Beta-read by MarvelNinja10
With the absolute devastation Izuku and Shoto's fight had brought, there would be a long intermission so repairs could be done. Everyone was talking about how confusing Midoriya's actions were. He provoked Todoroki but ended up losing. Was that what he wanted?
Bruce watched as Izuku was wheeled off the field. His arms and left leg were deep shades of purple. Bruce bit the inside of his lower lip. All those injuries… for his opponent's sake… even though it cost him… An ache built up in his side, and he rubbed it with some irritation. I can't be one to criticize… that just makes me a hypocrite. He slouched back in his chair, a look of annoyed displeasure on his face. I have to visit Recovery Girl again… dammit.
Izuku laid back in the inclined nurse bed. Without adrenaline pumping through his system, the full force of his actions hit like a semi-truck. He could only grit his teeth in pain as Recovery Girl scolded him and All Might for letting this go so far. The three were left in a thick silence for a few seconds until the door to the office opened.
Bruce could feel the tension vibrating through the air so he stood frozen at the semi-open door. His eyes darted between Recovery Girl and Yagi, briefly lingered on Deku and his injuries, before landing on the healing hero.
"Sorry, I'll just come in later."
"No, no. You come in now. I think I know what the problem is," Recovery Girl said.
Bruce sighed off to the side, slid in, and gently closed the door. "My scar is acting up again, but Midoriya clearly is the top priority." Recovery Girl sighed sadly. "You're correct, however, your situation can be easily resolved. I should take care of it now since I'm not sure when I'll be able to until…" She trailed off and glanced sadly back at Izuku. Bruce inched towards the exit. "Really, I can tolerate it. You just go and take care-"
The door of the office slammed open. The edge clocked a stunned Bruce in the back, knocking him down to the ground, flat on his face.
"Midoriya!" Uraraka, Tenya, Tsuyu, and Mineta exclaimed. They rushed into the room towards their bedridden friend.
"Deku! Are you okay? We were so worried… eh?" Ochaco trailed off when she saw the varying degrees of shock on Izuku, Recovery Girl, and a blonde man's faces as they stared past her and her classmates towards the ground. She and the others turned and gasped to see someone lying on the floor, shoeprints on his back with one standing out on his black hair. The person groaned and pulled himself to his knees while rubbing the back of his head. When they saw who it was, Uraraka and her friends had a collective mini heart attack.
We just trampled the richest person in Japan!
"Dammit…" Bruce winced as he tenderly rubbed a forming bump. "Recovery Girl, can you spare some time to heal the knob on my head?"
"I-I'm so sorry!" a flustered Ochaco exclaimed. "We deeply apologize! We did not mean to injure a fellow student!" Tenya interjected as he made frantic hand motions. Meanwhile, Mineta had squatted to the ground, his hands over his head and a look of downright terror. "This is it… our hero careers are over before they even started… we just ran over one of the most powerful people in the nation… we'll have to change our identities and hide away from society… I never even got a chance to touch Yaoyorozu's boobies…" Tsuyu was too stunned to smack the grape gremlin upside the head for his perverted comment.
Bruce groaned in annoyance. "Be quiet, please! All that noise isn't helping my migraine," he shouted. The room instantly fell silent. He stood up and dusted himself off. "Besides, you guys were worried about your friend, and I can't fault you for that. I'll just get healed up and be out of here."
He walked over to Recovery Girl and the two of them shared a nod. Bruce squatted down and leaned in a bit. The nurse planted a kiss on his cheek and her Quirk's healing power flowed through him.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. Now all of you need to leave. I have to start surgery now."
"Surgery!?" the other teens, even Bruce, exclaimed.
At that moment, the door opened again. "I'm here now, ma'am. Let's get ready."
Bruce looked over. "Dr. Mid-Nite-sensei?"
"Good. My assistant is here. We need to get started, so all of you need to leave," Recovery Girl as she ushered the teens out.
"Deku! Get well!" Ochaco called over her shoulder just as the door shut.
All the 1-A students glanced at the closed office and at each other worriedly. Bruce took notice and looked off to the side.
"Dr. Mid-Nite-sensei is an acclaimed surgeon."
The other teens turned their attention to him. Bruce's face was visible though his eyes were directed to the side.
"He has saved countless lives and managed to perform many operations deemed impossible by others. Even if he can't do it himself because of his arm, Sensei's precise instructions will be enough to guide Recovery Girl. Midoriya's going to be fine."
They all stood awkwardly for a few seconds. Ochacho despite her nerves felt a soft smile creep onto her face. "Thank you for trying to reassure us. That's very kind of you." Iida quickly followed suit. "Yes indeed! Your concern is very much appreciated. "The bespectacled teen bowed as the other boy.
Bruce pursed his lips into a thin line and quickly turned his head away. "Don't go thinking too much into it. It's just the considerate thing to do."
The other four teens silently laughed. They had heard that phrase from Mina when she told the rest of the class how Bruce acted like a, quote, unquote, "total tsundere".
Though I prefer sexy tsundere chicks, this is surprisingly fitting for him, thought Mineta. "Wayne, you're rather cute," Tsuyu casually said.
The teen's head snapped towards them, his eyes wide, brows creased, and lips now pursed in embarrassment. Bruce's cheeks were now bright red.
"C-cute!?" he sputtered as he clumsily fumbled with his hands.
Now the four 1-A students began to audibly laugh. It was endearing to see someone they viewed as the highest of the high act like an everyday, socially awkward teenager.
Their laughter caused the redness to spread from Bruce's cheeks to the entire top half of his face. He then abruptly straightened up, his shoulders squared and his arms at his sides.
"I-! Hope your friend recovers! Now excuse me!"
Bruce hurried past them, their laughs fading into the background. Once he was a good distance away, he clapped himself several times on the cheeks. "Calm down! Get it together! Focus on the next match which is…" He paused to let his overheated brain to remember. He perked up the instant he recalled.
"Diana versus Blood!"
He immediately took off running.
Wally ran down the hall and frantically looked around. "J'onzz! J'onzz, where are you?" he called out. He quickly searched the branch halls and found one had an exit food that led outside. He slowly opened it and peeked out of the slight opening. Wally saw his friend sitting against the wall, his face hiding in his arms resting on his knees. The redhead could hear that J'onn's muffled breathing was shaking. Wally pushed the door all the way open.
"J'onzz?"
The taller redhead shot upright like he hadn't realized Wally was there until now. A mixture of cold sweat and heavy tears stained his cheeks and dripped down his chin.
Wally was taken aback. He had never seen the other teen in utter distress. J'onn was even more stoic than Bruce and maintained a neutral expression a majority of the time.
"J'onzz, are you okay?"
The green-skinned teen hastily tried to wipe away his tears. "Y-Yeah. I was overwhelmed… by Todoroki's fire." Wally gazed sadly at his friend and stepped out fully, the door quietly clicking closed. "I'm sure many people were overwhelmed but not to this extent. What's wrong J'onzz?" he asked. Wally's friend was silently and not looking at him. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," he gently added, "Let me take you to Recovery Girl."
"No, no…" declined J'onn. "It's just… fire is a reminder… of an event. I thought I had overcome it… but that giant blast brought everything back!" The redhead gripped the sides of his head, his fingers digging into his hair. "The brightness-! The heat-!" Tears flowed down his cheeks again. "I could hear and see it clearly! The screams! Their-!"
"J'onzz!" a stern, yet soft voice called out.
J'onn's eyes snapped open, and he sucked in a sharp breath. His heart was thumping against his ribcage. He looked over to Wally who was now kneeling next to him. The other teen had an expression of concern. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," he reiterated. "If you really don't want to go to the nurse, then let me stay with you."
J'onn stared at his friend. "But West… you'll miss out on the rest of the Sports Festival." The shorter teen shook his head. "That's okay. I can always watch next year's. Besides, I'm not going to just leave you here." Wally smiled softly, and J'onn felt all his tension slowly melt away. He sniffed and wiped his eyes. "Thank you," he quietly said. The redhead laughed a bit. "There's no need to thank me. We are friends after all." His face turned a bit stern again. "I won't tell the others about this. You can open up at your own pace."
A few more tears strayed from J'onn's eyes, and he shyly smiled and nodded. Wally returned the gesture then briefly glanced at his hands before looking back up at J'onn. The green-skinned teenager understood what Wally wanted and nodded. The smaller redhead's smile broadened, and he wrapped his arms around J'onn's shoulders, engulfing him in a warm hug. The two sat in a comfortable silence as they forget about their problems for the rest of the day.
Two heroes ran side-by-side. They and a few other pros had been called in to investigate a tip. A dangerous serial killer had been spotted downtown.
"You should really go ahead. We both know you're much faster than me," Ingenium said to his partner. He received a good-natured smirk. "Thanks for the compliment, but we're partners. And partners stick together." The Flash's face quickly turned serious. "Especially in a situation like this."
The two heroes passed by an alleyway and both felt chills down their spines. An intense aura leaked from the narrow passageway and grabbed their attention.
A potent bloodlust.
"Over there!"
Ingenium used his Quirk to boost himself into the air while Flash kicked up his speed. Lightning crackled from his feet as he made his way to the target. Both heroes arrived and boxed in the villain.
"It's him! The Hero Killer!"
Red eyes glanced between the heroes. A long tongue licked the villain's lips.
The two students stood across each other on the stage. The stadium was loud with cheering. This matchup was particularly exciting because it was between members of Class 0-JL.
Jason stood with his arms crossed and his face stoic. Diana was a bit nervous as indicated by the sweat trailing down the side of her face.
Blood has shown he is capable of hand-to-hand combat. I don't think he is stronger than me though. The real problem is his Quirk.
She thought back to Jason's fight with Tokoyami. Etrigan is fast and durable. If I can find an opening past it… I can quickly take down Blood and win!
"Start!"
"Go forth, Etrigan!" "I know!"
The red-energy body leaped out of Jason's abdomen and darted straight towards Diana. She quickly brought her arms to guard and the ramming punch sent her skidding back. She dug her heels in and came to a halt. She saw Etrigan winding up for another and managed to dodge. Concrete was torn up by the force of the Quirk's attack.
Etrigan turned towards Diana, its perpetual open-mouth grin widening. Usually, it looked pretty cartoonish, but when that grin was aimed at you while its claws flexed, ready to slash at you, it becomes pretty scary.
The girl dodged by jumping into the air as Etrigan's claws broke the ground. Jason had his Quirk swipe up, sending debris at his opponent. Diana flinched but quickly cleared her head. She either kicked and punched the concrete pieces out of her way or into smaller bits. A shadow suddenly fell over her. Diana looked up over her shoulder and saw Etrigan's hand rapidly coming down towards her.
With a twist of her body, Diana landed a roundhouse kick that sent it back with a flinch. She then backflipped and used the palm as a launchpad. She shot straight at Etrigan's head. With a determined yell, the girl drew back her fist and smashed it into the side of the Quirk's face. The blow sent Etrigan reeling while she landed back on her feet. Diana took a quick glance at Jason and was surprised he wasn't his usual stoic self. His posture looked as if he had stumbled back while his face was down. He looked up and wiped a trail of blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. Jason's cheek was red and bruising was setting in.
Diana was perplexed. She hadn't gone anywhere near her classmate. The only thing she had attacked was…
The girl's eyes widening with realization. "... Etrigan."
A cry from her side brought her back to the fight, and she narrowly dodged a slashing attack that sent a few strands of her hair flying away.
I have to confirm my idea… sorry Blood.
Diana sent a powerful kick into Etrigan's outstretched forearm. Her foot sunk in and the arm basically bent around the point of contact. Diana quickly pulled her leg back, landed in a crouch, and launched back at her target. She unleashed a flurry of punches that peppered Etrigan's arm. A final roundhouse kick sent the limb reeling back. Now to see if she was right.
Diana looked back at Jason. The other teen was leaning forward and cradling his left arm close to him. As he raised his head, his bangs shifted to reveal his right eye was squeezed shut in pain. He used his hand to hold his left forearm which was covered with heavy purple bruising.
"Dammit…" Jason swore through gritted teeth.
"So I was right. Etrigan is strong but can only take so much. And heavy damage done to it-"
"- is reflected onto Blood," Bruce finished explaining to his friends. "I noticed it happened with Class 1-A's Ashido's acid Quirk and during Blood's fight with Tokoyami. It was like he was spontaneously getting hurt. However, now we know the actual reason."
Diana peeked at Etrigan through the corner of his eye. It was hanging suspiciously back. Meanwhile, Jason was still in a defenseless posture.
"He's in a wide-open spot. This is my chance."
She took off running at her opponent. Etrigan shrunk down and was drawn back into its host. Jason was facing down as if he was resigned to his loss. Diana closed in and readied for the final punch…
"Now Etrigan!"
Red energy surrounded his left arm. Diana had to switch from offense to defense. She used her arm to block a palm strike that sent her skidding away. Before she could get her senses straight, her opponent charged, his demon arm drawn back. A powerful strike caused Diana to be thrown to the side. She hit the ground, rolled, and skidded into a crouch. The girl was given no time to really react as Jason leaped into the air. His fist crashed into her arms which were now in an X-formation guard. The ground underneath and around her cracked. Diana grunted at the force behind her opponent's assault. With a growl, Jason landed in front of her and unleashed a powerful punch. The girl wasn't able to get out of the way and the attack landed with full force.
Diana grunted as she was thrown back. She dug her heels into the concrete, kicking up chunks, as she tried to slow herself down. Finally, she came to a stop.
"Prince is out of bounds! Blood advances!"
The stadium erupted in cheers, and the two fighters panted heavily, catching their breathes. Diana leaned down and rested her hands on her knees. Etrigan's red energy disappeared back into Jason, and he stumbled a bit though he remained standing up.
"You sure… went at me. What… was that… sudden boost?" Diana asked. Jason swallowed before answering. "We nearly got pushed to the edge… I had to end it quickly… before Etrigan took over." He didn't elaborate any further and stumbled off the stage, leaving his classmate staring after.
He did mention during our calvary team-up… that Etrigan can become stronger in dire situations… at the cost of control and rationality.
Diana walked back to her seat. "Hey Prince," Bruce greeted her, "You did a good job out there." She sighed and plopped down in her seat. "Yeah, but I lost." Clark turned to her. "Still you made it this far, and you were able to hold your ground against Blood. He won because he pushed you out of bounds, not because he actually beat you." Diana smiled and straightened up in her seat. "You're right! Plus this just shows I have room to improve myself."
"Alright everyone! That wraps up the second round! Now some of you are probably wondering how we'll continue with an odd number of contestants. Not to worry; we have a solution!" reassured Present Mic. "For the third round, we will continue to use the random match-up method. Only one student will be kept out of the round. When two winners come out of the third round, the side student will be matched up against one of them. Depending on the outcome, he will either continue or fall out of the competition. Then the final two contestants will out for the No. 1 spot! Are you all ready?!"
The spectators roared as the matches for the third round flipped onto the holo-screen.
Clark Kent vs. Shoto Todoroki
Jason Blood vs. Katsuki Bakugo
Bruce's shoulders slumped a bit. "Looks like you got left out Wayne," said Diana. "Still these two fights will definitely be intense," Shayera commented. The winged girl then looked around. "Hey, where are West and J'onzz?" "I texted West a while ago asking. He said J'onzz wasn't feeling well so West took him to get something to drink. They might be gone for the rest of the festival," Hal answered. "Ouch, that sucks. Should we go after them?" asked Shayera. "No. West said J'onzz doesn't want to be crowded right now. He also doesn't want all of us to miss out on the tournament." Hal put his phone back in his pocket. "Plus, Kent's match is starting soon."
Meanwhile, Deku had been healed enough to walk back to the stands. With Dr. Mid-Nite's guidance, the surgery had gone smoothly though his arm still had to be bandaged up and carried in a sling.
"Deku, you're here? Shouldn't you be resting?" Ochaco worriedly inquired. Her friend took his seat between her and Tenya. "I want to properly witness everyone's effort to becoming a hero," he said, "Who is fighting next?"
"It's Todoroki against Kent," Tsuyu informed him. "Those two will probably end up destroying the field. It'll be even worse than what you did, Midoriya," said Mineta. The frog girl smacked him on the head with her tongue. "I don't like how you're rubbing salt in his wounds." "But I'm just saying the truth!"
Izuku wasn't paying attention to them. "Todoroki is definitely strong, but Kent… His Quirk appears to let him power up from the Sun. We all thought it was just super strength…" He thought back to Iida's fight against Clark. "I'm pretty sure it is much more…"
"Alright, people! Here we have two powerhouses facing off! From Class 1-A: Shoto Todoroki! And from Class 0-JL: Clark Kent!"
As the two stood oppose to each other, Todoroki wrestled with himself. When he used his fire against Midoriya, he wasn't even thinking about it. For the briefest moment, his father's oppressive shadow over him vanished. It felt… natural to unleash his left side. He flexed his hand.
Kent… I'm sure his strength exceeds even Midoriya's… and he definitely has more control over his Quirk. I'll need to do more against him if I'm going to win. The teen glanced at his left hand. Will I allow myself to?
"Start!"
A wave of ice sprung forth from Todoroki. The mountain of ice completely covered Clark, who made no move to dodge.
"Todoroki sends out the first attack!"
Deku and his friends were confused. "He just stood there and took it," the greenette murmured.
"Is… that it?" Kaminari cautiously asked. "Tch! Dumbass. Sunflower wouldn't have made it this far just to be one-shot by Icy-Hot," growled Bakugo. The blonde had been irate after waking up from being gassed by Bruce and only because more so when he realized he had been restrained to his seat by a copious amount of Sero's tape.
Class 0-JL watched tensely. "What's Kent a-doin'? He could've easily dodged that," Greg questioned. His friend nodded. "True. That means he must be planning something," Justin said. Oliver's smile widened. "Of course he is. Kent wouldn't be beaten by this guy so quickly." Dinah glanced at the boy. "You really have a lot of confidence in him, huh?" "Why not?" Vic piped up, "It is only natural to believe in others you trust."
The stadium was silent as the cold air settled. Then a muffled sound began to echo from within the ice. Each time it became clearer and clearer. Cracks spiderwebbed across the ice wall, and a final blow shattered a large section and sent chunks flying. Shoto jumped back to avoid being hit, while Clark emerged from the ice. The black-haired teen was frowning.
"That's all you got?" He cracked his knuckles. "I expected more!"
Clark positioned himself, and Shoto knew he was about to charge and readied his right side. Clark kicked off the ground and flew across the stadium. Todorokie thrust his hand forward, but his opponent ducked just before contact. Shoto's eyes widened at the other teen's reaction speed, and then they widened further when Clark's fist slammed into his abdomen. He was thrown back and skidded across the stage. Shoto quickly formed an ice barrier to prevent himself from going out of bounds. He coughed harshly and slowly stood up. Clark was standing still and flexing his hand.
"I know you're strong Todoroki. We've all seen what you're capable of. So use your fire against me!" he demanded. Shoto gasped and stared at his opponent. The other teen had an aggressive expression but on the inside, he felt a bit guilty.
Sorry… I overheard some of your conversation with Midoriya… and I have an idea of what you went through. Even so you shouldn't reject your own power. You should let yourself reach your full potential. Clark's inner self formed a deadpan expression upon hearing his words. Looks like Bruce's abrasive side was rubbing off on him.
Clark could see his opponent's hesitation deep in his eyes. I'm sorry for what your father did to you and your mom. But he isn't your biggest obstacle now. He took off towards him. You are!
Todoroki threw up his right hand and frost began to build up. Clark's frown deepened, and he kicked to the side, positioning himself to his opponent's left. He grabbed the other teen's arm and jumped into the air with incredible speed. Shoto was shocked by the action. He was even more shocked to see that Clark had positioned his hand to be right under his face.
Does he want me to use my fire right in his face!?
Clark couldn't keep this posture up for much longer so he quickly swung Todoroki around and launched him towards the ground. The falling teen conjured an ice wall that he surfed on to avoid impact while Clark floated down to the ground. The two teens stood facing each other, anticipating the next move. Shoto was still unsure of what to do. He just couldn't forget what his fire had inadvertently caused his family. The other teen internally sighed when he saw his opponent's uncertainty.
Guess I'll have to pull out the big guns. Sorry, Todoroki.
"Fine!" Clark shouted, catching Shoto off-guard. "If you aren't going to take this seriously, I'll end it now! Someone like you doesn't deserve to be No. 1!" He leaped into the air and headed in for a final punch. "I can't believe anyone could think you could be a hero!" Shoto was stunned by that last statement.
Shoto… you can be the kind of hero you want to be.
The flames ignited, and Todoroki unleashed a torrent fire at Clark. As the wave of heat and light closed in, his face shifted into an aggressive grin. "Now we can get serious."
The flames engulfed him and spiraled into the sky.
The stadium was stunned by the display of power. Deku, Uraraka, and Tenya stared. "He's using his fire again," said Izuku. Meanwhile, Class 0-JL was tense. All except for one. Bruce leaned back with his arms crossed. So Kent decided to help Todoroki as well. Unlike Midoriya, Kent isn't jeopardizing his chance of winning.
Todoroki kept the flames going even after the frost had melted off and turned to steam. He was confused though. His opponent didn't try to dodge. In fact, it looked like Clark dove right in.
"So you're using all your power now."
The voice caught him off-guard, and he abruptly stopped his fire. When everything cleared up, the sight stunned everyone.
Clark was floating in mid-air and most shocking of all, there wasn't a single burn on him. His hair was completely fine and his uniform was slightly singed. Clark brushed a small flame off his sleeve while smirking aggressively.
"Then I will too."
Clark zoomed down and smashed his fist into the ground, sending a shockwave that sent chunks of concrete and Shoto flying into the air. In a near-instant, he was behind a startled Shoto who barely had time to turn to look at him before a punch drove into his lower back. With a gasp, the teen was sent slamming into the stage. He coughed harshly as he struggled to his knees. Shoto glanced up to see Clark flying towards him. The teen quickly threw up an ice barrier. His opponent easily smashed through without slowing down. Clark's fist connected with Todoroki's face, sending him skipping across the concrete.
"W-What the heck!? Kent can fly and take a fire blast to the face!? I thought his Quirk just made him super strong!" exclaimed Present Mic. "Kent's Solar Energy Quirk is much more than that," Dr. Mid-Nite began, "It amplifies all his physical capabilities and even grants him the power of flight. Thing is he never always had that ability. He developed it in his first year of junior high." His co-commentators stared at him. Present Mic blinked. "He… got a new ability…? Was his Quirk mislabeled?" Dr. Mid-Nite shook his head. "No. Kent's Quirk is extremely unique. It's best described as an "evolving Quirk". As Kent grows older and stronger, his Quirk will continue to change." The other heroes' eyes widened. Aizawa spoke next. "How did such a Quirk go unnoticed until now?" His co-worker shrugged. "I can't answer for sure, but Kent did live far away in the countryside. The distance likely hid him."
The stadium was silent with intrigue. "An… evolving Quirk?" murmured Izuku. "I've never heard of such a thing," said Uraraka. "Incredible…" breathed Iida. The teen then felt a vibration in his pocket and pulled out his phone. "Excuse me. I need to take this. It's my mother." The bespectacled teen ran off for privacy.
Outside the stadium, Wally and J'onn watched the fight on the jumbotron. The shorter teen bit into his fifth taiyaki while his friend chewed on mitarashi dango.
"Hmm, so Kent has a real super Quirk. So cool!" Wally exclaimed. His classmate nodded in agreement. The speedster perked up when he felt his phone vibrate. He checked it and saw it was his mom. "Hang on, it's my mom." He hit 'Answer' and brought the phone up. "Hello Mom! What-"
"Wally, Wally! Please stay calm. It's… it's your uncle… he… he…!"
Wally's smile fell as he listened to his mother. His half-eaten taiyaki was dropped to the ground. J'onn eyed him worriedly.
"West… are you okay?"
The other redhead quietly put his phone away. He turned towards his friend with downcast eyes. "It's… my uncle. Uncle Barry. He is in the hospital. I… need to go. Tell the others it was a family emergency." Before J'onn could reply, Wally took off; not with his Quirk but still fast.
"Hang on! West!" the green-skinned teen called out, but his friend didn't hear him.
"... Thank you," he whispered after Wally's retreating form.
Clark grunted as he threw a large shard of ice at Todoroki. The other teen jumped back, and the projectile shattered against the ground. Clark dove and grabbed his opponent by the face. Shoto quickly retaliated by grasping Clark's face and igniting his left side. The fire didn't even scathe him but the brightness did force him to close his eyes and let go of the other teen. This gave Shoto a few seconds to breathe.
What can I do? We're both tired, but he clearly isn't as worn out as me. He can easily break through my ice and my fire does nothing. I can't do anything against him! Unless…
The teen glanced between his hands. Then large structures began to form, but they appeared to have no defensive or offensive purpose. Clark blinked confusingly.
"What's he doing?"
As soon as the ice was done, Shoto cranked up his fire immediately. Ice melted and turned into vapor, covering the stage completely in steam.
"What's this? Todoroki has blanketed the whole stage with a smokescreen! I can't see a thing!" Present Mic exclaimed.
Clark looked up. There's really no point in flying. The steam is so thick I can't see six feet in front of me. Then he heard a familiar sound. A column of ice pierced through the steam and rammed into his abdomen. He was surprised by the attack and actually coughed from the air being knocked out of his lungs. Clark rolled a bit before getting up in a crouch. Another block of ice slammed into his face, knocking him to the side. The taste of iron filled his mouth. He had bitten his tongue.
Clark got to his feet and spat to the side. "So this is your plan," he called out while wiping blood dripping from his mouth. "Lower visibility then chip away at me with surprise attacks. I'll admit, it's not bad." A smirk grew on his face. "Let's see if my newest ability can be useful here."
Clark exhaled then began to suck in a deep, long breath. All the steam in the entire area was drawn into his lungs. Shoto watched in shock as his opponent cleared up the fog in such a way. Clark saw the other teen out of the corner of his eye. He quickly turned and blew the entire mixture of air and steam at him. Todoroki regained his sense and brought his arms to guard. The air blast hit and drove him back. He tried to set up ice barriers but was slammed through them.
This force…! It's greater than Midoriya's!
Finally, the air blast dispelled enough to lessen the strength, and Todoroki stopped before the boundary line. The teen panted while looking down at the concrete.
This guy… is strong! Too strong! He's almost like-!
Shoto heard footsteps and raised his head to meet Clark. The taller teen started down at him.
Todoroki's fire came to life, and he thrust his hand forward. Clark easily twisted out of the way and sent a punch into his opponent's abdomen. Shoto was smashed through his remaining ice and into the stadium wall.
Everything was silent. Shoto slumped to the ground unconscious.
"Todoroki is out of bounds! Kent advances!"
The crowd cheered though Class 1-A was silent. One of their strongest had been beaten. Deku was worried for reasons only he knew. He lost…
"That was the longest fight anyone has had against Kent, and he still won," said Kaminari. "He's an absolute monster! The scariest in that JL class!" whined Mineta. "Nuh-uh!" exclaimed a startled Ashido. "Wayne is much more scary!" Eijiro nodded. "Yeah, I can second that." "Third!" Kaminari called out.
Izuku stared at his knees. "They're both scary. Wayne has made it to the near end of the tournament. He is standing with the likes of Kacchan, Todoroki, Kent, and Blood. All while having a useless Quirk. And Kent. His Quirk alone puts him leagues above many of us. It also can't be just those two. Even if they weren't shown now, their entire class-"
"AHH! Shut the fuck up Deku! Quit spewing crap about Rich Boy and Sunflower!" Bakugo shouted. The blonde struggled and managed to grab several wrappings of tape. He immediately blew them up and that let him rip through the rest of his bindings.
"That Class 0-JL is nothing special! I'm going to kill that emo fucker of theirs right now!"
"Bakugo is relentless! He's rushing in over and over again!" announced Present Mic.
Bakugo landed a vicious hit on Etrigan's head. Jason winced as he felt the sting and heat of the explosion on his own forehead. "Etrigan, grab him!" The sentient Quirk attempted to follow his host's command, but Bakugo used his explosions to redirect himself. He unleashed another one that knocked Etrigan's hand away. Jason winced as a burn formed on the back of his hand.
Everyone clearly saw in my fight against Prince. If Etrigan takes too much damage, it shows up on me.
"Why are you holding back, Emo Punk!? I've seen what you can do when you fought Princess! Don't think I'm a weakling like her!"
Bakugo cartwheeled through the air while unleashing several explosions, becoming a fire wheel. He slammed into Etrigan's face, causing the Quirk to cry out in pain. Jason's hands flew to his face and became stained with blood as he cradled the diagonal cut that sprang across.
Dammit…!
"He is a danger to you. I'll put him down with our power that is true!"
No! Jason demanded as he felt control slipping. Don't go over the edge Etrigan!
Another explosion scorched Etrigan's head. And another and another. The teen tightened his grip on control.
He's… trying to force me into that state… of when I was against Prince. He squeezed his eyes shut. But… I can't guarantee to keep Etrigan's worst impulses in check again.
Bakugo roared as he landed another fiery hit. His opponent's eyes shot open.
"Enough!"
An arm lashed out to swat the blonde away. It connected though Bakugo managed to block with his arm. He was sent to the ground. The blonde grinned viciously. "Alright. You finally- huh?" His smile fell to confusion when he saw Jason with his hands up in the surrender gesture. His Quirk was drawn back in.
"I withdraw."
"... What?"
"Blood has withdrawn! Bakugo wins this match!"
The stadium cheered while Classes 0-JL and 1-A were confused. "He gave up?" Izuku questioned. "Bakugo was giving him a hard time, but it wasn't that bad, right?" Kyoka asked. Momo pondered. "I think it might have been something else."
Bruce glanced at Diana. "Prince. Do you think…" The girl nodded. "Blood threw the match, so he wouldn't lose control on Bakugo."
The blonde glared as the other teen walked away. "You're… just giving up? You… fucker! We barely started!" Katsuki took off after Jason. "We're finishing this!"
A cement wall sprouted before him, and he skidded to a halt.
"Bakugo," came a stern voice. He glared at Cementoss. "The match is over," the pro hero said. Katsuki snarled but made no move to go after Jason when the wall was brought down.
"You fucking coward!" That caused Jason to stop. "You just gave up because you were scared of me! You're just running away!"
Jason quickly turned to glare at Bakugo. "You're correct; I am scared but not of you. If you could see what Etrigan is really capable of, you would be too." He then walked away in silence.
The quarter-finals were over. Now everyone was talking about the semi-final. Who would be fighting?
"Wayne definitely has to fight because he was left out this round," said Izuku. "He'd be up against either Bakugo or Kent. So he's going to lose," said Sero. "No," Ashido disagreed, "Despite everything… I think he can win this match."
"Class 1-A only has one of their left while Class 0-JL has two," Tetsutetsu observed. "I think we set our eyes on the wrong rival." Itsuka leaned over towards Neito. "Looks like your assumption was wrong," she teased. Her classmate waved her away. "Naw, they just had the luck of being a brand new class. It kept them under the radar," he replied.
"Alright everybody! Here we are! The penultimate match!"
The crowd cheered as Bruce stared at his opponent.
"What's with that damn look, you fucking Rich Boy?" Bakugo growled, "I'll kill you!"
Bruce quirked an eyebrow. "You're welcome to try."
Katsuki gritted his teeth, and a vein throbbed on his temple.
"Start!"
Now for the Preview!
This is it!
The second to last obstacle to being No. 1.
Next time: Penultimate Match: Bruce vs. Katsuki
Just how do I beat him?
So I hope everyone is safe and healthy during these hard times. Please take care of yourselves physically and mentally. Though it might be a while, this pandemic will end. We've just got to hold out a bit longer.
We are finally nearing the end of the Sports Festival arc. I'm excited for the internships.
Also, I don't want to sound like a broken record, but PLEASE do not repeatedly comment asking me when the next update will be. I really don't need my email filling up with comments asking about the next chapter, and I've already had to banish some people into spam. I do not spend all my free time on this fanfiction even though I love writing it and appreciate your enthusiasm for this story.
