Canary

Chapter 16: Make Your Mark

"WHAT A TURN OF EVENTS!" Present Mic screamed across the arena. "Koji Koda – his Quirk, Anivoice! He can talk to and command any animal he wishes! Well, he sure is lucky that SOMEONE CAN'T KEEP THEIR BIRD IN CHECK!!"

Midoriya tried not to flinch and arise suspicion.

[I'm assuming he means you?] Shinso smirked as Midoriya clambered down from his cavalry battle positioning, grinning broadly.

"And with that, the second round is officially over!" continued Present Mic. "Now, let's take a look at who our top four teams are!"

Midoriya pulled off the ten-million-point headband as he gazed around at the ice-covered stadium.

"In first-place, Team Midoriya! Who would have thought that the team with only one hero course student in it would come out on top?!"

[Soon to be three] Shinso grinned as Hatsume frantically pulled her various gadgets from him, muttering manically about her next move in the Sports Festival.

"In second-place, Team Bakugo!"

"DEKU! YOU'RE FREAKING DEAD!" Kacchan yelled from across the pitch, grasping his remaining headbands with one hand and letting off menacing explosions from the other.

[T-That's not good...] Midoriya signed with shaking hands.

"In third place we have Team Todoroki! So close, yet so far!"

And now Todoroki too, glared at Midoriya's team from a distance.

"And in fourth place is Team Uraraka – scraping in ahead of team Tetsutetsu despite being frozen in place! Being able to nab points without moving sure was helpful!"

[Thank you for helping us] Midoriya sighed, turning to Koda as he signed.

[Thank you for helping me!] Koda quickly replied, now he'd gotten over the shock of having attention drawn to him by Present Mic.

[We're like team voice Quirks!] Midoriya smiled.

[And all of us communicate via sign language] Shinso smirked.

[And have been mute at some point or another] added Midoriya.

[Something is seriously wrong with our society...]

That was when Siren swooped down and snatched the ten-million-point headband from where it had been hanging loosely around Midoriya's arm.

"Err, what's your bird doing now?" Shinso questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Siren simply chirped at the three of them (Hatsume had hurried off with her babies already) and took off towards the stands.

"Um, she's leaving," Shinso acknowledged, watching the bird disappear off with the headband trailing behind her. "She's leaving with the ten-million-points."

[Ten million, six-hundred and fifteen, actually] Midoriya corrected, doing nothing but watch her disappear.

"Well, that's gone then."

"These four valiant teams, will advance on, to the final round!" Present Mic proclaimed. "Oh, and what's this? We have an odd number! That means one member of our fifth-place crew, Team Tetsutetsu, will be joining us!"

"We should get out of here before something bad happens," Shinso warned Midoriya, glancing over to the distant figure of Kacchan, grinding his teeth and glaring menacingly at him.