Izuku takes a deep breath as he studies his opponent across the stage. Kacchan seems upset which is nothing new, but he looks tense and ready to go. Izuku assumes Kacchan plans on keeping his promise to go all out. That's good because, win or lose, Izuku is going to give this fight everything he has.
He twists his temporary staff which was apparently made by one of Todoroki's friends. It's good, much better than he could have expected but he's uncomfortable relying on a weapon he hasn't practiced with. All he has going for him is his fire proof gloves, his boots with steel additions plus a weapon he doesn't fully understand. It'll have to be enough.
"Welcome back everyone to our final round. I'm telling you this has been quite the event, our first years have done a great job but the real standout performance has come from the quirkless Gen Ed student who has decimated the competition with nothing more than his wits! Give it up for Midoriya Izuku!" Present Mic announces and Izuku resists the urge to roll his eyes. If they describe him as quirkless one more time he's going to scream. Believe it or not, there actually is more to him than that.
"But his final opponent has been making waves too! The boy who fought villains at USJ and encountered a sludge monster last year," Kacchan's fists clench in aggravation, "1-A's Bakugou Katsuki. Will Bakugou's explosions be too much for Midoriya? We'll have to see but you all know who I'm rooting for!"
"I'm going to destroy you, Deku," Kacchan says darkly. "Then maybe you'll finally learn to grow the fuck up."
"I'm not afraid of you, Kacchan," Izuku replies and, to his surprise, he almost believes it.
"If you boys are ready," Midnight says, looking between them for a moment. "Begin!" she shouts. Not wasting a second, Kacchan races forward.
"You better give me everything you've got, Deku, it's not going to be enough!" Izuku narrows his eyes as his friend pulls back his scarred right arm. Here it comes, Kacchan always opens with a big right swing. And unlike all the other times, Izuku will be ready.
Izuku ducks under the punch at the very last second, catching a glance at the surprise on Kacchan's face. Izuku grabs ahold of Kaachan's arm and pulls him forward as he forcibly throws Kacchan to the ground. His old friend looks up at him like he can't believe what just happened.
"You're amazing, Kacchan," Izuku says, "and that's why I want to win against you." Around them, Izuku hears the crowd cheering. Kacchan is shaking with rage by the time he gets to his feet.
"Don't you dare look down on me, you're nothing more than a pebble." Kacchan grinds out before running forward again. "You're absolutely worthless!" This time Izuku brings up the staff to block, batting away Kacchan's hand.
He did it both to deflect but also to test the strength of the unfamiliar metal for future use. It holds up well against Kacchan's strength but he can tell it probably won't be enough against his explosions. As soon as he finishes the block, he whips the staff back into Kacchan's face, stunning him. Izuku uses the opportunity to grab Kacchan's shoulder and pull him down as he rammed his knee into Kacchan's unprotected abdomen.
"And there he goes again! Midoriya isn't giving Bakugou a chance to breathe and is keeping the brutal attacks coming."
At this proximity, Izuku can feel the way Kacchan chokes from the blow. Before he can second guess himself, he grabs Kacchan's arm again and does the same shoulder toss he used earlier on Shinsou. It's almost ironic since he learned it from watching Kacchan in the first place. His former friend hits the ground with a dull thump.
"Like when he battled Todoroki, Midoriya's only hope for victory is to overwhelm his opponent with quick, precise attacks," Eraserhead comments quietly. From the ground, Kacchan's eyes snap open and Izuku can't completely dodge the fiery explosion, causing part of his uniform to be singed. "However, Bakugou is just as adept at short range attacks as he is distance. In addition, he isn't the type of person to go easy on someone despite their disadvantages."
I'm well aware thank you, Izuku thinks to himself as takes a few steps back. He's watched Kacchan develop his quirk from day one. He even helped Kacchan experiment back in the days before Izuku had been given his diagnosis and social death sentence. No one, aside from Kacchan himself, knew his quirk better.
That's why he's prepared when Kacchan's palms begin to sizzle in a way indicating that he's about to unleash a large explosion. Izuku won't be able to get around it so his only option to go towards it. He charges forward, bending down to scoop up some dirt from the ground as he closes in on Kacchan.
Just as Kacchan is igniting his sweat and ready to unleash his explosion, Izuku throws out the dirt in his hands. Kacchan coughs but, more importantly, the sand like material temporarily smothers the combustion. This gives Izuku enough time to tackle Kacchan around the middle and force both of them to the ground. The explosion goes off a moment or two later, but it's muted and fizzles out quickly. He gets in one, then two, fast punches before Kacchan comes back to himself and slugs Izuku right off of him.
The hit hurts and is disorientating for a moment as Izuku gets to his feet but not before Kacchan gives him another explosive punch the side that sends him flying back several meters. There go the ribs Recovery Girl had healed earlier. The familiarity of the pain hurts almost as much as the burn itself.
"Oh ouch! Will Midoriya be able to recover from that?" Present Mic asks while Kacchan rushes him, looking ready to pound into him again. Izuku rolls away from the initial attack and delivers a swift kick to Kacchan's kneecap which makes him buckle.
Izuku gets up and delivers a powerful kick to his chest which puts his friend down on his back. If he gets close again, Kacchan will just blow him back so Izuku uses the opportunity to run back to get his staff where he'd dropped it. Kacchan is on his feet by the time Izuku rushes back with the staff poised in his hand.
"What are you going fucking to do with that, Deku? You get that thing near me and I'm breaking it." Kacchan says, grinning a little bit as he hunches his shoulders and prepares his explosions. Of course Izuku knows that, which is why he won't be attacking with his staff. He fakes low but instead plants the staff in the ground and launches himself high so his foot slams into Kacchan's face. This time, it's Kacchan who flies back while Izuku lands safely on the ground.
"Right to the face! Midoriya is here to remind you that he isn't out yet folks!" Mic yells while the crowd swells again. Kacchan's face is twisted into a sneer as he pushes himself up, the mark made from Izuku's shoe clearly visible on his cheek.
"I'm gonna fucking kill you for that Deku, let's show those idiots what true strength looks like." Izuku knows that expression well. While it was prudent to get close before, the sparks crackling in Kacchan's palms tell him that he needs to put space between them very, very quickly.
He turns on his heel and races in the opposite direction as Kacchan unleashes a monstrous explosion. Despite the distance between them, the force from the blast still pushes him forward. He quickly loses his footing and skids along the ground until he stops near the boundary on the other side of the field. Izuku groans with his face in the dirt as the crowd cheers loudly. Like he said, Kacchan really is amazing.
"Look at that display of power from Bakugou! Midoriya may have brains and training but that can't hold a candle next to a powerful quirk like Bakugou's! The way these two can read each other is incredible," Mic announces.
"According to their records, they attended the same middle school and I was told that Midoriya was the student who stayed with Bakugou after his injuries following USJ," Eraserhead says in his usual quiet way. "They're likely well acquainted outside of this match."
"Oh that's right, I forgot about that! So this isn't just a match between finalists, this is a confrontation between old friends! What an amazing coincidence that only adds to the excitement!" Mic exclaims.
Izuku can't really hear much through the ringing in his ears as he gingerly picks himself up off the ground, spitting dirt and a bit of blood from his mouth. Kacchan's punch really upset his ribs and he's sure a few more broke in that last explosion but he can't quit now. It's not just about transferring to the hero class anymore, it's about proving to Kacchan that he's not someone who can be pushed around anymore.
He might go down but his 'old friend' will have to work for it.
"Old friends, don't make me sick. What bullshit," Kacchan says, stalking through the smoke like some sort of demon. "They think you're some kind of prodigy, someone interesting. But you and I know better, don't we, Deku?" Kacchan spits out. "We both know you're just a pathetic weakling, too scared to do anything but run away when things get tough. Just because you got a few lucky punches in doesn't mean you're speci-"
One nice thing about big explosions like that is that they tend to leave a lot of smoke. It's the perfect cover for Izuku to quickly advance across the field and pop out before Kacchan can do anything about it. He swings his staff across Kacchan's face with all of his strength causing Kacchan's neck to snap violently to the side. Izuku doesn't give him a chance to recover, bringing his foot up to deliver a strong kick to Kacchan's chest. His friend staggers back a few steps.
"I told you I'm not your Deku anymore!" Izuku shouts, whipping the staff around him to build up momentum before slamming it hard into Kacchan's arm. The other boy flinches violently at the blow.
"I've spent the last year training for this moment. I'm not afraid of you anymore and that's why I'm going to win!" Izuku shouts as he begins to get angry again like he did in his fight with Todoroki. He quickly switches his staff to his other hand and punches Kacchan hard in the face. It feels good in a way Izuku can't really describe, like he's finally accomplished something he's been working at for years.
"You sack of shit," Kacchan shouts, bringing up his left hand which is smoking but Izuku bats it away again with his staff. "Gonna wipe that fucking smirk off your stupid face!" He lets loose an explosion anyway which is close enough that Izuku can feel the heat and pressure at his side. He winces but continues on anyway.
Izuku fakes with his staff but brings his heel down on Kacchan's foot, the steel in his boots making sure his opponent would feel it. Kacchan jumps slightly which lets Izuku punch him across the face again. But Kacchan is tough, always has been, and is able to hold his ground but even Izuku can see he's starting to look a little ragged, not that he's doing much better himself.
"Fucking Deku," Kacchan hisses, starting to bring up his arm again to attack but Izuku shuts that down with another swing of his bō. Kacchan hisses again, this time in pain as he takes a few steps back, clutching at his scarred arm.
Izuku freezes as the hazy high he'd been feeling crashes down on him.
It's only been a month since the villain attack at USJ and, even with Recovery Girl's help, there's no way that arm is completely healed. He'd known it had been a bad break from Recovery Girl's report but it was also evident by the thick scars on Kacchan's arm and hand. Guilt and worry break through his anger as Izuku steps forward to address his friend.
"Kacchan, are you okay?" Izuku asks, the match completely forgotten for a moment in his concern. He'd let himself get too swept up during his battle with Todoroki and he wouldn't let that happen again here. No matter what his master said, he wouldn't let his victory come at the expense of someone's safety. Kacchan glares at him with such rage that Izuku takes an involuntary step back.
"Don't you fucking dare," Kacchan screams. "Don't you dare look down on me you little shit! You think you can afford to go easy on me because I'm wounded? Is that what you think!"
His right arm smashes hard into Izuku's cheek, so hard that Izuku is barely able to keep himself upright. "Well I don't need your shitty sympathy because I'm stronger than you! Everyone here knows this fight is a goddamn joke!" Izuku ducks under the next punch but Kacchan had been faking and really used it to grab at his arm. Izuku flinches as he feels himself be lifted and thrown forcefully into the ground.
"Will you look at that folks! After being used as a punching bag for a few minutes, it seems Bakugou has gotten a second wind!" Mic says. "It's not looking good for Midoriya!"
"I'm not looking down on you," Izuku wheezes after a second of rough coughing on the ground. It's starting to get hard to breathe. "No one respects you and your power more than I do." He starts to get up but a kick to his side puts him down again.
"I don't fucking need you or anyone else to tell me how strong I am!" Kacchan screeches, clearly not listening to him at this point. He brings a fiery fist down but Izuku avoids it and manages to escape by crawling between Kacchan's legs. Izuku forces his aching body up and delivers a kick to Kacchan's lower back.
Izuku picks up his staff and aims it at the back of Kacchan's head but his friend had been waiting for it. Kacchan spins and another powerful explosion knocks the staff out of his hands and sends it far out of bounds. Midnight yelps as she avoids bits of flying metal. Izuku winces, he'd have first and second degree burns if he wasn't wearing his gloves.
"And I don't need you to tell me I'm worthless," Izuku pants heavily as he shakily dodges another punch. "Your opinion doesn't mean anything to me," he lies. Kacchan screams and races forward to tackle him, Izuku is forced to the ground with Kacchan holding him down. It's starkly familiar to Kacchan's last victory, especially when he holds a flaming hand right near Izuku left eye.
"Surrender or I burn your stupid fucking face off. Go on, resist, you little shit," Kacchan hisses, as he holds down Izuku's right wrist with his free hand. Thinking quickly, Izuku spits in his face and there's traces of blood in it. While Kacchan rages, Izuku flips him off with his knees.
But Kacchan isn't done yet as his hand reaches out to grab Izuku's hair and pulls him back down to the ground as he's trying to get to his feet. Izuku awkwardly jabs his elbow backwards, hoping he'll hit Kacchan. He misses the first time but gets Kacchan in his bad arm the second time. Kacchan growls and lets go.
"Wow this has devolved into a playground fight, it looks like things are getting personal down there." Mic comments, sounding somewhat concerned. Izuku can only imagine what they look like right now not just to Present Mic but to everyone in the stands and watching on TV. His mother must be having a fit.
"I think you're right Eraser, these two have histor- Ah! I thought that Midoriya looked familiar!" Mic shouts suddenly, it's even enough to distract Izuku for a moment which allows Kacchan to grab at his arm again. Izuku wrenches his arm free and immediately turns and puts his fist in Kacchan's throat.
"What are you going on about now?" Eraserhead asks in a bored tone.
"The sludge monster from last year! We know Bakugou was the kid who was captured but I'm pretty sure Midoriya was the other student who ran forward and tried to free him. Remember? It was just before All Might showed up! It's been bugging me this whole time but I'm sure of it!"
"Why does everyone have to keep bringing that up?" Kacchan says as he stands up, his anger coming off him in waves. "And why do you have to keep getting in my way?" Kacchan rushes forward and Izuku takes another hit to the stomach. "From that stupid sludge fucker to getting into Yuuei when it should have been just me to robbing me of a real fucking fight in the finals."
Izuku gets in a weak punch to Kacchan's jaw while the other boy gets into two more to his chest. Izuku can feel himself being pushed back towards the boundary line but there's not much he can do about it.
"All you've ever done is get in my fucking way and I am sick and tired of it," Kacchan's right arm pulls back and Izuku can see the prickling explosions there. Izuku starts to try and duck underneath but Kacchan's left hand holds him in place. "And I'm sick of you, so just die already!"
Kacchan unleashes a large explosion and Izuku is forcibly blown back several meters. Everything hurts, he squeezes his eyes shut at the pain just breathing causes him. Izuku shakily pushes himself up to his knees while taking large, gasping breaths that don't seem to do anything. Kacchan will be at him again any second, he needs to get up. Izuku is struggling to get to his feet when the crushing pressure in his chest stops him. He hunches over himself, struggling to take a breath but it feels impossible.
"Get up, Deku, we're not done yet," Kaachan says from right in front of him. Izuku starts, he hadn't even noticed his approach. He wipes the blood tinged spittle from the side of his mouth and glares up at Kacchan who's bruised, favoring one leg and holding his bad arm close to his chest; his hands are trembling and his left is covered in burns. That's right, that last explosion was enormous, it would have taken a lot of power to create. His old bully had to bring out that much effort for the quirkless kid.
"I said, get up!" Kacchan shouts, kicking at the dirt around him. Izuku tries to stand up again but the pain in his chest is getting progressively worse and, despite his best efforts, he falls back to the ground. He hears the click of heels and Izuku wheezes hoarsely from the ground, never breaking eye contact with his old friend.
It's a familiar feeling, lying broken at Kacchan's feet but there's a vicious satisfaction knowing that he got Kacchan right back. Kacchan himself looks enraged but he's not sure if it's because Izuku was a poor opponent or a good one. He wishes he could get up and continue; Izuku doesn't want to leave this battle half-finished but his body has given out on him. Midnight kneels down and gently brushes his hair as she gives him a once over.
"Midoriya is unable to continue. Bakugou Katsuki is the winner; the first year title goes to him," Midnight shouts as the crowd cheers. The medical bots are there moments after, placing him on a stretcher bound for Recovery Girl's office. The loss hurts but the knowledge that he had proven his strength against Kacchan eases the pain slightly. As he's hauled off, he watches Midnight raise up Kacchan's hand in a show of victory while the crowd cheers.
Well, only slightly.
XxX
"It is I and I am here with the medals!" All Might announces, dropping out of the sky and onto the field where the winners of the first years are lined up. It's quite the group this year, certainly no one could have predicted this outcome at the start of the tournament. Even with the students standing right there, Toshinori still can't quite believe it.
He looks to Young Tokoyami first who is standing in third place. Young Iida should also be there but a family emergency forced him to leave earlier. There had been whispers of another attack by the Hero Killer and Toshinori really hopes his student won't have to deal with the worst case scenario.
"Congratulations Tokoyami my boy, you're one tough customer." Toshinori says, depositing the bronze medal around the young man's neck.
"You're too kind," Young Tokoyami says. "I am only here because of another student's unfortunate injury and my teammates graciously allowed me the opportunity to advance." The young man says humbly with a bowed head. "Despite their kindness, I am not sure I deserve this honor as I continually found my weaknesses exploited."
"It's a common problem, but in order to deal with the problem of unfavorable match-ups you mustn't always rely on your quirk," Toshinori says as he gives the bird headed boy a warm hug. "If you train up your strength, your own potential will increase in kind." Young Tokoyami just nods and looks thoughtfully down at his medal.
Now onto the second place winner who Toshinori is very interested in speaking to again. Of course, to Young Midoriya, this will be their first official meeting. Either way, the boy certainly kept his promise about earning a medal.
Toshinori had been worried when Young Midoriya was taken off the field on a stretcher but it seems Recovery Girl has fixed up his punctured lung good as new. In addition, both of his arms and hands are covered in bandages and his face is starting so show some bruises and the dressing to his forehead has been reapplied. Despite the beating he took, Young Midoriya's eyes are wide with adoration. There's a brilliant smile on his face and he's trembling with what looks like pure elation.
"Midoriya, my boy," Toshinori says proudly as he steps forward and hangs the silver medal around the young man's neck. He may have imagined it, but it sounds like the boy is sniffling. "I don't believe I'm the only one to say it but your performance today has been nothing short of incredible. You're an inspiration to us all." When the boy looks up, Toshinori can see heavy tears running down his face with a watery smile.
"Th-thank you sir, you have no idea what, what that means to me," the young man hiccups as he takes a second to wipe his eyes with his sleeve. "Can I- can I ask you a question, All Might, sir? If that's okay?"
"Of course my boy, for that is why I am here!" More tears continue to fall down the boy's freckled face.
"I uh know I didn't win but I did my very best and I've worked very hard and-" Young Midoriya stops and takes a deep breath. "What I'm trying to say is that I've wanted to be a hero my whole life. So what I'm asking is, do you- do you think it's possible for me to become a hero, even without a quirk?"
"Young Midoriya," Toshinori leans down and envelops the boy in a hug. The young man practically throws himself into his arms and holds on tight. "I must admit, before today I probably would have said that, no, it was not possible." He pulls out of the embrace and looks down warmly at the boy who has continued to grab his attention over and over again.
"But now, I think you should follow your dreams and see where they take you. You've turned a lot of heads today, make it count." Young Midoriya nods, bringing his hands up to try and stop the increasing flow of tears running down his face. It's endearing and slightly concerning but Toshinori needs to address Young Bakugou.
Toshinori is glad that the young man is looking better since his run in with the villains at USJ. Well, his right arm is back in a sling and he's got an impressive black eye along with some more bruises and swelling along his left is tightly wrapped in guaze but those are due to the rather brutal nature of his final fight.
While he physically looks alright, his expression is another story altogether. He's glaring holes into Young Midoriya's head, so much so that Toshinori is privately glad the boy can't summon explosions with his mind. Young Bakugou is also quiet in a way Toshinori hasn't seen from him before. It should be a relief but it just makes him wary.
"Finally, Bakugou my boy! Congratulations on your win, it was no easy feat!" Toshinori exclaims, holding the gold medal out to put on the young man.
"No easy feat?" Young Bakugou grinds out with barely contained rage. "When that quirkless piece of shit was my opponent? I thought this was supposed to be a goddamn challenge. The stupid loser couldn't even finish our fight!" the boy shouts.
He rips the medal from Toshinori's hands and throws it at Young Midoriya who yelps and dodges the projectile. The medal, which many students before him have sweat and bled for, bounces limply on the grass. "A medal I didn't earn is fucking worthless! I don't give a shit what you say, I don't acknowledge any victory!" The boy shouts, looking near tears he's so angry.
"Young Bakugou, why don't you calm-" Toshinori says gently, trying to diffuse the situation. Midnight moves in closer out of the corner of his eye; he'd hate to put the boy to sleep but if that's the only option...
"I want a rematch!" Young Bakugou shouts, "I was supposed to fight someone who had some actual power, not some fucking idiot who only has his fists and shitty little staff!" Young Midoriya winces next to him and Young Tokoyami looks torn between being angry and uncomfortable. Toshinori understands how the birdheaded boy feels but instead he walks over and picks up the gold medal and brings it back over.
"Confidence is a very important skill to possess and you certainly have the talent to back it up." Toshinori says, "But the fact of the matter is all of your opponents fought well. Young Midoriya may have given you the run around today but that doesn't invalidate your own progress." He holds out the medal. "Even if you do not believe you've earned this, take this and bear it as a 'wound' if you will and let it inspire you to greater heights."
Young Bakugou stares at him for a few moments longer and Toshinori is starting to fear he'll have another fit when he reaches out and roughly swipes the medal. Instead of wearing it, he shoves it into his pocket.
"Fine, I'll take it," Young Bakugou says with a stern glance, "but only as a reminder that I'm aiming for the top. I'm going to surpass everyone: Deku, Todoroki, even you All Might. The next Number One is going to be me!"
"Ah uh," Toshinori looks over at Young Midoriya who has an exasperated smile on his face. "Okay, uh that's good. You do that." He clears his throat and turns back to the crowd.
"And there you have it, the top three of the first years' tournament. But take heed, this year's winners prove that that anyone can stand on this stage. Each student who fought has advanced themselves in some way; they competed and lifted each other higher up towards their full potential. The next generation of heroes will surely sprout from the seeds we have planted today!" He shouts to the skies and is answered by cheers from the whole stadium.
Toshinori's eyes are drawn again to Young Midoriya, who is staring down at the silver medal around his neck like he can't believe it's his. The young man has done well today, so well, that on his way down he'd heard whispers that young Midoriya might be a good candidate to take the open spot in 1-A.
Despite what he told the young man, Toshinori's still a bit unsure on whether or not a quirkless boy would be able to cope with the stresses of heroism. Performing well in a sporting event is a whole lot different than battling villains. Either way, Toshinori is definitely going to be paying attention to the young man's progress.
With the final statements given, the Sports Festival officially comes to an end. Students from all departments pour out of the tunnels to celebrate with the winners and enjoy the rest of their day. Toshinori is starting to feel the strain from his quirk but he's too busy enjoying himself that he ignores the blood building in the back of his throat. Why, he remembers his first time participating in the Sports Festival, it was-
"Way to go, Midoriya!" A tall, brown haired boy shouts, slapping Young Midoiya on the shoulder. "That was literally the most amazing thing I've ever seen! I can't believe you almost killed Endeavor's kid on live TV."
"Thanks Patrick, I still lost though," Young Midoriya says sheepishly as he rubs at his neck. "Also I didn't mean to um-"
"You made your point and you shoved their arrogance right in their faces," another young man with light blond hair interrupts. "The heroes would be crazy not to take you."
"Really Korudo," Young Midoriya blushes, probably acutely aware that several pro heroes are within hearing distance. "I'm sure they want someone stronger and with a useful quirk."
"That's where you're wrong," a pale looking girl with dark hair says. "You proved yourself better than everyone competing today, and that includes the jerk who beat you."
"Taketsu, that's not very nice and-and besides you probably should still be resting. Let me walk you back to Recovery Girl's office," Young Midoriya says awkwardly.
"Hey everyone!" The brown haired boy shouts to the mass of students. "Let's give it up for Midoriya! The quirkless kid who fought his way to second place in the Sports Festival!" Young Midoriya yelps as the tall boy pulls him from the platform and hoists him onto his shoulders. "Three cheers for the hero of the General Education Department!"
"Wah, Patrick stop that!" Young Midoriya says, almost overbalancing but another purple haired boy comes over and steadies him. Soon, more students are piling around the boy, holding him up and cheering his name. The people in the stands had obviously noticed too and began to cheer as well.
"Ah, the spring of youth," Midnight says with a fond smile. "Gotta admit, the kid did pretty good."
"Yes," Toshinori says, watching the laughing smile on Young Midoriya's face as he's carried off the field by his friends. This is a special day. He can feel it in his bones that this day is the start of something new. "He most certainly did."
The hardest part of writing this story was separating what I, the author, wanted and what I felt the characters would do. In my mind, as good as Izuku is, he'd never go as rough on Bakugou as he needed to in order to win. But! Just think, 10 chapters ago, Izuku was cowering over Bakugou in the cafeteria. Now look at him, finally meeting his hero and asking that fateful question. Thank you guys so much for being such AWESOME readers. I'm so happy you liked the Sports Festival arc and I'm hoping *fingers crossed* you continue to like the remaining 11 chapters.