Shinsou carefully steps off of his teammates' hands. In his hand, which is clenched tightly into a fist, is the band that has the numbers '10,000,270' on it. He lets his fist relax. He looks at Izuku, who lazily smiles, slightly trembling as the adrenaline rush slows, and grins. "I... I don't even know what to say right now."

"Don't say anything then," Izuku shrugs, chuckling.

"Now, let's take a look at the top four teams right away!" Present Mic excitedly shouts. "In first place once again, Team Shinsou!" Izuku zones out after hearing their team's placement, letting out a relieved sigh. He rolls his shoulders back, trying to get rid of the stress from those last few seconds. The anticipation made his heart race, the organ thumping in his chest, and now he feels the crash of the adrenaline high that had raced through his body. He kind of wants to go home. He sneaks a glance over to where Bakugou screams into the ground and lets out a snicker. Of course, he makes sure to be hidden mostly behind Shinsou.

He doesn't want to die just yet.

Izuku leans back against the white wall, wishing that the hallway that Elsa dragged him to was more shaded, at least where they stood. He lets out a yawn, covering his mouth politely, and raises an eyebrow. "Well?" He prompts, wanting to speed this up; the next event starts after lunch, and he wants to snack on something.

"I was overpowered. So much so that I broke my pledge." Elsa stares at him before looking down at his hand. "Your team... Only one of you are from the Hero Course."

"Glad to know you know who's in your class." Izuku snarks, slightly defensive. If Elsa starts to talk shit about his teammates, he was in for the best verbal lashing Izuku could give, that's a promise. And pledge? What is he talking about?

"You made me use his quirk." Ah, so that's what he means. Elsa's hand clenches into a tight fist, and Izuku crosses his arms.

"I'm pretty sure none of us made you use your quirk. Yeah, it may have been a reflex, but we didn't make you do anything." Izuku sighs. "Can we get to the point? I have a feeling that's not all you wanna talk about."

"Endeavor's my old man."

Izuku didn't like where this is going.

"I'm sure you know that he's been stuck as the Number Two Hero for forever." Izuku breathes in through his nose as Elsa, or rather Todoroki, was going on about his father, and he averts his eyes, staring at the line where the sunshine could reach. He has a bad feeling curling up in the pit of his stomach. "My old man has a strong desire to rise in the world. As a Hero, he won a name for himself with crushing force. Because of that, the living legend, All Might," Izuku scrunches his nose, "is a great eyesore to him. Since he couldn't surpass All Might, he moved on to his next plan."

Izuku moves his attention back on to the teen across from him, green eyes slightly widening as they meet gray and blue. "You..."

"You've heard of quirk marriages, right?"

Oh, he definitely didn't like where this is going.

"Okay, hold on." Izuku raises a hand, interrupting the other. "I'm just gonna assume that this is gonna take a horrible twist, so are you sure you wanna share this with a stranger? Like, if you're about to talk about childhood trauma, I'm not sure I'm the best person to talk to." He rubs the back of his head, fingers meeting the short ponytail there. "Honestly, this is so random. I'm not trying to like... dismiss?―we'll go with that―dismiss what you're trying to tell me, or at least what I think you're trying to tell me, but, uh... I'm literally just a random person."

Todoroki looks at Izuku, quiet and with his mouth set in a straight line, before he says, "You weren't using your quirk."

Oh.

Oh.

That's why he's here.

How funny.

"I noticed that you never used your quirk, despite getting first place in both the first and second round." Izuku stays silent, his entire body feeling off. He wouldn't be to explain how, it just is. Todoroki continues. "Quirk marriages. They were a problem for the second and third generation after superpowers appeared. Choosing a spouse based only on strengthening your own quirk and passing it on to your children, forcing people into marriage. The old-fashioned way of thinking brought about by a lack of ethics.

"He," Endeavor, that slimy bastard, "is a man with both accomplishments and money. He won over my mother's relatives and got ahold of my mother's quirk. He is trying to fulfill his own desire by raising me to be a Hero to surpass All Might." Todoroki scowls deeply, face dark. He almost growls, eyes blazing, "I won't become the tool of scum like that." Izuku can't push down the surge of empathy for the teen across from him. "In my memories, my mother is always crying." Todoroki takes his hand out of his pocket, bringing it to the left side of his face, to his scar. "'Your left side is unsightly,' is what my mother said as she poured boiling water on me."

Izuku's sucks in a sharp breath and his stomach twists, heat flashes and chills running up and down his body. He could tell that he was paling; he feels sick.

"I'll telling this specifically to you because you didn't use your quirk."

"Ar-are..." Izuku clears his throat, body slightly trembling. His voice is uncontrollably weak and small, something that he hasn't had happen in a while. "Are you trying to say we're the same?"

"I don't ever want to use my old man's quirk. No... I'll reject him completely by winning first place without using it." Todoroki looks at him, and Izuku stares at the ground in thought. The icy teen turns and walks out of the hallway, but Izuku is quickly grab his attention again.

"We are not the same, Todoroki." Izuku takes a deep breath before going to meet the other's eyes once again. "I... I've gone through things you don't know about, and you've gone through things that I don't know about. I'm so sorry for all the shit you've been through, but if you think not using the other half of your quirk is gonna help anything, you're wrong."

Todoroki glares, "Excuse me?"

"Your quirk is fire and ice. Endeavor's is just fire, hell, it has a different name from yours, I'm sure. It's not like you have two quirks, you only have one, and considering it includes ice and Endeavor's doesn't, you're wrong to say that your fire side belongs to that pathetic excuse of a hero." Todoroki doesn't utter one word, and Izuku continues. "Endeavor doesn't have control over how you use your quirk, but if you don't use it completely, he does have influence over it, whether you deny or accept it. Don't become a Hero of spite―that's not what a hero is. Plus," Izuku clenches his fists, smiling sardonically, frustration swimming internally, "it kinda pisses me off seeing you not use it to it's full potential."

"... Isn't it hypocritical of you to say that?" Todoroki's face is stormy. He probably doesn't want to believe what Izuku said.

Izuku humorlessly chuckles, "You can't use what you don't have."

Todoroki's eyes widen with quick realization. "You're quirkless."

"Ding, ding, ding," Izuku walks out of the hallway and past the boy who stands frozen in place. His chest is tight, and his pace is fast. He needs to get out of here.

Izuku is glad that Shinsou didn't ask anything when he sat down at the table, placed his head in arms, and groan. He does, however, force him to sit up and eat some rice.

Izuku couldn't ask for a better friend.

"Now that lunch is over, it's finally time to reveal the last game! But before that, there's good news for all of you who didn't make it to the finals! This is just a sports festival, so we've prepared recreational games that everyone can participate in too! We've even brought real cheerleaders from America to liven things up! Huh...? What are they doing?"

Izuku scrunches up his nose in distaste, watching as the two assholes who tricked the poor girls give each other thumbs-up. "Disgusting perverts."

"Honestly," Shinsou furrows his brows as he averts his eyes from the group of teenagers dressed in orange cheerleader uniforms.

"Mineta! Kaminari! You tricked us, didn't you?!"

"Hey," Izuku's face holds realization. "Is Mineta the name of that guy that Aizawa-sensei's gonna move out of his class?"

Shinsou acts disinterested, but Izuku knows better, "Pretty sure, yeah."

Izuku hums and gives his full attention to Present Mic.

"All right, everyone! Let's have fun competing in the recreational games!" The multiple T.V.s that were in view of the huge audience change from their default screen to a screen showing off a pillar. "When that's over, the sixteen from the four teams that made it to the final round will duke it out tournament style, one-on-one!"

"Per the usual, of course," Izuku tilts his head, smiling.

Midnight holds up a yellow box with the word, "Lots," on it. "Now, let's draw lots to determine the bracket. Once the bracket is determined, we'll have the recreational games and then start! The sixteen finalist can decide whether or not they want to participate in the recreation. I'm sure some of you want to rest or save your strength. Now, from the first place team―"

"Excuse me! I would like to withdraw." Izuku, with a brow raised, looks over to where Class B was, specifically at the male who was raising his hand. "I believe that my place should go to someone on Team Kendou." His classmates try to dissuade his decision, but he shakes his head. "Everyone on Kendou's team has worked hard, and I feel like I barely did anything to help my team." He looks up at Midnight, shrugging. "It just doesn't feel right."

Midnight stares down at the student before raising her whip. "Youthful talk like that is something..." She swings it, "is what I like! Awase, I accept your withdrawal!"

Izuku leans closer to Shinsou, huffing through his nose like laughter, "You can really tell she's into it."

"In that case, we'll have to move up one person from the fifth place cavalry battle team, Team Kendou..."

"Ar-are you sure? Honestly, our team didn't do much―"

Awase smiles, giving a thumbs-up, "I'm sure."

Izuku zones out with a tired sigh, ignoring as the team works out who's going to take the Awase-guy's place. He yawns and leans his head against Shinsou's arm, resting his eyes. Shinsou tenses at first but relaxes, letting out an amused sound. A few minutes pass before the team gives their answer and Midnight takes the stage again.

"And so, Kendou has moved up to make sixteen!" Midnight grins as she swings her red whip once again. "This is the bracket based on the results of the drawing!"

Izuku keeps his head on his friend's arm but watches as the placeholders under each spot of the beginning brackets change, and names take their places. Izuku's eyes widen, his posture straightening, before he clicks his tongue, "Of course they'd want to set the two General Studies students against each other."

Shinsou crinkles his face in a glare but says nothing.

Round One:

Midoriya Izuku vs. Shinsou Hitoshi

Sero Hanta vs. Todoroki Shouto

Shiozaki Ibara vs. Denki Kaminari

Hatsume Mei vs. Iida Tenya

Honenuki Juzo vs. Ashido Mina

Yaoyorozu Momo vs. Tokoyami Fumikage

Kirishima Eijiro vs. Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu

Bakugou Katsuki vs. Kendou Itsuka

Izuku turns to Shinsou, "I have a small feeling that this was on purpose, but who knows. What we do know is that the next round is gonna be hard to get through." He focuses his attention on the second pair of names under his and Shinsou's.

Sero Hanta vs. Todoroki Shouto

"I know I'm not looking forward to it. And... the first round..." Shinsou looks to the side, frowning deeply.

Izuku waves his hand. "It'll be fine. We'll just..." he shrugs, "put on a show, really."

"I... right."

"Hey," Izuku moves in front of Shinsou's view, smiling. "We'll get you through. Put on a little fight before showing off your quirk some more without giving away the trigger of course. And there won't be any hard feelings from me. I'm not trying to get into the Hero Course; you are."

Shinsou nods but it doesn't seem like he feels any better. Izuku could feel his smile strain and he stays quiet. A strange feeling of guilt appears, and he assumes it because he doesn't like being the reason that his friend is feeling that way, but he squashes it down. Shinsou feel bad because both he and Izuku are in General Studies, and why would two students not in the Hero Course try so hard in the Sport Festival? To get into the Hero Course. Only one student will get to go through to the next round, to have the chance to get in, except Izuku doesn't want to get in, he doesn't want to be Hero.

"All right! Let's leave the tournament for a momentary interlude! Let's have fun with the recreation!"

Izuku rolls his shoulders, shaking off any lingering nervousness. This was going to be his biggest performance he's ever done, topping the time where he had to lie his way out of a parent-teacher conference (or guardian-teacher conference, in his case). He could hear the audience cheering in the crowd as Present Mic announces both his and Shinsou's names.

"The first match of the first round of the finals tournament!" Izuku steps out of the hallway, keeping his posture relaxed and his face disinterested. "The gen ed student who has been in first place from the last two rounds: it's Midoriya Izuku! Versus!" Across from his, Shinsou walks forward. He looks slightly nervous, not that those who are watching would notice, but he also looks determined. "Also from general studies and the first-placing team from the second round: Shinsou Hitoshi!"

Both of the students make their way up the stairs to the arena, half-listening to the Pro stating the rules. Izuku smirks at Shinsou, and Shinsou replicates the expression, bringing his hands out from his pockets. "So how are we going to do this? I don't want this battle to be easy, the rest aren't going to be."

"Of course." Izuku brushes back a stray curl out from his face. "We could just spar. Aizawa-sensei only taught us for two weeks but we still learned a few basic moves, did we not? Be a shame if we didn't show off what most generic gen ed students don't know." He tilts his head, giving a small smile. "Let's have fun with it. This is probably the last time I'm ever going to be in the spotlight, so I might as well go out with a bang."

"... Can't promise it'll be too large of a 'bang.'"

"Start!"

And so they sparred. Yes, they may not have known much yet, and boy, were they sloppy, but they were having fun. Izuku could help but grin, adrenaline pumping and heart racing, as he dodges Shinsou's fist. He kept his mouth shut, wanting to get a bit of fighting in before allowing Shinsou's quirk to come to play. Shinsou brings another fist forward, this time meeting Izuku's face. Izuku falls back on to the ground, a hand going to his face, but with a cheeky grin, he swings his leg, bringing Shinsou to the ground with him. Shinsou grunts in surprise, while Izuku pushes himself to his feet, taking a few steps away from the other, and chuckles.

"Guess I made you fall for me," he teases.

Shinsou grins, getting back up, "Only for you, dear."

Even though he had the chance, Shinsou didn't use his quirk on him, and they continue to fight each other, though the fight is borderline-playful. Eventually, Izuku feels tired, and he could feel a warm trail of blood dripping from his nose, most likely from the punch. Shinsou fixes his posture. "Ready for the main act?"

Izuku pushes himself towards Shinsou, acting as if he is going to land an "all time powerful move." His grin widens, knowing full-well what's going to happen next. "Of course I am―"

Next thing he knows, he's standing past the border, the crowd quieting, and Midnight announcing, "Midoriya, out of bounds! Shinsou advances to round two!" The crowd erupts in noise. While he feels so elated that Shinsou is getting closer to his dream, he can't help but feel a small part of him starting to die. He lets out a breath of air and turns to Shinsou, who is walking over to him.

He smiles, "G.G., dude."

"You did not just say that," Shinsou groans. "People haven't used that in literal decades."

"Whatever you say, boomer."

Shinsou harmlessly pushes Izuku, while the other snickers.

"In the finals, the first person to advance to the second round is Shinsou Hitoshi from Class C!"

Shinsou and Izuku walk towards the same exit, the green-haired male saying, "You better win the next round for me. I didn't get a nose bleed for you to fail."

"Yeah, yeah," Shinsou rubs the back of his neck with his hand. "Put all the pressure on me, it's fine."

Suddenly, "You were really cool, Shinsou! Midoriya!"

"Good job!"

"I was really surprised!"

"You're the stars of general studies! You both showed everyone that we're more than the people who aren't in the hero's course!"

Izuku blinks. He looks at his classmates in surprise, and so does Shinsou. "Besides!" One of their classmates points at the Pro-Heroes sitting behind them.

"That quirk would work quite well against villains. I wish I had it."

"U.A.'s not very smart if they're in general studies."

"Well, they've got a ton of people applying so some things can't be helped."

Their classmate grins, "You hear that, guys? You're amazing!"

Izuku feels his throat close up a bit. He's never heard those words directed at him before. However, he quickly dismisses them; they don't know about his quirklessness. He peers over to Shinsou, who is still staring at them, the bright sun shining down. He smiles, and moves forward, allowing Shinsou to bask in the moment. The purple-haired teen was going places, there's no doubt about it.

He goes through the hallway and looks back to see Shinsou finally starting to follow. Suddenly, the temperature starts to rise, and Izuku instantly turns around to see the huge figure of the Number Two Hero. He places a polite smile, the one he uses for those special costumers he has to deal with at Plus Ultra Food, and asks, "Now, why would the Number Two Hero be standing here when it isn't even your son's battle yet?"

Endeavor scowls. "I know about you. I don't know how you cheated your way through this event, but―"

"'But,' what? What's a Pro-Hero gonna do to a quirkless freak like me? If anything, you're reputation would get ruined. Better not let anyone else hear you say that, Mr. Endeavor." Izuku closes his eyes, smile widening and his body tensing. He is hoping that the bastard would go away before Shinsou made it, but his friend walks in, almost hesitant.

He gets close to Izuku before whispering, "What's the number one asshole doing here?"

As much as Izuku wants to chuckle, he simply states, "I'm not quite sure."

"You." Endeavor growls. "Birds of a feather. How did a villain and a quirkless mistake even make it into U.A.?"

Shinsou reels back, as if he was slapped. He mumbles to himself, "Villain..."

"Ah, ah, ah," Izuku tuts. He knows he has to get Shinsou away from situation. "What did I just say, Mr. Endeavor?" He also knows that he probably shouldn't be using such a condescending tone, but he could give less a shit. "Did old age finally ruin your hearing? Does the Number Two need to retire so soon?"

"Some weakling with a villainous quirk like his shouldn't expect to beat my masterpiece." Endeavor's eye twitches, but it seems he ignored Izuku's comment. Izuku could feel his blood start to boil.

"Man, I'm not even surprised. I've always expected that a flaming-hot piece of garbage, like yourself, should be able to spew complete and utter shit from his mouth." He shakes his head, as if disappointed. He gently grabs Shinsou's wrist, not sure if the other would want anyone touching him but knowing they need to get out of here, and tugs him forward. "If you'll excuse us, we have the next round to think about."

They go fast, and Izuku isn't even sure where he ends up dragging Shinsou to, just somewhere quiet and without people. He carefully releases his grasp on Shinsou's wrist and takes a good look at him. Shinsou's face is pale, and the look in his eyes expresses anger and hurt. The T.V. that is on the wall announces that Todoroki Shouto continues on to the next round. Shinsou's face pinches, "Villain. He called me a villain, just like everyone else."

"Hey," Izuku softly calls, "that's not true. Remember what our classmates said? What those Pros said?"

Shinsou doesn't say anything. He leans against the wall and slides down, brows furrowed. He slightly curls up in a ball, placing a hand over his face. He grumbles, "It's Todoroki next. How can I beat someone with such a powerful quirk like his? Why..." His voice cracks. "Why am I even trying anymore―a Hero thinks I'm better off as a villain."

Izuku crouches down next to him. "Why are you even taking his opinion seriously?" Shinsou stays silent once again. "First of all, he's an absolute piece of shit, the worst. Second of all, just because he's the Number Two Hero in society's eyes doesn't mean his opinion has to be considered valid. Why listen to the opinion of someone you know is an asshole over your favorite Hero's? You randomly forget about Aizawa-sensei?" Shinsou peeks over his hand, listening closely. Izuku smiles. "Trust me when I say that even if you don't win against someone who has been forced to train for most of his life, this won't be the last chance for you. Aizawa-sensei will make sure of that."

"How are you so confident in saying that?"

Izuku grins. "Because I'm talking about my friend. The one who challenged both of the hero courses. The one who found a cat and returned her with me. The one who's made it this far. The one who I can confidently say will become a wonderful Hero, not a villain."

"Tha-thank you, Midoriya," Shinsou chokes out.

Izuku shakes his head, "No need to thank me. Now, you want something to snack on? Drink? Gotta have energy for the next round, where you're gonna do amazing, and things like these can be draining."

"Speaking from experience?"

"A few more levels to go before you get to hear my tragic anime backstory, Shinsou."

Izuku brings a foot up on his chair while he leans back, making sure he doesn't fall. He twirls a lock of loose hair and watches the round going on at the moment. He flinches back slightly at the sound of Bakugou's explosion, not being able to help himself, and his chair lands on to the ground with a clang. He narrows his eyes, keeping one on the orange-haired girl fight his former childhood friend. The girl, Kendou Itsuka, is from Class 1-B, and despite putting up a good fight, wasn't doing too well against Bakugou's painful quirk and amazing reflexes. Some Pro-Heroes starts booing Bakugou for not going easy on her, seeing as how "she's just a frail girl," and Izuku scoffs.

"Sexist assholes," he mutters, glaring at the screen. He brings his attention to his friend, Eraserhead's voice scolding faintly in the background, and asks, "How are you feeling?"

Shinsou takes a sip of his water before answering, "Better."

"Still pretty anxious, huh?" Izuku places his hand under his chin, holding up his head. Peeking back up to the T.V., he could see that the odds seemed to have turned toward Kendou.

"It's weird how well you can read me," Shinsou groans, running a hand through his messy hair.

"You're just a little more quiet than usual is all," Izuku chuckles, shaking his head. "Been around you long enough to be able to tell, though it's not like you're loud or anything."

"Wow, I guess we're best friends now, aren't we?"

"B.F.F.s, duh. Thought we already established this."

"My mistake, sorry."

"Better be. I got punched in the face for you, bestie."

Shinsou rolls his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, yeah..." He grabs the granola bar on the table and unwraps a part of it. Izuku goes back to watching the match, flinching every now and then with particularly loud bangs, until finally Bakugou overpowers Kendou, the orange-haired girl falling to the ground after a good fight. He notices Shinsou glancing over when he reacts at Bakugou's quirk, and he curls into himself, bringing his other leg up on to the chair and wrapping his arms around both.

"Oh, Kendou..." Present Mic trails off, disappointed. "Oh yeah, Bakugou advances to the second round."

"If you're gonna do it, do it properly," Aizawa says with a sigh.

"Now let's pull ourselves together―"

Aizawa cuts it, "You're really letting your personal feelings take over..."

"The first round is all done!" The blond Pro announces, and the audience cheers. Izuku peeks over at Shinsou when he hears a crinkle of plastic. Shinsou has the wrapper tight in his grasp, his knuckles turning white. "Let's move on to the next round quickly after a short break!"

Izuku places his feet flat on the ground and stands. He looks down at Shinsou. "We should probably start heading to the waiting room. It's a little ways away from here." Shinsou inhales deeply before nodding and getting up from his chair.

They make their way out of the cafeteria, walking and turning down hallways until they reach Shinsou's waiting room. They don't bother going inside, seeing as how the second round is going to start soon. Shinsou turns to Izuku, digging into his pockets to give the other his phone. "How the hell am I supposed to come close to beating Todoroki? He's probably gonna hit with me with a wall of ice before I can even say anything."

"I..." Izuku looks at the ground after taking his phone. "I'll be honest, I have no idea. If only we could've made or gotten a support item before applications were due, then maybe we'd have more to work with, but since you don't..."

"I'm fucked."

"Love the optimism." Izuku curls a strand of hair around his finger before saying, "Just try your best. Like I said earlier, Aizawa-sensei isn't gonna your potential go to waste, you know him. Dude loves that stuff almost as much as his sleeping bag."

Shinsou rubs the back of his neck until he drops his arm. "Right."

"Now we've got everyone who's advancing to the second round! So, let's get started!"

Shinsou groans, moving towards the hall that will take him to the stadium. Before he opens it, Izuku calls out hesitantly. "Hey..." Shinsou turns back expectantly. "You mind giving a message to Todoroki? You don't have to―"

"Don't know how much I'll be able to say before I get frozen but sure."

Izuku smiles, "Tell him... tell him that only he can decide what to do with his quirk, not Endeavor."

"I can tell that's a loaded message but I'm not gonna ask," Shinsou raises a brow, takes a few seconds to look at Izuku, and then continues to walk down the hall. Izuku stares after him, a strange feeling welling in his chest. It's heavy, almost like a sense of loss.

(That could've been him.)

He shakes his head, wondering why his eyes were stinging slightly. With a sigh, he goes back through the hallways until he reaches a good place to watch the first battle of the second round in private. He didn't want to go up to his class' section because it would be too loud up there and he didn't want a headache. He sits down, back against the wall, and looks up at the screen mounted on the wall, waiting.

"Thanks for waiting everybody! The first match of the second round is a big match! The man who won a huge victory in the first round and literally left the audience frozen―from the Hero Course, it's Todoroki Shouto!"

The cameras show the stoic teen walking up the stairs, his hetero-chromatic eyes narrowed slightly. Then, they switch to Shinsou, the purple-haired male looking calmly forward.

"On the other hand, this guy has won every challenge he's faced! What kind of fight will he show up this time? From the General Studies Course, Shinsou Hitoshi!"

Izuku could see Shinsou's mouth move and he assumes it's to pass on his message, seeing as how Todoroki's eyes widen slightly and then frowns, looking conflicted.

"At this Sports Festival, both have shown top-class performances! Let's hope they continue to put up a good fight! Now," the two students crouch slightly, getting ready to start, "Shinsou versus Todoroki! Start!"

(That could've been him.)

"Young Midoriya!"

Izuku freezes, his body stiff, while his blood turns cold. He keeps still for a few seconds before turning his head, his eyes meeting electric-blue eyes. He could hear the T.V. making noise but he can't make out what it is; he can only hear the rushed beating of his heart in his ear. He shakily forces himself to stand, shuffling a few steps back. He mumbles, voice weak, "All Might..."

All Might, in his skinny form, stands a few feet away from him. He has a surprised expression on his face, though there is also concern mixed with it. He moves forward a bit but stops when Izuku backs away even more. He falters slightly but tries a smile. "Young Midoriya... it's been a while, my boy."

"Yeah," Izuku brings a hand to the strands of hair that framed his face, twirling them anxiously, "it has."

"How have you been? I haven't seen you since―"

"I-I have to go, sorry." Izuku turns and runs in the opposite direction, ignore All Might's calls. He races down the halls, only focusing on getting away from the Pro-Hero. By the time he even thinks of slowing down, his legs are burning and his chest aching. He stumbles to a halt after he starts hearing the presence of other people. The wall seems to be the only thing keeping him up as he pants for oxygen, sucking in as much air as he can at time. He keeps his eyes shut so his vision is dark, and he tries to focus on pacing his breathing so the side-stitch will go away. He could tell that his body was trembling, concluding that it's probably from the sudden exertion and from...

He shakes his head, straightening his posture and opening his eyes. He brings both of his hands to his chest, looking down at them as they shake. He forcibly pulls himself together, ignoring how his eyes smart and how his lips quiver. He reaches to the back of his head and carefully pulls the rubber band out of his slightly tangled hair. He brushes his hair so it hides his face, making sure his bangs cover his eyes. Once he knows that no one can easily read his face, he pushes forward to find a T.V. screen, one where there were only a few people nearby.

He luckily stays unnoticed as he finds a good spot where there were only two other people. His arms are now wrapped around himself and he feels a pang of guilt when he sees that Shinsou's fight has ended, especially since he missed all of it, and that another one was already starting. He honestly feels like letting out a loud and long incoherent sound. He couldn't even tell Shinsou where to find him since his phone is with him. He rubs his temples, his head aching. He doesn't want to go back to the area where Shinsou's waiting room is, to where All Might could still be, but he really wants to meet up with his friend.

"Uh, excuse me?" Izuku jumps, startled. He slowly looks up to see a concerned brunette who is slightly shorter than him. She's holding two water bottles that are foggy and dripping with condensation, one in each hand. She has a small smile on her face. "Are you okay?" Izuku stares at her, a small sense of familiarity in his mind, before nodding, not trusting his voice to be strong enough. The girl doesn't seem to trust his answer, her eyebrows furrowing. "A-are you sure? I could get a teacher―"

"N-no, I'm fine."

"Okay, well," she holds out one of the water bottles, "take this. I saw you looking nervous when I went to go get some water. I got two so I could give one to you." Whenever Izuku doesn't take it after a few seconds, keeping his eyes averted, she insists more. "I promise I haven't opened, so please take it."

Izuku peeks up at her face to see her inviting smile and pink cheeks. After a moment of thought, he carefully takes it, mumbling, "Thank you."

The girl hums, her smile widening slightly. "My name is Uraraka Ochako, from 1-A. What's your name?"

"... Midoriya Izuku," Izuku brushes back a strand of hair, feeling it poke his eye, "1-C." He knows that he feels more calm because of Uraraka's cheery aura. She seems slightly pushy, but he thinks that because she's in the Hero Course. It's her way of being Hero, checking on people who don't seem to be okay, and as long as she doesn't cross a line, Izuku doesn't mind. Plus, free water; he isn't complaining.

"Oh!" She raises a finger, pointing at him with realization. "You're the guy who got first place in the obstacle course! And you were in the first place team for the cavalry battle! You and the purple-haired guy were really cool in the first round too!" She scratches her cheek with her finger, looking off to the side, slightly sheepish. "I was honestly surprised when you lost..."

Izuku gives a slightly strained smile, "Right, uh, I kinda need to..."

"Oh! Right!" Uraraka nervously giggles. "I guess you need to get back, huh?" Izuku nods, and she takes a few steps back, waving. "I'll see you later then!"

Izuku waves back, watching as she walks away, before glancing over at his hand and notices how wet it is. He wipes both his hands, one at a time, on his pantlegs, fully knowing that they will only get wet again. He opens the water bottle and takes a few sips, feeling the coldness go down his throat. He takes a few deep breaths, forcing his shoulders to relax. He turns and walks to the hallway he remembers coming through. He builds as much courage as he can muster and walks forward.

'Let's hope that All Might knows how to take a clue.'

"For the last time, stop saying sorry, Midoriya."

"I've been helping you this whole time and I missed the most crucial part of the festival. Of course I'm gonna feel like shit and apologize multiple times no matter what you say."

Izuku traces a finger around the lid of the bottle, avoiding Shinsou's eyes. Shinsou sighs, rubbing the back of his neck before pulling on the collar of his new uniform. Todoroki had frozen him in ice, only melting it carefully with his fire when the round ended, leaving him soaked. He was then told to visit Recovery Girl to ensure his body temperature wasn't too low. The infirmary is where Izuku found his friend sitting on a chair, wrapped in a heated blanket and listlessly watching the next round.

"I know that you said I'm on a certain level or whatever, and I don't want to push, but... something happened while I was gone." Izuku closes his eyes, squeezing them shut, as Shinsou continues. "You don't have to tell me everything but could I have a hint? Or something?"

Izuku takes a deep breath. "Right, uh..." He opens his eyes, peeking over at Shinsou, who waits patiently. "I saw someone I've been... avoiding and, uh... I ran away, which is why I―"

"Didn't get to watch me lose to Todoroki," Shinsou finished for him, shaking his head as he looks back at the screen. "See? It's not like you purposely didn't watch so stop with the apologies."

Izuku goes to say something, protest maybe, but he comes up with nothing. He rubs his face, his headache not subsiding, and he slumps in the chair he's sitting in. He heavily sighs, resigned. "Right." He stares at his lap for a moment. "I didn't get to watch you do your best." Shinsou hums, turning back to look at Izuku with his brow raised. Izuku repeats himself, "I didn't just not get to watch you lose, I didn't get to watch you do your best, and that really pisses me off. For the past three weeks, I've been doing my best to help you because I want you to get into the Hero Course, and I'm angry at myself that I missed the last part of this journey-thing. It's... it's..." He covers his face with his hand, voice muffled as he finished, "Frustrating."

Shinsou averts his eyes, not knowing what to say. The sit in silence, the battle between a silver-haired guy from 1-B and Tokoyami happening in the background. Izuku cringes into himself from the awkward silence he has caused. Bringing his hands down, he releases another sigh before standing and grabbing his water bottle. "I... I'm gonna walk around."

Shinsou grunts in acknowledgment, and Izuku walks out of the infirmary as fast as he can without making it seem like he was running away. His heart hurts, his head hurts, and his brain hurts. He wishes he could just stop thinking and stopping doing anything, to pause the world and resume when he's ready to continue, but he knows that he doesn't have the power to do that. So instead, he throws his empty water bottle into a nearby recycling bin and wonders around the halls, trying to replace his thoughts with song lyrics.

('"I walk through the halls, trace the walls, back to where we made our memories, see what will never be"―wait that's kinda sad, uuuh... Maybe, "I'll be dancing with my heart broke, such a sad disco"―again, not the best song right now.)

Suddenly, he hears a familiar booming voice, and he instantly feels annoyance. He quietly gets closer to the wall and keeps next to it, peeking beyond the corner. He finds bright orange and his theory is proven correct; Endeavor is standing in front of his disinterested son, loudly scolding him.

"You need to stop this rebellious phase now! Acting like a child won't get you past All Might!"

Izuku could see Todoroki roll his eyes, and honestly, he couldn't disagree. He takes a deep breath, rolling his shoulders back, and walks forward with artificial confidence. His chin is raised high enough, his hands in his pockets, and his stride steady. He is so done with today.

"Now, Endeavor, didn't we already have a talk today? You really need to stop letting all that trash come out of your mouth."

"You," Endeavor whirls around, growling. "You stay out of this, you quirkless freak."

Izuku raises his hand, waving it, "Yeah, yeah, nothing I haven't heard before. Man, people really need to get more creative with their insults. I can't even count on my fingers how many times I've been called a freak." From the corner of his eye, he can see the younger Todoroki tense and look like he wants to step in. He widens his smile. "Don't you know that only certain Heroes can come over here? Last I heard, you don't work at U.A., so you aren't permitted to be in this section." No one needs to know that was bullshit; Izuku doesn't even know where they are in the huge-ass stadium. U.A. really needs to stop spend so much money on things they don't need. "Do we need to get security involved?"

Endeavor scowls deeply, eyes ablaze, but he clenches his hands into fists and stalks off with a, "We will talk more about this later, Shouto." Izuku doesn't drop his grin as the Pro-Hero walks past him, making him stumble back with a grunt as the huge asshole purposely bumps into his arm. Izuku turns partly while rubbing his arm, watching Endeavor walk away.

"We have all this space and he can't go around me," Izuku jokingly rolls his eyes, being sarcastic.

There's an awkward silence of where Todoroki was supposed to laugh. However, he goes, "Why did you do that? And that guy, your message..."

Izuku shrugs, "I personally don't like seeing people getting verbally abused, probably just a thing from my job. And I'm sure you know what my message means." His voice goes quiet, like he is talking more to himself, "Unless Shinsou said it weird, I don't know what exactly he said."

Todoroki stares at him. "He said it clearly, but..." He averts his eyes to the ground. "I don't think I fully understand."

"That's okay," Izuku smiles. "We got time before your next match. Do you wanna talk about it?"

"...Please."

"Right. Let's walk around. The round between Bakugou and that other guy will probably take a while, and walking around would be nice instead of standing here, right?" Izuku tilts his head a bit but flinches back when a strand of hair pokes his eye.

"Ah. But first I need to pull my hair back."

"Good luck, Todoroki."

Todoroki nods in thanks and goes off to fight his classmate. Izuku releases a sigh (he's been sighing a lot today), letting his shoulders drop. He always have known that participating in the U.A. Sports Festival would include exhaustion, that was an easy observation he'd have when he used to watch the past years with his mother, but he was still washed in it. He honestly just wants to go home at this point but he doubt the Heroes around here would let him leave without a note or something with permission to leave, especially because of the villain attack at U.S.J.. Students are not allowed to leave school campus without a teacher's or guardian's permission as to keep account of every student who is present; don't want anyone getting kidnapped by villains, at least not under the school's watch.

Izuku pulls out his phone to check the time but blinks in surprise when he sees he has a text message from Shinsou.


Five Minutes ago

Purple_Insomniac:

Hey can we talk?


Izuku twirls a loose curl that didn't make it into the half-up style he did earlier and unlocks his phone to reply with a, "Sure, where are you?" Shinsou doesn't take long to respond with his location, the cafeteria, and Izuku forces himself to make his way there. He makes sure to look at any passing T.V.s to catch glimpses of Todoroki's fight, and he quickly notices that the red-and-white-haired teen still isn't using his flames. 'Rome wasn't built in one day, or whatever the saying is. He's basically going through a huge mental process right now. Hopefully that talk still helped though. Maybe I should add unofficial therapist to the list of jobs I do...'

He could feel his stomach start to twist once he gets to the entrance of the cafeteria, and he takes a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down. With one last exhale, he goes in and can instantly find Shinsou's head of indigo hair sitting at a table, mindlessly scrolling through his social media feed. Izuku walks over noticeably, not wanting to startle Shinsou, and takes a seat. Shinsou quickly powers off his phone and sets it down. He gives a small, unsure, "Hey."

"Hi."

Shinsou rubs the back of his neck, "God, this is awkward already."

"Yeah," Izuku chuckles, giving a strained smile.

"Look," Shinsou averts his eyes. "I just... wanted to say sorry."

"For what?" Izuku narrows his eyes and furrows his brows, confused.

Shinsou stares at him for a second, "You... you don't know?"

"I mean," Izuku twirls a strand of hair nervously, "I was the one who pissed you off n'stuff. If anything, I should be apologizing."

"I did not expect you to be this type of person," Shinsou covers his face, sighing. "You didn't do anything wrong―don't try to deny it, it's the truth. Honestly, I wasn't even mad at you, I was mad at myself losing, and I took it out on you. I shouldn't have done that regardless, but I especially shouldn't have done that since you got spooked during my match. I should've gotten over myself and my bullshit, and I should've helped you like you did with me earlier. I'm sorry, Midoriya."

Izuku's mouth is slightly agape as he struggles for something to say. He blinks.

"Uh, Midoriya?" Still nothing. "Did you... did you malfunction... or something?" Izuku nods. "Right, okay. Um, I'll just..." Shinsou lifts his phone, pressing his thumb on to the button to unlock it. "Yeah..."

Izuku points his eyes to the table, watching his tapping fingers in a daze. That was the first time he had gotten an apology in... a long time, and he honestly thought Shinsou was angry because he didn't watch his round, not because he lost. Maybe he's more oblivious than he thought he was... As he slowly came out of his daze, he kept an eye on the battle going on: Bakugou vs. Tokoyami. As much as he hoped for Tokoyami to win, he knew that Dark Shadow didn't have a good chance against the bright flashing of Bakugou's explosions.

"Hey, look at this." Izuku hums and turns to look at Shinsou's phone screen.


Has There Been Another Hero Killer Attack?

Written by: Hisekawa Saori

In the Hosu ward of Tokyo, there have been reports of an attack on a hero whose identity has yet to be released to the public. There is speculation that it has to do with the infamous Hero Killer who has been attacking and even killing pro-heroes all over Tokyo. Read more...


Izuku scrunches his nose, "Dang, that's not good. Hope the Hero wasn't killed like some of the others."

Shinsou nods before flipping his phone back and continuing to scroll. Izuku goes back to watching the round before realizing it was over with Bakugou being the victor. He slightly sighs when he see the final round being Bakugou vs. Todoroki. 'Maybe it's a good thing Todoroki hasn't used his fire side yet... There's no way Bakugou would settle if Todoroki had used them in one battle and then not theirs. Todoroki should go at his own pace.'

"I wish," Izuku yawns midway, "we could go home already."

Shinsou nods, "Yeah, there isn't really a point in being here anymore." He rolls his eyes, his voice taking on a sarcastic tone. "How inconsiderate of those villains to make it to where we have to stay and suffer through the rest of the Sports Festival despite losing already."

"So rude."

"Yep."

"At least there's only one match left before the award ceremony. Of course, it's," Izuku looks at the screen for the results, "Bakugou and Todoroki, so who knows how long that'll go." Izuku points out, leaning against his hand as he watches Present Mic announce when the results and how soon the final round would take place.

"I think the only reason I would want to be in 1-A over 1-B would be because Aizawa-sensei teaches it. Otherwise..." Shinsou trails off, narrowing his eyes in a grimace. Izuku can't help but nod in agreement.

The two sit there, Shinsou chilling on his phone while Izuku hums whatever random songs come to mind. Sometimes Shinsou will perk up, recognizing the melody, and ask what song he's humming, maybe even commenting over the song if he actually does happen to have heard it. Eventually, the final battle starts, and both teens are watching it intensively.

"It's finally the last battle of the U.A. High School sports festival! The top of the first years will be decided with this one match! The final, so to speak!" The cameras pan first on to Todoroki as Present Mic introduces him for the last time. His expression is calm and collected but there seems to be thought behind his eyes. "From the Hero Course, Todoroki Shouto! Versus!" Then they go on to the rabid blond known as Bakugou. "Also from the Hero Course, Bakugou Katsuki!" True to the description, Bakugou has a huge sneer on his face. Present Mic dramatically pauses, letting anticipation build in those watching, before shouting, "Now, start!"

Todoroki instantly leans down, pressing a hand to the ground and sending huge jagged walls of ice to cover Bakugou. Bakugou swiftly blasts chunks of ice away but it surrounds him, blocking him inside.

"Todoroki gets a blow in right away!" Todoroki releases a puff of warm air, exhaling as he straightens his posture. "Is he trying to avoid close combat with Bakugou? Has the winner been decided already?!"

Shinsou breathes out in disbelief, "Just what are they feeding those Hero kids?"

'Trauma probably.'

Everyone becomes alert when muffled explosions come from inside the confinement of ice, hearing the sound getting louder before finally the ice cracks and bursts forward, allowing Bakugou to get out like a mole coming from the ground. Todoroki jumps back to avoid any falling pieces of ice, getting into a position where he can easily defend himself.

Bakugou uses his quirk to shoot himself forward, and Todoroki brings out a hand, getting ready to defend, but Bakugou stops his explosions last minute and snags a hand through the other's dual hair, avoid Todoroki's right side. He shouts something, but Izuku cannot understand what, and throws Todoroki towards the outside of the boundary. Todoroki saves himself the loss by using his ice, sliding on it as he goes around, creating a huge wall as he goes.

"He avoids going out of bounds with a wall of ice! Looks like fun!"

Todoroki sends a spike at Bakugou, but Bakugou dodges, going under it, and races to attack Todoroki. He sets off an explosion once he gets close, but Todoroki grabs his arm, pushing it away with his left hand. Izuku leans in, not once looking away as he waits for Todoroki to decide whether to use his flames or not. It seems like Bakugou also hesitates slightly, and that gives Todoroki the upper-hand, allowing him to throw Bakugou away. Bakugou lands, sliding into a crouch, while Todoroki does the same on the opposite side of the field. Bakugou comes to a stand, a dark scowl matched with a grin on his face as he brings an arm up.

"With the way he grabbed Todoroki's left side on purpose and times his explosions... He's been doing his research," Aizawa suddenly comments, actually doing his job. "That kid's abilities shine every time he fights."

Present Mic understands, "I see."

"Todoroki's moving well too, but his attacks are too simple. He's lost his touch ever since the match with Shinsou."

Izuku bites his bottom lip as Todoroki looks up, ice sticking to his right cheek. 'He's gonna get frostbite at this point. I know he might not be ready but...' He stands, getting Shinsou's attention, but his purple-haired friend doesn't say anything, accepting the fact that Izuku has a bunch of things in his life that do not make sense to him (yet). Izuku takes a small away from the table before making up his mind. He takes off, racing as fast as he can, thanking his luck that the stands for students were not far off from the cafeteria. He darts around other students, almost bumping into a few (he shouts an out-of-breath apology behind him but does not slow down).

He runs into a class' section, not bothering to check what class, and goes down the stairs to the railing. Bakugou starts shouting at Todoroki, and Izuku can't name a time where he was more glad to hear what his former friend was saying than at this moment.

"Bastard... I'll show you what'll happen if you make a fool of me! I'll kill you!" Izuku can't stop himself from cringing back at the crude words, but he forces himself to not thinking about the past, not right now. Todoroki looks up with wide eyes. "I want an indisputable first place! I can't get that even if I beat scum that underestimates me! If you have no intention of winning, then don't stand in front of me!" The blond runs at his opponent, furious, while Todoroki stands in position. "What are you standing here, damn it!" Izuku instantly notices the ice quickly building on top of Todoroki's face and arm. Izuku's grip on the metal railing tighten anxiously, watching as Todoroki doesn't make a move to run or attack. Instead he seems to relax, almost like he's giving up. Izuku doesn't even realize what he's doing until after he's already yelled.

"Todoroki!" Many people turn their heads towards him, but for once, he ignores them, focusing on the teen looking up at him, eyes wide in shock. "Don't lose! Do your best!"

Todoroki tenses up, teeth gritting. Bakugou, still running, grins slightly while muttering something. He leaps into the air with the help of his quirk, heading straight for Todoroki. Todoroki seems to shake, but as Izuku leans closer over the railing (there is someone holding out their hands, attempting to bring him back a bit to avoid falling over, but Izuku ignores them) he notices the ice evaporating as heat waves rise from the teen's body. Suddenly, with a great but hesitant flourish, flames erupt from Todoroki's left side, and Izuku can't help but grin in amazement, his eyes shining.

"Shouto!" Izuku's grin slightly drops at the sound of Endeavor shouting. He shoots his sharpest glare despite knowing the Hero wouldn't be able to see it. "Have you finally accepted yourself?! That's it! Good!" The burly man walks down the stairs, his own flames burning brightly. Izuku wishes he had a bunch of extinguishers on hand. "It all starts from here for you! With my blood, you will surpass me... You will fulfill my desire!"

"Endeavor suddenly shouts encouragement...? Such a doting father."

As Izuku brings his attention back to the younger Todoroki, he notices a bead of clear liquid fall down the right side of Todoroki's face, and he wonders if it's a tear or sweat. Bakugou, finally making it to Todoroki's side of the field shouts again, "If you're gonna stand in front of me, then you should just concentrate on winning!" Bakugou creates a vortex with himself in the center, while Todoroki brings his left arm out, beautiful flames rising from it. However, they abruptly die away, and Todoroki drops his arm, looking down. Bakugou keeps going.

"Howitzer... Impact!"

A rush of heated air is sent into the audience, and Izuku could feel stray curls being blown back. "He added momentum and rotation to the huge blast he showed up in his fight with Kendou! He was like a human projectile!" He could also hear ice breaking, and a giant cloud of dust and smoke covers the field, keeping it hidden. Izuku once again leans foward, squinting his eyes in hopes of seeing who won. "It looks likes Todoroki's flames weren't big enough, but the winner is..." The cloud dissipates, expanding into the air and clearing, allowing Izuku to see Bakugou face-down on the ground and Todoroki collapsed against his own ice, unconscious. Izuku gulps.

Bakugou pushes himself up, trudging over to where Todoroki lays. "Hey..." He starts out before running. "Hey!" He grabs the collar of Todoroki's shirt, lifting him with one hand while the other was out. "Stop screwing around! Didn't I tell you that there was no point, damn it?! To get first place like this! Like this?!"

Izuku's eyes widen with realization. 'Just how much has he changed since last year?' He could feel himself shake slightly. He mumbles, "How much have you changed without me?"

Midnight decided it was time to step in. Izuku watches as pink air surrounds Bakugou, making him fall forward, unconscious. Midnight raises an arm, "Todoroki is out of bounds! Which means Bakugou wins!"

Izuku steps back from the rail as those attending bursts into cheering. He turns and goes up the stairs, quickly getting out of the random class' section. He walks all the way back to the cafeteria where Shinsou stands, waiting for him. Shinsou doesn't say anything, noticing Izuku's slightly shook-up demeanor. All he does it awkwardly pat him on the shoulder before mention, "Present Mic said the award ceremony would start after they wake up and stuff, which apparently shouldn't be long. He also said all first-years should go ahead and start heading to the field."

Izuku nods, rubbing his face, exhaling. "I am so done with today."

"Same. Maybe we should summon that demon you were talking about that one time."

"You mean when you woke me up like three weeks ago?" Izuku chuckles.

"I guess."

"Okay, bet."

"All of the first-year events for this year's U.A. sports festival have been completed. And now, we will begin the award ceremony!" Midnight raises a hand towards a huge screen. Cannons of confetti go off, and bits of colorful paper fall as the podium rises from the ground. Izuku deadpans when he sees Bakugou chained and muzzled, thrashing around in first place. In second was Todoroki, calmly standing there with his arm wrapped in bandages, while Tokoyami stood in thirds, his arms crossed as he watched Bakugou move wildly around. Midnight looks at the media vultures. "In addition to Tokoyami, there is also Iida in third place, but he left early for family reasons. Thank you for your understanding!"

Izuku sighs through his nose. He turns to Shinsou, "I wonder if they realize how bad it looks with them chaining up a student like that."

Shinsou rubs the bad of his neck, frowning. "Really though. Makes him seems like more like a criminal than a Hero-in-training, but with how he's acting..."

Yeah, they weren't in the correct order of placements, but who would notice?

"Now, we will award the medals!" Midnight once again brings out her arm. "The presentation of the medals will, of course, be by this man―" Izuku looks up before instantly looking back down at the sight of All Might's figure.

"―I have brought the medals here!―"

"―Our very own hero, All Might!―"

It's quiet for a few seconds before Midnight claps her hands together in apology. "I talked over you..."

Midnight grabs the three medals, sheepishly continuing. "Now then, All Might, please present the medals, starting with third place."

Izuku reluctantly watches as All Might gives Tokoyami and Todoroki their medals and a hug. He does sigh, a little uncomfortable watching the Hero trying to force the first place medal over Bakugou's head before settling with it hanging from his mouth. 'Is that really humane...?'

All Might turns, "Well, they were the winners this time! But listen here! Anyone here could have ended up on these podiums. It's just as you saw―competing! Improving each other! And climbing even further! The next generation of Heroes is definitely sprouting! So I have just one more thing to say!" All Might points a finger into the air, bring the other hand to his chest. "Everyone, please say it with me! Ready go!"

Izuku watches as almost everyone lifts a fist into the air, shouting, "Plus ultra!"

"―Thanks for your hard work!"

He can't stop the snort that escapes. The crowds of people starting booing harmlessly, light-heartedly scolding All Might without really meaning it. Izuku rolls his shoulders back, sighing tiredly. He mindlessly listens to the rest of the spiel the Heroes give until they finally start dismissing students to go back to the main building. He and Shinsou talk about random things, such as the weird thing Izuku has done to the amount of cats that have come up to Shinsou at his favorite cat café, all the way back to their class' locker room, where they change back into their normal school uniforms. Then, the class of 1-C goes back to their classroom and wait for their homeroom teacher's―Present Mic's―loud arrival.

"Great work, everyone!" He shouts, slamming the door open. He saunters over to the podium, grinning excitedly. "You all did amazing out there! Especially Shinsou and Midoriya! You guys really showed 1-C isn't a class to mess with!"

Both Izuku and Shinsou stiffen with the attention thrown their way, awkwardly looking around the room, not knowing what to do. Thankfully, Present Mic moves on to tell the class other information.

"You lucky listeners have no school tomorrow or the day after, so make sure to not show up! Sleep in and maybe take the time to finish those late English assignments!" He jokingly eyes some students who smile or laugh sheepishly. "Make sure you rest well and come back to school energized! WHOO!" He raises his arms into the air. "Class dismissed!" Students start to stir, standing from their desk, but Present Mic abruptly points his fingers. "Shinsou and Midoriya, please stay behind. A certain someone needs to speak with you!"

Izuku looks over to Shinsou, meeting his eyes. They both nod, using the weird type of telepathy that friends have. 'Probably Aizawa-sensei.'

Izuku ignores any inquiring glances he and Shinsou gained, and instead makes sure his bag is in order, slowly rummaging through it to stall from getting up. Eventually, most of his classmates are gone, and he stands, along with Shinsou who noticed him getting up. They go up to Present Mic, who is still at the podium, waiting for them. His grin seems to grow even more somehow. "I just wanna say that I'm super proud of the both of you! You really showed the world that there's potential everywhere, even in the General Studies Course, and I don't just mean with becoming a Hero." The Pro gives a knowing glance at Izuku. "Now, we better not keep that grump waiting! Chop, chop! Outta of my classroom!"

He places a hand on each of their shoulder, guiding them towards the door. He quickly takes them down the hall and to the teachers' lounge, where Aizawa is expecting them. They go inside―well, Izuku and Shinsou do. Present Mic just greets Aizawa, throwing in a teasing joke in a sing-song voice. "Someone's getting soft."

"Shut up and go away already."

Present Mic laughs, moving his hand in a goodbye before shutting the door behind him. Aizawa waves his towards the couch. "Sit." Izuku and Shinsou sit down, Shinsou already nervously bouncing his leg a bit. His anxious energy slightly creeps into Izuku, and Izuku can feel his stomach tightening into a small knot. "You two did good today, besides your question from earlier, Midoriya."

"Oh, you know," Izuku smiles, "just wanted to... lighten the mood a bit. For myself. I was terrified."

"I don't understand why you made first place in the first round when you don't want to be a Hero," Aizawa sighs, and Izuku freezes, smile dropping.

Izuku shrugs, "Just got too into it, I guess."

Aizawa only sighs again. "I'll come back to you later. Shinsou."

"Sensei?"

"You did well today. Getting to the second match of the third round shows that you have potential, and it will work in your favor as I try to get you transferred into the Hero Course. If this does work out, you will most likely end up in my troublesome class, seeing as how there is already one spot open." Aizawa grumbles to himself. "Hopefully that will become two."

"Right." Shinsou nods in understanding.

"Also, the transfer will be slightly sudden, that is if it happens, and we will still meet up to train so you can catch up and work on any support items and costume ideas you have." Shinsou nods again. "You can now leave. I still need to talk to the problem child sitting next to you."

Shinsou peeks over at Izuku who smiles, "This day just doesn't want to end, does it?"

"Guess not for you. Good luck," Shinsou says, grabbing his bag and leaving the room, softly shutting the door.

"Let me guess what this is about. You still want me to become a Hero."

"You're right," Aizawa answers, not bothering to hide his motive. "I think you have potential, potential that you are going to waste by not trying."

Izuku sighs, "Look. I did this all for Shinsou, not because I want to be a Hero. Shinsou does, I don't. I'm not a little kid dreaming of becoming All Might anymore."

"You realize that if Shinsou gets in, he's not going to be able to spend a lot of time with you, with training and school getting in the way. From what I've heard from Present Mic, you two are each other's only friends in that class. Now, Shinsou is going to get swept up by all the energetic students I have and easily become friends with them, but you―"

"It wouldn't be the first time I've been alone, Aizawa-sensei." Izuku narrows his eyes. "I don't get why you don't understand this: I can't become a Hero. Even with a quirk, I'm not sure I'd be willing to work under a system that is so discriminatory and and greedy."

"Then change it. The system is heavily flaw, and many have and are still trying to fix it, but it won't be easily done. It'd have to be completely reconstructed, and with you campaigning for it as Pro, a lot would most likely be done."

"Like anyone would care what I'd have to say."

Aizawa shakes his head, "They'd care exactly what you would say. You've lived through discrimination, and no one is better to change it than someone who has experienced it."

"You―" Izuku exhales heavily, leaning forward to rub his face before saying. "I'm quirkless. I'd be at too bad of a disadvantage, one I can't ignore." He feels his eyes sting but he blinks it away. "I don't want to be a Hero. That dream is gone."

"I don't think it is." Aizawa meets his eyes. "There's nothing crueler than letting a dream end midway."

Izuku stands, snatching his old bag off of the ground. "Thank you for the training and thank you for helping me get Shinsou through the Sports Festival. I think it's time I get home now." He nods and hastily walks to the door. Aizawa says nothing as he watches Izuku step out into the hallway, leaving the door open. Izuku can feel his eyes still smarting and he sniffles. 'I think it's time to go home now. S'been a day, that's for sure.'


33.2 pages · 11,322 words


May 20, 2021


Hahahhaa it's three am and I'm tired. Here have long chapter.

Boy a lot happened here, huh? Honestly, I probably should've split this chapter into like another one with all the stuff that goes down in it but naaaaah it's fine. Hopefully you guys enjoyed lol.

I meant to get this out yesterday (May 19) since that's my birthday, and I wanted to surprise you guys lol. I'm only a day late though so I guess it's fine. Also I'm scatterbrained rn so don't mind.

I forgot to recommend a fic last chapter, so we get two this time!

Lost and Found by Andai:

""That kid that I watched almost win against Endeavor's son in the Sports Festival - the one you failed to adequately protect in the USJ attack, if I'm not mistaken -" Aizawa tensed at Hisashi's words as the man continued, "- that kid is mine, not yours."

"Wrong," Shouta responded simply, continuing before the aghast man in front of him could spew out any more bullshit. "Look at 'your' kid right now," Aizawa said, pointedly looking back towards where Izuku was trembling, surrounded by half the class and counting, all their faces displaying worry for Izuku, contempt for Hisashi, or some mixture of the two. "Look at that kid right now," Aizawa spat at Hisashi, "And tell me he's still yours."

. . .

(In which Midoriya Hisashi returns to claim what he believes is rightfully his, and everyone else tells him he can fuck right off.)"

Aaaaaaaaand

speak it free by aloneintherain:

""I didn't have the same middle school experience as you," Shinsou says. "I didn't become rivals with my childhood friend."

Shinsou doesn't know who Kacchan really is to him. Izuku has spent so much time looking at Shinsou and relating to him, that he forgot that Shinsou wasn't looking back at him with that same recognition.

Izuku takes a deep breath, and starts, "Kacchan and I aren't really childhood friends. Not really."

Or: Shinsou finds out that Bakugou used to bully Midoriya."

I love me some angst okay. (Both are on ao3 btw) Go check those out! They're both pretty good, promise!

Thank you guys for reading, it means a lot, like a lot a lot. I didn't really mean for the chapter to get longer than usual but hey, nothing's wrong with a long action-packed, angst-filled chapter, right? (This isn't edited at all, I'm sorry, one day I'll do it)

So are we gonna talk about the fact that All Might knows Izuku GASP-