Izuku took the noonday break in stride. It was great to simply play games without serious competition looming over his head. He always wanted to go when he was younger, but circumstances always prevented him from going. Money would be tight around that time, ticket admissions would be sold out so quickly, or there was something else going on at the same time. Now, he was having a blast playing games and hanging out with friends. Of course, the next event stuck in the back of his mind, but he could simply enjoy himself.
For the brief time Izuku was able to have his phone on him since the beginning of the Sports Festival, he saw that he had received messages. There was a stream of messages from his mom ranging from wishing him good luck to congratulating him on not only getting through the first two events but also winning the obstacle race. Izuku typed a quick message thanking his mom for her support. After getting another good luck text, Izuku then looked at the other message he got.
Dad: Hey champ, been watching you throughout the festival. I'm proud of how far you have come. Will try and talk after its done. Love you.
Izuku felt something wet and wiped the tear he didn't know he had. He never really got to see his father much if at all. His work in the States always kept him from home. He could only communicate through texts or video calls that grew less frequent over the years. Now, knowing that his dad was rooting for him even from so far away gave Izuku a type of reassurance and strength he hadn't felt in a long time.
"Midoriya."
The sudden calling of his name made Izuku jump a bit and nearly fumbled his phone. He turned to see Todoroki standing behind him looking serious.
"Oh, hey Todoroki," Izuku said. "You know, you can be really quiet when you want to." He trailed off.
Todoroki's stare turned somewhat curious. "Was I interrupting something?"
"Oh, no, just reading a text from my dad. He's watching the festival from overseas, and he wanted me to know he was there for me."
Todoroki mused at that before other thoughts got to him. Wanting to break the silence, Izuku spoke up first.
"You and your team were really great in the calvary battle. You managed to hold onto the 10 million points the longest despite all the opposition. Plus, the fire attack nearly got all of us. I'm surprised you don't use it more often."
"That's the point." Todoroki glared at his left hand. "I shouldn't have used it at all."
Izuku paused for a moment. "Wait, I don't understand. What's wrong with the fire?"
Todoroki let out a sigh, steeling himself up for whatever he had to say.
"You know my father is Endeavor, right?"
"Yeah, the Flame Hero. Ranked number 2 in Japan and known for taking down the most Villains in a year, why?"
"For the longest time, my father desired to be the Number 1 Hero. However, he came to realize he would never surpass All Might on his own. So instead, he decided to do something else."
Todoroki gazed at Izuku with a serious look in his eyes.
"Do you know what Quirk Marriages are?" Todoroki asked.
Izuku tensed up. He knew what Quirk Marriages were. It was taught in nearly every Quirk history course in school. Quirk Marriages were arranged marriages done by families who wanted children to possess powerful Quirks. So, they would take two people who had compatible enough Quirks to marry off to and hope the child had a Quirk greater than the sum of its parts. The families rarely took into account if the husband and wife were actually good for each other.
"Yeah, I know what they are." Izuku answered. "Aren't they illegal now?"
"Not really. It's just not looked upon favorably anymore." Todoroki clarified. "Still, didn't stop my father from marrying my mother for her Quirk."
Izuku listened in silence as Todoroki continued.
"My father had fire; my mother had ice. My father wanted a child who could control both and be powerful enough to surpass All Might and be the Number 1 Hero when he could not. They had three children before having me."
"Every day was some form of training. Every day, I would be pushed to my limits again and again. No matter how much I pleaded, my father never saw me as his son; he saw me as his successor."
Todoroki sighed once again before looking away from Izuku.
"By the time I was born, my parent's relationship was practically gone. There was no love in that house. Only obedience. It wore my mother down until one day she broke."
Todoroki remembered the day clearly. The kitchen, the boiling water, the silence as Shoto looked into his mother's eyes. Then came the flash. The searing pain. The crying drowned out by his mother's shrieks that his left side was nothing more than a reminder of his father and everything he had done to them. By the day's end, Shoto remembered that his older sister had to tell him that mommy was sick and had to go to a place where she would feel better. His mother never left the mental hospital from that day.
Izuku stared in shock and horror from Todoroki's story. "Oh my god, Todoroki. I never knew…I'm so sorry that happened to you."
Todoroki ignored Izuku's words and carried on. "From that day forward, I pledged to never use my left side. I wouldn't use his power to be a Hero. And you made me break that promise."
Izuku suppressed a smarmy comment on how it was actually both him and Bakugo's teams rushing Todoroki at the same time that made him use his left side.
"So, here's my pledge to you, Izuku Midoryia," Todoroki stated. "I will win this tournament using only my right side. Nobody is making me use his power again. Not you, not my father, nor anyone else. Remember that."
With that, Todoroki got up to walk away. Before he could fully leave, he heard Izuku cry out for him.
"Todoroki, I can't imagine going through what you did. But that doesn't mean I won't let you win easily. I will be putting my all into this event. I hope you will too."
Todoroki looked back briefly before turning away and walking off. Checking the time, Izuku knew he needed to get ready for the start of the final event.
The participants all lined up for the final event. The audience roared and cheered upon seeing the potential next generation of heroes. Bright lights and camera gave the entire event a sense of spectacle Izuku never really comprehended until now.
Like always, Midnight explained the rules. The third event was always a one-on-one tournament fight between students. The only change was the circumstances surrounding it. Last year's event had students fighting each other with not only their Quirk but pool noodles as well. However, this year was a straight one-on-one fight. A Battle Tournament with no gimmicks.
The rules were simple: fight your opponent until they lose. This can range from knocking an opponent out of bounds, having an opponent forfeit the match, or just simply K. them. Of course, there was the obvious warning against going too hard on an opponent, though they never clarified what going "too far" meant. Maybe they thought these kids would know some self-restraint.
Before Midnight finished, a voice suddenly shouted.
"I would like to withdraw!"
Izuku and others turned to see Ojiro, the tailed boy, standing with determination.
"And why would want to do such a thing?" Midnight asked.
"Because I didn't get here on my own free will." Ojiro answered. "I have barely any recollection of my participation in the Calvary Battle. One minute I was trying to find a team, and the next the event was over. And it was all because of his Quirk."
Ojiro pointed at the purple hair kid, Shinso, who looked unaffected by Ojiro's accusation.
"I understand how important the Sports Festival is, but I can't go any further knowing I didn't do any of the work myself. Call it pride, but I see it as protecting my dignity as a Hero."
Some participants tried to plead with him to take back his withdrawal, but it was too late for him. Ojiro's mind was set.
"I know walking away from an opportunity like this is foolish. I get that." Ojiro stated. "But how I can go on and show everyone my best when I couldn't do that in the first place?"
Another member of the former Team Shinso stepped up and announced his withdrawal. The guy was from 1-B and also made a similar argument to Ojiro. Beyond those two, no one else made any sort of attempt to drop out. Midnight, seeming pretty okay about it, let the two drop out of the competition. Two students from the 5th highest scoring team, who were both from 1-B, took their place.
The whole situation made Izuku think. What would he do in that situation? Would he thrown his chance to compete for the sake of his pride? Or would he have gone along, even if he wasn't in control of his own actions? Sadly, this introspection about the intersection of dignity and sports games came to a stop as Midnight revealed the first-round brackets.
Just his luck, Izuku was in the first match. Against Shinso, of all people. Izuku turned to face the purple-haired boy. He looked at Izuku with dismissal and a hint of resentment. Shinso turned away as Izuku was nudged by Uraraka.
"Deku, look, I'm up against Bakugo," she said, her voice filled with a tense edge.
Indeed, Uraraka was up against Bakugo in the first round. As for the explosive boy himself, he looked up at the picture of his opponent in confusion.
"Who the hell is Ochaco?" Bakugo mused out loud.
"Serioulsy?!" Ochaco whispered to Izuku. "He doesn't even know my name! We've been classmates for over a month!"
"Yeah, he usually just remembers nicknames." Izuku explained. "I'm pretty sure he doesn't remember any of the kids' names back in middle school."
Ochaco let out a small whine from dreading the thought of fighting Bakugo. In the meantime, Midnight sent everyone else out to their observation rooms, while Izuku and Shinso got ready in opposite locker rooms. While Izuku was preparing his strategy in the hallway, Ojiro arrived.
"Oh, hey Ojiro, what's up?" Izuku asked.
"Listen, I think I know how Shinso is able to brainwash people," Ojiro said. "I remember him coming up to me and asking me if I wanted to join his team. I was going to say no, but as soon as I answered him, I was under his control. It felt like my body was moving on its own while I couldn't do anything to stop it. I only broke free after the match when I bumped into somebody."
Izuku quickly made mental notes of all of this. Shinso's Quirk relied on verbal response to the user's question in order to control them. The only way to break free was either through Shinso himself or by making substantial physical contact. None of those options were available in a one-on-one match, so the safest option would be to not response to anything Shinso says. There was still one question.
"Why tell me any of this?" Izuku questioned.
"Because I don't want that jerk to win," Ojiro answered. "What kind of scumbag mind controls people to work for him? Anyways, you got this, Midoriya. We'll be routing for you."
Ojiro quickly left, leaving Izuku alone to get ready. The telekinetic couldn't help but ponder the tailed boy's words. Why would Shinso mind control his teammates? Was he really that amoral? Did he fear that nobody would take him, so he had to put things into his own hands? Whatever the case, the light shone signifying it was time for Izuku to walk onto the arena.
The arena was simple in design. A concrete stage with lines near the edges. On a raised platform was Midnight as the referee. As Izuku walked in, the crowd was already cheering with excitement. A familiar chorus of voices came from behind him. Izuku looked up and turned around to see Class 1-A waving and cheering for him in their own observation deck. Izuku smiled back at them before facing towards Shinso. The kid stared at him with tired eyes and a relaxed posture. Izuku saw the similarity with Eraserhead.
"Alright! The first match is about to start!" Present Mic yelled from the commentator's box. "On our left, it's 1-A's psychic powerhouse, Izuku Midoriya! And on our right, the underdog from General Studies who came out of nowhere, Hitoshi Shinso!"
"Alright, boys, remember the rules: fight and give the audience a good time!" Midnight said. "When one of you can't fight anymore, the match is over. You get knocked out of bounds; the fight is over. You want to say uncle, you're out. Go all out but don't be too brutal. Or else I'll have to punish you." She added in a sultery tone.
Izuku and Shinso nodded in agreement. Midnight gave the all-clear and the match began with a loud blare. Izuku shifted into a fighting stance while Shinso continued to be relaxed.
"So, what are you going to do?" Shinso spoke up. "Fling me out of bounds with your Quirk? I bet it would be so easy for you, wouldn't it?"
Izuku held his mouth shut. He knew not to give into anything Shinso said. Then again, why would he be suggesting ideas on how to beat him?
"I mean, with a Quirk like yours, is this even a challenge? Do you think it's a game to you? Everyone else is just steppingstones to your victory, right?"
Izuku scowled at Shinso's accusations. What was he saying that this was just a cakewalk to Izuku? He and his friends fought hard to get where they were. What makes him think that they just coasted through all this? Izuku, still having his guard up, shuffled a little closer to Shinso.
"I mean, at least you weren't like those two losers who dropped out. What kind of self-righteousness idiot quits one of the biggest sports events ever for something so dumb as 'heroic dignity'?"
"Hey, that's not-!" Izuku couldn't stop himself from rebutting and starting to charge Shinso before suddenly-.
"Gotcha."
Izuku froze. His anger dissipated, his posture defaulting to a stoic straight pose. Shinso smirked as Izuku was completely under his control.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha," Shinso chuckled to himself. "Man, if that's all it takes to rile Hero students up, then this tournament is going to be a breeze."
By now the crowd had started growing restless over the lack of action. Confusion spread as to why Izuku suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.
"You know, you're lucky to have the Quirk you do. It's strong, powerful, and heroic. I bet the moment you got it; everybody wanted you to be a Hero." Shinso started to move towards the frozen Izuku.
"You know what happened when I got my Quirk? Everyone told me I was going to be a Villain." There was bitterness in Shinso's words. "Nobody gave me a chance. Nobody thought I could do anything except be a Villain. You ever been in a situation like that? Where everybody is against you because of what you have instead of who you are?"
Shinso's rhetorical question was left unanswered by the mind controlled Izuku.
"That's what I thought." Shinso scoffed. "But I was going to prove everyone wrong. I was going to be a Hero and get into UA's Hero Course. The only problem is that UA uses robots as their entry test. They don't care about useful Quirks; they just want flashy Quirks that get attention. Well, I'm here to prove them wrong. I'm going to win this tournament and get in the Hero Course no matter what. I'll show everybody on who can be a Hero."
Shinso sighed as he finished his monologue. "Well, it was great talking to you, but I've got a tournament to win. So do me a favor and walk out of bounds." Shinso ordered.
Robotically, Izuku's body turned around and started to walk towards the line. Izuku's classmates were yelling at him to turn around, fight back, anything but this! The crowd was waiting impatiently for something exciting to happen; a punch, a throw, anything but this. Shinso grinned as he was about to score his first victory when it happened.
Izuku stopped. He froze dead in his tracks. His legs were shaking, as if attempting to move forward but were glued to the floor. Shinso became worried. No one had ever resisted his brainwashing before.
"Hey! I didn't tell you to stop! Keep going!" Shinso ordered.
But it had no effect. Izuku continued to not move. The shakes had become worse as if his body was fighting against the order Shinso gave. By now, the audience became enraptured, waiting to see the outcome.
Shinso stormed to face Izuku.
"What are you doing? You are under my control, and I order you to go out of bounds! What are you even-?!"
Shinso gasped as he got face to face with Izuku. His whole body had been shaking like he was possessed. Izuku's eyes went dilatated and back rapidly. His breathing was quiet and rapid, barely making any sound. And blood began to trickle down from his nose.
"What in the hell-?"
Shinso barely asked the question before Izuku suddenly snapped into action. His face crunched into a glare, Izuku pulled his arm back before slamming it into Shinso's gut. The boy couldn't even anticipate it before being sent flying by the telekinetically enhanced hit. The boy flew across the stage before roughly hitting the ground and rolling away in pain. By the time he stopped, Shinso was already out of the ring.
"Uh, Hitoshi Shinso is out of bounds! The winner is Izuku Midoriya!" Present Mic announced.
The crowd roared in applause along with the student watchers. Midoriya, however, continued to stand there, shaking like a tremor. Eventually, Izuku fell and passed out, leading to staff calling for medibots to take the both of them to Recovery Girl.
The park looked especially beautiful that day. A soft, constant ringing sound filled the air. Kids ran around the playground, climbing up and down the playsets while chasing each other. A group of kids crowded around one particular boy.
Young Katsuki Bakugo had gotten his Quirk several months ago and was proudly showing it off to the other four-year-olds. They were amazed by the crackling pops the boy summoned from his hand. Katsuki was already boasting about becoming the Number One Hero with his Quirk. However, wherever Katsuki would go, there was always one boy who went along with him.
"Kacchan! Kacchan!" An excitable young voice cried out from aways. Katsuki turned to see his friend, Izuku Midoriya. The kid scampered towards the crowd as Katsuki grinned. His mom told him that Izuku went and got his Quirk checked a few days ago. He wanted to know what type of Quirk Deku got.
The boy stopped in front of the crowd and stared excitably at his friend.
"Well, Deku, didn't you go to the Quirk doctor?" Katsuki asked. "Come on, show us your Quirk, Deku!"
Izuku took a moment to catch his breath.
"Ok, so you know how my mommy can move stuff towards her with her mind?" Izuku asked.
"Yeah, and?"
"Well, um…" Izuku looked for something before spotting it. "Watch this!"
Izuku scrunched his face and concentrated. Nearby, two toy trucks began to be lifted off the ground and floated around for a bit. Many of the children nearby gasped in amazement before the trucks were set down on the ground.
One of the kids shouted out the obvious.
"Izuku can move things with his mind!"
The other kids clamored around, excitedly talking about Izuku's cool new Quirk. Even Katsuki gave his own two cents about it.
"Yeah, it's cool and all, but my Quirk is going to be the strongest and I'm going to be the best hero out there!"
Izuku smiled with childish glee and said, "I know, but I'm going to be right there with you. We'll both be the best heroes!"
Katsuki snorted. "No way! I'll be number one, and you can be my sidekick."
"Aw, come on!"
The two laughed about it and continued to play as they always had. Bakugo would be in the lead with Izuku following right behind him. Their shared goal of becoming the best Heroes strengthen their friendship for years to come.
If only this had actually happened.
Izuku groaned as he tried to sit up. His head pounded and it felt it was hard to breathe through his nose. Seeing the two plugs, he pulled the bloody tissues out and threw them away. His stirring caught the attention of Recovery Girl.
"Oh, you're awake." She spoke. "How are you feeling, dearie?"
"I'm okay," Izuku answered. "My head kind of hurts, but nothing else besides that."
"Hmm…" The Youthful Heroine mused. "Well, in that case, do try to take it easier from now on. I don't want you making a habit of visiting my offices after every match."
"Yes, ma'am. By the way, how long was I out?"
"For a while, honey. You've missed a couple of matches, but if you take it easy, you'll be able to return before the first round is over."
"Oh," Izuku said disappointed. "So, do you have an idea of what happened to me out there?"
Recovery Girl looked at Izuku inquisitively. "You don't fully recall? I had assumed you overtaxed your Quirk trying to break the effects of young Shinso's Quirk. Is that not what happened?"
"I don't really remember. Felt like my head was clouded." Izuku shook his head to clear it up. "Where is Shinso anyway? I'd like to talk with him."
"He's over there, recovering." Recovery Girl pointed her cane to a bed on the opposite side. "You did a number on that boy. Nothing permanent, but he's going to be feeling it for a while."
Izuku cringed before getting up. "I want to talk to him for a bit, then can I go back to my class?"
Recovery Girl scrutinized him before sighing. "Yes, yes. As long as you don't faint, you'll be able to return to your friends."
"Thank you."
Izuku made his way over to Shinso. The boy was lying in a bed, recovering. The boy noticed Izuku approaching and glared.
"What are you here for?" Shinso questioned. "Coming to gloat on how you beat me?"
Izuku wanted to answer but hesitated for fear of Shinso using his Quirk.
"I'm not going to brain wash you again," Shinso said. "I already lost, so what's the point?"
Izuku let out a breath. "Look, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for hurting you like that."
Shinso raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Um, thanks? I - I know I said some nasty stuff about your friends, but I didn't totally mean it. I just wanted you to let me use my Quirk on you. So, no hard feelings, I guess?"
"Yeah," Izuku paused. "Hey, I remember some of the stuff you said to me, while I was brain washed, and I wanted to say that I understand it."
"What?"
"I mean, I was never called a Villain, but I know what it's like to have a dream be rejected by everyone around you."
"Oh." Shinso said. He laid back on his pillow, contemplating Izuku's words.
"Plus, I think your Quirk's pretty good for Hero work," Izuku's words broke Shinso's thoughts. "I mean, you'd be really great at negotiations. All you'd have to do is get a Villain to answer your question and then you'd make them surrender!"
"Yeah," Shinso thought about it before his doubts came back in. "Too bad that won't matter. I lost my chance at getting into the Hero Course."
"That doesn't mean the end of your Hero career. There were a bunch of Pro Heroes watching our match. There's bound to be some of them who took notice of how powerful your Quirk is. It's not like I broke through it immediately."
Shinso let out a puff of air at Izuku's quip before slowly getting up. "Yeah, whatever." He sighed. "You really think I might have a chance to join the Hero Course, even after I lost."
"I believe so," Izuku nodded. "Anyway, sorry to cut this short, but I want to go see the rest of the matches. Bye."
As Izuku started to leave, he heard Shinso cry out for him. He turned to face his former opponent.
"Hey, Midoriya, make sure not to lose. If I won't give up on my dream, you'd better not either."
"I will." Izuku stated.
Later, when Shinso returned back to his class, he was greeted with praise and congratulations. Most of the General Studies kids were proud to have someone from their course get so far. Some even let slip they heard Pro Heroes talking about Shinso and his Quirk. Guess Izuku was right.
As Izuku walked through the halls, he thought back on his dream. Even though it was fading, he still remembers enough to be bothered by it. Izuku remembered that day well. He didn't get to show off a Quirk; he had none. Bakugo never suggested them being some of the top Heroes. He just called Izuku "a worthless Deku" and got the other kids to be rough with him. If this was just his brain recounting a memory, then why change it? Simple wish fulfillment? A glimpse of what could have been if Izuku had just gotten his Quirk?
Funny, his Quirk. Izuku felt amazed how casually he thought of those words. "His Quirk". Something he dreamed about for so long and finally got thanks to a crystal underground. That crystal gave him this power, this Quirk. …was it even a Quirk? After all, something did feel off when Izuku was fighting the mind control. It was like something else was fighting it off for him. But what?
Izuku shook his head. Too many questions that can't be answered right now. Besides, he was here to enjoy and win a sports tournament. It can't be nothing too serious, right?
Wowie, another update that doesn't take months to upload! Stop the presses, the world is ending! Yeah, I told you all I was going to take more time to write. And here we are.
Finally, the Battle Tournament. The meaty part of the UA Sports Festival Arc. There's a good bit that I want to mess around with. Plus, there is definitely something up with Izuku. What, I won't tell. Yet. So, stay tuned.
Thank you to everyone who has read and liked this story so far! It does mean a lot coming back after so long. For AnimeFan13579's comment, that is a really interesting idea on how a telekinetic Izuku could have taken down Shinso. However, I have been planning the version you have read for a while, so sadly no changes there.
As for those who PM'd me recently, no, I haven't watched it, and no, I'm not going to use ideas from it. I don't have any interest in those at all.
And so, next time: Izuku versus Shoto plus the special poll coming up. That's all I have for now. See ya next time!