19

Chapter Text

Out of all the ways this could've gone down, this was probably one of the worst. Midoriya and Tokoyami looked confident, but Tsuyu knew that Yaoyorozu had an idea of what they were in for. This was going to turn into a free-for-all before either side could come up with a plan, a small advantage, given that their side didn't need to do much to tie things up while the Blue Team needed to pull double duty defending against and delaying them.

The radio at her side buzzed, "Guys. Todoroki and Bakugo are rushing the central boulevard," came Jirou's voice. "The Red attack group can't move, Todoroki got them in ice." Midoriya paled while Tokoyami's eyes narrowed. Yaoyorozu didn't so much as react as Tsu had her walkie talkie up.

"Did they see you?" Tsu asked.

"No. They were in a hurry too, heard Uraraka yelling about trying to get to the Red Tower"

Why they were advancing towards the Red Tower was confusing. They're up by one score, so why risk it, with Todoroki with his band still on no less? Asui glanced back, watching as Yaoyorozu paced along the top of the red tower, other knights by her side. Herself, Yaoyoruzu, Izuku, Tokoyami to name a few. A sizable fighting force.

So for a Silver Knight to lead the charge with Bakugo, Uraraka and Kuroiro at minimum...

"It has to be because they noticed that they're down a flag." Yaoyorozu mused as the group stood at the foot of the skyscraper. "Either Sero or Kaminari had theirs taken. Jirou, can you get back to our side?"

"Not without having everyone noticing me." Jirou responded via walkie-talkie. "I was able to get out by getting rid of my boots, but I'm useless now… sorry." Her tone somber and bitter.

"Don't be, just run overwatch for us." Yaoyorozu assured her friend. "So you see Uraraka and Kurorio trailing Todoroki?" There was panting on the other end.

"Yeah, they have to be going to back him up… In an alleyway seeing them on the move. And if you miss Bakugo… get your hearing checked." Jirou responded with a whisper.

"Asui Tsuyu." A deep and frightening voice cut in, but the students turned and from the shadows of the building stepped forth an Ectoplasm clone, or Ectoplasm himself. Tsu perked up. "We had a call from the Rules Committee that it is against the rules for a band to be hidden in a person's place that cannot be retrieved from. In this case, eating said band." The green haired girl blanched. She knew eating the golden band was technically putting it on her person, and by placing it in her stomach she hoped she could simply hold out and not give the Blue Team an instant win option.

"But Midnight didn't mention it in the rules prior." Tokoyami spoke out, staring at the trenchcoat wearing teacher.

"We didn't consider the possibility of someone stowing away a band in a manner that is unfair to the enemy team. We didn't give you a point penalty as we did not state it in the rules ourselves, but I'm going to have to ask you find a way to release your band from your stomach." The teacher's stone faced grin did not move. "Less we remove you from the match and put in a substitute gold and silver bands on one of your teammates if you cannot vomit it out. You wouldn't be disqualified from the Sports Festival, just excused from this particular event."

"I-I understand, ribbit." Asui glances around, fidgeting at the curious glances she was getting.

"Just look away for a second, it'll be a moment." A few members of her team blinked in surprise, but obeyed her wishes and turned around just before Tsuyu's throat bulged. She forced her tongue downward, felt around and grabbed the band. She coughed a little as her thick tongue got its prize. "Sorry…" Tsu said, throwing out her tongue, gold band on it and lathered in bile and saliva as she coughed lightly, the wet item in her hand. So embarrassing..

"It is alright. This is our first time hosting this event too. We will put that in the rules next time. Heroes and teachers we maybe, but even we are not infallible." Ectoplasm stepped back, nodding slightly. "Now, carry on."

"Alright, resuming our discussion." Tokoyami mused as Dark Shadow picked up the slobbery golden armband, much to the shadow construct's disgust. "I suppose one of us will have to wear it."

"I'll do it." Yaoyorozu conjured a rag and took the band from a very eager Dark Shadow. She cleaned it up before taping it around her arm. "I still have a few bottles of Parker-san's webbing, if anyone gets close, I'll have the chance to stick them down."

"Or you'll get taken out," Tokoyami mused. "They don't have enough time to go back and score if they take your band though."

Yaoyorozu gave a sad smile, "Well, hopefully that won't happen and you'll have enough time getting back to base while they're attacking me. Beyond that, I'll provide covering fire from the upper floor. For now, we must clear a road for whoever has that flag if Todoroki and the others are coming here to stop them."

"Who has the band? Parker-san do you have the band?" Midoriya mused as he talked into the walkie-talkie.

"Wish I did, but Sero blocked me off and he still has his band!" Parker yelled.

"Peter-san, we need you back here!" Yaoyorozu barked as she lifted up the baseball launcher she had made over to the open window. "Todoroki, Bakugo and others are coming here for a final assault! Someone has one of their flags!"

"That would be me." Cut in a dull voice, and everyone perked up.

"That voice… is that the…" Midoriya mused with widened eyes.

"The General Ed kid from the other day?" Tokoyami added in surprise.

"Shinso Hitsohi?" Tsu asked. "You have a flag?!"

"Yes, on the north side and-damnit!" Shinso's voice picked up in pitch as she heard panting. "I got spotted by Tokage! She's turning around to relay where I am!"

"He has Kaminari's flag." Tokoyami glared out to the boulevard. "Half of our team is on the other side frozen…"

"Where are you Shinso! I'll pick you up!" It was Tsunotori on the other end of the comm and Tsuyi felt relief wash over her.

"About… two hundred meters from the Red Tower, give or take. If Todoroki and Bakugo get word-"

"I'll help stall them!" Parker responded. "Pony, help Shinso out. He's our ace in the hole right now in order to tie this up!"

"On it!"

"We'll stall Kacchan and Todoroki together Parker-san!" Midoriya stated as he looked at his teammates. "Everyone else take a support role!"

"Asui, you go to the north side of the building and be ready to help Tsunotori and Shinso!" Yaoyorozu barked, and Asui was already hoping along, silver and gold band on her arms. "Tokoyami, with me in the building! Dark Shadow is more effective here."

"I'll protect you with all I have." Tokoyami muttered.

"Honenuki! Sato! Ojiro! Status!" Yaoyorozu got into position as Asui began to hop up and climb the building and she looked back, giving one big hop to the ceiling of a warehouse.

"Ribbit…" Her wide eyes scanned the battlefield, looking for any sign. "Tsunotori, where are you?"

"Flying now. See me?" She spoke fast, reverting to English as Tsuyu saw Pony lift off past some boulders and huts. Tsuyu primed up her legs and got hopping.

(X)

"Oi Kendo! Found it!" Setsuna yelled as her head flew down the alleyway as she chased the sprinting Shinso. She smirked as she can feel her other body parts flying across the battlefield over to her. That should be a sign for Kendo to rendevous on her position.

She can hear the purple haired boy pant as the silver band was flailing in his hand. Her floating eye which surveyed the battlefield by her position could see Kendo taking hook shot jumps closer and closer, having seen the swarm of body parts.

"You ain't going nowhere Normie!" Setsuna jeered, grinning as she picked up in speed. The green haired girl saw the General Ed kid turn around, glowering back up at her. "Now, hand me your band thief!"

"How about no and run your mouth elsewhere." The dull looking boy responded as he turned, facing directly at her and Setsuna grit her teeth. Oh, he's throwing puns out here now?

"Oh yeah? Well you-"

Her mind went blank.

"Go the other way."

Setsuna's head began to fly off, going the other way, away from the fuzzy looking kid faded further from her peripheral as she floated aimlessly down the way she came, her body parts following suit.

(X)

Itsuka ran across a warehouse in her big hover boots, taking big long strides as she panted. Doing those hook shots by arm and not by vest was tiring on her arms, and she was amongst the best in her class when it came to strength. Hatsume was insistent she keep her vest in case of emergency however. The orangette was following the swarm of body parts from Tokage until she saw them… about face?

"So our thief is going the other way huh? Right then!" Itsuka made a giant leap, going from a warehouse rooftop to a small plateau and sprinted after the body part swarm. Although…

Why were they moving slower than usual?

(X)

This was it.

Down to the wire, everyone on the edge of their seats, ready to see him take the crown. All Hanta needed to do was swing in, take the King's Band, and it would be him that won the match for their team. Not Bakugo or Todoroki, him, the little guy that everyone forgot about till this moment. Jumping towards the buildings, he shot out a line of tape, reeling the line back in, shooting forwards like a certain other member of his class.

Which was totally his idea, he'd been doing this for years. Totally original, the other guy just got an animal motif to go along with it. Another thing that was completely unfair, but that was all going to change. People might not think too much of him, but he knew an easy win when he saw one. Bakugo and Todoroki, for all their power were the biggest targets in the entire game. Big bang every time you moved? Giant ice river? Real subtle, guys. If you wanted to make a difference in the speed game, you needed to have the mobility and the technique to get around without getting noticed like Sero Hanta.

Heck, he even managed to block out the entire flank of the Blue Enclosure thanks to his tape. No way Parker could get through to get Iida, or anyone without him knowing! A perfect spider web! To block a dude whose Quirk is named 'Spider'! Ha! Genius!

It even deterred Parker of all people! Come on, face Sero Hanta mano-e-mano! Sure he wasn't as strong, but with his quirk and the environment he had prepared, he could take down even-

Wait, was Parker leaving!?

Hanta stumbled to a stop, barely edging out as Peter came swinging in on his (copycat) web shooters away from his morass of taped-up boulders and huts. He had to be heading towards his home base. Hanta narrowed his eyes, squinting as he saw Parker yell into his hand, no something IN his hand!

Was that a walkie-talkie? Something was up! Wait, did Todoroki or Kaminari get their band taken and was Parker going back to help!?

To be fair… objectively speaking, Sero knew he didn't have a chance against the Ace of Class 1-A. Sero remembered what Parker did during his fight against Todoroki, smashing the ice apart like it was nothing. His tape wasn't going to do anything to a guy like that.

Right?

… but if Hanta took out Parker, was that the same as getting the gold armband? Right, he was the big gun of the other team, so he had to be the Red Team's best chance. Todoroki and Bakugo rolled over everyone else, and Hanta took down the guy that could stop them. With so many scouts watching him, even deterring who Present Mic is calling 'the next All Might' will get him plenty of offers! Maybe some from some hot heroines too~!

"Yeah, this was it! Look out world! Sero Hanta is coming in hot!" Hanta hyped himself up as he got to a running start. "Where you think you're going, Parker!?" He screamed, lashing out with a line of tape the moment Parker extended his arm.

The white tape hit the stream of webbing mid-flight, but Parker had eyes in the back of his head because he dropped the line before it even hit! Hanta frowned, twisting and sending out another line with his other elbow, willing the line to reel in, to help him catch up to the American. They swung from building to building, Parker swinging up in the air while Hanta propelled himself at a slightly lower altitude.

"Hey Sero! I'm trying to get to midtown! Know any shortcuts?"

"How about you stop swinging and just sit the last minute out?" Hanta offered, his smile growing larger as he aimed again. Even though he missed, he got to a boulder and pulled. All that training in the Battle Center every day after school was paying off! He could do this all day!

"I'll pass, thanks!" Parker said as he fired a webline towards the central spire where Cementoss sat overseeing the War, and with a single pull, shot off like a rocket, going past it.

"Huh?!" Hanta gawked. Parker was nearly three buildings away from him! Was he just coasting with him and having a chat when he could have… done that from the first jump?! "Oh no you don't!" Webbing had nothing on his tape and Hanta was going to prove it. He thrust his elbows forward, and willed forth more tape than he ever thought he would need. He sped towards Parker as he was talking again in his walkie-talkie and Hanta grinned. He fired a stream, and it wrapped around Parker's leg. Hanta reeled it in as quick as he could. "Gotcha!"

Parker suddenly pulled on his webbing a little too hard, causing him to be stuck between Sero's tape and his own line. All that showing off at the start of the festival, and he was stuck in the middle of the air as Sero fired another stream as it snaked around Parker and tightened up! Yes! He'd got him!

All part of the plan!

"Dude, what is this made out of!?" Parker asked, gawking at the tape around his leg as he landed upright on the building somehow, and Hanta landed only meters away.

"I don't know man, it's tape! I don't question it!"

"But it comes out of your elbow, dude! You can't tell me that's not weird!" the American argued. "I've been meaning to ask you about it since the Practical but man, you got elbow tape! Of course that deserves questions!" Questions? How does that deserve questions!? That's his Quirk!

"That's… I-I don't kno-!" Hanta gawked as a white blob impacted his face, followed by a barrage of other white wet web bullets as Parker fired multiple shots at his arm and leg, each strike causing him to stagger backward and get stuck even further. He fired out his tape, but Parker was faster as he skipped to the side and… burst out his tape hold!?

How strong was he?!

"Ow! Jeeez it's like ripping your hair off, is this what waxing is like? Why do people want to do this?" Parker winced, patting his reddened arms as he ran over to the immobilized Hanta with web to his arms and legs keeping him rooted to the floor of the rooftop. He got Sero's band and tugged at it.

"OW!" Hanta roared from under the web, as the band couldn't be taken off thanks to his tape inside it. Parker winced and blanched as he stepped back in mild horror.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" He spoke in English before he returned to Japanese, hand reaching out to grab the flag for good. The black haired boy's eyes widened. "But I need to get it so-"

"Not so fast!" Came a cackling voice, and Parker dodged as a massive net came down where he stood, and got Hanta in the process!

"'What the hell?!'" Hanta mentally and Parker physically said at the same time, turning to see Hanta being dragged off in a net. He yelled as he skidded across the rooftop, and Hatsume Mei reeled him in with her Harpoon Launcher!

"How about that! A pivotal save utilizing my newest baby conceived just last night! My Harpoon Net Launcher!" Hatsume yelled, the girl laughing as she fled off with her hover boots, firing her vest jacket and cackling as her large rocket launcher-tube she carried dragged poor Hanta like a sack of potatoes. "See ya Parker!"

'What about me!? I'm still in here you mad woman!' Hanta yelled through his muffled mouth. He looked back, seeing Parker ready to give chase.

"ONE MINUTE REMAINING IN THE WAR!" Midnight roared over the loudspeaker. Parker turned around looked back at the Red Tower… and he saw another miniature glacier rise up, smashing into it like the one Todoroki used around the beginning of the war.

They landed in the road and Hanta groaned as he skidded across the icy road inside the net, hands around his head as best as he could as the poor boy went over some potholes and bumps. Ouch! Ooof! Gah that was gonna leave a bruise!

"Hehe sorry about that! It's good for capturing villains, not so much for saving heroes or civilians. I'll make a note on that for improvements," Hatsume looked back and laughed, seeing Hanta glare up at her, and the black haired boy rolled his eyes. Bruised, skidding along the road, with web in his mouth and arms and-

Yuck that's gross! Why did he stick his tongue out like that?!

(X)

Two things of note were running through Izuku's head. Well, more than two things, but they were the most important. Firstly, the more he used his new abilities, his skin tingled from the aftershock of the power being coursed through him, the fully cooked nature of his metaphor coming far to literally for his comfort. Secondly, that this amount of frozen ground should be illegal in a competition.

Which is why Izuku and others avoided Todoroki's opening assault, a much smaller glacier than the ice mountain that was to the Red Tower's south side. Tokoyami's part of the floor was destroyed as he fell down, but Dark Shadow cushioned his fall, much to the shadow constructs discomfort. He and Tokoyami dodged it and leapt out of the windows to the side and ran towards Todoroki. Now it was two on one. His arm still had the band covered in frost-

Not so much actually, was it thawing?

Todoroki had a hand swipe over it, and more frozen chunks rose to take its place as Izuku charged, glowing green. Todoroki noticed, gritting his teeth as he was ready to conjure more ice.

"Deku!" Izuku looked up, seeing Kacchan leaping and veering towards him. "Get lost!"

Izuku avoided his swipe and explosion, skipping to the side and raised his arms in a fighting position. Kacchan sneered before looking back at Todoroki who summoned a wall to defend against Dark Shadow.

"Icy-Hot! Freeze the entire tower! What are you doing firing that small thing off?!" He roared, and Izuku noticed that Todoroki was caked with more frost than usual. He was panting too, giving Kacchan a harsh sideways glare.

Was he… getting tired? Firing off all that ice had to be taking its toll on him.

'Now's my chance!' Izuku leapt forward, arm reared back towards his childhood friend.

Kacchan was smarter, dodging his punch and pivoting to the side.

"I'm not falling for your shit again, Deku!" He sneered and lashed out with his arm, and Izuku did his best to avoid an explosion by raising his arms, but got a good hard blast with fire as he was sent flying. "Gnnh shit!" He hissed in discomfort. "But I got bigger fish to fry!" Izuku rolled on the ground, hearing Kacchan lift off before he yelled, and Izuku heard the sound of splattering as he opened his eyes.

Kacchan was now against the wall, a barrage of web pellets the size of baseballs hitting him as he roared in pain at the salvo, but none had managed to stick him to said wall.

Izuku suddenly noticed a shadow overtake him. He looked up and gasped, dodging to the side as rocks and trash cans came down, the rocks being the size of golf balls. He rolled, seeing Uraraka standing on a plateau ledge with her hands touching. He was bathed in the shadow of the plateau.

"Sorry Deku! I need to win this! Now!" Uraraka shouted and Izuku looked, wondering why the heck she was calling for help.

Only for a kick to come out of the wall's shade! Izuku yelped as he took the kick to the chin, rolling across the ground while seeing stars.

"Get in there!" Izuku heard Uraraka take cover as web pellets impacted nearby. He rubbed his jaw, seeing the pitch black member of 1B rush inside. "Tokoyami!" He yelled, head on a swivel as he spotted his Bird comrade yell, and the crunching of ice.

Izuku's heart dropped when he saw that Tokoyami was caught in a small glacier, half of his body submerged as a panting and kneeling Todoroki held his arms out.

"Damnit… They're defenseless!" Tokoyami uttered. "Midoriya! Stop him now!" He roared, shivering as Izuku conjured up One for All.

"I got Shinso! Taking him for a lift!" Pony yelled over the walkie talkie.

"I see you! Give him here!" Tsu added. "Ribbit! Hot him!" She yelled, her tongue making her slur her words.

Kacchan is in the building… he'll go right for Shinso or Asui if they see him!

He needs to stop him now!

"Those voices… so that's how you've been moving about so effectively. And Kaminari's flag..." Todoroki hissed, glaring as he spotted Izuku's communicator, and the green haired boy's blood went cold. He turned towards the tower, the temperature dropping as he panted, almost dangerously as ice began to spread.

"FORTY FIVE SECONDS!"

Izuku launched himself forward. "I won't let you!" He was on his opponent in the blink of an eye. Todoroki dodged his initial kick, his ice surge interrupted. The boy was covered in frost as he lashed his hand out, Izuku feeling the chill.

The green haired boy dodged to the side, avoiding a much smaller and slower surge of ice pillars as Izuku heard explosions a bright light came from above, and disorienting shake from a flashbang.

"GRAAAAAAAAAH!" His childhood friend roared in anger and… pain? Was he hurt from his own quirk?! "YOU'RE DEAD, RICH BIIIITCH!" Kacchan roared at the top of his lungs... before fire made the windows shatter from the sound, and Izuku felt his heart drop.

He grit his teeth and jumped for all he was worth towards the heaving powerhouse. He landed in front of Todoroki, throwing a punch that just missed it's target's head, but the successor wasn't finished. Izuku followed up with a spinning backhand, getting Todoroki in the arm as he lifted them to defend himself. His fist struck, and Todoroki was lifted off his feet and rolled to the ground. Izuku focused again, green lightning erupting from him as he charged with a reared back fist. "Take this!"

This should do it! A Five percent One for All punch and Todoroki Shoto is out like a light! Todoroki was pinned, but as he lifted his head, his eyes widened in fear and desperation. Izuku felt the temperature heat up.

He grazed Todoroki's right arm, but a gout of flame erupted forth, singing the green haired boy's forearm. "Gaaah!" Izuku yelped, seething from the burn as he recoiled in pain.

Todoroki pushed Izuku, trying to take advantage of his distraction. Izuku tried to step back, find some purchase and steady himself, but Todoroki wasn't giving him an inch. Desperation caused Izuku to grit his teeth and slamming his foot back and stopping himself right before a pillar of ice was about to slam against his head. Izuku had to lean back as far as he could, off balancing him, and giving him a clear view of Todoroki's chilling right side. Izuku's eyes widened, and a single thought rushed through him as Todoroki was upon him, eyes full of desparation, hate and fury.

"Sorry Midoriya."

He lost…

"I win."

And the ice surged…

Only for Izuku to be tackled out of the way and he rolled, feeling muscle all over his back as the green haired boy looked up.

"You alright?" Sato Rikido asked as they got up and turned, facing the ice user as Izuku regained his composure, shaking the cobwebs. "Time for payback, Todoroki!" The muscular boy yelled. The twin haired boy hissed, barring his teeth as steam came off of him.

"Like bugs from the woodwork!" He muttered.

"Sato-san! Thank you!" The muscular boy put up his dukes and grinned as he reached into his pocket for a sugar cube, chomping on it, his muscles bulging.

"Hell yeah! Now let's get him!" Sato charged. Izuku turned back, green lightning emitting out of him as he charged side by side with the larger boy.

"You're all… annoying!" Todoroki roared as ice surged out, forcing Izuku to dodge. Sato meanwhile, with his enhanced power up from Sugar Rush, gave a roar and a punch, destroying the ice spires, much to Todoroki's shock and fear.

"You ain't catchin' me twice! Ohhhhhhhhhh!!" Sato bellowed as he charged, Izuku rushing from the side as Todoroki stepped back, eyes wide as the two powerhouses sped towards him.

Sato gave a mighty swing of his fist, Todoroki ducking the blow before Izuku was on him, and the fear was evident in his eyes as he covered his band-wearing side with ice… and got a kick to the arm, making the ice shatter as he yelled in pain, rolling across the concrete. He was on his back, Sato leaping up into the air.

Todoroki rolled out of the way, avoiding the sugar-rushed boy's ground-pound as he got up…

And got a fist to the face from Izuku, and Izuku yelled as he followed through, sending Todoroki flying and back on the ground. The Son of Endeavor yelled, coughing spit as he rolled across the ground before recovering.

He then roared at the top of his lungs, slamming his hands into the ground as ice spires surged out and Izuku gave a spinning backhand while Sato punched a spire, the ice shattering under their firsts. The rage and frustration was all over Todoroki's face, teeth bared, eyes wide and blood dripping down his crown. Sato and Izuku charged again.

'We can win this!' Izuku eyed Todoroki's ice covered band as he zero'ed in on that.

"Just fall already!!" Todoroki yelled, frustration taking over, and a thick layer of frost surged from the floor, caking the concrete and dirt as Izuku and Sato lost their footing and slipped, sliding as if on an ice rink. Their forward momentum made them slam into a boulder and a dumpster respectively.

"Now then!" His voice was bestial, guttural and low as he staggered to his feet, facing the tower. "With only my left side! This end's no-Gaah!" He was interrupted with a sudden grunt and yell, and Izuku lifted his head as he shook the cobwebs out.

And there was Todoroki, sliding on the ice and slamming into a wall, hard before he slumped, writhing and coughing in pain. In his former spot, Ojiro Mashirao's tail was whipping back and forth as the blonde hard martial artist was in a pose.

"Shouldn't monologue when dealing a finishing blow." Ojiro mused, standing up, proud and tall. "Least you leave yourself open."

(X)

"Kuroiro and Uraraka are inside!" Momo yelled in her walkie-talkie. "Get to the bowl now! Fourth Floor!" She opened her paintball rifle's cartridge and poured more web balls into it as she panted lightly. She was feeling faint. Just had to hold out….

She had to take cover from a stunned and berserker-enraged Bakugo's massive explosion. They weren't as big as his gauntlet blast, but they still packed a punch. She turned around, seeing Bakugo on his knees, panting hard and gasping in pain as his arms spasmed.

Momo aimed.

Then Bakugo exploded, surging forward with Turbo Speed, and Momo gasped before she could fire. Bakugo's eyes were disoriented, bloodshot, and tears were surging forth, but the barred teeth and determined roar he was giving off was like that of a cornered animal, thriving on instinct alone. The berserker avoided her first shot, even as he was covered in web and welts, and twisted in mid-air as he torqued his body and gave a kick to Momo's arm, knocking away her rifle. The black haired beauty yelped. His boots were steel tipped!

"You're mine! Yaoyo-!" He yelled and Momo stepped back as she saw his hand spark up...

"No you!" Bakugo's eyes widened before a foot to the face smashed against his cheek. In came Peter Parker with a high-jump kick, knocking Bakugo off his feet and rolling to the floor as the blond yelled in pain, skidding across the ground and smacking into the wall. "Momo! Baby powder! Uraraka's behind you!" He yelled in English, aiming his web shooters as Momo ducked. She heard a yelp, assuming Uraraka got hit with webbing getting her feet as Momo conjured up two bottles of baby powder from her arms, panting.

Bakugo recovered, but Momo was behind Peter's back as she threw the opened bottle of baby powder at him. He dodged, jumping and surging towards her and Peter.

Only to get the second unopened bottle to the head, white baby powder mixed with soap, caking his face and getting in his eyes. "Gaah!" He yelled. "Damnit!"

"Peter!" Momo spoke in English as she pivoted, Peter doing the same, as she saw Uraraka running towards the stairs barefoot in the darkened room, her hover boots latched to the ground by Peter's web shots. She readied her hand, calling something before a dark arm appeared from the wall beside her. Kurorio's fist cracks against her chin, and Momo saw stars. She was vaguely aware of Peter jumping over her and calling her name, rushing forward and kicking something but missing when she heard the American nervously laugh.

"Oh that's cool, kinda cheating though," Peter said, his eyes darting around even as his hands went to the walkie talkie "Asui, Pony, you might be getting some shadow dude com-"

Another black fist rushed out, and Peter's head moved an instant before he met the same fate. "Never mind he's here!" Momo shook herself back up, years of recycling information rushing back only to make a messily pole to defend herself with. She charged, sprinting after the brunette in a war cry. She swung wildly at her approaching classmate, a blow that Uraraka tried to touch, but Momo pulled it back for fear of it becoming weightless.

"I can't lose here! Not with my family on the line!" Uraraka clasped her hands together, and avoided Momo's pipe swing as she jumped over the black haired girl, making herself weightless and acquiring better jumping power and out of Momo's reach. Momo felt her heart stop. She was going to get up the stairs!

Only for Uraraka to get pelted by web bullets, going into the wall before several more got her hands and legs.

"Gaaah! Dangit! This is so sticky!" Uraraka whined.

Then Momo heard cursing as she saw Bakugo get pinned by pinpoint webshots due to being temporarily blinded. A panting Peter tagged his mouth with another projectile and sighed.

"There, no more potty mouth from you." He said as Bakugo raged and thrashed, explosions in his hands destroying the webbing and tearing off the web on his mouth. He reached down, only for Peter to shoot him up once again, his arms and legs pinned to the floor. Momo could see Bakugo's forearms twitching violently as he yelled and roared in anger and pain, red eyes alight with tears and murderous fury at the two. Heaves of oxygen came out of his mouth as he panted at them.

"I'll fucking kill you-" He got another web bolt to the mouth. More angry mumbles came out as Peter kept pelting him with web bullets.

"Language Katsuki." Peter admonished. "Chill." That comment got an even bigger enraged reaction. Momo could just barely make out 'mother' in Bakugo's muffled diatribe.

"TEN! NINE! EIGHT!" Came Midnight's voice. That's right… Kuroiro's not here! That means-

"Asui! Shinso!" Momo remembered. "What's your-!" she paused, hearing a familiar scoring ping. She turned towards the stairs, hearing footsteps as the struggling Bakugo and Uraraka looked up, their faces alight from the cracks in the wall

From the stairs, Pony Tsunotori was smiling as she looked up, and Asui Tsuyu hopped beside her, Kurorio Shihai dejected and struggling as he was wrapped around her tongue. Shinso Hitsohi appeared, a great smirk on his visage with his hands in his pockets.

"Already handled." Shinso turned towards Peter as he came up to the busty black haired beauty's side. "Thank you for placing your trust in me, Peter Parker."

"You're welcome," Peter said simply, as if stating the weather smiled while looking at Momo. He could see the stunned faces of Bakugo and Uraraka around him.

"You're that kid from Gen Ed!" The brunette finished with widened eyes.

Bakugo roared in his mouth webbing, tears going down his cheeks as his arms still shook, his body wrapped up in webbing as he writhed like a freshly made cocoon, eyes wide as plate. Yet he was still enraged, saying something at the purple haired boy who smirked his way. Kurorio didn't see to respond, eyes looking blank.

"Hello yourself." Shinso smirked down as he gazed at the astonished Blue Teamers, and the closing siren rang out. "And hello world."

"THE SCORE IS TIED!" Midnight yelled. "That concludes the War of the Flags, with a score of 60-60!" The audience outside the tower roared and Momo let out a sigh of relief, resting against the wall.

"WHAT A PHOTO FINISH FROM OUR ECTOPLASM CAMS! SHINSO OF GENERAL ED CAME THROUGH WITH THE CLUTCH TYING SCORE WITH ASSISTS FROM TSUNOTORI AND ASUI FROM THE HERO COURSE! WHAT A GREAT PERFORMANCE FROM ALL CONTESTANTS INVOLVED!" Present Mic roared over the crowd. "YOU CAN BET ONCE WE HAVE THIS ALL ON OUR DVDS YOU'LL BE ABLE TO CATCH ALL THE ACTION FROM THE VARIOUS CAMERAS WE HAD FROM OUR ECTOPLASM CLONES AND OUR MANY CAMERA ROBOTS!"

"Can you quiet down?"

"WE'LL GO OVER POST-GAME COVERAGE IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE TIEBREAKER MATCH! FOR NOW, LET'S REGROUP, CLEAN UP, AND GET READY FOR THE SUDDEN DEATH TIEBREAKER MATCH! YOU DON'T WANNA MISS THIS FOLKS!"

It was over. They'd gotten away with a tie.

Shinso, the General Education student, walked out to the window and looked out to the stadium seats, humming at the cheers being sent his way. Shrugging his shoulders, he looked back at his team's astonished faces. Casually bringing out his walkie-talkie, he tossed it to Momo, who barely managed to catch it.

"Thanks for this, would have been in deep trouble had it not been for this." Shinso nodded lightly before turning to the Hero Course students. The Ectoplasm clones began to help up the Blue Teamers with Medical Bots on stretchers. Some of them even had first aid kits!

"We would have lost without Momo-san, Hey man, you do you!" Peter said, "You're the one that got us out of this!"

Shinso's eyebrow rose a few notches, "Yeah, your point? I still find it confusing though, Parker."

"I mean, you got us the win! What's got you confused anyway?" Peter asked with a tilt of his head.

"I said I was going to do my own thing and get the flag, yet I only cooperated with you all when I was being chased by Tokage and needed help scaling the tower." He turned towards Pony and Asui. "Thanks for the lift by the way. Wouldn't have gotten up that fast."

"Hey, you were one who got us points. No biggie." Pony beamed, smiling proudly. Asui nodded with a "Ribbit".

"Yet still, you placed your trust in me, without knowing my quirk." Shinso's eyebrow tilted. "Or the scope of my abilities. I'm a General Education student, not a member of the Hero Course." He stared down Peter. "You gambled on me, not even sending back up my way until the moment I called. Why is that?" Momo turned towards her fellow Class Rep, and she agreed with Shinso. Peter did just let Shinso do his own thing. He didn't even inquire of his abilities or what he could do! Granted, he had some kind of power that let him finish in the top 32 of the Obstacle Race, but Shinso Hitsohi was an enigma. For Peter to just trust him on a whim…

"Well… it's because you're a teammate. I trusted you." Peter stated, giving a smile as he walked up to the now stunned boy. "Plus you had this confidence about you and this drive to succeed. Like, you were in it to win badly. Like, I'm sure everyone here does but…" Shinso blinked at him, still silent as Peter realized he was fumbling over his own words. "I trusted my gut…"

"Your trusted your gut." Shinso reiterated. "On me." He said with widened eyes, one of them quirked up in disbelief.

"Yeah so, I let you be you. And in case you needed help." He lifted up his walkie talkie. "You know who to call, which you did and thanks to that. I mean, you made into the war in the first place! You got some super cool power to use! And besides," The American beamed, clapping his hands. "We tied!" He was silent, with Momo quirking an eyebrow. "Okay that sounded a bit lame… But still, you did something cool to let you get Kaminari's flag. You got us the win Shinso!"

"With us to help?" Pony smirked. "I told Asui about Kuroiro's ability when we came in, and Asui's tongue did the rest in grabbing Kuroiro's arm reaching for Mr. Clutch here!" She patted Shinso on the back, and the purple haired boy looked away, cheeks pink.

"How is a tongue that fast?" Kurorio uttered in disbelief, looking at Asui.

"'Huz H'm a Frog. Ribbit" Asui replied matter of fact. "Thanks a ton Shinso-chan." The boy looked as unsure under all of this praise, and Peter suddenly felt a bit nostalgic looking at him. As if looking at a reflection of himself.

Shinso was silent, but he was blushing lightly. "W-Well… I appreciate you all had faith in me. I intended to reward that faith in kind and I did. Still, this doesn't change anything though." He focused his stare back at Peter and Momo as he walked up to them, hands still in pockets. "We're all being judged here, and your fight, Peter Parker, is gonna begin real soon." His eyes were on Peter who nodded.

"I'll take care of it. Thanks for being my Miami-Ray Allen buddy." Peter patted his shoulder, and the purple haired boy almost flinched.

"Ray… Allen? Clutch? Tch, you Hero Course kids..." He muttered in confusion as Peter turned towards Momo.

"You really just trusted him on a whim?" She asked, arms crossed over her chest. Peter shrugged.

"Well, yeah. It turned out for the best right?"

"Maybe we should have asked about all of our teammates quirks back during our prep," Asui suggested with a finger to her chin.

"Well we got the tie." Pony looked back, seeing Uraraka and Kurorio up to their feet and being escorted down the stairs with their shoulders slumped. Bakugo was nowhere to be seen. Then again, the blonde probably was raging in a stretcher, given how the medical bots had one close to him.

And his arms were shaking badly! Hopefully he didn't hurt himself too much!

"So, everyone ok?" Peter asked as Ectoplasm walked up to them.

"If you would all be so kind as to gather in the tunnel to let the arena change. Parker." He focused his gaze on the American. "Your tiebreaker bout with Iida will begin soon. Prepare yourself." Peter closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Okay," He turned towards his comrades, grinning. "Well team, we survived. I'll make sure we advance. Great job. We wouldn't have done it without any one of you."

Pony giggled, grinning. Asui nodded enthusiastically. Shinso was facing away from the group, looking out to the crowd, but the jumbotron showed him offer a small smile as the crowd gave a respectful swell. Momo smiled back at her fellow Deputy as they began to walk out of the ruined ice-glacier'ed smothered building.

"We couldn't have done it without you either, Peter-san." Momo murmured softly under her breath.

Pony's eyes shifted on her, but the Texan said nothing.

(X)

Quite curious.

A redundant choice of words when describing the U.A Sports Festival, Kamihara Shinya, the Ninja Hero Edgeshot, admitted, but they were the words that best described this event nonetheless. Throughout his years as a pro hero, he never once found himself working the security of the Festival, he'd never had that honor. He always found himself working a job tailored to his skill, tracking a target or defending a part of his home district over doing something as menial as security. However, Edgeshot had made a habit of watching the U.A. Sports Festival whenever it was on. Watching the next generation of heroes was his duty as a Top Ten national ranked hero. Unwritten as it might be, the pressure of watching for the next great hero to fill the ranks of the Top Ten was especially severe.

Those apprenticed to the Top Ten were the targets of everyone from villains to their peers. The pressure of an already heavy load would increase exponentially if the Ten chose poorly. So, even as Edgeshot made his rounds, he always had an eye on the screen. For now though, he found himself sitting alone in the break room. With the scheduled break, most of the other heroes were on patrol, he being one of the few 'lucky' ones allowed to view the recaps of the festival.

An interesting bunch, even though U.A. kids always were, but this year especially. Talent was all but dripping off most of them. Impressive use of their quirks, tactical thinking, and even battlefield awareness. Most kept a cool head and made the most of the situations they found themselves in. Others utilized defense mechanisms.

One in particular.

The American foreign transfer student boy, Peter Parker according to the rolling bottom scroll. Every second that he was on screen he was cracking jokes and jumping around during the new War of the Flag's event. Currently, the monitor showed him facing off against three of his peers, two of which obviously excelled in close combat due to their hardening quirks and another provided support with acid if the melting concrete was any indication. Yet the boy handled all three of them with precision and excellence. The boy clearly paid more attention to his surroundings than his joking nature would have you believe. His movements were almost simultaneous with the motions of his attacker without seemingly any input from him.

Hmmm, curious, the monitor said that he was a heteromorphic type possessing the abilities of a spider.

Edgeshot didn't know any spider that could instantly react to attacks from it's blind spots, but perhaps it was simple talent? It would take him far, if he could get his priorities under control.

Maybe it was the nature of the exercise, but he let the boy Bakugo away far too easily. Yes he was relying on his teammates to take him out for him, but from what Edgeshot had seen, he was the fastest of his team, and his maneuverability spoke for itself. Had he engaged Bakugo and taken back his armband, they wouldn't have needed to risk such an act and leave it to chance. Granted, he seemed to have deferred to his teammates, but that sort of margin of error is not something pro heroes in the field will tolerate. It may have helped in the long run of this game, but the fact of the matter was that they were seconds away from losing the match entirely, and in the real world, such a mistake would inevitably cost more than a simple loss in a school game.

Nevertheless, Parker had abilities that was perfect for his agency. Shinya got his phone, sending an email to his recruiting agents to get confirmation from U.A. in order to send a formal email for an internship.

Plus, it helped having what social media and the Pro Heroes message board was calling possibly the next great talent to come from U.A. that was getting comparisons to All Might. Having such a young prodigy will bolster the credibility of his firm and will bring the community that Shinya serves at ease. Who wouldn't want to be immortalized as the mentor of this generational prodigy.

Behind him, the door creaked, and Edgeshot caught the hulking form of the Number 10 hero as he finished sending his email.

"Ah, Gang Orca, already finished with your rounds?"

"For the moment but I have to take my leave," the black behemoth's grovely voice echoed through the room, "My last report went longer than expected."

Edgeshot tensed despite himself, and Sakamata Kuga noticed, his menacing red eyes, while hard, sending a message towards his colleague not to worry himself.

"It's nothing that you need to concern yourself with," Orca said, "A case back home that will require my attention. Focus on your shift after your break."

Edgeshot felt his muscles relax, "Then I wish you the best of luck."

"Thank you." Sakamata replied as he walked over to his locker to collect his belongings. He looked solemn. Shinya made a note to ask around the sister agencies in Hosu, Orca's constituency, on what was going on.

"But moving on to a lighter topic," Edgeshot looked back at the screen, "How do you think the kids did?" He saw Orca look up at the TV, seeing Endeavor's son fire a massive glacier into the tower, followed by highlights of the various students engaging in battle in the streets.

"Hnn. For the most part? Passable."

Edgeshot raised an eyebrow, "Catch something you didn't like?" Sakamata was a man of few words when amongst friends and colleagues. He only went into detail when something of note intrigued him.

"Many things," Orca admitted with closed his eyes, "By all rights, with the quirks available to them, the Blue Team should have taken this in a landslide, even with the Americans contributions."

"Parker or Tsunotori? They're both American."

"Both." Curt as always Sakamata.

"And here I thought it was pretty even throughout the match, even before it started." Shinya stated, gazing up at the screen as he got his thermus out and began to sip on some tea, pulling down his mask.

"Kamihara, you're giving them both too much credit. The Blue Team was the objective favorites, and they ended up tying," the aquatic-themed hero said, taking a chair, causing the metal to groan under his weight. "The Bakugo boy has a powerful quirk, but he was hyper-focused. He charged in with only a handful of backup as if he expected to steamroll the entire team by himself. The Red Team had more chemistry as the war progressed, with that Yaoyorozu girl making those comm units. To charge in blindly…" Orca narrowed his eyes. Shinya didn' feel intimidated, but he can see why his colleague was voted in the magazines as a top candidate for "Most Villainous Looking Hero."

It was a title Sakamata loathed to the core.

"Is foolishness of the highest order."

"I can think of a few times All Might did the same thing," Edgeshot argued with a shrug.

Orca begrudgingly shrugged, "Hnn. Be that as it may, the tactic was more suited to the son of Endeavor than him. He at the very least is capable of overextending his quirk without harming himself, if what I've seen is any indication."

"By the end Endeavor's kid didn't fire his ice as fast as in the beginning, and he still didn't seem to use his father's fire. Still," Edgeshot started, watching the purple haired boy that tied the match sneak around the rocky areas of the enemy side. "The rest of the teams performed admirably." To do so without a stealthy quirk in particular… He will need to tell his scouting departmenting about that General Ed kid. This Shinso Hitoshi.

Parker took precedence. He was just that good.

"The pressure of protecting the bands and appearing valuable to the judges hindered some," Orca said bluntly, "With the support girl's quirk, they should've seen any possible assaults coming from fields away. The Red Team were too cautious. Abrasive as Bakugo and Todoroki might be, an all-out assault from the Blue Team might've proven effective had they done something to prepare with the time that they did. They could have sent more capable attackers, even if it meant risking their Silver Knights."

"Nothing ventured nothing gained huh?" Shinya mused.

"Being a hero is a risky job in of itself." Sakamata got out his phone, looking down. "You can't complete your goals or serve your community without making gambles. The Blue Team was too chaotic, and the Red Team too cautious and tentative, even with their comm units."

Edgeshot nodded, the Blue Team looked more than a little on edge during the initial stages of the war. There was no audio, but the visuals painted a good enough picture of what planning with certain members must've been like. Bakugo roaring at the Monoma kid who turned out naked being the highlight as the other students looked flummoxed.

"Yet, even with the advantage of communication, the Red Team couldn't keep their bands protected." Highlights of Todoroki defeating Tsunotori and Sato played, along with Bakugo being able to thwart Midoriya and Honenuki at the cost of giving up the red Golden Band.

"A clever use of the Yaoyorozu's quirk, but inefficient." Orca growled as he pocketed his phone. "Had she made counters to her members' weaknesses or additional escape options instead of focusing on traps in her building and that paintball arsenal of her's the Red Team's groups might've been able to keep all of their bands. I know of several tactics they could use."

"I seem to remember her utilizing powder to stop Bakugo," Edgeshot pointed out. "Plus they are children. Not pros."

"A smart trap and ploy yes, but she didn't trap the stairs leading to the Red King. That's on her." Orca countered, "Even when the Silver Knights were arguably more important than the King's band. Parker's abilities meant taking his band meant unleashing him on the battlefield. The Blue Team should have focused entirely on the Silver Knights and wittle them down, leaving their King helpless."

"Death by a thousand cuts over a one sure kill?" Shinya mused with a raised eyebrow as he took one more sip of his tea, capping his thermus.

"You saw what happened when Parker was unleashed. If that boy took the game more seriously, he would have been able to maybe get Todoroki's band and get the winning score." Sakamata closed his locker. "I doubt he would have matched well with the Blue Team. Their king had a straight line from their fortress to the Red Tower. Unleashing him would have been as bad as Parker." Orca's voice lowered, his eyes looking to the ground as he removed his security badge.

Edgeshot shrugged, it was fair enough reasoning. However, there was another, more interesting question that was eating at the ninja-themed hero.

"Any of them catch your eye? Before you go?"

The huge man hummed, a black finger scratching his chin, red eyes looking to the side in thought.

"Many have potential, the two members of the Red Team who spent the majority relaying the positions of the Blue Team seemed competent enough, Yaoyorozu and Jirou that is. Parker goes without saying. Midoriya and Honenuki seem decent. Although they should've played a more active role far sooner than they decided to. Yourself?"

Edgeshot hummed for a moment, "The general studies boy that tied the match, and the invisible girl were capable of getting through the enemy camps without being detected rather well."

"You're recruiting Parker too aren't you."

Edgeshot's head snapped to Orca. The Killer Whale Hero gave a soft chuckle.

"Well… how can I not!"

"You and everyone else who is going to flood U.A.'s email inboxes."

Orca nodded, gesturing to the screen showing the purplette. Sure enough, the information had him listed as just a member of the general education division of U.A with a brainwashing quirk. How did he slip through the cracks?

"A shame for that Shinso, he might've done well in the Hero Course," Orca said "He might still if they have any sense and replace any fools." He adjusted his tie. "In any case, I need to get going."

Edgeshot shrugged, "Does Nezu know?"

"Already informed him that I'm going to Hosu on my way back to Kureito…" He looked up at the screen, red eyes softening at the sight of Iida Tenya as he was talking with some of his Blue comrades. "Take care Kamihara." The massive pro lumbered out of the break room, closing the door as Edgeshot looked up at the screen, seeing the arena being cleaned up.

All of the students were treated for and in the west and east tunnels, and the giant field of buildings and boulders began to sink into the earth as the stadium rumbled. The arena faded into darkness dozens of meters underground, and rising up was a new concrete square of sorts.

(X)

Out on the field, Cementoss was at work; shaping streams of liquid concrete into a pristine new arena. On the field around it, the last of the contestants were being freed from Todoroki's ice, or carried away on stretchers. Soon, all would be ready for the next round.

But what would that involve?

"All right! Listen up!" It was Midnight, once again taking centre-stage. Clearly the organisers were in no mood to waste time. "Our tie-breaker event will be a Sudden Deathmatch between the two Kings: Peter Parker and Iida Tenya"

Peter gulped, and glanced at Tenya. The other boy did not look back, his eyes fixed on Midnight, and the screen behind her. The faces of both Peter and Tenya appeared on screen, with a big VS. sign in between.

"Here is a refresher for this tie-breaker event! The rules of this deathmatch are nice and simple!" Midnight went on. "If you cannot continue, or get knocked unconscious, or step outside the arena, it's over!"

Simple indeed. Peter might have been grateful, if he wasn't so worried over having to fight Tenya. He liked his Class Secretary, and even if he hadn't, Iida had proven himself both capable and tenacious during the race. This wouldn't be easy, since the Iidas come from a long line of heroes. Combat must be second nature to them.

"And a little something else!" Midnight shot them a rather unsettling smirk. "Whichever King wins, his team gets bonus points! So cheer for your King, all you middle-ranking contestants! Your chance to advance lies with him!"

Great. Just great.

Peter almost wilted as he saw - no, felt - his teammates' eyes upon him. Some of them were glowing.

"You can do it Peter!" Pony bounced on her hooves, flashing him a bright smile.

"Yes..." growled Juzo, his seemingly pleasant smile ruined by the look in his eyes. "He will bring us bonus points...if he knows what's good for him."

"Quit that right now," Tokoyami interjected. "Fix your own problems before you complain. I didn't see much of you during this war."

"Same goes for you buddy." Honenuki Juzo's slitted eyes glared back at Tokoyami. "You just stayed back in the Red Tower acting all cozy while I had to do the dirty work! " He showed his cut up hands as proof.

"From your own classmate no less." Tokoyami rolled his eyes. Izuku stepped in between the two, seeing a majority of the Red Attack Team in stretchers with blankets on them.

"Guy's that's enough. Let's focus on cheering on Parker-san." He said, and his eyes were back on the American boy.

"He's right," Momo cut in. She turned to Peter and shot him a reserved, but pleasant smile. "Give it your all, Parker-san."

Peter looked over towards the arena. Cementoss had finished, and Tenya was on his way up there, his teammates shouting encouragement as they headed for the nearest tunnel.

"Thanks. I will."

He gave Momo and awkward thumbs up, then strode towards the arena. As he reached the floor, the concrete still warm under his feet, Iida was waiting there; his face grim.

"I will act as ringside referee, both myself and Midnight will oversee the match and we will intervene if it gets too far." Cementoss raised a hand, looking at the two students. "Do you have any questions?"

"None." Tenya stated.

"Likewise, thanks teach." Peter nodded, and the block-looking Hero nodded back in turn, walking back to his chair by ringside, leaving the two in the arena.

"ALRIGHT EVERYBODY! LET ME HEAR YA SAY HEEEEY!" Present Mic shouted over the stadium, and the audience roared in approval and anticipation. "NOW THAT'S AN AUDIENCE! NOW, WE BEGIN WITH WHAT IS THE OUTCOME OF MANY AMAZING FIGHTS TO COME IN THE TOURNAMENT! INTRODUCING FROM THE BLUE TEAM, FROM HERO CLASS 1-A AS CLASS SECRETARY, HE COMES FROM A LONG LINE OF HEROES! YOU ALMOST HAS TO ASK, WHO 'ISN'T' A HERO AND BEARS THE IIDA NAME! THE ALWAYS SERIOUS, STUDIOUS AND PROTOCOLICIOUS! IIDA TENYA!"

Tenya didn't flinch during Present Mic's hype up.

"AAANND INTRODUCING FROM THE RED TEAM! COMING FROM WAY OF QUEENS, NEW YORK CITY, US OF A! HE IS A FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENT WHO TOOK U.A. BY STORM! HE IS THE TALK OF THE SCHOOL, YET LOOKS LIKE HE'S SO HUMBLE, NERDY, AND BASHFUL LIKE THAT BOY NEXT DOOR! HE HAS TAKEN THIS SPORTS FESTIVAL BY THE HORNS, PUTTING UP NUMBERS NOT SEEN SINCE OUR GREAT ALL MIGHT HIMSELF HAS WALKED IN THESE HALLS! IF YOU DON'T KNOW HIM, YOU'LL KNOW HIM SOON ENOUGH FOLKS! HE'S THE WEB SLINGING, WALL CRAWLING, SPIDER MAN'NING CLASS REPRESENTATIVE OF HERO COURSE CLASS 1-A! PETER PARKEEEEER!" The audience roared, and Peter waved, letting out a light laugh. Did Present Mic have to go… that far?

Good god… all these eyes on him. IT was different back in class but… he felt more at ease in the race and the war when it was more chaotic. Now, with this being so organized? It felt so… suffocating.

Think… Mr. Stark would just smile and wave. Yeah! Just do that! And maybe invest in a pair of sunglasses… Mr. Stark always had extra copies.

He turned towards Tenya, taking a deep breath. "Well, guess we have to fight, huh," Peter mused awkwardly.

To be fair, he really didn't want to have to do this. He had known all along that he might have to fight a friend, but not so soon as this! He wasn't ready! He hadn't had time to prepare himself!

"Yes, it is so," replied Tenya. "I cannot deny my teammates a better chance at the finals. Nor can I embarrass the Iida name by losing so soon. Know, Parker-san, that I will fight you to the best of my ability. Much like with Midoriya, ever since we have met I have always lost to you. That is why… I will win, and make my family proud."

He looked Peter straight in the eye. Peter realised that he wasn't half as intimidated as he thought he would be. Tenya didn't look at him with the hateful eyes of Bakugo or the coldness of Todoroki or the smug arrogance of Monoma. It was with respect.

"I won't hold back either," he said. "My teammates are depending on me too. And...I can't let them down, not now."

For a moment he saw something in Iida's eye; something like surprise, or curiosity. Then it was gone.

"Then let us act in the way of honor, and behave like true heroes." Tenya drew himself up. "Peter Parker, show me the noble strength that brought you this far!"

At first, Peter felt silly. Who actually said things like that?

But of course, in a world like this, one should say things like that.

"Fine!" he declared. "I will!" He got his hands up, and legs spread.

Tenya knelt down, hands to the ground in a sprinter's position, eyes focused keen on the American.

"Our contestants are ready!" Midnight raised her whip. "Let this climax of the War of the Flags come to a close! King's Deathmatch!" She brought it down, and the flames erupted behind Peter and Tenya at the corners of the ring.

"Begin!"

(X)

Tenya knew from the beginning, when he entered this arena… that from pure skill and talent, in conjunction with power, Peter Parker was his better in all but a straight forward sprint. Power. Flexibility under pressure. Reflexes. He saw it in action back in the Battle Trial and while watching the Jumbotron during the war.

He will not last in a long fight. By long, Tenya knew in ten seconds, Parker could beat him. Kirishima and Tetsutetsu were only able to last longer than a single punch in part due to the nature of their quirks. Todoroki however, whenever he was struck by Parker, that would end the fight between them. In every engagement he has seen.

In order to win… he needs to win it in an instant! To go Plus Ultra from the start! To catch him off guard!

"Recipro Burst!" His engines fired like rockets behind him.

Tenya went off, charging towards him and closing the distance within the blink of an eye. Peter's eyes widened as he brought up his arms to defend but even his reactions were to slow in the face of the IIda family legacy.

Yes! This was it!

He tackled Peter, and charged forward towards the edge of the arena, Peter in his arms. Now to throw him out! Just one more second.

'Watch me Brother! I will claim victory!'

Tenya roared his determination, using everything he had. Every step sped him faster and faster, and right before he had to stop, he threw Parker with all he had just as his engines stalled. The negative effect of using his family's Quirk-based technique. Recipro Burst gave him breakneck speed to cross hundred meter distances in a flash, but it made the engines in his ankles peter out, forcing him to rest in order to recover.

However, that only mattered if the match could be decided in an instant. The longest Tenya could manage in a single go was around ten seconds. Pushing himself further, he could shorten the time to increase the overall speed. A risky maneuver, one he could barely keep track of. Yet there were heights that he needed to climb, and Parker wouldn't be beaten with anything else.

With the increase in speed, Parker looked like he received a hit from a bullet train. Tenya could see the surprise and the pain flash across the american's face. He saw him grit hit teeth and midair fire a line of webbing. The arena ledge was meters away!

Then Peter pulled.

His momentum from Tenya's throw dropped to nothing and gravity took hold. But not before his action pulled Tenya off the arena. The legacy of IIda hit the ground right as Parker did, and both boys could hear everyone catch their breath as they skidded on the ground before coming to a stop.

They all looked to the jumbotron, a frame by frame video playing for the world to see. Inch by inch, the webbing pulled him forward.

And there, right at the end, Tenya hit the ground, a single frame before Parker.

He lost.

"Iida Tenya was the first out of bounds!" Midnight declared. "The winner by Ring Out, is the Red King: Peter Parker!" She raised her whip, and red fireworks blossomed across the stadium.

"WHOOOOOOA! NOW THAT WAS FAST! LIKE A DUEL BETWEEN MASTER SAMURAI THE FIGHT IS OVER IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE! HOPE NO ONE HAD TO GO GET SOME REFRESHMENTS! IIDA ALMOST HAD A RING OUT BUT PARKER TURNED THE ROPES ON HIM AND PEGGED HIM WITH WEBBING! HELL, YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED ALL OF THIS IF YOU EVEN SNEEZED!"

"I doubt a sneeze would cause you to miss that much."

Tenya gasped and growled as he struggled, before sighing as the realization dawned on him. Even with Recipro Burst and even catching Parker by surprise… it wasn't enough. He closed his eyes… his team has lost. He looked like a fool in front of his famil-

"Hey man, okay?" Parker spoke, his body blocking out the sun giving the Class Secretary shade. He knelt down, checking in on the blue haired boy.

"I-I'm fine Parker-san, thank you."

Parker shrugged, holding out a hand.

"But dude that was so awesome! You like zoomed off and all the sudden I'm being tackled like a running back! Thought throwing a web line was worth a try but man!" He laughed. "I didn't even know your legs could do that at that power output! Couldn't even see a thing! Why didn't you tell me you had a built in hyperdrive!?"

Tenya looked at his chest, and couldn't help but give a rueful chuckle as he took it, and the shorter American boy helped him to his feet. His calves were killing him, but the pain will subside when he gets some rest and ice to cool down his motors. Standing side by side, Peter took his hand and raised it… above his own head! The crowd seemed to roar and applause rang out at the show of good sportsmanship.

"With any luck we'll see each other in the next round Iida." Parker grinned, patting his shoulder. Tenya had a soft smile as he nodded.

"Yes, you're right. But the next time we meet, I won't lose again!" Parker chuckled, and shook Tenya's hand as the fireworks continued to launch.

"Bring it on buddy." The two peers smiled as their grips tightened under the sun, respect blossoming like the fireworks overhead.

(X)

"AND THERE YOU HAVE IT FOLKS, THE RESULTS ARE IN, THE KINGS HAVE CLASHED AND THE RED TEAM HAS WON THE DAY!!!" Mic screamed at the top of his lungs.

Shouta didn't know how his eardrums managed to remain intact being so close to his colleague. He made a note to check with Recovery Girl later just in case there was any lasting damage. Going back to his job, his tired eyes watched Parker as he helped Tenya to his feet, much to the appreciation of the crowd. The two boys were living in the moment, smiling and waving, playing the crowd and their peers as they should. Knowing how to interact with the public was half the battle, and from what he'd shown so far, Parker was probably going to crash the U.A servers with his offers. God help the Teacher Aide's who checked the email if the boy got any further in the tournament. God help him if he had to listen to another one of the boys quips, to which he said loads during the war…

The tired eyed teacher glanced at the schedule for the festival. With the "Random" events finished, all that was left was the tournament. A simple one on one fight for the entertainment of the masses. Shouta never really understood it himself, but there was something about a fight that brought people together to watch. Maybe it was the primal part of our brains that loved to see one guy hit another, but it was basically the biggest reason that Heroes and civilians alike watched this show. As impressive as the obstacle course is, and how demanding the second event might be, it was the tournament that gave people the clearest picture of what the students could do. The other two events, everything was flying around, distracting them.

Now? There was nothing on the stage but two students and their quirks.

During his tenure at U.A, Shouta always remembered opting out of this portion, if ever he managed to get this far. He was better suited to underground quirks, so broadcasting his quirk to the world would've only made problems for him back then. Gave him an edge that he needed for the first couple of years, then word got around and things became difficult. Then again, most heroes have to live with that reality and it gave villains an edge for sure.

He was thankful that the man that recruited him back when he was a first year noticed Shouta's decision and actions in the prior two events. He probably wouldn't even be here if it weren't for him.

Back to the event of his making, The War of the Flags, he insisted that the tiebreaker for the War of Flags had to be a mock battle. Both kings got through to the final round, after showing all of their peers exactly what they were bringing to the table come the rounds. If they were smart, the students were already thinking of contingency plans for the former kings. Off the top of his head, he could see Midoryia already going through that notebook of his. Yaoyorozu probably started making a laundry list of things to counter the two. Bakugo however, he'd be thinking of ways to give him distance. For all his bluster, kid was smart. If he knew his stuff, he'd use his blast to knock either of the two out of the ring before they could close the distance.

He began to think and reminisce on the war itself…

The Red Team had the best chemistry, had communication all across the field, yet were only able to tie thanks to luck and mistakes made by the Blue Team. Peter should never have been on the ledge to expose himself to the enemy like that, as within the center of his King's Ring atop of the seven story building was his best chance of defense. When Bakugo freed him and was unable to get his band, Parker was a battlefield changer, able to sling across with amazing speed and mobility. To say nothing of his power when it came to shattering Todoroki's ice like plaster. Yet he still bumbled, joked, and quipped with both the enemy and his allies alike, and it infuriated Shouta to his core.

He was so serious during the Race. He showed the ceiling of what he could be if he focused, blocked all outside noise. Someone who can be the pinnacle of this generation for heroes.

Yet during the war, he ran around like damn headless chicken. All that potential and promise, yet Parker displayed so much flaws and indecisiveness there that became evident when he fought Iida in the tiebreaker.

Yaoyorozu was instrumental, providing defense and utility. Asui was the sole reason why the Red Team didn't get eliminated. Midoriya was decent in running point. Although their contributions were late, Sato and Tsunotori did a good job in giving the Red Team life in the closing minute: Sato with his assault on Todoroki with Midoriya and Ojiro, and Tsunotori for helping Shinso up the Red Tower towards Asui with the tying band.

Jirou herself stood out amongst the Red Attackers however. The Class B boys were pretty mindless and straight forward, acting in accordance to the plans but doing little of value. The Blue Attackers minus Bakugo and Todoroki would have been handled by Yaoyorozu and Tokoyami if they had infiltrated the tower. Shoji did decent in recon, but he was foolish to join the Attack Squad when he would have been more valuable with defense and support like Honenuki.

With the Blue Team, Shouta had a feeling that Vlad was going to be over the moon. Along with amazing showings from Tsunotori in the Red Team, Kendo and Shiozaki were extraordinary, as was Tokage. The fact that Kendo managed to salvage her team to make an incredible fortress using Uraraka and Shiozaki's quirk, combined with her and Tokage running communication with Hatsume's limited comm units, she did a great job in managing the personalities. It was a shame she was lured by Tokage who fell victim to Shinso's quirk, otherwise she could have been an X-Factor in the final push by the Blue Team to stop the General Ed student. Hell, she could have gotten the game changing defense with her adapting to Hatsume's support gear like fish to water. Shiozaki herself excelled in her role as defender, although the girl may need some coaxing out of her pacifistic shell.

Sero and Kaminari were idiots. Sero's move in cutting off a flank of the Blue Team was good in principal, but it was a useless time waster. He would have been key in helping with the defense of the Blue King's Ring or acting in a utility or support role. Better yet, he should have stuck with Kaminari to prevent Kaminari's band from being taken. All he did was almost costing his team a victory instead of a tie. Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Thankfully Hatsume pulled his ass from the fire. Sero's quirk and mobility had promise, and he showed his skills and how his practicing at the Battle Centers had paid off, but the boy will need to sharpen his mind when in the field.

Kirishima was foolhardy, rushing in the Blue Attackers when he was a Silver Knight. While Aizawa knew that being a Silver Knight meant that the most mobile and powerful quirks were limited, and that some had to take the initiative, none on the Red Team so much as crossed the halfway line unless out of necessity: case in point, Midoriya and Asui stopping Bakugo and retrieving the Gold band at the cost of Midoriya's silver. But in the front from the beginning and leaving himself exposed, trapped, and eventually beaten multiple times? He will need to learn strategy over the summer. As will Ashido, who seems to follow his lead too often.

And then there is Bakugo and Todoroki, and it made Shouta sigh in frustration.

Those two alone would have won this war for the Blue Team if they put aside their egos and worked as a team in order to win, but it was clear they had grudges to sate. To take down the Ace of Class 1-A.

This war was meant to show a sign of competitive and cooperative spirit, not degrade down to a dick measuring contest. Which was as infuriating as Parker's personality given how powerful Todoroki and Bakugo were and how instrumental they were to the Blue Team. They were the only point scorers, and had they done the smartest thing and go over the Red Team's Silver Knights and not unleash Parker, the Blue Team would have won this handily.

Still, this war gave him plenty of clues of how he improve his students. He felt proud in the efforts they gave, but they all needed to improve aside from a few. As a teacher, he felt content but was left wanting more. Then again, these are First Years and he has room to work with.

Course that was only a possibility if they came to blows. He heard a ding, and glanced down at the center icon with Hizashi.

The judge's results. Nezu and the others got done fast it seems.

"ALRIGHT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEATS, BUT WAIT NO MORE! DEAR LISTENERS MARK YOUR HISTORY BOOKS CAUSE THESE ARE THE COMPETITORS ADVANCING TO THE NEXT ROUND!"

"You could've just said the names," Shouta drawled.

"EACH CONTESTANT WAS RANKED ON SHOWINGS, HELPFULNESS OF THE TEAM, IMPACT TO THE WAR, AND FINALLY THEIR HEROIC ACTS! LETS TAKE A LOOK AT THE CHARTS AND SEE OUR COMPETITORS!"

Shouta and seemingly a thousand people all turned to the jumbotron. The massive screen cycled through the names for way to long. Playing the crowd no doubt, and wasting time while doing it. But alas, Shouta wasn't allowed to many decisions when it came to the theatrics of the festival. Something about not being able to set the mood, whatever that meant.

Anyway, the images on screen finally slowed to stop, displaying the names of the competitors as well as their positions in seemingly random order.

Peter Parker.

Iida Tenya.

Bakugo Katsuki.

Todoroki Shoto.

Yaoyorozu Momo.

Midoriya Izuku.

Kendo Itsuka.

Shiozaki Ibara.

Pony Tsunotori.

Asui Tsuyu.

Jirou Kyoka.

Tokoyami Fumikage .

Tokage Setsuna.

Hatsume Mei.

Sato Rikido.

Shinso Hitoshi.

The sight of the names were enough to send the crowd into a roaring cheer. Far, far too loud as normal, but Shouta slumped in his seat and bore with it.

Cause it was only going to get worse.

"AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! OUR WONDERFUL 16 COMPETITORS THAT WILL TAKE THIS FESTIVAL STRAIGHT INTO PLUS ULTRA! BUT THOSE WHO DIDN'T MAKE IT, DON'T YOU FRET WE'VE GOT A SPECIAL EVENT PLANNED FOR EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU! PLEASE HEAD IN FOR THE BREAK AND WHEN WE RETURN, OUR RUFF AND ROARING COMPETITORS WILL DRAW LOTS AND GET THIS PARTY STARTED BUT UNTIL THEN A WORD FROM OUR SPONSORS! AND A ONE HOUR LUNCH BREAK BEFORE OUR SPECIAL EVENT, AND THEN THE TOURNAMENT!!"

"I don't think they heard you." Shouta muttered.

Hizashi came back with another radio friendly remark, but Shouta turned him out, as he always did a lot back since their high school days. He had better things to do than listen to him go off, like taking a look at the list for example. At first glance, he didn't have any many complaints about who was allowed into the final round. Their showings in the war as well as the obstacle course spoke for themselves. Still, he was surprised that Honenuki got left out while Sato got in. Perhaps the judges saw Honenuki's body language towards Parker afterward while they took into account Sato had defended Pony when Todoroki attacked them, along with Sato being the difference between the Blue Team tying and the Red Tower being smothered again in a giant mountain-sized glacier.

Some would probably be hoping for the luck of the draw, have the powerhouses take eachother down and leave them tired for the next round. Endurance was always a challenge for most heroes, fights could go on for hours, or even days sometimes.

That being said, they couldn't just hope for the best when chances were high that they would be going against the powerhouses of the year. Bakugo, Todoroki, Parker. Those three are going to be nightmares no matter who they fought even if they fought one another. Hopefully whatever reservations the students had about fighting more powerful foes was kicked out of them back at the USJ. Horrible as it was, some of them needed to know that they can't just run from those more powerful than them.

Shouta reached instinctively for his sleeping bag with his good hand.

"Hey Eraser, you gonna get some food?" Hizashi asked with a big grin. Shouta was already in his super comfortable sleeping bag. He noticed Todoroki, sullen and grim faced approaching Midoriya. Curious…

But for now.

"Too bad. Taking a nap." Shouta let himself fall down, his sleeping bag cushioning his fall. Thank god for Detnerat for making these. He didn't feel a jolt of pain through his body as he landed like a pillow. He closed his eyes, and tuned out Hizashi's whining as he let sleep take him.

Maybe instead of War of the Flags, next year it will be Battle of the Bands, more he thought of it...

(X)

Heading back into the arena from the stands, Izuku couldn't stop shaking. He'd made it. The boy who a year ago didn't even have a quirk was competing with the best of the best and making it all the way to the final round. Just like All Might told him to do, he was telling the world that he was here!

Though his heart went out to those that didn't make it. The greatest stage that a young hero could ask for, and the best chance to show what they could do was denied from them. They were probably devastated.

"Aw man, I was really looking forward to showing off. Yaomomo got me good..."

Izuku blinked once, twice at Uraraka's almost lazyfair reaction to not being chosen.

"U-Uraraka, you're okay with this?" he meekly asked.

The round faced girl shrugged, "I mean yeah I'm upset." She then straighted up, beaming. "But hey, there's always next year! Besides, I'd like to think I did a good job," she said, smiling confidently. "I'll have to work extra harder in the Non-Finals event!"

"Yeah it's a bit of a bummer." A new voice said.

The two of them glanced over to find Kirishima lazily walking towards them, resting his arms behind his head. He then grinned. "But hey, you gotta admit, this is going to be an awesome tournament! You kicked ass out there Midoriya."

Izuku shrank from the praise. "W-well I only did my best."

"You shouldn't be so down, Midoryia-chan," Asui added, coming up from behind, "You clearly did well if the judges thought you deserved to go forward so you did."

"Honestly I'm kinda mad! Iida-kun was hiding that secret move from us for so long!" Uraraka said, mimicking the boys running form, albeit quite poorly.

"Aren't you supposed to keep those things a secret though?" Sato questioned, Kaminari dumbly nodding his head from his overcharge.

"Midoriya."

Izuku stopped immediately. He, along with a few others glanced around them to see Todoroki leaning against the wall. The duel quirk boy ignored everyone there, his gaze solely on the secret successor, arms crossed. Izuku bit his lip.

"T-Todoroki, did you need something?" he asked.

"Yes, a word. We have something we need to talk about. Have a minute?"

(X)

It was just them now. Standing in a hallway deep in the stadium leading to the outside. Before him, leaning against the wall was a stoic Todoroki Shoto.

Izuku bit the inside of his cheek in nervousness. Todoroki asked him if he wanted to talk, and he obliged. After all, this was all just a game in the end, and the hostility Todoroki had before during the War was gone.

"So, you wanted a minute? You got it." Izuku asked, willing to hear his classmate out. He was silent, eyes boring into him. "Ummm… we should hurry it up. Like, the kiosks and vendors will be getting huge lines before long and-"

Todoroki's brown and green eyes hardened into a glare, and Izuku clammed up. His eyes were the same, if not worse than back during the War. Yet it wasn't annoyance as it was anger… yet the anger wasn't directly at him, as Kacchan's normal daily rantings and fury seemed to be filled of.

Kacchan's anger was like a raging bonfire. Todoroki a biting blizzard.

"You fought well. You and Parker… you overwhelmed me." Todoroki spoke, hands in pockets. "You both were so strong… you made me break my vow." Izuku perked up, first heart skipping at the praise but then his logical side picked up how Todoroki had… a vow?

That's right… Todoroki never used his left side during the war willingly. That would have made him even more powerful had he used it, but he didn't…

In fact, he's never seen him used it.

From what the green haired boy saw in the highlights leaving the stadium and on the TVs in the hallways, Parker forced Todoroki to use his left side as a defensive measure when he was taking Sato and Tsunotori's flags.

"You've heard it too, don't you?" Todoroki asked, looking at his left hand. "How the people in the stands were comparing Parker to All Might." Izuku gulped, ignoring the suddenly growing pit in his stomach.

How could he not. The one who helped him control his quirk. Someone who called him cool and was willing to help him and even give him points to get into U.A. Someone who he was more than happy to call a friend was the closest to being All Might, more than he, Midoriya Izuku. All Might's true successor. Parker didn't even have One For All or a flashy and noticeable quirk and yet… he was able to do so many incredible things! All while joking around too!

"When we faced off before the Red Tower… the same threat and pressure I felt from Parker, I felt it from you as well." Todoroki looked back at Izuku. "So, I have to ask you a question."

A question? What kind of question? Izuku's mind ran rampant? What could he be wanting to ask? Oh no… did he figure it out?! He's only told Kacchan and even then Kacchan didn't believe him! Did Todoroki overhear back then?! Oh no what has he done!

"Have you been training with Parker, and under All Might as well with him?"

Wait….

That's it?! Izuku was floored. Well… he's not half wrong! Well, more like a quarter wrong! Izuku stammered as he waved his hands.

"W-Well to be truthful me and Parker-san have trained a little bit! H-He helped me control my Quirk!" Izuku declared, trying to calm himself as Todoroki's eyes narrowed. "And for the second part… no n-not at all! I mean, All Might is an amazing hero! I'm sure he doesn't have the time to waste on me!" God he sounded so lame! Lying is not his strong suit!

He's… never asked why All Might decided to teach in U.A. His original answer was so that he can find a successor. Was…

Izuku's eyes widened. Was Parker his intended successor before he met him? No, that wouldn't make sense. Parker is incredible as a hero in training. Yet… he also had taken part in a vigilante incident during Mt. Lady's debut.

His eyes looked to the side, the gears in his head moving as he had a hand to his chin in thought. "You see it then?" Todoroki asked, picking up. "I'm not saying he's All Might's bastard child, but there is a connection. The Symbol of Peace is getting up there in years… so what better than to train a successor at the place he first began to be a hero." He asked, eyes staring directly into the green haired boy..

Izuku looked back, doing his utmost not to look nervous. Which was looking terrible given how the red-white haired boy rolled his eyes. "Still, even if All Might trained Parker, I will beat him, as I will beat you Midoriya. I can tell you've spoken some matter of truth, but I have the feeling you're still hiding something from me." He leaned back against the wall. "You know of my old man right? Endeavor?"

"How could I not. He's the Number Two Hero in Japan. The Flame Hero." Izuku could tell that Todoroki bristled by the movement of his lip.

"Top ten worldwide." Todoroki added. "But, let's stick to national rankings. The fact that you and Parker may have connections to the Number One Hero, and me to the Number Two. Well." He shrugged. "All the more reason to defeat you." He looked to the side, eyes narrowed. "My old man has gone all out to make a name for himself as a Hero. Fame. Wealth. Status. He has all of this, gunning for the top spot but All Might's denied him time and again. Then he had an epiphany you see. That he can't beat the Number One Hero on his own, so he came up with a plan." He took a deep breath, running a hand through his hand.

"What plan?" Izuku asked. "Why are you telling me all of this Todoroki?" This was all so out of the blue… Connections to Parker and speaking of his father… What was his endgame here? The Ice user exhaled.

"You've heard of Quirk Marriages? Right?" Todoroki asked and Izuku perked up.

"Yeah." Izuku nodded, face looking grim. "During the second generation of the age of Quirks, they were springing up like crazy. Strong people would force a partner into a marriage whether they liked it or not, all for the purpose of…" He paused, trailing off as he put the picture together. Todoroki has Ice powers and Fire powers. Which means…

"Making stronger offspring from the combined Quirks of the parents. Like me." Todoroki muttered darkly. "My mother's family was chained in gambling debts. My grandpa on that side wasn't exactly the smartest tool in the shed, and low and behold like a knight in shining armor." He sneered. "Dear old dad comes in with a deal." He spoke that term like a curse. "Marry a certain daughter, and he pays off the debts and gives them luxury and wealth enough to last a generation and change." He glared at the ground. "They jumped on it, throwing their daughter to an unloving marriage all for familial piety and to get out from their own mistakes." Todoroki looked back up at Izuku. "All that trouble, just to get his hands on my mother's quirk." He bared his teeth, looking back to the ground as he had a hand go up to his scarred face. "He raised me to be a hero to surpass and beat All Might, all because he couldn't he tries to do so by using me.

"I hate it!" The white-red haired youth ranted. "I'm not his son! I'm only his tool for his damn ambitions!" He calmed down, taking a deep breath. "I… I still remember her. Mom's crying…" Izuku's heart clenched, his blood going cold the more he's heard Todoroki vent to him. Has… has he had no one to vent this to? No adults? No siblings? "She said… 'That left side of yours… I can't stand it'..." He removed his hand, showing his burned scar making on his face. "Before dumping scalding water on my face."

Izuku's jaw dropped. How… how awful…

"In short, the plan was for me to never use my left side. To be a hero using only my right, to spite that monster who calls me his father." Todoroki Shoto looked up, eyes burning with a controlled and focused rage. "I will deny him the pleasure of trying to live through me, and I will get to the top using only my Ice. And yet, both you and Peter Parker made me break that vow out of instinct." He scoffed. "I bet he's laughing right now… but no more. Those times were just aberrations." He focused his glare on the boy.

Izuku almost wilted under the glare, but more than that the story Todoroki had just laid over him.

That kind of mentality, that toxicity... it wasn't right.

"Todoroki." Izuku spoke out, and the ice user paused. Izuku was shaking, biting his lip.

The words he spoke, along with the manner...

A part of him understood, yet he couldn't fathom what it must have been like. The second most popular hero in all of Japan, doing something like that to his own family, just to see All Might taken off the Number One spot.

But this... none of it was right.

The sound of Present Mic's voice filtered through the hallways, the cheers of the crowd roaring in approval following it, cutting in before Izuku had anything to say as the green haired boy couldn't find the words. Todoroki finally looked away from the real Successor.

"It sounds like they've cleared the field." He finally said before turning back to him, eyes as hard as steel as he bore into the green haired boy. "Midoriya Izuku. You're strong. You keep getting stronger too, I admit that." Izuku eyes widened, heart skipping. "That's why I want to beat you… and beat the best in this class. Peter Parker. I will surpass you both. Don't you forget that."

With those chilling words the boy started to wander off, leaving a silent Izuku in the stadium hallway.