A/N: Well it looks like my recent writing frenzy has paid off. There is a lot of jumping around in this chapter, but I hope it's not bad.
A few of you had guesses in regards to the cliffhanger at the end of the last chapter. And one of you was correct.
I don't own MHA or Marvel.
He had won! That damned nerd was gone!
He was…gone?
Bakugo looked everywhere. Behind him, to his sides, even above him in case his foe had taken to the skies. But there was no sign of anyone else in the arena.
Midnight, who was just recovering from the blinding flash of the Stun Grenade, was just as confused. Technically, there was no sign that either contender was unconscious or out of bounds, yet only Bakugo was visible in the arena.
"Where are ya?" the blonde screamed. "Did you run away like the loser you are? Come back and let me beat you!"
Then the ground beneath him tremored. A soft but notable shaking grew into a rumble that threatened to knock him to his feet. Several threatening tendrils shot up in a circle around him like vines that were growing impossibly fast, then quickly wrapped around the blonde.
With no time to respond, Bakugo set off as many explosions as he could. Despite the fact that his hands were being held shut by the long, red appendages that wrapped him tight, his quirk was still effective enough to feel the grasp loosen ever so slightly.
Then he was thrown into the air, but not by his quirk. Just like the chunks of the battered arena that had been used to distract him, he flew in an arc and was less than gently slammed into the ground just outside the arena. Spittle spewed from his mouth as the impact knocked the wind out of him, and left him momentarily paralyzed by the sudden lack of air in his lungs.
And that was when Izuku decided to show himself. The winner emerged from the ground, his face covered in the red mass that he was known for, and his hands morphed into massive claws perfectly shaped for burrowing through even the tough cement that composed the fighting stage.
"Izuku Midoriya wins!"
Izuku took a deep breath.
Bakugo seethed.
Izuku returned to his seat in the stands, finding himself next to Tokoyami and Ochaco.
"That was quite a move," Tokoyami stated in his usual demeanor.
"Yeah! Man, every time I think I got you figured out, you whip out something new that throws us all for a loop!"
"It wasn't something I planned. Just a last minute idea that happened to work," Izuku replied with a shrug, watching as Todoroki froze Yaoyorozu in an impressive glacier.
"Nevertheless, it would appear that you and I are to be rivals again. It is quite surprising how many times fate has decided to pair us as friend and foe."
Dark Shadow squeezed between Tokoyami's back and the chair, forcing his host to lean forward and approached Izuku.
"Just so ya know, we ain't gonna go down without a fight! So you best bring it on Slimeball!"
"I think he's running out of insults. I've heard that one a few times recently. But we agree. A fight is what you'll get."
Izuku and Tokoyami observed Shinso and Shishida take the arena. The purple-haired teen began talking to his opponent right off the bat, which was followed by said opponent walking off the stage of his own volition.
The two silently got up from their chairs and returned to the waiting areas, both receiving cheers and good luck wishes from their classmates.
"Here it is folks! While not the final round yet, the two most verbal quirks we've even seen at UA are about to duke it out! Here comes Tokoyami, the one that revels in the dark with the help of his companion, Dark Shadow. And from the other side is Midoriya: The boy who, with the help of his friend, Scarlet, has come to see if his luck will run out! Let's get this party started!"
Izuku and Tokoyami stared each other down. Midnight asked for both to confirm they were ready. Once they did, she declared the beginning of the match.
"Dark Shadow, let us show them something we learn from them."
"You mean the Sabbath Armor?" Tokoyami nodded, and Dark Shadow draped himself over his host, acting as a helm and cloak that also granted Tokoyami large, dark claws.
"Well, I can't let you show us up. Scarlet? Let's start off with Red One."
Izuku's body began bleeding from everywhere. Long trails of crimson and black liquid oozed from his limbs and head, but quickly swirled around his body and coated his form. Soon he had transformed into a less frightening form that his classmates had seen in the first heroics lesson and again at the USJ.
"Your move," Izuku said as he made a gesture that dared Tokoyami to attack.
Bakugo was livid, to put it lightly. He was supposed to be the best; everyone had told him that for as long as he could remember. He believed it every time without so much as a second thought.
Then he came to UA, still riding the high of being better than everyone around him, and his world flipped upside down. He was still the best, but only at times. He had utterly dominated Stump Head and Purple Dwarf in the heroics class, but then that stupid nerd had to come in and one-up him almost every time after.
And now, in the greatest event of the year, in front of practically all of Japan and even a fair chunk of the rest of the world, he was not even going to make it to the podium.
Not even third place. Second would have been unbearable as is, but even third was out of his reach.
And for the cherry on top? The nerd had not even used his full power against him.
His teeth grated hard enough to risk stripping away the enamel and he could feel his fingernails digging into his palms.
Was he anywhere near as good as everyone told him he was? Would he have any shot of being the future Number One hero?
The very notion that the answers were both no could have sent him into a coma.
Tokoyami dashed forward, using his newfound power of flight to move inhumanly fast in the charge at his opponent.
Izuku's hand raised, and swung down. His palm made contact with Dark Shadow's coating and was pushed back by the sentient quirk.
"Gonna take more that than, Greeny!"
The paired comrades of darkness flew out of Izuku's reach. Or what they knew he could reach without the tendrils.
"Well then, guess I have to actually try now."
The red and black being placed his hands on the ground, and Dark Shadow dragged Tokoyami into the air. They had seen this move just moments ago and knew what to expect.
Or so they had thought.
In the brief moments that they were busy taking flight, Izuku had actually sprouted a pair of wings that ran down his arms and pushed off the ground with incredible force.
"Oh shit!"
Izuku managed to tackle his opponents in the air and re-angled himself downward, bringing all four of them crashing to the ground. Midoriya was quick to get up; Tokoyami and Dark Shadow not as fast.
"Ready to give up?"
Dark Shadow and Tokoyami both spat out a resounding, "no."
So the battle resumed.
Todoroki keenly observed his soon to be foe with eagle eye precision. He needed to memorize any potential move that could be used against him. Izuku was absurdly versatile with Scarlet at his side, but he had little doubt that he could overpower the two.
Once he beat Shinso, he would step into the ring and walk away victorious, proving to his old man that his ice was all he needed to win.
He would make sure to hammer into his father's head that the two of them were nothing alike.
Izuku rushed to Tokoyami's side. The battle had been a little more drawn out than he had expected, and a heavy tendril to the back of his feathered friend's head had sent the teen flying and landing limply.
There was still a pulse; he was just unconscious.
Izuku let out a sigh of relief, noting the medical droids that had been sent to retrieve the loser of the match.
But he could not rest now. He had one last fight, be it against Shinso or Todoroki. Either way, getting too comfortable could lead to a loss.
He was proud of himself to have made it this far, but just like everyone else, he wanted to win.
Soft orange flames added to the already well lit hallway the teen traversed to find his water bottle that was left in a waiting room.
"You are a strange one, Midoriya. Strange, but powerful. Once Shoto defeats you, he will just further his journey to taking All Might's place at the top."
Endeavor stood at the end of the hall, tall and threatening. Izuku could feel Scarlet cower ever so slightly at the flames dancing from the hero's skin.
"All he has to do now is accept who he is. If he can get over this long lasting tantrum he's been throwing, his fire will all but char you and your friend to a crisp."
"You know, Endeavor, I think a good parent would encourage his son to push himself with the limits they set upon themselves."
Endeavor scoffed loudly at the jab as the boy walked past him.
"After all, you wouldn't want another incident like that fire by your house, would you?"
Endeavor caught a glint in the boy's eyes. A glint that told him the child knew more than he would have wanted him to. Before the hero could scold the boy or demand an explanation, the boy ran off and ducked into a waiting room.
He would talk to Shoto about this later, though.
"You know, everyone here is more than aware of your relation to Endeavor."
Todoroki sneered and sent a glacier towards the boy. This one was much smaller than the ones in the previous rounds; he needed to save his energy for Midoriya.
Either due to his holding back or by sheer luck, the purple-haired teen barely avoided the attack and went back to talking.
"A lot of us think it's unfair. You were born into power, gifted a seat in UA without trying, and now you're just blowing through the competition. In fact, it's almost just like your father's story when he attended here."
Shinso knew he had struck a nerve, and took full advantage of the opening. The son of Endeavor started to spit out a retort, but went still as his quirk took over.
Shinso hated his quirk sometimes, always being told it was villainous, but he could admit he liked seeing the eyes glaze over when it came to cocky bastards that underestimated him and his lack of physical power.
"Normally I would tell you to just walk away. But I want to enjoy this. Why don't you…hmmm…bark like a dog first? Then leave the arena."
Todoroki could feel his body obey the command without hesitation. His vocal cords contracted as he made an embarrassing display of making dog-like noises in front of everyone watching.
Then his legs began to move. Against all effort he put into making them stop, against every scream that was trapped in his head, his body walked closer and closer to being out of bounds.
Then he slipped. A little slip on the ice he had made moments earlier brought clarity and a nasty panging sensation to the back of his head.
Todoroki turned to Shinso, absolutely furious. He could see his foe's panic through the remarks he made about him and Endeavor. Each comment stung, but all he knew was if he kept his mouth shut, he should be able to win.
"You're really ignoring me? You really are just like him!"
The bichromatic teen focused all of his hatred for the remark into a single blast. A glacier larger than any of the ones before it erupted from the ground and swallowed Shinso.
Only the boy's face was free of the ice that shadowed over the crowds and was visible even from outside the stadium.
Midnight declared the obvious winner and Todoroki approached his defeated opponent.
"Guess I really struck a nerve with that one, huh?"
Todoroki glared with every remark still fresh in his mind but willingly used his heat to melt the boy out of his prison.
Far more heat than necessary, but he knew Recovery Girl could heal Shinso's small burns.
Izuku stood just out of sight from the audience. This was the final round, and he knew Todoroki was not going to go down easy. Especially if his plan worked.
"Why can't we just brute force him out of the arena?"
"Because we need to get him to use his fire. Even if this is the most unhealthy way of doing so. Besides, there's a week's worth of chocolate waiting for you when we get home."
Scarlet needed more incentive. For as close as he and Izuku had gotten, he was less than a fan of the prospect of being burnt potentially past healing.
"As is, I'm going to need all the help you can give me."
Now he was intrigued.
Izuku heard Present Mic announce his name, so he steeled himself and returned to the arena yet again. Shoto stood opposite him, clearly wanting this to be over.
"I need you to do something." Izuku whispered, seemingly to himself.
"Yes?"
"Scare him. Scare him to the point that he has no choice but to fight with everything he has. Hell, feel free to rough him up to your heart's content. The only restriction is you are not to kill him, or anyone else for that matter. Are we clear?"
Midnight announced the beginning of the final match.
"Clear."
Scarlet felt Izuku relinquish all control over the body they shared. The unrestricted form, something not even Red Two could compare to, erupted into existence in the most horrifying display of self-mutilation most of the crowd had seen.
Scarlet stood in full glory, towering at nearly eight feel tall with limbs almost as long as Izuku's classmates. Razor sharp claws with exaggerated serrations flexed with unmatched power.
A laugh that stopped blood in the veins of many bellowed from the monster.
"Come, you little pest. Show me how little effort you are truly worth."
Todoroki's eyes widened at the jagged white eyes that stared from across the stadium. Teeth that could puncture all the way through his chest glistened in a smile that was anything but friendly.
Out of fear that he had not felt in so long, Todoroki sent as much power as he could muster into a glacier that rushed at Scarlet.
Just to be shattered to bits by a single blow.
The thing took a step forward. One step, but so much menace was in the motion.
Todoroki sent forth another wall of ice, just for it to be shattered like thin glass hit with a sledgehammer.
Scarlet took another step forward, like a predator that was toying with the meekest prey it could find. It spoke no words, but the sheer aura that it exuded did more than enough speaking to make up for it.
Multiple attempts at freezing the creature were made, and each attempt was met with devastating failure and one step closer by the thing.
Todoroki did not even notice the frostbite covering his right side.
Soon Scarlet was directly in front of him. A clawed hand large enough to wrap around his entire body darted directly at his face.
Survival instincts that had never been used kicked into overdrive. In a desperate attempt to stay alive, Todoroki let forth a fireball at the creature.
For the first time that fight, Scarlet retreated. Hisses and screeches no human or animal could hope to make nearly shattered his eardrums as the oily substance spasmed in painful looking contractions.
Then Scarlet fully receded, leaving a pained but otherwise fine Midoriya mere steps away from him.
"That felt good, didn't it?"
A/N: I hope this was decent. Let me know your thoughts, and feel free to check out my other works if you're interested. Take care everyone!