Izuku wanted to watch his classmates' competition. It could be invaluable for the next stage to see half of his competitors' quirks in action, but he wanted to make sure that Kacchan was alright. Todoroki tried to get his attention, but Izuku waved him off. "Uh, in a bit, Todoroki! I just want to talk with Kacchan first!"

He darted off before his classmate could stop him. Izuku headed for Class 1A's locker room, suspecting correctly that Kacchan would've gone there to beat himself up. The blonde's back was to Izuku. Kacchan had one arm braced against the wall from hand to elbow, his forehead pressed to his wrist. Izuku winced and approached his boyfriend cautiously. "Kacchan," he said hesitantly, but the other boy didn't react. Once he got close enough, Izuku leaned against Kacchan, wrapping one arm around his waist.

He stayed there silently for a few seconds before trying again. "Are you mad at me?"

Izuku felt Kacchan's huff before he heard it. "Why would I be mad at you, Deku? I'm the one who fucked up." His free hand banged against the lockers softly. "Your plan worked perfectly. All I had to do was pay attention for two more goddamn seconds."

Izuku winced. It would've been easier to deal with if Kacchan was mad at him. The blonde's fury always burned the brightest when it was directed at himself. He squeezed Kacchan tightly and then grabbed his shoulder and gently tried to turn the boy around. Kacchan didn't resist. His eyes were dry, so Izuku knew that this was just frustration and not something super serious.

"It was my goddamn arrogance again," Kacchan muttered. "Someday I'm going to figure out that my pride always fucking makes me lose."

Izuku grinned. "Yeah," he agreed. Kacchan looked kind of annoyed at having his criticism confirmed so easily. "But still, you have to admit… we were pretty badass." He blushed a little bit while saying the curse word. It wasn't really his style, but Kacchan seemed pretty, uh, happy last time he acted confident, so…

Kacchan looked pensive for a moment before a small grin appeared on his face. "Yeah, we did crush all those extras, didn't we? Even that Half-and-Half bastard didn't stand a chance against us. They had to resort to some sneaky shit in order to win."

"And did you see Kirishima's face when we rocketed towards them?" encouraged Izuku.

"Who's Kiri-what-now?"

Izuku sighed. "Kirishima! You guys are friends." Kacchan just stared at him blankly. "Hair-for-Brains," he muttered.

Kacchan brightened. "Oh yeah! Why didn't you just say so? Heh. You're right he looked so constipated."

"See!" grinned Izuku. "Even though technically we lost, we probably made the biggest impression on everyone watching."

"Hm, I guess we do make a pretty good team, Deku." There was a certain heaviness to his tone that made Izuku realize the position they were in. Kacchan was slumped against the wall, Izuku's hands still on his hips. Izuku was standing really close, so that their feet were in line. There was hardly any space between their bodies. He gulped.

"Y-yeah. Um. It was. Definitely." Was Kacchan getting closer? Kacchan was definitely getting closer. Izuku's heart beat faster and faster. He wanted Kacchan to kiss him, he really wanted Kacchan to kiss him. Except, like this… They were alone. Everyone else was probably focused on the ongoing challenge. Izuku wasn't entirely certain that he'd be able to stop once they started. He'd promised All Might that he wouldn't allow his tension with Kacchan to distract him from the sports festival. He didn't regret asking Kacchan to be his boyfriend, but this… this was exactly the kind of thing that All Might had been warning him about.

Izuku pulled away, grimacing. Kacchan looked disappointed. "I- sorry, it's just. Um. You're really- er. If we started doing… things I don't know if. And the rest of the sports f-festival."

Slowly, Kacchan grinned. "Heh. Are you trying to say that I'm so sexy you don't think you could focus on the sports festival once you got ensnared by my manly seduction?"

His face burned. "I wouldn't put it exactly like that, but-"

"Ha!" crowed Kacchan. "That's a yes! Well, come on then. I wouldn't want you to be so distracted by my burning hotness that you lose before I get a chance to beat you."

Kacchan grabbed his hand and pulled him back towards the stadium. Izuku was relieved that he hadn't hurt Kacchan's feelings. They scanned the ongoing melee. They'd missed most of it, but he was able to get a decent look at the remaining competitors' quirks before it ended.

"All right!" cried Midnight. "Now we have the remaining eight challengers! Will the two teams who won the last challenge come back into the arena?"

Dutifully, teams Bakugo and Todoroki took their place by their other classmates. "Well then, the last event is fairly straightforward. It's a simple tournament! We're going to be drawing lots to determine the pairings… and here they are!

Iida Tenya vs Hatsume Mei

Midoriya Izuku vs Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu

Todoroki Shoto vs Sero Hanta

Kendo Itsuka vs Uraraka Ochaco

Kaminari Denki vs Shinsou Hitoshi

Tsubaraba Kosei vs Tokoyami Fumikage

Bakugou Katsuki vs Kirishima Eijiro

Yaoyorozu Momo vs Shiozaki Ibara

Izuku stared at the brackets in contemplation. There were so many possible combinations of opponents to face if he advanced through his fights victoriously. He frowned. He'd have to get past Todoroki, probably, in order to get to the finals. And if he was going to fight Kacchan, then it would be in the very last match. Izuku's blood thrummed just at the thought of it.

"C'mon Deku," Kacchan said. "Let's go grab some grub while we can. You're going to need to get your energy up for when we fight in the finale."

Their classmates sighed, used to Kacchan's abrasive personality, but Tetsutetsu bristled. "So certain of your victories, are you? And what makes you think that I won't beat him in the first round?"

Kacchan squinted at the boy from class 1B. "Who the fuck are you? Actually, I don't care. Deku's going to stomp on you for sure."

Izuku was conflicted between trying to break up the upcoming argument or glowing in Kacchan's praise. Before he could decide, there was a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see Todoroki behind him.

"Hey, while they're distracted… could I talk to you for a second?"

Izuku hesitated, glancing back to where Midnight was trying to get Tetsutetsu and Kacchan to cool down. She seemed to have things under control, and something about Todoroki made Izuku think it was important. Plus, it'd be really rude to refuse. He nodded, and Todoroki led them off to a tunnel in the side of the stadium. Hopefully they'd be able to see anyone approach before they got within hearing range.

He gulped. He wasn't afraid of Todoroki, but the boy was seriously intense. "So… what was it you wanted to say?"

Todoroki frowned. "First off, I wanted to apologize. Bakugou was right. I was out of line earlier. It's not fair for me to take out my anger on you."

Izuku's eyes widened, but he smiled. "O-oh, it's no problem! Is that all-"

"I'm sorry. I forgot that it was a secret, since everyone in our class knows that you're All Might's son."

Izuku just gaped at Todoroki, not entirely certain what kind of alternate dimension that he'd managed to fall into.

"The rumor's been going around since USJ. Some of the people who saw your fight with Shigaraki mentioned what he said to you, before Uraraka put a stop to all the gossiping."

Panicked, Izuku thought back to his conversations with Shigaraki. They were all sort of a blur. Everything after Tsuyu's death was kind of… hazy. He didn't like thinking about it. But he remembered that Shigaraki had asked him if he was All Might's kid. It had been so ludicrous that Izuku just assumed that it'd been another attempt to get into his head.

"Your power isn't just similar to All Might's… it's exactly like his. And how you two interact, there's no way that you only met at the beginning of school. The way he looks at you, it's not how a teacher looks at a student."

Izuku's mind raced. Of course. How could he be so dumb? Why in the world had he assumed that his classmates figured out the secret of One for All? There was a much simpler explanation. No one knew All Might's age for certain, but he was definitely old enough to potentially have a son in high school. Why would anyone think that All Might had passed his quirk onto Izuku? Quirks were inherited. It was much more logical to assume that Izuku was All Might's illegitimate child. And of course it'd be a secret; any son of All Might's would be in immense danger. Countless villains would go after him to get revenge on the number one hero. Wasn't that what Kacchan was trying to say-

Oh. Izuku's thoughts screeched to a halt. Kacchan must think it too. He'd been pissed off about Izuku's secret-keeping right before the events at USJ, wondering why Izuku would deny that his power was similar to All Might's. Afterwards, Kacchan had been oddly protective any time somebody mentioned him and All Might in the same sentence. Of course he thought Izuku was All Might's son. He knew Izuku better than anyone, knew the way that Izuku could spout off literally even the smallest and most obscure of facts about the hero. In a way… Izuku had loved All Might even before meeting the man. That devotion and worship- it must've seemed like the kind of love a son had for his father, once Kacchan thought back on it.

Suddenly, Izuku realized how conspicuous his stunned silence must be. Todoroki looked like Izuku had confirmed his suspicion. Of course he had. He'd been quiet way too long; even if he tried to deny it now, Todoroki would never believe him. Plus… it made sense. It made perfect sense. Right now no one was paying any attention to him, since he was just a student. But eventually, if he achieved his goals, people would write biographies about him, and have television shows dedicated to his backstory. It would be so suspicious, a kid who developed his quirk improbably late, a quirk that was nothing like either of his parents', and who had an incredibly close relationship with All Might. Someone would come to the obvious conclusion that Izuku was All Might's son, and had hid his power until he was old enough to face the consequences.

Or, someone would reach the correct conclusion, which would be even worse. All Might was right. If people knew that the most powerful quirk in the world could be passed on, Izuku would be in terrible danger, even more than the danger he'd face if people thought he was the son of the number one hero. The lie burned Izuku before it was even spoken. It… it was beyond disrespectful to his actual father's memory, to say the least of what it could do to his mother. But if so many people already suspected it, then denying the rumor wouldn't do anything but give it more power.

"If…" Izuku swallowed. "If that were true—not that it is—you realize the kind of danger it would put me in? The danger my mother would be in?" He stared imploringly at Todoroki.

The boy's gaze softened. "Of course. I'm sorry again for speaking so carelessly before. Your secret is safe with me. But, that wasn't the reason I wanted to talk to you."

Izuku frowned, heart still racing. "Oh?"

"Bakugou made me realize that if I was going to make you my rival, I at least owed you an explanation as to why."

Now Todoroki had Izuku's full attention. Rival? An explanation? Izuku knew basically nothing about his classmate other than that the boy was Endeavor's son.

"Have you ever heard of quirk marriages?" asked Todoroki.

The story that followed horrified Izuku. Endeavor had tortured Todoroki's mother so much that she snapped, giving him the scar that disfigured his face? It seemed so impossible that he wouldn't have believed it were it not for the utter sincerity in Todoroki's eyes.

"But… you're acting like- like your father just created you, like a thing, or a tool."

Todoroki nodded. "That's exactly what it is. He called us experiments. He kept having kids until he got the perfect combination. Half ice, half fire. Two powers to balance each other perfectly, to allow me to surpass even him. All to defeat his greatest rival." Todoroki's fist clenched.

Izuku didn't know what to say. He wanted to be on top, yeah, but he couldn't even imagine wanting it so bad to create generations of suffering the way Endeavor had. That was… more like a villain than a hero.

"My father wants me to be the perfect tool, but fuck him." Todoroki stared at Izuku intently. "Ever since that day, I swore to never use his quirk in battle. I'm going to be the number one hero, but I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me rely on him. You… my battle with you will be a test for whether or not I can truly compare myself to All Might. So I'm going to defeat you, Midoriya, with only my mother's power." Todoroki continued before Izuku could protest. "I know that you understand my burden. I've seen it in you, the weight of a great hero's expectations. All Might plans on you taking his place, doesn't he?" The boy chuckled mirthlessly. "Our fathers' aspirations can be crushing to their sons. Sorry to put all this on you, but I wanted you to understand why I'm going to coming at you so fiercely when we finally fight."

With that, Todoroki turned and began walking away. Izuku didn't know how to respond. He had a million things to say, but one thing hit him before the rest.

"Todoroki!" he called. The other boy looked over his shoulder.

Izuku felt himself trembling a bit, but it wasn't out of fear. "You're wrong." He glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "All Might gave me this power, yes… but using it to try and become the number one hero? That choice was mine, and mine alone." Izuku stared at Todoroki, clenching his fists. "My entire life, I wanted to be a hero like All Might. I wanted to be as amazing as him." He couldn't help but laugh. "Compared to your reasons, it must seem so trivial, and looking back on it, they seem trivial to me as well."

Izuku raised his chin defiantly. "But all that changed after USJ. I realized… I was given an incredible power, something I could use to make the world a better place. For the first time, I understood that the only thing holding me back was myself, that I had the power to do anything as long as I was willing to work hard enough." He scowled. "Maybe All Might does have hopes for me, but I'm not doing this for him, not anymore." Izuku swallowed. "Tsuyu… she gave her life to save mine, so I'm going to use the chance she gave me the best way I can. I'm going to become the greatest hero in the world, to honor her sacrifice. When we fight, I'm going to come at you with all my power. Don't expect me to hold back just because you are."

Once Izuku turned his back on Todoroki and walked away, he realized that he was angry. He'd spent nearly his entire life hoping and praying for a quirk, even the weakest one, just so that he'd have a chance to be a hero. More than that, though, Kacchan had infected Izuku with his fiery competitiveness. The thought of Todoroki looking down on him like that… thinking that he could beat Izuku with one hand tied behind his back- it was insulting. He turned the corner and jumped a foot in the air when he saw Kacchan leaning against the wall.

"K-K-Kacchan! You… you. Um. Did you hear all of that?"

Kacchan just shrugged, even though his gaze was unusually solemn. "It was nothing I didn't know, except for all of Half-and-half's bullshit."

Izuku hesitated. "But… the stuff before that?"

"Like I said." Kacchan's gaze was steady. "Nothing I didn't know. I'm more concerned about you." He glanced down at Izuku's hands, which apparently were still fisted and trembling.

"Oh," Izuku chuckled. "I'm… I really want to crush him," he admitted.

"Please. I don't mind not fighting him if I get to see you wipe the floor with his smug face. Thinking he's so much better than us that he can hold back all the time," grumbled Kacchan.

Izuku nodded but he knew that it was more than that. His emotions were tangled and complicated, and he hadn't had time to parse out exactly what he was feeling. Izuku did know that something about his and Todoroki's exchange really rubbed him the wrong way, though. Kacchan walked beside him silently back towards the arena. They had some food and watched the festivities taking place before the last round. There were tons of games, real ones this time, the kind you'd expect from a normal school sports festival. Nevertheless, Izuku didn't join in. It seemed like no time at all passed before Iida and Hatsume made their way down to the center of the arena.

Their fight was… anticlimactic, to say the least. The display of Hatsume's inventions was pretty interesting at first, but after ten minutes it got kind of routine. She was a good entertainer, but by the time it finished Izuku was feeling jittery for his own match. He was next, after all. Izuku watched from his spot in the tunnel, rolling his eyes when Hatsume finally stepped out of bounds. He was ready for his fight when All Might caught up to him.

"Midoriya, my boy. Are you prepared for your first match?"

Izuku stared at All Might. Somehow he'd managed to forget that he basically confirmed the rumors going on about them. All Might's grin faltered.

"Um. Is everything alright?"

Izuku grimaced. He didn't have time to tell his mentor about it. "I want to make you proud," he began.

All Might's expression softened. "My boy, you already have." There was a tenderness in his gaze and voice that he never directed at anyone else. Izuku could see now why everyone assumed that they were father and son. They would've known that All Might was more than just his teacher even if their quirks weren't so similar.

"I want to make you proud," continued Izuku. "But, this isn't for you. I just. I just wanted you to know that I'm doing this for me, not because I think you want me to." His breath hitched. "It's. I'm going to stand there on my own, and I'm going to win for myself. You and Todo- I mean, you've told me that you put this- this burden on me." Izuku met All Might's eyes. "But that's not how I feel at all. You aren't a burden, All Might. I'm so grateful that you gave me the chance to wield this power. It's my turn now to show you—to show everyone—what I can become, when I do my best."

All Might placed his hands on Izuku's shoulders. "Izuku, nothing would make me happier than seeing you reach your full potential." He smiled down at Izuku like… like he was something precious. "So don't waste a single thought on me. Turn all your focus to what's ahead of you. I don't even care if you win or lose. Just… do your best, and I'll be prouder of you than I've ever been of anyone my whole life."

Izuku nodded, but he couldn't respond before he was called out to his fight. He finally understood why Todoroki had pissed him off so much. There was a difference between being the best and being your best. Todoroki's ice quirk was incredible. Maybe he could even become the number one hero just using it. But… he'd never be as strong as he could be if he used both his quirks. How many villains would escape that he might've captured? How many people would die that he might've saved, if only he weren't crippling himself out of sheer spite? Izuku understood, truly he did, but it still disgusted him.

Therefore, when he reached the stage, he called out. "Tetsutetsu. Please don't hold back at all. I'm going to show you one hundred percent of my power."

Tetsutetsu sneered. "Why would I hold back? I'm going to crush you, just to see the look on your jackass boyfriend's face."

Izuku frowned, but decided to not to protest. He was getting what he wanted after all. Before Present Mic began the match, Izuku searched the crowd until he found Todoroki and met his eyes for a moment. He felt kind of bad for Tetsutetsu, but he wanted to show Todoroki exactly what he was in for.

"Begin!" called Present Mic.

Tetsutetsu turned himself into steel and ran at Izuku. He thought about dodging, but this wasn't just a show for Todoroki. He was here to make a statement, after all. Instead Izuku activated Full Cowl and bolstered himself. Tetsutetsu punched Izuku, throwing his entire body weight behind the blow. Izuku's head turned a few centimeters to the side. The boy's eyes widened. "What the hell? You don't have a hardening quirk!"

Izuku shook his head. "No. I'm just that strong. Sorry."

Tetsutetsu scowled. "So what? I don't care if you're strong. Your punches will feel like tickles to me!"

"You're right," acknowledged Izuku. His defense was far greater than his offense. Nothing less than a smash would phase Tetsutetsu. "That's why I'm glad my first fight is with you. I wouldn't dare to use this attack on anyone else." He slid his right foot back, holding his right palm face-up, level with his hips. His left arm was across his body, hand pressed against his right. He focused his energy into his palms, pushing it against itself and concentrating it.

This move wouldn't work in a real fight. It took a long time to get it right, the energy building until Izuku's arms shook with the effort of holding it back. However, Tetsutetsu was way too hardheaded to retreat. He kept flinging punch after ineffectual punch at Izuku, presumably in an attempt to distract him from his preparations. Once the buildup of power became unbearable, Izuku twisted his body and flung his arms forward, palms smacking into Tetsutetsu's torso. "TOKYO SMASH!"

Tetsutetsu instantly flew backwards at breakneck speeds, until he impacted the stadium wall with a painful sounding 'oomph'. Even at Izuku's strongest, the technique wasn't as powerful as a real smash, but it definitely packed a punch. He could already imagine the whispers being exchanged in the crowd. He hadn't exactly been quiet about screaming 'smash'. He didn't let himself regret it though. Maybe… maybe someone was watching him right now, someone who would decide not to turn to a life of crime, if people like Izuku were going to become heroes.

"Tetsutetsu is out of bounds! The winner of this fight is Midoriya Izuku!" Present Mic announced.

He allowed himself a moment to bask in the crowd's cheers, grinning sunnily at the cameras. Then, he made his way over towards where Tetsutetsu had impacted the wall. As he suspected, the boy appeared to be alright, although he'd definitely need to take a trip to Recovery Girl. He'd done his best to hypothesize about the limits of Tetsutetsu's defense, and make sure to keep the strength of his blow within those levels. Izuku extended a hand to his prone opponent. "No hard feelings, right?" Izuku smiled. "I couldn't hold back at all… I didn't want to disrespect you like that."

Tetsutetsu stared up at him for a moment, before clasping his arm. "Alright, Midoriya. Yeah, you'd've pissed me off more if you danced around, playing games with me. If I had to lose, at least it was in a really cool way."

Grinning, Izuku hoisted Tetsutetsu to his feet, lifting their joined arms in the air above their heads. The crowd loved it. "Such sportsmanship! Truly these young men are a shining example for all would-be-heroes in the audience!" cried Present Mic.

Izuku winked at Tetsutetsu, who rolled his eyes, but eventually smiled back. The medics came over and collected Tetsutetsu from him. "Hey Midoriya!" he called. "I misjudged you. You're alright. I still can't stand that prissy-ass boyfriend of yours, though."

"Ah! H-he's really not like that," Izuku protested shyly. He rubbed the back of his head. "Kacchan's just- he's um."

Tetsutetsu laughed. "So all I have to do to turn you from a cool badass into a stuttering wreck is insult the blonde bastard, huh? I'll remember that for next time."

Izuku ducked his head, embarrassed. Oops. He'd almost convinced someone that he was cool. Drat. Nevertheless, that was one fight down. Grimly, he looked up at the brackets, where both his name and Iida's flashed intimidatingly. He still had a long way to go to get to the top, only next time it wouldn't be a stranger he was flinging his power at, but rather one of his best friends. Izuku had sworn not to hold back… he just hoped that Iida was up to the challenge.

A/N: Yes, Izuku just totally Kamehameha'd Tetsutetsu. Sue me.