Powerless - A My Hero Academia/ DC Crossover

Chapter 20 - Todoroki

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

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

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

"I was overwhelmed," said Todoroki.

"What?"

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

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

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

"What's your point?" Said Izuku.

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

"What do you mean?" Said Izuku.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"What are you getting at?"

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