𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 [bnha au]

12. Why Am I First Place? (Sports Festival I)

Training wasn't a new affair for Sai. He had been in training sessions that led him to near death many times. Since then, he had never really done much training but did more warm-ups instead. He also had this fear about how much more the cursed quirk would develop if he actually trained with it. So, he just took a slightly increased dosage of his suppressants.

His week of training was spent collecting information about a drug den that the police had had an eye on for quite some time and helping in busting a human trafficking ring with the small group of vigilantes that he had somehow attracted to himself.

But it seemed that he had taken on work with quite some enthusiasm as now he had nothing to do for the next few weeks. He lamented his choices as he sulked in the locker room of the stadium. His classmates steered clear of him as he sighed and thought about how he could advertise his services without giving himself away so that he could get more work. He briefly wondered if he should invite the chimera principal of the school to collude with his plans. But he shook that thought away as that would only mean more trouble.

As soon as he was done, they all moved to a common waiting area (which was a locker room but for all of them) and, well, waited for the event to start. Sai leaned against a locker and closed his eyes so that no one would disturb him. But when have people ever left him alone?

"Fujishima. I think, objectively, I am stronger than you," he heard a voice say.

Sai opened one of his eyes and saw that it was Todoroki.

"Your quirk is quite versatile but it still has it's weaknesses. So, I'll beat you and become the number one."

Sai regarded the boy a little. Before he said, "Okay, pretty boy," and went back to leaning on the locker without a care in the world.

He could feel the anger coming from the half-and-half boy and inwardly smirked at the notion. The class sweat-dropped at the entire affair thinking how their classmate could be so calm.

Soon enough they were being called to the stadium and class 1-A also took that as a sign to start heading towards the arena in a line. For some reason, Sai felt his heart beating a lot faster than it would have in normal circumstances. The cheers of the crowd were nearly deafening and that fact didn't sit right with Sai.

He was feeling anxious. Almost as if he was back at the unpleasant memory that tried to engulf him.

***

The crowd cheered as he threw another punch and found himself tumbling back from the recoil. His eyes were nearly swollen shut and at this point he couldn't even feel the blood trickling down from his face.

He was numb to all the pain (or was it that he was numb with pain?), as he somehow dodged the next attack and hit the other guy with a lucky kick to the jaw.

As soon as the guy tumbled to the ground he was on him. Punching him in the face again and again, and again. He didn't stop nor pull back any punches. He hit until the other guy passed out and kept hitting him until he felt his own vision fading away.

He stood up unsteadily and waited until that opponent was dragged out like a ragdoll, and soon enough they were sending another one in. This person was bigger than him in age and build. But the others had been the same.

The kid raised his hands and waited for his new opponent to come charging at him. And he did not disappoint.

***