Yo, been a while writing huh? I've been thinking about way too many stories I wanna do but my fingers are so slow!
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As the sports festival wrapped up, the energy in the stadium was palpable. The finalists were about to be announced, and Midnight, ever the showwoman, grabbed her mic with a flourish.
"AND IN 2nd PLACE, WE HAVE... Shoto Todoroki!" she announced dramatically. Todoroki, with his usual stoic demeanor, took his seat on the 2nd place throne. He leaned back, looking as if he was contemplating something deeper than mere competition.
"You know," he said to Izuku Midoriya, who sat beside him on the 3rd place throne, "I'm not so worried about being first anymore."
Izuku chuckled softly, glancing up at Bakugo in the distance. "Yeah, I can tell. Being next to Kacchan right now would be... tense."
Midnight's voice rang out again, "AT 3rd PLACE, WE HAVE IZUKU MIDORIYA!" Izuku gave a polite wave, smiling at the crowd, though a little sheepish, still feeling the weight of his battle against Bakugo.
Before she could announce the winners, Aizawa walked up to Midnight, his voice dry and unimpressed. "Nemuri, you're announcing in the wrong order. Second before third? Really?"
"Shhh!" Midnight playfully shushed him. "If you don't point it out, no one will notice!" Aizawa just rolled his eyes and walked off, muttering something under his breath about professionalism.
"And NOW, for 1st place!" Midnight's voice took on a grand tone. "For the first time in 11 years, we have TWO winners!" The crowd leaned in with excitement, murmuring with anticipation. "KATSUKI BAKUGO AND KUROKAMI TENSHIN!"
The audience erupted in cheers, but the two first-place winners couldn't be more different in their reactions.
"Look at that, Bakugo!" Kuro beamed, practically glowing with joy. "We both won!"
"NO! SCREW THAT!" Bakugo's voice was a storm of anger, echoing through the stadium as he struggled against the chains holding him to his throne. "RUN THAT FIGHT BACK! 1V1 ME AGAIN, YOU DWARF!" The only reason he wasn't physically attacking Kuro was that they had preemptively chained him down. His growls and protests were drowned out by the roar of the crowd.
Suddenly, a familiar booming voice cut through the noise. "HAHA! I AM HERE!" All Might leaped down dramatically, his iconic pose bringing even more energy to the crowd. "To congratulate the winners and award the medals!"
The audience cheered even louder as All Might approached the podium, the medals glinting in the sunlight.
He started with Izuku, holding up the bronze medal. "Young Midoriya, you did amazing today! I'm proud of you! Keep training hard, and I know you'll keep growing!"
Izuku, blushing under the weight of All Might's praise, accepted the medal with trembling hands. "Th-thank you, All Might! I won't let you down!"
Next was Todoroki, who received his silver medal with his usual calm. "Young Todoroki!" All Might said, his voice more measured. "I'm not certain of all the issues you face with your family, but that doesn't take away from the incredible performance you gave today. Be proud!"
Todoroki nodded, his expression still, but his eyes betrayed the faintest flicker of gratitude. "Thank you, All Might," he said simply.
Finally, All Might approached Bakugo and Kuro, both still tied to their thrones. "And now, for our dual winners!" All Might held up the gold medal but hesitated. "Uh... I just realized I don't have two first-place medals."
"GOOD!" Bakugo barked. "KEEP THAT FILTHY THING AWAY FROM ME!"
Kuro, still as cheery as ever, raised his hand eagerly. "I'll take it! Shiny things are cool."
All Might, seeing no need to argue, handed the gold medal to Kuro with a chuckle. "Very well, Young Kurokami. A victory is a victory!"
"And what do we say to all the contestants?" All Might turned to the crowd, his smile as wide as ever.
"PLUS ULTRA!" the audience roared in unison, fists raised in the air.
A little while later, as the festival attendees began to disperse, Class 1-A made their way back to their classroom, each of them reflecting on the day's events.
Ochaco Uraraka stretched her arms as she walked, a tired but satisfied smile on her face. "That felt way longer than just a day..."
"Yeah," Midoriya said with a chuckle as he sank into his seat. "But I guess that's how it feels when so much happens. It's like an entire story arc."
Kaminari, walking behind them, slumped into his chair dramatically. "Man, my brain's fried. I'm just gonna sleep through tomorrow. You guys with me?"
Jirou snickered from her desk. "Good luck explaining that to Aizawa."
Mina Ashido grinned, leaning back with her hands behind her head. "I'm just glad we don't have to fight Bakugo for a while. The guy's like a ticking time bomb!"
Bakugo, walking in with his usual scowl, overheard and shot a glare at her. "You say something, Ashido?"
"Nope! Nothing!" Mina grinned innocently.
Iida stood at the front of the class, already organizing tomorrow's schedule. "Regardless of today's outcome, we've all done an amazing job and can only improve from here!"
As Class 1-A laughed and relaxed, Izuku sat quietly, reflecting on his loss but also the encouragement from his classmates. He glanced out the window, the faint sounds of the festival still lingering in the air.
Bakugo took his seat, his expression unreadable as he leaned back, arms crossed. "I still don't like ties," he muttered, though his voice lacked its usual edge. Maybe, just maybe, there was a part of him that respected Kuro for matching his strength today.
"Well," Kuro said from across the room, flashing Bakugo a bright smile. "There's always next time!"
Bakugo scoffed, but there was a flicker of something behind his eyes—perhaps even the tiniest hint of a grin.
The sports festival had ended, but the journey for Class 1-A had just begun.
As the atmosphere in Class 1-A started to relax, Aizawa cleared his throat, or at least made a noise that resembled one. "Alright, everyone, shut up." His tone was flat, though there was a hint of exhaustion in his voice. He let out a yawn before dropping the news on them. "You'll have no school for the next two days. Consider it a break after today's festival." Aizawa wrapped himself snugly in his sleeping bag, clearly ready to drift off, but not before adding, "Oh, and you'll be getting hero nominations. But that's for later."
Immediately, Momo Yaoyorozu and Tenya Iida, the diligent Class Vice Presidents, made their way to the front of the room. Momo spoke first, her voice clear and composed, "Alright, everyone, you heard Mr. Aizawa! We've got hero recommendations coming up, and a well-deserved break after such an eventful festival."
Iida, as always, added his own enthusiastic touch. "Hero recommendations will provide invaluable experience, an internship of sorts with professional heroes. This will be a crucial opportunity for us all to grow!" His arms chopped the air as he spoke, unable to hide his excitement.
Amidst the Vice Presidents' lecture, Ochaco Uraraka sidled up to Midoriya, who had been uncharacteristically quiet. "I bet a bunch of heroes will choose you, Deku," she said with a hopeful smile, trying to lift his spirits after what had to be a rough day.
Izuku, who was still replaying his fight with Bakugo over and over in his mind, sighed. "I doubt it, honestly. Even if I were chosen, my quirk is still too dangerous, even with the quirk suppression cuffs. It's just a temporary fix. I can't even use it at full power without breaking myself... How could I ever be a real hero?" His voice trailed off as he tapped the desk nervously, his insecurities bubbling to the surface.
Ochaco could only offer him an awkward pat on the back before backing away, uncertain how to comfort him in this moment. "Right... That's... uh, great, Deku," she muttered, her usual optimism dimming slightly.
Deciding to check in with her other classmates, she turned to Tsuyu Asui, who sat nearby. "So~ What are you guys doing?" she asked, hoping to strike up a lighter conversation.
"Nothing really, kero," Tsuyu replied in her typical calm manner, watching two of their more quiet classmates engage in what appeared to be a staring contest—Shoji and Todoroki.
"I personally wanted to see who was the most taciturn of the two," Tsuyu explained, her large eyes shifting between the two boys. "But honestly, I can't tell. We might have to move from staring contests to... other stuff."
Ochaco blinked in surprise. This class really is full of weirdos... she thought, offering a small smile. "Well... amazing! Hope you guys... have fun!" She started walking backward, trying to put some distance between herself and the growing weirdness.
That was when she bumped into something—or rather, someone. "Oh, sorry!" she started, before realizing who it was. "Wait, you're not supposed to be here!" she blurted out in surprise, recognizing Mei Hatsume, the ever-enthusiastic Support Course student with a... large personality.
"Naturally!" Mei chimed in, her voice as chipper as ever. "I just walked right in!"
Hitoshi Shinso, standing next to her, added coolly, "Same here."
Ochaco, thoroughly confused, turned to the class president, who was sleepily draped over his desk. "President, aren't you going to say something about this?!"
Kurokami, blinking blearily, gave a lazy smile. "Hatsume's tech support for the class, and Shinso's getting transferred here. Problem solved," he said before immediately nodding off again.
"Wait... what?!" Ochaco exclaimed, overwhelmed by the constant barrage of oddities today.
"Yep," Shinso said smugly, crossing his arms. "Clearly, my excellence is enough to get me into the best class."
Mei, who had absentmindedly been reading through Kuro's notes, chimed in, "Oh! I'll definitely need your quirk information as well. Makes for great research!"
Ochaco, utterly defeated by the constant whirlwind of weird, sighed. Am I the only normal one here...? she thought miserably.
Walking away, she caught sight of Bakugo, which was odd because Bakugo was staring right back at her, and that was never a good thing.
"...Bakugo?" she asked tentatively, feeling her nerves spike.
"Finally," Bakugo muttered, a smug grin on his face. "And here I was, wondering if I'd need to bribe you with food or something."
"Wh-what?!" Ochaco stammered, flustered. "That's so... just like you to be mean."
Bakugo ignored her protest. "Whatever. Listen," he continued, pointing at Iida, who was standing at the front of the class, still giving his speech about hero internships. "That poindexter's been acting weird. As the loveable, bubbly Kirby, your new mission is to do whatever mushy pink blobs do with friends."
"...Okay, jerk," Ochaco muttered, backing away from him.
Despite his rough tone, Bakugo might have been right about Iida. She made her way over to him, but before she could even greet him, she noticed something on his phone—a photo of a man in a full-body cast. The resemblance was clear.
"Hello, Uraraka," Iida said, his voice unnervingly calm. "Please, don't tell the others about this, but... that's my brother, Tensei."
Ochaco's eyes widened as Iida continued, his voice steady, but his body trembling with suppressed rage. "He was attacked by a villain they call the Hero Killer, Stain. His legs were paralyzed, and his career as a hero... is over."
Ochaco's breath caught in her throat. She could feel the weight of Iida's pain, his anger barely contained beneath his calm exterior. "Iida..." she whispered, unsure what to say but desperate to comfort him.
But Iida stood tall, his voice firm. "I'm fine, Uraraka. But this... it won't go unanswered." His eyes burned with determination, the kind Ochaco had never seen from him before.
Suddenly, Class 1-A didn't feel so relaxed anymore.
A few hours later, as dusk settled over the UA campus, Ochaco Uraraka made her way to the roof of the building, her heart pounding. She had carefully snuck past a few patrols, hoping no one would notice her wandering around at this hour. After all, it wasn't every day you had to seek out your class president for advice on something as serious as a friend's well-being.
Quietly pushing open the hatch, she spotted the sleeping figure of Kurokami Tenshin lying on the roof, casually napping as if he had no care in the world. Taking a deep breath, she tiptoed closer, whispering nervously, "President? It's me... Ochaco?"
Kuro stirred, his eyes lazily fluttering open. His response carried all the enthusiasm of someone half-asleep, "Hi, Ochaco... I've been sleeping too much lately, sorry..." His voice trailed off as though he might nod off again at any moment.
Ochaco sighed in exasperation and sat down beside him. "Geez, you have no idea how much trouble I went through to get up here! I nearly got caught, you know?" Her usual bubbly energy was slowly creeping back into her voice.
Kuro, still stretching and trying to wake up properly, gave her a puzzled look. "That's weird. Why not just float up here?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.
"Because not all of us are blessed with the ability to fly!" Ochaco said, half-annoyed, half-amused.
Kuro blinked, processing her words slowly. "But your quirk is Zero Gravity... You could just remove your own weight, and you'd float. In fact, you could probably fly if you practiced. You'd just need some form of propulsion, maybe something to help steer—"
"Okay, okay!" Ochaco interrupted before he could get too technical. "That's great, but I need your help with something more important!"
Kuro finally perked up a bit, his curiosity piqued. "Hmm... what happened?"
Ochaco's expression shifted, becoming more serious as she explained. "It's Iida. He's been acting really strange since we got back to class, and Momo said you know him best. I'm... worried."
Kuro sat up straighter, rubbing his chin in thought before pulling a notebook from his bag. "Go on. What's going on with him?"
Ochaco hesitated for a moment, trying to find the right words. "His brother... Tensei... was attacked by a villain named Stain. He's been paralyzed, and he can't be a hero anymore. Iida's been really... off. I'm not sure how to handle it."
Kuro paused, processing the information. "Oh... what a shame," he said nonchalantly, as if Ochaco had just told him about a broken toy.
"Can you at least pretend to care?" Ochaco huffed, feeling her frustration rise. How could he be so casual about something like this?
Kuro gave her a lazy, indifferent shrug. "It doesn't change anything if I do. His spine's injured, right? Give it a few months and we'll probably have some medical advancements to help with that. But for now? He'll probably try to track down Stain, fail miserably, and get himself hurt too."
Ochaco's eyes widened, her heart skipping a beat. "No way... There's no way Iida would do something like that. Right?" Her voice wavered, uncertainty creeping in.
Kuro, still writing in his notebook, glanced up briefly. "He will. Iida's emotional when it comes to family. He's likely already planning it—he's just too prideful to tell anyone."
Ochaco's mind raced. It didn't seem like Iida at all to be so rash, but then again... Kuro had a point. Iida had been acting off, and she couldn't shake the feeling that Kuro was right.
"...I think I got it," Ochaco finally said, a new determination lighting up her eyes. "Thanks for your help, Kuro!"
Kuro offered a lazy wave as she got to her feet. "Anytime."
She was about to dash off in her usual energetic manner before remembering she was still on the roof of UA. With a nervous glance at the edge, she opted for a much slower, more careful approach, making her way toward the hatch.
As she disappeared down the ladder, Kuro stretched his arms above his head and yawned. "Maybe I should handle that Stain guy before Iida gets himself in trouble," he mused to himself, already thinking about what new training methods he could come up with to prepare for such a fight.
But for now, he simply laid back down, staring at the sky as the last hints of daylight faded away. The stars began to twinkle above, and Kuro closed his eyes again, drifting off to sleep without a care in the world.
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[Auther: Yo! Been a while eh? Anyway, this was a smaller chapter since... I kinda forgot the plot, like. What happens next in MHA? I can't exactly justify much else happening until we get past the Hero Killer arc.]