HAPPY BIRTHDAY IZUKU AND TOGATAAA! —even though this update is late... aha, sorry about that..

Izuku broke out into a cold sweat when the blade of ice stopped between his eyes. He let out a shuddering breath and turned back to look at the arena where Todoroki and Sero were. Sero was encased in ice, his violent shivers visible from up in the stands where Izuku was seated. Todoroki placed his left hand on the ice and steam erupted from under his palm. Gradually, the ice melted and Sero was freed.

Izuku's next match would be against Todoroki, and after the heterochromatic's display of power, he knew he should be knee-deep in strategizing and preparing for their fight, but as he watched Todoroki's form, he couldn't help but think that he looked so sad.

Moments later, the arena was cleared and the next match started up. Shiozaki stepped onto the field, along with Kaminari. They stood opposite of each other before Midnight called for them to start. Kaminari moved first.

Izuku knew that Kaminari had a formidable quirk, but against an opponent like Shiozaki, he was at a huge disadvantage. As Kaminari sent out his overwhelming electricity, Shiozaki raised her vine-like hairs to become a wall between her and the attack. Kaminari's electricity had no affect against Shiozaki's vines and he was reduced to a dunce. Shiozaki wrapped her vines around him a moved him off of the marked area.

Izuku heard Kirishima groan and turned to him.

"Man, that's too bad— Poor Kaminari," he said.

Beside him, Ashido nodded. "Yeah, he lost so quickly."

"It was a good try, but it was poor matchup," Tokoyami said.

Izuku nodded.

The crowd roared as the next match started and Iida and Asui set foot in the arena. The match was a bit longer than Kaminari's and Sero's but still quick. As soon as they were told to start, Iida sped off and started circling around Asui. Her tongue lashed out and tried to grab him but he was too fast. He dodged each attempt and after a bit, he closed in on her. He sent out a kick to her torso that she just barely dodged. Then he kicked at her face and she bent backwards. He kicked again, this time to her legs, and she jumped high into the sky. Iida's glasses glinted in the sunlight.

"Recipro Burst!"

Iida jumped and swung his leg, the kick faster and stronger because of the Recipro Burst. Since Asui was midair, she couldn't dodge Iida's attack. All she could do was brace herself as she was hit in the stomach with the full brunt of Iida's Recipro Burst. She retched as she was slammed into the ground, the concrete cracking slightly beneath her. Asui couldn't move.

Uraraka started down at the field with wide eyes. "H-He could've been at least a bit easier on her!"

Izuku stared at Iida's back as Midnight declared him the victor. He bent down and checked if Asui was okay. Izuku sighed a bit but trusted Iida. He knew he would never be so brash without thinking things through. He just hoped that Iida didn't break a few of her bones on accident.

Ashido and Kendou's match started and ended in Kendou's victory. After that, it was Tokoyami versus Yaoyarozu. Tokoyami was just about to push her out of bounds when Izuku turned his head and noticed that Uraraka was gone.

"Right," he thought. "She's fighting Kacchan next..."

Izuku nodded to himself before getting up and walking to the waiting rooms.

———

Ochako sat in silence, her head down and her hands folded on the table. The roars of the audience made it's way to her waiting room and echoed faintly off the walls. She stayed in the same position for a bit before she heard footsteps approaching the door. She forced herself to look up.

When Iida walked in, she forced a smile. "Good job out there, Iida!"

"Oh, Urara— whoa, are you alright?!"

"Huh?" Ochako lifted a hand to her face and felt the crease of her brows. "Oh, uh... I guess I'm just a bit tense..."

Iida sighed. "I wouldn't call that a bit, but considering your opponent, I can't really blame you."

Ochako nodded slightly. "Yeah... I'm scared..."

A moment later, the door flung open and Deku burst into the room.

"A-Ah, Deku! Shouldn't you be back in the stands with the others?" Ochako asked.

He shook his head and whipped out his notepad. 'Tokoyami and Yaoyarozu-san's match just ended. I heard Kirishima's was next.'

"Oh.. I guess that means I'm going next..." Ochako muttered. Her hands were shaking.

"I don't think Bakugou would use his full strength against a lady, would he?" Iida asked.

'He would,' Deku wrote. 'Everyone here want's to make it to the top. No one will hold back, Kacchan most of all. He wouldn't show anyone mercy.'

Ochako groaned and sunk into her seat.

'I came up with a plan that can help you,' Deku said, gaining Ochako's attention. 'You've done so much for me that I'll return the favor. You see, you need to find a way to counter Kacchan by using your quirk. I came up with it on the spot, but it should work!'

Iida grinned. "That's great! How fortunate, Uraraka!"

Ochako smiled a bit before sitting up straight. "Thanks, Deku... but it's okay."

"Huh?"

"You're amazing... both of you are. When Iida said that he couldn't team up with you for the Calvary Battle, I realized that I was so dependent on you. I felt like I need to do something myself... So that's why," she stood up and walked towards the door. "I'm going to do this without depending on you."

As she set her hand on the knob, she turned around and smiled shakily. "See you in the finals!"

———

Izuku and Iida now sat in the stands with the rest of the class. Behind them, their classmates whispered about Uraraka's upcoming match.

"I don't know about this..."

"Yeah, I don't think want to see this one.."

"Bakugou wouldn't really hurt her, would he?"

"I don't know man, this is Bakugou we're talkin' about here..."

Iida shuffled in his seat. "Hey Midoriya, what was that plan you had for Uraraka?"

'Kacchan is really strong, and when it comes to close combat he barely has any weak points,' Izuku wrote. 'His quirk is stronger the easier he's able to move around. He's able to maneuver midair, but if Uraraka can get him to float with her quirk, she'll have an advantage over him. Even if it's on accident, if she touches him, he'll float, so Kacchan would want to keep his distance. And knowing him, Kacchan wouldn't dodge but confront her head-on.'

Down in the arena, Uraraka charged at Kacchan as soon as the match began. When she got in his range, he threw an explosion straight at her. In the stands, the audience gasped. Uraraka jumped back before running toward Kacchan again. The smoke covered her when she closed in on him and Kacchan stopped to look around. When he saw something move in the corner of his eye, he reached out to grab it and slammed it to the floor. The smoke and dust cleared a bit, revealing that the only thing he caught was her jacket. He sprung back up, alert, and when she jumped behind him he sent another explosion at her.

The explosion sent her tumbling back, but she recovered quickly and hopped back up. Izuku grinned as he finally noticed what she was doing. Uraraka charged once more and got hit by Kacchan's explosion again. She ran at him again and was blown back again. She let out a frustrated scream as she kept running forward.

"I don't like the look of this..." Iida said beside Izuku. "He really isn't holding back at all. She'll lose pointlessly."

Izuku shook his head and pointed up. Iida raised a brow before following the finger and finally noticing all the floating rubble in the air.

"When..?!"

"I'm not done yet!" Uraraka shouted as she charged once more.

Kacchan's explosion shook the stadium.

Izuku could hear the shouts of anger coming from sections of the audience.

"Hey! That's not how someone who wants to be a hero acts!"

"Stop messing with her!"

"Yeah!"

"Boooo!!"

"Booooooo!!"

More people started booing and shouting in the crowd.

'The audience has started booing!' Present Mic exclaimed. 'Though to be honest, I kinda agree— ACK!'

'Is the one who said he was messing with her a pro?' Aizawa's voice came on, only a bit muffled because of the bandages around his face. 'How many years have you been a pro hero, huh? Because if that's what you're taking away from this, then you can leave. Quit Being a hero and look for a new job.'

Aizawa heaved an audible sigh. 'Uraraka didn't get this far because of luck. She got this far because she is strong and Bakugou recognizes her strength. That's why he's not going easy on her. It's because he wants to win that he's not being careless or holding back.'

Uraraka pressed her finger tips together and smirked a bit before shouting, "I'M GONNA WIN!" All the pieces of rubble that hung in the air fell simultaneously onto the field. Kacchan looked up with wide eyes. While he was off guard, she charged at him. Kacchan's arm lifted, palm pointed to the sky, and the largest explosion Izuku had ever seen from his childhood friend erupted from his hands. Izuku jolted as he was hit with a horrible flashback.

———

"Stupid Deku!"

"Useless!"

"Weak!"

"Please stop!" Five year old Izuku shouted.

"Think you can be a hero, Deku?!" Five year old Kacchan shouted. Small explosions popped in his fists. "You're quirkless!"

"K-Kacchan, please!"

He had just tried to stop Kacchan and his little group from bullying a kid on the playground. He jumped in between them and told them to stop. The kid he tried to protect ran away, leaving him alone. When that happened, they attacked him and dragged him to a small alley.

"I'll show you what wannabe heroes get!"

There were no adults at the playground that day.

———

The falling pieces of concrete were incinerated immediately, only small pebbles falling to the ground. Uraraka flew across the field and landed just barely outside the marked area. She looked up at Katsuki with wide, terrified eyes.

"You've hung out with Deku so much... I thought you had a plan," he said, growling lowly.

His hand stung with pain and he grit his teeth. He used his good arm to grip his wrist.

"That was a close one..." Katsuki grit out under his breath. He looked at Uraraka, watching as she stood shakily. "Alright. Time to get serious."

She moved to charge at him, but a moment later, she stumbled and collapsed onto the floor.

"Ah," she huffed, panting harshly. "I can't move..."

Katsuki stared down at her with furrowed brows. In a desperate attempt, Uraraka tried to crawl to him weakly.

'Uraraka...' Midnight started, 'is unable to continue! Bakugou moves on to to the next round!'

Letting out a grunt, Katsuki turned and walked out of the arena.

Whoo! Finally a hint into what happened to Izuku! Itotallydidntcomeupwiththatonthespot— Anyway, 30th chapter, 2k votes, and almost 60k reads! That's a huge milestone! Thank you all so much for the support!

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