Notes: Surprise to the person who thought this wasn't getting continued, only to find out that I already had 2k of this chapter done! LOL I wrote most of this today. I still can't believe I finished it. Maybe it ends on a less powerful note than the actual Sports Festival, but tbh, I didn't want to write about the whole thing from Ed's or Al's POV when we've seen it. I will talk about it more in depth in the next chapter. Also, I feel like this chapter actually marks for the most canon divergence so far. It still sticks with most of the anime/manga, but there a few key (and some very small but important) differences.

Discomfort radiated from Al as they lined up in a group to listen to Midnight announce the final event. Ed couldn't figure out what his brother's problem was. Ever since the end of the Cavalry Battle, he had been strangely distant and wouldn't give a straight answer to anything. It wasn't like him at all. His team had made it through to the next round like Midoriya's, so he should've been excited, but instead, he looked somewhat displeased. Maybe he was bummed that Ed hadn't been able to make it too, but that wasn't on him.

Well, it kind of was, he supposed. Al's team had apparently been the one to steal their headbands at the last second. To be honest, Ed couldn't even remember how it happened, but he wasn't about to forget Shinsou swirling the headbands around his pointer finger like a smug jackass.

Still, while Al might not have the explosive personality that Ed did, it wasn't like him to be this quiet, especially during the Sports Festival that they loved so much. While Ed and Winry had compared details about their side of the event with Midoriya, Uraraka, and Tokoyami, Al sat to the side and listened. Hell, Ed wasn't even sure he had actually been paying attention to them. When Uraraka had asked how his team had managed to sneak in at the very end, Al had smiled uncomfortably and shrugged his shoulders, murmuring, "Luck, I guess."

Now, here they were, about to find out how the Sports Festival for the first years would close out. Ed figured it would be a tournament of some kind. It usually was since that was the easiest way to determine a clear victor in the end. It could be done in teams of two, solo, or maybe something completely different altogether. He wasn't sure. He did feel like it was kind of rude and dumb to have those not participating in the crowd too. It wasn't like they had anything to gain out of this. Still, he wanted to be there for Al, who shifted nervously on his feet.

When Midnight announced that the final event was indeed a one-on-one tournament event, Al's eyes dropped to the ground. He let out a sigh, his shoulders sagging as well, as if the weight of the pressure was getting to him. That had to be it. The Sports Festival was a huge opportunity for U.A. students to show off their quirks and skills. He had been able to do that during the Cavalry Event, blocking and knocking anyone out of his team's way by turning into his armored form, but Ed knew he felt like he lacked when compared against Kirishima or even Tetsutetsu from Class 1-B, both of whom had very similar quirks.

"Hey," Ed said lowly, punching him in the arm, "you've got this."

Al shook his head. "No, I don't, brother."

Ed furrowed his brow in confusion. "What-?"

His question was not only ignored but interrupted by Al raising his hand like they were in class. As soon as she spotted him in the crowd, Midnight stopped before she could start to pair them off for the first round. "Alphonse?"

"I…" Al slowly dropped his hand. "I would like to rescind my name in the tournament."

Around them, everyone gasped and turned to stare at him, including Ed. His brother refused to meet his gaze and continued to look at the ground. Shame was written all over his face. His stomach lurched. He hadn't seen Al look like this since… Not since the accident that had taken Ed's arm and leg when they were kids.

"I know this is a huge opportunity and that doing something like this is unheard of," Al continued in a stronger voice, though he still hadn't lifted his eyes to meet Midnight's intense stare. "Everyone is working so hard and doing their very best to become number one and so other pro heroes can take note of them, but I…" He took a deep breath. "I don't feel like I did that in the last round. To be honest, I don't even know if I did anything."

Ed gripped his brother's arm tightly. "What are you talking about, Al? You deserve to be in the next round! You got those headbands! Your team won fair and square!"

"Did we?" Al rubbed his head. "I can't really remember. It's kind of a blur." He finally lifted his eyes, a much more determined look in them. "I don't know what happened, but I know I didn't put in nearly as much effort as everyone around me. I can't go to the next round with that weighing on me. It's not right."

"Al…" Ed didn't understand. He couldn't understand. Everything they had done so far had led to this point. Every student at U.A. aiming to become a hero knew that the Sports Festival was the very beginning. It was where a lot of pro heroes in the country started their scouting, considering that it was such a high profile event from the top hero school. Internships were set after the Festival and doing well in these events meant having a higher chance of being invited or accepted by an agency to intern with them.

If Al opted out of the tournament - if he stepped aside to let someone else take his place - he would effectively be taking himself out of the spotlight and giving it to someone else. How could he do that? A pro hero's reputation depended on being known, didn't it?

"Are you sure about this?" Midnight asked.

"Yes." Al nodded decisively. "Someone else who has actually worked harder should take my place."

Midnight stroked her chin thoughtfully. "Hm...interesting…"

Just when Ed was about to plead with Al to reconsider his insane stance, Ojiro raised his hand and stated, "I would like to pull out as well."

Everyone gasped for a second time and Midnight blinked. Even she couldn't remain nonplussed after witnessing something unheard of. As far as Ed could remember, no one had ever opted out of competing in the next round after winning during the Sports Festival. Ojiro had been one of Al's teammates too. What the hell had happened on that team? Ed looked around to find the others until his gaze landed on Shinsou. There was an expressionless look on his face that he didn't trust. Why had Ed been teammates with him in the first place?

"I agree with Alphonse," Ojirou explained, sounding terribly ashamed with himself. He was like that though. Not having a flashy quirk hadn't kept him from getting into the hero course. He worked his ass off to be where he was now and that wouldn't change in the Sports Festival. "It doesn't feel honorable to advance to the next round when I don't feel as if I put in nearly as much effort as those around me."

After tapping her switch against her thigh, Midnight asked, "You two are fully committed to stepping out and allowing someone else to take your places?"

Through the crowd, Al and Ojirou connected eyes before simultaneously saying, "Yes."

Midnight clasped her hands together. "So honorable! Such youthful hope! How am I to deny that?" She pointed her switch at Al, making him jump. "Your requests shall be honored. I thank you both for your incredible honesty. Let that not go unnoticed by every hero and civilian watching today!"

Al sank in relief, although it irritated Ed. He knew that Midnight was putting on more of a show since it was the Sports Festival and they were on television, but it was still dumb. What if he had to act like this in the future when he was a pro hero? No, he wouldn't dare. He refused to act like anyone other than who he was, even if there was a camera shoved in his face, just as Al, for some reason, hadn't believed he should go into the next round. They had to stay true to who they were in order to make it.

"As there are two spots now needed to be filled for the tournament, we will opt to the next team with the most points," Midnight announced. "Team Kendo placed in fifth."

Admittedly, Ed had no idea who that was, but upon the announcement, a redheaded girl that he at least knew was from Class B rubbed the back of her neck. She huddled in a group with three people around her, speaking with them in low voices, before turning to face Midnight. "We have decided that the opportunity to advance actually belongs to Team Ling."

Ed nearly jumped out of his shoes. Why the fuck was he getting called out? "What?"

Kendo must have heard him because, despite Ling not being anywhere near him, she smiled at him briefly before returning her attention back to the pro hero hosting the events. "Team Ling was in fourth and would've won if Team Shinsou hadn't taken their headbands in the last few seconds of the event. We barely scraped by to place fifth in the end, but they had a much more effective and better than us. I believe someone from their team should move forward instead."

"That is…" Midnight placed a hand over her heart. "I have honestly never heard such more heart-spoken words before in the Sports Festival. I simply cannot deny that request."

What the hell is going on? Ed thought, questioning his sanity. In all the times he had watched the Sports Festival, including the old ones he'd found on the internet, nothing like this had ever happened before. Even if he had thought it might, he wouldn't have guessed it would happen to him. He looked at his younger brother, who smiled sheepishly at him, and then to Winry, who had grabbed his arm without him even noticing.

"We need two members from Team Ling to step forward!" Midnight declared. A coy but dangerous smile crossed her face. "I would suggest one of them be your leader."

There was a grunt from somewhere in the crowd. Ed spotted Shoda murmuring to Ling and then shoving him forward again before Ling drawled, "I suppose I can be one of them."

Ed turned to Winry, a panicked look in his eyes. He couldn't do this. He couldn't take his brother's spot. It was wrong on every level. It was shameful. Al would be upset with him for this. Instead of meeting a judgmental look from Winry that would solidify his decision to stay out of this mess, he met her supportive eyes and smile.

"Winry, I can't," Ed said in a pained whisper, hoping against hope that Al couldn't hear him.

"Go for it," Winry insisted.

Ed shook his head wildly. "You do it-"

"No," Winry stated. "I did what I came here to do. I showed off my gear. You deserve this."

A hand on his shoulder made Ed turned around to face Al. Why was his little brother taller than him? "I want you to do this, brother." Al smiled. "There's always next year."

It felt like an utter betrayal to raise his hand, but it also felt like that if he didn't. Al wore an expression of pure hope, not a single trace of regret, jealousy, or anger in his eyes. He genuinely wanted to step down and for Ed to take his place. Swallowing down the lump in his throat, Ed slowly raised his hand for Midnight to take note of and prayed this wouldn't bite him in the ass later.

Midnight pointed her switch in the air. "Ling Yao and Edward Elric shall advance to the next round in place of Alphonse Elric and Mashirao Ojirou!" The smile that slid onto her face looked dangerous as she surveyed the crowd of students below her. "Let the matchups begin!"

Ed's stomach flopped as he watched the large screen. Just minutes ago, he had accepted the fact that he wouldn't be moving onto the next round and yet here he was now, waiting for his name to pop up on the screen. He tore his gaze away for a moment and connected eyes with Midoriya, who gave him an excited thumbs up. No one had really counted on him being in the final event either. He'd shocked everyone in the race and then managed to steal enough points at the very last second to place for the next round.

Everyone liked an underdog. There would certainly be a lot of eyes on all of them. Ed just hoped he could live up to taking Al's place in the final round. It still didn't sit right with him, but he eased up when he peered at Al. Instead of the defeated and troubled expression that he'd been wearing since the end of the cavalry battle, he was smiling as he listened to the first round of fights. He was happy and relieved, a weight no longer resting on his shoulders.

Yeah, that weight was sitting very uncomfortably on Ed's shoulders right about now, but it would be worth it. He would make his brother proud and show him that his sacrifice hadn't been a waste.

Midoriya pat Ed on the back as they wandered in the direction of the food vendors. "Tough break on matching up with Kaminari in the first round. That's going to be rough."

Ed didn't need the other boy to tell him. As soon as he'd seen his name placed next to Kaminari's on the screen, he had sworn mercilessly under his breath. Kaminari might be kind of a dumbass, but his quirk was deceptively strong. Not to mention the whole metal leg and arm thing, which would put Ed at a severe disadvantage against all the electricity that he discharged. One touch from him and he'd be a goner. Even worse, Kaminari didn't have to touch him to shock him. His electricity could be dispersed through the ground.

In other words, Ed was screwed.

After the first round of fights was drawn, Present Mic had announced a lunch break. Students that had both been eliminated and were in the next event could participate in a round of fun games in between if they wanted or take a moment to relax and eat while they prepped for their next fight. Personally, after all that running around and carrying Ling, Ed was starving. Al and Winry had opted to play at least one of the games since they weren't advancing and joined up with Sero while Ed went with Midoriya, Iida, and Uraraka to get food.

"I'm not gonna be able to fight him head-on," Ed sighed. "That's for sure. I might as well be a lightning rod."

"You'll just have to outsmart him then," Uraraka joked.

All the intelligence in the world wouldn't help him if he got hit even a little. How was he supposed to show off his skills and Winry's gifts if he was too busy flailing around on the ground while being electrocuted?

"It could be worse," Ed mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "I could be facing Bakugou in the first round."

Uraraka's grin immediately fell. She blew a raspberry and muttered, "Trust me; I'm not looking forward to it."

Maybe he would've preferred to face Bakugou. He might stand something of a chance. No, he couldn't think like that. He was going to beat Kaminari. He was just...even more of an underdog than he'd originally thought. At the end of the day, Kaminari wasn't a brawler. He couldn't fight very well. In the three years they were here, maybe he would learn, but right now, hand-to-hand combat was not his thing. Meanwhile, Ed knew how to fight very well. He and Al had been sparring forever. He had to use that to his advantage somehow. He would.

Just when Ed opened his mouth to make a smart comment about Bakugou, he caught sight of Ling darting through the crowd. Normally, he wouldn't pay the Class 1-B kid any mind, but he had been sort of the reason they had been able to rack up so many points until Shinsou's team snatched them away. Plus, he was the other student who had been able to advance to the next round since Ojiro had stepped down as well. He wanted to talk with him, especially since he was going up against Kirishima.

"I'll be right back," Ed said abruptly, accidentally interrupting Uraraka and Midoriya. Ah, they wouldn't mind. He hadn't done it to be a jackass. "Don't eat all the food without me!"

"With what money?" Uraraka called out as he hurried off.

Ling hadn't been that far away when Ed spotted him, but he had managed to slip through the crowd deftly and vanish whereas Ed had to shove his way through. It was like no one could see him. Rude bastards. When he finally made it through to a clearing, he caught a glimpse of the other boy stopping next to a stall, although he didn't seem to be looking at it. What was he doing? It was only when he caught up close did he realize that Ling was actually on the phone, his cellphone hidden on the other side of his profile.

"No, no, I understand," Ling was saying in a tight voice. "You know I will." He paused and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I wish you were here too - it would make this easier - but I'll do my best."

Maybe it was one of his parents? It kind of sounded like the conversation a kid in a top ranking hero school would have if his dad was super strict and obsessed with winning but was too busy to actually show up. Then again, Ling didn't come off as the kind of kid who had grown up in a house like that. It was hard to tell. One second he was flippant as could be and goofy as hell and the next he was incredibly intense. Hadn't he been whining about how he was dying of hunger as the matchups were being announced?

Why did he sound so serious now?

Ed could only see the side of his face, but his jaw looked tight and his face screwed into a look of concentration. His free hand was clenched into a fist at his side and his entire body was being held tight together, as if he'd fall apart if he relaxed for even a moment. Maybe he was worried about the next round, but Ed couldn't see him getting this worked up over it, at least not enough for other people to see. Granted, he didn't know Ling very well, but he didn't seem like the type that allowed his real emotions to bleed through for everyone to see. Maybe he really was a dolt - or maybe he just acted like it to throw people off.

"Just be careful, okay? Hosu has been under fire recently." That...didn't sound like what a kid would say to a parent. Unless maybe one of his parents was a pro hero? A lot of kids here had pro heroes for parents. It didn't sound like it though. He spoke like the person on the other end was equal to him. Whoever it was, that was the end of his phone call. Ling pulled his cell away from his ear, ending the call, and shoved it into his back pocket, right as Ed stepped up behind him.

"Uh, everything alright?" Ed asked warily. He didn't particularly care if something was wrong with Ling since they weren't friends (if he was distracted during the next match, it would just mean he'd be easier to beat), but also, well… They had just been teammates less than an hour ago. And Ling looked stressed and angry. It wasn't the right emotion for what had just happened for them. He should be elated.

Ling jerked his head around in his direction. For a brief second, his irises were red and the rest of his eyes almost entirely black, a shocking difference considering that they were usually narrowed. In a flash, his eyes were back to normal, like Ed had been seeing things, and he was even smiling sheepishly. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine!"

Ed narrowed his eyes. "Okay… It's just that you looked kind of troubled."

"Worried about me, Elric?" Ling teased, holding a hand against his chest. "I'm touched that someone from Class 1-A has a heart."

"Oh, stop acting like Monoma," Ed huffed irritably. "We both made it through to the next round because someone stepped down. Neither of us are any better than the other right now."

Ling simply shrugged his shoulders in response, unconcerned by the statement. Not everyone from Class 1-B shared the hostile mentality against 1-A. In Ling's case, he seemed to switch back and forth, depending on how it served him, which meant to Ed that he didn't really care either way. If it suited him to be against 1-A, such as the race in the first event, he would use it. If it didn't, he would let bygones be bygones, like in the cavalry battle. He was such a flipflopper.

But right now, even if he looked like he was back to his dumbass self, Ed couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong, something unsettled behind that smile and teasing attitude.

"Not participating in the extra games?" Ed asked.

"No, I'd rather conserve my energy for the next round," Ling said. "Besides, I'm so hungry!" He pat his stomach. "I need to refuel." He fished through his pockets, coming up short on enough money to buy the amount of food he probably wanted. "Think they'll have pity on a poor heroics student?"

He lacked the silliness and enthusiasm that he had put in his actions before. Ed knew it. There was something seriously off with him and it was going to affect him in the next round. It wasn't his business. He wasn't friends with Ling. They had teamed up together in the last event out of necessity, but they were back to being enemies now...except that Ed had trouble seeing it that way. As much as they could annoy him, he didn't understand the rivalry between the two hero courses. They were on the same side, weren't they? Everyone was here to become a hero to fight villains and they would have to do so together.

"No attempt at a snappy comeback?" Ling prompted.

"You can try," Ed grumbled half-heartedly, "but they usually only hand out food to pro heroes."

While weaving his way through the crowd, he had seen Mustang and Hawk's Eye at a food stand where the vendor was practically shoving free food into the latter's hands. She hadn't looked like she'd anticipated the enthusiasm whereas Mustang gazed at the food wistfully. No doubt he'd try to snag some free food, despite the fact that he wasn't working like his agency partner was. The man wasn't afraid to stoop lower to get what he wanted. He was utterly shameless. It was unbecoming of a pro.

Ling bent down to peer closer at him in his face. "Hm, that cavalry battle must have taken a lot out of you."

Ed swatted him away. "I had to carry your ass the entire time! And you were leaning on me the most."

"I thought you could handle it," Ling quipped. "Now, if you'll excuse me…"

"Yeah, yeah, go try to con people into buying you food," Ed said, waving at him dismissively. Sharply changing direction, he pointed an accusing finger that made Ling pause. "But you better be on your best game. If we win our first rounds and meet each other out there in the next, I don't want you distracted. Got it?"

Ling stiffened. "I'm not distracted."

"You look like your cat died and you're trying to hide it," Ed pointed out.

For a moment, Ling considered him. The cheeky grin and melodramatic behavior were entirely gone, replaced by the serious nature Ed had seen glimpses of during the cavalry battle and then when he was on the phone. He knew there was something wrong. If Ling didn't want to talk about it, that was fine, but he was also serious about not wanting to go at him while he was distracted. If it was too big of a deal, he shouldn't be here competing while everyone else was focused on the Sports Festival.

Finally, Ling sighed and dropped the act. "You know how our first internships are coming up soon?"

Ed nodded. Of course he did. Besides the Sports Festival, that was the next thing resting on his mind. Without their pro hero licenses, they wouldn't be able to do as much in the field, but the internships marked the first time they would be able to dip their toes in the real world of pro heroes. They probably wouldn't get to go up any actual villians, but they could help take down small-time crooks or even go on small missions that their quirk would be helpful. It would be their chance to work with actual pro heroes and sidekicks.

Half the reason for the Sports Festival was so that they could basically advertise and sell themselves to the heroes whose agencies they would be applying for. It was why so many of them were shocked that Al and Ojiro had taken themselves out of the running. Not competing in the one event where they could shine the most as an individual would possibly hurt their chances of getting accepted into more popular agencies. Some students got invitations while others were left applying to multiple ones in hopes of getting one positive response. The fight for the top wasn't just about prestige (okay, most of it was), but also to simply look good.

"My best friend ended up doing hers early, so she's missing the Sports Festival," Ling sighed.

"What?" Ed must have heard him wrong, but Ling didn't repeat himself or even blink. "How did she manage that? Isn't what this whole thing is about? Why would she do that?"

"Her uncle is a retired pro hero and he was able to get her in at Ingenium's agency, but he most likely won't have a spot open during the actual week of our internships so…" Ling drifted off, leaving Ed to fill in the blanks. That made sense if his friend had wanted to intern with Ingenium. Not long ago, Iida had explained that he came from a family of pro heroes and his oldest brother was, in fact, the one and the same Ingenium. Chances were Iida would intern with him. Maybe not, if he wanted to branch out. It all depended on how he did here and what he decided his next choice for his future should be.

"You're worried about her," Ed surmised.

Ling folded his arms across his chest and scoffed. "Of course I am, but she can take care of herself. She's the strongest person I know. She'll be fine."

"And she'd probably kick your ass if she was a distraction for you here," Ed pointed out.

A tiny smile slipped onto Ling's face. "Don't I know it."

"You're thinking too much," Ed said. "These first internships don't put us much in the way of danger." He wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Ugh, we'll probably spend more of our time just patrolling and training at the agency. Maybe we'll even learn how to do paperwork. You know, all the boring stuff that makes up being a hero in between the excitement and danger."

Ling snorted. "You're more than likely right." He unfolded his arms and clapped a hand on Ed's shoulder. Luckily, it was his flesh and bone side, so his hand didn't accidentally strike the metal connecting his metal prosthetic to his shoulder. "Nice pep talk, Elric. Maybe you're not so bad, after all, like a friendly little firecracker."

"You know, one of these days, we're going to have a joint simulation with our classes," Ed replied flatly, "and I'm gonna punch you in your face."

Instead of being threatened, Ling just laughed and pulled his hand away. "Maybe you'll get the chance after lunch. Who knows?" He walked away and waved a hand without looking back. "Good luck!"

Ed jammed his hands into his pockets and muttered, "What an ass."

Leaving his friends to talk to Ling totally hadn't been worth it. Now he was irritable and hungry. Still, it was curious that Ling had allowed himself to get so worked up over his friend. He couldn't believe that someone had managed to score an internship already without having to compete in the Sports Festival or why the teachers had allowed it. Still, he wouldn't let his issues distract him.

Now, where were the others? Ed was starving.

Some time later, with the intermission over, the final event for the first years began. As Ed sat in the waiting room, tapping his prosthetic foot on the ground, Midoriya's words kept echoing in his mind: Tough break on matching up with Kaminari in the first round. It wasn't just the first round. It was the first fight too. He really had drawn some shit luck. Not only would it bitterly sting if he was knocked out now, but to be the very first one would be an extra slap in the face.

It was not the kind of "first" he had in mind for the Sports Festival.

When he had found the others during the break, Midoriya hadn't been with them. Apparently, he had been pulled away from Uraraka and Iida by Todoroki for a private conversation. When he finally joined them, there was an even more determined gleam in his eyes - and a slightly troubled look on his face that meant he was thinking hard about something. Whatever it was bothering him, he didn't share with them and none of them asked. It had been private for a reason. If there was one thing Ed knew about his more elusive classmate, it was that he didn't know a lot about him and Todoroki preferred it that way.

When the next event started, Ed didn't even have time to go up with the others to sit in the stands. He barely had time to see Al and Winry before he was forced to shuffle off to the waiting room until it was officially time for his match to start. Now he sat in the room, listening to Present Mic's enthusiastic announcing, before hearing the sound that alerted him to head out to the stage. The chair screeched loudly when he shoved it back and stood up, but he ignored it, shutting everything out except for the fight ahead of him.

If he could knock Kaminari out, then he stood a chance. He wasn't a brawler. He could take a few hits, proven in class by Bakugou, but he wasn't the fighter that Kirishima, Ed, Al, or Bakugou were. It wouldn't take much to knock him unconscious and then drag him out of the ring. If by chance Kaminari did go all out with his quirk, he would short circuit himself and make it very easy to shove him out of the ring. All Ed had to do was somehow avoid being hit. He wouldn't even have to fight. Still, that disperse of electricity went everywhere. The only metal Ed had to work with was his arm and leg - and metal was the second worse thing he could use when fighting Kaminari.

All in all, strategizing was a mindbending headache. If he touched Kaminari, he could be shocked and his metal limbs would only make it worse. If he kept his distance, he could still be shocked and knocked out cold. Maybe if he was able to detach his arm safer, he could use it as a projectile weapon when there wasn't any other metal around. However, a looser connection to his shoulder would probably make it not as connected with his nerves, which would cause him to experience less control over it.

Again, Ed was screwed. He'd gotten lucky to get into the next round only to get the worse draw. It kind of made sense in a twisted sort of way. He wasn't supposed to be in this round, so he'd had been given the worst possible matchup. It was still shitty. This was not the way he wanted to go out.

The second Ed stepped into the arena, he threw a hand over his eyes to shield himself from the blinding sun that glared down on him like an unforgiving spotlight. The crowd excitedly screamed as Present Mic yelled out his and Kaminari's names for everyone to hear. Despite both of his feet feeling like they had when he'd first gotten a prosthetic, heavier the normal and weighing him down, Ed pushed onward until he was in the ring. He barely listened as Midnight gave the rules (knock out, ring out, that was the way to win) and didn't look at the crowds, not even to find his brother or friends for support.

Across from him, Kaminari grinned as he stretched an arm across his chest. "No hard feelings, right, Edward?"

Despite his disadvantage and the fact that Kaminari was completely aware of it, Ed smirked. "Yeah, I'd rather you not be mad at me when I kick your ass. It's nothing personal."

Kaminari laughed and dropped his arm. "You ready to put on an electrifying show?"

"Only to stop you from making anymore bad puns," Ed shot back.

A sound rang in the air and Midnight flicked her switch in front of her. The match started.

Ed bolted forward. He had to end this quickly. Unfortunately, Kaminari had the same idea. He shot out of a bolt of electricity that went everywhere. Ed jumped at the last second, right before it connected with his good foot, and managed to land on the ground after it passed through the area. However, he wasn't able to completely dodge the second wave. It hit his leg and sent him sprawling to the ground, electricity shooting through his body as if he'd been tased. The metal limbs made it ten times worse and Kaiminari knew it.

However, before he could shoot off another round of electricity, Ed ripped his shoe off his metal shoe and rolled into a crouch as he chucked it at Kaminari. Completely taken aback by the random action, the shoe struck him right in the face. He staggered backward and nearly fell on his ass. By the time he'd regained his footing, Ed was on him and landed a solid punch to his chest that made Kaminari grunt and double over.

Having used his regular hand, the punch wasn't as hard as it could've been and it didn't knock the wind out of him. Despite Ed's attack, he still had the awareness to activate his quirk at random. Instead of shooting electricity out of his body, Kaminari let it course through his own. Ed didn't have time to pull his hand away from the forceful punch and the connection allowed the electricity to pass through Kaminari's body and into his. Instead of being knocked away, he was stuck to Kaminari, crying out in pain.

When the electricity finally died, Ed stumbled back and collapsed to one knee, panting heavily as he struggled to move or even remain conscious. Getting electrocuted twice in quick succession hurt like hell. Black spots dotted his vision and it took everything in him not to sway on the spot. His white glove was singed and smoking, the fingertips completely burned off.

Kaminari winced as he stood up straight, pressing a hand where Ed had punched him. "Sorry about that, man. I should've just ended it quickly instead of going for flare."

"Why...do that," Ed gasped out, "when this is...so much...fun?"

"I hear that," Kaminari replied, "but that's gotta hurt."

Electricity charged in the palms of his hands, tiny bolts racing up and around his arms. One more hit and Ed would most likely be out, but if Kaminari went at full blast, he was a goner. Using the last bit of his strength, he kicked out a leg and swiped the other boy off his feet. Kaminari yelped as he went down face first, slamming into the ground hard and probably breaking his nose, but before Ed could jump and escape the worst of his attack, he smacked his hand onto the dirt.

It was a direct hit.

The last time Ed had felt this much pain had been during the surgery to connect the prosthetics. Not even losing his limbs and the surgery after had been that bad, considering he'd been unconscious for most of it. Being struck by Kaminari's quirk at such a high power ensured that every inch of his body screamed in pain. He dropped to the ground and seized on his back, clawing to get out of it somehow, but his metal limbs only made the electricity even worse and held him down.

He dropped into unconsciousness soon after, his mind and body unable to handle it anymore. He came to a few times, just enough to hear Midnight shouting something and then fingers on his neck. Someone murmuring to him. Kaminari's stupid, dunce laughs whenever he overdid his quirk. Cold hands (metal claws, he knew that touch like the back of his, well, hand) lifting him onto a stretcher. And then he was out for good, half of his mind screaming at him to wake up and fight and the other half telling him to go the fuck to sleep.

By the time Ed came to in Recovery Girl's office, he had nearly missed all of the first rounds. He jerked upright in bed with a gasp, his metal hand pressed over his heart. Echoes of Present Mic could be heard over the television showing the Festival fights, which had been muted to make the recovery room more peaceful. Ed watched silently as it replayed Yaoyorozu and Tokoyami's fight. It appeared as if she had done as well as him, overwhelmed quickly by Dark Shadow.

"Oh, you're awake," Recovery Girl said as she swept back inside.

Ed rubbed his temple with his good hand. "How long was I out?"

"A while," Recovery Girl informed him.

"And it's still in the first rounds?" Ed asked, confused. They should've been over if he'd been out for a while unless two people had managed to fight much longer than anticipated.

Recovery Girl sighed in a way that one could tell she wasn't pleased. "Todoroki froze half the stand during his match. It took a while to clean that up."

"Oh." Ed stared distantly in shock at the television, watching as it switched to a clip of what Recovery Girl had just told him. Despite being wrapped up in Sero's tape, an insane amount of ice shot from Todoroki's right foot, coating the ground, freezing Sero almost entirely, and turning into a glacier so massive that it rose over the stadium's roof. Hell, he'd nearly hit the crowd with that attack.

What the hell? Going up against Kaminari didn't feel so bad now. Poor Sero probably had to be excavated from that ice. That had to hurt. It was completely overboard. What had Todoroki been thinking?

"I didn't expect you to wake so soon," Recovery Girl admitted as she sat down in the chair at her desk. It didn't make her much taller. "That electricity did a number on you. I'm surprised you were able to stay conscious for so long with those two prosthetics."

Instinctively, Ed pulled his metal hand away from his chest and dropped it to his side. He flexed his fingers, trying to take note if there were any differences in how he could operate them, but there didn't seem to be any lingering issues from being shocked. Recovery Girl had already known that one of his arms was a metal prosthetic too, having found out from his medical records when he showed up after destroying his leg during the first hero combat class, but that still didn't make him feel any better about it being brought up.

"I've got a high tolerance for pain," Ed informed her dryly.

"I imagine so," Recovery Girl said before grumpily muttering something under her breath that sounded like, "You and Midoriya both."

Ed threw the blanket off his legs. "Am I good to go?"

Recovery Girl frowned. "I prefer it if you stayed to rest a little longer."

"I can rest in the stands," Ed pointed out. "Even if Kaminari shortcircuited himself into being a dumbass, there's no way I won that round. I'm done for the rest of the day."

After eyeing him for a few beats, Recovery Girl sighed and waved him away. He hopped out of bed, trying to ignore how much his legs felt like jello, and found his shoes. Someone must've grabbed the one he'd thrown at Kaminari and brought it here. He slipped them on, thanked her, and then rushed out of the room. He didn't want to miss anymore events. Most importantly, he didn't want to be alone or he'd start to dwell on what had happened.

If he remained clinical about the situation, he wouldn't feel so shitty over his quick loss. He'd thought that when Al stepped down and took his place, he would be able to prove that he deserved to move on. He would show every person in the stands and watching TV that Al's sacrifice hadn't been for nothing. Instead, he'd been knocked out within minutes and had only landed two hits, one of which had seriously backfired on him. He should've aimed for the face again. He'd been so stupid.

When he finally made it to where Class 1-A was sitting in the stands, Ed was about to blow up, but seeing Al only made him want to turn away and run again. He'd failed his little brother. How could he have done that? Before he could leave, Midoriya spotted him and waved a hand, calling out, "Hey, we saved you a seat!"

Digging his hands into his pockets, Ed had no choice but to walk down the steps to their row. As soon as he sat down next to Al, Kaminari leaned over and said, "I really am sorry about that."

"Don't be," Ed told him honestly.

"Uh, I basically fried you," Kaminari said.

"You fried yourself in the process too."

Kaminari chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "I kind of did do that."

"Besides, this is a competition and we're here to win," Ed pointed out. "I would've done the same in your position. Congratulations on moving forward." He felt a little lighter after saying that. While he hadn't been disgruntled with Kaminari for winning, he'd been mad at himself for losing. But this was a competition and there would always be both winners and losers. He couldn't win every time. Sometimes he had to be the loser in order to be the winner another day. "Who do you face next?"

"Ugh." Kaminari sank back in his seat. "The Class President himself."

Ed grinned. "Good luck with that."

"You should've seen his fight with Hatsume," Al snickered. "It was...something." Ed quirked a curious eyebrow at him. "He's got a fire lit under him now."

"Who's up next?" Ed asked curiously.

"Last match of the first round," Midoriya said excitedly, which meant that he had already gone. Ed noticed the bandage around one of his fingers, a familiar look with Midoriya, but nothing else appeared to be wrong with him. He was relatively uninjured. Did that mean he'd won his match with Shinsou or had he been taken out quickly before any serious damage could be done? Nah, Midoriya was more tenacious than that. He'd rather break himself apart than lose. "Kirishima and the kid from Class 1-B that you partnered up with in the cavalry battle. What was his name?"

"Ling." Ed leaned forward to look down over the railing, trying to spot one of the two students who should appear any minute now. However, rubble littered the arena, the ring half destroyed, and smoke drifted lazily from the rocks. "Wait. What the hell happened?"

Midoriya winced. "Uraraka and Bakugou's match. I just got back from checking on her. She's okay, but…"

Ed balled his hands into his fists. "What did that bastard do?"

"He won," Midoriya said flatly, looking away from him and back into the arena.

"It was a really remarkable fight!" Al insisted. "Bakugou kept attacking her with his explosions and it was terrifying, but she never stopped. She just kept coming at him every time. And then" - he threw his hands in the air - "it turned out she'd been touching the ground so all the rubble he created with his explosions was floating in the air and she dropped it on him like a meteor shower!"

"And Bakugou still won?" Ed demanded.

Midoriya looked down at his notebook resting in his lap. Had he been taking notes on everyone's quirks and fighting styles this whole time? What a delightful nerd. "He's got a lot more power behind his explosions than we know and specialty moves as well. We should all strive to be at his level."

"No thanks, I don't want to be a jackass," Ed declared as he folded his arms across his chest and dropped back into his seat.

"Hey! I heard that!" Bakugou snapped as he stomped down the stairs to sit down.

Ed held his hands up and shrugged. "Does it look like I care?"

"Bro, just sit down and watch the fight," Sero said, immediately playing the role of peacemaker. That was normally Kirishima's job, but he was busy at the moment, so Sero had to take over. "Look, there's Kirishima!"

Indeed, just as Sero had pointed out, Kirishima had walked onto the field, a fierce look of determination on his face. On the other side, Ling stepped up, practically strolling like he wasn't concerned, but it didn't look right on him like usual. Ed narrowed his eyes. Something was off, even more so than two or three hours ago during lunch. He barely even glanced at Kirishima and kept looking at the entry he'd come from, as if he wanted to go back. It wasn't out of fear or insecurity.

No, Ling just looked like he didn't to be here at all. He barely looked like he cared about what was going on.

When the fight started, Ed watched Ling closely. He was startled when something that reminded him of Dark Shadow jumped out of his body. Instead of the shape of a bird, the fuzzy shadow took on the appearance of a man before it wrapped itself around Ling. No, it infused itself with his body, but it didn't disappear like Tokoyami's Dark Shadow did when it went back in him. Ling's entire body transformed into something that resembled black charcoal with red lines running down his skin. He was bald and had sharp teeth coming out of his mouth. Even more noticeable for some reason were the sharp claws that had once been his fingers.

"Whoa!" Kaminari shouted in surprise. "What the hell is that?"

Ling looked like a monster.

He jumped to attack, forcing Kirishima to harden his arms with his quirk right away. If he hadn't, Ling's new claws would've shredded the skin of his arms like ribbons. Sparks scattered through the air every time his claws connected with Kirishima's arms, pushing him to the edge of the ring inch-by-inch. Kirishima ducked so that the claws sliced through the air and tackled Ling around the middle. It somehow didn't knock him off his feet even with Kirishima now fully hardened, but shoved him back into the middle.

Their quirks forced them into a painful standstill. They went at it for a few minutes, clashing with each other so brutally that even Ed wanted to wince. There was no way either of them would escape this fight without feeling something, even if they were shielded by their quirks. It was painful just watching them fight. He would've been knocked out ages ago. Hadn't Ling told him that he had something similar to a hardening quirk? Now that he looked back on it, Ling hadn't used his quirk during the cavalry battle at all. This was much different than Ed had anticipated. It was a lot more vicious.

Kirishima landed a solid punch to the side of Ling's head, knocking him sideways onto the ground. He rolled a few feet before coming to a stop. He slowly pushed himself up with his hands, but stopped for some reason, shaking his head violently like he was arguing with someone.

"Shut up!" Ling yelled.

"Get it together, kid!" another much more mature-sounding voice came from him. "You're not focusing!"

Tokoyami leaned forward, his sharp eyes locked on Ling. "It...sounds like someone is talking to him."

Midoriya gawked. "Could he possibly have a quirk similar to Dark Shadow?"

"I…" Tokoyami gripped the back of the chair in front of him. "I have been alone with Dark Shadow my entire life. I've never known anyone else to possess something similar to the darkness I have inside me."

Ling writhed on the ground and shouted, "This is pointless! I'm not doing this!"

With another pained shout, the shadow they'd seen before was expelled from him and his body returned to normal. It was sucked back inside of his chest, but disappeared as Dark Shadow did this time. Although confused by what he'd witnessed, Kirishima took a step forward and then another until he reached Ling's side and kicked him as hard as he could. Without even attempting to defend himself or get out of the way, Ling was thrown out of the arena.

"Ling Yao is disqualified by ring out!" Midnight declared.

"Uh, Ejirou Kirishima advances to the next round!" Present Mic finished, sounding somewhat mind-boggled but running with the outcome anyway.

While everyone in the stands cheered, Ed watched Ling carefully. He wasn't unconscious, but he continued to lay flat on his back, staring up at the sky, completely unmoving. It was hard to say what he was looking at, but if Ed had to guess, he would say that Ling wasn't looking at anything. He didn't even seem to realize that he'd lost his match. There was a hollow expression on his face. He wasn't here at all.

Kirishima hesitantly walked in his direction to help him up, but then Ling abruptly hopped to his feet, using the agility he'd displayed during the cavalry battle but not during the one-on-one match. Before Kirishima could say or ask him anything, Ling turned on his heels and stiffly walked off the stage and out of the stadium without a single word, leaving Kirishima to scratch the back of his head in confusion.

"What was all that about?" Al asked.

"Is he not compatible with his quirk?" Midoriya murmured to himself as he scribbled in his notebook. "It appears to be a separate entity like Tokoyami's Dark Shadow, but quirks like that are incredibly rare. Yao… That's not a Japanese name, is it? If he's not from around here, it could account for why he has a similar quirk…"

Ed stared at the entryway where Ling disappeared. He thought of the phone call from earlier that he'd overheard and what Ling had told him about his friend interning with Ingenium in Hosu. He'd said something Hosu being under fire. Had something happened? Or did he simply not believe he belonged to advance to the next round due to Al and Ojiro stepping down and revolted against the decision.

Whatever the case, it was weird as fuck and left an unsettled feeling in Ed's gut that lingered with him throughout the rest of the matches. He didn't like it.