Chapter 45: Sports Festival (7) (Patreon)

Izuku sighed, eyes closed as he savored the bowl of piping hot ramen served by the school staff, or more specifically, Lunch Rush. After the second event, the students were given free reign over the entirety of their lunch break. Those that didn’t make the cut were given consolation prizes as they joined further minor games and other shenanigans for the entertainment of the masses that took place during lunch time.

It was kind of funny, seeing a game called Wipeout, with students going through a gauntlet of obstacles while making sure they weren’t thrown off the course and into either mud pits, pools of water, or the most horrifying of them all, the Sticky gel swamp.

Some students managed to get through the gauntlet without much problems, but others were just downright hilarious to watch. While traversing through a tiny ledge with various holes hiding a nasty sucker punch surprise behind them, one of the students got decked in the face and was sent flying into a mud pit.

The resulting swears had to be censored in live television due to how explicit they were. No doubt, Nezu had a good laugh at the sudden swear bomb that happened in front of millions of people, old and young alike. Not that it did any good for their reputation as a child friendly source of entertainment.

Then again, would the next event even count as child friendly? Some food for thought.

“Oh hey, Midoriya.” He looked to the side and saw Tokoyami approaching him, a tray full of meat, nuts, and fruits on hand. “Such a fine event, last we teamed up. Indeed, ‘twas a revelry underneath the moonlit night.”

“Yep, gotta say, you hold yourself pretty well.” Izuku fed himself a long strip of noodles, his tongue lapping at the soup that threatened to spill all over the place. “Was fun seeing Dark Shadow manhandle the other students.”

“Quite, Dark Shadow hasn’t stopped gloating about how they were ‘Unstoppable’ as they call themselves.” Said entity popped out from behind Tokoyami and cackled like a madman.

“Yes! Watching them scream and run was pleasing to the soul!” Dark Shadow then floated towards Izuku with a grin upon their face. “You should hang out with Fumi more! You’re a good influence on him!”

“You mean bad influence.” Tokoyami sniffed as he set the tray down on the table. “No offense, Midoriya, but your actions lit a spark within that dreary heart of theirs.”

“Oh, I did, didn’t I?” Izuku hummed as he stared into the piercing white eyes of the shadow creature hovering around him, looking at him like he was some kind of idol that was meant to be worshiped. “Well then, first things first, Dark Shadow? How about a deal?”

“Yes! My liege!” Dark Shadow actually saluted, his shadowy form taking the poise of a militant soldier, causing Tokoyami to nearly choke on the food he was currently ingesting with his beak. 

“D-Dark Shadow!?” The avian mutant’s feathers puffed up slightly as the shadowy figure connected to him continued to make a fool out of themselves by proclaiming they actively revered the teen before them. “S-stop! Please! I know you like teasing me, but this is just too much!”

His mysterious and regal tone completely vanished, replaced by a floundering teen who was having trouble with someone close to them. Izuku smirked at the scene, fully aware that Tokoyami was heavily abashed while thanking his lucky stars he had an avian head.  However, that didn’t detract from the sheer shame he was experiencing by looking into his eyes.

“Ha! Got you this time!” Dark Shadow pointed at his host with a smug smile, before turning back to Izuku. “Sorry about that, just wanted to get back at Fumi for being an edgelord.”

“I am not an edgelord.” Tokoyami's eyes twitched at the label, the bird mutant going back to eating his fill to prepare for the next event.

“Sure, you aren’t.” Even without pupils, the sentient Quirk was able to mimic a human’s act of rolling eyes. “Anyway, peace, Midoriya. Hopefully, you and edgelord here stay friends for a long time. Can’t help but worry, ya know?” Dark Shadow’s tone lowered to that of a whisper, his host completely oblivious to the words uttered towards Izuku. “Deal’s off, by the way. Can’t tease Fumi here if he knows what’s coming.”

“... Must you be like this all the time…?”

Diving back into his host’s body, the avian teen grunted a bit at the sudden movement, before sighing and going back to eating his food silently. Respecting the teen’s silence, Izuku went back to eating his fill, his bowl still wasn’t half done, what with him trying to savor the taste instead of filling his belly with sustenance his body no longer needed.

The two ate quietly, none of them starting a conversation, content on just eating their fill, only to have the silence shattered by a half-toned teen with a glare that rivaled that of Seath the Scaleless when it found Izuku near the source of his immortality.

“Midoriya, we need to talk.” Todoroki placed a hand on Izuku’s shoulder, showing that he wasn’t taking no for an answer. So, Izuku being Izuku, saw a third way.

“Hold on, just lemme finish my ramen.” The bowl was nearly finished anyway, and the half-toned teen, perhaps respecting the sacred act that was lunch time, removed his hand from Izuku’s shoulder. He didn’t move an inch from his spot, however, standing still like a statue as he scrutinized every single movement Izuku made.

Even with his eyes focused on the bowl of ramen, Izuku could feel the anxiety coming from the avian mutant ahead of him, his tray now devoid of anything. Hell, even Dark Shadow peeked from behind Tokoyami, the sentient Quirk quietly observing the silent observer standing stock still beside Izuku.

It was after a painful two minutes that Izuku finally finished his bowl of ramen and was quickly dragged away from the table and into a secluded place around the stadium. And if a bunch of people saw the Todoroki spawn drag his classmate around like a sack of potatoes? Why bother?

There was a strict rule about guests – that is, the masses – interacting with those still in the events, unless they were family or close enough to be considered lifelong friends. They really were taking this security thing through the roof, and frankly, Izuku respected that.

Can’t have an occasion used to celebrate, as well as showcase the abilities of the students to prospective career heroes so they could be trained on the field with observant eyes, turn into a time for lament because a villain managed to sneak into the venue and cause havoc.

Once they were away from prying eyes and ears, Todoroki turned around to face Izuku with a stoic gaze. Izuku tilted his head to the side, a bit curious as to why Todoroki brought him here where no one was around…

Actually, scratch that, his senses picked up two presences nearby, one similar to that of the blond-haired girl who was living with him, and an ash blond boy hiding within the thick bushes. 

“So, why’d you bring me here?” Izuku crossed his arms and assumed a menacing pose.

“Do you know about Quirk marriages?” Todoroki’s words caused Izuku to furrow his brows, a hand cupping his chin as he began to ponder.

“The legal ones or the illegal ones?” Izuku’s words caused the half-toned teen to blink. He opened his mouth, only for a sound resembling a dying mouse to exit his mouth.

“W-what?” He stared at Izuku, eyes somewhat wide, a stark contrast from his previous aloofness. “What do you mean legal?”

“What I said. There are legal Quirk Marriages, and illegal ones. Morally dubious, for sure, but still legal.” Izuku shrugged and Todoroki wasn’t able to speak right after that. After a few seconds of silence, the half-toned teen managed to get his bearings and look Izuku in the eyes.

“That doesn’t matter.” He growled as he stared at his left hand. “What matters is that you managed to make me use his fire in the last event.”

“Oh, right. Kind of forgot about your declaration in the locker room.” Izuku chuckled for a bit before he frowned. “You still on about that? You do know you aren’t going to beat me without using your full power. Didn't the last event teach you?”

Todoroki’s face scrunched up in disgust, his eyes roaming from his left hand and into Izuku’s green orbs.

“I will beat you.” Without any further words, Todoroki left, stomping about like a child throwing a tantrum. Once he was gone from eyeshot, as well as earshot, Izuku turned to face the bush with a raised eyebrow.

“Katsuki, you can come out now. I know you’re there.” Said ash blond clicked his tongue as he slowly showed himself with his hand inside his pocket.

“Damned half-n-half gonna get wrecked one day.” He scowled, back hunched slightly as he usually was. “Fucker’s gonna let a guy die because of his fucking pride.”

And wouldn’t Katsuki know something about that?

“Maybe not today, but sometime in the near future, yeah, I can see that happening.” Izuku hummed in agreement, a slight frown on his face. “But then again, I don’t like forcing people to see things my way. That just makes things even worse in the long run.”

Katsuki’s face said that he was a bit befuddled at the proclamation, but otherwise, didn’t refute it. Izuku knew why. Deep underneath his mind, he knew that if this was before Izuku died, forcing someone to change – specifically himself – wouldn’t make much of a difference. It would remain fake… plastic, and the problematic mindset would still be deeply rooted within the subconscious, waiting for the day it would surface.

“Anyway, Himi, you gonna sit there all day?” Izuku called out towards the wall covering them from prying eyes. Said girl walked out from it with a large grin on her face.

“Awww, is one of your classmates having daddy issues?” Contrary to her looks, Himi was a very smart girl. It didn’t take too long to figure out that Todoroki had problems with his father. Just the way he said ‘His fire’ was enough of a clue to paint them a story.

And it wasn’t a fun one either.

“I know Endeavor isn’t a fucking saint, didn’t think he was a cunt to his own flesh and blood as well.” Katsuki harrumphed. “Top 2 hero my ass. Might as well give him an award for child abuse.”

“Ohhh…? Does that include my family too?” Himi sing-songed while approaching Katsuki. Reeling from the shocking revelation, Katsuki looked at Himi funny. 

“Not you too…” Katsuki facepalmed, all the while Izuku watched the interaction go by with an amused smile on his lips. “For fuck’s sake, how many people in this school have daddy issues?”

Izuku raised his hand, only for Katsuki to groan into his palm even more.

“Should’ve fucking seen that coming.”

After a few hearty laughs coming from Izuku, with both Himi and Katsuki not joining him for obvious reasons, the three went back to their designated booths where their classmates were waiting for the next event to start.

Sadly for Himi, she wasn’t part of the class 1-A roster, so he had to head back to her own class. Morosely, she skulked along the hallways, people giving her a wide berth as they saw the crazy in her eyes. She looked back once or twice towards Izuku, and all he did was wave her goodbye as they parted ways.

It didn’t take long walking through the hallways with Katsuki before they found the booth where their classmates were seated. Izuku saw some free seats right at the edge, the best spot if one wanted to see the action up close. Strolling forward like he owned the entire place, Izuku plopped his ass on the chair regally as one would when sitting upon a throne.

With his tushy all warmed and cushioned, Izuku waited for the event to begin. They already had their brackets issued right after the second event, and Izuku was slotted to be the second fight in the first round against his pinkette teammate in the last event..

The first match would be Todoroki against some dude from the General Classes. And as Present Mic called upon them with very loud speakers and a bit of showboating, both Todoroki and Shinso took to the stage.

Looking closer, Izuku noted that Shinso looked a bit nervous, his hands twitching slightly. Nervousness aside, the teen could pass for a direct copy of their homeroom teacher, Aizawa, just because of the dark bags underneath his eyes, save for the hair style and color.

Midnight strolled over to the side and raised a flag. She gave a few comments about sportsmanship and the rules, and quickly swished it down once she was done, the fight now starting in full earnesty.

“So, ready to make daddy dearest proud?” Izuku’s superior hearing managed to pick up the words coming from Shinso, even with the roaring crowd urging them to beat each other up. “I’d say, it must make him so proud, seeing his little boy fight with everything he’s been taught to do. His fire from last match? Exquisite, to say the least.”

Ah, Izuku somehow knew that Todoroki would lose here. He zoomed into the half-toned teen’s face, and no doubt, he was looking at Shinso with unabated rage.

“You dare-” In an instant, his rageful face turned blank, eyes going dim as his hands previously being raised to no doubt conjure ice fell to his side.

“Turn around and walk out of the ring.” Todoroki did as commanded and walked out without much fanfare. The moment he stepped out onto the dirt, Midnight called the match then and there, the stadium hung with the loud sound of silence.

Izuku blinked, and so did his other classmates. One, however, looked like he was palming his face in what seemed to be disappointment.

Did Ojiro know something about the Shinso? Judging by how he forfeited his spot because he couldn’t remember what had happened during the second event, he had an inkling as to the capabilities of the indigo-colored teen slowly walking away from the ring.

Todoroki, meanwhile, was visibly fuming, face going red as he glared at Shinso’s back as he walked away. There was going to be bad blood between them, and Izuku knew that going forward, Todoroki was going to have problems with his hero career.

“Sheesh, that doesn’t look good for our class. One of our heavy-hitters is already down and out.” Kirishima winced. “The hell was that anyway?”

“Indeed, quite a mind-boggling turn of events.” Tokoyami hummed.

“What kind of quirk does he have I wonder, kero.” Tsu laid a finger underneath her chin. “By the way, Midoriya, shouldn’t you be heading to the locker rooms, kero? You’re up next.”

“Oh, right.” Izuku stood up and dusted his pants. He had just got here and sat for about a few minutes, only to have the first match be finished in seconds. “Thought the first match was gonna go for a few minutes at least.”

He left his class to their own theorizing as he exited their booth, his feet echoing through the quiet hallways. On the way to the lockers, he heard angry voices coming from one of the corners. His curiosity piqued, Izuku slowly hid behind the corner and eavesdropped on the ongoing situation. Nothing like a bit of drama to spice one’s life.

“Do you have any idea how much you have made a fool of yourself?” A giant of a man with a burning mustache – that frankly looked ridiculous and simultaneously cool – loomed over Todoroki, the half-toned teen looking down at the ground with barely concealed hostility. “How long is this pathetic rebellion of yours going to continue? Your ice isn’t enough, Shoto. Sooner or later, reality will drill itself right into your head.”

A growl exited Todoroki’s throat, but the giant man didn’t seem to care.

Izuku deemed that it was time to leave. He didn’t want to be labeled as a stalker – unlike Katsuki and Himi, the latter of which being obsessed with him, after all – and the next round was about to begin. Leaving the two to their father-son bonding, no matter how fucked up their life was with Todoroki actively hating his own father, Izuku began heading to the locker room to prepare.