The sports festival had always had the potential for injuries. Pitting a group of over a hundred students with different quirks against each other in a competition designed to test their use of those quirks was bound to have accidents occasionally. It was unavoidable, and those who attended as spectators were mostly pro heros who understood the risks and knew how to respond appropriately.

That being said, Izuku had not gone into the festival expecting to almost murder the audience members because, looking at the cracked remains of the wall Cementoss had barely managed to pull up in time, that was exactly what would have happened. How many people would have gotten hurt if the blast had gone straight into the stands? The ball itself had been completely destroyed in the impact. What would he have done if he had hit someone? He had broken the ball and bits of flying concrete had surely gone into the crowd. How many people had been hurt because of him?

No one else seemed able to understand what they had just witnessed either.

"And our first throw from team captain Midoriya Izuku...seems to have destroyed the ball. Did we have a back up for a situation like this?" Present Mic announced to the stunned crowd.

"I thought it wasn't supposed to be the full effects of their quirks?"

"You mean that kid is even more powerful?"

"How have I never heard of him?"

"He really doesn't look like much, but-"

"Even All Might-"

"Four members of Team Jirou have been eliminated for being out of bounds," Midnight called, although the audience payed her no mind. "Please be patience as we wait for a replacement ball."

Izuku forced his eyes away from the stands to the team standing opposite of him. All of their members were on the ground, either from dodging out of the way or getting bowled over the the shock wave that followed, and four of their eight team members were indeed outside the lines of one throw Izuku had knocked half of their competition out of the game without even trying, and he stared at them still unable to process what he had done.

Was this what it was going to be like when he could finally use all one hundred percent of One for All's strength without injuring himself? And with a start he realized that no, it wouldn't. Replicate's quirk couldn't create a perfect copy of the effects. When Izuku had full access to his quirk just how powerful would he actually be? He had seen the amazing things Toshinori had accomplished with his quirk. All Might was the number one hero for a reason, and on some level Izuku had known that those abilities would be his as well as soon as he could figure out how it use them.

It was one thing to know that though, and another to see those same results from his own hand.

"Deku-kun," Uraraka repeated, pulling on his sleeve to gain his attention. He could feel the eyes of his other teammates now, and oh god, how was he supposed to explain this?

"I didn't expect that," Izuku answered quickly. "I don't know what just happened."

"That much we gathered from your expression," Tokoyami said, his voice as calm as always despite the slightly startled look in his eyes. "Although this does explain something else I had been wondering about."

"It does?" Oh no, oh no. Tokoyami couldn't have figured it out, could he? And then Izuku had to stop, because what secret was he more concerned about people figuring out? Tsuyu had already made comparisons between All Might and Izuku's quirks, but surely no one would ever guess that the hero had given his power to a quirkless middle schooler, right? But there was no way they could miss the similarities between them either.

Had Izuku just revealed the truth in his mother's letter to everyone watching with enough sense to recognize that strength? He hadn't even had the chance to figure out what that secret really meant to him, to his future, to their relationship, let alone decide if he ever wanted to tell Toshinori about it. Had that chance-that choice-just been taken from him because of a stupid game of dodgeball?

Izuku took a shaking breath, trying to calm the frantic panic that had started to build in his throat.

"I had been wondering the same thing," Yaoyorozu said, and Izuku felt like he must have spaced out for a moment and missed part of the conversation because wondered about what.

"Yeah, no wonder your quirk always ends up hurting you, Deku-kun! It's a surprise broken bones are the worst injuries you've gotten. Was it worse when you were younger?" Uraraka frowned, worried as she looked him over as if expecting him to suddenly reveal a broken bone or five from that throw. And, wait what-

"Agreed," Tokoyami said. "I had often wondered why it seemed as though you had no control over your quirk, but now I know that it's just the opposite. What incredible control you must have to limit the damage as you do."

"I hadn't really thought about it that way," Izuku responded, still in a daze. "And yeah, I don't have enough physical strength to support all of that quite yet. I'm working on it."

"That much is obvious," Aoyama said, not looking at him.

Uraraka snorted. "But seriously. This explains so much."

Izuku felt like he had just missed something but continued on, rubbing at the back his neck as he gestured for the rest of his team to gather around him. "Right. Well, I don't know how long it will take them to get another ball ready, but we should probably figure out our next move while we have the chance."

"We already have half of their team out," Yaoyorozu said. "But that doesn't necessarily make this any easier. They have more room to maneuver now."

"And I don't think I should be throwing it anymore," Izuku added. "I can't limit the amount of my quirk that gets copied, and if I throw it again we'll just want to go through this all over again."

"We'll probably still get to throw first again since you placed higher, Midoriya-kun. You should pick someone to throw in your place."

"Uraraka, do you mind doing it?" Izuku asked, turning to his friend.

"No problem, Deku-kun! You can count on me!"

"Besides that, I think the rest of our plan should stay the same. They might act a little more recklessly since there are only four of them left, so we should still be careful of trying to catch the ball. We have the lead right now, but they could change quickly if we don't pay attention."

"And our replacement has arrived!" Midnight's voice said through the loudspeaker. "Will our teams take their places once again!" And then covering the mic with her hand she called, "Midoriya-kun?" He knew what she was asking.

"Understood, Midnight-san." He couldn't risk that kind of response again. Not when it meant that people might be hurt. Half of their opponent's team had been eliminated already. He would just have to trust that his team could handle things without his help. If need be, he could always block a shot since he couldn't throw anyway.

They spread out across their side of the field once again, this time with Uraraka in the center. Izuku looked over at the remaining members of Team Jirou as Midnight passed Uraraka the ball. Jirou, Shoji, and Koda had all managed to stay in bounds as well as a guy with short blond hair and a sour expression that Izuku recognized from 1-B. Koda's quirk probably wouldn't affect the ball in any way, and Shoji's shouldn't either. Jirou's quirk would still be dangerous though, and Izuku was fairly certain the the blond's quirk had something to do with copying, although he didn't know the specifics.

The game wasn't over yet.

"Start!"

Izuku had been right about Uraraka. The ball rocketed across the open field when she threw it just like it had during their first class with Aizawa, slamming into the blond haired kid's chest, and just like that Team Jirou was down to three as the ball fell to the ground.

"Monoma! Out!" Midnight said as the student in question glared at them and moved to stand with his other eliminated teammates.

"And what a turn of events this has been!" Present Mic called. "Midoriya is one of your students, Aizawa. Did you know that he was capable of something like that?"

"He has injured himself in the past as a result of his quirk," Aizawa answered. "It would make sense that that kind of pressure would be the cause of it."

"So you're saying you didn't know either?" Present Mic laughed, as Jirou prepared to throw with a yell.

The ball, acting like an amplifier, screeched as it left her hand, members of both teams flinching at the sound. Yaoyorozu pulled Shiozaki out of the way as the ball struck the ground and continued wailing.

"It won't stop until someone else touches it!" Izuku tried to yell over the noise. "Tokoyami, can you grab it?"

Tokoyami moved quickly, the sound cutting off the moment the ball touched his hand, looking between it and Team Jirou. "I wonder..." The ball's surface wavered for a moment before the color shifted and the face of Dark Shadow was visible. The ball flew across the space between the two teams without Tokoyami having to throw it, Dark Shadow controlling its direction. It bounced around the two remaining team members, and for a moment Izuku thought that they might win the game then.

"Koda!"

Their taller classmate jumped, grabbing at the ball. Dark Shadow jerked out of the way, right into Jirou's waiting hands.

"Tokoyami! Out!"

Koda passed the ball back to Jirou, who threw it screaming at them once again.

Izuku stood in the middle of the group wishing that there was something he could do to help when Koda finally threw the ball. It didn't change because of the nature of his quirk, making it easy for Uraraka to snatch it out of the air.

"Koda! Out!"

Only Jirou remained on her team against six of Team Midoriya. Uraraka threw, the ball shooting towards Jirou, who stepped neatly out of the way. But Uraraka had spent years learning just how to make the objects she nullified move the way she wanted them to. The ball curved.

"Jirou, Out!"

"And the winner is Team Midoriya!"

Toshinori debated going to find his young student while Cementoss worked to clean up the mess Izuku had caused before the next game, but decided against it. They would need to have a long conversation about what had happened eventually, but now wasn't the time.

Leaning back in his seat, Toshinori tuned out the sound of the pro heroes around him. He had known that Izuku would be stronger than him, of course. That was how One for All worked. He thought he had made that clear to Izuku as well, but by the stunned look on his face maybe he hadn't. How much had he really told Izuku about the power that had been passed down to him?

For all that Toshinori had talked about improving as a teacher and being there for Izuku when he needed him, he still hadn't told him everything he needed to know. Hadn't yet warned him about the danger that always lurked in the shadows, stalking the wielders of that special quirk through the decades. Telling himself that he was doing it to protect him wouldn't keep the danger away. Hadn't kept the danger away. This performance, this demonstration of his true potential, would only draw them nearer.

Toshinori hadn't been able to protect Midoriya Inko, and he would forever feel the guilt of not taking the time to meet her, to explain the risks he was getting her son involved in.

Izuku didn't seem to blame Toshinori for what happened to his mother, but Toshinori knew the truth. He was one who had put Izuku in the spotlight unprepared, had forced Izuku to keep secrets and lie to the only family he had. So maybe Shigaraki wasn't All for One, but Toshinori still knew the consequences of crossing villains like that, and he had done nothing to protect the Midoriya's from the inevitable fallout. The least he could do was make sure that Izuku didn't meet the same fate. No matter how painful the coming conversation would be for him they would have to talk when the sports festival ended.

His phone rang, startling him, and Toshinori fumbled for it as Tsukauchi's name flashed across the screen.

"Toshinori," his friend said the moment Toshinori picked up. "I know you're at the festival, but I thought you rather hear it sooner rather than later."

"Is everything okay?" Toshinori asked.

"The man who was training Midoriya-kun? We found him."

If Izuku's team was remembered for the destruction his first throw caused, then Team Todoroki would be remembered for their complete lack of ability to work together despite the fact that they won.

When the teams spread out across the space they had been given, Bakugou and Todoroki in the front of their group, Izuku had wondered how the two had gotten along. Bakugou didn't like to take orders, and he didn't like to have to rely on other people. With Todoroki in charge he would have to do both if they were going to work as a team. And as for Todoroki...Izuku had only lived with him for a week, but a week was long enough to know that Todoroki didn't know how to communicate. At all. Putting the two of them on the same team after they had just fought each other in the first event was a recipe for disaster.

Todoroki, having placed second, had the starting throw, and it was clear even from the stands that Bakugou didn't like that choice at all, smoke drifting from his hands. He barked something at Todoroki that Izuku couldn't hear, his face twisting when the other boy ignored him.

And then, from the moment the ball left Todoroki's hand it was chaos.

The ball, fire and ice split evenly down the middle, hurtled across the open space, colliding with the ground next to a class B student. He shrieked as the fire licked at his clothes, jumping back and immediately out of bounds.

"Oh, come on!" Bakugou yelled, loud enough this time for Izuku to hear him.

Ojirou scooped up the ball and the game continued, Bakugou stepping smoothly out of the way of a pass, the ball smacking into the face of the unsuspecting teammate behind him.

Bakugou and Todoroki moved as if they were playing eight against one, intercepting every throw before their teammates had a chance to respond, their teammates getting picked off as they moved without considering their positions. Izuku almost didn't want to watch.

"As our second game continues Todoroki and Bakugou continue to dominate their competition, although they seem a little more preoccupied with each other," Present Mic announced. "A throw from Bakugou-Quirk:Explosion- rocks a few members from 1-B as they stand too near to their territory's boundary! Team Midoriya's win was quick, but this might be just as decisive."

"And yet they have utterly failed to understand the point of this exercise," Aizawa's voice droned in response. "If the goal was to have them fight an uneven battle, they wouldn't have been put on a team."

"Very true, very true. Unfortunately, this event is only judged based on whether a team succeeds at eliminating all of the opposing team's members! No points are given or taken away for lack of teamwork. Team Todoroki's method, while not ideal, is allowed."

The teams were tied 2-2 now, Iida having been knocked out of bounds by his own teammate, and Izuku wished that Ojirou and Tsuyu would be able to take advantage of the fact that Bakugou and Todoroki refused to cooperate with each other, but he knew they wouldn't last much longer. Neither of their quirks affected the ball, and with both Todoroki and Bakugou aiming for the ground the field around them was uneven and covered in broken rubble. One more explosion had them on the ground, the ball bouncing back towards Todoroki's feet.

It was only a matter of minutes before the match was decided, and Izuku couldn't help be disappointed for his friends. Iida stood on the sidelines saying something, his expressive hand gestures doing most of the talking for him. He was right to be mad, Izuku thought, but neither of his teammates were paying him any attention.

"And there we have it! The two teams that will be moving on to our one-on-one tournament will be Teams Midoriya and Todoroki! We will be taking an hour break to clear away the damage from that shocking first game.. But before we go, let's take a look at who we will be seeing matched up in the first round!"

"Once again, these names have been randomized. Please take advantage of this break to prepare yourself," Midnight said, the pairings popping up on the display behind her once again.

Round One:

Midoriya Izuku-Hanta Sero

Shinsou Hitoshi-Aoyama Yuga

Iida Tenya-Hatsume Mei

Todoroki Shouto-Ashido Mina

Bakugou Katsuki-Shiozaki Ibara

Uraraka Ochako-Kaminari Denki

Tokoyami Fumikage-Yaoyorozu Momo

Kirishima Eijirou-Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu

"You are dismissed for one hour!"

So Izuku would be fighting Hanta in the first round. That matchup wasn't as bad as it could have been, he thought. They both had long range quirks, and Izuku had the advantage of his training with Takahashi to fall back on this event. At least he wasn't paired with Todoroki or Bakugou in the first round, although looking at the matchups...If he and Todoroki won their first two rounds they would meet in the semifinals.

No. He couldn't think about that yet. He needed to take things one round at a time. Hanta's quirk could be dangerous, and he couldn't let himself get distracted. He had to-

"Midoriya."

Jarred from his thoughts, Izuku turned to see Todoroki standing beside him, his expression closed. "Todoroki?" Izuku had been trying to talk to him all week, and now this was twice in one day his roommate had approached him. "Did you need something?"

"Do you have a moment?" Todoroki asked. "I need to speak with you. Privately."

"I don't really think that's a good idea," Izuku answered, heading back towards the tunnel where he could see Uraraka and Iida waiting.

"It's about you," Todoroki said. "And All Might."

AN: So we'll be starting the next chapter with the long awaited conversation! And you might have noticed that I messed with the one-on one match ups a little bit. I've been waiting to get to the third event since I started the sports festival, because some the changes I'm planning have long reaching effects on the next canon and original arcs. Also, you didn't think Toshinori was going to just let the person who beat up his student go did you?

Thanks to everyone who commented! I love seeing what you think!