Chapter 24: Cart Racing and Combustion Part 1
The roar of the crowd, the thrum of some distant music playing over the stands, the rumble of the engines from the carts (despite them clearly being electric, seriously, why were they making that noise?), and the beating of his own pulse in his ears, all of it was serving to vibrate every atom in Izuku's body. Combine that with the sheer absolute lunacy of his plan, his pledge to Todoroki, and the maniac of a friend whose work on his designs he would be counting on to succeed, and Izuku found himself unable to consider anything other than how much he valued his two teammates and their friendship.
The plan they had come up with had a better chance of getting them to the finals, he knew that, but both of them were willing to risk that just to help him prove something. That Bakugo in particular would go so far for him was something he never would have dreamed of even two years ago. He didn't tear up, but it was a close thing.
Dumbest smart person he knows, God, Kacchan was right. Why do I do this stuff to myself?
"Fuck yeah, this thing actually has some horse-power to it," barked Bakugo, revving the cart's engine from the handles at the front. The vibrations from beneath their feet at his words proved that indeed, the engines powering the contraptions were powerful enough to make the three laps around the stadium a quick affair under normal circumstances. Of course, circumstances were anything but normal.
The thirteen teams were arranged according to their combined points values, with Yaoyorozu's team at the front of the pack, followed by Tokage's team behind and to the right of the leader's cart, and Izuku's team back and to the right of them. Still some ways behind him but aligned directly behind Yaoyorozu's team was Todoroki's cart, a nervous Koda doing his best not to wither under his leader's glare as he handled the controls while being patted reassuringly on the shoulder by a student from 1B, Bondo if Izuku recalled correctly. The carts behind theirs followed the same pattern, back a ways and positioned to the right for two more teams before repeating. Looked at from above, the teams would all appear arranged in a series of three offset vertical lines, or four diagonal lines with one leftover cart at the rear.
"So we've got a stupid ass plan and a plan B that's way better, but that's fine because if we have to switch to that at least it means I got to watch you eat shit, Deku. Cheeks, think you can keep up on defense?" Uraraka hummed in affirmation while slipping into that same aura of determination she had used before.
"If anyone even thinks about trying to steal the flag, I'm gonna send them to space!" Her composure broke and she giggled a bit at her last remark, and Izuku felt some of the tension leave him. It was reassuring, knowing he could count on both Bakugo and Uraraka to have his back. "Besides, if Deku-kun ends up taking a faceplant in the dirt, I get to drive!"
"Please don't say that, Uraraka, I don't think I could take a second Kacchan laughing at me," he offered in mock offense, eliciting another giggle. She swatted him on the arm, earning them both a disgusted snort from Bakugo.
"Quit dicking around and get your heads in the game. After Deku kills Icy-Hot we're taking those ten million points. That puts us up against everyone else with their eyes on the top spot. And this is U fucking A, so even the goddamn extras here are gonna be gunning for it."
"So, what, you want to come up with a plan C?" Asked Uraraka innocently.
"Fuck no, I want nerd-brain's fucking contingency list, because the crazy little shit probably already has a counter to every quirk they've got," grumbled Bakugo, not bothering to turn around as he glared at the controls. "Hurry the fuck up and spit it out, Deku, the goddamn sex offender is gonna start the race any minute."
"I mean, I know most of their quirks, yeah, but not everything has a counter Kacchan. Mostly, we'll be relying on you avoiding any arena traps they put on the track. That 1B guy in Todoroki's team can create waves of glue, while one of the other 1B guys can soften the ground, Mineta can lay sticky traps practically everywhere, Kodai could throw a pebble at us and have it turn into a boulder, Tsuburaba could leave invisible air walls everywhere, Kuroiro could pop out of the shadows from anywhere once we're on the side of the stadium being cast in shade, Fukidashi could leave a bunch of sound traps, at least I think that's how his quirk works…"
"Look what you did," whispered Uraraka, eyes growing wider and wider as Izuku continued on in the largest mutter-storm she had ever personally witnessed.
"Just poke him a bit and he'll be fine," scoffed Bakugo, rolling his eyes. "We already got the good info out of him anyways, we know the worst of those 1B pricks' quirks now." Cautiously, Uraraka scooted over beside Izuku and prodded his shoulder with a single finger, earning herself a confused look from the boy and another snort from Bakugo.
"Uraraka?" Asked Izuku, looking for all the world like a startled deer. "Did you have something to say?" That got him another giggle that made his chest light. It had been a hard day so far, but if he could bring some of Uraraka's cheer with him through the rest of it, he might even be able to enjoy the competition itself as something more than an opportunity to prove himself. Bakugo seemed to be having some fun, despite also taking things seriously. Perhaps he could afford to enjoy things too?
"Deku-kun, the race is about to start!" She exclaimed, punctuating the shout with a raised fist. "We got this, so don't get wrapped up in your own head, okay?"
"Got it!" He was about to say more but was cut off by the blast of a trumpet or some other brass instrument, followed by a sudden announcement from the referee.
"Students, spectators, lend me your ears!"Interrupted the booming voice of Midnight over the loudspeakers. Izuku rolled his eyes. How far were they going to take this Colosseum theme? "The second event is about to begin. When the lights above the gate turn green, that's your cue to take off! Good luck to all our competitors, and try not to crash and burn!"
Sure enough, a set of three lights over the top of the arch that led out of the stadium began to flash, and with each color change the students hunched forward in their carts, anticipating the moment of action. Each time the lights flashed a buzzer accompanied the change, red, orange, yellow, and finally green with a long wail of a siren signalling that the students were free to move.
"Start!" Midnight called, and just like that, the chaos began.
"Man, Shoto Todoroki from class 1A continues his trend of big area attacks right out the gate! Literally, he's frozen over the exit gate behind him folks."
"Which was illogical considering the others should be prepared for that now. These students aren't dealing with as many unknowns anymore; any student that observed him in the first round could have guessed he would try something similar. Which is why-"
An explosion of steam and ice shards came roaring out of the tunnel from both ends, the bulky shapes of the students' carts shooting out in quick succession.
"-it will barely slow them down. While at the same time, an attack like that is sure to have an effect on the user. It's an illogical trade to make."
"Well it certainly seems to have shaken up the standings a bit, as team Koda is now second in the running behind team Ashido, while team Bakugo maintains third place and team Awase swaps to fourth. It seems like it at least helped team Koda to advance in the running!"
"Which was pointless, considering that team isn't really served by being away from the thick of the pack where it would be more able to steal pennants. It may be realistic to have so many people aiming for the ten million points, but to ignore easier opportunities to advance that are closer at hand is highly illogical."
"Is everything about logic with you Eraser?" Hizashi was flashing him a shit-eating grin from his spot next to him, and Shota rolled his eyes.
"A logical hero is one that can beat an opponent that is stronger than them because of their ability to think tactically, and by the same token, a logical hero is also one who knows when to retreat. Heroes who value their intelligence and properly assess every situation they enter both accomplish more and survive longer; it would be irresponsible not to instill those values in our students."
"Well, that's some educational philosophy for you folks, also a great example of UA's relatively free style of teaching! Which brings up an interesting point, care to explain to the viewers at home why the second event is set up the way it is while the students move towards the first stretch?" That earned his friend another roll of his eyes.
"If it means you'll stop talking for a minute, fine." More snickering from the audience. Shota hated it, but he knew his and Hizashi's dynamic was quite well received by the public. His dry, melancholy analysis paired well with the loudmouth's energetic color commentary, and it made for a fun back and forth for the viewers, at least according to the rat. At least he had coffee with him.
"This event affords the students an opportunity to demonstrate their teamwork, while also showcasing skill sets beyond pure quirk-related combat. A student's ability or lack thereof to be adaptable, make quick decisions, even to stay cool under pressure, all of these are being put on display by their circumstances. Moving combat is hardly easy even for pros, add in unfamiliar vehicles to the mix, and effective communication between team members is the key to finding success in this event. Who succeeds and who fails ultimately becomes about who can work the best with others."
"Man Eraser, you sure can talk a lot when you care about something!"
"Shut up."
"Shush me later, the leader of the pack, team Ashido is past the first bend and in the straightaway, with team Koda and team Bakugo close behind. It looks like Todoroki is ready for a skirmish, but team Bakugo isn't going to let him get close if their current trajectory says anything! I don't see how they'll be able to - what in the world? Since when can Midoriya do that?"
Shota glanced at the screen, and was taken completely by surprise for probably the first time since the USJ. He muted his microphone before leaning back in his chair and groaning into his hands. Of course it would be his Problem Child. Of course it would.
"Uraraka, are you sure you can hold it?" Yelled Izuku, gripping onto the edge of their cart with the top half of his armor still retracted. The black and green carapace on his legs was humming with energy, both his own and the suit's reserves pressed into service to guarantee him at least ten minutes of use. So long as they had a lunch break after the second event, he'd be able to refuel before the inevitable tournament.
"I got it, Deku-kun, go for it!" Uraraka was already looking a little green as they sped along, Bakugo laughing madly at the controls as he urged their cart on towards the leaders. It turned out having Uraraka negate some of its weight was allowing them to push ahead and catch up more quickly than the others, which had been useful when Bakugo had used his explosions to destroy Todoroki's initial ice wall at the exit tunnel, even while steering.
Since that first obstacle, Bakugo had been swerving around the random pillars that the boy threw up behind his cart as Koda did his best to handle the turn. Clearly, Bakugo was the most comfortable driver of the three leaders, but Ashido was doing quite well keeping the others off their tail. Her efforts were aided significantly by Yaoyorozu, who was using her quirk to throw up all kinds of defenses, from oil slicks to caltrops (which turned out to be ineffective, given that UA had fitted the carts with seemingly either bulletproof or self-sealing tires) and had just then transitioned from traps to active deterrents if the flashbangs she was launching backwards were any indication.
The three leaders finally rounded the first curve and were now in a long, straight stretch of track, which meant that it was the perfect opportunity to go for the enemy flags without risking being thrown off in a turn. Bakugo had gotten them within a decent distance of the other two leaders while team Awase behind them continued to fall back, even as the other racers caught up.
"Go for it nerd, I'll keep the rest off of us. Cheeks, get up here and keep this bitch steady while I kill some extras!" The cart suddenly swerved left as Bakugo released the controls, leaving Uraraka to quickly scramble up and take over. They were significantly closer to their target now, and Izuku knew he would be able to make it even without Uraraka's help. Still, it couldn't hurt.
"Uraraka!" He shouted, reaching out his hand towards the front of the cart. The wind was whipping past and Bakugo began to launch deafening explosions behind them, pushing their team even further ahead. Not looking back, the girl reached out and clasped her hand against Izuku's with all five fingers. He felt the weight leave him at the touch, the little pads brushing over the back of his hand and the strange feeling of floating taking over once again. Then, to his surprise, she gave his hand a small squeeze before letting go with a cheer.
"You can do it, Deku-kun, I believe in you!" Even over the wind, even over Bakugo's explosions, and the roaring of the cart's engine, the screaming of the crowd, the sounds of battle between the other racers behind them, Izuku heard her words as clear as if they had been spoken right into his ear, and was buoyed up by a whole different kind of weightlessness.
He had latched onto the cart with his free hand so as not to go sailing out the back as the increasingly familiar feeling hit, and was especially glad for that when he felt his stomach drop as Uraraka accelerated. She was trying to leave as little room between their target and them as possible, a maneuver that would hopefully save him some time. Recovering, he smiled widely and activated his secret weapon, Mei's special addition to his armor.
There was no fire, no whirl of neon yellow spiral energy like Nejire, not even the whir of fans like in Mei's hover soles or the whine of his own afterburners. A gentle hum and a small glow, almost indistinguishable from the haze of early morning light cast through a fog emanated from the soles of his boots, lifting him until Izuku was a few inches off the floor of the cart, only holding on now with his one hand and allowing his body to face parallel to the ground.
It had taken so many bruises, crash landings, bloody noses, and even one or two surreptitiously healed broken bones courtesy of Recovery Girl, but in the time he had before the festival, Izuku had learned to fly, and it was the best, most complete feeling he had ever known. Whooping in joy, anticipation, or maybe just excitement, he let go of the cart and immediately fell behind, hanging in the air for only a moment before that same phantom pull he used on the rest of his gear lurched into the boots. The glow intensified if only a little, and he was moving forward, twirling in the air as he barreled towards Todoroki's cart.
An ice pillar became a white-blue blur as it passed inches from Izuku's face, Todoroki seeming to have noticed his pursuit and now trying to stop him from coming any closer. He dodged two more, spinning off in an aileron roll as each obstacle loomed up at him, forcing him back from the fleeing cart. Bondo was launching waves of glue backwards at him, but until he got closer, the slurry would only end up falling to the track underneath him.
Izuku surged forward again, incredibly thankful for Uraraka having made him weightless; without his upper armor it wouldn't have been possible to fly like he was. Todoroki had apparently had enough of Izuku dodging his sporadic attacks, and had motioned towards Bondo to grab him by the shoulders. Even with the wind whipping his face and making him tear up a bit, Izuku's eyes still widened in shock when Bondo lowered Todoroki off the back of the cart and let his foot dangle onto the track.
The ice that Todoroki was releasing in his wake wasn't a single pillar anymore, but a continuous flowing wall that followed the path of Koda's maneuvers. Viewed from above it would have appeared as if a giant icy snake were winding its way along the track after the fleeing cart. That turned out to be exactly the metaphor Izuku settled on when he simply rose above the wall instead of trying to maneuver alongside it, laughing at the knowledge that he wasn't limited by the conventions of gravity.
If Todoroki wanted to put an obstacle in his way, the boy would have to significantly increase the height of his ice, but that seemed increasingly unlikely as Izuku spotted frost slowly creeping along the side of his body and up his face. As he drew nearer, he saw that Todoroki was panting, the clouds of breath he was sending out showing just how cold he was making himself. His opponent tried another large wall, this time extending perpendicular to the back of his cart, almost cutting off the entire track in its wake.
Izuku veered sharply up, feeling the very tips of his boots barely clip the massive wall, which was almost half as tall as the stadium. Izuku reasoned that if he hadn't been exerting himself as hard as he was, the boy's attack could have cleared the top of the arena, and then Izuku would have been in real trouble. Thankfully, he had been wasting time and energy by not deigning to go all out at the start and instead smattering his attacks throughout, even with only half his power. Izuku found he was both grateful for, and enraged by Todoroki's hubris.
He dove down the other side of the wall, Todoroki now clearly running too cold to muster much more ice to stop him, but then was surprised by a wave of glue arcing up towards him, forcing Izuku into another roll. That cost him badly, as Koda suddenly decelerated, causing him to overshoot his target and end up behind team Ashido, with Yaoyorozu aiming what looked to be a type 91 surface to air missile launcher directly at him.
"Don't worry Midoriya, it's non-lethal!" She yelled, aiming the rear of the launch tube away from her teammates while still painting him as her target. Izuku didn't wait for her to fire, instead once more veering sharply upwards and executing the equivalent of a wingover, allowing himself a moment of almost no movement at the top of the short arc before turning downwards again and gaining speed as he fell, effectively performing a one hundred eighty degree turn in the process.
The distinctive blast of the missile had sounded just as he went into the maneuver, and the roar of its engine told Izuku that it was drawing nearer even as he barreled back down the track. As he leveled off close to the ground he was faced with the rapidly approaching team Koda, the large boy looking more confident at the controls while Bondo tried everything he could to warm Todoroki. Behind them, the remains of Todoroki's ice wall were being blown apart by the horde of pursuers, first among them being Izuku's own team.
Bakugo was leaning low over the front of the cart, having taken back the controls when it became apparent there were more obstacles in front than threats coming from behind. His hands were still smoking from blowing away the ice walls and other traps that had been left in their path.
Uraraka was turning more and more green in the back, but was holding on nonetheless. He locked eyes with Bakugo, who looked past him at the trailing missile and smiled manically. As Izuku rocketed by, Bakugo raised one sparking palm and loosed a tremendous explosion to the side of the cart, managing to catch Yaoyorozu's missile in the blast and sending it up in a fireball.
Noting that he wouldn't be able to rely on Bakugo to act as his chaff in the future, Izuku began to bank back around, only to see a hand go flying past him and straight towards the pennant that hung from the back of his team's cart. Tokage was making a play for their pennant, and Uraraka, for all her determination, looked ready to puke.
He accelerated again, spinning in the air with only one foot pointed towards the ground and keeping him aloft as he brought the other around in a roundhouse that sent Tokage's errant hand flying off to the side. A stream of curses and vulgar threats erupted somewhere behind him, but Izuku had already begun to chase after team Koda once more, offering a quick salute to Uraraka and Bakugo as he flew past their cart. Bakugo flipped him off in return, but wasn't sneering when he did so.
As he drew nearer Izuku saw that Bondo had moved to the front of the cart beside Koda and was doing his best to deflect or encase the obstacles Yaoyorozu was throwing back at them with his glue. That left Todoroki, already frostbitten in the back of the cart as the sole defender, and almost definitely too overexerted to make any more ice. He locked eyes with the boy, and each set their face in a scowl as Izuku pushed his boots further before landing lightly on the back of the cart and cutting off his flight module.
As soon as he was down, he felt the weightlessness of Uraraka's quirk leave him. It seemed that she had reached her limit, which would complicate his return trip, assuming he could make one. Still, it was good that he would be under gravity's hold both as he faced his opponent, and as the teams made the turn around UA's stadium. Even with ice creeping over him and clearly in pain, Todoroki had dropped into a fighting stance and was glaring daggers at Izuku. Bondo was still occupied with Yaoyorozu's obstacles and Koda couldn't abandon the controls to help.
The pennant was behind him, and it would have been easy to just take it and run, but Izuku had other plans. Mirroring Todoroki he dropped into his own fighting stance; his form was a bit looser than the other boy's but it also guarded him more effectively. Idly, he wondered if Professor Terri would see him using his lessons on television at some point, but quickly refocused on the opponent in front of him.
Todoroki was doubtlessly skilled; both his quirk control and general demeanor seemed the result of very vigorous training. So far the only opponent that had come close to beating Izuku in terms of hand to hand combat had been Ojiro, but from what he had seen during their combat drills, Todoroki had at least a similar level of competency. He would have to be smart about his attack.
The world slowed down as Izuku considered his next movements. The scar over his left eye might limit his opponent's field of vision, though he would also likely expect it, that would still make for a good first point of attack. Assuming a solid hit, he would follow with a strike to the throat; if countered he would instead feint a leg sweep from the right. Follow that by executing a palm strike to the left knee cap instead, and a full strike to the solar plexus to follow. If things went off course then he would just follow instinct, improvise, and incorporate the unexpected.
He moved and Todoroki matched him, limbs striking out as two well trained fighters met in the middle ground. Unfortunately for Todoroki, the boy had grown to rely too much on his quirk, and though he deflected both Izuku's initial jab at his eye, and even recognized the feint and countered the strike towards his knee, he was totally unprepared for the soles of Izuku's armored boots, which rose up to him unnaturally quickly and struck out in a snap kick.
When the port on the bottom of his boot was aligned with Todoroki's chest, Izuku anchored himself before sending out a wave of energy that sent the other boy flying back from him and into the unmoving Koda who was still at the controls. Bondo turned around just in time to see Izuku grab the team's pennant before flipping off the back of their cart and activating his flight module once more as he sped away.
It was much harder to control his flight without the effects of Uraraka's antigravity or his torso armor, but Izuku wasn't about to let himself break his vow to Todoroki just for the sake of convenience or personal safety. He was training to be a hero, neither of those were things he would have in his chosen line of work.
A quick break and a backwards burn saw him fighting against both gravity and the air as he lost momentum, and a twist of his body caused him to lose control completely. Desperately trying to reorient himself, Izuku almost fell to the track with what would have been a terrible case of road rash when the sudden roar of an engine was accompanied by a hand reaching out and grabbing his PE shirt and pulling him up. His weight left him at the motion, and he laughed even as he was tossed into the back of his cart, grinning up madly at Uraraka who returned his smile for only a moment before vomiting over the side.
"And team Bakugo's unexpected gambit with the flying attacker Midoriya pays off as they secure the other team's pennant, right as we move into the first straightaway big the second lap! Team Ashido remains in the lead, and team Koda seems undecided on retrieving its own pennant or continuing to pursue team Ashido, while team Bakugo picks up more speed! Thoughts on this, Eraser?"
"Midoriya was smart to hide his newest addition to his gear from his opponents. The unexpected tool is often the most useful when it comes to hero work. That being said, I'm not sure if the advantage it gave his team so far in this round was worth the difficulties he could have avoided in the first round if he had used it sooner."
"Speaking of gear, we've gotten a couple of listener requests on the legality of a hero course student using support equipment during the sports festival! To answer those concerns, let me play this pre-recorded message!" Shota arched an eyebrow at Hizashi as the DJ pressed a switch practically indistinguishable from the rest on his board and then tensed imperceptibly when the voice of principal Nezu came over the speakers.
"In such instances where devices are necessary for the functioning of a student's quirk or ability, UA requires a thorough examination and repeatedly evaluates the equipment in question before its use is permitted. Mr. Midoriya has cleared these qualifications well in advance of the sports festival, with an evaluation from Power Loader, Recovery Girl, and myself being conducted on every item he has with him today. Including ones which have not yet been seen by any other staff or students. Now, if you'll return your attention to the field I'm sure something interesting is about to happen involving one of our students from General Studies, so thank you for your attention!"
True to the principal's word, team Shinso had roared up from behind even as team Awase fell further back, while team Koda darted forward. Bakugo himself was looking absolutely murderous at the development, but seemed torn between fighting the newest challenger or continuing to chase the ten million point prize.
"I thought you said that message was pre-recorded?" Asked Shota flatly. Hizashi looked over to him with exasperated eyes and mumbled out a reply.
"It er...it was pre-recorded." There was an awkward beat of silence as the two just looked at each other before Hizashi cleared his throat and got back into his announcer persona.
"Coming up on the second lap now, team Ashido maintains its lead while team Koda, bereft of its pennant, gains ground on the frontrunner. Team Bakugo is neck and neck now with team Shinso after recovering Midoriya and team Koda's pennant. Who knew that kid could fly?"
"Principal Nezu, Power Loader, Recovery Girl, myself, Mei Hatsume from support…"
"You're really taking the wind out from my sails today Eraser!"
"You produce enough hot air to launch a fleet all on your own, Mic." Hizashi winked at him from his seat and clutched his chest in mock hurt. Shota rolled his eyes.
"Yeowch, someone needs more coffee! By the way folks, make sure to visit the vendors operating behind the stands, they've got all of your sports festival refreshment needs!"
"Nice segue."
"Hold that thought Eraser, looks like we've got some major developments happening on the field! That's Tsuyu Asui making a play for team Bakugo's captured pennant and -oh, they've got it! Team Shinso has successfully stolen team Koda's pennant from team Bakugo, and they're now breaking off." Shota coughed, and subtly tried to direct Hizashi's attention towards monitors showing something other than the front-runners. Thankfully, his friend obliged.
"Meanwhile towards the middle of the pack, team Shishida is making an absolute splash. Juzo Honenuki is using his softening quirk to great effect, and it seems their third member Sen Kaibara is taking advantage of the chaos to snatch pennants left and right! Team Rin makes a valiant counter, but it's not enough to stop the intrepid team - oh my goodness folks, that was an amazing display from team Komori! Bringing up the rear is team Hagakure, who seem to be having trouble finding an opening to grab some flags! Here's hoping an opportunity presents itself."
A flash of movement on the leader's screen caused Shota to glance over, and once again he found himself groaning into his hands. He didn't have a problem child this year so much as an entire brood of problem children it seemed. Hizashi caught his discomfort and looked to his screen before practically exploding in his seat.
"Oh my goodness folks, what a clash of wills between our leaders! Who will emerge victorious?"
"God fucking damn it! Deku, Cheeks, where the fuck did Insomnia-bitch piss off to?" Katsuki growled.
"He's at our seven Kacchan, dropping back towards the main body of the racers!" Yelled the nerd as Uraraka helped him up from the back of their cart. Katsuki pounded a fist against the dash in frustration but held off from venting another explosion. "I've got maybe three minutes worth of burn left. If I were to drop off the back and just wait for them, I could probably catch up to the cart on the third lap or wait for you to lap me and get back on."
"Deku-kun, no, if we slow down to get it back we'll end up falling too far behind to grab the ten million!" Interjected Uraraka. "And if we leave you in the track to get lapped there's no guarantee you'll be able to hold onto the pennant until we come back around for the third lap." Katsuki growled despite himself.
"Listen here Cheeks, the ten million is a guarantee, but taking down Icy-Hot is important to the nerd, so if we slow down then we slow down!" Katsuki suddenly found himself shouldered aside as Midoriya took over his place at the controls, and shot him a glare.
"Screw that Kacchan, I got his points from him, and he doesn't have them anymore, that's good enough for me! Let's win this with the ten million!" Again, the pride he had begun to feel for Izuku bubbled up in him, and Katsuki couldn't stop the snort of laughter that escaped him. "We go to plan B, I'm driving, Uraraka on defense, and you going for the pennant." A sudden swerve and correction as well as the color draining from Midoriya's face undermined his point, but it was still their best bet at the moment. Asking Cheeks to drive while barely holding in what was left of her breakfast wasn't going to work.
"Yaoyorozu's lipid reserves are almost exhausted by now, which leaves Ashido and Iida still able to fight on the lead cart. Todoroki is on cool-down, err, warm up as well, which leaves Bondo and Koda to get past. Can you handle them?" Katsuki grunted and ignited his palms, letting the smoke puff out as he warmed up again.
"Just watch them try to stop me nerd. Shit, that reminds me, you're gonna learn how to fly properly after this if I have to beat it into you; that shit you pulled was a goddamn disgrace to explosions!"
"I couldn't use my arms because of-"
"Fuck your excuses, watch and learn, bitch!" Twin explosions ripped out of his palms, and Katsuki was up and over the front of their cart, angling his hands backwards and propelling himself further and further along with consecutive blasts. The roar of the wind, the screams of the crowd, the nerd's shouts behind him, all of it was muffled under the rush of blood in his ears at the thrill of competition. The joy of defying gravity was nothing compared to the anticipation of combat, the surety of victory. The little shit was counting on him to win, and he wasn't going to disappoint. He wouldn't fail, either himself or Midoriya.
His eyes narrowed as he spotted his target, the distance between him and the ten million point pennant growing smaller with each blast, even as the damn extras at the controls tried to outrun him. With a final burst of fire and concussive force Katsuki landed on the back of the lead cart, knees bending as he dropped onto the moving surface before he sprung up into his ready stance, palms out. Glasses rose to meet him, shoving Ponytail behind him while Raccoon Eyes kept glancing backwards over her shoulder at him. He growled at them, battle lust rising as he stepped forward, laughing as he did so.
"Come on then extras, I'll take you all on!" It was Katsuki's time to do what he did best.
Chapter 25: Cart Racing and Combustion Part 2
Katsuki's hands sparked as twin explosions ripped out and into Glasses' chest, his arms being pushed back and his shoulders aching under the recoil of just a bit too much force. The effect was worth it though; the human robot went backwards, stunned by the sudden assault, and ended up bringing Ponytail to the ground with him. Raccoon Eyes glanced back worriedly but couldn't do more than send a spray of weak acid towards him that he met with an explosion, diverting the attack off the side of the cart.
Glasses was rising to his feet, but Ponytail looked almost down for the count, and her uniform seemed to be hanging a little looser on her frame than normal. That moment would have been his best chance to take their pennant and jump off the back of their cart, but Katsuki had wanted to put the stuck up prick from Somei in his place for a while now, even if he could stand to be around him after classes. Some things were just better settled with fists, after all.
A feral grin and a roar was all the warning he gave before he launched himself forward with his explosions, landing a wide right hook right in the other boy's stomach with all the force of a stick of dynamite behind it.
As it turned out, the big blue bitch had more fight in him than Katsuki had given him credit for, as his opponent took the hit and offered an enhanced kick of his own in turn. The engines on his exposed calves hissed as he spun under Katsuki's attack, using the force of the blow as part of his own momentum to bring around a roundhouse that Katsuki caught against his forearm.
"Not bad Glasses, you learn that trick from your brother?" Katsuki hissed, keenly feeling the impact as he did his best to deflect the blow and back away. The other boy took the opportunity to press forward, and was met with a kick of Katsuki's own right to the chest, sending him back towards his team. The fucker actually smiled at him, and Katsuki began to realize why he tolerated the guy hanging around with himself and the nerd.
"But of course Bakugo, I've spent a great deal of time training with the great Ingenium, as befits a son of the Iida name. Allow me to show you!" A flash of steam, or was it smoke, accompanied the boy's words and Katsuki realized that, even with the limited space to change gears, his opponent was still formidable. This realization was accompanied by the sight of Glasses rushing at him across the small distance too quickly to react to, before he launched into a series of kicks that Katsuki could do nothing to stop. "Recipro Burst!"
The bastard's foot, even bereft of the armor he usually wore, hit like a truck, and the multiple angles of attack sent Katsuki reeling backwards even as he tried to recover from each hit. A particularly strong blow sent him arcing up and out the back of the cart towards the road, but at the last minute he was able to regain enough of his senses to recover.
Blasting himself forward, Katsuki surprised his opponent by going low, catching the prick's legs with his shoulder as his momentum carried him forward. Glasses went down backwards under the unexpected sweep, and Katsuki noted with some satisfaction that the engines on the back of his legs had stopped producing smoke. He jumped to his feet, even as Glasses was trying to do the same, and backed towards the ten million point pennant.
"Deku warned me about your attack during training you know, which is why I know that after ten seconds, your engines stall. Ain't that right, rich boy?" The boy in question sent him a look of grim determination as he rose fully back to his feet, dropping into his best fighting stance. They both knew there was nothing he could do to stop Katsuki in that moment, but he had to give the bastard credit, he wasn't going to give up. "And while I'd love to stay and beat the crap out of you, I owe it to my shithead teammates to win, so since you won't be chasing me any time soon."
Katsuki reached out beside him and ripped the ten million points from its small flagpole, bunching up the fabric in his fist before flipping Glasses a middle finger.
"I'll just be taking this! Try and make it to the finals so I can kick your ass properly next time!" He jumped backwards, no explosions to help him, and the looks on Glasses' and Ponytail's faces would become fond memories for when he felt he needed a laugh in the future. "Deku, Cheeks, don't fuck this up!"
A sudden explosion from behind him accompanied the appearance of even more comical expressions on the other team's faces before something grabbed him in midair and pulled him harshly into the cart and onto the floor of the rattling vehicle.
"Uraraka retrieval move successful, I got him Deku-kun!" Yelled Cheeks as she held them both down to the ground. The nerd shouted an affirmative at the controls of their cart before throwing one arm behind him and loosing another series of explosions over their heads, propelling their team even further along. He returned both hands to the controls and only spared a brief glance back over his shoulder.
"Kacchan, I'm pretty much out of juice, do you think you can take over boosting for the rest of the race? Uraraka is doing her best to keep us light, but Todoroki will be gunning for us now that we've got the ten million, and we've only got about one and a half laps left!" Sure enough Cheeks had already climbed back up from the rear of the cart and was screwing her face up in concentration as she held onto a side panel with all five fingers.
"Fuck it, yeah I can do your job for you nerd!" He answered, turning back towards the rear of their cart and securing the ten million point pennant beneath their own. Katsuki straightened up and braced himself, settling into a half crouch with both palms raised towards the open track behind them. The other racers were rapidly gaining on them, and Katsuki thought he could see a number of the extras pointing to their cart in particular even as the battle in the middle of the pack continued.
Sure as shit, Birdbrain and his shadow puppet stopped fighting with the French fuck and the rest of the bitches as they all saw the ten million points had changed hands and began to make a beeline for their cart. Too bad for them, because Katsuki didn't care if they would get caught up in what he was about to unleash. He braced one arm over the forearm of his free hand and settled back even further before exhaling and pooling the firepower down his arm. He wouldn't scream it out loud since the nerd had a thing about announcing attacks being a waste of time, but he would yell it all he fucking wanted to in his mind.
Howitzer Impact, fire!
"And Katsuki Bakugo uses an enormous explosion to leave the competition in the dust while turning his team's chariot into a rocket! Talk about inventive thinking!" Shota huffed.
"Considering most of the teams on the field are able to use their quirks to boost their speed in some capacity, it makes sense that a team composed of those three would be especially effective. With Uraraka's ability to negate gravity, the application of quirks in this case is...stellar."
"Holy cats, was that a pun from Eraser? Is the stoic mask finally about to crack? Should I call Ms. Joke?"
"No, to all of that." Shota thanked every higher being he could think of, including Nezu, for the fact that there was a coffee vendor near the announcer's booth. He wouldn't have put it past his boss to have arranged at least that small mercy for him.
"Well at the very least care to offer any analysis on the teams currently duking it out?"
"Fine. Team Monoma is making effective use of their ranged option with Ibara Shiozaki's vines and Tetsutetsu is providing a solid defense but they're underutilizing their fourth member, Tsuburaba, and it's costing them opportunities to secure more pennants."
"Well that's a scathing critique of the class B team, is that a bit of inter-class rivalry coloring your commentary Eraser?"
"Absolutely not, Vlad King is a competent teacher and valued colleague, and I'll take this opportunity to state that the persistent idea that class B is somehow lesser than their sister class is nonsense. The B and A designations are not reflective of either class' potential or abilities, and idiots insisting that A must be better because it comes before B only fosters absurd rivalries that don't serve anyone."
"Whoa, what motivated that little diatribe?"
"Continuous displays of illogical thinking from both members of class 1A and class 1B, as well as the general public."
"Well what about the other teams then Eraser?"
"Team Kaminari had a decent composition but it's not making effective use of their strengths, with Yuga Aoyama especially being misused as defense. Likewise, Minoru Mineta's increased mobility is helpful for offense, but with the danger his quirk presents to his own team, given the multiple laps in this race, it would have made more sense for him to serve as the driver."
"Speaking of danger in the track, it seems our frontrunners, team Bakugo, are about to run into some."
"Spacing is important in any fight or situation. It was a mistake on team Bakugo's part to fail to consider that their competition could end up being in front of them as well as behind them."
"That's right folks, as the leading team's zero gravity stunt puts them in place to lap their competitors, their fellow racers are now in the perfect place to stage a major upset!"
"Kacchan don't stop boosting!" Yelled Izuku, doing his best to keep the nearly weightless cart under control as they flew into their final lap, the tail end of the main body of racers coming into view now. Having Present Mic announce their predicament to the whole stadium certainly wasn't helping things, and Izuku found himself agreeing with Aizawa's sentiments on positioning as the first attacks from the teams in last place began shooting towards them.
"If we lap these fuckers, that gives every single one of them a shot at our points, dumbass!" Bakugo shouted back to him, though he continued creating explosions to boost them forwards. Even as the mob of students in front of them drew closer, their immediate pursuers were gaining ground on them as well. Iida in particular was running alongside Yaoyorozu's cart, one arm holding onto the back end as he got up to speed, switching gears, Izuku figured. It seemed he was going to make a play to recapture the ten million point pennant.
"Then we blow them all up as we pass, or Uraraka sends them to space!" Izuku didn't wait for a response as he pushed the throttle to its maximum, the cart beginning to rattle under the combination of having its mass negated and the speed they had begun to move at. Bakugo shouted some warning that was lost on the wind as the team began to lap their competition.
Ojiro, Jiro, Shoji, and Hagakure were the first team they passed, the tentacled future hero swiping at them as they passed. When he missed, Ojiro tried to jump between their carts but fell short and was only saved by Jiro's jacks wrapping around his legs and Hagakure jumping to help pull him back; unfortunately for them, this meant that no one was steering and their cart soon veered sharply into that of team Fukidashi.
This proved doubly unfortunate as Fukidashi's only teammate, Shoda, accidentally activated his quirk a moment after the two had slammed together. As his Twin Impact went off, the six competitors barely had time to shout in surprise before their carts were forced violently apart, with Fukidashi careening into team Rin.
Izuku ducked down low as one of team Rin's members, the American exchange student Tsunotori, launched a series of attacks with her horns at them as they passed by too closely, leaving several embedded in the side of their cart. The mantis boy Kamakiri followed up with his arm blades, carving off part of the side of their cart with the razor sharp extensions.
A scream from Bakugo indicated that the attack had clipped the boy, but Izuku didn't dare to turn around. Even with all the attacks on their cart, they hadn't slowed down, and soon they had left their closest opponents behind them.
"Fucking shit that stings you bastard, trim your fucking nails!"
"Eat shit Explodo-Brains I'll teach you to call us extras you…" Kamakiri's threats trailed off as the three pulled even farther away, now coming up on Hatsume's cart, Sato guarding the back with Sero and Tokoyami each holding a pennant from other carts but now looking at the approaching team Bakugo hungrily.
"Bleed later Bakugo, Deku-kun is gonna need some cover!" Uraraka was looking less green as she jumped up beside Izuku, and he figured the reduced mass of the cart was making negating its gravity a little easier on the girl. "Deku-kun, Iida is coming up fast behind us, I need you to make a hard right turn when I say so, ok? Bakugo can handle the rest, right?" Izuku's heart was pounding in his ears, the adrenaline really starting to take effect as he realized what Uraraka was planning.
"Yes and yes. You can count on me to do my part Uraraka-chan!" He smiled, one of the most cheek stretching ones he could remember giving, and Uraraka nodded back to him before darting to the right side of the cart while Bakugo continued to guard the left and rear. The ten million point pennant snapped merrily next to their own, a siren call for all the teams before and behind them. They were right in the middle of the pack now.
Green vines lashed out overhead, a shimmering wall of solid air almost threatened to knock them off course, Bakugo fired off explosions at yet more of Tsunotori's horns. The cart rocked up on one side, running along on only one wheel and threatened to tip before Uraraka cancelled her hold on it and returned its weight, sending them down onto the track bouncing hard against the suspension.
As soon as he had regained control Izuku ducked and smelled burning hair only a moment before he felt the heat as a beam of Aoyama's sparkling energy clip the side of his head. Mei's wire arrow slammed into the floor between his feet and snapped taut. He felt them lose a bit of speed and yelled back at Bakugo to destroy the line, but found the other boy dealing with his own problem.
A pair of hands had appeared from the shadow of their cart and were grappling for Bakugo's legs, trying to trip the boy up even as he did his best to fend off Asui's grabbing tongue with small blasts. The roar of an engine behind them unlike those of the carts signalled Iida's approach. Izuku fought down the urge to turn the cart right then and there, instead trusting Uraraka's judgement to get the timing right. His patience was rewarded after ten more seconds of tense battle when Uraraka cried out.
"Now Deku!" He grasped the controls and yanked the handles sharply right, leaning into the turn as the cart began to groan at the sudden change in acceleration, sliding into a sharp turn that presented their flank to their pursuers, with a grinning Uraraka ready and waiting.
Iida had been steadily gaining on them with his engines and had almost been within grabbing distance of their pennant when they had executed the maneuver. As such, he had no time to slow down before Uraraka was able to reach over the side and take hold of his arm with all five fingers, immediately robbing him of his weight.
"Sorry Iida, good luck getting someone else's points," Uraraka cheered as she hoisted the boy up off the ground before whipping him around and hurling him back towards his team. To Izuku's left Bakugo let out something between a snort and a groan, causing Izuku to briefly glance over.
It seemed that in the brief confusion their maneuver had caused, the remaining teams behind them had sorted out their priorities and were again closing the distance while the teams ahead of them slowed down to try and catch them in the crossfire. In the short battle team Koda had secured a number of other teams' pennants while Todoroki had thawed out, though fortunately for Izuku and his teammates Bondo had become too tired to do much more.
Izuku felt a sudden stabbing of guilt and fear run through him. Their competition was too much; Izuku had underestimated his classmates and their sister class and now it was going to cost him and his team their shot at the finals. The idea to finish as quickly as possible after satisfying his stupid personal grudge had been his plan, his best notion at how they could win quickly and decisively. He had even counted on perhaps lapping some people at the end, but not this.
He hadn't planned on getting attacked from both ahead and behind with only a little room left before they finished. He hadn't anticipated his competition holding back so they could get a shot at the leaders without even having to catch up. He had come to them, because he had underestimated their ability to think tactically, to be cunning future heroes. His hubris was going to bite him, badly.
There was no way they could make it through without losing their points, not with all twelve other teams doing their best to stop them. Izuku had failed both the friend he had just won back, and one of the first new friends he had made in years. He would fail Mei by not advancing, and Mirio too. Tamaki, Nejire, his mother, even All Might, all of them would see the cost of a dreaming fool thinking he could stand on equal footing with the rest of the world.
"It's the final stretch for teams Bakugo, Koda, and Awase as the three frontrunners have lapped the main body of their competitors!"Crooned Present Mic over the stadium speakers. "Once a team has finished its third lap and crosses the finish line, they're done folks! Whatever pennants they have with them are safe and will make up their final score; will team Bakugo manage to hang onto the ten million points for this last straightaway?"
"Fuck yeah we will, God damned Cockatoo! Don't question our victory, this shit's in the bag! Right, nerd?" Yelled Bakugo, readying his palms for their final push forward. His arms were visibly shaking now, with soot serving to highlight the calluses and scuffs that littered his hands. Izuku noticed him grimace a bit as he rolled his shoulders, and for a moment worried about whether his friend would be able to finish the race without injuring himself. Another stupid mistake on his part.
Uraraka was little better, now looking so queasy from both the near constant use of her quirk and the jostling of the cart and harsh maneuvers of the race that she might soon collapse into a puddle of nausea and regret for ever having agreed to teaming up. She wouldn't though, even though Izuku had pushed her for this event harder than he had any right to ask, because she was just so…Uraraka. That type of determination, her fighting spirit molded by a kind heart rather than a drive for supremacy, it was inspiring and intimidating all at once, just like Bakugo but at the same time altogether different.
If Uraraka was a pillar of kindness for him, and Bakugo was his pillar of victory, then it fell to Izuku to be the pillar of perseverance. To live up to Uraraka's moniker of being, 'Dekiru,' the one who could do anything. Oh, that would make a good hero name, wouldn't it? Izuku smiled, shaking his head free of the intrusive negative thoughts and prepared himself to enter the quagmire ahead of him with as much confidence as he could muster. Sure, he only had the bare bones of a plan, but that's just why he would persevere. He would show the world what All Might wanted him to show them, a future hero worthy of the faith of his friends and family. They could do this, they would win!
"Oh my goodness folks, team Bakugo opts for the brute force approach and is making a run through to the finish line! With both the ten million point flag and their own pennant so long as they can keep it together, that's a sure ticket to the finals!"
True enough, Midoriya and the others looked like they were going to try and simply drive through the rest of their competition towards the goal. The gaudy black and white checkered archway featured a beaming cartoonish rendition of Nezu over the top that made Shota roll his eyes, but he supposed it was better that the public see the principal as endearing rather than as the fierce animal he knew he could be. Regardless, for the kids' sake, Shota needed to correct Hizashi's assumption.
"It may look like a straightforward attack, but none of the students in this event got here without some sense of tactical ability. Each and every team is operating on some kind of plan, though with thirteen of them to watch all at once, it's hard to say exactly what each team's plan is likely to be, and how their competitors will respond. Improvisational thinking, communication on the fly, and of course teamwork are all being tested thoroughly by this event."
The problem children in particular were being annoyingly difficult to read, though that seemed to be par for the course with those kids. Midoriya was leaning over the controls as his teammates readied themselves to defend, when suddenly Todoroki and his team were out of the crowd of the other racers. Shota arched an eyebrow while Hizashi exploded next to him.
"Team Koda comes from the melee out of nowhere and tries to pull up alongside Team Bakugo, but 1A's resident demolitions expert isn't going to make things easy for them! But it's just not enough!" Well, Hizashi was right about that at least. Bondo it seemed, one of Vlad's kids, was doing a great job at using his quirk to negate Bakugo's explosions, the waves of fluid seeming to crash like waves over the small blasts before they were engulfed completely.
"And an unexpected switch in positions sees team Awase pulling back from the main body of racers with a whole host of pennants! Setsuna Tokage has used her quirk to incredible effect, but there's still time for the others to catch up! Meanwhile it seems Tenya Iida has been recovered by team Ashido from Ochaco Uraraka's surprising defensive throw, and is picking up steam again for another shot at the top!"
"He'll have to work quickly then, team Bakugo and team Koda only have about forty five seconds before they pass through the exit gate on their final lap. It might sting, but the better tactical play right now would be to stop chasing a sunk cost and pursue the more easily attainable pennants around them." Shota rubbed the bridge of his nose before cracking his neck and shoulders in his chair. This festival always did bring out the most illogical side of his students. It was unfortunate, really, but he would be sure to rein them back in once it was done and over. Especially if they wanted to be effective on their internships.
"Unbelievable! Team Koda has taken both of team Bakugo's pennants; it looks like Kojiro Bondo's stature gave an advantage when it came to reach!" Shota straightened up and looked intently at the monitors, making sure to watch so that no matter what happened he would be able to deal with the fallout. Something was telling him that his Problem Child was about to do something reckless again, so he had to pay attention in order to fix the issue later. When Midoriya grabbed Bakugo and shoved him back to the controls before jumping onto the other team's cart with his upper armor disengaged again Shota couldn't help but groan.
"No you don't!" Izuku screamed, using only a few seconds of flight to cross the distance between the two carts. Todoroki wouldn't be able to rely on his ice overmuch, likely still recovering from his frostbite, though clearly he had warmed enough to use some attacks.
Thirty seconds, he had about thirty seconds to get back the pennants before the two teams crossed the finish line. Bondo was being kept busy by Uraraka now, but once Koda realized what was happening he could just veer the cart away and it would be a two on one fight not at all in Izuku's favor. So, fight quick, fight dirty, just like before, but Todoroki would be even more prepared this time. Suddenly, inspiration stuck.
If it worked on Kacchan…
He struck out, taking the initiative with strikes that would have hurt a lot more if he were using his armor. Todoroki blocked them, of course, but Izuku was counting on that. A flurry of blows, as strong and as unpredictable as he could make them served to distract the other boy for just a moment, long enough for him to fail to notice Izuku's footing. He also failed to remember just what it was Izuku could do with his legs.
Izuku brought his leg up, the armor plating on his shin taking the brunt of the impact as his leg was boosted upward by the technology that let him fly. The armored boot became a blur as he rammed it right into Todoroki's groin, and his opponent, for all his sneering emotionlessness, went down with a look of utter pain and surprise on his face, and just the briefest flash of fire from his left hand before it was snuffed out. Distantly, Izuku heard a sympathetic whine from both the announcer's booth and about half the audience.
He didn't stop to appreciate his opponent's wheezing cries of pain however, as there was almost no distance now between their carts and the finish line. Koda, it seemed, had realized what was happening and had flung the cart away from Izuku's team, but Bakugo had followed the maneuver, staying just close enough for Izuku to cross the distance. Bondo was advancing towards him now, his glue at the ready as he stepped over the curled up form of Todoroki.
Izuku didn't look as he grabbed the pennant from the back of the cart, he didn't see which one he grasped as he leaped away, realizing too late that the distance had increased just enough that instead of landing with his team, he would be hitting the track instead. The image of him being run into the ground by their pursuers and his friends missing out on their chance to advance passed through his mind, and his heart fell in tandem with his body as he started to come down from the arc of his jump. He closed his eyes and prepared for the impact.
There was no impact however; he failed to hit the track for three entire seconds, and when he finally opened his eyes the ground wasn't moving any closer. Oh, and something was pulling on his arm. He looked up just in time to see Uraraka's ever determined visage reaching out, her hand clasped firmly over his wrist with all five fingers. She was in the air too, floating herself with her quirk over the track, with one leg being grasped onto by Bakugo who was steering now with one hand and straining visibly.
He roared, and the two were pulled backwards fully, Uraraka dropping her quirk and Izuku slamming the pennant onto the back of their cart right as they passed the finish line, sprays of cheeky confetti bursting up as they passed. Blurrily, Izuku looked to the back of their cart, his stomach churning with worry, before he breathed out a sigh of relief. Present Mic's voice rang out over the speakers, and Bakugo collapsed back with him and Uraraka as the cart's automatic controls took over and drove them back into the stadium proper.
"In an amazing last minute play, team Bakugo crosses the finish line, missing its own pennant but sporting the ten million points, and a ticket to the finals! Meanwhile, team Koda and team Ashido continue to battle for second and third respectively as they are moments away from crossing the finish line, but who could have seen…" The sounds of the commentary faded out, as did the roar of the crowd, the rumble of the engine, even the panting breaths of his teammates as they gasped their relief in the cart next to him. Izuku leaned back, resting against either Uraraka or Bakugo, he didn't know and right now he didn't care which it was, and simply relished the victory. They had done it. Now, it was time for the finals. But first, mercifully, lunch.
Enji Todoroki knew he was not a good man, he knew he was not a good father, and worst of all, he knew he was no hero. A good man, a good father, a hero, if he were any one of those, he would have done the right thing and refused the wretched woman more than twenty five years ago when she had come to him. Of course, it had been over his head, his own parents making clear his duty, but damn it all, he was Endeavor! He should have been strong enough to say no back then, to say it at any of the hundred opportunities since then. But he was, as in all things, a failure.
The specter of Rei danced through his mind's eye as he stalked through the halls of the stadium. The poor girl that couldn't escape from their circumstances, a victim in all this more than anyone. He still sent the Amaryllis bouquets weekly, along with his monthly visits, but it was all so futile, such a pointless gesture. She probably threw them away once he left, but that was fine too. She deserved to be able to hate the man that she'd been forced to marry, who then couldn't even save her. He couldn't bring himself to hate her though, he could never hate her.
Those thoughts were unwelcome. He had a duty, as did all those born to power. He had instilled those values in Shoto, hoping they would be enough for the boy to reach his potential without the old woman's interference. But clearly, he had failed in his lessons. His drive, his mantle of leadership, they hadn't been passed down so much as twisted into an altogether new shape, an ugly and hate filled crown that he was responsible for making which rested heavily upon his youngest child's brow.
Shoto had lost, twice now, to the Midoriya boy. It was clear that Enji had misjudged him, misunderstood what he was, who he was. He had thought him to be a charity case of some sort, a token representation of the weak made to boost UA's image. He was turning out to be anything but.
Enji could recognize power easily. He was loath to admit it, because it meant acknowledging his own weakness, his own constant failures, but there were many more powerful individuals than him. All Might was the most visible, of course he was, but there were others too, hiding in the dark. That cursed woman, who held everything over him and Rei. The whispers about the king of the Underworld. Even some persistent rumors about a man who could kill through eye contact, who was slaying heroes left and right. Hell, a punk with a gun and the element of surprise could be more powerful than him, given the right circumstances.
But still, some others wielded a different kind of power altogether; influence, or even charisma could prove just as useful. The Midoriya boy wielded his intellect like a sword, and now Shoto was paying for that particular lapse in his education. Enji had done his best to show him the way of the world, but whether through his own incompetence, or perhaps just the circumstances of their society, Shoto had taken every lesson about power and duty to be exclusively about quirks.
It made sense in a way, given the conditions of his birth and the culture around them. The last time he had really talked to his son, he had been reading through that Meta Liberation War nonsense, and the way those ideals were spreading so quickly; it made him nervous. He had wanted the boy to see his duty as a scion of the House of Todoroki, a cadet family of the Owari Tokugawa, to see that his natural born power and ancient lineage made him destined to lead. But he had also hoped he might acknowledge some of his peers, begin to gather allies while at UA, as he himself had failed to do. Of course, Enji had failed in teaching him even that, and had instead apparently driven home the exact opposite lesson, and now his son was making enemies.
He had told Shoto at the time that he would respect his vow against using his fire, and if it were up to him, he would never have to use it if he didn't want to. But now, Shoto's grandmother was watching, watching him fail , and there was no way the woman hadn't seen that same brief flash of fire he had seen. Which also meant that now he had no choice but to get the boy to use it fully, get him to demonstrate enough power that she wouldn't feel the need to intervene. To motivate him properly. Beneath his fire, Enji shivered.
If Shoto's grandmother were so inclined, she would destroy him, utterly and completely, before taking the boy to be raised 'properly' as she would call it. She wouldn't harm him physically of course, though Enji had no doubt that she could kill him easily enough and get away with it too. No, she wouldn't ever be so vulgar as to dirty the House of Takamado like that.
But there were ways she had available to her, secrets and failures and regrets that burned more intensely than even poor Toya's blue flames with which she could destroy them. Half of those threats weren't even based on anything true, but that wouldn't matter. And then, of course, there was Rei, and her continued incarceration. The poor thing was always within easy reach so long as she was in that hospital; who even knew how many years now she was overdue for being released. If not for his sake, then for Rei's, Enji would have to make sure Shoto either emerged victorious, or used his flames fully by the end of the day.
"Hey there, it's been a while, " rang out a voice behind him. Enji's flames burned just that little bit hotter at the voice of the man who held everything above him, who was partly to blame for the circumstances of his life. "Wanna grab some tea and have a chat with me, Endeavor?"
"All Might," he grunted, glaring under the flames that danced across his brow.
"It's been too long, at least ten years since we had a proper talk that wasn't just meeting up in the field! I happened to spot you and thought I should say hello!" God did he ever stop booming?
"If that's all then get out of my sight," he snapped, turning and continuing down the staircase he had been about to descend. "As if I would take tea with you...ridiculous. I have to use the facilities." A sudden rush of wind and the laughing idiot was in front of him on the landing, arms out in a ridiculous pose.
"Hey now, don't be such a party pooper!" Enji grunted at him, scowling, and All Might actually seemed to reel himself in a bit. "Your boy Shoto, he's performing quite impressively, even if he refuses to use the second aspect of his quirk. He's one of my best students you know." Enji felt his eye twitch as he clenched his jaw and grit his teeth.
"What are you trying to say, exactly?" The man had the decency to look sheepish under his glare, and Enji relaxed his intensity somewhat. The idiot, and he was a damn idiot, probably didn't mean anything by it.
"I was...well I was hoping you would share some of your wisdom on teaching, actually." The man actually rubbed the back of his head and looked apologetic, even with his eyes cast in that stupid constant shadow. "Truth be told, I don't think I'm doing as well as I could be, but young Shoto has clearly been taught many of the lessons I would have hoped to cover already, and I daresay more effectively than I could have taught them too." Enji was actually taken aback for a moment before he regained his composure, pushing down the self-loathing and disgust that rose in his gorge.
"Don't...don't try to teach them like I did, All Might. Keep up your damn stupid happy go lucky attitude, the one that constantly pisses me off." He brushed past him, and spared only a small backwards glance when he heard a confused apology behind him. "Know this at least; Shoto has a legacy of greatness upon him. In time, he will surpass me, and even you, All Might." He turned his back fully on the hero and stalked down the stairs. Sadly, he added, "It's why he was created, after all," before he strode out into the hallway to find his son. There were things that needed to be said.
Katsuki was annoyed, even though they had won, even though the nerd had been a total fucking badass and had kicked Icy Hot in his family jewels. Something was eating at him, and he wasn't sure what, so when the half and half motherfucker called out to him as he was heading to lunch with the rest of the extras, he was sorely tempted to ignore him. But there was something in his tone, something that gave the boy enough pause to remember his own anger after getting beat by someone he saw as beneath him, and how it had helped him to see more clearly.
"The fuck do you want, prick? Gonna back off on your challenge after we kicked your ass?"
"No," said Todorkli evenly. "Just a word or two with you. Alone."
"Tch, fine, bastard. We can talk in one of the tunnels near the entryway to the waiting rooms. Just hurry the fuck up."
"Lead the way then."