Midoriya and I had just come in first and second place in the Obstacle Race. The fact we were able to catch up, was all due to Midoriya's quick thinking. While the two of us were still celebrating our victory, a nearby conversation caught my attention. A few guys from the UA Business Course were discussing us.
"Excuse me, guys. Would you mind repeating that last sentence?" I asked, politely. The one on the far left spoke up.
"We were just saying that the Midoriya fellow would be very hard to market, since he didn't show off his quirk." he said.
"Yes, but he did effectively display other aspects that Pro Heroes and the public would undoubtedly respond to, in a positive manner." the one on the far right chimed in. Then the one with glasses started talking.
"The same could essentially be said for you." he said, looking at me.
"What do you mean?" I asked, curiously.
"Well, it's obvious your quirk isn't the 'flashy, overwhelming power type' that gains the most attention." the guy with glasses said.
"What exactly are your quirks?" the guy on the right asked. He pointed to both Midoriya and me. Midoriya was still awestruck, though, and didn't even notice our conversation.
"Both our quirks are complicated... You're better off just seeing what we can do over the course of the Festival." I stated, smiling.
"Okay, everyone! The next event is the cavalry battle! The top forty-two qualifiers will form teams from two to four people, in order to earn points by stealing headbands from other teams. A team's point value is based on the value of its individual members. The members of the team receive point value based on their placement in the obstacle race. The objective of the game is to steal as many headbands as possible to raise your team's point value. If a team falls or has their headband stolen, they can still compete until the time is up. The time limit for the Cavalry Battle is fifteen minutes, and only the top four teams will advance to the finals. Oh, and you are not allowed to make each other fall, on purpose." Midnight explained. A large jumbo-tron displayed that the winner of the obstacle race would be wearing a headband worth an overwhelming ten million points! Needless to say, things escalated quickly.
I couldn't help but facepalm. Not only was this event going to be completely cancer, but Midoriya would be the main target, now. Everyone would be gunning for his headband. It was all they needed to win. 'Now would be a really great time to have my pistols...' I thought, sulking. I had been told that they wouldn't be allowed for probably the entire Festival. I'd find a way around it, though.
Everyone began forming into teams. Most people immediately swarmed Bakugo and Todoroki. Their powerful and versatile quirks were enough to have people climbing over each other for a chance to team up with them. Midoriya looked around and realized that practically everyone was avoiding him. He quickly ran up to Iida. Meanwhile, I had an idea and ran to Yaoyorozu.
"Iida! You want to join our team?" Midoriya asked.
"Yaoyorozu! I've got a great idea, for a team!" I said.
"I'm sorry, Midoriya. But, right now, I see you as a rival. I'll be on my own team, going against you." Iida told him.
"I'm sorry, Y/N. But I had another idea for a team. Thank you for thinking about me, though." Yaoyorozu told me. Hearing both these conversations end so abruptly, I quickly responded. I grabbed Iida and then Yaoyorozu and moved us all closer together. Me, Midoriya, Iida and Yaoyorozu were now in a circle. I then started talking before they could protest.
"Listen, guys! My quirk means you two using your quirks infinitely! Engine requires orange juice, as fuel. And Creation requires lipids, to function. As long as I'm able to see or physically touch you two, I can keep refilling what you each need for your quirks!" I explained, frustrated. The two looked completely shell shocked.
"That's strategically brilliant!" Midoriya somewhat shouted.
"Indeed! I can't believe I hadn't thought of it. My sincerest apologies, Midoriya..." Iida added.
"But, wouldn't that put a strain on you, Y/N?" Yaoyorozu asked, concerned.
"Not unless you were both constantly running out of fuel and lipids. And that's not gonna happen. The Cavalry Battle is only fifteen minutes long. I'll come out tired, sure, but who won't?" I replied, lying. In all honesty, I would probably be left mentally exhausted from overusing my quirk. 'I can't tell them that though... I'll just have to find a place to nap afterward, or maybe use energy drinks to get me through the day...' I thought. The time for forming teams was almost up. Together, our new team worked out a strategy.
(Cavalry Battle looks like this)
Everyone got into position, for the Cavalry Battle.
(For those wondering)
Team Midoriya:
- Midoriya
- Y/N
- Iida
- Yaoyorozu
Team Bakugo:
- Bakugo
- Kirishima
- Ashido
- Sero
Team Todoroki:
- Todoroki
- Kaminari
- Tokoyami
- Uraraka
Midoriya was worth the most points, so he was the one we would be carrying. Iida was in the front. Yaoyorozu was to Midoriya's left and I, to his right. As the Cavalry Battle finally began, most of the teams rushed toward us. Iida tried to run us away, but a guy named Honenuki used his quirk to soften the ground into mush, making us sink. "Iida, you've got to get us out of here!" Midoriya yelled. Iida made a serious face before his engines erupted with blue flames.
"Recipro Burst!" Iida yelled. His move sent us flying out of the soft ground and past the teams that had surrounded us. But we wouldn't be safe for long. Bakugo and Todoroki's teams were each gunning towards us. "Recipro Burst uses all my fuel in one go." Iida reminded me.
"That's why I'm here." I said, refilling his fuel. Bakugo leaped off his teammates and propelled himself towards Midoriya.
"Deku!" Bakugo screamed, angrily. Iida quickly responded and boosted us out of the way. As we were about to pass by Team Todoroki and the rest of Team Bakugo, Yaoyorozu created multiple flashbangs and threw them in the air. They all detonated and blinded our opponents, allowing us to get by. Sero had been blinded, in the process, and couldn't see Bakugo to pull him back to their group. Lucky for them, Bakugo was able to propel himself back to them, having not been blinded.
"Ah, man. I thought Bakugo was about to knock his team out of the event." I said, disappointed. In the next second, I dodged an attack from Jiro's Earphone Jack. At this point, our group was just running around almost constantly. Iida's speed made us essentially untouchable. And if anyone ever managed to get close, Yaoyorozu would flashbang them or take a swing at them, with a melee weapon. Unfortunately, we weren't fast enough to avoid Kaminari's electrical attack. But Yaoyorozu did throw an insulated sheet over us, just in time. Then Tokoyami's Dark Shadow snatched the sheet draped over us, taking Midoriya's headband with it.
"Got you." Todoroki said, calmly. He had frozen us to the ground with his ice, upon passing us.
"Iida, use Recipro!" Midoriya and I yelled, in unison. He did so and the heat and power of his engines broke us free. Then I refilled Iida's engine fuel again. I shook my head, feeling somewhat disoriented. There were mere minutes left on the event, but I had been using my quirk a lot. The mental fatigue was getting to me. Sounds were now distorted.
"Y/N? Are you alright?" Yaoyorozu asked, worried.
"I'm fine! We've got to get our points back!" I shouted, irritated. Our team moved after Team Todoroki but things were complicated. Now the other teams were after them, for our ten million point headband. Midoriya lit up like he had an idea.
"Yaoyorozu, can you make a smoke bomb?" Midoriya asked. She nodded and quickly made a couple. She and I each threw one at Team Todoroki. Smoke immediately dispersed in a large radius. As Iida once again used his Recipro Burst, we jetted into the smoke and blitzed Todoroki's group. Midoriya snatched multiple headbands from around Todoroki's neck. The guy had turned them around so the number of points weren't visible. We got a fair distance away and a loudspeaker signaled the end of the Cavalry Battle. Many people groaned, disappointed at their own performance. Meanwhile, the four of us looked at the headbands Midoriya had secured. None of them were the ten million point headband, but together they were enough to land our team second place in the event. Bakugo's team had come in third place and I could feel his ominous stare.
"Yes! Second place twice in a row! Hell yeah!" I screamed, happily. Then I staggered a bit. Iida and Midoriya noticed and reached out to me. They each grabbed an arm of mine and helped me.
"I thought you said you could handle overhauling our quirks. You seem really out of it." Iida commented. All of my teammates looked concerned.
"If I had told you I'd most likely be mentally exhausted, then you would have hesitated to join us." I explained, tired. We would all have a break before the next event. I was going to take the opportunity to sleep and try to lessen the mental fatigue brought on by my quirk. I could only hope that I'd have plenty of time to recuperate. Because the next event would be a Tournament.
(You may have noticed that this chapter was shorter than usual. This was because I had trouble thinking up ideas for it. I also am not the biggest fan of the Cavalry Battle. But I hope you enjoyed regardless.)