Izuku stared out onto the field, watching as Cementos finished making the stage that he would soon be fighting on. He shivered, clenching his hands as he took a deep breath. He had barely used any blood during the last round, so hadn't drunk from the last three of his "Support Stash". He hoped it wouldn't be a mistake.
"Midoriya!"
Izuku turned to see Ojiro running up to him, the blond scowling as he came to a stop.
"You're facing that Gen Ed student first, right?"
"Yeah," Izuku replied, remembering the purple-haired guy that had seemed to be controlling several other students during the dodge-ball match, "He has some kind of mind control quirk, right?"
"Uh…yeah. Actually, that's exactly what I wanted to tell you about. He used it on me during the last round. It's pretty much why I lost," the tailed teen's scowl deepened, "He was bad-mouthing our class, and when I told him to be quiet, I blanked out. I came to when a ball hit me, but I asked what was happening and he called me a failure, and when I shouted at him, I blanked out again."
"So, answering him must be the trigger," Izuku muttered, his hand going to his chin, "I'll just have to not respond or shut him up to counter it."
"Yeah," Ojiro sighed, a look of determination flashing across his face, "Hey, win this one for me, will you? I don't like being used like that."
"You got it, Ojiro," Izuku grinned, showing off his fangs as he turned towards the entrance to the field, the shouts of the crowd getting louder as Mic announced the start of the matches, "He won't know what hit him."
Izuku strolled out onto the field, looking up at the cheering crowd as he stepped onto the stage.
"First out! A powerhouse fueled by the blood of his enemies! The resident Vampire of 1-A!" Mic shouted over the speakers, "Izuku Midoriya!"
Izuku flinched slightly at the words, the crowd quietening slightly as his opponent approached the stage.
"And here he is! The dark horse of the First Year Sports Festival! Placing first in the last round! The Golden Child of Gen Ed! Hitoshi Shinsou!"
Izuku nodded to the purple-haired teen, who just gave a slight smirk. They turned to listen as Midnight explained the rules of the fight, both combatants nodding as she raised her whip.
"Ready? Start!"
"You must feel so lucky, being blessed with a flashy qui-,"
"𝕊𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖," the word cut through the sound of the crowd, burrowing deep into Shinsou's mind as his words died in his throat, his opponent simply smiling, "Huh, so an indirect response doesn't trigger your quirk, good to know."
Shinsou gasped, trying to force something, anything out of his throat, only a slight squeak escaping. But even that made the boy across from him raise an eyebrow in surprise.
"Wow, you're actually resisting my Influence? Is that because you have a mental quirk? Or is it just your willpower?" the green-haired teen suddenly devolved into a spate of muttering as Shinsou stared, the crowd going quiet at the strange match playing out in front of them.
"You-," Shinsou managed to force out, snapping his opponent out of his rambling, the teen staring in shock.
"𝔖𝔦𝔩𝔢𝔫𝔠𝔢," the order slammed into Shinsou's mind, sending him reeling back, blinking as his opponent walked slowly towards him.
"Look, I'm sorry about this," Izuku said calmly, "I can sort of understand why you're trying so hard. I bet that people have been telling you that your quirk is scary for years, right? That it's a Villain's quirk, or something like that?"
Shinsou froze, gritting his teeth as he slid into a combat stance, swallowing nervously.
"I get it. My quirk is pretty scary too. But really, I think you have an amazing quirk! I can think of a hundred situations you could solve with only a few words right now! You'd make an amazing underground Hero!" the teen started talking happily, making Shinsou step back again, unsure of what was going on, "In fact…"
Izuku stopped, looking around for a moment before suddenly throwing his hand out, a tendril of bright red shooting from his palm, wrapping around one of the many camera drones that were circling the stage. He yanked it towards him, catching it easily as he spoke, the blood tendril dripping to the floor. His face appeared on the big screen at an odd angle as the feed cut to the drone he was holding.
"Testing, testing. Does this thing have a mic? Oh good, it does," he grinned, holding the drone up to show his face more clearly, his fangs on display as his voice came through the speakers, "Hey Principal Nedzu, your entrance exam sucks."
The crowd gasped, Shinsou staring at Izuku in shock. What the hell was this guy saying? What was he doing?
"Actually, I have a proposition for you," the Vampire chuckled, releasing the drone as it continued to hover just in front of him, "One that I think you'll really like."
The arena was silent for a moment, before the speakers crackled to life, the squeaky voice of the UA Principal filtering through them.
"You've piqued my interest, Mr. Midoriya," the voice chuckled, "I'll more than happily hear your request after the Festival concludes."
Izuku smiled, turning back to Shinsou as the drone continued to hover around him.
"Hey, sorry again, but I have to ask," Izuku's eyes went cold for a moment, Shinsou shivering under the intense stare, "Will you leave the stage under your own will, or do I have to order you?"
Shinsou stood frozen, staring at the teen opposite him. There was something about him, the Brainwashing quirk user couldn't quite tell what, but that it knew was dangerous. Slowly, he turned away, walking hesitantly to the edge of the arena, pausing for a moment at the line, then stepping over.
"Hey!" the shout startled him, blinking as he felt his voice return, "I meant what I said about your quirk. And I think you'll like what I have to say to Nedzu later. If he decides to go through with it, that is."
"I still lost," Shinsou growled, starting to stalk towards the exit.
"Did you really?"
"Shinsou!" "You go man!" "Don't feel bad about losing to a Hero Course kid! You did amazing!"
Shinsou stopped as he heard the shouts of his classmates, looking up at their smiling faces as they cheered for him. A small smile inched across his face as he dropped his head, a slight blush on his face.
"Midoriya, right?" he called back.
"Yea-," Izuku replied, his eyes going blank for a moment before Shinsou released his quirk.
"Got you."
Izuku just grinned as the purple-haired teen exited the field, turning away to head to his own exit.
Izuku watched the other matches eagerly, notebook in hand as he scribbled furiously on its pages. Ochako and Tsuyu sat on either side of him, making their own observations, Iida and Ojiro piping in with their own thoughts occasionally.
The second match ended quickly, Kaminari frying his brain with a big attack against Ibara, the 1-B girl blocking the shower of sparks and electricity with a wall of vines before wrapping the electric quirk user up in her hair.
The next match ended just as fast, Todoroki freezing Sero in an instant even after the tape-wielder had made the first move. The crowd began chanting "Don't mind it!" even as Todoroki carefully thawed Sero from the ice.
Tokoyami versus Hagakure started strangely, Midnight needing some convincing that the invisible girl was present on the stage, as she'd walked out completely naked, taking advantage of her quirk. The match ended with Tokoyami's win, Dark Shadow simply sweeping across the stage until it bumped into Hagakure, then quickly wrapped around her. Izuku noticed that Tokoyami seemed embarrassed as he walked off the field, Dark Shadow making suggestive gestures at his chest as a bright red blush crossed the shadow creature's face.
Sen Kaibara versus Mei Hatsume was equally as strange, the 1-B student coming out wearing a variety of Support gear, which Hatsume assured Midnight she had given him on purpose. The match quickly devolved from there, with Hatsume avoiding every attack the gyrating teen could throw at her, even with the support items. The girl laughed and shouted about her "babies" until she finally stepped out of the ring, Kaibara left visibly weeping as he cried out about being used for advertising.
"Honestly, I'm glad it wasn't me," Iida muttered, "I don't know if I would have been able to live with myself afterwards."
Kirishima versus Mina was surprisingly sweet, the two laughing at the start, Mina shouting something about "Horn Buddies" before Kirishima charged at her, just barely managing to dodge the globs of acid she threw at him, smoke rising from his hardened skin wherever it hit. The match lasted a surprisingly long time, Kirishima trying to get in close, while Mina fought to keep him at a distance. It ended when Kirishima suddenly slipped in a patch of acid, going flying headfirst into the pink-skinned girl. He seemed dazed for a moment, before realizing that he was lying on top of her. Quickly moving to pin her to the ground, Midnight called his victory ten seconds later. Mina said something that made his entire head light up red as he helped her up, Midnight crying out in excitement about the "Pleasures of Youth!"
"Well, it's my turn," Ochako chuckled, nodding to Yaoyorozu as the other girl got to her feet, "Wish me luck."
"Do your best, Ochako!" Izuku laughed, making the brunette blush as she left the seating area.
"Do you think she can win, kero?" Tsuyu asked, poking her cheek with a finger, "Yaomomo is a recommendation student after all."
"I don't think you should count Ochako out just yet," Izuku hummed, "She's smart and determined. And her quirk is really good for disabling opponents. Yaoyorozu may have the more versatile quirk, but that's only if she has the time to use it."
They watched as the two girls walked out onto the field, Mic shouting over the speakers.
"Next up! The queen of Creation and one of this year's recommendation students! Momo Yaoyorozu!" his voice echoed as Aizawa's groan could be heard in the background, "And her opponent! Don't let her cute face fool you! This space girl has a quirk that's out of this world! Ochako Uraraka!"
The two nodded at each other as Midnight raised her whip, dropping it a moment later. Yaoyorozu immediately started forming a heavy set of manacles on her ankles, a staff extending from her hand as Ochako charged forwards. The creation quirk user swung the staff in a wide arc, trying to strike Ochako as the brunette suddenly dove to the ground, catching the other by surprise as she slid along the floor. Her hands slapped against the manacles, before shooting up to grab Yaoyorozu by the calves, lifting the taller girl easily into the air and tossing her towards the side of the arena. Yaoyorozu desperately tried to make something that looked like an anchor, stopping herself just as she flew over the edge of the arena, before Ochako brought her hands together, releasing her quirk and dropping the recommendation student over the side.
"Uraraka wins!" Midnight shouted as Ochako ran to the side, helping Yaoyorozu up as the girl made a key to unlock the manacles. Even from this distance, Izuku could see that Yaoyorozu was fighting back tears as Ochako tried to comfort her.
"Well, I'm next, kero," Tsuyu hummed, glancing over as Bakugo got up from his seat and stomped off.
"Be careful, Kacchan isn't one to go easy on anyone. Even a girl," Izuku warned as she walked away.
"Don't worry, neither am I, kero!"
Bakugo scowled at his opponent, the frog girl crouched opposite him as Midninght droned on about rules and other useless bullshit. That useless Deku had won his first match, even that half-and-half bastard had made a spectacle of his fight. There was no way in hell that Bakugo was going to lose to some extra. Especially not one that seemed so obsessed with the stupid nerd.
"Start!" Midnight shouted, Bakugo launching himself forwards with an explosion as the frog girl lept into the air, directly over him.
He grinned, the fight going exactly as he'd planned, dropping to his knees in a power slide as he swung his palms upwards. The blast echoed through the arena, Tsuyu crying out in pain as the explosion slammed into her, throwing her off balance before she collapsed onto the hard concrete of the arena. Bakugo wasted no time, blasting himself up and towards her, slamming a fist into her stomach just as she got up, releasing an explosion that sent her careening towards the edge. Something hit his waist, suddenly yanking him after the girl, Bakugo scowling at the tongue that wrapped around him. He grabbed the appendage, letting off a small blast that scorched the sensitive flesh, the tongue unwrapping with a cry of pain as he yanked hard, pulling Tsuyu to the floor.
Tsuyu fought back the tears as her tongue stung, gasping as the boot suddenly met her stomach, her lunch threatening to come spraying out as she was thrown through the air. Hard ground and soft grass met her back as she landed outside the arena, pulling her tongue carefully back into her mouth, wincing at the pain.
"Tell that fucking Deku I'm coming for him!" she heard Bakugo growl from the stage, her tears blurring her vision as she heard the medical bots wheel up beside her.
"That bastard," Ochako growled, Izuku shivering slightly at the menace in her voice, "He had no reason to hurt her so badly!"
"It's a contest, Ochako," Izuku hummed, placing a hand gently on her shoulder to hold her down, "He was just fighting his hardest. Same as Tsu."
"I'm going to kick his ass in the next round anyway," the girl pouted as she flopped back in her seat, a scowl on her face.
"I'm sure you will," Izuku chuckled as he stood, getting ready to head to his next match.
He checked his blood supply, finding it a little under half empty, the teen grabbing the cooler box under his chair and taking one of the blood bags. He hurried through the halls, sucking down the blood as he approached the entrance to the field, a mixture of nerves and excitement running through him as he tried to formulate a plan against his next opponent.
Both of our main forms of attack are ranged, he thought, Her vines versus my Blood Control. I have superior strength and speed, but she has a greater area of effect. What to do? What to do?
He hurried out onto the field just as Mic announced him again.
"Here he is! The master manipulator! Ending his last match with only words and making a daring declaration to the Principal of UA himself! Izuku Midoriya!" Izuku flinched at the words, Mic making him sound more and more like a Villain each time, "And his opponent! Who apparently didn't like my last introduction! The religious maiden of 1-B! Ibara Shiozaki!"
"Better," Izuku heard the girl mutter under her breath as she glared at him from across the stage, her eyes surprisingly cold.
"Ready?" Midnight called as the two prepared, Izuku sliding comfortably into a combat stance while Iara posed as if in prayer, "Start!"
"I will cleanse you from this world, Demon! Via Dolorosa" The shout caught Izuku off guard as Ibara sent her vines scattering across the arena, Izuku just barely managing to fly up out of their reach as they whipped at his ankles, "You are a sin upon this land! And I shall bring Judgement upon you!"
"Geez," Izuku laughed, the tingle of Blood Drunkenness running through his body as he shot through the air, the crowd gasping as he narrowly avoided the whipping vines, "Aren't you laying it on a little thick?"
"Not at all, monster! I have made this new technique especially for you!" Ibara shouted, raising her hands to the sky as she shouted, "Benedictis Christi!"
The vines surged, rising and twisting into each other, forming into a tall tower as arms shot out the sides, turning the structure into a massive cross.
"Feel the wrath of the Holy Son and come into the light!"
"Actually, religious symbols have no effect on me," Izuku hummed, making Ibara jump as he hovered just behind her, "It's kind of weird, actually."
The vine quirk user spun on her heel, yelping as a tendril of blood wrapped around her wrists, pinning them together. Her dark green eyes locked with his emerald green as a strange sense of calm washed over her mind. Ibara shuddered, she'd never felt anything like this, not even during all her prayers and meditations. The level of peace and tranquility she felt overwhelmed her for a moment, until she felt herself land heavily on the grass outside the stage, looking around his shock as Midnight shouted.
"Midoriya wins!"
"Sorry about that," Izuku chuckled as he floated back down onto the stage, Ibara withdrawing her vines, "I get that you don't like me. I almost killed one of your classmates after all. Oh, speaking of which, I haven't apologized to Monoma yet, he seems to be avoiding me. Could you let him know I'm sorry about the whole quirk copying incident from that sparring session?"
Ibara stared up at the grinning youth, his fangs reflecting in the light even as the sun shone from behind his head, haloing his face in a ring of glowing green hair, rays of golden light streaming down around him. She felt her cheeks heat up as she scrambled to her feet, shouting something back as she ran from the field.
Izuku hummed happily as he watched Tokoyami and Todoroki walk onto the stage, Ochako leaning closer to him as he wrote in his notebook.
"I hope Tsu's tongue will be okay," the brunette sighed, her head hovering over his shoulder, almost resting on it, "It's a big part of her quirk."
"I'm sure Recovery Girl will have her back to normal soon enough," Izuku answered, looking up as Midnight called "Ready?"
The whip dropped, Todoroki immediately releasing a torrent of ice that froze Tokoyami to the ground, the hetero-chromatic teen having to dodge out of the way a moment later as Dark Shadow slammed into the ground where he stood. Another wall of ice erupted, entrapping the shadow beast, before it suddenly shrunk, slipping through the hole and charging at Todoroki again. The fight continued on like this for a while, Izuku watching as the two combatants started to shiver, Tokoyami trying to break free of the ice as frost began to accumulate on Todoroki's skin. The fight ended when Tokoyami eventually conceded, falling to the ground and shivering violently once Todoroki had melted him free, a pair of Medical bots carrying off on a stretcher.
Kaibara versus Kirishima was, for lack of a better word, intense. Izuku's eye twitched unconsciously at the thought. The gyration quirk user spun his limbs like drills as he punched and kicked at Kirishima, the hardening quirk user only able to block under the intense onslaught. At one point, Kaibara hopped onto his hands, rotating his hips and spinning his legs like a propeller, battering Kirishima with a mad volley of kicks. Kirishima finally managed to pull out a victory as Kaibara was forced to stop, his pants shredded, nasty bruises already visible on his shins, making him fall to his knees. A single hardened punch to the jaw had ended the fight, knocking Kaibara out cold.
"I'm going to kick his ass," Ochako hissed as he stood, shooting Bakugo a glare as the blond stomped off again, a scowl on his face, "Just you watch. For Tsu."
Izuku only nodded, a slight anxiety building in his chest as he watched her go. Iida had left a little while ago to take a phone call and hadn't come back, and Tsu was still in the Nurse's Office with Recovery Girl. Izuku glanced over at Ojiro, who just gave him a friendly smile.
"I'm sure she'll do fine," the tailed teen said, Izuku nodding again.
Bakugo growled. This was the second of the girls that kept hanging around Deku that he'd had to face today. Anyone that hung around that weakling could only be weak themselves, as the frog girl had definitely proven. She hadn't caught him off guard at all. He definitely didn't feel like he could have lost. Couldn't they give him a proper challenge?
Round face glared at him from across the arena, Bakugo sneering back as Midnight raised her whip.
"Ready? Start!"
The brunette charged, ducking low to the ground as Bakugo blasted her away, the concrete cracking under the force of his explosion. Bakugo squinted through the smoke and dust, spotting her hunched over form as she charged again, the blond throwing her back with another explosion. She kept coming like that, hands brushing against the ground to steady herself as she charged again and again. It was getting on his nerves.
A flash of movement caught his eye, the blond leaping forwards as he slammed his hand against the back of her sports jacket, letting loose a massive explosion, "Got you, bitch!"
He blinked as the shredded garment flapped in the wind, round face no where to be seen.
"Thanks, Bakugo. You did exactly what I wanted you to!" He spun as she shouted, glaring at her as she stood to the side of the arena, her hands poised to touch, "Now take this!"
Her hands met, Bakugo trying to figure out what she- The arena! She had been keeping low, forcing him to blast the arena floor! Round face made shit float! He had been giving her ammo this whole time! He looked up, the sky filled with dust and chunks of concrete, some as large as his head, all of which began to fall as soon as her fingers touched.
Bakugo raised his palm, willing as much sweat out of it as he could, focusing on making the biggest explosion he could manage without his gear. The blast rocketed upwards, the sky filling with dark smoke as his attack engulfed the falling rocks. A gust of wind whipped the smoke away, only fragments and dust falling to the floor around him.
"No!" round face screamed, charging towards him, her legs suddenly wobbling under her as she staggered forwards, collapsing to the ground. She continued to glare at him, even as he stared in shock, the girl still trying to drag herself towards him. She'd almost had him. She'd ALMOST had him! "I…won't…lose…"
She fell silent as her eyes closed, head dropping to the floor as she lay there, unconscious.
Izuku got to his feet as he watched Ochako being carried off the field, Bakugo walking off with a slightly dazed look on his face. He couldn't be sure, but Izuku thought that maybe something had changed about the blond. Shaking his head, he looked around for Todoroki, surprised to find that the other teen wasn't in their seating area. Shrugging, he grabbed a blood bag and headed towards the field.
He was almost to the entrance when he felt the temperature suddenly rise, looking up in surprise as Endeavour rounded the corner, the man glaring down at him with dark blue eyes.
"Hmph," the number two Hero grunted, "So you're the one Shoto was talking about. The Villain playing at being Hero."
Izuku felt his blood run cold at the words, clenching his fist as the Pro walked past him.
"Not that it matters, you're just another steppingstone on Shoto's path to surpassing All Might. That's what I made him for, after all," Endeavor growled, "At least put up a good fight. None of those cowardly tricks you used on the others."
Izuku stood quietly as the man walked away, an anger he'd never before felt boiling up inside him.
"What are you so scared of, Endeavor?"
The Hero froze, turning slowly to glare at the boy, "What did you say, brat?"
"I asked what you're so scared of," Izuku repeated, "That you would torture your son like that just to beat All Might?"
"Nothing!" Endeavor barked, scowling.
"There is no such thing as a person without fear," Izuku hummed, slipping his hands behind his back, fingers hooking around the blood bag in his waist band, "Anyone who claims otherwise is liar and coward."
"You…" Endeavor growled, his flames flaring up across his body as the temperature of the corridor soared, "How dare you!"
"Uh uh," Izuku chuckled, a teasing smile on his lips as he stared down the raging Hero, "Can't have you harming your own son's next opponent. People might start accusing you of match fixing."
The man glared at the grinning teen for a moment, before letting his flames die down slightly. Spinning on his heel, the No. 2 Hero began to stalk off.
"Is that why he won't use his fire?" Izuku called, making Endeavor pause again, "Because you're only using him as a tool?"
"Shoto is just going through a rebellious phase," the man growled, stalking forwards again, "He'll get over it soon enough!"
"I wouldn't call actively denying you a rebellious phase," Izuku hummed, smirking as the Hero turned to scowl at him again.
"You know nothing of our lives, brat," Endeavor spat, before walking away, "Don't pretend you do!"
"Todoroki-san isn't you," Izuku called back as the man left, "No matter what you do, his achievements will never be yours!"
Izuku shuddered as the Hero disappeared around a corner, clutching his chest as he pressed a hand against the wall to steady himself. What had he been thinking? Antagonizing the No. 2 Hero of Japan like that? Not that it mattered now. He had a match to get to. One that he didn't intend to lose.
Shoto let out a slow breath as he stepped onto the stage, looking across the arena at his opponent. Midoriya was standing casually, a friendly smile on his face as he slipped his hands out of his pockets. Shoto scowled back, not even listening to Midnight as he slid into a combat stance, Midoriya remaining in a relaxed pose in front of him.
"Ready? Start!"
"Met your dad just now, real piece of work, isn't he?" the words made Shoto falter in his preemptive attack, the ice barely forming as he stopped halfway.
"What?"
"Your dad? He's quite the asshole. I can see where you get it from," Izuku's voice rung out over the stadium as the camera drones hovered close to them, eager to pic up on any conversation the young Vampire may have.
"I am nothing like him!" Shoto growled, swinging his right arm back to attack.
"Funny," Izuku sighed, "Because you have the same look in your eyes. Empty hatred. Pretty pathetic if you ask me."
"Shut up!" Shoto screamed, his breath coming faster as he felt his anger building.
"You both seem to hold the same opinion of me as well," the green-haired teen hummed as he took a few steps around the arena, Shoto glaring at him the entire time, "The two of you really are more alike than you'd think."
"Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Shoto shrieked, "I am not like him! I hate him! I hate that man with every fiber of my being! For what he did to me! To my siblings! For what he did to my mother! I will never use his fire if it kills me!"
The stadium went silent as Shoto's words echoed through the air, not even Mic making a comment as everyone just stared in shock.
"I don't care about you dying," Izuku sighed, pursing his lips as the stadium gasped, "I care about the people you'll kill by not fighting at your full strength."
Silence echoed over the stadium again, every person holding their breath as they waited for Izuku's next words.
"What are you so afraid of, Todoroki-san?" Izuku asked, "Is it your father? Is it being used as his tool? Or is it becoming like him? Because you don't have to worry about that last one. You already are."
"I said…" Shoto growled, throwing his arm forwards as he howled, "SHUT UP!"
The wave of ice erupted from the ground, racing towards the other teen, who remained perfectly still. Gasps filled the air as Shoto stared in shock, the spikes of ice slamming straight into Midoriya's chest, piercing through him effortlessly, blood spraying from his back and landing on the concrete. Above them Shoto could hear Ochako and Tsuyu screaming.
"Get the Medic Bots!" Midnight yelled, looking around frantically for a moment, before a low rumbling laugh started to fill the air.
"My, touched a nerve, did I?" Izuku's voice bubbled strangely as his hand rested on the icicle, a sickening sucking noise echoing through the air as he pulled himself off the spike, staggering slightly as he stood.
Shoto stared at the hole in the center of Izuku's chest as the other teen continued to laugh, reaching behind him and pulling a medical bag of blood out from behind his back. Izuku sunk his fangs into the bag, sucking it dry in a matter of seconds before throwing the plastic aside. The cracking of bone could be heard as the ragged edges of the hole started to swell, the gaping wound closing unnaturally quickly, until only fresh unmarred skin remained.
"I thought you heard me in the USJ, Todoroki-san," Izuku chuckled, taking a slow step forwards, "I don't think anyone can kill me anymore. Least of all someone who isn't even trying."
Fear. All Shoto could feel at that very moment was fear. He unleashed a torrent of ice, the monster in front of him dodging the wild attack easily, suddenly dropping low and darting forwards. A fist met his stomach, knocking the air from his lungs. A kick to his side knocked him sideways. A punch to the head sent his reeling.
"Oh wow! After that…emotional start to the match, Midoriya is really laying into Todoroki!" Mic shouted over the speakers, Aizawa's monotone voice coming soon after.
"No. Midoriya isn't following through on any of his attacks. If he were attacking seriously, Todoroki would be out cold in only a few strikes. Midoriya is toying with him. But why?"
Shoto stumbled back under the onslaught of blows, none doing any real damage, but each keeping him off balance enough that he couldn't use his quirk. He gasped as he felt hands grip his wrists, snapping his arms out to the side, bringing him face to face with Midoriya.
"You know," Izuku's voice flowed like thick treacle from his lips, his fangs glinting in the sunlight, "I wonder what would happen if I drank your blood? Would I get ice powers by drinking from your right side? Maybe fire powers from your left? Shall we find out?"
Shoto was frozen. He could only watch as Midoriya reared back his head, opening his mouth wide as his fangs extended, head diving for the left side of his neck. Izuku screamed as flames erupted from Shoto's skin, the Vampire staggering back, his right hand and side of his face badly burned. Shoto gasped, quickly quelling the flames as he staggered back.
"There we go," Izuku laughed, hunched over slightly as he gripped his arm just above the scorched flesh, "Now you have something to fight me with."
"What are you…?" Shoto shuddered as Midoriya raised his head, the fire having stripped away most of the skin on the right side of his face, making him look truly monstrous, "Why?!"
"I asked you earlier what is was that you were scared of," Izuku hummed, seemingly ignoring Shoto's question, "Whatever it was, I think it should have changed by now, don't you? The thing you should be most afraid of…"
Izuku trailed off as he let his body go lax for a moment, before suddenly launching himself forwards at Shoto.
"IS ME!"
The flames erupted again, Izuku just barely dodging back out of their range, before diving in again, laughing manically as tendrils of blood erupted from the backs of his arms. Shoto threw up a wall of ice, catching the tendrils inside, the blood simply separating from the frozen parts and flowing over the top, pointed ends burrowing deep into the concrete as he dodged away. He felt something wrap around his throat, yanking him forwards as Izuku drove a knee into his nose, the smell of blood filling his sinuses as he felt it break.
A burst of flame drove the creature off, evaporating the blood wrapped around his throat as the monster in front of him continued to laugh, enlarged fangs exposed for the world to see. Blood tendrils slammed into the concrete in front of him, ripping great chunks out of the stage and hurling them at Shoto. Walls of ice were barely able to stop then as they shattered through, forcing the young Todoroki to dive for cover. He rolled over just as something landed over him, staring up into bright, emerald green eyes.
Shoto screamed.
The flames engulfed them.
A single word rang out through the roaring inferno.
And the flames stopped.
"I think that's enough," Izuku hummed as he stood over the rigid Shoto, stepping away as he grabbed the front of the boys half burnt off sports jacket, dragging him towards the edge of the arena, "Sorry about this, Todoroki-san. But I have someone else I have to fight later."
Shoto fell limp as his back slammed into the grass, the fear in his chest still burning away at him as he watched Izuku stroll nonchalantly away.
"M-Midoriya wins!" Midnight cried out as the crowd exploded, a strange mixture of cheers and screams as they watched the young man, his clothes almost entirely reduced to ash off, his skin a patch work of burns, walk off the stage and exit the field.
What the fuck was that?
Bakugo stared down at the field, at Todoroki still lying on the grass as a pair of medical bots rolled towards him. He'd never seen Deku do anything like that before. He didn't know that the useless nerd had it in him. What the fuck had he become?
What was he going to do to Bakugo?
The crowd and the next fight felt strangely muted after the intensity of the last battle.
Bakugo managed to push his thoughts about Izuku to the side as he pummeled Kirishima with explosions, eventually managing to break through his hardened skin and throwing him to the floor, the red head surrendering.
Midnight announced a short break before the final match, to give the competitors time to rest, Bakugo stalking off to his waiting room as he tried not to think about Izuku.
Izuku, on the other hand, sat calmly in his own waiting room, listening to his friends chat around him, ignoring the strange and worried glances they kept giving him. He toed at the cooler box, the final blood bag inside waiting to be consumed, as he wondered if Iida was okay, the blue-haired teen not having returned after going to take that phone call. He picked slightly at the gauze that covered the right side of his face, the bandages tight around his right arm. His skin itched under the fabric, slowly healing, even after he'd refused Recovery Girl's quirk. Burns always took longer to heal, though he was no stranger to the feeling of charred skin. He had Bakugo to thank for that.
"Are you sure you're okay to fight?" Ochako asked for what felt like the fiftieth time, "You've drunk a lot of blood. Is your Blood Drunk issue okay?"
"I'm fine, Ochako," Izuku smiled softly as he spoke, the rush from the last battle fading as he still felt the lingering tingles of Blood Drunkenness, "I have to do this."
"Okay, but please, be careful," she sighed, making to hug him for a moment, before she remembered his burns, awkwardly sitting back down.
"Will the finalists please make their way to the stadium, thank you." The automated announcement system rung out in the room, Izuku standing as he slipped the blood bag into the back of his new pair of track pants, opting to leave the tattered and scorched remains of his top on.
He walked slowly, taking in the sounds of the crowd as he approached the exit, taking a deep breath to calm himself.
This is it, he thought, This is the fight we've both been waiting for. Can I do it? Can I resist doing THAT?
Izuku looked up as he stepped into the sun, continuing his slow walk over to the stage, walking up the stairs and looking across the arena at Bakugo, the blond simply scowling back.
"And here it is folks! The final round of the First Year Sports Festival!" Mic shouted through the speakers, "The demolition man himself! Who has blasted through all his opponents up to this point with little effort! Katsuki Bakugo!"
Bakugo clenched his fists as he continued to stare at Izuku.
"And his opponent! The self-proclaimed Monster! The bump in the night! The blood drinking Vampire! Izuku Midoriya!"
"Ready?" Midnight shouted as she lifted her whip, the two teens staring each other down silently, "Start!"
The shout echoed through the silent stadium, the crowd holding its breath as they looked down at the two teenagers standing on the stage.
"Hey Kacchan," Izuku hummed as he scratched at his bandages, "How are you doing?"
"Shut the fuck up, Deku," Bakugo growled, half crouched, his hands at the ready as Izuku just shrugged.
"Yeah, you never were one for words, were you," the green-haired Vampire chuckled weakly, picking at the bandages some more, "You were always a man of action. Though, that action was usually beating me up, wasn't it?"
"The fuck you trying to say, fucking nerd?" Bakugo spat back, watching carefully as Izuku began to walk slowly around the arena, the blond stalking around opposite him.
"Oh, just that you abused me," a slight murmur rose from the crowd as Izuku's voice was projected through the speakers, the teen smiling sadly at the camera drone that hovered just beside him, "Wow, it feels weird to finally admit that. Come on Kacchan, don't you remember doing it? Or am I just too much of an extra for you to care?"
"FUCK YOU!" Bakugo shouted, glancing around nervously as the crowd began to shout, hurling insults at him as he scowled, eyes still locked on Izuku.
"Yeah, I figured that's what you'd say," Izuku sighed, looking at the sky with a strange expression, "Do you know how many times my mom reported your abuse to the police? I looked it up. One hundred and seventy-three times over eight years."
The crowd gasped, looking at each other in shock.
"That's almost twice a month, Kacchan," Izuku let out a dry chuckle, turning his head slowly to look at Bakugo, "But do you want to know what I see when I look at that number? I see the one hundred and seventy-three times I failed to hide it well enough. The one hundred and seventy-three times my mom caught me tending to my own burns. The one hundred and seventy-three times she couldn't bare to believe my lies. The one hundred and seventy-three times I refused to press charges."
Izuku paused, looking directly into Bakugo's eyes as the blond glared back.
"The one hundred and seventy-three times I almost failed to protect you."
"FUCK YOU! I DON'T NEED PROTECTING BY SOME USELESS FUCK LIKE YOU!" Bakugo screeched, his breath becoming ragged as he flexed his fingers.
"No, you don't, do you?" Izuku sighed, a forlorn look on his face, "Of course you wouldn't need to be protected by poor, weak, worthless, quirkless Deku."
The murmuring grew again as Izuku continued, the crowd watching enraptured as the teen let out another dry laugh.
"But that doesn't matter anymore, does it? Look at us! We're here! In UA! Taking part in the biggest sporting event in Japan! Hundreds of thousands of people watching us! Listening to us! Listening to me," Izuku's voice turned cold at the last word, his eyes hardening as he reached up for the bandages on his face, ripping them off with a flourish. The crowd flinched, staring at the hideous burn marks that covered the right side of his face, even as he undid the bandages around his arm.
Slowly, calmly, Izuku reached behind him, pulling out his last blood bag, biting into it and draining the dark red liquid from inside. The crowd stared in horror and amazement at what happened next. His skin seemed to writhe, the burns slowly vanishing as he healed. Bakugo watched in morbid fascination as the wounds of Izuku's previous battle vanished before his eyes.
"I think this is the longest conversation we've had since we were, what? Like five years old?" Izuku sighed, letting a soft smile cross his lips, "But like I said before, you aren't much of a talker, are you? You much prefer action. So, how about it? Shall we get to the action?"
Izuku grinned as he crouched, ripping his shredded jacket and shirt from his body with ease, pale skin almost shining in the bright sunlight, arms spread, fingers splayed, in an almost exact copy of Bakugo's stance. The crowd shuddered as the skin on his shoulders split, two thick tendrils of blood rising from the wounds, twitching above him. Bakugo suppressed a shudder of his own, unable to pull his eyes away from Izuku's as his one-time friend grinned at him. A grin that wasn't his usual nervous smile. That wasn't friendly. Or happy. Or kind.
It was the grin of a predator.
The two stood in silence for a moment, tension building in the air between them as the crowd fell silent once again.
Bakugo couldn't stand it.
He flung his hands back, unleashing a massive blast that threw him forwards, Izuku darting to the side as the blond swung his right hand forwards. A tendril snapped around his wrist, yanking him downwards, the explosion blossoming out underneath him as his palm was forced to the floor. Coughing through the smoke and dust, a fist hit him in the solar plexus, the air in his lungs vanishing as he staggered back.
"Come on, Kacchan! Is that all you have?" Izuku taunted through the smoke, Bakugo looking around wildly before the teen appeared in front of him, slamming a punch into the blonde's ribs. Bakugo cried out as he felt bone snap, staggering as he clutched at the injury.
"Fucking DIE!" He screamed, throwing his hands forwards as he unleashed a massive blast, spinning in a circle as he released explosion after explosion, covering the entire arena in flame and smoke.
A movement caught his eye, the blond spinning to face it, raising his hands to fire another blast. A tendril slapped at his wrists, throwing his hands into the air, the attack dissipating harmlessly into the sky. And then Izuku was there, fingers interlaced with his, twisting his hands back painfully as he grinned that feral grin right in Bakugo's face.
"Hey Kacchan," he said in a sickeningly cutesy tone, his fangs glinting, "I wonder what power I'll get from you?"
Katsuki screamed as Izuku buried his fangs in the teen's neck, sucking on his blood as the blond struggled futilely against the Vampire's superior strength. Fingers crushed his hands, the bones groaning as he howled, unleashing a massive blast from his palms. Izuku stumbled back, hissing as he looked at his smoking hands, glancing up just in time to see Bakugo leaping towards him. The blond slammed his palm against Izuku's chest, letting loose a point blank explosion, before swinging his other hand forwards to do the same. Bakugo howled as he unleashed blast after blast against the Vampire, bombarding him with attack after attack, his arms aching as he reached his limit. With a final twinge of pain, Bakugo swung both hands forwards, and with a guttural yell, released the largest explosion he could manage straight into Izuku's chest.
He screamed in pain as he fell to his knees, his arms shaking at his side as the pain wracked his body. He let out a shuddering sob as he looked up at the cloud of smoke that was slowly clearing, eyes going wide as the figure was slowly revealed. Izuku stood, arched backwards, arms hanging limply at his sides, the skin and muscle on his chest all but completely blown away, revealing his cracked and burnt rib cage. With a pained groan, the green-haired teen flopped forwards, the skin around his neck and chin almost completely gone, his cheeks shredded as he gave Bakugo a morbid grin.
"Zat wash ghood, Kacchan," he slurred slightly, shuddering as he stood up straight, cracking his neck even as the skin began to heal, muscle and flesh reforming over exposed bone, already looking like he hadn't just taken thirty explosions directly to the chest only a moment ago, "You gathe me your all. Now let's see what I got from you."
Izuku's arms began to crumble, starting from the fingers, ash drifting through the air around him as it slowly worked its way up to his elbows, were it stopped, Izuku letting out a startled laugh.
"And I thought I was supposed to be the Villain here!" He shouted excitedly, "Look Kacchan! You enhanced the power I got from that disintegration asshole that attacked us at the USJ! How funny is that?!"
"F-fuck you, Deku," he managed to spit, staggering to his feet, "I'm not going to lose…to lose to you!"
"Well then," Izuku hummed, the ash spreading out through the air around them, "Let's see."
Bakugo leapt forwards, arms aching, palms burning, ready to attack. Izuku made a swinging motion with the stump of his right arm, the fist slamming into the side of Katsuki's head a moment later. The blond staggered to the side, gasping as Izuku made another sweeping motion with his left, a punch connecting with his kidney, followed by an uppercut, Bakugo looking down just in time to see the fist form out of the ashes, before it slammed painfully into his stomach. Bakugo vomited, bile and the remains of his lunch spilling from his mouth as he fell to the floor. He felt the hand form around his right arm, pulling him up as Izuku approached. He screamed as the palm began to heat up, the smell of burning flesh filling the air as smoke snaked out from between the fingers.
"How's it feel, Kacchan," Izuku laughed, his left arm reconnecting to his elbow as his right reformed, the teen swinging a punch into Bakugo's stomach, forcing more of its contents out, "Tell me how it feels! How does it feel to be burned? How does it feel to be burned by the hands of your old friend?"
Izuku slammed his fist into Bakugo's stomach with each question, the blond unable to vomit anymore, his stomach empty, his vision going dark. Izuku let out a loud laugh as he yanked Bakugo into the air, flinging him over his body, throwing him to the floor, the concrete shattering beneath him. Bakugo let out a cough, blood spraying from his mouth as he looked up at Izuku, the green-haired teen no longer smiling.
"Is that it?" he asked, looking down at the blond, a disappointed expression on his face, "Is that all you have?"
"Fu-…fuck you!" Bakugo managed to force out through the blood and pain, Izuku just giving a slow shake of his head.
Bakugo watched as his childhood friend raised his hand, the palm splitting open as a tendril of blood rose into the air. Katsuki closed his eyes, gritting his teeth as he waited from the inevitable strike. He heard the breaking of bone, felt the air rush past the side of his head, twitched at the splintering of concrete. Then silence. Bakugo cracked his eyes open, staring up as Izuku shuddered above him, left hand clamped around his right wrist, right hand twisted at an impossible angle as the spear of blood buried itself in the concrete just beside the blonde's head.
"That's enough," Izuku breathed, releasing his hand and staggering back, his wrist already twisting itself back into shape as he let the blood tendrils fall from his hand and back, splashing onto the concrete.
"Ge…get back…here…" Bakugo wheezed, forcing himself to roll over as Izuku turned away, walking towards the edge of the arena, "What…what are you…doing, you…fu-…fucking nerd?"
"What am I doing?" Izuku chuckled as he stopped at the edge, turning to face Bakugo again, a wide friendly smile on his face, "Why, I'm doing the same thing I've been doing for years, Kacchan. I'm saving you."
"F-fuck off! I…won't…lose!"
"Of course you won't, Kacchan," Izuku hummed as he lifted a leg, hanging it over the red line, "I would never give you the satisfaction."
Izuku stepped back, placing both his feet outside the red line that marked the edge of the arena, Midnight balking for a moment before she let out a cry, "Izuku Midoriya is out of bounds! Katsuki Bakugo wins!"
The crowd exploded as Izuku turned away, walking calmly towards the exit, only stumbling slightly as he reached the door, before breaking into a full, desperate sprint.
"Holy shit! What the hell is going on with your class Erasure?" Mic shouted, "You seriously need to…Huh? He's gone?"
Ochako jumped to her feet the moment Izuku stepped off the field, something inside her screaming to get to his side. She looked to her left, Tsu already on her own feet, returning her desperate look. They heard Ojiro shout as they shot off, darting blindly through the hallways, somehow knowing exactly where to go. They burst through the door of the waiting room and froze. Izuku was hunched over against the back wall, his hand digging into the metal of the lockers, crushing the steel like it was a soda can. He let out a keening moan, eyes snapping up as they stepped into the room.
"Stay…STAY BACK!" he shouted, Ochako and Tsuyu hesitating for a moment, before making to step forwards again.
Izuku suddenly let out a gurgling howl, clutching at his throat as he fell to his hands and knees. The two girls felt someone press an arm to their chests, looking up to see the bandaged face of their Homeroom teacher, Aizawa's eyes glowing red under the bandages. Izuku let out a gurgling cough, and then violently vomited onto the floor. The thick smell of iron quickly filled the room as the black ichor pooled beneath him, the teen making horrible retching noises as more and more of it seemed to pour from his lips. Finally, the torrent of fluid ended, Izuku giving a weak, gasping cough, before slowly lifting his head, tears in his eyes. When he spoke, his voice sounded impossibly small.
"Th-…thank…you…"
And he toppled sideways.