Chapter 13
The next couple of weeks are full of nothing but training, for both Izuku and his classmates. Kacchan finally has something to do while he waits for his after school lessons to be over. He often loses track of time when he's in the forest just outside of the gates, making explosion after explosion until his wrists start to hurt. Since Kacchan is no longer waiting in a nearby hallway or classroom, Izuku has to go looking for him in the forest, which leads to a couple of near-misses with the blond's large explosions.
Their other classmates are also staying after school to take advantage of UA's numerous facilities to help them train. Izuku occasionally looks outside the window of the infirmary to see Iida running by in one of the fields below. During lunch, Ashido talks about how she and Uraraka are working together to improve their quirks in Ground Beta. Sometimes during their hero classes or PE, a few classmates are still tired from their personal training the previous day. Aizawa is ruthless and continues to push them forward.
It's not just class 1-A that's training too. All of the students in the hero course, from first to third years, seem to be physically preparing themselves in some way for the Sports Festival. And, of course, an increase in training means an increase in injuries.
The first case is with Kaminari.
A couple of days after Aizawa announced the Sports Festival, Izuku is walking out of the main building, having just finished his lesson with Recovery Girl, when he's approached by Jirou and Yaoyorozu.
"Oh, Midoriya-kun! Can you help us out here?"
Izuku glances over to see the two girls holding Kaminari up in between them. The dazed look on his face causes a spike of panic to strike Izuku's heart and he quickly rushes over to them.
"What happened?" He asks, confused by Jirou's laughter and Yaoyorozu's exasperated expression.
"I wanted to practice with my ability to make electricity-resistant materials," Yaoyorozu explains, "So I figured I'd train with Kaminari-kun today, but he went over his wattage limit and short-circuited his brain."
"Yee…" Kaminari makes a strange noise that sends Jirou into peals of laughter.
Yaoyorozu seems like she's struggling not to laugh as well, a smile tugging at her lips. "Do you think you can do anything about this?" She asks.
Izuku's gaze roams over Kaminari, who appears totally out-of-it. The disoriented look in his blank eyes makes him nervous, so he nods and lets the girls shift Kaminari over to him, pulling the boy's arm over his shoulders so he can help take some of his weight.
"I'm no neurologist, but I'll see what I can do," he says, glancing at Kaminari worriedly, "Do you know if this happens often? I really don't like how unresponsive he is…"
For some reason, Jirou is still laughing. And sure, Kaminari might be acting a bit funny, but his freaking brain just got shocked with who knows how much electricity! Does she not realize how dangerous that can be?
Jirou takes one look at his face and sobers up pretty quickly. "Er, sorry," she coughs awkwardly, "He usually comes to in about an hour…"
Izuku nods and bids his goodbyes before starting to lead Kaminari back to the infirmary. The blond goes with him fairly easy, too dazed to cause much fuss. When they reach the infirmary, there's a note on the door saying that Recovery Girl stepped out, so Izuku leads Kaminari into the empty office and has him lay down on one of the beds. He texts Kacchan quickly to let him know that he'll be late before turning his attention to the other blond. Kaminari babbles nonsense while he checks his vitals, all of which seem normal enough. It's obviously just a problem with his brain.
Izuku takes a step back and sighs, gazing at his friend lying on the bed with a thin line of drool dribbling down his chin. He recalls how he, Kirishima, and Ashido made a list of all of their classmates' quirks' drawbacks, just because they wanted to help him out. When he looked at the list, he realized there were a lot of little things he could do to help out his classmates, like get anti-nausea pills for Uraraka or nutrition bars for Yaoyorozu to keep in his pouch.
But for Kaminari? Izuku isn't quite sure how to help. He knows a decent amount about the human brain from the Human Anatomy and Physiology book that Recovery Girl had him read multiple times- there was a whole section dedicated to neurology. But Kaminari's brain obviously must work differently, or at least be enhanced in some way; most people would die from the amounts of electricity he deals with on a daily basis. How could Izuku help?
His eyes trail over to the computer on his desk.
When Recovery Girl returns to the infirmary half an hour later, she's surprised to see her apprentice eagerly scribbling down notes onto his clipboard as he stares at his computer. Kaminari snores loudly with his head buried in a pillow. She doesn't bother asking what happened, instead choosing to sit at her own desk and get some paperwork done. Occasionally, she'll send a curious glance towards Izuku, but whatever the freckled boy is researching has his full attention and she doesn't want to disturb him.
Another half hour later, Kaminari wakes up abruptly. He jerks into a sitting position and glances around in confusion. "Huh?"
"Kaminari-kun, you're awake!" Izuku says, turning around in his chair, "How are you feeling?"
"Fine…" The blond seems confused. "How did I- oh. Did I short-circuit again?"
Izuku nods. "Yeah. Jirou-kun and Yaoyorozu-kun brought you to me. I, ah, didn't quite know how to help, so I figured I'd just let you sleep…"
Kaminari is already waving him off with a smile as he swings his legs over the side of the bed. "Oh, yeah, don't worry about it! Happens all the time. Usually I get better in about an hour, so." He shrugs carelessly and glances at the clock on the wall. "Oh, hey, I've gotta go. Thanks for keeping an eye on me!"
He leaves as quickly as he woke up. Izuku and Recovery Girl watch him go before his mentor turns to look at him, arching her brow questioningly. He sighs and rolls his chair over to her, handing over his clipboard.
"Recovery Girl-san, what do you think of this?"
"Hey, Kaminari-kun?" Izuku asks the next day during lunch.
Said boy glances up at him from across the table with a smile. "Yeah, man? What's up?"
Unsure of how to begin, Izuku shifts in his seat and asks hesitantly, "Er, how often does the whole short-circuiting-your-brain thing happen?"
Kaminari blinks, surprised at the question, before his expression smoothes out. "Is this about what happened yesterday?" He gives him a reassuring smile. "Seriously, dude, it's nothing to worry about, really!"
"Eh?" Ashido asks, leaning across the table, "Did you fry your brain again, Kaminari-kun?"
Kacchan glares at the other blond. "Yeah, the dumbass kept Zuku in the infirmary for another hour after his lesson. We had to take the late train!"
Kaminari waves his hands as he sheepishly apologizes, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! He really didn't have to do that, I overuse my quirk all the time! Just stick me in a corner for an hour and I'll be fine, I swear!"
Sero snorts around his noodles.
"Still," Izuku says, trying to regain control of the conversation, "It can't be healthy to do that to your brain so often."
The electric blond shrugs. "Eh, I haven't really had any long-term damage."
"But what about when you're a hero?" Izuku presses, "You can't afford to be in such a vulnerable state in the middle of a battle!"
Kaminari blinks at him again, this time more confused, and now the others are looking at him weirdly too. Izuku shrinks back slightly. Alright, no point in beating around the bush anymore.
He quickly takes out a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolds it. "Er, well, I-I did some research last night- and Recovery Girl-san helped out too, of course- but I just was trying to think of ways to, um, prevent your brain from short-circuiting." He hands the paper to Kaminari, who peers down at it curiously along with Sero and Ashido. "I thought that maybe if you could strengthen your myelin then your electricity might not affect you so badly anymore. It-It's just a theory, of course! I didn't have time to run any neurological exams on your or anything, but Recovery Girl-san thinks it's a good idea…"
"Uh…" Kaminari, Ashido, and Sero are staring down at the paper with identical confused expressions. "My… I'm sorry, I'm kinda confused. What did you say, my…?"
"Myelin," Izuku explains, "It's a sheath made of fats and cholesterol that protects nerve cells. It insulates the neuron and directs the impulse of the nerve."
His friends gaze at him with blank expressions.
Pressing his lips together, Izuku tries again. "Imagine a bunch of wires bundled up together, okay? Myelin is basically the plastic coating around the wire that keeps the electricity going to the right place and prevents it from touching other wires. But if none of the wires had any myelin to separate them from each other, if they were all just naked wires, then as soon as one picks up electricity, all the others light up as well. I think something like that happens with you when you short-circuit your brain."
Kaminari nods slowly, not quite looking like he understands yet. "Okay…"
"The brain has all sorts of electrical impulses," Izuku continues, "But with your quirk, you've got a bit more electricity than others. Now, most of the time, a person's body will accomodate in some way for their quirk, which is probably why yours hasn't killed you yet." Kaminari blinks. "However, as we all know, quirk overuse can harm a person. I believe the excessive amounts of electricity may be either damaging or just be enough to bypass the myelin sheaths around your nerves. So, what I'm hoping is that if you strengthen your myelin, then your nerves will be better equipped to process the amounts of electricity that your quirk produces."
His friends stare at him for a few moments before turning to the piece of paper in Kaminari's hands. Sero tilts his head.
"So… This is like… a diet?" He asks, "That if Kaminari-kun eats this stuff that'll make his… myelin stronger, then his brain won't fry up anymore?"
Izuku nods. "In theory, yes."
Kaminari perks up, suddenly looking far more interested.
"You should've just led with that, man," Kirishima laughs.
Ashido leans her cheek against the palm of her hand. "My head hurts."
Kacchan smirks. "Zuku, you've gotta remember that we're surrounded by dumbasses. You can't say complicated shit like that and expect them to understand."
"Hey!" Ashido wrinkles her nose.
"I mean, he has a point, but still- hey!" Sero says.
"Sorry." Izuku winces apologetically, then turns to Kaminari, whose eyes are roaming over the paper, "It doesn't have to be a super strict diet, you mostly have to make sure to eat the right fats and avoid certain things."
"No, no, this is great!" Kaminari says, "I can definitely stick to a diet like this. Oh!" He points at a particular note on the paper and grins. "Get more sleep? Don't need to tell me twice!"
Izuku giggles. "There's also some over-the-counter vitamins included in there that you can find at the pharmacy pretty easily. Also, having healthy myelin can improve your memory and learning abilities."
Kaminari gasps, eyes practically sparkling. "Dude, this will make me smarter?!"
Ashido lunges for the paper. "Holy shit, I need me some of that!"
Sero leans away from the two as they begin to scuffle. Izuku smiles and glances at Kacchan and Kirishima who are sitting next to him.
The blond glances back at him before rolling his eyes. "Fucking nerd," he grumbles under his breath as he stabs at his food.
Izuku beams.
After the incident with Kaminari, Izuku turns his attention to his other classmates. He goes up to Aoyama during homeroom with a Recovery Girl-approved list of foods and supplements that will help strengthen the lining of his stomach. The elegant blond boy calls him a genius in French and thanks him by kissing him on both cheeks, which leaves him red-faced and spluttering.
Thankfully, when he approaches Uraraka with some anti-nausea medicine and promises to always keep some in his medical pouches for her, she thanks him with a smile and a hug. It still leaves him blushing furiously, but at least there are no surprise kisses.
He does his best to help the rest of his classmates with their quirks, and ends up adding a lot of things to his medical pouches. Nutrition bars for Yaoyorozu, sugary candies for Sato, glowsticks for Tokoyami, and a couple of soothing creams for Ashido and Sero, whose quirks both affect their skin. He eventually asks Recovery Girl if he can reorganize his medical bags in his costume so he can have one of the smaller pouches just be meant for holding his things for his classmates.
In regards to his own quirk, Izuku very quickly learns that controlling it is going to be a lot harder than he thought it would be. After going his entire life just letting his quirk do its thing, trying to control it now is an incredibly difficult undertaking. He constantly reminds himself of Recovery Girl's insistence on patience, that it's alright to be struggling, he'll get the hang of it eventually. Whenever he tries to get a grasp on the energy flowing out of him, however, by the time he manages to even focus on it, the wound is already healed and his quirk turns off. Stopping it is a futile endeavor- he feels like a lone boulder in a river of gushing water, desperately trying to block the flow to no avail.
At least there's plenty of opportunities to practice. With so many people training for the Sports Festival, there's bound to be accidents.
On the Monday of the week before the festival, Izuku walks into the infirmary for his after school lesson to see Recovery Girl fussing over a raven-haired boy with an obviously broken ankle. His blond friend pats him on the shoulder while he winces in pain.
"Sorry, Recovery Girl-san!" The friend laughs, "Third year is turning out to be a lot tougher than our second year!"
Recovery Girl grumbles under her breath as she checks the other boy over for more injuries. "Please, boys, the Sports Festival hasn't even come yet! How could you possibly break your ankle this badly?"
The boy shrinks while his friend rubs his back, saying, "Tamaki-kun was trying a new move! It's super cool! If all goes well, you'll see it at the Sports Festival next week!"
Recovery Girl looks like she's about to say something particularly sarcastic, but then she notices Izuku standing in the doorway and greets him. "Ah, Midoriya-kun, good timing."
Izuku walks in and sets his bag down on his desk chair, smiling politely at the two upperclassmen when they look at him.
"This is Amajiki Tamaki and Togata Mirio," his mentor introduces them, "They're third years, although from the way that they act you wouldn't know it." Amajiki shrivels while Togata lets out a bark of laughter at Recovery Girl's dry tone. Izuku's lip twitches at the woman's disgruntled expression. "Get used to them, 'cause they get injured a lot."
"Usually me!" Togata says, not a hint of remorse in his bright blue eyes. Izuku's gaze roams over the numerous scars littering his arms. The blond grins at him. "You must be the new healer I've been hearing about. Midoriya-kun, right?"
Izuku is taken aback. First that purple-haired boy and now him? "Have people been talking about me?"
"Oh, yeah," Togata says, "It's not everyday Recovery Girl-san takes on a new apprentice! Apparently, a boy in class 1-B has been making quite a fuss about 1-A getting a healer and not them." He arches a brow.
"Oh." Izuku shrinks, feeling a bit guilty. Maybe he should be making more of an effort to help out the other hero class.
"Anyway," Recovery Girl says, bringing the attention to her, "Now that you're here, Midoriya-kun, let's go ahead and take Amajiki-kun to the x-ray room."
"Right." He moves to help the raven-haired boy stand, but Togata waves him off.
"Don't worry, Midoriya-kun, I've got this!"
He wraps his friend's arm around his shoulder and follows Izuku and Recovery Girl as they lead him to the x-ray room. Once Amajiki is settled on the table, he walks into the other room while Recovery Girl takes Izuku through the motions of setting up the x-ray. The freckled boy eyes the machine warily. Just the thought of having to work with such a complicated and expensive piece of equipment by himself one day makes him nervous.
Thankfully, the process doesn't take too long and the two upperclassmen wait while Izuku and his mentor go over the results.
Amajiki's ankle is broken in two different places. It makes Izuku wince, and from the frown on Recovery Girl's face, he can tell it's a bad break.
"A bit of a mess," she hums thoughtfully, "But I think I might be able to set it from the outside."
"No surgery?" Izuku blinks in surprise.
She shakes her head. "Normally I might, but I usually try to do surgery as a last resort. It's getting rather late now, so I would like to try fixing this without doing anything invasive. I'll be needing your help, though."
Izuku nods and she goes to talk to Togata and Amajiki, who are waiting in the other corner of the room. "We're going to try fixing it without surgery," she says, the boys watching her attentively, "What we're going to do is put you back on the table and set your bones while performing a fluoroscopy procedure, which means we'll have a monitor showing us a live x-ray the entire time. Once I set your bones properly, Midoriya-kun will heal you. It'll be a bit uncomfortable, but considering that the other option is surgery…" She trails off.
Amajiki swallows and nods.
A fluoroscopy procedure is something that Izuku has only seen be done on TV. He tries to hide his excitement as Recovery Girl lies Amajiki down on the table and gets to work, using a couple of dull, metal probes to gently nudge his broken bones from the outside. Izuku watches the x-ray monitor with fascination as he sees the bones move in real time back into the right places. Once they're set, Recovery Girl nods at him and holds her probes steady while he touches the older boy's skin, focusing on the energy flowing out of him. There's no point in trying to stop it in this case, so he just tries to familiarize himself with the feeling.
Amajiki, who was wincing and grimacing the entire time despite the mild anesthetic he was given, lets out a sigh of relief as his bones heal. He tentatively rolls his ankle and blinks in surprise.
"That was fast," he murmurs, barely audible. Izuku realizes that this is the first time he's heard him speak.
Recovery Girl huffs as she turns off the x-ray machine, "Oh, yes, much faster than mine, isn't it?"
"'M not tired either." Amajiki looks at Izuku and smiles softly. "Thanks."
For some reason, Izuku finds his face heating up slightly. He blushes even harder a minute later when Togata plops a heavy arm around his shoulders and gives him a friendly shake.
"Wow, Haya-kun was right, your quirk is pretty amazing!" He says, glancing at Amajiki who is walking with ease.
Izuku is briefly confused as to who he's talking about, then recalls one of the upperclassmen he healed after the stampede.
"Th-Thanks, Togata-san!" He says, but the blond waves him off.
"None of that!" He says, "Call me Mirio!"
Izuku presses his lips together and flushes even more. "Erm, okay. M-Mirio-senpai."
Mirio beams so brightly Izuku nearly goes blind.
"Senpai!" He practically squawks, "Tamaki-kun, I'm a senpai now! Ha ha!"
Izuku briefly wonders if he overstepped, but relaxes slightly when Amajiki merely rolls his eyes fondly.
"Thank you, Midoriya-kun," he says, his voice slightly louder than before, "We should go now, though." He gives Mirio a look.
"Oh, right! Sorry, kouhai, we'll get out of your hair now!" Mirio waves cheerfully before practically skipping down the hall with Amajiki in tow. Recovery Girl and Izuku watch them leave, faintly hearing the blond chatter about 'rubbing his new senpai status in Nejire-kun's face'. Izuku smiles while his mentor huffs.
"I am not looking forward to another year of dealing with those two," she grumbles. "They give me too much work."
"I like them!" Izuku says resolutely.
"Oh, wonderful. Now you can be the one to deal with them for the rest of the year."
The majority of the week goes by without much drama, which Izuku is immensely grateful for. It seems like ever since he came to UA, there's just been one incident after the other, whether it be the stampede, USJ, people injuring themselves, etc. It's nice to be able to have a relatively calm week.
He really should've known better, at this point.
It happens on the Friday before the Sports Festival. Their usual hero classes have been steadily increasing in difficulty in order to prepare them for the event. Today's lesson involves getting through an obstacle course in teams of two, each team competing to get the best time. Even though they're meant to use their quirks, Izuku still wants to participate and Aizawa has no qualms about letting him.
So, he gets paired up with Aoyama and they watch from the monitor room with their classmates as the first team goes. It's Kirishima and Ashido, who will no doubt do well considering that they're both fairly athletic and get along phenomenally. Izuku smiles as his friends enthusiastically fist bump before taking off at breakneck speeds as soon as the buzzer sounds.
Just as he assumed, the two compliment each other well. Kirishima is strong and can bulldoze his way through many of the obstacles with sheer brute force while Ashido is lean and agile enough to dodge quickly as she slides across the ground with her acid. They're both clearly having a blast, if the identical grins on their faces are anything to go by, and perhaps it's their excitement that distracts them enough for the accident to occur.
It happens when they're nearing the finish line. Kirishima and Ashido are running next to each other, although the redhead is above her, dashing along the top of a flat slab of concrete jutting out of the ground. It's coming to an end soon, so Kirishima prepares to jump off, but when his foot hits the edge, the concrete crumbles. He squawks as he starts falling towards the ground and instinctively hardens himself as he braces for impact. Unfortunately, Ashido is directly underneath him, and this time the pink girl doesn't manage to completely dodge.
The monitor screens have no audio, but her classmates are clearly able to hear her scream from outside.
Izuku is running out the door before anyone can react.
He dashes into the training area and follows the sounds of screaming and crying. Heart in his throat, he spots Ashido kneeling on the ground with Kirishima fretting over her and races over to them.
"Midoriya-kun!" Kirishima exclaims, tears flying as his head whips up at the freckled boy's arrival, "I-I- I didn't mean- Ashido-kun and I, we- we-"
"I saw," Izuku says briskly, coming to kneel in front of Ashido. He can immediately see that her shoulder is dislocated. Kirishima must've clipped her with his hardened form when she tried to dodge. He's grateful that she even managed to react in time- he doesn't want to think about how hurt she would've gotten if Kirishima's full hardened body had landed on her.
Ashido's shoulder juts out awkwardly, swollen and already turning purple. Her chest heaves wildly as she cries, tears and snot streaming down her face.
"It's alright, Ashido-kun!" He reassures hastily, trying to check her over as quickly as possible, "Have you ever dislocated your shoulder before?"
She shakes her head rapidly. "No!" She sobs, "It hurts!"
"That's normal." After making sure she doesn't have any other injuries, he carefully takes her arm into his gloved hands. "I'm gonna set your shoulder now, okay?" He says, struggling to keep his voice steady. He's never done this before- he's only ever read about it. "Take a deep breath."
Ashido nods shakily and Kirishima kneels beside her, taking her free hand into his. Izuku swallows and concentrates on her arm. He has to be extremely cautious- if a nerve gets caught, he'll cause even further damage. The muscles around her dislocated shoulder are tense, so he slowly begins rotating her arm, trying to gently ease her humerus back into place.
Ashido wails the whole time, squeezing Kirishima's hand tightly. The sight of his friend crying makes Krishima cry too, although he at least makes an attempt to compose himself.
"Young Ashido!"
Izuku hears All Might's voice behind him, followed by the multiple footsteps of his classmates as they finally catch up. Aizawa comes to hover by his side, but he keeps his focus on Ashido, carefully rolling her arm until finally, after a few more nerve-wracking seconds, her shoulder pops back into place. A choked gasp escapes Ashido's lips, then she lets out a shaky sigh.
Izuku double checks that everything is where it should be before taking off his gloves and placing his hands on the bare pink skin of her forearm. He can feel his friend's energy swirling around her swollen shoulder, but it soon eases once his quirk takes over and heals the torn muscles and ligaments.
Ashido's whole body droops once the pain is gone. Izuku catches her and shifts her to lean against Kirishima while she gasps for breath.
"Wow," she croaks, "That… that looks a lot less painful in movies."
Kirishima lets out a wet laugh and hugs her. "Fuck, I'm so sorry!" His voice is shaky and laden with guilt as he struggles to control his tears.
"'S alright, it was an accident." She sniffles, wiping at her face with a quivering hand.
Izuku gives himself a brief moment to let out a quiet sigh of relief as his heart thumps in his chest. "How does your shoulder feel?" Izuku asks.
"A lot better." The girl tries to sit up, but she's still trembling violently. She sniffles again and it turns into a wet cough. "So-Sorry, I-I just-"
"It's alright." Ashido is clearly shaken, no doubt still coming down from the rush of adrenaline- as is Izuku- so he does his best to soothe her. "Dislocated shoulders are very painful. I don't like how movies make it seem like they're so easy to walk away from."
"Yeah, what the heck?" She snorts, wiping her face again, "I feel lied to."
Kirishima takes a shuddering breath and tries to smile. "You've gotta teach me how to pop a joint back into place, man. That didn't look like the movies either."
Izuku smiles, then startles slightly when a hand falls on his shoulder.
"Does she need to go to the infirmary?" Aizawa asks, looking down at him with dark eyes.
Izuku nods immediately. "I would like to take her. Just in case, you know?"
"Eh?" Ashido blinks. "But my shoulder feels better, see?" She lifts her arm up and down to prove her point, but Izuku can see how careful she's being.
"Better to be safe than sorry," he says, helping her stand up along with Kirishima, "I'm still an apprentice, after all."
Ashido pouts but doesn't protest.
"I'll be back soon," he says, glancing over his shoulder at his teachers and classmates. They all gathered around him as soon as they caught up, but thankfully kept a good distance so that he didn't feel crowded or distracted as he worked. A couple of the girls look like they might've been crying, but mostly everyone just looks relieved.
"Alright." Aizawa nods, then gives him a look of approval. "Good job, Midoriya. You acted quickly and stayed calm."
"The mark of a true healer!" All Might gives him a thumbs up.
Izuku smiles and tries to hide his flush, but it becomes impossible when his classmates start praising him too.
"Good job, Midoriya-kun!"
"Yeah, great job man!"
"Geez, I would have freaked out- her shoulder looked gross!"
"Dude!"
"Man, I'm glad we have you here, Midoriya-kun!"
They're all gazing at him with such palpable relief in their eyes that makes Izuku realize that this really the first big injury they've seen him heal. Usually it's just scrapes and bruises- even Uraraka didn't cry that much when Kacchan burned her. But Ashido's screams of pain have obviously shaken them all.
Aizawa takes this as a time to give them a lecture. As Izuku walks out of the center with Ashido, he hears the teacher say, "I hope this incident has shown you all how dangerous hero training can be. I don't care if some of the exercises seem like fun- you should never let down your guard because major injuries can and do happen sometimes, alright? Midoriya isn't here just to heal your scrapes and bruises, he's here to help keep you all safe…"
His words fade as Izuku gets farther and farther away. Still, a feeling of importance fills his chest and makes him feel warm. He smiles and glances at Ashido, who has her arm looped around his and is cheerfully humming under her breath.
He reaches into his pouch.
"Would you like some gummies?"
Chapter 14
Finally, after what feels like the longest two weeks ever, the day of the Sports Festival arrives.
"Waah, this looks like so much fun!" Izuku exclaims as he and Kacchan walk into school. Despite it being early in the morning, UA is already packed. Vendors and booths line the walkways, selling fun foods and decorations. Music from the stadium can be heard all the way over. "Can you believe we're finally here, Kacchan?!"
Kacchan grunts noncommittally, eyeing the festivities disinterestedly. His mind is probably more focused on the trials to come, as Izuku's should be. Still, he casts a longing look at a vendor selling takoyaki as he follows his friend to the first-years' stage.
Aizawa already informed everyone of what to do before the Festival begins, so they meet up with the rest of their classmates in the 1-A waiting room.
"Hey, Bakugou-kun, Midoriya-kun!" Kirishima greets them, "You guys excited?"
"So excited!" Izuku pumps his fists. "I can't believe I'm actually here! Kacchan and I always used to watch the Sports Festival on TV together!"
"Zuku's just excited about the food," Kacchan grunts, "You shoulda seen him back there. He was practically drooling the entire way here."
"Hey!" Izuku lightly slaps him on the shoulder while his friends laugh. He huffs and rolls his eyes.
"Well, anyway, I can't stay long. I have to meet up with Recovery Girl soon," he says, "I hope I don't have to give you guys a lecture on staying safe?"
Kacchan groans while everyone else shakes their heads. They're all wearing their training uniforms, having changed right before going to the waiting room, but Izuku is still wearing his regular uniform. It makes him feel just a little bit like an outsider, and a small twinge of envy tickles his chest- they both watched the Sports Festival since they were kids, but Kacchan's the one that gets to participate- but he covers it up with a bright smile.
He chats with his friends for a few minutes until Iida steps into the room.
"Everyone, are you ready?" He asks loudly, "We will be entering soon! Oh, Midoriya-kun…" He tilts his head in confusion.
Before Iida can ask what he's doing here, Izuku waves his hands apologetically. "That's my cue! I guess I'll see you guys when this is all over."
A volley of goodbyes shower him as he steps towards the door, but something makes him hesitate. He glances back at his classmates. Kacchan, for once, is sitting quietly in a chair, eyes intense and focused. A few others like Tokoyami and Todoroki do the same, while the more excitable students try to chat away their nerves. Even though they've only been in UA for a few weeks, they all look so much more confident than they used to. He knows how hard each and every one of them has been training for this day.
"Midoriya-kun?" Iida asks, noticing him lingering, "Is everything alright?"
Izuku nods. He pauses, trying to find his words, before looking up with what he hopes is an encouraging smile. "There's no point in me telling you to do your best, because I know you're all going to do even more than that. So, I'll just say… Good luck everyone! I'll be cheering you on!"
They all stare at him for a few moments. Then-
"Aww, Midoriya-kun!"
"Thanks man!"
"Holy shit, I might cry."
"Good luck to you too!"
With one last grin, Izuku turns around and starts jogging down the hallway. He's never been to the stadium's infirmary before, but Recovery Girl gave him a map of the first-years' stage the other day, so it's easy enough to find. His mentor is bustling about inside, trying to prepare as best as she can for the busy day ahead.
"Recovery Girl-san!" He greets, walking in, "What do you need me to-"
He's interrupted by his costume being thrown at his face.
"Put that on and go join your classmates," she says.
Izuku blinks. "Ehh?!" This wasn't part of the plan! "But-But they're going out soon!"
"I know, and you're going to join them," Recovery Girl says, as if she hasn't just dropped a huge bomb on him, "Come back here once the first game starts."
Izuku's mind is whirling. "But-But-Wha?"
"Hurry up and change!"
Startling, Izuku jumps into the other half of the room and pulls the curtain to give him some privacy. He changes in record speed, realizing that his healer costume is missing its gloves, elbow and knee pads so that he's just left with his green-and-white jumpsuit and belt, which doesn't carry his usual bags. It looks a bit more informal, like Recovery Girl's outfit that she wears while working rather than what he'd wear in the field.
He doesn't have much time to dwell on it because soon he's racing back down the halls towards the waiting room. He nearly slams face-first into Iida's chest as the door swings open.
"Midoriya-kun!" Iida exclaims, grabbing him by the shoulders to steady him, "What's wrong? We're going out now."
"I know," Izuku pants, "Recovery Girl-san told me to join you."
"Huh?" Murmurs of confusion ripple through his classmates.
"But- But you're not in uniform!" Iida sputters.
Izuku shrugs cluelessly. "I dunno, I'm as confused as you are." Present Mic's voice zealously yells over the speaker and he winces. "Let's go!"
Iida looks like he wants to protest- the lack of order must be killing a goody-two-shoes like him- but he just shakes his head and starts leading the way to the field. Izuku falls into step beside Kacchan, who gives him a reassuring nod as they step into the entrance tunnel.
"It's time for the students to enter the first-year stage! The miraculous new stars who overcame enemy attacks with their hearts of steel! Hero course, class 1-A!"
The roar of the crowd is deafening. Fireworks pop and cameras flash from every angle as Izuku walks out onto the field with his classmates. He swallows heavily and glances around. He knew there would be a lot of people, but he never thought that he'd be one of the students under their eyes.
"Th-There are so many people!" He squeaks.
Kirishima grins and nudges him. "Man, Present Mic is going overboard with that praise! I'm getting nervous! Aren't you, Bakugou-kun?" He glances at the blond.
"No." Kacchan bares his teeth. "I'm just getting more into it!"
Izuku lets out a nervous laugh. "Easy there, Kacchan!"
Class 1-B gets announced after them, as well as the General Studies, Support course, and Business course. They all gather together in front of a stage where Midnight stands. She announces that it's time for the player's pledge and, to everyone's surprise, calls up Kacchan to represent them.
"Wha? It's Kacchan?" Izuku glances at Kirishima and Kaminari in confusion.
Sero's head pops over his shoulder, startling him. "I think it's 'cause he got first place in the entrance exam."
"Yeah," Kirishima says, "Apparently Midnight pulled him aside last week and told him to prepare a speech."
"Huh?" Izuku's brow furrows. "He didn't tell me anything!"
Kaminari snickers, "He probably forgot about it."
Kacchan stands in front of the microphone with a neutral expression, hands in his pockets. Everyone waits with bated breath, then…
"I just wanna say… I'm gonna win."
Izuku facepalms.
Kacchan ignores the screeches and jeers from the crowd and walks back to stand beside Izuku. His expression doesn't change.
"Why are they booing?" He grunts. "I'm right."
Izuku just sighs. "You are hopeless, Bakugou Katsuki."
Midnight is quick to call the attention back to her and announces that the first game will be an obstacle course race. As she begins to explain the rules, Izuku wonders when he should take his leave. It's not like he really has a reason for being here. He should be helping Recovery Girl prepare. Why did she send him out here? In his costume, no less! He's garnering many curious looks from the other students, most of whom recognize him as Recovery Girl's apprentice. He tries his best to push down his growing anxiety, but the whispers behind him don't help.
Midnight tells everyone to take their places around a nearby gate, which probably leads to the obstacle course. Izuku mentally panics, wondering what he's supposed to be doing here. He ends up trailing behind the large group, not wanting to get caught up in another stampede when the game begins. There are a couple of entrance tunnels sort of close to the gate, maybe he can-
"Start!" Midnight yells.
The next thing he knows, all the students are rushing forward and pouring into the gate, leaving him standing alone. By himself in the massive field. Where everyone can see him.
The back of his neck prickles as he shrinks underneath the numerous gazes of the crowd, feeling vulnerable and exposed as he hears confused murmurs pass through the throng of people. God, what the fuck is happening? Why didn't Recovery Girl tell him more? This is so embarrassing- what is he supposed to do? Maybe if he just walks off like it's natural then nobody will notice? There's an entrance tunnel nearby, maybe he can-
"Hey, hey, hey!" Present Mic's loud voice echoes throughout the stadium, "You may be wondering why this little guy here didn't join them!"
Izuku jumps, eyes wide. What is going on?!
"Well, that's because this is Midoriya Izuku, the young apprentice of UA's very own Recovery Girl! Word is that he's got the best damn healing quirk anyone's ever seen! So be sure to give this kid a cheer- he'll be making sure our students live to fight another day after today! Ha ha ha!"
Izuku flushes as the crowd erupts into cheers. It's different from before, not like they're cheering for the upcoming violence and competitive spirit. It's more polite and encouraging, and it makes Izuku smile despite his nervousness. He gives a little wave before disappearing into one of the entrance tunnels, letting out a huge sigh of relief once he's out of the public eye.
Recovery Girl laughs at him when he returns to the infirmary.
"How could you do that to meeeee?!" He cries, burying his face in his hands. The older woman just laughs and pats his back. "Why didn't you warn me?!"
"I wanted it to be a surprise." Her eyes sparkle with mirth. "I felt bad that you're going to be helping me the whole time while all the other first-years get to participate in the Sports Festival. So, I asked Present Mic to shine the spotlight on you briefly so you could have your moment of glory."
Izuku's face somehow turns even redder. "I thought I was going to die. I thought I was going to simultaneously throw up, shit my pants, have a heart attack, and then just die right in front of everyone."
Recovery Girl dissolves into peals of high-pitched laughter and he smiles despite himself.
"Thanks, I guess," he eventually mumbles, trying to rub the heat out of his cheeks.
His mentor giggles for another moment before catching her breath. "Come on," she says, still smiling, "We should pay attention to the race."
"Oh right," Izuku says, "What'd I miss?"
"Todoroki-kun froze everyone."
"Of course he did."
They both turn towards a screen in the corner of the room showing a live broadcast of the Sports Festival. The vast majority of the students are still trapped in the tunnel, their feet frozen to the ground by Todoroki's ice. Said boy is currently running ahead towards a group of enormous robots, the rest of class 1-A and a few others right on his heels. They all stop when they reach the robots, obviously trying to figure out a plan to get past, but Todoroki doesn't hesitate for long. One loud crackle and a blast of ice later, the massive machines are frozen stiff. Todoroki runs between their legs, leaving the rest of the students behind him stunned.
Recovery Girl lets out an impressed whistle. "Well, there's something to be said about brute force…"
She makes a couple more comments after that, but her voice fades into the background as Izuku gazes at Todoroki running on the screen. He hasn't really spoken to the boy in a while. Not since…
One morning, five days before the Sports Festival, Izuku is walking down an empty hallway to the infirmary for his usual check-in with his mentor. He hums to himself, idly wondering what he'll have for lunch, when a low voice reaches his ear.
"Midoriya-kun."
Izuku startles so badly he nearly trips.
"T-Todoroki-kun!" He shrieks, stumbling as he whirls around to face the boy, "Oh my God, don't scare me like that!"
Todoroki blinks slowly at him. Izuku presses a hand to his chest to ease his racing heart. "What are you doing here?" He asks, "It's early."
Todoroki shifts, not quite meeting his gaze for a moment, then says, "I was injured during a training accident last night." His voice betrays nothing, but the implication is clear.
"Huh? Oh!" Izuku straightens up. "I was just on my way to meet with Recovery Girl-san. If you come with me, she'll-"
"No!" Todoroki says sharply. Izuku jumps in surprise and even the other boy seems startled by his own outburst. Clearing his throat, he says, "No, there's no need to bother her with this. Your quirk should be enough."
With that said, he reaches for Izuku's hand, but the greenette pulls back. He eyes Todoroki uncertainly, but the other boy's face remains impassive. Something about this doesn't feel quite right. Why wouldn't Todoroki want to see Recovery Girl?
"Is something wrong?" Todoroki tilts his head.
"Is there?" Izuku asks, "Why don't you want to go to Recovery Girl-san?"
Todoroki gazes at him for a few seconds, then says, "Her quirk will make me tired. Yours won't."
"Oh." It's a fair point, but Izuku struggles to find a response. "Ah- um, well," he stammers, "Can-Can I at least see your injury first?"
Todoroki pauses, then his eyes briefly flicker down the hallway before his hands reach up to unbutton his shirt. When he exposes his shoulder, Izuku winces. A large, severe burn spreads across his skin from his collar bone to his shoulder. It looks hastily wrapped in gauze, but he can easily see the injury underneath.
He hisses between his teeth as he gently reaches to undo the gauze. "Geez, Todoroki-kun, this looks like it's almost third-degree! How on earth did this happen?"
Todoroki is silent for a moment. "Like I said, it was a training accident."
Izuku's attention is on his burn, so he doesn't see his expression, but he can hear how carefully blank he's keeping his voice. He glances between Todoroki's face and his injury.
"Training…" He murmurs. He doesn't recall Todoroki getting injured during PE yesterday, and it can't be the product of his own quirk since it's on his left side- what kind of fire quirk would burn its user?- so that only leaves…
"Were you… training at home?" He asks cautiously, "With… Endeavor? Did… Did he do this?"
Todoroki's jaw clenches briefly before his gaze turns to meet Izuku's. "It was just a training accident." Voice devoid of emotion.
He's lying. Izuku doesn't know why or how, but something in his chest tells him that Todoroki is lying. He stares at the taller boy, hoping to find some hint of… something- he doesn't know what- but Todoroki just stares back at him, eyes cold and intense.
Izuku averts his gaze. Well, fine. If he wants to be stubborn…
He turns his attention to the burn. "I can heal this, but once I do my quirk will probably try to heal your scar as well. It addresses fresh wounds before old ones, so if you don't want that to happen, then just pull away as soon as your burn heals." It's easy to fall into a more professional tone, but his mind still races.
"Alright."
Izuku gently places his hand on Todoroki's shoulder, and as soon as his skin turns smooth again the boy pulls away.
"Thanks," Todoroki says, buttoning up his shirt again.
Izuku presses his lips together uncertainly. "Todoroki-kun…" He opens his mouth to say more, only he finds that he really doesn't know what to say right now.
Todoroki sees his escape and turns away without sparing him another glance. "See you in class."
Todoroki doesn't come to him with any more burns, but the hard rock in the pit of Izuku's stomach doesn't disappear.
"...oriya-kun? Midoriya-kun? Are you listening to me?"
Recovery Girl's voice snaps him out of his stupor. "Huh?" He glances at his mentor and winces at her annoyed expression. "Sorry, sorry, what did you say?"
She huffs through her nose. "I know this is all exciting, but it's important to stay focused today-"
"I know, I know!" He waves his hands. "I'm sorry! I just…" He sighs and shakes his head to clear his thoughts. "It won't happen again."
"Good." Recovery Girl nods. "Well, I was saying that we're probably going to get flooded with kids after this first race, so let's do what we did when that stampede happened. Treat them with traditional means and send the worse ones over to me."
"What about my quirk?" He asks, "Isn't this a good opportunity to train?"
"Yes, but I need you to save your energy for the battle tournament," she explains, "Of course, don't tell anyone I told you this, but it's going to be a series of one-on-one battles. It's like a bracket system, you know? They fight and fight until one person comes out on top. Foolish and barbaric if you ask me." She grumbles the last part and Izuku snorts. "Anyway, the winners of each match have to go on to fight another, but they're often injured from the previous fight. It's always been such a pain to figure out how to deal with them because my quirk will sap them of the strength they need for their battles. But now I have you!"
His mentor smiles and rubs her forehead. "Oh, Midoriya-kun, you are a godsend right now. I'm so glad I don't have to deal with these idiot kids throwing themselves at each other all by myself anymore."
Izuku knows just what to say to cheer her up. "Nedzu-san works you too hard."
"Yes, he does!" She cries out, then huffs good-naturedly, "Alright, come on you, let's get to work."
It soon becomes clear that the obstacle race is really between Todoroki and Kacchan, the two being leagues ahead of the other students. Izuku is surprised that Iida isn't doing as well as he thought he would, considering that it is a race, but the camera hardly focuses on the stragglers as Todoroki and Kacchan enter the minefield. He knows he needs to remain unbiased- neutral, as all healers should be- but he can't help the little leap of excitement his heart gives when he sees Kacchan start to overtake Todoroki. They push and pull at each other, trying to slow each other down, but when the rest of the students start to catch up they break apart. Between Todoroki sliding on his ice and Kacchan propelling himself with his explosions, it's a tight race, but Todoroki ends up winning by a hairbreadth.
Izuku is… mildly surprised, but he doesn't have much time to think about his undoubtedly pissed off friend before students start coming into the infirmary with injuries. After that, he hardly has time to pay attention to the festival at all, too busy looking over patients and treating what he can alongside Recovery Girl. Thanks to Todoroki, most of the injuries involve frostbite. The boy didn't melt his ice like he did with Ojiro and Hagakure, so the prolonged exposure resulted in more damage this time. Fortunately, none of the students have any dead tissue, so it's mostly just a process of rewarming the skin and bandaging it up in some cases.
When he glances up at the screen again, the cavalry battle is occuring. Once again, everyone, including Present Mic, realizes that it's really just a fight between Kacchan and Todoroki. Izuku briefly wonders how the blond's wrists are doing- he's never seen him use his quirk so much before. A moment later, however, his attention is drawn back to his work. They make good time going through the numerous wounded students, but a decent handful have injuries aside from frostbite, and it takes him a moment to realize that some of the students coming in are upperclassmen. He knows that the second and third years' Sports Festivals happen at the same time, but he has no idea where they are. The first years' stage is massive, how could they fit two more into the stadium? He brushes it off as UA just being huge and focuses on his work.
It's not particularly difficult, he doesn't come across anything that he's never dealt with before, but it's taxing and he's been on his feet constantly since leaving the train this morning. By the time he's able to look at the screen again, the cavalry battle is almost over.
He watches as Kacchan lunges towards Todoroki, who has barricaded his team in ice. The blond snarls and grabs onto his left forearm- and this must be it! Todoroki is definitely going to use his fire now! Except… he doesn't.
Instead, he lets Kacchan yank his arm aside and grab one of his headbands, ripping it off as he flies by. Even through the screen, Izuku can see the burn that is left on Todoroki's arm when Kacchan lets go.
Despite his efforts, however, it seems that the wrong headband was grabbed, because Todoroki remains in first place with over ten million points. The crowd roars and cheers, but Izuku just winces. Kacchan has lost twice to Todoroki. No doubt his friend is furious.
And he most certainly is.
Thankfully, Izuku is the only one in the infirmary when Kacchan bursts in. There are surprisingly few injuries after the cavalry battle, and those that are wounded are seen to quickly. Recovery Girl steps out for a moment to restock their supply of bandages and gauze, telling Izuku to 'hold the fort' before leaving.
So, Izuku is able to give his friend his full attention as he comes stomping into the infirmary, visibly seething.
"That Half n' Half motherfucker!" He hisses, his red pupils mere pinpricks, "That's the last time he'll make a fool out of me! I'm not gonna fuck around anymore!"
Unperturbed, Izuku simply asks, "Are you injured?"
Kacchan grits his teeth and shoves his forearms towards him. "I would've blasted him outta the ring at the end there," he growls, "But my wrists were fucking killing me."
"I suppose there wouldn't be any point in telling you to take it easy," Izuku sighs, gently placing his hands on his wrists and letting his energy flow. Recovery Girl hasn't told him to start using his quirk yet, but he assumes that it's okay since Kacchan is going to be fighting in the battle tournament. "But at least be careful."
Now rejuvenated, Kacchan testingly rolls his wrists and bares his teeth in a grin. "I'm gonna wipe the floor with his ass!"
"Kacchan," Izuku huffs.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll be careful too." Kacchan rolls his eyes. "C'mon, the lunch break just started. Let's go eat, I'm fucking starving!"
"Oh, uh…" Izuku glances around the empty infirmary. "I don't know if it would be such a good idea for me to leave…"
"What, you don't get a lunch break?" Kacchan scowls. "Don't act like you're not hungry. Doesn't your quirk work better if you're full?"
"Lemme just wait for Recovery Girl-san to get back," Izuku says, "She shouldn't take long, but why don't you go ahead and get in line for us? I'll join you soon."
Kacchan looks like he might argue, but then his own stomach lets out an audible growl. "Fine."
As soon as he's gone, Izuku flops down in the nearest chair with a heavy sigh. His feet ache, and even though he hasn't used his quirk that much yet, he feels like he could go for a nice long nap. He's about to close his eyes just to rest for a little bit when a knock on the door startles him.
It can't be Recovery Girl, she would have just walked in, so it must be another injured student. Stifling a sigh, Izuku drags himself to his feet and opens the door.
"Todoroki-kun!"
Said boy seems slightly surprised to see him. "I thought you'd be at lunch."
Izuku shakes his head and steps aside to let him in. "Recovery Girl-san stepped out for a minute, so I was waiting for her to get back first…" He trails off when his eyes land on the burn on Todoroki's left forearm. He grimaces. "Man, Kacchan really doesn't know how to hold back."
"Why would he?" Todoroki asks as Izuku leads him to sit on one of the beds. The greenette doesn't respond, instead looking over the boy for any other injuries. He has a few other burns from Kacchan that he must've gotten while they were scuffling during the obstacle race. Like with Uraraka, Todoroki's uniform has been seared into his skin in some places.
Izuku makes a disgruntled noise and walks over to one of the drawers. "I'll have to remove the burned cloth from your wounds before I can heal them," he says, grabbing some tweezers and scissors, "But it shouldn't take too long."
Todoroki nods but doesn't respond. Izuku quietly gets to work on the burn on his shoulder. The same shoulder that had been burned just about the same last week.
Izuku presses his lips into a thin line. He doesn't really know what to think about… all this. Everything involving Todoroki. There's too many confusing hints, too many questions that he doesn't have the answers to, but at the same time he's afraid of what those answers might be.
He glances at his burned arm.
"You know," he murmurs softly, "If you had used your fire-"
"I won't use my fire," Todoroki interrupts, not looking at him.
Izuku hesitates, then, "It would have been to your advantage…"
"I don't care." His voice is cold. "I'll win without using my left side."
He sounds so resolute, like he'd decided this a long time ago. It's confusing, and it only makes the hard ball in the pit of Izuku's stomach get even heavier. There's just something about the way that Todoroki speaks, so meticulously devoid of any emotion, like he's trying to hide something. Or protect himself.
Still treading carefully, Izuku says, "You… don't seem to be very fond of fire." It's more of a comment than anything, an idle musing while he plucks bits of charred fabric out of the burn.
Todoroki remains quiet.
Izuku swallows. "Does… Does that have anything to do with Endeavor?"
A long, tense silence follows. Slowly, Todoroki's face turns towards him. Izuku keeps his eyes on the burn, but his hands aren't moving. He's too nervous to do anything but wait for the response, trying not to suffocate under the rising tension.
Finally, "Midoriya-"
"I just notice things, you know!" Izuku blurts out, completely interrupting him, "It's just- I don't even know you that well, but whenever you've mentioned training with your father or not using your fire I just- you never seem… happy about it, you know? Not that you have to be thrilled or anything!" He's rambling now. "But I just started thinking- I couldn't help but wonder, especially with your scar and then when you came to me with that burn, I just- I just-"
"Midoriya-kun," Todoroki tries to interject.
"I don't want to make assumptions, you know? But everything that I've seen from you kind of looks a certain way and I can't help but worry-"
"Midoriya-kun."
"And I know it's absolutely none of my business anyway!" Izuku waves his hands frantically. "I'm totally being rude here, but I…" He trails off, struggling to find his words. All he can think about is the burn that was on Todoroki's shoulder, how painful it looked and how he lied- he lied, Izuku knows he did, but what can he do?
The helpless feeling that he hates with a passion returns, frustration burning his throat.
"I… I'm a healer, Todoroki-kun," he whispers, head bowed, "I want to help people. I want to save people, but I can't. All I can do is heal them after they've been hurt." He takes in a deep, shuddering breath and looks up at Todoroki with a weak smile. "But I've always wanted to be a hero. I hate not being able to stop people from getting hurt. So, please, Todoroki-kun… I don't know what's going on, but if there's anything I can do to help you…"
Todoroki stares at him for a few moments, eyes slightly widened. Then, he blinks and his face becomes impassive once more. "There isn't."
Izuku swallows and tries to stifle his disappointment. "Oh," he whispers.
Todoroki looks like he might say something else, but when he doesn't, Izuku wordlessly averts his gaze, turning his attention back to his injured shoulder. He dutifully picks the bits of fabric out of the burn, ignoring the pair of mismatched eyes that stare at his face as he works. There are only a couple of other burns that need his attention, smaller ones that he cleans fairly quickly. Then, he leans back and starts to take off his gloves.
Todoroki's hand shoots out. He catches him by the wrist, just below his palm, carefully avoiding the bare skin below his glove. Izuku startles and looks up at Todoroki to see him staring at him.
"T-Todoroki-kun?"
The taller boy slowly slides off the bed, making the greenette take a step back as he stands in front of him. Izuku pales as Todoroki gazes down at him, something unreadable in his eyes.
"I don't need you to save me," he says. Izuku blinks. Todoroki presses his lips in a thin line and tries again. "I mean… It's nothing I can't handle on my own, so don't worry about it."
Unwittingly, Izuku's eyes flicker over to his shoulder, then back to his face. A soft sigh passes through Todoroki's nose. He seems to be considering something.
"To… Todoroki-kun…"
"I'm sure you know," the other boy says, "that Endeavor has been stuck as the number two hero forever. My old man has a strong desire to rise in the world. As a hero, he won a name for himself with crushing force. Because of that, the living legend, All Might, is a great eyesore to him. Since he couldn't surpass All Might, he moved on to his next plan. You've heard of quirk marriages, right?"
Izuku is a bit taken aback by the turn of the conversation, but he doesn't want to risk saying anything that might make Todoroki stop. He has a feeling this is finally going to clear up everything he's been wondering about.
Todoroki continues, "That thing became a problem for the second and third generation after superpowers appeared. Choosing a spouse based only on strengthening your own quirk and passing it on to your children, forcing people into marriage." His eyes narrow. "The old fashioned way of thinking is brought about by a lack of ethics. He is a man with both accomplishments and money. He won over my mother's relatives and got a hold of her quirk. He is trying to fulfill his own desire by raising me to be a hero to surpass All Might."
Izuku's breath hitches. Todoroki isn't even looking at him anymore; instead, he's scowling at the ground. "It's so annoying," he hisses through gritted teeth, "I won't become the tool of scum like that. In my memories, my mother is always crying. She told me my left side was unsightly as she poured boiling water on me."
Izuku's eyes widen as Todoroki raises his hand to cover his scar. He feels like he can't breath. That scar… he knew it wasn't from fire, but… his own mother …
Todoroki's voice brings him out of his thoughts. "I will reject him completely by winning first place without using my damn old man's quirk." His hand drops and he fixes Izuku with a determined look. "So, no. I do not need to be saved. I have a plan, and it will work."
He looks so stubborn and resolute that Izuku almost believes him.
"Todoroki-kun…"
The door slides open. "Sorry about the wait, Midoriya-kun!" Recovery Girl chirps as she walks in, her arms full of bandages and gauze. Izuku takes a step back and Todoroki lets go of his wrist, as if he didn't realize he was still holding on to it.
"Oh, hello, Todoroki-kun." Recovery Girl notices the boy. "You've done very well so far. Is everything alright?" She directs the question to Izuku, frowning at the burns on Todoroki.
Izuku straightens up, trying to recollect his whirling mind. "Oh, yes. I just had to remove some pieces of cloth that were seared into his skin." He turns back to Todoroki, taking off his glove. "I… I can heal it now."
"Remember to focus on the flow," his mentor reminds him as he places his hand on the burn.
He tries to concentrate, he really does, but Todoroki just dropped a huge bombshell on him. Endeavor is… really that awful? The number two hero…
Izuku remembers a time before his quirk manifested when he was interested in the Flame Hero. He wanted someone to look up to in case he inherited his father's fire-breathing quirk. But even though he never seemed too friendly on the news or even during the recommendation exam, Izuku never would have thought… Endeavor is supposed to be a hero, how could he do something so horrible?!
Like before, Todoroki pulls away from his touch before he can heal his scar.
"Thanks," he mutters, already turning away.
Before he can leave, however, Recovery Girl calls out, "Oh, Todoroki-kun, why don't you take Midoriya-kun with you to lunch? You both need to eat well before the final event."
Todoroki pauses at the door and Izuku hastily trots after him, saying goodbye to his mentor as he leaves. They walk down the hallway in silence. Pretty much everyone is busy getting lunch, so it's mostly empty.
Izuku casts a glance at Todoroki, but the taller boy isn't looking at him. There's still something that he didn't quite confirm… although, from the way he talked about Endeavor, it's fairly obvious.
Despite Todoroki's odd attempt at reassurance, Izuku still feels a flare of protectiveness in his chest. "If… If he tries to hurt you again…"
"He won't," Todoroki says, "He knows better than to leave a mark on me when I have school the next day." A pause. His lips press together. "Usually."
Todoroki's words don't bring Izuku any ease. Instead, his stomach churns even more. He glances at Todoroki's healed forearm. Something tugs at his heart.
They part ways during lunch. Kacchan has already gotten both of their meals when he meets him. The blond loudly complains about how long he took to get there, but Izuku can't find it in himself to say much in response. Kacchan casts him a couple of odd, quizzical glances as they eat with their friends, no doubt noticing his sudden lack of enthusiasm. Not wanting to worry his friend, Izuku plasters on a smile and forces himself to eat, despite the fact that he actually feels quite nauseous.
There isn't much to do when he goes back to the infirmary, so he just idly watches the broadcast of the Sports Festival. Midnight announces what the final round of the competition will be, and Ojiro surprises everyone by withdrawing along with a boy from class 1-B. Izuku tries to pay attention, but all he can think about is what Todoroki told him. The ache in his chest grows bigger.
What does he do now? One of his classmates is being… being abused by his father! A pro hero! This is really serious- should he tell an adult? He isn't sure if they'd believe him without proof, but he is a healer… or, at least, he's going to be. He wonders if doctor-patient confidentiality applies to his case too.
But if he did tell someone… Todoroki might not ever forgive him. He probably wouldn't have told Izuku his secret if he didn't have some level of trust in him- he doesn't want to betray that. It might even just make things worse; Endeavor is an immensely powerful man, not just physically, but socially too. If it came to a legal battle, there's no way he'd go down easy. And Todoroki would be the one having to deal with the repercussions.
Swallowing past the hard lump in his throat, Izuku looks down at his lap. He needs to ease his mind somehow. He needs… he needs…
He takes out his phone.
(Midoriya 1:15PM)-Hi
(Toshinori 1:15PM)-Hello, Young Midoriya! How are things on your end?
(Midoriya 1:16PM)-Fine. Bit of a lull right now. Where are you?
(Toshinori 1:16PM)-I'm at the third-years' stage in the teachers' booth. Why?
Izuku briefly wonders why All Might is watching the third years instead of the first, but saves the question for later.
(Midoriya 1:17PM)-Can I ask you a question?
(Toshinori 1:17PM) -Of course.
Izuku stares down at his phone. He starts typing a response, then almost immediately deletes it. How does he ask this? After a few more typed and deleted responses, he finally hits send.
(Midoriya 1:20PM)-Can I call you?
(Toshinori 1:24PM) -Yes.
"Can I go to the bathroom?"
Recovery Girl glances up in surprise. "You don't have to ask me," she replies, "But the recreational games are going to be over soon, so don't take too long."
Izuku nods and tries not to rush out of the infirmary too quickly. Instead of heading towards the bathroom, he finds himself an empty hallway and presses the call button.
"Young Midoriya?" All Might's voice sounds a little breathless, as if he also hurried to find a quiet spot. "Is everything alright? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine," Izuku sighs, leaning against the wall. He winces. "Actually… maybe not so much…"
"Are you hurt? Where are you? I'll come-"
"No, no, it's okay! I'm not hurt, I just-" He cuts himself off with a rough exhale, struggling to find his words as he pinches the bridge of his nose. "All Might… I… What would you do if… if you knew someone was in trouble, but they didn't want your help?"
"Er- Young Midoriya?" All Might sounds bewildered.
"If… if you know you shouldn't meddle because… because it's none of your business, and it might make things worse anyway…" Izuku lets out a heavy sigh, "But-But you can't just sit back and do nothing, you know?"
All Might is quiet for a long time. Izuku knows that he's probably confused the man, but he can't think of another way to ask.
After a few beats of silence, All Might says, "I… I think I would just do what my heart tells me is right. I've always believed that meddling when you don't need to is the essence of being a hero."
Somehow, the words make Izuku's chest feel just a bit lighter. His mind is still in turmoil, but now… he knows he should do something. He has to do something. He doesn't know what yet, but the resolve is enough to steady him.
"Thanks, All Might." He smiles softly even though the man can't see him.
"...Are you sure you're okay?" All Might asks, "I'm assuming those questions weren't rhetorical."
"No, but you helped." He hears a particularly loud cheer come from outside. "I think I should go now. Will I see you later?"
"I don't know. I'll text you if I can't stop by."
"Okay. Bye." Izuku hangs up and walks back to the infirmary.