Transformers MHA, Arc 2: Earthrise

by The Omni-Remnant

After a rather intense adventure and the U.A. Sports Festival approaching fast, Izuku and his friends have two important things to do; improve their Quirks in time for the festival… and hide a bunch of giant alien robots. That proves to be easier said than done, especially when enemies on Earth and from beyond the stars end up coming for them…

32. Shoto Todoroki: Origin

A/N: Morning, everybody! …Okay, I swear I'm not putting out updates on random Thursdays on purpose, I promise you. It's just that some chapters end up getting done a bit earlier than others and, well, I just don't feel like delaying them any longer if I'm happy with there they're at. So, with that said, welcome to what is probably the heaviest chapter in this story so far, and if you've seen the episode this one is deriving from, you know exactly why. Brace yourselves, people, because this is…

Chapter 32: Shoto Todoroki: Origin

…..

On the bridge of the Darksyde, the general mood of the Decepticons had gone from rather bored and unimpressed to excited and full of vigor. The first round had been mostly disappointing with a few exceptions, but THESE matches had been different. These were the ones that they had been waiting for since the start of the tournament, where the competitors were actually making an effort to do battle properly instead of screw around on the battlefield. And needless to say, they couldn't get enough of it.

"Oh-ho, Lord Megatron doesn't know what he's missing!" Skywarp smirked as he watched Eijiro go down to Bakugo's explosive attacks. "Now THIS is exactly what I was hoping for from the start; unrestrained violence!"

"Eh… I wouldn't exactly call it "unrestrained", Warp." Swift pointed out. "For as much as these kids are beating the hell outta each other, they're still making sure they don't, like, maim one another or anything."

Skywarp grumbled at that. "Hmph… unfortunately."

Thundercracker glanced to his brother worriedly. "What is your obsession with seeing young organics trying to kill one another?"

"When you've been in space for eons, brother, you take what entertainment you can get."

"Alright, let's not distract ourselves too much from the event, shall we?" Starscream butted into the conversation, giving his brothers a short glare before setting his sights back on the screen, where Izuku, Shoto, Kaida and Katsuki's faces were all displayed. "We have our final four. The semi-finals are bound to be much more intense than the previous round."

Down below, Frenzy couldn't help but cackle in delight, the saw blade in his chest spinning and producing sparks. "AHAHA! Perfect! Bring on the wanton violence!"

"Da, Blastwave agrees with the Mini-Con!" The big, green Decepticon took a swig of his oil, finishing off the barrel before crushing it on his head like a tin can. "And bring more oil!" he slurred, his optics seemingly filled with a drunken haze. "We NEED more oil! B-URP-Bring it NOW!" he belched out.

Flatline quickly looked down to a Vehicon with a serious gaze. "You heard him, dummkopf! Go get some more oil before he takes off our heads in a drunken rage!" The Vehicon quickly rushed out of the room to please the Decepticon bruiser, though Flatline was quick to take notice of Unicronus seemingly deep in thought. "…A shanix for your thoughts, general?"

"Hm? You say somethin', Doc?" The dark Con glanced up.

"You have been quiet silent for some time. Is zere something on your mind?"

"Ah, nothin' important." Unicronus brushed off. "I was just hopin' that Lord Megatron would stick around… or even be back before this round ended." He folded his arms over his chest with a small scowl. "I mean, I get that gettin' a hit on an Autobot base is important, but the fact that some o' these small an' powerful creatures are allying with the Autobots… it's a bit worrisome."

Overhearing this, Shadowstriker hummed in agreement. "Hm, I understand your concern, general. Ze fact that zey were able to fight against us is one thing, but if any of zese other children join with ze Autobots…"

"We could be lookin' at a whole mess of trouble." Nightra finished, swiveling around in her chair.

However, Barricade shook his head. "Hah, that's what you think, but honestly, I don't think the Autobots would chance it. Sure, they've got the faculty of an entire school on their side, along with a few students and the Number One Hero." He raised a single finger to them. "But think about this; do ya really think that Prime would even consider bringing on more allies, especially after what we did, kidnapping one of 'em? Somethin' tells me he'll be makin' more of an effort to keep our war a secret, so we could use that to OUR advantage."

This managed to catch Unicronus' attention. Barricade had always been a masterful tactician, especially when it came to sabotaging the enemy, so he would be remiss to not hear him out. "And whaddya think we should do about THAT, Barricade?"

But, before he could explain… "I can FEEL the anticipation in the stadium! And that's because the first match of the semi-finals is gonna be EPIC!"

"Ugh, that annoying announcer AGAIN." Skywarp grumbled.

"BLASTWAVE HAS HAD ENOUGH OF LOUD MAN'S STUPID VOICE!" The drunken tank stood up and went to punch the screen, only for the three Seekers to immediately get out of their seats to hold him back. "Let Blastwave at the Loud Man! Blastwave will… Blastwave… will… ooozzzz…" Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp all let out collective yelps as Blastwave fell unconscious in his drunken stupor, landing right on top of them. The bruiser's snoring was about as loud as the vehicle mode he turned into, meaning he was out like a light.

Thundercracker deadpanned at the situation. "…Hah, of course he got this tanked-up. why didn't I expect anything less?"

"Get us out from under here!" Starscream hollered.

Swift smirked and winked. "Happy to… right after this match ends."

Barricade couldn't help but grin at the Seeker commander's misfortune, but he affirmed Swift's words to Unicronus as well. "She's right, we'll wait until the tournament is over, then I'll tell you my plan." Unicronus nodded to him, setting his optics back onto the screen with the others.

…..

Back in the stadium, the crowd was roaring in excitement and eagerness as the competitors took to the battlefield below, all while Present Mic made the introductions. "It's the guy who won his first match by a landslide and literally left half the audience frozen! The Hero Course's SHOTO TODOROKI!" Shoto locked his eyes onto his opponent. This was the moment he had been waiting for. "And THIS kid, no matter where he places in the festival, is sure to remain one of it's main talking points for his surprising yet incredible performance thus far! Also from the Hero Course; IZUKU MIDORIYA!"

As much as Izuku felt bashful at the thought of him being a sticking point of this festival, he couldn't afford to lose his concentration now. This was it; the long-awaited confrontation between the festival's foremost frontrunners. The declaration of war… was about to come to pass. 'It's now… or never.'

"So, here we are." Shoto started.

"And only one of us can win." Izuku returned.

Up in the stands, almost every student in 1-A was shaking with anticipation, and if they weren't, they were doing a good job of keeping themselves under control. "This is going to be intense, I can just feel it." Ochako whispered.

Tenya, who had returned only a minute before, eyed his Vice Representative. "Yaoyorozu, how do you think this match will go?"

After having returned from her own match, Momo had taken the time to think over everything she had observed of the four remaining competitors so far. And, after mulling it over a bit in her head, she came up with an answer. "Well, it depends on whether or not Midoriya is able to get in close to Todoroki." Her gaze concentrated on Izuku intensely. "And with his Full Cowling, that's a strong possibility… but still…"

"Hm, yeah." Mina nodded, feeling somewhat sober with the powerful atmosphere around her. "Getting frozen in place could still be a problem for Midori."

"It's alright." Kyoka piped up, her confident tone taking everyone aback as she smiled down to her best friend. "Izuku will be able to do it, I've got no doubt."

With a balled fist, Tenya grit his teeth in determination. "You hold him in such high regard, Jiro, it is to be commended! You're right, I'm certain that Midoriya MUST have a plan!"

"Both of these heroes-in-training have been frontrunners in the Sports Festival! But which of these rivals will advance to the finals?!" Present Mic was practically out of his seat as he gave the go ahead. "Prepare for… Midoriya versus Todoroki! BEGIN!"

The two boys wasted no time in getting into combat-ready stances, with Izuku noticing how Shoto was putting more pressure on his right leg. 'He'll start with an ice attack.'

'I can't allow him to use that power of his too much.' Shoto thought to himself before letting loose, sending a huge wave of ice at Izuku from his leg.

'There! Full Cowling, Ten Percent!' Izuku charged his power up and leapt incredibly high into the air, avoiding the ice spires just in the nick of time before landing on the highest one. But he didn't have much time to relax as another, smaller wave came at him. 'Alright, now! Detroit Smash! Ten Percent!' Just as the ice was about to make contact, Izuku punched his way through the spire, creating a small burst of wind that left a hole directly through it. He then leapt from hole and began sliding down the spire.

Shoto furrowed his brow at the move. 'Hmph, should've guessed, he's going to rely on his speed and concentrated power to deal with my long-range attacks. I'll need to take him by surprise.'

Izuku, meanwhile, was having similar thoughts; 'I don't know much about Todoroki's fighting style. His attacks are so fast that it's hard to collect data on him. So, during this fight, I need to keep my focus up…' He saw Shoto place his hand on the icey path before him, making a series of spikes come jutting out of the ground and head straight for him. Izuku had to stop on a dime and leap away, just narrowly escaping the spikes.

It was then that he noticed something; Shoto had created a small ice wall behind him, almost as if to prop himself up against it. And Izuku quickly realized why. 'I see, so he's expecting me to use my fingers to try and blow him out. He's probably surprised that I didn't immediately go for that yet.' He quickly made a beeline and continued on his course, leaping down toward Shoto. 'If that's the case, then I'm just going to have to get up close and personal!'

'What is he—' "Ah!" Without a second to spare, Shoto had to move out of the way to avoid Izuku's incoming attack, the greenette punching through the ice wall behind him. 'Crap, he figured it out. Gotta move, fast!' He created an ice path from his leg and slid away from Izuku on it, only for the Quirk inheritor to give chase on foot.

…..

Eijiro was practically sprinting toward his class' box, knowing that he was very likely missing Midoriya's match given how loud the crowd was cheering. 'Crap, if I didn't need to go to the nurse's office after that match, I woulda made it!' The second he made it out of the stairwell and to the stands, he saw that indeed, Midoriya was fighting Todoroki, and it looked like it was off to one hell of a start. "Gah, crap! I'm missing it!"

"Yo, Kirishima!" Denki waved from the seats, garnering everyone's attention. "Where've ya been? The match just started!"

"Sorry, but Recovery Girl kept me back FOREVER!" Eijiro dashed down to take a seat, only to feel someone grab into his arm. "H-Hey, what's the big—huh?"

He stopped struggling once he saw that it was Sid, the disguised Autobot wearing a sympathetic grin. "Hey… you did pretty great out there, Eijiro. Sorry that you didn't make it, though."

But Eijiro simply shrugged it off with a smile. "Hey, thanks, man. But don't worry, it's no biggie. There's always next year, an' I'm happy bein' in the top eight." He craned his head down toward the battle, where Midoriya was in hot pursuit of Todoroki. "Right now, though, I'm more concerned about Midoriya. He's dealing with an opponent whose attacks can blast the whole stadium, after all."

"Well, yeah, but so can his." Buck pointed out. "…That is, IF he decides he wants to risk breaking his fingers again."

"True, but if he does, he'll need to pause between attacks." Sero added in. "Meanwhile, Todoroki doesn't need to do that."

"Hmph, Midoriya's in a bind here, that's for sure." Sato said grimly.

However, Orion's thoughts differed from the students. "I doubt it is that easy, children." Instantly, all eyes were on the Prime as he explained his thinking; "You see, if you overuse your muscles, you risk tearing them. If you sprint too much, you run out of breath. After all, the human body does have it's own limitations, and in my studies, I've found that Quirks are very much the same."

Sadie tilted her head toward her leader. "What do you mean by that, sir?"

"Quirks may be special abilities, but they have a physical affect on the body." Optimus flashed back to his time training with Izuku, where he had taken mental notes on how One for All would affect the boy in more ways than just one, especially after long periods of time. "It is highly inadvisable to use them non-stop."

"Huh, that makes a lot of sense, actually." Ojiro muttered

"Wonder if that's what Midoriya will think is gonna help him against Todoroki, ribbit." Tsuyu put a finger to her chin.

Orion nodded. "Very likely. He knows how much Young Todoroki used his ice in the prior rounds, especially in his match against Young Sero, so he must be counting on his ice slowing down." He saw the Tape user cringe at that part, to which how bowed his head. "My apologies. And nice try." That only made Sero feel marginally better.

…..

"You want an endurance match?" Shoto said as he finally came to a stop, bringing up another small ice wall behind him. Either he didn't notice or he didn't care… but the right side of his body was beginning to frost over a little bit. "Fine… but I'll end this quickly." In a split second, he sent out another barrage… only for Izuku to charge straight in and chop through it.

"SMASH!" As Izuku burst through the ice, he kept his eyes straight on Shoto, anticipating what he might do next. 'He's probably figured out that long-range attacks won't be enough, so if I'm right…' Wasting no time, Shoto created a huge ice bridge, which he quickly went sprinting up to meet Izuku half-way. 'Yes, there!' He came to a sudden landing and jumped straight back, avoiding his opponent at the last second.

All the while, Present Mic presented the question that was on Izuku and everyone else's mind; "Todoroki's keepin' that ice comin', but how long can he keep it up?!"

Shoto seemed to answer that by placing his hand on the ground as he landed, sending another wave of ice that managed to catch Izuku on the foot. However, the proved futile as Izuku used his other foot to free himself. 'Alright, I think I've got him—huh?' Izuku's confidence in that thought didn't last for much longer, though, as he saw Shoto beginning to create even more waves of ice… which began spreading throughout the battlefield.

'…Oh no. If he does that, I'll be blasted out in no time!' Izuku glanced down to his hand as he landed, knowing what he had to do. 'I've been saving them for a moment like this, so it's now or never! I might need two of them for this.' Thus, the Quirk Inheritor put the middle and ring finger of his left hand together and moved them under his thumb, as if he were making a devil horns gesture, before aiming toward the towers of ice that were coming his way. He braced himself as he focused One for All into his two fingers, and then… "SMAAAAASH!"

BOOM! Immediately, a wild wind whipped up throughout the whole stadium and burst through the incoming ice wave, creating a massive blast of cold air that whirled into the audience. But while the spectators might've been freezing, that didn't keep their focus off the battle below. "WOAH! Midoriya just pulled out the same trick he used on Shinso! But was it enough to blow Todoroki away?!"

With his two fingers now broken, Izuku breathed hard, thankful that he was still in the ring. Of course, the pain in his hand sucked, but at this point, he was at least used to it. He stared through the white mist that had been kicked up by his attack, not seeing any sign of Shoto… until a large pile of ice suddenly moved.

"That was much more powerful than your previous attacks." A gasp escaped Izuku's lips as Shoto emerged, pushing a massive hunk of ice off of him. "You're trying to keep me away. Smart." Izuku couldn't help but gape in awe at how his opponent managed to stay in the match, though Shoto wasn't having much of it. "What's the matter? You can't be worn out just from that one attack alone. Or is defending from MY attacks what's wearing you down?"

Izuku's mind was racing, trying to come up with a new strategy as his eyes took in every detail around him. 'Come on, come one, there's gotta be… wait…' It was then that he saw that Shoto's right side was now even more frosted over, and he was physically shivering. 'He's shaking. Is he reaching some kind of limit? Whatever the case, I've gotta keep fighting!'

"I'm sorry about this, but thank you for drawing it out." At Shoto's odd compliment, Izuku made a confused sound, to which the monochromatic boy glanced up to his father in the audience. …And it was obvious that Endeavor wasn't too happy. "Look at him. He's furious that I'm not using his power."

'I don't have to rely on his damn fire Quirk.' Izuku remembered the words, clear as day. 'You see, I'm going to show that bastard that I reject his power, and take first place in the festival.' The memory made Izuku clench his jaw, but not at the fact that Shoto wanted to win. "…That's it." he whispered.

"There's no use going on if you're just gonna start breaking your hands." Shoto widened his stance, ready to go again. "So why don't we end this?" Putting pressure on his right leg again, Shoto sent out another wave of ice spires straight at Izuku.

"Todoroki continues his overwhelming attacks!" Present Mic leaned forward in anticipation. "Could this be his finishing move?!"

But Izuku didn't move from his spot. If anything, he seemed resolute not to move at all as he snapped his head up, furrowing his brow at Shoto. "I'm NOT done yet!" He lifted his left hand once again and prepped his pointer finger, flicking it and destroying the massive ice wave. Shoto stared back in surprise as Izuku declared to him; "I've still got five fingers… maybe seven if I can somehow use my thumbs! …But you're trembling, Todoroki." His left hand trembled as he said this, but he grit through the pain. "It's easy to forget that Quirks are physical abilities, and that means there's a limit to the cold your body can take, right?!"

As Shoto stood there, he tried to keep his shivering under control, only to find that his body resisted him. 'D-Damn… he figured it out.'

"I get it. You usually make up for the drop in temperature by using the heat from your left side. But you refuse to do that now." Izuku stood up straight, wearing a determined expression as he spoke truthfully to Shoto. "Listen, we're ALL giving it our all… to try and win. To make our dreams into a reality. To become number one! You think you can win with only half your strength?" He balled his damaged left hand. "Look at me, Todoroki. You haven't been able to put a scratch on me yet! So come at me with ALL you've got!"

The white and red-haired boy narrowed his gaze at his classmate, wondering just what was going on. "Midoriya… what are you trying to do here? You want my fire?!" His glare hardened as a certain thought crossed his mind. "What, did my monster of a dad bribe you or something?!" With that thought fueling his rage, he lunged for Izuku. "Now, I'm MAD!"

'As I thought, he movements are slower.' Izuku noted as Shoto ran, his right side slowing him down. 'He probably wasted a lot of energy on his previous battles, especially the one with Sero.' He started charging Full Cowling up once more. 'It's time to make the most of this opportunity.'

'In close quarters, there's no way he'll—' ZOOM! In the corner of his eye, Izuku appeared, making Shoto do a double take. "What?!"

"Too slow." WHAM! With a ten percent-powered punch, Izuku socked Shoto straight in the gut, sending him flying back several feet. The very cold young man tried to regain himself by flipping in midair and landing on his feet, creating another small ice wall to stop himself. But, the moment he hit the ice, Izuku was right there in front of him again, delivering another blow to the gut and blasting Todoroki straight through the ice wall.

Before he did, though, Shoto's hand grazed Midoriya's arm, freezing it partially. Izuku saw this… and then flexed his arm, breaking the ice with ease. For his part, Present Mic was astonished. "Unbelievable! Midoriya has landed not one, but TWO sucker punches! And he's at the point where Todoroki's ice isn't even hindering him! What is this kid MADE out of, glass or steel?!"

Shoto had gotten the wind knocked straight out of him, sending him into a coughing fit. "HAK-HAK-HAK! …Why?" He touched his hand to the ground, sending out a smaller and MUCH slower ice attack at Izuku, which he easily dodged by leaping out of the way.

'The ice isn't moving as fast now…' Just as he avoided the attack, Todoroki came charging straight for him on a small wave of ice, but Izuku countered by flicking his pinkie. "SMASH!" But, to his own surprise, Shoto seemed to anticipate this, leaping off at the last possible moment to evade the burst of air and get in close to try and land a few punches of his own.

…..

In the stands, the students of 1-A were practically on the edge of their seats as they watched the match unfold, with Kyoka practically leaning over the balcony just so she didn't miss a thing. "Holy crap, I don't think ANYONE could've expected THIS happening." the punk rocker noted. "Green Bean and Todoroki are just locked in this fight!"

"Agreed, it's quite amazing." Tenya concurred. "Such concentration, such vigor! I only wish I could have put forth that much intensity during our fight."

Ochako had her hands firmly clenched on her lap, biting her lower lip nervously. "C'mon, Deku, you've got this…"

"He's been doin' pretty great so far." Sonny agreed. "Guy's been making sure he doesn't overdo it too much."

It was that which got Toru to speak up, the invisible girl raising her arms to make sure she was noticed. "Uh, hello? Are we, like, watching the same match here? Midoriya's breaking his fingers again. I think that might count as overdoing it."

"If you can believe it, it actually is not." Orion countered, the Autobot leader having stood up to make his way toward the balcony's edge. "You see, prior to his training to control his Quirk, Young Izuku would have surely broken both his hands and maybe even worse at this point. However, since he has discovered his Full Cowling technique, he has been able to find a good medium to balance the power output of his Quirk."

Sato scratched the back of his head. "Uh, 'kay, so why's he still breaking his fingers?"

"Namely because he still wishes to use his full strength however he can for this battle." Orion elaborated, propping himself by his arms on the balcony. "It is a bold strategy, but an effective one. Izuku knows that he cannot normally blow Young Todoroki's ice away with his regular Full Cowling strikes, but if he puts out just a little bit of his full power with each finger flick, he'll be able to do so." He pointed down to the greenette, noting his uninjured right hand. "However, Izuku isn't foolhardy—he's saving one good hand for what will surely be his finishing blow."

Momo put a finger to her chin, nodding in understanding. "A good point, Orion, but… he doesn't have any more fingers on that hand to flick…" She saw Shoto leap away from Izuku and send out another massive ice wave, greatly worrying her. "So what if THAT happens?!"

However, the Prime simply smiled knowingly. "Oh… I think you'll find that he does."

…..

Izuku clenched his teeth as the ice approached him. 'I can't risk my good hand… so…' He took his left thumb and stuck it into the corner of his lip, aiming his cheek at the ice as he put one hundred percent of One for All into that finger. "SHHMAAASHHH!" He flicked his thumb with his lip, breaking it and opening a small cut inside his cheek, but blasting the ice AND Shoto back in one fell swoop.

Todoroki once again went skidding backward, but caught himself with another ice wall, now feeling absolutely frigid. "W-Why are you putting yourself through this?!" he asked as he fell to one knee.

"Because I wanna live up to people's expectations!" The answer took Shoto off guard as Izuku charged straight for him again. "I wanna be able to smile while doing something good for them! I wanna be a PRO!" He reared his fist back and socked Shoto in the gut once more, while the latter was still taking in the answer. "Whatever it takes, I WILL be a hero! That's why I'll give it everything I have, just like YOU should be!"

He watched as Shoto staggered back, clenching his gut as he continued to shiver. "…There's no way I can know what you've been going through, Todoroki, or why you're even here." He clenched his broken fingers and placed them over his heart. "Your life has been so much different than mine, but right now…" He bared his teeth and yelled; "STOP screwing around!" That made Shoto gasp, reeling in shock. "If you wanna reject your father, then fine! But you don't have the right to be number one if you are going to use your full power!"

Shoto could do nothing but stare at Midoriya, all while his words suddenly began unearthing a memory he had locked away deep inside his mind…

…..

Five-year-old Shoto Todoroki was in the most agonizing pain he had ever experienced in his life. …And it had become a daily occurrence. His father, Enji Todoroki, also known as the Number Two pro hero Endeavor, had been relentlessly training him practically since he had been potty trained, and to say that it was one of the worst experiences ever was an understatement. Every day, blow after blow, it wouldn't get any easier for him, and on this day, Endeavor had socked him hard enough in the gut that he threw up his breakfast.

So, as he knelt there on the floor near his father's feet, coughing and gagging… the red-haired man felt absolutely no sympathy. "Now stand up. If you get hurt that easily, you can forget about beating All Might, or even a small-time villain."

"Please, stop pushing him!" Shoto could feel his mother's hands touch his back, the boy taking in the fleeting comfort as she implored her husband to halt the training. "He's only five years old!"

"He can TAKE it." Endeavor said forcefully… before Shoto felt a chill once he heard a powerful SMACK and a pained yelp soon after. "Get out of my way."

Shakily, the little boy brought his head up, horrified to see his mother sprawled across the floor, her long, white hair blocking her face. "…Momma?"

…..

In the present, Shoto felt his right side begin to freeze up, his frustration growing as Izuku closed in. "…Shut up."

…..

Several days after the incident, Shoto found himself crying in his mother's arms, a rare moment of solitude as Endeavor had gone out to work. Still, that didn't help ease the pain any better. "I-I don't wanna do this, mom!" Shoto pleaded between heavy sobs, clutching his mother's shirt. "Please, I… I-I don't wanna be the kind of guy he is! I don't wanna be someone who bullies you and hurts people, momma!"

"…But honey, you do still want to be a hero, don't you?" Shoto felt her stroking his hair and he brought his eyes up… though he couldn't bare to look past her smile. He knew if he did, he would see a pair of sad eyes. "Just remember, stay true to yourself. You can be the kind of hero YOU want to be."

…..

"That's why I'm gonna win this!" Izuku's shout briefly broke Shoto out of his memories, only to send him right back in with a strong, right hook with Full Cowling. "I'LL SURPASS YOU!"

…..

Shoto stared down from the balcony within his home, watching as his older siblings all played with one another while their grandmother watched. He wished he could go play with them… but the hard, vice-like grip he suddenly felt around his wrist reminded him otherwise. He was pulled along by Endeavor, no doubt bringing him to that dungeon he called a training room.

"Ignore them, Shoto. They live in a different world than the one I'm training you for."

…The boy wished that wasn't the case.

…

About a week later, Shoto had woken up and started making his way to the kitchen, hoping to find breakfast waiting. …But what he instead came across was something much more frightening. "Mom? I feel like I'm going crazy…" The boy paused at the open door and peered inside, seeing his mother standing in front of a hot stove with a tea kettle boiling on top of it. She was speaking to his grandma, no doubt. "I can't take it anymore. Every day, the children seem more like HIM. And Shoto… that child's left side sometimes looks unbearable to me. All I can see is his father! I… I can't raise him anymore. I want to run away from this life!"

"…Mom?" Shoto spoke, letting his presence known. "W-What're you saying?"

His mother gasped, her head slowly and shakily moving around to him. Her eyes were filled with horror as she saw her son… all while the tea kettle filled with boiling water whistled in her ear. And then…

…..

WHAM! Endeavor forcefully closed the door after returning home, his ever-present scowl even more grimacing than usual. Not far away, Shoto stood, with half of his face bandaged as he kept his head low. "Moronic woman…" Endeavor grumbled, spotting Shoto out the corner of his eye. "To hurt you at such an important time!"

"…Where did momma go?"

"Hm?" Endeavor turned fully at his son's question. "Oh, she hurt my masterpiece, so I put her in a hospital to keep you safe."

Shoto grit his teeth, accepting the new feeling of contempt and hatred he had for his father as he cried in sorrow. "That was YOUR fault! YOU'RE the one who made her hurt me!"

…..

"…I remember." Shoto murmured as he stood up, still reeling from Izuku's blow. However, his intentions remained resolute, even now. "I WILL reject you. I refuse to use my left side—"

"IT'S YOURS!" Izuku screamed. "YOUR Quirk, NOT his!"

Shoto let out another gasp, feeling another memory work its way to the surface.

…..

During one of the moments of respite he and his mother had, they had decided to watch some TV together… where a certain Number One hero was currently giving an interview. "That's right! Children often do inherit Quirks from their parents, or develop similar powersets." All Might explained, his bright smile permeating through the screen. "But the most important thing to remember is that a Quirk is what you make of it, regardless of your history. YOU decide how you'll use it. That's what I mean when I say "I am here"." He pointed toward the camera, making Shoto's smile widen. "Only YOU can decide to become a hero, no one else. Take this to heart, kids." All Might gave a thumbs up. "You can do it!"

…..

"Honey, you do still want to be a hero, don't you? Just remember, stay true to yourself."

With his mother's words ringing through his ears, Shoto felt something begin to stir inside of him. "I didn't realize… how much I'd forgotten."

"You are not a prisoner of your lineage." As he continued to hear his mother's voice, the new feeling inside of Shoto began to flicker… before becoming a small ember… which then grew into a full flame… "It's okay to use your power…" The flame expanded into a burning fire… "To become who you want to be."

…And then, that fire exploded into a blazing inferno.

Izuku couldn't believe his eyes as Shoto's entire right suddenly became engulfed in a tornado of flames, an incredibly warm sensation coming over him and everyone else in the stadium. But this feeling made him smile nonetheless. '…Yes.'

Even up in the commentary booth, Present Mic was having a hard time believing it. "WHAT IS THAT?!"

Up in 1-A's seats, the students couldn't believe the intensity of the heat that was being projected at them, to the point that Ochako had to bring her hands up to her face to try and block it. "He's using his fire!"

"…Incredible." Tenya muttered.

"You made him use his dad's power." Kyoka muttered to herself, wearing a small smirk. "Izuku, I can't tell if you're brave or stupid for trying to save him… but one thing's for sure; for one guy, you care about people WAY more than you should, and to me, that's WAY cool."

As the Autobots also stared in awe, Optimus was also smiling to himself, looking down at the two boys with pride. "Hm, well done, both of you." he nodded, glancing over to Kyoka. "It would seem that the two of them have come to an understanding." He saw the punk rocker's confused gaze, so he pointed down to the two. "Do you see? They're both smiling."

Kyoka blinked as she took a second glance, seeing that Prime's assessment was true. Todoroki was smiling just as much as Izuku was, as if he had just been freed from a massive weight. "Huh, guess he is."

"They have found common ground." Optimus affirmed, only to hear someone shouting from the other side of the stadium. His sights trailed up and he saw Endeavor, the hero having made his way to the front row as he bellowing out unintelligible words that he couldn't hear. The Flame Hero also seemed to be smiling, though it was one that was… disconcerting. "…Kyoka, what is he saying?"

Unfortunately, Kyoka COULD hear him, and while the words from Endeavor's mouth SOUNDED like praise… she knew that what made HIM happy didn't make Shoto happy. "…Something so selfish and naïve that I don't wanna repeat it to you."

"Hm." Prime hummed.

Back down on the field, Todoroki finally spoke up to Izuku, all while his flames flew around him. "You're helping your opponent. …You fool. Even thought you wanna win this battle. NOW which one of us is screwing around?" If anything, that just made Izuku's smile grow even more, especially with what Shoto had to say next; "I want it, too. I'll be a hero!"

"…Amazing." Izuku muttered.

"Why're you smiling?"

"Hmhm, I could say the same about you."

Shoto scoffed, trying to hide his grin the best he could. "Hmph, you must be crazy, hurting yourself to use your full power." He knelt close to the ground, his body now moving freely now that it was warmed up. "So don't blame me for what happens next." Within seconds, Todoroki began expelling another burst of ice from his right foot, all while his flames kept lashing around him. The mixture of the hot and cold air that came from this only helped whip up the wind even more. In response, Izuku powered up Full Cowling and charged straight in.

On the side lines, though, Cementoss was beginning to grow concerned. "Midnight, should we stop them? The force of their attacks could end up injuring them more severely than anything we've seen thus far."

"Hm…" Midnight hummed, the slightest hint of a smile on her lips. "Normally, I'd say yes… but I also kind of want to see what happens." Cementoss gave her a deadpan stare, which she waved off. "Oh, relax, you know we can stop them at any time, right?"

"Yes, but still—wait, did your ears pop like mine just did?"

Midnight's expression became a bit more anxious as she too felt her ears pop, her head snapping toward the battle. The waves of ice that Todoroki had sent at Midoriya before had all paled in comparison to this latest construct, the ice crystals seemingly almost growing out of the ground while the blaze kept burning around him. The mix of heat and cold served to drastically change the air pressure in a single second, and that's when Midnight knew… this could be bad. She ripped at her costume and began using her Somnambulist Quirk. "On second thought, maybe we should do something."

"Way ahead of you." Cementoss said as he placed his hand on the field.

Meanwhile, Izuku was still bounding through the icy upsurge with Full Cowling, readying his right fist as he closed in on Shoto. 'This is it, the reason I was saving this hand. Gotta try and get close…' After one last, strong leap, Izuku poured the entirety of One for All into his right arm, effectively ripping the short sleeve thanks to the power alone. '…And give it everything I've got!' He could feel his ears pop as Shoto switched straight to favoring his fire once again, the air pressure changing instantly as hot and cold mixed around them. 'Come at me with your full power, Todoroki!'

All the while, Todoroki brought up his left hand, ready to send out his attack. 'I see now, Midoriya. …Thank you.'

Right before the two energies could collide, though, five large cement walls came bursting out of the battlefield… which were immediately annihilated. Izuku blasted through three of them while Shoto's blast destroyed the others, allowing a clear path for both boys to make an impact on one another. And then…

BOOOOOM!

A huge burst of light, wind and sheer force exploded from the very center of the stadium, sending debris flying out everywhere. The audience were either left screaming or completely dumbstruck as a pillar of wind blew straight up through the stadium, catching the attention of even those outside. In the stands, the students has to brace themselves as the gale belted through, threatening to even take some of them off their feet.

"GAAAH! HOLY SHIT!" Kyoka screamed.

"This is insane!" Denki hollered as well.

Momo closed her eyes, the wind lashing at her face. "What is going on down there?!"

Optimus and the other Autobots were left just as astonished as the students, though thanks to their holoforms, they were left unaffected by the wind. Still, they could all practically feel the force of that blow, and needless to say, it rocked them to their very cores. "HOLY FRAGGING SCRAP!" Buck exclaimed. "Where is all this power coming from?!"

"How in Vector Sigma are these kids THIS strong?!" Stella shouted.

The Prime himself wasn't completely sure himself… but he knew that when the wind died down, they would learn who would be moving on to the final round. "There is no way either of them could go on fighting after this. Though the true question is… who will it be moving forward?"

…..

Back at the Autobot base, Windblade, Springer and Red Alert were left in a fairly similar state of awe and stunned silence, the three bots in utter disbelief at what they had just witnessed. Having gone through war for eons, they were no strangers to huge explosions… but the fact that two small, juvenile organic beings were the ones to cause that blast, it was a LOT to process. Windblade had to manually pull her jaw back up, she was so shocked. "What… in Primus' name… just happened?"

Springer had to slap himself to make sure he was seeing things right. "What is WITH these kids?! How the pit did they pull THIS off?!"

"It's simple, really." Red Alert held up his hand as he explained. "The air around the ring had been thoroughly cooled down, and then rapidly expanded when heated up. The change in pressure combined with the force of their attacks resulted in… well, that."

"So that's what caused that massive explosion?" Windblade put her hand to her forehead, feeling the need to sit down.

"Jeez, how hot did that fire even get?" Springer added, crossing his arms over his chest. "Glad those two are on the good guys' side." He narrowed his optics at the screen as the dust and smoke continued to permeate through the battlefield. "But uh… who won? I can't see a thing."

Windblade felt a bit of nerves building up inside of her. "Yeah, is the match even still going on?"

Red Alert shook his head. "After something like that, I doubt it."

…..

Cementoss and Midnight both struggled up onto their feet, the two of them having been blown back several feet from the arena. Midnight's domino mask had even been blown off her face, leaving it no where to be found. The cement hero rubbed the back of his head as his sights settled on the now destroyed battlefield. "Ugh… having a great power doesn't necessarily mean you'll be a great hero… but these two are amazing."

"What the heck is going on down there?!" Present Mic asked. "Is the match over?! Where are the students?!"

"I'M GETTING TO IT!" Midnight snapped as she collected herself, dashing back to her position to find the boys. As the smoke cleared out, though, it didn't take her long to do so… and the results were astonishing. Izuku Midoriya, with five broken fingers and a broken arm… had been blown out of the ring, propped up against the far wall near his entry tunnel. And Shoto Todoroki… was in the very same position on the opposite side. It was evident that Todoroki had tried to stop himself with another small ice wall, but the impact had been so forceful that he had been blown straight through.

Midnight watched as both boys collapsed to the ground, unconscious. She took a deep breath as she made her conclusion; "Both Midoriya and Todoroki are… out of bounds! And since it is unclear who was blown out first…" Midnight raised her flog into the air; "I'm ruling this match… as a DRAW!"

The entire stadium erupted into a sea of uproarious cheers, the audience undoubtedly the loudest it had been all day. The students of Class 1-A and 1-B were completely silent, though, still reeling from what they had just seen along with the result of the match. Orion Pax, however, was both pleasantly surprised… and not surprised at the same time. "Hm, I had a feeling that something like this would be the outcome… though it definitely wasn't the most expected."

"Heeheehee! That was CRAZY!" Mei bounced up out of her seat, pumping a fist into the air. "I can't believe how insane all of that was!"

"You can say that again." Ochako agreed as she watched Izuku and Shoto being stretchered out to the back. "…What do you think happens now? Another tie breaker?"

"Well, I know one thing; we're in for yet another break." Iida stood up as well, raising a hand to his friends. "Why don't we all take advantage of that and see how Midoriya is doing? No doubt we'll find him and Todoroki in Recovery Girl's office."

Jeff got up too, though he was keen on holding the kids back a bit. "Woah, let's slow yo' roll there, Tenya. Let's wait 'til Izuku's at least conscious 'fore we head on down there, ya dig?"

Kyoka nodded at that. "Yeah, besides, I think he and Todoroki will need some time to… well, sort things out between them."

"Indeed." Orion concurred as well. "Those boys have much to discuss, I'm sure."

…..

On the Darksyde, meanwhile, the bridge room had been left in complete silence ever since the explosion initially happened. Even as Izuku and Shoto were being carried into the stadium after their draw, no Decepticon spoke a single word. What they had just seen… was unlike anything they had ever witnessed before. Two infantile organics… had just created an explosion the force of which could be compared to a small Decepticon explosive… or even one of Lugnut's punches. Swift, Nightra and Shadowstriker were all slightly trembling, though the latter was at least trying to compose herself, while Barricade and Flatline had to sit down after seeing that.

Unicronus and the three Seekers, however, were a different case. They all were initially stunned by the explosion as well, but eventually, they put on rather serious, almost grim expressions. Starscream in particular had his lips twisted in a snarl. 'How… how could this happen? They're ORGANICS! Creatures like this shouldn't be able to—'

BLIP! Starscream's thoughts were cut off when the second holo-screen came back up again, just in time for them to see Megatron sitting back down in his throne. "Hmph, there. Apologies for the delay, but I have returned. Now, what did I miss?"

"YOU MISSED EVERYTHING!" Starscream practically jumped out of his chair, a wild glint in his optic as he glared at Megatron. "We just witnessed one of the most unbelievable things ever and you only decided NOW to show up?!"

…The dark expression on the Decepticon leader's visage was enough to make Starscream instantly regret saying that. "…I'm sorry, but could you repeat that, Starscream? Word for word, if you wouldn't mind."

"I-I-I'd rather not…"

Unicronus quickly interjected. "What he MEANS, Lord Megatron, is that while you were gone, we saw something rather… disconcerting." The general rewound the recorded footage to the start of the match for Megatron to see. "Believe me, you'll wanna see this." He saw Megatron narrow his optics, though he could tell that his leader was intrigued and not angry… thankfully.

…..

Inside Recovery Girl's office, Izuku and Shoto were laid out on beds next to one another behind a curtain, the former being treated by Merissa while the elder nurse worked on the ice and fire user. At first, Izuku had been dreading what the two women would have to say to him for breaking his bones once again… but Merissa was surprisingly amicable. "You know, I've gotta say, while I'm not thrilled that you keep breaking your hands… I'm pleasantly impressed with how tactically you've been using them."

"You… y-you are?"

"I mean, yeah. The fact that you avoided using your primary punching hand until the very end to make sure that it was at it's full strength was well thought out." Merissa commended. "Plus, you only started flicking your fingers when it was absolutely necessary. Aside from that, your Full Cowling managed to get you by pretty well."

Izuku sighed and laid back, staring up at the ceiling as his right arm and left digits all went numb. "Hah, yeah, you could say that. But in the end…" He moved his head toward Shoto, who was conscious, but kept his eyes closed. "It still wasn't enough to get the victory."

Shoto said nothing at first, but after a few moments, he cracked his eyes open. "Midoriya… can I level with you for a second?"

This got the greenette's attention. "Hm? Yeah, what's up?"

"…That was probably the dumbest thing I've ever done in my life."

His response took Izuku aback… before he then burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Oh man, yeah, same here. If anything, I think diving head-long into fire and ice is even dumber, honestly."

"Well, what does that say about the person who MADE that fire and ice happen?" Shoto countered in complete deadpan. "I'm pretty sure I was the main cause of that explosion…"

Izuku nodded. "Yeah, I see your point. Still, I smashed my arm through five concrete walls to try and beat you. I'd say that's pretty dumb."

"Pretty sure I destroyed at least two and a half of those."

"Again, fair—" BONK! "Ouch! C'mon, really?"

Recovery Girl frowned in disapproval, shaking her head. "The two of you can banter about who beat up whom worse later." She glanced between the two of them expectantly. "For right now, we need to figure out which one of you boys will be headed into the finals."

Izuku became more thoughtful at that. "Oh, yeah, right. There's gotta be a winner. Whichever one of us HAS to go on to either face Kacchan or—"

"Or me!"

"AAH!" Izuku snapped his head up to see Kaida having peeked her head into the curtain, grinning at them with her sharp teeth on display. "K-Kiryu?"

"Oh, Kaida, what're you doing here?" Todoroki sat up as well, greeting her rather casually, to Izuku's confusion.

The Sauro-Parts user winked and stuck her tongue out. "Oh, ya know, just been here the whole time. I've actually just been hanging out in Recovery Girl's office this whole time, actually."

Without wasting any time, Recovery Girl and Merissa both made themselves scarce. "We'll just leave you all to talk for a little while." the elder healer said. "Just remember, don't strain yourselves too much, and we'll be wanting you to stay here for a little while longer to gain your bearings."

"Y-Yes, Recovery Girl. Understood." Izuku replied before setting his attention back to Kaida. "So that's why you haven't joined us in the stands? But… why here?"

"Heh, it's actually the one place where I can collect my thoughts and plan some things out." Kaida crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "After all, I can hardly concentrate when Baku-Breath is roaring louder than any carnivore. Gotta think up somethin' good if I wanna beat him."

"Yeah, makes sense." Izuku scratched his cheek. "Though to be honest, what WE did I think was even louder than Kacchan."

Kaida stepped fully through the curtain, pulling up a chair. "Yeah, I've been meanin' to ask; how the hell did you two even pull that off?" She eyed Todoroki in particular. "I mean, I get the feeling most of the energy DID come from Shoto, but still."

Shoto lowered his head in shame. "Well… the cold air rapidly heating up WAS probably what did it, though Midoirya's punch also added a lot more pressure…"

Izuku's hand went to his neck timidly. "Hehe… I-I think we should probably just both take the blame for this." But then, he went back to being perplexed as he asked the two a different question. "But uh… did I miss something here?" He received head tilts from the duo, his face heating up sheepishly. "I-I mean… you guys just used each other's first names just now. I didn't think you knew each other that well."

"Hm… so you didn't tell him?" Shoto eyed Kaida, raising a brow. "Or any of the others? I'm kinda surprised."

"Heh, well, I WAS, but the whole "declaration of war" thing came up and I didn't wanna make it awkward, ya know?" Kaida replied before turning to Izuku. "See, Midoriya, truth is, Shoto and I went to the same middle school together."

With his eyes as wide as dinner plates, Izuku took a second to process that revelation. "Hold on… seriously?! Huh… wow, I never would've guessed."

"Yeah, our families are both pretty stacked when it comes to cash, so they could afford to send us to pretty prestigious schools." Kaida elbowed Shoto with a playful wink. "And it just so happens we went to the same one. Pretty cool am I right?"

Shoto coughed into his hand, trying to hide his embarrassed blush. "Aherm, well, yes, I was there, after all." He put on a small smile as he nodded to the grey-skinned girl. "Being honest, those days are ones I'm thankful for. It was the one place I could go to escape… him."

At the mention of "him", Kaida noticed Izuku's expression become a bit darker, the greenette nodding in understanding. As she put it together, she couldn't help but stare at Shoto in surprise. "Wait, Shoto… don't tell me…" Her voice lowered to a whisper so neither Recovery Girl or Merissa could hear them. "You told him about your dad, too?"

"I did." Shoto affirmed. "I… felt he had the right to know WHY I was declaring war on him. His Quirk reminded me of All Might, so I felt that if I could beat someone as powerful as All Might without using my father's fire—"

"You'd manage to royally piss him off." Kaida deadpanned and smacked her forehead. "So THAT is what this was all about? Shoto, just HOW many times have I told you that your idea of sticking it to your old man isn't exactly the BEST way to go about it?"

"…Too many." Shoto sighed. "But after that fight, I think I finally got that through my head."

Kaida took her hand and delivered a soft chop to his head. "You'd better, or else I'll have to further educate you." She then gave another wink to Izuku. "And hey, thanks for knocking some sense into Shoto, Midoriya. I'm not sure WHAT you did, but it's easy to see you helped him a lot."

With his hand going to the back of his head once again, Izuku chuckled bashfully. "Hehe, aw, jeez… I don't know if I should take ALL the credit. I just gave Todoroki a little push, that's all." He put on a more serious demeanor as he asked; "So, you know about the Endeavor situation, too?"

The girl's lips curled into a snarl. "Yeah, Shoto told me about half way into our first middle school year. Grr… I can't stand bullies, but people who abuse their families… they're even worse." Kaida sent a soft glare at Shoto. "I've been trying to convince him to let me report it, but he said that wouldn't be a good idea. Says I wouldn't want Endeavor on my or my family's asses." She let out a frustrated sigh. "And the sad thing is… I believe him."

"My father's very influential. He can make his problems go away if he throws enough money at it." Shoto muttered.

"Hmph… and he calls himself a "hero"." Izuku clenched a fist, the feeling in his hands returning. "It's unbelievable. I—OH!" Izuku quickly cut himself off as Recovery Girl came walking back in through the curtain. "R-Recovery Girl! W-What's up?"

The old woman wore a knowing smile. "Hmph, well "what's up" is that you and Todoroki need to decide who gets to move onto the next round… and there's someone here to help decide that for you." She pulled back the curtain and revealed…

"Why hello boys…" There, with her hands placed firmly on her cocked hips, was Midnight. The R-Rated Hero had replaced the costume she ripped with a new one, as well as retrieved her backup mask. She waltzed over between the boys' beds and eyed both of them with a wily grin. "I must say, you two put on quite the spectacular show. Cementoss only has half the field repaired."

The two boys hung their heads in shame. "S-Sorry about that." Izuku apologized.

"We went overboard." Shoto furthered.

But Midnight just waved their apologies off. "Oh, please, don't beat yourselves up over it. The audience LOVED it…" She licked her lips as a passionate feeling rose in her chest. "And to be honest, so did I. Ooh, I couldn't help but feel the intensity that was building between you two. You both are exactly what U.A. is searching for in future heroes." She raised her flog at both of them. "However! This IS still a competition where there can only be one winner, and we aren't about to make the main event a three-way dance. So, in order to decide who moves on, something must be done."

Shoto nodded in agreement. "Hm, you're right… but I don't think we have to waste time on that." He craned his head to his former opponent and bowed to him. "Midoriya, I feel you should move on."

Of all the things that Shoto could've said, that was the one thing that Izuku was expecting the least. Even Kaida was astonished as both of them shouted; "WHAT?!" The greenette instantly began to reason with him. "B-But, Todoroki, you're so much more adept at using your Quirk than I am. You've had years to practice it while I'm only just beginning to understand mine."

"That may be true, but listen to me, Midoriya…" Shoto brought his eyes down to his left hand, balling it into a fist as it trembled slightly. "After all of that… I feel that I need some time to think things through. I don't know if I'd be able to pull out my fire again so soon." He bowed to Izuku once again. "I want to thank you for reminding me that it's MY Quirk, and that means I decide how to use it, but… there's still a lot I need to go over."

"…Todoroki." Izuku smiled and shook his head. "I appreciate the offer… but I'm not about to let you concede that easily. Let's decide this with… a simple game." He held out his fist and presented his idea; "Rock, Paper, Scissors. Best two out of three wins and goes to the next round, 'kay?" He craned his head up to Midnight. "That's an acceptable challenge, right?"

Midnight wore an amused smile, but accepted the proposal. "Well, it's not conventional… but what the heck, I'll accept it." She raised her flog to start the "match". "Let the game commence!"

Shoto breathed out a sigh and raised his fist. "Well, right, if you insist…" Once they were both ready, the boys pulled their fists back, shouting; "Ro-Sham-BO!" …And they both ended up with scissors. "…Ro-Sham-BO!" Two rocks. "RO-SHAM-BO!" …And two papers. "…Midoriya, get out of my head."

"Hey, c'mon, who said I'm in YOUR head?!" Izuku cried out. He slapped himself on the cheek and refocused himself. "Alright, let's do this… Ro-Sham-BO!" Thankfully, this time, the result was different. "Ah-ha! Scissors cuts paper, that's a point for me!"

"Hm, don't get too cocky." Hints of a smile came to Shoto's face as he pulled his fist again. "Ro-Sham-BO!" This time, the result was in Shoto's favor. "Hmph, Paper covers rock."

Izuku winced at that. "Ugh, didn't think you'd stick with paper."

"Alright boys, this is the tie breaker." Midnight clapped her hands. "For all the marbles!"

Both boys nodded and pulled their fists back one final time. "Ro-Sham-BO!" The boys flung their hands forward, and while Izuku didn't notice, Shoto kept his eyes on the greenette's hand the whole time, delaying his play. And, when he saw what Izuku was going for… he flung out two fingers.

Once she saw the results, Midnight pulled her flog up once again. "Rock beats scissors! Midoriya is moving to the final round!"

Izuku's mouth hung open for a second, taking in the fact that, despite him suggesting the game in the first place, Shoto's offer was becoming a reality. The red and white-haired teen chuckled and gave a shrug. "Hm, well, would you look at that? Guess you're moving to the finals after all."

"I-I… I guess I am." Izuku took a deep breath, letting that sink in. "Kind of hard to believe, honestly."

"Well, don't get too comfy, there, Midoriya." Kaida winked and jerked a thumb to herself. "You've still got one more obstacle to overcome, and with any luck, it's gonna be me!"

"Hah, I look forward to it." Izuku concurred. "Best of luck out there against Kacchan."

Shoto gave his own well wishes as well. "Yeah, Kaida, good luck."

Midnight went over and placed her hand on Kaida's shoulder. "Which reminds me, Miss Kiryu, you may want to get down to the tunnel. Your match will be starting as soon as the field's repairs are complete.

"Oh yeah, sure! I'll be there in a flash." Kaida gave a thumbs up to the boys as she and Midnight made their way to the door. "You guys had better cheer for me as loud as you can! See you soon!" And with that, she left, leaving Izuku and Shoto to lie back down in their beds.

As if on cue, though, Recovery Girl came back, wheeling over a small stand with a flat-screen television on top of it. "Well, since you boys won't be going anywhere soon, I've prepared a TV for you to watch your friend's match!" She put her fingers to her lips, adding; "Though if you'd be so kind, keep the cheering quiet, hm? I know she asked otherwise, but…"

"We understand." Shoto bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Recovery Girl." Once the old woman walked away again, he craned his head over to Izuku once again. "So, given that you've known Bakugo for a long time, what do you think is going to happen in this match? Knowing Kaida, she won't back down easily."

"In all honesty… neither will Kacchan." Izuku said worriedly. "I think we're bound to see something that's going to rock the foundation of the entire stadium… again."

…..

As that was happening, Megatron had just finished watching the match between the two young humans… and it was far from anything that he was expecting. Such raw, visceral power, such untamed might… it was rather alarming. Especially given the fact that it was coming from such small, organic creatures whose fragility was much more than any Cybertronian. That explosion in particular was large enough to take out a Decepticon war machine… and it made Megatron's circuits overheat in contempt.

"This… this power. It MUST be dealt with swiftly." The Decepticon leader clenched his fist and slammed it down on the armrest of his throne. "This has only reaffirmed my thinking; to deal with these children, it would be wise to seek the aid of villains… Starscream, Unicronus, I want you both to listen very carefully…"

…..

A/N: Uh oh… if Megatron's plans to recruit Earth-based villains to handle the heroes was a possibility before, then now it's pretty much guaranteed after seeing THAT spectacle. But how WILL he have Starscream and Unicronus go about such a plan? Well, we'll just have to wait and see, but it's probably not gonna be pretty.

But yeah, the fight between Izuku and Shoto went pretty much how you'd expect it, BUT, in this scenario, Izuku managed to not break his fingers and arm AS bad as in the original. In the show, as you'll recall, he ended up breaking several fingers TWICE in order to keep Shoto's attacks at bay. But here, since he's got Full Cowling early, he didn't have to resort to that, and as a result, his finishing blow was even more powerful, to the point that it managed to knock Shoto out of the ring WITH him.

However, while things DID end in a draw, someone had to move on to the next round. So what better way to decide… than a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors? …Which Shoto purposefully lost, it would seem. Talk about being a nice guy… but will the finals nice to Izuku? All depends on who wins the next match; Bakugo or Kaida. Which, on another note; turns out she's known Shoto since middle school, which we'll be exploring more in the next chapter. So, on that note…

And now, the Preview! It's Dino-Might vs Dynamite as Kaida blasts through Bakugo's blasts. But throughout this fight, Bakugo just keeps saying things to Kaida that dig up some bad memories of her past. So… just what DOES lie in the Sauro-Parts user's past? Next time; Kaida Kiryu: Origin! Learn how Kaida and Shoto first met in this tale of how one girl with grey skin stood up to those making fun of her! Thanks for reading, everybody, and I'll catch you all next time! Stay safe out there, and remember;

GO BEYOND! PLUS ULTRA!