Chapter 16: Fight, Fight, Fight!
*Izuku walks in on Gabriel reading the Bible*
"Dudes be like Subway sucks, my brother in Christ you made the sandwich."
Yo, so some of you know that I recently started working on my Re:Zero react fic again. I wanted to get another chapter of that out before working on this story, but unforeseen events have derailed that thought. You can thank ProjectIceman on AO3 for commissioning the finest piece of fanart I've ever had the pleasure of seeing. The art can only be seen on AO3 so if you're interested in seeing it check it out.
I would like to extend my own personal thanks, thank you so much for the art is godly (pun intended).
Anyway hope you guys enjoy the chapter.
To Aoyama's credit he managed to prove both Izuku and Tokoyami wrong in their friendly bet. Neither could have predicted he'd last three and half minutes against Mina.
Though unlike previous rounds the battle between the naval and acid quirk user was far more action packed. Aoyama had played to his strength in the beginning, using his laser to snipe Mina from a distance. Unfortunately for him, the pinkette proved to be too nimble, dodging and weaving expertly.
That was before she had decided to use her quirk to secrete a slippery liquid under her feet, which only closed the gap even further. Once Mina had reached Aoyama the battle was basically over. Being far stronger than her friend she was able to easily slip behind him and put the boy in firm body lock. Midnight had quickly called the match, announcing Mina's win by immobilization.
"Woo! What a match!" Izuku and Tokoyami turned towards the approaching pair. "You know Prince Charming you were half right; it was a quick match…for me." Mina teased with a playful elbow nudge.
"Don't be fooled, it would be ungentlemanly of me to beat up a girl." Aoyama said back as they took their seats.
"I'm not so sure, it appeared as though you were really trying to hit her down there." Tokoyami cut in with a smirk.
"I saw a spider on her shoulder." The blonde deflected with a wave of his hand.
"Sure you did Aoyama–sure you did." Izuku nodded knowingly.
"Oh dear, it looks like Mina's influence has finally gotten to you." Said boy gave a mock gasp. "Truly her power knows no bounds."
"Ha ha ya! Fear me peasants!" The pink skinned girl laughed.
"In all seriousness though, you both did great out there." The angel chuckled. "I could see both of your training paid off."
"Well, I suppose we can't take all the credit." Mina added. "We did have an awesome class president who helped us out."
"Fair, if not your pointers Midoriya I would no doubt be in agony right now from overusing my naval laser." Aoyama said. "Aren't we just the luckiest people in the world to have such an attentive friend." He lightly joked.
"Indeed, we are." The shadow user agreed. "I can only hope the fruits of my training and Midoriya's guidance bring about my victory today."
"I'm sure you'll do great, Tokoyami." The greenette offered kindly. "Yaoyorozu won't go down easy, but I'm confident you won't either. You and Dark Shadow have worked hard these last few weeks."
"Your words are as uplifting as always, thank you, Izuku." Tokoyami replied back with a thankful nod.
"TOKOYAMI FUMIKAGE, YAOYOROZU MOMO PLEASE PROCEED TO THE ARENA!"
"I suppose now it is time to see if I can meet your expectations." The boy said, getting up from his seat.
"Good luck Edgelord!" Mina called out.
"You'll do great Tokoyami." Izuku encouraged with a thumbs up.
"Please try not to lose, you'll make our little group look bad." Aoyama smirked.
"Of course, wouldn't dream of it." The shadow user's mouth ticked upwards as he walked away.
*With Tokoyami*
With the confident way he strode onto the arena and calm mask he wore no one would have been able to decipher Tokoyami's true feelings. Despite what his outward appearance may show, the shadow user was rather nervous for his upcoming match. Not the kind that left one's palms sweaty or made their heart hammer uncomfortably in their chest. It was the kind of nervousness that subtly gnawed at the back of one's mind.
Tokoyami knew the root cause of this feeling, his fear that he would be unable to maintain control over Dark Shadow. Don't be mistaken, he loved the sentient shadow to death, being his first real friend, but even after years together Tokoyami still had trouble reigning Dark Shadow in. Compared to someone like Izuku, who seemed to have complete mastery over his quirk, the teen couldn't help but feel a little inadequate. Even with his friend's advice, Tokoyami still had trouble maintaining control even half as skillfully as Izuku.
And the last thing he wanted to do was disappoint the friend who put so much trust in him.
'Focus. Hesitation will only hasten my defeat.' Tokoyami reminded himself. 'Think, what would be the ideal way of combating Yaoyorozu.'
With a concentrated look the shadow user began to mentally go through all he could remember about Momo and her fighting style. Compared to others in his class Tokoyami noted that she tended to lean towards the defensive side. Using her creation quirk to make the perfect tool in order to disable her opponent's advantages. Coupled with her high intellect, she no doubt already had a strategy ready for him.
'Her quirk is versatile and she's one of the smartest in the class.' The teen recited, watching as the girl arrived in the arena. 'She'll no doubt try to use a light source to drain Dark Shadow before creating something to immobilize me once I'm defenseless.'
A sound plan, one that Tokoyami would be concerned about if not for a critical piece of information he recalled.
'I remember…during the cavalry battle she seemed flustered and panicked once her team's plan fell apart.' Tokoyami hummed thoughtfully. 'Perhaps…yes…that could work.' With a nod to himself Tokoyami steeled his nerves for the oncoming battle.
"Ho ho do we have quite the pair of fighters here." Present Mic announced. "On the left we have the one shrouded in mystery, the Prince of Darkness himself, it's my pleasure to introduce Tokoyami Fumikage!"
While others might have been bothered being referred to as something so dark, Tokoyami rather enjoyed the moniker. The shadow user could faintly hear the rumbling of the crowd as they cheered him on. His focus was entirely on the black haired girl in front of him.
"And on the right we have the girl who's always on creative mode, if you can think it–she can make it, you never know what sort of tricks she'll pull out of her sleeve, that's right it's Yaoyorozu Momo!"
"Alright you two know the rules by now, let's skip the previews and get right onto the main event!" Midnight announced, raising her whip high. "Are you both ready?!"
"Ready." Momo answered confidently.
"Let us begin." Tokoyami said calmly.
"Then the fifth match of this year's festival begins…" Like all battles before the heroine cracked her whip against the floor. "NOW!"
Darkness emanated around Tokoyami's body, pulsating with black energy as he called forth his quirk. In no time Dark Shadow made his appearance, his mist-like body hovering menacingly behind his user. His yellow eyes were narrowed in anticipation for the battle that was about to commence.
He didn't have to wait long as he surged forward without the need for Tokoyami's command, the perks of being a sentient being that happened to share his user's thoughts.
Like the slithering of a snake, Dark Shadow quickly closed the distance between himself and Momo. He pulled a clawed hand back before unleashing his attack with ferocity once he was close enough to the girl. However, as expected, Momo was prepared for the frontal assault, quickly creating a shield to block the blow.
Skidding on the heels of her feet from the force, the girl would have been thrown out of bounds if she hadn't pivoted last second. Spinning her body with her shield in hand, Dark Shadow's momentum carried him forward several feet past the arena's bounds. Quickly, Momo began to rush towards Tokoyami's defenseless form, a bright light emanating from her chest.
"Dark Shadow, return!" The teen ordered.
"Coming for ya!" The shadow hollered excitedly.
With the same rapid pace, the sentient quirk rapidly approached the back of Momo. Once he was no more than a foot away, Dark Shadow raised his arm again, ready to deliver the blow to the girl's unprotected back. What he didn't expect was to nearly have his head collide with Momo's shield.
The black haired girl had quickly turned around and threw her creation at the shadow like a frisbee. Of course, Dark Shadow was able to easily dodge the makeshift projectile, though he was rather confused why she willingly gave up her only means of defense. However, Momo's true plan quickly became clear once she revealed her newest creation.
"GAHH! TOO BRIGHT–TOO BRIGHT!" Dark Shadow wailed as he met with a high concreted beam of light.
The girl had managed to create a military grade, LED flashlight and had pointed said device directly into Dark Shadow's face. Even being in broad daylight, the brightness of the flashlight was more than enough to disorient the sentient quirk and begin to depower him. His size and energy began to decrease with each passing moment. Another bright light emanated from her arm as she continued to weaken Dark Shadow.
'You owe me big time for this!' Dark Shadow complained inside his user's mind.
'Don't worry I'll make it up to you later but first–now's my chance!' Tokoyami thought, beginning to run towards the pair.
Being preoccupied with weakening the shadow, Momo was taken off guard when she heard footsteps rapidly approaching her. The flashlight she held was quickly and easily disarmed from her hand. From his position now, Tokoyami could see that she was in the process of creating some kind of polearm but had only managed to create the wooden shaft.
Not giving her a moment to finish her creation, the shadow user delivered several practiced jabs towards the girl's midsection. Momo gave a gasp of pain from the blows, forcing her to commit to using her unfinished creation to defend herself. She attempted a panicked swing in order to force Tokoyami back, however she failed to account for Dark Shadow's intervention.
Despite being smaller and having less power, the sentient quirk was still able to deliver a considerable strike to the girl's unprotected back. The sudden force and pain that followed caused Momo to stumble forward clumsily. Quickly causing her to change targets once again as she twirled her makeshift staff in order to jab the shadow. However, once again her lack of attention resulted in Tokoyami giving her a sharp kick to the back of her knee.
"Argh!" Momo yelped in pain as she was forced onto her knee.
The process of gathering the creation user's attention before having the other attack her blind spot was repeated several more times. Dark Shadow gave a few swift strikes across her face and Tokoyami managed to get in a devastating knee to her chest. The pair continued their combo, getting even a hit anytime Momo wasn't looking their way.
"Wow folks Tokoyami has really got her on the ropes!" Present Mic narrated from his booth. "Yaoyorozu can't get a single attack in!"
"Somewhat surprising considering Tokoyami's quirk is medium to long range based." Aizawa added his own commentary. "He must have been training in hand to hand combat in order to mitigate his weakness at close range."
To her credit the girl had managed to lessen some of the damage by blocking with her staff, however, her defenses were soon broken. Try as she might, the continued pressure from both Tokoyami and Dark Shadow was too much for her to handle. Tokoyami could see the similar look of panic that appeared during the cavalry battle. Her eyes became wide and gained a wild look, her breathing also became frantic as she continued to endure the barrage of attacks.
Despite his drive to win, the shadow user couldn't help but hesitate slightly when presented with another opportunity to attack. He felt somewhat bad to cause the girl such distress even if the point of the battle was to win by any means. His moment of weakness proved to be enough to allow Momo to recover.
Giving a sharp poke with her staff, Momo managed to force Dark Shadow to block the blow, pushing him back slightly. When she wasn't immediately struck by Tokoyami, the girl's attention fell onto the LED flashlight just a few feet away. Pushing harder against the shadow, Momo was able to use the momentum to push herself away from the pair. Rolling along the ground, the creation user made a dash for the fallen device.
"Dark Shadow, Void Cloud!" Tokoyami shouted as he followed after Momo.
The sentient quirk quickly followed his user's instructions, his dark body shifting as he flew low to the ground. Jumping into the air Tokoyami's feet landed on his quirk's shadow form and began riding him like a surfboard. With Dark Shadow's superior speed, the teen was able to catch up to Momo just as the girl was within arm's reach of the flashlight.
"We got ya now!" Dark Shadow taunted, causing a wide eyed Momo to turn her head to the pair.
Unfortunately for her the shadow and his user were far too close for her to be able to counter in any meaningful way. All Momo could do was partially turn her body around and raise her staff in a sloppy defensive position. Tokoyami managed to easily slip past her guard, grabbing the girl by the collar of her uniform and her right forearm.
Still partially distressed and weakened from the previous onslaught, Momo could only struggle weakly as he was dragged across the arena. The wind whipped against her back and her feet flailed helplessly as Tokoyami continued his push. Her efforts proved to be in vain as she soon found herself landing roughly on back a moment later. The loud sound of the buzzer clueing her in that the match had come to an end.
"And Tokoyami wins by ring out!"
"Holy moly what a battle! I wasn't even down there, and my fight was pumping!" The Pro Hero laughed boisterously.
"Both contestants put up a good challenge, but Tokoyami's oppressive offense and clever use of his quirk won this round." Eraserhead added. "If Yaoyorozu was able to keep a clear head she might have been able to turn things around."
"Ah, but not everyone can be cool and collected like we can my fellow co-host!"
"...who is 'we'?"
'You did good Dark Shadow, rest–you've earned it.' Tokoyami said as the shadow returned to his body.
'Ah…damn right I did.' The sentient quirk yawned from within his user's mind. 'Imma nap wake me up when our next match starts.'
The teen lightly chuckled at his quirk's words, giving a soft shake of his head and beginning to exit the arena. However, his gaze fell onto the bruised and battered form of Momo, who was struggling to get back on her feet. A look of concern crossed his features when he noticed the sad look the girl wore. He could have sworn he saw the beginnings of tears about to spill from her eyes before they were hastily wiped away. A painful knot twisted inside Tokoyami's chest at that moment, seeing the girl in such a state hurt him in a way that he could not fully understand.
What he did know was what he had to do.
"Are you alright?" Tokoyami hopped down and offered his hand to the girl. "I'm sorry–was I too rough?"
"No–no you're fine. Just…" Momo looked away, a small frown on her face. "I didn't think I'd lose so easily."
"Forgive me, but I believe our definitions of 'easy' are vastly different." The boy lightly chuckled. "Even with my planning and training there wasn't a moment I didn't think you couldn't easily turn that fight back around on me." He gave her a kind smile. "You were an admirable opponent, please do not sell your talents short."
"I guess...thank you, Tokoyami." There was a glint of uncertainty before it was quickly replaced by the girl's soft smile. Accepting his hand and allowing her to be pulled up. "Ow ow ow!" She winced as the pain from her bruises began to settle in.
"Please allow me to escort you to the infirmary." Tokoyami slung her arm around his shoulders while he kept a light grip on her side.
"Ah, looks like chivalry isn't dead after all." Momo lightly joked as the two began to exit the arena.
"Of course not…have you met Midoriya?" The two shared a brief chuckle as they disappeared underneath the tunnel.
"Aww, look at that–such sportsmanship! Doesn't U.A just have the cutest little things!" Midnight fawned into her mic as the teens left. "After a round like that I'm looking forward to just what else this last event has in store! What about you huh?!"
The stadium shook once more as the crowd cheered wildly.
*1-A Spectator Booth*
"Wow, Edgelord really didn't disappoint huh?" Mina gave out a low, impressed whistle.
"Of course, next to our fearless Class President, I'd say Tokoyami has the second most powerful quirk in our little group." Aoyama said with a flourish of his hand. "I had little doubt he would emerge victorious."
"I…y–you know what I can't even argue." The pink skinned girl conceded with a shrug.
"I think it was far more than just about whose quirk was stronger." Izuku interjected passively. "Tokoyami clearly put effort into learning about Yaoyorozu's skill set and mentality. I'm proud of him–both of them, they fought valiantly."
"Your words are far too generous, Midoriya." The trio turned to see Tokoyami had returned. "If not for your guidance during training I doubt I would have performed as adequately today."
"Naw man I'm with Midori, don't sell yourself short." Mina cut in. "I think your match was the best one so far."
"Well, my opponent was a worthy adversary." The shadow user replied back. "But we've only just begun, there are many more battles ahead of us."
"Speaking of, what you guys think about Kirishima's chances against 1-B's prez?" Mina curiously asked.
Izuku let out a thoughtful hum as he briefly pondered on the question.
"That's an interesting one; Kirishima's hardening would be hard to get past for most people…but Kendo's quirk gives her that extra power behind her hits." The angel explained. "I think it'll come down to who can outlast who."
"Ah, I believe I understand. If our redheaded friend can keep his hardening up he'll win." Aoyama nodded in understanding. "However, if Kendo can whittle down his defenses then she'll have an easy path to victory."
"Ya and I doubt either are going to try any underhanded tactics." The girl agreed. "They'll charge right in and try to take control of the fight right away."
"You know if you and Mina put that same effort into studying you wouldn't be so behind on your grades." Izuku teased, lightly chuckling with Tokoyami joining in.
"Midori being as awesome as me is draining enough. I couldn't possibly give any more energy for anything else." Mina lamented, giving a dramatically long sigh.
"There–there mon ami, they simply don't understand us." The blonde consoled her with a friendly pat.
Both Izuku and Tokoyami shared a quiet look with one another.
"As punishment you and Edgelord should get me something to snack on." She fixed the two boys with a pout. "Pleaseeee?"
"Alright–alright put the puppy dog eyes away we're going." The greenette relented while sighing.
"Thank you~." Her expression instantly flipped into a beaming smile.
"I suppose I could join you on your journey." Tokoyami muttered, getting up with Izuku and making their way into the stadium once more.
*With Izuku and Tokoyami*
"Forgive my suddenness but I have an inquiry, Midoriya." Tokoyami said as the two walked along the corridors.
"Hmm, what about?" Izuku cast his friend a curious side eye.
"How do you help someone that refuses to want it?"
The angel briefly paused as he took the time to ponder the other teen's words, not at all expecting to be asked such a complicated question. Of course, he had some experience with Bakugo's prior outburst during their first heroics training and now with Shinso. However, both cases, especially the latter, were fairly recent and haven't provided any results so far. That wasn't to say that Bakugo hadn't been making progress being less hostile, though Izuku could see his former friends still had a long way to go.
"This may seem cold but truthfully…there really is nothing you can do." The greenette answered honestly.
"I see…" The shadow user hummed, clearly disappointed by the answer.
"That's not to say there isn't anything you can't try to do." Izuku quickly emphasized, seeing the other boy's downtrodden expression.
"Forgive me, but doesn't that contradict your previous statement?" Tokoyami said in confusion.
"Not necessarily–sorry I'm about to get religious here." The angel warned before beginning his explanation. "There is a passage within the Bible that encourages vigilance in preparation for Christ's return and the Father's judgement against the wicked. However, there was a line that I think applies to your question."
"Please, enlighten me." Tokoyami requested kindly.
"1 Thessalonians 5:11, Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." Izuku recited the passage easily as they came to a stop at a vending machine. "I think what the Father was trying to say is that we must always be there for one another even if refused at first. You may not be able to help someone who doesn't want it–but you can always be there for them. I like to believe in time they will reach out and accept the hand offered to them."
"I believe I understand such wisdom now…" The shadow user gained a look of realization. "I am glad that I came to you for this. Your words have put my worries at ease."
"If you don't mind me asking why did you ask?" Izuku inquired politely.
"I worry that Yaoyorozu's defeat left a greater impression on her than what outward appearances may show." Tokoyami answered without hesitation. "She seemed to be in…distress when I left in the care of Recovery Girl."
"I'll trust your judgment there since I wasn't there to see for myself. Like I said, we'll just have to be there for her until she's ready to reach out." Izuku reminded, picking up the bag of chips he ordered. "Though I won't lie, your concern for a fellow classmate is rather heartening to see."
"I supposed it was time to follow in my class president's footsteps and practice the same kindness." The teen joked as they began their trek back.
"Heh, well either way I–" Izuku's words were cut off as he felt something light briefly collide with his shoulder.
Curious, he looked to his side to see that Monoma of all people was currently flat on his back on the floor. Izuku guessed that he must have bumped into the teen without realizing it.
"Sorry Monoma, didn't mean to run into you." The young angel offered a hand for the other boy to take.
"Tch–your empty apologies mean nothing 1-A scum!" Despite the biting words he accepted Izuku's outstretched hand. Once he was up the blonde dusted off his uniform dramatically before fixing the pair with a glare. "Next time watch where you're going!" With an upturned nose he marched past the two without another word.
"Right…you're welcome." Izuku muttered exasperatedly.
"Apologies my friend, but I agree with Mina's earlier assessment of his character." Tokoyami's carried the smallest hint of annoyance.
"His dedication to his classmate's is commendable if nothing else." The greenette attempted to mediate. "He just needs to tone it down a little…ok, tone it down a lot."
"Your restraint is supernatural, sometimes I believe you are not of this world, Midoriya." Tokoyami deadpanned.
"Heh, ya. Wouldn't that be funny?"
*With Monoma*
Once Izuku and Tokoyami had disappeared from view, Monoma's angry facade swiftly switched to a smug smirk. Coming into physical contact with Izuku was almost too easy, it really made the blonde wonder how the greenette had made it this far. How could someone be so dense as to easily hand over such a powerful quirk so callously? Frankly Monoma felt insulted, he expected more competence from the prestigious president of 1-A.
A part of Monoma felt ungodly levels of disgust as he copied Izuku's quirk, powerful as it may be it was still attached to a 1-A peasant. However, the blonde's drive to win and upstage said class outweighed whatever reservations he may have had. Plus, if he was being honest, he needed a powerful trump card in order to beat Todoroki. Loathe as he was to admit it, the dichromatic boy had a very powerful quirk.
That meant defeating him would be all the more satisfying.
'Oh, I can almost imagine the look on his face.' Monoma smiled to himself.
"TODOROKI SHOTO, MONOMA NEITO PLEASE PROCEED TO THE ARENA!"
Right on cue the robotic announcement blared through the stadium, just as Monoma brilliantly planned. Putting on his self-satisfied smirk, the blonde strutted through the halls with confidence befitting a winner such as himself. He carried this superior air all the way through the tunnel and out onto the arena.
Feeling extra confident, totally not arrogant, the teen made a show of giving dramatic waves and bows to the crowd like he was an actor who just won an Oscar. The crowd seemed to enjoy the performance as the cheering grew. Believing that they were in for a spectacular performance between the two boys. Stepping into the stone arena, Monoma saw that Todoroki was already present, wearing his usual stoic expression.
It pissed Monoma off.
Of course, this typical 1-A bastard had the gall to stand before him as though he wasn't even worth the time. Just because he survived a villain attack doesn't mean he would ever be a better hero than someone like Monoma. If that's the way he wanted to be then fine, let the teen revel in his assurance of victory, the blonde was more than happy to strip it all from in at a moment's notice.
"Are you so eager to lose you just had to get here first, huh?" Monoma couldn't help but throw out a taunt.
"..." Todoroki made no response, only staring passively.
"Speechless, I know it's hard to think that you'll ever fall off that high horse of yours but let me be clear–" The blonde continued unbothered. "Today is the day you lose and get exposed for how pathetic you really are. It's almost sad really–knowing that you are about to disappoint so many friends in your precious 1-A class. But then again…your failure is well overdue." He finished with a cold smile.
"...you talk too much" The half and half user bluntly replied back. "The only one going to lose here is you. Your quirk is nowhere near as powerful as mine…whatever it is. You should just give up right now."
"Oh, just because you think you have a pretty flashy quirk you think you're better than me huh?!" Monoma let out a sneer.
"Yes." Todoroki answered without hesitation. "I am objectively stronger than you–stronger than everyone else here."
"Tsk…oh we'll see about that you vain bastard." Monoma darkly uttered, glaring heatedly at Todoroki.
"Yo–yo we're back again for the seventh round of this year's Sports Festival!" Present Mic announced. "These last two matches have really got the adrenaline pumping–now let's see if our two newest contestants can keep the momentum going! I think we're all in for another entertaining match"
'Entertaining maybe, but it will be a short one.' The blonde thought to himself.
"Standing tall, proud, and definitely not brooding like my co-host, we have the Ice King himself–that's right, it's Todoroki Shoto!"
The sound of the crowd cheering wildly for the boy grated on Monoma's nerves fiercely.
"But don't be fooled because we have the suave provocateur of Class 1-B himself–don't let his overconfident demeanor fool you, Todoroki better watch out for Monoma Neito!" Present Mic finished his introductions.
Monoma smiled from the applause he received, giving a courtesy bow in response.
"We all know the rules, so whaddya say we get right into it, huh boys?!" Midnight asked with a wide grin.
"Let's have some fun." Monoma smirked.
"...let's get this over with." Todoroki flatly responded.
"Then the battle between Todoroki and Monoma begins–"
*Crack*
"NOW!"
"When you sulk back to your classmates, be sure to thank your precious class president for giving me this win." Monoma taunted immediately. Todoroki only gave a brief confused look in response.
But that was all the time the blonde needed; he crossed his arms confidently as he waited for the copied quirk to emerge. He could almost feel the rush of power coursing through his veins, it was only outclassed by the image of Todoroki's shocked face. Oh, Monoma hoped someone was recording so he could relive this moment for years to come. He just needed Midoriya's quirk to finally make itself known.
…
Any second now.
When Monoma felt no change to his body he frowned and took a glance behind himself to see if the wings and halo were already there. Instead, he found nothing, causing a wave of panic to rise within the blonde. He made contact with Izuku, he grabbed his hand for god's sake so there should be no reason why he shouldn't have his quirk. Yet, despite what he knew it did not change the fact that there was still nothing there.
'B–but how?! Where is it?! I touched him–I know I did!' Monoma panicked before his gaze fell back onto Todoroki.
The dichromatic teen quickly got over his confusion, raising his foot and arm in tandem in preparation for an attack. Monoma attempted to use one of the other three quirks he had saved as a sort of final resort. Unfortunately for him, none of which could save him for the gigantic wave of ice that was sent his way.
In an instant the blonde was engulfed by a miniature glacier, it was so big it nearly spilled over into the stands. Trapped within his frozen prison, his limbs refused to obey his commands to move. After struggling in vain for a few moments Monoma understood that no quirk he had copied could help him escape.
The fight was over, and he lost.
"And Todoroki wins by immobilization!"
"Jesus!" The radio host jumped in his seat. "We're gonna need a lot of hair dryers to melt that thing!"
"Monoma's ability to copy quirks could have secured him the win even with Todoroki's powerful quirk." Eraserhead analyzed critically. "But Todoroki's overwhelming strength was just too much for Monoma to handle."
"Expertly said as always!" Present Mic jumped in. "Stand by listeners for the next match…after we melt this gigantic piece of ice!"
'It didn't work…why–why couldn't I use his quirk?' Monoma kept repeating to himself. His eyes trailing to 1-A's booth and glaring as he tried to understand.
Being immobilized in ice left Monoma with nothing to do but wrack his brain for why Izuku's quirk wouldn't manifest. Yet, no matter how much he tried to rationalize it the blonde could find no solid answer for why it didn't. He did everything right so why, why did that green haired punk's quirk not work? Something wasn't right and Monoma was more than ready to uncover the truth by any means necessary.
But first he could really use a nice cup of hot chocolate right now.
*With Bakugo*
"Stupid fuck." The explosive user rolled his eyes as he watched the match come to an end.
It was almost comically really, how the blonde walked in so arrogantly only to get immediately snuffed out of the tournament. Now Bakugo knew himself enough to know the vague hypocrisy in his thoughts, he and Monoma were admittedly very similar when it came to their pridefulness. The difference though was that Bakugo wasn't stupid enough to underestimate someone, especially someone like Todoroki.
The others in his class may not have as powerful quirks but that didn't mean they were any less formidable. U.A wouldn't just let any old nobody into the best class of their freshman, which doesn't even consider Aizawa and his high expectations. Plus, Bakugo could admit that these past few weeks he's been caught off guard a few times by his classmates during training. They might be weaker than him but that wasn't an excuse to underestimate them.
"BAKUGO KATSUKI, URARAKA OCHAKO PLEASE PROCEED TO THE ARENA!"
Case in point Bakugo's soon to be opponent.
Truthfully, the explosion user didn't think too much of the brunette when he first laid eyes on her. In fact, prior to the attack on USJ Bakugo would have gone as far to say that she shouldn't even have been in 1-A to begin with. Her scared little mouse personality was wholly counter to the idea of being a hero. However, seeing the girl in action during the villain attack opened the blonde's eyes to the real power she possessed.
'That girl…she isn't frail at all.' He had thought, seeing her bring down an avalanche on a group of villains.
From then on he knew better, Ochako was not to be taken lightly.
As he stepped out from the tunnel the blonde gave a slight grunt as the rays of sunlight briefly blinded him. The feeling quickly passed, and Bakugo turned his attention towards the arena, seeing Ochako emerge on the other side. Even from the distance, Bakugo could see that the girl was clearly nervous. She constantly flexed her fingers anxiously and her eyes couldn't seem to focus on anything, darting back and forth between him and the roaring crowd.
Yet, despite her obvious apprehension the brunette had schooled her expression into one of steely determination. It made Bakugo respect for her rise just a bit more seeing that she was ready to face him head on. As they both stepped into the arena the noise from the crowd and Present Mic faded into a dull hum. The explosive user focused all of his attention on the girl in front of him, sizing her up like an animal would.
Bakugo knew one thing; he was going to go all out against her. Someone as strong as her deserved nothing but his absolute best.
"Contestants! Are you both ready?!" Midnight's voice pulled the blonde from his thoughts.
"I'm ready." Ochako resolutely nodded, getting into a defensive stance.
"Let's go, Round Face." Bakugo cracked his neck, getting into a low crouch as he prepared to launch forward.
"Then let's get this started!"
With a crack of her whip the two charged forward, both filled with unwavering determination to win.
"Mr. Gabriel your gambling addiction is massive, your savings are low, and your life is starting to fade!"
"!"
*Gabriel stares at Izuku comically large wide eyes*
Tried something different this chapter with other people's perspectives, how'd you guys like it? I wanted to explore some other character and how Izuku's influence has rubbed off on them. Expect a bit more of it in the next chapter but with not nearly as many characters. Also, how would you guys feel about entire chapters dedicated to other character's perspective other than Izuku? Yah, nah, don't care let me know so I can adjust accordingly cause I got some ideas. I'd say we got one more chapter to go before we hit the big event of this arc. So, get ready me boys and not boys.
Also, I'm thinking about incorporating my own version of super moves for characters if I can think of unique ways for them to use their quirks. Tokoyami's "Void Cloud" is a reference to Sun Wukong's Somersault cloud (I've been playing a lot of Black Myth: Wukong lately). If I can come up with other interesting types of moves I'll incorporate them into the fic, I like being creative with quirks like that.
Unrelated note I've decided that Tokoyami and Momo will be a minor couple in this fic, praise the edgy bird and rich girl.
Once again thanks to ProjectIceman for the fanart and NimbusDaydream for creating it.
Next Chapter: Test Your Might