Crimextar06 - Truly, it did. Finally, the one universe where he was RIGHT! And yes, trying to enter his mindspace might have led to some... worrying revelations XD
Violetsumire - Yes, Aiko the Cryptid Supreme :V I really like writing her bits of the story, ngl.
The Archivist of Nyx - Oh, he'll certainly be taking her under his wings like canon Shinsou. Though he'll probably have to share her with someone else after this... And no, Tokoyami's meeting with Aiko will end up differently, but no less hilariously :v Well, that's happening around the preparations for the final exams, so you'll have to wait through Hosu first, I'm afraid.
Trixuny - The main arcs actually stay the same. But there are going to be MASSIVE changes to how they play out.
Detrametal - just read the other stories reee Amaya Uyemura is Mustard (canon, so no description here). Yoshihiro Maki is Zealot (power amplification proportional to his perception of himself or his actions as good - the more he thinks that he is in the right and his enemy is wrong, the more strenght and endurance he gets). Miyuki Tagawa is Toxicity (she is toxic, touching her skin causes instant rash, her saliva causes chemical burns, too deep of a scratch will probably kill you, and even hearing her voice causes disorientation, nausea and symptoms of being drunk). Mieko Eto is Blueberry/Sunset (except she only has the warp component of her mother's quirk, so she can open warpgates between her own position and some different place).
(***)
"You must know about my father." Todoroki says. "He's the Number Two Hero. For something like twenty years now."
Kyoka wonders if Todoroki realizes what sort of idiocy it is to tell that to Number One Hero Fanboy. Everyone in their class is a hero fanboy to some degree or another, but Izuku Midoriya certainly takes the cake.
"He has been working and training with all his might for years now." Todoroki continues. "Yet whatever he does, he fails to match All Might. The Number One Hero seat is both at his hands reach… and on another planet. So due to him not being able to take it, he devised a plan."
"Did he…" Izuku says, and Kyoka can feel his heartbeat raging. "Did the Number Two Hero engaged in QUIRK MARRIAGE?"
What? What is that even?
"Oh." Todoroki is taken aback by what Midoriya just said. "How did you know?"
"His quirk's only weakness is overheating." Midoriya replies. "Temperature management is a common problem for fire and ice quirk users. You have your ice, but you also used fire in our fight. So this sounds like he had a child with a powerful ice quirk bearer in order to produce a child who could use his flames but with an ice quirk component to prevent the overheating issue."
Kyoka realizes now what the quirk marriage is. And she realizes that she is going to throw out every piece of Endeavor merchandise she has in her room. Sure, it's only an addition to All Might's, but…
"Yes." Todoroki replies and pauses for a few seconds. "The scar on my face is because my mother dumped boiling water on the side that resembled him. I made a vow that I'm going to become the Number One Hero without using his flames."
Kyoka has another realization. The one that she should have stopped listening to the conversation after finding out who Midoriya's father is. But it's too late for it now, right?
"Todoroki, I'll be honest with you." Midoriya says and Kyoka almost doesn't recognize the voice. "You and your father are absolute dumbasses, and he is a criminal dumbass to top it."
"What?" Todoroki is taken aback and for the first time in this talk, she can actually hear it in his voice.
"Did any of you ever ask yourself why All Might is the Number One Hero?" Izuku says. Confidently. The one word that Kyoka never expected to describe him with.
"He is the strongest hero." Todoroki replies. She can hear Izuku Midoriya snigger derisively (!) at this.
"And how is the public supposed to know about it?" Midoriya replies. "Did All Might ever fight Endeavor to the death? Gang Orca could easily fight Crust on equal terms, so why is Crust the Number 8 Hero while Gang Orca is Number Thirteen? And why is Eraserhead unranked, despite him probably being able to, with a good plan, fight against Endeavor? Can you answer me that question?"
"That's…" Todoroki tries to reply, but audibly swallows his words.
"That's because the ranking you all care about is mostly about popularity, Todoroki." Midoriya replies. "Not STRENGTH. Strength merely makes you more likely to stop high profile villains and save a lot of people, making you more likely to be popular. But in the end what really matters is how many people like your costume aesthetics and manners. So let me enlighten you, Todoroki. My father is the Number One Hero not because he is the strongest hero. But because unlike Endeavor, he saves people with a reassuring smile on his face rather than derisive scowl. He is doing this because the first thing his mentor taught him was that a hero should smile, no matter how grim the situation is, because a true hero protects not only human lives but also their hearts. So please, Todoroki, look at yourself in the mirror and tell me, do you make that cut?"
"How's that…" Todoroki is clearly shaken.
"I'll tell you the answer to that." Izuku doesn't stop the verbal beating at that. "You don't. Did you even bother listening to what sort of problem Yoarashi has with you? Because I think that you ignored him. Just like you ignore your classmates. To the point where you aren't even part of our group chat."
"No." Todoroki states. "I didn't listen to him." Something in his heartbeat is… odd. Kyoka thinks that it's just a deep confusion. He clearly didn't expect the scolding.
"Then I'll fix that problem for you." Izuku replies. "It's because he hates Endeavor for being an obnoxious and derisive parody of a hero. And after you completely ignored him during the recommended student exams while he was just trying to be friendly with you, he came to believe that you are nothing more than a smaller version of your father."
Frankly speaking, Kyoka realizes, Izuku could as well punch Todoroki in the face. The reaction would be pretty similar. Considering what's happening with Todoroki's heartbeat, Midoriya should be happy that he wasn't just straight frozen to death.
"And he is right, Todoroki." Izuku continues. "You are repeating the same mistakes that make Endeavor into a forever number two. All you are doing is trying to get stronger, while completely ignoring the part where an unlikeable asshole will never become a Number One Hero. Unless literally everyone else competing for the seat dies." Three long seconds of silence. "Please, answer me this one question. Why did you want to become a hero?"
"I… I didn't exactly have a choice in that matter." Todoroki replies after a few more seconds of silence. "I think that I do want to be a hero. But I don't know why."
"I see." Izuku states. Kyoka expected him to rant about it, but she gets none of it. "Well, I wanted to help others. Nothing more nothing less. So sorry, but if your plan for this meeting was to start an official rivalry with me over the Number One Hero seat, then you can shove it. Because I don't care about the hero rankings. I never did. And neither does my father."
Kyoka finds herself blinking a few times. All Might, the Number One Hero, doesn't care about the ranking? But… Everyone cares about it, right?
"All Might… All Might doesn't care about it?" Todoroki, clearly stupefied, replies with a question.
"Do you know why he was almost late to this year's Hero Billboard Chart?" Izuku replies. "Because he overslept. And he overslept because he stayed up until 3am the day earlier, ranting with uncle Akaguro about how the ranking is stupid because true heroism is about saving people not about popularity and rankings. He is only attending because his status as the Symbol of Peace and the pillar of our society makes it his duty. And he would have probably stayed up longer, if mom didn't get angry at him and didn't drag him to bed after throwing my uncle out."
He stays silent for two or three seconds. Todoroki stays completely and utterly silent, but his emotions are racing.
"So I'm sorry to say it, Todoroki, but your father ruined your life due to a rivalry that exists only in his head." Izuku adds finally. "And I'm not letting you repeat that mistake with me. So I'm going to say it again - I'm not your rival. Consider not repeating the other mistakes I mentioned to you, too."
Then he leaves, with still stunned Todoroki left behind.
(***)
"MATCH NUMBER ONE!" Present Mic yells through the microphone. "The boy who showed us all some impressive moves during the Obstacle Race… Izuku Midoriya of the Hero Course! Versus…" He pauses for maybe half a second. "Living weapon of mass destruction… Amaya Uyemura of the Rehabilitation Course!"
"Did he say… a living weapon of mass destruction?" Inko asks, clearly worried. Yagi decides to reassure her. Because while he does realize that Amaya's destructive potential is rather unmatched, the school took the necessary precautions.
"Present Mic likes to exaggerate." He says. "Don't worry about it. It will be alright."
The kid that enters the ring from the opposite side to Izuku is an unassuming blonde that would have probably done much better in the Hero Course training if he put in some effort to improve himself physically. He is wearing a partial gas mask that leaves his eyes uncovered.
Present Mic quickly narrates the rules of the fight, while mentioning that the stadium is safeguarded against Amaya's quirk, so he is free to go all out.
"Ready?" Present Mic says. "START!"
Within three seconds Amaya disappears behind the cloud of smoke that covers the entire arena. The cameras switch to thermovision that lets them see what's happening on the ring. And what happens is Amaya dodging Izuku's blow.
"I believe that some explanations are due!" Present Mic announces. "Can our resident mummy man enlighten us?"
"Uyemura's quirk allows him to generate and control poison gas." Eraserhead promptly replies. "It's not poisonous enough to kill, unless in extremely high dosages or if someone is exposed to it for long, and we do have an antidote at hand. But it can still weaken, paralyze or knock unconscious those who breathe it."
Amaya dodges another charge. He starts moving almost instantly after Izuku, so how does he…
"He can also sense movement within the gas cloud he controls." Eraserhead continues. "Which thus far is enough to avoid his opponent."
"Does he…" Inko doesn't finish saying it, but Yagi knows what she meant.
"Izuku will win." He adds with a sigh. "This is Young Uyemura's chance to show Japan that it truly prefers him as a hero rather than a villain. So Izuku is putting up a spectacle." Or so he thinks. There is a simple way of dealing with this, but his son is clearly not using it, and…
"That's rather dangerous!" Present Mic says with an excited voice. "But not exactly the reason for calling him the 'living weapon of mass destruction', right?!"
"True." Eraserhead replies, while the fight continues. "The reason for this is because the largest poison cloud he generated and controlled thus far was two dot five kilometres wide."
That does draw some noises from the audience. If Yagi knows how heroes think, most of those in the stadium are now thinking who exactly would Amaya grow into if he was allowed to do whatever he was doing being drawn to the Rehabilitation Course.
And how hard it would be to deal with him.
Eventually, Izuku decides that enough is enough. He uses 100% of One for All on his finger, enough to break it but also enough to generate an air current strong enough to push the cloud back and expose Amaya. He doesn't give him enough time to hide himself again, and closes the distance.
Amaya tries to produce more gas, but Izuku has him grabbed. He is soon dragged out of the ring.
"MIDORIYA IZUKU WINS!" Present Mic shouts. Eri jumps up from her seat in joy, while Aiko claps slowly. And somehow, menacingly.
(***)
The second fight is between Todoroki Shoto and Kyoka Jirou. And, frankly, it's not a fight. Kyoka has enough time to try blasting him with her amplified heartbeat before she (and half of Midnight who happened to stand too close) is frozen.
With Kyoka immobilized, Midnight calls the match.
(***)
Ibara Shiozaki fights against Mina Ashido. Unlike the previous fight, this time it's actually worth the f-word being used. The acid works against her vines, and Mina is maneuverable enough to not get caught instantly (or semi-instantly).
In the end, it's mostly an endurance fight. Or, so Mina thinks. She doesn't expect to be suddenly attacked by the vines emerging from under her feet, and she is thrown outside of the ring before she can react to that.
(***)
The fight between Inasa and Ojiro is another non-fight during the tournament. Frankly speaking, Ojiro does quite well for the rather horrific match-up. Though it's mostly just him trying to hold against a hurricane.
There is nothing for his tail to grab, and Inasa seems to have decided on showing the world his might. Ojiro is, eventually, thrown out of bounds. Inasa is announced as the winner.
(***)
"Creative spirit of the Hero Course and one of the precious few students that got to join the UA through the recommendation, Momo Yaoyorozu!" Present Mic announces. "Versus… The grim reaper of the Rehabilitation Course… Tenko Shimura!"
Momo can agree that Tenko looks rather grim. She has no idea how he persuades Inasa to pair up, but he did get through the Cavalry Battle rather easily. Worst of all, he managed to do that without betraying what his quirk is.
Now she can see him taking off his gloves. She did notice that he kept wearing those, but she thought that it was something like Shoji's mask. An aesthetic choice, but if not… what would Midoriya think right now?
Touch-based quirk. Most likely a five finger point contact, like Uraraka, because clearly his gloves were artist ones. So they didn't include every finger. And he seemed to do his best not to clench his hands. Something destructive, something that would destroy or do something similar to the glove if all fingers touched it at once.
She has to restrain him from a distance. She heard from Kirishima that he was 'extremely fast' during the USJ attack, and if he truly has a five finger point contact quirk, then she can't let him touch her.
When Present Mic announces the start of the fight, she opens it by casting a large net towards Tenko, while creating a shield and a polearm to keep him at bay.
The net doesn't even buy her a second, because the second that Tenko touched it, it rapidly began to disintegrate.
Three seconds later the same thing happens to her weapon, rendering her advantage of range moot. She tries to jump back, but she is way too outmatched in terms of speed and doesn't have the time (nor a state of mind) to summon something more complicated.
He disintegrates her shield. She has maybe a second to react (she doesn't, not enough time to act) before his hand is put on her face, with all but one finger touching it.
Midnight announces Tenko Shimura's victory.
To say that this outcome doesn't satisfy Momo is an understatement of a century.
(***)
The less is said about the 'fight' between Tenya and Mei, the better. It's a downright humiliation for the former, even if he eventually wins the fight. But mostly because the living terror of the Support Course decides that she advertised her genius enough and steps out of bounds.
Uraraka, despite the feeling of looming doom over her head, decides to go cheer Tenya up together with Izuku and Inasa. It makes her marginally less nervous for the time being.
(***)
Frankly speaking, Tokoyami's quirk is probably right after the few of the class powerhouses in terms of strength. It is versatile and powerful, capable of making decisions on its own without having to consult the user.
Unless it's matched with an ingenious Gen Ed student who entered the fight with several flashbang grenades. And some very powerful handheld flashlight. Plus a baton. Intimidatingly long one.
The grenades and the flashlight keep the Dark Shadow on a minimal power level long enough for Ayako Nakahara to force Tokoyami Fumikage to surrender. To a loud cheering of the Gen Ed students on the nearest tribune.
(***)
"The living explosion with behavioural problems from the Rehabilitation Course, Bakugou Katsuki!" Present Mic announces. "Versus… the girl from the Hero Course who defies gravity on a daily basis, Uraraka Ochaco!"
"You're the one that makes things float, Angelface?" Bakugou asks before the fight starts. "The one that's hanging around Deku all the time?" Deku? Does he mean Izuku? "If you're gonna withdraw, do it now. Otherwise it will hurt. A lot."
She steels her face. She isn't going to withdraw. She is going to give it her all.
Present Mic announces the start of the fight, and she leaps forward. If she can get him under her quirk…
Bakugou doesn't bother evading. She did listen to Izuku's tips on strategy (she wants to achieve as much as she can on her own, but she saw her idol listen to his tactic and survive only because of that, that changed her perspective) so she knew that he would open up with a big right swing.
This blows her back, despite her attempts to avoid it. The smoke raised by it should do as a decoy, she leaves her jersey there (leaving parts of clothing as a distraction totally isn't something she picked up from Mr. Compress!).
He falls for it, and she almost touches his back. But then another explosion sends her back.
She repeats the approach several times. She doesn't have any other tactic, even Izuku clearly stated that the chances of her victory are minimal. That getting him under his quirk (even by accident) is the only real hope she has, but with his almost ridiculous reflexes it's not going to be easy.
Some heroes from the audience start loudly complaining about Bakugou toying with her. Yeah, he is a bit of an easy target for that, being a Rehab Course student at all. She is furious, but too busy to shout at them to shut up. She is still standing, damnit!
"Whoever is complaining, do us all a favour and give up your hero license." Aizawa-sensei's voice cuts the complaints down. "He doesn't blow her off the field with a large attack, because if she dodged it, he would be left vulnerable. He isn't toying with her, he is on guard."
Yes. Uraraka, despite being badly bruised in way too many places, smirks. Besides, her plan B is ready.
"Thank you for treating me seriously." She says loudly, Bakugou staring at her with hostility on his face. Then she cancels her quirk.
Meteors start falling down. The audience gasps. Uraraka leaps forward, this is her last attempt, her own meteors might hit her, but at the very least he will have to focus on deflecting those and if she gets close enough…
Bakugou Katsuki blows the meteor storm with a massive explosion that leaves the stadium silent. The air pressure of the explosions actually throws her back.
She tries to, regardless of everything, attack him again. But her body fails her and Midnight-sensei calls the match.
(***)
"Are there any chances of you withdrawing?" The Rehab Course student she was paired with asks. Tsuyu is surprised. This is pretty bold, and blunt, even for her standards.
"No." She replies. "I have things to prove to people." Like the fact that she, a mutant, can be a hero. Way too many refuse to believe in that.
"I see." He replies.
"The frog girl from the Hero Course, Tsuyu Asui!" Present Mic announces. "Versus… the mysterious strongman from the Rehabilitation Course, Yoshihiro Maki!"
Something like two seconds after the start of the fight is announced (and Tsuyu is still waiting for him to move, if only to figure out what his quirk might be about) he raises his hands and announces that he is withdrawing from the tournament.
She blinks a few times while Midnight approaches him and asks him something away from microphones. Once he replies (she has no idea what it is about), Midnight accepts his withdrawal.
She's going to ask Midoriya what it was about after the tournament.
(***)
"And the final fight of the first round!" Present Mic is clearly overjoyed by the role he is performing. "The indomitable yet scheming tactician of the Hero Course, Neito Monoma! Versus… the toxic girl of the Rehabilitation Course, Miyuki Tagawa!"
Miyuki is a two-coloured girl. Blue and pink hair, blue and pink eyes. The skin has natural pigment, but that's how far normalcy goes. She is also wearing a gas mask similar to the one that the gas user had.
Unfortunately to her, Neito knows her quirk. Unfortunately for Neito, there are limits to what he can do. He softens the ground under her with Honnenuki's quirk, preventing her from just approaching and knocking him out with her breath. But she has enough time to take her mask off and start shouting at him.
Every part of Miyuki Tagawa is toxic. Including her words.
The audience gets to see a match consisting of a sinking girl shouting at the increasingly confused boy (who is also hallucinating and might be just a little bit drunk), trying to knock him out with her voice before she sinks too deep.
Neito narrowly wins that fight.
(***)
Midoriya Izuku leaves the still slightly sulking Uraraka Ochaco, only to have the distinct bad luck of running into Endeavor.
"Oh, so there you a…" Endeavor starts talking, but he isn't giving enough time.
"I don't care." Izuku promptly replies. Endeavor stares at him in surprise. "You are probably here to tell me some variant of 'your power is similar to All Might's, give my chosen tool a good fight and become a good part of my plan to realize my own failed dreams by forcing them onto someone else." Endeavor blinks two times, as if he was trying to comprehend what was happening. "As I said, don't care. And I'm too busy trying to figure out if it's a better idea to throw the match or completely and utterly humiliate your son. So you can as well not waste your time."
Izuku is in a bad mood. This doesn't happen often, but at least according to his mom (and those of his uncles and aunties that knew him), he resembles his father when that happens. Well, his stepfather. He is certainly not very All Might-ish now.
Then again, he isn't particularly interested in smiling at Endeavor. Having that mood right now instead of sometimes later might have been a good thing.
There are way too many people in his life that he doesn't want to show that face to.
"Try the latter." Endeavor is thoroughly unimpressed. "We'll see how well it will go."
Izuku wanted to just walk past the man, but Endeavor is clearly not letting him.
"Are you provoking your son that way, too?" Izuku asks with a calm face, looking upward at the giant of a man in front of him. Endeavor sniggers. "Is that why Touya went out in flames?"
Endeavor's eyes open wide, and the fury lits on his face.
"I don't know what you are trying to imply, kid." Endeavor really looks like he is wondering if he can get away with punching the 'kid' in front of him. "But you should stop."
"And you should change your hero name." Izuku replies. "Tryhard means almost the same thing, but fits you way better. If you don't use simple words, the people who think you are a good hero might not get them."
"Are you trying to make me hit you?" Endeavor, despite fuming with rage, still has control over himself. "You think it's going to change anything?"
"Dunno." Izuku replies after a few seconds of cold stare. "It changed a lot for Thunderbolt, wouldn't you say?" Endeavor's eyes widen. "I'd like to go to the waiting room, and you are blocking my way. Could you please let me go?"
Endeavor steps sideways, letting Izuku walk past him in silence. But Izuku decides to add one more thing.
"Oh, and as class president of class 1-A I'll be personally offended if Todoroki Shoto shows up to class with any degree of physical damage." He says, in an almost absentminded tone. "Very offended."
"And what will happen if you'll be offended?" Endeavor adds in a slightly mocking tone.
"Who knows." Izuku replies. "But blue flames are quite beautiful." He says nothing more and disappears at the end of the corridor.
Endeavor doesn't realize that there was a third person in the room until the end of the festival, when he realizes that someone stole his phone and wallet.
(***)
Izuku has a Very Bad Day. Seriously, run. Especially when you are Endeavor.
And... what happened to the Number Two Hero's wallet and a phone, I wonder?
Also I'm not saying that telling stuff like that to Todoroki should have been the right course of action, instead of kinda being too stunned to tell him to shove his rivalry declaration, but... ugh.