A/N: Edit finished 23 August 2018. Beta provided by Kylekatarn77.
Chapter 14
Izuku joined the other fifteen students that had successfully completed the second event. He was relieved it was over. The pressure of being the primary target of the other teams had been stressful, even if winning had been worth the effort. Although, all we had to do was prevent the others from stealing our headband. As the screens displayed highlights for those who had focused on a single group or missed some of the crazier actions, he noticed that the majority of scenes featuring his team had been from moments where his decisions had been the factor leading to victory in the shown moments. I definitely made the correct choice, selecting my team. His eyes wandered across the others. Who will I have to fight? I know nearly everyone, so there shouldn't be any big surprises.
"We'll be taking a break for lunch," Midnight announced, pacing across her stage. "We'll see you back here in an hour to announce the details of the final tournament before breaking into the lighter festivities. Enjoy yourselves!"
As Izuku turned to head for the food stands outside the stadium, a cool hand caught his shoulder and pulled at his attention. Todoroki stood next to him, an odd look on his face. "I want to speak with you, Midoriya. In private would be best."
"Sure," Izuku responded, surprised by the request. I wonder what he wants. "Lead the way."
They entered a nearby passage and emerged outside the stadium. Todoroki turned left and led Izuku to a passageway for support staff coming and going from the stadium. A moment passed before he spoke. "I'm sure you're wondering why I brought you out here to talk. Trust me when I say it's important, especially since I have some questions for you."
"That was going to be my question," Izuku said. "You clearly have something else to say to me, beyond the declaration from earlier. Will you ask your questions first or is there something else you need to tell me first?"
"The questions will follow what I have to say." He snorted and shook his head. "It's easy to forgot how perceptive you can be, Midoriya." Todoroki raised his left arm and stared at it, as if the limb had somehow offended him and he wasn't sure why. "There was a moment where I felt…tempted to use my left side. I nearly broke the pledge I made long ago." He clenched his left fist and then he locked eyes with Izuku. "I can see what's in front of me, Midoriya. The others might not realize it, but I felt the pressure your quirk creates. That story you told us on the way to the USJ was sprinkled with half-truths and deflections."
Izuku frowned. Does he know? I know he's Endeavor's son, so he would technically have a bone to pick with All Might and in part, his successor. Plus, I know his father is among the few pro heroes who don't teach at U.A. aware of my quirk, if only because he's Number Two. "What's your point, Todoroki?"
"It's simple, really. Are you All Might's illegitimate child? Bakugou told me when I asked him that your father has been absent since before his quirk appeared and that nobody knows what became of him. Perhaps he left after discovering you weren't his child…"
A long moment passed as Izuku processed what he had been told, replaying the four sentences over and over. He…he can't be serious? I can't believe that he would say such a thing. Sure, it's better than him finding out the truth, but it disregards what I said and that story has more truth than fantasy. I wonder how he came to that conclusion. "What…what would make you think that? I mean, if I was his child I would deny it, especially to Endeavor's son, but it's such an absurd question that I'm honestly shocked. There was a dozen other things I would've expected before that."
"I know you're hiding the truth surrounding your quirk and I will figure out what the truth is, if only to silence my father," Todoroki said, a slight temper in his voice. "You know who he is: Endeavor, the number two hero in Japan and one of the top ten globally. If you're connected to All Might like I suspect, then that's reason enough to crush you before the cameras.
"You never would guess, but I was born to ensure my father's legacy and surpass the number one hero." Todoroki paused and glanced outside, thoughtful and serious. "There is only one thing my father concerns himself with: growing stronger. He has gone all out in becoming a great hero. He's gone so far that All Might is little more than a roadblock towards achieving his goals. Even so, he will only win when All Might retires. He won't admit it, but we all know it's true."
"Why are you telling me this, Todoroki?" Izuku asked, stuck between confused and nervous. He had a bad feeling about the direction the conversation was moving in, but his natural curiosity couldn't help but want the boy to continue speaking. "Is this still about my relationship with All Might, or are we discussing your father now?"
"In part," Todoroki admitted. "Are you familiar with quirk marriages?" At Izuku's uncertain nod, he continued. "They became an issue during the early generations after quirks became widespread. Strong individuals would select a partner and coerce them into marriage for the purpose of breeding a child with either a more powerful version of their quirk or with a hybrid quirk that would make their child stand above their future peers. This is how my father came to marry my mother, hoping to bind his quirk to hers within a child. And me? I'm that child, the one born with both of their quirks. You could never understand how it is, being used for a single purpose, for a goal that isn't mine. I hate it!
"I'm a tool for my father, to build a lasting legacy that benefits only him. From the moment my quirk manifested, my training begun. It was harsh and brutal, designed not for a child, but one for the most promising interns in a top hero's office. My mother tried to stop him, but she wasn't even considered a tool in his mind, for she had already served her purpose. I remember what happened when I first showed her my fire, the power I got from him. She hates that power more than me, and when she saw me using it, she threw scalding water on the left side of my face, the side I inherited from my father. She couldn't stand the sight of that side of my face. I remember her words right before she threw that water so clearly it haunts me to this day." A terrible shudder froze Izuku stiff, as Todoroki grew louder and angrier. "I won't use my left side against you, no matter your connection to All Might. It's my way of getting vengeance against my father, for what he's done to me and my mother and all my siblings that failed to be the tool he wanted. When I rise to the top without using it, I will have won, and denied him everything."
Todoroki paused and with a sigh, turned away. "The questions can wait until after I beat you. We both know for me to reach the top I will have to fight through you, Midoriya."
Izuku watched Todoroki walk away, shocked. With a backstory like that, he could be an anime protagonist. The tragedy, the complex involving his father. It's so weird to think a pro hero would dare such a thing. He followed Todoroki out of the tunnel and said, more to himself, "I know you want to defeat me with only your ice abilities, Todoroki. Just don't think you can really beat me without using the full power of your quirk."
The sixteen students gathered once more before the stage where Midnight stood, anxious as they waited for the coming announcement. While the final tournament was tradition, the specifics varied from year to year. Plus, there were glances at Shinsou, whose quirk was mostly a secret and displayed a menacing presence towards the others. "Now that we're all here," Midnight finally said. "It's time to present the final event!" The screen rolled through a dozen possibilities before settling on: 1-V-1 TOURNAMENT. "I'm certain none of you need an explanation for how this will play out. Here are your match-ups! I hope you're prepared."
Izuku was uncertain what to make of him being in the first match. The chart was simple enough:
MATCH 1
MIDORIYA Izuku versus URARAKA Ochako
MATCH 2
TODOROKI Shouto versus SATOU Rikidou
MATCH 3
KIRISHIMA Eijirou versus OJIRO Mashirao
MATCH 4
ASHIDO Mina versus KAMINARI Denki
MATCH 5
YAOYOROZU Momo versus KENDOU Itsuka
MATCH 6
HATSUME Mei versus SERO Hanta
MATCH 7
TOKOYAMI Fumikage versus IIDA Tenya
MATCH 8
BAKUGOU Katsuki versus SHINSOU Hitoshi
"Tough match-up?" Kendou asked. She flicked her ponytail towards the female members of Class 1-A. "You know why they're wearing cheerleading costumes?"
Confused, Izuku looked over at the girls in his class. All of them, whether in the tournament or off to the side, were dressed in orange and red cheerleader outfits, complete with 'UA' across their chests. This was Mineta's doing. No doubt about that. I can't believe I'm impressed. I wish he would put that much effort into being a proper hero, though.
"Practical joke," Izuku said. "We have a serious pervert in our class. His quirk is rather useful, but he definitely needs to adjust his personality. I'll have to ask him how he got Yaoyorozu to go through with it. She seems to be the most…immune to his plots, though a couple have described her as being shockingly naïve about some topics, so maybe she was just sheltered."
Kendou nodded, the hint of a smirk playing on her face. "What can you tell me about Yaoyorozu? I'm facing her in the first round and she got to see my quirk during the cavalry battle."
"Keeping my lips sealed," Izuku said. "You said nothing about most of your classmates during the cavalry battle. Plus, our classes are still competing, even if you're the only one left."
"And other than Monoma, none of them were the type of threat you would need to know about beforehand," Kendou responded, shrugging. "You can at least give me a hint?"
Izuku frowned and looked over at Momo. I still don't know where they got those uniforms from unless… He grinned and said, "I would bet that she made those uniforms. That has to be part of how she got roped into that mess."
Before Kendou could press for more details, Midnight interrupted them. "Unless there are any questions or complaints about the final event –"
Ojiro raised his arm, interrupting Midnight's speech. "I…I want to drop out." The crowd burst into shouts, questioning the tailed boy's decision. Izuku watched, curious, as he continued. "I…I don't remember what happened during most of the cavalry battle. There's some of the end I remember, but not the beginning. I…I don't feel comfortable continuing on when the only reason I'm here is because of his quirk."
Eyes turned to Shinsou, who smiled at the attention.
"I know how large of an opportunity this is and many will say I'm stupid throwing it away," Ojiro said. "However, everyone else made it into this final round using their own strength. I don't know how I reached this point of the Festival and my pride and honor won't allow me to continue forward."
"Anyone else?" Midnight asked, looking at the other two members of Team Shinsou. They both shook their heads, strong and serious. "Then we'll have a member of Team Tetsutetsu replace Ojiro Mashirao!" The display flashed to reflect the change as the third match was updated to 'KIRISHIMA Eijirou versus TETSUTETSU Tetsutetsu.'
Present Mic's amplified voice cut through the chatter. "With that, the match ups are official! Good luck to all of our competitors as we take a break for the lighter festivities!"