16

Chapter 16: Sports Festival IV – Get ReadyNotes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"Are you All Might's secret love child or something?" 

Izuku hid a small smirk behind his hand, faking a facepalm. Shoto's first theory was pretty tame if compared to some he had cooked up later on. 

"Ah! I wish," he laughed, making the sound echo for a second of the concrete walls. "He would have been better than my old man, for one." 

Todoroki stared, clearly unconvinced. Having been called for private talks by the Number 1 Hero surely didn't help his cause. 

"Look," Izuku continued, now with a kinder smile, "if you think he's done something wrong, don't. I've only had my mother for as far as I can remember, but we know who my father was. We've got a photo of him somewhere, I think. But he left us when I was diagnosed as Quirkless at four, so I hope he stays as far away from me as he possibly can." 

"Quirkless?" 

Of course, that's what he got out of that explanation... 

"Yeah. I've got the extra toe joint and all. [Superpower] only came in a little before the entrance exam." 

Todoroki raised an eyebrow. "You weren't thinking about taking the exam like that, were you?" 

"Why not?" He shrugged. "My combat skills aren't due to my Quirk. That's my blood and sweat you've been dealing with. Imagine if I only knew how to punch stuff without any control with a Quirk that can break my muscles and crumble my bones..." 

Every reference to previous iterations was purely coincidental. Yep.

"A Hero without a Quirk? Doesn't that sound impossible to you?" 

Did it? Kinda. He would have loved to try that now, but getting rid of [One For All] wasn't an option anymore. Nobody else should suffer like he did like he is bear the weight. 

"I've had people tell me I should quit because of what I was for fifteen years, Todoroki. Proving them wrong is one of my greatest achievements." 

Spite was one of Hitoshi's greatest motivators, but it didn't quite do it for Izuku. He just liked to be helpful. 

The other's gaze went from hardened to analyzing. "Why are you telling me this?" 

- Oh, I dunno, maybe just want to be your friend, dumbass... - 

"I said we would talk later. Now's later. And you seem to want to get something off your chest, so I thought: 'Hey, why not start and make things even?'" He parodied his own voice but failed to make Shoto's mouth move. The boy was a hard public to please. 

Todoroki stood in silence, observing him for a few more seconds before speaking. 

"Have you heard of Quirk marriages?" 

Quirk Marriage  

Noun phrase (also, "Individuality Marriage", "Marriage of Quirk Convenience") 

UK: /kwɜːk ˈ mær.ɪdʒ/ US: / kwɝːk ˈmer.ɪdʒ/ 

A marriage contracted for the sole purpose of choosing and/or enhancing a specific Quirk to be inherited down the bloodline, rather than for mutual affection. The practice was born sometime during the second and third generation of Quirk users, as children's Quirks are prone to inherit properties from those of their parents. It is regarded as a modern branch of eugenics. 

This form of social contract, born out of the attempt to create "custom children" solely for the sake of experimentation with Quirks, is deemed an unethical taboo. The practice has been outlawed in most countries. 

Yeah, Izuku knew about those. 

He just kept listening as his friend gushed about the world he'd lived in: Endeavor's household. The marriage arrangements, the obligatory training, the hate he felt, the tears of his mother, the boiling water accident. Each phrase made him more and more worked up. 

"Not using my left side is my revenge on him. By never using my rotten father's Quirk... No... By rising to the top without it, I'll have denied him of everything." 

Shoto's words were heavier than steel. 

But they would just keep holding him down. 

"You're wrong." 

Seeing how he writhed, a punch probably would have had the same effect on Shoto's face. 

"What?" He spoke through his teeth. 

"You heard me," Izuku let his smile fade, taking in all the hate Shoto's eyes were capable of. "You're wrong, Todoroki, and someone needs to tell you. You think you're making him pay, but all you're doing is paying him a tribute by holding back half of the Hero you could be." 

"It's the half of me that's his! It's the half that made my mother do this!" Shoto was shouting, gesturing to the burn scar in fury. "If I use my fire he wins! The world will know me only as his child! His work!" 

Izuku left his spot on the wall to step forward, getting in his face. "Is that what you'll tell yourself when you'll be on death's door as a damn ice statue? Is that the excuse you'll make to the families of the people you won't be able to save because you're holding back? 'Sorry, I didn't want you to connect my glory to a guy who's my sperm donor, so we're going to die.' Get your head out of the gutter and think!" 

The other teen seemed about to mutter a reply, but he was swarmed by the sheer anger in Izuku's voice. Rightful anger, he thought. He wasn't taking those examples out of his ass. He'd failed him before, and a Shoto without his fire was a death waiting to happen. 

The images of Shoto's cold demises fueled his river of words as he poked the boy's chest. 

"Or don't, cause your body seems to be smarter than you! You used it ten minutes ago to defend yourself, didn't you? You 'felt All Might's pressure' from me? It's called fear, Todoroki, and I won't be the last one to make you try that. What good is your promise if you can't even keep it up? Because you can swear that you'll receive a lot more than that when we meet on that ring." 

Shoto looked at him, stunned. He probably didn't think him capable of that kind of outburst. 

- Good, shock achieved. - 

"He fears you..." the voice said, freezing his veins for a moment. 

- It'll keep him alive. Now calm down. - 

Izuku took a step back, sighing to let out his remaining breath, slowly moving onto a kinder approach. He met Shoto's eyes again, trying to look as certain of his words as possible. 

"Whatever your father did is on him. Those words about your left half being his came straight out of his mouth, and they're acting like chains on your ankles. You, Shoto Todoroki, are not his legacy, his masterpiece, or whatever bullshit he spouts. You're your own person. Your Quirk belongs to you alone. Whatever connection genetics created between the two of you is not something he can hold over your head. You could stop using your right side today and parade your flames as a goddamn beard, and you still wouldn't owe him anything." 

If the shock wasn't certain before, it was now. Izuku knew that Shoto hadn't received kind words from anyone beyond Fuyumi and Natsuo in years, and even then, the situation was tense. 

Shoto's locks were partially covering his eyes as he looked down. 

Izuku reached out, taking Shoto's left hand, which he had hurriedly taken out of his pockets in his previous fit. The teen didn't swat him away or retract as he held it. 

"I know it's hard to let go, but at least think about it," he whispered gently, feeling the heat beneath his skin. "Your blood doesn't determine who you are. Your choices do. And you get to choose how to live your life." 

He opened his hold, retracting and giving the other a moment to breathe. 

"I'll leave you alone now, but know that I'll leave an open seat on our table. You could join us, I you want," he offered, searching for his blue and gray. 

Todoroki didn't raise his head as he put his hands back into his pockets and turned away. "I... I'll think about it." 

Izuku nodded, knowing that letting him have his space was for the best. He couldn't just force himself to push out fifteen years' worth of trauma in a five-minute talk. 

He stepped back into the tunnel, heading towards the dining area where they were surely waiting for him, since it was hard to hide whispers from Kyoka and Mezo. 

And speaking of listening in... 

"It's rude to eavesdrop, Bakugo," Izuku observed as he passed the corridor where the blonde had listened from, seeing only his back disappear after the next turn. 

Kacchan would also need to ruminate for a bit.

"Hey, vice-rep, what's got you so down?" Setsuna asked between bites of her pork ribs. 

Itsuka, a couple of seats to the girl's left, looked over at her vice. 

"I'm thinking of dropping out of the competition," Nirengeki sighed, looking down on his plate. 

The rest of the table turned their heads in his direction. 

"Why would that be?" Shishida questioned, the surprise evident in his tone. 

Shoda was fiddling, turning his chopsticks in the bowl. "I don't feel like I've earned it... It's like I've got this big void in my memory after we met Kendo's team." 

" Yeah! My head empty too," Pony nodded as her fork tingled on the plate. 

"'Is empty.' And that makes three with me," Kamakiri added with a growl, moving his sight on Itsuka. "Care to explain, Kendo?" 

All eyes moved on her, making the simple act of swallowing a bite really uncomfortable. She closed her eyes, shaking her head lightly. "It's an effect of Shinso's Quirk, but I've promised not to explain it. It wouldn't be fair to him." 

"Aw, come on Preeez~" Setsuna cooed, "won't you give us a hint?" 

"Nope," she popped her response. "But you three have nothing to feel unworthy of. Whatever you did during your... 'black out' was all you." 

"But we don't remember a thing," Kamakiri snapped his pinchers similarly to how one would click his tongue. 

"Oh! Is it one of those 'my body moved on its own' things?" Rin asked, stopping from sipping his noodles. 

"Pretty much," Itsuka confirmed. Her gaze moved, seeing that while most were still looking at her, Shoda was still sadly staring at his rice. Pony didn't look that much better, and Kamakiri was between angry and unsatisfied. 

- Just like Midoriya said... Damn, that guy knows how to read people. - 

She sighed, stretching her hand to gently chop the trio on their heads. 

Setsuna giggled as they raised their heads in panic. "Oh~ Prez's acting." 

Itsuka ignored her, looking at her classmates sternly. "Listen you three, I'm telling you to stop worrying! You got on the third round with your own powers, and I can assure you that nobody gave you any pity points. I sure didn't." 

"You- You did not?" Pony's eyes widened. 

"No! Come on, it's a competition! Didn't we say we'd do our best no matter what?" 

Rin raised his hand as if he had to ask for permission to speak. "Yeah, but with Monoma's plan-" 

"Who cares about Monoma's plan! Look where it got him." She pointed her finger at a nearby table, where the blonde and his team were sulking. None of the six who had followed Neito had qualified. 

Crossing her arms, she stared at the dejected trio directly, as the others moved back on their seats to get out of her line of sight (and of fire, she was deadly with chopsticks). "You all did better than them and every other student who didn't qualify. You'll get on that ring, you'll do your best, and you'll win!" 

Pony seemed to find her resolve as her eyes widened. "If you say it like that... Okay, I will do my best!" 

"I wasn't thinking about stepping back, but your words did renew my fighting spirit," Kamakiri agreed, a dangerous glint appearing in his eyes. "I can't wait to see what's next." 

Shoda took a couple of seconds more to get his bearing, but ultimately sighed and raised his back. "Fine, you win. I'll do my best Kendo." 

"Yeah!" Setsuna patted her back with a dethatched hand. "We're gonna do great!" 

"I share the sentiment," Shishida nodded politely, "I wouldn't want to waste the chance Rin has graciously given me." 

"Come on man, you got the headband on the last second. It's all good," the other smiled, having left their only spot to the gentle beast. 

Itsuka smiled, seeing that her class was getting back into fighting shape. Judging from their chattering, Tetsutetsu's group was just as psyched a couple of tables away. Reiko and Yui were a bit harder to see through, but she knew her friends would try harder than expected. 

- Just you wait Midoriya, you'll see our best! -

"For this year's final event, we've thought of surprising you all with something special!" 

Mic's voice reverberated in the arena, as the thirty-two students that had moved on gathered before Midnight's platform. 

"Do not worry people, we'll still have our fantastic series of one-on-one battles, but that's only the second part of the show! Before that, for the first time ever, we're going with two-on-two!" 

The crowd roared at the surprise, stopping only as the r-18 Heroine struck her whip to achieve silence. 

"The team ups will be decided by drawing lots, as will the matches. But they won't be your typical fights!" the woman started, pointing her finger at the screen where rules were appearing. "It's simple! You will fight as a duo but won't necessarily move on as one! The first two people who are thrown out of the arena, give up, or are unable to continue will lose, letting the remaining two move on onto the second round and the one-on-one matches!" 

She cracked the whip once more. "Of course, attacking or stalling your teammate will disqualify you, so you'd better play nice with your team!" 

"You never know who you'll end up working with as a Hero!" Mic interjected, receiving some comments of approval from the ones watching from the stands. "Think of it as your trial by fire!" 

- As if we hadn't seen enough of those already. - Almost everybody in class 1-A thought, stepping in to get their matchups. 

Midnight pointed to the screen again as eight sections were filled with known faces.

"And here are the matchups! Now let's set aside the tournament and enjoy some thrilling festivities!" 

Izuku could count himself happy with the result. He'd assured Nezu that he wouldn't play around with the lots for the festival, since the thought of mixing and pairing more than he'd done for the battle trial was enough to quell any and all desire to fix them. 

Luck seemed to be on his side, for once. 

"Seems like we're working together, ribbit." Tsuyu approached him as they left the field to take a breather. 

"Yeah, I can't wait," he smiled, walking by her side, "I wanted to measure up against Ojiro's martial arts for a while now." 

"I see, ribbit," she nodded understandingly. "Do you have a plan?" 

- Oh, do I ever... - 

Notes: