(A/N: Formatting reminder: "Dialogue heard through a sound system." ... "PRESENT MIC'S DIALOGUE HEARD THROUGH A SOUND SYSTEM." )
...
From the 1-A booth, Katsuki glared down at Deku as the shitty nerd left the field with Pinky out cold on the stretcher. He was fuming at the fact that once again the Quirkless Blunder somehow won and was moving on to the next round of matches. Which should have been impossible for that useless fucker to do. Impossible for someone like him, one with no natural power, to do. Which left only one conclusion in the blonde's mind.
Deku is cheating.
It was the only explanation that made sense. If he didn't have those shitty gizmos, his Quirkless ass wouldn't have stood a chance from the beginning. He would have been eliminated by the Obstacle Course because there was no way Deku could have gotten through on his own. Not without his precious gadgets and certainly not without a Quirk. So yeah, cheating was the only answer Katsuki could come up with to explain why Deku was still in the running.
That Quirkless fucker seriously thinks he can compete against the Hero Course students? Against me? No fucking way.
Scowling, Katsuki let out some of his pent-up anger by setting off small explosions in his palms. The other 1-A students spared him a wary glance before looking away. Kirishima, ever the brave soul, placed a placating hand on the blonde's shoulder.
"Hey, man," Shitty Hair said. "Save it for the matches, yeah?"
"Tch, whatever," Katsuki replied, crossing his arms with a huff as he slumped back into his seat. He did not stop just because Shark Teeth asked him to. Absolutely not.
...
"NEEDLESS TO 'SEE' WHO THE WINNER OF THAT LAST MATCH WAS! BUT LET'S NOT LOSE OUR COOL AND INSTEAD SPEED ALONG TO THE NEXT MATCH!"
Izuku made it back to the 1-H section just as Present Mic was announcing the next fight. Once again, his classmates congratulated him as he headed toward his seat next to Mei. The greenette smiled bashfully and thanked them for their kind words before sitting down beside his friend. Mei gave him a hug in greeting and then they both turned their attention to the field.
"BOTH OF OUR NEXT COMPETITORS ARE THE NEXT GENERATION OF HERO FAMILIES! FIRST UP, HE AIN'T 'CALF' BAD! IT'S OUR RESIDENT SPEEDSTER, IIDA!"
Out came Iida, looking serious as ever. Izuku knew that Iida knew that Todoroki was a strong opponent and the engine user was not going to take this match lightly. Plus, after the commercial-like fight he had with Mei, Iida most likely saw this as his opportunity to really show what he was capable of. That he had what it takes to win and wasn't just someone's puppet.
"So, how do you think this one will go?" Mei asked, giving the field her full attention.
"Well, they're both strong fighters," Izuku replied, a hand on his chin and brow furrowed in thought. "Todoroki-kun has very good control of his ice while Iida-kun's Engine gives him incredible speed."
"VERSUS! IT'S 'ICE' TO SEE THIS GUY AGAIN! IF LOOKS COULD 'CHILL', IT'S TODOROKI!"
The head of perfectly parted red and white hair stood out starkly against the green grass as Todoroki walked out of the other tunnel. Izuku was still concerned about his friend. In his last match, the bi-color teen had finished the fight in an instant, his attack fueled by anger. Now, he seemed fine, or at least better, but the greenette was still worried.
"Todoroki-kun is going to start with an ice attack as he has with his other matches," Izuku theorized out loud. Mei, along with a few of the other 1-H students near him, listened to his thoughts. "But Iida-kun still has a chance if he's fast enough to evade."
"READY?"
The pair below both readied themselves into a defensive stance.
"This match will come down to timing. Whether Iida-kun can outpace the ice or Todoroki-kun can immobilize him before he can fight back."
"BEGIN!"
Todoroki Shouto VS Iida Tenya
As Izuku predicted, Todoroki's first instinct was to send a glacial wave of ice towards his opponent. Iida dodged and ran to his left only to be blocked by another wall of ice. The engine user skidded to a halt and quickly changed directions, now finding himself boxed in between two icy barricades shaped in a V formation with Todoroki at its point.
"IIDA HAS BEEN 'BRR'ICADED IN AND HAS NOT MANY PLACES TO RUN!"
Todoroki, still crouched from his second attack, turns his focus to his opponent and sends another barrage of ice straight down the middle of the V towards Iida. With a burst of engine power, Iida jumps up into the air and over the frozen attack toward the ice user.
Now that's a standing long jump!
While still in the air, Iida seemed to yell something and positions his leg for a kick. Is he going to power it with his Quirk? The answer was 'yes' as Iida's Engines activated and blue flames fired out of his exhausts in his calves. The extra power made the kick faster and stronger, but Todoroki has been training for years and was able to duck down to dodge.
This was a new move that Izuku hadn't seen before so he didn't know if it was only a temporary boost or not. But typically, with Quirks, when an amplified attack like that happens, there's usually some kind of time limit. That or some other draw back such as a higher loss of energy like with Satou or loss of cognitive function like Kaminari.
Iida landed a few feet away to Todoroki's left and instantly goes for another kick attack. The engine user jumped and flipped in the air, more blue flames powered his kick forward and this time it hits. Despite the bi-color teen raising his right hand in defense, the blunette's foot connected with the back of Todoroki's head and caused his body to slam into the ground. Izuku couldn't help but flinch with sympathy pain.
Ouch. That looked like it hurt.
"JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT HE WAS CLOSE TO DE'FEET', IIDA COMES BACK STRONG WITH A POWERFUL KICK!"
Again, Iida skidded to a halt and pivoted around to run back toward his opponent for another attack. Todoroki had recovered slightly from the kick and was crouched on the ground. He placed his right hand on the ground and spread a thin layer of ice along the surface, but Iida jumped into the air to avoid slipping.
As the engine user landed, he grabbed the back of the other's shirt and made a break for the boundary line. They were fast, almost a blur, Iida speeding towards the edge of the ring with Todoroki being dragged through the air behind him. It seemed that the blunette had this fight in the bag as he raced along. That is…until he came to a sudden and abrupt stop.
What the…?
Looking closely, Izuku noticed that there were now spikes of ice blocking Iida's mufflers. The pair had come to a standstill and Todoroki reached for the arm that was holding his shirt with his right hand. Ice grew up the engine user's arm at the same time Todoroki sent ice out through his right foot to trap Iida's legs.
Oh, Todoroki-kun must have iced Iida's legs when he got kicked before. He has been showing mostly ranged attacks today, but he can do precision moves too.
The ice continued to spread until Iida was encased almost entirely except for his head. His face portrayed his frustration as he shivered from the cold. Todoroki stood up while rubbing the back of his head.
"Iida has been immobilized," Midnight declared. "Todoroki will be moving on!"
Down below, Todoroki looked contemplatively at his left hand before turning to release Iida from his icy prison. As they left the field to be checked by Recovery Girl, Izuku could see that Iida was disappointed in himself since he lost. The greenette was sure his friend was worried about what his brother would think. But Izuku was sure that Ingenium was proud of his younger brother who put his all into that fight.
Todoroki, on the other hand, looked neutral about his win. As he had about all his other wins throughout the festival. Izuku scanned the crowd and easily spotted the disgruntled looking Endeavor glaring down as the ice user left the field. He still hadn't used his left side in a fight and with what Todoroki had told him, Izuku could bet that Endeavor was far from pleased even if his son had won again and again this entire time.
With Todoroki's win, that means I'll be fighting him next. His anger towards his father I can understand from what he told me, but by associating that anger with half of his Quirk and refusing to use it, Todoroki-kun is seriously hindering himself. I need to get it through that thick head of his that it is his fire. His and his alone. I'm going to save you from yourself, you pretty idiot.
There wasn't much damage to the ring this time and the ice was quickly melted away in preparation for the next match.
...
"IIDA CERTAINLY GAVE HIM A GOOD RUN FOR HIS MONEY! BUT IN THE END, TODOROKI IS THE WIN-TER OF THAT MATCH!"
So, Four Eyes was beaten and IcyHot was moving up the ranks. Set to fight Deku next in the semifinals. There's no way the shitty nerd could win against arguably one of the strongest fighters in 1-A. After Katsuki of course. Which means that Half-and-Half bastard will be the one to make it to the final match. Once Bird Face beats Troll Doll, Katsuki beats Shitty Hair, and goes on to beat Birdbrain after, then Katsuki would face off against that damn Candy Cane and prove that he, Bakugou Katsuki, was the strongest and the best of the Hero Course. Feeling confident with his predictions, the blonde stood up to head out for the prep rooms.
"Hey, where are you going, man?" Kirishima asked, watching him walk up the stairs. "Whoever wins this could possibly be your next opponent. If you can get through me, of course." The red head flashed a challenging toothy grin at the other.
"Of course, I fucking will, Shitty Hair," Katsuki snapped back, glaring at the other but it did nothing to dim that damn smile. "And obviously that Bird fucker is gonna win against the purple Troll."
"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Kirishima replied, looking down at the ring.
"Yeah, right, Birdbrain has got this in the bag," Katsuki fired back as he turned to leave. "What can words do up against that fucking shadow of his?"
With a click of his tongue, the blonde left confident of who his future opponent would be and already had an idea of how to take that Vulture out. As Katsuki left, another blonde from 1-A, one with a tail, watched him leave but remained seated. Ojiro had a suspicion of what Shinsou's Quirk was and had already warned Tokoyami about replying to anything the purple-haired teen said. He would watch this fight in case Shinsou did win, gather as much information about the 1-C student's Quirk, and warn whoever went up against him next. There was something fishy about how Shinsou was winning that didn't sit well with Ojiro.
...
At the same time the younger Iida brother was being pitted against the youngest child of Endeavor, Chizome was sitting on a roof with his phone in hand. Hosu was the current city to be subject to his purge and there was much work for him to do to cleanse it. Fakes to find and selected targets to stalk to discover the most vulnerable part of their patrols. However today Chizome found himself slightly distracted from his self-appointed work. The UA Sports Festival was taking place and he had been keeping tabs on the live stream to observe the Little Hero's efforts.
The boy had been doing quite well for himself so far. Navigated the Obstacle Course with ease, coordinated efficiently during the Cavalry Battle, deflected the electric boy's attack, and had just defeated the girl with the acid powers. All the while putting his Support Items, his 'edge', to good use. Chizome was proud that the boy had taking his words to heart and did in fact find the edge he told him to seek. It brought a foreign warm feeling in the man's heart.
Checking the time, Stain stopped the video feed and prepared himself for the arrival of his prey. His 'faux' approached and entered the dark alley below, signaling to the hunter it was time to act. He dropped down behind the other with the mouth of the alley to his back. The fake turned to see him standing in a dark silhouette, eyes appearing to glow red, with a knife in one hand and a katana in the other while facing his latest victim. The counterfeit Hero went into a defensive stance, the culturally appropriating costume the fraud wore was an eyesore to the Hero Killer.
"Native," Stain growled, glaring at the fake. "You do not deserve the sacred title of Hero."
"S-stay back," Native shouted, putting on a brave face though was clearly terrified about the entire situation.
Taking a step forward, Stain continued to preach.
"You have been weighed…"
The faux Hero took a step back. Stain stretched the arm holding the katana out to its full length.
"…you have been measured…"
Another step forward while the other retreated. The tip of the katana scraped along the wall, tiny sparks igniting at the friction.
"…and you have been found wanting."
Stain flicked the katana forward, causing more sparks, while bringing his arm back in and then crouched down in preparation of rushing the fraud only to be interrupted by another Hero arriving. Landing in an iconic 'hero crouch', the newcomer stood up in yet another media perfect pose, standing between Stain and his target.
"Not today, Hero Killer Stain," the newest addition to the situation declared.
Taking in the knight-like armor that the other wore, Stain figured that the other must be the Turbo Hero Ingenium. As far as Heroes go, Ingenium wasn't terrible. He focused on rescuing those in need and usually worked with others as a team. Perhaps a little too lenient when it came to certain laws or working with Vigilantes, but still not the worst Hero. He certainly wasn't on Stain's shit list. But in this moment, the semi-decent Hero was being a hinderance. Blocking Stain from his goal.
My Quirk works best in one-on-one fights. Some fakes can be fast, but I'm faster than most. However, Ingenium's Quirk allows him to be quick too. This could prove to be difficult.
Stain moved to perhaps get around the new obstacle but the Hero mirrored him. He tried again and still no good. The Hero Killer glared at Ingenium in annoyance.
"Get out of here," Ingenium yelled to the one behind him, obviously determined to protect the fake. "He's not after me. I'll hold him off so you can get to safety."
"R-right," Native stuttered, hesitating for a second before running off.
The Hero Killer scowled at the retreating form of his quarry before turning back to the irritant in front of him.
"You let him get away," Stain seethed, tightening his grip on his blades.
"You have killed enough innocent people, Stain," Ingenium retorted, preparing himself for a fight. "As a Hero, I can't let your reign of terror continue."
"Hmm…brave words," Stain drawled, a small sneer on his face. "Let's see if you can back them up."
In the seeming blink of an eye, the cleanser of the Hero world shot forward towards his new foe. Ingenium dodged and got into a defensive position, clearly being cautious of what Stain could do. Good, he doesn't know what my Quirk is and therefore is being wary. But that was no worry for the Hero Killer. All his prey fought guarded to an extent and he had learned to adapt accordingly.
Stain advanced at Ingenium who dodged in turn to then attempt to land a hit on the Hero Killer only to find air instead. The Hero was skilled and obviously had experience fighting. Throwing punches and kicks while evading the Hero Killer's bladed attacks. However, as their fight continued, the exertion of combat and the weight of his armor were getting to him and slowing his movements. Which was what Stain had been waiting for.
As a distraction, the Hero Killer threw a knife at the other, turning Ingenium's focus on dodging the flying blade. Taking advantage of his diversion, Stain swung his katana at the Hero and managed to slice through the other's armor across his back. The injured man cried out in pain and reached back to put pressure on the wound.
It was at that moment that Stain brought the bloody blade to his mouth and licked the life liquid he needed for his Quirk. Bloodcurdle took effect as soon as the metallic tasting substance touch his exceptionally long tongue. Ingenium fell down limp to the dirty floor of the alley and a pool of blood started to form around him. The fall caused the Hero's phone to pop out onto the ground.
The Hero Killer picked up the phone and found the emergency app that all phones had that reported a Villain attack instantly. A necessary one the Hero Commission enforced to be on every phone with the rise of Villain activity. It sent the phone's location to emergency services so first responders could find the victim more easily as well as record any conversation that occurred after activation. Though most people would dial 119 in case of an emergency, the app worked best for when a phone call would give them away or if they were in a situation they physically couldn't talk. Or in this case, when Stain somewhat regretted having to down a Hero that was not his target.
"Of those who deserve to be cleansed in this city," Stain stated as he activated the app. "You were not one of them, Ingenium."
The downed Hero groaned in pain at his feet. Drops of his blood dripped down onto the ground in front of Ingenium's face from the blade of the katana in his attacker's hand.
"Fame…money," Stain continued to rant. "Those who claim the title of Hero yet only seek attention and compensation have no right to the name. Only those who seek to help and defend justice, who put everything on the line for what is right, have the privilege of that sacred title. Like All Might."
Or the Little Hero.
"You are no All Might, Ingenium. But you are tolerable as a Hero…"
But, then again, he had allowed my mark to get away, setting him free to continue his false Hero work, Stain thought, looking down at the questionable Hero in contemplation.
"…however, you interrupted me. My judgement. Protected that fake, one that has left you here to my mercy. Perhaps…you are not so untarnished as you seem. Why else would you save one who doesn't deserve it?"
The Hero Killer glowered down at the bright screen of the phone in his hand before dropping it. The device clattered to the ground as a notification popped up on the screen from someone named Tenya. A black armored boot stomped down on the phone and the screen cracked as it went black. Stain turned to leave as sirens started to sound in the air.
Oh, yes. I did give his location, didn't I? Hmm…
"Perhaps we will leave your fate up to chance," Stain said as he sheathed his katana while staring down at the paralyzed Hero. "If your Hero heart is true, they will save you. If not, then my judgement will have come to pass."
With that, the Hero Killer picked up his discarded knife and then left the other lying in a pool of his own blood. He scaled the building to the roof and jumped across the rooftops. Once he was a decent distance away from the scene, the man hid himself in another alley and pulled out his own phone. His target got away and he ended up having to attack someone not on his list. It left Chizome irritated and in need of distraction. Thankfully the Sports Festival was still airing and the Little Hero was still in the running.
Midoriya Izuku…yes, you are one worthy of the title of Hero. You still have far to go to be a properly trained one, but your heart is already in the right place. You are doing very well on your quest, Little Hero. Keep up the good work and good luck in your upcoming trials.
...
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Notes extension: post/638864391328120832/chapter-47-sports-festival-blood-run-cold