AN: This One Shot is written to brain storm a longfic. I needed to test something before I commit it to the outline. That fic won't come any time soon. Also, I may have accidentally spelt 'Poni' instead of 'Pony'. I tries to correct the instances, but I may have missed a few, as I wrote and edited this at night time.
Ciao for now,
ABSOL_uteOG06
Danny Fenton - or Phantom if you mean his hero Persona - was nearly exploding with adrenaline. He'll reveal his identity on TV! He didn't think about this when he accepted Nezu's offer to attend his school, UA. The most prestigious school in Japan and one of the in the whole world. the hero course to be specific. And his parents thought he enrolled the Support course.
Then again, they forgot he'll go to Japan between talking to Principal Nezu and him straight up leaving. They will see he is in a different course, they will see he is Phantom... that is, if they see the live broadcast. If it wasn't for Jazz who promised to watch the live broadcast of the Sports Festival with Sam, Tucker and Valerie, he would assume his parents stay unaware. Even if Jazz asks them to watch the broadcast, they won't want to watch TV late in the night. Then again, these workaholics would tinker on their inventions even later. But they did come to a midnight rehearsal for Jazz. Then again, it was Jazz. They never hid that they favored Jazz, at least that's how he felt.
The broadcast was for their sports festival. Their first chance to shine as a new hero and get the attention of the pro's in the hopes that they get invites for internships. He is a well known hero, even outside of Amity Park, or Illinois and even the US! Albeit controversial as he was - legally speaking - a vigilante - but as the heroes that work in Amity Park had no idea how to handle ghosts, they allowed his work. Especially after the Ghost King came.
Well, now he was about to reveal his identity, and potentially receive angry calls from his parents. Danny had to wonder, would they be more pissed if they learned of his identity if they learned it hours later, when they woke up, from the news? Well, he will see.
The festival started and Nezu announced the first day - three days, one for each year - had begun.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! This year will be special, as the US vigilante Phantom joined this year's roster of first years!" The live spectators were first silent, then cheered. Normally vigilantes are not well liked - especially in Japan, partly due to Stain's deeds - but the US heroes excused Phantom. The Principal continued, "As some of you know, he 'vanished'! The thing is, he was here in Japan, now attending UA! Now before the games begin, the top student with the most points from the entrance exam will hold a speech. Mr. Fenton, you may."
He didn't mean to be the top student, he just wanted enough points to enroll. And he didn't want to be a Recommendation student, he felt that would bring a stigma he won't like. Before the school year started, he was tutored by Nezu - mainly in Japanese - but also attended a Japanese school. To appear normal, to learn and to socialize. He so happened to attend Aldera Junior High with one Bakugo Katsuki and his favorite bully victim, Midoriya Izuku. he later one's ghost was floating behind him and cheering him on, praising him to get the honor.
In the few months he was in Aldera, he befriended Izuku and choose to hate Bakugo. That hate solidified when Bakugo convinced Izuku to commit suicide. So Danny could not allow that Bakugo gets a higher score than him. His hunch was right, the student with the highest score will get something. Danny doesn't need his ghostly senses to feel Bakugo's jealously, he wants to hold that speech.
Izuku, after dying, decided to follow Danny like a lost puppy, which Danny did not mind. If anything, Izuku muttering his knowledge into his ear was useful. As well as, like when they were at the USJ, scouting out the area and warning Danny. Izuku, Nezu, All Might - long story for a later date - and Aizawa Sensei joined the ranks of people who knew he is a ghost. Aizawa sensed he was quirkless, he demanded to know how he had powers and Danny didn't feel like arguing with the man.
Danny stood on the stage with Midnight and some other teachers. He wondered how his parents reacted seeing him. if they even recognized him. He knew for sure, Jazz and his friends spit their drinks as they realized he had the top score in something. Even if it is a physical test, and not something academic. He couldn't take that score from Bakugo - he was under him in terms of grades - albeit Yaoyorozu did that.
He may or may not have voted her just for that reason when they voted their class representatives. Sadly Ida won, who was and still is quite racist (or xenophobic) to him. The Japanese don't really like outsiders... but he was warned.
Before he spoke, he was considering to transform, to show he was Phantom, but he decided it was more fun to do that in the challenges! So he said, in pretty solid Japanese - thanks to Nezu's very intense tutoring, practice with Izuku and Pony (a friend from 1-B) - but with a rather strong American accent, "I have nothing much to say, but may the best student win. Probably Phantom, though. Either way, everyone should give their best!" He could sense Izuku was annoyed that he didn't use the speech he whispered into Danny's ear.
Besides Izuku being annoying and very distracting, Danny kept it short for a different reason. He was sure he saw Vlad in the crowd. Not only was that confusing if he wasn't wrong, the thought of Vlad being here was worrying. Mainly confusing, though. why would Vlad be here? He hopes his vision just played a trick on him.
The first challenge was a race. Apparently he and Todoroki had the same idea, because as soon as the obstacle race started, everything was flash frozen. Ice coming from Todoroki and him. the difference being his ghostly ice won't melt any time soon.
Danny just ran, made himself very light with partial intangibility and boosted speed and froze his way to the finish line. He needs and he wants to impress, not just to take the top spot from Bakugo, who for all intents and purposes, he considers Bakugo a murderer. Doesn't help Bakugo's case that he constantly yells 'Die!" when he attacks. Man, he can't wait for that Bomberanian to die, the ghost Zone doesn't take lightly to people who encourage suicide. Like a pedophile in prison, in a way. With less picking up soap, though.
Either way, even Danny in his hate has to admit that Bakugo has skill and intelligence, shown by his grades and scores. So he had to beat him in this. When Danny skated over the finish line, he snapped and his ice shattered, bringing anyone who managed to navigate it off their balance. He wondered when Todoroki gave up to melt it? He saw Pony and her class mate Tokage had no issues, they could fly. Pony on her horns and Tokage all split up. He has no idea how flight relates to lizards, but what does he know.
Tokage Setsuna was skeptical of him after Pony introduced him to her. She had a good reason, he kept silent about his 'quirk'. To be fair, he doesn't have one, but she doesn't know. Tokage said, "An ice quirk, eh? In that case, who is Phantom then?"
"You'll see, Tokage. Hey, did you see if Todoroki struggled to melt my ice?" he answered her, adding a question to change the topic, before she ruins the surprise.
"For someone who hates half of his quirk, he was determinated to melt it.", she told him, "As if he took issue with your superior ice. I take it can't be melted?"
"Exactly." he confirmed. "I wonder what comes next." He then remembered something. "If you excuse me, I think I recognized someone in the crowd." With that, he left the girls alone.
Walking around, his ghost sense activated. He was even more sure now that Vlad is here somewhere.
"Daniel?" Turning around, he saw Vlad. "That explains where you have been. Japan! UA at that. But good job on making top student."
"What are you doing here?" asked Danny.
"A business partner of mine has a child who attends UA, heroics third year." explained Vlad. "He offered a ticket for the festival, to brag about his child's achievement. I decided to see the whole three days, as this event is so weird."
"Mm." At first, he was also weirded out that this school event gets broadcasted. He could fathom that the third years need something to establish themselves... but the first years?
"Now, you're a student here, could you tell me why this is?" asked Vlad.
Danny sighed. "After the festival, we have internships. But the hero agencies need to invite us. The festival acts as an attention grab, so that we can get invites." he explained calmly. He didn't feel like picking a fight with Vlad here.
"Is that so." Vlad then sighed. "Your parents told me you we're in the support course."
Danny rolled his eyes. "They didn't exactly pay attention when they talked with the principal. Then again, they know I am quirkless and not aware I am Phantom. And I never told them which course I attend."
"Your father is such a moron if he isn't aware what course and even school you attend." said Vlad annoyed. "They only told me you attend 'some school in Japan'. I thought you partook in an exchange program for a school related to space exploration or supernatural studies."
'"That they forced their interest on me? Sounds about right." said Danny. That sounds like something they would do. Well, they did try to make him a ghost hunter when Jazz wasn't their focus for once. "Also, mom also didn't knew, dad doesn't carry the fault alone."
"Anyway, Daniel... I assume you'll reveal yourself as Phantom?"
"Yes." confirmed Danny. "I can only imagine how mom and dad react. If Jazz convinced them to watch..." He heard Midnight announce that the second round starts soon. "Ah, I need to go."
"No farewell, Daniel?"
The next challenge was a group challenge, a cavalry battle! And he had the most points, so everyone was after his metaphorical ass and literal band. as he looked for team members, Pony asked him. Which he accepted. Then Pony requested they let Tokage in. He had no reason to say no. Very fast, they only needed one team member.
"Fenton!" yelled Ida, running up to the yet-to-be-revealed halfa. "Could I join your group?"
"No." answered Danny like a pistol shots a bullet. On the spot. Ida had been nothing but rude to him until now. The comments about hiding his quirk, well, not really clarifying what his quirk is, understandable, but everything else? Just no.
"Why not?" asked Ida, unsure why Danny would reject him. "I would be a great asset to the team."
"Not really. Your quirk won't work with what I have in mind." said Danny.
"That is?"
"Not your business." said Danny. Time to be blunt. "Ida, you have been nothing but rude to me since the year started. As you take issue with me not being Japanese, I see no reason to make a team with you." While Tokage was surprised by this - Pony was aware of these issues, as Danny ranted to her - Ida was taken aback by Danny's words. "Now before you say I am just a rude, disrespectful American, it is just that while your people hide their true feelings behind a mask, I just say how it is, to the point. I don't hide and I won't just deal with your casual racism." Ida then left and Danny asked the girls, "Was that too much?"
"Maybe, but from what you told me, he deserved it." said Pony. Tokage seemed to agree. "Now, what is that idea of yours?"
"Flight." he said. "My quirk is not just ice, you know?"
"So you are Phantom?" realized Tokage.
"Exactly, but I want to surprise the masses, maybe in the third task if possible." explained Danny. "Tokage, Pony, you fly up. I will hang on your horns, but I will make myself lighter with my ghost floating. My ice will keep the others at bay... and act as projectiles."
"I can have two pairs of horns in the air, so I can also take aim at anyone who goes for our bands." said Pony.
"Mm... maybe Rin Hiryu can join? He can shoot scales." proposed Tokage.
"Any reason why him specifically?" Danny never met the boy, he only heard of Rin from Pony.
"Well, he is walking to us..."
"Um... Pony, Setsuna, is there still a spot in your team?" he asked.
"Ask Fenton, he's the leader." said Pony.
"Rin, I allow you in if you can handle great heights and the cold." said Danny.
"Can do that."
"Good, then here is the plan..."
When the battle started, his group got air borne and ice shards flew around them. The ice and winds kept their opponents at bay, but if they came though, Rin had his very sharp scales ready, Pony had a pair of horns ready and Tokage was ready to bite someone. Or scare someone off balance via a sole, flying eye. And if that doesn't work, Danny could always prematurely reveal his identity.
Rin accused him of this being a coward tactic but Danny said, "A real coward tactic would be if I turn us all invisible until this is over. thinking of it, would that be against the rules? In case we do that as a last effort."
"Eh, it is your quirk." said Rin. "You know, your ice isn't that cold."
"Mm, really?" before he could receive an answer, vines shot at them. Danny shock froze them as their pull ripped him out of his shock.
"This will be easy, if you continue to dominate them like this." said Rin happily. Then his mimic dropped. "Thinking about it, it just means I'll be lost fighting you, ghost boy." He told Rin. Danny will drop the bomb today anyway and he needed to know for their plan anyway.
"I won't call this dominating the meta... Ida incoming!" Apparently someone launched Ida into the air. "Pony! The big cannons!" The horns detached from her head and flew to Ida, grabbing him under the arms and dragging him to the ground, pinning him down. Pony let loose of the horns, so that she can grow a new pair. Rin holding onto her stopped feeling weird after Ida came.
'Seriously, you used her horns on Ida! The task just started!' criticized him Izuku.
Danny sighed annoyed, which prompted Rin to ask, "Any problems?"
"Just a nagging ghost that won't shut up, Rin." said Danny. "If I won't help him to move on..."
'About that, you do a terrible job at that! Not to be mean...' Danny should have taught to stand up and be blunt to Izuku a bit earlier... but maybe Bakugo would have committed to a direct murder, then. 'Todoroki attacks! Fire!'
"Thanks for the warning! Fire!" He intensified the spherical blizzard around them, until a solid ice ball formed. They aw the light of Todoroki's flame.
'Mm, your ice rivalry seemed to have motivated him to use his fire half...' muttered Izuku.
"Looks like he didn't learn that your ice literally can't be melted!" mused Tokage. "Wanna bet how long he can keep going?"
'Not long, he didn't practice his fire much at UA.' theorized Izuku. 'Then again, he could have trained his fire at home for all we know.'
"I doubt he trained his fire at home, Izuku." said Danny.
"Oh, Izuku is our secret team member?" said Pony. "What did he say?"
"He theorized how long Todoroki could use his fire like this." Todoroki was still blasting the ice ball. "Todoroki didn't train his fire at UA much." His fire then stopped. "Looks like we found his limit."
Danny opened the ice and they saw Todoroki passed out on the ground, his team mates, Ida, Yaoyorozu and Uraraka, carried him away, to Recovery Girl who was - for her age - fast approaching. "I kinda feel bad..."
"Nah, that was cool." said Pony in English. "I waited to make that pun."
"Die!" Bakugo came blasted to their group. Pony dispatched the horns she had grown while Todoroki tried to do the impossible, only for Bakugo to pulverize them.
Danny created a green shield, allowing Bakugo to just smack against it like a bird into a window. Tokage was slightly loosing it at the sight.
'Kaachan! Could you at least let him down carefully? It is a big height after all...' requested Izuku.
Danny made the shield disappear. Bakugo was slightly sticking to it, now he was pluming to the ground.
"Danny!" complained Pony. "You're going too far!" She detached her newly, but not fully finished horns and guided them to catch Bakugo, before descending him to the ground more safely
"That piece of shit is the reason why Izuku is dead, so I see no reason to play nice." said Danny annoyed. "When ends the battle?"
"The Cavalry battle concludes! Team Fenton wins!" announced Midnight. "Now a break before the battle tournament starts!"
"Damn... I hope I do not have to fight you." said Rin.
The battles were what everyone was waiting for. They finally could use their quirks to their fullest and impress. If they came so far. Danny was mainly excited to reveal himself. He needs to message Jazz about their parents reaction. Even if they learn the truth though the news.
In the break before the fighting starts, Vlad approached him again. "Daniel, are you sure you want to reveal your identity?" he asked. "What if your parents don't take it well?"
"If that is the case, I will figure something out." answered Danny. "Why do you ask? Are you worried?"
"Yes... if there are issues, you can come to live with me." offered Vlad.
"I doubt that is needed." said Danny, denying the offer. "If you excuse me, the tournament should start any minute now."
And he was right. He got a few matches to watch until he had his first, against Ida at that. He feels like embarrassing Ida. maybe making him slip on ice? On the field, the second the match started, Ida was rushing at him. Danny just flash froze the ground, making Ida loose any hold and slide uncontrollably to him. Jumping up, he dodged Ida, who slithered out of the ring.
"Wow, that was fast!" Work smarter, not harder. And use your opponent's quirk - or their momentum to be more precise - against them. Walking off, he heard Izuku say, 'I don't know if I should be impressed by how easily you beat him or if i should scold you for being so petty.'
Then Pony came. "Good job? Didn't you want to reveal yourself as Phantom?"
"Yeah... but Ida was too easy." said Danny. "Maybe my next opponent is difficult enough to use something that isn't the ice."
"Well, I for my part will fight Yaoyorozu now." said Pony. "Then Tokage against this Shinso guy from the General Studies course."
While Pony - barely - won, Tokage lost. For a good reason. Shinso has a mind control quirk. Nasty to fight. "Izuku, mind spying Shinso? Analyze his quirk for me, please."
'Of course!' Izuku would never say no to analyzing a quirk. Danny figure out that one fast.
Then he saw Bakugo and Todoroki fight. He cheered for Todoroki, just because he does not want that Bakugo wins. Albeit he won't mind using his Ghostly Wail on Bakugo. Or any of his ghost powers that aren't his ice. The match ended with Todoroki being knocked out like a light against his ice. He could swear he heard Todoroki Enji - Endeavor and Todoroki's father - complain somewhere. No wonder Todoroki has that nasty scar. Is it just Danny, or did Uraraka put up a stronger fight against Bakugo?
Soon it was his time to fight against Tokoyami. Tokoyami is so weird, but so nice. He should know, he helps Tokoyami with English. His class took advantage of having a native speaker in their ranks. Tokoyami was difficult! Dark Shadow was difficult! So when Dark came for him, he turned into Phantom and flew over him. He heard the crowd's reaction.
"Ah, he finally revealed himself! Was about time, Mr. Fenton!" commented Nezu. Danny dodged Dark Shadow, sporadically blocking Dark Shadow with a shield. He then started to blast Dark Shadow with his Ecto blasts. Like expected, Shadow did not laugh that Ecto blasts glow. High in the air, circling around Tokoyami, he created an ice crystal and dropped it. A bit later when it hit the ground, ice spread everywhere. And Tokoyami fell on his butt, dragging Dark Shadow with him. Danny decided to choose to try something new. There is a trick regarding his shield he had been experimenting with. Now is the perfect time to test it.
He created a shield and moved the shield to push Tokoyami out of the circle. Tokoyami said, "You're an established hero, no wonder you beat me. Thanks for not dropping me like Bakugo."
Now it was just waiting for his last fight. Against Bakugo. He watched how Pony and Rin fought against each other. To his surprise, Rin beat Pony. Danny always thought she was stronger than Rin. But then she got knocked out by Bakugo who just pulverized her horns again. Soon it was his turn to fight against Bakugo. Izuku pleaded, 'Please don't kill him!'
As they stood on the field, Bakugo yelled, "Don't think you can beat be just because you're already established in the US!"
"Wait, did someone beat Shinso?" wondered Danny.
'Shoji did. Shinso's quirk needs the target to verbally reply.' explained Izuku. 'Shoji ignored him. Rendering his quirk useless.'
Then the battle started. Danny shifted back into his ghost form and blasted Bakugo with his green ecto shots. Instead of dodging Bakugo's explosions, he turned intangible.
"You coward! Stop doing that!" yelled Bakugo, propelling himself to Danny with his explosions.
"I'm just using my quirk! Now about being a coward..." said Danny, "Didn't you tell Izuku to take a swan dive because you felt threatened by a Quirkless kid?"
Bakugo's eyes widen and he stopped. "How do you know that?"
"I am a ghost. I peak to ghosts." he said. "Go figure, boom-boom boy." He then created a portal - his friends and Jazz will now require he visits regularly now that they know he can do that - under Bakugo, dropping him out of the circle.
'Oh, Kaachan got to peek at the Ghost Zone!' said Izuku. 'Why didn't you do that earlier?'
"That concludes the first year sports festival!" announced Nezu. "Fenton Daniel wins!" Even after spending months in Japan, he still gets surprised by the different order of the names. At least thy drop his middle name. He probably hates that one more than being called Daniel.
When the medals were given out, the top three being him, Bakugo and Rin, instead of being angry of his loss and being literally explosive like Danny learned to expect, Bakugo stood silent on the second place and looked into nothing. Rin was just happy he made the winner stairs. Danny had to wonder, was Bakugo really knocked out by what he was told, was he humbled by his beating or did the peek into the Ghost Zone just fry his mind?