Experiment Gone Wrong [Book 1 Completed]

Last Match of Round Two

"Onto the last match of round two!!" The eruption of cheers from the crowd overpowered Present Mic's booming voice. Whistles and claps echoed around the stadium. "We have, from the heroics department, the stoic ice class resident, Todoroki Shouto from class 1-A! And from the same class, we have a plain looking kid with a big heart, Midoriya Izuku!" The two students headed onto the arena, determined looks in both of their eyes that burned with fire. "Begin!" 

Shouto shot out large ice shards towards Izuku, aiming to take him out in one hit. Izuku dodged to the side with ease, his left eye staying closed as he dodged another attack. Ice decorated the ground as he swiveled and swerved, keeping his eye on Shouto for any kind of pattern to his attacks. Becoming more and more frustrated with each and every shard that misses, Shouto began to get hasty. His attacks got larger, and so did the ice that formed upon his arm and leg. His slammed his right foot into the ground once more, watching as the ice encased the other half of the field, and hopefully his opponent too. All was silent for a few moments, before a blur of green sprouted from over the ice, crystals falling from his hair as he stood above Shouto. 

He leaped down with aimed precision, aiming a kick for his head. Taking this opportunity, Shouto released a wave of ice towards the falling kick, aiming to freeze Izuku from the bottom up. But, as the ice wave was about to touch him, he disappeared from Shouto's view. Startled slightly, he felt a sudden weight and jolt of pain in his ribs. He skidded to the side, swinging his body around swiftly, his eyes landing on Izuku who stood in a fighting stance. 

"Use your fire," Izuku said, the light in his eyes glistening in the sun. "Use your fire, Todoroki! You're doing more harm to yourself than you are to me! Look at me! You haven't landed a single scratch on me!" He leaped forwards, raising his fist up high, before sidestepping another wave of ice. "You're freezing up yourself!" 

"I don't care. I will not use his fire!" Shouto placed his arm on the ground, releasing the ice as more started to form upon his arm and leg. "I made a vow to never use his flames. I will not break it. No matter what you or anyone else says!" As the ice froze up his arm and leg, so did the ground as the terrain became a winter horror. 

Izuku backed up, dodging the ice before he found himself pressed up against the icy terrain. He tensed up slightly, his right eye fixated on Shouto as a slight aching remained in his left one. His breath hitched as he saw the state that Shouto was in. Ice almost completely covered his right side, most likely giving him hypothermia. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off as a slow wave of ice shot out from his panting opponent. He sidestepped to the left, worry lacing his eye a he gulped down a lump in his throat. 

"Todoroki. You need to use your fire. You'll end up killing yourself if you keep this up! You're shaking immensely, and your movements have been slowed. I don't care about any vows you made. The fire you possess is yours, Todoroki! No one else's! No one else controls your flames. Only you do!"Izuku clenched his fists tightly, rushing forwards with determination evident in his blazing eye. "Just use it! It's your quirk!" 

Shouto's eyes widened slightly, Izuku's punch connecting with his stomach and sending him backwards and towards the ice covered boarder. He recalled a memory of his mother trying to stop Enji from hurting him further. 

"Please stop pushing him. He's only five years old." 

"He can take it! Get out of my way!" 

"...Mamma..." 

The memory of the two of them sitting together on the lounge as he cried into her shirt. 

"Please... I-I don't wanna be the kind of guy he is. I don't want to be someone who bullies you and hurts people, mamma." 

"Just remember, stay true to yourself. You can be the kind of hero you want to be when you grow up." 

The memory of his father dragging him away from his siblings who played in the back yard. 

"Ignore them, Shouto. They live in a different world then the one I'm training you for." 

The memory of his mother, right before she poured boiling water onto his face. 

"-like him. And Shouto... That child's left side sometimes looks unbearable to me. All I can see is his father." 

As Shouto fell back, all he could do was remember those times. 

"Moronic woman." 

"That was your fault. You're the one who made her hurt me." 

"It's your quirk, not his! 

"Yes! That's right. I am here! Only you can decide to become a hero. No one else. Take this to heart kids. You got it." 

'How much have I forgotten...?' He pushed himself to his feet, gazing over at Izuku who stood determinedly with a small smile present on his face. 

"You are not a prisoner of your lineage. It's okay to use your power. To become who you want to be." 

Blazing fire flickered to life upon Shouto's left side, a smile stretching wide across his face as the fire roared around him. Izuku smiled wider, clenching his fists as he silently cheered in his mind, hearing Deku cheering with him. 

"Why are you smiling? You just helped your opponent and gave me an advantage." Shouto commented, his fire shrinking as ice sprouted from his leg. 

Izuku lightly chuckled, his ever present smile widening slightly. "Because. The essence of being a hero is to help others. So, not matter if your my enemy, you are still a person to be given chance. And I want to take that chance to help you." 

They ignored Enji's fiery outburst in favour of attacking. Shouto let his flames and ice combine, an explosion lighting the air as he thrust the fire and ice towards Izuku. Knowing that he couldn't dodge the large scale attack without leaving the boarder, he did the only thing he could. He opened his left eye and watched as time froze.