Riddles and Riots

.:A Hero to All:.

"What's taking so long?" Mina tapped her fingers on her cheek, leaning on Kirishima's head as he sat beside her. Roughly ten minutes had passed since the cleanup crew finished swabbing the entire field, and the announcer was still on the King's balcony. They appeared to be having a very heated conversation.
"Maybe there's another problem in the city?" The winner with the black hair and ribbon magic suggested. "After that hybrid appeared out of nowhere, I wouldn't be surprised if there were still more around."
"That would suck! I don't want to wear myself out again before the finals!" Mina flopped her body over Kirishima's head. His hair was already fully flat, so it didn't bother him much.
"Don't forget- if you win, you'll be seeing a lot more than just a measly little Granite Blitz on the sidewalk. Imagine facing an Obsidian Blitz, or a Sapphire Blitz!!" The flirty blond, now back from being recharged at the nurse's quarters, excitedly waved his hands around.
Mina pressed her hands into her cheeks and squealed. "Ooh, that sounds so exciting!"
Kirishima had stopped listening to her long ago. His attention sat with the King, the announcer, and Bakugo. He wondered what they were talking about, if it had to do with him, or if something was wrong outside. He squinted to get a better look when the announcer suddenly threw his hands up, struck a pose, and scuttled back to his seat.
"WELCOME BACK, SPECTATORS OF ALL SPECIES!! ARE WE READY TO FIRE UP THE COMPETITION?!" He lift his hand to his ear and the crowd roared back to life. "HECK YES!! LET'S WELCOME OUR ROUND SEVEN CONTESTANTS TO THE STAGE!!"
          He seemed as lively and animated as ever, to Kirishima's surprise. The hybrid rose to his feet, looking over the others that stood with him. He let out a sigh of relief when Endeavor's son remained in his spot.
"You got this, Kiri! Don't let them beat you!" Mina cheered.
He took a step onto the dry platform, growing anxious as the eager crowd chanted the name 'Hero'. They grew even louder when he glossed over the thousands of people, giving a shy wave to hide his overwhelming nerves. The other two contestants climbed in the ring after him.
"WOULD YA LOOK AT THAT! IT APPEARS WE HAVE ANOTHER FAN FAVORITE!! I HEAR THE KID'S ONE TOUGH COOKIE!!"
Kirishima bowed his head bashfully. His opponents glared at him, one a woman in a long green hood with a bow in her hands, the other a short but bulky man with dark yellow skin and a red wolf hide over his head. His bottom jaw protruded with massive lower canines.
Dragon's intuition told him he was going to be the main target of both his opponents.
          "LET'S BRING THIS STADIUM BACK TO LIFE!! ARE YOU READYYYYY?!"
          As the crowd went ballistic, Kirishima raised his fists, exhaling slowly. His opponents watched him with wary eyes.
          "STAAAAART!!"
          Instantly a cluster of glowing green arrows fired from the woman's bow. He hardened, bouncing the attack off his chest, making the girl click her tongue. She reeled back on the drawstring, this time an arrow of whispering shadows taking form. He hardened himself again for the impact, but the arrow ignored his crystals, sinking straight into his body like a ripple of water.
          A strange tingling tapped into his other senses, shutting them off completely. All of a sudden he couldn't see, hear, or feel anything that wasn't his own movement. He couldn't feel the punch against his shoulder, only the force that shoved him off balance.
          His panic squabbled with his perseverance, but staring into the dark abyss made him realize how familiar it felt; like he'd experienced this many times before. It was vaguely similar to the many helpless times he was trapped deep within his dragon's subconscious.
Another heavy force knocked him to the side, bringing him back to the task at hand. He knew the edge of the ring was deathly close. Thinking fast, he hardened his feet and waited for another punch to come, grabbing the arm before it could fall away. Using the pull to lift himself off the platform, he swung back down and slammed his feet into the ground, burying them in the sturdy concrete.
          Distantly in his vision, a faint glow fluttered to life. Noises like thunder faded in and out of his head. Slowly, his senses returned, along with the constant hard pounding from the other man as he tried to remove him from the ring.
          Though he couldn't see or feel to the fullest, he began to sense a pattern in the barbarian's attacks. They were consistent in attacking his joints and positions of balance, trying to chip away his crystal. He beat relentlessly at his left side, then dropped to his left knee, then up to his right, down to his right knee, then repeat.
          The Hybrid waited, slowly gaining sense of the subtle blows, when he gave it an all or nothing shot. Releasing his defense for just a moment, it allowed him to strike fast, grabbing the bruiser's arm just before it made contact with his knee. He dragged the smaller male around him, using the man's own brute force, flinging him as far as he could behind him. He released his breath when the ever so faint cheering grew tenfold.
          "I HOPE YOU ALL SAW THAT BECAUSE HE SURE DIDN'T!! DESPITE HAVING NO SIGN OR SENSE, HE USED HIS OPPONENT'S STRENGTH AGAINST HIM, MAKING HIM ELIMINATE HIMSELF!! WHAT AN INCONCEIVABLE OUTCOME!!"
          All Might, Midoriya, Iida, and even Bakugo watched attentively. The Prince leaned on his hand with an unreadable scowl.
          The woman shook her frizzy black hair out of her face, nocking another shadowy arrow into her bow. Before Kirishima could gather the blurry lights into a picture, she released, cutting off his senses once more. He curled his arms across his chest protectively.
          The woman ran at him, her bow emanating a bright green light as it morphed into a different weapon. A massive wooden hammer landed in her hands and she swung with all her might. It collided with his body, ricocheting back without so much as putting a scratch on his shoulder. The sound echoed loudly as she swung again and again.
          She cursed angrily, rearing back for another powerful hit. However, just as she made contact with the redhead, he tore his feet out of the ground and bolted forward. His shoulder collided with her own, tossing her to the side and shaking the weapon from her hands. She scrambled for it, but her opponent was quicker, finding the hammer by nearly tripping over it. He lift his leg and kicked it, sending it spiraling out of bounds.
          She watched it go, realizing her defeat, and threw her fist into the ground. She looked up to the boy's blackened eyes as they slowly formed color again, struggling to put the image in front of him together.
          "...You're certainly something else. I'm impressed." She smiled, crawling to the edge of the platform and sliding off. She grabbed her hammer and snapped her fingers, restoring his senses. The crowd gasped and applauded.
          "WOAH- DO MY EYES DECEIVE ME?! DID WE JUST HAVE A ROUND END IN A FORFEIT?!"
          Kirishima shook his head at the sudden surge of light and sound. He rubbed his eyes, spotting the woman as she walked away. He quickly rushed to the edge of the platform.
          "Wait! Why did you-"
          "Don't sweat it, kid. I should have known better than to challenge someone who defeated a dragon all on his own." She looked over her shoulder with a daring smirk. "Let's fight again when I'm more prepared." She threw her hammer over her shoulder, transforming it back into a bow, and made her way to the exit.
          Kirishima watched her go, unsure if he could really count this round as a win. The crowd surely could, belting his nickname around the entire colosseum. Looking up to the King's balcony, he couldn't decipher what look Bakugo was giving him this time. He decided to just let the man brood while the announcer again took control.
          "COOOONGRATULATIONS, HERO!! YOU-ARE-MOVING-ON-TO-THE-FINAL-ROOOOUND!!" He twirled in his chair, fading in and out every time his back was turned.
          Kirishima waved to the crowd as he jumped off the platform, unprepared for Mina to tackle him to the ground.
          "I knew you could do it! You scared her so bad she forfeited! And the way you just threw that guy off the stage even when you were blind?! How did you even do that?!" He grew dizzy the way she shook his shoulders so vigorously. The announcer cut her off once more.
          "AT LONG LAST, WE HAVE ARRIVED AT THE FINAL ROUND OF THE SEMI-FINALS!! OUR LAST THREE CONTESTANTS TAKE THE STAGE WITH PASSION IN THEIR EYES!!"
          Kirishima caught sight of Endeavor's son as he jumped onto the platform. He swallowed nervously. If this guy won as well, there was a chance he would be facing off against Kirishima in the final round. He hoped for the best, but he wasn't sure if he could handle confronting him so soon.
          "ARE ALL CHALLENGERS READY?!" The three in the ring took fighting stances. "READY, SET-TY, LET'S GOOOO!!"
          The building rumbled as a pillar of ice burst forth from the foot of the heir. With no regard for their safety it launched both opposing contestants out of bounds, growing larger and larger, until the peak of the icy mountain surpassed the top of the colosseum.
          "AH-" The announcer, as well as the crowd, went in stunned silence. "W-WOW!! WHAT A CHILLING REVELATION!! IN NO TIME AT ALL, THE ICE KING RECLAIMS HIS THRONE!! HE MOVES ON TO THE NEXT ROUND!!"
          A misty breath flowed from the heir's mouth as he lowered his head. His left side steamed again, melting the iceberg, as his bicolored eyes stared angrily at the ground. He didn't look at all happy that he'd won.
          "WELL, THAT WRAPS IT UP FOR THE SECOND PART OF THE TOURNAMENT!! MAY ALL EIGHT REMAINING CONTENDERS PLEASE GATHER IN THE ARENA!!"
          Kirishima let Mina lead him to the platform, followed by the rest of the prevailing warriors. Just as they tried to climb back up the stone slab, it rattled, sinking back into the ground to level the field. The hybrid unfortunately found himself right next to the cold, ill-tempered soul as they waited for instructions. His hands shook, feeling both the heat of his anger and the chill of his magic on his bare shoulder.
          "CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR WINS THUS FAR!! IN THE FINAL ROUND, WHERE FOUR WILL COME OUT VICTORIOUS, IT WILL BE A ONE ON ONE BRAWL- BUT WITH A FLASHY TWIST!!" He waved his hand towards the throne, where instead of the King, Bakugo rose before the stadium to speak.
          He glossed over their confident faces and sneered. "Don't even think about getting too cocky, asshats! This round will be anything but a walk in the park!" He directed his attention to one of the massive doors to the side of the colosseum. A loud clang could be heard from the other side before they swung open, revealing a horse drawn carriage that galloped towards the stage. It hauled many large barrels with it.
Kirishima's throat dried as the carriage came to a halt at the edge of the arena. The driver precariously unloaded the barrels onto the battlefield, then cast a spell that wrapped all them in a faint yellow glow.
          "If you so much as graze one of these nitroglycerin bombs, it will detonate itself and the others simultaneously!" Bakugo warned, "It's the first and only time I will ever tell you to get the fuck out of my way, unless you want to get blown to a million pieces!"
          Kirishima took a nervous step back. Was he trying to kill them?!
          "What the hell?! This guy's insane!!" One of the contestants voiced his thoughts.
          "If you can't bear the challenge, get the hell out of my tournament!!" The prince hissed with a maniacal smile. The contestants shrank under his murderous gaze. "I won't waste my time with anyone who can't handle a little bit of heat! If you think the enemy will be kind enough to bow and reward you for your shitty efforts, you're gravely mistaken!"
          The crowd listened silently.
          "As intimidating as that sounds, he's got a point." Mina whispered under her breath. Kirishima swallowed. What the hell was he getting himself into?
          "Consider yourselves lucky, you useless dogs! The damage from these bombs hardly scrapes the potential of my own power!" With another sneer, Bakugo turned to Mic, who scrambled to recollect a bunch of small papers with written numbers. "Hey, loud-face! Don't waste you're time with that, I already know who I want to face off against each other!"
          The announcer stumbled. "But I already have it all sorted-"
          "MY TOURNAMENT, MY RULES!" He whipped back to the contestants, raising his arm. An ominous chill swept through the small gathering below him.
          "You." His finger singled out Endeavor's son. The boy lowered his head respectfully.
          Kirishima shut his eyes tight. His heart beat in his ears louder than the roaring crowd. 'Please don't pick me, please don't pick me, if there is anything good in this world, please don't pick me-'
          "And you."
          The prince's voice was dark and predatory. Kirishima opened his eyes, haplessly meeting Bakugo's darker crimsons. His index finger pointed directly at him. Why must everything in this world always forsake him?
          "Nooooo! Dang it, I wanted to fight you so bad!" Mina stomped her foot angrily, spinning around with a pout and trudging her way to the wall. "Good luck anyway, Kirishima! You owe me a fight after this!" She instantly went back to her bubbly self, smiling away at him. He tried to return it, but in all honesty, he could hardly breathe at the moment.
          His eyes met the back of his opponent, the haunting memory of the fall of Hellflame lingering in his mind. He was surprised to remember the final words of his adversary's mother, with her hand raised for her son she cried out his name with tears in her eyes.
          He grimaced. 'Todoroki, that's your name, right..?' He lift a hand to his burning heart. 'I'm so sorry...it's all my fault..'
          As soon as everyone left, Todoroki turned to him, red and white hair whipping around in the calm breeze, revealing his tenacious stare. Kirishima kept his head bowed to avoid eye contact.
          "I stand by my earlier apology." He narrowed his eyes, startling the redhead. "But my reason to work alongside the Prince is far greater than anything else. I will do everything in my power to win this tournament, no matter how uncleanly things get." He turned away, abandoning the hybrid to the other side of the arena. Frost dripped from the right side of his face. "Your defenses may be a challenge, but it won't be enough to win. Forfeit now or waste my time."
          Kirishima opened his mouth but no words could form. Todoroki was right, he was much more capable than Kirishima. What could a cowardly hybrid like him do? Harden himself and hide from every little thing that scares him? Or reveal himself by turning into a monster? He wouldn't be surprised if Todoroki already had him figured out, and was planning to kill him here and now.
          Painful throbbing returned to his chest, squeezing his lungs with its sickly claws. Dismal thoughts cracked down on him like a whip. He knew his opponent's broken soul had lost everything because of his dragon's uncontrollable bloodthirsty rampage, but in the end, it must be Kirishima's fault for not trying harder to suppress it.
          "THE FINAL ROUND HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN!! THE FIRST WINNER OF THE TOURNAMENT IS AT THE TIP OF OUR FINGERS!! JUST WHO WILL IT BE?! THE ICE KING, OR THE UNBREAKABLE HERO?!"
          As he neared his place at the other side of the battlefield, Kirishima could feel the crushing weight of a million eyes. There was no way he could allow himself to win against the victim of his mistakes. He should have just stayed with Uraraka and watched, like the coward he is.
          "BOTH OF YOU, GIVE IT YOUR ALL!! WHEN ONE SIDE IS UNABLE TO CONTINUE, THE ROUND WILL END!! ARE YOU READYYYY?!"
          Todoroki took a fighting stance. He bore no hope, only irritation and fury. Kirishima lowered his head, hair spilling over his face. He couldn't do this. He was going to disappoint all the people who called him hero. It was over.
          "FIIIIIIGHT!!"
          A whirlwind of freezing air blew against his bare chest as a raging rapid of ice tumbled in his direction. It barely skimmed the bombshells as it raced straight through the center of the battleground. Without his will to do so, Kirishima's body crystallized, reawakening his fighting spirit. The ice met his fists relentlessly, his fingers burning from sheer cold.
          'Why?!' His gut churned.
          Ravenous eyes pierced him through the mist. Kirishima choked at the twisted expression of someone so lost. He didn't even know him, yet it broke his heart to see Todoroki so hurt.
          The avalanche receded as the user lunged, maneuvering past the barrels to get a closer shot. The hybrid watched him like a hawk, dodging to the side as another wave layered the ground.
          "WHAT A REMARKABLE BATTLE OF ENDURANCE!! THE ICE KING'S ATTACKS ARE RELENTLESS, BUT THE HERO DOESN'T LET A SINGLE SHARD PASS THROUGH HIS SKIN!! WHICH WILL BE THE ONE TO BREAK FIRST?!"
          As if on cue, Kirishima slipped on a sheet of black ice, nearly sliding into a barrel. He slammed his armored fingers into the ground, skidding to a halt, as his opponent spread two high walls from his hand and foot. They shredded the earth in their wake.
          Just before they collided, Kirishima spun around and pushed off its glass surface, sliding out of the way before they plunged. He then grabbed hold of one of the remaining spikes, heaving himself into the air.
          'Why am I still fighting?' He cursed to himself, demolishing pillar after pillar. 'Why can't I just give up?' His fist met another airborne spike. 'It's all I've ever done, why is this any different?!'
          Kirishima slammed his fist before the foot of his adversary, compelling the Ice King to hide from the hailing debris. They circled each other in an endless battle of durability, neither willing to stand down. Wall after wall of frozen pikes tore the battlefield apart, growing dangerously close to the bombs.
          Thousands in the crowd shivered from the cold on this blazingly hot day. Kirishima's fist connected with another iceberg, crushing it into thousands of shards. Emerging from the mist without a second to spare, Todoroki landed with an elegant slide, catching his opponent in the gut with an upsurge of blocks. The hybrid was launched into the air with thousands of reflective splinters.
          'Why..?'
           Kirishima plummeted, landing heavily on his back. His opponent was upon him instantly, readying another whimsical strike. Kirishima rolled out of the way, spotting a barrel just to his left. He leapt behind it, forcing Todoroki to a quick stop, reeling back before he touched its cursed glow. For a long while they danced around death, dodging chunks of ice and stone that flung in every direction.
Finally reaching his anger's limit, Todoroki launched himself upward, pelting wave upon wave of snow and shards, moving faster and faster with each throw. He backed Kirishima into a corner, as he grimaced with unfathomable rage, all ounce of sanity abandoning him. The familiar murderous intent in his eyes made the dragon stumble and fall on his butt.
          Up close, Kirishima could see the boy's entire body was encased in a thin layer of frost. His breath steamed with flakes of snow as he struggled to exhale. The poor soul looked like a dead man still walking, trembling like a leaf in a hurricane.
          Todoroki's blue fingers wiped at the ice sticking to his scarred cheek. His porcelain skin was even paler than before, his nose red as a cherry, eyes thinning from the strain of his own magic. His dark blue and gray clothes were hard as a rock, crunching with each move. He stalked closer, completely deadpan.
          "I told you," His dried lips peeled open, trembling and purple, "to forfeit when you had the chance."
          Just as the world around Kirishima turned to ice, the shimmering trail of a single tear froze to Todoroki's cheek.