Todoroki just stared at Izuku. "Umm, can we hurry this up? The cafeteria is probably going to be super crowded soon…" Izuku trailed off. Shoto just continued to stare. Izuku audibly gulped. 'He's giving off an aura of cold intimidation, unlike what happened with Muto' Izuku thought to himself. "I almost broke my pledge." Todoroki monotoned. 'His left side? I almost drove him to use it?' Izuku wondered.
"I don't think anyone else felt the way I did. When your tendrils were out, I nearly panicked. Also, I've been thinking. Your Quirk, when you remove the tendrils, acts a lot like All Might's."
"W-what are y-you implying?" Izuku stuttered out. "It seems like your Quirk is almost like a mutation of his…" 'Is he figuring it out?!' Izuku mentally screamed. "I think I know what it is… but I'll ask you directly. Are you All Might's secret love child?" He forcefully asked.
At the League of Villain's base, All For One suddenly toppled over, clutching his chest. "Why… does it feel… like I'm having a heart attack?" He muttered. He knew he wasn't. It wasn't possible, thanks to a Quirk he took from an old man dying of a stroke.
"W-WHAT?!" Izuku screamed in shock. "H-how did you even come up with something so stupid as that?! For one, my dad has white hair!" he stammered. "I see." Todoroki stated. "So, since you just asked about my family life, what's your life like?" Izuku asked, determined to change the subject matter.
"My... father… is Endeavor." he spat the name out like a curse. "And I'm certain you know that he's been stuck at the number two spot for years now. You have something in common with the number one hero, so I, with something in common with the number two hero, have even more reason to defeat you. You see, he has an extremely strong desire to rise in the world. He won his hero name with overwhelming force. Due to this, he loathes All Might. He never could surpass him. So, he moved onto plan B."
"Plan B? What are you trying to tell me, Todoroki?" Izuku asked. "You've heard of Quirk Marriages, right?" Izuku was expecting several things, but he sure wasn't expecting that. Quirk Marriages were common throughout Japan during the 2nd to 3rd generations of Quirk users. They were basically a eugenics plan.
Quirk Marriages were banned, thanks to pressure from the American Republic, (they had had a very bad experience with eugenics in the past and were determined to stamp it out wherever it popped up so it wouldn't resurface) so it was a serious offense to form one these days. Of course, they still happened. Human trafficking picked it up, and children with powerful Quirks could go for a lot on the black market. Adults with powerful quirks could go even higher. Izuku remembered his father cursing Quirk Marriages with every fiber of his being. He had muttered that he'd destroy the trade in Japan, which seemed a little hard for someone of his ability. Todoroki continued.
"As a man of wealth and power, Endeavor won over my mother's parents, and he got ahold of her Quirk. And he made her bear his children. And each one only had his Quirk or hers. Until me. He trained me from a young age, and never gave any of my older siblings any attention. In my memories, I always remember my mother crying. Eventually, she snapped. "'You're left side is an abomination."' is what she told me. And then she poured boiling water on it," Izuku let out a pained gasp.
"B-but why hasn't anyone reported this?!" He asked, appalled at Todoroki's story. Todoroki scoffed. "He's a powerful and famous hero. He covers it up, and the media plays along with it. In fact, my mother is confined to a mental hospital, out of sight. That is why I picked a fight with you. I'll show him that I can be the best without using his Quirk." Todoroki finished, before walking away. "I don't care if you can't tell me how you're connected to All Might. No matter what you are to him, I'll rise above you using just my right side." As Todoroki left, Izuku thought about what he'd said. 'If this world was a comic, or even a book, he'd be the main character. After all, he has the backstory for it.'
"Wait! Todoroki!" Izuku called. "I've always been supported by others. That was the case earlier as well. I'm here thanks to their support. I've always wanted to save people with a fearless smile, just like All Might. That's why I have to be strong enough to become number one. My motivation may seem trivial compared to yours, but I can't lose either! I'll live up to the hopes of those who have supported me! That declaration of war you gave earlier? I'm returning that. I'm going to beat you!" With that, Izuku walked out.
"Welcome back, listeners, to the third round of the UA sports festival! And to celebrate, we've hired cheerleaders from the American Republic!" Mic shouted. The girls of class UA were happy that Kaminari had warned them of Mineta's scheme. He had mentioned that he would've gone with it, but he was too disgusted by how far the perverted teen would go. "Now, for the next hour, enjoy the recreational games!"
"This round is one-on-one fighting?! Awesome! I'm gonna be on TV!" Karishma declared. "Is it always a one-on-one?" Mina asked. "The first two are different every year, but the last one's always a one-on-one," Sero responded. "Last year it was a chanbara match." he said.
"Now then, let's draw raffles to see the rounds!" Midnight declared. "And the final 16 can decide whether or not to participate in the recreational games!" Izuku decided to not participate.
"Umm, excuse me…" Ojiro murmured, hand raised. "I'm withdrawing." Gasps filled the air. "W-why?!" Izuku exclaimed. "This is a rare chance for the pros to take notice of you!" Iida added. "I can't remember the battle at all, except for the very end. I think it was that purple-haired boy's Quirk. Izuku turned towards the only one with purple hair. 'Him?' he thought to himself. "I know this is a great chance…" Ojiro continued, "and I know it's foolish to waste it…"
"Ojiro..." Izuku murmured. "But everyone here competed by giving their all! I just can't be up their with everyone without knowing what really happened."
"You're worrying to much!" Toru stated. "If you're gonna say that, then I didn't do anything either," Mina replied. Ojiro facepalmed. "It's not that… my pride won't allow it…" And then another voice spoke out. "I'm Nirengeki Shoda of class 1-B, and I also wish to withdraw for the same reasons…" he stated. "It doesn't seem right for those who did nothing to go to the final round!" he stated. "This is an… unusual turn of events…" Mic said. "We'll have to see what Midnight thinks of this…" Aizawa muttured.
"I accept your withdrawal!" Midnight shouted, cracking her whip. "Now then, we'll have to move two people up from the fifth place team…" However, one of the fifth place team members raised her hand. "Excuse me, but my team barely did anything during the battle. I think it would be better for team Tetsutetsu to have that chance, as they fought until the end." The rest of her team nodded. "Kendo?" Tetsutetsu asked. "This isn't collusion. It just makes sense." she replied. After a brief discussion, Tetsutetsu and Ibara were the two to go into the top 16.
"And now, here's the bracket of the matches!" Midnight shouted. 'Despite these being random, I can't help but think there's a pattern…' Izuku thought to himself. It kind of bugged him slightly that he couldn't figure it out. Izuku looked up and saw that he was going to be up against Shinso. And then he looked at the other brackets. 'If both Todoroki and I win, we'll be facing each other.' He thought to himself. 'And Shinso was the purple haired kid, right?' "So I'll be against you, Izuku Midoriya? This sounds interesting," he had sneaked up behind him. Izuku let out an eep of surprise before hurriedly taking a few steps back. 'He's the guy from the crowd!' Izuku realized. "I look forward to our match," the purple-haired kid monotoned. "I-MMPH!" Izuku was cut off by Ojiro covering his mouth with his tail. "Midoriya!"
Shinso smirked and walked away. "W-what was that about?" Izuku asked. "Don't answer him." Meanwhile, Todoroki was also paying attention to the fact that he and Midoriya would be duking it out. 'It will be sooner than I expected.' he thought.
"All right! Let's leave the tournament aside for recreation!" Mic shouted. At that, Izuku just went into the lockers. Ojiro went with him and explained a few things. However, the hour was soon up. "Hey everyone! Are you READY?!" Mic shouted. Cheers answered him. "And now, the moment you've all been waiting for! The final tournament of the first years will commence! And this also portrays a fact about being a hero as well! That fact is that heroes may have to only rely on themselves! Heroes will have to rely on their heart, body, wisdom and knowledge to rush up!" Izuku was listening in the tunnel leading out. And then a familiar voice filled the air.
"Hey! Sorry I'm late, but have you figured out One For All yet?" The emancipated form of Toshinori Yagi asked. "All Might? And no… no I haven't… I'm really worried…" Izuku murmured. "I haven't been able to control it. I still need to learn. As it is, I have to use Blacklight, but I'm scared that I'll kill someone!" he was nearly crying at the end. "I see. You are a good person, Midoriya. I'm positive that you'll be able to control your Quirk."
"T-thank you All Might!" Izuku sputtered. "Toshinori Yagi," The Symbol of Peace said. "Huh?" Izuku asked. "That's my name. Toshinori Yagi. I think it's time you knew that." Izuku nodded. "Thank you, All M- I mean, Yagi-sensei." Izuku said, correcting himself mid-sentence. "Remember, don't fear your Quirk." Toshinori said. Izuku nodded. "Also…" He then turned back into All Might. "WHEN YOU'RE SCARED OR WORRIED… JUST SMILE! YOU'VE MADE IT THIS FAR, MY BOY, AND IT'S OK IF IT'S A BLUFF! STAND TALL, AND DON'T FORGET THE HIGH HOPES I HAVE FOR YOU!" Izuku nodded, smiling. He turned towards the end of the tunnel.
"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for!" Mic shouted. "The finals are about to begin! And for match number one… He's done incredibly well, and his Quirk is nothing short of extraordinary, but he still cries so much that it's amazing he isn't dead from dehydration! It's Izuku Midoriya from Class 1-A! And he's up against… well… he hasn't really done anything to stand out yet, but he's still here, so that's something! From class 1-C, Hitoshi Shinso! The rules are simple. To win, get your opponent out of bounds or immobilize them! If you can get your opponent to verbally concede, then that also counts as a win! And don't worry about injuries! We have Recovery Girl on standby!"
Meanwhile, Recovery girl was analyzing something. "No… that's not possible… this doesn't make any sense! I'll have to rerun the tests… but I've already done that three times…"
"Since that's the case, you are free to put your morals and ethics aside!" Mic shouted. "Of course, anything life-threatening is not allowed! Cemetoss will stop the match if anything goes too far!" Said teacher/pro waved. Izuku breathed a sigh of relief. Cemetoss, due to his Quirk, could probably be able to shrug off the tendrils. "'I give up', huh?" Shinso asked. "This is about testing your strength and your spirit. You can't worry about anything."
"READY?!" Mic shouted. "START!" Shinso shrugged. "Then again, it's not like you'd have anything to worry about. My Quirk gave me pllllllleeeeeeenty of trouble as a kid. I know you know. Why else would that kid-Ojiro, right?-spend the hour with you? I was bullied throughout elementary and middle school. Everyone said my Quirk was perfect for villainy. And look at you. You can run up walls, make shields, and you can make claws." 'Don't answer him… don't answer him…' "You're lucky to have such a heroic Quirk-"
"AT LEAST YOUR QUIRK DOESN'T HAVE A BODYCOUNT!" Izuku screamed. And then he realised his mistake. "I win." Shinso calmly stated. In the stands, Ojiro screamed. "I warned him!"
"'Body count?'" Mic asked. Aizawa sighed. 'Well, since he brought it up…' "You know how ten villains were declared dead during the USJ incident? Midoriya killed them."
"H-he did?" Mic stammered. "H-how!?"
"Ask him if you want to know." Izuku, despite not being in control of his body, shivered. 'No… no… WHY?! Why, of all things, did I say THAT?!' And then Mic continued. "MIDORIYA! WHY AREN'T YOU MOVING?! YOU JUST HAVE A BLANK FACE! IS THIS SHINSO'S QUIRK!?" As Mic continued, Aizawa decided to speak up. "This is why I say that the entrance Exam isn't rational. Take Shinso for example. His Quirk is incredibly powerful, but it only works on humans. It was even tested by Nezu. Therefore, he wasn't able to pass the practical part of the exam."
Shinso just stared at Izuku. "It's nothing personal, Midoriya. However, I intend to win this. Turn around and walk out of bounds." And Izuku's body turned. In his mind, Izuku was freaking out. 'No no no! Is this his Quirk?! My body's moving on it's own!' The steps his body was making were slow but deliberate. And he couldn't stop. 'Everyone's counting on me! I can't lose!' And then he saw it. There were eight sparks of light. And the sparks of light changed into eight silhouettes. "Shall we help him?" a female voice asked. A weak, sickly male voice responded to it. "Yes… he may be the one to break the cycle." And then One For All rushed into two of his fingers without his control, and flexed. The pain of his fingers breaking snapped him out of it. He let out several gasps, noticing that he was literally an inch from being disqualified. "MIDORIYA HAS STOPPED!" Mic shouted. 'His fingers are broken. Did he make them explode?' Aizawa asked himself. He slowly turned around to Shinso.
"W-why?" Said purple-haired teen asked. Izuku turned around, and was about to speak before he covered his mouth with his hand. "How can you control yourself?! Answer me!" Shinso shouted. 'I wasn't the one who moved my fingers, although I discharged One For All. How was that possible? I saw people who I didn't know… were they the faces of those I killed? No… No memory identified them. C-could those have been the eight previous wielders?!' "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO!?" Shinso shouted. 'I couldn't answer him even if I wanted to… I'll have to think about this later!' "Say something." Shinso demanded, panicking. 'Ojiro… was that his name? Yes, it was Ojro. I knew he told him, but I'm positive he didn't know how to break out of it! I have to get him to respond quickly or it's over!' "So, you can produce that much power just by moving your fingers? I'm jealous. I can see why you claim to have killed. It must be quite the rush!" 'Don't answer…' Izuku thought to himself.
"I've been cursed from the beginning with my Quirk. I'm envious that you've been blessed like you have!" 'Blessed? You fool!' "You were born with an ideal Quirk!" `I'd rather have been born with yours.' By now, Izuku had run into the boy, and started pushing him towards the back. "SAY SOMETHING!" Shinso shouted. Izuku didn't respond. Shinso threw a punch, but Izuku turned the other cheek. He punched him again, and Izuku grunted. He shoved Izuku aside. "You've got to be kidding!" He growled, before grabbing Izuku. "You get out!" Izuku didn't respond. Instead, he just grabbed Shinso's arm and flipped him. Stunned silence followed for a heartbeat. And then Midnight raised her hand. "Shinso is out of bounds! Izuku wins!"
"And like that, the first person to advance to the second round is Izuku Midoriya!" Mic shouted. The two of them walked back to their starting positions. Izuku thought back to the things Shinso had said. "Shinso, why do you want to be a hero?" he asked. "You can't help the things you long for." the boy stated, before walking away.
In the control room, Aizawa turned towards Mic. "I've decided. Shinso will be accepted into Class 1-A."
"What about the support girl who teamed up with Izuku?" Asked Mic. Aizawa scoffed. "She's more at home designing and inventing. I think she'd be happier right where she is." Mic nodded. "You also don't want to have to put up with her, don't you?" Aizawa sweat-dropped. "That's a reason as well. I'm going to bring him to Recovery Girl, and I'll tell him on the way there."
Izuku walked into the nurse's office, Toshinori following behind him. "What's this about?" He asked. Yagi shrugged. "All she told me was to get you after the match. She ran up to me and asked that after you broke out of the brainwashing." Izuku nodded. "Welcome, both of you." Recovery Girl stated. "Now then, you're probably wondering why you're here. Do you know what this is a picture of?" She held up a picture of a spiraling helix.
"That's human DNA." Izuku answered. "Correct. Do you know what this is?" She held up another picture. "That's RNA." Izuku said. "From smallpox, actually." Recovery Girl stated. Izuku nodded. Smallpox may had been eradicated before Quirks popped up, but the American Republic still had some. Russia used to have some, but their sample was taken to the American Republic when it collapsed into a five-way civil war. Izuku was brought out his musings when Recovery Girl held up a third picture. "Now, do you know what this is?" she held up a third photo. "That's a third strand of viral RNA. What's it from?" Toshinori asked. Recovery Girl sighed.
"After the obstacle course, Aizawa came in here. He mentioned that the robots didn't react to Izuku. He then asked me to run a DNA test on you. I had to re-check the sample four times before I realized it." She pointed to the third picture. "That's Izuku's D-… no… that's Izuku's RNA. He has no DNA. He's not human." And right there, Izuku's hopes and dreams were crushed into a fine paste, and everything faded from his mind.