CHAPTER 9:

SOUL AND ICE

In a way, it was refreshing to see Izuku and Shouto battle. All of my battles have been in deadly earnest, as a Sarafan, and as a vampire. And yet, those two fought, without rancour or wrath. Just a benign rivalry, each striving to push the other.

I hoped that Shouto would be able to accept the part of his self that he couldn't for so long. His father had left deep scars on his psyche, and his mother, in a fit of madness, had left more physical scars in addition to the mental ones. I just didn't think it'd be so soon.

And yet, when it happened, I was gladdened. It meant his suffering was beginning to ease…

Izuku and Shouto were waiting in the waiting room for the tiebreaker arm-wrestling match between Kirishima and Tetsutetsu to end. An awkward silence had fallen over the pair. Eventually, Shouto, oddly enough, was the one to break it. "How are we going to do this?"

"I won't use telekinesis to get a ring-out on you, unless you push me enough to use it. I want to earn this victory," Izuku said. "And I want you to earn your victory too, Todoroki. In a way, we've got to give those people watching a show. That's how we get noticed as Pro-Heroes in training, because, like it or not, being Pro-Heroes is a popularity contest."

"…Yes, it is. How someone like my father got as far as he did is beyond me. I mean, once he got to the top, he could use money and connections to stay there, but it was getting to the top in the first place that confounds me. That being said, while I won't go all out, I won't take it easy on you, Midoriya."

"…Izuku." As the scarred teen looked up sharply, Izuku said, "We've known each other for long enough. I know you're not exactly the friendliest of guys, but you're a friend as far as I am concerned…Shouto."

Shouto considered this, before nodding. "…I guess we can try that, Izuku. I'm not here to make friends…but Dr Audron did say I should be on good terms with those I may be working with in the future."

"…Endeavour didn't really give you any chance to make friends, did he?"

"Superfluous to requirements. Those were his words," Shouto said bitterly. "Anyway, too many would-be friends only wanted to be friends with the son of the Number 2 Hero, as I told you."

"Not Shouto Todoroki?" Izuku asked, more or less rhetorically. "That's probably the way of it, isn't it? Our society is obsessed with celebrity, and not just with Pro-Heroes. Actors, writers, and the like, all famous, whether they want to be or not. Some want the fame, others don't. I…don't want to be famous. It'll probably happen as a side-effect of becoming a Pro-Hero, but…I want to help people, to stop criminals. If I get to the top of the heap, that's a side-benefit."

Shouto scoffed. "…Better than me. I want to get to the top, if only to spite my father, but…helping people and stopping Villains is more important, I agree."

"Just promise me, Shouto. If you start getting affected by overusing your mother's Quirk, like frostbite or hypothermia, don't be afraid to use your fire, even if it's only to keep yourself from the ice injuring you. I don't want you hurting yourself just to spite your father."

"…I can't make promises, Izuku. But…at least you care."

"Yeah. I mean, I could say something about the others giving it their all, so why the hell aren't you, but I'm a hypocrite if I do say that, what with my holding back my abilities. I may not be as strong as some of you. Your ice Quirk is a major case in point. But the Soul Reaver gives me versatility. And I'd like to keep some of them under wraps, either because they can be lethal, or because I need a trump card."

"…Then let's see who pushes each other furthest," Shouto said. "Still, should I prevail, and I end up against Bakugou, what advice do you have?"

"Assuming he beats Kirishima," Izuku said, Kirishima having won the tie-breaker against Tetsutetsu. "Just keep in mind, he tends to lead with a right hook. Maybe he might switch it up, but…oh, and his explosions are based on nitroglycerin sweat, so if you make it cold enough to stop him from sweating…"

Shouto nodded thoughtfully. "You don't mind if I beat him in your place?"

"...Bakugou's rivalry with me is one-sided. I…I hate him, I really do, but I have better things to do than to indulge his fixation with me and my abilities, or to try and repair our friendship…well, such as it was. I just hope you put him in his place, that he realises that he is not the top of the heap. Even if I can't stand above him in the Sports Festival, as long as someone does, I'll be happy. That's awful of me to say that, but…"

"I know. He seems to despise you completely and utterly. Forget about him for now. We'll need to fight soon, and you're right. We need to show the public what we've got…"

Soon afterwards, he was walking towards the arena, Shouto entering from the opposite end of the stadium. "And now, the first round of the quarter-finals! Both competitors are from Class 1-A. Pro-Hero royalty versus a dark horse with a versatile Quirk! It's Shouto Todoroki versus Izuku Midoriya!"

The moment the announcement for the bout to begin was made, Shouto fired off a wave of ice at Izuku, who summoned the Soul Reaver and fired a projectile, shattering the ice in its tracks. As he began running to the side, he noted the large block of ice behind Shouto, presumably a countermeasure against any attack that might blast him out of the ring. It might even ensure that, if Izuku tried telekinesis, it might take long enough for Shouto to mount a counterattack.

Izuku smiled inwardly. It was a good strategy, and it went to show that Shouto, for all the power of his Quirk, also had a good head on his shoulders. He was ensuring that, even if Izuku got tempted to use telekinesis so soon, he would have a potential opening to break free, or at least counterattack.

Still, Izuku had some trump cards. If need be, before he resorted to telekinesis, he would use both the Sound Glyph and the Light Glyph as a one-two punch of sensory overload. Shouto had seen the latter in action during the Battle Training, no doubt, but the Sound Glyph might disorient and distract him enough to…

Suddenly, Shouto leapt into the air as Izuku was distracted, and he was forced to dodge the other teen's attack, especially as it extended into a row of razor-sharp icicles sprouting from the ground. Izuku scowled, before he remembered something. He then yelled, "WATER GLYPH!" Water blasted through the arena, covering the ice…and Shouto, who was knocked back briefly by the surge of water, but frowned.

"What was that supposed to accomplish?" he asked.

"Shouto…given what you know about your Quirk, I'm sure you've studied water's properties, and not just in ice form," Izuku said. "Water is an excellent conductor of heat via evaporation…away from the body. It's why wet people are in danger of exposure in cold climates. If you keep using your ice Quirk while saturated, it'll affect your body more, even give you frostbite or hypothermia."

Shouto, after a moment, smirked. "Well played. But futile." Steam wafted briefly from his body, and he was soon dry. "I may not use the left side of my body for the fire, but drying myself through heat's trivial enough not to matter."

Bugger. That's what I get for bragging, Izuku thought to himself.

"I'm grateful, though," Shouto continued, indicating with his eyes a certain flame-wreathed figure in the stands. "He's not looking happy."

"Does he ever?" Izuku asked with a rueful grin.

"That's usually the time to worry," Shouto snarked. "And you blundered. You've just saturated the arena with water. And while I can generate ice with ease in even dry areas, enough water gives me more to work with." He stamped down with his foot, and ice spread around the arena, forming walls, with crenels, all around the arena's circumference. It wasn't so high that Midnight couldn't see into it, and Cementoss created a cement platform to view the proceedings himself, but Izuku got his game swiftly, and cursed inwardly for giving his opponent an advantage, even if inadvertently.

"Trying to prevent yourself from being ringed out too easily?"

"Yes," Shouto said. "We either win by KO, or by the opponent surrendering."

Izuku shrugged. "You're not going to get me to say 'uncle' so easily."

"I'd be disappointed if you did."

Izuku nodded, but prepared for the clash to continue. The ice wall didn't make a ring-out via telekinesis impossible, but it would take time, and if Shouto neared one of the walls, he could potentially form a new part of the wall to prevent a ring-out. Shouto's ice-forming seemed to require contact or vicinity with a surface to work. Izuku could use the Fire Glyph, but he couldn't have it not harm Shouto unless he was pretty much encased in ice, or protected by it. The Force Glyph might be able to shatter the ice, but that was only a 'maybe'.

However, there was still one possibility. He saw patches of ice on Shouto's right arm and on the right side of his face. He was slowing down. He didn't point that out to Shouto either, not at this moment. Given how well-trained he was compared to everyone else in Class 1-A, Shouto had to have enough situational awareness to realise he was in trouble.

A thought occurred to Izuku. "…Raziel…Ariel…are you able to place a portal next to him?" he asked quietly.

"There's no guarantee, Izuku," Ariel said. "Portals have to be placed at weak points in space."

"And with the ice he has formed around the edges of the arena, the amount of space for a portal has dropped," Raziel observed.

Izuku nodded, at least inwardly. So, instead, he decided on psychological warfare. "You're wearing yourself out, Shouto. How long until hypothermia or frostbite sets in?"

"Long enough," Shouto said.

"Then if you don't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing you use your flames, you'd better finish this quickly." With that, Izuku fired off a projectile from the Soul Reaver, sending Shouto flying into the ice wall. "Then again, fighting with your fire doesn't make you him. After all, can he use ice? Of course he can't," Izuku said.

"Maybe…but you're going to have to push me more to make me consider using that."

"I don't think so. You're bluffing. You're approaching your limit."

"Maybe, but you can't use your abilities with impunity either," Shouto said. "You may be versatile, but you have your limits too. And even a jack-of-all-trades can fall to a master of one."

Izuku smiled ruefully. Shouto was right with that last part. Still, it was time to break out his trump card. "Maybe, but like I told you before, I'm going to make you work for your victory. SOUND GLYPH!"

Ear-shattering noise blasted out from Izuku, and Shouto was clutching his ears. The ice cracked a little, but held. Still, that wasn't Izuku's intention. "Light Glyph!" Izuku yelled, and Shouto, who was glaring at Izuku, was blinded as well. Then, Izuku grasped Shouto with telekinesis and began manoeuvring the scarred teen, ready to send him flying over his own ice wall, and thus secure Izuku his victory.

And that's when things went wrong. Shouto, despite being blinded and deafened, had enough wherewithal to realise Izuku's game, and suddenly, his left side flared into flames. And his left arm slammed down into the ice wall, instantly converting it into steam. A massive steam explosion occurred as the ice behind Shouto sublimated into vapour, and before Izuku knew it, Shouto was rocketing towards him at speed, his left side emanating flames. It was sheer luck that Shouto was flying in Izuku's direction, and he seemed set to gamble it all on a final strike.

But Izuku, despite the speed at which Shouto and the steam cloud were rushing towards him, was just barely able to get over his shock and panic. He dropped to his back, almost as if in slow motion, and as Shouto flew overhead, he grasped the scarred teen with telekinesis once more…and diverted his flight, over the ice wall behind Izuku. Izuku had just enough time to see Shouto fly over the ice wall before the steam hit him, and he screamed in agony as it scalded him. Not badly, not truly badly, but it was a near thing. The Nomu's healing factor was already healing him, and the pain receded slowly, too slowly.

As he got to his feet, he heard Midnight say, "Shouto Todoroki is out of bounds! The winner, by ring-out, is Izuku Midoriya!"

Izuku turned to face the ice wall where he had flung Shouto over. It soon melted, and Shouto was standing there, his left side still wreathed in flames. But oddly, the scarred teen looked at peace, even as he extinguished the flames. Izuku held out a hand, and Shouto took it with only a moment's hesitation.

"SHOUTO!" roared a voice from the stands, and Izuku looked up to see Endeavour was the one yelling, in what sounded like ecstasy, despite Shouto losing. "NOW, YOU HAVE FINALLY ACCEPTED YOUR GIFT, THE BLOOD PUMPING THROUGH YOUR VEINS! OUR WISHES WILL BE FULFILLED!"

"What an unexpected pep talk from Endeavour! What a caring father!" Present Mic exclaimed, but Izuku and Shouto both grimaced.

Shouto looked to Izuku. "Even though I lost…he thinks he's won, because I used his flames," he said quietly. "Come on, let's go…"

While they were walking to go and get checked on by Recovery Girl, the pair of them were intercepted by Endeavour. Izuku had to admit, the burly, flame-wreathed Pro-Hero had a major presence about him, but he didn't like the way the man looked at him, like he was nothing, less than nothing even. "You…Midoriya, was it? I had considered asking you to push my son, but I decided against it. That being said, I have to thank you for doing so anyway without being asked. A keen intellect and raw power go hand in hand for true strength."

Izuku fought down an angry reply, knowing that behind Endeavour's compliment was something nasty, a man who pushed so much onto his son, and had his own wife institutionalised. Instead, diplomatically, he said, "I agree, Endeavour, sir."

"However, I need to speak to my son, alone," Endeavour said. "I won't keep him long."

Izuku looked to Shouto, who nodded, so Izuku went up ahead…but stayed out of sight, listening in on the conversation. He normally wouldn't have, but Endeavour roused his suspicions. He listened as the Number 2 Hero said, "Using your full power without training your flames is dangerous, Shouto. Your loss today wasn't a disaster, but rather, a learning experience. You've finally put aside your immature insolence, and begun the first steps to succeed me…no, exceed me. After you graduate, we will work together at…"

"No," Shouto said, his quiet voice nonetheless cutting across Endeavour's. "Did you think I would recant so readily? I didn't do it because I truly accepted you, Father. I did it because I forgot about you, because others accept this side of me, even if I can't. I will figure this out for myself."

Silence fell, heavy, thick and tense. Then, Shouto rounded the corner. When he noticed Izuku standing there, there was no condemnation in his eyes for overhearing what happened. Instead, he gave his former opponent a nod, and they walked back to the locker rooms, seeing if they could find intact clothes to change into…

Inko Midoriya blinked as she began to realise her son had won, and against the son of Endeavour, of all people! True, he had been in pain at the end, which nearly had her crying for her son, but he healed quickly. She'd forgotten about the rapid healing he had absorbed from the Nomu creature, though even if she hadn't, well, no sane mother would want to see her child hurt.

Eri, however, was cheering loudly, while Janos was clapping. Sir Nighteye was watching on, nodding thoughtfully. Once things had subsided, the lanky, glasses-wearing Pro-Hero remarked, "Rather sloppy. They drew it out unnecessarily. If this was a fight against a Villain, he'd need to end it more swiftly. Still…I'm glad there's no rancour between them. I didn't think Endeavour's son would be a good sportsman, but I must confess to being pleasantly surprised. And both had good minds for strategy and psychological warfare. They have potential. You don't need my Quirk to see that."

"Your Quirk allows you to see the future, doesn't it?" Inko asked, trying to distract herself from her son's injuries, and allow herself enough time to enjoy Izuku's victory.

"Yes, of those I make physical contact with, anyway. I will admit, it made me somewhat fatalistic," the intense young man said. "But Janos spoke to me of Raziel, and his attempts to defy fate, attempts which seemed to succeed. Perhaps free will is not an illusion, and what I see with my Quirk is an approximation of a future not yet set in stone. You would not believe the amount of times I've been asked by people to give them spoilers of TV shows that haven't finished yet," he added in exasperation.

Inko, despite herself, giggled. "Really?"

"As much as I'd want to claim it's a joke, it isn't," Nighteye said.

Janos nodded. "Every Quirk has disadvantages to go with its advantages. Many times, the pitfalls are psychological. I think Shouto has had part of him shackled…and Izuku has just unshackled him. Izuku may have won the round, but in truth, Shouto won the more important battle, with himself, using powers he despises. He has now truly started on a path of acceptance…"

CHAPTER 9 ANNOTATIONS:

Well, there you have it. This fight was one of the main reasons I didn't post this story so soon after Soul of Defiance. I was trying to work out how the fight between Izuku and Shouto would go, and how it would end.

No numbered annotations this time.