Chapter Text
“For the first match in our third round, we’ve got a real show stopper, listeners!” Present Mic-sensei crowed from his booth. “First off we have the leader of the first place team from the second event and son of Endeavor, Todoroki Shouto! And taking him on is the first place finisher from the first event, the quirkless wonder, Midoriya Izuku!”
He did not just say that. This was not how Izuku wanted to do this. Surely Present Mic-sensei had more sense than to just blurt that out on live television?
But the oppressive silence of the crowd and the shocked pitying look on Todoroki-san’s face said otherwise.
It was going to have to happen eventually for Izuku’s plans, sure, but he had wanted more of a chance to control that narrative.
“Kick his ass, Izuku!” the familiar voice of Maehara screamed from the stands, breaking the silence at the same time Midnight-sensei cracked her whip and called for the match to begin.
Izuku snapped out of his daze, and jerked to his left for a brief second before turning quickly to the right as he bolted towards Todoroki-san.
He hadn’t had time to figure out safe heating elements that would be able to melt Todoroki-san’s ice and not burn himself while still staying within the rules for the Sports Festival, so it was imperative that Izuku stay out of Todoroki-san’s line of fire. (Or line of frost, maybe?)
The shards of ice grew up into a wall where Izuku had been, following the trajectory of his first movement, missing him entirely. And now Izuku was in close to Todoroki-san’s left side where he wouldn’t be able to use his ice against him so easily.
Izuku swung his fist and struck across Todoroki-san’s temple before pulling back and slamming the heel of his palm into the boy’s ribs. He then spun around and struck at Todoroki-san’s kidney and continued to strike at his other temple with the heel of his foot in a roundhouse kick.
Todoroki-san stumbled away, sending a burst of ice behind him. And Izuku was in too close. He mostly dodged, but his foot got caught at the edge. Not a strong enough hold to keep him though, as he simply pulled his foot free of his shoe and continued forward, once again aiming for Todoroki-san’s left side. His weak side.
If he used his fire he could simply drive Izuku back. Keep him at a safe distance to be trapped in his ice. But the idiot refused even that limited use of his fire.
Todoroki-san tried to build up a wall of ice in front of him, but with the wall being built from his right and Izuku coming in fast on his left, it wasn’t fast enough. Izuku grabbed his left arm and pulled him around, flinging him across the arena in a single smooth motion before rushing in to close the gap again.
Todoroki-san was on his feet again when Izuku got there. Izuku grabbed the front of his jacket and drove his fist into Todoroki-san’s gut.
“If this were real,” Izuku hissed as Todoroki-san doubled over and tried to lash out with his hand,“if I had a weapon, you would be dead by now.” Izuku punched him in the face again. This was pathetic. Todoroki Shouto, the legacy of the number two hero refused to use half of his quirk. Refused to see how that was going to do nothing more than put himself and others in danger.
Finally, he gathered enough wits to drive a spike of ice in the air between them, forcing Izuku back. The ice continued growing, stretching to block Todoroki-san from view, giving him the breathing room he needed to recover from the hits.
“There’s no place in heroics for people like you, Todoroki-san,” Izuku snapped, raising his voice over the cracking ice. “Once this weakness gets out, you’ll be nothing but a liability in the field. Easy pickings for any two bit thugs with even a single brain cell between their ears.”
Izuku moved further back from the wall as he spoke, eyeing the sharp protrusions. “Well, Todoroki-san? What are you going to do? You can’t save anyone else if you can’t even save yourself. You can’t win if you just keep hiding behind a wall.”
The ice stopped growing, settling into a single solid form. “Make a choice, Todoroki-san. Are you a coward? Or are you a hero?” He stepped forward, one hand resting on the ice. It was cold, but not as sharp as he had thought it would be. At least, not if he avoided the points, which still looked lethal if he fell on one.
In other words, completely climbable and not somewhere Todoroki-san was going to look.
He hauled himself up, avoiding sharpened points and moving himself into a secure position. He had a clear view of the field below him, and an easy path down. All he needed now was to wait and not freeze to the ice. And not slip.
“What is Midoriya-kun doing?” Present Mic-sensei said, with all the gravitas and bravado he was being paid for. “His opening attacks were brutal and efficient in a way we hadn’t seen yet and now he’s just waiting? What I wouldn’t give to hear what that boy’s been saying!”
“Waiting is a strong strategy for Midoriya-kun,” Aizawa-sensei added on. “So long as he doesn’t give Todoroki-kun too much time to catch his breath.”
Yeah, Izuku didn’t care much. Todoroki-san probably wasn’t going to want to wait for very long either.
“You should mind your own business,” Todoroki-san seethed. “And worry more about the liability you bring to the field.”
Izuku’s anger flared in his gut and he breathed deeply, burying it back in the recesses of his mind. He had to control himself. He was only worthless if he let them get to him. Remember what Karma said. Kick their asses and be himself and eventually they’d come around. And if they didn’t they probably weren’t worth the effort. Even Terasaka was coming around. Bakugou seemed to be coming around. He would be fine.
“How do you expect to save anyone when you can’t even save yourself?”
Couldn’t even save himself.
Izuku… he couldn’t, could he? He hadn’t been able to save himself from Bakugou when they were kids, or when he’d blown up during finals last year. He hadn’t been able to save himself from Takaoka on Okinawa, or from the Reaper when he held the class hostage. He hadn’t been able to save himself from Shigaraki or Nomu.
No. Izuku couldn’t think like that. Not now, not ever. It might be true, but it wasn’t something he could indulge. He needed to stay focused. Keep his eyes on what was in front of him. Unpack this mess later with Ashisuto-sensei.
“What? Nothing to say to that? Willing to call out someone else’s so called weaknesses without confronting your own!?”
Todoroki-san sounded closer, probably just out of sight, the crunch of torn up cement gravel now obvious with Izuku listening for it. He was moving in Izuku’s direction. All he had to do was wait and drop… just… now.
Izuku slid smoothly from his hiding place, dropping to the ground. He turned to face Todoroki-san and… oops. He wasn’t as close as Izuku thought he’d been.
He lunged forward, swinging for his face again, but the distance was just enough for Todoroki-san to jerk back and get his hand up to defend.
His right hand.
Ice grew up over Izuku’s hand and arm as it was deflected to the side, locking it in place. He swung it like a club, smashing into the back of Todoroki-san’s head. Todoroki-san stumbled, another rush of ice instinctively growing between them. Izuku staggered to the side, barely avoiding getting trapped, but still gaining several new cuts along his calves for his trouble.
“You think I haven’t confronted my weaknesses, Todoroki-san,” he said quietly. “I’ve confronted them every single day since I was five. I still earned my place here just like everyone else.”
Todoroki-san was swaying on his feet. Another good hit and he would go down. He had to be clumsy and slow, still getting his bearings back after the last one. Izuku could do this. Just one good hit.
A deep breath and Izuku dove back in, running straight for Todoroki-san. He could do this. No need for subtlety here.
Todoroki-san finally looked up.
He blinked, face going slack and eyes wide as he saw Izuku approaching. Closing fast.
He stumbled backwards, starting to trip over his own feet. Izuku’s arm was raised. One good hit and he would be done.
A crack like thunder, and chill filling Izuku to the bone, body jerking to a stop.
Too cold, but no numbness as pain slowly filtered in, lagging behind the speed of Todoroki-san’s strike. Nothing vital had been hit, but Izuku could already tell he had surface level cuts just about everywhere.
Todoroki-san was on the ground, shaking. His eyes stayed on Izuku’s.
“Midoriya-kun, can you move?”
Right. Izuku had to answer. “No.”
Her whip cracked. “Todoroki-kun is the winner.” A quiet ripple of polite applause was the only reaction from the audience. “Todoroki-kun, please release Midoriya-kun from the ice.”
Todoroki-san blinked, turning his head to look at her. “Right, yes.” He stood up slowly, still wobbling slightly as he stepped forward and rested his left hand on the iceberg. Steam slowly lifted and ice receded. Izuku wiggled his fingers and toes, shaking off the cold as he stepped out of his former restraints and blood began to seep from the small cuts across his body.
Two sets of bots with stretchers trundled up.
“I can walk,” Izuku said, trying to wave them off.
“Recovery Girl-sensei insists,” one said. “Neither of you is to walk anywhere. She wants to see you both immediately.”
Todoroki-san sighed. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.”
Izuku continued to stare down the bot as Todoroki-san was carried away. “I’m really not that injured. I can walk myself there.”
“Just get on the stretcher,” it said.
Izuku wasn’t going to win this one. No point in fighting, all it would do is prolong the inevitable. He got on the stretcher and let them carry him away.
“What in the world were you two thinking, going at each other like that?” Recovery Girl-sensei scolded as they were transferred into the beds. “Really Midoriya-kun, hitting him that hard in the head? You of all people should know how dangerous that is! And with the ice!”
“I’m fine,” Todoroki-san muttered.
“You most certainly are not, young man! Look at you! You can barely focus your eyes, and you’re shaking like a leaf!”
Izuku turned his head to look at Todoroki-san. Really, Recovery Girl-sensei was right to be more worried about him, Izuku had hit him hard several times over. His ribs, his head, and some of his internal organs would all have been at risk at one point or another during the fight. He would need a full check up. But he shouldn’t be shaking. The adrenaline should have passed by now, but he was shaking. But not from the adrenaline.
“Use your quirk,” Izuku said. “You need to warm yourself up.”
“I said, I’m fine.”
“And if that’s all you’re going to say then you can sit quietly and let me work, but Midoriya-kun is right. Just by touch alone I can tell you’re too cold. That little bit of heat you used to melt him free wasn’t enough to warm your core. You need to warm yourself or you won’t be going anywhere.”
“But the next match…”
“I do have the power to disqualify you for medical concerns, Todoroki-kun. You will warm yourself and you will let me check you over and heal you or you will not be going back out there.”
“...Yes, Sensei.”
Izuku snorted. How long had it been since he had heard a lecture like that? How long had it been since he was on the receiving end of one?
“Don’t you get all high and mighty, Midoriya-kun, you’re next.”
Right. It was at the start of the school year. Not that long ago.
Izuku turned his head back to the ceiling, giving them some privacy, and closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing. Let the emotions pass. Let them go. The fight was over and done and the things said during it were meant to get a rise. To hurt more than either of them normally would.
Let the past be the past and turn his attention to the future. What comes next.
The class knew he was quirkless now.
But what could he do? Nothing really. Not until he knew where everyone stood. Undoubtedly a few would have their reservations. Probably most of them would change in some way or another. Hopefully a few could brush it off.
Some rustling, the door opened and closed. Todoroki-san must have left.
“Alright, Midoriya-kun, your turn.”
Izuku blinked his eyes open, and sat up, turning to face Recovery Girl-sensei. He held out his arms for her to inspect. “I really am fine,” he said. “Todoroki-san didn’t hit anything important. They’re all just small cuts.”
“Even small cuts can be dangerous,” she retorted. “Several of these are dangerously close to major arteries or tendons. Not to mention I doubt he was aiming much at all in that last rush. He could very easily have impaled you.”
“But he didn’t.”
Recovery Girl-sensei sighed. “No, I suppose he didn’t. Still, I wish you kids would be more careful with each other. There’s no need to hurt anyone this badly in some school festival. Scouting options or not, a hero that takes care of themselves and can end a fight with minimal force is better than one that always sends people to the hospital. Themselves included.”
“I know,” Izuku said softly as Recovery Girl-sensei satisfied herself and kissed him on the cheek. “I got carried away. It wasn’t even really about the festival.”
Recovery Girl-sensei hummed. “No, I suppose it wasn’t.”
The door to Recovery Girl-sensei’s temporary office slammed open. “Midori-kun!”
Izuku pulled up a bright smile as Uraraka-san, Hagakure-san, and Asui-san tumbled through the door. “What are you guys doing here?” he asked. “You do realize I wasn’t really hurt that bad, right?”
“Kirishima-kun asked us to check on you,” Asui-san said. “And it felt like the right thing to do after you had your quirk status broadcast to the nation.”
“That and we were actually worried about you,” Hagakure-san added. “Even if you weren’t hurt that bad, you did still get carried off the field.”
“That was overkill.”
“I will use as much overkill as I like to make sure you students don’t make things worse by refusing to see me.”
“Yes, Sensei,” the girls chorused back.
“When have I ever refused to see you?” Izuku frowned.
Recovery Girl-sensei gave him a flat look. “Given Yagi-san has had to drag you to me before…”
“I get the picture.”
“Good boy.”
Uraraka-san snickered. “But really, you were vicious out there, it was awesome!”
Hagakure-san nodded frantically. “It was so cool! I doubt I could have pulled off anything like that! And hiding in his own ice! Brilliant!”
“Thanks,” Izuku said, forcing his smile to stay in place.
“Midoriya-kun,” Asui-san said. “I just wanted to say that I understand why you didn’t tell us earlier.”
Izuku’s smile strained. “Oh, uh, thanks, Asui-san.”
“Tsuyu-chan. And it might have hurt a bit, to realize you didn’t trust us with it, but you can’t have had it easy to get this far, so, I understand. Not everyone will have the same reaction, but they’ll come around.”
Izuku felt his smile wavering.
“Yeah!” Uraraka-san joined in. “Either they’ll come around, or they’ll learn to keep their mouth shut!”
Izuku chuckled softly. “Thanks, Uraraka-san, but I don’t think you can fight the media. Especially not if you want to be in spotlight heroics.”
“Ah, don’t worry about that,” Uraraka-san waved him off. “Everyone knows it’s impossible to hate a competent rescue hero! And I’d never be as popular as those front line patrols anyway, so what am I really losing.”
“Right,” he should change the subject before he got too emotional. “Has anyone seen Iida-san recently?”
Their faces fell. “He said he had some family emergency,” Uraraka-san said softly
Asui-san nodded. “He seemed pretty out of it when he left, so it must have been serious.”
Izuku nodded. “Well,” he hopped to his feet, “no point staying here. Let’s get back upstairs and watch the last matches.”