Chapter 40: "And don't you think your bullshit's gonna be enough to beat us either."
Izuku's eyes remained locked with Todoroki, while Kendo stared down Iida. Team Midoriya and Team Todoroki were both watching the other, each waiting for the other to make the first move. What's more, other teams could be seen on the sidelines of this confrontation, waiting for the opportunity to strike themselves.
In the background, Izuku could still hear the maniacal laughter and explosions that told him that Kacchan and Monoma were still going at it.
"Well, I'm glad your fr- rival is enjoying himself at least."
"It's nice that the author's finally switched back to Izuku, we haven't been able to say anything for a while."
"Stuff it Fourth."
Ultimately it was the leader of Team Mineta who finally broke the stalemate. "It's all or nothing guys, those two teams have points to spare so we need to get them if we want to stay in the game!" Shouted Mineta as Shouji unfolded the arms he'd been using as a protective cover for his riders and began charging towards the center two teams.
Once the first horse started running, four other teams leaped into the fray too. Two teams, including Team Mineta charged from the right. The other team was Team Shiozaki, who seemed to be sporting the Three Hundred Ninety Five Headband alongside their own Three Hundred Eighty Five one, so it seems they'd already managed to best one of the other teams.
Meanwhile from the left came three more teams. There was Team Aoyama and Team Hagakure, as well as a Team Izuku had yet to face, Team Komori which had a girl who's mushroom shaped hair obscured her hair as the rider, and two horses consisting of a large yellow guy with holes in his face and a guy who has a speech bubble for a head. They were the only team on the left who still had their headband, being worth a Hundred and Thirty Points.
Izuku looked back at Todoroki and made three quick movements with his head. First he moved his head to the right, then nodded at Todoroki before jerking his head to the left. Todoroki's eyes narrowed before he nodded his head.
"Incoming!" Shouted Mei, her voice accompanied with the sound of something being fired and flying through their air.
Izuku turned his attention to see a pair of horns flying his way, fired by Kendo's classmate, Tsunotori. Izuku held up his right arm, bracing it with his left as he aimed while his gloves clicked into place to augment his attack, "Delaware Smash: AIR FORCE!" He shouted as he flicked his fingers, firing a mighty gust of air, further enhanced by the special gloves Mei had gifted him, that not only knocked Tsunotori's attack off course, but also sent team Mineta flying.
Team Shiozaki would've suffered a similar fate if she didn't use her vines to anchor herself and her teammates into place.
Izuku then blinked in surprise as something swiftly flew past his face, creating a gust of wind that ruffled his hair. Then he heard the sound of something being swatted away, and realized the source of that little burst air of had been Kendo, who'd used an enlarged hand to smack away a disembodied floating hand that had attempted to make a grab for Izuku's head and. Going off the help of pain that came from Team Shiozaki, it was pretty easy to guess that it belonged to Tokage.
"Dammit!" Izuku felt a chill from behind, and quickly turned his head to see Shinso's left rocket boot being frozen to the ground. He then moved his gaze upwards to see Team Todoroki running their way, a third Headband now having been added to their collection.
Izuku looked just beyond the Half n' Half teen to see the other three teams, all frozen in various places. Even all three teams trying to gang up on Team Todoroki had ended in failure it seems.
"Oi, Kneeso, stop jerking your leg around before you end up breaking my baby!" Snapped Mei. "Use the jets of your right boot to thaw the ice, then pull yourself free!"
Shinso looked at Mei in surprise, contemplated correcting her on his name for half a second, and then nodded his head as he activated the jet, melting the ice as quickly as he could.
"Quickly Shinso," Instructed Izuku, making the mistake of taking just a moment to look away from the enemy to talk to his teammate, "Team Todoroki is coming, we need to-"
"RECIPRO BURST!" Izuku's words died in his throat as a dark blue blur blitzed right past him, and he felt his head move back a bit as his headband was yanked free.
Team Midoriya's horses staggered before turning there stood Team Todoroki, with Iida panting heavily while the rider and other two horses stared them down, Todoroki holding the Ten Million, Two Hundred, and Eighty Point Headband in his left hand.
"The hell was that!?" Demanded Shinso, being the first to break the silence.
"Holy Shit, that Iida kid's even faster than I thought, I'm impressed!"
"Credit to the Todoroki boy too, he was able to make the most of his teammate's gambit."
"Whaddya mean, 'gambit?'"
"Look, Iida seems to be out of gas, I doubt he'll be able to pull that stunt again."
"Let's hope not, otherwise Izuku's screwed."
"I don't know, that's a technique of Iida's that even I was unaware of." Admitted Izuku.
"We need to get that headband back, there's no way we can survive with just the Four Twenty one." Said Kendo.
"I wouldn't say that." Said Izuku as he stared at the leaderboard out of the corner of his eyes while Present Mic and Aizawa continued offering a play by play over the speakers.
it currently read as:
-
Team Todoroki - 10001335
Team Monoma - 1365
Team Shiozaki - 780
Team Midoriya - 420 [Nice]
Team Bakugou - 405
Team Komori - 0
Team Hagakure - 0
Team Aoyama - 0
Team Rin - 0
Team Kodai - 0
Team Shoda - 0
Team Mineta - 0 [Eliminated]
-
"We're just barely holding on at fourth place for now, but that could change in an instant." Explained Izuku as he flexed his fingers. "I don't know how long it'll take Iida to regain the stamina needed for that move, but we should capitalize on his exhaustion. It's not or never, ready guys?"
"Ready!" Cheered Mei.
"Ready." Said Kendo calmly.
"Ready as I'll ever be." Sighed Shinso.
"Alright then, get ready Todoroki." Said Izuku with a grin as he charged up One for All, his body emitting green sparks. "We're coming!"
BOOM!
"Fuck!" Exclaimed Katsuki with gritted teeth as he felt the skin on his forearms and face as well as his bangs get slightly singed. Small mercies that his skin was somewhat resistant to his own Quirk, because being on the receiving end of one of his own explosions clearly hurt like hell.
"Ohoho, neat!" Said Blond Bastard, a sligh twinkle in his eye. "That's a nice Quirk you've got!"
"Bakuchan!"
"Bakubro, he has the same Quirk as you?!"
Katsuki shook his head like he shook off the concerns of his teammates. "Bastard!" He shouted as he swung his arm at the Blonde Bastard, firing off an explosion in retaliation.
The force was dampened however as Blond Bastard suddenly hardened his arms and shielded his face. "Of course, I'm much better at using it."
"The heck is this!? We got some sort of shared relative that got the same Quirks as us? He sure as hell doesn't seem manly enough to be related to me. The Bakugou relationship is a lot more feasible though to be honest…" Said Kirishima thoughtfully.
"No Dumb Hair, he's not related to us, he's just a damn copycat." Replied Katsuki drily.
Blond Bastard snapped his fingers and pointed at Katsuki with a smug smile. "Ding ding, we've got a winner!" He declared, "Neito Monoma's the name, copying Quirks is my game. And if I were you, I'd enjoy that little win that was figuring out my Quirk. It's the only victory you'll be tasting today you A Class Bast- ACK!"
Blond Bastard's taunts were cut short when something long and pink suddenly slapped him like the bitch he was. He was so stunned he didn't have time to react as one of the headbands around his neck was yanked free and delivered right to Katsuki.
"I know Bakuchan can be a bit of a spotlight hog, ribbit, but I'd advise against taking your eyes off the rest of us, or it'll cost you." Said Tsu in her usual flat tone.
Katsuki looked down at the headband she'd handed him. Four Hundred and Five Points. It wasn't their headband but it sure as hell was a start he told himself as he placed it around his neck with the others.
WOOSH!
THUD!
Katsuki looked down to see one of Kirishima's fists colliding with what seemed to be a barrier made of air, which was the only thing protecting the plain faced extra who was serving as Blond Bastard's frontal horse, a look of concern on his face as he took a step backwards.
Next it was Uraraka who managed to surprise him, as he suddenly felt a familiar weightlessness. "Hold this for me you guys!" She shouted as she broke free from their formation and did a run and slide underneath the shield that Plain Face had made.
"Woah, what the-!?" He exclaimed, doing his best to scramble away from her but restrained by the fact that he was still linked to the other two horses and Blond Bastard.
Uraraka's hand clamped on his leg and she then aggressively yanked, effortlessly pulling him free from his Team's formation thanks to his gravity being removed.
"Woah woah woah!?" Exclaimed Blond Bastard as he started falling forwards without his front horse supporting him. A few rapid explosions from the Explosion he copied from Katsuki coupled with his remaining two horses grabbing the back of his shirt managed to allow him to regain his balance.
Uraraka meanwhile wasn't done with Plain Face quite yet, "Up, Up, and Away!" She shouted as she then hurled him over her shoulder into the air.
"UWAAAH!" He cried as he followed the same trajectory as that softball she'd thrown during the Q.A.T.
"Why you-!" Said the left horse of Team Monoma as he lifted his leg up, which began to freaking rotate at a surprisingly fast speed from the shin down before he then stomped downwards at Uraraka. Thankfully she didn't have the weight of a rider slowing her down so she was able to roll out of the way and quickly link back up with Team Bakugou. "Don't worry, unlike that softball I sent into orbit, your friend won't have to worry about getting that far." She said with a giggle as she quickly pressed her ten fingertips together. "Release!"
Plain Face cried out again as gravity reclaimed its hold on him and he plummeted back to the field.
More specifically onto the part of the field that Icyhot had frozen.
This actually made all seven of the others to actually pause and wince for a moment. "Ooh…" Said Uraraka. "Uh, sorry about that. He'll be okay though."
"OWIIIE…!" Came Plain Face's pained voice from across the stadium.
"Oof! How brutal!" Announced Present Mic, "I've heard of throwing hands but not throwing the entire body! Don't worry folks at home we've got Recovery Girl on standby ready to treat any potential injuries."
"Tsuburaba will be fine." Said Aizawa.
"See, he'll be fine." Said Uraraka with a weak grin.
"Tch, A Class Bastards…" Growled Blondie as he swung his arm again. "Don't think that's going to be enough to beat us-!"
"And don't you think your bullshit's gonna be enough to beat us either."
"Eh!?" With a swift movement, Katsuki caught Blondie's arm in his hand, firing off an explosion that painfully singed the arm in the process, making him wince in pain. He could also practically see the nervous sweat forming on Blondie's face as he leapt from his horse and stood on the shoulders of Team Monoma's.
He then released his arm before reaching forward and grasping his gym shirt while holding up his free hand, small explosions crackling within his palm menacingly. "We fought for our lives against countless villains and won, we faced down a guy would could kill with a touch and a monster designed to kill All Might and survived, did you really think the cheap tricks of some B Class Extras running on some 'holier than thou' mentality would do anything other than slow us down a little?" He snarled.
He had to admit, the growing look of fear on the Blond Bastard's face and the sound of one of his horses mumbling something along the lines of, "This guy's a monster," did feel kind of satisfying.
He then reared back his arm. "I'd suggest using Stupid Hair's Quirk for this next one, otherwise this shit ain't exactly gonna tickle." He warned before swinging his arm at the guy's face.
Blondie heeded the warning, hardening his skin and quickly trying to bring his uninjured arm up to his face.
Only to be left in a state of surprise as instead of taking an explosion to the face, Katsuki swiped both of his remaining headbands.
"Eh…?" He said weakly as he made the mistake of dropping his guard and letting Kirishima's Quirk deactivate. He then took Katsuki's knee to the chin, sending him falling backwards, this time his riders being unable to save him while Katsuki launched himself into the air before being swiftly pulled back onto his proper spot by Tsu's tongue.
The moment Blondie's back hit the ground, Present Mic's voice could be heard. "Wowie! What an explosive finish for Team Monoma, and a big blast to Second Place for Tram Bakugou!"
"Team Monoma has been eliminated!" Declared Midnight.
"Less than a minute on the clock and Teams Midoriya and Todoroki are still engaged in a heated clash for first place, who will win!?"
Katsuki turned his head to see where Deku was, and his eyes widened at the sight he just barely managed to catch in time.
"Don't let them near us, Sero!" Ordered Todoroki with a wave of his hand as Team Midoriya charged them.
"Aye Aye Sir!" Responded Sero with a grin as he fired tape at Team Midoriya using his left arm.
Thankfully, Kendo's well honed reflexes allowed her to react in time, grabbing the out of the air with an enlarged hand before it could give her teammates trouble. She yanked on it sharply in an attempt to break up Team Todoroki's formation, but Sero was able to detach the tape before she had the chance.
Just then another layer of ice began to coat the field, and began spreading towards Izuku and his team as they continued running towards their opponents.
"Not this time," Declared Mei, "Now Kneeso!"
"It's Shinso dammit!" Snapped back Shinso as the pair of them fired up their rocket boots and jumped, allowing them to just barely clear the ice before it could freeze her in place.
"That's a cute trick Iceman, let me show you how us support engineers keep an opponent in place!" Said Mei with a grin as she pulled a strange looking gun from… somewhere and fired it at Yaoyorozu and Iida.
A weird yellowish blob flew through the air and splattered on the ground at the feet of Team Todoroki's frontal and right horses, coating their feet in a strange goop.
"What in the…? I can't move!" Said Iida worriedly as he tugged at his legs, attempting to free them.
"Has anyone ever told you how tacky your glasses look, Iida?" Came Izuku's voice. "And Yaoyorozu, what is up with the wardrobe malfunction? I know our teacher's a degenerate, but that doesn't mean you need to run around looking like an exhibitionist!"
Both the Vice President and the Secretary of Class 1A let out offended gasps at that statement, while Sero's eyes widened in shock. He turned to look at his teammates, shouting, "Wait guys, that wasn't-!" But Sero's warning was too little too late as both Iida and Yaomomo spoke out against the statements against them.
"Midoriya! How rude! I'll have you know I am quite fond of this style of glasses!"
"For shame Midoriya, you know that I must dress in this state for the sake of my Quirk!"
Their eyes then both widened in momentary shock before becoming completely relaxed as they felt Shinso's Quirk take hold of them. Luckily for Todoroki, they were still able to at least support their rider. "Stay still and stay quiet like the good teacher's pets you are while we win this battle!" Ordered Shinso as the gap between the team continued to close.
"Yaoyorozu, Iida!" Said Todoroki, looking at both of his decommissioned horses before returning his focus to Izuku. He gripped the metal staff Yaomomo had given him to help with his Quirk's range in his right hand before jabbing in Team Midoriya's direction. "Don't think this will be enough to stop me, Midoriya!" He shouted angrily.
However his attack got negated when a sudden blur of black and blond passed through the space between the two teams and Todoroki's weapon shrank practically to nonexistence.
"What!?" Said Todoroki, staring at his empty hand in shock.
"No way…" Said Sero as he stared at what, or rather who just passed them. Todoroki followed his gaze and immediately recognized the person who had proven to be his undoing in this battle.
"Ojiro!?" The two still conscious members of Team Todoroki explained.
The tailed teen looked at them, then at Team Midoriya. "I might not have been too happy with Midoriya for teaming up with that purple prick, but I still owed him one for pulling me out of that brainwashed state. Not to mention we also owed you guys for taping us up and taking our points like that." His eyes then traveled upwards to look at his rider. "And not to mention, between your team and Midoriya's, I'm willing to bet Kodai would rather the team with her classmate on it take first, right?"
"Mhm." Said Kodai with a nod and a more determined look than usual on her usually neutral face.
"Incredible! A quick intervention in the final twenty seconds of the battle from Team Kodai might've been just the thing that Team Midoriya needed to clutch the victory for this round!" Announced Present Mic.
"Even if they knew they were unlikely to win, they still chose to act in a way that would support another team that they believed in. How Heroic." Said Aizawa-Sensei.
Todoroki didn't have time to respond to that before a shout suddenly grabbed his attention. "TODOROKIII!" It was Izuku, and he seemed to be out for blood as his team got dangerously close to Todoroki's. As Izuku arms reached out for him, Todoroki's instincts flared up, and without thinking he raised up his flame coated left arm to protect himself.
Unfortunately for him, Izuku was prepared for a counter of that nature, using his right arm to swat away Todoroki's left before making a mad grab for the headbands around his neck. "GIVE BACK OUR POINTSSS!" He shouted as he sharply tugged, ripping all three headbands free. He didn't know which was his so he'd just take all of them!
Team Midoriya's horses skidded to a stop, their prizes now in hand and all three of them panting after that much exertion. They all quickly turned to prepare for a counterattack, but it seemed like Todoroki had no intention of chasing them, simply sitting there atop his horses as he stared at his left hand in shock.
"Five… Four… Three… Two… One, Times Up!"Shouted Present Mic, announcing the end of the Cavalry Battle. "Alright then listeners, let's tally up the points and announce which teams are moving on to the final round!"
"Wakey wakey." Said Sero as he gently slapped Iida's face in an attempt to snap him back to reality while using his other hand to shake Yaomomo's shoulder.
"In Fourth Place with Seven Hundred and Ten points, with four students from Class A, we have Team Todoroki!"
"Damn it…" Growled Todoroki under his breath as he continued staring at his hand.
"In Third Place, with Seven Hundred and Eighty Points, with four students from Class B, we have Team Shiozaki!"
"Thank you lord for this opportunity to proceed." Said Shiozaki as that mysterious light shined upon her once more.
"Well, it's not first place but at least some of the students in our class are moving on." Said Tokage with a grin.
"Tch, they might've won this time but I'm planning to knock that A Class Boomer and that green haired hotshot down a couple pegs." Snarled Kamakiri as he put his fist into his palm.
"Hey, I agree when it comes to that Bakugou prick, but let's not group Midoriya in with him." Argued Tetsutetsu. "If Kendo's willing to work with him then the guy clearly has some manliness to him. He was willing to stand up for his whole class immediately after they all came back from that villain attack after all."
"In Second Place, with One Thousand, Seven Hundred, and Seventy Points, with four more students from Class A, it's Team Bakugou!"
"Tch, not first so it's not good enough." Said Katsuki with his arms crossed.
"That sounds about right." Sighed Uraraka. "But still, we've survived the Second Round, and we got to knock the smugness right off the blond prick's face!"
"Heck yeah, Team Bakugou's movin' up! All that's left now is to go for the gold like a real man!" Declared Kirishima excitedly.
"Great teamwork guys, ribbit." Said Tsu.
"And finally, taking First Place yet again with Ten Million, One Thousand, and Forty Five Points, with a team consisting of four students from Classes A, B, C, and H, we have Team Midoriya!"
"We did it!" Exclaimed Mei excitedly as she wrapped her arms around Izuku, blissfully unaware of the severe blushing that brought out of the green haired boy, as well as failing to notice the borderline aura of malice that was practically emanating from one of the members of Team Bakugou.
"I'm just glad some of my classmates got through to Round Three." Admitted Kendo as she finished pulling away the tape that was stuck to her hand.
Both girls then turned their attention to Shinso, waiting for him to say something. He looked between the two of them before sighing while removing the voice changing mask Mei had given him. "Well, I suppose I should thank you, Midoriya." He admitted. "You went out on a limb for a guy you barely knew and I managed to pay you back for it. So thanks."
Izuku managed to shake himself from his stupor of embarrassment as before smiling at Shinso. "Of course, I was more than happy to help, Shinso." He replied. "Though we're not done yet. There's still the final round."
"That's the tournament segment right, showing off our skills in one on one combat?" Asked Kendo.
Izuku nodded his head. "That's right, the finish line's fast approaching. And on that note, Shinso, I'd like to make a bet with you."
"What?" Asked Shinso flatly, his eyebrow raised.
"If I win this tournament, I want you to meet up with me in the gym starting next week. There's some things I want to go over with you if you're seriously determined to become a hero." Explained Izuku.
"That's a pretty gutsy bet, you really think you can win this thing?"
Izuku grinned at him. "You heard what I said before, right? I Am Here, to win."
Chapter 41: "You shouldn't be here."
"I hope you've all been enjoying the festivities so far listeners, we'll be taking an hour long break before we move onto the Afternoon segment. Hey, Eraserhead, wanna go grab some food together…?" Present Mic said, his voice fading away as he and Aizawa exited the booth.
"That was a lot of fun, ribbit." Said Tsu, the various girls of 1A meeting up to talk after the Cavalry Battle concluded.
Well, most of them did anyways, Uraraka raced off to check on Plain Face as he was carted away, apologizing profusely for his concussion.
Meanwhile the rest of his class were busy congratulating the five members of their class who had managed to survive the Cavalry Battle. Even Blondie seemed pleased, smiling right through the door covering his face as he continued to run his mouth. And it seemed like he ran that mouth his right into a wall as whatever he said earned him a chop from President Yaoi Hands.
Katsuki could tell this was a common occurrence given how fast his classmates were able to react, catching the Blond Bastard before his body had even gone completely limp before resuming singing their praises to the four lane ass Extras who hadn't teamed with Deku.
"Well I'm glad you had fun, Tsu," Said Raccoon Eyes with a pout as Class A began moving as a group up to their spot in the cafeteria so that they could relax and refuel while they waited for Round Three. "You and Horn Buddy were hand picked by the God of Victory Bakugou to be carried to victory."
"Technically we carried him, ribbit." Countered Tsu.
"And I would hardly say that's fair, Ashido." Said Ponytail, "Asui and Kirishima, as well as Uraraka, all played a major part in helping Bakugou succeed. He never would've been able to make it on his own."
"This from the third girl in our class to make it in thanks to her teaming with Todoroki?" Asked Raccoon Eyes dryly. Ponytail actually seemed kind of saddened by that statement. There was a moment of silence between the pair before she sighed. "Yeah, you're right, sorry about that. Honestly just kinda salty that I won't be moving on. I would've loved to show what I can do in the final round."
"It's fine." Replied Ponytail. "I certainly don't see the fault in your statement."
"Why the fuck are you idiots so caught up on this?" Asked Katsuki as they all found their way to their seats. "What part of that Round being a Team event are you failing to grasp? The entire goddamn point was showing off how well you work with others. Being chosen because your abilities compliment each other and showing off creative ways to synergize means you were doing it right. If you ended up fumbling regardless then I don't know what to tell you beyond, 'better fuckin' luck next time.'"
Ponytail seemed a little relieved by his words. "Yes, you're right Bakugou. I played my part for the team effectively and showed off my ability to work with others. Certainly an improvement from my behavior during the Battle Trials."
"My ears are burning, what's going on?" Asked Fruit Bowl, his head popping from behind one of the seats next to Ponytail, making her jump a little in surprise at his abrupt appearance.
"Nothing, Mineta. Just… reflecting on my less than dignified behavior towards my classmates in the beginning of the year." Explained Ponytail dejectedly.
Fruit Bowl let out a scoff at that. "Lady, you're preaching to the choir here." He said, pointing at himself to emphasize his point.
Ponytail looked at him in surprise for a moment before giggling to herself. "Yes, I suppose if anyone could relate when it comes to being embarrassed about their past social faux pas towards their classmates, it would be you Mineta." She replied.
"Ok well now you're just being kinda mean." Replied Fruit Bowl with a smile, the pair devolving into giggles together.
"I'm not the only one who finds it so weird that these two are friends now, right?" Wondered Raccoon Eyes aloud.
Tsu nodded her head as she watched Dunce Face and Ear Lobes each take a seat next to Ponytail. "It is, ribbit, given how they were during the Battle Trial. Though I suppose we've all grown a bit since then, haven't we?"
"Call that the 'Deku Effect.'" Said Katsuki, who was sitting next to Tsu. "Nerd doesn't go halfway when it comes to helping people." He then narrowed his eyes and looked around. "Speaking of Deku, where the hell did he wander off to?"
"Todoroki wished to speak to him. Alone." Said Octopus, two tentacles with an eye and a mouth appearing near Katsuki's shoulder.
That statement had caught the attention of a couple of their other keen eared classmates who had been listening in.
Katsuki looked over at the limbs, then towards the doorway they'd entered through. "Is that right…?" He said before standing up.
"Bakuchan-" Said Tsu.
"I'm going to the bathroom." He said simply as he walked off, hands in his pockets.
"You wanted to talk to me, Todoroki?" Asked Izuku, standing with his icy classmate in one of the vacant hallways beneath the stadium, his back against the opposite of where Todoroki stood. "If we don't hurry to the cafeteria there might not be enough room left for us to sit."
Todoroki's responded by simply keeping his cold glare fixed on him, Izuku unable to do anything but let out a nervous chuckle.
"Sheesh, talk about an icy reception."
'I'm not used to his kind of personality, someone bold and brash like Kacchan is more my speed.' Admitted Izuku.
"Yeah yeah, just remember that if the rivalry goes on for more than seven years, it stops being straight."
"Your power," Said Todoroki, pulling Izuku's attention away from Fifth's… Fifthisms, "it overwhelmed me. You pushed me to the point that I even broke my pledge, and yet still lost."
Izuku's eyes moved downwards to see the way Todoroki was squeezing his left hand, to the point it was making his whole arm tremble.
'Todoroki's been very adamant about not fighting with his left side.' Thought Izuku. 'Even in situations where it would be beneficial. If his flames work anything like his ice, then the range it could have offered would've made him untouchable. But so far the only time I've seen him use his fire is for things like thawing out frozen enemies. So why?'
"In that final clash I felt it from you, something that no one else on your team or mine recognized. An overwhelming pressure, an overwhelming source of power. An All Mighty strength that I've witnessed in person before, when All Might fought the Nomu." Explained Todoroki.
"Oh dear."
Izuku's eyes widened at that statement, two of his fingers reflexively twitching as his mind ran through all the possible worst case scenarios, fearing that Todoroki might've somehow figured out he'd inherited All Might's Quirk. Eventually he found himself able to ask, "What are you saying, Todoroki?"
Todoroki fixed his cold gaze on Izuku before asking, "Midoriya, are you All Might's secret love child or something?"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…What?" Was the best response Izuku could offer.
"What's got you giggling? I haven't even done anything yet." Asked Kaminari as he watched Kyoka practically double over while doing her best to quietly laugh to herself.
"I'm not…" She said, between amused wheezes, "I'm not laughing at you, Jamming-Whey. Todoroki just accused Midoriya of being All Might's son."
Kaminari blinked at her in surprise. "Wait whaaat?" He said in surprise as he leaned in super close. "How?!" He whisper shouted in her ear, making her cringe a little at the noise.
She looked around a little before pointing down with one of her fingers. Kaminari looked down to see one of her Jacks plugged into the nearby wall.
This made Kaminari pause before hesitantly asking, "Is this legal?"
It was Kyoka's turn to pause as she chose the best way to formulate her words. Technically using her Quirk like this could be considered a crime, given her lack of a license and the responsible thing to do would be to stop before she gets in trouble.
However, while she may be a Hero student, she's also a teenager. "If you promise not to anyone I'll give you a play by play of what's happening."
Kaminari barely even spent an entire second contemplating the offer. "Deal."
"Your Quirks both enhance your strength. What's more his Quirk seems to cause his body to produce a sort of steam, and you can produce smoke at will, perhaps a mutation thanks to whatever your mother's Quirk is?"
"Holy shit there's two of them now. Though it does feel weird seeing it from an outside perspective after all this time."
Fifth's comment seemed to be the thing that snapped Izuku out of his stunned stupor.
"Of course being the son of the strongest Hero could and would put a target on your back even under normal circumstances." It seems like Todoroki wasn't done talking. "Given that All Might's never married, that means you would be an illegitimate child. Not only would that turn you into a subject of ridicule amongst your peers but also it would tarnish All Might's public image, so in that case-"
"Pft." Todoroki stopped his theory crafting mumble rant at the sound of an amused scoff leaving Izuku's mouth.
"Is me figuring out your secret truly that amusing, Midoriya?" Asked Todoroki with his arms crossed.
"S-sorry…" Said Izuku, a fist raised to his mouth as he tried to keep his giggles from breaking loose. "It's just… it's just you suddenly became a lot less menacing than you were a few minutes ago."
Todoroki said nothing, simply continuing to stare at him with that unreadable expression of this.
Izuku then stood up straight before saying, "Sorry to disappoint you Todoroki, but All Might isn't my Dad. I may have a great amount of respect for him, but our relationship isn't like that."
Todoroki's eyes narrowed. "So you're choosing to commit to the facade that you two aren't related?" He asked.
Izuku rolled his eyes. "Todoroki, I'm being serious. My father divorced my mom when I was, like, two and moved to America. He still supports us from afar even if he and my mom aren't in love anymore though." He explained.
"That just seems like a convincing sounding cover story."
"Todoroki I have a picture of my father on my desk at home. He's basically a ginger version of me with sharper features. I have video calls with him once every couple of months just to make sure we're both still doing ok."
Todoroki paused at that and thought for a moment, "Paid actor?"
"'Paid-?!'" Izuku shut his mouth, taking a breath in through his nose and out through his mouth. "Seriously? At this point I think someone trying that hard to avoid being a father is just kind of pathetic. Do you actually believe any of this or are you just refusing to admit you're wrong?"
The silence was very telling.
"Honestly, this should count as slander. If Toshinori ever had a kid, even out of wedlock, we all know damn well he'd raise that kid to the best of his abilities! Not hide their existence from the world!"
"And he certainly never would have a kid until he dealt with my brother, less he create two more people for him to target in his vile attempts to spread misery and chaos in order to hurt Toshinori."
"Also, the man has like, negative rizz. He's a crowd pleaser but when it comes to one on one time with a girl he tended to just put his own foot in his mouth."
"Please god never say 'rizz' again, it's not the early twenty-first century."
"For once I agree with Fifth, I can practically feel the readers, and the author, cringe when Third said that."
"Oh don't you start with that."
"Fine then." Said Todoroki eventually, "Let's pretend All Might isn't your father-"
"He really isn't." Interrupted Izuku.
"You still stated that your relationship with the man, 'isn't like that.'" Continued Todoroki without missing a beat. "Implying that a relationship between the two of you does exist."
Izuku tensed up at that. He'd been so busy trying to push down Todoroki's absurd theory he had let that detail slip. "I- uh, I mean I'm his student. We all are, doesn't that technically count as all of us having a relationship with him?"
"Nice. Real convincing."
"Midoriya," Said Todoroki, his voice somehow managing to sound even flatter than before, "I may not participate in your pointless group bonding and training activities, but I'm not an idiot. I can see the way he talks about and looks at you. Whatever your relationship is or whatever you claim it to be, the fact of the matter is that relationship exists." The scowl on his face began to deepen. "And as the person who broke made me break my pledge, I need to explain to you which Hero I have a relation to. Tell me Midoriya, are you familiar with Quirk Marriages?"
Izuku's eyes widened.
"What?"
"'Quirk Marriages?' That term sounds familiar…"
"Oh my god…"
"Please tell me he isn't about to say what I think he is."
"I haven't had a body in decades but I suddenly feel like I need to take a shower."
"A Quirk Marriage is-" Said Todoroki, but stopped when Izuku suddenly raised his palm at him, causing him to flinch back slightly and furrow his brows in confusion.
Izuku silently brought his index finger to his lips before raising his hand and activating his Quirk. He then slapped his hand against the wall he was leaning against, which caused a loud banging noise to reverberate through the entire hall they stood in.
"OW! FUCK!" Exclaimed Kyoka in pain as she brought a hand up to her left ear and flinched with enough force to fall out of her chair.
"Wh- woah, what the!?" Exclaimed Kaminari as he, and Yaomomo, got out of their seats and crouched down to check on her.
"Are you alright, Jirou?" Asked Yaomomo worriedly as her friend writhed on the floor.
Eventually she regained her ability to move. "Ow…" Groaned Kyoka as she rubbed her ear while sitting up, "Ok, fucking hell Midoriya, message received, literally loud and clear."
"Wait, Midoriya found you out? How!?" Exclaimed Kaminari in shock.
"Hell if I know, dude nearly blew my eardrum out though." She replied.
"Found out…" Both of them froze as a cold voice suddenly spoke up. They both slowly turned their heads to see Yaomomo, who's expression had morphed from one of concern into instead a disappointed glare, looking down on them. "About what?"
Kyoka and Kaminari exchanged a nervous glance before looking back up at the harbinger of punishment staring them down, both silently praying for mercy.
Those prayers would go unanswered.
"What was that all about?" Asked Todoroki with a raised eyebrow as Izuku pulled his hand away from the wall, giving it a couple of shakes.
"Something tells me you were about to share something that could easily be overheard by prying ears. So I took precautions to make sure nobody was stupid enough to listen in on us." Explained Izuku while reaching up and gently tugging on his earlobes.
Todoroki's eyes actually widened in surprise at that, as he caught the implications that Izuku threw his way.
"Heh, the 'oh damn this guy's smarter than I thought,' look, classic."
"Focus, don't forget what he was about to tell us about."
"Shit. Right."
"Right. Well, I take it you remember my question, then?"
Izuku nodded his head, "During the Second and Third Generations of Quirk Users, people started dabbling into eugenics and pairing off with people partners whose Quirks would mesh well with their own. Those who held power but found themselves lacking in ethics would find very… effective methods of pursuing their 'ideal partner.' Thankfully in this day and age that thing is heavily frowned upon. You'd have to be a very powerful individual to do such a thing without fear of being found out."
Todoroki nodded his head. "Very powerful. Like, say, the Number Two Hero powerful."
Izuku's face became one of pity, "Oh Todoroki…" He knew that Endeavor was an… unapproachable man at the best of times but to do something like this? That was truly vile…
"My father used his wealth and fame to… convince my mother's family to agree to the marriage. All to get his hands on her Quirk." Explained Todoroki, staring at his left hand with contempt painfully visible on his face. "He was so desperate to surpass All Might, that since his own Quirk wasn't strong enough to bridge the gap he'd instead do it vicariously through me. He 'created' me to be a tool to fulfill his ambitions. I'm his perfect creation after all three of my older siblings found themselves discarded as 'failures.'" He glared at Izuku as he brought that hand up to the scar on his face. "I remember it, it's a bit blurry after ten or so years, but I can still hear my mom talking about how she hated this left side of mine… before throwing scalding water onto my face."
Izuku clenched his jaw and squeezed his fists, desperately trying to wall off the horrendous sounds of anguish and rage Seventh was making in the back of his mind. He supposes he shouldn't be surprised by such a reaction, a mother forced to abandon her child to protect him now hearing about another snapping from domestic abuse so badly that she disfigured her own son, he couldn't blame her for freaking out.
Izuku brough hand up to his face, covering his eyes with his palms while his fingers squeezed down on his temples in a desperate attempt to fight back the migraine forming in his brain and the feeling of anger inside of him that was beginning to boil over so violently it was making him sick. Though what seemed to shock the rest of the vestiges is where that anger was being targeted.
"In short, I'm going to reject both my father and my left side, as a means of enacting revenge against him. By rising to the top with only my right side, I'll have denied him everything and proved that his Endeavors were in vain." Explained Todoroki before turning to leave. "Sorry for wasting your time like this. Keep your connection with All Might a secret if you'd like. I'm going to move ahead of you with only my right side, so you'd better be ready to face me in the final round."
"You shouldn't be here."
That single sentence was only four words long, but something about the way it came out of Midoriya's mouth made Shoto freeze in place, a chill far colder than anything his Quirk had made him experience shooting through his spine like a bolt of electricity as he slowly turned to see Midoriya, his hand gone from his face and his green eyes practically glaring into his soul.
"What did you just say?"
Chapter 42: "So, do we have a deal?"
"Now, before we get to the final event, I've got some good news for those of you who fell out of the running." Announced Present Mic. "And that is… drumroll please, Aizawa?"
"Not on your life." Deadpanned the injured teacher.
"Recreational activities!" Said the announcer, not missing a beat. Honestly knowing these two he probably completely expected that response. "A series of events to let those of you who gave it your all but still fell a little short before the final act can have some fun and show off some of your more… unconventional skills for the audience. We even had some cheerleaders from America shipped over to really pump everyone up!"
"Dang, I'm liking what I'm seeing." Said Kaminari as he and Mineta both took in the sight of the cheerleaders going through one of their routines.
"Hm? Did you say something, Kaminari?" Asked Yaomomo, a dangerous smile on her face.
"No ma'am not a thing I haven't spoken once since we left the cafeteria." Kaminari practically whimpered as he all but shriveled up into a ball on the ground. Jirou, despite Yaomomo's ire not even being directed at her, was trembling right beside him.
"Fuck happened between them?" Asked Kacchan, staring at the trio with his hands in his pockets.
"Ribbit, Yaoyorozu chose to… instruct them on why spying on people with your Quirk is bad." Explained Tsu.
"Ah, from when…" Said Kacchan, but trailed off.
"When what, ribbit?" Asked Tsu, looking over at him.
"Eh, I was just wondering who the hell made that big bang while I was trying to take a leak. Guess I've got my answer now." Deflected Kacchan.
Izuku watched Kacchan and Tsu continue to talk, with Kirishima walking up and joining the conversation, then he continued to survey the area as those still in the tournament continued to prepare.
The five B Class students who made it through were talking amongst themselves, Mei was sitting cross legged with one of her babies in her lap, working on it with a screwdriver with a determined look on her face, Sero and Iida were off to the side having a discussion that Izuku couldn't make out, and standing by their lonesomes were Shinso and… Todoroki.
The corners of his mouth moved downwards as he continued to stare at the heterochromatic teen, a dark expression on his face as he continued to stand there. Amongst a crowd but continuously isolated.
Then again, was Izuku any different?
"Deku?" Izuku's eyes widened as he felt a familiar gentle touch on his left hand.
He looked to see Ochako standing there, holding his left hand. He could the tips of three of her fingers and the knuckle of her pinky against his palm while her thumb was pressed into the back of his hand.
"Ochako?" He asked quietly.
"You're going to give it your all today, right?" She asked him with a bright smile. Izuku's face scrunched up as he felt his heart squeeze. "Woah, are you ok? Your face is looking kinda weird…"
"Y-yeah, I'm fine." He said as he rubbed his eyes with the back of his right wrist. "Just felt like my heart was going to explode for a second there."
"Eh?" Asked Ochako worriedly.
"Never mind." Said Izuku with a shake of his head before smiling at her. He adjusted his hand a little and allowed his own fingers to squeeze around Ochako's hand. "You're right, I'm going to give this final round everything I've got and fulfill that promise I made. I Am Here to win after all."
Ochako smiled at him again, though that smile failed to reach her eyes as she thought back to the conversation she overheard not too long ago…
"What did you just say?"
Deku's eyes narrowed as he slowly walked up to Todoroki before reaching forward and grabbing the front of his gym uniform, tugging on it and bringing Todoroki down so that he was eye level with Deku.
"I said you shouldn't be here." Deku practically growled into Todoroki's face.
Todoroki reached up and attempted to pull Izuku's hand off of him, but found himself unable to break his grip, instead opting to simply squeeze his wrist. "And what makes you say that? I've told you my goal and I've put in the work to come this far with my right side and my right side alone. I'm going to climb to the top without using that bastard's power!"
"'Climb to the top?' You don't even want to be a Hero!" Deku snapped back.
"What…?" Snarled Todoroki.
"A Hero's duty is to save civilians and stop villains, but you don't care about either of those things, you just want to spite that flaming trash can you call a father!" Deku replied, his voice becoming progressively louder, purple smoke slowly beginning to seep out of his body.
"What gives you the right to be here!? Everyone else is giving it their all trying to chase their dreams, meanwhile you're intentionally shooting yourself in the damn foot and slapping their efforts in the damn face!" He continued, not done laying into his classmate. "And moreover you're doing nothing but guaranteeing that people will die because of you one day!"
"What's that supposed to mean!?" Demanded Todoroki, grabbing Deku's wrist with his other hand, but still failing to pry him off.
"Whether it was the results of eugenics or not, you were born with a spectacular Quirk and you're squandering the damn thing by holding back! Fucked as it might be morally, your father's logic was sound by marrying ice and fire, his greatest weakness has always been overheating himself, and I've seen what happens to you when you use too much ice too fast, you begin to freeze. Your Quirks could counterbalance each other and allow you to keep going far longer and far more effectively than your father could." Explained Deku.
"I told you already, I refuse to accept his power!" Shouted back Todoroki.
"And what happens when the day comes that that rejection comes back to bite you in the ass?" Asked Deku. "What happens when you face a villain your ice is no good against? Or has a mobility advantage that lets them always remain on your left? What are you going to tell the families of the people that villain ends up killing! 'Oopsie doopsie folks, sorry for your loss. I could've saved your family members but because of my stupid rebellious phase I decided to let them all die instead."
Todoroki grit his teeth at that. The statement wasn't wrong but he clearly refused to accept it. "So what, I should just roll over and do what dear old dad says like a good little tool?"
"If you really wanted to effectively rebel against your father, you could've just intentionally flunked out during the Q.A.T." Said Deku flatly. "Aizawa-Sensei would've seen you not giving a shit and would've dropped you from the Hero Course so fast it'd make your head spin. If you failed to become a Hero then that would've made Endeavor's efforts futile. But instead you're choosing to take the most asinine route imaginable."
Todoroki frowned at that, looking away from Deku.
But Deku wasn't done as he then grabbed Todoroki's uniform with his other hand and practically slammed him against the wall. Todoroki slowly slid to the ground as Deku practically loomed over him, a menacing expression on his face that would've made a lesser man empty their bowels. "Listen here, Shoto Todoroki. I'm going to give you three options going forward. Option One: You drop out of the final round and let someone more deserving take your spot in the bracket. Option two: you choose to continue being stubborn and I'll end up having to rearrange your damn face."
Deku then released his hold on Todoroki's uniform, letting the son of the number two Hero slide to the floor, letting out a grunt when he landed on his butt while Deku simply turned and started walking away.
"And… what's option three?" Asked Todoroki as he remained seated while he watched Deku walk away.
When Deku heard the question, he stopped in place and, without looking at Todoroki, slowly raised his left fist into the air. "Option three is where you start taking shit seriously and coming at us with All your Might. And we'll be sure to respond in kind."
Todoroki was silent for a moment before he scoffed. "Go to hell, Midoriya."
"I'll race you there, Shoto." Said Deku before he continued walking away.
Eventually Todoroki stood up and walked away as well, and once he was gone Ochako was able to release the breath that she had been holding in.
"God fucking dammit Deku." Groaned Bakugou, who'd been standing right next to her the entire time they had listened to that conversation together.
"Deku…" Said Ochako softly, the things she'd seen and heard replaying in her head.
"What's your problem? Not like this is the first time you've seen that side of him, hell it's not even the second." Said Bakugou.
"I don't know… that time it felt… different." Said Ochako. "Before he was standing up to bullies to protect his friends. This time it felt almost like he was being the bully."
"If you think that then you don't understand Deku in the damn slightest." Scoffed Bakugou.
"Eh?!" Said Ochako, looking over at him in confusion.
Bakugou rolled his eyes and started walking away, "Think carefully about what he said and why he would say it. You're not an idiot Uraraka, you know Deku well enough by this point to understand what he's after."
Yeah… yeah, Ochako got it. She couldn't help but smile at Deku. He really was too nice of a person, wasn't he? Maybe that's why she liked him so much.
Ochako made a face as she replayed that last thought in her head.
'Wait, wh-?' She thought to herself, but that thought was cut short by the sound of Midnight's voice.
"Alright kids, we're gonna decide who'll be facing who by drawing lots." Explained the teacher as she held up a box that had "LOTS" written on the front in big bold letters. "Assuming all sixteen of you wish to participate that is. If someone feels like they're not up for participating in the final round, speak up and we'll substitute you with one of the runner up teams."
At the sound of the offer, Deku turned his head to look at Todoroki.
Todoroki noticed the look and returned his gaze, crossing his arms and glaring back at Deku. Ochako felt a chill from that gaze and she wasn't even the one he was giving the evil eye to.
Seeing that Todoroki wasn't going to back out, Deku let out a huff before turning his attention back to Midnight.
Sero snickered. "Lots again, huh? Sounds like a lotto fun, right Class Sect?" He asked while nudging Iida's side with his elbow.
Ochako couldn't decide if she wanted to giggle at that joke or groan and face palm.
"Midoriya, since you lead the team that came in first, you can come up first followed by your teammates, alright?" Said Midnight, turning her attention towards Deku.
Deku blinked in surprise before looking over at Ochako, who quietly released his hand and gave him a thumbs up and smile.
Deku returned the smile with one of his own, accompanied with a nod as he walked up towards the stage alongside two of his three teammates.
The pink haired one was still on the ground working on one of her inventions. Ochako rolled her eyes at how lost in her own world this girl was, she had no clue how Deku was able to work with her…
After sixteen lots were drawn, the bracket for the final round were decided. Izuku stared up at the large monitor as it displayed who would be fighting who in the first round.
-
Fight One - Izuku Midoriya vs Tenya Iida
Fight Two - Mei Hatsume vs Ochako Uraraka
Fight Three - Setsuna Tokage vs Ibara Shiozaki
Fight Four - Hanta Sero vs Shoto Todoroki
Fight Five - Itsuka Kendo vs Momo Yaoyorozu
Fight Six - Eijiro Kirishima vs Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu
Fight Seven - Hitoshi Shinso vs Togaru Kamakiri
Fight Eight - Tsuyu Asui vs Katsuki Bakugou
-
Izuku wasn't sure which part he felt more conflicted on, the fact that and Mei would be fighting each other or the fact that he'd have to fight one of them on the off chance that he managed to beat Iida.
"'The off chance.' Kid you really need to value your skills more."
'I mean… I don't want to be presumptuous and just assume that I would win. Pride before fall and as that saying goes.' Replied Izuku.
"I'm more worried for your friend Sero and whichever of those poor B Class girls will have to fight Todoroki in the second round. Both reptiles and plants hate the cold after all."
'I don't… think Tokage is an actual reptile, Fourth.'
"Are you sure? Quirks can be pretty weird sometimes."
'…' Izuku, against his better judgment, pulled out a green notebook with dinosaurs printed on the cover and started jotting down some questions for the future, on the off chance he ever got the chance to pick the brains and Quirks of students from Class B.
"The fuck is this!?" Speaking of… "I wanted to beat some cocky A Class Bastard into the dirt! Why am I facing off a C Class Scrub instead!?" Demanded Kamakiri.
"Well gee," Said Shinso drily, "If I'm such a scrub then you'll be able to handle me without any difficulty, right?"
"I don't want that!" Snapped Kamakiri, "I wanna show off how badass I am by dicing a cocky bastard from the other class to bits! Where's the fun in punching down against a guy who isn't even in the Hero Course?!"
"Gee, pot meet kettle calling your classmates cocky."
'No kidding…' Replied Izuku drily. 'Having to manage both a loud mouthed blond and a raging loose cannon? Kendo has my sympathies.'
"Kamakiri, I'd advise against looking down on your opponent. Don't forget he was a part of the team that placed first." Said Shiozaki calmly. "Also, such foul language is unbecoming of a Hero in training."
"Aw bite me, Holy Woman." Snapped back Kamakiri.
Shiozaki's expression shifted to become more akin to a glare. "I think I have a much more suitable means of punishment in mind." She said as she raised her hair vines threateningly.
"Try me, I'd love for the chance to get even with you after that shit you pulled on me during the Battle Trial!" Declared Kamakiri as he raised his arms, a pair of blades coming from his flesh.
However the two would never get the chance to clash as a pair of floating hands grabbed at Kamakiri's underarms, dragging him backwards while a large hand wrapped around Shiozaki's midsection and lifted her into the air.
"Alright, alright, down boy." Laughed Tokage as she helped Kendo separate the two arguing B Class Students.
"Yeah man, attacking a girl like that outside of a match? I thought you were manlier than that." Said Tetsutetsu with his arms crossed.
Kamakiri swung an arm at Tetsutetsu, though he was too far away to actually hit him. "Keep talkin' shit Metal Head! We'll see who the manly one is when I shove this blade so far up your ass it comes jutting out your mouth!"
"Ooh, kinky~!" Laughed Tokage.
"Why do those three seem so familiar to me…?" Wondered Yaomomo aloud before glancing to the side to see Kacchan discussing things with Kirishima and Tsu.
"I couldn't tell you." Said Kendo with a shake of her head before looking at her classmate who she was still holding. "I could tell you however, Shiozaki, that I expected a little more maturity from you."
"You're right…" said the plant girl. "I am ashamed of that unholy display, I deserve to suffer for my sinful actions. Please Kendo, nail me to a cross so that all others learn from my mistakes!"
"And thaaat's enough of that." Said Kendo drily as she released her classmate, allowing her to fall onto her rear on the ground before turning to Yaomomo. "Yaoyorozu." Said the President of 1B calmly.
"Kendo." Replied 1A's Vice President, nodding in return.
"My Quirk might not be as flashy or versatile as yours." Said Kendo, raising a clenched fist. "But you'd better not go easy on me, because I don't plan to make things easy on you."
"Hmph." Replied Yaomomo, the corners of her mouth turning upwards ever so slightly. "Trust me, Kendo, I'm not someone who's arrogant or foolish enough to underestimate my opponents ever again. I may be a Recommendation Student but I've seen how meaningless such a title is. I intend to take you seriously, same as any other opponent."
Kendo couldn't help but smile at that, "Very well then, I look forward to seeing what you can do when facing an opponent one on one."
"Aw man, facing Todoroki first? Talk about being thrown into the deep end and praying for the best." Lamented Sero as he stared at the monitor with a strained smile.
"Chin up Sero," Said Iida as he placed an encouraging hand on his friend's shoulder, "Do not stop before you have even started. Yes Todoroki may be amongst the stronger members of our class, but you will never succeed unless you try."
Sero looked at the hand on his shoulder, then at Iida. "Are you try to tell me that, or are you trying to encourage yourself as you prepare to get your shit kicked in by Midoriya?"
Iida let out a sigh as his head drooped forward. "I am admittedly concerned with the prospect of facing him, he has had many chances to see my skills on display, even my Recipro Burst. I worry that I will not be able to out maneuver him." He admitted.
"Hey, Midoriya may be tough but so are you." Said Sero, knocking the back of his fist against Iida's chest. "If anyone's gonna give him a literal run for his money, it'll be you dude."
Iida smiled. "And to you, Sero, Todoroki might have range and power on his side, but his self imposed limits coupled with your own ability to think fast could be the key to your victory."
"So. You're… Urarara was it?" Asked Mei, hands on her hips as she grinned at Ochako.
Izuku leaned in and whispered into Mei's ear, "Uraraka."
"Eh, close enough." Said Mei with a shrug, earning herself a groan and a facepalm from Izuku.
"You and Deku seem… quite close." Said Ochako, straining to keep her smile up.
"Ho boy, your gal pals are meeting for the first time. Tread lightly kid, tread lightly."
'Not helping.' Groaned Izuku internally.
"'Deku?'" Asked Mei as she looked over at Izuku, tilting her head questioningly.
"It's just a nickname thing, don't worry Mei you didn't misremember my name." Said Izuku, managing to immediately understand and wave off her concerns.
Mei nodded and looked back at Ochako. "Well, Deku and I are quite good friends, I'll have you know. Partners even!" She claimed.
"'Partners…?'" Parroted Ochako slowly. "As in…?"
"Yup!" Said Mei proudly, "Izuku and I have promised to climb to the top together! The greatest Hero and the greatest Support Engineer!" She then produced a pair of gloves from… somewhere, to show off to Ochako. "These gloves he was using during the Cavalry Battle were designed by yours truly and made specifically for him! They're definitely an upgrade after the last pair failed to protect him during that incident at the Unforeseen Simulation Joint…"
Ochako blinked at that, something about her concern for Izuku felt… familiar to her.
"Mei." Said Izuku calmly, causing the engineer to stand up straight and pull her from whatever dark place she was falling into.
"Right, right. Sorry, got sidetracked for a second there." Said Mei, refocusing her attention back onto Ochako. "Anywho, the point is is that I'd like to make an offer to you, Urararara."
"Uraraka." Corrected Izuku again.
"I need to show off my babies to the Pros and to the more experienced inventors," Continued Mei without missing a beat, "so that way they know exactly what I can do and so that they'll be interested in investing in me and my babies. And what's better than one fighter using gadgets? Two of course!"
"So… what? You want me to give some of your gear a spin while we're fighting?" Asked Ochako.
Mei stuck out a thumb at that. "Bingo Urarararara! I mean I did consider simply tricking you into using the gear with some excuse that it would put us on even footing, but Izuku insisted that not only would that paint me in a bad light because it would make me come across as unreasonable and difficult to work with."
"Which she kinda is at times."
"But also that you were way too smart to ever fall for something like that."
Ochako blinked in surprise at that, looking at Mei for a moment before turning her attention to Izuku, who chuckled nervously while scratching the back of his head.
Mei then turned to look at Izuku. "Ok, how would you rate my first ever sales pitch? I need to get good at this kind of thing if I'm going to make it big with investors. I mean my skills obviously will speak for themselves but it's never not helpful to make people capable of hearing me out
"Eh… I'd give it a seven out of ten." Said Izuku, doing a so-so gesture with his hand. "Definitely a few hiccups along the way and you did need my help at first, but I give it a passing grade still."
Mei brought up a hand to her chin. "Hm, and through the Izuku Over Politeness Filter that means my score was likely more akin to a six out of ten, duly noted."
"Wh- hey- I am very fair with my judgments!" Argued Izuku.
"Ahem." Said Ochako, cutting off the argument before it could start. "Before I choose, I want to double check something."
"Hm?" Hummed Mei as she tilted her head questioningly.
"Just to be clear, if I agree to this, when we fight you're going to still take things seriously, not simply just step out as soon as you're satisfied?" Asked Ochako.
"Eh?" Asked Mei.
Ochako reached her hand up and poked Mei in the shoulder while Izuku watched the pair nervously. "Don't get me wrong, I have no intention of losing to you, but I don't want a win just handed to me either, so my terms to this are that you take this seriously, understood?"
Mei's smile remained plastered on her face as she said, "Fine then, I can do that." She then extended a hand towards Ochako. "So, do we have a deal?"
Ochako looked at the hand, then at Mei, before smirking. She reached out and took Mei's hand. "Deal."