It took a bit longer than it should have, but you eventually pieced together what Shinsou's Quirk was.
The exact specifics still weren't clear. You didn't know for a fact what the trigger was, but if you were interpreting things correctly, then at some point after speaking to someone, he was able to put them under his control.
Brainwashing.
In a way, it was similar to your hypnosis ability, except Shinsou's appeared to be a lot more consistent and reliable. He was careful not to stand out too much. In fact, he insisted upon it. You didn't know what he was going on about at the start, and why he seemed to have little to no sense of urgency, but finally, you understood.
So long as your team played it safe, there was no way you could lose this round.
"We'll just keep this up," Shinsou said. He readjusted the headbands that were tied around his neck, making sure that they couldn't fall off.
In terms of points, you didn't have a crazy amount, but an extra headband or two was sure to do the trick. The top four teams would qualify and move onto the next stage of the competition. You just needed to lay low and keep catching opponents off-guard.
Honestly... you weren't contributing much, but only because you didn't really need to. Shinsou's powers were already enough to carry your team to victory.
You glanced up at him for a moment. "I figured out how your Quirk works."
"Oh, did you?" he half-chuckled. "Incredible. I may as well call you Sherlock Holmes."
"I could do without the sarcasm, thanks."
Perhaps you would've come to a realization sooner, but the way he'd spoken to you earlier was really throwing you off. You kept on replaying his words in your mind.
"I know for a fact I just used it on you... so why won't it work?"
Unless you were mistaken, Shinsou had tried to brainwash you at some point, and apparently, it hadn't worked.
But why?
Realistically speaking, you could only think of one explanation.
You weren't supposed to be part of this world. You were an anomaly, an outsider. Your very existence in this plane of space and time was uncanny-to say the least.
Because you were a vampire from a different realm, did that mean there were certain Quirks that simply wouldn't work on you?
There wasn't much you could do to test this hypothesis, but for the time being, you decided it was more than plausible. Shinsou had tried, but failed, to brainwash you. Just like there was no way for you inherit One for All, even if it was by mistake, it seemed like there were certain powers out there that you were completely immune to.
If that was really the case, then you had the potential to be a lot stronger in this world than you'd first thought.
"Hey, don't get distracted," Shinsou chided. He must have noticed you were lost in thought, and quickly nudged you with his foot. "We're doing fine for now, but that doesn't mean we can afford to slack off. Keep an eye out for people that get too close, or other teams that are in a vulnerable position, so that we can swipe their headbands."
"Right," you said, nodding hurriedly. "My bad. I'll focus up. I'm still here to win."
You did your best to dismiss all the complicated thoughts taking up space in your mind. That could wait until afterwards. Mulling over it right now wouldn't accomplish much anyways.
More importantly, things were really picking up. As the minutes dragged on, fewer and fewer teams still had any headbands in their possession, but as the rules said, they weren't out of the game yet. You could see how desperate they were to pick up a few points and earn themselves a place in the next round.
The field was in chaos, to put it simply, but even so, two teams stood out from the rest.
Izuku had done well to hold onto his headband up until this point, but now, he had finally been cornered by Shouto.
Shit.
You wanted him to win. You couldn't even express just how badly you wanted him to win. But you were the one who'd made the choice to leave his team in the first place. If it had been you there, instead of Tokoyami, could you honestly say that they would have had a better chance?
No. As much as it pained you to admit, you weren't strong enough yet.
This wasn't your fight, and so, all you could do was turn away and hope for the best.
"We need to get more headbands," you mumbled. "Just a few more. So that we can advance to the next round."
Shinsou peered down at you. Something in your tone must have changed, because he couldn't help but frown. "You sure sound determined all of a sudden. What gives?"
"Nothing. Like I said before, I want to win. It's just that..."
You paused, and your eyes flickered in Izuku's direction again. You were nervous for him, but worrying nonstop wouldn't get you anywhere. It was better to believe.
Right. Izuku was going to qualify no matter what, which meant that you needed to do the same.
"I need to advance," you said, more resolutely than ever. "My friend will be waiting for me on the other side. I'm not going to let him down."
"...huh."
Shinsou didn't quite know how to respond to that. Of course, he'd already noticed that you seemed particularly fixated on Izuku. The two of you were close, that much was abundantly clear, but he didn't understand just how much weight your friendship carried.
If not for Izuku, your experience in this world might have been very, very different. And not in a good way.
Shinsou wanted to win for his own selfish reasons. Just like everyone else, he was dead-set on becoming a hero, and there was no shame in that. He had been ostracized because of his Quirk for longer than he could even remember, regardless of how noble his intentions were.
It was okay to think of himself. It was okay to consider his own happiness, especially when everyone else was determined to tell him the exact opposite.
But for some reason, when he saw how badly you wanted to win all of a sudden, he was no longer focused purely on his own goals. Even his initial dislike of you when he'd found out you were in Class 1-A had begun to dissipate. He wasn't sure what it was exactly, but he was finding it harder and harder to hold a grudge. Perhaps it was your honest stupidity, or maybe it was the fact that you hadn't even blinked when you discovered what kind of Quirk he had. You didn't look at him differently or assume the worst.
Last but not least, his powers didn't work on you. For whatever reason, you couldn't be brainwashed by him, and with that came a great sense of relief. It was the relief of knowing that no matter what, you wouldn't fear him or try to avoid him. You had no reason to suspect him of abusing his Quirk and putting you under his control. Shinsou had never met someone like you before, and he had to admit, it was a welcome surprise.
Honestly, there were countless contributing factors as to why his perception of you had changed, but whatever the case, he realized he was glad you'd ended up on his team.
The thought of you two attaining victory-together-didn't sound half-bad.
*****
Your team had placed third in the Cavalry Battle, which meant that you'd earned the right to advance to the final stage of the Sports Festival.
It was a nail-biting conclusion. You and Shinsou skated by pretty easily, since his Quirk caught so many people by surprise, but out of the corner of your eye, you'd seen Izuku's faceoff with Shouto unfold, and for a while, you really thought he was a goner.
If not for Tokoyami's quick thinking and the fact that he'd stolen another one of Shouto's headbands at the last second, Izuku wouldn't have qualified. Tokoyami was unarguably their team's MVP.
Which meant that when all was said and done, you'd made the right call to leave.
Izuku's team had placed fourth, Katsuki's team had placed second, and Shouto's team had placed first. Only the members of these four teams had earned the right to compete in the next event.
At the very least, that was what you'd thought.
"I think I'm gonna bow out of the next stage," Ojiro suddenly said.
Needless to say, his declaration caught you off-guard. "Huh?" you blinked. "But why? We won fair and square. Are you not feeling well or something?"
"It's not that, it's just..." He glanced around, eventually letting out a sigh. "Look. I'm not sure what your experience was like being on Shinsou's team, but I can hardly remember doing anything. I was out of it for nearly the entire match, until I accidentally bumped into someone and it felt like the fog in my brain lifted."
Ah. I guess it's because Shinsou must have brainwashed the other team members. I was wondering why they seemed so weird.
He had probably used his Quirk to recruit team members, even those who might have initially declined his offer. Come to think of it, that must have been what he'd tried to do to you as well.
"That Shinsou guy did something to me," Ojiro muttered, scratching his neck in distaste. "Anyways, it just feels wrong, because I didn't advance based on my own efforts. I have little to no recollection of what happened. I can't take credit for work I didn't do."
You offered him an encouraging smile. "Well, that's not your fault, though. You didn't know how his Quirk worked, and neither did I. There's no reason for you to blame yourself."
"True, but it still feels like I cheated somehow, and I don't want to take away a spot from another student who deserves it more."
What a nice, selfless guy. You appreciated that he seemed to have a strong sense of morals, and you briefly wondered if you would have done the same in his position.
...yeah, probably not.
"If that's what you want to do, then I respect your decision," you beamed.
"Thanks, [Name]." He smiled back at you, then added, a bit shyly, "I'll, uh... I'll be rooting for you to keep advancing through the next stage. We don't know each other very well, but from what I can tell, you're really outspoken and nice to everyone. I definitely wouldn't mind if you won the whole Sports Festival."
"Pfft. I'm not that strong," you waved off. "Besides, if we're talking about people that should win, then it's gotta be Izuku! He works harder than anyone I know."
"Midoriya? Yeah, he definitely seems like the type." Ojiro paused to chuckle. "You two are really close, huh? I feel like I always see you together."
"We're best friends," you proudly declared. Honestly, you would never get tired of telling people that. Out of everyone in this world, your best friend was Midoriya Izuku, the kindest and most amazing person to ever exist. Who could blame you for bragging a little?
Ojiro smiled again. "Well, I guess I'll be rooting for both of you. Good luck with the next stage, and even though I don't remember much of what happened, it was nice to be on the same team as you."
"Mhm! I feel the same way!"
All in all, you were happy with this turn of events. Ojiro was choosing not to move on, but that was fine, since it was a decision he'd made on his own terms. Katsuki was... apparently throwing a tantrum, because he'd placed second instead of first, but that was really nothing out of the ordinary. The rest of the people who'd qualified seemed to be satisfied with their results, though.
Anyways, the Cavalry Battle was officially over. Whatever the Sports Festival had in store for you next, you were going to face it head-on.
Right as you were about to walk over and congratulate Izuku for advancing yet again, something made you stop dead in your tracks.
There was a thick smell in the air. It wasn't so much pungent, like Shigaraki's, but it caught your attention all the same, to the point that you were forced to swallow uncomfortably.
This scent...
You turned, and unsurprisingly, locked eyes with a heterochromatic pair.
Todoroki Shouto. Something was really off about him. Time and time again, the smell of his blood overwhelmed you with how it made your stomach clench into a knot. There were moments-like right now-where the scent was especially distinct, almost as though his mood was dictating how it changed.
Nearly every time you walked by him, there was only one emotion that came to mind.
Deep, gut-wrenching sadness.
And right now, as he grimaced and clenched his left hand into a fist, he looked immeasurably sadder than usual.
"I... I can't let it go on like this," you heard him whisper to himself. "This is exactly what Dad always said..."
Nobody else seemed to hear. Your acute senses had made you privy to his innermost thoughts, yet again, and honestly? You weren't sure if you liked it.
Scratch that. Your heart was squeezing so painfully it felt like it was about to burst, so you definitely didn't like it.
You were sick and tired of having to see him in so much pain.
"Shouto," you mumbled, approaching him cautiously. You knew it wasn't nice to butt into people's business. Granted, you could be a real brat at times, but that was all in good fun. You knew how to respect someone's boundaries when it came down to it, and since you weren't entirely an idiot (even though a lot of people would beg to differ), you could sort of tell that Shouto probably wouldn't appreciate your meddling.
Even so, you felt inclined to at least try. If he turned you away, then so be it. But if maybe, just maybe, he decided to use you as a shoulder to cry on...
Then already, it was more than worth it.
Having heard your voice, Shouto seemed to snap out of it. Immediately, the fragile, vulnerable expression he'd just had was replaced by a cold, steely gaze.
"What?" he muttered, and to no one's surprise, he was quick to scrunch up his nose at the sight of you.
Despite the obvious hostility, you refused to be deterred. "Is everything alright?" you asked hesitantly. "I didn't get to see the full fight, but it seemed like you did really good back there. Your team placed first. That's really impressive."
"Impressive?" Shouto repeated, practically spitting the words. "Ha. Impressive. Sure."
He lowered his gaze to the ground, shaking his head tiredly. You weren't sure what he was so upset about, but it clearly had something to do with his family. He kept on mentioning his dad. Even during the obstacle race, he'd spoken about him so bitterly.
Shouto didn't seem to care for you very much, but ironically, the two of you had more in common than he realized.
After all, when it came to family troubles, you were pretty much an expert.
Not that you were going to burden him with all of the details. You had no intention of telling people that your brother was a murderer who had tried to kill you. In that sense, you probably had him beat. Unless he also had an older brother who wanted him dead?
Nah. The odds of that were slim to none.
Still, regardless of the finer details, you sympathized with him. Family was supposed to look out for you. They were supposed to be there for you in the toughest of times, when it felt like the entire world was out to get you. They were supposed to help you fight the evil, not be the evil.
You still didn't know what exactly Shouto was going through, but one thing was clear.
Whoever his father was, you doubted he was a good guy.
"You did great," you encouraged. Shouto was tricky to deal with, but you figured most people enjoyed being praised. "I'm pretty sure you're the strongest person in our class. I always assumed as much, but after seeing everything you've done today, I'm even more sure of it. And you can create fire too, not just ice? I swear I saw you make flames for a moment while you were facing Izuku's team."
Clearly, something you'd just said was a big no-no, because Shouto's scowl-which was already spiteful enough to begin with-instantly deepened a hundredfold.
"No," he grimaced, outright mashing his teeth together. It was probably the first time you'd ever seen him look so angry. He was usually passive to a fault. "I don't use fire. I didn't mean to. It was a mistake. It was just a mistake."
You blinked several times. "Oh, um... okay? That's fine. I guess you must not like using it or something? I just didn't know you had a power like that at all, so I was pretty surprised that-"
"I already said I don't use my fire side. Give it a rest and get out of my way."
He shoved past you, and even though it didn't hurt physically, emotionally, your ego was plenty bruised.
Jeez. Talk about a tough audience.
You scratched your head and watched Shouto walk away. He was practically stomping now, and even though he was much better at keeping his anger in check compared to a chronic overreactor like Katsuki, all of the students in his path seemed to shrink away out of fear.
You'd learned something from that interaction just now. Firstly, Shouto couldn't seem to stand his father, for whatever reason. And secondly, he really, really didn't like talking about his ability to use fire.
Perhaps both of those things were connected, but you didn't have any other evidence to go off yet. For the time being, that was fine. Baby steps.
I should go meet up with Izuku now.
You turned, but found yourself interrupted for the second time.
Shouto had just pulled Izuku aside.
"The fuck?" you muttered under your breath. Since when were they best buddies? You got the sense that it was very much the opposite, if their not-so-friendly chat earlier in the day was any indication.
Since it was lunchtime, the Sports Festival was on a temporary break. You'd planned on going to the mess hall and catching up with your friends, but now that Shouto had grabbed Izuku for whatever reason, it was safe to say that your curiosity had been piqued.
Knowing not the meaning of shame, you decided to follow them.
Only to find that someone had already beat you to the punch.
"Shitty Katsuki," you blinked. "What are you doing?"
"Be quiet," he snapped, then leaned closer to you, glancing hesitantly over his shoulder. "I don't want those assholes to overhear."
"You mean Izuku and Shouto?"
"What part of be quiet do you not understand?"
You stuck out your tongue at him, abundantly aware of how childish the gesture was. Well, he was the rude one here, not you. Even though you'd followed Izuku and Shouto, it had been your intention to walk up to them and be transparent, not eavesdrop.
But you supposed it was a bit late for that now.
Katsuki stood with his back facing the wall, wary of not peeking around the corner and revealing himself. You felt a bit guilty about listening in on a conversation that wasn't intended for your ears, but perhaps you were reading into things too much. Maybe it would just be some light banter, not anything too serious.
"Are you All Might's secret love child or something?"
Well, then. That was certainly an interesting way to start things off.
Also, you were kind of freaking out a bit, because that meant that Izuku's connection to All Might was already making people suspicious.
"He's not," you whispered to Katsuki. "Trust me, he's not All Might's kid."
Katsuki stared at you as if your brain had rotted.
"No shit," he muttered in disbelief. "You know I grew up around that fucker, right?"
"...oh. Yeah. Whoops."
"Just seriously shut the fuck up," he hissed, then went so far as to clamp his hand over your mouth in an attempt to keep you quiet. Honestly, it wasn't the smartest move. You were even tempted to bite into his skin and drink a bit of his blood, but lucky for him, you'd gotten into the habit of practicing self-restraint.
You listened, with Katsuki's palm muffling your voice, as Izuku spluttered out excuses to try and convince Shouto that he and All Might were not, in fact, related. Thankfully, Shouto seemed to believe him quickly enough.
And then, for whatever reason, Shouto decided to share his life story.
Over the course of less than a few minutes, all of your questions were answered.
Shouto's father, the man he seemed to loathe, was named Endeavor. You weren't native to this world, but you had been living in it for long enough to have heard of the more popular heroes, especially since you shared a home with a fanboy like Izuku.
All Might was the Number One Hero, and right behind him was Endeavor, the Number Two.
Apparently, Endeavor didn't like being number two.
"My old man will do anything to advance his position," Shouto muttered. "Some time ago, he realized he could never surpass All Might through regular means, so he opted for a different approach. Do you know about Quirk marriages?"
You couldn't see either of them from where you were standing, but you imagined Izuku furiously shaking his head.
"It came into the picture a while after Quirks first appeared. Sometime during the second or third generation. Essentially, it's the idea of choosing your partner with the sole intention of enhancing your Quirk and passing it down to your children. Being the kind of man that he is, my father didn't hesitate to force a marriage with my mother and take control of her Quirk." Shouto paused for a few moments, and when he spoke again, you could hear his voice trembling. "All he wanted... the only thing he's ever given a shit about is raising a hero that will eventually surpass All Might. He wants nothing more than to use me for his own gain. So, fuck him. I'll never be that piece of shit's tool. I'll never do his bidding."
A lump had formed in your throat, and no matter how hard you tried to swallow and force it down, it refused to budge.
I don't like where this conversation is headed.
You turned towards Katsuki, and the moment his eyes locked with yours, you could tell just how much he regretted being here.
"In my memories, my mom is always crying," Shouto continued, his voice heavy and downcast. "She told me that my left side is ugly, then dumped boiling water on me."
"..."
"Anyways, it doesn't matter. I didn't bring you here to try and make you feel sorry for me. I just wanted you to know the reason why I'm aiming to beat you. You've got All Might, the Number One Hero, backing you up. If I can surpass you without ever using my shitty dad's flame Quirk... then it'll be my way of completely rejecting him."
Nobody said anything else for a while. It sounded like Shouto had already started walking away, based on the receding footsteps you could hear.
It was quiet, but eventually, Izuku spoke up.
"The reason I'm standing here is because someone always saved me," he said. His voice was hesitant at first, but regardless, he held his ground. "I want to be like All Might. In order to accomplish that, then I need to become Number One. It might sound like a trifling motive compared to yours, but... all the same, I can't lose. Not only for myself, but to pay back the people who've helped me along the way. I appreciate you being honest with me, so I'm going to echo your declaration right now."
You still couldn't see either of their expressions, but in spite of that, your heart thrummed with excitement as Izuku prepared his next words.
"I'm going to beat you too!"
With that, their meeting came to an end. And god, what an unpleasant meeting it had been.
Still, if there was one positive you could take from this, it was that once again, Izuku refused to let his ambitions be swayed. It didn't matter who challenged or opposed him. No matter what, he wouldn't back down.
He was already your hero, but he was going to become the greatest hero.
Eventually, both Izuku and Shouto were gone, and Katsuki finally peeled his hand off your mouth, allowing you to take a full breath.
"That was horrible," you whined. "Why the hell did you rope me into this? I planned on walking up to them, not hiding!"
Katsuki scowled, but the discomfort on his face was clear as day. "Shit. I didn't know they were going to start going on about all that stuff. I ran into them at a bad time, okay?"
"Shouto sounds like he's dealing with a lot," you remarked, eyes falling sadly to the ground. Now it all made sense. The reason why he was filled with so much resentment and bitterness.
Honestly, you felt a bit guilty to think about it this way, but you were relieved.
Relived that, in spite of everything your family had put through, you had still turned out to be a happy person, free of all that hatred.
It would be nice if one day, Shouto could break free of it as well.
"Whatever," Katsuki muttered, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. "It's none of our business, and don't even think of going easy on him because of what you've just heard. The most disrespectful thing you can do in a situation like this is not take him seriously."
Wow. He was being surprisingly mature for a change. Well, not that Katsuki wasn't a smart guy to begin with, but he was handling this whole thing a lot better than you'd expected.
You nodded earnestly, cracking a grin. "Of course. We're all here to win, and I doubt anyone wants their victory to just be handed to them. I'm sorry that his family has let him down, but that doesn't mean I won't fight him as an equal."
"Just wanted to make sure," Katsuki sighed. "You're super dumb, so there's no telling what stunts you'll pull."
"You know what? We just sat through a super awkward situation together, so I'm choosing to gloss over that last remark. Anyways." You poked his arm and grinned cheekily. "It's lunchtime, and I'm sure Izuku probably wants to clear his head a bit after that, so it looks like you're going to be stuck entertaining me."
Katsuki's jaw dropped open.
"Oh, fuck no."