From Distant Lands - A BNHA Fanfiction

Chapter Twenty-Four

The next few days are a confused blur. I throw myself into training again, desperate to avoid Shoto and determined to keep my distance from Bakugo for now. I can't face Shoto after he kissed me and all I could do was run away, not to mention Bakugo. I threw myself at him the same night without any explanation and I can't even admit to myself that I want him. How can I face him after embarrassing myself like that? Just showing up at his doorstep, crying like a child? It feels impossible to face either of them, but in my attempt to avoid the conflict, I've been able to hone my quirk and fine tune it. Not only are my close combat skills on par with most of my classmates, but my long range skills are finally at a point where I can confidently call them precise. I'm becoming a force to be reckoned with and all that's left is for me to face one of my most worrisome opponents.

"You sure about this, Kaida?" Deku asks, rolling his shoulders back to loosen himself up. I nod, adrenaline already at an all-time high. Deku is strong. Strong enough to take my ass out with a pinky finger. But the way that Endeavor's been training me, I've finally managed to control the export of my energy naturally, using it to power up my body to extremes that wouldn't otherwise be possible. The only way to test that power... is to go up against the guy with the most physical power I know.

"Don't hold back" I tell him, changing my stance to prepare for the onslaught. Today, training is taking place at an outside facility per Endeavor, considering the two of us are gonna get pretty destructive. I actually start to worry when he ignites his quirk, power blasting through his entire body and lighting up his eyes a brilliant green. Shit.

Deku does exactly as I told him too, darting towards me at an ungodly speed and throwing a right hook. At the last minute, my quirk thrums through my legs, helping me to push off the ground and dodge his initial attack. The point here is to not only see if Deku is the type of hero I could beat, but also to see if I can take his hits. If I'm as strong as he is... I might be unstoppable. I pivot quickly, drawing energy into my fist as my heart thunders in my chest. The faster the heartbeat, the more power there is behind my hit. I launch an attack on him, plowing a powerful punch into him. I gasp, shock jolting through me when he catches my fist with his own. The impact of our quirks meeting sends a shockwave through the field, shoving both of us backwards with the force of it. I struggle to right myself when we skid apart, my arm aching with the force of his hit. Damn. He's even stronger than I thought. I roll my shoulder, relieved to know that I can still use the arm.

"Still wanna do this?" he calls and I scoff, a smirk on my face.

"Bring it on, Deku!" I yell back, allowing the energy to flow through my body freely. He nods, green lightning sparking around him.

"Let's go!" he shouts, racing towards me again. I copy his actions, running towards him with my body fully charged. The two of us move to attack each other, but we're almost evenly matched in speed. Where he ducks, I jump, the two of us missing each other by a hair's breadth. I land behind him, turning on my heel to face him as he launches another attack. I gasp, managing at the last second to slam his fist up by his wrist and land an energy fused blow right in the center of his gut. Deku goes flying, flipping over himself and rocketing into a nearby structure. I gasp, panting to catch my breath in surprise. I did it... I got him... I almost smile before I see him stand up, holding his hands out before him in a terrifyingly familiar position. My eyes widen seconds before he releases just a single finger, his flick releasing an intense blast of air, sending me flying. I yelp, bouncing across the ground and rolling to a stop. I cough, lungs aching. Crap. I manage to get up, seeing him thundering towards me with all he's got. This is it. I start back for him, driving my legs hard into the ground to propel me forward. We launch at each other again, fists fully powered. This is it. This is what I was waiting for.