"Wh- wh-what's going on?!" Uraraka exclaimed, round brown eyes staring in surprise at the crowds of students gathered outside the large classroom door.

Izuku paused, just about managing to recall what happened last time as he saw Kacchan stomping towards them, his posture slouched and his features set into a characteristic glower. The boy hastily dashed into the doorway, waving his hands a little awkwardly and offering a grin he hoped didn't betray his nerves.

"It's, um... It's good to see everyone is so enthusiastic about the Sports Festival. I'm looking forward to help show off what UA has to offer! So, um... Let's all do our best!" It wasn't his best speech, but the amount of eyes staring him down made him uneasy, even if he was used to being in the spotlight due to being a popular hero in the alternate timeline.

"I came to see what the famous Class 1-A was like." A familiar voice easily cut over the chatter, deep and drawling, as the owner slipped through the crowd, standing at the front with his hands in his pockets. "You don't look like much. I almost don't believe you won against villains."

"Oh, Hito- you're Shinsou-kun, aren't you? Your Quirk is so cool! Imagine how helpful it could be in a hostage situation, or-" Izuku cut himself off with another sheepish smile, bowing his apologies. "A-ah, sorry! That was rude of me. I'm Midoriya Izuku."

Shinsou raised a slim purple eyebrow, staring down at the other boy with vague interest in his exhausted eyes. "Since you somehow know my Quirk, wouldn't it be fair if I knew yours?"

"Don't you fuckin' dare, Deku." Kacchan growled from somewhere inside the room.

Izuku merely nodded amicably. "You're right. It's strength enhancement!"

The tired student's lips curved up in a faint hint of a smile as he tilted his head, the messy shock of lavender-hued hair shifting with gravity. "You'd better make it to the finals, Midoriya-kun; you seem like a worthy opponent I'd like to beat."

"You too, Shinsou-kun!"

Only when Kacchan started yelling at the crowd did the people start to disperse. Izuku comfortably settled into step besides Uraraka and Iida, happy that he'd been able to make a good first impression on everyone – especially Shinsou.

*

Following the footsteps of the other timeline served him well, keeping the audience and some students curious about his Quirk in the first race. He put on a good show by collecting up mines and soaring through the air in a blast of pink smoke, falling with style and sailing smoothly into first place. The temptation to use his Quirk grew stronger with every passing minute, because he knew that he could easily sprint towards or away from anything he wanted without anyone being able to stop him.

Few things changed when it came to the cavalry battle and his one million points bounty, but it was mostly just apologetic glances from other students when he caught their eye with the hope of teaming up since he'd made a good impression on many of them. Shinsou looked like he was tempted to approach the boy, but stopped at the last second. Izuku partially wanted to warn Ojiro about the purple-haired student's Quirk beforehand, however it didn't really feel fair to force Shinsou to lose the element of surprise, even if it was entirely justified to tell his classmates.

Afterwards, during the break, Todoroki pulled Izuku aside, just as expected. He tried to keep his face neutral throughout the regaling of his friend's tragic backstory about his abusive father, who was the Number Two Hero Endeavour, and how he drove his wife mad enough to spill boiling water on their child's face, and although it was probably a safe bet to keep things the same, he couldn't help but meddle a bit. In the other timeline, he'd learnt how to read people who were usually more stoic, like Aizawa, Todoroki, and Shinsou, which meant he picked up on the suppressed misery coming from his classmate better than before.

"Todoroki-kun, I- I just want to say..." Izuku paused, clenching his fists by his sides. "You aren't your father. What he's done to your family is unforgivable, and I don't believe he deserves the title of hero if that's how he treats people." His voice shook with his intense conviction, desperate to get through to his friend. "If, um... If you ever want anyone to talk to, or rant to... Just know that I'm always willing to listen and help. But for now, let's do our best in the Sports Festival – show people that you are your own person."

Todoroki was entirely still, eyebrows raised just a little more than usual to hint at his surprise, blue eye a little wider through the burn scar on the right side of his face. "...okay. Sorry for wasting your time."

He pivoted on one foot and left the tunnel, trudging away with slightly hunched shoulders. Izuku waited for a beat or two before stepping out of the tunnel after him.

"I- I've always been supported by others," he said loudly, coming to a stop a few feet behind his friend. "I'm here because of the people who have supported me. I want to be like All Might-san. In order to do that, I have to be strong enough to become number one." Todoroki turned a little, glancing over his shoulder; Izuku kept his gaze on his raised hand as he continued to speak. "My motivation might seem trivial to yours, but I can't lose either." He looked up, freckled face a picture of utter determination. "That declaration of war you gave earlier – I'll return that. I will beat you, too!"

They stared at each other in silence for a few more moments, wind tugging at their hair and rippling past their gym uniforms. A flash of thoughtfulness passed through Todoroki's expression before he turned and soundlessly continued walking away. Izuku let his hand drop back to his side as a relieved smile tugged at his lips, glad that his friend hadn't reacted negatively to his responses. He let out a breath he didn't realise he was holding before heading in the direction of the cafeteria.

After lunch, while he was mentally steeling himself against his nerves for the first match against Shinsou, the familiar voice of All Might called out to him. The man himself approached down the tunnel leading to the centre of the large arena, stopping a short distance from his successor, wearing a black suit that was several sizes too big for his skeletal form. His uncertain expression faded quickly as Izuku beamed at him, always overjoyed to see his favourite hero.

"Sorry I'm late, but... you're still not going to use One for All at its strongest, are you?" Toshinori's voice was gruff and friendly, gaunt face softened with a smile.

Izuku shifted guiltily, dropping his green gaze to the floor. "N-no. I don't feel like it would be fair."

"Right. You have to remember though, my boy; these students have had their Quirks for most of their lives, so they already have years of experience. To me, you've only had the power for a little while, but I suppose you've had plenty of practice in the other timeline, right?" His brow unfurrowed a little in an imitation of raised eyebrows.

"Yeah..." The boy said slowly, mulling it over for a moment before shaking his head stubbornly. "No, it still isn't fair, since I've already gone through UA once before, and I've probably got a lot more experience than all of them combined."

Toshinori tilted his head fondly. "You're always thinking of everyone else. It's okay to be a little selfish from time to time, Young Midoriya."

Izuku nodded sheepishly, his cheeks flushing.

"Well," All Might puffed up in a hiss of steam, straining the suit with his sudden size, grinning and raising a hand in a thumbs-up. "Smile, and stand proud. Don't forget I have high hopes for you, so do as much as you can, my boy!"

His successor smiled again, reassured by the comforting warmth in his chest that his mentor's words always offered. He turned around, striding out of the tunnel and onto the concrete pitch on cue as Present Mic introduced the match.

"That monkey was going on about his pride..." Shinsou muttered, posture perfectly relaxed. "...but don't you think he was dumb for throwing away his chance?"

In the alternate timeline, Izuku had been under the influence of his friend's Quirk many times, partially to help the tired boy practice, and partially to train his own brain just in case there was a villain with a similar ability. He knew the strengths and weaknesses of Brainwashing, probably better than Shinsou himself, which meant he knew exactly how to carefully avoid being controlled.

"If I was talking to Shinsou-kun," he said coolly, shifting his gaze to Cementoss, who sat next to the ring on a concrete throne of his own making. "Then I would remind him that I know how his Quirk works."

Izuku glanced up at the stands, seeking out his friends and trying not to laugh at Ojiro's astounded expression. Present Mic was loudly commentating the match from a room up high, easily broadcast across the entire stadium without a microphone thanks to his Quirk, lamenting his confusion at such a dull start to the round. The boy lowered his gaze again, crossing his arms and staring down his friend across the pitch.

"I'd almost forgotten," Shinsou laughed drily, making no attempt to move either. "Guess that means I've lost, huh? You're lucky that you've been blessed, Midoriya Izuku. Thanks to my Quirk, I've been behind from the start." He raised a thumb to his chest, teeth bared in a sardonic smile. "Someone who's been blessed like you can't understand, can you? Someone like you who was born with the ideal Quirk."

That still hurt, over ten years down the line, because of course he understood exactly what that was like when he was bullied for being Quirkless for fourteen years, until All Might saw the hero in him and passed on his unique Quirk and trained him well enough to get him into UA. Izuku started forwards, walking with purpose. Shinsou tensed up, moving into an amateur's defensive stance as his smile fell into a frustrated grimace.

"I've tried so hard to get here, and you're not even using your Quirk to beat me. I thought you were a good person earlier on, Midoriya-san, but you're just taunting me with your superiority." He sighed, clutching at his sides and dropping his head until his wild mane of purple hair concealed his face, his voice growing quieter with every word. "Are you really that conceited that you think I'm not worth your almighty strength? Am I really so pathetic and insignificant that you won't even bother to give me a proper chance?"

Don't do it, Izuku, don't you dare say a word, even if he looks like a sad, abandoned kitten-

His jaws snapped open and he burst into a sprint. "I think you're amazing, Shinsou-kun!"

Izuku stilled, face vacant. Everything sounded fuzzy, like his ears had been stuffed with cotton. The world buzzed with static, but Shinsou was as clear as day, a rueful smile curving his lips up as he lifted his head.

"You're too kind, Midoriya-kun. It's going to get you killed one day." His voice cut sharply through the haze, expression morphed into one of mingled guilt and pity. "I hope this won't change your opinion of me... Turn around and walk out of bounds."

Present Mic was screaming something excitedly, but it was too distorted to work out what he was saying. All Izuku could focus on was placing one foot in front of the other, gradually approaching the white line around the edge of the ring. As he drew closer, he could just about work out the vague shape of Toshinori peeking out from the tunnel, mouth moving as he frantically hissed something indecipherable.

Okay, calm down. He thought to himself, mentally wading through the heavy fog of Brainwashing to summon up all he could recall about the Quirk. Don't let all that future-training go to waste.

Last time, the presence of the previous holders had been enough to let him move his fingers and shock himself out of Shinsou's control, but now he had a solid understanding of his Quirk, he doubted that would happen again. His most effective method of escaping hold was to analyse the order given to him, which was easily vague enough for him to find many loopholes to exploit with enough willpower.

It was only specified for him to walk out of bounds; he was never told how he should do that.

Izuku shoved against the oppressive Quirk, forcing himself to a level of lucidity that was clear enough for him to first twitch a finger, then slowly, haltingly, raise an arm in front of him. His feet kept moving at a constant pace as he managed to curve a finger into a flick, aiming right at a shocked-looking Toshinori. It took two more steps before he was able to call upon One for All, feeling the power burn in his veins and focus in his hand.

"I have my own dream," Shinsou said softly, almost regretfully; he wasn't even watching. "Now, lose for me."

His toes passed above the boundary line and his sole approached the concrete. In a final, desperate push, he flicked his fingers.

Power exploded in a rush of air. Dust tore around his form as he was flung backwards, hitting the ground inside the ring with enough force to jolt him from his stupor. He rolled to a stop, taking a moment to regain his bearings while his senses got used to the sudden influx of information and the cloud settled.

"Th- this is... Midoriya's stopped!" Present Mic yelled, clearly excited by the unexpected change of events.

Izuku picked himself back up, breathing heavily and glancing down at his finger. It was a little bruised and ached uncomfortably, but didn't hurt enough to be broken. He hadn't used his power in a self-destructive way in a long time, so he was somewhat glad that he was still able to do it.

"What the hell?" Shinsou whispered, almost sounding awed. "Why?"

The boy started rapidly approaching his competitor, face set with determination.

"You shouldn't be able to move freely!" He snapped, anger roughening his tone as he clenched a hand into a fist. "What did you do?

Izuku rushed into Shinsou, raising his arms and pushing against the tired boy's torso to shove him back, forcing him backwards despite the struggling. A punch to his face didn't deter him, and in his desperation, Shinsou landed a hit on his enemy's injured finger, causing Izuku to wince enough for Shinsou to whip around, slamming a palm into the other student's face and tilt him off-balance. Izuku grabbed his forearm and the front of his shirt, skidding to a halt and pivoting on one foot before flicking Shinsou over his shoulder and throwing him over the line.

The winner was announced and the two competitors met back up in the middle of the court, facing each other in silence, before the Gen Ed student twisted on one foot and started across the pitch towards the steps.

"Shinsou-kun... why do you want to be a hero?" He asked quietly, blood running from his nose.

Shinsou turned and paused, face carefully blanked, but not enough to hide his crushing disappointment. "You can't help the things you long for."

Izuku stepped forward, clasping a hand on his future-friend's shoulder and staring him down. "You're really cool, you know? I know you're going to be a hero one day." He tapped a finger against a slim bicep, raising his eyebrows. "You do need to train your body as well as your Quirk, though, and if you ever need someone to spar with..." He trailed off, letting the offer hang unsaid between them.

Shinsou blinked his purple eyes in acknowledgement before continuing on his way. His classmates called down to him gleefully from the stands, motioning towards Pro Heroes who were commenting on the usefulness of his Quirk.

"Depending on our results, they'll consider our transfer into the hero course. Remember that," Shinsou drawled, not looking back. "Even if it didn't work this time, I definitely won't give up. I'll get into the hero course, get certified, and I'll definitely become a better hero than you guys!"