She's the Man

Chapter 18: Tension between Rivals

Izumi glanced up as Bakugo came down the steps and her lips twitched.

"Nice job playing the villain, Bakugo."

"Shut up you idiot!" He growled at her.

"Still I can't believe you went all out on a fragile girl. If it were me I couldn't do it." Kaminari shook his head sighing in disappointment.

"Pfft…" Izumi snorted when Bakugo sat down. "If he'd been the one fighting her, she'd have won easily."

"Tch… Just which part of her is fragile?" Bakugo grumbled and Izumi's brow went up in surprise.

"Was that a compliment for your rival?" She asked and had him grunting.

"It was an observation. None of the girls here are fragile and anyone who thinks differently is an idiot." He said it loud enough to have Kaminari sinking in his seat.

"That's actually a noble statement. I'm impressed, Bakugo." Her smile suddenly spread softening her face. "I'm sure she appreciated being treated as your equal."

Bakugo's eyes widened a bit at the smile… it reminded him of why he had fallen for her back in middle school. An uncomfortable twist in his gut had him clearing his throat and he shoved a hand in her face.

"Stop smiling it's creeping me out."

"Hey!" Knots formed on her temple as she smoothed down the bangs he mussed up. "I was just trying to be nice, you jerk!"

"Don't do me any favors!" He shouted back at her. "You start acting nice, I'll get lulled into thinking you're a decent person."

"Hah!?" She bumped heads with him, Iida caught in the middle and feeling awkward.

"Hey come on you two, that's enough squabbling." Iida shoved them back from each other. "Save the fighting for inside the ring."

"Humph!" Both Bakugo and Izumi turned their noses up and faced opposite directions… then their eyes went to the ring as Izuku and Kirishima were announced.

~Todoroki~

Tetsutetsu's punch had hurt his hand more than Todoroki had initially thought. The fractured hand and fat bruise had been easily healed by Recovery Girl, but it showed him that he needed to concentrate harder on his fights, rather than the chaos in his mind and heart. His father had riled him up, that much was true, but it had been Tetsutetsu's shameless flirting with Izumi that had sent him over the edge of his temper.

He was jealous…

What a sad fact that was. Up until he'd met Izumi he'd never had any interest in girls or relationships. His entire life had been dedicated to becoming a hero, and outstaging his old man. Now that he'd met her, other things were taking precedence over something that had once been so important to him… was still important to him, he quickly corrected.

On top of that her brother was rising in the ranks of their class… he was becoming noticed, and showing off his true power to the world. A power, he'd seen head on during the cavalry match, and had been frightened of. He wondered if Izumi had that same frightening power locked inside, and she just hadn't tapped into it yet… or was it because, even though they had the same quirk, they were two completely different fighting styles.

He watched Midoriya closely in his match against Kirishima, arms crossed and eyes focused. The guy had strength… he could match blow for blow against Kirishima, and didn't even look tired. Midoriya was wearing Kirishima down, completely overpowering him in strength and endurance.

"Whoa!" Present Mic shouted into his mic. "Midoriya is not giving in! He's laying out punches like bullets from a machine gun!"

A good, but flawed strategy, Todoroki mused. Midoriya was hitting Kirishima everywhere at once, but the punches were haphazard and sloppy. If Kirishima could find the holes in Midoriya's defense he could easily give out damage… but the guy was too focused on defending, and was being overpowered.

Comparing this fight to Izumi's, he could see both similarities and differences. Izumi had overwhelmed her opponent as well, but she had done it in a way that looked calculated, and thought out. She made sure to know or find out her opponents strengths and weaknesses and strategized the best route for her success. Her brother on the other hand was focused on the moment, keeping his attention on Kirishima's movement and reacting to it. He had a plan… but was staying flexible.

"Smart and strong…" he murmured and narrowed his eyes. "You really aren't going to make this an easy match up are you, Midoriya?"

"Oh! Todoroki-kun…" Uraraka, eyes red from crying, walked up smiling softly. "Are you watching the match too?"

"Yes, I'm keeping an eye on my future opponent." Todoroki said without turning his gaze to her.

"You're that sure you'll win against Iida?" Uraraka sighed. "You and Bakugo sure are confident in yourselves."

"You have to have confidence to forge ahead… but who knows, Iida may or may not beat me. Nevertheless if I do win I'll have to fight one of them down there in the next round."

"That's true…" She glanced down the walkway at their class. "How come you're not sitting next to Izumi or at least with the class."

"I can concentrate better here… away from the noise and comments." He hinted to her and had her tensing.

"Sorry, I'm bothering you." She stepped away from the wall to continue walking, then paused and looked down at the ring. "Deku-kun is going to win."

"Yeah, I think so too."

"When you win against Iida you'll have fight Deku in the next round…" She looked over her shoulder at him. "Will you win against him?"

Todoroki's eyes sharpened as Izuku gave one last solid punch to Kirishima's got and knocked him completely unconscious.

"I don't know."

~Later~

Todoroki won against Iida… though the runner gave it his best shot, using recipro to gain the upperhand, Todoroki's chilling attacks had been too much to handle. Now it was Izumi's turn to fight Tokoyami… and unlike her fight against Yaoyorozu, her opponent wasn't making it easy for her.

She dodged and jerked evading Dark Shadow as he chased her across the stage. Izumi knew what Tokoyami's weakness was… Dark shadow was his offense and defense, but his body was vulnerable. She could see he had to concentrate in order to keep his quirk at bay… similar, she supposed, the way a mage in a game would control a monster they've summoned.

"Just need to pass you, big guy…" She grit her teeth in a smile and suddenly took Dark Shadow head on. Her hands grabbed his talons and her head butt against his. She braced her feet and pushed power out, wind kicking up around her.

"Izumi's stopped Dark Shadow in his tracks! The girl is brazen… but can she hold up against this nearly unbeatable force?"

"Not as long as I'd like…" Izumi commented, her eyes shifting just enough to gage the distance between her and Tokoyami. She pumped power into her legs and leapt up and over Dark Shadow while using her hands to drag the shadow downward. She then used its head as a brace board she sprung off him and closed the distance between her and Tokoyami. The Dark Samurai hadn't seen it coming and took the solid punch to the face. His body jerked, and he felt his world go black as Izumi finished him off with a solid hit to the back of his neck.

"Tokoyami's knocked out! Izumi Midoriya advances!"

Izumi wiped the sweat from her face panting and smiling.

"Now that's the workout I wanted." She bowed respectfully to him, the way she knew he would. "Thank you for not disappointing, Tokoyami-kun."

"Alright she won!" Izuku shouted with his fists bunched. He had bandages on his face from where Kirishima had gotten his hits in, but for the most part was energized and pumped.

"That was close though…" Uraraka sighed in relief. "I thought for certain Tokoyami was gonna completely overwhelm her like he did Ashido."

"So did I…" Ashido said on a sigh. "Then again I don't have Izumi's freaky strength. I can't believe she took that big bird on like that. I was too scared to even get near it. The girl's got guts."

"This doesn't bode well for us that got eliminated early…" Sato pointed out, hanging his head. "Izumi's done so well, one of us is bound to get replaced by her."

"Shoot I forgot about that!" Ojiro held his head. "I didn't stand out at all during either event… I don't even remember what happened in the cavalry match."

"Hey at least you didn't get thrown nearly off the obstacle course." Mineta pointed out shuddering. "Oh man, and I was just hitting my stride. I was on my way to really seeing some panty action, and now if I'm replaced I'll have to start from scratch again."

"That's seriously the first thing on your mind, you little perv?" Sero grumbled in complaint.

"I'm pretty sure you boys are safe. More than likely it's gonna be a girl being replaced." Hagakure sighed and her uniform slumped in her seat. "I haven't stood out at all today. It's gonna be me I just know it."

"Maybe we'll all get lucky. Aizawa may have mercy and keep us all…" Ashido said… and ten seconds later gloom covered hers all the faces of Class 1A.

"We're Doomed."

~Waiting Room Hallway~

Izumi climbed up the steps after her match and scowled as she caught sight of Endeavor walking down the hall.

"Hey!" She leapt up the last few steps and squared off against him. "If you're looking for your son I suggest turning around and going back to your seat." She spread her hands out as if to shield someone. "He doesn't need your negative energy, so get lost!"

"Humph… I was actually looking for your brother." Endeavor narrowed his eyes on the girl. Izumi's body tensed up and she growled.

"What do you want with Izuku?"

"I wanted to talk with him. He'll be going up against my Shoto in the next round." He crossed his arms eying the girl up and down. She was petite in comparison to the other female fighters, but her strength and agility made up for her size. Her brother was the same, packing power in a small package. "I want to make sure he doesn't disgrace himself."

"My brother doesn't need your input to give that fight everything he's got! You're out of place here old man, and completely unwanted!" She snarled and lowered her arms.

"So you've made that clear to me… and since your brother is not here you'll have to do." Unphased by her temper he stepped up closer, his flames roaring with intimidation. "I'm curious as to what your connection with All Might is."

"Like I'd tell you," she snorted. "If that's all you want then get lost. I'm missing the fight." She turned her back to him walking towards the student seating.

"All Might said he wanted to know how to train the next generation. I'm curious to know what he meant by that."

Izumi stopped and glared down at the floor, hands fisted.

"He's a teacher, dumbass. He probably wanted your advice, hell knows why! You're method of teaching is libel to get me and my future classmates killed."

"You think so?" Endeavor smirked. "A girl with your fire and spirit… you and that explosion kid remind me a lot of myself when I was young. Talented, driven, raring for a fight… and constantly shoved down by those that underestimated me. I could teach you a great deal if I were so inclined to take you on."

"Humph… no thanks." she looked back at him her smirk wide and feral. "I want to be a hero… can't do that if I kill my teacher. Even if he is a selfish ass."

She was a character, Endeavor mused rubbing his chin. In a normal situation she'd be the exact kind of sidekick he'd choose for himself at one of these events. Her connection with his son, however, made him uneasy… and her connection with All Might even uneasier. Hers and her brothers quirks were very similar to All Mights… but the man had no children. A surrogate figure, perhaps?

Whatever the case… the Midoriya Twins were the perfect test subjects for his son to go against and test his strength.

~After Bakugo's Fight~

"Poor Kaminari… Kacchan really gave him a beating" Izuku commented as he and Izumi walked together. She'd met him at the seating area, and had insisted on tagging along with him. Her eyes darted everywhere suspiciously, as if looking for someone. "You know, you didn't have to come with me."

"I know I don't have to, but I've got my reasons alright?" She let out a deep sigh. Maybe the old ass hole decided to go back to his seat after all.

"You okay? You look like you're looking for something." Izuku commented.

"Hmm?" Thinking quickly she rubbed the back of her neck. "Keeping my eye out for Bakugo… I wanted to talk to him about something."

"Right…" Izuku narrowed his eyes on his sister's face. He saw the strained confliction and worry. She'd been acting strange all day, her emotions spiraling out of control, making her unpredictable. Still there was something in her eyes, that was all too familiar to him. "Izumi… do you have feelings for someone?"

"Eh!?" Izumi blinked and blushed at the question. "Why do you ask?"

"Well it's probably just my imagination but… you've been acting weird all day. You're more temperamental around Kacchan than usual… and have been picking fights with him a lot. So I thought maybe…. Maybe you actually like him?"

"HAH?!" She turned and went toe to toe with him. "Of all the lame brain conclusions you could come up with, THAT is what you've decided is wrong with me? Just where the hell in your fucked up head does it make sense that I like Bakugo!?"

"Um, well-"

"I swear… you and Uraraka, delusions of Grandeur, the both of you. First she thinks Bakugo has feelings for me, and now you think I like him? We're always arguing always yelling at each other… where is the logic in that?" Izumi scrunched up her hair her temper rising up again and she saw the haze of it. Calm down, Izumi… she told herself. Just calm the fuck down.

"Well, Kacchan did tell me once that he prefers it when you're angry." Izuku tapped his fingers together. "He likes fighting with you."

"Oh…" Izumi cracked her knuckles, a thunderous storm surrounding her aura, threatening to erupt to life. "Is that so?" Her laugh was low and dangerous. "Then he's gonna love me beating his face into the ground."

Her head turned as she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. She spotted not only Bakugo but Todoroki as well coming from different entrances of the hall. She sprinted up and immediately punched Bakugo in the face causing him to skitter and knock into Todoroki.

"Watch it…" Todoroki grunted and lifted his eyes to see a seething Izumi.

"OW!" Bakugo held his cheek and pointed accusingly at her. "Damn it tell her that!" Bakugo snarled and turned to face Izumi. "The hell is your problem, you bitch!"

"That..." Izumi's fingers cracked as she flexed her fingers smirking evilly at him. "...was a look into your future."

"Don't you think you've got that backwards half pint?" He let his quirk flare up and met her toe to toe. "I'm the one that's gonna roast your sorry carcass!"

"Oh please…" Izumi laughed. "I can't wait to hear you get booed by the crowd for picking on a girl a second time." She teased.

"Girl?" Bakugo laughed in response. "What girl? All I see is a boy with tits pretending he's hot."

"THAT DOES IT!" She launched at him.

"...and on that note." Todoroki quickly intervened picking Izumi up by the waist and hauling her over his shoulder. She squirmed and shouted obscenities, her hands still reaching out to slug Bakugo again. "I'll leave Bakugo to you, Midoriya." He strolled away with Izumi in toll.

"Yeah, Okay…" Izuku waved while keeping a hand on Bakugo's chest. "See you in the ring."

Todoroki stopped a moment, glancing back at Izuku who turned to usher Bakugo into the waiting room… and then started walking again.

"Tch…" Izumi growled and gave up struggling. "Why'd you have to interfere? Put me down, Todoroki!"

"I don't want you to get disqualified before I've had a chance to fight you in the finals." Once in front of waiting room one he set Izumi down and put his hands in his pockets to keep them off her.

"Tch, are you that confident you can beat my brother only using half your strength?"

"I beat you didn't I?" His lips twitched at the sight of her annoyed face.

"That was different!" She got in his face and stabbed a finger in his chest. "I'm not my brother, and on top of that it was a team exercise, indoors with rules and restrictions." She then jerked a thumb behind her. "Out in the ring the only limit to the amount of power my brother can use is to make sure he doesn't kill you! That leaves him plenty of wiggle room. Don't underestimate him!"

"Believe me I'm not… but that doesn't change what my goal and priority is."

"But-"

"Why are you pushing so hard for me to use my left side?" Suddenly irritated himself he stepped toe to toe with her. "Wasn't it you who said I should cut out my old man completely?"

Izumi remembered his fight against Tetsutetsu.. How miserable and hurt he had looked. Didn't Todoroki see what he was doing to himself?

"That doesn't mean you should cut out yourself! When I said cut him out, I meant ignore him completely! You do what you were meant to do, be the hero you want to be… but you're too lost in the past to focus on the future! Look at your first fight… your were so upset about your dad that you nearly froze half the stadium! Be pissed off at him, that's fine, I encourage anger… but I don't like seeing you hurt!"

Todoroki flinched at her words.

"The hell are you talking about?"

"I don't know what's going on inside your head or your heart, but I know grief when I see it. When I lost my mom it consumed my every thought… I was sad about her death, angry at my father who wasn't around, and at myself for not being able to help her. You're grieving, Todoroki-kun… It's not just your dad, it's something else that's locking all that amazing power inside you and it's holding you back. You're better than this!"

She lifted her eyes to him, looked at his confused and conflicted expression. She eyed the scar on his left side and her heart broke as she replayed the story of his upbringing in her mind. His mom… it wasn't just her father, but his mom as well. Fire and Ice created this amazing person in front of her… but the heritage behind it was splitting him in two rather than coming together to create something incredible. He needs closure, he needs comfort…

Her hand lifted up to touch the scar on his left side.

"Don't touch it!" Todoroki snapped out of his daze and slapped her hand away, eyes fierce, angry, and partially afraid. Izumi jerked back, eyes wide in shock at the hideous reaction she'd unleashed. The sight of him like this both pissed her off… and scared her to death.

Todoroki saw only the fear in her eyes. It triggered an unpleasant chain of memories of his father slapping his mother around. The left hand he had used to bat her away jerked back and he touched his scar shaking.

"Izumi… I-"

"Fine…" The hoarse whisper had him looking back at her. Tears were spilling down her cheeks, but the anger raged in her face. "Do what you like. Give that asshole dad of yours more attention than he deserves… but he won't get what he wants. You can't win." Her hands clenched and her body shook. "You're a fool if you think you can win with only half your strength! I hope my brother knocks you and that ridiculous old fool down a peg!"

"Izumi!" He held out a hand as Izumi turned on her heel and stormed away. Her words had shaken him to the core… but had also tightened his resolve. She had said not to underestimate her brother… but she was seriously underestimating him. He clenched his fists at his side, determination and focus now in reach, and anger and hurt fueling him. He won't let Midoriya intimidate him any longer. "Come at me…"

Izumi had to run fast to catch her brother. She whirled past Bakugo who watched her jet past him.

"Bakugo save me a front seat!" She called out over her shoulder, leaping flights of stairs at a time

"Huh? Why… OI!" He looked down the stairwell, his brow twitching. "The hell is her problem?"

Izuku was waiting by the entrance of the tunnell, taking deep long breaths to calm his nerves. He heard the rushing steps behind him, and turned just in time to see his sister come barelling at him. He squealed and lifted his arms up in surprise… and gasped when he felt Izumi hug him tight around the waist, burying her face in his chest.

"I-I-Izumi?" he lowered his hands to her shoulders, felt them shake. He tried to pull her back but she clung tighter… and he heard the sobs. "What's wrong? What happened?" He finally tilted her head up, and his heart broke to see big fat tears spilling down her cheeks, and pain all over her face. "Tell me."

"Beat him…" She sobbed out and sniffed. "For his sake, beat the tar out of Todoroki!"

"What?" Izuku was shocked, not only by her words but by the shaky tone of his sister's voice.

"He's hurting Zuku." She pulled back wiping tears but more just fell. "His dad has made him completely cut himself in half and it's killing him. BEAT HIM!" She sobbed again covering her face with her hands. "Win… save him and win! Please!" She begged and fell to her knees unable to stand the pain in her chest.

Izuku's eyes were wet as well at seeing his sister broken like this. He knelt in front of her and wrapped his arms around her. Much like he had at their mother's funeral he comforted her by stroking her hair and keeping her close. "Mmm… leave it to big brother. I'll knock some sense into him."

Izumi nodded, and leaned into her brother's comforting arms.

"Thank You."

~Ask Briry~

Briry: I'm stho excited! I want to get started on the next chapter immediately, but my brain is fried! Luckily I don't work tomorrow so that means I can get a good start first thing tomorrow! ENJOY!

Next Chapter: Izuku Vs. Todoroki