Once Again From Better Days

The standstill dissipates. Team Todoroki moves forward in a feint, ice curving in from one side giving Yaoyorozu a chance to make the protective blanket. The arena lights up thanks to the sparkling electricity which is about all Kaminari is good for. Izuku's team manages to shield somewhat, though 20th looks like she's about to burn out. She's still standing though. Her skin looking burned and almost like it's melting. That can only be described as unnatural. Maybe it's part of her quirk. 

Todoroki dives for Izuku, ice forming on his right hand and his mouth set in a determined line. Izuku, in response, grits his teeth and puts his arms up to guard, but he's a moment too slow. The headband is ripped from his head. Team Todoroki backs away. Iida is slowed from a previous exchange of blows, and Kaminari is clearly spent. They're practically defenseless.

Katsuki signals his team after Team Todoroki. The way they are now, he should be able to take the headbands from Todoroki, including Izuku's high-point value one. He braces himself on Kirishima's shoulders. Just as they get to be within range, Todoroki throws up a wall of ice. Ice is easy to blow away. It shatters within a couple of explosions, but beneath it is a wall of something sturdier, probably thanks to rich girl's quirk. Katsuki curses under his breath and redirects his team.

In the time that it's taken for him to blast away Todoroki's ice, Izuku's team has recuperated and is after half-and-half from another direction. Still trying to move to a safe distance, Todoroki's team isn't ready for another attack, or, at least, is the most off-guard Katsuki has seen them all day. Izuku thrusts his right hand forward. There's something different about his attack. It feels powerful . And though Katsuki can't see their exchange properly from his current position, he feels like Izuku will land a hit. 

Todoroki raises his left arm to block, and Katsuki sees just a flicker of flame before it dies. Izuku grabs two headbands and retreats. Katsuki goes for another. Todoroki seems to regain his bearings just as Katsuki grabs the headband. He pulls hard on the top one yelling at his team to get them out of range. He meets Todoroki's mismatched eyes for a moment. The usual cool, indifference is gone, replaced by burning—burning something. Katsuki isn't quite sure what, but he looks away, vaguely unsettled.

The buzzer signalling the end of the match sounds.

To one side, he can hear Izuku's whoop of victory. He glances at Izuku's team. The pink-haired girl is shaking Izuku's hand excitedly, but 20th is looking off to the side. The expression on her face puts any thought of Todoroki right out of his mind. She's smiling, but he can feel all the hairs on the back of his neck stand. There's something wrong with her smile, with the flush that tinges her cheeks pink. Then she turns towards him, and her dark eyes flash gold for a moment. When the moment is over, Katsuki thinks he must have imagined it. The smile on her face looks normal, and she pats Izuku on the shoulder in a congratulatory way. That makes his blood boil for a different reason.

Katsuki gets off of Kirishima's shoulders and looks at the headbands he's collected. The one he grabbed from Todoroki isn't Izuku's, but they should still be in the top few.

Midnight calls their attention a moment later to announce the winners. Team Midoriya, having taken back Izuku's headband, is in first. Katsuki's team comes in second. Then Shinsou's. Then Todoroki's. Todoroki clenches his left fist at his side.

Katsuki only has a moment to process the fact that he came in second (again), before his team tackles him with a hug. He freezes at the sudden contact. He blasts them, well, mostly just Kirishima because he doesn't actually want to hurt them, in the face.

"Back off you shitheads," he yells. 

Kirishima rubs his nose ruefully. "Rude."

Midnight silences them once again to announce the third, and final event of the day: individual battles. They include one person from the 5th place team to make the number of contestants an even 16. There's a short debate on that team, before Uraraka steps up. Katsuki narrows his eyes. She's never particularly stood out to him, but he she was one of Izuku's best friends last time. He fought her at one point to, didn't he?

A couple of other changes are made in the lineup when two of the people on Shinsou's team drop out. One is a boy that Katsuki recognizes from 1-A and the other is a complete stranger. He turns his gaze to Shinsou. He didn't get the feeling that Shinsou was a threat earlier, but he has to reevaluate now. Izuku's friend from the General Department doesn't notice Katsuki glaring at him.