Chapter Text
“Welcome back listeners! It’s been a busy day here at the U.A. Sports Festival but we’re reaching the end! Our final two will face off in just a few minutes in the final one-v-one showdown to determine the first-year winner. Our finalists, both from Class 1A, Bakugou Katsuki, and Todoroki Shouto. Just moments ago Bakugou put in a fusion request—for all you new listeners, all contestants in the one-v-one battles are allowed one duel as a fusion—Cementoss and Midnight are reviewing the request now—and it’s gone through! All right folks, the next time we see Bakugou it’ll be showcasing some new explosive style I’m sure.”
Present Mic’s commentary rang out through the stadium, whispers flowing through the stands as Katsuki exited towards the warm-up rooms. Eraserhead, wrapped from head to toe in bandages, squinted with tired eyes at his most confident student.
Todoroki did not put in a fusion request, standing off to his side of the arena and still slightly shivering from the last battles. The kid from Gen Ed hadn’t been bad, all things considered, he probably could have won if Todoroki wasn’t so focused on not freezing that he didn’t even say a word before he knocked him out of bounds. Iida was even more of a pain, Todoroki’s joints beginning to freeze and lock making it difficult to even advance towards Iida’s face-paced running. He’d been far too lucky in the last rounds, he probably wouldn’t get that much luck against Bakugou, especially if Bakugou was fusing with someone.
At that moment the cheering of the crowd kicked up an octave and Todoroki looked over to the entrance of the arena. The fusion sauntering towards him had all the confidence of Bakugou, but there was this underlying presence of something else—a calm before the storm—keeping the more feral emotions in check.
“Now that is quite the fusion! Eraserhead, you’re his homeroom teacher, were you aware your student had this much mastery over fusion?”
A Bakugou-like grin crept over the fusion’s face at Present Mic’s words, that same one he always wore during hero class exercises.
Aizawa, from up in the commentator’s booth, had lowered the volume of his microphone and was intensely studying a folder in front of him instead of answering Mic’s question. Mic nudged him, probably for the sake of keeping up his reputation of being a host that could hook anybody, and Aizawa looked up from Bakugou’s folder.
“U.A. keeps records of all fusions, outside and during student’s time here, for future hero work. Despite the fact the hero courses have not yet extensively covered fusions and actively trying to achieve them, Bakugou was strategic in his choice.”
“Are you saying this isn’t a new fusion?”
Aizawa scoffed, looking back to the folder covering Bakugou Katsuki and his only documented fusion. “Hardly.”
Back on the court, the newly reformed fusion was taking it all in, the two conflicting personalities trying to grab the ropes and take control before the real battle began. Todoroki, and the majority of the audience, were observing the fusion. Four arms, Todoroki noted, an unwillingness from both parties to give up control; but only one set of eyes, Bakugou’s shape but one forest green in color. It was a clear sign that the two had the same view of the world, perhaps just slightly differing from the other.
It was also Bakugou’s spiky blond hair, but the tips faded to the same forest green as the eyes, and the roots were dark too like they too were green but hidden by all the blond. Todoroki couldn’t distinguish any differences in the body type from the original Bakugou, perhaps the arms were a bit more muscled, and there was a dusting of freckles covering nearly every inch of visible skin. The fusion’s face shape was definitely Bakugou’s, just with a bit of baby fat still clinging to the cheeks like it hadn’t gotten the memo they were in high school now.
“Whaddya say, IcyHot, wanna give the people a good show?” One set of arms was crossed over the fusion’s chest and the other was swung out gesturing to the people, Todoroki didn’t know which was a more Bakugou move in this situation.
In response, he dropped down into a fighting stance, the fusion lighting up at the sight and he too dropped into Bakugou’s signature pose.
“Well listeners, this is the fight you’ve been waiting all day for! Todoroki Shouto versus Fusion Dynamight!” Present Mic turned to the side and faux-whispered as if anyone could see him, “A name picked out by Bakugou and the other student before the fight.”
From the stands, two defeated competitors have very different reactions to the official spelling of the name as it pulls up on the screen. Class H watches Hatsume break down in giggles, muttering under her breath about ‘that dweeb.’ Shinsou sinks in his seat in Class C, pretending he doesn’t exist and neither does the idiot he calls friend.
Then Midnight signals the beginning of the match, and Dynamight immediately jumps off the ground, explosions firing from his hands as ice coats the spot he just stood. He gives a wild grin in Todoroki’s direction, filtering through Izuku’s quirk as it locks on Todoroki’s next move. He barrels straight for Todoroki, feigning left at the last second as a large wall of ice pops up. Todoroki is looking at him with slightly wide eyes, but he’s shivering already. Izuku’s quirk sight watches the ice consume Todoroki’s body, if they can keep this up, he’ll cause his own demise. Katsuki is oddly quiet over the link fusions share, not quite telepathy, it’s more a mesh of words and feelings. Determination radiates from Katsuki’s part of the connection, Izuku remaining calm and rational for the both of them so nothing incredibly rash happens.
When they had first fused, one that summer day that felt so long ago, it was exhilarating. Izuku’s quirk, once reduced to information on a person’s quirk, could now tell him how the quirks could be optimized in battle—the most likely moves people were to make and how they panned out. Of course, it wasn’t straight up foresight like All Might’s former sidekick, Sir Nighteye, there was no movement of the body when Izuku’s quirk added to the fusion. They could deal with an unexpected punch at any moment and Izuku wouldn’t see a thing, but he would see the giant spire of ice Todoroki was going to form at their feet in two seconds.
The body jumped, Katsuki more in control of the actual limbs while Izuku managed the internal affairs. The body had its limits, like any unfused person, their muscle fibers still tore if they set off too many explosions, and migraines were their new third wheel if they predicted for too long.
“I-I thought you wanted t-to give the people a show?” Todoroki’s teeth were chattering, his words stuttering barely as his body tried to warm up and Todoroki refused. Chunks of ice were clinging to his arms and neck, weighing him down slightly as he tried to find a new balance.
“Believe me, this is far more entertaining than anything I could do. Watching you tear yourself apart. Sad really, Todoroki. I wanted to win fair and square, not because second place half-assed it.”
“I won’t use it, I refuse to win with his power!” The words were venomous, his eyes darting briefly to the stands where Endeavor stood with a scowl. Number Two Pro Hero, Todoroki’s father, Endeavor.
Dynamight scoffed, charging up an explosion to combat the oncoming ice. The scoff may have been from Katsuki, but the words were all Izuku as they poured from the fusion’s mouth. “It’s your power, Todoroki, not his! You choose how to use it!” It was still said with the venom Katsuki infused in his words, but Todoroki could hear the genuine tone in the voice.
Oh, Midoriya, that makes sense. He’s not sure how he didn’t piece it together before now, with the green hair and Present Mic and Aizawa-sensei talking about how this was a pre-U.A. fusion. He hadn’t given much thought to the support course kid in the past, up until a few weeks ago when he’d latched onto Todoroki’s arm muttering apologies and shaking violently as words about Todoroki’s quirk poured from his mouth seemingly without his consent.
He’d asked him if he was secretly the love child of Ragdoll or Sir Nighteye, completely serious, but Midoriya had laughed and said he was good at jokes. And he’d told him about his parents, and how he would do this without his fire.
He threw up an ice wall as Dynamight shot an explosion at him. But his body was freezing, literally. He had to make a decision now, abandon his vow or be defeated by his own hands.
The area was set ablaze as Dynamight shot back, already in the air as fire engulfed Todoroki’s left side, the chunks of ice on his right side melting and falling off.
“Now here’s the fight I’ve been waiting for!” Dynamight blasted in, dodging ice and fire as he got right up in Todoroki’s space. “Let’s finish this, yeah?”
He propelled himself into the air again, spinning into seemingly a tornado or condensed bomb. Todoroki threw up an ice wall in reaction but it didn’t make much difference.
As the smoke cleared Dynamight stood in the middle of the arena, Todoroki was on a clump of ice he’d constructed to lessen his fall—out of bounds. Dynamight walked over to the other boy, who’d somehow managed to freeze a section of his leg into the ice and was now trying to warm it up.
“Now that was a helluva fight, IcyHot. Don’t ever go easy on any of the extras in class again.”
“Thank you… I’ll say a proper thank you when you’ve unfused Midoriya.”
Izuku squawked over the connection, rambling about what had given him away. Katsuki internally rolled his eyes and took over the job of nodding, helping Todoroki to his feet once his leg was free.
Midnight walked over to the two, a big smile on her face. “Award show next, boys! Do you guys want to stay fused or…”
“I’m getting unfused as soon as you give the word, lady.”
“Well, listeners, that concludes the first year portion of U.A.’s Sports Festival. Stick around to watch our top three be awarded, right after the break!”
“Midoriya,” the greenette in question turned to find Todoroki approaching him from down the hall. “I just wanted to say thank you again.”
“It’s really no trouble, Todoroki-kun! I’m just glad you—”
“SHOUTO!” Both boys turned at the interruption, coming face to face with Endeavor. The Number 2 Pro Hero had this manic sort of glee on his face as he approached his glowering son and Izuku. “You’ve finally embraced your fire, now you can truly begin your training once more!”
“That’s not happening,” Todoroki shot him down. Endeavor’s eyes narrowed slightly and Todoroki took a single step closer to his father. “I don’t know how I feel yet, so for now—you’ll just have to be a patient man.”
After another moment of palpable tension filling the hallway, Shouto turned and grabbed Izuku’s wrist, moving them in the opposite direction of his father. Izuku’s eyes sparked as his quirk activated and he mumbled off aspects of Todoroki’s fire and ice. The other boy kept his face hard to read, but his eyes flickered over to Izuku every so often when the boy would dramatically wave his free arm at a fact.
When they reached the exit Todoroki let go of Izuku’s hand and watched as the boy’s eyes dimmed before they stopped glowing all together. “Sorry,” he mumbled out, a bright blush spilling over onto his cheeks from embarrassment.
Todoroki shrugged, “I think your quirk is very useful, you shouldn’t apologize.” Izuku’s eyes brightened in response to that and he smiled at Shouto. “Bakugou told us you helped design his hero suit, it’s one of the most advanced in the class and it’s really obvious you two put a lot of work into it. I… hate to ask, but do you think you could give me some tips for a new costume? I’m going to need to modify it if I’m going to give the whole fire thing a chance.”
“Really?” Izuku clasped his hands together with a bright smile, Todoroki nodded. “This is kinda embarrassing but I-I already have a couple of costume designs for you… they’re in my notebook back in the Development Studio, I was going over them with Hatsume-san yesterday and forgot it.”
“Thank you, Midoriya. Perhaps we can meet up tomorrow after classes in the Development Studio?”
“Sure! I’ll have Power Loader-sensei and Hatsume-san there too, they’re good with support items.” A girl’s voice yelled at them from a short distance away and both boys turned to find Hatsume and Shinsou making their way over.
“Catch up with your friends, Midoriya, I have some things I need to take care of. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Todoroki gave a small wave before he turned and walked away from Izuku, leaving the greenette standing alone for a single moment before Mei was on top of him.
“Hatsume-san!” Izuku exclaimed, very pointedly not looking at her chest area which was smushed into him at the moment. “Shinsou-kun!” he greeted the other as Mei hopped up and helped Izuku off the ground.
“You were so great out there, Midoriya-kun!” Mei clasped her hands in front of her as she grinned, looking at Hitoshi as if she needed confirmation on the fact. “You were not subtle with that name though, my babies are referenced more subtlely than that!”
“Kacchan and I have always admired All Might, that was one of Kacchan’s potential hero names.” Izuku rubbed the back of his neck with a fond look, lips turning up to a grin without his consent.
“So what’s he going to use now? Since that one’s off the table for your fusion,” Shinsou asked.
Izuku buried his face in slight embarrassment, knowing the names Katsuki wanted but would never be cleared for. “He’s working on it.” Shinsou and Hatsume shared a mischievous look before they both yanked one of Izuku’s hands away from his face. They each linked an arm, Izuku effectively trapped between them as they began to walk to one of the many shuttle buses going back to the school.
“Enough about Bakugou, tell us what you and Todoroki were talking about!”
“He wants me to help him design a new hero suit, apparently Kacchan told some people in 1A I helped with his and since Todoroki-kun will need to adapt his suit to utilize his ice and fire I might’ve sort have offered up some of my designs. Speaking of, Hatsume-san, will you be in the Development Studio after classes tomorrow?”
“You know it, sweetie! Baby 156 is in the works and I can’t see a better way to spend my time.”
“You could sleep,” Shinsou offered up, the other two turning to him before grins broke out on both their faces.
“Shinsou-kun, you don’t even do that.”
“Okay, that’s fair. Also, I’m sorry about the whole individual battles, I didn’t want to go against you.”
“I walked in there without any support items, even if I beat you I wasn’t going to beat Todoroki-kun or even Iida-kun without help. We helped each other, I didn’t get pummeled and you set yourself up to get a hero course transfer.”
“And I got to show off my super sweet babies to all the prospective buyers! Who needs a first-place trophy when you can be rich off support item patents?”
“Bakubro!” Katsuki turned from where he was watching Izuku and his friends to see the self-proclaimed ‘Bakusquad’ waving and making their way over. Kaminari and Sero were pushing each other back and forth while Mina attempted to climb on Sero’s back. Kirishima walked a step ahead of all of them with a bright grin on his face, his hair was laying at odd angles like he’d ran his hands through it and messed up the gel.
“Dude, you never told us you knew how to fuse!” Katsuki’s eyebrow raised in Kaminari’s direction as the other blond stared slightly dumbfounded at the new Sports Festival winner. “You’ll have to give us tips, man, like before Aizawa decides to put us through that in class unprepared.”
“Hah! Figure it out yourselves, nerds!”
“No, but seriously, Kats, you and Todoroki were super manly! And, um, I’m guessing Midoriya was like your fusion partner?” Bakugou smacked a hand to his face at Kirishima’s words. He had half a mind to chase after Izuku and his friends and pummel the nerd for being so obvious.
“Not that it was super obvious or anything, Blasty!” Mina reassured, waving her hands frantically from Sero’s shoulders as if she could read Katsuki’s mind. “We only assumed because no one from 1A was gone during your fight and Midoriya is like the only person you talk to outside of class!”
“Stupid Deku,” he muttered anyways, hands falling away from his face, leaving a scowl in its wake.
“Young Bakugou!” The whole group turned to the familiar voice of the Number 1 Pro Hero, All Might. The man’s ever-present smile looked completely out of place as he looked at the group of five. “That was quite an outstanding performance today, I know I mentioned it when I handed you the medal but I want you to know I truly believe you’ll be a great hero someday.”
“Right…” Katsuki had always admired All Might—him and Deku both, which should have been made obvious by the whole Dynamight thing—but somewhere around the time they discovered One For All that admiration turned into this diluted awe. He was still this great man, but suddenly he wasn’t just All Might, he was just another person with a powerful quirk who’d gotten lucky.
“Go get seats on the bus, nerds. I’ll catch up in a minute.” His words didn’t leave any room for discussion, not that his squad would question him. He’s done stranger than ask for a moment alone with the Number 1 Hero.
“Is there something you wished to discuss, Bakugou?” All Might asked, that damned smile never leaving his face. Katsuki looked at him for a moment longer before he let out a sound resembling a ‘tch’ and looked away.
“We need to have a longer discussion later, All Might. Where there are less prying eyes.” Katsuki’s eyes flicked to the left for emphasis where two giggling girls stood, probably hoping for a picture with All Might.
“Of course, my boy. You can talk to me about anything. I know I’m not your homeroom teacher, but I’m here for all of you.”
“Mhm, good to hear. Well, I’ll leave you to your adoring fans, Number Eight.” With that, he turned away to walk to the bus Kirishima was standing outside of. Before he and Eijirou climbed on, Katsuki risked a final glance at All Might, seeing the way the corners of his smile had faltered even as he smiled for the fans' pictures.