One week passed in a blur, and Alastor got to watch as Shinso attempted to box a giant. But he also found himself at the support course more and more.
He simply sat there writing for his podcast. But his eyes would trail over to the pink ball of energy, it was spontanious but she would pop up with a mad cackle with another "baby" that would either explode or work as intended. It fascinated him, her laughter as her inventions were successful. Her smile was oil and grime smeared on her arms. The light in her eyes when they glanced towards him. And the way she moved-
"Hey, Deary! I finished the thing you asked for."
Alastor somehow stumbled in his chair and re-adjusted his tie. And just in time, a strange breathing mask was tossed at him with enough enthusiasm to trail rainbows.
"Why, thank you, Hatsume, incredibly fast as always."
Alastor cleared his throat as he inspected the mask.
"Call me Mei, Deary."
"Deary? Really?"
"What? I don't have a baby that makes nicknames. That's all, Mei patened."
Alastor found himself smiling, not the smile that's familiar and plastered to his face. Just a gentle, amused smile as Mei went back to another project.
His eyes watched her back for a longer moment than he was used to, then, when his eyes began to trail lower, he shook his head and forced himself to go find Shinso.
——
"What's this?"
Shinso, least to say, looked like Shit. The bags under his eyes had tripled in size and darkness; his deal with Izuku had strengthened his quirk and his body, but his need for sleep was nearly doubled, and with the insomnia he had. Well, to say the beach's garbage can had more than one energy drink can.
"Its a sleeping mask, you can use it to get some sleep between rounds of the sports festival and whenever you need it."
Alastor lazily informed, while using the shadows to create diverse constructions in the air.
"You got this from the support course?"
"I did, or i didnt."
"You're a dick"
"A ten-inch one"
"Gross,"
"You started it, I am finishing it."
————-
The corridor into the stadium was packed with annoyed-looking general course students. The announcer, who was Present Mic, was screaming his introduction of the Hero Course. It actually shook the hallway; the cheering was so loud.
"See what I mean? People don't care about us. It's all about the hero course."
Alastor sighed, and he silenced Shinso with a pointed look. He was still annoyed with Shinso for declaring war on the hero course.
"So? You just have to be enough to make them cheer louder for you instead of them."
Present Mic finally announced their class, and there was only scattered applause. Of course, it annoyed Alastor, but it was simply another obstacle.
"I just wanna say… I'm gonna win."
Alastor sighed. Bakugo Katsuki, the dick hole who had made Izuku's life hell.
'Todays gonna be fun…'
Alastor could physically taste the anticipation in the air as, instead of focusing on Midnight, he gauged the competition.
'Hero course is of course going to be a problem, Support course will be some of the first out except for Mei…'
'When did I start referring to her as Mei in my head?'
'I don't know, ask your brain.'
'Brain?'
'How should I know? were talking to ourselves right now.'
Alastor shook himself out of his mental conversation and made his way to the front. He was ready for the first part of the festival the obstacle course.
And now it was only a matter of time until the start.
"AND GO!!!!"
Alastor bolted; he launched himself the moment the sound of Present Mic had begun to say the words. Shadows gripped the ground as they launched him forward, and ice craxckled behind him, trapping people behind him.
Present Mic was tuned out as Alastor focused on his goal.
Win
Robots the size of buildings rose from the ground and began their slow trek forward. Alastor grinned as he leashed two shadow tendruils to pillars on either side of the track and took steps back as the shadows stretched. After a moment, Alastor let his feet slip, and he felt himself rocket like a bullet up towards the head of the robot.
He slammed into it like a comet denting the face of the robot. Alastoer slammed his hand into it and let his shadows work. It only took a moment, then several spikes ripped outward on the opposite side of the robot's head.
"HAHAHAHAH!!! TIMBER!"
Alastor roared as the robot tipped backward, knocking into the other robots. That's when he noticed, Bakugo and some kid with white and red hair had passed him. Rushing past the robots.
Alastor ignored the thunderous crash of the robots as he launched himself off the falling robots and fell into his shadow, traveling through the chasm.
Traveling through his shadow was like running through smoke, with the sky a tinted glass separating him from the rest of the world. He emerged just ahead of the other two and paused at the edge of the minefield.
"Go, lets makwe some noise."
Alastor raised his hand, and a horde of shadow gremlins emerged from his shadow and charged forward. Immediatly mines erupted left and right, and Alastor bolted through his ears, flowing back as he went full tilt. If he could see the cameras focused on one side of his face, he would see what the rest of the stadium sees. A static smile and focused eyes. His arms pumped like machines as his muscular frame was outlined by his tracksuit.
Then it was neck and neck, Bakugo and the ice kid were on his heels. And he was losing ground. Alastor was fast. Superhumanly so, but the explosive power of Bakugo and the ice kid was gaining. Alastor grinned feraly at the sudden rush of fire in his blood.
If he wanted to win something sudden needed to happen. Alastor grinned as he had an idea.
Two massive shadow tendrils extended from his arms, and he raised them high. The gremlins dissapered and the explosions stopped for only a moment. Alastor could almost feel the dawning realization on the two competitors' faces. A moment later, the shadow arms smashed into the grounds and into the landmines. Twin explosions erupted, sending the other two flying as Alastor cackled in joy. He felt alive again, fighting by the skin of his teeth to attain victory.
"AND WE HAVE OUR WINNER!!! FROM GENERAL STUDIES!!! IZUKU MIDORIYA!!!"
Present Mic's yell echoed over the crowd, who had erupted at the sudden new arrival.
Alastor slowed into a trot as he entered the arena. He was sweating lightly, but he hadn't felt this alive in a while. No danger, no risk. Just pure competition and fire in the veins.
'I haven't felt this alive since the battle with Adam…'
Alastor remininced and of course, he nearly died, thank goodness that scar hadn't followed him.
Alastor spun, looking up at the stands, and dipped into a bow that only made the crowd roar. Everybody loved an underdog, everybody thought some hero course student would win. But a polight underdog? That made people yell.
"DEKU!!! WHAT THE HELL!"
Bakugo roared as he finally made it into the stadium. Alastor couldn't care one bit, but he humored Bakugo by turning just his head and smirking at Bakugo.
Bakugo looked like he wanted to scream some more, but noticed the writhing shadows hidden in Alastor's shadow. Alastor was riding the high of victory, so he passed around waving to people and waiting for people he knew.
Mei was the first person to show up, cackling about her inventions. Alastor found himself smiling fondly as she approached, and the smile only disappeared when she spoke.
"Finally made it, huh, Deerman?"
Alastor raised an eyebrow, and Mei rolled her eyes.
"I am an inventor and the CEO of Hatsume Industries! I don't have time to make up nicknames."
Alastor chuckled but nodded as he slicked his hair back, the seat dampening his hair.
"I was first place, not bad for a general course kid."
"Only? I knew you would make it! You're jacked as hell! Perfect for testing suit compatibility, speaking of that, when do you have some free time?"
Alastor chuckled. Mei was focused on one thing and wanted to be the best in that one thing. It was admirable. Shinso finally arrived panting and clutching his new mask. Alastor began training him, and his deal helped, but it had only been a week; the best he could do was give tips on balance and some basic boxing.
"how- *Huph* are- *hughghg* not tired?"
Shinso wheezed out, and Alastor grinned as Mei spoke up.
"I flew, using my Jet pack, baby! Would you like to try it? It has the latest scuba diving breathing tanks yet!"
"I ran."
Alastor responded smug as a mug. Ans Shinso flipped him off.
"Congratulations! The first 42 students have moved on to the next event! Now that's some Stamina I can get behind."
Midnight called out as she stuck her hip out and waved her whip at the big screen.
"But now its for round two! Hope you got enough left in the tank because it's the Calvary battle!"
Pushing past the obvious inuendos Alastor nodded at the information. An event that would let him fall back into the background and snag victory at the last moment. As long as nothing unexpexted happen, he was in the clear.
"As for the points! First place gets a whopping insane 10 million points!!"
Alastor just had to open his dumb head? Suddenly, everybody was looking at him like he was a sack of meat in the middle of a caravan of starving people. He had been in worse positions before. And you know what? This was UA, Plus Ultra. Who needs a last-minute victory when you can have a complete dominance of the battlefield?
Alastor laughed, a rich and powerful sound that confounded the other competitors.
"Bring it on, chumps."
Alastor challanged and he could almost hear Bakugo's teeth grinding.