Chapter Text
Round Three
Match one: Izuku Midoriya vs. Shoto Todoroki
Match two: Katsuki Bakugo vs. Hitoshi Shinso
——————
Although it was a late spring day, Izuku couldn’t stop himself from shivering when he entered the arena for his third match of the afternoon. The sun hung high in the air, its beams shining down on the stadium ruthlessly, not a single cloud in sight to protect the spectators or competitors from its powerful heat. Yet even then, Izuku couldn’t stop the chills that ran through his body.
It was just nerves , he supposed, though deep down, he knew there was something else playing on his mind.
The crowd seemed even louder than they had been in previous matches, which wasn’t surprising in the slightest. Their match would be an interesting one, considering they were polar opposites. Izuku had won all of his fights so far without the use of a quirk, while Todoroki seemed to win his by going all out with it. Their matches, until this point, were fundamentally different, so it didn’t take much to understand why everyone was so rowdy.
Present Mic seemed to think the same. “In our first match of the semi-finals, we have Izuku Midoriya and Shoto Todoroki! Midoriya’s taken out all of his opponents using skilled fighting techniques, while Todoroki uses his powerful blasts of ice to take ‘em down! How will these two proceed? And which approach will lead them to victory?” A round of cheers followed after Present Mic’s introduction, and different areas of the stands cheered their names in unison.
As Izuku readied himself for a sprinting position, he inhaled deeply, a poor attempt to soothe his racing heart. He could do this; he just needed strategy.
The buzzer blared, and Izuku dove off to the side. Right as he did, a large wall of ice stormed towards his previous location, the spikes rising up past his current height, a mere taunt of Todoroki’s true power.
“Guys like you always start off with a crazy opening move,” Izuku called as he readied himself again. “You can’t help it, it’s basically in your blood to show your cards on the first attack when you have a serious power advantage.”
The ice rushed towards him again, more fierce than the previous. He narrowly avoided it, doing a summersault to roll to another part of the field. He jumped up right after and ran towards the previous line of ice to use as a cover. More ice shot out in a line, the area slowly becoming a spiral of icy paths, and their height gradually growing after each new creation.
As his breathing finally started to steady after dodging the line of ice attacks, Izuku took a minute to peek over a shorter wall of ice. Todoroki stood still, his guard completely up, as he looked around the icy mess of a field. He was currently turned to the side, likely thinking that it was where Izuku was going to jump out from.
Hiding his presence, Izuku stealthily ran to the next line of ice, his position now being where he first started the match. He quietly broke a chunk of ice off from the spikes and threw it across the field. The minute it touched the ground, another line of ice shot directly towards where it landed. Todoroki turned a second later, and Izuku watched as his eyes narrowed immediately.
Izuku ran back to his previous hiding spot, leaving him directly behind Todoroki. Todoroki watched carefully as he slowly looked through the pillars of ice, hoping to see the slightest hint of green hair hiding amidst them. Unfortunately for him, Izuku was a master at hiding, and was even better at concealing his presence.
“That’s your plan, huh?” Todoroki yelled out, unsure how close his opponent really was to him. “You’re just going to hide here like a coward?”
“Only until my quirk is ready!” he replied, running to another line of ice as he narrowly avoided Todoroki’s line of sight. He doubted that the lie about his quirk would work, but he was desperate for anything that would make Todoroki hesitate.
“Your quirk? I haven’t seen you use it yet,” Todoroki said as he continued looking through the spikes of ice.
It really was all he could do, considering Izuku not only had cover but a direct line of sight on him. He could jump out at any moment if he wanted to, and the only thing that would be able to stop him would be Todoroki’s reflexes. Izuku, as one would put it, had complete control over their fight.
“I don’t typically like to show it off,” Izuku yelled, throwing another piece of ice on the other side of the arena.
On instinct, Todoroki shot another line of ice, quietly swearing to himself right as he did it. That made five. Two more, and the arena would be covered in a spiral of ice. The sun’s heat stood unwaveringly above them, and it wasn’t long until large chunks started to fall to the ground from the heat. Pieces big enough that if Izuku needed to, he would be able to hide behind them for short lengths of time.
He continued hopping between the mountains of ice, their size and direction creating the perfect cover for him. He threw more ice chunks at Todoroki, each piece causing more and more agitation from him. He was getting impatient and definitely embarrassed that he hadn’t ended the fight yet. But because he was so dedicated to not using his fire side, he had no way to melt the copious amounts of ice he created.
The one trick pony he was , Izuku thought as he ducked behind another wall of ice.
“Come out already; it’s getting pathetic,” Todoroki called out, his voice raspier than usual. “Not very heroic, if you ask me.”
A wave of agitation rushed through Izuku’s body. Did their previous conversation mean nothing to him? He already knew that Izuku didn’t have an interest in becoming a hero, yet he said that anyway. Why? Was it some sort of mockery to get Izuku to show his face prematurely? Or did he simply not care enough to fully understand where Izuku was coming from?
It didn’t matter, Izuku concluded. He had more than enough time to plan what was next, and as he looked over his shoulder, he knew Todoroki was reaching his limit. His right side was covered in frost, likely a result of him exceeding the limits of his quirk. He used so many powerful attacks in hopes of immobilizing Izuku, yet each was more futile than the last as Izuku dodged the incoming onslaught, barely getting by with the skin of his teeth. He had been lucky so far that Todoroki was so adamant about not using half of his quirk.
As he ran to another line of ice, Izuku felt sweat starting to roll down his forehead and along his temples and cheekbones. You’d think that being surrounded by the recreation of the arctic would have him shivering in his boots, like at the beginning of the match, but it seemed that being grazed by every attack had its effects. He wiped the back of his hand along his cheekbone, wary of the bruise that was still plastered on his face, and noticed the faintest hint of makeup smear across the back of his hand.
I’ll have to apply more concealer after the match, he thought briefly before tossing another piece of ice in Todoroki’s direction. But first, take down Todoroki.
Izuku leapt over the path of ice like a hurdle and started racing towards Todoroki. His presence was still concealed, and he expertly made sure that Todoroki was facing the opposite direction before he went in for the first blow of the match. His steps were silent as he sprinted across the arena, and he couldn’t help but silently thank his vigilante experiences for giving him so many opportunities to learn the art of stealth.
“I already told you!” he shouted, his fist moments away from making contact with Todoroki’s abdomen. “I gave up on the hero dream years ago!”
Turning around, Todoroki shot out a weak attack of ice, but Izuku was already in motion, and he used the strength from his ongoing advance to land an uppercut to Todoroki’s open stomach. Todoroki gasped, the air in his lungs was sucked out by the blow of the hit, but he remained unwavering. Todoroki swung back, his punch quick and precise— the epitome of strictly taught fighting techniques and the opposite of Izuku’s style.
Not expecting the quick counter, Izuku felt as Todoroki’s frozen fist made contact with his face. His knuckles hit the current bruise on Izuku’s cheekbone, and he felt a strong tingle, followed by an ache, erupting on his face.
“Shit,” he grumbled as he felt his knees hit the ground. But he wasn’t done yet— he couldn’t be done yet; he had so much more to do.
He stretched his leg out and swept Todoroki off his feet, watching as he fell to the ground with a thud , his head hitting the ground momentarily as he tried to process what just happened. Izuku used the time to get back on his feet, and he clutched the side of his head as he felt a rush of blood swarm to his brain. Todoroki stood a moment later, and Izuku felt as though his mind was shutting down; he was so concentrated on the motions of dodge and punch that he completely blocked anything else out.
It reminded him of one of his first fights as a vigilante and how desperate he got after feeling the rush of blood to his head. He was so dedicated to the battle in front of him that any nerves previously hiding in his mind had evaporated, just like some of the ice that was left melting on the ground. He swung again, making contact with Todoroki’s stomach, and watched as he let out another gasp for air. He attempted to use his ice again, but Izuku could tell he was nearing his brink.
The mixture of large attacks and the mental stress from Izuku’s disappearing act resulted in Todoroki reaching his limit faster than either were expecting, and they both knew the only way for Todoroki to gain back his strength was to use his left side. His father’s side.
Todoroki lunged at him again and launched another punch at Izuku’s face. It was a feint, Izuku realized quickly, but before he could move back, he felt a hardened punch make contact with the other side of his face.
It would never catch a break, would it?
“You used your ice to harden your fist,” Izuku noted aloud, starting the first conversation between the two of them since he first attacked Todoroki. The punch to his face cleared his mind slightly, and he was able to form sentences while mentally balancing the intensity of the fight. “That’s really impressive.” He grinned fervently as he dodged another attack.
“Now you feel like talking?” Todoroki grunted as his fist met with nothing but air in his next punch.
“Pain does that to a person,” Izuku grimaced, taking a step back. “Speaking of, you’re not looking too good yourself,” he smirked right after, in an attempt to make Todoroki think— think about anything so that Izuku could use it to land another hit.
“Neither do you,” Todoroki replied. “I’ve never seen such a bruised face before. I never knew my ice was capable of this much.” He looked at his fist for the slightest second before directing his gaze back to Izuku.
Don’t give yourself too much credit , Izuku thought, annoyed, as his mind flashed back to the night before.
“I’ve had worse,” Izuku said as he launched another attack at Todoroki, who narrowly dodged it by a hair. “Look, in terms of stamina and endurance, I have you beat. Either give up now or come at me with all you’ve got!”
“I have been!” Todoroki yelled, his voice raising yet not wavering in the slightest. He jumped backward and huffed as he tried to catch his breath. Izuku, unfortunately, was in the same situation.
“Have you?” Izuku questioned. “Because your ice has been rendered useless due to your body frosting, and the only way to fix that is by heating it, yet you haven’t—”
“You know why I don’t use this side,” Todoroki spat, his posture tensing at the reference to his left side.
“Goddamnit, Todoroki,” Izuku growled, his agitation rising to an all time high at the sight of someone being so oblivious to the blessing they have right in front of them. Something Izuku never experienced for himself. “You’ve been given two abilities, yet you waste one of them because of its origins. Don’t you understand? It’s not your dad’s power or your mom’s. It’s entirely yours— it’s your quirk and no one else's!” Izuku was shaking now; the adrenaline of the fight was the only thing keeping him going.
Todoroki froze at his choice of words, giving Izuku just enough time to charge at him again with another fierce swing. He wasn’t going down without a fight, that much was certain. Todoroki flew backwards from the force of the blow, and Izuku watched as he tried to recollect not only his breath but his thoughts as well.
“You understand now?” Izuku asked, his voice a complete wreck. He was saying just about anything to get a reaction out of Todoroki, while also trying to make him understand how lucky he truly was. “You’ll never be able to be the best hero you can be unless you embrace your past. Now get a grip already!”
“Get a grip?” Todoroki asked, his voice barely above a whisper. His hands were shaking, and blood dripped down his nose unrelentingly from Izuku’s previous blows to his face. If this match continued any longer, Izuku was sure they’d both pass out on the ground. “Fine, but just remember that you’re the one who wanted this.”
Enormous flames burst to life in the arena, all erupting from one boy in particular. Izuku smiled in awe as he watched Todoroki grin for the first time since they met; his left side shined brightly from the flames, and the frost on his right melted quickly because of the fierce fire lighting up his body. The wind circled around the arena as Todoroki’s flames grew larger in size, and Izuku jumped back as he felt the heat quickly start to increase.
This is it , he thought as he watched Todoroki direct his left arm towards him. His dreams of winning. His goal to prove he’s worth just as much as these Hero Course students. Everything he worked towards with Shinso— something he didn’t even fully want until an hour or two ago— was gone before he could even fully comprehend it.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered as the world turned red. To whom? He wasn’t particularly sure. His mom? Shinso? His teachers? All he knew was that once again, he wasn’t strong enough to bring pride to the only remaining people in his life. He needed to get stronger. Be better than he currently was.
But first, he needed to rest.
——————
As Shinso entered the arena, he couldn’t stop the gulp that formed in his throat. Since his match was right after Midoriya’s, he wasn’t able to check on him when he was escorted from the fight. He knew that Midoriya did some… questionable things in his free time (what exactly, he wasn’t sure), but not even the fact of knowing that he had probably been in that state before was enough to fully calm the nauseous storm erupting in his abdomen. Midoriya was in bad condition when he briefly saw him, and the quicker he could check to make sure he’d at least live, the better.
But for now, he needs to focus on his match against Bakugo. It’s what Izuku would have wanted him to do anyway. If he learned that Shinso lost his fight because of his worries about him almost dying, he’d probably never forgive himself. Besides, he might as well give him some good news for when he wakes up.
Standing across from him was what Midoriya claimed was “his biggest threat”, also known as Katsuki Bakugo. He knew he was a ruthless competitor, if his past matches were any indication, but if Midoriya saw him as a threat, then he was probably even worse up close. There was no doubt— he’d have to use his quirk this round. Unfortunately, since he used it in the round prior, he had to assume that Bakugo would somewhat know how his quirk worked, therefore being able to avoid it. He was hoping that because of the blond’s attitude, he’d be easy to provoke, but another part of him said that he could restrain himself when necessary.
Only one way to find out , he supposed.
“In the final match of the semi-finals, we have Katsuki Bakugo and Hitoshi Shinso! Both competitors have been highly successful in their fights so far, and with us entering the final stages of the festival, the tension is only increasing!” Present Mic announced to the crowd, which only made Shinso feel more nervous. How could he even be compared to the beast in front of him?
The buzzer blared loudly, and Shinso watched as explosions crackled from the palms of the blond in front of him. There was logically no way for Shinso to beat him in hand-to-hand combat, and he didn’t even need Midoriya to tell him that.
He needed to say something to provoke the blond. It could be anything, really, considering how hot-headed he seemed to be. But maybe if he mentioned Midoriya, it would have a higher probability of setting him off, considering they had history already.
“Your quirk can mess with people’s minds, right?” Bakugo asked as he slowly made his way towards Shinso, his palms outstretched in an obvious attempt to display the power they held.
Shinso opened his mouth to talk but was silenced when Bakugo added, “Don’t speak unless you want to get blasted to hell, eyebags. It works based on some sort of verbal cue, considering how fast vinehead froze up.”
Shinso stood in front of him, mouth agape, as he listened to Bakugo’s reasoning. He was right on the money. How was he able to understand so much in just one match? Did someone tell him more about his quirk, or was he just that observant? Damn it, Midoriya wasn’t wrong when he said he would be a challenge.
“From the look on your face, I’m definitely right. Now let’s see what you’ve got!” Bakugo shouted as he ran towards Shinso.
As he approached Shinso at record speed, a previous conversation with Midoriya flashed through his head. He gave him plenty of pointers for this match during lunch, but there was one fact that stood out to him. Bakugo launched himself towards Shinso, his right arm extended in the air. As he was about to launch a blast at Shinso’s face, Shinso pushed back, gripping Bakugo’s arm and chest, and promptly flipped him over his shoulder. Bakugo landed flat on his back, and Shinso huffed as he watched him gasp for air.
“H-how—” Bakugo managed to stutter as the air returned to his lungs, still shocked at how Shinso knew exactly what he was going to do.
“Midoriya told me you always start a fight with a right hook. You must not be as good as you think you are if he was able to pick that up,” Shinso replied as he balled his fists together and readied them in front of his face.
“Woahhhh, what a move from Shinso! He predicted that Bakugo would do that and used it as an opportunity to flip him over his shoulder!” Present Mic yelled, his encouraging voice filling the speakers.
“This is the second time he’s been able to pull off this move; it seems he trained well,” Eraser Head added, making Shinso freeze momentarily, not used to so much support.
Bakugo grunted at Shinso’s response, making Shinso flinch. Maybe he shouldn’t have told him that; the two already seemed to have some sort of history together, and by the way he yelled at Midoriya, it probably wasn’t good. Well, if he doesn’t die here, Midoriya will sure as hell kick his ass.
However, the damage was already done, and it’s not like he could make it worse, right?
Guess he was about to find out.
“Speaking of, you know Midoriya, right?” Shinso asked smugly as Bakugo rose to his feet, his right hand swiping across his mouth to wipe away the sweat that rolled down his chin.
Bakugo, in turn, didn’t verbally reply but instead readied himself to charge at Shinso again. If being body-flipped wasn’t enough to piss off the blond, not being able to talk sure as hell would.
“From what I’ve seen, you’re not on very good terms,” Shinso said as he dodged to the right and watched Bakugo’s fist swing past him. “Though that’s not surprising, considering your personality,” he added as he ducked the other way, narrowly avoiding the flying fists.
They were slowly approaching the border, and Shinso quickly understood that if he couldn’t get him to talk, it’d be over for him. He needed to find just the right thing to trigger a response, and as always, Midoriya was the key. Every time he’d brought up his name since the match started, he noticed how Bakugo’s face twitched, as if he were dying to say something about it. There was only so much he could take before he inevitably snapped; Shinso just needed to find the right button to press.
“Why don’t you like him? Like I know he stole your win in the Cavalry Battle but there’s gotta be more to it. Did you try to fight him, and he kicked your ass? Ooh, or maybe he just refused to fight you ‘cause he thought you were too weak,” Shinso monologued as he continued to barely dodge Bakugo’s attacks, his tone laced with mockery.
Explosions brushed his cheek, and he continued to dodge them with the skin of his teeth. He wasn’t sure how much longer he would be able to keep this up, and as they approached the border much quicker than Shinso liked, he was starting to get desperate. Bakugo’s explosions were less than kind, and he didn’t have to touch his face to know that they were slightly burned from the heat.
Bakugo growled at Shinso’s taunt but held his tongue regardless. He must be really determined to win if he is able to put aside his pride to reach victory. That last comment seemed to have more of a reaction than the others, so Shinso continued to pursue it. He needed to win this not only for himself but for Midoriya too. It was the least he owed after the amount of help he had received up until now. It was time to return the favour.
“Y’know, I bet you’re secretly glad that Todoroki beat him. That way you won’t have to face him in the finals and make a fool of yourself in front of so many people,” Shinso said as he dodged yet another punch, watching as steam basically fumed out of Bakugo’s ears.
Unfortunately, Bakugo countered right after the dodge and managed to land a solid punch on his face. Shinso rubbed his jaw before ducking at another fist hurtling towards his face. As soon as he avoided the hit, he felt a burn, followed by a boom , attack his stomach aggressively. Shinso gasped as he felt the heat sizzle near his abdomen, but he retaliated immediately by kicking Bakugo in the stomach.
Bakugo coughed from the sudden impact and lifted his head towards Shinso, a scowl written across his face. “Oh, don’t get all upset now, tough guy. You’ve barely scratched me all round, whatcha gonna do about it? Tell me to die or something,” Shinso joked as he watched Bakugo tense his shoulders, his whole body shuddering from rage.
Bakugo launched himself at Shinso, resulting in the two of them crashing to the ground with a harsh thud . Shinso groaned as he felt an ache in his back start to spread; the pressure of the fall, along with Bakugo’s weight on top of it, was sure to leave a nasty bruise on his spine. Shinso was able to react first, miraculously, and flip the blond off him and onto his back.
“You’ll never talk, will you?” Shinso huffed as he got back to his feet. Bakugo followed suit and dusted the dirt off his pants before getting back into his attack stance. “You’re just like Midoriya— so determined that you’ll kill yourselves before giving in,” he added right after.
“I—” Bakugo finally said right after he set off a powerful explosion towards Shinso. It was the largest he had done throughout the entire festival, he noted.
Shinso flew backward and landed harshly on the ground beneath him. He gasped as the air was knocked from his lungs, his head swimming slightly from the impact of the landing. But he did it— he finally got Bakugo to talk!
The dust settled around the arena, followed by the loud blare of the buzzer. As Shinso was finally able to sit up and clear his head, his face dropped when he realised the situation.
“Shinso has been knocked out of bounds! Which means the winner of the second match is Katsuki Bakugo!” Midnight announced, excitedly twirling around on the spot.
Shinso sighed disappointedly as he managed to stand up, his back aching in retaliation for the sudden movement. He released his quirk a second later and watched as Bakugo broke free from the effects of his brainwashing. “You’re a tough one,” Shinso said to the blond as he tried his best to hide his disappointment.
Bakugo scoffed in return, though Shinso felt it was more out of embarrassment than malice. “I’m in the Hero Course for a reason, eyebags. And don’t ever compare me to that Quirkless wannabe Hero again,” Bakugo huffed as he walked away from the arena, not bothering to shake hands or do any of the post-match stuff that was typically done.
Wait, what?
Midoriya… was Quirkless?
——————
Round Four:
Shoto Todoroki vs. Katsuki Bakugo
——————
Izuku awoke to bright, white lights blinding his vision. The room smelled of some sort of disinfectant, and his nose scrunched when he inhaled it. To his right, he saw a monitor that displayed his vitals, and as he fully gained consciousness, he could hear the idle beep of his heart rate echo throughout the room.
He turned his head to the left, hoping to find any information as to where he could be. When he moved his head, he saw a familiar purple figure sitting on a chair a few feet away. He was hunched over on his phone, typing quickly like he was texting someone. He had burn marks along his cheek bones, and his arms didn’t fare much better.
“Is the festival over?” Izuku asked, his mouth raspy. He felt like he hadn’t talked in a hundred years.
Shinso looked up from his phone, his eyes wide as he took in Midoriya, now awake and looking at him curiously. “Uh, not quite. You’ve only been out a little bit. My match finished around ten minutes ago, so you’ve been out for around half an hour, which is miraculous considering your injuries,” Shinso explained as Izuku tried his best to sit up in the bed he was lying in.
“Hey, now— take it easy. You got burned up pretty badly; I don’t think you should be moving too much,” Shinso said as he ran over to help Izuku into a sitting position.
“Since the festival isn’t over and you’re here, I’m assuming you didn’t win your match,” Izuku observed as he finally sat up straight. He looked at Shinso curiously as he waited for him to articulate a response.
“Uh— yeah. I’m sorry I couldn’t win, even with all of your strategizing,” Shinso apologized as he looked away from Izuku. “Your childhood friend is a pain in the ass to go up against, I’ll tell you that.”
Izuku laughed freely at his reply. “As much as I’m sad you didn’t win, I’m not entirely surprised. And I’m not upset, either. I don’t think I could go up against Kacchan,” Izuku said as he looked down at his clenched fists. “I guess we both gotta get stronger, huh?”
“Please, you kicked Todoroki’s ass,” Shinso said jokingly. “What were you saying to him that made him use his fire?”
“Ah, nothing much,” Izuku replied, scratching the back of his neck bashfully. “I just told him if he was going to fight me, he might as well not half-ass it. I’m more surprised that you couldn’t get Kacchan to talk. He’s typically really easy to provoke.”
“Well, I eventually got him to talk, but he blasted me out of bounds right beforehand. He definitely wanted to yell at me, though. I’ve never seen so many veins on someone’s face before,” Shinso said as he watched Izuku laugh at his explanation.
“Awe, man, I wish I could have seen it. What did you say to him?” Izuku asked through a series of chuckles. His stomach hurt with each shake of his body, but just the sight of Kacchan holding back curses was enough to make him feel better.
“I talked about you mainly,” Shinso said hesitantly, almost worried about how Izuku would react. “I realised you guys probably had some bad blood, considering how you talked about him and how angry he was during the Cavalry Battle.”
Izuku tensed slightly at the mention of his name. He knew Kacchan didn’t like him, but he could never fully comprehend the extent. “Bad blood is a nice way of putting it,” Izuku chuckled quietly. “Did he say anything to you after the match?” he asked following the laugh.
“Uh— yeah. Something odd, actually,” Shinso said, his mind flashing back to the earlier conversation he had with the blond. “He told me that—”
The doors burst open, followed by Monoma and Hatsume entering the room dramatically. Shinso refrained from saying what the blond had revealed, not wanting to expose it in front of other people. Izuku flicked his gaze over to the chaotic duo standing in the doorway with snacks piled in their arms.
“Look who’s finally awake,” Hatsume greeted as they proceeded to enter the room. Hatsume used her heel to close the door completely, and Izuku couldn’t help but grin at their appearance.
“You were impressive as always, Midoriya,” Monoma said as he dropped a few granola bars and energy drinks on the bed. “We brought some gifts to congratulate you on almost beating the strongest members in 1-A.”
“Awh, guys, you didn’t have to do this,” Izuku said sweetly as he picked up one of the bars off the bed. He admired it briefly before opening the plastic and taking it out of the wrapper.
“Of course we did! You two put up an incredible fight. The way you went, punch, punch— dodge, dodge,” Hatsume narrated as she went through the motions of a fight. “You really gave 10 million a run for his money.”
“You think so?” Izuku asked jokingly as he threw the granola bar wrapper into the nearest garbage can.
“We know so,” Monoma jumped in. “You should have seen how exhausted he looked after you passed out.”
Izuku laughed again at their enthusiasm. He never realised that having a great group of friends could feel so nice. To his left, Shinso looked down at his phone and back at Izuku. “I think they’re holding the awards ceremony soon,” Shinso announced to the group. “Since we got third, we’re probably needed. Can you walk?” He asked, directing his gaze towards Izuku.
“I’m only slightly dehydrated and burned. I’m fine,” Izuku said, his voice shaky as he tried to get off the bed by himself.
“Have you seen your face?” Shinso deadpanned, looking at Izuku expectantly.
“Do I want to?” Izuku asked cautiously as he lifted his hand to trace the outline of his cheeks.
“Definitely not!” Monoma exclaimed as he made his way towards Izuku, his arm extended. “Here, we’ll help you get to the podium.”
“Thanks, guys,” Izuku said gratefully as he let the three of them help him off the bed and out the door.
They got the go-ahead from Recovery Girl, but she demanded that Izuku come back later to heal the rest of his injuries. Izuku agreed, thankful that he wouldn’t have to hide these injuries from Eraser later tonight. As they finally made it to the location of the podiums, Izuku looked around curiously.
It seemed that they were under the arena, given that he could hear the muffled cheers from the crowd above. Around him were some of the UA teachers who were preparing for the podiums to be lifted to the surface, and to his right were a sleeping Todoroki and Kacchan.
“It looks like we may be a bit early,” Izuku joked as he surveyed the room. It was surprisingly lit considering they were underground, with the floors being close to bare and the only actual objects in the room being the podiums and some comforters for the two contestants who were passed out.
“Well, I can probably take it from here. Thanks, guys,” Shinso said to Monoma and Hatsume as they approached a wall for the duo to lean against while they waited to be situated.
“Alright, we’ll catch you later then,” Hatsume replied as she released her hold on Izuku’s left arm.
“I doubt this will be the last time we cross paths on the field,” Monoma said as he stepped away from Izuku’s side to face them head-on. “Until then, I’ll train hard to kick your asses.”
“With Midoriya being my teacher, in your dreams,” Shinso quipped, making Izuku laugh at their lighthearted banter. Monoma only rolled his eyes in response, likely understanding the truth behind the joke.
“Oh! By the way, Midoriya,” Hatsume said, her fingers snapping together as she jumped at her reminder. “If you ever need any help, tech support wise, or have any ideas you don’t have the equipment for, catch me in Power Loader’s class.”
“I think I’ll take you up on that sometime,” Izuku replied, a large grin expanding over his face. How did I get so lucky? “We’ll see you guys later!”
As the two left the room, Izuku let out a sigh. “We really made it, huh?” He asked Shinso, though it was more of an observation than anything else.
“You doubting your abilities over there?” Shinso replied lightheartedly. He quickly noticed after meeting Midoriya that he was his own worst critic and knew that he was likely taking the loss pretty hard.
“Considering you got third and not first, a little,” Izuku said, and he briefly looked towards the ground, his poor attempt at hiding the disappointment he knew he shouldn’t have. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help more.”
“I probably wouldn’t have even gotten to the finals without you in the first place,” Shinso argued. He couldn’t let Midoriya feel this way after all he had done for him. “You’re the reason I’m here and not in the stands wallowing in my own pity. Get that through that thick skull of yours.” Shinso gave him the lightest of shakes, cautious of the wounds scattered throughout his body.
“But—”
“No buts! I can’t have my teammate looking all gloomy when we’re receiving our medals, okay?” Shinso interrupted before Izuku had another chance to protest.
“Fine, I’ll drop it,” Izuku huffed dramatically as he rolled his eyes at his friend’s persistence. He knew Shinso was upset about his loss, but why he didn’t show it was something that Izuku was curious about.
Before they could bicker any further, Ms. Midnight approached them with a gleeful look on her face. “Ah, Shinso and Midoriya, you boys did incredible out there,” she said, her hands intertwined as they raised to her cheek.
“Thank you so much, Ms. Midnight,” Izuku said shyly as he scratched the back of his neck. He was not expecting to be complimented by so many teachers today.
“Uh, thanks,” Shinso said, just as surprised as Izuku. “Who won, by the way?”
“Ah, we figured you probably wouldn’t have heard,” Midnight said. “But Bakugo was the winner of this year’s festival! He and Todoroki had a passionate battle that had everyone on the edge of their seats!” she added excitedly.
“You probably wore the poor guy out after your battle, Midoriya,” Shinso joked, his head turning to face Izuku.
“Well, I doubt it was just me,” Izuku replied hesitantly. There was no way he was that strong. Shinso was just exaggerating.
“Speaking of, it looks like Todoroki is waking up!” Midnight gasped. “We should start preparing you for the Awards Ceremony.” Midnight guided the two of them over to the pillar on the far right and ordered that they stay there until after the ceremony, promising it would take only a few more minutes.
“Since you both lost the match in the semi-finals, you’re both considered third,” Midnight explained as she fixed their shirts and rubbed dirt off Shinso's shoulders.
“That makes sense, I guess,” Shinso replied, shrugging. “I’m surprised you’re not making us fight it out, though.”
“It really depends on the extent of the injuries,” Midnight said, pursing her lips in thought. “And you both had strong advocates to prevent you from fighting,” she smiled, amused.
“We did?” the boys said simultaneously, both turning their heads to look at each other in confusion.
“Seems like you might have found Yamada’s soft spot,” she whispered, the biggest grin spreading across her face.
“Yama—”
“Kayama, I swear you better not be telling those two anything!” A familiar voice called through the room.
Izuku whipped his head towards the door and saw Present Mic standing in the doorway, his hands on his thighs, mildly huffing from the overuse of his lungs.
“I didn’t say a word,” Midnight said, her fingers running across her lips in a zipping motion.
“Yeah, she only complimented us on the match!” Izuku added, playing along with the Pro. Shinso nodded right after.
“See, what did I tell you?” Midnight laughed, sending an amused wink in their direction as she walked over to talk to Todoroki.
“You guys did great out there!” Present Mic cheered as he approached the duo.
“Thank you, Present Mic,” Izuku chirped as he smiled at his other teacher’s praise. If someone had told him this was his fate a year ago, he never would have believed them.
“Thanks,” Shinso said right after, a smaller yet still present smile sneaking onto his lips.
“Of course,” Present Mic replied happily as he ruffled their heads affectionately. “You both had me a little worried, y’know.”
“Really?” Izuku and Shinso perked up at their teacher’s revelation, not expecting to have made such an impact on the viewers.
“How could you not!?” Present Mic exclaimed. “You made the Hero Course actually work for their win!”
Izuku laughed as his gaze scanned the room, stopping when it landed on one head in particular. Talking to Midnight was a now conscious Todoroki, staring intently, almost curiously, in Izuku’s direction. Izuku gulped at the new pair of eyes on him but brought his focus back on the two people in front of him.
“I should get going,” Present Mic said as he placed his hands back on his hips. “I wanted to quickly congratulate you two before the festival ended in case I didn’t catch you afterwards. But now I’ve gotta get back up top to finish the show.”
“We understand, thanks for visiting us!” Izuku smiled at both Present Mic and the thought that he was so fortunate at UA.
“I’ll see you guys Monday. Get some rest. Alright? You definitely deserve it,” Present Mic instructed, though it sounded more like an order than a suggestion. Unfortunately, Izuku never liked to follow either of them.
“We will, now get moving or you’ll be late,” Shinso teased as they watched their teacher leave the room.
As Izuku took another look around the room, he noticed Todoroki on the other side of the column, standing on the second place platform. So Kacchan won the festival , huh? Izuku thought as he looked over at the sleeping blond. He wasn’t entirely surprised, given that he got first in the Entrance Exam. He was clearly working hard to get where he was, and it seemed to have paid off in the form of first place.
Stopping his train of thought, Izuku noticed two UA robots approaching Kacchan steadily, carrying chains and some form of handcuff in their hands. They wouldn’t, he gasped as he watched them surround him, chains in the air.
“What is it?” Shinso asked, alarmed by Izuku’s sudden interest in the mat a few metres away. Izuku guided Shinso’s gaze to the sight in front of him, and Izuku watched as he tried to stifle a gasp of his own. “What are they doing?” he asked, completely stunned.
“I think they’re… tying him up?” Izuku said, phrasing it more like a question.
“Do I even want to know why?” Shinso asked aloud, not really expecting an answer.
“I’m not really sure,” Izuku replied, his gaze still focused intently on Kacchan slowly being tied up.
A few minutes later found the blond tied to the first place podium, still sleeping soundly. Izuku figured he’d probably be up in a few minutes, and that would be when they were lifted to the surface. As they waited patiently, with Shinso and Izuku idly chatting and Todoroki being incredibly interested in the wall next to him, the blond finally started to stir awake.
“Good morning, Sunshine. How was your nap?” Shinso asked teasingly as he glanced at Bakugo, who was now discovering his current predicament.
“Shinso!” Izuku yelped, elbowing his friend, though he couldn’t stifle the giggle that emerged from his throat.
“What!” Shinso whined back, but he grinned widely when he noticed the laughs coming from Izuku.
All they got in response was muffling from the blond beside them, and before they knew it, they were being raised to the surface. “It looks like they raise us based on our standing,” Izuku said, noting that they were the only ones being lifted.
As they finally reached the surface, Izuku squinted at the blinding light of the bright blue sky. The second thing he noticed was how much clearer the cheers of the crowd were. As he looked around, all he felt was awe. So many people were cheering his and Shinso’s names. He glanced back at the open field and saw how the rest of the students were clapping at their appearance.
“This feels unreal,” Izuku voiced aloud, not really to anyone in particular as his mouth continued to slack open from shock.
“Tell me about it,” Shinso snorted, giving Izuku a little shove to get him out of his shock.
“Once again, in third place, we have Izuku Midoriya and Hitoshi Shinso!” Present Mic cheered, causing the crowd to scream even louder. “And in second place, we have Shoto Todoroki!”
Todoroki was lifted from the ground a moment later, not really doing much besides looking around, his hands in his pockets. He seemed to know less about what to do than Izuku!
“Finally, the winner of this year's Sports Festival for the First Years is Katsuki Bakugo! Present Mic announced excitedly as the crowd reached new levels of rowdy. If Izuku thought things couldn't get any cooler, he would've been wrong. Out of nowhere, All Might rained down from the sky, yelling, “I am here!” in his classic, booming voice.
“Shinso, it’s All Might!” Izuku gasped, unable to hide the shock and excitement wracking through his body. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity.
“I know,” Shinso replied, way more composed than Izuku, but not even he could fully hide the excitement he was feeling through the gleam in his eyes.
“I’ll be handing out your medals!” All Might declared as he picked them up from a table near the podiums.
“I think I’m going to pass out,” Izuku whispered to Shinso, who in turn attempted to stifle a chuckle from his friend’s panic.
“You’re fine, just act casual,” Shinso replied, his volume matching Izuku’s.
“In front of All Might?! The Number One Hero himself?” Izuku whisper-shouted in response, shocked by Shinso’s demeanour. How could he not be freaking out right now?
“Shut up, he’s coming over,” Shinso said quickly through gritted teeth as he glanced over at the incoming Pro.
Congratulations on third place, boys,” All Might said as he walked in front of the two, his large statue practically towering over them. “You fought brilliantly despite your disadvantages,” he added as he placed the medals around each of them one by one.
He brought Shinso into a hug first, and if Izuku wasn’t as good at composure as he was, he would have cackled at Shinso’s shocked, wide-eyed reaction.
Izuku was next, and he still couldn’t believe that this was happening. Not only was he meeting one of his favourite Pro Heroes, he was getting hugged by him! As his arms wrapped around Izuku, he heard All Might whisper, “I’d like to talk to you after the festival, Young Midoriya. Meet me near the staff room in an hour.”
Izuku stilled at his offer, shell-shocked that All Might had something he wanted to discuss with him. What could he possibly want to say to Izuku? Wouldn’t he want to talk with Kacchan or Todoroki? Regardless of his confusion, he nodded anyway and watched as All Might made his way over to Todoroki.
“What was that about?” Shinso asked the minute All Might was out of earshot.
“All Might… wants to talk with me after the festival,” Izuku whispered, though it wasn’t entirely to Shinso but more to himself as he tried to comprehend what was going on.
This was going to be an interesting conversation.
——————
An hour later, Izuku was waiting outside one of the UA staff rooms. He bounced on the balls of his feet anxiously as he waited for All Might to turn the corner. He wasn’t entirely sure what the Pro could want from him, considering he showed no skills worthy enough to be noticeable. Perhaps he’d want his help in analyzing the Hero Course? That seemed like the only logical option, considering it was the only thing he actually excelled at. To pass the time, Izuku flipped through some of the pages of his notebook, reading over his new notes about the different students in the Sports Festival.
I’ll have to revise it later , Izuku thought as he read through some of his chicken scratch that was scrawled along the pages.
“Ah, young man!” A voice boomed, snapping Izuku out of his train of thought. “I’m happy you decided to meet with me. I have an important offer for you.”
Izuku glanced up from his notebook to look at All Might, standing in front of him in all of his glory. He was actually so much cooler in person, but he couldn’t blow this, so he needs to act cool. I got this.
“What about?” Izuku asked curiously as he closed his notebook and looked expectantly at the hero in front of him.
“Let’s step inside,” All Might replied as he ushered Izuku into an empty room.
The room was plain in itself. There were two teal sofas facing parallel to each other, with a short wooden coffee table seated in the middle. On the right of a round window was a desk covered with a variety of different nicknacks. A teapot and cups rested on the far right, likely used a few hours prior. Izuku sat down on the right couch, letting himself sink into the comfort of its squishy exterior. If only my bed was like this , he thought momentarily before snapping the thought out of his head.
All Might sat on the other couch, clearing his throat as he watched Izuku look at him, eyes filled with curiosity. “I’d like to begin by saying that you have incredible potential,” All Might started, his voice soft but firm. “Not a lot of people could pull off what you accomplished today.”
“Thank you, sir,” Izuku replied, his face flushed with embarrassment. What was it with all these heroes complimenting him today?
“You demonstrated incredible acts of strategy and leadership, which is why you and your team got so far. And the way you got young Todoroki to use his flames was a feat not even young Bakugo could accomplish,” All Might added. His tone was insinuating that this was leading to something, but Izuku couldn’t put his finger on what.
“Thank you,” Izuku repeated, not really sure what else to say to All Might’s analysis. “But it wasn’t all me. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my friends.”
“And humble,” All Might hummed, smiling slightly.
“What are you trying to say with all of this?” Izuku asked, “I doubt you called me here just to compliment me on my performance.” He leaned back on the couch slightly, letting himself sink further into the soft cushions. He looked at All Might patiently as he waited for an answer.
“Young man, I want to offer you the opportunity to work with me as my protege. I could train you to become a hero. That’s why you gave it your all in the festival, right?” All Might asked casually, as if he didn’t just drop a bomb on Izuku and blow up everything within a 20-metre radius.
He… what?
Izuku didn’t say anything at first, as he was far too shocked to even attempt to form words. All Might, the Number One Hero— the Symbol of Peace wanted to train him. Show him heroics. Him. Not Kacchan. Not Todoroki. Not anyone in the Hero Course. Him. But he couldn’t, right? He didn’t have a quirk, there was no way he would be able to keep up. The Sports Festival proved as much. He’d be deadweight in the real world. And Eraser— what would he tell him? Would it be the end of his vigilante career as he knew it? There were so many variables to consider, but at the same time… why wouldn’t he? It had been his dream for as long as he could remember to be strong enough to help more people, so why would he refuse? But how could All Might help him? He had no power to hone; he was powerless. Weak compared to everyone else. That’s just how life was.
After recollecting his thoughts, Izuku cleared his throat, noticing how All Might’s attention snapped intensely to him. “I think… you have the wrong guy,” Izuku said, his throat feeling incredibly dry. He didn’t want to disappoint him.
“But, young man—”
“You’ve seen my files, right? You know my quirk status,” Izuku said sadly, his eyes brimming with tears. “There’s no way I’m meant to be a hero in this life.” He felt defeated, disgusted that he could decline such an important person. But it would be better if he disappointed him now than later on, when it really mattered. All Might would get over it, and then he’d find someone else instead. It was that simple.
“Young Midoriya— kid, listen for just a moment.” All Might replied, his voice having a type of firmness Izuku had never seen on TV before.
Izuku nodded, showing that he was listening. “I have a special power. One that you need to promise you won’t reveal to anyone,” All Might whispered, his eyebrows furrowed together.
A look of confusion spread across Izuku’s features. What kind of special power? And why was it so important that he couldn’t tell anyone? Regardless of his questions, Izuku nodded anyway, urging All Might to continue.
“As you have probably seen online, there is a lot of debate about what my quirk is,” All Might began, his voice continuing to sound like he was trying to explain the bigger picture of something that was right in front of Izuku.
“Of course! There are thousands of theories about what your quirk is. Some think it’s a super strength, while others argue it’s some sort of endurance or stamina-based power,” Izuku interrupted without meaning to. He always got carried away when the topic of quirks arose, and it seemed that not even All Might could stop that. “But what does that have to do with anything?”
“Well, I’ve purposely avoided the question when it’s brought up on TV for a reason,” All Might continued. “It’s something special, one that goes against the quirk laws we know today. My quirk is called One for All, and it gives me the ability to pass my powers to another person.”
“That’s— how is that even possible? Science suggests that quirks are part of one’s core, but if this power exists, it raises the question of whether that’s even true. We’d have to rethink everything we’ve ever learned,” Izuku rambled, his mind struggling to comprehend the topic. There was no way this was happening right now. “But— wait, you want me to be your successor, so that means…”
“I want to pass my power onto you. You’ll have the remainder of the year to hone your new abilities, and in the spring, you can re-enroll in the Hero Course as a Second Year,” All Might explained, his voice finally rising in excitement.
“I— I don’t even know what to say,” Izuku murmured as he let his mind wander again. This was a once in a lifetime experience. He would be as strong as All Might! He’d be able to save everyone that way. He could be strong enough to keep up with everyone else and be a worthy hero. But he’d have to leave being a vigilante behind him, wouldn’t he? There would be no need. He wouldn’t interact with the locals again, nor would he help those who are often missed in the darkness. His night patrols with Eraser would be over— but isn’t that what the old man wanted anyway? This was too much. Izuku didn’t know what he wanted.
“Can I… think about it for a few days?” Izuku asked hesitantly. “I have, er— personal circumstances I need to consider before I accept this offer. If that’s alright with you,” he added, looking at All Might. His hands shook as he worried about his reaction. He should’ve just said yes, shouldn’t he? All Might will realize he’s not worthy and give it to someone else. He’s ruined this—
“Of course, young man. I understand this may be a big decision to make. I’ll check up on you on Wednesday,” All Might suggested as he reached for something in his right jacket pocket. He started scribbling something on an empty sheet of paper before saying, “If you make a decision before then, give me a call.”
All Might… was giving him his phone number? What even is today? Izuku thought as he reached out to grab the piece of paper from the pro.
“Of course, thank you so much, sir,” Izuku said as he stood up quickly. He bowed just as fast, trying to express his gratitude as much as possible.
“There’s no need for that, young Midoriya,” All Might said, dismissing his formal behaviour. “I chose you because I know you have what it takes to be a Hero. And I’m not the only one who sees it. I’m just lucky that I got to speak to you first.” He smiled fondly as he watched tears form in Izuku’s eyes when their gazes met. This was too much to handle right now.
“I should get going,” Izuku said as he turned to leave the room. “I’ll be in touch.”
“I look forward to your response,” All Might replied as he waved at Izuku’s departure.
As Izuku walked down the hallway, the bright sunlight filtering through the numerous windows located on the walls to the left, he sighed heavily for what felt like the first time all day. He talked to so many new people and made so many acquaintances. How did one school event cause this? It didn’t matter, Izuku thought.
He had a lot to think about, but more than anything, he needed to get stronger. This festival proved that more than anything.
But first, he really needed to sleep.