The Emperor's Dragon

Walls: Physical And Other

Izuku knew there were other kids from his year level around him, he just didn't focus on them. All he was focused on was putting one foot after the other as fast as he could. In his vision, the finish line loomed impossibly large. His lungs burned, his feet pounded the track and then he was over it and slowing down.

Izuku gulped in great lungfuls of air as he kept walking. It was the best way to avoid getting too cold. If that happened he'd be stiff. He looked at the results board. Usually he wasn't that competitive, but this was their school sports festival, and it had been the final of the 100 meter dash. On the stands the rest of the school sat, though he knew most of them weren't interested in the fourth year results, he could still hear cheering from his level. There were some parents on the other side. Dad hadn't managed to get here but Kurogiri was there, with a grumpy Tomura and Gigantomachia stood beside the stadium and looked as if he was holding it up himself!

The results came up and Izuku felt elation. He'd won! He grinned. Hitoshi had made it to the semi-final but had come in 6th and that wasn't good enough to get into the final. Only the top four out of each semi final had made it. Shigeru and Naoki hadn't made it that far. They got through the heats, though Naoki had done better on the longer distances. He'd come in 5th over all. Izuku had come in 2nd to Akio, who had a mutant quirk. You couldn't turn off mutant quirks so no one was going to beat Akio on a distance run. Even Akio had congratulated him.

"What?" There was a cry from his side.

Izuku turned and immediately the good feeling faded.

Setsuna spun and growled at him. He suddenly remembered that she'd come 3rd to him in the long distance. And second to him in the... Izuku held up his hands placatingly.

"No!" She yelled in response. "You do not get to do that!"

He just looked at her, aware that the other students were backing away. There was some call for them to clear the track so they could run the final of the fifth years.

"You say you aren't training but you always beat me! You must be cheating!" Setsuna howled.

"I didn't use my quirk!" Izuku objected. He really hadn't.

"You must be! How could you beat me?" She stomped one foot on the ground as her hands formed into fists.

"I just did my best!" Izuku told her. That's really all he'd ever done.

"Argh!" Setsuna screamed and Izuku was shocked when she swung her fist at him.

He saw it coming. There was no way he couldn't see it coming, and without thinking he dodged. Setsuna screamed louder and swung her other arm at him. Izuku dodged again. Her patterns were rather like Tomura. "Cheater!"

"I didn't use my quirk!" Izuku cried out louder.

The commotion finally brought the attention of a teacher and Izuku saw there were several hurrying over.

"You must have!" Setsuna insisted. "There's no way you could beat me!"

"I didn't!" Izuku insisted.

Mr Rikujo looked down at them both. "Izuku?" he asked.

The green haired boy felt his stomach sink. He actually felt nauseous. He knew that tone. "I didn't use my quirk," he repeated.

"Izuku," their PE teacher said softly. "Is there some aspect of your quirk that gives you enhancement? Maybe like a mutant quirk that you can't turn off?" Mr Rikujo pressed.

"I'm fireproof," Izuku said. "That's all. There is no other aspect."

"Izuku," Mr Rikujo tried again. "It's okay if there is. We just have to register it."