It's been 10 years since your first year as a nobody at U.A. Now you're the owner of IRIS, a multi million dollar tech company. You've got it all, the penthouse in the sky, the money, and the ability to create equipment for the heroes of Japan. But...
After what felt like an eternity, the games finally ended. It was time for the awards ceremony and I noticed Bakugou standing up to walk out of the room. He was going to have to give out the medals to the top three contestants, but he looked like he would rather murder an entire litter of kittens. Why was he so mad? I looked at Shoto who seemed to be deep in thought. I almost thought about brushing my arm against him, almost. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to be inside that mind.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we thank you for another great sports festival here at U.A. The place where heroes are made!" Loud cheers burst through the crowds.
"Without further ado, let's give our top three a round of applause as we welcome them on stage!"
The ground opened up and three podiums shot out, holding the winners. Everyone was cheering. I was looking to see where he would be coming from.
"To congratulate our victors and present them with their medals... Love him or hate him he saved us all from annihilation and earned his spot at the top of the hero charts and has been keeping the streets safe since, everyone please welcome Your Number One Hero, GROUND ZERO!!!"
Roars of applause could be heard through the stadium, but all I could hear were explosions. He shot up into the sky and did a hero landing in front of the podium, taking the medals from the announcer and walking over to the 3rd place finisher. The boy looked like he was going to wet himself as Bakugou placed the medal around his neck roughly. "For what it's worth you're strong, kid. Keep training and you'll be better than all these other losers." The boy bowed to him, thanking him repeatedly. "I-I watched you when I was 5 standing here yourself. You were amazing. T-thank you sir. I strive everyday to be the hero you are!" He was far away, but I could see Bakugou's face heat up. This really wasn't his style. He knew it came with the job but he wasn't cut out for encouraging others. He never had been. I was honestly surprised he didn't critique the boy into the floor. He had made multiple mistakes during his battle. He was strong, but he was sloppy with his fighting technique.
Next he walked over to 2nd place and put the medal around his neck. "You only lost because someone-" I watched him glance over to first place "was using gear. You would have won if she hadn't." The boy looked over at his classmate then back at the hero standing in front of him. It was like he was afraid to say anything, the girl was practically in tears. I didn't blame her. There was nothing wrong with using equipment. Hell, that was my livelihood. I rolled my eyes but deep down I knew that he was right. The girl wasn't very strong but her gear was top notch. I hoped that Mei had found the inventor.
Finally he stepped in front of the girl. "I don't think you really earned this, but that's not my call to make. Work to be strong. You can't just rely on weapons and what others have made for you. You've got a good quirk. Master it so you can stand on your own." He placed the medal around her neck as tears were streaming down her face. She simply nodded then looked down at the ground in embarrassment. This sent a wave of boos through the crowd. Bakugou turned around and growled.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"AND IF ANY OF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY YOU CAN COME DOWN HERE AND SAY IT TO MY FACE!" The crowd went silent and I felt my face flush. The dominance of this man was extraordinary. "I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH TAKING ON ANY OF YOU BASTARDS WITHOUT MY FUCKING GAUNTLETS. TO BE A HERO YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO FIGHT WITH YOUR OWN STRENGTH!" He ripped them from his forearms and threw them down on the ground, his palm facing them he fired off an explosion that reverberated through the stadium, sending debris flying. When the smoke cleared everything around the area was scorched and his gauntlets were nothing but ash. The stadium erupted into cheers and the announcer was back on. "WHAT A SHOW OF STRENGTH FROM OUR NUMBER ONE HERO! Thank you all again for coming and-" Bakugou cut him off and did a 360 as he turned to look at everyone in the crowd. He looked like he was debating on saying it. I didn't realize that my hands were gripping the arms of my seat.
"In the words of a late former legend. A man I grew up admiring. A man who helped me become who I am today. I think we can all agree he should still be the one standing here today in front of you all, and I'm sorry he's no longer with us. In memory of All Might. Go Beyond. Plus Ultra." He held up his fist with determination and the crowd was going wild, I saw his face turn towards the hero box, his eyes finding me. There were so many other emotions he could have expressed in that moment, but all I could see was pain.
----
Everyone was starting to make their way from their seats and I stood as well, gathering my things. I held out a few papers to Todoroki. "Here. There's five candidates for you I think would be a good match. I wrote notes on all of them, I hope it helps." I watched as he took them from me. His eyes looked into mine as he nodded. I was about to turn and leave when I heard him clear his throat, drawing my attention back to him.
"(f/n), I hope I'm not being too forward, but do you think, perhaps, you'd like to go get dinner with me sometime?"
My mouth opened, then closed. What was I supposed to say to that? I ran a hand through my hair nervously and thought about my words before speaking them.
"Todoroki-"
"You can call me Shoto, (f/n)"
"Shoto... I really do appreciate the offer. And I would be more than happy to go with you. But as friends. I hope you understand. It would be unprofessional for me to date a client. I'm sorry."
He didn't look phased as he nodded. "I do understand. Thank you for sitting with me today and for helping me out." He held up the papers for a moment before dropping them back to his side. "If you change your mind I'm sure you have my number."
"I do. Thank you Shoto. It's been fun watching the festival with you." I placed the strap of my bag over my shoulder and turned around, walking towards the door, stopping when I saw a pair of bright red eyes looking down at me. He had just heard our entire conversation and a small smile was tugging at his lips. "Good job at the ceremony, Bakugou. You ended up not being a total asshole." I nodded at him and then walked out, my heart pounding. Why the fuck did he have to smile like that. He never smiled. I tried to ignore the thoughts in my own mind as I headed down the stairs, hoping to find Mei quickly so we could get the hell out of there.
