Chapter 28: (Episode 25: Todoroki vs. Bakugo)
Thinking of how easy it was for Todoroki to win, Bakugo yelled at Midoriya as he began to shake with rage, "As I watched the ice guy… I thought, 'I can't beat him'!"
"Fucking bull shit- I'm sick of this damn, same, shit, Deku!"
"It's not Midoriya's fault, though…?" Eijiro mumbled under his breath while Katsuki ran his hands down his face before he heard what he said, causing the boy to freeze up at the ash blond's crimson glare.
"You fucking FORGET who this stupid, DAMN, fucking show is ABOUT, Shitty Hair?! It's always Deku's fault-"
"Okay, you need to stop with that." Hitoshi wasn't accepting this verbal abuse toward his new friend anymore, especially from someone who told Izuku to kill himself, which he would never forgive, narrowing his lavender gaze up at Katsuki as he sneered, "Leave Midoriya alone, seriously. Do you ever think about the consequences of your words? I mean, give me a break."
"S-Shinso-kun…"
"Oh, you tell him, Shinso-kun…!" Ochaco was right alongside with the purplenet, which Izuku was obviously not too happy about.
"Stop it- Stop it, pl-please…"
"Deku-kun, I know you said that it was your fault that we're here before, but I don't see it that way. I mean, without us here, who would protect you from Bakugo-kun?"
"Think of it this way-" Hitoshi generously offered his two cents of an opinion as he stated, in the saddest way possible, "Neither of us would have friends if you had said no. I see this as a win, I just wish I had seen it when I first walked in."
Ochaco almost cried after he said that while Izuku could only gap in response, seemingly not knowing what to say to counter that. Or just say something to reply with in return.
"He totally rhymed just then, right…?"
"Yeah he did…"
"Wow… That's impressive."
Katsuki rolled his eyes at the stupidity of the three beside him before he went back to his thoughts, thinking up strategies and ways to defeat Shoto.
"Okay, so I know we said no to the betting pool thing-" Denki reminded them as he leaned forward, practically laying his body against Hanta's as he pouted, wondering, "But could we make a little, tiny, bet on who we think is going to win…?"
"Why are you asking me? I'm not your dad."
And just like that, Denki was up and out of his seat in a heartbeat as he announced, "All right, everyone! We're gonna try the betting pool thing again!"
There were a few, soft cheers at his exclamation before they were overthrown by Tomura's declaration, "Bakugo's taking this for the win…!"
Hearing this made the students a tad uncomfortable at how strangely supportive Tomura was for Katsuki, who only sulked in response, rolling his eyes. It didn't sit right with them, nor did it with Toshinori and Shota, as both pro heroes thought about having a talk on this issue.
"What you children are trying to do is illegal, and you should be ashamed of yourselves for suggesting such an activity." Enji bellowed, glaring at the lot of students trying to involve his son in their shenanigans. None of the kids paid him any attention, however, except for Denki's stink eye.
"As long as you kids aren't betting real money, I don't care what you do…"
"Aww, but that takes the fun out of it, Sensei…"
"Can we truly bet on Shoto-chan or Bakugo-chan when everything about this match is uncertain, kero?" Tsuyu croaked, putting the attention down to her as she went to explain what she meant by saying, "If throughout this fight, Shoto-chan doesn't use his flames, I would say Bakugo-chan has the best bet at winning. But if Shoto-chan used his full power, kero, I don't think Bakugo-chan would stand a chance."
"You don't know what you're talking about, Frog Legs!"
"Bakugo, hush…!" Hanta briefly scolded the blond, which caused Katsuki to turn his glare onto him, with Eijiro caught in the middle, while the black-haired teen looked back down to Tsuyu, asking, "Why do you think that?"
"Because Bakugo-chan's quirk can melt Shoto-chan's ice, but Shoto-chan could easily counter him with his fire."
Listening to his peers talk about the final match was starting to get under his skin, Shoto clenching his fists while biting his lip. What they were saying dangerously reminded him of what Enji would say during their training sessions.
The air grew a little colder, Mashirao noticing as he looked over to see Shoto beginning to shake.
"Guys, maybe we should stop talking about this… Just- Quit with the betting pool thing, yeah?" Mashirao grabbed their attention from the subject at hand, gesturing toward Shoto, who tried to make himself small.
"Deku-kun, weren't you saying before how you thought Bakugo-kun could possibly win against Shoto-kun."
"U-Uraraka-san…!" Izuku stuttered in response to what she said, with Ochaco innocently blinking back at him. While the greenet wasn't sure how to reply, Hitoshi was busy trying to tell her silently to let the topic go until he heard his friend give in, explaining to the brunette, "I, um… Ka-Kacchan wants a fight where he… where he doesn't have to hold back, and the same thing goes for who he's fighting… So, that's why I think Kacchan will, uh… win, be-because Todoroki-kun is hesitating… And Kacchan won't like that…"
"Honestly, who cares what Bakugo likes." Hitoshi shrugged with Ochaco agreeing to that, nodding along, but that didn't stop Izuku from having a bad feeling about the final round in this prophesied Sports Festival.
"You brats really don't know what you're talking about- Bakugo's taking this battle for the win…!"
If Katsuki noticed that his only supporters were his victim and a psychopath, he didn't make a comment about it, and none of the students were going to point it out to him either.
Sitting in one of the available waiting rooms before his final match, Todoroki sat there, staring down at his left hand in concentration, while he remembered his past.
'Shoto's… That child's left side sometimes looks very unsightly to me…'
Every student in the theater collective let out a sigh of relief when the flashback changed to show Izuku instead of what came next from that terrible memory. The first time it was shown before, it had hurt, but now, it just made Shoto wonder how Rei was doing, after all the years. And if it was too late for him to see her again. To build a relationship with his mother.
'COME AT ME WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!'
'It's your power… ISN'T IT?!'
Shoto shivered from hearing that again, and it didn't help when his mother's horrified expression showed up afterwards. A hand rested on his shoulder, making him jump slightly before it moved to stroke his hair.
"Are you all right, Young Shoto…?" Toshinori gently asked, watching the boy nod in reply to his question instead of answering verbally, which worried him.
'Until I fought with Midoriya, I didn't even think about thinking about it.' Todoroki slowly curled his finger into a fist, his eyes flickering in tragedy as he wondered, 'Mom, I…'
The door suddenly slammed open, slightly startling Todoroki before he looked over and saw Bakugo, who was equally as confused to see him. The blond had his arm up against the frame, with his foot hanging in midair after his kick as the two continued to stare at the other.
"Huh?" Bakugo eventually uttered out before accusing Todoroki as he peeked at the sign on the wall, "Hey, why are you here? It's waiting room… oh, this is room two? Damn it!"
"I think that's the closest Bakugo has admitted to being wrong…"
"Yes, and it definitely shows that he does not like to do so, especially when ignored…" Momo noted along with her friend's claim, watching at how Katsuki became angry afterwards.
"Hey, hey, hey…" Bakugo sneered as he raised his hand up before bringing it down on the table, letting a few Explosions disrupt Todoroki's concentration as he yelled at him afterwards, demanding, "Where are you looking, Half n' Half Bastard?!"
Once the smoke disappeared, Bakugo got a good look at Todoroki's wide-eyed expression, hearing the two-toned boy whisper, "That's…"
"Huh?"
"...what Midoriya said to me, too."
'Did I say that…?' Izuku ran back through everything that was said and done throughout the episode of his and Shoto's match, blinking as he hummed in thought, 'Maybe I did… If Todoroki-kun says that I did, then he's probably right…'
Izuku didn't realize how much his words were affecting Shoto, both here and on screen.
Because that same boy was staring up at the TV with the same wide eyes, with Toshinori giving the boy a quick glance before carefully wrapping his arm around the teen's shoulder. Hearing that only fueled Katsuki's anger, gritting his teeth because this was supposed to be his match against Shoto.
Not Izuku's. Bakugo Katsuki's.
'I'm gonna kill that Half n' Half Bastard…!'
"That guy… He acted recklessly and came to destroy all the problems I'd been carrying." Todoroki said, paying his sights back down to his left hand before he blinked, looking back up to Bakugo as he wondered, "You guys are childhood friends, right? Was Midoriya like that when you were young, too?"
That question repulsed Bakugo.
'You looked like you were asking for help…'
'Are you all right? Can you stand?'
Izuku visibly flinched as those scenes played back, shrinking into his seat as he tried to make himself small before he was suddenly pulled into a hug. He looked behind him only to turn beat red, his body growing hot, as he caught Ochaco holding him.
"That damn nerd…" Bakugo's fist shook at his side, his irritation of Midoriya growing until he kicked the table suddenly, much to Todoroki's surprise, as the spiky ash blond yelled down at him, "Who cares about him?! Seriously, who the hell cares…?! Your family circumstances, and your feelings… I don't care about that stuff! Just use your flames on your left on me, too! I will hold them down from above…!"
With that, he waltzed out of the room, slamming the door behind him, and leaving Todoroki back to his concentration. Outside, his opponent was stomping his way down the hall, wearing a vicious grin that showed his determination to be number one.
'I'll crush that Half n' Half Bastard indisputably, and then I'll be at the top!' Bakugo was dead set on proving that.
Title screen 'Episode 25. Todoroki vs. Bakugo'
"Dial down the murder intent, would ya…? Jeez…"
"It sounds like Bakugo-chan is jealous of Midoriya-chan for getting Shoto-chan to use his flames, kero."
"I ain't jealous of fucking nobody, Frog Legs! Shut your damn trap!" Katsuki yelled down to the long-haired greenette while Hanta hummed, his earlier theory on the blond's sexuality coming back to mind after what Tsuyu said.
Fire erupted for a final time in the arena, causing the crowd to yell in return as Mic's announcement came soon after, "It's finally the last battle of the U.A High School Sports Festival! The top of the first-years will be decided with this one match! The final, so to speak! From the hero course, Todoroki Shoto! Versus- Also from the hero course, Bakugo Katsuki!"
Pro heroes and students alike watched with interest to see what this final fight would bring. Which of the two would win and be on top, number one out of their grade. Only one way to find out.
"Now… STARRRRT!"
Todoroki immediately attacked with his ice, slamming his hand on the ground as he sent his first move to capture his opponent, just like he had done for his past matches. Bakugo, who was prepared for this, countered with accurate speed to blast it all away, blowing up the glacier spikes before they could reach him.
"Damn it!"
However, with his more experienced years of training, Todoroki's ice quickly came to solidify around his opponent, trapping him in the frozen liquid as he let out an icy breath.
"Todoroki gets a blow in right away! Is he trying to avoid close combat with Bakugo? Has the winner been decided already?!"
"Nice to know Shoto's not angry anymore, then…" Hanta shivered as he listened to Izuku say how his attack wasn't the same from the first match with him.
"I mean, he's just confused at this point… And I can't really blame him for it." Eijiro shrugged while he mumbled in response to what Hanta said until his friend's arm was suddenly around his shoulder.
"This is why you're my twin, Kirishima."
"-that sound?"
"It's Bakugo-chan's doing." Asui answered Mineta's question as the ice slowly began to crack with each shake of the stadium.
Then suddenly, Bakugo blew open a hole in the glacier, with Todoroki jumping back in preparation for his opponent's next attack. Ice shards rained down from the explosion as everyone in the crowd gaped at the display.
"Did he dig his way through the ice like a mole with his explosions?"
"That's so weird!"
Crouching lower to the ground, Todoroki waited to see what Bakugo would do first, carefully watching the blond's movements as he rested his hands on the ice, creating steam.
"The stronger the quirk…"
Eventually giving in, Todoroki sprinted forward suddenly, which caused Bakugo in return to blast himself forward to meet him half-way.
'...the more imprecise the attacks!' Bakugo finished as his opponent reached with his right hand while he twisted his body to propel himself to Todoroki's left side, which took the scarred teen by surprise.
"He avoided his right side and grabbed him?!" Midoriya sat up in his seat as they watched Bakugo grab the other boy's shoulder and face, twisting so that he would soon be behind Todoroki, while his classmates behind him gaped at this.
"Wow!"
"Are you underestimating me?!" Bakugo challenged his opponent, falling backwards before he firmly planted his boot onto the ground while shouting out, "IDIOT!"
He threw Todoroki across the stage, using his quirk to send him out of bounds, but his opponent acted quickly, reaching out with his right hand to create an ice ramp that circled the arena in order to stay in bounds.
"He avoids going out of bounds with a wall of ice! Looks like fun!"
With his eyes following his opponent, Bakugo was able to run just in time before a spike of ice could encase him again, running back for another round. He jumped while rearing his hand back, about to deliver an Explosion before his arm was caught by Todoroki's left hand.
"COME ON- USE IT ALREADY!"
"Leave him alone." Hitoshi scoffed after Katsuki's exclamation, the red-eyed teen growing impatient watching Shoto be so stubborn.
Toshinori pulled the boy in closer while Shoto lowered his head, his eyes falling to the carpet as he listened to his father telling him to use his fire. Just like Izuku and Katsuki were. He wished everyone would just leave him alone or that his future self had never pulled the greenet to the side to talk with him. It wasn't their business to meddle in his problems. He just wanted to know what he should do.
"Use it, Shoto!"
Todoroki didn't know what to do, but he didn't want to listen to his father. He didn't want to give in so easily. He was just confused. So instead, he gripped Bakugo's arm before tossing him to the side, watching the ash blond skid against the concrete before coming to a halt just as he jumped down.
"Stop screwing around." Bakugo spat under his breath, glaring at his opponent, who was supposed to be doing everything they could to beat him, gritting his teeth as he grinned dangerously, "Am I not strong enough to make you use it?"
"With the way he grabbed Todoroki's left side on purpose and times his explosions… He's been doing his research. That kid's abilities shine every time he fights."
"Oho!" Mic widened his eyes at what Aizawa was saying, realizing it himself as he looked back to view the match while he let his friend commentate for a while.
"Todoroki's moving well, too, but his attacks are too simple. Ever since the match with Midoriya, he's lost his touch."
"Aizawa Sensei is giving solid advice for both Bakugo-san and Todoroki-san…" Momo hummed with her hand pressed against her chin, thinning her lip as she thought, 'I wonder if I could ask him for some advice, too…'
"-fool of me! I'll kill you! I want an indisputable first place! I can't get that even if I beat scum that underestimates me! There's no point if I can't get higher up than Deku. If you have no intention of winning, then don't stand in front of me!"
"Yeah, you tell them all, Ba-ku-go…!" Tomura whooped while the ash blond was angrily tapping his foot against the floor, narrowing his eyes at the screen and what he had said.
'Kacchan… He thinks I'm…?' Izuku wasn't sure what Katsuki was trying to say, claiming that he was higher than his old friend.
'I want… to be a hero, too…!'
That was what he said during his fight with Midoriya, and while Todoroki still thought that way, he couldn't just erase his past.
'Sorry, Bakugo… Ever since I fought Midoriya, I became unsure of what I should do… Of whether or not I was correct…' Todoroki could feel the frost creeping up his right side, letting his left arm rest at his side as Bakugo came running for him.
"Todoroki-kun!" Midoriya yelled out, causing his hand to twitch as Todoroki heard his classmate say, "Don't lose! Do your best!"
"Come on, Shoto!"
"It's not your moment, Kaminari…"
Using his quirk to throw himself into the air, Bakugo grinned as he watched his opponent's expression change after the short encouragement from Midoriya. His entire body trembled, but not because he was cold, but because he was preparing his attack, the frost flaking off his arm as steam rose. Narrowing his eyes as he gritted his teeth, Todoroki let the fire explode from his left side again, calling upon his power as the flames burned, exactly what the blond wanted to see.
'That's it… That's it…!' Bakugo crossed his arms over his chest, using his quirk to spin through the air as the smoke surrounded him while he thought, 'If you're gonna stand in front of me, then you should concentrate on winning!'
'Midoriya said that, too…' Shoto had looked back up when he heard Izuku call his name, his heterochromatic eyes flickering across the screen.
Katsuki was grinning uncontrollably as he waited to see what a clash between him and Shoto would look like, wondering if what he was planning to do was a new move he had come up with. He couldn't wait to see how destructive it could be.
"That's right, Shoto… That's right…!" Enji grinned with pride for the boy using his flames once more, but the students around him grew quiet from their previous cheers when moments from Shoto's past flashed across the screen. This couldn't be good.
Todoroki extinguished the flames and let his arm fall back to his side. The past just couldn't be erased that easily.
"HEY-"
"Howitzer… IMPACT!" Bakugo produced an Explosion much larger than before, covering half of the arena in his attack. It broke apart the ice behind Todoroki and engulfed it in smoke while the wind rushed up the stadium, causing the audience to shy away from the heat.
"He added momentum and rotation to the huge blast he showed us in his fight against Uraraka! He was like a human projectile! It looks like Todoroki didn't fire off the huge blast he used in his match with Midoriya, but the winner is…"
The stage was covered in smoke once again, patiently waiting for it to disperse before they could announce a clear winner for this year's first-year Sports Festival. Peering through the dark fog, Bakugo laid flat across the stage, gaping ahead with his eyes widening at what he was seeing.
"Huh…?"
"Holy shit, that was soft…"
"Unexpected…"
'I swear, if that Half n' Half is out of bounds…' Katsuki would never forgive him.
"Huh…?"
Looking out of bounds after the smoke finally vanished, Bakugo found to his surprise, and disappointment, Todoroki laying in a heap of his own ice, unconscious. This wasn't how his final match was supposed to go.
"DAMN IT…!" Katsuki cried out, causing a few to jump from the sudden volume increase, before the boy ran towards the front to grab Shoto. Fortunately, Toshinori stepped in the way of the teen's path, blocking him from the other, while his fists rained down on the hero's chest as he shouted, "This isn't how it was supposed to go! To win first place like this…! There's no point if you don't give it your all!"
"Young Bakugo, this is not your timeline anymore… You and Young Shoto can still have a proper fight-"
"Like hell I can- How can I be number one like this…?!" Katsuki blinked back the water in his eyes.
Watching this unfold, with Toshinori eventually lowering himself and Katsuki to the floor, Hanta leaned over to Denki as he whispered into his friend's ear, "Didn't Bakugo himself say he was gonna be number one…?"
"Yeah, and yet here he is, whining and throwing a fit like a little kid all because he didn't 'win the way he wanted to'. Spoiled much."
Eijiro didn't think that way. He could understand a little of where Katsuki may be coming from, but he could agree that a win was a win. He didn't fully understand the ash blond, but that was fair since they only knew each other for just about a day.
"You said Bakugo-kun wouldn't like winning if Shoto-kun didn't give it is all, right, Deku-kun…?" Ochaco mumbled to her friend, who nodded while biting his lip.
"Yeah… I just didn't think Kacchan would get this bad…"
"Maybe it would have been better if he had just… lost…?" Hitoshi wondered, but even Izuku didn't know which outcome would have been better; Shoto giving his all and winning or continuing to use his ice and beat Katsuki that way. If his match with the blond from yesterday had anything to say about that.
"These people don't know what they're cheering for- Screw them, am I right?" Tomura chuckled before leaning across the armrest toward the idiotic trio as he grinned, "Bet you all feel stupid now, huh? Bakugo's the only one whose stats are all maxed out, and yet, you thought the kid who's scared of his own abilities could win…?"
"Dude, actually shut the fuck up."
Clearing the stage of ice and fixing the cement with the help of Cementoss, it was now time for the award ceremony of the U.A. High School Sports Festival of the first-years. Fireworks erupted across the stadium as the audience roared with anticipation for the winners to be presented.
"Still think those fireworks are a safety hazard…"
"Don't they send out fireworks at every Sports Festival, though…?"
"-we will begin the award ceremony!" Midnight announced, cueing the fireworks to go off again as the crowd cheered for the efforts of every student that made an impact today and for those that did their best throughout the rounds.
Confetti shot out behind Midnight with fog covering the podiums where the winners stood before it started to clear, causing the student's to grow uncomfortable at what they saw. At what the school allowed to be shown on public television.
"Wow…"
"What the heck?"
"He's been struggling ever since waking up."
Bakugo, standing on the first place podium, was strapped to a cinder block with a muzzle clasped around his nose and mouth, strong metal cuffs up to his elbows, all while the boy was struggling to break free.
"What the fuck is THAT?!"
"Oh… my god…"
"You know muzzling a person can leave scars if it's on too tight, right?" Hitoshi looked, wide-eyed, over to Shota, who appeared just as shocked as the rest of the students, with Tenya behind him slightly gaping at what they were seeing.
"Oh, Young Ba-" Toshinori stopped when he felt the boy in his arms push himself away, watching as Katsuki walked over to sit down in the fifth row, by himself and all alone.
"Was that really necessary…? Even if Kirishima says Bakugo was struggling when he woke up, was… all that necessary?"
"Bakugo does not want to accept the award, most likely, due to his frustrations toward Todoroki, feeling that he is not worthy of the medal he is about to receive." Fumikage guessed that was why the spiked blond was acting the way he was, and since they couldn't just not present a winner, strapping him down was the best they could think.
"Makes you think that this festival is just for the media instead of the actual students participating in it…" Hitoshi huffed under his breath, laying an arm around the back of the couch while he slumped forward. He may hate Katsuki for what he did to Izuku, but that didn't mean he wanted to see him like this either.
Speaking of Izuku, watching his old friend being treated this way, made it uncomfortable to continue watching. Ochaco slipped an arm around her friend's shoulders before gently pulling him into a side hug, laying her head on top of his.
Meanwhile, all Tomura could do was laugh at the heroes' attempt to contain Katsuki. It was entertaining.
"This is sudden, but I must leave early. A villain got my older brother." Iida informed his friends, right before the match between Bakugo and Todoroki, with Uraraka and Midoriya gasping at this.
"Your brother? You mean Ingenium?!"
"Yeah."
"How's he doing?"
"I don't know the details." Iida closed his eyes while he answered Uraraka's burning question, providing what he could as he explained next, "So I'm going to go visit him directly to see."
Midoriya furrowed his brow as he remembered that conversation after Asui's comment of Iida being so excited for this event. He worried for both his friend and his older brother's condition, thinning his lip as he prayed for Ingenium to be okay.
'He is a likable hero who honors the rules and leads people. I set my sights on being a hero because I want to be like my brother.'
'Ingenium… For Iida-kun's sake, too, I hope that you're okay.' Midoriya wished the best for the Iida family.
Tenya's fists clenched at his side, narrowing his eyes at the ground while holding back tears as he thought, 'He was killed, Midoriya-kun- My brother- My hero -was murdered by the Hero Killer. There is no way he is 'okay'...!'
"Everything's going to be okay, Iida… We'll stop this."
'Everything is certainly not okay…' Tenya swore to his dying breath as his knuckles turned white, 'I will avenge my brother.'
"Now, we will award the medals! The presentation of the medals will, of course, be by this man…"
All Might's laugh echoed from the top of the stadium after Midnight's call, causing the audience as a whole to gasp before cheering as they all recognized that laugh.
"It's All Might!"
"Fucking hell- Should've killed him when I had the chance…! Stupid heroes!" Tomura grumbled under his breath until he glanced to the side, blinking as he found Katsuki wasn't there. Scanning the group of pesky children, he eventually found the spiky-haired kid in the back row, walking up before plopping into the seat closest to him as he called out to the blond, "Ya left me behind back there, Bakugo… The fuck's the matter with you?"
"Go to hell." Katsuki's witty response got a short laugh out of the villain.
"This year's first-years are so lucky."
"They've got the number one hero watching them!"
Recovering from the embarrassment of speaking over the Symbol of Peace, Midnight shyly handed All Might the medals while she told him, "Now then, All Might, please present the medals, starting with third place."
Walking up the stairs to Tokoyami, who bowed his head toward his heroics teacher, All Might chuckled as he placed the award around the young boy's neck, "Young Tokoyami, congratulations. You sure are strong."
"You are too kind." Tokoyami replied while straightening back up just as All Might stepped forward to give him an embrace.
"However, in order to fight well against different types, you must not rely only on your quirk. If you train your own strength more, then you'll have more options when you fight."
Lifting up the bronze medal for his eyes, Tokoyami looked down at his starting line before nodding, "Yes, sir."
Faint cheering came from some of the students for Fumikage, who dipped his beak as Mezo gently patted the boy on his shoulder. He took Toshinori's advice to heart and wondered how he could move forward from this, along with taking those steps to his image of improvement.
'Hmmm… Fighting without our quirks could help…'
Moving onto second place, All Might held up the medal, placing it around Todoroki's neck as he smiled softly, "Young Todoroki, congratulations. I assume there is a reason you did not use your left side in the final?"
"I had an opportunity during my match with Midoriya, but then I became unsure of myself."
"Unsure my ass…" Katsuki huffed while he glared at the screen.
"I think I understand a little of why you are interested in him. I wanted to become a hero like you. But it's not like I can just forget and get over things." Todoroki mentioned to All Might, looking up to his hero with a new found resolve in his eyes as he declared, "There is still something I must settle."
All Might nodded, understanding, as he noticed too, "The look on your face is completely different from before. I won't ask about the details. I'm sure that you will be able to do what you need to do."
"Yes." Todoroki replied as he let the man hug him, patting his back before he went to give first place their medal.
If he understood it right, and knew what his future self was planning to do, then the current him didn't think he could do it. At least not how he was right now, with Shoto trying to sink into the sofa pillows before Toshinori's arm around him pulled him in for another hug.
"I'm glad to say that the same applies to you as well, Young Shoto."
For a moment, Shoto didn't understand what he was trying to tell him until he blinked, parting his lips as he bowed his head, resting his forehead against Toshinori. He hoped to witness what it was he needed to do.
"Nah, he looks just perfect. Besides, the heroes were the ones to put Bakugo in chains as if he was a crim-" Tomura started, only to slowly break out into laughter at the irony of what he was saying. Nobody else had heard him, but just his laughter was enough to send shivers down everyone's spines.
"First place like this…" Bakugo snarled, after All Might removed the muzzle, before letting his rage boil over as he yelled out, "...is not worth anything! Even if the world recognizes it, if I don't recognize it myself, then it's TRASH!"
'His face is amazing…' All Might thought before nodding, understanding where the boy was coming from as he agreed, "Right. In this world where people are constantly being compared publicly, there are not many who can keep aiming for the top of an unchanging scale."
Looking back to see if his words wavered Bakugo, All Might found that anger still residing in the young man, holding back a laugh as he thought again, 'His face is amazing…'
'It's really not…' Toshinori sighed as he worried for Katsuki's wellbeing.
"Take this medal, okay? Think of it as a 'wound', so you never forget!" All Might presented the gold medal in a different mindset for Bakugo, but the blond wasn't budging from his convictions.
"I said I didn't want it!"
"Now, now."
"I told you…!" Bakugo blocked All Might from putting it around his neck by leaning his head against the cement block while the hero tried to find a different way as he continued to protest, "I don't want it!"
"Here." All Might called victory when he managed to secure it in Bakugo's mouth.
"You think you did something there, huh, Ass Might?"
"Bakugo-chan didn't want the medal, but he was forced to take it as a 'wound', and everyone thinks that's okay, kero."
"Oh, no, this is super messed up."
"None of us think this is okay, trust me." Kyoka agreed with Toru after the froggy greenette voiced her point. Glancing over to Toshinori next, she propped her chin onto the palm of her hand before asking the hero in a stern tone of voice, "Why would you chain him up and force him to take a medal he obviously doesn't want?"
"Now, I can not completely answer this question factually, as I am not a teacher at U.A., nor do we understand the situation fully, but…" Toshinori tried to think of a response that would satisfy the students, but the only thing he could think up was not the best, and it would only bring more questions. And it could potentially traumatize them. However, he decided on saying it anyway, sighing out, "The only thing I can think of is if this was allowed, it was because Principal Nezu approved it…"
"Why the heck would he do something like that…?! That's his own student!"
"Principal Nezu has a… habit of getting back on the human population for what they did to him…"
"Pardon me?" Momo so politely wondered what that could mean, but Toshinori feared he said too much and shook his head in reply to her.
Meanwhile, the rest of the students not a part of the conversation chuckled at watching the number one hero get scolded by the audience for saying the wrong thing to end the ceremony. While yes, they did work exceptionally hard, everyone knew the school's motto like it was the back of their hand, making it the more appropriate thing to say.
Towards the end of the day, with all the kids back in their classrooms and the stadium emptied, Class 1-A waited to see what Aizawa had to say about their performance before they all went to leave. It was hardly dark outside, with the sun just starting to set, as the group of capable students reflected on their own strengths and weaknesses.
"The phrase 'worthy opponent' can also mean 'friend'."
"He means you, Shinso-kun…!" Ochaco softly giggled toward the purplenet, who raised his brow in confusion.
"-but it was a day where we had no choice but to feel it."
"Good work." Aizawa first commemorated his class, quickly informing the students so they could leave soon, "So there will be no school tomorrow or the day after. I'm sure the pro heroes who watched the Sports Festival will want to recruit you, but we'll consolidate everything and announce it when you get back. So rest well, and look forward to it."
"Yes, sir!"
"He still has the medal in his mouth…" Eijiro mumbled under his breath out of sympathy.
"-we were in started to change gradually."
"Dammit, can't you be specific for once, Future Voice Narrator Midoriya…?"
Those that heard Denki gave him questioning glances until they heard a gasp from up front. Looking back at the TV, everyone froze up reading 'Hosu General Hospital', with Izuku and Ochaco glancing over to Tenya, who had his eyes glued to the screen.
'Tensei…!'
Thanking the ladies at the reception desk, Iida bowed before quickly dashing down the hall toward the nearest elevator or staircase, anything that would get him to his hospital room the fastest.
"Please do not run in the halls!"
His breathing came out in gasps as he raced up the steps, his uniform jacket swinging at his side as he ran. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion until he eventually reached the right hall, spotting his mother sitting on an outside bench. Iida desperately raced towards her, almost to tears as he called out to her.
"Mother!"
"Tenya…!"
"How is Tensei doing?" Iida asked without any delays after his mother stood up and met him halfway. Without hesitation, after he heard her answer, he slammed the door open as he shouted into the operating room, "BROTHER!"
"Tenya, keep your voice down and put on a mask…" his mother tried to scold, but her words were nothing but white noise as Iida stopped and stared at the scene before him.
A heart monitor beeped.
"TENSEI…!" Tenya scrambled away from Shota, who was in no position to stop him as he brought his hands up to cover his mouth, tears forming in both their eyes at seeing this.
Tensei was alive. Chizome had spared him, but the damage to him was still unknown, with Tenya wanting to be close to hear it.
"The anesthetic wore off earlier, and he regained consciousness. He is still in a haze. If he had come into surgery two minutes later, it would have been too late." the doctor stated, with the hero known as Ingenium slowly beginning to open his eyes, showing how dull and almost lifeless they were as he laid them on his family.
"Tenya… Mother…"
Walking around the bed while his mother slipped down the door frame, Iida rushed to his hero's side as he gasped, "Brother… Big Brother Tensei…!"
He was so relieved to see him alive. He just hoped he was well.
"Even though… such an accomplished younger brother… like you… looks up to me…" Ingenium appeared to be forcing the words out right as he had gained back his consciousness, bringing tears to Iida's eyes. Remembering the days when he was younger, admiring and watching his older brother work tirelessly for a career they both dreamed about, it tore him apart to hear his next words, "I'm sorry… Tenya… Your big brother… lost…"
The scream that ripped from Tenya's throat killed everyone to hear, along with the echoing scream that came from the speakers too. Toshinori had walked across the room to hold onto the grieving boy while trying to hold back tears himself, his lip quivering at seeing someone in pain and being unable to help them. His azure gaze landed on Shota ahead, watching the man deal with his own emotions.
'Tensei… He's alive… Oh, thank God he's alive…!' Shota was relieved to know this, but judging from his friend's words, he most likely wouldn't be able to go back to his duties. And while it hurt to know this information, the fact that he was still alive after a fight against Chizome was a better outcome than the alternative.
"Not very 'Hero Killer' of him to leave the NPC alive…" Tomura scoffed while rolling his eyes as a quick image of Chizome came across screen, which luckily went unnoticed by Tenya from his crying. He soon scratched at his ear while muttering under his breath, "Can someone shut that stupid child up already…? Too damn annoying…"
"I'm just glad Ingenium's alive…" Hanta wiped at his nose, Eijiro agreeing while Denki was full on weeping.
Making her way back home and turning her key, Uraraka was surprised to find her apartment door unlatched, softly pushing it open as she peeked inside the dark room, 'Huh? The door's unlocked…?'
"OCHACO!"
She jumped in her seat, clinging onto Izuku out of fright, while Hitoshi straightened up in his seat as if to protect them. Meanwhile, the other students were just as confused and a bit scared for what was about to happen.
"We're here!"
"Dad, Mom?! Why are you guys here…?!"
"Oh…" Ochaco blinked before she nervously started chuckling, releasing her hold on Izuku, whose face was bright red, as she held her cheeks, sighing, "Oh, that was so embarrassing…!"
"So… is that… like, normal…?" Hitoshi just wanted to make sure.
"Yeah, it's just a little game we like to play on each other where we try to scare whoever comes home late as a silly little, fun punishment…!" Ochaco covered her face, remembering all the good times of helping her mother or father scare the other when they would come home late. Her memory halted as a sudden thought struck her, 'That's not the apartment we live in. Wait…'
She had thought that moving out would be the better solution if she were to attend U.A. High, but she didn't think her parents would agree, so she had thought about asking later in the school year. With the new interior design and the questions she had asked them, it seemed like she really had moved out and gotten her own place. But with what money? She had been saving up, but rent still existed.
'What happens in the future, future me?!'
"Seven times! Isn't that crazy?"
"Y-Yeah…"
"Ever since the cavalry battle, I lost consciousness seven times! The last two times were pretty much from dehydration." his mother exclaimed as Midoriya struggled to cut his egg, gritting his teeth while she used her quirk to move his drink.
"Damn- Is your mom okay? She seems a little drama…" Denki trailed off when he saw Izuku straighten up, leaning forward to catch the color drain from his face while Hitoshi and Ochaco gave him a questioning look.
"Suddenly hearing that you had a quirk, and having that quirk be a super risky power…" Midoriya's mother sighed as she ate a piece of tomato from her plate while thinking back to her son's stuttering explanation.
"I-I-It was a sudden variation or something that isn't impossible medically speaking, and anyway, now I have a quirk…"
"Anyway, I'm so glad…!"
'That's… Is that believable…?'
"That's unbelievable, kero."
Izuku winced at hearing that from Tsuyu, swallowing the guilt festering in his gut, 'Guess not…'
"At least make it a little believable, Deku… Auntie's not that fucking gullible."
"Yeah."
Thinking back to everyone that he had worried yesterday, Midoriya decided while looking down at his bandaged right arm, "I just keep going after what I yearned for, but that made those watching me worry. In order to become a cool hero who can smile and live up to everyone's expectations, I need to be able to do things in a way that won't make others worry."
"Good- Great, even. Hearing all those bones creaking and cracking earlier was not a fun sound, let me tell you, Midoriya…!" Minoru shouted, jumping off the couch to walk over in order to stretch across the sofa and poke Izuku in the back of the head.
"Okay- O-Okay, I will- I will…!" Izuku ducked down while he thought to himself about his mother's concerns, thinning his lip, 'I thought if she found out, she would pull me from the school immediately, but maybe this isn't so bad… Maybe I should have told her instead of trying to hide it from her…'
'Oh, Young Midoriya, I fear we may have to tell your mother about One for All if you wish to continue down this path…' Toshinori would obviously be there for his successor if that time were to come, but right now, he was worried for Tenya's sake and decided that his thoughts would have to wait for another time.
"It's kind of surprising that Midoriya's mom believed him like that…"
"Yeah…"
Shoto blinked when his home appeared next.
"Shoto, where are you going?"
Along with everyone else in the room perking up, Toshinori stiffened before he glanced over to Shoto, whose eyes broadened on the TV. He wondered if it would be all right to leave Tenya by himself, the blue-haired boy calming down a while ago, and sit with the other, but he couldn't find it in himself to leave. Luckily, Shota understood the situation and quickly walked over to sit near the two-toned teen, with the number one hero hoisting the grieving student to his feet.
"The hospital."
"What? All of a sudden? Why?" Todoroki's sister blinked at his provided answer before beginning to freak out as her younger brother fastened his shoes, concerned as she asked, "Wait, Shoto, is it okay not to tell Dad?"
"Yeah."
A few glares turned up to the fiery hero, to see if Enji had anything to say about this, but the man only narrowed his piercing gaze and the scene continued. Shoto seemed to have forgotten that his father was even present to see this, only wondering what kind of expression Rei would have when she saw him. If he could see her, that was.
"Why do you want to see Mom now, after all this time?"
Instead of answering her, Todoroki slid open the door to their home and looked back, saying before he closed it, "I'll be back."
Walking through the streets gave him a lot of time to reflect on his past as he walked to the hospital.
"It went 'bam' and blew it away! It was amazing! So cool."
"That's amazing."
"How much you wanna bet they're talking about the Sports Festival…?"
"Shut up…"
'Mom, I'm going crazy…'
Those words would forever haunt Todoroki until the day he died. He would always think of that moment as a reminder of what his father had done to his mother, the burning scar forever engraved in his skin.
'I can't take it anymore.'
Because without knowing, he had become the sole reason why their family had drifted apart. His own birth was the only thing Endeavor wanted and once he had what he needed, he just left his mother and siblings to rot. He hardly knew who any of them really were.
'Every day, the children seem to become more and more like him…'
Todoroki always hated when people saw only his father when they met him, comparing him to the bastard and saying how lucky he was to have a 'dad' as a hero. If only they saw what had gone down behind closed doors.
'Shoto's… That child's left side sometimes looks very unsightly to me… I can't raise him anymore… I feel like I shouldn't…'
With how much his mother had endured those years of abuse, Todoroki knew he could never forgive the man who had inflicted all that pain on her. But because of that, and what she had said in the past, he never went to visit her. Until today, now standing in front of the hospital she was brought into all those years ago.
"Ever since that day, I thought my presence would put pressure on Mom, so I never went to see her. I'm sure she continues to be bound by me… by Dad… That's why, in order to aim to become a hero again with this body, with everything I have…"
Reaching the door that separated him from his mother, Todoroki slowly raised his hand up to slide it open, but hesitated at the last second. He brought his hand back down and sighed, taking a deep breath before he eventually made that first step to heal the past, and the mistakes that were made. He wanted a relationship with his mother, and he knew he was ready to initiate that. But he was still so nervous about what she would think after all these years.
'It's okay for you to become who you want to be.'
With those words in mind, Todoroki wasn't going to run away from his past anymore, declaring to himself as he caught sight of his mother for the first time in years, "In order to become my ideal hero, I need to see her and talk to her… There's so much we need to talk about…"
Seeing his mother after so long felt surreal to him, standing there before her as he slid the door closed. Her long, white hair was just as pure as the day he had lost her, staring at her back facing him with her head turned to the window. She hadn't noticed him yet, so Todoroki decided to break the silence between them.
"Mom…"
She straightened in her seat, slowly turning around to look at her son. With her gray eyes on him, and seeing her in much better health than before, it almost brought Todoroki to tears. But he kept himself composed, thinning his lip as he softened his expression when looking back at her.
"Even if she doesn't want it, I will rescue her from here." Todoroki swore it in his heart, taking his first step toward her, along with beginning his journey toward recovery, "That is my starting line. That is how I feel."
The ending theme commences.
There was silence that followed as the song softly began to play, with most of the students either in tears, or on the verge of them. A few glanced over to look at Shoto, wondering what kind of expression he was wearing throughout all this and if he was feeling the same or in a similar way.
They were shocked to find him crying.
"Shoto-chan does have emotions, kero."
"After all that he's been through…"
"Shoto-kun…!"
He didn't realize he was crying until a tear fell from his eye, causing him to blink with more rolling down his cheeks and into his lap. Shoto had stopped crying for years now after Enji had continuously beat him up for shedding a single tear, but now, for some reason, he was crying. After a long time of bottling up his emotions and staying angry, he was crying again. It was like it was non-stop now.
"It's okay- You're okay." Shota soothed beside him, slowly rubbing the teen's back while he helped Shoto out of his panic attack.
The boy hiccuped, freezing up until he seemed to register that it was Shota, not Enji, touching him, before he suddenly broke into a sob as Shoto latched onto the man. His cries echoed around the room, bringing most to tears as well, while Toshinori lowered his head and studied Tenya's expression.
The young man had his hair covering his face, so Toshinori couldn't tell what he could possibly be thinking about. But Tenya knew exactly what he was thinking. His brows narrowed down, with his piercing blue eyes glaring at the carpeted floor. His lips pursed together as he held back tears and fought to run back to his room and punch his pillows.
Tensei may be alive, but Tenya understood that this could very well be the end of Ingenium's career.
"I'm sorry- I'm sorry- I'm sorry- I'll stop- I promise- I'll stop- I don't- I don't know how- how to stop-"
"Shh, Shoto- Shoto, it's okay… You can cry- You're allowed to cry. Cry… please." Shota pulled the small child closer, giving him a proper embrace while he rested his chin on top of Shoto's head. He trembled in his hold, gripping his shirt as tears soaked into the fabric, but the older man didn't mind at all.
Enji had his gaze narrowed throughout the scene up until Rei was shown. Then he heard the commotion on the first row, catching Shoto latching onto the black-dressed hero, which made him glare down to Shota. He and Toshinori were making his boy soft, so he decided that once they were back home, he would forbid his son from ever seeing these students again. And he'd make sure neither of these men were his teachers for the day U.A. High came.
The students were quiet as they listened to Shoto's cries soften or they tried to tune him out, reflecting back themselves on the performance they got to see during the Sports Festival. Of course, the future was never set in stone, but they took this as a lesson to take with them for once this event came back around for them. How they could beat certain opponents, or what they could do to make it further in the festival than before. One thing they could all agree on was that they would kick Neito's butt, thoroughly and without mercy.
"Come seize the day…!" Mina hummed to herself as the song came to an end, wiping another tear away from her eye before she blinked as on screen, a very nice home presented itself.
At the Bakugo household, it was a quiet and peaceful afternoon. That was, until their son decided to wake up screaming at the top of his lungs, all while just trying to brush his teeth.
"DIE…! Damn germs!"
"KATSUKI, don't wake up at noon and start yelling!"
From the sentimental scene before to this laughable display of Katsuki's personality, it had the students thrown for a loop, not able to appreciate what they just witnessed. And while the ash blond rolled his eyes at Tomura's echoing cackle, the voice asked its question just like it did every single time.
"Would you like to continue to the final episode?"