Chapter 14: Lend Your Ear

"Hey Mr. Gabriel, I'm back. Do you want to go out and have some din-"

"MACHINE! DROP MORE MIRAGE RULE 34 AND MY LIFE IS YOURS!"

We are so back mateys, character chapter is out and now we can finally move on and get to the good stuff. In all seriousness, I did enjoy writing some of the interactions in this chapter. It's fun seeing how the characters bounce off one another and type of relationships they form with one another.

If you don't like these types of slow chapters, then fret no more. The next 3-4 chapters are going to be all nuts to butts action. Things are going to get spicy me boys and not boys, and in true ULTRAKILL fashion we're gonna go hog wild. So, strap in and get ready, cause this is gonna be a wild ride from here on out.

Hope you guys enjoy the chapter.

The ending to the second match came with an even longer break than the first. A full hour for the remaining sixteen contestants to recuperate and enjoy some lunch. Time that Izuku would have loved to spend chatting with his friends or watching the Recreational Games.

But alas there were far more important matters that the greenette needed to attend to.

Todoroki Shoto, Izuku was well aware that the half-half user was more withdrawn compared to his other classmates. His cold and off putting personality may have put others off but Izuku could understand that some people simply didn't like to socialize. Besides, it wasn't like he was antagonistic to anyone, it was more so he just avoided interaction all together.

While the angel disliked the fact he would never work with his partner in any team exercise, something that Aizawa had agreed with when he brought it to his teacher, Izuku couldn't exactly say Todoroki was a bad student. He did his work on time, performed well in Hero Training, and was ranked high in the class.

However, that perception of the teen disappeared upon the second round coming to end. While Izuku didn't hear a single thing, he knew for a fact that Todoroki and Momo had gotten into some kind of argument. One that left the latter on the verge of crying and the former storming off the field with clear anger in his steps.

That was where Izuku decided enough was enough.

'He's no doubt in the waiting room.' The greenette concluded as he walked through the halls of the stadium.

His footsteps bounced off the walls as he traversed the empty corridor. Everyone else was either participating in the Recreational Games or were heading to the cafeteria for lunch. The solitude that the waiting room provided all but confirmed that Todoroki was there. Something that Izuku was grateful for as he suspected things to get a little heated between himself and the other teen.

Reaching the room, the angel wasted no time in throwing open the door, revealing Todoroki's expected form. The half-half user was seated at the farthest table, his arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face. Shutting the door behind himself Izuku felt his frown deepen when Todoroki let out an annoyed scoff.

"What the hell do you–" He began before stopping once he saw Izuku standing there. "Oh…it's you." His voice and expression became its usual monotone once more.

"Expecting someone else?" Izuku kept his tone neutral.

"...no…forget it." Todoroki opened his mouth before shaking his head and looking away. "What do you want?"

"What did you say to Yaoyorozu?" Izuku bluntly asked, having no patience to dance around the subject."

"What does it matter? You won the round didn't you?" The teen grunted, still facing away from Izuku.

"In case you weren't listening, I'm not here to win. I'm here to become a better hero." The angel couldn't stop a bit of irritation from leaking in his words. "And it matters because I care about my classmates."

"And this involves me because?" Todoroki drawled.

"Because what you said to her clearly hurt her." Izuku explained, eyes narrowing at his flippant attitude. "And I don't like seeing my classmates fight with one another."

"All I told her was she nearly cost us the round because she couldn't get a hold of herself." The half-half user rolled his eyes. "If she can't handle the criticism then that's her problem to deal with. I only told her the truth."

"No, what you did was put her down." He countered swiftly. "Criticism is expected but what you did clearly went beyond that."

"So what? You're acting like I'm here to make friends, news flash I'm not." Todoroki responded flatly.

"I'm not expecting you to nor am I asking." The greenette clarified. "What I am asking for is for you to tone back the whole lone wolf personality you put up. Yaoyorozu and the others are not your enemy believe it or not."

"So, you want me to play nice, is that it?" Todoroki turned to give the other teen a glare. "Just because she's the Vice President doesn't mean I have to treat her with kid gloves. She messed up and I rightly pointed it out."

"Yaoyorozu is your classmate and a fellow aspiring hero. She deserves the same amount of respect, no different from anyone else." Izuku began in a low tone. "One day she might just be the person you'll rely on when things get tough, and you can't handle it on your own."

"Then I hope she's a better hero then compared to now." The teen sarcastically quipped.

*Slam*

The sound of a palm hitting the plastic table bounced off the walls in the room with a loud bang. The sudden noise caused Todoroki to jump slightly in his seat, completely caught off guard by the sound. He quickly composed himself and turned to fully face Izuku, scowl and glare at the ready for being such a nuisance.

However, the half-half user's expression swiftly morphed into an uneasy look as he stared into the burning green eyes of Izuku. In the brief second he made eye contact with the greenette, he could've sworn he saw those same eyes were a bright red. Not only that, but Todoroki was sure that Izuku's wings had also changed into a golden color compared to their usual blue. Though with a blink of his eyes the changes had suddenly vanished.

"I'm sorry, am I boring you?" Izuku's voice was low and filled with restrained anger. "Or do you find my words so inconsequential that you feel the need to mock me?"

"...I don't see why you're angry." Todoroki responded after a moment of silence. "You haven't had any issues with me before so what's changed now?"

"Just because I did not voice my displeasure does not mean there was none present." The angel continued, staring down at him with a hard look. "Your attitude in class and towards everyone is something I would have brought up eventually. However–" His voice became tight as his eyes narrowed. "Seeing as how you find it acceptable to berate your classmate, we're going to have this discussion now."

There was an interlude of uncomfortable silence that permeated through the room like a dense fog. Yet despite this the two teens maintained firm eye contact with one another, an unseen battle of will. However, in Todoroki's case, it was a battle that he could never win as Izuku's intense stare eventually caused him to look away.

"You couldn't possibly understand." The half-half user muttered quietly.

"Enlighten me." Izuku said flatly.

"..." Todoroki remained silent for a brief moment. "Your speech…you said none of us were here to win…you're wrong."

"How exactly?" The angel's voice became neutral, an intrigued look on his face.

"I came here with the sole purpose of winning the festival." The twin colored haired teen said, glancing off to the side. "I…there's something I have to prove…and I can only do that if I win this festival without…without…"

"Without?" Izuku repeated in an urging tone.

"It doesn't matter." Todoroki shook his head. "Look. All you need to know is that I have to win and I'm going too. And I won't let anyone stand in my way." His glare returned as he stared down at his left hand. "This final round will finally show that I can be the better hero, and this time…this time I won't be held back."

"So…all of this is because you want to prove something to someone?" The angel began in a calm voice.

"Tch, don't patronize me." The other teen scoffed. "Like you could understand what it's like to carry that kind of weight."

"I'm not patronizing you. In fact, I understand very well exactly what you mean." Izuku patiently explained. "This festival…it's a lot more than a simple event. It's a challenge–a milestone to show how we've come and how we'll continue to grow as heroes."

"..."

"Look. I get it, you see this as a place to show that you're a stronger person than you were before. But you're not the only one with something to prove out there." The greenette gave a deep sigh. "We're all trying to become better heroes…we should lift each other up instead of putting one another down."

"None of that matters." Todoroki countered in a cold tone. "All I care about is reaching the top. No one cares how good a hero is, they only care about if they win or not."

"Maybe to you, but to others being a better hero is all that matters to them." Izuku turned away and made his way towards the exit. Pausing in the doorway with one last glance towards the other teen. "You need to decide for yourself what kind of hero you want to be. If for no one else's sake then do it for your own."

The door shut with a soft click, leaving the half-half user alone with his thoughts once more. His usual neutral expression was gone, replaced by a pensive look. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Izuku's words had struck a chord within Todoroki's mind. Had he really become so blind by his personal pledge that he was preventing himself from becoming a greater hero?

'No…I don't need his power.' Todoroki reminded himself. 'All I need is mother's ice…I will be a better hero than 'he'll' ever be. All without using 'his' power.'

The sudden creaking of the door opening again caused the twin colored teen to glance towards the other side of the room. For a moment he thought that Izuku had returned, but that was quickly quashed when he saw the large, familiar form standing in the doorway. His scowl returned and his glare intensified into a deep hatred.

"Father." Todoroki curtly acknowledged.

"Shoto…" The towering form of Endeavor stepped into the room. A disappointed look on his rough features. "We need to talk."

*With Izuku*

To say that his talk with Todoroki had left the angel in a sour mood would have been an understatement. Make no mistake, the talk itself was rather enlightening, allowing Izuku a glimpse into the mind of his cold classmate. However, despite having a better understanding of the teen, Izuku knew that his words would likely have little effect.

That was what caused the teen's mood to drop, the fact that even with his hand being offered he knew it wouldn't be taken. Todoroki clearly had deep, personal issues that were affecting him, issues that Izuku knew were too sensitive to pry out of him. It was disheartening, seeing that his fellow classmate needed help but was too stubborn to accept it himself.

Of course, a part of Izuku wanted to go right back to the waiting, to demand the real reason why Todoroki was so detached from everything around him. However, the more sensible part of his brain was far more stern in keeping his altruistic impulses in check. No matter how much he wanted to help, Izuku couldn't make Todoroki take his hand, all he could do was offer it and wait.

'I know I don't need to eat, but by the Father do I want something tasty right now.' The angel sighed while raking a hand through his green hair.

"Ayy Midori, there you are!"

Glancing up, the teen saw that Mina and Tokoyami were making their way towards him. The former was holding a drink and burger in her hands.

"Hey Mina." Izuku gave a small wave and offered his other friend a nod. "Tokoyami. I didn't get a chance to say but you guys did great in the second round."

"Heh, nowhere as good as you did." Mina teased while knocking her arm against his. "You were fending teams off left and right like a total boss."

"Well, I can't take all the credit." The greenette laughed lightly. "If it wasn't for my teammates I don't think we would have won that round."

"The one with the support equipment was rather…surprising." Tokoyami commented with an amused look. "She seemed rather eccentric."

"Ha yeah, Hatsume is lively I'll give her that." Izuku agreed. "But Uraraka and Shiozaki were both just as important."

"Ooh~ speaking of." Mina began with a large grin. "Don't think I didn't see you getting a little handsy with 1-B's resident angel."

"I–wha–yo–I have no idea what you're talking about!" The teen stuttered, his cheeks turning pink.

"No–no I think Mina has a point." Tokoyami's neutral voice was a stark contrast to the playful glint in his eyes. "I distinctly remember you running your hand through her hair after the match was over."

"She had stuff in her hair, and I was just helping get some of it out!" Izuku exclaimed as his blush intensified. "Wait, aren't you supposed to be the mature one?" He looked at Tokoyami with a betrayed look.

"Forgive me, but I find it rather amusing to see you so flustered." The shadow user chuckled. "You're usually so unshakable."

"Ha I know right." Mina agreed with a giggle of her own. "Now we finally have something to tease our dear Class President with."

"Weren't you two doing something?" Izuku groaned.

"Heh, ya we were heading to watch the Recreational Games." The pink skinned girl smirked. "You wanna join?"

"Thanks, but I'll pass." The angel rejected politely. "Gonna head and get some lunch. You two have fun on your date though." Izuku teased back with a smile.

"Ha! You'll have to do better than that Midori!" Mina snorted as she and Tokoyami began to walk in the opposite direction. "See ya for the next round!"

"...can I have my burger back now?" Izuku heard Tokoyami say as the duo rounded the corner out of sight.

Chuckling under his breath, Izuku made his way towards the cafeteria, his mood somewhat lifted from the brief interaction with his friends. When he did arrive, the greenette was somewhat relieved to find that there weren't too many people. It was likely everyone had either already eaten and were watching the Recreational Games or were participating in them.

As the angel gathered his katsudon from Lunch Rush and passed a few tables, recognizing some of his classmates, both those who made it to the next round and those that didn't. He also spotted a few 1-B students along with the same purple haired Gen Ed teen from before. The latter of which gave the same angry glare as the greenette passed by.

However, Izuku paid him no mind, taking a seat at a vacant table and quickly digging into his favorite meal. Though he didn't need to eat anymore, the angel let out a blissful sigh as the familiar taste met his tongue. Angelic physiologically or not, Izuku would never get tired of eating his favorite dish.

"Hello again Midoriya." Izuku glanced up to see Ibara along with Kendo were standing across from him. "May we sit with you?"

"Shiozaki, Kendo." The angel greeted with a polite nod. "Yeah, sure I don't mind."

"Thank you." The two girls took their seats across from the boy. "I see you decided to wait until the crowd died down before partaking in lunch."

"Not exactly." Izuku answered the vine haired girl. "Had to have a talk with Todoroki. He said some things to Yaoyorozu, and I wanted to set some boundaries about what isn't acceptable."

"The white and red haired guy right?" Itsuka asked, continuing after she got a confirming nod. "He's always been pretty distant from what I've seen. Not that much surprising that he's kind of a jerk."

"I wouldn't go that far. He's just a bit misguided is all." Izuku defended his classmate. "We talked and I found out he's dealing with his own issues. The only problem is he's too stubborn to accept my or anyone else's help." He explained with a sigh.

"It truly is a great pain to see one reject the hand that wishes to pull them up." Ibara said, wearing a sympathetic frown. "You've done your part Midoriya, all you can do is wait and see if he reaches back."

"Yeah, I know." The angel reluctantly agreed with another sigh. "Though, now that I think about it, he's not exactly the first in the class I've had to talk to."

"You too huh?" The redhead huffed a short laugh. "Trust me, you're not the only one with troublesome classmates. I don't know how many times I've had to keep Monoma in check."

"Perks of being Class President I guess." Izuku joked. "Monoma, he's the blond one right?"

"The one and only." Itsuka confirmed while rolling her eyes. "You're lucky you don't have to hear him whine about 'those stuck ups in 1-A'." She said, using her fingers as air quotes.

"Oh, believe me, we can hear him." The greenette chuckled lightly. "But I can't say my class isn't entirely blameless either. I know Bakugo and Kaminari like to instigate things, sorry about that by the way."

"Eh don't be, you shut it down before I even have a chance to speak up." Itsuka waved away. "For someone who has never been a class representative, you're pretty good at it."

"If you say so, I'm just doing what I think is right." Izuku shrugged nonchalantly.

"Sometimes, such a mindset is all that is needed." Ibara added in a soft voice. "Our previous victory is the latest proof of that."

"Speaking of, I wanted to say you guys did great out there." The redhead suddenly said. "Really took us by surprise in the beginning there. I don't think I've ever seen Set's eyes get so big before."

"You can thank Midoriya for that." The vine haired girl gestured to the teen. "He was the one to create our strategy. If not for his assurance I would not have believed such a plan would have worked."

"Either way, it was still pretty awesome to see you guys go around the arena like you owned it." Itsuka commented with an impressed tone. "And seeing you punch that cannonball into space–Ibara wasn't kidding when she said you were really strong. And she says it a lot too." She continued casually.

"Kendo." Ibara muttered, lightly knocking her friend's knee with her own. A small, light blush dusted her cheeks.

"Heh heh oops, did I say that out loud?" The redhead chuckled sheepishly.

"Well…it's nice to know you have nice things to say about me." Izuku said, awkwardly stretching his cheek as he looked away. A faint pink color to his cheeks as well.

"Well, I'll leave you two. Gonna chill in 1-B's box till it's time for the next round." Itsuka smirked, picking up her tray and ignoring the look Ibara sent her. "See ya around Midoriya."

"Ah ya…see ya." The angel said as her form retreated, leaving just him and Ibara at the table.

"..."

"..."

For a moment neither said anything, still reeling at the fact the redhead so casually dropped such an embarrassing piece of information. Neither of the greenettes looked at each other, both out of typical teenage awkwardness. It made the silence feel a bit uncomfortable or more aptly as Mineta would have put it, cringeworthy.

At least that's what it felt like to Izuku and Ibara.

Anyone looking at the scene from the outside would see two teens with very obvious blushes on their faces. Unable to properly make eye contact as they did everything in their power to stare at literally anything else. Those that didn't know the proper context might have mistaken the scene for a very awkward, but otherwise endearing first date.

"So…" Izuku began, attempting to break the silence. "Read any good books lately?" Not even a second after the words left his mouth did he cringe inwardly. 'Oh my–that was so bad! What am I doing?!'

"...heh heh." The soft giggle from the girl broke the greenette from his thoughts.

"Huh?" He let out a confused noise.

"Apologies, I'm not laughing at you I promise." Ibara's laugh tapered off. "I'm quite the avid reader, but sadly I've yet to find any new books to read."

"That's a shame. I would recommend something but ah–" Izuku lightly tapped his bible strapped to his side. "I've only been reading this recently."

"Forgive my assumption but when we met at the entrance exam you did not strike me as the faithful type." The girl continued, curiously leaning on her hands.

"I wasn't until a few months ago." The angel answered honestly. "My mentor decided that training my body wasn't enough, I needed to work on my spiritual side as well."

"Your teacher seems very wise. A strong body cannot be achieved without a strong mind." Ibara agreed with a nod.

"Ya, that was the basic premise behind it at first, though the more I read the more I think he wanted me to understand the tenets behind it." Izuku began, earning an interested look in Ibara's eyes. "It's kind of fun, figuring out the themes of each passage and how they relate back to the Father's Will."

"Indeed…it is a most fulfilling experience." The vine haired girl said after a small pause. Her eyes continuously filling up with glee as she continued to listen. "Tell me, what chapter are you currently on?"

"Well, I don't have an exact point. Mr. Gabriel likes to jump around depending on what kind of lesson he wishes to teach that day." Izuku explained, unaware that he so casually revealed his mentor's name. "Before the race I had just finished 1 Corinthians 13."

"Ah the Way of Love." Ibara recited in an understanding tone. "A truly inspirational piece to know that such a single emotion holds so much power."

"Oh, I agree, but it also got me thinking; how can love be the greatest of the three?" The angel asked, continuing when he saw her confused expression. "It says that faith, hope, and love abide but that the greatest in love. Yet can there be love if faith or hope is not present?"

"That's…" The girl began before her eyes widened in understanding. "A very interesting point, Midoriya. I had never thought to look at it that way, do you think there can be?"

"Hmm, I think it depends. See, it goes like this…"

The awkwardness that surrounded the two teens had disappeared completely. Leaving them in an enraptured conversation as they discussed the meanings behind the word of God. They traded ideas back and forth, completely tuning out the rest of the world around them. Izuku couldn't help the smile from overtaking his features. Thoroughly enjoying that he could share at least a small portion of angelic heritage to someone else who understood.

Likewise, Ibara held a similar expression, a small adoring smile on her lips as she listened to the greenette across from her. It felt cathartic, not only knowing that someone shared her beliefs but also knowing he was equally as invested in his faith. Ibara only ever had positive things to say about Izuku even with their brief interactions, but now? Now she knew that he was someone so much more, someone that she wanted to get to know better.

'Mm, he has nice eyes.' Ibara thought, watching the greenette continue to talk with a small smile on her face.

The two stayed like that for the rest of the break, talking with one another with smiles on their faces.

*With Bakugo*

'Where's the fucking nerd when you need him?' Bakugo fumed as he stomped through the halls. An irritated scowl on his face that was angry even for him.

Ever since the second round had come to an end, the blonde had been in an infuriated mood. Partly because the one person that he wanted to find was nowhere to be found and he knew it wasn't because Izuku was avoiding him. Their relationship may have gone through a drastic change, but not so much to the point where the greenette would avoid him all together. In fact, Bakugo was confident that if he did manage to find Izuku, he would be more than happy to help despite their differences.

Which made it even more frustrating when he couldn't find the damn guy.

'God fucking damn it.' The explosive user ground out as he slammed another door.

One would be mistaken that the source of Bakugo's irritation came from the fact that he had only managed to secure second place in the previous round. While true, it did bother the blonde that he didn't get first, it was rather inconsequential. Loathe as he was to admit it, Bakugo couldn't deny that Izuku had earned his win.

No, the real reason behind the blonde's irritation was his stoic classmate, Todoroki. Ever since the twin colored teen had declared war, Bakugo's annoyance with him had been steadily growing. However, upon the cavalry battle coming to an end, Bakugo couldn't explain what it was that nearly caused him to explode. All he did was see the half-half user get into an argument with Momo before angrily stalking off.

Why that ticked him off, Bakugo couldn't say, all he knew was that it did.

'Stupid fucking Half and Half Bastard.' The blonde thought as walked down the halls.

"...your performance today was disappointing."

'The hell?' Bakugo stopped in his tracks. Turning his head to the voice that came from the room on his right. Curiosity piqued; the explosive user got closer to the door so he could hear the conversation better.

"..."

"The silent treatment isn't going to work, Shoto."

'Wait, Half and Half is in there. Then who the fuck is talking to him?' The voice was familiar, but he couldn't place it at the moment.

"How long do you intend to defy me with these rebellious acts?"

"Until you understand that I am not your puppet…father." Todoroki ground out.

"You cannot deny your purpose Shoto, no matter what you choose your path is set. You are my greatest creation…the one who will surpass All Might himself."

"If I do it will be because I did it with Mother's ice alone." The teen shot back. "I will never…never use your fire."

"In time you will see that this rebellious attitude will only carry you so far."

"Tch, I'm still in the top of the class and got into the top ten in the entrance exam. I'm doing well enough so far."

"Yet you still remain not the top student. And I had you take the entrance exam instead of the recommendations test because I believed you were capable of achieving first place. You should be far past everyone else in your year." The man's disappointment was palpable. "Clearly I was mistaken, seeing as how you only ranked 3rd in the entrance exam."

"...whatever, I'll still win this tournament." Todoroki scoffed from the other side of the door. "And I'll do it all without using your quirk."

"We'll see about that. Don't forget Shoto, you are my greatest creation. One day you'll see that you are wasting your potential by limiting yourself."

Before Bakugo had the chance to think about getting out of the way, the door was thrown open, a large fiery man stepping out into the hallway. Now that he got a good look at him Bakugo was finally able to place why his voice sounded so familiar. Standing in front of them was none other than Endeavor in all his flaming hot glory.

Of course, Bakugo never really cared for the number two hero, his sights were always set on All Might's spot. However, years of knowing Izuku, even before their relationship changed, ensured that he knew quite a bit about the top ten heroes. While the blonde never really cared to keep up with hero news, he was at least familiar with those in the current placements.

Not that he cared or anything.

"Hmm, I remember you." Endeavor's gruff voice caused Bakugo to look up at him. "The one with the explosive quirk, a rather strong ability."

"Yeah, what's it to you?" Bakugo bit back.

"...your respect could use some work." The Pro narrowed his eyes at the teen's attitude. "But otherwise, you are a good candidate. I have a proposition for you, boy."

"And what exactly are you offering?" The explosive user grunted.

"An internship at my agency. I'm sure you can understand the weight such experience can hold once you graduate." Endeavor offered.

"Uh huh and what's the catch?" Bakugo quickly rebuked, unconvinced.

"Merely train with my son." The Pro coolly answered. "He needs someone to give him…a push in the right direction."

"Fuck off." The blonde growled, pushing past the hero and ignoring his annoyed look. "I ain't a fucking training dummy for that Half and Half Bastard. If he wants to fight me he better go all out, or I'll beat him to the ground."

"A shame that you would so carelessly throw away a pristine opportunity." Endeavor said in disappointment. "Should you come to your senses, my offer will stand…for the time being." Without another word the large man's thundering steps bounced off the walls until he disappeared entirely.

'Tch, ya fucking right.' Bakugo scoffed, throwing open the door with a loud bang. "Oi, Half and Half."

"..." Todoroki lifted his head and leveled a blank stare at the blonde. "What do you want?"

"Don't fucking give me that." The teen slammed the door behind him, leaving the two alone. "I heard you talking with your old man."

"...and how much did you hear?" The twin colored boy's stare turned into a look of caution.

"Who gives a shit? All I'm here for is for you to spill your guts on why you're half-assing against me." Bakugo bluntly questioned, marching right up to the other teen.

"Oh, right I forgot, everything is about you, isn't it?" Todoroki sarcastically drawled while rolling his eyes.

"Play dumb all you want. I'm not leaving until I get an answer." Bakugo firmly declared. "You think you can just come here, say you're stronger than me, and then not even try? It's pissing me the fuck off." The blonde growled irritably. "So, tell me, what sort of grand excuse do you have huh?"

"..."

For a moment the room settled into an uncomfortable silence, with neither teen making a move. Bakugo remained unrelenting, staring intensely down at the other boy until he decided to give him what he wanted. While Todoroki's gaze had drifted off to the side, a contemplative look in his eyes.

Was he being tactless? Probably, but Bakugo and subtly never really went together to begin with so there was no reason to start now. Plus, he was already pissed off with Todoroki's attitude, so he wasn't exactly in the mood to take things slowly.

"...what do you know about quirk marriages?" Todoroki suddenly asked.

"What?" The blonde blinked in confusion.

"What do you know about quirk marriages?" He repeated again.

"Not much, all I know is that it's an ancient ass practice that no one does anymore?" Bakugo shrugged, losing a bit of his annoyance. "What the fuck does it matter?"

"While it's true that it's an old custom, it is still done to this day, just not as much." Todoroki explained in a monotone. "My mother was married to my father specially because of their quirk compatibility…and I was the product."

"Yeah yeah I heard how you're his greatest masterpiece or some shit." The explosive user rolled his eyes. "So, what, your old man wants you to get off your ass and actually try. I don't see the problem."

"The problem–" The twin colored teen spat, anger in his eyes. "Is that he only cares because I'm his one ticket to becoming the number one hero. The problem is that I'm not the first child he's put that burden on."

"And you think by not using your entire quirk is the best way to stick it to your old man huh?" Bakugo asked.

"No…I'll do one better. I'll become the number one hero." Todoroki looked squarely in the blonde's eyes and vowed. "And I'll do it with my ice alone."

"..." Bakugo said nothing to the declaration at first. His expression was that of pure neutrality as he stared back into Todoroki's determined expression. "You're a fucking idiot." Despite how calmly he spoke, Bakugo's rage was palpable in every syllable.

"...?" Taken aback, Todoroki could only raise a confused eyebrow.

"This whole festival is about giving it our all, showing the whole fucking world just how far we've come and that we'll be getting stronger." The explosive user sneered. "And here you are, thinking that half-assing will get you anywhere near the number one spot. Ha! You won't even make the top one hundred."

"You know that my ice is objectivity strong–"

"Oh, shut the fuck up with that bullshit." Bakugo cut off irritably. "If you were so strong then you would be blowing us out of the water. But you're not." He continued, his tone taunting. "You think your fucking ice is going to be stop me–hell you think it'll be enough to stop De–Izuku?"

"The previous rounds held me back." Todoroki grit his teeth. "This time…nothing will stand in my way. I will win against you–against Midoriya–against anyone else."

"Ha…in whatever fucking fantasy you're living in maybe." The blonde barked a mocking laugh. "How about you do us a favor and drop out? Unless you're going to go all out then I don't see why you should even be here?"

"I made a pledge…I will never use my father's quirk." The half-half user reiterated. "You don't understand…the things he did–"

"Fucking spare me the sob story." Bakugo rolled his eyes. "Everyone's got issues, you're not fucking special."

"...you could never understand." Todoroki muttered, turning away from the other teen.

"Maybe, but also who fucking cares? We're here to be heroes." The blonde tsked, turning away and heading towards the exit. "You know…" He began as he strode away. "Those extras may not be strong, but at least they're actually fucking trying. And they deserve to be here way more than you do."

"..."

"So, either get a fucking grip or get the hell out." Bakugo roughly pulled open the door. "No villain is gonna care about your fucking pledge." He ended before slamming the door shut behind him.

For the second time that day, Todoroki was left to his thoughts, though this time there would be no interruption. A myriad of thoughts ran through the half-half user's head, Izuku, Bakugo, and even his father's words floated in his mind. He tried, in his typical fashion, to push those thoughts away, focusing only on his goal of spitting Endeavor.

Yet, this time he could not manage to dispel the doubts that continuously plagued his mind. Bakugo's final words in particular repeated constantly, annoying the twin colored teen to no end. Annoyance born out of confusion, why–why did Bakugo's words, of all people, strike such a chord in his heart. There was no way that the blonde had any sort of point, Todoroki was still right.

Wasn't he?

"WILL REMAINING FESTIVAL PARTICIPANTS PLEASE MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE ARENA!"

Before he could ponder it any further the loud, robotic speaker blared to life. Summoning those that had made it to the third round. Thinking would have to wait, for Todoroki's attention was drawn to a much bigger goal. Without hesitation the teen began to make his way back towards the arena, confident in his assured victory.

At least, that's what he tried to think.

*?*

V1 was a lot of things, but an engineer was not one of them.

Gathering the pieces to the gateway had been simple enough and it some cases rather fun. Slicing through factories worth of machines certainly helped the time go by as it continued on its fetch quest. And within no time had managed to bring all the pieces back to the gateway, it only cost a few hundred machines but V1 didn't particularly care.

Though it did care about the fact that whoever designed this gateway was a total asshole.

Why couldn't they just make it so each piece could be easily slotted into its correct spot instead of having to carefully connect each bit of machinery? It was annoying, so much so that the machine had half a mind to blow up the place and find a gateway that was already operational. Though statically, it deduced that probably was unlikely and that this portal was its best shot. So begrudgingly V1 continued to work on the gateway.

And no, V1 refused to read the manual, it was designed for war not to read Shakespeare.

Shoving the metallic cylinder into its corresponding socket, V1 jumped down from atop the portal. It stepped over the bodies of several destroyed machines before reaching the terminal, its finger in the air as it waited for the screen to come to life.

Welcome to the CHARON–

*Click*

…

Would you like to activate the gateway?

…

Yes or No?

*Click*

Gateway is online and operational.

Are you sure you want to activate the gateway?

…

Yes or No?

*Click*

OK! Powering up the gateway now!

V1 finally allowed its hand to drop, quickly turning away from the terminal and standing at the steps leading up to the portal. While it did not feel emotions, there was a sort of malicious excitement in its movements as it eagerly waited for its entrance to open. So much blood, so much fuel, and it was only just a few short moments away.

Its yellow optic watched as the ring-like structure began to light up, the machinery coming to life in full force. Then came the sparking of energy, electricity crackling with power as the energy levels began to surge. There was a loud stretching sound as the energy began to expand, tendrils of power gathering in the center of the gateway.

The sound and force of space begin torn apart would have caused any human to brace themselves lest they be overtaken by the wave of intensity. But V1 was no human, it stood mere inches away from the opening portal, its metal body completely unfazed. If anything, the machine was getting impatient with how long the process was taking.

Didn't it know V1 had very important things to do?

Unfortunately for the machine, the nearly opened portal soon disappeared in a bright flash. The machinery around it is powering down. Confused, and slightly irritated, V1 stomped over to the terminal once more. It's yellow optic narrowing at the text on the screen.

Update Required.

…

Accept?

*Click*

…

…

Restarting system.

…

Update will take 10 minut—4 hou—20 years—10 seco—2 hours and 30 minutes.

Thank you for your patience! :)

*Smash*

V1's fist slammed into the screen next to the one that displayed the update's progress. A single, irate thought running through its mind.

'Fuck Microsoft.'

*Izuku leaning into Todoroki's personal space*

"No fire?"

So, how'd you guys feel about the perspective switch this chapter? Like, don't like, it's mid—let me know cause I'm curious if I should do more.

Putting a bit of emphasis on Bakugo this arc (cause in case it wasn't obvious) it'll be him and Todoroki who works out their beef not Izuku. Our green bean will be doing his own thing while everyone else figures their shit out.

Things are certainly going to ramp up now that V1 is getting closer to getting into the Mouth of Hell. Once our GoPro is finally off Earth, the story is gonna take a very big turn as it goes through the first Act. I have a plan already, but I wanted to know do you guys want some scenes of V1 going through each layer or do you only want the spicy bits? I'm curious what you guys think.

And for those who were wondering why Todoroki was in the entrance exam, here's your answer. I'm making Endeavor a little bit more dickish than in canon but I feel like no one here is going to mind.

Next chapter: Round One