Glasses Guy returned to Class 1-A's section of the stadium just in time to see that final flashy spark of light that Explochan used to defeat Bird Guy. "Wow," he said as he looked at the cloud of smoke that rose from the stage.

Green Boi muttered, "He's so much stronger than he was last year. It's so terrifying. I don't know how you even fought him, Blushy."

"I'm braver than I look Green Bean!" she yelled at him.

"Oh sorry I didn't mean to offend you I'm just thinking about how scary he is and he's exploding all the time and never mind I'll shut up now."

"Whatever Green Bean." She looked up and saw Glasses Boi. "Hey, what took you so long to come back Glasses Boi?"

"Nurse Kisses made me drink a bowl of nice hot soup to warm me up after my battle." He was just about to sit down beside her, when his entire body buzzed. Blushy and Greenie looked at him like he was crazy. Glasses Boi assured them, "It's alright. I just set my body to vibrate mode." He took his phone out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID. "Mother?" He said, surprised. He walked back up the stairs, toward the hallway to answer the call.

Blushy looked to Green Boi, and wondered aloud, "If we sat on his lap, wouldn't he make a great massage chair?"

Green Boi gasped. "Oh wow, yeah."

…

"Hello Mother," Glasses Boi spoke into the phone, "I'm sure you've already seen it on television, but I lost my semifinal match."

All he heard was sobbing on the other end of the phone.

"Mother?"

"Glasses Boi," she quietly said, "I'm sorry to tell you this right now, but," she took a deep breath. "Something bad happened. It's really bad. You might want to find a quiet place and sit down."

"Mother? What's wrong?"

"Listen carefully…" She paused.

"Mother?"

"Are you sitting down?"

"What's wrong Mother?"

"Your brother. A villain got him."

"What?"

"A villain. A villain got your brother."

"Is he okay?"

"You might want to sit down for this."

"What happened? What happened?"

"I'm so sorry. He's dead."

Glasses Boi gripped his phone tightly. His hands shook. "Dead?"

"I'm so sorry."

Glasses Boi laughed a little. Because this seemed unreal. "Mother. Stop. Stop it."

"I'm so sorry."

Glasses Boi took several deep breaths. His core processors went into overdrive trying to find an emotional script to process the feelings he was feeling right now. He felt his body heat up, so he had to sit down. His breathing became quicker and he shook his head. "Big Bro is dead?"

"I'll come pick you up from school."

"No. No, I… he can't be dead. He's… he's my big brother. And he's stronger than any villain…" Glasses felt tears well up in his eyes. "Mother… he can't… be…"

"I'm coming. Just meet me at the entrance of the stadium and we'll go and we'll go see him. I'm sorry I had to tell you like this, I just wanted you to know before the media breaks the story."

Glasses nodded.

"Glasses Boi?"

"Y-yes Mother."

"I'll see you soon. I love you."

"I-I love you too."

…

"I'm gonna make that stupid fucking Ice Hot Bastard eat my ass," Explochan roared as he kicked in the door to his waiting room. Lo and behold, sitting right there at the table was none other than, "Icy Hot? What the fuck are you doing in my fucking waiting room?"

Ice Prince stared at him with a slightly confused face. So Explochan checked the number on the door. "Don't look at me like that you half-breed piece of shit—Oh fuck, this is waiting room number 2?" Now he felt like a real genuine wanker. He was the one completely in the wrong, busting down Ice Prince's door, bothering the hell out of him. And it didn't help that Prince Icy Hot just shrugged it off with an attitude that said, Well of course that idiot Explosion Boi would walk into the wrong waiting room. It's not much of a surprise.

Explosion Boi tried to hide his embarrassment—sorry, his red anger, by yelling about it. "Alright, so I walked into the wrong room. So what?" He marched up to his opponent. "That doesn't mean I'm not gonna tear your ass apart during our battle! He banged his hand on the table and exploded all over it, "So you better bring all you got to this, Icy Hot!"

"Huh, that last bit is canon dialogue," the Prince noted.

"The fuck did you say?"

"You know, Bean Child said the same thing to me. At first I thought he was trying to manipulate my emotions to gain a competitive advantage in the match. But then I realized that, no, he genuinely cared about me. This guy that I've been harassing all day, genuinely was trying to help me overcome my personal issues. Even if it cost him the match." Ice Prince glanced at his left hand as he asked, "You two were boyfriends, correct? Is that how he was with you? So selfless?"

"Why does everyone think that?!" Explochan get so red angry that he couldn't stop it from showing on his face. He looked like an angry tomato when he yelled, "And anyway what does he have to do with this?" He kicked over the table. "The finals are between you and me, so leave my Green Bean out of this!"

Ice Prince's expression soured slightly. "Your Green Bean?"

For some reason Explochan didn't like the intonation of that question. "Focus on the damn match! That's all I give a damn about! You hear me? I don't give a damn about you or your family problems or your emotions or none of that shit! So don't hold back! Use your fucking flames on me, so I can prove to the whole world that I can whoop your ass at 100 percent of your full fucking power!" Explochan huffed and puffed angrily. Now he was all worked up. He walked away, grumbling.

And just because of that, Ice Prince decided, "I'll use only my ice, just to piss him off." He leaned back in his chair, and wondered, "How the hell could Bean Child ever fall in love with someone like that? He deserves better."

…

"Glasses Boi isn't back yet," Blushy noticed. Green Boi realized it too. "Oh, yeah, you're right."

"I wonder if he's crying about his loss."

"He doesn't seem like the type to get upset about losing a battle."

"Yeah, but—"

Their conversation was interrupted by Mic Man shrieking, "IT'S THE FINAL BATTLE FOLKS! These two students have proven their power in fight after fight after fight! Place your final bets now, because the battle between the Explosive Anti-Hero and the Ice Cold Prince is about to start! They're walking on stage right now!"

Ice Prince took to the stage. He looked really calm.

Explodey Boi took to the stage. He looked really angry.

"I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS BATTLE! This might take two or three episodes of super expensive animation! This is going to be so epic! So I'm not gonna make you wait any longer! Battle! Start!"

Kneeling down and smacking his palm to the floor, Icy Hot created a super duper ice mountain. Against anyone other than Explochan, it would have been a one-hit KO. But, no, Explochan was ready for this. He used rapid fire explosion jutsu and blasted a tunnel through.

"Whoa," Tape Boi shouted. "That's the same attack Prince Zuko got me with!"

Green Boi shook his head. "No, when Prince Zuko-kun was fighting you, he was attacking wildly. This time, he's being cautious."

"That's him when he's holding back?" exclaimed Pikachu Dude.

"Sometimes I can't believe in in the same class as these powerful guys," Spikey Red said.

"Agreed, ribbit," Froakie added.

He was right to hold back, though, because when Explochan burst through the ice, he launched himself at Ice Prince, and then quickly used an explosion to change trajectory. He managed to grab Ice Prince by the head, flip over, and use that momentum to throw Ice Prince across the stage. The Prince had to use ice surf to catch himself before he flew out of bounds. He surfed around the stage in a circle. Angry Boi launched himself at Ice Prince. Ice Prince dodged, grabbed his opponent's arm, and tossed him aside.

"Stop screwing around you Ice Bastard! What, you think I'm not worthy of your fire?" Explochan was so angry. Ice Prince could feel the rage boiling deep inside Explochan. And it was… kind of funny. Explochan was seething in rage over this, and the Prince found that hilarious. He couldn't laugh though, because this battle was still very, very intense.

So, all pettiness aside, did it make sense not to use his fire power? After all, his body was getting dangerously cold. He exhaled a little. Yeah, his breath was cool and misty. So he might as well use his flames, finish the battle quickly, and move on to the next arc of season 2. And he might have done that, if not for his annoying father, up in the stadium, who shouted, "My Boy! Use your fire power! Use it!"

So now he had twice the reason not to use it. To piss of Explochan and piss off his father. Now he definitely wanted to win with just his ice power.

But wait.

Wasn't he slipping back into his old ways?

Isn't this exactly what Green Boi told him NOT to do?

Well, no, this time was different. Because he wasn't doing it out of spite… well, no, he was definitely abstaining from his fire power to spite his opponent and his father. But he wasn't spiting them out of a deeply rooted hatred of them. Sure he still hated his father, and sure Explochan made him angry ten minutes ago, but, well, all he wanted to do was to piss them off a little because he thought it was funny.

But…

But that was just as bad, right?

As Icy Hot was thinking, Explochan caught his breath, and started screaming. "Don't make a fool outta me! I'll kill you! I don't want any doubt that I'm the best student at the festival, or in this whole damn shitty school! But I can't prove it unless you come at me as hard as you can! There's no point in this battle if you don't fight me like you fought Green Boi!"

"I thought you said to leave my Bean Child out of this," replied Ice Prince, snidely. There was so much sass in his regal voice that Explochan went berserk. "Fuck you! You're just fucking with me, aren't you? If you don't wanna win this, then why are you even fighting?" Explochan charged at him.

Explochan seemed to be running in slow motion, to Ice Prince. And as Explochan slowly approached, Ice Prince debated what he should do.

Should he use his fire and ice together, create an explosion to rival that of this Angry Bastard, and see who is actually the better fighter?

Or should he only use his ice, and, whether he wins or loses, piss of this Angry Bastard and his Fire Demon Dad?

What did he want?

He really had to decide quickly. Explochan was getting closer.

That's when, up in the stands, Green Boi stood up and shouted, "What are you doing? Use your fucking quirk!"

The Prince's heart skipped a beat.

Fuck Explochan.

Fuck his dad.

Fuck this tournament. Fuck this sports festival. Fuck this school.

All Ice Prince cared about in that moment was Green Boi.

He just wanted to make Green Boi happy.

So The Fire and Ice Prince's left side burst into flame, warming up the ice gathering on his right side. Explochan smiled wickedly. He jumped into the air, and used his explosions to twirl himself around like a human tornado. "That's right, you dumb bastard! Don't half-ass a fight against me or else I'll kill you! So take this! Fist of the Angry Bomb: Super Flame Bomb Mega Explosion Impact!"

Ice Prince didn't have a name for the technique he was about to do.

Sadist Lady gasped as she realized that, once again, these over-powered kids were about to kill each other. "NO! NOT AGAIN!" she screamed. She pulled back her skin-tight clothing and released her sensuality musk. Tofu Block Man raised up a robust slab of tofu in between them.

But the two boys still exploded everything.

Everything went silent before the sonic BOOM shook the very earth beneath the stadium. Up in the stands, the students of Class 1-A fell out of their seats. Thick black smoke rose from the battlefield.

When the smoke cleared, Explochan was lying face down on the grass. His ears were ringing like microphone feedback. He was barely conscious, but he could tell that he'd been knocked off the stage. He barely had the strength to look up. But he managed it, and he saw that Ice Prince was also out of bounds! He had slammed into one of his ice crystals, and was knocked out cold. Then Explochan passed out.

"I-it looks like a double knockout," Sadist Lady said. She too had been knocked back, and was lying face down on the grassy field. "Thank All American that they didn't kill each other…"

…

Explochan had to be tied down, handcuffed, chained, and gagged to stay put on his first place spot on the winner's podium. Standing beside him was Prince Icy Hot. They had tied as the winners, and Explodey Boi HATED that. As soon as the Blonde Bomb had woken up, he demanded a rematch. Sadist Woman said no, so he cursed at her, and so she tied him up. So he got angry and was desperately trying to break the chains that bound him.

The Prince felt a weird sense of glee seeing Explochan so angry right now. But he was even happier about how Green Boi was looking at him. It was a gentle look, one that said, I'm so proud of your character growth!

Although he felt happy, the Prince couldn't smile. Because as good as he felt right now, he knew that all his problems couldn't be solved in just one day. He knew that after this festival was over, things were going to get rough again. Daddy would still harass him. Mommy was still in the hospital. Life at home was still shit. No matter how much weight was lifted off his shoulders today, the weight would come right back tomorrow. And all it took was a little weight to crush his newly budding joy.

After all, didn't Ice Prince almost revert back to his spiteful ways last battle? What if the good feelings didn't last? What if today was a fairy tale, and tomorrow was reality?

Then what?

So the Prince lowered his head as Sensual Sadist Lady announced the winners. "In third place is a tie between Bird Guy and Glasses Guy Engine Legs. Unfortunately, the latter had to leave early due to family reasons."

Blushy and Green Boi were taken aback. "Is that why he disappeared?" they said in unison. Blushy turned to Green Boi, and asked, "Do you think something bad happened?"

"I-I dunno. I hope not."

"But he just left without telling us…"

Green Boi didn't know what to say. He had a bad feeling in his gut.

Sadist Lady then said, "And this year, we also have a tie for first place! Half White Prince Zuko and Angry Explosion Boi!" Explochan struggled against his chains. The rest of the first-years standing in the field in front of him got nervous. But Sadist Woman insisted, "No fear! I used the best bondage techniques to hold him down!" And she winked. "Now to present the medals, is none other than the number one hero in the world!" She turned around and gestured to the left of the stadium.

All American Blonde Superflex Mode, however, jumped down from the opposite side of the stadium, did a super cool somersault mid-air flip, and landed perfectly, all while shouting, "I AM HERE!"

But nobody saw it because they were looking the wrong way.

"I AM OVER HERE," All American said.

So that was awkward. But All American tried not to think about it as he adorned the winning students with medals, gave them a hug, and offered them a word of advice. To Bird Guy, he said, "Great job! You know how to use your quirk well. But when faced with your weakness, even if you're overwhelmed, you can't let your fear defeat you before your enemy has."

"Very wise words, Blonde Superman Sensei. I will take them to heart."

All American was so proud that he said something good!

To The Prince, he said, "Great job! You have a great quirk. And I'm looking forward to the day you can use it proudly."

The Prince nodded. "Bean Child said the same thing to me." He sighed. "But I have a lot of emotional stuff to deal with before I can become a hero."

"I'm sure you can overcome whatever challenges you have. You have a lot of people who care about you, and will support you through your journey."

The Prince nodded, but still looked sad.

To Explosion Boi, All American said, "Great job!" as he removed the kid's muzzle. "You said you would win first place, and you did—"

"Fuck you! I didn't win! It's a tie, and a tie means fuck all! This isn't a real win for me! This may be a game to all of you, especially that fucking prodigy son-of-a-fucking-number-two-hero bitch, but I'm actually really fucking serious and I'm trying to be the indisputable champion and I'll never accept it if I win this way! I demand a rematch! I'm gonna tear his ass to shreds as soon as they untie me!" He glared at the woman who had tied him up. "You hear that you slutty bitch teacher? You can't hold me captive forever! I'm gonna fuck him up, then I'll fuck you up! In fact, I'll fuck everybody up! I will kill everyone here!" He got so angry that he got a nosebleed.

Slutty Bitch Teacher loved the dirty talk. All American, on the other hand, didn't know what the hell to do. How should he even respond to that? The Number One Super Hero stared at the angry child, and realized that nothing he could say would calm this brat down. But he still tried. "Look at it this way, you still won—"

"Fuck that! Fuck this festival! Fuck you! Don't put that fucking medal around my neck or I'll explode all over you!"

All American regretted removing the muzzle. He sort of placed the medal on his nose, but Angry Boi squirmed and it landed in his mouth. All American walked away quickly. Never in all his days of fighting villains had he been intimidated like this. He thanked his Lucky Star that the Super Villain Club was led by that Itchy Hand Dude, and not this kid.