Once More (My Hero Academia)

17: The Calvary Battle

Bakugo felt a tug on his head and reacted instantly. His arm whipped back, slamming an explosion in the general area where he sensed the team was and hit them right on.

The class-B student was forced to let go of the headband, and their team stumbled back, trying to gain balance, as Bakugo's headband dangled dangerously on his shoulder.

The 1-A student readjusted the headband as he stared daggers at the class-B team that dared ambush them.

"Geez... I might've underestimated you a tad..." The rider from the class-B team smirked. He had slick blond hair and dull blue eyes, his expression was of unmasked contempt, "But still... You 1-A students are so simple."

Bakugo twitched in annoyance.

"You especially," the class-B student continued, "chasing after that first place guy over and over again like a donkey after a carrot, but failing miserably all the same... Aren't you tired? Don't you feel even a tiny bit of pity for yourself?" The student tossed his head back in laughter.

"Bakugo... don't fall for it..." Kirishima warned, but Ashido and Sero knew it would be to no avail.

"Slight change of plans, Shitty Hair," Bakugo said with a grin, "we'll make this quick."

Meanwhile, Midoriya had landed back with his group and Tokoyami had blocked off most of Kaminari's electric attack. The ground was frozen, but with Uraraka's anti-gravity quirk Todoroki's attack had been easy to avoid.

Todoroki had created a wall of ice surrounding the two teams, so no other team would be in the way for him to take the million-point headband.

And he wasn't planning to fail.

"Todoroki," Iida shifted his weight, slightly surprising Todoroki, "what happens next will be up to you guys. Be sure to grab it..."

"What are you going to --"

Todoroki's question was interrupted as air slammed into his face and the distance between him and Midoriya was closed in a blink of an eye.

Reacting just in time, Todoroki shot his arm out toward the white headband resting on Midoriya's head.

Iida exhaled with a triumphant expression, his engines whirring to a stop as a trail of smoke behind him billowed in the air. He whipped his head back to Todoroki, but the sight made his throat tighten.

"Todoroki..."

"...I missed," Todoroki frowned, his bottom lip twitching.

Iida turned away from his teammate and back at his opponent.

"No way..." Iida's eyes widened in disbelief.

Midoriya was in the air, weightless with Uraraka's quirk.

The headband was still on Midoriya's head.

"Did Midoriya... dodge that?" Kaminari squinted.

"Iida, did Midoriya know about your secret move?" Todoroki asked.

"No, I never told anyone apart from you three," Iida asserted.

Meanwhile, with the help of Tokoyami's dark shadow, Midoriya landed back on the horse formation.

"Boy, that was scary," Uraraka said, her voice still quivering from the earlier jump scare.

"Yeah Mr. First Place, maybe try giving a warning before blasting yourself in the air! My babies might not be able to handle a sudden force like that!" Hatsume complained.

"Sorry guys, Iida's move was way too fast. I barely reacted..." Midoriya replied.

"That was indeed surprisingly fast," Tokoyami muttered.

The team adjusted themselves, facing Todoroki's team once again.

Todoroki's normally deadpanned expression was now unusually irritated. He even looked a bit angry.

"Go," Todoroki ordered, and the team rushed forward. Without Iida's engine now, they were much slower, but the way Todoroki looked at them told Midoriya's team that they wouldn't be getting out of this easily.

A mountain of ice burst from the ground and Midoriya's team stumbled out of the way. But the ice kept coming, Todoroki's attacks getting larger and faster. Only moments later, the small arena the two teams were on was already a forest of ice and boulders. The image of Todoroki's team reflected around in the walls of ice, a blur of color.

"They're trying to block our view!" Midoriya said, realization evident in his voice, "Be careful!"

Sure enough, they barely had time to react as Todoroki's team emerged from behind an ice wall and Todoroki's hand reached toward Midoriya's headband.

"Steady, guys," Midoriya said to his team after he dodged, "we just need a little bit more time..."

Todoroki glanced at the countdown and grunted. His right arm was already covered in frost, unable to summon ice large enough to hinder the opposing team anymore. His attacks were useless now.

Even worse, he was all too aware of his father's gaze boring holes in his back.

But he was more frustrated at himself. He worked hard. What was it that Midoriya had that he didn't?

Todoroki shuddered in realization as he remembered what the green hair boy said to him.

I'm going for it with everything I got. The question is...will you?

You sound exactly like that old man, Midoriya, Todoroki thought.

Why does everyone keep pressuring him like that?

He will never use his fire quirk.

But despite his thoughts, something else burned in his mind.

They didn't care. Nobody cared. To everyone else, he was just someone being taken advantage of by the other team, by Midoriya. To everyone else, he was only himself, but a coward.

Just to melt off the frost. Todoroki told himself, but his thoughts were drowned away.

A flame trickled from Todoroki's left finger, and grew into a towering flame.