Operation Ice Prince: Todoroki's Hero Smackdown (UA War Game)

Opening Up

The quiet of the night had settled over the dorms, with most of the students having already gone to bed. The only sound was the faint hum of the heater and the soft rustling of the trees outside the window. I sat on the couch in the common room, staring at the cup of tea in my hands.

The warmth seeped through the mug and into my fingers, but it did nothing to thaw the cold weight in my chest.

Izuku sat across from me, his green eyes watching me carefully. He hadn't said much since we sat down, just waiting, letting the silence fill the space between us. That's something I always appreciated about him. He never pushed, never demanded. He just... waited.

Izuku: Do you want to talk about it?.... You look as if things are still not over....

I didn't answer right away. It wasn't that I didn't want to talk—it was that I didn't know where to start. How do you explain the kind of pressure that comes with a quirk like mine? Or the weight of expectations that had been placed on me before I even knew who I was?

But Izuku had been there through it all, hadn't he? He understood in a way no one else did. Maybe that's why I found myself nodding.

Me: I... don't know if I'm doing the right thing.

His eyebrows furrowed, but he didn't interrupt. He just waited for me to continue.

Me: The exercise. Winning like that—it didn't feel right. I don't know if I want that kind of power. Or if I should be using it at all.

There it was. The confession I hadn't been able to voice even to myself. The truth that had been clawing at me since the moment Aizawa announced I'd be the villain.

Izuku leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his expression thoughtful.

Izuku: It's hard, isn't it? Balancing that strength with... everything else. Trust me...I get it.

He did get it. Of course he did. Izuku had always struggled with his own quirk, with the overwhelming power that came with One For All. But unlike me, he had always been good at connecting with others, at building friendships and trusting his classmates. I... hadn't.

Me: I don't want to hurt people.

My voice came out quieter than I expected. I looked down at my hands, the memory of those ice spears piercing through my mind. The blood. The way my classmates had fallen under the weight of my quirk. I hadn't wanted to go that far. But I had. I always did.

Izuku: You're not a villain, Todoroki. If you are, then I am worse... these were all my suggestion, my strategies and my directions.

He said it so simply, like it was obvious. But to me, it wasn't. Not with the way I'd grown up, the way my father had drilled it into my head that power was everything.

Me: Then why does it feel like I am?

Izuku's expression softened, and he let out a small sigh.

Izuku: Because you care. You don't want to be like him.

There it was again—Endeavor. My father. The looming shadow I could never quite escape, no matter how far I ran. I could feel the weight of his expectations pressing down on me, the constant reminder that I was supposed to surpass him. To be better. Stronger.

But at what cost?

Me: I don't want to be like him. But I don't know how to be anything else.

The words slipped out before I could stop them, and for a moment, I wished I could take them back. But Izuku didn't flinch. He didn't look shocked or disappointed. Instead, he just gave me this look of understanding, like he'd been expecting it all along.

Izuku: You don't have to be like him. You're already different.

I wanted to believe that. I really did. But it wasn't easy, not with the way I'd been raised. Not with the way my father's voice still echoed in the back of my mind, telling me that power was the only thing that mattered.

Izuku: You're more than your quirk. More than your strength. And I don't care how many times I have to tell you that. You're a good person. And you've already shown that you can use your power to protect people, not hurt them.

I looked up at him, surprised by how certain he sounded. Izuku had always been like this—so sure of everyone else, so confident in their potential. It was like he saw the best in people, even when they couldn't see it in themselves.

Me: I don't know if I'm as good as you think I am.

Izuku smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

Izuku: You are. You just need to trust yourself a little more.

Trust myself. That was easier said than done. I had spent so long trying to live up to my father's expectations, trying to be strong enough, powerful enough. I didn't know how to trust anything else.

But maybe Izuku was right. Maybe I didn't have to be like Endeavor. Maybe I could be something else. Something better.

 Maybe I already am.

I let out a slow breath, the tension in my shoulders easing just a little.

Me: I don't know how to be... part of a team. Not really.

Izuku tilted his head, considering my words.

Izuku: You're already part of one, Todoroki. You just don't realize it yet.

That made me pause. I'd never thought of myself as part of the class, not in the same way Izuku or Bakugo were. I'd always kept my distance, always stayed on the sidelines. But maybe... maybe that was changing.

Me: I don't know how to let people in.

Izuku gave me a reassuring smile.

Izuku: You don't have to do it all at once. Just... take it one step at a time. We're all here for you, Todoroki. You don't have to carry everything on your own.

I stared at him for a moment, the sincerity in his words sinking in. It wasn't just empty reassurance. Izuku meant every word. He always did.

Maybe I don't have to carry it all. Not alone.

For the first time in a long time, I felt like maybe things could be different. Maybe I didn't have to be the perfect, powerful hero my father wanted me to be. Maybe I could find my own way.

Me: Thanks, Izuku.

He smiled again, a little brighter this time.

Izuku: Anytime. That's what friends are for, right?

Friends. The word felt lighter now, less like a burden and more like a promise. Maybe I didn't have everything figured out yet. Maybe I still had a long way to go. Whelp, I was ready to learn something... I did trust Izuku for sure.

As we sat there in the quiet, the weight in my chest didn't feel quite so heavy anymore. And maybe, just maybe, I was starting to believe in myself the way Izuku believed in me.

~~END~~

A/N: Thanks for reading this story and I hope you all enjoyed it as well UWU Now let's continue with these type of game streaks for october, shall we?