'Well…this is uncomfortable,' Izuku thought to himself, arms crossed against his chest as he and Todoroki stared at one another. After the cavalry battle had ended, Todoroki had dragged him off to a hallway in order to talk privately. Izuku was unsure of what exactly Todoroki wanted to talk about, but he had a feeling it had to be big if he wanted to talk alone. 'Maybe he's going to kill me?'
"You know, by now most normal people would be talking instead of staring at each other in awkward silence," Izuku said, hoping to get his classmate talking. "Here, I'll start. My favorite color is red, I'm banned from most bowling alleys because Kacchan made a group of grown men cry with nothing but a hockey mask and a rubber chicken, my zodiac sign is cancer, and-" Izuku was cut off as the temperature in the tunnel dropped drastically; he could see his own breath in the air. "Too much? You didn't even let me mention the fanfiction I write."
"I was…overwhelmed," Todoroki finally spoke, surprising Izuku. "And it made me break the promise I made to myself a long time ago."
"I assume you're talking about your fire side," Izuku guessed, and he didn't need any verbal confirmation from the son of Endeavor. The way his eyes hardened was enough to let him know he was right. "It would've given you such a huge advantage these past few rounds. I've always wondered why you've never used it."
"Iida and Kaminari, Yaoyorozu and Tokoyami, Uraraka…none of them felt it. I don't even think Bakugo felt it. But in that moment up there, I was the only one able to truly sense your true power. You didn't even need to touch me, but I still felt it. It reminded me of something; it reminded me of All Might," he said, causing Izuku's eyes to narrow.
'What are you trying to say, Todoroki?'
"We have similar quirks. It's obvious I would've reminded you of him." Izuku shrugged, not surprised by this. Tsu had already mentioned something similar weeks prior.
"What I'm trying to say is that the power coming from you felt the same as his," Todoroki clarified, causing the greenet's eyes to widen for a split second. He quickly wiped the surprise away and replaced it with a curious glance.
'What are you thinking, Todoroki?'
"Midoriya, tell me. Are you really All Might's secret love child or something?" he asked. All of Izuku's worry vanished at the question and was replaced with pure confusion.
'He's supposed to be one of the smartest kids in the class? Seriously?'
"Are you serious right now?"
"It's my best theory. My other one is a lot more…inappropriate," Todoroki trailed off, and Izuku knew what he was trying to say.
"Wha-ew! No! That's fucking gross!" Izuku pinched the bridge of his nose. "Todoroki, what the fuck?"
"I admit, it's more far-fetched than you being his son. But nevertheless, answer the question please."
"No, it isn't like that at all! We're not related and he isn't my dad. I haven't seen my dad since I was four, when he moved to the US for his job."
"Isn't like that, huh? That implies there is something going on between the two of you that you aren't supposed to talk about." His eyes narrowed. "Am I correct?"
"You have no idea what I've been through and know nothing of my personal life. All you have are assumptions," Izuku said, and Todoroki hummed in silent agreement.
"My father is the pro hero, Endeavor. You must've heard about him before."
"Ranked second only to All Might, been that way for a long time. He's brutal, but gets results during combat," Izuku said, very aware of the pro. The man had a few pages in one of his earlier hero analysis books; book six, if Izuku wasn't mistaken.
"Correct. I'm connected to him, just as you're in some way connected to the current number one hero, All Might. That just gives me yet another reason to beat you."
"You're speaking as if you don't have a choice."
"It's because I don't," he said coldly. "My father is ambitious, and he's aiming for the top. He used his power to make a name for himself as a hero. But he's never been able to best All Might, who is the living proof of his failure."
"So to put it simply, he's jealous and is gonna do whatever it takes to be number one," Izuku simplified what the boy was saying.
"He's still at it, trying to take down All Might through any means necessary. One way, or another."
'I don't like the sound of that.'
"Have you ever heard of quirk marriages?" he asked, causing the greenet's eyes to widen.
"They taught us that back in middle school. They were a real problem when quirks first appeared, and the sole purpose was to create a powerful child," Izuku said, putting the pieces. "And your father-"
"Bought my mother's relatives to get his hands on her quirk. And now he's raising me to surpass All Might."
"He's trying to live and accomplish his failed dreams through you. He sees you as a means to meet an end rather than a child." Izuku had to suppress his anger. The thought of anyone, much less a hero, doing such a thing was despicable. To make and use a child for such a petty reason? It was awful!
"It's so annoying, and I refuse to be as such. Every memory I have of my mother, I only see her crying. I remember she called my left side unbearable. I can still feel the boiling water being poured on my face." He took a deep breath to calm himself; no point in getting emotional about it right now. "It's why I decided to pick a fight with you, the one who closest resembles All Might in this class. I want to show him what I'm capable of doing without his damn fire quirk. I'll show him I reject his power, and that I can make it to first place without using it."
'Our lives are so different. His sounds so terrifying. It's weird how we're aiming for the same thing, despite different childhoods, despite different reasons,' Izuku thought, watching as Todoroki made his way towards the exit
"It's obvious you're connected to All Might, even if you won't tell me about it. Just know that no matter how furiously you come at me, regardless of which quirk you decide to use, I will defeat you using my right side. I can personally assure you of that."
"I can't imagine what you've gone through, and what you're still going through. I've had help in the past, and continue having it here," Izuku said, thinking about All Might, Bakugo, Itsuka, Ibara…Mei. "In order to become like All Might and become number one, in order to keep the promises I've made to so many people, I need to be strong, and I can't lose this either. I owe it to everyone who has helped me reach this far. You declared war on me earlier, but unfortunately for you, I've never learned how to give up. So listen to me when I say that declaration of war is being thrown right back at you. I am going to beat you, and I will throw everything I've got to make sure I do. So be prepared, Todoroki."
Todoroki stood there for a few seconds before continuing his walk. Izuku sighed and made his way back into the stadium. Both were unaware of a certain blond who had heard the entire thing.
(Back in the stadium: 15 minutes later)
"I-I'm feeling several different emotions," Izuku said, staring at the sight before him. He had just exited the tunnel and came back into the stadium, only to be met with the sight of every 1A girl wearing an orange and white cheerleading outfit. "Why the hell are they wearing them?"
"You can thank us for that!" Mineta exclaimed as he and Kaminari appeared right in front of Izuku, each having a perverted smile. "It was a master plan full of cunning, skill, stealth, and perfect timing!"
"We lied to them," Kaminari said truthfully.
"No need to thank us, Midoriya! And, that emotion you're feeling? It's horniness," Mineta cackled before being stopped as he was picked up by the back of his shirt, like a dog or racoon being picked up by the scruff of its neck.
"No, I'm feeling rage and anger right now over you two lying to them about this!" Izuku said, grabbing Kaminari by the back of his shirt before he could try to run away. "You two are going to go over there now to tell them the truth and apologize."
"And if we don't?" Mineta asked. The duo watched as Izuku's eyes glowed green as he brought the smaller boy closer to his face.
"If you don't, I make grape juice," he growled, causing the two boys to gulp.
"Y-Yeah, n-no prob class rep. We'll get right on it!" Kaminari said as Mineta nodded in agreement. That satisfied Izuku, and the glowing stopped as he let the two go. The boys were quick to scurry over to the girls to let them know the truth. Izuku sighed and shook his head as they ran away.
"What's got those idiots so scared?" Bakugo asked as he walked up to stand beside his friend.
"Me," Izuku sighed. "Let's just get this thing over with. I have a headache now."
"Let's continue with the excitement! Lots will be drawn to see who goes first in the final round of one on one fights!" Midnight informed the crowd and students from her stage.
"Um, excuse me!" Ojiro called out, raising his hand before Midnight could get off the stage. "I'm sorry, but I'm withdrawing," he said, causing 1A to gasp in shock.
"You can't be serious!"
"But this is a rare chance for you to get scouted!"
"It just…wouldn't be right. I barely remember anything from the cavalry battle until the very end. I…I think it was the quirk of our rider?" he said, still confused over the whole thing.
'His team's rider?' Izuku thought, eyes scanning the sea of students until he spotted a familiar head of purple. His eyes met the eyes of the purple-haired boy who had declared war on 1A weeks prior. The guy scowled before looking away. 'That guy again. What is his quirk? Mind control? Memory wipe? How is it activated? If his eyes meet with someone else's? Through talking with someone? Too many unknown variables. I need to keep my distance and watch him.'
"I know this is a great opportunity, and I wish I could take advantage of it. But my conscious just won't let me."
"Hold on now, give it some more thought, Ojiro. This is a big decision to make, after all," Izuku said, trying to make his classmate think about it before proceeding. Participating in the third round could shape and mold his future, after all!
"I have. Everyone gave their all in round two, and I was just someone's puppet! I don't want to advance if I don't even know how I got here. It wouldn't be fair."
'His pride's been hurt. I understand where he's coming from, but to throw everything away? To just give up? It's hard to stomach down,' Izuku thought.
"You're making way too much of this! Just kill it in the final round and prove you deserve to be here!" Toru exclaimed, not wanting her friend to give up after making it this far.
"Yeah, what she said! I didn't do much in the second round either!" Ashido agreed.
"That's not it. I'm talking about my pride here! And I refuse to give that up!" he said passionately. "Also, why are the girls dressed like cheerleaders?" he asked, causing them to blush.
In the end, Midnight allowed not only Ojiro to drop out, but also a boy from 1B who was on Ojiro's team and more or less gave the same reason. The team in fifth place would've sent two people in as replacements, but Kendo and her team disagreed, seeing as how they had been frozen the entire match. After some talking, it was decided that Tetsutetsu and Ibara would enter the third round.
After all of that, the bracket was made and revealed that Izuku would fight the very first match.
Against the purple haired kid, whose name was revealed via the bracket. Shinso.
'Of course I'm paired with the unknown variable. Well, could've been worse. I could've gotten Kacchan or Todoroki off the bat,' Izuku thought to himself.
"If I had to guess, I'd say you were Izuku Midoriya, correct? Seems like we're going to war sooner than I anticipated," a voice said from behind, causing the greenet to turn. "It's a pleasure to see you again. You excited?"
'Weeks ago he said we're at war, now he's being friendly? What's the angle? Trying to see how I react?' Izuku thought, hating how he had little-to-no information about this Hitoshi Shinso. Wanting to test something, he was about to speak before a tail covered his mouth.
"Not this time." Ojiro growled, causing Shinso to smirk. The purple-haired teen turned and walked away after that.
"Quite protective, aren't we?" Izuku asked, turning around to face the blond.
"I guess you could say that. I just don't want you falling victim to him like I did," he said. "You can't say a word to him."
"This is about his quirk, correct? It's activated if you talk to him?" Izuku questioned.
"Exactly. His quirk is something like mind control. It didn't activate until after I answered a question before the second round."
"So I need to keep quiet and make him unable to use it. Seems easy enough. Not many things can make me tick." Izuku nodded to himself. "Of course, there's always a chance I screw up. And if I do, I'm as good as finished."
"Not necessarily. Near the end of the battle I ended up bumping into someone, and it broke the trance he had on me. It's only a guess, but it's the best I've got."
"Thanks for the tip, but it'll do me little good seeing as how it'll just be the two of us. I can't rely on someone else helping me out," Izuku said. "I appreciate the help though, it's letting me make the unknown in this situation known."
"I'm happy to help in whatever way I can." Ojiro smiled before raising a fist. "This may sound selfish, but I'll say it anyway. Beat this guy, for you and me. All right?"
"He won't know what hit him." Izuku grinned, bumping his fist against the blond's.
The time after their conversation passed by quickly. Those who didn't make it into the third round were allowed to play different games, and those who did were also allowed. While some did take part in the games, others, like Izuku and Todoroki, decided against it in order to conserve their strength and stamina. After a while, Cementoss created a stage where the finalists would fight, and Izuku found himself in a hallway waiting to be called out.
All Might had shown up at one point and the two had talked, with the former saying how proud he was of his successor for getting so far and for doing so well in the tournament. They spoke about One For All and Izuku's control, with the hero praising his successor for the amount of power he could control without harming himself.
They talked some more before there was a buzzer, signaling the fighters would be called out any second. All Might wished his successor luck, and Izuku entered the arena soon after.
(Stadium)
"LET'S WELCOME OUR FIRST FIGHTERS!" Present Mic exclaimed as they began walking out of their hallways. "WITH A WILL STRONGER THAN HIS SHIELD, WE HAVE CLASS 1A'S CLASS REP, IZUKU MIDORIYA! VERSUS! HITOSHI SHINSO FROM GENERAL STUDIES, WHO HASN'T REALLY DONE ANYTHING TO STAND OUT YET! THE RULES ARE SIMPLE: IMMOBILIZE YOUR OPPONENT OR FORCE THEM OUT OF THE RING! YOU CAN ALSO WIN BY MAKING THE OTHER PERSON CRY UNCLE! BRING OUT THE INJURIES BECAUSE WE HAVE OUR VERY OWN RECOVERY GIRL WAITING ON STANDBY! SO PUT YOUR MORALS ASIDE AND DON'T BE AFRAID TO PLAY DIRTY!"
"Don't listen to him, keep the injuries to a minimum," Aizawa ordered.
"I'll stop anyone who tries to get too rough." Cementoss said, sitting on a concrete chair off on the sidelines.
"To give up after making it this far, it's pathetic and idiotic, wouldn't you say?" Shinso asked, causing Izuku to raise an eyebrow. "In a way, it's a test of how strong your spirit is. If you know what you want your future to hold for you, you can't worry about what other people think."
'The hell is he talking about?'
"READY?!
"That monkey was going on about his pride earlier," he scowled.
"BEGIN!"
"But I just think he's an idiot for throwing away his chances like that," Shinso said, causing Izuku's eyes to narrow. The greenet stared at him, and Shinso held back a smile, knowing he had gotten under his opponents' skins. But he grew worried and confused seeing the Izuku smirk.
'I would've fallen for that, had it not been for Ojiro telling me about Shinso's quirk,' Izuku thought, starting to slowly make his way across the field. 'I need to thank him again after I toss this guy out of the ring.'
'Why isn't he saying anything?' Shinso thought, taking a step back each time Izuku stepped forward. The purple haired boy growled. 'Stupid monkey! He must've said something to him! Think, think, think!' he thought to himself, eyes scanning the crowd before they landed on the box 1A currently sat in. He smirked as he remembered how angry his opponent had gotten after mocking his 'little girlfriend' or whatever.
"Must be awesome being in the hero course; you get to meet so many people with interesting quirks. But you also meet a lot of freaks, don't you?" Shinso questioned, getting ready to finish this. "There're a few freaks in your class, especially that chick with the awful pink skin. How do you deal with looking at such a monstrosity all day?"
For a moment, Izuku's brain stopped working, and his previously emotionless self was replaced by a pure, unbelievable rage. The dragon part of him was itching to tear his opponents face off. The boy growled, anger and electricity sparking in his eyes.
"What the fuck did you just-" Izuku began to say, moving faster than before. But then, everything went black. His movements stopped as he felt something take control of his mind. 'What the? I-I can't move!'
"Bingo." The general studies kid smirked.
See? Told ya I'd get this up by the weekend. Again for the most part it's a copy and paste from the original CD, with some drastic edits here and there. Hope you've all enjoyed.
Notes Time
Only for like 3 things that I wanna mentioned.
1. Yes Shinso seems OOC. That was a complaint with the OG CD. Rest assured it'll be explained next chapter.
2. I'm kinda tempted of making my own Discord server. That way I can better interact with you all, and that way maybe some of you can make a new friend or two. It's just a thought, maybe it enough people say they're interested I'll do it.
3. I might, MIGHT, either take a small break from this story, or try to write this story at the same time as a new story I'm thinking of making. I think I've mentioned this in a previous author note, but I've been obsessed with Disney's new cartoon 'The Owl House'. The animation is amazing, characters are loveable, I hella relate to the MC Luz, and the ship (that will be canon probably in season 2 or the upcoming finale) is fucking adorable, especially since one of the characters is (spoiler) a disaster gay. So I'm probably gonna make a fic or something of it. Just gotta decide if I wanna add my OC to it or not.
Obviously I'm NOT abandoning this story anytime soon. As I've said I'm excited to get to chap 40, the Training Camp arc, the Overhaul Arc, and chapters 57 through 64 (unless I decide to the timeline a bit. Might ask my friend Os or the TC discord a question and get their inputs). That being said, I'd like to expand a bit and start focusing on other stuff. Like 'Superfamily', 'My Hero Assassin', and the currently untitled 'The Owl House' fic. Hell, I'd even like to make a 'Hazbin Hotel' fic once that show starts having more episodes.
Again, still doing this story. But might some time off/spend a little less time so focus on The Owl House. Hope y'll can understand.
Anyway, hope ya enjoyed. Join me next time when Shinso wishes he was never born. See ya in chap 29!