A light in the void (my hero academia)

It's yours!

Izuku walks into the waiting room before his match. He expects it to be empty. What he doesn't expect is to find Uraraka sitting on one of the chairs. She seems lost in thought.

He clears his throat in order to get her attention.

"Ah! Deku-kun! I guess I lost." She says, rubbing her neck sheepishly, seemingly back to her old bubbly attitude. It's a huge difference from the fierceness the world witnessed not long ago. "I just got carried away at the end when I thought I could actually win. But I'm okay! Recovery girl healed me!" It's fake though. Her smile... Izuku has seen that smile too many times in the past. Every time he stared in the mirror after a particularly bad day. He'd always wear that smile to hide the pain he was feeling; his mother would get annoyed otherwise. "I just have to try harder next time- "

"Uraraka..." He approaches her wordlessly before she gets to finish her sentence. He wraps his arms around her. Pulling her into a firm embrace, he gives her just enough space to feel comfortable but his hold is firm. She needs to know that she doesn't have to put up an act with him.

Uraraka stills at first. Izuku thought he's done something wrong. However, as soon as her initial shock is over, she melts into his hold and sobs on his shoulder. Uraraka's whole body shudders as she cries in his arms.

"I- I gave it everything I had- Still it wasn't enough." Her voice is raw with emotions, she falters at some of the words in order to catch her breath.

"It's okay. You were amazing out there! You gave Kacchan a run for his money! You need to give yourself a break!" He reassures her, rubbing circles on her back.

He pulls away, holding her by the shoulders at arms lengths. He needs to look at her when he's saying this.

"Uraraka, you're going to be an amazing hero. I believe in you." His voice is steady and unwavering as he tried to convey the sincerity behind his statement.

It seems she got the message, as she only sobs harder and jumps at him, arms wrapping around his shoulders as she thanks him over and over again.

Afterward, they sit down and discuss her strategy and how she might improve next time. Before long, Present mic announces the beginning of the next round. It's time for his match with Todoroki.

"I- I have to go..." He says quietly, dread filling his stomach as he thinks of the battle ahead of him.

"Thanks for being here for me Deku, good luck out there I'm rooting for you!" She replies her smile back to being genuine and her demeanor returning to her old bubbly self.

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He walks towards the arena, going over the strategies he'd come up with to fight Todoroki. He rounds the corner and abruptly bumps into someone.

He feels like he's burning up when he makes contact, the feeling is gone as soon as it came through and he finds himself face to face with none other than the number two hero; Endeavor.

The flame hero stares down at him. His hulking figure towers over him, his posture intimidating and his presence dominating the whole space.

"There you are! I saw what you did out there, that's an amazing quirk. I'd say it's on par with All Might's. However, my boy Shoto has a duty to surpass All Might. His match against you will prove a valuable test. You may have won the other tasks but don't let it get to your head." The hero says, his voice low and threatening. It sends chills down his spine.

Izuku feels the anger boiling inside of him. How could a father, talk about his own son as if he was just a tool? A means to an end. Although knowing his own mother and his absent father, it's not that strange.