After the cavalry battle finished, Sam decided to take a walk as the other classes began filling the seats. Sam wanted to look for Midoriya to congratulate him, but saw him talking with Todoroki about something and grew curious.
'I shouldn't be nosy. But fuck it.'
Sam decided to listen.
Todoroki began telling Midoriya his story—why he never used his flames. He revealed that he was the product of a quirk marriage.
Sam froze.
'Quirk marriages… I know of them. Too well.'
His teeth clenched, his nails digging into his palms. A memory surfaced—women with dead eyes, being sold at auction. Quirks listed like pedigree traits. People treated like animals, like dogs being sold to breed stronger offspring.
Sam had infiltrated one of those auctions once. A wealthy sheikh's daughter had been kidnapped and sold. Sam had been ordered to retrieve her. The mission was successful—but the faces of the monsters bidding on women never left him.
Now, Sam's resentment toward Endeavor burned hotter.
'I should have shot him in the balls.'
Sam turned away, his mood soured by the memory, and returned to his seat. The stands were now packed. He spotted Mineta and Kaminari cheering and followed their gaze.
The girls of Class 1-A were wearing cheerleader outfits.
It didn't take long to figure out whose idea that was.
'Hah. Zola would kick my ass if she saw—'
Sam nearly collapsed.
Suddenly, memories surged forward—fast, violent flashes—all centered around a white-haired girl. Sam bolted down the stairs, found a bathroom, slammed into a stall, and vomited.
"Shit…*sob* shit…"
He let himself cry for a moment.
When he finally finished, Sam cleaned himself up and returned to his seat. Anyone paying close attention would notice something had changed—the amusement, the interest he'd had in the festival, were gone. His eyes were back to their usual bored, lifeless state.
He sat down as the next round was announced.
A tournament.
Students would fight one-on-one and knock each other out of the ring.
Sam felt a phantom pain on his finger tips. Could smell blood and could hear kids screaming. He remembered a cruel face, smiling.
Sam shook his head. 'No! I'm not there anymore!' He could feel memories he buried trying to resurface. When he snapped out of it, he saw that the others were already seated in the student viewing area with him.
Sam found himself seated next to Uraraka. "So… what's next?"
She jumped, startled, not having noticed him sit down. Iida also looked surprised. Tokoyami glanced at Sam, his eyes narrowing slightly.
'The darkness has returned.'
His expression softened when he looked at Sam.
"Oh! Deku is next! He's fighting that kid who declared war!" Uraraka said excitedly.
Sam flinched.
Uraraka clamped a hand over her mouth. "I-I'm so sorry, I didn't—"
"It's fine," Sam said calmly. "Don't worry about it."
He focused back on the arena.
"I only caught a glimpse—what's Indigo's quirk?" Sam asked Ojiro.
Ojiro frowned. "He asked me something. When I answered, I lost consciousness. I woke up later in the middle of the battle… carrying him."
Sam raised an eyebrow.
'Vocal trigger? You respond, he controls you.'
Sam watched as the indigo-haired boy—Shinsō—and Midoriya stepped into the arena. Present Mic's commentary washed over him, ignored.
'If I'm right, and responding activates his quirk, then as long as Izuku keeps his mouth shut, he'll be fine.'
"Ojiro, did you warn him?" Sam asked.
Ojiro nodded. "I did. I told him exactly what I told you."
"Then this should be easy," Sam muttered. "If Izuku doesn't do something stupid."
Midoriya shouted back at Shinsō.
Sam deadpanned at what he just saw.
He exhaled sharply.
"…Well. He's fucked."
They watched as Midoriya turned and began walking out of bounds.
"No! I told you not to answer him!" Ojiro yelled.
"He got under his skin," Sam said flatly. "Hook, line, and sinker."
Sam was already preparing himself to watch Shinsō advance when—
A blast rocked the arena.
Sam stood up, eyes wide in shock.
"…No way."
He leaned forward, eyes locked on Midoriya.
"There's no way he broke out of that."
He squinted.
"…His finger?!"
"W-what about his finger?" Uraraka asked, startled by Sam's sudden outburst.
"He should have been finished," Sam said, stunned. "The quirk activated. He was about to step out… and then his quirk fired. His finger's broken—but he's free."
Sam's eyes narrowed.
"That wasn't luck."
'What are you hiding, Izuku?'