When You Believe

Chapter 16

Izuku and Mairu stood on the outside of the building that they would soon be entering once the Battle Trial began. All Might had told them they had five minutes to make a plan, which was what they were currently discussing. Izuku thought for a moment, mulling over the best approach. Mairu was no slacker when it came to strategy, but, compared to the likes of Izuku and Momo, he might as well have been.

"Bakugo's going to come straight for me," Izuku finally said aloud. Mairu nodded at the thought.

"Yea," he replied. "You guys have that history, don't you. And, based on his attitude yesterday, he wants answers. Not that you owe it to him."

"I know I don't owe anything to him," Izuku agreed. "It wouldn't be difficult to focus on combat against him. I've left those issues far behind now, so they're not going to affect my training like it will him. Even still, I think it's better if you fight him when he comes after me."

"I mean, I agree, though I do want to hear your reasoning," Mairu gave Izuku the floor on the strategy.

"Your Quirk and fighting style counters his pretty well," Izuku stated. "Your Quirk works something like Fatgum's right?"

"In a way," Mairu responded, shrugging. "May be distant relatives or something. Haven't really looked at the genealogy to figure that. Could just be similar Quirks with slight differences." Izuku nodded as he continued with the strategy.

"I believe you're more powerful and have better fighting capabilities than Bakugo the last time I saw him. Of course, that was about year and a half ago, and I don't know what all training and progress he's made since. Still, I think you would be better suited to at least stall him while I find the "Hostage" and possibly be matched against Eiji, which I think would also be a more "stall" fight for you than anything." Mairu nodded at Izuku's assessment.

"I was thinking the same," Mairu chimed in. "My Quirk definitely works better with what I refer to as special or emission kinetic energy than with physical kinetic like Eijiro's going to tank me with." At this, Izuku also nodded, as All Might called over the speakers that planning time was up, and the Rescuers could now enter the building.

As they got ready to enter, Izuku made another point.

"Oh, yea," he said. "Bakugo likes to lead with a wide right hook."

==A Few Moments Prior==

"We have to think of a strategy, Bakugo," Kirishima was saying as Bakugo stood by the door of the room where they were holding the "VIP to Protect". He knew there planning time was drawing to a close. Bakugo merely scoffed at the words.

"You can stay here for all I care, I'm going after that damn Deku," was his response. Kirishima's brow furrowed at the statement, but he said nothing. "How the Hell did that worthless loser even get a Quirk, anyways, huh? He was looking down on me this whole time. Probably laughing behind my back. Well, I'll just beat the truth out of him."

Before Kirishima could retort and stand up for his friend, All Might called the start of the match, and Bakugo immediately exploded out of the door down the hallway. Kirishima actually had to quickly Harden his body to protect the dummy from the collateral damage. He could have easily just let Bakugo's recklessness disqualify them, but then he wouldn't get a chance to prove his own mettle.

He sighed as he awaited whoever would find him. A small part of him hoped Izuku would fight Bakugo just so Kirishima himself could face off against Mairu. He knew he stood a better chance of stalling Mairu than Izuku, but knew he probably wasn't going to be that lucky. If Mairu didn't stall Bakugo for Izuku to look for the dummy, they would probably just take him out together, and then Kirishima would be truly screwed in a two v one.