**Ground Beta - (Flashback)**
Tsubaki stood in the monitoring room, arms crossed as the next match began. Team B versus Team I—Shoto Todoroki and Toru Hagakure as heroes against Koji Koda and Rikido Sato as villains.
The moment All Might's signal rang out, the building's temperature plummeted.
It was different from Tsubaki's approach. Where Tsubaki had been surgical, creating ice at key points to control space and movement, Shoto was overwhelming. Massive walls of ice erupted from the ground floor, spreading upward through the entire structure like a glacier given sudden, violent life. Within seconds, half the building was encased in crystalline prison.
"WHOA!" Kaminari's voice echoed through the room. "That's insane! He just froze the whole building!"
"The sheer scale..." Midoriya was scribbling frantically despite his injured arm. "Todoroki-san's ice generation is incredible! That much material in just seconds..."
Tsubaki watched in silence. His expression remained neutral, but his jaw was tight.
On screen, Shoto moved through the frozen corridors with practiced ease, his face an emotionless mask. Sato and Koda were trapped almost immediately, encased in ice that left them immobilized but unharmed. Shoji barely had to do anything—the match was over in under three minutes.
"HERO TEAM WINS!" All Might announced, sounding almost shell-shocked by the display of raw power.
The monitoring room erupted in excited chatter.
"That was so manly!" Kirishima pumped his fist. "Just completely overwhelming!"
"Different approach from his brother," Tokoyami observed quietly, his eyes flicking briefly to Tsubaki. "Where one controls, the other dominates."
Bakugo said nothing, but his hands crackled with barely suppressed explosions. His eyes were locked on the screen where Shoto was already melting his ice to free the villain team.
Tsubaki's eyes never left his brother's form. Same quirk. Different training. Same results.
'Father's masterpiece,' Tsubaki thought, his expression betraying nothing. 'The one who got everything and still holds back.'
Because Tsubaki had noticed what perhaps others hadn't—Shoto's left side had remained completely dormant throughout the match. Not even a flicker of flame.
'You have all that power and you limit yourself,' Tsubaki thought, something cold and bitter coiling in his chest. 'While I had to claw for every scrap of recognition.'
---
**Present Day**
After all the matches had finished, the students had gone home exhausted but energized by their first real taste of hero training. Tsubaki had returned to the Todoroki estate in silence, eaten dinner alone in his room, and reviewed footage of the day's exercises on his laptop until well past midnight.
Sleep had been minimal. It usually was.
Now, walking toward UA's main gate alongside the morning crowd of students, Tsubaki noticed the commotion immediately.
"—statement about All Might's teaching methods?"
"—true that this is his first time working at a school?"
"—can you tell us about your experience so far?"
A crowd of reporters and cameramen had gathered outside the gate, their equipment creating a chaotic barrier between the students and the school entrance. Several were trying to push closer, microphones extended, cameras flashing.
Tsubaki's eyes narrowed. This was abnormal. UA's security was typically impeccable.
Ahead of him, he spotted his brother's distinctive red and white hair. Shoto was approaching the gate from a different direction, his expression even colder than usual as reporters spotted him.
"Todoroki-san! Just a few questions about—"
"Todoroki-kun, can you comment on—"
Both brothers reached the gate simultaneously, though they'd been walking from different angles.
"Todoroki-san!" A female reporter thrust a microphone toward Shoto. "Can you tell us about All Might's teaching style? What's it like learning from the Symbol of Peace?"
Shoto didn't even slow down. He moved past the extended microphone like it didn't exist, his heterochromatic eyes fixed straight ahead, his expression absolutely glacial. The reporter actually took a step back from the sheer cold radiating from him.
"Todoroki-kun!" Another reporter pivoted to Tsubaki, recognizing the similar features and hair color. "Are you related? Can you answer some questions about All Might?"
Tsubaki stopped, unlike his brother, but only for a moment. His expression was polite but firm. "I need to get to class. We're not authorized to give interviews about our teachers."
"Just one question—"
"I said no." Tsubaki's voice remained even, but there was steel beneath it. "Please excuse me."
He moved forward, and something in his tone—that absolute certainty—made the reporters part slightly.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" A commanding voice cut through the chaos.
Present Mic stood at the gate, his speaker system amplifying his voice to uncomfortable levels. Behind him, Aizawa Shota looked even more exhausted than usual, his capture weapon already partially unfurled in warning.
"This is private property!" Present Mic announced, his usual enthusiasm replaced with professional authority. "You're disrupting our students' education! Clear the premises immediately or we'll contact the authorities!"
Aizawa's eyes glowed red briefly—a subtle threat that made several reporters reconsider their positions.
As the media began reluctantly backing away, Tsubaki and Shoto passed through the gate separately, neither acknowledging the other. Other students streamed in around them, some looking nervous from the attention, others excited by the chaos.
"That was intense, ribbit," Asui commented as she hopped past. "They really wanted to talk about All Might."
"Of course they did," Jiro replied, adjusting her earphone jacks. "It's his first teaching position. Everyone wants the scoop. It's not every day the number 1 hero becomes a teacher."
Tsubaki said nothing, his mind already moving past the incident. The media was irrelevant. He was here to learn.
---
**Class 1-A - Homeroom**
Aizawa stood at the front of the classroom, looking somehow even more exhausted than yesterday. His sleeping bag was visible under his desk—apparently he'd been napping until the last possible moment.
"Decent work yesterday," he said without preamble, his tone suggesting this was the highest praise they'd get. "Some of you exceeded expectations. Others..." His eyes lingered briefly on Bakugo, who scowled. "...need significant improvement."
He pulled out his tablet, scrolling through something. "Today we need to handle administrative matters. Every class needs a president and vice president—students who will act as representatives and liaisons between you and the faculty."
Immediately, hands shot up.
"ME! I'LL DO IT!" Kirishima called out.
"I'd be honored to serve!" Iida was already standing, his hand raised in a perfect ninety-degree angle.
"Pick me! Pick me!" Mina bounced in her seat.
"I'M THE OBVIOUS CHOICE!" Bakugo shouted.
Aizawa's eye twitched. "I don't care how you decide. Draw straws, vote, trial by combat—just figure it out and don't bother me unless the building's on fire." He climbed into his sleeping bag. "You have ten minutes."
The class erupted into chaotic discussion.
"We should definitely vote!" Iida insisted, standing at the front. "Democracy is the foundation of hero society! A fair election will ensure the most qualified candidate is chosen!"
"Or we could just arm wrestle," Kaminari suggested with a grin.
"That's so dumb," Jiro rolled her eyes. "Voting makes sense."
"But how do we know people won't just vote for their friends?" Mina asked, tilting her head.
"Because we're training to be heroes," Tokoyami said seriously. "We should vote for whoever we believe can truly lead us, regardless of personal feelings."
The room fell into thoughtful silence.
"I agree with Tokoyami-kun," Tsubaki said, his voice cutting through the murmurs. He hadn't moved from his seat, arms crossed, expression neutral. "A vote is the most efficient method. We write down a name, tally the results. Whoever has the most votes becomes president, second place becomes vice president. Simple."
Something about his calm, matter-of-fact tone seemed to settle the room.
"Yes! Exactly!" Iida adjusted his glasses. "We should implement this immediately! All in favor?"
A chorus of agreements followed.
Yaoyorozu created small paper slips for everyone, and the voting began. Students wrote names, folded papers, and deposited them in a box Yaoyorozu had thoughtfully created for the purpose.
Tsubaki wrote *Yaoyorozu Momo* on his slip without hesitation. She had demonstrated leadership qualities, tactical intelligence, and the ability to work well with others. She was the logical choice.
After everyone had voted, Yaoyorozu tallied the results on the board with Iida's enthusiastic help.
The room fell silent as the final count appeared:
**Tsubaki Todoroki - 7 votes**
**Yaoyorozu Momo - 5 votes**
**Midoriya Izuku - 2 votes**
Tsubaki stared at the board, his expression not quite concealing his surprise.
"What?" he said quietly.
"YEAH! TODOROKI-KUN!" Kirishima pumped his fist. "Great choice, everyone!"
"Wait," Tsubaki stood slowly, his mind racing. "I didn't vote for myself."
"But seven of us voted for you," Mina said with a bright grin. "You're our president now!"
"But why?" Tsubaki's voice remained controlled, but there was genuine confusion underneath. "Yaoyorozu is more qualified. She has better interpersonal skills, higher academic scores—"
"You took charge in yesterday's exercise," Tokoyami interrupted, his tone respectful but firm. "You analyzed the situation, created a strategy, and executed it flawlessly. That's leadership."
"Plus you stayed totally calm under pressure," Sero added. "Like, Dark Shadow was going crazy and you didn't even flinch."
"And you coordinated with Yaoyorozu-san perfectly!" Hagakure's sleeve waved enthusiastically. "You knew exactly what needed to happen and made sure it did!"
Mina leaned forward with a mischievous grin. "Plus, you and Yaoyorozu-san make a perfect team! President and vice president? That's like a power duo right there!"
Yaoyorozu's face flushed slightly, but she nodded with a smile. "I think everyone made an excellent choice, Todoroki-san. You demonstrated real leadership qualities."
Tsubaki stood frozen, something unfamiliar stirring in his chest. Recognition. Not from his father, not from teachers grading his performance, but from his peers. People who had watched him and chosen him.
People who *saw* him.
For someone who'd spent sixteen years as a ghost in his own home, the feeling was... disorienting.
"I..." Tsubaki paused, then nodded slowly. "I understand. Thank you."
It wasn't eloquent, but it was genuine.
From his sleeping bag, Aizawa's muffled voice emerged. "Fine. Todoroki is president, Yaoyorozu is vice president. Now we can move on with lessons."
---
**Cafeteria - Lunch Period**
Tsubaki sat at a table with what had somehow become his regular group—Yaoyorozu, Tokoyami, Ashido, and Jiro. The cafeteria was its usual chaos of noise and movement, students from all grades filling the space.
"So, Mr. President," Mina teased, pointing her chopsticks at him. "How does it feel to be our fearless leader?"
"I feel the same way I did when I woke up today," Tsubaki replied, though there was the ghost of something that might have been amusement in his eyes. "The title doesn't change my capabilities."
"But it does come with responsibilities!" Yaoyorozu said, smiling warmly. "We'll need to coordinate with teachers about class schedules, represent 1-A at school events, mediate disputes—"
"I'll handle logistics," Tsubaki interrupted. "You handle people. Your interpersonal skills are superior to mine."
"That's actually a really good division of labor," Jiro observed, twirling her earphone jack. "Play to your strengths."
"It's logical," Tsubaki said simply.
"You say that word a lot," Mina pointed out with a grin. "'Logical.' Do you ever just do something because it's fun?"
Tsubaki paused, his chopsticks halfway to his mouth. "...Fun is subjective and doesn't contribute to measurable improvement."
The table fell silent for a moment.
"Dude," Jiro said flatly. "That's the saddest thing I've ever heard."
"The darkness embraces many philosophies," Tokoyami intoned seriously. "But even shadows must occasionally rest in the light."
Everyone looked at him.
"...I think that was Tokoyami-speak for 'lighten up,'" Mina translated.
Tsubaki's expression didn't change, but something in his eyes suggested he'd registered the concern. "I'll... take that under consideration."
Yaoyorozu smiled gently. "I think what everyone's trying to say is that we're glad you're our president, Todoroki-san. You don't have to be perfect—just yourself."
'Just myself,' Tsubaki thought, the words settling uncomfortably. 'What if myself isn't enough?'
Before he could respond, the cafeteria's alarm system suddenly blared to life.
**BWAAAAAAAA! BWAAAAAAAA! BWAAAAAAAA!**
"LEVEL 3 SECURITY BREACH!" An automated voice announced. "ALL STUDENTS EVACUATE IN AN ORDERLY—"
The message was drowned out by immediate chaos.
Students surged toward the exits like a panicked wave. Chairs scraped, trays clattered, voices rose in confused alarm. Within seconds, the cafeteria had transformed into a stampede.
"What's happening?!" Mina yelped as the crowd pushed her forward.
Tsubaki stood immediately, his eyes scanning the room with tactical precision. "Stay together! Don't get separated in the—"
A surge of students separated their group. Tsubaki found himself pushed toward the windows by the crowd's momentum, Yaoyorozu beside him. Through the press of bodies, he spotted Midoriya's distinctive green hair being pushed in the same direction.
"Midoriya!" Tsubaki called out.
They reached the windows simultaneously, both pressed against the glass by the crowd. From this vantage point, they could see the school grounds clearly.
Tsubaki's eyes narrowed immediately.
Outside the gate, the same reporters from this morning were visible, though now several had pushed past the outer barrier. UA security was actively pushing them back, but there was no villain, no attack, no actual threat.
"It's just the media," Midoriya said, his analytical mind reaching the same conclusion. "They must have triggered the sensors when they pushed past the gate!"
Tsubaki's jaw tightened. The panic was completely unnecessary, but in a confined space with hundreds of students, it could quickly become dangerous. People could be trampled, injured—
'I need to do something,' he thought to himself.
"Yaoyorozu!" Tsubaki turned to her, his voice cutting through the noise with absolute authority. "I need a megaphone! Now!"
Yaoyorozu's eyes widened in understanding. Her torso began glowing immediately, and within seconds she'd created a battery-powered megaphone that she handed to him.
Tsubaki didn't hesitate. He pushed through the crowd toward the emergency exit sign—the highest visible point. Students were packed so tightly it was nearly impossible to move, but Tsubaki used his ice quirk to create handholds on the wall, pulling himself up above the crowd.
He raised the megaphone.
"EVERYONE STOP!" His voice, amplified and commanding, cut through the chaos like a blade. "STOP MOVING!"
Something in his tone—that absolute certainty, that cold authority—made students pause mid-panic.
"THERE IS NO VILLAIN ATTACK!" Tsubaki continued, his voice projecting to every corner of the cafeteria. "I can see the grounds from here! The alarm was triggered by media personnel breaching the outer gate! UA security is already handling it! There is no danger!"
The stampede began to slow as students processed this information.
"EVERYONE RETURN TO YOUR SEATS IN AN ORDERLY FASHION!" Tsubaki commanded. "UPPERCLASSMEN, HELP ANY INJURED STUDENTS! CLASS REPRESENTATIVES, DO A HEADCOUNT OF YOUR CLASSES!"
The panic dissolved into confused murmurs, but the dangerous momentum had been broken. Students began untangling themselves, helping each other up, moving back toward their tables with sheepish expressions.
From across the cafeteria, Iida stood on a table where someone had boosted him up, his eyes wide as he stared at Tsubaki. He had been about to do the same thing—but Todoroki had beaten him to it.
'He didn't hesitate,' Iida thought with a mixture of admiration and chagrin. 'He saw the problem and immediately acted to solve it. That's...'
That was exactly what a class president should do.
---
**Class 1-A - After Lunch**
The class had returned to homeroom in subdued silence. Aizawa hadn't emerged from his sleeping bag yet, giving them a few minutes before afternoon classes began.
Iida stood suddenly, his hand raised in his characteristic rigid angle.
"If I may have everyone's attention!" he announced.
The class turned to look at him.
"I want to address something regarding this morning's vote," Iida continued, his voice formal but sincere. "I voted for myself for class president because I believed I had the qualities necessary to lead. However..." He turned to face Tsubaki directly. "Today's incident in the cafeteria has shown me that I was mistaken about who is most qualified."
Tsubaki looked up, surprised.
"Todoroki-san didn't wait for permission or approval," Iida said, his eyes intense behind his glasses. "He saw a dangerous situation and immediately took decisive action to resolve it. He assessed the threat, formulated a solution, and executed it without hesitation. That is true leadership."
Iida bowed formally. "I wanted to be class president, but you *are* class president. There's a difference. I believe everyone made the correct choice, and you should have no doubts about your ability to lead this class."
The room was silent for a moment, everyone processing Iida's unexpected speech.
Then Kirishima started clapping. "Yeah! Well said, Iida!"
Others joined in, and soon the entire class was applauding—some enthusiastically, others more quietly, but all in agreement.
Tsubaki stood slowly, something unfamiliar and uncomfortable lodged in his chest. His entire life, he'd been invisible. The failure. The prototype. The one their father discarded in favor of Shoto. At home, he was a ghost that people looked through rather than at. He'd trained so they could all see him...
But here, in this classroom, people were seeing him.
"I..." Tsubaki started, then paused. When had words become difficult? He cleared his throat. "I'll do my best. I won't let any of you down."
It was simple, direct, and completely genuine.
Yaoyorozu stood as well, moving to stand beside him with a warm smile. "And I'll be there to help you every step of the way. That's what a vice president does."
"We've got your back, Todoroki!" Mina called out cheerfully.
"The darkness acknowledges your leadership," Tokoyami added solemnly.
Even Bakugo, though he scowled and looked away, didn't voice any objection. Which, for Bakugo, was practically a ringing endorsement.
From his position near the window, Shoto watched his brother with an unreadable expression. He'd seen the whole incident in the cafeteria from a different angle, watched Tsubaki take charge without hesitation.
'He's different from before,' Shoto realized. 'Away from home, away from Father... he's becoming something else.'
The thought should have been simple, but it carried unexpected weight. Because if Tsubaki was changing, evolving, becoming someone beyond their father's influence...
What did that mean for Shoto himself?
The question lingered, unanswered, as Aizawa finally emerged from his sleeping bag with a jaw-cracking yawn.
"Alright, naptime's over. Let's get to work."
But for Tsubaki, sitting in his seat with Yaoyorozu beside him and his classmates' support still echoing in his ears, something had fundamentally shifted.
For the first time in his life, he wasn't standing in someone's shadow.
He was standing in his own light.
And it was terrifying, exhilarating, and absolutely unprecedented.
'I won't waste this,' he thought, his jaw set with determination. 'I'll prove that I deserved this. That I'm more than just the failure Father threw away.'
'U.A will be the stage where I prove him wrong and prove my peers faith isn't wasted on me.'
Tsubaki Todoroki, no longer a ghost, was ready to prove himself to the world.
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Author's note
This was my longest chapter yet but hope you enjoyed and drop some powerstones to show your support