Chapter 35: [35] Icy-Hot Confrontation
As the crowd of students scrambled to form teams, I stood my ground, observing the chaos. Momo approached.
"Izuku," she said quietly, "have you thought about our team composition?"
I nodded, pleased she'd already assumed her place on my team. "I have some ideas. Your input would be valuable."
"What are you thinking?" she asked, leaning in closer.
"Tokoyami," I replied. "His Dark Shadow could be crucial for both offense and defense."
Momo nodded, her brow furrowing slightly. "Good choice. What about our fourth member? Should we keep it to three, or...?"
Before I could respond, a high-pitched voice cut through the air. "Izuku! Remember me?!"
I turned to see Mei Hatsume bounding towards us,.
"Let's team up!" she exclaimed, skidding to a stop in front of us.
I raised an eyebrow, considering. Mei was from the support course - her presence could add an interesting twist to our strategy.
"What can you bring to the team, Hatsume?" I asked.
Her grin widened impossibly. "Oh, I've got just the babies for this!" She started pulling out various gadgets from her pockets. "Hover soles for quick maneuvers, capture gun for snagging headbands, auto-balancers to keep us steady - I've got it all!"
I exchanged a glance with Momo. The tech could certainly give us an edge, but Mei's... enthusiasm might be a liability.
"Interesting," I said carefully. "But how do we know these 'babies' of yours won't malfunction mid-battle?"
Mei's face fell for a split second before her manic grin returned. "They won't! I stake my reputation as an inventor on it!"
Having a support course student on the team might throw off our opponents and supports the message of my speech.
"Alright, Hatsume," I decided. "You're in. But you follow my lead, understood?"
She nodded vigorously. "You got it, boss!"
I turned to Momo. "Can you find Tokoyami and bring him over? We need to strategize quickly."
As Momo left to fetch Tokoyami, I surveyed the other forming teams. Todoroki had gathered a strong group with Iida, Kaminari, and Uraraka. Bakugo, predictably, had Kirishima, Sero, and Mina.
When everyone was assembled, I laid out our plan. "I'll be the rider. Momo, you're our primary defense and support. Create shields, weapons, whatever we need. Tokoyami, Dark Shadow will be our main defense and secondary offense. Mei, your tech will give us mobility and some surprise elements."
They nodded.
"One more thing," I added, my voice low. "Everyone's going to be after our ten million points. We need to be prepared for anything. Understood?"
A chorus of agreement met my words. Good. A team that followed orders without question was exactly what I needed.
As the final seconds ticked down, I took one last look around the field. Twenty teams, all eyeing the headband around my forehead like wolves eyeing a wounded deer.
I smirked.
The timer hit zero, and chaos erupted. A sea of bodies surged towards us, eyes locked on the ten million point headband around my forehead. I'd expected this, but the sheer intensity still caught me off guard for a split second.
"Momo, smoke bombs!" I barked, already formulating our escape route.
She nodded, her skin glowing as she produced a handful of small spheres. Without hesitation, I snatched them and hurled them at the ground, enveloping us in thick, gray smoke.
"Hatsume, Booster Pads!" I commanded, feeling the familiar tingle of One For All coursing through my body at 3%.
"You got it, boss!" she chirped, slapping the devices onto our feet.
I tightened my grip on Momo and Tokoyami's shoulders. "On my mark... now!"
We shot forward, the Booster Pads propelling us through the smoke screen. My enhanced reflexes kicked in, allowing me to guide our team through the chaos with precision. We narrowly avoided Bakugo's explosive lunge, weaving past Todoroki's ice wall.
As we burst free from the smoke, I quickly scanned our surroundings. Most teams were still tangled in the melee behind us, but a few had broken free and were giving chase. Todoroki's team was hot on our heels, with Bakugo not far behind.
"Hard right!" I ordered, spotting an opening. We banked sharply, putting some distance between us and our pursuers.
With a moment to breathe, I assessed the point distribution. Most teams seemed to have held onto their initial points, but a few headbands had already changed hands. Monoma from Class 1-B had snagged a couple, making his team a potential threat.
"We need to start accumulating points just in case," I said, scanning for an easy target. "There - Team Hagakure."
The invisible girl's team was struggling to stay coordinated, making them vulnerable. "Tokoyami, Dark Shadow on my signal."
We closed in on Hagakure's team. "Now!"
Dark Shadow shot out, causing their formation to stumble. In that moment of confusion, I snatched it as we zoomed past, adding their points to our total.
"Nice work," I grinned, securing the new headband around my neck.
But our victory was short-lived. Tetsutetsu's team came barreling towards us, his steel-hard fist aimed straight for my face.
"Momo, shields!" I yelled.
She reacted instantly, creating a sturdy barrier that deflected Tetsutetsu's punch. Tokoyami's Dark Shadow lashed out, forcing them back.
"Hatsume, what else you got?" I asked, eyeing the circling teams warily.
Her eyes lit up. "Oh, you're gonna love this!" She pulled out what looked like a small grenade. "Sticky foam bomb! It'll trap them in place!"
"Perfect," I nodded. "On my mark..."
But before I could give the order, a familiar crackle filled the air. I turned to see Kaminari, part of Todoroki's team, preparing to unleash his electricity.
"Brace yourselves!" I warned, subtly activating my Kinetic Energy Absorption. As the electric shock wave hit us, I channeled the energy, keeping our team stable while others around us faltered.
"Now, Hatsume!"
She lobbed the sticky foam bomb at Todoroki's team. It exploded in a mess of expanding foam, momentarily immobilizing them.
"Move!" I ordered, guiding our team away from the fray.
As we put some distance between us and the other teams, I took stock of our situation. We'd successfully defended our ten million points and even added more. But the real challenge was just beginning. With over half the time left, we'd have to stay on our toes.
I glanced at my teammates. Momo was focused, Dark Shadow hovered protectively around us. Hatsume was practically vibrating with excitement, eager to showcase more of her "babies."
We made a good team, each bringing something unique to the table. But I knew better than to get complacent.
"Alright, team," I said, my eyes scanning the field for our next move. "Let's show them what we're really capable of."
I was just about to turn my attention to a different team when I felt it. A sudden chill, a prickling at the back of my neck that had nothing to do with the wind whipping past us.
"Tokoyami, wait," I said, my voice low . "Something's coming."
No sooner had the words left my mouth than I saw it. A glittering trail of ice, snaking its way across the ground in front of us like a crystalline serpent. It was heading straight for us, moving with a speed and purpose that could only mean one thing.
Todoroki.
"Brace yourselves!" I yelled, just as a blast of arctic wind slammed into us.
Across the frozen ground stood Todoroki's team.
I sized them up quickly. Todoroki's ice, Iida's speed, Uraraka's zero gravity, and Kaminari's electricity. They had all bases covered. But so did we.
"Well, well, well," I called out, injecting some bravado into my voice. "If it isn't the ice prince of class 1-A himself! To what do we owe the pleasure?"
Todoroki's face remained impassive. "Midoriya," he said, his voice cool as his quirk. "I think you know why I'm here."
I felt a grin spread across my face, the thrill of competition buzzing through me. "Oh, I have a pretty good guess," I quipped, tapping the headbands around my neck and pointing to the 10 million on my forehead. "But are you sure you want to tangle with us? We're on a bit of a roll, if you hadn't noticed."
Todoroki's eyes narrowed slightly. Beside him, Iida's engines revved, the sound cutting through the air. Uraraka crouched low, her fingertips glowing pink. Kaminari's hands crackled with electricity.
Present Mic's voice boomed over the stadium. "TEN MINUTES LEFT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THE CLOCK'S TICKING DOWN, AND THE TENSION IS ONLY RAMPING UP! WHO WILL COME OUT ON TOP IN THIS EPIC CLASH OF THE TITANS?!"
I took a deep breath, assessing our options. We had Momo's creation, Tokoyami's Dark Shadow, Hatsume's gadgets, and my own quirk. A diverse set of abilities, but would it be enough?
"Momo," I said quietly, "we need something to counter Todoroki's ice. Any ideas?"
She nodded. "I can create some insulation. It won't stop his quirk entirely, but it should give us some breathing room."
"Perfect. Tokoyami, keep Dark Shadow ready to intercept any attacks."
As my team prepared, I kept my eyes on Todoroki's group. They were talking amongst themselves, no doubt planning their own strategy.
"Listen up," I said to my team. "They're going to come at us hard and fast. Iida's their speed, Uraraka their mobility. Kaminari's their area attack, and Todoroki's their heavy hitter. We need to disrupt their formation."
I felt a familiar tingle as I channeled One For All through my body, careful to keep it at a manageable level. "Hatsume, those Booster Pads ready?"
"You know it, boss!"
"Good. On my signal, we're going to blast right at them. They'll expect us to run, so we'll do the opposite. Momo, as soon as we move, I need you to create a smoke screen. Tokoyami, use the cover to snag one of their headbands if you can."
I saw understanding dawn in their eyes. It was a risky play, but if it worked...
"Ready?" I asked, tensing my muscles.
My team nodded, determination etched on their faces.
"Now!"
We shot forward, the Booster Pads propelling us across the ice. Todoroki's team reacted quickly, but surprise was on our side. As we closed the distance, Momo released a cloud of smoke, obscuring the field.
I felt the temperature drop as Todoroki unleashed his ice, trying to slow us down. But Momo's insulator did its job, keeping the worst of the cold at bay.
Through the chaos, I caught glimpses of the battle unfolding. Dark Shadow lashing out, narrowly missing Uraraka. Kaminari's electricity arcing wildly, forcing us to dodge. Iida's engines roaring as he tried to outmaneuver us.
Then, a break in the smoke. I locked eyes with Todoroki, saw the frustration etched on his face. For a split second, I thought I saw his left side flicker with heat.
"Todoroki!" I yelled, a challenge in my voice. "Is this really all you've got? Come on, I know you're holding back!"
His eyes widened, then narrowed. "You don't know what you're talking about, Midoriya," he growled.
"Don't I?" I pressed, dodging an ice shard. "You're fighting with one hand tied behind your back. How do you expect to beat me like that?"
I saw something shift in his expression, a crack in his icy demeanor. Good. If I could just push him a little further...
But before I could say anything else, a new voice cut through the din.
"DEKU!"
I turned to see Bakugo's team barreling towards us.
"Shit," I muttered. This was about to get a whole lot more complicated.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone