Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia, or anything related to it. All properties belong to their respectful owners.

Miruko the number 7 Pro Hero as of the last Japanese billboard normally watched the U.A. sports festival on recap after the fact, and only the third-year stage. Like many other pros this year around however, she had chosen to attend the festival in person and watch the first-year stage.

'So bored.' She grumbled to herself, she nearly regretted her decision to attend the event, aside from the fact she had been given a great seat. U.A. held her in high respect for all her work, and as she had decided to attend in person for the first time the school had given her the best seat's they could offer.

Set up high in the arena on the second level and far away from other viewers and pros. Miruko seemingly had a personal viewing box, seeing as the other five seats around her were empty. She grumbled to herself, bored, as she listened to Present mic babel to the audience as the festival began in full swing.

"And now, the class everyone is looking at. They survived against their first taste of evil and now all eyes are on them, its class 1-A!" Miruko's left ear gave a small twitch finally interested in the events at Mic's call. As she watched the students make their way onto the field however, she grew disillusioned and let out a huff.

'They don't look like anything special. Feh, guess I should have just waited till it was over and watched the third years like normal. I'm already here though, might as well suck it up and watch, maybe some of them actually have guts.' As the thought crossed her mind she let a smirk grace her features.

She watched interested as Katsuki Bakugo took the stage and gave his pledge. As he did, she thumped her right foot slowly in disappoint once more at the first-year stage.

"Arrogant bastard. Guess they're just kids after all. If you're going to declare war on everyone at least do it with gusto!" Despite her shout as no one was around her Miruko spoke to silence as she huffed back into her seat and tapped her foot in irritation.

She watched the contestants line up as Midnight declared the first event and Mic announced everything over the loudspeakers. Miruko sat up in her seat slightly interested to watch all the different quirks, and the way the students used them to their advantage. Right off the bat she could tell that the two Hero classes, 1-A and 1-B, were far ahead of the rest.

Even amongst them 1-A stood out and Shoto Todoroki seemed in a league of his own. The event dragged on and she watched interested at various uses of Quirks in certain situations, but throughout she only took real interest once the undisputed first place had a shakeup. She watched intrigued as Katsuki fought against Shoto back and forth for the lead.

Her eyes would have stayed there like most others, but for a reason beyond her understanding she looked back to the entrance of the minefield. When she did her head tilted slightly to the side and her long eyes laid somewhat flat against her head.

'Who's he, and what's he doing?' She watched interested as Izuku dug at the ground, seemingly pulling up mines with a piece of robot metal. Once he had a good fifteen or so dug up and piled in front of him, she watched him step back and tilted her head the other way.

'He wouldn't.' She thought with mirth as a small grin threatened to pull at her lips. Miruko was proven wrong, as the next moment he surged forward and belly flopped, metal plate first onto the pile of mines. In a pink cloud of smoke, she sat up straight out of her seat and her leg thumped every second or so as she watched the completely unknown and plain boy rocket towards first place.

Everyone else in the stadium was equally shocked by the sudden explosion, but she was one of the few who had been watching Izuku and knew what had caused it. Her foot began to pick up speed and thumped faster as she watched him slow down and stall midair.

'What else you got in you? Show me some action, topple everyone else over.' Most believed Miruko to be a crude and brash individual who only spoke her mind and admired the strong. While that was partially true, she saw it as speaking her mind truthfully. She hated Hero teams, because she had always seen them as crutches.

She didn't believe that people couldn't be stronger together, but in her experience Hero teams always ended up over relying on their teammates and letting their own strength wane. Miruko respected the strong, because she knew she was strong, strength was earned and then once it was proven that strength created respect from those around them.

People like Izuku, who seemed outwardly weak, but then proved everyone around them wrong were her favorite. After all that was how she had earned her place amongst the top ten Heroes. Being female in a mostly male environment, with an outwardly weak Quirk made her work harder then all those around her who tried to prove her wrong.

'Come on kid show me something good, prove me wrong about your appearance.' Miruko gave a silent plea for entertainment as she watched Izuku completely stall out in his rushed charge. Her eyes widened and her foot stopped as she watched him use his momentum to flip midair and strike the ground with the plate he'd been carrying.

When another explosion occurred and not only pushed his two opponents out of the way but shot him straight over the minefield in one go and into first place Miruko's grin finally broke free. All three out of her sight Miruko leaned forward with everyone else eager to see who would emerge and claim first place.

"Yeah!" Miruko shouted out when Izuku was the first out and Mic shouted his name claiming first place in the qualifying events. Present Mic continued to spout out his comments and exclaim the ranks as they came in, but Miruko's gaze was stuck rigid to Izuku.

'1-A, Izuku Midoriya huh, I didn't even notice him before. He's got guts, I wonder what kind of Quirk he's got, he didn't seem to do anything during the race. I'll have to keep as eye on him, he seems interesting.' Miruko thought as she watched the boy seemingly gaze at someone in the audience and clench his fist in success.

Once it was announced that he would be the sole bearer of ten million points for the cavalry battle, she let out a small chuckle at his response as he locked up. With all eyes glaring at him for his points, she couldn't help but compare it to the pressure but on Hero's like herself at the top.

He gathered his strength quick and stood with his back straight looking for fellow teammates. Miruko watched almost amused as everyone he approached walked away in fear of his points. She gave a light snark towards U.A. in that regard.

'This is why teams are silly, he proved himself strong enough to bear those points, but now he has to work with others that aren't on his level. People are so afraid of those at the top that they can't even fathom standing on the same level.'

Soon after, Izuku did gather others around him though, and she couldn't help but chuckle at his choice of teammates. Tokoyami she could understand as he seemed to have a good Quirk and showed great control over it during the race. His choice of the support course student and fellow 1-A student made little sense to her, however.

Once the event began and he suddenly charged into the air on a jet pack, Miruko was again interested in the seemingly plain Izuku. Despite his looks she could feel a kindred spirit in his eyes, it was one that screamed of hidden strength and great determination. She watched other teams throughout the battle as well, but most of them were simple confrontations.

Even most of Izuku's battles were spent running away, she was a bit angered by that, as she believed it was best to confront your enemies head on. At the same time, given his situation she couldn't refute it was the smart thing to do. After he was corned into a field of ice by Shoto the game became even more of a keep away.

The remainder of the game battle turned out the same way, in the last moments though she started thumping her foot again at the shakeup. The front tank Shoto used, surged forward with his Engine Quirk. With the sudden surge of speed, she watched Izuku lose his ten million, but at the same time even if instinctual his own arm surged out and grabbed a band from Shoto's neck.

'Now go get it back, come on, show tenacity don't freeze.' Snapping the newly acquired band, he did just that, without a moment's hesitation Izuku capitalized on Shoto's team's inability to move and charged back into the battle. In a sudden confrontation she watched the two teams face one another, as she gazed on her sharp eyes opened and her foot thumped hard as reddish pink veins seemed to crawl along his arm.

'Is that his Quirk, what's it do?' Miruko watched on with interest as her ears stood straight. Shoto had a fire flare up on his left side, but it was quickly put out as Izuku's arm surged forth and knocked it to the side as a burst of air shot out from his movement. In the distraction Izuku surged forth and grabbed another headband as she watched the shadow of Tokoyami's Quirk snatch the headband on Shoto's head.

With the game over she had a slight huff that he hadn't managed to grab the ten million and reclaim first. But with the three bands he snagged he managed to stay in the top four comfortably seated in third place.

The winning teams were announced, and with them the placements of fights for the final event which would be a one on one tournament. As the fight order was provided a one-hour break for food was given. Miruko took the opportunity to head into the cafeteria, she wanted to grab some carrots, but she was also curious to see if she could find Izuku.

He seemed to stick in her head, and she wanted to talk with him in person, to see what he was like for herself. In the provided lunch area, she hadn't spotted him anywhere as she waited in line. She had a small bundle of carrots held in one hand as she used the other to hold one carrot she slowly munched on as she looked around.

"Excuse me, miss Miruko." She noticed the slight stutter coming from behind her, and when she turned to address it, she was met with none other than Izuku Midoriya. She could tell that he was a few inches taller than her, but with the way he was shaking and hunched into himself that difference seemed minimal.

"Well aren't you an interesting contradiction. You have a lot of power but your shaking like a scared bunny." Miruko couldn't help but laugh at her own joke, the irony of calling him a bunny not lost on her.

'He's got guts, despite his shaking he actually approached me. None of the other cowards here who keep looking at me actually came up.' She tilted her head slightly and looked over Izuku as she motioned with her now carrot free hand for him to continue.

"Can you please sign this for me." Izuku stuttered out again as he bowed ninety degrees and presented an open book to her. She took the book and was intrigued to see it was open to a page about her. A full body sketch of her in costume was on the first page, which she felt exaggerated her figure, was followed by several pages outlining information about her.

From her most famous and infamous battles, to her Quirk, its strengths, weaknesses, and even ideas he had on moves and improvements she could make to better fight. The book intrigued her as it was far more detailed and in depth than she herself had really given credit to. She gestured for a pen and went back to the page with the sketch of her to sign below it.

'Does he really think I look like that, it's kind of flattering.' She watched as Izuku bowed repeatedly and stuttered out thank you after thank you for her signature. After he collected himself, he was about to walk away, before she reached out a hand and placed it on his shoulder. Izuku stood frozen in place, not only from her raw strength which stopped him from moving. But also, the fact that a girl was touching him.

"You intrigued me a bit Midoriya, I'm curious what exactly is your Quirk, it seems strong. Also, you seem like quite a coward, why, if you have such a great Quirk?" Miruko felt she might have been too blunt for the boy when he turned a bright red and started babbling. She was about to give up on finding him interesting before something changed in his eyes. He suddenly stood back straight, displaying that there was indeed a difference in height between the two as he spoke slowly and with a deep power.

"For most of my life I thought I was Quirkless, I always admired everyone else around me who had such great powers. It wasn't until very recently that I discovered my Quirk, it's so strong that the physical backlash breaks my bones if I don't use it carefully. Only once I had trained my body enough in my attempt to take the U.A. entrance exam did it manifest.

"I only just recently got slight control over this power, but even then I still want to be a great hero. My goal is to prove everyone who told me I couldn't wrong and prove everyone who believed in me right." Izuku internally screamed to himself questioning why he had told her all that, but the thought stopped when she reached out and started to poke and prod at his various muscles.

'The baggy clothes hide it, but he is pretty stacked. If his Quirk really has that much backlash it would make sense why it didn't appear until his body could handle it. Not the first late bloomer Quirk I've heard of, still if he has that power he really should grow a backbone.' Miruko looked at Izuku and he was once more a blushing and stuttering mess from her prodding.

"I'll be waiting for that moment then Midoriya. Show me something good." She gave Izuku his book back with her signature as she walked back towards her seat for the coming events. As she tossed a look over her shoulder she once more saw that resolve that intrigued her in his eyes as he promised he would.

Once Miruko was back in her seat, she happily munched away at her carrots, glad she had gotten her chance to talk with Izuku. He wasn't what she had been expecting in the slightest, but that just intrigued her more. From what he had said she gathered he didn't have the greatest childhood, believing himself Quirkless. To her that explained his shy behavior, but he also could switch and have that undying fire is his eyes that reminded Miruko of herself.

Their goals were very similar as well, she wanted to be a Hero to saves lives and improve the world in her own way. But she also, like Izuku wanted to prove to everyone that had doubted her and her Quirk that they were wrong. A small snort of amusement came out as she finished off her last carrot, she couldn't help but find in her own way a kindred spirit in Izuku Midoriya once more.

Before she noticed it the tournament was once more in full swing and Izuku was up first against Shinso from general studies that she had paid no mind to. That changed and her demeanor grew sour at the seeming loss for Izuku as he turned around and began walking out of the stage. She could tell that it started after he talked to the other boy and deduced it was something to do with his Quirk.

Her attitude did a quick turnaround as Izuku's fingers suddenly had the same reddish veins from the cavalry battle. In the next moment a gust of air strong enough to push her back into her seat bust forth and Izuku stopped moving. She looked down with keen eyes and noticed two of his fingers were a blackish blue.

'Damn guess he wasn't kidding about some serious backlash. Still takes guts to use your power and fight knowing you're going to break bones. You showed me something interesting again, now win.' Miruko cheered in her head as Izuku charged at Shinso, with a quick turn around and shoulder throw he was declared the winner.

The matches that followed, were each in their own way intriguing, but Miruko couldn't find anywhere near as much interest in them as she did Izuku. Fight after fight came and went, but then the second round began, and she watched as Izuku stepped out. He still had that deep routed determination, but it seemed to be blocked behind something else.

Izuku Midoriya was many things, but most would never consider him unintelligent. The only thought he could process as he gazed across the arena of the U.A. sports festival was the exact opposite. He had thought over and over of different scenarios or ways to go about what he wanted to do, but he couldn't

'I want to help him, no, I have to help him. Todoroki can't go on thinking about his power the way he does and still win, it's not right. Everyone else is giving everything they have to win and he's only half trying, it's just not right.' Izuku kept going over his thoughts again and again, but they kept circling back to one answer.

'I'll force him to use his fire, then once he's at his strongest I need to defeat him beyond a doubt. He needs to accept his power and see how far he can still rise.' Despite his desire to win and defeat Shoto however, Izuku couldn't stop one singular thought beyond wining.

'How can I beat him when I don't know how strong he is, or what his limits are. Think Izuku, think, there must be some trick. Something I can do to beat him and win. Quirks are still just physical attributes he must have some limit.' He took a deep breath and stared across at his opponent with a deep resolve.

"If you want to give up now, before you break anything else, this will be your last chance Midoriya." Todoroki said with a harsh glare. Izuku gave a brief shake of his head tossing about his curly green hair before he strengthened himself and glared back.

"I won't go easy on you either Todoroki, I will defeat you and win." Izuku decided that nothing but his strongest attack right off the bat would work. He had no idea how many, or how quickly, Shoto could attack with his ice. His fire was also a completely unknow factor, and Izuku didn't know how he would combat it.

From the side of the arena Midnight sauntered up to her mini podium stand and cracked her hand whip in the air. The whip made a resounding crack throughout the air as she asked both opponents if they were ready as Cementoss took his seat on his self-made throne. When both nodded with a resounding yes Midnight gave her whip another resounding crack as she shouted to all watching in the stadium with anticipation.

"Start."

Shoto quickly stomped down with his right foot and a small glacier of ice rushed toward Izuku. In retaliation, he quickly charged 100% of One For Allinto his right index finger and flicked it with all his strength at the ice. With a surge of wind pressure and a silent Smash in his head Izuku blasted the ice and Shoto back several feet.

'Seven more.' Izuku thought as he watched Shoto stop himself from flying too far back, or out of the ring. Shoto had quickly thrown a block of ice behind himself that almost resembled a flower, or half a star to stop his momentum.

'He's ready to break himself to win, as I thought. It was better to not use everything I had in one go.' Shoto shot a lidded glare at Izuku as he gathered his strength to get back up before he fired off more ice. He quickly braced against the attack again as it blasted him backwards a few feet closer to the edge again.

'Six left, I have to think of something else quick if I don't want this to be over immediately.' Izuku thought as he clenched his teeth against the pain he was feeling. He looked up and noticed that just before Shoto shot his next volley of ice that we exhaled a large cloud of frosted breath. As the ice came at him again Izuku sacrificed his third finger to blast the ice back observing everything he could about Shoto.

'Only five more, what's the trick damn it. There has to be something, why was his breath cold?' Izuku watched as Shoto continued his assault of ice unrelenting. With his pinky finger shot off Izuku had used the rest of his right hand and grunted briefly in pain. Before long his adrenaline kicked in and he watched Shoto charge towards him in his brief intermission of thought.

Izuku hadn't watched and admired hero's all his life for nothing, however. He took every chance he could to admire Quirks, their strength's, their weaknesses, ways to improve them, anything and everything. All this knowledge flooded him as he watched Shoto use his ice to shoot himself into the air coming down for a kick to end the fight.

His breath was exhaled in a large cloud of frost once more as Izuku followed his every movement including the slight chip of ice on his shoulder. As he came down from overhead prepared to give a dropkick, Izuku also picked up on the minute shiver his body gave off.

'Is that how it is, dammit. He's slower than before physically and his ice is also coming at a reduced pace. Dammit I can't win against that as I am, it only makes me even angrier that he doesn't use his fire.

'All his weaknesses as he is presently could be fixed if he just used his fire. I'm so angry but I can't do anything against him as I am. Think, think, something, anything, what can I do as I am now, what would All Might do?' Izuku pondered deeply as Shoto came closer almost in slow motion. As he descended Izuku continued to think of everything he knew to find a way to win against Shoto.

'Attack, I would need a whole arm with how close he is. I can't chance it that he won't be blown off, he still hasn't used his fire either. Run, could I jump far enough away without One For All to make a difference before he attacked again? What would All Might do?' In that moment as Shoto descended in almost slow motion to Izuku, a thought of what he said to Endeavor only a few minutes prior flashed across his mind.

I'm not All Might, and Todoroki isn't you.

'That's right, I'm not All Might. He chose me, it's my Quirk. Run, Attack? I'll do both with the most I can without breaking myself. It won't break, it won't, it won't, I won't let it.' Izuku with a rush of clarity pushed All For One into his arm and leg at the same time as he fiercely met Shoto's descending gaze.

With a push against the ground from his right leg using 5% of One For All, Izuku was in front of Shoto before he could complete his overhead attack. His left arm pulled back to his waist, Izuku continued his internal mantra repeatedly as he surged his fist forward and sucker punched Shoto in his gut. In the same moment, despite his countered attack Shoto shot out his own attack and froze Izuku's unguarded right arm.

As the two opponents separated from one another they each gave a slight tumble as they regained their balance to stand up straight. Izuku panted as he quickly examined his arm and leg, noting with joy that nothing was broken. He used the distance created to power his left arm again and shatter the ice on his right arm that covered from his lower shoulder to elbow.

"The heck was that Midoriya, you stop breaking all of a sudden?"Present Mic shouted from his announcers booth. The audience seemed to agree with the sudden change in the fight as the first real exchange began.

'He says that, but it's still patchwork at best. I can't fight like this very well, or for long. The transition between limbs is too slow. I might have pushed One For All into both limbs, but it was slow, I almost didn't make it.' Izuku continued to think along those lines as he dodged Shoto's next ice attack by a hair as he pushed his legs with 5% One For All. He watched and continued to analyze Shoto as he slowed, and more ice accumulated on his right side.

"What drives you dammit, why are you trying so hard?" Shoto practically shouted out to Izuku as his rage built unable to win as quickly as he wanted. Izuku returned his gaze with one of equal passion.

"I want to be the Greatest Hero, one who saves everyone with a smile. Just like All Might, but this fight isn't about that. You're not taking me seriously and wasting your own potential Todoroki, and it pisses me off. Why won't you use your fire?" Izuku seethed at Shoto truly angry for one of the first times in his life.

"Did my shitty old man pay you off, I already told you I'll never use his power in a fight." Shoto fired back in even greater rage. Angered at the mere thought of his father blackmailing or coercing someone into having him use his fire. Izuku ignored his comment as he looked at Shoto with steel in his eyes that seemed to glow green.

"Your shivering Todoroki, and that's what makes me so angry. You could fix that in an instant with your fire, but you hold yourself back and still think you can win with only half your power. Everyone else is here giving it there all to win, and your only half trying! That's just not right, I'll win and defeat you." Shoto looked down in rage for that moment, but that was all it took for Izuku to capitalize on his weakness.

He charge forth One For All coursing through one leg again as he punched Shoto straight in his face. The gap between them was closed in an instant as Izuku's left cross connected with Shoto's face. He could do nothing but tumble backwards and block his back with ice as his head shook from Izuku's punch.

"What's wrong with you, fight back. Come at me with everything you have Todoroki. Use your fire, you still haven't even scratched me yourself." Izuku shouted in rage at his classmate weakening his power deliberately and not fighting with everything he had.

'Let me save you, you stubborn person, your almost worse than Kacchan.' Izuku fumed internally as he watched Shoto seethe with utter rage as his comment riled him up.

"I told you I'll never use his power while…"

"It's your power dammit. Yours not his, I'm fighting you right now Shoto Todoroki, not Endeavor!" Izuku interrupted Shoto and shouted out his own rage. As he said his piece of mind Shoto seemed to freeze in place for several moments, before the next instance, fire suddenly exploded out of his right-side super heating everything around him and defrosting his right side.

"Hot Hot Hot, it's hot. The fire's here, what's with this heat man!" Mic continued his ever-present commentary as Endeavor strode from his place in the audience.

"Shotoooooo, have you finally accepted yourself. Yes, become my masterpiece, fight, win, you were born to surpass me!" Shoto ignored him as he gazed at Izuku across from him right hands fingers broken, and bicep slightly frostbitten with a wide smile present.

"Why are you smiling dammit? I thought you wanted to win. Don't blame me for what happens after this is over, I want to be a Hero too!" Shoto shouted out as he released all his fire and ice at the same time. Midnight and Cementoss tried to stop the two combatants, but the force being generated was enough to push them back from stopping the fight quick enough.

Izuku stared down Shoto as he watched the ice and fire dance around each other in an almost ethereal whirlwind. He crouched down in preparation for the coming attack as his brain for the first time in their fight stopped working.

'What do I do? I know I said I would make him use his fire and then win, but I don't know how I can. What can I do, I want to win, but I can't think of anything. I'm switching One For All on and off quicker between my limbs, but it's not fast enough. Oh, it's a switch, that's not right.' Just as the thought came to him the world all around Izuku went black and eight distinctly more defined shadows appeared before him.

Unlike his fight with Shinso previously, the figures weren't just blurry outlines and floating eyes. This time his vision was much clearer, the figures had distinct shadows that defined their differences and their eyes shined with deep routed power.

"NOT YET." The voices all mixed into one jumbled voice, but Izuku could also make out one distinctly soft and male voice as one of the shadows hand's reached out in a gesture of giving. Izuku slowly raised his hand and placed it in the shadows, almost like a helping hand up, as he did the world bled back into focus and the power of One For All surged through his whole body.

A.N: My goal with this story is to make it the number one most reviewed, and longest story on fanfiction, that is purely Izuku x Rumi. Also, if you enjoy my work and feel like supporting me please check out my Ko-fi under the same name holliswriting.