Should She Stay?

Midoriya took out a notebook and pen and wrote, quite furiously on the next couple of matches; all the while mumbling to himself as he wrote. Isla watched him curiously before she heard Ochako giggle. "He does this a lot." She gently tapped him on the shoulder.

The green-haired boy gasped. "Oh! Sorry! Sometimes I don't realize I'm mumbling out loud when I'm taking notes."

Isla laughed. "There's nothing wrong with taking a minute to relax before planning too many matches ahead."

Midoriya looked to the ring below them. "It's just a rare opportunity to see the Quirks of students outside our class. I want to take everything in."

Iida's match was with the second girl on Midoriya's team for the cavalry battle. Mae Hatsume was in the Support Course. Ochako explained the gear she brought to their group to aid in their fight. Isla couldn't help but notice a twinge of jealousy in her expression when Midoriya spoke of how incredible the … 'babies' are …? Isla made sure to note the fact that Ochako's zero gravity was the more key element to their team's success. Ochako turned a slight shade of pink. But smiled.

The next thirty minutes of Iida's match with Hatsume was basically an infomercial from the Home Shopping Network Isla would sometimes watch back home. Between talking about the gear Iida had on and what she used to counter, the match was most definitely not an actual battle. Hatsume eventually stepped out of bounds leaving Midnight to declare Iida the winner.

"That was … interesting?" Midoriya offered.

Ochako put a hand over her stomach, taking in a deep breath before turning to him and Isla. "Alright, then. I guess it's my turn to go get ready for my match with Bakugou."

Isla smiled to her friend and reached out for her hand. "You will do great! Right, Midoriya?"

But their friend was too busy buried in his notebook once more, mumbling furiously on what Hatsume could bring to Heroes when it came to their gear. Ochako looked expectantly at him, assuming he would snap out of his revere like before. But he never did. Isla looked up to see the brown-haired girl slowly get up from her seat and walk out of their section. Tsu and Jiro also noticed what happened as all three girls exchanged an eye roll, Jiro mouthing 'boys are so stupid'.

Mineta's voice suddenly shouted from behind Isla. "Don't who her any mercy Aoyama! Fight like you're in one of those video games where everyone's clothes get beaten off!!

"You pervert!" Jiro accused.

Mina and Aoyama's match didn't last long. You could tell she knew what she was doing when it came to her combat with the boy. Using her acid as a way to skate across the ring, she dodged every single beam Aoyama shot from his navel laser. Eventually he doubled over in pain, giving up the fight, which advanced Mina to the second round.

Isla heard Midoriya mumbling again about how the match ended the way he predicted it would. "You got to see a lot of Mina's Quirk, didn't you, Uraraka …? Hey, where did she go?"

"Now you notice," Isla scolded him. "She went to prepare for her match. We tried to get your attention but you were too stuck in that notebook of yorus."

Midoriya stared at Ochako's empty seat. "Oh no," he lamented, as he began flipping through the pages of his notebook. It landed on a page with a drawing on it that looked oddly familiar.

"Hey, isn't that Bakugou?" Isla asked.

Midoriya nodded. "I've taken notes on everyone in our class. I have the most information on Kacchan. We've known each other since we were kids, so I've had a lot of time to get to know his Quirk."

Isla looked at her friend expectantly.

He closed the notebook and stood from his seat. "I think I've got an idea that could help Uraraka win her match. I should. I should go talk to her about it?"

"Yes. I think that's a good idea," Isla smiled.

Midoriya nodded and made his way out of Class 1A's seating area. The next match was between Kirishima and Tetsutetsu from Class 1B. No offense to either boy, but this particular battle wasn't the best match-up. The boy from 1B's Quirk turned his body into steel. Basically the same as the red-head boy. Midnight should have redrawn their particular lots to at least make the battling powers different from each other. After fifteen minutes of nothing really happening, Isla decided to go for a walk around the floor of the stadium where her classmates were sitting. There was a concession counter right up the stairs and she bought a couple bottles of water to stash in her messenger bag.

It was nice to stretch her legs. If she stayed put, there's a good chance her mind would start to wander. And overthink. She took her phone out of the back pocket of her jeans and Googled Endeavor. The first few photos that showed up in the results were intimidating to say the least. He wasn't smiling in any of them. And had his arms crossed over his chest with a scowl on his face. If you didn't know who he was, it might be easy to mistake him for a Villain. Shouldn't Heroes be smiling in their photos? The professional headshots at least. It would be better for your brand to look approachable and kind.

Against her better judgement, Isla typed in 'Shoto Todoroki injury', and hit search.

Then her body collided with another. "Oh crap! I'm so sorr –"she looked up to see a familiar pair of two-toned eyes. Isla gasped and fumbled to get her phone back in her pocket. "Todoroki," she mumbled. "Sorry. I have a stupid habit of not paying attention to my surroundings."

He watched her for a moment before looking back out to Kirishima's match. He stood with his hands in his pockets.

Isla couldn't move. Correction. She didn't want to move. Something desperately churned in her heart for him to talk to her and she had absolutely no idea why. She grasped the strap of her messenger bag, like it was a life preserver. Should she keep walking? Turn around and go back? Should she stay?

His voice brought her out of her racing mind. "Thanks for not prying."

"Sorry?" she blinked.

"When you saw me earlier. I appreciate you not sticking your nose in my business."

Ah, there it is. The pompous attitude that was missed with their last interaction. He must have been storing it up. Isla exhaled loudly, looking down at the ground. She felt stupid. What role could she possibly play in the type of past he's had? Let alone a future? "Right," she said, defeated.

"I'm just," he continued, "Mad, I guess."

She opened her mouth to say something and closed it quickly, noticing the butterfly-flutter feeling in her stomach. "You advanced. To the second round," she offered, voice shaking. "You're doing really well."

"Thanks," he sighed.

"I mean it," Isla continued, taking a step towards him. "It's not just. Not just your Quirk that's powerful. You're reasoning. Problem solving skills. Your athletic abilities. Those are all part of your power too, you know."

He jerked his head up, jaw clenched. Isla wasn't able to name the look in his eyes. A combination of glare and sadness. He removed his left hand from his pocket, studying it. "Thanks," he repeated, before turning to walk away from her.

Barely three steps in, she called out to him. "Todoroki, wait!" She pulled out one of the water bottles she got from the concession stand and cut off his path of escape. She gently took his right wrist and set the beverage in his hand. "Make sure you stay hydrated," she stated looking him in the eye.

He was taken aback by her abruptness, no doubt. His eyes searched hers for what felt like hours, all background noise fading away. Twisting the cap off, he nearly drank the entire contents in only three gulps. Panting to catch his breath after drinking so fast, he screwed the cap back on, and placed it in his pocket. "Thank you," he mumbled before walking away.

Isla watched him until he disappeared into the crowd.

Present Mic's voice booming from the speakers jolted her. "Let's get ready for the 8th and final battle of the first round!!"