Chapter 18
"I don't like this," grumbled a certain bow hero.
Ren let out a long, annoyed sigh as he knew what Itsuki was talking about without having to look. Right now, the two of them were outside of the stadium, enjoying the festival atmosphere as well as trying to talk with some of the pros that were around. While the two had gotten several offers already for future work studies with some pretty high-ranking pros after the USJ incident, it never hurt to keep an eye open for other potential offers. Perhaps they could run into one of the top heroes in the country and see if they would be willing to extend an offer as well. After all, wasn't one of the first years related to the number two hero?
For a moment, Ren stayed quiet as he tried his best to enjoy his food. Hopefully, Itsuki would drop it.
He was, sadly, out of luck.
"What were they thinking allowing him to compete like this?" continued the bow user, his hands balling into fists.
"Itsuki, just drop it," was all Ren said with another heavy sigh as he felt his appetite leave him. As such, he tossed the remainder of his snacks into the trash and, when he turned around, it was just in time to see Ituski turning towards him with a look of distraught in his eyes.
"How can you say that?" demanded Itsuki. "Doesn't it bother you to know that we have a villain in our school? Justice needs to be dealt upon him!"
Itsuki then turned with his bow in hand as he began heading towards one of the student entrances for the stadium with one of the large screens displaying the Festival right above it. Yet before he could get too far Ren reached out, grabbing his arm and pulling him back. At first, the bow hero looked surprised by this but soon began glaring at the sword wielder in disgust.
"Let go of-" the bow hero began, but his companion cut him off.
"I'm keeping you from doing something stupid," hissed Ren while tightening his grip slightly to make a point. "Like that stunt you and that fool Motoyasu did. How did you think that would turn out? That the two of you would be praised for attacking a student right at the entrance of the school?"
Itsuki stared at Ren for a moment, the words stumbling out of his mouth being nothing more than an incoherent mess. Ren knew just how much that incident had cost his classmate. Losing one of his precious three chances to showcase what he could do before the world, hampering his work-study, and the clean-up he would have to do after today's events. As well as the next day and the day after that. After another moment or two of this, Ren let Itsuki go.
"If you want to go and deal out your idea of 'justice', then I won't stop you," continued the sword hero quietly. "But don't be surprised if it ends up costing you far more than just cleaning up a stadium all by yourself. I heard that Motoyasu almost got expelled for attacking Midoriya the way he did. The worst that's going to happen to him is attending a hearing to see if his provisional license will be revoked. But other than that, he's lucky to just have to pay for the windows he broke and sit out his last internship to have special lessons with Principal Nezu. But if you ask me, Nezu might not be so lenient if Midoriya gets attacked during the Sports Festival where the whole world will be watching. Especially when he's done nothing obviously wrong."
Itsuki looked Ren dead in the eyes with a look that screamed he had found his voice.
"It's not right," growled Itsuki. "Nezu is not listening to reason! It doesn't matter why he did it, Midoriya attacked Malty who's practically a civilian compared to people with our level of training! That's the difference between us. Villains like that need to be dealt with! But did that happen? No! He gets to walk around the school like nothing happened with nothing hanging over his head. Us? We attack him to keep him out of the school, like what should have happened to him, and we get punished!"
Ren just let out a sigh, his eyes moving towards one of the nearby outdoor screens attached to the stadium. On it, he could see Midoriya clear as day as he walked back with that brown-haired girl that Motoyasu liked. Well, one of them at least. He still thought it was more than a little creepy that Motoyasu was also pining for a little girl who was hanging around Midoriya. As Ren continued to look at the shield teen, he had to be perfectly honest with himself: Malty could get on a lot of people's nerves. Heck, he would be able to forgive Midoriya for what he did if he just manned up and admitted it along with an apology to Malty. But instead, he just kept denying it like a child.
"I get that it bugs you," said Ren at last, knowing full well that Itsuki had a pretty twisted sense of 'justice' at times. "But Principal Nezu must have a good reason for keeping Midoriya here at the school. Maybe he's just following some rule that says he can't suspend or expel Midoriya until the investigation is over. Or, there is something else going on. I've heard rumors that Midoriya might be a spy for the people who attacked the USJ. The League of Villains. I don't believe that but maybe they do. Perhaps that's why Nezu is keeping him here, hoping to feed him some false information or something that will lead to their capture. Or it could be for something else important. But, regardless, the…animal is just enforcing the rules."
For another moment, Itsuki just stood there before walking away with his back facing the building.
"Fine then," growled the bow user with a huff. "But if he is a spy, then it'll be our job to stop him. And justice will be on my side."
-x-
At the same time, the first years were being given some time for a quick meal break as well as to get some rest before the final competition of the Sports Festival began. This also allowed the people in the stands to stretch their legs and visit the numerous food stalls around the stadium. Walking at the back of the pack of students, Izuku had no idea what would be worse for him: the silent glares from everyone within the cafeteria or going outside and taking the chance that people would start throwing stuff at him. In the end, he knew that he could sit with the people he knew he could trust. That he could chat with them in order to take his mind off his troubles. And if it was getting too much for him then Izuku could just take his meal and eat it elsewhere.
As Izuku began pondering about other places he could eat his meal with his friends, both Raphtalia and Filo walked beside him. Filo had been waiting for them at the gate, having been brought there by Snipe. The gunman hero had apparently brought her there at the end of the first round and kept her close. Due to being in her human form and holding onto Snipe's hand, the students who passed her by after the second round (and were not in 1-A) probably thought she was Snipe's daughter or niece as they gave her a quick questioning look before moving on. When she had spotted Izuku, whatever patience she had flew out the window as she rushed over to him and gave the green-haired boy a big hug. Now, as they all walked together, the Filolial girl was practically bouncing with each step as they walked, beaming happily at Izuku with excitement in her eyes.
"Master, you were so wonderful out there!" exclaimed Filo.
"What about me?" asked Raphtalia. "What do you think about how I did?"
"Hmm, I suppose you did alright," replied Filo as she gave Raphtalia a look. "But just know that I helped out Master far better than you did!"
"Hey, that's not nice!" cried Raphtalia.
"No fighting! Please," begged Izuku as he felt his shoulders slump while watching the two give the other a heated look before quickly looking away. Seeing this, the young man brought a hand to his face, his eyes becoming half-lidded as an exasperated look took over his face. This had been going on for a bit, with Raphtalia and Filo fighting over the littlest of things like they were competing with each other. What they were competing for, he had no idea. All he knew was, right now, it was another thing he had to worry about on his already large list of issues.
By the time Izuku began to lower his hand from his face, the students were already splitting up from the group as they began making their way down the various hallways. Some took off at a quickened pace down the path that would bring them to the cafeteria while others, especially those who had been knocked out from the rest of the Festival, decided to get some comfort food outside. There were even those who were heading back to places like the locker room or just wanted to wander around the stadium for a bit. One of those people was Ururaka who wanted to find a quiet place for a bit so that she could call her parents.
Seeing that both Kirishima and Tsu were heading to the cafeteria, Izuku thought that talking to more of his friends might help him feel a bit more at ease. He just hoped that Filo wouldn't eat everything there as the girl's stomach was practically a bottomless pit!
Very soon, it felt like it was just Izuku's group within the hallway as their steps seemed to echo through the deserted corridor. That is, however, until they reached the halfway point where a fiery light could be seen coming out of an adjacent hallway. For a moment, the group paused collectively thinking that a fire might have been started. That was until they heard a voice that was familiar to everyone except Filo, one that they had all heard at one point or another from the news or a talk show.
"You were pathetic in that last round! You just stood, carrying that purple-haired child on your shoulders Shoto!" As the voice roared loudly, flames could be seen spilling out along the edges of the walls and ceiling before quickly receding like the waves of the ocean. Slowly, the group quietly moved towards the entrance to the hallway before peaking around the corner. There they all saw Todoroki standing before a man who towered over him with a flaming beard and eyes so cold that they chilled the soul. All of them, except Filo, knew who this person was: Endeavor, the number two hero in Japan.
And Todoroki's father.
"I don't know what happened," said the younger Todoroki. "One moment that kid from General Studies was talking to me and the next moment the round was over. I think…I think he might have used his quirk on me."
Todoroki's voice was filled to the brim with defiance as he stared up at his father, hands clenched into fists. But, there was more to it as all the heroes in training could see that their classmate's body was tense. As if he was expecting a more physical fight to break out at any moment.
"So you fell under the influence of someone else's quirk before the match even began? That's even more disgraceful!" scoffed Endeavor.
That stirred up something within Todoroki as when he spoke next, there was a thick amount of hatred in his voice. "You are calling me disgraceful? After everything you have done to our family? After all the years I suffered under your abuse which you called 'training'? What you drove mom into doing?! Because it looked too much like your own face?! You DARE call me disgraceful?!"
Izuku watched in horror as when Todoroki spoke about his mother, he pointed to the scar on his face. Around him, he could feel others tense as Kirishima's fingers dug into the wall while Raphtalia's tail stood up with the fur standing on end. Even Tsu showed one of her rare facial changes to express how horrified she was. While none of them had confided with each other, they had all at one point or another wondered how Todoroki had gotten that scar on his face. Now, they had some sort of idea and it was not sitting well with any of them. Made all the worse as Endeavor just stood there, arms crossed against his chest, as he looked down at his son with callous eyes. Then, when the man finally spoke, he did so in a manner that seemed to disregard everything his son had told him as if it was beneath his notice.
"Shoto, I did not come here just to chastise you for the last round," said Endeavor. "Frankly, I find your entire performance in this Festival has been subpar. Far below what I could even consider passable. This is your chance to show the world that my greatest creation can exceed that fool All Might. When will you cease this childish rebellion of yours and use your other side?"
As Endeavor spoke, a wave of sickening unease swept over Izuku. And, as the number two hero finished speaking, Izuku couldn't take it anymore. He began to move, ready to go out there and defend his classmate. He could also tell that Kirishima wanted to do the same if the sound of the redhead's hardening was any indication. However, before either of them could move, a hand took hold of both boy's wrists. Turning, they say that it was Tsu who was shaking her head at them before gesturing that they should move on. With great reluctance, the group complied.
"Sorry, but there's not a lot we can do in a situation like this. Ribbit," said Tsu once they were far enough away. "I know it's not a pleasant thought."
"She's right," agreed Raphtalia. "Even if we confronted Endeavor, I doubt that it would amount to anything."
"Damn it!" cried Kirishima, punching a fist into an open palm. "I just want to punch him so hard in the face for what he said! Instead, I'm running away with my tail tucked between my legs. Not manly at all!"
"Then it's a good thing we're walking away," stated Tsu. "I'm pretty sure we'd all get in trouble for causing a scene at the Sports Festival. Especially now after they had to ramp up security. Ribbit. Not getting to compete in the final round would be the least of our worries. I know it might not sound like much, but we could tell a teacher about what we overheard."
"Tsu's right," added Raphtalia. "I'm not sure they would be able to do anything, but at least they would be aware that something was going on in the Todoroki family. Maybe we could tell Midnight? I'm sure she could try to discreetly extend a hand to Todoroki."
While Kirishima looked doubtful that someone like Midnight could do anything discreetly given her costume choices over the years, Izuku lowered his head in shame. As much as he wanted to protest against what Tsu was saying, he knew deep down that she was right. That there really wasn't much a bunch of first-year students could do right now. And he hated the fact that there was nothing he could do. Hated the idea of knowing someone, whether he knew them or not, was going through something horrible and having no idea how to help himself. Was there anything he could say to Todoroki? Anything he could do? The only real comfort he got was that, if they talked to the teachers, perhaps he could learn how to handle these situations better in the future.
"Master?" said Filo suddenly, tugging on Izuku's pants leg to get his attention. "What did that man mean when he said that boy was his creation? He's supposed to be his dad, right?"
The group tensed at Filo's innocent question. A look was shared that said they all had an idea what the pro hero meant. And just thinking about it, knowing what they now knew, was enough for bile to rise up in Izuku's throat.
"Well, ah, I don't know for certain," began Izuku nervously. "But I think it has to do with something called quirk marriages. Basically, someone would seek out a partner who had a specific quirk they wanted in the family. So they could have children with stronger quirks."
After saying this, Izuku bit his lower lip as he began to wonder just how many times Endeavor had children with the mother of his classmate. And just how many of them failed to meet that man's standards.
-x-
At the same time, Mineta found himself looking down at the stadium floor as he leaned against one of the higher railings. High enough so he could see everything while being close enough so he wouldn't have to squint to see all the things he wanted to. There were so many delectable beauties down there on the field. Some of the hero students were running around, sweating slightly causing their uniforms to cling a little tighter in certain places. More so for the General Studies students, who looked winded yet were doing their best to play the games and impress the crowds.
"Oh yeah, now this is the best part of the Festival," said a voice next to Mineta. Looking over, he saw the third-year student who had saved them at the USJ. With his spear on his back, Motoyasu Kitamura was looking down at the same things he was looking at with drool escaping the corner of his lip. "Yeah, looking at these hotties really helps you forget all your worries."
"Tell me about it," agreed Mineta with a chuckle.
"Oh, look over there," said Kitamura as he pointed at a General Studies girl. Said girl was opening up her jacket, revealing a black t-shirt that was really clinging to her due to the sweat. Seeing a girl with a rack nearly the same size as Yaoyorozu was super sweet!
"Oh man, I bet she would look great in one of those American cheerleader uniforms," said Mineta in a dreamy tone as he remembered the women who showed up at the beginning of the Festival. He couldn't wait to rewatch them later.
"Dude, you are a genius," exclaimed Kitamura as he leaned a bit closer. "In fact, why stop at just her? Wouldn't it be a blast to see all the girls here in cheerleader costumes? Just think about it?"
Mineta did think about it as drool began pouring down his mouth. He imagined all the girls in 1-A and 1-B walking out onto the field in those bright orange uniforms with super short skirts. They would then begin to go through the same routine as the Americans, kicking their legs up high into the air. And with him being so short…hehe! Oh, now if only he could get them to cheer his name.
"I think we can make that happen," said Mineta as he began thinking with a different head. "There's this one girl in my class. She's like super book-smart but also super gullible. If I tell her that Mr. Aizawa informed us of a special cheerleading event for the girls, she'd fall for it and make some costumes with her quirk!"
"That would be amazing!" declared Kitamura with lust in his eyes. "I would finally get to see Raphtalia in a super revealing outfit!"
"Yeah and-"
"Along with Filo!" continued the spear user, interrupting Mineta. "I'd love to see her like that before taking her away all for myself!"
"What?" was all Mineta could say as he turned to look at the taller teen with wide eyes and an expressionless face. Yes, Mineta was a shameless pervert, but even he had some standards! Like you don't go after minors who were also really birds!
"Yeah, Filo is just so perfect. Isn't she?" continued Kitamura. "I'm so glad I found another like-minded lover of all women. I think this is the beginning of a wonderful partnership!"
"Dude," said Mineta, his eyes still wide as he backed away. "I can't be seen around you." With that, Mineta left in a hurry.
-x-
After getting their food from the cafeteria, it was suggested that they head out to the Filolial stable and eat there instead. Kirishima, the one who had brought up the idea, was eager to show off his dragon with Tsu agreeing saying it would be nice to get a change of scenery. Izuku, however, had a feeling there was more to it. Only, he didn't know if they just felt uncomfortable eating in the same room as Todoroki after accidentally listening in on his conversation with his father or the fact that ever since then entered the room most of the people there were shooting heated glares at the green-haired youth. Heck, it might even have been a combination of everything! Still, Izuku agreed, grateful to be out of there.
With their food boxed up, Filo getting several stacked onto each other from Lunch Rush, the group made their way towards the stables. While they would have to go outside to get there near where the food stands were, they wouldn't need to go through that area at all. At best, they would be moving along the outer edge of the crowd.
When they got there, the group was met with an odd sight. There, jumping up and down while trying to reach the ledge of one of the windows, was a girl with long blue hair that was tied on both sides of her head. Each time she landed, mud would splatter on her shoes and dress which even people like Izuku and Kirishima could tell was really expensive. But that didn't seem to matter to the girl as she just continued to jump.
"Ah, can we help you?" asked Izuku.
Surprised by the voice, the girl nearly stumbled onto the ground and the mud right below her, only to be stopped as she landed on Izuku's Air Strike Shield and Tsu's tongue wrapping around her waist. Once she was back on her feet and the two heroes in training had deactivated their quirks, the girl turned to smile at them.
"Thank you very much heroes," said the girl warmly and with a sincere smile.
Izuku smiled at her very polite tone as Tsu, being the class rep, stepped forward.
"Well, technically, we're not heroes yet. Ribbit," replied the frog girl. "Not full ones anyways. But you know you shouldn't be here, right?"
The girl looked embarrassed, her head lowered to look at the ground while digging her shoe in the mud a little bit. Then, after a moment or two of silence, the girl raised her head. It was like, at that moment, she suddenly realized that she was talking to hero students with her eyes widening while she took them all in. Izuku could see her eyes focusing on Tsu first before looking at the rest of the students one by one. Then, when her eyes fell upon Izuku's shield, she let out a gasp before rushing towards.
"You're Izuku Midoriya!" she cried with excitement. "The hero with the Legendary Shield quirk! The hero with that amazing Filolial! Please, excuse my behavior! My name is Melty and I was hoping to get a closer look at your Filolial during the break."
"Really?" asked Izuku, blinking in surprise.
Melty placed her hands on her cheeks as she began to gush. "Yes! In truth, I love all Filolials. They're simply amazing creatures. But when I saw yours, I found it so very hard to stay in my seat. It just looked so beautiful that I knew I had to get a closer look! So as soon as the break started I slipped away from my group to come down here and have a look!" She then turned to look at Izuku, her eyes sparkling. "So, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, could I see your Filolial? Maybe even touch it? I brought snacks to-"
"Snacks?!" cried Filo as her eyes lit up, turning to look at Izuku with a pleading face with a bit of drool escaping her mouth. Clearly, despite still having plenty of food from the school, she wanted more. While Raphtalia let out a huff and began to chastise Filo, Izuku found himself sweating under the two gazes of the younger girls. He began to wonder if this was how it felt for other heroes when younger fans asked for their autograph or when he begged his mother to buy his most recent All Might action figure.
Finally, after giving it some thought, Izuku relented.
"Alright," he said with a soft sigh.
Both Filo and Melty cheered, big smiles on their faces. Quickly turning, Filo rushed over to the door to enter in the code while Raphtalia moved closer to Izuku so that she could whisper in his ear.
"Are you sure that's a good idea to let her see Filo's Filolial form?" she asked while Kirishima and Tsu moved in closer as well.
Before answering, Izuku began to scratch the back of his head as he watched the two younger girls head into the stable.
"I'd be lying if I said I was a hundred percent ok with this," he admitted. "But, I figure it would be better than having Filo transform outside where other people might see her. I mean, you saw the way she looked when Melty mentioned snacks. Plus, it might be good for Filo to make friends with people around her age. Or one that looks around her age."
"But what if she freaks out or-" began Raphtalia only to be interrupted by a sudden burst of smoke escaping the stable.
"OH MY GOD!" exclaimed Melty. "FILO! YOU'RE AMAZING!" Everyone turned to look at the door, spotting Melty running around a now transformed Filo as she ran her hands through the bird's feather with a massive blush on her face. Seeing that the cat was already out of the bag, the group entered the stable to both eat their meals and watch the two young ones.
The rest of their break was honestly one of the more pleasant lunches Izuku had at school since the Malty incident began. Any worries that Izuku had about Melty telling anyone else about Filo were quickly dashed as the girl honestly told him that she would never want to do anything that would put Filo in danger. That as well as liking the fact that she was part of a special group that kept this secret. So the group ate their meals with Kirishima talking about how manly his dragon was already and all the training he was planning on putting him through. And it got a laugh out of everyone when Filo gave the redhead the stink eye as she thought it was insulting that he would consider that a dragon could be better than a Filolial. Something that Melty agreed with.
Little did they know, however, that while they were in the stables a certain redheaded girl was staring at the closed door as she bit her thumb.
'Damn it!' growled Malty internally while her eyes narrowed. 'Why is she here today of all days? Did mother send her here to keep an eye on me?'
Malty bit her thumb a bit harder, nearly drawing blood. She had noticed Izuku and his little group from a distance, speaking with a girl near the smelly stables. For a moment, she had thought that she had hit the jackpot as she planned on causing some more trouble that would have gotten Izuku in trouble. All it would have taken would be the right amount of framing her words and she would have had the crowd eating out of the palm of her hand. Then the heroes would have to remove Midoriya from the Festival. On live TV no less! But before she could even come up with the foundation of a plan on how to go about this and what she would say, Malty saw who that girl really was.
'Daddy told me he wasn't going to make an appearance at the Sports Festival, so if she's here then Mother probably sent one of them here to watch her,' continued Malty in her head as she began looking from side to side. 'I'll need to be careful and-'
"What are you doing?" came a sudden voice from behind her.
Malty let out a scream of fright, jumping at the calmly asked question. With wide eyes, she turned around with her arms raised, ready to defend herself from any possible threat. Especially since the voice she had heard was not a woman's voice, but rather a male's. And one she knew all too well and found rather annoying. What Malty saw when she turned around wasn't something she hadn't seen before, though it still shocked her every time she did. There, sticking out of the school wall directly behind her was a head. The head belonging to a hero in Motoyasu's class: Mirio Togata.
"Haha," laughed a still nervous Malty, beads of sweat running down her face while she kept her arms up. "Oh nothing. Just out for a walk. Stretching my legs. By the way, what are you doing here?"
"Well what do you know?" exclaimed Mirio, smiling brightly at her as he spoke. "Great minds think alike!"
-x-
Later, after finding out the brackets for the final round of the Sports Festival and the winding down of the recreational games, Izuku found himself sitting alone within the waiting room going over everything he knew. He was up first, going up against the teen who had possibly been controlling Todoroki: Hitoshi Shinso. Izuku honestly didn't even know how he had been controlling his classmate, but as he thought back to how Todoroki was acting in the last round and from what the teen had told his father, he was willing to bet it was some sort of mind control. How it was activated, he was left in the dark. His only clue was that, according to the fire and ice user, he had been talking to Shinso and then his mind went blank. So perhaps there was some sort of verbal component? Maybe getting the target to say something specific, responding to a question, or answering a question incorrectly? If that was true, then all Izuku had to do was end the match as quickly as possible without saying a word.
If he could do that, then he would advance to the second round and face Todoroki. Given how powerful Todoroki's quirk was, he didn't think that his opponent, Ibara Shiozaki, stood much of a chance. After that, it would be Ochaco Uraraka against Setsuna Tokage. The fourth round would have Kirishima going up against the beast-like man of 1-B: Jurota Shishida. Once that was over, Tsu would be fighting Tokoyami. Ashido's battle would then begin against Juzo Honenuki. Then, would come some of the battles that Izuku was more personally interested in. Those being Raphtalia vs Togaru Kamakiri followed by Kacchan against the last member of 1-B: Pony Tsunotori.
As Izuku ran down the list of his opponents in his mind, going over the ones he knew and how best to defeat them, a hand reached down to touch his shield. So far, he'd done his best to keep his shield usage to a minimum and only used the shields he needed when necessary. For this, he was thankful since those in the other classes wouldn't know what shields he was capable of producing while his own classmates would have no idea about his newer ones. Catching them by surprise was his best chance at winning this.
Finally, his name was called and a few moments later Izuku was walking out onto the field where a fighting arena had been created thanks to Cementoss. As he walked out, the cheering of the fans in the stadium began to change into a choir of boos. Izuku grit his teeth as he did his best to walk forward and ignore the noise all around him as well as what was being thrown at him. The teen could feel a hotdog coated with something wet landing in his messy hair, half full boxes of popcorn hitting his shoulder, and other assortments of trash. For a split second, Izuku dared to look up at the spot holding the rest of his class and saw that his friends were cheering him on, doing their best to raise their voices above the rest of the stadium all while looking on him with concern. The rest of the class, save Kacchan, were looking away as if the sight of him right now was too much. As for Kacchan, he just sat there watching him with laser focus.
"Wow, I guess they really don't like you," Izuku said nothing as he looked over at his opponent, Shinso. The teen looked every bit as sleep-deprived as Mr. Aizawa, looking at Izuku with a small smile on his face. He stood there, his half of the arena looking clean as Izuku's was a growing amount of litter.
"So, tell me, how does it feel to fall from grace?" As if perfectly timed, the moment he finished saying that, a glass bottle was flung from somewhere in the stands striking Izuku in the head. Though the shield user's incredible defenses protected him from harm, he still heard the shattering of glass and could feel a liquid running down his side while Shinso took a step back with eyes filled with panic.
"WHO DID THAT?!" roared Midnight, her rage causing the stadium to go silent. With the crowd ending their showering of trash, the R-Rated pro-hero went over to Izuku to check on him with clear worry in her eyes. As Midnight inspected the area for any cuts, and finding none, Izuku signaled with his hands that he was fine. Physically at least because emotionally he felt like he was bleeding all over the floor.
"Izuku Midoriya is fine and able to continue with the match," announced Midnight after pulling away. However, as she looked at the crowd all of the playfulness she normally held in her eyes was gone. Instead, there was nothing but icy hatred. "We will find the person who threw that and punishment will be met accordingly. And let me make this clear: if anyone does that again, I shall see to it personally that whatever penalty you receive shall be far worse! Am I clear?!"
Then, with a growl still in her voice, Midnight started the match.
Chapter 19
Izuku began to walk over to Shinso the moment Midnight declared the start of the match. He moved calmly, his head slightly downcast just in case his opponent needed prolonged eye contact to use his quirk.
"You know, once they label you a villain that's it. You're stuck with it for life," began Shinso. The shield user clenched his fist at his opponent's words, his arms trembling. But he remained silent.
"Know what's really unfair?" continued Shinso. "I've never used my quirk on a civilian and people all thought I was going to be a villain. But you? You have this powerful, flashy quirk and an easy road to becoming a hero. And what do you do? Mess it all up by attacking that girl. Tell me, how did it feel when you lashed out at her? Did it feel good? Did you enjoy it? What? Nothing to say?"
Still Izuku remained silent, his eyes stinging from the words that Shinso was beginning to shout. His breathing was beginning to grow a little ragged. Glancing up and looking through his green bangs, Izuku saw that the purple-haired teen had not moved at all. He was just standing there, looking a little worried. Had Izuku been right, that there was some sort of verbal component to make the brainwashing work? Was he just saying that because he believed it would get a rise out of the shield user?
Now, Shinso was beginning to shout loudly.
"What?" shouted Shinso, swiping his arm through the air as his voice carried through the crowd. "Got nothing to say for yourself? Not even trying to defend your actions? Come on! Come on you stupid villain!"
Izuku was almost in front of Shinso now, with his opponent unable to hide how nervous he was. Pulling back a fist, the brainwashing teen punched Midoriya right in his face with all the might he could muster causing a loud crack to echo through the stadium. However, Izuku reacted as though a light breeze had struck him while his opponent was doubled over while cradling his injured hand.
"Damn it!" yelled Shinso through the pain, his eyes stinging with tears. "You know nobody wants you here! You're never going to be a hero so just give up!"
Shinso managed to stand up straight, punching Izuku with his other hand only to receive the same results. It felt like he was punching a brick wall coated in the hardest metal in the world! But even with two hands that felt like he had broken several bones, he continued to punch the green-haired teen over and over again. When his fists hurt too much Shinso then tried kicking the teen as hard as he could, hoping that his legs would be strong enough to get a grunt or maybe not break after a single attack. That, however, proved to be as effective as his punches. The brainwasher even tried lunging forward, biting Izuku in the shoulder in the hopes that he would cry out! Yet his teeth seemed unable to even pierce Midoriya's skin. And while he did all this, Shinso continued accusing the 1-A student who just stood there with his head lowered.
After a minute or two of this, Shinso's voice became hoarse as he doubled over once again. His hands felt numb now and could feel his sweat rolling down his nose. When he looked up, he saw that Midoriya had finally pulled back a fist ready to strike him. But, as he did that, Shinso could finally see the look on his opponent's face. Could finally see the pained look in Izuku's eyes as well as the tears running down his face before the fist connected with Shinso's face.
It took a moment before Midnight announced that Izuku Midoriya was the winner of the match, earning a massive choir of boos through the stadium. The green-haired teen did his best to ignore them, keeping his head down as he walked towards the gate and out of sight of everyone as Present Mic began to announce the two combatants.
Since he hadn't been hurt Izuku was about to head up to where the rest of 1-A was sitting before hesitating. He looked down at what he was wearing, seeing the mess covering his clothing and feeling trash still in his hair. And while he looked down at himself, he thought about all the cold shoulders he would receive from most of the class. And as for his friends…
'I don't want them to see me like this,' thought Izuku as depression began to spiral within him. 'Knowing Raphtalia, Kirishima, Tsu, and Uraraka, they'll be more focused on trying to make me feel better instead of their own matches. No doubt Ida will then chastise me, saying I'm distracting them. I'll just stay down here and wash up. Then I'll rest until Raphtalia comes down.'
With that thought in mind, Izuku began heading to the boy's locker room so that he could clean himself up. And, by the time he got there, Midoriya heard over the speaker system that Todoroki had ended his match against Shiozaki in an instant as he had encased her in ice so massive that it was larger than the stadium. A bit on the overkill side.
Sighing heavily, Izuku entered the locker room as Uraraka and Tokage were called to the arena floor. It was a shame since the shield user had wanted to wish her luck as well as see the full capabilities of the 1-B girl. Still, he just continued to clean himself off while doing his best to listen in on the fight. Something that was, sadly, one-sided. Thanks to Present Mic's colorful commentary, Tokage had the ability to split herself into many different parts and maneuver them through the air allowing her greater mobility in the fight. Not only that, but she could also attack from multiple angles. Even if Uraraka could grab a hold of one of these pieces, it probably wouldn't affect them much. In the end, these pieces just overwhelmed the girl before dragging her out of the ring.
The next round began as Izuku began to pull out the various litter and glass shards caught in his hair. This was one that the hero fanboy really regretted not being in the stands to watch as it sounded far more even. He knew that Kirishima was strong, but judging by the description so was his opponent: Shishida of class 1-B. Present Mic was going wild as he began to describe the blows each one was packing and how wild it was getting. In the end, the defense of the hardening quirk user was simply too much for the beast teen allowing class 1-A another victory.
Thankfully, this had been a long fight allowing Izuku the time he needed to wash his hair in the sink. By the time Izuku had washed it, rinsed it, and finished drying his hair, the match between Tsu and Tokoyami had begun. Hearing this, the green-haired teen quickly headed towards the door of the locker room hoping that he could at least catch a glimpse of this fight. That hope was instantly dashed for as Izuku opened the door he found none other than Shinso standing there. For a moment, neither teen spoke with the only noise being the roaring of the crowd above them.
"I, ah, went to where your class was sitting looking for you," said Shinso at last, averting his eyes while scratching the back of his head. "Obviously you weren't there so I decided to check the bathrooms and stuff. Looks like I found you." There was a brief, awkward pause. Maybe Shinso was waiting for Izuku to say something. But, after a moment or two, the General Studies student seemed like he could no longer remain silent. "Guess I'm one of the last people you want to see now. Not surprising after… well. I just wanted to say that what I said back there was uncalled for. It all left a bad taste in my mouth, even while I was saying it. Just…I just wanted to win that match so badly. To show everyone how powerful my quirk was. That I had what it takes to be a hero. Guess I have a long way to go."
Swallowing hard, Shinso turned and began to walk away. "Anyways, I said what I came here to say," he said. "Good luck in your next match. I mean that."
Izuku didn't say anything at first, just standing there in the doorway listening to the footsteps as the purple-haired teen moved further down the hallway. The shield user didn't know what to say or if he even wanted to say anything. For all he knew, this could have been a trick. To get him to say something so Shinso could brainwash him or whatever and take him out of the Sports Festival. An idea that made Izuku sick to his stomach for believing that someone here would even consider doing that. He just…He just…
"S-Shinso," called out Izuku as he took a few steps forward and turned around so he was looking at the other teen's back. Upon hearing his name, Shinso paused but did not turn around though his head was lowered slightly. "Ah, sorry about your hands. And legs. I hope you didn't hurt them too much."
The brainwashing teen turned a little while holding up one of his hands showing that it was fine. Even wiggling his fingers as if to prove it.
"All healed up so don't worry about it," replied Shinso. "Besides, I was the one who did this to myself. Though I did get some bruises after the match, courtesy of that old maid. Don't know if Midnight told her or something, but Recovery Girl wasn't happy with me. Really chewed me out for what I said back there. Oh and speaking of her, I almost forgot. She said after I apologized to you that you should head up to her office for some treatment."
At that, Izuku smiled slightly. "Thanks, but I don't think I need it," he said honestly. "I didn't get hurt at all. Not even when someone threw that bottle at me."
Surprisingly, Shinso shook his head before giving Izuku a sympathetic look with those tired eyes. "Midoriya, even if you're not in physical pain, you got hurt." With that, Shinso walked away without saying another word.
-x-
Izuku did not go to Recovery Girl's office, instead heading toward the hallway leading to the arena. Like he had told Shinso, he wasn't hurt in the way that the elder hero could heal. So what would be the point in going to her office? Wouldn't he just be taking up her time healing students who really needed her attention? Besides, he had been dealing with people thinking the worst of him for a while now. So what if there were just more people doing it, actively hating him from above? He could handle it just like he had been. No, if he wanted to be a good hero then he needed to handle it! He could do this.
…Right?
Shaking his head, he reached the gateway just in time to see Tokoyami being declared the winner. Sadly, he didn't get a chance to see Tsu as she was taken away on robotic stretchers which would bring her right to Recovery Girl.
Not wanting to miss another match, Izuku moved down the hallway just far enough so that he could be reasonably sure that no one in the crowd could see him but he could see the arena. There he sat with his back to the wall and his arms hugging his legs waiting for the next match to begin.
He didn't have to wait long as Ashido came running down the corridor a few minutes later, clearly in a rush. So much so that she didn't seem to notice Izuku at all. And for right now, he was ok with that.
The pink-skinned girl's match against Honenuki made Izuku wish that he was up in the stands, seeing everything happen with a bird's eye view. According to Present Mic, Honenuki's quirk was softening to which he used to turn the hard stone floor of the arena into something more akin to quicksand. No doubt he planned on making it so that Ashido couldn't skate around on her acid and trap her, making her unable to continue the match. This plan might have worked had the pink-skinned girl not have gotten close enough so that she could fling balls of acid right at him. It was a weak acid, Izuku was sure, but strong enough so that when it struck his face Honenuki accidentally rolled out of bonds in pain.
Soon after being declared the winner, a more relaxed Ashido walked down the hallway. And this time she did not fail to miss seeing her green-haired classmate sitting there on the ground.
"Midoriya?" Ashido exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise as she rushed over to him. "Were you sitting there the entire time? O-Oh my God! I totally didn't see you there! Wait, w-why didn't you come sit with the rest of the class after your match?"
Izuku didn't stand, instead remaining seated there curled up into his little ball as he looked up at her.
"I, ah, after my last match I really didn't want to deal with, ah, stuff." That last part was slightly mumbled, but judging by the way Ashido averted her gaze told him that she had heard it clearly.
"Listen, Midoriya, did you find out about the class petition?" she asked softly while hugging herself. Silence was her answer as Izuku lowered his head, resting it on his knees. So, the acid user continued. "Yeah, I'm guessing you did. I mean, Mr. Aizawa was pretty mad about it and you did resign the next day. Well, this might not mean much right now, but I just want you to know that I didn't sign it."
That got Izuku's attention. Faster than Midnight's whip, the teenage boy's head snapped up to look at Ashido.
"You didn't? B-But why?" he asked in surprise.
"Because of what you did in the USJ," answered Ashido. "I haven't forgotten what Kiri told me about that day. About how helpless he felt, stuck inside that pile of sludge and unable to breathe. He even admitted just how terrified he was, hoping that someone would be able to save him before he died. And that person was you. Not Tsu, not Mr. Aizawa, not All Might, and certainly not any of our upper classmates. It was you. So, until I'm proven wrong, I'm willing to trust and believe that you are innocent."
Then, Ashido gave her classmate a worried look. "Midoriya, are you crying?"
Izuku blinked at that, a hand reaching up to touch his face. It was true, he was crying! Somehow, at some moment, tears had begun to run down his face at a surprising pace. They just kept rolling down like two small rivers instead of the normal, explosive Midoriya tears.
"Wow, when did this happen?" he managed to say, his voice sounding unsteady. "I just…my hand won't stop shaking."
The acidic alien looked down at the shield user to see that, indeed, his hand which he had risen to wipe away his tears was shaking almost uncontrollably. But what worried his classmate even more was Izuku's expression. The green-haired teen was still smiling awkwardly yet his eyes were wide with a look in them that unnerved her. For a moment, Ashido was afraid though not for herself. Rather it was for him.
Just then footsteps were heard coming down the hallway. Izuku tried his best to wipe away the flow of tears, but they seemed unending. No matter how many times he used the sleeve of his tracksuit to wipe them away, they continued to flow. Eventually, Izuku seemed to give up. He just stood, giving himself time to collect himself as Raphtalia approached them. Upon seeing her green-haired friend, the Tanuki girl's eyes widened before rushing over to him. The next thing Izuku knew was that he was enveloped in a tight, warm hug.
"Izuku, where were you?" she asked/demanded before pulling away so she could look him in the eyes. "I wanted to find you after your match, but Tsu and Kirishima told me you probably needed some time to clean up. Maybe find a new gym uniform. If you hadn't shown up by the time I got back from my match, I was going to call Filo so we could both start looking for you!"
"I-I'm fine. Really," said Izuku.
Raphtalia moved her hands onto her friend's shoulders while giving him a deadpan expression that screamed she didn't believe him in the slightest. But before she could voice this, Present Mic's voice boomed over the speakers telling her to report to the arena. Raphtalia gasped at the announcement, her eyes shifting between the exit before returning to her friend. Her face then took on a more determined presence while her eyes seemed to steel themselves.
Then, as she opened her mouth to say that she was going to forfeit, Ashido interrupted her.
"Go on," said the pink-skinned girl. "I'll stay here and keep an eye on Midoriya until you win your match."
Upon hearing that, Raphtalia blinked before giving Ashido a relieved and thankful smile. Then, after hugging Izuku one more time, she made her way to the arena where the crowd began to cheer for her.
"Alright, alright," came Present Mic's booming voice over the cheering of the crowd. "Let me hear you all give a big shout-out to the sword of class 1-A's sword and shield duo: Raphtalia! However, she's going to have to leave her blade sheathed for this event as she tangles with the hidden dagger of 1-B: Togaru Kamakiri! Seems a little unfair if you ask me."
"The form she submitted to bring her sword in was rejected," grumbled Mr. Aizawa. "However, I am interested in seeing what she can do without it."
Down on the arena stage, Raphtalia stared at her mantis-like opponent while tuning out the loud cheering of the crowd.
"Begin!" declared Midnight.
With the crack of Midnight's whip, both students went into action. Raphtalia raised her hands up into the air, looking like she was holding a sphere, while Kamakiri began to race towards her. The crowd gasped as blades came out of the mutant teen's forearms, ready to cut down his opponent and send her to Recovery Girl.
"Fast Light!" cried Raphtalia. From the girl's hands came a bright light that caused Kamakiri to wince in pain as he felt his vision blur. Yet that lasted only for a moment and, when it cleared, he could see that Raphtalia was still there standing in the exact same pose with the exact same expression on her face.
"Do you really think that tired old trick was going to work?" yelled Kamakiri, his tone sounding disgusted that someone would think so little of him. Turning around, Kamakiri saw that there was another Raphtalia almost right behind him with a look of surprise on her face. Smirking to himself at having foiled her sneak attack, Kamakiri changed course to slash across the Tanuki girl's chest. But as soon as the blade made contact, his eyes widened in surprise as he felt no resistance. Like he was cutting air!
A sudden blow to the back of the head caused the mantis teen to fall to the ground, nearly knocking him out then and there. Yet he managed to roll over and get up onto his feet as he realized that he had been tricked. The Raphtalia he had dismissed had, in fact, been the real one! She had tricked him into turning his back towards her. But it wasn't enough to take him out. No, Kamakiri lunged towards Raphtalia with more blades coming out of his body. On his arms, hands, legs, and even one on his back. Despite the ringing in his ears, he slashed at the brown-haired girl wildly and relentlessly. Yet none of his attacks landed as she dodged them all with grace, her long hair flowing this way and that as she weaved around the arena while narrowingly missing his slashes.
Then, after a failed swipe to her shoulder, Raphtalia just vanished! Before Kamakiri could process this, a devastatingly power kick connected to his abdomen causing spit to fly out of the teen's mouth. As he feel to the ground, a final blade erupted out of his stomach near where he had been struck to give Raphtalia a nasty cut across her leg. Not like it would help him much as he fell to the ground with a thud and was knocked out cold.
After inspecting the fallen student from 1-B, Midnight pointed her whip at the 1-A girl.
"Kamairi is unable to continue," declared Midnight with a beaming smile. "The winner of this match is Raphtalia."
From his spot, Izuku watched as Raphtalia was taken away by robots to be treated by Recovery Girl. While he was disappointed that he wouldn't be able to see her right away, he was more than overjoyed to know that she had won her match. And he knew that a wound like that wouldn't take long to be all healed up before her next match.
Speaking of which…
"Out of the way Deku!" yelled Kacchan.
Without looking behind him, Izuku moved to the side as Bakugo walked past both him and Ashido with that all-too-familiar scowl on his face. With his hands in his pockets, Kacchan gave Izuku a brief glance. He seemed to take in the sight of the shield user before his brows furled slightly and looked away.
"Deku, you better not lose to that worthless icy-hot bastard!" stated Kacchan. "Defeat his worthless ass so that you make it to the finals. Then, I'll crush you as payback for what you did to me back in the battle trail! Got it!"
"Y-Yeah," was all Izuku could say while lowering his head, the tears finally drying up.
At that, Bakugo's scowl deepened before he spat on the floor. Nothing more was said as he headed out towards the field of battle.
Izuku watched as two blond teens took to the arena. On one side was a scowling Bakugo who just seemed to radiate anger that the crowd could feel. On the other side was Pony Tsunotori: an American teenage girl with long blond hair and horns coming out of her head. Unlike Kacchan, she seemed excited and happy to be there as she waved to the crowd. It really didn't take long for her to be a crowd favorite.
When Midnight signaled for the match to start, Bakugo raced towards Pony ready to deliver his famous starting blow. A blow that never came as Tsunotori lowered her head and began to fire a rapid stream of horns from her head! Bakugo tried to deflect them out of his path with an explosion, but that didn't stop nearly all of them. In fact, the dust cloud obscured his vision making things worse as more horns kept flying out of the smoke. After receiving a few gashes, the explosive blond used his quirk to propel himself out of the line of fire. But if he thought he was safe, Bakugo would have to think again as two of Tsunotori's horns began flying after him like guided missiles.
It continued like this for a while, Bakugo dodging a seemingly endless stream of horns while one pair followed him around. Sweat began to pour down the ashen blonde's body while his frustration at the situation began to reach its peak. Veins began to bulge in his arms while the teen gritted his teeth, pointing both arms right at the horned-girl.
"DIE!" With that scream, a massive explosion that rocked the entire stadium erupted from the palms of Bakugo's hands. It was like he had managed to fire off several of the same explosions he had tried to use during the battle trail at once. And without the support gear! This massive attack was more than enough to catch his opponent off guard, sending Pony out of the arena and crashing into the stadium wall with so much force that she became embedded in it.
With that, the first round ended.