Ch14: Burn Wounds
Note: Hey there everyone!! Hope all you guys are doing well out there! I got really into writing this particular chapter and decided to take a few chances with it that I think will make for some interesting storylines. Some are subtle and will pop up in the near future and some are gonna draw out a little longer... But I really hope you guys enjoy this one and I'm excited to hear what you think.
(CONTENT WARNING/DISCLAIMER PLEASE READ)
So... This is the chapter where we get into Todoroki's background. If you're reading this story, then I'd be willing to bet that you already know what all that entails... I'm not saying that I wrote anything crazy or super graphic... I actually did end up toning it down a bit for the sake of future story events...
But regardless of what I find to be graphic or triggering, it may be difficult for some people who have been victims of child abuse to read and I dont want to cause anyone any mental harm.
So yeah... Child abuse warning. If you'd like to read and skip over it, a safe place to start will be after the first line in bold print.
*End of disclaimer*
@SulliMike23: Here you go! I hope it holds up to expectations. I love hearing from ya! Hope you're doing well! :)
@abijayks: Big chapter for people who like the Todoroki-Peter friendship! As promised the introduction of Peter and Shoto's mom gets its first nod here! Hope you enjoy! Thanks for continuing to review! :)
@CRUDEN: Thanks! I feel a lot more confident about the payoff of this one... Like I said before, the Monoma-Peter fight kinda got toned down to help drive Shoto's character development here. I hope you enjoy!!!
@DrCoogans: Thanks Doc! Hopefully you enjoy this one. Its not often that I feel like I put out a good chapter so hearing that means a lot honestly. I do feel good about this one though!
@Pixie Duck: Oof... Sorry... lol I sent you a PM but if you stuck with it this far, then you understand what Im apologizing for lol Hope your well!
@IS6A6E: I sent you a PM as well! But I also wanted to say that I'm really glad you like my version of the Peter and Momo pairing. What does that mashup look like by the way? ... Mometer?... Parkerozu?... Createrman?... Spidati?... Ahhh I'll let someone else who's good at stuff handle that lol. Its been really fun to write their romance. Thanks for the review!
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing guys! It always helps motivate me to keep this thing going.
I do not own any of the characters depicted in this story...
In every memory of my mother... I only see her crying.
Shoto took a deep breath in and began to clear his mind. All nonessential thoughts were momentarily erased as he exhaled, leaving only the thoughts of his past as his motivation. He began to mentally sift through the bitter memories that harboured his reservoir of anger and resentment.
He remembered all the times he was forced into isolation away from his brothers and sister.
"Ignore them Shoto... They are from a different world than the one I'm training you for... They're failures..."
More memories replayed in his mind... All of them were dreary and shrouded in sorrow and hatred... For he had seemingly lost the ones that would truly help him... The ones of his mother before her breakdown.
He had forgotten so much of the things she used to say to him...
Instead, all he could see were the images of his father pushing and battering him at such an unbelievably young age.
He remembered the first and only time his mother had tried to step in and intervene as his five year old self was hunched over on his knees as he clutched his stomach. A large pool of vomit laid underneath him as more dripped from the edge of his quivering lips... The result of a violent gut punch dealt to a child by a grown man. Tears streamed down his cheeks as there was no end in sight to the physical pain brought on by his training sessions with his father.
"Get up!!! You'll NEVER live up to your purpose if you get injured that easily!!!"
He tried to stand but his body had lost too much fluid, leaving him weak and shivering on the floor. He suddenly felt the foot of his father strike his ribs, forcing him to vomit once more, but he was too dehydrated for anything else to exit his body. Suddenly he heard the door open and he saw the feet of his mother move quickly in front of him.
"STOP IT!!! PLEASE!!! HE'S JUST A CHILD!!! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!!! YOU'LL KILL HIM!!!"
"GET OUT OF MY WAY!!! HE CAN TAKE IT!!! HE HAS TO!!!
That particular memory made him mentally wince... But not as much as the next one...
The boy sat silently against the wall the training room as his father angrily cursed his mother for her actions. Bandages were wrapped around his head, covering his left eye. His mother had finally been pushed into madness. During her psychotic break, he had interrupted her phone call to her own mother pleading to be saved from her life of hell they had sold her into. In the midst of her meltdown, she grabbed the kettle from the stove and removed the lid... And slung the boiling contents inside onto his face, scalding his left eye... It was the last time he would see her.
"Where did momma go?"
"She hurt my masterpiece, so I sent her to a hospital... She's an unnecessary risk at this point... We don't need her anymore."
His mother had been his only source of comfort that he had ever known in this life... And now she was gone. His world shattered around him as the ground he walked upon seemed to crumble away from underneath him as his hopeless situation had somehow become worse.
Though his mother's actions left him utterly terrified... He never blamed her... He looked up into his father's flame wreathed eyes and felt an indescribable anger...
"That was your fault!! You made her hurt me!!!"
The sound of Present Mic's voice shook him from his memories. He took another breath, but this time, much more shakily.
"IT'S FINALLY TIME FOLKS!!!! THE RING IS BUILT!!! THE MATCHES ARE SET!!!! AND THE FIGHTERS ARE IN THE TUNNELS!!!!! WHADDYA SAY WE GET THESE QUARTER FINALS STARTED HUH?!?!?!"
As an overwhelming roar from the crowd was heard, the introductions continued.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OUR FIRST FIGHTER OF THE SECOND ROUND HAS BEATEN THE ODDS TIME AND TIME AGAIN WITHOUT SHOWING US WHAT'S UNDER THE HOOD!!!! I'M NO GAMBLER BUT I'D BET MY LIFE SAVINGS THAT DURING THIS MATCH THAT WILL ABSOLUTELY CHANGE!!! THIS KID JUST CANT STOP WINNING!!! YOU ALL KNOW WHO IM TALKING ABOUT!!! IT'S IZUKU MIDORIYAAAAAAAA!!!!!"
The crowd watched as the boy appeared out of his tunnel, unwrapping the bandages on his hand as he walked forward.
'Come on Midoriya... Be a hero.' Peter thought as his brow furrowed.
Momo leaned over towards him and lowered her voice. "Peter, is everything okay?"
He leaned over and confided in her. "Remember what has been bothering me lately?..."
"Yeah?"
"...Me and Sho had another heart to heart earlier... He's hurting Mo... I couldn't just sit back and mind my own business... So I had a talk with Midoriya... He's the only other person Shoto told what was going on aside from me... And he's the only person who can help him..." He said.
Momo's brain suddenly told her that this was much more than a fight at this point... And that thought was highlighted by the look of worry and angst in his deep blue eyes. Her heart clenched as she saw all of his emotions in that one look. She wanted to comfort him more than she wanted anything else in the world.
Suddenly he felt the side of her body press up against him and her hand lightly caress the inside of his arm. She noticed that he managed to smile slightly as she slowly moved her hand down to his own and gave it a gentle squeeze before letting go and clasping her hands together in front of her body nervously. The two continued to watch the introductions with their bodies against one another... Both now watching with a shared expression of intensity.
"HEY THERE SPORTS FANS!... HEEEEEE'S BA-ACK!!! EVERYONE PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER AND SHOW SOME LOVE TO MR. POPULAR HIMSELF!!!! THIS YOUNG MAN HAS ALSO BEEN A FRONT RUNNER IN THIS YEARS FESTIVAL SO FAR, AND BY ONLY USING HALF OF HIS CURRENT STRENGTH!!! HE'S ALREADY GOT PRO POTENTIAL AND IS LOOKING TO TAKE HIS SPOT AMONGST IN THE SEMI FINALS!!! GIVE IT UP FOR SHOTO TODOROKIIIIII!!!!!"
Shoto exhaled heavily one final time as he walked out of his own respective tunnel. He looked out amongst the crowd and once again saw his father's flames blazing like a bonfire. His fist clenched and his knuckles turned white from the tension. 'I'll be a hero without your damned fire old man! I hope you're watching closely...'
The two boys climbed the steps and entered the ring as Midnight spoke. "Izuku Midoriya and Shoto Todoroki... Congratulations on your advancement to the quarter finals... The rules of the second round are the same as the previous round of sixteen. Time to get started... CONTESTANTS READY?!" She yelled as her hand raised in the air.
Shoto nodded as his eyes locked on his opponent. Everything had finally led to this long awaited moment.
Izuku managed to keep his body from shaking as he saw the look his classmate had referenced earlier. 'Parker was right... He is crying out for help... But how am I supposed to say anything to him after knowing where his frustration stems from?'
The words of his idol, mentor, teacher, and predecessor sounded off in his mind...
"Meddling when you don't technically have to... Is the very essence of being a hero..."
Izuku clenched his fist and nodded towards Midnight. 'I have to try!'
Her hand dropped...
"BEGIN!!!"
As soon as her hand fell, Shoto stomped his right foot down and a barrage of ice shot out in Izuku's direction. It was an attack that so far in this festival, nobody had an answer for... Until now.
Midoriya quickly grabbed his wrist for support and pulled back the middle finger of his left hand with his thumb... He had no way of knowing how powerful Todoroki's opening attack would be, so he threw caution to the wind and built up his power to 100%.
"SMAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSHHHHH!!!!!!!!"
He flicked his finger forward right before the ice could overtake him, immediately shattering both the ice and his finger. A deep shade of purple washed over his broken appendage as the force from his attack flung Todoroki backwards towards the edge of the ring. The massive air current carried the frigid temperature across the opposite side of the stadium. The spectators felt as if they were going to be frozen solid.
"AND JUST LIKE THAT THE SECOND ROUND STARTS OFF WITH A LITERAL BANG!!!! IZUKU MIDORIYA FINALLY IS READY TO SHOW OFF JUST WHAT KIND OF POWER HE HAS!!! BUCKLE UP FOLKS!!!! I HAVE A FEELING THAT THIS ONE'S GONNA GET CRAZY!!!!!!!"
As Todoroki flew backwards, he created a small wall of ice shards to stop his momentum. His back slammed against the frozen barrier causing it to crack slightly. He gritted his teeth as his frustration grew larger. His eyes fell on the trembling hand of his opponent and he noticed his swollen discolored finger.
'It's just like I thought... He's prepared to break himself to counter me... He wants to draw out this fight... But why?... he only has so many fingers he can break before he's rendered useless.' Shoto thought to himself. '...Fine then... Let's see how long you last playing this type of game.'
Izuku hardly felt the pain in his hand as the adrenaline started to course through his veins. 'Damn it!! That attack wasn't nearly strong enough to justify breaking my finger... I'm almost certain that I could have gotten away with only using five percent... But I had no way to be sure! Was he testing me?! Or is he trying to get me to break myself to the point where I'll be forced to give up?...'
He was instantly pulled away from his thoughts by the voice of his opponent.
"Let's continue..."
Shoto took a few steps forward and as his right foot hit the ground, another frozen wall shot forward at the green haired boy.
Thinking quickly, he weighed the option of pulling back his power to a level that was manageable, but decided the gamble wasn't worth it yet... He needed more data to make an informed decision.
He sacrificed his index finger...
"SMAAAAAASH!!!!"
Once more, the ice was blown away completely as another one of Izuku's fingers was broken severely.
"HE COUNTERED AGAIN!!!! I FELT THE FORCE FROM ALL THE WAY UP HERE!!!! JUST HOW STRONG ARE THESE KIDS?!?!"
Shoto looked on to see the damage his opponent's power had done to him. 'He only has six more chances to counter my attacks... Eight at most of he's unhinged enough to try to find a way to use his thumbs... At the rate my body is being affected by the use of my right side, I should outlast him by a wide margin... I'm in good shape... He's hardly making me exert myself.'
Momo felt Peter tense up as they watched the stand off from class 1A's private section. She glanced over to find him zeroed in on the green haired boy in the ring below. He gritted his teeth from frustration.
'Come on Midoriya! You can't just sit there and play this game all day! You have to find a different approach now!!! Every good hero has excellent problem solving skills... But the great ones can find a way to adapt to virtually any situation! Which one are you going to be?!'
He felt Momo push into him further and he involuntarily relaxed a bit. He was more than grateful to have her beside him in that moment. She kept him grounded. It amazed him just how much the slightest physical touch from her, provided him with so much comfort.
The students watched as Midoriya's time in this match continued to tick down. But then, something that would change the entire direction of the fight happened...
Izuku's eyes watched his opponent closely as his foot hit the ground once more. His brain began to fire on all cylinders as the multiple long years of his childhood spent observing heroes was put into action. If nothing else, the boy's obsession with becoming a hero was his greatest strength in this moment... Everything about this current attack was completely identical to the first two... From the build up, to the execution, and everything in between.
'I can't keep running in circles! I have to take a chance and break this stalemate!! If I can't... Then I'll never get the chance to help him!!! Come on Izuku... YOU CAN DO THIS!!!' he screamed at himself as he charged forward to meet the ice head on. As he took a leap forward he drew back his right arm. With an extreme amount of concentration and a loud roar he sent his fist flying into the frozen spikes.
His instincts served him well as his counter attack completely negated his opponent's. He landed in the middle of his stride and continued to sprint forward towards Todoroki.
Shoto was caught completely by surprise. After the destruction of his most recent ice blast, he saw Midoriya leap through the wreckage... With his arm completely uninjured. Before he could react he felt the fist of his opponent drive into his stomach, sending him through his frozen safety net behind him. As he flew backwards towards the edge another wall raised just beyond the sideline, preventing him from losing by ring-out. His back slammed into the barrier as a couple of frozen spires fell in front of him.
Izuku skidded to a stop as the crowd lost its mind.
"WHAT A STRIKE FROM MIDORIYA!!! HE'S BEEN ABLE TO KEEP PACE WITH TODOROKI IN A WAY NO OTHER CONTESTANTS HAVE UP TO THIS POINT!!!! WILL HE BE ABLE TO KEEP THIS EFFORT UP THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THIS FIGHT?!?!?!"
"Those two are insane!!!" Kirishima shouted with astonishment.
"They both have moves that can blast the whole stadium!" Kaminari shuttered.
"Must be nice..." Sero said with a hint of jealousy in his voice.
Suddenly the voice of Bakugo made the class turn to him as he sat alone in his corner. "It's not as easy as you idiots think... If you overuse your muscles, you risk tearing them to shreds... If you sprint too much, you run out of breath... If you try to tread water for too long, you drown. Quirks are physical abilities too, which means that there's a limit on how much they can be used before your body shuts down."
Everyone looked at each other before turning their attention back to the ring.
The blonde watched closely... 'There's no way these morons haven't figured out that drawing this fight out would be completely stupid... This is about to get much more interesting...'
As Shoto pushed away the fallen spikes from on top of him, he became aware of the new situation he found himself in. Throughout the match so far, he had only used weaker attacks to draw out the fight, which he had assumed would eventually break Midoriya's body down as he continued to defend against his ice... But now he was beginning to feel that that particular approach was no longer ideal.
He finally stood up and glared at his opponent's unbroken arm. 'So... He is able to use that power of his without destroying himself... That means an endurance match will give him the upper hand after all...'
Shoto suddenly began to feel the effect of his body's drop in temperature as patches of frost started to form on his body. He opened his mouth to speak and a cloud of frozen air escaped from it. "Not bad... But I'm going to end this now..."
Izuku's eyes widened as Todoroki reared back his arm and sent a much more powerful attack his way as he ripped his arm forward. The frozen spikes were upon him almost instantaneously, leaving the green haired boy no time to focus on scaling back his power. As the ice started to overtake his body, out of a mixture of desperation and panic, he was forced to break his whole right arm...
He quickly sent a full powered smash into the frozen wave of spikes as the might of One for All ripped the sleeve from his uniform and splintered all of the bones below his shoulder. He wasn't afforded a second to focus on the excruciating amount of pain he was in. Todoroki had run up the large frozen wall and as it was destroyed, he leapt down towards his opponent who stood directly below him. Frost swirled in his hand as he drove his palm towards Izuku, who barely managed to jump out of the way in the nick of time.
'He's overwhelming me! I have to put distance between us so I can focus!!!' Izuku thought out of desperation.
He maneuvered his body in the air and used his thumb to pull back his left ring finger. He took aim at Todoroki and fired, sending a massive air current in his direction effectively tossing them both to opposite sides of the ring. He noticed his hand begin to stiffen. Only his left pinky and his thumbs remained intact.
Shoto picked himself up off the ground and rolled his shoulder he landed on in a circular motion to loosen it back up. "Your main focus is keeping me away... Clever... You're aware that I'm capable of pulling off precision moves as well as large scale ranged attacks... But that hardly matters now, doesn't it?" He looked at his broken and bruised limbs.
Izuku desperately tried to open and close his hands. All of his injuries were starting to take their toll on his body. He looked at Todoroki as his body continued to shake. 'He's not just strong... His judgement... reasoning... reflexes... Adaptability... Everything... Is on a whole different level. I don't know if there's anyone who could compete with him.'
Just before his flame of hope began to dim, he noticed the patches of frost slowly beginning to spread across his body. He looked closer and noticed the slight tremble brought on by the biting cold Todoroki was subjecting himself to.
"You're nearly spent aren't you... You won't be able to fight much longer with those injuries... If my math adds up, you've only got three more shots left at countering my attacks if you count your thumbs... Let's go ahead and get those out of the way." Shoto said cryptically.
The son of Endeavor fired off three more ice attacks with little to no pause in between, forcing Midoriya to break his remaining fingers in a matter of seconds. The pain began to break the barrier of adrenaline.
"I'd like to thank you... Midoriya... For dragging this fight out as long as you did. I can only assume that bastard is absolutely furious that I'm not using his power right now..." Shoto said as the ice began to burn his skin. He was finally about to reach the personal goal he had set for himself at the very beginning of the festival... But even though it was all but over... The feeling of liberation he was seeking was nowhere to be found. Instead he felt an emptiness inside of him, as the words of his best friend rang out through his mind.
"Vengeance is hollow Sho... At least it was for me..."
He shook off the thoughts and prepared to end the fight...
Peter continued to watch from his spot in the stands. He knew exactly how strong his friend was. In that moment when all hope for Midoriya to reach him had seemingly failed, he began to wonder if the task he had appointed to his green haired classmate was too tall an order for anyone to fill... It seemed as if none of that hardly mattered anymore as Shoto's foot stamped down and one final ice volley was sent towards Izuku. Once again... It looked like saving his friend was up to him...
As his classmates were unable to peel their eyes off of who was about to be Shoto Todoroki's latest victim... The unthinkable happened... The boy raised his broken hands.
Shoto watched in disbelief, 'He wouldn't...'
"SMAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSHHHH!!!"
They watched as the ice was blasted away again and the broken left index finger of Izuku Midoriya turned a deeper horrific shade of purple.
"H-he used his broken finger..." Peter stammered out in a whisper as Momo covered her mouth with one of her hands.
"THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE!!! SHOTO TODOROKI HAS BEEN IN COMPLETE CONTROL OF THIS MATCH BUT MIDORIYA JUST WILL NOT GO AWAY QUIETLY!!!!!"
Aizawa watched with wide eyes. 'What on earth is driving this kid?! To continue to fight in his condition would require both a miracle and an absurd amount of resolve... Those injuries are going to require a lot of attention after this match... Even if he manages to win, there's no way he'll be in any condition to fight in the next round... There has to be some deeper meaning behind this fight... But what is it?'
Frustration replaced his previous feeling of emptiness. He gritted his teeth. "Dammit! Why are you going this far?! You can't win this fight Midoriya!!! What is the point of continuing this any further?!" He shouted.
Izuku pushed aside his pain as he stared directly into the boy's eyes. "Because you're shaking... Todoroki... I get it now... It's easy to forget that quirks are physical abilities, which means there's a limit to how much cold your body can take... Right?! Normally you'd balance out the drop in temperature with the help of your left side... But you refuse to do that now..." Izuku managed to say through his clenched jaw, as Shoto narrowed his eyes.
"All of our classmates... We're giving everything we have to win this tournament... Every single ounce of strength in our bodies... I decide when this fight is finished!!! DO YOU HEAR ME?!?! All of these injuries that cover my body... Not one of them has come from you!!!! You haven't managed to lay a single scratch on me yet!!!! I REFUSE TO BE BEATEN BY HALF YOUR STRENGTH!!! YOU'RE NOT WALKING OUT OF THIS DAMN RING UNTIL YOU GIVE ME YOUR BEST!!!! SO COME AT ME WITH ALL YOU'VE GOT!!!!!"
Shoto went beyond trivial frustration and crossed over into fury. He charged the boy with no restraint and Izuku stood ready to fight. Broken bones or not, he would save him... The instant his attacker lifted his right foot he powered up ever so slightly... Only using one percent of his power he threw a right hook into Todoroki's face, knocking him backwards across the ring. He fell to his knees and let out a scream of agony as his shattered hand throbbed with unspeakable pain.
Peter shuddered at the actions of the green haired boy. "Even in his condition... He still went on the offensive?!?! What the hell is he made of?! That kind of pain tolerance is unreal!"
Shoto picked himself up and growled... "Why?...Why are you putting yourself through this?!"
Izuku forced his legs to charge forward. "Because I have to take control of my future!!!! I want to save people! No matter what... I'll always give it my all!!! I have to!!! I'll do... Whatever it takes... To be a hero!!!"
"Shoto..."
Todoroki's eyes widened as he clearly heard his mother's voice call out to him from the deepest depths of his mind. His surprise left Midoriya an opening. He could no longer close his hands to make a fist... So he threw himself head first into the stomach of his opponent that he was trying desperately to reach.
As Todoroki stumbled backwards, Izuku managed to quickly struggle back to his feet. "I know what you've gone through... You told me your story... There's no way you would be right here in this moment if you weren't chasing the same dreams as I am... So stop screwing around! IT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU TODOROKI!!!!" He screamed the last part loud enough for his classmates to hear from the stands.
Momo turned to see Peter's reaction. He stood there... Pale from shock. "... he's going to do it..." He whispered to himself.
"Do what?" Momo asked him quietly through the tense atmosphere of the situation.
"He's going to save my best friend..." He couldn't believe the events that were unfolding in front of his own eyes. He didn't realize it, but his hand wandered on its own over to the girl's beside him and latched onto it. She held his hand tightly as they both continued to watch the two in the ring.
"If you want to reject your father for everything he's done to you and your family in the past, fine!!! But don't you dare let him take away your dreams!!!! Don't let him dictate your future!!! DON'T LET HIM WIN!!!"
"Shoto... You do still want to be a hero don't you? Just remember to stay true to yourself... You can be the kind of hero you want to be when you grow up..."
His mother's voice rang out softly once more.
All of the fond memories of his mother that were lost for so long came flooding back... But he still couldn't forgive his father for all of the horrible things he had done.
"I.. can't... I won't... I will reject him..." He muttered angrily.
"ITS YOURS!!!! YOUR QUIRK!!!! NOT HIS!!!!" Midoriya screamed loudly enough for his voice to break as tears spilled onto his cheeks. "YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE NUMBER ONE IF YOU WON'T FIGHT WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE!!!"
More voices entered his mind as his mental battle finally reached its climax.
"...someday I hope you'll see your power as a reflection of you and not of him..."
"ITS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU TODOROKI!!!!"
"Vengeance is hollow Sho..."
"Stay true to yourself..."
"You were born with an incredible power that can be used to help a lot of people who need it..."
Then his very own voice spoke to him as he remembered the example his best friend had set... 'He didn't let his grudge change the foundation of who he is...'
He was so close... Just one final push was all that was needed to free him from the metaphorical cage around him. The words from Parker and Midoriya opened the door... But that final push that made him walk out... Came from his mother...
"You are not a prisoner of your lineage... It's okay to use your power to become the person that you want to be... I'm so proud of you..."
His body shook violently as he let out a ferocious roar. The flames of his left side blazed brightly, expelling out all of his years of pent up anger along with his yearning for revenge. The flames grew bigger and wilder until they surpassed those of his own father's, who looked down at the boy with a menacingly wide smirk. 'So... You've finally accepted your purpose...'
Momo was at a loss for words... The display of power was indescribable. She felt the temperature rise all the way from where she was standing... Though she didn't have all of the details, she understood the significance of the moment to a degree. She remembered what he had said to their team before the cavalry battle...
"...When I'm in battle, I never use my left side..."
She turned to Peter, whose facial expression told her everything else she needed to know about the gravity of the moment. She watched as a few tears streamed down his cheek while the reflection of the fire was centered in his eyes. Her hand tightened its grip on his.
"INCREDIBLE!!!! SHOTO TODOROKI'S BODY HAS JUST IGNITED INTO AN OVERWHELMINGLY INTENSE WILDFIRE!!!!!! SOMETHING TELLS ME THIS MIGHT JUST WRAP THIS BATTLE UP EVERYONE!!!!!"
"Amazing..." Izuku managed to say at the sight in front of him.
"You're helping your opponent in the middle of a match you claim to want to win... You've effectively erased any chance you had of winning this fight... Now who's the one screwing around?... But the thing I just can't wrap my head around is... You continue to smile... With all of your injuries... In this extraordinarily hopeless situation... You must be crazy..." Shoto said as the patches of frost disappeared from his body. "Just remember... This is what you asked for..."
Izuku watched as the perfect combination of ice and fire built up around his opponent's right and left side. The elemental force of nature that is Shoto Todoroki began to build up his power for one massive final attack...
'This is it... I have to put everything I have into one final push...' Izuku thought as he channeled his power into his legs. His opponent sent an enormous frozen tidal wave towards him.
He leaped through the air with the help of One for All, breaking his right leg. He refused to acknowledge the pain as he moved his power into his arm and drew it back. 'COME AT ME WITH YOUR FULL POWER TODOROKI!!!!'
Shoto raised his left hand through his raging inferno and opened his glowing palm towards the boy. 'I see now... Midoriya... Parker... Thank you.'
Cementoss sprung into action. "THAT'S IT MIDNIGHT!!! THIS IS TOO MUCH!!! ONE OR BOTH OF THEM COULD BE KILLED!!!!" He slammed his palms to the ground beneath him as Midnight ripped the sleeve of her costume. "His body isn't going to hold up against that kind of attack!!!"
As Midoriya swung his destroyed hand forward and Todoroki sent an enormous burst of fire in his direction, they were separated by multiple walls of thick concrete. They were immediately crushed into nothing more than harmless rubble and scattered around the stadium. The force of the blast was as strong as a hurricane. The spectators were forced to brace themselves or get blown away by the massive winds that swirled through the stands.
Peter pulled Momo close to him and used his quirk to stick his feet firmly to the ground.
"THIS IS INSANE!!" Denki yelled out.
"HOW THE HELL DO THEY HAVE THAT MUCH POWER BETWEEN THEM?!?!" Tokoyami questioned in disbelief.
"ARE THEY OKAY?!?!" Mina shrieked out of worry for her two classmates who were the very source of the explosion.
"SOMETHING TELLS ME WE'RE DEFINITELY GOING TO HAVE A WINNER AFTER THIS IS OVER!!!" Kirishima belted out as the winds finally subsided.
Everyone rose up and looked towards the ring to try to see who was left standing. Cementoss and Midnight picked themselves up from the ground, rubbing their aching heads.
"Just because you have great power, doesn't automatically make you a great hero... But these two... They're incredible..."
Present Mic trembled as he momentarily switched off his microphone... "What the hell just happened down there?!"
Aizawa continued to look down at the wreckage. "The air around the stadium had been thoroughly cooled down and then rapidly expanded as it was quickly heated back up... You're a teacher Mic... Maybe you should learn to pay a little closer attention...
He flailed his arms frantically... "I teach language arts not science!!!!"
Midnight climbed back into the ring and tried to get her bearings. As her vision cleared she saw Shoto Todoroki struggling back to his feet as he breathed heavily... His eyes were wide as he looked at the results of the current full combined strength of him and Midoriya. Only the half of the ring he stood on remained intact... Which was a very generous choice of words. He and Midnight looked around as the dust began to settle completely... They found Izuku Midoriya leaning against the cracked wall of the stadium, well beyond where his side of the ring used to be. He slowly fell to the ground as his injuries forced him into a state of unconsciousness.
Midnight finally caught her breath enough to speak. "Th-there!!! Midoriya... Is out of bounds!!! TODOROKI WINS!!!!"
"Meddling when you don't technically have to... Is the very essence of being a hero..."
--
Peter released the girl in his arms as the winds died down and shakily looked towards the rubble below. The powers wielded by both Midoriya and best friend were unbelievable. He stood firmly, unable to move from his spot. As Midnight announced Shoto's victory, he was broken from whatever state he found himself in by the voice of the girl who stood beside him through the highly emotional ride.
"Peter..."
He turned to see her looking at him with a plethora of unspoken emotion. "Go..."
He turned immediately and sprinted up the stairs and through the hallway, ignoring the questions that came from his other classmates.
"Is he okay?!" Jiro asked her best friend.
Momo smiled as she thought about how perfectly their hands fit together and how good it felt to be the one there to comfort him... She made a silent promise to herself to keep being that person for him to turn to when the weight on his shoulders became too heavy to bear alone.
"He is now..."
Peter ran through the hallways and leapt over the last flight of stairs completely as he continued his stride. He rounded the corner towards the tunnel entrance and skidded to a halt as his momentum carried him past his destination. He nearly lost his balance as he pivoted and jogged back to the tunnel, and waited for Shoto as he exited the ring.
Shoto looked down at his left hand as he still felt the heat radiating from his skin. He looked tired, but at the same time, like a massive weight had been lifted off of him. The entire left side of his uniform had been burnt away leaving the right side billowing in the breeze as he walked. He was pulled back to reality as he heard a familiar voice send a humorous jab his way.
"That's quite a fashion statement you're modeling there... Better find something to change into or I'll be having to spend the rest of the day prying Hagakure and Ashido off of ya."
Shoto looked up to see Peter standing in the middle of the tunnel with his hands stuffed in his pockets with a small smile on his face. He didn't have any concrete evidence to support his hypothesis, but somehow he knew his best friend had a hand in what had just transpired in the ring. "Good... Maybe they'll keep you too busy to try to fix all my other problems."
The two stood there silently for a moment before their faces broke out into wide smirks and they started to laugh together.
As the laughter finally subsided, they began to walk towards the hallway.
"So... How do you feel?"
"Tired... Sore... Hot..." He listed off as they continued forward.
"Hot?" Peter raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, check it out..." He said as he reached his left hand out towards him with a mischievous grin.
"What are y-OW! What the hell?! It's like you're a human branding iron!!! Wait... Can't you just cool yourself off with your right side?" He asked as he rubbed the part of his arm that Shoto had slapped his hand against.
"Yeah... But I just spent the better part of twenty minutes freezing my ass off... But in all seriousness, I'm still a little bit unsure about where to go from here... Everything surrounding my fire still feels confusing. I haven't used my power like that in years..."
"Yeah... It'd be unrealistic for your feelings to just suddenly change in less than half an hour... Healing takes time... But I think that was one heck of a first step you took." Peter went to pat his friend's shoulder but the heat coming off of him caused him to withdraw his hand, opting for an awkward thumbs up instead.
Upon seeing the reaction, Shoto finally cooled himself off. "It's complicated... In that moment... I completely forgot about my father. Whether that's a good or a bad thing, I have no way of knowing for sure. I could only hear three voices in my mind, not counting my own: yours, Midoriya's, and... My mother's." He said as they began to climb the stairs. "The only two things I know for sure are that I feel like rejecting my power was a mistake... And that it's time I finally went to see my mom again... It's been a long time... And there are some things I need to say to her... Questions that need answering..."
Peter listened closely to his friend's words... He hardly ever talked about his mother. As far as he was aware she had been sent to live in a hospital after what happened with the boiling water... And as he got older, Fuyumi had stepped in as his only source of guidance throughout his personal life. To hear him be open to reconnecting with his mom was another promising step forward. He listened as his friend continued.
"I was wondering, if it went well, if you'd be open to going with me sometime to meet her..."
Peter was both surprised and humbled by the offer. He accepted without hesitation. "Of course! I'd love to come along."
Shoto smiled as they rounded a corner. "Thanks... I'll let you know the details later."
"Don't mention it buddy."
They passed the infirmary where a couple robots carrying an empty stretcher burst out in the direction of the tunnels. "You think Midoriya's gonna be alright?" Peter questioned lowly.
Shoto exhaled. "Midoriya's no stranger to broken bones... And Recovery Girl really is the best medical professional in all of Musutafu... Maybe even in all of Japan... I'd say he'll pull through just fine."
A tinge of guilt filled Peter's mind as his gaze lingered on the door to the infirmary. "I don't know much about him... But if he learns to control that power of his he's going to really give us some competition in the future."
"Yeah if he's ever able to fight as well as he speaks, he'll be a real monster. You chose one heck of a mouthpiece to relay your message..."
One of the boy's eyebrows raised, "Actually, I have no idea what he said to you out there... I didn't give him any specific message. I just pushed him in your direction. Kid's just a hero at heart I guess."
"Well then, I guess we both owe him one... Better figure out how to make katsudon." Shoto chuckled.
"You know, I'm beginning to think that you think I'm some kind of restaurant." Peter laughed.
"Nah I don't think that..." Shoto said with a smirk, "...because I don't have to pay."
Peter rolled his eyes and chuckled as they neared their seats. "Well even if you did... I'd still make you food anytime bud... Now I know you said you didn't want me fixing any more of your problems... But I'm gonna do ya one last solid..." He said as he removed the top of his gym uniform and tossed it to his friend, leaving in only the tight white tank top he wore underneath.
"Oh boy... Your sweaty gym uniform... My cup runneth over..." Shoto said as he caught the shirt and looked at his friend with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh come on, it's not that bad... besides if you keep wearing that you're gonna end up with a tan line that I'm gonna be bound by law to give you shit about until it goes away..." He laughed. "Can you do me a favor though?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"Can you run down and ask Momo to create another gym uniform for me? I wasn't joking earlier when I said that thing about Hagakure and Ashido..."
"Sure thing." He said as he made his way down the stairs.
Peter leaned up against the wall as a sudden realization hit him... 'I wonder if I should have specified that he should bring me the uniform... Come to think of it... Why didn't I just go down and ask her to make one for him...' he began to see the holes in the plan. 'Oh God, why are we stupid?...'
Shoto quickly trotted down the stairs and saw that Momo was busy talking and laughing with her friends. He tapped her shoulder and she turned around.
"Oh hey Todoroki! What's up?"
"Parker sent me down here to see if you'd make him another gym uniform. I'm wearing his since mine got fried during the fight."
Jiro raised an eyebrow, "Wait, why didn't he just come down and ask her to make you one?"
"Is he shirtless up there?!?!" Mina perked up but quickly calmed back down after noticing the glare Momo sent her way. "What?! It was a relevant question!"
"He has an undershirt on..." Todoroki answered. "I can take it to him..." Shoto offered.
Momo rolled her eyes with a smile. "Actually if I'm gonna make him one, I'll need to get his measurements..." She lied. She knew she could have easily just made one after checking the tag on the shirt Todoroki was wearing, but this was an opportunity to play with his mind that she refused to pass up. "...After all you said he had a shirt on underneath right?"
"Yeah... Bu-"
"Be right back!" She hopped up as Shoto watched her two friends smirk at each other.
"What's going on?" He asked them with a raised eyebrow.
"You just slathered your friend in blood and tossed him to the sharks." Jiro laughed.
"Oh... she's gonna go flirt with him? Maybe he'll actually act on it this time instead of being so apprehensive..."
Both of the girls stared at him bug eyed. "Wait you know about her flirting with him?!"
"I've been sitting here all day... I may not be the most social person, but I'm not seven years old... Plus Parker is desperately trying to find the nerve to go back and forth with her... But I'm not sure he knows how."
Jiro looked over at Mina who was sporting a devious smirk. "What are you thinking Pinky?"
"Tell me Todoroki... How do you feel about helping us push those two together?" She asked him to Jiro's surprise. "You are his best friend... You could be our man on the inside."
"I see, so you two have been coaching Yaoyorozu through this whole thing... I've been trying to help out Parker myself but I'm not exactly an expert on the subject of relationships. I've just been giving him observational advice..."
"So can I take that as a yes?" She winked.
"I don't know... Does this mean I'll get to help mess with him?"
"Duh." They both said at the same time.
"I'm in."
Peter tapped his heel against the concrete as he waited for Shoto, but his foot stopped abruptly as he saw the spikes of a familiar beautiful black ponytail bouncing up and down as his crush climbed the stairs towards the hallway.
'Dammit Shoto!!! You had one job!!!' he thought as he began to panic but then forced himself to calm down... A sigh came from the boy as he once again realized that he was equally at fault for the situation he found himself in. His nerves flared back up as her face came into view. 'Unbelievable Peter... You've laughed at a nine millimeter pointed at your head before, and this is what makes you anxious...' he mentally chastised himself. He noticed the devious grin she wore as she reached the top of the stairs and knew she was about to have a field day with him. 'On second thought... Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on myself.'
As Momo climbed the last step, she took in the sight in front of her. She soon realized that his hero costume actually did hide quite a bit of his muscular definition. There were statues in Greece that looked like him... She would know... She had seen them before on a family vacation. Of the list of things she expected to see today, Peter's abs and chest through a very thin layer of fabric was not one of them. If her past self that nearly snuck a peak at him in the infirmary knew what she knew now, she probably wouldn't have been able to restrain herself... Delayed gratification was certainly nice at times like this. She allowed herself one last quick chance to take a mental picture before she began to have her fun.
"Heard you needed a little coverage." She called out as she drew closer, causing him to blush.
"Y-yeah... I-I thought Sho would be the one to come up the stairs though..."
She giggled as she took a few steps closer, "Awww and here I was thinking you'd be happy to see me..."
"A-always am... Just didn't wanna make you feel uncomfortable or a-anything..." He stuttered nervously.
Momo smiled at his bashfulness... As a reward for his adorable behavior, she decided to take pity on him just this once. As she walked closer to him, his physique became more visible and a blush spread across her cheeks and over her nose. She began to wonder if maybe she had bitten off a little bit more than she could chew as his arm raised to rub the nape of his neck, causing his bicep to bulge slightly.
'Damn him for being so stupidly perfect...' she thought as she felt the blood rushing to her head and her heart to race faster than it ever had before. She began to lose her edge but forced herself to remain confident in order to prevent any mixed signals. "You never make me feel uncomfortable..." She stated firmly as she created a roll of measuring tape. "...but I'm not as nice as you... Hold still."
He did as he was told as she carefully pressed the tape up against his firmly chiselled arms and chest. She felt her blush deepen.
He noticed how gentle her touch was as she made mental notes of his measurements. She glanced up to find him blushing just as much as her. The sight provided her with another boost to her self esteem. She offered him a small kind smile as her eyes softened. She finished up and placed the tape into her pocket.
Peter politely averted his eyes as she unzipped her shirt and created him a new gym uniform. Once she finished, she giggled, "It's okay Peter, you can look now."
He turned his eyes towards her as she handed him the folded garment.
"Thanks Mo... I owe ya one." He said as he unzipped the new shirt and shoved his arm into one of the sleeves.
"Yeah you do! If Hagakure and Ashido saw what I just did, they would have torn you apart." She laughed as he zipped up his new shirt. She decided she had given him enough of a break from her teasing. "I have to admit...you do pull off the whole tank top look pretty well." She winked and watched him run a hand through his beautiful brown hair nervously. She had a smirk of satisfaction on her face... By her count, she was winning their little unspoken game by a wide margin.
"Th-thanks... Usually I don't wear one... guess I just got lucky today!" He managed to say anxiously before they were interrupted by Present Mic.
"ALRIGHT EVERYONE NOW THAT THE RING HAS BEEN REPAIRED, ITS TIME FOR ANOTHER FRIENDLY LITTLE COMPETITION BETWEEN CLASS 1A AND 1B!!!! WHO'S EXCITED FOR THIS ONE?!?!"
"Crap! I didn't think they'd be finished so soon! I gotta run! Wish me luck!" He said and bolted.
—"I'll find you before your match!"— He called out from down the hall
Momo was left in a stunned silence as she was stuck on the last thing Peter had said before m the announcement. She blinked as a different image burned its way into her mind and her blush returned... He wasn't even trying, and yet he managed to make their game a lot more interesting... She knew that if he ever got the hang of teasing her back she'd be in real trouble.
"Game on Peter..." She said with a grin in a competitive tone as she watched him run down the hallway.