The Bright Hero, Cobalt

Chapter Thirteen

A/N: Thanks again to my readers and reviewers, and to my editors as well! You're all breathtaking! Do leave a review if you're enjoying the fic thus far!

"Normal speech."

"Buff Might/AI/SHOOOTOOOOO!/Angry beyond reason speech."

"Telepathic speech."

'Thoughts.'

'Sign language.' (Thanks to the reviewer who pointed out that my method of showing sign language wasn't showing up. I have altered all previous chapters to fix this error.)

Ten Minutes Later

Eijiro and Tetsutetsu were still going at it. The two simply had far more stamina and sturdiness than what's normal, but while Izuku was fascinated at watching their technique, and Mina was fascinated with watching her horn buddy beat the snot out of his opponent, their classmates and their plus one had gotten a bit bored. Izuku had pity on them and decided to play some music from his mental library telepathically to help them ease the boredom. At the moment, he was playing an unreleased track from Episode III of Star Wars, fittingly called The Boys Continue.

It happened in an instant. Suddenly, the boys couldn't continue, so Izuku cut the mental mood music. The two fighters collapsed from exhaustion at the exact same time, their fists pointed at one another even in unconsciousness.

"Kirishima Eijiro and Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu are both unconscious! It's a draw, folks!" Kayama exclaimed, then continued, "After they get some rest, there will be a tie-breaker contest! Now, will our next contestants make their way to the arena?"

Izuku, having not gone to the prep room to be amongst his friends, smiled at the people who made his life whole. "Wish me luck, guys," he said nervously as he glowed green and floated down to the arena. He could feel the hopes of his classmates and his hopefully future classmate in his heart, along with the hopes of Endeavor, who wanted his son to do well despite it all. He gave the unconscious Eijiro a fist bump, making it known that he was really glad he fought so hard.

Shoto emerged from the tunnel, having gone to the prep room two minutes into Eijiro and Tetsutetsu's match. He gazed icilly at his opponent, though Izuku could tell there wasn't any spite behind it. He could only hope this remained true.

"Before we begin this, Todoroki-san, I have a request," Izuku stated nervously.

The half hot, half cold boy narrowed his gaze. "What do you want?"

Gulping audibly, the verdette stammered his response. "W-well, I really respect you, as a person and a classmate, so...I'm going to use both halves of my quirk in this match...It'll probably hurt, so...please reciprocate...I don't want your fire half to-"

"What did you say?!"

Izuku flinched noticeably. So much for this being a happy match.

Shoto snarled as he continued. "Did he put you up to this? Was everything you said just talk? Am I a joke to you? Is my conviction a joke to you?!" he raged under his breath.

Izuku teared up as he felt the boy closing his heart off once more. "No...I didn't…" he stammered, only to be interrupted by a sudden chill in his heart.

"I'll enjoy taking you out here," the boy across from him said, frost coming off of his breath.

"Todoroki Shoto, are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Midoriya Izuku, are you ready?"

"I...I…"

Seconds Prior

Katsuki and Ochako both frowned. "He's terrified. I've never felt him so afraid except during the USJ incident. Izuku-kun's so scared he won't be able to help him," the brunette commented in a panic.

With a scowl and a growl, the emperor of detonative homicides barked a single command. "Office Max, Round Face, President Skroob! Hoist the motherfucking colors!"

Momo face palmed at her nickname before joining the other three in raising The Thing.

Back With Izuku

Before the empath could freak out anymore, he heard a voice ring out like a bell through all his self-doubt.

"IZUKU-KUN!"

He looked up and saw Ochako helping place The Thing. The Thing was a banner with the new class motto, along with everybody's names on it, and a space reserved for Shoto's name. His confidence returned tenfold, no, eighteenfold, for each of his classmates and Hitoshi as well, currently supporting him.

"Midoriya Izuku? Are you going to withdraw?"

"No! I'll fight!" the red-shoed boy exclaimed, his own conviction restored, with the banner of friendship behind him. "Todoroki-san! Friendship is inevitable! Resistance is impolite!" he roared, challenging his angry opponent to keep his distance from all these people who want to be his friend. Spoiler alert: He was gonna be Part of the Ship, Part of the Crew.

The thumbs up was raised.

"READYYY? CLASH!"

Izuku was grateful for his ability to read into his opponents' tactics, because otherwise he would have become a popsicle instantly, even with his mind-reading ability. His entire half of the field was covered with ice, a glacier towering over the field, encasing him entirely. However, there was something else encasing him as well.

A green glow shined from within the ice, cube-shaped from what onlookers could tell. It compressed until it formed around the boy, and a word was heard in the minds and hearts of everybody nearby.

"SMASH!"

With a cacophonous crashing sound, the glacier was shattered, and Izuku emerged with his foot extended. A bright green outline surrounded his body as he set his foot down lightly, wincing slightly when it touched the ground.

'Doctor Chiyo was right. I can only handle one attack per limb if I'm actually hitting something solid. If I kick like that with that leg again, I won't be walking for a while!' the verdette monologued internally, recalling something Recovery Girl said the evening before.

Lifting off of the ground, he flew at his opponent, his aura giving off that unearthly sound it makes when he moves at speed. Dodging another blast of ice, he reared his arm back, and…

SMACK!

He slapped the boy to the ground, not using One for All at all. Now, Shoto was glowing green as well. Izuku glowered down at his opponent. "Your father's wrong. However, you're also wrong. I already told you. I'm fighting like this because I respect you. I want you to fight me the same, because some day, you will need your fire, and if you haven't trained it at all, you will die. Do you have any idea how many people would be sad at your death?" he scolded the heterochromatic teen.

Shoto looked up at the freckled teen hovering over him with wide eyes, before finding himself righted back onto his feet as his opponent floated back and then to the side, near to where he started. "Let's try this again, okay? Come at me for real. Not for your dad, or your mom, or your siblings, or me. I want you to fight me with everything you are for your sake," the verdette said, then extended an arm and Smashed the glacier next to him before standing back where he started. If the shaky leg had told Shoto a story, the bit of bruising already showing up on Izuku's arm told him an entire saga.

"You...meant it would hurt you when you used the other half of your quirk? You weren't talking down to me?" Shoto asked, flabbergasted.

The Dark Lord of Smiles nodded somberly. "I'm not about to use this on a person. Your ice, though, I will smash until I break my limbs. Now please, come at me for real this time."

"I CAN'T! I'M SCARED! I DON'T WANT TO BE LIKE HIM!" the half and half boy screamed, suddenly afraid out of his mind. Before Izuku could intervene, though…

"SHOOOOOTOOOOOO!"

The younger of the two Todorokis whirled around to see a completely unexpected sight. His father had bowed nearly flat against the concrete at the top of the stairs. His forehead was even touching the floor, his hands flat before him. "I was wrong, Shoto! I'm sorry!" the grown man roared, then raised his head to gaze at his son, tears streaming down his face. "You're already ten times the hero I will ever be! Please, win! SHOTO!"

With a growl, Shoto muttered angrily, "Why are you like this, Father?"

Unbeknownst to him, at that very instant, Enji had a single hope. 'Please, understand me Shoto!'

Then, things got...different.

Time seemed to freeze, though from what Izuku could tell, it was just that his mind, Shoto's, and Enji's connected in that moment, and thus this wasn't even happening in reality. There were even unmoving versions of themselves in the strange diorama, and the versions of themselves that were moving weren't even wearing the clothes they had been wearing.

Shoto found himself in a casual outfit he frequently wore during down time, gifted to him by his sister Fuyumi. Izuku was wearing his tee shirt shirt, and Endeavor was wearing…

"What is that outfit, Endeavor-san?" Izuku asked, his eyes wide with confusion.

"It should be obvious. It's an Endeavor pajama onesie. Why I'm wearing it, I've no idea, but I'm not displeased. It was a gift from my wife, after all, and it's quite comfortable to this very day," he responded with a huff. He had since risen from his bowing position, having noticed the sudden lack of noise around them and preparing to fight in case of a villain attack.

"Midoriya-san...what is this?" Shoto asked, so stunned he went full circle from panic to calm once more.

The verdette thought for a moment. "Well, in that moment, right before we found ourselves in this predicament, you wanted to know why your father is the way he is, and Endeavor-san wanted desperately to explain himself, so...I guess this is my quirk allowing for that to happen? I'll go sit on the other side of the ring and keep myself occupied with finding a way out of this. You two chat. Don't leave the ring, though, Todoroki-san. I don't know if that would consist of a ring out or not. Endeavor-san should come down, though, but stay out of the ring. Please, try to figure this out, while I work on figuring this out," he suggested, and did what he said he'd do, moving to the opposite side of the ring and sitting down to think.

Endeavor didn't need to be told twice. He landed right outside the ring in seconds, locking eyes with his son. "Shoto. We...need to talk. I have some explaining to do," the man said, then took a seat, gazing up at his son with eyes that were still shedding tears.

Shoto rolled his eyes, but didn't leave his spot. "So, how do you intend to explain away all the pain you caused my siblings, my mother, and me? What could possibly justify the hurt you put us through?" he asked, deciding to rip the bandaid off.

Endeavor bowed his head in shame. "Nothing can justify what I did. I didn't want it to be this way, but so much was out of your mother's control and my own, that it didn't matter what we had intended. You see, I came to a conclusion shortly after I ascended to the number two position," he elaborated.

"All Might. He is the Symbol of Peace, and yet...He laughs like us. He hopes and dreams like us...He bleeds like us. Shoto, he's getting old. He and I both are. We won't be able to keep going for much longer. He's been starting to lag behind particularly badly in the last five years, and I'm no replacement for the Symbol. My quirk, it burns with power, but it burns out too quickly! I sought ice-wielder after ice-wielder, hoping to find somebody compatible with me, who I could get along with. Your mother...She understands the plight the world faces. She decided to marry me, to help the world. You have no idea how happy I am that you take more after her than me, because she is incredible. We...aren't compatible, honestly, but we've tried so hard to make ourselves so. Even then, she still is one of the only people who has made me smile in the last two decades, and she is the only person to make me laugh since I became a pro. Shoto, you may not believe a word I'm saying, but I love your mother. I love your siblings. I love you," the man explained, doing his best to explain how they ended up where they were. "Things seemed to be going okay, but an incident occurred. I pushed Touya too hard in his training, and he...We were never the same after that.

"Losing Touya broke something in all of us. I lashed out. Natsuo lashed out. Fuyumi became quiet and subdued. Your mother started having panic attacks, and you were only five years old, yet I felt like if I made you the next symbol, I could make all my mistakes worth it. I was wrong, Shoto! I won't hold it against you if you never forgive me, but I want you to know that I was wrong and I am so very sorry and I love you!"

"Stop."

Enji raised his head to look at his son, who had tears rolling down his face. "You're so hurt. I don't know how but I feel how much this hurts you. You've been feeling this way this whole time? How do you exist like this?" Shoto asked, tears rolling down his face.

Endeavor had only one answer. "The same way you do, Shoto. Your hurt is tremendous as well. It is a different kind of hurt, but it is not less than mine. You are strong to be able to go on like you do in spite of it. Keep being strong like your mother and I know you can. However…" At this, the elder Todoroki placed his hand on his son's shoulder. "Please visit your mother soon. She misses you dearly, and I'm sure it would make her day to see you again."

Shoto nodded, still sniffling, before he decided to change the topic a bit. "So...Mom got you that? It's incredibly gaudy," he commented.

Endeavor beamed. "That's exactly what I told her! Don't tell your friend I said this, but I'm pretty sure we're wearing these outfits because they're what we're most relaxed in. I know you wear that around the house when you're relaxing, and I actually sleep in this," the flame-bearded man whispered conspiratorially.

"Ahem."

Father and son looked up to see Izuku standing nearby. "I...might have fibbed about not knowing how to get out of here. I wanted the two of you to talk it out, and this wound up being a perfect opportunity, but I knew how to get out of this seconds after I realized what it was. I'm glad Endeavor-san got what he said off his chest, but maybe Todoroki-san can tell his side of the story later, when you have proper privacy? I'm going to get us back to the fight when you've gotten back to where your bodies are, so if there's anything you want to say before the fight ends, say it now," the verdette explained.

Shoto and Enji nodded. "I will simply say again that I love you, Shoto. That is the only truth I need to convey to you at this moment in time. Do you have any words for me?" the elder asked.

The younger nodded. "I...do not forgive you. I don't, but I will try to understand you better, and maybe one day, we can be a family again. Please, also tell Mother to expect me in the next few weeks. I do not want to upset her if I show up out of the blue," he said, teal and grey eyes meeting a pair of teal eyes.

Enji smiled warmly at his son. "I'll let her know after the match, Shoto. I'm sure she'll be thrilled."

The three of them made their way back to where they'd been before the mental conversation. Time began moving once more, and their bodies did so as well, with a fresh set of tears emerging from Shoto's eyes. He locked gazes with Izuku, even as his father cheered him on from where he'd risen. "You wanted my all? Very well, Midoriya-san. Here I come, for real this time," Shoto said, his left side ablaze.

With a grin, Izuku floated up and added another layer of shielding to his body, even as Shoto flung fireballs at him. He dropped back down and left an intentional crack in the arena, then ran at his opponent who raised a wall of ice. "I think Kacchan had it right before! WALLS ONLY KEEP PEOPLE APART!"

Green became Blue.

With the crack of a sonic boom, Izuku shredded the wall of ice, flinging himself up into the sky to prevent himself from hitting the wall of the stadium. Expanding his blue aura, Izuku primed himself to fly at his newest friend, the boy prepping a dome of ice that was glowing bright orange from within.

"TODOROKIIIII!"

"MIDORIYAAAAAA!"

The two friends screamed each other's names as the dome exploded at the latter of the two, and their techniques clashed, resulting in a second explosion that had Katsuki cackling with glee. Shoto was deposited on the ground near the edge of the stadium, green aura slowing him as he fell, while Izuku went tumbling in the air for a moment before righting himself and floating back to the ring.

"Winner by ringout, Midoriya Izuku!"

As soon as he was sure he wouldn't be disqualified for touching part of the ground outside of the ring, Izuku sped over to Shoto, gently looking him over. "I'm sorry! I didn't realize how powerful that was going to be! Are you okay, Todoroki-san?"

"Blue."

"Huh?"

With a grin, Shoto elaborated. "Write my name on your banner in blue. It's my favorite color. Has been for years. It's a crazy coincidence, don't you think?"

Izuku giggled a little and gave the boy before him a thumbs up. "Yeah. We'll have to chat later. Don't forget to visit your mom, though. Your dad's anticipating her smile so excitedly I can't keep him out of my head," he said before moving aside for the medic bots.

One of the automatons approached him. "You're getting your arms and leg checked out. Doctor's orders. You can either float yourself or we'll get a stretcher. Doctor Shuzenji said we can get your mom if you don't comply," they said.

With a chuckle, Izuku complied. "Okay, I'm coming. Tell Doctor Chiyo I'll be right there," he said as he began floating over to the infirmary. En route, he was met by Ochako and Katsuki, the two with grins on their faces. "Shouldn't the two of you be watching Iida-kun's match?" Izuku asked with a confused look.

"Like it'll last long at all. Speed Racer's gonna wreck Fourtwenty. More importantly, Round Face here has something she wants to ask you about, and I wanted to see the fucking wholesomeness," the blond bombshell explained, then shoved the aforementioned girl into Izuku's personal space.

The two blushed a bit and stammered for a moment, before Ochako spoke up. "Um, so, something happened there, right? The two of you were upset for a moment, then the next second, you were both in a much better mood...Did you figure out some kind of super move or something?" the brunette asked shyly.

The freckled empath grinned. "Yeah. I'm not entirely sure what's necessary to make it happen, but Todoroki-san, Endeavor-san, and I were all in some kind of alternate reality in my head, and they talked out some problems they were having. I think I'm gonna call this super move Talk no Jutsu. Fitting, isn't it?" he explained.

The brunette nodded, then blushed a bit upon remembering a bit of trivia about the main character's eventual love interest from the series the technique name originated from. 'I almost forgot, I've got the same birthday as Hinata,' she thought to herself, before suddenly remembering something more important. "Izuku-kun! Your birthday's coming up in a few months! W-we need to think of something nice to do! You haven't had a proper birthday in so long!"

With a bit of a chuckle, Katsuki shoved Ochako against Izuku again, a bit more roughly than intended, before turning to walk away. "We'll figure that out later. We've got a couple months yet to set up a nice birthday bash for Green Naruto over here. It'll be a lot easier with our new badass friends. Now let's get fucking moving. Part of my Bakusquad's going up against part of the Zukusquad soon. Yes, I decided that title for your group myself. No, I'm not changing it. Fucking deal with it!" the human armory cackled as he made his way back to their seating area.

Izuku, however, found himself and Ochako in a bit of a predicament now, one that Katsuki would probably wish he hadn't turned away from later. His arms were wrapped around his first female friend in a hug, doing his best to support her, as she had a hand against the wall behind him, having placed it there when she'd been shoved. 'Did I just get kabedon-ed?' the broccoli boy wondered in a whirlwind of emotions.

"I-Izuku-kun, y-you can let go now," the brunette in his arms stammered, her own heart doing flips. Preventing her friend from sensing what was going through her mind was becoming more and more difficult by the second, and she wasn't ready for something like this! With a squeak of embarrassment from the greenette, she was released, and she waved at him with a smile as she ran off, doing her best to get her heart back under control.

'I can't afford to mess her life up like that. Besides, there's no way she likes me like that.'

The brunette paused for an instant, realizing that the thought she just heard was from Izuku. With a pained heart, she continued on her way to her seat. 'I wish I could tell him...It's wrong to leave him like this…' she thought to herself as she closed off her heart even further.

Their issues with love would be resolved sooner than they thought...