Izuku began to walk over to Shinso the moment Midnight declared the start of the match. He moved calmly, his head slightly downcast just in case his opponent needed prolonged eye contact to use his quirk.
"You know, once they label you a villain that's it. You're stuck with it for life," began Shinso. The shield user clenched his fist at his opponent's words, his arms trembling. But he remained silent.
"Know what's really unfair?" continued Shinso. "I've never used my quirk on a civilian and people all thought I was going to be a villain. But you? You have this powerful, flashy quirk and an easy road to becoming a hero. And what do you do? Mess it all up by attacking that girl. Tell me, how did it feel when you lashed out at her? Did it feel good? Did you enjoy it? What? Nothing to say?"
Still Izuku remained silent, his eyes stinging from the words that Shinso was beginning to shout. His breathing was beginning to grow a little ragged. Glancing up and looking through his green bangs, Izuku saw that the purple-haired teen had not moved at all. He was just standing there, looking a little worried. Had Izuku been right, that there was some sort of verbal component to make the brainwashing work? Was he just saying that because he believed it would get a rise out of the shield user?
Now, Shinso was beginning to shout loudly.
"What?" shouted Shinso, swiping his arm through the air as his voice carried through the crowd. "Got nothing to say for yourself? Not even trying to defend your actions? Come on! Come on you stupid villain!"
Izuku was almost in front of Shinso now, with his opponent unable to hide how nervous he was. Pulling back a fist, the brainwashing teen punched Midoriya right in his face with all the might he could muster causing a loud crack to echo through the stadium. However, Izuku reacted as though a light breeze had struck him while his opponent was doubled over while cradling his injured hand.
"Damn it!" yelled Shinso through the pain, his eyes stinging with tears. "You know nobody wants you here! You're never going to be a hero so just give up!"
Shinso managed to stand up straight, punching Izuku with his other hand only to receive the same results. It felt like he was punching a brick wall coated in the hardest metal in the world! But even with two hands that felt like he had broken several bones, he continued to punch the green-haired teen over and over again. When his fists hurt too much Shinso then tried kicking the teen as hard as he could, hoping that his legs would be strong enough to get a grunt or maybe not break after a single attack. That, however, proved to be as effective as his punches. The brainwasher even tried lunging forward, biting Izuku in the shoulder in the hopes that he would cry out! Yet his teeth seemed unable to even pierce Midoriya's skin. And while he did all this, Shinso continued accusing the 1-A student who just stood there with his head lowered.
After a minute or two of this, Shinso's voice became hoarse as he doubled over once again. His hands felt numb now and could feel his sweat rolling down his nose. When he looked up, he saw that Midoriya had finally pulled back a fist ready to strike him. But, as he did that, Shinso could finally see the look on his opponent's face. Could finally see the pained look in Izuku's eyes as well as the tears running down his face before the fist connected with Shinso's face.
It took a moment before Midnight announced that Izuku Midoriya was the winner of the match, earning a massive choir of boos through the stadium. The green-haired teen did his best to ignore them, keeping his head down as he walked towards the gate and out of sight of everyone as Present Mic began to announce the two combatants.
Since he hadn't been hurt Izuku was about to head up to where the rest of 1-A was sitting before hesitating. He looked down at what he was wearing, seeing the mess covering his clothing and feeling trash still in his hair. And while he looked down at himself, he thought about all the cold shoulders he would receive from most of the class. And as for his friends…
'I don't want them to see me like this,' thought Izuku as depression began to spiral within him. 'Knowing Raphtalia, Kirishima, Tsu, and Uraraka, they'll be more focused on trying to make me feel better instead of their own matches. No doubt Ida will then chastise me, saying I'm distracting them. I'll just stay down here and wash up. Then I'll rest until Raphtalia comes down.'
With that thought in mind, Izuku began heading to the boy's locker room so that he could clean himself up. And, by the time he got there, Midoriya heard over the speaker system that Todoroki had ended his match against Shiozaki in an instant as he had encased her in ice so massive that it was larger than the stadium. A bit on the overkill side.
Sighing heavily, Izuku entered the locker room as Uraraka and Tokage were called to the arena floor. It was a shame since the shield user had wanted to wish her luck as well as see the full capabilities of the 1-B girl. Still, he just continued to clean himself off while doing his best to listen in on the fight. Something that was, sadly, one-sided. Thanks to Present Mic's colorful commentary, Tokage had the ability to split herself into many different parts and maneuver them through the air allowing her greater mobility in the fight. Not only that, but she could also attack from multiple angles. Even if Uraraka could grab a hold of one of these pieces, it probably wouldn't affect them much. In the end, these pieces just overwhelmed the girl before dragging her out of the ring.
The next round began as Izuku began to pull out the various litter and glass shards caught in his hair. This was one that the hero fanboy really regretted not being in the stands to watch as it sounded far more even. He knew that Kirishima was strong, but judging by the description so was his opponent: Shishida of class 1-B. Present Mic was going wild as he began to describe the blows each one was packing and how wild it was getting. In the end, the defense of the hardening quirk user was simply too much for the beast teen allowing class 1-A another victory.
Thankfully, this had been a long fight allowing Izuku the time he needed to wash his hair in the sink. By the time Izuku had washed it, rinsed it, and finished drying his hair, the match between Tsu and Tokoyami had begun. Hearing this, the green-haired teen quickly headed towards the door of the locker room hoping that he could at least catch a glimpse of this fight. That hope was instantly dashed for as Izuku opened the door he found none other than Shinso standing there. For a moment, neither teen spoke with the only noise being the roaring of the crowd above them.
"I, ah, went to where your class was sitting looking for you," said Shinso at last, averting his eyes while scratching the back of his head. "Obviously you weren't there so I decided to check the bathrooms and stuff. Looks like I found you." There was a brief, awkward pause. Maybe Shinso was waiting for Izuku to say something. But, after a moment or two, the General Studies student seemed like he could no longer remain silent. "Guess I'm one of the last people you want to see now. Not surprising after… well. I just wanted to say that what I said back there was uncalled for. It all left a bad taste in my mouth, even while I was saying it. Just…I just wanted to win that match so badly. To show everyone how powerful my quirk was. That I had what it takes to be a hero. Guess I have a long way to go."
Swallowing hard, Shinso turned and began to walk away. "Anyways, I said what I came here to say," he said. "Good luck in your next match. I mean that."
Izuku didn't say anything at first, just standing there in the doorway listening to the footsteps as the purple-haired teen moved further down the hallway. The shield user didn't know what to say or if he even wanted to say anything. For all he knew, this could have been a trick. To get him to say something so Shinso could brainwash him or whatever and take him out of the Sports Festival. An idea that made Izuku sick to his stomach for believing that someone here would even consider doing that. He just…He just…
"S-Shinso," called out Izuku as he took a few steps forward and turned around so he was looking at the other teen's back. Upon hearing his name, Shinso paused but did not turn around though his head was lowered slightly. "Ah, sorry about your hands. And legs. I hope you didn't hurt them too much."
The brainwashing teen turned a little while holding up one of his hands showing that it was fine. Even wiggling his fingers as if to prove it.
"All healed up so don't worry about it," replied Shinso. "Besides, I was the one who did this to myself. Though I did get some bruises after the match, courtesy of that old maid. Don't know if Midnight told her or something, but Recovery Girl wasn't happy with me. Really chewed me out for what I said back there. Oh and speaking of her, I almost forgot. She said after I apologized to you that you should head up to her office for some treatment."
At that, Izuku smiled slightly. "Thanks, but I don't think I need it," he said honestly. "I didn't get hurt at all. Not even when someone threw that bottle at me."
Surprisingly, Shinso shook his head before giving Izuku a sympathetic look with those tired eyes. "Midoriya, even if you're not in physical pain, you got hurt." With that, Shinso walked away without saying another word.
-x-
Izuku did not go to Recovery Girl's office, instead heading toward the hallway leading to the arena. Like he had told Shinso, he wasn't hurt in the way that the elder hero could heal. So what would be the point in going to her office? Wouldn't he just be taking up her time healing students who really needed her attention? Besides, he had been dealing with people thinking the worst of him for a while now. So what if there were just more people doing it, actively hating him from above? He could handle it just like he had been. No, if he wanted to be a good hero then he needed to handle it! He could do this.
…Right?
Shaking his head, he reached the gateway just in time to see Tokoyami being declared the winner. Sadly, he didn't get a chance to see Tsu as she was taken away on robotic stretchers which would bring her right to Recovery Girl.
Not wanting to miss another match, Izuku moved down the hallway just far enough so that he could be reasonably sure that no one in the crowd could see him but he could see the arena. There he sat with his back to the wall and his arms hugging his legs waiting for the next match to begin.
He didn't have to wait long as Ashido came running down the corridor a few minutes later, clearly in a rush. So much so that she didn't seem to notice Izuku at all. And for right now, he was ok with that.
The pink-skinned girl's match against Honenuki made Izuku wish that he was up in the stands, seeing everything happen with a bird's eye view. According to Present Mic, Honenuki's quirk was softening to which he used to turn the hard stone floor of the arena into something more akin to quicksand. No doubt he planned on making it so that Ashido couldn't skate around on her acid and trap her, making her unable to continue the match. This plan might have worked had the pink-skinned girl not have gotten close enough so that she could fling balls of acid right at him. It was a weak acid, Izuku was sure, but strong enough so that when it struck his face Honenuki accidentally rolled out of bonds in pain.
Soon after being declared the winner, a more relaxed Ashido walked down the hallway. And this time she did not fail to miss seeing her green-haired classmate sitting there on the ground.
"Midoriya?" Ashido exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise as she rushed over to him. "Were you sitting there the entire time? O-Oh my God! I totally didn't see you there! Wait, w-why didn't you come sit with the rest of the class after your match?"
Izuku didn't stand, instead remaining seated there curled up into his little ball as he looked up at her.
"I, ah, after my last match I really didn't want to deal with, ah, stuff." That last part was slightly mumbled, but judging by the way Ashido averted her gaze told him that she had heard it clearly.
"Listen, Midoriya, did you find out about the class petition?" she asked softly while hugging herself. Silence was her answer as Izuku lowered his head, resting it on his knees. So, the acid user continued. "Yeah, I'm guessing you did. I mean, Mr. Aizawa was pretty mad about it and you did resign the next day. Well, this might not mean much right now, but I just want you to know that I didn't sign it."
That got Izuku's attention. Faster than Midnight's whip, the teenage boy's head snapped up to look at Ashido.
"You didn't? B-But why?" he asked in surprise.
"Because of what you did in the USJ," answered Ashido. "I haven't forgotten what Kiri told me about that day. About how helpless he felt, stuck inside that pile of sludge and unable to breathe. He even admitted just how terrified he was, hoping that someone would be able to save him before he died. And that person was you. Not Tsu, not Mr. Aizawa, not All Might, and certainly not any of our upper classmates. It was you. So, until I'm proven wrong, I'm willing to trust and believe that you are innocent."
Then, Ashido gave her classmate a worried look. "Midoriya, are you crying?"
Izuku blinked at that, a hand reaching up to touch his face. It was true, he was crying! Somehow, at some moment, tears had begun to run down his face at a surprising pace. They just kept rolling down like two small rivers instead of the normal, explosive Midoriya tears.
"Wow, when did this happen?" he managed to say, his voice sounding unsteady. "I just…my hand won't stop shaking."
The acidic alien looked down at the shield user to see that, indeed, his hand which he had risen to wipe away his tears was shaking almost uncontrollably. But what worried his classmate even more was Izuku's expression. The green-haired teen was still smiling awkwardly yet his eyes were wide with a look in them that unnerved her. For a moment, Ashido was afraid though not for herself. Rather it was for him.
Just then footsteps were heard coming down the hallway. Izuku tried his best to wipe away the flow of tears, but they seemed unending. No matter how many times he used the sleeve of his tracksuit to wipe them away, they continued to flow. Eventually, Izuku seemed to give up. He just stood, giving himself time to collect himself as Raphtalia approached them. Upon seeing her green-haired friend, the Tanuki girl's eyes widened before rushing over to him. The next thing Izuku knew was that he was enveloped in a tight, warm hug.
"Izuku, where were you?" she asked/demanded before pulling away so she could look him in the eyes. "I wanted to find you after your match, but Tsu and Kirishima told me you probably needed some time to clean up. Maybe find a new gym uniform. If you hadn't shown up by the time I got back from my match, I was going to call Filo so we could both start looking for you!"
"I-I'm fine. Really," said Izuku.
Raphtalia moved her hands onto her friend's shoulders while giving him a deadpan expression that screamed she didn't believe him in the slightest. But before she could voice this, Present Mic's voice boomed over the speakers telling her to report to the arena. Raphtalia gasped at the announcement, her eyes shifting between the exit before returning to her friend. Her face then took on a more determined presence while her eyes seemed to steel themselves.
Then, as she opened her mouth to say that she was going to forfeit, Ashido interrupted her.
"Go on," said the pink-skinned girl. "I'll stay here and keep an eye on Midoriya until you win your match."
Upon hearing that, Raphtalia blinked before giving Ashido a relieved and thankful smile. Then, after hugging Izuku one more time, she made her way to the arena where the crowd began to cheer for her.
"Alright, alright," came Present Mic's booming voice over the cheering of the crowd. "Let me hear you all give a big shout-out to the sword of class 1-A's sword and shield duo: Raphtalia! However, she's going to have to leave her blade sheathed for this event as she tangles with the hidden dagger of 1-B: Togaru Kamakiri! Seems a little unfair if you ask me."
"The form she submitted to bring her sword in was rejected," grumbled Mr. Aizawa. "However, I am interested in seeing what she can do without it."
Down on the arena stage, Raphtalia stared at her mantis-like opponent while tuning out the loud cheering of the crowd.
"Begin!" declared Midnight.
With the crack of Midnight's whip, both students went into action. Raphtalia raised her hands up into the air, looking like she was holding a sphere, while Kamakiri began to race towards her. The crowd gasped as blades came out of the mutant teen's forearms, ready to cut down his opponent and send her to Recovery Girl.
"Fast Light!" cried Raphtalia. From the girl's hands came a bright light that caused Kamakiri to wince in pain as he felt his vision blur. Yet that lasted only for a moment and, when it cleared, he could see that Raphtalia was still there standing in the exact same pose with the exact same expression on her face.
"Do you really think that tired old trick was going to work?" yelled Kamakiri, his tone sounding disgusted that someone would think so little of him. Turning around, Kamakiri saw that there was another Raphtalia almost right behind him with a look of surprise on her face. Smirking to himself at having foiled her sneak attack, Kamakiri changed course to slash across the Tanuki girl's chest. But as soon as the blade made contact, his eyes widened in surprise as he felt no resistance. Like he was cutting air!
A sudden blow to the back of the head caused the mantis teen to fall to the ground, nearly knocking him out then and there. Yet he managed to roll over and get up onto his feet as he realized that he had been tricked. The Raphtalia he had dismissed had, in fact, been the real one! She had tricked him into turning his back towards her. But it wasn't enough to take him out. No, Kamakiri lunged towards Raphtalia with more blades coming out of his body. On his arms, hands, legs, and even one on his back. Despite the ringing in his ears, he slashed at the brown-haired girl wildly and relentlessly. Yet none of his attacks landed as she dodged them all with grace, her long hair flowing this way and that as she weaved around the arena while narrowingly missing his slashes.
Then, after a failed swipe to her shoulder, Raphtalia just vanished! Before Kamakiri could process this, a devastatingly power kick connected to his abdomen causing spit to fly out of the teen's mouth. As he feel to the ground, a final blade erupted out of his stomach near where he had been struck to give Raphtalia a nasty cut across her leg. Not like it would help him much as he fell to the ground with a thud and was knocked out cold.
After inspecting the fallen student from 1-B, Midnight pointed her whip at the 1-A girl.
"Kamairi is unable to continue," declared Midnight with a beaming smile. "The winner of this match is Raphtalia."
From his spot, Izuku watched as Raphtalia was taken away by robots to be treated by Recovery Girl. While he was disappointed that he wouldn't be able to see her right away, he was more than overjoyed to know that she had won her match. And he knew that a wound like that wouldn't take long to be all healed up before her next match.
Speaking of which…
"Out of the way Deku!" yelled Kacchan.
Without looking behind him, Izuku moved to the side as Bakugo walked past both him and Ashido with that all-too-familiar scowl on his face. With his hands in his pockets, Kacchan gave Izuku a brief glance. He seemed to take in the sight of the shield user before his brows furled slightly and looked away.
"Deku, you better not lose to that worthless icy-hot bastard!" stated Kacchan. "Defeat his worthless ass so that you make it to the finals. Then, I'll crush you as payback for what you did to me back in the battle trail! Got it!"
"Y-Yeah," was all Izuku could say while lowering his head, the tears finally drying up.
At that, Bakugo's scowl deepened before he spat on the floor. Nothing more was said as he headed out towards the field of battle.
Izuku watched as two blond teens took to the arena. On one side was a scowling Bakugo who just seemed to radiate anger that the crowd could feel. On the other side was Pony Tsunotori: an American teenage girl with long blond hair and horns coming out of her head. Unlike Kacchan, she seemed excited and happy to be there as she waved to the crowd. It really didn't take long for her to be a crowd favorite.
When Midnight signaled for the match to start, Bakugo raced towards Pony ready to deliver his famous starting blow. A blow that never came as Tsunotori lowered her head and began to fire a rapid stream of horns from her head! Bakugo tried to deflect them out of his path with an explosion, but that didn't stop nearly all of them. In fact, the dust cloud obscured his vision making things worse as more horns kept flying out of the smoke. After receiving a few gashes, the explosive blond used his quirk to propel himself out of the line of fire. But if he thought he was safe, Bakugo would have to think again as two of Tsunotori's horns began flying after him like guided missiles.
It continued like this for a while, Bakugo dodging a seemingly endless stream of horns while one pair followed him around. Sweat began to pour down the ashen blonde's body while his frustration at the situation began to reach its peak. Veins began to bulge in his arms while the teen gritted his teeth, pointing both arms right at the horned-girl.
"DIE!" With that scream, a massive explosion that rocked the entire stadium erupted from the palms of Bakugo's hands. It was like he had managed to fire off several of the same explosions he had tried to use during the battle trail at once. And without the support gear! This massive attack was more than enough to catch his opponent off guard, sending Pony out of the arena and crashing into the stadium wall with so much force that she became embedded in it.
With that, the first round ended.