Chapter 15: Mina vs Ochaco

Mina didn't remember falling asleep that night. It was one of those nights where she felt like she lay awake throughout the night, only to blink and be met with the light of the new day. She felt more nervous than she had the night before taking the U.A. entrance exam. At least that was a clear-cut deal. She wanted to pass it no questions asked it was a battle to achieve her dream and it was unburdened by conflict. This time however, while there was so much that she stood to gain, there were also things that she stood to lose. She couldn't help but ask herself if this was really one she wanted to win.

Of course it was.

It just wasn't an absolute desire.

It was only an inch, but she knew it would be the thing that would trip her up. It burned within her, like she had swallowed a hot coal and it had become lodged it her stomach. As she turned throughout the night there was something else that stoked it. For the past month when she had thought of what was inspiring her, she had naturally been drawn to Izuku, his tenacity, drive and focus all combining to forming the qualities of the best hero. Except she had learned that he had suffered the same weaknesses as herself in his doubt and that, like her, he had allowed to cloud his judgement, even his actions. There was another who had no such weakness and however much she had recently gained reasons to loathe him, she found herself thinking repeatedly of his harsh words about this weakness.

Bakugo.

He was a lot of things, but he held an utterly unwavering, unmovable resolve. As she thought of it, she was certain that was the reason as to why he came across as so arrogant. But in truth that was just a superficial assessment. His battle against Ochaco in the sports festival proved it. His tactics in their battle with what he did to Midoriya in their exam proved it again. He was headstrong and combative, obviously. But those that would think that this was all there was too him always seem to pay dearly. Even the League of Villains paid the price for making that mistake.

The problem was, there was nothing she could see from which she could learn from the experience. It wasn't something she could acquire overnight by thinking about it. It was the last thing that he said that she had on repeat in her head.

"You ain't gonna cut anyone with a sheathed sword" his voice echoed.

Just how did she unsheathe the sword, put aside her fears and doubts, and engage in battle in earnest? Even if she did know, could she possibly draw that sword out against Ochaco?

She lay in bed thinking about it until it was time she had to get up.

The exam was a morning one, nine in the am sharp. Normally she might be complaining about her lack of getting her lie-in as she liked to do on Saturdays. Today she was just thankful. Just one night was more than enough to have to wait with this hanging over her. It was clear to her that she wasn't out to achieve anything by thinking about it. Whatever it was Bakugo had been getting at, that empowered him, it wasn't a thinking matter. It was something else.

Zanshin, mushin, budo, flow or even just the eye of the tiger. Was it something like those? Maybe they were all part of the same thing, maybe not. She didn't know. All she did know is that whatever it was, she didn't have it.

She got up, got dressed and made her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth and try to pull herself out of this state. She splashed water on her face, cold water usually helped jerk her out of funky moods. It shocked her again into a more reactive state, but it didn't fully pierce the surrealism of it all. She was going to fight one of her best friends for the right to ask out the boy they both liked. Who gets into a situation like that? It was really screwing with how she saw herself. They just didn't seem like the same person at all. It was a rabbit hole that she didn't want to explore as it was probably home to many other questions about herself, she was now sure, she really didn't want to know.

After she was done, she returned to her room, picked up her case containing her hero outfit, grabbed some shoes and headed out. She was thankful that she didn't see anyone on the way, she would not have been a great conversationalist right now. She got changed at ground beta and proceeded inside, Aizawa-sensei and Kirishima were already waiting for her

"Ashido, right on time." Aizawa began "Alright, you guys make your way to 11th and hole yourselves up in one of the buildings, you get free reign as to which. Your task is to simply resist capture for 15 minutes. Do you best as this is counted toward each of your own grades" he concluded, the gate opened before them and they broke out into a jog to reach the location.

"So, last night you texted saying you want to make it a one on one?" Kirishima began "I don't mind since Uraraka would be a pain for me to deal with plus my attacks are the type that might give her ammunition, but are you sure that you think that's the best strategy?" he asked, doubtfully.

"Beats me, truthfully we are using it to settle something" she replied distantly, her mind still disconnected from her body.

"Ah, so that's the deal. Okay, you can on me to keep Hagakure out of it and to take her out!" he grinned with a thumbs up. She offered a weak smile in response.

"I'll be counting on your support" she thanked him.

All too soon she found herself on 11th, it was a large outdoor mall that map up the block. Across the street was a parking lot but the area they had to wait in itself contained all the stores. There were two levels, the ground level and then a second level accessed by stairs littered about the place with balcony walkways suspected ahead.

"Any ideas on how to lure out Toru then?" Kirishima asked her as they came to a walk and made their way through the mall.

"We'll want a place with an automatic door, she can't hide from those and a place with enough stuff so that if you make a mess, anyplace she moves will make a sound, like when she steps on something" she explained. Mina herself was a very bad matchup for Toru naturally but made worse by how well Mina knew Toru. Kirishima nodded and looked about thoughtfully before pointing to one store in particular.

"Let's take the electronics store, place is loaded with packets and cables and stuff. I'll barrel through and cause some attention then you jump Uraraka" he grinned. She nodded, not really have a better plan with which to draw out Toru specifically which was going to be the challenge. Even if they had an understanding, if Toru didn't make an obvious attack of opportunity on her, if one existed, she would be marked down for that. That wouldn't be fair to ask of her.

They took their positions in the store, Kirishima in the back ready to charge forward to knock everything over and to make a mess and Mina sat in the little employee lounge watching the security cameras. Now all they could do is wait. There wasn't a horn or announcement to say when they were coming. All they could do is watch and wait. Beside her, Kirishima was pumped and ready to go the moment she called to alert him. She sat watching the security cameras that were currently showing nothing but a vacant store and streets outside. All the while, inside her that feeling continued to gnaw away at her. Doubt.

She liked Izuku. She maybe even more than just liked him. There was no doubt about that or that she wanted to be with him as more than just one off partners. It was the question of what was she willing to do for that image.

She raised her hands to her cheeks, pushing her fingers against her eyes. Enough of this. All she should focus on now is the fight. Whatever was going on in her head she was going to get hurt if her she didn't start paying attention. In sudden realisation she snapped her hands down and looked back at the monitors.

"NOW!" She yelled. There was nothing on the screens but the automatic door was open. Which meant Toru was there, she might be invisible but she knew from experience that her friend still set off the infrared door sensors. She got up and shot to the door in time to see Kirishima smashing through the gondola's, knocking as much over as possible, the plan being to create an environment in which he had a way of seeing where Toru could be. Now all she had to do was to slip out in the chaos and locate Ochaco.

She ran along the edge of the shop, keeping her eyes peeled for the slightest hint of Toru as the shelves tumbled and products crashed all about them. As the final gondola's tumbled ahead of her the glass windows at the front of the store shattered as the last gondola fell into them. She reached them and jumped into a ball to break through the bit of glass remaining, landing on the other side and skidding to a halt. She turned behind her time to see Kirishima knocked back by an invisible force, that was Toru accounted for. She looked about to find Ochaco but didn't have to look far. She was stood at the top of some nearby stairs.

They spotted each other at the same time, eyes locking. Mina could see a flicker of the same hesitation in her eyes as she had been feeling the whole time. A breeze picked up, blowing the brunette's hair about her as her eyes hardened.

This was it.

Ochaco charged toward her, flying down the stairs. Mina couldn't bring herself to move. The disconnect with her mind from body was still there, unable to connect what was happened as a result of her own actions. A fist connected with her cheek and sent her sprawling.

Ochaco paused at Mina's lack of any response at all. She stood in her combat stance, her expression revealing her shock and irritation.

"What… are you doing?" she stammered, confused. Mina rubbed her cheek and picked herself up with a sigh.

"What are you doing?! Ochaco cried, squeezing her fists tighter.

"I just…" Mina began. Ochaco felt herself inhale sharply

"Don't you like Deku-kun? Have you been messing around all this time?" she shot, finding herself getting angry quickly.

"Of course not!" Mina burst

"Then what is it?!"

"I can't fight you for him" Mina replied, bitterly. Ochaco looked at Mina with an expression of disbelief for a moment before replying.

"You think this is easy for me to do? You don't think I was up half the night preparing myself for this?" she quivered as she spoke, as she recalled every painstaking minute that kept her awake.

Mina felt her nerve twitch, a pang of guilt and shame ran through her.

"If you are unsure about your feelings then fine, I'll win. I'm not unsure anymore. I know what I want" Ochaco continued "But if you are hesitating out of some misplaced sense of virtue then let me tell it to you, as your friend. You're just being a coward" her lip quivered but she wouldn't give in to it this time.

Mina's brow furrowed in irritation.

"It's not easy for me either!" Mina cried in defence of herself "You think I want to feel the doubt in my heart like this?!"

"What doubt?!" Ochaco retorted

"Doubt that if I went through with this, I wouldn't be a good person!" Mina exploded. A pause passed between them.

"What are you talking about?! Isn't this what we agreed on?" Ochaco cried "Does that mean you think I'm a bad person?"

"No, of course not!"

"Then why is it any different for you than me?!"

"Because you liked him first"

"Mina! Who cares about that?! I didn't act on it at all until I noticed you might have an interest, if anyone should wait it's me! But that doesn't matter anymore! We had a deal, Mina. It was as much a means to settle thing between us as anything else, wasn't it?" Ochaco argued. Mina had never seen her this angry about anything.

"yeah" she managed in reply, something deep down creeping up within her now. A combination of frustration and anger.

"Then, let's settle it!" Ochaco demanded, retaking her stance. "I'm not talking to you anymore. This isn't something we can settle with words, Mina-chan."

A bell of recognition chimed within Mina.

"You ain't gonna cut anyone with a sheathed sword" echoed once more in her head. Ochaco had killed the kindness in her heart to see this done. She had drawn her sword. The knowledge sent a chill through her. What was she doing being so pathetic?

She raised her fists and took her own combat stance. She let the feelings of frustration bubble and rise to empower her with the strength of her anger. She felt herself breathing sharper in just the few moments she was able to take to ready her mind. She didn't know what she wanted anymore but she wanted to be done with all this. Every second was now a second too long for her to bear.

She was the one to rush forward now, as she closed in, she bounced from the left to right, swinging a high right kick at Ochaco who ducked underneath it. She spun around and took a step back to regain her footing as Ochaco fired a straight punch aimed at her mid-section, Mina guarded with her forearm and deflected, making a swift retaliation in the form of a snap kick. It wasn't as powerful as it might have been, but it connected against Ochaco's waist. Mina was then forced to back up as Ochaco moved into a sweeping low kick without missing a beat.

Were it not for the free shot she let Ochaco take, it would have been Mina's lead from that exchange. As cautious as she had to be of Ochaco's quirk the same was every bit as true the other way around. Fortunately for Mina this meant she couldn't be grappled with carelessly, one of her weaknesses and Ochaco's greatest strengths.

Ochaco came at her this time. Mina fired up another high kick aimed at her head, but she avoided it with a simple bob. She tried to follow it up with a jab but again Ochaco saw it coming. Now she saw her stance change, she put up her guard in time to catch the incoming jab then the follow up was an uppercut to her gut. Mina stumbled back and coughed as Ochaco following it up with a clean hook to her face. She didn't fall this time, she growled and shot forward, throwing a hard right. She saw Ochaco aimed a hard right at her simultaneously. Each caught the others fists in their left hands and strained against one another, each trying to overpower the other. Mina could feel the smaller girl giving way her to strength. A smile flickered on the girl's lips.

She felt her body lose all weight. In her surprise she momentarily ceased the physical contest and Ochacho shoved her sending her backwards, floating upwards.

No.

She couldn't lose now.

Bakugo flashed in her mind.

She shot her arms out behind her in much the same way he did and fired pulses of fluid. They were not powerful, but they acted well enough as course correction to move her back towards Ochaco. Then she became her bombardment of acid toward the girl. Her floating height giving her much greater range. Ochaco leapt out of the way, then running towards the stairs to hide beneath it. That wouldn't buy her long.

"Tick Tock, Ochaco!" she called, releasing a concentrated dose on the stairs that would soon eat away clear through it.

Ochaco gritted her teeth. Mina was right, it was the heroes who were under pressure to subdue the villains, if the time ran out it was their win, not hers. But still, now that Mina had started to use her acid, she couldn't get careless and nor even get close. Her quirk wasn't suited to fighting Mina under these conditions. She needed something else. She looked about for ammunition. Ahead of her was a large stone bin, the decorative type they had in malls like these. Hopefully it wasn't bolted down. She ran for it, smelling the corroding stone above and about her nearing its end. As she touched it, she activated her quirk. It moved. With a cry of effort, she took a hold of it and swing it with all her might toward Mina. The floating girl reacted in time with her acid veil melting a good chuck of it and slowing it enough she was able to shove it away without much problem. The push sent her coming down to the ground.

She released her quirk causing Mina to fall and hit the ground. Like this all she was doing was giving her friend range and making it so she couldn't be attacked back. She needed something else. She had awakened Mina's will to battle. She couldn't now just lose like this. She knew what she needed. She took off again in a run, she darted toward the store Kirishima had trashed. She bounded into the store from where the windows had been and grabbed the nearest fallen gondola. She activated her quirk and pulled it out of the store, turning to see Mina skidding to a halt some feet away, eyes wide. She brought it up like an oversized club.

"What the shit!" Mina thought, shocked at the sudden turn. She turned and instead began to slide away as fast as she could. She could hear Ochaco in pursuit. She tried to think what she should do. Now she had something like that she could start to create her own debris. So battling outside would lead into Ochaco's perfect endgame and unlike Bakugo she didn't have anything strong enough to deal with the meteor shower. The only other choice was to take the battle into a store and deny the endgame but yield to her abundant ammunition. Shit. There was no choice, one scenario was winnable the other wasn't. She banked left and threw her acid into a window, immediately following and bursting through into the store.

Looking up it was a small bookstore, that would work, it didn't have too much Ochaco could use as far as stores went. A smashed behind her and Mina spun around to see the gondola unit flying toward her. She summoned her acid veil as fast as she could. Upon impact the metal was dissolving quickly, but not fast enough. The remains broke through she smashed into her head. She grunted in pain as she clutched her head, her vision momentarily blurring. She heard Ochaco charging her again. Retaking combat stance she was just in time to see Ochaco throwing another right. She raised her forearms to guard, then found the smaller girl tackling her, gripping firmly around her raised forearms. A leg swept behind hers followed instantly by a hard shove. She lost her balance instantly.

With a thud she landed on her back. She snapped her feet up and fired a boot out at her enemy, sending her sprawling. She snapped her knees up to her chin then shot them out, flipping herself right onto her feet. She raised her hand threw a wave of acid. Ochaco grabbed the leg of a nearby table and pulled herself over it, avoiding the spray which splattered onto the books and walls. She then grabbed onto a nearby thick circular wooden book stand and quickly flung it over toward Mina. Mina let loose a torrent of her acid burning clear through it, Ochaco dodged the surplus, shoved over the table she had hidden leapt over and booted it. Mina didn't realise she had used her quirk on that too, perhaps the books on it had kept it just anchored enough so it hadn't moved. Instinctively leapt over it only for Ochaco to tackle her before she could make the landing sending them both crashing to the floor. Mina felt herself go weightless again as the rolled over one another in their landing, then being shoved up to the corner ceiling of the room, colliding with a thud.

As she took account of her bearings, the world seeming topsy-turvy, Ochaco took a hold of the leg of the table she had just kicked and flung it hard into Mina. She couldn't melt it all before taking another wallop to the stomach this time from what she couldn't dissolve. She let loose a jet of acid behind her to propel her out of the corner. As she floated down toward Ochaco, the brunette leapt toward her, bringing a boot down onto Mina's shoulder, and jumping off of her and clear over her. Mina was sent into the floor as Ochaco used her hands to push away from the ceiling, landing behind Mina. Mina, meanwhile, slid along the floor and bounced up off it again. By the time she could fire off more acid to turn herself Ochaco was circling her coming now from the left, she let loose more acid toward the girl who again leapt out of the way. In her frustration she let loose a torrent in waves across the store. Ochaco used her quirk on herself to leap up to the ceiling to avoid it. Before Mina could attack again, she realised had started to float out of the store. She let loose a torrent behind her to correct herself and propel her toward Ochaco. If they were both in this weightless state, she should have the advantage, finally. Over in far side of the bookstore Ochaco kicked off from the wall hard, shooting through the air toward the steadily approaching Mina. Mina swung a fist hastily but Ochaco was prepared for that, seizing Mina's wrist and yanking her down, beneath her. They bumped in the air as they moved past one another, Ochaco kicking Mina as she passed her. Mina was sent into a bookshelf as Ochaco made it outside.

Mina clung onto the shelf so as not to bounce away. She looked down from where she slung to see to see Ochaco clinging to the one of the pillars as she hung just outside the store with a determined smile.

"I'm glad you were able to fight earnestly, but I'm afraid I'm going to have you lose now" She declared, raising her hands and releasing her quirk.

Mina fell to the ground with a thud as the entire building creaked and groaned as though a giant hand stepped on the building. As she looked wildly around the room, she saw that much of the interior had been soaked and damaged with acid. It clicked. Ochaco hadn't just been moving reactively, she had been tagging everything, the walls and ceiling with her quirk. Having not seen any damage to the building to think it was falling apart, she hadn't had any reason to hold back when using her acid. Now it was too late. The ceiling sagged above her as the whole building creaked and snapped, the walls buckled, then caved as the whole thing came crashing down. Mina threw a up the biggest veil she could manage.

Ochaco backed up, watching the building fall into itself, it looked like she maybe went too far. Still, while she was convinced Mina was alright, this wasn't something she would be able to come back from. She let herself breath a sigh of relief, allowing herself to feel her pain, exhaustion and elation. Once it had gotten going Mina was, as she knew, not an easy opponent. She turned and looked down the pathway. Maybe she should go and help Toru now this was over?

Hissing.

She looked up at the rubble to see it steaming from all over. It creaked and caved in further. A torrent of fluid erupted from deep within the rubble. Then it emerged. It almost looked like a bubbly golem of acid. Mina was inside it. It burst through the rubble, dissolving whatever it touched. As it made it to the surface it disappeared as Mina herself stepped out, gasping for air. She was bloodied and looked as exhausted as Ochaco herself felt, but she was grinning and wild eyed. Ochaco couldn't believe it. How did she…?

There wasn't time to think about it as Mina began her descent down the rubble, hopping from foothold to foothold. This was bad, she had to put Mina down right now. She rushed forwards, slapping the nearest roof chunk and shoving it toward Mina. She then rapidly started tagging as much as she could. A hiss and crack later, Mina had torn clear through the chunk throw at her, it's didn't even slow her down. She was only feet away now. Ochaco threw everything, turned and leapt up away activating her quirk. She didn't look back. She heard a splash and felt a burning on her back. She had been hit. The pain was surreal. She felt parts of her outfit loosen as they burnt away.

She looked around quickly, Mina was in hot pursuit on the ground level, catching her up as she bolted up some stairs onto to balcony way. But at least she had a limited attack range for now. All she could hope for now is to make Mina use up all of her acid before the time ran out then move in for the takedown. Except, she had dropped a literal building on her and that apparently hadn't been enough. What was this crazy resilience all of a sudden?

As she cleared the roof of the store on the opposite side, she released her quirk, landing into a roll before picking herself up and into a run. The smash of the opening door to the store, apparently striking something, confirmed she hadn't lost Mina yet. She reached the end of the roof. She looked around for inspiration. She only could see stores, buildings and an open ground parking lot. Any building she went into she was going to take a gamble with what assets they might contain for her. She needed metal. That was something that tended to be more resistant than most things to acid. She felt her footing give as the wall of the building below became to dissolve and break away. It now felt like she was being chased by a demon from which she could only run but not hide. Steam suddenly poured from an opening in the wall below and she felt the ground give even more.

She backed up few steps, then took a running jump toward the parking lot. Aizawa-sensei always said they out to minimize damage, but she couldn't envision any other way to win. She kicked off from the roof and activated her quirk. She saw spits of acid go past her on either side and turned to see Mina, palms together to pressurize her attack aimed up at her. Luckily, she quickly moved out of range again. She was nearly there now. She released her quirk and begun to fall, then immediately activated her quirk again, fast enough so her descent wasn't too fast, she had jumped off the roof of a two-story building after all. Checking over her shoulder she saw Mina sliding down the side of the building from a hole she melted in the wall of the second floor, she could only be seconds behind her, at best, at the speed Mina was gaining on her. As soon as she landed, she touched the cars she landed in between, they begun to float upwards. She turned right, away from Mina who just rounded the entrance into the lot and ran for it. She reached the next car and, making it weightless, swung it toward Mina.

Mina threw up her veil and braced her forearm, leaning into the impact which, thanks to her slick, she slid away from as opposed to being knocked flat. There were only a handful of vehicles here so if she could just keep putting damage on them it would destroy Ochaco's ammunition and that would be that. Her problems were that she was running out of acid, melting most of a building was definitely an acid-guzzler, and even more pressingly she was fighting on borrowed time. She knew her own body well enough to realise when she was only standing because of the adrenaline. She barely even felt how much she was hurting now which she could only assume was because she was already in the process of passing out.

She pushed forward again pursuing Ochaco who had thrown the remains of the car into the air. Glancing up she saw the two and a half cars hovering ominously. Ochaco would reach two more cars before she could catch her. There was nothing else for it. Today was the first time she had gotten her rough idea worked, after Izuku explained a little of his full cowling, she had come up with the idea of her Acid Man. It was her ace in the hole. She took in a breath and activated her technique and surged forwards. Predictably, Ochaco threw the first car toward her, she increased her viscosity and potency as much as she could and took it head on. It knocked into the Acid Man firmly and she lost ground but within seconds she had bifurcated the car, using Acid Man's crude limbs to toss either half aside harmlessly. The second car was already incoming, she pushed on and through that too. She was not prepared for what came next.

Ochaco picked up a bus as weapon. She leapt up, having apparently used her quirk on herself again, as she shot up she reached the few other cars hovering above.

"Don't you dare" was all Mina could think.

"Comet Homerun!" Ochaco cried as she swung the bus like some comically sized bat. Sending the cars plummeting down toward Mina with an almighty smash as the vehicles impacted, glass raining down across the lot.

Mina shambled in her Acid Man to avoid the trajectory of one of the two cars that were coming for her dead on. The other crashing into her and pressed firmly into her bubble of protection. She caught it as best she could, but it still slammed into her, crushing her against the floor. She cried out in her acid man, bubbles releasing from her mouth. As the acid tore through the car rapidly she was able to muster enough strength to tilt it's decreasing weight, causing it to fall to the side, releasing her.

She was out of breath. Acid Man disappeared from around her, and finally she could breath again. She gasped and spluttered; her muscles roared in protest to her continuing on. A shadow passed over her. She looked up, battered but determined. The bus was slowing rotating in mid-air as beneath it Ochaco turned it head on toward Mina.

"You've got to be joking" she gasped in between her deep breaths. She didn't have enough acid in her to go Acid Man again, even if she did, her lungs needed to recover. She clapped her hands together and prepared an acid funnel. All she could do was throw everything she had left and hope. The bus jerked and shot forwards as Ochaco threw it. Mina fired with all her might, at her highest power. She aimed a wide spray immediately to slow it down, just enough, enough so she could react. Then she focused on the top, trying desperately to melt enough. She leaped back, released slick from her boots and braced for it. The bus came down with a thunderous boom, grinding through the concrete toward her. She shoved into it as it came at her, she felt herself jolt backwards, sliding helplessly against its weight. She groaned in exasperation at the strength it took just hold herself in front of it instead of being rolled over by it, even with the help of her slick it was hard. She looked up desperately, her acid had completely melted the windscreen and the front of the roof. The roof now bent in at the middle and sagged into a ramp resting on some of the chairs within the bus itself.

That would have to do. It was all or nothing now. She slid her hands up to the missing windscreen and took a hold, she hoisted herself up quickly, rolling into the bus's interior. She picked herself up off the floor and broke out into a run, hopping on a seat then onto the sagging roof. She bolted up it as fast as she could then along and down the rest of the roof. As she reached the end, she fired a shot of acid into the floor ahead and jumped for it. She landed hard, the minor effect of softening her acid produced barely did anything and that was now it for her quirk. She was tapped out. She ran for it, her knees screaming out for her to give it up. Her head ringing and aching. Every fibre of her being seeming to be begging her to yield. She gritted her teeth and pushed through the pain. She couldn't give up. Not now. Not ever!

Ochaco was just landing, holding a hand to her mouth as she did, she must have been pushing her limit too, she then releasing her quirk. She didn't see Mina until the she was already swinging her first shot. Mina connected her fist hard into the face, she followed it up with another. And another. She continued to fire punch after punch chasing Ochaco as she retreated with backsteps. Ochaco was starting to react but hadn't recovered from Mina storming her this fiercely. Ochaco bumped her back into one of the smashed and fallen cars and had no where left to fall back to. Mina rained blows upon her, to anywhere she could see an opening in her guard. This was just like with Bakugo but now there was no Mineta. All she had to do was keep this up.

Ochaco caught her fist. Mina gaped at it, followed the arm back to Ochaco who, now a little bloodied too, looked hard at Mina. She yanked Mina's arm, pulling her forward while delivering a kick to her stomach. She didn't let go, pulling her back again, then letting go and following Mina's arm along with her elbow, connecting it to Mina's cheek. Ochaco had her back now. Her arm swept around Mina's neck and pulled hard as she tried to lock in the choke hold. Mina jerked to the side, away from Ochaco's center, and snapped her fist down toward Ochaco leg, near the groin. Ochaco bent reflexively in response to the hit and Mina bent her elbow and shot it up returning Ochaco's elbow to the face with one of her own. The hold broke. She stepped out of it and turned to face Ochaco who was already aiming a boot into Mina again. It connected and Mina stumbled back.

Both where exhausted, bleeding and time was going to be called any moment now. They both knew it. They locked eyes, each seeing it in each other's eyes, but also the unshakable resolve not to back down despite it all.

Mina stepped forward, fists raised.

Ochaco raised her own and encircled Mina, moving away from her back being to the car. She then took a cautious step forwards, bobbing back and forward with her upper body, keeping her arms moving.

Then each darted forward, throwing all of their remaining strength into the hardest swing with their right hands they could muster.

Everything went black.