She's The Man

Author's Note: Thank you everyone for your opinions and comments! Your insight is great inspiration and helps a lot! I've already started working on the continuation fic "He's the Hero" which will start right after the sports festival when the class gears up for internships. I've been in debate about Izumi's hero name and costume, so any ideas and thoughts is welcomed. Enjoy the Chapter!

Chapter 16: First Round Frustrations

"Even though he's done well, what's with that face!" Present Mic shouted out to the arena, commenting on Izuku's nervous face on his tournament photo. "From the hero course, Izuku Midoriya!"

Izuku swallowed hard as he walked across the field to the fighting stage. Behind him Izumi made a face and sighed heavily.

"He's never liked getting his picture taken."

"Except as kids, your mom sent me dozens of them… but they did change over the years." All Might nodded recalling as the kids got older, Izuku got more nervous in front of a camera while Izumi got more brazen.

"Versus… The beautiful assassin from Class 1B, even beautiful flowers have thorns. From the Hero course, Shiozaki Ibara."

"Shiozaki, huh…" All Might clasped his chin in his hands. "She was on your team, what do you think?"

"Izuku's gonna have his work cut out for him… Shiozaki's talented with her quirk, and from what i've seen pretty strong for a girl." Izumi played with the end of her braid nervously.

"Her quirk allows for long range attacks. He's gonna have to figure out a way to take away her leverage by getting in close." Izumi explained, working the details of the fight in her head. She thought of how she would do it, and frowned. "She's pretty athletic, so he's gonna have to do some real fancy dancing..."

"START!"

"Sorry about this…" Izuku brought up his fist, "SMASH!" He let loose a powerful blast of wind. Shiozaki squealed and tried to use her hair to anchor herself but the distraction allowed Izuku to get in close. His hands glowed as he reached out to shove her back, but she squeaked and immediately backed away instinctively, stepping completely out of bounds.

"Shi-shiozaki is out! Midoriya-kun advances!"

Izumi's face went blue and she smacked a hand to her forehead.

"Ooooor he could just completely overpower her."

~Up in the Stands~

"Yeah! Way to go, Deku-kun!" Uraraka giggled and clapped her hands.

"That was some attack. I've seen Midoriya use his blast before but never at that high volume. He really kicked things up a notch." Ojiro nodded in approval.

"He wasn't taking any chances," Tokoyami observed. "Shiozaki came in fifth in the obstacle course, and from what I hear she was one of the top students in the entrance exam. He didn't want to give her the opportunity for attack and made the first move."

"Smarter than you look, aren't you Deku?" Bakugo murmured into his hand, his eyes focused on his lover.

~Back in the tunnel~

"I didn't think I was using that much force…" Izuku commented looking at his hand and flexing it. He walked in between his sister and father making his way up the steps to the stands so they could watch the next fights. "She must have scared me more than I thought."

"She scared you?" Izumi's eyebrow twitched. "Zuku you completely petrified her. Shiozaki's not the kind of girl to run away frightened, but you thoroughly intimidated her."

"Gomen…" Izuku lowered his head groaning. "I thought I had it under control."

"It's not completely your fault, son. It just shows that you're starting to grasp the means of intimidation. Used correctly it's a very powerful weapon." All Might gave a thumbs up. "Your sister doesn't approve but I do. She was a strong opponent and you managed to get her out quick, without laying a hand on her."

"You've got a point." Izuku held his chin. "I didn't want to hurt her. I was trying to use One for All to push her back as far as i could and then just push her the rest of the way out…"

"Instead you scared her out of bounds." Izumi grumbled and sighed. "This doesn't bode well for the female hero population." Izumi smacked her cheeks and got fired up. "Alright! I'm gonna make up for it by kicking some severe ass…"

"You're going up against Yaoyorozu," Izuku commented. "Aren't you scared? She's the top in our class right now isn't she?"

"Doesn't mean I'm gonna call it quits before it even starts." Izumi flexed her hands. "The stronger the opponent, the more determined I am to win."

"That's the spirit, Izumi!" All Might gave her a dual thumbs up. "Now then, I'm off to the teacher's box. Fight well you two! I'll be rooting for yah!" He dashed away in full hero form leaving them alone.

"We never did talk to him about that connection thing we had." Izuku commented.

"No, but I really don't think it's something we should concern ourselves with at the moment. These are individual fights, so it's not like it's gonna affect us at all." Izumi rationalized as they turned the corner to go down to the reserved seating for Class 1A.

"Ah! Deku-kun! Nice work!" Ochaco called out and Iida waved them down.

"Come on down, we saved you both a seat- ah HEY!" Iida grunted as Bakugo shoved down in the spot saved for Izumi.

"Half Pint can sit behind us." He grabbed Izuku by the shirt and yanked him into the spot beside him. Izumi's brow twitched but she sat down behind her brother beside Tokoyami and lounged back.

"Sorry Izumi-chan." Uraraka gave her a sympathetic look.

"Don't sweat it Uraraka.. I'm used to this asshole's bad behavior… so go ahead and keep irritating me Bakugo…" She shoved a foot in the back of his head. Her twisted grin spread and the air around them turned chilly with disdain. "Rile me up good and proper… it'll make me fight harder in my upcoming match."

Yaoyorozu's face went pale and she clamped her hands tightly in her lap. She shouldn't be afraid of Izumi, she shouldn't let what the girl said intimidate her… but the more she thought of the girl's strength, the more nervous she became.

"Yao-Momo, you okay?" Ashido leaned in and whispered.

"Uhm, yes, I'm fine." She offered a quick smile to Ashido to mask her nerves. "Just concentrating."

Ashido blinked and glanced around her at Izumi who was paying close attention to Kirishima and Sero's battle. She could understand why someone would be nervous about going against Izumi who had a temper to match Bakugo… but Yaoyorozu was strong, and had amazing abilities. Just what had her so nervous?

"Impressive," Izuku had pulled out his notebook and was scribbling notes. "Sero nearly had him with that first attack, but Kirishima's simple quirk is strong and he handled it well."

"He'll be a tough opponent in close combat." Izumi leaned in over his shoulder. "He and Tetsutetsu have similar quirks so I've noticed that their weakness is time. Kirishima can only hold that form for so long. If you face him in the next round, Izuku, you'll want to bide your time and find the right moment to strike."

"Oi, oi, oi no helping!" Bakugo grumbled. "Let him figure it out for himself."

"What? You want some help with your fight too, Bakugo?" Izumi smirked down at him and pointed at Uraraka. Irritation spread on Bakugo's face

"I don't need your help, and neither does Deku."

"It's not like I'm saying anything that isn't obvious to those paying attention." She nodded her head to Kirishima. She didn't notice that the others around her listening, paid attention as well and were now focused on what she was saying. "If you pay close attention, Kirishima can only harden all of his body for a short period of time. He does better when he hardens only a portion at once, and it lasts a lot longer that way."

"I hadn't noticed…" Iida commented rubbing his chin in contemplation. "That's a good assessment."

"Sero's quirk is impressive as well, in an elevated arena he has a multitude of options, but on a flat stage surface like this it leaves him little to work with." Izuku also pointed out. "The only thing he can wrap his tape around is his opponent, but if they're strong enough to break the bind, it leaves him at a huge disadvantage."

"Which is why I hate it when people rely too heavily on their quirk." Izumi grunted. "No matter how strong it is there's always a weakness. All heroes should at least have a basic knowledge of physical defense and attack or they're no good in combat." Izumi sighed as Sero was finally knocked out by a solid punch to the chin. "If Sero was smart he'd improve on his agility and physical strength so to compensate for the times he's unable to use his quirk."

"Kirishima could improve as well by upping his endurance. If he can find a way to lengthen the time of his hardening he could really become a force to reckon with." Izuku scribbled and murmured. The students around them looked on in awe by their natural back and forth assessment of their classmates strengths and weaknesses.

"He should also work on agility. If he continues to treat himself as indestructible and not bother dodging, someone's gonna see right through the facade and take advantage of it." Izumi put in.

"That's true." Izuku agreed.

"You guys have really put a lot of thought into this…" Uraraka commented nervously.

Both twins looked up in her direction.

"You don't?" They said at the same time and had her going blue faced.

"Not normally."

~Todoroki~

He wasn't looking forward to this fight. No matter how much the guy irritated him, Todoroki didn't want to take his personal feelings with him into the ring. The guy had a crush on Izumi, and it was hard to blame him for his tastes when he too had feelings for her. So he'd put feelings aside, and treat this as a normal battle.

When he rounded the corner, his improved mood instantly soured.

"What do you want?" He asked his father who leaned against the wall glowering at him.

"You're acting disgraceful Shoto," Endeavor told his son. "If you'd used the power in your left side you would have had an overwhelming victory in the first two rounds." Todoroki continued to walk, determined to ignore him… but the more his father spoke, the angrier he became. "Stop this childish rebellion already, you have a duty to surpass All Might."

Endeavor watched him walk away and his eyes narrowed further.

"Or are you too distracted by that girl that you've forgotten that duty?" Todoroki halted in the hallway and glared over his shoulder. "Don't get distracted by a pretty face. She's connected to All Might, and both her and her brother are your competition. Don't let her cloud your mind with pretty words and kissy faces."

"Kissy faces? Don't assume that you know what the hell you're talking about when you don't know Izumi at all." He turned his back again. "In any case I haven't forgotten anything. I know what I have to do, but I'm not going to do it on your terms!" He jerked away continuing to walk. "I will beat them both and win only using mom's quirk. I won't give you the satisfaction at seeing me use yours."

"Even if that works for this tournament… you'll soon find the limits to that power."

~In the Stands~

"Ah there he is! Izumi Chan, come closer" Uraraka motioned her down. Iida had gotten up since he was next to fight and would watch the battle from a different viewpoint. This allowed her to sit beside her brother and get a closer look at the upcoming fight.

"Thanks for waiting! The next battle up is these two! This proud and manly fighter was the stronghold of his cavalry team. He's a fiery passionate hero made of steel. From the hero course, Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu!"

"ALRIGHT!" Tetsutetsu gripped his fists giving out a roar. He was raring and ready for this fight. He'd give the entire audience a show and prove to Izumi who the better man was.

"Versus… Coming in second in the obstacle course, then first in cavalry! It's no wonder he was brought in from recommendations. From the Hero Course, it's Shoto Todoroki!"

Calm down, damn it… Todoroki told himself, his cold rage building up and needing release. He couldn't focus, couldn't control his emotions. If he didn't get ahold of himself he wouldn't be able to control his quirk. Focus, calm…

"Hey Izumi are you watching?"

Todoroki jerked his head up as Tetsutetsu suddenly went all soft and gooey waving up at the stands. Irritation caused his temples to tighten and knots to form.

"Be sure to cheer really loud when I win!" He grinned ear to ear and had Izumi slumping in her seat putting a hand over her face.

"Awww he likes you." Uraraka giggled at Izumi's obvious embarrassment.

"The guy has no filter…" She grumbled and Uraraka patted her head sympathetically.

"I got a feeling this match is gonna get rough! Let's watch the show… BEGIN!"

Tetsutetsu went full iron and rushed at Todoroki. He raised his fist grinning widely.

"I'll show you how to fight like a real man!" He sent the fist forward and Todoroki caught it, his palm aching, but the rage inside him masked the hurt. His eyes met Tetsutetsu's and he could no longer hold back the storm.

"My Apologies…" The ice formed on his fist first and then exploded around him until a mountainous glacier formed right in the center of the ring and expanded all the way to the top of the arena.

Izumi shrieked as the ice formed right in her face, stopping just inches shy of the audience. Her eyes went wide and her body shook. Izuku and Bakugo were both flinched back in their seat and Uraraka looked ready to pass out.

Izumi jumped out of her seat, and climbed over the others up the stairs to round the arena and gawk at the massive structure. She then looked back down at the ring and the two figures inside. Tetsutetsu was frozen in midshout, his metal body no good at protecting him against the freezing cold of Todoroki's quirk.

"Tetsutetsu… can you move at all?" Midnight, a shiver in her own voice, asked him.

"Mnng, nope… not an inch…" He admitted staring wide eyed at Todoroki. He watched the guy's face go from angry, to regretful in an instant.

"Tetsutetsu is immobilized! Todoroki wins!"

"I'm sorry… that was uncalled for." He used his left and started to melt the ice around his opponent. "I was angry."

He was so sad, Izumi realized with tears filling her eyes. What had gotten into him? He normally had full control of his quirk. She hurried around the stage and headed down to meet Todoroki in the tunnell. She rushed to him, and stopped midstride.

"Todoroki-kun… what was that all about?"

"It's nothing. He annoyed me and I just lost my temper." Todoroki said stoically and continued to walk past her.

"Bull Shit. He may be annoying but something had to have riled you up before that…" it clicked and her eyes narrowed. "Your dad… did your old man say something to you?"

Todoroki stopped midstride and glanced over at her.

"He did, didn't he? When are y-"

"I'm sorry, I'm still haven't calmed down yet so now's not a good time to talk." He turned his back to her again walking away. "You should go prepare for your own match."

"Todoroki-kun…" She held her heart, and wondered why seeing him like this made it ache terribly.

The match against Iida and Mavis had lasted a full ten minutes… the support course genius full using his opponent to show off every gadget he had at his disposal. During that ten minutes Izumi had tried to calm herself...but she was anything but calm when she stepped into the ring for her own match against Yaoyorozu. Her temper was on high burn, and she badly needed to release it out. She wanted a good match, wanted to sweat and burn away the anger and sadness that was churning her up inside.

Todoroki had looked so miserable. He claimed he would eradicate himself from his father's grip, but the more Todoroki fought to break free of it, the strong Endeavor's grip became. At this rate, Todoroki wouldn't be able to unleash his full potential as a hero. With ice he was good, better than most pros, but if he were to use his full power, he could become one of the best.

His father really was an ass. If the guy had shown any compassion or love towards his son rather than use him as a tool, Endeavor would have gotten exactly what he wanted, a hero who could take on All Might. Instead he turned Todoroki into a tool, and now Izumi wondered if he'd ever be able to really fulfill his wish to show up his father and come out on top.

She and Izuku wouldn't give an inch. Even if he somehow managed to defeat her brother, Izumi was bound and determined to meet him in the end.

"No mercy… not to anyone." She whispered, as her eyes lifted up, cold and angry. "Not even to you Todoroki."

"Alright! It's time for the next match and what a pair up this is! She's Izuku's twin sister, but even the bond between siblings hasn't slowed this girl down! From the Independent studies course, It's Izumi Midoriya! Versus The great creator! She was admitted through recommendations and I think we can all see why. From the Hero Course, Momo Yaoyorozu!"

~Up in the Stands~

"This outta be good." Kirishima commented. "Top two females duking it out!"

"How do you see this one unfolding, Midoriya?" Iida questioned, fully calmed down from his frustrating but successful battle.

"To be honest I'm not sure." Izuku tapped his pencil on his pad comparing the notes between his sister and Yaoyorozu. "I've never really seen Yaoyorozu fight, but she's top of the class, and she's smart. She also got first in the assessment test so she must be athletic enough to-"

"Izumi's gonna mop the floor with her." Bakugo commented and had all eyes turning on him.

"What makes you say that, Kacchan?"

"Look at your sister's face in comparison to her opponents. She's got fire and is ready to use it, and the other chick looks ready to run away with her tail between her legs."

"Just because someone's scared, doesn't mean they'll lose." Uraraka quickly defended, her hands fisted in the material of her pants.

"It does when you're going up against someone like Izumi." He nodded his head to the stage. "Just watch and see."

~With the Fighters~

Yaoyorozu didn't want to let on about it, but she'd been dreading one on one fights since the start of the tournament. She was confident in her ability to act in particular situations and scenarios, but she knew it was different to face against a true opponent. In the battle exercise she was able to outwit her opponents by setting traps and closing off the room completely by materials she created, and just waited out the time.

Izumi was different. Even looking at her now, hard and cold, Yaoyorozu was intimidated by her. Izumi was too strong to merely dodge and block against. Her calculations in the previous battles had been on point as well, so there was no outsmarting her.

"I'll need to create a shield to defend myself," she decided. "Then create some kind of weapon to counter, perhaps something with a long range to avoid clos-"

"START!"

Yaoyorozu didn't have time to finish her thoughts. The moment the words were spoken Izumi was sprinting at her, hands poised to strike. She quickly made a shield, Izumi's fist beating onto it, the shocking force knocking her back and off her feet. She rolled out of the way as Izumi launched from above and came down, the concrete crumbling under the force.

She's not giving me time to think! Yaoyorozu panicked, trying to form a weapon in her hand but Izumi was already attacking again, her foot kicking the shield out of her hand leaving her defenseless.

"Tch, for someone who got first in the physical assessment test." Izumi punched her in the stomach, Yaoyorozu gasping for air as she double over. "You suck at close combat." She grabbed her by the arm and swung her around. Yaoyorozu screamed as she was sent flying and skidding along the ground.

So strong… her quirk is so powerful. Yaoyorozu shakily got to her feet, and let out another cry as Izumi got her hands on her again, lifting her up in the air. The girl was petite, but the strength compensated for the height difference. Though Yao struggled and tried to focus on her creation to break the hold one quick toss sent her on her butt and out of bounds.

"Yaoyorozu's out! Izumi is the winner!" Midnight snapped her whip and declared Izumi the winner of the match. Yao stayed where she was on the ground, hands fisted and body shaking.

"I… I couldn't do anything." Tears filled her eyes.

"Pathetic…" Yaoyorozu tensed up hearing Izumi's cold voice. She slowly raised her head up to Izumi who stood over her angry and frustrated. "I expected a lot more out of you. You're supposed to be the best, and you let fear get in the way."

"Izumi-san…" she whimpered. "I'm sorry."

"Apologize to yourself… you're the one wasting your own talent." She turned her back to her and walked out of the ring, unsatisfied.

~Ask Briry~

Briry: Ouch, harsh… but adept. I hope you guys enjoyed these first few fights. As I mentioned in my Author's Note above I've already started the sequel to this fic. I'm calling "He's The Hero" and it will take place between Internships and leak into summer camp and possibly further. I would like opinions on what you think Izumi's hero name should be and how her costume should look, but I've a pretty general idea on what I'll do in case nothing else sparks.

Hope you'll look forward to it!

Next Chapter: The boy is mine!