event so make sure to give it all you got!" She cracked her whip and the screen flickered with the same rotation of choices as the first one. She seemed almost elated by everyone's uneasy expressions. "Now here's the second event! I already know what it is, but what could it be?" Midnight toyed. "Dying in suspense? Well, here it is!"

CAVALRY BATTLE

Your eyes widened. Cavalry? As in some sort of team up?

Midnight was quick to answer your prayers because she continued. "Let me explain. Participants will form teams of 3 to 5 people with whoever they want. The rules are fundamentally the same as of any ordinary cavalry battle, however one thing has changed. Based on how you placed you have been assigned a point value."

"Ohh, and we'll be gathering points like in the entrance exam?" Someone in the crowd interjected.

"And our teams value is based on who we have on it," Another voice called.

"I'm about to explain it so shut up!!" Midnight glared at the people who had spoken up and threatened them with her whip. "But yeah that's right! The points go up by 5 the higher you placed." Midnight's grin flared as she made her next declaration. "And our first place participant gets a point value of...!"

"TEN MILLION!!!"

You almost choked. Ten...million?

You and everyone else turned to stare at Midoriya whose face was practically white. Thick drops of sweat rolled off his brow realizing how royally fucked he was.

"It's survival of the fittest and a chance for anyone to make a comeback in this game! So those at the bottom can overthrow the ones at the top!" Midnight concluded. She was speaking but everyone's eyes were still on poor Midoriya who looked like he could pass out at any moment.

You chuckled nervously to yourself. Maybe it was a good thing you didn't come in first...

Hey everyone! I'm sorry for the slow response but as it turns out my state reopened and we were allowed to get back to work. It's been crazy hours at my place, I have never seen so many people shopping oml. But yeah that's why I couldn't update this one as quickly as I wanted to :( Right when I thought I was free from schoolwork and I could finally enjoy some down time ;-;

It sucks but here's hoping things get better! Please continue to keep clean wherever you are and stay safe! I'll try to get the next chapter out soon!