Chapter XXVII: The Final Fight
The final round of the Third Event had begun with earnest and people had been vocal about their enjoyment. At least, Izuku guessed people were enjoying the fight between Iida and Tokoyami. He was back at the infirmary, after all, accompanying the bed-bound Shinso and Uraraka. Serving as a furry sofa for Rumi once again (not that he minded), he absentmindedly stared at the screens.
It wasn't that he disliked or found the whole fight boring. Truth of the matter was that Izuku had other things in his mind, like his upcoming fight with Bakugo. Well, Bakugo himself seemed to take most of his thoughts.
"Iida is doing pretty well" Ochaco said.
Izuku blinked and focused on the screen. Apparently, Iida was running circles around a confused Tokoyami, who kept Dark Shadow close to him.
"He has the advantage of speed, after all" Izuku said. "And I'm sure Iida is in far better condition that Tokoyami."
It was still baffling how Recovery Girl begrudgingly allowed the raven-headed boy to fight. Then again, maybe she had been pressured or maybe she knew neither Iida nor Tokoyami would get carried away. Still, it was surprising.
Izuku glanced at Rumi. Much to his surprise, she was staring at her cell phone, scrolling down through it. She had been at it since the first minute of the fight, when it became clear that both fighters would be overly cautious. Her ruby eyes darted from side to side as she read something across her phone. Casually, he raised his fox head and caught a glimpse of what she was reading. Of course, Rabbit Girl immediately hid her phone and glared at him.
"Not that I want to stick my snout where I shouldn't…" Izuku hummed. "But why are you searching for incidents from the last month?"
"I just wanted to confirm something I heard" Rumi reluctanty grumbled.
"Found anything of interest?" Izuku wondered as he focused on the ongoing fighting.
"Actually, yes" Rumi stated. "Did you know there has been an increase in suspicious activity throughout the last month? Villains, accidents and other hero-work?"
"Really?" Izuku asked, baffled. "I didn't notice. The Hero Watcher App hasn't alerted me of anything." He frowned, thoughtful "then again, I have been busy this last month…"
Well, Izuku had been awfully busy since he had gotten a quirk, hadn't he? The last month, though, had been tougher. He had, after all, dedicated almost the entirety of his time with Rumi working at Dagobah Beach or just training, and that was without taking into account the time studying or doing homework. Truth to be told, he had spent an awful lot of time without being much of a nerd. No wonder he had yet to finish his latest Hero Analysis for the Future notebook.
"Yeah, I noticed the same thing" Rumi admitted, averting her eyes. Why in the world did she look guilty? Was she hiding something from him?
"You two have the Hero Watch App?" Shinso asked. "I never took you for hero nerds."
"Oy, he's the nerd" Rumi corrected. "I'm the hero enthusiast."
"She's denial" teased Izuku.
"I'm not" Rumi harrumphed.
"She definitely is" chorused Haku and Hana.
"So if crimes and hero-stuff have increased… how come the Hero Watcher App has been silent?" Izuku asked.
"Makes you wonder, doesn't it?" Rumi slowly nodded with a knowing smile.
Izuku tilted his fox head at her. Did she know something he didn't?
"Isn't it obvious? It's All Might quickly fixing everything before anyone has a chance to record it. I have a classmate that swears he saw All Might take down this mushroom villain with one smack on the back" Haku said. "The villain barely made it to the news."
"Are you sure he isn't just saying that for attention?" Hana wondered.
"That's what we all thought, but I've read online that people swear to have seen All Might all over the place" Haku said.
"No way, that would have been on the news" Hana pointed out.
"Well… that's the weird stuff. This classmate claims All Might was dressed… in a suit? And that he just – vanished! He didn't do the whole shtick… y'know, the whole laughter and 'have no fear, for I am here' thing" Haku shared. "I don't know. I don't think this guy is lying… but that sounds so weird."
"All Might? In a suit? And subtle? All Might is the antithesis of subtle" said Izuku.
Rumi's eyes were wide with surprise.
"Maybe he was headed to U.A. and he was in a hurry?" Hana guessed.
"Yeah, but then he would have been seen at least showing up" Haku rebutted. "I'm telling you, this guy and the internet are all crazy about All Might being able to just… vanish. Of course, that could just be the internet, right?"
"All Might wouldn't just disappear. It is kind of his thing" Izuku knowingly pointed out. "Throughout his career he made it a point to actually show up and become a visibly symbol for the people. All Might would never just… act and disappear. That and it is hard for a guy his size to just disappear. Everyone generally can spot him when he is jumping around. All Might just doesn't do small profile."
Rumi, though, grimaced, much to Izuku's growing confusion.
"Yahoo, go Iida!" Ochaco exclaimed.
To Izuku's surprise, on the screen, Tokoyami had been kicked out of boundaries. The audience cheered and Iida proudly waved and smiled at the cameras.
"Well… looks like it is my time" Izuku chuckled.
Rumi stood up and allowed Izuku to transform into his nine-tailed form. As he got to his rather human feet, Izuku felt all the nervousness he had avoided suddenly flood into his system.
"Go beat that bastard" Rumi said, offering a kiss on his cheek.
From the corner of his eyes Izuku noticed Ochaco grimace.
"Yeah, beat him good!" Haku exclaimed.
"Make him suffer!" Hana added.
"Oy, tone it down you two" Rumi huffed. To Izuku, she added in a whisper "I wouldn't mind if he got a few good extra kicks, though."
"You can do it, Izuku!" Ochaco said.
Even Shinso joined in with a thumbs up.
"Don't worry" Izuku confidently said. "I've got this."
And with that, he walked out of the infirmary. His heart painfully throbbed in his chest. Once outside, he released a long sigh and grimaced. As confident as he felt, it was not going to be an easy fight. In fact, it could go terribly. It all depended on the damage Bakugo had already taken and if it had been enough. From what he could guess, Izuku felt confident Bakugo had taken more than enough damage and he was sure Bakugo hadn't gotten healed… but that could have changed or maybe Izuku underestimated Bakugo's resistance…
Izuku cracked his knuckles and glared at the dark corridors. Without another thought, he stomped forward, determined. He was neither backing out nor losing. He was going to repay Bakugo for all that he had done and give that bastard a well-deserved wake-up call.
I just hope I don't lose my temper, he thought with a grimace.
The fox boy came across Iida and Tokoyami near the exit to the arena. They offered their encouragement before they departed. Izuku, on his part, approached the arena's entrance, in the threshold between the bright sunlight and the dark corridors. He took a deep breath and stepped out.
When the fox boy walked out into the arena, he was received with some clapping and cheering. Izuku ignored the crowd in favor of the concrete arena. There, smirking sardonically, was Bakugo. However, even if he held himself with pride and strength, he looked much worse for wear. Bakugo had signs of injury and he was rather pale.
Something is troubling him, Izuku thought. Well, at least it looks like he wasn't healed at the last minute…
Midnight, Cementoss and All Might were already in position. The final fight of the Sports Festival was upon them.
"Are you ready to lose, Deku?" Bakugo growled.
Izuku, on his part, merely squinted at the explosive teen. He did not miss the strange anxiety dripping from Bakugo's voice. In fact, the blond's entire demeanor seemed off. Whilst the confidence was there, Izuku saw a certain level of… caution.
"Afraid, Bakugo?" Izuku said with a smirk. "You know, I don't plan on pushing you out of boundaries. I'm going to beat you, Bakugo. It is high time some beat some sense into you."
"Ha, you and what army?" Scoffed Bakugo. "I'll be the one doing the beating here, Deku!"
"Enough young men!" All Might interceded.
The two fighters glared at each other, ignoring the Number One Hero.
"Alright dear listeners, this is it! The one and final battle!" Present Mic announced. "Are you ready?!"
The stadium shuddered under the audience's ovation.
"Izuku Midoriya, the Nine-Tailed Fox, against Katsuki Bakugo, the brutal tyrant of explosions. Who will win? Who will take the Gold and be proclaimed the Number One of U.A. Freshmen year?" Present Mic continued, much to the growing excitement of the crowd. "Let's get this party STARTED!"
The crowd seemed just as excited as the announcer.
"Please, don't go overboard guys" Midnight stated with a grimace. Upon the fighters' silence, she sighed. "Fighters, are you ready?"
The fighters didn't say a thing. They leaned forward, poised to strike. For the faintest of moments, they turned their heads towards the referee and curtly nodded, before snapping their heads at each other. Hatred burned in their eyes.
Midnight raised her whip, taking a moment to study the two fighters. This wasn't going to be pretty. She could hear the sizzling coming from Bakugo's hands, as his palms burned, nor did she miss the way Izuku opened and closed his fists.
"Ready…" Midnight took a deep breath, and slashed her whip. "FIGHT!"
Bakugo didn't wait. He exploded forward, although Izuku could tell he was cautious. He pulled his right arm back, and accelerated forward, as if ready to punch. Izuku, however, knew better. Before Bakugo even started to pull his palms in front, just as he was ten meters away from Bakugo, Izuku buried two tails on the concrete and braced himself.
BOOM.
Izuku would have been sent backwards by the titanic explosive, were it not for the tails rooting him in place and the tails in front of him, covering him in a protective cocoon. He created a gap between the tails and kept an eye on the remaining cloud of smoke. As expected, something shot off the black haze. Izuku was ready.
The fox boy used two tails to push himself back all while using two others to attack Bakugo. The explosive teen evaded the tails and exploded sideways, only to be met by another two tails. Bakugo, ever the agile fighter, was able to jump over the tails. Sadly, he was unable to advance any further as Izuku doubled down on his efforts to keep him away and sent yet another pair of tails.
When Bakugo exploded backwards at a safe distance, he carried a frustrated, yet contemplative, look on his face. Izuku took a deep breath, gritting his teeth. The explosive teen was being rather cautious, what was both a good and a bad thing. On the one hand, it meant Bakugo was taking Izuku seriously. On the other hand, it meant it would be harder to get an opening.
This will be harder than I expected, Izuku thought.
"Afraid of me, Bakugo?" Izuku wondered with a smirk.
That earned a tick on Bakugo's forehead.
"I'm not the only keeping away like a freaking coward, Deku?!" Bakugo barked, face turning red.
"Didn't you say you were going to crash good ole worthless me?" Izuku taunted, snickering. "How the mighty have fallen!"
Bakugo leaned forward and, for an instant, it looked like he was ready to explode towards Izuku in a blind rage. However, he paused in the last minute, only to squint with suspicion. For a moment, the two merely stared at each other, poised to strike. Then, Bakugo jumped forward and shot off, an explosion shaking the ring behind him.
This time, Izuku propelled himself forward and upwards with his tails, much to Bakugo's surprise, and stretched his tails in a snap, towards Bakugo. They rained down on him like a barrage of fists. The blond expertly dodged as they slammed onto the concrete below. However, in his haste to avoid the blunt ended tails, he was unable to do anything else. Izuku went over him and back onto the concrete, leaving an unscathed Bakugo to glare at him, surrounded by cracked concrete.
Bakugo leaned forward and Izuku paid careful attention. The explosive teen probably had a plan. As it was, Bakugo exploded forward, but not towards Izuku. Instead, it was to a side. Izuku blinked, dumbfounded, as Bakugo reached his destination and produced a rather tame explosion. The thing Izuku quickly noticed, though, was the amount of black smoke it produced. The thickness and density of the cloud were as alarming as its size.
He's going to produce a smokescreen, Izuku realized.
Thus, when Bakugo exploded once again to Izuku's side to create yet another cloud of smoke, Izuku moved backwards and away. The explosive teen wasn't deterred. He kept moving around Izuku, producing more and more explosions, all while a panicking Izuku tried to figure some way to avoid the growing amount of shrouding blackness. He could try to clear some of the air with his nine tails... but that could leave him open. Before long, there was no place that wasn't filled with the acrid stench of Bakugo's explosions and dark smoke danced around the concrete arena.
Izuku didn't think twice. He transformed into the Two-Tails and made a run for it in different directions within the smoke. He coughed, trying to breathe only in the few gaps between clouds of smoke. Suddenly, something broke behind one of Izuku's duplicates. The child fox boy stared with wide-eyes as a grinning Bakugo reared his right arm…
The clone in front of him exploded into a cloud of white smoke. But Bakugo wasn't watching. He rolled to a side, avoiding a cartoonish pink heart and turned around. The Four-Tailed Izuku swore as he jumped back into the thick smokes. Bakugo raised his palms in that direction and produced a massive explosion, like the first one of the match.
The air cleared and Four-Tailed Izuku was sent flying backwards, onto the concrete. She glared at the empty clear air that had been created – only to find Bakugo was already over her. Out of instinct she exploded into a cloud of white smoke just as Bakugo shot his open palm forward, ready to deliver an explosion. However, instead of an explosion, a massive maw caught Bakugo's hand.
A lion-sized green fox had caught the blond. Bakugo, enraged, moved to explode the fox's face with his free hand. In a panic, Izuku spun around before Bakugo could deliver the strike and threw him away. The fox boy, who still heard a ringing in his head, transformed to the Nine-Tails and, spreading his tails wide, flapped his tails forward. A strong gust of wind swished across the ring, pushing the remaining thick black smoke around him.
Izuku transformed into the Three-Tails and blue flames burst in her fox ears. She spotted Bakugo kneeling and trying to dry his slobbered hand, a look of disgust marring his face.
"Urgh, fucking Deku's drool!" He swore.
"Having a hard time, Bakugo?" Izuku taunted.
Bakugo, still slapping his slobbered hand on his blue gym shirt, snapped his head at Izuku.
"As if, Deku!" Bakugo spat, only to smirk. "Speaking of time, Deku, how much stamina do you have left?"
"What are you talking about?" Izuku responded.
Bakugo's smile turned into a hungry grin.
"I am not a fool, Deku. I know your transformations take stamina - especially your healing flames. You can't go on forever. Me? I can keep this charade for a while longer!" Bakugo cackled.
Izuku swore and charged. Bakugo was momentarily baffled, only to smirk and break into a sprint as well. Just as she was close, Izuku exploded into a cloud of white smoke. Bakugo produced a small explosion, both to flood Izuku's face with smoke and blind him. However, he overshot as the rather short Five-Tails came crouching from below.
The explosive teen, to his credit, was able to quickly punch the slower fox boy. However, instead of Izuku's face, a massive hand caught his fist. Five-tailed Izuku had vanished, replaced by the four arms Pro-Hero Fourth Kind. Tall and clad in a black suit, he looked more of a mobster than a hero. Before Bakugo could react, another hand had caught his free hand. The Fourth Kind doppleganger's two free hands started ceaselessly punching the explosive blond.
PAM. PAM. PAM.
Bakugo tried producing explosions but with his palms directed sideways and arms held firmly by massive hands, Bakugo received a good lot of punches before he performed a back-flip still in Izuku's grip and kicked Fourth Kind's chin.
Izuku's form shuddered to his original foxy form, tripping backwards. The fox boy barely managed to react as Bakugo came rushing in. Izuku's form shivered into a haze, dodging the explosion meant for his stomach, before All Might materialized before Bakugo's eyes and delivered a powerful kick to Bakugo's head.
Bakugo rolled across the concrete, and knelt up. He didn't go back on the offensive, instead touching his jaw. Izuku, on his part, was panting and back to his Nine-Tailed form.
"You can't beat me, Deku!" Bakugo spouted. "It doesn't matter how long you've been plotting to beat me, it won't happen! You hear me?!"
"What the hell are you talking about?!" Izuku asked.
"Don't play dumb, Deku" Bakugo growled. "How long have you been hiding your quirk? All that time we called you quirkless… you had us all fooled!" Bakugo's face had turned puce with rage. "Was it fun? Did you laugh behind our backs you bastard?"
"Laugh?" It was Izuku's turn to be furious. He bared his teeth, ears pressed against his head. "You think I was LAUGHING?!"
Bakugo frowned at the fox boy.
"You tortured and tormented me for over a decade and you have the gall to- to…" Izuku hissed, trembling with anger "You pathetic scum!"
Bakugo remained visibly confused by Izuku's reaction, suspicious even.
"You burned me, you monster! You went around beating others and treated me like a punching bag! You treated me like a worthless piece of shit… and you think I did it to get a laugh?!" Izuku growled, eyes turning into slits.
"Then why did you always come back? Why did you keep calling me that fucking stupid nickname?!" Bakugo yelled.
"BECAUSE YOU BROKE ME!" Izuku screamed. "Everything you did since I was diagnosed as quirkless is the whole reason I was stuck in my quirkless form!"
"Piss off! As if you could just discover so late!" Bakugo spat.
"Remember the Sludge Villain attack? I had to nearly die to finally manifest a quirk!" Izuku spat.
To Izuku's surprise, Bakugo's eyes widened with shock.
"Wait... the sludge...?" Bakugo spluttered. He frowned, looking rather confused. "Is that... why your mom stopped talking to mine?"
Wait, what? Izuku though in disbelief. Mom and Auntie Mitsuki weren't friends anymore?
"Took your time" Izuku said, trying not to act surprised.
He sincerely thought his mother had managed to make amends with her best friend. However, if what Bakugo said was true then… that meant his mother had been pretty much friendless for over a year and he had been none the wiser.
Damn, I was too fixated on myself… Izuku berated himself. Why didn't mom tell me?
To Izuku's growing guilt, Izuku had a good guess why his mother had kept her friendless situation from her son. From her perspective, Izuku probably already had a lot on his plate.
How could I have been so blind?! Izuku admonished himself.
"Why did you say anything, then?! Do you know how my mom beat herself for so long not knowing why Auntie Inko screamed at her?! She blamed herself, you fucker!" Bakugo yelled.
Izuku's guilt was replaced by another feeling, one that scorched his very soul.
"Not know? You moron, you know why: it was because of you!" Izuku screamed.
"Me? I-!" Bakugo retorted, infuriated.
"Stop dodging the truth! My mom learned all about you after that day! I came clean after I manifested my quirk and finally told her every single detail of you, Bakugo. That's why mom lost her temper!" Izuku shouted.
Bakugo froze and, for some strange reason, Izuku found a strange sense of satisfaction wash over him. Bakugo's entire complexion had turned pale, as if horrified.
"You are disgusting, Bakugo. You are lucky I was such a fool I hid everything you made me go through from her before. Hell, even after I came clean I begged her to keep it quiet so as not to upset you!" Izuku proclaimed
"I- you – it- it wasn't my fault!" Bakugo shouted, although he remained awfully pale.
"Stop making excuses, you bastard! You've been hiding from your mother what you really are just as much as I have hidden everything you and your goons did to me" Izuku growled.
Once again, the fox boy found himself rather amused by Bakugo's stricken face. Izuku was well aware Mitsuki Bakugo was ignorant to Bakugo's true nature. Bakugo, after all, knew how to behave like a decent human being. It was a pity he never took the effort to extend the courtesy to the rest of humanity.
"I- I…" Bakugo stepped back "you- you were always a creep… always…"
"I was a friendless bitch clinging to an impossible dream - the one thing that was my lifeline!" Izuku screamed. "And you thought what? That I was trying to dethrone you?!"
Izuku's face turned feral and Bakugo winced at the venom burning in his emerald eyes. Sincerely, Bakugo had never looked so… dare he say… remorseful? No, it couldn't be. Bakugo was incapable of feeling any of that, wasn't he?
"I hate you!" Izuku shouted. "I'll make you pay for all the things you've done!"
"What I've done?" muttered Bakugo.
"You think I'm the only one that sees you as a villain, Bakugo? Guess what, you are no hero!" Izuku roared.
"No! I'll be the next All Might, Deku, I'll-" Bakugo softly said, red eyes furtively staring at the ground with growing dread.
"The next All Might who spent his childhood scaring other kids in his neighborhood or burning them to show them who was boss? The next All Might who kept bullying a quirkless kid? The next All Might who joked with my suicide?!" Izuku spat. "You are delusional piece of shit."
Bakugo looked like he had been slapped in the face. It was short-lived, though, as his face morphed in anger, red eyes flaring with denial. Izuku, in turn, growled at the explosive blond before he charged. Bakugo broke into a sprint, straight towards his opponent. The fox boy went on all fours and transformed into a large fox, while Bakugo exploded forward.
Bakugo released an explosion to stun Izuku, only for the ruffled yet undaunted fox to burst through the smoke, sharp teeth aimed towards Bakugo's face. In the last second, the fox exploded in a cloud of white smoke and a clawed fist smashed onto Bakugo's face. Bakugo recovered quickly and dodged the second fist, before he could deliver a punch of his own to Izuku's face. The fox leaned to a side, but he did not expect the second fist coming from below. However, instead of deterred, Izuku kept fighting with a punch to Bakugo's gut.
For a moment, the two just punched each other. There was no strategy, no desire to use some intelligent ploy… it was pure unadulterated hatred manifested into punches. In his blind rage, Izuku forgot that in such a close fight, Bakugo would eventually outlast him and thus, the inevitable punch to Izuku's face came. Recoiling, Izuku was helpless when an enraged Bakugo slammed a palm on his stomach and produced an explosion.
Izuku was sent flying backwards, smashing against the concrete floor, before scrapping across the ground.
That… was stupid. I shouldn't have lost my temper, Izuku thought as he sat up.
A hand went to his exposed and burned skin over his stomach. Boy did it hurt. Unfortunately, a part of him was still incensed by Bakugo. To think he actually thought Izuku could be happy about his treatment back at Middle School…
"You… won't beat me, Deku" Bakugo growled. "This- this is my grand debut, you got me? Today… today the world will see the start of my rise. You won't get any glory here, Deku!"
"The fact you believe I want glory betrays the blindness that has overcome you. I want to be a Hero, Bakugo, not a god-damn celebrity" Izuku spat.
"Fuck off" Bakugo huffed. "You are no different to the other extras!"
"The same extras that have been giving you such a hard time, Bakugo?" Izuku retorted.
"I- you – that-" Bakugo spluttered, only to growl and murderously glare at Izuku. "You are all nobodies, Deku! All of you!"
"No, Bakugo, we are here to be Pro-Heroes! Some might want money, others might be for the attention, but we are all here for the same profession. We will be Pro-Heroes, Bakugo. Hell, we are far closer to actual heroes than a villain like you!" Izuku retorted.
"Eat shit and die, you bastard! I am not villain!" Bakugo screamed.
"Then stop acting like one!" Izuku yelled. "All you've done is belittle everyone to feed your own ego! You are an arrogant arse that hasn't stopped harming people! You could have seriously injured so many today but you don't give a damn!"
Suddenly, Bakugo snapped. Izuku stared, floored, as the explosive teen became apoplectic… and terrified. It was a morbidly fascinating thing to witness.
"Oy, don't blame that Shinso incident on me! That wasn't my fault, you hear me?!" Bakugo shouted, his entire expression turning erratic. "That was your freaking fault! You shouldn't have been such a pussy about your quirk. If you had been such a coward I- I wouldn't have gotten it wrong and I wouldn't have messed up- no, not me. You fucking messed up!"
The… Shinso incident? Izuku thought with bewilderment. Hold on, he can't possibly…
"I know that" Izuku, momentarily confused, replied. "Wait, you really thought Shinso was going to blame you for the whole incident? Because you told him something you couldn't have known?"
That didn't appease Bakugo. It was strangely fascinating to watch how Bakugo was blaming himself for something he, for the first time, really didn't have much to blame himself for. Then again, after everything he did, was it truly surprising Bakugo was worried about vengeance or retribution from those he had mistreated? With the mounting stress, wasn't Bakugo starting to get paranoid that maybe they were out to get him? Maybe he was worried that Aizawa would find the smallest excuse to add a Strike. Hell, it was likely Bakugo thought Aizawa was waiting for said excuse.
"So that motherfucker told you? Don't play dumb! You and the rest of the extras were going to use that against me, weren't you? You've all loved to see me expelled!" Bakugo bellowed, puce-face and eyes shaking with madness.
"Perhaps if you weren't a villain they might actually defend your case" Izuku grunted. "If you do end up in Juvenile, that's on you. You thought so low about us, Bakugo? You really thought I would just use that to get back on you?" He dryly chuckled. "You are pathetic, Bakugo."
The explosive blond gritted his teeth, glaring at his feet, before he snapped his head at Izuku. The two glared daggers at each other. Bakugo released a battle cry and charged forward. Izuku braced himself, ready for what was to come.
"Time up!" Midnight called.
Bakugo and Izuku frowned, the former almost tripping over. Baffled, they snapped their heads at the referee.
"And that's the end of the first round!" Present Mic announced.
The two fighters glared at each other, ready to continue the fight.
"Stay apart you two" Midnight warned.
"You won't last another round" Bakugo spat.
Izuku merely squinted at the explosive teen. Tentatively, he touched the wound on his stomach and winced.
"Have no fear!" All Might exclaimed "for I have water!" He said, revealing bottles of cold water in his hands.
Back at the infirmary, Izuku's friends stared at the screen with apprehension. Everyone morosely watched as the fox boy and explosive teen took sips from their bottles.
"He doesn't look good" Iida grimly stated.
"Do you think he has a plan?" Ochaco asked Iida.
On his bed, Shinso grimaced.
"Of course he does!" Rumi exclaimed, raising a fist. "Wait and see! Fox Boy will surprise us with some scheme or trick."
Her siblings, though, weren't that convinced. However, they decided not to say nothing and kept their attention on the screens, ears dropped.
Deku can't possibly think he can win, Bakugo thought glaring at the extra.
The green-haired boy stood in position, a frown in place. Bakugo stretched a bit, ready to start the second round. As reassured as he so happened to be, Bakugo was still reeling at their last shouted exchanged.
The extras were out to get him. Now they had ammunition. Bakugo wasn't sure how but he was sure they would twist his short conversation with Shinso and put the entire blame on him. Worse, Aizawa probably would love to hear how Bakugo misled a poor extra to get his face mauled.
He thinks I'm a villain after all, Bakugo thought with a grimace. They all do! They all think I could lie to someone to get them almost killed on purpose…
Deku stroke his chin, lost in thought. His emerald eyes remained fixed on Bakugo.
Those fucking extras… and Deku… Bakugo thought.
However, as much as he wanted to hate all of them, he knew some of the fault was his. He had gotten carried away with the name-calling and with his behavior. Worse, it seemed that he might have harmed Deku a lot more than he had ever wanted.
Could he be telling the truth? Bakugo morosely thought, glancing at Deku. Could that bastard really have suffered from some kind of self-imposed quirk suppression?
Admittedly, Bakugo had heard about some people who couldn't use their quirks due to some kind of low self-esteem. Yes, he thought they were pathetic but Bakugo had never had a hand on any of them.
Auntie Inko must really hate my guts. No wonder she screamed at mom and cut their friendship, Bakugo realized. He glared at his feet, frustrated. And maybe she has a good reason… I did get carried away with Deku multiple times.
He balled his fists, gritting his teeth. He wanted to blame Deku for being a creep, for being such a nerd and for acting like a real pathetic weirdo. Even so, as much as he hated to admit it, Bakugo couldn't escape the truth: he had been a bully. He never thought he hurt anyone to the point he wouldn't use his quirk.
I caused the rift between mom and her best friend, Bakugo thought.
He shook his head, gritting his teeth.
But it doesn't matter now! Fuck Deku! Bakugo growled.
"Get ready, Listeners! It's time for the second round of the Final Fight!" Present Mic Announced. "It sure has been a heated battle, hasn't it? Katsuki Bakugo appears to have gained an edge at the end, but will our devious fox-lad turn it around?"
"Alright, are you ready?" Midnight called.
The two fighters nodded as they shoved the water bottles aside and faced each other. Standing in their starting positions, they glared at each other. Midnight raised her whip and glanced at the two.
"Fight!" Midnight called.
Immediately, Bakugo exploded towards Deku. He took care not to go too fast, lest he fell in Deku's machinations. Deku, in turn, raced towards him. Before he reached Deku, Bakugo grinned and pulled his palms in front. Deku's stupid eyes widened just as a massive explosion took over the arena.
That was way too easy! Bakugo thought with glee.
He skidded backwards and waited. Deku flew back, bouncing and rolling on the concrete. For a moment, Bakugo worried he might have gotten carried away. Deku didn't move, body limp in the ground. Then, he groaned.
Bakugo directed his body, ready to end the fight, when the green-haired boy exploded into a cloud of white smoke. Bakugo froze, expecting some of the fox forms. To his surprised, Quirkless Deku stood up. He looked awful, with his eyes dazing off and his body wobbling from side to side.
He must have run out of stamina or energy or whatever, Bakugo thought with a smirk. He squinted at Deku, though. Wasn't he a mutant type? Maybe not… maybe he can maintain the fox forms if he has enough stamina… urgh... stupid weird-ass quirk.
"I… can still… fight" Deku hoarsely muttered, weakly glaring at Bakugo.
He's so done for, Bakugo mused with a smirk.
"Oh no" Ochaco gasped, covering her mouth.
"It looks like that's the end of it" Iida sighed, looking away.
Shinso merely grimaced, shaking his head in resignation. The Usagiyama children were despondent.
"It is not over!" Rumi exclaimed, on her feet and waving an angry fist.
"Usagiyama…" Iida whispered. "I don't think-"
"Ha, just wait and see! Fox Boy has an ace up his sleeve!" Rumi said with a wide-grin.
The others exchanged grim faces but none wanted to pop Rumi's hopefulness.
"Bring it villain!" Izuku said, only to blink, momentarily dozing off. "I don't need energy to beat you, you hear me!"
He's such a loser, Bakugo thought. A part of him, though, was a bit cautious. It was too good to be true. Deku was open and exposed…
I have exploded him twice and he has wasted a shit ton of stamina. He's open! Bakugo victoriously thought. I can end this right here and now in one last punch!
But what if it is a trap? A little voice whispered in the back of his mind.
As if to dissuade Bakugo, Deku, for a moment, looked like he had fallen unconscious and was about to fall forward, only to shake awake and stay on his feet. He looked beyond disoriented, though, ready to drop at any moment. Deku rubbed his face, sluggish, whilst keeping his eyes down. Deku was already defeated.
Deku likes screwing with people's heads… Bakugo thought, hesitant. It was so tempting, though. It would really be an amazing and fitting end of the fight. One great and final punch…
"I'll make you pay for what you did to Shinso" Deku slurred, his face hidden as he kept it down.
Bakugo saw red. How dared that bitch bring the incident that was by no means his fault?
"It wasn't my fault!" Bakugo screamed.
He knew it! He had known all along the extras would hold Bakugo responsible. Those stupid extras would do anything to get back at him!
And with that, Bakugo exploded forward like never before. The thrill of victory… the passion of triumph… they were at his reach. Instead of merely accelerating, he exploded faster and faster.
Even if it is a trap I am going too fast for Deku to do anything! Bakugo thought with glee. I'll end this with one punch!
"I can't watch this!" Ochaco exclaimed, covering her face.
Iida looked away as well. The Usagiyama children looked at the floor in defeat.
"That's it Fox Boy!" Rumi shouted with glee.
Everyone snapped their heads at her, confused, only to return their attention at the screens.
"DEKU!" Bakugo screamed, right hand pulled back and left arm raised forward.
The green-haired boy was still looking at the ground. Then, it happened. Bakugo saw Deku raise his head. A mischievous foxy smirk was exposed to the incoming blond. Before Bakugo could react or even think, Deku shot forward – and Bakugo suddenly found his left arm being grabbed. Going at incredible speed and too fast to even stop, Bakugo could only stare with eyes wide in shock as Deku managed to pull a successful throw over his shoulder… straight to the ground.
SLAM.
The entire stadium winced, dumbfounded, as Bakugo's face smashed onto the concrete and bounced upwards. The world was upside down for Bakugo as he rose from the ground…
"WHAT?!" Everyone at the infirmary scream in disbelief.
Rumi broke in laughter, jumping with excitement.
"GO FOR IT FOX BOY!" She cried out.
Back at the arena, Bakugo's world was spinning. The was feet up and head down, caught mid-air, after bouncing from that accurately executed move.
How? Bakugo thought. Who taught Deku how to pull a-?
PUNCH
Bakugo's thoughts and world went dark as a fist buried into his face. To Bakugo's own shock, after having been smacked around, it suddenly happened. His nose, the very same he had felt a tinge of pain in the last event, with that one last punch it finally-
CRACK
"Ouch" the audience chorused as the sound echoed across the concrete arena.
Bakugo rolled on the ground, unimaginable pain on his face. He screamed, face wet with something he had never felt before. The agony… the pain… it was excruciating! Thus, when he stopped rolling, he knelt up, with tears in his face and his hands shot off to his nose. To his horror, a pang of pain shot immediately and he had to pull his hands away. However, as he did, he didn't miss the color of his palms.
"You- you broke my nose!" Bakugo shouted, unable to truly comprehend what was going on. He stared at the blood on his palms in disbelief. Never before had he seen so much of his own blood in his palms.
A shadow descended in front of him. Bakugo looked up, and his ruby eyes widened with fear. For the first time in his life, Bakugo felt the pain of dread and fear at finally getting beaten. There, already lowering over his position, was Nine-Tailed Deku – and his emerald eyes were burning with anger. His nine tails, ends blunted, retracted backwards.
Bakugo thought of shooting off, maybe even use an explosion, but his hands were wet with the blood of his nose. He was on his knees and couldn't run. His mind was numb with the newfound pain of having a cracked nose. Bakugo could only think one thing:
Shit
PUNCH
Three tail buried in his gut, making him spew, before he was pushed back. As he was sent flying backwards, Bakugo could only stare helplessly as the shadow of Deku fell on him once again. Bakugo fell on the ground, scrapping, and was left vulnerable to the enraged fox boy almost hovering over him.
SLAM
Bakugo gasped, agonizing, as his entire body bounced up. Six tails had slammed against him. Pain shot all over his body, and for a brief instant, Bakugo realized he must have broken something. That was when a tail wrapped around his leg.
SLAM
Bakugo spat blood, his entire body slammed against the ground. Disoriented, and his mind filled with only pain, he could only stare as Deku hovered over him, tails retracted once again. His emerald eyes shone, burning with righteous rage. This time, Bakugo knew what to expect, and thus he laid there, face up, unable to do anything but watch.
The tails descended on him like a rain of fists, striking in quick succession and with such strike, Bakugo learned what it meant to get a beating.
PUNCH. He was struck on the jaw. PUNCH. On the gut. PUNCH. On the arms. PUNCH on the legs… punch after punch, Deku kept the barrage of blunted tails. He remained up, sustained by the strikes on the ground, all while he gritted his sharp teeth.
Finally, it came a point when Deku stopped and dropped next to Bakugo. He immediately fell on his knees, panting. The explosive blond though… he was left like a human pulp. Red eyes stared at the blue sky, at the taunting cotton clouds, ridden with pain.
"I'm sorry" Deku sighed, face covered in sweat. "I might have gotten carried away."
Bakugo, though, couldn't answer. He could barely move. Every single fibre in his body seemed to be screaming back in pain. His mind, though, was concerned about something else.
Come on, stupid body, move! Bakugo screamed. I- I can't lose! This was nothing! I… Deku couldn't… he… I am not going to fail here! I CAN'T LOSE!
In the background, Midnight started counting.
"Ten, nine, eight…"
All the extras… they are pathetic… Bakugo thought. Flashes of his classmates, doing their best and even standing on their own, flashed across his eyes.
"…seven, six, five…"
I-I'm… I'm going to be the greatest hero… Bakugo thought. Whispers of Bird-Head, Aizawa and his own mother, stating how he had been acting like a villain.
"…four, three, two…"
I am going to be the best, the next number one! Bakugo mentally screamed, tears forming in his eyes.
Somehow, he managed to regain enough energy and will to move his head. There, on his side, Deku slowly stood up. He had beaten Bakugo. He had someone managed to do it. He was-
"One! Bakugo has been left immobile! Winner of the fight, Izuku Midoriya!" Midnight exclaimed.
The stadium went crazy all while Bakugo's felt something within crack once again. He could feel it, something about to break.
"YES! That's my Fox Boy!" Rumi screamed.
The two muffled sounds of suffocating siblings were the most Haku and Hana could do as they were caught in the deathly embrace of Rumi's joy.
"Yes! Yes!" Iida exclaimed, mechanically karate-chopping the air.
"Hurray!" Ochaco shouted, waving her hands.
Shinso grinned at the screen unable to believe his eyes.
Bakugo couldn't believe it. He had lost. No, not just lost. He had been beaten. Deku had somehow gone past defeat. He had rendered Bakugo helpless on the ground like an extra. His world was falling apart.
"And here I was advocating against violence…" muttered Deku. He glared at Bakugo. "You sure know how to get the worst out of me."
But Bakugo had other things to say.
"You- you cheated…" the blond wheezed.
Izuku looked down at him, frowning.
"You took trigger and- and did something to me! You couldn't-" Bakugo said, only to start coughing.
Izuku closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Hero Analysis for the Future…"
Bakugo stared at the Fox Boy, confused. What did those stupid notebooks had to do with anything?
"…nº1…" Izuku looked with sadness at the blue sky.
A nostalgic smile was in place. Even with bruises and cuts, he kept that strange smile in place, even as he turned his face towards Bakugo.
"Pages 1 to 10… amended and updated throughout later notebooks" Izuku said.
Bakugo, in his state, didn't know how to react. In fact, he barely understood what he was being told. Izuku, though, kept that smile, one that stretched to grin.
"There are so many things I learned about you through the years. Did you know, for example, that you have always started a fight with a right hook?" Izuku chuckled. "No, Bakugo, I won because I knew you better than you knew yourself".
Bakugo blinked once. Twice. Thrice. What in the world was Izuku talking about?
"I had always admired you, Bakugo. You had an amazing quirk… you worked your arse off to be the best… would never settle for anything other than the best…" Izuku said. His expression turned pained. "I admired you so much…"
And suddenly, Izuku was no longer smiling. Instead, his face had turned into a venomous scowl.
"But I was a fool. I ignored every disgusting aspect of you" Izuku spat. "You are an arrogant bastard, Bakugo… a broken child filled with the promise of glory and fame. Today… today you didn't lose because I am a better fighter, or because I had some amazing trick under my sleeve… you lost because of your own arrogance."
Here, Izuku's face turned into a pained grimace.
"You could have been the most amazing thing to cross U.A. halls… and you chose to be so little" Izuku grunted. His eyes turned a sad pitying look as he looked down at Bakugo "I hope you can see that, Bakugo… I really do…"
Bakugo felt a pang of hurt in his chest at that. Why? He wasn't sure. Maybe a rib had been broken. Why did he even believe Izuku? Regardless, the pity in Izuku's eyes drove him insane with rage.
"Don't… don't you fucking look down on me! You are just Deku! Fucking worthless Deku!" Bakugo spat, blood spraying on the ground.
Bakugo clung to that notion. He desperately needed it to. He was destined to be the Next All Might!
Izuku looked at the sky. Slowly, he turned towards Bakugo, emerald eyes piercing into Bakugo with a look of confidence. He stood with his chest held high and with a bright defiant grin.
"No, I'm Izuku Midoriya, user of the Nine-Tailed Fox Quirk and the one and only Fox Boy Extraordinaire!" He shouted with pride pointing a clawed thumb at himself, only to point at Bakugo "I am the one who defeated you…" Izuku trailed off, grin only widening "…and you will have deal with it!"
Izuku turned to leave, only to pause.
"Oh, by the way, you aren't at fault for what happened to Shinso. That really was a big misunderstanding and I'm sure Aizawa knows that" Izuku added with a smirk.
And with that said, Izuku walked away, leaving Bakugo to stare as the boy he once bullied strode away as the number one. The same quirkless nerd he had taunted and tormented, the one he had written off as the bottom of the bottom… had beaten him in a fight. He won… and Bakugo had lost.
Bakugo felt his cheek wet with tears as his eyes went to the heavens above... and everything just shattered. Was it his pride? Was it his ego? Or had maybe his dreams taken too much of a beating? Bakugo couldn't tell. What he did know was the pain that riddled his chest. His heart throbbed painfully in his chest to the point it felt like it would burst out. A trembling pained hand grabbed his chest, as if it could end the pain. He didn't want to feel like that, so miserable and defeated, but there was nothing the blond could do. His long lasting dream of being the uncontested number one... had been destroyed for good. He rather be angry… but as he glanced over at Izuku, showered in the cheering and ovations of the crowd, the last of his pride finished cracking and shattering into a million pieces.
I am no All Might… he thought as his entire being kept falling apart. I am no different from the extras…
"Oh yeah! Time for some celebration!" Rumi exclaimed, hopping around in joy.
Haku and Hana panted, relieved they could breath once again.
"Wait, what is he doing?" Ochaco asked, eyes on the screen.
Rumi snapped her head towards the screen, only to slap her face.
"Oh come on, Fox Boy!" Rumi shouted, exasperated.
"That's… so Izuku" Ochaco sighed.
Iida could only agree while Rumi pulled her hair in frustration.
Bakugo kept sobbing, dreams torn apart and the weight of everything he had done keeping him down. All that arrogance, all that talk… and he had failed against Deku. However, his thoughts were broken by the shadow of a certain fox boy over him. Bakugo wanted to be enraged, but all he could muster was a pathetic whimper at those emerald eyes that were over him, ridden with disgusting pity. Only pain and overwhelming sadness filled his being.
"Leave me" Bakugo said, voice cracking.
"No" Izuku responded.
Bakugo turned his tearful face, bloodshot eyes zeroing on Izuku's emerald eyes. Oddly enough, there was no pity or hatred, only fierce determination.
"W-what do you want?" Bakugo sniffed, miserable. "Gloat? Go ahead…" he said, sobbing further.
I deserve it… I'm a fucking loser… Bakugo thought.
Instead of speaking, Izuku offered a clawed hand. Bakugo stared at the hand, wide-eyed.
"Stand up, Bakugo" Izuku said.
To Bakugo's own shock, he felt an immeasurable pain in his heart, an ache like none before. Why? After all the spiel of hating his guts, why was Deku offering a gesture of kindness?
"What's the point?" Bakugo scoffed, looking away.
I lost… I am on second place… Bakugo thought earning more tears.
The clear bright sky taunted him. How could the world look so joyous and filled with life when deep down his entire world was burning? His dreams of being the most amazing Pro-Hero, the likes only seen before in All Might, were only that: dreams. He had failed. He wasn't that different from the extras he belittled.
"Everyone thinks you are doomed to be a villain… or to suffer a mental breakdown" Deku said. "I don't want that."
"Don't fucking lie" muttered Bakugo. "You fucking hate me… just gloat already and be done with it."
"Do I hate you? Yes, you have no idea how much I wish I could reap your face" Izuku growled.
Bakugo frowned, confused.
"But I want to be better than that. I want to be a hero, Bakugo, and, thus..." Izuku scrunched his face with the utmost reluctance "I want to help you, Bakugo. You can't be forgiven for all the sins you've done, but like hell I won't at least give you a chance to own up to your mistakes."
He offered his hand again.
"Stand up, Bakugo" Izuku angrily stated. "I want to believe there is some hope for you. I want to believe you too can go beyond and, perhaps, truly become the next All Might."
The sincerity behind his words baffled Bakugo. He had heard it so many times, so many people sucking to him because of his quirk… and the one person who defeated him fair and square, who had every right and reason to tell him otherwise, who professed his undying anger towards Bakugo… believed in him? Bakugo didn't know what to say. To think Deku of all people thought he could be the Next All Might, someone who outright admitted hating Bakugo. It was just… strange.
For a brief moment, Bakugo was sorely tempted on swatting the hand aside and curse Deku for even thinking to look down on him, but the faces of his parents flashed across his eyes. They were watching, perhaps saddened that their son had lost. Knowing his mother, though, Bakugo was sure she was losing her shit with worry. It was probably the first time she ever got to see her son beaten so badly. He knew what his parents would want him to do.
I caused the rift between mom and Inko, Bakugo reminded himself with a grimace.
He was still haunted by his mother's sadness at losing a close friend for reason she couldn't fully understand… if only his mother knew the truth. Bakugo knew he might have gotten carried away a bit, but he had sincerely never truly thought about the consequences. He was destined for greatness, after all. It wasn't like Bakugo could just mess up.
But suddenly he wasn't meant for greatness. Deku, allegedly the most worthless of the lot, who had his quirk for over a year, had beaten him… used his own flaws and arrogance against him. Bakugo wasn't stupid. He knew that there was no one to blame for his defeat than himself. Hadn't he been too proud to take medical assistance, maybe he would have regain some of his blunt force resistance. He underestimated his classmates, and they all got their punch in… and Deku exploited it all.
I'm no All Might, Bakugo morosely thought. I was just… a villain. I am all talk…
His classmates, the same extras he had looked down upon, had proven their worth. They had been... dare he say... decent and, perhaps… just maybe… there was the very, really, tiny – very tiny – possibility… that they were meant to be good Pro-Heroes.
Surprising himself, Bakugo's hands reached out – and grabbed onto the clawed hand. Although his hold didn't waver, Deku looked rather surprised. He grimly smiled, though, and pulled Bakugo up.
Thankfully, Deku said nothing because Bakugo was already regretting the motion. The stadium, of course, broke into wild cheering upon seeing a hint of sportsmanship. There were those, however, that watched with the utmost confusion.
And with that, the final event of the Sports Festival concluded.
The infirmary had been cleared for Bakugo and Izuku. Even Shinso had been allowed to finally abandon the place. While the explosive teen had been taken to a bed, Izuku had been quickly treated by Recovery Girl, getting a few bandages here and there and a good lot of smacks from her cane. All in all, not bad. In no time, Izuku had been sufficiently healed and allowed to head outside. The scars would have to be fixed at a later date, though.
I won, Izuku thought with amazement. I actually did it… he grinned, hand on the doorknob. This can't get any better, can it?
Izuku opened the door, and was immediately greeted by a massive crowd.
"Midoriya!" Class 1-A chorused with glee.
Before Izuku knew what was going on, he was congratulated by his classmates. Kirishima offered his usual "MANLY!" while Jiro merely nudged him with a grin. Hagakure and Ashido, always the boldest, ruffled his hair and teased him. There were those that shook his hands while others clapped his shoulder. It was definitely a strange experience.
"FOX BOY!"
Everyone froze and the corridor was momentarily silent, before a white blur swept between them and Izuku was tackled by something – or rather someone. Izuku had no time to even think as fell onto the ground, a strong pair of legs wrapping around him. Then, a pair of lips smacked on his, and Izuku forgot all about the world around them.
Of course, Class 1-A couldn't just let that slide so easily, so the entire corridor burst into laughter and whistles, as well as a few colourful comments. One particular midget could only bite his fist while tears of jealously run down his cheeks.
"You did it, Fox Boy!" Haku exclaimed, only to pause as his sister kept snogging her boyfriend. "Urgh, get a room you two!"
"Sincerely, at this rate we should worry we'll get nephews and nieces any day now" Hana harrumphed.
"Shut it, brats!" Rumi responded, finally allowing Izuku to breath. The fox boy in question remained on the ground, the goofiest smile planted on his face. Rumi snapped her attention to Izuku and proceeded to bonk his head.
"Ouch!" Izuku whined. "What was that for?"
"For being reckless" Rumi grunted.
She got off him and pulled him up.
"Now that that is over…" Rumi hummed. She glared at Izuku, hands on her waist and tapping her foot rather impatiently. "What was that thing in the end? Why offer your hand to that bastard?"
Class 1-A awkwardly stood by and watched the couple. Izuku awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, grimacing.
"After what he did to you… you just…?" Rumi wondered, caught between bewildered and furious.
"You forgave him?" Todoroki asked from amidst the crowd of students.
The students parted, allowing for the dichromatic boy to angry stomp towards Izuku.
"No" Izuku responded. "I can't forgive him for what he did." He took a deep breath "but I won't allow that to just keep either of us down. He hurt so many and did so many wrongs… but can I sincerely blame him for everything?"
Todoroki frowned at him, confused.
"What do you mean you can't?" Rumi angrily spat.
"Look… Is he little better than a villain? Well, yes… but no one has ever actually helped him stray away from that path" Izuku told him. "For nearly the entirety of his life, people have been kissing the ground he walked over. They inflated his ego… even helped him get away with most of the things he did. I can't blame Auntie Mitsuki either. I don't think she can even imagine how bad it really was."
"So that excuses it then?" Rumi growled.
"No" Izuku said with a glare. "He must make up for his errors and the damage he has done. It was not an act of forgiveness… it was a chance of redemption. If he messes up… then I'll know that he is already lost."
"But there is some hope" remarked Ochaco, amazed. "I never thought he would bring himself to actually take your hand."
Todoroki and Rumi seemed to falter in their anger at that. They looked down, unsure. As much as they disliked Bakugo, neither had expected the bastard to actually show some modicum of decency like that. Perhaps Izuku was right. That or Bakugo just took the hand to avoid looking any worse before his loving public.
"Let us see how he responds. If he is a villain after today and shows no sign of improvement, I'm all for his expulsion" Izuku said. "It's up to him."
"You truly are something…" Todoroki sombrely stated. His eyes went over his left hand, pondering about something. "I suppose I can take such a lesson myself. Forgiveness is something that will never come... but perhaps I cannot allow my anger and resentment to cloud my progress, not if I want to be a worthy Pro-Hero."
Izuku clapped a hand behind him, much to Todoroki's surprise.
"If you need help with anything, remember you've got your resident Fox Boy extraordinaire right here" Izuku chuckled.
Todoroki, for the first time since they had known him, offered a shy smile. His eyes shone with newfound happiness.
"I appreciate that. You've done more than enough, though" Todoroki said. "Thanks, Midoriya, for everything."
Izuku, embarrassed, scratched the nape of his neck, blushing.
"It was no problem!" He chuckled.
"A hero to the end, huh?" Rumi grunted, nudging him.
"You know me" Izuku chuckled. "I'll always go beyond."
"Yeah, yeah, plus Ultra and all that crap" Rumi huffed, rolling her eyes. She sighed, shaking her head. "I wish you had punched that bastard just a little bit more…"
"Rabbit Girl" Izuku groaned.
"What?" Rumi said with a grin. She pouted after that. "Fine, the replays of the beat down will have to do."
The two shared a smile at that. He took hold of her hand and squeezed. She squeezed back.
"Come on, champ, you've got a medal to receive" Rumi said, nudging him. "Should I get some pop-corn?"
Izuku scoffed at that.
"I'll just be a bit sanctimonious" Izuku grunted.
"I think this will be entertaining" Rumi snickered.
"I'll accept the pop-corn, though!" Ochaco exclaimed.
Everyone sweatdropped at Ochaco.
The time had come. Izuku nervously stood in the darkness and shifted in place. This was wrong in so many ways… at the same time, Izuku couldn't help but feel a strange sense of elation. He had done it. He had defeated Bakugo and, perhaps, given the bastard a good wake-up call.
If only people could be just as easy to beat, Izuku morosely thought as he sighed.
He wanted to bring change to the Sports Festival. He had a plan to at least voice his feelings about it all, but at the same time Izuku knew no one would take him seriously. Worse, it could damn his reputation… not that he cared about it at that point.
The ceiling shuddered and light poured above. The ground shook and Izuku, startled, snapped his head ahead as the round platform he was standing on slowly rose. He abandoned the darkness… only to come face to face with an arena filled with every single student from all departments. They cheered mildly, most with annoyed despondent faces, more than one glaring at Izuku or just looking utterly defeated at the ground.
Izuku felt a knot in his gut. So many students had been hopeful about finally revealing they could be heroes… only to be beaten by better prepared peers. Izuku couldn't help but feel terrible for them.
They all have amazing abilities and quirks. It's true that not everyone can be a hero, but it seems unfair how the Entrance Exam and the games ended up favouring a certain type of quirk, Izuku thought.
Izuku's platform rose higher than the two other ones on each side. On Izuku's left, standing tall and proud, was Iida. On his right, Bakugo stood with a grimace, scarlet eyes fixed on the ground. Covered in bandages from head to toes, he had seen far better days. In fact, he was hunched over, lacking his usual bravado or pride. They were in the middle of a platform, right behind Midnight (who had a microphone this time around) and All Might.
"Here are our victors!" Midnight announced, much to the audience's glee. The crowd of students, though, stared on with anything but that. Except for Class 1-A. They whistled and clapped, energetically trying to draw Izuku's and Iida's attention.
"In third place, Tenya Iida!" Midnight announced, followed by the audience's lively response. "In second place, U.A.'s firecracker: Bakugo Katsuki." The clapping and cheering got louder and more enthusiastic. "And as the number on: Izuku Midoriya!"
Izuku had expected the crowd to be far more boisterous and excited, being the winner and all. To his surprise, he got a reception similar to Bakugo's. Apparently, it seemed obvious who the people had wanted to win.
"And now, to give the medal, the one and only… All Might!" Midnight announced.
The Pro-Hero in question turned towards the students, medals hanging from one hand. He approached Iida first.
"Young Iida, you have proven to be an outstanding gentleman and more than a capable hero. I am sure your family will be most proud of you today!" All Might said.
Iida, who stood as straight as a soldier in face of his captain, saluted at the hero as he received his bronze medal.
All Might stepped over to Bakugo's pedestal. The explosive blond, bandaged and weary, looked at the big man, only to look down, slumped shoulders and haunted red eyes. All Might's smile waned ever so slightly.
"Young Bakugo, you have proven to be quite… the adversary. You can be a great Hero if you can attain some humility" All Might said.
With a scowl of disgust, Bakugo received the second place silver Medal. All Might, though, stayed a bit longer and rested his hands on Bakugo's shoulder. The blond glared at the man, although Bakugo looked more constipated than angry.
"I am no one to offer such suggestions but don't waste your second chance. They don't come every day" All Might murmured.
Bakugo glanced at Izuku, only to scowl and look at his feet. All Might chuckled and patted Bakugo. Then, the big hero moved in front of Izuku. Glowing blue eyes met emerald eyes.
"Young Midoriya" All Might said, his smile growing to his famed grin. "You are the true embodiment of U.A. motto. You have gone beyond… pushing against the odds. You are an example that strengths comes in all forms and shapes but, more importantly, true strength comes with the spirit and will to go Plus Ultra."
Izuku offered a shy smile at that, blushing.
"With that said…" All Might said, raising his big hands to give the gold medal.
Izuku stared at the bright piece of metal, taking in its shape. His face fell and, taking All Might by surprise, he grabbed the man's hands. All Might, confused, offered no resistance as Izuku pushed the medal away from him.
"I… I can't accept it" Izuku told All Might. "It's hypocritical of me, having reached first place… but I do not think anyone should deserve the medal… much less me after what I did."
The big man, instead of berating the boy, surprised Izuku by smiling widely at him.
"I think you carry more than enough gold, young Midoriya" All Might chuckled. He poked at Izuku's chest, right over his heart. "Right there."
More shocking though was when All Might lowered the medal, and place a hand on the fox boy's shoulder.
"You'll make a great hero and, if you so much desire, an even greater Symbol of Peace one day!" All Might said, patting Izuku.
Symbol of Peace? Izuku thought with confusion. He wasn't so sure it was feasible, given his current aspirations and power. Still, it was nice to be told that by the number One hero himself.
"…although we will all appreciate if you could tone down the mischief" he added, awkwardly clearing his throat.
"No promises" Izuku responded.
Izuku found himself grinning, tails wagging energetically behind him. Even though he was in his Nine-Tails form, he felt ready to squeal with glee. All Might glanced at Midnight's microphone.
"Do you have a few words for the audience?" All Might asked with a knowing smile.
Izuku gulped and, hesitantly, glanced at the cheering audience. Could he do it? Could he actually address so many? Should he? Would it change anything at that point?
"Hello? Does everyone hear?"
All Might and Izuku blinked, surprised, as right next to Midnight, tapping on a microphone of his own, was Principal Nezu. The number One Hero and Izuku exchanged baffled faces before they turned to the Principal.
"Congratulations winners!" Principal Nezu chirpily said. "You sure went beyond and Plus Ultra!"
The audience watched, unsure how to respond to the weird chimera's squeaky proclamations.
"That being said, I must say… it pains me to even think about all that has transpired today" Nezu stated. He held his smile, but those black beady eyes had none of the usual warmth. "I am sure all of you up the stands sure enjoyed yourselves. This year has proven to be far more exciting than previous years, hasn't it? However, to the participants and students, it probably was a disappointment and far from fun."
The students absentmindedly nodded with grim faces.
"Truthfully, I believe the festival has lost its initial purpose. For that, let me refresh your memories. Once upon a time, UA saw fit to organize a small private event in which students could display their skills. It was, admittedly, also a chance for the school to show off. It was no different to the events other Hero-Schools organize nowadays. The difference, of course, was that UA slowly started to garner much more attention. More heroes got invited, followed by special guests… then parents… then journalists…"
Nezu paused, taking in the deafening silence.
"The government has long declared quirks could not and would not be used for entertainment, much less for fighting. It is an understandable position, if not sometimes outright exaggerated. However, people just couldn't get enough of Heroes and their quirks, could they? We all love to see them succeed and beat evildoers. And thus, an opportunity was born. The UA Sports Festival could be that very same entertainment the government sought to dissuade… is it any surprise it became as popular as it is?"
There was a long awkward pause.
"At what point did we lose vision of our true goals? At what point did we become so enthralled by children fighting so desperately for victory? Children from all departments were placed together in hopes to give them a chance from a flawed Entrance Exam… and instead, we played with their desperate desire to become Pro-Heroes to… how should I call it? Spice the festival up.
"I am not sure about you but I found the games today a bit more violent than usual… some would even call it…" here, Nezu turned towards Izuku and All Might "…a blood sport."
All Might nodded with approval. However, Izuku got the distinct impression the white dog-bear-rat creature was staring at him rather than the number one hero. In fact, when Nezu winked, Izuku was sure it had been at Izuku.
"As the Principal, the only thing I can tell you students… is that I am sorry" Nezu said, bowing at the crowd of teenagers. "That and let me promise, the events next year will be much more interesting to truly test aspiring heroes! I am sure the organizers will love the games I have in store for you next years!"
The crowd, particularly the people up in the stands, silently stared. They exchanged raised eyebrows and looked more disgruntled than anything. It was not surprising. People rarely enjoyed when they were talked down to. Izuku gulped. He had pretty much intended to say the same thing as the Principal. To their surprise, though, the silence was broken by laughter.
Booming and imposing, All Might laughed as he stepped forward, next to the Principal, and took the microphone.
"I must say, Principal, I am truly looking forward to it. As the Symbol of Peace, I can't say I enjoyed watching today's games! While I hope tomorrow and the day after will be different, I think I'm speaking for everyone when I say we are looking forward to next year!" All Might said.
The crowd, who had been reluctant or annoyed by the Principal, would never dispute with the Symbol of Peace himself. Somehow, Izuku was surprised when their despondent or angry looks turned to happy smile and then, all of a sudden, they actually cheered. There were clapping and rounds of approval.
Are people really that feeble? Izuku wondered.
The three winners walked down the platforms and into the crowd. Bakugo marched off, the sea of students parting around him, glaring at him. A few insulted him. Bakugo, though, stomped away ignoring the world around him. Iida and Izuku, though, were immediately assaulted by their classmates.
"We all knew you'd be the number one!" Ashido laughed, ruffling Izuku's hair.
"Yeah, you are the manliest!" Kirishima said, flexing arms.
Before Izuku could respond, he was flanked by Shoji and Sato. Izuku glanced at the two, only to realized all of his peers looked at him with smirks.
"Guys…" Izuku mumbled, fearful.
To his surprise, Shoji and Sato grabbed him and pulled him to sit on their shoulders. Izuku blinked, baffled.
"G-guys, put me down!" Izuku pleaded. "This- this is-!"
"It's payback time, Fox Boy!" Ashido exclaimed. She turned to her classmates, grinning. "How about it, guys? How about we give our little fox boy the attention he deserves?" And rising her fists and grinning mischieviously, she started shouting "Number one!"
And like that, Class 1-A started chanting, all while Shoji and Sato carried a flustered Izuku towards the stadium. The other students stared at the procession with a hint of jealousy, and amusement.
"Number One! Number One!" The class chanted.
Izuku blushed. He had gone on a swimsuit before millions but only now he blushed like that? However, as much as he felt shaken by it, he couldn't help but grin at his classmates. Things sure had changed, hadn't it? He no longer was just Izuku Midoriya, the quirkless hopeless child. He was Izuku Midoriya, truly the one and only Fox Boy. Izuku couldn't wait to find Rabbit Girl, though.