He had always wanted to be a hero. To quell the fears of others and sending criminals pack or fleeing. But he'd been told he had no chance. So to get his mind off this, he go onto a boat….
Sounding familiar, yes? But this wasn't Izuku. No….
This was Koby's story.
But that boat was not a cruise ship. It was a lifeboat Kobny had mistaken for a fishing boat. A lifeboat that belonged to a pirate crew that kidnapped and forced him into slavery for several years. He had almost given up when…
"BAHAHAAHAHAH!"
Garp the Fist had literally crashed into the ship and arrested/pummeled all the Pirates bloody and blue before he found Koby; a scared boy who nonetheless moved to push Garp out of the way of a swordstrike.
So, after trying and failing to return Koby home, Garp had decided to, since Hisashi had gone the 'civilian' route, his granddaughters heroes and his grandson presumed deceased at the time, to train Koby as his successor.
It had been gruelling, cruel training. Koby had thought he migvht die…but themn he remembered how scared and weak he had been. He didn't wish that on anyone. So he persevered.
And now? Here he was; at UA itself.
This was his moment.
"It's time everyone, and this match is extra special! It's a grudge match waiting to happen that was created just after the first game despite some people believing it won't happen!" Present Mic said while sneaking a glance toward Aizawa who caught the look and rolled his eyes. "In this corner, we have the apprentice of the legendary former #3 Pro Hero, Garp the Fist! Will he show us all that he has what it takes to inherit Garp's mantle? It's KOBY!"
Koby smiled and saw Garp giving him a proud look from the stands, waving to his mentor, who waved back.
"And his opponent: He's the one who ate the treasure of the legendary Gol D. Roger! He's got a smorgasbord of powers at his disposal but will it be a match against pure unwavering grit and determination?! It's IZUKU MIDORIYA!"
Izuku could hear his friends/crew cheering for him and looked to see his grandpa smiling proudly not just at him, but also Koby.
"No matter who wins this match, I'm proud of both of you boys!" Garp thought.
"Are you boys ready?" Midnight asked before Koby suddenly raised his hand.
"Can I make a request?" He asked before looking at Izuku. "Midoriya, I say we do things right. If we want to get the most out of this we can't let anything get in our way. So let's get rid of the ring-out rule and let our skills speak for us."
"What's this?! Koby just proposed that the ring-out elimination method be suspended for this match! Why would he do this?" Present Mic questioned with Aizawa being the one to answer him.
"Because he wants a true fight with Midoriya. Koby wants a true test of skill and if they had the ring restriction one could step out of it by accident ending the match. He wants a match that lets them both show everything they have."
"BAHAHAHAHA!" Garp laughed. "SOUNDS TO ME LIKE MY BOYS WANT THIS TO BE A REAL SPECTACLE! I SAY GIVE 'EM WHAT THEY WANT!"
Izuku and Koby smiled and nodded at each other as Midnight shrugged, seeing nothing wrong with this as she announced the rule.
"Koby's request is approved! Let's see the best you young bright minds can do!"
"Well, you heard her folks! For this match only, ring-outs are nulled. The competitors will have to defeat their opponent in a different matter!" Present Mic declared. "So if there's nothing else to do...BEGIN!"
DEVIL
Tensei Iida, better known as the Turbo Hero: Ingenium, commander of 65 sidekicks was searching the streets of Hosu hunting for the Hero Killer Stain.
"Squad A, head north! Squad B, check the west side!" Ingenium ordered over his communicator.
"ROGER!" Both squads replied from the other end.
He had just run past an alleyway when something caught his eye causing him to stop and turn around before jumping up the sides of buildings and eventually finding who he was looking for.
"There you are... Hero Killer!"
The shadowy figure was unmistakable as Tensei moved to try and catch him, only for it to blur out of the way at speeds Tensei couldn't process.
"Where did he-ACK!"
The Turbo Hero gasped in pain as a sword tore through his side from behind, just narrowly missing his vitals. He fell to the ground in pain and out of the corner of his vision, he saw the sword coated in a black carbon-like aura.
"You are a worthy hero, Ingenium...but you must be used as a message..."
Ingenium let out a strangled gasp of pain as he felt the blade pierce into his back, unable to move as some kind of paralyzing hold had been placed on him. He writhed on the ground in a pool of his own blood as he heard his assailant speak.
"Fame... Money... That's what all of you so-called heroes are really after."
Tensei saw out of the corner of his eye that his phone had fallen out of his pocket, which was then stepped on and smashed by a spiked boot.
"You bastards are not heroes at all. But there is one exception... He's the only one with permission to kill me. Only All-Might is worthy."
Tensei could hear the Hero Killer disappear into the shadows as he continued to struggle to move in the pool of blood forming around him. A gasp was heard as relief went through him when he noticed his sidekick Enigma had arrived with the rest of Squad A before passing out from the pain...
DEVIL
As soon as Present Mic started the match, Koby moved toward Izuku at blinding speeds with Soru and delivered an Armament Haki-infused punch to his cheek, sending him flying into the stadium wall.
"Not bad!" Izuku commented as he used the [Spring-Spring Fruit] to bounce off the wall and straight at Koby and tackled him to the ground before bouncing off of him while holding onto his waist, switching to the [Gum-Gum Fruit] as his arms stretched before pulling Koby into the air with him.
"FIRE LEG!"
Koby quickly blocked with Armament Haki over his arms as Izuku delivered a flaming kick with the power of the [Flame-Flame Fruit] that sent him crashing back down to the stadium from mid-air. The Apprentice of Garp groaned as he picked himself up before seeing Izuku dive straight at him.
With surprising speed, Koby flipped back to his feet before catching Izuku by the leg and slamming him into the ground. Izuku moved to pick himself up and quickly jumped back to clear some distance, only for Koby to slam his knee into his gut making him gasp before flying back and landing on the grass.
Izuku then raced towards Koby, turning one of his arms into a sword as Koby jumoed back to his feet and swung forward, both of them pumping as much Haki as they could into their blows…
And then, while shockwaves rocked the stadium?
Their blows froze midcontact, a small crack of black and golden energy appearing in the air between the two smirking boys.
DEVIL
As Izuku and Koby clashed, their friends and classmates were watching with rapt attention as neither boy was giving the other an inch.
"Man, it won't matter which of them wins or loses, they're bound to attract all the pros' attention," Minoru noted.
"This is one exciting final rodeo, I'll give y'all that." Ellie smirked.
Suddenly, Tenya began shaking, freaking out his classmates.
"Don't worry. It's just my phone."
He was surprised when the number was his mom. He headed out to take the call.
"Mother, is everything alright? Sorry I couldn't give a better showing in the Sports Festival, but-"
"That's not why I'm calling...It's about your brother." He heard his mother on the other end, sounding close to tears. "He's in the hospital...A villain got Tensei."
Tenya felt his entire world slow to a crawl and the air become deathly cold around him. He fumbled trying to find his words and reply back.
"I-Is he alright?!"
"He's still alive, thank god. W-We're at Hosu General Hospital. He's getting the best treatment possible from Depestilous."
Hearing the name of the Plague Doctor Hero of the SCP Foundation eased Tenya's fears somewhat, but he was still left shell-shocked. His brother, who he had looked up to as an unshakable pillar...had been felled in battle against a Villain.
DEVIL
Back with Izuku and Koby, the two were still pushing their hardest on each other, blows battering each other's bodies and neither refusing to give the other a single inch.
Koby moved to give Izuku a punch to the stomach, only for him to counter with an uppercut to the jaw, sending him flying into the air. Righting himself, Koby then began rapidly swinging his legs, sending shurikens of razor wind at Izuku.
"RANKYAKU: SHURIKEN!"
Izuku used Kami-e to fluidly move around the air shurikens before squatting down and rocketing himself into the air with the [Magma-Magma Fruit]. Koby saw the attack coming and pulled his fist back before colliding it with Izuku, a burst of Conqueror's Haki blasting out from the collision and making everyone reel back in their seats.
"HOLY CRAP! I FELT THAT FROM HERE!" Present Mic exclaimed.
Koby then smirked as he clenched his hand around Izuku's fist, surprising the greenette before twirling around and delivering a suplex that slammed him into the ground hard. Quickly, Koby jumped back as Izuku picked himself up, coughing as he shook his head.
"Gotta say, I've been feeling those blows, Koby. And I can't exactly try to avoid them with my Logias because of your Haki output." Izuku then took a stance. "But I think it's time we finished this."
"I couldn't agree more!" Koby said, coating his fists in Armament Haki and punching them together while Izuku took a stance, pumping blood through his blood rapidly with the [Gum-Gum Fruit].
"GUM-GUM: GEAR SECOND!"
Koby jumped back and took a stance, focusing himself while Izuku shot his hand back, Armament Haki covering it as he twisted it around several times until it was super tight and began emitting wisps of flames.
After a brief stare down, the two launched their attacks at each other with everything they had.
"IZUKU!" Koby called out, using the image of his friend and his mentor's grandshon to force himself to power through his exhaustion. This boy, 'blessed or cursed with powers beyond imagination but with the same drive and grit Garp had? Koby had nothing but respect for him.
"KOBY!" Izuku reploed in kind, unable to believe but being elated this Quirkless boy proved he COULD'VE become a hero without the devil Fruit…and had the heart and grit he had hoped. Win or lose? Izuku would leave this arena happy.
"HONESTY IMPACT!"
"RED HAWK!"
Koby's attack struck Izuku in the cheek while Izuku's attack hit Koby in the stomach. The impacts were so powerful, that they released a massive explosive shockwave that echoed across the stadium.
Minoru cried as his small size meant he almost flew out of his seat, only for Hilda to catch him. Penny hugged herself close to Ben as he held her to make sure she was safe while the students of Class 1-B's jaws all collectively dropped.
When the dust settled, everyone gasped to see Koby and Izuku both slammed into the opposite walls behind them. Their eyes were white and their bodies limply peeled off before collapsing onto the grass. Neither one got up.
"I DON'T BELIEVE IT, FOLKS! AFTER THAT EXPLOSIVE FINAL MATCH, BOTH KOBY AND MIDORIYA KNOCKED EACH OTHER OUT! THIS BATTLE...IS A DRAW!"
The crowds went wild as Recovery Girl's Med-Bots came and carted Izuku and Koby to the nurse's office. Both Garp and Whitebeard let out bellowing laughs at the show their boys had given.
"Man, who knew someone could take down the Captain..." Makoto muttered.
"Well, Quirks and other superpowers aren't everything," Sumiko noted. "Sometimes, all it takes is grit and determination."
"Man, how is that dork so cool?" Yamato chuckled, referring to Koby.
"Whoever he gets with is definitely gonna be lucky to have him as a husband." Uta giggled impishly.
"And that's not even counting Izuku!" Marco pointed out.
Ochako couldn't help but blush from that, which didn't go unnoticed by Himiko and Mina, who both giggled at the brunette's flustered reaction.
"Um..." Kobeni nervously spoke up. "Has anyone seen Iida?"
DEVIL
Tenya had made his way to Hosu General Hospital to see how Tensei was doing. When he got to his room, he ran into none other than Depestilous himself.
"How is my brother doing?"
"He's doing well for the most part. I was able to use my [Cellular Manipulation], to heal most of his injuries." Depestilous said. "His muscles suffered from some sort of paralysis, not to mention I needed to replace almost 16% of his body's volume of blood."
Depestilous' Quirk was one of the best Healing Quirks around, on par with Recovery Girl's [Heal] and Ambrosia's [Bio-Repair]. It allowed him to manifest stem cells and accelerate cellular division to heal wounds, replace organs, and even bring the recently deceased back to life. It could also stimulate a body's immune system to let it more effectively fight off disease.
"He's well enough that he can receive visitors. Your mother is with him right now."
Tenya visibly relaxed when he saw that Tensei was looking well enough, in a somber sort of way. Thankfully, his older brother brightened considerably when he saw him.
"Hey, Little Bro..." Tensei smiled sadly. "Sorry, your big brother lost."
"That means nothing to me! I'm just glad you're okay!"
Tensei frowned. "Not sure how okay I'll be...Depestilous was able to heal the worst of my injuries but... My legs are gone. They can't move anymore."
Tenya felt numb when he heard this; without his legs, his brother couldn't be a Hero anymore.
"I could restore them to normal, but something about the one who attacked Tensei made him think."
"Who could have even done this?" Tenya asked helplessly.
"The Hero Killer," Tensei explained. "Before I blacked out, I was able to hear his motives; apparently, he has this warped idea of how heroes today only care about fame or money."
Hearing that made Tenya clench his fists tightly in anger. The Hero Killer had crippled his brother, ruined countless other lives...because he thought heroes weren't the shining paragons they were portrayed as in comic books?!
Tenya wasn't naive, he knew a lot of heroes didn't take the job for the most altruistic of motives, but they still did their jobs respectfully enough and there were plenty of organizations, including the SCP Foundation and Hero Association, that kept check on who they were enlisting as Heroes to make sure they weren't morally bankrupt criminals using the moniker to hide their dirty deeds.
"That's...That's RUBBISH!" He snapped. "If money is all they cared about, they could just as easily get another job! Those men and women out there fighting villains do so because they care about it!"
Tensei nodded, understanding his younger brother's anger.
"That's why I decided to go into early retirement. To send a message to Stain. He deliberately left me alive because he considers me an exception to his rule, but he still injured me to send a message that he never lets a target escape, alive or dead. He likely didn't realize that he could have crippled me for life, ending my career."
Tensei then gently held Tenya's hand, calming his anger.
"Tenya...I want you to inherit the mantle of Ingenium."
Tenya was shocked at this but somberly nodded his head in understanding.
"I will...but I need to bear the title my own way. I learned from some classmates of mine that I need to become my own Hero."
Tensei smiled. "That's all I ask, Little Bro."
DEVIL
"Shoto..." Rei Todoroki said, smiling warmly at her youngest child.
At the doorframe stood Shoto, with some fresh flowers in his hand and a friend by his side: Ben had begged to come along here, to apologize not only to Shoto but the bed ridden woman he no doubt scared half to death.
But a;; he saw ewas kindness amnd thanks in Rei's eyes.
Shoto couldn't remember the last time he had truly cried, but he was doing so now, walking over to embrace his mother as she returned the hug.
"I'm so sorry for everything. I guess I'm just a weak woman who can't stand seeing her children suffer."
Shoto sniffled. "I was weak too. I forgot the real promise we made all those years ago."
Ben smiled as he watched mother and son reunite from a safe distance by the doorway, his arms folded as he looked away to give them privacy.
DEVIL
"I actually passed out twice during the Sports Festival. Mostly due to dehydration." Inko admitted.
That evening, the Midoriyas had called and invited the Bakugo and Uraraka families over for a celebration dinner; not only for their children doing so well in the Festival, but also for the massive success of their entertainment plaza.
"Just watching it on the television didn't do it justice." Hisashi chuckled.
Masaru nodded. "I honestly was on the edge of my seat when Katsuki was fighting Yamato."
"Guess I rubbed off a little on ya, Kirby." Mitsuki laughed, ruffling the girl's pink locks. "You went pretty hard on that Asui girl."
"She prefers to be called Tsu or Tsuyu, ma'am."
"Hey! What did I say about that crap! Call me 'mom' or nothing else!"
"Now, now, Mitsuki…" Inko sighed, missing Armande chuckling as she stepped out for a smoke break.
"You were super cool and awesome, big bro!" Komeko cheered Izuku on, Eri nodding excitedly in agreement.
"You too, Ochacko-nee!" Eri beamed, making the Gravity girl beam.
After dinner, the three families all watched a replay of the Sports Festival on TV. It was great to get some downtime because very soon new challenges would be thrown at Izuku and his friends.
DEVIL
"This world is filled with hypocrisy. I will open its eyes, and those of its heroes."
These were the words of Chizome Akaguro, the Hero Killer Stain, as he was perched on a water tower overlooking the city of Hosu. Suddenly, his senses picked up and he turned to thrust his blade at whoever was behind him, only for it to teleport out of his hands and clatter uselessly on the floor.
"Hero Killer Stain...it is fate that we meet on this day." Van Auger said, joined by Laffitte, Burgess, Laffitte, and Kurogiri.
"So you wish to remove heroes from this world? Perhaps we can guide you to that end." Kurogiri noted. "We've been looking for you for quite some time now."
Knightmare Lord A/N:
The Sports Festival Arc is over and we can now move on to the next arc; Internships! Now we've got a lot of characters here but we could use some help on which heroes, crossover or canon, should fit for Izuku's Crew as well as Classes 1-A and 1-B. If you can give us any ideas, please say so in the comments!