I applaud to everyone. (｀・ω・´)b
You guys are the perfect guilt trippers, a great general applause, amazing feat, my own friends couldn't guilt trip me this hard. But to be fair, I have a perfectly good reason to be this late.
Chapter 13
"Ten million points." Whispers Izuku in horror as he watches his classmates all backing away from him, giving a clear shot of how he looks to the rest of the students.
He slowly turns his sight on the ground, eyes wide with terror as his hands trembled.
He was not ready.
0o0o0
"Unbelievable …" Tokoyami said, staring at his newly minted friends, Mei was on the side talking Ochako's ear off about a new idea for an invention that has suddenly struck in the middle of battle.
They almost lost because they grabbed the wrong headband back from Todoroki's team.
And not a second later, they found the 10 million head band floating off Todoroki and slowly moving to their awaiting hands.
Everyone was too dumbfounded to react, Izuku just fidgeted with the headband and then apologized before blasting Todoroki away but not in time for him to fall on the ground for the battle has ended right before he could, leaving him in second place.
"I-I-"
"You could have done that the whole time?"
"W-Well …"
"And you still went with the plan?"
"E-Everyone was so excited to fight, a-and Mei wanted to show her inventions off, so I couldn't say no. If I used my quirk, she wouldn't have the chance, and I thought it was unfair to just use my quirk to end everything … it felt dirty …"
"You are truly honorable, Midoriya-Kun," Tokoyami said, smiling at the nervous teen. "However, please do not hesitate in the next battle. Everyone is fighting with their all, so it isn't fair to only use a portion of your powers or skills."
"I … can't use all of my skills, Tokoyami-San. My quirk shouldn't be used lightly." He admits in a soft voice. Tokoyami gave Dark Shadow a look, the apparition shrugs before hiding itself under the darkness of his host's jacket.
"Be it as it may, would you like it if I fought you with only a portion of my own skills? Would that not anger you? Tell you that I do not see you worthy of fighting?"
"…"
"Who told you that you shouldn't use your quirk at its full potential?"
"… M-My mom, and dad, and uncle … B-But mom told me that I can use it my quirks to its fullest potential, she said she didn't want me to get hurt anymore."
"Then you should."
"I'm just used to hiding it, you know."
"I understand that habits are hard to break, but if you truly want to be a hero, don't hold back." Tokoyami told him. Izuku found himself blinking rapidly, trying not to tear up at what his friend told him. He nods and showed him a wide teeth filled smile.
In that moment, Dark Shadow flinched from the brightness that radiated off of the green haired teen, Tokoyami looked at him with shock. Midoriya Izuku was a source of brightness, so strong, it could make Dark Shadow flinch.
Suddenly, Tokoyami felt worried, wondering if befriending this teen was hazardous to his health.
He then felt the brightness illuminate even more as Izuku grew closer to his face.
"But you stole the headbands without them feeling it, that's so cool! They're in fourth place because of you!"
He was weakening, ever so slightly, his strength waning from this bright soul that stood in front of him.
Tokoyami has no right to be in this creature's presence.
He coughs before nodding, agreeing with the teen, not sure if he was strong enough to speak clearly.
"Yo, Izuchan." They all turn around to find a purple- No, a blue haired teen walking towards them. Dark baggy eyes accented his face. Tokoyami only needed a second before he mentally dubbed this person as a creature of the night, and this creature wants to speak to Midoriya-Kun, a creature of the light.
No.
"Shinso! You got third place, that's amazing."
Tokoyami felt something crack as he realized that Midoriya already knew who this creature of the night was, and he wasn't fast enough to save him from the corruption.
Shinso, as Midoriya called him, stopped and looked at him from head to toe before looking back at his friend.
"It wasn't hard, just steal the headbands in the back without catching anyone's attention. Hey, look at the side to that half and half." Shinso said, pointing by his eyes. They both look to find Todoroki looking down in what can only be called anger.
It wasn't the seething anger one usually sees in Bakugou, nor was it the silent but cumulative anger that he felt, where there was a certain line that if crossed, he could destroy a whole city block.
This anger was present in silence, cold yet hot, sharp and piercing. As if it stilted, forced to stop from forming yet ever so present.
Izuku held his arm, rubbing it and slowly floating behind the Shinso person, trying to hide.
This anger reminded him of something he did not want to remember.
He suddenly felt like ice has spilled in the back of his neck, and looks up to confirm that yes, Todoroki was looking at them. Tokoyami frowns and moves slightly to cover his friend before turning around and pulling him along. It seems that Shinso has agreed with his actions, for he started pushing Midoriya as well.
"I want lunch, you're paying since you got first place."
"Wha- That's not fair, I didn't win any money!" Says Midoriya to Shinso.
It was to no avail, however, for Todoroki has caught up to them and asked to speak to Izuku in private. Shinso and Tokoyami did not want to leave their friend with the ice and fire user, but their friend told them that he will be fine and not to worry.
Tokoyami did not feel his concern diminish, unlike Shinso, for he was present when Todoroki has challenged the green haired teen earlier that day, and knew of the suddenly new animosity between them.
Yet, he could not intervene, but he knew how to help. He gives Dark Shadow a look.
"It seems that we need to look for our explosive classmate, DS."
0o0o0
Five minutes later, away from everyone's sight and standing in front of Todoroki, Izuku wished that he did not send his friends away.
"So what did you want to talk about?" He asks, feeling nervous from how silent the other was. "If we don't hurry up, I don't think we'll find any good food left in the cafeteria."
Yet Todoroki did not speak, he only kept staring.
Izuku mentally cursed his height, even floating doesn't help.
"No one felt it," He suddenly spoke, scaring him a bit before mental cursing himself once more for getting scared easily. "The power you exude while you fight."
"Er …"
"Through the race, every time you punch the air, I felt an overwhelming force directing itself at me, a force that is unique to everyone but yourself … and All Might."
Izuku blinks.
"Huh?"
"I know how it feels like standing next to All Might as he fights, the enormous force that he can cause with a single punch alone, it was similar to yours. Too similar to be that of an admiring fan trying to mimic his hero."
"H-He's been my hero for as long as I remember Todoroki-Kun." Izuku said, realizing where this conversation was going.
"You both … have similar eyes."
"W-What?"
"No one ever sees All Might's eyes, it's always shrouded in darkness. However, when we were attacked by the villains, his eyes started glowing blue."
"That's true." He couldn't really deny that.
"Midoriya-Kun, your eyes glow whenever you use a large amount of your own powers. In the same manner All Might did."
"…" Physically, he looked cool and collected. Mentally though, he felt a storm has found itself upon him, trying to destroy whatever was left of his calmness. This isn't happening, this isn't happening?! watching him slowly open his mouth, he starts to fear what would come next from Todoroki.
"Are you … All Might's secret love child?"
"… Huh?"
"Well, are you?"
"That's not how it is! I mean, even if I was, I would have said the same thing, so you wouldn't really believe me anyway if I told you that, but it isn't as you think. We don't have that kind of relationship, I just really admire him because-"
"That's not how it is, we don't have that kind of relationship," Todoroki cut him off, Izuku was feeling whatever the last visage of calmness that he owned leave him. "That means that you two still have a connection, one that you two can't talk about."
"It's not like you think!" It's absolutely as Todoroki thought.
"Then what is it?"
"Don't you think that's kind of rude to ask?" Izuku asked, looking away from the bi-colored teen, he couldn't look him in the eyes anymore, too afraid that he'll see his lie right through.
"… As you know, Endeavor is my old man," He started, catching his attention. "He has been stuck as number two for a very long time, the only thing stopping on his way is All Might."
0o0o0
"Your son has done wonderfully, with only half of his quirk to boot." All Might tried to compliment, but the fiery man only gave him a sharp intimidating look.
"What are you trying to say." Endeavor demands.
"I just wanted to know how to raise the next generation." He admits, albeit feeling self-conscious in this man's presence.
"Do you think I'd tell you?" The man says, disgust slowly crawled into his voice as he steps down the stairs and bumps onto him on purpose. A childish intimidation tactic, if Toshinori were to comment on it. "You look as clueless as usual, and it's irritating me."
"Sorry." He didn't know why he apologized to such a rude man, he knew for sure that if Inko was present, she would have talked this man's ears off for his attitude. He should have never left the seats, he should have gone to the restrooms before going to his wife, and now he was stuck in this situation.
"Just so you know," Endeavor stops walking. "I will make that into a hero that will surpass you."
"That …" Toshinori whispers, sharp and livid as he realized what Endeavor meant by his words.
"Yes, that's why I created him."
"You … what are you …?"
"He's in his rebellious stage, but he will definitely surpass you. I will make sure of it." He said as he starts walking away.
Something inside Toshinori felt rage. How could a man … a father none the less, say that about his own son?
"How could you …" All Might said, jumping down the steps and blocking the man's way, obviously irking the number two hero.
"Get out of the way-"
"Speak about your son as if he were an object. Creating him?!"
"It is true. The only purpose Shoto has been brought into this world was to defeat you, and only that."
"That … that child is your child!" But before he could say any more, he was cut off.
"As he is my child, I see no point in your interference of how I raise him. He is mine, not yours. I do not need to hear any lecture from anyone who doesn't even have a child of his own to tell me how to bring Shoto up in this world." Anger clouded All Might's face.
"I raised my child with love." He said, anger lacing up his voice. "And I did not raise him for any other purpose but for him to follow his own, not mine. To think that a hero, like yourself, would take away such a vital right from anyone, to choose their destiny is…"
Disgusting, horrifying, revolting.
He had no words that could describe his true feelings.
Endeavor's glaring slowly changes into something else, he then starts smirking.
"What a surprise, All Might, having a child?" Toshinori felt his eyes widen, suddenly realizing what he said.
Fuck.
"The number one hero had a family this whole time? Now that you mentioned it, I never saw a ring on your finger." Probably because his ring was fitted for his civilian form, not his hero one. And that would help protect his family better if the public didn't know about it.
"I never saw them in any meetings before. Did you have such little faith from the rest of your fellow heroes that we wouldn't keep them a secret? How old is your child exactly?"
"None of your business."
"Such hostility coming from you, All Might, the one true chivalrous hero that will save everyone with a smile. I have never seen so much anger on your face before." He grins maliciously. Toshinori had to use all his strength not to punch the man's face.
"It's the Midoriya child, isn't he?"
And everything stops, a hollow feeling crept into his soul as he realized that Endeavor was smarter than what people gave him credit for. Too close to the truth, too …
Dangerous.
"He kept looking at the teacher's stand. At first, I thought that the kid really liked a teacher, or saw him as a mentor. But … with this information, he has been looking at you the whole time, hasn't he?"
Toshinori doesn't answer, doesn't want to admit that Endeavor was right.
"I heard something interesting. That during the villain attack, the only few truly injured were Number 13, Eraserhead, and a student … called Midoriya." Endeavor takes a step, giving a scalding expression. "Do not lecture me on how I raise my child when you own obviously failed."
Toshinori did not say anything as the man walks away, every step felt heavy as he realized that now, there was a man who knew about the truth, about his own family. Never mind that he was a fellow hero, for what he heard from him before while speaking about his own child …
Did this man even deserve the title hero?
"Know this Endeavor," Toshinori's voice stops the man in his place, Endeavor felt something as he heard what he never thought All Might would ever say. "If my family got hurt because information of their existence has suddenly sprouted around, I will END you."
0o0o0
"You've heard of quirk marriages, haven't you?" He asks Midoriya, the other only gave him a wide eyed look of confusion and slow comprehension as he explained his only purpose in this world, the only reason he was born.
"Your left side is unsightly, my mother told me. She cried as she poured boiling water on it." He said, covering his scar with his hands. That's when Midoriya gasps, horror evident on his face.
"Because of this, I choose to fight you to show him that I can win without his help, without his quirk. That I can become the number one hero, and surpass not only All Might, but him as well."
"Todoroki-Kun," Midoriya said, slowly getting closer to him. He was surprised to find the green haired teen grab onto his arm and slowly pulled it downward. "D-Don't let revenge cloud your judgment."
Anger suddenly erupts from inside him as he pushed the other away, causing him to yell and fall down on the ground. He flares at him, an abrupt and unexpected desire to just demolish this person was filling his mind.
He has no right, none, to tell him not to take his revenge.
"Todoroki-Kun!"
"You don't know how it feels, this … is my only reason to live."
"It isn't! Listen to yourself Todoroki, this isn't healthy."
"Do you think that I'll just listen to you and renounce my anger at him. You, a person who knew nothing of suffering by the hands of their own family-"
"DEKU!" Todoroki's head was immediately swept to the side and found that Bakugou has finally arrived, and probably read to fight him. He scoffs and glares at Midoriya before leaving.
0o0o0
Shinso stares at the screen as noted who he was going to fight.
He has already caused a strife between the contenders. Some quitting for honor. Shinso himself felt that it was ridiculous, not taking the opportunity in your hands and using it. So what if you don't remember anything of the fight? He still managed to get them everyone on the top, into the last round, and already they view him as some kind of-
"You're a villain in the making. Get out of my sight."
He sucks in a breath as he steps onto the stage, staring wearily at who he's going to fight. Right there, on the other side of the fight, was none other than Izuku, his friend.
The only one who has ever really taken the time to know him, the only one to act as a friend. The only person who saw him as another person, and not a future villain.
How was he about to fight someone who gave him so much in his life?
"Let's do our best, Shinso-Kun!" Izuku said, and he felt a sudden choking feeling rising in his throat.
He can't.
He can't fight him, he'll just force him out of bounds. He wouldn't dare ever hurt him.
The only person to know how his powers functioned was his father, the person he inherited said power from. And although Izuku knew that he could control minds, he never told him how.
"Fight!" Present Mic yells from above the stands, but neither of them started moving. They both wanted the other to have the starting move. Internally sighing, Shinso knew what he was going to do was dirty. But it was for the best. He has seen how everyone else fought, and although he knew that Izuku could take care of himself, he still didn't want him to get close to any of the other contestants. Bakugou might be lenient against Izuku, but he was still an explosive monster that has anger issues. And he noticed how the red and white haired student had it out on his friend.
There were others of course.
Two hardening quirks, a guy who uses his shadow as a weapon, a girl who exerts acid of all things.
Izuku was just … Izuku …
Kind, trusting and helpless.
First impressions truly do stick with you.
"I haven't slept in two days."
"…" The silence of the crowd was deafening, but it was broken down by Izuku's loud indignant yell.
"What do you mean you haven't slept in two days! Shinso, how many times do I have to tell you that you should sleep as much as possible, you can't just function on six hours of sleep every day!"
But Izuku suddenly stops, a bland expression appears on his face, as his green eyes flickered a multitude of colours before settling on white, with no irises showing. This Instigated a gasp of shock from the audience.
Shinso grimaced.
"I'm sorry Izuku," For what he was about to do. "But I'm too used to it by now. This has left me tired today, will you please move out of bounds so that we wouldn't fight?"
Shaking a bit, as if trying to get free, Izuku slowly floats upwards and turning around to the bounds.
He starts drifting away, the bland expression never leaving his face.
Shinso looks down, trying to squish down the guilt building up inside of him.
"Shinso, son, I know this is hard, but you have to understand that people are judgmental. Never let your emotions dictate your action against them in a fight."
"But it isn't fair."
"Son … would you stayed with your mother forever? Because it isn't fair."
"…"
"If you never ordered her to leave, what would she have done?"
"She would have …"
"Shinso? Oh, son, don't cry, I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you cry." Arms wrapped around him, holding him tightly in a hug.
"It's not fair, it's not fair! She's my mom, why didn't she like me?"
"Shinso-"
"I never asked anything from her before, I never forced anything on her before, but she hates me!"
"It's not your fault, it's only hers."
"She was going to- She was going to hurt me, and you, because I … can control cats …" Shinso felt his father patting him on the back, and he couldn't help but start crying. "Cats don't listen to me because I'm forcing them to, they're annoying and stuck up, they just listen to me because I'm nice to them."
"I know."
"I never forced anyone to do anything."
"I know son."
"It's not fair! I won't ever force anyone to do anything against their will."
He never kept his promise. And he knew by the next day, when his mother was back home in the house and smiling at him that his father has done something, something very unacceptable.
Shinso didn't know how to feel as a child. He felt mildly disgusted by her, trying to escape her sight as much as he could and it evidently left her heartbroken. But now, as a teenager-
He knew that people like his father had left a legacy for him, and he was set out to break it, that unlike other mind controllers, he wasn't evil.
He didn't force people out of their will, not for anything ill.
"I'm sorry Izuku, even though you have your goals, I also have my own, I want to achieve my dreams, at the same I don't want to hurt you … so please lose for me."
"Midoriya is being obedient! Is this Hitoshi's quirk at work?!"
"Sorry."
0o0o0
Everything is a … haze.
The world is like static.
The world is-
Blind?
He couldn't- Can't- Shouldn't- Wouldn't-
What is he doing?
The world is moving him, or is he moving himself?
No control. He can't control his quirk … that's not possible. His mind- His mind is thinking freely- what is going on? How can he be controlled so easily when he can think freely? His quirk is mind based, not body based. He just needs to think, to think freely-
Is he free?
What-
Choking.
It feels like choking.
Like a big vital important part of his is smothered down, controlled by someone.
Shinso's quirk is deadly.
What if he told him to never fly again?
Shinso would never do that.
Never-
Stop. Drop. Drop. STOP!
No more, don't fly anymore! PLEASE!
Plea-
It's like static. Like a nuclear winter. Only white. Only-
It was then that he sees it. At first, it felt like warmth coming from inside him. A beautiful feeling that he never wanted it to leave. But it gradually gets louder, no- Not louder, just hotter. Hotter, and hotter, that he felt like gasping.
His gasp was audible and loud.
And he felt a fire come out of it, one that only he can see.
That fire slowly floats up away from him, and suddenly, he does not like the fire anymore.
He wants to get away.
Fear laces up from below, starting with his legs, something he never felt possible. He could barely feel heat, or touch, from his toes. Yet, instincts wanted to take over for the first time in his life and move his legs away as a flight reaction, rather than a fighting one.
He wants-
Freedom.
0o0o0
Shinso suddenly found himself covering his face and grounding his legs to even stay on the field. His eyes closing as the winds hit him. He opens them slowly, staring wide eyed at Izuku.
Impossible.
"H-How?" He asks with what could have been outrage, but it was most definitely dread. But the dread was slowly turning into anger, as Izuku kept staring at him. He growls.
"SAY SOMETHING! No matter how powerful your quirk is, it shouldn't have lifted you out of my control."
Izuku looks at him sadly before he starts flying, right at him, his hand ready for a punch. Shinso knew by then that he was a goner. He knew how strong Izuku was, he didn't need to keep his eyes open to see how it will end.
"I'm jealous, because I will always be left behind." He admits to him, only to feel the punch land on his chest, a small weak punch that was not Izuku's blast attack. Another hand was on his chest and he felt like his shoes were sliding on the floor. His eyes snap open when he sees Izuku, pushing him to the boundary line.
He felt a sudden feeling of determination, and punches Izuku in the jaws.
"At least fight me like a normal person would!" He yells at him and grabbing his shirt by the neck, trying to push him to the boundary lines. Izuku doesn't lit up, however, and punches the ground, letting his quirk exude the air around them and tripping him on the ground, but he still held on Izuku, pulling him down with him.
Next thing Shinso knew was that his leg was out of the boundary line, while Izuku gave him a confused look, his nose bleeding.
He grimaced, and pushes himself off ground, ready to run out of the field, but was stopped immediately by Izuku's words.
"When we met for the first time, I was in need of help, but no one was willing to help me. All the adults ever cared about were themselves. It didn't matter that I was a kid. But do you know what you did Shinso-Kun?"
"… Why are you saying this?" He asks, his eyes looking sideways at the cameras. Right on national television. Did Izuku have no filter?
"Stop it."
"Shinso-Kun helped me that day, and made sure I was okay. You told the mean adult to move away from me, and gave me a place to wait in. Shinso-Kun has always, and will always, be a hero to me. Because you care, you care about a people."
"…"
"You might not have had a flashy physical quirk, but what you do with your own quirk, helping others, it's amazing." Shinso didn't know how to react, and stood up as he looks at everyone around them. Suddenly, the sound of the crowd could be heard as they cheered, but surprisingly enough, the cheering wasn't only directed at Izuku, but at him as well. He can hear the praise he was receiving, and the cheering coming from his classmates, people who never truly tried to click with him before.
But it seems that they are willing now.
"The fact that you're eager to fight for your dream is admirable."
"… Thank you, Izuku."
0o0o0
"Izuku, good job!" Uraraka calls for him, once he appears at their stands.
"We saved you a seat-"
"And we made sure it's right in front of Bakugou so he wouldn't freak out." Iida was cut off by Uraraka, laughing at Bakugou's expression. Izuku slowly floats down on the chair, Denki sends him a look before looking back at the field. Sero was against Todoroki now, and he felt slight apprehension.
Todoroki kind of flipped today. Denki always thought that he was kind of out there, but what he did that morning was honestly a dick move in his opinion. Targeting Midoriya like that? What did he do? Break his ice or something?
He didn't say it out loud, but he was glad that Kirishima stood up and tried to stop the fight. He didn't think that he would have done anything, and he was afraid of what would have happened if Bakugou exploded on them in the room.
Case in point, Todoroki was acting more of a dick than usual.
"Hey, wanna bet how long Sero is staying in there?" Kirishima asks him after bumping his shoulders. Denki stifles a pained sound, as Kirishima apparently didn't realize that he was passively harder skinned than everyone else.
"What if he wins?" He asked him, but Kirishima sends him a look.
"Did you see how angry Todoroki was?"
"Yeah, so what? Sero can beat him if he wants. All it takes is more skills, right? No quirk is better than the other."
"What a surprise, that coming out from your mouth, Kaminari."
"Shut up Jiro."
"You usually boast about your quirk."
"I have more skills, so I can boast about it as much as I can." He huffs, but Jiro smirks at him, doing a dumb expression before giggling a bit. Kaminari felt like wilting in that moment.
Oh come on! It's not fair that she of all people saw him like that. So what if he zonks out after discharging?! Doesn't everyone have a weak spot?! Doesn't she have like a certain octave that she can't handle?
Sound quirk users are jerks.
Jiro then looks down at the field, changing his attention back there.
When the battle starts, he cheers loudly for Sero, he knew skills beat out anything-
His cheers die down as the next thing he knew was ice, a gigantic wall of it, covered his view. Kirishima was just like him, staring at the wall and tapping it, even hardening his skin and trying to dig into it, but with no success. Jiro pushes herself off of the chair and takes a step back further into the seats, shivering from the cold.
"Oh, my god." He could hear someone from Class B whispering from how silent the stadium has become.
"What kind of power house is that?!"
"Freaky."
"Not cool." Jiro whines, rubbing her arms trying to create warmth. "Totally not cool."
He was so glad he wasn't against the ice quirk user, he thought as he chants with the rest of the crowd, trying to left his friend's spirits up. So, very, glad. It took a while for the ice to melt and his turn to come.
He didn't think much.
He hates thinking without his gear on, all the static electricity was taking up his thoughts so he generally doesn't think when he tries to ground himself down in reality. That was why it took him by surprise when he gets back to reality and sees his next opponent.
A girl with vine like hair.
A really beautiful girl with vine like hair.
He ignored Present Mic as the man called him a sparkling killing boy, and tries to remember what he called the girl, he was pretty sure she was from class B. Crap, he should have listened, now he doesn't even know her quirk.
He mentally slaps himself when he realizes that, oh, her quirk is her hair.
When he takes his stance, ready to start the battle. She stops everything by calling out to Present Mic.
"What do you mean by assassin?" She asks, Denki blinks.
'Did Present Mic call her assassin? I mean … if he called me sparkling killing boy …'
"I have only come to find victory, not take away my opponent's life." She said, she had one hand on her chest, and he realized that it might be a thing with her. An aesthetic. Aesthetic? What if it was a belief thing?
"I said I'm sorry. My bad, okay?" Present Mic snapped him out again. She thanks him and goes back to her spot. Denki couldn't help but stare at her, and how …
Really pretty she was. Her eyes were really big, she must get lots of compliments for that, but at the same time, she looks really strong.
"Start!"
"When this is over, why don't we go out?"
Crap. No. NO! Stop, shut up!
Curse his non-existent filters. He doesn't even know what he's saying anymore?!
Discharge! Discharge!
When he sits back in the stands after gaining back his awareness, next to Kirishima and Jiro, he doesn't talk and stared at his hands.
Big, major, brain fart. What the heck was that?!
He felt like despairing, he can't even face assassin girl at school anymore, what was he even saying!?
He wants his gear back, at least then he knows what to say.
He was snapped back into the now when he felt a heavy item settled in his ear. The world suddenly becomes more bearable, and the surrounding was less noisy than it was before.
He looks to the side and sees Jiro, giving him a worried look before sitting back on her chair. He felt around his ear and smiles when he figured out what she did.
She gave him his headset back.
He can think now.
The first thing that he thought was that maybe … maybe sound based quirk users weren't that much of jerks after all.
0o0o0
At least he didn't get pneumonia. Hanta thought as he listens to Midoriya talk about his analysis. He was not surprised when Midoriya's prediction of Kaminari and the vine girl's battle were true. Nor was he really surprised when he successfully predicted of Ashido's victory.
It's really amazing, Midoriya was just weirdly smart like that. It's really unfortunate that he's a bit oblivious.
Hanta's eyes caught movement by the edge of his vision. He looks up to see Ojiro leaning to him, asking him for his thoughts on the next battle.
And like before, and without fail, Izuku predicted the winner. Hanta winces when he sees how dejected vice prez was, but he knew she can bounce back from it, she's the class vice prez after all.
Then, he felt excitement when he sees who's next. Kirishima and the Tetsutesu guy who kept bothering him for a while now. He turns around to ask who's probably going to win. He then blinks when he realized that Midoriya was stomped for the first time.
"I think it'll end up in a tie?" He didn't sound sure, but Hanta knew by now, Midoriya knows how to analyze things, so he looks back in excitement.
True to what Midoriya said, they both fall flat out on the ground, in a tie.
He was surprised, however, when he sees Midoriya flying back to his seat, when did he float away in the first place? He looks at him and was confused when he sees a conflicted expression on him.
"What's the matter?"
"Kacchan and Ochaka-Chan are next. I'm not worried about them much, since they can both hold up on their own even against each other."
That surprised Hanta, but the teen frowns. "You're worried though?"
"I want to talk to my mom." Izuku admits, scratching his cheeks with one finger and looking away, trying to hide his blush. Hanta blinks before slapping a hand over his mouth, not wanting his classmate to feel dejected.
What a mama's boy.
"Call her?"
"… OH! Thanks, Sero! I didn't think about it." He said abashedly as he starts floating again, probably heading for the changing rooms. Hanta waves him a goodbye before leaning back on the chair. He sees Ojiro, and the tail quirked user had a disturbed expression on his face.
"What's the matter with you?" He asks exasperatedly. Ojiro turns at him in surprise before masking his concern.
… weird.
0o0o0
"Izuku!" She screams, slamming the waiting room's door hard. She breathes hard, kneeling a bit and resting her hands on her knees, her bag was no dangling by her side. Behind her, a very concerned Toshinori was also present, looking at his son with alarm.
Izuku has called her right when Mitsuki and Masaru's son was up on stage. She ever so glad to have set the phone on vibrate so that she can tell when someone's calling, rather than mess hearing the tone during a loud cheer.
She was scared when she heard Izuku's very scared voice asking her if she could come and see him.
She did not hesitate. She was a bit abashed by the fact that she hasn't explained anything to Toshi, but her husband followed her none the less with no questions.
"Mom-" She didn't let him finish as she sweeps him into a hug.
"Are you hurt? Did that Shinso boy hurt you? I thought you two were friends!"
"Mom, it's not Shinso- Ack- How are you strong?" Izuku gasps, and she immediately lets go. He looks at the door worriedly, and suddenly understanding, she sent her husband a look. Toshinori obliged immediately without explanation, stepping inside and closing the door behind him.
"I-I have a really important question, and it's … I … should I fight Todoroki seriously?"
"… Huh?" Why would her son hesitate? Did he not see how that Todoroki boy froze up half of the field, sky high as well? Why would he hesitate fighting with all of his powers against someone like that?
"Mom, I found out something very disturbing about him, and I feel kind of … rotten to fight him. He's probably backed into a corner by this fight, and he obviously needs it. I mean, we're all fighting for the top, but I have a chance next year, and he needs-"
"Honey, stop, slow down." She told him as she drags a chair behind her and sits next to him. Then she held his hand and looks at him in worry. "What did you find out?"
"…"
"Izuku, baby?"
"He's being abused … by his dad."
In that moment, Inko felt something crack.
What kind of monster would abuse their child!?
Toshinori has come back from the bathroom break, telling her that he suspects something is very wrong with Endeavor, but wasn't willing to speak about it in the civilian stands. She didn't push it further, knowing how hero business needs to be kept hidden, but after hearing Izuku say that.
"I-I mean, he's probably better now, but in the past, he said that his dad was the reason why his life is hell. Why he has a scar on his eye. And that he was forcing Todoroki to become a hero just because of his own agendas. He's been training him since he got his quirk, and that's horrible. Really horrible. I … wouldn't it be better if he got first place? He'll get more attention then, and more people will figure out that he's being abused, right? A hero agency will obviously want to see his history if they'll recruit him, maybe do a psychic evaluation. Isn't that better?"
She honestly didn't know. How can she answer a question like this?
Izuku has always wanted to be a hero, to prove himself worthy in front of everyone, even with his handicap. Yet, he was willing to give it up to-
Save another child from their horrible life.
She was about to answer, going to tell him to do what he thinks is right, but was stopped by Toshinori grabbing onto her shoulder.
"Honey, I think I have to take this talk with Izuku. I'm sorry, can you leave us." He does look apologetic, and she almost burst into tears. But his look of determination convinced her that he was going to do the right thing.
So, she nods, stands up and leaves the room.
Inko felt her heart beat.
'This was horrible!'
That poor child. How? How can anyone be abusive to their own children? She could never comprehend this, not even after her ex-husband left her.
Hisashi might have been neglectful, and sometimes downright verbally abusive, but he never laid a hand on them, never touched them.
What about Endeavor?
How many times did he hurt his son in the excuse of 'Training'?
She needed the bathroom, or else she would puke in the hallways.
Running, she only looks up whenever a sign was visible to look for the bathroom. It was probably why she didn't see that someone has come up in the corner and accidentally bumped into them. She makes a loud "oomph" sound as she drops on the ground, her bag dropping a little further away, its contents spilling.
"I'm sorry!" She yells as she stood up, bowing to apologize. But that's when she noticed something peculiar.
Something that ran her blood cold.
The footwear of whoever she has bumped into was flaming. A very red hot continuous live fire.
She takes a sharp gasp.
Slowly, looking upwards, her neck cranes even more as she realized how tall this man was. Her mind boggles at his height, as he could at least be 190 cm. So much further away from her own height.
So much taller than the Todoroki boy.
And suddenly, she feels anger.
'How could he? How could a man tower over what could have been a four-year-old child and abuse him?!'
Before she could even feel herself, her hands glowed a soft green, pulling her bag and swiping her hand in front of him, throwing the bag at the man's face.
Endeavor makes a choked sound, as he only stumbles a bit before yanking the bag off of him. In the edge of her vision, she could see the bag starting to burn, but she glares at him.
"You disgusting, horrible, man!"
"What in the hell are you-" He didn't finish, as he suddenly felt a slap hit his face. His eyes roam over the tiny lady and sees her hands glowing dimly.
"Absolutely revolting!" she screams, letting her hand grab onto whatever content was spelled from her bag and almost throwing it, before the man waves his arms in front of himself.
"What in-"
Too late, because Inko threw a bottle at his face, breaking it mid throw and only letting the content splash on his face. She was not getting sued by him, thank you very much.
The man stills, as his beard's flames were doused, disappearing completely.
"What did you throw at me?!" The smell probably clued him in the fact that it wasn't a beverage.
She looks at the bottle, it was the pain reliever that she kept for Toshinori, in case his stomach Ulcers came up suddenly. She answers Endeavor grimly.
"Medicine. It's unfortunate, however, that no amount of medicine will ever correct the ailment that isYOU." She screams at him, before using her quirk to pull the rest of her stuff, and forcefully pull his shoes off the ground, making him slip. She ran away from the hallway, ignoring the man's yelling and probably dodging his hands, but she wasn't aware of it.
Only when she finally stopped, back in her seats, gasping for breath and holding onto her burnt bag and the camera she was using earlier to capture the festival, did she realize what she has done.
"Oh … no …"
AN: -
Whoops. Inko, a tad bit too reactive there.
Let's not forget, that in this AU, Izuku has the same quirk as her. And although she might not have been creative, she took care of Izuku and probably gleamed on some techniques her son used when he was a child.
Izuku pulling shoes of people he was frustrated off so they can slip was a silly notion I had in mind and regret never writing it before.
The reason for being late.
It was summer, and the average in my country is 43 degrees Celsius … that's 109.4 degrees Fahrenheit for you Americans. ノಠ_ಠノ
My laptop fried, twice by now. My phone won't work normally when I play music unless I cool it off, the internet was cut off multiple times already, and it's so much slower now. Did I tell you that my laptop fried?
Oh yeah, AO3 didn't work as well. It keeps freezing.
and ... real life ...