MHA: A Cat's Way (Ch 77) (Patreon)

I stretch out my arm above my head as I wait for 1-A to be called out from our waiting room. The others are either preparing themselves as well or talking with their friends. But as Todoroki comes up to me with his eyes steely with a cold determination, I can’t help my tail from flickering in curiosity.

“Catia. From an objective standpoint, I would say that I’m stronger than you.”

I shrug, flicking my tail dismissively. “Yowl to disagree.”

He tilts his head fractionally upwards, so that he’s literally looking down on me, even if it’s only by the smallest amount as he continues. “You may have been able to fight with All Might and that monster at the USJ, but you shouldn’t underestimate me. After all, I wasn’t there to fight myself.”

“Mew would have gotten in the way,” I smirk at him. I may have claimed him for my clan at the start of the school year, but he’s never really participated in it before. So he falls more along the lines of our clanless classmates. Even then though, I normally wouldn’t try to get a rise out of him so much, but he’s the one who started this. Plus I’ve been feeling more smug and whimsical recently. No idea why though.

He huffs out a breath before speaking. “I will beat you.”

My smirk grows wider as my tail lashes in excitement. “Purrhaps. But don’t furget that fate is a string. And cats are the ones who play with the yar-nya.”

He turns away, and I almost think that he’s tempted to scowl. But of course he never shows enough expression for that. Kirishima steps up to try and de-escalate the tension, but he has the opposite effect as Todoroki says that we’re not here to make friends.

Oh how right he is.

I watch him as he retreats to a corner of the room, everyone avoiding him due to the sudden aggression. I’m only pulled away from it when I feel a pair of arms laying over my shoulders.

“Eh, just ignore him. He’s probably just in a bad mood because a kid asked if his hair is peppermint flavored.” Minya sticks her tongue out at him.

“Yeah, he’s just jealous that you got to go on an actual hero raid.” Tormew backs her up. “And I heard that too, he pulled out a piece of his hair and tasted it before telling the kid it doesn’t.”

Minya and I turn and look at her. “Wait, that actually happened? I was just making a joke!”

“I mrow, we have the weirdest class.”

The three of us hold our looks for a moment before breaking down into giggles. By the time we get ourselves under control, we hear our class getting called. We leave the waiting room to Present Mic’s voice echoing over the speakers to the accompaniment of celebratory fireworks.

“This first class are no strangers to the spotlight! You know them as those who survived a villain attack!” I wonder how many people noticed the slight emphasis on ‘survived’? “They’re the ones you came here to watch, that’s right! Give a round of applause to the hero course 1-A!”

A few of the class swallow nervously at the cacophony the crowd makes, my own ears flattening in an attempt to block out some of the noise. But I’m pleased to see that Minya and Tormew are soaking up the attention, enthusiastically waving their arms around with big grins on their faces. Midorinya is doing better than I expected, having squared his shoulders to fight back his nerves as he strides forward with his head held high.

While Iida tries to read more into the Festival than there really is, and Bakugou grumbles his usual ‘I’m going to win because I’m the best’ junk, Present Mic continues the introductions.

“They haven’t been getting nearly as much screen time on the news as 1-A, but they’re just as chock full of talent! Please welcome hero course 1-B!” Wow. You can literally see how their class deflates at the lackluster introduction when compared to ours. Though at least Purrny doesn’t let it get to her, though that might just be because it’s so loud and she couldn’t hear exactly what he said. Still, favoritism huh.

On the bright side they actually get a proper introduction! The rest of the courses all just get lumped together, basically as an afterthought in the announcements. Or because someone would sue if they were forgotten.

Once everyone is in position, the umpire for the Festival cracks her whip, posing as she declares that we’ll have the introductory speech. I roll my eyes at the noise everyone makes at Nyamuri being the one in charge, whether in approval or judgment. At least most of my class doesn’t make any comments, except for Iida complaining that she’s not being professional. While she’s standing there in her hero suit. Her professional outfit.

I really wonder sometimes how his family raised him, and if they all have sticks as far up their butts as he does. “And now, for the student pledge: Catia Akihiro!”

I blink, having apparently zoned out at some point. Why am I the one doing the pledge? And why didn’t anyone tell me!? The second question is answered as I ascend the steps to the stage, catching sight of Nyamuri’s satisfied smirk. She just thought it would be funny! I am so getting her back for this!

I heave a mental sigh as I step in front of the microphone, wondering what I should say. But… this is supposed to get people excited for the Festival and rile up their competitive spirts, right? In that case…

`~`

“So on a scale of one to ten, how much is she going to antagonize everyone?” Sero wonders, getting a chuckle from Kirishima.

“Come on man, do you really think she’s the kind of person who picks fights? Her speech is going to be totally manly!”

Midoriya shifts, raising a hand to point out how she was antagonizing Todoroki back in the waiting room, but is stopped when he feels a hand cover his mouth. Except…he can’t see it.

“Just let her have her fun. She deserves it after that hero raid.”

“Yeah, Midori. Plus it’s going to be super funny!”

Catia’s two friends have noticed her shift in attitude recently, resembling more how she was when they first moved into the dorms. They figure that she’s finally starting to relax now that she’s done dealing with villains for the foreseeable future. Sure, she volunteered for the second one, but it’s still a lot for a first year student to deal with! They’re happy to see her back to her old self.

The chaos they’re sure she’s about to cause is just a bonus.

`~`

I take a breath before starting. “Cats are cute, nya. Girls are cute, nya. Since I am both, that means that my cuteness is far superior to all of mew. And since cuteness is power, that means that I have mrow than double all of your power. I will win, because the power of nya compels you!” I raise a fist into the air as I shout, ignoring the way Tormew and Minya burst into laughter among the tired and surprised expressions of our classmates as I say it again.

“The power of nya compels you!”

I smirk at the shocked looks of the other classes, though Purrny is trying to hide her laughter behind her hands. I nod in satisfaction and move to return to my class, freezing with one foot in the air as my ears twitch, picking something up from the crowd.

“...pels you!”

I blink, shrugging it off as I move down the steps. Only to freeze again as I hear the same thing from another part of the arena, though theirs is completely clear to me.

“The power of nya compels you!”

It doesn’t take long for the cry to be picked up, echoing across the stadium as confused people follow the lead of those beside them. By the time I hurry to my class, it feels like half of the stadium is chanting, so loud that the grass under our feet is vibrating. How the nya did this happen!? Is the Cult here!? That’s really the only way I can think of for them to be chanting what I just said right now!

I can feel my face burning as I try to hide amongst the class. Which doesn’t really work since I was going to hide behind Minya, but she’s rolling on the floor laughing at me. I can’t hide behind Tormew either since she’s invisible to everyone else. Midorinya is an option, but even he’s chuckling at me!

I cross my arms and pout as Nyamuri retakes her place in front of the microphone, her own amused grin clear from where it’s shown on the big screen. “Thank you, Caita, for that lovely speech! Just listen to that crowd, since everyone is so excited, I think it’s time to blow the first load of the Sport’s Festival with…” The board changes, showing a slot where everything is a blur due to it spinning too fast. When it stops, the first event is proclaimed proudly, expanding to fill the screen.

“An obstacle course!” Nyamuri shouts, echoed by the rest of the stadium as the chant finally dies down. I breathe a sigh of relief that it’s not something cat themed.

I wanted to have some fun, but having all the attention on me means that it will be harder to have that fun without being called out on it.

And what’s the Sports Festival for if it’s not having fun?