She's the Man
Chapter 19: Izuku Vs. Todoroki
"I'm so excited!" Present mic shouted out to the crowd his body dancing in the booth "Never before have we seen such an incredible line-up in the first year Semi-finals."
Aizawa sighed at the erratic commentary, but had to agree with the sentiments. The top four students were leagues ahead of their classmates in terms of skill and combat knowledge. It would be interesting to see just how these top four would clash and who would come out on top.
Izumi panted as she raced back to the seating, her face sweating and eyes red from crying.
"Izumi-chan! Are you alright?" Uraraka flailed her hands around seeing Izumi's panicked and upset state.
"I'm fine! They haven't started yet right?" Izumi, unable to sit leaned over the railing and let out a breath of relief. "Good, I was worried I'd miss it."
"The rest of us would like to watch it too." Bakugo grabbed the back of her shirt and yanked her down into the seat he'd saved for her. "I went through the trouble of saving you a seat, so use it!"
"Thanks…" Too invested in the fight to Argue Izumi sat on the edge and pressed her fingers to her lips.
"Izumi-chan?" Uraraka leaned over, looking at the girl's eyes. She looked so nervous and frightened… Was she that worried about her brother?
Bakugo scowled, meeting Uraraka's eyes over Izumi's bent form.
"Oi, half pint-"
"SHHH! They're starting!" She shoved a hand at Bakugo motioning him to be quiet.
"The first match of the semi-final round is a big match! It features the winners of our first two events… The young man who literally left his first two competitors frozen in the tracks, from the hero course it's Shoto Todoroki!"
Todoroki walked up the steps, his resolve strong, and hunger to fight high. His fingers clenched and flexed at his side, and he took a long deep breath to settle any remaining nerves. His eyes focused ahead of him, and watched his competitor come up the steps to meet him.
"Versus… the young man who's shown such amazing overwhelming strength and endurance! From the Hero course, it's Izuku Midoriya!"
Izuku was determined to keep his promise. He'd already been focused on winning, but Izumi's plead to help Todoroki had tightened his resolve. It was rare for his sister to cry about anything that didn't concern family. For whatever reason Todoroki meant something to her, and it would be his job to stop the guy in his tracks and keep him from tearing himself in two.
"How will this battle come out I wonder…" Iida rubbed his chin.
"It depends on if Midoriya can get close to Todoroki." Tokoyami decided.
"That's true, what's Deku-kun gonna do about that ice?" Uraraka agreed.
"No…" Izumi corrected. "It's not a matter of skill, but resolve." She clenched her hands in her lap. "Both are good and strong fighters… but unless you have the will and hunger to win, that skill will only take you so far."
"I don't think either of them lack resolve, shorty." Bakugo commented, mirroring her position by leaning forward and eying the combatants.
"Maybe…" Izumi felt the tears wanting to form again but she shoved them back. "...but which one of them has more?"
"These two have shown top class performances! It's like two rivals fighting off against each other!" Izuku let One for All pulse through him, electric green waves of power sparking around him. Todoroki slipped into his stance, eyes hard and focused on his quarry. The audience could feel thickening air of tension and were already brought to the edge of their seats. "Now, Midoriya Vs. Todoroki…"
Izumi felt her stomach tighten as the air around them immediately chilled and she sucked in a hard breath.
"Here it comes…"
"START!"
Todoroki's ice shot out from his foot, a wave of glacier coming at Izuku at full speed and power. Izuku let his power fly, the wind force of his punch pulsing and breaking apart the ice forcing it back in a glacier wind.
"Whoa that's cold!" Uraraka shuddered and rubbed her arms, snot dripping from her nose from the sudden drop of temperature. "What the hell was that? A tornado?"
"He did that against Shiozaki too," Iida remembered shaking off the cold from his own bones.
"It's more of a shockwave, really…" Izumi corrected. "The wind is created through the massive amounts of speed and force our body can release. The more we release, the stronger the wind current."
"Impressive… and it stopped Todoroki's ice completely." Iida leaned in and adjusted his glasses. "I'm surprised Todoroki wasn't blown away along with it."
Izumi's eyes narrowed on Todoroki. He had been ready for her brother's attack. She could tell because of the massive ice block he'd braced himself against. The guy was good, and had come prepared.
"Izuku…"
Izuku remained guarded, but relaxed some after the attack. He'd noticed Todoroki's preparation as well… and his mind started to work overtime. He needed to catch Todoroki off guard and by surprise… but that would mean doing something unexpected and possibly rash.
When the next wave of ice was released, Izuku punched his fist out again, but then followed the wind, using the chunks of ice to hide his oncoming attack.
Todoroki's eyes widened as he suddenly came face to face with Midoriya, He barely managed to duck out of the way before Izuku's fist could land a solid punch, but the shockwave that followed it had him fumbling forward. He managed to stay on his feet and braced himself by using his right hand to turn the entire ring to ice and skating along it and around Midoriya.
Izuku felt his balance waver from the ice under his feet and he jumped to the air avoiding the next ice attack. He needed to watch his landing, otherwise he'd slip and iver todoroki the advantage, so instead of avoiding the mountainous glacier completely he came down upon it. He avoided the sharp edges, barely getting nicked as he braced himself atop the glacier.
"I never was good at ice skating…" he laughed and flipped off the top and sent a full cowl down at the ground cracking the ice on the ring and allowing him to safely land on concrete. Todoroki was on him instantly, rushing him with another icy force that he quickly blew away, and Todoroki with it.
Todoroki felt himself being pushed back, ice forming around him, creating a cradle to keep his body from going out of bounds. That last hit had been stronger… he choked out a small laugh and shoved the broken pieces of ice off him.
"That last wave was more powerful than the others… was that you telling me you don't want to me to get close?"
Izuku straightened, and had to admit he had panicked at having Todoroki so close and within range. Even though Todoroki seemed partial of distant attacks, he knew the guy could make precision moves, just like he'd used against Iida.
It was more than just his quirk… his judgement, application skills, and mobility were all top of the league. It was no wonder his sister had such a hard time going up against him in the combat exercise. Izuku needed to find a weakness in his powerful defense or-
His thoughts drifted off as he saw Todoroki's arm was tense and shaking. Something inside him snapped.
"He's hurting, Zuku! His dad has made him completely cut himself in half and it's killing him!"
That's right… Izuku thought and completely let down his guard. Izumi was right. This entire time, even thought it would have been to Todoroki's complete benefit he was refusing to use his fire. It would have helped him in the obstacle course, because he could have eliminated the trail of ice which inevitably gave Izuku the win. It would have double his defense in the cavalry battle and made it so much easier to gain the ten million points rather than struggle and use Iida's recipro.
This battle they were fighting, he was using such large ice attacks, but he wasn't using his fire to help keep his body temperature regulated. Why? Why was he being so damn stubborn!
"What's this? Midoriya has completely stopped moving. Has he been frozen in place?"
"Are you giving up Midoriya?" Todoroki narrowed his eyes, wondering what was going through his opponent's head. "Even if your not, don't think I won't use this to my advantage." He unleashed another surge of ice, the rushing force headed straight for Midoriya to freeze him in place.
"IZUKU!" Izumi shouted, her body gasping as she the connection… the familiar sparks of light connected, and Izuku's head lifted up and he thrust his fist out, the massive tornado causing Todoroki to struggle to catch himself this time. He tumbled and skidded, bracing on all fours trying to stay in bounds.
He let out a shaky breath and looked behind him. He'd stopped just in time, one more inch and he would have been out of bounds.
"What the hell was that?" His hands and clothes were cut up from tumbling across the icy stage. "Where did that come from?"
"You're trembling Todoroki…" Midoriya walked forward, his power sparking around him, eyes glowing fiercely. Todoroki felt that same wave of fear he'd felt in the cavalry battle, but this time it hit him like a freight train. "Quirks are physical abilities aren't they? There has to be a limit on how much cold your body can take. You can eliminate that by using your left side can't you?"
"Tch!" Angry and annoyed by his own fear, Todoroki stood up. He moved away from the edge his body poised and ready to fight again. When Izuku got close he grabbed his arm freezing it but Izuku tossed him aside and broke the ice apart, his skin going red and raw, the material of his shirt ripping.
"I think you need to stop dicking around and look at your situation carefully!" Izuku told him, his voice level, but there was a lingering anger and frustration beginning to bubble. It was rare for him to lose his temper… but Todoroki was sending him over that edge.
"Everyone here has been giving it their all, fighting to win and get closer to their dreams. Yet you want to win with only half of your strength? You gotta be kidding!" He lifted the arm he'd just iced. "This is the only hit you've landed on me today… if that's all the power that you're mustering to win then you're seriously outmatched!"Izuku clenched his injured hand into a fist and egged his opponent on. "Come at me with everything you've got!"
Todoroki tensed up, Izumi's tears and words suddenly replaying in his head and shaking him up.
"You're better than this… 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!"
"Midoriya…" Todoroki narrowed his eyes trying to shake off the image. "If you want to win so much why are you trying so hard to make me use my fire? Did your sister put you up to this?" He saw the flicker on Izuku's face and had him raging again. So she had…
"Your Dad is an ass!"
She'd met him… Did his dad approach her? Did he bribe her? Why? Hurt and anger flowed in him and he tossed away the crying image.
"Now I'm fucking pissed!" He rushed at him, but his body movement had slowed.
Izumi was shaking, even as her eyes analyzed the fight she could feel the conflictions inside herself… and felt her brother's power rise in response. "Help him, Izuku…"
Izuku wasn't sure what was going on inside him. He could feel his sister's emotions and it fueled him to fight. He waited for Todoroki to get in close and move in punching him hard in the stomach.
"A solid hit!" Present Mic called out. "Now this is the kind of action I like to see!"
Todoroki coughed, his breath coming out in smoky vapors from his overuse of his quirk. He tried attacking long distance, but the ice was too slow. Izuku zipped around it and he punched him again. Over and over, Todoroki got to his feet only to get knocked down again.
Why? Why didn't Midoriya just finish it? It was clear to Todoroki now he wasn't gonna win. Izuku was too damn strong, and his abilities just weren't enough to compensate for the lack of raw strength.
"Why aren't you-"
"I made a promise…" Izuku told him, stopping his assault so Todoroki could get to his feet. "I made a promise to my sister that I'd knock some sense into you."
"What?" Todoroki wiped blood from his mouth his eyes narrowed. "Izumi has no r-"
"Shut up! Shut up and listen!" Midoriya punched him again more out of annoyance than anything else. "If this had just been between you and me, I would have tossed you out of the ring a long time ago… but it's not! I can't possibly know all your circumstances or your resolve, but everyone here is working hard, doing their best, and for you to say you'd become number one without giving it your all, by completely rejecting your father…" irritation and frustration boiled, fueling his temper. "I really think you should stop screwing around!"
Todoroki sat on the ground staring up at Izuku. The guy loomed over him, casting a foreboding shadow.
"You-"
"Izumi came to me because she knows you deserve to be here and she wants to help you. She cried for you, and my sister rarely ever cries!" He held his heart, and knew she was crying now as well. "Seeing you rip yourself in half, rejecting the person that you are… she can't stand it."
Izuku's words were triggering memories, making Todoroki try and remember why he was here, why he was fighting so hard to win.
His parents…
His dad was an ass who wanted him to become his masterpiece, and a tool to finally rise above All Might. His mom, had done her best to comfort him, to make him feel loved… but had inevitably been driven crazy by his father's obsession and abuse. His mom had wanted him to be a hero, to live up to expectations… but she feared him, because she could see his father in his left side… and had hurt him because of that fear.
"She doesn't understand…" Todoroki whispered and grit his teeth. "I don't want to be like him. I don't want to be like my old man." Todoroki corrected and staggered to his feet. "So I'm rejecting him and his quirk!"
"It's not his quirk, it's yours!" Izuku seethed and he walked up grabbing Todoroki by the shirt front and shaking him. "You're not your father, Todoroki-kun. You're neither of your parents! You're your own unique person and the power that's inside you is yours and yours alone!"
Todoroki choked and looked at him stunned. He saw Izuku raise a fist ready to punch him again… and something inside him snapped.
You don't have to be bound by blood… you can be the hero you choose to be,
The first spark of realization triggered and Todoroki felt the fire inside him come to life. It flared across his face and down his arm, causing Izuku to jolt and jump back to keep from getting burned.
"The fire's here!" Uraraka held her hands in front of her face trying to keep the heat from it. Iida stared wide eyed murmuring his impressed feelings.
"Incredible… he used it."
"He did!" Overjoyed Izumi got to her feet. Smiling she leaned on the rail risking a closer look into the inferno. "Now it's a real fight!"
Izuku stared into the flames, his hands lifted up to shield his eyes from the bright light. Amongst the raging inferno he heard Todoroki speak
"Even though you want to win… damn it… to help your enemy like this? Don't you think you're the one screwing around?" Todoroki claimed, standing strong now, the frost on his body melting and the smoky haze of its vapors clouding around in an eeries mist. "You're not the only one who wants to be a hero… I want it too!"
Izuku smiled at him and raised his fists up.
"Bout time you admitted it…"
"Heh…" Todoroki smiled back, and he barely registered his father shouting over the crowd.
"Shoto!" Endeavor came down the steps. "Have you finally accepted yourself?! That's it! Good! It all starts from here for-"
"HEY MY SODA!" Kaminari complained as Izumi snagged it from his hands and hurled it down hitting Endeavor smack dab in the back of the head. The Number two hero stumbled the last few steps and glared behind him rubbing his head.
"CAN IT OLD MAN! THEY'RE HAVING A MOMENT!" Izumi shouted at him.
"Pffft.. Can it…" Todoroki, relieved and appreciative of Izumi's interference turned to her brother with a genuine smile. "I should tell you Midoriya… I'm crazy about your sister."
"Mmm… the feelings mutual." He held his chest nodding. "I'm sure of it."
"Good… then I hope she won't hate me after I win." He crouched and let his flames and ice roar. "Just remember you asked for this."
Izuku nodded and wind kicked up around him. He crouched, his power and his sister's pulsing together inside him, energizing him.
"No regrets! Hold nothing back!"
Todoroki focused, forcing his ice out at full power while letting his fire boil and flare… Izuku leapt rushing across the ice his power pulsing at full strength ready to match it. He felt the sparks of his sister's energy flowing inside him mixing with his own and prepaed to release it.
Give it your all, hold nothing back… it was a sensation he'd never experienced and now that he had he felt the immense pressure on his chest lift and release. "Midoriya… Thank You." He let the flames go, the temperature around them going from cold to hot causing heavy amounts of pressure and causing an exploding force of air.
Izuku hadn't been able to get close and was tossed backwards from the force. He panicked, struggling to right himself. He let loose the power more out of instinct then of purpose and let it push him back towards the ring. The power he released more than he expected… and more than Todoroki had expected.
Sweating and drained Todoroki's eyes lifted up as Izuku's body came barrelling back at him and the two collided. Todoroki was knocked off his feet, and clear out of the ring smacking into the wall of the stadium.
"What happened?" Izumi, dazed from the explosion, Bakugo's hands on her shoulders having kept her from flying backwards. She jerked away from him and rushed to the railing. "Izuku? IZUKU!"
Clouds of smoke covered the stage preventing anyone from seeing… As it cleared Midnight got up from the spot she landed and looked at the scenario. Todoroki was clearly out of bounds, and picking himself up… and Midoriya was sprawled on the ground, twitching in pain, but inside the ring.
"Todoroki is out of bounds! Midoriya wins!"
~Ask Briry~
Briry: Woot! I've never been really good at fighting scenes but I think I'm getting the hang of it. I've been using the My Hero Academia soundtrack to help me choreograph and it's been helping a lot. Next will be the fight between the two hotheads. I've been looking forward to writing that chapter for a long time and it was the main reason I had Izumi going up against Todoroki in combat practice, rather than Bakugo. Who's going to win and go up against Izuku in the finals? Just have to keep reading to find out!
Next Chapter: Izumi Vs. Bakugo
