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Chapter Text

Red covered every visible surface. It was splattered across tree trunks on every side of him- a dark reminder of where his teammates had met their end.

Midoriya raced through the forest on enemy territory, shots firing all around him. They whizzed angrily by, just missing his head gear.

I need to hide, and fast!  He thought, heart pounding. But they're onto me. If I stop moving, they'll just pin me down. He jumped over a fallen log and almost tripped in the hidden patch of mud behind it. With One for All at five percent, full cowling, he could outrun and out-maneuver most of their opponents. It was the only way he hadn't been eliminated yet.

He glanced around for the familiar colors of blue and white training uniforms. Only the green and dark browns of the forest blurred by as he ran. Either the rest of the offense was skilled in camouflage and evasive maneuvers, or Midoriya was the last one standing.

Not good.

Especially since he pretty much had no idea what was going on.

And where did Kacchan run off to? Maybe it'd be better to try to find him instead of looking for the objective. He was too deep into enemy territory to attempt a return to friendly ground. He needed backup. He needed to find his team- or what was left of them, at least.

Kacchan would be the easiest to find, probably. His manic yells of death and bright explosions of terror were easy enough to notice from a distance. It was a good idea to start there.

They had to succeed. Termination would not only bring pain, but humiliation to Class 1-A. As one of the few left standing, he had the weight of success on his shoulders.

He couldn't let his team down.

0o0o0

Ten minutes earlier.

"The rules are simple," Mr. Aizawa was saying. "One: your Quirks are allowed, but a player must suffer a direct hit with a paintball before they're out of the game. Using your Quirks to fight and simply beat another player into submission is thus technically allowed, but not favorable since it won't eliminate anyone. The game is only fifteen minutes long, so use that time wisely."

"But Mr. Aizawa," Iida's hand shot up in protest, "that does not sound very heroic. Should beating another player into submission be allowed?"

"Try thinking of it this way. Most villains don't go down with a single shot, even if it is a direct hit. Sometimes a hero has to wear down a villain before he's able to win. If we could put the villains into custody without fighting, Pros like me would be out of a job, and you wouldn't be here." Aizawa shrugged, bored. "These aren't my rules. Just follow them or we'll dock your points."

Iida bowed, his back perfectly straight. "You have made an excellent point, sir! My sincerest apologies for the interruption. I should not have doubted the training ideology of UA. Once again, they live up to their prestigious reputation!"

Aizawa let out a long-suffering sigh. "...Right. Anyway, the second rule is, if you're hit while holding the flag, you have to drop it and walk off-field. It's an elimination game, so no capturing opponents or trying to get tagged back into the game. If you haven't been eliminated yet, stay inside the white boundary lines around the field, or you'll be disqualified. That includes if someone pushes you out, like in the Sports Festival."

Bakugo grinned, a malicious, terrifying glint in his red eyes. "Got it."

Midoriya thought he was way too excited about that.

"The third rule is also your overall objective. In order to win the game, your team has to capture the opposing team's flag and bring it across the yellow line- the one that separates your side of the field from your opponents'. Present Mic will be refereeing the game through cameras and a microphone at an observation building off-field." Aizawa buried his hands in his pockets. "Any questions?"

Ojiro opened his mouth, but Aizawa had already turned away from them.

"Good," Aizawa said, beginning to walk past the class toward the boundary field line. Ojiro unhappily closed his mouth in silence. "Then I'm going to take a nap. Try not to die or anything. Midoriya, that especially goes for you. Todoroki, no devastating ice attacks or setting the forest on fire. And Bakugo, don't kill anyone, got it? Recovery Girl isn't here to heal any injuries, so treat this like a real battle where your life's on the line." He turned briefly to cast a wide, bleary-eyed grin over his shoulder. "Have fun."

A shiver ran down Midoriya's spine as Mr. Aizawa's slouched form grew smaller in the distance.

Kirishima grimaced. "I love paintball, don't get me wrong, but his grin freaks me out."

"Yeah." Ashido rubbed her upper arms with a grimace. "The last time he smiled like that, it was when he told us- the ones who had failed the practical exam- that we were going to camp after all..."

Sato, Kirishima, Kaminari, Ashido, and Sero collectively shuddered.

"This definitely can't be good," Sero agreed.

"Oh come on, you bunch of spineless wimps!" Bakugo barked at them. "I can't believe you're this weak!"

"Lay off, dude," Kaminari said, crossing his arms. "You didn't fail the exam and have to suffer through those extra lectures every day like we did. It was torture!"

"Yeah, I didn't have to 'cause I wasn't pathetic!"

Kirishima whistled. "C'mon, Bakugo, you know we're trying to study harder."

"It's summer, Weird Hair! You're not working; you're getting flabby!"

"Um, Kacchan?" Midoriya cut in. "We barely passed the practical ourselves..."

"Shut up! Somebody has to toughen up these losers if they're going to even have a chance at fighting me!"

Present Mic's voice racketed through the loudspeakers across the playing field. "You have fourrrrr minutes to plan and organize your teams before the game begins! Pick your leaders and hurry, hurry, hurry!"

"Have any of us actually played this game before?" Todoroki asked, thankfully changing the subject. "We should choose leaders based on experience level."

"Good idea, Todoroki!" Midoriya turned to the rest of Class 1-A. "Raise your hand if you've played Capture the Flag before!"

About half of the class raised their hands.

"Oh." Midoriya rubbed his neck. "That... didn't work out quite like I'd thought."

Iida dropped his hand. "I've played before, but it was a long time ago. In elementary school, I believe. I doubt that means I'm qualified to lead."

"Same here," Uraraka piped up. "I mean, I've played Capture the Flag a lot, but honestly? I'm not that good at it." Her face flushed a little. Several similar statements were made by the other students.

Jiro stepped forward. "There's a difference between regular Capture the Flag and the paintball version, you know." She turned to address the group as a whole. "Who's played paintball before?" She raised her own hand, and Kaminari, Iida, Bakugo, Midoriya, Sato, Kirishima, and Sero also lifted their hands.

"Now, which of you play paintball at least twice a year?" Jiro asked, keeping her hand in the air. Several of the others' hands dropped, but Kirishima, Sero, and Bakugo were left. Jiro looked satisfied. "There we go. We have our four leaders for two teams of two squads." When some of the other students looked confused by this, she added, "Each team wants at least two squads- one offensive, and one defensive- so they can guard their own flag and try to take the other team's flag at the same time."

"I didn't know you played paintball, Jiro!" Kaminari said, excited. "That is so cool!"

Jiro rolled her eyes.

Present Mic's voice resonated throughout the playing field again. "Two minutes remaining! Time to make any final adjustments to your plans and then get to your stations!"

"I don't need a team," Bakugo growled. "I'll beat all of you by myself."

"It's... kind of a team game, Bakugo," Sero said, confused. "I thought you said you'd played before?"

"Fine," he huffed, scrunching up his shoulders like a hissing cat. "Offense squad's with me!" It was almost a threat.

Immediately, Kirishima clapped him on the shoulder with a grin. "All right! Then I'll lead your defense!"

Bakugo didn't shrug him off. "Whatever," he huffed, only half-annoyed, before announcing his first victim. "Hey, Four Eyes! You're with me!"

Iida's pointed brows shot up above his glasses. "Me?"

"You got a problem with that?"

"Oh, n-no, not at all! I am just highly surpri-"

But Bakugo was already threatening three other students to join his squad.

"Well, then," Iida said to himself, resigned to his fate. Midoriya watched as he quickly trailed after the human time-bomb.

"Hey, Midoriya! Over here!" Kirishima waved at him. Tsu and Koda smiled at him as he approached. Kirishima gestured to his companions. "Wanna join us?"

Koda smiled at him. Tsu let out a soft, inviting, "Ribbet?"

Midoriya nodded. "Count me in!"

"Great! Now we just need one more person. Let's see... Tokoyami and Iida are already with Bakugo..." Kirishima trailed off in thought. Midoriya glanced at Sero and Jiro nearby, who were the other two most experienced players besides Bakugo and Kirishima. I wonder who they'll pick?

Sero turned to Jiro. "Guess that means we're leading the other team. You want offense or defense? I normally hang back and guard the flag, but I'm good either way."

Jiro smirked, holding up her paintball gun with a practiced hold. "I was practically shooting paintballs before I could talk," she chuckled confidently. "If you can take defense, then leave the offense squad to me."

Sero grinned. "I kinda like this side of you! Let's get 'em!"

One minute later, the horn blared, and Midoriya's heart pounded in his chest.

The game had begun.

0o0o0

Class 1-A was split into two teams that would compete against each other in the paintball game of capture the flag. They were decided as follows.

Team JS = Jiro's Squad + Sero's Squad. Color: Red.

Team BK = Bakugo's Squad + Kirishima's Squad. Color: Blue.

Team JS consisted of:

Jiro's Squad (Offense):

1. Kyoka Jiro
   2. Rikido Sato
   3. Shoto Todoroki
   4. Ochaco Uraraka
   5. Toru Hagakure

Sero's Squad (Defense):

1. Hanta Sero
   2. Denki Kaminari
   3. Mezo Shoji 
   4. Momo Yaoyorozu
   5. Yuga Aoyama

Team BK consisted of:

Bakugo's Squad (Offense):

1. Katsuki "Kacchan" Bakugo
   2. Tenya Iida
   3. Mashirao Ojiro
   4. Fumikage Tokoyami
   5. Mina Ashido

Kirishima's Squad (Defense):

1. Eijiro Kirishima
   2. Izuku "Deku" Midoriya
   3. Tsuyu "Tsu" Asui
   4. Koji Koda
   5. Minoru Mineta

Whoever manages to capture the other team's flag and carry it across the team line wins.

If no one is successful, the game will last 15 minutes. Then, whichever team has the most remaining players wins.

0o0o0

Midoriya - Kirishima's Squad (Team BK, Defense)

Jiro's squad came out of nowhere. One minute, Midoriya was standing guard a few feet away from their team's flag, and the next, red paintballs were flying everywhere. Kirishima yelled for everyone to take cover, but by then it was already too late. Their squad was wiped out.

Midoriya had activated All for One and jumped behind a tree as soon as he realized what was happening. But now, the clearing was quiet, and Kirishima was gone. Mineta and Koda had been eliminated, Tsu had disappeared, and there was red everywhere. It made him feel sick. It looked like blood.

Wait, did they-

He looked, and the pole at the center of the opening was stripped bare. Their flag was gone.

Midoriya jumped from his hiding spot. Had Tsu and Kirishima been hit too? Surely he wasn't the only one left, as inexperienced as he was at paintball. He hadn't even heard the other team coming.

"Guys?" Midoriya called out, voice wavering with uncertainty as he walked through the clearing, looking for any sign of his comrades.

A red blur jumped out of the shadows at him. The blur rammed him into the ground before he could think to move, and for a moment, he wondered if he'd just been pushed out of the game.

"Shh! Dude, be quiet! They're still close," said Kirishima, who quickly helped him up. They remained in a crouch behind a large hedge. After a moment, when no one had attacked them, he said quietly, "Sorry about that. I was afraid they'd see you."

Midoriya's delight was unabated. "I'm just glad you weren't eliminated! I was afraid I was the only one left!" We're still in the game! "Have you seen Tsu?"

Kirishima scanned the woods with the scope of his paintball gun, looking for the enemy. "No idea. I don't see her. She went to scout ahead just before the attack and hasn't returned." He adjusted the knob on top of the scope and peered through it again. "Our defense squad took a hard blow. As far as I know, we're the only two left." Kirishima stood up, beckoning him to follow. "Come on. I bet if we hurry, we can catch up and stop Jiro's squad before they cross the yellow line!"

A moment later, Midoriya and Kirishima were running through the woods as fast as they could manage without tripping over the roots and forest underbrush.

Midoriya decided to voice his earlier question. "Why would they use an attack like that this early in the battle? I mean, the game?"

"To get the jump on us, I guess," Kirishima said, dodging around a wild hedge. "Jiro's good, I can tell you that much. Her squad must have skirted Bakugo's entirely and come straight for us. We didn't even have time to get ready." He shook his head, clearly impressed. "That's pure strategy right there. If Sero's that good at defense, we might have a hard time winning this thing even with you and Bakugo on our side."

0o0o0

Todoroki - Jiro's Squad (Team JS, Offense)

"Hagakure, keep an eye on our flank," Jiro called from the point of their squad. Sato was running right behind her, and Uraraka carried the flag in the middle with Todoroki and Hagakure bringing up the rear.

"Sure thing," the invisible girl replied and slowed down a little so that she fell in just behind Todoroki.

"Um, am I holding this correctly?" Uraraka asked nervously, sweat beading at her forehead. The flag trailed behind her in the wind as she jogged behind Sato. "You said I couldn't hold it out of sight, right? Does this work?"

"Yup," Sato answered for Jiro. "Just like that. You're doing great."

"Should we be running like this?" Todoroki asked, watching the trees flash by them as they rushed toward the yellow territory marker. "We have their flag, but we're throwing caution to the wind. Shouldn't we be more careful?"

Jiro tossed a smile over her shoulder. "Normally, yes. But knowing Bakugo, he's doing the exact same thing right now. Brawl over brains, y'know? So our priority isn't as much avoiding getting shot as it is beating Bakugo's squad to the finish line- in other words, that yellow marker."

"Makes sense," Uraraka chirped.

"Still, Todoroki is right," Jiro continued. "Don't let your guard down. We don't want to lose just because we got overconfident." She pointed forward. "There's the field. Get ready." She motioned for them to stop at the edge of the trees.

The field was about a hundred yards across. The trees on the other side were large and foreboding. The wooden post in the middle marked the border between the teams' territories, a taller representation of the yellow border line on the ground.

"Just fifty yards to go, and we win," Sato said with an eager grin. He stepped forward, his boot catching the sunlight beyond the shadow of the trees.

"Wait," Todoroki said, and the whole team paused. Sato withdrew his foot.

"It's too quiet," Todoroki said softly, bringing up his paintball gun to peer through the scope. He adjusted the scope's power with the focus knob on top, and the view of the field came in sharp detail. There was no movement other than the tall grass dancing lightly in the breeze. "Something isn't right." It was too simple. Too easy. His instincts insisted this was a trap.

"What happened to all the birds?" Uraraka asked. "They were all singing when we came through here on the way in."

Jiro suddenly crouched low. "Get down," she whispered harshly. "It's an ambush!"

Something whipped past them in a blur, and the wind from it blinded them for an instant. It was Iida, no doubt.

Thwat.

"Ow!" Uraraka grabbed her arm, dropping the flag. Yellow paint dripped from the crook of her elbow. She winced at them. "Sorry, guys," she said in earnest apology, raising her hands in surrender.

"Don't worry about it," Sato said with a thumbs-up before scanning their surroundings for more of Bakugo's squad. Iida was gone.

"Win this for me!" Uraraka smiled, a perpetually good sport, and turned to walk off the field.

"Will do," Jiro said with a firm nod. "Everyone else, stay alert."

There was a tense moment of still, somber silence, where the only sound was Uraraka's steps crunching old leaves as she gained distance from them.

As if on some kind of cue, as soon as Uraraka was clear, a barrage of paintballs flew through the air. The squad dropped, and the shots battered the trees like little bursts of thunder- but only on one side, Todoroki noticed. Thinking quickly, he palmed the ground and raised a wall of ice between them and the field. The shots hit, making the ice look dark. But it was too late.

They were pinned.

"Great," Sato huffed. "First Uraraka, now this! We can't get to the line, Iida took the flag, and Kirishima's squad'll be here any minute!"

Paintballs barraged into the ice wall at their backs. Jiro and Sato leaned out and gave bursts of return fire.

"We're wasting ammo," Jiro said. "And time. Bakugo no doubt has his squad moving to surround us from every angle. Did anyone see which direction Iida went?"

"We could try to steal the flag back from him," Hagakure offered. "I think he ran to the left?"

"It doesn't matter," Todoroki said. "Iida's smart enough to vary his direction so that we couldn't follow him. We'd have to track him by footprint, and chances are he's already gone. Catching up to him is out of the question."

"Good point," Sato said. He bit his lower lip in nervous thought. "What do we do? We're stuck."

"We need to get out of this corner." Jiro loaded another magazine into her paintball gun. "Let's head back to Sero's defense squad and regroup with another strategy. Todoroki, how are we on time?"

He glanced at the game timer on the stock of his gun. "We have ten minutes left. There isn't enough time to go, make a plan, then come back and put it into action. We're on our own."

Sato sent another round of paint towards the field. "He's right. We've gotta make do with just us."

Todoroki peeked around the edge of the ice. Shots flew everywhere. The field was wide, and the trees on the other side were too far to shoot from. Finally, Todoroki spotted it. Pale blond hair stuck up from the tall grass about ten yards out, reminding him of a huge, angry dandelion.

Bakugo was responsible for the field shots. But where were his teammates?

Todoroki applied his mind to the game, taking stock of their situation.

When Uraraka dropped the flag, it landed on the ground between Todoroki's ice and Bakugo's position in the field. Bakugo was fending off any attempt to retrieve it, or to escape across the field and get back into Jiro's squad's territory. Bakugo was the only one in the field itself, as far as Todoroki could tell; he was shooting while lying prone in the grass. Iida had made his presence known with that shot at Uraraka, but his current position was unknown. The rest of Team BK was either absent, eliminated, or in hiding.

On Team JS' side of things, Uraraka was out, but as far as Todoroki knew, that was it. But they had no way to contact Sero's squad from here, so he couldn't know for sure how they were holding up. If Bakugo had tricked them and not even gone after their flag at all, instead waiting at the boundary marker to ambush Jiro's squad, then Sero and his squad could be perfectly fine. Oblivious, even. On the other hand, Bakugo did have Iida on his side. It was possible that they had stolen Team JS' flag and still beat Jiro's squad to the boundary marker. But if they had done that, then why hadn't they already crossed the border and won?

No, there was no logical reason for that. Todoroki had to assume that they didn't have the red JS flag- at least, not at the moment. Which meant that, for some wild reason, Bakugo's ambush was actually defense.

Perhaps they could use that to their advantage.

Todoroki shifted his weight, using his Quirk to apply more ice to strengthen the wall protecting them from Bakugo's shots. Jiro and Sato were on either side of him, shooting intermittently to try to hit Bakugo or create an opening to move. Todoroki wasn't sure where Hagakure was at the moment- she had taken off her protective gear, earlier, so she could use her invisibility to help with capturing Team BK's flag- but she must have been close.

"Hagakure?" Todoroki whispered to the trees around them.

"Right here," came her light voice right by his left ear. "What is it, Todoroki?" He almost jerked in surprise.

Quickly recomposing, he said, "Can you avoid Bakugo's shots long enough to retrieve the flag?"

"What?!" her voice jumped two whole octaves.

"Shh, keep it down," Jiro said, pausing long enough to check the amount of shots she had left before firing off another few rounds around the edge of the wall.

Hagakure's voice lowered to a frantic whisper. "Are you crazy?! You want me to go out there- in front of an armed Bakugo- in the middle of a gunfight- without any gear- and not only try to reach the flag, but to bring it back here without letting him hit me?!" By this point, she sounded almost hysterical. "You're insane! I've never played paintball before so I can't say I've been hit with one, but this is not the time for first experiences! And I don't have any protective gear on, either- do you know how much that would hurt? I don't want to bleed to death!"

"You won't bleed to death, Hagakure," Sato chuckled. "Sure, getting hit hurts, especially when it's an unprotected area, but you won't die from it. Just leaves a small welt, nothing some painkiller won't fix."

Todoroki was keeping an eye on the woods behind them while Hagakure finished her rant. Jiro and Sato were busy with Bakugo. Where's the rest of Bakugo's squad? He wondered. Are they waiting for us to run out of ammo so they can make their move? His eyes widened. Or did he send Iida with Tokoyami, Ashido, and Ojiro so they could steal our flag from Sero's squad while Bakugo kept us occupied?

Hagakure whimpered a little. Judging by her voice, it sounded like she had joined Sato near the side of the ice wall, probably peeking around the corner. "But still.... I'd be walking straight into the crossfire... And you'd better not think that Bakugo won't notice when I pick up the flag. I can't turn things invisible, y'know. He'd see it move!"

Todoroki slung his gun over his shoulder so that it hung across his back. "I have that covered." Then he held up his right hand, allowing just enough of his Quirk to frost the air around his hand, creating a mesmerizing effect. "I'll distract him once you have the flag. As soon as you see that I have his attention, make a run for the yellow line. Jiro and Sato will back you up."

Hagakure went quiet.

"You know, as the leader, I'm the one supposed to be making the plans...," Jiro smirked, "...but I'm mature enough to spot a good plan when I see it. Sato?"

He nodded eagerly. "I'm all for it. We'll offer cover fire from here in case things get rough-" he paused. "Scratch that, we'll cover you when things get rough-y'know, considering who we're up against."

"Let's do it, then," Jiro agreed. "Hagakure, where'd you stash your equipment? I'm almost out of ammo."

"I-guys, wait! I never said yes!"

"C'mon, Hagakure, woman-up. You'll be fine," Jiro said, turning back to make sure Bakugo wasn't trying to advance while they weren't looking. "Now, if you aren't going to use your ammo, then can I?"

"Yeah, sure," she said, but there was the slightest bit of reluctance and disappointment in her tone. "It's back into the woods a little. I'll go get it."

Todoroki dug out a few paintball cartridges from his belt and set them at Jiro's feet since her hands were full. Then he propped his gun up against the ice beside her. "I'll leave these here for you. I have no use for them," he said, and Jiro spared him a glance and a grateful nod.

"We'll cease fire until you've got the flag, Hagakure," Sato offered.

"Will you do it?" Todoroki asked her. "We don't have time for hesitation. If you can't do this, say so now."

Hagakure made an anxious noise. "But... what if..."

"There isn't time," Todoroki said again, firmly. "Are you in?"

0o0o0

Chapter Text

Shoji - Sero's Squad (Team JS, Defense)

A brush of wind struck Shoji in the face, nearly knocking him over.

"What was that?!" Kaminari asked, glancing everywhere.

For a moment, there was nothing but silence. The entirety of Sero's squad was on edge, waiting with bated breath. A light breeze whistled through the old buildings and made the fabric of their flag flap lightly on its pole in the middle of the clearing.

"They're here," Yaoyorozu whispered. "Get ready, everyone."

One of Shoji's appendages spoke his reply in Kaminari's ear to avoid being overheard. "I'm afraid that was Iida."

"Dude. There's no way he can run that fast." Kaminari paused, eyes widening with the possibility. "...Can he?"

"Dark Shadow!" came Tokoyami's voice from the rooftops.

"Oh, non," Aoyama sweatdropped from his hiding spot beneath a dilapidated front porch. Suddenly the wooden boards above his head splintered as paintballs zipped into the dirt by his feet. He screamed and scrambled out from under the porch, glancing behind him as he ran forward blindly— and smacked right into Tokoyami.

"Revelry in the dark," the avian said, almost with a chuckle, and Dark Shadow knocked Aoyama out of bounds.

"Aoyama was hit," Shoji said, grabbing Aoyama's gun from the debris and moving to intercept as Ashido rushed toward Kaminari. "Move, Kaminari!" Shoji shouted in warning.

Kaminari dropped to his knees at the same moment that Shoji fired at Ashido. She yelped and tried to dodge, but Shoji had Aoyama's gun pointed in the direction Ashido moved. With another pair of arms, he shot the second gun, and Ashido dodged right into the line of fire.

"Aww," she pouted, now covered in red paint, and threw her hands into the air.

"Ashido was eliminated," Tokoyami shouted, backing away from Sero's squad.

Kaminari jumped back to his feet. "Yaoyorozu, now!"

A net fired at Tokoyami, too quick for Dark Shadow to intercept, and knocked him off his feet. Kaminari rushed to shoot, but Dark Shadow ripped through the net before he could pull the trigger. Tokoyami was upright a moment later, and Kaminari stopped short a few feet away. Dark Shadow bulleted through the air toward Kaminari, ready to fling him out of bounds like Aoyama, but Shoji tackled Tokoyami from behind. In surprise, Dark Shadow stopped his attack on Kaminari and whipped around to help his master, tearing Shoji off of Tokoyami.

Both Shoji and Tokoyami had dropped their guns by this point, creating an opening for Kaminari to steal Tokoyami's gun and pick up Shoji's for him. He tossed Aoyama's gun to Yaoyorozu, who stood at the ready as she guarded their team's flag, a net launcher in her other hand. Sero was out of sight, but Shoji knew he was preparing to make his move.

Shoji and Kaminari fended off Tokoyami and Dark Shadow. The paintballs whizzed through Dark Shadow, but when they targeted Tokoyami, Dark Shadow materialized just in time and hit the paintballs at an angle so they would be redirected without breaking or eliminating him.

Shoji used his Quirk to create another eye and used it to secretly look up at the roof of the old building behind him. Sero waited from above, his gun propped on his knee as he crouched behind the parapet. He saw Shoji's extra eye and gave a thumbs-up. Shoji's eye morphed into a hand and returned the signal in confirmation. Sero made his move.

A moment later, Tokoyami was walking off the field, his upper body wrapped up in paint-splattered tape. Sero looked pleased, and Shoji felt himself begin to relax. Ashido and Tokoyami had been successfully eliminated, and the others from Bakugo's squad were nowhere to be seen.

"Oh no," Yaoyorozu cried out, staring at the flagpole.

"What's up, Yaoyorozu?" Sero asked with a grin that fell as soon as he laid eyes on their flag.

"Wait a sec," Kaminari said. "Hold on, I thought our flag was red?"

"It is." Shoji tore off the scrap of dark orange fabric and barely glanced at it before he ripped it apart with two appendages that had morphed into hands.

Yaoyorozu shook her head, face pink with shame. "I am so sorry, I didn't—"

"Not your fault, V.P.,"* Sero's kind expression melted into one of determination. "That wind earlier? Iida had grabbed our flag before we could even put up a fight. No doubt the others had to delay us so Iida could get the flag to Bakugo, who's probably waiting near the yellow line for him."

"Then what do we do?" Kaminari asked, giving Shoji back his gun.

With a grin, Sero taped the closest tree branch. "We're gonna go get our flag back."

0o0o0

At this point, the remaining team members are:

Team JS - Color: Red

(Team JS, Offense - Jiro's squad)

1. Jiro
   2. Sato
   3. Todoroki
   4. Uraraka - Eliminated
   5. Hagakure

(Team JS, Defense - Sero's squad)

1. Sero
   2. Kaminari
   3. Shoji
   4. Yaoyorozu
   5. Aoyama - Eliminated

Team BK - Color: Blue

(Team BK, Offense - Bakugo's squad)

1. Bakugo
   2. Iida
   3. Ojiro
   4. Tokoyami - Eliminated
   5. Ashido - Eliminated

(Team BK, Defense - Kirishima's squad)

1. Kirishima
   2. Midoriya
   3. Asui
   4. Koda - Eliminated
   5. Mineta - Eliminated

0o0o0

Ojiro - Bakugo's Squad (Team BK, Offense)

Ojiro watched the fight unfold between two of his most powerful classmates. Todoroki had emerged from behind the ice wall and outright attacked Bakugo with his Quirk. It was obvious that Todoroki was up to something— but up to what, Ojiro wasn't sure. Even if he knew, there was no way he could tell Bakugo from here. All he could do was sit in the branches of this tree on the edge of the field and provide what backup he could.

Ojiro watched as Iida rushed into the opening, sliding to a stop beside Bakugo and handing him a red flag. Team JS's flag. Ojiro grinned. Now if Bakugo could just get across that yellow line... but Todoroki didn't look like he was going to let Bakugo go anywhere that easily.

"I think he went this way!"

"Come on!"

"Shh, we're almost to the clearing. Keep your voices down."

Ojiro turned. Voices were coming from the woods. It sounded like Sero and Kaminari. Maybe Yaoyorozu too?

He pressed his back against the trunk of the tree. Kaminari and Sero were on Sero's squad, from Team JS. The opposing team.

Ojiro started to sweat. I haven't actually used this thing yet. He glanced doubtfully at his gun. Can it even shoot as far as Bakugo seemed to think it could? Does it feel like shooting a real gun? I wonder how bad it'll kick...

He listened closer. The footsteps in the forest brush were getting louder. They were coming his direction.

I was really hoping I wouldn't have to shoot anyone,  he thought, dismay clouding his thoughts. That's the whole reason I took this position. He swallowed. Well, here goes nothing. It's just a game, right? No big deal...

He turned, facing the woods with his back to the field as he adjusted his seating on the branch in order to shoot if needed. Sero came into his gunsight first. Ojiro braced himself and gently squeezed the trigger.

Pat-tat.  Huh. No recoil.

Sero looked down at the blue paint on his chest. "Aw, man."

"What was that sound?" Yaoyorozu immediately stepped closer to Sero— right in Ojiro's line of sight. Ojiro aimed and pulled the trigger.

Yaoyorozu sucked in a breath. "Ouch!" She looked at her pants leg. "I'm soaked."

"Yeah," Sero said, shoulders drooping. "We're out." Ojiro watched them raise their arms and walk across the white line. He was closer to the edge of the playing grounds than he first realized.

"Hey, where'd Yaoyorozu go? Wasn't she right in front of us?" That was Kaminari. Definitely. Everyone in Class 1-A was, to put it nicely, rather well-acquainted with his voice.

Ojiro aimed at Kaminari next, but this time he missed. The paintball whizzed by Kaminari's shoulder.

"Shoji, duck!" Kaminari shouted, lunging for cover.

Ojiro tried to find an opening in their hiding spots, but both Shoji and Kaminari were covered by the trees exceedingly well. He sighed and settled in to wait them out.

The sounds of Bakugo's fight in the field intensified.

"Hagakure, watch out!" came Jiro's strained shout. Ojiro, curious, turned to see what was going on.

Todoroki was off to the side, still keeping Bakugo from reaching the line. Jiro and Sato were firing at Iida, who was at Bakugo's side. But wait—the blue flag— their flag— had been dropped just beyond the ice wall. And now it was floating upward on thin air, almost as if an invisible hand was...

Ah. That was Todoroki's plan. Ojiro found himself smiling proudly for Hagakure. It took no shortage of courage to face Bakugo.

But why had Jiro given away Hagakure's plight?

Suddenly a bright splatter of blue paint conformed to the shape of a slender, human-shaped leg. Hagakure had been hit. Ojiro immediately scanned for the person who had fired the shot.

Asui leapt out of a tree on the opposite side of the field, a paintball gun in her hand and her usual blank expression slightly more pleased. Ojiro fist-pumped the air. Go Tsu! Phew, that was close. But what an admirable effort, Hagakure!

A paintball hit Tsu's gun, almost knocking it from her hand. Wait. How did they see her so fast?

Pat-tat-tat.

Something thwacked into his left shoulder blade.

He glanced over his red-covered shoulder at Kaminari, far below on the ground, grinning maniacally up at him. "I got you, Ojiro!" Beside Kaminari was Shoji, who was turning back from the direction of the field and lowering his gun.

Ojiro sighed, relieved that he was finally out of the game. "That you did, Kaminari. And Shoji, that was an excellent shot, hitting Tsu from here."

Kaminari thumped his friend's upper arm with pride. "Yeah, great shot, Shoji! I guess being able to make an extra eye to watch the fight out there while we hid from Ojiro was helpful after all!" It was hard to read Shoji's reaction, since half his face was always covered, but he looked like he appreciated both compliments.

As Shoji and Kaminari raced toward the chaos on the open field, Ojiro used his tail to swing down from the tree.

"Good luck out there," he called after them with a smile.

0o0o0

Kirishima - Team BK, Defense

Kirishima would never admit it, but he was really glad Professor Aizawa had been making them run laps so much recently. Trying to catch up with Jiro's squad after they had gotten a head start was killing him— he didn't want to imagine what it would have been like before all of Aizawa's endurance training.

"And I thought....," he huffed in between gulps of air, "I was in good shape... before I came to U.A..."

Midoriya spared him a pained grin. "Yeah," he gasped. "Me too. Good thing... we're almost there..."

About a minute later, Kirishima saw the trees ahead of them break away into a field. In a wordless agreement, Kirishima and Midoriya stumbled to an ungraceful stop to catch their breath just short of the treeline. Kirishima's heart thundered in his head, and his lungs burned from the run. The sounds of Bakugo threatening to kill someone was the only thing that could be heard above their heavy breaths.

"Well, we found Bakugo." He grinned at Midoriya, who chuckled breathlessly in response.

A few seconds later, they had recovered and moved to assess the situation.

"Kacchan has the red flag," Midoriya noted immediately. "But he can't cross the yellow marker with Todoroki focusing all of his attacks on him like that."

"Looks like Todoroki made a shield for their team on this side of the field. See?" Kirishima pointed to the ice wall about fifteen yards down the treeline from their position. Sato stood on this side of it, occasionally firing shots at Iida in the middle of the field. Kirishima elbowed Midoriya's arm. "Let's split up and help. I can cover you from Sato and whoever else is behind that ice."

Midoriya nodded, eyes brightening. "Good idea! I'll go help Kacchan with Todoroki so he can get to the line."

"Sounds like a plan. Go get 'im!"

Kirishima watched Midoriya run out into the field towards Bakugo, approaching from behind Todoroki. Kirishima turned his attention to his own mission: cover fire. With everyone's attention on the big, flashy Quirks displayed in the fight, sneaking by was hilariously easy. He dashed from tree to tree, making his way down the treeline away from the fight so that he could sneak across the field and hide in the woods opposite Sato's ice wall. Kirishima was set up in seconds, sitting behind some brush with a nice, wide view of the entire exchange. Picking off stragglers would be simple, and covering Midoriya while he tried to reach Bakugo was easy.

He watched the fight for a little bit, relaxing in the wait. Bakugo and Todoroki's Quirks were so cool. Watching them fight against each other was epic to watch, even when they weren't going all-out. Bakugo's explosions were like violent, terrifying fireworks, and Todoroki's Half-Ice Quirk was so versatile and expertly precise! He wasn't using the other half of his Quirk, but that was nothing new. It was probably due to avoiding injuring Bakugo, or perhaps it was to avoid beginning a forest fire. But Bakugo wasn't concerned about either, to say the least. He was dripping with nitroglycerin sweat, grinning like a madman on a sugar high. Kirishima honestly thought it was hilarious how he was always happiest when fighting.

Movement in his peripheral vision. His attention was diverted to the ice wall on the other side of the big fight. Sato was making a run for the dropped flag. Kirishima felt a burst of adrenaline shoot through him as he lowered his eye to the gunsight and lined up on Sato's stocky form. He was muscular, and big, but he was quick, too. Quite a force to be reckoned with, as Kirishima had found out during the practical exam. But before Kirishima could line up his crosshairs properly, Sato was already picking up the flag and rushing toward the yellow marker.

No, no, come on, Kirishima! You got this, man!

He angled the crosshairs so that he was aiming in front of Sato. Leading the target. There we go, almost there... He braced to pull the trigger.

A blur, and then Sato was sitting dazed on his rear, and Iida stopped in Kirishima's sights just long enough to animatedly apologize to Sato before running off—with the blue flag— into the far woods across the field. Sato hurried to stand up and grab his dropped gun, since Iida hadn't eliminated him, but he was standing right in Kirishima's line of fire. Kirishima squeezed the trigger, and a second later, Sato was walking off field.

Sorry, Sato,  Kirishima thought with sympathy as he turned his attention back to the main fight. A brave attempt, though. Very manly.

Bakugo was yelling even louder than before, sounding more irritated than usual. With the explosions from his Quirk, Bakugo's exact words were drowned out, but Midoriya was nearby, and from the look on his freckled face, Kirishima had a pretty good guess that it had something to do with him. Bakugo was probably heatedly refusing Midoriya's attempts to help or something. Todoroki was doing a pretty good job fending them both off without Midoriya using his Quirk. It probably helped Todoroki that the other two were distracted by their argument.

Movement out of the corner of his eye again. Kirishima turned to look down field and peeked through the brush. Two figures; one with bright yellow hair, the other tall and large, with multiple arms. Kaminari and Shoji. They were on Team JS, the opposing team. Weren't they on defense, in Sero's squad? So what were they doing all the way out here?

Didn't matter. Kirishima's job was to give Bakugo and Midoriya cover, and Kaminari was rushing toward the fight—meaning he was a target. Shoji was beside him, but he was running toward the ice wall that Jiro was shooting from, not the main fight, so he wasn't as big of a priority at the moment. Kirishima lined up his crosshairs a few feet ahead of Kaminari, leading him so that he would run right into the paintball shot. His finger began to pull back on the trigger.

But then Jiro shouted something, and Shoji's arms formed a huge, wing-like shield, blocking the shot from Kaminari. But blue paint dripped down Shoji's arms; he was out. Kirishima then noticed Kaminari ducking into the trees across the field— out of sight and range. In the same area Iida had taken cover. Great, Kirishima thought with sarcasm. Hopefully Iida would notice Kirishima had missed one before Kaminari stole the blue flag from him.

The wind shifted direction, blowing Midoriya and Bakugo's voices toward Kirishima.

"If you would just listen—!"

"Get out of here, Deku! Or I'll KILL YOU TOO!"

An explosion blasted away at a burst of thick ice. Kirishima watched as Midoriya dodged flames and explosions alike. He looked distraught, frustrated. Poor guy.

"But Kacchan, I'm trying to help you!" Midoriya was pleading, but his voice had risen to a level of irritation that Kirishima rarely saw. From the looks of it, dodging Todoroki's blasts was becoming an afterthought. Midoriya's movements were getting sloppy as he focused on the verbal fight more than the physical one.

"I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!" Bakugo aimed another warning blast at Midoriya's feet. He scrambled back, but stubbornly remained nearby. Bakugo's teeth flashed in a hideous snarl. "You're in my way, idiot! Get out of here NOW, Deku!"

"No, Kacchan!" Midoriya surprisingly held his ground. "I'm staying!"

"THEN I'll BLOW YOU TO SHREDS!"

Bakugo was livid. He turned the full brunt of his wrath onto Midoriya, almost as if he was forgetting that they were in the middle of a fight with Todoroki. The latter saw his opening and blasted Bakugo with ice— but Bakugo's reflexes were too sharp, and he dodged before the ice could freeze more than part of his right arm. It only took a quick, minor explosion in the palm of his hand to melt it.

At the same time that Todoroki had frozen Bakugo's arm, Kirishima saw Jiro poke her head around the ice shield and fire at Midoriya. Kirishima fired at Jiro to cover him, but too late—Jiro drew back behind the ice before his shots could reach her. Kirishima's eyes darted back to the field, a knot in his stomach.

Midoriya stumbled back a step, blinking down at his shirt. Bright crimson stained the chest guard. His shoulders slumped in defeat as he raised his hands.

"No!" Kirishima growled in frustration. He clenched his fists in sudden distress as his thoughts kicked into overdrive.

Midoriya had been shot. Their team had lost one of its strongest players. Kirishima was the last of his squad. He'd failed to protect them. As for Bakugo's squad, Iida and the others were nowhere to be seen. As far as Kirishima knew for certain, he and Bakugo were the only ones left. There's no way I can fight Todoroki in hand-to-hand, and I can't shoot him without risking Bakugo! But then, Bakugo hasn't been able to make an opening, and without that, we can't win... The knot in his stomach twisted and coiled like frightened snakes. Without Midoriya...

The bushes around him trembled as someone fired at his position.

Jiro. Of course.

Shooting at her had given him away. His location was compromised.

0o0o0

Jiro - Team JS, Offense

Jiro ducked behind the wall as a paintball flew past, only inches from her face. Too close. Kirishima was—unfortunately for her—a great shot. But as long as she distracted him from joining Bakugo, then she was sure things would work out. Todoroki could handle himself, and a little backup had arrived. Iida may have the blue flag they needed to win, but Iida was alone on this side of the field. They could get the flag back.

But then... Sato and Shoji and Hagakure were gone. As far as she could tell, they only had three players left, and that was including herself.

Maybe she could take on Iida and get the flag on her own. But Iida was fast. It was going to be difficult without backup.

She scanned the trees, plugging one of her ear jacks into the ground. Footsteps—two pairs nearby, some erratic ones farther away (the latter would be Todoroki and King Explosion Murder, himself). Jiro glanced in the direction of the two who were closer. Her eye caught a tuft of yellow hair peeking out—Kaminari, hiding behind an oak about ten paces out. She had seen Iida run in that direction too. Did the other set of footsteps belong to him? Why was Kaminari here? Was he trying to retrieve the flag?

Nah,  Jiro thought. He was probably too dull to even realize it was no longer in their team's possession.

Kaminari suddenly jumped out of hiding, running straight back into the field. Jiro, startled, almost yelled at him to come back and hide, but caught herself in time. They were running out of players—she couldn't risk alerting the others to his position. But he was running flat-out towards Todoroki and Bakugo's firefight. What did he think he was doing? She spotted for him, keeping an eye on Kirishima's location across the field and watching for other threats to his safety.

The other set of footsteps pounded hard in her ear jack, rushing toward the field after Kaminari. Iida had seen him. Jiro whirled, her gun pointed in the direction of the footsteps, where Iida would hopefully spring from the trees.

Todoroki noticed Kaminari at the same time Bakugo did—which was too late.

"DIE, YA STUPID PIKACHU!"**

A blinding flash. The explosion rattled the ground. Pain shot into her head. Jiro yanked her ear jacks out of the earth, ears ringing, and used her gun to zero in on Bakugo's foreboding figure in the smoke. A second form joined him and flames licked the sky.

Kaminari was flung backward into her gunsight. Jiro started to lunge forward and help him, but a blue shape in her peripheral stole her attention. She held back. Watching. Waiting.

Iida's arm. He was standing near the clearing, just inside the tree line about fifteen yards down. Her heart beat harder. The blue and white colors of his school P.E. uniform painted his exposed sleeve like a target.

The best part? He had no idea she was there.

Or that he was within range.

Jiro grinned.

She glanced at the field. Kaminari scurried back into the forest, mostly unscathed. Phew. She plugged her ear into the ground again, listening to see Kaminari's path of movement. His footsteps stopped.

Jiro checked Iida's position. His arm had lowered. He was crouching. He knew someone was coming. Kaminari knew it too. Had they spotted each other? Neither had said a word. As verbal as Kaminari was, she doubted it.

Now was the time.

Shouldering her paintball gun, she silently raised it and took aim.

The blue strip of cloth dangled from Iida's hand, baiting her. Screaming at her to take the shot.

She gladly accepted.

The paintball raced through the air like a bullet. It landed right on target—his forearm padding. Iida yelped in response, more in surprise than in pain, and dropped the flag. Now in the clear with Iida eliminated, Jiro stood and took a step toward it, but Kaminari had seen and reached it first. The blue fabric in hand, he raced toward her and gave her a thumbs-up and a wide grin. He slowed down as he neared her, but then the horn blared.

Five minutes left.

There was no way to know that they had more players remaining than Team BK, leaving them only one option to ensure success.

They had to get the blue flag over that line.

Kaminari and Jiro's eyes met for a split second of silent, mutual agreement, and then Kaminari sped up again and passed her. She turned, following him with her scope as he dashed out into the field. He chose to run behind Bakugo this time, not engaging in the fight. Smart move. Jiro hummed in amusement. So he did actually have a brain.

Jiro fired off a few rounds over Kirishima's head so that he would be forced to take cover. Meaning he, hopefully, wouldn't see Kaminari going for the win.

Everything was going smoothly until Bakugo turned directly toward Jiro with a cold, determined expression and a raised hand.

What was he—

Blinding light rocketed out from his hand and flew straight toward her. She only had an instant to cover her head before the explosion knocked her down.

When she looked up, the ice wall had been utterly obliterated.

Her cover was blown. Literally.

0o0o0

Bakugo - Team BK, Offense

Bakugo jumped and propelled himself through the air, small explosions jetting from his hands and a battlecry tearing from his throat.

A wave of ice soared up to meet him, solidifying into a solid barrier mid-air. Bakugo rocketed toward it, only increasing his speed.

"I'm gonna kill you!" he shouted at Todoroki, bracing for impact.

His shoulder hit the ice first, sending pain echoing through the rest of his body like a shockwave. The ice shattered around him, shards like daggers cutting his skin. He strangled the yell of pain in his throat into submission and focused on his anger, the cry of pain becoming a roar of fury.

He allowed gravity to pull him back toward the earth, toward Todoroki who stood defensive and ready. The broken ice fell with him like rain. He was going to smash IcyHot so hard he'd leave a human-shaped imprint on the ground.

As Bakugo hurtled out of the sky with explosions trailing behind him, his mind left the two-person fight in front of him and opened up to the big-picture battle around him. When he landed with a kick at Todoroki's side, he was thinking about his impact on each team.

He's good , Bakugo thought without letting any sign of weakness reach his expression. He swung a fist at Todoroki's scarred face. But he's holding back. He isn't fighting me like he fought Deku at the Sports Festival. He never fights all-out with me. He growled. It's ticking me off!

Todoroki countered the fist by dodging to his outside. His knee pulled up for a strike to the kidney. Bakugo was ready and elbowed him in the shoulder, knocking him off balance. They each jumped away, separating to size each other up. Breaths heavy. Sweat dripping. Fists clenched. A moment of respite yet an instant of spite.

Bakugo didn't take his eyes off his opponent as he shoved a hand into his left back pocket. The soft fabric of the red flag was still there.

Bakugo began to circle, and Todoroki did the same. Catching their breath. Thinking. Studying.

Not that he would ever admit it, but his arms were starting to hurt. It was undeniable. He was on the brink of overusing his Quirk. And Todoroki wasn't looking any better. Who would break first?

It would not be him. Never.

Todoroki lunged, his Half-Fire Quirk finally flickering to life.

"Finally," Bakugo growled in satisfaction. He spread his fingers out as if he had claws. "Time for the real fight."

Flames engulfed the left side of Todoroki's body as he threw the punch.

So he was getting desperate. Good.

Bakugo smirked and grabbed his arm, using the momentum to throw him. Todoroki went flying.

I can't keep this up forever , Bakugo thought, watching Todoroki barely catch himself with ice. But neither can he.

Bakugo threw a side-kick at Todoroki. Where'd Four Eyes run off to? Todoroki retaliated with an icy swipe at his chest. Bakugo backflipped to dodge. He could outrun Scar Face no sweat. And I'm on a time crunch here. I don't have time to outlast him. I hate to say it, but... He fired off an explosion at Todoroki's face. The blast only shattered another ice shield. ...the only way I'm gonna win is if I distract IcyHot while Four Eyes takes the flag across that stupid line.

In between attacks, Bakugo tried to catch glimpses of the surrounding trees without letting on. If Todoroki figured it out too soon, the plan would never work. But he never saw anyone other than Jiro, who was staying hidden behind that melting ice wall. Iida was nowhere to be found.

You've gotta be kidding me!  Bakugo cursed under his breath. Todoroki was too far away at the moment to overhear it. "The one time I actually need someone else to help me win, and they vanish off the face of the earth." But assistance wasn't required, it was just preferable. And only preferable this time because the teachers had decided it was a great idea to put a stupid time limit on the game.

Bakugo gave Iida a few more seconds to reappear. Still nothing. No one else in sight.

And this is why I hate teams.

I'd rather win this myself anyway. I don't need them.

The best way to redirect Todoroki's attention? That was easy.

Bakugo raised a hand, aiming at Jiro's cover with a wicked grin.

It didn't even take a thought. One instant, the ice was standing tall but battered with paint. The next, it was a crater in a smoking blaze of trees.

"Jiro!" called a voice from behind, but it wasn't just Todoroki's. There were two, and he'd know the annoying second voice anywhere.

Bakugo whirled around, allowing the girl to escape as he faced the newcomer.

Sparky. That irritating kid with the hair colored like a bumblebee and an electricity Quirk that could turn him into a walking vegetable.

How'd he manage to get by without Bakugo noticing?

More importantly, how did he get so close to the marker line with their red flag?

No time for that. Gotta stop him and win this thing.  In one fluid motion, Bakugo unholstered his gun and aimed directly between Kaminari's wide, startled eyes.

"I'm not really supposed to go for the head," Bakugo drawled, "but that's why you're wearing a face mask. You know how this ends."

Something slammed into him from behind, knocking him off his feet. Bakugo fell forward but managed to catch himself on his hands and knees. With the weight having fallen onto his back too, his pained arms nearly gave out. But he was too stubborn to let them buckle.

For a moment, no one moved. Then he shot a fiery glare up over his shoulder at the assailant on his back. "Do you want me to murder you," he growled, voice low. As dangerous as he could manage.

Todoroki didn't budge. "Is that a rhetorical question?"

A familiar mix of irritation and anger flared in his chest. In the same barely-restrained voice, he said, "Get off me, right now, or I will kill you."

Todoroki tightened his grip on Bakugo's uniform, but his even tone carried nothing but apathy. "You've been saying that for the last six minutes, and yet here I am. Frankly, I'm beginning to feel disappointed."

Bakugo saw red. "WHY YOU LITTLE—"

"Kaminari, go!" Todoroki shouted. "Hurry!"

Bakugo screamed with rage and tried to tear Todoroki off of him, but the other boy held on tight. Bakugo bucked like a mule, rolled over on top of him, tried to squash him like a bug in the dirt. He put all his body weight on Todoroki's right hand, pressing down with his elbow until Todoroki released his shirt with a stifled yelp. Then Bakugo was able to fling him off and scramble for his dropped gun. His fingers had just slid around the metal barrel when an arm slipped around his neck and put him in a headlock.

In front of him, Kirishima stood triumphantly over Kaminari with the red flag in hand. The latter had paint all over his chest guard. Somehow Kirishima had miraculously arrived and taken out Kaminari while he and Todoroki were wrestling in the dirt. The only threat to him now besides Todoroki was that black-haired girl with the weird ears. Ear Wire or something. Bakugo had let her live, and now that decision was going to come back to bite him.

Todoroki readjusted his grip on Bakugo's throat, securing the hold without cutting off his air. He wasn't being aggressive enough to combat Bakugo—and that was his downfall.

"Hey, Weird Hair!" Bakugo shouted even though Kirishima was only a few yards away. "Don't let that ear girl get the flag, you hear me?!"

Todoroki pulled back on his neck, not hurting him—it took a lot more than that to hurt Bakugo—but making his back arch uncomfortably in order to stay upright. Kirishima looked a little concerned, like he wanted to help, but that only fueled Bakugo's anger. "DON'T you DARE intervene!"

Kirishima winced. "...Ooookay, man. But if you change your mind—"

"SHUT UP!"

Kirishima closed his mouth but continued to stare. It made Bakugo's insides burn with indignation.

"Two minutes remaining," came Aizawa's monotone voice over the speakers.

Thump, da-thump.  Bakugo's heart pounded in his head. He wrestled in Todoroki's grip. Bakugo was physically stronger, but Todoroki was using leverage against him. Less than a hundred seconds and the game would end in a draw—or worse, if the other team had more players left.

Tat-tat-tat.  The red fabric was shot from Kirishma's hand. He jumped out of the way in the nick of time. Put-put-put-put. He fired back immediately, unable to reach for the flag and shoot at the same time. He was forced to choose the latter.

Tat-tat.  Jiro returned fire, red paint flying everywhere. Kirishima was forced to step back from the open field and take cover. Jiro was advancing steadily, but she couldn't risk shooting at Bakugo since her own teammate was so close.

Bakugo smirked. He could use that to his advantage.

He struggled fiercely in Todoroki's grip, almost strangling himself to get free, and after a few seconds of this, he went utterly limp—as if he'd passed out.

Todoroki, startled, immediately loosened his grip. "Hey," he said, voice tense, "Bakugo?" He released his neck and held him up by the shoulders instead, trying to check on him. Bakugo let his head loll. Todoroki shook him lightly. "...If you're fooling me—"

Todoroki's grip was loose and uncertain. Bakugo seized the opportunity.

He jerked down, slipping through Todoroki's grasp with ease, dropping to his knees and lunging for his gun.

Jiro was in the open. The red cloth was scrunched up in her fist. She darted for the line.

Todoroki reacted. He froze the ground beneath Bakugo, making his knees slide out from under him. The next thing Bakugo knew, he was on his stomach on the ice with his gun skittering away from him. He ground out a curse and scrambled for it. Todoroki—who was infuriatingly good at walking on ice—followed closely. Bakugo growled and gave up trying to crawl. Palms behind him, he used his Quirk to propel himself forward over the ice at high speed. With one hand he grabbed it, with the other he pushed himself faster.

Jiro saw his stunt and ran harder.

The gap between them shrunk. He closed in, like a cheetah lunging for the kill.

But he could hear the swoosh of Todoroki's ice slide forming right behind him. He grunted and willed his Quirk to spit out more firepower. The wind tried to steal his breath, but he wouldn't let it.

The red flag was tucked in his pocket. Jiro gripped the blue. They were barreling toward the line—toward each other. A game of chicken at a blazing speed. The line of victory between them. Taunting them. Daring them to win.

He was going to win.

He  had to.

Jiro was almost to the line. She'd been closer at the start. Even if he was rocketing toward her, she'd beat him. He wouldn't make it.

The acrylic grip in his left hand beckoned him. With a ferocious roar, he held the gun in both hands and leveled the gunsight on Jiro.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

His finger squeezed the trigger. At the same time, a shadow fell into his vision. A body. No, a head. Without a faceguard. It blocked the path to Jiro as the paintball rocketed through the barrel.

A headshot at point blank range. Without protection.

Stories of people going deaf, losing eyes, or even dying from that kind of shot flitted through his mind in that single instant.

Reflexes kicked in. His hands jerked the gun downward at the last possible moment.

The paintball left the barrel and flew through the air so fast he couldn't see it.

Then he was staring through his gunsight at a quarter-sized splotch of paint on skin. His heart dropped with dread.

Skin. Bare skin. Had he hit the face? He couldn't have, right? Surely he didn't—he couldn't have...

The thought became lead in his stomach.

His fingers lost their strength. The gun hit the earth with barely a sound, yet it thundered in the silence.

Then someone was coughing—hard, violent, as if the air had grown too thick to fit down their windpipe—and the world crashed back into focus.

Todoroki had fallen to his knees in front of him, two hands around his neck. His eyes were squeezed shut, and his hacking breaths came out pained and ragged.

Bakugo swallowed at the sight.

The person he'd shot was Todoroki, and the injured area wasn't the head, but the neck. That was still a sensitive area—and one of the most painful places to get hit— but it wasn't fatal.

It wasn't fatal.

Relief flooded through him, suddenly replacing the lead in his stomach with fiery indignation.

He slapped the top of Todoroki's head. "What did you do that for?" Bakugo shouted, fury rising in his chest. "You got a death wish or something?! You're a complete idiot! I could've killed you!"

Todoroki looked up at him, his strangled coughs still thick in his throat. His different colored eyes were wide with pain and confusion. He didn't say anything. For some reason that made Bakugo's anger simmer down a little.

"If I'd shot you in the head, you could've lost an eye. Or worse." Bakugo shook his head—at Todoroki's ignorance and at himself for not being able to stay mad at him. To make sure everyone knew he wasn't going soft, he added, "And that would permanently scar my Hero career. So watch out next time, stupid!"

"Hey, Bakugo!" Kirishima had stood up from his cover, and now he was staring at Bakugo with an anxious look on his face. Jiro had stopped running and was also staring at him.

"What?" Bakugo barked irritably, sending a glare Jiro's way for good measure. She wasn't looking at him, though; she was looking at Todoroki. She was concerned.

Kirishima let go of his paintball gun with one hand and pointed past Bakugo. "You still have the flag, right?! We're almost out of time! You gotta go, man! Hurry!"

"Don't tell me what to do," Bakugo retorted even as his body leapt into motion. How could he have let himself get distracted? He'd better not be going soft, that's for sure.

His legs were tired from the long game, but he pumped them onward. He ran as fast as he could toward the yellow line and left Todoroki in the dust. The sudden motion jarred Jiro from her thoughts and she darted forward.

The sounds of Todoroki coughing and Kirishima cheering were almost drowned out by the wind in his ears and his own pounding heart. He was almost there.

Jiro's foot lifted and swung in her stride, only inches from the yellow line.

NO! Not on  my watch!

A thunderous roar emanated from deep within his chest. His hands were red hot as his explosions boosted his speed.

A horn blared. The deafening sound pierced through his intense focus. His Quirk halted, making him fall and stumble to a landing.

Present Mic's voice rippled over the loudspeakers. "And THAT'S a WRAP! Connnnnngratulations, contestants! Your time is UP!"

Bakugo huffed, both out of breath and out of patience. Quit wasting my time. Just announce the stupid results already. He knew better than to voice his thoughts aloud, though.

Kirishima ran over. "Hey, man." He clapped him on the shoulder. "That was some wicked moves you pulled out there! You did good."

Bakugo shrugged him off. "Don't compliment me before they tell us who won," he grumbled, glancing over at Jiro and her team. She was helping Todoroki to his feet as the other eliminated members rejoined them on the field.

It all happened so fast. Had she crossed the line before he did?

There was no way she had, as fast he had been going.

...Right?

Right,  he affirmed himself gruffly. Doubt is cowardice. Don't be weak.

"Great job out there, Kacchan!" Midoriya piped up from the group walking toward him and Kirishima. It was the rest of their team.

Bakugo immediately felt the prickle of heated indignation rise beneath his skin. "What do you know, Deku!"

"He's right!" came an energetic voice. Bakugo groaned. Iida's hands waved wildly as he gesticulated every word. "That was quite an inventive maneuver! Sliding on the ice like that to outrun Jiro was genius!"

"Whatever."

"Annnnd the results are IN!" Present Mic's overdramatic voice was grating on Bakugo's nerves. "Drumroll pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaase..."

A few of the students slapped their thighs rapidly for effect. Bakugo did not.

"The winning team is...."

Bakugo didn't hold his breath. Why did they always have to drag this out?

"TEAM BAKUGO AND KIRISHIMAAAA!"

"All right!" Kirishima double-fist-pumped the air, a huge grin splitting his face. "We did it, bro!"

Bakugo ignored the cheers and stalked over to the other team, leaving Kirishima and the others mildly bemused. They quickly turned to drown Kirishima in their excitement instead.

Todoroki was sitting down on a fallen log, a hand around his throat. His breathing was still loud and a bit uneven, but it was nowhere near as bad as before. Bakugo approached him and began without preamble, "That was really stupid, y'know."

Todoroki looked up, and his hand dropped from his throat. The blue paint had been cleaned off, revealing the reddened skin from the shot. "Agreed," he nodded once, simple but sincere. "It's obvious I didn't think that one through," he said, voice raspy with a slight chuckle. "Congratulations."

Bakugo turned away. "Whatever, IcyHot. Don't get yourself eliminated next time." He stopped to cast a glare over his shoulder. "That way I can beat you fair and square."

"Hey, Todoroki, are you okay?" Midoriya asked, walking up to join them. "That looked pretty painful. Does it still hurt?"

Todoroki shrugged. "A little, but I'll be fine."

Bakugo pointed a finger at Midoriya and raised his voice to a shout, addressing Midoriya and Todoroki. "Next time, give it your all! No wimping out or taking hits for other people! You got it?! That goes for both of you!"

Midoriya and Todoroki shared a look.

After a moment, Midoriya turned back with a grin. "You got it! I'll do my best!"

Todoroki nodded at the challenge, a glint in his eye belying his excitement. "Right."

"Good," Bakugo grunted, feeling the heat in his chest begin to simmer. He turned away and rejoined his team, allowing Kirishima to punch him in the arm good-naturedly as the rest of Class 1-A congratulated them for the win.

-The End-