Midoriya Izuku: Dragon Rider
Chapter 3:
"Dammit all!" he screamed as he slammed his fist down into the bank of monitors again. They were long since destroyed, but he could still feel the rage bubbling in his stomach.
"Sir you need to calm down!" the doctor begged. "So much activity isn't good for you!"
"And yet that buffoon," All for One spat through his teeth. "Manages to remain as active and powerful as ever."
"He cannot be," the doctor insisted. "You told me yourself, you destroyed him. Tore through his chest and shredded his organs. There aren't healing quirks strong enough to fix that."
"You've seen the footage," All for One reminded the doctor angrily. "That Nomu managed to hold over a dozen quirks. All Might beat it in a dozen punches."
"He still hasn't found a successor," the doctor offered as though it were some great gift.
"What need does he have for a successor?" All for One laughed bitterly. "At this rate he'll destroy all villainy in Japan."
"You aren't dead yet," the doctor defended him hotly.
"No," All for One agreed. He turned back to the heap of metal and wires that had once been his bank of monitors. "I'm not dead yet."
The doctor had been All for One's most useful subordinate to date. Now that he had lost Kurogiri and Shigaraki he was almost the last one left too. But they could make more. He could work through this. All Might would not be the one to defeat him. He refused to be made a mockery of in such a way. He just needed to know how the bastard had done it. How had All Might survived his punch?
"What was that about a healing quirk doctor?" All for One asked thoughtfully. He had the beginnings of a thought, and it was a wonderful thought indeed.
Aizawa stormed into the room with his usual lack luster style. He slumped up to the podium and looked out over the students of 1-A. He looked the same as ever, bored, tired, and absolutely done with them.
"I hope you're all ready," Aizawa began forebodingly. The tension in the room instantly skyrocketed. "It's time to start preparing you for the sport's festival."
With that the tension cracked and fell away, leaving a slightly stunned 1-A staring at Aizawa.
"That's it?" Ojiro sighed.
"I mean it is really important," Hagakure responded. "It's a chance for heroes to notice us and offer us internships and stuff."
"Sure," Jiro nodded. "It just seems kinda dangerous after the villain attack last week."
"I understand that the attack on the USJ was unprecedented," Aizawa agreed. "I ask however that you trust the staff of this school to continue to keep you safe. All the villains who infiltrated campus were captured and there is no reason to suspect any secondary attack."
"I guess that makes sense," Jiro muttered.
"You all need to take this event seriously," Aizawa told them. "You only get this chance four times. Heroes, civilians, even villains, they're are all going to be watching. If you make a fool of yourself then you'll never be taken seriously as a hero."
"Way to lay on the pressure," Kaminari groaned.
Aizawa silenced him with a glare. "To ensure you don't embarrass yourselves or UA your upcoming Foundational Heroics Studies classes will be dedicated to preparing you for the festival. We start today after lunch. Be ready."
Preparations for the sports festival basically boiled down to sparring against various classmates. They were allowed full use of their quirks, but they weren't allowed their hero costumes as they weren't going to be allowed them during the sport's festival. It meant Izuku had to go without his new sword or his bow, but even still he was fairly confident.
They were sparring in pairs. Each match lasted ten minutes and then they would rotate partners. Izuku was excited to find that his first partner was Uraraka. He was already headed off with her to an open section of the mat when Aizawa stopped him.
"Midoriya," Aizawa called.
"Yes sir?" Izuku asked as he turned around.
"Thirteen informed me about your actions at the USJ," Aizawa explained. Izuku didn't flinch or shy away from Aizawa's heavy glare. The exhausted hero eventually sighed, his expression returning to his usual apathetic one. "I don't care if you use your abilities, but ensure your partners are conscious when you switch. Understood?"
"Yes sir," Izuku nodded.
He turned back and jogged over to where Uraraka was waiting.
"What was that about?" Uraraka asked as she bowed towards Izuku.
"He was worried I'd just put everyone to sleep," Izuku told her as he bowed back.
As the two stood up straight once again, Uraraka rushed forward with her arm outstretched. Izuku let her get close and then swatted her wrist away.
"Ow," Uraraka hissed as she jumped back. "That hurt."
"Sorry," Izuku apologized, though he never dropped his guard.
"So why haven't you used any of those fancy powers of yours?" Uraraka asked as she circled around Izuku.
"Stop," Izuku commanded.
Uraraka froze. Despite the visible strain as she pushed against the magic holding her, she couldn't move an inch. Izuku waited a moment before he released the spell.
"It teaches neither of us anything," Izuku explained as she instantly began circling him again, a much grimmer look on her face.
"It teaches me how dangerous you are," Uraraka countered.
"I suppose," Izuku sighed. He leapt aside of another rush from Uraraka. "But that isn't the point of sparring. We're supposed to be pushing each other to become better fighters."
"Fine," Uraraka grumbled. "But I don't want to hear any complaints when I win."
With that she lunged forward once again. When Izuku swatted her wrist away she spun with the blow, sweeping low to the earth and trying to kick his feet out from under him. Izuku hopped gently over her leg and kicked out gently. His kick hit Uraraka in the shoulder and it knocked her off balance. She landed on her butt with a huff.
"I'm not finished yet," she growled as she leapt to her feet.
Who knew she burned with such fire! Jade laughed in Izuku's mind. Izuku just rolled his eyes and prepared for another attack.
They were down to just a few days before the sport's festival. All in all, preparations were going well. Izuku had sparred with all of his classmates at least once and each one pushed him in a different way. He was actually starting to get pretty excited.
"Midoriya," Aizawa called at the end of class.
"Yes sir?" Izuku asked as he approached the desk.
"Don't forget you have to do the opening speech," he told him.
"Okay," Izuku nodded. "Any rules?"
"Don't curse," Aizawa grunted. "Beyond that no one cares."
"Thank you for letting me know," Izuku bowed.
"Whatever," Aizawa sighed. He laid back down under the desk, dragging his yellow sleeping bag up around his shoulders as he went. "Class is over," he called out from the floor.
The students of 1-A began collecting their things. It was almost funny how quickly they had grown accustomed to Aizawa. Izuku just shook his head and headed for the door. When he opened it, he was met with a large crowd of students.
"Hello," he greeted them with a polite bow. "May I help you all?"
There were a few soft murmurs from the crowd, but no one stepped forward immediately. The other students of 1-A were beginning to come up behind Izuku now.
"What are they all doing here?" Uraraka asked nervously.
"Scoping out the competition," Shinso guessed. "At least that's what I would do."
"Competition?" a voice called condescendingly from the crowd. A boy with straight blond hair stepped forward with a sneer. "I don't see any competition here, just a bunch of cowards who think that they're better than everyone else."
"I'm sorry if we have done anything to give that impression," Izuku said with another bow. "My name is Midoriya Izuku. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"Save it," the boy laughed harshly. "We don't need to associate ourselves with 1-A scum like you."
"Excuse me?" Momo asked angrily as she pushed past Uraraka. "You are the ones who came to our classroom and accosted us. Now please either address us with some decorum or leave."
"Yeah!" Kirishima agreed from the back of the crowd. "You're acting super unmanly!"
"Like I care what a discount Tetsutetsu or some stuck up rich bitc-"
"Silence," Izuku growled, the white-hot magic flowing through him as his stomach boiled with anger just as hot.
Izuku? Jade asked as the sudden shift in Izuku's mood woke him from his nap. The dragon's concern and curiosity did little to wear away at Izuku's anger.
"I will not allow you to stand there and speak poorly of my classmates," Izuku seethed.
The confident sneer on the boy's face quickly shifted to an expression of confusion and fear as his surely snarky response never left his throat.
The crowd behind the boy shrunk back as they took in the anger radiating off of Izuku.
"Now if you'll excuse us," Izuku huffed as he fixed the strap of his leather messenger bag. "I believe my classmates and I would like to leave."
Izuku marched forward and the crowd parted before him. No one else in the crowd dared to speak up as 1-A followed behind Izuku and back to the dorms.
Momo was sitting with Izuku sharing one last morning cup of tea before the sport's festival. She wasn't sure how or why they had kept up the habit, but every morning when she came down, she found Izuku sitting with a pot of tea and an extra cup.
He was every bit as calm and collected this morning as on all the other ones. It wasn't that Momo was unaccustomed to the untroubled masks people wore, but for most people they were just that. Masks. With Izuku it was different.
"Are you nervous at all?" Momo asked him.
"Not really," he told her. "I will go out there and give my all. That is all any of us can do."
"And if it isn't enough?" Momo pushed. It wasn't that she wanted to make him nervous. More of the opposite actually. The knot in her stomach had been there for days and she was desperate for it to be gone. "What if I go out there and make a fool of myself?"
"You won't," Izuku assured her.
"How do you know that?" she huffed.
"Do you know what happened the first time I fired a bow?" Izuku asked.
"No?" Momo answered, confused at the sudden shift in conversation but willing to follow along.
"I missed the target and put an arrow through my TV," he told her.
Momo's laughter burst from her so suddenly she almost spilled her tea. It was a single guffaw unlike any noise Momo had ever made before.
"And now I trust myself to hit an apple at a hundred meters," he continued, Momo eternally grateful he didn't comment on her laugh. "Failures and struggles are not things to look down upon. They only help us grow. You cannot succeed without them."
Momo sighed. The knot in her stomach wasn't gone, but it was definitely much less intense.
"Thank you," Momo bowed.
"Any time Momo," Izuku nodded with a small smile. He held up the kettle. "Another cup?"
"Midoriya," Todoroki called coldly. Izuku looked up to find the dual-colored teen standing before him. They were in the 1-A waiting room. The sport's festival was about to begin. "I believe I'm stronger than you."
"Okay," Izuku nodded. He would disagree, but it really wasn't worth arguing about.
Todoroki scowled. "I don't care if you are some mystical dragon chosen prodigy," he grunted. "I'm going to beat you and prove that I will be number one."
"Whoa man," Sato laughed. "Take it easy. We're all friends here."
"I'm not here to make friends," Todoroki snapped at him. He turned back to Izuku. "You better not hold back."
"A declaration of war between the strongest," Kirishima exclaimed excitedly. "That's so manly!"
"Will the students please make their way to the field," Present Mic instructed over the stadium loudspeaker.
Together the students of 1-A made their way out of the waiting room. As they came out of the tunnel and into the bright sunlight that filled the stadium, they could hear Present Mic announce their arrival.
"Here they are ladies and gentlemen," Present Mic shouted. "The students who faced villains in their first week. The resilient students of hero course 1-A!"
They made their way towards the center of the field where Midnight waited for them on a stage.
"Don't forget about their fellow hero course, 1-B!" Present Mic called as the students of the other hero course followed them onto the field.
"The students of the support course are here to strut their stuff too!" Present Mic continued as a bunch of students decked out head to toe in support equipment came out.
"And last but not least we have a number of students representing the general education department!" Present Mic finished as a final group of students came out onto the field. It was by far the largest. Each student had a look up utter determination on their face. "As you all know, not every general education student can compete. These are the lucky hundred who won the lottery for a chance to compete before you today. They're hoping to prove they're capable enough to move up into the hero course, so don't count them out just yet!"
The crowd cheered for the students. There wasn't much to do but stand there and take it all in. Some of the more excitable students waved or screamed to family watching. Once the crowd's cheers began dying out, Midnight cracked her whip and drew everyone's attention.
"Hello boys and girls," she winked. "Welcome to the UA sport's festival. To get this party started we'll have the first-year representative, Midoriya Izuku, come up and say some opening words."
Izuku began making his way to the stage to the sound of some gentle applause.
"As always Midoriya was chosen because he placed first in the UA entrance exam," Midnight explained as he was walking. "Midoriya here not only scored first, but he broke the record for the highest score ever achieved!"
There was a moment of awkward awe where the applause died out before an eruption of noise dominated the stadium. Midoriya walked up the stairs and across the stage as the noise really reached an absurd level. He waited at the microphone until the crowd had quieted down again.
"Hello," he bowed. "I am not one for flowery speeches, so I will do my best to keep this short."
There was some appreciative applause from the crowd at that as well as a few chuckles.
"We are here to show the people of Japan their future heroes," he went on. "We aim to prove that we are up to the responsibilities before us. We will let our actions speak for us."
As Midoriya finished his speech the applause of the crowd was overpowered by a ferocious roar. Jade circled the stadium as the crowd screamed and pointed before the dragon slammed down behind Izuku. There was a moment of subdued shock and then the audience roared with cheers and applause once again. When Jade roared this time, the sound blended with the applause.
Midoriya walked off the stage and back into the crowd. Jade stayed behind the stage as Midnight took her place at the mic once again. Midoriya received some smiles and thumbs ups from his classmates, but any of their encouragements or praises were lost in the cacophony surrounding them.
"All right!" Midnight screamed into the microphone, finally quieting the crowd back down. "Now let's get our first round started. This round will function as a qualifier and we'll see our largest cut at the end."
Midnight gestured towards the screen behind her where a spinning wheel was displayed. It spun so fast that Izuku couldn't read what any of the cards said.
"And it looks like this year's qualifier will be a…" Midnight cracked her whip and the spinning wheel stopped instantly. The card it stopped on read "Obstacle Course!"
"The course will be a 4 km track that goes around the stadium and returns the students to the field," Midnight explained. "The only rule is that you can't leave the course!"
A metal start gate rose out of the floor and all the students began pushing their way towards it. The jostling crowd shoved Izuku along with it.
"Have fun boys and girls!" Midnight called after them with a laugh.
The red light on the side of the gate flashed. Seconds later the yellow flashed as well. The crowd around Izuku was like a kicked beehive, an angry buzz filling the air as students all but attacked anyone nearby. So, when the green light finally flashed Izuku wasted no time.
Izuku wove his way forward, slipping beneath thrown elbows and through the smallest of gaps. He made it through the crowd and was the first one to reach the other side of the tunnel and return to the open air.
He could hear shouts of anger from behind him, but he didn't bother turning back. Instead, he allowed his stride to lengthen and his steps to quicken. He practically flew down the track.
Of course, Jade had simply chosen to fly over the gate and avoid the crowd entirely. It wasn't exactly in line with Midnight's rule, but then again Jade wasn't really a competitor.
I heard that, Jade huffed.
You aren't, Izuku chuckled mentally.
Keep telling yourself that after I win, Jade taunted.
"And there in the lead is Midoriya Izuku," Present Mic's voice called from the stadium speakers. "His dragon, Jade, flying above as the two quickly come up to the first obstacle."
As Mic's voice echoed over the track Midoriya saw what he was referring to. An army of villain robots from the entrance exam stood ready and waiting, a line of zero pointers making a nearly impenetrable wall.
Have fun, Jade teased as he took off higher into the air.
Izuku just rolled his eyes.
"What's this?" Present Mic asked. "Has Midoriya sent Jade away? What is he planning?"
"I doubt he has anything planned," the bored voice of Aizawa droned through the speakers. "Jade is a fully independent creature with a competitive streak. He probably intends to race Midoriya to the end."
Izuku was a little surprised at Aizawa's astute analysis of Jade's personality. The two hadn't had that much time together for him to come to such an accurate conclusion.
Like you're any better, Jade snarked.
"If that's the case than Midoriya will have to navigate the robo-inferno on his own!" Mic called happily.
Izuku stared out over the battalion of enemies before him and sighed as he ran. Might as well make sure they weren't going to hurt anybody else.
Izuku reached out with his mind. Energy whirled around within the robots the same way it did a living being. He reached out and grabbed that energy, drawing it into himself. Glowing red eyes flickered and died as the robots before him began falling to the floor. Izuku continued to run as he navigated the newly formed robot graveyard. He felt renewed, if a little overly energetic.
"A-amazing!" Present Mic stammered in disbelief as Izuku leaped onto and then over the fallen form of a zero pointer. "Midoriya has single handedly dealt with the entire first obstacle without so much as slowing down."
Izuku leapt down from the zero pointer and took off running down the track again. He could see Jade flying out ahead of him, the dragon having picked up his speed while Izuku was dealing with the robots.
Flying will always be faster, Jade told him.
I know, Izuku sighed. He ran as fast as he could, but even still Jade slipped further and further away.
Izuku spared a look behind him, but he couldn't see anyone over the mountain of zero pointers he had left in his wake. With a shrug he refocused and continued to run.
"Let's see if the second obstacle proves as easy as the first for our front runner," Present Mic laughed. "If you fall here, you're out! Welcome to…the Chasm!"
Izuku could see the second obstacle Mic was describing. A large canyon had been carved through the track. It must have been fifty meters wide and Izuku couldn't see the bottom. There were spires spaced throughout. Some of them were connected by thin lengths of wire while others were untethered.
Izuku would have to thank Saphira for forcing him to develop the balance of an elf. Hours and hours of running from tree branch to tree branch meant he was ready. He did not slow down as he began racing along the wires and across the shortest path he could find. He came to a few dead ends, but he simply leapt to the next pillar and continued on his way.
"What a display of grace and agility by Midoriya!" Present Mic shouted.
Once on the other side Izuku continued his run. It really didn't feel like much time had passed before Mic was shouting about him again.
"What sort of training are you putting them through?" Mic laughed.
"Midoriya has undergone rigorous training of his own," Aizawa explained in a bored tone. "That kind of balance only comes from years of practice."
Izuku was glad Aizawa wasn't just writing it off as a side effect of his bond with Jade. There were a number of things that were surely connected, and he doubted he could have achieved the results of his physical training without the magic that coursed through him. But it did nothing to diminish the effort Izuku had had to put in.
"And he's already at the last obstacle folks," Present Mic announced. "Here comes Jade, swooping back down onto the field as Midoriya is left to navigate… the Minefield!"
Once again Izuku did not slow as he came upon the obstacle Mic announced. The mines were clearly marked by the disturbed earth, so it was a simple matter to avoid them. The minefield stretched for about half a kilometer. Izuku quickly crossed the minefield and passed through the gate with little effort.
"And he's done it!" Present Mic cheered. "Midoriya has absolutely breezed through the obstacle course. Let's give him a round of applause ladies and gentlemen!"
The crowd cheered in approval as Izuku gave a single bow. The cheers quickly died out as Mic continued his commentary on the others still racing. The stadium screen showed Todoroki sliding across the wires of the chasm.
I won, Jade thought smugly.
Izuku turned away from the screen and to the dragon who was sitting with his chest thrust out proudly. He had brought up a single claw on his foreleg to clean.
Well done, Izuku laughed.
You're no fun, Jade huffed.
Give me a break, Izuku smiled with a shake of his head. When was the last time I beat you in a race?
I still like it when you make me work for it, Jade grumbled.
Alright, Izuku agreed. Next time I'll be sure to win then.
Good, Jade nodded contently. His enormous green eyes fixed Izuku with an excited look. It'll make crushing you all the more satisfying.
Izuku laughed gently.
Todoroki storming through the gate drew his attention. The dual-colored teen glared at Izuku as he panted at the finish line. Without saying a thing, he stormed away and to the opposite side of the field.
See, Jade hummed. That is what the fire of competition looks like.
I don't know if it is anything so noble, Izuku sighed as he looked at Todoroki. He had switched to glaring angrily at the crowd around them.
Well, we shall crush him regardless, Jade huffed.
With Todoroki's arrival the other students began trickling in. First it was one at a time, but then in a rush a steady stream of students came through the gate.
Uraraka ran up to him the moment she was through the gate.
"That was amazing Midori!" she cheered as she hugged him. "We couldn't see you at all, but we heard Present Mic's commentary."
"Indeed," Momo agreed as she approached as well. She was still panting slightly from exertion. "Though I'm curious as to how you dealt with all of the robots."
"Ah," Izuku chuckled. "I suppose you could say I stole the electricity that was flowing through them."
Momo and Uraraka stared at him in disbelief. Before either one could say anything though the day continued.
"And that's it!" Midnight screamed as Aoyama came through the finish line. A metal gate slammed down behind him and the next student slammed against it. "The cut off this year was right at 40 students. To the rest of you who didn't qualify for the next round, thank you for competing and better luck next year."
Izuku looked around at the forty students that were now on the field. All of 1-A had made it. Based on the fact that all but one of the other students were huddled together he'd guess all of 1-B made it too. The student that stood apart from the crowd was a girl with pink dread locks and a ton of support gear. She looked familiar, but Izuku wasn't sure where he'd seen her before.
"Now please direct your attention to the jumbotron and we'll find out what our second event will be!" Midnight announced.
Everyone turned and found the spinning wheel once again displayed on the screen. It spun and spun until Midnight cracked her whip and it stopped just as suddenly as last time. It stopped on a card that read man hunt.
"A true classic," Midnight chuckled. "We'll be throwing our forty contestants in a maze. Each student will be given a bandana with points that must be clearly displayed on their person. They'll have ten minutes to try and navigate the maze and collect as many bandanas as possible."
That didn't seem so bad.
"Now for the points," Midnight continued. "Each student's points will be determined by their finishing place. 40th place will have a bandana worth 5 points. 39th's will be worth ten. The points will continue to increase in this fashion up until 2nd place who will have a bandana worth 195 points. First place, however, will have a bandana worth 10 million points!"
All eyes turned to Izuku, hungry and desperate. It might have been intimidating to anyone else, but Izuku saw the 10 million points for what it was. Not a target on his back, but a free pass to the next round.
Forty Ectoplasm clones rushed onto the field. Each one came up to a student and handed them the bandana it carried. It then made sure they properly displayed them. Izuku took his head band and tied it around his left arm.
"Don't worry about getting started," Midnight laughed as walls began to rise out of the earth around the students. "Because your ten minutes starts now!"
As she finished her announcement the walls stopped growing and the ectoplasm clone burst into goo.
Izuku and Jade didn't even have to discuss their strategy before they put it into place. Jade flew up into the air and began circling just above the top of the stadium. From there he could see the entire maze. Jade kept an eye on things and Izuku used their shared knowledge to navigate the labyrinth and avoid everyone else.
"How is Midoriya doing it?" Present Mic asked after about five minutes of Izuku narrowly avoiding the pursuing students.
"He and Jade have a psychic connection," Aizawa sighed. Mic knew that of course, so his question was more to force Aizawa to answer. "By having Jade fly above the stadium, he has info on everyone else's locations as well as the layout of the maze."
"Is that cheating?" Present Mic laughed.
"He hasn't left the maze so no," Aizawa grunted.
Honestly, it was a pretty boring event. After Aizawa's explanation of how he was avoiding the others a few tried to take out Jade, but even as large as he was, he proved too agile for any of them to hit. At the end of the ten minutes Izuku still had his 10-million-point bandana.
"Another impressive display by our students," Present Mic called. The walls began falling back into the earth. "Now let's see who our sixteen finalists will be!"
Izuku looked up to the scoreboard and was quite pleased to see his name first on the list with his 10 million. He did go ahead and read the rest of the top sixteen as well.
Midoriya Izuku
Iida Tenya
Shinso Hitoshi
Ashido Mina
Todoroki Shouto
Yaoyorozu Momo
Tokoyami Fumikage
Uraraka Ochako
Kirishima Ejiro
Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu
Aoyama Yuga
Sero Hanta
Shiozaki Ibara
Hatsume Mei
Monoma Neito
Kendo Itsuka
Izuku was surprised to see so many names from 1-A, but he was proud of his classmates for doing so well. Now they would just have to wait and see who they would be fighting.
"For our final round," Midnight said with a crack of her whip to get the audience's attention. "We will of course be doing a one-on-one single elimination tournament!"
The crowd roared its approval. This was really what they came to see.
"You know I love to make you wait for it though," Midnight winked. "We'll be announcing the tournament bracket after a one-hour recess for lunch!"
A groan of disappointment swept through the stadium, but Midnight had already left the stage.
I think she's funny, Jade hummed.
You would, Izuku shook his head.
"Let's go get some lunch Midori!" Uraraka called.
Izuku turned and found her with Momo, Kirishima, and Mina.
"That sounds wonderful," Izuku nodded as he approached the small group.
"We gotta celebrate your victory bro!" Kirishima cheered as he threw an arm around Izuku's shoulder. Izuku had to crouch down a little so Kirishima didn't pull him down. "I'll buy you lunch!"
"You don't have to do that," Izuku chuckled as they walked off the field.
"I know that," Kirishima assured him. "But you're my bro and you got freaking first place in both events so far. You deserve a reward!"
"What do you think Yaomomo?" Mina asked teasingly. If Izuku was anyone else, then he probably wouldn't have been able to hear it. "Do you want to give Midoriya a reward?" The flirtatious tone almost brought a blush to Izuku's face.
If the squeak from where Momo was standing behind him was any indication she was probably less successful in hiding her reaction.
"Everything okay Yaomomo?" Kirishima asked, turning around to face the girls who were walking behind them.
"Fine," Momo assured him with a slightly strained tone.
"Hello young heroes!" a voice boomed through the hall and got all of their attentions. They turned and found Toshi standing further down the passageway.
"All Might!" Kirishima and Mina shouted out at the same time.
"Yes," Toshi nodded. "I am here."
"That's awesome!" Kirishima exclaimed as he pumped his fist in the air. He laughed as he jumped up a little. "What can we do for you sir?"
"Nothing at all," Toshi laughed. "I was just escorting someone down."
Toshi turned to the side and revealed Izuku's mom standing behind him. She was still clutching several tissues in her hand and her eyes were red rimmed.
"Mom?" Izuku gasped.
"Oh Izuku!" Inko cried as she threw herself at him.
Izuku caught her in his arms and brought her into a gentle hug.
"Oh, my baby!" Inko sobbed. "First place! Both times!"
"Why don't you guys go on ahead," Izuku waved to his friends.
"Of course," Momo nodded. "You two take your time."
"Thank you," Izuku smiled.
Toshi led the group away and Izuku and Inko were left alone in the dark passageway. Eventually his mom calmed down and released him. The two of them walked slowly after the group.
"I didn't know you were coming Mom," Izuku chuckled.
"Toshi worked it out as a surprise," Inko told him. "He's such a sweet man."
"Has he asked you out yet?" Izuku asked.
"Izuku!" his mom chided with a slap on his arm.
"That isn't a no," Izuku pointed out. "Is this a date?"
"Oh, and what about you mister?" his mom countered. "Don't think I didn't see all those beautiful women behind you."
"Changing the subject?" Izuku asked.
"Oh? So I'm right?" Inko smiled.
"Mom," Izuku huffed.
Inko cackled at him. "I'm just teasing Izuku," she assured him. "So, don't be scared to bring one of them home okay?"
"I know Mom," Izuku sighed. "I will."
"Good," Inko harrumphed. The two of them walked in silence for a minute before she continued. "I'm so proud of you Izuku."
Izuku felt the pride bubble in his chest. It bubbled into his eyes in the form of tears too, but he blinked those back.
"You're doing amazing Izuku," she told him as she wrapped him in a hug outside the doors to the student cafeteria. "So, you get out there and win, okay?"
"Of course, Mama," Izuku nodded as he hugged her back. "You're sitting with Toshi right?"
"Yeah," Inko confirmed. "He got us a private box. It has drinks and everything."
"So, this is a date for you," Izuku laughed.
"I suppose," Inko huffed. "Now why don't you go get lunch with your girlfriends."
Izuku laughed again and the two hugged one last time before they parted ways. Izuku went straight for the line. The line was relatively slow, but Izuku waited patiently.
"Midoriya," a cold voice called. Izuku turned to see Todoroki glaring angrily at him. "Can I have a word?"
"Sure Todoroki," Izuku nodded.
"I'd rather do this in private," Todoroki told him as he looked around the crowded cafeteria.
"Fine," Izuku sighed. So much for lunch.
Izuku followed Todoroki back into the passageways of the stadium. They walked into a deserted corridor and Todoroki leaned against one of the walls. Izuku leaned against the wall opposite him and waited. Todoroki's face went through several emotions. His eyebrows remained furrowed the entire time. After several minutes of silence passed Todoroki finally spoke.
"You deserve to know why I have to beat you," Todoroki explained. His scowl was still fierce on his face. "Everyday of my life has been consumed by my father's mission to surpass All Might."
"Your father's mission?" Izuku repeated. "And why have you let his mission consume you?"
Todoroki took a steadying breath. "What do you know about quirk marriages Midoriya?"
"A quirk marriage?" Izuku asked, he could hear the worry in his own voice. It didn't sound like a happy thing the way Todoroki said it. "What is that?"
Todoroki laughed bitterly. He explained what a quirk marriage was, and how it had shaped his life. By the time Todoroki had finished telling Izuku his story, a story of abuse and manipulation, Izuku and Jade were both livid. Their anger burned across their connection and grew stronger by their combined indignation.
"What'll you do?" Izuku asked him, struggling to keep his voice level.
"I'll prove I can be a hero without his damned quirk," Todoroki seethed. "Today is just the first step."
"No," Izuku shook his head. "What'll you do about him?"
"What?" Todoroki shook his head.
"He needs to answer for what he's done," Izuku explained.
"He's the number two hero," Todoroki sighed tiredly. "Even if anyone would listen, no one could touch him."
"Bullshit," Izuku seethed. Todoroki was staring at him in utter shock. "I listened. We can't let him get away with this."
"Shouto!" an angry voice echoed down the passageway.
Izuku and Todoroki turned to see Endeavor, flames alight, standing at the end of the corridor.
"What are you doing down here?" Endeavor snapped. "You were supposed to meet me after the second event."
Stop him, Jade growled.
"Apologies," Izuku bowed as he stepped between Todoroki and his father. "I asked Todoroki to speak with me."
"You," Endeavor sneered. "You're the boy that beat my Shouto in the first two events."
Izuku tried to keep calm. Endeavor's phrasing was the very embodiment of what was wrong. Izuku could feel Jade's rage mixing with his own, the two feelings boiling within him.
"Once he gets past this childish tantrum of his you won't stand a chance against him," Endeavor continued. "He is my perfect creation and I have trained him better than to fail."
"He isn't yours," Izuku corrected him in the most level tone he could manage.
"What was that brat?" Endeavor seethed.
"You do not own Todoroki," Izuku said. He took a breath before he continued. He was so angry that it was a struggle. "He will never be you and his achievements will never be yours."
Endeavor's flames flared around him as his face contorted in rage. The hero drew back a hand to strike at Izuku. Izuku's foot connected with Endeavor's chest.
"Izuku isn't here either," Momo sighed disappointedly as they made it to the seats reserved for 1-A. "I hope everything's okay."
"Aww, you're so cute worrying about him Yaomomo," Mina shrieked happily as she threw herself down into the seats.
"I'm sure he's fine," Kirishima assured her as he straightened Mina out so she occupied only a single seat. "Midoriya's gotta be the strongest in the class. He can take care of himself."
"Kirishima's right Yaomomo," Uraraka agreed. "I'm sure he just wanted to spend some time with his mom."
Momo nodded, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
"Welcome back ladies and gentlemen," Present Mic shouted over the loudspeaker. "We're just about ready to unveil the bracket for the one-on-one tournament!"
The crowd cheered in anticipation.
"That's what I like to hear!" Present Mic laughed. "Now before we-"
A shaking boom shook the stadium as a cloud of dust erupted from the wall surrounding the field. A streak of orange and blue flew through the air, smacking into the earth. There were screams of shock and fear through the stadium. Everyone stared as the object came to a stop and they saw the prone form of Endeavor.
The number two hero crawled his way out of the gouge he'd carved into the earth as the dust settled. A hand burst out of the hole in the wall the hero had come through and grabbed hold of the edge. Izuku stepped through the hole and out into the sunlight. He was far away, but Momo could still see the angry look on his face.
"Are you kidding me?" Izuku yelled. His voice carried clear across the silenced stadium as every person there stared at him. It was the first time Momo had heard him raise his voice. The rage and fire that burned in his tone was so clear it was almost scary.
The screens turned on and displayed the scowl contorting Endeavor's features. He spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Just who the fuck do you think you are brat?" Endeavor sneered.
A ferocious growl from behind Endeavor caused everyone to turn. Jade stalked around the number two hero. He had his fangs bared dangerously and his eyes were laser focused on the large man. The hero was pinned between Izuku and the dragon.
"I am Midoriya Izuku," Izuku told the hero, his tone demanding everyone's attention return to him. "I'm the person that is going to stop you."
"You can't do this," Endeavor screamed. "I'm the goddamn number two hero."
"You're nothing but a criminal," Izuku announced ferociously. "Abuse, assault, arrangement of a quirk marriage, and who knows what other crimes you've covered up. I don't care if you are the number two hero. You will still answer for your crimes."
There were gasps through the crowd as they heard the claims.
"Slander," Endeavor snapped.
The screen flicked to a security video. It showed Izuku standing between Todoroki and Endeavor. He had a schooled expression on his face.
"His achievements will never be yours," Izuku declared. He sounded so confident and sure as he said it. The context was missing, but even still the body language of everyone in the video spoke volumes.
Endeavor's flames flared up to the point that it was nearly impossible to look at the screen. Those that managed watched as Endeavor raised back his arm to hit Izuku. Izuku's leg snapped out so quickly that it blurred. The video paused as Endeavor was flung back into, and through, the wall.
Oh goodness. That was an actual attempted assault. That was video evidence of Endeavor publicly misusing his quirk and attacking a civilian.
Momo turned back to the field and saw Endeavor staring up at the screen still in shock. His face contorted back into one of rage as his flames flared.
"If you think you and that damn rat-"
"Endeavor!" All Might's voice rang out from the top of the stadium. Heads couldn't turn fast enough to see him or to follow the blue and white streak as it raced towards the field. A second dust cloud billowed up on the field.
"All Might," Endeavor snarled. "Couldn't help but come join this little spectacle, could you?"
"Enji that's enough," All Might pleaded. "You've tried to assault a student."
"He put me through a wall," Endeavor roared in reminder. Endeavor apparently had had enough. He jumped at Izuku, his flames billowing behind him and cutting off Jade and All Might from following. Endeavor reared back a flame covered fist, but Izuku was ready.
"Letta," Izuku commanded.
The flame hero stopped, suspended a foot in the air, as his flames continued to blow behind him. Endeavor bellowed incomprehensibly in rage. His flames grew brighter and larger as he struggled against Izuku. But even thrashing with all his might he couldn't move.
Izuku blurred forward. He was on Endeavor in no time at all, his fist lodged in the man's stomach. Momo winced in sympathy at the blow as it reminded her of her own bruised abdomen. Endeavor sagged forward and the flames finally stopped.
Izuku took a step back as Endeavor crumpled to the floor. The crowd stared on in shocked silence.
"Young Midoriya?" All Might asked as he was finally able to approach. His voice was much softer, but with the silence of stadium it still carried clear over the crowd. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Izuku nodded shortly. His voice was tense, but it sounded far calmer than it had earlier.
"Come," All Might told him gently as he scooped Endeavor up onto his shoulder. "We'll need to talk about what just happened."
"Right," Izuku sighed.
Together the two of them walked off of the field. The stadium was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. Several thousand people all shocked into silence. It was a touch surreal. They all sat in silence and stared after them for a long time.