It was here, the first day of the Sports Festival. One of the country's biggest sporting events. Its events would be broadcasted not just across the country, but to the entire world at large. It was the public's first showing of the new generation of Heroes, as well as possible interns and sidekicks for any big-name Hero agencies.
Izuku Midoriya felt rightfully anxious walking towards the massive stadium hosting the festival. For years, he would have been at home watching it on TV with his mom. Now, he's a part of it, as a contestant. And yet, the festivity of it all buried those negative feelings under positive ones as he made his way to the locker rooms.
Despite the overall atmosphere and good vibes, there was a subtle air of tension. There were more Pro Heroes walking around acting as security. UA had made a promise to not let another incident like the USJ happen, and they delivered. Security was ramped up, from the numerous bag checking stations to Izuku having to use his school ID in order to get in. Someone cynical would say that UA was bowing down to the fearmongering of the League of Villains by upping the security. However, those feelings were drowned out by the festival itself.
Several minutes later, Izuku changed into his gym uniform and tightened up his red shoes before joining everyone else in the lobby. You could feel the excitement in the air, as Izuku's classmates were eagerly talking amongst themselves, hyping up their own performances. Even Bakugo was in good spirts, which for him was not yelling at everybody.
The sound of footsteps drew Izuku's attention. Shoto Todoroki, son of the Number 2 Hero, was walking towards him. His eyes were filled with purpose.
"Midoriya," Todoroki called out in a monotone voice. Izuku pointed at himself in confusion, feeling very stupid instantly because he was the only Midoriya in the class.
"Yes, you," Todoroki answered Izuku's wordless question.
"Now don't say anything else and listen. I know that out of everyone in this room, I am the strongest." He said nonchalantly, like a fact. Of course, there were some (read: Bakugo) who disagreed with that statement, but Todoroki continued. "But you're proving to be different from everyone else."
"Your Quirk is simple, yet powerful at the same time. You are able to evolve and adapt it to new situations by instinct. And, despite that, your skill with it feels relatively green compared to everyone else. All of these things don't add up, unless there was something more to you, Izuku Midoriya."
Izuku gulped. Did Todoroki have some inkling of the truth? That Izuku wasn't born with his Quirk? That it was given to him by some weird rock underground? To be honest, it would be highly doubtful that Todoroki suspected that last part, but Izuku's panicked brain was running at a mile a minute to care.
"There is only one possibility in my mind that ties everything together. Midoriya, are you a descendant of a government project?"
"I, uh – what?" Izuku said baffled.
Todoroki's stoic face did not change in the slightest towards Izuku's confusion.
"There was a government project in the United States long ago that attempted to unlock psychic powers among individuals," Todoroki continued. "Some of those subjects must have escaped and later have children before and during the rise of Quirks."
Izuku looked to his other classmates, hoping that they too found Todoroki's conspiracy ramblings weird and uncalled for. Sadly, no one else seemed to pay that much attention.
"It doesn't matter where you came from, or how strong your Quirk is." Todoroki refocused Izuku's attention on him. "All that you should know is that I will beat you in the tournament. Nobody else matters."
That seemed to get everyone's attention on the two, with Bakugo's declaration of "BULLSHIT!" ringing true for most of the class.
Izuku steeled himself to answer Todoroki's claim.
"I'll be honest, Todoroki, you probably are the strongest kid in class." Izuku answered. And it was not without evidence. Todoroki's skill with his ice abilities were nearly unparalleled. "But that doesn't discredit the rest of us. We've worked hard to get where we are, through thick and thin. So yeah, maybe you will win the festival, but that doesn't mean we will make it easy for you."
Todoroki's face subtly shifts from Izuku's speech. Before he can retort, an intercom voice blares in the room, announcing that the opening speech is about to start.
"Come on, everyone," Yaoyorozu directed towards the entrance. "Form up orderly, side by side."
By either luck, coincidence, or secretly genius planning, Izuku was smushed between Uraraka and Iida. Class 1-A walked out of the waiting room and into the sun. The freshmen were greeted by the cheers of the crowd as they all walked into the stadium. Izuku and several classmates gaped at the crowd.
"Here they are, the star darlings of UA's freshman classes, Class 1-A!" From an unseen place, Present Mic was giving his all as the announcer of the festival. "They've faced Villains before mid-terms, so don't give them just a passing glance! These students are sure to knock your socks off!"
Izuku smiled and waved at the roaring crowd. He was hoping to catch the lens of a camera, and that camera would be tuned in so his mom would see him on TV.
"Just because they're not in the spotlight doesn't mean they're rising stars as well! Let's give a big welcome to Class 1-B!"
The titular Class 1-B entered to less applause than 1-A. Izuku felt conflicted about the neighboring class. On one hand, it was not fair that 1-A had more attention due to the Villain attack on the USJ. 1-B surely had talented and dedicated students who would have proved themselves just like Izuku's classmates. On the other hand, Izuku didn't forget about 1-B's confrontation with 1-A. Some 1-B students thought 1-A were a bunch of arrogant blowhards who lapped up the praise for surviving the attack. One blonde kid from the crowd had a massive superiority complex about him. Izuku knew that his classmates were more than what that mob thought they were. Plus, there was that one kid who said that general studies students can move up to the Hero Course if they do well in the festival. Izuku didn't know if that was true, but that guy sure sounded like it.
Izuku's thoughts were broken by the announcement of the rest of the freshmen classes. These included the Support Classes, the Business students, and finally the General Studies course. All of them on one stage for the world to see.
The crack of a whip alerted everyone to Midnight's presence on top of a raised platform.
"I know you're all chomping at the bit to tear into each other, but first, some establishment." The 18+ Heroine said. "I'm Midnight, and I'll be your referee for each and every event. I see one of you break the rules, and you won't just be punished. You'll be disqualified from the rest of the events. I promise, you won't enjoy it as much as I will."
Izuku shuddered involuntary at the loaded remark. It's times like these he questioned the school board's decision to place some named "The R-rated Heroine" in charge of a bunch of hormonal teenage boys. Of course, he shook it off in time for the next bombshell of a reveal.
"Before the announcement of the freshmen events, it's UA tradition for a representative from one of the classes to make a speech. Ladies and gentlemen, give a warm welcome to Class 1-A's Katsuki Bakugo!"
The roar of the crowd hid the confusion and worry of some of 1-A's students.
"Seriously, why did they choose Bakugo?" Uraraka whispered to Izuku. "Couldn't they have picked someone more qualified for this, like Iida or Yaoyorozu?"
"I don't know," Izuku shrugged. "But maybe this won't be so bad, right?"
Bakugo walked to the microphone. When he got there, he cleared his throat before speaking.
"I would like to recognize everyone as steppingstones towards my victory. Thank you."
The sheer audacity of Bakugo's speech drew in boos from not only the other classes but from some of the crowd as well. Bakugo calmly walked back to 1-A undeterred by the boos and jeers from everyone, even his own protesting classmates now made targets due to his speech.
"Oh, it was way worse," Uraraka commented as Izuku buried his face in his hands. The boos continued until the crack of Midnight's whip silenced them.
"That's enough!" Midnight shouted. "Thank you, Bakugo, for the…encouraging speech. Now, onto the first event, which will be determined right now!"
Behind her shot up a large multi-colored wheel. Midnight spun it, tings filled the air as the wheel spun and spun before eventually stopping.
"The first event is the Obstacle Course!"
After giving a brief explanation of the rules, which basically boiled down to "stay within the lanes and don't kill anybody", the whole freshman student body was ushered to the starting line. The race itself was held outside of the stadium, in a separate building. As Izuku tried to look over the crowd of students shuffling before him, he knew that the first obstacle was the entrance. The wide-open starting area narrowed towards the actual starting line. Basically, it would act as a big bottleneck for everyone. Well, almost everyone.
Izuku would be lying if he wasn't conflicted that the first event was an obstacle course, in so much as the thought of how he can cheese it with his flight. It would be a great way to show off how much he put into his training over the weeks. But it would also be a disservice to everyone else who could only stay on the ground.
Above them, a light appeared signaling the countdown. Izuku tensed up, waiting for the sign. The green light flashed, the alarm rang, and Izuku ran towards the starting line. Or at least tried to, as the wave of students behind him were pushing and shoving to get to the front.
Eventually, the bottlenecking happened, and something else unexpected happened. A breeze of cold air washed over Izuku as he saw a large patch of ice near the starting line. Izuku knew that it could only be Todoroki who caused this. Even now, he could see kids stuck in the ice or trying to go around it. Bakugo had already blasted his way out, and many others were making their way around it.
Izuku shook his head. He didn't need to play fair; he was there to compete. Izuku activated his flight, this time much smoother thanks to his training. Izuku weaved over the heads of his fellow students before flying through the tunnel exit.
Out in the open air, Izuku found it hard not to bask in the sunlight and energy of the competition. Present Mic's voice boomed over loudspeakers as both he and Eraserhead acted as commentators. Down below, Izuku saw that Todoroki was already in the lead. The guy was ice skating along a continuously created ice path. However, students were already catching up. Bakugo was using his explosions as extra jumps to gain distance. Izuku flew forward, determined not to lose this race.
"Would you look at that?! Midoriya is soaring over the competition, literally!" Present Mic's voice penetrated through the howling wind in Izuku's ears.
The telekinetic looked back to see that he was putting some major distance between himself and the rest of the pack. In fact, he was gaining such a lead that Izuku thought that he might have already passed the first obstacle. However, the small hint of whirring gears drew Izuku's attention forward, but there was no time at all to react to the giant robot arm about to collide with him.
Izuku was launched back and crashed into the ground. His head was ringing from the landing, and he was amazed that nothing felt broken. Hell, he didn't even have a bloody nose. Yet, nothing could prepare him for what he saw next.
"Look's like Midoriya's the first to experience…the Robo Inferno!"
Izuku looked up to see a swarm of robots from the entrance exam. But these weren't just one-pointers, two-pointers, or even the three-pointers. No, these were the gargantuan zero-pointers. Izuku almost sat there in fear, but the sound of Todoroki's ice and Bakugo's explosions meant that he was getting left behind.
Izuku took to the skies again, only this time going higher than the zero-pointers could reach. As he was about to zip on past, he saw the speck of Todoroki freeze one of the zero-pointer's treads. This wouldn't have been a problem if the titanic robot wasn't tipping over and poised to crush several of the competitors. Acting out of instinct, Izuku telekinetically grabbed the falling zero-pointer and tried to move it out of the way of the racers. However, his attention was focused on the robot that he did not notice Bakugo barreling towards him.
"Get out of the way, Deku!" The explosive boy shouted as he shoved Izuku in midair. Izuku lost concentration on the falling zero-pointer, which crashed in the middle of the race.
"No!" Izuku shouted. Fortunately, most people either got out of the way or had Quirks capable of surviving getting smushed by a giant robot, like with Kirishima breaking out of the robot's chassis.
"Even in a race, Midoriya still tries to be a shining example of heroism! Talk about sportsmanship, am I right?" Present Mic commented.
"Too bad this is a race and not a rescue operation." Eraser Head said.
"Oh, Eraser Head, you got such a way with words, don'tcha buddy?"
Izuku knew his teacher was right. Yeah, saving people was a hero's job, but right now, he's needed to get through this course. Izuku took off once again, catching up with leader of the pack. The second obstacle was present. A seemingly bottomless pit with some rock formations too far for any normal person to jump. The only way across was a series of ropes along a line. Or, if you were like Izuku, you can just fly over that.
Now Izuku was gaining back the lead. Bakugo and Todoroki couldn't fly like he can. They had to make do with ice or explosion enhanced jumps. Now, Izuku was over the pit and on his way to approach the third obstacle: an empty patch of land with a danger sign nearby it. Man, they really didn't account for someone who could fly.
As Izuku flew over, he didn't notice something launching straight up towards him. He barely registered something hitting him before being launched straight towards the ground, rolling to a stop.
"Look's like Midoriya is the first victim of the mine field! Don't worry folks, these mines won't leave any burns or scars, but they are not fun to be hit by!" Present Mic's commentary filled Izuku's ears.
So that's what hit him, Izuku thought. A freaking mine. Sure, it didn't burn him or get shrapnel near his vital organs, like Present Mic said, but it wasn't pleasant. As he tried to get up, Izuku noticed something off on the ground. Some parts felt like actual dirt, but as he felt around his torso area, he felt something more metallic.
Oh, great, he was on a mine. Was it a dud? Did it just not go off? Sure, it wouldn't kill him, but Izuku would really not want to be in the blast radius of this thing.
"And it looks like it's neck and neck between Todoroki and Bakugo! It's so close I can't even watch!"
"Well, if you won't, I have to. Which I don't."
Seriously? Izuku couldn't believe they got this far ahead of him. He promised not only to himself but to everyone he was going to give it his all, and he didn't want to let them down. Izuku, while still lying flat on his stomach, got his arms and legs into a launching stance. He felt his power flow over him, tensing like a bowstring. Finally, he shot forward.
Izuku was flying inches from the ground at breakneck speeds. The explosion from the mine he was on was a distant sound to his ears. Izuku pushed himself harder and harder, faster than he ever went before. He even pushed his arms out in an attempt to reduce drag. The blurry forms of Bakugo and Todoroki were approaching closer and closer before vanishing from view. The fact that he was in the lead didn't even click as he focused on the finish line. The sounds of explosions and glaciers forming were getting closer and closer but felt dim as that finish line drew ever so nearer.
The cheering of the crowd was what told Izuku to stop. He braked in midair, floating past the finish line due to his speed still carrying him. He looked up at the cheering crowds.
"In first place, it's Izuku Midoriya from Class 1-A!" Present Mic announced to the knowing audience.
Izuku was amazed, astonished. So much so that he involuntarily shut off his flight and fell on his butt. But that didn't matter. The fact was that he won. Izuku Midoriya won something, with his own Quirk. The feeling was unreal. Scores of people were cheering for him. Izuku meekly basked in the cheers as more and more students came in after Izuku and Todoroki and Bakugo.
Across the ocean, in a medium size American restaurant, a group of Japanese workers were having an after-work meal. These men and women left their home country in search of employment within the States. For what reason, it differed amongst them. For some, they wanted to get away from Japan and enjoy the United States for what it was, faults and all. For others, they took the job to pay for families back home. Those who were unable to find employment within the tightening job market of Japan.
Hisashi Midoriya was a part of the later group. He had the same curly mop of hair like his son had, though it was all black instead of green. He wore small glasses that were only meant to help him with reading, but he kept them on because he was always worried about losing them. He had a decent beard, and a dad bod that kept becoming more apparent every day. He sat with work friends and friends of his friends at a large booth.
"Hey, Hisashi, can you heat this up for me?" One of his co-workers raised a drink towards the bespectacled man.
Hisashi's Quirk was breathing fire, a respectable Quirk. He couldn't spew out an inferno like Endeavor, but he did taught himself that if he could cup his lips together, he could narrow the fire to nearly become a calforic laser. It was something he was personally proud of, even if it wasn't Pro Hero material.
Now, using Quirks in a public space back in Japan was liable for arrest. But, in the United States of America, things like Quirk usage were more lax. Of course, there were laws banning certain uses of Quirks, but due to the Americans' love of personal freedom, many businesses and enterprises were willing to look the other way of customers using Quirks in minor ways.
While Hisashi heated his friend's drink with his fire breath, he kept an eye on the TV hanging above the booth. One of the reasons they choose this restaurant was because they put coverage of the UA Sports Festival on. Of course, some grumbled that it was covered by American sportscasters and not Japanese ones, but they only get what they get.
Hisashi turned towards the TV and gaped. The Festival already started by the time they got there, and the first event for the freshmen class was just now finishing up. What Hisashi didn't expect to see was his son's name right next to "first place".
Now, nearly a year ago, he got an email from his wife letting know about his son's changes. Izuku got a Quirk despite the doctors claiming he would never get one. She told him that Izuku's new Quirk came from outside factors but said she couldn't elaborate. Hisashi knew that Izuku was enrolled in UA's Hero Course, something that he thought would never happen. All of this was told through text on screens or through long distance phone calls.
Hisashi always felt a pang of sadness when talking to his family. He wished he could be there more often, but his job and the company wouldn't let him. It wasn't ideal, and there were so many times Hisashi wished he could hop on a plane and go home to be a present husband and father for his family. So now, as he's staring up at the screen proclaiming that his son won what was equivalent to an Olympic event, he felt pride. Hisashi always loved his family, but the distance strained his relationship and the lack of noteworthy events in Izuku's life which were told to him had dulled that fatherly sense of pride. But those feelings were front and center.
"Hey, hey, look," Hisashi nudged his co-workers and pointed at the TV. "That's my son."
"What? Hisashi, what are you -?"
"Look, at the TV," Hisashi pointed directly at the Izuku on screen. "The boy with green hair. The student who won the first event. That's my son."
As more and more of his co-workers started to notice, rounds of congratulations filled the booth. But even amongst friends, Hisashi felt a bard of sadness in his father pride for his son.
"Izuku," Hisashi thought to himself. "I wish I was there with your mother, cheering you on from home."
Hey, it's uh, been a while. A whole semester between updates.
Yeah, I'll be honest. College really put a damper on my writing. Mostly because I had to a lot of writing for school and didn't have the time or energy to put into updating this fic. Still, for those who stuck around or for those who joined in between updates, thank you. It means a lot to me that you were willing to wait to see more.
Now, for some authorial stuff. First, nothing can beat Todoroki's accusation that Midoriya was All Might's bastard son in the original story. Nothing I could have done would have topped that, so I had to change to be more in line with this Midoriya's powerset and try to make it humorous.
Second, we actually meet Hisashi! And he isn't AFO or someone evil! I know that's a popular trope in fanfics, but I wanted to explore more of what little crumbs the cannon story gave us: a father working oversees who seems to barely have an impact in his son's life. Of course, I'm going to explore more of why Hisashi isn't able to come home in future chapters, but that will be way later on. Plus, I wanted to do some more personal world building.
Third, I was going to include the set up for the second trail, but I've been going at this for too long, and I want to go to sleep.
For now, thank you to everyone who favorited, followed, and left comments. Those are greatly appreciated, so I would love to hear your thoughts.
That's all I got for now. See ya next time!