9-
Chapter 9:Cavalry Charge!
MIDORIYA RESIDENCE
Izuku just finished packing his gear for the Sports Festival as he made his way to the door. ''Izuku, try not to get hurt.'' His mother called out from behind him.
He paused before turning to her with a smile. ''I'll do what I can.'' He replied with a grin. ''I can't promise what I can't keep.'' Call it a gut feeling, but he can tell that he won't be able to finish the Sports Festival unscathed.
Though it wasn't the answer the mother wanted, she smiled at him. ''I'll be sure to record it in high resolution.'' She stated in an excited voice.
Izuku chuckled as he went to hug her. ''Okay.'' He stated happily. ''Just cut out any embarrassing parts.'' He quickly added.
From the hug, his mother giggled. ''Can't promise that.'' She said teasingly, drawing a chuckle out of him. After separating she gave him a proud look. ''Now do your best.''
Izuku nodded as he adjusted his pack. ''I will.'' He said with a smile.
*mewl*
Both Midoriyas looked to their feet and saw Temmie curiously looking up at them. Izuku chuckled as he crouched and rubbed her head. ''Thanks Tem.'' He grinned as the feline purred from the touch.
Afterward, he stood and made his way to the front door, but not before turning around to see his family with a smile. ''I'm off!'' He stated determinedly before leaving.
U.A. STADIUM-WAITING ROOM
Mina grumbled lightly as she looked down at her PE uniform with a pout. ''I wanted to wear my hero costume.'' She whined before leaning on Izuku's shoulder.
The bone hero chuckled at her childish attitude. ''It's just to keep things fair Mina.'' He reminded before a grin formed on his face. ''Besides, I think our uniforms are pretty interesting on their own.'' His statement earned confused looks from her and his classmates.
Meanwhile, Bakugou instinctively felt angry for some reason.
''Why is it interesting?'' Mina couldn't help but ask, voicing out everyone else's curiosity.
The response made Izuku's grin widen. ''Because I don't see a single price tag on them.'' He shrugged as he looked away from Mina who noticed something in his tone that made her think.
Everyone else was more than confused at this point, except for Todoroki who appeared to be lost in thought.
Bakugou was getting angrier and he didn't know why.
The gears in Mina's head went to work as she hummed in thought, trying to figure out what message her boyfriend is trying to send.
The big grin, the tone in his voice, and the sudden interest in price tags….
Her eyes widened in realization before glancing at Izuku with a sly look. ''Please.'' She playfully huffed. ''You'll never find a tag on anyone's uniforms.'' She pointed to herself. ''Especially mine.'' She finished with a tone of her own that he picked up on.
Meanwhile, everyone was curious as to what she meant.
''O-Oh? Why's that?'' Izuku lightly snickered as he kept his composure.
Mina struggled to contain her laughter, but she powered through. ''Because I'm…''
''PRICELESS!'' They both said before laughing together causing some of their classmates to roll their eyes before going back to their discussions, though they were smiling. While others like Ochako were laughing with the couple.
''And just like that…'' Bakugou sighed as he clenched his fists. ''My day is ruined.'' He growled in frustration as his eye twitched. While beside him, Kirishima chuckled a bit as he gave him a pat on the back to help him calm down.
''It's too early for this you normies.'' Mineta grumbled as he stared at the still-laughing couple with an aura of envy around him.
Suddenly the door opened, revealing to be Iida. ''Everyone get!-'' He stopped himself when he noticed the laughter. ''Did I miss something?'' He stepped into the room and observed the scene in curiosity.
Izuku chuckled. ''Nothing much, just some comedy gold buddy.'' He grinned while he was holding onto Mina who was recovering from her laughter.
''I see.'' Iida replied with a smile knowing his friend's tendency to lighten the mood or to make jokes for the fun of it.
''So what's up?'' Izuku asked as he stood while Mina recovered and fixed her posture.
Iida cleared his throat as he gained a serious expression. ''As I was saying, we only have a few minutes before we're called. So we need to be ready by then'' He finished as he took a seat to calm his nerves.
Everyone else decided to do their own thing in the meantime.
''Midoriya.''
Izuku turned to the voice and was met with a stoic Todoroki. ''Yeah?'' He raised an eyebrow, internally surprised by being approached by the quiet teen.
The ice user stared at him for a moment before speaking. ''There's no denying that you're strong.'' He stoically admitted, making Izuku even more confused. ''But even if that's the case, I will beat you.'' He said in the same tone, but Izuku could tell there was something there.
Needless to say, everyone else turned to Todoroki's declaration in surprise.
Before Izuku could respond, Todoroki continued. ''I don't care if All Might has his eye on you.'' The OFA user internally tensed. ''I'm not here to pry on that, but regardless, the results will stay the same.'' He finished with his expression unchanging.
While Izuku was thinking of a way to respond to such a declaration, Kirishima quickly stood and placed a hand on Todoroki's shoulder. ''Oi, why are you picking a fight all of a sudden?'' He asked in worry.
Mina joined in and stood beside Izuku with a frown. ''Yeah, what's the big idea?''
Todoroki pulled his shoulder away from Kirishima's hand. ''We're not here to play friends.'' He replied with a hint of annoyance in his voice as he turned away from the couple. ''So why does it matter?'' He finished coldly.
While a few looked miffed at the comment, Izuku spoke. ''Fine.'' He agreed, gaining everyone's attention. ''I accept your declaration of war.'' He declared with a serious expression.
Todoroki turned to face Izuku again, while the others were shocked to hear him accept the challenge.
Not waiting for a response Izuku continued. ''To be honest, I have no idea what you'll gain from beating me.'' He admitted with a shrug. ''But if this is your way of being motivated to do your best.'' A daring grin formed on his face as he pointed a thumb at himself. ''I'll be more than willing to take you on.''
He then stepped in front of Todoroki whose expression didn't change. ''So…with that in mind.'' He calmly offered a handshake and a smile. ''May the best man win?''
Todoroki simply stared at the hand before nodding to Izuku and walking away to his seat a while ago, shocking everyone else, as well as wondering what was going on between them.
''Sheesh, I wonder what pissed off Captain Cold over there.'' Izuku wore an expression of concern as he watched the retreating form of Todoroki while putting his hand down.
''Izu.''
Turning around he saw Mina looking at him in worry. ''Are you alright?''
Izuku nodded with a smile. ''Yeah, I'm good.'' He shrugged. ''It'll take more than a cold shoulder to damper my spirit.'' He pointed out with his usual grin, getting a few awkward chuckles from his classmates.
Mina rolled her eyes but smiled fondly at him. ''Dork.'' She gave him a playful punch on the shoulder drawing out a chuckle from him.
After a bit, the class was notified to head to the arena.
U.A. STADIUM
Once the students were gathered in the center of the arena. The R-Rated Hero Midnight made her way to the stage. Drawing some looks from some members of the audience as she took her sweet time just to draw more attention to her…assets, as well as adding a few extra sways to her hips. Even the females who were watching were either attracted or awed by her beauty and confidence.
''Damn.'' Kaminari muttered to himself with a perverted grin while wiping off a bit of drool.
Beside him, Mineta was also drooling like crazy until he noticed something odd. Turning his head, he noticed Izuku looking...indifferent?
''Midoriya?'' Mineta called out gaining his attention. ''You alright?'' He asked in a way that seemed like he was very sick.
Izuku raised an eyebrow. ''Yeah.'' He slowly nodded before tilting his head a bit in curiosity. ''Why do you ask?'' He idly wondered if he looked wrong.
The short teen pointed at him. ''Because you're not even reacting to Midnight!'' He declared like he was some sort of heretic.
The commotion got some of his classmates' attention.
Izuku then glanced at Midnight for a bit before looking back to Mineta with a shrug. ''Meh.'' His causal dismissal earned shocked gasps from Mineta and Kaminari.
Before they went insane Izuku continued. ''I mean, sure she's pretty.'' The two pervs calmed a bit at that. ''But I only have one girl in mind.'' He sincerely stated with a smile.
The response got a few approving looks from anyone that overheard him.
''Damn him.'' Mineta and Kaminari grumbled at the reminder of their single status.
Unknown to them, Mina heard the conversation and felt her heart swell from his words.
Before anything else, Midnight cracked her whip. ''Quiet!''She yelled, feeling annoyed for some reason. ''Representing the students is Izuku Midoriya from Class 1A!'' She declared while looking at the stunned student.
''E-Eh?'' Izuku exclaimed with a bit of sweat on his forehead as all eyes turned to him.
Iida approached and placed a hand on his shoulder. ''Well, you did finish the entrance exam in first place.'' He reminded as others murmured in agreement.
''O-Oh." Izuku stuttered out, suddenly regretting his results. "Well, here goes." He lightly gulped as he tensely made his way to the stage while people made way for him.
While he was on the way to the stage, some students from the other classes murmured to themselves.
''That's the guy who got first place during the exam?''
''He looks quite plain.''
''I thought it was going to be some scary-looking dude.''
Their voices of disbelief were heard by the students of 1A. ''They have no idea!'' They thought in unison as they hid their amusement.
Once on the stage, he stood in front of the microphone, though noticeably a bit nervous. ''Well, tibia honest, I don't have a fancy speech to give you guys.'' He confessed with a chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck which got a few laughs from the audience. ''But I can say this.'' He added which got everyone to go silent and give him their full attention.
''It doesn't matter what course you're from.'' He shrugged getting intrigued looks from everyone. ''Because at the end of the day, we all have one goal.'' He placed his right hand on his chest. ''To become heroes.'' He formed a big grin on his face. ''So expect everyone here to give it their all, as they reach for their hopes and dreams! As we all prove to everyone that we can all become great heroes!'' His eyes glowed in determination as he added power to his declaration.
And not a moment later, the stadium was filled with applause, while the students from other courses formed a sense of respect for him.
''Love you Mom.'' Izuku quickly added before heading back to his classmates with embarrassed haste.
The statement and display got some amused chuckles from the audience while some 'awwed'.
MIDORIYA RESIDENCE
''That's my boy!'' Inko shouted from the couch with heavy tears as she held Temmie in her arms. The latter mewled in happiness from seeing her owner smile on TV.
U.A. STADIUM
Once he reached his class, he was greeted by a hug from Mina. ''Nice speech dude.'' She loosened her hold to look up at him with a smile.
Izuku chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her. ''Thanks, but I felt like a nervous wreck.'' He admitted with a crooked grin, getting a few laughs from his classmates in return.
''Don't sweat it Deku!'' Ochako chimed in. ''We'd feel the same way you did.'' She stated in understanding while others nodded in agreement.
Iida then raised his arms. ''Indeed! I would have been shaky as well.'' He stated in his usual manner getting a few laughs from his antics.
Izuku separated from Mina and turned to Bakugou expectantly. The latter stared at him blankly for a bit before clicking his tongue and looking away. ''Would have been better if you said: 'I'll be number one'.'' He grunted while Izuku laughed at this.
''I knew he'd say that.'' Their classmates thought with a sweatdrop.
''Now, let's get started right away.'' Midnight announced with a bit of pride from the speech earlier. ''Here's the first game!'' The screen behind her started selecting the game.
[OBSTACLE RACE!] The screen read.
''Through a nearly 4km course around the stadium, participants can use any means necessary to reach the finish line. The first 42 students to finish the race will participate in the next event!'' Midnight explained with an eager expression.
Before Izuku could join everyone at the starting area, he noticed something about the exit. ''It looks too narrow for everyone.'' He hummed as he watched everyone else gather in the tunnel.
Then it hit him, and with a small grin, he made his way to the back of the crowd. Everyone was either focused on watching the other students or too busy forming up in the tunnel to notice him.
All except one…
COMMENTATOR BOX
While Present Mic was busy giving an entertaining commentary, Aizawa had his eyes locked onto a particular student. Due to his hero career, his experience allowed him to analyze every detail of a situation and to make sure nothing goes unnoticed under his gaze. Plus, his quirk relied on locking onto targets.
So needless to say, the moment he saw one of the students go in the opposite direction, he immediately started analyzing the situation. Why would a student head to the back of the crowd? Did they have no plans of finishing the race?
All those thoughts were gone when he saw who it was.
He wasn't even surprised to see Izuku do something strange or surprising. Admittedly, he also found it impressive how the teen flowed through the crowd with ease, it honestly reminded him a little bit of himself when he would chase criminals through crowded areas.
''What are you up to kid?'' He hummed in intrigue as he eyed Izuku's every movement. The latter's quirk was one of the things he's been trying to figure out, he understood that his abilities mostly centered around bones, but from what he's seen…he felt that there was more to it.
BACK TO IZUKU
''Here should be good.'' Izuku stood by a corner behind the large mob of students. After looking around for a bit, he grinned and raised his right hand, his fingers set for snapping.
''ON YOUR MARKS.'' Midnight announced as the crowd cheered while the students were getting ready. ''GET SET!''
She paused for effect, while the students braced themselves as Izuku's eyes started glowing.
''GO!'' She roared before cracking her whip in the air.
The students started pushing themselves through the tunnel and due to the number of people, they felt like sardines being crammed into a can. Some even started bumping into each other, causing a few screams of pain.
And amongst the chaos, no one noticed the brief flash of green after the race started.
OUTSIDE THE TUNNEL
Todoroki was going in full sprint, his plan to freeze the tunnel was a partial success. Originally it was supposed to trap everyone, giving him a massive opening to enter the first place. However, what he didn't expect was for his classmates to be more than prepared for the tactic. Following behind them were students from other courses.
''Naïve Todoroki!'' Momo yelled as she used her creation quirk to make a metal pole to vault over the ice.
''COME BACK HERE!'' Bakugou roared in the air as he positioned his palms behind him. ''YOU HALF AND HALF BASTARD!'' He ordered before blasting himself forward again.
Todoroki glanced behind him with a stoic expression. ''More people from outside of Class 1A were able to dodge that than expected.'' He grimaced at the partial success of his plan, but it still worked in his favor since he still had the lead on everyone.
*ZWOOOOSSHHH*
Todoroki snapped to look in front of him in surprise. Only to stop as he stared at the scene before him while the students behind him also stopped as they looked at the scene in shock.
In front of them were several of the Zero Pointers from the entrance exam, but that wasn't the only thing they noticed.
The Goliath in the middle stood unresponsive as it sported a large hole in the chest that sparked and smoked from the massive damage it had sustained. Beside it, fellow robots focused on something on the ground. Causing the students to follow their line of sight and look down as well.
What they saw was another surprise, standing there with his back turned to them was Izuku. His hands were in his pockets as he appeared to be eyeing his handiwork.
''How?'' Todoroki's usually stoic expression faltered into one of disbelief as he stared at the teen. Even with great speed and power, there was no way Izuku should have been able to break through his ice without risking the safety of everyone else trapped in it.
As if he heard him, Izuku looked over his shoulder with a grin. ''Heya.'' He casually greeted. ''Ice of you to drop by.'' He chuckled.
''How!?'' Was the collective thought of the students outside of 1A, wondering how he passed through the frozen entrance easily. While his classmates were both surprised and unsurprised at his sudden appearance.
COMMENTATOR BOX
''WHAT!?'' Present Mic shouted in disbelief as he shot up from his seat. ''How did he get there!?'' He questioned with his mouth gaping like a fish.
Meanwhile, Aizawa hid a small smile underneath his bandages. ''So that's how he does it.'' Teleportation, of course. Now everything made sense to him while feeling like he had managed to solve the greatest mystery in the world.
And luckily for the teen, he planned on keeping this secret to himself while also thanking everything that the villains didn't possess this ability.
From what he's gathered, Izuku's combat style requires this ability to be used sparingly and whenever he needed to catch his opponents off guard or save himself/someone else from a tight spot. So it wouldn't make sense for the teacher to share the secret and make it harder for the teen.
Plus, what kind of teacher would he be if he just told everyone the answer instead of them learning it for themselves?
Realizing that he hadn't spoken in a while, Aizawa answered his co-announcer's question. ''He used his quirk.'' He flatly stated.
Present Mic deadpanned at him before going back to his usual commentary.
BACK WITH THE STUDENTS
The students regained focus when they noticed the other Zero Pointers focusing on them now. [''TARGETS LOCKED!''] The giants announced in unison as they raised their arms to attack.
Snapping out of his shock, Todoroki ran in front of Izuku and used his quirk to form a huge wave of ice, encasing and destroying the Bots in the process.
''Woah.'' Izuku said in amazement as he and everyone else stared at the frozen bots in awe.
Seeing his chance, Todoroki began sprinting again, but not before glancing back. ''I wouldn't be comfortable if I were you.'' He warned before focusing on his run.
As if on cue, the frozen goliaths began collapsing.
Fortunately, the robots' fall was slow enough to give everyone time to avoid the crumbling goliaths.
*CRASH*
''Did someone yell timber?'' Izuku stood as he was enveloped by cold mist from the fallen bots with a glow in his eyes while everyone around him remained in disarray from the crash.
COMMENTATOR BOX
''Amazing!'' Present Mic yelled as he turned to his co-announcer in amazement.
Aizawa with his usual tone replied. ''His actions are logical and strategic.'' He pointed out with approval, although he noticed Izuku wasn't among the crowd when the mist cleared, and immediately looked to the next obstacle to confirm his suspicions.
A smirk formed on his face when he did.
''THE FALL'' OBSTACLE
A part of Todoroki was wondering if he was losing it.
In front of him was a huge chasm with dozens of pillars of rock with tightropes attached to them. But that wasn't the issue, the problem was that Izuku was there. The gears in his head went into overdrive as he tried to process how exactly the OFA user ended up ahead of him again.
In the meantime, Izuku was admiring the obstacle, trying to figure out how they even built it. He then glanced at Todoroki with a grin. ''Quite the cliff-hanger isn't it?'' He chortled.
Todoroki narrowed his eyes and internally growled, he can't think about Izuku's quirk right now. He was here for one thing only. And with that thought, he used his ice quirk to slide across the ropes, progressing through the obstacle with ease.
Izuku sighed as he watched his classmate go over the obstacle, he truly wanted to figure out what was wrong with him. Though stoic, it was clear that his classmate was going through an inner turmoil that was driving his actions.
*BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*
His thoughts were interrupted by familiar explosions accompanied by screaming, looking up he saw Bakugou passing him while cursing at Todoroki.
With an inward chuckle, Izuku glanced back to see his classmates catching up, followed by other students. ''Welp.'' He shrugged before facing forward. ''Better get going.'' His eyes glowed as he snapped his fingers to form a medium Gaster Blaster for him to ride.
After mounting the weapon, he flew over the obstacle and made his way to the next challenge. While behind him, those who were unfamiliar with his quirk felt their jaws drop as they came to a halt, much to the amusement of Izuku's classmates as they passed the stunned students and faced the obstacle.
COMMENTATOR BOX
Present Mic was currently rubbing his temples as he tried to figure out how Izuku arrived first at the chasm obstacle. While beside him, Aizawa sat rather smug in his bandages, enjoying his co-announcer's suffering.
MINEFIELD OBSTACLE
Reaching the scene, Izuku saw Todoroki and Bakugou sabotaging each other, while evading the mines. Seeing his chance, he charged 10% and jumped off his blaster and over the minefield.
The duo below immediately noticed a shadow fly over them, which prompted them to look up. Their eyes widened when they saw Izuku soaring through the air with green lightning trailing behind him. "Look out below!" He laughed as he traveled.
''Motherfucker!'' Bakugou roared as he stopped attacking Todoroki and focused on getting first place.
The ice user was of like mind as he froze the mines ahead of him and broke into a sprint. Not caring if the frozen mines helped other students.
Once on the ground, Izuku rolled before running into a full sprint into the tunnel. A smile formed on his face as he caught sight of the finish line at the end.
His smile faltered when he heard explosions and ice being formed behind him. So, without glancing back, Izuku decided to ease the pressure and sprout bones behind him from random parts of the tunnel.
''GODDAMNIT!'' He heard Bakugou roar with the sounds of more explosions.
Izuku snickered before pushing ahead where he was met with blinding light accompanied by the cheers of the audience.
U.A. STADIUM
[''First place goes to IZUKU MIDORIYA!''] Present Mic's voice roared throughout the stadium.
While catching his breath, Izuku looked to the crowd before his eyes landed on Toshinori who was giving him a thumbs-up and a proud look. ''Mom must be crying by now.'' He thought with a fond smile as he turned back to the tunnel to see Bakugou come out, followed by Todoroki.
''Good race guys.'' Izuku said with a smile as he approached them.
Todoroki just stared at him before walking away, much to Izuku's worry. Fortunately, Bakugou was more vocal with his response. ''Fuck off.'' He started with a low growl. ''If icy-hot wasn't there, I would have taken the top spot!'' He finished in frustration.
Izuku shrugged. ''Maybe.'' He grinned getting a scoff with no real heat from the explosive teen.
A few moments later, the duo was approached by the rest of their friends.
Izuku noticed Mina running at him at full speed, with a smile on his face he spread his arms out and braced himself for impact.
Noticing this, Mina sped up and leaped into his arms, giggling while being spun around for a bit before stopping. From her embrace, she looked up with a smile. ''That was amazing!'' She cheered before separating from his embrace. ''How did you get ahead of everyone?'' She asked with a curious look as Ochako and Iida joined them.
Izuku hummed in thought before grinning. "I just used a shortcut." He shrugged as Iida and Ochako deadpanned at him while Mina pouted. Beside them, Bakugou was thinking of ways to kick ass in the next game.
Midnight then cracked her whip, getting everyone's attention. ''The top 42 shall move on to the next round! The next event shall be…'' She trailed off as the screen behind her started choosing the event.
[CAVALRY BATTLE!] The giant screen read.
''Participants will form teams with a maximum of 4 members. The objective is to swipe headbands from other teams while protecting your own. The value is determined by your placement during the last competition…''
''Uh oh.'' Izuku began sweating a bit at the implications after noting the last sentence.
''Which gives the first place the value of 10 MILLION POINTS!'' Midnight ended with a sadistic smile.
With the final nail to the coffin, all students turned to him with killer intent. Including most of his classmates.
''Huh, so this is how All Might feels when villains target him.'' Izuku looked around with an unnerved look, fortunately, Mina saw this and held his hand to help calm him.
Midnight continued explaining the rules. ''The one to wear the headband shall be the rider. Should you lose all your headbands, you may still try to steal other headbands before the time is up. Everyone is allowed to use their quirks, but if used to purposefully harm other participants, they'll be immediately disqualified.'' She finished with seriousness.
''Tch.'' Bakugou exclaimed as he looked away in disappointment, causing his classmates to deadpan at him.
Midnight then raised her whip. ''You have 15 minutes to form your teams! Good luck!'' She finished in excitement as she cracked her whip.
Glancing around, Izuku saw everyone keeping their distance from him and forming their teams. He also noticed Bakugou and Todoroki already completing their team formations.
''Welp, that makes sense.'' Izuku sighed as he looked around. ''With a big target on my back, nobody would want to be a part of my team.'' He turned around to see Mina and Ochako looking at him with smiles. ''Uhh, what are you guys doing?'' He asked with a head tilt.
Mina playfully narrowed her eyes with her hands on her hips. ''Well duh! Teaming up with you of course!'' She stated with a grin like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Ochako nodded with enthusiasm. ''Yeah! We've got your back Deku!'' She cheered with excitement.
''Besides.'' Mina said in a sly tone as she stepped closer to him. ''You didn't think I'd leave you alone, did you?'' She questioned with a flirty grin while playfully poking his chest.
''Nope.'' Izuku chuckled as he gave Mina a quick kiss on the lips. The latter giggled with a blush as she covered her mouth while he looked away and rubbed the back of his head with an embarrassed grin.
''Ahem.''
Snapping out of their interaction, the couple turned to face Ochako who had a teasing smirk. ''Maybe save the romance after the battle?'' She playfully suggested.
''O-Oh right.'' Izuku said with a sheepish look as he and Mina separated with blushes on their faces, much to Ochako's amusement.
Izuku then began looking for the final member of their team until his eyes landed on Iida. With a smile on his face, he approached the taller teen. ''Hey Iida, wanna team up?''
Iida turned to him with an apologetic look. ''As much as I want to.'' He started, getting some confused looks from the three. ''I plan on testing myself against you.'' He then gave a small bow. ''I'm sorry but it's something I wanted to do.'' He finished apologetically.
Izuku was stunned for a bit before chuckling, making the representative look up. ''It's fine dude.'' He shrugged as Iida straightened himself. ''Good luck out there.'' He grinned as he offered a handshake.
Iida smiled and shook his hand. ''And to you as well my friend.'' He nodded to him before joining Todoroki's team, much to the three's surprise.
Izuku then turned to his teammates who seemed a bit down by Iida's choice of teammates. ''It's fine guys.'' He gained their attention. ''Everyone here wants to show the world that they can be heroes. So, I get why he wants to test himself.'' He stated in understanding which got nods of agreement in return.
With Iida out of the option, Izuku began looking for a teammate once again. The rules didn't exactly limit them to only working with their classmates, which meant finding at least one more member would be-
''Mr. First Place team up with me!''
Turning to the voice, the three saw a girl with pink hair, yellow eyes, goggles, and a bag full of gadgets approaching them. And from what Izuku could tell, she wasn't going to stop until she was in his personal space. ''I'm Hatsume Mei! I'm from the support course! Given your position, you'll be underneath the spotlight right!? Then that means companies will get a good look at my babies-'' She wasn't able to complete her sentence and breach his personal space as she suddenly found herself covered in a green glow and lifted a bit from the ground.
Looking ahead she saw Izuku with a hand stretched out and his eyes glowing a bit while Ochako and Mina were just stunned by the girl's sudden appearance, before snapping out of it and standing beside him while keeping an eye on Mei.
''Woah, easy there lady.'' Izuku chuckled as a teasing grin formed on his face. ''I'm not planning on becoming a teenage father.'' He laughed, resulting in an embarrassed expression from Mei, obviously referring to the term 'babies'. While Ochako rolled her eyes at the immature joke with a smile as Mina quickly placed both hands on her mouth to try and hold in her laughter.
Izuku then got serious. ''Now, I'm going to put you down.'' He then held up a finger. ''But I need you to calm down and explain why we'll benefit from you being on our team.'' He suggested calmly while his teammates nodded.
Though still surprised by her current position, Mei gave a nod which resulted in her being gently placed back on her feet. She then composed herself as she held out her bag. ''My inventions here are just what you need to win the game.'' She pulled out a jetpack. ''For instance, this jetpack here will offer high mobility and help avoid obstacles along the way.'' She said with pride.
Izuku placed a hand on his chin with a thoughtful hum. ''Pairing this with Ochako's quirk will let us fly away with no problem. Plus, those hover boots could be useful as well. Mina's acid can also serve to destroy any blockade that might be in the way. And then there's my quirk in the mix.'' After nodding to himself he turned to Mei, offering a handshake. ''Welcome aboard.'' He welcomed with a smile.
Mei sprang to life and shook his hand with vigor. ''You won't be disappointed!'' She stated happily getting amused smiles from the three.
''TIMES UP!'' Midnight announced to everyone.
With that Izuku wrapped his headband and positioned himself as the rider of the group. Ochako was on his right, Mina was on his left and Mei was in front. Once set he looked down at his teammates. ''Ready?'' He asked with an excited grin.
''As ready as I'll ever be!'' Mina responded with a grin of her own.
''Same here!'' Ochako said in excitement.
''Affirmative!'' Mei confirmed with much enthusiasm as she wore her goggles.
Izuku then looked to the other teams with his eyes glowing. ''Then let's get to it.''
''Right!'' They all replied.
On the stage, Midnight licked her lips as she lifted her whip in the air, before bringing it down with a loud snap. ''BEGIN!''
Unsurprisingly, most teams rushed towards Izuku's team, while others went to collect their points elsewhere. But the most notable were the teams of Bakugou and Todoroki.
Bakugou was being carried by Kirishima, Sero to his left, and Tokoyami to his right.
Todoroki was being carried by Iida, Momo to his left, and Denki to his right.
''Good combinations.'' Izuku hummed in approval as his team braced themselves for the assault.
On cue, a team of 1B students came close, the student in the front with no lips used his quirk to make the ground around them sand.
''We're sinking!'' Mina shouted in worry.
''Look away from the thrusters!'' Izuku screamed as he prepared to activate the jetpack. Mina and Ochako immediately looked away from the jetpack as it lit up, but not before the latter used her quirk on her team. With the combination of her quirk, the team easily escaped the quicksand as they took flight. From below the teams looked up in surprise as they watched them blast off before being attacked by a barrage of bones left behind by Izuku.
After narrowly avoiding a bone to the shoulder, Toru saw an opportunity for her team. ''Jiro!''
''I know!'' Jiro responded without delay and sent her earphone jacks towards Izuku who sensed their approach and sent a bone club at them.
*Clang*
With a hiss, Jiro retracted her jacks. ''Damn!'' She cursed as she eyed her stinging quirk with a grimace.
Thanks to Hatsume's hover boots, the team was able to make a soft landing. ''Thanks for the awesome gear Hatsume!'' Izuku thanked sincerely as his team started moving again.
Mei felt pride from those words. ''I'm glad you like them! And please, call me Mei!'' She encouraged while giving Izuku a big smile. His response was nodding while mirroring her expression, oblivious to the shocked expressions of Mina and Ochako from how effortlessly he befriended the young inventor.
Before he could say anything, Izuku instinctively activated his psychokinesis and stopped a projectile from hitting Ochako's foot. The other three turned to look at the projectile in surprise.
''Mineta's Quirk!?'' Ochako blurted out as they eyed the sticky orb as it was discarded to the side.
''But where-'' Izuku's question was cut off when he spotted Shoji charging at them, on his back appeared to be a tent formed from his quirk. And from the front entrance, Mineta peeked from within, looking quite creepy. ''Don't even think about underestimating me Midoriya!'' He declared in a tone that made his team shiver.
''Is that even allowed?'' Izuku asked aloud.
''It is!'' Midnight clarified.
With a creepy laugh, Mineta retreated to the darkness and suddenly a tongue lashed out and tried to grab Izuku's headband. ''What the!?'' Despite his surprise, his senses and reflexes allowed him to easily avoid the tongue as it retreated into the tent.
''As expected from you Izuku.'' Tsuyu commended as she peeked through the opening, before hiding herself again. After a second, her tongue came lashing out again accompanied by Mineta's quirk.
''Incoming!'' Izuku exclaimed as his eyes glowed while using his psychokinesis to stop the tongue and some of Mineta's quirk. But unfortunately, there was still more of the grape-themed teen's quirk on the way. ''Mina!'' He sent bone projectiles to intercept them.
''Got it!'' Mina replied before throwing her acid at orbs that slipped through the counter-attack which immediately dissolved upon contact and splashed on the ground.
After breathing a sigh of relief, Izuku sent the tongue back to Tsuyu who was surprised by the amount of force it had and was knocked back into the tent. And at the same time, he sent what he caught from Mineta's quirk toward Shoji. Resulting in the multi-armed teen tumbling to the ground from the contact as he didn't have Mineta's immunity to them.
Izuku then turned to his team, snapping them out of their amazement. ''Let's get out of here!'' He prepared to activate the jetpack as the three nodded in agreement before they launched themselves into the air again.
But while in the air, they heard explosions below them.
*BOOM* *BOOM*
Ochako squeaked in surprise when Bakugou appeared in front of them after launching himself in the air. ''Don't get carried away!'' He shouted as he prepared to use his explosion on them.
Izuku retaliated by summoning a top half of a medium blaster to act as a shield.
*BOOM*
Bakugou growled in frustration before he was pulled back to his team while Izuku's team safely landed at a great distance from his classmates. ''Talk about rocket man.'' He sighed as Bakugou's team focused on fighting other teams who surrounded them.
''Well if it isn't 1A's famous comedian.''
His team turned to the voice, revealing to be another blond-haired boy. Though there was something about his face that made Izuku slightly annoyed for some reason.
''Who are you?'' Izuku asked in confusion while his teammates looked at them curiously.
The blond looked a bit annoyed by the question but cleared his throat nonetheless. ''My name is Monoma Neito from class 1B.'' He cockily introduced himself while his teammates either rolled their eyes or grumbled something under their breath.
''Huh.'' Izuku stated simply before looking down to his team and then back to Monoma. ''Well, it was nice meeting you but we gotta go.'' He stated nonchalantly while his teammates were shocked but complied anyway as they began moving away from the other team who was gaping at them.
Monoma felt his blood boil as he gestured for his team to pursue. ''What's wrong Midoriya, can't deal with us?'' He said in a dangerous tone that made his team nervous.
"Nah, I just wanted you to take the bait." Izuku prepared to use his quirk, but unbeknownst to either of them, a certain explosive blond caught sight of Monoma's team with a feral look. While around his team, the students that had tried to surround them retreated from either being overwhelmed or losing their headbands.
*BOOM*
''Or we could go with that.'' Izuku chuckled, already sensing his friend's approach while his teammates looked at him curiously.
''Hey fuckers!''
Monoma's team turned to see Bakugou in the air with Dark Shadow looming behind him, making him look like a daylight demon.
''What the fu-'' Was the only thing Monoma got out before his team was mercilessly attacked. All the while, Izuku was laughing and soon joined by his teammates as they merrily made their getaway.
Once their laughter died down, Ochako spoke. ''That was amazing Deku!'' She cheered getting a chuckle out of him. ''But how did you know Bakugou would help us?'' She asked in curiosity while the other two looked to him for an explanation.
Izuku grinned. ''I didn't.'' They were taken aback by his response. ''I was about to trap them in a bone cage until Bakugou showed up.'' He ended with a laugh while his teammates remained shocked.
''So we got lucky!?'' Mina and Ochako deadpanned at him whereas Mei redirected her focus on monitoring her "babies".
They were snapped out of it when a wall of ice formed in front of them.
Looking at the source, they saw Todoroki eyeing them with a serious look while his teammates tried to do the same but were trembling a bit from the cold. ''Welp, at least I know I have his attention.'' Izuku mused as he subtly glanced at the timer. ''Won't be long until the time is up.'' He powered up as he stared back at the other team.
''Iida forward!'' Todoroki ordered before turning to Momo ''Yaoyorozu, prepare to guard us and conduct!'' Both did as their told and followed accordingly.
Todoroki snapped to Kaminari, but the electric user was one step ahead as he began charging up. In the meantime, other teams were converging on their position, unaware of what his team was doing.
Izuku however saw their plan as his eyes widened in realization. ''Oh no you don't!'' He instantly activated the jetpack and began to take flight. Luckily his teammates caught on as well and held onto him.
Not a second later, Kaminari unleashed his quirk and effectively stunned the other teams. And amongst the chaos, Jiro cursed at Kaminari, drawing a fearful look from the latter, dreading the retribution he was going to receive.
''He figured it out.'' Todoroki pursed his lips in frustration as he watched Izuku's team land a safer distance away from him.
Upon landing, Izuku's jetpack started sparking up, causing the girls to gasp as they eyed the support item. ''Did it overload?'' He quickly took off the pack and handed it to Hatsume who examined it.
After using her quirk to examine certain parts, the inventor grimaced a bit and deactivated the gadget before handing it back to him. ''Sadly yes.'' She confirmed with an apologetic and frustrated look.
After wearing the deactivated gadget again, Izuku gave her an encouraging smile. ''It's fine, it just means there's more room for improvement.'' He grinned before looking ahead for more teams, not noticing the shocked expression on Mei.
They were then surprised when they found themselves surrounded by walls of ice. Looking ahead he saw Todoroki's team waiting to attack. "Well, he's certainly persistent." Izuku mused as he narrowed his eyes at them.
But during their stare-down, he noticed a few things.
Todoroki hasn't used his left side, at all, meaning that staying there is the safest place. Kaminari appeared to be running out of juice and from what he can see, Iida looked like he was preparing something. ''Everyone, there's not much time before the match ends. You won't be able to use me after this.'' The latter warned, getting confused looks from everyone.
Izuku remained silent as he watched his friend go into a running stance and it was at that moment, he realized what he was doing.
''Torque over!'' Iida called out, getting Todoroki and his teammates to hold on tight. ''Recipro-''
''I wouldn't do that if I were you.'' With a daring grin, Izuku's eyes glowed as Iida eyed him warily. ''You wouldn't want to run into a dead end, would you?'' He snapped his fingers, causing three bone fences to sprout from the ground and surround his team. Effectively preventing Iida from using his special ability entirely.
Now Todoroki was more than frustrated at this point, Izuku's defenses were perfect against Iida's speed. He could send an ice wall but Izuku and Mina's quirk could counter that, even if one didn't use their quirk the other can easily do as much damage.
Izuku noted the frustration in Todoroki's eyes, it was clear that the stoic teen wanted to attack but his quirk must be complicating the issue. Taking a sneaky glance at the clock again, he saw that the timer was almost up.
So with this in mind, he decided to add to the pressure. ''You look frustrated about something buddy.'' Izuku called out with a smug grin that made Todoroki's blood boil. Meanwhile, everyone else turned to him in shock, not expecting a taunt from the teen.
*BOOM* *CRASH*
Snapping to the source of the commotion, they saw that Bakugou's team had broken through the ice wall and was now targeting Izuku as well. ''Hand it over Deku.'' He ordered with mini-explosions from his palms and a look that could kill while his team had their quirks ready.
''W-What do we do Izu?'' Mina whispered in worry as she noted that they were cornered while his other teammates were worried as well.
Izuku looked between the two teams, both can be difficult to battle at the same time, considering the combinations they have and the risk of his teammates being hurt. And another factor he also had to consider would be the remaining match time.
Suddenly, an idea struck him.
Izuku grinned. ''Simple.'' He stated getting everyone's attention. ''I'm going to use my SPECIAL ATTACK.'' He shrugged, causing both Todoroki and Bakugou's teammates to become nervous from his declaration while their riders just steeled themselves.
Mina looked at him in curiosity, before she remembered the battle trials, causing an evil smirk to form on her face as she turned to the other teams. Ochako and Mei didn't know what the 'special attack' was but decided to go with it. If this was Izuku's plan, then they'll trust it.
Unfortunately, Iida also remembered the battle trial and alerted everyone. ''He's bluffing! He just wants to stall time!'' His statement calmed them a bit while Mina felt a little nervous but didn't show it.
Izuku decided to have them second-guessing. ''You sure about that?'' He challenged with a raised eyebrow. "Keep in mind, this isn't a training exercise." He casually pointed out.
Iida's resolve faltered a bit as he responded. ''Y-You never used your cannons during the battle trials and I believe you wouldn't use them now!'' He accused semi-confidently.
Kaminari jumped in. ''Y-Yeah!'' He voiced his agreement. ''Midnight even said that hurting students on purpose is against the rules, so there's no way you'll do it.'' He then looked to Izuku for assurance. ''R-Right?'' He gulped.
Izuku didn't give a verbal response as his eyes glowed and snapped his fingers. From behind his team, two large Gaster Blasters appeared causing Mina's face to become wicked to add to the pressure. By this time, Mei and Ochako now understood the plan and mimicked her expression. Though Mei was also thinking of making similar weapons for the heroes.
Upon seeing the cannons, Bakugou and Todoroki were tense but didn't show it. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for their teammates as their colors drained. Anyone else that saw the cannons was shocked by the size and the firepower that they must possess.
''M-Midoriya?'' Momo managed to say, feeling faint as she nervously stared between him and the two cannons while Iida could only stay still as the familiar fear gripped his soul.
"Such hidden terror." Tokoyami grimly muttered as Dark Shadow retreated to him and whimpered within him from the sight of the cannons.
"H-Holy shit…" Kaminari and Sero gulped, feeling very small.
With a bit of sweat, Kirishima glanced at Bakugou. ''H-He wouldn't do it right?'' He asked for some semblance of assurance while his teammates also glanced at the teen with hope.
But to their dismay, the cannons hovered to the sides of Izuku's team and picked their targets. The one on the left aimed at Todoroki's team while the right one aimed at Bakugou's team. Both weapons stared with intensity as they growled.
Izuku noticed Bakugou and Todoroki keeping their composure, so he went further. His eyes flared up as green spheres formed in the blasters, growling as they began charging, placing both teams under the light of the blasters.
*VRRRRRR*
That did it, both riders grimaced.
''He might.'' Bakugou said in a serious tone as he prepared to fight, the response made his teammates go white. While Todoroki looked genuinely surprised, sure victory was important. But was it worth hurting your friends for it? He was so stunned that he didn't notice a familiar feeling start to emerge from his left side.
And just for good measure, Izuku channeled 10%, causing green sparks to emanate from his body while spawning multiple floating bones above them which successfully added more pressure to his classmates.
Nobody moved, and nobody dared to breathe as the energy from the growling cannons intensified by the second.
…
…
…
...
[''THE MATCH IS OVER!''] Present Mic yelled over the mic, startling the two other teams. [''TEAM MIDORIYA RETAINS FIRST PLACE!''] His declaration filled the stadium with cheers from the crowd. [Author's Note: The other teams that won are the same as Canon.]
And just like that, Izuku powered down and collapsed on his teammates, resulting in a pile of laughing teens as the blasters and bones despawned. Meanwhile, Bakugou's teammates breathed a sigh of relief and grouped up with Izuku.
However, Todoroki just stood there, staring at his left hand in disbelief, as his teammates approached Izuku. ''He made me use my left.'' He clenched his left fist before directing a calculating gaze at Izuku who was laughing with the others.
''That was awesome!'' Ochako exclaimed as she jumped up and down.
Momo giggled at her before turning her attention to Izuku. ''Still, I didn't think that you of all people would use intimidation.'' She said in a semi-stern tone.
Iida nodded in agreement. ''Indeed! You've clearly shown us that we have a long way to go!'' He stated proudly while chopping his arms in the air, getting a few laughs from his classmates.
Izuku rubbed the back of his head. ''Well, it was either that or hurting you guys.'' He admitted getting shocked looks from them. ''Honestly, I'd rather do anything else than that.'' He stated honestly getting smiles out of them.
Mina, however, decided to have some fun. ''You should have seen your faces though!'' She laughed getting some embarrassed expressions from them.
''H-Hey.'' Kaminari weakly retorted. ''Anyone would freak out if they saw Midoriya's blasters aimed at them.'' He pointed out while Izuku looked a bit guilty.
Kirishima noticed this and wrapped an arm around him. ''Hey don't sweat it bro.'' He reassured with a toothy grin. ''There are no hard feelings here.'' He looked to everyone else. ''Right guys?''
Momo gasped as she placed a hand over her mouth. ''Oh heavens no!'' She gave him an understanding smile. ''It was just a competition, there are no personal grudges.'' She assured.
''Here! Here!'' Iida declared in agreement as everyone else voiced the same sentiments which made Izuku feel much better.
''Besides.'' Kirishima quickly added making Izuku look at him curiously. ''I think it was pretty manly.'' He said before giving the OFA user a friendly noogie, eliciting laughter from him which was shared with everybody else.
Their laughter died down when Bakugou approached Izuku with a fist raised to him while wearing a smirk. Kirishima understood immediately and let Izuku go to let them have their manly exchange.
With a grin on his face, Izuku returned the fist bump. ''Had fun?''
Bakugou chuckled evilly as he cracked his knuckles. ''Hell yes.'' He said with a crazed smile that got a laugh from Izuku. While the rest just sweatdropped at the interaction, they honestly wondered sometimes how a cinnamon roll became friends with an angry teen like Bakugou.
Izuku ceased his laughter before his eyes landed on Mei who was doing repairs on her jetpack. With a smile, he made his way to the inventor while his friends were confused by his sudden departure.
''What's he doing?'' Kirishima asked as he turned to Mina.
Mina looked at Izuku and followed his gaze. When she realized what he was doing, a warm smile formed on her face. ''Being himself.'' She stated fondly while the rest just observed.
''Hey Mei!'' Izuku called the inventor, getting her attention.
''Oh, Mr. First Place!'' She replied with a smile getting a laugh out of Izuku.
He waved a hand. ''Just Midoriya or Izuku is fine.'' He stated before offering a handshake. ''I just wanted to say thanks for letting us use your inventions.'' He stated with a smile.
Mei was shocked for a bit, not used to someone approaching her before returning the handshake with a smile. ''Well, I'm glad you like them.'' She then eyed the damaged jetpack with a frown. ''Before they went wrong, I mean.'' She finished with guilt before letting go of his hand.
Izuku placed a hand on her shoulder. ''Hey, it's fine.'' He said getting her attention. ''Like I said a while ago, a few mishaps here and there just means that there's more room to improve.'' He advised with an understanding smile, getting a thoughtful impression from Mei in return. ''Given time, I have faith that you'll be one of the best before you know it.'' He added reassuringly.
Mei snapped to Izuku in shock, not used to receiving such support from anyone other than her family and Power Loader. He and his friends made her experience a lot of new things today, namely being acquainted with people her age that didn't think negatively of her or be intimidated/weirded out by her enthusiasm for inventing.
With these thoughts, she wore a bright smile as she nodded. ''You're right!'' Her eyes lit up with possibilities. ''This is nothing but a minor setback!'' She declared determinedly with a triumphant laugh.
''Glad to hear it.'' Izuku laughed along before gesturing a thumb to his classmates. ''Well, I gotta get going now, nice meeting you Mei.''
''Likewise.'' She replied with equal gusto.
He waved her goodbye before heading back to his classmates. Only to stop in front of them when he noticed them staring. "What?'' He asked with a head tilt.
Mina giggled at his confusion and hugged him. ''Nothing much, you're just too sweet sometimes.'' She looked up from the embrace with a grin.
Having an idea what she meant, Izuku chuckled and wrapped his arms around her. ''I do get that a lot.''
Ignoring his envy, Kaminari shook his head with a sigh. ''It's weird how a pure guy like you has a scary quirk.'' He exclaimed while scratching his head.
Sero voiced his agreement. ''I hear that.'' He agreed with his usual expression. ''It's honestly easy to forget you have that quirk in the first place.''
Tokoyami hummed in agreement. "Great strength often lies from within the kindest." His wise words were well received as everyone agreed.
[''WE'LL BE TAKING A SHORT BREAK!''] Present Mic announced.
After glancing at the clock on the large screen, Izuku turned to his classmates. ''Welp, looks like it's time to get some grub.'' He patted his stomach.
''Finally!'' Bakugou yelled. ''I'm starved.'' He complained with a scowl while his classmates just deadpanned at him but didn't comment as they headed to the cafeteria.
As Izuku followed his classmates he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. With a curious look, he turned to see Todoroki with a stoic expression.
Noticing this, his classmates stopped moving as well.
''I need to speak to you.'' The bi-colored teen looked at everyone else. ''In private.'' His tone had no room for argument.
Bakugou stepped forward with a scowl. ''Like hell he'll go alone.'' He clenched his hands.
And before anyone could say anything, Izuku raised a hand placatingly. ''It's fine you guys.'' Most of his classmates looked conflicted but decided to let it go.
Bakugou looked like he wanted to say more but backed off and joined the rest of the group.
Izuku then turned to Todoroki who gestured to follow him.
''Hey.''
Glancing back, he saw Mina looking at him worriedly. ''Be careful all right?''
Izuku nodded with a smile. ''I will.'' He assured with a wink, before following Todoroki. Mina watched him go with a worried frown before reluctantly regrouping with everyone else.
ISOLATED AREA IN THE STADIUM
The two teens stared at each other in silence. Izuku knew this was something serious so he waited patiently. He then felt a very familiar presence nearby but decided to not say anything about it. Lest he might risk not knowing anything from Todoroki.
''I was overpowered.'' Todoroki suddenly said, making Izuku look at him curiously. ''So much that I broke my pledge.'' His tone had some frustration in it.
Izuku found himself glancing at Todoroki's left hand. He had assumed that Todoroki never used it much because he preferred to use his ice quirk more. But it was clear that it was much deeper than that.
Taking the silence as permission, Todoroki continued. ''None of them feel it.'' Izuku snapped out of his thoughts and looked at him. ''The way you smile, how you overwhelm your opponents with your quirk, and how your laughter puts everyone at ease.'' He paused as he eyed Izuku with an intense stare. ''All these things, feel similar to All Might.''
Izuku's eyes widened a bit as he realized what point Todoroki is getting at. ''Did he figure it out?!'' He was always careful with the way he explained his quirk and made sure to keep similarities between him and All Might to a minimum. So how did Todoroki figure it out?
Before he could say anything, Todoroki spoke again. ''Midoriya, are you…'' He trailed off as if trying to phrase it the best way he can.
Meanwhile, a part of Izuku wanted to knock him out and bring him to All Might but decided to deal with what came next. And while he was at it, he considered knocking out the familiar presence as well.
''…All Might's secret love child or something?'' Todoroki bluntly asked in a serious tone.
...
...
...
...what?
Izuku can swear he heard a record scratch somewhere after that statement. ''S-Secret love child!?'' He felt his eyeballs about to pop out of his skull from the shock of it.
''Well?'' Todoroki prodded with a bit of impatience.
Realizing he hadn't said anything, Izuku quickly composed himself. ''As much as an interesting theory that is.'' He admitted while rubbing the back of his head. ''I'm not his…s-secret l-love c-child.'' He said in embarrassment, while mentally adding that as one of the things that he didn't think he would say in his life.
Though admittedly, he did see him as a father figure.
''Oh.'' Todoroki said blankly. ''Is that right?'' Izuku nodded. ''My apologies for the misunderstanding then.'' He stated with his usual tone, but Izuku could see the shame in his eyes.
Recovering from his earlier mistake, Todoroki cleared his throat, snapping Izuku out of his embarrassment. ''But there is something between you two isn't there?'' He asked in seriousness.
Izuku just shrugged. ''He's my teacher, just as all of us are his students.'' He simply stated, which technically wasn't a lie.
Todoroki seemed satisfied before leaning against the wall with a sigh. ''Endeavor's my old man.'' He confessed with clenched fists, getting a look of surprise from Izuku. ''I'm sure you know that he's been stuck as the Number Two Hero for a long time.'' He then glared at Izuku who was surprised by the sudden anger. ''If the Number One Hero has his eye on you, then I have more reason to beat you.'' He declared with a tone of finality.
All the while, Izuku was looking at him with caution. ''Where is he going with this?'' He thought in worry, not liking the steady increase of tension in the air.
Not even bothered by the silence or how Izuku was looking at him, Todoroki continued. ''My old man has a strong desire to rise in the world.'' He then looked outside. ''As a hero, he won a name for himself with crushing force. And when he couldn't surpass All Might he moved on to his next plan.'' He finished.
''And that would be?'' Izuku warily prodded. From the way his classmate was talking about his father, it sounded like he was talking about a heartless monster.
Todoroki then returned his cold gaze to Izuku who tensed from it. ''Have you heard of quirk marriages?''
And just like that, Izuku felt his blood run cold as his eyes widened in disbelief. ''Y-You don't mean he...?" It sounded impossible to believe.
Todoroki nodded as he closed his eyes. ''He did.'' He tiredly admitted, not seeing Izuku looking horrified.
The bi-colored teen then opened his eyes with rage within them. ''He's trying to fulfill his desire by raising me to be a hero to surpass All Might.'' He confessed with fury while Izuku looked to his feet, trying to digest what he said.
The idea of simply raising a child for selfish reasons was sickening enough, but to force other people to have them with you is much worse.
''In my memories, my mother is always crying.'' Todoroki placed his left hand on his scar as Izuku tensely looked back at him. ''She would say my left side was unsightly as she poured boiling water on me.'' He stated in pain while Izuku leaned back against the wall in shock. He was always loved by his mother, so the idea of a mother saying those things to her son was heartbreaking.
''Now you know why I picked a fight with you.'' Todoroki lowered his hand as his expression hardened. ''And why I will NEVER, use my left side.'' He declared in anger.
Izuku honestly didn't know what to say, he just went through so much information and emotions in one moment.
''Sorry for wasting your time.'' Todoroki suddenly said before walking away.
As Izuku watched him leave, he remembered something that All Might once said to him.
''I can say without a doubt, that you will be a great hero.''
He clenched his fists and ran after him.
''Todoroki!''
Todoroki stopped and glanced at Izuku who wore a frown. ''I can't even imagine what you've been through.'' He paused as a serious expression formed on his face, while Todoroki fully turned to him. ''But even so, I won't back down.'' Unbeknownst to him, his eyes began glowing a bit. ''And as a response to your declaration of war, I'll be fighting you with everything I've got.'' He stated determinedly. ''Can you say the same?'' He questioned with a serious expression.
Todoroki stared at him for a bit before turning around and wordlessly walking away but Izuku saw a glimpse of conflict in his eyes. The latter sighed at this as his eyes powered down.
After making sure the coast was clear, Izuku turned back to the tunnel with a serious look. ''You can come out now.'' He called out with an expectant tone.
From the corner, Bakugou appeared with a look of his own as he made his way to Izuku. ''I'm guessing you heard everything?'' A nod in response, making him sigh. ''Ok, do us a favor and keep this between the three of us would ya?'' He requested with a hard look.
Bakugou just nodded before looking to where Todoroki was headed with a thoughtful look.
Izuku also stared in silence before sighing. "Come on.'' Bakugou looked at him. ''Let's get some grub.'' He suggested with a small smile, getting a quiet grunt in response.
As they were heading back, Bakugou glanced at Izuku, gaining his attention. ''Did he seriously call you All Might's love child?'' He stated with a tone of disbelief.
Izuku completely stopped, prompting Bakugou to do the same, and glanced at him with an eyebrow raised. ''Is that your way of lightening the mood?''
Bakugou suddenly looked embarrassed before scowling. ''Fuck you.'' He grumbled before marching ahead.
With a small smile, Izuku was about to follow but not before looking back with a determined look. "I will save you.''He promised before catching up with Bakugou.