Midoriya v Todoroki

Ojiro v Asui

Jiro v Shiozaki

Kirishima v Uraraka

The next rounds seemed particularly interesting. The challenger, and the one who'd continued to defy the call to action. The straight-forward ones, yet not so plain as others believed. The ranged fighters, who'd won their battles relatively quickly. And then the two who'd taken the longest time to win, barring Midoriya's odd chivalry match at the beginning.

Still, it was disappointing, seeing Toshinori's new protege only use technology and a few basic hovers. Was that his own Quirk, or perhaps he was tapping into Nana's old Float? He didn't know. Either way, it was depressingly limited. At one point, when purple lightning had danced over his arms, he'd been hopeful the boy had somehow tapped into One-for-All, but when his arms had gone limp and then his punches had shown how truly damaged he'd been left, he realized that it couldn't have been conscious, and was self-damaging beyond practical use.

Was Toshinori an idiot? Had he not been able to show his student how to distribute the power? To limit its release to what his body could handle? Had he even trained him long enough to survive the output, or just transferred it on a whim? So many questions, but no answers.

Taking a bite of his taiyaki, he settled into his chair and watched as the loud announcer started hyping the crowd for the next match. Perhaps here the boy would show some potential. Maybe he'd throw an actual punch, or maybe kick for crying out loud!

"Folks, I don't think these two need any introduction. He won the first round, he blasted the second to bits, and now he's showing the bruises of victory: Izuku Midoriya!

Versus

He froze the competition so hard we spent an hour thawing and cracking it so you and the next group didn't get frostbite: Shoto Todoroki!"

Shoto sighed. He couldn't keep losing like this. He'd already resorted to using his flames once, right before Bakugo had blown them all to bits, and that was once too many for his lifetime. The moment Midnight said go, he'd have to freeze with a wider range than he ever had, ensure Midoriya couldn't fly around. Luckily, he wasn't very fast, so he could afford a few seconds.

Shoto blinked at the boy standing opposite to him. What was he doing?

Midoriya waved at him, both of his arms wrapped in partial splints, leaving his hands, elbows, and shoulders free, but nothing else. The other boy must be insane, trying to fight with those injuries. Any blocked or off-set hit would end with the bandages in tatters, and the injuries reopened. Shoto wouldn't let his career be ruined by rumors of his hitting an injured opponent for sport. He'd be precise and ensure that Midoriya would be able to get fully healed as soon as he was thawed out.

"Hey, Todoroki!" Midoriya shouted at him, "Look: I'm only able to go at half-power too!"

It took a moment for him to realize Midoriya was doing his best to be sarcastic. He was just too earnest, and it came across more like a kid saying he was just like some fictional character because they had the same eye color.

"I won't be taking it easy on you, injured or not."

"Good! I was just gonna say that we're even now!"

The entire crowd let out an "oooooh!" which irritated Shoto even more.

"Start!"

Slamming his right foot down, Shoto blasted the widest wall of ice he could, hoping to cover the entire arena. For a moment, it appeared like he'd won, but a green blur shot by his left side at the last moment, clearing the edge of the ice. He tried to turn, but felt a familiar red boot hit him in the small of the back. He stumbled forward on top of his ice, tripping on a sharp bit and landing on his arms.

"And Midoriya evades the iceberg, getting in a solid kick!"

"Out."

Shoto spun on Midoriya, who was hovering just above where Shoto had been.

"What?! I'm still in the ring!" he shouted back, now embarrassed and angry.

"You are," Midoriya conceded, "but if I'd chosen to hit you in the gut, you'd be out."

"Then why didn't you? Are you playing with me?!"

"Are you playing with the rest of us?" Midoriya asked, his voice so earnest for an answer that Shoto was taken aback, "I was only able to kick you because I know your left side's a free pass. If you'd used your fire, I would have had to go the long way around, and you'd have hit me while I turned. But because you won't, I could strafe close and even start slowing before I passed you."

Growling, Shoto fired another iceberg, but forgot to make it wide. Midoriya simply leapt upwards into the sky, before dropping at him with blinding speed. It seemed faster than Midoriya had been during the cavalry battle.

Shoto produced a cylindrical shield around himself, attempting to turn to catch him but preparing to miss. The purple lightning danced across Midoriya's legs, the color and shape Shoto thought he'd imagined during the cavalry battle around his arms. The kick blasted through the shield and sent him flying up his own glacier, higher and well past where the ring would be, if they were on the ground.

As he rounded again, he saw Midoriya's leg was limp, the pant leg ripped but still hanging over the bruised and possibly broken bones. His thigh seemed less damaged, and since he could still concentrate: his femur was probably not broken.

"You're shivering," Midoriya noted, his voice full of concern but also with the same tone Aizawa had when he lectured the class, "You'd probably be fine for another six glaciers of this size normally, but with them still present and you're stuck on top of them, you're unable to warm yourself."

"Then again-!" he strained, now behind Shoto.

When had he moved around to get behind him again?! Was he moving faster, or had he been reacting slower?

The next kick was from the left leg, and not enhanced by the lightning.

"-you could turn on your flames and be as warm as you liked!"

Shoto spun in place, trying to find Midoriya. He'd vanished, but he could still hear the boy taunting him.

"Everyone here's giving their all!" he screamed, clearly trying to reach the audience too, "My team drew out everyone's best, but they all gave it! You've only tried in this festival once! If you want to win, then you'd better do it again!"

"He put you up to this!" Shoto spat, generating a pillar to get him higher so he could see where Midoriya was.

"Stop thinking about Endeavor for Once In Your Life! Is Endeavor gonna fight me, or is Shoto Todoroki?!"

He felt himself chill at the words, and not just from the cold. Then he felt something crack. The pillar below him was more fragile than his normal ice, a side-effect of his growing hypothermia. He began to fall, and tried to think of a way to land softly.

A pair of arms slid under his, catching and slowing him. He turned to see Midoriya helping him land back on the glacier.

"I-I-I could freeze you… right now…" he managed.

Midoriya only smiled, before dropping him the last foot.

"You could have burned me too. But I don't think you want that."

Midoriya flew back up, before shouting down to him.

"So I think I deserve to know: what do you want?! Not what you want to avoid! Not who you want to scorn. What do you Want?!"

He thought about it. It had been so long, but his dream was still there. To be a hero. No. To be a Hero. Not just a Pro, or the best, but someone others could look up to. Someone his father never could be.

"I want to be a Hero, without using his power!" he responded, raising his fist, "To show the world I don't need his-"

"You don't have his power!" Midoriya screamed, "You never have! It's yours! It always has been! Your power is your own! You decide who you'll become!"

Something snapped inside him, and suddenly there was heat. No. There was fire.

Roaring in triumph below, Endeavor started shouting something, but Shoto couldn't hear the words. He didn't care, at least for that moment.

"What Do You Want?!"

"I… want to be a Hero…" he whispered.

Raising a hand, he started blasting the flames around him, melting his glaciers and preparing to blast the pesky flier out of the sky. He unleashed a wave of heat, missing Midoriya just barely as he began to circle and weave. As he continued to descend, his flames started to crack and crumble the ice, fracturing the delicate pieces and letting them fall to the ground.

Before long, he was standing back on concrete, the waves of roiling energy coming off him quickly clearing the field. Midoriya was sweating, above and in the way of the heat as he was. Someone screamed Midoriya's, sounding afraid for him, and Shoto felt a pang of emptiness. No one shouted for Shoto like that. No one shouted for Endeavor like that.

Preparing to go all out, Shoto angled for Midoriya and let loose. Midoriya dived, his arms suddenly extended. The purple lighting sparked over his arms, catching his irises and seeming to light his grin as he pulled back for a straight punch. He wasn't going to use half-strength either now.

The flame obscured his vision as he fired, and for a moment he seemed to have won. But then the wind blew Shoto's fire away, and Midoriya was right there, his bandages burnt and his arms darkening in the heat and strain. Some parts seemed almost black, and the lighting around them seemed much more blue-green than purple, but Shoto couldn't be sure.

"Shimura-Style: Glacier Smash!"

Then his chest received an impact that might have cracked his ribs, and he slid back. He erected an icy wall, managing to stop himself, but then another punch hit his stomach, and he shattered through it, skidding across the ground.

He stood and prepared to retaliate blindly, but heard the snap of Midnight's whip.

"Todoroki out!"

He looked down, seeing he wasn't standing in the ring, but on the remains of ice above the grass. He'd slid past the line he'd so nicely revealed after the second punch.

Glancing up, gasping for air, he felt his throat catch as he saw Deku.

He was hovering less than an inch above the ground, and looked dead. His arms were both purple and black, cracked and damaged, the black and glowing portions fading away, and revealing no cooked flesh, thank Kami. His leg was still in tatters, and his chest was covered in a red not unlike that of a sunburn.

Despite all that, he was grinning at Todoroki with what he could only describe as pride. It felt… good, to be looked at that way. Shoto felt tears in his eyes. How long had it been?

"Midoriya Wins!" Midnight quickly declared, and upon saying so: he let his Quirk give out, and landed on his back.

"He should be disqualified."

"I know."

"He won't be able to be awake for the next match, let alone win it!"

"I know."

"Blast it, Toshinori, why did you let him go this far?!"

"I couldn't stop him. He's always had the drive to save everyone, regardless of his own safety."

"Have you considered that he might be suicidal?" Recovery Girl asked, tapping Izuku's forehead, causing him to groan.

"I'm not-"

"Quiet, you! You don't get to talk! Take the anesthetic so I can get to work on those arms of yours."

Izuku continued to breathe into the mask, but he didn't want to sleep yet, and held on.

"He's been throwing himself into deadly situations he knows he isn't prepared for, and been given nothing but reward for it. A Quirk for trying to save his childhood bully from a villain when the Pros were scared. Entrance to his dream school for smashing through a super robot to help a girl in a test where he should have known she'd be protected from permanent injury. Now: bashing his injured arms to bits against a boy who could freeze a small town with a thought, all so he could become even stronger! Toshinori, his arms were already damaged, the bones weren't protected in any way! It's a miracle they aren't cooked when he dove into that fire, but I can't imagine he'll have full use of his fingers after this!"

Izuku tried to reach out, desperate to tell her he could feel and move his fingers just fine. Something moved from his skin, and he gently pushed her shoulder. Blinking, he sighed and felt the sleeping gas starting to take effect.

Recovery Girl gasped as the black and blue tendrils he'd unlocked from Tokoyami got her attention, before fading back into him.

"I won't… I won't let this keep me down…" he managed, "And I'm not… I'm not doing this to die. I'm doing this so… so other people can live. Not just survive… live…"

Her expression softened, and she brought her cane around to smack All Might in the gut.

"You need to teach him better! Teach him when his body is going too far! And even if you say otherwise, I'm not convinced you don't have some deep-set death wish," she chided.

"How could I die… when I have a promise to keep…?"

Ingenium sighed, hearing the spoilers from the crowd around him as many of them watched the Sports Festival on their phones. Enigma didn't seem to mind, but then again she didn't really seem much of anything most of the time.

"I guess Tenya picks powerful friends," he muttered to his sidekick, hearing someone scream about Midoriya.

"Your family tends to do that."

He smiled, noticing her ever-so-subtle teasing in her tone.

"Look, if this is about Midnight wanting to spend a few weeks on patrol with us, I swear it's purely for branding purposes."

"Whatever you say, boss. Just don't mess up the office while we're out."

Laughing to try and brush past the implications, Ingenium shook his helmet and refocused on the civilians. Technically they were hunting The Hero Killer, but with his modus-operandi of using the night and shadows, they were really just doing PR at this point to show they weren't scared, much like the Sports Festival itself.

A scream pieced the air, and without even pausing to register the sound, the two sprinted towards the sound. Ingenium got there first, but Enigma wasn't far behind, expanding and taking larger steps to catch up. He skidded to a stop, sliding in between the one who'd raised the alarm and an alleyway. A figure stood there, a rough and long blade in his hands.

"Enigma!" Ingenium called, his armor amplifying his voice so she and the civilians could hear, "Get the citizens away from here! I'll hold him off until they're clear!"

"Hold me off?" the man rasped, readying his sword to a quick-slash position, "Shouldn't you be telling them you'll defeat me? That you'll capture me and hold the glory of defeating the Hero Killer?"

Tensei remembered his brother's words, and grinned behind his mask.

"Glory can wait. Lives don't."

"It seems you aren't one who must be purged. Stand aside, and I will let you live, Hero."

"Your titles and approval mean nothing to me, murderer. So long as I can hold you: you won't be leaving this place."

"So be it."

"She's sharp as a tac, blunt as a sledgehammer, and sudden as a Springtime monsoon, she's Tsuyu Asui!

Versus

He's the beast of the ground, and gives the middle finger to evolution's thoughts on the tail, he's Mashiro Ojiro!"

"Don't go easy on me, Kero," Tsuyu said, stretching a little, "I've got a new super move I wanna try out, and it won't look cool if I beat you up while you're holding back."

Ojiro laughed, giving her the thumbs-up.

"Sure thing, Asui!"

"Start!"

"I told you to call me Tsu!" she shouted, dashing forward with a leap and launching a kick at him.

His tail whipped up, meeting her leg and deflecting her with ease, sending Tsuyu spinning around towards the edge. She managed to grab the ground just shy of the line, sticking to it and leveraging herself around to just land inside. The audience screamed their approval of the acrobatic action, but she didn't pay them any mind.

She lunged again, going for a punch this time. Ojiro met her again, but his tail was thick enough she was able to graze past instead of being knocked aside. But he was also shifting his style, and had brought his fist around to meet hers. Their knuckles knocked together, which hurt her a lot more than it probably hurt him.

Leaping back, Tsuyu tried to keep some distance. She had the range, but only if she could use it. She had to attempt something first.

Launching her tongue forward, she snatched him around the waist and began to twist and throw him towards the edge. His tail slammed down on her tongue, bruising the muscle a little and cutting off her leverage. She released him instantly, retracting herself and swallowing a few times to try and soothe the pain.

"Not bad," he admitted, dropping into a martial arts stance.

"That wasn't my super move."

"Well, then let's see it!"

Tsuyu inhaled deeply and leapt at him again. She didn't hit him this time though. Instead, she got just barely out of range of his tail. He swung, and as he overextended, she attacked.

Her tongue lanced out, but rather than wrapping, she let it impact his chest. He groaned and brought his tail into a defensive stance, which she wasted no time in pummeling. Tsuyu fired her tongue out over and over, retracting it as soon as she felt it hit something and then firing it again. She could feel the bruise on the length starting to hurt, and a newer one starting to form on the tip, but she kept going, seeing the purple spot on the tail start to darken.

In desperation, he swung again, and she leapt upward. A final strike of her tongue hit his waist, wrapping around him as his tail extended past where he could defend with it. She swung to knock him out of the ring, but a hand snapped out and gripped her. She squeaked in surprise as he swung her down to impact the ground inside the ring.

Breathing heavily, she grinned at him.

"Not bad," she returned.

He held up his fists, and she got into her usual frog pose. It was time to go all out, Midoriya-style.

Chiyo sighed as she placed a kiss on the open flesh, watching it knit back together into mostly repaired skin. The bones were back together, in much better condition than she'd expected, but still damaged enough she'd had to set them just so in surgery before she could heal him.

His hand carried scars now, which she couldn't and probably wouldn't have healed. He was already fighting off the sleep, now that he was repaired. Which gave her only a little time to wrap him up again. She made sure to secure the hardest casts she could, securing the joints this time so he wouldn't even be tempted to use them. If she had her way, he would bow out in his next match, but she knew he wouldn't.

"Just like Toshinori… only more reckless," she grumbled, glad that at least his leg had been an easy fix.

Turning away from Midoriya as he stirred, and wishing he would just go to sleep and avoid going back out, she watched the match on her drop-down screen. Technically, Toshinori was allowed to come in now, the surgery over, but she didn't feel like giving him any favors after this.

The Asui girl was laying into the Ojiro boy, her fists and feet and even tongue flying out with blinding speed as she tried to knock him out or over the edge. The tailed-boy on the other hand, was sacrificing his extra limb solely for defense, while his hands and feet optimized openings to go for her sides. Chiyo sighed, seeing Midoriya's spirit in the both of them. The boy would be the death of his class if this continued. Something drastic had to be done.

Midoriya groaned, trying to roll into a more comfortable position, but found himself stuck, and settled back down. The poor boy couldn't even let himself rest. What exactly pushed him so far? Why wasn't he able to just take it easy?

He blinked his eyes open, wincing at the pain in his arms as he tried to move them above the wrist and felt the patch-job. He looked over the skin, not daring to move them. There were scars up and down the entire thing, and his fingers seemed much more crooked than he remembered. The worst were probably the three rings of scars which covered his palm and forearm.

Each one looked like the place where his arm had been torn off and reattached, the jagged, shining skin showing the places where he'd been put back together. If nothing else, he'd be re-learning how to write for a while.

Some part of him realized he'd also be stunted in other areas of life. He'd never given it much thought before, but… he would probably suck at holding hands now, if he ever found someone to do so with. Then again, even if he did make it to becoming a Hero, his devastated arm would drive off anyone who might have taken a passing interest in him, again supposing they somehow overlooked how boring he was.

"You owe me an explanation, young man," she scolded, turning back to him and pointing at his scarred hand, "What possessed you to risk losing use of your most valuable tools for a single tournament match? You're lucky your fingers aren't in tatters too. I had to make sure your knuckles hadn't thrown fragments through your hand before I could heal you, and you'll likely lose some sensation in your palm!"

Midoriya looked at the reminder of what going overboard meant, and sighed, laying back.

"I can't stay behind everyone," he whispered, a pair of tear lines appearing at either eye, "I've only had this power for a few weeks, and already I'm falling behind again. Three Quirks, and I haven't even mastered Float yet… my body can't handle the stockpiling power, and the dark energy isn't even under my control… what happens if more appear? My friends are mastering one Quirk each, and they'll start lapping me before long if I can't at least command one… But if I neglect the others, I won't be giving it my all. I won't have all the tools I need to save everyone. I'd be just like Todoroki was: holding myself back when people need me."

Chiyo sighed exasperatedly, pulling over her cane and bopping him on the head.

"You aren't the Symbol of Peace yet, boy!" she lectured, hitting him again, "And you never will be if you end up crippled before you can graduate! I hate to do this, but I have to make sure you get it through your thick skull before it cracks too. From now on I won't heal you from injuries of this kind. Someone kicks your arm in, I'll see what I can do, but if I see you coming in with black and purple arms after a training session: you'll fall even further behind while you heal up the old fashioned way, and not just in Hero work."

Midoriya nodded, sighing.

"I understand, Recovery Girl-sensei…"

Silently, she turned away, knowing she'd probably end up having to fix him again after a real encounter like the fiasco of the USJ, but he couldn't rely on that being possible, or he'd risk it anyways.

"And another thing," she grumbled, noticing Asui's arm make a strange angle as she hit Ojiro's tail, and Ojiro's leg twist oddly as he tried to get his balance, "If your classmates start coming in with injuries like yours, I'll start refusing to heal them too. Know that it'll be on you that they're staying hurt, if you push them like you did today again."

She heard a pained chuckle and turned to see him grinning at the screen.

"I'd rather know they all have scars up and down their limbs and had to spend months healing than see them die against a villain they could have defeated if they'd pushed just a little harder in high school. I know it sounds cold, but what good's being the new Symbol of Peace if everyone you love is in the ground?"

Chiyo realized Midoriya was still partially anesthetized and probably was being a little more bold than he would otherwise be. Pulling around a syringe of adrenaline, she stabbed his side and injected him. He blinked, shifting back into his much more jittery self, and seemed like he was about to go on an analysing muttering spree the likes of which would drive Nezu mad, when the pain registered. He let out a tiny sound which might have been "ow…" before falling back and shivering in agony, unable to pass out. She couldn't stand it when students tried to be eloquent.

"Great Job, Tsu!" Momo cheered, smiling over at the frog-girl as she limped back into their booth, "And an excellent showing, Ojiro! You two didn't hold anything back!"

Tsuyu gave her the thumbs up, her tongue currently hanging from her mouth and in a loop so the spot Ojiro had smashed could be given a bandage. She took her spot beside the tailed-warrior, his Quirk wrapped at the center and twitching here and there as he fought not to make it sway like he usually did. He gave her his fist, which she gently met with her own, before sitting next to him.

"By the way, have you seen Midoriya?" she asked, glancing over at Uraraka and Ida, who seemed worried he still wasn't back, "They said he was going into surgery, but Recovery Girl was able to tend to you both, correct?"

Ojiro winced and turned to look over at her.

"He was done and healed up when we saw him. His arms are wrapped up bad though, and…"

"He was shaking and staring at the ceiling the whole time we were there," Tsu managed, her voice less muffled than Momo had expected, "Recovery Girl said she'd cut off his pain suppressants, but he was keeping himself awake through sheer will."

Momo sighed. That was Midoriya, alright.

"Well, I hope he's not expected to fight you in the semi-finals," she said, shaking her head, "I doubt he's in any condition to stand, if she's doing that to him."

"Oh no, she said he wouldn't back down," Tsu clarified, wincing a little and shifting her loop of tongue to her lap, "And she offered to let me rest there too, so I could lay down and recover my strength, but Midoriya's kind of freaky-looking."

Nodding, Momo glanced to the empty chair beside her, where Jiro's phone was still sitting. She'd been showing her some of her favorite music, and she was quite impressed with the complexity Jiro had been able to point out to her. So many moving and shifting lines of notes, all woven together in a loud and emotional melody. But now… now she had to wait to see how far the next match went.

"A vs B folks! She's the longest lasting warrior from outside the USJ victims, and she's swept the entire competition with religious quotations: it's Ibara Shiozaki!

Versus

The jamming queen; she's not just a shoe-in for the victor's slot, but a plug in! Kyoka Jiro!"

Jiro stepped onto the ring, and for a moment she glanced up at their box. Momo waved tentatively, knowing the motion was too small to be seen, but wanting to show her support anyways. Still, she was nervous.

The cameras caught her returning wink, and while many of the audience probably thought it was just for show, Momo felt her face grow warm with emotion at seeing it. Oh, she'd never survive the week like this.

"Start!"

Tensing and holding her hands to her mouth, Momo watched as the vines launched across the ring, as swift and as terrible as any attack before, divine or mundane. Jiro seemed to remain calm though. Her jacks launched forward, but instead of knocking vines off course or attacking, she embedded them in the nearest tendril.

Shiozaki screamed, and a cluster of vines broke from her head, writhing in pain before they burst in a small explosion of chlorophyll. She held the spot where they had broken off, her expression one of surprise, pain, and appaul. Frowning, she sent the vines on the attack again, only for Jiro to impale and explode more of them, her confidence in the attack allowing her to force them to break more quickly.

"In the vein of all the other matches thus far: Jiro isn't holding back a single iota! Shiozaki seems to be returning in kind! Where did that sweet little angel go?"

Present Mic's words were quite correct. Shiozaki's expression, which had been calm and kind up until now, had shifted into one of utter rage. Blood streamed from her scalp, while tears came from her eyes, and she sent her entire quaff of hair to attack Jiro without mercy.

She was being overwhelmed, only able to explode two at once, and Shiozaki had enough to start entrapping her. Jiro wasn't just being entangled either. She was being squeezed, as if Shiozaki had an intent to knock her out.

"Jiro!" Momo shouted, worried for her… for Jiro.

Roaring in defiance, Jiro stabbed her jacks into the vines over and over, trying to get free. Shiozaki seemed to be about half out of her old amount when she suddenly froze. She fell to her knees, the blood and tears starting to flow faster.

She closed her eyes and swung Jiro out of the ring, detaching a few more bits of hair as Shiozaki cast her away as if in shame. Instead of cheering or holding for victory, the remaining vines swirled around to wrap around Shiozaki, encasing her in a cocoon of sorts. In the moment before she was hidden from view, Momo caught her expression. It was now one of utter devastation. She couldn't believe what she'd done, or had planned to do.

"Sh-shiozaki wins?" Present Mic proclaimed, surprised at the reaction of the victor.

As the robots came out to take care of them, Shiozaki's bundle shuffled away, remaining closed as it slid towards the prep room. Jiro was able to jog after her, and the robots seemed a bit miffed about it.

Standing up, Momo turned to run down and check on them. True, she mostly wanted to check on Jiro, but the expression on Shiozaki's face… she looked like someone who needed help too.

She'd become a creature of Wrath. A demon of anger and evil. For that one moment, she'd given in to her family curse, and she'd moved to hurt her opponent. To restrain and to disable were acts she could take to save others, and would gladly do so. Entrapment, inflicting discomfort or pain to dissuade, these too she could handle. But in that instant, she'd squeezed Jiro with fire in her heart and meant to hurt her. How could she ever forgive herself for such weakness?

Ibara heard a soft voice outside her ball. Was it Recovery Girl? Perhaps it was Midnight, come to lecture her on being an improper hero? Maybe Jiro had come to give her a piece of her mind? Peeking out, she realized it was the worst possible option of all. It was Yaoyorozu.

Letting her hair fall into clumps around her, Ibara surrendered herself to being berated.

But Yaoyorozu didn't start to yell. She didn't even speak. Instead, a pair of arms wrapped around her shoulders, followed by a smooth pair of tendrils which she recognized as Jiro's jacks. She looked up, confused.

"Wh- why are you-?"

They didn't answer, simply hugging her tighter. She felt the tears welling up again, and managed to get her arms around them as well.

"I'm sorry," Ibara managed, praying with all her might that they'd be able to forgive her, "I hurt you, and then I couldn't even face you…"

Jiro pulled back a little, and Ibara prepared for the worst again, when she heard the confused tone in her voice.

"Hurt me? Girl, I stabbed you repeatedly and blew up your hair. You didn't start to squeeze more than a tight hug before you let go and went all mopey. Seriously, Emo's really Tokoyami's thing, you're way too… bright, I suppose."

Ibara slid her hands down to look at them, almost expecting them to be coated in blood or ash. She hadn't hurt Jiro, as she'd feared, but she'd meant to. In that moment, when all the anger had broken free, she'd attacked with the intent to do damage, to hurt, and to inflict pain. It was unforgivable to do such heinous things to someone so forgiving.

"I wasn't… the results don't justify my actions," she managed, adamantly not letting herself be swayed from her self-deprecation, "I meant to injure you, in that moment. I- I won't let myself become someone who believes such an act is acceptable. I can't believe you when you say "it's alright.""

She brought one of her remaining vines to her hand, looking at it mournfully.

"This power… it's a blessing and a burden. A trial I have tried to bend to the cause of helping others. With it, I can fly between buildings or catch that which should not fall. But… with a single twist, I could snap necks, or break bone, or steal from the unwary. I- I know who I come from, and if I allow myself to become casual about this Quirk's use, I will become little more than a villain with an excuse."

There was silence for a few moments, with the others likely now afraid of her. It would be as it would be. She'd been ostracized before. Told religion was outdated or contemptible, feared for her dangerous powers, or simply told she looked weird.

"Bull."

Ibara glanced up, confused.

"Pardon?"

"Bull," Jiro repeated, frowning, "You got into the match, so what? Girl, you got down to business, whooped me out of action, realized you were about to go to far, and then stopped yourself in like a heartbeat. How are you not just oozing self-confidence right now?"

"I- I shouldn't have been tempted to hurt someone I didn't know. Needing to stop myself was the only thing I did well."

Yaoyorozu frowned at her, and she leaned away from her, worried she'd disappointed her.

"Shiozaki… who told you that?" she asked, gently.

"Told me? I don't have to be told," Ibara countered, folding her arms, "I've seen how my family acts when they think they're being slighted or challenged. If I let myself be as competitive or quick to anger as I could be… I won't let myself fall so far as that."

Sharing a significant look with Jiro, Yaoyorozu leaned towards her a bit. She lowered her voice to a whisper, but her words were just as clear and cutting as if she shouted them.

"Ibara, I don't mean to offend you, your family, or your religion, but you sound like a victim of abuse when you berate yourself."

She shook her head, trying to deny the accusation. She tried to say that her parents had never done anything extreme to her, but knew that it wasn't so clear as that. She mentally amended it, that their actions had always been to teach her and to ensure she was able to think clearly, but that… sounded like an excuse an abuse victim would come up with, even though she wasn't!

"Yaoyorozu… I don't agree with everything my parents do," she admitted, "I find many of their ideas and decisions foolish. But I don't believe I've been abused. And while some of our views are… controversial, my church promotes compassion and forgiveness above all else. I promise I haven't been abused."

"Then why are you having such a hard time forgiving yourself?" Jiro prodded, one of her jacks poking her cheek, "Doesn't sound like something the Big J would approve of: hating yourself over nothing."

"Please… don't call him that," she sighed, trying not to smile, "And I fully intend on forgiving myself, once I've found a way to make it right."

"Made it right? What does that entail?" Jiro asked, suspicion on her face and now poking both cheeks with her Quirk.

"It mostly entails understanding what you did wrong, making amends with who you wronged, and then asking for forgiveness from them," she managed, holding it together.

"Okay. You got over-eager, I forgive you. That about wrap things up?"

"I have to ask forgiveness from everyone I harmed," Ibara insisted, her vines quivering as she fought not to poke back, "That includes… well, I need to repent to the Lord, as well as to you."

"Yaomomo can make a confession booth and sit in it," Jiro offered, smirking and no doubt knowing exactly how close she was to smiling.

"...I'm not Catholic."

"You're not?" Yaoyorozu asked, surprised, "But you always quote from biblical sources, and your favored position is of the prayerful hands."

"Yeah, and you call down heavenly light on a whim."

"Well, prayer would require I fold my arms, which would be debilitating in an emergency," she explained, a little frown on her face. She didn't summon heavenly light… did she?

"Besides, I quote from all my Religion's scriptures when I need to. Biblical terminology's just better known."

"So it's a byproduct of branding?" Momo asked, surprised and evidently giddy at the concept.

"I thought Greed was a deadly sin?"

"It's certainly a vice," Ibara quirked a grin, giving into temptation and bringing one of her vines over to poke Jiro's head a little, "But I also don't intend to become known as the Homeless Hero."

"Pretty sure Aizawa-sensei has that one locked down, but go on."

Chuckling a little at the interruption, Ibara shook her head.

"Regardless. I use biblical quotes and imagery so people will be able to identify me as a helper or a savior more quickly, and not someone who's simply come to capture villains and gain glory. I intend to start implementing a little more of the other facets of my beliefs when I'm better established, perhaps help spread the word a little, but I have to be patient about such things."

Jiro snapped her fingers.

"Right, we got off topic. We were talking about why you believed you had to wait to forgive yourself after I forgave you. Seriously, how long is this gonna take, I'm not up for spending the rest of the day cheering you up, I wanna get popcorn for the final four."

"Jiro…" Yaoyorozu sighed, shaking her head.

"I'm afraid repentance is a Sunday thing," Ibara apologized, "I'll be able to feel truly better then."

"Ugh… religion takes too long…"

"I'd invite you to come along and enjoy the ride, but… well, you might not like me much afterwards. Some of the views I ascribe to aren't exactly seen as… very modern."

"You believe some guy was able to beat every evil in the universe onto himself back during the roman empire. I don't think we'll be surprised if it's not exactly straightforward."

Leaving Jiro's description of her Savior as "some guy" aside, Ibara shook her head.

"I mean… well, for instance, my church still encourages a view on personal identity and romance that were considered old-fashioned in pre-Quirk days. We try to treat anyone who doesn't believe as we do with same the kindness as anyone else, but… we still receive some public disdain for it."

Jiro blinked at her.

"And you don't think we'd let you explain if we heard something contradictory like that, when you're a literal teddy bear most of the time?"

"You'd be one of the first."

"Dang… now I want to go and see what kind of stuff you're doing to make a you and also get slandered by misunderstandings. Yaomomo, you can free up a weekend, right?"

"I'd love to come with! We can take the Saturday beforehand to get ready and make a day of it!"

Ibara shook her head, hiding a small smile and sighing to herself. Why did she have to be beset by beautiful girls who wouldn't let her mope in peace?

"And our last match of the round:

He's the king of the ring, and armed to the teeth: Eijiro Kirishima!

Versus

The Diva of Delta-V, The Gravity Goddess: Ochako Uraraka!"

"Do well Uraraka!" Tenya cheered, standing at the back of the 1-A box.

He didn't know why, but he felt rather anxious right then. It was probably just because his friend was going into battle with someone so well-acquainted with close quarters fighting, which was what she needed to act.

"H-have they started yet?" came an exhausted voice from behind him.

Tenya turned and stiffened in shock.

"M-m-midoriya?!" he shouted, drawing the attention of the other students.

"Midoriya!" they shouted in turn, drawing the attention of some of the other members of the crowd.

"Heyguys,Imadeit…" he managed, stepping over and leaning his casts on top of the little wall Tenya had been standing before.

"Midoriya, your speech is slurred beyond all reason!" Tenya lectured, chopping his arms like he did when he wanted to calm himself down, "Should you not be resting in the First Aid room?! You are unfit to stand, let alone continue in the tournament at this rate!"

"Can't sleep," he managed, clearly slowing himself down a little, "Recovery Girl didn't let me."

From deep within the bowels of the arena, a distant shout of "Midoriya! Where are you?!" echoed up, and he laughed in a manner which stated very clearly he was at least somewhat delirious. Had he been fully in control of his faculties, the sound of Recovery Girl calling for him with murderous intent would be reason to cower in fear.

"Midoriya, I don't think we should fight in the next round," Tsu managed, turning to look at him, "I don't want to break your arms again, but I also don't want to get kicked in the face again."

Midoriya's more serious face showed again, and he turned to nod at her respectfully.

"Tsu, I promise not to kick you. But I will give you a match, and I won't break anything. You have my word."

"If you say so. I'll try and ring you out early then."

They remained silent for a moment, and Tenya wondered if Midoriya had passed out mid-conversation. He seemed to still be responsive though.

"Midoriya, do you intend to counter-challenge?"

"...no."

Shaking his head at his friend's oddity.

As Uraraka and Kirishima charged one another, Ida wondered if his friend would fall to blows or her stomach first. She'd complained that her Quirk had been overused, even with her training, and hadn't indicated she was feeling better before going to prep.

Uraraka's fists were closed, which indicated she wasn't planning to null his gravity. Meanwhile, Kirishima wasn't hardening. Perhaps he'd overdone his own battle with Tetsutetsu? The two had certainly gone to the literal breaking point.

Kirishima swung a straight, and Uraraka seemed to take it right in the solar plexus, her hands at her stomach. But as they impacted one another, it was the red-haired boy who went flying back. He spun through the air, head over heels as the force of his punch pushed him one way, the lack of traction preventing him from slowing as he spun away and up.

Uraraka had fallen to her knees, heaving in a way which likely would have emptied her stomach if she had anything still in it. She waited only until Kirishima was at the edge of the ring before releasing him, falling to her hands and taking ragged breaths. The hardening boy tried to land inside the line, but hit the ground outside anyway.

It took only a few moments, but the slow drift as her opponent had slid away was agonizingly slow, and seemed to take an eternity. He half-expected her to pass out and lose by default, but she seemed to hold out until the last moment. As Present Mic announced her victory, Uraraka finally sighed and slumped to her stomach.

"'Chako…" Midoriya whispered, his voice holding a flurry of emotions.

Tenya was surprised a single word, a nickname at best, could contain such complexity. Pride, Admiration, Fear, Worry, Affection, and something else he couldn't place. He didn't know Midoriya was so deeply attached to Uraraka, and only after two or three weeks.

"Midoriya, if you feel the need to cry again today, I recommend drinking some fluids first," Tenya sighed, pointing towards the hallway down to the concessions stand, "And also that you do so somewhere away from the seats. Soaking unremovable cushions is a truly villainous act, after all."

"Yeah…" Midoriya muttered, clearly not hearing a single word Tenya had said.

Placing his hands on his friend's shoulders, he began to guide him back towards Recovery Girl. Hopefully they'd be able to recover somewhat before the semifinals.

So… I had no plans to make this chapter into one revolving around MomoJiro, let alone Ibara getting in on it. It just kind of happened, I'm as surprised as you. But, ya know what, I'm gonna run with it. Who knows, maybe we'll have a date sometime in the near future, or perhaps they'll spend a Sunday with Ibara? I honestly don't know, I'm only writing a few chapters ahead at a time.

Anyway, hope you're all doing okay. Please, comment with your criticisms and questions, your comments are my writer food to keep going. And of course, I'd like everyone reading to drop a vote for if Ibara should get swept up in the story and/or the romance more, and how?

Love You All!