"You brought me here, now what?" I asked, my voice being calm. Todoroki looked at me, his eyes filled with nothing but cold intimidation.
His attempt at intimidation didn't get to me, as he then said.
"You overwhelmed me, with just one hand... You made me break the promise that I made a long time ago... To never use my left side... " His voice being as cold as ice.
His words got me thinking, so I looked back into my recollection. For just a brief moment, as he was falling, his left arm lit on fire. It wouldn't have made much of a difference, but it probably could have given him some form of advantage. Had he used his flames he would have disrupted Dark shadow, and that could have compromised my team entirely... But he was adamant on only using his ice, why?
"I'm sure that Iida, maybe the rest of my team, felt the same thing that I did at that moment... Your power. It's greater than All Might, yet it feels like there's more to it than that..." He then said, which earned a look of confusion from me.
"What I'm trying to say is that you're awfully similar to him, even stronger... And I don't buy it... " He then continued, and I got even more confused.
"You don't buy what?" I asked, and Todoroki quickly answered.
"I don't believe you... I don't believe that you're quirkless... And I believe that you're All Might's secret love child... " He said, and I was just still and silent for God knows how long.
"Did you get a brain freeze during the cavalry battle, or were you born that way... Because that has to easily be the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." I then said, but Todoroki wasn't bothered by it in the slightest.
"Todoroki, All Might and I are friends, were NOT related in any way!... And if I'm not quirkless, then I'm a goddamned potato!" I said, slightly annoyed. Todoroki hadn't changed his expression at all, then he said.
"Potato or not, you still have a connection with All Might."
I calmed down when I heard this, for I wondered where he was taking this conversation. He then raised his left hand to his face, as he asked.
"Have you ever heard about quirk marriages?" With the same tone. Once again, he sounded ridiculous in my ears. He doesn't know about my history as both a fighter and vigilante, but knowing about quirk marriages is almost common sense... It's basically the modern term for selective breeding!
"Yeah, I'm not braindead." I answered, not afraid to show my annoyance. Todoroki was a stone wall, as he began speaking.
He told me everything. How his father, Endeavour, used his fortune and status to marry a woman with an ice quirk. How his father struggled to be number one, and pushed that frustration and agenda onto his children. How they were abused by Endeavor, and his mother scarred his face with boiling water.
I was shocked by this, because it was awful. I knew that Endeavour was a horrible excuse of a man, I gathered that much when I encountered him as The Guardian, but this was a whole new level.
Family, that is a sacred word, without it we're weak and pathetic. A man who can't save and protect his own family is no man at all, that is what I believe... And it ended up being my downfall...
I was alone after my mother died, and I had a lot of pent up emotions. I used those emotions as fuel for my fire, and I trained to death everyday. Then, shortly after I dawned the armor for the first time, I wasn't alone. A man and a woman, and the two kids they already had, took me in and treated me as their own. I was happy with them, but after the tragedy that made me disown The Guardian... I distanced myself. I couldn't stop myself from keeping a little contact with them every now and then, but I didn't want to ruin what they had. I didn't want them to fall apart... Like me and my real mom...
I turned my gaze back to Todoroki, as he said.
"My purpose was to surpass All Might, and you're stronger than him... That's why I have to beat you." With what seemed like an actual emotion this time. He then continued.
"I'll win this tournament, and I'll do it with only half of my power. I'll show that bastard that I don't need his power to be number one!"
I was very annoyed at him, and the balls he had to say such words. I always hold back, or I don't fight seriously, but that is because I can easily kill whoever I'm facing if I don't. Todoroki holds back because of resentment, the selfish idea that he is the only one with issues. He wants to surpass All Might, even me, with only half of his strength... There is no greater disrespect than that... But I understand his desire to surpass us, including Endeavour.
A while back I also had someone that I wanted to surpass, a man that I wanted to defeat. This man recognised my strength, and he saw it as a threat. He held me prisoner, as he would try to break me in every way possible. I just grew stronger from it, and eventually I got to fight him again.
In previous battles I had been utterly destroyed by him, but this time it was different. This time we were equal, and as I felt a surge of even more superior power... He surrendered. From that day forward he became a very cherished friend, and perhaps he was a mentor and father figure. He set me free of his prison, and declared that he was no longer the strongest... I was...
I never returned to that prison in Arizona, or the entirety of America for that matter, but I kept contact with my friend and we met a few times when he came over to Japan. Defeating him was one of my greatest achievements... I will never forget that day, the day that I fought and defeated... The man known as The Unchained... Biscuit Oliva...
"Hey, Icy-hot bastard!" I roared, because now I was ticked off to the point of becoming just like Katsuki. Todoroki, who was just about to leave, looked back at me in shock, for he didn't expect me to use those words.
"If you think that you'll get away with just using half of your strength you're out of your goddamn mind! You better use your flames! Because your already slim chance of victory will be nonexisting if you don't!" I then bellowed, my face being lit up with anger.
Todoroki still looked even more shocked now, but he quickly regained his composure before walking off.
"Damned idiot, you better give it your all!" I whispered, before I walked away. I still needed to grab lunch, and see what was up with my back.
. . .
Izuku had gone to Recovery Girl in order to check on his back, but found out that there was nothing wrong. After that he grabbed lunch with Rachel and some others, not telling anyone about his conversation with Todoroki.
Shortly after, they returned to the stadium. The final event was a normal tournament, with sixteen participants. Ojiro had backed out, his excuse being that he felt like he didn't earn it, and so he was replaced with Tetsutetsu.
The first matches were announced, and Izuku only paid attention to a few of them. He was facing Shinso, which brought a smile to his face. Todoroki was up against Sero, the winner of which would face either Izuku or Shinso. Hatsume had managed to advance, and was up against Iida. Rachel was up against Kaminari, no doubt that she would win, while Kirishima was up against Tetsutetsu, no doubt that he would win.
After all was said and done, Izuku went to prepare himself. He was playing the first match, and there was no doubt that he would win against Shinso.
"Hey Midoriya!" Ojiro shouted, catching Izuku off guard. He was confused, that is when Ojiro continued speaking.
"Watch out for Shinso's quirk... He has some form of brainwashing, and he gets control if you do as much as answer one of his questions."
Izuku was surprised by this. Not only about the fact that Ojiro went out of his way to tell him this, but also about the fact that Shinso has a strong quirk.
Izuku then noticed something about Ojiro's eyes, something he was hiding. Izuku had a feeling about what this was, malicious intent. Something inside of Ojiro wanted to attack Izuku, and it was strong. Ojiro had gone and helped Izuku, even though he felt this toward him.
Izuku smiled and nodded, before he walked off.
"Alright it's time to start the first round!" Annoying mic roared, and Izuku was actively covering his ears.
"In one corner we have the excessively powerful, and the victor of previous events, Izuku Midoriya!" He roared, and Izuku clutched his ears even tighter now. Izuku looked over to the stands, and saw that those five individuals were all clenching their own ears.
So I'm not the only one... I will shut you up... Izuku thought, right before Annoying mic began to introduce his opponent.
"In the other corner we have a student from the general studies course, Hitoshi Shinso!" Annoying mic said. Izuku was completely stoic at this point, nothing Shinso said would get to him in any way.
"Hey, you told me to face you in the third round. Well here I am." Shinso randomly said. Izuku didn't answer him in any way.
"START!" Annoying mic roared, and Izuku began to slowly walk up to Shinso.
"My how blessed you are, to have such strength. You've won every single event so far, just what quirk do you have?" Shinso said, somehow unaware of the fact that Izuku is quirkless. Izuku didn't respond, it was as if he hadn't noticed, he just kept walking towards his opponent.
Shinso began to get angry, as he said and asked numerous things but didn't answer. Eventually he grew desperate, so he said something that would definitely get under Izuku's skin.
"I saw how you and that Organ girl were behaving around each other, but honestly it didn't look any special to me..." Shinso said, and Izuku stopped moving. He was staring at Shinso with a blank expression, that slowly turned into one of anger. Shinso smiled, for he was confident that Izuku would respond.
"Even I have a chance with that whore, don't you think?" He then continued.
Everyone in the stadium was silent, no one made a single sound. Rachel looked towards the ring, in slight worry. She wasn't bothered by Shinso's words, she was afraid that Izuku would do something that he would later regret.
There was more silence, and Izuku didn't move a muscle. He just stood there, bangs covering his eyes. Then, in a split second, he dashed and was mere centimeters away from his opponent.
Shinso was shocked and afraid, for when he looked up he saw a furious animal. Izuku's eyes were filled to the brim with murderous intent, he was so angry that his face had veins that almost bursted.
Izuku then grabbed and lifted Shinso up by the jaw, before he could utter another word. He then looked at Shinso, and spoke.
"Since you're so braindead that you can't figure it out, I'll just tell you why you're falling behind." He said, completely unaffected by any form of brainwashing. Shinso looked in fear, as Izuku continued.
"It's because of you, no one else!" He quickly said, and Shinso was shocked.
"You've been thinking that everyone else is blessed, and that they are only better because of their quirks. What you don't realise is that everyone in the hero course, even beyond it, has worked their bodies to hell so that they could get to where they are right now. You, on the other hand, are a spoiled brat who believes that everything will be handed to you, that you don't have to work for it." Izuku said. Shinso was even more shocked, and he got a little angry.
"You think that I was blessed with a quirk that gives me strength... Bitch, I don't even have a quirk! The power that I have right now is nothing more than the result from ten years of training!"
Now Shinso didn't even try to respond. How could he be quirkless? Ten years of training? Hard work? How is that even possible?
Those were the questions that loomed in his head, but he couldn't speak them.
"You were so busy with feeling bad for yourself that you forgot to train! If your quirk isn't strong enough, make it stronger! If your body isn't strong enough, make it stronger! If you can't handle a situation, either avoid it or train until it isn't a problem anymore!" Izuku then roared.
Shinso had his world flipped, for he could now see the truth. He now understood that he was wrong to assume the circumstances of other people, and to assume that he wasn't to blame for his own failures.
Izuku put Shinso back on the ground, as he spoke his last words to him.
"Your quirk is amazing, and it is incredibly powerful! But, right now, I'm not the only one who believes... That it is wasted on the likes of you!"
Now Shinso had his world shattered instead. People would always say that his quirk is villainous, and that it was a waste on him because of it. Izuku, on the other hand, said that it was a waste because of his nature, not the nature of the quirk.
Shinso witnessed Izuku raising both of his arms high above his head, as multiple horrendous veins would appear on them. Normally he would be scared for his life, but not this time. He accepted that he deserved it, and he was grateful for the fact that Izuku still intended to fight him. This was salvation in Shinso's eyes, for the person that helped him and would crush him was a quirkless... The absolute embodiment of a hard working underdog, who was shunned by society. Shinso smiled, as he waited for the blow.
Izuku had his arms raised above his own head, and he tensed them as much as he could. Then, in one swift movement, he smacked his palms onto Shinso's ears. His eyes became vacant, and blood spewed out of his ears, as Shinso lost consciousness and fell to the ground.
The stadium was silent for a moment, then Midnight announced.
"Shinso is unable to continue, Midoriya advances to the second round!" Right before the arena erupted in cheers and applause.
Two robots carried Shinso away on a stretcher, as Izuku walked out of the arena. He wasn't proud of this victory, his opponent was basically a low quality punching back, but he still smiled.... Because he was confident that Shinso would change his ways....
He looked forward to the day that he would face him again... The day that he would get to fight the real Hitoshi Shinso...
. . .
Shinso was weak, that much is obvious, but the least I could do was not hold back on him. Sure I did hold back a little, I always do, but I could have easily pushed him out of the ring if I wanted.
He had pissed me off, in many ways, so I just felt the need to blow steam off by smacking him. Besides... no pain, no gain.
As I walked away from the ring I could hear the announcement for the next match, Todoroki versus Sero. I already know that Todoroki will win, which means that I'll be facing him in the second round... And he better use those damn flames of his...
I walked through the halls, until a flaming figure came around the corner. It was none other than the pathetic number two hero, Endeavour.
"You're Midoriya, correct?" He asked with a cold glare. I gave him a glare of my own, as I answered.
"Yeah, so?"
He didn't change his expression, he only said.
"I watched your performance up until now, and that power of yours is similar to All Might." With the same expression as before. I was slightly annoyed, because this was the millionth time that I've heard this today and I had an idea of where he was going with this.
"My Shoto will no doubt be your next opponent, but he is very rebellious if you ask me. His purpose is to defeat All Might, so facing you will be a test... Make him use his flames!" Endeavour then said, and I was visibly pissed off.
This wasn't a request, it was a command. He was acting as if his authority was so great that he could command me like that. What's more, the way he speaks about his own son is dehumanising. He refers to him as property, rather than family. Another thing... He reminds me of that man, the one with the blue flames...
"You're such a pathetic little coward..." I muttered, loud enough for Endeavour to hear. He looked at me in annoyance, as he said.
"What?!"
I didn't flinch at his exclamation, I only spoke my mind.
"Your son is not an object of your abuse and agendas, he is his own person with his own ideas and goals!" I said, not a single falter in my words. Endeavour looked even more pissed now, as I said.
"Leave Todoroki out of your grudge with All Might! Go and settle it with your own two hands!" Before I walked past him. The flaming hero was furious, as he turned towards me and roared.
"Stay away from my business and do what I say!"
I stopped dead in my tracks, as I said.
"So these are the true colors of the number two hero, huh?!" With a cold voice. I could hear how Endeavour was flaring up more as time passed, so I turned to him and spoke my last words to him.
"You know how I see it? I see that you are aware of just how pathetic you are, so you push that weight and frustration onto your son!"
Endeavour just lost it, as he roared and threw a burning fist towards my face. I just raised my right hand and caught it, not bothered by the heat that it radiated. The flaring coward looked in shock, as I spoke once again.
"Oh look at you, losing your shit while arguing with a kid!" I said with a mocking tone. Endeavour got even angrier, because he knew that I was right, and flared up even more.
I got bored with him, so I just pushed a little. He flew backwards, and landed on his back. As he slowly picked himself up, clearly in pain, I told him my last statement.
"I will make Todoroki use his flames, but only because I believe that he is pathetic for not using them... Not because you told me to.... Also... If Todoroki does surpass All Might, with or without flames, know that you didn't play a single part in it!" I said before I walked off, leaving the pathetic excuse for a number two hero in pain on the ground.
I walked a few meters, until I felt that the entire stadium was suddenly shaking. I already knew what it was, Todoroki had finally ended his match.
"You're next Icy-hot!" I said, before I walked to join the rest of my class in the stands.
. . .
"Alright, time for the next match!" Annoying mic roared as Izuku made it back to the stands. Izuku took his seat, and carefully observed the match that was to come.
There was a reason that Izuku chose to come forth now. He couldn't care less of how Todoroki's match played out, what mattered was this match... Kaminari versus Rachel...
"Hey Midoriya." Kirishima said, as he took a seat next to him.
"I assume that you're worried for your girlfriend." Kirishima said, right as Ashido took a seat next to him. Izuku didn't budge in any way, he just calmly answered.
"She'll be fine... It's for Kaminari that you should be worried."
Kirishima was confused, so was everyone who heard him.
"May I ask why?" Tokoyami asked, completely stoic. Izuku looked down, making his bangs fall over his eyes, as he began to tremble.
"T- Trust me when I say th- this... Th- That girl is th- the s- s- sp- spawn of Satan!" Izuku said, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
Everyone was shocked, for they saw something that they never expected from Izuku. They knew that Rachel was special, but her quirk wasn't offensive in any way. What on God's green earth makes her so damn frightening that even the strongest student starts trembling at the mere thought of it.
"Hey, what do you say if we go out for a bite after this. I'll comfort you after your loss." Kaminari then said. Most of the arena went completely silent, for they assumed the worst outcome from a certain quirkless.... And it almost got to that point...
Izuku was out of his seat the second that those words left Kaminari's mouth, and everyone had to make a collective effort to stop him from leaping down to the ring and doing God knows what to that brain dead short circuit. He managed to grab the metal railing, squeezing it so tightly that it began creaking.
Kaminari was oblivious to the raging Izuku behind him, he was just flirty and wanted a chance with one of the prettiest girls in class. Rachel looked completely unamused, as she smiled and answered him.
"Oh, but baby... That implies that you'll win." She said, with a mixture of sadism, seduction and tease in her voice. Kaminari looked at her shocked, and probably didn't know how to react to her response.
Izuku suddenly stopped. He had heard her words, and noticed that her eyes glowed a faint blue. He let go of the railing, as everyone began to let him go, before he took a seat once more. Those who had held him back were all exhausted, and they were terrified when they noticed that the metal railing had been deformed and molded after Izuku's palm.
"BEGIN!" Annoying mic roared, and Kaminari stepped into action immediately. He started the long, excruciation, process of his electrical special move.
"Indiscrimi-" He was stopped mid sentence by a kick to the side. He was thrown off balance, and thus his wind up process had been wasted.
Rachel was then quick to move, as she aimed two of her fingers towards Kaminari's neck. She flinged, stopped a few centimeters away from his skin, then she ripped some sort of cord from Kaminari's neck.
Kaminari began to panic, for he had been hit by something terrifying. Whatever Rachel did to him had made him completely blind in the left eye.
"Ehh... Any idea on what is happening?" Annoying mic asked, hoping to get an answer from the tired mummy. Aizawa was shocked, for he knew what this technique was.
"That is the Himo-kiri move... Also known as The cord cut technique... Organ has severed Kaminari's left optic nerve. He is completely blind on the left side now." Aizawa answered, and the arena was shocked.
Kaminari continued to panic, for he couldn't find Rachel anywhere. What he didn't know was that she had casually walked on his left side, and was now behind him. She grabbed onto his shoulders from behind, making Kaminari jump, then she did the most unforgiving thing that anyone can do to a human male... She kicked him straight into the grapes, not holding back in any way... Kaminari fell to the ground, while his mouth was foaming and both of his hands were clutching his crotch, before he fell completely unconscious.
Midnight was quick to announce Rachel to be the victor, for she knew that Kaminari wasn't waking up from that any time soon.
Every male in the audience flinched in some way, for they could somehow imagine the pain that Kaminari was going through right now. The entirety of class 1-A, both male and female, were horrified. Rachel went straight for the weak points, and she enjoyed hitting the most painful ones.
Everyone looked at Izuku with an expression of both sympathy and fear, as they all said.
"That girl is the spawn of Satan!" In perfect unison.
. . .
The next match was Hatsume versus Iida, and Izuku already knew what was going to happen. Both him and Rachel were holding in their laughter as they observed the match from start to finish.
Iida was just turned into a walking advertisement, he tried to fight but was forced to be the victim of Hatsume's endless inventions. Eventually the match ended with Hatsume forfeiting, and Iida seemed to have been unaware of her intentions until now.
Neither Izuku nor Rachel could hold it in any longer, Iida being oblivious was too much for them to handle. They burst out laughing, and it was so loud that everyone in the stadium went quiet just to stare at them. Iida noticed their laughter, and proceeded to have a temper tantrum while doing some mysterious robot dance... Izuku and Rachel only laughed harder as a result, people were questioning whether they had lungs or not.
After a solid seven minutes of laughter, the arena went quiet once more. Annoying mic announced the next match to be Tokoyami versus Yaoyorozu.
Izuku was about to watch the match calmly, until he turned his head. He saw Todoroki, wearing a cold expression as he was leaning against the wall.
Izuku still hadn't gotten over it, the words from his conversation with both the father and son Todoroki. The way that Todoroki used his loathing towards his father, and the suffering of his own mother, as an excuse to pretend that he doesn't have a fire quirk. His presence alone was disrespectful towards the many great heroes that had stood here before him, and the fact that he felt no remorse for it only led to more anger on Izuku's part.
Then he was thinking about Endeavour, and how he tried to order Izuku like a servant. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got... Because he saw himself...
Endeavour can't see the line that separates his family life from his hero career. In his head he is no more than a determined hero who wants to get things done, and that mentality ended up hurting his family.
When Izuku was The Guardian he often suffered from a similar issue, he couldn't distinguish his two lives. He felt at home with the armor, and he felt naked without it. At some point he asked himself who he was... Was he a quirkless boy, wearing armor?... Or was he a vigilante, wearing a skin mask?... Izuku has been there, and he knows what it feels like. He knows what it is like to accidentally treat a family situation like a hero's duty, and it hurts when you get to the point of questioning your own identity.
But he did have help. He had Rachel, he had Oliva, he had Tokugawa, Hanayama, and many others whom he had encountered in his life. Most importantly... He had his new family, those who took him in.
Izuku's frustration doesn't come from any form of hatred, maybe a little. It comes from the fact that he knows a pain that is similar to the one that plagues both Endeavour and his son, he can see it in their eyes. But they are aware of their own suffering, and they actively refuse to seek help... That is what fuels Izuku's anger right now.
Izuku got up from his seat, his expression being filled with some unknown emotion. Rachel looked at him confused, until she saw his face. This expression was something that she both feared and adored when he was using it, an expression of someone who is adamant on getting the result that he pleases.
Izuku turned his gaze towards Todoroki, as he walked straight towards him. The ice user noticed him, and had a cold expression. Izuku was right in front of him, as he looked into his eyes while saying.
"We need to talk, right now... " With a cold voice. Todoroki was unfazed, as he followed Izuku. The two teens had left the stands, right as the match between Tokoyami and Yaoyorozu had begun.
After walking into a corridor, and making sure that they were alone, both teens leaned against the walls opposite to one another. They were quietly gazing, none of them were making a single move. It was as if they were actively observing the opponent, waiting for the perfect time to attack.
"I'm not gonna sit here and waste any more time, I'll just get straight to the point." Izuku said, breaking the silence between him and the ice user.
"We are up against each other in the second round. I'm asking you to take your blindfold off and fight with your full strength." Izuku then said, his voice being completely serious. Todoroki immediately understood what Izuku wanted. The blindfold implied that he couldn't see the truth, and using his full strength meant using his flames.
"Did my father talk you into convincing me?!" Todoroki demanded to know, his voice sounding angry. Izuku looked at him with a cold glare, as he said.
"Father-like son, just now you sounded exactly like him." With an equally cold voice. Todoroki was shocked by this, as Izuku continued.
"He commanded me to make you use your flames, but I told him to shove it. I am here of my own accord, because I wanted to tell you just how pathetic you are." With a cold voice. Todoroki's expression of shock didn't go away, and Izuku continued to speak.
"How long before you realise that it is your quirk? And then how long will it take for you to realise that you have absolutely no chance of winning without it?"
Now there was more silence, cut off by the sound of cheering. The match between Tokoyami and Yaoyorozu must have ended already, which meant that Ashido and Aoyama were up next.
Todoroki's expression changed to one of annoyance, as he answered Izuku.
"You're quirkless, do you really think that you can beat me even if I don't use my flames? Also... " He then stopped for a second, as his expression turned into one of anger, before he continued.
"You don't know what it is like to watch your mother get pushed past the breaking point... You don't know what it is like to suffer the way that I have!" Todoroki almost shouted.
Izuku snapped. The second he heard Todoroki utter those words it was as if the one string that held him together had been severed. You don't know what it's like to watch you mother break... You don't know what it's like to suffer... Those words echoed in his head, and it angered him. How would he not know what it was like to see your own mother in pain, when he watched her burn to death? How would he not know what suffering was like, when he had been on his lonesome for most of his life?
Izuku grabbed Todoroki by the face, as he lifted him up and pushed him into the wall. He stared at the ice user's expression, as it changed to one of fear. Izuku had bulging veins all over his face, as he pushed Todoroki into the wall with more and more force. Eventually the wall started to crack, more and more.
Then, after a roar from Izuku, there was a massive hole in the wall. Todoroki was thrown through it, and he landed in the stands. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the two, as an infuriated Izuku walked up to the now scared ice user.
He picked him up, and threw him down to the empty ring. Todoroki used his ice to make a somewhat smooth landing, and Izuku leaped and landed with a crash.
"Midnight, I don't care that I have to wait. Me and Todoroki are fighting, right here and right now!" Izuku growled, and even the teachers were terrified. Midnight looked towards Aizawa, waiting for an answer. The tired mummy was silent with shock for almost a full minute, until he gave a shocking answer.
"Let them fight!" He said, with a firm voice. Midnight was surprised, but it was drowned out by the cheering of the entire stadium. Class 1-A looked towards both Todoroki and Izuku while thinking that this was going to be great, the strongest quirk versus the strongest body, they just couldn't wait to see if they could back their words up.
Rachel and Kirishima looked towards Izuku, then the hole that he had made in the concrete wall. Kirishima understood some of it, Izuku had been infuriated to the point of doing that. Rachel, on the other hand, understood it more. She knows that Izuku is very capable of controlling his anger, yet he lost it. Todoroki must have said something insensitive, without knowing it, and Izuku didn't take it lightly.
Rachel already knows what Izuku is about to do, since he is fighting Todoroki like this. He is going to do what he, as the champion of the underground arena, was very infamous for doing... He is going to defeat Todoroki at his own game...
Midnight had just announced the fight, that is when Izuku decided to play Todoroki's game. He grabbed his own left arm, as he pushed and twisted it. Eventually you could hear a disgusting sound, as it dislocated.
Everyone, from Todoroki, to the audience, and even the teachers were both shocked and disgusted. They were all asking themselves why Izuku had done that to himself.
"Since you're not using your left side, I won't do it either... and I'll still beat you!" Izuku roared, and everyone was even more shocked and surprised now.
Todoroki looked angry, but Izuku couldn't care less.
"Begin!" Midnight shouted, and thus the match had begun.
Todoroki started by shooting a barrage of ice, but Izuku broke it with his one arm. Todoroki fired another one, only to get the same result.
This continued for a few barrages, until Izuku began to charge. Todoroki attempted to lock Izuku down, but he would just break through it. Todoroki was grabbed by the face after the distance was closed, and Izuku shoved him head first into the ground. The concrete cracked, but Todoroki wasn't out yet.
"Words are pointless against you... So I'll crush you until you use your flames!" Izuku shouted, as he picked Todoroki up by the face. He then proceeded to throw the ice user to the other side of the ring, making him crash with his back first into the ground.
Todoroki couldn't move, he couldn't stand up, that is when Izuku had made his way to him. He was looking down at the ice user, as he raised his right leg. He then shoved the sole of his foot into Todoroki's face, curb stomping him into the concrete.
He curbed him twice, each time making cracks in the ground. Then he stopped to lean over, inspecting the bleeding face on the ground, until he straightened his back and continued to repeatedly curb the ice user into dust.
After many stomps, and a broken floor, Izuku turned his back and walked to the opposite side of the ring. Todoroki wasn't moving, and people were afraid that he had been killed.
Midnight was going to end the match, but was stopped. A trembling, ice covered, figure could be seen dragging himself to his feet.
Izuku turned around, only to see that Todoroki was barely standing, and said.
"I'm sure that you've figured it out by now, you can't beat me under these circumstances. Use your flames already!" With a hostile voice. Todoroki was shaking like an unearthly creature, setting fear into the hearts of many observers, as he answered.
"I refuse to use his power... You have no idea how I've suffered BECAUSE OF HIM!!!" With a shout. The entire audience was in shock, even Izuku. The way that Todoroki was speaking, it was as if he was having a mental breakdown. He had been crushed so badly that he was made physically aware of the fact that he stood no chance against Izuku. That led him to the dilemma which ended up breaking him... Should he use his flames to at least try and get an upperhand?
If he used his fire he would have a lot more offensive power, and Izuku wouldn't be able to just break it like he did with the ice. Not only that, but he could also negate the drawback from his ice... But was it worth submitting to his father's will, just to win a battle?... Or would he rather die than using it?
"You're right, I don't know much you've suffered... " Izuku answered, as he closed his eyes and turned his head to the ground. Todoroki didn't look any less insane, as he growled.
"THAT'S RIGHT!!! AND YOU'LL NEVER KNOW!!!"
Izuku didn't raise his head, as he answered.
"You're right, I'll never know... " With a calm voice. Izuku then opened his eyes and looked straight at Todoroki, as he continued.
"Because I never knew my real father... " With a calm, almost sad, voice and expression.
Todoroki had a visible expression of shock, as Izuku continued.
"Surprised!? I don't blame you. I honestly don't know why he never came to see me, he probably knew that I was going to be quirkless and decided to leave." He said, before he took a deep breath and continued.
"I lived alone with my mother... Until I watched her die when I was four years old... After that I was all alone in this world, no one was there to help me so I had to make myself stronger... After I was ten years old, I was adopted into a family. They took care of me, and loved me as their own... I was happy, I had a mother, a father, even two siblings..." Izuku stopped after that, as he tilted his head forward with a sad expression, before he said the rest.
"But I couldn't fully bring myself into it... Because in the back of my head there were these words, a fact, that kept haunting me.... They're not actually your family... "
Todoroki was completely frozen, his world had been shattered. His excuse for refusing his quirk was that he had suffered, but that was nothing compared to the quirkless boy that stood in front of him. Izuku had suffered far more than him, but he wasn't complaining. He wasn't letting it show in any way, and he wasn't using it as an excuse for anything. He had suffered so much, but he hides it under a mask so that it doesn't corrupt anyone...
Todoroki now realised that he had been insensitive when he said; You don't know what it's like to watch your mother break... You don't know what it's like to be abused by your own father... Izuku didn't know any of that... He knows something far worse...
"Listen, if you continue like this it's just going to get worse..." Izuku said, breaking Todoroki out of his trance.
"That darkness and suffering is like a weed, it only grows stronger if you leave it be... Surround yourself with the people that you care about, and the people that care about you. Confront your demons, make peace with them... And follow your own dreams, not your father's, not your All Might's, not even your mother's.... Do and become what you want to become... Now tell me, what do you want?" Izuku said, his expression being a lot calmer now.
Todoroki's lips were trembling, as he tried to utter his words.
"I want..." He said, but stopped.
"What do you want?!" Izuku said, his voice being a lot more powerful.
"I want..." Todoroki utter again.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!!!" Izuku bellowed, and this time Todoroki gave a proper answer.
"I want to be a hero!" He shouted, as his left side started to heat up.
Suddenly he flared, and his entire left side burst into flames. The ice on his right side had been melted off, and he had regained both his senses and his balance.
Izuku smiled at the sight, for he thought that the massive bonfire that stood before him was a beautiful sight.
"Let's end this Midoriya!" Todoroki shouted. Izuku looked at Todoroki's smile, and gave him a grin of his own.
"Of course!" Izuku added, right as he rotated his body so that his left arm swung and snapped back into place.
Both fighters were at their optimal state by now, and they were both smiling for it. Todoroki had broken his chains, and could finally see that this is his power. Izuku did something that shocked Rachel and those who recognised it from elsewhere.
He would never do it consciously, this was instinct. He was so into the fight that he had taken a stance which he has tried to avoid for so long. He stood tall, his knees were slightly bent, his body was tilted forward, and his arms stretched outwards as if he was embracing whatever was in front of him... It was the signature stance of The Guardian....
The match had entered its final clash. Todoroki shot ice, while Izuku was charging and winding up for a punch with his left arm. Todoroki then raised his left arm towards Izuku as he charged a fire.
Both teens stared into each other's eyes, and immediately understood what the other was feeling. Izuku was thanking Todoroki for actually using his flames, while Todoroki was thanking Izuku for sharing his story and helping him.
Izuku swung his arm, right as Todoroki's fire went off. A massive explosion filled the arena, and the entire stadium was shaking. The pros and teachers were all in disbelief, for this clash was incredible.
The dust settled shortly after the rumbling, to reveal that Izuku was alone in the ring. Todoroki had been hit by the punch, and was blasted out of the ring. He was right now inside the concrete wall, unconscious.
Everyone looked at Izuku in disbelief, for he barely had a single scratch on him. They were wondering if he actually had a quirk.
"The match is over! Midoriya advances to the third round!" Midnight announced, and the entire arena burst into cheers.
Izuku looked towards Todoroki, a smile broad across his face. He was going to leave, but his instincts kicked in. They told him to look towards a specific part of the audience, to look for a specific person.
Izuku looked in that direction, and was both shocked and surprised. What he saw were two adults that he recognised. One was a woman with pale white hair, pale white skin, red eyes, and a warm smile. The other was a man with dark hair, dark eyes, a beard, and a smile of his own.
He already knew who these were, how could he ever forget.... his adoptive parents...
Izuku smiled even more, he almost cried, for he hadn't seen them in a while. Deep down that dark fact was still haunting him, but right now it was outshined by that fact that he is happy. Happy that his parents are there to share his accomplishments with him.
Izuku crossed his arms, as he tensed his muscles. He then released, and swung his arms high above his own head. He held them up there, tensing all of his muscles.
It was a celebratory pose, for the the match... and the fact that he was overjoyed at the moment.