My Hero Academia: Limitless

A/N: Yap Yap powerstones Yap Yap Bonus chapter!

The sports bar's neon sign cast a blue glow across Todo's face as he studied the entrance with intense focus. "Brothers, we have arrived at our destination!"

"Inside voice," Sero reminded him, still fidgeting with his damp collar.

We pushed through the doors into controlled chaos. Classic rock competed with arcade machine chimes and the shouts of patrons watching some game on the massive screens. Kaminari waved frantically from a corner booth, nearly knocking over Midoriya's drink in the process.

"You made it!" He bounced in his seat. "What took so long? And why's Sero's hair wet?"

"We don't discuss the hair incident," Kirishima said quickly. "Like, ever."

Todo slid into the booth, immediately grabbing a menu. "More importantly, we must decide our plan of attack. Wings or games first?"

"Games," Sero voted immediately. "I need time to mentally prepare for that wing challenge."

"Scared?" Kaminari grinned.

"Of your trash talk? Please." Sero leaned back. "I just want to see Todo experience air hockey first."

Todo perked up. "Yes! I have studied the techniques extensively. My body is ready."

"That's what she-" Kaminari started.

"No," I cut him off. "We're better than that."

"Are we though?"

Midoriya cleared his throat. "Um, maybe we should get tokens first? The machines don't take cash."

"Good call." Kirishima stood. "I'll grab some. Anyone want to split?"

We pooled our money, sending Kirishima to the token machine. Todo used the time to continue explaining his air hockey strategy to an increasingly concerned Sero.

"The angle of attack must be precisely-"

"It's just hitting a plastic disk, man."

"Just hitting a- Brother! The disrespect!"

I caught Midoriya smiling at their argument. "Having fun?"

He startled slightly. "Oh! Yes, actually. It's... nice. Being out like this."

"First time?"

"With friends?" He nodded. "Usually I just... study. Or analyze heroes. Mom worries sometimes, says I should get out more."

"Well, you're stuck with us now." I gestured at Todo, who was now demonstrating proper wrist rotation using a salt shaker. "For better or worse."

Kirishima returned, pockets jingling. "Alright nerds, who's ready to game?"

"ME!" Todo shot up, nearly flipping the table. "I challenge you all to honorable combat!"

"Air hockey first?" Kaminari suggested.

"Air hockey first," we agreed.

The arcade section sprawled along one wall, machines blinking and chirping. Todo approached the air hockey table like it was a sacred altar.

"It's... beautiful."

"Dibs on first game!" Kaminari grabbed a paddle. "Ready to lose, Todo?"

Todo picked up the other paddle, testing its weight. "I have studied the ancient techniques. Victory shall be mine."

"It's from like, 1972."

"ANCIENT TECHNIQUES!"

They squared off, Todo in a stance that looked suspiciously like kendo. Kaminari dropped the puck.

What followed could only be described as controlled chaos. Todo's "technique" involved a lot of dramatic movements and sound effects. Kaminari just kept slapping the puck as hard as possible.

"SWOOSH! The ancestors guide my paddle!"

"Dude, calm down, it's just- OH COME ON HOW DID YOU BLOCK THAT?"

Midoriya muttered beside me, probably analyzing their "techniques" for his notebook. Sero and Kirishima provided commentary:

"And Todo with the... whatever that move was!"

"Ten bucks says he names all his special moves."

"LOTUS STRIKE!"

"Called it. Pay up."

I watched Todo's face as he played - pure joy mixed with intense concentration. He'd probably practiced those moves in front of a mirror.

Kaminari scored. "HA! Take that, ancient techniques!"

"A lucky shot! But now..." Todo shifted stance. "FINAL FORM!"

"That's not even how- AGH!" Kaminari barely dodged Todo's return shot. "Okay, that was actually pretty cool."

They traded points back and forth, Todo's movements getting increasingly elaborate. A small crowd gathered, phones recording. Someone started chanting "Todo! Todo!"

"Your followers mean nothing!" Kaminari declared. "This is my game!"

"Then why am I winning?"

"You're- wait, what's the score?"

"Six to four, my favor."

"...shit."

Todo won 7-5, immediately striking a victory pose. "The ancient ways prevail!"

"Rematch!" Kaminari demanded. "I wasn't ready for your... whatever that was."

"A true warrior accepts defeat with grace."

"Screw grace, I want revenge!"

"Guys?" Midoriya raised his hand slightly. "Maybe we should let others play too?"

We set up a tournament bracket on Sero's phone. Todo faced each of us in turn, his technique becoming more ridiculous with each match. He lost to Kirishima ("The power of friendship overcomes all!") but beat everyone else.

"Your training begins tomorrow," he told Midoriya after their match. "I shall teach you the ways of the paddle."

"Um, thanks? But maybe we should try other games too?"

We spread out across the arcade. Kirishima and Kaminari tackled the basketball machines, competing for high scores. Sero discovered he had a talent for skee-ball. Todo treated every game like an epic quest.

I found Midoriya at a fighting game cabinet, practicing combos.

"Button mashing or actual skill?"

He jumped. "Oh! I used to play this at the arcade near my house. It helped with analyzing hero fighting styles..."

"Of course it did." I grabbed the second controller. "Show me?"

We played a few rounds. He was actually pretty good, though he kept apologizing for winning.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"Dude, stop apologizing for being good at something."

"Sor- I mean, okay."

Kirishima wandered over. "Yo, what's this?"

"Midoriya's secretly a fighting game pro," I said.

"Really?" Kirishima grinned. "Think you can teach me some moves?"

Midoriya's eyes lit up. "Well, this character's combo system is actually really interesting because..."

He launched into an explanation, hands moving as he demonstrated the inputs. Kirishima nodded along, genuinely interested. I stepped back, letting them bond over virtual combat.

"A beautiful sight," Todo said beside me.

"Don't do that."

"Our young brother, emerging from his shell."

I watched Midoriya show Kirishima a particularly complex combo. "Yeah. Kid needs to learn to relax sometimes."

"As do you."

"I relax!"

Todo raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, fine. But I'm here, aren't I?"

"Indeed." He clasped my shoulder. "Now come! I must show you my mastery of this 'Dance Dance Revolution'!"

His silence was concerning.

Two hours and several hundred tokens later, we collapsed back into our booth. Todo had, somehow, managed to perfect score Through the Fire and Flames on DDR. Kirishima had nearly broken the strength tester. Sero's skee-ball tickets could probably buy half the prize counter.

"So," Kaminari said, sprawled across the table. "Wings?"

"Do we have to?" Sero asked, staring at the menu's warning label like it might bite him.

"Absolutely," I said. "We're doing it anyway."

"Thirty ghost pepper wings in thirty minutes," Kaminari read aloud. "Winners get their picture on the wall and a free t-shirt."

"7500 yen though?" Midoriya squeaked. "That's..."

"An investment in glory!" Todo slammed his hand on the table. "We must all participate!"

"All of us?" Midoriya went pale.

"Hey there!" A voice cut through our debate. "You guys ready to order, or do you need more time to psyche yourselves up?"

I looked up. The waitress had her hand over her mouth, hiding what sounded like a laugh. Black nail polish caught the neon light from the arcade. A chain glinted at her neck, matching the silver in her ears.

Her visible eye widened. "No way. You're him, right? From USJ?"

"That's what they tell me."

"Holy shit." She dropped her hand, revealing a grin. "My sister's in Gen Ed at UA. She would not shut up about that fight."

"Brother is quite famous these days," Todo nodded sagely.

"Right, sorry!" She straightened up, tapping her pen against a notepad decorated with band stickers. "I'm Rin. And you guys are about to make a horrible decision, aren't you?"

"Six wing challenges," Kirishima said proudly.

Rin whistled. "Damn. Usually people chicken out after reading the waiver."

"The what now?" Sero asked.

She pulled six forms from her apron. "Sign these so you can't sue us when your taste buds die. Also..." She glanced at Midoriya, who looked ready to faint. "You sure about this, green bean?"

"I..." Midoriya took a deep breath. "Plus Ultra?"

"That's the spirit!" Kaminari clapped him on the back. "We die like men!"

"Please don't actually die," Rin said. "I'll grab your waters while you sign."

She disappeared into the crowd. Todo studied his waiver with unusual seriousness.

"Brothers, these warnings are quite extensive."

"Let me see." I grabbed one. "'Management is not responsible for: crying, screaming, temporary loss of vision, permanent loss of dignity...'"

"They forgot Todo's dignity," Sero muttered. "He lost that at the air hockey table."

"My victory dance was perfectly dignified!"

Rin returned, arms laden with water pitchers. "Alright, disaster squad. Forms signed?"

We handed them over. She checked each one, eyebrow raising at Todo's elaborate signature.

"Nice calligraphy. Okay, rules are simple: thirty wings, thirty minutes. No milk, no ranch, no mercy. Timer starts when I bring out the wings. You can tap out anytime, but no refunds."

"We fear no spice!" Todo declared.

"That's what the last guy said." Rin grinned. "We had to call someone to pick him up."

Midoriya whimpered.

"Last chance to back out," she said.

We looked at each other. Pride and stupidity won out.

"Bring it on," Kirishima said.

"Your funeral." Rin tucked her notepad away. "I'll go tell the kitchen to prep your death wish."

As she walked away, Kaminari leaned forward. "Guys, is it too late to change our minds?"

"Yes," we said in unison.

"Cool, cool. Just checking."

Ten minutes later, Rin emerged from the kitchen wearing heat-resistant gloves. The wings glowed an unholy red.

"Your doom awaits," she announced, setting down the baskets. "Timer starts... now!"

I grabbed a wing. The sauce burned my nose from six inches away.

"Remember," Rin called over her shoulder, "no milk until you finish or quit!"

Todo took a massive bite. His eyes went wide.

"Todo?" I asked.

He swallowed hard. "I may have miscalculated."

Kaminari was already crying. Midoriya stared at his wings like they might attack him. Kirishima, somehow, seemed fine.

"What?" he said through a mouthful. "I eat spicy stuff all the time."

"Show off," Sero gasped, chugging water.

I tried a bite. Instant regret. My mouth turned to lava.

"Water doesn't help!" Midoriya wailed.

"The bread!" Todo grabbed the complementary rolls. "Quick!"

Five minutes in, we'd drawn a crowd. Rin kept the waters flowing, documenting our suffering with poorly hidden glee.

"How many have you eaten?" she asked.

I checked my basket. "Eight? Maybe nine?"

"Fifteen!" Kirishima announced proudly.

"Two," Midoriya squeaked.

"I can't feel my face," Kaminari said.

Todo hadn't spoken in several minutes, mechanically shoving wings into his mouth with tears streaming down his face.

"You okay there, samurai?" Rin asked him.

He nodded stiffly. "The ancient techniques... sustain me."

"Right." She patted his shoulder. "Keep telling yourself that."

Halfway through, Midoriya broke.

"I'm sorry!" He slammed his hand on the table. "I can't!"

"No shame in tapping out," Rin said kindly, sliding him a glass of milk. "You lasted longer than most."

Sero followed shortly after. "Not worth it."

Twenty minutes in, Kaminari face-planted into his remaining wings.

"Is he alive?" Rin poked him.

"Unfortunately," he mumbled.

That left me, Todo, and Kirishima. My vision blurred. Todo's "ancient techniques" had devolved into quiet whimpers.

"Five minutes left!" Rin announced to the cheering crowd.

Kirishima squared his shoulders. "We got this!"

"Easy for you to say," I gasped. "Your quirk probably helps."

"Nah, just grew up eating my mom's cooking. This is mild compared to her curry."

Todo made a sound like a dying whale.

The final minutes ticked down. My hands shook. Todo had achieved some kind of spice-induced enlightenment, muttering about honor between bites.

"Time!" Rin called.

I dropped my last wing, grabbing the milk she offered. Todo face-planted into his empty basket.

"Let's see..." Rin counted the remains. "Kirishima cleared his basket! Todo got twenty-seven, Nakamura twenty-five. Not bad, boys!"

The crowd cheered. Todo raised a shaking thumbs up.

"I regret everything," I croaked.

"Worth it though?" Rin asked, snapping pictures for the wall of fame.

"Yeah," I said. "Worth it."

"Spoken like a true idiot." She handed me another milk. "I'll grab your shirts. Try not to die before I get back."

"No promises," Sero groaned.

Todo finally lifted his head. "Brothers... I believe I have seen the face of god."

"Pretty sure that was just the peppers," Kaminari mumbled.

"He spoke to me... told me to git gud..."

"Okay, he's lost it." I poked him. "Todo? You in there?"

He grabbed my shirt. "The ancient techniques... they failed me..."

"Yeah, buddy. They sure did."

Rin returned with our prizes - black t-shirts with "I Survived the Ghost Pepper Challenge" in flame letters.

"Congrats on not dying," she said. "Though your bathroom experiences tomorrow might make you wish you had."

Midoriya went green. "Oh no."

"Oh yes." She started clearing plates. "So, you guys want dessert?"

"NO!" we shouted.

"Smart choice." She dropped off the bill. "It's been fun watching you suffer. Come back anytime!"

Todo stared at the total. "Brothers... I fear we may need to seek employment."

"Split it six ways?" Kirishima suggested.

"Still rough," Sero sighed. "But yeah."

I pulled out my wallet. "Don't worry, I'll cover it. At least we got shirts?"

After paying and gathering our shame shirts, we stumbled outside. The cool air helped, but my mouth still burned.

"So," Kirishima said, "hero shop?"

Midoriya perked up slightly. "If everyone's okay to walk?"

Todo straightened his hakama. "A true warrior powers through!"

"A true warrior's about to power through some intense stomach pain," Sero muttered.

"That too!"

I adjusted my hat, tasting ghost peppers with every breath. "Lead the way, Midoriya. Just... maybe find us a store with a bathroom?"

"Already mapped it out!" He pulled up his phone. "There's actually three possible routes depending on traffic patterns and-"

"First route's fine," Kaminari cut in. "Please. My brain can't handle directions right now."

We set off, a band of idiots united by spice-induced suffering. Todo hummed what sounded like the Rocky theme.

Behind us, I heard Rin call out: "Come back soon! We're adding Carolina Reapers next month!"

"Never again," Sero swore.

But we all knew that was a lie.