The week after his encounter with Shinsou, Izuku stood inside the announcer box as Present Mic and Aizawa sat, ready to speak to the crowd. The Sports festival was about to begin. "I'm not sure why I'm here..." Mic spoke up: "Well, Midoriya, it's either be up here, or with Midnight!" He immediately retracted his statement. "Yeah, I'll stay here." Present Mic continued to be loud as he complimented the boy, "Besides, your analysis is far better than anything I could do!" Izuku rolled his eyes. "Just keep me out of the spotlight. You know my position on this." The blond agreed, "Will do!" The first part of the Sports Festival was the obstacle course. This was to weed out those who didn't have the physical aptitude to continue... ie, usually everyone but the hero course. However, it did interest Izuku that there were two outliers. Shinsou from before, and a support course girl with pink hair. Keeping tabs on them, he watched and predicted how Katsuki and Todoroki tied for first, driving them mad to no end. Todoroki didn't seem to have a public reason, and Izuku was worried for the bi-colored kid. Meanwhile, Katsuki was just mad because he wasn't first place. Typical. The next event passed by quickly, with predictable results. If this took place a year ago, Izuku would've happily given his analysis, but now? Now he had little to care for this show. The time passed slowly, but Izuku took mental notes on everyone at this stage. Their quirks, their capabilities, the works. He'd write formal analysis later, and hand them to their homeroom teachers. Vlad didn't like him for expelling Monoma, but Izuku made it clear to him that his attitude would negatively impact pro hero's perceptions overall, and that it was unacceptable. The next target to be expelled was likely Katsuki, but he was still on the fence. He was... tamer... if only slightly... than before. Although, the greenette could tell that the blond was receiving attention from the crowd of pros... for all the wrong reasons. Soon, Bakugo had the points, and had to go on defense... and remained doing so until the timer ended, and he was in first place. The fights were just as... one sided. Often determined by the quirk's strengths and weaknesses over the opponent's skill. Bakugo decimated the competition, beating out a vine haired girl from class B named Ibara Shiozaki, Kirishima, and eventually he was ready for Todoroki. However, there was a break before the final fight, and Izuku wanted to stretch his legs, so he went to look for the son of Endeavour. Wandering around, he heard an adult speak to Todoroki. Obviously the pro hero that was his father. "...you will not win with your petty rebellion. Do what you were born to do." Shoto seemed to still refuse what the man was saying. "I will win... without your fire." The man sighed, annoyed with the boy's response, and Izuku decided that it was time to announce his presence. Stepping around the corner, they both turned at the sound of the LEAF suit's metal feet hitting the floor. One step at a time, the greenette approached the duo. Smiling warmly, he stated, "Ah, there you are, Todoroki. Your final fight will be starting soon." Hostile, the pro hero didn't take kindly to the interruption, and didn't recognize the boy in the exosuit. "Who are you?!" "Ah, Endeavour..." Izuku narrowed his eyes, before sighing and showing his ID badge. "I am his pre-quirk history teacher, Izuku Midoriya." As soon as he heard the subject, he scoffed, "Hmph. A pointless subject for a hero." "There is much to learn from the past. Villains have existed in all eras. If you do not learn from it... well, the world does not repeat itself so much as it does rhyme. I would consider that fact for the future, Endeavour..." The two of them held each other's gazes unflinchingly, with Izuku eventually speaking to him again, "Perhaps you should get to your seat as I guide Shoto to the arena?" The hero walked past him. "Don't embarrass me, Shoto." He waited for Endeavour to get out of earshot before focusing on the boy. "Are you ok?" "..." He didn't respond immediately, but then asked, "Have you heard of Quirk marriages?" Oh no... Endeavour was being actually truthful about that... "I have. I did hear a part of what you two... discussed... and I can get the gist of what you are saying... is... is that why you don't use your fire?" The bi-colored student then said what was, in Izuku's opinion, the single most idiotic thing in the world. "His fire." He shook his head. "If it was his, he would control it directly. Shoto, every quirk is a gift. I was born without one. I won't tell you what to do, as this is personal to you, but I don't want you to hurt yourself." The other boy scowled at him, as if he directly insulted him. Deciding to only go as far as he could without resorting to pacifying him with the god-hand, he continued, "As my student, I'll give you some advice: Instead of resisting him directly... ignore him. Don't let him control you. By remaining angry and refusing to use your fire, you are giving him space in your head, and a modicum of control. I've seen the effects of obsession like yours. It ended up getting many people killed... even the one who held it." Please... don't become like Fisher, blinded by your own emotions. "Let me guide you to the arena. Bakugo is your toughest opponent. While he is weak to extreme temperatures... he knows how to avoid your attacks. You will need a strategy for him. Can you make one with half your power?" "I..." The bicolored student thought. "Maybe... I don't know..." Izuku reached the announcer's box yet again. The final fight was about to begin. Mic was being as loud as possible with the introductions, while Aizawa was done with everything. And, honestly, who could blame them? Bakugo and Todoroki stood apart from each other, waiting as Midnight checked with both of them... and their readiness. Bakugo was raring to go, while Todoroki was still thinking about what Izuku said. However, when asked if he was ready, he focused back on the present and nodded. "Alright, Begin!" Bakugo immediately ran towards him, trying to get close. Todoroki used his cryogenesis abilities to launch ice at his opponent and create space, but he nimbly went around it. After a few more attempts, Izuku sighed, knowing what the outcome would be if he didn't change. He will lose, because of his stubbornness. It's only caused pain... and I have a feeling that Shoto isn't the first son of Endeavor to rebel against him... Shoto couldn't maintain the defense. Bakugo's quirk kept shattering his glacial barriers whenever he put them up, and he could outmaneuver his attacks. It didn't help that the constant pressure of his father was boring down on him from the stands, causing the boy to make more mistakes than usual. It was then that he was forced to react to Bakugo, who approached from his left side. Unable to use his ice, his reflexes shot out fire. His body had been slowing down due to frostbite, but the fire's quick outburst heated him up slightly, allowing him to leap out of the way. It also had the unintended effect of detonating some of the sweat on Bakugo's palms, blasting him way off course. His true weakness are extremes... but he'll have to be cautious if I use fire. That will be my plan then. Everything except the fight was tuned out, forgotten. He was here to win. Using ice to slide around the arena, he blasted fire towards the blond, who was forced to dodge. Bakugo realized he had to end this quickly, so he ran to the side that Todoroki had already used as a slide. Bracing himself against the glacier, he grinned madly, before shouting out, "FUCKING DIE!" Izuku realized what the explosive teen was doing a minute before he shouted those words. To Mic, he said, "Get Cementoss to soften the explosion, or something! This could put the audience at risk!" The vocal hero was in the middle of giving the order when it went off. An explosion that was so large that it could've been compared to a low kiloton explosive amrita bomb. The floor of the arena somehow held, but dust was kicked up into the air, making it impossible to see. With bated breath, everyone watched as the dust settled... and Bakugo remained in the ring, hand up. What shocked Izuku was the expression on his face. It wasn't a grimace, it wasn't a sneer, nor a scowl... but a genuine smile. And it was this moment that revealed a core part of Bakugo to the world: He got what he came for, and he would remain this determined far after that. The heroes who criticized him could only realize that he had a good part to his core, despite his fiery temper. It was at that moment when Izuku's mind changed on whether he would expel Bakugo... he just wish that he could've seen that himself, way back when. As all of the top students stood on the pedestals, Bakugo in first, Todoroki in second, and Iida with Tokoyami in third, they awaited the awarding of the medals... A familiar shadow formed on the ground as Allmight landed, medals in hand, "I AM HERE! WITH ACCOLADES!" Approaching those in third place, he held out two medals, "WHILE THE TWO OF YOU, FUMIKAGE TOKOYAMI, AND TENYA IIDA, MAY BE ON EQUAL STANDING NOW, DO NOT BE UNDETERRED! THERE WILL BE PLENTY MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVE YOURSELF! REMAIN UNDAUNTED!" They both gave their appreciation to him, and in return he hugged them, to their mutual embarrassment. Next was Todoroki, "DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED BY YOUR RANKING, YOUNG SHOTO TODOROKI! USE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW INTO THE HERO WE KNOW YOU CAN BE! AFTER ALL, WE ALL BEGIN SOMEWHERE!" "Thank you." Shoto was not very emotive to begin with, but Allmight appreciated the gesture of thanks. Giving another hug, he did say, out of earshot, "I know what Endeavour's like. Don't let him use you for his goal." "I don't plan to." Letting go, he nodded, then turned to the current number one. "KATSUKI BAKUGO! YOU SPOKE OF HOW YOU'LL BE NUMBER 1, AND THIS IS THE FIRST STEP! BUT DON'T REST ON YOUR LAURELS! KEEP WORKING, AS YOUR CLASSMATES WILL WORK JUST AS HARD AS YOU HAVE TO REACH YOUR LEVEL!" For once, he was calm, and accepted the medal, and the hug that followed. Releasing the student, the current number 1 pro hero called out to the audience: "NEVER FORGET HOW WELL ALL OF OUR STUDENTS DID! THEY FOUGHT HARD, THROUGH BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS TO GET WHERE THEY ARE, AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE A BEACON OF HOPE FOR THE FUTURE! THIS WRAPS UP THIS SPORTS FESTIVAL AS OUR STUDENTS WILL, SAY IT WITH ME, GO BEYOND..." The audience then cheered out as well, "PLUS ULTRA!" And with that, the festivities were over. Shoto was going to find Midoriya to ask what their next lesson was about, when his father stopped him, "So, you finally got over your petty rebellion and accepted my power." "You know, even with all you've done... when it finally came to it... I just forgot about you. Whether or not that's good for you is for you to decide." He walked away, and into the crowd and left Endeavour to fume over that.
