that's just how it works [REWRITING]

Chapter Thirty two - More Than Ever

. . .

   There was a big difference, power, and strength-wise, between you and Todoroki. That much was obvious from the get-go. However, the fact that you were more flexible and agile than he was gave you hope that you could at least hold out for a while.

   Despair-inducing dread made your whole form shake as you made your way onto the platform, knowing your defeat was coming soon. You barely even heard Present Mic introducing you and your opponent, or the queue to begin the battle. All you saw was Todoroki suddenly activating his quirk, sending ice towards you. 

   It all seemed to go in slow motion for you, as you remembered the encounter with the number two hero that made your blood boil, as you remembered Todoroki's story, as you remembered his declaration of battle before anything even started. It fired you up, even for you to lift your hand in the form of a handgun and shoot the ice with a bolt of lightning, causing the ice to shatter, shards going everywhere. 

   Todoroki looked taken aback by how easily you countered his attack, but it only lasted for a second before he sent another pillar of ice towards you. Again, you blasted it to pieces with a shot of electricity. This happened two more times before you made your advance. 

   Immediately upon shooting the ice coming towards you, you clasped your hands together, a watery film surrounding them. You had to act fast. You already saw him sending more ice your way. 

   You dropped to the ground, rolling to the side to avoid the ice, and as you did, the water around your hands picked up little pieces of sediment- pebbles, grainy pieces of rock, and gravel.

   Slowly pulling your hands apart, a bubble of sediment-filled water formed between them. You stamped your foot on the ground, electricity shooting into the ground and air, practically decimating the ice pillar advancing towards you once again.

   You took this chance to rush towards him, clasping the water bubble tightly. Once you were in a close enough radius, you dropped it, causing wind, water, and rock to knock both you and Todoroki back. You rolled to the edge of the arena and immediately stand, eyes narrowed. 

   Obviously not used to such an attack, Todoroki was thrown back more than you had been. He had used his ice to keep him from flying out of boundaries. "Shit..." You mutter, getting into a defensive pose. You had to get away from the edge, fast.

   He recovered quicker than you had anticipated, so he sent another ice pillar your way. You scrambled out of the way, it missing you by a hair. "Shit!" You didn't mean to say that out loud.

   "Sorry for all of this. I appreciate it, though, (last name)."

   'Huh?' You look up from your spot on the ground, shivering from the cold air around you and him. Upon doing so, you noticed something. 'He's... shivering?'

   "Thanks to you..." Todoroki glanced up at the stands, and you followed his gaze, seeing the distant figure of Endeavour, looking none too pleased, "He doesn't look too happy."

   "He is trying to fulfill his own desires, by raising me to be a hero that will surpass All Might." Midoriya's figure stiffened, a shocked look coming over his face. 

   A shadow fell across your face, and you grimaced, remembering Todoroki's words back there. 

   "You seem tired. Let's end this already."

   He sent more ice your way, but you jumped up, bolts of electricity jumping from you to the ice. It once again shattered. As this happened, you shouted at him.

   "Who says I'm done?!"

   Electricity surrounded you, crackling in the air dangerously. You met his eye, a predatory glare in your expression, sending shivers down his spine.

   "You're shivering, Todoroki-Kun. Quirks are still just physical abilities. You must have a limit to how much of that cold you can bear!" You clapped your hands together, sending a wave of wind in his direction that pushed him back and made him shiver even more.

   "But couldn't you just use your left side to thaw yourself out?" You saw his brows knit together, in annoyance or whatever, but you knew you could get to him if you tried hard enough! "Everyone's giving it their all! To win... To achieve their goals... To make it to the top! And you're planning to win with just half your power?!"

   A sadistic smirk appeared on your face as you took a step forward, spreading your arms wide. "You haven't gotten a scratch on me yet! Can't you do better than this?!" You crouched slightly, clenching your fists as water surrounded them once again, "Gimme everything you've got! COME AT ME!!" You screamed, getting all your frustrations from the day out in one sentence, feeling the silence echo for a second after your statement.

   "What... are you planning?" Todoroki asked quietly, an undecipherable look on his face. However, it slowly morphed into anger, rage pouring off him in waves. You were getting to him. "Did my bastard of a father pay you off or something?" He charged at you, and you tensed, readying yourself. "You're pissing me off!"

. . .

To be continued