Chapter 12: Tribulations
Trigger Warning: Slight mentions of child abuse in this chapter.
[Chapter 12]
It was one of those days where he didn't want to get up. Dull, throbbing pain rippled in waves across a bruised and battered body, a green-haired boy shaking himself awake through the blurred fog of red and white.
Midoriya Izuku groaned, wincing at how blindingly bright everything was. He only noticed that he was leaning on somebody when there was a shift in weight, his arm draped over that same somebody's back.
"How…" Izuku croaked. "How long was I out?"
Tokoyami glanced down at him and raised an eyebrow. "Thirty seconds."
"Ugh…"
"Don't. You can barely stand right now." the crow boy said gently. "I was about to bring you to Recovery Girl."
"Not yet. I want to… hear what's next."
With a combined grunt the two made their way over to the gathered crowd, Ochaco and Mei trailing behind them. The gravity girl had originally wanted to use her Quirk on the injured boy to make him easier to carry but held back in fear of hurting him further. His tongue tasted blood again and Izuku reasoned that he'd probably bitten the inside of his cheek by accident earlier. That, or it'd be internal bleeding. He hoped it was the former.
"Deku-kun…" Ochaco whispered, her voice full of worry.
"I'll be fine. Just need to…" Izuku rasped. "Catch my breath."
"Damn. You're one tough cookie, my dude. Want me to fix you up?" Mei held out Zenith, a trio of tentacles with needle-fine cilia sprouting from the spherical machine's body.
"Warning, warning. Major fracture detected. Minor laceration detected." the miniature robot beeped. "Recommend morphine administration."
"No thank you." he said quickly, limping away with Tokoyami.
The quartet finally reached the stage, Izuku looking around to see how his classmates were doing. His tired gaze was met with horrified looks, winces, and gasps. It was only after a second that he realised they were reacting to him.
"W-why are they looking at me like that?"
"Ah." Tokoyami sighed. "Well, how do I put this…"
"You look like hammered shit, little prince." Dark Shadow cackled.
"What he said." Mei shrugged casually. "See? Should've let me administer some first aid. You need some rest."
"Later." he coughed and instantly regretted it. Something was definitely broken in his side and it hurt to breathe. His face felt sticky, eyelids weighed down by exhaustion.
"D-Deku-kun…" Ochaco sniffed, her gaze roaming over his battered state. "If only I'd been quicker, then you wouldn't have been beaten black and blue!"
"It's fine." Izuku managed to send her a warm smile, only causing tears to bead at her eyes. "Hey, hey, really. It's fine. You were great out there. All of you."
"Midoriya-kun…" Tokoyami began.
"Let's give it up for all our wonderful participants!" Present Mic announced and thunderous applause greeted their ears. "And now, for our highlight reel~!"
The jumbotron flashed and showed what everyone else was up to while Izuku was up there on the floating platform. There were some impressive plays from both classes, with Class 1-A using the experience they'd gained while Class 1-B competed with their teamwork. Some highlights caught his eye. A large boy with a glue Quirk immobilized many 1-A teams. Tsuyu dueled with Jiro while standing atop Shoji's back. Another duel, this one with Pony holding one horn like a sword while Mei parried with a blade of energy from her Funnel. Todoroki annihilated five whole teams that got in his way after Kendo stole his headband. Monoma and two other teams put up a great effort but got blown to smithereens by Bakugo's explosions. Lastly, there was Izuku brawling with Yui and Setsuna on the platform.
He blinked. Wow, they really had given him quite the beating. Yui was terrifyingly strong despite how she looked and Setsuna was… well, herself. He was surprised he actually lasted so long against such formidable opponents, wincing at the slow-mo playback of him throwing Yui's giant form off him. Hopefully she didn't hit her head too hard.
Glancing over he found that his stoic opponent too wasn't looking so good either, clutching an arm and clearly favoring one side of her body to the other. Strangely enough her face still remained neutral and expressionless despite the pain she was in. A few nearby Class A students backed away from her warily.
Most of his classmates were looking at him now and Izuku dipped his head in shame. Had I really been too rough with her? he thought. What he didn't notice was that they were looking at him with a sort of awe, not disgust or anger.
Disgust and anger was all he was used to.
Todoroki's jaw tightened at the highlights that displayed Izuku fighting, his fingers curling into fists. The battle with the giant girl, followed by facing off two opponents at once, and then by that mid-air skirmish with the girl who could split herself. Even after all that, he still managed to hold his ground against three—no, four other teams that were aiming for the headband? Heterochromatic eyes narrowed. A little talk would be needed before the next match. Right after the green-haired boy got healed by Recovery Girl, of course.
"The next event will be after an hour's lunch break! See you then, everyone!"
Izuku closed his eyes, feeling his consciousness sink into a swelling sea of shadows. Voices whispered in the dark.
Look, look! I did it, I did it!
Blurred colors focused into a shape. A little boy covered in soot was standing before him, a wide smile on his face. He held out a hand with something small and shiny in his palm.
Light. Izuku opened his eyes and he found himself in Recovery Girl's infirmary, the feeling of a warm, soft bed underneath him.
However, it wasn't Recovery Girl that was leaning over him.
"Whoo, whoo. Here you go, shroom!" an X-shaped pupil gazed into his cheerfully. "Say 'ahhhh'!"
"Ughhh—" Izuku groaned, only to be cut short when the girl sitting beside his bed shoved a spoon into his mouth. It was warm and delicious, the heavenly taste of creamy mushroom soup soaking into his taste buds.
"Hmm, too hot? Or not hot enough?" she asked.
"Just right." Izuku answered reflexively before closing his eyes once more. "Oh God, not again."
"Hey! What did I ever do to you, shroom?"
"It's not you, Komori-san. I mean, uh…" They boy gazed up only to find her blowing on another spoonful of soup. "You know what, nevermind. I'm just gonna accept that the universe hates me."
"You remembered me! Also, don't say that!" Kinoko Komori smiled brightly and waggled her spoon at him. "You were getting all physical with two cute girls up there in your little playground, and now you've woken up to somebody feeding you! Aren't you a lucky boy."
"I got the crap beaten out of me by those cute girls."
"Aha! So you do find them cute, shroom!"
"Ughhhh." He cracked one eye open to see Kinoko still blowing on the hot spoon. "What are you doing here, Komori-san?"
"The hat, look at my awesome hat." Kinoko pointed at her awesome hat. "What do you see, and how many fingers am I holding?"
"Two." Izuku slurred, a dull pain running up his back. "It's a nurse-hat thing."
"Exactly, I'm helping out Recovery Girl as part of the Health Committee!" Komori cheered. "I'm nursing all of you back to health and keeping an eye out, shroom."
"All of us?" Izuku turned his head to the side.
Two of the other infirmary beds had been filled with students from Class B. A boy with a braided ponytail sent him a respectful nod after looking up from his newspaper, his entire body covered in bandages. An empty bowl of soup was on his table. Beside Izuku was the blonde boy that he had confronted outside his classroom before the festival started.
Monoma Neito snored peacefully, sound asleep and gift-wrapped while three of his limbs were held in casts. Izuku winced, noticing how most of the other student's injuries were burns. It was apparent that Bakugo had completely steamrolled him.
"Ahhh~" Kinoko said again, angling the utensil at Izuku once more.
"Um…"
"Don't be shy! Come on, eat up. You'll need your strength."
"T-thanks." He reluctantly let her spoonfeed him, and to his horror found that a part of him actually liked the experience.
"I've gotta hand it to you." Kinoko smiled and kicked up both feet onto his bed to lean back in her chair. "You put on quite the show out there, the audience was going nuts."
"I'm glad at least some people enjoyed it." Izuku quickly turned away so as to not look up her skirt, wincing a little from the resulting pain in his neck. "I hope everyone else got some of the spotlight too, I'd hate to draw their attention away."
"Believe me, they did. But you were the highlight, shroom. Look, look!"
"Err, Komori-san, your s-skirt…"
"I'm wearing spats, silly!" Kinoko laughed. He peeked and oh god she really was and they looked great on her, emphasizing her soft thighs. "Besides, that's not what I want you to look at! Look at this Qwoter Feed!"
Izuku cracked both eyes open and was met with the girl shoving her phone at him, displaying her social media feed. On it was pictures of… him. Dozens of them, and some were even animated. His bloodied, bruised, bare-torsoed form was on the internet for all to see!
"W-wh—" Emerald eyes bulged comically. "150,000 re-Qwotes?!"
"That's one of the lower ones. You're trending!" Kinoko grinned, her pearly white teeth gleaming. "Hashtag Broccoliboy."
Izuku moaned, sinking back into his pillow.
"What are you so moody about? Most people would love to be trending, shroom."
"All of Japan just watched me get beat up. And hit girls. This is horrible…"
"Have you read the comments? They loved it. Most of 'em, anyways. Here, I'll read some!"
The green-haired boy winced, thinking of all the nasty accusations and insults that were sure to be there. Woman-beater. Brute. Freak. Weirdo. Creep.
"I don't think that's a good idea—"
"Oooh, here are some good ones. 'Soft, baby-faced dude that can take a hit and dish it out, totes awesome!' 'Whoa, he looked like such a sweet, innocent-looking guy too. Even sweet guys can be bad boys, yes pls'." Kinoko read out innocently, Rin glancing over his newspaper with a lazy smirk. "'Cute, mild-mannered boi with a hidden dark side. Me likey.' 'I want to lick that bloody face'."
Izuku was now hoping for the ground to open and swallow him whole. His cheeks flushed with warm color, lips trembling in shame and embarrassment. Three quarters of those comments were probably trolling, that had to be it.
"'Lol, so much sexual tension. OMG, the part where he got atop her and growled… I thought he was going to ravish her. I would have loved to be in that girl's position'." she continued, ignoring his appalled, crimson expression. "'I wonder if he would snarl like that atop me' 'Uwahh, that mid-air grappling; I want him to manhandle me like that'. What a bunch of thots, shroom."
"A-a-are they really saying that kind of l-lewd stuff?" Izuku stammered. "You're just making that up, r-right?"
"Nooope." Kinoko smiled, popping the 'p'. "Here, take a look."
He held her phone with trembling hands and sure enough the comments were there, along with many other lewd, lewd things that left him sweating. There were also half a million re-Qwotes of a GIF featuring him, shirt splayed open and exposing his lean, sweat-slicked torso. The moment of him spitting that glob of blood on the ground was looped over and over again, a caption in edgy dark green text plastered upon the animated file.
'I could do this all day' it read.
"They turned you into a meme, shroom!" Her musical laughter tinkled through the infirmary. "Hah!"
"Urgh." Izuku's warm blush reached all the way to his ears; not even the hands that were cupped across his face was enough to hide it. "W-what about everyone else? My team… are they safe? Are they alright?"
"Don't worry too much, everyone's gonna be fine! Also, I was only feeding you cuz' you needed some energy for the next event." Kinoko said happily, her bangs falling across her eyes and covering them. Shame, she looked much cuter when they could be seen—stop that, hormones.
"I-I see. T-thanks, Komori-san."
"Don't thank me, thank Recovery Girl!" The short girl handed the bowl over to him, allowing Izuku the dignity to feed himself. "You should have seen the state you were in; three cracked ribs, minor fracture on both legs, multiple contusions, a dislocation on your middle finger of all things—"
Oof. Good thing the adrenaline numbed his pain. That 3% Delaware Smash probably hadn't been 3%. He still needed more training and control.
"—most of it was Kodai-chan! Goodness, the things she did to you. Recovery Girl was afraid that she'd given you a hernia when she stomped on you, but it looks like you're fine. Excellent squatting form, by the way." Kinoko cleared her throat. "To be fair, you did shatter her collarbone and fracture her forearm in two different places earlier…"
Izuku looked horrified, his spoon swan-diving into the soup with a splash. "W-what? I-Is she alright? Oh no…"
"Hey, hey, calm down!" She shushed, gently guiding his back against the bed. "Kodai-chan's fine, shroom. Better than fine, she went back to the cafeteria for lunch already."
"A-ah. Good." Izuku took a spoonful of soup. "H-hey, Komori-san. Can I ask you a question?"
"Sorry, I already like someone else."
"Not that type of question!" The boy blushed, stirring his mushroom soup idly. "Was I… too rough on Kodai-san and Tokage-san? Y-you know, um… it doesn't feel right to hit a girl…"
"So it feels right to hit a guy, shroom?"
"Yes. I mean no, um—"
"Look, Midoriya-kun. I'm pretty certain you've thought about this already; they were giving it their all." Kinoko shrugged. "And so were you. What's there to feel bad about? If anything, you're showing them your respect by going all out, just as they are. Gender didn't matter; to hold back when they are putting in their best effort is akin to looking down on them. You're not that type of person, are you shroom?"
"N-no."
"There we go." Kinoko giggled, holding out her arms. "Boom, problem solved. Stop overthinking things, take a chill pill. Even better, have some magic mushroom powder. Pain, pain, go away!"
She rubbed her fingers together and sprinkled a light dusting of… something into Izuku's soup. The boy squinted at the bowl, then at the still smiling girl.
"What?" Izuku said flatly.
"It's magic mushroom powder, shroom! It'll help you recover faster."
"Magic mush—is this stuff coming out of you?!"
"Mmm-hmm! You'll feel much better after eating it. Light doses only though; I'm still living it down after Kuroiro-kun started hallucinating pink unicorns and reciting poetry."
"It's psychedelic?" Izuku asked, examining the bowl with wide but interested eyes. "Amazing. To think that such a Quirk exists, the power to create fungal spores, life itself from nothing. Basic building blocks that house a cocktail of chemicals that when ingested, accelerates natural healing and—"
"There he goes again." Recovery Girl slid the door open, letting out a tired sigh at Izuku's trademark muttering. "Hello, young Midoriya. Feeling better?"
"Hello, sensei." the boy murmured sheepishly. "Yes, much better now. But, um…"
"Drink the soup. Komori-chan knows what she's doing." The old woman's wrinkled hand landed on Kinoko's shoulder. "Run along now, my dear assistant. Go get some lunch for yourself."
"Okay~" the schoolgirl giggled, making an exit while giving Izuku a grin before she left. "Talk to you later, Midoriya-kun! Good luck in the final event, geekboy~."
"T-thanks." Izuku waved sheepishly. "Goodbye, Komori-san."
Recovery Girl waited a few seconds before turning back to Izuku with a sigh, the boy already expecting some sort of lecture from her. Instead, she smiled and offered him some gummy candies.
"Good work. It's good to see that your control has improved. Wouldn't want to break anything before the next event, would we?"
Izuku's thoughts flashed back to the first day of school and Aizawa's lesson. You can't save someone when you can't even save yourself first. The sensation of his finger shattering wasn't exactly easy to forget.
"No." the boy answered slowly, taking another spoonful of delicious calorie-rich soup. "We wouldn't. U-um, what is the next event anyways?"
"Beats me. From my experience it'll be a big, flashy competition that will leave the audience stunned. Probably some sort of one-on-one fight, perhaps. You youngins love that kind of thing in your… ah, what was it called? Shounen Manga?" Recovery Girl smiled. "Eat up, young Midoriya. You'll need those calories."
"Alright, sensei. And, um, thanks for healing me."
"Bah, don't worry about it. But keep in mind that my Quirk isn't a get-out-of-jail-free card. Just because you have healing on standby—" the older woman's eyes hardened. "—doesn't mean you can get reckless and hurt yourself needlessly. Do you understand?"
"Y-yes."
Her gaze softened, twinkling like how a wizened old witch's would. "Good."
Izuku considered what to say next but was interrupted by the infirmary door sliding open with a sharp clack, revealing none other than his classmate Todoroki Shoto. The frosty teenanger's eyes roamed across the room until they finally landed on Izuku, trapping him within that cold, cold gaze.
"Midoriya-kun. Are you feeling better?"
"Um, Hi, Todoroki-san. I guess?"
"I see. Let's go." the boy tilted his chin down the corridor. "We need to talk."
"Young man, I do believe this talk of yours can wait until young Midoriya is—"
"It's fine, sensei." Izuku finished the last of his soup and got up, keeping his expression neutral to hide the dull aching he felt all over his body. "I'm feeling better already. Good enough to go for another round, actually."
"Hmm." Recovery Girl gave both boys a skeptical look before sighing, shrugging her frail shoulders. "Fine, whatever. It's not like I can stop a hotblooded conversation between two main characters. Just remember to rehydrate, young Midoriya."
"I will." Izuku smiled and gave her a deep bow. "Thank you, sensei."
"Don't mention it."
Together, the two teenagers began their journey down a long hallway. Todoroki said nothing throughout the entire trip, leaving Izuku confused and slightly nervous as to what all this was about. The heterochromatic teen had made a public declaration of war against him before the festival started… Did he really dislike him that much? Izuku wondered what he had done wrong this time, and hoped he could make it up to the other boy.
[x]
All Might was the ever-smiling, ever-friendly Symbol of Peace. The man was practically known for his trademark, unfaltering smile; a beacon of light against the darkness. That same radiant smile was now directed at twisting orange flames, a pair of cyan eyes visible through the inferno.
"Why, if it isn't Endeavor-san! It's been quite a while." All Might laughed, hands on his hips. "Let's have some tea."
"All Might…" Endeavor scowled.
The tight hallway they were in was brightly illuminated by the hero's flames, the surrounding air temperature rising by several degrees when both the Number One and Number Two locked gazes.
"Glad to see that you're doing alright." The blonde's grin was met by an infuriated growl. "Your son, young Todoroki, did an excellent job even without using half his power! You must have taught him well."
"What are you getting at?"
"Why, I'm just curious as to what kind of training and advice you had for the next generation!"
"You think I'll teach you anything? Forget it." Endeavor scoffed. "But knowing you, you'll never quit with that breezy little attitude of yours. How annoying."
"Well, I tried. In other news…" The Number One's voice took on a more serious note. "How's the arm?"
"I'm fine! For the last time, that bastard got lucky and caught me off guard. That's all."
"There's more to it, isn't there?"
Endeavor stopped in his tracks, not even turning around to face All Might. His fingers curled into fists.
"I know you, Endeavor-san. You're always five steps ahead of your opponent, but when you fought Surtur… something was off. Even the recordings showed it." All Might lowered his voice so as to not anger the other hero. "The man was using your moves and mine. Do you—"
"You think I don't know that?" the flame hero snapped. "I don't need you of all people to tell me that. At first I thought he was some lame copycat of you, but his moves… my moves that I taught to…"
Endeavor's fingers unfurled.
"Touya."
Though heat roiled off those burning flames, the air was cold and heavy.
"It doesn't matter. Shoto will surpass you." An inferno was contained within Endeavor's glare. "That's the entire reason I made that boy."
All Might paused. "What?"
"That little brat is going through a rebellious phase right now but he will surpass you, All Might." Endeavor turned and walked away, never once looking back. "I'll make sure of that."
[x]
Two teenagers reached one of the exits of the stadium, Todoroki stopping to lean against the far wall with his back. Izuku stood opposite him, still confused as ever.
"Um, you wanted to speak to me?" Izuku asked. "What is it?"
Todoroki said nothing, still observing him with that arctic stare. Izuku felt like a specimen under a microscope.
"As much as I hate to admit it…" Todoroki began, hands still in his pockets. "You blindsided me. Throughout the Cavalry Battle most of the spotlight was on you. Well done."
"Um, thanks?" Izuku said. He carefully decided not to retort that Yui and Setsuna had ambushed him. Ironically, he had actually hoped that all attention would have gone to the other teams so he could get away with the ten million points.
Green eyes flicked down to Todoroki's left side. He hadn't used his flames, even when it would have benefited him. Some sort of drawback or perhaps an ace he kept in reserve?
"When the highlight reel played, I was focusing on you. Or more specifically, your power. You've improved by a wide margin since the first day of school. And those attacks of yours… 'smashes'. Your costume." the other boy said coolly. "It's obvious that your inspiration is All Might."
"I think he's an inspiration to everyone, actually—"
"But you're different." Todoroki interrupted. "That feeling when I saw you fight. It's similar to All Might. Too similar."
"Um, I don't really get what you're trying to say here…" Izuku said.
"Some… interesting rumors have begun to spring up on the internet. Have you heard about Valkyrie?"
There was a slight tremor that ran down his spine, but Izuku made sure to keep his expression neutral.
"I've heard of her, yeah. A vigilante, right?" he said carefully. "Now with a new partner?"
"Correct. However, the rumors concern the relationship between All Might and Valkyrie." Mismatched eyes met confused green ones. "They're saying that she is his daughter. It's why he refuses to fight or arrest her."
Izuku blinked. Once. Twice. Three times. The word 'what' bounced around his skull like a pinball.
"Um, okay?" the boy said slowly. He wasn't sure if he should feel offended or annoyed by that. Kiri was hisdaughter, actually. Sister. Sister-daughter. Family! Besides, All Might probably refrained from fighting Valkyrie due to the vast amount of effort it would require to take her down, not to mention the bad publicity from doing so. It simply wasn't worth it, especially with all the good she brought to the world.
"They've begun looking into Valkyrie's interactions with others. They're practically nonexistent save for the few vigilantes she works alongside with from time to time, but one interaction in particular has me perturbed."
Todoroki pulled out his phone and showed Izuku an article. The green-haired boy's heart skipped a beat.
'All Might defeats notorious Sludge Villain! Two Middle Schoolers rescued by Valkyrie. Tag Team Justice!'
"This is you, isn't it?" Todoroki pointed to Izuku's blurred out form, the poofy green hair easily recognizable even through a mosaic censor. "She rescued you. And look…"
He swiped the screen, displaying multiple images of Valkyrie, Kiri, running her fingers through his hair in concern, followed by the light chop to the head she had given him.
"Valkyrie has never interacted with anyone like that, not even her fellow vigilantes." Todoroki continued. "You're somehow special to her. Not a friend. Family. My older sister used to check on me just like that after my training as well, looking for any bruises, broken bones. Nobody else has connected the dots yet; I suppose only someone who has felt that familial love would guess the connection."
"I, um, er—" Izuku stammered, the feeling of panic like a geyser threatening to explode.
"She's your older sister, isn't she? It's why she arrived at USJ; to save you." Todoroki finished calmly. "And I guess that makes the both of you All Might's illegitimate children."
Izuku was stunned, feet rooted to the floor. Todoroki was actually right in one aspect; Kiri was his sister. But the way he had come to that conclusion was entirely ridiculous! And that nonsense about him and Kiri being All Might's illegitimate children, it was as if he was accusing All Might himself of something so despicable. Of abandoning his family...
Then there was the indirect implication. Fury bubbled under his skin, boiling just beneath the surface.
"I think there's been a misunderstanding, Todoroki-san; I am not All Might's illegitimate love child. Please do not come to such conclusions." Izuku ground his teeth together, gaze burning. "Do you know what that implies about me? About my mother?"
Todoroki suddenly looked uncomfortable. "I did not mean that."
"I hope you didn't. You can trash talk me all you want, but the moment you involve my family is where I draw the line."
"Family, huh?"
Izuku paused, his anger dissipating. There was just a way in which the other boy said the words that stopped him for a moment, a pained look that he almost managed to hide. Almost.
"What are you trying to say?"
Todoroki told him.
A sordid tale of a man who was overcome with ambition, leading his own family to ruin. Quirk Marriages. Eugenics. A missing older brother. The goal to create an heir that would surpass All Might.
The boiling water that had been dumped on his face by his own mother.
Izuku paled. The things that Todoroki had been through… a tragedy. Years of suffering and injustice, all for the banal goal of surpassing All Might; not his goal, but his father's. The sins of the parent laid bare upon the child.
"The reason I'm aiming to beat you is as a personal triumph. I won't be using my shitty old man's Quirk, or rather…" Todoroki met his gaze, eyes cold. "I'll become number one without ever needing to. This is my total disavowal of him."
Izuku said nothing, fists clenched while he watched his classmate walk away. How could he? He felt like he had no right to judge Todoroki on what path to take. He didn't go through the hellish experiences the other boy had faced, but still… It didn't feel right. Todoroki was using half his power, not even taking things seriously when everyone was giving it their all! Would he be like that when he became a pro hero, only using his right side even though his left could help… could help fight villains, save lives? The cost of his pride would be the lives of others.
Kinoko's words drifted past his ears. To hold back when they are putting in their best effort is akin to looking down on them.
Despite everything, Izuku opened his mouth.
"U-um, Todoroki-san!"
Todoroki stopped but didn't turn to look at him.
"I know it's not really my place to say this, but, um, everyone's doing their best! Y-you should too." Izuku stammered, squeezing his hands together. "I'm only here because everyone… everyone helped me! The reason I'm here is because someone always offered to help."
It was true. The training with One For All. His family's encouragement. Ochaco, with how she readily agreed to team up with him. Tokoyami, who he suspected would be a valuable ally in the future. Mei, with her positive attitude and magnificent gadgets. All Might, who inspired him with only his words. Everyone's efforts had led him here.
"I know my motive may be selfish compared to yours, but I can't fail now. Not only for myself, but for all the people who helped me along the way!" Izuku declared. "Besides, you don't have to think of it as your father's power… it's yours. Not his."
"Except it is." Todoroki breathed, and Izuku could see mist forming. He reached up and touched the scarred portion of his face. "You wouldn't understand. I refuse to acknowledge or accept him as my father. You've never known a piece of shit like him."
Izuku's vision shifted and blurred into a whirlpool of colors.
He was crying, curling his tiny body into a ball in a vain effort to protect himself.
'I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm sorry daddy, please, stop! Stop, you're hurting me!'
'Goddamn useless brat! Can't even do anything right. It's all your fault…'
The soul-tearing sound of a belt unbuckling met his ears. He screamed like a newborn baby, begging for mercy before he was flogged. An ear-splitting roar followed and the door burst open, his brother rushing in with fists flying.
'DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HIM!'
'Piece of shit—'
A wet crunch. Flesh meeting flesh. The sound of droplets hitting the wall.
Reality dragged Izuku back like a fisherman with a catch, reeling him back into the suffocating real world. He lost his balance and leaned against the wall, bile already building up on his throat. An overwhelming urge to throw up hit him hard but somehow he held it in, his legs turning to wet noodles and threatening to collapse. Todoroki didn't even notice his distress, already walking away without looking back.
"I'll beat you with only my right side. Sorry I took your time."
Wait, he wanted to say.
Todoroki was gone, having disappeared around a corner. Izuku was left alone with the memories he'd just seen. Those… weren't his memories, were they? He thought for a moment. No, they weren't. He didn't have a brother. And his father was an utter bastard, but not to that extent. What was that?!
Droplets of crimson trailed behind Izuku as he staggered back into the building. His mind was spinning, the world around him blurring into an incoherent mess.
Before Izuku knew it he was back at the cafeteria, gulping down a glass of water shakily. He originally wanted to find Ochaco and Iida, but now he didn't exactly know what to do. After a few seconds of contemplation he decided he would meet up with them later. Besides, he didn't really feel that hungry after Kinoko's soup.
Turning his attention back to what just happened the boy began to think. The memories were burned into his brain, embers still smoldering. The analytical part of him took over and pushed down the emotional part, the boy muttering to himself about the memory bleeding and how it was starting to affect him more frequently. This wasn't good, not at all. Now wasn't the time for emotion, only logic. Those lingering memories were still there, floating atop the surface of his mind like debris from a sunken ship. He reached for the pieces, slowly, tentatively—
He was packing ice into a little plastic bag, looking up to see his brother biting down on a length of cloth. The older boy closed his eyes and wrapped one hand around his crooked fingers.
'Okay. Whew, okay.'
Snap.
The rag tensed when clenched teeth bit down, stifling what must have been a growl of pain. Flexing his newly-relocated fingers, his brother scooted over and lifted the ice pack to his swollen eye.
'Thanks, pipsqueak.' he smiled and ruffled Izuku's hair. 'Looks like I won't be strumming for a while, heh.'
'Izuku' wanted to cry. His brother… his poor, poor brother… His handsome face had been shattered. He knew how the local girls liked the older boy for his charm, his wit, his looks. Now? Looking at him broke his heart. Then there were the bruises, the black eye, the split lip. He had barely managed to fight off their father. A small sob escaped from Izuku's tiny lungs.
'Where does it hurt?' his brother asked. 'I'll rub some ointment on you.'
'My heart…'
'Your heart?!' A look of panic crossed the older boy's features.
'No, no, it's…' Izuku sobbed. 'Big brother, because of me, you… it's all my fault!'
He leaned into the older boy, fat tears rolling down his soft cheeks. Two strong arms wrapped around him, patting him on the back.
'It's always my fault.'
'Don't listen to that piece of shit. You broke a plate, so fucking what? Lazy bastard was just looking for an excuse to beat your ass.' he snorted. 'It was the same for me. Don't worry, I'll be good as new in no time.'
'I hate this. I hate it, I hate it! I hate him…' Small fingers clutched a bloodied shirt.
'I know. Just a little more, I promise. Then I'm taking you with me.'
'W-where?'
'Away from here, wherever the road takes us.' his brother smiled, perfect teeth stained with blood. 'Just imagine; just the two of us. You can even go to school! I'll make sure of that.'
'But I don't wanna go to school. I wanna stay with you…'
'You need an education so you don't end up like that piece of shit.' His rough, calloused fingers ran through his hair again. 'So you don't end up like me.'
His brother took a moment to meet his gaze. He had their mother's eyes, but hers had never looked so sad.
'Never end up like me.'
The two brothers embraced and held each other for what seemed like an eternity.
'I love you, no matter what.'
'I love you too, pipsqueak.'
Something ran down Izuku's face and onto the cafeteria table. Midnight's announcement for the participants to start preparing for the next event echoed vaguely. The boy staggered and got up, quickly wiping at his eyes. His hands came away wet.
Stop it. He told himself. Those were someone else's memories. Not his brother. Not his father. Not his life. So why…
Why did it hurt so much?
[x]
Izuku opened his locker with shaking hands, fingers trembling as he picked up his phone. It took him a few tries before he was able to dial the correct number; the emotional side of him was starting to break through the bulwark.
"Aniki? There was this massive surge of—"
His two siblings stared at him from the dimly lit screen of his phone, the light from the tiny device playing long shadows across the boy's locker room.
"Kiri, Mimi." he gasped. "I… I need your help."
His two sisters watched, childish features creased with worry. They waited for him to catch his breath and explain for what felt like an eternity.
"My emotions… they're so much stronger than before. And just now, when I talked to Todoroki the memories bled over again. Someone's brother? I don't know, I…" Izuku stammered, one hand pulling at his hair.
"It's okay. Breathe, nii-chan." Kiri said softly. "Inhale, count to four."
"That's right, just follow us." Mimi nodded quickly. "Exhale, count to four."
He followed their instructions, taking deep breaths. Inhale, exhale. Step by step. It took him a few long minutes before he stopped shaking, the jackhammer in his chest slowing to a steady drumbeat. After a moment he was standing on his own two feet again, no longer needing to lean against the wall. The twins' eyes still shimmered with worry.
"I… thank you, Kiri-chan, Mimi-chan." Izuku breathed. "I really needed that."
"You said your emotions and memories have been going haywire? Fu—fudge." Mimi bit her lip, stopping herself from cursing just in time. "This may be an unintended side effect of One For All getting stronger and mixing together with your Quirk; none of us ever had something like this. Amplifying your emotions, memories bleeding over."
"Onii-chan…" Kiri mumbled. "We'll help drain the bad feelings if it's too much. There was just so much of it before..."
Izuku's lip trembled. How could he make his younger siblings worry about him? A big brother had to be strong, a rock within a stormy ocean. There was also a painful sting he felt on his sense of pride. He quietly vowed to take them someplace nice after the festival to make up for his incompetence.
"I'm gonna be fine, you two. I promise." he reassured them, putting on a wobbly smile and attempting to switch topics. "Hey, where's mom?"
The sisters exchanged glances, then pointed the phone's camera at Inko. The poor woman was taking a nap on the couch, clearly exhausted from worry. Izuku's heart clenched again, imagining the look on her face if he hurt himself again.
"She's, uh, taking a break."
"Sleeping."
"I see." Izuku said, feeling his breathing returning to normal.
"Look, don't overexert yourself, okay? Just, um, focus on the tournament for now. We'll try to sort things out on our end to prevent any more memory bleeding."
"Yeah, nii-chan. There's gotta be a way to slow or stop the bad memories."
"R-right. I hope so." Izuku paused, remembering what else he wanted to say. "Um, something else happened earlier, during the Cavalry Battle. There was this purple-haired boy with some sort of… master-type power? He said something and I was frozen, but the others—One For All freed me from his control. Um, you were there too, Mimi. Well, Aftermath was."
Mimi winced and looked away. "Yeah, about that…"
Unbeknownst to Izuku, she thought of what transpired within his mind earlier.
[x]
The two sisters were watching the final bout of the Cavalry Battle excitedly when it happened. Just as Izuku moved to attack the opposing team holding ten million points a wave of cold rushed over their minds, freezing them in place. Their childish expressions turned to alarm, finding themselves unable to move.
Kiri managed to send her sister a look which she reciprocated and the albino girl closed her closed her eyes. Time moved at a fraction of normal speed in the mindscape when needed, even stretching seconds into hours on occasion. Though her physical body was paralyzed she reached inward and sent Aftermath back into Izuku's mind. The projection manifested in a whirlwind of emerald flames; towering, burning, and mad as hell. She opened her eyes and saw that a gargantuan serpent was attacking her home, writhing, screaming and thrashing while trapped in a triangle of guns and Quirk effects. Its tail end was still connected to the massive portal that had opened up in the sky.
"What in the goddamn—" Aftermath began in Mimi's high-pitched little girl voice, swapping to a deep, enraged roar a moment later. "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON IN HERE, HUH?!"
"Young Izumi!" All Might called, a weighty fist uppercutting the beast. "Glad to see that you're alright!"
"Welcome to the party!" Nana shouted, launching a kick into the monster's jaw. "Let's get this bigass danger noodle the hell out of here!"
"POW!" Misha bellowed, his fist crashing into the snake's other cheek. His quad-barreled shotgun came up a moment later, spitting fire and metal into ethereal flesh.
"你死定了!" Chen yelled, pulling the lanyard of an artillery emplacement and sending a massive shell into the serpent's side.
Mimi immediately knew what she had to do next, rocketing upward as Hiro surrounded the intruder with a cage of white lightning and prepared to banish it. She cut the jets once high enough, freefalling for a second before the afterburners beneath her boots screamed with power. She couldn't use her Big Stick here due to the danger of collateral damage… it was time to bring out Swayback Maru instead. Spiralling flames gathered in her clenched fist as she descended from the heavens like a comet.
"Salt Lake City—"
"Brace brace brace—" somebody warned.
"—SMASH!"
In the waking world, Kiri's right index finger twitched.
Hundreds of kilometers away, so did Izuku's.
[x]
"We'll give you the full report later." Mimi said sheepishly. "At least we now know One For All can resist mind control."
"Mind control." Kiri repeated, wiggling both fingers on her temples. "It seems we'll have to be careful about that. And big snakies."
"I'll keep that in mind." he said, feeling much better after seeing their smiles. "So—"
An announcement from Midnight blared over the speakers, requesting for all participants to return to the stadium for the next event. It was time.
"Ah! I'll talk to the both of you later, alright? Take care of mom!"
"Geh, we still wanted to talk about that girl who kicked your ass and that weird snake thingy… Alright, fine. Just… stay safe, okay?" Mimi bit her lip. "Call us if you need anything."
"That's right, nii-chan! We'll be here for you." Kiri's wobbly little smile was just like his. "No matter what."
Izuku nodded, getting back on his feet. He had to be strong, now more than ever. In the face of adversity, one had to smile. The ones who smile are the strongest.
"Nn. Thank you, both of you." the boy smiled back. "I'll do my best!"
His siblings exchanged glances, before sending him a united nod. They were the ones he was thinking of now.
"Good luck, Izuku-nii-chan!" Kiri exclaimed.
After exchanging goodbyes Izuku jogged back to the stadium, just in time for the next event to be announced. Before that there was also a little mishap where the Class-A girls were wearing cute cheerleader outfits, Izuku blushing wildly upon seeing them. The jumbotron's slot-machine graphic spun around and around, finally landing on…
"A one-on-one tournament!" Midnight shouted, riling up the crowd with another crack of her whip. "The rules are simple. If you go out of bounds, you are eliminated! If you're immobilized, knocked out or deemed unfit to battle in any way, you are eliminated!"
It was a relatively simple ruleset that didn't really need explaining. As long as nobody tried anything life threatening or permanently damaging things would be fine. However, Izuku knew from watching the previous few Sports Festivals on TV that U.A students tended to be… overzealous, for lack of a better term.
"Now then, we'll determine who fights who through this lottery." Midnight picked up a box, shaking it to show the balls within. "Once the matchups are decided, we'll have a fun bit of recreation and then we'll commence. Whether or not the 16 of you who will be competing want to join in on the recreational activities is up to you, though I'm sure many of you will want to take a breather or preserve your strength. Let's start with the first team."
"Excuse me, Midnight-sensei."
Heads turned towards the speaker, finding a head of bright orange hair alongside locks of silver arranged in a bob cut. Kendo Itsuka and Yanagi Reiko stepped forward, expressions full of resolve.
"We would like to withdraw from the tournament."
A ripple of shock ran throughout the gathered crowd, the audience reacting in a similar fashion.
"H-huh? Prez, Reiko-san, why?!" A boy with spiky alabaster hair asked. "This is the time to show yourself off to the pros, you know!"
"From what I've heard about Present Mic's commentary earlier, I've already gotten enough of the spotlight." Kendo closed her eyes and nodded. "I want the underappreciated ones who put in tons of work but didn't get through to get noticed this time; it's only fair, after all. And that's why…"
Kendo raised a finger and pointed at someone, her wide smile brilliant as the morning sun.
"I nominate Monoma Neito as my replacement."
More hushed whispers rippled through the audience, Monoma looking stunned as the redhead marched up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Kendo-san, are you—" he began.
"I'm sure. We wouldn't have all made it through the first event if not for you." she grinned and held out an open hand. "Go get 'em, tiger."
Monoma waited a moment before he took it, and the two shook hands firmly with a sort of mutual understanding. Izuku felt his respect for Kendo rise by a significant margin.
"Ho… such foolishness. Such idealism." Midnight crooned from the stage, whip cracking through the air again. "Such youth! I'll allow it! What about your reason, Yanagi-san? Let's hear it."
Reiko's response was to raise her hand and flick it gently. A chunk of ground in front of her was torn off, a clean gouge in the shape of a semi-sphere left in the space where she had applied her Quirk. Another flick of her hand and the chunk squeezed itself into a small sphere, the earth compacting itself denser than what should have been scientifically possible. Izuku suspected that she could turn coal into diamonds if enough pressure was applied.
"My Quirk is too dangerous to use on a human being. For example, if I tried to use it to take someone's headband earlier, Poltergeist would have cut their head off. I don't have enough control to use it in direct combat without the possibility of grievously injuring someone." Reiko answered simply, ignoring how nearby students instinctively took a step away from her. "Besides, I don't feel like I did much throughout the match, so I want to give this chance to someone else who tried their hardest."
Reiko glanced up at Midnight.
"I nominate Kodai Yui as my replacement."
A dozen eyes turned to the mentioned girl, only to find her staring off into blank space while she munched on an energy bar. A moment of silence passed and the girl finally noticed that she was being stared at.
Yui stopped chewing.
She looked around, the mild confusion clear in her eyes. The girl looked left, right, and finally behind her before she pointed a finger at herself. Izuku realized she hadn't been paying attention at all and held back a giggle; she really was like Kiri.
"O-oi, Kodai-san!" Setsuna leaned over and whispered in the stoic girl's ear, updating her of the situation.
Now that Yui finally understood what was going on she turned to Reiko, the two stoic girls pausing to look at one another. Yui tilted her head when her silver-haired classmate held out her hand but ultimately shook it. Though everyone seemed to not notice it, Izuku caught the glimmer of suspicion in her gaze.
"Oho?! Well isn't this a twist? The power of friendship and camaraderie…" Midnight swooned dramatically, putting a hand to her forehead. "I love it! I hereby recognize Kendo Itsuka and Yanagi Reiko pulling out of the third event!"
Now that the two replacements have accepted their positions, the tournament was back up to 16 participants. Midnight drew lots and keyed in the data, the results flashing on the giant screen in a colorful graphic. Izuku's eyes shot towards his name, nervous and excited all at once.
There he was, located on the bottom right. Though they wouldn't face off against each other in the first match, Todoroki's name was parallel to his. That meant that he would face off against the Half-hot, Half-cold user in round two if he won. However, the name next to him was… oh dear.
Monoma Neito vs Midoriya Izuku.
Izuku looked down just in time to catch the tail end of a long stare from the Class B blonde, the other boy turning away with a scowl once he noticed. Crap, he still hadn't apologized to Monoma. That would be another thing he had to scratch off his bucket list.
"Ah."
The tiny sound caught his attention and Izuku turned to find Ochaco staring at the jumbotron with wide eyes. He followed her gaze and soon understood the reason for her nervous exclamation.
Kodai Yui vs Uraraka Ochaco.
The blood drained from Izuku's face. Ochaco was great, but… he winced when he imagined her going up against Yui. The size-changing girl clearly had some fighting experience, and Izuku feared that she would tear his friend limb from limb the moment the match started. Ochaco turned to look at him, her eyes full of uncertainty.
"Uwaa. Looks like I'm in a bit of a spot eh, Deku-kun?" Ochaco smiled, lip wobbling. Her gaze shot downward soon after.
Izuku gulped and paused to take a breath. No. Ochaco had her own strengths, too. She was brave, tenacious, resourceful, and never gave up no matter what. Even during the Cavalry Battle selection she had believed in him.
He chose to believe in her.
"You can do it, Uraraka-san!" he exclaimed, prompting her to look up with wide, confused eyes. "I… I believe in you!"
"E-eh? Me? B-but what about…"
"I'll be cheering for you." Izuku took a deep breath. "I promise. You're the only one who I'll be looking at when you're on that stage. So… do your best!"
She blinked, finally letting out a giggle that cut through that split second of awkwardness.
"I… Thank you, Deku-kun." Ochaco smiled warmly. "I really needed that."
"I, uh, you're welcome." Izuku blushed, her smile melting his heart. Then there was the cute outfit she had on. "This may be a bad time, but what's with the cheerleader costume?"
"This? Oh, Yaomomo sort of got tricked by Mineta-kun and ended up making these for all of us." She twirled around, Izuku turning even redder as she did. "I bet it looks weird, huh? Ehehe."
"You look really pretty." he said absentmindedly, immediately clamping a hand over his mouth afterwards.
This time it was Ochaco's turn to blush, her already rosy cheeks turning a bright red.
"A-ah. T-thanks." Her eyes alternated between the ground and her feet before finally flicking to him for the briefest moment. "You, um, look really pretty too."
He did? Several bandages were still wrapped around his body.
"It's time for the recreational activities to start! Tournament participants, feel free to join. The rest of you, it's time to rock! And! Rolllllllll!" Present Mic's jubilant voice echoed over the speakers.
Ochaco took the opportunity to run away. When Izuku turned back to look she was already gone, hurrying over to gather with the rest of the girls who were actually putting on some sort of cheerleading routine. Izuku groaned and smacked himself in the forehead, cursing at his incompetence.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid." he sighed, walking away and starting to plan for his match against Monoma.
If he had just stayed behind to watch the girls' cheerleading routine, he would have caught that big, soppy smile on Ochaco's face.
[x]
The light sound of footsteps echoed down an empty hallway. A silver-haired girl stopped in her tracks, noticing that she was being followed.
"Ara, what's this now?" Reiko asked. "There's no need to sneak up on me…"
She turned, hands still in her pockets while she addressed her follower.
"...Kodai-chan."
Yui stepped out of the shadows, her expression stoic as always. She tilted her head, conveying her curiosity though her gaze.
"Why? Really now, I already gave everyone a reason, didn't I?" Reiko sighed.
The brunette's eyes narrowed by a tiny fraction. Lying. Yui didn't want to admit it, but there was always something… off about Reiko whenever they talked alone. The platinum blonde was a quiet, diligent girl that got along well with everyone, but when the two of them talked she seemed different somehow. A strange feeling of wrongness but familiarity was always present whenever Yui looked at Reiko while they were alone; it was like her brain was seeing a fogged funhouse mirror and failing to understand what she was looking at. Like there was something behind the glass staring at her, evaluating Yui like she was a particularly interesting beetle. Reiko made her feel small. It frustrated her. Why? She… she just wanted to be friends...
Sometimes Reiko would have an uncanny expression on her face, too. Yui knew that look; that bored, mildly amused look that belonged on those with enough power to get away with anything and everything. Her instincts told her that the other girl was dangerous, the very same feeling one got when they stared into the depths of a dark forest. She didn't doubt for a moment that Reiko could destroy anyone from both classes if she really wanted to, even the mighty Todoroki. This national stage was an opportunity to showcase her power to the pros by annihilating all her opponents. Why would she forsake such a chance?
"Now where would be the fun in that?"
Yui's eyes widened almost imperceptibly. How—
"Let's not beat around the bush. You and I are the same, you know." Reiko smiled. Though her posture was relaxed the air around them seemed to shift and harden. "I never cared about placing high, or the glory that comes with it. I just want to be entertained."
The surrounding air pressure increased, and so did the ringing in Yui's ears. The brunette automatically prepared to defend herself, survival instincts screaming in warning.
"Hmm. I know you're not one to talk, Kodai-chan. But fine. If you're really that curious, I can tell you." Reiko somehow crossed the wide distance between them faster than she could blink, leaning in for a whisper. "Let's just say I wanted to see something interesting."
Pale fingers played past Yui's shoulders while Reiko circled her, tip-tapping their way along her back and sending an icy shiver rippling down her spine. A breath from the ghostlike girl brushed against Yui's cheek and she felt like a spider had crawled across her face. The air pressure reached an unbearable high for a painful second before suddenly returning to normal.
"Do put up a good show." Reiko's single eye seemed to glow in the dark, a light, breathy giggle echoing in Yui's ear as she circled around her. "I know you won't disappoint, and neither will our dear little Uraraka-chan."
Yui spun about to face her but she was gone, despite having been behind her a moment ago. They had been meters away from any side path or door and yet Reiko had simply vanished, like a ghost in the night.
The long hallway was empty, leaving the stoic girl alone with her thoughts.