ｓｅｖｅｎ

ｓｔａｒｔ

"Are you alright, Midoriya?" Todoroki asked. Zero grunted a response as a small ice pack rested on top of his head. He didn't remember much from waking up until now, but his brothers all looked at him with soft eyes and kept looking around them every few seconds.

What happened?

Kaachan took the ice pack off and rested it on a table behind him. He looked like he was about to speak on the elephant in the room but decided not to. "Nice hair clips, Lust."

"Thank you Katsuki! I think I look sickening with these bad boys!" He did a twirl, and Kaachan smiled at him with enjoyment.

Zero ruffled his hair as the past events slowly came to him. He was in the bathroom when he was attacked by a mysterious person that came from nowhere. Everything after that is a blur until he woke up with people watching him frantically. According to Todoroki, everyone was wondering where Zero and his brothers were. Suddenly, Gluttony busted down the door with Zero in one arm and a breakfast sandwich in the other hand. Lust got him some ice while Greed and Envy tried waking him up. Iida suggested that they'd head for the nurse's office, but Envy told them that she wasn't there when they showed up.

In the end, Iida managed to wake him up before call time.

Zero rubbed his neck and drank the cup of water Pride offered him. It soothed the burns that were invisibly coiling around his neck but left a stinging sensation due to the phantom pain.

"Thanks, guys," Zero smiled weakly at his brothers. They returned it with one of their own. "I'm glad you guys found me when you did."

"That punk better hope he never sees me" Pride smashed his hands together and ground his teeth. "I'd beat him to a pulp."

Small laughs rang out, but Zero kept his eyes on Todoroki. He looked like he had something to say but didn't know how to say it.

"Is everything alright, Todoroki?"

Todoroki shook his head. "I was going to say something, but that'd be selfish of me. It's fine."

Before he could comment on his quick answer, a voice over the intercom told everyone to get in their respective places for the start of the tournament. Zero stood up slowly and rolled his shoulders back- wincing at hearing them pop. Classmates rushed towards the door while his brothers, Kaachan, Todoroki, and Zero stood in the vacant classroom.

"Let's go out there and have fun!" Lust punched the sky. Zero nodded while Greed patted his back.

"Take it easy, alright? We don't mind stepping in."

Zero waved a hand in front of his face. "No no; I want to be able to participate with my friends." He gestured to Kaachan and Todoroki.

Kaachan huffed. "I'm fighting to win," Todoroki nodded.

"Well then," Greed patted the boy's backs. "You both have some strong competitors because we all never lose."

***

"Hey!"

The crowd screamed with anticipation. No seat was left empty, and helicopters hovered above the dome with caution as people got an overhead view of the jam-packed stadium.

"Pay attention audience! Swarm, mass media! This year's high school rodeo of adolescence that you all love, the U.A. sports festival, is about to begin! Everybody, are you ready?!" One of the announcers for the tournament, Present Mic, shouted to the thousands of people in the arena.

Zero heard the response of the crowd as the doorway was engulfed in lights as it got closer and closer.

"It's time for the students to enter the first-year stage!"