Essence of a True Hero

Internal Warfare

Kon'nichiwa minna! The Attack Circuit continues after the first day. Denki has already toasted his brain nice and crispy once, but two more days of this hell-like training remain. How will he fair against his classmates and the ever-antagonizing Class 1-B?

Denki Kaminari's P.O.V.

    Eijiro understood that I would be too exhausted to deal with Bakugo once morning came and volunteered to wake him up. I was too tired to mention that based on yesterday's events, it was his turn anyway (even if Izuku had taken the blow for me then). I would have loved to lie in bed all day, but the Attack Circuit was still in full swing, so I grudgingly got dressed. After breakfast, I was feeling a little more refreshed. I smiled hoping that was all I needed: just a little food in my belly to help me get through the day.

    In the same manner as the day before, Classes 1-A and 1-B were gathered and separated. I was again standing in the clearing next to Bakugo's trying to still my breathing, trying get myself into the zone to fight once again. As I heard the footsteps, a persistent thought kept running through my mind like a headless chicken, "I'm not going to make it."

    It came to my delayed surprise that the nearing footsteps came to show an overbearingly large fellow with something like a glue-cap on his head. He nervously shuffled into the clearing, but I could imagine that he put on a brave face because his voice came out firm if a little nervous, "Hello. Let's fight."

    I could hear the uncertainty slipping through his façade. I smiled through my tiredness trying to communicate a sense of camaraderie in our shared uncertainty, but deep inside I was internally hoping that this would be an easy fight.

    What he said next actually woke me up, "Do you think that I'm not worth the effort?"

    My eyes grew large as I shook my head, trying to cover this misstep which I didn't even know that I was making, "No, not at all. It's just that neither of us seemed overtly prepared for this fight."

     Somehow that glue-cap looked menacing or at least tried, but his words spoke differently, "I don't know if I'm cut out for this kind of combat thing."

    I didn't know what that meant. I thought of quiet Koji and then of Minoru. I clenched my fists trying to eek out a smile, forcing a laugh, "No one's every ready to become a hero. I short-circuit my brain on a daily basis."

    The glue-cap perked up and straightened his shoulders. With a firmer voice he said, "My name is Bondo Kojiro. It will be an honor to fight you."

    "Kaminari Denki, at your service," I introduced myself making a sweeping bow. I came up with a smile, a real one this time, "Let's fight."

    The glue-cap nodded, it was still weird to think about the head inside there. Was there a head inside that glue cap?

     I just noticed the goopy substance flying at me and barely dodged it.

    "I hope you're not underestimating me," Bondo's shy voice rang from inside the glue-cap. He didn't sound menacing at all; he sounded like he was concerned for my safety.

    I smiled as I looked at the puddle of goop on the forest floor, "Not at all."

   I didn't even know how he did that. Did it conduct electricity? I had a flashback of Ibara's hair being lightning-proof in the Sport's Festival, and I became increasingly uncertain. I didn't even know what the goop did, and I was too scared for my safety to find out.

    As I jumped and oddly skipped around the clearing, I learned that whatever the stuff was came from these holes on the glue cap. More than that, I had no clue, but that was enough for me. I had considered running into him covered in electricity, but concentrating on keeping my quirk up while dodge the goop would be too hard. I barely dodged the next glob of goop having considered the possibility. No, definitely not.