Izuku sidled past the seated students, muttering his apologies and avoiding their gazes. Annoyed eyes barely rested on him before turning back to the arena, but most of them snapped back to stare at him almost immediately, their eyes wide as they noticed his scar. He was used to this treatment by now, but that didn't make it any less uncomfortable, and his face warmed at the attention.
He plopped into a seat next to Uraraka, who was focused solely on the match, earning a small yelp from her. Easy kill. He smiled at the thought.
"Izuku," Uraraka hissed, her wide eyes turning on him. "Where have you been?" She grabbed for his hands, and he quickly raised them to place behind his head in a sheepish gesture.
"With Shinso," he admitted. "I was giving him some pointers on his upcoming matches, but I didn't want to miss your or Ida's match."
"Well, you aren't missing much." Uraraka grimaced and turned back at the arena, where a very frustrated Ida battled against the evasive Hatsume, who simply shouted out to the crowd about her various support gear items. "I can only imagine how embarrassed Ida feels."
Izuku nodded in agreement. To be used as a marketing strategy would hurt anybody's pride, but Tenya, so eager to prove himself to his brother, would probably suffer the most from the dirty trick.
The match ended with Hatsume forfeiting, and Tenya exited the arena, his face screwed up in anger. Izuku stared at Hatsume, wishing he had witnessed her demonstrations. I wonder what that does . . . it looks like it . . . no, it's not quite the right—but that does—and that's the one she menti—
"Izuku," Uraraka whispered, bumping him gently with her shoulder. "You're muttering again."
"Oh." Izuku blinked and clamped his mouth shut. Ordinarily, he would be taking notes on the matches, observing weaknesses and strategies he could incorporate into his own techniques, but with the state of his hands, there was no way he could hold a pencil, let alone write a comprehensible sentence. "Sorry."
"What are you doing here, Deku?" a loud voice from behind suddenly interrupted, and Izuku didn't need to turn around to know Bakugo was behind him. "This section is for hero students only, and, last I checked, you aren't one."
Izuku stood and jerked his head, beckoning Uraraka to follow him. "Let's go check on Ida." Uraraka stood silently and followed Izuku from the stands. Bakugo shouted something after them, but neither of them paid any attention to it, instead discussing the matches Izuku had missed in low tones.
On their way to a waiting room, they ran into Ida, who joined them. The room was one reserved for hero course students, and it was considerably nicer than the one Izuku had spent most of his time in that day. Ida immediately began ranting about Hatsume and how unprofessional their battle was, and Izuku merely nodded in agreement as Uraraka listened quietly.
"Uraraka, how are you feeling about your upcoming match with Bakugo?" Ida suddenly asked, his voice lowering into a more serious tone.
Uraraka stared at the table as she twisted her hair around her finger. "Not great," she admitted. "I'm not sure I can beat him."
"He won't hold back," Izuku interjected, pulling a chair away from the table and sitting across from her, placing his hands carefully on his lap. "He's never been one to go easy on anyone. I can offer you a strategy I think—"
"No," Uraraka interrupted, shaking her head. "All I've done this entire competition is rely on others. I scraped by in the obstacle race, and the Masked Mystery did all the work in the Calvary Battle. I want to come up with something myself."
Izuku resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It was a stupid sentiment. While it might not matter much in a refereed battle between classmates, in the real world, it was kill or be killed. Out there, you had to take any advantage you could get, or die in an attempt to carry out your altogether meaningless ideals.
Whatever. It's not like she would win anyway. Helping her would be a waste of my time. "Can I offer you some general advice, then?"
Uraraka hesitated before nodding.
"Bakugo will go straight for you. He won't wait for a pleasant chat, and he definitely won't start slow. If you want to win, you're going to have to strike first and touch him in order to knock him out of the ring. Your biggest advantage is that he will underestimate you. He thinks of himself as better than everyone, and that confidence prevents him from properly analyzing his opponent." Izuku leaned back, satisfied with that explanation. It didn't really mean much, as the fate of the match had been decided from the very beginning, but at least this way he appeared to be trying to help.
"Thank you, Izuku. I'll keep that in mind." She smiled brightly, and he nodded in return, his face no doubt turning bright red.
They continued to discuss the rest of the rest of the Sports Festival, how it had gone, who they thought would win, and which opponent they might face next. Ida and Uraraka both expressed interest in the Masked Mystery, and Izuku told them a variation of the lie he'd spun for Mirio and All Might, explaining that Shinso had managed to track him down and ask him about his quirk, and they moved on quickly. Eventually, it was time for Uraraka to face Bakugo, and she exited the waiting room, her face set in grim determination.
She's lucky Cementoss is here to referee. If not, Bakugo would probably kill her. He has no self control. Izuku stared after her, jolting when Ida touched his shoulder. At his motion, Izuku stood, and they walked to the arena together. Ida began to walk in the direction of the Hero Course seats, clearly expecting Izuku to follow him.
When Izuku stopped, Ida paused and turned back to him. "Aren't you coming?" he asked, jerking his thumb behind him. "You are going to watch Uraraka's battle, correct?"
Izuku shook his head. "Bakugo would yell at me as soon as he gets back, and I don't want to deal with that. I'll sit over there." He pointed to the section of seats reserved for General Studies students, although the stands were empty. It seemed that after their disqualification, his classmates had all retreated back home or joined their families in the stands, which was typical for the Sports Festival. "You know where to find me."
Ida pursed his lips as if he was about to say something, but he nodded instead. "I will go with you," he decided. Izuku's eyebrows crept up his forehead, but he smiled regardless, and they sat next to each other in the deserted section.
Izuku placed his elbows on his knees, his eyes narrowed as Uraraka walked into the ring, her head held high. Good luck, Uraraka. His attention drifted to Bakugo, who sneered in Uraraka's direction, his fingers twitching as if he couldn't wait to strangle the life out of her. You're going to need it.
—
A blaring horn played over the speakers, leaving Bakugo standing within the destroyed battle arena, his chest heaving. Uraraka's body lay splayed across the ground, and Present Mic excitedly announced that Bakugo had won.
Izuku sighed as the match reached the foregone conclusion of Uraraka's defeat. I'm a little disappointed, though. His gaze rose to the stands where her classmates watched the match. Several of them stood with seeming dismay, although they were too far away for him to make out their expressions. The last sounds of booing faded away, replaced by an uneasy silence.
No one wanted him to win. That's refreshing.
"Izuku, let's go." Izuku's eyes snapped to Ida, who had somehow stood without Izuku noticing.
Wha. . . oh. Uraraka. Right. "Coming." Izuku shot to his feet, following Ida quickly down the stairs and toward the hallway leading into the building, Izuku's eyes fixed on Ida's feet. A tingle spread down his spine, and his head shot up, immediately searching for whoever was staring at him.
To his relief, he saw Shinso leaned against the hallway, his tired eyes gazing directly at Izuku and clearly the cause Izuku's unease. Shinso's mouth was pressed into a grimace, and his stance radiated uncomfortable energy, as if he wanted to move toward his friend but wasn't sure if he should.
Izuku stopped, barely repressing a sigh. I suppose we have to make-up sometime. He's too useful to lose now. "Ida, you go ahead. I'll be there in a moment."
Ida paused, his mouth open as if to ask why, but the words died in his throat when he caught sight of Shinso. Hesitation lingered in his features, but another glance between the two resulted in a raised brow and an almost inaudible gasp. It appeared Ida had come to a conclusion on his own about the two friends, or, more specifically, the negative energy flowing between them. Whether or not that realization was correct, Izuku couldn't tell, but either way, something about Ida's expression shifted, and he bowed to Izuku before retreating without another word.
Izuku waited for a moment to ensure he was out of earshot before striding toward Shinso. The boy's body jerked, and he moved away from the wall, his mouth opening, but Izuku merely leaned against the wall beside him, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Shouldn't you be preparing for your match against Todoroki?" he asked, his tone relaxed. He didn't look at Shinso, but he heard the sigh of relief that emerged from his mouth, although he no doubt tried to stifle it.
"I don't need to prepare. I have an excellent coach." Shinso leaned toward Izuku, brushing him with his shoulder, and Izuku blinked at the gesture.
A match began within the arena, but Izuku didn't turn his attention toward it, instead staring at his feet as he thought up a response. The sudden silence brought awareness to his body, and he groaned internally. His heartbeat echoed in his fingertips along with the constant sensation of pins and needles digging into his skin. Pressure built up behind his eyes, and his eyelids drooped, begging to close permanently. Just a few more hours, he reassured himself, tapping his fingers against his leg in order to wake himself up.
"Hey, uh. About earlier—" Shinso started, but he didn't get the chance to finish.
"HEY, DEKU!" the shout pierced Izuku's ears, and he winced, lowering his head to his shoulder and rubbing his ear against his shirt as if that would erase the memory of the sound.
Loud footsteps stomped toward them, but Izuku continued to stare at the ground, not interested in facing the approaching threat. He'll just follow me if I leave. Izuku frowned. Why is he angry? I haven't done anything to him . . . yet.
"This was your doing!" Bakugo accused, not waiting for Izuku's response.
The words piqued Izuku's interest, and his head rotated toward Shinso, who had stepped away from the wall, his body trembling with readiness. Izuku's movement caught his attention, and their eyes met, but Shinso's gaze was devoid of any knowledge. Of course he wouldn't know. Only Bakugo knows what insanity goes on inside his head.
"Don't ignore me!" The stone wall next to Izuku's head cracked as Bakugo slammed his fist into it, heat curling against his cheek as Bakugo's quirk lit the air near his face.
He's not going to give up, is he? "What are you talking about?" Izuku slowly rolled his head to face Bakugo, his expression blank.
Not too surprisingly, his nemesis' face was a bright red, his eyebrows practically flying off his head with anger. It was an expression Izuku was used to, and the sight of it now, when he hadn't even spoken to Bakugo in weeks, nearly sent him into a laughing fit. Izuku bit his tongue to suppress the urge. He'll go away if I don't goad him on.
"You're always writing in those stupid notebooks. You have your quirkless nose stuck in everybody's business."
"I don't see your point."
Bakugo's face somehow grew redder. "Shut up, nerd! Don't interrupt me." He paused, the veins in his neck pulsing. "You coached her, didn't you?"
Does he not know Uraraka's name? "Nope," Izuku replied shortly. "She wouldn't let me. Something about pride." He shrugged. "That strategy was all her."
Bakugo's face froze, and the redness faded somewhat. There was a long pause before he spoke again. "Know your place, quirkless," he muttered, his lips contorting into a frown. His eyebrows settled down around his eyes, which carried a defiant gleam. "Next time I see you in my space, I'll destroy you."
Bullying me makes you feel so much better, huh? "You're just rattled because she almost beat you." Izuku smirked even as Bakugo's eyes narrowed. "You made a big promise when this all started, didn't you? Starting to think you can't do it?"
"What do you know? You're nothing!" Bakugo stepped forward, and Shinso did the same. Bakugo's eyes flitted to him as if noticing him for the first time. "Who's this freak?" Shinso's cheek twitched in annoyance, but he didn't reply, instead waiting for Izuku to take the lead.
Izuku merely rolled his eyes. A conflict between these two now is unwise. "How about instead of yelling at me about how superior you are, you go and prove it?" Izuku paused before allowing his eyes to take on a villainous gleam. "Although, I guarantee you can't."
"Hah, as if you could understand winning." Bakugo leaned forward, his voice dropping into a whisper, or as much of a whisper as he could possibly accomplish with his bellowing voice. "You've always been a pathetic, worthless loser."
Izuku's jaw twitched, and he took a moment to remind himself of the condition of his hands. Strangling Bakugo here and now would accomplish nothing, even if it would provide much needed closure. "You'll see," he predicted, keeping his tone light. One day, Bakugo, I will kill you. Tell me, who will have won then?
"Pfft." Bakugo laughed, but afterward, his face twisted into a disturbed kind of disgust, and Izuku knew he had managed to place a shred of doubt in the bully's heart. "I will win. And when I do, you'll regret this." He cracked his knuckles in what Izuku supposed was supposed to be a menacing manner before striding back in the direction of his seat.
"Sorry about that," Izuku muttered, his face flushing as he put on a sheepish grin. He faced Shinso, shrugging his shoulders. "I get competitive when it comes to him."
Shinso didn't reply, and his eyes stayed fixed on Bakugo's back. His eye bags appeared more prominent than just moments before, and somehow his eyes were deeply shadowed even in the bright sunlight. A muscle in his jaw twitched, and Izuku leaned backward, not entirely sure why he was making that face.
"I can see why you hate him," Shinso finally muttered, his fists curling and uncurling.
What? "He's nothing." Izuku turned back to the arena, where an arm wrestling match between two students had concluded. He wasn't sure of either of their names, not like it mattered. Shinso would never face either of them. "Focus on your next match."
"If I win, you know I'll face Ida next, right?"
Izuku paused, staring out across the arena as the teachers readied for the next match. "His Recipro Burst is a problem. Without the Binding Cloth, there's no way you'll be able to avoid it with your current physical prowess."
"So what do I do?"
Pressing his lips together, Izuku considered the question. He knew exactly how he wanted to answer, but could he do so without betraying his persona? "Well, you could use your quirk on him between matches," he suggested before laughing. "Although, that does seem unfair. But there are no rules against it." He hazarded a glance back at his friend in an effort to gauge his reaction.
Shinso nodded slowly, his lips pulling into a frown. Seeing this, Izuku tilted his head. "But otherwise, you try to get him to talk during the match. It might be difficult since his guard will be up, but he doesn't know how your quirk works, so it's possible. Otherwise, focus on dodging his attacks and staying in the center of the arena. Once he activates his Recipro Burst, you won't be able to avoid it, but afterward, his engines freeze up, and you can capitalize on that weakness when the time comes."
A deep breath from Shinso, and Izuku smiled, recognizing the strain reflected in Shinso's expression. "I'll repeat this all later. Just focus on Todoroki for now." An announcement played over the speakers, and both of them looked at the ceiling as they listened.
"It's time for the next match! Next contestants, please make your way to the arena!"
When Present Mic's voice faded, Izuku gave his friend a double thumps-up. "You've got this."
Shinso frowned at him for a long moment before bowing. When he straightened, his expression had hardened into his typical impassive mask. He entered the arena, and from across the structure, Todoroki did the same. The two boys approached each other slowly, each of their faces set in stone.
They're pretty similar, Izuku noted. It might be prudent to befriend Todoroki as well, although I'm not sure if that will be possible.
"Is Shinso up next?" a voice from behind asked, and Izuku twisted to see Ida and Uraraka walking toward him.
"Uraraka! Are you okay to be up and about so soon?" The words burst from his mouth, and he moved to hover around Uraraka, checking her up and down for injury. She waved him off, smiling brightly.
"I'm fine. It was only a few scrapes and bruises. Recovery Girl fixed me right up."
Izuku relaxed his stance and breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, I'm glad." He chuckled suddenly. "You made Bakugo really mad, you know that?" Tilting his head, he grinned brightly. "You did well, Ochoco."
Uraraka dipped her head, and a red color flooded into her cheeks, giving her face a rosy glow. "Thanks, Izuku," she muttered.
What was that? No—I don't have time to think about that. "It's Shinso versus Todoroki now." Izuku turned back to the arena and edged closer to the opening, wondering just how close he could get to the battle without drawing attention. I should've brought binoculars.
"Shouldn't we return to the stands?" Ida asked, but Izuku shook his head, his lips curling into a smile.
"This won't take long. Just watch."
—
The crowd seemed almost feral with excitement as Shinso faced Todoroki, both of them standing within the white lines of the battle arena as they waited for Present Mic to count them into the match.
Todoroki, his eyes narrowed and lips pursed in a frown, stared at Shinso, his red and white hair filling Shinso with a sense of dread. He had seen the boy's previous match, along with his performance during the Obstacle Race, and Shinso knew his quirk was not one to be trifled with.
He could take me out with one blow. Shinso twisted around briefly to see Midoryia, Ida, and Uraraka standing at the entrance of the tunnel he had just emerged from. When Midoryia saw him staring, he gave Shinso a wide grin and a thumbs up.
His lips thinning into a determined grimace, Shinso faced Todoroki once again. Here goes nothing. Present Mic began the countdown, and Shinso swallowed down his nervousness and opened his mouth, putting all the force he could muster behind his words.
"Son of the number two hero, huh?" Todoroki's eyebrows furrowed at the words, and Shinso pressed on with, "You're so lucky you were born with a heroic quirk."
His opponent's jaw tightened, but he still didn't answer, merely shifting his stance into what Shinso recognized as his battle stance. Shinso followed suit, although if Midoryia's plan didn't work, it wouldn't matter if Shinso was ready for the assault. Midoryia, I hope you're right about this.
"With a quirk like yours, it will be easy for you to become the hero you want to be." Present Mic's countdown neared its end, and a bead of sweat dripped down Shinso's back. "With your father's help, you'll end up just like him." He paused for a moment before spitting out the words, "It's not fair." His tone was filled with venom, and Todoroki flinched, although the movement was so small Shinso almost missed it.
Present Mic ended his countdown with a loud shout to begin the fight, and Shinso's stomach tightened into knots, but Todoroki didn't immediately launch at him as he had done in the past few rounds, instead staring at Shinso, neither of them moving an inch.
"I don't know what your quirk is, but regardless, I will defeat you with my right side only." His eyes narrowed in determination, and ice began to form along his left hand as he raised it to point at Shinso, preparing to blast him out of bounds. "I'm sorry, but I cannot lose now."
With the words, the world slowed, and a purple color tinged Shinso's vision as if he had placed colored lenses over his eyes. A bright white cord, loose and floating freely, connected Todoroki and Shinso, swaying gently in an intangible wind. At his direction, the cord tightened with an audible twang, darkening into a sordid black. Todoroki's form began to glow, and the rest of the world darkened, leaving his opponent as a shining beacon for Shinso's quirk to focus on.
"Gotcha," Shinso muttered, the tension within his chest releasing all at once. Todoroki froze in his tracks, and the cloud of ice around his left hand faded as Shinso's will overcame his own.
"What's this? It seems Todoroki is frozen in the ring!" Present Mic yelled over the speakers, and Shinso smiled at the choice of words.
"Turn around and walk out of bounds," he commanded. The purple glow around Todoroki brightened, and he obediently faced the outside of the ring and began to shuffle toward the white line closest to him. The crowd quieted, and they all stared in confusion as Todoroki approached the end of the court.
"Todoroki is walking out of the ring! Could this be Shinso's quirk at play?" Present Mic leaned closer to the screen, and, out of the corner of his eye, Shinso saw Aizawa sitting next to him, his face unreadable through the bandages covering his head.
Are you seeing this, Mister Aizawa? Midoryia's strategy took him out in less than a minute. Shinso's eyebrows furrowed, his thoughts slowing to a crawl, along with the world around him. How did Midoryia know this would work? His lips curved into a frown, and Todoroki stopped directly before the line, staring out at the spectators. The crowd held its breath, and Shinso turned around again in search for Midoryia, catching sight of him almost instantly.
His friend's face was lit up with a huge grin even in the murkiness of Shinso's vision, and he rapidly gestured with his hands, urging Shinso to expel Todoroki from the ring. Shinso smiled back, resolve flooding into his heart.
I only got this far because of him. If anyone deserves to get into the Hero Course, it's him.
Shinso gazed back at Todoroki, who still stood at the edge of the lines, his expression blank. But I won't force him to accept something he doesn't want. So, this time, I'll win.
Todoroki stepped out of bounds, and Shinso released the string connecting them, and Todoroki's purple outline disappeared in a flash, leaving him to whirl around in confusion. Shinso's vision faded back to normal, and he nodded, staring at the ground as the crowd erupted around him.
I'll win for Izuku.
—
Izuku sighed, his shoulders lowering along with his stress levels. For a moment there, it looked like he wasn't going to go through with it. He yearned to pinch his nose in order to relieve his headache, but with his injuries, he knew that would only cause more pain. After all I've gone through, I'm not sure I would've done if he hadn't.
Shinso jogged back to them, stopping next to Izuku. His expression was open, and the corners of his mouth curled upward, not quite smiling but almost there. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by an excited shout from Ida.
"So this is your quirk!" Ida shook his head and blinked rapidly, seemingly unable to believe his eyes. "Todoroki is the most powerful student in Class 1-A, and you defeated him without exchanging a single blow!" He stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with and intensity Izuku had come to expect from him. "How does it work?"
"No can do." Izuku inserted himself between the two before Shinso could reply, shaking his head at both of them. "Sorry, Ida, but if you win your next match, you'll be facing Shinso yourself. He can't tell you anything about his quirk."
Ida dipped his head, his excitement fading. "I understand. It is a valid strategy. However, may I ask one question? You may decide not to answer if you wish."
"Sure," Shinso replied, his voice soft.
"Why didn't you use it against the Masked Mystery?"
Shinso's eyes traveled to Izuku's, and he gave a discrete nod. "I couldn't," he replied, shuffling his feet. "That's all I can say."
Ida leaned back, his expression pensive. Izuku sighed inwardly. If we're lucky, he'll think it's because the Masked Mystery was wearing a mask or something similar. Although, he's unlikely to fall for Shinso's trick regardless. Izuku examined Shinso, who was currently speaking with Uraraka, his purple eyes calm. I suggested using Brainwashing on Ida before the match, but I doubt he'll do it. Despite joking about it earlier, he still holds onto the heroes' moral code. He won't sabotage his opponent before their match. A sly smile twitched onto Izuku's face, and he turned his head to hide it from his friends.
Luckily for him, I have no such reservations.
—
I'm back! This chapter may feel a little less polished, probably because I wrote it while on vacation, but I didn't want to keep y'all waiting any longer for potential rewrites. You may have noticed I took some artistic liberties with the presentation of Shinso's quirk, and I hope that's alright. I just wanted to give him something else to make his perspective more interesting.
My birthday was a few days ago (Thus the longer delay,) and I would appreciate some goodies in the comments for my hard work. Or some shares, maybe. Idk, I just think that would be nice.
Also . . . I'm not sure if there will be a new chapter next week. Ruin (FNAF: Security Breach DLC) is supposed to come out next week, so I might be playing that all week . . . Yes, I am also that type of nerd, and I'm not sorry.
Anyway, this arc is a lot longer than I thought it was going to be. Perhaps 1 or 2 more chapters? Then it's onto Stain . . . :) (I'll let you decide what that means)
Thank you for reading. If you like my writing, please go to salandrawolfe .com to learn more about me and my books. If you'd like more fanfiction, check out my profile or suggest stories in my comments or DMs. I'll see you next time!
—Sally