Chapter 9: Finish Line

Content Warning: Discussion of child abuse.

Iida felt like his heart had jumped into his throat, Tensei had been attacked by the Hero Killer, Stain? Why? "Is he-"

"He's alive. But the doctor... they said that he will most likely be paralyzed from the waist down."

He knew that his place was at his brother's side. However, Midoriya felt that his plan to literally knock some sense into Bakugo wouldn't work unless they fought a knockdown, drag out battle first. "Mother, I fear that I must be selfish. One of my classmates... is lost in anger. Whether it's at the world, himself, or something else, I do not know. One of my other classmates has a plan to wake him up, so to speak. However, this plan is more likely to succeed if I fight an all-out battle with him first."

His mother took on a scolding tone, "Your classmates are not more important than your brother, Tenya."

Iida swallowed. This was going to be the first time he had ever defied a parent. "Maybe so, mother. But the name of Ingenium now rests on my shoulders. And Ingenium will always dash across the land to take a lost child by the hand."

He heard sniffling from the other end of the line. "Go on then, Ingenium." His mother said, "Win or lose, do your brother proud."

"I will, mother. I need to prepare."

"Of course, I'll see you soon, Tenya."

Iida hung up, then went to the nearest vending machine and bought two bottles of orange juice. He opened one and began to drink it.

"Iida."

He turned to find Ectoplasm, or one of his clones. He didn't know how to tell the difference. Maybe Midoriya knew. "Is it time?"

"Yes, but... no one would blame you for leaving. I assume you heard about your brother?"

Iida blinked, "How did you find out, Sensei? I just heard it from my mother."

"It's already all over the Hero Network." Ectoplasm explained, "Again, you don't have to-"

"But I must." Iida said, "Tensei would not turn tail and leave people who need to be saved if I was injured, so neither can I."

Ectoplasm just stared at him.

"To forfeit now would dishonor not only my brother and Midoriya, but the name of Ingenium. I cannot allow this." Iida bit back the tears, he could cry later. "Win or lose, afterwards I'll go to my brother. But now?" He took a swig of his orange juice, "Now, I fight."

Ectoplasm chuckled, "That would've been a lot cooler if that wasn't orange juice."

Iida shrugged, "Carbonated drinks make my engines stall."


Aizawa narrowed his eyes at his phone. There was no reason that he could think of for Iida to keep fighting. What was so important about his match with Midoriya that he had to keep at it, even though his brother lay injured in a hospital bed?

To his knowledge there was no rivalry between Iida and Midoriya. What was he missing? He looked at the bracket. The next fight in their section of the bracket was going to be Bakugo versus Shiozaki from Class 1-B. A charitable prediction of that fight could be called deforestation. Which meant that the winner of the fight between Iida and Midoriya would face-

Oh, goddamn it all to hell.

He knew that there was history between Midoriya and Bakugo. That much was clear from the battle training. But why would Iida be so hellbent on fighting Midoriya beforehand?

Well, you didn't get to be the Number One Underground Hero without the ability to find evidence and come to a rational conclusion. Bakugo was, charitably speaking, a loose cannon. His face always twisted in anger, always snapping at just about anyone who talked to him. He and Midoriya had grown up together.

It wasn't rocket science to determine what their relationship entailed based on the interactions he had witnessed, and what he had learned from the records of the middle school that they had attended. Or rather, what he had to infer from the blatant lies the staff of Nojo Public Middle had told him.

He had reported them, too. For all the good it did.

If it was anyone else, Aizawa would assume that Midoriya was out for revenge. But that didn't hold with anything he knew about the boy. He was gentle, but yet he had a Quirk that would let him take down a skyscraper.

Back during the chaotic time of the Dawn of Quirks, it was said time and again that power corrupted. That those with Quirks -no matter how strong or weak- would act as lords above the have-nots. Aizawa had a different perspective, as one could expect from one whose power was to take the power of others away.

Power did not corrupt. No, power revealed. When one was given power, when one had the power to turn their dreams into reality, that is when their true nature was revealed.

So, in Shota Aizawa's opinion, what was Izuku Midoriya's true nature? When given power, what would Midoriya do with it?

He just wanted to help. That was the only reason that Aizawa could figure for Iida going through with this fight. Midoriya needed to win, by knockout. And then beat Bakugo in the same way.

To help him? Why? What had he missed?

The answers to those questions would have to wait. Present Mic was beginning to announce Midoriya and Iida. All he could do now was watch.


"Begin!"

With his current level of power, there was really only one way that Midoriya could win a fight against Tenya Iida.

To quote one of the ancient classics, he had a plan. Attack.

He ran at Iida, his heart pounding in his ears. Iida returned the favor, his Engine allowing him to keep pace with Midoriya. Iida lashed out with a kick, which Midoriya dodged with a backstep. Not wanting to give Iida an inch, he ducked back in and punched him in the chest, sending him sliding backwards. "DETROIT SMASH!"

Iida didn't say a word, he just dove right back in. "Crapbaskets." Midoriya muttered. Iida must have come to the same conclusion he had. Iida dropped low to the ground into a slide kick, upon hitting Midoriya and taking him off balance he gunned his engines, resulting in a flip kick. Midoriya was sent flying through the air. Damn it, this isn't good! I have to get in close and stay there!

He flung his arms out behind him and flicked a finger on both hands, sending him hurtling back towards Iida. He had planned to use the momentum to add some more power to the punch he had chambered, but he was vividly reminded of the first lesson that All Might had taught him when teaching him boxing.

Everyone has a plan until they get punched -or kicked- in the face.

The kick sent him skidding across the concrete until he came to a stop right before the arena boundary. Iida didn't pursue him, but stayed at the ready. As Midoriya began to pick himself off the ground, he began to formulate a new plan.

Nothing he had at five percent was working. Iida just blew through him like a honest-to-goodness armored car. What did he have? With the power that he could use right now, what could he do?

He had to win. Bakugo still needed that attitude adjustment, and he still had to save Todoroki from himself. Losing was not an option.

As he finally stood back up, he realized it. It was his fighting style. He was trying to fight with All Might's preferred mix of power punches and 'big man' moves, when he really should've been figuring out what worked for him. When the time came, he could choose an internship that would help him with that goal, but for now he would have to Frankenstein something together. "Hey, Iida! You know what I just figured out?"

Midoriya took advantage of Iida's temporary confusion to close the distance and kick him in the gut. "I HAVE LEGS!"

He proceeded to launch into a flurry of different kick moves. Some were from movies, some were from video games. Kick based fighting styles were admittedly a weak area for Midoriya, so he was grasping at straws.

As it turned out, the chaotic nature of his onslaught turned the battle in his favor, pushing Iida back, until he was up against the edge. Iida's leg whipped around in a spin kick that sent Midoriya sprawling. "I'm sorry, Midoriya, but I cannot lose here. I have something much more important than the end results of the Sports Festival looming over me. I now bear the burden of the name Ingenium."

Midoriya shook his head, "Iida, you're not making any sense, what happened to-"

Iida cut him off, "It is for that reason, that I will stake everything on the next ten seconds." He took a deep breath, then shouted his battle cry to the sky. "RECIPRO BURST!"

The ends of the exhausts on Iida's legs erupted in blue fire, and a chill went down Midoriya's spine. An ultimate move! I can't hold back now! One For All: Full Cowling, TEN PERCENT!

Iida took off like a rocket, the pure power of his overclocked engines allowing him to cross the distance between him and Midoriya in a fraction of the time it did before. They both kicked, their legs colliding in midair. For a moment they held position, like two swordsmen locked in the corps a corps. Iida jumped off the ground with his other leg, unleashing a kick that rattled Midoriya, to the point where he dropped Full Cowling.

"I'm sorry, Midoriya. This ends now!" Iida rushed forward for the final blow, only to see Midoriya smiling. What? I'm about to win, why is he-

In the instant of hesitation, Midoriya seized the opportunity. Full Cowling came back with a vengeance. Desperate as he was to get it back on, Midoriya wasn't being careful with the percentage of power, and accidentally activated twenty percent of One For All. He slammed his fist into the ground, causing a shower of concrete shards to assault his opponent. Iida raised his hands to defend himself from this new attack, but it was for naught. Midoriya grabbed him by the midsection, lifted him up, and threw him.

With Recipro Burst still active, there wasn't anything Iida could do to avoid being carried out of bounds by his own ultimate move. He came down hard, rolling once, twice, three times before he finally came to a stop.

Midnight wasted no time in calling the match. "Iida has been knocked out of bounds! Midoriya is the winner!"

Midoriya immediately made for his fallen friend, "Oh my God, Iida! I'm so-" He was interrupted by pain lancing through his right shoulder, "Gah!"

Midnight dashed over as soon as she heard him cry out. "Midoriya, what's wrong?"

"Shoulder..." Midoriya croaked out, "Hurts... overdid it with my Quirk..."

Midnight frowned. "Midoriya, I need to get a better look at your shoulder, do I have your permission to remove your PE jacket?"

He nodded, a little confused.

She gently pulled his PE uniform off of the affected arm and shoulder. "Okay, I see what happened here." Midnight said, "You dislocated your shoulder, I can fix it here, or you can go to Recovery Girl."

Midoriya was taken aback by the surety in her voice that she could fix his shoulder. Wasn't Midnight just the Business Course's homeroom teacher and the Heroics Publicity teacher? "Uh, sure. Go ahead."

She handed him a piece of thick, well worn leather. "Bite on this so you don't try to bite your tongue off." He complied. A moment later, there was a pop and his shoulder was back in place. "There you go, all better."

Midoriya tested his shoulder in all degrees of movement and found that everything was okay. "How did you know how to do that, Midnight-sensei?"

Midnight laughed, "Huh, guess I never really talk about this. I've got anesthesiologist training, so I don't accidentally cause lasting damage with my Quirk. Triage training came with it. Comes in handy from time to time."

"Oh, that makes sense." Midoriya said before realizing that he needed to get permission for his tactic for his fight with Bakugo. "Um, Midnight-sensei? I have a question."

Midnight turned back to him, "What is it?"

"Assuming Bakugo wins his next fight, can I have an entrance song instead of having Present Mic hype me up beforehand?"

Midnight raised an eyebrow. While it was true that it had never been done before, it was also true that the option that Midoriya was asking for was possible. But something about this was... off. "Why specifically against Bakugo?"

"He declared war on me." Midoriya said, "I'm going to return the favor."

After giving Midnight the information of the song he wanted used and what parts of it he wanted played, he left for Recovery Girl's office. Some of the things Iida said during the fight were bugging him.

By the time he got there, Iida had already left. Recovery Girl said that he claimed to have a family matter to attend to, and didn't want to trouble anyone else with it.

Midoriya had to be satisfied with a text message.


The fight between Bakugo and Shiozaki went exactly as Aizawa had predicted.

She attempted to grab him with her vines. This had resulted in an instant win against Kaminari, as her vines didn't conduct electricity.

Her vines had no such resistance to explosions. Bakugo broke out and showed off a new move, Stun Grenade. The flash from the explosion blinded Shiozaki so she couldn't defend against his follow up blast. The attack forced her out of bounds, resulting in a victory for Bakugo.

Midoriya noticed that Bakugo lingered after the fight to ask Midnight something before walking off, just as he had. Something was definitely up.


To Kirishima's credit, he lasted approximately thirty seconds longer against Todoroki than Sero did. Mostly due to Todoroki's ice shattering on contact with Kirishima's hardened skin.

Kirishima punched his way through, only to discover a flaw in his fighting style. Using his Quirk on his whole body then attacking rapidly broke up the hardening and made it less effective.

Todoroki's second attempt to freeze Kirishima worked, but the amount of ice he used was smaller, sending Midoriya into a tailspin of analysis. Does his max output have a recharge time, like Endeavor's Prominence Burn? Wait, no. I'm approaching this the wrong way by only looking at one side of him. If Endeavor sees Todoroki as a superior version of himself, that would mean that his ice Quirk can keep the overheating that Endeavor has to combat in check. Perhaps the reverse is true? Yes, perhaps using the ice portion of his Quirk has a negative effect as well, a negative effect that can be solved with the fire.

"Okay..." Midoriya muttered as he wrote in his journal, "Just have to negate the first couple... then... yeah..."

"Uh, Midoriya," Jiro said, "You know that you said all of that out loud, right?"

Midoriya blinked, "All of what?"

"You were muttering a million miles a minute about Todoroki's Quirk." Uraraka said.

"And about how Endeavor thinks Todoroki is a improved version of him." Kaminari said, "Pretty screwed up when you think about it."

Midoriya's eyes bugged out. "You're not supposed to know that! Todoroki told me that in confidence!"

Yaoyorozu placed a hand on Midoriya's shoulder. "Breathe." She turned to the others, "Jiro, Kaminari, Uraraka. I'll make you a deal. You tell no one about what Midoriya has accidentally revealed about Todoroki, and I will help you study for every test we have until we graduate from UA."

"Done!" Jiro said.

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Uraraka said, flashing a thumbs up.

"What were we talking about again?" Kaminari asked.

Midoriya sighed in relief as he sank down into his chair. He looked over at Yaoyorozu, "What would I do without you?"

Yaoyorozu pretended to think about it, tapping a finger on her chin as she did so. "Probably break more bones. To the point where Mina would be shipping you and a hospital bed."

The newly arrived Mina pointed her churro at Yaoyorozu like an accusing finger, "I would do no such thing! Cargo ships are the coward's way out!"

Midoriya was saved from further confusion by the arrival of one of Ectoplasm's clones. "Midoriya, Something's come up."

"Oh?" Midoriya said, "What's wrong?"

Ectoplasm sighed, "Bakugo wants a rule change for your fight with him. For it to be accepted, both parties have to agree."

"What kind of rule change?" Yaoyorozu asked

"No ring outs." Ectoplasm explained, "Victory by knock out or forfeit only."

Uraraka inhaled sharply, "Midoriya, if he comes at you anything like he came at me..."

"Yeah..." Kaminari said, "This sounds like a real bad idea."

"Did he give any reasons?" Midoriya asked.

Ectoplasm nodded. "He said that he wouldn't be satisfied with a ring out."

It was pretty clear to Yaoyorozu what Bakugo wanted. He wanted official sanction to beat Midoriya until he couldn't stand. "Midoriya, don't-"

"I accept." Midoriya said.

"Izuku, you can't!"

Midoriya's train of thought derailed. There were no less than four separate gasps, and the sounds of Mina taking notes in her shipping notebook. He turned to Yaoyorozu. She had used his first name? That was... that was... a step. In a direction he wanted to go. But... they weren't even officially together yet! They hadn't even gone on a date! Should he use her first name too? Would that be appropriate?

It didn't help matters that Yaoyorozu was blushing, and that she looked super cute when she blushed!

Well, fortune favored the bold, and Midoriya decided to take the opportunity. "Momo. It'll be fine. I have a plan, and believe it or not, Bakugo just made it easier."

She shook her head, "It's not that. I know you have a plan. You would never agree to this if you didn't have a plan. It's just... I hate watching you get hurt, especially when you do it to yourself."

All at once, Midoriya's plans of using one hundred percent Delaware Smashes to negate Bakugo's full power explosions were thrown out. "I promise that I will beat Bakugo without inflicting injuries on myself."

"Alright. I suppose I'd better go get ready for my match with Tokoyami. Any tips?"

Midoriya shook his head, "You don't need any tips from me. You're amazing."

After Yaoyorozu left, Jiro decided to pull the pin on the grenade. "So, are we going to talk about how Midoriya and Yaomomo just used each others' first names?"

"Why, Jiro, I'm so glad you asked!" Mina said.

"Mina, no." Midoriya said,

"Mina YES!" She retorted.


"Alrighty-o, sports fans! Now that we've cleared the field of ice for the umpteenth time, we're ready to keep on rocking and rolling!" Present Mic said, "We've got a man with a shadow that actually watches his back, he's been tearing through the completion so far with ease, but can he keep this hot streak shrouded in darkness? It's Fumikage Tokoyami!"

Tokoyami took the field, ignoring the crowd. That fit everything that Yaoyorozu knew about him. He was the kind to let his actions speak louder than words someone else said.

"Are sure you don't want in on this, Aizawa!"

"Yes."

"Fine, I'll have all the fun." Present Mic continued, now that he'd tormented Aizawa a little, "Now, for his opponent! She might be the heiress to the Sapato Corporation, but she's proving that she can mix it up with the best of them! Whether you call it the Magic Satchel, Hammerspace, or pulling random crap from thin air, one thing can be assured! She has a plan to beat you! It's Momo Yaoyorozu!"

Yaoyorozu took her place at the arena. She drew in a deep breath through her mouth, then let it out through her nose. In her mind's eye, she placed all of her thoughts regarding Midoriya into an ornate box and locked it. She adored him but for the duration of the fight, those thoughts would only be a distraction.

"Begin!" Midnight yelled.

"Dark Shadow!" True to his word, Dark Shadow came flying out of Tokoyami and barreled towards Yaoyorozu.

A corner of Yaoyorozu's mouth quirked up. Just as she predicted. Her right hand came up, the blue glow of her Quirk dissipating as she finished creating a can of bear mace. She clamped her left hand over her nose and mouth, then pulled the trigger. With their single minded approach, there was no way for Dark Shadow to get out of the way in time. They took it full in the face and reacted accordingly.

"Gah! Fumi, what is this crap?"

Yaoyorozu sidestepped to avoid being caught by her own attack, and charged Tokoyami, who was fighting the effects of the bear mace as well, given his link with Dark Shadow. "I don't know! STOP RUBBING IT IN YOUR EYES!"

Dark Shadow recovered and flew at Yaoyorozu again. Of course that would only be momentary, Dark Shadow didn't have a respiratory system after all. "I won't let you near him!"

Yaoyorozu created a rubber band, wrapped it around the trigger of the bear mace, and threw it behind her. "OH, COME ON!" Dark Shadow yelled, "You think that'll work twice?"

She glanced back to see that Dark Shadow had just flown over the noxious cloud she had left behind. Figures. Oh well, there was more than one way to skin a cat. Or illuminate shadow.

Being a creature made up of darkness, it should stand to reason that he would be weak to light. She had no proof, of course. But if she did nothing, Dark Shadow would catch her and push her out of bounds. Or if they were feeling particularly vengeful, throw her into the cloud of bear mace.

Yaoyorozu wanted to avoid that with every fiber of her being.

She created a flashbang, pulled the pin with her teeth and tossed it behind her. "Let's see you deal with this!"

After two seconds, the flashbang went off. Since she didn't have a chance to create hearing protection, Yaoyorozu got blasted with the auditory part of the grenade. Her ears were ringing, but based on how Tokoyami was clutching his head it was plain to see that he had just got a double whammy.

She created a tungsten carbide staff out of her elbow as she finally closed in. Tokoyami looked up just in time for her smack him in the chest and send him flying out of bounds.

"Tokoyami is out of bounds!" Midnight declared, "Yaoyorozu is the winner!"

Yaoyorozu cupped her hand against her ear. "What?"


Time did funny things when you were nervous.

Midoriya remembered things that happened during the half hour break before the semi-finals. Yaoyorozu double fisting energy bars. Learning that Kaminari and Jiro had gotten together. Bakugo sulking in the corner. Learning that Mineta had tried to get the girls into cheerleader uniforms. Glaring at Mineta.

But that was over. Now it was time for him to face Bakugo.

Present Mic was starting to hype up the crowd. Aizawa-sensei was explaining that the next match would be the first No Ringout match since All Might versus Endeavor over twenty years ago. Kind of ironic, really.

"Alright, then. Let's get to it!" Present Mic said, "First up, we've got two of Class 1-A's best! On one hand, we have a guy who literally exploded onto the scene, and has completely dominated in each and every way so far. Give it up, for KATSUKI BAKUGO!"

From his place at the opposite arena entrance, Midoriya could see Bakugo walk in and completely ignore everything. That wasn't like him at all. The Bakugo he knew would have reveled in the attention. He took a breath to focus himself.

"As for his opponent, well, he's got something to say to Bakugo. So, I'm gonna shut up and let him say it." Oh yeah, that made Bakugo start paying attention. "Let's hear it for IZUKU MIDORIYA!"

The crowd went nuts, but swiftly silenced as soon as the music began. Midoriya began to walk out into the arena at a measured pace, his finger tapping out the rhythm of the song he had chosen.

Good evening my people up in the chandeliers
The wining and dining, the menu is blood, sweat, and tears.

Up in the faculty section, All Might was shocked. No one in UA Sports Festival history had been so bold as to call out their opponent with an entrance song. It was unheard of. But if there was any member of Class 1-A for which impossible was their stock in trade, it was Midoriya.

Everybody ready
Raining down confetti
Champions are born right now

In the break room assigned to the ER staff of Aldera General Hospital, Inko was equally happy and worried. She was happy that Izuku had made it this far, but she was worried about Bakugo and how he'd react to that.

Ain't about the glamor
Click goes the hammer
Run when you hear that sound

Yaoyorozu clenched her fists. This was it. The fight that she'd been dreading all day long.

Heroes never die
Gonna make it to the finish line

Bakugo was furious. What the hell was Deku up to? He wins a couple fights and he thought he was hot shit? With his bullshit Quirk that he'd been lying about? Seriously, how did anyone believe that late bloomer crap he kept babbling about? There was something else going on here. And Bakugo was going to get to the bottom of it. Today.

We know we survive
Even if we crawl to the finish line

"You can do this, Midoriya!" Yaoyorozu called out.

I will believe it
Underdog dreaming

"I believe in you, Izuku." Inko said under her breath, "And if he were still here, so would your father. Go, show them what you're made of."

Don't need no cheers
World's gonna see it

"Go, kid." All Might said, "Spread those wings of yours and fly."

Heroes never die
Gonna make it to the finish line

"You think some shitty entrance song is gonna make a difference against me, Deku?" Bakugo ranted, "I'm gonna kick your ass so bad-"

Midoriya met Bakugo's eyes, and for the first time in his life, there wasn't any fear in his own. "Shut up."

Bakugo grinned. "Make me, Deku."

Midnight looked at the both of them, then signaled the start of the match. "Be-"

That first syllable was all they needed. Bakugo triggered explosions that sent him flying at Midoriya. Midoriya was already running at him full tilt, emerald lightning sparking off of his body.

Midoriya knew that Bakugo always started with a right hook. He also knew that Bakugo knew that he knew that. He also knew that Bakugo would likely assume that he would overthink the scenario.

Before UA? That would've happened, yeah. However, now Midoriya realized that against an opponent with such incredible battle instincts, his usual tactics of predictions and analysis simply wouldn't be able to keep up.

Bakugo reared back for his typical right hook, and his hand began to spark.

Now!

"DELAWARE SMASH!" Midoriya flicked his fingers, sending out a blast of wind that knocked Bakugo's hand away. The explosion went off up into the air to the approval of the crowd. Before Bakugo could renew his offense, Midoriya punched him in the face.

He followed up his attack with a jumping kick that hit before Bakugo regained his balance, sending him to the ground. "What's the matter, Bakugo? Not used to me fighting back?"

Bakugo punched the ground and scrambled to his feet. "That ain't it, you dumbass. THAT AIN'T IT AT ALL!" He unleashed an explosion that sent Midoriya flying. "You were always there, no matter what I said or did to you! Always trying to show me up! Trying to give me help I didn't need!"

Midoriya shook off the impact before freezing at Bakugo's words. Wait, is he talking about-

Bakugo charged again, flying through the dust cloud he had left behind. Midoriya repelled his attack with another finger flick and countered with a punch. "DETROIT SMASH!"

Bakugo triggered an explosion that sent him spinning through the air, then aimed a kick at Midoriya's head. It struck home, the armored boot leaving behind a nasty gash. "And you know what else? I'm calling bullshit on your whole late bloomer sob story "

Midoriya's heart felt like it had jumped into his throat. Did he know? How could he know?

Bakugo lunged again, firing off rapid blasts that forced Midoriya back. "I know the Icy-Hot Bastard is barking up the wrong tree with the love child shit, but he is right about one th-"

Midoriya interrupted him by bull rushing through the explosions. He grabbed Bakugo, one arm around a leg, one around his waist and threw him with all his might. "You were eavesdropping on us?"

From his position on the ground, Bakugo brought his hands together and unleashed an explosion that blinded Midoriya. "STUN GRENADE!" He slipped around to Midoriya's rear and punched him in the back of the head. "He was right about one thing. You and All Might. When you two use your Quirk, it's the same feeling. That same pressure. The punch he did to scatter the sludge villain and the punch you hit me through the wall with during battle training felt exactly the same! Explain that, you lying little shit! WHY DOES IT FEEL LIKE YOU AND ALL MIGHT HAVE THE SAME GODDAMN QUIRK?"

"Bak-" Midoriya started to say.

"Oh, and don't forget," Bakugo interjected, "I've seen your X-Rays."

A feeling of impending doom settled over Midoriya, but somehow he kept it together. "Late bloomers have a chance to have the pinkie toe joint, especially in my case."

Bakugo tackled him to the ground and started whaling on him, each word he spoke punctuated by a blow. "That. Wasn't. A. Denial!"

Midoriya worked his feet underneath Bakugo and kicked out, knocking him off. I need to shut him up now!

"And you know what?" Bakugo said, "I don't give a shit! Even if All Might found a way to give some powerless runt like you a copy of his Quirk, it won't matter because I am going to become the Number One Hero! I'll leave you in the dust, O chosen one!"

They charged each other again. Midoriya grabbed Bakugo's wrists and forced them away from him before the explosions came. "Let's say you become Number One Hero." Midoriya said, straining as he kept Bakugo locked up with him, "Against all odds, you've done it. What are you going to do when someone comes forward with proof that you were a bully in middle school? That you mercilessly beat and tormented a Quirkless classmate? That you suicide baited them? How long do you think you'll be Number One after that?"

Midoriya planted his fist in Bakugo's gut. "Will you even be able to tell them why you did it?" He increased his power to eight percent of One For All and punched Bakugo again. "Why did you make my life hell?" Another punch, this time to the jaw. "Why?" Another punch. "Why?" Another. "WHY?" Midoriya unleashed an uppercut that sent Bakugo flying.

"BECAUSE YOU'RE THE REASON MY MOTHER BEATS ME!" Bakugo screamed.

Midoriya stopped dead in his tracks. "What?" He asked, his voice cracking.

"You heard me! I mean, she always had to smack me around to keep me in line, but you just made it all worse! You just had to tell Auntie Inko about those damned bruises that I didn't get playing with you, so her and Mom had to get in that fight, and everything after that went right to hell!" Bakugo wanted to stop. The one time he had free reign to kick Midoriya's ass, and he was spilling the beans. But the dam had burst, and it just kept coming, "It's gotten to the point where I'm scared to go home, but I can't be scared because that means I'm weak and I can't be weak if I'm going to be the Number One Hero!"

Midoriya took an involuntary step back as Bakugo rose to his feet once more. Was that- was that what had been going on all this time?

Bakugo's hands crackled with sparks as he advanced. "I don't care if All Might gave you his power or not. It doesn't change the fact that I have to become the best if I'm going to get me and Dad out of there. Which means that I'm going to beat you. Here and now." He crossed his arms over his chest in an X, with one hand facing forward and the other backwards. "Was gonna save this move for the finals, but you've forced my hand, Deku!"

He triggered explosions in both hands and jumped forward, sending him flying towards Midoriya in a spin. Subsequent explosions only increased his speed until he reached forward and primed a full power blast. "HOWITZER IMPACT!"

It was too late for Midoriya to counter in any meaningful way that wouldn't break his promise to Yaoyorozu. He didn't have time to evade. He raised his arms in front of himself like a shield and activated ten percent of One For All, in the hopes that what durability increase it afforded him would mitigate some of the damage.

In an instant, all the world became heat and noise and pain. He was able to just barely hold his ground against the blast, but it wasn't without cost. The top of his PE uniform was ripped to shreds, and his body was covered with burns. But he was still standing.

Barely.

"The hell?" Bakugo asked, "How are you still standing?"

Midoriya didn't bother with words. He had no idea how much longer he would stay standing, so he had to end this quickly. He started towards Bakugo, slowly at first, stumbling over his own feet. Then he began to pick up speed, Full Cowling surging back to life.

He started smiling.

"What're you smiling for, you damn nerd? You're on your last legs!"

Trying to stall until you can build up more sweat? I won't let you.

Midoriya swung at Bakugo with a wild haymaker that connected with his face, Midoriya felt something crack under the impact, was it his nose? Judging by the blood leaking out it was. Bakugo tried to counter with an explosion, but got nothing but a few sparks and a sharp pain in his arm for his trouble.

Midoriya took advantage of the opening with another punch to Bakugo's gut that physically lifted him off of the ground. He followed it up with a drop punch that sent him face first into the arena floor.

Bakugo tried to get up, but his arms couldn't handle the weight. "Damn it..."

"Bakugo is unable to continue! Midoriya is the winner!"

Oh, he won.

Approximately ten seconds later, Midoriya's mind caught up with his pain receptors. He cried out in pain and sank to his knees. "Hah... oh, Yaoyorozu's gonna be mad at me. I got hurt a lot." He said to no one in particular.

Despite himself, Bakugo barked out a laugh, "Is it really a surprise? Of course, the first time we fight on equal footing is such a goddamn mess... Midoriya."

In some corner of Izuku Midoriya's mind that wasn't coming down from adrenaline or addled with pain, he registered that his plan to continue what Uraraka had started was working perfectly.


When Recovery Girl had her mind set on something, it was best to listen to her, lest you tempt her wrath and walking stick. "You need to be more careful, Midoriya! You broke his nose!"

"I'm sor-"

"Don't you dare apologize."

Midoriya turned to Bakugo in surprise. "Huh?"

Bakugo was sitting hunched over, staring at the floor. "If there's anyone who should never have to apologize to me, it's you."

Recovery Girl looked at the both of them, then took a step back. "I'm going to give you two some privacy to hash this out. Also, I'm not letting you leave until you do." She drew the privacy curtain closed. "You two remind me too much of All Might and Endeavor to not force this."

The most awkward silence that Midoriya had endured descended. What was he supposed to say after years of... whatever the hell it was their friendship has devolved into? Start at the beginning maybe? "How did..."

"It start?" Bakugo said, he shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose, "I don't frigging know. She always had to smack me around to keep me in line, you know how I was as a kid. But it wasn't... bad. Just a bop on the head, y'know?"

Midoriya did not know. He couldn't even imagine his mother laying hands on him like that. Bakugo kept going without waiting for a response. "Then after Auntie Inko and my mom had that argument, Dad actually grew a backbone for once. Started telling her that she was going too far. She just hit him. Not a slap, a full-on punch. At that point I ran and hid in my room. After that... it got worse."

"I... don't need to know details." Midoriya said.

"That's the fucked-up thing, Dek- Midoriya. You already do." Bakugo looked at Midoriya for the first time during the conversation.

"You mean..." Midoriya's voice trembled as he realized what Bakugo meant. She beat him. Called him worthless. And... "She told you to kill yourself?"

"Yeah." Bakugo said. "All the other shit too."

There was really only one question to ask at this point. "Why?"

Bakugo pulled at his hair, stopping just short of tearing it out. "I don't freaking know, okay? All I know, is that I was a scared and confused kid that was so full of anger that I was never taught how to process right so I just lashed out! I know it was wrong. God! I know! But no one ever tried to stop me because they were so preoccupied with how great a Hero I was gonna be, or they didn't want to be the next target!" Tears were flowing freely now, even if he didn't acknowledge them, "Why don't you hate me, Midoriya? After everything, how... why don't you hate me?"

Midoriya sighed, "You're not the only one who got twisted in the head. Back then, I hated things that you'd do to me. But I still... saw all the amazing things you could do. Hell, up until recently I still called you Kaachan."

Bakugo grunted, "I suppose that I have the ponytail bit- Yaoyorozu to thank for that."

"Yeah..." Midoriya rubbed the back of his head.

"So, what do you want from me, Midoriya?" Bakugo asked, "To come clean about everything and drop out of the Hero course?"

"No!" Midoriya shouted, "Just... be better! I know you can, because we've always had the same goal! To be like All Might!"

"Don't you get it?" Bakugo seethed, "As long as I have that hag making my and Dad's lives a living hell, the chances of that are slim to none! And he can't get a divorce, cause Mom screwed all his accounts so that she's the primary account holder!"

Midoriya's foot started tapping. "Okay, okay... your dad needs a new job... one that pays well enough that you can find a new place to live and pay UA's tuition... he's a chef, right?"

Bakugo stared at him, "Yeah, so what? The hell can you do about it? Besides, I didn't ask for your help!"

Midoriya grabbed his phone from his bedside table, "It's like All Might says, Bakugo. Providing help that's not asked for..."

"... Is the whole point of being a hero." Bakugo finished.

Midoriya dialed All Might's number. "Come on, pick up..."

"Ah, young Midoriya, congratulations on your win!"

"Uh, thanks." Midoriya said, "I have a bit of a situation I need resolved."

"Go on."

Midoriya glanced at Bakugo, he had jumped the gun and hadn't actually asked for permission to share. With a nod from Bakugo, he launched into the explanation. "Bakugo and his father are stuck in an abusive living situation and need to get out. The issue is that his dad needs a job where he can afford a new pace for them to live and UA's tuition. He's a chef. And... you know, I really think that Lunch Rush is overworked and could use an assistant."

"Kid, UA's hiring process takes months."

Time for a gamble. "Could you get Nezu to rubber stamp it? As a favor to me? You know, as your successor?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line, followed by a chuckle. "The job offer will be sent today."

"Thanks, All Might. Bye!" He hung up, then turned back to Bakugo, "UA's gonna send your dad the job offer today!"

"His successor." Bakugo said.

Midoriya froze, "Oh, crapbaskets." He let slip, "Well, you see..."

"Save it, you all but confirmed that there's something screwy going on with you, All Might, and your Quirk during the fight." Bakugo chewed on the insides of his check before continuing, "I'll make you a deal. On the day I apologize to you for all the shit I've dealt you, you tell me the truth about your Quirk."

Midoriya frowned. "You're not going to apologize now?"

Bakugo became rather interested in the floor again. "No. You'd just accept it, and I can't accept that until... until I've forgiven myself for everything I've done to you." He got up and began to leave, only for him to be stopped by Recovery Girl asking if he wanted some candy. "The hell would I want candy for? I lost!" There was a brief pause, "What do you mean I can still get third place? No! No one told me that! In that case. I would like some candy, please!"

Midoriya smiled. The bridge that needed to be built between him and Bakugo wouldn't be built in a day. But this was a start.


Cementoss paved over the mess that Midoriya and Bakugo had left behind, and they moved to the next match. Midoriya burst into the student section. "I didn't miss it, did I?"

"Chill, nerd." Bakugo said. Even with his dedication to self-improvement, there were some things that just weren't going to go away. "Present Mic hasn't started blabbing yet."

Midoriya took his seat next to Uraraka, who was giving Bakugo the side eye. "Well?"

"It's... complicated." Midoriya said. "And a lot of it... it isn't my place to share it."

Uraraka hummed noncommittally. Any opinion on the matter was drowned out by Present Mic. "Alright, alright, alright, sports fans! How was that for an action packed first semifinals match! Well, we sure ain't slowing down now! It's time for a battle of the elites!"

Down on the field, Yaoyorozu took a breath. She would have to be very careful and very precise with her Quirk to win this fight.

Todoroki had a certain amount of respect for Yaoyorozu, but it was a matter of fact that she didn't have anything that could challenge him. This would be over in seconds.

"On one side, it's the son of the number two hero, the unstoppable iceman, it's Shoto Todoroki! On the other, the heiress to the Sapato Corporation, and... well, at this point I'm convinced that she should call herself the Fire For Effect Hero, it's Momo Yaoyorozu!"

"Begin!"

Todoroki immediately launched an ice attack to engulf Yaoyorozu. She had other plans. She created a pole from her hand and used it to evade the attack, much like she had done at the beginning of the Obstacle Race. Then she set about creating her magnum opus.

A flamethrower.

She landed on Todoroki's right, in a section of the arena that hadn't been frozen yet. He blinked in surprise. A flamethrower against him? But he was fire resistant?

A manic smile blossomed on Yaoyorozu's face, and as the primer on the flamethrower lit, Shoto Todoroki knew fear. He dodged the first blast of flame on a wave of ice, ice that melted halfway through his movement due to the heat.

He planted his feet and called upon the full power of his ice. "Heaven-piercing Ice Wall!" Surely she couldn't use that flamethrower to melt her way out of this, right?

Yaoyorozu created a grenade and threw it into the oncoming ice. The grenade went off, shattering it and stopping the ice cold. "Heaven-piercing Ice Wall, meet Thermobaric Grenade."

Well. That was just rude.

In some corner of Todoroki's mind, he was screaming at himself that he was fireproof and could literally walk through the blasts from Yaoyorozu's flamethrower. But that was the thing, even with the abilities that his Quirk afforded him, he was still human, and it was human nature to avoid pain.

He narrowly avoided another gout of flame. At least the fire was melting the ice built up on his body. It was a shame that having that ability all the time would mean using his bastard of a father's Quirk.

Shoto Todoroki had just come dangerously close to figuring out that Midoriya was right, but that understanding was strangled by his hatred of his father.

Another wave of ice was sent out, and another wave of fire beat it back. This was just-

The primer on Yaoyorozu's flamethrower went out, and she was in the middle of creating a new fuel tank for it. She was reloading, and as far as Todoroki knew, she could only create one object at a time.

Wordlessly, he sent out a sheet of ice. As soon as it reached Yaoyorozu, it began to creep up her legs.

"No, not like this!" Yaoyorozu abandoned the creation of the fuel tank in favor of an ice pick, which she tried to use to chip away at the ice without hitting herself.

Between her efforts and her physical strength, she managed to free one of her legs, but the instant she placed her foot down, the process began again.

Todoroki approached her with his hand outstretched, controlling the ice as it covered her body up to her neck. "You survived longer than the other two." He said simply.

"Yaoyorozu is unable to move, Todoroki is the winner!" Midnight called out.

Not even her teeth chattering against the cold could prevent her indignation. "Their names are Sero and Kirishima." She hissed, "Do you even care? Do you even care that we're all fighting our hearts out, using every bit of our power while you aren't?"

"Did Midoriya tell you to say that? Upon receiving no answer, he turned away from her, "I know what I have to do. The rest of you are just in the way."

Yaoyorozu hung her head until she realized she was still in the running for third place. Which meant she would be fighting Katsuki Bakugo.

She smiled to herself as one of Ectoplasm's clones brought over a space heater.

With everything that she knew he had done to Midoriya, the chance to forcefully introduce his face to the arena floor would be a genuine pleasure.


A/N: Some real heavy subject matter in this chapter.

The only reason Iida still goes through with the fight with Midoriya is because he knows that Tensei is alive. If that wasn't known, he would've left and Midoriya would've gotten a bye.

I can already hear the "you're making Yaoyorozu too OP" complaints coming. To be blunt, I am not. First, look up the Ascended Extra trope. Second, I have not made her stronger than she is in canon at this point. Read that again. Beating Tokoyami is a fairly simple matter at this point when you break it down. Disable Dark Shadow, and you win. Yaoyorozu doesn't explicitly know about Dark Shadow's weakness, which is why she goes for the bear mace as opposed to say, a flashlight.

Now, Midoriya versus Bakugo. Let's talk about the fight first. Then the... OTHER stuff.

Midoriya walking into the fight with Finish Line by Skillet playing as his entrance song was one of the very first things I planned for the fic. And if you don't think Midoriya could stay standing through a Howitzer Impact, I don't know what to tell you. This is a guy that regularly fights while having broken bones.

I want to make something very clear now. Anyone clowning in the reviews saying any variation of "you shouldn't be so hard on Mitsuki (Bakugo's mom)" Will be laughed at. Now, does Mitsuki's behavior explain Bakugo's behavior? Yes. Like he said, he was a scared kid that didn't know how to process his anger. Now, am I trying to be a Bakugo apologist or am I trying to justify his behavior?

ABSOLUTELY NOT. His behavior was so far out of line he wasn't even coloring on the paper. But at the same time, that doesn't mean that he also isn't a victim of abuse that deserves that chance to heal and become better than he was. This is his starting line.

In short, Bakugo was a bully, but also a victim. These two things can exist together. What matters now is what he does going forward.

And yeah, he sniffs out OFA earlier. Although, in canon Midoriya flat out tells him that "I have to make this power mine" after the battle training. So, I think it evens out in the long run.

Yes, I know how absurd it is that Todoroki gets pushed against the ropes by a flamethrower. That is the point. It's absurd, it's funny. Yaoyorozu was going to lose that fight either way, so why not make it a comedic bit where Todoroki forgets that he's fireproof because Yaoyorozu decided to pick Pyro that round. Much more interesting than a stomp where Todoroki just insta wins.

Next chapter is the finals, and the aftermath of the Sports Festival. Stay tuned!