Izuku stared at the ceiling, his mind still numb with contemplation. Monoma still hadn't woken up, his light breathing accompanied by the low, irritating hum of the fluorescent lights above.
He had watched the matches and felt saddened when poor Ochaco was defeated by Mei, but… something stopped him from leaving the bed. It was as if he was trapped in a funk, feeling too useless to do anything. Was this all he had left in him? Pathetic.
He hadn't paid attention to the next match at all, the words drifting past his ears. It was only when Present Mic's voice mentioned something familiar did he blink back into reality.
"And now, for the second-last match of round two! In the blue corner, it's Class 1-A's very own straight-laced class president! The Hero Department's resident speedster; Iida Tenya!"
Iida-kun.
Izuku pushed himself up, clarity rushing into his head. What had he been doing all this time?! He should have been out there cheering for Ochaco, and now Iida—
"In the red corner… it's our local firecracker with a foul mouth! The audience can't seem to get enough of him! Also from the Hero Department; Bakugo Katsuki!"
The noise of the audience was audible even from the infirmary. Izuku felt his fists clench unconsciously, tightening around his blanket. Iida was about to do battle with Bakugo. A new friend versus the old. Izuku moved from his bed, making for the exit.
He had to see it with his own two eyes.
[x]
The first thing Iida thought of was the noise. There was so much of it, echoing all around in from all directions. He could tell that most of it was for Bakugo. The audience simply loved the crazy reactions he made, no matter what kind of person he actually was. This was all just a show to them, of course. He was entertaining. That's all that mattered.
Iida took a deep breath, doing a few stretches to get himself warmed up. On the opposite end of the arena Bakugo cracked his knuckles, a dark expression crossing his features.
"I've been waiting for this, four-eyes." the blonde snarled. "An elite mook is still a mook. What can a loser like you do against me?"
"Time to find out." Iida replied.
"Match STARRRRTTT!"
Bakugo rocketed upward just as Iida took off. Smart move. He had the range, the mobility. The aerial supremacy to rain down explosions onto the arena like a carpet bombing.
But Iida had the speed.
His feet were a blur, engine calves roaring while he ran. Explosions peppered his path but the tall boy dodged past them, bobbing and weaving through choking black smoke and evading flashes of orange light. Bakugo continued to hover in the air, keeping his distance.
Iida marveled at the sheer versatility of the other boy's Quirk. Bakugo had been born lucky, talented. That talent had then been refined by years of training and hard work, easily identifiable from the way he moved. He almost admired the boy if not for…
"EAT SHIT, FOUR-EYES!"
...that. Bakugo could use some work on his attitude. Iida decided to make him eat some humble pie.
More explosions ravaged the arena but Iida had managed to get right under Bakugo, hoping for a sort of blind spot. Bakugo had already come up with a countermeasure; with Iida directly under him the explosions actually lifted him higher while also raining down attacks, the blonde sneering as he underestimated Iida's range.
Iida focused on his calves and jumped, rocketing upward with a loud crack. He watched Bakugo's eyes widen for a fraction of a second before his opponent reacted almost instantly, sending a wave of explosive force downward. Right as he did Iida braced, raising his arms to shield himself while he popped the clutch and shifted into fourth gear. The blowback spun him, sending his heel spinning through the smoke in a scything axe kick.
"Get down from there."
His kick cleaved through the explosion and made a full rotation before it impacted with Bakugo's head, sending the blonde spiralling back down into the arena. The audience howled with excitement even while the two boys landed; Bakugo re-orienting himself with several explosions while Iida tucked and rolled.
"Lucky hit, fuckmunch." Bakugo spat. "It won't happen again."
"We shall see."
Iida didn't give a chance for the other boy to take off again. Between being bombed from range or a close up brawl, he'd prefer the latter. At least then he had a fighting chance. Bakugo's combat senses and reaction time was excellent, horrifyingly so. Desperate times called for desperate measures.
His heavy, engine-equipped leg swept the ground in a low arc, Bakugo leaping over it easily. What the blonde didn't anticipate was the follow-up shoulder charge that winded him, stunning him for a brief moment. That short pause was all Iida needed to grab Bakugo by the collar and fling him towards the arena's edge.
The audience gasped as Bakugo tumbled towards the boundary line… and stopped. He'd been inches away from a ring-out if not for the explosions that blossomed from his palms, the recoil cancelling out his momentum just in time.
"Heh. Not bad. But you're still weak." Bakugo snarled. "Just like that shitty nerd Deku! You should know your place like him."
A twinge of anger surged through Iida. What was this guy's problem? Why was he always so… mad?
"I don't think I like the way you're talking about my friend." Iida said, digging his feet into the ground. "What did Midoriya-kun ever do to you?"
"It's not what he did."
Bakugo cracked his neck menacingly.
"It's what he is. He's a useless, worthless piece of trash that shouldn't even be here. A pebble in my path to greatness." Bakugo grunted. "I should have been the only one from that shitty school to get into U.A. That spineless little fuck had the audacity to share the same stage as me; hell, even share the same class as me! It makes me sick! It's disgusting to see a loser like him try to be something he's not!"
Iida eyes widened. "What are you—is that what you really think of him? Even if you don't like him, there's no need to—"
"Bla bla bla, shut the fuck up, four-eyes! You don't know shit. That fucking twerp thinks he's better than me when in reality he's just trash." An enraged look was in the blonde's crimson eyes. "Human garbage like him shouldn't even be associated with someone like me. Cuz he's nothing and I'm the best, you hear?! I'm gonna win this tournament and become the number one hero!"
"Is that all that matters to you? Winning?" Iida asked, a righteous anger boiling up within him. "And don't you dare say that about Midoriya-kun! He's not the type of person who would hold that sort of 'better-than-you' attitude! If you just got to know him—"
"I've known him for over twelve years, shithead. Once a weakling…" Bakugo's palms crackled. "...always a weakling."
"Iida-kun!"
Izuku's faint voice echoed down from the stands, a clear warning to what was coming. Iida already knew it was something big from the look on Bakugo's face. It began on his palms, sparkling like firecrackers.
The blonde lept upwards again, his explosions spinning him about like a drill bit. No, like a fiery tornado. Arcs of luminous orange light swirled around Bakugo along with hazy smoke, a maelstrom of destruction. Iida readied to move towards it in his blind fury instead of wisely retreating, hearing the audience gasp.
Now or never. He launched forward, shifting down on gears one through four until he reached the fifth gear, the maximum his engines could take. They howled and bucked and for a single, beautiful moment Iida Tenya was velocity made manifest. Ingenuity and momentum. Speed in the shape of a man.
"RECIPRO BURST!"
"HOWITZER IMPACT!"
The arena exploded in a flash of blinding light.
Iida felt as if his entire body was on fire, his leg kicking against the sun. Then there was a hiss and he landed painfully while flash-blinded and deafened, sucking in wet, agonizing breaths. Something had shattered inside him, his engines sputtering and failing. Though adrenaline had numbed the pain he looked down to find one leg broken, the limb bent at an awkward angle. He was struggling to get up when it happened.
A heavy boot crashed into his chin, spraying blood and spit into the ground beside him. A tooth loosened in his mouth. Bakugo strode out of the smoke, a dark smirk on his features. The audience roared while Midnight began the count.
Iida grunted, pushing himself up until that very same boot landed on the back of his head. Bakugo kicked him in the stomach this time, flipping him over onto his back. The taller boy's vision swam, images doubling and blurry. His glasses… where were his glasses?
They'd somehow fallen off his face in the final clash, only inches away from where he lay. Iida reached for them, but right as his fingers were about to reach one of Bakugo's boots stomped down, shattering the fragile glass and crumpling the thin metal frame. The blonde ground his heel, making sure Iida witnessed his act of superiority.
"Was that really necessary?" the taller boy asked tiredly.
"I want you to remember." Bakugo grabbed his collar with one arm while the other wrenched back, heat and power building up in his palm. "That I'm better than you. I beat you and I stand above you. I win and you lose! And a fucking loser like you should—"
"IIDA-KUN!"
"—know."
"Young Bakugo, that's enough! I declare the match to be ov—"
"Your."
The excited roar of the audience reached his ears. Bakugo's palm swooped towards him like an excavator's scoop.
"Place."
Iida closed his eyes and the smell of burnt caramel filled his lungs.
Swimming had never really been his thing. Whenever he entered the water it was always a mix of contradicting feelings. Freedom, yet everything felt so heavy. The sensation of floating, counterbalanced by the weight of water pressing in around him. That was how he felt now, sailing through the air. Free floating, yet heavy. Bakugo's explosions were fire, weren't they? So why did everything feel so… cold?
His blurry vision flickered between light and dark. His chest felt cold, so cold that he shivered. Two uneven shapes were before him, he could see them talking but he couldn't hear. Couldn't see, couldn't feel. He was so tired.
Another blink and it was his friends that were above him, bars of fluorescent light passing over him while they ran alongside him. He was on some sort of stretcher? Ochaco was crying, fat tears streaming down her soft cheeks. Izuku was beside her, talking to one of the medical robots. Was it his imagination, or was the other boy's left eye glowing faintly?
He was too tired to think. When the lure of sleep came, he embraced it.
[x]
Izuku wanted to pace around, his feet fidgeting anxiously while they waited outside Recovery Girl's infirmary. But if he did so then there'd be nobody left to hold Ochaco's hand. She was trembling, not out of fear but out of worry. He could understand the reaction. Iida looked like raw beef when he'd landed outside the arena from Bakugo's final swing, the jacket on his torso completely incinerated by the heat and blastwave.
A swirling mix of emotions were spinning within him. Why had Bakugo gone so far? Did Iida say something to trigger him? Why did Iida suddenly rush in head-on when he could have kept his advantage and dodged with his superior speed?
His thoughts were interrupted by Ochaco's hand squeezing his again.
"Deku-kun… Iida-kun's gonna be okay, r-right?"
"I… I'm sure he will. He's not going to let something like that stop him." Izuku answered.
"It's scary." Ochaco said quietly, trying to keep the tremor from reaching her voice. "All of this. I—I hate seeing my friends get hurt. When you were out there I was so scared, and now it's happening again. But I…"
She stopped and grit her teeth.
"I know I have to be strong. Heroes don't cry!"
Ochaco was strong. He admired her for that. But even the strong had their moments of weakness. This was undoubtedly one of hers.
"Do you need a hug?"
Ochaco blinked at him, her lovely eyes still red and wet. Then she barreled into him in a tight hug, careful to avoid his still-healing arms. Izuku patted her on the back slowly, gently calming her down. The stress was still escaping from her in small shudders, but he knew the hug was helping from the way her breathing started to slow.
"It's going to be alright."
"Yeah." Ochaco sniffed.
Sometimes he felt as though the purpose of the Hero Schools were to create child soldiers in their endless war against villany instead of actual heroes. But if the schools were the source of 'heroes', what was the source of 'villains'?
The infirmary door opened with a squeak, and the pair immediately separated. Recovery Girl strode though, wiping the sweat off her brow with a huff.
"Good news and bad news, you two. Which one do you want to hear first?"
"Um, the good news?" Izuku said hesitantly, and Ochaco nodded.
"Good news is, no permanent damage was done to young Iida."
"Oh." Izuku breathed. "That's great!"
"Bad news is, he'll have to wear a leg brace for like, a month, tops." Recovery Girl sighed. "That means he'll need to take it easy for the next month. Hero work is still possible, but he won't be able to push it to the limit, if you know what I mean. Why don't you two go and see him yourself?"
They burst into the room, the same words already on their lips.
""Iida-kun!""
The taller boy smiled at their entrance, looking a little different without his glasses.
"Hello, Midoriya-kun, Uraraka-kun!" Iida said cheerfully, his hand chopping through the air like usual. "A spectacular match, was it not? It's a shame, but I wasn't able to beat Bakugo-kun! It only goes to show that I have room to improve!"
They rushed towards him for a hug but were quickly stopped by Recovery Girl's walking stick, explaining that Iida had his sternum broken and that it was still healing, so no hugs. Either way, the three of them sat down and chatted, Ochaco now visibly brighter at the return of both her friends.
It was only when she left for a quick snack break did Izuku ask the question.
"What made you do it? You could have outsped him and dodged Howitzer Impact, then strike him with the follow-up while he was open."
Iida was quiet for a while until he looked him right in the eyes with a tired smile.
"I was angry, Midoriya-kun. At the things he said about you."
"About… me?" Izuku asked, bewildered.
"I wanted to know the story between the two of you and why he hated you so much." Iida said quietly. "So I tried talking to Bakugo-kun about you."
Izuku paled. So that was why Bakugo had been so aggravated. Any mention of him was sure to tick the blonde off straight away. What would Iida think of him now? What if he knew how weak he was, what a coward he was back then? Had Bakugo already tarnished his image and reputation?
"The things he said were… unpleasant and untrue. I wanted to understand him." Iida looked him right in the eye. "But he didn't want to understand you. He thinks you look down on him, Midoriya-kun."
"W-wha! That's not true! I thought he was amazing—"
"I know it wasn't. But the more I learnt about Bakugo-kun, the more upset I became. I think…" Iida's gaze drew downward. "I think I wanted to teach him a lesson. For bad mouthing my friend."
Friend. The word caused tears to form at the corner of Izuku's eyes, and before he knew it he was in a deep bow.
"I'm sorry, Iida-kun. Because of me, you…"
"Don't be. Look up, Midoriya-kun." Iida was smiling. "Now, I don't expect you to 'avenge' me or whatever silly thing you have in mind. Just get out there and do your best."
Ochaco barreled into the infirmary again, her arms full of snacks. Soft brown eyes grew confused at the sight of Izuku still in mid-bow.
"E-eh? What did I miss?"
""Nothing much."" both boys said simultaneously before looking at each other and sharing a weak smile.
"Hmmm, alright. I got some snacks for both of you!" Ochaco said cheerfully. "Here, Iida-kun. Juice! Deku-kun, take this! I hope it helps."
The three friends simply muched down on the snacks, sharing a moment of quiet peace. How long had it been since he'd experienced something like this, Izuku thought. Years. A decade. He was grateful for what he had now, two precious friends that he cared for. Like all good things, this one came to pass. An announcement played over the speakers and it was time for Izuku's match.
With Todoroki.
"Good luck, Deku-kun! Do your best!" Ochaco cheered, giving him a pat on the back.
Izuku turned to Iida. They shared a glance before the taller boy's hands came up, and so did his. Their palms collided with a satisfying smack, looking almost as if they were arm-wrestling.
"H-huh?! Ha-wa-wa—" Ochaco stammered in confusion at the sudden manly display.
"This is your path to walk, Midoriya-kun. You decide for yourself what you want to do." Iida smiled, his grip tight. "Forge your own path."
"Alright." Izuku nodded, his voice still trembling slightly. "Just watch me."
Then he was gone, making his way to the stage. Ochaco glanced after the shadow of his back, and Iida closed his eyes. He knew what it was like, to chase after the back of someone great. To want to stand as their equal.
"Go." Iida said, causing Ochaco to flinch. "Go after him."
"B-but what about—"
"I'll be fine, Uraraka-san. Go and cheer for him. Be smart..." The tall boy leaned back into his pillow with a quiet smile. "...Follow your heart."
It took a moment of trepidation before Ochaco stood, nodding with a fiery resolve. She bowed before she left, and Iida found the corners of his lips tugging upwards again once she departed.
"Ahh, to be young." Recovery Girl said from the corner, making Iida's eyes snap open. "How many cheesy quotes was that? Three, four?"
"It was two." Iida said. "Thank you for not ruining the moment."
"Heh. I do what I do best."
[x]
Izuku strode down the hallway, nails digging into his palms. There was so much he wanted to think about but he pushed it all to the back of his mind, knowing that now wasn't the time. His old memories of being bullied. Newborn's 'death'. Ochaco and Iida's defeat. All of them weighed heavily on his conscience, but now he had to focus on something else. His match with Todoroki.
The heterochromatic teen was one of, if not the strongest student among both hero classes. It was clear that he'd been given professional training, most likely from his father. The number two hero, Endeavor. Though the man was nothing like All Might, he was still a key member of the Hero Association that upheld society.
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.
Izuku felt him before he saw him, the temperature of the corridor rising by several degrees when Endeavor rounded the corner. Izuku gulped but did not take a step back, a slight tremor running down his back while the large, literally-burning man glanced down at him.
"Oh. You're the boy who'll be up against my Shoto."
"H-hello, Endeavor-san." Izuku said.
"You've made quite the impression. Such power contained in just a single finger... A wonderful Quirk." Endeavor rumbled. "In terms of pure power, it's a Quirk that rivals All Might's strength."
"I—Thank you, Endeavor-san." Izuku nodded nervously, starting to power-walk away from the intimidating hero. "Please excuse me, I have to go now."
"My Shoto… has a duty to surpass All Might." Endeavor said, stopping Izuku in his tracks. "His match against you will no doubt prove to be an excellent test bed. So do your best and try not to be a punching bag."
Izuku felt the heat on his back, remembering Todroki's words.
'I won't be using my shitty old man's Quirk, or rather… I'll become number one without needing to. This is my total disavowal of him.'
"I…" Izuku began slowly. "I am not All Might."
"Of course." Endeavor scoffed. "That's obvious."
"Right. It's obvious, right?" Izuku turned back to look the number two hero right in the eyes. "And your son is not you."
The green-haired boy walked away, leaving the burning man to contemplate his words. It wasn't until he rounded two corners when a light sound reached his ears, the strange placement of it breaking him out of his stupor. After all, who would be clapping in a dark corridor?
A pair of green eyes met a single sapphire one. Yanagi Reiko smiled, stopping her slow clap once she knew she had his attention.
"Here I was, thinking that I had to intervene on your behalf." Reiko said, slowly walking over to him. "Clearly there's more than meets the eye when it comes to you, Midoriya-kun."
"H-hi, Reiko-san." Izuku said. "What are you doing here?"
"Nothing much. I made a bet on you, actually." the platinum blonde smirked, her voice silky and saccharine. "I guess you could say that I'm checking on my investment."
Izuku let out a nervous laugh. Reiko's demure smile was still there, the very same one that she had presented to him when they first met. However, it looked awfully out of place here in the dim corridor. Almost… uncanny in a way that he couldn't explain. He took an involuntary step back when she stepped closer, and a strange realization crossed his mind.
He was subconsciously more wary of Reiko than he was of Endeavor.
"Are you ready, Midoriya-kun?"
"A-as ready as I'll ever be. T-thanks for the encouragement, haha." he said stiffly. "And, um, for betting on me, I guess?"
"You're welcome." she giggled mischievously, her light laughter bouncing off the walls. "Here's to hoping you put on a good show. So far you have been most… entertaining. Though I have to admit you gave us all quite the scare earlier."
"Ah. I, um, I'll do my best!" Izuku nodded and started to make his way past her when a hand landed on his shoulder.
"One last piece of advice, Midoriya-kun." She pulled herself closer to him and Izuku blushed at her proximity.
Reiko's light touch sent a shiver down his spine, not seeming to care about his clear embarrassment when she pressed herself against him to position her mouth next to his ear. Izuku tried not to think of how soft she felt or how nice she smelled, his face stony while panicking inside. What was she doing?!
"Be more confident, boya." Reiko whispered, her breath tickling his ear. "Know thy enemy. Know thy self."
"U-um, t-t-thanks?"
She pulled away, and Izuku found himself staring at her. There was something… off about her. An odd sense of familiarity plagued him, nostalgia tugging at his psyche. He knew he hadn't met her before; how could he forget someone like this? At yet, a feeling in his gut told him otherwise.
"Reiko-san." Izuku began. "Who are you?"
"Me?" Reiko smiled, leaning in much too close for comfort. "I'm just a crooked girl."
Izuku had shut his eyes in embarrassment, but when he opened them Reiko was gone. Disappeared around the corner, perhaps. His heart began to calm down from the encounter, having a girl whisper in one's ear was a rather exciting experience. But still, one part of what happened stood out. Reiko's breath… it had been ice-cold instead of hot.
The strangeness of it all was soon forgotten when he stepped out into the light, the overwhelming sound of the crowd cheering flooding the stadium.
"Here we go folks, it's the last match of round two! Are you REAAAADDDDYYYY?!"
Excited cheers and whoops filled the air when the audience did exactly what Present Mic asked of them, the blonde teacher hyping them up in the way that only a professional crowd-pleaser could. He worked them over, ratcheting up their excitement with each statement that he made. Izuku however, was solely focused on the person entering the opposite end of the arena.
Todoroki Shoto simply stepped past the boundary and waited for the match to begin, not even bothering to stretch or prepare himself. Izuku rolled his shoulders, his gaze never once leaving the other boy.
"In the red corner, it's our resident ice-cold glacial powerhouse who left the audience frozen! From Class 1-A of the Hero Department, Todoroki Shoto!"
Feminine screams of delight emanated from many of the outsider seats around the stadium. Of course Todoroki was popular with the ladies, especially with that handsome face of his. Izuku guessed that the guy would have his own fan club by the end of the festival, if not earlier.
"In the blue corner, it's our plucky green energizer bunny that never backs down! Also from Class 1-A of the Hero Department; Midoriya Izuku!"
Izuku let the loud cheering flow past him, focusing on his plans against Todoroki. This wasn't going to be easy.
"It's a match of two classmates once more! This stage's not big enough for the two of them, only one will prevail and stand at the top! Who can it be now?!" Present Mic yelled. "Ladies and gents, it's time to find out! Match—"
Todoroki's right foot edged forward. So did Izuku's.
"—STAAAAAARRRRTT!"
Never did he imagine ice could make such a weird sound. It was a skittering hiss of glass sliding over glass, crystallizing the arena floor while it rushed towards him in a wave. Izuku dodged to the right, which in turn made Todoroki adjust his position for another attack. Izuku had to keep moving towards his right… which was Todoroki's left.
By observing the previous matches a clear pattern had been made. The first was that Todoroki's ice always manifested from his right side, never his left. The second was that there was always one point of contact between him and his ice—he couldn't create ice shards mid air and send them at Izuku, he had to touch something and have the ice erupt from its surface. The third and most important point; the ice he created also blocked his own line of sight. Izuku intended to use all three factors to his advantage.
The green-haired boy shrouded himself with lightning, dodging wave after wave of icy spears that sought to freeze him in place. He tested his next hypothesis nervously, landing atop one of the glacial pillars that Todoroki had created. When no ice manifested from the existing pillar Izuku nodded to himself, watching how the other boy sent another wave up his previous construct instead of just manipulating the existing ice Izuku had been standing on.
He can create the ice, but he can't manipulate it once it's already there. It's why there's no ice golems, or any sort of construct like grasping hands or even ice rushing up my leg while I'd been standing on it. He creates a new wave or attack every single time.
Izuku hopped from foothold to foothold within that frozen forest, ironically looking a bit like a bunny as he did so. He bounced between jagged ice pillars and skirted around Todoroki, using everything he'd learnt from both his training and past battles.
Koko's 'instant movement', which enabled him to never stay in more than one place for more than a quarter of a second. Iida's speed, allowing him to burst forward in a straight line when needed. Yui's 'Tiny Dancer' which he mimicked to bounce against obstacles and avoid line of sight, some of them even nearing a ninety-degree angle. Aspects of all those techniques incorporated into Full Cowl specifically for this battle against Todoroki.
Both he and the other boy were running out of space and with every attack Todoroki sent out he was obscuring his own vision with a wall of ice. Pretty soon there'd be nowhere with flat ground with the exception of where Todoroki stood, giving Izuku the high ground. Izuku darted past and kicked off three different icy surfaces within a second, finally finding himself behind Todoroki.
The heterochromatic teen's head snapped around almost immediately, Izuku marveling at his opponent's insane reaction time. Still, it wasn't enough to stop him as the green-haired boy vaulted over a spear of ice, his fist coming about in a sharp downward arc to snap across Todoroki left cheek. The audience gasped.
Izuku followed up with an upward swing into the other boy's jaw with both hands, using that split second of disorientation he'd caused from the prior blow to avoid getting frozen. Todoroki let out a grunt of pain when a straight kick connected with his midsection, sending him sliding back. Izuku had to act fast; every second that he wasn't winning this match he was losing it.
Before Todoroki could catch his breath Izuku was on him again, this time grabbing the cloth on the left side of his body and flinging him into the air. Without any surface to touch he couldn't create any ice, but Izuku was still wary. What if he could supercool the air and freeze his very lungs? That wouldn't be very pleasant. Izuku braced his arm, preparing a ranged attack.
"Delaware smash!"
Izuku's left index finger shot forward, a tremendous gust of wind slamming into Todoroki mid-air. It shattered much of the ice that had covered the arena, creating a frozen mist that shrouded the arena and obscuring all vision. The audience cheered, many of them rising from their seats.
"Midoriya fires off a massive air blast that connects! Did it work?! Has Todoroki been knocked out of bounds?!"
Alas, it was not to be. The mist cleared within seconds and Todoroki was hanging upon one of the remaining ice pillars, his hand frozen to its surface. Izuku grimaced, taking into account how the other boy could also create ice on himself, just like the first day of school with that half-body costume.
"Not bad, Midoriya-kun." Todoroki let the ice crumble and landed with a heavy thud, bringing his right foot down in a stomp. "But not good enough."
The ice rumbled towards Izuku once more. Izuku dodged again, his mind analyzing the situation. It was turning into a battle of endurance now. There had to be a limit to how much ice Todoroki could make and Izuku knew he would last longer than the other boy. It was barely noticeable but he noticed it all the same. The ice was slower by a tiny fraction.
He was confused when a new wave of ice that rumbled towards him curved upwards inexplicably instead of hitting him. A nasty surprise came in the form of a falling Todoroki when he landed on where Izuku had been a split second before, a ring of frost radiating outward in all directions. Surrounded by ice pillars and facing a new incoming wave Izuku could only go one direction; upwards. The narrow path of movement was what sealed his fate.
Todoroki aborted his previous attack and sent a new one towards a particular ice pillar; it cracked and crumbled from the force of the speeding ice. Unfortunately for Izuku it had been his foothold and he hadn't kicked off it hard enough while it collapsed, leaving him sailing through the air slower than usual.
"Ah!"
"Got you." Todoroki said.
Multiple pillars of ice manifested around Todoroki, each one slamming into Izuku mid-air consecutively and wrenching the air from his lungs. Whatever had been healing inside him shattered from the impact. Frost crept up his uniform and trapped his legs, freezing one of his arms until Izuku channeled One For All into his elbow for the close-range smash. He swung the joint downward and destroyed the ice holding him, backing off while wincing in pain. His left arm now hung uselessly, broken from the force of his own attack. The stitches on his right forearm had been frozen and pulled open, fresh blood dripping onto the ground.
The brunette landed heavily with an agonized gasp. It wasn't just Todoroki's Quirk that was amazing. His analysis, his countering, his agility, everything about his abilities...
Todoroki exhaled, mist forming in his breath.
Strong. Powerful.
But not unbeatable. Izuku saw how Todoroki was trying to hide how he shivered, bits of frost clinging onto the right side of his face. A bruise was already forming on his other cheek.
"As I thought. Now all those pros out there can see that I'm more than just the 'son of the number two'." Todoroki flexed his cold fingers, gaze sliding over to the audience. "Sorry about that, Midoriya-kun. But thanks to you, that guy's face says he just got knocked down a peg or two."
Izuku clutched at his side with his good arm, feeling the blood from his wounds soaking into the cloth. At least one rib had been broken clean in half and if that pain in his chest was anything to go by, it was pressing against his lung. Even taking a breath sent a sharp pain stabbing at his insides.
"You really shouldn't fight with your arm looking like that. From the way that you're holding yourself, it's clear you're in some serious pain." Todoroki continued nonchalantly. "So let's end this."
Todoroki wasn't even looking at him when he sent the ice forward, instead glancing at the crowd. He wasn't even taking this seriously, using only half his power! Todoroki was pulling his punches, not even giving Izuku the respect of facing him with all of his might. It made him angry, furious, even. But then a stray thought wandered into Izuku's head.
Aren't I doing the same thing?
The distraction was enough for the roaring tide of ice to envelop him in a glacial cocoon. Izuku gasped, feeling the cold snatching all heat from his body and pressing against his injured side. A white-hot lance of pain stabbed into him, causing his vision to flash and nearly sending him into shock. The pain was only magnified when he realized he couldn't breathe, the icy prison trapping only a miniscule amount of air. Muffled cheers signalled that Midnight had begun her count.
Beads of sweat rolled down Izuku's face only for them to be frozen nearly instantly from the cold. He was… a hypocrite. He was thinking all those things about Todoroki not using his full power, when in reality he was doing the same.
The boy focused One For All into his torso, ignoring another blinding flash of pain that came soon after. He took a deep breath of whatever air he had left in the glacial prison and held it, feeling it in his diaphragm. Izuku flexed, and the ice around him shattered.
Deafening cheers echoed and Midnight stopped her count, Todoroki looking surprised as Izuku stepped out on wobbling legs. Ice crunched under his shoes.
"You… why are you going this far to..."
"Because you're pissing me off, Todoroki-kun."
The heterochromatic teen stopped, confused by the sudden shift in tone.
"There's a limit to how much cold you can take, isn't there? If that's the case, why don't you just use the heat from your left side?"
Todoroki's eyes narrowed, but Izuku continued.
"Everyone's giving it all they got and here you are, just using half your power! You're disrespecting everyone you've faced!" Izuku cried, the words directed at both himself and Todoroki. "The very idea that you'll become number one without using your full power… is a fucking joke! It's pathetic!"
"Shut up." Todoroki hissed.
"Make me! Show me what you're made of!" Izuku yelled, one foot digging into the ground and kicking a shotgun blast of stone at his opponent. "Let's see both sides of you!"
Todoroki dodged to the side but the cold had slowed him down, a wayward chunk of rock slamming into his gut and leaving him gasping. Izuku was on him in an instant, droplets of blood trailing in his wake from the sudden burst in speed. A knee crashed into Todoroki's chest, sending him flying backwards.
"Stop screwing around and show me who you really are!" Izuku howled.
"ENOUGH!"
The ground cracked and split open from the force of Todoroki's attack. A massive glacier the size of a building manifested, catching Izuku in the torso and trapping him once again. It was slightly smaller than the one that had defeated Sero, leaving only Izuku's head free. Todoroki huffed, seemingly satisfied that his opponent wasn't breaking out anytime soon.
"You know nothing. So shut up, and stay down."
Izuku coughed, a spray of blood coloring the ice beneath him in bits of sickly crimson. Many in the audience gasped in shock and some even called for the match to end. But he wasn't going down that easy. A pained gaze was levelled at Todoroki and Izuku made his decision. He was going to save Todoroki, no matter what. Even if it cost him the match. Izuku thought of the other half of his power, his other Quirk that had been with him all this time.
Valkyrie. Kiri.
Kiri wasn't a tool to be used. She was his family. Her power was his, but also her own. She could easily destroy anyone who opposed him had he wished it. Deep down he knew that she was still following the original directive he'd unintentionally given her all those years ago. A dream of being a hero. A hero saved people. That was all four-year-old Izuku knew at the time.
He wanted to save Todoroki from himself, from the shackles of his heritage. But doing so meant that the other boy would be free to use his fire again… and Izuku would risk losing the match. But still he would go to such lengths, just to save someone right in front of him.
Because that's what heroes do.
"It's funny, Todoroki-kun…" Izuku coughed again, ignoring how Midnight started her count. "I called you pathetic when in reality, it's me."
"What are you—"
"That's right, I'm pathetic. I'm a hypocrite." Izuku laughed, every breath taking a bit more out of him. "I was so angry about you using only half your power and that you were holding back. But guess what?"
Izuku smiled sadly.
"So have I."
Todoroki recognized the clear and present danger immediately, sending out a wave of ice to reinforce Izuku's prison. Izuku let him, closing his eyes and feeling his heart fill with emotion. His anger at his past self, for letting those things happen to him. What a coward he'd been. His hypocrisy and arrogance. Had he been so blind that he hadn't even realized it until now? He must have looked so pretentious. How could he ask Todoroki to go all out when he wasn't doing the same?
Time seemed to slow, the ice still skittering towards him with that odd glass-over-glass noise. Midnight's countdown continued.
Izuku accepted it, all of his flaws and strengths. All this time, he'd only been using half his power. Kiri was his other half. She was all the good in him made manifest, a miracle born from his soul. He hated himself at times, but he could never hate her. Izuku thought of her power to teleport, to relocate herself to any place she held a memory of. An odd ability he hadn't given any concern about, but now he understood. Memories. It was always memories. That was how she had managed to channel Nana's power.
The thoughts of his friends and family came back to him. Everyone who had ever helped him and cared for him had been right there. They were the ones he should have been caring about, not some old memories of days gone by. He had to move on. He had to change.
Win and save? No. He would not be held down by such arbitrary concepts. Izuku would forge his own path through what he believed in and the good he would do.
I am no one's punching bag. No one's stepping stone.
I am the master of my fate.
I am the captain of my soul.
Izuku took a breath and said the words that would change everything, his voice barely louder than a whisper.
"To me, my Valkyrie."
[x]
The stadium was bathed in a sudden flash of light, the sound of ice crashing and breaking apart reaching the audience's ears while they were blinded. It faded as soon as it started, and the spectators gasped and pointed down at the arena where the two boys still stood. Midoriya Izuku had been freed from the massive glacier, broken chunks of ice raining down around him. The boy stood tall, his right eye a murky white while glowing with strange, ethereal wisps of green.
Nine orbs of multicolored light formed above Izuku's head, orbiting in a lazy arc. A crown fit for a king. The halo of a celestial being.
Izuku stepped forward, the audience stunned into silence from the unearthly sight. He was… smiling, small tears running down his cheeks.
In the crowd, someone asked a question with a reverent breath.
"W-what… what is that?"
A crooked girl smiled a crooked smile.
"It's an angel."
[x]
I love you.
It wasn't clear who had said the words, him or her. Perhaps it was both. Izuku felt the warmth of his soul within him, a quiet resolve that allowed him to stand and fight. Kiri's love for him washed over his body, ridding him of the blinding pain and replacing it with soft melancholy. He could hear her voice, whispering into his ear. He heard himself whispering back.
All this time I kept thinking of everything that hurt me.
The things people said to me.
The things people did to me.
But that's all in the past now. Heroes must look to the future. I never wanted you to experience what I felt growing up, so I promised myself that I'd change. I wanted to be a better person for you. For both of us.
Izuku smiled.
I love you, Kiri. You are me. And I am you.
Todoroki snarled and stomped, frost thundering across the broken ground towards him. It raced up Izuku's body but didn't slow him down at all, the boy walking through it as if it hadn't been there at all.
In loving you, maybe… just maybe…
Hot tears ran down Izuku's face. The misery and humiliation he felt were gone. Years of self-hatred and shame suppressed by the love he had for her.
Maybe I can finally learn how to love myself.
He could sense Kiri smiling, feeling her tiny arms as she wrapped them around his neck. She nuzzled against him, momentarily visible only to him in this moment they shared. Being with her, loving her… he could be better. She made him want to be better. He wanted to show her a better world.
He would start by saving Todoroki.
Three consecutive waves of frost burst forward from Todoroki, and Izuku walked through them without encountering any resistance. An ice pillar as tall as a tower rose and collapsed on Izuku, but his fist lanced upwards and shattered it with a single punch.
This was the power boost that Kiri received from One For All. The legendary Quirk was still here, surging through his body. It was accompanied by Valkyrie's invulnerability, or rather a fraction of it. It was a force field that was microns thin or perhaps even smaller, coating Izuku's entire body with a weaker version of Kiri's barrier. It soaked up the recoil from One For All, allowing Izuku to do what he did next without breaking his good arm.
"Smash."
The air pressure from the resulting punch sheared Todoroki's ice wall apart, sending him sprawling to the side to avoid a ring-out. Izuku stared at him, one eye still glowing and emanating wisps like Valkyrie's had. He could feel Todoroki's anger, his frustration. All of it was bottled up within him like a coiled snake, trashing around in his heart and posioning him from within. Izuku saw how similar it was to his own rage.
"Use your Quirk, Todoroki-kun. Face me with everything you have."
"You don't understand!" Todoroki shouted. "My father's—"
Izuku cut him off with a look, a sad, somber look that silenced the other boy. When he spoke, it was with the voice of an angel.
"It's yours." Izuku said softly. "It's your power, isn't it?"
For a moment Todoroki just stood there, stunned by Izuku words. It started with a trail of smoke, then a tiny ember that lifted off his left cheek. Todoroki was looking into the past, hearing the voice of someone he loved.
'It's okay for you to become who you want to be.'
Todoroki took a breath. An inferno manifested on his skin.
A pulse of overwhelming heat splashed harmlessly off Izuku's barrier. He used it. Todoroki had used his right side, his own power that he'd kept suppressed just as how his father's chains had shackled him. Now it was here, in all its glory.
Half-hot, half-cold.
Present Mic and the crowd screamed with excitement. The two boys paid them no heed, knowing that it was time for their final clash.
"Even though you want to win… Damn it. To help your enemy… which one of us is screwing around now?"
Dancing flames parted to reveal Todoroki standing within; half of him in flames, the other half covered in rapidly-melting ice.
"I want… to be a hero, too!" Todoroki declared.
Izuku smiled, and so did his opponent. It was just them, one versus the other. This was their moment.
"SHOOOOOTOOOOOOO!"
Bright orange flared in the stands, the number two hero marching down the wide steps.
"Have you finally accepted yourself? That's it! Good! It all starts from here for you!" Endeavor roared. "With my blood, you will surpass me… You will fulfill my desire!"
They ignored him, still facing down against each other. Izuku felt Kiri getting ready, and he did the same. Todoroki's flames were burning bright, the light of his soul flaring outwards and dancing in the wind.
"Wow…"
"Why are you smiling?" Todoroki asked. "With those injuries, in this situation… You're crazy, you know that?"
"I prefer the word 'stubborn'." Izuku replied.
"Hmm. Don't blame me for what happens next."
Ice crystallized around Todoroki's right foot. Flames leapt from his left shoulder. Heat and cold radiated from his body in pulsing waves of orange and blue. Jagged arcs of emerald lightning shrouded Izuku like a cowl, violent winds swirling around him. He could feel Kiri's barrier flexing, ready to face whatever came next.
Let's do this, little sis. Together.
"Midnight!" Cementoss shouted. "If they keep going—"
Grip the ground. Izuku launched forward with the power of One For All, Valkyrie's invulnerability tanking the immense recoil effortlessly while the concrete shattered in his wake. A tidal wave of ice erupted from Todoroki's position. He had to close in and finish it right here, right now.
White-hot heat sparked around Todoroki in a series of glittering stars, flash-melting the ice around him in an instant. Superheated and supercooled air met in an impossible moment, creating an explosion of force, flame and howling wind.
One For All roared, and so did Izuku. The accumulated might of a century gone by tore his sleeve into shreds. Lightning and thunder surged down his arm and into his fist, Kiri's power and his combining to launch a gargantuan blast of air at his target.
They clashed.
The shockwave was immense, sending the energy shields protecting the audience flaring and activating the emergency backups. Snacks and food were thrown about from the sheer power of the blow, even the barriers that Cementoss had placed between the two attacks hardly did anything to nullify them. Humongous chunks of concrete were flung outward, climbing into the air and bouncing off the safety shields.
The resulting dust cloud covered the arena, leaving the results unclear. Once the audience had regained their senses they were standing, attempting to get a better look at who was still standing. Present Mic coughed and grabbed his microphone, yelling to the referee down below.
"What was that just now? That was… insane! Hey, Midnight! Who won the match?!"
"Ow… Alright, give me a moment. I can't see a damn thing." Midnight groaned. "The winner is…"
The audience held their collective breath. A pin could drop, and all of them would hear it.
"The winner…"
Two lone figures were within the rapidly clearing smoke. One stood tall but the other was sitting, his head bowed and clearly unconscious.
"Is…"
Izuku stared down at his opponent, one arm hanging limply by his side. He wavered slightly, but that was to be expected after everything he'd been through. Todoroki was down, his eyes closed and back pressed against a broken block of ice.
"The w-winner is… Midoriya Izuku!"
The crowd roared and applauded in a cacophony of thunderous noise, so loud that he could feel the tremors in his chest. He hoped that was them and not another broken bone pressing against his insides. He waited for the U.A support bots to pick Todoroki up before he started limping towards the exits, ignoring how Midnight called out to him. He couldn't hold it any longer.
When he finally reached the dim corridor he let go; the halo faded and his eye returned to normal. There was a flash of light and Kiri phased out of him, blinking as she gently caught his falling body. Izuku wanted to faint again but stopped himself this time. After all, it wouldn't do to look uncool in front of his little sister.
"Kiri… I did it." Izuku breathed. "We did it. We won."
The small girl gently supported him so he could stand, sending him that wobbly little smile she was known for. She also looked a bit tired, drained from the battle and their combined power. They probably couldn't do that again... probably.
"Congrats, onii-chan." Kiri nodded happily. "I knew you could do it."
He hugged her, still in slight disbelief from his own victory. But that didn't seem all that important to him anymore. What was important was that he'd helped save someone and make a difference. He'd done it for Todoroki. For himself. For her.
Even if it was just a tiny bit, he had made the world a better place.