Chapter 37: Who We Choose to Be

"I can feel the anticipation in the stadium!" Present Mic bellowed through the announcer's speakers as the crowd roared around us. "The moment you've all been waiting for has arrived, folks! These two competitors have smashed and ice blasted their way through the tournament to reach this point, this destined clash of rivals! The protege of our very own number one hero versus the son of the number two!"

Present Mic's words whipped the crowd into a frenzy, and if not for the in all likelihood permanent damage I had sustained to my eardrums throughout the day, I would have given him credit for his impressive oratory skills. Hearing the Voice Hero inhale deeply, I grimaced in preparation for the audial assault to come.

"FROM THE HERO COURSE'S CLASS 1-A, IT'S IZUKU MIDORIYA! VERSUS, HIS CLASSMATE, SHOTO TODOROKI!" The words were near deafening, and I could hear the speaker system strain under the decibels of Present Mic's almost certainly quirk-empowered introduction.

WIth his words, the delirium reached new heights and it felt as though the stadium itself was vibrating in tune with the crowd's furor. Even with a knot of anxiety chewing its way through my gut, I couldn't help but revel in the moment.

The ethicality of throwing children into what was effectively a gladiatorial arena to maim one another for a screaming crowd's enjoyment briefly gave me pause, but I disregarded the fleeting thought just as quickly. Adopting a dazzling smile, I flashed a two-fingered salute towards the crowd, earning an even greater swell of acclamation.

Leveling my gaze on my opponent, I marveled at how Todoroki managed to remain completely unperturbed by the situation.

Kids these days. I thought with a huff as I lowered into my combat stance.

"BEGIN!"

The frozen onslaught was instantaneous. Curling back my arm, I channeled ten percent and smashed my fist into the oncoming torrent of ice, shattering the nascent iceberg and propelling Todoroki into the pillar he had erected behind himself to prevent the wind pressure from ragdolling him out of bounds.

Clenching my fist in front of me, I exhaled, grinning widely at the cloud of fog that appeared due to the rapid drop in temperature.

Good thing the cold never bothered me anyway. I wonder if Shoto would get over his issues if I sang 'Let it Go' to him? I mused with a chuckle.

Thinking that my mirth was directed towards him, Todoroki scowled at my lackadaisical attitude before slamming his foot down once more. Another avalanche of solid ice erupted from the ground, rushing towards me at breakneck speed.

Swinging my left arm, I halted my opponent's latest attack as easily as I had the first. Undeterred, Todoroki repeated the attack, once, then twice, then a third time. By the time the sixth avalanche of ice broke against the might of One for All, Todoroki's movements had begun to visibly slow, and my smile began to fade.

The crowd had likewise quieted noticeably, their earlier enthusiasm for what was supposed to be the epic finale of an incredible tournament waning in the face of what appeared to be nothing more than an angry child raging against a storm. My opponent noticed the change as well, and Todoroki shouted wordlessly in frustration before another wave of ice rushed forwards at a much slower pace than those before it.

Channeling ten percent across my body, I leapt out of the way before pushing off the ground and covering the distance between Todoroki and myself in an instant. Shoto's eyes widened comically at my sudden appearance and he swung his right arm in desperation, ice crystals trailing behind his frost-covered arm.

Snorting at the pathetic display, I grabbed his wrist with my left hand, tightening my grip just enough to feel the bones begin to creak. Ignoring the ice beginning to form at the point of contact, I slammed my right fist into Todoroki's stomach at three percent, grimacing in mild disgust as he emptied his stomach across the concrete.

Taking care to limit my power output, I lazily tossed Shoto over my shoulder and across the arena. Flexing my left arm to break away the ice cast that had formed around it, I squared myself towards Todoroki and finally allowed my smile to disappear entirely, replaced by a hard frown.

Shoto staggered first to his hands and knees, and then to his feet, coughing and spluttering as he did so. Shooting me a glare of pure hate, Todoroki threw his arm across his body, sending forth yet another pitiful wave of ice. Not even bothering to activate One for All, I merely stepped to the side, allowing the ice to pass me by.

The crowd had fallen nearly silent at that point, and I could hear more than a few murmurs emanating from the stands. Even Present Mic's ubiquitous commentary had ceased. Their disappointment was palpable, and if Todoroki's reaction to my mien was any indication, so was mine.

Shouting out in frustration, Shoto yanked at the collar of his gym shirt.

"Just end it! Stop toying with me!" He screamed, angry tears beginning to form in his eyes.

My unimpressed frown dipped into an outright scowl.

"Funny, I could say the same thing to you." I replied stonily.

Shoto blinked in surprise before turning away sharply, his features twisting in a mixture of frustration and shame.

"What happened to your declaration of war? I thought you said you were going to defeat me?" I spat disdainfully as I began to leisurely make my way towards him.

Todoroki stumbled back in a panic, haphazardly conjuring a spear of ice to stem my advance. Not even bothering to close my fist, I smacked the offending object away with the back of my hand, diverting it into the far wall.

I came to a halt no more than a few paces away from Todoroki. Looking at him appraisingly, I noted that much of his body was now covered in frost and that he was trembling uncontrollably, though whether that was due to the cold, the rapid deterioration of his situation, or some combination of both, I wasn't sure.

"What happened to us being the strongest in our class, to you being my equal?" Looking down my nose at the shorter boy, I injected as much venom into my words as I could. "Because from where I'm standing, you aren't half the challenge Bakugou was."

Todoroki's panicked eyes sharpened at my words, and the faintest tail of fire burst from his left temple before extinguishing just as quickly as it came. Gritting his teeth, Shoto lunged forward, swinging his right fist at me wildly. Snorting at the pointless action, I channeled twelve percent. The moment his fist made impact with my jaw, Todoroki howled in pain.

Staggering backwards as he cradled his broken hand, Shoto glared up at me balefully.

"Why are you doing this?" He demanded.

I felt a pang of guilt at the hint of hurt in his voice, but quickly steeled my resolve.

I'm pulling your head out of your ass, dipshit.

"Once again, I could ask you the same. I was expecting a fight against Shoto Todoroki, a capable aspiring hero, a rival, and a man I respect, not-" I gestured towards him flippantly, a vicious sneer in place of my usual bright smile. "-whatever the fuck this is supposed to be."

Todoroki stared down at his feet, his trembling escalating into nearly uncontrolled shaking.

"I won't-"

"Won't what? Use your power? Am I so beneath you that you won't give it your all?" I cut him off, my voice laced with sarcasm.

Shoto's head shot up, his heterochromic eyes boring into me.

"Why the hell are you so intent on getting my fire? Did my monster of a father bribe you or something?" He hissed.

"Oh, that's right, I'm sorry. I forgot you don't like your fire." I spat mockingly. "You gonna tell civvies the same thing while you watch them die because you held back?"

Shoto reeled as if struck, and not for the first time, I found myself immeasurably relieved that Nedzu controlled the microphones arranged around the arena. No doubt the viewers both in the stadium and at home were displeased by the sudden muting of our voices and camera angles conveniently avoiding our lips, but they'd live.

Besides, it'll be worth it once we give them a show actually worth watching.

"You have to be willing to do whatever it takes to be a hero, even if it means sacrificing your own desires in order to save others." I continued.

Todoroki clenched his fists, and I could see his jaw working feverishly as he battled with his inner demons. Softening my voice and my expression, I took advantage of the confused silence that had fallen over the crowd since our one-sided bout had suddenly paused.

"Shoto." Todoroki met my gaze, and I smiled sadly at the fear and self doubt that warred on his face. "It doesn't matter how you came to possess Half-Cold Half-Hot. The circumstances of your birth are irrelevant. It's what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are, who you choose to be."

The raging storm in Shoto's eyes calmed at my words, and he lowered his head. For nearly half a minute, we remained still, the oppressive silence encompassing the stadium becoming more and more stifling with each passing moment.

Finally, just as I had begun to lose hope, the frost coating Todoroki's body began to dissipate, flaking off of his body or evaporating in great clouds of steam.

"I choose-"

Todoroki raised his head to reveal tears streaming down his face and a wooden smile. It was an inelegant and awkward thing, completely foreign to a boy who had never in his life smiled so brightly, and it was the most beautiful thing I had seen since coming to this world.

"-to be a hero!"

Todoroki erupted in a fountain of flame, the remaining ice on his body dissolving in an instant. Intense heat washed over me like a warm embrace, and I felt my mouth curve into a wide smile, mirroring Shoto's own.

"Even though you want to win this battle, you're helping your opponent. Now which one of us is screwing around?" Todoroki questioned from within the inferno.

The flames abruptly swirled around him, coalescing along Todoroki's left flank and revealing his manic grin.

"I want it too, Midoriya. I'll be a hero!" He proclaimed, his still flowing tears evaporating on his cheeks as quickly as they came.

My smile was so wide it hurt. Bringing my right fist to my heart, I raised my voice to be heard over the roaring flames and the rapidly reviving crowd.

"Give me everything you've got, Todoroki! Show me the strength of your heart!" I challenged.

"Don't blame me for what happens next." Shoto replied determinedly.

The fire emanating from his left side surged just as ice began to form at his right foot. The ice sizzled against the searing heat, but continued to grow exponentially nonetheless. I noticed Midnight and Cementoss begin to move out of the corner of my eye, but I paid them no heed.

Watching the symphony of ice and fire unfold before me, I marveled at its majesty for a moment longer before dropping into my combat stance. My heart was thundering in my ears and my blood sang. Not even when facing the Nomu at the USJ had I felt so alive.

One for All, Full Cowling, twelve percent.

Green lightning began to arc across my body as the familiar rush of pure power flowed through me, all pain lost in the sea of adrenaline pumping through my veins. Channeling thirty percent into my right leg, I pushed off the ground just as a torrential flood of ice crashed into where I had been standing. In the blink of an eye, I closed the distance between my opponent and I. Todoroki's eyes tracked me throughout, and he threw his left arm out behind him, a blinding white light forming in his palm. As I shot through Cementoss' hastily created barriers like a bullet through cardboard, the ice covering the stadium began to evaporate, and my smile softened into something truly genuine.

Show the world who you are, my friend.

"DETROIT-"

"Flashfire Fist-"

"SMAAAAAASH!"

"Jetburn."

Author's Note:

Todoroki's final move here is what will eventually become Flashfire Fist: Jet Kindling, but he hasn't actually created that yet. I trust I don't need to explain why he isn't spending time coming up with ultimate moves for his fire at this point in time. This is just a rudimentary copy of Endeavor's move. There will be more detail on that next chapter.