Izuku walked into the hallway, half expecting for the other girl to have gone. He did take a while with Tsuyu. To his surprise, Yui was in the hallway, reading.
"Yui?" He walked up to her, and before she could respond, he pulled up a chair beside her, allowing Eri to sit in his lap.
Yui wasn't one to show emotion, especially to those she didn't know too well, but considering her not so minor crush on Izuku, she allowed herself to smile, just a tiny bit.
She half smiled as she watched Eri struggle to clamber onto the vigilante's lap, and almost chuckled when Eri fell on her rear. She heard Izuku chuckle as he lifted her onto his knee, bouncing it up and down to Eri's delight.
His attention focused on Yui, who blinked. "Yui, I want to know what happened out there. Why didn't you just finish Tsuyu off? You had the opportunity to secure a satisfying win."
Yui looked to her hands in thought, not knowing how to respond to his question. She wasn't one for words, more for action, and she especially didn't know how to talk to the counselor in front of her.
"She was done."
"Hmm?"
Yui looked up. "She was already defeated."
Izuku smiled. "Yui, I have a small philosophy." She looked to him with intrigue. "Those that win the fight with compassion and mercy are inherently better than those who win the fight with brute force." Seeing her digest the information, he waited.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, there's a reason why I don't kill anyone, especially villains. I won't go into too much detail, but I believe that letting your enemy live is a better resolve than knowingly taking their life away. They can almost always be cured, but those that can't... well, I think they should be locked away forever."
He looked away. "I always contradict myself." He looked at Eri, who was playing with the hairclip Mic gave her. "Those who rape others, those who kidnap and murder adults and children alike, I believe they should be executed. I think for them, death is the most mercy they'll ever receive." Ending with that dark note, he smiled.
"I think what you did today, it made you stronger. It helped others see you as strong and compassionate, even empathetic. I applaud you for what you did for Tsuyu. I know you both wanted to win, but I think you earned it." Seeing her silently nod, he stood up, placing Eri on the ground.
"Well, that's all from me. Good luck in your next match, I'll be waiting in the student area." He turned around, and walked with a hopping Eri, who pretended she was a rabbit.
Yui's eyes widened.
"If you win this match, you can continue to hide your little feelings until some other girl takes her chance to whisk him away." Setsuna's words rang throughout her mind.
"Wait!"
Izuku and Eri stopped, and the former turned around, surprise evident. "Hmm?"
"After the festival ends" She struggled to get the words out.
"Yes?"
"Would... you... have dinner? With me?" She struggled to even finish that. She let out a breath she didn't even know she held in. She stayed silent, observing him.
Izuku stood, rigid, as he remembered what Nezu told him. Then, he looked at the fidgeting girl, who was more bashful than usual. He would've gone, but he wasn't even sure if he wanted to. His professional relationship with her would crumble, and if it didn't work out?
He didn't even want to think about it.
Realizing he hasn't answered yet, he made a decision.
Letting out an apologetic smile, he finally answered her.
"Yui, I'd love to..." She snapped at attention, hope sparkling in her eyes. "But, not after the festival tonight. I have to tend to Eri tonight before she officially becomes my daughter tomorrow." His heart sank as he watched her expression become more somber.
"How about this? I'll think about it, and I'll let you know by the end of the week. That way it gives you enough time to relax and be with your friends." He was relieved when she brightened a bit, not that it was too noticeable. She energetically nodded and walked away, in a better mood.
Izuku glanced in the direction she walked off in, rubbing the back of his head. The things I get myself into. He was pulled out of his thoughts when a hand tugged on his pants. He looked down and smiled when Eri peered at him curiously.
"What did she mean mister?"
Izuku smiled. "I'll tell you when we go to the hospital." She nodded, content. "Mister, do you want to be my unicorn? I'm gonna be a princess hero!"
Izuku laughed heartily as he pulled her onto his shoulders. "Of course I will! Now, let's run to the villains so you can defeat them with your sparkly wand!"
She smacked his head lightly. "A princess doesn't use a wand, silly!"
"Oh?"
"A princess uses a sword!"
He laughed. "Oh how silly of me. Now! Let's go face those villains!"
He ran in the direction of the student box, Eri laughing the whole time.
In the shadows, a small figure smiled.
Nezu walked away, in a good mood. "It's good Midorya is socializing, and finally has someone interested in him. I'm happy for him. He's growing up."
{The field}
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. we need to speed things up before it becomes tomorrow."
"Yeah but its unfair for the students!"
"We don't care, we've decided."
"right, fine."
The students and audience were equally confused over the muffled argument Present Mic seemed to be having with another voice. They were all surprised when they heard Present Mic with a slightly defeated tone.
"Alright listeners! We have just made a small change in the schedule! Would the rest of the students competing please come down to the field? We have a special surprise in store!"
The five students and counselor looked surprised at the announcement, and the students were quick to hurry to the field. Izuku had a smirk, an idea forming in his head.
Izuku ran with Eri to the announcers box. Izuku told Eri to go under a false name, "Inko" (after his mom), told Present Mic the plan. Mic was quick to agree to let "Inko" sit next to him, and loved the idea of babysitting his little niece. Izuku thanked him and rushed down to the field.
"Now that everyone is at the field, I have one more thing to add before starting!" Everyone looked to the box. "This is my coworkers daughter, Inko! She'll be commentating with me for this round, say hi to the audience Inko!"
"Hiiiii!"
The audience cooed. Awws filling the arena.
"Tell them about yourself, Inko!"
"I like unicorns, and sparkles, and swords, and heroes! I'm going to be a powerful princess hero and mister is going to be my unicorn!"
More awws filled the arena.
Present Mic ruffled her hair. "You take from your dad, huh! You're going to be a powerful princess hero one day!"
"Yay!"
The audience just couldn't handle this level of cuteness radiating from the announcers box.
Present Mic continued the festival. "Now then! In typical UA fashion, there's a level of unpredictability involved! Right now, the students that were to compete against each other are now working together as teams! So, on team one! We have:
"Team One! Fumikage Tokoyami and Hitoshi Shinso! This team comprises of a man who is of the night and a man who looks like he doesn't sleep through it! Both powerful in their own right, and we can't wait to see them in action!
On team two! they're both in the hero course, 1-A! It's Kyoka Jirou and Momo Yaoyorozu! Jirou can create sound waves straight from her heart, and she can tell where someone is hiding! The other can create anything from nothing, and will clobber you with what she conjures!
On team three with have hard headed powerhouses! One can harden his skin to block any attack while the other can outthink you before you can even attack! its Eijiro Kirishima and Izuku Midorya, better known as Quirkless!"
"It's Mister!" Eri interjected.
Present Mic laughed. "Yes it is, Inko! Now, for those confused about why a hero is on the team, we noticed Kirishima here didn't have an opponent, and it would have been unfair to just send him to the finals without a fair fight! So! We have the pro who's closest in age who will suffer from a serious handicap. At fourteen years old, he fits the bill!" The crowd muttered, talking about the counselors age, and how he was able to make it as a hero this early on.
"Bull Shit!" One voice from the crowd spoke up. It was a minor hero, relatively new to the hero industry.
"Pardon?" Present Mic blinked.
The minor hero started his rant. "There is no way a kid was able to make it big time without us knowing. Unlike him, some of us actually worked our asses off to be where we are! He probably had his mommy pay his way to become a pro!" Others mumbled around him, agreeing to what he said.
"Quirkless, will you do the honours?" Present Mic wasn't even worried.
Izuku grinned under his mask, and immediately used the mechanisms on his feet to launch himself in front of where the minor hero sat.
Grabbing onto the hero's shirt, he glared into his eyes.
"Listen, scum." The hero, and those in the stadium, shuddered at the venom laced in the vigilantes voice. "You and I, we're not the same. We are never going to be the same. You are nothing but rubble under my feet. Do you know why?" The hero shook his head, fear etched in his eyes.
"Because those that underestimate me are bound to be stepped on. You don't know what I went through to become the vigilante I am today. Yet, I'm respected by three police departments in Japan. You will never have the luxury of ever addressing me again, mostly because I don't have time for people like you." He turned around, ready to rejoin the students. "You've been a hero for a year, correct?" Not waiting for a response, he scoffed. "Maybe if you actually acted like a hero, we'd talk. I have more years of experience than you could ever hope for." He flew to the students, his job done.
Kirishima laughed. "Harsh, much?"
Izuku didn't even respond. He just analysed the students, planning for what Kirishima could do best.
Meanwhile, the hero Izuku addressed huffed and left the stadium, not wanting any part of this. He would just choose from the students he watched already.
There was a moment of silence, until a cheerful voice shattered the void.
"That's my Dad!"
Present Mic couldn't stop laughing at Eri's remark, and his laughing only got harder after seeing Izuku's face.
Izuku was shocked after hearing his daughter's declaration. He almost cried, and he would, just not in front of people.
He could almost hear the howling laughter in the teacher's box.
Present Mic calmed down, with a few chuckles, and looked at Eri.
"Would you like to say it?"
Eri nodded.
Speaking into the Mic, Eri breathed in.
"Begin!"
Not even a second passed and the three teams threw themselves at the other, none of them with a concrete plan.
Shinso and Tokoyami talked as they ran, and after agreeing, Tokoyami grabbed Shinso and dropped him onto Kyoka. Shinso yelled out. "Incoming!" before rolling next to the girl and sweeping a leg under her, tripping her.
With Kyoka on the ground, Shinso moved to throw a punch when he was sent away with a heavy metal bat. Momo bent down and helped Kyoka up after the swing, and the team was at full use fairly quickly.
Tokoyami narrowed his eyes when he witnessed Shinso batted away. He flew to the two teams and fought Kyoka with hand to hand combat as dark shadow fought Momo by edging her away.
Kirishima and Izuku layed back, and planned as the two teams preoccupied themselves with the other.
Izuku's plan was simple. Since he was at a handicap, it was up for Kirishima to deliver the heavy hits.
He informed his apprentice that if Kirishima were to fall, Izuku could still have him progress, since they were in the same team. It would just be more difficult at a handicap.
There were several things that could happen:
Kirishima could wait until the teams tired themselves out, and then go and win.
Kirishima could run around, delivering hits and retreating, tiring them out.
Kirishima could barge in and either get knocked out or knock only one team out.
The two took out option three and decided to do option one. They smiled, and Izuku got to work setting traps, with the help of the apprentice.
Kirishima grinned. This was going to be fun.
The two teams, on the other hand, didn't pay the third team any mind. Shinso was busy looking for opportunities to control them, Tokoyami was doing his best to restrain the two opponents. Kyoka was trying to damage them by sound, but Tokoyami was making that harder than it had to be. Momo couldn't even use her quirk due to the two opponents constantly attacking her.
Shinso grinned. "Where's that confidence now, Yaoyorozu? Did you leave it when you were locking lips with Mr. Midorya?"
Kyoka stopped for a moment, and turned her head to Momo. "You did what?"
She realized it far too late.
Kyoka would admit later on, that was on her.
Shinso watched in glee as Momo watched in horror as Kyoka's pupils shrank and a hazy look appeared in her eyes.
Shinso smirked. "Game over for you!"
Kyoka only looked at Shinso, awaiting instructions. "Kyoka, would you please walk out of bounds for me?"
"No Kyoka! No!"
Tokoyami chuckled. "This is just evil, my friend."
Shinso smirked. "It's a necessary evil, but it'll have to work for now."
Momo watched in horror as Kyoka walked out of bounds. Kyoka immediately snapped out of her trance as she did so.
Momo shuddered. It was just her, now.
Tokoyami didn't hesitate. He was over Momo, his dark shadow swinging fists at her left and right. On instinct, Momo created a shield, which did not prove effective as Dark shadow repeatedly slammed its fists on it, sending her back little by little. It's didn't help Momo that Tokoyami was causally walking in the direction Momo was being attacked in.
In his stead, Tokoyami didn't notice his partner suddenly gagged and dragged into the ground.
Eventually, Momo stopped moving and when she looked up, realizing that Tokoyami was walking away. She got up to attack, but was stopped by Kyoka, who pointed at the boundary line in front of her.
Momo dropped her shoulders. They had lost.
Meanwhile, Tokoyami was searching the field for his partner, who seemingly disappeared.
He was just here?! Ok ok. I know Kyoka and Momo were against us, so they couldn't have taken him, so then who could have-
He paled when the revelation hit.
Fuck. There were three teams.
"Hello, Fumikage."
Tokoyami instantly swerved around to see Izuku and Kirishima, casually standing/sitting.
Tokoyami watched with narrow eyes as the team in front of him slowly advanced to him, one hardening his skin to its peak and the other whose hands couldn't be seen.
Tokoyami shuddered unconsciously, taking a step back for every step the duo took.
My god, it's like they're in synch!
"DARK-" Tokoyami was cut off by an unnerving grin from the hardening hero in training and a malicious voice from the vigilante.
"Nuh uh uh." Izuku taunted. "We don't want to do that, trust me." Tokoyami shuddered, and stumbled backwards, landing on his rear... in a pit. He looked off to the side and screamed when he saw the unconscious form of Shinso, tied up and laying there.
CLANG
Tokoyami shot his head up and to his horror watched a bright light shine directly into the hole, and Tokoyami began to sweat.
"Oh Hey, Tokoyami." The avian headed boy screamed and clawed his arms backwards, instantly propelling himself back.
Kirishima jumped in the hole, a mere two meters away from his opponent.
"I heard you like the night, so how about I show you some stars." The last thing Tokoyami heard of in the round were crackling knuckles.
The stadium was silent as they heard pained screams and muffles from the pit Kirishima and Izuku dug up while the other teams fought against the other. They were surprised to see Izuku bring out a portable stage light from his cloak. It was small but it had a large range.
Izuku smiled as Kirishima jumped out with the two unconscious opponents, ending the match.
"Good work Kirishima. At this rate we could totally nail a duo team on Halloween later this year." Kirishima only laughed.
Momo and Kyoka were slack jawed as they witnessed the scene in front of them go down. Somehow, they were both grateful they didn't have to go against the duo.
While Kyoka wondered how they worked so we'll together, Momo knew the truth. If it was any fact, then they worked together for a while.
Midnight took a minute, but she declared Kirishima the winner of the match and him moving on to the next round.
Izuku smiled and looked up to his unofficial daughter, who was yammering about how great her dad is.
Dad, huh? I could get used to that. Although, is that healthy? I only met her earlier this afternoon.
He shrugged.
If she feels that connection, then I guess it's ok. Plus, i keep introducing her as my daughter to be, so I can live with it.
He left the field, heading his way up to Present Mic and Eri.
{Student box}
The students were in silence, not believing what happened.
Class 1-B couldn't believe the amount of ruthlessness coming from Kirishima. They didn't think they'd be that terrifying.
To think, using the dark element against the student who thrived from it.
Class 1-A felt for the students that lost, mainly because most of them have lost in the festival, but seeing how Kirishima and Izuku won made them ask themselves if they wanted to go against them at all.
Mina was the most stunned.
There was her boyfriend, completely terrifying. It made her want to hide. He reminded her so much, of him. The stalk like walk, the manic grin, a desire to gain what he wanted.
It was too much for her.
She quickly ran out, and hid in the corridor. She couldn't see him right now. Not with that display shown.
Present Mic once again took over, slightly bummed his favourite co host wasn't there to help him, but took it in stride.
"Alright, listeners! That's all for round two! Now, coming up Next: The finals! Are you ready?!"
He paused enough to here an uproar.
"Alright! Now, since we're having three finalists, this will be a battle for first second and third place! Here is the first match!"
Student Showdown! Round Three:
Kodai, Y. vs. Todoroki, S.
"Alright, if we can have both competitors to the field please! Let's get this track playing!"
Yui nodded.
Todoroki was silent.
Kirishima was rooting for the both of them.
Class 1-A was all for Todoroki, while Class 1-B was for Kodai.
Izuku smiled, Eri once again on his shoulders.
A battle of the classes. I can't wait to see how this turns out.
