Once Again From Better Days

Before the sports festival, Katsuki declares war on all the other classes when they gather in front of 1-A's door. He's less overconfident than he used to be, but nonetheless wants to provoke them. He wants to fight. He wants to be number one this time without dispute. 

The hallway echoes with gasps and cries of indignation. Many UA students are proud of their strength, and rightly so, but Katsuki calls them all extras . Because that's what they are. Looking around at the sea of faces around him, he doesn't see a single one outside of 1-A who fought beside them. He looks at their outrage at nothing more than a petty insult, and his lip curls. None of them stand a chance.

They day of the sports festival dawns, and Katsuki is awake three hours earlier than usual. Maybe it's nerves. It's probably nerves. His memories from last time are clearest when they concern the villains, but he has a sort of uneasy feeling about today. It's different from the uneasy feeling he had before USJ, but he's still apprehensive. The sky is clear, and a light breeze ruffles his hair when he sticks his head out of his bedroom window to check the temperature.

He walks to school with Izuku, as per usual, before they part ways. The nervousness Katsuki has is bundled inside his c.h.e.s.t in tight coils, and his limbs are jittery. The only danger to Izuku today is his own stubbornness, and Katsuki isn't sure he can do much about that. He vaguely remembers the roar of the stadium and the shouts of classmates, but nothing of villains. Katsuki tells himself to focus. 

When he finds the rest of 1-A, the air is buzzing with excitement. He hears snatches of conversation—speculations about the events, quirks of students in other classes, and who will win. Katsuki tunes them out, hearing only the slight rustle as he pulls his gym uniform on. Once he's dressed and his boots are laced up, he leaves the changing room behind, making his way through vacant hallways. Most of the students are still changing. It's still early.

But then he hears something.

"...All Might has his eye on you, doesn't he?" It's half-and-half's low voice. It echoes eerily off of the empty walls.

Katsuki pauses in the hallway, just around the corner from them. He's eavesdropping again. There are two voices, and the other is unmistakably Izuku's. He leans his back against the drywall. Even through the fabric of his gym uniform, he can feel the cold wall sapping away his body heat. Katsuki suppresses a shiver and tries to pretend he's not worried.

"Are you All Might's secret child?"

It takes a moment for Katsuki to process the question. What the f.u.c.k, Todoroki . But then he wonders why half-and-half even thought to ask. It's true that Izuku's quirk vaguely resembles All Might's, but they couldn't look more different. Katsuki bites his lip to keep himself from snorting aloud. 

Then again, it sounds like a reasonable theory, especially when the truth is what it is.

Katsuki thinks about whether or not half-and-half could have stumbled upon one of Izuku's training sessions. If he'd been spotted with All Might, it would look suspicious, wouldn't it? Izuku isn't even in the hero course. He's not in any class All Might teaches.

He also wonders why a connection to All Might would make half-and-half seek Izuku out. And then he tunes back into the conversation.

Oh right. Todoroki's tragic backstory.

It really is f.u.c.k.e.d.

And Katsuki briefly thinks about punching Endeavor in the face. It's not that he particularly likes half-and-half, but Katsuki is a hero at heart. And a story of a quirk marriage and pouring boiling water on a kid's face should set any hero's blood boiling.

Just around the corner, Izuku declare his intent to win, "I may not be in the hero course, but I have my own reasons for fighting. I won't lose to you, Todoroki. My power is not All Might's, and I will win."

There's a pause. Todoroki responds, and then two sets of footsteps start moving, and Katsuki has to escape before anyone realizes he just overheard the Flame Hero's son swear he'd win everything with only ice. 

The next time he sees half-and-half is in the stadium. Katsuki acts like he didn't hear the conversation, and tries to think of a way to tell Izuku not to break all the bones in his hand just to make half-and-half use his flames. He's not supposed to know that, though, and Izuku will probably try no matter what he says. Maybe Izuku is strong enough to KO todoroki and no bones will be broken in the process.

As the festival starts, Katsuki gets called up to make an announcement on behalf of class A. He tells them he'll be number one. His eyes catch Izuku's for a moment, and he's given a small smile. Katsuki nearly forgets what he's doing, but then turns back to the rest of the crowd. It doesn't matter if they boo him, they'll see his power soon enough. He curls his hands into fists at his sides and walks off the podium.

Midnight details the first round of competition, an obstacle course, and then they're off. 

There are too many bodies at the beginning. It seems like hundreds of UA first-years are crammed into a hallway that's only wide enough to fit ten people shoulder-to-shoulder. Katsuki climbs onto some unlucky person's head and blasts off. He lost sight of Izuku a while ago, and he attempts to stop himself for searching for a head of green, curly hair.

Half-and-half speeds ahead on his wave of ice. Katsuki avoids with a small explosion and takes off after him. As he runs, he sees that everyone in class A dodged along with a few others. One of those others being Izuku. Katsukireally should be looking ahead of him, but his gaze fixes on Izuku for a few seconds longer. Izuku looks stronger, more sure of himself, and though Katsuki can't be sure, it looks like he's using some extra power to run faster. In another second he's beside Katsuki.

"Hey, Kacchan!" he calls brightly, and Katsuki has to try his hardest to focus on running and not tripping over his feet.

"F.u.c.k off, this is a competition," he snaps.

Izuku swerves away from Katsuki's half-hearted attempt to shove him, and they continue down the track. Izuku stays even with him until they make it to the first obstacle. And then Katsuki really does manage to focus on the race.

It takes only a millisecond for Katsuki to recognize the robots from the entrance exam. He skids to a halt. It would be stupid just to try and run through them. Before he has time to act, another wave of ice rises high above their heads and arches over the line of robots. Half-and-half takes expands his lead. 

Katsuki grinds his teeth. Asshole .

He uses a few more explosions to vault himself over the tumbling pile of robots. Todoroki may be first for now, but his back is getting closer.