MosesArk Reborn2000
patreon
Chapter 24: Encounter before Finals
🕑 Added 2024-05-10 15:22:14 +0000 UTCThis chapter was another one where I gave myself free rein to do as I pleased since a large chunk of what happened after the second round in the finals was Todoroki taking Midoriya aside to talk to him and reveal his shitty family history. Now, while Midoriya did, in a way, best him here, he didn't force him to use his flames, nor does Shoto have any reason to think Midoriya has a connection to All Might, so trying to keep that scene just felt like an exercise in stupidity.
However, I was able to keep some scenes in conjunction with the new ones that I created.
Chapter 24: Encounter before Finals
With another hour before the finals, most left to partake in the other events that U.A. or the dozens of stall owners had created for them. Some who hadn't eaten during the last break as the students built their chariots went to grab a bite, while others who did wished to get something else. It wasn't just the civilians who were taking advantage of the break but the dozens of heroes in attendance as well.
That was the case with one as he walked towards the stairs, others giving him the right of way as one would when the number 2 hero approached. Endeavour didn't pay them much attention; he had other, more important things to consider. Namely, the fact that his son was making a fool of himself, as first, he had the gall to come 3rd during an event meant to filter out the rabble. Then he only wins the second round by the skin of his teeth and the luck of his teammate being an Iida.
Endeavour's flames rose with his irritation, though he kept it in check as that last event was perfect for Shoto's flames and could have easily enabled him to secure more points and dominate, but he refused and nearly lost because of it. He'll need to remind that boy to stop messing around. “Glad I managed to catch you, Endeavour. Long time so see, let’s have some tea!” The man paused mid-step, settling in place as he turned to the one person he hated and respected equally.
“All Might.” He uttered, his irritation already present, rising as he faced the symbol of peace, the world's strongest hero and the man he had been chasing for that title for over 20 years. Unlike himself, All Might wasn't in costume but wearing a suit, different to the ugly pinstriped yellow abomination he seemed to love.
All Might kept up his reward-winning smile. "What has it been? Ten years since the last time we were in the same room? Man, time sure does fly." He noted, with Endeavour remaining silent. “I saw you and thought that I might say hi.”
The flame hero grunted, already tired from this conversation. "Well, you've done what you wanted. Leave." He turned to continue down the stairs. "Tea? Don't be absurd. I'm going to the restroom. Begone!"
Rather than listen, All Might did what he always did when they spoke: ignore his evident distaste. Laughing, the man jumped into the air, twirling as he did so before landing on his feet at the foot of the stairs, blocking Endeavour's path. “Oh, come now, Endeavour, why the cold shoulder?” Endeavour didn't know what was worse, the fact that he didn't know if that was supposed to be a pun or if All Might was being serious. Regardless of which, he didn't like it.
Long since accustomed to Endeavour and his rather indifferent attitude towards him, All Might pressed. “Your son, young Shoto, has performed wonderfully with just half his power. You must have trained him well.”
“What are you getting at?” Endeavour gravely asked him, to which All Might chuckled.
"Well, I just wanted to pick your brain on your training methods. After all, I'm quite new to this and would like some handy tips." Lord knows the other teachers felt that way. While he could approach Nezu about it, the principal could spend hours going over the theory with examples that went on forever. But surely his fellow top hero would also be a source of knowledge.
Endeavor, perhaps not unexpectedly, scoffed at this. "You must be a bigger fool than I thought if you thought I would just tell you my secrets. It's getting on my nerves." Shoving the man aside, he continued on his way.
“Sorry.” All Might wondered, not for the first time, why his runner-up seemed to hate him.
As Endeavour descended the second flight of stairs, he paused to say something. "Remember this, I will make sure that boy becomes a hero that will surpass you one day. That's why I created him."
“What are you…?” All Might asked, not liking that tone from the man; it sounded far too…concerning to be from an upstanding citizen, never mind a top hero.
"The boy's just going through his foolish rebellious stage now, but it will pass, and he will dethrone you as the number one hero!" Endeavour turned to glare at the man as if All Might had killed his dog in front of him.
“My, is that a fact?” Both men jolted to action as that 3rd voice. Turning towards the end of the stairs, they saw a stranger standing, watching them both with a bemused smile on her face. “Well, consider me eager to see that play out.” Kenmikito finished as Endeavour looked like it would take little for him to act.
"Who are you? This is a restricted area closed to civilians." His words were dangerous, and his hands twitched. He was ready to handle this problem before anyone else even noticed. How U.A. could let this stranger in after the embarrassment that was the USJ attack could be figured out later.
He and All Might weren't expecting this woman to react to Endeavour's hostile demand with a tut, shaking a well-manicured finger at the man as if he was little more than a misbehaved child. “It’s bad manners to demand one to introduce themselves before you do the same.” She stated, with Endeavour only growing angrier the longer this lasted.
Exaggeratedly rolling her eyes, Kenmikito conceded. After all, it wouldn't do to battle the 2 top heroes over such a trivial thing, nor did she wish to impede her student's journey by interrupting his big day. "Oh, fine. I swear, you kids today…" Still, she wondered if all people were just ill-disciplined, as Endeavour was such a brute, though she already knew that much.
If she felt he was that sort of man, she would offer her hand for him to kiss. Instead, she stood strong and proud, her eyes daring neither to challenge her. “Kenmikito Teitora, I've become something of a donor for U.A., so I was granted access to such areas. If you don't trust my word, All Might here can confirm it with his administration."
She didn't lie; after her student made it in, she contacted the school and joined its lengthy list of donors. Many, like All Might and Endeavour, were alumnae, but more than a few were merely wealthy supporters who wished to grant their next generation the best and latest in teaching. She wasn't the largest, but agreeing to donate 20 million yen a year for the next 5 wasn't nothing.
"And before you ask, I wished to speak with you and have tea, as All Might said, as it would seem we all have something in common." Her gaze turned from the flame hero to the Symbol of Peace, who watched her just as cautiously as Endeavour. She didn't appear like any donor he had met; most had been the stereotypical image of wealth, the kinds of people who wouldn't know the real world if it hit them in the face and, at best, just exercised to look good, not necessarily worked out for anything of substance.
Aside from a few examples, this woman was different; she was the tallest woman both had seen in years. They could tell that she was in exceptional shape through her rather weird fusion of Chinese and Japanese styles. Then there were eyes; they seemed playful, teasing even both. They could tell they also housed power to them and were piercing deeper into them than they were comfortable with, trying to dig up weaknesses and planning how to handle them in the fastest ways possible.
Everything about this woman posed a danger to them, and they needed to work carefully with her. “And what is that?” All Might spoke up, wishing to see what he could learn about her and making a mental note to question Nezu on her later, as he was sure that the principal hadn't told them she would be here.
Her smile reminded him too much of a tiger’s grin. "We all have students in U.A. Specifically, each have made it to the finals, and I wished to speak with you two about it. If, of course, you'll willingly spare some of your precious time on little old me." She offered them both, with Enji glancing at All Might at that comment, as he had suspicions. It would seem he wasn't the only one.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Kenmikito,” All Might politely started, but she wiggled her finger at him.
“Oh, call me Kenmikito. Ms makes me feel old.” She giggled, though something in All Might's gut told him she was far older than she looked.
Still, that was a minor thing, so he pressed on. “Kenmikito, I feel that you're mistaken. I don't have a single student in the race, as I teach classes A and B." He told her, but the look she gave him only made that feeling in his gut all the stronger.
Kenmikito, piecing orange gaze, dug deep into him, getting further than most could ever dream with so little effort. It was like she was seeing parts of him that only she could. "Oh, I wouldn't say that's completely true; Ms. Kendo seems to be performing quite well and that quirk of hers. I would say it's similar to your own, All Might." It was slight and easily missed, but both she and Endeavour caught how the man twitched when she brought up that name, only making their suspicions all the more potent.
Truthfully, Kenmikito had seen something like this before. The man's essence might have been more potent than the last case she recalled seeing, but it was similar. And when she watched Kendo in the field, not through the cameras but with her own eyes, she had seen something similar coming off her. She wondered if her student had seen the same but wrote it off. Izuku might have been close to a prodigy, but this couldn't be something he would even think to notice if he had detected it.
Endeavor, on the other hand, was in the dark on the finer details, but he would be lying if he didn't think he could use this as in the 20-plus years he had been chasing All Might's shadow, he had never seen the man on the back foot like this. “Where do you wish to have this…talk?” He asked her, with the woman smiling like a cat that caught the canary as she walked up to him, her movements measured and deliberate, yet graceful and sweeping all at once.
Reaching into her haori, she pulled out a small business card with a number written on the back. "That is my private box; I look forward to speaking with both of you and sharing a few secrets or two." She walked past him and gave one to All Might as well, patting the much larger man’s shoulder as she walked past.
"Until then, gentlemen, and oh, do keep up the good work protecting us. I very much have my support!" She waved them off as she walked off, seeming to vanish into thin air. All Might blinked for a moment, wondering if she teleported or if she was just that fast.
Now that he thought about it didn't young Midoriya pull a similar stunt? Was he the student she was referring to? But then that left questions about her, as she didn't appear to his mother, but she was connected, if not to young Izuku, then to others as the way she moved, the way she looked at him, through him, and all but hinted that she. 'Who is that woman? And Kendo, why did she? She couldn't know that; it's a closely guarded secret, but she barely looks older than Nighteye.' He suspected she was much older, but he had never met her before, nor had Gran Torino or Nana ever mentioned such a person.
While All Might wondered about the true secrecy of One for All, Endeavour turned over the card, seeing that this woman was a martial artist and a feline trainer specializing in big cats of all things. But now that he had seen her, he had started to piece together something about her. 'That woman must be the same one Shoto brought up at the gala last year. His instincts were right. That isn't a mere civilian. She said she had a student here as well, but according to Shoto, the girl with her was a large mutant, and I didn't see any such student even in the beginning. Was she referring to someone else?'
Cycling through the students he saw on the field, he discarded any that didn't make it past the first 2 rounds, as she said they made it to the finals. From there, he naturally removed his son and the non-hero students. The way she spoke heavily implied that whoever their student was, they were already in the hero course. Then there was the Yaoyorozu conglomerate heiress, as while she could be her personal trainer, the way she carried herself was clearly of someone that was either a terrible student, a likely theory, or was never trained by something like this…Kenmikito.
A similar story happened with the youngest Iida, as surely his family handled his training. As far as he knew, they had no known ties to their newest donor. That still left a suspect pool close to 2 dozen strong. Looking over the card again, he fixated on the fact that she trained cats. 'The Midoriya boy acts like his quirk gives him feline-like traits. Was he trained by her?' The number 2 hero wondered, as looking back on his performance, he had performed well enough, taking 4th in the first event and, as much as it pained him to say, nearly defeating his boy if not for the youngest Iida's last-minute gamble.
"Perhaps there is something to be gained from this." Endeavor thought aloud as he left to use the restroom. But when that was done, he'd speak with this woman.
Line Break
While that was happening, most students had gone to the cafeteria built into the stadium. It was far smaller than the one in the main building, as it was meant for just a year, not all 3 to be present, but it was still staffed by the same chefs led by Lunch Rush. Covering a wide-jawed yawn, Midoriya carried his food tray in the other hand as he made his way to his class's table. His food was heavy on fish and vegetables. Still, much to the confusion of those at his table, he had also selected plenty of fruit, things like grapes, oranges, apples, and peaches.
“I’m almost afraid to ask, but why the strange plate?” Kuroiro asked, gesturing to Midoriya's strange food selection.
Taking a bite out of an apple, Midoriya hummed with a smile at the sweet crunch before he answered. "We're about to go into the finals. We're not sure what it'll be, but it's always a 1v1 set-up. So I'm going to need to be at my best."
“That didn’t answer the question.” The shadow jumper retorted, with Midoriya giving him a cheeky smile in return.
“Trust me, it’ll make sense later.” In the last round, he had the advantage of helping build the chariot, so he ensured as much of it was made of wood as possible. He wasn't sure he'd have a chance like that in the finals since U.A. would only let him bring him support items if he needed them for his quirk to safety function or if he made them like the support course.
“Shiozaki?” Kodai asked as the girl calmly ate her meal, which consisted of lean chicken, bread, and water.
“At this point, there isn’t much he can do that catches me off guard. But while strange, it’s still a nutritious meal.” Midoriya got a little smug, and Tokage laughed at the scene from the opposite table.
“Looks like he’s just trying to get his sugar fix through natural means.” Monoma guessed that Midoriya and Shiozaki took natural living to another level. Even when they trained at that compound, their version of treats was just fruits, with no candy on site.
“All natural candy stomps all that processed stuff.” Midoriya waved that off, as he would much prefer that his foods didn’t have ingredients that sounded like the stuff put into glue and plastic. Some noise, or more accurately, chanting from the other side of the cafeteria, drew their attention to a strange sight.
“Cheerleaders.” Kodai noted this before continuing with her meal. She might not have made it to the finals, but that didn't mean she wanted to watch said finals on an empty stomach.
"I don't recognize them, but they all look like Tsunotori." Monoma stated that none of the girls looked Asian in the slightest. In fact, if he wasn't mistaken, one or two looked to be Hispanic.
"Well, isn't that a treat? They got real American cheerleaders. Don't suppose they're more for each class?" Awase nudged Tsuburaba, and Shishida shook his head.
"Doubtful; besides, the finals are almost entirely the hero course. If they were around during the second event, maybe." The beast of class B rebuked, but while watching the Americans practice for what they assumed would be their upcoming performance was fun, that didn't mean there wasn't some tension in the room.
“Man, I'm getting antsy. We have less than an hour before we get to show us stuff. Class A took first in the obstacle and chariot race. We gotta show people that class B is just as great." Tetsutetsu clenched his fist. His bowl of beef was nearly finished, and he had eaten it like he was on a timer.
Midoriya hummed, crossing his arms as he performed better than most of his classmates, but that still meant coming in second to class A. “We’ll get our chance, and remember what I told you all. You best give it your all.” He looked across to where class A was mainly seated but didn't see Kendo or Todoroki. Strange, were they running late?
“You want to rub it in Bakugo’s face.” Shiozaki frowned at him and had to admit, he deserved that.
Bowing his head to her, he replied. “I won’t deny that I wouldn’t mind doing that, but I want us to take the gold because we worked for it. I could care less what number 3 thinks about it.” As fun as it was to keep pissing off his old bully, he wouldn't let himself get distracted by it. Angering Bakugo was a great byproduct, but it was not his goal. Returning to his meal, he only took a few more bites before he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.
“Hmm?” Pulling it out, revealing that it was an older model with a heavy-duty case, he noted that he had gotten a message from Takasame. He wasn't expecting one, but he'll happily accept it.
“What’s up?” Monoma asked.
“A message, give me a second.” Midoriya unlocked his screen, his homepage being a picture of him and Takasame from a picnic they had the other day. Heading to his messages, he tapped on the latest from her.
Foxy Healer: Heads up, Mom got permission, and the kids are on their way. 29/04/XX: 12:22 PM
That was a weird thing to say. “The kids? Oh…well, we’re in for some chaos.” He realized what she meant as he put his phone away. Now that he was listening for it, he could make out a stampede of little feet heading right for them.
“Pardon?” Monoma asked again, but before he could get an answer, the doors to the cafeteria were thrown open with a bang, most eyes turning to see who just did that, and instead of seeing one-
“Look, it’s huge!”
“The whole place is huge!”
“Does it transform too?”
“What the heck?!” Someone cried as they saw a swarm of kids, some no older than 4 while others looked to be 6. Many of them seemed to have visible mutations of some kind, from a girl with large dog ears flopping around on her head to a boy with a squid for a head and another that looked like she was 3 kids in one with how large she was. With their arrival, they brought chaos as they poured in, the group easily being 40 strong, if not more, as they went from table to table, asking all kinds of questions or fanning over the students.
“Where did all these kids come from?” Yaoyorozu asked as a girl with bug-like wings flew overhead.
“Pardon me, but this is a student-only area! Where are your parents?” Iida got up, arm chopping at them, but no one listened to him, more concerned with doing whatever came to their minds.
“Since when did U.A. have a kindergarten?!” Tokage asked, yelping as a boy with the lower body of a snake zipped on by.
“We don’t!” Honenuki yelled as he dunked, barely avoiding a boy who was floating overhead, giggling like a madman.
"What's the matter? They're just adorable, innocent little hellraisers." When Midoriya spoke up, it was loud and clear, and unlike everyone who tried to talk to them and get them to stop, the kids froze as they all turned to his table; his friends were slightly scared by the attention as Midoriya sat and ate his food like this was nothing of note.
“There he is!”
“Big brother!” And just like that, Midoriya was swarmed by the kids, laughing the entire time as he hugged, patted heads, and gave little kisses to foreheads. The kids were more than eager to be close to their supposed big brother.
“Quick, grab him before he runs!” One of them yelled as Midoriya found himself being lifted by many tiny hands, another being kind enough to grab his unfinished meal and drink.
“Oh no, someone save me!” Midoriya played up the part, holding the back of his hand to his forehead like a damsel in distress. “I’m being kidnapped!” As they were abducting him, they finally noticed the rest of his table, a table of people they had already met whenever their big brother brought them to train.
“Take the rest too!” The group's apparent leader, a 6-year-old girl with a mutation that turned her swan from the neck up, yelled as she pointed her tiny fingers at them.
“Aye, sir! Hello everyone!” The army of kindergarten and first graders followed her commands but still greeted their captives as they were told was polite.
“Good afternoon, children, oh my!” Shiozaki was in the middle of returning their greeting before she was grabbed, the same as the rest, while the over 200 other students were just watching the strange thing happening.
“What the heck is happening?” Komori asked as she watched her class rep and 4 other classmates being taken away by a flash mob of kids.
“Don’t fight it; Shinso gets it." Midoriya gestured to the general course table as a group of eight kids returned from it, carrying an exhausted-looking Shinso who continued drinking his energy drink like this wasn't happening.
"This is my life now. I'm being kidnapped…by kids." He seemed to accept the strange reality. But now, with their human goods in hand, the swarm began to retreat, with Midoriya waving at the room.
“I’ll see you guys later!” With that, the doors slammed shut; the once lively cafeteria was left in confused silence as no one present could process what they had seen. Not the remainder of class B, most of class A, or the newly arrived Kendo, Bakugo, and Todoroki, who had seen the swarm of kids right as they rushed past them. Even the kitchen staff were left speechless as they had seen some crazy things while working at U.A., which quickly took the cake as the craziest thing.
"Okay…just so we're clear, that isn't normal in your class." Kaminari asked Kaibara, the drill quirk user, to took a moment to respond. When he did, he reached to massage the bridge in his nose.
"No, that is not a normal thing. But it seems that our class rep has a habit of making weird stuff happen."
"Does anyone know why he has that many siblings?! You heard them. They called him big brother!" Sero yelled and pointed at the door as if the swarm was about to return.
“His mother must be an absolute beast to have that many…” Mina could only pray for such a woman, as that must have been hell.
“Idiot, they don’t need to be related!” Jiro yelled at her, and the pink-skinned girl yelled back.
“Don’t act like you weren’t thinking it!” As class A descended into a heated shouting match about the feasibility of a single or even 2 mothers having that many kids since quirks made this much more complicated than it had to be, Tokage tapped Honenuki's shoulder.
“You bet he planned for this?” She asked, with the lipless teen considering it for a moment, as it wouldn’t be outside Midoriya’s normal wheel house as he seemed to take joy in keeping them on their feet, unable to figure out what he was plotting.
But in the end, he shook his head. "Probably not, but if nothing else, it helps us in the next round if class A is too busy wondering where our chaos bringer of a class rep came from."
Line break
“Would you like milk with your tea?” Kenmikito asked her two guests as the woman stood with a freshly brewed pot of tea, her own set, which she had brought along to the event.
“No thanks.” All Might replied.
“I’ll pour it myself.” Endeavour stated, to which All Might wanted to remind him to be a little more cordial, but it seemed like their host didn't mind.
“Assertive, but also narrow-minded. That’s an issue you should look into.” She told the man, but placing the pot down all the same as she took her seat, crossing her legs and supporting her head on her knuckles.
“Kenmikito, might I ask who is your student in the festival?” All Might asked, taking a sip of the tea and being caught off guard by its quality, as it was close to the brews that Nezu made, and he knew the principal was a tea fanatic.
“Oh, how rude of me. I knew who your horses were but haven't revealed mine." Kenmikito gasped but didn't immediately correct it as he stirred milk into her tea. Taking a sip, she let out a pleasant hum before she finally answered as Endeavour looked close to blowing a casket. "That would be Midoriya; he's one of my best students."
All Might had his suspicions, and so did Nezu when he brought up this meeting with their latest donor. But that was all they had at the moment, as Nezu didn't have the time to look into her background. They suspected that young Midoriya's strange quirk status had something to do with her. They just needed a means to confirm or disprove that. “He seems to be quite the gifted young man.” He kept it short, but honest.
The way Kenmikito’s eyes wrinkled with her smile kept him on his toes. “Oh yes, but gifts mean little without the drive to push yourself, and that boy has a drive like you wouldn’t believe.” She laughed at a joke only she knew the punch-line to.
"So much so that I'm confident he'll be more than a match for your progeny." She took another sip, and Endeavour did the same, even if heated at the implication that his masterpiece could lose, whereas All Might.
“Progeny?” He gasped a little for air, nearly choking on his drink, as his runner-up glanced at him with a mix of annoyance and intrigue.
Kenmikito giggled into her hand. "Oh, relax, All Might. There's no shame in having kids outside of marriage, or perhaps her mother kept her maiden name, as I can imagine being connected to you can lead to many enemies. Many villains were vile and foolish enough to strike at your family." That wasn’t an impossible statement, as while pros had come a long way from their vigilante days, with their real names being easy to find, there was still the threat of villains targeting loved ones.
One way lawmakers countered this was by altering existing laws to state that crimes committed against the immediate family of a pro carried harsher sentences. In some cases, the convicted could be slapped with a sentence double that they'd otherwise receive. Still, such measures didn't mean all villains better chose their targets. Endeavour knew of this, hence why his 3 older children all went to private schools with good track records for protection.
Others would merely hide that they had families, leading to annoying news articles about some hero's secret family, as if they were cheating on their spouse, but in reality, they just didn't want to advertise that they had a family, to begin with.
Having collected himself from that little episode, All Might. "Mam, I can assure you that young Kendo is not my daughter, legitimate or otherwise. We simply have similar quirks, so I took an interest in her development."
“Is that right?” Kenmikito swirled her teacup, as she suspected that was the case, but she couldn't just say what she really suspected. Even if they were alone, she highly doubted that All Might would deny anything or play the fool. “Well, I suppose stranger things have happened, but you must admit that your quirk is quite unique, I haven’t seen one quite like it in a long time, and I’ve been around the block a few times.”
"Yes, your overwhelming power seems to be unique, All Might. That much I can say, but you're not the one competing; your student is." Endeavour’s eyes narrowed as he suspected there was more happening between these two, which made All Might all the more nervous as he had purposely avoided talking about his quirk for decades.
"Which means that your youngest has a chance, Endeavour. But I have to say, he seems to be quite gifted as well and has a good head on his shoulders, and with just half his quirk, he's managed to leave his mark." Kenmikito praised Shoto.
"You speak as if you know him," Endeavour stated, which she smiled at.
"I do not, but I have eyes. While the rest might have been focused on the fanfare and spectacle, I noticed that he seems to build up frost on his body, slowing him down, but that he can heat himself up. Still, he only does so in between the events, never during it. Makes one wonder as to why." She didn't say more, not with her words, but her gaze did that part, which made the flames around Endeavour's face pulse with anger.
“The boy is just going through a rebellious phase, he’ll learn to use his flames as well as his ice, and then such weakness will be a thing of the past.” The flame hero stated, keeping civil despite the fact this woman seemed to enjoy talking around the bush and making subtle accusations.
"Oh, I can tell you I've had my fair share of teenage rebellions; as soon as puberty hits, they believe they're adults and know all they need to and stop listening.” She leaned into her seat with a groan. "But sometimes, they have a reason, and we as parents need to recognize that." She smiled at how Endeavour glared at her, the man proving to be as fun to jab as she thought.
“Yes.” He ground out as All Might coughed to ease the tensions between the two.
"Oh, but perhaps today is the day he breaks out of that nasty habit, yes? With such stiff competition, he'll have no choice if he wishes to take the top spot." All Might had seen young Shoto's file. He knew that the boy could use ice and fire in equal measure, but ever since school started, he hadn't seen him using it once during an assessment. Even at the USJ, it seemed like he relied solely on his ice.
“I’m sure he’ll make the right choice.” Kenmikito mused as she took a sip of her tea. “I'm eager to see it, especially since I have faith that my student will face such power and come out on top." She added.
"My Shoto won't go down easy; it would take more than a wooden pole to match his power." Endeavour replied as he would admit that the Midoriya boy was no pushover, and he had a strange yet versatile quirk at his command, but the speed and unconventional movement could only take you so far.
All Might be just as confident in his student. "Young Kendo is also quite talented and driven; I'm sure that if they were to face each other, she'd surprise you." She had taken to One for All slower than he did, as he could use it at full power pretty much from the jump. Still, they had 5 months before U.A.'s entrance exam to train. Thanks to Gran Torino's help, young Kendo learned how to reliably access 7% of One for All’s power, bringing that up to 20% for single-shot attacks.
"I love your faith in your students and children. But why don't we make things a little more interesting?" Kenmikito suggested.
“You think I’ll bet on my child?” Endeavour didn’t waste time as she waved that off.
“Oh, you make it sound like such an evil thing. It's not like I'm asking that we bet something massive or extreme, just a small favor. We don't have much time after this, and I'd like to pick your brains later." She suggested, with the flame hero still wary of her, an intelligent choice if she had to say.
“That’s if young Midoriya comes out on top?” All Might asked.
“Naturally, and the same can be said if Shoto or Itsuka take home the gold.” She replied, as there was plenty she wished to learn from the two, but they were things she couldn't just ask.
"And what would this favor entail?" Endeavour asked as this wouldn't be the first time someone of power had requested something less than ethical from him. If that was the case, he would be gone, and he would report her just as quickly.
"As I said, I would like to pick your brains, but you won't be forced to answer my questions. So, it's less of a bet and more of a promise that we'll meet again." Kenmikito explained as she knew that even if she brought in a binding contract, these two would make it far too annoying to enforce.
“So, do we have a deal?” She asked the two, looking them both in the eye.
"You've trained more than just people with feline-like quirks?" Endeavour asked her as if this wasn't some waste of time. Perhaps he could gain something from it.
"Yes. I run a dojo, and I can tell you my students have become quite proficient in the martial arts. A skill I believe that hero worth their salt should pick up." Kenmikito told him, though, how much she could teach a boy with a quirk. Well, that was limited.
"Then if my favor to you, when Shoto wins, is that you take him on as a student," Endeavour led, and she caught on quickly.
"Then I shall grant the request," Kenmikito replied before turning to the third person. What say you, All Might?" She asked, the man pausing for a moment as he considered this.
“I think that I’ll take the chance to ask you some questions as well.” He still didn't know much about her, but she wished to fish for information. He could follow her example.
“Then the bet has been made. May the best student win, gentlemen. Now let us discuss other matters.” With that issue handled, she moved the conversation to less tense topics, such as their work-life balance and some teaching tips.
Line Break
“Alright, folks, now that lunch is over, we can reveal the last games! And to keep the spirits up as this is a sports festival, we even flew in real cheerleaders all the way from the U.S of A!” As the students returned to the field, the previously mentioned cheerleaders were in the middle of their performance, but they weren’t the only ones.
“Huh?” Present Mic noted another group of cheerleaders; wait, he recognized them.
“What are those girls doing?” Aizawa sounded confused for the first time since the festival started.
They weren't the only ones confused by this as the students looked on in confusion, embarrassment, or bemusement at how the girls of class A all stood still as statues on the field, wearing identical cheerleader attire to the actual cheerleaders. “What’s the matter, Class A? I don’t recall this being the time for fan service!”
“Mineta! Kaminari! You tricked us, didn’t you?!” Yaoyorozu yelled at the two boys, who gave each other a thumbs-up, not caring for whatever consequence this could bring them.
Seeing this made some of class B look away like Shiozaki offered some prays to them, whereas Midoriya, Monoma, and Kuroiro were laughing their asses off, the green-haired cat boy kneeling over. "Oh my God, this is amazing! Hey, Awase! Maybe the American cheerleaders really are for us. Class A already got theirs!" He laughed even harder as some others in his class joined in. Yanagi covered her face and looked away, while others, like Tsunotori and Tokage, were much more open about it.
Being so openly laughed at for Yaoyorozu's trusting nature being used against her made Jiro furious as she pointed a pompom at them. “You wouldn’t be laughing if you were the ones tricked into this!”
Midoriya didn’t stop laughing, but he did manage to get up to his feet again. "Oh honey, please, I'll rock that look 'cause I sure as hell know I got the legs for it." He proved his point when he performed a standing split, his right leg going nearly 180 degrees with his left arm grasping at his shin.
“I’ll deal with you two later, you hear me!” Kendo roared at the two. She knew that there was something fishy about their lie, but she hadn't had the time to confirm it with Aizawa. No, she could have asked Tokage, as indeed the vice rep of their sister class would have heard about this. As Hagakure tried to raise their spirits after this embarrassing moment, time didn't wait.
“All right, surprise fan service aside, we have something to show off before we move onto the recreational games, the bracket for the finals!" Present Mic continued as the screen changed to show off the classic tournament-style bracket, but there were no names yet.
“8 teams managed to battle through way through the gauntlet that was the chariot race, but now 2 from each will be chosen to test their mettle in a 1v1 tournament style battle!" Present Mic announced, which came as a surprise to them, but at the same time, it made sense as with 8 teams, that would mean 40 fighters. It's not an ideal number for this kind of set-up.
Stepping into the stage, Midnight addressed the gathered students. “Now, which 2 of each team shall be chosen to compete?”
"I think it's obvious that you'll be taking this," Furasu said from her team. Their two other members, both of the business course, nodded along as Todoroki and Iida looked back at them.
"Are you sure?" Iida asked her, to which the usually shy girl smiled.
“Positive.” With that assurance, the two boys stepped forward, their names and pictures appearing on the boards but not yet placed into a match-up.
"I did what I wanted to do here. It makes no sense to fight when that's not my style." Kingen spoke up.
"I could show off more of my stuff, but that's what the culture festival is for. Besides, I've already made my mark with that chariot race. I'll be drowning in offers before you know it!" Kyūryū giggled like a mad scientist.
"Shinso? Would you like a spot?" Shiozaki asked as she knew that the general studies student was eager to prove that he was worthy of being transferred to the hero course.
Rubbing the back of his head, Shinso thought about it but decided against it. "Not this time. I got to show off my skills in those first 2 events. But right now, everyone knows how my quirk works, and even with your training, I'm still too far behind to have a chance." He eyed Midoriya when he said the second part, but perhaps he'll stick with it. If nothing else, it meant spending more time with the hell risers.
Midoriya wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Then I shall smash class A heads into the ground in your honor."
Shiozaki sighed but didn't argue. This was a fight, and while she disliked senseless violence, that was a legitimate strategy at this point. Instead, she bowed to her team. "I thank you for this chance."
"Argue for the second spot, I'm going." Bakugo's statement wasn't unsurprising, as his team did not suspect he would even pretend to care. But while they could argue among themselves, they wordlessly let Ashido take the second spot.
The rest of the names had been added to the list in just a few minutes. With that done, the 16 took turns approaching the stage and taking out a slip from the box with a number that would determine their placement in the bracket. Bakugo went first and grabbed the first he could touch. Shiozaki was next, and she took a little more time. Yaoyorozu was decisive but much less brutish than her classmate, while Midoriya felt like she was around the box's contents.
As they did this, Midnight affirmed that those selected to participate in the finals didn't need to participate in the recreational games but instead took the time to rest up and plan their strategy. The same wasn't the case for the rest, but there were the bonus prizes to be won.
“And with the slots filled, let’s see that bracket!”
Tetsutetsu vs Bakugo
"Who the hell is that?" Bakugo asked, with that question getting a somewhat predictable response.
"Asshole, how the hell did you forget my name!" Looking his way, Bakugo didn't care in the slightest for his opponent's ire, but now that he saw him, he was starting to recall him.
“Aren’t you the same as shitty hair?”
"We're not the same!" Kirishima and Testutetsu yelled at the same time, then realized they had done so before groaning at how they would never beat the allegations if this kept happening.
Jiro vs Tsunotori
"She's the foreign girl, right?" Jiro asked Yaoyorozu, who nodded before freezing up. Looking at the reason, Jiro had a similar reaction as the small, cute-looking American glaring at her like she had just killed her entire family.
“You’re dead meat." Tsunotori told her in English, which made her gulp and wonder why she got the intense one.
Uraraka vs Monoma
"I'm not going to lose here. You're going down." Uraraka has a similar intensity to Tsunotori as she looked towards Monoma, who kept up the smirk but started to sweat a little. Regarding Shoji and Kamakiri, neither reacted other than acknowledging that the other would be their obstacle if they wished to proceed.
Midoriya vs Tokoyami
"I'll give it my all." Tokoyami faced his foe, who giggled at the match-up.
Midoriya said his piece with a wide grin that showed off his pearly whites. "Birds don't have the best track record against cats." Tokoyami's eyes narrowed at that statement, as perhaps he'd need to demonstrate that he wasn't some pigeon for Midoriya to toy with. Again, there was little fanfare between Shiozaki and Iida. Iida merely said he wished for a clean fight, which Shiozaki agreed.
Ashido vs. Kendo
"Oh man, my luck is just in the gutter. How am I supposed to beat an Amazon?" Mina cried as Sero patted her back. Kendo would have tried to encourage her, but she felt that it would come across as insulting if she did it, especially since she had no plans to play around.
Yaoyorozu vs Todoroki
"A quirk fight then." Todoroki lacked her tact as his blunt statement left Yaoyorozu feeling angered but also incredibly nervous. while anti-social, Todoroki wasn't one to make arrogant statements unless he had reason to believe he could back them up. And she had seen his power many times now.
"D-don't think it would be that easy, Todoroki." She responded, mustering her strength, but that confidence wasn't that high when she was still wearing the outfit she was duped into making and wearing.
Line Break
And with that, the chapter is over. It was a bit longer than I expected, but I'm happy. We set up the matches going forward, as well as something else I've been wanting for a while, which was putting Endeavour, All Might, and Kenmikito in the same room. This could have happened at the charity event, but enough was happening there. now felt like a better time since they've all had a chance to see what the other students can do, hence a bet. Also, while Kendo had her suspicions about Midoriya, it felt only suitable for All Might to have concerns about Kenmikito, which she leans into with how she implies she knows more about the two than they're comfortable with. In contrast, they know next to nothing about her.
