Heroics and Other Things

Chapter 7: The Inherent Satisfaction In Taking The Longshot

To Izuku's relief, Shinsou and Hatsume were excused from class to watch the exam match.

"Not that you'll have any shortage of cheering fans!" Present Mic said as he stood over their congregation at lunch, holding out two hall passes and beaming broadly. "You've made quite an impression on class 1A, but I figure it'd be nice to have someone from your own class in the crowd!"

As Shinsou and Hatsume took the hall passes, Izuku looked up at Mic with watery eyes. He had managed not to cry at class 1C's vote of confidence, but he was almost sure that wouldn't last the day. No matter the outcome of the match he was bound to shed a few tears.

"Thank you," Izuku said, blinking rapidly to clear his vision. "I thought . . . I mean, I didn't . . . thank you."

Mic gave the most exaggerated wink he'd ever seen. "No problem, 'lil listener!"

"Thanks," Shinsou concurred, examining his hall pass interestedly. Then he sucked in a breath. "You're using the stadium? Like, the one used for the sports festival?"

"Of course!" Mic insisted loudly. "This is an official exam match, which mean we're using an official exam facility and official exam rules! Not to mention an official exam announcer!"

He gestured at himself demonstratively, and Izuku's eyes widened. "You're going to be announcing the match? Like, giving commentary?"

"Just a heads up," Mic said, leaning and and shielding his mouth from the side with one hand. "I'll have to be impartial, so don't get discouraged if it doesn't seem like I want you to win."

"I understand," Izuku nodded seriously. "Thank you for coming to give us the passes."

Mic struck a pose and gave them double finger guns, then went on his way.

"He seems really cool," Hatsume said as she chewed a bite of rice. "A little goofy, but mostly a nice guy."

"He really seems to have a lot of faith in you Mido," Shinsou said, with a raised eyebrow. "It'd be nice to have a teacher that wanted me in the hero course so bad."

"When the sports festival comes, you'll have the hero course teachers falling all over themselves to mentor you," Izuku promised, and was pleased when Shinsou blushed but didn't look away.

"Eat up, green bean!" Hatsume said, poking Izuku with a finger. "You're running out of time!"

"Right!" said Izuku and refocused on his lunch. He couldn't let anything distract him today.

*****

The stadium was big.

Izuku had watched the UA sports festivals alongside the rest of the world since he was a child, so he'd thought he'd had a pretty good idea of the size of the facility they were held in. He was so far off the mark he might as well have been picturing a scale model rather than the actual place. As he stood beneath the archway looking out over the field, at the ring drawn on the ground where the fight would take place, he felt smaller than he could ever remember feeling. He himself was hidden in shadows, but as he peered out he could see the members of class 1A seated in the front rows of the stands. Way up above was the announcer box where Present Mic would be giving his commentary. It was all sickeningly real, and terrifyingly huge.

"From class 1A, the explosive powerhouse that dominated the entrance exam, it's Katsuki Bakugou!" shouted Mic, his voice echoing throughout the stadium. Izuku doubted he even needed a microphone.

Kacchan walked out of an archway on the other side of the field, in gym clothes like Izuku and wearing an impatient scowl. There was a smattering of polite applause from the gathered class 1A, most loudly from Iida and Kirishima.