As the match of Uraraka vs Bakugou was going on, I sighed as I walked back towards the stands slowly. My body felt sore, yeah, but it was nothing more than slight bruising once I transformed back… and it also meant that Recovery Girl had been giving me dirty looks and forced me out because "You're fine as you are, and as much as I'd like to hope otherwise, you're going to end up hurting yourself worse later, aren't you?" I am not looking forward to being thereafter the first match of the next round…

And as I'm caught up mid-thought, I feel the temperature in the room increase a little. I look up… and take a heavy gulp as I see just who it is, even as I can feel a bubbling sense of fury build up.

Endeavor.

Now, to be clear, even with a lack of memory I know Endeavour doesn't stay the absolute asshole he is now., That upon becoming number 1, he finds that it just feels hollow. In a way, it's almost pitiable. Almost. And that's the main issue, the fact that this isn't that Endeavour yet, and it still doesn't undo the flat-out abusive and evil things that he's already done. The fact that he only recognizes this when the goal of defeating All Might is taken from him is… honestly tragic. But right now? There's nothing for me to pity. He's not a man who would try to get genuinely better. He's a prideful ego on legs who can't see the bushfire for the embers.

And I really wish I had kept that in mind because as we passed, the man has no interest in me and likely on his way to do whatever would lead him to encounter Izuku later… I couldn't help but scowl and speak.

"Tell me. Is it worth the pain?" I asked.

Endeavor stopped… and turned slightly towards me. "Did you say something?" He half growled out.

I turned back and… I won't say I wasn't scared. Endeavor was taller than I ever was, ripped, and literally spewing flames from himself as a show of intimidation, of course I'm scared of him. But I pushed on. "Is whatever you've done with Shoto worth it?" I asked, feigning a little ignorance. "To leave him so dead to the world?"

Enji Todoroki looked at me with those same sorts of eyes… and scoffed. "I have no idea-"

"What I'm talking about, yes, I know," I remarked snarkily. "And if I had anything backing me up, I wouldn't be talking to you about it. But tell me one thing Endeavour… if you or Shoto get to the top… who will be there to celebrate with you? Even All Might has friends."

Feeling the heat spike a little higher at the barb, I simply turned back around.

"Boy."

My blood ran cold. Was that not enough for him? Had I pushed it too far? Did he suspect I knew too much?

"There's no if about it. And if that's Shoto instead of me, then he will sort himself out." Endeavor commented. "But you'd be best to keep your comments to yourself. You don't know what you're talking about."

And… that's it. He walked off. I clenched my fists and bit my tongue, not wanting to speak up further, to tell him he was so unbelievably wrong about his own ideas of what was going on. Of what it would be like.

I just counted myself lucky that was apparently all he thought of me.

"Alright everybody, let's get this started!" Present Mic announced, the pillars of flame leaping high and lighting up the re-re-re-repaired arena stage. Probably missed one or two res there, but that's not the important part. "First! Skilfully disarming and disabling his opponent in seconds in the first round! From Class 1-A, Todoroki Shoto!"

The fire doesn't seem to make him flinch but… having met his dad, I can't help but notice how frustrated Todoroki seems. It's a wonder he hasn't got a temperament like Bakugou's.

"VERSUS! He seemed ready to lose, but then struck light a green lightning bolt! From Class 1-A, Midoriya Izuku!" Mic continued.

Izuku, on the other hand, is a face full of determination but… well, caution, I'd call it fear but that's not really it. Against someone like Todoroki, I'd be cautious too – unlike the original Blood Stark, I can't conjure flames. Yet.

"Who do you think is gonna win Andros?" Hagakure asked.

Jirou hummed at that. "Good question to ask, but I don't think he can say… Izuku's gotten better with using his Quirk, was that you?" She added.

"Nothing he couldn't figure out himself." I insisted. "And as for who's going to win… hard to say. They… both have issues for and against. Speed and power. But if Todoroki keeps sticking to only using his ice…"

"That's a good point, I haven't seen him make any fire before… just warm things up." Sato noted. "Is there-"

"Yes." I interrupted. "If you want to know, ask him when he's in a good mood."

"… he always seems grumpy or like a bad boy," Mina grumbled.

"Do not mistake that for him not having moments of happiness," Aoyama remarked coolly. "Sometimes the best of emotions aren't shown."

… ok, the fact that Aoyama wasn't using the same panache as usual was kinda freaky. Clearly, Izuku and Shoto aren't the only ones taking the fight seriously.

As the fight prepared to start, Shoto slowly brought his right foot forward. He needed to favour his right side, Midoriya wasn't just limited to blasting away with that incredible power of his anymore, and he'd need to have the speed to match Midoriya's. In response, Midoriya knelt down, going into a runner's pose much like Iida might, green energy seeming to spark off of him. If Shoto had heard it right during the race, this was "Full Cowling". Whether that was because it was the name of his Quirk or just some sort of super move name he didn't know.

Tension seemed to build as the cheering crowd almost seemed to fade away. And Shoto locked gazes with Midoriya. While he had claimed he didn't care about the connection to All Might, he had to admit that it existing made for a sad parallel to him. Midoriya seemed honest and driven. Someone who wanted to be a hero more than anything.

"You want to be a hero, don't you?" A smile. Her smile. "It's ok for you to be one."

He wondered for a moment if Midoriya had family watching these events… before focusing. He could always ask after this is done. He's not here to make friends but more information isn't an issue. He needed to win first.

"START!"

Now! A stream of ice immediately emerged in front of Todoroki, massive blocks of ice emerging, moving faster, bigger… but not to reach Midoriya. That Cowling of his lets him move too fast for his ice to hit him straight on like this. He watched as Midoriya started to rush forward, not at the blur of colour that accompanied Nebulos or the brief image and impression of speed Iida gave off, but faster than anyone could reach normally.

But that was fine. He expected this. His path of frost split into two smaller streams, both starting to race around in a semicircle. It wasn't an easy thing maintaining both streams at once, but his more recent renewed work on precision meant he had a bit more flexibility using his ice. And this way even moving as fast as he is, the ice walls will stop Midoriya moving any closer. He waited until they had surrounded the full area, knowing Midoriya would have likely circled back to check as fast as he is… and he pushed his ice wave forward towards the centre.

Shoto would have been disappointed if the flow of ice hadn't stopped and then shattered. In a second he brought up an ice block behind him to hold him in place… only to widen his eyes as he felt it strain, a second wall manifesting behind it to stop it from breaking from the sheer force of one attack.

Aizawa's eyes narrowed as he focused on the attack. There wasn't quite as much power in that flick as a punch might have given off, or even as Midoriya could do usually… good. The kid's starting to measure his own power. He's having to balance himself between using what's safe for him, and what he needed to do to win.

It was a far cry from the boy who went all out to try and throw a ball, who showed no control at all.

Pain. It was becoming awfully familiar at this point, and Izuku knew he'd get told off by Recovery Girl later for it… but he hadn't had a choice. The fact that Todoroki had been so quick to adapt to Full Cowling had taken him a bit off guard, chastising himself for thinking it would slip by the other hero-in-training. Still, he didn't get long, as before long the peace of the blowing wind, the sound of ice chunks landing off the arena and the pain in his finger seemed to vanish as another wave of ice came at him. Going around wouldn't work, Todoroki clearly planned for that. Going over it could work, but Todoroki is probably expecting him to.

Gritting his teeth, Izuku prepared another finger to flick, running through the probabilities and possibilities in his head. The issue was that Todoroki was taking the initiative and trying to wear him down.

Another jolt of pain burst into a familiar injured feeling as he let loose another flick… and then forced his legs forward. While there was some push back from using One for All like this, most of the feedback was condensed into the finger in question, meaning that while he couldn't switch straight into Full Cowling the second after he attacked, as the wind died down he was getting closer and closer!

Shoto watched, steadfast as Midoriya dashed towards him. Impressive to see that the other student was willing to not just rely on brute force or trying to wear him down – either one of them could finish this match in a single blow if they wanted to. Still, if he thought that he was safe just because he was closer, he was wrong. Another icy wave started to head towards Midori-

He already had a finger ready!

Shoto brought his arms up in a guard as the wave of force decimated his attack, but with less of his ice to block it the barricades of ice behind him are shattered, sending him skidding backwards as he makes another barrier, and then another after the third broke, barely managing to drag him to a stop. It hadn't pushed him too far – about a third of the way towards the edge - but it was a stark reminder that Midoriya's resourcefulness knew few limits.

Still, he could do the same. He slammed his palms down against the ground, and two beams of ice emerged, like twin snakes of pure cold… cold that Shoto himself was experiencing firsthand, but he watched as both paths of ice raced around to the left and right. It was another containment move-

And Todoroki probably knew that he'd guess. Izuku waited, deciding to try and play Todoroki's game for the moment, watching as both beams curved around towards him. Todoroki probably expected a forward rush.

So Izuku decided to go one better. He leaped. It was a risky move because from here Todoroki could try and hit him with impunity, but at the same time, it meant that Izuku had more control. He watched the beams collide with each other as a new wave of ice raced skywards to meet Izuku as he spun in mid-air. This would need to be perfectly timed, or he could send himself flying towards the edge of the ring

With a moment of timing, and more than a little luck that it only took him two mid-air spins to measure it, Izuku felt the immense power of One for All run through his finger, gathering up before released with another flick, sending him hurtling past the glacier that had reached up to grab him, wincing as he felt himself slam into Todoroki at immense speed. The crack of ice breaking sounded out as the two were sent tumbling backwards Izuku pushing his good arm down to try and right himself faster, while Todoroki wheezed out, the wind briefly knocked out of him as they had tumbled.

Izuku took a moment to catch his breath, to take a moment from the intense pace that had been this battle so far. He'd used up all the fingers on his right hand, but he still had the left one to go. If he wanted, a single full-powered punch could probably end this given how far the force of a flick sent him… but…

Todoroki. He was taking a bit to get up. And as he did, Izuku noticed his arm tremble. No. It was shivering.

A tremble that went unnoticed by many, but not Hatsume Mei, who already had her goggles back on and was using her Quirk behind them to take a closer look. Frost. More and more frost was clinging to Todoroki's arm, to his entire right side. His Quirk was literally starting to freeze him over.

She for a moment felt a jolt of excitement of how that could be avoided… before that jolt slammed into a sudden realization that had her frowning, turning her gaze slightly to look at the boy's left side. Nothing. He didn't need support. So why was he acting like he did?

"I'm impressed Midoriya… I didn't think you'd be able to escape my ice… at least not without using up more of your body than that." Shoto freely admitted, pulling himself up fully straight, taking a moment to look at the powdered ice floating in the air. "Firing yourself like that was a mistake though – you're too close now!"

Once more a wave of ice erupted from Todoroki's position, surging out towards Midoriya-

Izuku, seeing the ice coming at him, decided to go for something reckless. He felt the power of One for All surge through his already damaged hand before he swung it forward, not in a punch but something less precise, feeling it briefly connect with the cold ice before the force of the blow-

-impacted into Shoto hard, even as the three walls he'd pushed up started to break and shatter – this close to the edge as well. But that was why he'd started pushing for one more idea as soon as he'd seen that palm swinging forward, a lopsided pillar of ice slamming into his feet and sending Shoto careening off to the right side of the arena. But even that meant little as he slammed into the stone floor, rolling again for the second time in so many minutes.

He could feel it. The cold sinking deep into his right side. "Bastard… a palm strike?" He muttered while looking up at Midoriya

"That surge of ice barely managed to touch me…" Midoriya noted, his left arm clutching his far more damaged right – although Shoto could see that the fingers only seemed to be slightly darker from the blow. "It should've been able to touch me. Your trembling from the cold – there's only so much your body can take right?"

Shoto scowled but said nothing. He couldn't exactly deny it, but he thought it would take longer for Midoriya to notice.

"But that's an issue you could easily solve using your left side." Midoriya continued. "I can't use all my power without hurting myself… and meanwhile, everyone else here is pushing themselves as hard as they can to win, to be number one! And you're only using half your power?!" With what seemed to be a great amount of effort, Midoriya balled his damaged arm into a fist with barely a wince. "So far, you've almost been knocked out twice, and you haven't hit me once! If you want to win… then come at me with everything you've got!"

Shoto's scowl only deepened. "'Everything I've got!'? Did my old man buy you out or something?" He growled out, already starting to rush towards Midoriya… and at that moment he realized he'd made a mistake. If Midoriya had only been limited to using those full-strength blows of him, he'd be fine… but with that Full Cowling…

Izuku didn't take pride in the sound of Todoroki letting out a shocked gasp. A knee in the stomach would do that anyway, even with only 3 or 4% of One for All he could hit hard and fast – especially with Todoroki slowed down this much.

"I can't claim to know your circumstances or your resolve." Izuku pointed out, even as he didn't let up, rushing towards Todoroki, who just put up a hurried ice wall to take the force of the incoming punch. "But everyone else is giving it their all! Uraraka-kun passed out pushing herself too far!"

As the ice wall collapsed, he could see a pair of icy lines drawing their way out from behind it. Slow enough for him to simply jump onto what remained of the ice wall.

"Mina-kun and Shoda-san had to be taken to Recovery Girl!"

A burst of frost as the block of ice that had seemingly fallen on Todoroki launched itself at Izuku, but he just lashed out with another punch, shattering it and the smaller pillar of ice that had propelled it, leaving a stunned Todoroki looking up at him.

"Kaminari-kun, for as bad of a move as it was, didn't hesitate to use all his power! Tokage-san only barely held out!"

Kaminari winced at that yelled comparison, Kirishima putting a hand on his shoulder as they watched Izuku leap down and grab Todoroki, hurling him through the remnants of the ice wall and towards the other side of the stage.

"But you're claiming you're going to win using only half your power, by rejecting your father entirely. You've barely touched me. If you want to have a chance to win this then you need to stop screwing around!"

But...

"He's only five!"

"He's already five, get out of the way!"

The sound of a smacking rings out, and a child cries out

"Mum!"

He… the old man… he could feel frost starting to gather on his body even as he stood up.

"I don't want to be someone who bullies you!"

Sadness. Grief. Pain.

"But you want to be a hero, don't you?"

And yet, even so, it was too slow. Midoriya's extra speed meant he wouldn't be able to get another wall up that fast. A path of ice started to form, but hastily aborted as he rolled away from it to dodge the punch. He was too cold. Too frozen. But-

"Don't look at them Shoto. They're from another world from you."

He pushed himself to his feet – only for another punch to slam into him, flinging him across the stage again from all the extra strength… there was more that time. Midoriya was getting stronger and he was just slowing down.

His mother's gaze locked onto him, terrified.

Pain, Scalding pain!

Even so… "Even if I lose…"

His father said he put her into a hospital. Because his mother hurt him. It wasn't her. It was his fault. He did it! Endeavor!

"I'll reject my old man's power!"

Midoriya stopped, a look of frustration, sadness, and desperation torn onto his face. "It's your power, isn't it?!" He cried out.

I blinked. I… remember the original version of this fight, but I don't remember anyone hearing Izuku aside from Todoroki. Maybe this is… one of those differences, like the different days for the USJ? But if he's saying it that loud…

I turn my head over to Endeavor… and I can't help but smirk a little. The fiery asshole isn't happy about that, not at all. What's wrong? Thought of him as your tool for too long?

Still… given the steam starting to issue off Todoroki, he's remembering. Remembering a point I wish I'd tried to head off sooner than today.

A tower of fire blazed its way up into the skies, building greater and greater still as more heat gathered and more power was called upon.

And yet as Endeavor watched it spark to life, that inferno that Shoto had been so rebellious in denying… he didn't feel the same joy from it that he should have.

Determination where there should be none. "Shoto isn't you either!"

A clueless, smiling face. "Was he taught well?

Feigned ignorance masking anger. "Is what you did to Shoto worth it? To leave him so dead to the world?"

It felt almost like in this act… Shoto was slipping away from him.

As the heat and cold of Shoto Todoroki's power clashed with one another, he brought a foot forward. He looked at Izuku, who seemed to simply be looking on in awe. "Why are you smiling? Helping an enemy out… now who's screwing around?" Shoto asked… but he couldn't help but grin in return, a genuine grin as he felt more alive than he ever had in his life. "This battle's only getting started."

With a burst of cold, ice started to surround his foot before bursting forward as a fast, mighty wave of sheer cold-

-that Izuku simply leaped into the air to avoid, letting the ice travel under him as he used the forward momentum from the leap to send him skidding towards Todoroki, even as he clenched his good remaining hand into a fist, feeling the energy of One for All fill it. He pushed off the ice path as he felt the cold threaten to crawl up to his feet, the ice that had started to form shattering from the force of Full Cowling leaping.

"You want to be a hero, don't you?"

Fire sparked as Todoroki summoned as much heat as he could – before he had to move to the left. And an old memory came to him unbidden. One of time with his older brother Natsuo. He started to step around Izuku, dodging his blows, just constantly moving around to the left, making sure to always face him.

"It was because it was none other than timid, Quirkless you at the scene that I could act."

Izuku grunted, letting the power leave his fist as he summoned Full Cowling again… but every time he got close Todoroki's fire would seem to swell, or a path of frost would race at him. Todoroki isn't just dodging pointlessly. He's planning something.

"It's ok for you to be one."

Cold and hot. Moving around the opponent, letting the heat contrast with the cold. And then…

Shoto let his flames die out suddenly, wincing as he let frost cover his arm… but it was the only way to try and get this technique to work with his Quirk apparently. And while he wasn't one for attack names… Midoriya couldn't escape this one. Even so, he almost wished he could. The match was exciting, it was bringing something more out in him

"Hiryu Shoten Ha!" Shoto declared, launching a right side corkscrew uppercut towards Izuku, who moved to dodge… and Shoto couldn't help but smirk as the rapid clash of hot and cold pressures combined with that last motion resulted in a burst of air, a miniature wind front seeming to manifest, launching Midoriya into the air-

"You can be a hero."

As Todoroki went into the corkscrew uppercut, Izuku realized he must be trying to do something blast on the clash of temperatures. As it launched him into the air, cloth had started to rip as he summoned the full power of One for All into a single, undamaged arm. And at the apex…

"Texas Smash!" Izuku declared, forcing his arm down at Todoroki, not to punch him, but to let out a tremendous burst of air like All Might had done to save him from the Sludge Villain. An immense pressure of air that collided with the previous pressure front.

What resulted what a storm of air, dust, and frost that blanketed the battlefield and slammed against us for a good few seconds, forcing people to grab onto their seats, blinking to try and see through it all. Any outcries or cheering were silenced by the immense roar of the clashing winds

Endeavor let out a sigh as he watched the dust started to settle, the crowd entirely on edge as the leaned forward or tried to fan the dust away, the cameras all focusing or zooming in desperate to see the result. As much as he disliked the idea that Natsuo – it had to be Natsuo, Fuyumi took things far more seriously and Toya… wasn't the type – had poisoned Shoto's mind with a move taken from a relic of a bygone age…

He really couldn't argue with results. Shoto's skills clashing with someone who looked to be the next All Might… it was a fantastic display. Even he couldn't help but have a slight smirk.

As the dust drifted from the attack, seeming to only lift slowly, everyone in the arena, those watching outside and watching at home sat on the edge of their seats -both proverbial and literal- and looked to see where the heroes-to-be were, and what had happened.

The dust cleared and… it was obvious. On the grass, being looked over by a quick-moving Eraserhead, was Midoriya Izuku. And Todoroki Shoto… laid slumped against a wall. Both boys were unconscious.

The crowd roared in cheers at the reaction, having seen a clash between two great heroes to be, of two of the most impressive debuts onto the world stage they had ever seen. One classmate desperately reaching out to grab the hand of another, to rescue him from an inner darkness that threatened to take hold - even if most assumed it was just his own father's shadow. And there was one thing that each took on board one by one.

This was just the first match of round two.

I blinked as I looked at the two out of the arena. A draw. A goddamn draw that came down to the last move. The Texas Smash I recognized, another of All Might's moves… but Flying Dragon Ascension Wave? Why did that-

… did Todoroki just make a Ranma ½ reference?!

Meanwhile, at the Todoroki household, a sound that people nearby aren't quite used to hearing sounds out. The sound of someone roaring with laughter.