The Favor [Bakugou x Reader]

Chapter 18 - Crossed the Line

A half hour break was scheduled for the remaining contenders to get food, rest, and strategize. Bakugou would face off against Todoroki and you were to battle Izuku. This is what you had feared last night as you pondered sleeplessly over different Festival day scenarios. You would be face to face with the strongest fighters in your class.

Your friends had offered to sit with you, bring you food, tell you jokes, anything to distract you but you had simply smiled and sent them away. You didn't want to be distracted. You wanted to focus. You had to focus.

Izuku was one of the smartest people you knew, not only in class but in battle. He could read a person's moves and anticipate their intent. And you knew he'd been studying you and your techniques since the moment you arrived on campus. He had thankfully not been privy to your trainings with Aizawa and that's what you would have to use against him. There was no way to combat those punches and kicks. Hell, he could blow back half the stadium with a snap of his fingers.

To make matters worse, you wouldn't be able to watch Bakugou and Todoroki's match. If by some miracle you did win against Izuku you'd have to go in blind. You noticed a white board near the far wall. Pulling it out you began writing strengths, weaknesses, combination moves, anything you could think of to take down that sweet green-haired boy.

***

Bakugou stood on the stage watching Todoroki enter from the opposite tunnel. He cracked his neck, side to side, and then rolled his shoulders, standing up even taller as he finished. "If you plan on bitching out again, we might as well just name me winner and go home," Bakugou mocked.

"I thought you would have figured out by now that it's going to be a very different fight this time around," Todoroki's tone was strong, ready.

Bakugou's eyes narrowed, but he continued to smirk all the same. "Then I can't wait to wipe the floor with you, you half-and-half bastard." Bakugou stepped into a fighting stance.

"THIS IS THE SEMI-FINALS!" Present Mic's voice echoed so loud you could hear it in your waiting room. "THE MATCH-UP FROM LAST YEAR'S FINALE IS A SEMI TODAY! WILL BAKUGOU KATSUKI, THE BARON OF BOMBS MOVE ON? OR WILL IT BE THE FUEHRER OF FREEZERBURN, TODOROKI SHOUTO?!"

Mic's getting creative with his names again.

"I think my title might be higher than yours," Todoroki goaded, finding his own footing.

"Oh, fuck off Fuehrer."

"START!"

A wave of ice set off from Todoroki as Bakugou released one of his signature armor-piercing shots, a concentrated blast powerful enough to pierce solid concrete. The collision of the blast with the ice formed a shower of scattered crystal shards in the air between the two boys.

Before the ice could even touch the ground, Bakugou was running full speed toward Todoroki. Within three meters Todoroki ignited his left side and sent a stream of fire toward Bakugou. Bakugou jumped before impact, propelling himself up and over Todoroki. He fired a torrent of explosions down on the half-and-half boy.

Once the dust cleared a dome of ice could be seen over Todoroki's form. Before Bakugou could move Todoroki shot an ice wall through the dome and into the sky. Bakugou felt the ice as it tore into his side and thigh. He beat back the never-ending ice with countless blasts, chipping away so as not to be pushed out of bounds.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD! YOU THINK THAT'S ENOUGH TO GET RID OF ME?!" He sent another AP shot through the wall. The next moment he created two explosions in his hands, spinning himself in midair. Gathering up momentum, he spun faster and faster until finally unleashing a tornado of fire, ash and ice at Todoroki.