Third person pov

Chad the Uber Eats driver is not a complicated man, but he's certainly reliable. Anytime Lillian called, he picked up. He was just that kind of guy. A 21 year old asshole with nothing better to do but support his favorite young memers and laugh at the results. He was a man of few words. He worked quickly and efficiently. That's how he knew, the moment Lillian was announced to be going up against Kaminari, that this was his time. 

He'd been prepared for this, as any loyal memer might have been. He was an honorary member of their team, after all. He had what he needed, he just needed to get it to the festival grounds. Lillian was going up against Kaminari last, which meant he had time on his side. If he rushed, he could make it. It would be tight. Hopefully some fights lasted longer than others.

When Lillian called upon him and told him that the plan was most definitely a go, he didn't hesitate to comply. He'd brought this up to the kids around the time he first met them, and they'd agreed immediately with zero hesitations whatsoever. They couldn't have known how the festival would turn out. Originally, they'd simply planned to spook Kaminari during it for shits and giggles. But now? When he was fighting Lillian? It was the perfect opportunity, and they couldn't afford to miss it.

Chad made a few calls of his own. The kids had managed to get him an all-day entrance pass that allowed for a plus one, in case he wanted to come enjoy the tournament with a friend, relative, or significant other. That's another reason he was doing this. The kids were too pure for him not to, really. Well... pure was a strong word. They weren't total dick bags like most brats their age. So instead of spending his day getting high and delivering various forms of takeout, he found himself racing towards UA. 

Lillian was now teeming with excitement rather than nerves, and Kaminari was sweating buckets. Sero and Mina both looked mildly concerned for his well being as Lillian bounced over. The electric blonde got tenser and tenser as she got closer. Sero and Mina eyed her a little wearily, unsure of why Kaminari seemed so terrified by her. Not only that, but Bakugo had stopped grumbling about her and glaring at her. Now, he averted his gaze and grimaced a little.

"L-Let's both do o-o-our best!" Lillian chirped up at the blonde. Mina and Sero immediately relaxed, but Kaminari looked near tears. She bounded back off towards her two friends, leaving her disguised threat for the electric boy the mull over.

"Okay! Let's press pause for a momentary interlude! Before the battles begin, it's time for some pulse-pounding side games!" Mic really hoped Lillian would participate. She was so short, and looked so cute when she ran around with her little friends! "First, a scavenger hunt!" 

"Side games, you guys?" Neito asked, glancing down at her in question. Lillian was the most exhausted out of all of them. Her uniform was also covered in dried blood, which looked extremely uncomfortable even if it didn't seem like it had been enough to soak through. Lillian looked around as cards were scattered across the field, shrugging vaguely.

"We're already winning the whole thing anyway. I don't see why we can't dominate this too." Hitoshi grinned, hoping it would help Lillian get some of her nerves out. Though, she seemed... well, just fine really. Learning she'd be fighting Kaminari had sparked some light in her eyes. She was excited for this, and they were too. Even if Chad couldn't quite make it, this would still be brilliant to behold.

"Wig?" Lillian asked. They both fist bumped her as a way of confirmation. They had nothing better to do to pass the time, save for maybe sleep. So why not?

People began to dart around, swiping cards and going to hunt down where they came from. Hitoshi dipped down to pick one of his own, staring at it for a moment. He turned it upside down, and then back right-side up again. Neito and Lillian looked at him expectantly as he narrowed his eyes at the card. Was this real? There was... no way this was actually something they were expected to get, right? Oh my god.

"Guys..." Hitoshi flipped the card towards them, seeming relatively flabbergasted. "We need to find a tired man."

"What the hell?" Neito snatched the card in disbelief, also squinting at it. Lillian's eyes had already drifted towards the announcer's box. Or more specifically, onto Mr. Aizawa. He seemed to be watching to see what they did, shifting when he spotted her gazing at him. She nudged Hitoshi in the side with her elbow, jerking her head towards the irritable homeroom teacher. Neito also looked up from the card, seeming to zero in on Aizawa as well. They could feel the man's suspicious gaze from here.

"...I'll get him, you guys go get more cards." Neito shoved the card in the pocket of his gym uniform and cracked his knuckles. "I'll be back."

"Godspeed." Hitoshi gave a quick salute as Neito sprinted off, brushing his hand against the arm of one of his classmates as he went. Lillian and Hitoshi both nodded to each other before they broke off in different directions, diving for cards before they could be stolen. Lillian's had almost gotten nabbed by the TetsuTetsu boy from 1-B with the intense eyelashes, but she'd managed to run off it with in a panic before he could. His grumbling followed her even as she fled.

"Back fat?" Hitoshi stared at his card in disbelief. "What kind of game is this?"

"Snake?" Lillian blinked at hers, squeaking when a backpack came flying from the crowd and into Sero's arms. Someone was also asking for a cat. Lillian gulped, taking a few deep breaths. Okay, all she had to do was not have a panic attack. Those people were up here, and they were down there. She didn't really have to talk to them or interact face-to-face. She took a deep breath.

"H-Hey, I-I need a snake!" She called up as loud as she could manage, sweat pouring down her brow. She swore to fucking god, if someone dared through anything that even vaguely resembled a penis at her, she was out. Done! She was not going to get an STD because someone brought a dildo to the Sports Festival, or because they had a quirk that let them detach... limbs. Had they even heard her? Oh god, there's no way they had. Or what if they had and she repeated herself like an idiot? This was a horrible idea. Why did she agree to this again? She was going to absolutely die right here, right now. Amajiki was right! Why'd she ever even bother-

Lillian suddenly heard someone repeat what she said, and soon several people were excitedly asking if anyone had by chance brought a snake with them. She shifted anxiously while Hitoshi scanned the grounds for someone with back fat to hypnotize. Though he did seem to finally focus on another card a few feet away and dropped his, desperately diving for that one. TetsuTetsu had once again been going for the same card as someone else, and let out a frustrated cry when Hitoshi managed to get it and roll out of the way. Lillian winced sympathetically. 

"Snake!" Someone screamed, and that was all the warning she got before a literal baby ball python was being punted from the stands and down at her. She let out a surprised shriek as the poor thing flew towards her, barely managing to blink and stop it from slapping her in the face. It wasn't that big, only around seven inches long or so. A mere baby. Lillian openly gaped up at the stands. First of all, who the hell brought a baby python to a sports festival, and two, why'd they throw it?! Just how much abuse was there floating around here?!

"Whoever threw that snake, your mom's a hoe!" Lillian shook her fist up at the crowd, who roared to life upon her proclamation with shrieking laughter, full of disbelief. They were dying. Lillian huffed and gently took the poor thing out of the air, cupping it in her hands and unfreezing it. It looked extremely terrified and disoriented as it curled up into itself protectively. Mic was too busy commentating on the fact that a "mysterious individual" had just burst through the door of the announcer's booth and stolen Aizawa right out of his seat to notice her memeing in the shadowy corner.

"Okay, so I don't know why knife is an option, but I- Holy shit!" Hitoshi jumped back as she turned around, the small snake curled up in her hands. Lillian blinked at him, looking down at the snake before holding up her card as though to explain. He gaped at her openly. Lillian couldn't fault him for it. She hadn't exactly expected someone to actually have a snake with them either, let alone throw it at her.

"It don't bite." Lillian assured, unaffected by the giant steak knife he was holding. She sincerely hoped he'd had Momo into making him that somehow.

"Yes it do!" Hitoshi insisted, though he didn't look as spooked as he had beforehand. Lillian snorted at him, letting out a yawn as she looked back down at the snake. She squinted at it as she and Hitoshi began towards where they were supposed to turn in their cards and present their finds. Apparently there were prizes. Hitoshi was hoping for food. Lillian wanted eye drops. Neither were hopeful.

"Guys, I got him!" Neito ran towards them, a bug-eyed Aizawa in his enlarged hands. It had to be his classmate's quirk that he'd copied. Lillian suppressed a laugh, instead opting to give the snake she'd been gifted her attention. Its tongue flicked out at her as she carefully urged it to lay flatter so she could try and figure out its sex. Snakes were one thing she really liked and always had. There was a time when she'd done a lot of research on them for no particular reason other than that she wanted one as a pet.

"Dude, nice." Hitoshi praised. Aizawa glared at him.

"Put me down." Aizawa hissed, though he didn't activate his quirk despite the fact that he'd been cleared to use it so long as he didn't overdo it. Neito pretended not to hear him as they started towards the turn in area, chatting with Neito idly as they waltzed past people begging the crowd for things like pencil sharpeners, glass eyes, and prosthetic hands. Lillian was beginning to think maybe they'd let Principal Nezu decide what should be on the cards.

"I-It's a boy." Lillian proclaimed after a moment, allowing the snake to twist itself around her fingers. "I'm naming him Yeet, because that's how he came to me. I think he's a Cinnamon."

"A perfect name for a perfect noodle." Neito acknowledged as they approached Cementoss. The man almost spit out his water at the sight of Aizawa. Neito carefully placed the man down, presenting his card with over-dramatic flare. Hitoshi tossed the card and the knife onto the desk with a yawn, and Lillian carefully set her card down while cradling the snake. Aizawa turned to glare darkly at Neito as Cementoss stifled his laughs, writing their names down. 

"It was her idea." Hitoshi nodded towards Lillian. Aizawa's glare vanished as he turned to her, though the look he gave her was dry. Yeet, her new child, weaved through her fingers. It was oddly comforting to have him there. If it was a he, and she hadn't accidentally sexed the poor thing wrong. Not that his gender particularly mattered.

"G-Guilty?" She stuttered sheepishly. "A-At least I-I got a sn-snake?"

"You know you have to give that back, right?" Aizawa asked. Lillian stared at him. He stared back. Neito and Hitoshi scooted away from them slightly when neither blinked after a few seconds. Was this a normal thing that just... happened? They didn't know, but it was a little creepy. They weren't in Lillian's homeroom, so they had no way to say.

"S-Someone threw him, a-and that's abuse." She'd always wanted a snake, but her not-parents had been greatly against it. But now she was an orphan. One who had been kidnapped, which gave her yet another card to play. She wouldn't stoop that low unless Mr. Aizawa was really adamant. Besides, she was staying with Hitoshi. Mr. Aizawa wouldn't have to see Yeet... th-that often.

"...Fine." He said gruffly. He shot Neito a dark glare. "Do that again and I'll expel you."

"Wow, I feel threatened. Do you feel threatened, Neito?" Hitoshi asked as Aizawa began to shuffle back towards the stairwell that would take him back to Mic, who was still trying to stop his laughter from the fact that Aizawa had literally been taken for the scavenger hunt. Lillian offered her homeroom teacher a small wave, but was ultimately unapologetic. Aizawa snorted at her, shaking his head. She was glad he didn't seem terribly mad.

"I feel threatened, Hitoshi. I really do." Neito sighed heavily. Cementoss handed over their rewards; three ice cold fruit sodas that probably would have cost them five bucks a piece otherwise. Hitoshi snatched them and began to check the caffeine levels so he could have the one with the highest, and Lillian pet her new pet's head. Who knew the Sport's Festival would bring such gifts upon her! 

They didn't really participate in the other events, sitting in the shade on the sidelines and chatting. Lillian still felt fidgety knowing how many people and cameras were watching, but took comfort in the snake lacing through her fingers. How someone could simply throw such a precious thing away was beyond her. Lillian knew she'd asked for one, but she didn't expect a real life snake to be thrown down at her. Still, she was glad she had Yeet now.

She, Hitoshi, and Neito all discussed things that didn't particularly matter. Lillian made a few calls to Chad, and he made a few calls to her to update her on their status. Neito was mumbling about his impending fight to come. Hitoshi didn't seem too worried, yawning and muttering about how he was too young for this kind of stress. Lillian and Neito had chorused "same" without waiting a beat.

It seemed like no time at all before people were reconvening for the finals. Lillian felt her anxiety rise again, along with her excitement. It wasn't like she was going first or anything. In fact, she'd be going last. That wasn't the worst thing. It certainly gave Chad more time conduct the plan, and some more time for her to drown out her eyes with eye drops. If Mr. Aizawa would let her have any after that little stunt Neito pulled. 

Truth was, the Festival was flying by, but it also felt like it was taking forever. It felt like ages since she ran into Endeavor. Full on years, when in reality it had been just before lunch a mere hour or so ago, give or take fifteen minutes. Just the memory of it made her blood begin to boil. The freckled girl was glad she was able to convince (force) Bakugo to join. Midoriya had agreed to help with no questions asked, but the explosive blonde had took some work. Something told Lillian the boy still had a long way to go.

"Alright, alright!" Mic called, gaining everyone's attention. "It's time for the finals to begin! If everyone but Hitoshi Shinso and Hanta Sero would please leave the field, we can go ahead and get this show back on the road!" 

The meme three stood up, Neito cracking his back loudly and gaining two odd looks for his troubles. He waved them off as he usually did, cracking his neck as though to emphasize. They both cringed at the unnaturally loud sound. A few cameras drifted Hitoshi's direction, which caused Lillian to fidget when she realized. Then again, it wasn't easy to figure out who was filming what. For all she knew, the whole time they were sitting and talking could have been recorded. 

"You should get that checked out, man." Hitoshi noted as Neito captured him in a brief embrace. The blonde clapped him on the back a few times before he pulled back, giving a grin that made Hitoshi's cheeks flush just slightly with embarrassment. Grumbling to himself, he turned to Lillian and opened his arms, all while eyeing her new pet snake with clear caution. She almost snorted.

"I-I agree." Lillian said, hugging the taller boy with one arm so she didn't disrupt Yeet. Neito scoffed at the pair, popping his shoulder threateningly. A mood, in Lillian's opinion.

"Yeah, yeah. Good luck." Neito said in a nearly teasing tone. Hitoshi rolled his eyes in a way that showed he didn't really mean it, giving Lillian one last pat on the shoulder before moving to the designated fighting area. Lillian and Neito scrambled through the nearest doorway, rushing to get to the stands.

People swarmed about for a few minutes, restless as they took their seats and waited for the most exciting part of the tournament to begin. Lillian wanted to sit with Neito, so he invited her into 1-B's seating area. Nobody would dare say anything. They all thought Neito had rabies for some reason. He would admit that he could get a little riled up during hero training and such, but that's just the type of guy he was, that's all! 

"If your opponent is knocked out or pushed out of bounds, they're out!" Midnight announced. "All use of quirks is allowed. Please, try not to kill your opponent. Are we clear?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Sero chimed, and Hitoshi gave a small nod. Midnight grinned widely at them. Collectively, everyone in the stadium seemed to hold their breath. Neito and Lillian settled into their seats, Lillian holding Yeet carefully, as she was unsure of where else to put him. She didn't exactly have a tank for him at home either, which was an issue. She would figure it out. There was a chance Hitoshi's parents would say no to a snake, and she'd respect that if they did.

"Ready?" Midnight raised her whip. "Begin!"

Nothing happened. They were still. Sero stayed waiting to see what would happen, his stance wide and ready to take on any physical attack Hitoshi threw at him. He clearly hadn't deduced his quirk, despite having seen it used firsthand on Bakugo and Kirishima. Hitoshi's hands were still in his pockets. Awkwardly, he stood there, looking unsure of himself. He glanced at where Neito and Lillian were sitting. Lillian waved, and Neito gave two thumbs up. 

Hitoshi cleared his throat. Everyone seemed to tense at this, leaning forward in their seats. Even Present Mic was silent. The purple-haired boy took a deep breath. He could do this. Neito and Lillian were totally counting on him. He had this in the metaphorical bag.

"LIGMA?" Hitoshi asked simply. Sero's expression twisted.

"What's-"

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Walk out of bounds."

Lillian and Neito didn't know if they should laugh, cry, or both. Either way, they were proud.