Fuck.

Third. Fucking third. Not only after the first round did Katsuki end up in second, but now after the second he was in third. Shitty fucking third. What the hell was up with that? He was the fucking best and yet he still hadn't laid claim the position of first place that was rightfully his.

No, that Half-and-Half bastard came in first. Again. And he didn't look happy about it. Fucking again. Standing there all smug and glaring at some extra in the crowd. Though when Katsuki followed his gaze he saw it actually wasn't just 'some' extra. It was Endeavor, the Number Two Hero.

What the hell is that about?

On top of that, the shitty ass Deku managed to qualify to the next round. Fucking again! What the fuck was up with that?! Making it through the first round he could write off as a fluke. Making it through the second? Now he was starting to get really pissed off.

I bet he only made it through 'cause Pink Cheeks and Birdbrain teamed up with him for some fucking reason. Of course, Dreadlocks did too. Those two damn nerds have been glued to each other for over a year now.

Glaring at the damn nerd, Katsuki watched Deku cross the field and approach the damn Candy Cane. The blonde saw that arrogant bastard's angry expression soften for some reason as the taller boy turned to the shorter.

What?

IcyHot moved closer to the useless freak of nature and acted as if he knew him already.

What?!

Then the Half-and-Half bastard took Deku's hand in his and the Quirkless fucker actually smiled.

WHAT?!

The shitty nerd said something to the other boy and they walked off the field together.

What in the ever fucking hell is happening?!

Katsuki had no idea what was going on with those two. Or how in the hell they knew each other. But he was going to fucking find out that's for damned sure. Shoving his hands in his pockets, the explosive teen stalked off after the frustrating and annoyingly mysterious pair.

...

"Well it isn't first, but I guess second isn't too bad," Tetsutetsu said as he removed the headbands from around his head and neck. "In any case, good work team."

"I'm merely happy we did not get any divine retribution," Shiozaki sighed with relief.

"From what?" Shouda asked, eyeing his classmate nervously.

"From stealing that small one's headband early on," she replied with a slightly concerned frown. "It was a bit underhanded, don't you think?"

"I wouldn't worry about it," Hitoshi stated, sending a side-eyed glare in perverted Grape's direction. "From what I've heard of him, any kind of karmic punishment he gets is well deserved. He was kicked out of 1-A after all."

The three 1-B students looked at the 1-C student curiously but didn't push the subject further. It didn't matter anyway. That insult to the color purple wouldn't be moving on to the third round. While Hitoshi and Izuku would be.

Make it through the second round, check.

"I want to thank you," Hitoshi said, turning back to his team. "You didn't have to team up with me but you did. I know to you I'm just some punk from Gen Ed and you took a chance with letting me join you. So, uh, thanks. For taking that chance." By the end of his little speech, Hitoshi rubbed the back of his head a bit sheepishly.

"Nah, man, thank you," Tetsutetsu said, patting the purple-haired teen on the back reassuringly. "You may be in Gen Ed but you've got some fight in you."

"Not to mention your Quirk did help us along the way," Shiozaki added.

"Yes, with your Quirk, a few teams literally just gave their points away," Shouda pointed out. "Which helped us come in second. Thanks for that."

"…you're welcome," Hitoshi replied hesitantly, still unsure how they really felt about his Quirk.

Brainwashing helped them get some points, but that doesn't mean they didn't see it as villainous like most people typically do. He had still been hesitant to reveal his Quirk to them, but knew it was necessary if they were going to work together. They hadn't said anything about whether they thought his Quirk was villainous or not, jumping right into strategizing how to use it in conjunction with their own. It left their true opinions on it up in the air, but that hadn't been the time to worry about it. Though, now that the round was over and they passed as they had planned, the worry came back anew.

"Before you mentioned you wanted to be in the Hero course," Tetsutetsu said, breaking Hitoshi out of his thoughts. "And that there was a way to be considered for transfer, right?"

Why is he asking?, the purple haired teen thought, remembering that the steel user had been there for his declaration of war against 1-A. Though it was mostly directed towards Bakugou.

"…yes, there is," Hitoshi hesitantly confirmed with a nod. "Our mutual friend and I both want to be Heroes, but the Hero Practical is biased towards more physical Quirks. So, we didn't get in the Hero Course. But if we make an impression during the third round, they may consider us for transfer."

Is he now going to tell me not to try like everyone else had? Well, except Izuku…and Aizawa…and Yamada.

"Well then, I wish you luck," Tetsutetsu said, offering a fist bump. The tired purple eyes looked at it in surprise but returned it none the less.

Huh.

Tetsutetsu grinned when he reciprocated and continued, "You've got the drive and the skill to do it."

"I agree," Shouda chimed in, surprising the 1-C student again. "Plus, being able to order an opponent to do what you want by simply responding to a question is a useful skill. Both for offense and defense. There are many ways a Quirk like that would be suitable for Hero work."

Hitoshi quirked a brow as his eyes widened slightly, a bit bewildered. He thinks it's good for Hero work?

"Yes, your heart is of one who seeks to prove their worth," Shiozaki added, bringing her hands together as if in prayer. Once again, Hitoshi was surprised even further. "May you be blessed and receive your validation."

"Oh, uh, thanks," Hitoshi replied, blushing slightly. "Good luck to you, too."

He still wasn't used to people finding his Quirk useful or heroic. So, to hear that these Hero Course students, that he practically barely just met, thought so was a shock. Before UA, he had always been told that he had a Villain's Quirk. That, with his brainwashing, he was born to be a Villain and could never be a Hero. Not even at hom…not even in the house he lived in did any of the people think he could be a Hero. Only a Villain. Some even believed it so thoroughly that they refused to respond to him whenever, or rather, if ever he would talk. Fearing that Hitoshi would use his natural born power to manipulate and control them for his own personal gain.

But that is something I've never wanted to do.

Izuku had been the very first person to say his Quirk could be heroic ever in his life, quite adamantly in fact. Hitoshi swore he could still feel where the greenette had emphatically poked him repeatedly in the chest. Mei didn't care either way and merely gushed about what kind of 'babies' she could make to help him, for his Quirk or not. The 1-A students that joined them for lunch didn't know what it was exactly, mostly out of habit of not bringing it up, but he didn't necessarily keep it a secret as he found himself using it more casually without fearing being judged. Other than his friends, Aizawa, and Yamada, these 1-B students were the first to actually know what his Quirk was in UA.

However, they only knew partially what he could do with his Quirk. He had purposefully only used his Quirk asking questions in case they faced off in the finals. During their training, Izuku and he had discovered he didn't have to ask a question specifically as long as the other person responded to whatever the brainwasher said. He only had to have the intent to brainwash with whatever he said for it to work.

But still, these students, who had only recently met and fought with him, believed his Quirk could be useful in a heroic way. It was a bit overwhelming and didn't seem real, but after having met an insistent Izuku, he decided to take them at their word. His Quirkless friend had shared with him how UA was turning out to be different from any of the other schools he had been in during their weeks of training. And after this, Hitoshi couldn't help but agree.

UA is different.

With a few more words of thanks and wishes of luck, the 1-C student bid goodbye to the Hero students and turned to head off to lunch. Now to find his friends and relax during lunch before the real battles begin.

Having made it through the first two rounds, Izuku and he planned to use the third to show that they had what it takes to be a Hero. Unfortunately, the angry Pomeranian also made it through. Though seeing the explosive teen throwing a temper tantrum while faceplanted into the ground had been hilarious. But after hearing stories from Izuku about the blonde along with the guy's super inflated ego, Hitoshi wished he hadn't made it to the third round.

I really hope Izuku doesn't have to go up against him. At least not any time soon. But if he does, I'm positive he would beat that bastard's ass.

Speaking of said ass, Hitoshi noticed Bakagou stomping angrily across the field and following Izuku and not-at-all-his-boyfriend Todoroki, who were holding hands. Worried for his friends, the 1-C student trailed after the blonde to make sure he didn't do anything to hurt his friend. And if need be, use his Quirk if he had to. His Heroic Quirk.

...

Walking hand in hand with fingers intertwined now that they were alone, Izuku led Todoroki off the field and through the hallways within the UA Stadium. They made a brief stop at 1-H's prep room so Izuku could store his Support Items until the third round before continuing on their way. Since everyone broke for lunch, students littered the hallways so the pair continued to walk until they found a place they could be alone. Which turned out to be one of the pathways that led to outside of the stadium, but was well away from prying ears. At least as far as they knew.

The two stopped a few feet from the entryway and Izuku had them sitting side by side against one wall. The greenette sat cross-legged nearest to the opening, partially cast in sunlight, while the other sat to his left with his legs stretched out, cast in mostly shadow. They sat there for a moment in silence, their hands entwined between them, before the shorter of the two broke it.

"So…I'm g-guessing you're wondering what I w-wanted to talk about?" Izuku asked, glancing at the boy next to him.

"I am," Todoroki replied, drawing his eyes away from their hands to look at his friend. "What is it?"

"Well, um, f-first I wanted to say congratulations o-on winning again!" Izuku stated with a smile.

"Oh…thanks," Todoroki said, turning away with a slightly sad looking expression.

That. That's what I want to talk about.

"Y-yeah, you worked really hard a-and won first place in the first two rounds," Izuku continued, giving his friend's hand a squeeze. "Your ice r-really helped you out."

Though he could have had more of an advantage if he had used his left side as well.

Todoroki glanced at him and offered a small smile that didn't hold as much warmth as others he had given before. Then he turned his heterochromatic eyes away again to look at the adjacent wall with a blank and somewhat sad expression.

"Todoroki-kun, why are you not happy with your wins?" Izuku asked abruptly.

The taller teen quickly looked at his friend with slightly widened eyes. "W-what do you mean?"

"You d-don't look happy about your wins," Izuku said, biting his lip nervously. "Y-you look sad."

"Oh…well, I'm not really sad," Todoroki responded, turning his gaze back down to their hands. "More…indifferent."

"Why?" Izuku asked with a tilt of his head.

"Because I don't particularly care about winning," Todoroki replied with a slight frown. "I'm only fighting for first to prove a point. All my life I've been raised to be a Hero. The Hero my father wants me to be. He had me start training ever since my Quirk manifested. Showed me off at various Hero events over the years. He even got me into UA on recommendation. Everything that I've ever 'accomplished' before now has been because of him. Not me."

The bi-color teen let out a sigh and slumped back against the wall, his head falling back with a slight thud.

"I did win the first and second round and I know I should be happy with that," Todoroki continued. "But I know for him…since I didn't use his fire and only my mother's ice, it's not enough. It never is when I refuse to use my left side. But I won't ever give him the satisfaction and will continue to win using only my right. I will prove that I can win on my own, without his fire."

Why does he keep calling it his father's fire?, Izuku thought as he huffed out an exasperated sigh, earning a curious side glance from the other.

"I know you have your reasons for not using your left," Izuku said, his brow furrowed in frustration. "But I still think you should use both sides of your Quirk. Mostly because I don't want you to get hurt, but also because I think if you did you would be even better of a Hero."

Todoroki grimaced and let go of his hand as he stood up.

"You don't understand," he muttered, moving to the other wall and leaning against it with his arms crossed, facing away from the opening of the tunnel.

"No, I don't," Izuku retorted, standing up as well. "But I want to. If you'll tell me."

The only response he got was a scowl aimed at the floor.

"Todoroki-kun, you have a powerful Quirk," Izuku pressed, still on his side of the tunnel. "You have the ability to channel ice and fire. That power could be used to help a lot of people. But if you don't use and train with half your Quirk, you won't be fighting with your full potential."

Again, all he got was stubborn silence. The way the other was so determined to not use his full power was really starting to irritate him.

"You know, you winning by half-ass means is an insult to everyone else in this festival."

That got a reaction as grey and blue eyes glared at him.

"What do you mean?" Todoroki asked, some venom in his voice.

"You have been gifted with a powerful Quirk, Todoroki-kun," Izuku replied, keeping a neutral expression on his face. "So much so that you got in on recommendation. Yes, with your father's influence at the start, but you were the one that passed the Recommendation Exam."

The taller teen's glare softened a tiny bit but it was still there as he stared at the boy across from him.

"But for those who didn't get in on recommendation," Izuku continued. "They've worked their asses off to be here. And are still fighting with all their might. But you…you are half-assing your way through these trials and still succeeding as if this was child's play. For everyone to be trying their hardest while you don't is an insult to their efforts."

"What others do is not my concern," Todoroki retorted. "I'm only here to prove to my father I don't need his damn fire to be a Hero. When in battle, I will never use my left side."

"But you could be so much more if you did!" Izuku shot back, brows furrowed in anger.

"How would you know?! You're Quirkless!" Todoroki snapped, causing Izuku to flinch. Seeing that, a flash of guilt appeared on the other's normally stoic face as he quickly offered, "Sorry."

An awkward silence fell between them. At one point, Izuku thought he heard a noise down the hallway but when his ears were met with nothing but his and Todoroki's breathing, he waved it off as nothing. He turned his attention back to the stubborn boy across from him.

What happened between him and his father for him to be so against using his left side? Well, if the reasons are as personal as I suspect, being asked to just share it out right could be too much. And we haven't known each other that long. But maybe if I…

"Y-you're right," Izuku finally said, breaking their silence. "I don't know w-what it's like to have a strong Quirk like yours, l-let alone a Quirk at all. I can analyze a-and theorize about Quirks all I want, but I will never know what it's like to have one. I-I know that." Small tears started to form in the corners of his eyes in frustration.

"…Midoriya," Todoroki said in an attempt to console his friend. His first real friend.

But Izuku didn't let him interrupt and wiped his eyes as he continued, "You grew up w-with high expectations set upon you. Though with your father b-being the Number Two Hero, I would imagine that would be h-hard to avoid. Not just f-from Endeavor but also from the public s-since you would be a legacy."

Todoroki flinched at the word 'legacy'.

"Well, I-I grew up with none. N-not even the usual 'you can do whatever I don't care' expectations. No. I literally mean none. B-because I'm Quirkless, since the age of four, n-no one, except my parents, had any expectations of me a-at all. They didn't think I c-could do anything. Nothing at all. Like I was b-broken. Flawed. Even my childhood friend t-turned into a bully and labeled me a 'Deku'."

Again, Izuku thought he heard a noise from down the hall, but he paid it no mind. He needed to focus on the stubborn boy in front of him.

"…Deku," Todoroki murmured. "But that means…"

"Useless," Izuku confirmed with a small nod and a grimace. "J-just because I was born without a Quirk, s-something I had no control over, made e-everyone around me think of me a-as less than others. Inferior. Or as if, without a Quirk, I w-was disabled in some way."

Todoroki stared at his friend in shock. He didn't consider his friend to be inferior. Nor that he was disabled. Midoriya was just…Midoriya.

"But I'm not," the greenette continued, his voice more stable as he let out some of his frustration that had built up over the years. "If anything, I am 'normal' while others are 'gifted'. After all, Quirks only started showing up a little over a hundred years ago. So, I don't have a Quirk. So what? That doesn't mean I have no potential at all. In fact, if you think about it, I have more than most."

"How so?" Todoroki asked, eyeing the other curiously.

"Those with Quirks may have a skill that I will never have, but as Mei-chan puts it, I'm a 'blank canvas'," Izuku replied. "I have the potential to be anything I want because I have nothing to hinder what I want to become. No Quirk that assigns me a certain set of skills. I get to choose what those skills are and how I use them."

The greenette pushed off the wall and walked over to stand in front of the bi-color teen. He took the taller boy's right hand in his left, still finding the coolness of it fascinating.

"You can choose what your skills are too, Todoroki-kun," Izuku said, green eyes meeting grey and blue ones. "You have a strong Quirk that has a lot of potential, but you are letting whatever issues you have with your father limit that. Letting them limit you. Please, Todoroki-kun, tell me why you refuse to use your left side."

Izuku pleaded silently with his eyes and the bi-color teen tried to resist but eventually knew he couldn't. Not against those calm, comforting green eyes of his friend. With a sigh, the taller boy tore his focus away from the face of the other to look at their joined hands instead.

"Earlier I told you my father started training me once my Quirk manifested," Todoroki started, getting a nod in reply. "Well…there's a reason for that. My father, Endeavor, is the Number Two Hero. The second greatest Hero of all time. A powerful man with a powerful Quirk. But being second best wasn't enough. Not for him."

The greenette looked at his friend in concern, but said nothing, not wanting to interrupt him now that he was finally talking.

"My old man is an ambitious bastard. Always aiming for the top and becoming stronger. But, despite all his power that helped him make a name for himself, he could only ever go so far. All Might, the living legend, is seen as nothing but a roadblock and an eyesore to my father. Living proof of his failure to become number one. That he has never been able to beat All Might on his own. But he refused to let that stop him. So, he came up with a plan to take down All Might. By any means deemed necessary."

What does he mean? Izuku thought to himself as his friend finally met his eyes.

"Midoriya, have you ever heard of…Quirk marriages?"

Izuku paled suddenly as he nodded. Of course, he had heard of Quirk marriages. With all the research he did on Quirks how could he not have. The problematic practice arose in the early generations after Quirks had first started appearing. Those with strong and powerful Quirks would seek a potential mate solely because of their Quirk and with the intention of creating children with a strengthened version of them. It was entirely unethical and laws were created to prevent them. But if what his friend was implying was true…

Oh no…

"With my father's wealth and fame, along with his blinding ambition, he had no issue convincing my mother's family into agreeing with the marriage. He practically bought my mother just to get his hands on her Quirk. After three attempts that he ultimately considered failures, I was born with a 'perfect' mix of their Quirks. Ice on one side, fire on the other. His 'masterpiece' as he says."

Izuku still didn't want to interrupt, but he did give his friend's hand a comforting squeeze. To help ground his friend in the moment, but also to get some feeling in his own hand again. As he talked, the ice user's right hand had frosted over slightly as he relived his past.

"As you said, I am his 'legacy'. But you are more right than you know. I was created to do what he never could. He raised me to fulfill his own ambitions and be the one to usurp All Might. It's so annoying. That scumbag sees me only as a tool. I hate it!"

"Todoroki-kun…" Izuku muttered, tears forming in his eyes. But Todoroki was on a roll and kept plowing forward.

"Because of that human garbage, in every memory I have of my mother, she was always crying. She tried to stop him but no matter what she did he wouldn't. He even went as far as to hit her when she got in his way. It came to the point that she started to associate my left side with him."

Todoroki reached for his scar with his left hand, covering it up. Izuku eyed the action with worried curiosity. Was it…not a Quirk accident?

"'His left side is unbearable'. That's what she said that day before she poured boiling water on my face. This scar was no accident, but because of him."

Izuku couldn't help himself. Without thinking, he lurched forward and wrapped his arms around the taller teen. Todoroki was surprised to suddenly find himself in a hug, not knowing what to do with his arms. It was the first hug he had had in a long time. He couldn't even remember the last time he had been hugged. But just like Izuku's hands, the feel of his arms around him was nice…and warm.

The shorter boy pulled away, wiping tears from his eyes with his hand. "I-I'm sorry if I m-made you uncomfortable, Todoroki-kun. But I…I'm so s-sorry you had to go through th-that. A-and your poor mother."

Our worlds growing up were so different and yet somewhat similar. We're both aiming to be Heroes. But while everyone had tried to push me down, he was pushed up to his limit by his own father. No care to what his own child dreamed to do and forced his never achieved aspirations onto his son. It's so horrible.

"It's fine. You didn't make me uncomfortable," Todoroki said, taking Izuku's hand in his again. Though he made a mental note to ask about the hug later. Maybe they could do that too? "After that day, my mother was sent away and I haven't seen her since. I don't blame her for what she did. It wasn't her fault, but his. All of his pushing drove her to snap. So, you see, Midoriya…"

Grey and blue eyes looked up and met green ones, silently pleading for him to understand.

"…by not using my left side…it's my revenge on him. I will prove to that bastard that I don't need his damned Fire Quirk to win. That I reject him and his power. That by winning without using it, I will have denied him everything."

I can see why he's so focused. With a tragic backstory like that, he's like a protagonist in a comic book. Then again, who am I to talk?

"I-I understand why you don't want to use your left, Todoroki-kun," Izuku said, running his thumb along the other boy's knuckles. "I still think th-that you should use it regardless because it's your Quirk, b-but I get why you don't."

Todoroki let out a sigh and squeezed his hand. "Thank you, Midoriya."

"You're welcome, Todoroki-kun," Izuku said with a small smile. "W-we're friends. Friends support each other."

Even if they're making slightly dumb and petty choices. But I'll get it through his thick skull that it's his fire eventually. I am, if not anything else, persistent.

"Come on," Izuku prodded, gently tugged at the other's hand. "Let's go get some food before the second half of the festival. We're both going to be in the one-on-ones later and need our energy."

"Sure," Todoroki replied, with a small smile of his own and following the shorter boy back down the hall.

Once they reached the end of the hallway, Izuku caught a whiff of a distinctive smell and paused. It smelled sweet but also burnt, like caramel. The scent was familiar, but how? Wait…

Katsuki.

Of course. A part of his Explosion Quirk was a nitroglycerin-like sweat that secreted from his skin. That burnt sugar smell was one he knew well from growing up with the explosive teen. Once his Quirk had come in, not a day went by without a hint of it in the air. But why was it here in this hallway? Izuku scanned the area for any other sign of the blonde but found nothing.

"Midoriya, is something wrong?" Todoroki asked.

"Eh? Oh no, it's nothing," Izuku replied, turning back to his friend. "Shall we?"

"Yes."

Hand in hand, they walked towards the cafeteria to eat and relax before their next round of battles. The Sports Festival was far from over, but for now they would rest.

...

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