"That's it. I win."
He can faintly hear Present Mic saying something, but he blocks it out. All he can focus on is what Shinso is saying.
"So here we are. You're lucky to have been so blessed, Izuku Midoriya." His head tilts to the side, the same bored expression on his face. "Now turn around and walk out of bounds like a good little hero."
Without warning, Izuku feels his body turning around. His panic spikes but as much as he wills himself not to, he starts walking forward.
What's happening?! I can't focus. It's like fog has completely covered my mind.
His feet won't stop no matter how hard he tries. They're moving as if they have a mind of their own. If he doesn't do something soon, he's going to lose. All of his and everyone else's hard will go to waste, and his quirk will forever be lost him. He can't afford to have this be the end!
Ojiro's words flash through his mind. "I think I bumped into someone, and it was like I woke up. Suddenly, I was able to think clearly."
That's right! All he has to do is get himself to trip or something. Then he'll snap out of it!
That's easier said than done. Every time he tries to move even a finger, it's like his body completely rejects him. Moving his leg enough to get himself to trip will be impossible.
"Win this for you and me, okay?"
I can't give up! Ojiro and everyone else are counting on me. No matter what, I have to win!
The line is getting closer and he can feel his panic getting the better of him. Mentally closing his eyes, he focuses on breaking the control Shinsou has on him. He can feel him in the back of his mind, and he can also feel his body completely ignoring his attempts to stop it. The line is right in front of him.
Time seems to slow down as his foot moves forward. In a last ditch attempt to stop himself, he focuses hard than he's ever focused before.
Come on! He thinks to himself. I can do it! My quirk, my life is depending on this. Who knows what will happen if I fail this, so no matter what you have to win! I have to-!
"Midoriya is out of bounds! Shinso advances to the next round."
Suddenly his body returns to him and he collapses onto the concrete. He may have control of his body again, but it still feels numb. He's failed.
"And with that strange turn of events, we have our first victor of the finals: Class 1-C's Hitoshi Shinso!"
All at once, the world comes crashing back down on him and the cheers of the stadium are deafening. The warm concrete feels rough underneath his hands while he stares at it and the faint breeze tousles his hair.
"Don't feel too bad," Izuku registers Shinso's voice behind him, "you lost so that I can become a hero. It's a noble cause, so you should be happy to help. That's what a hero is all about, right?"
Izuku numbly pushes himself off the ground and stumbles to his feet.
They're still watching.
Turning around, Izuku gives Shinso a bright smile. "You're right! I hope you become a great hero one day!"
Shinso looks shocked, but the expression soon turns to anger. "That must be easy to say from where you're standing. You must have had it so easy in life. With your quirk you were probably just handed your spot in the hero course. I bet you didn't even have to work for it."
The familiar burn of anger is starting to rise in his stomach and soon Izuku's expression mirrors Shinso's. "How can you say?! You have no idea who I am or what I've been through! You don't even know if I have a quirk!"
Shinso takes a step back, surprise written all over his face. "B-but-"
"You have an amazing quirk, Shinso. I'm actually kind of jealous." Izuku let's all of his anger flood out of his body and instead of scowling he gives Shinso a big smile. "Your quirk would be great for hero work." In front of him, Shinso stiffens. "Just imagine all the undercover work you could do. Interrogating villains would no problem, and your quirk would be perfect for calming down terrified civilians." Izuku shakes his head and laughs. "You would be an even better hero than me!"
At a loss for words, Shinso just shakes his head. "Why would you say that?"
Izuku spins around and right before he descends the stairs he glances back. "Because it's true." And with that he jogs down the stairs, completely pushing all of his thoughts to the side when they start screaming at him.
He reaches the bottom and right as he steps onto the grass a voice calls out behind him. "Midoriya!"
Looking back, Izuku sees Shinso still standing at the top of the stairs. "Yeah-?"
His body goes completely numb and he can feel Shinso's presence in the back of his mind again.
Huh? He got me again! But why? The match is over.
From above him, he hears Shinso talking. " I'm going to tell you two things and you are going to listen well." Izuku feels his entire mind focus on just Shinso and nothing else. If he had control of his body he would've shuddered.
"First, I'm sorry." The words seem to struggle out of his mouth. "And secondly," there's a long pause, "...you are a hero, and you deserve to be one. That's all."
Control suddenly returns to his body and Izuku nearly collapses onto the ground again but catches himself just in time. Looking up, he beams at Shinso while he looks away, an embarrassed blush makes its way across his face. "Thank y-"
He loses control of his body again and regains control just as soon as he had lost it. Again? Seriously?
"You know, usually people tense up when they talk to me. If you're not on guard, someone's going to defeat you, so be careful. You never know who's waiting to take advantage of you."
Izuku nods, but a stray thought crosses his mind. It's a little late for that.
Shaking the thought away, Izuku yells back up to him, "Got it!" ...and promptly loses control again. Above him, Shinso looks as annoyed as he is embarrassed. I kind of missed the point there, didn't I? He thinks to himself.
After regaining his body back and waving goodbye to Shinso, he walks toward the exit. His earlier depression from losing had faded a bit, and he feels way lighter than before. But even still, the consequences of his loss weight on his shoulders like a noose.
"Hey, Izuku!" Caught off guard, he looks above the exit to see a bunch of his classmates waving and smiling at him.
Kirishima gives him a thumbs up. "You did a great job out there!"
"Yeah!" Mina shouts, "Don't sweat it. We're still proud of you!"
Iida nods, pushing up his glasses. "Logically speaking, breaking out of his quirk on your own would have been impossible."
Uraraka beams down at him. "Just the fact that you got this far means you're a winner to us!"
A bubbly feeling works it's way through and he laughs suddenly and completely. It surprises him. He can't remember the last time he's laughed so genuinely. He's laughed before of course, but this just felt...different. A good different.
Smiling up at all his friends, he yells back. "Thank you!" And he means it, from the bottom of his heart.
They seem to catch on and just continue waving. Wow, he thinks to himself, how do I have such amazing friends?
Even as he enters the tunnel leading out of the arena and out of everyone's gazes his smile remains on his face. He can't help it, it refuses to leave, and somehow he doesn't mind.
He continues walking, but it isn't long before someone approaches him from one of the branching hallways. It's All Might and he's in his weakened form.
All Might walks up to him as Izuku stops in surprise. "A-All Might? What are you doing here?"
He smiles sheepishly and raises a hand in greeting. "It's good to see you, young Midoriya. It just wanted to congratulate you."
Confused, Izuku tilts his head to the side, "But, I didn't win."
Chuckling, All Might places a skinny hand on his shoulder. "No, you didn't." Despite already being well aware of the fact, hearing it straight out of All Might's mouth slightly dampens his mood. "But you were amazing out there."
His brain stutters to a halt. "Huh? But I didn't even do anything."
All Might shakes his head. "Of course you did. I heard what you said to young Shinso, and I also heard what your friends said to you. You helped young Shinso today, and that's something to be proud of." Suddenly Steam bursts from his small body and then All Might is standing in front of him in his muscular form. "It's something a true hero would do. Never forget that!" Steam bursts from his form again and he turns back into his skeletal form.
Izuku smiles at All Might. "Thank you, All Might."
"No problem." He says. "Oh, but that's not all I wanted to talk to you about."
"What do you mean?"
He rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "I was wondering if I could meet you mom?"
Izuku feels his body freeze as his mind goes into overdrive. "M-My what?"
"Your mom." He says, completely unaware of his panic. "I read on your father is working overseas on your student registry, so I was wander if I could talk to your mom. Oh," he seems to catch on to his mood and his shoulders slump slightly, "I overstepped, didn't I. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."
"No no no, you didn't overstep! I was just surprised is all." He quickly says.
All Might perks up. "Oh good, I was worried there for a second. So is that a yes?"
Izuku shakes his head slowly. "Sorry, but no." There no way he can say yes, not when his mom is...he pushes the thought away. "My mom works a lot so she isn't home most of the time."
All Might sags dejectedly, "I see. Can you tell me where she works then? Maybe I can talk to her there."
He thinks fast, quickly coming up with an answer. "O-oh, um, I...c-can't seem to recall! I-It must have j-just slipped my mind. Sorry!"
"It's alright. No need to apologize, it happens to the best of us." He straightens up and smiles at Izuku. "I need to get going. The next match will start soon, so you should hurry too."
Relief floods his body as his horrible excuse is acceptable to the number one and quickly takes the out. "R-Right! I can't miss a single fight!" It really does sound kind of ridiculous, but he figures if he can't carry his classmates to victory, then he'll support them in any means necessary.
With this mind, he waves goodbye to his teacher and turns to walk towards his friends.
...Where are the stands again?