Mystery from Another World

Part 22: Bakugo's pride

Much later that evening, after Aizawa took over with Eri, Shine went back to the dorms and saw Bakugo waiting for her. She knew he wasn't just going to drop their little exchange of the day before. 

"Give me a chance to eat and take a breather first," she said, walking by him. "Then you can come yell at me in the courtyard." 

Bakugo gave her an annoyed look, then, "Whatever."

Shine took at least 20 minutes, but finally she came out, as prepared as possible, and sat in one of the patio seats out there.

"So," Bakugo said, stretching out his limbs to steel his nerves, "what'd you mean before? About strength being my weakness?" His tone daring her to criticize so he could kick some butt.

Shine was more surprised to be asked at all than she was intimidated. "I said your strength is your weakness. That had two meanings. Firstly, what you think of as strength is actually a weakness. Secondly, what you think of as weakness is actually strength."

"That makes no sense." Bluntly.

"Maybe I think of strength differently than you." Shine smiled in that confident way that annoyed the crap out of the surly kid. "You think of it as physical and mental skill. I think of it as a deeper quality not so easily put in a box like combat, talent, or even intelligence."

"You talking philosophy or some crap like that?" In disgust.

"No, this is quantifiable. But only to the open minded," Shine replied cryptically.

But she'd realized one thing about Bakugo that only Aizawa perhaps had ever suspected: He did not like things made easy for him. If she didn't make him work for the explanation, he wouldn't give it any merit, even if she risked--or really, guaranteed--angering him in the process.

"Big words. Sounds like you don't have any real answers," he sneered now.

"If I had a dollar for every time I've heard that from one of you other worlders," Shine retorted, "I'd be rich."

A moment of calculating silence.

"So what is strength to you?" Bakugo growled, making it sound insulting. Shine ignored his tone.

"Not important, is it? I'd rather think about what is strength to God."

"Figured you'd get to that sooner or later." With the sort of grin that implied, you're so dead now. "Fact is if you really believe all that crap, then you know God's untouchable. Why even go there?"

"God is not untouchable exactly, but he is All Mighty. No one can stand against Him." Shine gestured for emphasis. "So naturally, all true strength comes from Him. Even evil is taking His good and twisting it--there's no real might in it." 

Bakugo actually agreed with that last bit, though he'd never say so directly. 

"Same idea All Might has. Heroes always win," he said, in a slightly less hostile tone. 

Shine nodded. "But we both know those aren't just words. Heroes don't have to win out of desperation but because Good must win. It must be stronger, or we've lost its value completely. People who claim they are on the side of good but back off like a whipped cur at the slightest move against it are delusional."

Bakugo smirked. "So you're not completely stupid, Swipey."

"Nope." Dryly. "Heroes are always supposed to win because Good always wins in the end. It is what it means to be a hero. In my opinion, even death isn't a defeat if it ultimately helps to accomplish that."

What does this have to do with her statement? Bakugo thought. Does this freak think I'm too weak to be a hero? I'll blow that notion out of her head!