Chapter 21: You Are One of a Kind
It…was going to be a long day. Izuku had kind of expected that, it being the day of the Sports Festival after all. But it becomes clear to him that he didn't realize how long if the seething Kacchan in front of him was any indication.
The day had started off well enough. Iida woke everyone up way too early with the group chat, which led to a host of complaints, Izuku finding out Uraraka was not a morning person if her creative threats were any indication, and Tenko going to bed for a couple of hours because he had lost track of time gaming again.
After taking on the erroneous task of waking Kaminari up, something the blonde was very ungrateful for, the two ate a light breakfast courtesy of their mothers and set off, having to be at school early, but not before a foreboding promise from their fathers that they would be able to hear them from the stands.
Izuku and Kaminari shuttered as they tore their way out of the apartment.
The two walked in mostly comfortable silence before Kaminari broke it. "Did you know my name means thunder?"
Izuku put down his phone. "I hadn't really thought about it…but yeah I guess it does. Why?"
"Well I just thought, it's really on the nose isn't it?" If they weren't in public, Izuku might've changed Kaminari's clothes to that of a detective since he sounded like he was about to blow a case wide open. Heck, he might do it anyway.
"Like, what are the odds that my last name is thunder when I'm literally the son of the God of Thunder?" Kaminari begged the question.
"I bet Nezu could actually calculate that." They both laughed at Izuku's joke. "So what are you getting at exactly?"
"C'mon man, isn't it obvious?!" He waved his arms in the air like he was one of those inflatable tube men. "We're supposed to get our dad's last names, and mine couldn't put Thorson on his form so…"
Realization hit Izuku like a truck. "Our dads made up our last names…" Izuku said in growing horror. How hadn't he ever thought about that?!
"Yes!" Kaminari screams. He had solved his case. "They made them up! And my dad, in all of his creativity, named me Thunder!"
Izuku facepalmed. "The first part of my last name means green…my dad loves that color…"
A silence fell over them as both boys thought about what other things their fathers could've made up. After a while, Kaminari spoke again. "Are we gonna talk about what we learned yesterday?"
"Which part?" Izuku chuckled. "The magical stones that can do whatever they want and that because of a dumb mistake, one of them still exists? How about the fact that our principal knows who we are, or the multiple universes thing?"
"Okay, I was talking to my dad last night about that," Kaminari said. "He told me they were going to talk about which stones to destroy first but some guy they were working with took a couple of stones to be destroyed before they could." He wrinkled his brow. "Thermos? Thermometer? Thanatos? I don't remember his name but yeah."
Before Izuku could respond, Kaminari pointed at him. "And that! Multiple realities! I mean, how many Earths are there? How many me?! How many you?! Why aren't you freaking out over this?!"
Izuku shrugged. "I already knew about it."
Kaminari's finger started to shake while pointing at him. "You…you…" He sighed, putting it down. "This is too much and I just don't want to think about it right now…can't I worry about competing in one of the world's biggest sporting events like a normal kid?!"
"The fake names don't seem so bad now, do they?" Izuku joked.
"No, I guess not," Kaminari conceded. "Do you ever think about what they would think?"
"Who?"
"I don't know, everyone I guess?" He scratched the back of his head. "Like how they would react if they knew what we were? You ever thought about telling anybody?"
Letting the image of Uraraka fade from his mind, Izuku settled with, "maybe…you think they'd accept us?"
"I don't know."
Wanting to lighten the mood a bit, Izuku said, "but maybe we should wait a bit. I think I'd be really weirded out if everyone started calling me Lokison like Nezu did yesterday."
Kaminari laughed. "I know right? I didn't even realize he was talking about me at first…you know, talking about fake names and everything has got me thinking…"
Izuku looked at him curiously.
The other Asgardian was looking everywhere but him. "Knowing our names are fake, it's kinda weird to keep calling each other by them, and we're family so…" he finally looked at him. "If you wanted to call me Denki, I'd be cool with that."
Izuku nearly tripped he was so surprised. "A-are you sure?"
Looking much more relaxed now that he had gotten what he wanted to say out, Kaminari responded, "Yeah, man! Of course, I'm sure! I've-uh" Some of the trepidation returned. "I've actually been wanting to ask for a little while now but wasn't sure how you'd take it."
With his, 'my friend is feeling bad about himself' alarm going off, Izuku is quick to reassure him. "No! I don't mind, I promise! Um, y-yeah, I'll call you D-Denki if you don't mind. And…" he took a breath.
'C'mon Izuku, you've dealt with villains and criminals, you can do this!…oh who am I kidding?'
"And you can call me Izuku," he got out. Wow, no wonder Kaminari looked like he felt so much better, that felt great!
Kam-Denki broke out a smile almost as bright as his lightning. "Thanks, Izuku!" Wow, letting someone call him by his given name after Uraraka got to see his injuries? Probably the first time his dad wouldn't be proud and if he was being honest with himself, Izuku didn't mind.
The two made it to the school gates at the same time another pair did. "Midoriya! Kaminari! Are you guys as pumped as I am!" Kirishima enthusiastically yelled, walking up with an increasingly sour-looking Kacchan.
"You know it, bro! We'll still be cool after I whip your butt today, right?" Denki asked, giving Kirishima a high five.
"Dropping the trash talk already? Manly!" Kirishima is so contagious that even Izuku was smiling. "Bakugo, get in on this!"
"I never got to bury you both for that shit you said on the way to the USJ," Kacchan said slowly. "Your mothers won't recognize you when I'm done." It's silent, with just Kacchan's dead serious voice and glare punctuating his statement.
"Awesome! Everyone's gonna be giving it their all for sure!" Izuku had seen many shocking things in just the past day, but Kacchan not blowing up Kirishima for slapping him on the back may be one of the most surprising.
"Let's go see who else-"
"Oi." Kacchan cut Kirishima off, leveling his glare at Izuku. "You two shitheads leave. I gotta have a talk with Deku here."
Kirishima's confusion cleared quickly. "Oh! You two have known each other a long time, yeah? Got it." He gave them a thumbs up and started to walk away but Denki stayed behind, looking between them.
"Dude…"
"It's cool, Denki." Izuku gave him a reassuring smile. "Kacchan will wait until he has a crowd to fight me."
Denki didn't look convinced but seemed to trust his word more so he left, bringing Izuku back to the present and the probable start to a very long day. Kacchan stares at him, glare deepening, and looking for something.
Then, without a word, he jerks his thumbs over his shoulder and walks off the path to a more secluded part of the campus. Izuku was tempted to just walk away but it's like that old saying, curiosity killed the cat. But he wasn't currently turned into a cat so he thinks he'll be fine.
Izuku follows Kacchan past some bushes and by a few trees before the red-eyed boy whips around. "Know this shitty nerd, I'm gonna be the one standing on top of that podium today."
"Kacchan, if you dragged me over here just to tell me the same-"
"How long, Deku?" Izuku opens his mouth to reply but Kacchan doesn't give him the chance. "Was I always a joke to you?! We get to UA, and your quirk is suddenly good! You can do all these things I didn't fucking know about! And now you got this secret fucking cousin out of fucking nowhere! How the hell could I not know that?!"
"Wait, are you mad that-"
"Then…" Kacchan gets right in his face and he hates his first instinct is to run. To make a clone and hide. He feels the burn scars on his arms tingle as Kacchan's hands get close to them.
"You had the fucking nerve to pull that shit you did in middle school," Kacchan growls.
He stops so Izuku takes the bait. "What-"
"You fucking vanished!" Kacchan roars. "I tell you to…to…that! And then you just fucking disappeared for a whole fucking week! No one heard anything, Deku! We thought you…" his face dials back for a moment before becoming even angrier than before. "Then you fucking come back as if nothing happened! So, Deku, how long have I been a joke to you? Did you have fun spending a week making me think you…you…"
"Kacchan…are you mad I stopped telling you things?!" There's no way that can be it.
"I put up with your bullshit for years! And you seriously think you can just-just-just push ahead of me out of nowhere! Your quirk that makes no fucking sense, all those little extras that pal around you now, and then lying to me about going easy on me in the fucking battle trial-"
"I did!" Izuku can feel it. All the good feelings, the acceptance of his classmates, watching Eri heal and grow, training to be an actual hero, he can feel it all being dragged down by Kacchan. He had a taste and didn't want to let go.
"I did!" Izuku repeats. "I did go easy on you! What's really bothering you, Kacchan? Is it me pulling ahead of you, or is it that little Deku is finally happy?! That there's things in my life that don't revolve around you anymore!"
The angry blonde grabs his jacket roughly, a brief look of shock on his face. "I'm set to be the best! This is my origin story! Not yours! I'm not some pathetic side character for you to move past and forget about!"
"I tried for years to keep you a part of my life!" Izuku shoves him off and is only a little surprised when the other boy actually lets go. "Kacchan, I only ever wanted to be your friend. To be heroes together like we talked about when we were little." Izuku scoffs. "And this is all I got."
He roughly pulls back his sleeve to Bakugo, something he hadn't done for anyone in years, to show him the various burn marks that run up and down his arm. "This is how they both look,"
Izuku says quietly. "Back when I couldn't run from you, this is what I got. You know, to this day I still can't wear short sleeves in front of anyone."
Kacchan stares down at the arm, his face flickering through too many emotions for Izuku to keep track before he pushes his arm back to him. "Is that all I am to you now, Deku? Some footnote in your grand story to be number one? Well, do it then!"
He swipes his hands through the air, letting off small explosions in frustration. "Bitch and moan to everyone about me! Get me kicked out for what I did! What the fuck have you been waiting for?! Or are you still laughing at me?! Gonna make me think I'm safe before running to Aizawa! Fuck you! Just get it over with!"
"I'm not that selfish." At Kacchan's bewildered look, he continues. "You're gonna help a lot of people, either by saving them or by beating villains. And I'm not gonna let them get hurt just for feeling a little bad." He fixes his sleeves.
Both take a few breaths, letting the last few minutes sink in. "Is that your last prank then?" Kacchan asks, his voice not exactly calm, more like accepting of what was going to happen. "You're gonna make me watch you become number one?"
Where is he going with this? "Kacchan, do you even want to be a hero if you can't be number one?"
"Of course I do!" He yells. "You think I would fucking let you or any other extra get it without going through me?!" He takes a deep breath, calming down a little. "So that's it then, you're just gonna let me get away with it? You're not gonna do anything?"
He almost didn't want to ask. "Do you…want me to do something?"
Both their phones go off at the same time. Izuku checks his and sees it's a message from Iida urging them to get to the classroom soon. When he looks up, Kacchan is already marching past him, but stops when they're side to side.
"If you won't do anything then I will." He's almost whispering. "If we fight today, I win, you tell me everything that's going on. You win, and I swear to never bother you about anything again."
'He's driving himself into a corner.'
Kacchan walks away without waiting for a response. "You better give it your all today, nerd."
"You wanted to see me, Young Tenko?"
"Uh, yeah, thanks for coming, All Might." The classes were on their way to their designated waiting rooms before the festival started but Toshinori got a message from young Midoriya that Tenko wanted to see him.
The young man closes the door to the private waiting room he was in and stares at him, clearly with something to say but not knowing how. He wants to encourage him but It seems they both didn't know how to put what they wanted into words.
"So…" Could Tenko sense his awkwardness? "How can I help you?" He barely keeps himself from wincing.
Tenko looks back at the door before turning back to the veteran hero. "Alright…" Toshinori thinks he hears the boy say 'fuck it' under his breath but he doesn't point it out. "I just wanted to say thanks for the help you've given me these past couple of weeks…and I'll do my best to place high on the leaderboards for you."
Now, Toshinori gets it. Because he had been helping him train for the festival, Tenko thought he was expecting him to do well. No need to add any extra pressure on the boy. "That's not necessary."
"Eh?" Tenko tilts his head.
"It never mattered to me how you did in the festival, my boy," Toshinori clarifies.
He gets mild amusement out of the blue-haired boy's confusion. "W-what? But all that time you helped me grind?…"
Toshinori chuckles, walking over to stand over Tenko. "That was just an old man wanting to help a student. The only thing that matters to me, is that you try your hardest. You could be eliminated in the first round but as long as you did everything you could, I'll be happy. After all, that's all anyone can really ask of heroes."
A small laugh escapes him before he can stop it at the look of amazement on Tenko's face before he schools it quickly. "F-fine." He crosses his arms and looks away. "And sure you like retro games but not super retro games."
Toshinori…thinks he understands what he means.
But he clasps Tenko's shoulders anyway. "I know you'll do well either way! Just try not to think about the millions of people watching you!" Oh, the look on Tenko's face tells him that was the wrong thing to say. Time to go before he makes it worse!
"I'll see you out there, my boy!" Toshinori walks around him towards the door but stops when Tenko speaks again.
"Hey. Do you think…she'll be watching?" All Might had never heard him speak so softly before.
"There's a good chance." Toshinori matches his tone.
Tenko nods, voice hardening. "Good. Then she can see the hero who's going to save her." The young man opens the door and walks back to his waiting room with renewed purpose. Toshinori couldn't be more proud.
"Looks like you guys had a good talk." It's only having known him for a year and the kid doing it at every chance he got that prevents Toshinori from jumping outwardly when young Midoriya appears next to him from thin air.
All Might sighs. "What did I tell you about listening in on people's conversations?"
"It was part of Eraser's training for me and you made it so easy with how loud you talk!" Midoriya whines. "And I promise I didn't listen to you guys! I was just waiting to see if everything would be alright after!"
"Heh, so how'd I do?" All Might asks.
"By the looks of Tenko, really good," Midoriya approves.
"I appreciate-what's that look for?" Toshinori didn't like the knowing look he was getting.
"So…" the greenette steps closer. "You talk to him about it yet?"
Of course, he figured it out. Toshinori shakes his head. "After the festival, I didn't want to distract him."
"That's fair…" All Might grunts when Midoriya crashes into his midsection, hugging him.
"I hope this means you aren't replacing me…" young Midoriya pleads in his most fake pathetic voice. It was nice to know the festival wasn't affecting him too badly.
"Believe me when I say, you are one of a kind," Toshinori compliments.
Midoriya hugs tighter. "You always know what to say, dad…"
"Present Mic made the joke one time, young Midoriya…" Toshinori grumbles half-heartedly.
The green-haired boy looks up at him with a wide smile. Yeah, a lot of people were gonna love that smile when he becomes a hero. "You didn't deny it! So I seized the opportunity!"
"I was in shock he said it!"
"Details." Midooriya waves him off. "Would I really be that bad as a son?"
Toshinori sighs, ruffling the kid's hair, something he discovered Midoriya liked and was sworn under threat of stabbing not to tell anyone about. "Yeah, you'd be a great one."
Maybe, he should take a page out of young Midoriya's book. "So, my boy, you consider Eri to be basically your sister, yes?"
"As long as she wants me?" Oh, he thinks there will ever be a time she won't, that's funny.
"And at the same time, Aizawa is essentially her father, also correct?"
"Yes?…" Young Midoriya was able to connect dots earlier but he's confused now?
"So if Eri is your sister…and Aizawa is her dad…that makes Aizawa your?…" Toshinori spells out.
Midoriya's eyes light up. There it is. "You can find him in the announcer's booth," Toshinori informs him.
"Thanks!" Midoriya is off so fast, that he's surprised there isn't a trail of smoke behind him. Ah well, that'll teach Aizawa to make his name 'All Shite' in the teacher's chat.
Ochako taps her fingers nervously on the table in front of her. Two weeks ago, it felt like they had years until the festival happened! Now, it was the day of and she can't stop going over everything she wanted to go over but didn't.
Her parents told her that focusing on the negative would only bring her down and she needed to look more at everything she's accomplished, and they're right, and she usually does that! But this stupid festival was making it so much harder!
Sure, her family wasn't having to rely on leftovers and turning one portion into two anymore because of that amazing job their company got, but they didn't get this far by blowing their money on useless things.
With the bills paid and food taken care of, a lot of it was going into a savings account to be the nice cushion they never had. But this job wouldn't last forever, and neither would that money, they had to be ready for life after it. Ochako was doing just that.
The waiting room most of Class 1-A is in is almost completely silent. Everyone sits in chairs or around tables, lockers line the walls of the room. The only real sounds were the creaking of chairs as people sat down, a few of them pacing, and the door opening every now and then for someone to head to the bathroom, probably to throw up.
It's a pretty solemn environment all things considered-
"Thanks, Koda!" A loud voice pierces the room like a nail into wood. Ochako looks up to see Koda holding the door for Deku who walks in looking at them all, seemingly more excited than ever. How does he do it?
"Hey, guys! Great to see you all!" Deku waves like he didn't just see them all a few minutes ago? Part of her wants to chalk it up to his nerves but something doesn't feel right.
"Midoriya!" Iida stands at attention causing her to giggle a little. "I hope your errand went well! There is nothing new to report on the status of the class!"
"Shouldn't that be you?" Kyoka whispers to Yaomomo who sits right next to her.
"He's not trying to do anything a class rep would, in addition, I think he needs it. We all have our ways of calming ourselves," Yaomomo responds quietly.
"Woooow!" Deku runs up to Iida staring at his hands. "They really do chop that fast!"
"Midoriya, what are you-"
"Oh, hi Uraraka!" Ochako squeaks when Deku is by her an instant later, throwing himself into the chair next to her which doesn't creak for some reason. "How are you feeling? Are you ready for the festival? Did you want any last minute fight tips? Or any tips at all? I got tons! Anyways, the second event is always a team-up event, did you wanna work together?"
Ochako's face heats up very quickly because, with each question he asks, Deku gets closer and closer to her face. "Well, you see, um, what was the first question again?"
Deku seems to realize what he's doing and quickly back up. "Ah, sorry!" He apologizes while waving his hands in front of him. Now, he seems normal again. "I just got so excited to be here!"
"I can understand that." Ochako relaxes a little, even if some part of her, which is quickly drop kicked, wishes he'd get that close again. "Sports Festival is a big deal, we're lucky we get to be here."
She looks over and is startled at how Deku is staring at her. It's as if she's the only person in the room with him, the only thing that matters, and Ochako very much does not think about what that's doing to her face and heart right now.
"Hm?" Deku comes back a little. "Oh, right. You meant the festival. Yeah, I m-meant t-that too." He leans back in his seat. "But that's not really because of the festival. It's exciting to be anywhere as long as you're there with me."
Now the whole room is dead silent. No one is moving or making any sound, save for two squeals that are growing steadily louder from a certain alien and invisible girl.
"D-D-D-Deku." Ochako probably doesn't have to throw people into the sun anymore with how hot her face feels. She can't even begin to imagine how red it could be. "W-w-what are you saying?…"
He looks her right in the eye. "Uraraka, I-" Ochako blinks once. Then twice. One more time. Yup. She sees correctly. Deku was interrupted when a second Deku appeared from nowhere and tackled him to the ground.
"That's enough out of you! Did you think we wouldn't know you left?!" The new Deku tries to retrain the original. Ochako and the class can only watch.
"You can't silence me forever, Two! The truth needs to come out! It sets you-" Deku is cut off again when new Deku, Two(?), puts a hand over his mouth.
"Not yet! Three, help me!"
"Not logical." Ochako is stunned when a third Deku appears, arms crossed, watching the other two wrestle on the ground. "I agree with Thirteen. Emotions only get in the way of making the right choices, might as well get it out and over with."
So, Ochako has questions. And looking around she's far from the only one. Even aloof Todoroki looks interested in what's happening.
The first question besides 'what was going on,' is who are these people? But they know that answer. They've all seen Deku do it a bunch of times. They were clones. Copies. But that led to the next question, how was this happening?
Deku had made clones a bunch of times in front of them all, but they usually did what he said or stood in place for him while he snuck off somewhere. Ochako is making it a point to learn when he switches.
But back to whatever was going on in front of her. Deku had made clones sure, but they had never been this…independent.
"We can discuss logic later!" Two yells. "Just get over here and grab ahold of his feet so we can-hey! Don't you lick my hand!"
"Also not logical." The Deku called Three shrugs.
"What's wrong, now?!" Two asks in exasperation.
"He could kick me."
A new but as of right now, very familiar voice stops their fight. "Don't worry, everyone!" It was another Deku! And he was standing on one of the tables! "I, the real Izuku Midoriya, in the flesh, will stop this fight!"
"Five! Shut the hell up! Get over here and grab Thirteen's legs so we can throw him off the roof of the stadium or something!" Two's very blunt statement seems to finally break the class out of whatever state they're in.
As usual, Iida is the fastest. "Now see here! What is-"
"If we're throwing Midoriya's off the stadium…" Ochako's head wants to start hurting at the new Deku's appearance but instead, he looks so sad. She's never seen a look like that on his face and wants to do nothing more than run up and hug him.
"Nine, now is not the-"
"If we're throwing Midoriya's off the stadium," Nine starts again, his voice sounds so broken. "Can I be next in line?"
"I'm with him." Okay, Ochako now has two Deku's to hug when the Deku that appears next to Nine looks sad too. Not as sad, more nervous than anything.
"Might as well," the new Deku says in resignation. "They've all seen us now, they're not gonna wanna talk to Izuku anymore…"
By this time, Five has gone over and helped Two completely restrain Thirteen. Cool name if you ask Ochako. "You both need to relaaaaax." Yet another Deku materializes in between the two sad ones. "Eight, Nine, you guys are always such downers. Think of all the amazing pranks we can pull now that they know about us!"
"Oh my god Four, if you-"
"ENOUGH!" All of Deku's clones go quiet, even Thirteen stops struggling, and the class stares at the standing Iida who chops at the decoys with vigor. "We demand to know what is going on this instant! Where is the real Midoriya?!"
The door to the announcer's room burst open.
"Dad!"
"What the fu-"
"Uh, sorry." Ochako has officially lost count of the Dekus. The one to just appear addresses the class, scratching the back of his head. "We wanted to meet you all for a long time but weren't sure how to do it…Thirteen kind of forced our hand here."
Yaomomo stands beside Iida. "And who are you exactly?"
The Deku looks at his copies behind him before shrugging. "We're Izuku's clones. I'm Eleven by the way." He gives a small wave. "I'm the self-sacrificial one, that's why I'm the one talking to you all…"
"You're all very self-sufficient," Tsu is quick to point out.
"We had to be," Eight responds, a slight quiver to his voice. "Izuku didn't really have friends growing up so-" he smacks himself. "Idiot! Why would you say that?! If they didn't hate Izuku before they will now!"
Three walks over and stops Eight from tearing his hair out. "Don't mind him. That's Eight, he's anxious." He faces the class. "Hello, I'm Three. Logic."
"Boooooring!" Four puts an arm around the clone next to him. "You have no presentation Three. What's up 1-A! Four is my name and pranks are my game! Speaking of…" He points at Yaomomo with a mock glare. "You have been a huge thorn in my side! Just let us prank!"
"You each have a different style of speaking as well as unique word choices and tone. I am noting them down so I will be able to tell the difference between one of you and Midoriya," Yaomomo states dryly.
Three turns to Four. "I will enjoy watching her thoroughly defeat you over and over."
Four's glare becomes real to his clone brother. "Careful, or you're being dropped after Thirteen, and that won't be a prank!"
"What about-"
"Nope!" Four interrupts the clone he still has his arm around. "My life's goal is to make you happy, not throwing you off any ledges. This one here is Nine by the way. Depression."
Nine looks away. "What's the point of introducing ourselves? Not like anyone cares about us, they probably think we're annoying…"
"No!" Ochako cries before she can stop herself. "You're not annoying, I promise." Clone or not, she couldn't stand to hear a Deku talk about himself that way. And it hurt it didn't look like he believed her.
"You're all introducing yourselves with numbers and different personality traits, why is that?" Shoji observes and asks.
"The Numbers are just the easiest way to name us," Eleven replies. "And we're each of a different part of Izuku."
Ochako takes that in, she takes a little more in and realizes she doesn't like what she's hearing. There was Eleven who was self-sacrifice and that was worrying but not even the worst part.
Eight and Nine. Anxiety and Depression. The way they talked, and what Eight said about Deku not having friends, which didn't sound possible in Ochako's opinion with how likable he is, it all led her to very bad conclusions.
She also starts taking mental notes about the clones and how they talk. Deku liked to disappear and leave a clone behind, he liked to hide, and not just himself she realizes as Ochako remembers him and his injuries after the USJ. Well, he's not getting away with any of that anymore if she has a say in it.
It seems she wasn't the only one worried, a lot of heads are not very subtlety looking at Eight and Nine.
"Anyway!" Eleven gets their attention once more. "The one trying to choke out Thirteen is Two. Confidence. Kind of pseudo in charge when Izuku isn't here."
"Wait a-"
"Quiet, Five." By the looks on all the clone's faces, this wasn't the first time they had to shut him up. "He's hard to explain…"
"Not really. He's a personification of Izuku's guilt for hiding himself all the time," Three says like he's reading something from a textbook. Oh, Ochako is helping her friend asap.
Two sighs while keeping his grip on Thirteen. "Please don't judge Izuku too harshly. Thirteen here is new and doesn't realize we're not supposed to show our personalities without permission!" The yelling and grunts from said clone are probably not ones of agreement.
"Okay." It takes Ochako too long to realize she's the one who spoke, but with everyone staring at her, she finds her resolve. "I mean, okay. This isn't a big deal, right? Deku is still the same person even after this, why should this change anything?"
"I'm with her." Ochako almost collapses from her chair in relief when Tenko speaks up. "I don't care. Personally, I wish I had a bunch of NPC's that did whatever I wanted."
"We don't do whatever he wants!"
"I agree with O-Ochako," Yaomomo speaks up. The gravity girl snickers a little, the heiress still has trouble with their given names sometimes. "This doesn't change anything about who Midoriya is. Although…" Her gaze lingers on Eight and Nine. "It may be prudent to check on his mental and emotional well-being every now and then." Agreements are made throughout the class.
The door to the waiting room opens and the person they had all been waiting for runs in with Koda behind him. "Hey, guys! Sorry, I'm a little late, I had to-" Deku stops in his tracks cold, looking between the class and his clones. Back and forth. Back and forth again. And one more time before slapping his face into his hands. "How much did you hear?" His muffled voice asks.
"It's Thirteen's fault!" nearly all the decoys yell at the same time, pointing to the offender.
"The class knows who we are and introductions have been made," Three informs Deku, who still has his face in his hands. "I believe they were just in the process of accepting us."
"What?!" That causes Deku to finally look back up at them in disbelief.
"Yes!" Iida speaks for the class. "And I apologize if we have given you the impression we would not accept this part of your quirk, please do not feel the need to keep your clones hidden from us any longer!"
"It doesn't matter to me!" Aoyama puts a hand to his chest. "There could be a hundred Midoriyas and none would shine as brightly as me so laissez-les venir!"
"It's like we have new classmates!" Toru cheers happily.
"Oh, man. And we thought 1-B hated us before," Sero laughs.
"It's manly to show emotion!" Kirishima pumps his fist. What Ochako can only assume are manly tears run down his cheeks.
"I knew you guys were cool!" Four runs up to Kaminari. "We can plan pranks so much easier now that we can talk face to face, dude!"
Kaminari cracks a smile and points at him. "This one's my favorite!"
"Mine too!" Mina dashes over. "They are so much fun! Can we keep them, Midoriya, please?!"
"Uhh…" Deku seems more lost than Ochako has ever seen him while he looks at everyone. "They can be a handful…"
"Like we aren't one big handful already!" Toru counters.
"What a mad banquet of darkness."
Deku still doesn't look very convinced. "If you're sure and you're not weirded out…"
The last person Ochako ever expected to walk over to Deku does, Todoroki. "Objectively speaking, I'm stronger than you," he says bluntly, much to everyone's confusion. "And you somehow have gained the favor of several teachers. But that doesn't matter. You can make any trick you want, or bring as many clones with you as you can, I'm still going to beat you." And with that, the scarred boy makes his way to the back of the room to sit.
"He needed a good prank yesterday." Four breaks the silence, eliciting laughter from several.
Jiro twirls one of her headphone jacks around her finger. "Aizawa is gonna flip when he meets these guys."
"He's gonna be so much fun to mess with!" Two says excitedly. "And we're not students so he can't expel us!"
"He can expel Midoriya though," Ojiro retorts.
"True." Tsu puts a finger to her mouth. "But we've seen the clones act on their own already, can Midoriya really be blamed for their actions?"
While a class-wide debate begins on the subject, Ochako moves closer to Deku. "Are you ok?" She whispers.
"Are you guys sure you're ok with this?" He whispers back.
Ochako hums, giving him a reassuring nod, which relaxes Deku a little. She feels better at the sight but then, another thought occurs to her. "Hey, what's Thirteen's personality?"
Deku freezes, face going red. Was it embarrassing? He looks between her and the again struggling clone several times before exhaling. "I want to tell you…but there's some other stuff I have to tell you first. Are you okay with waiting?"
It was better than nothing! And she would hold him to it either way. Ochako tells him as much, making him laugh, it's a sweet sound. "One last thing?" Ochako brings up. She just has to ask because she doesn't think she'll be able to forget about it until she does.
"What is it?"
"Your clones are a part of you, right?" Deku nods. "Thirteen said you're excited to be anywhere if it was with me, is that true?"
Before Deku can say anything, the speakers in the room came to life, telling the classes to get ready to enter the field. Ochako frowns at not getting an answer while everyone gets up. She's about to move when Deku's voice stops her.
"Yes."
She whirls around but he's already moving to the front of the class to lead everyone outside. That was probably for the best anyway. It let Ochako look down and not have to worry about him seeing the smile spreading on her red face.
"The classes are about to take the field, how many more 'selfies' could you possibly take?" Loki asks exasperatedly at Thor taking what felt like his millionth picture with a fan in the lobby of the stadium. He had stopped trying to keep track of the count.
"Okay, I'm going! How was I supposed to know I had so many fans in Japan?" Thor signs a few more pieces of paper shoved at him.
A child tugs on Loki's sleeve and he remembers what his mother taught him about not punting small children. "What?"
"Can you take our picture?" He points at Thor and himself.
"Do you know who I am?" Loki is barely able to keep his voice restrained.
"Are you a hero too?!" The child gets even more excited at the prospect.
The question douses Loki's anger as he tilts his head at the tiny human, thinking it over. "In my own way."
"I'm sorry! I really have to go! I'll happily take more pictures between events!" Thor waves to his crowd of supporters before walking back with Loki to their seats to join their wives.
They get there just in time as the announcer, Present Mic, his brain recalls sounding an awful lot like Izuku, begins to name the classes as they march out.
"Now, you both are going to behave yourselves, aren't you?" Inko turns to give her husband and his brother a pointed look.
"You two are still on thin ice for offering the boys alcohol," Mrs. Kaminari warns.
"Yes, dear." The two gods say at the same time.
The four settle in while the hero Midnight calls on the student representative, Izuku.
"Is it time for the foam fingers yet?"
Loki shakes his head. "Not until the first event," he tells his brother.
Izuku walks up to the stage, controlling his nervousness a lot better than his father was expecting but he was proud. They were royalty after all and speeches come with the job so practice with the mortals was a good thing.
"Hello everyone." His son's voice travels throughout the stadium. "I am Izuku Midoriya." Loki had insisted that Izuku let the world know of his glorious purpose but the boy persisted that it sounded too conceited for the speech he wanted. Disappointing, he supposes, but he'll respect his son's wishes.
"I should just address the elephant in the room." An illusion of an elephant appears next to his son on stage, trumpeting. "No, not you." He snaps his fingers and the animal disappears, causing some laughter through the crowd.
Midnight approaches Izuku. "Midoriya, you don't need your quirk to-"
"Stand back, you mewling quim!" Izuku yells, holding his hand out.
"Wait, what did he just call me?"
Thor groans as Loki roars with laughter next to him. "Brother, what did you do?"
"I told him to say that if someone tried to stop him from using his powers!" Loki barely gets out between laughs. He immediately sobers up when Inko gives him a stink eye. Dammit, he was going to have a talk later he was not going to like.
Izuku goes on, creating various illusions of villains from the USJ, including Shigaraki and Kurogiri. "You all have lined up in the sweltering heat for hours to see us, the class that survived the villain attack. You want the untold story, the…unseen sights, your imaginations have been running wild for weeks and you want more. I just have one question, where are the villains now?"
The stadium's silence is answer enough. "Hiding! Because people like them, who aim to hurt, don't matter. Today isn't about them. It's about us, and I mean all of us! Hero Course, General Studies, Support Department, and Management!"
"It's about all of us here at UA showing you how bright your future is! How those kinds of villains will stay not mattering!" Izuku dismissed his illusions. "Because us here at UA, everyone, are going to show you just how hard we're going to work, and give you a preview of how far we'll go!"
"Because this is UA, and everything here is…plus ultra!"
"Plus Ultra!" The stadium cheers, people clapping and whooping at Izuku's speech. Loki smiles proudly and claps along. 'It looks like my lessons in showmanship weren't a lost cause after all.' Not exactly the type of presentation he would have done, but Izuku is his own person at the end of the day.
"My baby…" Inko begins to tear up. Loki sincerely hopes this venue has some sort of flooding insurance.
Izuku runs off the stage to his screaming friends who look to congratulate him. Hopefully, he is still heeding his warnings of letting anyone close. Midnight is eventually able to quiet the crowd some with the help of Present Mic.
"Looks like you're all as worked up as I am!" Midnight calls out suggestively to the crowd. "Let's get this thing started right away!" A holographic screen appears behind her, circulating through different events. "This year's first event is…"
Chapter 22: What You See Is What You Get
AN: Don't be confused by the beginning. In Izuku's speech for the Sports Festival, he basically said what the villains did at the USJ and what they stand for don't matter. Aaaand they're a bit upset by that. Anyways, enjoy!
"We don't matter?!"
Kurogiri sighs, putting down his nearly polished glass. While of course, he agrees with Master's idea to have Shigaraki watch the Sports Festival to familiarize herself with her enemies more and check on Tomura's progression, there were…complications.
"Who does he think he is?!"
With a practiced wave of his hand, he creates a portal to catch the bar stool before it hits the wall it was sent hurtling toward. Kurogiri creates another portal to deposit the stool in front of him.
"I matter!" In a scene he has seen more times than he can count, he stopped trying years ago, Shigaraki slices the old computer they use clean in half with one of her discs.
They hadn't even gotten to the first event.
But the green-haired hero boy had decided to specifically call out their organization in all but name during his speech, claiming they were hiding and didn't matter. Kurogiri was willing to concede he was right about the first point but even he had issues with the second.
That put it lightly to how Shigaraki was taking the words if her pacing angrily around the room was any indication. "I have to hear it from sensei almost every day, I am not taking that from some little privileged hero brat!" She screeches.
Kurogiri hums in agreement, moving to a closet behind the bar and allowing Shigaraki to rant more. "What gives him the right? Huh? He's not the one who had to grow up being broken down in every possible way by sensei? To do everything right and whatever he asked only to be constantly told you'll never get out of the shadow of your stupid brother!"
A dozen small discs form around her body and shoot out around the room so fast, that most wouldn't know what was happening until it was over.
The discs are gone as fast as they appeared but their damage is not. Small cuts on almost every part of the room and furniture seem to finally bring Shigaraki back a little. "Aw crap, not again…" she slumps onto the couch. "Sorry, Kurogiri…
"Not to worry, young master." Kurogiri opens a closet he is very familiar with to reveal a dozen very similar computers to the one broken by Shigaraki. His quirk made them easy to obtain and it never hurt to be prepared. "This could be an opportunity for you."
While sensei's successor gives him a questioning look, Kurogiri warps the old computer and replaces it with a new one. He had learned long ago that his young master could get…very involved in whatever tv show or movie she was watching.
There was never anything wrong with this in his eyes. The media often helped distract his charge after a particularly rough day or calmed her down after say, a nightmare. As Kurogiri had no need for sleep, he found the two of them watching tv in the middle of the night into the early hours of the next morning a common occurrence.
He hadn't had much interest in most of what Shigaraki watches, except perhaps the programs where the protagonist would take care of a wounded animal, but stayed as it was his job to keep an eye on her.
It was always when he least expected that Shigaraki would lash out, however. Either something not going her way in the plot or a series 'dragging out her OTP for no reason.' Kurogiri finds it best to just nod along at these moments he doesn't understand.
"It is for reasons like this that the Master had insisted you watch the festival, Shigaraki," Kurogiri placates while setting up the new computer. "The boy has dug his own trap, all that is required now is for you to seize the opportunity."
After returning to the correct website and making sure he has Shigaraki's undivided attention, which he does, Kurogiri finishes, "the boy claimed you don't matter and the people believed him. Prove him wrong. Land a decisive blow to the heroes and the victory will be twofold. You have your win, and you prove the boy wrong and make the public question both him and UA. Show everyone you matter."
To her credit, Shigaraki looks deep in thought for a minute. "You're right…and I think I have a couple of ideas."
"This year's first event is…the obstacle race!" Midnight yells out to the approval of the crowd.
She goes on to explain how the race will be four kilometers around the stadium and they could do whatever they wanted as long as they stayed on the track.
Not that it surprises Shoto. He was well-versed in UA's approach to teaching and the freedom they allowed. Still, he can't help but feel a little satisfied despite himself. Having the ability to do whatever he wanted and still not using his left side was sure to anger that man.
This first event benefited him in more ways the longer he thought about it. The greatest asset for a race was mobility, something his mother's ice gave him in spades.
And while Midoriya's quirk was extremely versatile, no doubt thanks to who Shoto suspected as his parent, he had never seen it aid the other boy too much in movability, usually relying on his natural athleticism in class.
No, he wouldn't have to worry about him this round. Shoto wasn't naive enough to think the verdant wouldn't pass the round, but Midoriya would not be a threat to him for now.
One of the giant doors surrounding the field they stand in opens, prompting all eleven classes to move in front of it and get ready. Immediately, Shoto notices a problem.
Despite most of the students around him posing no threat directly, he imagines the only ones he'd have to worry about for this particular event are Iida, Yaoyorozu, and Bakugo, the hall to enter the race is narrow. Too narrow.
On purpose, Shoto supposes. A first obstacle not even before they reach the starting line to catch the unobservant off-guard. But that was not him. Feeling his right side already begin to chill, Shoto tunes out the maddening squawking of Present Mic over the speakers and the crowd.
Endeavor was watching, he hopes to make him so proud today.
Midnight's countdown shakes Shoto from his sarcastic thoughts. He raises his right leg, ready to instantly freeze all the competition and push himself through the hall at once. From his observations, some of his classmates will not be deterred too much, but he imagines that will not be the same for anyone outside of his class.
"Ready…set…go!"
"Stop!"
It's only Shoto's training that allows him to stop his ice before it even starts. Still, even he was not immune to stumbling a bit. Many other competitors outright fall on top of each other.
What happened? Had there been a malfunction of some kind? Heterochromatic eyes move to their referee and Shoto blinks.
Because standing on the stage is not one, but two Midnights, glaring at each other. Present Mic screeches for answers and confusion ripples its way through the crowds.
"Don't listen to her! I said the race started, go!" One of the Midnights yells to them.
"This fake is lying to you!" The other accuses.
"What are you talking about?! You're the one that's not real!"
"No, you!"
"Shut up!" Midnight swipes at her other self, revealing the clone and causing it to fade away. "It wasn't real! Go!"
A clone? But that could only be…
Shoto whips his head forward and his suspicions are confirmed, Izuku Midoriya stands at the exit to the narrow hall, smirking at him through a sea of students. With a wink, he's gone.
"Atta boy, Izuku!"
"Don't fall for such putrid tricks already, Denki!"
"How dare you call our tricks putrid?!"
"H-hey! Get your foam finger out of my eye!"
Cold fury tunes out the crowd again as Shoto stomps his foot down with more force than necessary. In what is an instant for most, the tunnel is frosted and Shoto is firing himself through the passageway.
"That had to be one of the CRAZIEST starts I've seen to an event!" Present Mic's voice booms through all their ears, the crowd roaring in response. "It seems Class 1-A's Izuku Midoriya created a copy of our referee to stop the race and give himself a lead! Is that even allowed?!"
Aizawa sighs into his microphone. "The rules state anything goes as long as you stay on the race track. In this regard, Midoriya did not break any rules."
"You hear that folks?! Anything can happen! Like Shoto Todoroki's frosty greeting to his fellow competitors by freezing most of them to the ground! Talk about not being chill with your peeps!"
"Please stop."
"But that hasn't stopped anyone for long! Those kids are making that ice look like a single traffic cone in their way! And it looks like most of them are from 1-A as well! Aizawa, what are you teaching these kids?!"
Shoto lands on the ground and uses his ice to propel him forward, ignoring several of his classmates calling out to him about the stunt he just pulled and Bakugo's cursing of both him and Midoriya.
It surprises him how many both in and out of his class were able to break through his ice so quickly. Perhaps it wasn't just Midoriya he should be wary of underestimating.
But that is thought for another time because he is gaining quick ground on Midoriya, who's running hard in front of him but it won't be enough.
"That was pathetic, hero student!" Shoto looks behind him to see what he assumes is a general education student flying through the air and heading right for him. He's small with what looks like purple balls on his head.
"Too bad I've outwitted you! Time for my special move!" The boy detaches one of the balls from his head, another taking its place instantly. "Gra-" Before Shoto can witness whatever this special move is, a metal hand smacks the boy out of the air.
"It's time for our first major obstacle! That's right ladies and gentlemen, it's Robo Inferno!" Shoto's eyes widen slightly at the sight ahead of him. The track opens to a large area with three massive robots towering over them all, and dozens of smaller robots at their feet. "Woah! Power Loader went a bit overboard this year, huh?"
Learning from the exclamation of other students that these were the robots from the entrance exam doesn't matter, what does, is that Midoriya is nowhere to be seen.
'Dammit! He must've turned invisible so he could just run through!'
If the sounds of Iida's engines and Bakugo's explosions were any indication, they thought the same. But before Shoto could take a step, he was surrounded by three robots, all aiming their weapons at him. "I don't have time for this." He plants his foot on the ground, producing ice spikes to easily take care of the machines.
Instead of the sound of crunching metal like he expected, Shoto hears…nothing. His ice travels through the robots and they fade like they were never there…'shit.'
"I don't know when he did it, but it looks like 1-A's Midoriya has created clones of the robots to slow down the other runners! How will they respond?!"
"Shitty clones don't matter when you can just fly over them! Where are you, Deku?!" True to his word, Bakugo's uses his explosions to propel him over the battlefield where students fall to robots, unable to identify which was real and which wasn't.
For once, it seems like Bakugo has a point. And he meant it when he told Midoriya his illusions won't matter against him. And he'll start proving that right here, right now.
Ice explodes out from Shoto's body, uncaring if it encases person, clone, or robot. Now even the famed zero pointer is safe. He gives himself just enough time to run under the behemoth before his ice cracks and the bot falls. Again, he cares not for the yelling afterward or what sounds like a cannon being fired off. Yaoyorozu, he guesses.
"We don't know where he went but Izuku Midoriya reappears, still in the lead! Followed closely by Shoto Todoroki and Katsuki Bakugo!"
Again, Midoriya is still in front of him! And not looking tired in the slightest while Shoto gains on him. Meanwhile, he can feel some frost already beginning to creep up his arm, but not nearly enough to slow him down. He had been through much worse, and Shoto had something to prove.
"Our leaders have reached the second obstacle, the fall! Don't look down!"
This time, he actually witnesses Midoriya disappear in a green light. It won't be that easy. Shoto runs up to the canyon and intends to skate across one of the lines of rope but his foot misses the rope.
Correction. It goes through the rope.
'You've got to be kidding me!' The rope flickers like a hologram, as do several others while Shoto regains his footing on even ground.
"Hey, Todoroki!" Shoto scowls at the sight of Midoriya standing alone on one of the pillars scattered throughout the gorge, waving at him without a care in the world. "Not having trouble, are you? Try the next one, maybe that'll be it!"
"Maybe be a threat before declaring war, Icy Hot!" Bakugo soars above him, flying over the canyon. "You'll have to do better than that Deku!"
A shadow above him catches his eye just in time to see Asui jumping over him intending to catch one of the ropes…only to fall through an illusion. "Ribbit!" She desperately extends her tongue back to the cliff but it looks like it'll be just short.
Or it would've been if it wasn't for Shimura reaching out and grabbing hold of the appendage, allowing Asui safe passage back to land, or at least safe passage back to the boy she crashes into.
"Thanks, ribbit."
"No problem…"
"When will the madman Midoriya be stopped?! Now he has turned the real ropes invisible and created fake ones to lure his classmates to fall to their doom!"
"Mic forgot to mention the obstacle is perfectly safe and any student who does fall will not be injured," Aizawa's tired voice comes through the speakers.
Deciding to be done with the bullshit, Shoto spreads ice across the cliff face until it catches and reveals a real rope. He's on it in seconds, using his ice to simultaneously speed him across while at the same time, making the rope unusable for anyone behind him.
"Sorry, Deku, but that doesn't work on me either!" Uraraka smirks victoriously, jumping over the ravine and using her quirk on herself to float to each pillar.
"Look at my babies all you companies out there, especially the big ones!" Shoto sees a manically laughing pink-haired…person he assumes covered in tech using wires and propulsion to move from rocky pillar to pillar.
A descendant of the American hero Iron Man perhaps? No! Shoto, focus. Humiliate Endeavor now, your board later.
Kaminari looks on with others trying to locate the real ropes but spots Tokage beginning to float across in pieces first. "Hey! Mind giving me a ride across!"
"At least take me out to dinner before asking for something like that!" The green-haired girl winks back.
"Usually, I don't gotta ask!"
Tokage's snort turns into a laugh and her detached hand points down where one of her fingers had seemingly found a rope and was strumming it like a guitar.
"You rock!" Kaminari lights up and streaks across the tightrope, Iida close behind being called out for looking very uncool by Present Mic. An Indigo-haired boy seems popular as he has multiple students testing ropes for him.
Shoto makes it to the other side and had enough boost to be just behind Bakugo again and runs down the path to the final obstacle.
"It's here! Our leaders are making their way to the last challenge! The great equalizer! The minefield! Make your way carefully through or face an explosion like no other!"
"Mic…"
"The mines don't actually hurt, they're just loud, flashy and blah blah blah, are you happy now?!"
"I'm never happy when I'm with you."
"Oh, you and your banter! Now, normally, this minefield is meant to slow down our leaders and give those in the back of the pack time to catch up, but what hasn't stopped Izuku Midoriya today? It wasn't robots, the fall, and it certainly won't be mines! How is he doing that?!"
That's what Shoto wants to know! The ground makes it pretty easy to spot where each mine lays and unless you were as fast as Iida, (could he be descended from Quicksilver?-enough!) you shouldn't be able to run over them.
Midoriya was yet again, proving his theories wrong because there he was, running across the mines without setting a single one off. Bakugo was literally hot on his trail, getting closer and closer.
Damn! He wouldn't mind slowing down but he had no choice! Shoto makes a path of ice to run down and takes off after the two leaders. It would leave a trail for those behind him but he's smarter than that.
Iida and Yaoyorozu could take advantage too easily and steal a victory from underneath him, so Shoto puts up several walls behind him to deter any followers.
Explosions batter his ears as Shoto makes his way closer and closer to Midoriya. Whether it was from Bakugo, whose yelling was drowned out, or the numerous mines being set off behind him, he couldn't hear much.
But he didn't need to hear to win this. He needed to see. And from what he was seeing right now, Midoriya had run out of his little tricks. It was over.
The support student uses her wire's to dig up mines and toss them at various students, blanketing the field in pink smoke. Shimura is hit and blasted away but a tongue wraps around him and brings him back down before he's too far.
Kirishima and a steel boy power through. Dark Shadow tanks hits for Tokoyami but is slowly getting smaller. Ashido and Hagakure help Jiro run. Sero uses his tape to redirect any mines sent his way. Spider-Man's webs look similar to his-that does it. He's using the old man's card to get himself a portable whiteboard after the festival. After Endeavor is done yelling at him for winning only using his ice, of course, that was very important and started now.
Shoto and Bakugo reach Midoriya at the same time, the greenette turning his head in shock. Time to show him what Shoto thinks of his tricks once and for all. He stretches his right hand out just as Bakugo does the same with his left. Shoto goes to grab his arm and freeze it when-
When he can't.
No. The dual user can't believe it when his hand goes through Midoriya, Bakugo is similarly stunned. Midoriya responds to them by sticking his tongue out.
The Midoriya they had been chasing the entire race was an illusion.
"Expecting someone else?" The copy mocks them before laughing and vanishing. If this Midoriya had been a decoy the entire time then where was-
"Seriously!" Shoto and Bakugo's heads shoot up to the tunnel they're running toward and lo and behold, standing at the end, by the finish line, was Midoriya. "How many times can I get away with that?" Neither can so much as push their quirks more before he takes a step over the line.
"We have OUR WINNER! In first place, Mr. blink and you'll miss him, Izuku Midoriya!" They almost couldn't hear what he says next because the crowd was so loud. "In second place, taking after his father is Shoto Todoroki! Ow…Shota what was that for? Erm, and in third place, Katsuki Bakugo!"
The rest of the runners begin to fill in but Shoto pays them no mind. He just stares at Midoriya who waves to the crowd with a big smile on his face, several of his friends coming up to congratulate him as they cross the finish line.
A lesser man would take this loss as a sign of what's to come, but not Shoto. Present Mic's jab about his father only strengthens what he has to prove. This also taught him he has a lot to learn. Shoto underestimated Midoriya going into this race and it cost him. That won't happen again.
In order to beat Midoriya, he needs to figure out how his mind works because blindly shooting ice at him was not working. He can think of one place to start.
Begrudgingly, he walks over to Midoriya's group who were talking excitedly about the race. "-after that I-oh! Hi Todoroki! Good rac-"
"How?"
It's ironic that social interaction seems to be the first and only way Shoto has gotten the best of Midoriya today. "How what?"
"How did you obtain such a large lead?" Shoto clarifies. "If that was truly a decoy the entire race, then presumably, you were even farther ahead, how?"
Midoriya looks stunned for a moment before rubbing the back of his head, his friends all give him questioning looks. "Technically that was an astral projection and…Midnight said the only rule of the race was you had to stay on the track and you could do anything you want so…" he shrugs. "She never said we had to wait for her signal to go."
Uraraka smacks her forehead, berating herself for not thinking of that, Kaminari looks jealous, Asui seems thoughtful, and Shimura is covering the mouth of a screaming Iida. No one notices Monoma running over to the judge's table.
"Interesting." Shoto files the knowledge away for later. Midoriya was very literal it seems. He would have to take this into account.
"IZUKU!" A voice rises above the crowd catching everyone's attention. It's a man in the crowd yelling through a bullhorn. Shoto did not realize patrons could bring those inside. Hopefully, Endeavor was not aware.
The man is tall, and wears what looks like a version of the UA gym uniform but the front is modified with the number one and 'Izuku Midoriya' written across both the uniform a giant foam finger on his hand.
"Oh no…" Shoto has never been adept at reading people's emotions but he believes Midoriya's current state could be described as…terrified.
"Deku, do you know him? Is that your dad?" Uraraka asks.
"I have never met this man in my life."
"You did so well, son!" The man Shoto is almost positive about is his father yells down. It could be, it didn't ruin his parentage theory. "Your mother and I are so proud! You've come so far from when your illusions used to scare you and send you crying into our room, do you remember?"
Midoriya freezes. The man lowers the bullhorn to a shorter green-haired woman next to him in tears. "IZUUUUUUUUU!" seems to be all she can get out before crying against the man more. Most would assume this was his mother but Shoto is unconvinced.
Kaminari is also in tears, however, this is from his laughter at Midoriya while pointing at him. It would die very quickly, however.
"DENKI!" A new blonde man yells through the bullhorn now. Ah, this was the hero, Thor. It would be easy to assume this is Kaminari's father. Shoto will take his wins where he can.
Thor is dressed almost exactly like Izuku's father. Only his uniform has the number two on it with Kaminari's name, as well as his own foam finger. "You make us proud as well, son! You are becoming quite the man! Your ancestors will sing songs of your battles for generations to come!"
"I'm so proud of you, my little spark plug!" Kaminari's mom yells next.
"Spark plug?" The green-haired girl from 1-B appears from seemingly nowhere, a toothy grin on her face.
"I'm out of here before it gets worse." Midoriya is gone in a flash of green light, leaving an incense Kamianri.
"Get back here you coward!"
What odd people.
Inko Midoriya couldn't stop wiping her tears. Her son, her baby, just seeing him out there had her so proud. Loki dutifully hands her another tissue like the great husband he is so she can dab her eyes again.
He once joked to her that he couldn't keep anything else in his pocket dimension because it was filled with tissues for her to use. She laughed at the time but looking at herself now, maybe he wasn't kidding as much as she thought.
"Would you like some water, darling?" She opens her watery eyes to see soft green eyes studying her. Loki's attention always seemed to be on everything around them so she loves these moments when all of his focus is on her.
The hero Midnight had announced the judges needed about twenty minutes to confer so they had time before the next round.
"Yes, but I'm still not letting you get away with teaching our son what a 'mewling quim' is," Inko chuckles through her tears, sniffling.
The God of Mischief is immediately on the defensive. "I did not tell him what it means! Merely that it would be funny."
"I don't think that makes it better, brother," Thor teases next to him.
Seeing a familiar look in her husband's eyes, Inko immediately intervenes. "I'll go with you, dear! Let's get drinks. Did you two want anything?" She asks the couple they're with. Good, Loki was thoroughly distracted. Inko didn't feel like trying to explain to stadium security why her husband stabbed his brother.
"No need to trouble yourselves." Thor smiles, standing up with his own wife. "We can obtain drinks ourselves. We have to keep our voices fresh somehow." The four separate and depart down to concessions, getting in line with many others trying to get food before the second event starts.
Inko could already see the swarm of fans swallowing Thor as he tried to make his way through. The man, always too nice for his own good, couldn't say no to any autographs or pictures.
Is that what it was going to be like for Izuku when he became a famous hero? Maybe it was perhaps conceited to think that way but what mother didn't want best for their child? Not that it mattered to her, number one or number one thousand in the rankings, as long as Izuku was happy, she would be too.
Until then, Inko will happily enjoy the privacy she has now. Loki had never put in to become an official hero himself, preferring to work behind the scenes when Thor asked him to. So the chances of him being recognized were next to zero. Not that she minded, it was rare she had him all to herself.
Inko wraps her hands around her husband's arm and leans against him as the line moves forward, sighing contently. "Darling?"
"I know today is about Izuku," she starts, her eyes closed. "But if you don't mind, I think I'll consider this a date. It has been a while since you've taken me on a proper one." The green-haired woman snickers in victory at feeling Loki stiffen at her words.
She wasn't serious for the most part, and he knows that. Does Inko wish she could spend more time with her husband? Yes, obviously. But she also knew what she was getting into when she decided to marry a god. And with everything he's done to help their son achieve his dreams, she can hardly complain.
Buuut that doesn't mean she won't enjoy these moments either.
The two reach the front and Loki orders their waters with a few snacks. "Name for the order?" The cashier asks.
"D.B. Cooper," Loki replies, taking his card back. Inko scoffs and lightly hits him over the shoulder for that while they move out of the way. "It's not like anyone remembers anyway." He shrugs off her concerns.
Inko hums. "No alcohol for you, today?" Loki shakes his head. "That's too bad. I was hoping we could recreate how we met."
Getting her husband to scowl will never get old to Inko. "What's wrong, sweety?" She says in between laughs.
"It was undignified and embarrassing," Loki complains. "Why Thor insisted on a Norse-themed party I'll never understand…"
"But you fit in with how much you two drank!" Inko nuzzles closer. Loki's body temperature was colder than other people's but she liked him that way. "The bartender was so upset at the amount of glasses you and your brother had smashed," she lightly chastises.
"You can stop anytime…" Loki's voice had a warning tone to it but the small smile on his face gives her all the permission she needs.
"Hey, it's not as if I was expecting to have to stop a drunk guy in a Loki costume from tripping and falling."
"Costume?!" Inko knows exactly what buttons to push and it was so much fun to see a man who prided himself on how he presents himself, gape at her. "Costume? We both know what I wore was the genuine article and better than any of those other fakes."
Inko feels proud when she continues to stand strong at the smirk Loki gives her. "It doesn't matter. When all was said and done, it was you who ended up falling for me after, was it not?"
Her stance falters as her face heats up. "D-do you always have to have the last word?!"
"Yes."
"Well, stop it."
"No."
Inko and Loki stare at each other for a good few seconds before breaking out in laughter. That was one of the things that her husband never failed at, making her laugh.
Inko knows she can come off as a party pooper to her son but if she's being honest, Loki's pranks were one of the reasons why she fell for him. And she's proud Izuku is taking so much from his father. Unfortunately, that includes Loki's tendency to take pranks too far at times but that's why Inko was here. To 'politely' remind her boys of such things.
"I miss this." Inko almost misses Loki's quiet words. He's still holding her but looking off somewhere in the distance. "I miss you."
"Then stay…" Inko does her best to not make it sound like a beg.
He holds her tighter but not in a painful way, looking down at her and smiling sadly. "I want nothing more. But for Izuku's sake…"
"I know, Loki." The couple transitions into a full-on hug and they stay that way for a minute, just enjoying the contact they have before Loki will eventually have to leave again.
As one of the biggest sporting events in Japan, the stadium is crowded. So it was no surprise to Inko when two people bump into her as they walk by. What was a surprise, was Loki swiftly ending the hug and catching the two people by their arms before they could walk away.
"Just a moment." Inko looks confused at her husband and his words to the other couple, nothing seems out of the ordinary? The man was plain looking with curly brown hair wearing a dress shirt and vest under a black trench coat. The woman was similarly plain looking but with pink hair and an orange top that was buttoned up.
"Is something wrong?" Inko asks Loki but he continues to stare at the strangers he's grabbed onto. The woman looks more agitated by the second.
"Nothing is wrong, dear," he responds to her before turning back. "You can keep the money if you wish. I would like the wallet back, however. Some of the documents in there are a pain to replace. I'm sure you understand."
"We don't know what you're-" the woman angrily begins before being cut off by a sharp grunt from the man.
"There are places to begin fights and places to not. And I think we both know that in a place full of heroes is not one." She glares at him but doesn't respond. "You saw?" The man has been mostly calm during the interaction and that doesn't change here.
"I did. You should be proud of her, not many others would have noticed. You just got unlucky, I'm afraid." Loki speaks just as casually.
The man hums. "So what happens now? We do not want to start a conflict but if you wish to hand us over to a hero, you'll find that to be problematic."
"It's as I said, you can keep the money. I just want the wallet back." The thief or, the trainer Inko supposes, takes a little time to decide before nodding at the woman.
She flowers but procures Inko's wallet that she would've never known was missing and roughly pushes it into Loki's hands after taking all available yen out.
Loki grasps the wallet but doesn't take his eyes off the woman. Normally, this might cause alarm to most wives, but Inko knows Loki. He wasn't looking at her in a romantic way, but instead, he was studying her. "I must say, that's impressive."
For the first time, the woman's face drops from a glare to surprise. "You can tell?"
The God of Mischief only offers her a nod. "Take care now, both of you." The would-be thieves look at each other before deciding not to question any further and walk away quickly.
With the trouble seemingly over, Inko goes back to holding Loki's arm after the altercation. "No matter what it is, you always give me stories to tell."
"I have plenty."
Inko sighs again into him. "When alone with me or out in public, you're just never afraid to be yourself. I always love that about you."
Loki pulls her in close. "Sometimes, what you see is what you get."
Shota leans back into his chair, he groans but it doesn't feel like enough to convey both the everything and nothing he feels right now.
In his favor, he just got off the phone with Howlett who's keeping an eye on Eri with his own daughter in the staff viewing room, she was doing great.
Not in his favor, Midoriya had cheated but not technically cheated again. Apparently, Monoma had overheard him saying as much and went and told Midnight immediately, which led to an emergency staff meeting in the middle of the festival. Wonderful.
He had told them over and over to not make the rules so vague going into the festival but when does anyone ever listen to him? All Might tried to seem shocked but the man couldn't act. How he's maintained his lie about his weakened form, Shota will never know.
In the most unsurprising twist ever, Nezu admitted he had already thought of the possibility and considered giving Midoriya a packet limiting what he could and couldn't do at the festival but decided against it because 'it was more fun this way.' Because why wouldn't he?
What Midoriya did was ruled legal for the round but it was decided in the interest of fairness and even though it went unsaid, public perception should they ever find out, Midnight is already explaining to him he can't do it again. Nezu gave her the right words to use so the boy wouldn't find another loophole.
Vlad was furious and marched out, saying something about having to talk to a few of his own students or whatever.
What does Shota think about all this? One round to go out of three, that's what he thinks. He would hope Problem Child wouldn't cause any more problems in that time but he hasn't gotten as far as he has by being stupid.
"Coffee delivery!" Hizashi announces loudly coming back into the room. "Midnight's gonna be starting the next round any minute so get caffeinated up buddy!"
Shota takes an experimental sip. "Fine. You live for another event."
"YEAAAAAH!"
How many rounds did he say he had left?