"That's it. I win." Shinso stated with absolute certainty. Izuku had very quickly fallen into Shinso's trap. He couldn't stand listening to Shinso insult Ojiro like that. Not after everything he did for him and Ami. But as soon as he fully realized what he was doing, it was already too late. In an instant, something had snapped inside of Izuku's mind. The fist Izuku had prepared to give Shinso had relaxed. Every part of his body came to a stop. It was a bizarre feeling that was unlike anything he's ever felt before. The world had deafened around him, he could barely make out the audiences gasping. A strange fog had rolled into Izuku's vision, causing him to have very low visibility. Up in the stands, the people who had warned him of Shinso all groaned and panicked at the sight of Izuku freezing.

"Izzy, no!" Ami shouted, tightly squeezing her hands in her seat. Sitting next to her, Bakugo's eyes widened at the sight of Izuku freezing up. It was so fast that he didn't even realize it at first. He glanced over at Habanero and watched as her body started to tremble again, her shoulders raising in anxiety. She had covered her mouth in shock, but the fear in her eyes gave away her true feelings. A single tear came out of her eye, followed soon after by even more tears. Bakugo tensed up, watching Habanero react this way. That sympathetic feeling was rising in power inside him. Sympathy wasn't the only emotion he was feeling, however. A wave of frustration was climbing up him as he stared down at the battlefield with an agitated glare. He gritted his teeth and formed a scowl in absolute disgust. After all that talk about Shinso, Deku had screwed it all up. He looked at the frozen Deku on the battlefield and felt a vein pop.

"What the hell, Deku?" Bakugo thought, clenching his fists in rage.

"That idiot! Didn't he listen to a damn thing you said to him?!" Bakugo shouted, ranting at Deku's stupidity. He erupted out of his seat with rage, confusing his classmates sitting near him. On the opposite side of the bleachers, Ojiro had also erupted out of his seat, groaning in frustration.

"I warned him not to say anything!" Ojiro shouted, getting confused looks from his classmates. The students of Class 1-A glanced at Ojiro and Bakugo, confused about their reactions. Ochaco and Iida looked down at the frozen Midoriya and gritted their teeth, feeling nervous sweat drip down the sides of their faces.

"Come on, Deku!" Ochaco said, squeezing her fists in unison. The fact Izuku was standing still in the middle of a fight was giving her extreme anxiety.

"Why in the world isn't he moving?" Iida complained, looking dumbfounded. Something was going on here, but nothing he thought of made any sense.

"The fight has just begun and Izuku Midoriya is...completely frozen!" Present Mic commented, receiving confused gasps from the audience. The heroes watching the first match all went from excited to confused shock. None of them understood what was going on, save for a few smarter and experienced individuals. Up at the very top of the hero stands, Endeavor watched the first match with arms folded. His entire reason for watching the first match was because he knew that his son would have to fight at least one of them after his match. He watched as Izuku suddenly froze up and refused to move, causing the audience to gasp. He listened to the annoying Present Mic commentate as well as watched the cameras zoom into Izuku's face on the jumbotron. He looked at the green haired kids eyes and noticed something was off about them. Very off. He looked away from the jumbotron and narrowed his eyes at Shinso.

"That boy's quirk. How troublesome." Endeavor commented, waiting to see what would happen next. A dozen rows down, Backdraft and Wyvern watched the scene play out with wide eyes. They stared at the frozen Izuku on the battlefield and grew confused.

"He's stopped?" Backdraft questioned, wondering if what he was seeing was correct. Wyvern folded his arms and narrowed his eyes at Izuku. The sparks of flame that ignited underneath his extra shoulder fabric receded back into Wyvern.

"What the heck, kid?" Wyvern commented, replacing his stoic expression with a glare. He didn't know what was going on, but it was causing the kid to act strange. The cameras all pointed at Midoriya, allowing the audience to get a look at his face. Wyvern noticed the weird fog over the kids eyes and raised an eyebrow at the screen. He examined its strangeness through the jumbotron and put a hand on his chin, quickly deducing what was happening inside his head.

"Those eyes. He's not doing this willingly." Wyvern stated, analyzing the fog in Izuku's eyes.

"How can you be sure?" Backdraft asked, tilting his head at Wyvern.

"I've seen my fair share of mind quirks that either trick the mind or control it. There's always something that makes it a dead giveaway. And I'm looking at it right now." Wyvern said, tilting his head to motion at what he was referring to. Backdraft looked at the jumbotron screen and saw the strange fog that covered the kids' eyes. It was truly a strange sight to behold.

"He didn't stand out in the first rounds at all, but it's possible Shinso's crazy powerful! Who could've imagined this turn of events? That's the festival for ya!" Present Mic exclaimed, bursting into laughter. Aizawa stared down at the two students with eyes peeking out of his mummified bandaging.

"This is a perfect example of why the entrance exam isn't rational." Aizawa blurted out, with a low voice.

"Huh? Why's that?" Present Mic asked, glancing at Aizawa.

"Since we're on to the individual matches. I had some information compiled about our final competitors. Shinso failed the practical exam to get into the hero course. Since he also applied for general studies, he probably figured that would happen. His quirk is incredibly strong. But that entrance test consisted of fighting faux villains: Robots. It gave a huge advantage to those who had physical superpowers they could show off. Despite his abilities, Shinso never stood a chance at passing." Aizawa explained.

Down on the battlefield, Shinso stared at the blank expression on Izuku's face. Now that he was under his control, he looked at the frozen teen with scrutiny. Looking at his face in plain sight, he could see the resemblance to the green haired girl he had tried to control earlier. Part of him felt bad for doing this, he was sure that Izuku's sister was watching up in the stands somewhere. Either way, he wasn't going to get distracted over sentiment.

"You're lucky to be so blessed, Izuku Midoriya. Now turn around and walk out of bounds, like a good little hero." Shinso commanded. Izuku stared at Shinso in total silence. He didn't fight back or protest, he simply did what he was forced to do. Izuku turned around and slowly walked away from Shinso, causing an uproar in the audience.

"Uh, What!?" Ah! Midoriya's obeying him!" Present Mic gasped, shouting loudly into the microphone.

"Oh, no, Deku, what are you doing?" Ochaco panicked, unsure what was going on with him.

"He can't walk out of the ring! He'll lose the match if he does!" Iida said, chopping the air and waving his arms around anxiously.

"Damnit, Deku." Bakugo thought, scowling in his seat. Dejavu hit him as he watched Deku comply to Shinso's demand. He may not have heard it, but he knew exactly what he told Deku to do.

"Break free, you dumbass." Bakugo growled, absolutely seething.

"He can't, Kacchan… It's over." Ami replied, drooping her head down. She couldn't bear to watch any longer. Feelings of regret washed over her. She felt like a failure. Her mind made her question where she went wrong with warning him. Was it not enough? Was it my fault? Did I not try hard enough? The thought of it all hit her like a ton of bricks, forcing her eyes shut as she let loose.

Bakugo heard her response and got angry. He was about to talk back to her until he looked right at her and noticed she was hiding her face with her hair, sobbing into her hands. She wasn't doing a very good job at hiding her emotions. Bakugo heard her sobs and whimpers and felt his scowl falter, his mouth opened just a bit. Habanero had given up just like that. Even though this was Deku she was crying about. Was there really no hope of breaking free? He listened to her emotional distress and felt unable to respond to her as the reality set in.

"Izuku…" Ami whimpered, her voice cracking. The pain in her voice upset him for some reason. It was annoying, sure, but something else was driving him to get mad. The feeling he felt when Deku had pushed Habanero onto him went through his head. The thought of that memory made him flinch, causing him to look down at the battlefield. He watched Deku walk back with rage filling inside him. All he could think of while watching him was how Deku had done it again. Habanero was crying her eyes out right next to him all because of her brother's stupidity. It was Deku's fault she was like this. He clenched his fists and felt his eye start to twitch, a look of absolute scorn on his face.

Down in the entrance tunnel to the battlefield, All Might looked on in shock at what just occurred. In a matter of seconds, Izuku had charged after Shinso and immediately froze before touching him. And now he was watching with horror as Izuku turned back around and shambled over to his side of the battlefield. The fog in his eyes clearly visible from where All Might stood.

"What is this power?" All Might questioned, completely baffled.

"Hitoshi Shinso! His quirk: Brainwashing! When an opponent answers his question it flips a switch in their minds. Forcing them to do whatever he says. Not every question does it, though. He only brainwashes when he wants to." Present Mic explained, causing the audience to whisper amongst themselves rather than erupt into cheering.

"In the fitness tests on the first day of school. Midoriya scored pretty low for a student who'd been accepted into the hero course. Still, even in tests where he didn't use his quirk. He outperformed Shinso. If they fought without powers. Midoriya would almost certainly win. But he'd have to overcome Shinso's brainwashing to do that. Either way, this match will be over quickly." Aizawa thought, watching Izuku shamble closer and closer to the other side of the battlefield. All Might gasped at how close Izuku was getting to the out of bounds area and yelped.

"What are you doing, kid? Get back in there and show him what you're made of!" All Might shouted, to no avail. The more he watched Izuku walk, the louder he screamed internally. Izuku shambled closer and closer to the edge. His mind was hazy. Things were moving too fast for him to catch up. He tried to think about his situation but to no avail.

"What's happening? My body's moving on its own. I feel like my brain is full of fog. I can't concentrate. No! Not like this. Gotta stop! Damnit! I fell for it even after Ojiro and Ami warned me about him. Kacchan knows, too. He must want to kill me after falling for his power so easily! I'm an idiot. This is all my fault!" Izuku thought, unable to move himself or break out of Shinso's control. His mind drifted back to the past, remembering the conversation he had with Ojiro, Ami, and Bakugo, in the waiting room.

Waiting Room - 15 minutes earlier

"Hey, morons. I'm back." Bakugo said, walking into the waiting room with an annoyed scowl on his face. He leaned on the wall and didn't pay attention to Deku or the Monkey looking directly at him. Ami soon entered the room with a puzzled look.

"Kacchan. Ami!" Izuku exclaimed, rising up out of the waiting room seat.

"Hey, Izzy." Ami smiled, waving at Izuku. Izuku smiled and nodded, sitting back down.

"Glad you two could make it." Ojiro said, smiling at Ami and Bakugo's arrival.

"Of course, we'd make it! The games don't start in ten more minutes!" Bakugo shouted, folding his arms and leaning on the wall.

"Hey, Ojiro. I'm sorry about what happened to you." Ami apologized, looking at Ojiro with a sympathetic frown.

"Thanks, Ami. That's actually what I wanted to talk to your brother about. Take a seat." Ojiro said, pulling up a chair. Ami nodded and walked over to the chair. She looked at the 4th chair at the far side of the table and looked at Bakugo.

"Do you need one, too, Kacchan?" Ami asked, pointing at the empty seat on the far side of the table. Bakugo looked at the chair for a few seconds and shrugged.

"I'm standing." Bakugo replied, receiving a nod from Habanero.

"Alright then. You're probably wondering what this is all about, huh? Ojiro asked.

"I think I know what it is." Ami nodded in response. Ojiro nodded his head and turned it towards Izuku, giving him a serious look.

"Izuku. You have to be careful in your first match. You can't say a thing to him." Ojiro warned, confusing Izuku.

"What do you mean? What's wrong with him?" Izuku asked

"It's his quirk." Bakugo blurted out, getting a nod from Ami and Ojiro.

"His quirk? Why? What could it be?" Izuku asked, immediately taking notice of Ami's uncomfortable frown. He frowned as well, not liking that look of fear on his sister's face. Izuku's mind started thinking about what he knew about the general studies student. He had purple hair and he had a constant look of stoic exhaustion on his face. Somehow, Shinso had gotten third place in the Cavalry Battle without anyone noticing and he must've done something to Ami for her to get that scared just by talking about him. But, what was it?

"Ami, did something happen?" Izuku asked, his voice full of concern. Ami looked at Izuku and saw the concern on his face. She sighed and reached out across the table, grabbing hold of Izuku's hands. The contact with Ami's hands helped make Izuku more comfortable.

"Where do I start?" Ami asked herself, thinking back to her encounter with Shinso.

"After I rejected Mineta's offer to team-up, he approached me asking if I was in Class 1-A. I didn't think much of it at the time. At first, I thought it was incredible that he managed to get so far since he was only a General Studies student. I even said his quirk couldn't be all that bad."

"I can't believe you made it in the top 42. You even beat out a ton of the other students in the hero course. You know even for General Studies your quirk can't be all that bad." Ami said, surprising the purple haired teen.

"...Thanks." He replied, unsure how to respond to that. He wasn't expecting to get praised for making the top 42 by someone in Class 1-A.

"I think being nice to him might have thrown him off. He looked a little surprised when I was praising him. After that, we talked for a bit. He was acting a bit strange but I ignored it because he looked dead tired. Still, I thought he was nervous about asking to join my team so I introduced myself and asked him who he was."

"Oh, we haven't properly introduced ourselves yet, have we? My name's Ami Midoriya. What's yours?" Ami smiled, politely holding her hand out for him to shake.

"That was when...That was when things got blurry." Ami struggled to finish her sentence, frowning at the memory. Bakugo heard the sad tone in her voice and looked away, hiding his sympathy.

"It was...horrible. My vision blurred. My hearing deafened to the point the whole stadium was muffled. My face went white and there was a strange fog everywhere. The entire experience made me scared. It gives me chills just thinking about it. I tried to fight back, I really did, but I couldn't. I couldn't even move my mouth. I tried talking, screaming, anything, I wasn't even sure I was breathing." Ami said, feeling her legs start to shake. She tapped the ground with her foot in anxiety. Ami felt the grip of Izuku's warm hands tighten on her own. She felt safer speaking with Izuku and her friends around. Feeling a little calmer, she relaxed and continued.

It was hard to remember what he said to me during it all, but eventually it slowly came back after the Cavalry Battle." Ami said, remembering nearly everything he said to her.

"He told me that I no longer had any control of my body. Then he apologized and said he had to do this so he could get to the finals. That he couldn't hold back just to make a good impression." Ami quoted, remembering what Shinso told her during her brainwashed state.

""You're probably wondering what's going on right now? It's a lot to explain but to summarize it, you're no longer in control of yourself anymore." The purple haired teen explained, walking out of Ami's line of sight.

"For once, I'm actually sorry about doing this to a student in the festival. Sorry it had to be this way, I should've started it as soon as you talked but I hesitated. A big mistake on my part." He said, walking back to Ami's field of vision. He stood a few feet in front of her and stared into her brainwashed eyes.

"I have to do this. I need to get to the finals at all costs. And I can't hold myself back just to make a good impression." The purple haired teen apologized, staring into Ami's brainwashed eyes.

"For what it's worth, you'll still end up in the finals after this so relax. My name is Hitoshi Shinso and I intend to win this match. Now walk over to that side of the field. The others are waiting." Shinso said. Ami frowned at his words. But part of her appreciated the fact he still apologized even though she didn't remember it instantly. The feeling she had misjudged him came back. What else could he have done with a quirk like that? Her feelings about Shinso's quirk made her frown. She felt bad for him, she really did. Especially because she knew both their quirks were dangerous. It didn't matter how different they were, people still had the same reaction.

"Ami...I'm so sorry." Izuku apologized, frowning to himself. His apology snapped Ami out of her thoughts, causing her to grip tighter on Izuku's hand. Izuku listened to what Ami had described and felt terrible. His sister almost had to do something against her will and he wasn't there to stop it. That look of fear on her face just describing it alone. It made him feel terrible that he had no idea this was even happening to her. After what he promised himself when Ami had her cane. His promise to himself that he'd protect her as long as he had One For All flashed through his head. If only he had known.

"It's okay, Izzy. I know you would've tried to help me get free." Ami said, excusing his apology. She gave him a warm smile that helped to make him feel better about himself.

"So, he used it on you, too, huh?" Ojiro asked, looking at Ami with concern. He understood exactly what she felt. He had gone through the same experience, albeit a lot faster.

"Yeah...He did." Ami answered.

"I thought so. I knew he must've done something to you when you helped me stop Izuku from talking to him." Ojiro admitted. Izuku had a frightful look on his face after listening to Ami's recollection of events. He held onto his sister's hand as a way to comfort her and him. He gulped as he took in everything they said.

"So, his quirk… He can use it to control other people?" Izuku asked, stuttered nervously.

"That's basically it, yeah." Ami nodded.

"C-can I really beat something like that? Izuku asked, stuttering a little.

"Yes. By not giving him a chance to use it. Just like with Ami, he didn't get into my head until I answered a question he asked me before the second round. I think that's the secret behind his power."

"So, I have to be careful not to say anything or I'll lose for sure." Izuku assumed, getting nods from Ojiro and Ami. Ami let go of Izuku's hand and raised her wrist up.

"That's not entirely true. I only broke free from his control because Kacchan-" Ami cut herself off, thinking back to that awkward experience. She was talking to Shinso and then suddenly she was in a different location with Bakugo staring right at her with a hand on her wrist. Anyone would be confused and embarrassed in her situation.

"Uhhh. He uhm." Ami stuttered, finding it embarrassing to repeat it for some reason. Staring at the wrist where Bakugo had grabbed her caused her to hesitate and go blank. A light blush formed on her face thinking about the awkwardness of it all. Bakugo quickly noticed her stuttering and raised an eyebrow, squinting his eyes at her.

"The hell's wrong with her?" Bakugo thought, thinking back to what he did to break her free.

"I grabbed her by the wrist." Bakugo answered for her, rolling his eyes at her hesitation.

"What? Kacchan broke you free? But, what was he doing with you?" Deku questioned. Bakugo gritted his teeth and growled out a reply.

"Not important, Deku." Bakugo said, raising his voice at him. He did not choose to stay here to explain an embarrassing moment he had with Habanero all because her stupid mind controlled face distracted him.

"Okay, sorry!" Izuku apologized, knowing better than to bring it up again.

"So, it's just what I thought. It's physical contact that breaks the control. I don't remember much of anything until we were running away after Shinso took Tetsutetsu's headband. I bumped into another person, and it was like I woke up. I was me, again. And, suddenly, I was able to think clearly." Ojiro said, thinking back to when he snapped out of it.

"It was a guess at first, but after listening to Ami, I'm absolutely sure that's how his quirk works. Still, I don't know how much of a shock it would take to break his spell. And in a one-on-one match, you can't count on an outside force intervening to help you." Ojiro sighed, relaxing into his seat. He then stood up and stretched his arms out.

"Anyway, man, I hope that's helpful." Ojiro said, receiving a happy nod from the twins.

"Thank you so much. You're a good guy, Ojiro!" Izuku said, jumping off his seat. Ojiro smiled at Izuku and clenched his fist, placing it on his chest. He looked down at his fist and continued.

"I know it sounds selfish for me to say this, but I'll say it anyway." Ojiro said, extending his fist out to Izuku, "Beat this guy for you and me, all right?" Ojiro said. Izuku nodded and gave Ojiro a fist bump.

"I'll do my best." Izuku promised, feeling optimistic about his odds. Bakugo squinted his eyes at Deku from the wall he leaned on and shook his head. He watched Habanero give Izuku a hug and flared his nostrils. He had enough watching the twins be sentimental and made his exit out of the waiting room.

Ami noticed Bakugo leaving and realized he was probably going to find a seat already. After wishing Izuku some good luck, she made her exit as well.

Present

Izuku hated himself at that moment. He knew what he was getting into in the match. Yet, he foolishly decided to ignore their warnings. Now he was paying the price.

"I can't stop it...Why didn't I listen?...Even though... so many people are counting on me...everyone is watching...Everyone!" Izuku internally panicked. As he approached closer and closer to the out of bounds section of his side of the battlefield, Izuku noticed a flash of glowing lights inside the entrance tunnel.

"Huh?" Izuku thought, watching the lights in the tunnel become more clear. They weren't lights. They were eyes. Outlines of people covered in shadow and glowing bright eyes were watching him. Izuku's mind was in a frenzy. He saw eight people staring at him through the tunnel. Their physical features were a complete mystery to their identities but he did notice some similarities involving their hair. From his point of view, the figure staring at him from the left side looked like All Might. The man covered in shadow was thinner than the rest and his hair was just like All Might's skeleton form. And on the right side, Izuku looked at the hair on the shadowy figure and for a split second thought he recognized it. It was just like Ami's, but that couldn't be her. The more Izuku stared at the shadowy figures that stared back at him, an overwhelming sense of power went through him.

"What...is...that?" Izuku thought, feeling mind numbingly confused. In the midst of his confusion, a feeling formed on his fingers. It was the same feeling he felt when activating One For All. But that couldn't be correct? Izuku's mind scrambled to understand what was going on. In the midst of his confusion, Shinso's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Even with a quirk like this, I have my own dreams of becoming a great hero. So, lose for me." Shinso said. Izuku heard Shinso's words and understood them very well. Listening to what Ami said about Shinso seemed to confirm to him the kind of person he was. But still, Izuku couldn't give up. Before he could cross the out of bounds area and lose the match, his fingers flicked with the full power of One For All, releasing a huge wave of wind. The wind blasted out from the force of Izuku's fingers, causing All Might, Shinso, and Midnight to brace themselves against the powerful wind speed. Bakugo fought against the wind and squinted his eyes. Ami felt the wind blow her hair back and stopped sobbing, raising her head up in confusion. In the center of the blast, Izuku felt his senses return to him, causing him to gasp for air and pant in confused shock. As the smoke cleared from his spot, the cameras quickly caught that Izuku was still in the battlefield.

"What's this? Midoriya stopped just in time!" Present Mic shouted, receiving thunderous applause from the entire stadium. All of his classmates breathed sighs of relief at his return to normal. Bakugo looked at what happened with silent wide eyes. He was not expecting that to happen at all. He was completely baffled by Deku's escape.

"He did it... The moron actually did it." Bakugo thought, staring at Deku in astonishment. It didn't seem possible yet he did it. He heard sniffling next to his left and knew Habanero had seen it, too. He made a quick glance at Habanero and saw the surprised look on her face. He couldn't help but keep looking at her when she showed her face again. The tears from her sobbing had reddened her face. Even with Izuku free from Shinso's control, Ami still felt the tears falling down her eyes. The pain and regret she felt during her sobbing was dissipating. She sniffled again and rubbed her face with her arm. The sad feelings she felt during the fight were now replaced with a growing spark of hope. Somehow, against all odds, Izuku had done it. She looked at Izuku with new tears of joy covering her eyes. The sad frown on her lips morphed into a weak but recovering smile. She felt her heart return to a steady beat and felt an immense pressure escape her shoulders.

"He broke free." Ami spoke softly, recovering from her emotional distress, wincing from her condition, "He broke free." She softly repeated, feeling her voice crack in the middle. The trembling in her legs and feet had stopped. Bakugo watched her clean herself up and noticed the newly formed smile growing on her lips. Seeing life return to her face helped Bakugo remain calm for some reason. He looked away in silence and felt his anger die down. He stared back down at Deku and kept his attention on him. He broke free, sure, but Deku wasn't out of the woods yet. His mind went into questioning mode as to how Deku used One For All while still being brainwashed. Either way, now all Deku needed to do was not screw up.

"That's the way to do it!" Iida celebrated, throwing up his arms in the air at Izuku's accomplishment. He had thought it was over for his green haired friend, feeling a weight off his shoulders vanish. Ochaco felt the same way and sighed in relief.

"Whoa. I was about to freak out!" Ochaco said, clasping her hands together. Up in the announcer room, Aizawa let out a quiet gasp at Izuku's move. He quickly took notice of the damage Izuku made in order to escape.

"His fingers. He broke them in order to stop Shinso." Aizawa analyzed. Ojiro calmed down and put a hand on his chest, feeling his heart rate go back to normal. The intensity of that match caused him to work up a sweat.

"Whew, that just about killed me." Ojiro admitted, relaxing back into his seat. The students around him all had their mouths wide open in shock at Izuku's move. Down on the battlefield, Shinso watched Izuku turn and face him with a look of denial. His quirk failed him. It never failed him before. No one's broken free by themselves before. Ever.

"No. Impossible." Shinso said, reeling back in complete denial. He clenched his fists and glared at Izuku, growling in anger at him.

"You're not supposed to be able to fight back! What did you do?" Shinso shouted, demanding an explanation. Izuku looked at him with his mouth open and quickly covered it with his hand. His mind was asking himself the very same question.

"I'm the one who used One For All. But I'm not the one who moved my fingers just now. It was like people I didn't know came into my mind. And for a second, it was clear. Could it be…" Izuku thought, forming a possible theory in his head. As he tried to understand what happened to him, All Might's words drifted through his head.

"One For All. A sacred torch that's been passed on from person to person." All Might said.

"Those people. Were they the ones who cultivated this power?" Izuku theorized, glancing down at his broken fingers, "Did they save me? Is that even possible?" Izuku thought, feeling his mind fully recover from all his confusion.

"How'd you do that?" Shinso shouted, returning Izuku's focus to the fight.

"Later. I don't have time to figure things out right now. I have to focus." Izuku thought, shaking his other questions away from his mind. He remained calm and focused on Shinso. Shinso's shouts did nothing to get a reply from Izuku causing him to let out a grunt.

"He won't answer. Did he figure it out? No. He's known. That Monkey and his sister must've told him." Shinso thought, grinding hard on his teeth. He quietly regretted interacting with Ami even more.

"I have to get him to talk again." Shinso thought, forming up a plan.

"Come on, say something." Shinso said, coming up with an idea. A personal attack against friends or his sister won't do. Maybe he could get him to talk using their quirks as comparison.

"I didn't know you had so much power in your fingers. I'm kind of jealous of you." Shinso said, causing Izuku to grit his teeth. He didn't say a word to him and charged forward.

"I know what that jealousy feels like. I've been there." Izuku thought, understanding Shinso. Shinso saw the look in Izuku's face and saw he wasn't budging, causing him to grunt.

"Thanks to the way my quirk works, I've always been at a big disadvantage. But someone as blessed as you wouldn't understand that." Shinso shouted.

"I get it. Even though he's right. I have been blessed." Izuku thought, knowing how much he could relate to him.

"You're lucky enough to have a heroic quirk! It'll be so easy for you to reach your goal!"

"I've been blessed by others. That's why I'm here!" Izuku thought, pushing Shinso with both hands.

"Say something. Damnit!" Shinso said, punching Izuku hard in the face. Izuku flinched at the painful punch and didn't back down, glaring at Shinso with an intense stare. Blood seeped out of his nose. Ami winced at the punch, imagining how painful the hard punch was. She watched Izuku push Shinso back and clenched her fists in anxiety.

"C'mon, Izuku. C'mon." Ami whined, squeezing her hands.

"He's getting desperate. Don't talk, you idiot." Bakugo thought, keeping his comments to himself.

"I can't lose this. I'll do it for them!" Izuku exclaimed inside his head. Shinso gasped at the strength in Izuku's arms. He couldn't push him off at all. His strength was crazy. Shinso turned his head and saw the out of bounds area on his side get closer and closer to him, causing him to gasp.

"He's pushing me out." Shinso realized, clenching his fist. He turned back at Izuku and raised his left fist, bringing it forward and punching Izuku's broken fingers with maximum force. Izuku winced, groaned, and writhed in agony, at the pain that swept through his broken fingers. All of Izuku's classmates collectively cringed at the incredibly painful punch. Shinso saw the pain he put Izuku through and saw his opening, slipping out of Izuku's grip and turning the tables on him.

"You've gotta be kidding me! Get out of this ring, you lucky brat!" Shinso shouted, putting all his strength into pushing Izuku out of the ring. Izuku gripped his hand onto Shinso's collar and grabbed hold of his other arm. The pain in his broken fingers caused Izuku to yell out in pain as he tightened his grip on Shinso's arm. Feeling nothing but adrenaline take control of him, Izuku twisted his body around and flipped Shinso into the air. Before Shinso knew what hit him, his eyes widened at the realization that he was upside down. Bakugo watched Deku flip over Shinso and felt a sense of Dejavu hit him. Deku was using the same move he used in the combat training to bring him down. Habanero had also caught onto what Izuku did and gasped. She glanced slightly at Bakugo for a single second and saw the wide eyed shock on his face. She focused her attention back on Izuku and watched Shinso fly over Izuku's head.

"No! I refuse to let this be the end!" Izuku internally shouted, lifting Shinso's entire body over his head and slamming him hard into the ground in front of him. The force of impact caused Shinso to gasp, releasing all of the air out of his lungs. Izuku looked at Shinso on the ground and felt his adrenaline go away, allowing him to catch his breath. Everyone looked at what happened with jaws dropped. Everyone. Students, teachers, heroes, parent and sibling, and the rest of the world. Midnight broke the silence that quieted the entire stadium at that moment.

"Shinso is out of bounds! Midoriya advances to the next match!" Midnight announced, causing the audience to erupt in cheers and applause. Izuku heard their cheers and relaxed. A sharp pain jabbed at his fingers causing him to wince and grab onto them. He looked down at Shinso and saw he wasn't getting up. He looked at his chest and, to his relief, saw Shinso was still breathing, thankfully. Shinso laid there on the ground, feeling his mind slip between reality and a memory. His surroundings changed around him as he remembered the day he decided.

Three Years Ago

Nabooh City Middle School

"Whoa! Your quirk is brainwashing? That's so cool!" The student in front of him said with fists raised. Shinso stared at him with his tired eyes. He was sitting in his desk quietly before he had let it slip about what his quirk was when a student had asked him.

"Seriously! I can't think of anyone who's had that power!" Another student exclaimed, walking up to Shinso and the other student.

"I'm so jealous, Shinso." A girl said, walking up beside the two excited classmates.

"Imagine all the cool stuff you could do controlling people."

"Yeah, you can do any bad thing you want." The other boy agreed, squeezing his hands in embarrassment just thinking about what he'd do with a quirk like that. A blush appeared on his face and steam flew out of his nose.

"And no one would ever know it was you. Just promise you won't make us your slaves, okay?" The girl said, both as a joke and serious.

"Heh... Everyone always says that." Shinso admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. Thoughts ran through his head after hearing his classmates talk about his quirk. Maybe his quirk would seem cool upon first hearing it. But he knew very well how fast their opinions would change if he ever did use it on them.

"Of course. I think anyone with my power would use it for evil, too." Shinso agreed, thinking it over in his head. The thoughts of what people would tell him ran through his head.

"Sounds criminal, Shinso." Shinso quoted.

"It's the perfect power for a villain to have." He quoted.

"I'm used to people looking at me like I'm the bad guy." Shinso thought, knowing that the students listening to their conversation were either looking at him with awe or fear. He didn't want people to look at him like that. Just because his quirk was, in essence, a perfect villain quirk doesn't mean he was going to use it on them. He wanted to show them. To convince them that a quirk like his didn't mean he was destined for villainy.

"But you know what? I'm not." Shinso said, realizing the perfect way he could finally get his chance. He looked down at the notes on his desk, he pulled out another paper that was previously hidden under his notes. He looked at it for several seconds before he finally decided to write on it.

"I'll be a hero." Shinso said, absolutely determined. He looked down on the UA Application Form on his desk with narrowed eyes and started writing.

Present

Shinso's eyes opened as the reality set in of his defeat. He failed. He used his quirk in ways that he was uncomfortable with but he did it anyway. He had no other choice not to. But it didn't matter now. He lost in the first round of the finals. This was it. It's over. No chance of getting transferred into the hero program now. It angered him, causing him to clench his teeth and squeeze his hands into tight fists. Maybe this is a punishment. Karma for using his quirk on that Monkey kid and on his opponent's sister. He didn't have time to ponder that thought as the voice of Present Mic echoed through the stadium.

"And with that expertly performed throw, we have our first victor of the finals! Class 1-A's Izuku Midoriya!" Present Mic shouted, causing the audience to clap at Izuku's victory.

"YES! Woohoo!" Ami shouted, erupting out of her seat. She swiped at her face and wiped away the last remnants of her tears. She was overwhelmed with joy at her brother's victory.

"Sit back down, Habanero." Bakugo growled, hiding the satisfaction he felt from the match's outcome.

"Ugh. That was so nerve-wracking!" Ochaco said, sighing in relief.

"Turning the tables at the last moment. A classic Midoriya maneuver!" Iida said, smiling at Izuku's victory.

"He's pulled that shoulder throw on you before, huh?" Kaminari said, looking down at Bakugo. Kaminari was seated in the row above Bakugo and Ami. His seat was directly behind Ami, allowing Kaminari to lean over Ami's head and get a direct view of Bakugo. Bakugo glared at Kaminari and didn't take kindly to the reminder, especially after thinking about it himself.

"Shut your damn face, Sparky." Bakugo growled, getting Kaminari to turn stone-faced, returning to his seat in shame.

"Deku." Bakugo thought, looking down at the battlefield. Memories of what he said to Deku after the meeting with All Might and the twins went through his head.

"I don't give a damn how strong that bastard will get. When I say, I'll be number one, I mean it. I'll become a pro and I'll get stronger than you'll ever be. So get your borrowed quirk in control, Deku. And when we fight in the Sports Festival, I'll be the one who wins! Got that?" Bakugo shouted.

"Kacchan. I'll do my best." Izuku said, giving him a determined smile. He wasn't going to disappoint. Bakugo stared at his determined look and grew annoyed, rolling his eyes.

"You better...Because I won't hold back." Bakugo remembered, returning to reality.

"You'll do your best?" Bakugo repeated, scoffing at Deku's words, "You broke your fingers again, idiot." Bakugo thought, flaring his nostrils.

"He focused his power like in the fitness test, and used the throw from combat training. It's not just that he's learning from his experiences. He's using every trick he's picked up to improve his odds." Aizawa said, analyzing the match.

"Oh yeah! That was actually kind of a boring first match, kids. But both of you fought bravely. Let's show them some love, everyone!" Present Mic said, receiving congratulatory cheers from the audience. Izuku rubbed his injured hand, caressing his broken fingers. They were in pain but it wasn't hurting as much as it used to. He looked across from him and stared into Shinso's quiet tired looking eyes and felt conflicted. He frowned at Shinso and remembered the words he said to him during the match.

"Someone as blessed as you could never understand! It'll be so easy for you to reach your goal!" Shinso shouted, echoing through Izuku's head. Izuku looked up at Shinso's tired looking eyes and spoke up.

"Why do you wanna be a hero? What's driving you?" Izuku asked. Shinso looked up at Izuku and let out a grunt at his question. He turned away from him and answered his question.

"You can't help the things your heart longs for." Shinso said, turning around and walking down the steps in silence. Izuku heard his answer and felt he could relate to him even more.

"I felt the same way. Before I inherited One For All, I was just like him. Not just me, either." Izuku thought, frowning. He turned his head towards the direction of the hero course stands and saw Ami talking with Ochaco and Iida. A small smile crept on his face, seeing Ami. Izuku knew Ami could relate to him, too. Probably more so than him. Izuku stared at Shinso in silence. He knew that nothing he could say would make him feel better. Shinso made it a few feet away from the tunnel exit before a voice shouted at him from above.

"You were awesome out there, Shinso!" A student shouted, getting his attention.

"We're proud of you!" The girl from General Studies said, waving at him.

"You didn't tell us you were that good!" Another student shouted.

Yeah, you're the star of our program!" A different student agreed, smiling big and wide.

"I can't believe you put up such a great fight against the dude who was in first place earlier!" The last student smiled.

"Listen to them!" The first student said, looking up at the heroes above them. Shinso did as told and listened in to what the heroes had to say.

"With a quirk like that, it would be very simple to capture dangerous villains. Wish I had it." A hero said. The hero looked like a buff Pterodactyl with a human body. The woman next to him nodded in agreement.

"I can't believe they stuck him in General Studies. Those idiots." The woman said, through her gas mask. She had an orangish costume with blue hair.

"Well, there are a ton of applicants each year. Guess sometimes people slip through the cracks." A blue suited hero replied, solemnly.

"If only he had more combat experience." A blue robot said.

"Yeah, I bet he would've dominated." His green robot friend replied.

"What a waste." The blue robot agreed, expressing his complaints openly.

"Shinso, you hear that? It's great! They think you're incredible!" The teen shouted. Shinso heard what the heroes said about him and his quirk and gasped. He froze up with eyes wide open. That tired look he had was gone as he took in all the encouragement of the heroes and support of his General Studies Classmates. Or, friends, more like it. A bit of hope returned to him, snapping out of the positive trance he was caught in. He remembered where he was and took a deep breath.

"Depending on the results, they might transfer people into the hero course. Remember that. Even if it didn't work out this time, I'm not giving up. I'll get onto the hero track, get certified, and then, I'll become a better pro than any of you." Shinso said, gritting his teeth. Izuku stared at him and heard the determination in his voice. Inhaling, he nodded and grunted.

"Hm." Izuku replied. As soon as he grunted, a jolt activated inside his mind. Before he knew it, the fog covered his eyes and the world deafened for a second time. Izuku quickly realized what had happened.

"He got me again! But why? The match is over!" Izuku complained, confused by Shinso's brainwashing. Shinso felt his quirk gain control of Izuku's brain and couldn't help but chuckle. He guessed he wasn't expecting him to use his quirk after the match. But then again, people always kept their guard up around him after he used his quirk on them. But not Midoriya.

"You know, usually people tense up whenever they talk to me." Shinso admitted, cracking a smile. He turned his head and looked back at Izuku, showing off the smile on his face.

"If you're not on guard, someone's going to defeat you. So be careful." Shinso said, deactivating his quirk. Izuku felt the world return to normal again and got a look at Shinso's smile. It was a little creepy but he stayed positive.

"You better not lose and make me look bad." Shinso said, giving Izuku his encouragement. Izuku watched Shinso walk further towards the exit and nodded.

"I won't!" Izuku exclaimed, falling back into Shinso's mind control. Shinso stopped and raised his head up.

"A third time?" Shinso thought, facepalming. He looked at the brainwashed Izuku and dropped his creepy smile, turning back to his default tired expression.

"One more thing, Midoriya. When you see your sister. Tell her, I'm sorry about earlier." Shinso said, pulling Izuku out of his brainwashing for a third time. Izuku heard what Shinso told him and was surprised to hear his apology. He knew exactly what Shinso meant in his apology and smiled. He watched Shinso disappear in the shadow of the exit tunnel and made his way to the exit tunnel on his side, meeting back up with All Might.

Recovery Girl's Temporary Nurse's Office

"Mwahh. That should do it." Recovery Girl said, finishing up bandaging Izuku's hand. After the fight, All Might had taken Izuku straight to Recovery Girl. He received awkward kisses from the elderly pro hero that healed the damage on his broken fingers. He felt the pain go away upon hearing his fingers pop back into place. Recovery Girl wasn't finished however and checked his head. A minute before Izuku entered her office, a blonde had delivered his fury upon him.

"What did Habanero and the Primate say about talking, you idiot?" Bakugo shouted, dropping his fist atop Izuku's head like he was banging on a door. Bakugo wailed on him and successfully got a few hits in before getting lifted into the air by the collar of his shirt thanks to All Might.

"Ow, Kacchan! That hurts!" Izuku whined, putting his not broken hand over his head as a shield.

"It better! Serves you right for making me deal with the results of your screwup!" Bakugo shouted, pointing at him. All Might glared at Bakugo and was about to scold him before an even louder voice shouted into the hall

"What is with all the noise out here!?" Recovery Girl yelled, slamming the door to her office open, immediately shutting them all up. For an old lady, she had lungs. After checking Izuku's head for injuries, she let go of him and allowed Ami to touch him.

"Feel better?" Ami asked, wrapping her arm around his neck and resting her hand upon Izuku's right shoulder. She pulled up a chair and sat next to Izuku, giving him her emotional support. Izuku looked at Ami and nodded his head, rubbing it a bit after receiving Bakugo's wrath. Ami felt sorry for Izuku after Bakugo had hit him, but she also realized he did it because Izuku hadn't listened to their warnings. She knew Bakugo was just looking out for her which sounded wrong after she had thought of it.

"Yeah…" Izuku replied, looking at the bandages wrapping around his two previously broken fingers.

"That's a relief." Ami sighed, closing her eyes and exhaling, "I'm so happy you won." Ami smiled, squeezing Izuku with a big hug. All Might and Recovery Girl both smiled warmly at his sister's affections, happy to see how much they cared for each other. Bakugo didn't react to the twins being affectionate towards each other. He was leaning on the wall near the entrance to Recovery Girl's Temporary Office. In part because he was instructed by Recovery Girl not to get any closer to Izuku or else he'd receive a smack to the head with her cane. He complied with her order. He was satisfied enough with getting rid of his pent up rage.

When All Might put him back down and turned back into his weaker form right in front of Recovery Girl, he flinched. He quickly realized that Recovery Girl was already aware of All Might's skeleton form. He was quickly informed that Recovery Girl was in on the secret as well, causing him to wonder if there were others that knew about One For All that he wasn't told about. After things had quieted down, he watched Recovery Girl fix up Deku and watched as Habanero hugged her idiot brother. He narrowed his eyes at Habanero and questioned whether Deku really deserved that hug after that terrible fight.

Ami was happy that Izuku managed to beat Shinso despite getting brainwashed. As soon as he fell under his control, she had lost all hope. She believed that was it. He lost. But much to her shock, he managed to free himself. Something she desperately wanted to know how. But she didn't care about that at the moment. She was just happy to see Izuku advance to the next round. Now that the fight was over, she felt a large amount of pressure leave her shoulders. Izuku accepted the hug and felt happier, but his face still had a frown on it. When she pulled away, she noticed that disappointed look in Izuku's eyes and saw the sad frown on his lips. She looked at him with worry and touched his arm to get his attention.

"What's wrong, Izzy?" Ami asked. Izuku looked up and stared into Ami's eyes. He found the strength to talk to her and gave her an apology.

"I'm sorry. It wouldn't have gotten so close if I had listened to what you and Ojiro said." Izuku apologized, admitting his mistake. Bakugo heard his apology and flared his nostrils, glaring at him.

"Damn right, you moron." Bakugo remarked, getting an angry look of disapproval from Habanero. Bakugo looked at her with squinted eyes and shook his head. He was only telling the truth.

"No language in my office!" Recovery Girl said, raising her voice with an angry frown.

"What did he say to you that made you get brainwashed?" Ami asked, wanting to know how Shinso got to him. Izuku heard the question and dropped his head, looking down at the floor. He stared at the tile and heard Shinso's words echo inside his mind.

"That Monkey was going on about his pride earlier. But I just think he's an idiot for throwing away his chance like that." Shinso said.

"He made fun of Ojiro for withdrawing from the Sports Festival. I wanted to ignore it, but...after you told me what he did to you, I just couldn't stop myself." Izuku said, frowning.

"I'm sorry, Ami. I can tell you were crying. I didn't mean to make you cry again." Izuku winced, thinking back to his promise to never make her sad again. Bakugo heard his emotional apology and looked away with a frown. He could tell he meant it. Izuku knew he screwed up despite being warned and that made him feel worse. Ami could tell Izuku was ashamed at what happened and frowned. She shook her head and wrapped her arm around his left arm.

"It's okay, Izzy. These are tears of joy. I promise." Ami smiled, holding back more of her tears, "You won, Izuku. That's all that matters now. I'm so happy for you." Ami smiled, assuring him that she was happy for him. Izuku saw the smile on her face and felt better about the situation. She was right. Seeing his mood get better she ended it off with a joke, "I bet even mom's turned the house into a lake by now." Ami teased, getting a light laugh from Izuku. Izuku felt better and nearly forgot what Shinso had told him to do.

"One more thing, Midoriya. When you see your sister. Tell her, I'm sorry about earlier."

"Ami." Izuku said, looking back at Ami with a serious face.

"What?" Ami replied.

"Shinso said he's sorry. About what he did to you." Izuku smiled, rubbing the back of his head.

"He is?" Ami asked, a little stunned to hear what Izuku said. She looked down at the ground and frowned a little, thinking back to how scared she was after breaking free from his mind control. The memory of his apology before entered her mind. The thought that he felt bad enough to want to apologize again made Ami feel better about Shinso. That fear she had of him wasn't as strong as before. Now that Izuku broke free of his quirk, it gave her hope that she could do the same. And after hearing Izuku relay Shinso's apology to her, she felt better about him as a person. A smile formed on her face. She knew that the next time she saw Shinso again she'd say thanks. Izuku looked at the smile on his sister's face and smiled back. He glanced at All Might and quickly snapped his head towards his direction.

"Oh, and I'm sorry, too, All Might. I couldn't smile through it like you would." Izuku spoke up, looking at All Might. All Might looked down on him and sighed, putting his left hand on the back of his head.

"Don't worry about it. I heard some of the things he said to you. Must have been painful knowing how much you could relate to him." All Might said, remembering all the things he heard Shinso say to him. Izuku nodded in agreement at All Might's words. He could relate to him, but he wasn't going to get sad in front of Ami again. Not after she cheered him up.

"Yeah. But I still couldn't go easy on him. I have to keep my eye on the prize. Aiming for the top. Just like you've said." Izuku said with a straight face. Recovery Girl looked at the boy and sighed.

"You poor little darling." Recovery Girl said, changing from pity to anger in an instant, "Have you been putting too much pressure on him again?" Recovery Girl asked, smacking All Might's hip with the back of her fist. His eyes widened and he let out a painful groan from her punch. Izuku, Ami, and Bakugo, were both caught by surprise by Recovery Girl's punishment on All Might. They stared at All Might with wide eyes, watching him recover from the surprise attack with a hand on his injured hip.

"OOh! It was necessary, and that hurt!" All Might groaned, waving her off in fear of another punch. Izuku looked away from All Might for a few seconds, thinking back to what he saw during Shinso's fight. The figures he saw staring at him from the tunnel exit got his attention. He raised his eyes and looked back up at All Might.

"Oh, yeah. All Might." Izuku said, getting All Might's attention. All Might rubbed his hip with his hand and nodded his head, letting Izuku know he was listening.

"I had…some kind of vision in the match." Izuku admitted, getting Ami and Bakugo to raise their eyebrows in confusion. All Might raised his eyes and immediately made eye contact with Izuku, stopping his rubbing.

"Vision?" Ami asked, looking at Izuku with confusion. She wondered what Izuku was talking about. She could remember what Shinso said to her while brainwashed but that was it. She didn't get a vision. So, why did Izuku get a vision?

"Getting brainwashed make you hallucinate or something, Deku?" Bakugo asked, folding his arms. Izuku looked at him solemnly and shook his head.

"No. It felt real. I don't know how to explain it. But, there were people in the tunnel where All Might was watching. Maybe eight or nine of them? I'm not sure." Izuku described.

"When I was under Shinso's control, it felt like my brain was full of fog or something. But when the vision appeared, it completely drove the fog away. That's when I was finally able to move for a second. Just my fingertips." Izuku explained, staring at his bandages.

"One of the figures had eyes just like yours, All Might." Izuku described. He glanced at Ami and focused on her hair, thinking back to the hairstyle he saw on one of the figures.

"I saw someone else, too." Izuku said, getting All Might to quickly raise his head up. Bakugo noticed All Might's quick action from far away and narrowed his eyes at him, getting a look at his surprised face. His look of surprise lasted for only a second. Deku was looking at his bandaged hand as well as Habanero and missed the surprised look on All Might's face.

"At first, I thought I was seeing Ami. They had the same hairstyle, but everything about them was different. That's when I knew it couldn't be her." Izuku said, trying to make sense of it all.

"Do you think all the people who've used One For All in the past were there, pushing me on? Like spirits?" Izuku asked, looking at his hand. He looked up at All Might expecting a quick and serious response from him. Instead what he got was All Might looking at him like he was scared.

"Spooky. I'm a ghost?" All Might questioned with a startled voice, his body shook at the mention of ghostly visions. Izuku looked at him and nearly fell out of his seat in confusion and panic.

"I thought you'd have answers!" Izuku panicked. All Might quickly returned to his senses and gave Izuku a more helpful answer.

"Actually, I saw something like that, too. In my younger days." All Might explained, surprising the twins.

"Why didn't you tell us before?" Ami interjected, looking perplexed.

"It's never come up before." All Might justified, raising his hands up.

"Still, wouldn't it have been better to have given Izzy a heads up about this?" Ami suggested, squinting her eyes at All Might. All Might folded his arms and thought about it.

"Hm? Maybe." All Might mumbled, looking off to the side with a hand on his chin. Izuku couldn't help but agree with Ami's suggestion and nodded his head in agreement.

"Yeah, I agree. That vision really freaked me out." Izuku said, taking Ami's side. All Might slumped his shoulders and sighed, fluttering his eyes open and closed.

"Yeah, I guess I should've given you a heads up about that part. But you know about it now so no use in warning you." All Might fake laughed, forcing an awkward smile to appear on his face.

"Really, All Might?" Bakugo thought, rolling his eyes at their exchange.

"Mhm." The twins said in unison, looking at All Might with disappointed faces. All Might finished his fake laugh

"Either way, it's a clear sign that you're getting closer to making One For All your own power." All Might said, raising his fist.

"What was it?" Izuku asked, looking back down at his bandaged hand.

"I think it's like a trace of the user's spirit that's left behind in One For All when it's passed on. Don't worry. Whatever you saw, it won't be interfering with you or your progress in the future, I'm sure. In other words, that vision wasn't what got rid of the brainwashing effects." All Might explained.

"Regardless of what you saw out there, it was your passion that allowed you to overcome Shinso's power, even if it was only long enough for you to wiggle your fingertips and expel some energy." All Might said, folding his arms together. All Might was sure that his answer would hype up Izuku. However, what he got instead was a blank stare of confusion. It took a few seconds before Izuku broke his silence, awkwardly rubbing his head.

"Man, that explanation was so not satisfying." Izuku frowned, rubbing the side of his head. Izuku was hoping for a better explanation. Hearing him say that out loud made Ami giggle to herself. All Might broke his serious pose and flinched at Izuku's confusion, his smile dropped and turned to a light frown.

"Is that it?" Ami asked, looking at All Might with visible disappointment on her face. She, too, was expecting a better response. All Might stumbled and broke apart his folded arms, making finger guns at Izuku.

"Forget about it! More importantly, shouldn't you be worrying about who you're fighting next?" All Might said, narrowing his eyes at Izuku. All Might's change of topic worked as Izuku's eyes shrunk at the thought. All Might was right. The second match would be starting soon. Both Ami and Bakugo's eyes widened as Izuku shot out of his chair.

"You're right. Thank you both very much!" Izuku said, darting towards the door. Bakugo watched Izuku run past him and grunted, gritting his teeth.

"You're welcome." Recovery Girl said, appreciating his thanks.

"Goodbye!" Izuku shouted, leaving the Temporary Office in a hurry.

"Hey, Izzy, wait!" Ami shouted, running out of the room after Izuku. Bakugo glared at the twins and stomped out of the Office with anger. Bakugo shook his head at Deku's stupidity. Once he remembers something he has to do, it's like he forgets his sister's right behind him. He threw open the door and slammed the office door shut, their voices were muffled but they were still close enough for the two heroes to hear.

"Get behind me, you damn nerds!" Bakugo shouted in the halls, quickly chasing after the twins with an angry scowl. When Bakugo and the Twins voices disappeared down the halls, All Might and Recovery Girl relaxed. She turned her swivel chair around and faced her desk. All Might bowed his head and stared at the floor in deep thought.

"So, he saw you there, too." Recovery Girl said, glancing at All Might's stoic expression.

"That's a good thing." He admitted.

Waiting Room

"Of course, Midoriya won." Todoroki thought, walking down the hall in silence. The second match would be starting soon. He was aware of who he was up against and felt he had nothing to worry about. He was up against another classmate named, Sero, who can shoot tape out of his elbows. Against his ice, it wouldn't be a problem. Still, he knew not to underestimate any of his opponents. He turned a corner and entered a different hallway. Once he saw who was standing in the middle of the hallway, he stopped walking and stared at the hero with a hostile attitude.

"What do you want?" Todoroki asked, staring at the number 2 pro hero that was his father, Endeavor. Endeavor looked at Todoroki with a stern look, folding his arms together.

"You're acting disgracefully, Shoto." Endeavor pointed out. Todoroki heard his criticism and elected to ignore it, resuming his walk down the hall. Endeavor narrowed his eyes at him, speaking up.

"You were taken advantage of, not once, not twice, but three times, in a span of a minute. All because of that green haired boy and girl. Your arrogant refusal of what you've been given led to your near defeat and led to you losing 1230 points. You should be grateful one of them didn't take the 10,000,000 from you. If you had simply used the power in your left side, you would've had an overwhelming victory in both of the first rounds." Endeavor said. Shoto listened to his father's lecture and stopped. He looked down at the ground and thought about the last minute of the Cavalry Battle. Surprised shock filled his face upon realizing he had activated his flames and nearly used them. He was even more surprised when Midoriya's sister had come from nowhere and inhaled the flames right off his arm. Surely, even if he did use his fire there, Midoriya's sister would've put a stop to it.

"Are you listening to me, Shoto? It's time to stop this childish rebellion of yours. You have a duty to surpass that imbecile, All Might." Endeavor ordered, reminding him of his purpose. Todoroki raised his head and made a low grunt, continuing his walk towards the exit. felt his jaw clench tighter as he spoke, squeezing his fists into a tight ball.

"Do you understand what I'm saying? You're different from your siblings. You're my greatest masterpiece." Endeavor explained. The repressed anger he felt boiling inside him caused Todoroki to react. He had enough of his comments towards him.

"Is that all you have to say to me, you bastard? That girl with green hair. Her quirk lets her eat fire from her surroundings. Fire quirks, too. So, even if I used your power, it would've been more worthless to me than it is now." Todoroki stated, causing Endeavor to raise an eye at Shoto's words.

"Worthless?" Endeavor thought, offended by his insult. He took a step back and scowled at him, crossing his arms and flaring his nostrils.

"I'll win this match and advance using only Mom's quirk. I won't give you the pleasure of seeing me use yours." Todoroki growled, his voice full of anger and contempt. Endeavor listened to the fire burning in his son's voice in displeasure. The fact he called his flames worthless angered him, casting a disappointedly aggravated frown on Endeavor's face. He shook his head lightly and squinted his eyes in thought, taking into question what Shoto told him.

"Your fire is hardly worthless, Shoto. Fine then, live another day believing that nonsense. Maybe then you'll learn a valuable lesson." Endeavor thought, watching Shoto head towards the exit.

"Hmph. Even if that works for you in this tournament, you'll soon find the limits of that power." Endeavor said, watching Todoroki leave the hallway and enter the stadium. Todoroki heard his fathers words and formed a heavy scowl, his mind filled up with anger and frustration.

Student Seating

The twins quickly arrived at their section of the stadium and were in awe of the view from up in the stands. For Izuku, it was his first time seeing it. They both looked down at their classmates that had taken their seats already and saw their friends look up at them. Ochaco was the first to see them, waving at Izuku.

"There you are, Deku. You did good!" Ochaco said, causing a light blush to form on Izuku's face. Ami caught sight of his blush and smirked at him.

"Come on down here. We saved a seat for you." Iida said, pointing down at the reserved seat next to him.

"Thanks, guys!" Izuku said, appreciating the offer. He looked at the empty seat between Iida and Tokoyami and was a little puzzled. Staring at the seat made him wonder where Ami was sitting. On cue, Bakugo arrived and walked down the steps, finding his seat in the second row to the right. Izuku saw Ami smile in his peripheral vision and knew where she'd be sitting. Ami looked at the other students in their seats and noticed one of them staring at her and Izuku. Ami glanced at Izuku and rubbed her elbow on his arm, getting his attention. Ami tilted her head and motioned with her eyes to look over to the left. Izuku listened and followed Ami's eye movement, catching sight of Ojiro staring at him. Ojiro looked at Izuku and raised his fist up in respect. Izuku saw his gesture and nodded, silently thanking the other.

"I'm gonna sit next to Kacchan again." Ami said, getting a questionable nod from Izuku.

"Again?" Izuku questioned in his mind.

"Alright." He replied, accepting Ami's choice. The twins walked down the steps together before their paths diverged. Izuku walked a step down to the front row while Ami stayed at the step above. Ami looked at the grumpy teen sitting silently with arms crossed and glaring at nothing in particular and smiled.

"Hey, Kacchan." Ami greeted, flashing a smile at him. Bakugo didn't move his head and looked at Habanero in his peripheral vision. He raised his head up and nodded, not saying a word to her. Ami raised her brow at him and scooted past his legs. She took a seat and relaxed into the seat, placing her hands on her lap. She saw Bakugo in her peripheral vision looking off into space with a serious glare. Ami wondered what was making Bakugo go silent and felt her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Hey, Kacchan. What are you thinking about?" Ami asked, receiving the usual glare from him.

"That idiot's vision." Bakugo admitted, looking at the back of Deku's head.

"Oh. You, too, huh?" Ami replied, dropping her smile. Ever since Izuku mentioned the vision she's been thinking about it as well. What Izuku said about the fog going away and seeing figures staring back at him unsettled her. The strangest part was the fact Izuku thought she saw her in his vision. Something which didn't make any sense to her.

"He said he saw you there. At least, someone who had your dumb hair." He said. Insulting Habanero's hair. Ami leaned her head back and made a quiet gasp, taking offense to him.

"Hey…" Ami whined, running a hand through her hair, "It's better than yours, Spiky." Ami barked back, causing Bakugo to glare at her in offense. They glared at each other for ten seconds before they both gave up and moved on.

"When Deku mentioned seeing you, All Might looked surprised. Like he wasn't expecting it." Bakugo said, remembering that surprised look All Might gave Deku.

"It made me wonder…" Bakugo said, keeping his thoughts between him and Habanero. He turned his head and made eye contact with Habanero. He looked at her with narrowed his eyes and a serious expression on his face.

"Did All Might ever mention anything about the previous users before him?"

"Previous users? No, not really. He never told us anything about them. And Izuku never really asked who they were, either." Ami admitted truthfully, getting a befuddled look from Bakugo.

"Wha- Seriously?" He asked, doing a double take. Ami looked away from his piercing gaze and tapped her fingers shyly.

"...yes?" Ami sheepishly replied, a little embarrassed. Bakugo closed his eyes and sighed, shaking his head at her reply.

"Hmph. Why is it you two never ask All Might any of the right questions?" Bakugo criticized, facepalming at her response.

"There's just a lot going on right now. He's still working on getting control after all." Ami said, clasping her hands together in her lap.

"I know. It's pissing me off." Bakugo acknowledged, still feeling mad at Deku's lack of progress with One For All.

"I told him to get that quirk in control, yet he's still breaking himself. Has he been doing nothing for the past two weeks?" Bakugo criticized, keeping his glare at Deku.

"He's been training by himself most of the time while I focused on my fire breathing. But, he didn't really activate his quirk during workouts because he didn't want to injure himself before the festival even started." Ami explained, grimacing a bit.

"But, still, he is getting better at controlling it. With any luck, the most damage he'll give himself in this tournament will be a broken hand." Ami hoped, being optimistic about Izuku's skill. He was smart and he was creative. The rounds before showed that. It gave her renewed faith that he'd be alright in the finals. Habanero's hopeful smile made Bakugo narrow his eyes. All he thought about seeing her smile was that she'd better be right. He looked at her and started talking again.

"So, you're sure All Might never mentioned anyone in his past?" Bakugo asked, relaxing into his seat and raising his head towards the sky with eyes closed. Ami stared at Bakugo and put a hand on her chin, thinking back to her interactions with All Might. Her mind drifted back to her time with him and Izuku at Dagoba beach and felt a lightbulb activate inside her mind.

"Well, actually...Now that you mention it. When All Might was training me and Izzy for the entrance exam, he did mention someone that he knew before." Ami recalled.

"Who?" Bakugo asked.

"A wise woman. He didn't say much about her, just that I reminded him of her." Ami replied, recalling the memory of the two of them talking while Izuku cleaned up the beach. Bakugo looked at her and raised an eyebrow at her.

"How so?" He asked, causing a smile to form on Habanero's face. The mental image of All Might copying her hairstyle with his hands flashed through her head, causing her to start giggling.

"Hehe. My hairstyle." Ami giggled, closing her eyes and smiling. She placed her hands on each side of her face and copied All Might's imitation of her hair.

"He knew someone with your hairstyle?" Bakugo questioned, getting Habanero to open her eyes. She nodded and put her hands down in amusement, not catching onto what Bakugo was thinking.

"Yeah. I-Wait…" Ami stopped herself, darting her eyes left-and-right as the dots connected in her mind.

"You don't think Izzy saw her, do you?" Ami asked, realizing exactly what Bakugo was thinking.

"Enough standing around! Now welcome to the ring, our next players." Present Mic announced. large flames emitted from the corners of the battlefield, warming up the entire audience. Ami was caught off guard by the flames and felt the warmth touch her hands. The thought of eating the flames slipped her mind but she was pretty sure that was against the rules. She looked down at the tunnel to the stadium and recognized Sero walking out.

"Oh, man. This is Sero's match? I wonder who he's fighting against?" Ami questioned herself, forgetting who Sero's opponent was. That question was quickly answered with the jumbotron changing into a versus screen with Sero and his opponent. Bakugo looked up at the jumbotron and couldn't stop himself from snickering just a little.

"Heh. He's screwed." Bakugo snickered, looking up at the jumbotron screen.

"Who is it?" Ami asked, turning to see what Bakugo was laughing at. She looked at the jumbotron and gasped, her eyes bulging out in shock. It was Hanta Sero vs Shoto Todoroki.

"Oh, no. He is screwed." Ami panicked, putting hands on the sides of her face.

"He's got skills, but at the expense of some really creepy-looking elbows. From the hero course, it's Hanta Sero!" Present Mic said, receiving applause from the audience.

"That was uncalled for." Sero pointed out, cranking his neck and stretching his limbs. He looked at Todoroki standing still with his head down and felt his confidence dwindle. Todoroki wasn't even saying a word or acknowledging his presence. He gulped and stayed calm and collected, ready to show his stuff.

"Versus, an early frontrunner in the competition who's way too strong for his own good! Someone who rightfully got into the hero course based on recommendations! It's Shoto Todoroki!" Present Mic announced, receiving thunderous applause. A majority of the audience knew who Todoroki's father was and were extra excited to see what the son of the number two hero was capable of in the finals. Izuku stared down at the battlefield in silence while the rest of Class 1-A stared at Sero with pity. Sero cringed at the one-sidedness of Present Mic's commentary, wondering why Todoroki got a cooler intro.

"And now, for the second match of the finals." Present Mic announced. Sero stared at his opponent and watched Todoroki slightly raise his head up in order to see him.

"Ready?" Present Mic asked, shouting into the microphone.

"Well, I don't really feel like I can win this fight-" Sero admitted, nonchalantly.

"Begin!" Present Mic shouted. Sero instantly stopped mid sentence and raised his shoulders towards Todoroki, activating his quirk.

"But, man- I don't feel like losing, either!" Sero shouted, springing into action and launching a line of tape towards Todoroki. Shoto watched the tape fly towards him and kept his head down, showing no sign of reacting. Within seconds of the match starting, Todoroki was covered in tape that squeezed his body tightly. Sero smiled and twirled around, dragging Todoroki with him. The audience gasped at what just happened, completely thrown off guard by Sero's surprise attack. Ami's jaw dropped and a rush of excitement filled her body.

"Yes! That's the spirit, Sero!" Ami shouted, jumping out of her seat with her fist raised. Bakugo glared at her and turned his head towards her with a growl.

"My ear is right here, Habanero!" Bakugo shouted angrily. He crossed his arms and glared down at the battlefield.

"That's it, man. Get him!" Kirishima shouted, clenching his fists in excitement.

"That attack could throw his opponent out of bounds! A brilliant, surprise opening from the underdog! Way to start off strong, Sero!" Present Mic shouted, complimenting Sero's plan. Sero grinned at the execution of his plan. Todoroki could easily take him out and he knew it. That's why if he could just catch him by surprise, then maybe, he could stand a chance.

Todoroki felt his body get pulled closer towards the out of bounds area and felt an unexpectedly large amount of anger rising up inside him. He could burn through Sero's tape easily, but that would mean using Endeavor's power. His fathers words echoed through his head, frustrating him even more. The temptation of burning through the tape with fire was enticing. Here he was doubting himself again. Just the very thought of giving in to his father's wishes sent him over the edge. He couldn't accept that part of him was starting to believe that maybe his father was right. Todoroki raised his head up and gave Sero a cold and angry glare.

"Apologies." He said, stomping his foot into the cement. Sero watched a wave of ice come towards him and gasped. Before he could fully react to the incoming ice it had already arrived, covering his whole body in ice. Once the ice had reached its target, it still didn't stop, causing the audience to gasp as a gigantic wall of ice rose towards them in seconds.

BOOM

The walls of the stadium shook and the ground rocked back-and-forth, causing All Might and Recovery Girl to gasp. The entire building shook for several seconds, confusing them.

"Is that… an earthquake?" Recovery Girl asked, bracing herself in her swivel chair.

"The heck is going on?" All Might asked, keeping his body steady in order to prevent falling to the floor. In the announcer room, Present Mic's jaw hit the floor in shocked silence. His glasses were slightly hanging off the head. Aizawa's eyes popped out of the bandages on his face, equally as shocked to see the size of the giant wall of ice. Outside the building, the heroes working security felt the ground shake and turned around. Death Arms and Kamui Woods felt their jaws drop at the sight of the massive wall of ice that poked out the roof of the stadium.

"Holy crap." Death Arms said, staring in awe at the giant iceberg. The heroes collectively gasped in their chairs and tensed up on reflex, leaning back into their seats to avoid the incoming ice. Luckily for the heroes, the ice never reached them. The heroes in the middle and bottom rows all stared up at the giant ice with shock.

"I hope this ice is stable." Backdraft said, looking at the wall of ice above his head.

"What the hell is that kid made of? He blocked out the sun on this entire section!" Wyvern complained, eyes bulging as he readjusted his position in his seat.

"All this ice from one attack?" A hero questioned, completely dumbfounded.

"It's like what he did against the zeropointer." A hero pointed out.

"Isn't that overkill, though?" Another hero questioned. The heroes around him murmured amongst themselves in agreement.

"Endeavor's kid is crazy powerful." Another hero shouted, staring in awe at the ice. Endeavor looked down at the wall of ice from the very top of the hero stands. A slight look of shock was on his face as well as a bit of pride.

"Hmph." Endeavor said, impressed by the massive display of ice. Sero darted his eyes left-and-right as the cold set in. His body quickly fell prey to the cold ice, going completely numb. He breathed slowly and felt his teeth jittering, realizing the situation he was in.

"U-umm? D-don't you th-think y-you w-went overboard?" Sero asked, staring at Todoroki as best as he could in his awkward frozen position.

"Tell the truth, Sero. Can you move at all?" Midnight asked, half covered in ice. Despite half her body being frozen, her voice was completely okay.

"A-Are you k-kidding? Obviously n-not." Sero stuttered, wanting nothing more than to get out of the ice, "My b-body is f-f-freezing!" He complained, unable to move at all. Midnight nodded and accepted his surrender.

"Sero has been immobilized!" Midnight announced, "Todoroki advances to the second round!"

The heroes watching from the opposite side of the stadium had their jaws drop at Todoroki's overwhelming victory and felt a wave of sympathy towards his now defeated opponent. A blue costumed hero stared in awe at the scene, composing himself and speaking up.

"Um. Well, nice try!" The hero commended, showing support for Sero's effort.

"Nice try!" The woman sitting next to him shouted, provoking the audience into doing the same. Todoroki broke through the tape on his body and shattered it to pieces with his ice. He listened to the audience chanting, "Nice try," to Sero and felt a little ashamed. Even he realized he went a little too far with the ice attack.

"Sorry. It was a bit much." Todoroki admitted, finding the words to apologize to Sero, "I was angry, is all." Todoroki said, using his hand to heat up the ice covering Sero. Ami watched Todoroki use his quirk to heat up the ice and frowned.

"Oh, man. Poor, Sero." Ami frowned, feeling bad for her friend. He started out so great. In fact, it was better than she was expecting. However, she never could've anticipated Todoroki putting a stop to Sero's assault by creating a giant spiky wall of ice. The cold temperature emanating off the ice caused a chill to go down her spine. She shivered in response to the cold, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Idiot never stood a chance." Bakugo said, shaking his head at Sero. Ami nodded in agreement with him.

"You did great, Sero." Ami said, quietly. She raised her legs onto the edge of her seat and wrapped her arms around them, activating her quirk and warming herself up. Bakugo felt the excess heat that emitted from her mouth and glanced at Habanero in his peripheral vision. He didn't mind the heat due to the giant block of ice that covered the stadium. Ami kept her eyes on Sero and occasionally glanced at Todoroki. The fact he went overboard and defeated Sero like that caused her stomach to churn. If he was willing to do that much to an opponent like Sero, it made her wonder what he would do against an even more challenging opponent. Keeping her eyes on Shoto, she noticed something about him. He looked very sad at that moment.


Author's Notes:

Hello, everyone! Thanks for reading the chapter. I said the release date for this chapter would be around the 29th to 31st in my profile, but I completed it early and edited it to a publishable state. A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one! I loved all of the feedback and comments from the review page and in my dms. As usual, be sure to point out any mistakes I made in your reviews.

In case you weren't aware. is kinda weird when it comes to receiving private messages. If you send me a private message, be sure to check your messages through your email, the site, or through the mobile versions messaging room. I always try to reply to everyone who talks to me. I'll accept any question you have about the story.

Next chapter will be bigger. With the way things are going with my writing I won't be surprised if the next chapter hits 20k. Next chapter will cover multiple fights as well as brand new ones now that I've added the pre-matches. So expect the next chapter to take a while. I will be giving updates every now and then about the next chapters progress in my profile.

If you didn't notice already. Bakugo's dialogue is changing. Rather than him getting mad that Izuku's improving he got mad that Izuku didn't improve One For All enough to not break his fingers. He already knows Izuku will surpass All Might so his anger isn't about him improving but more about him not improving fast enough. He knows what One For All is capable of from watching All Might so to see Izuku still breaking his fingers in the first round is pissing him off. He's gotten a more active role than in canon thanks to knowing about One For All early. And of course, Izuku having a twin sister also helped change the dynamic they have.

One of the reviews talked about Shinso pulling the Sister card in the fight. While that would've been interesting, that just wasn't something I had planned on writing. Izuku vs Shinso was already written and completed by the time the review was posted so changing what was already written was something I could not do. In my mind, Shinso wouldn't have tried bringing Ami into it because he knew Izuku wouldn't be fooled twice by making it personal again. The fight with Shinso wasn't going to be all that different. The real changes would've been in the reactions to the fight, Izuku and Shinso's thoughts, and when Izuku saw the shadowy figures staring at him in the tunnel. I've said it before in a different author's notes but Ami has a similar hairstyle to Nana Shimura. So since Nana's shadow would've been there, too, the chance that Izuku would recognize her sister's hairstyle would've increased. And by the end of the chapter, Ami and Bakugo also figured it out at the end.

I'd like to apologize about the way I write certain characters. Shinso's got an amazing quirk but it's hard to write about it without it coming off as a total nightmare. When I was writing chapter 16, Shinso's original lines were far more villainous. I knew he wasn't using his quirk because he was a villain. To me, Shinso used his quirk in the Sports Festival as a necessity to win. What makes him cool to me is how he has a quirk commonly associated with villains in lots of media but rather than use it for evil, he's using it so that he can become a hero someday. That's why I don't blame him when he used it to get far in the rounds. Because how else are you going to use a brainwashing quirk as a hero than to entice your opponent into talking? Honestly, I'm sorry for making Shinso sound evil. Because Shinso is one of the most interesting characters in the series for me.

There is something I'll need to hear from your reviews in regards to Ami's pre-match. As I said in the previous chapter, Ami's first opponent will be fighting Aoyama. I'll need help in your reviews for what I should do with Aoyama's quirk Navel Laser. Now we all know Ami's quirk lets her eat flames, but I've never answered whether or not she could eat lava or lasers. Explosions can be eaten but I'm not sure about concentrated energy blasts like Navel Laser.

So I thought, "Maybe I should see what you guys have to say about it?" Should Ami be capable of eating lasers or not? This'll seriously affect how I write that chapter so I'd like to see your thoughts about this in reviews or dms.

Now on to answering questions. I didn't know about this until recently but Izuku Midoriya's official height is apparently 5''5'. This is funny to me because Ami is 5''6'. So I guess for now, Ami is taller than Izuku by 1 inch. Izuku is, like, 15-16 in the story right now? So, he'll probably get a growth spurt at 17-18. Who knows? Maybe he'll get taller when the show reaches season 20.

The next question I received is more humorous than others but the question was basically, "What kinda random party tricks can Ami do?" I haven't found a way to slip it into the story yet but Ami knows how to juggle. To clarify, see can set two-three tennis balls on fire and start juggling with them. Her body's resistance to fire actually prevents her from getting hurt. Just like Izuku, Ami can't dance. She could maybe sing idk yet. I like fun questions like these.

Another question I was asked was who inspired me to write this story? I was inspired to write this story because I like reading alternate universe stories about history and tv shows. Marvels What-If is a really good show and a great example of how interesting they can be. My reason for writing this was because I wanted to make my own alternate universe fic that would add some variety. I've only seen three Twin Sister AU stories about Izuku Midoriya and I just wanted to add to the number. I know it's kind of a boring reason but I also wanted to write a story that had an ending. Sometimes personal things happen and writers disappear and never update their stories and that makes me sad. I was originally going to end this in season 1 but popular demand made me change my mind. I know my track record on getting things done in time is already botched but I never want to leave this story unfinished. That's all I got for now.

As a sidenote about guessing Wyvern's quirk. Remember to be specific with your guess because it really helps if my foreshadowing skills are working. Anyways, be sure to send me your feedback and reviews. The more reviews, the better! I read them all and take into account whatever you guys suggest. If you see an error please point it out, I will fix it as soon as possible. Thanks for reading and have a good day!