Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia
Izuku and Ochaco continued up through the building to locate their other opponent. Shoto would likely be tougher than Bakugo, especially considering how much that ice quirk of his could do. Izuku remembered how easily he'd immobilised his opponents in the Sports Festival. They would have to do all they could to avoid it.
Still, Izuku was happy. Mainly because he beat Katsuki once again.
What was the saying?
Karma is a bitch.
Oh, she was, a complete and total one.
With most of his anger vented, he would take the remainder out on Todoroki. Although this time it wasn't personal.
Todoroki would be a tricky opponent since he could spread ice from his right side all around the field to immobilise his targets and make it difficult to move. However, he couldn't make ice appear out of the spots he'd already frozen, it had to come from his body.
There was also the fact that he refused to use his left side which gave them an advantage. Ice also wasn't an issue for Izuku. Though he had no experience, through Stains wisdom he knew how to fight on it.
Flashback
Izuku and Stain had just finished some mobility training on the rooftops of Hosu and were now resting on top of one.
"You've gotten pretty good, and in such a short amount of time," Stain applauded.
"I owe it all to you. You taught me after all. You're a really good teacher," Izuku stated.
Stain laughed. It was his first time acting as a teacher and he wasn't doing too bad. Either that or Deku was just a good student.
"At any rate, it seems like you'll have no issue with moving around any surface," Stain said.
"Unless it's something like ice or oil," Izuku pointed out.
"Actually, you'll be able to move on them as well," Stain shot back.
Izuku glanced at him confused. Stain sighed and decided to explain.
"Most of the time when you are on a substance like ice or oil you would slip. However, that depends on the friction. If you are there for a second and don't use much friction, then you will be able to navigate through them without much difficulty. In other words, move fast and don't move much," Stain explain. "If you do, try and use that substance to your advantage."
Izuku looked out at the city. He never thought of it like that before. He wondered when he would use such a technique.
Flashback end
Apparently, that time was now.
"Hey um, I was just wondering," Ochaco started. "Your name Deku, where does it come from?"
Izuku glanced at her surprised.
"Why do you want to know?" he asked.
Ochaco fidgeted slightly.
"Curiosity I guess," she replied. "Bakugo calls you it not because it's your villain name, but more like a nickname. It makes sense since you've both known each other since childhood."
Izuku raised an eyebrow. This girl was quite intelligent to have figured it out so quickly. Either that or she was just rather observant.
"Well if you must know, it's an alternate reading of my first name. He gave it to me when we were kids because I wasn't good at many things like him. The name itself means worthless, or rather useless. It seemed to become even more true after I was outed as quirkless," he explained.
"So, it's an insult then," Ochaco noted.
Izuku nodded in confirmation. "It was a scar for most of my life. Hence, why I chose it as my villain identity."
Ochaco had a different opinion about though.
"Really, Deku sounds like the word for "You can do it", plus I think it sounds super cute," she said.
"…"
Izuku stared at her like she was mad.
Ochaco looked confused by his reaction.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing," Izuku said quickly regaining his composure. "Let's just keep moving forward."
In truth, Izuku felt like a bomb had blown up in front of him.
He wasn't mad at Ochaco. He was just incredibly confused at that moment. His entire life that name was an insult. No one had ever thought it like that before.
"Okay, now our battle plan for Todoroki. Using your quirk, we can avoid being frozen when he uses it on the entire area," he explained.
"That's all we'll be able to do," Ochaco admitted sadly. "My quirk isn't exactly offensive."
"That's not entirely true," Izuku told her. "Your quirk could be used to weaken structures of different objects so they're easier to break. Lessening the weight of an object makes it less dense."
Ochaco looked at him surprised. She had never thought of it that way before. Guess he really did analyse her quirk at the festival.
"I can handle Todoroki in close combat. From what I saw at the Sports Festival, he's a long-range fighter, not a mid-range," Izuku explained.
They continued moving up towards their opponent.
Monitor room
The students and pros continued to watch the battle trial. Bakugo had been taken off and delivered to Recovery Girl. They still couldn't get over how easily he'd been defeated.
There was a fifteen-minute time limit in this trial and with just under ten minutes to complete it.
Aizawa and All Might were a little impressed with the advice Izuku gave Ochaco. They came to the conclusion it was in one of his notebooks from the Sports Festival.
Endeavour was still glaring at Izuku.
'You just got lucky you quirkless filth. No matter what happens, my Shoto will defeat you, even if it is with his disgraceful behaviour he will win,' he silently swore.
Ground Beta
Izuku and Ochaco had finally made it to the floor where the weapon was being kept. They were greeted by a wave of ice covering the entire area.
Fortunately for them, Ochaco activated her quirk just in time for them to avoid it.
Todoroki's ice stretched from the floor to the walls to the ceiling. Literally, the entire floor (and possibly a few others) was enveloped in ice.
Ochaco felt chills down her spine as the temperature dropped rapidly.
Izuku wasn't as bothered as Razor's training ensured he could withstand these situations.
Shoto came just around the corner. He turned to face them with an emotionless expression, though in his mind he was a little impressed that they avoided being frozen.
Ochaco released them both so they were on the ground again (they didn't slip, fortunately).
"Not bad. Unfortunately, my old man is watching so I can't afford to lose," Shoto stated.
"Neither can we," Izuku retorted. "Powerful as your quirk is, it has one weakness. And that's it being ice."
Shoto raised an eyebrow. That made no sense whatsoever.
"Uraraka now," he commanded. "Focus only on the ice."
"Got it," she replied.
She placed her hands on the ground and concentrated. She applied her power to the cool substance she was on, and not the ground beneath. Since the ice didn't weigh that much she didn't feel the negative effects of her quirk, it was how she managed to cover all of it.
"It's done," she declared while standing up.
The second she said that Izuku leapt up into the air, only to come straight back down and deliver a powerful stomp to the ground. Due to Ochaco's quirk, the ice cracked spreading out along the walls and floor. Shoto was surprised by this action. He never knew Uraraka's quirk was capable of such a thing. Izuku stomp again in different places to do more damage and make sure the ice was in different pieces. He even punched the walls to add to his artillery.
'Perfect. Now everything's ready,' Izuku analysed.
Shoto decided he's seen enough and was about to attack when Izuku kicked up several chunks of ice from the ground. Because they were under Uraraka's quirk they hovered in the air.
Not wasting any time Izuku kicked them towards his enemy. Due to the quirk, they flew at high speed towards Shoto who barely managed to protect himself with an ice shield.
'He's using my own quirk against me,' Shoto thought. 'Damn him.'
Izuku shot more ice at Shoto only to stop and take out a few pieces from the wall.
'This my chance,' Shoto realised.
He released the shield and prepared to attack again, only to notice Uraraka wasn't there anymore. He felt something wrap around his left hand, and he didn't need to turn to see what it was.
'Clever. Distract me while you capture,' he thought. 'Won't work, unfortunately.'
Ice shot from his right side towards his left hand. He was lucky to have caught the tape instead of his hand.
Ochaco was forced to back off while breaking off the tape.
However, Shoto wasn't letting her off that easy. Forming an ice fist with his right hand he punched her in the stomach and sent her flying back to the wall.
Ochaco yelped in pain.
"So much for a sneak attack," she exclaimed.
During Izuku's assault, she had glided over using her quirk while keeping silent. Though it hadn't done much good.
Shoto was about to freeze her when he remembered Izuku. He turned back, only to be met with a solid right hook to his left jaw.
Shoto staggered slightly but quickly sent a large barrage of ice at Izuku, which he dodged by flipping backwards.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Ochaco launched herself at Todoroki by performing a flying side kick that connected perfectly with his back.
Shoto quickly grabbed her with his right hand and started freezing her.
'If he wants to freeze me then I'll make him float,' Ochaco decided.
She tried to grab him, but Shoto guessed what she had in mind and threw her back towards Midoriya.
Izuku caught her and placed her down.
'They're strong,' Shoto acknowledged. 'I was right not to underestimate them. Especially Midoriya.'
Ochaco applied her quirk to the ice covering her leg so Izuku could break it off. After that, she felt even colder than before.
'At this rate, we won't win,' Izuku realized. 'Not by capturing him anyway.'
Seeing no other alternative, Izuku quickly formulated a plan in his mind. The only one that would ensure their victory.
"Uraraka, go for the weapon. I'll handle Todoroki," he whispered.
The girl's eyes widened. "Are you crazy? You can't take him by yourself."
"I'm probably a little crazy but hey, who isn't," he joked. "At any rate, I can take him. This is our only chance of winning and I'd like for you to trust me."
Ochaco looked uncertain but eventually relented. She activated her quirk on the new ice Todoroki produced and started to leave.
"Fine, I'll leave it in your hands. You'd better not lose," she called out as she jumped along.
Izuku nodded and turned to face Todoroki who wore a cold expression.
"Clever move sending her along to capture the weapon. However, it's foolish to think that you can beat me by yourself," Shoto declared.
"We'll see about that," Izuku countered.
Wasting no time, Izuku broke the ice and started throwing and kicking them at Todoroki again. The latter deployed more ice to counter them, and at an incredibly fast pace too.
Rather than turn from the attack Izuku dashed towards it straight on (an act which surprised Todoroki). As he neared the barrage of ice, he started jumping from wall to wall to avoid the attack and get closer to Todoroki.
It worked because Shoto didn't have any time to react as Midoriya's feet landed on his chest. Using the surface as an advantage, Izuku performed a backflip kick that connected with Shoto's chin and launched up into the air.
As soon as he landed on his feet, Izuku moved forward and launched several punches at Shoto to keep him suspended in the air.
Izuku's punches were mainly to the stomach, and the only reason Shoto didn't vomit was that he was used to such pain from at home.
Shoto crashed against the wall after coming to the end of the hall. Izuku didn't stop. He punched Shoto on the left side of his face and was about to do the same to his right, this time Shoto managed to dodge, and ice punched Izuku in the stomach.
That didn't make him go away. Instead, Izuku took advantage of his left side and used it to force him to face the wall.
"I'll admit I felt that one," he admitted. "But let's see if you can take this."
Using the ice to his advantage, Izuku spun on his heel and delivered several kicks to Shoto's body. Then he kicked him on his right side to send him flying.
Shoto was in pain, not enough to put him out or stop him from standing up, but he was in awful pain. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take.
He wasn't beaten yet, however. Slowly, he got back up to his feet.
From Izuku's perspective, Todoroki looked like he was in immense pain. His face and arms were bruised. There was also some blood come from his mouth. On his right side, there were thin traces of ice, a sign of frostbite, most likely an effect from overusing his quirk.
"Look Todoroki, I have nothing personal against you, so I don't actually like hurting you. Surrender and accept your defeat. It's pointless to continue the way you are," Izuku said.
"I refuse," Shoto replied automatically.
That irritated Izuku.
"Why? Don't you realise that you can't win? Why fight a losing battle?" he asked.
"Because he's watching that's why," Shoto shouted, much to Izuku's surprise. "If I give up it'll be seen as a sign of weakness, a sign that he's right about me. And the last thing I want is to give him the satisfaction."
Shoto glared at Izuku.
"You have no idea what it's like to be me. You have no idea what it's like growing up for one purpose, even if you don't like or want it. You have no idea what it's like being alone with no one there for you," he ranted. "You have no idea what it's like to be trapped in a life from which you can't escape, no matter how much you want to. You have no idea what it's like to live a life where you aren't allowed a single moment of happiness."
Izuku stared at Shoto. He looked into his eyes and saw a variety of emotions: anger, fear, sadness, loneliness, and resentment.
And when he did, he saw another boy appear next to Shoto. A boy with a mop of green hair, a school uniform, and emerald eyes with a sad and lonely expression.
He saw himself, or rather his former self, in Shoto.
Upon realising this, Izuku felt an odd desire to help Shoto.
He wanted to help him accept who he was, just as he had accepted himself a long time ago. And there was only one way to do that.
Reaching up to his respirator Izuku deactivated his mask so he could properly look Shoto in the eye, much to the latter's confusion.
"Maybe I can't understand what it's like to be you. Our childhoods are similar but different. However, I can relate to you since I know what it means to be alone, to be sad, angry, frustrated and wishing you were like every other normal person even though you're not," Izuku explained.
Shoto stared at him confused.
Monitor room
The students, teachers and pros watched in disbelief at Shoto's current state.
They were impressed with how Uraraka used her quirk and how she and Izuku fought against Shoto.
Then they were in disbelief at how the most powerful student in their class was tossed around like some rag doll by some quirkless villain.
Some were making mental notes not to incur his wrath.
Others such as Tenya, Mina, Fumikage, and Momo were amazed at what they were seeing.
Endeavour was both shocked and furious at what he was witnessing.
A quirkless brat was beating his son.
'How disgraceful of you Shoto. And here I thought you couldn't fall any further,' he internally scorned. 'You're even weaker than I gave you credit for.'
"Who taught this boy how to fight?" Gang Orca asked curiously.
"We don't know. According to another who was captured it was a woman. Izuku said she was no longer in the League since AFO was captured," Aizawa replied.
He decided to leave out the part about Stain as that would only create more problems.
He, along with All Might, was concerned about what Todoroki was saying. They had never paid much attention to it before but, Todoroki seemed scared of his father. The things he was saying, the way he was acting. Just what went on in that house of his.
Thankfully, only they could hear what the participants were saying.
Also, from what they could tell, it sounded like Midoriya was trying to help his opponent. But why?
Ground Beta
"What are you rambling on about? What do you want from me?" Shoto barked.
"I'm saying I understand what it's like to be you, even if it's different from what you've actually lived through," Izuku snapped back. "As for what I want from you. I want you to fight me at your full power. Use your left side. Use your fire."
Shoto stared at him shocked for a moment before switching to a glare.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Shoto snarled. "Did my monster of a father put you up to this?"
"That toxic waste of human flesh you're related to didn't say anything to me. I'm doing this of my own will," Izuku stated. "So, use it already. It's the only chance you have of fighting against me."
Shoto literally couldn't believe what he was hearing. He didn't want to accept it. He didn't want to use his father's power. Being encouraged to by someone else made him angry.
Gritting his teeth, he looked down at the floor.
"I'm not gonna use it. And you know damn well why. Using it means I accept his," Shoto shouted but never got the chance to finish.
Izuku moved forward quickly and punched him in the face. An expression of rage was painted across his face.
Shoto looked up at him stunned.
"His power, his power. Stop calling it that. Tell that shitty excuse of a father of yours to go fuck himself! Because let me tell you here and now Todoroki, that power, that quirk, is yours. Do you understand? Yours, not his. If he, or anybody else, tells you otherwise, well then screw them. That's your quirk, your power, and no one else's!" Izuku roared at the boy on the ground.
Shoto was speechless. For the first time in his life, he didn't know what to think.
Yet, when he heard those words, memories from a forgotten life came flooding back to him.
Flashback
He was the youngest of four siblings in his family.
His eldest siblings were twins, brother and sister that were seven years older than him, with his second older brother, who was four years older than him.
His sister and second brother inherited their mother's quirk, sparing them the wrath of their father.
His eldest brother was quirkless, and unlike the other siblings, received a fair amount of resentment from their father who viewed those without quirks as inferior beings.
Then there was him, Shoto, who inherited both his parent's quirks, much to his father's delight. You see in his case, he was his father's masterpiece, his tool to surpass All Might.
While at first, he (like most children his age) thought what he could do was very cool. Then his father started training him, and that's when things turned bad.
The training he received was intense.
Sometimes he would get sick from it, other times he would get hurt from it, receiving wounds such as bruises and burns. His father often ordered him to toughen up, otherwise, there was no way he would be able to take out any villains, even low-level ones.
How could he do that anyway? He was five years old.
His mother was incredibly kind and often tried to help through the abuse, of course, which resulted in her getting abused as well. She paid a bit more attention to him than his other siblings because he needed it most. He loved her dearly for it.
Speaking of his siblings, despite living in the same house, he didn't see much of them. His father claimed they lived in a different world to the one he was training him for. As such he deemed them unnecessary distractions.
His eldest brother was the one exception.
He often tried to see Shoto as much as possible, despite risking their father's anger. He even did things such as take him out to the park or different festivals so he wouldn't miss out on them. Shoto looked up to him and loved him deeply.
Unfortunately, because his brother was quirkless, he suffered a lot of abuse from their father, who, because of his status, was viewed as nothing more than a punching bag under his roof.
On more than one occasion his brother was used in training as target practice for his fire.
When Shoto didn't attack (he was too horrified), Endeavour burned the boy himself, though not serious enough to cause any serious damage. Other times it was physical abuse. There were many times when he saw his brother limping around the house, and sometimes flinching at the mere sight of someone or by being touched.
Most of the time Shoto would cry out his frustrations to his mother in his bedroom.
"I don't want to Mom," he sobbed. "Please. I, I don't wanna be the kind of guy he is Mama. I don't wanna be the kind of person who bullies you and big brother and hurts people."
His mother stroked his hair in an effort to comfort him.
"But honey, you do still want to be a hero don't you," she said softly. He looked up at her and she smiled warmly. "Just remember to stay true to yourself. You are not a slave to his bloodline. It's okay for you to use your power and to be the person you want to be."
The words she spoke that time confused him, and so he went to see his brother about it.
"Well she's right," his brother said. "Shoto do you remember that interview of All Might the three of us watched together?"
Shoto nodded. He could never forget that. It was one of the rare occasions when the three of them were together. Endeavour wasn't home so they watched TV together and came across an interview that All Might was doing.
"That's right. Children often do inherit quirks from their parents, or similar powers to them. The important thing to remember is that a quirk is what you make of it, regardless of your lineage. You decide how you use it. Only you can decide to become a hero, no one else. That's what I mean when I say: I am here! You see?" All Might said on TV.
Back to the current point in time.
"You see, that's what she means," his brother continued while patting his head. "You don't have to be a hero like Dad okay. Be the hero you want to be."
He didn't know when he had forgotten those words they both said to him, but it was likely during his father's training after those events.
The first was when he walked by the kitchen and heard his mother on the phone with her mother.
"Mom, I think I'm going crazy. I can't take it anymore. Every day, the children seem more like him. And Shoto, that child's left side looks unbearable to me. I can't raise him anymore. I shouldn't raise him anymore," she exclaimed shakily.
"M-Mom . . ." he called out fearfully.
Hearing his voice, she turned to him with a crazed look in her eye. The kettle next to her had just finished boiling.
What she did next earned him his scar.
His brother came along to help and screamed at him, calling him a monster. He hadn't witnessed his reaction, but he could guess what it was.
His father had his mother institutionalised so she wouldn't harm his masterpiece further.
Shoto knew better than that, he knew his father was the reason his mother Rei hurt him.
The second incident was when his brother went missing during a villain attack on their home. He hadn't been present for it. It was a rare occasion when his father allowed him out with one of his siblings.
His sister Fuyumi took him to get new t-shirts since some got destroyed in training. They spent the entire day out since Shoto didn't get to leave that much.
When they returned the police were present and there were signs that their house had been burned.
The story was that an unknown villain had attacked the house while his father was resting claiming it was for revenge. Endeavour tried to protect his firstborn son, but the villain performed a surprise attack that made him lose consciousness. When he came around his son was gone.
This was two weeks after the first incident.
Shoto was completely broken after this incident as the two people who loved him so much were now gone, a fact his father made him well aware of.
His brother Natsuo moved in with his maternal grandparents out of fear of their father.
Fuyumi stayed for Shoto's sake. She never went against their father, but she did always treat Shoto's wounds when he received them.
Despite this, he never bore any grudge against them, or his mother, because he understood why they did the things they did.
Endeavour used the second event to fuel Shoto's desire to become a hero, which worked to a certain extent as he wanted to discover what had befallen his brother.
Flashback end
He had forgotten so much of what they said to him. But now, now he remembered everything.
In that instant, he forgot about his father and focused on his opponent.
He activated his fire.
Suddenly, the room was filled with a brilliant bright light, and the ice started melting from the sudden burst of heat.
The ice on Shoto's body vanished as it had never been there, to begin with.
Izuku was in awe at what he was seeing. While most would've been concerned and scared at the sight of that, he thought it was something else.
"Magnificent," he whispered.
Shoto frowned.
"You fool. You're helping your opponent, even though you want to win this battle. What kind of idiot are you?" he asked.
"Don't know. There are plenty of idiots in this world, and various types also," Izuku joked.
Shoto couldn't help but agree with that. He grinned at Izuku.
"I want to win also, to be a hero," Shoto said.
Izuku grinned back at him while reactivating his mask. He took up a fighting stance.
"Then take your best shot," he yelled.
"Fine, but don't blame me for what happens next," Shoto countered.
"Same to you," Izuku shot back.
Ochaco Uraraka
Ochaco had been trying to find the weapon for a short while. Unfortunately, it wasn't easy since Todoroki froze the entire area.
She was having difficulty breaking it because Todoroki fortified some rooms more than others with a lot of ice. There was also the issue of moving around due to nausea she felt from using her quirk on herself.
The reason she didn't release herself was that she would have to release everything affected by her power, the ice included. That would've taken away Midoriya's advantage.
"I hope you're alright," she murmured.
Just then she felt a sudden burst of heat around the area. The ice started to melt away as well.
"No way. Don't tell me Todoroki's using his fire," she realised. "If he is then the ice left for Midoriya is gone. In that case, no need for me to stay this way."
Ochaco deactivated her quirk and felt the effects of nausea go away, much to her relief. Since the ice had melted it was easier to search the rooms, however, she did so at a much faster pace.
Now that Todoroki was using his fire, she needed to end this as quickly as possible.
"Deku, I hope you're safe," she prayed.
Monitor room
Everyone present was amazed at what they were seeing. Todoroki's fire quirk was incredible, at least they thought so.
Endeavour was thrilled at what he was seeing.
"So, you've finally accepted it! Yes! Excellent! It all starts now for you Shoto! With my blood pumping through your veins, you will surpass me. . .you will fulfil my ambitions!" he shouted.
Hardly anyone paid attention to him, they were too focused on the screen.
'You got him to use his fire young Midoriya,' All Might thought. 'Don't tell me you were trying to help Todoroki.'
The students started shouting amongst themselves.
"Go for it Midoriya!" Momo and Fumikage yelled.
"You can do it!" Mina and Tenya cheered.
"No way, this belongs to Todoroki!" Kaminari and Mineta argued.
"So manly!" Kirishima and Sero piped up.
The others said how this was a much better fight than the Sports Festival.
In that moment, Izuku being a villain was forgotten.
People were just too pumped about the fight to care.
Even the heroes were getting excited.
Ground Beta
Izuku dashed towards Shoto but before he could get near him he was blasted and engulfed by the boy's fire. The attack sent him flying towards the end of the hall.
Izuku was lucky his suit had elemental resistance otherwise it wouldn't have survived that attack, or rather he wouldn't have survived. The impact he felt from that attack was strong and caused him to cough up a little blood.
He didn't let it bother him though and stood back up.
Shoto wasn't surprised, he knew it would take more than that for Izuku to go down.
Izuku ran at Shoto again, who in turn sent more fire his way. Izuku avoided this by using the walls to jump up and over the attack. He continued that way to Shoto who launched another fire attack. Izuku then did something unexpected.
When he was close enough, he kicked off the wall and dived towards Shoto at incredible speed. He gambled on his suit being able to withstand the fire. Shoto's attack wasn't as powerful as his first one so, he managed to cut through it and deliver a tackle to Shoto's body that sent him crashing to the ground while Izuku flipped forward.
When he landed his leg was trapped by Shoto's ice (who cast it upon crashing). Shoto stood back up and sent a large barrage of ice into Izuku that sent him flying into the air. Immediately afterwards he followed up with a blast of fire that sent him crashing into the wall.
'You're giving it your all Midoriya, so I must do the same,' Shoto thought.
Izuku managed to get back to his feet, though slower than before.
His outfit was worn out from the attacks and likely wouldn't take much more.
Because of the cracks in his mask, he deactivated it.
There was a little blood running from his lips and was breathing heavily.
Despite all this, Izuku and Shoto were enjoying themselves. They couldn't describe it but, they felt a certain thrill at the whole battle, causing them both to grin at each other.
"You're a strong fighter. However, this ends now," Shoto declared as he readied both fire and ice for one final attack.
"Couldn't have said it better myself," Izuku countered.
He still had one last trick up his sleeve.
Izuku fired his grappling hook at Shoto's left arm. When it wrapped around it successfully, he used it to haul Shoto towards him at max speed.
Shoto was caught off guard by this action and fortified a small ice shield on his chest quickly. It was a good thing he did because when Izuku elbowed him in the face he fell backwards. Izuku then elbowed Shoto downwards into his stomach to leave him lying on his back.
Izuku tried to punch Shoto but he rolled out of the way and got back up, forgetting about the pain he was in.
The two then engaged in a fistfight where they both landed punches on each other.
Meanwhile, Ochaco had finally located the weapon and managed to capture it, signalling that she and Izuku had won.
All Might called this over the radio, but the two boys ignored him, or rather they couldn't hear him. Edgeshot explained they were too far gone into their fight to notice them.
And he was right.
Having both reached their limit (and realising that punching each other wasn't doing much), they grabbed hold of each other's arms. They pulled their heads back and then brought them forward to each deliver a strong headbutt.
Their heads collided, causing them to cease any movement.
Blood trickled down both their foreheads and each boy wore a calm exhausted expression.
For a few seconds, neither of them moved.
Eventually, Shoto collapsed onto the ground and lay on his back. Izuku remained standing for a few more seconds until he fell into a sitting position.
They heard All Might call out the winners again, but they were too tired and hurt to care.
"Well, it looks like you won," Shoto said weakly.
"I'm not so certain I'd call this a win, perhaps a draw, but I don't know about a win," Izuku replied equally weakly.
Shoto raised an eyebrow.
"You were standing the longest and aren't lying down. I'd say this is your win," he stated.
Izuku sighed.
"If you say so," he said. "Things easily could've gone the other way, especially if you used your left side at the start."
Shoto frowned.
"Did you plan on getting me to use it?" he asked.
"Nope. I only wanted you to use it because I wanted to help you," Izuku explained much to Shoto's surprise. "I guess it was because I saw a little of the old me within you, that triggered it. I meant all those things I said to you."
Shoto didn't know how to respond to that, but for once, he didn't want to. He couldn't exactly put his finger on it, but there was something he liked about Midoriya.
"Oh God," Izuku groaned. "I feel like I could sleep for a week after this."
"That makes two of us," Shoto added.
Monitor room
All the shouting had died out and people were speechless at what they had just witnessed. That fight was brutal, but, at the same time, completely amazing.
Some couldn't believe Todoroki was defeated.
Others were impressed at Izuku's fighting capabilities.
Endeavour, while glad that his creation finally accepted his birthright, he was furious that he had lost to a quirkless individual. He would be having words with them later.
Aizawa called for medical support and the two students were placed on stretchers and led away. He would let Recovery Girl do the rest.
Infirmary (an hour later)
Recovery Girl treated Izuku and Shoto with great care. All their injuries were gone, and they were now both resting in beds.
Katsuki was in another room, though they didn't know where.
They were awake, and both just lying there quietly (they didn't have much energy to do anything else).
Recovery Girl went to check on something but promised to be back quickly.
Things were peaceful, up until Endeavour barged in to talk to his son. Shoto was annoyed. Seeing his father was the last thing he wanted to do right now.
"First of all, it's nice to see that you're finally accepting your power and have ceased your little rebellion," Endeavour said arrogantly. "You need to learn to control your power. It's dangerous to release so much energy at once. After you graduate you'll work by my side. I'll lead you down the path of the mighty Shoto."
Shoto glared at his father.
"Nothing has changed at all. You're an idiot to believe that my feelings can be changed so easily. It's just that, in that moment, I forgot about you," Shoto replied, much to Endeavour's surprise. "Whether that's good or bad. Whether it's the right thing to do. I don't know. Maybe I don't need you."
Endeavour snorted.
"Believe what you wish. On a side note, your battle, it's shameful how you lost it," he sneered. "Losing to a quirkless person Shoto, I didn't think you could be so weak. I know you like angering me but that's going a bit too far don't you think?"
Izuku was starting to get an idea of Shoto's situation. He'd hate living with someone like Endeavour.
Shoto on the other hand disliked how his father talked about Izuku as though he wasn't in the room.
"Midoriya is an incredibly strong opponent. He won that fight fair and square," he stated angrily.
Izuku felt flattered that Shoto was sticking up for him.
Endeavour snorted again.
"He's quirkless Shoto. His kind is among the weakest of creatures to walk the Earth. They can barely get by in this world because of how weak they are," Endeavour sneered. "If you can't beat something like him then how will you ever be the best."
Shoto was about to roar at his father, but Izuku spoke before he could.
Seeing Shoto's position he decided to stick up for him. That, and he had seen enough of Endeavour to hate him.
"Well as someone who's come in second place his entire life, you're hardly the right person to talk about being the best now, are you?" Izuku pointed out.
Endeavour's focus switched from his son to the quirkless boy who was now sitting up. He glared at the boy with rare fury.
Meanwhile, Shoto was stunned that Izuku outright insulted his father.
"What did you just say?" Endeavour snarled.
"Oh, I'm sure you heard me No.2, unless of course, you have trouble with hearing," Izuku mocked.
Endeavour glared at Izuku angrier than before. A quirkless person had the nerve to insult him.
"Well you are the No.2 hero after all, and probably will remain that way for the rest of your life," Izuku jeered. "You've always been second best to All Might, though it's not hard to see why. He's the Symbol of Peace and you, well, you're nothing."
Endeavour was shaking with rage.
Shoto was extremely worried about Izuku. Did he even realise what he was doing? Still, he had to admire his bravery.
"SHUT UP!" Endeavour roared.
"Why it's true," Izuku said completely unfazed by the force before him. "You see Endeavour, All Might is someone people look up to and can feel safe around. You, on the other hand, are an angry violent man who scares others away. Even if you did become the top pro, you will never be the Symbol of Peace. Nobody will acknowledge you like it because you will never be as good as All Might."
Despite his feelings about the man, Izuku did acknowledge him as one of the few true heroes.
Endeavour looked like he was about to murder Izuku. He wanted to burn him right here and now.
"How dare you!" Endeavour snarled. "You are in no position to be running your mouth at me."
"Actually, I'm in the perfect position to do that," Izuku calmly countered. "You can't hurt me Endeavour. You can't even touch me. Not unless you want people to know about it. And just think of how badly that would affect your reputation."
Endeavour was speechless.
His expression was of pure shock, something Shoto had never seen before. No one had ever stood up to his father before, no one was brave enough to. Izuku was though, and Shoto admired it.
Endeavour had never been so angry in his life. How dare someone less than him speak to him like that!
"You're just a filthy coward. You're not a hero and you never were. And no matter how hard you try, you will never be as good as All Might."
This boy reminded Endeavour a lot of 'him', the last person who stood up to him like that.
"The standards and requirements for UA High School must have fallen a lot, for they allow a villain and a quirkless mistake like you become a student shows the decadence of this place," Endeavour taunted.
"With all due respect sir, I sincerely preferred not to be here, but since this is my situation now I have to deal with it. But hey, if assholes like you and Bakugo were accepted and graduated from here then that means anyone can do it right. Even someone like me," Izuku retorted.
Endeavour glared even further at Izuku. He had never been this pissed off in his life.
Shoto was amazed at how Izuku stood his ground against his father.
The tension in the room was broken upon Recovery Girl's arrival.
"Endeavour I'd like for you to leave. I need to look after my patients. I know he's your son, but you left him in our care. Therefore, it is up to us to look after him. Please understand," she said politely.
Endeavour stood there for a few seconds. He glared at Izuku and glanced at his son one last time before leaving quietly.
As he walked along the halls his hand reached over his chest. There was a large scar there that only he knew about. He had received it during that villain attack on his home all those years ago. Sometimes he could still feel its sting.
"He didn't try anything did he?" Recovery Girl asked when she was certain Endeavour was out of ear reach.
The two boys denied it.
"Well, that's good to hear. I feel I shouldn't have left you both alone," she continued. "Now then, classes are done for the day so you two can return to your dorms. If you are suffering from anything, please let me know."
"Yes Ma'am," they both said in unison.
When they were done healing, they headed back. They started talking while walking.
"I can't you actually grew up with that man," Izuku said. "I know you said you had it bad, but I didn't think you meant that bad."
Part of him felt sorry for Shoto.
"Don't even get me started," Shoto replied. "On another note, you were really brave in there."
"You think so," Izuku said.
Shoto nodded. "No one has ever stood up to him before as you did."
"I stopped heeling before bullies like him a long time ago. I didn't like the way he treated you, so I just pointed out a few obvious facts," Izuku told him.
"Thank you. Really, thank you. You helped me with a problem I had been struggling with for so long," Shoto said.
Izuku looked at Shoto.
"You aren't his slave you know. You're your own person. And if he tells you otherwise then he's wrong," he explained.
Shoto said nothing. He had never thought of it that way before. It was one surprise after another for him today.
"You know, there's one thing your Dad's number one at, and even All Might can't beat him at it," Izuku said.
Shoto looked at him confused.
"Being a complete asshole. That's one thing no one can ever take from him, though Bakugo might give him a run for his money," Izuku finished.
Shoto stopped walking. Izuku turned to see him make a weird expression, only for it to be him bursting out laughing a second later.
"Oh man that's so true," Shoto said while still laughing.
Izuku couldn't resist so he joined in. The whole idea of his was so funny.
'Strange. I haven't laughed in a long time,' Shoto realized.
Izuku's room
Izuku lay on his bed exhausted. It had been an eventful day for him. He couldn't stop thinking about the eyes Endeavour and Shoto possessed. There was something very familiar about them, he just couldn't think of where he'd seen them before.
He and Shoto had avoided the other students thankfully. Though he was concerned about what happened to Uraraka since she was his partner in that trial. She was also the first person to think of his nickname as something good.
His phone started buzzing. It was his mother. He didn't need to guess why she was calling.
"Izuku," his mother's voice rang out. "How was your first day at school sweetie?"
Oh, this was going to be a long conversation.
"Well Mom, I had one hell of a first day," Izuku exclaimed. "Most of which you'll find hard to believe."
Hi there. Well, what did you think of that? Quite an emotional chapter don't you think? I was originally going to have Izuku fight Shoto alone but added Ochaco at the start to show she wasn't weak. I hope you enjoyed this. Please review.