To address some comments I have received across AO3 and FFN on the last chapter:
Yes, I purposefully played up Katsuki's assholishness. That was 100% to anger Izuku.
In regards to a couple of comments claiming that it was unbelievable that Katsuki would be allowed to kick Ochako out of the ring, they'd just watched a bunch of rubble and concrete fall on the two of them, the teachers and audience were still somewhat in shock. Also, again, playing up Katsuki's dickishness.
And lastly, this is a story. My story. I shall continue to write it as I wish (Which I have done considering I have a 10 chapter backlog now) and you can't stop me. If you don't like the fic, then you are welcome to stop reading it.
Oh, and content warning for the future: This fic is only going to get angstier. Like, so many bad things happen. I won't blame you for dropping it if it gets too much, but it is what I intended for the rewrite.
Izuku sat in the waiting room, eyes glued to the screen showing the end of the current match. He flinched at each explosion, cheered as the rocks fell, gasped at the massive blast. He fell silent as the drone observing the fight swooped in on Katsuki as he rose, blood dripping from his head.
"I…fucking…WIN!" the blonde screamed as he kicked Ochako from the stage
Izuku blinked, emotions roiling in his chest as he watched the girl be carried off the field on a stretcher, the blonde staggering away, refusing help. Anger, fear, and hatred boiled in Izuku's chest as he stared at the screen, the bench beneath him cracking under his grip, claws beginning to dig into the wood.
He clenched his jaw, fangs digging into his gums as he stood. He had to go check on her. Make sure she was alright. Kill him.
"Shoto," the word caught him off guard, looking up as the temperature of the room rose, Endeavor staring back at him in surprise, "What? You're not my son."
Izuku just stared blankly as he took ragged breaths, the taste of his own blood in his mouth as his claws dug into his palms.
"Ah, you are my Shoto's next opponent," the Pro huffed, "The so called "monster", as he puts it."
Izuku blinked, coming out of his thoughts for a moment to stare at Endeavor in confusion.
"He…he calls me that?" he asked, the Pro just sneering.
"Whatever he seems to think you are, it doesn't matter," the man just said, "You are nothing but a steppingstone in his journey to becoming a greater Hero than All Might."
"Stepping…stone?" Izuku repeated as the Pro turned away, feeling the rage build in him once again. A question his Sire had once asked him flashed across his mind, the words leaving his lips before he could think, "What are you afraid of, Endeavor?"
"Huh?" the man growled, turning to glare at the teen, "What was that? Me? Afraid? Nothing scares me, brat!"
"Lies," Izuku hissed, glaring back at the man as the world around him darkened, repeating the words his Sire had told him, "Only fools and cowards claim to be unafraid."
"Fools and cowards?" the Pro blinked, his face twisting in rage as he stepped back into the room, "You little bra-!"
"Will the competitors please make their way to the field," the electronic voice cut him off, Izuku hurriedly shoving past him and out the door.
"I'm not done with you yet!" Endeavor snarled, reaching for the teen, his hand stopping as another gripped his wrist, the Pro looking up at the familiar cloaked figure, "What? You again?"
"I believe we have had this conversation already, Endeavor-san," the other man sighed, nodding to the security personal behind him, "I'm afraid we are going to have to escort you off the premises now."
The cloaked figure ignored the Pro as he began to shout, instead looking after the teen as he disappeared around a corner.
"Let us see how strong you can be, Young One," he muttered, before turning back to the raging Hero as the security personal tried to lead him away.
"Here he is! The monster of 1-A! Izuku Midoriya!" Mic announced as Shoto watched Midoriya walk onto the stage, his head hung low as he swayed slightly on his feet, "And his opponent, the glacier machine with an attitude to match! Shoto Todoroki!"
"Alright boys, we want a good clean match!" Midnight shouted over the cheering of the crowd, "Ready? Begin!"
Shoto dropped into the familiar stance, about to unleash a massive wave of ice as the other teen stood motionless. The attack swept over the stage, engulfing his opponent in an instant, Shoto turning away as he waited for Midnight to call his victory.
"Midoriya, can you move?" the Heroine called out to the frozen boy, "Midoriya? Midoriya, can you hear me?"
The sound of creaking ice filled the air as Shoto blinked, turning to watch as the ice around the silent teen began to crack, the boy simply stepping out of the frigid prison as though it was barely an obstacle.
"What?" Shoto blinked, "How?"
"Hey! Midoriya! Say something if you're fine to keep fighting!" Midnight called, shaking her head as the green-haired teen simply walked forwards, "Something's wrong, let's end the match he-."
"Steppingstone…" the word rung out over the stadium, somehow cutting through the shouts of the crowd as Midoriya took another step towards Shoto, "A pebble in your path…a steppingstone on your journey…a monster to fight…is that all I am to you?"
"What?" Shoto asked as he watched the other teen stride towards him.
"Kacchan…Endeavor…you…you're all the same, aren't you?" the boy continued to mutter, "You don't see people…only obstacles…"
"Endeavor? Me? The same?" Shoto growled, "No! I am nothing like that man! What are you talking about?"
"Huh?" Midoriya stopped, looking up as if seeing Shoto for the first time, "Oh, it's you. I'm supposed to help you. Sire said…"
"Help me?" Shoto blinked, "What are you talking about?!"
"No time…" Midoriya muttered as he shook his head, looking back at Shoto with strangely dead looking eyes, "I have no time for you now…need to protect…need to avenge…you are an obstacle."
"An obstacle?" Shoto asked as the other teen continued to mutter to himself, anger growing in his chest as he began to swing his right arm, "Shut up! Shut up and lose!"
He barely managed to get halfway through the swing before the hand closed over his face, throwing him backwards into the hard concrete of the stage. The world span as the floor beneath him shattered, Shoto twisting through the air before slamming down again on hard earth.
He stared up at the sky, his mind still reeling from the impact as he heard Midnight shout out his defeat, his body refusing to cooperate as he tried to stand. He felt himself be picked up by metal hands and placed onto a stretcher, before the sky vanished behind a concrete ceiling, his consciousness finally fading as he passed out.
"Holy shit," Kyoka breathed as they watched the end of the match, "Did…did any of you guys even see Midoriya move?"
"No," Momo shook her head as they watched their classmate be escorted from the field, "It was…unnerving, to say the least."
"You mean downright scary!" Kaminari said, "Like seriously! He just walked out of that glacier like it wasn't there!"
"And did you hear what he said?" Sato hummed, "Protect them? Avenge them? Who was he talking about? Is he even going to allowed to fight in the finals after that?"
Katsuki just stared at the field, trying to ignore the chattering of the rest of the class as his mouth went dry.
"Drink," Sire said as soon as Izuku was taken to the waiting room, pushing the bag of blood into the teen's mouth, "Drink now!"
Izuku obliged, digging his fangs into the plastic, and sucking down the crimson fluid with gusto, his entire body shuddering as he was pushed back onto a bench.
"How are you feeling now, young one?" the older man asked as Izuku blinked, looking up at him in confusion, "Are you more in control?"
"I…I think so…" Izuku muttered as he looked around the changing room he'd been taken to, "What happened?"
"You were beginning to fall to the Darkness within," Sire sighed, sitting opposite the teen, "You almost fell entirely."
"S-Sire?" Izuku blinked as the man lowered his head, "I-it's okay, right? I…I didn't hurt anyone too badly, did I?"
Sire cringed slightly, looking at Izuku with a shamed expression.
"Did I?"
"You gave the young Todoroki a severe concussion and skull fracture. He is in surgery as we speak," Sire replied.
"S-surgery?!" Izuku gasped, "N-no! I…I didn't mean to! When did it happen? It's all so fuzzy!"
"It is minor surgery," Sire said as comfortingly as he could, grabbing the panicking teen gently by the shoulder, "Simply to alleviate the pressure on his brain. Recovery Girl assured me that it would be done quickly and that his life was far from in danger."
"Oh," Izuku blinked, tears welling up in his eyes, "I…I'm sorry, Sire."
"No," Sire barked, startling the teen, "I thought that perhaps this would be a good opportunity to teach you to control the Darkness, but it seems I was utterly wrong. If anyone is to beg forgiveness, it is I, not you."
"B-but I hurt Todoroki," Izuku muttered.
"And I allowed it to happen," Sire sighed, "I have failed you as a mentor and protector, young one, you are not at fault here, I am."
"But-," Izuku tried again.
"No," Sire shook his head sternly, "I am the one at fault. That is all."
"I…Yes Sire," Izuku nodded as he slumped in his seat, "Sorry."
"Is that all, pard'ners?" Snipe asked, Izuku jumping as he realised that the man was still in the room, "Do yah need me tah hang aroun' some more or can I mosey on back to mah post?"
"You are free to leave, Snipe-san," Sire nodded, "Thank you for bringing the young one to me."
"Pleasure's all mine," the cowboy themed Pro nodded as he walked out the door.
"Now," Sire said, turning back to Izuku, "It is time for us to talk about what truly happened out there."
Ochako groaned as she woke up, flinching at the phantom pain in her stomach as she remembered the kick.
"It's okay, kero," Tsuyu said from the bed beside her, "We're safe now."
"Huh?" the brunette blinked, looking around the nurse's office in confusion, "What? When did I get here?"
"About half an hour ago, kero," Tsuyu replied, "You had pretty bad burns, but were too tired to heal, so Recovery Girl just wrapped you up in bandages. She should be back soon to check on us, so she'll be able to heal you."
"Oh, okay," Ochako muttered, looking away, "I wonder how Izuku is doing."
"Angry," Tsuyu replied flatly, "You were unconscious during his last fight, but I could feel it. He was very, very angry."
"Oh," Ochako blushed, a strange sense of happiness coming over her as she realised that that anger was probably for her sake, "He…he didn't hurt anyone, did he?"
Tsuyu just pointed to another bed, Ochako's eyes going wide as she stared at Todoroki, his head shaved and wrapped in bandages.
"Oh," she whispered.
"Yeah, kero," Tsuyu just nodded, "Recovery Girl says he'll be fine though, so I don't think it'll be a problem."
"And now?" Ochako asked, "Is Izuku still angry now?"
"I can't feel anything," Tsuyu shook her head, "Can you?"
"M-me?" Ochako blushed, "What do you mean?"
"He drank from you first," Tsuyu shrugged, "I figured you would have a stronger connection to him."
"O-oh! R-right," the brunette nodded, "I guess I would. No, I don't feel anything either. Is that good?"
"I hope so, kero," Tsuyu hummed, before looking at the small television in the corner of the room.
The screen was showing another fight, familiar explosions beating against hardened flesh, the red head weathering the storm of blasts. Finally, he fell back, a pained look on his face as the blonde just stared at him with a neutral expression. The fight was over moments later, Kirishima surrendering as Bakugo readied to unleash another round of explosions.
"It seems like it'll be Izuku versus Bakugo, kero," Tsuyu hummed softly, "I hope they won't hurt each other too badly."
"Yeah," Ochako muttered, staring at the screen as it showed the final match up, Mic announcing that they would be having a half hour break before the next fight.
Katsuki growled as he stomped towards the stage, stepping up onto it as the damn nerd walked up the other side, a conflicted look on his face. Was that useless Deku ignoring him? He wouldn't be able to for long, not with Midnight already calling the start of the fight, her whip dropping as the blonde unleashed a massive blast behind him, launching himself forwards.
And Izuku looked up.