"Wow, that green haired kid's quirk is kinda strange."

"Yeah, but does he have to look that scary?"

"What kind of hero would look like that?"

"Not even Gang Orca is as evil looking as that."

These were only a few comments coming from the crowds in the stands, and unfortunately, they did not go unheard by Deku. The symbiote only looked down as Izuku walked past the stands for their break, the young man constantly feeling its sadness.

"...You want to talk about it?" He asked.

"No, you heard them. They don't want someone like me as a member of their agency," Deku responds sadly. "I'm sorry. I messed up big."

"Don't be," Izuku reassures. "We'll show them that it takes more than looks to be a hero."

Deku didn't bother to listen to its host, not with the crowd always talking bad about it. Right now, everyone was in preparation for the final event. Some people ended up dropping out of the tournament, their pride telling them that they weren't good enough yet. One of Izuku and Deku's classmates, Ojiro, whose quirk was that he had a very flexible and super strong tail, was one of these few. The final event of the festival was a regular fighting tournament, and the green duo would face the team leader of Ojiro during the cavalry battle, Shinso Hitoshi. He told them to speak to him before the tournament starts.

During their talk, Ojiro told them about Shinso's quirk being some kind of mind control/ brainwashing quirk, and should not talk to him 'less they fall under his control. After their talk, Izuku and Deku were approached by Todoroki.

"I wish to speak to you two," he said simply. "Follow me." He then walked away, Izuku following. They got to a private part of the outer arena, then they had their own talk.

"You have quite the interesting quirk. It seems like a two in one, like mine."

"R-Really?" Izuku stutters.

"Yes. One half of it seems like Tokoyami's, only instead of a living shadow, it's a living biomass."

"I am right here too," Deku comments.

"My point proven, but the other half is what I wanted to ask you two about."

"Ask us?" both host and symbiote said confused.

"That half of your quirk is similar to that of All Might's. So…"

"Oh no! Don't tell me he-" both thought until Todoroki answered.

"...are you All Might's secret love child or something?"

Both were left stunned at this question. "W-What?! N-No! What made you think that?!" Izuku asks.

"Well, you've got him in your corner backing you up, don't you?"

"N-No! I don't have anyone backing me up!"

"Hey! What about me?" Deku complains.

"Oh! Um, I mean, anyone except Deku of course."

"... Tell me, do you know what a quirk marriages are?"

"I don't think I have, no."

"It's when two people have an arranged marriage so that a child they have would have some kind of combination of the parent's quirks. My mother once called my left side unbearable, before she poured boiling water on my face."

Both Izuku and Deku were silent at that. "My old man, I'm sure you've heard of him. The number 2 hero Endeavor? Well I reject his fireside, and I'm going to win using only my mother's quirk."

Izuku remembered the flames on Todoroki's left arm during the cavalry battle. "You could have used that left side to win the second round, but you didn't. I meant what I said at the start of the festival, and I plan to win by giving it our all. So I expect you do too!"

Todoroki just started to walk away. "Prepare to be disappointed, but beating you with just my right side will be like beating All Might, so I have an even greater reason to beat you in front of my father."

The first round of the sports festival was about to begin, Shinso on the fighting platform, with the symbiote duo making their way up. How the bracket was placed, if Izuku and Deku win this round, they could go up against Todoroki, all they have to do is win.

"Hey!" Shinso calls from the other side of the stadium. "I think it was pretty stupid for your friend to just quit like that, idiotic honestly, wouldn't you say?"

This caused a spark of anger as Midnight yelled, "Begin!". Deku tried to calm him down, but it was too late, Izuku answered the question.

"Don't you talk about him like that!"

"And that's it, I've won" Shinso responds as Izuku begins to stop, brainwashed. "Now walk out of the arena."

Izuku's body began to turn around and start walking out. "D-Damn it, I can't stop myself," Izuku thought. "Deku, I need you to take over my body!"

"What?! B-But what about the audience? I already made that mistake once, and the crowd doesn't like us."

"Who cares what the crowd thinks?!" Izuku thought spoke, his feet nearing the edge. "If they can't see how great a hero you could be, then that's their fault! You are a hero. Everyone we know, even the number 1 hero All Might sees you as a potential hero, even me!"

Just as his feet would step out they moved back to just before the line, Deku coating Izuku head to toe in their usual look. They then looked back a shocked Shinso.

"How did he activate his quirk? It should've been impossible," Shinso thought. He then started to ask another question. "How'd you pull that off, huh?"

Deku did not answer as they began to walk towards him, which began to turn into a fast sprint, their fist then slamming against Shinso's face, sending him flying near the arena's edge, landing just before the line. The brainwasher then got up, eyes widened as Deku ran to him at a superhuman pace. He then tried to throw a punch in retaliation, which landed, but Deku seemed unphased as they simply shoved Shinso out of bounds.

"Shinso Hitoshi is out of bounds, Midoriya wins," Midnight announces.

"Damn it," Shinso cursed. "This was my chance. I wanted to be a hero so badly, my quirk always being treated like a villian's."

Deku looked down at Shinso shocked. Like them (somewhat), his quirk made him seem like a potential villain, but he still came onto this stage to show it off, no matter what the people think. Deku's held their hand out to Shinso, the said boy looking in confusion at it.

"You have more courage than us. At first we feared to show this form because we were scared of what the audience would think of us, but yet here you are, showing a quirk that would presume you a potential villain saying you want to be a hero like us. For that, we respect you greatly."

Shinso took the symbiote's hand as he got up, the audience cheering. What the two heard from the crowd would only make them happier.

"That Hitoshi's quirk sure is useful."

"It's perfect for interrogations."

"Yeah, and now that we got a better look at it, that other kid's quirk sure makes him strong."

"Didn't you say it was scary?"

"Well… uh…"

"But it is interestingly useful for many things a hero would do, if you look past the scary look."

Deku's eyes began to water as small tears leaked out a little. "Shinso, we will win this, not for just us, but you too."

"I'll hold you to that, but don't make promises you can't keep."

Back in the bar, Shigaraki, whose arm is still in a sling, seethed as he looked at the duo's talk to Shinso on the TV.

"You still think this is an act? I have done lots of interrogation training, and he does not appear to be lying sensei!"

"You do not know the how well a symbiote can lie, but now that you mention it, us too are beginning to have our doubts. When this festival ends, get in contact with that symbiote or bring him back here."

"Tch. Yes sensei."