Ticked Off [Boku No Hero Academia]

3: SPORTS FESTIVAL: TODOROKI

Iida's match against Hatsume Mei didn't seem as amusing as he remembered, even though nothing had changed and she was still using his talents and Engine Quirk to show off her inventions to the Pro Support Heroes. A cold stone of guilt had settled in Izuku's stomach as he recalled what would happen shortly after.

He knew Ingenium would be attacked by Stain, the Hero Killer, in Hosu city, but he couldn't interfere without causing a massive ripple through time. In the future, the young hero had come to terms with his waist-down paralysis, and usually seemed content to watch his younger brother rise up through the ranks and prove himself truly worthy of inheriting the name.

But... Izuku remembered a time when Tensei had admitted that he hated feeling so useless. He should've had a whole career ahead of him, but it was cut short by Stain's selfish attack. It should've been him and his brother, following in their parents' footsteps together.

As the matches continued, he scribbled away in his Hero Analysis notebook, only marginally frustrated that all his work in the previous timeline had been undone and he had to rewrite everything he remembered about the Quirks of his fellow students. He kept muttering to himself, keeping up the guise of a student excited for a fun event, while internally he was a Pro Hero stressing out over an inevitable attack. Izuku glanced sideways, noticing a drink abandoned on Uraraka's chair, and immediately getting to his feet to check on her in the waiting rooms.

The noise of the crowd faded as he navigated the empty corridors, deep in thought. Even if he hated to do so, he had to let Tensei get attacked. Although...

He slipped his phone from his pocket, scrolling to a certain contact and calling. "All Might-san?"

"Is there something you needed, my boy?" Toshinori responded, and the background noise died down, indicating he'd moved elsewhere.

"Ah, yes, um... Would it be possible to, uh... get some extra Pro Heroes patrolling in Hosu today?" Izuku asked softly, coming to a halt and leaning a shoulder against the wall.

There was a long pause. "I'll ask some friends, see if they're free. Something bad is going to happen, isn't it?"

The boy squeezed his eyes shut, his hand tensing around his phone. "Yeah." His voice broke. "I- I really want to stop it, but..." He let out a shaky whimper, trying to hold back the tears. "It's too important to prevent, and I hate that. I should do something – I want to do something, but I can't."

"Breathe, Izuku," Toshinori said gently, his tone low and soothing. "I'm glad you came to me with this, my boy. I can't hope to ever understand what you're going through, but my old sidekick, Nighteye... There were times when he caught glimpses of the future and he couldn't do anything to change it, no matter what he did. Sometimes, no action is the wisest action, regardless of how helpless you feel. If you believe that it's for the best, then I believe so too, and I'll always be here if you need me."