20 Chapter 20 - Todoroki

"You wanted me here," said Izuku. "Now what do you want?"

Todoroki continued to glare at Izuku. No matter how hard he tried, Izuku couldn't understand why Todoroki hated him so much. It was as if he didn't even care how well he did in the sports festival, so long as he beat Izuku.

"I don't understand," said Izuku, exasperated. "Your little war is over, Todoroki. You won the Cavalry Battle. Why are you wasting my time?"

"I was overwhelmed," said Todoroki.

"What?"

"I was overwhelmed, at the end of the Cavalry Battle," Todoroki explained. "And it made me break a promise I made to myself a long time ago."

"Your fire quirk?" Said Izuku. "I knew there was more to your quirk than you were letting on. Why haven't you used it? It would give you such a huge advantage in these games."

Todoroki didn't answer. He pulled his left hand from his pocket, looking at it. "I didn't think much of you when I first met you, before the hero/villain training session," said Todoroki. "Despite not having a quirk, you were able to beat me. It was more than that, though. You outsmarted me. Then came the incident at the USJ. Despite being woefully outmatched, you were able to take control of the situation and turn it in our favor."

"What's your point?" Said Izuku.

"You're a student of that American Hero, Batman," Todoroki continued. "My father always told me that he was just a vigilante nobody. But witnessing you tells me differently. I'm stronger than you, or at least, I should be. On top of that, there's All Might."

"What do you mean?" Said Izuku.

"I've seen the way you act around him," said Todoroki. "You avoid him, yet he tries very hard to talk to you, to get your attention. Why you, out of all of his students? And yet you seem to want nothing to do with him. You look upon him with intense. . . hatred almost."

"Again, Todoroki," Said Izuku impatiently. "What. Is. Your. Point?"

"There is some kind of connection between you and All Might. Are you his son?" Asked Todoroki.

Izuku stared at Todoroki for a good ten seconds before bursting into laughter. "You think I'm his son?! " Izuku said incredulously. "It's nothing like that at all! Why would you even think that?"

"'Nothing like that,'" repeated Todoroki. "Interesting choice of words. That suggests that there is something between you two that you're not supposed to talk about."

Izuku swallowed. If anything, Todoroki was sharp. "You're seeing connections where there are none," he said.

Todoroki didn't seem to be listening. "You were aware that my father is Endeavor before we even truly met," he said, his eyes narrowing. "I don't know how you knew, but if you're connected to the number-one hero in some way, that would mean that I have even more reason to beat you." Izuku could hardly believe his ears. It was just like the villain attack at the USJ, except now he personally was being targeted by someone who should be his ally, all for having some small connection to All Might. He was so sick of this he could puke.

"What do you care of my so-called connection to All Might?" Said Izuku.

"My father is an ambitious man," said Todoroki. "He aims to be the best. He used his power to get to where he is now, but he has never been able to best All Might. The Symbol of Peace is living proof of his failure. He's still at it though, trying to take down All Might, one way or another."

"What are you getting at?"

"Have you ever heard of quirk marriages?" Asked Todoroki. "They became a problem in the first few generations after superpowers became widespread. There were those who sought out potential mates solely with the intention of creating powerful children. Many people were forced into relationships."

Izuku had heard of this. Eastern countries, Japan in particular, had a history of arranged marriages. For hundreds, even thousands of years, people had been forced into marriages in order to unite kingdoms, for business transactions, or to increase a family's power. When it was discovered that quirks were genetic, it was only a matter of time before people were marrying and breeding to create a dynasty of powerful kin.

"My father not only has a rich history of his past accomplishments, but plenty of money to throw at his problems," said Todoroki. "He bought my mother's relatives to get his hands on her quirk. And now he's raising me to usurp All Might."

Izuku felt a pang of sympathy for Todoroki. To be born into this world and to have one's selfish ambitions thrust upon you was a tale as old as time. But Izuku was disgusted to learn that something like this could be prevalent in a profession where you are literally described as a "hero." Izuku supposed that he shouldn't be surprised, as most people only wanted to become heroes this day and age to become rich and famous. This never mattered to Izuku. He wanted to be a hero for the sake of being a hero. He wanted to save people, to help those who can't help themselves. The level of corruption to befall Endeavor, the number-two hero, over something as pointless as the desire to be the best, made him sick to his stomach.

"I refuse to be a tool for that scumbag," said Todoroki angrily, more to himself than to Izuku. He raised his hand to the red scar on his face. "In every memory of my mother, I can only see her crying. I remember she called my left side unbearable before pouring boiling water on my face."

Dear God, thought Izuku, horrified.

"The reason I picked a fight with you was to show my old man what I was capable of doing," said Todoroki. "Without having to rely on his damned fire quirk. I'm going to show him that I reject his power, and that I'm going to take first place without using it."

So that was it. The reason behind his angst and animosity towards Izuku. Endeavor was living vicariously through him in an effort to displace All Might. In doing so he destroyed the lives of his wife, his son, and perhaps others as well. And now Todoroki was fighting back in the only way he knew how. He turned and began to walk away.

"You're obviously connected to All Might, even if you won't tell me about it," He said. "But no matter how fiercely you come at me in the future, I will defeat you using only my right side. I can assure you of that."

"Then you better hope it's enough."

Todoroki stopped, looking back at Izuku. "I can't pretend to understand what you've been through, but that doesn't mean I'm going to take it easy on you either. I've had to scrape my way from the bottom of society's shit-stick in order to get here, and I'm not about to give up now," said Izuku. "I've gotten the better of you twice now, so you better be ready, because I will be coming at you with everything I've got. I can assure you of that."

Todoroki said nothing, but turned and continued to walk away.

The intermission had ended, and all the students who had not made it into the final sixteen were dividing up to participate in side-games prepared for them. UA even brought in cheerleaders from America to perform during the games, and Mineta and Kaminari had tricked the girls from class 1-A to participate with them. Izuku couldn't help but be amused at the fact that for such a smart girl, Yaoyorozu kept falling for their perverted schemes.

When the games ended, the sixteen finalists were slated to participate in a round-robin fighting tournament. This is where Izuku expected to really shine. His experience in The Underground had prepared him to face off with powerful quirk-users in one-on-one fisticuffs, only this time, he had his utility belt at his disposal. Plus, he also had his new secret weapon. But that also meant he had to be extra careful. They were still widely untested, and potentially dangerous. He had to use them only when absolutely necessary.

And his gut told him that it would be against Todoroki.

"Aw, yeah!" Said Kirishima excitedly. "Finally getting a chance to show what we're made of! I watch these finals every year and now I'm actually in them!"

"Come closer and draw lots to see who you're up against," Said Midnight. "The sixteen finalists have the option of participating in the recreational games or sit out to prepare for your upcoming battles. I'll start with the first place team --"

"Um, excuse me."

Everyone turned to see Ojiro raising his hand. "Sorry," he said. "But I'm withdrawing."

Everyone gasped in shock.

"But this is a rare chance for you to get scouted!" Said Iida.

"I'm sorry," Ojiro said. "It wouldn't be right. I barely remember anything from the cavalry battle until the very end of it. I. . . think it was that guy's quirk," he added, more to himself. Izuku turned to see the purple-haired student, Shinso, looking at Ojiro with a scowl. He turned away when he noticed that Izuku was looking at him. Something was off about that guy, and it gave Izuku a funny feeling.

"I know this is a great opportunity," said Ojiro. "I wish I could take advantage of it, but my conscience won't let me. Everyone gave their all in round two, but I was just someone's puppet. No way. I don't want to advance if I don't even know how I got here. It wouldn't be fair."

The other members of Class 1-A tried to convince him to stay. Izuku knew that it was pointless. Ojiro was a warrior, like him, and a warrior's pride was the only true possession that was theirs to keep, and they wouldn't give it away for anything.

Another student stepped forward towards Midnight. "Nirengeki Shoda from Class 1-B," he said. "I would like to withdraw for the exact same reason. This isn't how I wanted to get here. It would go against the values of the festival to advance without earning my spot."

Midnight took in a deep sigh. "This sort of talk is incredibly naive, my boys," she said. "That turns me on!" She added suddenly, cracking her whip. "Shoda! Ojiro! You're withdrawn!"

Did she just say it turns her on? Izuku thought.

Midnight moved up to members from the runner-up teams to replace Ojiro and Shoda: Tetsutetsu and Ibra Shiozaki. The students then drew their lots to determine their match up, which was put on the jumbotron above them: Todoroki was paired up with sero, Kaminari with Shiozaki, Iida with Hatsume, Aoyama against Ashido, Tokoyami against Yaoyorozu, Tetsutetsu against Kirishima, Shinso against another general studies student Izuku wasn't familiar with, and --

What Izuku saw made his heart sink to his shoes. His first fight was against Uraraka.