The crowd goes wild. Another one wins, and another one loses in minutes. Bakugou vs. Tokoyami. Shadow against blinding explosive light. Really just another lousy matchup.
Bakugou leans on the railing and looks out at the arena. The second he makes it back from his latest fight, he can feel her gaze on him. Even if she's not directly looking at him, she is always there, watching. Bakugou clasps his hands, trying to keep himself from squirming under what should be Uraraka's gaze.
"What's with the long face?" Kirishima claps Bakugou on the back with a big grin, causing Bakugou's arms to slip from the bars.
Bakugou glances an ineffective threatening glower at Kirishima and readjusts himself, saying nothing.
"Hey? You okay, man?" Kirishima asks, his smile turning into a frown.
"Yeah, of course I'm fine. Couldn't be better."
"Don't you want to be waiting in one of the rooms? The final is after this."
Bakugou watches closely as Todoroki steps into the arena with his opponent. Tenya Iida. The signal is given, and the match starts. Iida immediately runs forward, and Todoroki sends out small mountains of ice.
Bakugou tsks. Still starting off with the same old trick. He's fast, but Iida's faster. Plus, no doubt he's got some new move stored up. As long as Iida's keeping away from the ice, he's not losing.
Todoroki creates another wave of ice. Iida dodges just in time and Bakugou tsks again. You have an entire quirk just sitting there, and you don't even so much as twitch a finger in its direction—What a waste.
"Guess not," Kirishima mutters, turning his attention to the arena.
The fight drags on. Longer than it should be anyways.
That damn Todoroki.
But the outcome everyone is predicting is inevitable.
Soon. Todoroki wins. . . without using his flame.
Bakugou scoffs at the result and leaves, hands stuffed in his pockets. Thankfully, they give some time between the last two fights. He'll be damned if that stupid half and half doesn't fight him with all he's got.
"Hey, Icy Hot!" Bakugou yells down the hall at Todoroki walking his way, head down at the ground.
Todoroki looks up. "What?" He asks rather softly.
Bakugou growls, annoyed with how emotionless he acts. Like he doesn't care about anything. "Don't you dare come at me half-assed, you hear? Everyone else may be okay with it, but if I'm going to win, it's going to be because I beat everything that's up your sleeve. A win's not a win if someone's holding back."
"I'm sorry, I can't do that."
"What did you say, damn Icy-Hot? You think you can beat me at half your strength?"
"No."
"Then what is it, hu? Because you better not underestimate me! You've got two powerful quirks so use them!"
Todoroki raises his left hand, his face remaining plain and unreadable as he stares at it. "But I don't. I don't use my left side because I underestimate people like you think Bakugou. We've all got our own reasons for doing things. Just like you've got your reasons for being so close to the number one hero," he says, causing Bakugou to stiffen. "So no, I don't underestimate you. I see you being around All Might so much, which means you must be connected to him somehow. My father is the number two hero obsessed with becoming number one. So much that he passed it on to his children. If I can beat you—someone extremely close to the number one hero—without using my father's quirk. . ." Finally, a small smile shows. "It'll prove that I don't need him—or his damned quirk."
YOU ARE READING
Endless Bounds
FanfictionA young quirkless boy bullied his whole life finally gives in to the evils of the world. But to do so, he disappears from every single person in his life and joins with the worst of the worst. All for One. A boy with with an explosive personality to...
