I know it seems ostentatious of me, but I'm FLOORED:
1000 followers?!
1000?!
Thanks so much for the INSANE support over the last couple of months. It's honestly so awesome and I really appreciate it, especially since I've been a bad Author-kun recently.
In announcement news: I'm gonna celebrate this milestone with a special chapter! I don't have it completely figured out yet, but I'm planning on a comedic, 4th wall-breaking talk show bit that'll take place in some sort of hallucination of Izuku's or someone else's. It'll also be a part of a larger fluff chapter, kinda like what Chapter 7 was, but with the comedic shenanigans of Chapter 9.
Obviously, hilarity will ensue.
Submit questions about anything and everything that you want answered in a review or PM and it'll be featured in the chapter!
Now onto the...regular Q&A...(couldn't answer everyone since there were SO many reviews/PMs).
Q&A
- (FlamingSkyDragon) If you missed it in Chapter 12, the DBZA reference was about Izuku needing juice, which parallels a conversation Piccolo and Gohan had in the abridged version of 'Super Android 13'. And the last chapter had the 'No Uraraka-dono' bit from the DBZA Kai 2 special.
- (sc2br) Not sure what moves the Sharingan should have been able to read, but every time I mention that Izuku couldn't read a move, it's because the evidence in 'Naruto' points to that being the case. So Izuku's not nerfed. He's just not as powerful as you want him to be and that honestly might just be because the immature Sharingan doesn't have much direct exposition in the way of explaining its abilities like the mature or the Mangekyō.
- (Giltlawyer9000) I'm not sure if One For All can empower Quirks in the same vein that the Sharingan can empower One For All. But I'll think about if I'd want to go down that path...jk I've decided, and you'll just have to wait to see because how else would I attract interest in this story?
- (Eminated) First off, rude. Second off, Kaminari can freely move the electricity in and around his body. He just can't control it when it's released. So yes, he could theoretically pull something like Full Cowl if he tried. Honestly, I just wanted to give him A's Lightning Release: Chakra Armor and this was an easy way to do it.
- (moonstar31548, kombatant88) Nobody plays fair in gambling so she's not going to give the money back or spit it or anything. But she will put it towards a 'good' cause (hint hint FORESHADOWING hint hint).
- (Oh look a Guest) The Eri fluff was definitely piled on, in retrospect, but I think it's gotten better since then. I hope so, at least. In the future, things won't be so...fluffy. Plus, she has a purpose (hint hint FORESHADOWING hint hint).
Chapter 14: Identity Politics
"OOH! THAT'S GOTTA HURT!" Present Mic winced as Kirishima dropped a wicked punch on Uraraka, completely skirting around the smaller student's block.
Uraraka stumbled back before falling onto her rear, then rolling back onto her knees while she regained her bearings, rubbing her likely-bruised jaw.
Man! She's got an iron chin for sure! "So manly! I'm so pumped up!" Kirishima punched his fists together and charged his stunned foe.
The brunette shook her head clear and rolled at the last second, avoid the redhead's downward punch. She then jumped behind him, wrapped her arms around his gut, and performed a suplex, driving his head straight into the cement.
Unfortunately for her, Kirishima was more than capable of shrugging that off, "Woah. Good move, Uraraka!" Effortlessly, he used his hardened hands to pry her arms from his torso and jabbed his elbows into her sides, eliciting a sharp gasp and the thud of her dropping below him.
However, Kirishima suddenly realized he couldn't feel...anything. It was as if his body's weight had suddenly vanished and now he was simply floating in mid..."Oh..."
Uraraka scrambled away from under her floating opponent and spat out a bit of blood from that last jab to her ribs. Nonetheless, she smiled with pride. Kirishima's a close-range fighter for sure. All I had to do was pull off one of the grapple moves Ojiro taught me and use my Quirk while he was down. Without gravity, he's basically just a floating rock.
Kirishima hissed as he tried to grab onto the ground and pull himself down, but only managed to kick his body further into the air.
"AND KIRISHIMA'S COMPLETELY DE-GRAVITIZED! LOOK AT HIM FLAILING AROUND! ERASER, YOU SEEING THIS? IT'S HILARIOUS!"
"Mic, who let you become a teacher?"
"UNIVERSITY OF PHEONIX! ONLINE DEGREES ARE THE FUTURE, YEAHHHHH!"
Wiping the last bit of blood from her mouth, Uraraka held her fingertips against each other, "Kirishima, you can't maneuver around like that, can you?"
He grunted in response, his face as red as his hair while he struggled with all his might to propel himself, to no avail. "Can't give up! Not...manly!"
Midnight giggled sadistically, "Oh, it's not up to you. Kirishima's unable to move!"
"URARAKA WINS! WITH THAT, WE HAVE ALL OF THE A BLOCK MATCH-UPS DECIDED FOR THE NEXT ROUND!"
The jumbotron flashed an image of Uraraka's student profile before cutting to the tournament bracket, graying out all of the Block A losers while drawing lines connecting the next match-ups.
Block A
Izuku Midoriya vs. Yosetsu Awase
Katsuki Bakugo vs. Ochako Uraraka
"WITH THAT, WE'LL START WITH BLOCK B! COULD WE HAVE THE NEXT SET OF CONTESTANTS GET TO THE ARENA?"
Uraraka pressed her fingertips together, "Release!" A subtle pink glow flashed, and the floating redhead suddenly fell down.
"Oww." Kirishima groaned as he rubbed his face.
"S-sorry!" Uraraka rushed over and knelt by her friend, "I should've warned you! My bad."
He shrugged it off with a toothy grin, "It's alright. I probably deserve it after getting beaten like that. I didn't even notice you used your Quirk during the grapple. Nice work!"
"Thanks, but are you sure you're okay? I know how badly you wanted to fight Bakugo."
He waved her comment away, "Nah, it's fine. Like, sure, I'm a little disappointed, but this just shows me I have a long way to go before I can stand up against Bakugo and the others. I'm getting pumped just thinking about all the training I'm gonna do!" He banged his hardened fists together and smiled.
The two enjoyed their moment, until it was completely and utterly shattered by a squealing R-Rated Hero, "OOOOH! I just loooove your enthusiasm! It's making me soooo we-"
"Aaaand, it's time to get outta here. See you back upstairs, Uraraka."
The two exited their respective tunnels. As she walked past the waiting area, Uraraka coughed and immediately hissed at the pain in her ribs, gingerly holding her sides.
"You should see Recovery Girl. That elbow jab looked painful." Turning with a start, Uraraka met Yaoyorozu's gaze.
"Jeez, ya scared me." She sighed as her heart stopped racing after that last jolt.
Yaoyorozu giggled and stood up, "Sorry to startle you. Congratulations, by the way! That strategy was really smart."
"Heh, it was nothing. Just something I came up with on the fly. Not sure how much good it's gonna do against Bakugo though," the brunette pondered morosely.
The Deputy Representative patted the shorter girl on the back, "Don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll do amazing! Besides, I'm sure Midoriya would be happy to lend you his notes if you wanted an outside perspective."
Uraraka shook her head, "I know, but I think I need to do this on my own."
"Hmm? But what's wrong with accepting a little help from a friend? Even as heroes, we can collaborate with one another. Besides, classmates should help each other, shouldn't they?"
Uraraka shrugged, "I know, but...it's like after USJ, I just have this emptiness, you know? Like I saw how helpful everyone was...Iida...you...Todoroki...Deku...I need to figure out if I can stand with them instead of relying on them, if that makes sense."
Yaoyorozu's onyx eyes widened and she smiled softly, "Yes, that makes perfect sense. I'll be sure to live up to your example, Uraraka!"
"There's nothing left to show!" Hatsume announced as she exited the ring.
Midnight's whip cracked, "Hatsume is out of the ring. Yaoyorozu moves on to the second round!"
Yaoyorozu sighed with exhaustion as she collapsed onto her knees. So much for my promise to Uraraka.
For the entirely of their match, Hatsume used a series of auto-turrets and sticky bombs to keep Yaoyorozu at bay while she made a ten-minute pitch to the Hero Support company representatives in the audience.
Then, every time Yaoyorozu managed to destroy the turrets with a grenade or EMP device behind her protective shield, the pink-haired female just skirted away with her support gear and set up another set of obstacles.
Truth be told, it was fairly impressive how obnoxious one person could be.
"LET'S...TRY TO FORGET THAT AND GET SOME ACTION FROM THE NEXT COMPETITORS! STRAIGHT OUT OF EDGAR ALLEN POE'S WET DREAMS, IT'S CLASS A'S FUMIKAGE TOKOYAMIIII!"
"Hizashi, what the fuck?"
"I'M AN ENGLISH TEACHER, ERASERHEAD! POETRY JOKES ARE MY FORTE!"
"That wasn't the problem and I think you know that."
Tokoyami groaned while pressing his hand to his forehead, cheeks tinged pink from his introduction, "It's bad enough I'm in the sunlight, but now Mic-sensei is making derogatory comments at me. There's no revelry to be had here."
"NEXT UP IS THE GUY WHO LOOKS LIKE HOW EDGAR ALLEN POE FEELS! HITOSHI SHINSOU FROM CLASS NOT-A!"
"Mic, you're offensive on so many levels, I think we might actually be arrested."
"LET THEM COME!"
Shinso cracked his neck and placed his hands in his pockets, flashing Tokoyami a cocky grin with just a hint of ill-intent, "Before we start, I think I should apologize."
Fumikage raised an eyebrow and opened his beak to speak, only to clamp a hand over it, recalling Ojiro's warning during the break. Don't speak to him! I need to maintain my composure and keep quiet. Luckily, it's so sunny that I don't need to worry about exciting Dark Shadow.
The purple-haired teen's eyes widened slightly at the lack of response, but continued with his trademark smirk, "Yeah, I feel just awful about that monkey dropping out. He was your classmate, right?"
Tokoyami's gaze narrowed at the insult directed at his friend, but he kept his cool, staying silent even after Present Mic announced the start of the match.
The General Studies student's eye twitched in annoyance, "So the monkey told you the secret to my Quirk, did he? Or did you figure it out yourself? That's impressive regardless! I thought birds had really small brains, but you must have a good-sized pea on your shoulders!"
Tokoyami clenched his fists in anger. Just stay quiet. Dark Shadow, knock him out! Silently summoning his shadowy companion, he guided the apparition towards Shinso, the latter's confident expression betrayed by his instinctive step backwards.
"I'm not much for hurting small animals, but I'll make an exception for a freak like you."
...Technically, I'm not responding to him if I don't speak to him. "Dark Shadow, make it hurt!"
The sentient Quirk's speed doubled as he charged Shinso, "You got it, boss!"
Shinso gulped and quickly went over his options. Let's see: insulted classmate...check. Insulted him...check. Called him a freak...check. Dammit! Think, Hitoshi! What might send him over the edge? There's gotta be something! Come on, what else does he like?!...wait a second...
The taller boy regained his smirk and confidently remarked, "Black is an ugly color!"
"Now you listen to-" Shit!
Ojiro grabbed his head in frustration, "Dammit! I specifically told him not to let him get in his head!"
Uraraka just chuckled sheepishly, "To think that'd be his breaking point."
"Either way, it's still less embarrassing than Yaomomo's battle," Sero commented, earning a quick elbow from Jiro.
"Apologize!" She pointed at the dejected heiress.
"I'm sorry!"
Meanwhile, Izuku was scribbling like he'd never scribbled before, "Tokoyami's Weaknesses, Updated: Likes black too much."
Shinso grinned as he felt the familiar tug of a successful mind control attempt. Instantly, Dark Shadow ceased moving forward while his owner tensed up with glazed eyes.
"LOOKS LIKE TOKOYAMI'S COMPLETELY ZONED OUT! WHAT HAPPENED?!"
"Shinso's Quirk is literally on the roll call sheet in front of you. At least try to be a good announcer."
"HEY, YOU TRY TRANSITIONING FROM A PODCAST TO HOSTING THE MOST POPULAR EVENT IN THE EASTERN HEMISPHERE LIVE ON THE AIR!"
Relaxing himself after the slight panic from before, Shinso commanded, "Now be a good birdie and fly out of the ring."
Tokoyami quickly turned around and walked toward the edge...
Except he wasn't moving forward!
He was being anchored in place by...
"Fumi? Why're you so quiet?"
Shinso's (and most everyone else's) eyes bulged out of his skull, "You've got to be kidding me!"
Dark Shadow turned to his master and cocked his head, "Fumi...are you dead?"
The purple-haired teen face-palmed. So the shadow's actually got a separate consciousness? Great, how do I get him to talk? "Yo, Smokey."
"Fumi."
"Hey, chicken!"
"Fumi. Fumi. Fumi."
Shinso sweatdropped. I'm being ignored...and I've run out of insults...
Dark Shadow approached his partner and started poking him in the face, "Fumi. Fumi. Fumi. Fumikage. Fumikage! Tokoyami. Lord of Darkness. Shadow King. He Who Shall Not Be Named Unless He So Chooses To Be Named Because Identity Is A Thing And It's Beautiful...I'm running out of nicknames for you."
There was no response as Tokoyami simply made another attempt to walk out of the ring, despite his avatar once again restricting his movement.
"Why're you trying to walk out of the ring? Did that guy hurt your feelings or something?...Is it his Quirk? If I beat him, will you talk to me again? Fumi? Eh, worth a shot."
Shinso's eyes widened, "Wait wha- oof!"
In a flash, Dark Shadow rocketed forward and headbutted Shinso out of the ring and right onto his back.
"...I SUPPOSE DARK SHADOW - AND BY PROXY, TOKOYAMI - WINS THE MATCH!" Present Mic scratched his cheek, unsure of how to process the last couple minutes.
On the ground, Shinso grit his teeth and clawed his fingers into the grass, "You Hero Course jerks! Think you're so much better than us just because you were born with Quirks suited for this type of work. You don't know what it's like to be judged as something you're not, just because your Quirk makes people uncomfortable! To be told you're suited for something you have no interest in becoming!"
"Um...Mr...I don't know your name," Dark Shadow meekly called, "I don't know if you saw, but Fumi's head's shaped like a bird."
"...I...uh...I noticed." Shinso replied, nonplussed.
"Oh cool! Um...anyways, he got made fun of a lot for that. And because of me, he doesn't have any privacy or anything like that. And he can't let it get too dark otherwise I take over his body become an unstoppable force of destruction and violence."
"Wait, what?"
"I'm just trying to say that every Quirk comes with its own challenges."
"Wait, what do you turn into when it gets dark?"
"But Fumikage never let it keep him down because he wants to be a hero, regardless of what other people say or the trouble I give him. So you should be like Fumi."
I'm taking life advice from a floating shadow monster...Honestly, not the worst person to turn to considering the Hero Course's English teacher. "...Thanks...Toko - er - Dark Shadow. Or...both?"
Tokoyami blinked as he felt his bearings return to him, "Wha...what happened?"
"Fumi! You're not dead anymore!" Dark Shadow cheered.
"...you know we're linked, right? If I die, you die."
Dark Shadow gasped and retreated into the comfort of his partner's abdomen, "S-s-scary!"
Tokoyami groaned, "You're such a coward when it's bright outside...but good work."
Izuku wiped his brow and smiled at his newly completed entry for Tokoyami, "Phew! Finally finished adding those last few notes."
"F-few?" Kirishima sweatdropped.
Uraraka whispered, "I think Deku's got his own definitions for certain words."
"Ya think?!" Kaminari whistled while reading through the recently completed 'Hero Analysis for the Future: No. 13'. "Like, where do you even keep these notebooks?"
Half of the class leaned in, the question they all had since they met Midoriya finally put forward.
"O-oh! Well, I actually-"
"And why's this one so burnt?"
"DAMMIT, KAMINARI!" Class 1A screeched.
"Oh, w-well...um...Kacchan sorta...blew it up." Izuku scratched his head.
"I DID NOT!" Bakugo roared from the front seat.
Jiro shrugged, "Sounds like something you'd do."
"Yeah, it's completely in character for you." Shoji remarked.
"Even Todoroki would agree, and he doesn't talk to anyone." Asui added, "And speaking of..."
"LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR THE FAN FAVORITE! UNLIKE HIS DAD, HE'S ACTUALLY NUMBER 1 AT SOMETHING! IT'S CLASS A'S TOP HUSBANDO, SHOTO TODOROKI!"
"Eat a dick, Mic!" Endeavor roared from the stands.
"HOW BOUT YOURS? OH WAIT, DID ALL MIGHT TAKE THAT FROM YOU, TOO?!"
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
"OH I WISH YOU W-" The mic suddenly cut out.
The audience fell into a stunned silence, broken only by the slightest chuckle from the participant on the stage.
"Ahem." The sound of Aizawa clearing his throat replaced the sudden quiet, "Sorry about that, but I've been told that Present Mic's been fired from his job as announcer. So here to replace him is UA's principle-"
"What am I? Am I a mouse? Dog? A bear? But my true identity is-"
Eraserhead interrupted, "Yes, very funny, Principal Nezu, but let's just get back to the fight at hand."
"But what am I? I have severe dysphoria!"
In a wonderfully bland monotone, Aizawa called the next competitor, "Todoroki's fighting Mina Ashido. Start."
The pinkette chuckled sheepishly, "Man, I almost miss Present Mic-sensei. What about you, Todo-"
"Sorry about this." Todoroki tapped the ground with his right foot, unleashing a sizeable, yet quick, stream of ice that rapidly wrapped itself around Mina's stunned body.
"C-c-c-cold!" She chattered.
Midnight shivered and turned to the trapped Ashido, "C-can you move?"
"Um...let me think."
Todoroki just shook his head, "You know you can't. Just finish this up, Ashido."
She grinned mischievously, "But do I know? You're not giving me much credit, Todo!"
"Todo?"
The ice around Mina's arms and feet began to sizzle. After a few seconds, she shattered her prison and began running towards her opponent.
Todoroki's eyebrows raised slightly, but he just sent another, slightly larger wave of ice at her.
However, Ashido easily sidestepped this attack and countered with a spray of her own acid.
Ducking under the veil, Todoroki hissed when a drop of acid caught his clothes, dissolving the fabric. She got me.
In a flash of instinct, Todoroki waved his right hand in an arc, creating a huge pillar of ice that slammed right into the unsuspecting Ashido and sent her careening out of bounds.
"Hmm." Eraserhead grunted, "Todoroki wins."
"Eraserhead, that's not very good commentary. Try to say actual words instead of grunts." Nezu politely stated.
"I'm not good at this stuff. Sorry."
"You certainly don't sound sorry! No matter! My teaching philosophies tell me that the best and most educational commentary is practically identical to the constructive criticism a teacher would offer a student!"
"Huh...well...I'd say both are pretty similar in terms of their strengths and weaknesses. Both are really good with their own Quirks and they both have major personality flaws that hold them back.
"Ashido's quick and skilled with her acid and her physicality is unmatched among the first-years. But she's not very creative with application and her laid-back attitude rarely drives her to come up with reasonable strategy.
"Then Todoroki's Quirk is one of the stronger ones I've seen. Plus, his own physical abilities are probably the strongest among the boys in his class. But he's so used to dominating his foes that if he ever fought someone who could match his power or avoid it entirely, he'd probably lose focus for a second."
"See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" Nezu's cheery voice offered a welcome respite to the soul-crushing dreariness of Aizawa's.
"...No."
a
"Aww, I'm really proud of you, Shota! You get an A!"
"...I'm not a student."
"Haha! Good one!"
After another quick match where Iida delivered the mother-of-all kicks to Aoyama's face within the first three seconds, the Quarterfinals were announced.
Block A
Izuku Midoriya vs. Yosetsu Awase
Katsuki Bakugo vs. Ochako Uraraka
Block B
Momo Yaoyorozu vs. Fumikage Tokoyami
Shoto Todoroki vs. Tenya Iida
Aizawa coughed into the mic, which made for an interesting sound, before calling the first match, "Midoriya and Awase, get onto the stage."
Izuku breathed deeply as he stepped onto the stage opposite Awase. His Quirk let's him fuse things that he touches. He's also really confident, but he's also really wound up...kinda like Kacchan...
For a moment, he chuckled at the thought of the next round and the potential swear-off between Bakugo and Awase before slapping his cheeks and shaking the thought out. No! I'm gonna fight in the next round! I've already won two matches. What's one more?
"Start." Aizawa announced.
Awase cracked his knuckles and put his hands up, "Ready when you are, Midoriya."
C-cool! Izuku nodded and charged One For All throughout his body. Full Cowl! Also..."Sharingan!"
Immediately, Izuku went to work analyzing Yosetsu's form. He's got his palms open, probably so he can fuse anything on the fly. His footwork's unsteady, but it's set up for quick movement. He knows that the stuff he pulled against Sero and Tsuburaba won't work against a close-range fighter like me so he's going for a quick evade, probably with a counter that'll limit my movement. So I'll just hit him before he can react!
Izuku dashed forward in a stream of emerald lightning. He cocked his fist back and sent it flying at Awase right as he got within reach.
With a satisfying smack, Awase's head snapped back from the blow. However, a small movement caught Izuku's eye, to which he reacted too late.
Dammit! Izuku hissed as Awase's fingertips brushed against the former's shirt and instantly fused, pulling the greenette along as the latter fell down.
"Oww! Jesus, that freaking hurt!" Awase groaned, before smiling as he grabbed a fistful of Midoriya's shirt and fused the rest of his hand to it, "But I've got you now!"
Midoriya pulled himself up, with great effort since Awase was still too stunned to stand on his own and seized the hand gripping his gym shirt. It's really fused at the molecular level! I can't pull it off!
"Gotcha." Awase grinned as his hand glowed and suddenly pulled away from Izuku's shirt, scrambling away to recuperate from the earlier punch.
Without thinking, Izuku went for a punch, only to feel an odd...sensation in his hand. Like it suddenly weighed twice as much...and was attached to the other arm...and his torso...
Oh no...
Looking down, Izuku nearly vomited at the grotesque body horror that was his hands. The fingers overlapped and twisted around each other like an even-more horrific worm ball. Simultaneously, his own fingertips were now stuck onto his shirt, effectively trapping his arms.
When I grabbed his hand, he simultaneously unfused himself while fusing my fingers together and then fusing them to my shirt. All in an instant. He's right to be so confident; his technique and speed are amazing!
Izuku pulled up and with a loud rip - plus a surprising amount of effort - managed to tear the chunk of fabric fused to his skin out of his shirt, creating a large tear down the middle.
Midnight squealed, "Yes! This is what I've been waiting for! Shirtless teen boys are literally, my top searched-"
"And, that's where I censor you." Aizawa said as he drowned out the dominatrix's - ahem - passionate words.
Awase took one look at his opponent's exposed torso and whistled, "Respect."
"U-um...thanks." Izuku blushed before dashing forward. Okay, keep the Sharingan on his hands and other exposed areas. Avoid those and I'll be fine! Like his torso, that's where I should-
Awase unzipped his shirt and removed it, exposing his own torso.
"YESSSS!" Midnight roared.
Izuku's outstretched hands connected with Awase's chest, but he immediately rolled into the attack, fusing the fabric-finger mish-mash with his pectoral, then seizing Midoriya's elbows and pulling him closer.
Not again! Izuku groaned as he was pulled down for the second time, except now Awase rotated at the last second so that he landed on top of Midoriya and pinned him down and if you seriously don't think Midnight was panting heavily at this point, I don't know what to tell you.
Awase pressed Izuku's arms to the ground and instantly fused them, once again trapping his opponent.
Izuku struggled to lift his arms off the ground, but to no avail. Dammit! He only needs to touch me, and it completely changes the fight! How can I get out of this? Think, dammit! His eyes began to sting, whether from tears of frustration, dust, or something else and he ran through his options.
Awase stood up and dusted himself off, "He can't move, right?"
Midnight licked her lips at the pinned boy, before cracking her flail, "Izuku M-"
"No!" Izuku yelled as he flipped up and onto his feet, "I can still fight." The angle's awkward as hell, but...
With 5% coursing through his legs, he stomped the cement until it cracked before lifting up as hard as he could. "Gah!"
The ground beneath his feet cracked and he felt his back straighten as his arm, with a sizeable chunk of cement, came free. Jesus, this is heavy!
Awase's eyes bulged, "Holy shit, dude. What the actual fuck?! That's freaking crazy!"
So much for being cool. Izuku steeled himself and controlled his breathing despite the insane weight on his arms. Let's try something else.
He threw his hands up and suddenly pulled them down. With the added weight of the cement block, this sent him flying forward in a flip. "Take this, Manchester Smash!"
Izuku brought his leg down in an axe kick over Awase's head, crumpling his foe. He flipped back up and prepared to attack again but was relieved to see that Awase was unconscious.
"Izuku Midoriya is the winner!" Midnight announced over the audience's cheers, before licking her lips maliciously, "But I'm the real winner today." She looked down at her phone, where she perfectly captured the moment Awase pinned Midoriya down.
"Oh...I'm gonna have some fun when this is done."
After getting some help to Recovery Girl's office by the drones, it was just a matter of the unconscious Awase getting injected with a Quirk disruptor to undo the fusing on Izuku's hands.
"You're lucky I brought some along, otherwise you'd be in here until the poor boy woke up." Recovery Girl chastised, exasperated at the repeated visits.
"R-right, sorry ma'am." Izuku rubbed his head in embarrassment.
She sighed and sat down, "It's not really your fault I suppose, but these disruptors are expensive! Only way I could make them was through Shota's Quirk Factor and now that he's injured, it'll be a while before I can get anymore."
The loudspeakers flared to life, "Ahem."
"Speak of the devil..."
"Uraraka and Bakugo, walk onto the stage. Start whenever you feel like it."
Izuku's eyes widened, "Gah! I forgot her fight's next! I'm gonna go watch. Thank you, again!"
Recovery Girl waved him off but gave a small smile once he left. He didn't injure himself this time. I hope he's learning!
There was a loud explosion from the field.
Though the odds of coming through unscathed next round are...bad, to say the least.
Bakugo held his breath as the smoke cleared from his opening explosion. Uraraka had made a mad dash right for him, only to be stopped by a quick blast.
Now he was just waiting for the first sign of life.
There! Bakugo zeroed in on a flash of blue in front of him and slammed it down.
"What the hell?" It was just the UA gym jacket. That means...
Uraraka appeared from behind Bakugo and extended her arms, fingertips outstretched for her Quirk. He fell for it!
Unfortunately for her, the hot-tempered teen was also the quicker of the two and he launched a flowing explosion that sent her skidding back, sore and short of breath. Come on! So clo-
"Too slow!"
There wasn't even time to think as he ran forward to deliver another powerful blast, knocking Uraraka back several meters. She rolled along the ground painfully and coughed, but stood up just as fast as he attacked, grit emanating from her steely gaze.
Acutely, she was aware of some commotion in the crowd and the loud speakers. It sounded like there was booing and Aizawa-sensei was yelling, but she couldn't be sure.
The only thing she could hear for sure was the ring from the explosion, the sound of her own heartbeat, and Deku's battle cry.
"I'm the 'Deku' that never gives up!"
She charged forward and roared, only to take another blast to the face. Gritting her teeth and growling through the burning pain, she ran through the smoke, catching the boy off guard.
Her fingers just grazed his body before he sent her flying once more. She coughed before going once more, "I'm not done yet!"
Again and again, Uraraka charged Bakugo. Again and again he countered.
However, he didn't move much.
Lucky me.
"Thanks, Bakugo."
The blonde raised a brow, "Huh? What're you on about, Round Face?"
She hardened her look and pressed her fingers together, "You'll see soon enough."
From above Bakugo, all of the rocks and debris Uraraka collected while Bakugo was blasting away at her rocketed downwards like hundreds of little meteorites.
"What the actual fuck?" Bakugo's jaw dropped. I knew she must've had some sorta plan - hangs around with Deku too much to not have one - but how many fucking rocks did she touch?!
Uraraka pressed forward, ignoring the pain wracking her body. Whether he gets hit or not, I'll catch him with my Quirk while he's distracted!
But then Bakugo lifted his arm up and fired the largest blast any of them had ever seen from him, even bigger than the one he used against the Nomu.
And that was with his gauntlet.
The shockwave sent dust, and Uraraka, flying around the stage while the sound made the audience members clutch their ears in pain.
Uraraka couldn't tell if the pain in her chest was from the blast wave or the soul-crushing realization that her trump card had utterly, and spectacularly, failed. That was the best I could do...and it still wasn't enough...
She shook her head clear of her doubts - and the ringing noise - before standing back up for another go at it. Doesn't matter. I can't give up now! Not when I'm so close! For Deku, Mom, Dad, everyone! I need to win this!
Bakugo grinned at his charging foe, "Alright. Let's get serious, Uraraka!"
Then her knees buckled.
From the shadows of the Hosu City alleyway, the Hero Killer smiled maliciously, his blade sleek with blood. On the ground beneath his spiked boots lay another false idol, mercilessly culled by his self-righteous vengeance.
Ingenium sputtered, splattering more blood over his cracked, crimson-slick armor. The last vestiges of his conscious struggled to maintain their grip on reality but the pain...the unending pain...it refused to let him breathe.
Stain smirked as he dragged his serrated sword along the ground, the metal scraping sonorously against the concrete, "To still be awake after all that. You have the stamina of a hero, I'll give you that. Too bad it's wasted on the rest of you."
"W-why...why are you doing this?" Ingenium struggled to get up but his body screamed in protest, aching from the overwhelming torture that was the Hero Killer's wrath.
"I detest this society that bastardizes its own ideals. Sells the title of 'hero' to the first bastard with a flashy costume and strong Quirk and then condemns those who'd do the right thing because it's the right thing simply because it takes away from the false savior's profit margins. Being a hero used to mean something...now there's only one real hero."
"Lemme guess...it's you...You're the savior." Ingenium was barely getting the oxygen to survive, let alone talk, but he desperately needed to stall for time. The sensors in his suit would've alerted someone at his agency by now. Someone knew where he was and how grave the situation was.
Stain chuckled before burying his sword in the armored hero's shoulder, earning a roar of agony, "I'm no hero. I'm the necessary evil that'll purge society of fakes like you. Then, once my mission is complete, I'll allow myself to die."
In the distance, Tensei heard a siren and grinned, "S-sorry, but...your mission's ending...e-early."
Stain cocked his head before his eyes widened in realization as the sirens got closer and closer.
Then his face broke out into a grin, "I say I have a few seconds before I need to leave."
He locked eyes with Ingenium and the latter felt true, unabashed, life-endangered terror.
"That's plenty of time."
"Uraraka!" Izuku burst into her waiting room, sweat pouring from the long run from the Class A stands.
"Man, I guess I lost, huh?" She giggled sheepishly.
"...huh?" He sweatdropped at the cavalier greeting. "Are you okay?"
She smiled and looked away, "I mean, it sucks to lose, but you're always going forward. Seems kinda stupid if I don't move on from this as well, ya know?"
Izuku nodded. Clearly, she wasn't alright, but he didn't wanna pry. For a while, the two just sat in silence, allowing the sounds of the battle outside keep the situation from becoming overly awkward.
"Tokoyami wins. Next group, please." Aizawa called through the mic.
"Wow, Yaoyorozu lost?" Izuku whistled, "Man, I know how much she wanted to leave a good impression. I hope it was a good fight." It was really fast though.
Uraraka nodded, remembering the two's promise to each other earlier that day. Feeling tears prick her eyes, she was saved from a breakdown by the ringing of her phone. Huh? Missed calls from Dad?
"Here, I'll let you take that. I'll try to wish Iida luck before his match." Izuku gave a reassuring smile before walking out of the room.
She looked at her phone and took one deep breath before answering, "Hello?"
"Ochako?" A rich and deep voice replied. A uniquely comforting one.
"Hey Dad...sorry I didn't answer earlier."
"It's nothing. Your mom and I saw your fights on TV. You were incredible out there!"
The words filled her with a temporary elation, but that feeling quickly vanished, "But it only matters if you win. And I got totally destroyed."
"Hey, come on now! There's always next year. And I dare a Pro Hero to tell me to my face that my baby girl wasn't the bravest person out on the field today!"
"B-but the scouts are looking for top contenders."
"I mean...what's the rush?"
"Well...I have to...For you and for mom."
The other end was silent for a while before Mr. Uraraka spoke again, his voice gentle and soft, "Ochako, you know you don't have to go crazy over us, right? Heck, you probably worry more about us that we do for you." He chuckled sheepishly, "After all, your mom and I know you're going to be an incredible hero."
Izuku was already down the hall, but he could still vaguely hear the sound of choked sobs behind him. Of course she's sad. She has every reason to be. I want to pay her back for all of her help but...the best thing I can do right now is focus on the next match.
He steeled himself and continued to Iida's waiting room, only to find it empty, "Guess he left already."
"Oh, Midoriya."
Izuku turned to the sound of the voice, "Oh, Yaoyorozu." He gave a reassuring smile, "Sorry about the match. Are you okay?"
She smiled slightly and nodded, "I'm fine. Just a little shell-shocked."
There was...something about her expression though. An unusual subdued quality to her emotions. And for the heiress, that was saying something.
"You sure?" Certainly don't look fine.
She averted her gaze but nodded again. Then she plastered on a sheepish smile, "Truth be told, I'm a little famished. Care to join me?"
He nodded, "Yeah, that sounds good. Don't wanna go into the next fight hungry."
"Right. You're fighting Bakugo...how're you feeling?"
Izuku sighed, "Nervous, I guess. I haven't thought too much about it, truth be told. But honestly...I'm ready. More than any other fight, this is the one I know I can win. Everything I've done...all that training after the Battle Trial and USJ, in a way, has been so that I could catch up to Kacchan and beat him, for real this time."
Yaoyorozu smiled, genuinely this time, "I'm really glad. He could stand to go down a peg or two, truth be told. And besides, I think Todoroki or Iida would both rather fight you than him."
Izuku chuckled before the loudspeakers announced, "Todoroki wins. Midoriya and Bakugo to the stage."
"Already? Must've been a short match." Yaoyorozu noted.
Yeesh. I hope Iida's okay. Man, it sucks when your friends lose, huh? "Well...I guess that means it's my turn to go out there." Izuku waved goodbye.
"Good luck! I'm rooting for you!" She waved him off with a smile before it, unbeknownst to him, promptly fell.
As Izuku walked to the stadium entrance, his heart racing a million miles an hour, he came across yet another friendly face, "Oh, Iida!"
The tall teen smiled, "Hello, Midoriya. I suppose your match is about to begin."
Izuku nodded, "Yeah. But sorry about your fight. I know how badly you wanted to win."
Iida waved it off, "Of course winning would've been nice, but I'm honestly just content to have done right by my brother. I did my best and that's all I could've honestly hoped for."
"Right. I feel the same!" Izuku grinned at his friend. Wow. He's being very mature about this!
Then Iida started shaking violently.
"Gah! What's wrong?!" Izuku started panicking. Oh god, he's having a mental breakdown!
Iida simply took his phone out, "I'm receiving a call."
What kind of a reaction was that?! And why's everyone getting phone calls right now?
"It's my mother. Sorry I need to take this. And you need to go. Best of luck, Midoriya!" Iida waved his friend off as he went down the hallway.
With a wave goodbye and one more deep breath, Izuku turned around and exited the hallway, once more walking onto the grassy path leading to the battlefield. He climbed the steps and gulped in anticipation. Or nervousness. Likely both.
Across the battlefield, Bakugo had also just walked onto the stage. Their eyes met, and time seemed to freeze. This wasn't an argument by the gate or a training exercise or a confrontation in the street.
This was a true and proper fight.
Not between old friends or enemies. This was - to paraphrase Uraraka - a fated battle between rivals.
With one final deep breath, Izuku stepped forward.
Aaaaaand, I'm leaving you hanging.
Sorry this shit took so long but truth be told, some of this chapter was just...hard to write. I guess that's to be expected when I decide to make most of the battles in the Sports Festival original, but MAN am I excited for what's to come!
Remember to submit questions for the celebration chapter! The way things are going, it'll also celebrate 100K words so WOOOOO.
Or tell me the idea is stupid and tell me what you REALLY wanna see.
And in case you missed it, I'm writing a Spider-Man story as well, but I probably won't actually publish it until after the Stain Arc or the Exam Arc, at which point this story will be at a rough half-way point and I can take a little hiatus to focus on other stuff.
Which is NOT to say that the story's already got a definitive ending, but I've only planned ahead a certain amount and it already feels like such an organic ending. Maybe it'll just be another hiatus point, but we'll see.
Next chapter should be up...before the year is over. I can promise THAT at the very least.