Jogging back to the arena, backpack in tow, Izuku examined the other teams, noting that Ida had decided to join Todoroki's team. Exactly as I predicted.
"Here," he said, tossing the backpack to Shinso as he slowed to a stop next to the boy. He lifted his eyes to examine the students Shinso had gathered at his behest, glad to see he had managed to convince the students Izuku had decided would give them the best chance to win.
"Who are you?" Fumikage Tokoyami asked, his narrowed eyes turning on Izuku. His black feathers ruffled, and Izuku's lips thinned as their eyes met.
One of Uraraka's classmates. He's the one with control over his shadow. "I'm your leader," he answered, nodding to Uraraka, who stood next to Tokoyami. "My name isn't important right now."
"What's our plan?" Uraraka asked, staring in confusion at the mask Shinso held out to her, having procured the item from Izuku's backpack. It appeared identical to the Persona Chords, although the copies didn't actually work.
Tokoyami accepted his own, his eyebrows raising in surprise when the mask actually fit him. Over the two weeks before the Sports Festival, Izuku had made several iterations of the mask to fit the faces of those he thought would be good to team up with, as the Sports Festival would no doubt host at least one collaborative event. Tokoyami was one of those, and had required special attention due to his inhuman features.
"What are these?" Uraraka finished, glancing quickly at Tokoyami before placing the mask over her own mouth.
"They have to do with my quirk." Izuku gazed over at Shinso, who held a mask in his hand, studying it with furrowed eyebrows. When he noticed Izuku's gaze, he raised the mask in question. Izuku nodded, and Shinso slid the mask into place, his fingers adjusting the dials on the side of the mask. Of all the fakes in the backpack, the mask Shinso now wore was the actual Persona Chords.
"Why are you allowed support gear?" Tokoyami asked, his voice distorted through the mask. "We were told that wasn't allowed."
"Because I'm in the Support Course," Izuku lied as he tied his headband around his neck. Shinso had retrieved it for him, and the others already had their own in place. "We're allowed to bring our gear into the festival as a way of marketing them to different agencies. After all, our gear is what we must sell, not our quirk."
"You still haven't told us what our strategy is," Uraraka said, shuffling closer to the rest of them and linking arms with Tokoyami and Shinso in preparation.
"Right now, it's to do nothing. In the future, just do exactly as I tell you." Izuku climbed on top of them, noticing the other teams do the same. The timer displayed on the screens above them slowly counted down, and with every second that passed, the tension within the arena rose.
"But we don't have enough points right now to place in the top four." Tokoyami's head twisted around to glare at Izuku. "Do you plan on throwing the competition?"
"Of course not. I promise you this: we will win first place." Izuku grinned, although he knew his companions couldn't see his face. "Right now, everyone will aim for those on top. In addition, Class 1-B and 1-A hate each other. All we have to do is wait for them to destroy each other."
The timer rang throughout the stadium, and the teams lunged at each other, each of them desperate to steal enough points to advance to the next stage. "Just stay put," Izuku advised, settling into a more comfortable position as the other students began to engage in combat. His narrowed eyes searched the fray as he tried to memorize everything he saw. "I'll tell you when it's time to move."
Loud explosions rang through the arena, along with shouts and screams. Headbands were quickly stolen, and the ranks changed quickly, just as Izuku assumed would happen. A few teams approached them, but they quickly dodged out of the way. They didn't have enough points to be of any particular interest, and the other teams quickly moved on when they saw a capture would not be as easy as they desired.
Of course Bakugo is going for Todoroki. For his part, Todoroki and his team evaded the rest of the attacking students easily, Todoroki's quirk making it difficult for anyone to approach him effectively. They're soon to realize that attacking him is useless. He's too good for any of them to beat.
A shout echoed across the arena from Present Mic, the announcer for the event, and Izuku's eyes shot toward Bakugo's team, who just had their second place headband stolen by a team from Class 1-B.
They are targeting him because they hate him, Izuku realized, smirking. I told you that pledge would be your downfall.
Now, instead of going for Todoroki, Bakugo's team attacked those who had stolen from them with a feverish vigor. Izuku turned his attention back to Todoroki, already reasonably sure how the former fight was going to end.
"Hey, are we going to do anything?" Uraraka asked, twisted around to regard Izuku.
Peeking at the clock, Izuku saw they had five minutes to go until the end of the match, and he nodded. "Get close to Todoroki, but don't draw his attention. Uraraka, get ready to use your quirk on me. Shinso, you too. Tokoyami, stand by in case something goes wrong. You are defense."
They obeyed his order, although from the way their heads swiveled this way and that, he could tell they didn't quite understand, expect for Shinso, who hadn't taken his attention away from the spectacle before them.
Alright, Todoroki hid the ten million headband under the others, Izuku noticed, going through his memory to recall exactly which headband he was after. Quickly glancing to the side, Izuku saw that Bakugo was still attacking the team that had stolen his headband, although he couldn't tell if it was going well or not.
The time on the screen above them reached two minutes, and Izuku straightened. "Uraraka, use your quirk on me. When I yell 'now,' release it." Uraraka's fingers pressed against his leg, and the Binding Cloth quickly wrapped around his teammate's arms, preventing him from floating away. "Charge past Todoroki's team now, and stop a little away from him on the other side. Stay there, and pay attention. I might need help." Although I doubt it.
They began to move toward Todoroki, who glanced at them but quickly turned away when he realized they weren't aiming for him. Izuku tensed his muscles and saw a flash of purple as Shinso's eyes locked onto his.
The Binding Cloth released, and Izuku jumped from his teammates' backs, flying through the air with the help of Uraraka's quirk. "NOW!" he shouted, and gravity took hold of him, thrusting him toward the ground. The Binding Cloth shot through the air and wrapped around each of Todoroki's wrists before tightening and pulling Izuku toward his target at reckless speed.
"Agh!" Todoroki yelled as Izuku swung into him, the force of the blow almost knocking him to the ground. Izuku planted his feet onto the arms of Tenya and Denki, two of the bottom students of Todoroki's team. They cried out and stumbled, but fortunately for them all, they did not fall.
Swiftly, Izuku untied the headband he was after from Todoroki's neck and held it between his forefinger and thumb, glancing at it momentarily to ensure that it really was the ten million headband. Todoroki steadied himself and faced Izuku, his eyes widening as he saw the headband the latter waved in his face.
Todoroki went to grab it, but the Binding Cloth around his wrists tightened, forcing his arms to his side. "How—" he sputtered, the veins in his neck bulging as he strained against the Binding Cloth to no avail.
"You won't use your left side," Izuku muttered, tapping Todoroki's bright red hair. "And you can't freeze me from here without hitting your teammates." He shook the headband again and tensed his legs, ready to jump backward. "I'll be taking this."
Todoroki's eyes narrowed, and his mouth opened in a grimace. "Large attacks aren't the only thing I can do!" he growled, and ice sprouted from his right hand, traveling up the Binding Cloth. Izuku, already partway through his jump, simply smirked as he shot backward, traveling toward where his team waited. The binding cloth around Todoroki's left arm unraveled, but the other end, stuck to the boy's arm by the ice placed there, yanked sharply, and Todoroki's mouth opened in shock as he began to fall toward Izuku.
"No!" Todoroki yelled, and his left side ignited into flames. His left arm swung out to catch himself, the heat of the flames melting the ice covering the Binding Cloth. The strip released him, and Todoroki directed his flames toward the ground, stopping himself from hitting the ground. He fell backward onto the arms of his teammates, having avoided losing any more points.
Izuku's eyes widened as a sheet of fire rushed toward him, crackling as if laughing at his stupidity. He barely managed to cross his arms over his face before the flames struck him. Heat passed over him, and the sleeves of his hoodie blacked before flaking away, leaving his skin exposed to the rest of the blast. The stench of smoldering flesh stung Izuku's nose, and he began to drop, having expended all the energy from his jump.
Eyes widening, Izuku stared at his singed skin, already blistering and throbbing painfully. He tried to separate his crossed arms, only to discover they had been fused together by the heat. Agony shot through him, and he gasped at the force of it. I need to catch myself, he thought, but his body didn't move, completely frozen by the shock of the blow.
Darkness encircled him, and Izuku yelped as his feet suddenly found footing on the arms and shoulders of his teammates. Dark Shadow retracted back into Tokoyami, and Izuku realized it had been him to catch him and safely deliver him back to his teammates.
"Izu—Are you okay?" Shinso shouted as he stared at Izuku's arms.
My arms are exposed, Izuku thought, and adrenaline shot through his veins. He yanked his wrists apart, ignoring the overwhelming nausea that stabbed his gut as his flesh ripped from his bones. "I got it." He raised the ten million point headband, glad to see it was still on one piece. The fabric was singed, but the numbers were still clear and visible. He wasn't sure what sort of effect destroying the headband would have on the outcome. I must've protected it with my skin.
"That's not what I meant," Shinso shot back, anger coating his voice. "Let's forfeit. You need to go to Recovery Girl."
"NO!" Izuku snapped, his voice distorted through his mask. He straightened, and although his fingers shook wildly, he tied the ten million point headband around his neck. "It's almost over. We did not do all of this for nothing."
Shinso glanced up at the clock, seeing there were only thirty seconds left. His eyebrows lowered, but he nodded.
Directing his gaze toward Todoroki's team, Izuku observed them conversing amongst themselves, although Todoroki stared directly at Izuku, his eyes on the burns he had inflicted.
He feels guilty. He doesn't use his fire because he doesn't want to hurt anyone, and now he has. He's even less likely to use it in the future. Izuku's mouth narrowed into a smirk. Definitely worth it.
Todoroki abruptly turned and nodded to Ida, who raised his head, his eyes filling with a determined glint that Izuku could recognize anywhere. "Shinso," he said, his voice low, and the boy nodded, his hand raised to adjust the dials on the Persona Chords.
"Hey, former first-place!" Izuku yelled, and the team faced him, each of their gazes somewhat hostile. "Tenya Ida, right? Brother of Ingenium?" Izuku snorted and motioned to Shinso with a flick of his fingers.
"Ingenium must be so proud of his loser-brother," Shinso finished in Izuku's voice, and Izuku's eyes narrowed, leaning forward as if he himself had said the words.
Ida gritted his teeth in a fierce frown. "I will make my brother proud! I am Tenya Ida, pro hero in training, and I—"
Izuku grinned. "No, I don't think you will," he interrupted, shaking his head, almost disappointed with his so called "friend." So predictable, Ida.
"Freeze," Shinso commanded, still using Izuku's voice. Ida's eyes suddenly glazed over, and he stopped mid-sentence. A loud bang emanated from his legs, and Izuku followed the noise with his eyes. Smoke poured out of the engines contained within Ida's legs, but the boy still didn't move, compelled by Shinso's quirk. The metal rods turned red, and Izuku blinked. It seems Ida can do more than he let on, he thought, his lips thinning. I guess he isn't completely hopeless.
"Ida!" Todoroki yelled, his gaze suddenly shooting to his teammate. "What are you doing?"
Ida didn't budge, and the smoke pouring out his engines sputtered, then died. His expression didn't change as the timer rang throughout the stadium, bringing an end to the second event. Only once the last peal of the alarm died away did Ida seem to come back to himself.
Blinking, Ida shook his head as if trying to clear it. "Wha-what happened?" he asked, glancing around in confusion.
Izuku jumped off of his teammate's backs, landing softly on the ground. He crossed his arms behind him, watching as Todoroki followed suit, settling in front of Izuku. "What was that?" His eyes narrowed and then opened wide. "That was your quirk, wasn't it?"
"Someone give the man a medal," Izuku responded, his voice coated with sarcasm. He turned around, shifting his arms to hide them from Todoroki. Making eye contact with Shinso, he dipped his head. "Good work, team. It's lunch time now, so go enjoy yourselves without me. I'm going to go get some bandages." He picked up his backpack with a smooth motion and bowed to his former teammates. His pace quick, he escaped from his companions, hoping no one would think to check on him.
He managed to make it to the entrance of the building before someone yelled at him to stop. He wasn't inclined to answer, but a hand grabbed his shoulder and yanked him around, forcing him to confront whoever was chasing him.
Todoroki stepped back from Izuku, his lips pursed. Izuku clasped his arms behind him, somewhat surprised to see him. I didn't expect him to confront me. I thought he was more level-headed than that.
"Who are you?" Todoroki demanded as he crossed his arms across his chest. "Why are you wearing a mask?"
"I'm in the support course. We're allowed to bring gear into the festival. It's part of my quirk," Izuku responded, unsure of why he was asking. "Now, if you don't have anything important to say, I need to go. As you know, I'm badly burned."
Todoroki's expression softened, and his hands dropped to his sides. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."
"But you did." Izuku shrugged. "I don't care. I won anyway."
His jaw twitched, but the boy simply shook his head. "I can take you to Recovery Girl."
"I'm not going to Recovery Girl."
Todoroki blinked. "Why?"
"I'm a big fan of battle scars." Turning on his heel, Izuku began to walk away. He moved his arms back to his front, annoyed at the delay.
"Wait!" Todoroki yelled. Once again, Izuku didn't heed his call, but he heard the sound of Todoroki's footsteps rushing after him anyway.
Right before Todoroki reached him, Izuku spun around and grabbed Todoroki's wrist, earning a gasp of surprise from the boy. "What do you want?" he spat. His patience was quickly wearing thin, spurred by the surprising amount of pain his wounds caused. If this gifted twerp doesn't get away from me . . . His grip tightened, and Todoroki winced.
"Your arm . . ." Todoroki murmured, staring at Izuku's hand. Following his gaze, Izuku grimaced and released him, stepping backward and concealing both arms behind his back once again.
"You burned it. Big deal."
"Those are self-harm scars." Todoroki's lips twitched downward. "Do your parents know? Your teachers?"
"That's none of your business." Izuku cursed himself silently. Why did I do a stupid thing like that? Sure, I was supposed to get his attention, but not like this!
Todoroki lowered his head, his expression serious. "You should tell someone. They can help."
A laugh erupted from Izuku's mouth, and he let it continue, not caring how deranged it made him sound. It's not like he'll ever know who I am. "I seriously doubt that," he finally replied, his laughter having run its course.
Todoroki fell silent for a minute, and Izuku hoped he was finished. I should treat these before they get infected. His fingers twitched, and Izuku frowned at the pain that followed. I might not be able to hold a knife for a while. It's a good thing school doesn't resume for two more days.
But it seemed the boy wasn't quite through with Izuku. "I understand how you feel. My father . . ." Todoroki continued, and Izuku blinked as the boy began to explain his family situation, including his father's quirk marriage and subsequent abuse of his wife, when and why he obtained his scar, and how because of it, his mother was sent to a mental hospital.
Izuku's eyes drifted toward the arena, which was completely empty, although the stands were still full and noisy with the chatter of thousands of spectators. The students must have gone inside to eat lunch. His arms began to itch, and he bounced on the balls of his feet as Todoroki blathered on. I really do not care. But can I say that to him?
"I seek to prove to my father that I don't need his quirk to succeed. But today, I put my position in the competition above your well-being. I am truly sorry." Todoroki bowed, his red and white hair falling over his face.
I didn't expect the son of the number two hero to be so pathetic. "I've been through worse," Izuku said, waving his arm to dismiss Todoroki's apology. "I really don't care, so there's no need to explain or apologize."
"Nonetheless, I am sorry." Todoroki straightened. "I promise you, from now on I will never use my left side. No one else will get hurt in the same way you did."
That has got to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard. "I'll hold you to it," Izuku replied. He began to turn around, but paused halfway, sensing an opportunity. "I'm sorry about your family situation. But I'm sure not using your father's quirk is making him really angry. If you really can rise to the top without the flames, that'd be a pretty good revenge. It wouldn't make up for everything, of course, but I'm sure if would make you feel better." Izuku met Todoroki's eyes, who stared at him as if surprised. "Keep it up, Todoroki." Nodding one last time, Izuku retreated down the hallway, grateful that Todoroki didn't follow this time.
Well, well, well. The incomparable Shoto Todoroki has a weakness. Izuku entered the waiting room of the General Course and shucked off his mask before sitting down. Sighing heavily, he opened the secret pocket within his backpack to reveal his first aid kit.
This is bad. Izuku studied his arms, seeing nothing but red, blistering skin. Not even Toga would find this wound appetizing. At least it's not third-degree, Izuku thought as he applied a thin layer of antibiotic cream to the burn. If it was, I might actually require medical attention, and that is unacceptable. Picking up the strip of bandages, he began to wind them around the burns, wincing as he did so. Once finished, he tied off the ends and deposited the remains into his backpack. That's the best I can do for now. I'll have Kurogiri look at it once I get back to base.
"Izuku?" someone called from the entrance of the room. "Can I come in?"
"Sure," Izuku responded. Only one person would come here looking for him anyway. Shinso entered the room, his purple hair appearing more messy than usual.
"They were looking for you. Kept asking all kinds of question." He sat next to Izuku, staring at the bandages wrapped around Izuku's forearms and hands. No signs of the burns peaked out from under the covering, and his lips pursed.
"What did you tell them?" Looking away, Izuku procured his lunchbox from his backpack. He wasn't willing to eat the cafeteria food provided by the school. He couldn't quite explain his distrust, but he could never eat food that wasn't prepared by him.
Shinso chuckled. "I told them I didn't know you. They're all wondering who you are. Not even the announcers know, and some students think that should be against the rules." He scratched his head, one of his eyes squinting. "There's also some ruckus about that move you pulled back there."
"What does Midnight think?" Izuku asked, unwrapping his food and taking a bite. As the umpire, Midnight's opinion was the only one that mattered anyway.
"She's delighted." A rare burst of laughter came from Shinso's mouth, and he raised his fist to cover his smile. "So is Present Mic. 'This is the most exciting Sports Festival in years!'" he yelled, his voice raising as he attempted to mimic the professor.
Izuku grimaced and averted his gaze, not entirely sure if he should be looking at Shinso as he made a fool out of himself.
His hands lowering, Shinso grimaced. "This is why I need the Persona Chords. I'm terrible at impressions." Shinso shook his head, his grin slowly sliding off his face. "But are you okay? And don't just tell me you're fine."
"But I am fine," Izuku argued. He pointed his fork at Shinso, flicking specks of food onto his face on accident. "I've been through worse."
Shinso didn't comment, instead wiping his face on his shoulder in a smooth motion. "Worse? I can't imagine anything worse than that." Shinso slouched against the table, frowning as he muttered, "I've never seen anyone more powerful. Even though we stole the ten million points from him, his team still had enough to qualify."
Izuku scratched at the skin on the right side of his face with his fork. "Not really. Your quirk is definitely more powerful than his."
"Only if I can get him to speak. He doesn't seem like the talking sort."
Izuku smirked and set down his food, drawing out his silence for a long moment. "I know how to help with that." Shinso swiveled to stare at him expectantly, not even questioning how Izuku had come by this revelation. Clasping his hands in front of him, Izuku began to explain, "You see, he has a weakness . . ."
—
Distant thuds and voices reached Izuku's ears as he pulled a new hoodie over his head and clipped his fake Persona Chords over his face. Present Mic's voice boomed overhead, informing them that all students should return to the arena right away.
"Do you think anyone's going to wonder why you aren't using the Binding Cloth?" Shinso asked from where he leaned against the door frame outside of the room, allowing Izuku a moment of privacy so he could change.
Izuku shook his head as he shoved his knife vest into his backpack. "If anyone asks, I'll just tell them they were damaged due to Todoroki's fire." Jerking his hood up over his head, he shrugged. Wearing it would be useless now, as he wasn't supposed to know how to use the Binding Cloth, and Shinso wouldn't be able to manipulate the weapon for him anymore.
"That not how it works." Shinso pushed off from the wall and joined Izuku as he strode down the hall.
"They don't know that."
"Hey, Midoryia." Shinso stopped, his eyes lowering to stare at the floor before meeting Izuku's. "You probably know that the last round of the Sports Festival is always a one-on-one battle."
Izuku nodded. He could guess where this was going, but he allowed Shinso to finish his thought anyway.
"If we are paired together . . . I know you want me to win, but I also know that you're a good fighter." He ran his fingers through his hair, his lips pursing. "Don't go easy on me, okay? If I win because you threw the match, it won't mean anything."
If I fought you for real, you'd end up dead. "Of course." Izuku smiled and slapped Shinso on the back, startling him. "I'll try my best, as long as you do too." Shinso nodded, his lips thinning into what Izuku thought might be a smile.
"Go ahead." Izuku motioned for Shinso to proceed him, and he complied, entering the arena with the rest of the students. Izuku watched him for a couple minutes, his eyes unfocused. Present Mic's voice came over the speakers once again, announcing the recreational games they could all take part in before the final event. Izuku shook his head and entered the arena while Midnight introduced the final trial: A tournament of duels. In the end, only one winner would emerge.
Their opponents would be decided randomly, and Izuku directed his eyes to the screen, somewhat surprised to see his name listed as "Masked Mystery."
These heroes and their obsession with cliché names, Izuku scoffed and turned to stare at Shinso, who returned his gaze, his lips thinning. According to the screen, they would be the first to battle.
The other students dispersed to either join the recreational games or meet with their upcoming opponent. Izuku strode toward Shinso, tilting his head. The purple-haired boy opened his mouth to speak, but Izuku beat him to it.
"It's not that I don't trust you, but you won't use your Brainwashing on me before the match, right?" he asked, a smile lightening his voice.
Shinso grinned, his straight teeth baring in a rather disturbing manner. "Of course not. I'll save that for the match."
"You do know that's not going to work, right?" He can't use his Brainwashing yet anyway, if he wants to win.
"I can still try." Shinso shrugged. "What are you going to do now? Are you going to join the recreational games?"
"Oh, no, I have no interest in that."
Shinso's answering grin sent a chill down Izuku's spine as they both recognized he very well could've Brainwashed Izuku in that moment. "Stop it," Izuku muttered. "This is why people think you're a villain, you know."
"I didn't do anything!" Shinso raised his hands, but a chuckle emerged from his throat.
Izuku ignored him and faced the leader-board, his eyes narrowed. Once Shinso won against Izuku, he would face Todoroki, a battle which could go horribly wrong. With an arena of people watching, there was no way for Izuku to rig the match in Shinso's favor.
Izuku examined Shinso, whose purple eyes were fixed on the girls of Class 1-A, who, for some reason, were wearing UA cheering outfits. It's all up to him. Let's hope he can pull it off.
—
For clarification's sake, everyone who made it to the tournament in the anime did so here as well. Since Shinso joined Izuku instead of Hatsume, we can assume that the teams reorganized so everyone could get to the final round without anyone forfeiting, unlike the original. This is done mostly to keep it simple for my sake, and also because it doesn't really affect the placement of the major players like Bakugo, Todoroki, and Shinso.
Anyway, next week will be the final chapter about the Sports Festival! How will it go? Who will win? Who knows? (I do.) If you enjoyed, please comment, vote, share, etc. If you enjoy my writing style, check out my website Salandrawolfe . com or look up my name, Salandra Wolfe, for my novels.
If you want more fanfiction, check out my profile. Thank you for reading!
Sally