- .My Hero Academia: 180 degrees. -
29. Where All Might fights against Endeavor, and Uraraka seems down.
The flickering light from the television illuminated the living room, casting shadows on the faces of Fuyumi and Natsuo. Both were sitting on the couch, hands covering their mouths in disbelief. The news they had just heard was unimaginable, a sudden blow that left them speechless. Fuyumi felt her heart race, and without stopping to think about the implications, she jumped to her feet.
–Shoto! –she yelled as she ran down the hallway, her voice cracking with urgency–. Shoto, come quick! It's about Dad!
With her pulse pounding in her ears, she swung open the door to her younger brother's room, expecting to find him asleep. But what she saw left her frozen for a moment. Shoto was already awake, gently holding his friend Izuku Midoriya, who was fast asleep next to him. Shoto's arm lifted carefully, removing Midoriya's arms so as not to wake him. Noticing Fuyumi's presence at the door, Shoto motioned silently with a finger to his lips, indicating for her to stay quiet.
Fuyumi stood in the doorway, her thoughts swirling as she tried to process the scene before her. There was something tender about the way Shoto handled the situation, the way his expression showed no hint of discomfort, as if this was the most natural thing in the world. But before she could say anything, Shoto slowly got out of bed, his movements deliberate and gentle, closing the door behind him.
Fuyumi struggled to find words, but confusion still clouded her face. Seeing her so lost in thought, Shoto furrowed his brow slightly.
–Whatever you're thinking, stop it right now –Shoto said with calm seriousness–. You said something happened with Dad –he reminded her, snapping her out of her daze.
–Yes… yes, it's… Dad… –Fuyumi nodded quickly, grabbing her brother's hand and pulling him toward the living room with renewed urgency. The weight of the news hit her again.
...
20 minutes earlier.
All Might arrived at U.A.'s Training Ground Beta, running with the same spirit as always, though without the speed and energy that once defined him. Endeavor was already there, standing in the center of the empty arena, his imposing presence as unmistakable as ever, brow furrowed.
—I got your message. Sorry to keep you waiting —Toshinori said with a casual smile—. I had a ton of paperwork to get through at the office, you know. It's the only way I can help out while getting ready to teach next semester.
Endeavor glanced at him sideways, wearing that familiar expression of disapproval.
—I hate seeing you in such a pathetic state, All Might —he growled, his voice thick with irritation.
—Keep your voice down! —Toshinori replied, quickly looking around in nervousness—. You never know who might be listening.
Endeavor just grunted, and Toshinori sighed, running a hand through his hair.
—It's not like I have many options. I'd rather save my fifteen minutes a day for when I really need them.
—Use them now —Endeavor demanded, his eyes burning with defiant determination—. We're going to fight.
Toshinori took a step back, his eyes widening in disbelief.
—What? Are you crazy? This isn't the time or place for something like that —All Might replied, his tone more agitated—. And to be honest, I can't imagine agreeing to it any other time either.
—Are you scared? —Endeavor took a step forward, leaning in like a predator closing in on its prey.
Though still in his fragile form, All Might stood taller, meeting Endeavor's gaze without wavering.
—Only afraid of seriously hurting you —he responded, trying to ease the tension but with a subtle hint of challenge.
The challenge in Toshinori's words ignited something deeper within Endeavor. He took up a fighting stance, his flames enveloping him with an intensity that made the air around him hum.
—Prove it.
—Wait! —Toshinori raised his hands, genuinely surprised by Endeavor's seriousness—. What's with this attitude? Did I make you mad? Do I owe you an apology? Or is some villain manipulating you?
Endeavor narrowed his eyes, his voice erupting with long-held fury.
—You know I've always wanted to be the number one hero! And you, All Might, you're the one who stood in my way! You set the bar so high no one could ever reach it, but you made everyone believe they could be like you!
Toshinori looked at him, understanding the deep wound behind those words. But he also knew there was nothing he could do to change the past.
—It was never my intention to frustrate anyone —he answered sincerely—. I just tried to live up to the expectations and fulfill the mission I was given. As you already know... —Toshinori sighed— ...my power is the result of generations cultivating energy. It's unrealistic for anyone in a single lifetime to reach the level achieved over eight.
—Enough talking! —Endeavor shouted—. I want to know if the gap is as wide as I once thought. I want to see if I'm finally strong enough to face what made me give up before. All Might!
Trying to be more convincing, All Might transformed, his body swelling into his signature muscular form.
—Listen, Endeavor. I don't agree with some of your personal choices, but I've always respected you as a hero... —Toshinori tried reasoning once again, but before he could finish, a flaming punch slammed into him, sending him flying several meters back. He managed to steady himself just in time to dodge the next attack.
—Seriously? You're not going to stop? —he exclaimed, surprised by the intensity of the onslaught.
—Fight me, All Might! —Endeavor shouted, charging forward without pause—. Stop running away!
—Well... if this fight is what you need to calm down —he muttered to himself, his eyes filling with determination—. Then I'll show you a bit of my power! —All Might roared, launching himself into the fray.
The battle between these two titans escalated quickly. The training ground began to tremble under the weight of their unleashed powers. The air hummed with the heat of Endeavor's flames and the force of their strikes, as both fought not just to win, but to resolve something they had never been able to express in words.
—Unauthorized fight in Beta Field! —a small robot squealed from the corner of the arena—. Reporting to the principal...
In the principal's office, Aizawa frowned as he watched the screens. The monitors showed All Might and Endeavor locked in a battle that shook the foundations of the training ground.
—Is this for real?! —he muttered to himself, rubbing his temples—. What the hell are those two doing now?!
His voice was thick with exhaustion, but he knew intervening too early would be pointless. He left the screen on, waiting for the right moment to act.
Meanwhile, in the U.A. support course workshops, a group of students had noticed the commotion from the tremors on the grounds.
—What's that? —one asked, staring at the intense energy readings coming from Beta Field.
—Quick, send a camera drone! —another shouted, as the rest hurried to launch the small flying device toward the epicenter of the action.
The drone soared into the air, swiftly capturing footage of the battle between All Might and Endeavor. At first, the students couldn't believe what they were seeing, but after the initial shock wore off, they realized this was too incredible not to share. Within seconds, the images and live video began spreading like wildfire across social media.
U.A. students, shocked by what they were witnessing, began leaving their classes, gathering in the hallways, on rooftops, and balconies, trying to catch a glimpse of the live fight.
In the arena, Endeavor's relentless attacks gave no quarter, his flame-covered fists slicing through the air with a speed and force that made the ground tremble.
—Wait, Endeavor! —All Might called out, dodging one blow after another—. Do we really need to keep fighting like this? Let's talk!
—Don't give me orders! —Endeavor roared, launching a massive wave of fire—. I was always just one step behind you, but you'd pull ahead again, leaving me in the dust! Even now, I'm still in your shadow, and it feels like I'll always be there!
All Might paused for a moment, sensing the desperation in his opponent's words.
—Endeavor...
—Stop running away! Fight me! —Endeavor kept attacking, but there was more to his rage than just power. In his mind, Shoto's words echoed loudly:
"In the end, you couldn't do anything. I won't ask what you were planning if the time ran out and you couldn't find Dabi, because it doesn't make much sense for you to challenge All Might after all these years of giving up on that dream. I also believe you decided long ago that your job as a hero was far more important than your family."
With a roar, Endeavor charged forward, his flames exploding with full force. But All Might, moving swiftly, dodged the attack. The intensity of the blow dissipated into the air, as Endeavor panted, struggling to catch his breath.
—Why? —he growled, his voice trembling with a mix of fury and desperation—. Why did I have to choose this path? I lost everything! I couldn't even challenge you when my family needed me the most!
His words echoed across the empty field, and for a moment, everything stood still. All Might looked at him, feeling the weight of years of resentment and failure that Endeavor carried on his shoulders. He understood that this fight wasn't just about being number one; it was about a deeper wound, a quest for redemption with his family, and the desire to change the unchangeable.
—Endeavor... —All Might whispered, his eyes serious and filled with compassion— If this is the only way you can release what you're carrying inside, then I will be the one to take it.
The battle resumed, but this time it was different. Endeavor's flames roared with renewed fury, but All Might met them with an unshakable calm.
In one of the classrooms, Midnight was still trying to maintain order among the students, who were now standing out of their seats, eager to see what was happening.
—Wait! —she shouted, but her voice was barely heard over the noise—. Who am I kidding? —she sighed, giving up as she pulled out her phone—. I want to see this too!
At the Todoroki household, Shoto was sitting with his siblings, watching the broadcast on their television.
Even though the transmission had no audio, his father's flames were unmistakable, engulfing everything in their path, and each punch he threw resonated with a familiar force that made Shoto clench his fists.
—What are you doing? —he murmured to himself, his eyes filled with confusion and a mix of emotions that were hard to contain.
Yet, he couldn't tear his gaze away from the screen, watching as his father, who had spent his entire life trying to surpass All Might through him, now fought his rival as if his entire identity depended on it. The frustration in Endeavor's movements was palpable, as if each blow was a struggle against more than just the man in front of him.
Meanwhile, Midoriya, still in Shoto's room, had been awakened by the flood of notifications on his phone. Now fully awake, his heart raced. His first instinct was concern, knowing that a fight of this magnitude between professional heroes was strictly forbidden. Surely, All Might and Endeavor would face serious consequences from the Hero Commission later, but he couldn't ignore the whirlwind of emotions stirring inside him.
At a certain point, Endeavor seemed to be gaining the upper hand, and his mouth trembled open without remembering he was in Todoroki's home.
—¡All Might! —he shouted, his fanboy excitement overflowing as he watched the hero he still greatly admired, fighting with an intensity he hadn't seen in a long time.
From another part of the city, Bakugo, who had also been alerted by the event going viral, clenched his phone with a mix of fury and excitement.
—¡All Might! —he roared, his face illuminated by the broadcast, his gaze locked on the battle—. ¡I'll be the only one to surpass you! ¡So don't lose!
At the same time, from a tall building in the city, Hawks was watching the fight on his own screen, though his attention was more focused on the other combatant.
—Endeavor? —he whispered, a crooked smile on his lips—. Always putting on a show... but... honestly... I want you to win. Don't give up... Endeavor!
From the shadows, Dabi was watching too, but his gaze was filled with something much darker.
—Fight, old man... —he murmured, a sinister grin on his face—. ¡Endeavor!
In the arena, the battle reached its climax. Both heroes, panting and exhausted, remained standing. The training ground was wrecked, the air hot and vibrating with energy. Finally, Endeavor fell to his knees, his flames dwindling to a small spark.
All Might, equally tired but still able to walk, approached him and extended a hand.
—Not everything is lost, Endeavor. You still have time to fix whatever's wrong. But maybe you can't do it all on your own, and you can't keep fighting against ghosts.
Endeavor looked up, his eyes filled with exhaustion. However, he accepted All Might's hand, slowly getting to his feet.
The drone that had been recording the entire event slowly descended, capturing the final scene, only to be suddenly wrapped in capture tape until it was destroyed.
Later, in the principal's office, Aizawa watched All Might and Endeavor, both standing in front of him, their faces shadowed, unsure of what to say.
—Well? —Aizawa asked, not bothering to hide his exasperation, which went far beyond mere anger—. Do either of you have any excuses to offer me?
All Might scratched the back of his neck, uncomfortable.
—If it helps... he started it —he said, trying to ease the tension with a bit of humor.
Aizawa let out a deep sigh, knowing that now he would have to deal with the fallout from this, both inside and outside U.A.
...
Later at the construction site, the volunteers and workers were still excitedly discussing the recent events.
Of course, Izuku had anticipated that they would ask him about Todoroki as soon as he arrived, and somehow, he still felt guilty for having enthusiastically shouted All Might's name, unaware that Todoroki, in that very room, had been on the verge of hyperventilating as he watched his father on TV. That had definitely killed any enthusiasm he had to talk about the subject.
—Todoroki... took a few days off from school to avoid the press harassment —Midoriya explained briefly.
—Makes sense —Kirishima mused, crossing his arms—. I can't even imagine what it's like to be related to someone so famous. Maybe that's why All Might never had a family.
At school, the situation was the same, and the only time Midoriya didn't hear anything about the fight between All Might and Endeavor was when Mr. Yagi picked him up in his car after school to go have lunch together, as they had planned.
Naturally, Izuku was worried just seeing him. Even though Mr. Yagi didn't want to give him details about the "accident" he mentioned or why his face and body were so injured, that concern quickly faded when Izuku began to suspect what those "topics" Mr. Yagi wanted to discuss were really about. What started as a casual chat about life turned into something much more awkward.
'He's giving me the talk!' Izuku thought in shock halfway through the meal, with mixed feelings as he realized where Mr. Yagi's subtle questions about how things were going with girls lately and advice on handling different situations were leading. He couldn't help but turn red at several points in the conversation, especially when Yagi told him not to feel pressured into doing anything he didn't want to if a girl tried to push him and that he shouldn't rush into expressing his feelings if he wasn't sure, as they could change easily in the early stages of a crush.
The next day, when Izuku was still feeling incredibly nervous about the conversation and unsure if he could ever look Uraraka in the eyes again, that issue was suddenly overshadowed when Ojiro informed them that since the night of the party at Aoyama's mansion, Hagakure hadn't returned home, and her parents were now searching for her with the help of the police.
Taking into account the footage captured by the security cameras at Aoyama's mansion, Uraraka was questioned that day. Of course, everyone testified in her favor, corroborating that she had left with them after the party. Naturally, Uraraka mentioned that the only person who came to mind and who could have taken her identity to kidnap Hagakure was Himiko Toga. However, she had no idea why Toga would have done it.
Since that incident, Izuku had noticed how Uraraka's smile had lost its shine. Although she tried to keep up an optimistic front while the investigation continued, both he and Tsuyu could see the shadows in her eyes, the weight she carried from what had happened. The topic of Hagakure's disappearance lingered in everyone's mind, but it was clear that Uraraka and Ojiro were more affected by it than they let on.
Midoriya felt powerless, and although he tried to help the same way he had with Todoroki's mother, the fact that Hagakure was invisible most of the time made everything significantly more complicated. Even though Uraraka had assured him she was fine, he couldn't shake the constant unease he felt. He knew her laughter, her jokes, and her cheerful behavior were just a facade to keep everyone from worrying.
After days filled with tension, a moment of calm finally arrived when they finished repairing the bridge. Uraraka's father invited everyone over for onigiri to celebrate the end of the project. It was a quiet morning, and the group gathered in the common work area, but Izuku couldn't take his eyes off Uraraka, who had distanced herself slightly from the others, gazing thoughtfully at the horizon.
Filled with determination, Izuku decided it was time to talk to her again.
—Uraraka —he said softly, trying not to startle her as he approached from behind.
She turned around and smiled at him, but that smile didn't reach her eyes. Midoriya felt a knot form in his stomach.
—Ah, Deku —she replied—. What's up?
Suddenly, a bold idea took hold of Izuku.
—Do you... want to take the day off with me?
Uraraka blinked, looking at him in surprise, taking a moment to process what he had just said.
—Huh? You mean... like skip school today?
Izuku closed his eyes tightly, wondering if he was doing the right thing.
Author's Notes. -
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