Chapter 26: Burning Pride and Determined Fists Part 1
"The fuck do you want Icy-Hot?" sneered Katsuki, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. They were at the mouth of a tunnel leading to a cordoned off area outside the stadium, far away from prying eyes and ears. The sun was beating down heavily on him while the half and half prick stood, appropriately enough, halfway cast in shadow opposite him. "I'm gonna need some lunch to kick your ass, so spit it out already."
The bastard just continued to glare at him, and Katsuki snorted derisively at the intimidation attempt. He had nearly choked to death as a monster made of literal sewage had forced its way into his lungs to ultimately try and wear his body like a fucking skin suit out of Silence of the Lambs but worse. Compared to that, this prick was nothing.
"Things are getting worse out there, Bakugo. UA was attacked. All Might, was attacked. The number one hero was almost assassinated in what is supposed to be the second most secure place in the country."
"Was there a point in there somewhere or is there something else you're gonna pull out of your ass before we get to the conclusion?" Katsuki snarled out. Icy-Hot remained unflappable.
"It was an attack that almost succeeded Bakugo. Villains almost killed the number one hero. He said it himself after he sent the Nomu flying, he's getting weaker." Katsuki bit back the retort he wanted to offer, counting to ten in his head. If this had something to do with the nerd, it was important for him to hear it, if only so he could punch the bastard in the mouth when he said something stupid.
"Midoriya, he has a connection, to you, to Togata, and to All Might. The number one hero. You know my father is Endeavor. The number two. And only All Might stands in his way, stops him from getting whatever he wants. So if Midoriya is making All Might weaker, making everyone he's latched onto weaker, it's all the more reason for me to put him in his place."
"Who the fuck are you to say where his place is, bastard?" Katsuki couldn't hold his temper anymore, explosions sparking from his palms. He held back from hitting him, but only just.
"I don't decide anything, Bakugo. We're assigned our roles, him as much as you or me. Some of us are born with power, responsibility. Those without power have their own duties; to defy their nature, they steal, they leech. And in the process, they hurt others and themselves."
"Hey dumbass, I know you're a fucking moron, but in case you haven't seen it, just because Deku has some fancy blasters that work like my quirk doesn't mean my quirk magically stopped working!" The prick scoffed. He actually fucking scoffed! Katsuki didn't even know people could scoff outside of fancy ass books, but the bastard somehow managed it.
"And how long is it before he makes more of those 'blasters'? Where will you be when your power is mass produced and issued to the JSDF? Where will you be when he makes a stronger version of your quirk and uses it against you?" That actually gave Katsuki a moment of pause, as he considered the implications of the statement.
He knew that he himself was special, everyone had told him so since the day his quirk had manifested. It had taken him too long, but now he knew that Izuku was special too. His friend was strong like him, but in a different way. But Izuku's strength, it was irreplicable, utterly unique. His was too, wasn't it? Just because Izuku could make something like it, that didn't mean he was taking away from who Katsuki was. He was more than his quirk, wasn't he?
"You're destined to be a hero, someone at the top, who protects the weak. But now? If any 'extra' can take up that mantle by choice then what are you worth? What's your purpose? All Might isn't getting weaker because Midoriya is stealing his quirk, that's asinine thinking. He's allowing himself to get weaker because Midoriya is stealing his duty, the obligations of his strength."
"People get old, bastard, All Might's ancient. He'd have to retire someday." In the moment it was the strongest argument he could find. The boy had found an insecurity of his, a fucking weakness, and was needling him with it. Prick.
"No, those at the top, they don't retire. They're usurped, Bakugo. People like my father, they come and take over, they become the next authority, the next icon. But him, he's a failure. He couldn't fulfill his duty, so he created me."
Katsuki did not get put on the back foot easily. But he was already ruffled, already hurting from having the failings of his old mindset thrown in his face, and from having his new assumptions challenged. So it was with an uncharacteristic feeling of unease and mounting disgust that he asked his next question.
"What do you mean by 'created' Half and Half?" The boy's gaze never faltered as he answered in his monotone timbre. The only movement he made was to bring up his hand to cover his scar, and even that seemed an act of reminiscence rather than one of pain.
"My siblings and I are all the result of a quirk marriage, Bakugo. Designed to fulfill the duties of our family line and surpass All Might, to become the greatest, like my father could not."
He brought his hand down and looked up at Katsuki, who had uncrossed his own arms and was staring at the boy without his usual sneer. An outside observer would have called his look appraising, if one were to pass by.
"I hate him, raising me as a tool just out of some sense of obligation. I hate that I was born, Bakugo, because it meant another burden placed on my mother's shoulders...she always defended him, you know? Always said it wasn't his fault, that he loved us. Right up until my older brother burned to death during training. Right up until she threw boiling water in my face while screaming about how I looked like him."
Empathy was something that Katsuki had little experience with, true enough. And while he couldn't stand the quirkist asshole in front of him, it did put things into perspective on how he came to be who he was.
"Why the fuck are you telling me this?"
"Because," began the boy, "Midoriya made it seem like I don't respect the rest of you with his little declaration. Out of everyone, you're the closest to my level of power, Bakugo. You deserve to know that my refusal to use my fire isn't out of disdain for you, but as my revenge. By rising to the top without ever using that bastard's quirk, I'll have denied him everything he ever wanted from me."
They stared at each other for a moment, neither saying anything before Todoroki turned and began to walk away. A moment before he entered the hallway, Katsuki called after him.
"He doesn't make me weaker, you know." Katsuki took a step forward, holding a clenched fist in front of him. He was so angry, yet so confused, he somehow forgot to curse. "The nerd. He makes me stronger, better than I was. He helps me to be a better hero, a better person. The strength he has, his power, it's different than yours or mine, but it's power all the same. So for his sake, I'll crush you, and give him an opponent who respects him in the finals. Just you watch."
Todoroki looked back at him a moment before turning and walking out of the hallway and back into the stadium. Katsuki stood there for a minute, reflecting both on what he had been told, and how he had felt. Neither were good feelings to dwell on, so he shook himself out of it and hurried down the hallway to the cafeteria, hoping there was some spicy curry on offer.
The whole time, both he and Todoroki had failed to notice Izuku around the corner, listening intently to their conversation.
Izuku ate his lunch with little fanfare, only offering cursory replies to his friends when they tried to engage him in conversation. He knew he had a while yet before the tournament proper. There were some recreational games up first which would give any students who hadn't made it into the finals another chance to show off for any watching pros, which also meant that he'd have a full hour after lunch to sit and stew things over.
Sighing, he leaned down and disengaged his leg armor before detaching the underlying frames and hoisting both up onto the bench next to him. He fiddled with the ports on the back for a moment before he looked up.
Across from him, Iida was looking glumly at his lunch, a large pile of canned orange juice sitting beside him. Though he and the rest of team Ashido hadn't managed to capture any more points before crossing the finish line in the second event, they still had the recreational games to show off in.
Yeah, if Izuku were being honest with himself, it would have been a pretty meager consolation prize for him as well. Still, he couldn't quite bring himself to perform the appropriate sympathetic motions, especially after what he had overhead between Bakugo and Todoroki. Instead of focusing on either of those problems, he would just try to lighten the mood.
"Hey Iida, can I bother you for two of those cans of orange juice?" The other boy gave him an empty smile and handed him a can.
"Of course Midoriya, I won't be needing them all anyways," he trailed off, giving a defeated sigh. Well, that wasn't what Izuku had wanted to do. Now the momentary confusion he was hoping to cause wouldn't be as funny.
"Thanks Iida, I appreciate it," he said, popping the top off one can and pouring the contents into the boot frame he had set on the bench next to him. To his left, the hitherto quiet Uraraka let out a snort and looked at him incredulously, while Iida spluttered his objections. Others around the makeshift cafeteria turned at the noise and laughed before returning to their conversations.
"Midoriya, that is a very unorthodox use of juice! It should be consumed for the nourishment it provides, not used as, as, whatever it is you are using it for!" He punctuated his sentence with his signature chopping motions, earning yet more giggles from Uraraka and a few chuckles from Izuku as well. If Bakugo or Yaoyorozu had been with them, they likely would have been laughing as well, but each had chosen to take their lunch privately.
"Iida-kun, would you like to see a magic trick?" Izuku interrupted, a grin making its way onto his face. Not waiting for an answer Izuku brought the boots up and overturned them, earning two small shrieks from his lunch companions followed by noises of confusion when no orange juice splashed out.
"Midoriya, this is highly irregular! Please, refrain from frightening us like that. I thought we were about to have boot flavored orange juice spilled over our lunches!"
"I dunno little bro, I thought it was pretty funny," interjected a new voice from their right. All three students turned in unison to come face to face with a tall man in a black bodysuit sporting white armor vaguely reminiscent of a knight. His helm was carried under one arm, and a thin sheen of sweat covered his brow. His features, along with his comment, made it obvious who he was.
"Wow, he's like an older, more streamlined Iida-kun!" Chirped Uraraka, eliciting laughs from all but the younger brother in question.
"Tensei! What are you doing here, you're supposed to be on patrol in Hosu right now. Please tell me you're not neglecting the other agents at Team Idaten by having them cover for you just so you could-" Iida's lecture was cut off by a large gloved hand placing itself atop his head before fondly ruffling his hair.
"Perks of being the boss, little bro, sometimes you can afford to take time out for family," he smiled, sliding down next to Iida, bringing their little group up to four. "I knew, with how much of a perfectionist you are, you'd be down for not making it into the third round, so I figured I needed to talk to you."
"B-but Tensei! You could have waited until I saw you at home today!" That earned the younger Iida a good natured bonk on the noggin and another bout of laughter from his friends, which even managed to draw a small smile from the boy as well.
"No buts little bro, what kind of hero wouldn't come running right away when he knows someone needs his help?" Tensei straightened up a bit, with a far off look in his eyes before he continued, leaning back down onto his younger brother playfully. "People notice, when you come running to their side, take their hand, and put them at ease even one second sooner, it makes all the difference." There was a beat before two of the four people at the table voiced their excitement.
"Wow Ingenium-san, that was really cool!" chorused Izuku and Uraraka, sharing a look before laughing together at having spoken at the same time.
"Was that something you have on hand for soundbites? Oh, sorry, was that rude? I didn't mean to imply that it seemed like a canned response, it was just really heroic sounding, and cool, and well I figured that with being a hero you have to have these things ready because-"
"Tenya wasn't kidding when he said you don't stop once you get started, huh?" interjected the elder Iida, cutting Izuku off from the impending storm or questions and apologies. "As for an answer to that, it was something I said to a friend of mine, back when there was some trouble in Naruhata. It's a sort of summary of my philosophy that, incidentally, sounds pretty good on the news," he finished with a wink, and another ruffle of his brother's hair, much to the boy's consternation.
"Midoriya, I must ask, Tensei please stop that," Iida complained under the good natured assault his brother was committing against the younger's hair. The man rolled his eyes but sat up, smiling fondly at his brother as he leaned back on the bench. "Ahem, as I was saying, Midoriya, why have you defaced both your footwear and my orange juice by combining the two, and where did the juice in question go?" Uraraka and his brother both stifled laughter at the boy's phrasing, but only barely. Izuku smirked before flipping the boot around and popping the top off the nozzle at the back of his boots.
"So remember how we were working on your quirk a while back Iida-kun?" A stiff nod was his only reply from Tenya, while Tensei leaned forward with clear interest on his face. "Well, I've been working on mimicking the conversion process you use to extract energy from citric acid. I can't quite replicate it because of the unique mutations that are inherent to your physiology, but the chemical processes, while less efficient, are still reproducible. Normally my own body supplies the energy for my equipment," here Izuku engaged his torso armor and tapped the dull tubes across his chest which usually glowed orange but which were now an opaque grey.
"Ah, I remember you said something about running your own energy through your support gear to mimic quirks, right Deku-kun? Does that mean you store your own energy in those tubey things too?" Izuku nodded back to Uraraka at her question.
"Yeah, normally I have about fifteen minutes of reserve energy stored up, but since I used pretty much all of it in the chariot race and since I can't swap in new reserve batteries because of the rules, I have to resort to my emergency recharge. Which, thanks to Iida-kun, is based off of citric acid! Normally I'd use a pure dilution, but the rules won't let me use that either, so orange juice is probably my best bet."
"Here, try some of this too," said Ingenium, producing a can of grapefruit juice seemingly from nowhere. "Tenya uses orange juice for his legs, I've got grapefruit for my arms. Maybe both together will be like adding ethanol in gasoline, you could make it all high octane!" Izuku shrugged before taking the can and pouring the contents down the nozzles on both boots, screwing the caps firmly shut.
He pressed a small button near where his ankle would be under the metal carapace, and after a moment of quiet humming from the machines the orange lights sitting all over the armor began to glow once more. A small screen on his wrist connected wirelessly to the boots showed the charge status, which Izuku frowned at after a moment.
"Well, it's more efficient than plain orange juice, but that doesn't make any sense. It shouldn't be any more or less efficient if the citric acid is the main fuel, but this is telling me that there's something I'm missing in how this all works." He paused and rubbed his chin thoughtfully before barking out a laugh.
"What's so funny Deku-kun?" Asked Uraraka.
"Quirks are weird. I built this thing, well, Mei-chan built it using my designs, but even I don't understand how it works. It's almost like I made a rocket engine without knowing that liquid hydrogen needs liquid oxygen as an oxidizer, but still having it work somehow."
"That's only liquid fuel types Deku-kun, a solid fuel rocket would use aluminum and ammonium perchlorate with iron oxide and some other goodies. Of course that was the APCP type used in solid boosters like on the space shuttle...why is everyone staring at me?"
Izuku was absolutely in awe of his friend's sudden display of knowledge in that moment, and wasn't able to formulate a response. It was wonderful; besides learning something new about his friend, he would have so many new things to talk about with her! Thankfully Iida recovered first and spoke before Izuku could blurt out something foolish.
"Uraraka, I had no idea you had such an interest in the cosmos!" Exclaimed Iida, chopping the table with his arm and earning a snicker from his brother in the process. Izuku quietly concurred, earning a blinding smile from the girl in question, who launched into an explanation with gusto.
"Yeah, I love pretty much anything space related! Stargazing is one of my favorite things to do when I have free time, and Thirteen has been a huge inspiration since I was little. Besides how awesome her rescue missions are, she has an astronaut theme! And with my quirk, well, it's kind of a chicken and egg thing, ya know?"
"That's awesome Uraraka! You could totally make some changes to your support gear to incorporate some gyroscopes and something like an RCS module, then if you used your quirk on yourself you could fly around like an astronaut! Oh, you could base it off a combination of Thirteen and Air Jet's suits. "
"That's a great idea Deku-kun, do you think you could help me come up with some designs for the support department to work on?" Izuku nodded excitedly, temporarily forgetting about his own predicament and what he had overheard from Todoroki, and trusting Iida's brother to take care of the speedster's downer mood without his help.
"Yeah, actually I have some sketches in my blueprint notebook for a system I couldn't quite make work for my armor that would be perfect for you. We can start there and modify the designs as we go, and Mei-chan will be really happy to help."
No one saw where Izuku produced his notebook from (it was in his bag, and he was consistently puzzled how people failed to notice it as it was almost always within arm's reach) but the furious scribbling of his pen across paper along with his mutterings soon filled the table over any interrogations concerning his notebook's apparent teleportation. He and Uraraka both spent another half an hour doing their best to take their minds off the impending tournament, pitching ideas back and forth about her costume upgrades all the while. Neither noticed that Iida and his brother had left the table until fifteen minutes after the pair had departed.
Sat in the stands with the quietly fuming Bakugo, the gravely disappointed Yaoyorozu, the still somewhat morose Iida (despite his brother's continued efforts at making him laugh or embarrassing him) and the subtly nervous Uraraka, Izuku couldn't help but feel out of place. After he and Uraraka had finished their lunches they had stopped to observe some of the recreational games, with Iida doing very well in a relay race and Yaoyorozu getting another chance to broadcast the sheer versatility of her quirk, though neither had seemed satisfied.
After that, he had broken off from his friends to have a quick conversation with All Might and his mother, who seemed to be getting along quite well. Mr Togata had been busy checking in on Mirio during Izuku's brief visit, his son apparently having broken a wrist in one event, but had sent his best wishes along with the other two adults.
Now as he sat among his friends, he couldn't bring himself to share in their negative energy. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he was the only one in a group broadcasting 'the good vibes' as Ashido and Kaminari had called it. Really, he was just excited to get to his match.
While what he had overheard was clearly still on Bakugo's mind, Izuku was willing to let Todoroki sort out his own emotional issues in his own time. If he ended up having to fight him, it would be with half his power per his declaration, but otherwise it would be as quick and efficient as he could make it. He doubted it would even come to that though; with fourteen other combatants, there was a very good chance neither he nor Todoroki would advance far enough to face the other.
Really, he was most excited for the opportunity to really go all out in a spar. As opposed to the first day of classes, he would have his gear with him, and as compared to the battle trial, collateral damage would hardly be a factor. Add onto that the fact that it might finally get some of the more abrasive students in the school to finally stop bothering him and his classmates about him being quirkless, and his good mood was practically palpable to the others around him.
"Ladies, gentlemen, heroes, family, friends, and everyone in-between, welcome to the final stage of the UA first year sports festival! You know it, you love it, the one on one gladiatorial tournament!" Boomed the voice of Present Mic over the stadium loudspeakers. An enormous cheer went up at the announcement, the crowd very obviously excited for what was, for many, the main event. That the most popular sporting event in the country involved children beating each other into submission or unconsciousness seemed altogether lost in the general fervor around the festivities.
"In past years, there's always been a bit of a twist! Weapons combat? Special victory conditions? What could it be? Well, here to announce this year's unique circumstances, give it up for the Rated R hero who has been refereeing this whole shebang, Midnight!"Another roar of applause rocked the stands as the pro made her way onto center field, still sporting her black and white attire, but now with the addition of a much larger headset over the top of her referee's cap.
"Thanks Mic, and thank you all for sticking with us!" Midnight gave a small bow before gesturing with her whip towards the main screen once more. "Thanks to the advancements made by our very own Power Loader as well as the assistance of some special guest heroes, not only were we able to furnish upgraded battle bots for the first event this year, but we've also been able to mix up the nature of the stage for our gladiator games!"
At her words the screen flashed off from the sponsorship it had been broadcasting and switched to a view of UA's usual tournament stage, a flat concrete tiled arena which the hero Cementoss would construct on the fly. Some flame jets in the corners and a stylized emblem for UA were its only decorations, but as the audience watched in anticipation, the diagram on the stage exploded in a burst of color. Where once there had been one stage, there were now eight distinct stages, each bearing some unique feature.
"Thanks to rapid construction technologies as well as a few handy quirks, every two minutes the stage will change to one of our eight special environments. The plain old tournament stage is the starter, before we run through forested, flaming, aquatic, rocky, electrified, icy, and windy arenas! Additionally, the starting stage for a given match will vary depending on what was last used. Will an arena help, will it hurt, who knows, the stages are randomized. Heroes often don't get to choose the environment their missions will take place in, so it's all down to how well you can adapt to changing circumstances if you want to snatch victory today."
A few noises of excitement and confusion came from the crowd before a brief demonstration took place on the tournament field which had risen up out of the ground. As if from nowhere, terrain and objects materialized from the ground in small clouds of dust, growing in a way not dissimilar to Yaoyorozu's method of creation via her quirk. Sparking generators, flaming trees, large fans, geysers of water, icy cliffs, all rose up and fell down in rapid succession as the crowd oohed and aahed at the spectacle. Apparently the ones operating the changes intended to put on something of a show before the tournament proper, as the display continued far longer and with far more intricacy than required from a simple demonstration.
Izuku was furiously taking down notes about the changing terrain as it appeared and vanished, taking in all the details he could and speculating wildly about what combination of quirks and technology would produce such an effect. Uraraka's eyes gleamed at the display, seemingly appreciating the more artistic aspects of the changing terrain and ensuing show, while Bakugo snorted derisively and Yaoyorozu looked on in intense concentration.
Behind them, Iida was listening quietly as his brother spoke about having encountered a similar terrain changing quirk while conducting a raid on an old Yakuza facility some years before. Though normally quite uptight, even he was having trouble not being drawn in by the display, even as he was clearly torn between listening to his brother and watching the stage.
Finally, the shifting earth and props all collapsed back into the ground with a final spout of flames, ice crystals, lightning, water, wind, plant debris, and dirt that disappeared in a cloud of smoke leaving only the unblemished tournament ring. An incredibly self-satisfied looking Midnight smirked out at the crowd and cracked her whip. With the new headset, her voice boomed out even more clearly.
"Now, for the lineup of today's tournament. You know who advanced to this round, but now it's time to populate our bracket. Let's see who's facing who!" At her words a large bingo cage graphic featuring balls decorated with each of the sixteen participants' student photos began to spin on the main display. After a few rotations the cage door opened and the balls fell out, the screen panning down to follow the balls as they dropped through a void and into a tournament bracket with some jostling and bouncing as they settled into place.
"All right folks, here come the first qualifier matches for the first year tournament! Participants, please head to your waiting rooms, the rest of you may remain with your class until your own prep time begins!"
Izuku smiled as he adjusted in his seat, pulling a new notebook from his bag and opening to a fresh page while licking the tip of his pen, briefly sketching out the arena and two wire figures at opposite ends. A quick look at the screen saw him filling in details in the figures along with two labels and the information he had. In the tunnels leading into the arena itself, Kojiro Bondo and Hitoshi Shinso stood in the shadows, waiting for their cue. Moments later, Present Mic obliged, with a brief trumpet call preceding his excited introductions.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the first match of the one v one tournament is about to begin. Entering from the North gate, the gentle giant and all around utility fighter from heroics class 1B, Kojiro Bondo! He made an impressive showing in the second round, focusing on defense, but still showcasing his less obvious offensive prowess!"
As the boy in question emerged from the tunnel, he gave a small wave towards the stands, but otherwise made no real acknowledgement of the crowd. Izuku figured he was either nervous or concentrating. Unfortunately, whichever it was, he doubted the boy would be prepared for his opponent.
"Now emerging from the South gate, from general studies class 1C, he came from behind but is quickly showing that one shouldn't judge a book by its cover, uh, sorry Fukidashi, it's Hitoshi Shinso! The young man formed an unlikely team with two of class 1A's students in the last round, and has showcased some pretty effective leadership, but if he's used his quirk, it's a mystery to us! Give it up for our two contestants folks!"
Yet another roar from the spectators had Izuku wondering if any of the vendors sold throat lozenges, as there would certainly be a good number of people feeling hoarse by the end of the day. At center stage Midnight said something about the joys of youth while going over the rules of the match before the two boys bowed to each other. She brought her whip down, and with a puff of fire from the jets at the corners of the arena, the fight began.
"I'm afraid Shinso will be victorious rather quickly here," mused Yaoyorozu, eliciting an agreement from Izuku and Uraraka while both of the Iidas and Bakugo looked at her questioningly. "Since it's unlikely that Kirishima and Tsuyu would have willingly allied with an unknown third party, it's very likely that Shinso-san has some kind of mental quirk. While we can only guess at the activation requirements, there's a good chance that this match will be over before it begins if it is one that allows him to control or influence others."
"Plus, Shinso-san has this really laid back look that means he knows something that you don't. See how he's holding his arm there? He's trying to look nervous, but it's not real." Uraraka added chipperly, bumping Izuku's elbow as she pointed at the two competitors.
Barely fifteen seconds into the bout, Bondo stiffened after Shinso shouted something out to him, before turning around and walking out of the ring. A confused commentary from Present Mic followed the development, as well as a lamentation that the match hadn't lasted long enough for a stage change to occur. Aizawa droned out something about the entrance exam being biased against several types of quirks, and Izuku wondered if the man himself had been subject to the same test as they were.
"Your combat instincts are quite well developed Uraraka," Yaoyorozu said, shooting a small smile to the girl who nodded back happily.
"Well, I don't know about combat, but I spent a lot of time at the foreman's office with my Pa back when I was younger, and a lot of contract negotiations went on there. After a while, Pa taught me how to spot a liar and then it kind of turned into a skill for figuring out people's tells since I've been here."
"That's really cool that you could apply something from your childhood to heroics like that, Uraraka!" Offered Izuku as he snapped his notebook closed, having written down everything he was going to about the match.
"As if your little dork-journals aren't the same fucking thing, nerd," muttered Bakugo from behind him, arms crossed and a scowl on his face. "Remind me not to play poker with Cheeks so I don't go broke. Hey, you figure out a counter to Sleepless's quirk yet, nerd? You're gonna be fighting him in the second round, after all."
"Bakugo, Midoriya has yet to fight his first match, though I must say I appreciate your confidence in your classmates. It is still impolite to discount the efforts of our fellow students so brazenly. I would say that-" Iida never got to finish his reprimand as Present Mic's enhanced voice rang out over the stadium.
"Will Izuku Midoriya and Yosetsu Awase please report to your waiting rooms; the second match is set to begin in ten minutes."
"Looks like that's my cue. Wish me luck, guys," said Izuku, rising from his seat and smiling back at his friends as he stepped into the aisle.
"You'll perform exceptionally well, Midoriya-kun," said Iida with an arm chop. His brother laughed before chiming in with his two cents.
"If you're even half as good as Tenya here says, I'm sure you'll put on a good show. Good luck kid."
"Blow that headband hippie's ass to kingdom come, Deku!"
"You got this, Deku-kun!"
"Fight well Midoriya, I believe you shall carry the day!"
Far above the little group, All Might had just turned back from watching his successor win his own first match of the third year tournament when he caught sight of Inko Midoriya rising from her seat to lean on the glass overlooking the stadium. All the while, she was whispering little words of encouragement for her son, and Toshinori couldn't help but grin to himself as he added his own in his mind. Go on my boy, show them all that you are here! Win or lose, I'm proud of you for coming this far and showing them just what you can do. But now, now you've really got the chance to let your light shine!
Chapter 27: Burning Pride and Determined Fists Part 2
"Alright folks, entering from the North gate, he's a master of matter manipulation and strategy, and he snagged the number ten spot in the UA entrance exam, give it up for class 1B's Yosetsu Awase!"
At his announcement Izuku's opponent strode out into the ring. He was lean, his dark hair pulled up out of his face by the headband that Izuku had never seen him without, and he wore a serious expression as he surveyed the crowd. Known for having a bit of a foul mouth, Izuku ran through the other information he had available about the boy.
He knew he was a close range fighter, his quirk relying on binding things together on a molecular level, and that he was quite skilled with it. Being taught by Vlad King would no doubt have given him several opportunities to work on capture and restraint techniques, so going for any kind of close quarters combat would be inadvisable. His best option would likely be a quick ring out, but doing so without touching the boy would be tricky, even with his gauntlets.
"Now entering through the South gate, he's smashed expectations and barriers alike, the tinkerer of terror rivaled only in inventiveness by the madwoman of the support course Mei Hatsume! He placed first in the UA entrance exam, both the written and the practical, give it up for class 1A's Izuku Midoriya!"
The cheering that met his teacher's introduction was more reserved than what had accompanied his opponent's entrance, and Izuku couldn't help but frown a bit at that. He had come this far, hadn't he? Why was the crowd still so unreceptive to him as a future hero. Why was he still being underestimated? His frown turned into a grimace. If people wanted to look down on him, he would just rise so far past them that they'd have no choice but to look up.
He thought back to the words he had exchanged with All Might and his mother during the break. He had met the two of them in the corridor outside the cafeteria, and had pulled them both to the side for their conversation.
"You've been performing well, Young Midoriya. That trick you pulled during the second round was quite impressive. In fact, it reminded me of-" the deflated All Might never got to finish his sentence as Izuku's mother brushed past him and pulled Izuku into a bone crushing hug while sobbing.
"M-My baby can fly! Oh I'm so p-proud of you Izuku, it was so s-scary watching you f-fight like that, but, but, then you and that Uraraka girl, oh and Katsuki too, oh my baby, I'm so proud!" The hug got tighter and Izuku felt the blood in his neck cut off as All Might only looked on in mild amusement. His smirk vanished instantly as with much more force than he would have imagined, the Midoriya matriarch used her quirk to pull him into her hug alongside Izuku. "And Toshi's b-been telling m-m-me so much about you, and how p-proud he is, and I'm just s-so happy!"
Izuku's own waterworks had kicked in then as well, and the three had been at risk of floating down the corridor when All Might had managed to finally extricate himself from the small woman's grasp, chuckling as he did so.
"As I recall, Young Midoriya, your mother was so excited during the round she screamed 'kick his ass' when you were battling Young Todoroki. It was quite surprising, but I must say, you put on an excellent performance." His mother had immediately turned crimson and released Izuku while covering her face with her hands, mumbling apologies and stating her embarrassment all in one long breath. Izuku chuckled, glad for the brief distraction they were providing.
"My boy," said All Might, looking down at him and smiling with a fondness that Izuku found he didn't really recognize all too well. "When you do battle, it seems you still have some trouble holding back. I know your situation is unique given the nature of your equipment, but try to remember that you don't always have to give your all." Izuku paused, reflecting on his words and started mumbling to himself, mind racing with ideas about implementing some kind of variable charge level into his gauntlets depending on the level of response he sent through the interface. He was interrupted by a gentle ruffling of his hair.
"Little prince of nonsense," laughed All Might, "don't worry about all that. Just try not to look so mopey or intense. When you're worried, or scared, or feeling looked down on, that's the best time to smile. You've come so far, my boy, so show your pride, even if you have to fake it for now. I'm proud of you, and I'm expecting great things from you. If your opponents, if the crowd even, underestimates you, that's all the more reason to smile in their faces and shout out, 'I am here' like I know you can."
"Oh, like when you were little and had your All Might onesies, Izuku!" chimed in his mother, finally closing the valve on her tear ducts and rejoining the conversation.
"His what?" wheezed All Might, a small bit of blood shooting out from between his teeth at her comment. Deciding that he would rather not be present when his mother decided to break out the baby pictures in front of his idol, even if she didn't know who he was, Izuku turned on his heel and ran down the corridor.
"Thanks mom, thanks Yagi-sensei! I promise I'll do my best to make you both proud," he called back over his shoulder, rounding the corner and running a good way before he rejoined the rest of his class in the stands.
"All right boys, let's see some nice youthful passion on display here! We've got a pretty simple ruleset; victory is achieved by knockout, immobilization, or surrender! If you are unable to speak, tapping with the flat of your hand, either the opponent or the ground, will signify a submission. Recovery Girl remains on standby, and this is a full contact bout, so there will be no qualms over going for cheap strikes! Attempting to permanently maim or moving for a kill shot is an immediate disqualification and potential grounds for expulsion! Other than that, anything goes, so make sure to put on a good show!" Both boys bowed forward as the pro ended her spiel, before dropping into their respective fighting stances.
"Midoriya," shouted Izuku's opponent as Midnight walked back up to her referee stand. Cementoss was on standby next to her. "No hard feelings, but I won't be holding back just because you don't have a quirk!"
"No hard feelings when I win then, Awase," Izuku replied, feeling for his armor through the interface at the back of his neck. He had walked from the tunnel with the full upper and lower carapace already active, but as he called on it all at once now instead of as needed like he had during the race, the orange glow from between the seams and across his breastplate began to shine out. He gave his opponent a feral grin as he felt the fiery influence of his blasters take hold more fully than they had been allowed to since the battle trial, even as he consciously chose to remain calm. It wouldn't be appropriate to give in to the desire to blow up the entire arena, even if it sounded really, really fun.
"Start!" yelled Midnight, bringing her whip down with a crack so sharp her headset managed to pick it up and amplify it across the stadium speakers. At her cue, the ground beneath Izuku's and Awase's feet started smoking, and from the cloud emerged a series of rocky pillars and loose boulders, not dissimilar to the landslide zone at the USJ.
"Hey folks, it's our first arena change, and it looks like our contestants will be doing battle in the cliff zone arena! How will this impact the battle, who will have the advantage in this changing terrain, and what are Eraserhead's thoughts on all this?"
"You're too loud, and the loose material will work in Awase's favor; but just because he has an advantage with the terrain doesn't mean Midoriya can't overcome that obstacle. It's too early to declare this match one way or the other."
Izuku smiled as the rocks rose around him, even as his opponent was temporarily obscured from view by the climbing earth. At least his teacher and favorite (underground) hero wasn't going to discount him just because the matchup favored his opponent's quirk. It was time to show why quirks weren't everything.
The nerd was keeping his battle lust in check, Katsuki thought, something he knew he himself struggled with at times. Whether or not he would be able to hold off on attacking immediately during the subsequent rounds would be another matter entirely of course, but right then, Katsuki knew he would have simply started blasting apart the rising columns to get at his opponent and throw him out of the ring for a speedy victory.
It was a good thing his friend was choosing not to emulate him in that moment then, as breaking the pillars of stone into shards and chunks would have given Headbandy McBoringface even more material to work with besides the loose boulders. As it was, he seemed to be constructing a ring of pillars around himself using that welding quirk of his, probably in an attempt to fuse the nerd to one of them when he got close enough to strike.
Katsuki had to admit, it was a decent strategy. Assuming he could pull it off, it wouldn't be too dissimilar to the Grape Stain's usual immobilization gambits, which he had observed in training a few times. Though Izuku was strong, even without his armor he was much stronger than most people their age, his strength wouldn't be much if he found himself bound to several tons of rock and knocked to the ground. Thankfully, Izuku had a much greater advantage over his opponent than simple strength or firepower.
In short order the nerd proved that he was much smarter than his opponent too as he climbed one of the several rock pillars that Awase was waiting behind without the other boy's noticing him. Waiting for his moment in a crouch similar to one their teacher adopted before ambushing them during training, Izuku glared down at Awase who was glancing around himself in a circle, trying to catch sight of his opponent through the gaps in the pillars.
The crowd waited tensely, with Present Mic's commentary only reflecting that Awase had lost sight of Midoriya. Their teacher was enough of a professional to not out the advantageous spot Izuku was in, but it was also clear from his commentary that the boy in question had pulled some kind of impressive trick with his positioning. Katsuki grunted in grudging acknowledgement. Were he in Awase's position, he wouldn't have been able to glean much from that either. All at once the tension became much higher as Izuku raised his arm.
From the port on his wrist, the modified wire arrow shot out, the point activating a number of small flaps and gas canisters it had built in to change its trajectory as it neared its target. Izuku had wanted to implement a proper capture weapon into his armor system modeled after Aizawa's scarf or possibly Sero's tape, but hadn't had enough time before the festival.
Thankfully, with a few small adjustments, the guidance system on his grapple could be persuaded to wrap around a target a few times before reconnecting with its line and sliding taut. It did this now as it circled Awase, pinning the 1B student's arms to his side as it wound itself around him, before Izuku activated the boosters at his shoulders.
The sudden surge of activity after the moment of quiet anticipation was enough to excite the crowd as he rocketed backwards, bringing his arm up in time with his retreat in an attempt to send his opponent out of bounds. Izuku was surprised then when a moment later the wire he was connected to snapped completely taut and he found himself launched around towards his opponent by his own momentum. He brought his eyes up as he swung around, processing.
Awase, despite having his arms forced down to his sides, had managed to tap the wire Izuku was pulling him by to one of the pillars, effectively anchoring Izuku to an object that was much heavier and more resilient than he was, completely throwing him off course and sending him careening in an arc back towards his opponent. The boy in question had taken the momentary reprieve to relax both himself and the wire he was wrapped up in, all of the force Izuku had been exerting on it now pinned to the pillar thanks to his quick welding, and stepped out of the now slack binding.
"In a stunning turn of events, 1B's Yosetsu Awase turns the table on Midoriya's capture maneuver, and the blitzing brawler finds himself rapidly rotating around a rocky ridge!"
"That was just...terrible, Yamada."
Izuku wasn't done by any means however, even if Present Mic was being a bit too energetic with his commentary. As he rocketed back towards his opponent in a wide circle around the pillar his line had been stuck to, he disconnected the end of the wire attached to his arm, coming out of the expected orbit in a straight shot.
He brought his boot up, a bit of excess energy arcing off the green and black metal as he dove into a kick that his startled enemy didn't have time to block. The blow landed firmly in the boy's stomach, and even as his opponent tried to weigh down the armored limbs by attaching some debris he had snatched up with his quirk, Izuku was already turning into another attack.
His armored elbow slammed into Awase's chin, knocking the boy backwards into one of the stone pillars which began to topple forwards under the sudden impact. Before it could land however, Izuku had grabbed Awase in a sudden burst of speed courtesy of the now flaming boosters at his shoulders, and had then thrown him back towards the middle of the arena while quickly following.
"Midoriya's momentum maneuver is mangled by Awase's wicked welding! With those rocks all stuck on him, it's gonna be hard for 1A's technological titan to move effectively, especially if he's looking to deal the finishing blow!"
"You're making these terrible on purpose, aren't you?"
True to Present Mic's observation, there were rocks stuck to his armor in several places, some heavier than others and all of them playing merry hell with his balance, but that was okay. He was going to end things, quickly and decisively, so hopefully the other boy would still be willing to undo the effects of his quirk once the dust was settled.
If the look Awase was giving him was any indication, then there really would be no hard feelings on his end after the match. Perhaps he hadn't meant his earlier statement as an insult so much as an acknowledgement of Izuku's strength, of his being an equal despite the seeming handicap. Even through the battle lust, Izuku felt the balloon of pride rising in his chest at being recognized by a fellow student. Things really were different here than they had been at Aldera.
"Fucking shit, you hit like a truck Midoriya! I'll bet your classmates don't look forward to sparring with a bad motherfucker like you!" The boy might have given Bakugo a run for his money with a mouth like that, but 1A's resident pyrotechnics expert still had him beat in terms of creativity.
Izuku didn't say anything in reply. For all his love of All Might and heroism in general, he had always had a rule about fighting that once it was started, you didn't pause to quip to your opponents. No comebacks, no proclamations, you saved that for the before and the after. It was a good way to get distracted, to get sloppy. Even worse was calling out attack names, which required much more brain power than a simple 'kiai' with one's strike.
He gave no indication he was about to attack, no cue that he charged. His opponent had shown him respect, the least he could do was give him the same treatment in turn, and that meant taking things seriously and not showboating for the crowd.
From Awase's perspective, one moment Izuku had been standing across from him, and the next he was coming at him from his left, palms already glowing with the imminent blast. He had just enough time to laugh out an, "ah, fuck," before he was lifted off his feet by the explosion.
Thankfully, instead of crashing into one of the pillars, the boy was sent flying up and over the tops of the rapidly sinking spires, another arena change seemingly in process. It looked like the ring would be resetting back to the normal tournament stage before changing to a different environment, as the rocky ground that had been beneath their feet moments before melted into smooth tile.
As it was, Awase had nothing to slow down with once he hit the ground, and ended up rolling towards the edge of the arena from the force of Izuku's blow. Though he tried valiantly to weld his own PE uniform to the tile, he was tumbling too fast to make enough contact to secure himself, and soon found himself in a small heap on the grass just outside the cement stage.
"Yosetsu Awase is out of bounds, Izuku Midoriya advances to the second round!" Midnight called out, looking on in some concern for any major injuries and obviously relaxing when she found none on either of the boys.
Looking up, Awase laughed at the sight of a wildly unbalanced Izuku extending a hand even as the large boulder he had stuck to the boy's right shoulder threatened to tip him over.
"It seems this round goes to you and your fucking magic bag of cheap ass tricks, Midoriya. Nice job, asshole!" He smiled and took Izuku's hand, and the other boy pulled him to his feet grinning in turn.
"It was a really good match Awase, you almost got me when you stuck my wire line to the pillar. It would have worked if I hadn't detached it from my end," Izuku replied, instantly grateful when his former opponent began detaching the rocks he had welded onto his armor. As they hit the tile, the rocks sank into the floor, vanishing just like the pillars they had come from.
"Good fight boys, both of you," said Midnight fondly, with her headset microphone covered. "Go ahead and move on back down your tunnels, and rejoin your classes for now." Nodding to their teacher, Izuku and Awase bowed to each other once more and shook hands before departing down their respective ends of the field.
"Will Eijiro Kirishima and Jurota Shishida please make their way to your respective waiting rooms. The third match of the first round will begin in ten minutes!"
Once Izuku had returned to his spot in the stands with his friends, and Iida's older brother as well who was makign himself increasingly comfortable in their company, he immediately began running analysis on the next match. Kirhisima had excellent defensive power and decently strong offense, especially if he would be willing to use the jagged edges of his hardened body as cutting implements, but the other boy, Shishida was a relative unknown to him. Unlike Shinso, he hadn't gone out of his way to research him in the quirk registry, and he hadn't been one of the ones to come to him voluntarily for quirk analysis.
"Ah, actually Midoriya, Shishida has a full body transformation type quirk, though I personally suspect it is a transformation-mutation hybrid, which exaggerates his already bestial features. He grows significantly in size and, consequently, muscle mass, with no cognitive reduction, unlike poor Sato. He did mention once that he gets a bit more, er, enthusiastic while in his bestial state, but otherwise is entirely within control." Yaoyorozu was looking at him expectantly as Izuku looked back at her a bit out of sorts. He hadn't realized he had been mumbling.
"Ah, thank you for filling in the gaps in Midoriya's data Yaoyorozu, it should help him to provide a more effective prediction," said Iida, enthusiastically gesturing to Izuku's notebook where he had been sketching the two fighters. Uraraka leaned in closer to look over at his drawing while Bakugo crossed his arms and scoffed.
"Rocks for Brains is gonna get his shit pushed in, no two ways about it. Sucks for him, but it's just a bad matchup."
"Bakugo, that's no way to talk about a friend," chided Uraraka as she looked at him crossly. "Nicknames are one thing, but you shouldn't dismiss Kirishima like that! He's really strong, and he's got a lot of determination!"
"Hey, I didn't say he was weak or anything like that Cheeks," he snapped back, Izuku unfortunately caught in the middle now that Bakugo had turned to face Uraraka. "Hell, he's one of the extras who might actually earn some respect, but if you listened to what Deku was mumbling even before he knew about Hair Day's quirk, you'd know that it's a fucking type mismatch." Izuku blushed as Uraraka fixed him with an appraising look and hurried to answer her unspoken question.
"Well, while Kirishima is undoubtedly strong, and has maybe one of the best passive defenses in the class, if his opponent were to have a significant mobility advantage, then given the rules of the tournament, a good grapple could take him out of commission really quickly. It's not like a real battle, where he could just get back up, if Kirishima goes over the line, then that's it."
"Ah yes, how foolish of me to forget," added Iida from behind them, getting another good-natured snort from his brother at his interjection. "It is prudent to remember the rules of a situation at all times, and to then factor those rules in when doing battle; of course UA would incorporate something as important terms of engagement into even the basic format of their tournaments! Truly, only the best from the greatest hero school in the country!"
"Maybe you should take over doing commentary for the ad-breaks little bro, with how much you hype up your school, they could just put you in front of a microphone and let you go to town," teased Iida's brother, patting him on the back.
"T-Tensei, please, this is your alma mater!" cried an indignant Iida, earning a round of laughter from their immediate group as well as a few of their classmates who were seated around them.
In no time at all, both Kirishima and Shishida were facing each other in the ring, with another whip crack from Midnight and her exuberant cry to begin causing the two boys to immediately spring into action. Kirishima tensed up and hardened immediately while Shishida bulked up massively even as the ground beneath their feet rose and contorted, plants springing up beneath them and some small trees shooting up at the corners of the ring.
Unfortunately for their classmate, Izuku's and Bakugo's predictions proved true as, despite a valiant defense on Kirishima's part, he was simply picked up by the much larger Shishida and tossed from the ring rather unceremoniously. The boy from 1B let out a triumphant howl before shrinking back down and retrieving his glasses, wiping them in embarrassment before moving over to Kirhsima and helping him to his feet as Izuku had done. The two boys exchanged a handshake, and even from the stands Kirhsima's cry about his opponent's manliness could be felt as much as it was heard. Unflappable as ever, the boy returned to the tunnel he had emerged from while Shishida did the same.
"Will Koji Koda and Yui Kodai please report to your waiting rooms. The fourth match of the first round will begin in ten minutes!" Rang out the ever earsplitting shout of Present Mic. Both Yamada-sensei and Aizawa-sensei then began speaking about the type mismatch that had led to such a short fight when Izuku felt Uraraka poke his arm. Confused, he looked over to see her wearing a troubled expression.
"I think Kirishima is hurting more than he let on at the end there, Deku-kun. He was carrying himself differently than how he usually does. Maybe someone should go and check on him?" Izuku voiced his assent and was about to rise from his seat when Bakugo stuck out a hand and gently pushed him back down.
"I've got it Cheeks, the dumbass is probably getting stuck up in his own head like the nerd over here does all the time, and I've got experience dealing with idiots like that. Raccoon Eyes, I see you trying to sneak out! Wait for me, we're gonna go knock some sense into Shitty Hair!"
Ashido, who indeed had gotten up and was heading towards the corridor, looked back at Bakugo and immediately brightened, smiling with something less than her normal exuberance, but as genuinely as always nonetheless. Bakugo snorted and joined her before the pair disappeared down the hallway. Izuku and Uraraka shared a confused look.
"Did Bakugo just act like he cares about one of his classmates?" Izuku asked, earning a shrug and a small giggle from Uraraka.
"I dunno, you're the long time bomb-squad expert, you tell me!"
"Never, ever, call me that again, please, Uraraka," Izuku deadpanned, earning a snort from Iida's older brother, and surprisingly one from the normally stern boy himself as well.
"Frankly Midoriya, with the way you seem able to defuse some of his more, er, aggressive moments, I would say the moniker is appropriate. Wouldn't you agree, Tensei?"
"Ingenium, please, you're one of my favorite heroes ever, don't say it!"
"Who knows Midoriya, in another life maybe you dealt with explosive ordnance for a living." Izuku simply groaned into his hands at that and tried to concentrate on the next match.
"Traitors, all of you."
As it happened, the match between Koda and Yui was a bit longer than the one immediately preceding it, but it still ended rather anticlimactically. Though Koda had worked on improving his close combat skills since the beginning of the year in situations where he wouldn't have any animal allies to call upon, the versatility of the 1B girl's quirk proved too much to overcome.
The stoic boy did manage to hold out through two stage changes however, going from one stage which was beset on multiple sides with turbines to the normal tournament stage before finally falling under a barrage of gigantified objects after the ring changed to an industrial looking setting with sparking generators on all sides. Until that point the fight had mostly been conducted quirkless, much to the crowd's displeasure and Izuku's own indignation at its reaction, with Kodai slightly on the back foot as Koda used his greater reach and strength to press an advantage.
The girl had been quick though, and had clearly had some training in martial arts, displaying a decent amount of skill that kept 1A's own gentle giant from achieving victory. When Kodai had finally been able to use her quirk, the crowd had clapped excitedly, and Present Mic had done his best to restore the energy. Aizawa on the other hand had seemed almost angry at the crowd, and had taken pains to point out the skill both students had been displaying up until that point, though it seemed he largely went ignored.
At the end of the match when Koda had been forced from the ring, the two largely silent students had simply nodded their heads in acknowledgement to each other before making their way back to their respective classes.
Bakugo rejoined them quietly right as the fifth match began, with Asui facing off against a student from 1B named Juzo Honenuki. While the advantage had seemed to be in the boy's favor at first, especially during the first stage change when an icy environment had sprung up and quickly been rendered semi-liquid by his quirk, Asui had adapted quickly.
Though by no means ideal terrain for her, especially when dealing with the chill of the small glaciers they were fighting in, the frog girl had shown a great amount of dexterity and finesse in her movements. She began working with the strange environment rather than against it, and as a result managed to land a series of powerful kicks on the recommendation student, earning several appreciative cheers from the crowd in the process. After two minutes when the stage shifted into an entirely aquatic environment with a number of solid platforms for the students to stand on, it was all over for the boy.
Asui had dove beneath the water almost immediately, which was immune to the effects of Honenuki's softening, to practically no one's surprise. Trapped on his single platform, the boy had been attacked from multiple angles before Asui had used her tongue to fling the boy outside the edge of the arena right as the water began to revert to its normal tiled surface. A brief bow and congratulations was exchanged between the two before they departed down their respective corridors. Some very pleased sounding ribbits echoed down the hall Asui had gone through for a few seconds afterwards.
"Will Katsuki Bakugo and Sen Kaibara please report to your waiting rooms. The sixth match of the first round will begin in ten minutes!"
Katsuki grunted as he got up from his seat with the nerd and his friends, still a bit annoyed at himself for not being better able to help Shitty Hair feel better after his loss. It had mostly fallen to Raccoon Eyes to reassure the boy, though she had told him quietly as they made their way to rejoin their class that his presence had indeed helped. Personally, he doubted his charming personality had helped at all, but he had done what he could. Now, thankfully, mercifully, finally , it was about time to explode some extra, and it wasn't even one of the ones from his class! He could kick the bastard's ass six ways to Sunday and come out of it practically guilt free.
"Kacchan," came the voice of the nerd behind him, sounding a bit unsure. He still had to work on that, both not blowing up at the boy and in getting the nerd to realize that he wouldn't blow up at him.
"What do you want, nerd? I gotta hurry up and kick this guy's ass so we can move this fucking show along."
"Well, I was gonna offer you my notes on Kaibara, but then I figured that you'd tell me not to because it wouldn't feel right to win like that. So, I figured instead," he trailed off and Katsuki heard a shuffling come from behind him. Glancing over his shoulder he locked eyes with the nerd, who was extending a fist to him without the usual hesitation. It actually made him smile. "Go kick some ass, Kacchan!"
"Fuck yeah I will nerd, I still gotta show you how a real pro uses explosions!" Their knuckles met at that declaration, and Katsuki's annoyance vanished at the contact. Walking down the hallway towards his waiting room, he felt light on his feet, and confident in his stride. The fire inside was still burning proudly, but before where it had raged out of control and hurt those around him, it now cast a pleasant warmth throughout his chest. A few minutes of waiting in the small room later, he was stepping through the tunnel and out into the light, ready for anything.