The Layman's Gambit.

10.Pack Hunt (1)

Izuku felt breathless looking at the giant stadium, it was not out of awe he was nervous as hell and somehow within two weeks the stadium had gone from a measly 60 metres to 100 metres, He did not doubt that the inside had been expanded similarly.

The sheer impossibility of the task hit him once again, despite All Might's words of encouragement and his daily spars with Uraraka he was afraid of failure.

He was competing against 38 people (counting himself and Uraraka out) for a ticket to UA, 40 people with unique play styles, battle tactics and quirks.

Not to mention there were powerhouses, he'd heard that Legoshi a kid from his neighbouring section was competing with them, he knew Legoshi had a quirk similar to his, he was a wolf mutant who towered over most of the students, and he'd seen the boy's strength in the previous year's sports festival and would hate to be on the receiving side.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a pat on his shoulder. It was Uraraka, she stood an arm's length towards his left, she'd patted him more out of obligation than worry.

It saddened him truly, the progress he'd made with her in the two weeks was abysmal. She'd gone from glaring and growling at him to offering small placating smiles sometimes, they never quite reached her eyes though.

Plus there was also the fact that she watched his every action like a hawk, she'd tense up involuntarily and then immediately avert her eyes when he noticed that.

He could tell that she wanted to trust him, and this was a small step forward, she trusted him with her back but at the same time she was ready to strike back if he were to betray her.

Not that Izuku would do that, he doesn't intend to abandon her. Izuku would be a silent guardian, a partner and an enemy if required. For her, he would do anything, it was not something romantic, his actions were fueled by his guilt, regrets and the memories of the one week he'd spent with her. He'd made a silent oath to himself during their first spar, that he'd help her improve and break out of her shell, even if it meant breaking himself apart.

One more hit and she would be out of that shell, she'd decimate it.

He looked at her and gave her a shaky smile, something telling him that today they might finally go from acquaintances to friends.

His smile conveyed everything to her and together they walked into the auditorium.

Uraraka was still an arm's length away from him.

-X-

They were all gathered under a floating stage, It was a small one. Only Kai Chisaki stood on it, looking at them with a stare. Izuku and Uraraka were among the masses. There were at least 200 of them now...

He saw many unfamiliar faces within the crowd of more than 50 and bit his lip nervously. Who were they all? Why were they here? Would the test be to fight them? Because the strangers looked stacked.

There was a bear mutant who could've levelled Legoshi with ease, ginger dressed in a black robe that carried around a Huge sword without a proper hilt, a kid in an orange jacket that had Foxy features and Possessed nine tails, emitting a cold aura.

All of them stood right beside Izuku, their presence was overwhelming and the boy struggled to catch his breath. IT felt like they were all Staring into his damn soul and that made him feel like a damn bug.

He knew it wasn't true subconsciously, but he was never good in crowds, even if he was not in the spotlight. Every time a stranger regarded him he felt like they stared into his soul pulling out every one of his sins and holding them for the world to see.